Invocation
Tradition n. 47
Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) said:
كُل دُعاءٍ يُدعَى اللّه عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِهِ مَحجُوبٌ عَنِ السَّماءِ حَتّى يُصَلّى عَلى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ الِ مُحَمَّدٍ.
“Every invocation sought from Allah, Almighty and Glorious, is barred by the sky unless it is coupled with 'Salawat', benediction upon the Prophet and his progeny.” (The expression of 'Salawat' means: O God bless Muhammad and his descendants).
Usul al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 493
Tradition n. 48
Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) said:
يَتَمَنَّى المُومِنُ اَنَّهُ لَم يُستَجَب لَهُ دَعوَة فِى الدُّنيا مِمّا يَرى مِن حُسنِ الثَّوابِ.
“The Muslim believer whose calls were not answered by Allah in this world will wish that none of them would have been accepted when, in the Hereafter, he sees the abundance of rewards (given him for their not being answered and suffering the troubles in the world).”
Usul al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 491
Tradition n. 49
Imam Amir al-Mu’minin ‘Ali (‘a) said:
اَحَبُّ الأعمالِ اِلَى الله عَزَّوَجَـلَّ فِى الأ رضِ الدُّعاءُ و اَفَضَلُ العِبادَة العَفافُ.
“The most beloved deed on the earth with Allah, Almighty and Glorious is invocation, and the best worship is modesty and piety.”
Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 93, p. 295
Tradition n. 50
عَن اَبي بَصيرٍ وَ مُحَمَّدِ بنِ مُسلِمٍ عَن اَبي عَبدِ الله عليه السلام قالَ حَدَّثَني اَبي عَن جَدّي عَن آبائِهِ اَنَّ اَميرَ المُومِنينَ عليه السلام قالَ فيما عَلَّمَ اَصحابَهُ, تُفتَحُ اَبوابُ السَّماءِ في خَمسَة مَواقيـتَ: عِندَ نُزُولِ الغَيثِ, وَ عِندَ الزَّحفِ, وَ عِندَ الأَذانِ, وَ عِنـدَ قِراءَةِ القُرآنِ وَ مَعَ زَوالِ الشَّمسِ, وَ عِندَ طُلُوعِ الفَجرِ
On the authority of Abu Basir and Muhammad Ibn Muslim, on the authority of Abu Abdullah (‘a) who said: My father told me, on the authority of my grandfather, on the authority of his fathers, that Imam Amir al-Mu’minin ‘Ali (‘a), when teaching (some of) his followers, said: “The doors of heaven are opened at five times: When it is raining; at the time of Holy War; at the time of Call to prayer; at the time of recitation of the Qur'an with the setting of the sun, and at the break of dawn.”
Al-Khisal, by Saduq, p. 302
Tradition n. 51
Imam Amir Al-Mu’minin ‘Ali (‘a) said:
اِغتَنِمُوا الدُّعاءَ عِندَ خَمسَة مَواطِنَ: عِندَ قِراءَة القُرانِ, وَ عِندَ الأَذانِ, وَ عِندَ نُزُولِ الغَيثِ, وَ عِندَ التِقاءِ الصَّفَّينِ لِلشَّهادَة, وَ عِندَ دَعوَة المَظلُومِ فَاِنَّها لَيسَ لَها حِجابٌ دوُنَ العَرشِ.
“Avail yourselves of the invocation in five situations: At the time of recitation of the Qur'an, at the time of prayer call, when it is raining, when attending the Holy War ready for martyrdom, when an oppressed person supplicates, because, certainly, there is no barrier for it beneath the Throne.”
Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 93, p. 343
Tradition n. 52
Imam Husayn (‘a) said:
اَللّهُمَّ اِنَّكَ أَقربُ مَن دُعِيَ, وَ أَسـرَعُ مَن أَجابَ, وَ اَكـرَمُ مَـن عَفا, وَ أَوسَعُ مَن أَعطى, وَ أَسمَعُ مَن سُئِـلَ, يا رَحمنَ الدُّنيا وَ الآ خِرَةِ وَ رَحيمَهُما.
“O Lord! You are the nearest one Whom can be requested from; You are the soonest responder, and You are the most gracious in bestowing; Whose gift is the vastest and You hearken the best to what you are asked for. I call to You, O' the Beneficent in this world and the next, and the Merciful in both of them!”
'Arafah Invocation
Tradition n. 53
Imam Amir al-Mu’minin ‘Ali (‘a) said:
مَن اُعطِيَ اَربَعًا لَم يُحرَم اَربَعـًا: مَن اُعطِـيَ الدُّعاءَ لَم يُحـرَمِ الإِجابَةَ, و مَن اُعطِيَ التَّوبَةَ لَم يُحـرَمِ القَبُـولَ, وَ مَـن اُعطِـيَ الاِستِغفارَ لَم يُحـرَمِ المَغفِـرَةَ, وَمَـن اُعطِـيَ الشُّكـرَ لَم يُحرَمِ الزِّيادَةَ.
“He who is bestowed four things is not deprived of four things: he who is allowed to pray is not deprived of the response to it; he who is allowed to offer repentance is not deprived of its acceptance; he who is allowed to seek forgiveness is not deprived of forgiveness; and he who is allowed to be grateful is not deprived of furtherance of favours.”
Nahjul Balagha, Saying 135
Note
The compiler of Nahjul Balagha, as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: This is confirmed by the Book of Allah. About praying, Allah says:
…اد عُونِي أَس تَجِب لَكُم …
“…Call You to Me, I will answer you…” (Sura al-Ghafir, 40:60).
About forgiveness Allah says:
وَمَن يَع مَل سُوءًا أَو يَظ لِم نَف سَهُ ثُمَّ يَس تَغ فِرِ اللَّهَ يَجِدِ اللَّهَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا
“And whoever does evil, or wrongs his own self and thereafter seeks the pardon of Allah shall find Allah Oft-Forgiving, Merciful” (Sura an-Nisa’, 4:110).
About gratefulness He says:
…لَئِن شَكَر تُم لَأَزِيدَنَّكُم …
“…If you be grateful, I will increase (My favours) to you…” (Sura Ibrahim, 14:7).
About repentance He says:
إِنَّمَا التَّو بَةُ عَلَى اللَّهِ لِلَّذِينَ يَع مَلُونَ السُّوءَ بِجَهَالَةٍ ثُمَّ يَتُوبُونَ مِن قَرِيبٍ فَأُولَٰئِكَ يَتُوبُ اللَّهُ عَلَي هِم وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا
“Verily, repentance (acceptable) with Allah is only for those who do evil ignorantly and then turn (to Allah) soon (after); these (are those whom) Allah will turn (mercifully) to; and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise” (Sura an-Nisa’, 4:17).
Tradition n. 54
Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) said:
وَاللّهُ مُصَيِّرٌ دُعاءَ المُؤمِنينَ يَومَ القِيامَة لَهُم عَمَلاً يَزيدُهُم فِى الجَنَّة.
“On the Reckoning Day, Allah will count the invocations of believers as some good actions for them and thereby He will promote their position in Heaven.”
Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 78, p. 216
Tradition n. 55
Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) said:
داوُوا مَرضاكُم بِالصَّدَقَة وَادفَعُوا اَبوابَ البَلاءِ بِالدُّعاءِ.
“Treat your ailments with charity and repel varieties of affliction by invocation.”
At-Tahthib, vol. 4, p.112
Tradition n. 56
Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) said:
سَل حاجَتَكَ وَ اَلِحَّ فِى الطَّلَبِ فَاِنَّ اللّه يُحِبُّ اِلحاحَ المُلِحّينَ مِن عِبادِهِ المُؤمِنينَ
“Ask (Allah) for your requisite and insist on demanding because Allah likes the persistence of the insisting believers of His servants.”
Wasa’il ash-Shi’a, vol. 7, p. 60
Tradition n. 57
Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) said:
عَلَيكُم بِالدُّعاءِ فَاِنَّكُم لا تُقَرَّبُونَ بِمِثلِهِ.
“I recommend you to invocation, because you cannot get nigh to Allah by any means like it.”
Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 467
Tradition n. 58
Imam Amir al-Mu’minin ‘Ali (‘a) said:
رُبَّما سَأَلتَ الشيء فَلَم تُعطَهُ وَ اُعطيتَ خَيراً مِنهُ.
“It may happen that you ask (Allah) for something and He does not give it to you in order to endow you with (something) of better quality (later).”
Ghurar al-Hikam, p.185
