PRAYERS OF THE FINAL PROPHET (SAAWW)

32. HIS DUA ON THE NIGHT OF FIFTEENTH OF SHABAN

69. From Sayyid ibn ±¡w£s in al-Iqb¡l: Among the actions to be performed on the eve of the fifteenth of Sha~b¡n are... and the Noble Prophet XE "Holy Prophet"  9 used to supplicate on this night and say:

أَللّٰهُمَّ اقْسِمْ لَنَا مِنْ خَشْيَتِكَ مَا يَحُولُ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ مَعْصِيَتِكَ، وَمِنْ طَاعَتِكَ مَا تُبِلِّغُنَا بِهِ رِضْوَانَكَ، وَمِنَ الْيَقِينِ مَا يَهُونُ عَلَيْنَا بِهِ مُصِيبَاتِ الدُّنْـيَا. أَللّٰهُمَّ مَتِّعْنَا بِأَسْمَاعِنَا وَأَبْصَارِنَا وَقُوَّتِنَا مَا أَحْـيَيْـتَنَا، وَاجْعَلْهُ الْوَارِثَ مِنَّا، وَاجْعَلْ ثَارَنَا عَلـى مَنْ ظَلَمَنَا، وَانْصُرْنَا عَلـى مَنْ عَادَانَا، وَلاَ تَجْعَلْ مُصِيبَتَنَا فِي دِيْنِنَا، وَلاَ تَجْعَلِ الدُّنْيَا أَكْبَـرَ هَمِّـنَا، وَلاَ مَبْلَغَ عِلْمِنَا، وَلاَ تُسَلِّطْ عَلَيْنَا مَنْ لاَ يَرْحَمُنَا، بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ.

O "All¡h" ! Grant us as much fear of You as would prevent us from Your disobedience, and as much obedience as would make us attain Your pleasure, and as much certainty as would make bearable for us the tribulations of this world. O All¡h! Grant us the use of our hearing, sight and strength in the life You have given us, and let it remain with us until we die, and avenge those who have oppressed us, and help us against those who have become our enemies, and do not keep tribulations for us in our religion, and do not make this world our greatest concern, nor the limit of our knowledge, and do not make sovereign upon us one who has no mercy on us, by Your Mercy O Most Merciful of mercifuls.[i]

70. In al-Iqb¡l: In the narration from his grandfather Ab¢ Ja~far al-±£s¢, from one of the  "Noble Prophet" ’s wives who said: “On the night when the Prophet of "All¡h"  9 was with me, he gently withdrew from my bedcover (so as not to wake me) but I noticed it. I began feeling the jealousy that is felt by women and thought that he was in the room of another one of his wives but when I came upon him, he was like a garment that had fallen on the ground, prostrating, with the tip of his toes (placed on the ground), and saying:

أَصْـبَحْتُ إِلَيْكَ فَقِيراً خَائِفاً مُسْتَجِيراً فَلاَ تُبَدِّلْ إِسْمِي وَلاَ تُغَيِّرْ جِسْمِي وَلاَ تَجْتَهِدْ بَلاَئِي وَاغْفِرْ لِي.

I come to You as a beggar, fearful, seeking refuge, so do not change my status, and do not alter my body, and do not make severe my tribulations, and forgive me.

Then he raised his head and then prostrated again and I heard him say:

سَجَدَ لَكَ سَوَادِي وَخِـيَالِي وَآمِنَ بِذٰلِكَ فُؤَادِي. هٰذِهِ يَدَايَ بِمَا جَنَيْتُ عَلـى نَفْسِي، يَا عَظِيمُ تُرجى لِكُلِّ عَظِيمٍ إِغْفِرْ لِي ذَنْبِيَ الْعَظِيمَ فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَغْفِرُ الذَّنْبَ الْعَظِيمَ إِلاَّ الْعَظِيمُ.

My body and mind have prostrated to You, and by this has my heart gained faith. These are my hands with which I have oppressed my soul, O Greatest upon whom is the greatest hope, forgive my greatest sin, for none forgives the greatest sin but the Greatest.

Then he raised his head and prostrated for the third time and I heard him say:

أَعُوذُ بِعَفْوِكَ مِنْ عِقَابِكَ، وَأَعُوذُ بِرِضَاكَ مِنْ سَخَطِكَ، وَأَعُوذُ بِمُعَافَاتِكَ مِنْ عُقُوبَتِكَ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْكَ، أَنْتَ كَمَا أَثْـنَيْتَ عَلـى نَفْسِكَ وَفَوْقَ مَا يَقُولُ الْقَائِلُونَ.

I seek refuge in Your forgiveness from Your chastisement, and I seek refuge in Your grace from Your punishment, and I seek refuge in You from You; You are as You have described Yourself and above what the speakers speak.

Then he raised his head and prostrated once more for the fourth time and said:

أَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِنُورِ وَجْهِكَ الَّذِي أَشْرَقَتْ لَهُ السَّمٰوَاتُ وَالأَرْضُ، وَقَشَعَتْ بِهِ الظُّلُمَاتُ، وَصَلُحَ بِهِ أَمْرُ الأَوَّلِينَ وَالآخِرِينَ، أَنْ يَحِلَّ عَلَيَّ غَضَـبُكَ أَوْ يَنْزِلَ عَلَيَّ سَخَطُكَ. أَعُوذُ مِنْ زَوَالِ نِعْمَتِكَ وَفَجْأَةِ نِقْمَتِكَ وَتَحْوِيلِ عَافِيَتِكَ وَجَمِيعِ سَخَطِكَ. لَكَ الْعُتْبـى فِيمَا اسْتَطَعْتُ وَلاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِكَ.

O  "All¡h" ! I seek refuge with the light of Your presence by which the heavens and the earth radiate, and by which the darkness dispels, and through which the affairs of the first and last improve; and (I seek refuge) from Your anger covering me and Your wrath coming upon me. I seek refuge from the reduction of Your bounties, and the suddenness of Your retribution, and the cessation of the well-being You have granted, and all Your displeasure. You admonish me for what I have the ability to perform and there is no power or might but by Your will.

She continued: “When I saw this from him, I left him and proceeded towards home as a feeling of restlessness came upon me. Then the  "Holy Prophet"  9 followed me and said: “Why are you uneasy?” I said: “I was with you O Prophet of "All¡h" .” He said: “Do you know what night this is? This is the night of the middle of Sha~b¡n. In it are the actions determined, and the sustenance divided, and the life spans fixed; and All¡h forgives all but the polytheist or the open enemy, or one who has severed ties with his close family, or the one who consumes intoxicants, or the one who insists on sinning, or the (frolicsome) poet or fortune-teller.”[ii]