“Praise be to God.

May peace and blessings be upon the Prophet, His Kith and Kin.

Mr. Secretary-General of the Higher Ulema Council,

I am pleased to inform you that in keeping with the mission entrusted to me by the Almighty, and which consists in protecting the faith, in line with the obligations of the Commandership of the Faithful, I have decided to send you this message. It concerns what the Ulema, across our blessed Kingdom, should be doing to commemorate the solemn occasion taking place this year, namely the fifteenth century since the birth of my ancestor, the Chosen One, who was sent as a mercy to the world – may peace and blessings be upon him.

In this regard, I expect your Council to organize scholarly and outreach events that would fill my heart with joy, as well as the hearts of all Moroccans, who hold our noble Prophet in sincere and high esteem. In this regard, I would like to point out the following main lines of action:

First: Make presentations, give lectures, and hold scholarly seminars within councils, schools, universities, and public spaces, and engage in sound media outreach to shed further light on the biography of the Prophet – may peace and blessings be upon him. To this end, modern ways and methods should be used, making sure they are consistent with our time and appeal to young people, in particular. The focus should be on the greatest thing brought by the Prophet – may peace and blessings be upon him – taking people out of darkness and into light: namely the religion of monotheism. This is a good opportunity for our scholars to show people that the moral interpretation of monotheism, in our time, which everyone can understand, is to bring people to free themselves from selfishness, in their individual as well as their collective lives.

Second: Undertake similar activities on a large scale, praising the Almighty for entrusting the Commandership of the Faithful, in this country, to descendants of the Prophet – may peace and blessings be upon him. These custodians have been preserving his covenant, adhering to his traditions, serving and protecting the guidance revealed to him, which the Messenger illustrated and exemplified through his conduct.

Third: Undertake appropriate action to show gratitude to Almighty God for guiding my steps to carry out the Commandership of the Faithful. This has enabled me to provide the right conditions that make it possible for Moroccans to do everything they can to please the Almighty. To this end, they have been upholding the pillars of the faith as they were conveyed by my revered ancestor, Prophet Muhammad – may peace and blessings be upon him, performing, to this end, the proper acts of worship, and fostering and instilling good morals in the souls of the believers.

Fourth: Shed light on my efforts and those of the Alawite Monarchs in terms of safeguarding the legacy of our Prophet, especially with regard to the hadith al-sharif. With that in mind, your Council should issue a scholarly publication on the book of Sultan Sidi Muhammad bin Abdullah, titled “al-futuhaat al-ilahiya fi ahaadith khayr al-bariyyah”.

Fifth: Shed light on the Moroccan people’s keen interest in the sacred mission entrusted to the Prophet – may peace and blessings be upon him – as recalled by the Almighty: “It is He Who has sent among the unlettered an apostle from among themselves to rehearse to them His Signs, to sanctify them, and to instruct them in Scripture and wisdom.” The Moroccan nation’s keen interest in the first of these trusts is something that arouses the world’s admiration, namely the exceptional attention they pay to the Holy Qur’an, be it in terms of memorization, recitation, or interpretation.

Sixth: Recall the Moroccan people’s special concern for the second of the Messenger’s greatest trusts, namely purification, or tazkiyah. This is attested by the spiritual education institutions known as Sufi orders that have flourished in Morocco since time immemorial. The essence of that education is the love of the Messenger, to whom these orders’ chains of transmission lead. Indeed, the glorification of Almighty God and the submission to Him are achieved by emulating His Messenger – may peace and blessings be upon him.

Seventh: Introduce the general public to the Moroccan people’s masterful command of the finest eulogies of the Prophet as a form of glorification of the noble Messenger, in private and public gatherings. The aim is to enrich the natural disposition of people, nourish consciences, and draw on the Muhammadan spirituality through the art of the Sufi religious chanting, or sama’.

Eighth: Highlight the Moroccan people’s exceptional ability to formulate prayers for the Prophet – may peace and blessings be upon him – as in “Dhakhirat al-Muhtaj”, by Sheikh al-Ma’ati al-Sharqawi, and before him, “Dala’il al-Khayrat”, by Imam al-Jazuli. In the fifteenth century, these prayers constituted the motto of Moroccans in their struggle to liberate the occupied territories. In times of hardship as well, Moroccans have always shown a deep commitment to the Prophet – may peace and blessings be upon him – as illustrated, for instance, by Abu al-Abbas al-Azfi in the book he wrote in the seventh century, called: “Al-Durr al-Munadham fi Mawlid al-Nabi al-Almuadham”.

Ninth: Your Council should properly authenticate Cadi Ayad’s book, “Kitaab al-Shifaa bita’reefi huquuq al-Mostafaa”. This is the book on the Prophet’s biography thanks to which Morocco became famous throughout the world, before “Dala’il al-Khairat” gained worldwide fame.

Tenth: Urge people, especially on this glorious occasion, to say ever more prayers for the Prophet, in compliance with the words of the Almighty: “God and His Angels send blessings on the Prophet: O you that believe, send blessings on him, and salute him with all respect.” Scholarly councils should hold gatherings to pray for the Prophet. These gatherings should be attended by religious leaders, dhikr sects and the general public. Alongside these prayers, supplications should be made to Allah asking Him to perpetuate His blessings upon our country and ensure its secuity, and to grant me and my family members good health, well-being, and a good ending.

I also urge you to include in this commemoration our Moroccan community abroad, through the European Council of Moroccan Ulema, and other institutions. Similarly, you should include our brothers from African countries, particularly through the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Oulema.

Before concluding, I pray that Almighty God grant us further blessings through our love for His Prophet, his Kith and Kin. He is All-Hearing, Oft-responding.

Wassalamu alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh.”