al-Mahajja fi Siyar al-Dulja
- Author died
- 795 AH
- Editions
- al-Fārūq al-Ḥadīthah lil-Ṭibā‘ah wal-Nashr
al-Mahajja fi Siyar al-Dulja (The Clear Path in the Night Journey) is a spiritual treatise on the ethics of worship and wayfaring by the Hanbali scholar Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (736–795 AH / 1335–1393 CE) . The book is also referred to under the variant titles Bayan al-Mahajja fi Siyar al-Dulja and Bayan al-Hujja fi Siyar al-Dulja .
Subject and Content
The treatise serves as an extended commentary on several interrelated prophetic narrations recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari, transmitted on the authority of Abu Hurayra and 'A'isha . The primary foundation of the work is the Prophet's ﷺ statement: لن ينجي أحدا منكم عمله ("None of you will be saved by his deeds"), to which the Companions asked, "Not even you, O Messenger of Allah?", and he replied: ولا أنا إلا أن يتغمدني الله برحمته، سددوا وقاربوا واغدوا وروحوا وشيء من الدلجة، والقصد القصد تبلغوا ("Not even I, unless Allah encompasses me with His mercy; so aim for rightness, adhere to moderation, travel in the morning, the evening, and something of the night journey, and adopt moderation, moderation, so you will reach [your goal]") .
Ibn Rajab elucidates the fundamental theological and spiritual principle embodied in these traditions: that a servant's good works alone do not necessitate salvation from the Fire or entry into Paradise, which are granted solely through the mercy and forgiveness of Allah . From this foundational principle, the treatise derives practical guidance regarding spiritual journeying (al-sayr wa-l-suluk) toward Allah .
Among the central themes discussed in the work are:
- Treading the Straight Path: Traversing the single straight path (al-Sirat al-Mustaqim) revealed through divine revelation, contrasting it with misleading deviances, and citing early authorities such as Dhu al-Nun al-Misri, Khulayd al-'Asari, and Ibn Mas'ud .
- Times of Spiritual Travel: The metaphorical parallel between physical travel and spiritual wayfaring, emphasizing consistent devotion across three key periods: early morning (al-ghadwa), late afternoon (al-rawha), and late night (al-dulja) .
- Moderation and Steadfastness: Maintaining balance (al-qasd) in worship without overburdening oneself or lapsing into neglect, adhering to the Sunnah, and understanding that spiritual superiority lies in the sincerity, knowledge, and inner state of the heart rather than mere quantity of physical acts .
- End States of Deeds: The necessity of perseverance until death, emphasizing that deeds are judged by their final states (al-a'mal bi-l-khawatim) .
Manuscripts and Publications
Multiple manuscript copies of al-Mahajja fi Siyar al-Dulja survive across various libraries:
- A manuscript dated Rabi' al-Awwal 1193 AH, transcribed by Ibrahim ibn Sulayman ibn Hijji, preserved in the King Fahd National Library in Riyadh (formerly at Dar al-Ifta, MS 686) .
- Several copies held at King Saud University, including MS 2252, MS 1637/2 copied by al-Rabi'i in 1333 AH, MS 53 F, and MS 3468 .
- Copies preserved at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, including MS 821 copied by Sulayman ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-'Umari .
- Multiple copies preserved in Baghdad at the Iraqi Awqaf Library (such as MS 13809/7 and MS 4767/20) within compendiums of treatises by Ibn Rajab and Ibn Taymiyya .
The treatise was first printed in Mecca in 1347 AH . It was later edited by Yahya Mukhtar Ghazzawi and published in Beirut by Dar al-Basha'ir al-Islamiyya in 1984 and 1986 . It was also published within the fourth volume of Majmu' Rasa'il al-Hafiz Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, edited by Tal'at ibn Fu'ad al-Hulwani and published by al-Faruq al-Haditha .
Answer updated