The Key to Salvation: A Sufi Manual of Invocation

by Ibn ʻAta' Allah al-Iskandari (Editor), Mary Ann Koury-Danner (Translation)

This is the first English translation of Miftah al-falah , a thirteenth century Sufi text, written by Ibn Ata Allah, one of the great masters of the Shadhili Sufi order. It is considered to be one of his most important works because it sets out the principles of actual Sufi mystical practices, shedding light on the sacred invocations, and associated practices, such as the spiritual retreat. Written in a clear, lucid style, it offers a glimpse into the Sufi world of the 7th Islamic century and allows us to see almost at first hand how the novice was guided by the Sufi Shaykh and, above all, the purpose and preparation involved in engaging in the invocation, dhikhru'llah . Ibn Ata' Allah sets out to define it, to explain its nature and power, to show its results and to prove that it is part of the Prophet's Sunna , or practice. The author goes to great lengths to point out many Qur'anic verses where dhikru'llah is mentioned and cites many noted authorities.

Genres: Islam, Religion, Nonfiction

270 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1995

About the author

Tāj al-Dīn Abū'l-Faḍl Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Karīm ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Isa ibn Hussein ibn ʿAṭā Allāh al-Judhami al-Iskandarī al-Shādhilī (1260-1309) was an Egyptian Malikite jurist, muhaddith and the third murshid (spiritual "guide" or "master") of the Shadhili Sufi order.

Born in Alexandria, he lived and died in Cairo. He was responsible for systematizing the order's doctrines and recording the biographies of its founder, Sidi Abu-l-Hassan ash-Shadhili, and his successor, Sidi Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi. Ibn 'Ata Allah was the author of the first systematic treatise on dhikr, titled The Key to Salvation: A Sufi Manual of Invocation (Miftah al-Falah) and his compilation of aphorisms (hikam) helped to make the group very popular. Commentaries on the hikam have been made by some of the most famous of the Shadhili order such as Ibn Abbad al-Rundi, Sheikh Ahmed Zarruq founder of the Zarruqiyya Sufi order and Ahmad ibn Ajiba. The wide circulation of his written works led to the spread of the Shadhili order in North Africa, where the order's founder had been rejected in earlier attempts. The Wafai Sufi order was also derived from his works. He died in 1309 while in Cairo.

Reviews

[Maryam Kd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably one of the most comprehensive and beautifully written books on Zikr that I’ve read so far. In the words of Sheikh Ibn Ata’Allah himself:

“The remembrance of God is the foundation of the path and the pivotal support of realized sages. Yet I have never seen anyone who has written an adequate and complete book or compiled a clear and comprehensive treatise on it. That, together with the suggestion by a pious brother who likes to give sincere counsel, prompted me to compose a book wherein I have assembled those things that would facilitate understanding the remembrance of God and elucidated whatever is obscure in it. In so doing, I have steered the seeker away from difficulties and made the book accessible to those desirous of spiritual gifts, hoping for reward for this effort from God, and praying for the seeker's success in his quest:

O traveler going towards the protected land,
Forget me not upon alighting there!”

[Zulhilmi Zakaria · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Key to Salvation and Lamp of Souls


Saya memilih untuk meminjam buku ini di perpustakaan sebagai bahan bacaan. barangkali kerana pengetahuan saya tentang tokoh tasawuf ini. Beliau ialah Taj ad-Din Abu Fadl Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Abd al-Karim b. Ata 'Allah al-Iskandari al-Judhami ash-Shadhili. Seorang ulama tasawuf yang besar dalam Tariqah Syadhiliah. Juga merupakan faqih mazhab Malik. Sememangnya lebih dikenali dengan Kitab al-Hikam beliau.

Sebelum ini, saya sempat menghabiskan bacaan buku Dr. Jasser Auda, A Journey to God: Reflections on the Hikam of Ibn Ata'illah. Juga mengikuti Kuliah Dhuha mingguan di Masjid Nilai bersama Mufti Wilayah iaitu bertalaqqi kitab Al-Ihkam fi syarh al-Hikam, karya Dr. Zul sendiri. Dengan itu sedikit sebanyak membiasakan saya dengan kalam-kalam kerohanian Syeikh Ibn Ata'illah.

TENTANG BUKU

Jika saudara membaca buku ini, ianya seperti sahabat berbicara sendiri dengan Syeikh Ibn Ata'illah. Ataupun, tidak terlebih untuk mengatakan, saudara seperti mengikuti terus tariqah Shadhiliah. Saya merasakan ini barangkali bahasa yang digunakan benar-benar mudah dan bermotivasi. Kemudian, penerangan Syeikh berkenaan aspek-aspek fizikal yang perlu dipersiapkan bagi mereka yang ingin melalui jalan menuju Tuhan itu amat terperinci. Juga aspek persekitaran luaran yang amat penting bagi mereka yang sedang menjaga hati dari syubhah keduniaan dan kesedapan syahwat.

Kita tahu sebelum ini, memang wujud sekelompok kaum Muslimin abad ini yang terpekik terlolong untuk mengatakan yang ilmu tasawuf ini tidak berasaskan dari Al-Quran dan As-Sunnah. Kitab ini (Miftah al-Arwah), Syeikh dengan tegas sekali menyatakan pendiriannya tentang ilmu ini ada bersumberkan dalil-dalil Quran dan Sunnah. Setiap amalan mengingati Allah (invocation) yang disyorkan Syeikh terdapat dalil-dalilnya. Misalnya, beruzlah (spiritual retreat), zikir menyebut, "Allah..Allah..Allah.." ataupun "Huwa..Huwa..Huwa..", dan pelbagai lagi..

Secara kesimpulan, buku ini wajar dibaca oleh semua manusia baik Muslim atau non-Muslim. Lagi bermanfaat untuk umat muslimin khususnya yang sedang menghadapi krisis kemodenan yang amat parah lewat hari ini. Krisis kemodenan yang menatijahkan krisis spiritual yang berpanjangan.

Kita memohon kepada Allah s.w.t agar terus diberi hidayah dan petunjuk untuk menelusuri onak ranjau kehidupan yang berliku ini. Amin!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-inspired alhamdulillah was I when I bought this book. It is a life-changer.

[Anisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The key to the power and secret of duah are in this book. If you have any problems, read the last chapter.

[Hakam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The text reveals the principles and inner landscape of Sufi invocation, positioning dhikr as both the axis of spiritual life and the means through which the seeker moves toward divine realization. Ibn ‘Ata’ Allah approaches dhikr as an experiential path, elucidating its nature, transformative effects, scriptural legitimacy (rooted in both the Qur’an and the Prophetic tradition), and its crucial place in the process of the spiritual retreat (khalwa). The book demonstrates how invocation governs the journey of the novice, guiding their conduct and inner attitudes, while simultaneously defending these practices as faithful continuations of the Prophet’s model and the pious forebears of Islam.​

The manual’s clear, didactic style makes it an invaluable glimpse into the world of the 7th Islamic century Sufi orders. Sections systematically detail the philosophy and psychology of remembrance, the techniques and etiquette of invocation—sometimes aloud, and sometimes in inner silence—as well as the gradual progress of the seeker. The book also explores the benefits and inner realities of different forms of dhikr as suitable to varying stages on the Sufi path.​

Notably, it is one of the earliest systematic treatments devoted entirely to dhikr, setting the stage for generations of subsequent writing on the topic. The text frequently references scriptural authority, draws upon the insights of earlier Sufi masters, and offers direct guidance aligning practical method with mystical insight.​ Ibn ‘Ata’ Allah emphasizes that true remembrance must go beyond mechanical repetition, opening the heart to divine intimacy and transforming the seeker at the deepest levels. The invocation is described as:​

1) Protection from hypocrisy and spiritual harm

2) The nourishment of faith and the heart

3) The foundation of annihilation (fana) and subsistence (baqa) in God

For the Sufi, persistent dhikr eventually subdues lower drives, disperses afflictive states, and brings the novice into ever-deepening proximity with the Divine. In doing so, it is both “sword and shield” against inner and outer obstacles.​ “The Key to Salvation” endures as a formative text in the Shadhili tradition and beyond, offering timeless guidance on how remembrance is rooted in law, scripture, and the lived practice of the saints. It is both manual and meditation—bridging the exoteric and esoteric, and teaching that invocation embodies not mere words, but the very alchemy of spiritual transformation.​ For those seeking to understand not only Sufi doctrine but the lived, intimate realities of Islamic mysticism, this work stands as a luminous guide.

[Suzane D.]

This is a beautiful book that provides different ways of remembering, in this case, God. It's a farely difficult read, but completely worth it. I have yet to finish it.