Chapter 10: Our Duties Towards The Imam Of The Age
Our duties towards Imam al-’Asr (‘aj); manners of servitude and rituals of obedience as we regard ourselves as obedient servants under obligation of the favours of His Eminence and his general generosity and because we regard him as medium to gain divine favours and worldly and spiritual benefits; whether they be from manners of servitude and necessity of according respect to His Eminence as acting on them is not having any other aim. Even though it may be a cause of salvation and enable the doer to enter the circle of obedient devotees or be a preface of creating means to His Eminence for gaining material and spiritual benefits and warding off earthly and heavenly troubles as there is no way to prevent them, except through attachment to His Eminence and to implore from that giver of bounty in the tongue of imploring and conversation.
Regarding this some points will be mentioned; some of which are ideal, some practical, some verbal and some monetary.
First: Being Aggrieved For The Imam During Occultation And In His Separation
There are many reasons for this.
First: Being single, hidden and concealed and no hand being able to access him and no one seeing him in public and his being informed about the concealed characteristics of the people all the time; whether a person claims to reach the stage of faith and Paradise and not only by verbal acceptance, he is not regarded as truthful, except when his love for his masters should be as the Messenger of Allah (S) said.
Thus, Shaykh as-Saduq in his Amali1, Shaykh At-Tusi in his Amali2 and Ibn Shiruya in his Firdos have narrated: Has not brought faith the servant till I am not dearer to him than his own self and my family is not dearer to him than his own family and my progeny is not more beloved to him than his own progeny and my self is not dearer to him than his own self.
So, a person asked Abdur Rahman, the narrator of this report: You have always narrated that the Almighty Allah enlivens the hearts through them.
Perhaps this status is the highest level of faith that his love for his devotees should be like his love for one of his special children and most proximate and perfect of them in his view, except that he may be cognizant of personal qualities and spiritual perfections and unlimited blessings and favours on the people. His acts are in accordance to his understanding and divine recognition reaches to such a level that except for that honourable chain he does not consider anyone as worthy of love and if he does so it is from the aspect of his attachment to that holy family, even though it might be partial.
If man really tastes the delicious drink of the love of the Imam and always makes the relationship as per nature and practice inclined to His Eminence, he will be so aggrieved due to his separation as to be deprived of sleep and taste of food and drinks.
In Al-Khisal3 and Man La Yandhuruhu Al-Faqih4, it is narrated from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) that he said: Five persons cannot sleep...till he said: and those who have a friend who is about to part with them.
Such a person, if he is suffering from separation, his grief and distress would be beyond computation and he would be sleepless that a person of such greatness and thousand times more merciful than a father, who is present and seeing, but who is in occultation such that there is no access to him. Nor can anyone get any information about his kingdom and his location. He sees every rascal, but cannot see the one he is in search of. He hears every evil and vain sound, but is unable to hear a word from him, which none else can utter.
It is mentioned in ‘Uyun al-Akhbar al-Ridha’ narrating from Imam Ali ar-Ridha’ (‘a) that he said in a report regarding Imam Az-Zaman (‘aj): How distressed would the believers be during the concealment of ‘water flowing openly on the earth’ (Maai Maeen); that is Imam Az-Zaman (‘aj)?
In the words of Du’a Nudbah, which is recommended to be recited on the four Eids and Friday eve and morning this position is hinted at and following are some other statements of this supplication:
Would that I know where your state of being far is settled.
Or which, earth of soil has embraced you;
Is it in the mountain of Razwa or the other (mountain) or in Zee-Tuwa?
It is intolerable for me that I see the people but do not see you.
And, neither do I hear a sigh of breath nor (any) whispering from you.
It is intolerable for me that you are surrounded by calamities and that, neither my plaintive cry nor my complaint reaches you.
May (I) myself be sacrificed for you who seems to be concealed (physically), but not away from us.
May (I) myself be sacrificed for you who seems to be emigrant (but) not far from us.
May (I) myself be sacrificed for you who is the goal or aspirations of every faithful man and woman who desires you, remembers you and moans for you.
May (I) myself be sacrificed for you who is bound to lofty honour which can never be reached (by anyone).
May (I) myself be sacrificed for you, whose original eminence cannot be equaled.
May (I) myself be sacrificed for you, who is the ancestral bounty, which cannot be resembled.
May (I) myself be sacrificed for you, the partaker of nobility, the like of which is not possible.
How long am I to bewail for you, O my Master!
And how long and with which word should I praise you, and what secret talk (should I adopt with you).
It is intolerable for me to talk and receive a reply from persons other than you.
It is intolerable for me that I cry for you while all others forsake you.
It is intolerable for me that this (isolation) befalls you instead of befalling others.
Is there any helper with whom I may prolong my lamentation and weeping?
Is there any mourner with whom I may join when he mourns alone?
Is there any eye weeping of a thorn5, that my eye may sympathize with it?
O son to Ahmad! Is there a way through which you may be met?
May our day (of separation) join the day of reappearance by which we enjoy?
When shall we arrive at your streams for drink, with which to quench our thirst for you?
When shall we get benefit of your sweet water, for already the thirst has lasted too long?
When shall we spend morning and evening with you to delight our eyes with a glance (at you)?
When shall you see us and we shall see you; then you shall be seen unfurling the flag of victory?6
Till the end of the supplication, which is an example of the grief of the heart and is expressed by words like foam of salty water is sprinkled on the fire of separation.
Second: Prohibition of that magnificent rule from the one, other than whom Caliphate and apparent rulership is not for anyone else, except that one of medium height from application of laws and penalties, conveying the divine commands and prohibition of injustice and oppression and helping the weak and giving refuge to the oppressed and restoring the rights and announcing truth and erasing falsehood; that except for taking over all the requirements of apparent rulership and domination on the countries, servants and properties it is not an expression of his own respected self.
In this long period of time, he tours through the lands alone or with his special confidants and sees his right in the hands of others and is patient in complying with the command of God.
Although he is aggrieved like a just ruler, who was kind to the subjects; but who was defeated by the enemy: who imprisoned him and restrained his hands from everything, and he can do nothing, except witness injustice and oppression.
In Al-Kafi7, Tahzib8 and Faqih9, it is narrated that Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (‘a) said to ‘Abd Allah Zabyan that there is no Eid for the Muslims; neither Eiduz Zuha nor Eid al-Fitr, but that the Almighty Allah freshens the grief of Aali Muhammad (‘a).
The narrator asked: Why?
He replied: It is so because they see their rights in the hands of others.
The venerable Sayyid Ali Ibn Tawus says in Kashf al-Muhajja10: I make you a bequest, O my son, Muhammad and your brother and all those who read this book about dealing with Allah, the Mighty and Sublime and His Messenger (S) and the guarding of his bequest, which they have given glad tidings of regarding the reappearance of our master, al-Mahdi (‘aj).
Indeed, I found that the words and deeds of many people regarding His Eminence are opposed to belief from some aspects.
One of them being that if someone who believes in his Imamate loses a slave, a horse, dirham or dinar he would put in utmost effort to regain them; but he is not so anxious at the absence of the Imam who would reform Islam and faith and cut off the tails of disbelievers and rebellious.
Then how can a person having such qualities believe that he is having the true recognition of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime and the right of His Messenger and believes in his Imamate and claims devotion beyond computation for lofty nobilities of His Eminence?
Also, someone who says that he believes in the necessity of his kingdom, need of reappearance and implementation of his Imamate, if he is kind to those who claim enmity to his Imam from the kings and completes his favour on him, his heart would be related to this ruler and will be involved with him while the relation to al-Mahdi (‘aj) demands that he should wish for dismissal of that ruler who has rewarded him.
Thus, if someone claims that he is pleased at the pleasure of His Eminence and has enmity for his enemies; and he believes that everything in the world is from al-Mahdi (‘aj); now if the usurper king has usurped the rights of the Imam, should he not bemoan the loss like he would have if the ruler had taken away from him dirham or dinar or rulership or house from him?
So, where do you find such recognition of Almighty Allah and His Messenger and recognition of his successors (‘a), till the end the statement, and traditional reports repeatedly mention His Eminence to be the homeless, the abandoned, the alone and the oppressed whose right is denied.
Third: The wide and straight road of the clear law of pure Shariat was not achieved and only narrow and dark paths, which are disparate. In each of its path robbers sat in ambush to cast doubts in the hearts of common people, on the contrary even in the hearts of scholars till this small sect and Imamite school of thought began to falsify each other and accused each other of apostasy and cursed them and are doing giving domination to the enemies over themselves and little by little went out of the pale of the religion of God and the true scholars were helpless from expressing the truth.
And the promise of the truthful (‘a) was realized that a time will come when it would more difficult for a believer to guard his faith than to hold an ember in his hand.
Shaykh an-Nu’mani has narrated that Omayra bint Nufayl said:
“I heard Husayn Ibn Ali (‘a) say: “The matter that you are expecting will not occur until a time comes that you disavow each other, spit at the face of each other, declare unbelief against each other and curse each other.”
I said: “There will be no goodness in that time!”
He said: “All the goodness will be in that time. Our Qa’im will rise and do away with all of that.”11
Another report is narrated from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) of the same matter.12
It is narrated from Malik Ibn Dhamra that Amir Al-Mu’minin (‘a) said:
“O Malik Ibn Dhamra, how about you when the Shi’a disagree like this?” He interlaced the fingers of his two hands.
I said: “O Amir al-Mu’minin, there will be no goodness then. “
He said: “O Malik, all the goodness will be then! At that time our Qa’im will appear. He will present seventy men as liars fabricating lies against Allah and His messenger (‘a) and he would eliminate them. Then Allah will make people agree unanimously upon one thing.”13
Also, it is narrated from Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (‘a) that he said: “O Shi’a of Muhammad’s progeny, you are going to be tested like the kohl in the eye. One knows when the kohl is put into his eye, but he does not know when it gets out of it. In the same way one believes in our matter in the morning and recants it in the evening or he believes in it in the evening and when morning comes, he recants it.14
People Would Be Tested During The Period Of Occultation
It is narrated from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) that he said: “By Allah, you are going to be broken like glass, but glass is remade and it returns as before. By Allah, you are going to be broken like the breaking of pottery; pottery is never remade as before.
By Allah you are going to be sifted, to be clarified and to be purified until none of you remain save the least. (He shrank his hand)”15 There are any reports of this topic.
Traditional Report Of Amir Al-Mu’minin (‘A) Regarding Occultation
Shaykh as-Saduq (r.a.) in Kamal ad-Din16 has narrated from Amir Al-Mu’minin (‘a) that he said: “As if I can see you running like camels, searching for pasture in vain, O Shias.”
It is Also, narrated from His Eminence that he said to Abdur Rahman Ibn Sababa: What your condition would be in that time, when you are without a guiding Imam and a goal? When some of you would be aloof from others; at that time, you would be tested and separated and sieved.17
Statement Of Sudair Sairafi
Also, it is narrated from Sudair Sairafi that he said: “I, Mufazzal Ibn Umar, Abu Baseer and Aban Ibn Taghlib came to our master Abi ‘Abd Allah as-Sadiq (‘a) and saw him sitting on the floor covered with Khaibari sheet made of hair, his neck was open and his sleeves folded up. He was crying like the mother having only one son laments at his death. The signs of sorrow were apparent from his face and its effects were spread on his cheeks. Tears had moistened the hollows of his eyes and he was saying: My master, your occultation has taken away my night’s sleep, it has narrowed my bed for me, and has snatched away the solace from my heart. My master, your occultation has turned my tragedies into the atrocities of eternity! The loss of one after the other perishes a crowd and a multitude. No more I feel the tear that drops from my eye, and the moon that faintly leaves my chest from the places of tragedies and past calamities, except that it exemplifies before my eye the greatest and cruelest of catastrophes, the most dismal and disdainful mishaps, mixed with your wrath, and calamities coupled with your anger.”
Sudair says: Our hearts and minds were overwhelmed by that terrifying scene and mortifying view. We thought that it is the sign of a dreadful shattering or times have brought him a calamity. So we said, “May Allah, O son of the best of the creation, never bring tears into your eyes. For what incidents are your eyes pouring and your tears raining and what situation has led you to this mourning?”
Sudair says: Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) took a deep sigh that his chest expanded and his fright enhanced, and he said, O, you, I looked at the Book of Jafr this morning, and that is the book that encompasses the knowledge of deaths, trials and tribulations and the knowledge of all that has been and all that will be until the Day of Judgment, which Allah, glory to His name, has exclusively imparted to Muhammad and the Imams after him, peace unto him and them. I viewed therein the birth of our Qa’im and his disappearance and its protraction and the length of his lifespan and the trials of the believers through him and after him in that period and the generation of doubts in their hearts from the length of his disappearance and the apostasy of most of them from their religion and their removing the cord of Islam from their necks, about which Allah, glory to His name, has said, We have fastened to every man’s neck his fateful bird, which is the Wilayah. So emotions overpowered me and griefs overwhelmed me…” and so on.18
This much is sufficient for this occasion, so that if confusion and dissension afflict the Shi’a during their period of occultation and doubts haunting them could cause Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) to weep years before its occurrence and depriving him from sleep; then believers would be involved in the whirlpool of those calamities, so it deserves more to lament these circumstances and to be humble to the Almighty Allah.
Second: Waiting For Reappearance Is An Important Duty Of A Believer
Excellence Of Awaiting For Reappearance
Waiting for reappearance is an important duty of a believer and waiting for the dominant rule of and apparent kingdom of al-Mahdi of Aali Muhammad (‘a) and his filling up the earth with justice and equity and the domination of the right religion over the other religions, which the Almighty Allah informed to His Prophet and promised; on the contrary its glad tidings were given to all the prophets and nations that such would come, that except for the Almighty Allah, no one would be worshipped, and nothing will remain from religion, which in the fear of one in the veil of secrecy will remain and calamity and severity will leave the followers of truth.
As is mentioned in the Ziyarah of al-Mahdi of Aali Muhammad (‘a) that: Peace be on al-Mahdi, who is promised to all the nations that their word would be united by him.
That is all discord would disappear and the religion will be one and he will eradicate all disunity and fill up the earth with justice and equity and make dominant the promise of relief which is promised to the believers and this great relief and this relief was promised for the year 70 A.H.
As Shaykh Rawandi has mentioned in Khara’ij19: Narrating from Ishaq Sabaiee from Amr Ibn Hamaq, one of the four holder of the secrets of Amir Al-Mu’minin (‘a) that he said: I came to Ali (‘a) when he was injured in Kufa.
I asked His Eminence: There is no fear for you, it is just a scratch for you.
He replied: By my life, I will be separated from you. Then he said: There is turmoil till the years 70 A.H. And he repeated it thrice.
I said: Is there relief after turmoil? He did not reply and fell into a swoon.
Till he says: I asked: O Amir Al-Mu’minin (‘a), indeed, you said there is turmoil till 70 A.H.; then is their peace after that?
He replied: Yes, indeed, after calamity there is peace, and the Almighty Allah erases what He likes and writes what He likes, and with Him is the source of the Book.
Traditional Report Of Abu Hamza Ath-Thumali
Shaykh At-Tusi has mentioned in Kitab al-Ghaibah20 and Kulaini has narrated in Al-Kafi21 from Abu Hamza Ath-Thumali that he said: “I asked Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (‘a): O son of Allah’s Messenger, Amir Al-Mu’minin (‘a) used to say: There will be sedition till 70 A.H. and after that there will be peace and prosperity; but 70 A.H. has passed and we are still in problems?”
Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (‘a) said: “O Saabit22, it was initially fixed as 70 A.H., but meanwhile Imam Husayn (‘a) was martyred and the Almighty Allah postponed it to 140 A.H. When we informed you about it, you publicized it and the Almighty Allah postponed it further and even we don’t know about the definite time.”
يَمْحُو اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيُثْبِتُ ۖ وَعِنْدَهُ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ
“Allah makes to pass away and establishes what He pleases, and with Him is the basis of the Book” (13:39).
Abu Hamza Ath-Thumali says that when he asked Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) about it, he Also, verified that it was true.
Shaykh an-Nu’mani says in the book of Ghaibah23: It is narrated from Alaa Ibn Sababa that Abu ‘Abd Allah as-as-Sadiq (‘a) had said:
“Whoever of you dies while still believing in this matter and waiting (for the expected Imam) is like one, who will be in the camp of the Qa’im (‘aj).
He has Also, narrated from Abu Baseer from His Eminence that he said: one day: “Shall I tell you of that which Allah does not accept any act from His people except with it?”
The narrator said: “Yes, please!”
He said: “Witnessing that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, submitting to the orders of Allah, believing in the guardianship of the infallible Imams, submitting to them and disavowing their enemies, piety, sincerity of faith and waiting for the Qa’im (‘aj).
He further said: There will be a state for us, Ahl al-Bayt.
Allah, when He wills.
Then he said: Whoever likes to be one of al-Qa’im’s companions has to wait while being pious and acting morally. If that one dies before the advent of al-Qa’im (‘aj), he will be rewarded as if he has accompanied al-Qa’im (‘aj). Try your best (in being pious) and wait. How lucky you are, O you the mercified group!”
Shaykh as-Saduq has narrated in Kamal ad-Din24 that His Eminence said: From the religion of the Imams are precautious piety, chastity, betterment (of the people) and awaiting the reappearance of Aali Muhammad (‘a).
Also, it is narrated from Imam Ali Ridha’ (‘a) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (S) said: The best act of my Ummah is awaiting for relief from Allah, the Mighty and Sublime.25
It is Also, narrated from Amir Al-Mu’minin (‘a) that he said: “One, who awaits for the reappearance of our Qa’im is like one, who writhes in his blood in the path of Allah.”26
In Ihtijaj27, Shaykh Tabarsi has narrated that an epistle came from Imam Az-Zaman (‘aj) to Muhammad Ibn ‘Uthman at the end of which was mentioned: Pray more for the reappearance as in it lies your relief.
In Ghaibah28, Shaykh At-Tusi has narrated from Mufazzal that he said: I mentioned Qa’im (‘aj) and one, who died from our companions awaiting for him?
Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) replied: When the Qa’im rises up, someone will come and announce in the grave of every believer: Your Imam has risen, if you want to join, you may do so. Otherwise, you may continue to lie in the mercy of God.
Shaykh Barqi has narrated in Mahaasin29 from His Eminence that he said to one of his companions: Each of you who die on the love for Aali Muhammad (‘a) and awaiting for the reappearance is like one, who is in the tent of Qa’im (‘aj).
In another traditional report, it is mentioned: On the contrary, he would be like one, who is in the company of the Messenger of Allah (S). In another tradition it is: Like one, who fights Jihad with sword before the Holy Prophet (S). In another report he is like one, who is martyred before the Messenger of Allah (S).
Exegesis Of Verse 7:71
فَانْتَظِرُوا إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ مِنَ الْمُنْتَظِرِينَ
“Wait then, I too with you will be of those who wait” (7:71).
Also, it is narrated from Muhammad Ibn Fudhail that he said: I asked from Imam Ali Ridha’ (‘a) about the reappearance (Faraj).
His Eminence said: Is awaiting for Faraj not Faraj? Allah, the Mighty and Sublime said:
فَانْتَظِرُوا إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ مِنَ الْمُنْتَظِرِينَ
“Wait then, I too with you will be of those who wait” (7:71).
That is waiting for the reappearance with reference to the command of Allah, in this verse, is itself a type of waiting.30
It is Also, narrated from His Eminence that he said: Patience and anticipation of Faraj is the best. Have you not heard the statement of the righteous servant of Allah?
وَارْتَقِبُوا إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ رَقِيبٌ
“…and watch, surely I too am watching with you” (11:93).
فَانْتَظِرُوا إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ مِنَ الْمُنْتَظِرِينَ
“Wait then, I too with you will be of those who wait” (7:71).
Thus, you should adopt patience, because after disappointment a prosperous time is sure to come and those who have preceded you were more patient than you.31
It is narrated Also, from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) that he said: One who awaits for the reappearance of the twelfth Divine Proof is like one, who has wielded his naked sword and defended the Messenger of Allah (S) from his enemies.32
Barqi has narrated from Amir Al-Mu’minin (‘a) that he said: The best worship act of a believer is to await from the reappearance of truth.33
Sayyid Ibn Tawus has mentioned in his book of Mizmar, narrating from Muhammad Ibn Ali Tabrizi that he has narrated from a reliable chain of narrators from Hammad Ibn ‘Uthman that he said:
I went to Abi ‘Abd Allah Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) on the 21st of Ramadhan.
His Eminence asked me: O Hammad, have you performed the ritual bath (Ghusl)?
I replied: Yes, may I be sacrificed on you.
Then he called for a mat and then said: Come near me and perform the ritual prayer. And then he began to pray non-stop and I prayed by his side, till we concluded all the prayers.
After that he began to recite supplications and I kept saying ‘Amen’ at his Duas till the dawn break. After that His Eminence (‘a) recited the Adhan and Iqamah and called some of his servants and standing in front led the Morning Prayer and we prayed behind him. In the first Rakat he recited Surah Fatiha and Surah Qadr and in the second Rakat he recited Surah Fatiha and Surah Tauheed. And after we had praised and glorified the Almighty Allah, we invoked blessings on the Messenger of Allah (S) and prayed for all believer men and women and all Muslim men and women from the first to the last. His Eminence (‘a) went into Sajdah and for a long time we heard nothing but his breathing. Then we heard that he was reciting as follows:
(بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ وَ الْأَبْصَارِ ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ خَالِقَ الْخَلْقِ بِلَا حَاجَةٍ فِيكَ إِلَيْهِمْ ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ مُبْدِئَ الْخَلْقِ لَا يَنْقُصُ عَنْ مُلْكِكَ شَيْءٌ ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ بَاعِثَ مَنْ فِي الْقُبُورِ ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ مُدَبِّرَ الْأُمُورِ ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ دَيَّانَ الدِّينِ وَ جَبَّارَ الْجَبَابِرَةِ ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ مُجْرِيَ الْمَاءِ فِي الصَّخْرَةِ الصَّمَّاءِ ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ مُجْرِيَ الْمَاءِ فِي النَّبَاتِ ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ مُكَوِّنَ طَعْمِ الثِّمَارِ ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ مُحْصِيَ عَدَدِ الْقَطْرِ وَ مَا تَحْمِلُهُ السَّحَابُ ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ مُحْصِيَ عَدَدِ مَا تَجْرِي بِهِ الرِّيَاحُ فِي الْهَوَاءِ ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ مُحْصِي مَا فِي الْبِحَارِ مِنْ رَطْبٍ وَ يَابِسٍ ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ مُحْصِيَ مَا يَدِبُّ فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْبِحَارِ وَ فِي أَطْبَاقِ الثَّرَى.
أَسْأَلُكَ بِاسْمِكَ الَّذِي سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ أَوِ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ ، وَ أَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ سَمَّاكَ بِهِ أَحَدٌ مِنْ خَلْقِكَ مِنْ نَبِيٍّ أَوْ صِدِّيقٍ أَوْ شَهِيدٍ أَوْ أَحَدٍ مِنْ مَلَائِكَتِكَ ، وَ أَسْأَلُكَ بِاسْمِكَ الَّذِي إِذَا دُعِيتَ بِهِ أَجَبْتَ وَ إِذَا سُئِلْتَ بِهِ أَعْطَيْتَ ، وَ أَسْأَلُكَ بِحَقِّكَ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ صَلَوَاتُكَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَ بَرَكَاتُكَ ، وَ بِحَقِّهِمُ الَّذِي أَوْجَبْتَهُ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ وَ أَنَلْتَهُمْ بِهِ فَضْلَكَ ، أَنْ تُصَلِّيَ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِكَ وَ رَسُولِكَ الدَّاعِي إِلَيْكَ بِإِذْنِكَ ، وَ سِرَاجِكَ السَّاطِعِ بَيْنَ عِبَادِكَ فِي أَرْضِكَ وَ سَمَائِكَ ، وَ جَعَلْتَهُ رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ ، وَ نُوراً اسْتَضَاءَ بِهِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ ، فَبَشِّرَنَا بِجَزِيلِ ثَوَابِكَ وَ أَنْذَرَنَا الْأَلِيمَ مِنْ عِقَابِكَ ، أَشْهَدُ أَنَّهُ قَدْ جاءَ بِالْحَقِّ وَ صَدَّقَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ ، وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوهُ ذَائِقُو الْعَذَابِ الْأَلِيمِ.
أَسْأَلُكَ يَا اللَّهُ يَا اللَّهُ يَا اللَّهُ ، يَا رَبَّاهْ يَا رَبَّاهْ يَا رَبَّاهْ ، يَا سَيِّدِي يَا سَيِّدِي يَا سَيِّدِي ، يَا مَوْلَايَ يَا مَوْلَايَ يَا مَوْلَايَ ، أَسْأَلُكَ فِي هَذِهِ الْغَدَاةِ ، أَنْ تُصَلِّيَ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ أَنْ تَجْعَلَنِي مِنْ أَوْفَرِ عِبَادِكَ وَ سَائِلِيكَ نَصِيباً ، وَ أَنْ تَمُنَّ عَلَيَّ بِفَكَاكِ رَقَبَتِي مِنَ النَّارِ يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ.
وَ أَسْأَلُكَ بِجَمِيعِ مَا سَأَلْتُكَ وَ مَا لَمْ أَسْأَلْكَ مِنْ عَظِيمِ جَلَالِكَ مَا لَوْ عَلِمْتُهُ لَسَأَلْتُكَ بِهِ ، أَنْ تُصَلِّيَ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ وَ أَنْ تَأْذَنَ لِفَرَجِ مَنْ بِفَرَجِهِ فَرَجُ أَوْلِيَائِكَ وَ أَصْفِيَائِكَ مِنْ خَلْقِكَ ، وَ بِهِ تُبِيدُ الظَّالِمِينَ وَ تُهْلِكُهُمْ ، عَجِّلْ ذَلِكَ يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ.
وَ أَعْطِنِي سُؤْلِي يَا ذَا الْجَلَالِ وَ الْإِكْرَامِ ، فِي جَمِيعِ مَا سَأَلْتُكَ لِعَاجِلِ الدُّنْيَا وَ آجِلِ الْآخِرَةِ ، يَا مَنْ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيَّ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ ، أَقِلْنِي عَثْرَتِي وَ اقْلِبْنِي بِقَضَاءِ حَوَائِجِي ، يَا خَالِقِي وَ يَا رَازِقِي ، وَ يَا بَاعِثِي وَ يَا مُحْيِيَ عِظَامِي وَ هِيَ رَمِيمٌ ، صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ ، وَ اسْتَجِبْ لِي دُعَائِي يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِين
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. There is no god except You, the changer of the hearts and the eyes. There is no god, except You, the creator of the creatures without any need for Him. There is no god, except You. Who initiated the creation without there developing any deficiency in Your Kingdom. There is no god, except You, the raiser of those who are in the graves. There is no god, except You, the destiny maker. There is no god, except You, the recompenser and the punisher of the oppressors. There is no god, except You, Who makes the water flow from the hard stone. There is no god, except You, Who makes the water flow in vegetation. There is no god, except You, Who conceals taste in fruits. There is no god, except You, Who knows the count of raindrops and what the clouds bear. There is no god, except You, Who knows the number of that which makes the breeze flow in the air. There is no god, except You, Who knows what is in the oceans from wet and dry substances. There is no god, except You, Who counts the creatures who are in the darkness of the oceans and in the layers of the earth. I ask You by all the names You are named with, by Yourself, or which You have restricted to Yourself in Your concealed knowledge. And I ask You by the names with which when You are called, You reply, and You give when You are asked.
And I ask you by Your right on Muhammad and his Ahl Al-Bayt, Your peace and blessings be on them. And by their right, which You have made obligatory on Yourself and made them repositories of Your blessings, that You bless Muhammad, Your servant and Your Messenger, the caller to You by Your permission and the gleaming lamp among your servants in Your earth and Your heavens and whom You made as the mercy for all the worlds and the illuminated Noor (light) for the believers. Then give us good news of Your mighty reward and frighten us with Your painful chastisement. I testify that he brought truth from truth and testified for Your messengers. And I testify that those who denied him will taste a painful punishment. I ask You O Allah, O Allah, O Allah, O Lord, O Lord, O Lord, O my chief, O my chief, O my chief, O my master, O my master, O my master. I ask You this morning, that You bless Muhammad and his family. And make me the fortunate pleader and beseecher. And bless me with the chance to free my neck from hellfire. O the most merciful of the merciful ones. And I ask You with all those who ask You and those who don’t ask You from Your great majesty, which if I know it, I ask You by it to bless Muhammad and his Ahl Al-Bayt and that You allow relief with their relief of those who consider them to be Your beloveds and chosen ones from Your creatures. And through them destroy the oppressors and eliminate them. Hasten this, O Lord of the Worlds. And give me what I ask for. O owner of majesty and greatness. And give me what I ask for in this world and the hereafter. O one, who is nearer to me than the jugular vein. Cure my deficiencies and allow me to leave Your court with my wish fulfilled. O my creator, O my sustainer. O my motivator. O one, who makes the brittle bones alive. Bless Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad and accept my entreaty. O the most merciful of the merciful ones.
When he concluded the supplication, he raised his head and I asked: May I be sacrificed on you, you prayed for the reappearance of one by whose reappearance the chosen ones of Allah would get ease; are you not him?
He replied: That person is the Qa’im of Aali Muhammad (‘a).
I asked: Are there some signs of his advent?
He replied: Yes, solar eclipse, two third hour after it has risen, lunar eclipse on the 23rd of the month, a calamity that would strike the people of Egypt, cutting off of the flow of Nile, remember what you are told, and wait for your master, day and night, as the Almighty Allah is doing something every day and one work does not prevent Him from doing another. Allah is the Lord of the worlds, and it is upon Him to guide his followers and they are fearful of Him.34
Traditional reports of this matter are in excess; since our aim was not to mention them all, we shall remain content with these only.
We should know that Shaykh At-Tusi, after the mention of the report of Abi Hamza from Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (‘a) and the previous report that Abu Baseer that he said: I asked Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (‘a) or Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a): “Does reappearance of the master of affair has a fixed time that we might rest assured?” He replied: “Yes, it was fixed, but you people divulged it and Almighty Allah postponed it.”35
Then the Shaykh said: The explanation of these reports is that: Supposing these reports are correct, it would not negate the possibility that Allah, the Mighty and the High has fixed one of the times that are mentioned. Thus, if He changes the conditions and circumstances, He would Also, change the exigency and that fixed time would be replaced by another. Definitely in the later periods Also, the same matter continues and the explanation is on the same base. Due to this, neither the time, which was fixed previously, all other times can Also, be postponed under some conditions till that which is causing delay of reappearance is not repeated, and till the time arrives, which nothing can change and which is imminent.36
Reports about the topic of delay in age, deaths and increase in lifespan due to supplication, alms and doing a good turn to relatives and also, that which is mentioned under the subject of decrease in lifespan and advancement of deaths as a result of oppression, breaking off relations and other acts, is based on the same interpretation and although Allah, the Mighty and the High is aware of both of them, but it is possible that one of them is not definite and the other is definite, and in this matter there is no difference between Imamiyah and Mutazila.37
Then he mentions some traditional reports about Badaa and then he says: The reason behind these is the same, which we mentioned before that the exigency in that matter changed and it was postponed to another time, but it does not mean that its exigency became known to Almighty Allah at that time. We don’t utter this word and do not consider it correct as the being of Almighty Allah is greater and above this.
Then he mentions the Objection: This belief of yours would become the cause that we do not rely on the statements of the Almighty Allah (reports).
Reply: Reports are of two kinds:
First type: There are some reports in which no sort of change is there, because we have faith and belief in absence of their change and transformation and know well that change is not possible in these reports; for example, the reports, which mention the attributes of the Almighty Allah, universe and past things; and in the same way reports, which say that the Almighty Allah would reward the believers according to their acts.
Second type: There are some reports, in which change is possible in their selves, because of the condition of change and transformation, there is some change in their personal beings Also, and we consider this change possible; like reports, which talk of future events; but reports which we know that would not be changed, we have faith in their actualization. And that is why many reports about which it is mentioned that their occurrence is certain, we know well that these are the reports in which there is no change at all for any reason and at that time we become certain of its occurrence.38
Third: Praying For The Protection Of Imam al-’Asr (‘A)
Supplications For Imam Az-Zaman (‘A)
It is an important duty to pray for the protection of Imam al-’Asr (‘aj) from the mischief of satans from humans and jinns and seeking help, success and victory over the infidels, apostates and hypocrites for His Eminence as it is an expression of servitude and obedience of what the Almighty Allah has promised that such a precious gem, which He has nurtured in divine treasure and His power and veiled his greatness and majesty till that day, which he has considered expedient to reveal that precious gem and show the world that luminosity and included such promise in supplication; except fulfilment of servitude and expression of fondness, love, reward and satisfaction to this great divine bestowal, no effect will be seen.
For sake of emphasis and eagerness, he said in supplication for His Eminence on most occasions.
The venerable Sayyid, Ali Ibn Tawus in part eight of Falah as-Sa’il39 says: After encouragement for praying for the brothers is the excellence of praying for your ruler who is the cause of your existence and you believe that if the Imam had not been there the Almighty Allah would have created neither you or anyone of the duty-bound in his time and your time and that the grace of his existence is the cause of everything you and other than you are in and is the cause for benefits received from it. So be careful at that time beware of preferring yourself or someone else in love and supplication for His Eminence as far as possible.
Maintain presence of mind and tongue in supplication for this great ruler and beware of thinking that you are saying this because His Eminence is needful of your supplication. Far from it! If you harbour such a belief, you are having a deficient faith; on the contrary what I have said was from the great right of His Eminence on you and his stupendous favour towards you and from the aspect that whenever you pray for him before praying for yourself and because he is dear to you. He will be nearer as the Almighty Allah opens the doors of acceptance before you, O the servant who is tied up due to sins.
So, when you pray for this special master before the Lord of life and death, it is hoped that through the being of that sacred existence, the Almighty Allah will open the doors of acceptance.
So, you would enter supplicating for self and for what you are praying in the ambit of persons blessed by Him and divine favours will surround your affairs and you would be blessed by Him. Because through supplication you hold His rope or don’t say you have not seen so and so who follows him from his teachers who act on what I say and I did not find him but that he was oblivious of our master as I have hinted.
So, I tell you to act on what I say that he is the manifest truth and whoever deserts our master and is oblivious as you will remember after that is a manifest mistake…and so on.
Also, in the book of month of Ramadhan it is Muzamir during the rituals of the holy mentioned after supplications of pre-dawn meal from the recitations of every night: The servant in every devotional prayer ends every act of thankfulness, by the mention that he has faith that Imam (‘a) is the deputy of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime between His servants and His lands, because he is provider of what they are needful of, for this keeper of fast, from his aims from the causes, which are related to His Eminence being the deputy of the Lord of the lords and that they supplicated and brought faith in the favour of God and His deputy (‘a) whom he regards as worthy for this position and elevated his rank to this level.40
It is concluded from these words that cause of supplication for His Eminence is a ritual of servitude and fulfilment of the right of greatness and majesty and the next is removal of obstacles of acceptance and opening of the doors of kindness and bestowal.
As for the details and explanation of effective supplications, especially regarding His Eminence, some of which are for all times and some are for special times; a few of them are mentioned as follows:
Supplications Related To Imam Al-’Asr (‘A)
Supplication One
Sayyid Raziuddin Ali Ibn Tawus (r.a.) in the above book, after the about statement, says: Among the traditional reports, emphasizing praying for His Eminence is a report, which our scholars have narrated from Ibn Abi Qurra from his chains of narrators from Ali Ibn Hasan Ibn Ali Ibn Fadhdhal from Muhammad Ibn ‘Isa Ibn Ubaid from the Holy Imams (‘a) that:
Repeatedly recite on the eve of 23rd of the month of Ramadhan in a standing and seated position and in every condition you are throughout that month and in every period of time possible for you. First recite divine praise of the Almighty Allah, then invoke blessings on Muhammad and his Progeny (‘a) and then recite as follows:
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم اللهم كن لوليك، القائم بأمرك،الحجة، محمد بن الحسن المهدي، عليه وعلى آبائه أفضل الصلاة والسلام، في هذه الساعة وفي كل ساعة، ولياً وحافظاً وقائداًوناصراً، ودليلاً ومؤيداً، حتى تسكنه أرضك طوعاً، وتمتعه فيها طويلا وعرضاً، وتجعله وذريته من الأئمة الوارثين. اللهم انصره وانتصر به، واجعل النصر منك له وعلى يده، والفتح على وجهه، ولا توجه الأمر إلى غيره، أللهم أظهر به دينك وسنة نبيك، حتى لا يستخفي بشئ من الحق مخافة أحدٍ من الخلق. اللهم إني أرغب إليك في دولة كريمة، تعز بها الإسلام وأهله ، وتذل بها النفاق وأهله، وتجعلنا فيها من الدعاة إلى طاعتك، والقادة إلى سبيلك، وآتنا في الدنيا حسنة، وفي الآخرة حسنة، وقنا عذاب النار. واجمع لنا خير الدارين، واقض عنا جميع ما تحب فيهما، واجعل لنا في ذلك الخيرة برحمتك ومَنِّك في عافية، آمين رب العالمين، زدنا من فضلك ويدِك المَليء ، فإنَّ كلَّ مُعْطٍ يَنقُصُ من ملكه، وعطاؤك يزيد في ملكك
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. O Allah, be for Your Wali, one, who will rise up with Your command, the Hujjat Ibn al-Hasan al-Mahdi, upon him and his forefathers, the best of blessings and salutations on this time and at all times, the guardian, the protector, the leader and the helper, the proof and supporter till he lives in Your earth and enjoys its length and breadth. And make him and his progeny from the inheritor Imams. O Allah, help him and help through him (Your religion) and make help from You (special) for him and open upon his face to victory and do not give this (rule) to anyone else. O Allah, make Your religion dominant through him and the Sunnah of Your Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. So that they do not conceal anything from the truth due to the fear of the creatures. O Allah, indeed, I am inclined to the noble rule, in which Islam and its people are honoured and hypocrisy and its people are debased. And make us the callers to Your obedience and guides to Your path. And give us good in the world and good in the hereafter and save us from the Fire and gather for us all good of both the worlds and repay all our debts. And make for us good in it by Your mercy and generosity in prosperity. Amen, Lord of the worlds and increase Your blessings on us and fill up our needs, for all You give is less than Your kingdom and Your bestowals increase Your kingdom.41
In Al-Kafi42, Thiqat al-Islam has narrated from Muhammad Ibn ‘Isa through his chains of narrators from some righteous scholars that they said after the above explanation with slight differences that he said after praise of Allah, the Mighty and the High and Salawat on the Holy Prophet (S) as follows:
اللهم كن لوليك فلان بن فلان في هذه الساعة، وفي كل ساعة وليا وحافظا وناصرا ودليلا وقائدا وعونا (وعينا) حتى تسكنه أرضك طوعا وتمتعه فيها طويلا
O Allah You be for so and so, at this hour and at every hour a guardian, a protector, a leader, a helper, a guide and a protector, so that he is at ease and lives on your earth for a long time.43
In Misbah, Shaykh Ibrahim Kafami after the above explanation has quoted the following supplication:
اللهم كن لوليك محمد بن الحسن المهدي في هذه الساعة وفي كل ساعة وليا وحافظا وقائدا وناصرا ودليلا وعينا حتى تسكنه أرضك طوعا وتمتعه فيها طويلا
O Allah You be for Muhammad Ibn Hasan Al-Mahdi, at this hour and at every hour a Guardian, a protector, a leader, a helper, a guide and a protector, so that he is at ease and lives on your earth for a long time.
Supplication Two
Many scholars, including Shaykh At-Tusi (r.a.) in Misbah44, and Sayyid Ibn Tawus in Jamaal al-Usboo’45, have through reliable and authentic chains of narrators and others than them have narrated from Yunus Ibn Abdur Rahman that Imam Ali ar-Ridha’ (‘a) ordered to supplicate for the Master of the Age through this supplication46:
اللّهُمَّ ادْفَعْ عَنْ وَلِيِّكَ وَخَلِيفَتِكَ وَحُجَّتِكَ عَلى خَلْقِكَ وَلِسانِكَ المُعَبِّرِ عَنْكَ وَالنَّاطِقِ بِحِكْمَتِكَ وَعَيْنِكَ النَّاظِرَةِ بِإِذْنِكَ وَشاهِدِكَ عَلى عِبادِكَ الجَحْجاحِ المُجاهِدِ العائِذِ بِكَ العابِدِ عِنْدَكَ، وَأَعِذْهُ مِنْ شَرِّ جَمِيعِ ماخَلَقْتَ وَبَرَأْتَ وَأَنْشَأْتَ وَصَوَّرْتَ، وَاحْفَظْهُ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ وَعَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَعَنْ شِمالِهِ وَمِنْ فَوْقِهِ وَمِنْ تَحْتِهِ بِحِفْظِكَ الَّذِي لايَضِيعُ مَنْ حَفِظْتَهُ بِهِ وَاحْفَظْ فِيهِ رَسُولَكَ وَآبأَهُ وَأَئِمَّتَكَ وَدَعائِمَ دِينِكَ، وَاجْعَلْهُ فِي وَدِيعَتِكَ الَّتِي لاتَضِيعُ وَفي جِوارِكَ الَّذِي لايُخْفَرُ وَفِي مَنْعِكَ وَعِزِّكَ الَّذِي لايُقْهَرُ وَآمِنْهُ بِأَمانِكَ الوَثِيقِ الَّذِي لايُخْذَلُ مَنْ آمَنْتَهُ بِهِ، وَاجْعَلْهُ فِي كَنَفِكَ الَّذِي لايُرامُ مَنْ كانَ فِيهِ وَانْصُرْهُ بِنَصْرِكَ العَزِيزِ وَأَيِّدْهُ بِجُنْدِكَ الغالِبِ وَقُوِّهِ بِقُوَّتِكَ وَارْدِفْهُ بِمَلائِكَتِكَ وَوالِ مَنْ والاهُ وَعادِ مَنْ عاداهُ وَأَلْبِسْهُ دِرْعَكَ الحَصِينَةَ وَحُفَّهُ بِالمَلائِكَةِ حَفّاً.
اللّهُمَّ اشْعَبْ بِهِ الصَّدْعَ وَارْتُقْ بِهِ الفَتْقَ وَأَمِتْ بِهِ الجَوْرَ وَأَظْهِرْ بِهِ العَدْلَ وَزَيِّنْ بِطُولِ بَقائِهِ الاَرْضَ، وَأَيِّدْهُ بِالنَّصْرِ وَانْصُرْهُ بِالرُّعْبُ وَقَوِّ ناصِرِيهِ وَاخْذُلْ خاذِلِيهِ وَدَمْدِمْ مَنْ نَصَبَ لَهُ وَدَمِّرْ مَنْ غَشَّهُ، وَاقْتُلْ بِهِ جَبابِرَةَ الكُفْرِ وَعُمُدَهُ وَدَعائِمَهُ وَاقْصِمْ بِهُ رُؤُوسَ الضَّلالَةِ وَشارِعَةَ البِدَعِ وَمُمِيتَةَ السُّنَّةِ وَمُقَوِّيَةَ الباطِلِ، وَذَلِّلْ بِهِ الجَبّارِينَ وَأَبِرْ بِهِ الكافِرِينَ وَجَمِيعَ المُلْحِدِينَ فِي مَشارِقِ الاَرْضِ وَمَغارِبِها وَبَرِّها وَبَحْرِها وَسَهْلِها وَجَبَلِها حَتّى لاتَدَعَ مِنْهُمْ دَيَّاراً وَلاتُبْقِي لَهُمْ آثاراً، اللّهُمَّ طَهِّرْ مِنْهُمْ بِلادَكَ وَاشْفِ مِنْهُمْ عِبادَكَ، وَأَعِزَّ بِهِ المُؤْمِنِينَ وَأَحْيِ بِهِ سُنَنَ المُرْسَلِينَ وَدارِسَ حُكْمِ النَّبِيِّينَ، وَجَدِّدْ بِهِ ماامْتَحى مِنْ دِينِكَ وَبُدِّلَ مِنْ حُكْمِكَ، حَتّى تُعِيدَ دِينَكَ بِهِ وَعَلى يَدَيْهِ جَدِيداً غَضّاً مَحْضاً صَحِيحاً لاعِوَجَ فِيهِ وَلابِدْعَةَ مَعَهُ، وَحَتّى تُنِيرَ بِعَدْلِهِ ظُلْمَ الجَوْرِ وَتُطْفِيَ بِهِ نِيرانَ الكُفْرِ وَتُوَضِّحَ بِهِ مَعاقِدَ الحَقِّ وَمَجْهُولَ العَدْلِ ؛ فَإِنَّهُ عَبْدُكَ الَّذِي اسْتَخْلَصْتَهُ لِنَفْسِكَ وَاصْطَفَيْتَهُ عَلى غَيْبِكَ وَعَصَمْتَهُ مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ وَبَرَّأْتَهُ مِنَ العُيُوبِ وَطَهَّرْتَهُ مِنَ الرِّجْسِ وَسَلَّمْتَهُ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ، اللّهُمَّ فَإِنّا نَشْهَدُ لَهُ يَوْمَ القِيامَةِ وَيَوْمَ حُلُولِ الطَّامَّةِ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يُذْنِبْ ذَنْباً وَلا أَتى حَوْباً وَلَمْ يَرْتَكِبْ مَعْصِيَةً وَلَمْ يَضَيِّعْ لَكَ طاعَةً وَلَمْ يَهْتِكَ لَكَ حُرْمَةً وَلَمْ يُبَدِّلْ لَكَ فَرِيضَةً وَلَمْ يُغَيِّرْ لَكَ شَرِيعَةً، وَأَنَّهُ الهادِي المُهْتَدِي الطَّاهِرُ التَّقِيُّ النَّقِيُّ الرَّضِيُّ الزَّكِيُّ، اللّهُمَّ أعْطِهِ فِي نَفْسِهِ وَأَهْلِهِ وَوَلَدِهِ وَذرِّيَّتِهِ وَاُمَّتِهِ وَجَمِيعِ رَعِيَّتِهِ ماتُقِرُّ بِهِ عَيْنَهُ وَتَسُرُّ بِهِ نَفْسَهُ وَتَجْمَعُ لَهُ مُلْكَ المُمْلَكاتِ كُلِّها قَرِيبِها وَبَعِيدِها وَعَزِيزِها وَذَلِيلِها حَتّى تُجْرِيَ حُكْمَهُ عَلى كُلِّ حُكْمٍ وَيَغْلِبَ بِحَقِّهِ كُلَّ باطِلٍ، اللّهُمَّ اسْلُكْ بِنا عَلى يَدَيْهِ مِنْهاجَ الهُدى وَالمَحَجَّةَ العُظْمى وَالطَّرِيقَةَ الوُسْطى الَّتِي يَرْجِعُ إِلَيْها الغالِي وَيَلْحَقُ بِها التَّالِي، وَقَوِّنا عَلى طاعَتِهِ وَثَبِّتْنا عَلى مُشايَعَتِهِ وَامْنُنْ عَلَيْنا بِمُتابَعَتِهِ وَاجْعَلنا فِي حِزْبِهِ القَوَّامِينَ بِأَمْرِهِ الصَّابِرِينَ مَعَهُ الطَّالِبِينَ رِضاكَ بِمُناصَحَتِهِ حَتّى تَحْشُرَنا يَوْمَ القِيامَةِ فِي أَنْصارِهِ وَأَعْوانِهِ وَمُقَوِّيَةِ سُلْطانِهِ، اللّهُمَّ وَاجْعَلْ ذلِكَ لَنا خالِصاً مِنْ كُلِّ شَكٍّ وَشُبْهَةٍ وَرِياءٍ وَسُمْعَةٍ حَتّى لانَعْتَمِدَ بِهِ غَيْرَكَ وَلانَطْلُبَ بِهِ إِلاّ وَجْهَكَ وَحَتّى تُحِلَّنا مَحَلَّهُ وَتَجْعَلَنا فِي الجَنَّةِ مَعَهُ، وَأَعِذْنا مِنْ السَّامةِ وَالكَسَلِ وَالفَتْرَةِ وَاجْعَلْنا مِمَّنْ تَنْتَصِرُ بِهِ لِدِينِكَ وَتُعِزُّ بِهِ نَصْرَ وَلِيِّكَ وَلاتَسْتَبْدِلْ بِنا غَيْرَنا فَإِنَّ اسْتِبْدالَكَ بِنا غَيْرَنا عَلَيْكَ يَسِيرٌ وَهُوَ عَلَيْنا كَثِيرٌ.
اللّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلى وِلاةِ عَهْدِهِ الأَئِمَّةِ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ وَبَلِّغْهُمْ آمالَهُمْ وَزِدْ فِي آجالِهِمْ وَأَعِزَّ نَصْرَهُمْ وَتَمِّمْ لَهُمْ ماأَسْنَدْتَ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ أَمْرِكَ لَهُمْ وَثَبِّتْ دَعاِئَمُهْم، وَاجْعَلْنا لَهُمْ أَعْوانا وَعَلى دِينِكَ أَنْصاراً فَإِنَّهُمْ مَعادِنُ كَلِماتِكَ وَخُزَّانُ عِلْمِكَ وَأَرْكانُ تَوْحِيدِكَ وَدَعائِمُ دِينِكَ وَوُلاةُ أَمْرِكَ وَخالِصَتُكَ مِنْ عِبادِكَ وَصَفْوَتُكَ مِنْ خَلْقِكَ وَأَوْلِياؤُكَ وَسَلائِلُ أَوْلِيائِكَ وَصَفْوَةُ أَوْلادِ نَبِيِّكَ وَالسَّلامُ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَيْهِمْ وَرَحْمَةُ الله وَبَرَكاتُهُ
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. O Allah, safeguard Your Wali and Your vicegerent and Your proof and Your creatures, Your speech that spoke on Your behalf with Your permission, the spokesman with Your wisdom, Your observing sight on Your creation, Your testimony on Your creatures, the valiant struggler, who is protected before You. Protect him from the evils of all You have created, initiated, formed, and protect him from his front, back, right, left, up and down, with such protection that the protected one shall not get lost from his place, Also, protect Your Messenger and his forefathers, Your Imams and the supporter of Your Religion. O Allah, keep him in Your consignment that shall not get lost, and in Your vicinity that doesn’t need a guard and in Your prevention and exaltedness that can’t be subdued, secure him with Your firm security that is not betrayed, keep him in Your patronage that doesn’t depart from whoever is there and support him with Your noble victory, support him Your victorious soldiers, strengthen him with Your power and make Your angels follow him, support whoever supports him, and be an enemy to one, who is inimical to him, dress him with Your well-fortified armor and surround him with Your angels. O Allah, bestow on him that which You have bestowed on those who established justice among the followers of the prophets.
O Allah, ramify our splits through him, sew the rip through him, eradicate the oppression through him, manifest justice through him, reform the Earth by his staying and support him with victory, assist him with awe, strengthen his supporters, humiliate those who wish to put him down, and destroy whoever cheated him. Eliminate the despotic unbelievers, its pillars and supporters through him, crush the heads of misguidance and the establishers of innovation through him, Also, eliminate those who wanted to put an end to the Sunnah of Your Prophet and those that intensify falsehood through him. Degrade the arrogant through him and eliminate the unbelievers and all the apostates from the east, west, land, sea, plains, mountains of the Earth through him till there shall be no abode for them. O Allah, You then purify Your nation from them, and give relief to Your servants from them, honour the believers through the Imam, revive the customs of Your messengers through him, make him the scholar of the Prophet’s wisdom, renew what has been obliterated from Your religion and what has been changed in Your judgment through him, till You return Your correct and fresh religion through him, that is free from distortion and innovation, and till His justice illuminates over oppression and aggression and extinguish the light of the unbeliever through him, and explain the fact and unknown justice through him. Because he is Your servant whom You have set aside for Yourself, and have chosen him among Your creatures and have appointed him to Your servants and conferred trust on him, for Your invisibility, and preserve him from sins, and clear him from all sorts of blames, and purify him from all sorts of impurities and free him from filth. O Allah, we shall bear witness for him on the Judgment Day, and the day when calamity will commence, that he has not committed any sin, and never done anything on the basis of his desire, and has not committed any guilt, and has not forfeited Your obedience; he has not debased Your sanctuary, he has not changed Your compulsory duties, he has not changed Your divine laws, surely he is a good, pure, pious, honest and righteous one.
O Allah, bestow on him, his family, his descendants, his offspring, his nation, and all his subjects what shall delight and make him happy, combine the near and far of the whole kingdom for him, its prestigious and its abject till his judgment may prevail over other judgments and his fact subjugates all falsehood. O Allah, I am requesting from You to establish the right path, great target, moderate means, through his hand that every precious return to and preceding catch up with, grant us the strength for his obedience, and make our partnership and honour us for following him, make us among his soldiers that shall set aright his affairs, having patience with him, seeking for Your pleasure with his admonishment, till You resurrect us on the Judgment Day among his supporters and helpers, and among those that strengthen his government. O Allah, let that be out of sincerity, without suspicion or fame or duplicity till we did not rely in our deeds, except on You, and did not seek through him, except with Your pleasure, until You overwhelm us in his place, and let us be in the Paradise in his company, protect us from weariness, laziness and weakness, make us among those used for the triumph of Your Religion and be honoured by the victory of Your guardian, and don’t replace us with other than us, verily replacing us with others is very simple for You, but is very difficult for us.
O Allah, bless the leaders in his reign and the Imams from his progeny and let them attain their hope and increase their life and cherish their victory, make perfect for them Your affair, which has been ascribed to them, make firm their supporters and make an assistant for them, and helper for Your Religion. Because they are the resources of Your words and pillars of Your monotheism and the supporters of Your Religion, and leaders of Your affairs, Your immaculate ones among Your servants, and the chosen ones among Your creatures, Your guards and the chain of Your guards, the chosen progeny of Your Prophet, peace, blessing and mercy be upon them.
Supplication Three
Also, the venerable Sayyid, Ali Ibn Tawus (r.a.) in Falah as-Sa’il47, has said that among the important post prayer litanies is to emulate Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) in praying for the al-Mahdi (‘aj); about whom Muhammad (S) gave glad tidings to his nation in authentic traditional reports and promised that he will reappear in the last period of time.
It is thus, narrated by Abu Muhammad Harun Ardbeli from Abu Ali Muhammad Ibn Hasan Ibn Muhammad Ibn Jamhur, uncle of his father and he has narrated from his father, Muhammad Ibn Jamhur from Ahmad Ibn Husayn Sikri from Ibad Ibn Muhammad Madaini that he said: I came to Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) in Medina when he had just concluded the noon prayer and he had raised his hands to the heavens and he was saying48:
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم أي سامع كل صوت أي جامع كل فوت أي بارئ كل نفس بعد الموت، أي باعث أي وارث أي سيد السادة، أي إله الآلهة، أي جبار الجبابرة، أي ملك الدنيا والآخرة، أي رب الأرباب، أي ملك الملوك، أي بطاش أي ذا البطش الشديد، أي فعالا لما يريد أي محصي عدد الأنفاس، ونقل الاقدام، أي من السر عنده علانية، أي مبدئ أي معيد أسألك بحقك على خيرتك من خلقك، وبحقهم الذي أوجبت لهم على نفسك، أن تصلي على محمد وآل محمد، أهل بيته، وأن تمن علي الساعة بفكاك رقبتي من النار، وأنجز لوليك وابن نبيك الداعي إليك باذنك، وأمينك في خلقك، وعينك في عبادك، و حجتك على خلقك، عليه صلواتك وبركاتك وعده، اللهم أيده بنصرك، وانصر عبدك وقو أصحابه، وصبرهم، وافتح لهم من لدنك سلطانا نصيرا، وعجل فرجه، وأمكنه من أعدائك، وأعداء رسولك يا أرحم الراحمين
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. O He that hears all voices, O He that gathered everything, O He that created the soul after death, O the causer, O the Inheritor, O master of the masters, O God of gods, O the Mighty over the oppressors, O the King of this world and the Hereafter, O the Lord of the lords, O the King of the kings, O the vigorous, O He that attains extreme vigor, O He that does what He wishes, O He that knows the number of breaths and movement of feet, O He to Whom all secrets are visible, O the starter, O He to Whom returns everything. I requested from You for the sake of Your right over the best among Your creatures and for the sake of their right You made incumbent on Yourself to send blessing on Muhammad and members of his house and rescue my neck from Hellfire, execute for Your good friends from the descendants of Your Prophet, the callers to Your course with Your permission, Your trustee among Your creatures, Your eyes among Your servants, Your proof among Your creatures, may Your peace and blessings be upon him. O Allah, support him with Your assistance and assist Your servant, empower his companions and grant them patience. Open for them a protected authority and hasten his relief, let him prevail over Yours and Your Prophet’s enemies, O the Most Merciful of the merciful ones.
I asked: Did you not pray for your own self, may I be sacrificed on you?
He replied: Indeed, I prayed for the effulgence of Aali Muhammad (‘a) and the one with precedence, the revenger by the command of the Almighty Allah from His enemies.
I asked: When will his reappearance take place, may I be sacrificed on you?
He replied: Every period in which He intends, as all power and command belongs to Him.
I asked: Are there signs preceding his reappearance?
He replied: Yes, there are many signs for him. I asked:
Like?
He replied: Coming out of a standard from the east and a standard from the west; and a mischief, which will descend on the people of Zora and the advent of the cousins from Zaid in Yemen and plunder of the covering of the Ka’aba and whatever the Almighty Allah does what He wants.
Shaykh At-Tusi49 and Kafami50 have narrated this supplication and in all places instead of (اى) have used the term: (يا).
Supplication Four
Also, the venerable Sayyid has said in that blessed book: Among the important acts to be performed after the al-’Asr Prayer is to follow our master, Musa Ibn Ja’far al-Kadhim (‘a) in supplicating for our Maula, al-Mahdi (‘aj).
Thus, Muhammad Ibn Bashir Azdi has narrated it from Ahmad Ibn Umar Katib from Hasan Ibn Muhammad Ibn Jamhur Ammi from his father, Muhammad Ibn Jamhur from Yahya Ibn Fazl Naufili that he said: I came to Abu al-Hasan Musa Ibn Ja’far in Baghdad, when he had just concluded the al-’Asr Prayer.
He raised his hands to the sky and I heard him intone:
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم اللهم أنت الله لا اله إلا أنت الأول والاخر والظاهر والباطن وأنت الله لا اله إلا أنت إليك زيادة الأشياء ونقصانها وأنت الله لا اله إلا أنت خلقت الخلق بغير معونة من غيرك ولا حاجة إليهم أنت الله لا اله إلا أنت منك المشية واليك البدأ أنت الله لا اله إلا أنت قبل القبل و خالق القبل أنت الله لا اله إلا أنت بعد البعد وخالق البعد أنت الله لا اله لا أنت تمحو ما تشاء وتثبت وعندك أم الكتاب أنت الله لا اله إلا أنت غاية كل شئ ووارثه أنت الله لا اله إلا أنت لا يعزب عنك الدقيق ولا الجليل أنت الله لا اله إلا أنت لا يخفى عليك اللغات ولا تتشابه عليك الأصوات كل يوم أنت في شأن لا يشغلك شأن عن شأن عالم الغيب وأخفى ديان الدين مدبر الأمور باعث من في القبور محى العظام وهي رميم أسئلك باسمك المكنون المخزون الحي القيوم الذي لا يخيب من سئلك به ان تصلى على محمد وآله وان تعجل فرج المنتقم لك من أعدائك وأنجز له ما وعدته يا ذا الجلال والاكرام
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. You are God, there is no other deity except you, the first and the last, the apparent, the inward. You are God; there is no other deity except You; the increase and decrease of all things. You are God; there is no other deity except You. You create the creations without a helping hand from other than You, and You are not in need of them. You are God; there is no other deity except You, all wishes from You and unto You all the initiation. You are God, there is no other deity except You, before the previous and the creator of the previous. You are God; there is no other deity except You, after the creator of afterward. You are God; there is no other deity except You, You erase and establish whatever You wish and with You is the essence of the Book. You are God; there is no other deity except You, the Goal and the Inheritor of everything. You are God; there is no other deity except You, both small and mighty are not far away from You. You are God; there is no other deity except You, there is no language hidden from You and voices are not similar to You. Every day You are at Your duty and a duty does not distract You from another, the Knower of all hidden and concealed things, the owner of Religion, the director of all things, He Who raises those in the graves, He Who gave life to bones after they had decayed. I request from You by Your hidden name, the Eternal, the Everlasting, Who does not disappoint whoever calls Him by His name, to send blessings on Muhammad and his family and hasten the reappearance of Your revenger from Your enemies and execute for him all You have promised him, O possessor of Magnificence and Honour.
Naufali said: I said: Whom have you prayed for?
He replied: “It was for al-Mahdi of the progeny of Muhammad.” Then he (‘a) said: May my father be sacrificed on one with a broad stomach, connected brows, energetic legs, broad shoulders, wheat complexion with yellowness due to staying awake in the nights for worship; may my father be sacrificed on one, who is uncaring of every critic for the sake of religion, the lamp of the darkness; may my father be sacrificed on one, who will rise up by the command of Allah.
He replied: When you see the army in Anbar at the banks of the Euphrates and the Sirat River and the Tigris River; and the destruction of the Kufa Bridge and the burning down of some houses of Kufa. So, when you see this, thus, the Almighty Allah will do what He wants. There is nothing, which can dominate the command of the Almighty Allah and there is nothing, which can invalidate the command issued by Him.51
Supplication Five
In the book of Mizmaar, Sayyid Ali Ibn Tawus has mentioned this Du’a among the supplications of the thirteenth of the month of Ramadhan52:
اللهم إني أدينك بطاعتك وولايتك، وولاية محمد نبيك، وولاية أمير المؤمنين حبيب نبيك، وولاية الحسن والحسين سبطي نبيك، وسيدي شباب أهل جنتك، وأدينك يا رب بولاية علي بن الحسين، ومحمد بن علي، وجعفر بن محمد، وموسى بن جعفر، وعلي بن موسى، ومحمد بن علي، وعلي بن محمد، والحسن بن علي، وسيدي ومولاي صاحب الزمان، أدينك يا رب بطاعتهم وولايتهم، وبالتسليم بما فضلتهم، راضيا غير منكر ولا متكبر، على معنى ما أنزلت في كتابك.
اللهم صل على محمد وآل محمد، وارفع عن وليك وخليفتك ولسانك، والقائم بقسطك، والمعظم لحرمتك، والمعبر عنك، والناطق بحكمك، وعينك الناظرة، وأذنك السامعة، وشاهد عبادك، وحجتك على خلقك، والمجاهد في سبيلك، والمجتهد في طاعتك، واجعله في وديعتك التي لا تضيع، وأيده بجندك الغالب، وأعنه وأعن عنه واجعلني ووالدي وما ولدا وولدي من الذين ينصرونه وينتصرون به في الدنيا والآخرة اشعب به صدعنا، وارتق به فتقنا، اللهم أمت به الجور، ودمدم بمن نصب له واقصم رؤوس الضلالة حتى لا تدع على الأرض منهم ديارا
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. O Allah, I have faith in You with obedience and Wilayat and the Wilayat of Muhammad (S) and the Wilayat of Amir Al-Mu’minin (‘a), the beloved of Your Prophet. The Wilayat of Hasan and Husayn, the grandsons of Your Prophet and the two chiefs of the youths of Paradise. And I have faith in You, O Lord by the Wilayat of Ali Ibn al-Husayn and Muhammad Ibn Ali and Ja’far Ibn Muhammad and Musa Ibn Ja’far and Ali Ibn Musa and Muhammad Ibn Ali and Ali Ibn Muhammad and Hasan Ibn Ali and my chief and master, the owner of the time. I have faith in You, O Lord, by their obedience and their Wilayat and with submission by what You made them excel in; I am satisfied without any denial of arrogance upon what You revealed in Your Book. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad and remove from Your Wali and caliph and tongue and one, who establish justice and exalt Your sanctity and the repeater of Your words, speaker of Your command, seer of Your eyes, the hearer of Your ears, watcher of Your servants and proof of Your creatures and fighter on Your way and struggler in Your obedience. Remove all sorts of hardships and make him Your trust, which is never lost; and help him with Your victorious soldiers and support and back him. And make me and my parents and those who are born, their helpers and who take his help in the world and the hereafter. Bring together our dispersal for him, and unite our disunity for him. O Allah, finish off injustice through his reappearance and destroy all those who oppose him and break the backs of the leaders of deviation till the time you don’t leave even one of them on the earth.
Supplication Six
Shaykh At-Tusi has narrated in his Ghaibah53 from Husayn Ibn Muhammad Ibn Aamir Ashari that he said: Narrated to me Yaqub Ibn Yusuf Zarrab Ghassani on his return from Isfahan that:
“I performed Hajj with some Sunni persons of my town in 281 A.H. When we reached Mecca, one of our companions took for us a house on rent in the Sauq al-Lail Street. It was a fortunate chance that the house was a property of Umm al-Mu’minin Lady Khadija (S) and which was now known as Dar ar-Ridha’ and was occupied an old lady. When I came to know that the house was called Dar ar-Ridha’, I asked that old lady how she was related to the owner of the house and why it was called Dar ar-Ridha’?
She said: I am one of the slave girls of the owner of the house and this house belongs to Ali Ibn Musa ar-Ridha’ (‘a). Imam Hasan al-’Askari (‘a) has accommodated me in it, because I had been in his service.
I was impressed by that old lady, but I did not disclose it to my Sunni friends. Whenever I returned from Tawaf at night, I slept in the verandah with them. We used to close the door and also, place a huge stone behind it.
One night, I saw a lamp in the verandah where we slept. Then I saw the door being opened automatically and a medium stature, wheat complexion and physically fit young man having a mark of prostration, wearing a shirt, a wrap and wearing shoes without socks, enter and ascend to the attic occupied by the old lady. She had told us not to go up, as her daughter lived there.
When the man went to the attic, I noticed that the light present in the verandah had now reached the attic. My friends Also, noted this and they thought that the man was visiting the daughter of that old lady and it seemed as if he had done a Mutah marriage with her; and that this Alawite lady considered it lawful, ‘although it was not so’.
Thus, we saw that man regularly, but when we checked the door, we found it closed and the stone was Also, intact.
I became curious and I decided to ask the old lady about him.
One day I said: O so-and-so, I want to ask you something in private, but I don’t get a chance as others are Also, present. So, when you notice that I am alone, you should come down from the attic.
She Also, said: I Also, want to speak to you in private, but I don’t get a chance.
I asked: What do you want to talk to me about?
She said: See, don’t mention this to anyone; he has told you not to fight with your companions and associates.
I asked: Who has told this?
She replied: I say it.
Since I was suspicious from before, I did not Dar to ask anything else. I just asked what she meant by companions? (I was thinking that she was implying my present companions.). But she said: People who live with you in your house in town (and the fact was that I had regular controversies with them about religious matters).
So, they complained about me and I ran away from there and went into hiding and now I understood that she was talking about them.
I asked: What is your concern with Imam Ali ar-Ridha’ (‘a)?
She said: I am the maid of Imam Hasan al-’Askari (‘a).
When I became certain that she was connected to that family, I asked her about the hidden Imam and said: I adjure you; please tell me if you have really seen him yourself. She said: Though I have never seen him myself, because when I had left that place, my sister was pregnant, but Imam Hasan al-’Askari (‘a) had given me the glad tiding that I will see him at the end of my life and that I will be to him same as I was to Imam Hasan al-’Askari (‘a).
Then she said: At present I live in Egypt, and I have come here, because he sent a letter and thirty dinars to me with a Khurasani man unfamiliar with Arabic and asked me to perform the Hajj. I came here hoping to see him as well.
Now, I became sure that the man who frequented the attic was the Imam of the time. I took out the ten dirhams from which six were reserved for Imam Az-Zaman (‘aj). I had initially vowed to put them at Maqam Ibrahim, but later I thought that it was best to spend them on the descendants of Lady Fatimah (S).
So, I gave the ten dirhams to that lady and said: Give them to one, who in your view is most deserving from the descendants of Lady Fatimah (S). I was expecting that she would give to the man, who visited her place regularly.
She took the money to the attic and returned after sometime and said: I am not entitled to take it, you may put it where you had vowed to, although you can take change it from dirham Razavia into another currency and put it there (I did that and said to myself that whatever you are ordered was from that gentleman only).
Then I Also, had a copy of an epistle, which came from Qasim Ibn Alaa in Azerbaijan. I said to that lady: Show this copy to him, he definitely would be familiar with the writings of Imam Az-Zaman (‘aj).
She said: Give it, I am familiar with it.
I showed it her and was thinking that perhaps she will be able to read it.
She said: I cannot read it here.
Then she took it upstairs and then came down after sometime and said: Yes, it is correct. And I Also, have some good news to you, which is beneficial to you and others as well.
After that she said: He is asking how you invoke blessings on your Prophet?
I replied: I do it as follows:
اللهم صل على محمد وآل محمد وبارك على محمد وآل محمد كأفضل ما صليت وباركت وترحمت على إبراهيم وترحمت على إبراهيم وآل إبراهيم إنك حميد مجيد
O Allah, bless Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad and sanctify Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad with the best of the blessings with which You bless and sanctify Ibrahim and the progeny of Ibrahim. Indeed, You are the praised one and the majestic.
She said: No, when you invoke blessings, you should mention each name separately.
I said: All right.
The next day when she came down, she had a paper with her.
She said: He says: When you invoke blessings on your Prophet, you should do so according to this formula.
I accepted the paper and began to act accordingly. Then on many nights I saw him descend from the attic and the light accompanied him. I used to open the door and follow the light, but I could only see a light and that person did not become visible to me, till he reached the courtyard of the Ka’aba.
I Also, saw people of various countries visit the house and hand over their requests to that old lady. I Also, saw her returning them to the applicants along with their replies and spoke to them in a language, which I could not understand. I Also, met some of them on way back home till I reached Baghdad.
The Durood supplication, which was written by Imam Az-Zaman (‘aj) for me is as follows:
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم اللهم صل على محمد سيد المرسلين وخاتم النبيين وحجة رب العالمين المنتجب في الميثاق المصطفى من الضلال المطهر من كل آفة البرئ من كل عيب المؤمل للنجاة المرتجى للشفاعة المفوض إليه دين الله اللهم شرف بنيانه وعظم برهانه وأفلج حجته وارفع درجته وأضئ نوره وبيض وجهه، وأعطه الفضل والفضيلة والدرجة والوسيلة الرفيعة وابعثه مقاما محمودا يغبطه به الأولون والآخرون وصل على أمير المؤمنين ووارث المرسلين وقائد الغر المحجلين وسيد الوصيين وحجة رب العالمين وصل على الحسن بن علي إمام المؤمنين ووارث المرسلين وحجة رب العالمين وصل على الحسين بن علي إمام المؤمنين ووارث المرسلين وحجة رب العالمين وصل على علي بن الحسين إمام المؤمنين ووارث المرسلين وحجة رب العالمين وصل على محمد بن علي إمام المؤمنين ووارث المرسلين وحجة رب العالمين وصل على موسى بن جعفر إمام المؤمنين ووارث المرسلين وحجة رب العالمين وصل على علي بن موسى إمام المؤمنين ووارث المرسلين وحجة رب العالمين وصل على محمد بن علي إمام المؤمنين ووارث المرسلين وحجة رب العالمين وصل على علي بن محمد إمام المؤمنين ووارث المرسلين وحجة رب العالمين وصل على الحسن بن علي إمام المؤمنين ووارث المرسلين وحجة رب العالمين وصل على الخلف الصالح المهدي إمام المؤمنين ووارث المرسلين وحجة رب العالمين.
اللهم صل على محمد وأهل بيته الأئمة الهادين المهديين العلماء الصادقين الأبرار المتقين دعائم دينك وأركان توحيدك وتراجمة وحيك وحججك على خلقك وخلفائك في أرضك الذين اخترتهم لنفسك واصطفيتهم على عبادك وارتضيتهم لدينك وخصصتهم بمعرفتك وجللتهم بكرامتك وغشيتهم برحمتك وربيتهم بنعمتك وغذيتهم بحكمتك وألبستهم نورك ورفعتهم في ملكوتك وحففتهم بملائكتك وشرفتهم بنبيك اللهم صل على محمد وعليهم صلاة كثيرة دائمة طيبة لا يحيط بها إلا أنت ولا يسعها إلا علمك ولا يحصيها أحد غيرك، اللهم وصل على وليك المحيي سنتك القائم بأمرك الداعي إليك الدليل عليك وحجتك على خلقك وخليفتك في أرضك وشاهدك على عبادك اللهم أعز نصره ومد في عمره وزين الأرض بطول بقائه اللهم اكفه بغي الحاسدين وأعذه من شر الكائدين وادحر عنه إرادة الظالمين وخلصه من أيدي الجبارين. اللهم اعطه في نفسه وذريته وشيعته ورعيته وخاصته وعامته وعدوه وجميع أهل الدنيا ما تقر به عين وتسر به نفسه وبلغه أفضل أمله في الدنيا والآخرة إنك على كل شئ قدير اللهم جدد به ما محي من دينك وأحي به ما بدل من كتابك وأظهر به ما غير من حكمتك حتى يعود دينك وعلى يديه غضا جديدا خالصا مخلصا لا شك فيه ولا شبهة معه ولا باطل عنده ولا بدعة لديه. اللهم نور بنوره كل ظلمة واهد بركنه كل بدعة واهدم بعزته كل ضلالة، واقصم به كل جبار واخمد بسيفه كل نار وأهلك بعدله كل جبار وأجر حكمه على كل حكم وأذل بسلطانه كل سلطان اللهم أذل كل من ناواه وأهلك كل من عاداه وامكر بمن كاده واستأصل من جحد حقه واستهان بأمره وسعى في إطفاء نوره وأراد إخماد ذكره اللهم صل على محمد المصطفى وعلي المرتضى وفاطمة الزهراء والحسن الرضا والحسين المصفى وجميع الأوصياء مصابيح الدجى وأعلام الهدى ومنار التقى والعروة الوثقى والحبل المتين والصراط المستقيم وصل على وليك وولاة عهدك والأئمة من ولده ومد في أعمارهم وزد في آجالهم وبلغهم أقصى آمالهم دنيا وآخرة إنك على كل شئ قدير
“In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. O Allah, bless Muhammad, who is the chief of the messengers and the proof of the Lord of the world. Who was selected on the day of the covenant, who is the chosen and selected one from the shaded springs; purified from every trouble, immune from every defect, hopeful for salvation and one having discretion of intercession in the religion of Allah.
O Allah, accord honour to the edifice of his religion and grant respect to those evidences and give salvation to his proof and exalt his status. Illumine his effulgence further and make his face more illuminated and increase his merits. And Also, increase his honour and raise up the effectiveness of his intercession and make his position the praised one, that the formers and the latters may envy.
And bless Amir Al-Mu’minin Ali Ibn Abi Talib (‘a) and the successor of the divine messengers and the one, who had a brilliant countenance and the leader of the worshippers and the chief of the successors and the proof of the Lord of the worlds.
And bless Hasan Ibn Ali, Imam of the believers, successor of the messengers and proof of the Lord of the worlds.
And bless Husayn Ibn Ali, Imam of the believers, successor of the messengers and proof of the Lord of the worlds.
And bless Ali Ibn al-Husayn, Imam of the believers, successor of the messengers and proof of the Lord of the worlds.
And bless Muhammad Ibn Ali, Imam of the believers, successor of the messengers and proof of the Lord of the worlds.
And bless Ja’far Ibn Muhammad, Imam of the believers, successor of the messengers and proof of the Lord of the worlds.
And bless Musa Ibn Ja’far, Imam of the believers, successor of the messengers and proof of the Lord of the worlds.
And bless Ali Ibn Musa, Imam of the believers, successor of the messengers and proof of the Lord of the worlds.
And bless Muhammad Ibn Ali, Imam of the believers, successor of the messengers and proof of the Lord of the worlds.
And bless Ali Ibn Muhammad, Imam of the believers, successor of the messengers and proof of the Lord of the worlds.
And bless Hasan Ibn Ali, Imam of the believers, successor of the messengers and proof of the Lord of the worlds.
And bless Khalaf Salih (righteous successor), the guide and the guided, Imam of the believers, successor of the messengers and proof of the Lord of the worlds.
O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Ahl Al-Bayt (‘a), the guiding Imams and guided ones, the truthful learned, the righteous and pious, supports of Your religion, pillars of Your Oneness, interpreters of Your revelation, Your proofs on Your creatures and Your representatives on Your earth, whom You have chosen for Yourself, and selected them from Your servants, satisfied them with Your religion, specialized them with Your recognition, bestowed them with Your nobility, humbled them with Your mercy, fed them with Your blessing, nourished them with Your wisdom, dressed them up in Your light, raised them with Your kingdom, surrounded them with Your angels, honoured them with Your Prophet.
O Allah, bless Muhammad and exceeding blessings be upon them, eternal, pure, no one is surrounded with it, except You and none can encompass it, except Your knowledge and no one can encompass it other than You.
O Allah, bless Your Wali, enlivener of Your Sunnah, establisher of Your command, caller towards You, proof upon You and proof on Your creatures, Your caliph on Your earth and witness on Your servants.
O Allah, exalt his help, increase his lifespan and embellish the earth by increasing his survival. O Allah, suffice him from the greed of the jealous, protect him from the mischief of plotters, prevent from him the intentions of the oppressors and deliver him from the hands of the tyrants.
O Allah, bestow him in his self, his progeny, his followers, his subjects, his confidants, his common ones, his enemies and all the people of the world whatever is near to his view and which is easy for his self and fulfil the best of his aspirations in the world and the hereafter, indeed You are powerful over everything.
O Allah, put back, through him, in original form that which has been uprooted from Your religion, put in order again through him the confusion created in Your Book. Make clear, through him, the distortions made in Your commandments, so that Your religion regains its true spirit, on his hands, blooming and full of tenderness, progressive, up to date, liberated, savior, without doubts and uncertainties, without suspicions and obscurities, there being no falsehood lingering around him, nor any subversive activities in his presence.
O Allah, enlighten the world with his truth and make oppression and tyranny take fright and flee, put a stop to reversal and subversion by relying upon him, once for all, pull down the edifice of corrupt wickedness forever by giving him a free hand, through him break up entirely totalitarianism, let him deal the death-blow and wipe out the existence of the damned and accursed, and put an end to oppression perpetrated by the unjust tyrants, and set up justice and fairplay, put in force his “rule of life”, far and wide, everywhere, over all jurisdictions, make all authorities serve to promote his sovereignty. O Allah, whoso runs away from him should be discredited and put to shame, whoso undermines his mission should be eliminated, whoso looks upon him with envy, and quarrel, may be cornered, back to the wall, whoso knows, but denies his right may rot and disintegrate, make lighter and easy his mission, make haste to set in motion blossoming of his truth, let his glory shine in full brightness.
O Allah, bless Muhammad, the Chosen, Ali, who pleased (Allah) better than others, Fatimah, the bright and beautiful, Hasan, the agreeing, Husayn, the refined, and all the rest of the closely connected appointed guardians, the favourite confidants, the signs leading unto guidance, lighthouse of piety and wisdom, the trustworthy and safe handles, the strong rope, the right path. Bless Your dearest intimate friend, the authority You promised to protect, and (bless) the Imams, his children, spread their creed, build up their cause, let their thoughts and deeds reach far and wide, to the four corners of the world, in the matter of religion, in the worldly affairs and at the time of Final Judgment, verily You are able to do all things.”
This blessed report is mentioned in some other reliable books54; it is narrated from the past scholars through numerous chains of narrators and in some of them in all the places it is mentioned: O Allah, bless…and so on. And in no report is time fixed for recitation of this supplication, except that Sayyid Raziuddin Ali Ibn Tawus in Jamaal al-Usboo’, Pg. 301 after the mention of effective supplication after the al-’Asr Prayer on Friday has said:
If you leave the post prayer litanies of al-’Asr Prayer in Friday due to some excuse, you must never omit these Salawat in any case from the aspect that the Almighty Allah has informed us about it.
It can be concluded from these blessed statements that nothing is impossible from his lofty rank; as clarified in the previous chapter that the gate of His Eminence is open.
Supplication Seven
In Misbah al-Motahajjid55, Shaykh At-Tusi said that it is recommended to recite this supplication after first two units of Midnight Prayer and Kafami56 etc. have mentioned it to be recited after every two units of the Midnight Prayer.
اللهم إني أسألك، ولم يسأل مثلك، أنت موضع مسألة السائلين، ومنتهى رغبة الراغبين، أدعوك ولم يدع مثلك وأرغب إليك، ولم يرغب إلى مثلك، أنت مجيب دعوة المضطرين، وأرحم الراحمين.
أسألك بأفضل المسائل وأنجحها، وأعظمها، يا الله، يا رحمن، يا رحيم، وبأسمائك الحسنى، وأمثالك العليا، ونعمك التي لا تحصى وبأكرم أسمائك عليك، وأحبها إليك، وأقربها منك وسيلة، وأشرفها عندك منزلة، وأجزلها لديك ثوابا وأسرعها في الأمور إجابة.
وباسمك المكنون الأكبر الأعز الأجل الأعظم الأكرم، الذي تحبه وتهواه وترضى به عمن دعاك به فاستجبت له دعاءه، وحق عليك أن لا تحرم سائلك، ولا ترده.
وبكل اسم هو لك في التوراة والإنجيل والزبور والقرآن العظيم وبكل اسم دعاك به حملة عرشك وملائكتك وأنبياؤك، ورسلك، وأهل طاعتك من خلقك، أن تصلي على محمد وآل محمد، وأن تعجل فرج وليك، وابن وليك، وتعجل خزي أعدائه
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. O Allah, I beg You that which was not asked from Your type, You are in the position to answer the needy and extreme desire of those who desires, I call You, the call that was not made to Your type, I desire from You the desire that was not made to Your type, You answer the call of the compelled ones and the most merciful of the merciful ones. I request from You the best, the tremendous and most successful issue, O Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful, and by the sake of Your beautiful names and exaltation of Yourself and Your uncountable favours and by the Most honoured names to You, which You love most and which are most closer to You, whose rank is more exalted before You and more recompensed before You that hasten the acceptance of request, for the sake of Your great hidden name that is honoured, mighty and more splendid. The name You love which pleases You if You are called with it.
Thus, You answer the call; it is Your responsibility not to prohibit or reject those that request You. For the sake of Your name mentioned in Torah, Injeel and Zabur and in the glorious Qur’an, and for the sake of Your name called by the angels and the bearers of Your Throne, Your apostles and the messengers and those obedient servants among Your creatures, so send Your blessing on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad and hasten the relief of Your Wali the son of Your Wali and quicken the humiliation of his enemies.
Fourth: Giving Of Sadaqah On Behalf Of Imam al-’Asr (‘A)
That which is obtained at every time for protection of the holy being of Imam al-’Asr (‘aj) and we explained this matter in the book of Kalimah at-Tayyibah that every Sadaqah that a person gives to anyone for every benefit and aim he has in view or for himself or for a dear one, who is esteemed in his view and is restricted by the apparent, it is very effective for his matters regarding sustenance and hereafter and for his well-being like the well-being of his teacher, parents, children, wife and brothers etc.
For example, one gives Sadaqah during illness or journey his health, safety and well-being. It will return to him in the end; as the health of a scholar is in fact safety of his knowledge and the safety of his child is strength of the heart or to remove hardship and the survival of his good name and repetition of seeking forgiveness for him.
According to reason, textual reasonings and realization of every person, no one is and should not be dearer and more respectful than the being of Imam al-’Asr (‘aj); on the contrary he is dearer than one’s own life; because if it is not so, he would be weak in faith and deficient in religious belief. As mentioned in a reliable tradition from the Messenger of Allah (S). Shaykh Sadooq reports that the Holy Prophet (S) said, “The faith of a slave is not complete till he does not consider me above himself and till he does not consider my family above his family, my honour over his honour, myself over his own self.”57 And how it should not be so when the existence, life, religion, reason, health and all external and internal of all existing things are from the beam of that holy being and his successors and when the honour of the time and pivot of the time and the luminous sun and the owner of this court and the cause of stability of the earth and all the skies and the glitter of the world and everything else is Hazrat Hujjat (‘a) and the garment of health and well-being is according to that holy soul?
Thus, on all whose concern is regarding security of their selves, what to say of those who do not regard any other being to be worthy of security and health, it is necessary that his foremost concern should be to resort to every medium of involving the health, welfare and security of that holy personality.
From the points mentioned in the above supplications and those which we have not mentioned it is concluded that arrangement and emphasis on seeking security and well-being for that honourable personality - may our souls be sacrificed on him - from the mischief of jinns and humans and for long life and all divine and material and spiritual bounties, on the contrary it was mentioned that years before the birth of that blessed newborn after ritual prayers etc they did this and there is no difference in seeking mediation in supplication and Sadaqah and it is here that the venerable Sayyid, Ali Ibn Tawus (r.a.) as his acts and sayings for occasions like this are acceptable, on the contrary there is evidence in the book of Kashf al-Muhajja58 after some bequests to his son and instructions for attachment and sincerity in devotion to His Eminence, he then says: Give preference to the demands of His Eminence to your needs when you recite Prayer of Haajat and give preference to giving Sadaqah for him to over giving for yourself and for whoever is dear to you and supplicating for His Eminence before supplicating for yourself and give preference to His Eminence over everything as this is an act of loyalty to him, that is fulfilment of allegiance given to him, which is expedient for his acceptance and will turn the favours of His Eminence on you…and so on.
In the book of Al-Aman min Akhtar wa al- Asfar wa al- Azman 59, under the discussion of the supplication to be recited at the time of giving of Sadaqah before journey it is as follows:
اللهمّ إنّ هذه لك ومنك وهي صدقة عن مولانا محمّد عجل الله تعالى فرجه الشريف، وصلِّ عليه بين أسفاره وحركاته وسكناته في ساعات ليله ونهاره، وصدقة عمّا يعنيه أمره وما لا يعنيه وما يضمنه وما يخلفه
O Allah, this is for You and from You and it is Sadaqah from our master MHMD (‘aj) and bless his journeys, movements and his halts in the hours of the night and day and is Sadaqah of one, who is the implication of his matter and what he does not imply and what is included in it and what leaves him behind.
We should know that the Messenger of Allah (S) and the Holy Imams (‘a) made special arrangement of giving Sadaqah for safety and protection of their holy selves from earthly and heavenly, and human and jinni mischiefs and for gaining worldly and heavenly in the morning and evening and midnight at the beginning of the month and before traveling and other occasions and conditions.
As its report in Kalimah at-Tayyibah is fulfilment of his knowledge about the calamities, death and all accidents which each has about others and in this aspect there is no difference between given of Sadaqah to ward off the calamity or giving away one of the favour for warding off that calamity from that sacred personality, except in having all the initial conditions the effect of Sadaqah and keeping very much behind from him from the Sadaqah of others and this meaning cannot be the inclination of this act and fulfilment of duty.
So, there should be no doubt that His Eminence, Hujjat (‘a) is absolutely needless, and aloof from the Sadaqah of the common people as this duty is dignity of servitude and fulfilment of a great right of His Eminence.
So, in every position, the giver of bounty is higher than the recipients, arrangement of this duty and all the manners and servitude would be more; as is clear to the intelligent.
Fifth: Performing Hajj And Sending Someone For Hajj On Behalf Of Imam al-’Asr (‘A)
As was customary among the Shi’a of the past and the Imam has approved this act.
Thus, Qutb Rawandi has narrated in his book of Khara’ij60 that “Abu Muhammad Du-alji, who was a good co-religionist of us, was a traditionist and he had two sons. One was named Abu al-Hasan and he was a righteous man, who had a lawful profession and washed the dead bodies. The other son indulged in unlawful activities. A sum of money was sent to Abu Muhammad to perform Hajj on behalf of the Imam of the Time (‘aj) and this custom was prevalent among the Shi’a.
So, Abu Muhammad gave some of this money to his errant son, and then he went to perform the Hajj. When he returned from there, he reported the following incident: I was standing in Arafat, when I saw an elegant young man of wheaten complexion standing besides me and busy in supplication and worship.
When people departed from Arafat, he turned to me and said: O Shaykh, are you not ashamed?
I said: My master, for what?
He replied: From the money someone sent to do Hajj on my behalf you gave it to a person, who is a transgressor and drinks wine? Very soon you will lose this eye. And he pointed to one of my eyes. From that day I am living in dread.
Not even forty days passed after his return that pus came out from the same eye and it became blind.”
Sixth: Standing Up To Accord Respect When One Hears The Name Of His Eminence
Especially when the blessed name mentioned is Qa’im (‘aj). As is the practice of all Imamiyah - may Allah increase them - in all the lands of Arabs, Persians, Turk, India, Daylam and itself will be revealed from the existence of the conclusion and the source for this act if till now it is not seen; some scholars have even seen a report about this matter.
Some scholars have narrated that this matter was inquired from the venerable scholar, Sayyid ‘Abd Allah, grandson of Muhaddith Jazaeri and that late scholar in some of his writings, has replied that a report is seen as follows: One day in gathering of Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) when the name of His Eminence was mentioned the Imam stood up by way of respect, and in Ahl al-Sunna this habit is customary for the name of the Messenger of Allah (S).
Sayyid Ahmad Mufti Shafei Makki, has said in his autobiography:
This habit became current that when people heard the name of the Holy Prophet (S), they stood up as a mark of respect for His Eminence and this standing up is better as many scholars of the Ummah, who should be emulated, have performed this act.
Sunni scholar, Halabi, in the biography of the Prophet has said that some people have narrated that Subki gathered with him many of his contemporaries and they recited panegyrics in praise of His Eminence (S) as follows:
Very less is comparing Mustafa to writing of gold.
On a paper, which is better than paper for writings letters
And if nobles rise up at the time of hearing it.
And array in ranks or behind the mount.
So, Imam Subki arose in this condition and many of those, who were present in the gathering. There was much acclaim in the gathering.
Seventh: Beseeching The Almighty Allah
Supplications For The Period Of Occultation
Among the duties during the darkness of the period of occultation is to implore and beseech Almighty Allah for well-being of faith and religion from satanic doubts and heresies of Muslim apostates, who conceal their apostasy and infidelity, from all true words since they know that, from the true words like the grain, which a hunter places trap and conceals its shape and color and continuously hunts down those weak ones and he inserts his falsehoods in their hearts through some true words.
They made such act difficult and doubtful on honest people that the promise, which the past people have given; as an-Nu’mani has narrated from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) in his Ghaibah61:
“The man of this matter will disappear for a period of time, during which one, who still keeps to his religion, is like one, who lathes thorns of al-Qatad with his bare hand. Which of you can grasp at the thorns of al-Qatad?”
Then he pondered for a while and said: “The man of this matter will disappear for a time so people are to fear Allah and to keep to their faith.”
So they commanded recitation of some supplications from which we narrate a few.
Supplication One
Shaykh an-Nu’mani in Ghaibah62 and Kulaini in Al-Kafi63 through numerous chains of narrators have narrated from Zurarah that he said: I heard Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) say: Indeed, there is an occultation for the Qa’im (‘aj) before he reappears.
So I asked: What for?
He replied: As he is fearful (and he pointed out to his belly) although he is the expected one. O Zurarah, his birth is suspected. Some say that his father has died without leaving offspring, some say that he has disappeared and others say that he was born some years before his father’s death. He is the expected Imam, but Allah will try the hearts of the Shi’a and then might doubt those, who follow falsehood.”
I said: “May I die for you! If I live until that time, what shall I do?”
He said: “O Zurarah, when you live until then, pray with this prayer:
اللهم عرفني نفسك، فإنك إن لم تعرفني نفسك لم أعرف نبيك، اللهم عرفني رسولك فإنك إن لم تعرفني رسولك لم أعرف حجتك اللهم عرفني حجتك فإنك إن لم تعرفني حجتك ضللت عن ديني
O Allah, let me know You, because if You do not let me know You, I can never know Your prophet. O Allah, let me know Your prophet, because if You do not let me know Your prophet, I can never know Your authority. O Allah, let me know Your authority, because if You do not let me know Your authority, I shall deviate from my religion.”
Then he said: “O Zurarah, a youth will be killed in Medina then.”
I said: “Is he not the one, who will be killed by the army of Sufyani?”
He said: “No, but he will be killed by the army of Bani so and so. This army will enter Medina and people will not know why it has come. Then the young boy will be taken and killed unjustly and offensively. When the boy is killed, Allah will not respite them and then the deliverance will be expected soon.”
Supplication Two
Shaykh At-Tusi in and Shaykh as-Saduq in Ghaibah64 and Shaykh as-Saduq in Kamal ad-Din65 have narrated through reliable and authentic chains of narrators that Shaykh Abu Amr Umravi (r.a.), the first special deputy to the Master of the Age dictated to Abu Ali Muhammad Ibn Himam and ordered him to recite the following supplication and it is the supplication during the occultation of Qa’im of Aali Muhammad (‘a) 66:
(اللهم عرفني نفسك، فإنك إن لم تعرفني نفسك لم أعرف رسولك اللهم عرفني رسولك، فإنك إن لم تعرفني رسولك لم أعرف حجتك، اللهم عرفني حجتك فإنك إن لم تعرفني حجتك ضللت عن ديني، اللهم لا تمتني ميتة الجاهلية ولا تزغ قلبي بعد إذ هديتني.
اللهم فكما هديتني بولاية من فرضت طاعته على من ولاة أمرك بعد رسولك صلواتك عليه وآله، حتى واليت ولاة أمرك أمير المؤمنين والحسن والحسين وعليا ومحمدا وجعفرا وموسى وعليا ومحمدا وعليا والحسن والحجة القائم المهدي صلواتك عليهم أجمعين اللهم فثبتني على دينك واستعملني بطاعتك، ولين قلبي لولي أمرك، وعافني مما امتحنت به خلقك، وثبتني على طاعة ولي أمرك الذي سترته عن خلقك، فبإذنك غاب عن بريتك، وأمرك ينتظر وأنت العالم غير معلم بالوقت الذي فيه صلاح أمر وليك في الاذن له باظهار أمره، وكشف ستره، وصبرني على ذلك حتى لا أحب تعجيل ما أخرت، ولا تأخير ما عجلت، ولا أكشف عما سترته، ولا أبحث عما كتمته، ولا أنازعك في تدبيرك، ولا أقول لم وكيف وما بال ولي أمر الله لا يظهر وقد امتلأت الأرض من الجور؟ وأفوض أموري كلها إليك.
اللهم إني أسئلك أن تريني ولي أمرك ظاهر نافذا لأمرك، مع علمي بأن لك السلطان، والقدرة والبرهان، والحجة والمشية، والإرادة والحول والقوة فافعل ذلك بي وبجميع المؤمنين حتى ننظر إلى وليك ظاهر المقالة، واضح الدلالة هاديا من الضلالة، شافيا من الجهالة، أبرز يا رب مشاهده، وثبت قواعده و
اجعلنا ممن تقر عيننا برؤيته، وأقمنا بخدمته، وتوفنا على ملته، واحشرنا في زمرته.
اللهم أعذه من شر جميع ما خلقت وبرأت وذرأت وأنشأت وصورت واحفظه من بين يديه ومن خلفه وعن يمينه وعن شماله، ومن فوقه ومن تحته بحفظك الذي لا يضيع من حفظته به، واحفظ فيه رسولك ووصي رسولك، اللهم ومد في عمره، وزد في أجله، وأعنه على ما أوليته واسترعيته، وزد في كرامتك له، فإنه الهادي المهدي القائم المهتدي الطاهر التقي النقي الزكي الرضى المرضي الصابر المجتهد الشكور.
اللهم ولا تسلبنا اليقين لطول الأمد في غيبته، وانقطاع خبره عنا، ولا تنسنا ذكره وانتظار والايمان به، وقوة اليقين في ظهوره، والدعاء له والصلاة عليه، حتى لا يقنطنا طول غيبته من ظهوره وقيامه، ويكون يقيننا في ذلك كيقيننا في قيام رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وما جاء به من وحيك وتنزيلك، قو قلوبنا على الايمان به حتى تسلك بنا لي يده منهاج الهدى والمحجة العظمى والطريقة الوسطى وقونا على طاعته، وثبتنا على مشايعته، واجعلنا في حزبه وأعوانه وأنصاره، والراغبين بفعله، ولا تسلبنا ذلك في حياتنا ولا عند وفاتنا حتى توفانا ونحن على ذلك، غير شاكين ولا ناكثين، ولا مرتا بين ولا مكذبين.
اللهم عجل فرجه، وأيده بالنصر، وانصر ناصريه، واخذل خاذليه ودمدم على من نصب له وكذب به، وأظهر به الحق وأمت به الجور، واستنقذ به عبادك المؤمنين من الذل، وانعش به البلاد، واقتل به الجبابرة الكفرة، واقصم به رؤوس الضلالة، وذلل به الجبارين والكافرين، وأبر به المنافقين والناكثين وجميع المخالفين والملحدين، في مشارق الأرض ومغاربها، وبحرها وبرها وسهلها وجبلها، حتى لا تدع منهم ديارا، ولا تبقي لهم آثارا، وتطهر منهم بلادك.
واشف منهم صدور عبادك، وجدد به ما امتحى من دينك، وأصلح به ما بدل من حكمك، وغير من سنتك، حتى يعود دينك به وعلى يده غضا جديدا صحيحا لا عوج
فيه ولا بدعة معه، حتى تطفي بعدله نيران الكافرين، فإنه عبدك الذي استخلصته لنفسك، وارتضيته لنصره دينك، واصطفيته بعلمك، وعصمته من الذنوب، و برأته من العيوب، وأطلعته على الغيوب، وأنعمت عليه، وطهرته من الرجس ونقيته من الدنس.
اللهم فصل عليه وعلى آبائه الأئمة الطاهرين، وعلى شيعتهم المنتجبين وبلغهم من آمالهم أفضل من يأملون، واجعل ذلك منا خالصا من كل شك وشبهة ورياء وسمعة، حتى لا نريد به غيرك، ولا نطلب به إلا وجهك.
اللهم إنا نشكو إليك فقد نبينا، وغيبة ولينا، وشدة الزمان علينا ووقوع الفتن [بنا] وتظاهر الأعداء، وكثرة عدونا وقلة عددنا، اللهم فافرج ذلك بفتح منك تعجله، وبصبر منك تيسره، وإمام عدل تظهره، إله الحق رب العالمين.
اللهم إنا نسألك أن تأذن لوليك في إظهار عدلك في عبادك، وقتل أعدائك في بلادك، حتى لا تدع للجور دعامة إلا قصمتها، ولا بنية إلا أفنيتها ولا قوة إلا أوهنتها، ولا ركنا إلا هددته، ولا حدا إلا فللته، ولا سلاحا إلا كللته ولا راية إلا نكستها، ولا شجاعا إلا قتلته، ولا حبا إلا خذلته، ارمهم يا رب بحجرك الدامغ، واضربهم بسيفك القاطع، وببأسك الذي لا يرد عن القوم المجرمين وعذب أعداءك وأعداء دينك، وأعداء رسولك بيد وليك، وأيدي عبادك المؤمنين.
اللهم اكف وليك وحجتك في أرضك هول عدوه، وكد من كاده، وامكر بمن مكر به، واجعل دائرة السوء على من أراد به، سوءا، واقطع عنه مادتهم وارعب به قلوبهم، وزلزل له أقدامهم وخذهم جهرة وبغتة، شدد عليهم عقابك واخزهم في عبادك، والعنهم في بلادك، واسكنهم أسفل نارك، وأحط بهم أشد
عذابك وأصلهم نارا، واحش قبور موتاهم نارا، وأصلهم حر نارك، فإنهم أضاعوا الصلاة، واتبعوا الشهوات، وأذلوا عبادك.
اللهم وأحي بوليك القرآن وأرنا نوره سرمدا لا ظلمة فيه، وأحي به القلوب الميتة، واشف به الصدور الوغرة، واجمع به الأهواء المختلفة على الحق، وأقم به الحدود المعطلة والاحكام المهملة حتى لا يبقى حق إلا ظهر ولا عدل إلا زهر واجعلنا يا رب من أعوانه وممن يقوى بسلطانه والمؤتمرين لامره و الراضين بفعله والمسلمين لاحكامه وممن لا حاجة به إلى التقية من خلقك أنت يا رب الذي تكشف السوء وتجيب المضطر إذا دعاك وتنجى من الكرب العظيم فاكشف الضر عن وليك واجعله خليفة في أرضك كما ضمنت له اللهم ولا تجعلنا من خصماء آل محمد ولا تجعلنا من أعداء آل محمد ولا تجعلني من أهل الحنق والغيظ على آل محمد فانى أعوذ بك من ذلك فأعذني وأستجير بك فأجرني اللهم صل على محمد وآل محمد واجعلني بهم فائزا عندك في الدنيا والآخرة ومن المقربين.
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. O Allah introduce Yourself to me. For if You don’t introduce Yourself to me, I will not recognize Your Prophet. O Allah introduce Your Messenger to me, for if You don’t introduce Your Messenger to me, I will not recognize Your Proof. O Allah introduce Your proof to me, for if You don’t introduce Your proof to me, I will deviate in my religion. O Allah don’t let me die the death of ignorance and do not turn my heart after guidance. O Allah when you have guided me to the guardianship of the one, whose obedience is incumbent on me who is the master of Your affair after Your Messenger. Peace be on him and his progeny.
So, I became attached to the master of your affair, Amir al-Mu’minin, Hasan, Husayn, Ali, Muhammad, Ja’far, Musa, Ali, Muhammad, Ali, Hasan and Hujjat al-Qa’im al-Mahdi, Your bliss be on them all. O Allah, keep me steadfast on Your religion, keep me prepared for Your obedience all the time and keep my heart soft for the master of Your affair. Save me from those trials, in which You involve Your creatures. And keep me steadfast on the obedience of Your Wali whom You have concealed from the view of Your creatures. Who is waiting for Your command and You are the learned without being taught, about the time when the circumstances of Your Wali will be reformed and when he will reappear and the veil of occultation shall be opened.
Then give me patience so that I don’t make haste in what You have delayed or that I be inclined to the delay of that which You want to hasten. And that I do not ask of the exposition of what You have concealed. And search for that which You have concealed. Or that I should be dissatisfied with what You have decreed. And I should not say why and how the hidden Imam is not reappearing while the world is fraught with injustice and oppression. I have entrusted all my affairs to You. O Allah, I ask You to let me see the incomparable elegance of Your Wali when his rules shall be enforced. I know that the proof, argument, evidence, exigency, intention and strength is all for You only. So do this favour on me and the believers that we see Your Wali Amr. Your bliss be on him and his progeny. In this way should His command become apparent and his guidance should become clear. He is one, who brings out from misguidance to guidance and one, who cures from the malady of ignorance. O Lord, reveal his countenance, make his pillars firm and include us among those who witness his incomparable elegance. And give us the good sense (Tawfiq) to serve him. And that we may die on his faith and are raised in his army.
O Allah, protect the hidden Imam whom You have created from every kind of mischief, whom You brought from nonentity to being, whom You created, raised up and gave a form. And protect the Imam from the evil that comes to him from the front and from behind. From right and the left. From above and from below. Keep him in Your protection. In a protection after which none can harm him. And through him protect the Prophet and the successor of the Prophet. O Allah, give the Imam of the Age a long life. Increase his lifespan. Help him in the Wilayat and rulership that you will grant to him. He is the guided one, one, who will establish the truth, the pure, pious, sincere, satisfied, pleasing, patient, one, who makes effort in the way of Allah and the thankful one.
O Allah, do not destroy our certainty due to the prolongation of his occultation and due to lack of news about him. Give us perfect faith in his remembrance, in his awaiting and in him. Do not make us careless of our duty of praying for him and for invoking divine blessings on him. Do not make us fall in despair for his reappearance and we should have firm certainty in his advent like we are certain of the advent of Your Messenger. And like we have faith in all that was revealed on the Prophet. Make our faith in these things strong. Till You make me walk the path of guidance by the Great Proof and the middle path. Give us the capability of his obedience and keep us steadfast in following him. Include us among his forces, his friends and his helpers. And make us among those who are satisfied with each of his actions. And don’t deprive us of this bounty; neither in the lifetime nor at the time of death. Till we die on the same faith and certainty. Make us not among those who doubt or those who break the covenant or those who fall in sloth or those who deny. O Allah, hasten his reappearance and help him and help those who help him. Abandon whose who desert him and destroy those who are inimical to him and those who deny him. Through his being make the true religion apparent. Through him destroy falsehood. Through him save the believers from degradation. Inhabit the cities through his blessings. Eliminate the oppressors of disbelief through him. Destroy the strength of the leaders of the misguided ones and humiliate the tyrants and disbelievers through him.
Through him destroy all the hypocrites, oath-breakers, irreligious that live in the east and the west of the earth, on land and on water, in plains or hills so that neither their cities should remain nor their vestiges. And that Your cities may be purified from them. And cure the hearts of Your servants from them, and through the Imam of the Age revive all that has been destroyed from Your religion, all the laws that are changed and all Your practices that are altered. Through the Imam reform all these things so that Your religion gets a new lease of life and becomes perfect. The divine laws should become worthy of being followed without any hesitation and innovation. Due to his just rule the fire of disbelief should be extinguished, because he is the one, whom You have kept especially for Yourself. Whom You chose for helping Your Prophet. You chose him for Your knowledge and protected him from sins and immune from all defects. And You informed him of the secrets of the Unseen and sent Your bounties upon him. You kept him away from every impurity and clean from every ignorance and disobedience. O Allah, bless them and their purified forefathers. And on their prominent Shias; and fulfil his hope. And keep this supplication of us pure from every doubt and show-off. So that we do not intend to please anyone, but You.
O Allah, we beseech in Your court that our Prophet is Also, not among us. And our leader is Also, hidden from us. We are surrounded by hardships and trials of the world. The enemies have got an upper hand over us. Your opponents are more and our numbers are few. So, Allah, save us from these calamities at the earliest and give us victory through the just Imam. O the true deity, accept our plea. O Allah, we beseech You to permit Your Wali to express Your justice among Your servants and that he may slay Your enemies till there does not remain any caller to oppression. O Lord, demolish the pillars of oppression and destroy the foundations of tyranny. Demolish their pillars and blunt their sword. Make their weapons useless. Lower their flags and eliminate their fighters. Put discord into their forces. O Lord, send down hard stones upon them and hit them with Your sharp sword. Do not turn away the severity of Your chastisement from the criminals. Send down chastisement on the enemies of Your Wali and the enemies of Your Messenger through the hands of Your Wali and the hands of Your servants. O Lord, suffice Your Hujjat and Your Wali in the earth from the fear of their enemies. And nullify the plots that they devise for him. Imprison in the circle of evil one, who intends bad for the Qa’im.
Remove the mischief of the world through his blessed existence and put awe into the hearts of his enemies. Make the steps of his enemies waver. Leave his enemies confused and send down severe chastisement on them. Degrade them among Your servants. Make them accursed in Your cities. And put them in the lowest level of Hell. And send your worst punishment for them. Fasten them with fire and fill the graves of their dead with fire. And tie them with the fire of Hell. They are the same, who considered Prayer unimportant, who followed their base desires and humiliated Your servants. O Allah, revive the Qur’an through Your Wali. Show us its effulgence, which is permanent and in which there is no darkness. Enliven the dead hearts through him. Cure the hearts, which are full of malice. And through him bring together on truth different selfish desires. Through him revive the laws that are made obsolete so that the truth becomes triumphant and justice is established. O Lord, include us among his helpers. That we may strengthen his rule and be of those who follow his commands and are satisfied with each of his actions. Make us of those, who submit to his commands. Make us such that people do not have to resort to dissimulation from us.
O Lord, You are the only one, who saves from every harm. You answer the prayer of the helpless. You save from great sorrow and pain. Thus, O Lord, remove every harm from Your Wali. Appoint him as Your Caliph on the earth as You have decided about him. O Lord, do make me of those who dispute with the Aali Muhammad and don’t make me among their enemies. Don’t make me one, who is displeased and angry with Aali Muhammad. Thus, I seek Your refuge from this; so please give me refuge. And I beseech You to grant me. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad and make me successful with them in the world and the hereafter and make me from those, who are proximate to You. (Amen O Lord of the worlds).
In Jamaal al-Usboo’67, Sayyid Raziuddin Ali Ibn Tawus, after the mention of effective recitations after the al-’Asr Prayer on Friday, and the great Salawat, which was mentioned above, says: Another supplication is mentioned, which should be recited for Imam al-Mahdi (‘aj) and it is appropriate that it should be recited even though you might be having excuse for not reciting the other recitations of Friday.
So, beware that you should not be lax in reciting this supplication. Thus, indeed we recognize it to be a favour of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, which He has specially bestowed on us. So you must rely on it. And in this statement, there is hint that which was hinted at in the above Salawat as mentioned before.
Supplication Three
In the book of Mohijj ad-Dawat68, the venerable Sayyid Ibn Tawus has narrated through his chains of narrators from Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Ibn Ibrahim Ju’fi, alias Sabuni that he has narrated through his chains of narrators traditions in which the occultation of Imam al-Mahdi (‘aj) is mentioned. The narrator asked: I asked: What should your Shi’a do?
He replied: It is necessary for you to pray and await for the reappearance; indeed it shall happen soon. Very soon signs will appear for you. Thus, when he appears for you, you must praise Allah, the Mighty and the High and remain attached to what has become clear to you.
I asked: Which supplication should I recite?
He replied: Say:
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم اللهم أنت عرفتني نفسك وعرفتني رسولك وعرفتني ملائكتك وعرفتني ولاة أمرك اللهم لا آخذ إلا ما أعطيت، ولا أقي إلا ما وقيت اللهم لا تغيبني عن منازل أوليائك، ولا تزغ قلبي بعد إذ هديتني، اللهم اهدني لولاية من افترضت طاعته
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. O Allah, introduce Yourself to me and introduce Your Messenger to me and introduce Your angels to me and introduce the enforcers of Your command to me. O Allah, I don’t accept, except what You give and don’t decline, except what you prohibit. O Allah, do not keep me away from the stations of Your friends and do not make my heart deviate after You have guided it. O Allah, guide me to the guardianship of one, who has made Your obedience obligatory on me.
Supplication Four
Also, the Sayyid has said at that place: I saw in dream that someone was teaching me a supplication, which is appropriate to be recited during the period of occultation and these are the words of that supplication:
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم يا من فضل آل إبراهيم، وآل إسرائيل على العالمين باختياره، وأظهر في ملكوت السماوات والأرض عزة اقتداره، وأودع محمدا صلى الله عليه وآله وأهل بيته غرائب أسراره، صل على محمد وآله، واجعلني من أعوان حجتك على عبادك وأنصاره
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. O One, who gave precedence to the progeny of Ibrahim and the Progeny of Prophet Yaqoob (‘a) and displayed His power in the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and who entrusted His astonishing secrets to Muhammad and his Ahl Al-Bayt (‘a) - may Allah bless Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad and include us among the helpers of Your Proof on the creatures and his supporters.69
Supplication Five
The respected Sayyid has narrated in that book from the book of Muhammad Ibn Muhammad Ibn ‘Abd Allah Fatiriyyin that he said: Narrated to us Muhammad Ibn Ali Ibn Raqqaq al-Qummi: Abu Ja’far said: Narrated to us Abu al-Hasan Ibn Muhammad Ibn Ali Ibn Hasan Ibn Shazan al-Qummi that he said: Narrated to me Abu Ja’far Muhammad Ibn Ali Ibn Babawayh al-Qummi from his father from ‘Abd Allah Ibn Ja’far from Abbas Ibn Maruf from Abdus Salam Ibn Saalim that he said: Narrated to me Muhammad Ibn Sinan from Yunus Ibn Zabyan from Jabir Ibn Yazeed Ju’fi that he said:
Abu Ja’far (‘a) said: One, who recites this supplication once in his lifetime, it will be written on a fine leather and raised in the hall of Hazrat Qa’im (‘aj). When our Qa’im (‘aj) reappears it will be called out in his name and the name of his father. At that time they will give it to him that writing and tell him: Take this, it is a writing of the covenant, which you gave in the world and this is the statement of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime:
لَا يَمْلِكُونَ الشَّفَاعَةَ إِلَّا مَنِ اتَّخَذَ عِنْدَ الرَّحْمَٰنِ عَهْدًا
“Save he who has made a covenant with the Beneficent God” (19:87).
And recite this supplication in a state of ritual purification:
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم اللهم يا إله الالهة، يا واحد، يا أحد، يا آخر الآخرين، يا قاهر القاهرين يا علي يا عظيم، أنت العلي الاعلى، علوت فوق كل علو، هذا يا سيدي عهدي وأنت منجز وعدي فصل يا مولاي وعدي، وأنجز وعدي، آمنت بك، وأسألك بحجابك العربي، وبحجابك العجمي، وبحجابك العبراني، وبحجابك السرياني، وبحجابك الرومي، وبحجابك الهندي، وأثبت معرفتك بالعناية الأولى فإنك أنت الله لا ترى وأنت بالمنظر الاعلى.
وأتقرب إليك برسولك المنذر صلى الله عليه وآله، وبعلي أمير المؤمنين صلوات الله عليه الهادي، وبالحسن السيد وبالحسين الشهيد سبطي نبيك، وبفاطمة البتول وبعلي بن الحسين زين العابدين ذي الثفنات، ومحمد بن علي الباقر عن علمك وبجعفر بن محمد الصادق الذي صدق بميثاقك وبميعادك، وبموسى بن جعفر الحصور القائم بعهدك، وبعلي بن موسى الرضا الراضي بحكمك، وبمحمد بن علي الحبر الفاضل المرتضى في المؤمنين، وبعلي بن محمد الأمين المؤتمن هادي المسترشدين وبالحسن بن علي الطاهر الزكي خزانة الوصيين.
أتقرب إليك بالامام القائم العدل المنتظر المهدي إمامنا وابن إمامنا صلوات الله عليهم أجمعين.
يا من جل فعظم و [هو] أهل ذلك فعفى ورحم، يا من قدر فلطف، أشكو إليك ضعفي، وما قصر عنه عملي من توحيدك، وكنه معرفتك، وأتوجه إليك بالتسمية البيضاء، وبالوحدانية الكبرى التي قصر عنها من أدبر وتولى، وآمنت بحجابك الأعظم، وبكلماتك التامة العليا، التي خلقت منها دار البلاء، وأحللت من أحببت جنة المأوى، آمنت بالسابقين والصديقين أصحاب اليمين من المؤمنين [و] الذين خلطوا عملا صالحا وآخر سيئا ألا توليني غيرهم، ولا تفرق بيني وبينهم غدا إذا قدمت الرضا بفصل القضاء.
آمنت بسرهم وعلانيتهم وخواتيم أعمالهم فإنك تختم عليها إذا شئت، يا من أتحفني بالاقرار بالوحدانية، وحباني بمعرفة الربوبية، وخلصني من الشك والعمى، رضيت بك ربا وبالأصفياء حججا، وبالمحجوبين أنبياء، وبالرسل أدلاء وبالمتقين امراء، وسامعا لك مطيعا
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. O Allah, O the lord of the lords; O one O the only one. O the last of the last ones O the most severe of the severe ones. O the most high O the great! You are the highest of the high. All loftiness is from Your loftiness only. This, my chief, is my oath and You are the fulfiller of my promise. So fulfil, O my Lord, Your promise. And fulfil my promise. I believe in You and I ask You through your Arabic veils and the Persian veils; and by Hebrew veils and Syriac veils and Roman veils and Hindi veils and proofs of the recognition of the foremost blessing.
As You are Allah, You cannot be seen and You are in the high place of viewing and I seek proximity to You through Your warning Prophet and by Ali, the chief of the believers. Peace on him; the guide; and through Hasan the chief, and through Husayn the martyr, grandsons of Your Prophet. And Fatimah, the chaste; and Ali Ibn al-Husayn, best of the worshippers, with the mark of prostration; and Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baqir, the splitter of Your knowledge; and Ja’far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq, one, who was true to Your covenant and Your promise and by Musa Ibn Ja’far, the established cordon with Your covenant. And by Ali Ibn Musa ar-Ridha’’, one, who is pleased with Your command; and by Muhammad Ibn Ali the accomplished scholar, the chosen one for the believers; and Ali Ibn Muhammad, the most trustworthy, and the guide of the guides; and by Hasan Ibn Ali, the pure, the chaste, the repository of the bequest makers; and I seek proximity to You by Imam Qa’im; the justice, the awaited one and the al-Mahdi our Imam and son of our Imam, peace be on them all.
O One, who became majestic and then He became great and He is deserving if it. So He forgave and had mercy. O one, who paid respect and was kind. I complain to You for my weakness and the shortcomings in my acts towards You. And by Your oneness and by having of Your recognition. And I turn to You through pristine names and by the great oneness, failed in it those who turned away. I believe by the great veil by Your complete lofty words. Through which You created the abode of trials and You made to enter whoever You liked in the abode in Paradise to be resorted to the foremost, the truthful, folks of the right hand from the believers. Who have mixed their good deeds and other evils deeds that do not make me a friend to other than them. And do not create separation between us and them while I have preferred pleasure with the judgment of destiny. I bring faith on his hidden and apparent and with the ending of their acts, because You would place seal on them when You like. O One, who gave the gift of Oneness and loved me through the recognition of lordship and saved me from doubt and blindness. And I became pleased with You due to Your being the Lord and with the chosen Divine Proofs and with the concealed prophets and with reasoning messengers and through the pious rulers by obeying after hearing You.
Supplication Six
In Kamal ad-Din70, Shaykh as-Saduq has narrated from ‘Abd Allah Ibn Sinan that he said: “After this, a time will come when you will not be able to see the Imam of the time. In that period no one will be saved, except the one, who recites Du’a Ghareeq. The narrator inquired as to what Du’a Ghareeq is. Imam (‘a) replied:
يا الله يا رحمن يا رحيم يا مقلب القلوب ثبت قلبي على دينك
“O Allah! O Beneficent! O Merciful! O the One, who transforms the hearts! Make my heart steadfast upon your religion!”
The narrator repeated the Du’a in this way:
يا الله يا رحمن يا رحيم يا مقلب القلوب والابصار ثبت قلبي على دينك
The narrator added “(مقلب القلوب والابصار) ” Imam (‘a) told him, “Indeed, Allah is (مقلب القلوب والابصار)”, but you say only (مقلب القلوب ثبت قلبي على دينك)“
Supplication Seven
Shaykh an-Nu’mani (r.a.) has narrated through his chains of narrators from ‘Abd Allah Ibn Sinan that he said: My father and I went to Abu ‘Abd Allah as-as-Sadiq (‘a). He said:
“What will you do if you at a time that you do not find an Imam of guidance nor any sign and then no one will be saved from that confusion except one, who will pray Allah with the
prayer of the burner (دعاء حريق)?”
My father said: “By Allah, this is a great calamity. May I die for you! What will we do then?”
He said: “If that occurs - and you will not attain it - then keep to what you have, until the matter becomes clear.71
That is during that period you must not waver in your faith and you must not be confused in your act and you must remain attached to what you have received from the past Imams regarding the principles and branches of religion; and you must not forgo acting on their commands and you must not apostatize and you must not believe what the claimants of Imamate and Qa’imiyat say till the matter of their Imamate becomes clear to you from the display of clear miracles and the not asking of Sinan, father of ‘Abd Allah about the supplication of Hareeq that what Du’a it is, it is clear that it was well-known among the companions of the Imam. And what is concluded is that it is the popular Du’a, which some scholars have mentioned among the devotions to be recited in the morning and at night.
Shaykh Tabarsi, the author of Majma Al-Bayan has in the book of Iddatus Safar72, said that among the supplications having great importance and which have gathered in themselves all the perfections and whose recitation is emphasized during the morning and evening is the supplication famous as Du’a Hareeq; and it is narrated from Imam Zayn al-’Abidin (‘a) and it is as follows: (اللهم اني أصبحت اشهدك وكفى بك شهيدا)…and so on; which is a lengthy supplication at the end of which he said that an epistle arrived from Imam Az-Zaman (‘aj) to Muhammad Ibn Sult al-Qummi (r.a.) that the following addition should be made to this supplication: Allahumma rabban nooril az’eem…and so on and that is Also, well known.
In other words, since we were not satisfied that it implies that same supplication and since it was Also, very lengthy and it is present in many books of supplication like Misbah73 of Shaykh, Kafami74, Maqbas and Bihar Al-Anwar75, so we have not mentioned it here.
Eighth: It Is Our Duty To Seek Help From His Eminence
Seeking Mediation And Refuge Of Hazrat Hujjat
To seek his assistance and to rely on him in all matters; to seek his refuge when one is involved in severe calamities or when one is afflicted with some illness or when one is confronted with mischiefs and evil around him, his relations and friends and he cannot see any way out of his hardships and does not know of any solution to his problems.
When a person is surrounded by these troubles he is supposed to beseech His Eminence to solve the problems and bestow him relief from the disasters and to show him a way out of these hardships, that he may reach his destination realizing that his well-being lies in taking refuge in him according to divine power and esoteric knowledge on the condition of everyone; on the contrary his favour to everyone according to his or her worth and capability to observe the well-being of the public system that is achieved and which will be achieved and from a view in his public affairs, from the obedient as well as the disobedient and the scholar and the ignorant, the noble and the ignoble, the strong and the weak, he was not careless and he will not be so.
His Eminence said in an epistle to Shaykh Al-Mufid: If we are in such a position that we are away from the habitations of the oppressors and it is due to hidden wisdom that the Almighty Allah has considered best for us and the believer followers of us, till the material wealth is in control of the transgressors. In spite of all this, we are perfectly cognizant of all your affairs and problems and nothing regarding you is hidden from us.76
And Shaykh Kulaini77, an-Nu’mani78 and others have narrated through their chains of narrators that Amir Al-Mu’minin (‘a) said in one of his lengthy sermons:
“O Allah, it must be that You have authorities on Your earth one after the other over Your people to guide them to Your religion and to teach them Your knowledge lest the followers of Your guardians separate. They (the authorities) are either apparent without being obeyed or afraid, hidden and awaiting. If their persons are absent from people during their truce in the state of untruth, their knowledge will never be absent from them (from people). Their principles are fixed in the hearts of the believers, who act according to these principles. They become pleasant with what the liars become unpleasant and with what those, who are indifferent to the obligations of Allah, deny.
Speech that is measured without any price; but is there anyone hearing it with his mind, perceiving it, believing in it and following it as an ideal to succeed with it?” and so on.
The venerable Shaykh, Ali Ibn Husayn Mas’oodi has in the book of Isbat al-Wasiyyah79, has narrated from Imam Abu Muhammad Hasan al-’Askari (‘a) that he said: When the Hazrat Sahib Al-’Amr (‘aj) was born, Allah, the Mighty and the High sent two angels; thus, they took him and went up to the veils of the Arsh till they stood in the presence of the Almighty Allah. The Almighty Allah said to him: Welcome, through you I bestow; through you I forgive; and through you I chastise.
In his book of Ghaibah80, Shaykh At-Tusi (r.a.) has narrated through authentic chains of narrators from Shaykh Abu al-Qasim Husayn Ibn Rauh that he said: Our scholars had differences especially with regard to the matter of predestination etc. Before Abu Tahir Bilal became deviated, I went to him once and conveyed to him information about the differences. He said: Give me some time. I gave him sometimes and after that I visited him again. He showed me a tradition from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) that the Imam had said:
Whenever Allah, the Mighty and the High decides a matter, it is transferred to the Messenger of Allah (S) and after him it is transferred to Amir Al-Mu’minin (‘a) and after him to every Imam one after another till it reaches up to the Master of the age (‘a) and after that it is revealed to the world.
And when angels want to take an issue to the presence of Almighty Allah; first they entrust it to the Master of the Age (‘a) and then it is presented to each in succession till it reaches the Messenger of Allah (S) who presents it to Almighty Allah. On the basis of this, all that is issued from Almighty Allah is issued through the Holy Imams (‘a) and all the deeds that go up to Almighty Allah go up through the Holy Imams (‘a) and the Messenger of Allah (S) and his Ahl Al-Bayt (‘a) are not at all even for the blink of an eye needless of Allah, the Mighty and the High.
Sayyid Husayn Mufti Karki, grandson of Muhaqqiq Saani, in the book of Dafa al-Manawaat, has quoted from the book of Baraheen that he has narrated from Abu Hamza from Imam Musa al-Kadhim (‘a) that he said: I heard the Imam say: There is no angel, but that the Almighty Allah sends him to the earth with a command, except that he initiates his job with Imam (‘a). Thus, he presents it to His Eminence and indeed he is the point of reference for the angels as the Almighty Allah is the possessor of this matter.
It was mentioned in the previous chapter in the tradition of Abu al-Wafai Shirazi that the Messenger of Allah (S) said to him: When you are defeated and afflicted, you must beseech the Hujjat (‘a), so that he may come to help you and he is the one, who listens to pleas and is the refuge for one, who requests him.
Shaykh Kashi81 and Shaykh Saffar in Basa’ir82 have narrated from Rameela that he said: During the period of Amir Al-Mu’minin (‘a) my condition was very bad and I was seriously ill. On Friday, I saw that my condition was better, I said to myself: I don’t see anything better than that I should bathe and pray behind Amir Al-Mu’minin (‘a). So, I did this.
I went to the Masjid and when Amir Al-Mu’minin (‘a) mounted the pulpit, my condition again became bad and when His Eminence went out of the Masjid and entered the quarters, I accompanied him inside. He asked: “Rameela, I see that you are confused about yourself?” I replied: “Yes.”
And I told him about my conditions and also, mentioned my apprehension during the Prayer.
He said: “O Rameela, no believer falls ill, but that we Also, fall ill with him, and no believer becomes aggrieved, but that we Also, become aggrieved, and none of them prays, but that we say Amen to his prayers. And none remains silent, but that we pray for him.”
I asked: “O Amir Al-Mu’minin (‘a), may I be sacrificed on you, is this with regard to one, who is with you in the quarters, or can you see people all over the world?” He replied: “Rameela, no believer anywhere in the world is away from our sight.”
Also, Shaykh as-Saduq83, Saffaar84 and Shaykh Al-Mufid and others have narrated through many chains of narrators from Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (‘a) and Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) that they said: Indeed, the Almighty Allah does not leave the world without a scholar, who is aware of the deficiency and excess on the earth. Thus, if the believers have increased something, he returns it - and according to another tradition, he removes it - and if they decrease it, he completes it for them and if this had not been so, their affairs would have become confusing for the Muslims - and according to another version, truth would not have been differentiated from falsehood.
Written Appeals To Hazrat Hujjat (‘A)
In Tohfatuz Zaaer of al-Majlisi, and Mafaateehun Najaat of Sabzawari, it is narrated that one, who has a need, should write down what is mentioned below, put it on one of the graves of the Imams (‘a) or roll it up, seal it and keep it in a lump of mud, and drop it in a stream, a deep well or a pool of water, so that it may reach Hazrat Sahib az-Zaman (‘a) and that he may become the guarantor of fulfilling that need.
An Example Of A Letter Of Request
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحيمِ
كَتَبْتُ اليك يا مَوْلايَ صَلَواتُ اللَّهِ مُسْتَغيثاً ، وَشَكَوْتُ ما نَزَلَ بي مُسْتَجيراً بِاللَّهِ عَزَّوَجَلَّ ، ثُمَّ بِكَ مِنْ أَمْرٍ قَدْ دَهَمَني ، وَأَشْغَلَ قَلْبي ، وَأَطالَ فِكْري ، وَسَلَبَني بَعْضَ لُبّي ، وَغَيَّرَ خَطيرَ نِعْمَةِ اللَّهِ عِنْدي ، أَسْلَمَني عِنْدَ تَخَيُّلِ وُرُودِهِ الْخَليلُ ، وَتَبَرَّأَ مِنّي عِنْدَ تَرائي إِقْبالِهِ إِلَيَّ الْحَميمُ، وَعَجَزَتْ عَنْ دِفاعِهِ حيلَتي، وَخانَني في تَحَمُّلِهِ صَبْري وَقُوَّتي.
فَلَجَأْتُ فيهِ إِلَيْكَ ، وَتَوَكَّلْتُ فِي الْمَسْأَلَةِ للَّهِِ جَلَّ ثَناؤُهُ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَيْكَ في دِفاعِهِ عَنّي ، عِلْماً بِمَكانِكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ رَبِّ الْعالَمينَ ، وَلِيِّ التَّدْبيرِ وَمالِكِ الْاُمُورِ ، وَاثِقاً بِكَ فِي الْمُسارَعَةِ فِي الشَّفاعَةِ إِلَيْهِ جَلَّ ثَناؤُهُ في أَمْري ، مُتَيَقِّناً لِإِجابَتِهِ تَبارَكَ وَتَعالى إِيَّاكَ بِإِعْطائي سُؤْلي.
وَأَنْتَ يا مَوْلايَ جَديرٌ بِتَحْقيقِ ظَنّي ، وَتَصْديقِ أَمَلي فيكَ ، في أَمْرِ كَذا وَكَذا ويذكر حاجته ، فيما لا طاقَةَ لي بِحَمْلِهِ ، وَلا صَبْرَ لي عَلَيْهِ ، وَ إِنْ كُنْتُ مُسْتَحِقّاً لَهُ وَلِأَضْعافِهِ بِقَبيحِ أَفْعالي ، وَتَفْريطي فِي الْواجِباتِ الَّتي للَّهِِ عَزَّوَجَلَّ ، فَأَغِثْني يا مَوْلايَ صَلَواتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكَ عِنْدَ اللَّهْفِ ، وَقَدِّمِ الْمَسْأَلَةَ للَّهِِ عَزَّوَجَلَّ في أَمْري ، قَبْلَ حُلُولِ التَّلَفِ ، وَشَماتَةِ الْأَعْداءِ ، فَبِكَ بُسِطَتِ النِّعْمَةُ عَلَيَّ.
وَاسْأَلِ اللَّهَ جَلَّ جَلالُهُ لي نَصْراً عَزيزاً ، وَفَتْحاً قَريباً ، فيهِ بُلُوغُ الْآمالِ ، وَخَيْرُ الْمَبادي ، وَخَواتيمُ الْأَعْمالِ ، وَالْأَمْنُ مِنَ الْمَخاوِفِ كُلِّها في كُلِّ حالٍ ، إِنَّهُ جَلَّ ثَناؤُهُ لِما يَشاءُ فَعَّالٌ ، وَهُوَ حَسْبي وَنِعْمَ الْوَكيلُ فِي الْمَبْدَءِ وَالْمَآلِ.
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. I wrote to you, O my master, peace be on you, seeking refuge and complain for that which befell me seeking rewards of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime. Then such a matter befell you which made me terror stricken and kept my heart busy and prolonged my thoughts and snatched from me my reason and changed divine bounty on me. He accepted me at the time of coming of the thought of the friend and became aloof from me at the time of my seeing me face to face as a bosom friend. And I became helpless to defend it through my plot and he committed fraud with me in his bearing of my patience and my strength.
So I turned to him and I rely on asking from Allah, the Mighty and Sublime. Praise be to Him and on you and His defense on behalf of me is a knowledge by place from the Lord of the worlds and it is a wisdom for me and He is the owner of matters. There is reliance on you by making haste to recommend and His praise is great and I am certain of His acceptance in my matter, which is blessed and high is He. Upon You is the fulfilment of my request. And You, O my master are worthy by the realization of my estimation and with fulfilment of my hope and so and so matter. And in what I have no strength to bear and to be patient in it, even though I am deserving of it. And its weak ones, because of my evil deeds and deficiency in obligatory acts, obligatory on me from Allah, the Mighty and Sublime.
So please help me, O my master. Peace of Allah be on you in my sorrow and prefer asking from the Almighty Allah regarding my matter before it is destroyed and by the nature of the enemies and may your blessings widen for me. And I seek help for myself from Allah, the Mighty and Sublime; the mighty and the victory is close, in which the hopes would be fulfilled.
At that time come upon that stream or pool and put your reliance on one of the special deputies of the Imam, either ‘Uthman Ibn Saeed Amari, or his son, Muhammad Ibn ‘Uthman or Husayn Ibn Rauh or Ali Ibn Muhammad Saymoori; call out his name and say:
يا فُلانَ بْنَ فُلانٍ سَلامٌ عَلَيْكَ ، أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ وَفاتَكَ في سَبيلِ اللَّهِ ، وَأَنَّكَ حَيٌّ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مَرْزُوقٌ ، وَقَدْ خاطَبْتُكَ في حَياتِكَ الَّتي لَكَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ جَلَّ وَعَزَّ ، وَهذِهِ رُقْعَتي وَحاجَتي إِلى مَوْلانا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ ، فَسَلِّمْها إِلَيْهِ ، فَأَنْتَ الثِّقَةُ الْأَمينُ..
O so and so son of so and so, peace be upon you. I bear witness that your end shall be in the way of Allah and you would remain alive with Allah; you will be given sustenance. And I have made you as the addressee in your life, which is for you from Allah, the Mighty and Sublime and this is my letter and my need from our master (‘a) so please convey it to him as you are the most trustworthy of the trustees.
Then drop the letter in the well, pool or stream, so that your requests may be fulfilled.85
The Special Deputies Are Mediums During The Minor And The Major Occultation
From this report, it is concluded that since those four respected persons were mediums during the period of the Minor Occultation between the subjects and the Imam in presenting of needs and letters of requests and in taking back replies to them and also, conveying the epistles of the Imam. During the Major Occultation Also, they accompanied the Holy Imam (‘a) and they were bestowed with this exalted status.
So, we realized that generosity and favour of Imam Az-Zaman (‘aj) is spread in every part of the earth for every afflicted, defeated, lost, bewildered and his door is open and his road is general with truth of distress and need and sincerity of heart. If he is foolish, he would bestow the drink of his knowledge and if he is lost, he would show him the way and if he is ill, he would dress him up in the dress of his health.
Therefore, by surveying these incidents, it becomes clear and evident the result of the objective in this instance and that His Eminence, the Sahib Al-’Amr (‘aj) is present among the people and he is witnessing them all. He is capable of removing calamities, is aware of secrets and has not been dismissed from the post of his Caliphate due to being concealed from people and has not refrained from the requirements and manners of divine government and not become helpless from his divine power.
If he wants, he can solve the problem, which one has in his mind without seeing it and that effort should convey something to it. And if he wants, he makes his heart inclined to that book or scholar, which has the cure of his pain. Sometimes he teaches the supplication and sometimes he teaches the cure of the sick in his dream.
That which is seen and heard with truth and confession of Imamate, as it happened many times that someone in distress and need on complaining have not seen the effect of responding and removal of distress, except for taking up this helpless, obstacle of supplication and acceptance is mostly from the aspect of doubt in the distress that he regards himself as helpless, lost and bewildered and his path is shown to him, like an unlettered refers to the book of Islamic laws of his scholar.
So, it is mentioned in the holy epistle in reply to the question of Ishaq Ibn Yaqub that: “But as for the problems, which will occur in the future, you should refer to the narrators of our traditions for their verdicts as they are my proofs to you, and I am Allah’s proof to them.”86
Thus, as long as the ignorant has access to the learned, even though through migration and traveling or through his book, he will not be helpless in his laws and in the same way a scholar, who can solve his problem and remove doubt and confusion through the apparent and texts of Qur’an, Sunnah and consensus (Ijma), would not be helpless.
Also, those, who earn their sustenance outside divine limits and criterion of Shari’ah and are not content with that much, which is praised in Shari’ah, as their livelihood is not dependant on it.
In the same way, from the instances, in which a person sees himself to be helpless and perplexed and after true consideration is seen to be opposed to his appearance and if the confusion is true, perhaps his well-being or the well-being of the entire system will not be there in its fulfilment, as He does not promise fulfilment to every distressed one.
Yes! No one can guarantee the fulfilment of supplication to any distressed one, except the Almighty and His Caliphs and neither that they respond to the perplexed and on days of his presence in Medina, Mecca and Kufa etc. it would mostly be for all kinds of distressed and helpless persons from his followers and devotees and it was that they asked, but they were not responded to. It so happened that every helpless one in every period of time, whatever he wanted to give to him and remove his distress, whether this is a due to contradiction in system and for removing great rewards of the companions of calamities and tragedies that after seeing that on the day of reward they desire that alas, if only the flesh of their body in the world has been cut to shreds with scissors87 and the Almighty Allah with that perfect power and absolute independence and encompassing knowledge on the parts and particles of the existing things, has not done this with His slaves.
On the whole, the proposition of seeing His Eminence during occultation, after distress and need to reach the hand, which He has himself fixed for removal of distress and for fulfilment of needs, mediation and seeking refuge from His Eminence and asking for ones needs and belief in the knowledge and capability of His Eminence for fulfilment of aim; there being no hurdles; on the contrary His Eminence being the cause of reaching of every goodness and keeping away of every mischief according to the matter of a large number of traditional reports, some of which were hinted at.
In Kamal ad-Din88, Shaykh as-Saduq has narrated from Jabir from the Messenger of Allah (S) that he mentioned the names of each of the Imams till he said: Then the one, who will be my namesake and bear my agnomen, the proof of Allah in His earth and His remainder among His servants, the son of Hasan Ibn Ali. He (‘aj) is the one at whose hands Allah, High be His remembrance, will open the east of the earth and its west. He (‘aj) is the one, who will be concealed from his Shias and his friends, an occultation in which none will be steadfast on the belief of his Imamate, except the one, whose heart has been tested by Allah for faith.”
Jabir says that he asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (S)! Will the Shias benefit from him during the occultation?’
He replied, “Yes, by the One, who sent me with Prophethood! Surely, they will benefit with his light and gain from his mastership in his occultation like the people derive benefit from the sun when the clouds hide it.
Imam’s Epistle To Muhammad Ibn ‘Uthman
In Ihtijaj89, Shaykh Tabarsi has narrated that an epistle of the Imam came to Muhammad Ibn ‘Uthman and in that he mentioned: As for how people would benefit from me during my occultation, it is like getting benefits from the sun, which is concealed by clouds. And I am the security for the people on the face of the earth just as stars are security for the inhabitants of the heavens.
In another traditional report, it is mentioned that Sulaiman asked: How would people benefit from an unseen and hidden proof? The Imam replied: “Just as they benefit from the sun hidden behind the clouds.”90
We should know that the sun is having loftiness and effulgence so that people may benefit from it for their worldly affairs and effect and training in the elements and compounds and it is domination over all the heavenly bodies; on the contrary a group regards the effulgence of the planets to be from the sun. They have argued that the most complete of those qualities and for further training of intellects, souls, hearts, religion, faith and good qualities and it being the cause of everlasting life and reaching position of humanity is the being of Imam al-’Asr (‘aj).
Why Imam (‘A) Is Compared To The Sun?
A number of reasons are stated as to why the Imam (‘a) is compared to the Sun behind the clouds:
First: It is that the effulgence, being, knowledge and all benefits, perfections and goodnesses reach the people through the blessings of the Holy Imam (‘a) and through his blessings, intercession and mediation, the realities and religious cognitions become apparent to his followers and calamities, mischiefs are dispelled from them as was the case during the period of every Divine Proof. The Almighty Allah says:
وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنْتَ فِيهِمْ ۚ وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ
“But Allah was not going to chastise them while you were among them” (8:33).
It is mentioned in widely related traditions that the Holy Prophet (S) said: My Ahl Al-Bayt (‘a) are security for the folks of the earth just as the stars are the security for the folks of the heavens.91
First: One whose inner eye is slightly illuminated by the effulgence of faith, knows that when the doors of success are closed and he does not find solution to his problems or he is facing some complex problem or a difficult matter, when he seeks the mediation of the Imam, the doors of divine mercy open up for him in accordance to his sincerity in seeking mediation.
Second: As when the sun is hidden by the clouds, despite its benefits reaching to the people, they await for the clouds to be dispelled, in the same way the sincere believers and righteous persons are always awaiting for the reappearance of the Holy Imam (‘a) and they do not fall into despair; and through that awaiting they become eligible for a great reward.
Third: It is that the denier of the being of the Imam, in spite of the radiance of the effulgence of Imamate and appearance of the signs of Wilayat is like the denier of the existence of the Sun when it is concealed behind the clouds.
Fourth: It is that just as the concealment of the Sun by the clouds is sometimes better and more beneficial to the creatures, the occultation of His Eminence is Also, for the Shi’a in spite of the benefits through his signs is perhaps more beneficial for many of them than his reappearance would be.
Excellence And Rewards Of The Shi’a During Occultation
In Kamal ad-Din92, Shaykh as-Saduq has narrated from Ammar Sabati that he said: “I asked Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him: ‘Which is better, worship in secret with a hidden Imam from among you during government by an illegal ruler, or worship during the manifestation of the Truth and its government with the manifest Imam from among you?’
He said: O Ammar, giving Sadaqah in secret is better, by Allah, than giving it openly; similarly, by Allah, your worship in secret with your hidden Imam during government by an illegal ruler, and your fear of your enemy during government by an illegal ruler and in a state of truce with your enemy, is better than that you should worship Allah, may remembrance of Him be made Mighty and Majestic, during the manifestation of the Truth with the Imam of Truth, which is manifest during the government of Truth. Worship while you fear during government by an illegal ruler is not the same as worship and security during the government of Truth.
Know that whoever of you now prays a prescribed prayers at its hour in congregation, thereby concealing himself from his enemy, and completes it correctly, Allah will register rewards for having completed fifty prescribed prayers in congregation; and that whoever of you prays a prescribed prayers at its hour by himself, thereby concealing himself from his enemy, and completes it correctly, Allah to Whom belong Might and Majesty, will register thereby reward for having completed twenty-five prescribed prayers recited alone; and that whoever of you prays a supererogatory prayers at its hour and completes it correctly, Allah will register thereby reward for having completed ten supererogatory prayers; and that whoever of you performs a good deed, Allah to Whom belong Mighty and Majesty, will register reward for having performed twenty good deeds; and Allah, to Whom belong Might and Majesty, will handsomely double [the reward] of the good deeds of the believer among you when he does good deeds and practices Taqayyah with regard to his religion, his Imam and himself, and keeps his tongue in check for Allah, to Whom belong Might and Majesty is Generous.’
“I said: ‘May I be made your ransom, by Allah you have encouraged me to do good deeds, and spurred me on to them, but I should like to know how we shall be better in [our] deeds at this time than the companions of the manifest Imam from among you during the government of Truth, since we are of a single religion?’
He said: “Indeed, you outstrip them in involvement in the religion of Allah, to Whom belong Might and Majesty, and in prayers, fasting, hajj and in every good deed and knowledge, and in worshipping Allah, may remembrance of Him be made Mighty and Majestic, secretly from your enemy, while concealing the truth about your Imam, being obedient to him and being patient with him, awaiting the government of the Truth, apprehensive about your Imam and yourselves before oppressive sovereigns. You see the rights of your Imam and your own rights in the hands of the oppressors: they take them away from you and force you to work hard on the land and struggle to make a livelihood, and be patient about your religion, your worship, obedience to your Imam and fear of your enemy.
For this, Allah, to whom belong Might and Majesty, will double the reward for your actions, may it be pleasing to you.’
“I said: ‘May I be your ransom, what do you think? That we should be companions of al-Qa’im and [see] the Truth manifest itself, or that today, in your Imamate, obedient to you, we are better in [our] deeds than the contemporaries of the government of Truth and Justice?’
He said: “Glory be to Allah! Do you not wish that Allah the blessed, the sublime, should make the Truth and Justice appear in the lands? That Allah should cause people’s speech to harmonize, and that Allah should unite the diverse hearts of people? That they should not rebel against Allah, to whom belong Might and Majesty, in His land? That His restriction should apply among His creatures, and that Allah should return the rights to His people so that it may become manifest, so that nothing of the Truth might be concealed through fear of any one of His creatures?
By Allah, O Ammar, indeed no one among you will die in the condition you are in, but he will be more perfect before Allah than many of the martyrs of Badr and Uhad. May you rejoice!’”
Traditional Report Of Abu Khalid Kabuli Regarding Imam Al-’Asr (‘A)
In Ihtijaj93, Shaykh Tabarsi has narrated from Abu Khalid Kabuli that Imam (‘a) said: “O Abu Khalid, the twelfth successor of the Messenger of Allah (S) will have a long occultation.
“O Abu Khalid, those who live in his Imamate during his occultation, waiting from his reappearance, will be superior to the people of every age, because the Almighty Allah will bestow them with such understanding and recognition that for them the occultation will be like presence. The Almighty Allah will accord them the status of fighting Jihad in the company of the Messenger of Allah (S). They will be sincere people and our true Shi’a. They will be propagating the religion of Allah, openly and discreetly.”
Then he said, “Waiting for Faraj (victory) is itself a great Faraj.”
There are a large number of traditional reports regarding praise for those who are involved in the darkness of occultation and who take care of their faith; and they are implied in the holy verse:
يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ
“Those who believe in the unseen…” (2:3).
And the Messenger of Allah (S) has described them as his brothers and promised excessive rewards for them for bearing untold hardships in guarding their religion.
Fifth: Another reason why he is compared to the Sun is that if one looks at the Sun directly he would be prone to blindness and same is the case of looking at the incomparable Sun that if one looks at him sometimes it could lead to loss of sight as many persons before the advent of the prophets (‘a) had brought faith in them, but after their advent due to some selfish desires they had given up faith as it was against their worldly interests. Like the case of many Jews of Medina and it is not unlikely that many Shi’a will Also, follow suit with regard to Imam Az-Zaman (‘aj) as it would be against their worldly interests; on the contrary some scholars have narrated that one should wish for death before the reappearance of the Imam fearing the tough examination and due to the deviation of the Satan; may Allah give us refuge from him.
Sixth: Another reason of the Imam being compared to the Sun is that when it is cloudy, some people are able to see the Sun and some are unable to do so; in the same way during the period of occultation, it is possible that some persons may be able to meet the Imam and some may not be able to do so; as was explained in the previous chapters.
Seventh: It is that the Imam is like the Sun in general conveying benefits to everything according to the capacity and eligibility of each and the question to the tongue of its condition or statement and to demand recompense. So much so they even do not know from whom that favour is coming; on the contrary their denying it and attributing it to someone else does not harm his greatness and majesty and he does not stop his bestowals and increase of good for the denier and it is negation of the sun when it is behind the sun; it does not harm it and it does not stop him from nurturing.
Eighth: As the light of the Sun enters the houses according to the openings that the house is having; and the owner of the house will benefit from this light in accordance to the quantity of light, which enters the place and in accordance to the barriers which he has removed from its path. In the same way, creatures will benefit from the effulgence of guidance and the knowledge of the Imam in accordance to the barriers, veils and locks, which he has removed from the aspect of selfish desires, doubts and disobediences from his heart as because of them the eye of his heart is blind and the ear of his heart is deaf. If the whole world becomes full of light he will not be able to see anything; and if all the people start speaking he will not be able to hear anything. And Allamah al-Majlisi has mentioned all these reasons in Bihar Al-Anwar.94
Exegesis Of The Qur’anic Verse 67:30
إِنْ أَصْبَحَ مَاؤُكُمْ غَوْرًا فَمَنْ يَأْتِيكُمْ بِمَاءٍ مَعِينٍ
“If your water should go down, who is it then that will bring you flowing water?” (67:30).
We should know that it was mentioned in Chapter Two that the implication of flowing water in the verse:
قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ أَصْبَحَ مَاؤُكُمْ غَوْرًا فَمَنْ يَأْتِيكُمْ بِمَاءٍ مَعِينٍ
“Say: Have you considered if your water should go down, who is it then that will bring you flowing water?” (67:30).
Is the Holy Imam (‘a). And water is the apparent cause of life of every living being, including humans, animals, vegetation, materials, and all kinds of high and low things according to the declaration of the holy verse; and the attachments to some of the parts and some are dependant for their composition on water. In the same way, the cause of inner life of everything is the being of the Holy Imam (‘a).
The Sun cannot rear anything in the absence of water; thus, it is in need of its existence and the Imam is not in need of anything; he can do with intellects, souls and spirits what these two do with physicalities.
Therefore, relief is not there for the people, except that honourable person and his holy forefathers as he has himself mentioned in the Ziyarah of the holy being that he has commanded to be recited: Thus, there is no salvation and no refuge, except you.
It is obligatory on all to convey oneself there and that medium from the same weeping and wailing and restlessness and recitation of Ziyarah, humility and begging. On the contrary, the best thing is to come out from condition and qualities and a character detestable to the nature of His Eminence and knowing and obeying friends and his satisfaction, which is not there in what is detestable, but the wish of the Almighty Allah and the Messenger of Allah (S) is that only and most of them are explained in the Qur’an and Sunnah.
On the contrary, some have reached to the position of clarification to the limit of need after that taking away of grief from His Eminence. Whether it is the best aim of the sending of His Eminence, since all the Divine Proofs (‘a) completion of religion and teaching the Shari’ah and keeping away the rebels and doubters in the view of their real Master and showing of the way for those who are lost in the vale of deviation as most of their arrangement is in that and bearing of all calamities for him.
In Tafsir Imam Hasan al-’Askari (‘a)95 it is narrated that the Almighty Allah revealed to Prophet Musa (‘a): If you bring back one, who has run away from Me or missed the right path, this deed will be better than worshipping Me for a hundred years in such a manner that you fast all days and pray all nights.
Musa (‘a) asked: My Lord, who is it that avoids you?
Allah revealed: One, who is disobedient.
Musa (‘a) asked: Who is it, that has gone astray from Your path?
Allah said: One, who does not know the Imam of his time, who may have taught him the manners of Islamic laws and method of worshipping Allah, through which he may gain the pleasure of Allah.
Thus, one, who makes a sinner regretful of his disobedience, he removes hardship and distress from His Eminence.
In the same way, if the denier of the creator, the prophet or Imam is taught monotheism or Islam or faith or teaches Islamic laws to an ignorant one even though a little, or extracts someone from the darkness of show-off and hypocrisy or doubt and greed and jealousy and materialism and the effulgence of sincerity and certainty and piety and contentment and loyalty and love and hatred for the world reaches as every part of that is removal of sorrow from His Eminence and a great medium and after that is removal of sorrow from the aggrieved ones from the followers of His Eminence as he himself is the cause of the grief of His Eminence as was mentioned in the report of Rameela. Thus, removal of the grief of the hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, lost or indebted or oppressed or childless the homeless or one, who is eager to perform Ziyarah or Hajj as it would lead to removal of sorrow and pleasure of Imam Az-Zaman (‘aj) and would be a medium with His Eminence for fulfilment of needs and their like, publication of excellence of His Eminence and his honourable forefathers (‘a) in speech, writing and in composing couplets.
The venerable Sayyid, Ali Ibn Abd al-Hamid Neeli says in his book of Anwar al-Mudhiyya after the mention of some miracles of the Messenger of Allah (S): I say, under oath of my Lord that I was present at the time of writing these great merits and all these miracles, when a request was presented to me and I was unable to disregard that pain. Whenever I raised my head, it threw me down and whenever I stood up, it put me to sleep. I was disheartened and I feared that I would be prevented to conclude all that which I was on the verge of completing.
So I became distressed and said: O my Lord, by the right of Muhammad, Your slave and Prophet, owner of this excellence and by the right of his infallible progeny; bless all of them and remove from me what is in me from this malady.
So, by the right of the Almighty Allah the discourse had not ended when that hardship was removed in such a way as it did not exist at all and I arose as if some fetter had been removed from my feet.
Sayyid Ibn Tawus (r.a.) says in Kashaf al-Muhajja in his bequest to his son:96
When I received the news of your birth, I was at the tomb of Imam Husayn (‘a), I arose in the presence of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime in the position of humiliation and thankfulness for the honour He bestowed on me by your birth, from joy and goodnesses and my returning you to the command of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime - a servant of my al-Mahdi (‘aj) and related you to him and how often it happens that I became needful at the time of descent of a calamity, which was meant for you. In the direction of His Eminence and I saw His Eminence in a number of places in dream that he himself became surety for fulfilment of your needs with great rewards in my and your right, that it cannot be described, thus, it would be in the friendship of His Eminence and fulfilment for him and related to the extent of what the Almighty Allah has implied and implication of the Messenger and his forefathers and implication of His Eminence from you - peace be on them all.
It would be apt to end this discussion with the mention of a very effective recitation of the prominent Shaykh, Abd al-’Abd Allah Salman Ibn Hasan Sahrishti, student of Shaykh At-Tusi (r.a.) in Qabs al-Misbah, who writes that he heard Shaykh Abu Abdillah al-Husayn Ibn al-Hasan Ibn Babawayh (r.a.) at Rayy in the year 440 A.H. narrate from his uncle Abu Ja’far Muhammad Ibn Ali Ibn Babawayh (r.a.), ‘One of my teachers from Qom reported, “I was afflicted with a terrible tragedy, which made my condition miserable, but I felt uncomfortable to let anybody else know about it from my family or friends. I slept in this state of grief when I dreamt that a handsome man, well dressed and perfumed had appeared. His traits were like some of our teachers from Qom, from whom I used to study.
I said to myself, ‘Till when will I endure my hardships and afflictions and not let anyone from my brothers know about it? This man is from my teachers and I should mention my problem to him. Perhaps he may solve it for me.
He initiated the conversation with me saying, ‘Return to your path towards Allah, the High, seek help from Sahib az-Zaman (‘aj) and take him as your refuge. For surely, he is the best of helpers and a protection for his believing friends.
Thereafter, he caught his right hand and said, ‘See it, salute it and ask it to intercede on your behalf from Allah, the High, in the fulfilment of your needs.’
I said, ‘Teach me how I should say it, because my grief has made me forget all the Ziyarahs and Supplications.
He heaved a deep sigh and said, ‘There is no power or strength, but through Allah.’ Then he touched my chest and remarked, ‘Allah will suffice for you and no evil will befall you. Purify yourself and perform two units of prayers. Then stand up, facing the Qiblah, beneath the sky and say:
Ziyarah Of Hazrat Hujjat And Plea For His Help
سَلامُ اللهِ الْكامِلُ التّامُّ الشّامِلُ الْعامُّ، وَصَلَواتُهُ الدّائِمَةُ وَبَرَكاتُهُ الْقائِمَةُ التّامَّةُ عَلى حُجَّةِ اللهِ وَوَلِيِّهِ في اَرْضِهِ وَبِلادِهِ، وَخَليفَتِهِ عَلى خَلْقِهِ وَعِبادِهِ، وَسُلالَةِ النُّبُوَّةِ وَبَقِيَّةِ الْعِتْرَةِ وَالصَّفْوَةِ، صاحِبِ الزَّمانِ وَمُظْهِرِ الاْيمانِ، وَمُلَقِّنِ اَحْكامِ الْقُرْآنِ، وَمُطَهِّرِ الاَرْضِ وَناشِرِ الْعَدْلِ فِي الطُّولِ وَالْعَرْضِ، وَالْحُجِّةِ الْقائِمِ الْمَهْدِيِّ الاِمامِ الْمُنْتَظَرِ الْمَرْضِيِّ، وَابْنِ الاَئِمَّةِ الطّاهِرينَ الْوَصِيِّ ابْنِ الاَوْصِياءِ الْمَرْضِيّينَ الْهادِي الْمَعْصُومِ ابْنِ الاَئِمَّةِ الْهُداةِ الْمَعْصُومينَ، السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يا مُعِزَّ الْمُؤْمِنينَ الْمُسْتَضْعَفينَ، السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يا مُذِلَّ الْكافِرينَ الْمُتَكَبِّرينَ الظّالِمينَ،
اَلسَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يا مَوْلايَ يا صاحِبَ الزَّمانِ، السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا بْنَ رَسُولِ اللهِ، اَلسَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا بْنَ اَميرِ الْمُؤْمِنينَ، اَلسَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا بْنَ فاطِمَةَ الزَّهْراءِ سَيِّدَةِ نِساءِ الْعالَمينَ، اَلسَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا بْنَ الاَئِمَّةِ الْحُجَجِ الْمَعْصُومينَ وَالاِمامِ عَلَى الْخَلْقِ اَجْمَعينَ، اَلسَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يا مَوْلايَ سَلامَ مُخْلِص لَكَ فِي الْوِلايَةِ، اَشْهَدُ اَنَّكَ الاِمامُ الْمَهْدِىُّ قَوْلاً وَفِعْلاً، وَاَنْتَ الَّذي تَمْلاَُ الاَرْضَ قِسْطاً وَعَدْلاً بَعْدَ ما مُلِئَتْ ظُلْماً وَجَوْراً، فَعَجَّلَ اللهُ فَرَجَكَ وَسَهَّلَ مَخْرَجَكَ وَقَرَّبَ زَمانَكَ وَكَثَّرَ اَنْصارَكَ وَاَعْوانَكَ، وَاَنْجَزَ لَكَ ما وَعَدَكَ فَهُوَ اَصْدَقُ الْقائِلينَ «وَنُريدُ اَنْ نَمُنَّ عَلَى الَّذينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِي الاَرْضِ وَنَجْعَلَهُمْ اَئِمَّةً وَنَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوارِثينَ» يا مَوْلايَ يا صاحِبَ الزَّمانِ يَا بْنَ رَسُولِ اللهِ حاجَتي
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Peace of Allah - perfect, complete, comprehensive and thorough; and His endless benedictions and His everlasting perfect blessings be upon the Proof of Allah. His representative in His lands and realm. His viceroy among His creatures and servants, the offspring of prophethood. The completion of the (Holy) Progeny and the Choice Ones. The Patron of the Age, the demonstrator of the (true) faith, the teacher of the laws of the Qur’an, the purger of the earth, the spreader of justice all over the earth, the Proof (al-Hujjah), the Riser (al-Qa’im), the Well-guided (al-Mahdi), the Leader, the Awaited, the Pleased, the descendant of the Infallible Imams, the Successor, the son of the Pleased Successors (of the Prophets), the Guide, the Immaculate, and the son of the Imams - the guides and immaculate. Peace be upon you, O grantor of dignity to the oppressed and faithful ones. Peace be upon you, O humiliator of the arrogant and oppressing unbelievers. Peace be upon you, O my master, the Patron of the Age.
Peace be upon you, O son of Allah’s Messenger. Peace be upon you, O son of the Commander of the Believers. Peace be upon you, O son of Fatimah, the Luminous and the Doyenne of the women of the world. Peace be upon you, O son of the Imams - the proofs (of Allah) and Immaculate and the leader of all creatures. Peace be upon you, O my master addressed by him, who is loyal to your (divinely commissioned) leadership. I bear witness that you are the well-guided Imam in word and deed. It is you who shall fill the earth with justice and impartiality after it will be filled with wrong and partiality. So, may Allah hasten your reappearance, make easy your advent, make nearer the time of your coming, increase the number of your supporters and backers, and fulfil for you all that which He promised you. He is surely the most truthful of all those who can speak (and He has said): “We desired to bestow a favour upon those who were deemed weak in the land, make them the Imams, and make them the heirs.” O my master! O Patron of the Age! O son of Allah’s Messenger! My request is…
Mention your needs and then continue:
فاشفع لي في نجاحها
So please recommend success of my case.
You may then ask for whatever you want, and it will be settled for you, by Allah’s permission.
He said: I woke such that I was certain of relief and a part of the night still remained when I got relief. Thus, I made haste and wrote down what was taught to me fearing that I might forget it.
Then I performed the ablution and came under the open sky and performed two units of prayer; in the first unit after Surah al-Hamd I recited as I was instructed:
إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُبِينًا
“Surely We have given to you a clear victory” (48:1).
And in the second unit after Surah al-Hamd I recited:
إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ
“When there comes the help of Allah and the victory,”2
On completing my prayers, I stood up facing the Qiblah, recited the Ziyarah, prayed for my needs and sought the help of my master, Sahib az-Zaman (‘aj). Thereafter, I went in the prostration of thanksgiving (Sajdah al-shukr) and prolonged my supplications in it to an extent that I became concerned about the delay of the night-vigil prayers. Again, I performed my recommended prayers and after the morning prayers, I discharged the subsequent recommended acts and sat in my prayer niche supplicating. By Allah! Dawn had not yet broken, when my problem was solved and never again did I encounter such a problem in the remaining part of my life. None knew about this entire episode, which had afflicted me, till this day. All praise is for Allah and for Him is abundant gratitude.97
Sayyid Ibn Tawus has mentioned this Ziyarah in Misbahuz Zaaer with a slight difference and without specifying the Surah that is to be recited. And Shaykh Kafami has Also, mentioned in Balad al-Amin98 with the Surahs and has Also, advised the ritual bath before the Prayer and Ziyarah.
- 1. Al-Amali, Shaykh as-Saduq, p. 414.
- 2. Al-Amali, Shaykh At-Tusi, p. 416.
- 3. Al-Khisal, Shaykh as-Saduq, p. 296.
- 4. Man La Yandhuruhu Al-Faqih, vol. 1, p. 503.
- 5. It is an allusion to excessive wiping. [Author]
- 6. Iqbal al-’Amal, vol. 1, pp. 510-511; Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 108, pp. 108-109.
- 7. Al-Kafi, vol. 4, p. 170.
- 8. Tahzib al-Ahkam, vol. 3, p. 289.
- 9. Man La Yandhuruhu Al-Faqih, vol. 1, p. 511.
- 10. Kashf al-Muhajja li Samarat al-Muhajja, pp. 148-149.
- 11. Al-Ghaibah, Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim an-Nu’mani, pp. 205-206.
- 12. Al-Ghaibah, Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim an-Nu’mani, p. 206.
- 13. Al-Ghaibah, Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim an-Nu’mani, p. 206.
- 14. Al-Ghaibah, Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim an-Nu’mani, p. 207.
- 15. Al-Ghaibah, Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim an-Nu’mani, p. 207.
- 16. Kamal ad-Din wa Tamam an-Na’mah, p. 304.
- 17. Kamal ad-Din wa Tamam an-Na’mah, p. 348.
- 18. Kamal ad-Din wa Tamam an-Na’mah, pp. 352-354.
- 19. Khara’ij wa al-Jaraih, vol. 1, p. 178.
- 20. Al-Ghaibah, Shaykh At-Tusi, p. 428.
- 21. Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 368.
- 22. Name of Abi Hamza was Sabit Ibn Dinar; he was a companion of Imam Sajjad and Imam Al-Baqir (‘a) and lived till the time of Imam as-Sadiq (‘a).
- 23. Al-Ghaibah, Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim an-Nu’mani, p. 206.
- 24. Kamal ad-Din wa Tamam an-Na’mah, p. 337.
- 25. Kamal ad-Din wa Tamam an-Na’mah, p. 644.
- 26. Kamal ad-Din wa Tamam an-Na’mah, p. 645.
- 27. Al-Ihtijaj, vol. 2, p. 284.
- 28. Al-Ghaibah, Shaykh At-Tusi, p. 459.
- 29. Al-Mahasin, vol. 1, p. 173.
- 30. Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 52, p. 128; Tafsir Ayayshi, vol. 2, p. 138; Tafsir Safi, vol. 2, p. 429; Tafsir Nur Ath-Thaqalayn, vol. 2, p. 297.
- 31. Kamal ad-Din wa Tamam an-Na’mah, p. 645; Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 20, p. 236; Tafsir Nur Ath-Thaqalayn, vol. 2, p. 297.
- 32. Kamal ad-Din wa Tamam an-Na’mah, p. 335; Al-Ghaibah, Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim an-Nu’mani, p. 91; As-Sirat al-Mustaqim, vol. 2, p. 228; Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 36, p. 401.
- 33. Al-Mahasin, vol. 1, p. 291.
- 34. Iqbal al-’Amal, p. 366-368.
- 35. Al-Ghaibah, Shaykh At-Tusi, pp. 427-428.
- 36. It is a hint at free-will and destination, definite and indefinite.
- 37. Al-Ghaibah, Shaykh At-Tusi, p. 429.
- 38. Al-Ghaibah, Shaykh at-Tusi, pp. 431-432.
- 39. Falah as-Sa’il, p. 44-45.
- 40. Iqbal al-’Amal, vol. 1, p. 191.
- 41. Iqbal al-’Amal, vol. 1, pp. 191-192.
- 42. Al-Kafi, vol. 4, p. 162.
- 43. Al-Kafi, vol. 4, p. 162.
- 44. Misbah al-Motahajjid, pp. 409-411.
- 45. Jamal al-Usboo’, pp. 310-370.
- 46. Jamal al-Usboo’, pp. 507-511.
- 47. Falah as-Sa’il, pp. 170-171.
- 48. Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 86, p. 62, Falah as-Sa’il, p. 170.
- 49. Misbah al-Motahajjid, pp. 60-61.
- 50. Al-Misbah Kaf’ami, p. 32.
- 51. Falah as-Sa’il, pp. 199-200.
- 52. Iqbal al-’Amal, p. 144.
- 53. Ghaibah, pp. 273-280.
- 54. Madinat al-Majis, vol. 8, pp. 123-130; Dala’il al-Imamah, pp. 546-551; Jamal al-Usboo’, pp. 301-306; Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 52, pp. 17-22.
- 55. Misbah al-Motahajjid, pp. 139-140.
- 56. Al-Misbah Kaf’ami, p. 51.
- 57. Amali, p. 414.
- 58. Kashf al-Muhajja, p. 152.
- 59. Al-Aman min Akhtar wa al- Asfar wa al- Azman, p. 39.
- 60. Khara’ij wa al-Jaraih, vol. 1, pp. 480-481.
- 61. Al-Ghaibah, p. 169.
- 62. Al-Ghaibah, pp. 166-167.
- 63. Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 337.
- 64. Apparently, he implies Misbah al-Motahajjid of Late Shaykh At-Tusi and here he has erred. Misbah al-Motahajjid, p. 411.
- 65. Kamal ad-Din wa Tamam an-Na’mah, vol. 2, pp. 512-515; Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 53, p. 187.
- 66. Kamal ad-Din wa Tamam an-Na’mah, vol. 2, pp. 512-515; Jamal al-Usboo’, pp. 522-529. It is worth mentioning that there is variation in the text of Du’a in Kamaluddin and Jamal al-Usboo’ as indicated above.
- 67. Jamal al-Usboo’, p. 315.
- 68. Mohijj ad-Dawat, pp. 332-333.
- 69. Mohijj ad-Dawat, p. 333.
- 70. Kamal ad-Din wa Tamam an-Na’mah, p. 352.
- 71. Al-Ghaibah, Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim an-Nu’mani, p. 159.
- 72. Al-Misbah al-Kafami, p. 78-82; Misbah al-Motahajjid, pp. 748-751; Al-Balad al-Amin, Kafami, pp. 55-60; Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 83, pp. 165-170.
- 73. Misbah al-Motahajjid, p. 220.
- 74. Al-Misbah al-Kafami, p. 72.
- 75. Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 83, p. 165.
- 76. Al-Ihtijaj, vol. 2, pp. 322-323.
- 77. Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 339.
- 78. Al-Ghaibah, p. 137.
- 79. Isbat al-Wasiyyah, p. 260.
- 80. Ghaibah, p. 387.
- 81. Rijal, Kashi, p. 102-103.
- 82. Basa’ir ad-Darajat, pp. 279-280.
- 83. Ilal ash-Shara’i, vol. 1, pp. 195-196.
- 84. Basa’ir ad-Darajat, p. 351.
- 85. Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 99, pp. 234-235; Balad al-Amin, pp. 157-158.
- 86. Kifayat al-Ahkam, p. 83; Al-Mahasin, vol. 1, p. 1; Kamal ad-Din wa Tamam an-Na’mah, p. 484; Wasa’il ash-Shi’a, vol. 27, p. 140; Al-Fusul al-Hashra, p. 10; Al-Ghaibah, Shaykh At-Tusi, p. 291.
- 87. It is an allusion to the saying of Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) that he said: If the believer knows what is the reward of calamities, he would desire his flesh to be cut up with scissors. Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 255.
- 88. Kamal ad-Din wa Tamam an-Na’mah, p. 254.
- 89. Al-Ihtijaj, vol. 2, p. 284.
- 90. Kamal ad-Din wa Tamam an-Na’mah, p. 207.
- 91. Kifayat al-’Asr, p. 29; Manaqib Amir al-Mu’minin (‘a), vol. 2, p. 144; Sharha al-Akhbar, vol. 3, p. 516; Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 23, p. 19 &, vol. 36, p. 291.
- 92. Kamal ad-Din wa Tamam an-Na’mah, pp. 646-647.
- 93. Al-Ihtijaj, vol. 2, p. 50.
- 94. Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 52, p. 90, Chapter 20.
- 95. Tafsir Imam Hasan al-’Askari (‘a), p. 342 and also, refer to Munyat al-Morid fi Adab al-Mufid al-Mustafir, p. 116; Al-Jawaher as-Saniyyah fi ‘l-Ahadith al-Qudsiyyah, p. 77; Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 2, p. 4.
- 96. Kashaf al-Muhajja Le Samrat al-Mohajja, pp. 151-152.
- 97. Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 91, pp. 31-32.
- 98. Balad al-Amin, pp. 158-159.