Recommended Acts (A'amal) of Masjid Zayd

Text and Translation

Zayd Mosque You may then walk to the mosque of Zayd ibn Sawhan, which is near to Masjid al-Sahla, and offer a two-unit prayer there. After accomplishment, you may extend your hand and say the following supplicatory prayer: You may then walk to the mosque of Zayd ibn Sawhan, which is near to Masjid al-Sahla, and offer a two-unit prayer there. After accomplishment, you may extend your hand and say the following supplicatory prayer:

إِلٰهِي قَدْ مَدَّ إِلَيْكَ ٱلْخَاطِئُ ٱلْمُذْنِبُ يَدَيْهِ بِحُسْنِ ظَنِّهِ بِكَ

ilahi qad madda ilayka alkhati'u almudhnibu yadayhi bihusni zannihi bika

O my God, I, the wrongdoer and sinful, am extending my hands to You, on account of the good opinion that I carry about You.

إِلٰهِي قَدْ جَلَسَ ٱلْمُسِيءُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ مُقِرّاً لَكَ بِسُوءِ عَمَلِهِ

ilahi qad jalasa almusi'u bayna yadayka muqirran laka bisu'i `amalihi

O my God, I, the evildoer, am sitting before You, confessing to You of my ill deeds

وَرَاجِياً مِنْكَ ٱلصَّفْحَ عَنْ زَللِهِ

wa rajiyan minka alssafha `an zalalihi

and hoping for You to overlook my faults.

إِلٰهِي قَدْ رَفَعَ إِلَيْكَ ٱلظَّالِمُ كَفَّيْهِ رَاجِياً لِمَا لَدَيْكَ

ilahi qad rafa`a ilayka alzzalimu kaffayhi rajiyan lima ladayka

O my God, I, the unjust, am raising my hands in the hope of attaining that which You have in possession;

فَلا تُخَيِّبْهُ بِرَحْمَتِكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ

fala tukhayyibhu birahmatika min fazlika

so, do not deprive me of Your favors, out of Your mercy.

إِلٰهِي قَدْ جَثَا ٱلْعَائِدُ إِلَىٰ ٱلْمَعَاصِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ

ilahi qad jatha al`a'idu ila alma`asi bayna yadayka

O my God, I, the reverter to disobedience, am kneeling before You,

خَائِفاً مِنْ يَوْمٍ تَجْثُو فِيهِ ٱلْخَلاَئِقُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ

kha'ifan min yawmin tajthu fihi alkhala'iqu bayna yadayka

for I fear the day on which all created beings shall kneel before You.

إِلٰهِي جَاءَكَ ٱلْعَبْدُ ٱلْخَاطِئُ فَزِعاً مُشْفِقاً

ilahi ja'aka al`abdu alkhati'u fazi`an mushfiqan

O my God, I, the faulty servant, am coming to You with panic and fear,

وَرَفَعَ إِلَيْكَ طَرْفَهُ حَذِراً رَاجِياً

wa rafa`a ilayka tarfahu hadhiran rajiyan

raising my sight to You with caution and hope,

وَفَاضَتْ عَبْرَتُهُ مُسْتَغْفِراً نَادِماً

wa fazat `abratuhu mustaghfiran nadiman

shedding tears, seeking forgiveness, and showing regret.

وَعِزَّ تِكَ وَجَلالِكَ مَا ارَدْتُ بِمَعْصِيَتِي مُخَالَفَتَكَ

wa `izzatika wa jalalika ma aradtu bima`siyati mukhalafataka

By Your Might and Majesty I swear! When I disobeyed You, I have not intended to violate You

وَمَا عَصَيْتُكَ إِذْ عَصَيْتُكَ وَانَا بِكَ جَاهِلٌ

wa ma `asaytuka idh `asaytuka wa ana bika jahilun

and when I disobeyed You, I have never been unaware of You

وَلاَ لِعُقُوبَتِكَ مُتَعَرِّضٌ

wa la li`uqubatika muta`arrizun

I have never intended to expose myself to Your punishment,

وَلاَ لِنَظَرِكَ مُسْتَخِفٌّ

wa la linazarika mustakhiffun

and I have never belittled Your watching over me;

وَلكِنْ سَوَّلَتْ لِي نَفْسِي

wa lakin sawwalat li nafsi

rather, my soul has commended to me,

وَاعَانَتْنِي عَلَىٰ ذٰلِكَ شِقْوَتِي

wa a`anatni `ala dhalika shiqwati

my adversity has overcome me,

وَغَرَّنِي سِتْرُكَ ٱلْمُرْخَىٰ عَلَيَّ

wa gharrani sitruka almurkha `alayya

and I was deceived by Your screen that covers all my defects.

فَمِنَ ٱلآنَ مِنْ عَذَابِكَ مَنْ يَسْتَنْقِذُنِي؟

famin al-ana min `adhabika man yastanqidhuni

Now, who can save me from Your punishment ?

وَبَحَبْلِ مَنْ اعْتَصِمُ إِنْ قَطَعْتَ حَبْلَكَ عَنِّي؟

wa bahabli man a`tasimu in qata`ta hablaka `annai

Whose rope can I maintain if You cut the rope that connects me with You ?

فَيَا سَوْاتَاهُ غَداً مِنَ ٱلْوُقُوفِ بَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ

faya saw'atahu ghadan min alwuqufi bayna yadayka

What a shame shall be on me tomorrow when I will be detained before You

إِذَا قِيلَ لِلْمُخِفِّينَ: جُوزُوٱ

idha qila lilmukhiffina juzu

when the light-loaded ones will be allowed to pass,

ولِلْمُثْقِلِينَ: حُطُّوٱ

wa lilmuthqilina huttu

but the heavy-loaded ones will be stopped ?

افَمَعَ ٱلْمُخِفِّينَ اجُوزُ امْ مَعَ ٱلْمُثْقِلِينَ احُطُّ؟

afama`a almukhiffina ajuzu am ma`a almuthqilina ahuttu

Shall I pass with the light-loaded ones or shall I be stopped with the heavy-loaded ones ?

وَيْلِي كُلَّمَا كَبُرَ سِنِّي كَثُرَتْ ذُنُوبِي!

wayli kullama kabura sinni kathurat dhunubi

Woe to me! The older I am the more sinful I become!

وَيْلِي كُلَّمَا طَالَ عُمْرِي كَثُرَتْ مَعَاصِيِّي

wayli kullama tala `umri kathurat ma`asiyyi

Woe to me! The more aged I am the more disobedient I become!

فَكَمْ اتُوبُ

fakam atubu

So often have I declared repentance!

وَكَمْ اعُودُ

wa kam a`udu

And so often have I returned to committing acts of disobedience!

امَا آنَ لِي انْ اسْتَحْيِيَ مِنْ رَبِّي

ama ana li an astahyiya min rabbi

Has not the time come that I be ashamed of my Lord?

اَللَّهُمَّ فَبِحَقِّ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

allahuma fabihaqqi muhammadin wa ali muhammadin

O Allah, (I beg You) in the name of Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad,

إِغْفِرْ لِي وَٱرْحَمْنِي

ighfir li warhamni

please, forgive me and have mercy upon me.

يَا ارْحَمَ ٱلرَّاحِمِينَ وَخَيْرَ ٱلْغَافِرِينَ

ya arhama alrrahimina wa khayra alghafirina

O most merciful of all those who show mercy and most excellent forgiver of all those who forgive!

You may then try to weep and put your face on the dust , saying:

إِرْحَمْ مَنْ اسَاءَ وَٱقَتَرَفَ

irham man asa'a waqtarafa

(Please) have mercy upon him who had misbehaved and committed sins,

وَٱسْتَكَانَ وَٱعْتَرَفَ

wastakana wa`tarafa

but he then submitted and confessed.

Then, you may put your right cheek on the ground and say the following words:

إِنْ كُنْتُ بِئْسَ ٱلْعَبْدُ

in kuntu bi'sa al`abdu

If I am the worst servant (of You),

فَانْتَ نِعْمَ ٱلرَّبُّ

fa'anta ni`ma alrrabbu

then You are the All-excellent Lord.

You may then put your left cheek on the ground and say the following words:

عَظُمَ ٱلذَّنْبُ مِنْ عَبْدِكَ

`azuma aldhdhanbu min `abdika

Your servant’s sin has been very flagrant,

فَلْيَحْسُنِ ٱلْعَفْوُ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ

falyahsun al`afwu min `indika

then let Your pardon be very excellent,

يَا كَرِيمُ

ya karimu

O All-generous!

You may then return to the normal position of prostration and repeat the following word one hundred times:

الْعَفْوَ ٱلْعَفْوَ

al`afwa al`afwa

Pardon! Pardon!

Zayd and Sa`sa`ah Zayd Mosque is one of the honorable mosques in the city of al-Kufah. It is ascribed to Zayd ibn Sawhan, one of the grand companions of Imam `Ali (‘a). He is also regarded as one of the loftiest personalities. He was martyred in the Battle of the Camel (al-jamal) under the command of Imam `Ali (‘a). The previously mentioned supplicatory prayer is ascribed to Zayd and he is reported to have used to said it in the supererogatory prayers of night (i.e. the night prayers).

Next to this mosque, there is the mosque of Sa`sa`ah ibn Sawhan, Zayd’s brother. Sa`sa`ah was also one of the intimate companions of Imam `Ali (‘a). He was one of the well-versed scholars of religious knowledge and one of the faithful believers. He was so eloquent that Imam `Ali (‘a) called him as al-khatib al-shahshah (the skillful orator) and praised him for his rhetoric and expressiveness. The Imam (‘a) also praised Sa`sa`ah for his asceticism and aid.

Having attended the funeral ceremony of Imam `Ali’s holy body at night from al-Kufah to al-Najaf, Sa`sa`ah was present; and when Imam `Ali’s body was buried, Sa`sa`ah stopped at the tomb, took a handful of its dust, dispersed it on his head, and said, “May Allah accept my father and mother as ransoms for you, O Commander of the Believers! Congratulations, Abu’l-Hasan! Your birth was uniquely excellent, your steadfastness was typically firm, and your striving was outstandingly great. You have thus attained that for which you hoped, your trade has been successful, and you have joined your Lord… etc.”

Sa`sa`ah went on in the same style and he then wept so heavily that all those who were present could not resist weeping. Hence, Sa`sa`ah held and orated in a consolation ceremony at midnight in the presence of Imam al-Hasan, Imam al-Husayn, Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, al-`Abbas, and the other sons and cousins of Imam `Ali—peace be upon them all. When Sa`sa`ah finished his oration, the attendants turned to Imam al-Hasan and Imam al-Husayn to console them for their father’s martyrdom. They then returned to al-Kufah.

In conclusion, Sa`sa`ah Mosque is also one of the holy places in the city of al-Kufah. A group of our scholars have seen Imam al- Mahdi (‘a) offering a two-unit prayer there during the month of Rajab. He then said the prayer that begins with the following statement:" allahumma ya dha alminani"

Although it may be understood that this supplicatory prayer is within the acts that are done at Sa`sa`ah Mosque, because Imam al-Mahdi (‘a) said it there, this act (i.e. the two-unit prayer and the supplicatory prayer) is dedicated to the general acts of the month of Rajab, as is confirmed in the books of our scholars.