Ayatullah Sayyid Muhammad Taqi Musawi Isfahani Duties of People towards the Imam (a) Extracted from Mikyal al-Makarim fee fawaaid ad-duaa LIL qaaim Criterion of Nobilities on the benefits of praying for al-Qaim

18: To Pray for Imam (a) Regularly

To pray regularly for the well being of Imam Zamana (a) is an important duty of the Shia Ithna Asharis. Various traditions have been recorded emphasizing this duty. The great scholar Shaykh Kulaini in Al-Kafi,¹⁷¹ Nomani in his book Ghaibat¹⁷² and Shaykh Tusi in Ghaibat state that Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a) said, “This youth will have Ghaibat before the advent of Qiyamat.” “Why?” asked the narrator. “For the fear of his life”, replied the Imam (a) pointing towards his belly. Then said, “O Zurarah! He is the awaited one (Muntazar), one whose birth will be doubted. Some will even say that his father departed from the world without leaving any heir. Others will say that he was not yet born when his father expired. Some will say that he was born two years prior to the martyrdom of his father. He is that same Awaited one. But the Almighty shall test the Shias. Immediately after this begins the period of doubts of the deviated people. O Zurarah! If you are alive in such a time, recite the following Dua:

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. O Allah! Grant me Your recognition, for if I do not recognize You I will not recognize your Messenger. O Allah grant me the recognition of Your Prophet. For if I do not recognize Your Messenger, I will not recognize Your Hujjat (Proof). O Allah! Grant me the recognition of Your Hujjat. For if I don’t recognize Your Hujjat I will deviate from my religion. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the Progeny of Muhammad.

• نِ^ي_ْفر_ِّع_{َ ُ} ت _ْلَ_َ

ن_ْ ^يإ ك_َ

^ّنإ^ي_َف ك<sub>َ

َ</sub>لوس_ُ ر_َ

نِ^يف_ْر_ِّع_َ

م_ّ ه_ُ^ّللا ك<sub>َ

َ</sub>لوس_ُ ر_َ ف_ْ

ر^يع_{ْ َ}ا _ْلَ_َ

ك_َ س_َ ف_َْ ن نِ^ي_ْفر_ِّع_{َ ُ}ت _ْلَ_َ

ن_ْ ^يإ ك_َ

^ّنإ^ي_َف ك_َ

س_َ ف_َْ ن نِ^يف_ْر_ِّع_َ

م_ّ ه_ُ^ّللا


.نِ^ييد^ي

ن_ْ ع_َ

ت_ُ ل_َْلض_َ

ك_{َ َ}تج_ّ ح_ُ

نِ^ي_ْفر_ِّع_{َ ُ} ت _ْلَ_َ

ن_ْ ^يإ ك_َ

^ّنإ^ي_َف ك<sub>َ

َ</sub>تج_ّ ح_ُ

نِ^ي_ْفر_ِّع_َ

م_ّ ه_ُ^ّللا ك<sub>َ

َ</sub>تج_ّ ح_ُ

ف_ْ ر^يع_{ْ َ}ا _ْلَ_َ

ك_{َ َ}لوس_ُ ر_َ

It is mentioned in Kamaluddin that Zurarah bin Ayyan said: I heard Abi Abdullah (a) say: “There is an occultation for the Qaim before his reappearance.” I asked:

“Why is it so?” He replied: “He is fearful.” And he pointed towards his belly, implying that the Qaim fears for his life. Then he said: “O Zurarah; and he is that awaited one and he is the one in whose birth they shall doubt. Thus some will say: His father died heirless and some will say: He was in the womb of his mother when his father died. Some others will allege that he was born two years before the passing away of his father. And he is the Awaited one; but the Almighty Allah likes to test the Shias. It is the time when people of falsehood will fall in doubts.” Zurarah says: I asked: “If I am able to live till that period, what action I should perform?” He replied: “O Zurarah if you live till that time you must recite the following supplication:
O Allah! Introduce Yourself to me…

1. 
   Usool Kafi, Vol. 1, Pg. 337
   
2. 
   Ghaibat Nomani, Pg. 86
   

173

• كسفن نِفرع مهللا

1. 
   Kamaluddin, Vol. 2, Pg. 342
   

1. 19: Steadfastness in Praying for Imam (a)

We have been commanded to recite this Dua regularly. Shaykh Sadooq narrates from Abdullah bin Sinan who says that Imam Sadiq (a) said, “After this a time of such doubt will befall you that you will be without the visible signs and a guiding Imam. And no one shall be able to achieve salvation from this except those who recite “Dua-e-Ghareeq.” (Supplication of the drowning man).

The narrator asked what this Dua was? Imam (a) replied,
“O Allah! O Beneficent! O Merciful! O the One Who transforms the hearts! Make my heart steadfast upon your religion!”
The narrator repeated the Dua in this way:
“O Allah! O Beneficent! O Merciful! O the One Who transforms the hearts and sights! Make my heart steadfast upon your religion!”
The narrator added “Moqallebal Quloob. Wal Absaar” Imam (a) told him, “Indeed, Allah is Moqallebal Quloob Wal Absaar”, but you say only “Ya Muqallebal Quloob Sabbit Qalbee Ala Deenek!”
O Allah! O Beneficent! O Merciful. O One who changes the hearts (of people) Give me steadfastness upon Your religion.
After repeating ‘Muqallebal Quloob’ the narrator added the word, ‘Wal absaar’ (and the vision). When Imam (a) heard this, he said, “Indeed Allah is the One Who changes the hearts and vision, but you recite the Dua as I have said.”¹⁷⁴
Shaykh Nomani in his book, Ghaibah, has through his own chain of narrators related from Hammad bin Isa from Abdullah bin Sinan that he said: My father and I went to Abu Abdillah as-Sadiq (a.s). He said: “What will you do if you see a time when you do not find an Imam of guidance not any banner and then no one will be saved from that confusion except one, who will recite the supplication of the drowning one (Dua Ghareeq)?” My father said, “By Allah, this is a great calamity. May I be sacrificed on you, what shall we do then?” He said, “If that occurs - and you will not attain it – then keep to that which you have had until the becomes clear.”¹⁷⁵

1. 
   Kamaluddin, Vol. 2, Pg. 351
   
2. 
   Al-Ghaibah, Pg. 81
   

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