The Prayer of Need

Musa ibn al-Qasim al-Bajali narrated from Safwan ibn Yahya and Muhammad ibn Sahl, from their elders, from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq عليه السلام who said: "If you have an important need from Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Mighty and Majestic, then fast for three consecutive days—Wednesday, Thursday, and Jumu’ah. On Jumu’ah, if Allah سبحانه وتعالى wills, perform a ritual bath (ghusl), wear a new garment, and go to the highest part of your house. Pray two units (rak'ahs) there, and then raise your hands toward the sky and say: 'O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, I have come to Your court because of my recognition of Your Oneness and Your Self-Sufficiency, and I know that no one can fulfil my need except You. O’ my Lord عز وجل, I have also realized that whenever Your bounty upon me increases, my neediness towards You becomes more severe. A particular concern has befallen me (mention your specific need here), and You, in Your knowledge, are fully aware of it without being taught, capable of removing it without effort. I ask You by the Name that You placed upon the mountains so that they crumbled, upon the heavens so that they split, upon the stars so that they scattered, and upon the earth so that it spread forth. I ask You by the truth that You have placed with Muhammad and the Imams عليه السلام, and by naming them up to the last one, to bless Muhammad and his family, and to fulfil my need, make what is difficult for me easy, and relieve me of its burden. If You fulfil it, then all praise is due to You. If You do not fulfil it, then all praise is due to You without injustice in Your decree, without accusation in Your judgment, and without departure from Your justice.' Then, place your cheek upon the ground and say: 'O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, Yunus ibn Matta (Prophet Jonah), Your servant, called upon You from within the belly of the whale, and You answered him. I am also Your servant, calling upon You, so answer me.' Abu Abdullah عليه السلام then said: 'Whenever I had a need, I would recite this supplication, and I would return with my need fulfilled.'"

Sama’a narrated from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq عليه السلام that He said: "When one of you falls ill, he calls for the physician and pays him. When someone has a need from a ruler, he bribes the gatekeeper and gives him. However, if one of you is struck by an overwhelming concern and turns to Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Exalted, purifies himself (performs ablution), gives charity (whether small or large), then enters the mosque, prays two units (rak'ahs) of prayer, praises and glorifies Allah سبحانه وتعالى, and invokes blessings upon the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم and his family عليه السلام, then says: 'O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, if You cure me of my illness, or return me safely from my journey, or protect me from what I fear of such and such (mentioning the specific concern),' Allah سبحانه وتعالى would grant him that. This is the binding oath, and it is what Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Blessed and Exalted, has made incumbent upon one as an expression of gratitude."

When Ali ibn al-Hussain عليه السلام was troubled by a matter, he would wear two of his roughest and coarsest garments, then stand for two units of prayer in the last part of the night. When he reached the last prostration (Sujood), he would glorify Allah سبحانه وتعالى one hundred times, praise Allah سبحانه وتعالى one hundred times, declare the oneness of Allah سبحانه وتعالى (La ilaha illa Allah سبحانه وتعالى) one hundred times, and magnify Allah سبحانه وتعالى (Allahu Akbar) one hundred times. Then, he would acknowledge all of his sins — everything he remembered, he would confess before Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Blessed and Exalted, during his prostration; what he could not recall, he would acknowledge in general. Thereafter, he would supplicate to Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Mighty and Majestic, while placing his knees on the ground.

Yunus ibn Ammar reported: I complained to Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq عليه السلام about a man who was harming me. Imam عليه السلام said: "Pray against him." I replied: "I have already prayed against him." Imam عليه السلام said: "Not like that. Instead, refrain from sins, fast, pray, and give charity. Then, in the last part of the night, perform ablution thoroughly, stand up and pray two units (rak'ahs). While in prostration, say: 'O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, so-and-so (mention his name) has harmed me. O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, weaken his body, cut off his influence, shorten his lifespan, and hasten this upon him this year.'" He said: I did so, and it wasn't long before he perished.

Umar ibn Udhaynah narrated from a man from the family of Sa'd who said: I had a significant dispute with a man from Medina. I went to Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq عليه السلام and mentioned the matter to him and asked: "Teach me something that might make Allah سبحانه وتعالى return my right to me." Imam عليه السلام said: "If you want to deal with your enemy, then pray two or four rak'ahs between the grave and the pulpit (of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم in Medina), or if you wish, pray in your house. Ask Allah سبحانه وتعالى for assistance, and take whatever you can afford and give it as charity to the first needy person you encounter." He said: I did what he commanded, and Allah سبحانه وتعالى resolved the matter in my favour and returned my land to me.

Ziyad al-Qandi narrated from Abd al-Rahim al-Qasir who said: "I entered Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq عليه السلام and said: 'May I be your ransom, I have composed a supplication.' Imam عليه السلام said: 'Leave aside your composition; if a matter befalls you, then seek help from the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم by praying two rak'ahs, dedicating them to the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم.' I asked: 'How should I do this?' Imam عليه السلام said: 'Perform ghusl (ritual purification), pray two rak'ahs, beginning them as you would begin a prescribed prayer (with the opening takbir and intention), and recite the tashahhud as you would in the obligatory prayer. When you finish the tashahhud and say the salutation (Tasleem), say: "O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, You are Peace, and from You comes peace, and to You returns peace. O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and convey my greetings of peace to the soul of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad. Peace be upon them, and the mercy and blessings of Allah سبحانه وتعالى. O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, these two rak'ahs are a gift from me to Your Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم. So reward me for them with what I hope and expect from You through Your Messenger, O’ Guardian of the believers." Then prostrate (sujud) and say: "O’ Ever-Living, O’ Self-Sustaining, O’ Living One who does not die, O’ Living One, there is no god but You, O’ Possessor of Majesty and Honor, O’ Most Merciful of the merciful," forty times. Then place your right cheek on the ground and say it forty times. Then place your left cheek and say it forty times. Then raise your head, stretch out your hands, and say it forty times. Then bring your hands to your neck and hold your index finger while saying it forty times. Then take hold of your beard with your left hand, weep, or pretend to weep, and say: "O’ Muhammad, O’ Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, I complain to Allah سبحانه وتعالى and to you about my need. I complain to your rightly guided family about my need. Through you, I turn to Allah سبحانه وتعالى in my need." Then prostrate and say: "O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى," until you are out of breath. Then say: "Send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and do for me (such and such)." Abu Abdullah عليه السلام said: 'I guarantee by Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Mighty and Majestic, that his need will be fulfilled before he rises.'"

In the book of Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yahya ibn Imran al-Ash'ari, narrated by Ibrahim ibn Hashim, from Muhammad ibn Sinan, raised to Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq عليه السلام regarding a man troubled by a matter and in need of something, Imam عليه السلام said: "He should pray two rak'ahs and recite in one of them 'Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad' (Surah Al-Ikhlas) a thousand times, and in the other rak'ah he should recite it once, then ask for his need."