اللَّهُمَّ وَأَسْألُكَ سُؤَالَ مَنِ اشْتَدَّتْ فَاقَتُهُ
O Allah! I ask You with the asking of one whose indigence in extreme.
Allah; the True Owner
When reading this part of the supplication, the supplicant should observe two facts, based on the Qur’¡nic verses and the traditions. The first fact is that there is no Owner and no Absolute Sufficient, except Allah. The second one is that the essence of human and all other creatures’ is the mere need and dependence.
It is He, who established the living world independently and created all kinds of creatures in it with their necessities, placing them in their appropriate positions. He is the One who created His creatures, out of Mercy; none of them can oppose Him and surrender to His supreme Power. He can annihilate all His creatures at once, as He has created them before. His Mercy is so expanded that everyone needs it and should be hopeful of it.
The obvious needs of creatures on one hand, and the continuation of Allah’s Compassion in all ages and conditions on the other, are arguments for Allah’s Independence. He is the Creator, the Owner, the Provider, the Generous, the Forgiver, the Shaper, and the Merciful and has no partner.
Those who are engaged in and satisfied with worldly position and wealth are unaware of their need and dependence to Allah. They feel independent that is in fact the result of ignorance. It also makes them away from and deprived of supplicating to the Almighty and announcing their needs. In fact, their life is unfortunate and devoid of divine blessings, like the savages and the beasts.
The Holy Qur’¡n states about the Absolute Independent:
وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ.
To Allah belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth; and Allah hath power over all things. (3:189)
وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَإِلَيْهِ الْمَصِيرُ.
Allah’s is the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, and unto Him is the final goal of all. (5:18)
لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ، يُحْيِ وَيُمِيتُ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ.
To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; it is He Who gives life and Death; and He has Power over all things. (57:2)
وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ، يَغْفِرُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ.
Allah’s is the dominion of the heavens and the earth; He forgives anyone He likes and chastises anyone He like. (48:14)
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ! أَنْتُمْ الْفُقَرَاءُ إِلَى اللَّهِ، وَاللَّهُ هُوَ الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ.
O people! All of you are dependent upon Allah, and only He is the Needless. (35:15)
Is human essence anything but need and poverty? What power does he have in continuing life, quitting it, gaining advantages, or preventing disadvantages? Allah has created him and makes his life continue. He grants him advantages and removes disadvantages from him. So why shouldn’t he go to his Lord and wholeheartedly call for help on a Friday night?
The most beautiful and beneficial state of a human is the state of praying in which he requests from Allah, the Needless.
وَأَنزَلَ بِكَ عِنْدَ الشَّدَائِدِ حَاجَتَهُ
O Allah! I ask You with the asking of one who has stated to You in difficulties his need.
The Merciful does know all His servant’s needs and wants, and is aware of his difficulties, and can as well fulfill his needs in case of difficulties. But He wishes His servant, based on the Qur’¡nic verses, to state his needs, pray Him, and worship Him, so that Allah solves his problems and difficulties, eliminates calamities, and saves him from misfortunes. Then He would fulfill His servant’s demand, out of Mercy, loading him with His blessings.
Stating the need by the servant is Allah’s desire, and is, in fact, worshipping and obeying Him. Isn’t it the case that Allah has ordered His servants to pray and has guaranteed fulfilling it?
Praying, supplicating, and stating the wants are some types of worshipping and obeying Allah, and are, in fact, the core of worship.
Allah does not wish His servant to turn to sources other than Him, in case of difficulties and calamities, ask his needs from them, or request the solution of his problem.
In a Divine tradition, narrated in various lofty books, important issues and valuable facts are stated in this regard:
أيَأمُلُ عَبْدِي فِي الشَّدَائِدِ غَيْرِي؟ وَالشَّدَائِدُ بِيَدِي، وَيَرْجُو سِوَايَ؟ وَأنَا الغَنِيُّ الجَوَادُ، وَأبْوَابُ الحَوَائِجِ عِنْدِي، وَبِيَدِي مَفَاتِيحُهَا وَهِيَ مُغْلَقَةٌ؛ فَمَا لِي أرَى عَبْدِي مُعْرِضاً عَنِّي وَقَدْ أعْطَيْتُهُ بِجُودِي وَكَرَمِي مَا لَمْ يَسْألْنِي؛ فَأعْرَضَ عَنِّي وَسَألَ فِي حَوَائِجِهِ غَيْرِي، وَأنَا اللهُ لاَ إلَهَ إلاَّ أنَا؛ أبْتَدِئُ بِالعَطِيَّةِ مِنْ غَيْرِ مَسْألَةٍ؛ أَفَأُسْئَلُ فَلا أجُودُ؟ ألَيْسَ الجُودُ وَالكَرَمُ لِي؟ ألَيْسَ الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةُ بِيَدِي؟ فَلَوْ أنَّ كُلَّ أهْلِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضِ سَألَنِي مِثْلَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضِ وَأعْطَيْتُهُ مَا نَقَصَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ مُلْكِي جَنَاحَ بَعُوضَةٍ! فَيَا بُؤساً لِمَنْ أعْرَضَ عَنِّي وَسَألَ فِي حَوَائِجِهِ وَشَدَائِدِهِ غَيْرِي!
Is My servant hopeful of those other than Me, when facing difficulties to resolve them for him, while eliminating all the problems is in My Hands? Is My servant hopeful of others but Me, to fulfill his needs and wants and save him from poverty, while the Generous and the Beneficent is Me and accomplishing all the exigencies is in My Power and Mercy?
Why is it that I see My servant ignorant of Me, while I have always granted him everything he wanted, out of Mercy? Why has he turned from Me and referred to others now when he is so much in need?
I am the Deity except Whom there is no other deity. I grant without demand, Would I not grant if I am demanded?!
Is the vast ocean of Mercy and Generosity not from Me? Are the world and the Hereafter not in My Hands?!
If all the beings in the heavens and the earth ask Me to grant them demand as big as all the heavens and the earth, My Kingdom would not be reduced even to the extent of a fly. Woe to the one who turns attention from Me, demanding his needs from those except Me![1]
وَعَظُمَ فِيمَا عِنْدَكَ رَغْبَتُهُ
O Allah, I ask You with the asking of one whose craving for what is with You has become intense.
Am¢r al-Mu’min¢n, Imam `Ali (a.s) was completely aware of what is with Allah. It was based on this awareness that when supplicating, he put his face to the ground and stated humbly: My craving of what is with You is intense.
What is with Allah and every deserved servant of Him can benefit from it takes more than human life as well as hundreds of volumes of books to be explained, and still not a drop of Allah’s vast sea of Mercy is stated. Here we give a brief account of what is with the Almighty, so that it adds to our enthusiasm for reaching it.
Allah’s Rewards for the Servant’s Deeds
The Compassionate Allah, out of Mercy, has invited all His servants to perform obligatory deeds, such as praying, fasting, Hajj, Jihad, almsgiving, charity, serving people, observing people’s rights, and avoiding wrongdoing. He has necessitated for Himself rewarding the servants for their deeds. Allah has declared in the Holy Qur’¡n:
وَالَّذِينَ يُمَسِّكُونَ بِالْكِتَابِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلاةَ إِنَّا لاَ نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُصْلِحِينَ.
And as for those who hold fast by the Book and keep up prayer, surely We do not waste the reward of the right doers. (7/170)
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ.
Surely, Allah does not waste the reward of the doers of good. (9/120)
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ، إِنَّا لاَ نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ مَنْ أَحْسَنَ عَمَلاً.
Surely, as for those who believe and do good, We do not waste the reward of him who does a good work. (18/30)
The Merciful Allah has stated some kinds of rewards for His believer servants in His Qur’¡n: 1. Lofty reward, 2. Bountiful reward, 3. Grateful reward, 4. Great reward, and 5. Twice reward.
لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا مِنْهُمْ وَاتَّقَوْا أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ.
Those among them who do good to others and guard against evil shall have a great reward. (3:172)
إِنَّ الْمُصَّدِّقِينَ وَالْمُصَّدِّقَاتِ وَأَقْرَضُوا اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا يُضَاعَفُ لَهُمْ وَلَهُمْ أَجْرٌ كَرِيمٌ.
Surely the charitable men and the charitable women and those who set apart for Allah a goodly portion, it shall be doubled for them and they shall have a noble reward. (57:18)
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَهُمْ أَجْرٌ غَيْرُ مَمْنُونٍ.
Those who believe and do good, they shall surely have a reward never to be cut off. (41:8)
وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَهُمْ مَغْفِرَةٌ وَأَجْرٌ كَبِيرٌ.
As for those who believe and do good, they shall have forgiveness and a great reward. (35:7)
أُوْلَئِكَ يُؤْتَوْنَ أَجْرَهُمْ مَرَّتَيْنِ بِمَا صَبَرُوا وَيَدْرَءُونَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ السَّيِّئَةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ.
These shall be granted their reward twice, because they are steadfast and they repel their evil with good and spent out of what We have given them. (28:54)
The rewards of those who believe and do good are permanent rewards and only Allah is capable of granting them. The traditions have mentioned parts of Allah’s rewards. Some of these traditions, which are in fact explanations of Qur’¡nic verses are presented here. Imam `Al¢ (a.s) has stated:
ثَوَابُ عَمَلِكُمْ أفْضَلُ مِنْ عَمَلِكُمْ.
The rewards of your good deeds are superior to the deeds themselves.[2]
ثَوَابُ الصَّبْرِ أعْلَى الثَّوَابِ.
The greatest reward is the reward for patience (over obedience, calamities and wrongdoing).[3]
إنَّ أعْظَمَ المَثُوبَةِ مَثُوبَةُ الإنْصَافِ.
In fact the greatest reward is for fairness.[4]
ثَوَابُ الجِهَادِ أعْظَمُ الثَّوَابِ.
The reward for Jihad is the greatest reward.[5]
Imam al-B¡qir (a.s) stated:
النَّائِمُ بِمَكَّةَ كَالمُجْتَهِدِ فِي البُلْدَانِ، وَالسَّاجِدُ بِمَكَّةَ كَالمُتَشَحِّطِ بِدَمِهِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ، وَمَنْ خَلَّفَ حَاجّاً فِي أهْلِهِ كَانَ لَـهُ كَأجْرِهِ حَتَّى كَأنَّهُ يَسْتَلِمُ الحَجَرَ.
The pilgrim who spends a night in Mecca is like one who is attempting in various cities. One who prostrates in Mecca is like martyr in Allah’s way. One who looks after the pilgrim’s family in his absence has an equal reward as the pilgrim, and it is as if he has touched al-Hajar al-Aswad (the Black Stone).
The Prophet of Islam (s.a) stated:
رِبَاطُ يَوْمٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا عَلَيْهَا.
Fighting in Allah’s cause for a single day is preferred to the whole world and what is inside it.[6]
Prophet Mu¦ammad (s.a) also stated:
حَرَسُ لَيْلَةٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أفْضَلُ مِنْ ألْفِ لَيْلَةٍ يُقَامُ لَيْلُهَا وَيُصَامُ نَهَارُهَا.
One night of guarding Allah’s cause is better than a thousand nights of worshipping and days of fasting.[7]
إنَّ العَبْدَ إذَا تَخَلَّى بِسَيِّدِهِ فِي جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ المُظْلِمِ وَنَاجَاهُ، أثْبَتَ اللهُ النُّورَ فِي قَلْبِهِ.
When a servant speaks to his Lord in the darkness of night Allah would maintain a permanent light in his heart.[8]
Imam `Ali (a.s) said:
قِيَامُ اللَّيْلِ مَصَحَّة البَدَنِ وَرِضَا الرَّبِّ وَتَمَسُّكٌ بِأخْلاَقِ النَّبِيِّينَ وَتَعَرُّضٌ لِرَحْمَتِهِ.
Worshipping Allah at night brings healing the body, Allah’s pleasure and the prophets’ habit for the servant.[9]
The Messenger of Allah (s.a) stated:
إنَّ العَبْدَ لَيُؤمَرُ بِهِ إلَى النَّارِ يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ فَيُسْحَبُ؛ فَيَقُولُ المُؤمِنُونَ وَالمُؤمِنَاتُ: يَا رَبِّ، هَذا الَّذِي كَانَ يَدْعُو لَنَا، فَشَفِّعْنَا فِيهِ. فَيُشَفِّعُهُمُ اللهُ فَيَنْجُو.
On the Resurrection Day, Allah orders to take a servant to Hell. The believer men and women say: ‘O Lord! This person always prayed for us, so accept our intercession for him! So Allah accepts their intercession about him and he is saved.’[10]
The Messenger of Allah (s.a) said:
ألاَ مَنْ تَعَلَّمَ القُرْآنَ وَعَلَّمَهُ وَعَمِلَ بِمَا فِيهِ فَأنَا لَهُ سَائِقٌ إلَى الجَنَّةِ وَدَلِيلٌ إلَيْها.
Beware that everyone who learns Qur’¡n and teaches it to others and practices its rules I would bring and guide him to the Paradise.[11]
[1] An¢s al-Layl: 196.
[2] Tafsir Exegesis Mo’in: 299
[3] Ghurar al-°ikam: 281, Fazilat Al-Sabr…, tradition 6240; Tafsir Mu’in: 299.
[4] Ghurar al-°ikam: 394, Al-Insaf wa Madha…, tradition 9106; Mu’in Tafsir: 299.
[5] Ghurar al-°ikam: 333, Al-Fasl Al-Thalith fi Al-Jihad…, tradition 7663; Mu’in Tafsir: 299.
[6] Tafsir Mu’in: 193.
[7] Ibid.
[11] Tafsir Mu’in: 496.
source : Allamah Husayn Ansariyan
