Sidi Ahmad Zarruq’s Commentary on Shaykh al-Shadhili’s Hizb al-Bahr

Description

This English translation presents, for the first time, the illuminating commentary of Sidi Aḥmad Zarrūq—renowned jurist, spiritual guide, and reformer of the Sufi path—on Ḥizb al-Baḥr (“The Litany of the Sea”), the celebrated supplication composed by Imām Abū’l-Ḥasan al-Shādhilī.

Far more than a line-by-line explanation, Zarrūq’s commentary is a spiritual roadmap that unpacks the theological, spiritual, and devotional dimensions of the ḥizb. He reveals the inner meanings of its invocations, the spiritual states it seeks to awaken, and the conditions of presence and reliance it demands from the one who recites it. Through his insights, the Ḥizb al-Baḥr emerges not merely as a protective supplication—but as a living embodiment of tawḥīd, surrender, and trust in God.

Rendered into English with clarity and reverence, this translation brings one of the great treasures of the Shādhilī tradition within reach of today’s seekers. Whether read devotionally or studied as a manual of spiritual refinement, The Ocean of Protection offers guidance for the heart in every storm.