PRAYERS OF THE FINAL PROPHET (SAAWW)
58 HIS VEIL
112. In al-Bi¦¡r from al-Khar¡’ij: It is narrated that the Noble Prophet XE "Holy Prophet" 9 used to pray in front of the °ajr al-Aswad, facing the Ka’bah and facing Bayt al-Maqdis; and he would not be seen until he had completed his prayer, and would be veiled by the verse:
} وَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرَآنَ جَعَلْنَا بَيْـنَكَ وَبَيْنَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالآخِرَةِ حِجَاباً مَسْـتُوراً {
And when you recite the Qur`¡n we place between you and those who do not believe a hidden barrier[i] and the verse:
} أُُوْلٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ طَبَعَ اللّٰهُ عَلـى قُلُوبِهِمْ {
These are they on whose hearts All¡h XE "All¡h" has set a seal[ii] and the verse:
} وَجَعَلْنَا عَلـى قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَنْ يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِي آذَانَهِمْ وَقْراً {
And We have put coverings on their hearts and deafness in their ears lest they understand[iii] and:
} أَفَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلٰهَهُ هَوَاهُ وَأَضَلَّهُ اللّٰهُ عَلـى عِلْمٍ وَخَتَمَ عَلـى سَمْعِهِ وَقَلْبِهِ وَجَعَلَ عَلـى بَصَرِهِ غِشَاوَةً {
Have you then considered him who takes his lowly desire for his god, All¡h XE "All¡h" has left him astray having knowledge and has set a seal on his hearing and his heart and has put a cover on his sight.[iv] [v]
113. Also: In his narration from ~Abb¡s ibn Muj¡hid from his father who said: ~Al¢ XE "~Al¢" XE "~Al¢ ibn al-°usayn" ibn al-°usayn H used to recite the following at noon every day in the month of Sha~b¡n and on the eve of the fifteenth of the month; and he would send salutations on the Noble Prophet XE "Holy Prophet" 9 thus:
أَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلـى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، شَجَرَةِ النُّــبُوَّةِ وَمَوْضِعِ الرِّسَالَةِ ... وَهٰذَا شَهْرُ نَبِيِّكَ سَيِّدِ رُسُلِكَ صَلَوَاتُكَ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ، شَعْبَانُ الَّذِي حَفَفْتَهُ مِنْكَ بِالرَّحْمَةِ وَالرِّضْوَانِ، الَّذِي كَانَ رَسُولُكَ صَلَوَاتُكَ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ يَدْأَبُ فِي صِيَامِهِ وَقِيَامِهِ فِي لَيَالِيهِ وَأَيَّامِهِ بُخُوعاً لَكَ فِي إِكْرَامِهِ وَإِعْظَامِهِ إِلـى مَحَلِّ حِمَامِهِ. أَللّٰهُمَّ فَأَعِنَّا عَلـى الإِسْـتِنَانِ بِسُنَّتِهِ فِيهِ وَنَيْلِ الشَّفَاعَةِ لَدَيهِ...
O All¡h XE "All¡h" ! Bless Mu¦ammad XE "Mu¦ammad" and the progeny of Mu¦ammad, the evergreen tree of prophethood, the destination of the Divine Message... and this is the month of Your prophet, master of Your messengers, salutations be upon him and his progeny - Sha~b¡n, (the month) that You have surrounded with mercy and pleasure; the month in which Your messenger would be untiring in his fasting and prayers, in its nights and days, subjugating himself in front of You in his glorification and extolment until he passed away. O All¡h! Help us to act upon his sunnah in this month and to receive his intercession...[vi]
114. In the Kashkul of Shaykh Bah¡i: In the writing of my father, may he be blessed: ‘At¡’ was questioned about the meaning of the saying of the Noble Prophet XE "Holy Prophet" 9: “The best du~¡ is my du~¡ and the du~¡ of the prophets before me, and it is:
لاَ إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهُ وَحْدَهُ وَحْدَهُ، لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ، وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ وَهُوَ حَيٌّ لاَ يَمُوتُ بِيَدِهِ الْخَيْرُ وَهُوَ عَلـى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ.
There is no god but All¡h XE "All¡h" , alone, alone, alone, having no partners, His is the kingdom and for Him is all praise, He gives life and death; He is living and will not die, by His hand is all good and He has power over all things.”
Then he said: This is not a du~¡ (as such), rather it is glorification and praise.[vii]
