CHAPTER FOUR: THE MANNER OF DUA |
THINGS TO DO BEFORE DUA
THINGS TO DO ALONG WITH DUA
THINGS TO DO AFTER DUA
MUTUAL CURSING (MUBAHELAH)
EPILOG
Things To Do Before Dua |
a- Purification
b- Application of perfume
c- Being in the direction of Qiblah
d- Giving alms
God Almighty says:
*
*
-”...Offer something in charity before your consultation.” (Verse
12 of the Quranic Chapter, the Pleading One)
e- Belief in God’s power to fulfill his desire as verse
186 of the Quranic Chapter, the Cow, says:
*
*
“and believe in Me.”
It has been reported on the authority of the Holy Prophet (SAW):
*
*
366. “Whoever asks something from Me and is sure that gain and
loss are in My hand, I will fulfill his desire.”
f- Having good opinion of God that He will answer his call.
Hope in God’s Mercy
God says:
*
*
“....call on Him fearing and hoping....” (Verse
56 of the Quranic Chapter, The Elevated Places)
*
*
367. “My opinion of My servant is his opinion of Me.
Therefore, he should have good opinion of Me.”
The Holy Prophet (SAW) has said:
*
*
368. “Call on God when you are sure of fulfillment of Dua.”
One of the revelations of God to prophet Moses (AS) was:
*
*
369. “O Moses! Should you call on Me hoping, I will soon forgive
you.”
Soleyman Ibne Farrah has reported on the authority of Imam Sadeq (AS):
* *
“Whenever you recite Dua, be sure that what you need is at
the door.”
In another Hadith, we read:
*
*
370. “Turn to Him wholeheartedly and be sure that what you need
is at the door.”
Why shouldn’t man have good opinion of God when it is He is
the Most Generous One and the Most Merciful and it is He whose Mercy precedes
His wrath.
It has been reported that:
*
*
371. “When God blew in a man from His own spirit and man became
human, he sat and sneezed.
He was inspired to say: Praise is due to the Lord of the worlds.
In response, God said: May God have mercy on you O Adam!”
Therefore, the first words of God to Adam was with mercy.
It has been related in a Hadith:
*
*
372. “When God sent prophet Moses (AS) to Pharaoh, He said to
Moses: Tell him that I am more speedy in Mercy and forgiveness than wrath and
punishment.”
In another Hadith, we read:
*
*
373. “When Pharaoh was being drowned, instead of invoking God,
he invoke Moses (AS).
God inspired him: O Moses! You did not help him since you had not created
him but if he had asked Me for help, I would have helped him.”
Mohammad Ibne Khaled has reported in his book on the authority of the Holy
Prophet (SAW):
374. “When prophet Jonah (Yunus) reached the sea where Korah
(Qarun) was, Korah said to his guardian angel: What is this sound and fear
I hear?
The angel said: This is Jonah whom God has imprisoned in the stomach of fish
and made him go round the seven seas and end up in here.
this sound and fear is for his sake.
Korah
said: do you permit me to speak to him?
The angel said: Yes.
Then Korah (Qarun) said to Jonah (AS): Why don’t you repent to
your Lord?
Jonah said: Why didn’t you yourself repent to your Lord?
Korah said: I repented to Moses (AS) but he did not accept it.
However, if you repent to God, you will receive His Mercy in the first step
you take.
Don’t you see how kindly He treats His servants and how He showers
them with His mercy?”
One of the signs of God’s mercy is that He has encouraged believers
to recite Dua for their brothers in faith saying: Call upon Me with a tongue
you have not committed sin and that is the tongue of others.”
One of the other signs of God’s mercy are those Hadiths which
encourage believers to offer the reward of prayers for the deceased.
God has sent manifold reward for it in a way that it has been reported on
the authority of the Holy Prophet (SAW):
*
*
375. “Whoever enters a cemetery and recites the Quranic Chapter,
Yaseen, God will reduce punishment on the deceased buried in that cemetery
on that day and good deeds will be written for this person, as many as the
number of the deceased.”
Imam Sadeq (AS) has said:
*
*
376. “The reward of prayer, fast, Hajj, alms, Dua, and charity
after the death of a person goes to him and its reward is written both for
those who perform these deeds and for the dead person.”
Imam Sadeq (AS) has also said:
*
*
377. “Every muslim who does a good deed on behalf of a dead
person, God will give him a double reward and benefit the dead person.”
The third sign of God’s bountiful mercy is His decree to the
Holy Prophet of Islam (SAW) when He said:
*
*
- “So know that there is no god but Allah, and, ask forgiveness
for your fault and for the believing men and the believing women.”
(Verse 19 of the Quranic Chapter, Muhammad)
Dear reader
ponder on this Quranic verse and see how God has put the decree of seeking
forgiveness alongside monotheism which is the basis of Islam and divine commandments
revolve round this axis.
Is this anything but His bountiful mercy?
God was not content with it either, for somewhere else He says:
*
*
“I am to be found wherever My servant thinks I am.”
*
*
“....and on Allah should you rely if you are believers.”
*
*
“....and they said: Allah is sufficient for us and most excellent
is the protector.
So they returned with favor from Allah and (His) grace; no evil touched
them and they followed the pleasure of Allah.....”
(Verse 173-174 of the Quranic Chapter, The Family of Imran)
*
*
“Surely Allah loves those who rely on Him.”
Imam Sadeq (AS) was asked about the degree of trust.
The Imam (AS) said:
*
*
378.
“When he is with God, he no longer fears anything.”
It has been reported on the authority of Imam Kazeem (AS):
*
*
379.
“By God, the reward of this world and Hereafter
was not given to any believer save for:
-His god opinion of God and his hope in Him
-His good Temper
-Not backbiting the believers
God will punish a man after repentance and forgiveness
save for:
-Having suspicion and lacking hope in God
-Bad temper
-Backbiting the believers
*
*
-”A believer never has good opinion of God unless
God treats him on the basis of that good opinion, for,
God is Generous and is ashamed of opposing His servant’s
opinion and hope.
Therefore, improve your opinion of God and show eagerness
towards Him, for God Himself in verse of the Quranic
Chapter, Fatah, says:
*
*
“....the entertainers of evil thoughts
about Allah.
On them is the evil turn, and Allah’s wrath
is with them:”
*
*
380.
“When God has reckoned the deeds of people,
there remains one person whose evil deeds surpass
his good deeds.
Angels take him to throw into Fire.
While he is looking behind him, God tells the angels
to send him back saying: Why were you looking behind
you?
Evidently God knows the reason.
The man says: O God! My good opinion of you was
different from this.
At this time, God says: My angels, by My Glory!
This man had no good opinion of Me even for a single
day.
Nevertheless take him to paradise, for he claims
he has good opinion of Me.”
*
*
381.
“On the Day of Judgement, a man is held
before God.
Then it is said to angels: Compare My blessings
with his deeds.
But the blessings surpass the deeds, and overwhelm
them.
Here God says: I granted all My blessings to
him.
Compare his good and evil deeds.
At this time if they are equal, God removes evil
deeds for the sake of good deeds and make him
enter paradise.
If his good deeds are greater, God forgives him
but if his evil deeds are more but he had been
pious and had not set a partner for God, He will
forgive the man and make him one of those entitled
to forgiveness and should He will, He will make
him enter paradise due to His forgiveness.”
* *
382.
“God gathers all people on the Day
of Judgment while some of them have rights
on others and God has rights on them too.
At this time God says: O my servants! I remit
My own rights.
You too remit your rights against one another
and enter paradise all through My mercy.”
*
*
383.
“On the Day of Judgment, there
is a call from God’s Throne saying;
O nation of Muhammad! I remit all the
rights I had against you.
There remains your own rights.
Therefore, remit one another’s
right and enter paradise through My mercy.
384. “There was
a pious man among Bani Israel.
God inspired prophet David (AS) that
the pious man was hypocritical.
After sometime the man passed away.
Prophet David did not attend his funeral
service but forty men of Bani Israel
did so and said:
O God! We know nothing but good
about him.
Yet You are the All-knowing.
Forgive him his sins.
After bathing the corpse, forty others
rose up saying: O God! We know nothing
but good about him.
Yet You are the All-knowing.
Forgive him his sins.
After having buried him, forty others
came and said:
O God! We know nothing but
good about him.
Yet You are the All-knowing.
Forgive him his sins.
At this time God said to
David: Why didn’t you pray
for him?
David said: You Yourself said he
is hypocritical.
God said: Since a group of people
testified that he was good, I accepted
their testimony, hence I forgave
him for what I knew but they did
not know.”
Fear of God
Hope should always be
accompanied with fear.
In this relation Amiralmomenin
(AS) has said:
*
*
385.
“Try to have good opinion
of God and fear Him at the
same time, for everyone’s
good opinion of God is to
the extent of his fear of
Him.
Therefore Those who have
a better opinion of Allah,
have more fear of Him.”
*
*
386.
“A servant of Allah
does not attain the position
of belief unless he is
both hopeful and fearful.
Nor will he become hopeful
and fearful unless he
acts according to his
fear and hope.”
*
*
387.
“They are lying.
They are never our
friends.
These are persons
whose desires have
defeated them, for
one who is hopeful
of something, will
try to attain it
and one who fears
something escapes
from it.”
1- In
a Hadith, we read:
388.
The supplication
of prophet
Ibrahim could
be heard from
a mile so much
so that God
described Ibrahim
as follows:
2- The same was true with the Holy Prophet of Islam
(SAW).
3-
When Amiralmomenin began to perform ablution, he would look pale out of
fear of God.
4-
Hazrate Fatimah used to be excited while praying out of fear of Allah.
Asked for reason, the Imam said:
*
*
389.
“One who wishes to attend the presence of the Lord of
the Throne, should lose color.”
7- Mafzal Ibne Omar has reported on the authority of
Imam Sadeq (AS):
*
*
390.
“Quoting his father, my father has said: Imam Hassan Ibne Ali
(AS) was the most pious, the most devoted and the most learned man
of his time.
Whenever he went on Hajj, he would go on foot and on many occasions
bare-footed.
Whenever he remembered death, he would start crying.
When he remembered resurrection, he would start weeping.
Whenever he remembered Saraat, he would bitterly weep and when
he remembered offering his deeds to God, he would weep loudly and
keep silent.
When he stood for praying before God, his two sides started trembling
and whenever he remembered paradise and Hell, he would become excited
as a man bitten by snake.
He wished for paradise and sought refuge with Him from Hell.”
8- Ayesheh has reported:
The Holy Prophet (SAW) used to speak to us and we spoke to him
but when it was prayer time, it was as if neither he knew us nor did
we know him.
When those who are close to God as well as His Messengers
and the Imams are overwhelmed with such a fear, what should we who
are drowned in wrongdoings do?
g-
One should not ask God for something which is unlawful or severing
the ties of kinship.
h-
One should not ask for something which leads to indecency or
impudence.
The commentators in their interpretation of Verse 55 of the
Quranic Chapter, Araf,
*
*
“Call on your Lord humbly and secretly; surely
He does not love those who exceed limits.” have
said: Humbly and secretly means invoke God humbly.
Those who exceed the limits are persons who, for instance,
ask for the position of prophets.
Amiralmomenin (AS) has said:
*
*
391.
“O you who often recite Dua, never ask anything
which is either impossible or unlawful.”
*
*
392.
“Whoever asks for something which is
beyond his capacity deserves to be deprived
of it.”
i- Purification of stomach
through fasting and repentance again.
It has been reported on the authority
of the Holy Prophet (SAW):
*
*
393.
“Whoever eats lawful things for
forty days, God will illuminate his heart.”
*
*
394.
“God has an angel who every night
calls on Beitolmoghaddass: Whoever
eats unlawful things, neither obligatory
nor recommended deeds are accepted
from him.”
*
*
395.
“Should you perform prayer
so much so that you will become like
the rim of a bow and fast as much
as you will become like a bow, God
will not accept it unless you abstain
from unlawful things.”
*
*
396.
“Praying while eating unlawful
things is as building a house on
sands or on water.”
*
*
Things To Do Along with Dua |
a-
Make pause while reciting Dua:
*
*
398.
“Don’t get bored by reciting Dua, for I will never get
bored by answering.”
Abdulaziz Ibne Taweel has reported on the authority of Imam
Sadeq (AS):
*
*
399.
“Should a man who is reciting Dua not haste, God will fulfill
his desire.”
*
*
400.
If a man makes haste in reciting Dua and rises up, God will
say: Doesn’t My servant know that it is Me, Allah who
fulfills the desires?
*
*
401.
“Whenever a man performs his prayer hastily, God
will say: My servant made haste in his prayer, does he
think that his needs are in the hands of anyone but Me?”
*
*
402.
“O seeker of knowledge! Perform prayer before
you have no power to perform prayer day or night.
The likeness of a worshipper is as a person who goes
to a king’s court and the king listens to him
as long as he is speaking about his demands.
A muslim is like him too.
As long as he is in prayer, God will listen to him
till he completes it.”
*
*
403.
“Whenever you perform an obligatory prayer,
do it as a person who is performing his last prayer
before his death.
Then direct your eyes to your prostration site.
If you know that persons on your right and left
side watch you, you will perform a better prayer.
Yet know that you are in the presence of One Who
sees you but you don’t see Him.”
* *
404.
“O Abazar! As long as you are in prayer,
you are knocking at the door of the king of
the world and whoever knocks at the door of
such king, the door will be opened to him.
O Abazar! Whenever a believer stands in prayer,
he will be showered with good as much as his
distance to God’s throne, and God will
assign him an angel saying: O son of Adam!
Should you know what lies in your prayer and
whom you are invoking, you will never get tired
nor will you turn to anything else.”
*
*
405.
“O Moses! Choose repentance and renounce
sin.
When you are standing in prayer in My presence,
be careful.
Don’t be fond of anyone but Me.
Take Me as a shield of ease against hardships
and a fort against the army of events.”
b-
Persistence in Dua
The Holy Prophet (SAW) has said:
*
*
406.
“God loves one who calls upon Him persistently.”
Walid Ibne Aqabeh Hejri has reported on the authority of Imam Baqer
(AS):
407.
“By God! No believer has ever persisted in expressing his needs
which God has not fulfilled.”
Abossabah has reported on the authority of Imam Sadeq (AS):
*
*
408.
God does not love people to persist in asking something from one another
but loves it about Himself.
God loves people to ask for what He has with Him.”
c- Name your desires
*
*
409.
“God does know what His servant desires in his Dua but loves him to say
them before Him.”
* *
“O Moses! Whoever loves Me, will not forget Me and whoever hopes
in My virtues, persist in his invocation.
O Moses! I am not ignorant of My creatures but I love My angels to
hear the supplication of My servants and My attendants to see how the
children of Adam seek nearness to Me for the things the means and power
of which are in My hand.”
d-
Hide your Dua
*
*
“Call on your Lord humbly and secretly.” (Verse
55 of the Quranic Chapter, Araf)
And thirdly there are many Hadiths in this connection:
Ismaeel Ibne Homam has reported on the authority of Imam Reza
(AS):
*
*
*
*
*
*
412.
“God is proud of three persons before angels:
1-
2-
One who rises up to perform prayer by himself goes into prostration and
is overtaken by sleep. Herem God says: Look at My servant.
His spirit is with Me, but his body is in prostration before Me.
3-
One who is at war; his friends escape but he is steadfast, and fights
on till he is killed.”
e-
Include others in your Dua
*
*
413.
“The Holy Prophet (SAW) has said: Whenever you recite
Dua, include others in your Dua, for it is highly recommended.”
f-
Gather together for Dua
*
*
-”And withhold yourself with those who call on their
Lord.”
*
*
414.
“It has never happened that forty people assemble
in a place and invoke God for something whose call
has not been answered by God.
If they are not forty, let four people assemble and
call on God ten times so that their call will be answered,
and if they are not four, even a single person may
call on God forty times, and recite Dua so that God
will answer.”
415.
“It has never happened that four persons
assemble for invoking God, who have not been disperse
with their desires fulfilled.”
Saying
Amen in Dua
|
One who says “ameen” shares the Dua.
In verse 89 of the Quranic Chapter, Yunus, addressing Moses and Haroon,
God says:
*
*
“The prayer of you both has indeed been accepted.”
Infact, Moses had recited Dua and Haroon had said: “ameen” but
God attributes it to both.
Ali Ibne Aqabah has reported on the authority of Imam Sadeq (AS):
*
*
416.
“Whenever my father was sad about something, he would gather
women and children for reciting Dua and they would say: “ameen”.
Sokooni has reported on the authority of Imam Sadeq (AS):
*
*
417.
“One who recites Dua and one who says ameen shares
the Dua.”
g- Be humble
*
*
“Call on you Lord humbly and secretly.”
418.
“Only revelations made to Moses is as follows:
“O Moses! When you are calling on Me,
be humble, broken-hearted, and fearful.
Rub your face against earth, and prostrate before
Me with your best body members. Raise your
hands in begging before Me in Qunut (communion with
God) and invoke Me fearfully in your supplications.”
*
*
419.
“O Jesus! Call on Me as a person who is
being drowned and oppressed man who has no helper.
O Jesus! Humble your heart before Me and remember
Me privately most of the time. Know that
My happiness is when you come to Me with fear
and hope.
Don’t ever come to Me with a dead heart
but with a living and happy heart. Let
Me hear a sad voice.”
*
*
420.
“When God sent Moses and Haroon to
Pharaoh, He said to them: Let not their elegant
garments frighten you, for his reins of affairs
are in My hand.
Do not ever be surprised by his enjoying
of the worldly wealth and its ornaments,
for if I wished, I could give you such ornaments
that whenever Pharaoh sees you, he would
find himself incapable before it.”
*
*
- "But I prefer you two to him.
Therefore I alienated the world from you,
for this is the way I treat My friends. I
will give them that amount of worldly blessings
which a shepherd gives to his sheep from
the herbs of destruction.
I keep My friends from compromise with world
in the same way that a kind camel driver
keeps his camels from precipices.
Therefore, keeping My friends from the world
is not because they have no value for Me
but it is because I wish to give them a perfect
share of safety and honor.”
*
*
- “The ornaments of My friends
before Me are humility, modesty and the fear
that have dwelt in their hearts and are manifest
in their bodies such a state is their inner
and outer form and will lead to their prosperity
so that they will attain the positions they
desire.
Their victory lies in the same humility
upon which they pride themselves.
This is the feature by which they are known.”
*
*
“O Moses! Whenever you
meet them, lower your wing for them,
treat them saftly and humble your heart
and tongue for them and know that whoever
frightens My friends, has risen to fight
Me and I will be wrathful to him on the
Day of Judgment.”
h-
Praise God before Dua
Hareth Ibne Moghayreh has reported
on the authority of Imam Sadeq (AS):
*
*
422.
“A person entered a mosque,
performed two Rak’at of prayer
and asked something from God.
The Holy Prophet (SAW) said: This
man has been in a hurry in the
presence of God. Another
man came, performed
a two-Rak’at prayer, then
praised God and sent greetings
to the Messenger of God.
The Holy Prophet (SAW) said: Express
your desire and it will be fulfilled.”
*
*
423.
“In the book of Amiralmomenin,
it has been pointed out: The
place of expressing is after
praising God.
Therefore, whenever you wish
to recite Dua, first praise
God.”
*
*
“O the One
who are nearer to me than
my Jagular vein! O the One
who go between man and his
heart! O the One who are
superior in the eyes! O the
One who have no likeness!”
Moavieh Ibne Ammar has
reported on the authority of
Imam Sadeq (AS):
424.
“Praise God first,
then confess your wrongdoings,
then express your desire. By
God! No one’s sin
is forgiven except through
confession.”
Issa Ibne Abilghassem
has reported on the authority
of Imam Sadeq (AS):
*
*
425.
“Whenever one
of you wishes to
express his desires
to God, he should
first praise God,
for when a person
wishes to ask something
from a king, he will
use good words as
much as possible.
Therefore, when you
need something first
praise God in this
way.”
*
*
“O
you who are the Most
Generous among the
generous ones! O
You who are the Best
one whom one can
beg! O You who are
the Most Merciful
among the merciful
ones! O the One!
O the Unique! O You
on whom all depend!
O You who beget not
nor are You begotton!
O You the like of
whom does not exist.
O You who have
not chosen any
wife nor child!
O You who
will do whatever
you wish! O You
who will decree
whatever You will!
O you who will
destine (determine)
whatever you wish!
O You who go between
man and his heart!
O You who are supreme
in outlook! O You
who are like nothing!
O the All-hearing,
O the All-seeing....”
*
*
“Pronounce
the Attributes
of Allah as much
as you can, for
He has many attributes
and then send greetings
to Mohammad and
his progeny and
then say:”
*
*
“O
God! Extend Your
lawful sustenance
to me; the amount
by which I can
save face; pay
my debts; observe
the ties of kinship;
and let it be
an assistance
by which I can
perform major
and minor hajj.”
i-
Recite salawat
(greeting)
to the Holy
Prophet and
his progeny
(AS)
Abu Basir
has reported on
the authority of
Imam Sadeq (AS):
*
*
426.
“The
Holy Prophet
said: Whoever
forgets
to recite
salawat
when my
name is
mentioned
before
him, God
will lead
him to
a wrong
path through
paradise.”
Ibnolghaddah
has reported
on the authority
of Imam Sadeq
(AS):
* *
427.
“”My
father
heard
from
a man
who
had
hung
himself
to
Kaba
saying:
O God
send
greetings
upon
Muhammad.
He
said
to
him:
Don’t
shorten
that
formula
of
blessing
nor
be
unjust
to
us,
rather
say:
O God!
Send
Your
greetings
upon
Mohammad
and
his
household.”
*
*
428.
“No
one has done better than what
you did.”
Jaber
has
reported
on
the
authority
of
Imam
Baqer
(AS):
* *
429.
“A
man being in the Fire of
Hell was calling a hundred
and forty Kharif, every Kharif
having a hundred and forty
years.
Then
he invoke God through Mohammad
and his household saying:
Have mercy on me. Here
God inspired Gabriel with
a revelation saying: Descend
towards my servant, bring
him to Me from Hell.
Gabriel
said: O Lord! How can I go
into Fire? Gabriel said:
O Lord! How can I go into
Fire?
God
said: I ordered the Fire
to become cold and safe for
you.
Gabriel
said: O Lord! I do not know
where he is.
God
said: He is imprisoned in
ditch.
Going
to him and seeing that man’s
feet were tied and hung by
face, Gabriel said to him:
How long have you been in
Fire?
He
said: I do not know how long
I have been left here?
Gabriel
took him to God.
Then
God said to him:
O
my servant! How long have
you been calling on Me
in Fire?
He
said: I do not know My
Lord! God said: By My
Glory! If you had not
uttered these words,
I would have kept you
in Hell, for I have made
it My duty to forgive
any man who invokes Me
through Muhammad and
his household.
It
is for this reason that
I have forgive you to
day.”
*
*
430.
“God
says: O My servant! Has
it not happened that
someone asks a big thing
from you but you are
not willing to fulfill
it unless he brings the
most believed person
to persuade you to fulfill
those desires for the
sake of that intercessor? Let
it be known to you that
the most honorable and
supreme creature with
Me is Muhammad and his
brother Ali and the Imams
who are the medium of
nearness to Me.
Be
aware that whoever has
a great desire and wishes
for a benefit or removal
of a harm, if he calls
on Me through Muhammad
and his pure progeny,
I will fulfill his desires
far better than fulfilling
the desire of one who
has taken the most believed
creature of God as an
intercessor.”
Salman
said: I called on God and
requested Him to give me
something which is superior
to and more profitable
than ruling over the whole
world.
I
invoked God through these
honorable persons to give
me a tongue which praises
God, a heart which thanks
His blessing, a body which
can forbear all hardships. God
too fulfilled all my desires.
What
I asked God is a thousand
times better than ruling
over the whole world.
Muhammad
Ibne Ali Babvieh has
reported on the authority
of Imam Sadeq (AS):
431. “Zoleikha said: Praise is due to God who makes
kings slave because of their sins and kings slaves as a result of their
devotion.
Yusuf (AS) said: O Zoleikha! What prompted you to do so?
Zoleikha said: The beauty of your face, O Yusuf!
Yusuf said: So what will you do if you see the last prophet, whose name
is Muhammad (SAW) and he is more beautiful, more good tempered and more generous
than I am? Zoleikha said: You are right, Yusuf said: how do you know
that I am telling the truth?
Zoleikha said: As soon as you mentioned his name, his love was placed
in my heart. Here God inspired Yusuf that Zoleikha tells the
truth and since he loves Muhammad I love her too. Then God
ordered Yusuf to marry Zoleikha.
Jaber has reported on the authority of Imam Sadeq (AS):
*
*
432. “One of angels asked God to give him the power of hearing
God’s servant.
God too fulfilled his desire, hence whenever a believer recites Salawat,
the angel will firstly say peace be upon you and secondly he will say to
the Holy Prophet (SAW): O Messenger of Allah! Such and such a person sends
greetings upon you and the Holy Prophet too will say: Peace be upon him.”
Amiralmomenin (AS) has said:
*
*
433. “Four persons were given special hearing power: The Holy
Prophet (SAW), paradise, Hell and Houri (nymph of paradise).
Whenever a servant of God, completes his prayer, he should recite Salawaat,
long for paradise, take refuge to Him from Hell and wish to marry a Houri,
for whoever recites Salawaat for the Holy Prophet (SAW), his Dua will go
up to heavens.
Whoever asks God for paradise, paradise will say: O God! Give your servant
whatever he wishes.
O whoever seek refuge to God from Hell, the Hell will say: O God! Give refuge
to Your servant from what he has sought refuge.
And whoever desires Houri, the Houri will say: O God! Grant the desire of
Your servant.”
Muhammad Ibne Moslem has reported on the authority of Imam Baqer
or Imam Sadeq (AS):
*
*
434. “There is nothing more heavy in the scales of deeds than
Salawaat.
On the Day of Judgement, a man’s deeds are brought and put in the scales. They
see they are light but the Holy Prophet (SAW) brings Salwaats and put then
in the scales making them heavy.”
Hesham Ibne Saalem has reported on the authority of Imam Sadeq (AS):
435. “Dua is hidden from God (not answered) unless the supplicant
recites Salawaat.”
Imam Sadeq (AS) has also said:
*
*
436. “Whoever recites Dua without mentioning the name of the
Holy Prophet (SAW), that Dua will hover above him till he mentions the Holy
Prophet’s name in which case his Dua will go up to heavens.”
*
*
437. “Whoever has a desire, should recite Salawaat first, then
he should ask for his desire and bring his Dua to an end with Salawaat, for
God is too generous to answer two sides of Dua but abandon the middle of it
since Salawaat is not hidden to Him.”
j- Weep while you are reciting Dua
Weeping is the sign of humility and supreme position for the following
reasons:
Firstly- Weeping
suggests tender-heartedness and tender-heartedness suggests devotion and devotion
entails fulfillment of Dua.
Imam Sadeq (AS) has said:
*
*
438. “Whenever you trembled to the skin, your eyes were replete
with tears, and your heart became apprehensive, keep that state well, for you
have attained your objective.”
On the contrary, dry eyes and no tears are the sign of hardheartedness
which indicate:
1- Being away from God.
Addressing Moses (AS) God said:
* *
“O Moses! Let not your desires be too far, for it hardens your heart
and a hard heart is distant from Me.”
2- The Dua recited by such a person is not answered, for Imam Sadeq
(AS) has said:
*
*
“God does not accept any Dua from a hard heart.”
Secondly- Weeping
suggests man’s cutting off of hope with all but God and a sign of being
humble, about which the Holy Prophet (SAW) has said:
*
*
439. “Whenever God loves a servant, He will place a hue of sorrow
in his heart, for He loves grief-stricken heart.
One who is weeping out of fear for God, will not enter Hell so long as milk
does not return to a mother’s breast.
One who endeavors in the way of God, will never go to Hell.
Whenever God hates a man, He will place in his heart a hymn of laugh which
will make his heart wither.
God does not love those who indulge in merrymaking.”
Thirdly- Weeping
is concordant with God’s decree to His Messengers including to prophet
Jesus (AS):
*
*
440. “O Jesus! Bring to me as gift the tears of your eyes and
the tear of your heart.
Stand on the graveside of the deceased and call them loudly so that they
will hear your sermon say to yourself: I too will join them.
Shed tears for My sake and humble your heart to Me.
O Jesus! Seek help from Me in hardships, for I will help the grief-stricken
ones and answer the depressed ones, since I am the Most Merciful of the merciful
ones.”
And in His revelation to Moses (AS) God says:
*
*
441. “O Moses! When you are calling upon Me, you should be fearful,
sympathetic and broken-hearted.
Rub your face against the earth, and prostrate before Me with your best body
parts. When you are standing before Me, raise your hands for begging
in Qunut and invoke Me fearfully in supplication.
During your lifetime, you must enliven My Torah, teach My virtues to the
ignorant and remind them of My blessings and say to them: Do not ever keep
on staying in bewilderment, for My chastisement will be painful.
O Moses! Let not your desires be too far in the world, for it will make
you hardheated and the hardhearted are distant from Me.
Let your heart wither from fear of Me, let your garment be old and torn but
your heart new.
Be unknown for the inhabitants of the earth and familiar for the inhabitants
of heavens.
Dwell at home and keep awake praying at night, be obedient to Me as the patient
ones, cry out towards Me because of too many sins, cry out as a man who is
escaping from the enemy and seek My assistance, for I am the Best Helper.”
God has also said:
*
*
442. “O Moses! Make Me your shield and leave to Me your treasure
which is your good deeds.”
Fourthly-There
are virtues in shedding tears which are not found in other prayers.
In a Hadith, we read:
*
*
443. “Between paradise and Hell, there is a defile which no
one can pass but those who shed tears out of fear of God.”
It has been reported on the authority of the Holy Prophet (SAW):
*
*
444. “God blessed Me and said: By My Glory! What those who shed
tears receive from Me can never be received by the worshippers.
I will build palaces for them in lofty places, and others will not share
it with them.”
God inspired prophet Moses in this way:
*
*
445. “Cry for yourself as long as you are in this world, fear
those things which make you entitled to Fire and annihilation.
Don’t by deceived by ornaments and beauty of the worldly life.”
God inspired prophet Jesus in this way:
*
*
446. “O Issa, son of Maryam! Cry for yourself as a person who
is saying farewell to his family, leaving the world for those who love it and
is fond of things he has with God.”
It has been reported on the authority of Amiralmomenin (AS):
*
*
447. “When God was speaking to Moses (AS), Allah’s interlocutor
said: O God! What is the reward of one who sheds tears out of fear of You?
God said: O Moses! I will protect his face from the Fire of Hell and I will
spare him on a Day when there is loud cries.”
Imam Sadeq (AS) has said:
*
*
448. “All eyes are weeping on the Day of Judgment except three
eyes: Those eyes which do not see unlawful things, those eyes which pass the
night in prayer and those eyes which shed tear out of fear of God.”
*
*
449. “Every thing has a weight and a measure save tear a drop
of which can extinguish seas of fire. When eyes are replete with tears,
that face will experience neither hardship nor disgrace on the Day of Judgment.
When tears run from eyes, God will make that face Haram (forbidden) for the
Fire. If someone cries for an Ummah, God will make all of them entitled
to His mercy.”
*
*
450. “On the Day of Judgement there are no eyes which are not
weeping save those eyes which had wept out of fear of God.
No eyes were replete with tears out of fear of God unless God made other
parts of his body haraam to the Fire.
No tearful eyes have ever experienced hardship and humiliation.
Everything has a weight and measure save tears with a small amount of
which God will extinguish seas of fire.
If a man weeps for an ummah, God will make that ummah entitled to His mercy
as a result of the weeping of the same servant.”
Moavieh Ibne Ammar has reported on the authority of Imam Sadeq (AS):
*
*
451. “In the last will of the Holy Prophet (SAW) to Imam Ali
(AS) it has been pointed out: O Ali! I recommend you to observe some virtues.
Then the Holy Prophet said: O God! Help Ali to observe them.
Then he enumerated those virtues until he said: The fourth one is weeping
much out of fear of God against every drop of which, a thousand dwellings
will be built in paradise
Abu Hamzeh has reported on the authority of Imam Baqer (AS):
*
*
452. “Nothing is more beloved to God than a drop of tear shed
in the dark of night for the fear of Allah.”
Ka’abolahbar says: By the One in whose hand my life is! If I weep
out of fear of God and tears run on my face, it is better for me than a mountain
of gold given as alms in the way of God.
Ibne Abi Amir has reported on the authority of Imam Sadeq (AS):
*
*
453. “Grand inspired prophet Moses (AS): My servants did not
gain favor through anything more beloved than three virtues.
Moses said: O God! What are those virtues?
God said: O Moses! Those virtues are piety in this world, keeping away from
sin, and weeping out of fear of Me.”
Moses said: O God! What is reward for one who has such qualities?
God said: O Moses! The pious of this world will dwell in paradise.
Those who weep out of fear of Me have a superior position which no one will
share, and as for those who have abandoned sins, on the Day of Judgment,
I will question all but I will not question them.”
In the farewell sermon of the Holy Prophet, it has been pointed out:
*
*
454. “One who sheds tear out of fear of God, against every drop
of those tears, his deeds and rewards will be as big as Mt. Ohod recorded for
him and against each drop of those tears, a spring, there will be cities and
castles no eyes have seen, no ears have heard of, and no mind has imagined.”
It has been reported on the authority of Imam Baqer (AS):
*
*
455. “Prophet Ibrahim (AS) said: O God! What is the reward of
a face wet with tears shed out of fear of You?
God said: The reward is forgiveness, and the position will be My pleasure
on the Day of Judgement.”
Ishaq Ibne Ammar reports: I said to Imam Sadeq (AS): I recite Dua and
I wish I could weep, but tears do not come to my eyes.
However when I remember a relative who has died, my heart is broken and my
tear starts running.
Is it something permissible?
Imam Sadeq (AS) said:
*
*
456. “Yes, it is: Remember the deceased and when your heart
is broken weep for God’s
sake.”
Tabaaki (Pose for weeping) |
Even if you don’t feel like weeping, pose for it so that tears
will come to your eyes.
In connection with Tabaaki, Imam Sadeq (AS) has said:
*
*
457. “Even if you are not weeping, pose as someone who is weeping.”
Saeed Ibne Yassaar reports: I said to Imam Sadeq (AS): If tears do not
come to my eyes while I am reciting Dua, can I pose as someone who is weeping?
The Imam said:
*
*
458. “Yes even if it is the size of a head of a fly.”
Abi Hamzeh has reported on the authority of Imam Sadeq (AS):
*
*
459. “When you fear something happen, or desire something, first
praise God and glorify Him as He deserves, then recite Salawaat and then shed
tears even if it is the size of a head of a fly, for my father said: The nearest
state of God’s servant to Him is to go into prostration and weep in that
state.”
Imam Sadeq (AS) has also said:
*
*
460. “If weeping does not give you a positive response, and
tears do not come to your eyes, pose as one who is weeping even if it is the
size of the head of a fly, for blessed will be your state.”
Admonition
While reciting Dua, you can