Prayer and Appeal before Allah for a Son

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ إِذَا أَبْطَأَ عَلَى أَحَدِكُمُ الْوَلَدُ فَلْيَقُلِ- اللَّهُمَ‌ لا تَذَرْنِي فَرْداً وَ أَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْوارِثِينَ‌ وَحِيداً وَحْشاً فَيَقْصُرَ شُكْرِي عَنْ تَفَكُّرِي‌[2] بَلْ هَبْ لِي عَاقِبَةَ صِدْقٍ ذُكُوراً وَ إِنَاثاً آنَسُ بِهِمْ مِنَ الْوَحْشَةِ وَ أَسْكُنُ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنَ الْوَحْدَةِ وَ أَشْكُرُكَ عِنْدَ تَمَامِ النِّعْمَةِ يَا وَهَّابُ يَا عَظِيمُ يَا مُعَظَّمُ‌[3] ثُمَّ أَعْط

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If the birth of a child for one of you is delayed, he should say this prayer, ‘O Lord, do not leave me all by myself- and You are the best heir- alone and frightened so that my thoughts about a child reduce my thanks (to You). Grant me truthful consequences (successors) of male (child

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنِّي مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتٍ قَدِ انْقَرَضُوا وَ لَيْسَ لِي وَلَدٌ قَالَ ادْعُ وَ أَنْتَ سَاجِدٌ- رَبِّ هَبْ‌ لِي مِنْ لَدُنْكَ وَلِيًّا يَرِثُنِي‌ رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِنْ لَدُنْكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ الدُّعاءِ رَبِّ لا تَذَرْنِي فَرْداً وَ أَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْوارِثِينَ‌ قَالَ فَفَعَلْتُ فَوُلِدَ لِي عَلِيٌّ وَ الْحُسَيْنُ.

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), that I belong to a family that is extinct and I do not have any children. He (the Imam) said, ‘Pray when you are in Sajdah (prostration), ‘[My Lord, grant me from Your dominion an heir who will inherit me]. O Lord, grant me fine offspring from Your dominion; You hear the prayers.

مَنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يُحْبَلَ لَهُ فَلْيُصَلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الْجُمُعَةِ يُطِيلُ فِيهِمَا الرُّكُوعَ وَ السُّجُودَ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ بِمَا سَأَلَكَ بِهِ زَكَرِيَّا يَا رَبِّ لا تَذَرْنِي فَرْداً وَ أَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْوارِثِينَ‌ اللَّهُمَ‌ هَبْ لِي مِنْ لَدُنْكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ الدُّعاءِ اللَّهُمَّ بِاسْمِكَ اسْتَحْلَلْتُهَا وَ فِي أَمَانَتِكَ أَخَذْتُهَا فَإِنْ قَضَيْتَ

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘One who wishes for pregnancy should perform two Rak’at Salat (prayer) after Friday Salat (prayer) with long Ruku’ (bowing down on one’s knees) and Sajdah (prostration): then say, “O Lord, I ask and appeal before You as Zakariya had done. O Lord, do not leave me alone by myself -You ar

شَكَا الْأَبْرَشُ الْكَلْبِيُّ إِلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع أَنَّهُ لَا يُولَدُ لَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ عَلِّمْنِي شَيْئاً قَالَ اسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ أَوْ فِي كُلِّ لَيْلَةٍ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَقُولُ‌ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كانَ غَفَّاراً إِلَى قَوْلِهِ- وَ يُمْدِدْكُمْ بِأَمْوالٍ وَ بَنِينَ‌[1].

‘I ask forgiveness from Allah, my Lord and return to Him in repentance’ one hundred times every day and every night, because Allah says, ‘Ask forgiveness from your Lord; He is forgiving. ... He helps you by means of your wealth and sons.’” (71:10)

أَنَّهُ وَفَدَ إِلَى هِشَامِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ فَأَبْطَأَ عَلَيْهِ الْإِذْنُ حَتَّى اغْتَمَّ وَ كَانَ لَهُ حَاجِبٌ كَثِيرُ الدُّنْيَا وَ لَا يُولَدُ لَهُ فَدَنَا مِنْهُ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع فَقَالَ لَهُ هَلْ لَكَ أَنْ تُوصِلَنِي إِلَى هِشَامٍ وَ أُعَلِّمَكَ دُعَاءً[3] يُولَدُ لَكَ قَالَ نَعَمْ فَأَوْصَلَهُ إِلَى هِشَامٍ وَ قَضَى لَهُ جَمِيعَ حَوَائِجِهِ قَالَ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ قَالَ لَهُ الْحَاجِبُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ الد

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘Once I wanted to visit Hisham ibn ‘Abd al-Malik but permission for a meeting was delayed and I felt worried.’ He ‘Abd al-Malik had a guard who was wealthy but had no children. Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), asked him, ‘If you can arrange a meeting with Hisham I will teach you a prayer and you will ha

قَالَ رَجُلٌ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع لَا يُولَدُ لِي فَقَالَ اسْتَغْفِرْ رَبَّكَ فِي السَّحَرِ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ فَإِنْ نَسِيتَهُ فَاقْضِهِ.

‘I ask forgiveness from Allah, my Lord and return to Him in repentance’ one hundred times just before it is dawn. If you forget; do its Qada’ (compensatory prayer for it ).’”

لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِذَا جَامَعْتَ فَقُلِ- اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ إِنْ رَزَقْتَنِي ذَكَراً سَمَّيْتُهُ مُحَمَّداً قَالَ فَفَعَلَ ذَلِكَ فَرُزِقَ.

‘When going to bed with your wife say, ‘O Lord, if You grant me a son I will name him Muhammad.’ He (the narrator) has said that he followed the instruction, then a son was born to him.’”

أَتَتْ عَلَيَّ سِتُّونَ سَنَةً لَا يُولَدُ لِي فَحَجَجْتُ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَشَكَوْتُ إِلَيْهِ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ لِي أَ وَ لَمْ يُولَدْ لَكَ قُلْتُ لَا قَالَ إِذَا قَدِمْتَ الْعِرَاقَ فَتَزَوَّجِ امْرَأَةً وَ لَا عَلَيْكَ أَنْ تَكُونَ سَوْءَاءَ قَالَ قُلْتُ وَ مَا السَّوْءَاءُ قَالَ امْرَأَةٌ فِيهَا قُبْحٌ فَإِنَّهُنَّ أَكْثَرُ أَوْلَاداً وَ ادْعُ بِهَذَا الدُّعَاءِ فَإِنِّي أَرْجُو- أَنْ يَرْزُقَ

“I was sixty years old and had no children. I went to perform al-Hajj then visited abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and complained about not having any child. He (the Imam) asked, ‘Has any child ever been born to you?’ I replied, ‘No, it has not happened.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘When you go to Iraq marry a woman and it does not ma

فَفَعَلْتُ فَأَذْهَبَ اللَّهُ عَنِّي سُقْمِي وَ كَثُرَ وُلْدِي قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَاشِدٍ وَ كُنْتُ دَائِمَ الْعِلَّةِ مَا أَنْفَكُّ مِنْهَا فِي نَفْسِي وَ جَمَاعَةِ خَدَمِي وَ عِيَالِي حَتَّى إِنِّي كُنْتُ أَبْقَى وَحْدِي وَ مَا لِي أَحَدٌ يَخْدُمُنِي فَلَمَّا سَمِعْتُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ هِشَامٍ عَمِلْتُ بِهِ فَأَذْهَبَ اللَّهُ عَنِّي وَ عَنْ عِيَالِيَ الْعِلَلَ وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ.

“Hisham ibn Ibrahim narrated to me that he complained before abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about not having a child. He (the Imam) commanded him to raise his voice with Adhan in his house. He has said, ‘I followed the instruction: then Allah removed my shortcoming and my children became many.’ Muhammad ibn Rashid has said, ’I

قَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ خُرَاسَانَ بِالرَّبَذَةِ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ لَمْ أُرْزَقْ وَلَداً فَقَالَ لَهُ إِذَا رَجَعْتَ إِلَى بِلَادِكَ وَ أَرَدْتَ أَنْ تَأْتِيَ أَهْلَكَ فَاقْرَأْ إِذَا أَرَدْتَ ذَلِكَ- وَ ذَا النُّونِ إِذْ ذَهَبَ مُغاضِباً فَظَنَّ أَنْ لَنْ نَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ فَنادى‌ فِي الظُّلُماتِ أَنْ لا إِلهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ‌[1] إِلَى ثَلَاثِ آيَاتٍ فَإِنَّكَ سَتُرْزَق

I have not been granted any children.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘When you return to your country and then decide to go to bed with your wife then read, ‘When the companion of fish went away in anger he thought that We will not apply any measures against him. He then in the dark called, “I testify that no one other than You

لَمْ يُولَدْ لِي شَيْ‌ءٌ قَطُّ وَ خَرَجْتُ إِلَى مَكَّةَ وَ مَا لِي وَلَدٌ فَلَقِيَنِي إِنْسَانٌ فَبَشَّرَنِي بِغُلَامٍ فَمَضَيْتُ وَ دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع بِالْمَدِينَةِ فَلَمَّا صِرْتُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ قَالَ لِي كَيْفَ أَنْتَ وَ كَيْفَ وَلَدُكَ فَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ خَرَجْتُ وَ مَا لِي وَلَدٌ فَلَقِيَنِي جَارٌ لِي فَقَالَ لِي قَدْ وُلِدَ لَكَ غُلَامٌ فَتَبَسَّمَ ثُمَّ قَالَ سَمَّيْتَهُ قُلْتُ لَا قَال

“I never had a child . I went to Makkah and did not have any children. A man met me and gave good news of the birth of a boy to me. I then went on and visited Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.). When I went before him (the Imam), he (the Imam) asked, ‘How are you and how is your son?’ I said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in

إِذَا أَرَدْتَ الْوَلَدَ فَقُلْ عِنْدَ الْجِمَاعِ- اللَّهُمَّ ارْزُقْنِي وَلَداً وَ اجْعَلْهُ تَقِيّاً لَيْسَ فِي خَلْقِهِ زِيَادَةٌ وَ لَا نُقْصَانٌ وَ اجْعَلْ عَاقِبَتَهُ إِلَى خَيْرٍ.

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘When you want to have a son then at the time of your going to bed with your wife say, “O Lord, grant me a son, make him pious, without any deficiency or extra in his physical condition and make his consequences in goodness.’”