Salah (prayer) when Asking for Increase in One’s Sustenance

شَكَا رَجُلٌ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع الْفَاقَةَ وَ الْحُرْفَةَ[1] فِي التِّجَارَةِ بَعْدَ يَسَارٍ قَدْ كَانَ فِيهِ مَا يَتَوَجَّهُ فِي حَاجَةٍ إِلَّا ضَاقَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْمَعِيشَةُ فَأَمَرَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَنْ يَأْتِيَ مَقَامَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص بَيْنَ الْقَبْرِ وَ الْمِنْبَرِ فَيُصَلِّيَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَ يَقُولَ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ- اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ بِقُوَّتِكَ وَ قُدْرَتِكَ وَ بِعِزَّتِكَ وَ مَا

“A man complained before abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), against his poverty and deprivation in business after being affluent and that in whatever way he moves to make a living, he faces difficulties. Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), commanded him to go to the special place of the Messenger of Allah which is between his grave and pulpit.

جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ص فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي ذُو عِيَالٍ وَ عَلَيَّ دَيْنٌ وَ قَدِ اشْتَدَّتْ حَالِي فَعَلِّمْنِي دُعَاءً إِذَا دَعَوْتُ بِهِ رَزَقَنِيَ اللَّهُ مَا أَقْضِي بِهِ دَيْنِي وَ أَسْتَعِينُ بِهِ عَلَى عِيَالِي فَقَالَ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ تَوَضَّأْ وَ أَسْبِغْ وُضُوءَكَ ثُمَّ صَلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ تُتِمُّ الرُّكُوعَ وَ السُّجُودَ فِيهِمَا ثُمَّ قُلْ يَا مَاجِدُ يَا وَاحِدُ يَا كَرِيمُ أَتَ

2. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Ahmad ibn abu Dawud from abu Hamzah who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said that a man came to the Holy Prophet and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I am a man with (a large) family, indebted; and my condition has become difficul

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنَّهُ كَانَ فِي يَدِي شَيْ‌ءٌ تَفَرَّقَ وَ ضِقْتُ ضَيْقاً شَدِيداً فَقَالَ لِي أَ لَكَ حَانُوتٌ فِي السُّوقِ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ وَ قَدْ تَرَكْتُهُ فَقَالَ إِذَا رَجَعْتَ إِلَى الْكُوفَةِ فَاقْعُدْ فِي حَانُوتِكَ وَ اكْنُسْهُ‌[3] فَإِذَا أَرَدْتَ أَنْ تَخْرُجَ إِلَى سُوقِكَ فَصَلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ أَوْ أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ ثُمَّ قُلْ فِي دُبُرِ صَلَاتِكَ- تَوَجَّهْتُ بِلَا حَوْلٍ مِنِّي وَ لَا

3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn abu Najran from Sabah al-Hadhdha’ from ibn al- Tayyar who has said the following: “I said to abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘I had some property which now has scattered away and I am under severe constraint.’ The Imam asked, ‘Do you have a shop in the market pla

أَنْ تَأْتِيَ حَانُوتَكَ فَابْدَأْ بِالْمَسْجِدِ فَصَلِّ فِيهِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ أَوْ أَرْبَعاً ثُمَّ قُلْ غَدَوْتُ بِحَوْلِ اللَّهِ وَ قُوَّتِهِ وَ غَدَوْتُ بِلَا حَوْلٍ مِنِّي وَ لَا قُوَّةٍ بَلْ بِحَوْلِكَ وَ قُوَّتِكَ يَا رَبِّ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي عَبْدُكَ أَلْتَمِسُ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ كَمَا أَمَرْتَنِي فَيَسِّرْ لِي ذَلِكَ وَ أَنَا خَافِضٌ فِي عَافِيَتِكَ

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), asked me, ‘Where is your shop in relation to the Masjid?’ I replied, ‘It is near the door of the Masjid.’ He then said, ‘When you want to go to your shop, first go to the Masjid, perform two or four Rak‘at Salah (prayer) and at the end say, “I have attended this morning by the means and power of

قَالَ لِي يَا فُلَانُ أَ مَا تَغْدُو فِي الْحَاجَةِ أَ مَا تَمُرُّ بِالْمَسْجِدِ الْأَعْظَمِ عِنْدَكُمْ بِالْكُوفَةِ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَ فَصَلِّ فِيهِ أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ قُلْ‌[3] فِيهِنَّ غَدَوْتُ بِحَوْلِ اللَّهِ وَ قُوَّتِهِ غَدَوْتُ بِغَيْرِ حَوْلٍ مِنِّي وَ لَا قُوَّةٍ وَ لَكِنْ بِحَوْلِكَ يَا رَبِّ وَ قُوَّتِكَ أَسْأَلُكَ بَرَكَةَ هَذَا الْيَوْمِ وَ بَرَكَةَ أَهْلِهِ وَ أَسْأَلُكَ أَنْ تَرْزُقَنِي مِنْ فَضْلِكَ ح

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), asked me, ‘O so and so, do you sometimes need something? Do you visit the great Masjid near you in Kufah?’ I replied, ‘Yes, I do.’ He said, ‘Perform four Rak‘at Salah (prayer) there and say, “I have attended this morning by the means and power of Allah, not by my own means and power, but with Yo

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ مَنْ جَاعَ فَلْيَتَوَضَّأْ وَ لْيُصَلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ إِنِّي جَائِعٌ فَأَطْعِمْنِي فَإِنَّهُ يُطْعَمُ مِنْ سَاعَتِهِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said to me, ‘If one feels hungry he should take Wudu’ and perform two Rak‘at Salah (prayer), then say, “O my Lord, I am hungry. Please feed me.” He will be fed within the same hour.’”

إِذَا غَدَوْتَ فِي حَاجَتِكَ بَعْدَ أَنْ تَجِبَ الصَّلَاةُ[4] فَصَلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ مِنَ التَّشَهُّدِ قُلْتَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي غَدَوْتُ أَلْتَمِسُ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ كَمَا أَمَرْتَنِي‌[5] فَارْزُقْنِي رِزْقاً حَلَالًا طَيِّباً وَ أَعْطِنِي فِيمَا رَزَقْتَنِي الْعَافِيَةَ تُعِيدُهَا ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ ثُمَّ تُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ‌ أُخْرَاوَيْنِ فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ مِنَ التَّشَهُّدِ[1] قُلْتَ بِحَوْلِ اللَّهِ وَ ق

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that when you in the morning after Salah (prayer) want to go to work, perform two Rak‘at Salah (prayer). After saying the testimonies say, ‘O Lord, I have attended this morning and I seek favor through Your generosity, as You have commanded, in the form of lawful and fine sustenance wit

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنِّي اخْتَرَعْتُ دُعَاءً قَالَ دَعْنِي مِنِ اخْتِرَاعِكَ إِذَا نَزَلَ بِكَ أَمْرٌ فَافْزَعْ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص وَ صَلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ تُهْدِيهِمَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص قُلْتُ كَيْفَ أَصْنَعُ قَالَ تَغْتَسِلُ وَ تُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ تَسْتَفْتِحُ بِهِمَا افْتِتَاحَ الْفَرِيضَةِ وَ تَشَهَّدُ تَشَهُّدَ الْفَرِيضَةِ فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ مِنَ التَّشَهُّد

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from abu ‘Abd Allah from Ziyad al-Qandiy from ‘Abd al-Rahim al-Qasir who has said the following: “I visited abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, and said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause; I have invented a prayer.’ He said, ‘Keep your inven