25th Day of Duh al-Qidah (Dhū al-Qaʿdah)
The twenty-fifth of Dhu’l-Qa’dah is one of the four days on which fasting is exclusively confirmed. According to a narration, to observe fasting on this day is equal to seventy year fasting. It also erases the sins of seventy years. According to another narration, to observe fasting on this day and to practice acts of worship at its night is equal (in reward) to one hundred year worship. Everything that is between the sky and the earth will ask God’s forgiveness for one who does these rites. On this day, the mercy of Almighty Allah has been spread. To practice acts of worship and hold sessions for mentioning Almighty Allah on this day bring about an abundant reward. Apart from fasting, acts of worship, remembrance of Almighty Allah, and bathing, there are two other acts that are advisably done on this day:
First: The books written by Shi’ite scholars of Qumm have mentioned that, on this day, it is recommended to offer, in the morning, a prayer consisting of two units, reciting in the each unit Surah al-Faatehah once and repeating Surah al-Shams (No. 91) five times. After accomplishment, the following litany is said:
لاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّۃَ إلاَّ بِاللّهِ الْعَلِیِّ الْعَظِیمِ،
Then, one may pray Almighty Allah for granting his needs and then say the following supplicatory prayer:
یَا مُقِیلَ الْعَثَراتِ اَقِلْنِی عَثْرَتِی، یَا مُجِیبَ الدَّعَوَاتِ اَجِبْ دَعْوَتِی، یَا سامِعَ الْاَصْواتِ اِسْمَعْ صَوْتِی وَاِرْحَمْنِی وَتَجاوَزْ عَنْ سَیِّئاتِی وَمَا عِنْدِی یَا ذَا الْجَلالِ وَالْاِکْرامِ ۔
Translation:
There is no power and no strength except with Allah, the Most High, the All-great.
Then, one may pray Almighty Allah for granting his needs and then say the following supplicatory prayer:
O He Who overlooks slips, (please) overlook my slip. O He Who responds to prayers, (please) respond to my prayer. O He Who hears all sounds, (please) listen to mine, have mercy on me, and excuse my wrongdoings and whatever I have committed. O Lord of majesty and honor!
In Misbah al-Mutahajjid, Shaykh al-Tusi has mentioned that it is recommended to say the following supplicatory prayer on this day:
اَللّٰھُمَّ داحِیَ الکَعْبَۃِ، وَفالِقَ الْحَبَّۃِ، وَصارِفَ اللَّزْبَۃِ، وَکاشِفَ کُلِّ کُرْبَۃٍ ٲَسْٲَلُکَ فِی ھذَا الْیَوْمِ مِنْ ٲَیَّامِکَ الَّتِی ٲَعْظَمْتَ حَقَّھا، وَٲَقْدَمْتَ سَبْقَھا، وَجَعَلْتَھا عِنْدَ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ وَدِیعَۃً، وَ إلَیْکَ ذَرِیعَۃً، وَبِرَحْمَتِکَ الْوَسِیعَۃِ، ٲَنْ تُصَلِّیَ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِکَ الْمُنْتَجَبِ فِی الْمِیثاقِ الْقَرِیبِ یَوْمَ التَّلاقِ فاتِقِ کُلِّ رَتْقٍ، وَداعٍ إلی کُلِّ حَقٍّ وَعَلَی ٲَھْلِ بَیْتِہِ الْاَطْہارِ، الْھُداۃِ الْمَنارِ، دَعاےِمِ الْجَبَّارِ، وَوُلاۃِ الْجَنَّۃِ وَالنَّارِ، وَٲَعْطِنا فِی یَوْمِنا ھذَا مِنْ عَطائِکَ الْمَخْزُونِ غَیْرَ مَقْطُوعٍ وَلاَ مَمْنُوعٍ، تَجْمَعُ لَنا بِہِ التَّوْبَۃَ وَحُسْنَ الْاَوْبَۃِ، یَا خَیْرَ مَدْعُوٍّ، وَٲَکْرَمَ مَرْجُوٍّ، یَا کَفِیُّ یَا وَفِیُّ، یَا مَنْ لُطْفُہُ خَفِیٌّ، اُلْطُفْ لِی بِلُطْفِکَ، وَٲَسْعِدْنِی بِعَفْوِکَ، وَٲَیِّدْنِی بِنَصْرِکَ، وَلاَ تُنْسِنِی کَرِیمَ ذِکْرِکَ ، بِوُلاۃِ ٲَمْرِکَ، وَحَفَظَۃِ سِرِّکَ، وَاحْفَظْنِی مِنْ شَوایِبِ الدَّھْرِ إلی یَوْمِ الْحَشْرِ وَالنَّشْرِ، وَٲَشْھِدْنِی ٲَوْ لِیائَکَ عِنْدَ خُرُوجِ نَفْسِی، وَحُلُولِ رَمْسِی، وَانْقِطاعِ عَمَلِی، وَانْقِضائِ ٲَجَلِی ۔ اَللّٰھُمَّ وَاذْکُرْنِی عَلَی طُولِ الْبِلی إذا حَلَلْتُ بَیْنَ ٲَطْباقِ الثَّریٰ، وَنَسِیَنِی النَّاسُونَ مِنَ الْوَری، وَٲَحْلِلْنِی دارَ الْمُقامَۃِ، وَبَوِّئْنِی مَنْزِلَ الْکَرامَۃِ وَاجْعَلْنِی مِنْ مُرافِقِی ٲَوْ لِیائِکَ وَٲَھْلِ اجْتِبائِکَ وَاصْطِفائِکَ وَبارِکْ لِی فِی لِقائِکَ، وَارْزُقْنِی حُسْنَ الْعَمَلِ قَبْلَ حُلُولِ الْاَجَلِ بَرِیْئاً مِنَ الزَّلَلِ وَسُوئِ الْخَطَلِ ۔ اَللّٰھُمَّ وَٲَوْرِدْنِی حَوْضَ نَبِیِّکَ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّی اللّهُ عَلَیْہِ وَآلِہِ وَاسْقِنِی مِنْہُ مَشْرَباً رَوِیّاً سائِغاً ھَنِیئاً لاَ ٲَظْمَٲُ بَعْدَہُ، وَلاَ ٲُحَلَّأُ وِرْدَہُ، وَلاَ عَنْہُ ٲُذادُ، وَاجْعَلْہُ لِی خَیْرَ زادٍ، وَٲَوْفی مِیعادٍ یَوْمَ یَقُومُ الْاَشْھادُ ۔ اَللّٰھُمَّ وَالْعَنْ جَبابِرَۃَ الْاَوَّلِینَ وَالاَْخِرِینَ وَبِحُقُوقِ ٲَوْلِیائِکَ الْمُسْتَٲْثِرِینَ ۔ اَللّٰھُمَّ وَاقْصِمْ دَعائِمَھُمْ، وَٲَھْلِکْ ٲَشْیاعَھُمْ وَعامِلَھُمْ، وَعَجِّلْ مَھالِکَھُمْ، وَاسْلُبْھُمْ مَمالِکَھُمْ، وَضَیِّقْ عَلَیْھِمْ مَسالِکَھُمْ، وَالْعَنْ مُساھِمَھُمْ وَمُشارِکَھُمْ ۔ اَللّٰھُمَّ وَعَجِّلْ فَرَجَ ٲَوْ لِیائِکَ، وَارْدُدْ عَلَیْھِمْ مَظالِمَھُمْ، وَٲَظْھِرْ بِالْحَقِّ قائِمَھُمْ، وَاجْعَلْہُ لِدِینِکَ مُنْتَصِراً، وَبِٲَمْرِکَ فِی ٲَعْدائِکَ مُؤْتَمِراً ۔ اَللّٰھُمَّ احْفُفْہُ بِمَلائِکَۃِ النَّصْرِ، وَبِما ٲَلْقَیْتَ إلَیْہِ مِنَ الْاَمْرِ فِی لَیْلَۃِ الْقَدْرِ مُنْتَقِماً لَکَ حَتّی تَرْضی وَیَعُودَ دِینُکَ بِہِ وَعَلَی یَدَیْہِ جَدِیداً غَضّاً، وَیَمْحَضَ الْحَقَّ مَحْضاً، وَیَرْفُضَ الْباطِلَ رَفْضاً ۔ اَللّٰھُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَیْہِ وَعَلَی جَمِیعِ آبائِہِ وَاجْعَلْنا مِنْ صَحْبِہِ وَٲُسْرَتِہِ، وَابْعَثْنا فِی کَرَّتِہِ، حَتّی نَکُونَ فِی زَمانِہِ مِنْ ٲَعْوانِہِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ٲَدْرِکْ بِنا قِیامَہُ، وَٲَشْھِدْنا ٲَیَّامَہُ وَصَلِّ عَلَیْہِ، وَارْدُدْ إلَیْنا سَلامَہُ، وَاَلسَّلاَمُ عَلَیْہِ وَرَحْمَۃُ اللّهِ وَبَرَکاتُہُ ۔
Translation:
O Allah, (Who) spread the Kaa'bah, split the grain of corn, mitigates hardships, alleviates sorrows, I ask Thee today, [one of the days, belonging to Thee, which on account of their privileges, and availability of Thy unrestricted mercy (in them), have been declared important, given preference over (other days), and exclusively specified for the believers], to send blessing son Muhammad, Thy high-minded, great-hearted and generous servant, (whom we will) meet, very soon, on the promised Day of Judgment, (who) opened that which was kept locked and shut, and invited to truth, in every walk of life; an on his "Ahl ul Bayt" (children), the pure (above board) guides, giving light to people to sustain harmony and unity, and have the authority to admit into Paradise or sent to Hell; and give me today from Thy repository of grants, neither restricted nor denied (to the needy), and let us collect ourselves and turn to repentance and recovery in good time, O He who is called as the most favorite in exclusion to (all) others, and (who is) more generous (than others) in the matter of fulfilling hopes, O He who gives enough, O He who keeps His words, O He who treats with kindness and benevolence without making a show of it, be kind and friendly towards me, make me happy with Thy favours, lend me Thy helping hand, do not leave me out unmentioned from Thy reward giving list, for the sake of those who carry out Thy commands and take care of Thy most confidential policies, and keep me safe from the fraud and deceit of materialist vicissitudes, till the day Thou shall raise the dead for the final judgment and let Thy close confidants be present beside me at the time when my soul departs, body disintegrates, activity ceases to operate, and my appointed time comes to an end. O Allah keep me in mind in the long hours of agony when I take quarters in between the layers of the earth, the preoccupied forgetful put me out of their head and think no more of me,and (I ask Thee to) settle me in the ever luxuriant land, and lodge me in a lovable comforting house, in the midst and company of Thy close friends and people who have been selected and chosen for Thy neighborhood, make my meeting with thee a blissful occasion, (so that it takes place) keep me alive adhering to good in my day to day life here, free from waywardness and indecent indulgence, before the appointed time comes to an end, (then) O Allah let me reach the cistern (center) of Thy Prophet, Muhammad, blessing of Allah be on him and on his children), and quench my thirst there, thoroughly, in plenty, gliding the wholesome water pleasantly down the throat, never to be thirsty again, never to be kept away from it once I am there, never to be driven off, and let it be my most reliable preparation, quite sufficient for the questioning session on the day when witnesses will be brought. O Allah curse the oppressors from beginning to the end, who stirred up trouble and took possession of that which rightly belonged to Thy trustworthy representatives. O Allah put an end to their rule, destroy their followers and agents swiftly complete their ruin, freeze their properties, and let their methods and institutions enter on the narrow road ending at a dead end. Damn their theoreticians and their associates; O Allah, send Thy trustworthy representatives at once, wrongs done to them may be redeemed their "Qaa-im" (living representative may be given his rightful opportunity to appear, appoint him to give currency to Thy religion and to establish law and order by marking out the boundaries to end the domination of Thy enemies. O Allah let Thy Angels form a protective right around him, give him the responsibility to turn the tables on (Thy enemies) as has been decided in the night of Qadr, till Thou gets satisfied and Thy religion is re-established through him, blooming in full growth afresh on his hands, promote his cause by making it the pure truth, and let the falsehood disappear totally discredited. O Allah send blessings on him and on all his forefathers, and let us be his companions and familiar friends, bring us back to life so that he takes us in his service, so far as we prove ourselves his staunch supporters during his tenure. O Allah make us reach his days of renaissance and follow his leadership, and see with our own eyes his (golden) era,send blessings on him and favour us by conveying his message of goodwill to us, peace be on him and Allah's mercy and blessing be on him.
Explanation / Details::
In his epistle entitled al-Arba’at Ayyam (The Four Days), Sayyid al-Damad has mentioned that to visit the holy tomb of Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Rida(a.s.) on the day; i.e. the Earth Spreading Day, is the most preferable act. Similarly, to visit his tomb on the first of Rajab is highly desirable; therefore, he has urged on it greatly.