Du'a Arafah () is a

Shia Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...

Muslim prayer first recorded by

Husayn ibn Ali Husayn ibn Ali (; 11 January 626 – 10 October 680 Common Era, CE) was a social, political and religious leader in early medieval Arabia. The grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and an Alids, Alid (the son of Ali ibn Abu Talib ibn Abd a ...

, the third

Imam Imam (; , '; : , ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a prayer leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Salah, Islamic prayers, serve as community leaders, ...

. It is read and chanted by Shia Muslims every year on the second day of the

Hajj Hajj (; ; also spelled Hadj, Haj or Haji) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for capable Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetim ...

day of Arafah The Day of Arafah () is an Islamic holiday that falls on the ninth day of Dhu al-Hijjah of the lunar Islamic calendar. It is the second day of the Hajj pilgrimage and is followed by the holiday of Eid al-Adha. At dawn of this day, Muslim pilg ...

, in the Arafat desert.

Authenticity

Several documents confirm the prayer. According to the ''Iqbal al-A'mal'',

Sayyed Ibn Tawus Sayyed Radhi ud-Deen Ali ibn Musa ibn Tawus al Hasani wal Husaini (1193–1266 AD), commonly called Sayyed Ibn Tawus (), was a Shiite jurist, theologian, historian and astrologer. He was a descendant of Hasan ibn Ali through his father and a descen ...

narrated the Arafah prayer from

Ja'far al-Sadiq Ja'far al-Sadiq (; –765) was a Muslim hadith transmitter and the last agreed-upon Shia Imam between the Twelvers and Isma'ilis. Known by the title al-Sadiq ("The Truthful"), Ja'far was the eponymous founder of the Ja'fari school of Isla ...

, the sixth

, on the authority of Iyas, son of Salamah ibn al-Akwa through a chain of transmission. Abbas Qumi mentioned the prayer in his book entitled '' Mafatih al-Janan''. Kaf'ami narrated the Arafah prayer in his ''al-Balad al-Amin'', but in these works the last folio is missing. The authenticity of this Du'a was reviewed in Shia references such as the ''Mesbah al-Zayer'' of

, the ''

Bihar al-Anwar () is a comprehensive collection of hadith (''pl.'' ahadith) compiled by Shia scholar Mohammad-Baqer Majlesi (). It is the secondary Shi'ite hadith verification source after the Four Books. Overview ''Bihar al-Anwar'' is the most comprehensive ...

'' of

Allama Majlisi Mohammad Baqer Majlesi ( – 29 March 1699; ), also known as Allamah Majlesi or Majlesi Al-Thani (Majlesi the Second), was an influential Iranian Akhbari Twelver Shia scholar and thinker during the Safavid era. He has been described as "one of th ...

and the ''

Kitab al-Kafi (, , literally 'The Sufficient') is a hadith collection of the Twelver tradition, compiled in the first half of the 10th century CE (early 4th century AH) by . It is one of the Four Books. It is divided into three sections: , ...

'' of Muhammad ibn Ya'qūb al-Kulaynī. One Sunni scholar,

Shadhili The Shadhili Order () is a tariqah or Sufi order. The Shadhili order was founded by Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili in the 13th century and is followed by millions of people around the world. Many followers (Arabic ''murids'', "seekers") of the Shadhil ...

Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

master Ibn Ata Allah, studied this prayer.

Content

There has been discussion over how many people created this prayer. The sudden change of style in the last three or four pages of the prayer is evidence of an inconsistency. Although many Shia theologians and philosophers considered the second section as an "integral part" of the prayer, Allamah Majlesi, a theologian and jurisprudent of the

Safavids The Guarded Domains of Iran, commonly called Safavid Iran, Safavid Persia or the Safavid Empire, was one of the largest and longest-lasting Iranian empires. It was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the begi ...

period, suggests that the second part could have been added by one of the

shaykh Sheikh ( , , , , ''shuyūkh'' ) is an honorific title in the Arabic language, literally meaning "elder (administrative title), elder". It commonly designates a tribal chief or a Muslim ulama, scholar. Though this title generally refers to me ...

s on the basis of its being in accordance with the "taste of Sufis". Allamah Majlesi also argued that the second part was more probably added after the version by Ibn Tawus. In spite of this "reservation" by Majlesi, the whole prayer is included in standard prayer books and is recited regularly on different occasions due to it being consistent with "Shia spirituality". During the supplication, Imam

praises

Allah Allah ( ; , ) is an Arabic term for God, specifically the God in Abrahamic religions, God of Abraham. Outside of the Middle East, it is principally associated with God in Islam, Islam (in which it is also considered the proper name), althoug ...

. He bears witness that there is no god but Allah, and describes the return of all people to Allah after death. The steps of human creation until his death and the wonders of nature are described by explaining important issues in various branches of science. He suggests the weakness of human beings and the need for them to offer thanks to Allah who does not need their thanks. Some parts end with "peace be upon the prophet". In one part of the prayer, Husayn ibn Ali asks Allah to show him how to come closer to him and to aid in establishing a good relationship with Allah. He describes his neediness and asks Allah to help him to be patient in the face of adversity in the world and the hereafter. The Shia Imam believes that the blessings of Allah are infinite.

Manner of recitation

Muslims, especially during the

pilgrimage, recite the Arafah prayer in the Arafat desert from

Zuhr prayer Dhuhr (, also transliterated as Zuhr, Duhr or Thuhr) is one of the five daily mandatory Islamic prayers (''salah''). It is observed after Fajr and before Asr, between the zenith of noon and sunset, and contains 4 ''rak'a'' (units). On Friday ...

to sunset. Imam Hussein recited the prayer during the Hajj.

Reception

The Arafah prayer plays an important role in

views. Several Shia

theologians Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

and scholars of the hadiths have referred to this prayer in their works, including

Mulla Sadra Ṣadr ad-Dīn Muḥammad Shīrāzī, more commonly known as Mullā Ṣadrā (; ; c. 1571/2 – c. 1635/40 CE / 980 – 1050 AH), was a Persians, Persian Twelver Shi'a, Shi'i Islamic philosophy, Islamic mystic, philosopher, Kalam, theologian, a ...

Mohsen Fayz Kashani Mullā Muḥammad b. Murtaḍā b. Maḥmūd al-Kāshānī knows as Mullā Muḥsin & al-Fayḍ al-Kāshānī (Persian pronuciation: 'Fayz-e-Kashani') () was an Iranian Akhbari Twelver Shi'i Muslim, mystic, poet, philosopher, and muhaddith (1598- ...

and Hajj Molla Hadi Sabzavari. Goodarzi, an ideologist and writer, wrote about the prayer in a book entitled "The Imam Hussein's good sermon". Also, "The light of Nahjul-Balaghe" by Sadeq Dawoodi explains this prayer.

References

{{reflist, 30em

External links