Dala’il al-Khayrat (Waymarks of Benefits), Book of prayers on the Prophet Muhammad

Muhammad al-Jazuli (d. 870 AH/1465 CE) established the Jazuliyya order and remains renowned to this day for his work titled Dala’il al-Khayrat wa shawariq al-anwar fi dhikr al-salat ‘ala al-nabiyy al-mukhtar (‘The Guide to Benevolent Deeds and Rising Lights in the Prayers on the Chosen Prophet’). This prayer book dedicated to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was used during the ziyara (visit) to the Prophet’s mosque in Medina. After the 16th century CE, the text gained popularity and swiftly became the most reproduced book after the Qur’an in Morocco, the Ottoman lands, Iran and Southeast Asia. Its illustrations typically depict either Medina alone or views of Mecca and Medina paired in a double-page spread. In North Africa, manuscripts tend to include only a flat frontal elevation view of the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, and only a few from after the 17th century CE include Mecca.

This is one of various examples on view at the Museum of Islamic art, which together showcase the diversity of formats and styles within the Moroccan tradition. Most include a close-up view into the mosque that offers an intimate portrayal of the sacred space, devoid of any perspective. The images either comprise a single page representing the tombs of Muhammad, Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, or a double-page illustrating the burial chamber on one side and the minbar and mihrab on the other. In the 19th century CE, small square manuscripts with boxes, designed to be carried by pilgrims to Medina, became very popular.