We spoke at length on the dangers of forgetting God and the grave harms of it, in the explanation of the eighth prayer. Here, we add that many traditions have warned against this forgetfulness. Among them, a narration from the Commander of the Faithful (Ali, peace be upon him) states: "Woe unto him over whom forgetfulness prevails, who forgets the departure [from this world], and makes no preparation for it." (1)
The Effects of Forgetfulness
In another tradition from the same Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him we read: "Forgetfulness is the most harmful of enemies." (2)
It is interesting to note that traditions even indicate forgetfulness leads to worldly setbacks. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: "Among the signs of prosperity is little forgetfulness." (3)
What is Meant by "Moments of Forgetfulness"?
Is it any time a man falls into forgetfulness due to causes, whether they be causes of triumph or defeat that occupy his mind, or are they specific hours?
Some traditions suggest that the time of forgetfulness is the beginning of the night, or, to put it another way, between the time of Maghrib and Isha:
"Perform supererogatory prayers in the hour of forgetfulness, even if it be two light rak'ahs... And the hour of forgetfulness is between Maghrib and Isha." (4)
The reason for this may be that at the beginning of the night, most people have finished their work and engage in recreation and entertainment until bedtime. It is at this time, according to some traditions, that Satan spreads his legions everywhere to lead people astray. (1)
Some traditions also indicate that the time between dawn and sunrise is also a time of forgetfulness. (2)
In fact, one can say that moments of forgetfulness are of two kinds: the general forgetfulness of people, and the private forgetfulness of each individual, who is led into forgetfulness by various factors. The most dangerous hours of a man's life are these very hours.
The Meaning of "Days of Respite"
The "days of respite" that the Imam (peace be upon him) asks God to grant him success in obeying Him during, refer to a man's lifespan, which is essentially a period of grace given to him to prepare for the journey to the afterlife.
The Commander of the Faithful (Ali, peace be upon him) in Sermon 86 of Nahj al-Balagha clearly alluded to this matter: "Let the doer among you act during his days of respite before his appointed time overtakes him, and during his leisure before his time of occupation."
It is interesting that in his third request from God, the Imam (peace be upon him) asks for an easy and smooth path to His love, for the love of God is the motive for unquestioning obedience to Him.
In the Holy Quran, we read: "And among the people are those who take equals to Allah other than Allah. They love them as they should love Allah. But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah. And if only those who commit injustice would see when they see the punishment that all power belongs to Allah and that Allah is severe in punishment." (1)
Indeed, it is intense love for God that causes a man to sacrifice his life, wealth, and entire being in His path.
It is worth noting that the easy path to the love of God is what is mentioned in a tradition from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him). He says: "When a believer distances himself from the world, he ascends and finds the sweetness of the love of God." (2)
In the Dua Arafah, in a very meaningful phrase, we read that the Imam (peace be upon him) addresses the Lord, saying: "And You are the one who removed others from the hearts of your beloved ones until they loved none but You and sought refuge in none but You." (3)
Then the Imam (peace be upon him) concludes that with these three requests, God should perfect for him the good of this world and the hereafter.
The good of this world means that a man lives in such a way that he is not contaminated by sin and does not fall victim to oppressors and tyrants. The good of the hereafter refers to finding one's way into the exalted Paradise.
Various matters have been mentioned in traditions regarding the causes of good in this world and the hereafter. For example, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his Purified progeny) says: "Whoever is given a tongue engaged in the remembrance of God has been given the good of this world and the hereafter." (1)
In another tradition from the Commander of the Faithful Ali (peace be upon him), it is stated: "Four things, whoever is given them, has been given the good of this world and the hereafter: truthfulness in speech, fulfilling trusts, chastity of the stomach, and good character." (2)
Indeed, all these factors for attaining the good of this world and the hereafter are encompassed in what Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) expressed in this prayer.
Section Nineteen
Introduction
* O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and his progeny, the best of blessings You have sent upon any of Your creation before him, and the best You will send upon anyone after him. And grant us good in this world and good in the hereafter, and protect us by Your mercy from the torment of the Fire.
Explanation and Interpretation
Blessings, the Conclusion of the Prayer of Noble Morals
Finally, in the last chapter of this prayer, the Imam (peace be upon him) sends blessings upon the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his Purified progeny) in a manner unprecedented in his words. He then concludes the Prayer of Noble Morals with three requests.
He states: "O Allah! Send blessings upon Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad, like the best blessings You have sent upon any of Your creation before him, and will send upon anyone after him;" (O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and his progeny, the best of blessings You have sent upon any of Your creation before him, and You will send upon anyone after him).
Indeed, all the blessings of the Lord upon the first and the last are gathered in that, and the Imam (peace be upon him) asks for all of them at once for the Prophet and his progeny (peace be upon them). As you have seen, most of the Imam's prayers are accompanied by blessings upon Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad, for such prayers are answered in the presence of God. However, the blessings mentioned in this prayer are more comprehensive than all those blessings, in the hope that all the requests in this prayer will be accepted by God. (1)
Then, as a "musky seal" (fragrant conclusion), he makes three requests derived from the verses of the Quran; he states: "O Allah! Grant us good in this world and good in the hereafter, and by Your mercy protect me from the torment of the Fire."
As mentioned, this request is taken from the Holy Quran. In verse 201 of Surah Al-Baqarah, we read:
"And among them is he who says, 'Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire."
Given that "good" (hasanah) is stated in an indefinite and general form, each commentator has interpreted it in a different way:
Some have said: The meaning of "good" in this world is beneficial action, which is believing and obeying the Lord, and "good" in the hereafter is remembrance of God and being immersed in the blessings of paradise.
And others have said: Good in this world is abundant sustenance, and good in the hereafter is forgiveness and reward.
And many other possibilities.
But more comprehensive than all of these is what is stated in the words of the infallible ones. In a tradition from the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny), we read: "Whoever is granted a grateful heart, a tongue engaged in the remembrance of truth, and a believing spouse who helps him in the affairs of his world and his hereafter, has been given the good of this world and the hereafter and has been protected from the torment of the Fire." (1)
And in another tradition from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), we read: "Indeed, these two good things are abundance in sustenance and livelihood and good character in this world, and God's pleasure and Paradise in the hereafter." (2)
There is no doubt that what is stated in these traditions are instances of that general and comprehensive concept of "good."
The expression in the above verse and the words of the Imam (peace be upon him) convey the message that Islam desires both worldly and otherworldly happiness, and those who abandon the world are on a wrong path.
It is interesting to note that in many copies of Sahifa, "qini" is used instead of "qina," meaning that in this part, the Imam (peace be upon him) prays only for himself. The reason for this might be that since it is about the torment of hell, the Imam (peace be upon him) observes politeness and attributes it to himself of every person.
Twenty-First Supplication: A Prayer in Sorrow and Grief
Introduction
AND IT WAS AMONG HIS (PEACE BE UPON HIM) SUPPLICATIONS
WHEN A MATTER Grieved HIM AND SINS troubled HIM
One of his (peace be upon him) supplications when an event grieved him and sins troubled him.
The word "amr" here is indefinite and refers to important matters that sometimes grieve a man intensely, and the word "ahammatahu" from the root "hamm" means intense grief and sorrow that melts a man, as the original meaning of this word is to melt fat and grease.
And the word "khataya" is the plural of "khati'ah," and as we have explained in the commentary on the fifteenth supplication, it apparently refers to sins that are not committed intentionally but are fallen into due to negligence in their preliminaries, and thus one is responsible for them as is the concern of the general people.
In any case, the Imam's (peace be upon him) prayer here shows that when a man is afflicted with intense grief, sorrow, and difficult and disturbing events, he resorts to prayer, for prayer is a problem solver.
In a reliable tradition narrated by the late Kulayni in Al-Kafi, we read that Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: "Do you know the length of affliction from its shortness? We said: No. He said: If one of you is inspired to pray during affliction, know that the affliction is short (otherwise, it is long)." (1)
The late Kulayni, in his book Al-Kafi, has a detailed discussion under the title "Book of Supplication" and various chapters about the matter of supplications, which covers more than 120 pages of the second volume of Al-Kafi. We have also discussed supplication under the seventh supplication in the third volume of this book, and about the obstacles to the answering of prayers in the twenty-second paragraph of supplication 20.
A Glimpse of the Prayer
This prayer describes the state of a sinner who is fed up with himself and his mistakes, seeking refuge in God, the Sufficer of the weak and the Protector from dangers. His feeling is that his sins have brought him to the brink of divine wrath, and he has no supporter, comforter, or protector other than the Almighty. On this basis, he describes God with attributes such as "Protector," "Dominant," "Helper," "Fulfiller," and "Refuge," and states: "I have no way to achieve my desires, needs, and aspirations other than You, and no escape or deliverance for me other than Your servitude, grace, and mercy."
Further in the prayer, he speaks as a common person of his weakness, misery, and helplessness, and reveals his powerlessness, poverty, and humility. By sending blessings upon Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad, he seeks the grace of God's response at all times, and that his praise and glorification be enduring, his spirit of submission and contentment be continuous, and his heart be free at all times of life for the love, remembrance, and fear of God, and capable of desire for and obedience to Him. He asks to have no intimacy other than with God, His saints, and the people of obedience. Finally, in the last part, after re-sending blessings upon Muhammad and his progeny, he asks for companionship with them, becoming a helper and supporter for those great ones, as well as yearning and longing for the Almighty and acting in the path of His love and pleasure, thus ending this prayer.
Part One
Introduction
* O Allah, O sufficient for the helpless individual, and protector from the feared matter, sins have isolated me, so I have no companion with me, and I have become weak before Your wrath, so I have no supporter, and I have approached the fear of meeting You, so there is no one to calm my terror.
* And who can give me security from You when You have frightened me? And who can help me when You have isolated me? And who can strengthen me when You have weakened me?
* None can grant refuge, O my God, except a Lord over a servant, and none can grant security except a dominant one over a dominated one, and none can help except a seeker over a sought one.
* And in Your hand, O my God, is all that cause, and to You is the escape and the refuge. So send blessings upon Muhammad and his progeny, and grant refuge to my escape, and fulfill my request.
Explanation and Interpretation
Our Weakness Before His Power
The Imam (peace be upon him) begins each section of the prayers by sending blessings upon the Prophet and his progeny (peace be upon them), but this is not seen in the first section of this prayer. Perhaps this is because the explicit requests and desires are not presented in this section; rather, it is more of an expression of one's state, and in reality, it is a declaration of divine attributes in terms of power and grandeur, and a declaration of one's own attributes in terms of weakness and helplessness.
First, he refers to God's power and His saving of the oppressed and His removing of difficulties, stating: "O Allah! O Sufficer of the weak and helpless individual, and Deliverer and Protector from terrifying events." (O Allah, O sufficient for the helpless individual, and protector from the feared matter).
The word "Kafi" from the root "kifayah" sometimes means to make someone self-sufficient and sometimes means to remove suffering and evil from someone. In this context, the first meaning is more appropriate.
The word "Waqi" means protector. In the above sentence, its first object has been omitted, and only the second object is present; meaning, one who protected and saved His servants from a fearful matter.
In any case, the first sentence is derived from the Holy Quran, where it says: "Is not Allah sufficient for His Servant?" (1)
The second sentence is also similar to another expression in the Holy Quran describing God: "Who has fed them, [saving them] from hunger, and made them safe, [saving them] from fear." (2)
Certainly, acknowledging the Lord's power over everything is the first step on the path of repentance and self-reform.
Then the Imam (peace be upon him) describes of a sinner as being left alone due to sins, and to his weakness and inability in the face of God's wrath, and in three sentences states: "O Allah! Sins have isolated me, so I have no companion with me."
As long as a man has not committed a sin, his connection with God is strong, and he always feels God is with him and does not feel alone. But as an effect of the sin a sinful servant feels separated from his Lord, for he sees no one capable of helping him other than God. And when a man is separated from God, it is as if he is separated from everything, and this is one of the ominous effects of sins.
Of course, just as sin separates a man from God, it also separates him from the righteous and good people, and a helper is only valuable if he is among the righteous and good.
Then, in his second utterance, he states: "O Allah! I have become weak to endure Your wrath, and no one helps me."
It is clear that if a man is afflicted by the wrath of the Lord, no one can come to his aid, as the Quran says: "If Allah should aid you, no one can overcome you; but if He should forsake you, who is there that can aid you after Him? And upon Allah let the believers rely." (1)
In the third sentence, he states: "O Allah! I have approached the fear of meeting You (on the Day of Judgment), and there is no one to calm my agitation."
The word "Liqa'ullah," or its equivalent, has been used repeatedly in the Holy Quran, and everywhere it means the encounter with the scene of judgment and the reward and punishment of the Lord. Since a man moves towards the afterlife at the time of death, this word is also used in relation to death.
It is evident that those who perform good deeds enjoy this encounter, and those who are contaminated with sins fear this encounter.
The Holy Quran says:
"Unquestionably, [for] the allies of Allah there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. Those who believed and used to fear Allah. For them are good tidings in the worldly life and in the Hereafter." (2)
Those who imagine that "Liqa'ullah" means observing the pure essence of the Lord on the Day of Resurrection are gravely mistaken, as we explained in the second volume in the commentary on the first prayer of Sahifa Sajjadiyya.
The word "raw`" means fear and terror, and the Imam (peace be upon him) in this statement uses that sins of a common person are the cause of his fear on the Day of Recompense, and there is nothing to calm that fear (except the grace of the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate God).
In the following sentences, he seeks refuge in God from three things: "O Allah! Who can give me peace while You have frightened me (from that day)? And who can help me while You have left me alone? And who can strengthen me while You have weakened me?"
Regarding the three sentences above, it has been suggested that the meaning is: If You frighten me because of my sins, who can give me security? And if You leave me alone because of those same sins, who can help me? And if You weaken me because of them, who can strengthen me?
In the first case, the three verbs mentioned, which appear in the past tense, are interpreted as past tense, and in the second case, as present tense. However, given the preceding sentences that express these same meanings in the past tense, the first interpretation seems more appropriate.
It is clear that no power can contend with the power of God, and His will is dominant and victorious over everything. Therefore, if God frightens someone because of their sins, no one can bring them peace, and if God leaves someone alone, no one can be their helper and supporter in that solitude, and if God weakens someone, no one can help them.
There is no doubt – as we have said many times – that these expressions of the infallible Imam (peace be upon him) are either a model for erring and sinful people to turn to God with this logic and ask for His forgiveness and pardon, or these expressions are related to their exalted status, for which even the slightest tribulation of what is superior is not appropriate for their rank, as it has been said: "The good deeds of the righteous are the sins of those close to God." (1) Their righteous deeds for the sake of Allah were counted as sins by the polythiests and ignorants. To keep the unlimited distance between the sins and their perfect piety the word sins is used here so that this unlimited distance between their sins and piety keep on increasing as more unlimited as evidenced by the Salawat of angels, Allah and pious people upon them.
Then the Imam (peace be upon him), in the next three sentences, as if stating the solution to the problem, for in the previous sentences, he spoke of fear, loneliness, weakness, and helplessness, and in these sentences, he shows the way to compensate for them; he states: "O Allah! None gives refuge to the nurtured one except the Lord, and none can grant security to the overwhelmed except the Dominant God, and none can help the one who is held accountable except the one who holds him accountable."
The meaningful expressions of the Imam (peace be upon him) in these few sentences seem to be taken from the verses of the Holy Quran; in one place, it says:
"And thus We have made for every prophet an enemy from among the criminals. But sufficient is your Lord as a guide and a helper." (2)
And in another place, it says: "Say, 'Indeed, no one can protect me from Allah, nor can I find refuge other than Him.'" (3)
The next sentence is essentially a reason for the three preceding sentences; he states: If I seek refuge in You and ask for security and dominance over problems and seek help to achieve my desired outcome, it is because "O my God! The means to all of this are only in Your hand, and fleeing and escaping (from difficulties) is only to You." (1)
Almighty God addresses His Prophet (peace be upon him and his Purified Family), saying: "Say, 'O Allah, Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty from whom You will. You honor whom You will and You humble whom You will. In Your hand is [all] good. Indeed, You are over all things Poweful.'" (2)
And in another place, it says: "To Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth. He extends provision for whom He wills and restricts [it]. Indeed, He is Knowing of all things." (3)
The late Sayyid Ali Khan, in his commentary on Sahifa, mentions in relation to the word "maffar" here, that some mystics say that fleeing to God is of three kinds: The first stage is to flee from some of His actions to others, for example, from His wrath to His mercy. The second stage is to flee from some of His attributes to others, like fleeing from His omnipotence to His compassion. The third stage is to flee from the pure essence of God to Him, as stated in the Holy Quran: "There is no refuge from Allah except in Him." (1)
In the prayers of the Infallibles (peace be upon them), this meaningful expression has been used many times; for example, the late Sayyid ibn Tawus, in his book "Muhaj al-Da'awat," narrates a prayer from the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his Purified progeny), regarding which he said: Whoever recites this prayer, his prayer will be answered: "I fled from You to You as neither disdainful nor arrogant about Your worship; O Allah! I fled from You to You, while with (my shortcomings) and I am neither disdainful nor arrogant in worship."
And in the famous prayer of Abu Hamza, it is stated: "And I, O my Master, am seeking refuge in Your grace, fleeing from You to You."
In the next sentence, the Imam (peace be upon him) concludes, stating: "O Allah! Send blessings upon Muhammad and his progeny, and grant refuge to my fleeing, and fulfill my need." (So send blessings upon Muhammad and his progeny, and grant refuge to my escape, and fulfill my request).
The word "ajir" is from the root "ijarah" and from the root "jiwar," meaning to grant refuge, to come to the aid of, and to save. The word "anjih" is from the root "injah" and the root "najah," meaning to succeed and to achieve the desired result.
Here, in a conclusion to his prayer, after sending blessings upon the Prophet and his Purified progeny (peace be upon them), the Imam (peace be upon him) asks God to grant him refuge and fulfill his need. Among men, one might grant refuge to another, but not fulfill his need. However, the Imam (peace be upon him) asks for both refuge and the fulfillment of needs.
Part Two
Introduction
* O Allah, if You turn away Your generous face from me, or withhold Your immense favor from me, or restrict Your sustenance from me, or cut off Your connection from me, I will find no way to any of my hopes other than You, and I will not be able to attain what is with You except with the help of someone other than You. Indeed, I am Your servant and in Your grasp, my forelock is in Your hand.
* I have no command alongside Your command, Your judgment is effective in me, Your decree in me is justice, and I have no power to exit Your dominion, nor can I transcend Your power, nor can I incline Your affection, nor can I reach Your pleasure, nor can I attain what is with You except through Your obedience and Your immense mercy. My God, I have awoken and ended my day as Your humble servant, possessing no benefit or harm for myself except by You. I bear witness to that concerning myself, and I acknowledge the weakness of my strength and the scarcity of my resourcefulness. So fulfill for me what You have promised me, and complete for me what You have given me, for I am Your poor, submissive, weak, afflicted, humble, lowly, needy, fearful, and seeking refuge servant.
Explanation and Interpretation
Deprivation of God's Grace and Its Effects
In this part of the prayer, the Imam (peace be upon him) refers to the deprivations that God might inflict upon His servant; he states: "O Allah! If You turn Your noble face away from me, or deprive me of Your immense grace, or withhold Your sustenance from me, or cut off Your connection with me, I will find no way to achieve my hope and desire except from You, and I will not be able to attain what is with You (of bounties) with the help of anyone else, for I am Your servant and in Your grip, and all my control is in Your hand."
The word "saraft" from the root "sarf" (on the pattern of "harf"), according to Raghib in Al-Mufradat, means to turn something from one state to another or to transform it into something else. When followed by "wajh" (accompanied by the preposition "an"), it is an idiom for disregard or anger and wrath, because when a person becomes fond of someone or something, they turn their whole face towards it, and when they are disgusted or averse to it, they turn their face away from it.
The word "jasim" from the root "jism" originally means something with a large body, but it was later used metaphorically for any large and prominent subject.
The word "hazart" from the root "hazr" (on the pattern of "nazr") means prohibition, and forbidden things are called "mahzur" because they are forbidden.
The word "sabab," according to Khalil ibn Ahmad in Kitab al-Ain, originally means a rope (a rope used to tie a bucket and draw water from a well), or, according to Raghib in Al-Mufradat, a rope used to climb a palm tree; it was then used metaphorically for anything that serves as a means to reach something else, whether desired or undesired.
The word "nasiyah" originally means the hair at the front of the head. Taking the "nasiyah" (grabbing the forelock) is used when someone is to be compelled to do something by force and dominance, and it is an idiom for control and dominance over something. Since seizing the forelock of a human or animal firmly deprives them of power, this expression becomes an idiom for subjugating such a person.
The phrase "saraft 'anni wajhak al-karim" (You turn Your generous face away from me) is a metaphor, for a person turns his face away when he disregards someone. And of course, these expressions are a double metaphor when applied to God, as God has no bodily face to turn away.
This statement of the Imam (peace be upon him) is essentially a conditional sentence, composed of a condition and its consequence. In the conditional part, he states: My God! If one of these four events occurs to me: You turn away Your noble face from me, or You deprive me of Your immense grace, or You withhold Your sustenance from me, or You cut off Your connection with me.
Then he states the consequence of these conditions: I have no path or hope except towards You, and my entire being is at Your disposal.
The difference between the four sentences that the Imam (peace be upon him) stated as conditions in this conditional proposition is clear: sometimes a person turns his face away from someone out of disregard, and sometimes, in addition to that, he deprives him of his help, and sometimes he also cuts off his provisions, and sometimes he removes all means of connection. In reality, these four stages are progressively more severe than the previous one.
After referring to these four matters, the Imam (peace be upon him) states: "The solution to these problems is only in Your hand, and I have no hope in anyone other than You, and I know no helper or supporter other than You."
Then, as a proof for this matter, he states: "For I am Your servant and everything I have is at Your disposal. I am in the grasp of Your power, and all my affairs are in Your hand. Therefore, to whom should I turn and to which threshold should I go but Your threshold?"
These expressions are indeed a clear statement of Tawhid al-Af'ali (Oneness of Actions), meaning that a man should attribute everything to God and ask everything from Him, for He is the Causer of causes, and whatever anyone does is through the power that God has granted him, and no one possesses anything of their own.
These expressions are in harmony with the verses of the Holy Quran: In verses 17 and 18 of Surah Al-An'am, it says: "And if Allah should touch you with adversity, there is no remover of it except Him; and if He should touch you with good, then He is over all things Powerful. And He is the subjugator over His servants, and He is the Wise, the Acquainted."
And in another place, it says: "Or who is this that is a helper for you to aid you other than the Most Merciful? The disbelievers are not but in delusion. Or who is this who would provide for you if He withheld His provision? But they have persisted in insolence and aversion." (1)
And it also says: "Indeed, I have relied upon Allah, my Lord and your Lord. There is no creature but that He holds its forelock. Indeed, my Lord is on a straight path." (2)
Then the Imam (peace be upon him), in support of what he previously stated before God, denies five abilities and powers from himself, which indicate human weakness in the face of God's immense power, stating: "(O Allah! I have no command alongside Your command, Your judgment is effective in me, Your decree in me is justice, and I have no power to exit Your dominion, nor can I transcend Your power).
The word "hukm," according to Ibn Faris in Maqayis al-Lugha, originally means "to prohibit," or, according to Raghib in Al-Mufradat, a prohibition that is a prelude to correction. For this reason, the rein of an animal is called "hakamah." Then, firm and stable matters are called "muhkam," because they repel destructive factors, and divine commands are called "hukm" because it is forbidden to violate them.
Indeed, in these five sentences, the Imam (peace be upon him) expresses his utmost humility and submission before the grandeur of God, serving as an introduction to the three requests in the next sentence. The five matters mentioned above are in harmony with the verses of the Holy Quran; in one place, it says: "Say, 'Indeed, the matter belongs to Allah entirely.'" (1)
In another place, it says: "Indeed, the judgment is only for Allah." (2)
In another verse, we read: "Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct." (3)
And in another place, addressing the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny), it says: "Say, 'I hold no power for myself, neither profit nor harm, except what Allah wills.'" (4)
And in Surah Ar-Rahman, verse 33, we read: "O company of jinn and mankind, if you are able to pass beyond the regions of the heavens and the earth, then pass. You will not pass except by authority [from Allah]."
The last sentence of the Imam (peace be upon him) refers to this verse: "And you will not cause failure [to Allah] upon the earth or in the heaven. And you have besides Allah no protector or helper." (1)
It is clear that the meaning of the Imam's (peace be upon him) five sentences is not that we are compelled in our actions and have no free will, but rather he wants to say that the source of free will and power is God, and He can stop His servants whenever He wills, but He has left them free for trial and testing.
Then he states: "O Allah! I cannot acquire what is pleasing to You, and I cannot reach Your pleasure, and I cannot attain what is with You (of reward and blessings), except through Your obedience and servitude, and Your immense mercy." (Nor can I incline Your affection, nor can I reach Your pleasure, nor can I attain what is with You except through Your obedience and Your immense mercy).
The word "astamil" is from "istimalah" and from the root "mayl," meaning to incline towards a person or something.
The word "hawa" originally means love and affection for something, but when it is added to "nafs" and we say "hawa al-nafs" (desire of the self), it has a negative meaning and refers to carnal desires and inclination towards falsehood. Therefore, in the Holy Quran, it is mostly used in this sense, except in rare cases, such as what it narrates from Abraham (peace be upon him):
"Our Lord, I have settled some of my descendants in an uncultivated valley near Your sacred House, our Lord, that they may establish prayer. So make hearts among the people incline toward them." (1)
It is clear that the exception in the last sentence applies to all three preceding sentences, and it is worth noting that the Imam (peace be upon him) does not consider obedience to the Lord alone sufficient to achieve these goals, but also considers divine grace and mercy necessary.
As stated in the Holy Quran: "And if not for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy, not one of you would have been pure, ever, but Allah purifies whom He wills, and Allah is Hearing and Knowing." (2)
A well-known tradition narrated from the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his Purified progeny) is also a clear proof of this meaning, where he says: "By Him in whose hand is my soul, no one among people enters Paradise by his deeds. They said: Not even you, O Messenger of Allah? He said: Not even I, unless Allah covers me with His mercy and grace. At this point, he placed his blessed hand above his head and prolonged his voice with it." (3)
The difference between obedience and the grace of mercy is clear: a person who performs obedience to the Lord is deserving of reward, but since these rewards are not sufficient, the grace of the Lord's mercy, which is bestowed upon the righteous without their deserving it, is in addition to that and compensates for the shortcomings of obedience.
In this part of the prayer, the Imam (peace be upon him) describes the weakness and helplessness before God, and expresses this point with various and diverse expressions, and in fact breaks the arrogance of power and humbles the aspiring self, stating:
"O Allah! I have spent the night and day as Your humble servant. I possess no benefit or harm for myself except through You."
The word "dakhir" is from the root "dakhr" and "dukhoor," meaning to become small and weak. The phrase "asbahtu wa amsaytu" (I have spent the night and day) indicates continuity and permanence of something. In essence, the Imam (peace be upon him) wishes to convey: My God! I am always a small and humble servant before You, and one of the signs of humility is that I do not possess benefit or harm for myself, except what You bestow. This statement of the Imam (peace be upon him) is in fact derived from the noble verse of the Quran which says: "Say, 'I hold no power for myself, neither profit nor harm, except what Allah wills.'" (1)
Some proponents of the doctrine of predestination have used such expressions to prove their belief, arguing that the meaning of this statement is that God does everything and we can never do anything, while in the case of Quranic verses, one should not act selectively, because there are numerous verses that attribute actions to servants and have clear, even explicit, meaning in the matter of free will and the negation of predestination.
In one place, it says: "Indeed, We guided him to the way, whether grateful or ungrateful." (1)
And in another place, we read: "Say, 'The truth is from your Lord.' So whoever wills - let him believe; and whoever wills - let him disbelieve.' Indeed, We have prepared for the wrongdoers a fire whose walls will encompass them." (2)
And if we carefully examine the verses of the Holy Quran, we will find hundreds of verses that prove free will. The reason that in some verses everything is attributed to God is that the source of the power that man possesses is God; God has made man capable and free, and man performs his actions using this power and free will, while God can take away His power from man whenever He wills. (3)
Then the Imam (peace be upon him), to emphasize what he previously stated before God, adds: "I bear witness to this (helplessness and weakness) concerning myself, and I refer to my weakness and lack of resourcefulness."
The word "hilah" is derived from the root "hawl," which originally means changing from one state to another, and it usually refers to a plan accompanied by precision and intelligence (and has a positive connotation, although in Persian, it means deception and trickery).
The Messenger of God, peace be upon him and his Purified Family, said: "What prevented you from greeting us?" Abu Dharr replied, "O Messenger of God! I thought the one with you was Dihyah al-Kalbi, and you were alone with him." The Prophet (peace be upon him and his Purified Family) said: "O Abu Dharr! That was Gabriel. He said that if Abu Dharr had greeted us, we would have returned his greeting." When Abu Dharr knew it was Gabriel, he regretted not greeting him. Then the Noble Messenger of God, peace be upon him and his Purified Family, said: "Gabriel said that you have a prayer with which you call upon God, and it is known in the heavens; what is it?" Abu Dharr replied: "I say:
أَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْأَمْنَ وَالْإِيمَانَ بِكَ وَالتَّصْدِيقَ بِنَبِيِّكَ وَالْعَافِيَةَ مِنْ جَمِيعِ الْبَلاءِ وَالشُّكْرَ عَلَى الْعَافِيَةِ وَالْغِنَى عَنْ شِرَارِ النَّاسِ؛
'O God, I ask You for security and faith in You, and belief in Your Prophet, and well-being from all calamities, and gratitude for well-being, and independence from the wicked people.'" (1)
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* Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 266, h. 1.
* Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 42, p. 29.
* Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 587, h. 25.
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Part Six
Introduction
* O God, Bless Muhammad and his Family, and make me their companion, and make me their helper, and Bestow upon me longing for You, and working for You in what You love and approve. Verily, You are Powerful over all things, and that is easy for You.
Explanation and Interpretation
Actions pleasing to God
The Imam, peace be upon him, in this concluding part of the supplication, makes several other important requests to God—requests that guarantee human happiness in this world and the next.
He says: "O God, Bless Muhammad and his Family, and make me their companion, and make me their supporter and helper, and grant me Your favor by making me yearn for You, and enable me to act for You in the way You love and are pleased with. Verily, You are powerful over all things, and that is easy for You."
{اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ، وَاجْعَلْنِي لَهُمْ قَرِيناً، وَاجْعَلْنِي لَهُمْ نَصِيراً، وَامْنُنْ عَلَيَّ بِشَوْقِ إِلَيْكَ، وَبِالْعَمَلِ لَكَ بِمَا تُحِبُّ وَتَرْضَى، إِنَّكَ عَلى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ، وَذَلِكَ عَلَيْكَ يَسِيرٌ})
The first request is companionship with the Prophet and his Purified Family, peace be upon them, which is achieved through obedience to God, the Exalted and Glorified and His Messenger, peace be upon him and his Purified Family as stated in the Holy Quran:
"And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger - those will be with the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favor of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions." (4:69)
The second request is to be a supporter of the Family of Muhammad, peace be upon them, and what service could be higher and more honorable than this!
In the Jami'a Pilgrimage, we say to all the Imams of Guidance, peace be upon them: "My heart is submissive to you, and my opinion follows yours, and my support is ready for you."
The late Sayyid Ibn Tawus, in his book Misbah al-Za'ir, in the pilgrimage to Imam Mahdi, may our souls be sacrificed for him, states: "O God, make me among his supporters, his followers, and his defenders." (2)
Therefore, merely sending Blessings upon them is not enough; rather, one must rise to their aid, at all times and in all places.
The third request is that his heart be a source of longing for God.
"Longing" (shawq) in language means intense inclination towards something, and in common usage, it is interpreted as the heart's need to meet the beloved.
The late Sayyid Ali Khan, in Riyad al-Salikin (commentary on Sahifat al-Sajjadiyyah's supplication), says: The late Khawaja Nasir al-Din Tusi, in some of his writings, in
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* Quran, Al-Nisa, verse 69.
* Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 99, p. 110.
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interpreting longing, said: Longing is the perception of the pleasure of love accompanied by excessive desire for something and discomfort during separation.
Undoubtedly, longing for the Lord makes enduring the difficulties of obedience and avoiding sin easy, and it smooths the path of following divine commands, just as a mother's longing and yearning for her newborn causes her to forgo sleep for long nights and to be mindful of the newborn's needs.
In the highly meaningful sentences of the Kumayl Supplication, we read: "O my Lord, O my Lord, O my Lord, strengthen my limbs for Your service, and fortify my will for devotion to You, and grant me diligence in fearing You and persistence in attachment to Your service, so that I may hasten towards You in the fields of the foremost, and speed towards You among the prominent, and long for Your proximity among the longing."
Of course, the attainment of longing in a person is the result of their knowledge of God and His rewards, as we read in an interesting hadith where Abu Basir—one of the special companions of Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him—said to him: "Ignite the fire of longing in me." The Imam, peace be upon him, replied: "O Abu Muhammad, indeed, the least of the delights of Paradise is that its fragrance is found from a distance of a thousand years' journey—according to worldly distances—and indeed, the least of the dwellers of Paradise in rank, if all jinn and humans were to visit him, he could provide for all of them food and drink, and nothing of what he has would diminish." (1)
And in the fourth request, he says: "Grant me the favor to act in accordance with what You love and approve."
Surely, the fruit of such action is longing and yearning, and the delicious fruit of that fruitful tree. In the affection of human beings for each other, one who longs for a beloved tries to provide what the beloved desires and avoids what the beloved dislikes.
Amir al-Mu'minin Ali, peace be upon him—as stated in wisdom 31 of Nahj al-Balagha—in interpreting faith, says: "So whoever longs for Paradise, he abandons worldly desires."
In the well-known Amin Allah pilgrimage, it is also stated: "Longing for the joy of meeting You, taking provision of piety for the day of Your recompense."
Then the Imam, peace be upon him, concludes this luminous and noble supplication with these two sentences: "Indeed, You are capable of all things, and that is easy for You."
{إِنَّكَ عَلى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ، وَذَلِكَ عَلَيْكَ يَسِيرٌ}
On the one hand, You are capable of all things, and on the other hand, our request is but a small thing compared to Your power; for these two reasons, we have hope that our requests will be granted.
O God, the causes of sorrow and grief are present at all times and in all places, and they will not be removed except by Your grace and favor. Just as we have asked You to remove them with various expressions in this blessed supplication, answer our request and remove the dark veils of sorrow and grief that have fallen upon our hearts due to unfortunate social and individual events! "Indeed, You are capable of all things and worthy of granting."
{إِنَّكَ عَلى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ وَبِالْإِجَابَةِ جَدِيرٌ}
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* Tafsir Qummi, vol. 2, p. 82.
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Supplication Twenty-Two: Supplication During Hardship and Difficulty
Introduction
And it was among his supplications, peace be upon him, when experiencing hardship, difficulty, and obstruction of affairs.
A Glance at the Supplication
There is no doubt that human life is mixed with many difficulties, from the moment one opens their eyes to the world until they close them. Some of these difficulties are social problems that affect all or most people, such as floods, earthquakes, plant diseases, widespread illnesses, and painful events caused by human hands, like wars.
There are also unfortunate events of a personal nature, such as illness, poverty, and bankruptcy.
It is in such events that a person sees their own power as insignificant and seeks refuge in the complete power of the Lord, as the Holy Quran says:
"And when they board a ship, they supplicate Allah, sincerely dedicating their faith to Him; but when He delivers them to the land, at once they associate others with Him." (29:65)
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* Quran, Al-Ankabut, verse 65.
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This is why religious scholars and mystics consider one of the philosophies behind calamities and unfortunate events to be precisely this awakening and awareness of man and his return to God. Therefore, Islamic narrations emphasize that when a calamity or unfortunate event occurs, one should resort to prayer so that it may be removed as soon as possible.
The late Kulayni, in his noble book Al-Kafi, narrates from Imam Kazim, peace be upon him, who said: "No calamity descends upon a believing servant except that God, the Exalted and Glorious, inspires him to supplicate, and the removal of that calamity is swift. (2) And no calamity descends upon a believing servant, and he refrains from supplicating, except that the duration of that calamity is long. So when a calamity descends, you must resort to supplication and humble entreaty to God, the Exalted and Glorious." (3)
And if these painful individual and social events did not exist, humanity would surely sink into a world of heedlessness and ignorance.
Following this introduction, we now turn to the interpretation of the supplication:
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* Quran, Al-Ankabut, verse 65.
* Al-Washik: swift and near.
* Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 471.
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Part One
Introduction
* O God, You have burdened me with responsibilities concerning myself, over which You have more power than I, and Your power over it and over me is greater than my power. So grant me from myself that which pleases You concerning me, and take for Yourself Your pleasure from myself in well-being.
* O God, I have no strength for hardship, nor patience for tribulation, nor power for poverty. So do not withhold my provision from me, and do not entrust me to Your creation. Rather, be unique in fulfilling my need, and take charge of my sustenance.
* And look upon me and look out for me in all my affairs. For if You entrust me to myself, I will surely be unable to manage them and will not uphold what is in their best interest. And if You entrust me to Your creation, they will frown upon me. And if You compel me to seek refuge with my relatives, they will deprive me. And if they give, they will give little and grudgingly, and they will remind me of it for a long time, and they will blame me much.
* So by Your favor, O God, enrich me; and by Your greatness, revive me; and by Your vastness, open my hand; and by what is with You, suffice me.
Explanation and Interpretation
The Imam's Most Important Concerns
Since the Imam, peace be upon him, used to recite these supplications during times of intense hardship and difficulty, he addresses the causes of difficulty, explains each one, and asks God to remove them.
The Imam's first concern is that he might not have fulfilled his duties before God. Hence, he says: "O God, You have obligated me with tasks concerning myself over which You are more capable than I, and Your power over it and over me is greater than my power."
{أَللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ كَلَّفْتَنِي مِنْ نَفْسِي مَا أَنْتَ أَمْلَكُ بِهِ مِنِّي، وَقُدْرَتْكَ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَيَّ أَغْلَبُ مِنْ قُدْرَتِي})
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"Since this is the case, grant me the success to do what pleases You, and take for Yourself what is pleasing to You from me while I am in good health!"
{فَأَعْطِنِي مِنْ نَفْسِي مَا يُرْضِيكَ عَنِّي، وَخُذْ لِنَفْسِكَ رِضَاهَا مِنْ نَفْسِي فِي عَافِيَةٍ}
Regarding the difference between these two sentences, it can be said: perhaps the intention is: "O God, grant me success to attain Your pleasure, and then ask me to act upon this success and bring about Your pleasure." And since sometimes His pleasure might be in tribulations and calamities, he asks God that "this pleasure of Yours be in my well-being."
In any case, the goal is for the Imam's concern, peace be upon him, regarding the heavy duties he bears, to be removed by the grace of the Lord. And this request is a lesson for everyone to be concerned first and foremost with fulfilling their duties before God and to seek success from Him in this regard.
We have said many times that the purpose of such expressions is not to ask God to compel us to follow His path of obedience, but rather to ask Him to grant us success in obedience, so that we may, by our own choice, follow His path of obedience.
The expression "well-being" (afiyah) contains an important point, which is that we should ask for God's pleasure accompanied by our well-being, not to seek His pleasure in every circumstance, whether with well-being or tribulation; such a request is not correct.
Therefore, it is mentioned in some historical accounts that when Ibn Farid, the famous poet, said this verse:
"Test me as You wish in Your love, for my choice is what is pleasing to You."
Since such a claim did not correspond to reality, God punished him and afflicted him with retention of urine. When he felt that this was a punishment for that incorrect verse, he ordered to be taken to children's schools so that the children, with their pure hearts, would pray for him and he might be relieved of this problem.
Then the Imam, peace be upon him, points to four other issues that cause hardship and difficulty, and says: "O God, I have no endurance for hardship and suffering, nor can I bear tribulation and patience, and I have no strength to endure poverty and destitution. Therefore, do not deprive me of my sustenance, and do not abandon me to Your creation. Rather, You alone fulfill my need, and You take charge of my sustenance."
{أَللَّهُمَّ لا طَاقَةَ لِي بِالْجَهْدِ، وَلا صَبْرَ لِي عَلَى الْبَلَاءِ، وَلَا قُوَّةَ لِي عَلَى الْفَقْرِ، فَلا تَحْظُرْ عَلَيَّ رِزْقِي، وَلا تَكِلْنِي إِلَى خَلْقِكَ، بَلْ تَفَرَّدْ بِحَاجَتِي، وَتَوَلَّ كِفَايَتِي}
The word "jahd" and "juhd" both mean hardship. Sometimes it is said that "jahd" means hardship and difficulty, and "juhd" means extensive and wide effort to the extent of one's capacity. Here, the Imam, peace be upon him, means hardship and difficulty. He asks God to remove the causes of hardship from him.
The second thing he asks God to avert is calamities, the third is poverty, and the fourth is dependence on creatures. From all these, he seeks refuge in God and asks for their removal.
The phrase "So do not withhold my provision from me"
{فَلا تَحْظُرْ عَلَيَّ رِزْقِي}
is in fact an explanation for the issue of averting poverty; for the word "tahzur" from the root "hazr" means to deprive and prevent, and when one's provision comes in abundance or moderately, there is no meaning to poverty.
And since extending one's hand in need to others is a source of hardship and difficulty, he asks God not to entrust him to His creation, but rather to fulfill his needs Himself and to take charge of his affairs.
There is no doubt that all members of society are dependent on one another, and their problems are solved by each other; this is inevitable. In reality, a person serves others and, in return, seeks service from them, and as a result, the need for others is reciprocal. The problem arises in cases where this need is one-sided. In such cases, if a person needs generous and righteous individuals, there is no problem. However, the difficulty arises when one is forced to ask wicked individuals. In a narration, we read that Amir al-Mu'minin said: "I said: 'O God, do not make me dependent on anyone from Your creation.' The Messenger of God, peace be upon him and his Purified Family, said: 'O Ali, do not say that, for there is no one who is not in need of people.' I said: 'How, O Messenger of God?' He said: 'Say: O God, do not make me dependent on the wicked among Your creation.'" (1)
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* Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 93, p. 325, h. 6.
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However, from the phrase "Rather, be unique in fulfilling my need, and take charge of my sustenance"
{بَلْ تَفَرَّدْ بِحَاجَتِي، وَتَوَلَّ كِفَايَتِي},
it is understood that a person should ask God not to be dependent on anyone.
Similar to a narration from Amir al-Mu'minin Ali, peace be upon him, in Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 31, which is among his وصايا to Imam Hasan, peace be upon him:
"And if you can, let there be no one between you and God who has bestowed a favor upon you, then do so. For you will certainly attain your allotted share and take your portion. And indeed, a little from God, the Exalted, is greater and more noble than much from His creation, even if all is from Him."
In any case, it is very appropriate for a person not to need anyone and to satisfy their needs by themselves with divine grace. However, if they do come to need someone, they should ask God for their need to be met by generous and noble people.
Here, the question arises: what is the difference between the phrases "be unique in fulfilling my need"
{تَفَرَّدْ بِحَاجَتِي}
and "take charge of my sustenance"
{تَوَلَّ كِفَايَتِي}?
Are these two phrases emphasizing each other, or do they have independent meanings? It seems that the first phrase briefly refers to needs, and the second phrase includes all needs; in other words, the meaning of the second phrase is broader than the first.
Then the Imam, peace be upon him, in the following sentences, expresses what he said in the previous sentence in another way: "O God, do not make me dependent on anyone other than Yourself, neither on myself, nor on Your creation, nor on my relatives, for each of them is a source of corruption."
He says: "O God, look upon me with mercy, and in all matters, be Yourself my observer."
{وَانْظُرْ إِلَيَّ وَانْظُرْ لِي فِي جَمِيعِ أُمُورِي}
In the first sentence, he generally asks God to look upon him with mercy, and in the second sentence, he asks for His merciful gaze in all matters.
Of course, this expression (look upon me with mercy) refers to its implications, for when a person looks at someone favorably, they arrange their affairs, solve their problems, and overlook their mistakes. These are the implications of a merciful gaze.
Then he points to the consequences of being deprived of the Lord's mercy: "If You entrust me to myself, I will certainly become weak and helpless and unable to manage my own affairs."
{فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ وَكَلْتَنِي إِلَى نَفْسِي عَجَزْتُ عَنْهَا وَلَمْ أَقِمْ مَا فِيهِ مَصْلَحَتُهَا}
There is no doubt that reliance on God in all matters does not mean that a person should forget the world of causes and disregard managing affairs through rational methods, because the Lord's custom is to attribute everything in this world to causes, and a person must act through causes to achieve them.
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As we read in a well-known hadith narrated by the late Kulayni in his noble book Al-Kafi from Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him: "God refused to carry out matters except through causes, so He made for every cause an explanation, and for every explanation a knowledge, and for every knowledge a speaking door. He who knew it, knew it, and he who was ignorant of it, was ignorant of it. That is the Messenger of God, peace be upon him and his Purified Family, and we are." (1)
Yet, a person should ask God not to leave him to himself for a single moment, as we read in a very meaningful hadith from Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him: "And he raised his hand to the sky, 'My Lord, do not leave me to myself for the blink of an eye, ever, neither less nor more.' He said: 'No sooner did he say that than tears flowed from the sides of his beard. Then he turned to me and said: O son of Abi Ya'fur, indeed Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, left Yunus bin Matta to himself for less than the blink of an eye, and he committed that sin (leaving the preferable course of action).' " (2)
Then Imam Sajjad, peace be upon him, continues in this section of his supplication: "And if You entrust me to Your creation, they will frown upon me (and humiliate me)."
{وَإِنْ وَكَلْتَنِي إِلَى خَلْقِكَ تَجَهَّمُونِي}
"And if You compel me to seek refuge with my relatives, they will deprive me. And if they do not deprive me and give something, it will be little and insignificant, but they will remind me of it for a long time and criticize and blame me greatly."
{وَإِنْ أَلْجَأْتَنِي إِلَى قَرَابَتِي حَرَمُونِي، وَإِنْ أَعْطَوْا أَعْطَوْا قَلِيلاً نَكِداً، وَمَنوا عَلَيَّ طَوِيلاً، وَذَمُّوا كَثِيراً}
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* Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 183, h. 7.
* Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 581, h. 15. That painful fate is mentioned in the Holy Quran, Surah As-Saffat, verses 139 onwards.
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The word "tajahhamuni" comes from the root "jahm" (on the pattern of fahim), meaning to frown or scowl.
The word "nakad" (on the pattern of kad) originally means a person who does not easily give anything to anyone, and if he does, it will be insignificant and of little value. Hence, anything that is of little value or insignificant is called "nakad."
Of course, it is clear that not all people are ill-tempered and frowning, and not all of one's relatives have such characteristics. Rather, the intention is that some people are like that, and one might encounter that group. Consequently, this statement does not contradict seeking help from righteous individuals and affectionate relatives.
Likewise, how often does it happen that a person can achieve his goal by using the world of causes and does not need this or that.
Then the Imam, peace be upon him, at the end of this section, makes four more requests from God: "O God, by Your favor alone, make me self-sufficient; and by Your greatness, elevate my status (and breathe new life into me); and by Your vastness of mercy, open my hand (and make me independent); and by what is with You, suffice me."
{فَبِفَضْلِكَ، أَللَّهُمَّ، فَأَغْنِنِي، وَبِعَظَمَتِكَ فَانْعَشْنِي، وَبِسَعَتِكَ، فَابْسُطُ يَدِي، وَبِمَا عِنْدَكَ فَاكْفِنِي}
The word "fan'ashni" is derived from the root "na'sh," which we have previously defined as originally meaning to lift or raise. For this reason, when a deceased person is placed in a coffin and lifted, it is called "na'sh." Subsequently, it has been applied to any form of elevation, raising, or assistance.
All these requests, in reality, come back to a person asking God to solve all his problems and to seek all capabilities from Him, so that he does not have to extend his hand in need to others. Of course, this request does not contradict a person's own efforts, which are commanded, or the use of mutual aid from others.
Part Two
Introduction
* O God, Bless Muhammad and his Family, and free me from envy, and keep me from sins, and grant me piety regarding forbidden acts, and do not make me bold in transgressions, and make my desire with You, and my pleasure in what comes to me from You, and bless for me what You have provided me, and what You have granted me, and what You have bestowed upon me. And make me in all my states preserved, protected, covered, safeguarded, taken refuge in, and granted asylum.
Explanation and Interpretation
Keeping Away from Dangerous Slips
The Imam, peace be upon him, in this part of the supplication, makes many and varied requests to God, and each part pursues a specific request.
At the outset, he has four harmonious requests from God: "O God, Bless Muhammad and his Family, and free me from envy, and keep me from sins, and grant me the strength to abstain from forbidden acts, and do not make me reckless regarding transgressions."
{اللّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ، وَخَلَّصْنِي مِنَ الْحَسَدِ، وَاحْصُرْنِي عَنِ الذُّنُوبِ، وَوَرِّعْنِي عَنِ الْمَحَارِمِ، وَلَا تُجَرِّثْنِي عَلَى الْمَعَاصِي}
These four requests all relate to freedom from sins; first a specific sin, namely envy, and then sins in general.
The reality of "envy" (hasad) is the desire for the removal of a blessing from others, whether that blessing reaches the envious person or not. This is one of the worst vile qualities, and many crimes in the world originate from it. Envy has negative effects on the body and human health, and envious people are usually sickly. From a spiritual perspective, "envy" is a sign of lack of personality and weakness of faith, because the envious person actually sees himself as too weak to reach the status of the envied, so he tries to make the envied regress. Such a person, in practice, objects to God's wisdom in bestowing blessings upon certain individuals.
The ugliness of envy is such that in a hadith from Amir al-Mu'minin, peace be upon him, we read: "The head of all vices is envy." (1)
In another hadith from the Messenger of God, peace be upon him and his Purified Family, we read that he said: "Do not bear enmity towards God's blessings." They asked: "O Messenger of God! Who bears enmity towards God's blessings?" He said: "Those who envy others." (2)
One of the dangerous effects of envy is that it destroys a person's good deeds, as we read in a hadith from the Noble Prophet, peace be upon him and his Purified Family: "Envy consumes good deeds just as fire consumes wood." (1)
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* Ghurar al-Hikam, h. 6803.
* Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 70, p. 256.
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This same meaning is narrated more strongly from Imam Baqir and Imam Sadiq, peace be upon them, who said: "Indeed, envy consumes faith just as fire consumes wood." (2)
The reason for this is also clear, for envy is in reality a form of objection to God's wisdom.
In short, envy destroys both a person's body and their soul and faith, and it is exceptional among sins in this regard.
The word "ahsurni" from the root "hasr" (on the pattern of nasr) originally means "prevention," and even siege means the same, i.e., surrounding someone and preventing their exit. Therefore, the phrase "and keep me from sins"
{وَاحْصُرْنِي عَنِ الذُّنُوبِ}
means to restrain me from sins.
Of course, this does not mean to forcibly stop me, but rather to grant me success so that I may be able to keep away from sin, and if it were not for divine grace, in many cases, a person would become polluted with sin.
The word "warr'ini" from the root "wara'"—as we mentioned earlier—means intense abstention from sin. Some consider it a higher stage than piety, for example, they say: "piety" means abstaining from sins, and "wara'" means abstaining from both sins and doubtful matters. In fact, wara' is a stage higher than justice and lower than infallibility.
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* Al-Mahajjat al-Bayda, vol. 5, p. 325.
* Usul al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 306, hadiths 1 and 2.
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Therefore, the Imam, peace be upon him, first asks God for success in abstaining from sin, and then for success in a higher stage, and a more severe abstention.
In Islamic narrations, extraordinary importance has been given to the issue of piety; in a hadith from the Noble Prophet, peace be upon him and his Purified Family, we read: "Everything has a foundation, and the foundation of faith is piety." (1)
In another hadith from Amir al-Mu'minin Ali, peace be upon him, we read that he said: "It is incumbent upon you to have piety, for it is the aid of religion and the characteristic of the sincere ones." (2)
Regarding the importance of piety and its different stages, we have discussed sufficiently in the twenty-seventh paragraph of the twentieth supplication (the Supplication of Noble Morals).
The word "la tujarri'ni" comes from the root "jura'ah," meaning boldness or fearlessness in the face of certain matters. This state, when it comes to sin, is a dangerous stage. Therefore, the Imam, peace be upon him, says: "O God, do not make me reckless regarding transgressions."
"Dhunub" is the plural of "dhanb," meaning sin. In the explanation of the eleventh supplication, we have explained it and its difference from disobedience.
Then, after these four requests, all of which were about abstaining from sins, the Imam, peace be upon him, makes several other requests from God. He says: "O God! Make my desire for what is with You, and my contentment in what comes to me from You."
{وَاجْعَلْ هَوَايَ فِيمَا عِنْدَكَ، وَرِضَايَ فِيمَا يَرِدُ عَلَيَّ مِنْكَ} (3)
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* Kanz al-Ummal, h. 7284.
* Ghurar al-Hikam, h. 5915.
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* In many versions,
"وَاجْعَلْ هَوَاىَ عِنْدَكَ"
(without fima) is mentioned, but in some others, "fima" is present, and this is correct and consistent with the next sentence.
It is clear that one whose love and desire are for divine rewards and ranks, and who sees his pleasure in the pleasure of God, is in the highest stage of faith and piety, and this is the rank of the righteous and the sincere.
God says in the Holy Quran about a group of the truthful (those who do what they say about faith and good deeds): "Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. That is the great attainment." (5:119)
Then the Imam, peace be upon him, makes two more harmonious requests to God: "O God! Bless for me what You have provided me, and what You have bestowed upon me, and what You have favored me with (and place Your blessings in it)."
{وَبَارِكْ لِي فِيمَا رَزَقْتَنِي وَفِيمَا خَوَّلْتَنِي وَفِيمَا أَنْعَمْتَ بِهِ عَلَيَّ}
The word "barak" (from the root "barak," on the pattern of dark)—as we pointed out in the commentary on the second supplication (in the second volume)—originally means the chest of a camel. Since camels lie down on their chests when they stay in one place, this word is used for them. Then it came to mean the steadfastness, permanence, and stability of divine blessings. A blessed wealth is wealth that endures and from which many benefits are derived.
"Khawwaltani" comes from the root "khawal" (on the pattern of amal), which originally means something that needs supervision, management, and administration. It usually refers to various possessions and blessings that God bestows upon humans; therefore, its meaning is broader than the meaning of "razaqtani" (You have provided me).
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* Quran, Al-Ma'idah, verse 119.
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And the phrase "and what You have favored me with"
{فِيمَا أَنْعَمْتَ بِهِ عَلَيَّ}
is in reality an interpretation for "razaqtani" and "khawwaltani" and includes all divine spiritual and material blessings.
In Islamic verses and narrations, there are meaningful allusions to the causes of blessings. For example, in verse 96 of Al-A'raf, we read: "And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah, We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth; but they denied [the prophets], so We seized them for what they were earning."
Gates of Blessing
Therefore, faith and piety are the cause for opening the gates of blessings from heaven and earth, and conversely, disbelief and impiousness remove blessings.
In a hadith found in Tuhf al-Uqul, we read that Imam Amir al-Mu'minin, peace be upon him, addressed Kumayl ibn Ziyad, saying: "O Kumayl! Blessing will be in the wealth of those who pay zakat, show solidarity with the believers, and connect with their relatives (and help them with their wealth)."
In fact, blessing means that a person makes the most of his wealth, his life, or other divine blessings.
Conversely, there are actions that remove divine blessings from a person's home; in a hadith from the Messenger of God, peace be upon him and his Purified Family, we read: "Four things do not enter a house without destroying it and stripping it of blessings: betrayal, theft, drinking wine, and adultery." (1)
Then the Imam, peace be upon him, concludes this section with six requests to God in a brief statement. He says: "O God! Preserve me in all my states, and protect me from factors that diminish religion and body, and conceal the ugliness of my deeds, and guard me from dangers, and grant me security under the shade of Your mercy!"
{وَاجْعَلْنِي فِي كُلِّ حَالَاتِي مَحْفُوظاً مَكْلُوءاً مَسْتُوراً مَمْنُوعاً مُعَاذاً مُجَاراً}
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* Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 170, h. 2.
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The word "maklu'" is derived from the root "kila'ah," meaning surveillance, protection, and monitoring of a person or thing. Therefore, "maklu'" is someone who is guarded and under protection.
"Mamnu'" here means "preserved," i.e., a person or thing from whom harms are prevented.
The word "mu'adh" is the passive participle from the root "'awdh," which originally means seeking refuge with a person or thing to be protected from evils and dangers.
"Mujar" is the passive participle from the root "ijarah," which has various meanings, including coming to someone's aid, saving, sheltering, and protecting, all of which are close in meaning.
From what we have said so far, it is clear that these six words in the Imam's supplication, peace be upon him, although close in meaning, also have differences. This indicates the Imam's mastery, peace be upon him, over the vocabulary related to a single subject and demonstrates the utmost eloquence of the Imam.
The Imam, peace be upon him, asks God to be included in these deterrent concepts in all his states and to be protected from the evil of self-desire, Satan, enemies, disobedience, and all kinds of sins.
Part Three
Introduction
* O God, Bless Muhammad and his Purified Family, and fulfill on my behalf all that You have made incumbent upon me and obligated me to do for You in any aspect of Your obedience, or for any of Your creatures, even if my body has weakened from it, and my strength has faltered concerning it, and my ability has not reached it, and my wealth and possessions have not sufficed for it, whether I remembered it or forgot it.
* It is, O Lord, from what You have enumerated against me and what I have neglected from myself. So fulfill it on my behalf from Your vast bounty and abundant possessions, for You are Vast and Generous, so that nothing of it remains on me that You would want to recompense me for with my good deeds, or multiply my evil deeds with on the Day I meet You, O Lord.
Explanation and Interpretation
Making Up for Shortcomings
The Imam, peace be upon him, in this part of the supplication, makes an important request to God, which is that if he has been unable to perform his divine duties for any reason, God should facilitate their performance. He says: "O God, Bless Muhammad and his family, and make me successful in fulfilling what You have made incumbent upon me and imposed upon me in all forms of Your obedience, or what You have ordained for any of Your creatures, even if my body has weakened from performing it, and my strength has faltered, and my ability has not reached it, and my wealth has not sufficed for it, or my hand has fallen short of it, whether I remembered it or forgot it."
{اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ، وَ اقْضِ عَنِّي كُلَّ مَا أَلْزَمْتَنِيهِ} (1)
{وَفَرَضْتَهُ عَلَيَّ لَكَ فِي وَجْهِ مِنْ وُجُوهِ طَاعَتِكَ أَوْ لِخَلْقٍ مِنْ خَلْقِكَ وَإِنْ ضَعُفَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ بَدَنِي، وَوَهَنَتْ عَنْهُ قُوَّتِي، وَلَمْ تَنَلْهُ مَقْدُرَتِي، وَلَمْ يَسَعْهُ مَالِي وَلَا ذَاتُ يَدِي، ذَكَرْتُهُ أَوْ نَسِيتُهُ}
* Some differentiate between "obligation" and "imposition" by saying that the former includes recommended acts, while the latter refers only to obligatory acts. However, there is no evidence for this. It is also possible that the former refers to cosmic obligations and the latter to legislative ones, or that they are synonymous.
The word "wahan" means weakness and frailty, whether in the body or in the will and faith. The first is like the words of Zechariah, peace be upon him, before God; he said: "My Lord, indeed my bones have weakened, and my head has flared with gray hair." (19:4)
And the second is like what the Quran says about the true followers of the prophets: "And how many a prophet fought with whom were many devoted men. But they did not lose courage for what befell them in the cause of Allah, nor did they weaken, nor did they give in. And Allah loves the steadfast." (3:146)
The word "lam tanalhu" comes from the root "nail" (on the pattern of layl), which, according to linguists, means achieving a goal or desired outcome.
"Maqdurah" from the root "power" means ability, competence, talent, and the like. This word is sometimes read with a damma on the "dal," sometimes with a fatha, and sometimes with a kasra.
It is evident that a person has heavy duties in life towards God and His creation, but sometimes they are unable to perform all of them, and this is where they become helpless and seek a solution. The best way is to raise one's hands in supplication and ask God for the strength, power, and success to perform them.
One of the messages conveyed by this sentence of the Imam's supplication, peace be upon him, is that if a person becomes unable to perform their divine and social duties, they should not consider themselves exempt from them. Rather, they should strive and ask God for success to perform them to the best of their ability.
Another point is that the Imam, peace be upon him, has stated all the causes of inability in this phrase: physical weakness, spiritual weakness, lack of means, financial deficiency, and the like. In reality, he expresses his excuse before God that due to these deficiencies, he was unable to fulfill the rights of the obligations, and he asks God for success in fulfilling them.
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* Maryam, verse 4.
* Al-Imran, verse 146.
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The Imam, peace be upon him, further emphasizes that if he has not performed some of the obligations, it was due to heedlessness. Therefore, he again asks God for forgiveness, pardon, and their fulfillment: "O Lord, all these matters were among the things You have enumerated against me, and I myself have neglected them."
{هُوَ، يَا رَبِّ، مِمَّا قَدْ أَحْصَيْتَهُ عَلَيَّ وَأَغْفَلْتُهُ أَنَا مِنْ نَفْسِى}
"Therefore, (I ask You that) from Your immense bounty and the many blessings You possess, You fulfill them on my behalf, for You are Vast and Generous (and no one is more deserving of this than You)."
{فَأَدِّهِ عَنِّي مِنْ جَزِيلٍ عَطِيَّتِكَ وَكَثِيرِ مَا عِنْدَكَ، فَإِنَّكَ وَاسِعٌ كَرِيمٌ}
The word "jazeel" (on the pattern of 'azl) originally means dry wood and abundant gift, and it has also been used for rocky land. Then, anything abundant is called "jazeel."
Another message conveyed by this statement is that we may forget many of our shortcomings, but God never forgets them, as stated in the Holy Quran about a group of disbelievers: "On the Day when Allah will resurrect them all and inform them of what they did. Allah had enumerated it, while they forgot it." (58:6)
And continuing this statement, he says: "And do so that nothing (of those obligations) remains upon me for which You would want to settle accounts with me by taking from my good deeds or multiplying my sins on the Day I meet You, O Lord."
{حَتَّى لا يَبْقَى عَلَيَّ شَيْءٌ مِنْهُ تُرِيدُ أَنْ تُقَاصَّنِي بِهِ مِنْ حَسَنَاتِي، أَوْ تُضَاعِفَ بِهِ مِنْ سَيِّئَاتِي يَوْمَ أَلْقَاكَ يَا رَبِّ})
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* Al-Mujadilah, verse 6.
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The word "tuqassani" (settle accounts with me) is derived from the root "qass," which some linguists, like Fayrouzabadi in Al-Qamus, take to mean "cutting," hence scissors are called "miqass." Others take it to mean following something or searching for it. In any case, when it goes to the "mufa'alah" form, it means that someone is owed something by another, and an amount equal to what is owed is taken from their wealth or given to them.
From this statement, it becomes clear that on the Day of Judgment, if a person has committed wrongdoings, especially regarding the rights of others, they must compensate for them. This compensation will be done in two ways: either some of their good deeds will be deducted and transferred to the ledger of the one they wronged, or if they do not have enough good deeds for this compensation, some of the sins of the one they wronged will be deducted and added to their ledger.
This meaning is also found in other narrations from the Infallibles, peace be upon them. For example, a narration by the late Kulayni in Al-Kafi from Amir al-Mu'minin Ali, peace be upon him, regarding the injustice of the oppressor, states that on the Day of Judgment, if he has good deeds, they will be taken from his ledger and recorded in the ledger of the oppressed. And if he has no good deeds and the oppressed has sins, some of those sins will be taken and recorded in the oppressor's ledger (1). Similarly, regarding backbiting and the like, it is narrated: "His companion's sins were taken and added to his sins." (2)
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* Al-Kafi, vol. 8, p. 106.
* Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 243.
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Part Four
Introduction
* O God, Bless Muhammad and his Family, and grant me desire in working for You for my afterlife, until I know the truth of that from my heart, and until asceticism in my worldly life predominates over me, and until I perform good deeds out of longing, and am safe from evil deeds out of fear and dread. And grant me a light by which I may walk among people, and by which I may be guided in darkness, and by which I may be enlightened from doubt and ambiguities.
Explanation and Interpretation
Deeds Whose Sincerity and Purity Appear in the Heart
The Imam, peace be upon him, in another section of this supplication, presents other important requests. First, he says: "O God, Bless Muhammad and his Family, and grant me desire and inclination to work for You for my afterlife, so that I may feel the sincerity and purity of that work within my heart."
{أَللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ، وَارْزُقْنِي الرَّغْبَةَ فِي الْعَمَلِ لَكَ لِآخِرَتِي حَتَّى أَعْرِفَ صِدْقَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ قَلْبِي} (1)
* The "lam" in "lak" and "lakhiraati" both relate to "عمل" (action). The difference is that the first "lam" refers to absolute action, and the second "lam" refers to action specifically for God.
In obedience to God, what is important is that it stems from desire and inclination, and aims for the abode of the afterlife. There are many who obey God, but their goal is the expansion of their worldly life, abundant provision, or achieving other worldly aims.
Of course, these actions, if performed with the intention of seeking proximity to God, are correct and desirable, but because the ultimate goal is to achieve worldly gains, they are of little value.
In the Holy Quran, we read: "Whoever desires the harvest of the Hereafter - We increase for him in his harvest. And whoever desires the harvest of this world - We give him thereof, but there is not for him in the Hereafter any share." (42:20)
Of course, this refers to those who have only worldly goals and no goal or plan for the afterlife.
Amir al-Mu'minin Ali, peace be upon him, divides worshippers and obedient ones into three groups: "Indeed, worshippers are of three groups: A group worshipped God, the Exalted and Glorious, out of fear; this is the worship of slaves. And a group worshipped God, the Blessed and Exalted, seeking reward; this is the worship of hired laborers. And a group worshipped God, the Exalted and Glorious, out of love for Him; this is the worship of the free, and it is the best of worship." (1)
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* Shura, verse 20.
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An important point here is that regarding "sincerity of intention," people have been divided into three groups: The first group's motive for action is solely God, and this is the highest degree of sincerity. The second group's intention is God, but alongside that, they also ask God to solve their worldly problems, such as going to jihad for the glory of Islam, but also desiring to benefit from the spoils of war. This kind of worship is not invalid. The third group has both divine and worldly intentions, but in such a way that if either one were absent, the other alone would not be effective, and in other words: it is like "the concurrence of two causes for one effect." This kind of intention is not compatible with sincerity, and such worship is invalid, and some Quranic verses that deprive this group of reward in the afterlife refer to this.
In a hadith from the Noble Prophet, peace be upon him and his family, we read: "Indeed, actions are by intentions, and indeed for every person is what he intended. So whoever's migration was for God, the Exalted and Glorified and His Messenger, peace be upon him and his Purified Family then his migration is for God, the Exalted and Glorified and His Messenger, peace be upon him and his Purified Family. And whoever's migration was for a woman he would marry, or for worldly gain he would acquire, then his migration is for what he migrated for."
Part Two
* The Garden of Preachers and the Insight of Admonished Ones (By Fattal Nishaburi, a scholar of the fifth century), Vol. 2, Page 472.
* O God, Bless Muhammad and his Kin. Grant me a well-sufficient healing. A healing that would breed health in my body. A healing for this world and the next.
* And favor me with health, and safety, and well-being in my faith and body. And insight in my heart. And penetration in my affairs. And fear of You. And dread of You. And strength for Your obedience, what You commanded. And avoidance of Your disobedience, what You forbade.
Explanation and Commentary
A Growing Healing
The Imam, peace be upon him, sought from God, in the preceding part, the essence of healing through various phrases. But here, he defines the quality of that healing. A healing with five characteristics:
First, he says: "O God, Bless Muhammad and his Kin. Grant me a sufficient healing." (2)
"Sufficient healing" means a complete healing. One needs nothing else with it.
Second, he asks God for a healing that cures (3).
A desired healing cures all illnesses. Leaves no material or spiritual sickness behind.
Third, he seeks an exalted healing from God (4).
Healing has degrees. Sometimes low. Sometimes average. Sometimes high. The Imam, peace be upon him, seeks high-level healing here.
Fourth, he states: "A healing that is ever-growing" (5).
A healing that does not stay in one stage. It keeps increasing. Covering one's whole being.
"A healing that would breed health in my body. Health for this world and the next." (6)
Health in this world means well-being. Health in the hereafter means safety from God's torment. And the horrors of judgment. And disgrace before creation. And shame before the Creator.
The phrase "health for this world and the next" explains "a healing that would breed health in my body." It first states: Place in my body a healing that leads to health in this world and the next.
How does health in the body lead to health in the hereafter? It is clear.
A healthy person can perform worship perfectly. Can undertake all kinds of good deeds. Unlike the sick person. Who performs no proper worship. And cannot significantly participate in public welfare work.
Then the Imam, peace be upon him, returns to the matter of soundness and well-being in faith and body. He asks for it with security. "(O God!) Favor me with health, and safety, and well-being in my faith and body." (7)
Do "soundness" and "well-being" mean the same thing here? Is it emphasis? Or are they different? It seems "soundness" is against sickness. And "well-being" is against all kinds of afflictions. So "well-being" has a broader meaning than "soundness."
The Imam, peace be upon him, asks for both. He uses "well-being" for both faith and body. While using "soundness" for faith does not seem very fitting.
And after these two, he makes several requests to God. All are effects of soundness and well-being. First he says: "Grant me insight in my heart." (8)
Insight is sometimes outward. One can see truths with the eye. And sometimes inward. One can distinguish right from wrong. Understand the whispers of jinn and human devils. Not stray into deviant paths.
Then he seeks penetration and control in all affairs through healing and well-being from God (9).
This penetration and control is a result of well-being and insight. Without it, it does not come.
Then he asks God for awe and fear (10).
Regarding the difference between "awe" and "fear," or if they are synonyms, scholars have different interpretations. Some plainly say they mean the same. It is repetition for emphasis. But some, like Muhaqqiq Tusi – as Shaykh Bahai narrates in his Al-Arba'in – say: Fear is usually a person's distress from the possibility of divine punishment due to committing sins and neglecting obedience. This state occurs for most people, though its levels vary. Its highest level is achieved by only a few.
But "awe" is a state that occurs when one comprehends God's Majesty. His Awe and Glory. And fear of being veiled from His pure essence. This state is only achieved by those who know the vast Glory of the Truth. And have tasted the sweetness of His closeness. Thus, in verse 28 of Surah Fatir, we read:
"Only those who are knowledgeable among His servants fear God with awe."
It means they are the ones who understand the Lord's Majesty. And His Awe and Glory. And benefit from the pleasure of His Closeness. (1)
Raghib, in his Mufradat, says something similar: "Awe" is fear mixed with reverence. It usually springs from knowledge!
And the last thing the Imam, peace be upon him, mentions as an effect of well-being and health and security is this:
"(O God!) Grant me the strength to perform Your obedience, which You commanded me. And to avoid Your disobedience, which You forbade me." (11)
It is clear that complete obedience and abstinence from all sins are achieved only when a person has complete health, well-being, and security.
* Riyadh al-Salikin, Vol. 3, Page 130; Arba'in Shaykh Bahai, Page 107.
When ill, duties are either waived or weakened. Most of what one performs lacks the necessary spirit and vigor. No matter how much we speak of the importance of well-being and security, it is not enough. One does not know their worth until afflicted.
Part Three
* O God! And favor me with the Hajj and the Umrah. And the visitation of the tomb of Your Messenger, Your blessings and mercy and benedictions be upon him and upon his kin. And the kin of Your Messenger, peace be upon them, perpetually, as long as You keep me alive, in this year and in every year. And make that accepted, and thanked, and remembered by You, and stored with You.
* And make my tongue speak with Your praise, and Your gratitude, and Your remembrance, and good commendation of You. And expand my heart for the right paths of Your religion.
* And protect me and my offspring from the accursed Satan. And from the evil of the Sammah (non-fatal stinging creatures) and the Hammah (fatal venomous creatures) and the Ammah (widespread evils) and the Lammah (evil eye). And from the evil of every rebellious devil. And from the evil of every stubborn ruler. And from the evil of every pampered and swift-serving person. And from the evil of every weak and strong. And from the evil of every noble and ignoble. And from the evil of every small and large. And from the evil of every near and far. And from the evil of every one who waged war against Your Messenger and his household, of jinn and humans. And from the evil of every creature whose forelock You hold. Indeed, You are on a straight path.
Explanation and Commentary
A Request for Accepted Hajj and Umrah
Hajj and Umrah, and visiting the tombs of the infallible Imams (peace be upon them), are important acts of obedience. They are factors in avoiding sin. After asking God for obedience to divine commands and avoidance of prohibitions, the Imam, peace be upon him, turns to Hajj and Umrah and visiting the tombs of the infallible Imams (peace be upon them). This proves these matters are major examples of obedience to God and avoidance of His sins. He says:
"O God! Favor me with Hajj and Umrah. And visiting the tomb of Your Messenger. Your blessings and mercy and benedictions be upon him and upon his kin. And the kin of Your Messenger, peace be upon them, perpetually, as long as You keep me alive, in this year and in every year." (1)
The word "Hajj" is a verbal noun. Originally meaning "to intend." Some say, "to intend an important matter." A road is called "mahajja" because it leads one to his goal. A proof is called "hujjah" because it establishes one's aim.
But in sacred law, "Hajj" means intending to visit the House of God with specific rites and rituals. "Umrah" originally means "construction" or "development." Since visiting the House of God with those rituals both develops the place and the person, it is called "Umrah."
Many narrations about the importance of Hajj and Umrah show that the Imam, peace be upon him, addressed these two matters for a clear reason. Among the supplications of the infallible Imams (peace be upon them) in all the nights of Ramadan, especially on Laylat al-Qadr, was the request for success in performing Hajj and Umrah. This in a month when prayers are answered.
Imam Baqir, peace be upon him, interpreting the noble verse, "So flee to God. Indeed, I am to you from Him a clear warner" (1) said: "Its meaning is 'Perform Hajj to God, the Almighty and Exalted.'" (2)
In another hadith in the noble book Al-Kafi from Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, it is narrated: When Adam, peace be upon him, returned from Mina to Mecca, the angels met him and said: "O Adam! May your Hajj be accepted!" Then, to explain the importance of Hajj, they added: "Indeed, we performed Hajj to this House two thousand years before you." (3)
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* Dhariyat, verse 50.
* Wasa'il al-Shi'a, Book of Hajj, Vol. 8, Page 5, Hadith 8.
* Al-Kafi, Vol. 4, Page 190.
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And in another hadith from Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, regarding the importance of visiting the tomb of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his Purified Family), we read: "The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him and his Purified Family) said: Whoever comes to Mecca for Hajj and does not visit me in Medina, I will be harsh with him on the Day of Resurrection. And whoever visits my tomb, my intercession becomes obligatory for him. And for whom my intercession becomes obligatory, Paradise becomes obligatory for him. And whoever dies in one of the two sanctuaries, Mecca and Medina, will not be questioned and will not be held accountable. And whoever dies migrating to God, the Almighty and Exalted, will be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection with the companions of Badr." (1)
Then the Imam, peace be upon him, is not content with the mere success of Hajj and Umrah. He states: "(O God!) Make it accepted by You and accompanied by gratitude and good recompense, and singled out for Your special attention, and stored with You (for my Day of Return)." (2)
These four attributes (accepted, thanked, remembered, and stored) indicate that his action should be complete and worthy in every respect.
Then the Imam, peace be upon him, asks God: "Make my tongue speak four things: praise, gratitude, Your remembrance, and good commendation of You." (3)
The difference between these four is clear: "Praise" means commending a good, voluntary action or attribute.
"Gratitude" originally means acknowledging a blessing and appreciating it. Sometimes done with the heart, sometimes with the tongue, sometimes with action.
"Remembrance of God" is simply remembering God. It is desirable in all states. And according to the Quran, it brings peace and tranquility to the heart: "Verily, in the remembrance of God do hearts find rest" (4). Remembrance can also be with the heart, with the tongue, or with action.
And "good commendation" means praising God well. This is also done with the heart, tongue, and action.
But when he says: Make my tongue speak! It does not mean his tongue is forced to these things. Rather, grant me success to make my tongue speak these things. And of course—as we said—gratitude, praise, and remembrance with the tongue are one stage of these matters.
And uttering these things will encourage others to do them. It is one of the stages of enjoining good.
It is clear that divine praise is always desirable. But "good praise" is the highest stage of divine praise.
Sometimes it is said that "praise" and "commendation" mean the same: praising something for its outstanding qualities. But from some linguistic interpretations, it is understood that "praise" means commending voluntary attributes. While "commendation" includes both voluntary and involuntary.
And at the end of this discussion, he states: "Expand my heart for the right paths of Your religion." (5)
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* Ra'd, verse 28.
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The word "marashid," according to linguists, means "goals." From the root "rushd," meaning rectitude, finding the way to the goal, and reaching the truth.
There is no doubt that "expansion of the breast" is not in its physical sense. The human heart has its own state. It does not expand or constrict physically. Rather, it refers to a spiritual state. When a person seeks divine truths and obedience to God with a special longing and desire, it is said that he has an expanded breast. If not, it is said that he has a constricted breast.
The Noble Quran in verse 22 of Surah Az-Zumar says: "Is he whose breast God has expanded for Islam, so that he is upon a light from his Lord, like one whose heart is hardened? So woe to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of God! Those are in manifest error."
"So whoever God intends to guide, He expands his breast to Islam; and whoever He intends to leave astray, He makes his breast tight and constricted as if he were ascending to the sky. Thus does God place abomination upon those who do not believe."
In a meaningful hadith from the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his Purified Family), when asked about the meaning of "expansion of the breast," he said:
"Indeed, when light falls into the heart, it expands and opens up for it. They asked: 'O Messenger of God! Is there a sign for it to be known?' He said: 'Detachment from the abode of delusion and turning towards the abode of eternity, and preparing for death before death arrives.'" (1)
In the next part of the supplication, the Imam, peace be upon him, makes a very comprehensive reference to all beings that can cause physical or spiritual harm to a person. And he seeks refuge in God from the evil of all of them for himself and his children. The clear message of this part of the supplication is: O human! Be aware that you have many enemies, from jinn and humans, small and large, animal and human. If you are not vigilant against them, you will be afflicted. Strive yourself, and also seek refuge in the great God.
He states: "(O God!) Protect me and my offspring from the evil of the accursed Satan." (2)
This is the first and most important enemy of man. One must always be vigilant against him and seek refuge in God from his evil.
He states: "O God! Protect me from the evil of stinging creatures whose sting is not fatal. And creatures whose venom is fatal. And widespread evils. And the evil eye." (3)
"Samah" refers to stinging animals whose sting is not fatal.
"Hammah" refers to insects and animals whose venom is fatal.
"Ammah" means pervasive evils. "Lammah" means the evil eye.
* Rawdhat al-Wa'idhin, Vol. 2, Page 448.
* "Rajim" (accursed) from the root "rajm," originally meaning stoning. Then applied to anyone who is cast out.
Then the Imam, peace be upon him, again seeks refuge in God from the rebellious devil: "Protect me from the evil of every rebellious devil." (4)
The difference between this phrase and the first, which was about the accursed Satan, is clear: "Accursed Satan" refers to Iblis. "Every rebellious devil" refers to all jinn and human devils who rebel against God.
Then he states: "Protect me from the evil of every tyrannical ruler." (5)
"Anid" (tyrannical) from the root "anood," meaning oppression and tyranny.
It is clear that "tyrannical ruler" does not only refer to oppressive kings. Rather, all oppressors who gain power over a person are considered tyrannical rulers. And following that, he seeks refuge in God from the evil of all wasteful pleasure-seekers: "(O God!) Protect me from the evil of every pampered and swift-serving person." (6)
The word "hafid" (swift-serving) is from the root "hafd," meaning quick obedience. So "hafid" is someone who has followers who quickly fulfill his desires. If grandchildren are called "hafid," it is because they obey their elders and quickly fulfill their wishes. Given that "hafid" here is placed alongside "mutraf" (pampered), it refers to those who help pleasure-seekers and fulfill their desires.
Then the Imam, peace be upon him, takes a broad view and states: "I seek refuge in You from the evil of every weak and strong. And from the evil of every noble and ignoble. And from the evil of every small and large. And from the evil of every near and far." (7)
This phrase is so comprehensive it includes everyone who can harm a person.
The word "sharif" (noble) here does not mean a person of good character. Rather, it means a powerful and influential person. In contrast to "wadi'" (ignoble), who has no power.
And since one of the dangerous enemies are the Nasibis who are the enemies of the Messenger of God and his household (peace be upon them), he continues by saying: "(O God!) Protect me from the evil of every one who waged war against Your Prophet and his household (and their descendants), from jinn and humans." (8)
"Nasb" originally means to set something up. But "Nasibi" refers to those who openly express enmity towards the Prophet or his household (peace be upon them), or who rise in war against them. It is usually applied to those who harbor hatred for Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him). Most of them emerged after the arbitration and the Khawarij, but they did not last long and were crushed. Although their belief still exists among some seemingly Muslims. Unlike hypocrites who strike secretly, they do so openly.
And it is strange! That someone whose life is like the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his Purified Family), and whom the Prophet (peace be upon him and his Purified Family) chose as his successor at Ghadir, and always spoke of his virtues, would be met with enmity! Although "Nasibi" also includes those who showed enmity towards the Prophet himself (peace and blessings be upon him and his Purified Family).
The phrase "from jinn and humans" shows that even among the jinn, there are those who harbor hatred for the Prophet and his household (peace be upon them).
Finally, the Imam, peace be upon him, with a comprehensive and general expression, places himself under God's protection from the evil of every creature that can cause harm: "(O God!) I seek refuge in You from the evil of every dangerous creature whose control is in Your hand. For You are on a straight path (and can repel all these evils from us)." (9)
This phrase is in fact taken from verse 56 of Surah Hud: "There is no creature but that He holds its forelock. Indeed, my Lord is on a straight path."
The word "nasiah"—as we mentioned earlier—originally means the hair on the front of the head. And "akhdh nasiah" (holding the forelock) is used when one wants to forcefully lead someone to do something. It is a metaphor for control and dominance over something. Since holding the forelock of a person or animal firmly removes their ability, this expression is a metaphor for overpowering such a person.
As we noted at the beginning of this section, the Imam, peace be upon him, with this comprehensive and luminous statement, indicates that on the path to human salvation, there are many afflictions and harms that one must be vigilant against. On one hand, strive and exert effort. On the other hand, surrender oneself to God. For without His protective guidance, we will reach nowhere.
Therefore, the human journey towards God has twists and turns, obstacles, ups and downs. We must prepare ourselves to pass through them.
Part Four
* O God, Bless Muhammad and his kin. And whoever wishes me ill, turn him away from me. And repel his cunning from me. And avert his evil from me. And turn his plot back upon him.
* And place a barrier before him, so that You may blind his eye from me, and deafen his ear from my remembrance, and lock his heart against my thought, and silence his tongue concerning me. And smash his head. And humble his glory. And break his might. And debase his neck. And dissolve his arrogance. And grant me security from all his harm, and evil, and slander, and backbiting, and detraction, and envy, and enmity, and snares, and traps, and his foot soldiers, and his horsemen. Indeed, You are Mighty and Powerful.
Explanation and Commentary
Crushing My Enemies
Knowing this supplication is for seeking well-being and thanking this great blessing, the Imam, peace be upon him, in this part of the supplication, addresses matters against well-being. He asks God to negate them.
He states: "O God! Bless Muhammad and his kin. And whoever wishes me ill, turn him away from me. And repel his cunning from me. And avert his evil from me. And turn his plot back upon him." (1) Are these four words (ill, cunning, evil, plot) synonymous or different?
It appears that though their meanings are close, they have differences: "Ill" includes all bad things. "Cunning" refers to evils resulting from hidden tricks. "Evil" is the opposite of all good. And "plot" refers to harms inflicted openly using various means.
"Idhar" (repel) from the root "dahr" and "duhur," meaning to drive away, cast off, and expel.
"Idra'" (avert) from the root "dar'," meaning to ward off and eliminate.
"Kayd" (plot) means open harm. According to Furuq al-Lugha, "makr" (cunning) and "kayd" (plot) are similar in that both are done with deliberation and planning. The difference is that "kayd" is more intense than "makr."
This statement of the Imam, peace be upon him, includes all types of evil that can come to a person from another. If these are repelled, one will be in complete safety.
The phrase "and turn his plot back upon him," considering that "nahr" (upon him) means the upper part of the chest, and some say it is where a necklace rests, and it is one of the most vulnerable points of the body, therefore, the phrase "and turn his plot back upon him" means that He punishes him in the worst way with his own plot.
Then the Imam, peace be upon him, adds in the next sentence: "O God! And place a barrier before him, so that You may blind his eye from me, and deafen his ear from my remembrance, and lock his heart against my thought, and silence his tongue concerning me." (1)
The word "sadd" (barrier) is sometimes read with a damma and sometimes with a fatha, and both have the same meaning. Some have said that "sadd" (with damma) refers to natural obstacles, and "sadd" (with fatha) refers to obstacles created by humans. Since this request is made of God, the reading with damma is more appropriate.
The Imam, peace be upon him, continues this discourse to complete the healing he sought from God by making five more requests to God:
"O God! Strike the head of the malevolent enemy with the rod of Your wrath. And humble his glory. And break his might. And debase his neck. And dissolve his arrogance." (2)
The word "taqma'a" from the root "qama'" originally means an iron or wooden club used to punish someone by striking their head. This word originally has a broad meaning and includes any kind of prevention, restraint, and control. It was then applied to a specific action done with a stick or an iron club.
"Jabarut" (might) is originally from "jabr," meaning compulsion and dominance. The addition of "waw" and "ta" is an augmentation given to some verbal nouns, like "jabarut," "rahbut," and "malakut." Therefore, "jabarut" here means power and strength.
Yes, the Imam, peace be upon him, here asks: My Lord! Suppress the enemy. Take away his glory and power. Shatter his dominance and might. Humiliate him. And remove his arrogance!
It is clear that an enemy afflicted by these things will have no power to be hostile, resentful, oppressive, or harmful. Even one of these is enough for his humiliation, let alone if all of them are combined in him.
Finally, the Imam, peace be upon him, makes another request to God regarding such enemies: "And grant me security from all his harm, and evil, and slander, and backbiting, and detraction, and envy, and enmity, and snares, and traps, and his foot soldiers, and his horsemen." (3)
The word "darr" (harm) means any kind of damage inflicted on someone. Some linguists have said that "darr" (with fatha on the dad) is the opposite of benefit, and "durr" (with damma on the dad) is any discomfort that affects a person's body. But Raghib in Al-Mufradat says: "Durr" refers to shortcomings that affect a person, whether physical, like limb deficiency and various diseases, or psychological, like ignorance, foolishness, and madness, or other aspects, like loss of wealth, status, and children. And Job suffered from many of these discomforts.
The difference between "ghamz," "hamz," and "lamz" is that "ghamz" is pointing with the eye and eyebrow at someone, a gesture indicating flaw or defect; "hamz" means backbiting; and "lamz" means finding fault. Some have also said that "hamz" is finding fault with the tongue, and "lamz" is finding fault with the eye and gesture. Some also believe that all three mean the same thing.
The word "habail" means snares. Its singular is "habalah." Originally derived from "habl," meaning rope. "Masayid" or "masayed" are also plural of "masid," meaning all hunting tools (in Kitab al-Ayn it is stated that "masayid" is the plural of "masida," meaning hunting tools).
"Rajil" (on the measure of "nakhl") is the plural of "rajil," meaning foot soldiers or infantry. And the word "rajil" (with fatha on the ra) is singular and has the same meaning.
In any case, the Imam, peace be upon him, refers to all the ways in which ill-intentioned and mischievous people can influence a person (in eleven expressions) and asks God to ward off their evil in all these ways.
One of the important points observed in this supplication is its comprehensiveness regarding factors of corruption. Every factor of corruption that endangers human material and spiritual well-being is mentioned in this supplication, and the Imam, peace be upon him, asks God to repel all of them. This comprehensiveness is considered one of the arts of rhetoric. How many people seek the repulsion of enemies' evil but only refer to one or two aspects of it. But the Imam, peace be upon him, in this supplication, states all aspects; traps, methods of calumny, envy, enmity, and the enemy's infantry and cavalry are mentioned, so much so that perhaps no other evil or corruption can be found.
Finally, the Imam, peace be upon him, concludes this supplication with a short and meaningful sentence: "You are Mighty and Powerful." (4)
It is evident that the Almighty God, whose will no force can overcome, can answer all requests and fulfill all these supplications.
O God! Protect us all from the evil of the corrupt and corrupting, the evil of Satan and his agents, and the evil of wicked people, so that we may purely and sincerely obey You. Although we know that this world is not free from these evils, and everyone is, in some way, engaged with one or more of them, and is being tested.
Twenty-Fourth Supplication: A Supplication for Parents
And it was from his supplication (peace be upon him)
For his parents, peace be upon them
It is among his supplications.
Which he recited for his father and mother.
The Supplication at a Glance
The rights of parents are among the most important rights. The Noble Quran repeatedly refers to it, even explicitly states it. The least one can do to fulfill this right is to supplicate for them. This is the very program the Imam, peace be upon him, followed in this supplication.
Part One
* O God, Bless Muhammad, Your servant and Messenger, and his pure household. And dedicate to them the best of Your blessings, and Your mercy, and Your benedictions, and Your peace.
* And dedicate, O God, my parents to honor with You, and Blessings from You, O Most Merciful of the merciful.
Explanation and Commentary
Types of Supplications for Parents
In this supplication, the Imam, peace be upon him, exerted the utmost effort in supplicating for his parents. He referred to details beyond the ability and imagination of ordinary people. In a short phrase, there was no supplication that he did not refer to.
First, he states: "O God! Bless Muhammad, Your servant and Messenger, and his pure household." (1)
We have said many times that mentioning blessings before supplications is because accompanying requests with them causes the supplication to be answered. For certainly, God accepts the request for blessings upon the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his Purified Family), and the supplication accompanying it is also accepted.
Here, instead of the usual blessings, the phrase "Your servant and Messenger" has been added, and instead of "and his kin," "and his pure household" has been used. Both phrases make the blessings upon the Prophet and his Purified Family more comprehensive and complete.
Then, not content with this, he states: "And dedicate to them the best of Your blessings, and Your mercy, and Your benedictions, and Your peace." (2)
"Barakah" means the continuation and increase of good. And "salam" means safety and freedom from discomfort and insecurity.
In this phrase, four things are mentioned: "blessings, mercy, benedictions, and peace." Mentioning mercy after blessings might be for emphasis. But some have said that blessings refer to divine praise and commendation, and His grace and forgiveness, while mercy refers to all kinds of material and spiritual blessings in this world and the hereafter.
It is also possible that mentioning mercy after blessings is like mentioning the general after the specific; blessings are a special and extraordinary mercy, and mercy is general mercy.
The meaning of "barakah" is the continuation of all kinds of divine blessings and gifts and their increase. And "salam" (meaning peace) is one of its instances. Therefore, it is like mentioning the specific after the general.
Then the Imam, peace be upon him, continues this request by stating: "O God! And dedicate my parents to honor with You, and blessings from You, O Most Merciful of the merciful." (3)
The word "wakhtas" (dedicate) from the root "khusus" means giving something to someone while not giving it to others.
"Karamah" also means honor, status, and nobility.
In this part of the supplication, the Imam, peace be upon him, asks God to honor his parents, grant them a special status with Him, and also extend His blessings and mercy to them.
This dedication does not mean that others are deprived of divine graces and only his parents benefit. Rather, whatever He grants to others, He also grants special honor and mercy to his parents.
The difference between "karamah" (honor) and "salat" (blessings/mercy) is clear: "karamah" means honor and nobility, and "salat" means mercy. And the Imam, peace be upon him, asks for both in a special way from God for his parents.
Part Two
* O God, Bless Muhammad and his kin. And inspire me with the knowledge of what is due to them from me, a clear inspiration. And gather for me the knowledge of all of that completely. Then employ me with what You inspire me with, and grant me success to swiftly execute what You make me perceive of its knowledge, so that I may not miss acting on anything You have taught me, and my limbs may not grow heavy from eagerly fulfilling what You have inspired me with.
Explanation and Commentary
Heavy Duties Towards Parents
In this section, the Imam's request, peace be upon him, reaches its peak. After sending Blessings upon Muhammad and his Kin, he asks God to inspire him with all his duties towards his parents. Then, to grant him the success to implement that, so that he performs all that is necessary for his parents and leaves nothing out, and his limbs do not grow weak in performing it. He says: "O God! Bless Muhammad and his kin. And inspire me with the knowledge of what is due to them (peace be upon them) from me, a clear inspiration. And gather for me the knowledge of all of that completely. Then employ me with what You inspire me with, and grant me success to swiftly execute what You make me perceive of its knowledge, so that I may not miss acting on anything You have taught me, and my limbs may not grow heavy from eagerly fulfilling what You have inspired me with." (1)
As we said in the interpretation of the twentieth supplication, "inspiration" (ilham) is originally from the root "lahm," meaning to swallow or drink something. Then it came to mean the inward imparting of matters by God to a person, which moves the person to do good or prevents him from doing evil. This state has occurred for many great and righteous individuals, and of course, this differs greatly from the matter of prophetic revelation.
The word "hufuf" from the root "haff" (on the measure of "saff") has various meanings, including: surrounding something, as mentioned in the Noble Quran: "And We surrounded both of them with date-palms" (1).
And serving is called "hufuf" because service necessitates surrounding the served, and in the Imam's phrase, peace be upon him, it also has this meaning. For devoted service to parents means surrounding their being like a moth around a candle. And in this surrounding for service and acting upon inspired duties, one's limbs do not grow weak.
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* Kahf, verse 32.
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In any case, the Imam's request, peace be upon him, in this part of the supplication is: Grant me success not only to do what I know and have learned about my parents, but also inspire me with what I do not know so that I may serve them completely, and act upon what has been inspired to me concerning them, and miss nothing of it, and even performing them should not be difficult or heavy for me.
Part Three
* O God, Bless Muhammad and his Kin as You have honored us through him. And Bless Muhammad and his kin as You have made a right for us over creation through him.
* O God, make me awe them with the awe of a tyrannical ruler. And treat them kindly with the kindness of a compassionate mother. And make my obedience to my parents and my goodness to them cooler to my eyes than the slumber of the sleepy, and more refreshing to my chest than the drink of the thirsty, so that I prefer their desire over my desire, and their satisfaction over my satisfaction. And I deem their kindness to me great, even if it is little. And I deem my goodness to them little, even if it is much.
Explanation and Commentary
Utmost Respect for Parents
In this section, the Imam, peace be upon him, states: "O God! Bless Muhammad and his Kin, just as You honored us through his noble being. And Bless Muhammad and his Kin, just as You established a right for us over creation because of him (the Prophet, peace be upon him and his Purified Family)."
Then the Imam (peace be upon him), after this, sought seven things from God concerning his children: "My God, prolong their lives, and extend their days, and raise their young for me, and strengthen their weak ones, and keep their bodies, their faith, and their morals sound and healthy, and grant them well-being in their souls and their limbs and in all that I care for concerning them, and make their provision abundant through my hands."
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* Al-Ahqaf, verse 15.
* Al-Ahqaf, verse 52.
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The word "عُنِیتُ" is from the root "عنایة", meaning to pay attention to something.
"أَدْرِرْ" is from the root "در", meaning abundance and multitude, and "أَدْرِرُ" means increase.
Here, the Imam (peace be upon him) makes important requests to God concerning his children, covering their entire lives. First, he asks for long life, then for the delay of their appointed time. Are these two emphases on the same thing, or two separate requests? Some say both mean long life, thus it is one request, for delaying the appointed time means postponing the end of life, which is the same as long life.
In the third request, he says: "Raise their young for me" (both physically and spiritually).
In the fourth request, he says: "And strengthen their weak ones."
So, if they are young, they receive complete divine upbringing, and if they are grown, their weakness turns into strength.
In the fifth request, he says: "My God, keep their bodies, their faith, and their morals sound and healthy." Usually, health refers to the body, which is material, but metaphorically it is also used for faith and morals, which are spiritual. Thus, a common meaning is intended, encompassing both the literal and metaphorical senses. While a healthy body is good, it is only truly beneficial when faith and morals are also sound. Therefore, the Imam (peace be upon him) asks for all three as one unified request from God.
This shows how precise the Imam (peace be upon him) is in his requests to God!
Then he seeks well-being and soundness for their souls, limbs, and all their affairs from God.
It is clear that well-being and soundness are useful only when they are not confined to the body, but extend to all matters through which one can obey God.
The seventh and final request is for abundant provision, and that too, through the hands of the parents.
Without doubt, if a person possesses all the previous qualities but is constrained in provision, they cannot benefit from their life. If their provision is through the hands of their parents, it will foster the children's love for them and better obedience.
Moreover, they will share in the reward, for helping others with their provision leads to God's pleasure and a good reward.
In a tradition from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), we read that God Almighty says: "I created creation, and I created good, and I made it flow through the hands of those I love. So blessed is he through whose hands I make good flow (and become a channel of grace)." (1)
However, this does not mean that children should stop striving for their livelihood; rather, they should strive their part, but parents should also help them.
In the next sentence, the Imam (peace be upon him) also has seven requests from God concerning his children. He says: "My God, make them righteous, pious, discerning in material and spiritual matters, obedient to Your command, loving Your friends, benevolent towards them, and hostile and hateful towards Your enemies! My God, answer these prayers!"
The word "ابرار" is the plural of "بَر" (on the pattern of sadd), meaning a benevolent person.
"بصراء" is the plural of "بصیر", meaning discerning in matters of faith and world.
In Islamic traditions, great importance is given to the prayer of parents for their children.
In a tradition from Mishkat al-Anwar, it is stated: "The prayer of a father for his child is like the prayer of a Prophet for his nation." (1)
In another tradition from the Prophet (peace be upon him and his Purified Family), we read: "Four groups whose prayers are not rejected, and for them the gates of heaven are opened and reach the Throne: the prayer of a father for his child, the prayer of the oppressed against his oppressor, the prayer of the pilgrim until he returns, and the prayer of the fasting person until he breaks his fast." (2)
It is clear that the Imam (peace be upon him) does not mean that God should forcibly make the children possess these qualities, but rather he requests that God grant them the divine grace to attain these outstanding qualities through effort and struggle.
It is evident that a child possessing these qualities will be fortunate, happy, and among the saved, and often becomes a means of salvation for their parents as well.
Part Two
4. "My God, strengthen my arm through them (my children), and straighten my crookedness through them, and multiply my numbers through them, and adorn my presence through them, and keep my memory alive through them, and suffice me through them in my absence, and help me through them with my needs. And make them loving towards me, and kind and affectionate towards me, firm and obedient to me, neither disobedient nor harsh nor defiant nor mistaken."
5. "And help me in their upbringing, and their discipline, and their righteousness. And grant me from Yourself, along with them, male children. And make that good for me, and make them helpers for me in what I have asked You."
6. "And protect me and my offspring from the accursed Satan, for You created us and commanded us and forbade us, and made us desire the reward of what You commanded us and warned us of its punishment. And You made for us an enemy who plots against us. You gave him power over us in what You did not give us power over him. You made him dwell in our breasts, and flow in the currents of our blood. He does not forget if we forget, and he does not neglect if we neglect. He assures us against Your punishment, and frightens us with others besides You."
7. "If we intend an evil deed, he encourages us to it. And if we intend a righteous deed, he discourages us from it. He constantly exposes us to desires, and sets doubts before us. If he promises us, he lies. And if he gives us hope, he deceives us. And unless You turn his cunning away from us, he will mislead us. And unless You protect us from his corruption, he will make us stumble."
Commentary and Explanation
The Services of Children to Parents
The Imam (peace be upon him), continuing his requests to God for his children, alludes to some of the services children can render to their parents through prayer, stating: "My God, strengthen my arm through them (my children), and straighten my crookedness through them, and multiply my numbers through them, and adorn my presence through them, and keep my memory alive through them".
The word "عضد" originally means arm, but metaphorically it is used to mean helper.
"أوَد", according to Lisan al-Arab, means crookedness and is then metaphorically used for any kind of deviation. Sometimes it signifies heaviness, implying that heaviness causes bending and crookedness.
The phrase "straighten my crookedness through them" does not mean that the Imam (peace be upon him) would fall into crookedness, but it is a universal lesson for all fathers and mothers regarding their children. It indicates that a good and righteous child is so valuable that even if parents sometimes stray, the child can bring them back to the right path. The sentence "adorn my presence through them" means that because of their good upbringing, they possess excellent qualities that make their presence in gatherings a source of adornment.
And the sentence "وَ أَحْيِ بِهِمْ ذِكْرِي" means that they should be so righteous and virtuous that they bring a good name to their parents, and "reviving memory" refers to a good reputation. This prayer essentially includes two requests: first, that they have a long life and remain after him, and second, that their worthy conduct ensures the continuity of his good name.
In this section of the prayer, the Imam (peace be upon him) makes five requests to God, all referring to the children's role in the family's progress: on one hand, they strengthen the parents; on the other, any deviations are rectified; their presence in a gathering increases the family's numbers; and their respectful presence in gatherings and family circles is an adornment.
All this shows that children should be raised in a way that they can independently be the source of such effects in the family environment and even for their parents. This is, in fact, the result of the parents' efforts in their upbringing.
Then, in five other requests, he states: "(My God!) And suffice me through them in my absence, and make them helpers for my needs (My God!) and make them loving towards me, and kind and affectionate towards me, firm and obedient to me, such that they are neither rebellious nor harsh nor disobedient nor mistaken".
"حَدِبِینَ" is from the root "حَدَب" (on the pattern of adab), meaning elevated areas between lowlands. Since kindness and love towards parents are a kind of inclination towards them, the word "حَدَب", which is a participle, is used to mean affectionate and deeply loving.
"مُسْتَقِیمِینَ" refers to their being steadfast in their life's path or in their obedience and love for their parents.
The phrase "لاخاطئین" after "لا مخالفین" indicates that a child should be such towards their parents that they neither deliberately oppose nor err, meaning they should be so careful about mistakes that they do not even make a mistake in respecting their parents.
These prayers are in fact the children's prayers for their parents, meaning that the children should be able to solve various problems for their parents, be loving and obedient to them, and not be harsh, disobedient, or mistaken.
Therefore, the Imam's (peace be upon him) prayers in this section are partly a prayer for children and partly a prayer for parents and the services children can render to parents. Thus, the entire prayer is not solely for the children.
In a tradition from the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his Purified family), it is stated: "What is the right of the father over his child? He said: He should not call him by his name, nor walk in front of him, nor sit before him, nor do anything that causes people to curse his father." (1)
All these are manners that a child observes to show respect to their parents.
In another part of this prayer, the Imam (peace be upon him) says: "(My God!) Help me in their upbringing, and their discipline, and my kindness to them. And grant me, besides them, from Your presence, male children. And make that good for me, and make them helpers for me in what I have asked You!"
In this section of the prayer, the Imam (peace be upon him) requests God to grant him male children and that these children help him in their upbringing and discipline.
Question: Why does the Imam (peace be upon him) only request male children from God? Is there a preference for male children over female children in Islam?
Answer: Undoubtedly, male children generally have a greater capacity for their own upbringing and that of others, and it is because of this greater capacity that the Imam (peace be upon him) requests it from God. Otherwise, both male and female children are great blessings from God and can be helpful to a person, and male children born from female children are also in the same situation.
In other words, all children, male and female, are blessings from God, but undoubtedly, in most cases, sons have a greater capacity to achieve the individual and social goals of their parents, although sometimes female children play a more effective role. Therefore, the superiority of male children is not a fundamental principle or a general rule.
For this reason, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was very happy and pleased to have a daughter like Zahra (peace be upon her), and Lady Mary (peace be upon her), even though she was a woman, attained such a spiritual rank and closeness to God that others envied her, and the prophets and worshippers of Bani Israel competed to be her guardian and had no choice but to resort to drawing lots, as a result of which God entrusted this task to Prophet Zechariah, and Zechariah was proud of it. (1)
In a tradition from Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha (peace be upon him), we read that the narrator says: I said to the Imam: "May I be sacrificed for you! A man loves his daughters more than his sons. The Imam (peace be upon him) said: Daughters and sons are equal in this respect." (2)
In the first volume of Akhlaq dar Quran, there is a detailed discussion about the impact of family upbringing and heredity on morality, which is worth noting. (1)
Then, in the sixth section, the Imam (peace be upon him) addresses an important issue, which is seeking refuge in God from the dominance of Satan. He states: "(My God!) Protect me and my offspring from the accursed Satan, for You created us and commanded us and forbade us, and made us desire the reward of what You commanded us and warned us of its punishment. And You made for us an enemy who constantly seeks to deceive us. You gave him power over us in what we have no power over him; You made him dwell within our chests and flow like blood in our veins. He never forgets us, even if we forget him, and he does not neglect us, even if we neglect him. He assures us against Your punishment and frightens us with others besides You".
The word "رجیم" originally means stoning, and since this act indicates aversion towards a person or thing, it is used to mean accursed or rejected.
The word "رَهَبْتَنَا" is from the root "رَهْبَ", meaning fear accompanied by anxiety.
"يكيدنا" is from the root "كَيْد" (on the pattern of ṣayd), originally meaning any hidden scheme or stratagem, whether in blameworthy or desirable matters, although it is mostly used in blameworthy matters.
Concerning this part of the Imam's (peace be upon him) prayer, the question arises: Does Satan have such dominance over humans that he is like blood flowing in their veins, while the Holy Quran states that he only dominates those who accept his invitation? It says: "Indeed, he has no authority over those who believe and rely upon their Lord." (1)
And it also says: "And Satan will say when the matter has been concluded, 'Indeed, Allah had promised you the promise of truth. And I promised you, but I betrayed you. But I had no authority over you except that I invited you, and you responded to me. So do not blame me; but blame yourselves.'" (2)
The apparent meaning of this verse is that such dominance is achieved when a person submits to Satan, but as long as they have not submitted, such dominance is not attained.
Therefore, the Imam's (peace be upon him) statement does not contradict what is stated in the Quranic verses.
In a tradition from Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) or Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) in the esteemed book Al-Kafi, we read: "Indeed, Adam (peace be upon him) said: 'O Lord, You have given Satan power over me, and You have made him flow within me like blood. So grant me something.' He said: 'O Adam, I have granted you that whoever among your descendants intends an evil deed, it will not be written against him. But if he does it, one evil deed will be written against him. And whoever among them intends a good deed, even if he does not do it, one good deed will be written for him. But if he does it, it will be written for him ten times.' Adam said: 'O Lord, give me more.' He said: 'I have granted you that whoever among them commits a sin and then seeks forgiveness, I will forgive him.' He said: 'O Lord, give me more.' He said: 'I have granted them repentance,' or 'I have extended repentance for them until the soul reaches here.' Adam said: 'O Lord, that is enough for me.'"
Here, another question arises: What is the meaning and concept of the phrases "يُؤْمِنُنَا عِقَابَكَ; Satan makes us feel secure from Your punishment" and "يُخَوِّفُنَا بِغَيْرِكَ; He frightens us with others besides You"? In response, it can be said: Apparently, the intention is that Satan exaggerates the promises of divine mercy in a way that a person feels secure from God's punishment and considers repentance easy and its delay possible.
The meaning of "غير" (other) in the phrase "يُخَوِّفُنَا بِغَيْرِكَ; he frightens us with others besides You" refers to idols and the like, as sometimes superstitious people frighten others with the wrath of idols. Or the "other" could refer to the dangers involved in obedience to God, especially jihad in the way of God, from which Satan warns the believer. Or it could refer to the poverty that Satan frightens a person with when they intend to spend in the way of God, as the Holy Quran states: "Satan promises you poverty and enjoins you to immorality." (1)
In this way, it becomes clear that Satan frightens each group with a specific method.
Then, the Imam (peace be upon him) states in the next passage: "(My God! Such is the state of Satan that) if we intend an evil deed, he encourages us to it, and if we intend a righteous deed, he discourages us from it. He constantly presents desires to us, and sets doubts before us. If he promises us, he lies, and if he creates hope in us, it is false. (My God!) If You do not turn his cunning away from us, he will mislead us, and if You do not protect us from his machinations, he will make us stumble."
The word "فاحشة" (fahisha) from the root "فحش" and "فحشاء" means any extremely vile act or speech. Contrary to common understanding among Persian speakers, it is not limited to immoral acts, as it originally means exceeding bounds, encompassing any sin. Also, "فاحشه" describes actions, not persons, which is also a common misconception among Persian speakers.
"ثبطنا" from the root "تثبیط" means to hinder someone from doing something, and this is Satan's work when a person decides to do a righteous deed, he prevents him from doing so. Of course, this hindrance is done using various methods, including making desires seem important to a person and cultivating doubts in their mind, which in turn leads to refraining from good deeds.
The word "يَنْصِبُ" (yanṣibu) originally from the root "نصب" (naṣb) means to erect something. It is then used for any act of making something seem important.
"منانا" (mannana) from the root "منی" (mana - on the pattern of mana'a) means estimation and measurement, but in many cases, it refers to imaginary estimations and vain hopes, and here it holds the same meaning.
The word "تَقِنَا" (taqina) is from the root "وقایة" (wiqaya), meaning to protect things against opposing matters.
"خَبَال" (khabal) originally means the destruction of something, and in most cases, it refers to hallucinations that affect a person's mind.
In any case, in this section, the Imam (peace be upon him) refers to the details of Satan's influence on humans from various aspects, the result of which is hindering humans from good deeds and encouraging them towards wrongdoings. In such a state, where Satan has such dominance over a person, how can one undertake the upbringing of their children?
In essence, the Imam (peace be upon him) delves into the root of educational matters, which stem from firm resolve, faith, and strong will. He expresses: "My God! Satan weakens these matters in me; how then can I properly raise my children as is necessary?"
The phrase "وان منانا اخلفنا" (and if he gives us hope, he deceives us) seems to be derived from the noble verse: "He promises them and entices them with hopes, but Satan promises them only delusion." (1)
The Holy Quran states regarding Satan: "Satan said before God: 'I will surely come upon them from before them and from behind them and from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them grateful.'" (1)
Below this noble verse, in a tradition from Imam Baqir (peace be upon him), we read: "Satan's coming to man 'from before him' means that he makes the afterlife and the world ahead seem light and simple to him. 'From behind him' means that he invites them to accumulate wealth and hoard riches and to be stingy in paying obligatory rights for the sake of children and heirs. 'From the right' means that he corrupts spiritual matters through doubts and creating uncertainty. And 'from the left' means that he beautifies material pleasures and desires in their eyes."
In another tradition, it is mentioned that the angels presented to God: If Satan besieges man from four directions, where can man seek refuge? The Imam (peace be upon him) responded: "Two directions remain for man: above and below. So when man raises his hands upwards in prayer with humility, or places his forehead on the ground in prostration and humility, God forgives his sins of seventy years (and this is how it is compensated)." (2)
Part Three
8. "My God, overpower his authority over us with Your authority, until You restrain him from us through our abundant supplication to You, so that we may become, by Your grace, among those protected from his cunning."
9. "My God, grant me all my requests, and fulfill my needs, and do not withhold Your answer from me, for You have guaranteed it to me. And do not veil my prayer from You, for You have commanded me concerning it. And bestow upon me all that benefits me in my worldly life and my afterlife, whether I mentioned it or forgot it, or expressed it or concealed it, or disclosed it or kept it secret."
10. "And make me, in all of that, among those who are righteous through my asking You, those who succeed through their seeking from You, not those who are prevented by relying upon You."
11. "Those who are accustomed to seeking refuge in You, those who profit in their trade with You, those who are protected by Your might, those upon whom lawful provision is abundantly bestowed from Your vast bounty, by Your generosity and grace, those who are exalted from humiliation by You, and those who are protected from injustice by Your justice, and those who are cured from affliction by Your mercy, and those who are enriched from poverty by Your wealth, and those who are protected from sins and slips and errors by Your piety, and those who are guided to goodness and rectitude and righteousness by Your obedience, and those between whom and sins You have intervened by Your power, those who abandon all Your disobedience, those who reside in Your vicinity."
12. "My God, grant us all that through Your grace and mercy, and protect us from the torment of the burning fire. And grant all Muslim men and women, and believing men and women, the like of what I have asked You for myself and for my children in the fleeting world and the everlasting afterlife. Indeed, You are near, responsive, hearing, knowing, forgiving, pardoning, compassionate, merciful. And grant us good in this world, and good in the afterlife, and protect us from the torment of the Fire."
Commentary and Explanation
The Way to Overcome Satan
After describing Satan's characteristics and deceptions in the previous passage, and to be saved from these tricks and deceptions, the Imam (peace be upon him) states: "My God, overpower his authority over us with Your authority, until You restrain him from us through our abundant supplication to You, so that we may become, by Your grace, among those protected from his cunning."
The word "فاقهر" (faqhar), from the root "qahr," according to Raghib in Mufradat, means dominance over a person or thing accompanied by humiliation, and sometimes it is used separately for each of these two meanings.
"نصبح" (nusbih) from the root "اصباح" (isbah) does not mean to make peace, but rather to change from one state to another.
The Holy Quran states regarding Satan: "I had no authority over you." (1)
Does this verse contradict what is stated in the Imam's (peace be upon him) prayer, that Satan has authority over humans? The answer is clear: Satan gains authority over those who accept his authority (1) and do not reject his deception of authority and seek refuge in God's authority through prayer. Based on this, divine prophets are advised to seek refuge in God from Satan's evil and to constantly pray to Him. Moreover, as stated in the above sentences, they should pray abundantly, because the more they pray, the greater its effect will be in removing Satan's authority.
In addition, Satan's temptations are numerous, and in response to his many temptations, one must resort to abundant prayers. The imperfect verb in the noble verse "who whispers into the breasts of mankind" (2) indicates continuity, meaning that Satan constantly tempts humans, and in response to his numerous temptations, one must resort to numerous prayers.
We know that all these requests are for the Imam (peace be upon him) to become more prepared to raise his children, and it is clear that without that, the problem of raising children will not be solved.
The Imam (peace be upon him), in the next sentence, emphasizes his requests, stating: "My God, grant me all my requests, and fulfill my needs, and do not withhold Your answer from me, for You have guaranteed it to me. And do not veil my prayer from You, for You have commanded me concerning it."
The word "سُؤْل" (su'l, on the pattern of qufl) refers to a need that a person deeply desires.
The phrase "و قد ضمنتها لي" (for You have guaranteed it to me) refers to the noble verse "Call upon Me; I will respond to you." And the phrase "و قد أمرتنی به" (and You have commanded me concerning it) refers to the word "ادْعُونِی" (call upon Me) at the beginning of the same verse, which commands prayer. Therefore, when He Himself has commanded and promised to answer, it is impossible for us to pray and for Him not to answer.
Of course, traditions state that prayers that are not answered have several reasons: either it is not in the best interest of the supplicant, or the time for it has not yet come, or the supplicant has consumed unlawful food, or it is stored for the Day of Judgment. We have mentioned five obstacles to the answering of prayers in their proper place, from which it becomes clear that these unanswered prayers have reasons. (1)
He, peace be upon him continues, stating: "My God, bestow upon me all that benefits me in my worldly life and my afterlife, whether I mentioned it or forgot it, or expressed it or concealed it, or disclosed it or kept it secret (in all these requests) answer my prayer!"
The word "امنن" (amnun) from the root "من" (mann) originally refers to stones used for weighing, then it was applied to any weighty and valuable blessing.
"يصلحني" (yuṣliḥunī) from the root "اصلاح" (iṣlāḥ) originally means to improve and to bring about peace. Here, "Mṣliḥ" is God, and "mā yuṣliḥunī" are the means that lead to a person's betterment. Of course, betterment in righteous worldly affairs leads to betterment in otherworldly affairs, and unless a person is righteous in worldly matters, they will not be righteous in otherworldly matters either. Therefore, in prayers, both worldly and otherworldly well-being are sought. Thus, "ṣalāḥ" includes righteous betterment in both worldly and otherworldly matters.
As we read in the Quran, from some of God's righteous servants, they say: "Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter." (1)
In the final part of this passage, the Imam (peace be upon him) offers a very comprehensive prayer for himself, which is highly effective in raising children. He, peace be upon him states: "My God! All that which will bring about my betterment in this world and the hereafter, whether I mentioned it or forgot it, whether I expressed it or concealed it, whether I disclosed it or kept it secret, My God! Grant all of this to me so that I may be able to raise and guide my children well."
In the next passage, he, peace be upon him states: "My God! And in all of that, make me, by my asking You, among Your righteous servants, and among those who succeed by seeking from You, not those who are prevented by relying upon You."
The word "المنجحين" (al-munjiḥīn) from the root "نجاح" (najāḥ) means success and achieving one's desires.
It is clear that in this phrase, "مصلحین" (muṣliḥīn) means "righteous ones" (ṣāliḥīn) and "منجحين" (munjiḥīn) means "successful ones" (nājiḥīn).
In reality, the Imam (peace be upon him) asks God for three things in this statement: to be righteous, to be successful, and not to be deprived of divine blessings.
In the next sentence, he, peace be upon him states: "Like those who constantly seek refuge in You, and profit abundantly in their trade with You, and are protected by Your might, those upon whom lawful provision is abundantly bestowed from Your vast bounty, by Your generosity and grace, and those who are exalted from humiliation by You."
The word "المعودین" (al-mu'awwadīn) is from the root "عود" (awd), meaning return to something.
"المجارين" (al-mujārīn) - as we mentioned in the twelfth prayer - is originally derived from the root "جور" (jawr), which is used in the meanings of saving, protecting, preserving, and coming to the aid of. This word has no connection to "اجاره" (ijāra) - which is derived from the root "أجر" (ajr) and whose verbal noun is "أُجرت" (ujrat), meaning the transfer of property to another in exchange for a sum.
"المعزّین" (al-mu'azzīn) from the root "عزت" (izzat) means those who are granted honor.
In this section of the prayer, the Imam (peace be upon him) again seeks important blessings for himself from God, which are effective in raising children. First, he، peace be upon him states: Make me among those who constantly seek refuge in You and profit abundantly in their trade with You. If they engage in trade with Your servants, their true goal is You. And if they seek honor, they seek it from You, for You are the source of all honor, as we read in the Holy Quran about the disbelievers:
"Do they seek honor with them? But indeed, all honor belongs to Allah." (1)
And they always seek lawful sustenance from God's vast bounty, and we know what an impact lawful sustenance has on human life, spirituality, and the answering of prayers.
Many narrations emphasize lawful sustenance. For instance, in a narration from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), we read: "Indeed, I work in some of my farms until I sweat, and I have those who can suffice me, but my aim is for God, the Mighty and Exalted, to know that I seek lawful sustenance." (1)
In the next passage, he states: "And from injustice and oppression, they seek refuge in Your justice, and from affliction, they find well-being in Your mercy, and from poverty, they are enriched by Your wealth, and from sins and slips and errors, they are protected by Your guidance, and with the help of Your obedience, they are guided to goodness and right conduct and righteousness. And by Your power, a barrier is placed between them and sins, those who abandon all disobedience to You and reside in Your vicinity."
"ذنوب" (dhunūb) - as previously mentioned - is the plural of "ذَنَب" (dhanab), originally meaning the tail of an animal. It then refers to anything that has an undesirable consequence, and for this reason, sin is called "dhanb" because it entails punishment.
"زلل" (zalal), plural of "زلة" (zalla), originally means taking a step without intention or purpose. Since such stepping often leads to slipping, this word is also applied to "slipping." Usually, unintentional sins are referred to as "zalal."
"خطا" (khaṭaʾ) originally means turning back or deviating from the correct path to another. It usually refers to actions that occur due to heedlessness and inattention.
The difference between the three words "خير" (khayr), "رشد" (rushd), and "صواب" (ṣawāb) is that "khayr" is the opposite of "shar" (evil) and refers to any goodness that rational individuals desire. "Rushd" linguistically means finding the way and reaching the destination, as opposed to "ghay" (error), which means deviation from truth and moving away from reality. "Ṣawāb" originally refers to any action that is good and praiseworthy.
In these few sentences, the Imam (peace be upon him) requests several important things from God that are crucial in raising children:
First, that he never be tainted by injustice and be in harmony with the Lord's justice.
Second, that afflictions do not befall him. "Affliction" (balā') usually refers to undesirable events, but sometimes it also applies to desirable events, in which case the adjective "good" (ḥasan) is added to it (balā' ḥasana), and this affliction is a test, sometimes through poverty and sometimes through wealth, sometimes through illness and sometimes through health.
The Imam (peace be upon him) requests to be protected from all kinds of affliction in the light of divine mercy.
In Surah Al-Fajr, the word "balā'" is used for both desirable and undesirable events, where it says: "As for man, when his Lord tests him and honors him and bestows favors upon him, he says, 'My Lord has honored me.' But when He tests him by restricting his provision, he says, 'My Lord has humiliated me.'" (1)
In any case, unless divine mercy encompasses a person, salvation from various calamities is impossible.
Then he adds: Make me among those who are safe from poverty through Your grace.
Of course, "غنا" (ghina) here does not mean immense wealth, but rather something that leads to a simple, honorable life.
Then he requests immunity from all sins, slips, and errors through God's protection and divine piety.
He then adds: Through Your obedience, all good, righteousness, and correct actions are achieved, and it is evident that this success is not attained except through obedience to God.
On the other hand, he asks to be among those who, by the power of the Lord, are safe from all sins, and do not approach any disobedience, and dwell in His mercy.
The expressions "تقواکم" (Your piety) in the Imam's (peace be upon him) words and "بطاعتک" (by Your obedience) indicate that for a person to be safe from error and sin, they must cultivate the means for it, which are obedience to God and divine piety.
Essentially, unless a person takes a step towards good deeds, they should not expect divine success. As Hafiz said:
If you wish for your beloved not to break the covenant,
Hold onto the thread, that they may hold onto it.
In the final passage, he states: "My God! Grant us all that I have requested from You, through Your grace and mercy. And protect us from the torment of the burning fire. And grant all Muslim men and women, and believing men and women, the like of what I have asked You for myself and for my children in this fleeting world and the everlasting afterlife. Indeed, You are near, responsive, hearing, knowing, forgiving, pardoning, compassionate, merciful. And grant us good in this world, and good in the afterlife, and protect us from the torment of the Fire."
This concluding phrase of the prayer, where the Imam (peace be upon him) requests for all Muslim men and women and believing men and women the same things he asked for himself and his children, demonstrates the ultimate kindness and benevolence. It teaches us that whatever good we seek for ourselves and our loved ones, we should also seek for all people and their loved ones.
This is, in fact, inspired by the well-known tradition that states: "One of the rights of a Muslim brother is that you should desire for him what you desire for yourself, and dislike for him what you dislike for yourself."
And in another tradition, it is stated: "There is no believer who prays for believing men and women except that God Almighty returns to him the like of what he prayed for them." (1)
As we have repeatedly mentioned in the explanation of this prayer, its primary purpose is the upbringing of children and their salvation from Satan's grasp, although the apparent focus of the entire prayer is on the parents, because unless a person possesses such qualities, raising children becomes difficult for them.
My God! Grant us too these outstanding and comprehensive qualities, in which nothing of the good of this world and the Hereafter has been left out, and also grant us the success of raising our children in their light!
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