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SUPPLICATION FROM IMAM MAHDI (A.S.)

IN THE BEGINNING OF PRAYERS

Sayyid Humairi (R.A.), in context of a letter addressed to the holy threshold of Imam Mahdi (A.S.), asked his holiness: Is it permissible to recite the line: “علی ملۃ ابراھیم و دین محمد" in the beginning of prayer with the purpose of attention?

            While explaining this question, he also mentioned that a few clerics consider the act of saying: علی دین محمد as Bid’at (innovation) giving the reason that just one Hadith has arrived in the related books, and that too in the book of Qasim bin Mohammad who narrated from his grandfather Hasan bin Rashid that Imam Sadiq (A.S.) said to him:

            “How do you begin your prayer?”

He said: “I say: لبیک و سعدیک” (O’ Allah, I accept Your invitation and I am fortunate due to this).

Imam Sadiq (A.S.) said: “This wasn’t my question; my question is that how do you recite this verse in the beginning of your prayer:

وجھت وجھی للذی فطر السماوات و الارض حنیفا مسلما

(I have turned towards one who created the heavens and the Earth while I surrender before him and worship him)

Hasan bin Rashid said: "I say it in the same way".

Imam said: “Read this line in this manner:

«على ملّة إبراهيم ودين محمّد صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم ومنهاج عليّ بن أبي طالب عليه السلام والإيتمام بآل محمّد حنيفاً مسلماً وما أنا من المشركين» .

(I have faith upon the nation of Ibrahim and the religion of Mohammad and the path of Ali bin Abi Talib, and I offer my prayers accepting the leadership of Mohammad’s Progeny, while I worship and surrender before Allah, without ascribing any partner to Him).

            Imam Mahdi (A.S.) wrote in reply to Humairi that:

            “Paying attention to this supplication is not compulsory but the recommended precaution regarding it, which is also in accordance to the consensus of all the clerics, is the following:

    وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذي فَطَرَ السَّماواتِ وَالْأَرْضَ حَنيفاً مُسْلِماً عَلى مِلَّةِ إِبْراهيمَ وَدينِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَهُدى أَميرِالْمُؤْمِنينَ وَما أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكينَ ، إِنَّ صَلاتي وَنُسُكي وَمَحْيايَ وَمَماتي للَّهِِ رَبِّ الْعالَمينَ، لا شَريكَ لَهُ وَبِذلِكَ اُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمينَ . أَللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْني مِنَ الْمُسْلِمينَ ، أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ السَّميعِ الْعَليمِ مِنَ الشَّيْطانِ الرَّجيمِ ، بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحيمِ .

 “I have directed my face towards the one who created the Heavens and the Earth while I am a worshipper who surrenders before Him, I have faith upon the nation of Ibrahim and the religion of Mohammad and the guidance of the Commander of the faithful, indeed my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my death are for Allah, the Lord of the worlds. No partner has He, and this I have been commanded, and I am the first (among You) of the Muslims. O’ Allah, regard me among the Muslims, I seek refuge in Allah, the Hearer, the Knower, from Satan, the expelled, in the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.”

And recite Suratul Hamd after it.^[1]

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