Dala'il al-Khayrat (meaning the Waymarks of Benefits) is a famous collection of prayers for the Prophet Muhammad, which was written by the Moroccan Sufi and Islamic Scholar Muhammad al-Jazuli (died 1465). It is popular in the Arabic parts of the Muslim world amongst traditional muslims.
For hundreds of years Muslims have meditated on and lucidly expressed their deep love for the Chosen Prophet (God bless him and give him peace); they have collected and compiled every available account concerning him, produced immense commentaries detailing his every feature, from the length of his hair and the color of his complexion, to the way he walked, slept, and laughed, and have composed lyrical poetry giving voice to their immense longing for him.
The Prophet (God bless him and give him peace) said:
The person nearest to me is the one who asks for blessings upon me the most.Throughout history Muslims have sought continual presence with the Prophet (God bless him and give him peace), manifesting their love for him by adhering to God’s command: “bless him and pray for peace upon him” (The Qur’an, Sura al-Ahzab). In the spirit of this command, Muslim scholars have produced prayer manuals of the utmost beauty and eloquence.
These manuals most frequently consist of collections of prayers, supplications, and praise from the Qur’an and hadith, as well as original compositions. Of these prayer manuals, perhaps none have been more successful and widespread than Muhammad b. Sulayman al-Jazuli’s masterwork Dala’il al- Khayrat wa Shawariq al-Anwar fi Dhikr al-Salat ‘ala al- Nabi al-Mukhtar (The Guide to Blessings and the Advent of Light in Blessing the Chosen Prophet).
Composed in Morocco in the fifteenth century, Dala’il al-Khayrat quickly spread throughout the Muslim world, from Turkey, to East Africa, to Sumatra.