Chapter of Ta'qeeb (Prayer Supplications)

Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: "Archangel Jibril عليه السلام came to Yusuf عليه السلام while he was in prison and said: 'O’ Yusuf, say after every obligatory prayer: ‘O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, make for me a relief and an escape from my affairs, and grant me sustenance from where I expect and from where I do not expect”.

Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir عليه السلام said: "Say after every prayer: Allahumma ihdini min ‘indika, wa afid ‘alayya min fadlika, wa unshur ‘alayya min rahmatika, wa anzil ‘alayya min barakatika ‘O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, guide me from Your side, and bestow upon me from Your bounty, and spread over me from Your mercy, and send down upon me from Your blessings.’"

Safwan bin Mehran Al-Jammal said: "I saw Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq عليه السلام when he finished his prayer, he would raise his hands above his head”.

Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir عليه السلام said: "Whenever a servant extends their hands to Allah سبحانه وتعالى, Allah سبحانه وتعالى feels shy to return them empty without placing in them something of His grace and mercy, as He wills. Therefore, when any of you supplicates, do not retract your hands until you have wiped them over your head and face." In another narration, it is mentioned: "over your face and chest."

The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام said: "Whoever wishes to be rewarded with the fullest measure (of blessings and rewards), let the last of his words be: 'Subhāna Rabbika Rabbil-'Izzati 'Amma Yasifūn (Glory be to your Lord عز وجل, the Lord عز وجل of Might, above what they describe), Wa Salāmun 'Alal-Mursalīn (And peace be upon the Messengers), Wa Alhamdulillāhi Rabbil-'Ālamīn (And all praise is due to Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Lord عز وجل of the worlds).' Indeed, for every Muslim, this brings about a good deed”.

The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام said: "When one of you finishes the prayer, let him raise his hands to the sky and be earnest in supplication." Ibn Saba asked: "O’ Commander of the Faithful, is not Allah سبحانه وتعالى present everywhere?" He (Imam Ali) replied: "Indeed, He is." Ibn Saba then asked: "So why do we raise our hands towards the sky?" Imam Ali answered, "Do you not recite: ' And in the heaven is your sustenance and what you are promised' (Surah Adh-Dhariyat 51:22)? From where else should sustenance be sought except from its place, and the place of sustenance and Allah’s سبحانه وتعالى promise is in the sky."

The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام used to say after the noontime prayer (zawal): Allahumma inni ataqarrabu ilayka bijoodika wa karamika, wa ataqarrabu ilayka bi-Muhammadin ‘abdika wa rasoolika, wa ataqarrabu ilayka bimalayikatika al-muqarrabeen wa anbiya’ika al-mursaleen. Wa bika Allahumma laka al-ghina ‘anni wa biya al-faqatu ilayk. Anta al-ghaniyyu wa ana al-faqeeru ilayk. Aqilni ‘athrati wa ustur ‘alayya dhunoobi wa iqdi al-yawma hajati wa la tu‘adhdhibni bi-qabeehi ma ta‘lamu bihi minni bal ‘afwuka yasa‘uni wa jooduka "O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, I seek to draw close to You by Your generosity and nobility. I seek to draw close to You through Muhammad, Your servant and messenger, and through Your closest angels and Your sent prophets. And by You, O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى—You have no need of me, yet I am in dire need of You; You are the Rich, and I am the poor in need of You. Forgive my missteps, cover my sins, fulfil my needs today, and do not punish me for the evils You know of me, but let Your forgiveness encompass me and Your generosity extend over me." Then he would prostrate and say: Ya Ahl at-Taqwa wa Ya Ahl al-Maghfirah, Ya Barru Ya Raheem, Anta abarru bi min abi wa ummi wa min jamee‘ al-khala’iq. Iqlibni bi-qada’i hajati mujabaan du‘a’i marhooman sawti, qad kashafta anwa‘ al-bala’i ‘anni "O’ People of piety and forgiveness, O’ Benevolent, O’ Merciful—You are more benevolent to me than my father, my mother, and all of creation. Fulfil my need with answered supplications and a voice received with mercy; remove all types of afflictions from me."

Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: “Whoever says after performing the Maghrib (evening) prayer three times: 'Praise be to Allah سبحانه وتعالى who does as He wills and no one else does as He wills' will be given abundant goodness.”

He (Imam Al-Sadiq) used to say between the Maghrib and Isha prayers: Allahumma biyadika maqadeeru al-layli wa an-nahar, wa maqadeeru ad-dunya wa al-akhirah, wa maqadeeru al-mawti wa al-hayah, wa maqadeeru ash-shamsi wa al-qamar, wa maqadeeru an-Nasri wa al-khidhlan, wa maqadeeru al-ghina wa al-faqr. Allahumma idra’ ‘anni sharra fasaqati al-jinni wa al-ins, wa aj‘al munqalabi ila khayrin da’imin wa na‘eemin la yazool "O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, in Your hands are the measures of night and day, the measures of this world and the Hereafter, the measures of death and life, the measures of the sun and the moon, the measures of victory and defeat, and the measures of wealth and poverty. O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, keep away from me the evil of the disobedient among jinn and humans, and make my eventual return one of perpetual goodness and everlasting bliss."

It was narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Faraj that He said: “Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn 'Ali al-Ridha عليه السلام wrote to me and taught me this supplication, saying: "Whoever recites it after the Fajr prayer, their needs will be made easy, and Allah سبحانه وتعالى will suffice them from that which concerns them: In the name of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, and with Allah سبحانه وتعالى, and blessings upon Muhammad and his family. 'And I entrust my affair to Allah سبحانه وتعالى; indeed, Allah سبحانه وتعالى is Seeing of [His] servants. 'So Allah سبحانه وتعالى protected him from the evils of their plotting. 'There is no deity except You; glory be to You! Indeed, I have been among the wrongdoers.' So We responded to him and delivered him from distress; and thus We deliver the believers. 'Sufficient for us is Allah سبحانه وتعالى, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs.' So they returned with favour from Allah سبحانه وتعالى and bounty, no harm having touched them. Whatever Allah سبحانه وتعالى wills—there is no might nor power except with Allah سبحانه وتعالى. Whatever Allah سبحانه وتعالى wills shall be, even if people dislike it. Sufficient is my Lord عز وجل from among the created ones; sufficient is the Creator from among the creation; sufficient is the Provider from among the provided; sufficient is He who has always been sufficient for me, and He who remains sufficient. 'Sufficient is Allah سبحانه وتعالى; there is no deity except Him. Upon Him do I rely, and He is the Lord عز وجل of the Mighty Throne.'"

Imam عليه السلام said: "When you finish the obligatory prayer, say: 'I am content with Allah سبحانه وتعالى as my Lord عز وجل, with Islam as my religion, with the Qur'an as my book, with Muhammad as my Prophet, with Ali as my guardian, and with Hasan, Hussain, Ali ibn al-Hussain, Muhammad ibn Ali, Ja'far ibn Muhammad, Musa ibn Ja'far, Ali ibn Musa, Muhammad ibn Ali, Ali ibn Muhammad, Hasan ibn Ali, and the Hujjah ibn al-Hasan (peace be upon them all) as Imams. O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, protect Your guardian, the Hujjah, from all sides—from in front of him, behind him, on his right, on his left, above him, and below him. Extend his lifespan, make him the one to establish Your command, grant him victory for Your religion, and show him what pleases him and brings him joy in himself, his family, his progeny, his wealth, and his followers. Show him what frightens his enemies and demonstrate to his enemies what they fear. Heal the hearts of believers through him.'" The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم would say upon finishing his prayer: Allahumma ighfir li ma qaddamtu wa ma akhkhartu wa ma Asrartu wa ma a‘lantu wa israfi ‘ala nafsi wa ma anta a‘lamu bihi minni. Allahumma anta al-Muqaddimu wa anta al-Mu’akhkhiru, la ilaha illa anta. Bi‘ilmika al-ghayba wa biqudratika ‘ala al-khalqi ajma‘een, ma ‘alimta al-hayata khayran li fa-ahyini, wa tawaffani idha ‘alimta al-wafata khayran li. Allahumma inni as’aluka khashyataka fi as-sirri wa al-‘alaniyah, wa kalimata al-haqqi fi al-ghadabi wa ar-rida, wa al-qasda fi al-faqri wa al-ghina. Wa as’aluka na‘iman la yanfadu, wa qurrata ‘aynin la tanqati‘u. Wa as’aluka ar-rida bil-qada’, wa barda al-‘ayshi ba‘da al-mawt, wa ladhdhata an-nadhari ila wajhika wa shawqan ila liqa’ika, min ghayri darraa’a mudirrah wa la fitnatin mudhlimah. Allahumma zayinna bi-zinat al-iman, wa aj‘alna hudatan mahdiyyeen. Allahumma ihdina fi man hadayt. Allahumma inni as’aluka ‘azeemata ar-rashad, wa ath-thabata fi al-amri wa ar-rushda, wa as’aluka shukra ni‘matika wa husna ‘afiyatika wa ada’a haqqika. Wa as’aluka ya Rabbi qalban saleeman wa lisanan sadiqan, wa astaghfiruka lima ta‘lamu, wa as’aluka khayra ma ta‘lamu, wa a‘udhu bika min sharri ma ta‘lamu wa ma la na‘lamu, fa innaka ta‘lamu wa la na‘lamu, wa anta ‘Allam al-ghuyub. "O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, forgive me for what I have sent ahead and what I have delayed, for what I have concealed and what I have revealed, and for my excesses against myself, and for what You know better than I. O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, You are the First and the Last. There is no god but You. By Your knowledge of the unseen and Your power over creation, if You know that life is better for me, then grant me life, and if You know that death is better for me, then take me unto You. O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, I ask You for fear of You in secret and in public, for the word of truth in contentment and anger, and for moderation in wealth and poverty. I ask You for unending bliss, for joy that does not cease, and for contentment with what You have decreed and a comfortable life after death. I ask for the sweetness of looking upon Your face and a longing to meet You without a harmful calamity or a dark fitnah. O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, adorn us with the adornment of faith and make us guides and guided ones. O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, guide us among those You have guided. I ask You for determination upon the right path, stability in the affair, gratitude for Your blessings, good health, and the ability to fulfil Your rights. O’ Lord عز وجل, I ask You for a sound heart, a truthful tongue, forgiveness for what You know, the best of what You know, and protection from the evil of what You know and what we do not. Truly, You know and we do not, and You are the Knower of all that is hidden.'"

Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: "Whoever recites these words after every obligatory prayer will be protected in themselves, their house, their wealth, and their children: 'I seek refuge for myself, my wealth, my children, my family, my house, and everything that pertains to me by Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the One, the Absolute, who 'neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent.' I seek refuge for myself, my wealth, my children, my family, my house, and everything that pertains to me with the Surah Al-Falaq, 'from the evil of what He has created' (to the end of the surah) and with the Surah Al-Nas (to the end of the surah), and with Ayat al-Kursi (to the end of the verse).'".

Hilqam ibn Abi Hilqam narrated that He said: "I came to Abu Ibrahim (Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim عليه السلام) and said: 'May I be your sacrifice, teach me a supplication that encompasses both worldly and otherworldly affairs and make it concise.' Imam عليه السلام said: 'Recite after the Fajr prayer until the sun rises: "Subhan Allah سبحانه وتعالى al-Azim wa bihamdihi (Glory be to Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Great, and praise be to Him). I seek forgiveness from Allah سبحانه وتعالى and ask Him for His bounty."' Hilqam then said: 'I was the worst off among my household, but I did not know what had happened until an inheritance came to me from a man whom I did not know to have any kinship with me. And today, I am the wealthiest among my household, and this is solely due to what my master, the righteous servant, taught me عليه السلام.'"

Zurarah reported that he heard Abu Ja'far عليه السلام say: "Supplication after the obligatory prayer is better than offering a voluntary prayer." And thus, this has been the practice.

Hisham ibn Salim said to Abu Abdullah عليه السلام: "I go out and I love to be in a state of spiritual continuation (mu'aqqib)." Imam عليه السلام replied: "If you are in a state of ablution (wudhu), then you are considered to be in a state of spiritual continuation (mu'aqqib)."

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said that Allah سبحانه وتعالى the Almighty said: "O’ son of Adam, remember Me for an hour after the dawn (fajr) prayer and for an hour after the afternoon (Asr) prayer, and I will take care of what concerns you."

Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: "Sitting after the dawn (Fajr) prayer in contemplation (ta'qeeb) and supplication until the sun rises is more effective in seeking sustenance than striving to earn it through labor on the earth”.