What is the Origin of the “Manzil”?

By Mawlana Tameem Ahmadi

Edited by IlmGate

Question:

I had a question about Manzil, what is its origin and its purpose?

Answer:

The Manzil is popular in [the Indian Subcontinent] and read as a wazifa and hirz for protection.

The Kandhlawi family would give a lot of importance to it and it was a custom of the family to teach it to the women and children. It is helpful for protection from jinns, satanic whisperings, black magic, and all types of calamities.

Hazrat [Shaykh al-Hadith Mawlana Zakariyya al-Kandhlawi’s] son, Mawlana Talha حفظه الله, mentioned in the short introduction to one copy of the Manzil – which I have – that the Manzil is actually taken from a Hadith [of] Mustadrak.

The Hadith is mentioned in the Mustadrak of Hākim (vol.4, p.413):

Ubayy ibn Ka`b رضي الله عنه said: I was with the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم when a bedouin came and said: “O Prophet of Allah, I have a brother who has a problem.”

The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم asked, “And what is his problem?”

The bedouin said, “He has a slight mental derangement.”

The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم told him to bring his brother to him. So the bedouin brought his brother before the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم, so he صلى الله عليه وسلم read over him:

1. Surat al-Fatiha and the last four verses of Surat al-Baqarah.
2. Two verses starting from: “wa ilāhukum ilāhun Wāhidun lā ilāha illa huw al-Rahmān al-Rahīm” (2:163)
3. Ayat al-Kursi
4. Verse from Surat Āle Imrān: “shahidallahu annahu…” ( 3:18)
5. Verse from Surat al-A`rāf: “inna rabbakum Allah al-ladhi khalaqa al-samāwāt…” (7:54)
6. Last verse from Surat al-Mu’minūn: “fa ta`ālā Allahu al-malik al-haqq…” (23:116)
7. Verse from Surat al-Jinn: “wa annahu ta`ālā jaddu rabbina…“(72:3)
8. Ten verses from the beginning of Surat al-Sāffāt (37: 1-10)
9. Last 3 verses of Surat al-Hashr (59)
10. Surat Ikhlas and Mu`awwadhatayn.

And when the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم read this upon him, he got up as if he never had a problem to complain about. (Mustadrak of Hākim (vol.4, p.413)

Imam Hākim says: “Shaykhān (Bukhari and Muslim) have accepted the narrators of this Hadith, except for Abu Jannab al-Kalbi. But the Hadith is Mahfūz and Sahīh…”

Imam Dhahabi comments saying: “Abu Jannab al-Kalbi: Dāruqutni has said he is da`īf and the Hadith is munkar.”

And Allah Knows Best
[Mawlana] Tameem Ahmadi