Acts at the Seat of Judgement (Dikkat al-Qadha) & Place of the Wash-Tub — Masjid al-Kufah

Text and Translation

Dikkat al Qadha (Seat of Judgment )and the Bayt Al Tasht(Place of the Washtub) The seat of judgment (dakkat al-qaza’) was a shop-like structure inside Masjid al-Kufah in which there was a bench that was used by Imam `Ali (as) for judging for 4 years. Next to this place, there was a short pillar on which the following holy verse was written :

إِنَّ اللهَ يَامُرُ بِٱلْعَدْلِ وَالإِحْسَانِ وَ إِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْفَحْشَاءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ وَٱلْبَغْيِيَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

innallaha yamuru bil'adle wal ehsan wa etae dhil-qurba wa yanha 'anil fahshae wal munkar wal baghy yaezukum la allakum tazakkarun.

“Surely, Allah enjoins the doing of justice and the doing of good to others and the giving to the kindred, and He forbids indecency and evil and rebellion; He admonishes you that you may be mindful.”

The place of the washtub (bayt al-tast) is the place where one of the wonderful episodes of Imam `Ali (as) occured:

While an unmarried girl was swimming in a pool, a leech could penetrate into her body to settle in her womb. This leech fed on the blood of that girl and thus grew up. Hence, the girl’s belly began to grow bigger and bigger that her brothers though that she was illegally pregnant. As they intended to kill their sister, they first provided the case before Imam `Ali (as) to decide about her. The Imam (as) ordered that a thick curtain should be erected in one of the sides of the mosque (Masjid al-Kufah) behind which the girl would sit. The Imam (as) then asked a famous midwife in al-Kufah city to check the girl. The answer of the midwife came as follows: “O Amir al-Mu'minin, this girl is pregnant. She carries a fetus in her womb.”

However, the Imam (as) ordered them to bring a washtub made of clay and he asked them to make that girl sit there. When the leech felt the stench of the clay, it sneaked out from where it had entered and it fell in the washtub. Thus, the innocence of the girl was proved.

According to other narrations, Imam `Ali (as) extended his hand and brought a piece of ice from the mountains of Syria and put it in the washtub, causing the leech to come out.

Order of devotional Acts in Masjid al-Kufah :

In this book, the order used is as followed by Sayyid Ibn Tawus, in his book of Misbah al-Za'ir, `Allamah al-Majlisi, in his book of Bihar al-Anwar, and Shaykh Khazir, in his book of al-Mazar. Dakkat al-qaza' you may walk behind to dakkat al-qaza' and offer there a two-unit prayer, reciting in each unit Surah al-Fatihah and any other Surah you like to recite.

Then say the famous Tasbih al-Zahra' litany and then say the following words:

Alternate

يَا مَالِكِي وَمُمَلِّكِي

ya maliki wa mumalliki

O He Who possesses me, He Who endows me with possessions,

وَمُتَغَمِّدِي بِٱلنِّعَمِ ٱلْجِسَامِ

wa mutaghammidi bilnni`ami aljisami

and He Who encompasses me with enormous bounties

مِنْ غَيْرِ ٱسْتِحْقَاقٍ

min ghayri istihqaqin

albeit that I do not deserve them.

وَجْهِي خَاضِعٌ لِمَا تَعْلُوهُ ٱلاقْدَامُ

wajhi khazi`un lima ta`luhu al-aqdamu

My face is humble to what is overtopped by feet

لِجَلاَلِ وَجْهِكَ ٱلْكَرِيمِ

lijalali wajhika alkarimi

due to the majesty of Your Noble Face.

لاَ تَجْعَلْ هٰذِهِ ٱلشِّدَّةَ وَلاَ هٰذِهِ ٱلْمِحْنَةَ

la taj`al hadhihi alshshiddata wa la hadhihi almihnata

(Please) do not make this hardship and this ordeal

مُتّصِلَةً بِٱسْتِيصَالِ ٱلشَّافَةِ

muttasilatan bistisali alshsha'fati

to be continual until they lead to the extirpation of the root.

وَٱمْنَحْنِي مِنْ فَضْلِكَ

wamnahni min fazlika

And (please) grant me from Your favor

مَا لَمْ تَمْنَحْ بِهِ احَداً مِنْ غَيْرِ مَسْالَةٍ

ma lam tamnah bihi ahadan min ghayri mas'alatin

more than that which You have granted to any body who has not asked You to grant him.

انْتَ ٱلْقَدِيمُ ٱلاوَّلُ

anta alqadimu al-awwalu

You are verily the Eternal and the First Lord

ٱلَّذِي لَمْ تَزَلْ وَلاَ تَزَالُ

alladhi lam tazal wa la tazalu

Who has neither beginning nor end.

صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

salli `ala muhammadin wa ali muhammadin

(please) send blessings upon Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad,

وَٱغْفِرْ لِي وَٱرْحَمْنِي

waghfir li warhamni

forgive me, have mercy on me,

وَزَكِّ عَمَلِي وَبَارِكْ لِي فِي اجَلِي

wa zakki `amali wa barik li fi ajali

admit my deeds, bless my lifetime,

وَٱجْعَلْنِي مِنْ عُتَقَائِكَ وَطُلَقَائِكَ مِنَ ٱلنَّارِ

waj`alni min `utaqa'ika wa tulaqa'ika min alnnari

and include me with those whom You release and pardon from Hellfire,

بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَا ارْحَمَ ٱلرَّاحِمِينَ

birahmatika ya arhama alrrahimina

in the name of Your mercy, O most merciful of all those who show mercy.

At the place of the washtub, which is connected to the seat of judgment,

you may offer a two-unit prayer. When you finish the prayer and say the Tasbih statements, you may say the following words:

اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي ذَخَرْتُ تَوْحِيدِي إِيَّاكَ

allahumma inni dhakhartu tawhidi iyyaka

O Allah, I save (the reward of) my submission to Your Oneness,

وَمَعْرِفَتِي بِكَ وَإِخْلاَصِي لَكَ

wa ma`rifati bika wa ikhlasi laka

my recognition of You, my sincerity to You,

وَإِقْرَارِي بِرُبُوبِيَّتِكَ

wa iqrari birububiyyatika

and my bearing witness of Your Godhead,

وَذَخَرْتُ وِلايَةَ مَنْ انْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ بِمَعْرِفَتِهِمْ مِنْ بَرِيَّتِكَ

wa dhakhartu wilayata man an`amta `alayya bima`rifatihim min bariyyatika

and I also save (the reward of) my loyalty to those with the recognition of whom You have bestowed upon me:

مُحَمَّدٍ وَعِتْرَتِهِ صَلَّىٰ ٱللهُ عَلَيْهِمْ

muhammadin wa `itratihi salla allahu `alayhim

namely, Muhammad and his Household, peace of Allah be upon them,

لِيَوْمِ فَزَعِي إِلَيْكَ عَاجِلاً وَآجِلاً

liyawmi faza`i ilayka `ajilan wa ajilan

(I save all that) to the day of my taking refuge with You, whether in this world or the Hereafter.