1- Praise belongs to God who was kind to us through Muhammad (God bless him and his Household) to the exclusion of past communities and bygone generations, displaying thereby His power, which nothing can render incapable, though it be great, and nothing can escape, though it be subtle.
2- He sealed through us all He created, appointed us witnesses over those who deny, and increased us by His kindness over those who are few.
3- O God, bless Muhammad, entrusted by Thee with Thy revelation, distinguished by Thee among Thy creatures, devoted to Thee among Thy servants, the imam of mercy, the leader of good, the key to blessing,
O God, bless Muhammad, entrusted by Thee with Thy revelation, distinguished by Thee among Thy creatures, devoted to Thee among Thy servants, the imam of mercy, the leader of good, the key to blessing,
4- who wearied his soul for Thy affairs,
5- exposed his body to detested things for Thy sake,
6- showed open enmity toward his next of kin by summoning to Thee,
7- fought against his family for Thy good pleasure,
8- cut the ties of the womb in giving life to Thy religion,
9- sent far those close because of their denial,
10- brought near those far because of their response to Thee,
11- showed friendship to the most distant for Thy sake,
12- displayed enmity toward the nearest for Thy sake,
13- made his soul persevere in delivering Thy message,
14- tired it in summoning to Thy creed,
15- busied it in counselling those worthy of Thy summons,
migrated to the land of exile and the place of remoteness from the home of his saddlebags, the walkway of his feet, the ground of his birth, and the intimate abode of his soul, desiring to exalt Thy religion and seeking help against those who disbelieved in Thee,
16- migrated to the land of exile and the place of remoteness from the home of his saddlebags, the walkway of his feet, the ground of his birth, and the intimate abode of his soul, desiring to exalt Thy religion and seeking help against those who disbelieved in Thee,
17- until what he attempted against Thy enemies went well with him
18- and what he arranged for Thy friends was accomplished.
19- He rose up against them seeking victory through Thine aid, becoming strong in spite of his weakness with Thy help.
20- He fought against them in the centre of their cities
21- and attacked them in the midst of their dwellings,
22- until Thy command prevailed, and Thy word rose up, though the idolaters were averse.1
O God, so raise him, because of his labours for Thy sake, to the highest degree of Thy Garden that none may equal him in station, none may match him in level,and no angel brought nigh or prophet sent out may parallel him in Thy sight. And inform him concerning his Household the pure and his community the faithful of an excellent intercession, greater than what Thou hast promised him!
23- O God, so raise him, because of his labours for Thy sake, to the highest degree of Thy Garden,2
24- that none may equal him in station, none may match him in level,
and no angel brought nigh or prophet sent out may parallel him in Thy sight.
25- And inform him concerning his Household the pure and his community the faithful of an excellent intercession, greater than what Thou hast promised him!3
26- O Keeper of promises! O Faithful to Thy word! O He who changes evil deeds into manifold good deeds!4 Thou art of bounty abounding!
1. Allusion to 9:33 and 61:9: It is He who has sent His Messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, that He may uplift it above every religion though the idolaters be averse.
2. As Sayyid '''Alikhan points out, there is an allusion here to the hadith of 'mediation' (wasila) according to one version of which the Prophet said: 'Mediation is a degree with God in the Garden, and there is no degree higher than it, so pray to God to give me the mediation' (Ahmad III, 83). The fact that this is what the Imam has in mind is confirmed by his reference to 'intercession' in verse 25 (on the relationship between these two, cf. note 172).
3. On the Prophet's intercession, cf. Padwick, Muslim Devotions pp. 37 ff. and Encyclopaedia of Islam (old edition), 'Shafa'a'. The commentator points out here that the Prophet's intercession alluded to in the Qur'an as his 'praiseworthy station' (17:79) - will be of several types, including the raising of those who are already in paradise to higher degrees. Hence there is no contradiction between the sinlessness of the Imams on the one hand and the Prophet's interceding for them on the other.
4. Cf. 25:70: On Resurrection Day... God will change the evil deeds [of those who repent, have faith, and do righteous works] into good deeds.
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