Letter of Yusha the son of Nun

Text and Translation

Through a valid chain of authority, Imam al-Rida(a.s.) is reported to have related the following story:

A man found a sheet of paper with an inscription and brought it to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) who, once he read it, called out at people to gather for a congregational prayer. As everybody came, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) ascended the minbar (i.e. a pulpit in the mosque) and said: This is the scripture of Yusha’, the son of Nun (Prophet Joshua), the successor of Prophet Moses (a.s.). The inscription reads the following: In the Name of Allah; the All-beneficent, the All-merciful. Your Lord is certainly Kind and Merciful. The best of Allah’s servants are the pious, pure, and affectionate; while the most wicked of Allah’s servants are so identified that fingers can point at them. He who wishes to have his deeds measured by the fairest balance and to carry out his duties towards the graces that Almighty Allah has bestowed upon him, must say the following litany every day:

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ سُبْحَانَ اللّٰهِ كَمَا يَنْبَغِىْ لِلّٰهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ كَمَا يَنْبَغِىْ لِلّٰهِ وَ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ كَمَا يَنْبَغِىْ لِلّٰهِ وَ لَا حَوْلَ وَ لَا قُوَّةَ اِلَّا بِاللهِ وَ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّ اَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ النَّبِىِّ الْاُمِّىِّ وَ عَلٰى جَمِيْعِ الْمُرْسَلِيْنَ وَالنَّبِيِّيْنَ حَتّٰى يَرْضَى اللّٰهُ.

BISMIL LAAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHEEMI SUBHAANAL LAAHI KAMAA YANBAGHEE LILLAAHI WAL HAMDU LILLAAHI KAMAA YANBAGHEE LILLAAHI WA LAA ILAAHA ILLAL LAAHU KAMAA YANBAGHEE LILLAAHI WA LAA HAWLA WA LAA QUWWATA ILLAA BIL LAAHI WA SALLAL LAAHU A'LAA MUHAMMADIN WA AHLI BAYTIHIN NABIYYIL UMMIYYI WA A'LAA JAMEE'IL MURSALEENA WAN NABIYYEENA HATTAA YARZAL LAAH.

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Glory be to Allah as befits Allah; all praise be to Allah as befits Allah; there is no god save Allah as befits Allah; there is no might and no power save in Allah; and may Allah bless Muhammad and his Household, the unlettered Prophet, and all the messengers and prophets, until Allah is pleased.

In the book of al-Balad al-Amin, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) is quoted to have said: He who repeats the following statement ten times every day, will be released from his sins as if he is on the day when his mother gave birth to him, and Almighty Allah will fend off from him seventy categories of tribulation, including lunacy, mycobacterium, leprosy, and paralysis, and Almighty Allah will appoint seventy angels to pray Him to forgive that person:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ لَا حَوْلَ‏ وَ لَا قُوَّةَ اِلَّا بِاللهِ الْعَلِىِّ الْعَظِيْمِ.

BISMIL LAAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHEEMI LAA HAWLA WA LAA QUWWATA ILLAA BIL LAAHIL 'ALIYYIL 'AZEEM.

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. There is no might and no power save in Allah, the High, the Great.

Imam al-Sadiq(a.s.) is reported to have said: He who repeats the following litany one hundred times every day, will not be afflicted by poverty:

لَا حَوْلَ وَ لَا قُوَّةَ اِلَّا بِاللهِ الْعَلِىِّ الْعَظِيْمِ.

LAA HAWLA WA LAA QUWWATA ILLAA BIL LAAHIL 'ALIYYIL 'AZEEM.

There is no might and no power save in Allah, the High, the Great.

Whoever repeats the following statements one hundred times every day, Almighty Allah will prohibit Hellfire to consume his body:

سُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ وَ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللهُ وَ اللهُ اَكْبَرُ.

SUBHAANAL LAAHI WAL HAMDU LILLAAHI WA LAA ILAAHA ILLAL LAAHU WAL LAAHU AKBAR.

Glory be to Allah, all praise be to Allah, there is no god save Allah, and Allah is the Most Great.