SUPPLICATION OF IMAM MAHDI (A.S.)

(For someone who supplicates for the relief and assistance of his Holiness)

The author of ‘Mikyaal ul Makaarim’ says: One of the impacts of supplicating for Imam Mahdi (a.s.) is that the one who supplicates for him will become a part of his holiness’ supplication.

            The evidence to this point is that his holiness (a.s.), apart from expressing gratitude towards someone who does a good deed for him, has said in the supplication of Hijaab, which is mentioned in the book Muhaj ud Da’waat, after supplication for the haste in his relief, that:

... و اجعل من يتبعني لنصرة دينك مؤيّدين، و في سبيلك مجاهدين، و على من أرادني و أرادهم بسوء منصورين ....

            “Assist all those who follow me in order to follow Your religion, and regard them amongst the warriors and fighters of Your path, and support them against those who have evil intentions against me and them.."

Undoubtedly, supplicating for his holiness (a.s.) and for the hastening of his relief, is a type of obedience and assistance of the Holy Imam (a.s.); this is because one of the ways of assisting the religion and faith, and supporting the Holy Imam (a.s.) is to assist him verbally, and supplication for his holiness is considered as a mode of verbally assisting him; and this is something that is evident for everyone.

Likewise, the explanation of Ali bn Ibraheem Qummi approves of our reasoning in his commentary. He has said amidst the commentary of this holy verse

وَ إِذا حُيِّيتُمْ بِتَحِيَّةٍ فَحَيُّوا بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْها أَوْ رُدُّوها

“When you are greeted with a greeting, greet (in return) with one better than it of (at least) return it (in a like manner)” that: Greeting here means saying Salaam and other instances of good deed.[1]

This is because supplication is the most valuable form of good deed. Therefore, when a believer supplicates for his leader, Imam Mahdi (a.s.), and performs this act with pure intention, in return, his holiness (a.s.) prays with pure intention for him. It is evident that the supplication of the Holy Imam (a.s.) for a believer is the key to all good and well-being, and the eliminator of all evil beings.

The proof and approval of this discussion is the word of Late Qutub e Rawandi in his book ‘Kharaaej’. He says:

            “A group of men from Isfahan, namely Abul Abbas Ahmad bn Nasr and Abu Ja’far Mohammad bn Alawiya, narrated for me that a man named Abdur Rahman lived in Isfahan and was one of the lovers of the Holy Progeny (a.s.). He was asked regarding the reason why he chose Imam Hadi (a.s.) as his leader and selected him as his Imam and guide?

            He has said: I have witnessed something that made it obligatory on me to accept him as my Imam. I was a poor and deprived man but with a loud opinion and full of bravery. Several years ago, I was exiled by the people of Isfahan. I went along a group of people who were going towards the vicinity of Mutawakkil al-Abbasi (l.a.) with their grievances and complaints to seek justice, until we reached his imperial palace. Meanwhile, he commanded his people to present Imam Hadi (a.s.) before him.

            I asked some of his courtesans: Who is the man who has been commanded to present himself here?

            They said: He is one of the sons of Ali (a.s.) whom the Shias consider as their Imam and leader. And I am certain that he has commanded his arrival to assassinate him.

            I said: I will not leave this place unless I get to witness what kind of a person he is.

            After a while, I witnessed his holiness (a.s.) while he was seated on the back of a horse, and people stood in a queue on his left and right looking towards him. My heart got filled with his love and affection at the first sight itself, and my heart began to supplicate for him so that the Almighty Allah protects him from the evil intentions of Mutawakkil (l.a.). 

            His holiness’ eyes were looking towards his horse’s mane while he was moving between the people, and was also looking towards his left and right. I was also supplicating for him within my inner-self. When he was about to pass by me, he faced me and said:

استجاب اللّه دعاك، و طوّل عمرك و كثّر مالك و ولدك‏

            “May Allah accept your supplication, elongate your life and increase your wealth and children”.

            Upon hearing that, I shivered due to his magnificence and reverence and fell between my friends. They asked me: What has happened to you?

            I replied: I am alright (but did not say anything about that incident to anyone). After this incident, we returned to Isfahan; and due to the supplication of his holiness (A.S.), Almighty Allah opened the doors of income before me, to such an extent that at present, the value of my house and the belongings which I possess inside it reaches up to millions, and I own enormous wealth even outside my house. I have ten children and have already lived more than seventy years of my life.

            I have chosen that great person as my leader and consider him my Imam because he came to know all that crossed my mind, then supplicated for me and Almighty Allah accepted his supplication for me.

            I would like to address all the intellectual men and ask them to think with precision about how our leader, Imam Hadi (A.S.), rewarded this man from Isfahan for his supplication and good behavior by supplicating for him in return, though he was not a follower of his holiness when he had supplicated for him. Keeping this incident in mind, can we assume regarding the Imam of our time, Imam Mahdi (A.S.), that even though we are his followers and lovers, he will not supplicate for our well-being as a reward for our supplications for him?

            Absolutely not, by the Lord who created the Jinn and humans, it is not such. In fact, even though the believers do not pay attention towards this issue, his holiness supplicates for the believers and his lovers; because all the beneficence and good deeds originate from the vicinity of his holiness (A.S.).

            One of the issues which lay emphasis on our issue is that one of the noble and honorable brothers once said to me that he saw Imam Mahdi (A.S.) in a dream and met him, and his holiness said to him:

إنّى أدعو لكلّ مؤمن يدعو لي بعد ذكر مصائب سيّدالشهداء عليه السلام في مجالس العزاء.

            “Verily I supplicate for every believer who supplicates in my favor after remembering the sufferings of the Commander of all martyrs (A.S.) in a gathering of commemoration”.

            We ask the Almighty (s.w.t.) to bestow upon us the good fortune of supplicating for his holiness (A.S.), indeed He is the hearer of supplications[2]. 

 

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