Writing of Will before death

Text and Translation

The Holy Prophet (s) is reported to have said, "Whoever fails to write his will sensibly before his death lacks reason and manliness." He (s) was asked, "How should the excellent writing of one's will be, O Messenger of Allah?" He (s) instructed: in the last hours of his lifetime, when people gather around him, he must say:

اَللّٰهُمَّ فَاطِرَ السَّمٰوَاتِ وَالْاَرْضِ عَالِمَ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ الرَّحْمٰنَ الرَّحِيْمَ اِنِّىْۤ اَعْهَدُ اِلَيْكَ اَنِّىْۤ اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهٗ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهٗ وَ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ اٰلِهٖ عَبْدُهٗ وَ رَسُوْلُهٗ

ALLAAHUMMA FAATIRAS SAMAAWAATI WAL ARDI A'AALIMAL GHAYBI WASH SHAHAADATIR RAHMAANAR RAHEEM, INNEE A'-HADU ILAYKA INNEE ASH-HADU AL LAA ILAAHA ILLALLAAHU WAHDAHU LAA SHAREEKA LAHU WA ANNA MUHAMMADAN SALLALLAAHU A'LAYHI WA AALIHI A'BDUHU WA RASOOLUH

O Allah, Originator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful: verily I make this covenant with You, that I bear witness there is no god except Allah, alone, without partner, and that Muhammad, Allah's blessings be upon him and his Household, is His servant and His messenger,

وَ اَنَّ السَّاعَةَ اٰتِيَةٌ لَا رَيْبَ فِيْهَا وَ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ يَبْعَثُ مَنْ فِى الْقُبُوْرِ وَ اَنَّ الْحِسَابَ حَقٌّ وَ اَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ حَقٌّ وَ اَنَّ مَا وُعِدَ فِيْهَا مِنَ النَّعِيْمِ مِنَ الْمَاْكَلِ وَ الْمَشْرَبِ وَ النِّكَاحِ حَقٌّ وَ اَنَّ النَّارَ حَقٌّ وَ اَنَّ الْاِيْمَانَ حَقٌّ وَ اَنَّ الدِّيْنَ كَمَا وَصَفَ وَ اَنَّ الْاِسْلَامَ كَمَا شَرَعَ وَ اَنَّ الْقَوْلَ كَمَا قَالَ وَ اَنَّ الْقُرْاٰنَ كَمَاۤ اَنْزَلَ وَ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ هُوَ الْحَقُّ الْمُبِيْنُ

WA ANNAS SAA-A'TA AATIYATUL LAA RAYBA FEEHAA WA ANNALLAAHA YAB-A'THU MAN FIL QUBOOR, WA ANNAL HISAABA HAQQ, WA ANNAL JANNATA HAQQ, WA ANNA MAA WU-I'DA FEEHAA MINAN NA-E'EMI MINAL MA-KALI WAL MASHRABI WAN NIKAAHI HAQQ, WA ANNAN NAARA HAQQ, WA ANNAL EEMAANA HAQQ, WA ANNAD DEENA KAMAA WASAF, WA ANNAL ISLAAMA KAMAA SHARA-A', WA ANNAL QAWLA KAMAA QAAL, WA ANNAL QUR-AANA KAMAA ANZAL, WA ANNALLAAHA HUWAL HAQQUL MUBEEN

and that the Hour is coming, no doubt about it, and that Allah will raise up whoever is in the graves, and that the Reckoning is true, and Paradise is true, and what is promised therein of bliss — of food, drink, and marriage — is true, and the Fire is true, and faith is true, and the religion is as He has described, and Islam is as He has legislated, and the word is as He has said, and the Qur'an is as He has revealed, and that Allah is the manifest Truth,

وَ اَنِّىْۤ اَعْهَدُ اِلَيْكَ فِىْ دَارِ الدُّنْيَا اَنِّىْ رَضِيْتُ بِكَ رَبًّا وَ بِالْاِسْلَامِ دِيْنًا وَ بِمُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ اٰلِهٖ نَبِيًّا وَ بِعَلِيٍّ وَلِيًّا وَ بِالْقُرْاٰنِ كِتَابًا وَ اَنَّ اَهْلَ بَيْتِ نَبِيِّكَ عَلَيْهِ وَ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلَامُ اَئِمَّتِىْ

WA ANNEE A'-HADU ILAYKA FEE DAARID DUNYAAA INNEE RADEETU BIKA RABBAW WA BIL ISLAAMI DEENAW WA BI-MUHAMMADIN SALLALLAAHU A'LAYHI WA AALIHI NABIYYAW WA BI-A'LIYYIW WALIYYAW WA BIL QUR-AANI KITAABAW WA ANNA AHLA BAYTI NABIYYIKA A'LAYHI WA A'LAYHIMUS SALAAMU A-IMMATEE

and that I make this further covenant with You in the abode of this world, that I am content with You as my Lord, with Islam as my religion, with Muhammad — Allah's blessings be upon him and his Household — as my prophet, with Ali as my guardian, with the Qur'an as my book, and that the Household of Your Prophet, peace be upon him and upon them, are my Imams,

اَللّٰهُمَّ اَنْتَ ثِقَتِىْ عِنْدَ شِدَّتِىْ وَ رَجَاۤئِىْ عِنْدَ كُرْبَتِىْ وَ عُدَّتِىْ عِنْدَ الْاُمُوْرِ الَّتِىْ تَنْزِلُ بِىْ وَ اَنْتَ وَلِيِّىْ فِىْ نِعْمَتِىْ وَ اِلٰهِىْ وَ اِلٰهُ اٰبَاۤئِىْ صَلِّ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ اٰلِهٖ وَ لَا تَكِلْنِىْ اِلٰى نَفْسِىْ طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ اَبَدًا وَ اٰنِسْ فِىْ قَبْرِىْ وَحْشَتِىْ وَاجْعَلْ لِّىْ عِنْدَكَ عَهْدًا يَّوْمَ اَلْقَاكَ مَنْشُوْرًا

ALLAAHUMMA ANTA THIQATEE I'NDA SHIDDATEE WA RAJAAA-EE I'NDA KURBATEE WA U'DDATEE I'NDAL UMOORIL LATEE TANZILU BEE, WA ANTA WALIYYEE FEE NI'MATEE WA ILAAHEE WA ILAAHU AABAAA-EE, SALLI A'LAA MUHAMMADIN WA AALIHI WA LAA TAKILNEE ILAA NAFSEE TARFATA A'YNIN ABADAA, WA AANIS FEE QABREE WAHSHATEE WAJ-A'L LEE I'NDAKA A'HDAY YAWMA ALQAAKA MANSHOORAA

O Allah, You are my trust in my hardship, my hope in my distress, and my resort in the affairs that befall me; and You are my guardian in my blessing, and my God and the God of my forefathers. Send blessings upon Muhammad and his Household, and do not entrust me to myself for the blink of an eye, ever; and ease my sense of isolation in my grave, and grant me with You a covenant on the day I meet You, unfolded.

The Holy Prophet (s) then added, "This is the covenant of the moribund when he makes his will, which is obligatory upon each Muslim individual."

Commenting on this, Imam al-Sadiq (a) is reported to have said: certifying this fact, Allah the All-blessed and All-exalted says in Surah Maryam: "They shall not control intercession, save he who has made a covenant with the All-beneficent."

The Holy Prophet (s) then instructed Imam Ali (a) to learn this covenant and advise the members of his household and his adherents (i.e. the Shi'ah) to learn it. He (s) added, "I have been taught this by Archangel Gabriel."