Praising Allah Before Praying and Pleading for Help

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِيَّاكُمْ إِذَا أَرَادَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يَسْأَلَ مِنْ رَبِّهِ شَيْئاً مِنْ حَوَائِجِ الدُّنْيَا وَ الْآخِرَةِ حَتَّى يَبْدَأَ بِالثَّنَاءِ عَلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ الْمَدْحِ لَهُ وَ الصَّلَاةِ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ص ثُمَّ يَسْأَلَ اللَّهَ حَوَائِجَهُ.

‘You must bear in mind that whenever one of you likes to ask his Lord for help in worldly matters or of the next life, he must begin with praise of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, thank Him and ask His favors for the Holy Prophet and then ask for help.’”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ إِنَّ فِي كِتَابِ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ص إِنَّ الْمِدْحَةَ قَبْلَ الْمَسْأَلَةِ فَإِذَا دَعَوْتَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَمَجِّدْهُ قُلْتُ كَيْفَ أُمَجِّدُهُ قَالَ تَقُولُ- يَا مَنْ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيَ‌ مِنْ حَبْلِ‌ الْوَرِيدِ يَا فَعَّالًا لِما يُرِيدُ* يَا مَنْ‌ يَحُولُ‌ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَ قَلْبِهِ‌ يَا مَنْ هُوَ بِالْمَنْظَرِ الْأَعْلَى يَا مَنْ هُوَ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‌ءٌ.

“praise comes before asking for favors. Whenever you like to pray and plead before Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, for help, speak of His glory.” The narrator has said that I asked the Imam, ‘How should we speak of His glory?’ The Imam said, ‘Say, O You Who are closer to me than my jugular veins, O the One Who

إِنَّمَا هِيَ الْمِدْحَةُ ثُمَّ الثَّنَاءُ ثُمَّ الْإِقْرَارُ بِالذَّنْبِ ثُمَّ الْمَسْأَلَةُ إِنَّهُ وَ اللَّهِ مَا خَرَجَ عَبْدٌ مِنْ ذَنْبٍ إِلَّا بِالْإِقْرَارِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘It is thanking then praising, then confession of sins then pleading before Allah for help. By Allah, no servant (of Allah) can come out of sins without confession.’”

ثُمَّ الثَّنَاءُ ثُمَّ الِاعْتِرَافُ بِالذَّنْبِ.

“Mu’awiyah ibn ‘Ammar has narrated from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) a similar Hadith except that he said, ‘Then praising and confessing sins.’”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ إِذَا أَرَدْتَ أَنْ تَدْعُوَ فَمَجِّدِ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ احْمَدْهُ وَ سَبِّحْهُ وَ هَلِّلْهُ وَ أَثْنِ عَلَيْهِ وَ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ النَّبِيِّ وَ آلِهِ ثُمَّ سَلْ تُعْطَ.

5. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu’alla ibn Muhammad from al- Hassan ibn Ali from Hammad ibn ‘Uthman from al-Harith ibn al-Mughirah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Whenever you wish to pray and plead before Allah for help, speak of the glory of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Mos

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ إِذَا طَلَبَ أَحَدُكُمُ الْحَاجَةَ فَلْيُثْنِ عَلَى رَبِّهِ وَ لْيَمْدَحْهُ فَإِنَّ الرَّجُلَ إِذَا طَلَبَ الْحَاجَةَ مِنَ السُّلْطَانِ هَيَّأَ لَهُ مِنَ الْكَلَامِ أَحْسَنَ مَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَيْهِ فَإِذَا طَلَبْتُمُ الْحَاجَةَ فَمَجِّدُوا اللَّهَ الْعَزِيزَ الْجَبَّارَ وَ امْدَحُوهُ وَ أَثْنُوا عَلَيْهِ تَقُولُ- يَا أَجْوَدَ مَنْ أَعْطَى وَ يَا خَيْرَ مَنْ سُئِلَ يَا أَرْحَمَ مَنِ اسْتُرْ

6. Abu Ali al-Ash’ari has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan from ‘Iys ibn al-Qasim who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Whenever anyone of you wishes to ask for help he should praise his Lord and thank Him. When a man wants to ask a king for something, he prepares to say the

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ دَخَلَ رَجُلٌ الْمَسْجِدَ فَابْتَدَأَ قَبْلَ الثَّنَاءِ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَ الصَّلَاةِ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ص فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص عَاجَلَ الْعَبْدُ رَبَّهُ ثُمَّ دَخَلَ آخَرُ فَصَلَّى وَ أَثْنَى عَلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ صَلَّى عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص سَلْ تُعْطَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ فِي كِتَابِ عَلِيٍّ ع‌[1] إِنَّ الثَّنَاءَ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَ الصّ

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘Once a man came to the Mosque and he began without praising Allah and asking from Him favors for the Holy Prophet. The Messenger of Allah said, ‘The servant (of Allah) hastened his Lord.’ Then another man came in and prayed, praised Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, and ask

قُلْتُ آيَتَانِ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَطْلُبُهُمَا فَلَا أَجِدُهُمَا قَالَ وَ مَا هُمَا قُلْتُ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ‌[2] فَنَدْعُوهُ وَ لَا نَرَى إِجَابَةً قَالَ أَ فَتَرَى اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَخْلَفَ وَعْدَهُ قُلْتُ لَا قَالَ فَمِمَّ ذَلِكَ قُلْتُ لَا أَدْرِي قَالَ لَكِنِّي أُخْبِرُكَ مَنْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِيمَا أَمَرَهُ ثُمَّ دَعَاهُ مِنْ جِهَةِ

“Once I said to Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) ‘There are two verses in the book of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, that I search for but I do not find them, (their meaning).’ The Imam aked, ‘What are they?’ I said, ‘They are the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, “Call Me (for help) and I will answer you

مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يُسْتَجَابَ لَهُ دَعْوَتُهُ فَلْيُطِبْ مَكْسَبَهُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Whoever of you wants his prayer answered must make his earning clean.’”