Salah (prayer) for one’s Needs

فِي الرَّجُلِ يَحْزُنُهُ الْأَمْرُ أَوْ يُرِيدُ الْحَاجَةَ قَالَ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ يَقْرَأُ فِي إِحْدَاهُمَا قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ أَلْفَ مَرَّةٍ وَ فِي الْأُخْرَى مَرَّةً ثُمَّ يَسْأَلُ حَاجَتَهُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that if a man is sad and depressed about something or because of an unfulfilled wish, he should perform two Rak‘at Salah (prayer). In one he should recite Chapter 112 of the Holy Quran one thousand times and in the second Rak‘at once, then ask for his wish.”

قُلْتُ لِلرِّضَا ع جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ عَلِّمْنِي دُعَاءً لِقَضَاءِ الْحَوَائِجِ فَقَالَ إِذَا كَانَتْ لَكَ حَاجَةٌ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مُهِمَّةٌ فَاغْتَسِلْ وَ الْبَسْ أَنْظَفَ ثِيَابِكَ وَ شَمَّ شَيْئاً مِنَ الطِّيبِ ثُمَّ ابْرُزْ تَحْتَ السَّمَاءِ فَصَلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ تَفْتَتِحُ الصَّلَاةَ فَتَقْرَأُ فَاتِحَةَ الْكِتَابِ وَ قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ خَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ مَرَّةً ثُمَّ تَرْكَعُ فَتَقْرَأُ خَمْسَ عَش

“I said to al-Rida (a.s.), ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, teach me a prayer for help in my needs.’ The Imam said, ‘When you need something and want Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, to help you, take a bath and dress up in your cleanest dress, use perfume, go under the open sky a

حَضَرْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَأَتَاهُ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ أَخِي بِهِ بَلِيَّةٌ أَسْتَحْيِي أَنْ أَذْكُرَهَا فَقَالَ لَهُ اسْتُرْ ذَلِكَ وَ قُلْ لَهُ يَصُومُ يَوْمَ الْأَرْبِعَاءِ وَ الْخَمِيسِ وَ الْجُمُعَةِ وَ يَخْرُجُ إِذَا زَالَتِ الشَّمْسُ وَ يَلْبَسُ ثَوْبَيْنِ إِمَّا جَدِيدَيْنِ وَ إِمَّا غَسِيلَيْنِ حَيْثُ لَا يَرَاهُ أَحَدٌ فَيُصَلِّي وَ يَكْشِفُ عَنْ رُكْبَتَيْهِ وَ يَتَمَطَّى بِرَاحَتَي

“I visited abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), and a man also came to him saying, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, my brother suffers from something that I feel embarrassed to mention.’ The Imam said, ‘Do not mention it and tell him to fast on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. When the sun declines to the w

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ مَنْ تَوَضَّأَ فَأَحْسَنَ الْوُضُوءَ وَ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ فَأَتَمَّ رُكُوعَهُمَا وَ سُجُودَهُمَا ثُمَّ جَلَسَ فَأَثْنَى عَلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ صَلَّى عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص ثُمَّ سَأَلَ اللَّهَ حَاجَتَهُ فَقَدْ طَلَبَ الْخَيْرَ فِي مَظَانِّهِ وَ مَنْ طَلَبَ الْخَيْرَ فِي مَظَانِّهِ لَمْ يَخِبْ.

“I heard abu ‘Abd Allah, say this. ‘One, for coming true of his wish, may take a proper Wudu’, perform two Rak‘at Salah (prayer) with complete Ruku‘ and sajdah. He then can sit and praises Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious. He then can say, “Allahumma Salli ‘Ala Muhammad wa ‘Ali Muhammad (O Allah grant Muhamm

مَرِضْتُ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ مَرَضاً شَدِيداً حَتَّى ثَقُلْتُ وَ اجْتَمَعَتْ بَنُو هَاشِمٍ لَيْلًا لِلْجَنَازَةِ وَ هُمْ يَرَوْنَ أَنِّي مَيِّتٌ فَجَزِعَتْ أُمِّي عَلَيَّ فَقَالَ لَهَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع خَالِي اصْعَدِي إِلَى فَوْقِ الْبَيْتِ فَابْرُزِي إِلَى السَّمَاءِ وَ صَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ فَإِذَا سَلَّمْتِ فَقُولِي اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ وَهَبْتَهُ لِي وَ لَمْ يَكُ شَيْئاً اللَّهُمَّ وَ إِنِّي أَسْتَوْهِبُكَهُ م

“I became seriously ill in the month of Ramadan. I was not able to get up. Banu Hashim gathered at night for burial, seeing me about to die. My mother was restless. Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), told her, ‘My aunt, climb on the house, expose your head under the sky, perform two Rak‘at Salah (prayer) and after Salam say, “O Al

إِذَا أَرَدْتَ أَمْراً تَسْأَلُهُ رَبَّكَ فَتَوَضَّأْ وَ أَحْسِنِ الْوُضُوءَ ثُمَّ صَلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَ عَظِّمِ اللَّهَ وَ صَلِّ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ص وَ قُلْ بَعْدَ التَّسْلِيمِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ بِأَنَّكَ مَلِكٌ وَ أَنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْ‌ءٍ قَدِيرٌ مُقْتَدِرٌ وَ بِأَنَّكَ مَا تَشَاءُ مِنْ أَمْرٍ يَكُونُ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَتَوَجَّهُ إِلَيْكَ بِنَبِيِّكَ مُحَمَّدٍ نَبِيِّ الرَّحْمَةِ ص يَا مُحَمَّدُ يَا ر

“Abu la’ far (a.s.), has said that if you want to ask your Lord for something, take Wudu’ properly, perform two Rak‘at Salah (prayer), speak of the greatness of Allah. Say, ‘Allahumma Salli ‘Ala Muhammad wa ‘Ali Muhammad (O Allah grant Muhammad and his family a compensation worthy of their serving Your cause). 5 After

فِي الْأَمْرِ يَطْلُبُهُ الطَّالِبُ مِنْ رَبِّهِ قَالَ تَصَدَّقْ فِي يَوْمِكَ عَلَى سِتِّينَ مِسْكِيناً عَلَى كُلِّ مِسْكِينٍ صَاعٌ بِصَاعِ النَّبِيِّ ص فَإِذَا كَانَ اللَّيْلُ اغْتَسَلْتَ فِي الثُّلُثِ الْبَاقِي وَ لَبِسْتَ أَدْنَى مَا يَلْبَسُ مَنْ تَعُولُ مِنَ الثِّيَابِ إِلَّا أَنَّ عَلَيْكَ فِي تِلْكَ الثِّيَابِ إِزَاراً ثُمَّ تُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ فَإِذَا وَضَعْتَ جَبْهَتَكَ فِي الرَّكْعَةِ الْأَخِيرِ لِلسُّجُو

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that one who wishes that his Lord make his wish come true should feed sixty destitute people as an act of charity, one sa‘ (three kilograms), by the sa‘ of the Holy Prophet, of food per person. At night during the last third of the night, take a shower and dress in minimum form, except

إِذَا كَانَتْ لَكَ حَاجَةٌ فَتَوَضَّأْ وَ صَلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ احْمَدِ اللَّهَ وَ أَثْنِ عَلَيْهِ وَ اذْكُرْ مِنَ الْآيَةِ ثُمَّ ادْعُ تُجَبْ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If you need something, take Wudu’, perform two Rak‘at Salah (prayer) and then praise Allah, speak of His greatness and read of verses (of Quran), then ask for your needs, your prayer will be answered.’”

إِذَا أَرَدْتَ حَاجَةً فَصَلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ سَلْ تُعْطَهُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If you need something, perform two Rak‘at Salah (prayer) and say, “Allahumma Salli ‘Ala Muhammad wa ‘Ali Muhammad (O Allah grant Muhammad and his family a compensation worthy of their serving Your cause).” Ask for your needs. They will be fulfilled.’”

كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَدَخَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ امْرَأَةٌ وَ ذَكَرَتْ أَنَّهَا تَرَكَتِ ابْنَهَا وَ قَدْ قَالَتْ بِالْمِلْحَفَةِ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ مَيِّتاً[1] فَقَالَ لَهَا لَعَلَّهُ لَمْ يَمُتْ فَقُومِي فَاذْهَبِي إِلَى بَيْتِكِ فَاغْتَسِلِي وَ صَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَ ادْعِي وَ قُولِي يَا مَنْ وَهَبَهُ لِي‌ وَ لَمْ يَكُ شَيْئاً جَدِّدْ هِبَتَهُ لِي ثُمَّ حَرِّكِيهِ وَ لَا تُخْبِرِي بِذَلِكِ أَحَداً قَالَتْ فَفَ

“I was in the presence of abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), when a woman came to him saying, ‘I left my son dead; I had thrown a comforter on his face.’ The Imam said to her, ‘Perhaps he is not dead. Go back to your home, take a shower, perform two Rak‘at Salah (prayer), pray and say, “O the One who gave him to me as a gift when