AL ISTIGHATHAH BIL HUJJAH

Seeking Aid From Imam al-Mahdi(a.s.):

In his book of al-Kalim al-Tayyib, Sayyid Ali Khan says, “The following is a form of seeking aid from The Argument of Allah and the Patron of the Age (Imam al-Mahdi) - peace be upon him: Wherever you are, you may offer a two-unit prayer, reading Surah al-Faatehah and any other one in each unit. Yet, it is advisable to read Surah al-Fath (No. 48) in the first unit and Surah al-Nasr (No. 110) in the second. You may then stand up, facing the kiblah direction under the sky and then say the following:

Peace of Allah-perfect, complete,

comprehensive, and thorough;

and His endless benedictions

and His everlasting, perfect blessings

be upon the Argument of Allah,

His representative in His lands and realm,

His viceroy among His creatures and servants,

the offspring of Prophethood,

the completion of the (Holy) Progeny and the Choice Ones,

the Patron of the Age,

the demonstrator of the (true) faith,

the teacher of the laws of the Qur’an,

the purger of the earth,

the spreader of justice all over the earth,

the Argument (al-Hujjah), the Riser (al-Qa’im), the Well-guided (al-Mahdl),

the Leader, the Awaited, the Pleased,

the descendant of the Infallible Imams,

the Successor, the son of the Pleased Successors (of the Prophets),

the Guide, the Immaculate,

and the son of the Imams—the guides and immaculate.

Peace be upon you, O grantor of dignity to the oppressed and faithful ones.

Peace be upon you, O humiliator of the arrogant and oppressing unbelievers.

Peace be upon you, O my master, the Patron of the Age.

Peace be upon you, O son of Allah’s Messenger.

Peace be upon you, O son of the Commander of the Believers.

Peace be upon you, O son of Fatimah the Luminous

and the Doyenne of the women of the world.

Peace be upon you, O son of the Imams—the arguments (of Allah) and Immaculate

and the leader of all creatures.

Peace be upon you, O my master

addressed by him who is loyal to your (divinely commissioned) leadership.

I bear witness that you are the well-guided Imam in word and deed,

it is you who shall fill the earth with justice and impartiality

after it will be filled with wrong and partiality.

So, may Allah hasten your reappearance,

make easy your advent,

make nearer the time of your coming,

increase the number of your supporters and backers,

and fulfill for you all that which He has promised you.

He is surely the most truthful of all those who can speak (and He has said):

“We desired to bestow a favor upon those who were deemed weak in the land,

make them the Imams, and make them the heirs.”

O my master! O Patron of the Age!

O son of Allah’s Messenger!

My request is...

Mention your need and then go on saying:

So, intercede for me so that it will be settled,

for I am turning my face towards you for settling my request,

since I know for sure that you enjoy with Allah admissible word of intercession,

and praiseworthy standing.

So, I ask you in the name of Him Who granted you (i.e. the Ahl al-Bayt) exclusively the right of representing Him,

and admitted you all to keep His secrets,

and I ask you in the name of the standing that you exclusively enjoy with Allah,

to ask Allah, the Exalted, to render successful my request,

to answer my prayer,

and to relieve my grief.

You may then ask for whatever you want, and it will be settled for you, by Allah’s permission.

(The author) It is better to read Surah al-Fath (No. 48) after Surah al-Faatehah in the first unit of this prayer and Surah al-Nasr (No. 110) in the second.