A Critical Assessment of Umm Kulthum’s Marriage to Umar

Section 2: A Study of the Chains of Transmission of the Narrations

The narrations that you went through were the most important reports that have been passed on by Sunni Muslims’ most famous books. Some of these narrations relate to the allegation that the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (a.s.) married his daughter to Umar. Some relate to the marriage of Umm Kulthum after Umar‘s death and others relate to the event of her death and her son.

Based on Sunni Muslims’ rules and principles in the science of hadith (tradition) and relying on the sayings of their scholars in `ilm al - rijal [the science of narrators‘ biographies], if one carefully looks and examines the chains of the transmission of these narrations, he will come to understand that the story in its entirety is baseless and unsubstantiated let alone the relevant details and minor incidents in connection with it?1

Now, before verifying the chains, we shall remind you of a few points concerning these narrations:

The stories that you went through in the previous section have not been reported in the two well - known and respected books, namely Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. The authors of these two books have disregarded these narrations, not mentioning them in their books.

These narrations have also not been narrated in the other Sunni books which are widely known as Sihah Sittah. Hence, all the authors of the six so - called authentic books have disregarded these traditions and agreed not to narrate them.

This story has not been related in other hadith books such as Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal. He and a group of his followers maintained that anything that is not recorded in this book – Musnad Ahmad – is not authentic.2

It is worth noting that in many cases and in different topics, Sunnis do not present their arguments with reliance on the narrations which are authentic simply because Bukhari and Muslim have not narrated them in their books or that they have not been recorded in the other Sihah books!

The Focal Point in this Regard

The focal point that can be mentioned in this regard is that this story has been narrated by their narrators from the Shia Imams, the Ahl Al - Bayt (a.s.). The above narrations have been transmitted in the books of Al - Tabaqat of ibn Sa‘ad, Al - Mustadrak of Hakim, Al - Sunan Al - Kubra of Bayhaqi and Al - Durriyat Al - Tahirah of Dulabi.

Two points must be noted concerning these narrations.

The first point: Following years of studying and reviewing Sunni Muslims‘ narrations, we have found out that when Sunnis and the opponents of the Ahl Al - Bayt (a.s.) wanted to relate a narration to the Ahl Al - Bayt (a.s.) which is in no way in harmony with those noble men‘s opinion and doctrine, they have always embarked on fabricating a narration ascribing it to one of the members of the pure progeny of the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him and his descendants.

When they wanted to find a fault with Allah‘s Prophet (S) and his noble daughter, Fatima Zahra (S.A) as well as his successor Amirul Mu‘meneen Ali (a.s.), they made up a story ascribing a saying to the Ahl Al - Bayt that they said that, for example, Ali (a.s.) sought marriage to the daughter of Abu Jahl. (Refer to the treatise that we have written concerning this subject.)

When they wanted to propagate the prohibition of temporary marriage they made every effort to criticize Ibn Abbas, who until the last moment of his life believed that temporary marriage was lawful. Thus, they forged a narration forbidding the temporary marriage and quoting a saying from Ali rebuking and taunting Ibn Abbas for believing in the permissibility of temporary marriage. They also fabricated traditions quoting them from his sons. (See the research work that we have written concerning this topic.)

When they wanted to fabricate a tradition on the merits of the companions, they made this tradition imputing it Imam Ja‘far Sadiq (a.s.) that he said that the companions were like stars. (See the book that we have written concerning this topic.)

Therefore, there is no doubt that the story of Umm Kulthum‘s marriage to Umar is a fabricated story which has no basis at all.

The second point: The Sunni Muslims have narrated this story from Imam Sadiq (a.s.), from his father as narrated in Ibn Sa‘ad‘s Al - Tabaqat or from Imam Sadiq (a.s.), from his father, from Imam Sajjad (a.s.) as narrated in Al - Mustadrak or from Hasan ibn Hasan as narrated in Al - Durriyat Al - Tahirah or from Hasan ibn Hasan, from his father as narrated by Bayhaqi in his Al - Sunan Al - Kubra.

Therefore, if the Sunni Muslims’ aim of quoting these narrations is to base their argument on them to prove their side of the story on the basis of their own standards and principles, then it depends on the authenticity of the narration according to them.

Hence, it is not possible to use the foregoing narrations on the authority of the Ahl Al - Bayt (a.s.) because Ibn Sa‘ad, the writer of Al - Tabaqat Al - Kubra has spoken insolently and disrespectfully of Imam Sadiq (a.s.) saying: He has several narrations that cannot be used to argue with since they are weak and unreliable. He was once asked: Did you hear these narrations from your father?

He said: Yes.

He was asked again and he said: I found them in my father‘s book.3

Likewise, in his Al - Mustadrak, Hakim Nisharburi narrates a tradition from Imam Sajjad (a.s.) on the authority of Imam Sadiq (a.s.) considering it to be authentic. Commenting on that tradition, Dhahabi says: The chain of transmission of this narration is cut off.4

Concerning that narration, Bayhaqi, says: This narration is mursal‟ (hurried or a tradition in which the chain of narrators is omitted.5

The narration that has been narrated from Hasan ibn Hasan in Al - Durriyat Al - Tahirah, is also similar to this. On top of that, its narrators have been weakened as shall soon be clarified. Certainly, there is no interruption in the narrations transmitted in Bayhaqi‘s Al - Sunan Al - Kubra from Hasan ibn Hasan, from his father but their chains of transmission lack authenticity and credibility especially because the narrator narrates this tradition from Hasan ibn Hasan ibn Abi Malikah. We shall provide the details soon.

On the other hand, if their aim of relating these narrations is to make Shiites accept them, simply because they have been narrated from the Ahl Al - Bayt (a.s.) through those who narrated traditions from the Holy Messenger of Allah (S), such an effort depends on the fact that the followers of Ahl Al - Bayt (a.s.) should verify and authenticate the transmitters of these narrations according to their own viewpoint, and this is the beginning of the debate between Shi‘ism and the Sunnite school.

Hence, the most important narrations which Sunni Muslims have made recourse to and pointed out in their books are verified and proven be unreliable and unauthentic. (By extension, other relevant narrations would be void and unauthentic).

Notwithstanding this, we shall discuss at length in this regard. To begin with, we shall discuss the chain of the transmission of the narration that has been narrated in Al - Sunan Al - Kubra of Bayhaqi, from Imam Baqir (a.s.) and from his respected father Imam Sajjad (a.s.) and in Al - Isti‟ab, from Imam Baqir (a.s.) and in Al - Sunan Al - Kubra from Hasan ibn Hasan. Then we shall study their isnad (documentation) and chains of the transmission of the other narrations so as to draw a conclusion and to expose the opponents by concrete arguments and proofs. On this basis, we say:

Bayhaqi has reported this narration in Al - Sunan Al - Kubra from Hakim Nishaburi, from Imam Baqir (a.s.), from his father Imam Sajjad (a.s.). The point is that Ahmad ibn Abdul Jabbar is also present in the chain of the transmission of the narration, and we shall now study his biography.

Ahmad ibn Abdul Jabbar as Seen by Biographers

Some of the comments made by biographers concerning Ahmad ibn Abdul Jabbar are as follows:

Ibn Abi Hatim says: I have written many narrations reported by Ahmad, but because a lot of people are speaking [highly of] him, I have refrained from narrating them.

Ibn Mu‘ein says: He used to lie.

Abu Ahmad Hakim also says about him: Ahmad ibn Abdul Jabbar is weak according to biographers. That is why Ibn Uqdah has disregarded his narrations.

Ibn Adi also says about him: The people of Iraq unanimously consider him as weak (untrustworthy).6

Yunus ibn Bukair as Seen by Biographers

Yunus ibn Bukair is also in the chain of the transmitters of the narrations. Some biographers’ sayings about him are as follows:

Ajuri, from Abi Dawud narrated that Yunus ibn Bukair is not trustworthy according to him. He used to take a clause from Ibn Ishaq‘s sayings and attach it with the traditions.

Nesai says about him: Yunus is not good in narrating traditions. He has also been reported as having said: Yunus is weak in terms of narrating traditions.

Jowzjani says about Yunus: It is appropriate to look into his work carefully.

Saji says: Ibn Madini never transmitted narrations from Yunus; nevertheless, he is counted among the honest narrators by Sunni Muslims.

Ahmad ibn Hanbal says about him: The people hated and detached themselves from no one as much as they hated and detached themselves from him.

Ibn Abi Shaybah says: He was characterized by weakness

Saji says: Yunus was a truthful person, the only flaw with him was that he used to follow the rulers and he was a follower of the Murji‘ah‘7 sect.8

Amr ibn Dinar as Seen by Biographers

This narration has also been quoted by Ibn Abd al - Barr and Ibn Hajar on the authority of Imam Baqir (a.s.) with Amr ibn Dinar being present in the chain of the transmission. We have mentioned below comments made by some biographers about him:

Maymuni narrates from Ahmad ibn Hanbal that Amr ibn Dinar is weak in terms of transmitting narrations and that he was a reporter of weak [munkar] traditions.

Ishaq ibn Mansur narrates from Ibn Ma‘ein that he is not noteworthy from a biographical perspective. Ya‘qub ibn Shaybah has also narrated from Ibn Ma‘ein that he said that Amr ibn Dinar is a dhahib Al - hadith.9

Amr ibn Ali says about him: - The narrations from Amr are weak in terms of transmission.‖ He narrated munkar10 traditions from Salim, from ibn Umar, from Allah‘s Messenger (S).

Abu Hatim has narrated the same saying: - All of his narrations are denounced.

Abu Zur‘ah says about Amr: His narrations are vagarious.

Bukhari says: He is a man who should be looked at with uncertainty and hesitation.

Abu Dawud says about his narrations: They are not noteworthy.

Tirmidhi says: He is not strong in terms of transmitting traditions. Nasai declares his opinion about Amr by saying: He is not reliable since he has narrated denounced traditions from Salim.

Elsewhere, he says: He is weak in terms of transmitting traditions.

Jowzjani and Dar Qutni have made similar remarks about him.

Ibn Hibban says: Whoever looks at his narrations, becomes surprised; he has narrated Mawdu’ah11 traditions from trustworthy narrators.

In the book of Al - Awsat, Bukhari also writes as such about him: His narrations can neither be followed nor can they be considered authentic.

Ibn Ammar Mawseli says about Amr: He is weak in terms of transmitting traditions.

Saji also makes a similar remark saying: He is weak in terms of transmitting traditions for he has narrated denounced traditions from Salim.12

These were some of the remarks made by biographers concerning Amr ibn Dinar. Hence, the conclusion is that the narration which he has transmitted in connection with the subject matter is worthless. What is more, Sufyan ibn Uyainah is also in the chain of these narrators.

Sufyan ibn Uyainah as Seen by Biographers

Bayhaqi has also reported this narration from Hasan ibn Hasan, from his noble father (S). Among the people in the chain of the transmission of the tradition is Sufyan ibn Uyainah. What follows is what some biographers have some commented on him:

Ibn Ammar says: I heard Yahya ibn Saeid Qattan saying: Bear witness that Sufyan ibn Uyainah lost his mind in the year 197 (A.H.). Therefore anyone who heard a narration from him in this year or in the following years, cannot be trusted.

After quoting Ibn Ammar, while answering the question of Dhahabi, Ibn Hajar Asqalani says: This has been reported by Dhahabi only because Ibn Ammar is among the trusted intellectuals. There would be no problem, if Yahya ibn Saeid heard it from a group of pilgrims in that year and testified it simply because he trusted them due to the fact that there were many people who reported the same.

I found a saying from Yahya ibn Saeid that can form a reason why Ibn Ammar narrated from him, concerning Ibn Uyainah. While elaborating on the biography of Ismail ibn Abi Saleh Muadhin, in Tarikh Baghdad, Abu Sa‘ad Sam‘ani narrates, with a strong chain of transmission from Abdul Rahman ibn Bushr ibn Hakam, that he heard Yahya ibn Saeid saying: I told Ibn Uyainah: You have written traditions but when you narrate them these days, you add and omit something from their chains of transmission!’

He said: You should obtain the traditions in the same way as you heard them earlier, because I have become old now.

Abu Mu‘een Razi writes as part of the annotations which he has written on Ahmad ibn Hanbal‘s Al - Iman: - Haroon ibn Ma‘aruf told Ahmad: The health condition of Ibn Uyainah had deteriorated during the last moments of his life.‖ Sulayman ibn Harb also told him: Ibn Uyainah has made a lot of mistakes in most of the narrations that he has reported from Ayyub.13

Waki’ bin Jarrah as Seen by Biographers

Another narrator who has transmitted this narration is Waki‘ bin Jarrah. In his Mizan Al - E‟tidal, Dhahabi quotes Ahmad ibn Hanbal about Waki‘ bin Jarrah‘s incredibleness and unreliability as a reporter because he used to curse the predecessors, drink intoxicants and give false verdicts.14

Khatib Baghdadi narrates on the authority of Na‘eem ibn Hammad that he had his dinner – or breakfast – with Waki‘. Waki said: Which one do you like me to bring you, old men‘s special nabiz (wine of raisins or dates) or young men‘s special nabiz?

I said: Do you speak of such things?

He said: I believe this is more halal (permissible) than the Euphrates‘water.15

Ibn Hajar reports from Ahmad that Waki‘ has erred in as many as five hundred traditions.16

He has reported from Muhammad b. Nasr Marwazi that in the last days of his life, Waki‘ used to narrate traditions from his own mind changing his sentences.17

Ibn Juraij as Seen by Biographers

Ibn Juraij too, is one the transmitters of this tradition. Regarding him, Ibn Hajar writes: Malik says: - When it comes to narrating a tradition, Ibn Juraij is like someone collecting firewood in the darkness.18

Ibn Mu‘een says: - The narrations that he has narrated from Zuhri are not worthy of attention.

Ahmad says: When Ibn Juraij says: ‘Someone said,’ and ‘I am reporting,’ he is in fact narrating a denounced [munkar] narration.

Yahya ibn Saeid says: Whenever Ibn Juraij says that someone (or so and so) said, it is like he is speaking out his own mind [he is not reporting from anyone].

Ibn Madini says: I asked Yahya ibn Saeid concerning the narrations reported by Ibn Juraij from Ata Khurasani.

He said: His narrations are weak.

I told Yahya: Ibn Juraij says that Ata Khurasani reported to him. Yahya said: His words are not noteworthy; they are all weak. Ata only has given him a book.

Ibn Hibban says: Ibn Juraij used to practice tadlis19 (concealing).

Dar Qutni says: Keep away from the concealing and deceit of Ibn Juraij since his tadlis [concealing] is mean.20

Concerning Ibn Juraij‘s personality, Dhahabi writes in his Mizan Al - E‟tidal: He used to practice tadlis in narrating traditions.21

In this regard, Ibn Hajar says: Ibn Juraij used to practice tadlis in narrating narrations and used to narrate traditions by way of irsal (the absence of the link between the successor and the Prophet).22

Most importantly, Ahmad ibn Hanbal says about him: Some of the narrations that Ibn Juraij has narrated by way of irsal are forged. It was not important for him as to where he was narrating from.23

Ibn Abi Malikah as Seen by Biographers

His name is Abdullah ibn Ubaidullah and it is enough to say about him being untrustworthy that he was a special muadhin‟ (one who calls people to prayer) and the judge of Ibn Zubair.24

Now we shall once again look back at the tradition and see the narrators in the chain of transmission of the tradition which he has reported.

In the narrations of Ibn Sa‘ad and the narrations that Ibn Hajar has narrated from Ibn Abi Malikah in Al - Isabah, there is Waki‘ bin Jarrah whom we became familiar with through the details provided above.

Husham ibn Sa’ad as Seen by Biographers

One of the narrators is Husham ibn Sa‘ad about whom Dhahabi writes in his Mizan Al - E‟tidal:

Ahmad has said about him: Husham was not a memorizer.25 On the other hand, Yahya ibn Qattan did not narrate from him.

Dhahabi further writes: On another occasion, Ahmad says: There is no sound and authentic tradition among Husham‘s traditions.

Concerning him, Ibn Mu‘een says: His traditions are neither strong nor ignorable.

Nesai has describes him as such: Husham is weak in narrating traditions. In another statement, he says: Husham was not strong in terms of narrating traditions.

Ibn Adi says about him: Although Husham was weak in terms of narrating traditions, they are worth writing down and recording.

Ibn Hajar says about him: Dowri narrated from Ibn Mu‘een that Husham is weak in terms of narrating traditions.

Commenting on him, Abu Hatim also says: The traditions of Husham are recorded but they lack the capacity to be used for argumentation or evidence - based reasoning.

Ibn Sa‘ad says about Husham: He used to narrate a lot of traditions but he was generally considered to be weak; he was inclined towards Shi‘ism.26

Ibn Wahab as Seen by Biographers

Ibn Wahab has appeared in the narration that Ibn Abd al - Barr and Ibn Hajar have narrated with their own isnad27 from Aslam, the freed slave of Umar. Now, we shall see who he is and what biographers have said about him.

Ibn Wahab is that same Abdullah ibn Wahab Al - Qurashi who is Egyptian by origin but was allied with the Quraish.

Ibn Adi and Dhahabi have recorded his name in Al - Kamil fi Al - Dhu‟afa28 and Mizan Al - E‟tidal respectively.29

Ibn Mu‘een has also said something about him with intent to reproach him.30

Ibn Sa‘ad says concerning Ibn Wahab: He used to practice tadlis.31 That is, he concealed the truth about the isnad of the tradition to create the impression that he heard the hadith in person.

Ahmad ibn Hanbal says about him: The traditions which Ibn Wahab has narrated from Ibn Juraij need to be examined and contemplated upon (for they may not be true).

Confirming what Ahmad ibn Hanbal has said about Ibn Wahab, Abu Awanah says: Ahmad has said the truth, because Ibn Wahab has transmitted reports which none other than him has reported.32

Musa ibn Ali Lakhmi as Seen by Biographers

Khatib Baghdadi has reported this narration with his own isnad from Laith ibn Sa‘ad, from Musa ibn Ali ibn Rabah Lakhmi, from his father, from Uqbah ibn Amir Juhani who are all verifiable in terms of trustworthiness and reliability.

According to Suyuti: Musa ibn Lakhmi was the governor of Egypt from 155 until 161 A.H.33

Ibn Hajar says about him: Musa took the governorship of Egypt in the year 161 AH.34

Sam‘ani says concerning Musa Lakhmi: He was the governor of Egypt.35

Ibn Mu‘een has commented on him by saying: Musa is not good in narrating tradition.

Regarding Musa Lakhmi, Ibn Abd al - Barr writes: The narrations that Musa has narrated alone are not strong.36

Ali ibn Rabah Lakhmi as Seen by Biographers

Ibn Hajar has studied Ali Lakhmi‘s life and made reference to certain facts about him in his book in which he writes:

He came to Muawiyah as a representative.

He used to say: I shall not pardon whoever named me Ali‘ because my name is Ulai‘.

He was treated with respect by Abdul Aziz (the son of Marwan and brother of Abdul Malik who was for some time the governor of Egypt) until a time when Abdul Aziz got angry at him and sent him to a battle in Africa. He remained there in Africa until he died.37

Uqbah ibn Amir Juhani as Seen by Biographers

Uqbah has been criticized and considered unreliable by many biographers:

He was one of the governors and agents of Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan. Sam‘ani says: Uqbah was present during the conquest of Egypt and he got the measurement of that area. In the year 44, after the death of Utbah son of Abu Sufyan, he served as the commander of Muawiyah‘s army in Egypt. Then in the year 47, Muawiyah dispatched him for a naval combat.38

Ibn Hajar says about Uqbah: He was appointed governor of Egypt by Muawiyah in the year 44.39

Suyuti has also said the same thing about him.40

He was the murderer – or one of the murderers – of Ammar ibn Yasir. In this regard, Ibn Sa‘ad writes: Ammar (may Allah bless him) was killed at the age of 91. He had been born before the Prophet of Allah (S). In the Battle of Siffin, Ammar was confronted by three people; Uqbah ibn Amir Juhani, Umar ibn Harith Khulani and Sharik ibn Salamah Muradi. When they had surrounded him, Ammar told them: I swear by Allah, if you attack me and push us back as far as to Hajar palm grove, I would still be sure that we are on the right side and you are not.

It was then that they attacked and killed him. Some people thought that Uqbah ibn Amir had killed Ammar.

He was the man who bate up Ammar by the order of Uthman.

After the above account of the conversation, Ibn Sa‘ad says: Uqbah is the person who bate Ammar at the behest of Uthman bin Affan.41

Based on the foregoing account, we do not see any need to examine the biographies of Laith bin Sa‘ad and other people in Khatib Baghdadi‘s chain of the transmitters of the narration.

Ata Khurasani as Seen by Biographers

One of the narrators of this narration is Ata Khurasani. Bukhari has mentioned him in the book titled Al - Dhuafa Al - Saghir.42

Ibn Hibban has made mention of him in Al - Majruhin.43 Uqaili has mentioned his name in his book titled Al - Dhuafa Al - Kabir.44

Dhahabi has provided Ata Khurasani‘s biographical details in two of his books namely Mizan Al - E’tidal and Al - Mughni fi Al - Dhuafa’.45

Sam‘ani says about Ata Khurasani: He was a man of bad memory, had a lot of mistakes, erred unknowingly and these narrations were transmitted from him. When these problems were noted with his narrations, they were no longer used as proofs and reasons as they were considered worthless and unacceptable.46

In addition, there is interruption and disconnection with this narration of his because Ata was born in the year 50 and he died in the year 133 or 150 of the Islamic calendar. Therefore he must have narrated these narrations from someone else whose name he has not mentioned.

Muhammad ibn Umar Waqidi as Seen by Biographers

One of the narrators who have reported this narration is Muhammad ibn Umar Waqidi. Biographers have also said a lot about him:

Ahmad ibn Hanbal says: He is a great liar and a person who tampers with narrations.

Bukhari and Abu Hatim say: Muhammad ibn Umar is an obsolete person.

Likewise Abu Hatim and Nesai have said: He used to forge narrations.

Ibn Rahwaih says: In my opinion, he is one of those who fabricated narrations.

Ibn Mu‘een says: He is not a reliable and trustworthy person.

Dar Qutni says: He is characterized by weakness in terms of narrating traditions.

Ibn Adi says: Traditions transmitted by him are not protected and coherent; evil and complications arise from them.

Sam‘ani says: Much has been said about him.

Ibn Khallakan says: The biographers have weakened him in terms of narrating traditions and they have said a lot concerning him.

Yafe’ei says: Prominent traditionists have labeled him as weak.

Dhahabi says: There is an all - out agreement about disregarding his narrations.47

Abdul Rahman ibn Zaid as Seen by Biographers

Another person who has narrated this tradition is Abdul Rahman ibn Zaid. Abu Talib says: Ahmad ibn Hanbal said concerning Abdul Rahman ibn Zaid: He is weak in terms of narrating traditions.

Abdullah ibn Ahmad says: I heard my father disparaging Abdul Rahman and saying: - He narrates denounced traditions.

Dowri says: Ibn Mu‘een says about Abdul Rahman: His narrations are not noteworthy.

Bukhari and Abu Hatim say about him: Ali ibn Madini has strongly disparaged (weakened) him.

Abu Dawud says: Zaid ibn Aslam‘s children are all weak in terms of narrating traditions.‖

Nesai and Abu Zur‘ah have said about Abdul Rahman: He is weak in terms of narrating traditions.

Abu Hatim says: Abdul Rahman is not strong in reporting traditions.

Ibn Hibban comments on Abdul Rahman by saying: Owing to ignorance, he used to narrate the traditions inversely to an extent that he narrated a lot of mursal [lit. hurried] traditions as marfu [attributed] traditions and a lot of the mawquf48 traditions with chains of transmission and it is because of the same reason that his narrations are denounced and disregarded.

Ibn Sa‘ad says: He has reported a lot of narrations, but surely he is weak in terms of narrating traditions.

Ibn Khuzaymah says: Abdul Rahman is among the people who are of poor memory due to which the scholars and experts never use his narrations to present their argument.

Saji says: His narrations are munkar [denounced].

Tahawi says: His narrations are weak according to scholars of hadith.

Jowzjani says: Zaid‘s children are weak in terms of narrating traditions.

Hakim and Abu Na‘eim say: Abdul Rahman used to narrate forged traditions from his father.

Ibn Jauzi says: Biographers are unanimous about him being dhaif [weak].49

Zaid ibn Aslam as Seen by Biographers

Another narrator of this narration is Zaid ibn Aslam. Biographers have written that he has transmitted narrations from Jabir ibn Abdullah Ansari and Abu Hurairah, while Ibn Mu‘een has said: Zaid had never heard any narration from either Jabir or Abu Hurairah.

Thus many narrations reported from other companions have been attributed to him to make the impression that he himself has reported those narrations from them whereas in fact he had never heard them.

Ibn Abd al - Barr has also said the same thing about him and Ibn Hajar has quoted him and seen eye to eye with him in this regard. He says: Ibn Abd al - Barr has said things in the introduction to his book Al - Tamhid which show that Zaid practiced tadlis in narrating traditions.

Moreover, Ibn Umar has been quoted as having said: I do not know any weaknesses in him other than the fact that he interpreted the Quran based on his own personal opinion and he went to extremes in doing this.50

What was said above ignores the biographies of the narrators of this tradition in between Ibn Abd al - Barr, Ibn Hajar and Ibn Wahab.

Zubair ibn Bakkar as Seen by Biographers

Ibn Hajar has reported this narration in his Al - Isabah from Zubair ibn Bakkar. Zubair was the judge of the city of Makkah and was among the people who disobeyed the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (a.s.) and the Prophet‘s Household (a.s.) going astray. With that said about him, he has also been disparaged and reproached by Sunnite scholars. Zubair died in the year 256 A.H.

It has been reported from Ibn Abi Hatim that he saw Zubair but he did not write any traditions from him.

Ahmad bin Ali Sulaymani has mentioned Zubair ibn Bakkar in Al - Dhu‟afa (a book on weak and unreliable narrators) and has commented on him as such: His narrations are denounced.

In addition, Ibn Hajar‘s narration from Zubair has been transmitted by way of irsal (the absence of the link between the successor and the Prophet (S)).51

A Study of the Chains of Transmission of Narrations about Umm Kulthum’s Marriage to Umar

What has been mentioned had to do with the main story which was, by way of the biographical study, proven to be baseless. Now we shall review the narrations concerning the marriage of Umm Kulthum after Umar‘s death. Sunni sources have passed on narrations concerning Umm Kulthum‘s life as per which the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (a.s.) married Umm Kulthum to ‗Awn ibn Ja‘far. The main and original source of this narration is Al - Durriyat Al - Tahirah which other sources such as Usd Al - Ghabah, Al - Isabah, Dhakhair Al - Uqba etc. have cited from.

This narration from Hasan ibn Hasan has been reported through Ahmad ibn Abdul Jabbar, Yunus ibn Bukair and Ibn Ishaq, from Hasan ibn Hasan. Of course we have already examined the chain of the transmission of this narration.

Dulabi has transmitted this narration with his own chain from Ibn Shahab Zuhri, who was among the famous deviants going astray from the path of the Prophet‘s household, peace be upon them.52

In this study, we have skipped the biographies of other narrators and we are just reminding you of one thing and that is, Ibn Muni‘ – who has narrated from Zuhri – was the brother of Husham ibn Abdul Malik‘s wife.53

A Study of the Authenticity of the Narrations Concerning Umm Kulthum’s Death

The narrations which are about Umm Kulthum‘s death have, for the most part, been narrated by Ibn Sa‘ad in his Al - Tabaqat Al - Kubra. We shall now examine their chains of transmission and then their significations.

There is no doubt that most of the chains of the transmitters of this narration end to Amir Shu‘abi. Hence, we shall now explore his personality and try to figure out who he is.

A Look at the Biography of ‘Amir Shu’abi

He was born during the last six years Umar‘s reign. He died after the hundredth hegira year. His narrations are, therefore, mursal (i.e. the chain of narrators is omitted). Shu‘abi was the judge of the Marwan family.

He was amongst the deviants who opposed the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (a.s.) to the extent that he went to Hajjaj and spoke ill of him (a.s.) and cursed him. Hasan Basri was enraged witnessing this. He advised him not to curse Ali (a.s.).54

His grudge and enmity impelled him to say: - Ali had never read the Quran nor had he memorized it!‖ This unconsidered saying made some people oppose him and reject what he had said about Ali (a.s.).55

It was because of this enmity that he was led to fabricate narrations such as the following:

Abu Bakr prayed on Fatima, the daughter of Allah‘s Prophet (S) and recited four takbirs.

When Fatima passed away, Ali buried her at night and took Abu Bakr by his arm helping him to offer prayer on Fatima.

The fact that this narration is fabricated is so obvious that Ibn Hajar has been compelled to write under it: - This narration is weak and disconnected.56

Likewise this enmity has made him go as far as to consider Harith Hamedani as a liar (because he was Shiite) but he was objected to for having leveled such an accusation against him.

Ibn Hajar says in this regard: While quoting Ibrahim about Shu‘abi refuting Harith, Ibn Abd al - Barr writes in his book titled Al - Ilm: I think Shu‘abi should be punished because he has refuted Harith and called him a liar. This is because Harith had not been seen lying, and his only crime was his excessive love of Ali, peace be upon him.57

A Look at the Biography of Ammar ibn Abi Ammar

In view of the fact that some of the narrations end with Ammar ibn Abi Ammar, a quick glimpse into his biographical account reveals that a number of the leaders of Jarh‘ (lit. to injure) and Ta‘dil‘ (lit. to adjust)58 such as Shu‘abah ibn Hajjaj, Bukhari, Ibn Hibban and others have reproached him.59

A Look at the Biography of Nafi’

Some of these narrations are connected to Nafi‘, the master of Ibn Umar. Hence, we must have a short glimpse of his biography. To understand the type of his character, it is enough to know that Abdullah ibn Umar had said to Nafi‘:

‘Oh Nafi‘ fear Allah and do not ascribe lies to me in the same way as Ikramah used to ascribe lies to Ibn Abbas.’

This saying of Ibn Umar about Nafi‘ and Ikramah, is famous. Additionally, Ahmad ibn Hanbal‘s saying about Nafi‘ is worthy of notice. He says: Nafi‘s narrations from Umar are cut - off and disconnected.60

A Look at the Biography of Abdullah Al - Bahi

Some of these narrations are connected to Abdullah Al - Bahi who is better known as Abdullah ibn Yasar.

Concerning him Ibn Hajar says: Abdullah was the master Mus‘ab ibn Zubair, therefore, his narrations are mursal’ (incompletely transmitted).

Whenever this man narrates from Aisha, he says, ‘Aisha narrated to me.’ The scholars have refuted him and said that he narrates only from Urwah ibn Zubair.

Ibn Abi Hatim has also made mention of Abdullah Al - Bahi in his Kitab Al - Ilal reporting from his father that argument cannot be built on Al - Bahi‘s narrations as they are disordered and shaky.61

What has so far been said was about the chains of the transmitters and documentation of the narrations regarding Umm Kulthum.

Of course, we have, for the sake of brevity, closed eyes to biographies of other individuals who have transmitted this narration.

Notes

1. We can divide the narrators of these narrations into two groups: People who have been weakened (considered as unreliable) and accused of lying by Sunni scholars; People who are though trusted by Sunni scholars, their hatred and malice towards the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (a.s.) was an obvious and indisputable historical reality. It is pertinent to mention that, the narrations from this group of narrators – especially those against Ali bin Abi Talib (a.s.) – are not acceptable to Shia.

2. Vide: Nafaht Al - Azhar, 2/27 and next.

3. Tahdhib Al - Tahdhib, 2/94.

4. Talkhis Al - Mustadrak, 3/142.

5. Al - Sunan Al - Kubra, 7/102.

6. Tahdhib Al - Tahdhib, 1/47.

7. Murji‘ah was a group of Muslims who proclaimed: - No sin is harmful with faith

8. Tahdhib Al - Tahdhib, 11/383.

9. Meaning the traditions transmitted by him are worthless.

10. Munkar literally means 'denounced'. If a narration which goes against another authentic hadith is reported by a weak narrator, it is known as munkar.

11. Hadith Mawdu', a tradition fabricated by the narrator and falsely ascribed to Prophet Muhammad (S) or his descendants, peace be upon them.

12. Tahdhib Al - Tahdhib, 8/27.

13. Tahdhib Al - Tahdhib: 4/108 and 109.

14. Mizan Al - E‘tidal, 7/127.

15. Tarikh Baghdad, 13/477.

16. Tahdhib Al - Tahdhib, 11/111.

17. Ibid, 11/114.

18. This phrase is used in scientific books to make a sarcastic remark about mixing up of the right and wrong and truth and falsehood.

19. A person reports from his shaikh whom he met, what he did not hear from him, or from a contemporary of his whom he did not meet, in such a way as to create the impression that he heard the hadith in person. A mudallis (one who practices tadlis) here usually uses the mode ("on the authority of") or ("he said") to conceal the truth about the isnad.

20. Tahdhib Al - Tahdhib, 6/354 and 355.

21. Mizan Al - E‟tidal, 4/404.

22. Taqrib Al - Tahdhib,1/617.

23. Mizan Al - E‟tidal, 4/404.

24. Tahdhib Al - Tahdhib, 5/272.

25. According to some scholars, a memorizer in the science of diraya (biography) and traditions is said to be a person who has memorized one hundred traditions together with their chains of transmission.

26. Dhahabi adds: - Ibn Abd al - Barr has mentioned his name among the people who are counted as weak but whose narrations are written, and Ya‘qub ibn Sufyan has also considered him to be among the weak.

27. The chain of authorities attesting to the historical authenticity of a particular hadith.

28. Al - Kamil fi Al - Dhu‟afa: 5/336.

29. Mizan Al - E’tidal, 4/223.

30. Al - Kamil fi Al - Dhu’afa, 5/336 and 337 and Mizan Al - E’tidal: 4/223 and 224.

31. Tahdhib Al - Tahdhib, 6/67 and 68.

32. Tahdhib Al - Tahdhib, 6/67 and 68.

33. Husn Al - Muhadharah, 2/12.

34. Tahdhib Al - Tahdhib, 10/323.

35. A - Ansab 5/134.

36. Tahdhib Al - Tahdhib, 10/323.

37. Tahdhib Al - Tahdhib, 7/271 and 272.

38. Al - Ansab, 2/134.

39. Tahdhib Al - Tahdhib, 7/209 and 210.

40. Husn Al - Muhadharah, 2/8.

41. Al - Tabaqat Al - Kubra, 3/196.

42. Al - Dhuafa Al - Saghir, 178 and 179.

43. The book of Al - Majruhin, 2/130 and 131.

44. Al - Dhuafa Al - Kabir, 3/405.

45. Mizan Al - E‟tidal, 5/92, Al - Mughni fi Al - Dhuafa, 2/59.

46. Al - Ansab, 2/337.

47. See: Mizan Al - E’tidal, 6/273, Al - Mughni fi Al - Dhuafa, 2/354, Al - Kashif, 3/65, Mir’at) Al - Jinan, 2/36 in the happenings of the year 207, Al - Ansab, 5/567, Taqrib Al - Tahdhib, 2/117 and Tabaqat Al - Hifadh (page 81), 149 and other sources.

48. Mawquf refers to a narration attributed to a Companion, whether a statement of that companion, an action or otherwise."

49. You can find this matter and other sayings in the book of Tahdhib Al - Tahdhib, 6/162 and 163.

50. You can find these statements and also other sayings in Tahdhib Al - Tahdhib volume 6 pages 162 and 163.

51. Tahdhib Al - Tahdhib, 3/278.

52. Refer to the treatise I have written concerning the narration about Ali's proposal to Abu Jahl's daughter.

53. Tahdhib Al - Tahdhib, 7/13.

54. Ihya Al - Ulum, 2/346.

55. Ghayat Al - Nihaya fi Tabaqat Al - Qura‟, 1/541.

56. Al - Isabah, 8/267.

57. Tahdhib Al - Tahdhib, 2/135.

58. The phrase Al - jarh wa Al - ta'dil refers to a systematic approach to critiquing a narrator's position as a narrator.

59. Tahdhib Al - Tahdhib, 7/341, Taqrib Al - Tahdhib, 1/707.

60. Tahdhib Al - Tahdhib, 10/370.

61. Tahdhib Al - Tahdhib, 6/82 and 83.

The Constituents of Supplication

One of the important issues included in the holy verse regarding supplication and Almighty God's promise to respond (2:186) is that it has mentioned some constituents for supplication:

The first constituent is the the attraction between the supplicant and Allah.

The second constituent is the supplicant who should have certain conditions for his supplication to be responded to. The supplicant should be sincere in his intention. This is because, as it has been mentioned earlier, the mouth's tongue should express the heart's tongue. Therefore a wandering heart (Lahi) and an ignorant heart (Sahi) can not be a supplicant (da'ee).

The third constituent is Allah (or Mad'uo—the invoked one). This means that the supplicant should recognize his God and should know that Allah is unique.

Now we will deal, in more details, with each one of these constituents so that we can use supplication with more insight and benefit from this treasure, which is of great significance to God's servants.

The fourth condition for a supplicant is to be sincere. It means that he should call only God and no one else.

فَادْعُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ .

“Therefore call upon Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience. 40:14”

A servant of God should not assume that anybody else could help him except God. His heart should be ready to invoke the One and Only God about his needs and tell Him his untold and hidden secrets and disconnect himself from any means other than God. If he sees that the superficial means is effective, he should realize that the effecter and influencer is God. In the holy Qur'an we read:

أَمَّنْ يُجِيبُ الْمُضطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ السُّوءَ .

“Or,Who answers the distressed one when he calls upon Him and removes the evil. 27:62”

Yes, a non-afflicted and non-depressed person does not know who the real manager of the affairs is. But an afflicted and depressed person knows that the initiation and the end of everything is God alone. A real monotheist considers the others as a means to get to one's goals and knows that God has appointed them as an intermediary only. Imam as-Sajjad (s) invokes God by saying:

وَاجْعَلْني مِمَّنْ يَدعُوكُ مخلِصاً في الرّخاءِ دُعاءَ المُخْلِصينَ المُضْطَرّينَ لكَ في الدُّعاءِ

“O my Lord,make me among those, who, when at ease, invoke You like the supplication of the distressed sincere ones.”1

He also says:

اَللّهُمّ إنّي أخْلَصْتُ بإنقِطاعِي إلَيْكَ وَأقْبَلْتُ بِكُلِّي عَلَيكَ وَصَرَفْتُ وَجْهي عَمَّنْ يَحْتاجُ إلى رِفْدِكَ وَقَلَبْتُ مَسْألَتي عَمَّنْ لَمْ يَسْتَغْنِ عَنْ فَضْلِكَ وَرَأيْتُ أنَّ طَلَبَ المُحْتاجِ إلى المُحْتاجِ سَفَهٌ مِنْ رَأيِهِ وَضِلَّةٌ مِنْ عَقْلِهِ

“O Allah, I have become sincere by devoting myself to You, come to You with all my soul, turned away from anyone, who needs Your support and have refrained from asking anyone, who is in need to Your favor. I have found that it is foolishness and insanity when a needy one asks another needy one for support.”2

He has, as well, allocated the preface of one of his most beautiful and longest supplications to sincerity, in which he seesthat the source of every good and salvage is God. Every evil-doer or good-wisher is in the domain of Allah. He adds:

مِنْ أيْنَ لِيَ الخَيْرُ يا رَبِّ وَلا يوجَدُ إلاّ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ؟ وَمِنْ أيْنَ ليَ النَّجاةُ وَلا تُسْتَطاعُ إلاّ بِكَ؟ لا الَّذِي أحْسَنَ اسْتَغْنى عَنْ عَونِكَ وَرَحْمَتِكَ وَلا الّذي أساءَ وَاجْتَرأَ عَلَيْكَ وَلَمْ يُرْضِكَ خَرجَ عَنْ قُدْرَتِكَ يا رَبِّ

“O my Lord, where from can I get goodness whereas it is not got except fromYou , how can I get deliverance whereas it is not possible except by You? Neither he, who has donegood , does that without Your support and mercy, nor does he, who has done wrong, opposed You and has not believed in You, get out of Your power”.

The Prophet (s) says:

فَاسْأَلوا اللهَ رَبَّكم بِنِيّاتٍ صادِقَةٍ وَقُلوبٍ طاهِرَةٍ

“Invoke Allah, your god, with sincere intents and pure hearts.”

Imam as-Sadiq (s) says:

القَلْبُ السّليمُ الّذي يَلقى رَبَّهُ وَلَيسَ فيهِ أحَدٌ سِواهُ

“The true heart is the one, which has no one in it except Allah.”

تَبَحَّروا قُلوبَكُم فإنْ أنْقاها اللهُ مِنْ حَرَكَةِ الواجِسِ لِسَخطِ شَيءٍ مِن صُنْعِه فإذا وَجَدْتُمُوها كَذلِكَ فَاسْئَلوهُ ما شِئْتُم ”

“Check your hearts; if you find them free from fear and suspicion about what Allah has willed, then ask Allah for whatever you like.”

The fifth condition for a supplicant is that his invoking must be real and genuine. This means that when he asks for something and gets it, he should not show repugnance. Such a person in fact has asked for something which he does not need. Thus he has not really involved himself in supplication. This is because that the act of supplication entails lots of responsibilities which this individual has been negligent of. He may even use his tongue without intending what he says. This means that his mouth's tongue might not be in harmony with his heart's tongue. Imam Ali (s) says:

اَللّهُمّ اغْفِرْ لي ما تَقَرَّبْتُ بهِ إلَيكَ بِلِساني ثُمّ خالَفَهُ قَلبي

“O Allah, forgive me for what I have approached toYou with my tongue and then my heart has opposed it.”3

When Abraham (s) was arguing with the infidels and was praising his God, he said: My God is one, who:

الَّذِي خَلَقَنِي فَهُوَ يَهْدِينِي. وَالَّذِي هُوَ يُطْعِمُنِي وَيَسْقِينِي. وَإِذَا مَرِضْتُ فَهُوَ يَشْفِينِي. وَالَّذِي يُمِيتُنِي ثُمَّ يُحْيِينِ. وَالَّذِي أَطْمَعُ أَنْ يَغْفِرَ لِي خَطِيئَتِي يَوْمَ الدِّينِ

“Who created me,then He had shown me the way.And He who gives me to eat and gives me to drink. And when I am sick, then He restores me to health; and He who will cause me to die, then gives me life; and who, I hope, will forgive me my mistakes on the Day of Judgment. 26:78-82”

He has ascribed to God the power of guidance and the acceptance of guidance to himself. He has ascribed feeding to God and hunger and thirst to himself. He ascribed healing to God, but disease to himself. He recognizes life and death to be Allah's. He knows that to err is a matter of man but to forgive is Allah's. Then he invoked Allah by saying:

رَبِّ هَبْ لِي حُكْمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ. وَاجْعَلْ لِي لِسَانَ صِدْقٍ فِي الْآخِرِينَ. وَاجْعَلْنِي مِنْ وَرَثَةِ جَنَّةِ النَّعِيمِ. وَاغْفِرْ لِأَبِي إِنَّهُ كَانَ مِنْ الضَّالِّينَ

“My Lord,grant me wisdom, and join me with the good; and ordain for me a goodly mention among posterity; and make me of the heirs of the garden of bliss. And forgive my father, for surely he is of those who have gone astray; and disgrace me not on the day when they are raised. 26:83-86”

Abraham (s), through these words has asked God for all means of perfection. He considers himself as devoid of any sort of perfection and he has ascribed to God all good epithets.

First Constituent: The Spiritual Attraction

One of the most significant assets God has bestowed upon His servants is the spiritual attraction which is emphasized in numerous traditions:

مَنْ أعْطَى الدُّعاءَ أَعْطى الإجَابَةَ

“The one who has given you supplication will respond to it.”4

Both Sunni and Shia sources report from the Prophet (s) his saying:

الدُّعاءُ سِلاحُ المُؤمِنِ .

“Supplication is the believer's weapon.”5

In Bihar al-Anwar, we read the following tradition:

لا يَرُدُّ القَضاءَ إلاّ البَلاءُ

“Nothing causes a divine decree to be annulled except supplication.”6

Imam as-Sadiq (s) has said:

الدُّعاءُ يَرُدُّ القَضاءَ بَعْدَ ما أُبْرِمَ إبْراماً، فَأَكْثِرْ مِنَ الدُّعاءِ فإنَّهُ مِفتاحُ كُلِّ رَحْمَةٍ وَنَجاحُ كُلِّ حاجَةٍ وَلا يُنالُ ما عِنْدَ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إلاّ بالدُّعاءِ وَلَيْسَ بابٌ يَكْثُرُ قَرْعُهُ إلاّ يوشَكُ أنْ يُفتَحَ لِصاحِبِهِ

“Supplication causes a divine decree to be annulled after it has been confirmed. Practice supplication too much for it is the key to every mercy and the means for every need to be satisfied. Nothing of the blessings of Allah will be gained save by supplication. Every door that is knocked repeatedly will be opened.”7

We read in Imam Ali's will to Imam Hassan (s) mentioned in Nahj al-Balaghah:

ثُمَّ جَعَلَ في يَدِكَ مَفاتِيحَ خَزائِنِهِ بِما أَذِنَ لَكَ فِيهِ مِنْ مَسأَلَتِهِ، فَمَتی شِئْتَ اسْتَفْتَحْتَ بِالدُّعاءِ أبْوابَ نِعَمِهِ وَاسْتَمْطَرْتَ شَآبيبَ رَحْمَتِهِ

“Then Allah put into your hands the keys of His treasures when He allowed you to ask Him for what you like. So whenever you like, you can open with supplication the doors of His blessings and ladle from His mercy.”8

Imam as-Sajjad (s) says:

الحَمْدُ للهِ الّذي أُنادِيهِ كُلَّما شِئْتُ لِحاجَتي وَأَخْلو بهِ حَيثُ شِئْتُ لِسِرّي بِغَيْرِ شَفيعٍ، فَيَقْضِي لي حَاجَتي

“Praisebe to Allah, Whom I call whenever I like and become alone with Him without an intercessor so that He achieves my need.”9

Thus, supplication is a huge abundance and blessing which Allah, the Beneficent, has given to His servants. It is a treasure exposed to them. Thus anybody, who is lucky enough to gain it, will have an immense asset. Despite the fact that it may be answered or not, supplication is a great virtue by itself.10

In the Sabah (morning) Supplication, we read:

إلٰهِي إنْ لَمْ تَبْتَدِئْني الرّحْمَةَ مِنْكَ بِحُسْنِ التّوْفِيقِ فَمَن السّالِكُ بي إلَيْكَ في وَاضِحِ الطّريقِ

“O My God, if you do not bestow upon meYour mercy by making me succeed in turning towards You, then who is going to guide me to You in the clear way?”

Imam Husayn (s) says in Arafah Supplication:

إلٰهِي أطْلُبْني بِرَحْمَتِكَ حَتیّ أصِلَ إلَيكَ وَاجذِبْني بِمَنِّكَ حَتیّ أُقْبِلَ عَلَيكَ

“O my God,invite me with Your mercy to join You and attract me with Your favor so that I approach to You!”

It happens that a man, in difficult times of depression, does everything and resorts to any means but he forgets supplication, despite the fact that the only way of salvage is supplication. After suffering a lot of hardships and realizing that nobody could help him, oneresorts to supplication. Of course, this is reckoned as a success, but the real success is obtained when we resort to supplication at the initial stages of coming across with impassable hurdles so that God may open up His doors of blessings and abundance before we get despair. Shaykh al-Koleyni, concerning this issue, reports from Imam as-Sadiq (s):

هَلْ تَعْرفونَ طُولَ البَلاءِ مِنْ قِصَرِهِ؟ قلنا: لا، قال: إذا أُلْهِمَ أَحَدُكُم الدُّعاءَ عِندَ البَلاءِ فَاعْلَمُوا أنَّ البَلاءَ قَصيرٌ

“Do you recognize a long or a short duration of a calamity? We said: No. He said: If at the time of disaster it is inspired to one of you to engage in supplication, he should realize that the disaster will last short.”11

Concerning this, Imam al-Kadhim (s) says:

ما مِنْ بَلاءٍ يَنْزِلُ عَلى عَبْدٍ مُؤمِنٍ فَيُلْهِمُهُ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الدُّعاءَ إلاّ كانَ كَشْفُ ذلِكَ البَلاءُ وَشيكاً وَما مِنْ بَلاءٍ يَنْزِلُ عَلى عَبْدِ مُؤمِنٍ فَيُمْسِكُ عَنِ الدُّعاءِ إلاّ كانَ ذلِكَ البَلاءُ طَويلاً؛ فإذا نَزَلَ البَلاءُ فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالدّعاءِ وَالتَّضَرُّع ِإلى اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ

“When a calamity befalls a faithful servant and Allah inspires him to engage in supplication, that calamity will soon disappear. But if one, when afflicted with a calamity, refrains from supplication, the calamity will last long. Thus, when there is a disaster, keep on invoking Allah.”

Supplication is a Kind of Acceptance

Hafiz, the Iranian poet, says:

Hafiz, it is your duty to engage in supplication,

Do not worry if it is heard or not.

If we ponder on the issue of supplication carefully, we will understand that supplication is a kind of acceptance. Thus, “For each supplication there are, in fact, two kinds of acceptance: one is giving the chance to a supplicant to engage in the supplication in the first step, the other one is the acceptance of the supplication by God after it is uttered.

It can be said that man will not be given this chance unless the conditions are favorable. This is because the mere fact that he has the chance to involve in supplication is a great blessing. Lack of engagement in supplication is due to one's previous negligence.

Regarding this issue, there are numerous evidences from the infallible imams (s). Some of them have emphasized this topic. The Prophet (s) has said:

إنَّ اللهَ إذا أرادَ أنْ يَستَجيبَ لِعَبْدٍ أذِنَ لهُ في الدُّعاءِ

“If Allah wills to respond to a servant, He allows him to invoke Him.”

He has also said:

مَنْ فُتِحَ لهُ مِنكم بابُ الدُّعاءِ فُتِحَتْ لهُ أبوابُ الرّحْمَةِ

“If the door of supplication is opened to one of you, the doors of mercy will be opened to him.”12

The infallible Imams (s) have repeatedly referred to the same meaning.

Asking Allah to be given a chance of Supplication

Imam as-Sajjad (s) has said:

اَللّهُمَّ إجْعَلْني أَصولُ بِكَ عِندَ الضَّرورَةِ وَأسْألُكَ عِندَ الحاجَةِ وَأتَضَرَّعُ إلَيْكَ عِندَ المَسْكَنَةِ

“OAllah, let me resort to You when being afflicted with a calamity, ask You when being in need and invoke You when being helpless!”

وَلا تَفْتِنّي بالإسْتِعانَةِ بِغَيرِكَ إذا اضْطُرِرْتُ وَلا بِالخُضوعِ لِسُؤالِ غَيرِكَ إذا افتَقَرْتُ وَلا بِالتَّضَرُّعِ إلى مَنْ دُونَكَ إذا رَهِبْتُ فَأستَحِقّ بذلِكَ خُذْلانَكَ وَمَنْعَكَ وإعْراضَكَ

“O Allah, do not try me by letting me resort to other than You when being compelled, nor submit to other than You when being poor and not invoke other than You when being frightened lest I will deserve, by that, Your humiliation and Your turning away from me.”13

This statement shows that Imam as-Sajjad (s) has asked Allah, through his supplication, to give him (us) the chance to get involved in supplication. He has said:

فَذَكَروكَ بِمَنِّكَ وَشَكَروكَ بِفَضْلِكَ وَدَعَوْكَ بِأمْرِكَ

“They mentionedYou with Your mercy, thanked You for Your favors and invoked You with Your will.”14

وَأعْمِرْ لَيلي بإيقاظِي فِيهِ لِعِبادَتِكَ وَتَفَرُّدي بِالتَّهَجُّدِ لَكَ وَتَجَرُّدي بِسُكوني إلَيكَ وَإنزالِ حَوائِجي بِكَ

“O my Lord,revive my night by awakening me in it to worship You, to be alone with You, to devote myself to You and to offer my needs before You.”15

It is also narrated:

فَإنّا بِكَ وَلَكَ وَلا وَسِيلَةَ لَنا إلَيْكَ إلاّ أنْتَ

“We areYours , from You, with You and we have no means to You save by You.”16

A poet says:

“Both supplication and response are yours,

Security is from you, magnanimity is also yours.”17

These high issues show that what occurs in this world is the blessing of Allah over His servants; either the appearance of the clouds in the skies and the rain which makes the earth awaken and blossom or where the stars pray and go on prostration. Imam Husayn (s) says:

لَمْ يَمْنَعْكَ جَهْلي وَجُرْأتِي عَلَيْكَ أنْ دَلَلْتَني إلَى مَا يُقَرِّبُني إلَيْكَ وَوَفَّقْتَني لِما يُزْلِفُني لَدَيْكَ

“My negligence and opposing toYou did not make You stop guiding me to be close to You and assisting me to approach to You.”18

We have already said that not everyone would be given the honor to take part in supplication. This is especially true when a lofty position is asked for. In such cases more confirmation is necessary. This is because the degree of the elegance of each supplication depends on the amount of wisdom a supplicant has, and it reveals his dignity and position. Of course, anyone who could enjoy even a bit of this divine asset should be considered lucky. This divine asset could not be appreciated by everyone, however.

This is where the elite and wise ones ask: (accept my repentance). Of course, anyone reaching this stage will not have any of his supplications unanswered. This is the state of getting to the perfect degree of devotion and servitude, to which Imam Husayn (s) has referred in the supplication of Arafah.

إلٰهي أنا الفَقِيرُ في غِنايَ فَكَيْفَ لا أكُونُ فَقِيراً في فَقْري !

“O my Lord, I am the needy in my richness so how shall I be not needy in my poverty?”

In the Holy Qur'an, we read:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَنْتُمْ الْفُقَرَاءُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ هُوَ الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ

“O people! You are they who stand in need of Allah, and Allah is HeWho is the Self-sufficient, the Praised One. 35:15”

This indigence does not mean the need for the appliances of life; clothing, food, shelter and the like; rather by this poverty is meant the innate indigence which is in contrast with the innate richness. The number of those people, who reach this state of mind in each century, is less than the number of one's fingers.

The Permanent Attraction

Those who reach this stage will not say:

اَللّهُمَّ اجْعَلْني أَصُولُ بِكَ عِنْدَ الضّرورَةِ

“OAllah, let me resort to You when being afflicted with a calamity.”19

This is because they are under the permanent influence of supplication. There is not even a moment of negligence in their life. They are always present. No distracter may cause them lose their interest. The Satan has no way here even in the initial stages, to let alone the loftiest stages of knowledge and cognizance.

We read in the Holy Qur'an:

قَالَ فَبِعِزَّتِكَ لَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ. إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمْ الْمُخْلَصِينَ

“He said: Then by Thy Might I will surely make them live an evil life, all except Thy servants from among them, the purified ones. 38:82-3”

In other words, that lofty position is beyond the Satan's reach. At this stage, the attraction between God and His servants has reached the highest degree of elevation. Their supplication “O my Lord, fill my heart with love toYou and fear of You,”20 is already answered. There is no place in their hearts for the Satan's penetration. This is because they are among those, who say: “O my God! Let me be among those, in whose hearts the trees of longing toYou have rooted and whose hearts have been occupied with Your love so to the best of grace they resort, in the gardens of nearness and disclosure they delight and from the ponds of love they drink.”

Thus, supplication is the attraction between the Creator and the servants, which is, by itself, a kind of worship. This supplication is revealed to the servants. And we do not have to wait for the supplication to be responded. There have been numerous scholars who, when in the process of supplication, thought on nothing else and since they saw themselves as God's servants who were given the privilege to engage in supplication, they carried the order out and got busy engaging in supplication. In this process, if their supplication were answered, they saw it as another asset that God would bestow upon them. Imam as-Sadiq (s) has said:

لَقَدْ دَعَوْتُ اللهَ مَرّةً فَاسْتَجابَ وَنَسِيتُ الحَاجَةَ لأنَّ اسْتِجابَتَهُ بإقْبالِهِ عَلی عَبْدِهِ عِندَ دَعْوَتِه أعْظَمُ وَأَجَلُّ مِمّا يُريدُ مِنهُ العَبدُ

“Once I invoked Allah. My supplication was answered but I forgot my need I wanted to ask for. This is because Allah's response to His servant when invoking Him is greater and loftier to him than achieving what he wants.”21

The Prophet (s) says (that Allah has inspired to him by saying):

مَنْ شَغَلَهُ ذِكْري عَنْ مَسْألَتي أَعْطَيْتُهُ أفْضَلَ ما أُعْطي السّائِلينَ

“One, who is busy with mentioningMe and forgets his need, I will give him the best that I have ever given to the supplicants.”

We also read:

إنّ العَبْدَ لَتَكونُ لهُ الحاجَةُ إلى اللهِ فَيَبْدَأُ بِالثّناءِ عَلى اللهِ وَالصّلاةِ عَلى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِهِ حَتىّ يَنْسى حاجَتَهُ فَيَقْضِيها مِنْ غَيرِ أنْ يَسْألَهُ إيّاها

“Sometimes a servant needs something from Allah and then he begins praising Allah and praying Him to bless Muhammad (s) and his pure progeny to a degree that he forgets his need. But Allah achieves his need without being asked for it by this servant.”22

Imam as-Sajjad (s) invokes Allah by saying:

إلهِي فَأجْعَلْنا ممَّنْ هَيَّمْتَ قَلْبَهُ لإرادَتِكَ وَاجْتَبَيْتَهُ لمُشاهَدَتِكَ وَأَخْلَيْتَ وَجْهَهُ لكَ وَفَرّغْتَ فُؤادَهُ لحُبِّكَ وَرَغّبْتَهُ فيما عِنْدكَ وَقَطَعْتَ عَنهُ كُلّ شَيءٍ يَقْطَعُهُ عَنكَ

“O my Lord, make us among those, whom You have made their hearts submit to Your will, whom You have chosen to see You, whom You have attracted their faces towards You alone, whom you have emptied their hearts except from Your love, whom You have made look forward to what You have.”

The Second Constituent: the Supplicant

The second factor in supplication is the supplicant. A supplicant has to observe the following conditions:

For Himis magnanimity, pride and glory,

For us wretchedness, feebleness, and needs of all sorts.

From Imam Ali's spring of eloquence in his prayers, we also read:

إلَهي كَفى بيَ عِزّاً أنْ أَكونَ لَكَ عَبْداً، وَكَفى بي فَخْراً أنْ تَكُونَ لي رَبّاً، أنْتَ كَما أُحِبُّ فَاجْعَلْني كَما تُحِبُّ

“O my God, it is enoughhonor to me to be your humble servant and it is enough pride to me that You are my God. You are as I like so make me asYou like!”23

1) Submission

The first condition for a supplicant is to recognize his servitude toward his Creator. He has to know his status and to be aware that he is absolute poor and the only AbsoluteRich, is Allah, the Almighty. Imam Ali (s) in his prayer says:

إلهِي لَيسَ تشْبَهُ مَسألَتي مَسألَةَ السّائِلِينَ لأنَّ السّائِلَ إذا مُنِعَ إمتَنَعَ عَن السّؤالِ وأنا لا غِناءَ بي عَمّا سَألْتُكَ عَلى كُلّ حالٍ بهِ. إلَهي إرْضَ عَنّي فأعْفُ عَنّي فَقدْ يَعفو السّيِّدُ عَن عَبدِهِ وَهوَ عَنهُ غَيرُ راضٍ، إلَهي كَيفَ أدْعوكَ وَأنا أنا؟ أمْ كَيفَ أيْأسُ مِنكَ وَأنتَ أَنتَ؟

“O my Lord, my request is not like the requests of the supplicants because if a supplicant is rejected, he will refrain from asking again but I have no any other thanYou to request in any case. O my Lord, be pleased with me and forgive me! A lord may forgive his servant while he is not pleased with him. O my Lord, how do I dare to invokeYou while I am what I am? Or how do I despair ofYou while You are what You are?”24

Imam as-Sadiq (s) in his prostration says:

سَجَدَ وَجْهِيَ الذّلِيلُ لِوَجْهِكَ العَزيزِ، سَجَدَ وَجْهي البالي لِوَجْهِكَ الدّائِمِ الباقِي، سَجَدَ وَجْهي الفَقيرُ لِوَجْهِكَ الغَنيِّ الكَبيرِ، سَجَدَ وَجْهي وَسَمْعي وَبَصَري وَلَحْمي وَدَمي وَجِلْدي وَعَظْمي وَما أقَلّتِ الأرْضُ مِنّي للهِ رَبِّ العالَمِينَ

“My mean face prostrates to Your honored face, my mortal face prostrates to Your immortal face, my poor face prostrates to Your rich face, my face, my hearing, my sight, my flesh, my blood, my skin, my bones and all what is there on the earth prostrate before Allah, the Lord of the worlds.”25

Imam as-Sajjad (s) says:

وَكَيْفَ يَسْتَغْني العَبدُ عَنْ رَبِّهِ؟ سَيّدي لَمْ أزْدَدْ إلَيْكَ إلاّ فَقْراً وَلَمْ تَزْدَدْ عَنّي إلاّ غِنىً

“How can a slave do without his lord? O my Lord, I become more and more in need toYou and You are not in need to me.”26

2) Believing in God’s Power

The second condition for a genuine supplicant is to recognize Allah with the attribute of “Absolute Rich” and realize that the Creator is aware of all the contents of one's heart and is capable of satisfying all his needs and that there is no impediment and hurdle on the way of His might and power.

Imam as-Sajjad, when asking God to fulfill his needs, says:

تَمَدَّحْتَ بِالغِناءِ عَنْ خَلْقِكَ وَأنْتَ أهْلُ الغِنى عَنْهُم وَنَسَبْتَهُم إلى الفَقْرِ وَهُمْ أهْلُ الفَقْرِ إلَيْكَ فَمَنْ حاوَلَ سَدَّ خِلَّتِه مِنْ عِندِكَ، وَرَامَ صَرْفَ الفَقْرِ عَنْ نَفْسهِ بِكَ فَقَدْ طلَبَ حاجَتَهُ في مَظانِّها وأتَى طِلْبَتَهُ مِن وَجْهِها

“You have been praised with being not in need ofYour creatures and You deserve this attribute. You have consideredYour creatures as needy and they are so in their need to You. Whoever tries to cure his defect by resorting toYou and drive poverty away from himself by Your richness surely he has chosen the right way and got his want from its right source.”

Imam as-Sajjad (s) adds, stating that Allah hates for His people to ask other than Him:

سُبْحانَ رَبّي! كَيفَ يَسأَلُ مُحتاجٌ مُحْتاجاً وَأنَّى يَرْغَبُ مُعْدِمٌ إلى مُعْدِمٍ !

“Glorybe to Allah! How is it possible for a poor one to ask another poor one and a needy one to resort to another needy one?”27

Imam Ali (s) says:

سُبحانَ الّذي يَتَوكَّلُ كُلُّ مُؤمِنٍ عَلَيهِ وَيُضْطَرُّ كُلُّ جاحِدٍ إلَيْهِ وَلا يَسْتَغني أَحَدٌ إلاّ بِفَضْلِ ما لَدَيْهِ

“Glorybe to Allah, upon Whom every faithful relies and to Whom every unbeliever resorts and Whom no one becomes needless except with His favors.”28

In Al-Sahifah al-Sajjadiyyah, we read:

سُبحانَ مَنْ قَدَّرَ بِقُدرَتِهِ كُلَّ قُدرَةٍ

“Glorybe to Him, Who has determined with His power every power.”29

In another prayer, Imam as-Sajjad (s) says:

أصْبَحْنا في قَبْضَتِكَ، يَحْوِينا مُلْكُكَ وَسُلْطانُكَ وَتَضُمُّنا مَشيئَتُكَ وَنَتَصَرَّفُ عَنْ أمْرِكَ وَنَتَقَلَّبُ في تَدبِيرِكَ، لَيْسَ لَنا مِن الأمْرِ إلاّ ما قَضَيْتَ وَلا مِن الخَيرِ إلاّ ما أعْطَيْتَ

“O my Lord, we are underYour control, possessed by Your kingdom and rule, submitted to Your will, acting according to Your orders and moving according to Your management. We have no choice save whatYou have determined and we have no goodness except what You have given.”30

Al-Koleini says in his book: “The Prophet (s), in one of his wars, was resting at the foot of a hill. One of his enemies seized the opportunity, drew his sword and went up to the Prophet (s) saying to him: “Who is going to save you now?” The prophet (s) instantly replied: “My God and your God.”

This means: “between your sharp sword and my head there is a power which is invisible to you”.

The infidel, who did not believe in what the Prophet (s) was saying, smiled and put his sword aside to give the Prophet (s) a blow. But the Prophet (s) showed the right reaction, forcing him to let the sword fly in one direction. Now the prophet (s) drew his sword, asking the infidel: “Now who is going to save you?” He replied: “Your generosity; because you are a great man”. Then the Prophet (s) pardoned him.31 Imam Ali (s) said:

لا يَصْدُقُ إيمَانُ عَبْدٍ حَتىّ يَكونَ بِما في يَدِ اللهِ أوْثَقَ مِنْهُ بِما في يَدِهِ

“One's faith will not be true unless he is certain of what there is in Allah's hand more than his certainty of what there is in his own hand.”32

3) Regarding God’s Closeness to Man

The third condition for a supplicant is to know that Allah is closer to him than anyone or anything else. This is because Allah has said:

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ

“And whenMy servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near. 2:186”

وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ

“And we are nearer to him than his life-vein. 50:16”

وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَحُولُ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِ

“And know that Allah intervenes between man and his heart. 8:24”

Imam Ali (s) in his Saturday's Prayer says:

أَتَقَرَّبُ إلَيْكَ بِسَعَةِ رَحْمَتِكَ الّتي وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيءٍ وَقَدْ تَرى يا رَبِّ مَكانِي وَتَطَّلِعُ عَلى ضَميرِي وَتَعْلَمُ سِرّي وَلا يَخْفى عَلَيكَ أمْرِي وَأنْتَ أقْرَبُ إلَيَّ مِنْ حَبْلِ الوَريدِ

“O my Lord, I approach toYou by Your great mercy, which has encompassed everything. O my Lord, You see my place,You know what there is in my conscience, You know my secrets and nothing of my affairs is unknown to You. You are closer to me than my life-vein.”

And we read in Abu Hamzeh Thomali's prayer, “Praisebe to Allah, Whom I ask for my need whenever I like and Whom I become alone with to disclose my secret whenever I like and then He achieves my need without an intercessor.” Thu'lub al-Yamani asked Imam Ali (s), “Have you seen your God?” Imam Ali (s) said, “Do I worship what I do not see?” Imam Ali (s) then was asked how he had seen God and he replied:

لا تُدْرِكُهُ العُيونُ بِمُشاهَدَةِ العَيانِ وَلَكِنْ تُدْرِكُهُ القُلوبُ بِحَقائِقِ الإيمانِ. قَريبٌ مِنَ الأشْياءِ غَيرَ مُلامِسٍ وَبَعيدٌ مِنْها غَيرَ مُبايِنٍ

“The eyes do not see Him but the hearts perceive Him with the facts of faith. He is near to things without mixing with them and far from them without neglecting them.”

Imam Ali (s) in another sermon says:

سَبَقَ فِي العُلُوِّ فَلا شَيءَ أعْلى مِنْهُ، وَقَرُبَ في الدُّنُوّ فَلا شَيءٌ أقْرَبَ مِنْهُ، فَلا اسْتِعْلاؤهُ باعَدَهُ عَن شَيءٍ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ ولا قُرْبُهُ ساوَاهُمْ في المَكانِ بهِ

“He is so high that nothing is higher than Him and He is so near that nothing is nearer than Him. Neither His highness makes Him far from His creatures nor does His nearness make Him equal to them.”33

Hafiz, the Iranian poet says:

There is no wall between a lover and a beloved,

You yourself are a wall,then get removed.

4) Sincerity

5) Real Invoking

6) Good Manners in Supplication

The sixth condition in supplication is good manners. A supplicant should engage practice supplication with good manners and in complete humbleness. Ibn Fahad al-Hilli says: “There was a certain believer, who had worshipped God for seventy years spending his nights in worshipping and his days in fasting. One day he asked God for a need, but his request was not answered. He addressed his very self saying: you are responsible!

What have you been doing all this long time? If you had been good, your need would have been answered. Then God sent him an angel to tell him: “O son of Adam, when you were checking your own defects and you were criticizing yourself, you were in a state which was better than your worships.”34

In other words, the best kind of good manners is obedience and servitude towards God and self-denial and confessing one's faults. Such have been the morals of the prophets and the infallible imams (s). Concerning the matter of obedience and servitude to God, Allamah Tabataba’i has stipulated certain conditions all of which are based on the Holy Qur'an. We will briefly refer to some of them.

Examples of the Prophets’ Manners towards Allah as mentioned in The Holy Qur’an

Jesus (s)

Allah has said:

وَإِذْ قَالَ اللَّهُ يَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ أَأَنتَ قُلْتَ لِلنَّاسِ اتَّخِذُونِي وَأُمِّي إِلَهَيْنِ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ قَالَ سُبْحَانَكَ مَا يَكُونُ لِي أَنْ أَقُولَ مَا لَيْسَ لِي بِحَقٍّ إِنْ كُنتُ قُلْتُهُ فَقَدْ عَلِمْتَهُ

“And when Allah will say: O Issa son of Maryam! Did you say to men, Take me and my mother for two gods besides Allah, he will say: Glory be to Thee, it did not befit me that I should say what I had no right to say; if I had said it, Thou wouldst indeed have known it. 5:116”

Out of this verse we learn the following points:

• Jesus Christ (s) started his answer by glorifying Allah: “Glorybe to Thee” because he had heard something that he could not ascribe to God. His good manners forced him to glorify Allah. Of course, we should be aware that he had enjoyed divine manners.

• Jesus Christ (s) did not use negative response to God's question. He did not say that he had not done it. There are two points here. Firstly, negation here is one sort of denying, which is against etiquette. Secondly, negation is used when there is a possibility for an act to occur, but we know that being a god for any of God's servants is impossible.

• Some people, at that time, ascribed the position of God to Jesus Christ (s), so what he denied and negated was that he had never had such a claim. He added that if people had erroneously called him God, this was their own error and he had nothing to do with it. Thus, he said: “You would have known if I had done such a thing”. And this is not the absolute negation of the issue.

• Jesus Christ (s) had denied having the dignity of being a god. He said this was beyond him. Denying being a god is more significant than negating his claim of divinity. He said: “It did not befit me that I should say what I had no right to say.”

• Jesus Christ (s) left the issue to be cared for by Allah. Thus, he said: “If I had done this, you would have known it”. It is because that God's knowledge is not like ours. It is not incomplete. Whatever is in the whole creation is within His knowledge.

This verse teaches us to be polite when we talk to God. A servant should observe all the sides of his servitude. By the way, one of the advantages of the establishment of the school of supplication is that a God's servant has to learn how to behave before Allah, the Almighty.

Adam (s)

When Adam (s) ate from the forbidden tree's fruit and was addressed by:

أَلَمْ أَنْهَكُمَا عَنْ تِلْكُمَا الشَّجَرَةِ؟

“Did I not forbid you both from thattree. 7:22”

He and his wife began to invoke Allah by saying:

رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا أَنفُسَنَا وَإِنْ لَمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنْ الْخَاسِرِينَ .

“Our Lord! We have been unjust to ourselves, and if thou forgive us not, and have (not) mercy on us, we shall certainly be of the losers. 7:23”

Adam ascribes to himself injustice, defection and loss but he ascribes benevolence,good and salvage to Allah.

Abraham (s)

Manners of Supplication in Imam as-Sadiq’s Statements

Imam as-Sadiq (s) said, concerning the manners of supplication:

إحْفَظْ آدابَ الدُّعاءِ وَانْظُرْ مَنْ تَدْعو وَكَيفَ تَدْعو وَلِماذا تَدعو، وَحَقِّقْ عَظَمةَ اللهِ وَكِبْرِياءَهُ، وَعايِنْ بِقَلْبِكَ عِلْمَهُ بِما في ضَمِيرِكَ وَاطِّلاعَهُ عَلى سِرِّكَ وَما يَكونُ فيهِ مِن الحَقّ وَالباطِلِ، وَاعْرِفْ طُرُقَ نَجاتِكَ وَهَلاكِكَ كَيلا تَدعُوَ اللهَ بِشَيء مِنهُ هَلاكُكَ وَأنتَ تَظُنُّ فيهِ نَجاتكَ. قالَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: “وَيَدْعُ الْإِنسَانُ بِالشَّرِّ دُعَاءَهُ بِالْخَيْرِ وَكَانَ الْإِنسَانُ عَجُولًا.”وَتَفَكَّرْ ماذا تَسألُ وَكَمْ تَسألُ وَلِماذا تَسألُ. وَالدُّعاءُ اسْتِجابَةٌ لِلكُلِّ مِنْكَ لِلحَقِّ وَتَذْويبُ المُهْجَةِ في مُشاهَدَةِ الرَّبِّ وَتَرْكِ الإخْتِيارِ جَميعاً وَتَسْليم الأمُورِ كُلِّها ظاهِراً وَباطِناً إلى اللهِ، فَإنْ لَمْ تَأتِ بِشَرْطِ الدُّعاءِ فَلا تَنْتَظِرْ الإجابَةَ فَإنّهُ يَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ وَأخْفى، فَلَعَلَّكَ تَدعُوهُ بِشَيءٍ قَد عَلِمَ مِنْ سِرِّكَ خِلافَ ذلِكَ ”

“Keep to the morals of supplication and see whom you invoke, how you invoke and why you invoke. Preserve the greatness and highness of Allah and see with your heart that He knows what there is in your conscience and He knows your secrets whether good or bad. Know the ways of your deliverance and perdition lest you ask Allah for something, which leads to your perdition whereas you think that it leads to your deliverance. Allah has said: “And man prays for evil as he ought to pray for good, and man is ever hasty. 17:11”

Think too much about what you ask for, how much you ask and why you ask. Supplication is you submitting to the truth, being devoted to see the Lord, leaving your choice and entrusting all the affairs, whether apparent or hidden, with Allah. If you do not regard the conditions of supplication, then do not wait for response. Allah knows the secret, and what is yet more hidden so that you may ask Him for something but He knows that there is something else in your heart.”35

When you want to invoke God and you want Him to respond to you, you have to regard the conditions of supplication well and to have in mind toWhom you talk, Whom you invoke for a favor and what for you invoke. Here are the conditions:

●A supplicant should regard the grandeur of God.

● He should be aware that God has the infinite power.

●A supplicant should have in mind that God knows how to respond to one's needs.

●A supplicant should be aware that God knows what there is in one's mind and knows his secrets, whether good or bad.

●A supplicant should distinguish between the right and the wrong so that he may not ask for something destructive. Allah has said: “And man prays for evil as he ought to pray for good, and man is ever hasty”.

●A supplicant should do what he is supposed to do and should avoid what is forbidden.

●A supplicant should sacrifice every thing to gain Allah's favors. He should love Him sincerely, submit to God in managing his affairs, do away with his wishes, be obedient to God and follow God's commands. This is because the result of all supplications is determined by God. Anybody, who reaches this stage of prosperity, is successful in this life and in the hereafter.

Notes

1. Al-Sahifah al-Sajjadiyyah, No 22.

2. Al-Sahifah al-Sajjadiyyah, No 28.

3. Nahj al-Balaghah, Faydh al-Islam, p. 167.

4. Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 65.

5. Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 468.

6. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 93, p. 2.

7. Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p 470.

8. Faydh al-Islam’s Nahj al-Balaghah, p. 924, letter No. 31.

9. The Dawn Supplication known as Abu Hamzeh Thamali’s Supplication, Al-Balad al-Amin, p. 205.

10. Falahel Sa’el, p 27.

11. Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 471.

12. Tafseer Al-Mizan, vol. 2, p. 42, as quoted from al-Durr al-manthour.

13. Al-Sahifah al-Sajjadiyyah, 20.

14. Al-Sahifah al-Sajjadiyyah, 45.

15. Al-Sahifah al-Sajjadiyyah, 47.

16. The 15 Munajat (of Al-Sahifah al-Sajjadiyyah).

17. Mathnawi, second Daftar.

18. The Supplication of Arafah by Imam Husayn (s).

19. Al-Sahifah al-Sajjadiyyah, supplication 20.

20. Misbah al-Mutahajjid, p. 100.

21. Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 93, p. 323.

22. Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 93, p.312.

23. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 77, p 402.

24. Al-Balad al-Amin, p. 316, Imam Ali’s prayer.

25. Al-Balad al-Amin, p.331.

26. Al-Sahifah al-Sajjadiyyah, p 336.

27. Al-Sahifah al-Sajjadiyyah, No. 13.

28. Al-Balad al-Amin, p. 96.

29. Al-Sahifah al-Sajjadiyyah, p. 24.

30. Al-Sahifah al-Sajjadiyyah, p. 6.

31. Al-Kafi, vol. 8, p. 127.

32. Nahj al-Balaghah, Sobhi Saleh, No. 310.

33. Nahj al-Balaghah of Faydh al-Isalm, No. 178 and Sobhi Saleh No 179.

34. Uddat al-Da’ee, p. 242.

35. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 93, p. 322.