Monday, April 7, 2014

IMAM ALI ZAIN-AL-ABEDIN (A.S.)'S PRAYERS FOR PARENTS

Imam Ali Zain-al-Abedin (a.s.) was one of the Infallible Guides for the Muslims; he had compiled various supplications for different occasions encountered by the Muslim Ummah. He was infallible and there is no question of making any error let alone any sin. But he had guided his followers how to pray and supplicate to Allah (s.w.t.)
All his supplications were collected in a book called “SAHIFA-E-KAMILA”. It is also called “SAHIFA-E-SAJJADIA” derived from one of his titles as “SAJJAD”; meaning the one who prostrates enormously. The book contains over 60 supplications. These supplications are a manifestation of his Divine Knowledge. He was the grandson of the “Gateway of Knowledge” as pronounced by the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.s.) praising Imam Ali (a.s.)
The famous Islamic philosopher Shaykh Tantavi Jauhari writes about this book as: “After reading these supplications, I was overwhelmed by the greatness of these supplications. I was surprised that why this Treasure was obscured from Muslims for all these centuries. Why the Muslims were ignorant of this Gift of Allah!”
The Imam (a.s.)’s supplication for parents is as follows:
O Allah, Bless Muhammad, your slave and Messenger, and his Progeny, the Pure, and single them out for the best of your Blessings, your Mercy, your Grace, and your peace!
And single out my parents, O Allah, for Honor with You and Blessings from You, O Most Merciful of the merciful.
O Allah, Bless Muhammad, and his Progeny, teach me through inspiration knowledge of everything incumbent upon me towards them, and gather within me knowledge of all that completely. Then make me act in accordance with what You have inspired me and give me the success to put into practice the knowledge You have shown to me, lest I fail to act according to something You have taught me or my limbs feel too heavy to perform that which You have inspired me.
O Allah, Bless Muhammad and his Progeny as You have ennobles us through him, and Bless Muhammad and his Progeny, as You have made incumbent upon us rights towards the creatures because of him!
O Allah, fill me with awe of my parents, the awe one has towards a tyrannical sovereign, and let me be devoted to them, with the devotion of a compassionate mother! Make my obedience and devotion to them more gladdening to my eyes than sleep to the drowsy and more refreshing to my breast than drink to the thirsty so that I may prefer their inclination to my inclination, set their satisfaction before my satisfaction, make much of their devotion to me through it be little and make little of my devotion to them though it be great.  
O Allah, lower before them my voice, make agreeable to them my words, make mild before them my temper, make tender towards them  my heart, and turn me into their kind companion, their loving friend!
O Allah, thank them for my upbringing, reward them for honoring me, and guard them as they guarded me in my infancy!
O Allah, and whatever harm have touched them from me, detested things have touched them from me, or right of theirs which has been neglected by me, allow it to alleviate their sins, raise them in their degrees, and add to their good deeds.
O Allah, whatever words through which they have transgressed against me, act through which they have been immoderate with me, right of mine which they have left neglected, or obligation towards me in which they have fallen short, I grant it to them and bestow it upon them, and I beseech you to remove from them its ill consequence, for I do not accuse them concerning myself, find them slow in their devotion towards me, or disliked the way they have attended to my affairs, My Lord.
They have rights against me which are more incumbent, precedence in beneficence towards me that is greater, and kindness towards me that is mightier than that I should settle account with justice or repay them with equivalents. Where then, My Lord, would be their long occupation with bringing me up? Where the hard ship of their toil in taking care of me? Where the stinting of themselves to provide me with plenty?  
What an idea! I can never discharge their rights against me, fulfill my obligations towards them. So Bless Muhammad and his Progeny and help me. O best of those Whose help we seek! Give me success, O most guiding of those whom we beseech! Place me not among the people of disrespect to their fathers and mothers on the day when every soul will be repaid of what it has earned, they shall not be wronged.
O Allah, Bless Muhammad and his Progeny and single out my parents for the best which You have singled out for the fathers and mothers of Your faithful servants, O Most Merciful of the merciful!
O Allah let me not forget to remember them after my ritual prayers, at every time throughout my night, and in each of the hours of my day.
Bless Muhammad and his Progeny, forgive me through my supplication for my parents, forgive them through their devotion towards me with unfailing forgiveness, be well pleased with them through my intercession for them, with resolute good pleasure, and make them reach through Your Generosity the abodes of safety!

O Allah, if Your Forgiveness reaches them first, make them my intercessors, and if Your forgiveness reaches me first , make me their intercessors, so that we may gather together through Your Gentleness in the house of Your Generosity , and the place of Your Forgiveness and Mercy! Verily, You are Possessor of abounding bounty and ancient Kindness, and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful.

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