True incident of fulfillment of desires

Text and Translation

Shaykh al-Nuri, in his book Dar al-Salam, records on the authority of his mentor Fath Ali al-Sultanabadi that Shaykh Muhammad Sadiq al-Iraqi had lived in harsh poverty for a long time without finding any solution for his state, until he saw, in a dream, that he was in a valley where there was an enormous tent with a dome over it. When he asked about the owner of that tent, he was told it belonged to Imam al-Mahdi, the Awaited — the protecting shelter and the relief of the deprived — may Allah hasten his reappearance. He hurried to that tent and complained about his poverty, asking the Imam (a.s.) to teach him a supplication that would relieve his grief and save him from his misfortunes. The Imam, having heard his complaint, directed him to visit the tent of one of his offspring. He left the Imam's tent and headed for the tent he was guided to, where he found Sayyid Muhammad al-Sultanabadi sitting in his prayer-place, engaged in supplications and litanies. He greeted him and told him his story with the Imam. The Sayyid then taught him a supplication that would relieve him from poverty and bring him good sustenance.

When the man woke up, he found that he had learnt that supplication by heart, so he hurried to the Sayyid's house and found him in the very state he had seen in the dream. As if the Sayyid had already known of the dream, he welcomed the man and smiled at him. The man asked the Sayyid about the supplication and the Sayyid taught it to him. Immediately after saying it persistently, the man became so wealthy that fortune covered him from all sides. Hajj Fath Ali al-Sultanabadi used to praise the Sayyid highly, and studied under him for some time.

The following three matters were taught by the Sayyid to that man:

(1) After the Dawn Prayer, he should put his hand on his chest and repeat seventy times the phrase:

يا فتّاح

YAA FATTAAH

O Opener!

(2) He taught him to regularly say the following supplication, which — as recorded in al-Kafi — the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) taught to a companion who had been afflicted by disease and poverty, after which the man soon recovered his health and was rid of poverty:

لا حَوْلَ وَ لا قُوَّةَ اِلا بِاللّٰهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى الْحَيِّ الَّذِي لا يَمُوتُ

LAA HAWLA WA LAA QUWWATA ILLAA BILLAAH, TAWAKKALTO ALAL HAYYIL LAZEE LAA YAMOOTO

There is no power and no might except with Allah; I place my trust in the Ever-Living Who never dies,

وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًا وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ شَرِيكٌ فِي الْمُلْكِ

WAL HAMDO LILLAAHIL LAZEE LAM YATTAKHIZ WALADAN WA LAM YAKUL LAHU SHAREEKUN FIL MULK

and praise be to Allah, Who has not taken a son, nor has He any partner in dominion,

وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ وَلِيٌّ مِنَ الذُّلِّ وَ كَبِّرْهُ تَكْبِيرًا

WA LAM YAKUL LAHU WALIYYUM MINAZ ZULLE WA KABBIRHO TAKBEERAA

nor has He any protector out of weakness — and magnify Him with all magnificence.

(3) He taught him to say the following supplication, recorded by Ibn Fahad al-Hilli in 'Uddat al-Da'i from Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Rida (a.s.), after the Dawn Prayer — whoever says it will have all his requests made easy to attain, and Allah will save him from everything that grieves him:

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ وَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ

BISMIL LAAHE WA SALLAL LAAHO ALAA MOHAMMADIN WA AALEHI

In the Name of Allah, and may Allah send blessings upon Muhammad and his Household;

وَ اُفَوِّضُ اَمْرِي اِلَى اللّٰهِ اِنَّ اللَّهَ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ

WA UFAWWIZO AMREE ILAL LAAHE INNAL LAAHA BASEERUM BIL IBAAD

and I entrust my affair to Allah; verily Allah is All-Seeing of His servants,

فَوَقَاهُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِ مَا مَكَرُوا

FA-WAQAAHUL LAAHO SAYYE-AATE MAA MAKARO

so Allah protected him from the evils of what they plotted.

لا اِلَهَ اِلا اَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ اِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ

LAA ELAAHA ILLAA ANTA SUBHAANAKA INNEE KUNTO MINAZ ZAALIMEEN

There is no god but You, glory be to You; verily I have been among the wrongdoers.

فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ وَ نَجَّيْنَاهُ مِنَ الْغَمِّ وَ كَذَلِكَ نُنْجِي الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

FASTAJABNAA LAHU WA NAJJAYNAAHU MINAL GHAMME WA KAZAALIKA NUNJIL MOMINEEN

So We answered him and delivered him from distress; and thus do We deliver the believers.

حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَ نِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ

HASBUNAL LAAHO WA NE-AMAL WAKEEL

Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best Guardian.

فَانْقَلَبُوا بِنِعْمَةٍ مِنَ اللّٰهِ وَ فَضْلٍ لَمْ يَمْسَسْهُمْ سُوءٌ

FANQALABOO BE NE-AMATIM MINAL LAAHE WA FAZLIL LAM YAMSAS-HUM SOO-O

So they returned with a favor from Allah and a bounty; no harm touched them,

مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ لا حَوْلَ وَ لا قُوَّةَ اِلا بِاللّٰهِ

MAA SHAA-AL LAAHO LAA HAWLA WA LAA QUWWATA ILLAA BILLAAH

whatever Allah wills; there is no power and no might except with Allah;

مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ لا مَا شَاءَ النَّاسُ

MAA SHAA-AL LAAHO LAA MAA SHAA-AN NAASO

whatever Allah wills, not whatever people will;

مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ وَ اِنْ كَرِهَ النَّاسُ

MAA SHAA-AL LAAHO WA IN KAREHAN NAASO

whatever Allah wills, even if people dislike it;

حَسْبِيَ الرَّبُّ مِنَ الْمَرْبُوبِينَ حَسْبِيَ الْخَالِقُ مِنَ الْمَخْلُوقِينَ حَسْبِيَ الرَّازِقُ مِنَ الْمَرْزُوقِينَ

HASBEYAR RABBO MINAL MARBOOBEEN, HASBEYAL KHAALEQO MINAL MAKHLOOQEEN, HASBEYAR RAAZEQO MINAL MARZOOQEEN

sufficient for me is the Lord above all who are lorded over, sufficient for me is the Creator above all creatures, sufficient for me is the Sustainer above all who are sustained,

حَسْبِيَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ

HASBEYAL LAAHO RABBUL AALAMEEN

sufficient for me is Allah, Lord of the worlds.

حَسْبِي مَنْ هُوَ حَسْبِي حَسْبِي مَنْ لَمْ يَزَلْ حَسْبِي حَسْبِي مَنْ كَانَ مُذْ كُنْتُ لَمْ يَزَلْ حَسْبِي

HASBEE MAN HOWA HASBEE, HASBEE MAN LAM YAZAL HASBEE, HASBEE MAN KAANA MUZ KUNTO LAM YAZAL HASBEE

sufficient for me is He Who is my sufficiency; sufficient for me is He Who has never ceased to be my sufficiency; sufficient for me is He Who, ever since I have been, has never ceased to be my sufficiency.

حَسْبِيَ اللَّهُ لا اِلَهَ اِلا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَ هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ

HASBEYAL LAAHO LAA ELAAHA ILLAA HOWA ALAYHE TAWAKKALTO WA HOWA RABBUL ARSHIL AZEEM

Allah is sufficient for me; there is no god but He; in Him I place my trust, and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne.

It is thus necessary to persist in saying these supplications, since great rewards are given to those who do not neglect them.

Recorded in Mafatih al-Jinan (Shaykh Abbas al-Qummi), in the chapter of Taqibat, under 'True Incident for Fulfillment of Desires.'