Chapter on Supplication Between the Units of Prayer (Rak‘at)

Ali ibn Hatim, from Ali ibn al-Husayn, from Ahmad ibn Abi Abdillah, from some who narrated it from Abu al-Hasan Musa عليه السلام, peace be upon him: Imam al-Kadhim عليه السلام said: “O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, there is no God but You عز وجل. I worship none but You عز وجل, and I associate nothing with You عز وجل. O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, ‘Indeed, I have wronged myself, so forgive me’ (Surah Al-Qasas 28:16), and have mercy on me, for indeed none forgives sins except You عز وجل. O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, send blessings upon (Prophet) Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم and the family of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, And forgive me for what I have done before and what I will do later, what I have made public and what I have kept secret, and what You عز وجل know better than I do. And You عز وجل are the One who brings forward and the One who delays. O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, send blessings upon (Prophet) Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم and the family of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, And guide me to justice, guidance, correctness, and the firm establishment of the religion. O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, make me one who guides and is rightly guided, content and pleasing (to You عز وجل), not astray and not leading others astray. O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, Lord عز وجل of the seven heavens and Lord عز وجل of the seven earths and Lord عز وجل of the Mighty Throne, suffice me in that which concerns me of my affairs, however You عز وجل will and in whatever way You عز وجل will, And send blessings upon (Prophet) Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم and his family عليه السلام,” Then supplicate with whatever you wish. (Imam عليه السلام then continued) “Then perform two units of prayer, and when you finish, say: “O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, none can repel Your wrath except Your forbearance, And none can save from Your punishment except Your mercy, And none can deliver from Your chastisement except turning humbly to You عز وجل. So grant me, O’ my God, ‘a mercy from Yourself’ (Surah Al Imran 3:8), Through which You عز وجل make me free of need for the mercy of anyone besides You عز وجل, By the power through which You عز وجل revive the dead land, And by which You عز وجل resurrect the dead among the servants, And do not destroy me with grief until You عز وجل forgive me and have mercy on me, And make me recognize the answer to my supplication, And let me taste the sweetness of well-being until the end of my term. And do not allow my enemy to gloat over me, And do not give him control over my neck. My God عز وجل, if You عز وجل lower me, then who is there to raise me? And if You عز وجل raise me, then who is there to lower me? And if You عز وجل destroy me, then who is there to stand between You عز وجل and me, or to interfere with You عز وجل in any matter of mine? And I have indeed known, O’ my God عز وجل, that there is no injustice in Your judgment, and there is no haste in Your punishment and only one who fears losing something hastens, and only the weak have need to commit injustice and You عز وجل, O’ my God, are exalted far above that, with great exaltation. So do not make me a target for affliction, nor a sign for Your vengeance. Grant me respite, grant me relief, overlook my slip, and do not try me with a trial following another trial for surely, You عز وجل see my weakness and the lack of my means. I seek refuge in You عز وجل, O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, so grant me refuge. I seek protection with You عز وجل from the Fire, so protect me. And I ask You عز وجل for Paradise, so do not deprive me of it.” (Imam عليه السلام then continued) “Then you do two units of prayer, and when you finish, say: “O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, indeed, Your pardon of my sin, And Your overlooking of my fault, And Your forgiveness of my wrongdoing, And Your covering over my disgraceful deeds, And Your forbearance despite the magnitude of my crimes whether they were committed in error or deliberately, has encouraged me to ask You عز وجل for that which I do not deserve from You عز وجل: that which You عز وجل have granted me from Your mercy, And made me acquainted with from Your responsiveness, and shown me from Your power. Thus I have begun calling upon You عز وجل in safety, and asking You عز وجل with familiarity, not in fear or dread, relying upon You عز وجل in what I turn to You عز وجل for. And if You عز وجل delay in responding to me, I blame You عز وجل out of my ignorance and perhaps what You عز وجل delayed for me is better for me, due to Your knowledge of the outcome of matters. I have never seen a generous Master, more patient with a disgraceful servant, than You عز وجل are with me. O’ my Lord عز وجل, indeed You عز وجل call me, and I turn away from You عز وجل; And You عز وجل show love toward me, but I become hostile toward You عز وجل; And You عز وجل show affection toward me, but I do not accept it from You عز وجل as though I have the upper hand over You عز وجل. Yet none of that prevents You عز وجل from having mercy on me, doing good to me, and bestowing generously upon me out of Your bounty and generosity. So have mercy on Your ignorant servant, And bestow upon him from the excellence of Your kindness indeed, You عز وجل are Generous and Noble.” (Imam عليه السلام then continued) “And when you finish the supplication, go into prostration (sujud) and say in your prostration: ‘O’ the One عز وجل who existed before everything, And the One عز وجل who will exist after everything, And the One عز وجل who brings all things into being do not expose me, for You عز وجل know all about me, and do not punish me, for You عز وجل have power over me. O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, I seek refuge in You عز وجل from turning away (from faith) at the time of death, And from the evil of the return to the graves, And from regret on the Day of Resurrection. O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, I ask You عز وجل for a pleasant life, a peaceful death, and an honourable return; which is not disgraceful and not shameful.’”