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A Conceptual Framework for Islamic Architecture

A Conceptual Framework for Islamic Architecture

Author:
Publisher: International Islamic University Malaysia
English

This book is corrected and edited by Al-Hassanain (p) Institue for Islamic Heritage and Thought

Alhassanain (p) Network for Islamic Heritage and Thought

A Conceptual Framework for Islamic Architecture

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Spahic Omer

Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design

International Islamic University Malaysia

Jalan Gombak, 53100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

E-mail: spahico@yahoo.com

www.alhassanain.org/english

Table of Contents

Introduction 3

Tawhid (God’s Oneness) 5

The implications of tawhid for architecture 7

Man as the vicegerent (khalifah) on earth 13

Environment as Allah’s faithful servant 17

The implications of the concept of man as the vicegerent (khalifah) on earth for architecture 20

Comprehensive excellence (ihsan) 25

The implications of comprehensive excellence for architecture 26

Islam as the final and universal revelation 31

The implications of Islam as the final and universal revelation for architecture 35

Introduction

In this paper, I will discuss a conceptual framework for Islamic architecture which renders Islamic architecture such a unique subject and much different from other architectural expressions. The issues that form the cornerstones of the conceptual framework for Islamic architecture are dealt with in the paper. The issues discussed are:tawhid (the idea of God’s Oneness), man as the vicegerent (khalifah ) on earth and his relationship with environment, comprehensive excellence (ihsan ), and Islam as the final and universal revelation. The method adopted in the paper is that the mentioned themes are firstly briefly discussed. That is then followed by exploring the implications of each theme for shaping the identity of Islamic architecture.

Studying a conceptual framework for Islamic architecture, which due to its anchoring on some of the most important Islamic principles constitutes a major portion of the Islamic worldview, is vital. This is so for two chief reasons.

Firstly, by knowing and absorbing the conceptual framework for Islamic architecture, Muslim architects, and practitioners in built environment in general, will possess a solid base on which restoring and advancing the phenomenon of Islamic architecture will be easily and confidently established. If the tenets on which the conceptual framework for Islamic architecture rests, permeates an architect’s or an engineer’s thinking and behaving paradigms, the total behavior that originates from such a mentality is bound to be in agreement with Islamic values and belief system. An architecture that stems from such a mentality is bound to be genuinely Islamic too. And when it comes into existence, it does so spontaneously, unassumingly and sincerely, fitting perfectly into the matrix of Muslim life activities. It does so without any ado during the process of its conceiving and execution, without any ambiguities or confusion in its substance and function, and without any superficialities, peculiarities and showiness in its style and appearance.

Secondly, if Muslim architects, builders, engineers and even users are unfamiliar with and do not adhere to the conceptual framework for Islamic architecture, another alternatives will be sought instead. Such alternatives, surely, will be alien to and thus incompatible with the Islamic ethos and teachings. Some alternatives will be more incompatible and others less, but seldom will there be an alternative that will be fully harmonious with Islam and its worldview. This is so because no human action, let alone a living system, that is completely devoid of a philosophy or an ideology which clearly delineates one’s view of the world and all its constituents: life and its purpose, death, natural environment, man and his mission, time, space, history, and of course God and His relationship with man and the whole of universe. So therefore, if Muslim architects do not possess the Islamic worldview or ideology, another one will inevitably creep in, knowingly or unknowingly, and will hold sway over their thoughts and deeds. At the end, and in one of better scenarios, this will result in failed attempts towards reconciling the adopted worldviews and ideologies with Islam and its own philosophy and value system to which those architects will still be subscribing. However, an exercise of synthesizing Islam and some foreign and in most cases man-made worldviews and philosophies of life is a doomed task because such a synthesis is impossible in both theory and practice. That, as a result, might lead to as far as confusion, lack of confidence, dangerous compromises, laxity in religion, repulsion and even irreverence in Muslim architects’ mind which, in turn, will be extended onto the realm of built environment and will thus perilously affect both the mind and behavioral patterns of its users. The worst and most painful scenario that may result from this circumstance will be that Islam is discarded completely in favor of, or that it is made clearly inferior to, the adopted man-generated worldviews and ideologies. Unfortunately, many of today’s Muslim professionals in built environment suffer from the both maladies.

Tawhid (God’s Oneness)

The notion oftawhid is the most important cornerstone in the conceptual framework for Islamic architecture.Tawhid means asserting the unity or oneness of Allah.Tawhid is the Islamic concept of monotheism. The wordtawhid is derived from the wordswahid andahad that mean “one”, “unique” and “peerless”. Based on the concept oftawhid , Muslims believe that God cannot be held equal in any way or degree to any other being or concept. Maintaining that there is no God except Allah and that there is nothing comparable to Him constitutes the essence oftawhid and the essence of Islam. Thus, declaring God’s oneness,tawhid , together with Prophet Muhammad’s prophet hood (shahadah ), is the first requirement for one who wishes to embrace the Islamic religion.Shirk , or associating anybody or anything with God making it comparable to Him, is the opposite oftawhid . It is the gravest sin which God vowed never to forgive.

Tawhid has three aspects: (1) Oneness of the Lordship of God ( Tawhid al-Rububiyyah ) (2) Oneness of the Worship of God ( Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah or Tawhid al-‘Ibadah ) (3) Oneness of the Names and Qualities of God ( Tawhid al-Asma’ wa al-Sifat ).

According to these three aspects, there is only one Lord for the entire universe, Who is its Creator, Organizer, Planner, Sustainer and Giver of security. He is the only Creator, the rest is His creation. He is the only Master, the rest are His servants. Nothing from His World can be a quality of the created world, and nothing from the created world can be ascribed to His World. Similarities that exist between the two realms, the divine and earthly, do not exceed the level of sheer names. Beyond that nothing is the same. There can never be an exchange in the arrangement of designations between the two dominions: that of the Creator and that of His creation.

Since the Lord and Master of the world remains as such forever, the servants too remain what they are forever. Since the Creator and Sustainer remains as such forever providing the everlasting source of all that exist, the creatures too remain forever mortal, recipients of and completely dependent on divine material and spiritual provisions. In all their undertakings, it stands to reason, people’s primary mission should always be to acknowledge this undeniable truth, unselfishly exhibit its effects and try to integrate it into each and every aspect of their cultural and civilizational accomplishments. People are never to get carried away by their ostensible earthly achievements and, as a result, rebel against the established spiritual paradigms in life and then attempt to modify or manipulate them. People’s earthly achievements ought always to reflect God’s greatness as opposed to man’s smallness, God’s self-sufficiency as opposed to man’s lack of it, God’s infinity and permanence as opposed to man’s wavering and insecurity, God’s supremacy as opposed to man’s fragility. Any other approach would signify a sheer falsehood, deception and fictitious optimism.

Only God deserves to be worshipped. He is the ultimate object of all the spiritual cravings and desires. No other being or idea can be elevated above its intrinsic status and be accorded some divine power or attributes. God needs no partners or associates in executing His divine tasks. He is omnipotent, omnipresent and self-sufficient. “He is the final end, that is, the end at which all finalistic nexuses aim and come to rest…He is an end for all other ends.”[1] God is perfect, but not in the sense of perfection as we humans are able to perceive, for we are short of perceiving His divine perfection, but in the sense of the divine perfection as suggested again and again through His revealed words. God’s divine Being cannot be represented, personified or in any way expressed by any creature.

Tawhid also means “that one may not name or qualify God except with what He or (Prophet) Muhammad had named or qualified Him, and that nobody else can be named or qualified with those names and qualities. Also, it is a Muslim belief that those names and qualities must be followed verbatim, without changing their meaning or ignoring them completely or twisting the meanings or likening them (giving resemblance) to anything that isn't God.”[2]

Due to the significance oftawhid , the holy Qur’an overflows with assertions and descriptions of it. The following verses will be a sufficient summery of a vast corpus of verses:

“Allah is He besides Whom there is no god, the Everliving, the Self-subsisting by Whom all subsist; slumber does not overtake Him nor sleep; whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is His; who is he that can intercede with Him but by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they cannot comprehend anything out of His knowledge except what He pleases, His knowledge extends over the heavens and the earth, and the preservation of them both tires Him not, and He is the Most High, the Great.” (Al-Baqarah, 255)

“Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begets not, nor is He begotten. And none is like Him.” (Al-Ikhlas, 1-4)

“He is the First and the Last, and the Outward and the Inward; and He is Knower of all things.” (Al-Hadid, 3)

“They say: Allah has taken a son (to Himself)! Glory be to Him: He is the Self-sufficient: His is what is in the heavens and what is in the earth; you have no authority for this; do you say against Allah what you do not know?” (Yunus, 68)

“There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.” (Al-Shura 11)

“If there were, in the heavens and the earth, other gods besides Allah, there would have been confusion in both! but glory to Allah, the Lord of the Throne: (High is He) above what they attribute to Him!” (Al-Anbiya’, 22)

The implications of tawhid for architecture

The implications oftawhid for Islamic architecture are rather ideological. Isma’il al-Faruqi said that the influence the concept oftawhid exerts on Islamic civilization is such that it gives the latter its identity impressing it by its own mould. The same is true as far as Islamic architecture is concerned because it is an integral part of Islamic civilization. What is more, Islamic architecture is a container of Islamic civilization, one needing the other for its identification and continued existence. Al-Faruqi observed: “Al-tawhid is that which gives Islamic civilization its identity, which binds all its constituents together and thus makes of them an integral, organic body which we call civilization. In binding disparate elements together, the essence of civilization in this case,al tawhid - impresses them by its own mould. It recasts them so as to harmonize with and mutually support other elements. Without necessarily changing their natures, the essence transforms the elements making up a civilization, giving them their new character as constitutive of that civilization. The degree of transformation may vary from slight to radical. It is slight when it affects their form, and radical when it affects their function; for it is the latter that constitutes their relevance to the essence.”[3]

The idea oftawhid gives Islamic architecture its conspicuous identity. It also creates in Muslims an unprecedented tawhidic outlook on building activities so that there exists the highest level of compatibility between buildings and their users. Tawhid ensures that Islamic architecture and Muslims forge a productive and peaceful alliance. They all originated from the same source and serve the same ontological purpose. The character of Islamic architecture is such that it tries its best to disguise its mundane naturalistic factors and features that may hinder a beholder’s focus pointing in turn to a higher order of expression and meaning. The beholder’s attention is directed towards the desired end by various ingenious artistic and structural ways and methods that are meant to yield an intuition of the real essence of the Transcendent and its divine infinity and perfection.

Since God is the Creator and Lord of everything, including man, He too is the actual Owner of everything. To God belongs everything in the universe. As far as man is concerned, though being elevated to the degree of God’s vicegerent on earth and to whom all things have been subjected, he still possesses nothing. Everything around him has been loaned to him so that he in a responsible and unhindered manner can carry out his duties of vicegerency, no more than that. Even his very self, i.e., his life, man does not own. It belongs to his Creator, and if needed he is to sacrifice it for Him and His cause.

No sooner does man come into this world than he sets out to display his inherent readiness to take from this world: to breath, to wear apparel, to drink, albeit without possessing anything, save his very self, to give away in return. Man is therefore born as an insolvent consumer. Not only does he own nothing, but he also remains forever short of enjoying a power of bringing into being anything without making use of the available raw materials and elements created for him in nature. Creatingex nihilo (from absolute nothingness), as a sign of genuine richness, sovereignty and might, is the right and power of God alone. Indeed, everything that man invents, conceives, concocts and creates is possible only thanks to the unbounded bounties and munificence from God which man only discovers, manages, processes, uses and reuses in different ways most convenient and efficient for him. The upshots of man’s myriad civilizational pursuits on earth are never really his own possession and, as such, by no means could be solely utilized for returning the debt of creation and existence to God. Hence, being prudent, modest and grateful when dealing with God’s gifts that grace existence, as well as when dealing with one’s own accomplishments, are some of the virtues most appreciated, and the opposite is some of the vices most detested, in man. God is thus to be acknowledged all the time and in every interest of man as the final end, as the ultimate object of all desire, as the ultimate source of all goodness, of all value. It is God Who makes every other good; He is the highest good for the sake of Whom every good thing is good.[4]

Allah says on this in the Qur’an: “They say: "Allah has begotten a son". Glory be to Him. Nay, to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth: everything renders worship to Him. To Him is due the primal origin of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a matter, He says to it: "Be," and it is.” (Al-Baqarah, 116, 117)

“Do you not know that Allah's is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and that besides Allah you have no guardian or helper?” (Al-Baqarah, 107)

“A revelation from Him Who created the earth and the high heavens. The Beneficent Allah is firm in power. His is what is in the heavens and what is in the earth and what is between them two and what is beneath the ground.” (Ta Ha, 4-6)

Allah explicitly says that he is the Creator and thus the Owner of everything including people and whatever they are able to make. People’s creations and possessions are in fact Allah’s: “And Allah has created you and what you make.” (Al-Saffat, 96) The Prophet (pbuh) also said in a tradition: “Indeed, it is Allah Who creates every other creator and his creation.”[5] This tradition is recorded by al-Bukhari in his “Sahih ” in a section entitled “The creation of people’s deeds”.

This philosophy is strikingly clear also in the field of architecture. Whenever an architect embarks on designing an edifice, he carves out the space needed for his project. The Muslim architect, worthy of his profession, will approach space with reverence, not arrogance, as it is God ’ s physical realm: “ If it (space) must be cut for man to have a dwelling, such would have to be done in humility and with ease, harboring no might, no self assertion and no defiance. ”[6] The Muslim architect will therefore always strive to exhibit through his creativity and skills that the buildings designed by him interact with space, to flow into and become part of general space, instead separating itself from it. Buildings remain connected with the outside space by the open inner courtyard and windows. Toward the same end, the edge of an Islamic building is often crenellated, the skyline sometimes multiplied, and the vertical edges recessed or protruded with broken surfaces designed to lessen the impact of the cut-off in space.[7]

The Muslim architect or the Muslim structural engineer will not regard his edifices as the space(s) appropriated exclusively for man, nor will their owners and users. Rather, the appropriated space will be viewed as something temporarily loaned to man, so as soon as he returns to his Creator nobody but himself alone will be held accountable for what he did to the loan, how he handled it, and what he managed to achieve with it. It stands to reason, therefore, that Islamic architecture, just like any other noble pursuit and craft taken up for the sake of pleasing God, the all-Powerful and all-Knowing Creator and Lord, is but a vehicle for accomplishing the mission of Islam, not a goal itself. It is therefore a form of ‘ibadah (worship) and he who practices it will be rewarded accordingly.

As a result of this powerful religious consciousness and zeal inspired and dominated by the concept oftawhid , Muslims developed in the field of architecture a culture of covering all surfaces with certain designs aimed at drawing the attention from the upshots of human endeavors to a higher order of expression and meaning. The Muslim architect, thus, intends to humbly demonstrate that he harbors no might, or defiance, or self assertion when it comes to appropriating and acting in space that does not belong to him; it belongs to Allah the Almighty, the rightful Owner of all creation. The Muslim architect, furthermore, tends to depict himself -- as do the users of buildings -- as a servant rather than a “master”, as a trustee rather than an owner, and as a modest mortal rather than a pretentious “creator”.

In Muslim buildings, therefore, mass is literally made invisible. This is achieved by covering it with stucco, tile, wood and other materials that transfigure the mass into something radically and totally new and different.[8] Buildings simply appear as though enveloped within dissimilar pleasing, dynamic and contemplation-provoking webs of colored decoration. Sometimes when no rich decoration with plentiful motifs and themes could be used on a building surfaces -- due to the lack of, say, materials, expertise, resources, or even interest -- other practical alternatives had to be then conceived instead, so as to satisfy the same Islamic aesthetic taste. Of such alternatives are: wide-ranging brick patterning when brick is a major building material, the clever use of marble and stone in bands of contrasting colors when stone is a major building material,[9] laying emphasis on ingenious symmetry in design as well as in organization of inner spaces and architectural motifs, etc. When Ibn Khaldun touched on the subject of decoration in Islamic architecture: its techniques, language and materials, he concluded: “Thus, the walls come to look like colorful flower beds.”[10]

Isma’il al-Faruqi concluded that “all the arts of Islam developed in fulfillment of divine transcendence acting as supreme principle of aesthetics. All Islamic arts developed stylization and denaturalization; all were nondevelopmental and nonfigurative; and all did their best to transubstantiate the natural forces of gravity and cohesion, the natural elements of mass, space and light, of water and color, of melody and rhythm, of physiognomy and perceptive - in short of everything natural and creaturely, into floating, air-suspended patterns suggestive of infinity.”[11]

Hence, it follows that the substance of Islamic architecture aims at declaring a big “no” to the corporeality of existence and to its potentially hazardous attractions, and a big “yes” to that which refreshes and rejuvenates the soul which incessantly yearns for the spirit of divinity which the soul feeds on before finally returning to it. However, given that the components of the same corporeal reality have been employed for the production of architecture, than the ultimate appearance of the latter had to be delicately transfigured and denaturalized in order that the refined requirements of Islamic aesthetics are duly met. It is feared that without recourse to both transfiguration and denaturalization, the spiritual purpose of erecting buildings might be harder to attain. Thus, the role of Islamic decoration in Islamic architecture is a principal and essential one, not a secondary or an auxiliary one. Decoration stands at the heart of the identity of Islamic architecture.

Finally, Islamic architecture came into existence in order to meet the requirements of the Islamic notion oftawhid . Human personal ambitions and roles in fathoming and creating Islamic architecture are rather relative and limited, remaining forever inferior and subservient to the commanding influence oftawhid .Tawhid is at the core of God’s holy Being, as well as at the core of His holy Attributes and Actions. It is likewise at the core of the whole of God’s creation of which man is a constitutive part. Hence, it stands to reason that all the actions of man, including architecture, are expected to reflect and exude the sametawhidic spirit. Moreover, they are to serve as an extension of the existing paradigms of life. They are to exemplify, sustain and further advance the latter.

In the same vein, Islamic architecture is formed in order to answer the demands of the notion of ‘ibadah (worship) which man, God’s vicegerent on earth, is required to actualize in all of his lifelong actions so that his relationship with his Creator and Lord is maintained perpetually strong and sound. To Muslims, Islamic architecture is a field for the implementation of the idea of universal worship in Islam. It is thus a kind ofmasjid or mosque, in the sense that it is a place for both direct and indirect worship activities.

It goes without saying that Islamic architecture is such a noble enterprise charged with the highest level of spirituality. There can be no distinction between the spiritual and secular realms in Islamic architecture, just as separation between the spiritual and secular spheres is foreign to Islam as an ideology and a comprehensive way of life. Islam is life and life, in turn, is worship. The only purpose for the creation of man, the main protagonist in life, is that he worships his Creator and Lord, i.e., that he submits to God’s will and word while on earth carrying out his honorable assignments. In Islam, everything is to be viewed against the backdrop of this code. The code applies to architecture certainly more than to many other life pursuits on account of architecture being a framework or container for human lives. Islamic architecture is both a means and sets of facilities to Muslims so that their earthly tasks are facilitated and made easier. Islamic architecture with its ideas, ethos, creators and users is the religion of Islam translated in a space and a moment of time.

Certainly, it is for thistawhidic dimension that Islamic architecture entails that Sinan, the chief architect of the Ottoman golden age, called architecture an “estimable calling” and then said that whosoever is engaged in it must be, first of all, righteous and pious.[12] This means that those who are intent on creating Islamic architecture must, first and foremost, embody the message oftawhid in their thoughts, words and actions. Only from such a mentality and lifestyle can Islamic architecture originate and survive. Islamic architecture cannot be formed in milieus and contexts alien to the concept oftawhid , and by men whose intentions, concerns and objectives are alien to, or at odds with, the same concept at either conceptual or technical planes.

The same man, Sinan, is also reported to have said, in all likelihood, lest he becomes carried away by his illustrious achievements and the status he acquired: “Thanks be to God! He made manifest (His) favor. When the universe was nonexistent, He caused it to exist. He built the earth upon water, and layered the seven heavenly spheres without columns. He caused these nine domes to stand, and hung suspended the solar sphere. He kneaded clay with (His) hand of power and constructed Adam’s body. Eyes and mouth, ear and tongue gave He. He made us noble human beings.”[13]

Indeed, it is not by a chance that Sinan began each of his autobiographical memoirs with the sametawhidic message as the one mentioned above. Before talking about his self, his life and accomplishments as the state’s chief architect, Sinan thus felt compelled to record his due appreciation, recognition, acknowledgment and gratitude to the only real Creator, Sustainer and Master. Sinan knew very well that it was due to Allah’s will, munificence and kindness that he was in a position to do what he did. Hence, in all his words he appeared to be duty bound to endorse his faith, modesty and humbleness, on the one hand, and Allah’s endless power, sovereignty and authority, on the other. Sinan thus wrote at the beginning of one of his memoirs using a plain and straightforward language: “Boundless thanks to that Architect (Allah) of the palace of nine vaults, who, without measure or plumb line, without rule or compass, by His hand of creation, made firm its arched canopy. And endless thanks to that Master of the seven-storied workshop, who, with His hand of power, kneaded the clay of Adam and in him displayed His art and novelty. And endless blessings upon that Self-Existent One, whose munificence, like the waves of the sea, brought forth humankind into the plain of existence from the hidden world of nonbeing…”[14]

Powered by thetawhidic spirit, Sinan regarded his enormous talent as a gift from God, which he strove to perfect for no other reason except to serve God. He erected so many buildings of different types only that they be used for glorifying the Holy Being, and that they become a tangible proof of God’stawhid , greatness, infinity and permanence, and of man’s and built environment’s inconsequentiality, impermanence and relativity. Sinan thus wrote: “Thanks be to God, to this humble servant it became an art to serve in so many a house of God… I looked upon all creation as a lesson, and completely understood it has no permanence. I laid the foundations of many buildings. (Doomed to) annihilation, man does not endure. The pavilion of my body began to crumble. I suffered pain in its fetters. The sorrows of fortune my beard turned gray. My body trembles from fear of God. Think not that my bended form is an arch. It is a bridge of passage to grief and sorrow. Brother, in order to pass to the next world, to this vault of fate’s pavilion I bowed my head. Thanks be to God that I am a righteous man! In my art, I am upright and firm.”[15]

Man as the vicegerent (khalifah) on earth

Man, according to Islam, is not a fallen being as the Christianity asserts,[16] and his existence on earth is not a sentence passed on him by God on account of what had transpired between Adam, the first man, and his wife Eve, the first woman, in the Garden of Eden. Rather, man is a vicegerent on earth entrusted with the honorable task of inhabiting it in accordance with the divine guidance given to him. This terrestrial life serves to man as a platform for either elevating his status over that of angels, should he abide by the divinely prescribed rules and regulations, or for debasing his self lower than the rank of animals, should he turn away from Truth and dazed and lost wander aimlessly amid the innumerable and awesome wonders of creation.

God created man with the primordial natural disposition (fitrah ) to thirst for and worship his Creator. God, therefore, knowing best the character of man, his needs and weaknesses, on sending Adam and Eve to earth to assume the duty of vicegerency, revealed to them that He will never forsake them and their progeny. God promised that His guidance and signs will be coming to them, and “Whosoever follows My guidance, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.” (Al-Baqarah, 38)

“…Whosoever follows My guidance, will not lose his way, nor fall in misery.” (Ta Ha, 123)

God’s guidance and signs mean the religion of Islam preached by every prophet from the down of mankind and Adam as the first messenger to Muhammad as the last and seal of all messengers. God’s divine guidance will enable man to remain strong, sensible, content and “healthy” while on earth, making him, in turn, capable of keeping up the focus of his undertakings on worshipping his Lord in every act, word and thought (‘ibadah ). God says in the Qur’an that He has created bothJinns and men only that they may serve Him. (Al-Dhariyat, 56)

On the other hand, in the event of man’s rejection of God’s message and guidance, the repercussions will be costly. The Qur’an says: “But those who reject Faith and belie Our Signs, they shall be Companions of the Fire; they shall abide therein.” (Al-Baqarah, 39)

“But whosoever turns away from My Message, verily for him is a life narrowed down, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Judgment.” (Ta Ha, 124)

Man is created as a social being endued with free will, passion and emotions, which could either lead him to the highest or drug him to the lowest ebb of creation. Humanity is but a big family with the same origin, mission and purpose. People have been divided into nations and tribes only to know each other, learn from each other, and cooperate at various scales in righteousness and piety, not that they may loathe each other and conspire against each other. They are to explore the universe and within the framework rendered by revelation try to make their existence as convenient, comfortable and meaningful as possible, hence create virtuous cultures and civilizations. However, no sooner does this universal equilibrium become impaired and vitiated than man’s relationship with God, his peers and the whole of the environment starts to degenerate.

Allah says about this: “O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other (not that you may despise each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).” (al-Hujurat, 13)

“And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and your colors: verily in that are Signs for those who know.” (al-Rum, 22)

Islam with its uniquetawhidic worldview champions that Muslims are brothers to each other and their similitude is like walls whose bricks enforces and rely on each other. They are like a solid cemented structure held together in unity and strength, each part contributing strength in its own way, and the whole held together not like a mass, but like a living organism. Muslims are furthermore related to each other in such a way that if one of them (a part of an organic and formidable formation called theUmmah, the Community ) is troubled by a problem of any kind, the rest of the body parts will remain disturbed and restless until the matter became fairly solved.[17]

The relationship between the vicegerent (khalifah) and environment

This Islamic unique perception of man and his position on earth necessitated the formation of a compelling and comprehensive view of the natural environment as well. This is so because man totally depends on nature for his survival. Also, nature is a ground for man’s realization of his spiritual purpose on earth. Simply put, man is an integral part of the total natural setting. Man is nature himself. Sustaining nature means sustaining his self, damaging nature means damaging his self and his prospects of a civilizational triumph. Owing to all this, Islam attaches so much importance to the subject of environment clearly expounding man’s rights over it and his responsibilities towards it.

Islam teaches that environment is part of the universal web of creation. Its role is two-fold: to worship its Creator (in ways suitable to it), and to be subjected to serve the exigencies of man, so that God’s vicegerent can smoothly and undeterred carry out his honorable task of managing earth.

Environment holds enormous potential and diversified resources meant only for the vicegerent of earth. They are to be seen as facilities that if rightly used facilitate each and every facet of man’s fleeting stay on earth. Environment is further to be seen by man as an “ally” or a “partner”, so to speak, in the execution of his earthly mission. After all, in order to create any piece of his built environment, which serves as a framework for his activities, man borrows diverse natural ingredients, such as space, water, clay, timber, stone and other substances, placing the newly created or built elements back into the existing natural contexts. In reality, built environment is in so many ways the natural environment that has been processed and manipulated.

According to a number of divine instructions, natural diversity and the forces of nature are to be the focus of man’s exhaustive scientific and contemplative attention. Diversity in humans: skin colors, languages, attitudes and cultures, are to preoccupy the cognitive faculties of men as well, thus trying to find a link between it and the former. In all natural phenomena a great deal of wisdom lies and waits to be unearthed.

In Islam, man’s rights over environment are rights of sustainable use based on moderation, balance and conservation. The rights of environment over man, on the other hand, are that it be safe from every misuse, mistreatment and destruction. Greed, extravagance and waste are considered a tyranny against nature and a transgression of those rights.[18]

Islam teaches that all things have been created with purpose and in proportion and measure, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Nature’s resources and forces are gifts granted by God to man. At the same time, however, the natural environment is a field for man’s vicegerency mission. It is right there, while interacting with different aspects of environment, that people clearly demonstrate how strong, or how deficient, their relationship with God is. So significant is man’s relationship with environment in Islam that in some instances such relationship is able to take precedence over other deeds of man, placing him then on the highest or dragging him to the lowest level.

Furthermore, environment stands for a source of man’s spiritual enlightenment too,provided his treatment of it is apt and derived from divine teachings, in that environment in its totality is an expression of God’s presence, oneness, mercy and supremacy. By the power of reason and insight that has been accorded to him to subdue the forces of nature, man at the same time will be able to penetrate through and grasp properly nature’s countless mysteries and phenomena. Consequently, this will lead to a considerable enhancement of his physical well-being, as well as to expediting the process of his spiritual advancement.

Finally, environment, in a sense, participates in revealing Truth to man. It is in fact a revelation itself. Therefore, in addition to having the composed or written Qur’an (al-Qur’an al-tadwini ) there is a cosmic or ontological “Qur’an” (al-Qur’an al-takwini ) as well. Both revelations complement each other, as it were, in furnishing man with the necessary substance so as not to let him betray the trust of productively inhabiting the earth which he had wittingly accepted. It follows that those who fully submit to Divine Will and read, understand and apply the written Qur’an, they easily see upon the face of every creature “letters” and “words”, or messages, from the “pages” of the cosmic Qur’an. For this reason are the phenomena of nature referred to in the Qur’an as signs or symbols (ayat ), a term that is also used for the verses of the Qur’an.[19]

The following are some verses from the Qur’an on the addressed aspects of environment:

“Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth declares the glory of Allah; and He is the Mighty, the Wise.” (al-Saff, 1)

“Do you see the seed that you sow in the ground? Is it you that cause it to grow, or are We the Cause? Were it Our Will, We could make it broken orts. And you would be left in wonderment… Do you see the water that you drink? Do you bring it down (in rain) from the cloud or do We? Were it Our Will, We could make it saltish (and unpalatable): then why do you not give thanks?” (Al-Waqi’ah, 63-70)

“O you people! Worship your Guardian Lord, Who created you and those who came before you that you may become righteous; Who has made the earth your couch, and the heavens your canopy; and sent down rain from the heavens; and brought forth therewith fruits for your sustenance; then set not up rivals unto Allah when you know (the truth).” (Al-Baqarah, 21-22)

“And He has subjected to you, as from Him, all that is in the heavens and on earth: behold, in that are Signs indeed for those who reflect.” (Al-Jathiyah, 13)

[An Invocation] For A Pebble in the Ear

It was narrated from Bakr from his uncle Sudayr, who said: ‘I took a pebble and scratched my ear with it. It became embedded in my ear. I made every effort to remove it, but neither I nor the medical practitioners could do it. When I performed the Hajj and met al-Baqir, peace be upon him, I complained to him of the pain I had experienced. He said to al-Sadiq, peace be upon him: “O Ja’far, take him by the hand out into the light and have a look.” Al-Sadiq looked into the ear and said: “I do not see anything.” Al-Baqir said: “Approach me.” I approached him and he said: “O Allah, remove it as You caused it to enter, without trouble or difficulty.” Then he said: “Recite that three times.” I recited it. He said: “Put your finger in.” I put my finger in and brought out the pebble. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.’

Hannan b Jabir al-Filistini narrated from Muhammad b. ‘Ali from Ibn Sinan from ‘Ammar b. Marwan from al-Munkhal from Jabir from Abu Ja’far Muhammad b. ‘Ali, peace be upon him, who said that a man complained to him of deafness (al-samam). Abu Ja’far said: ‘Pass your hand over him and recite:

If We had sent down this Qur’an upon a mountain thou wouldst have seen it humbled, split asunder out of the fear of God. And We make these examples for men; haply they will reflect He is God; there in god but He. He is the knower of the Unseen and the Visible. He is the All-merciful, the All-compassionate. He is God. There is no god but He. He is the King, the All-holy, the All-peaceable, the All-faithful, the All-preserver, the All-mighty, the All-compeller, the All-sublime. Glory be to God, above that they associate! He is God, the Creator, the Maker, the Shaper. To Him belong the Names Most Beautiful. All that is in the heavens and the earth magnifies Him; He is the All-mighty, the All-wise. (59:21-4).’

An Invocation for Pain Afflicting the Mouth

Hariz b. Ayyub al-Jurjani narrated from Abu Samina from ‘Ali b. Asbat from Abu Hamza from Abu Basir from Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, that Abu Basir said: One of his [Abu ‘Abd Allah's] followers complained to him of pain in his mouth (al-fam). Abu ‘Abd Allah said: ‘When that afflicts you, place your hand over it and say: “In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate, In the Name of Allah, with Whose Name illness causes no harm; I take refuge in the Words of Allah, with Which nothing harms, Most Holy. Most Holy, Most Holy. By Your Name, O Lord, the Pure, the Holy, the Blessed, whoever asks You by it, You grant it to him, and whoever calls on You by it, You answer him. I ask You, O Allah, O Allah, O Allah, to bless Muhammad, the Prophet, and his Ahl al-Bayt, and to heal the suffering in my mouth, my head, my hearing, my sight, my belly, my back, my hand, my foot, and in all my limbs.”

Your pain will be relieved. Allah, the Exalted, willing.’

An Invocation for Pain in the Teeth

Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Husayn b. [Ahmad] Muhammad al-Khawatimi narrated from al-Husayn b. 'Ali b. Yaqtin from Hannan al-Sayqal from Abu Basir from Abu Ja’far al-Baqir, peace be upon him, that Abu Basir said: I complained to him of pain in my teeth, and that it kept me awake at nights. Abu Ja'far said: “O Abu Basir, when you experience that, place your hand over it, and recite the sura al-Hamd (1) and the sura al-Ikhlas (112), then recite:

And thou shalt see the mountains, that thou supposest fixed, passing by like clouds - God's handiwork, who has created everything very well. He is aware of the things you do. (27:88)

The pain will subside, and will not recur.”

Hamdan b. A’yan al-Razi narrated from Abu Talib from Yunus from Abu Hamza from Sama’a b. Mihran from Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, that he [Abu ‘Abd Allah] instructed a man to recite the above invocation and added to it, saying: ‘Recite the sura al-Qadr (97) once. The pain will subside, and will not recur.’

[Also for pain in the teeth,] from Amir al-Mu’minin, peace he upon him, that he said: ‘Whoever complains of pain in the teeth, let him take the object on which he performs his prostration, and rub it on the painful area, and say: “In the Name of Allah, and the Healer, Allah; there is no Might nor Power except in Allah, the Most High, the Mighty.”’

It is reported from Abu al-Hasan, peace be upon him, that he said: ‘My teeth (al-asnan) were hurting me and I applied Cyperus rotundus (al-su’d) to them.’ He said: ‘Wine vinegar (khall al-khumr) strengthens the gums (al-litha).’ He also said: ‘'Take wheat (al-hinta), husk it, and extract the oil. If the tooth is decayed and rotten, put two drops of the oil in it. Put some oil on a piece of cotton and place it in the ear near the tooth for three nights. It will stop [the decay], Allah, the Exalted, willing.'

The Charm for the Tooth

Ibrahim b. Khalid narrated from Ibrahim b. ‘Abd Rabbihi from Tha’laba from Abu Basir from Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, who said: ‘This is a charm for the teeth. It is beneficial and will never fail, Allah, the Exalted, willing. Praise .,. [sic] three leaves of the olive tree (al-zaytun), and write on the face of the leaf: “In the Name of Allah. There is no sovereign mightier than Allah, the King, and you are his Khalifa. Ya Haya Sharahiyya, remove the illness and send the cure, and may Allah bless Muhammad and his family.”’

Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, said: ‘“Ya Haya, Sharahiyya", are two of the Names of Allah, the Exalted, in Hebrew. Write that on the back of the leaf, and tie it in a clean piece of cloth with a thread spun by a maid servant who has not… [sic] and tie seven knots in it and name each knot with the name of one of the prophets- Adam. Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, Isa, Shuayb - and pray for Muhammad and his family, peace be on him and on them, and attach it to it [the tooth]. It will be cured. Allah, the Exalted, willing.’

Jibra’il al-Husayn b. Ali, peace be upon him [sic]: ‘How amazing it is that a creature eats the bone (al-'azm) and leaves the flesh (al-lahm). I make an invocation by Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, the Healer, the All-sufficient. There is no god but Allah, and praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

And when you killed a living soul, and disputed thereon - and God disclosed what you were hiding - so We said: Smite him with part of it (2:72-3).

Place your finger on the tooth, then recite this invocation seven times, on both its sides. It will be cured, Allah, the Exalted, willing.’

A Proven Invocation For The Teeth

Recite the sura al-Hamd (1) the two Suras of taking refuge (al-Falaq (113) and al-Nas (114)), and the sura al-Ikhlas (112). Say ‘In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate' with each sura. After the sura al-lkhlas (112), say:

‘In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate,

And to Him belongs whatsoever inhabits the night and the day, and He is the All-hearing All-knowing (6:13).

We said: O fire, be cooled and safe for Ibrahim! They desired to outwit him, so We made them the worse losers (21:69-70).

He was called: Blessed is He who is in the fire, and he who is about it. Glory be to God, the Lord of all Being’ (27:8).

Then say after that: ‘O Allah, O One Who protects from every thing, and nothing protects You. Protect Your servant and the son of your bondmaid (al-ima’), from the evil of what he fears and is wary of in this pain of which he complains to You.’

An Invocation for Coughing

‘Abd Allah b. Muhammad b. Mihran al-Kufi narrated from Ayyub from ‘Amr b. Shimr from Jabir from Abu Ja’far Muhammad b. ‘Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be upon him, from al-Husayn [sic], who said: Amir al-Mu’minin, peace he upon him, said: ‘Whosoever has a complaint of the throat (al-halq) and excessive coughing (al-su’al) and the desperation of his body increases, let him take refuge with these words, which are called ‘the comprehensive’ (al-jami’a), for all things:

“O Allah, You are my hope, and You are my Trust, my Support, my Succour, my Exalter, my beauty.

You are the Refuge of those who are afraid.

There is no sanctuary for those who flee except in You.

There is no one on whom human beings can rely except You.

There is no wish for those who desire except before You.

There is no helper for the oppressed but You.

There is no object for the needy except You.

There is nothing to be given for the seekers except from You.

There is no place to turn for the repentant except You,

Sustenance and good and deliverance are only in Your Hand.

Oppressive matters have grieved me, difficult straits have wearied me,

and painful ailments have encompassed me.

I do not find the opening of the door of deliverance open except by Your Hand.

Thus I stand before You and seek help from You, with prayer, against its closing.

Open, O Lord, to the one who asks for help, and answer the one who calls out.

Dispel the grief, remove the harm, fulfil the need, remove the sorrow, banish the anxieties, and save me from destruction, for I am on the brink of it.

I do not find my salvation from it other than in You.

O Allah, O He who answers the constrained, when he calls

unto Him, and removes the evil (27:62),

have mercy on me and remove what is in me of sorrow and grief and pain and illness.

Lord, if You do not, I do not expect my deliverance from other than You.

Have mercy on me, O Most Merciful of the Merciful.

This is the position of the wretched, the poor.

This is the position of one who is afraid, one seeking refuge.

This is the position of one calling for help.

This is the position of the sorrowful, the hurt.

This is the troubled, the one seeking protection.

This is the position of the servant, apprehensive, dying,

drowning, frightened, fearful.

This is the position of one who has awakened from his sleep,

been aroused from his forgetfulness,

recovered from his illness and the severity of

his pain, and is afraid because of his offences.

He acknowledges his sins, is humble before his Lord,

and weeps in fear of Him.

He asks forgiveness, sheds tears, and seeks pardon,

by Allah, from his Lord.

He dreads His Power, sheds his tears, and hopes,

weeps, and prays and calls:

Lord, affliction has visited me (21:83) so set me right.

You see my position. You hear my words. Yon know my secret thoughts and my public affairs.

You know my need and You know me thoroughly.

Nothing in my affairs, whether open or secret, apparent or concealed in my breast, is hidden from You.

So I ask You, since You have authority over regulating [affairs], accepting pleas, and fixing destinies, with the request of one who has done wrong and confessed, wronged his soul, and committed crimes.

He has repented for what is past and turned to his Lord.

He has regretted and taken refuge in His courtyard, held back and restrained his desire, and devoted himself to the Rcvoker of his lapses, the Acceptor of his repentance, the Forgiver of his sins, the One Who has mercy on his state of exile, the Remover of his distress and the Healer of his illness.

Have mercy on my transgressions and my entreaties to You.

Forgive me all my deviations from Your Book which have been counted in Your record.

Your past knowledge of my sins, faults, and offences in privacy, my immorality, my evil deeds, my lapses, and all that Your recording angels witness and have written down during childhood and after puberty, in old age and youth, by night and day, early morning and evening, late evening and daybreak, forenoon and dawn, and at home and in travels, in solitude and in public. Overlook my evil deeds among the inhabitants of Paradise the promise of the very truth, which they were promised (46:16).

O Allah, by the right of Muhammad and his family, remove from mc the overwhelming illnesses in my body (jismi), my hair (sha'ri), my skin (bashari), my blood vessels (‘uruqi), my nerves ('asabi), and my limbs, for no one will remove that other than You, O Most Merciful of the Merciful, O Answerer of the call of the distressed.”’

An Invocation for Anxieties in the Breast

Abu al-Qasim al-Taflisi narrated from Hammad b. ‘Isa from Hariz b. ‘Abd Allah al-Sijistani from Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, that Hariz said: I said “O son of the Messenger of Allah, I experience anxieties (al-balabil) in my breast and temptations (al-wasawis) in my heart (al-fu’ad) so that I sometimes break off my prayer and become confused in my recitation.” Abu ‘Abd Allah said: "And what about the invocation of Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him?” I replied: “O son of the Messenger of Allah, teach [it to] me.”

He said: “When you experience something of this, place your hand on it and say:

‘In the Name of Allah and by Allah. O Allah, You have blessed me with faith, and entrusted me with the Qur'an, and bestowed on me fasting in the month of Ramadan.

Grant me mercy and acceptance and compassion and forgiveness and all that You have conferred on me of blessings and beneficence.

O Compassionate. O Benefactor, O Everlasting, O Merciful, Glory be to You. I have no one but You, Glory be to You. I take refuge in You, after these expressions of esteem, from abasement. I ask You to remove the sorrows from my heart.’

Repeat this three times and you will be cured of it, with the help of Allah, the Exalted. Then bless the Prophet, blessings of Allah upon him, and mercy and blessings upon his family.”

An Invocation for a Pain in the Belly

Al-Husayn b. Bistam narrated from Muhammad b. Khalaf from al-Washsha’ from ‘Abd Allah b. Sinan from Ja’far b. Muhammad, peace be upon him, from his grandfather, peace be upon him, who said: A man complained to the Prophet, blessings and peace be on him and his family, and said: “O Messenger of Allah, I have a brother who has a complaint of the belly.” The Prophet replied: “Tell your brother to take a drink of honey with hot water.” The man returned to him the next day and said: “O Messenger of Allah, I gave him the drink but he did not benefit from it.” The Messenger of Allah said: “Allah has said the truth, and the belly of your brother has lied. Go, and give your brother the drink of honey and invoke for him the sura al-Fatiha (1) seven times.” When the man left, the Prophet said: “O ‘Ali, the brother of this man is a hypocrite. Whosoever is such, the drink will not benefit him.”

A man complained to Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, of pain in the belly. He instructed him to drink hot water and say:

“O Allah, O Allah, O Allah, O Merciful, O Compassionate, O Lord of the lords. O God of the gods, O King of the kings, O Master of the masters. Heal me with Your cures from every disease and illness, for I am Your servant and the son of Your servant; I turn about in Your grasp.”

Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Khawatimi narrated from Ibn Yaqtin from Hassan al-Sayqal from Abu Basir, who said: A man complained to Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, of pain of the navel (al-surra). Al-Sadiq told him: “Go, and put your hand on the painful area and say three times:

Surely it is a Book Sublime. Falsehood comes not to it from before it nor from behind it. A revelation from One All-wise, All-laudable (41:41-2).

You will be cured, Allah willing.”

Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, said: “There is not one among the believers who complains of any illness and recites with sincere intention, while passing his hand over the area of the illness:

We send down of the Qu’ran that which is a cure and a mercy to the believers. The unbelievers it increases not except in loss (17:82),

but that he is cured of that illness, whatever it may be. The truth of that is confirmed in the verse, where it says, a cure and a mercy to the believers.”

An Invocation and Medication for Pain of the Waist

Hariz b. Ayyub narrated from Abu Samina from ‘Ali b. Asbat from Abu Hamza from Hamran b. A’yan, who said: A man questioned Muhammad b. ‘Ali al-Baqir, peace be upon him, saying: “O son of the Messenger of Allah, I suffer from severe pain in the waist (al-khasira) and have treated it with many remedies, but it has not been cured.”

Al-Baqir said: “What about the invocation of Amir al-Mu’minin?” The man replied: “And what is that, O son of the Messenger of Allah?” He said: “When you complete your prayers, put your hand on the place of prostration, stroke it, and say:

What, did you think that We created you only for sport, and that you would not be returned to Us? Then high exalted be God, the King, the True! There is no god but He, the Lord of the noble Throne. Whosoever calls upon another god with God, whereof he has no proof, his reckoning is with his Lord. Surely the unbelievers shall not prosper. And say: My Lord, forgive and have mercy, for Thou art the best of the merciful (23:115-18).”

The man said: “I did that and the pain subsided, praise be to Allah, the Exalted.”

Muhammad b. Ja’ far al-Bursi narrated from Muhammad b. Yahya al-Armani from Muhammad b. Sinan from Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, who said: ‘The Messenger of Allah, blessings on him and his family, said: “Drink lovage (al-kashim), for it is good for pain of the waist.”’

Also from him from Muhammad b. Yahya from Yunus b. Zabyan from Jabir from Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him, who said Amir al-Mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: “Whoever wishes that food may not harm him, let him not eat until he is hungry and his abdomen (al-ma’ida) is cleansed. When he eats, let him take the Name of Allah and chew well and let him stop eating while he still has an appetite for it [food] and wants it.”

‘Abd Allah b. Bistam narrated from Muhammad b. Razin from Hammad b. ‘Isa from Hariz from Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, from Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, who said: “Whoever wishes for the eternal life in the next world, and not for permanence in this world, let him wear light clothes, eat early, and have intercourse (al-mujami’a) with women less frequently.”

An Invocation for Pain of the Spleen

Muhammad b. ‘Abd Allah b. Mihran al-Kufi narrated from Ayyub from Umar b. Shimr from Jabir from Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him, who said: A man from Khurasan came to ‘Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be upon him, and said: “O son of the Messenger of Allah, I performed the Hajj and resolved to call on you upon my departure, for I have a pain in the spleen (al-tihal). Pray for me to be relieved of it.”

‘Ali b. al-Husayn replied: “Allah has protected you from that, praise be to Him. When you experience the pain, write this verse with saffron (al-za’faran) mixed with the water of [the] Zamzam [spring in Mecca], and drink it. Allah, the Exalted, will drive away that pain from you:

Say: Call upon God, or call upon the Merciful whichsoever you call upon, to Him belong the Names Most Beautiful. And be thou not loud in thy prayer, nor hushed therein, but seek thou for a way between that. And say: Praise belongs to God, who has not taken to Him a son, and who has not any associate in the Kingdom, nor any protector out of humbleness. And magnify Him with repeated magnificats (17:110-11).

Write the following on the parchment of a gazelle (ghazal) and attach it to your left arm (al-'adud) for seven days and the pain will abate: . .”

لا س س س ح ح دم كرم ل له ومحي حح لله صر ه

ر ححب سي حجحت عشره به هك ان عنها ح حل

يصر س هو بوا اميوا مسعوف

Ahmad b. Yazid narrated from al-Sahhaf al-Kufi from Musa b. Ja’far, peace be upon him, from al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, from al-Baqir, peace be upon him, that he said: ‘One of his followers complained to al-Baqir of pain in the spleen. He had treated it with every remedy but its evil increased every day until he was on the threshold of death. Al-Baqir said to him: “Buy a piece of leek (al-kurrath) and fry it well in Arab clarified butter (saman ‘arabi). Give it for three days to the one who has this pain. If that is done, he will be cured, Allah, the Exalted, willing.”’

An Invocation for Pain in the Bladder

Muhammad b. Ja’far al-Bursi narrated from Muhammad b. Yahya al-Armani from Muhammad b. Sinan al-Sinani from al-Mufaddal b. ‘Umar from Muhammad b. Isma’il from Abu Zaynab, who said: One of our brothers complained to Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, of pain in the bladder (al-mathana). Al-Sadiq said: “Seek protection for it with these verses three times before you sleep, and once when you awaken, and you will not experience the pain after that:

Knowest thou not that God is powerful over everything? Knowest thou not that to God belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and that you have none, apart from God, neither protector nor helper?” (2:106-7).

The man said: “I did that and did not experience the pain again.”

An Invocation for Pain in the Back

Al-Khidr b Muhammad narrated from al-Hawarini from Faddala from Aban b. ’Uthman from lbn Abu Hamza al-Thumali from Abu Ja’far Muhammad al-Baqir, peace be upon him, who said: ‘A man from Hamdan complained to Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, of a pain in the back and that he had sleepless nights [because of it]. He said: “Put your hand on the area that pains you and recite three times:

It is not given to any soul to die save by the leave of God, at an appointed time. Whoever desires the reward of this world, We will give him of this. Whosoever desires the reward of the other world, We will give him of that. We will recompense the thankful (3:145).

Then recite the sura al-Qadr (97) seven times and you will be cured of it, if Allah, the Exalted, wills.”’

An Invocation for Pain of the Thighs

Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Katib narrated from Muhammad b. ‘Abd Allah al-Za’farani from Hammad b. ‘Isa from Amir a-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, who said: ‘When one of you suffers from pain of the thighs (al-fakhdhan), let him sit in a large vessel or basin of heated water and place his hand there [on his thighs] and recite:

Have not the unbelievers then beheld that the heavens and earth were a mass all sewn up, and then We unstitched them and of water fashioned every living thing? Will they not believe? (21:30)’

An Invocation for Pain of the Genitals

With this chain of transmitters (al-isnad) from Hariz al-Sijistani, who said: I performed the Hajj and called on Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, in Medina, and al-Mu’alla b. Khunays, may Allah have mercy on him, was complaining to him of pain in the genitals (al-farj). Al-Sadiq said to him: “You exposed your privy parts (al- ‘aura) on some occasion and Allah has punished you with this pain. But seek protection for it with the invocation which Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, gave Abu Wa’ila, after which it [the pain] did not recur.” Al-Mu’alla asked; “O son of the Messenger of Allah, what is the invocation?” He replied: “Put your left hand on them and say three times:

‘In the name of Allah, and by Allah,

Nay, but whosoever submits his will to God, being a good-doer, his wage is with his Lord, and no fear shall be on them, neither shall they sorrow (2:112).

O Allah, I have submitted myself to You and entrusted my affairs to You. There is no refuge or security from You except in You.’

You will be cured, Allah, the Exalted, willing.”

An Invocation for Pain of the Legs

Khaddash b. Sabra narrated from Muhammad b. Jamhur from Safwan Bayya’ al-Sabiri from Salim b. Muhammad, who said: I complained to al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, of pain in my legs (al-saqayn) and that it had prevented me from pursuing my affairs and earning my living. He said: “Recite an invocation of protection over them.” I asked: “With what, O son of the Messenger of Allah?” He said: “With this verse. Recite it seven times and you will be cured, Allah, the Exalted, willing:

Recite what has been revealed to thee of the Book of thy Lord; no man can change His words. Apart from Him, thou wilt find no refuge. (18:27).”

He said: I recited the invocation over them seven times, as he had instructed me, and I never experienced the pain again.

An Invocation and Medications for Hemorrhoids

Al-Hawarini al-Razi narrated from Safwan b. Yahya al-Sabiri - and he is not Safwan al-Jammal - from Ya’qub b. Shu’ayb from Aban b. Taghlab from ‘Abd al-‘Ala’ from Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami from Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, who said: ‘Whosoever seeks protection from haemorrhoids with this invocation will be protected from its evil, Allah, the Exalted willing. It is:

“O Magnanimous, O Exalted, O Compassionate, O Near, O Responder, O Creator, O Merciful, bless Muhammad and his family, and bestow on me Your blessing, and protect me from my pain.”

He will be cured of it, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, willing.’

Muhammad b. ‘Abd Allah b. Mihran al-Kufi narrated from Isma’il b. Yazid from ‘Amr b. Yazid al-Sayqal, who said: I called on Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, and asked him about a man who had severe haemorrhoids. He had been prescribed a bowl of strong wine (al-nabidh) and he did not want to take it for the enjoyment of it but as a medication.

Abu ‘Abd Allah said: “No, not a mouthful.” I asked: “Why?” He replied: “It is forbidden. Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, does not create a medication or cure in anything He has forbidden.

“Take a white leek and cut off its white head. Do not wash it or cut it up into small pieces Take fat from the hump of the camel (al-sinam), melt it, and pour it over the leek. Take ten walnuts (jawzat) shell them, and grind them with the weight of ten dirhams of Persian cheese (jibn farsi). Put the leek on the fire. When it is well cooked, add the walnuts and cheese to it and remove it from the fire. Eat it on an empty stomach with bread, for three days or seven days, and abstain from other food. After it, take a little roasted savin (abhal) with bread and shelled walnuts. After the fat of the camel’s hump and the leek, take, in the Name of Allah, half an awqiya of sesame oil (shiraj) on an empty stomach, and an awqiya of [the resin of the] male storax [tree] (kundur dhakar). Grind and drink it. After that take another half awqiya of sesame oil. Take it for three days and delay your eating until after noon. You will be cured, Allah, the Exalted, willing.”

An Invocation For Pain Of The Feet

Hannan b. Jabir narrated from Muhammad b ‘Ali al-Sayrafi from at-Husayn al-Ashqar from 'Amr b. Abu al-Miqdam from Muhammad al-Baqir, peace be upon him, who said: ‘I was with al-Husayn b. 'Ali, peace be upon him, when one of our Shi’a from the Bani Umayya came to him and said: “O son of the Messenger of Allah, I was hardly able to walk to you because of the pain in my feet.” He said: “What about the invocation of al-Husayn b. ‘Ali?” The man said: “O son of the Messenger of Allah, and what is that?” He replied: “The verses are:

Surely We have given thee a manifest victory, that God may forgive thee thy former and thy latter sins, and complete His blessing upon thee, and guide thee on a straight path, and that God may help thee with mighty help.

It is He who sent down the Shechina into the hearts of the believers, that, they might add faith to their faith - to God belong the hosts of the heavens and the earth; God is All-knowing, All-wise - and that He may admit the believers, men and women and women alike, into gardens underneath which rivers flow, therein to dwell forever, and acquit them of their evil deeds.

That is in God's sight a mighty triumph, that He may chastise the hypocrites, men and women alike, and the idolaters, men and women alike, and those who think evil thoughts of God. Against them shall be the evil turn of fortune. God is wroth with them, and has cursed them, and has prepared for them Hell - -an evil homecoming! To God belong the hosts of the heavens and the earth; God is All-mighty, All-wise (48:1-7).”

The man said: “I did as he instructed and did not experience any of the pain after that, with the help of Allah, the Exalted.”’

An Invocation for the Hamstring and the Sole of the Foot

Abu ‘Atab ‘Abd Allah b. Bistam narrated from Ibrahim b. Muhammad al-Awdi from Safwan al-Jammal from Ja’far b. Muhammad from his father from ‘Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be upon him, who said: A man complained to Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Husayn b. ‘Ali, peace he upon him, and said: “O son of the Messenger of Allah, I suffer from pain in my hamstring (al-urqub) which prevents me from standing up for prayer.” He said: “What prevents you from [reciting] the invocation?” He replied: “I do not know it.”

He said: “When you experience the pain, place your hand there and say: ‘In the Name of Allah, and by Allah, and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, blessings of Allah on him and his family.’ Then recite over it:

They measure not God with His true measure. The earth altogether shall be His handful on the Day of Resurrection, and the heavens shall he rolled up in His right hand. Glory be to Him! High be He exalted above that they associate! (39:67)”

The man did that and Allah, the Exalted, healed him.

An Invocation for Swelling in all the Joints

Al-Hasan b. Salih al-Mahmudi narrated from Abu ‘Amr b. Shimr from Jabir b. Yazid al-Ju’fi from Muhammad b. ‘Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be upon him, who said: “O Jabir.” I [Jabir] replied: “At your service, O son of the Messenger of Allah.” He said: “Recite over every swelling (al-waram) the end of the sura al-Hashr:

If We had sent down this Qur’an upon a mountain, thou wouldst have seen it humbled, split asunder out of the fear of God. And those similitudes - We strike them for men; haply they will reflect. He is God, there is no god but He. He is the knowcr of the Unseen and the Visible; He is the All-merciful, the All-compassionate.

He is God; there is no god but He. He is the King, the All-holy, the All-peaceable, the All-faithful, the All-preserver, the All-mighty, the All-compeller, the All-sublime. Glory be to God, above, that they associate!

He is God, the Creator, the Maker, the Shaper. To Him belong the Names Most Beautiful All that is in the heavens and the earth magnifies Him. He is the All-mighty, the All-wise (59:21-4).

“Recite it three times over the swelling, and it will subside, Allah, the Exalted, willing.

“Take a knife and pass it over the swelling and say: ‘In the Name of Allah, I charm you from affliction and iron and an affair of recurring grief and from the matted stone and from the root of a barren tree (‘irq al-‘aqir), and from another swelling, and from food and its ganglia (al-‘aqd), and from drink and its coldness. Pass, with the will of Allah, for a time to humans and cattle, In the Name of Allah I begin, and in the Name of Allah I end.’

Then drive the knife into the earth.”

An Invocation to Neutralize Spells

‘Abd Allah b. al-‘Ala al-Qazwini narrated from Ibrahim b. Muhammad from Hammad b. ‘Isa b. Ya’qub from Imran b.Maytham from Ubaya b Rab’i al-Asadi, that he heard Amir al-Mu’minin, blessings of Allah be on him, instruct one of his companions, when the latter complained of spells (al-sihr). He said: ‘Write [the following] on the parchment of a gazelle and fasten it to yourself. The spell will not harm you and its strategems will not affect you.

“In the Name of Allah, and by Allah; in the Name of Allah, and what Allah wills. In the Name of Allah, there is neither might nor power except with Allah.

Musa said, What you have brought is spells. God will assuredly bring it to naught. God sets not right the work of those who do corruption (10:81-2).

So the truth came to pass, and false was proved what they were doing. So they were vanquished there, and they turned about, humbled (7:118-19).”’

Muhammad b. Musa al-Rab’i narrated from Muhammad b. Mahbub from ‘Abd Allah b. Ghalib from Sa’d b. Zarif from al-Asbagh b. Nubata from Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, that al-Asbagh said: I took this invocation from him. He said to me: ‘O Asbagh, this is an invocation for spells and fear (al-khauf) of the ruler (al-sultan). Recite it seven times:

“In the Name of Allah, and by Allah. We will strengthen thy arm by means of thy brother, and We shall appoint to you an authority, so that they shall not reach you because of Our signs; you and whoso follows you, shall be the victors (28:35).”

Recite it seven times over water when you have completed the night prayer (salat al-layl) and before you begin the morning prayer (salat al-nahar). It [spells] will not harm you, Allah, the Exalted, willing.

An Invocation for a Woman Experiencing Difficulty in Childbirth

Al-Khawatimi narrated from Muhammad b. ‘Ali al-Sayrafi from Muhammad b. Aslam from al-Hasan b. Muhammad al-Hashimi from Aban b. Abu al-‘Ayyash from Salim b. Qays al-Hilali from Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, who said: ‘I know of two verses in the revealed Book of Allah, prescribed for a woman experiencing difficulty (al-'usr) in childbirth (al-wilada). Write them on the parchment of a gazelle and fasten it to her groin (al-haqw). Write seven times:

“In the Name of Allah, and by Allah, Truly with hardship comes ease, truly with hardship comes ease (94.5-6).”

‘Write once: O men, fear your Lord! Surely the earthquake of the Hour is a mighty thing. On the day when you behold it, every suckling woman shall neglect the child she has suckled, and every pregnant woman shall deposit her burden, and thou shalt see mankind drunk, yet they are not drunk, but God's chastisement is terrible (22:1-2).

‘Write [the following] on a paper and tie it with an untwisted fibre of flax (kattan) and fasten it on to her left thigh. When she has given birth, cut it off at once and do not delay in doing it. Write:

“At the time when Maryam gave birth, Maryam brought forth a living [being]. O living [being], come down to the earth immediately, by the will of Allah, the Exalted.”’

An Invocation for a Child Who Cries Often, for One Afraid of the Night, And for a Woman Sleepless From Pain

Then We smote their ears many years in the Cave. Afterwards We raised them up again, that We might know which of the two parties would better calculate the while they had tarried (18:11-12).

Abu al-Mu’izz al-Wasiti narrated from Muhammad b. Sulayman from Marwan b. al-Jahm from Muhammad b. Muslim from Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him, from Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, that he said that.

An Invocation for a Stubborn Beast

Hatim b. ‘Abd Allah al-Azdi narrated from Abu Ja’far al-Maqri, the Imam of the mosque of al-Kufa, from Jabir b. Rashid from Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, that he [Jabir] said: While we were on a journey, al-Sadiq noticed a man looking gloomy and dejected. He asked him: "What is wrong with you?” He replied: "My beast (al-dabba) is stubborn (harun).” He [al-Sadiq] said: “Woe be to you, recite this verse in her ear:

Have they not seen how that We have created for them of that Our hands wrought of cattle that they own? We have subdued them to them, and some of them they ride, and some they eat (36:71-2)”

An Invocation for a Journey

‘Ali b. ‘Urwa al-Ahwazi narrated from al-Daylami from Dawud al-Raqqi, from Musa b. Ja’far, peace he upon him, who said: “Whoever is on a journey (al-safar) and fears thieves (al-lusus) and predatory animals (al-sab') let him write on the mane (al-'urf) of his beast:

Fearing not overtaking, neither afraid (20:77).

He will be safe, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, willing.”

Dawud al-Raqqi said: I performed the Hajj, and when we were in the desert, a group of Bedouins waylaid the caravan in which I was. I wrote on the mane of my camel (al-jamal):

Fearing not overtaking, neither afraid (20:77).

By Him Who sent Muhammad, blessings of Allah on him and his family, with the Prophethood, bestowed on him the Message, and honoured Amir al-Mu’minin with the Imamate, not one of them challenged me and Allah made them blind (a'ma) to me.

An Invocation for all Illnesses

‘Ali b. Ishaq al-Basri narrated from Zakariya b. Adam al-Maqri, who used to serve Al-Ridha’, peace be upon him, in Khurasan. He said: One day Al-Ridha’ said to me: ‘O Zakariya.’ I answered: ‘At your service, O son of the Messenger of Allah.’ He said: ‘Recite for all illnesses: “O Bestower of healing and Remover of illness, send down healing for my ailment.”

You will be restored to health, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, willing.’

An Invocation for Sciatica

Mu’alla b. Ibrahim al-Wasiti narrated from Ibn Mahbub from Muhriz b. Sulayman al-Azraq, from Abu al-Jarud from Abu Ishaq from al-Harith al-A’war al-Hamdani from Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, that one of his companions had complained to him of sciatica (‘irq al-nisa'). He [Amir al-Mu’minin] replied: ‘When yon experience it place your hand on it and say:

“In the Name of the Merciful, the Compassionate. In the Name of Allah, and by Allah, I take refuge in the Name of Allah, the Great, and I take refuge in the Name of Allah, the Mighty, from the evil of every throbbing blood vessel (‘irq nuqqar), and from the evil of the heat of the fire.”

You will be cured, Allah, the Exalted, willing.’ The man said: ‘I recited that only three times, and Allah removed my suffering and I was cured of it.’

An Invocation for Consumption

Muhammad b. Kathir al-Dimashqi narrated from al-Hasan b. ‘Ali b. Yaqtin from Al-Ridha’ ‘Ali b. Musa, peace be upon him, who said: ‘This is an invocation for our Shi'a for consumption (al-sill):

“O Allah, O Lord of the lords, O Master of the masters, O God of the gods, O King of the kings, O Omnipotent of the heavens and the earth. Heal me and cure me of this disease of mine, for I am Your servant and the son of Your servant. I turn about in Your grasp and my forelock is in Your Hand.”

Say it three times; and Allah, the Mighty and Sublime will protect you with His Might and Power, If He, the Exalted, wills.’

An Invocation for Pustules

‘Ali b. al-‘Abbas narrated from Muhammad b. Ibrahim al-'Alawi from ‘Ali b Musa from his father from Ja’far b. Muhammad al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, who said: ‘When you feel a pustule (al-bathr) [appearing] put your index finger (al-sabbaba) on it and circle it and say seven times:

“There is no god but Allah, the Clement, the Noble.”

The seventh time, strike it and press on it with your finger.’

An Invocation for Colic

Al-Darari narrated from Musa b. ‘Umar b. Yazid from Abu ‘Umar b. Yazid al-Sayqal from al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, that he [al-Sayqal] said that one of his followers had complained of colic (al-qawlanj). He [al-Sadiq] told him:

‘Write for him the the sura al-Fatiha (1), the sura al-Ikhlas (112), and the two suras of seeking protection (al-Falaq (113) and al-Nas (114)). Then write under that:

“I take refuge in the Face of Allah, the Mighty, and in His Might, which is unceasing, and in His Power, which nothing can resist, from the evil of this pain, and the evil within it”.

Then drink it [sic] with rainwater (ma' al-matar) on an empty stomach. You will be cured of it, Allah, the Exalted, willing.’

An Invocation for Fever and For the Fever of the Messenger of Allah

Ahmad b. Muhammad Abu Ja’far narrated from Abu Muhammad b. Khalid from Bakr b. Khalid from Muhammad b. Sinan from ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Ammar al-Duhni from his father from ‘Amr Dhi Far and Taghlaba al-Jammali who both said: We heard Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, say: ‘The Messenger of Allah, blessings of Allah on him, had a severe fever (al-humma). Jibra’il, blessings of Allah on him, came to him and recited an invocation of protection over him. He said:

“In the Name of Allah, I invoke you. In the Name of Allah, I cure you of every illness that troubles, you. In the Name of Allah, and Allah is your Healer. In the Name of Allah, take it and may it be good for you. In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate,

No! I swear by the fallings of the stars, and that is indeed a mighty oath, did you but know it! (56:75-6).

You will surely be restored to health, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, willing.”

The Prophet, blessings be on him, undid his headband and said: “O Jibra’il, this is an eloquent invocation.” Jibra’il replied: “It is from the treasury of the seventh heaven.”’

Ahmad b. Salama narrated from Muhammad b. ‘Isa from Hariz b. ‘Abd Allah al-Sijistani from Ahmad b. Hamza from Aban b. ‘Uthman from al-Fudayl b. Yasar from Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him, who said: ‘When a man falls ill and you wish to invoke protection for him say:

“Out with you, O blood vessel, or O eye of jinn, or O eye of man, or O pain, from so-and-so, son of so-and-so. Out with you, by Allah, Who addressed Musa and spoke to him, and took Ibrahim, blessings of Allah on him, as a friend, the Lord of ‘Isa b. Maryam, the spirit of Allah and His Word, the Lord of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, the guides. I put you out as the fire of Ibrahim, the friend, peace be upon him, was put out.”’

Ahmad b. Abu Ziyad narrated from Faddala b. Ayyub from lsma’il b. Ziyad from Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, who said: ‘When the Messenger of Allah, blessings be on him, felt sluggish (al-kasal), or when the evil eye (al-‘ayn) fell on him, or when he had a headache, he would stretch out his hands and recite the opening of the Book (the sura al-Fatiha {1}) and the two suras of taking refuge (al-Falaq (113) and al-Nas (114)). Then he would pass his hands over his face (al-wajh) and whatever he would be suffering would be removed from him.’

Muhammad b. Ja’far al-Bursi narrated from Muhammad b. Yahya al-Armani from Muhammad b. Sinan from Salama b. Muhriz, who said: 1 heard Abu Ja’far al-Baqir, peace be upon him, say: “Whosoever is not cured by the sura al-Hamd (1) and the sura al-lkhlas (112) will not be cured by anything. All illnesses are cured by these two Suras.”

Muhammad b. Yazid narrated from Ziyad b. Muhammad from his father from Hisham b. Ahmar from Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, who said: ‘Whoever says: “There is no might nor power except with Allah, the Mighty”, Allah will drive away from him seventy-three kinds of affliction, the least of which is madness (al-junun).’

‘Ali b. Abu Talib, peace be upon him, said: The Messenger of Allah, blessings be on him, said: “O ‘Ali, shall I show you one of the treasures of Paradise?” I replied: “Yes indeed, O Messenger of Allah.” He said: “There is no power or might except with Allah.”

Muhammad b. Ibrahim al-Sarraj narrated from Faddala and al-Qasim both from Aban b. ‘Uthman from Abu Hamza al-Thumali from Abu Ja’far al-Baqir, peace be upon him, who said: ‘When one of you suffers from something, let him recite:

“In the Name of Allah, and blessings of Allah on the Messenger of Allah and his Ahl al-Bayt, I take refuge in the Might of Allah and His Power over what He wills, from the evil of what I suffer.”’

Ahmad b. Salih al-Nisaburi narrated from Jamil b. Salih from Dharih, who said: I heard Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, invoke protection from wind for one of his followers and say:

“I adjure you, O ailment, with the invocation by which ‘Ali b. Abu Talib, peace be upon him, and the Messenger of Allah, blessings on him and his family, called on the jinn of the valley of al-Sabra and they obeyed and answered, that you obey and answer and get out of so-and-so, son of so-and-so, at once, at once, by the will of Allah, the Exalted, by the command of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, by the Power of Allah, by the Sovereignty of Allah, by the Majesty of Allah, by the Grandeur of Allah, by the Greatness of Allah, by the Face of Allah, by the Beauty of Allah, by the Magnificence of Allah, by the Light of Allah.”

It was not long before it was expelled.

[An Invocation] For A Pebble in the Ear

It was narrated from Bakr from his uncle Sudayr, who said: ‘I took a pebble and scratched my ear with it. It became embedded in my ear. I made every effort to remove it, but neither I nor the medical practitioners could do it. When I performed the Hajj and met al-Baqir, peace be upon him, I complained to him of the pain I had experienced. He said to al-Sadiq, peace be upon him: “O Ja’far, take him by the hand out into the light and have a look.” Al-Sadiq looked into the ear and said: “I do not see anything.” Al-Baqir said: “Approach me.” I approached him and he said: “O Allah, remove it as You caused it to enter, without trouble or difficulty.” Then he said: “Recite that three times.” I recited it. He said: “Put your finger in.” I put my finger in and brought out the pebble. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.’

Hannan b Jabir al-Filistini narrated from Muhammad b. ‘Ali from Ibn Sinan from ‘Ammar b. Marwan from al-Munkhal from Jabir from Abu Ja’far Muhammad b. ‘Ali, peace be upon him, who said that a man complained to him of deafness (al-samam). Abu Ja’far said: ‘Pass your hand over him and recite:

If We had sent down this Qur’an upon a mountain thou wouldst have seen it humbled, split asunder out of the fear of God. And We make these examples for men; haply they will reflect He is God; there in god but He. He is the knower of the Unseen and the Visible. He is the All-merciful, the All-compassionate. He is God. There is no god but He. He is the King, the All-holy, the All-peaceable, the All-faithful, the All-preserver, the All-mighty, the All-compeller, the All-sublime. Glory be to God, above that they associate! He is God, the Creator, the Maker, the Shaper. To Him belong the Names Most Beautiful. All that is in the heavens and the earth magnifies Him; He is the All-mighty, the All-wise. (59:21-4).’

An Invocation for Pain Afflicting the Mouth

Hariz b. Ayyub al-Jurjani narrated from Abu Samina from ‘Ali b. Asbat from Abu Hamza from Abu Basir from Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, that Abu Basir said: One of his [Abu ‘Abd Allah's] followers complained to him of pain in his mouth (al-fam). Abu ‘Abd Allah said: ‘When that afflicts you, place your hand over it and say: “In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate, In the Name of Allah, with Whose Name illness causes no harm; I take refuge in the Words of Allah, with Which nothing harms, Most Holy. Most Holy, Most Holy. By Your Name, O Lord, the Pure, the Holy, the Blessed, whoever asks You by it, You grant it to him, and whoever calls on You by it, You answer him. I ask You, O Allah, O Allah, O Allah, to bless Muhammad, the Prophet, and his Ahl al-Bayt, and to heal the suffering in my mouth, my head, my hearing, my sight, my belly, my back, my hand, my foot, and in all my limbs.”

Your pain will be relieved. Allah, the Exalted, willing.’

An Invocation for Pain in the Teeth

Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Husayn b. [Ahmad] Muhammad al-Khawatimi narrated from al-Husayn b. 'Ali b. Yaqtin from Hannan al-Sayqal from Abu Basir from Abu Ja’far al-Baqir, peace be upon him, that Abu Basir said: I complained to him of pain in my teeth, and that it kept me awake at nights. Abu Ja'far said: “O Abu Basir, when you experience that, place your hand over it, and recite the sura al-Hamd (1) and the sura al-Ikhlas (112), then recite:

And thou shalt see the mountains, that thou supposest fixed, passing by like clouds - God's handiwork, who has created everything very well. He is aware of the things you do. (27:88)

The pain will subside, and will not recur.”

Hamdan b. A’yan al-Razi narrated from Abu Talib from Yunus from Abu Hamza from Sama’a b. Mihran from Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, that he [Abu ‘Abd Allah] instructed a man to recite the above invocation and added to it, saying: ‘Recite the sura al-Qadr (97) once. The pain will subside, and will not recur.’

[Also for pain in the teeth,] from Amir al-Mu’minin, peace he upon him, that he said: ‘Whoever complains of pain in the teeth, let him take the object on which he performs his prostration, and rub it on the painful area, and say: “In the Name of Allah, and the Healer, Allah; there is no Might nor Power except in Allah, the Most High, the Mighty.”’

It is reported from Abu al-Hasan, peace be upon him, that he said: ‘My teeth (al-asnan) were hurting me and I applied Cyperus rotundus (al-su’d) to them.’ He said: ‘Wine vinegar (khall al-khumr) strengthens the gums (al-litha).’ He also said: ‘'Take wheat (al-hinta), husk it, and extract the oil. If the tooth is decayed and rotten, put two drops of the oil in it. Put some oil on a piece of cotton and place it in the ear near the tooth for three nights. It will stop [the decay], Allah, the Exalted, willing.'

The Charm for the Tooth

Ibrahim b. Khalid narrated from Ibrahim b. ‘Abd Rabbihi from Tha’laba from Abu Basir from Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, who said: ‘This is a charm for the teeth. It is beneficial and will never fail, Allah, the Exalted, willing. Praise .,. [sic] three leaves of the olive tree (al-zaytun), and write on the face of the leaf: “In the Name of Allah. There is no sovereign mightier than Allah, the King, and you are his Khalifa. Ya Haya Sharahiyya, remove the illness and send the cure, and may Allah bless Muhammad and his family.”’

Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, said: ‘“Ya Haya, Sharahiyya", are two of the Names of Allah, the Exalted, in Hebrew. Write that on the back of the leaf, and tie it in a clean piece of cloth with a thread spun by a maid servant who has not… [sic] and tie seven knots in it and name each knot with the name of one of the prophets- Adam. Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, Isa, Shuayb - and pray for Muhammad and his family, peace be on him and on them, and attach it to it [the tooth]. It will be cured. Allah, the Exalted, willing.’

Jibra’il al-Husayn b. Ali, peace be upon him [sic]: ‘How amazing it is that a creature eats the bone (al-'azm) and leaves the flesh (al-lahm). I make an invocation by Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, the Healer, the All-sufficient. There is no god but Allah, and praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

And when you killed a living soul, and disputed thereon - and God disclosed what you were hiding - so We said: Smite him with part of it (2:72-3).

Place your finger on the tooth, then recite this invocation seven times, on both its sides. It will be cured, Allah, the Exalted, willing.’

A Proven Invocation For The Teeth

Recite the sura al-Hamd (1) the two Suras of taking refuge (al-Falaq (113) and al-Nas (114)), and the sura al-Ikhlas (112). Say ‘In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate' with each sura. After the sura al-lkhlas (112), say:

‘In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate,

And to Him belongs whatsoever inhabits the night and the day, and He is the All-hearing All-knowing (6:13).

We said: O fire, be cooled and safe for Ibrahim! They desired to outwit him, so We made them the worse losers (21:69-70).

He was called: Blessed is He who is in the fire, and he who is about it. Glory be to God, the Lord of all Being’ (27:8).

Then say after that: ‘O Allah, O One Who protects from every thing, and nothing protects You. Protect Your servant and the son of your bondmaid (al-ima’), from the evil of what he fears and is wary of in this pain of which he complains to You.’

An Invocation for Coughing

‘Abd Allah b. Muhammad b. Mihran al-Kufi narrated from Ayyub from ‘Amr b. Shimr from Jabir from Abu Ja’far Muhammad b. ‘Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be upon him, from al-Husayn [sic], who said: Amir al-Mu’minin, peace he upon him, said: ‘Whosoever has a complaint of the throat (al-halq) and excessive coughing (al-su’al) and the desperation of his body increases, let him take refuge with these words, which are called ‘the comprehensive’ (al-jami’a), for all things:

“O Allah, You are my hope, and You are my Trust, my Support, my Succour, my Exalter, my beauty.

You are the Refuge of those who are afraid.

There is no sanctuary for those who flee except in You.

There is no one on whom human beings can rely except You.

There is no wish for those who desire except before You.

There is no helper for the oppressed but You.

There is no object for the needy except You.

There is nothing to be given for the seekers except from You.

There is no place to turn for the repentant except You,

Sustenance and good and deliverance are only in Your Hand.

Oppressive matters have grieved me, difficult straits have wearied me,

and painful ailments have encompassed me.

I do not find the opening of the door of deliverance open except by Your Hand.

Thus I stand before You and seek help from You, with prayer, against its closing.

Open, O Lord, to the one who asks for help, and answer the one who calls out.

Dispel the grief, remove the harm, fulfil the need, remove the sorrow, banish the anxieties, and save me from destruction, for I am on the brink of it.

I do not find my salvation from it other than in You.

O Allah, O He who answers the constrained, when he calls

unto Him, and removes the evil (27:62),

have mercy on me and remove what is in me of sorrow and grief and pain and illness.

Lord, if You do not, I do not expect my deliverance from other than You.

Have mercy on me, O Most Merciful of the Merciful.

This is the position of the wretched, the poor.

This is the position of one who is afraid, one seeking refuge.

This is the position of one calling for help.

This is the position of the sorrowful, the hurt.

This is the troubled, the one seeking protection.

This is the position of the servant, apprehensive, dying,

drowning, frightened, fearful.

This is the position of one who has awakened from his sleep,

been aroused from his forgetfulness,

recovered from his illness and the severity of

his pain, and is afraid because of his offences.

He acknowledges his sins, is humble before his Lord,

and weeps in fear of Him.

He asks forgiveness, sheds tears, and seeks pardon,

by Allah, from his Lord.

He dreads His Power, sheds his tears, and hopes,

weeps, and prays and calls:

Lord, affliction has visited me (21:83) so set me right.

You see my position. You hear my words. Yon know my secret thoughts and my public affairs.

You know my need and You know me thoroughly.

Nothing in my affairs, whether open or secret, apparent or concealed in my breast, is hidden from You.

So I ask You, since You have authority over regulating [affairs], accepting pleas, and fixing destinies, with the request of one who has done wrong and confessed, wronged his soul, and committed crimes.

He has repented for what is past and turned to his Lord.

He has regretted and taken refuge in His courtyard, held back and restrained his desire, and devoted himself to the Rcvoker of his lapses, the Acceptor of his repentance, the Forgiver of his sins, the One Who has mercy on his state of exile, the Remover of his distress and the Healer of his illness.

Have mercy on my transgressions and my entreaties to You.

Forgive me all my deviations from Your Book which have been counted in Your record.

Your past knowledge of my sins, faults, and offences in privacy, my immorality, my evil deeds, my lapses, and all that Your recording angels witness and have written down during childhood and after puberty, in old age and youth, by night and day, early morning and evening, late evening and daybreak, forenoon and dawn, and at home and in travels, in solitude and in public. Overlook my evil deeds among the inhabitants of Paradise the promise of the very truth, which they were promised (46:16).

O Allah, by the right of Muhammad and his family, remove from mc the overwhelming illnesses in my body (jismi), my hair (sha'ri), my skin (bashari), my blood vessels (‘uruqi), my nerves ('asabi), and my limbs, for no one will remove that other than You, O Most Merciful of the Merciful, O Answerer of the call of the distressed.”’

An Invocation for Anxieties in the Breast

Abu al-Qasim al-Taflisi narrated from Hammad b. ‘Isa from Hariz b. ‘Abd Allah al-Sijistani from Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, that Hariz said: I said “O son of the Messenger of Allah, I experience anxieties (al-balabil) in my breast and temptations (al-wasawis) in my heart (al-fu’ad) so that I sometimes break off my prayer and become confused in my recitation.” Abu ‘Abd Allah said: "And what about the invocation of Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him?” I replied: “O son of the Messenger of Allah, teach [it to] me.”

He said: “When you experience something of this, place your hand on it and say:

‘In the Name of Allah and by Allah. O Allah, You have blessed me with faith, and entrusted me with the Qur'an, and bestowed on me fasting in the month of Ramadan.

Grant me mercy and acceptance and compassion and forgiveness and all that You have conferred on me of blessings and beneficence.

O Compassionate. O Benefactor, O Everlasting, O Merciful, Glory be to You. I have no one but You, Glory be to You. I take refuge in You, after these expressions of esteem, from abasement. I ask You to remove the sorrows from my heart.’

Repeat this three times and you will be cured of it, with the help of Allah, the Exalted. Then bless the Prophet, blessings of Allah upon him, and mercy and blessings upon his family.”

An Invocation for a Pain in the Belly

Al-Husayn b. Bistam narrated from Muhammad b. Khalaf from al-Washsha’ from ‘Abd Allah b. Sinan from Ja’far b. Muhammad, peace be upon him, from his grandfather, peace be upon him, who said: A man complained to the Prophet, blessings and peace be on him and his family, and said: “O Messenger of Allah, I have a brother who has a complaint of the belly.” The Prophet replied: “Tell your brother to take a drink of honey with hot water.” The man returned to him the next day and said: “O Messenger of Allah, I gave him the drink but he did not benefit from it.” The Messenger of Allah said: “Allah has said the truth, and the belly of your brother has lied. Go, and give your brother the drink of honey and invoke for him the sura al-Fatiha (1) seven times.” When the man left, the Prophet said: “O ‘Ali, the brother of this man is a hypocrite. Whosoever is such, the drink will not benefit him.”

A man complained to Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, of pain in the belly. He instructed him to drink hot water and say:

“O Allah, O Allah, O Allah, O Merciful, O Compassionate, O Lord of the lords. O God of the gods, O King of the kings, O Master of the masters. Heal me with Your cures from every disease and illness, for I am Your servant and the son of Your servant; I turn about in Your grasp.”

Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Khawatimi narrated from Ibn Yaqtin from Hassan al-Sayqal from Abu Basir, who said: A man complained to Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, of pain of the navel (al-surra). Al-Sadiq told him: “Go, and put your hand on the painful area and say three times:

Surely it is a Book Sublime. Falsehood comes not to it from before it nor from behind it. A revelation from One All-wise, All-laudable (41:41-2).

You will be cured, Allah willing.”

Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, said: “There is not one among the believers who complains of any illness and recites with sincere intention, while passing his hand over the area of the illness:

We send down of the Qu’ran that which is a cure and a mercy to the believers. The unbelievers it increases not except in loss (17:82),

but that he is cured of that illness, whatever it may be. The truth of that is confirmed in the verse, where it says, a cure and a mercy to the believers.”

An Invocation and Medication for Pain of the Waist

Hariz b. Ayyub narrated from Abu Samina from ‘Ali b. Asbat from Abu Hamza from Hamran b. A’yan, who said: A man questioned Muhammad b. ‘Ali al-Baqir, peace be upon him, saying: “O son of the Messenger of Allah, I suffer from severe pain in the waist (al-khasira) and have treated it with many remedies, but it has not been cured.”

Al-Baqir said: “What about the invocation of Amir al-Mu’minin?” The man replied: “And what is that, O son of the Messenger of Allah?” He said: “When you complete your prayers, put your hand on the place of prostration, stroke it, and say:

What, did you think that We created you only for sport, and that you would not be returned to Us? Then high exalted be God, the King, the True! There is no god but He, the Lord of the noble Throne. Whosoever calls upon another god with God, whereof he has no proof, his reckoning is with his Lord. Surely the unbelievers shall not prosper. And say: My Lord, forgive and have mercy, for Thou art the best of the merciful (23:115-18).”

The man said: “I did that and the pain subsided, praise be to Allah, the Exalted.”

Muhammad b. Ja’ far al-Bursi narrated from Muhammad b. Yahya al-Armani from Muhammad b. Sinan from Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, who said: ‘The Messenger of Allah, blessings on him and his family, said: “Drink lovage (al-kashim), for it is good for pain of the waist.”’

Also from him from Muhammad b. Yahya from Yunus b. Zabyan from Jabir from Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him, who said Amir al-Mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: “Whoever wishes that food may not harm him, let him not eat until he is hungry and his abdomen (al-ma’ida) is cleansed. When he eats, let him take the Name of Allah and chew well and let him stop eating while he still has an appetite for it [food] and wants it.”

‘Abd Allah b. Bistam narrated from Muhammad b. Razin from Hammad b. ‘Isa from Hariz from Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, from Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, who said: “Whoever wishes for the eternal life in the next world, and not for permanence in this world, let him wear light clothes, eat early, and have intercourse (al-mujami’a) with women less frequently.”

An Invocation for Pain of the Spleen

Muhammad b. ‘Abd Allah b. Mihran al-Kufi narrated from Ayyub from Umar b. Shimr from Jabir from Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him, who said: A man from Khurasan came to ‘Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be upon him, and said: “O son of the Messenger of Allah, I performed the Hajj and resolved to call on you upon my departure, for I have a pain in the spleen (al-tihal). Pray for me to be relieved of it.”

‘Ali b. al-Husayn replied: “Allah has protected you from that, praise be to Him. When you experience the pain, write this verse with saffron (al-za’faran) mixed with the water of [the] Zamzam [spring in Mecca], and drink it. Allah, the Exalted, will drive away that pain from you:

Say: Call upon God, or call upon the Merciful whichsoever you call upon, to Him belong the Names Most Beautiful. And be thou not loud in thy prayer, nor hushed therein, but seek thou for a way between that. And say: Praise belongs to God, who has not taken to Him a son, and who has not any associate in the Kingdom, nor any protector out of humbleness. And magnify Him with repeated magnificats (17:110-11).

Write the following on the parchment of a gazelle (ghazal) and attach it to your left arm (al-'adud) for seven days and the pain will abate: . .”

لا س س س ح ح دم كرم ل له ومحي حح لله صر ه

ر ححب سي حجحت عشره به هك ان عنها ح حل

يصر س هو بوا اميوا مسعوف

Ahmad b. Yazid narrated from al-Sahhaf al-Kufi from Musa b. Ja’far, peace be upon him, from al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, from al-Baqir, peace be upon him, that he said: ‘One of his followers complained to al-Baqir of pain in the spleen. He had treated it with every remedy but its evil increased every day until he was on the threshold of death. Al-Baqir said to him: “Buy a piece of leek (al-kurrath) and fry it well in Arab clarified butter (saman ‘arabi). Give it for three days to the one who has this pain. If that is done, he will be cured, Allah, the Exalted, willing.”’

An Invocation for Pain in the Bladder

Muhammad b. Ja’far al-Bursi narrated from Muhammad b. Yahya al-Armani from Muhammad b. Sinan al-Sinani from al-Mufaddal b. ‘Umar from Muhammad b. Isma’il from Abu Zaynab, who said: One of our brothers complained to Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, of pain in the bladder (al-mathana). Al-Sadiq said: “Seek protection for it with these verses three times before you sleep, and once when you awaken, and you will not experience the pain after that:

Knowest thou not that God is powerful over everything? Knowest thou not that to God belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and that you have none, apart from God, neither protector nor helper?” (2:106-7).

The man said: “I did that and did not experience the pain again.”

An Invocation for Pain in the Back

Al-Khidr b Muhammad narrated from al-Hawarini from Faddala from Aban b. ’Uthman from lbn Abu Hamza al-Thumali from Abu Ja’far Muhammad al-Baqir, peace be upon him, who said: ‘A man from Hamdan complained to Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, of a pain in the back and that he had sleepless nights [because of it]. He said: “Put your hand on the area that pains you and recite three times:

It is not given to any soul to die save by the leave of God, at an appointed time. Whoever desires the reward of this world, We will give him of this. Whosoever desires the reward of the other world, We will give him of that. We will recompense the thankful (3:145).

Then recite the sura al-Qadr (97) seven times and you will be cured of it, if Allah, the Exalted, wills.”’

An Invocation for Pain of the Thighs

Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Katib narrated from Muhammad b. ‘Abd Allah al-Za’farani from Hammad b. ‘Isa from Amir a-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, who said: ‘When one of you suffers from pain of the thighs (al-fakhdhan), let him sit in a large vessel or basin of heated water and place his hand there [on his thighs] and recite:

Have not the unbelievers then beheld that the heavens and earth were a mass all sewn up, and then We unstitched them and of water fashioned every living thing? Will they not believe? (21:30)’

An Invocation for Pain of the Genitals

With this chain of transmitters (al-isnad) from Hariz al-Sijistani, who said: I performed the Hajj and called on Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, in Medina, and al-Mu’alla b. Khunays, may Allah have mercy on him, was complaining to him of pain in the genitals (al-farj). Al-Sadiq said to him: “You exposed your privy parts (al- ‘aura) on some occasion and Allah has punished you with this pain. But seek protection for it with the invocation which Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, gave Abu Wa’ila, after which it [the pain] did not recur.” Al-Mu’alla asked; “O son of the Messenger of Allah, what is the invocation?” He replied: “Put your left hand on them and say three times:

‘In the name of Allah, and by Allah,

Nay, but whosoever submits his will to God, being a good-doer, his wage is with his Lord, and no fear shall be on them, neither shall they sorrow (2:112).

O Allah, I have submitted myself to You and entrusted my affairs to You. There is no refuge or security from You except in You.’

You will be cured, Allah, the Exalted, willing.”

An Invocation for Pain of the Legs

Khaddash b. Sabra narrated from Muhammad b. Jamhur from Safwan Bayya’ al-Sabiri from Salim b. Muhammad, who said: I complained to al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, of pain in my legs (al-saqayn) and that it had prevented me from pursuing my affairs and earning my living. He said: “Recite an invocation of protection over them.” I asked: “With what, O son of the Messenger of Allah?” He said: “With this verse. Recite it seven times and you will be cured, Allah, the Exalted, willing:

Recite what has been revealed to thee of the Book of thy Lord; no man can change His words. Apart from Him, thou wilt find no refuge. (18:27).”

He said: I recited the invocation over them seven times, as he had instructed me, and I never experienced the pain again.

An Invocation and Medications for Hemorrhoids

Al-Hawarini al-Razi narrated from Safwan b. Yahya al-Sabiri - and he is not Safwan al-Jammal - from Ya’qub b. Shu’ayb from Aban b. Taghlab from ‘Abd al-‘Ala’ from Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami from Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, who said: ‘Whosoever seeks protection from haemorrhoids with this invocation will be protected from its evil, Allah, the Exalted willing. It is:

“O Magnanimous, O Exalted, O Compassionate, O Near, O Responder, O Creator, O Merciful, bless Muhammad and his family, and bestow on me Your blessing, and protect me from my pain.”

He will be cured of it, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, willing.’

Muhammad b. ‘Abd Allah b. Mihran al-Kufi narrated from Isma’il b. Yazid from ‘Amr b. Yazid al-Sayqal, who said: I called on Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, and asked him about a man who had severe haemorrhoids. He had been prescribed a bowl of strong wine (al-nabidh) and he did not want to take it for the enjoyment of it but as a medication.

Abu ‘Abd Allah said: “No, not a mouthful.” I asked: “Why?” He replied: “It is forbidden. Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, does not create a medication or cure in anything He has forbidden.

“Take a white leek and cut off its white head. Do not wash it or cut it up into small pieces Take fat from the hump of the camel (al-sinam), melt it, and pour it over the leek. Take ten walnuts (jawzat) shell them, and grind them with the weight of ten dirhams of Persian cheese (jibn farsi). Put the leek on the fire. When it is well cooked, add the walnuts and cheese to it and remove it from the fire. Eat it on an empty stomach with bread, for three days or seven days, and abstain from other food. After it, take a little roasted savin (abhal) with bread and shelled walnuts. After the fat of the camel’s hump and the leek, take, in the Name of Allah, half an awqiya of sesame oil (shiraj) on an empty stomach, and an awqiya of [the resin of the] male storax [tree] (kundur dhakar). Grind and drink it. After that take another half awqiya of sesame oil. Take it for three days and delay your eating until after noon. You will be cured, Allah, the Exalted, willing.”

An Invocation For Pain Of The Feet

Hannan b. Jabir narrated from Muhammad b ‘Ali al-Sayrafi from at-Husayn al-Ashqar from 'Amr b. Abu al-Miqdam from Muhammad al-Baqir, peace be upon him, who said: ‘I was with al-Husayn b. 'Ali, peace be upon him, when one of our Shi’a from the Bani Umayya came to him and said: “O son of the Messenger of Allah, I was hardly able to walk to you because of the pain in my feet.” He said: “What about the invocation of al-Husayn b. ‘Ali?” The man said: “O son of the Messenger of Allah, and what is that?” He replied: “The verses are:

Surely We have given thee a manifest victory, that God may forgive thee thy former and thy latter sins, and complete His blessing upon thee, and guide thee on a straight path, and that God may help thee with mighty help.

It is He who sent down the Shechina into the hearts of the believers, that, they might add faith to their faith - to God belong the hosts of the heavens and the earth; God is All-knowing, All-wise - and that He may admit the believers, men and women and women alike, into gardens underneath which rivers flow, therein to dwell forever, and acquit them of their evil deeds.

That is in God's sight a mighty triumph, that He may chastise the hypocrites, men and women alike, and the idolaters, men and women alike, and those who think evil thoughts of God. Against them shall be the evil turn of fortune. God is wroth with them, and has cursed them, and has prepared for them Hell - -an evil homecoming! To God belong the hosts of the heavens and the earth; God is All-mighty, All-wise (48:1-7).”

The man said: “I did as he instructed and did not experience any of the pain after that, with the help of Allah, the Exalted.”’

An Invocation for the Hamstring and the Sole of the Foot

Abu ‘Atab ‘Abd Allah b. Bistam narrated from Ibrahim b. Muhammad al-Awdi from Safwan al-Jammal from Ja’far b. Muhammad from his father from ‘Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be upon him, who said: A man complained to Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Husayn b. ‘Ali, peace he upon him, and said: “O son of the Messenger of Allah, I suffer from pain in my hamstring (al-urqub) which prevents me from standing up for prayer.” He said: “What prevents you from [reciting] the invocation?” He replied: “I do not know it.”

He said: “When you experience the pain, place your hand there and say: ‘In the Name of Allah, and by Allah, and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, blessings of Allah on him and his family.’ Then recite over it:

They measure not God with His true measure. The earth altogether shall be His handful on the Day of Resurrection, and the heavens shall he rolled up in His right hand. Glory be to Him! High be He exalted above that they associate! (39:67)”

The man did that and Allah, the Exalted, healed him.

An Invocation for Swelling in all the Joints

Al-Hasan b. Salih al-Mahmudi narrated from Abu ‘Amr b. Shimr from Jabir b. Yazid al-Ju’fi from Muhammad b. ‘Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be upon him, who said: “O Jabir.” I [Jabir] replied: “At your service, O son of the Messenger of Allah.” He said: “Recite over every swelling (al-waram) the end of the sura al-Hashr:

If We had sent down this Qur’an upon a mountain, thou wouldst have seen it humbled, split asunder out of the fear of God. And those similitudes - We strike them for men; haply they will reflect. He is God, there is no god but He. He is the knowcr of the Unseen and the Visible; He is the All-merciful, the All-compassionate.

He is God; there is no god but He. He is the King, the All-holy, the All-peaceable, the All-faithful, the All-preserver, the All-mighty, the All-compeller, the All-sublime. Glory be to God, above, that they associate!

He is God, the Creator, the Maker, the Shaper. To Him belong the Names Most Beautiful All that is in the heavens and the earth magnifies Him. He is the All-mighty, the All-wise (59:21-4).

“Recite it three times over the swelling, and it will subside, Allah, the Exalted, willing.

“Take a knife and pass it over the swelling and say: ‘In the Name of Allah, I charm you from affliction and iron and an affair of recurring grief and from the matted stone and from the root of a barren tree (‘irq al-‘aqir), and from another swelling, and from food and its ganglia (al-‘aqd), and from drink and its coldness. Pass, with the will of Allah, for a time to humans and cattle, In the Name of Allah I begin, and in the Name of Allah I end.’

Then drive the knife into the earth.”

An Invocation to Neutralize Spells

‘Abd Allah b. al-‘Ala al-Qazwini narrated from Ibrahim b. Muhammad from Hammad b. ‘Isa b. Ya’qub from Imran b.Maytham from Ubaya b Rab’i al-Asadi, that he heard Amir al-Mu’minin, blessings of Allah be on him, instruct one of his companions, when the latter complained of spells (al-sihr). He said: ‘Write [the following] on the parchment of a gazelle and fasten it to yourself. The spell will not harm you and its strategems will not affect you.

“In the Name of Allah, and by Allah; in the Name of Allah, and what Allah wills. In the Name of Allah, there is neither might nor power except with Allah.

Musa said, What you have brought is spells. God will assuredly bring it to naught. God sets not right the work of those who do corruption (10:81-2).

So the truth came to pass, and false was proved what they were doing. So they were vanquished there, and they turned about, humbled (7:118-19).”’

Muhammad b. Musa al-Rab’i narrated from Muhammad b. Mahbub from ‘Abd Allah b. Ghalib from Sa’d b. Zarif from al-Asbagh b. Nubata from Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, that al-Asbagh said: I took this invocation from him. He said to me: ‘O Asbagh, this is an invocation for spells and fear (al-khauf) of the ruler (al-sultan). Recite it seven times:

“In the Name of Allah, and by Allah. We will strengthen thy arm by means of thy brother, and We shall appoint to you an authority, so that they shall not reach you because of Our signs; you and whoso follows you, shall be the victors (28:35).”

Recite it seven times over water when you have completed the night prayer (salat al-layl) and before you begin the morning prayer (salat al-nahar). It [spells] will not harm you, Allah, the Exalted, willing.

An Invocation for a Woman Experiencing Difficulty in Childbirth

Al-Khawatimi narrated from Muhammad b. ‘Ali al-Sayrafi from Muhammad b. Aslam from al-Hasan b. Muhammad al-Hashimi from Aban b. Abu al-‘Ayyash from Salim b. Qays al-Hilali from Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, who said: ‘I know of two verses in the revealed Book of Allah, prescribed for a woman experiencing difficulty (al-'usr) in childbirth (al-wilada). Write them on the parchment of a gazelle and fasten it to her groin (al-haqw). Write seven times:

“In the Name of Allah, and by Allah, Truly with hardship comes ease, truly with hardship comes ease (94.5-6).”

‘Write once: O men, fear your Lord! Surely the earthquake of the Hour is a mighty thing. On the day when you behold it, every suckling woman shall neglect the child she has suckled, and every pregnant woman shall deposit her burden, and thou shalt see mankind drunk, yet they are not drunk, but God's chastisement is terrible (22:1-2).

‘Write [the following] on a paper and tie it with an untwisted fibre of flax (kattan) and fasten it on to her left thigh. When she has given birth, cut it off at once and do not delay in doing it. Write:

“At the time when Maryam gave birth, Maryam brought forth a living [being]. O living [being], come down to the earth immediately, by the will of Allah, the Exalted.”’

An Invocation for a Child Who Cries Often, for One Afraid of the Night, And for a Woman Sleepless From Pain

Then We smote their ears many years in the Cave. Afterwards We raised them up again, that We might know which of the two parties would better calculate the while they had tarried (18:11-12).

Abu al-Mu’izz al-Wasiti narrated from Muhammad b. Sulayman from Marwan b. al-Jahm from Muhammad b. Muslim from Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him, from Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, that he said that.

An Invocation for a Stubborn Beast

Hatim b. ‘Abd Allah al-Azdi narrated from Abu Ja’far al-Maqri, the Imam of the mosque of al-Kufa, from Jabir b. Rashid from Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, that he [Jabir] said: While we were on a journey, al-Sadiq noticed a man looking gloomy and dejected. He asked him: "What is wrong with you?” He replied: "My beast (al-dabba) is stubborn (harun).” He [al-Sadiq] said: “Woe be to you, recite this verse in her ear:

Have they not seen how that We have created for them of that Our hands wrought of cattle that they own? We have subdued them to them, and some of them they ride, and some they eat (36:71-2)”

An Invocation for a Journey

‘Ali b. ‘Urwa al-Ahwazi narrated from al-Daylami from Dawud al-Raqqi, from Musa b. Ja’far, peace he upon him, who said: “Whoever is on a journey (al-safar) and fears thieves (al-lusus) and predatory animals (al-sab') let him write on the mane (al-'urf) of his beast:

Fearing not overtaking, neither afraid (20:77).

He will be safe, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, willing.”

Dawud al-Raqqi said: I performed the Hajj, and when we were in the desert, a group of Bedouins waylaid the caravan in which I was. I wrote on the mane of my camel (al-jamal):

Fearing not overtaking, neither afraid (20:77).

By Him Who sent Muhammad, blessings of Allah on him and his family, with the Prophethood, bestowed on him the Message, and honoured Amir al-Mu’minin with the Imamate, not one of them challenged me and Allah made them blind (a'ma) to me.

An Invocation for all Illnesses

‘Ali b. Ishaq al-Basri narrated from Zakariya b. Adam al-Maqri, who used to serve Al-Ridha’, peace be upon him, in Khurasan. He said: One day Al-Ridha’ said to me: ‘O Zakariya.’ I answered: ‘At your service, O son of the Messenger of Allah.’ He said: ‘Recite for all illnesses: “O Bestower of healing and Remover of illness, send down healing for my ailment.”

You will be restored to health, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, willing.’

An Invocation for Sciatica

Mu’alla b. Ibrahim al-Wasiti narrated from Ibn Mahbub from Muhriz b. Sulayman al-Azraq, from Abu al-Jarud from Abu Ishaq from al-Harith al-A’war al-Hamdani from Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, that one of his companions had complained to him of sciatica (‘irq al-nisa'). He [Amir al-Mu’minin] replied: ‘When yon experience it place your hand on it and say:

“In the Name of the Merciful, the Compassionate. In the Name of Allah, and by Allah, I take refuge in the Name of Allah, the Great, and I take refuge in the Name of Allah, the Mighty, from the evil of every throbbing blood vessel (‘irq nuqqar), and from the evil of the heat of the fire.”

You will be cured, Allah, the Exalted, willing.’ The man said: ‘I recited that only three times, and Allah removed my suffering and I was cured of it.’

An Invocation for Consumption

Muhammad b. Kathir al-Dimashqi narrated from al-Hasan b. ‘Ali b. Yaqtin from Al-Ridha’ ‘Ali b. Musa, peace be upon him, who said: ‘This is an invocation for our Shi'a for consumption (al-sill):

“O Allah, O Lord of the lords, O Master of the masters, O God of the gods, O King of the kings, O Omnipotent of the heavens and the earth. Heal me and cure me of this disease of mine, for I am Your servant and the son of Your servant. I turn about in Your grasp and my forelock is in Your Hand.”

Say it three times; and Allah, the Mighty and Sublime will protect you with His Might and Power, If He, the Exalted, wills.’

An Invocation for Pustules

‘Ali b. al-‘Abbas narrated from Muhammad b. Ibrahim al-'Alawi from ‘Ali b Musa from his father from Ja’far b. Muhammad al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, who said: ‘When you feel a pustule (al-bathr) [appearing] put your index finger (al-sabbaba) on it and circle it and say seven times:

“There is no god but Allah, the Clement, the Noble.”

The seventh time, strike it and press on it with your finger.’

An Invocation for Colic

Al-Darari narrated from Musa b. ‘Umar b. Yazid from Abu ‘Umar b. Yazid al-Sayqal from al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, that he [al-Sayqal] said that one of his followers had complained of colic (al-qawlanj). He [al-Sadiq] told him:

‘Write for him the the sura al-Fatiha (1), the sura al-Ikhlas (112), and the two suras of seeking protection (al-Falaq (113) and al-Nas (114)). Then write under that:

“I take refuge in the Face of Allah, the Mighty, and in His Might, which is unceasing, and in His Power, which nothing can resist, from the evil of this pain, and the evil within it”.

Then drink it [sic] with rainwater (ma' al-matar) on an empty stomach. You will be cured of it, Allah, the Exalted, willing.’

An Invocation for Fever and For the Fever of the Messenger of Allah

Ahmad b. Muhammad Abu Ja’far narrated from Abu Muhammad b. Khalid from Bakr b. Khalid from Muhammad b. Sinan from ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Ammar al-Duhni from his father from ‘Amr Dhi Far and Taghlaba al-Jammali who both said: We heard Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, say: ‘The Messenger of Allah, blessings of Allah on him, had a severe fever (al-humma). Jibra’il, blessings of Allah on him, came to him and recited an invocation of protection over him. He said:

“In the Name of Allah, I invoke you. In the Name of Allah, I cure you of every illness that troubles, you. In the Name of Allah, and Allah is your Healer. In the Name of Allah, take it and may it be good for you. In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate,

No! I swear by the fallings of the stars, and that is indeed a mighty oath, did you but know it! (56:75-6).

You will surely be restored to health, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, willing.”

The Prophet, blessings be on him, undid his headband and said: “O Jibra’il, this is an eloquent invocation.” Jibra’il replied: “It is from the treasury of the seventh heaven.”’

Ahmad b. Salama narrated from Muhammad b. ‘Isa from Hariz b. ‘Abd Allah al-Sijistani from Ahmad b. Hamza from Aban b. ‘Uthman from al-Fudayl b. Yasar from Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him, who said: ‘When a man falls ill and you wish to invoke protection for him say:

“Out with you, O blood vessel, or O eye of jinn, or O eye of man, or O pain, from so-and-so, son of so-and-so. Out with you, by Allah, Who addressed Musa and spoke to him, and took Ibrahim, blessings of Allah on him, as a friend, the Lord of ‘Isa b. Maryam, the spirit of Allah and His Word, the Lord of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, the guides. I put you out as the fire of Ibrahim, the friend, peace be upon him, was put out.”’

Ahmad b. Abu Ziyad narrated from Faddala b. Ayyub from lsma’il b. Ziyad from Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, who said: ‘When the Messenger of Allah, blessings be on him, felt sluggish (al-kasal), or when the evil eye (al-‘ayn) fell on him, or when he had a headache, he would stretch out his hands and recite the opening of the Book (the sura al-Fatiha {1}) and the two suras of taking refuge (al-Falaq (113) and al-Nas (114)). Then he would pass his hands over his face (al-wajh) and whatever he would be suffering would be removed from him.’

Muhammad b. Ja’far al-Bursi narrated from Muhammad b. Yahya al-Armani from Muhammad b. Sinan from Salama b. Muhriz, who said: 1 heard Abu Ja’far al-Baqir, peace be upon him, say: “Whosoever is not cured by the sura al-Hamd (1) and the sura al-lkhlas (112) will not be cured by anything. All illnesses are cured by these two Suras.”

Muhammad b. Yazid narrated from Ziyad b. Muhammad from his father from Hisham b. Ahmar from Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, who said: ‘Whoever says: “There is no might nor power except with Allah, the Mighty”, Allah will drive away from him seventy-three kinds of affliction, the least of which is madness (al-junun).’

‘Ali b. Abu Talib, peace be upon him, said: The Messenger of Allah, blessings be on him, said: “O ‘Ali, shall I show you one of the treasures of Paradise?” I replied: “Yes indeed, O Messenger of Allah.” He said: “There is no power or might except with Allah.”

Muhammad b. Ibrahim al-Sarraj narrated from Faddala and al-Qasim both from Aban b. ‘Uthman from Abu Hamza al-Thumali from Abu Ja’far al-Baqir, peace be upon him, who said: ‘When one of you suffers from something, let him recite:

“In the Name of Allah, and blessings of Allah on the Messenger of Allah and his Ahl al-Bayt, I take refuge in the Might of Allah and His Power over what He wills, from the evil of what I suffer.”’

Ahmad b. Salih al-Nisaburi narrated from Jamil b. Salih from Dharih, who said: I heard Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, invoke protection from wind for one of his followers and say:

“I adjure you, O ailment, with the invocation by which ‘Ali b. Abu Talib, peace be upon him, and the Messenger of Allah, blessings on him and his family, called on the jinn of the valley of al-Sabra and they obeyed and answered, that you obey and answer and get out of so-and-so, son of so-and-so, at once, at once, by the will of Allah, the Exalted, by the command of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, by the Power of Allah, by the Sovereignty of Allah, by the Majesty of Allah, by the Grandeur of Allah, by the Greatness of Allah, by the Face of Allah, by the Beauty of Allah, by the Magnificence of Allah, by the Light of Allah.”

It was not long before it was expelled.