Al-'Adila Supplication

This article is an introduction to the al-'Adila Supplication; to read its text see text:al-'Adila Supplication.

Al-'Adila Supplication

Subject	Shi'a beliefs
Hadith-Based/Non-Hadith-Based	Non-Hadith-Based
Shi'a sources	Mafatih al-jinan

Duʿa al-ʿAdila (Arabic: دعاء العديلة) is a supplication which contains a course of Shia true beliefs. According to the content of this supplication, a believer recites his beliefs as mentioned there and trusts them with God and asks Him to give them back to him upon death so that he would pass this world with faith. Reciting this supplication has been recommended when someone is close to death (Muhtadar). According to Haji Nuri, this supplication is not transmitted from Imams (a) and is a work of ulama, recitation of which is permissible in the hope of receiving reward and to strengthen beliefs.

Meaning of 'Adila

'Adila comes from the root "'a-d-l" meaning "to withdraw from truth to falsehood". It means that upon death, Satan comes to the dying person to rob his faith so that he dies a disbeliever. Du'a al-'Adila is for preserving faith upon death. There are other supplications (regarding the issue here) recorded in Islamic references as well.

Usage and Time of Recitation

This supplication is not for a special time, but it has been recommended to be read at people's deathbed, especially if the dying person can himself recite and repeat it as well.

In Mafatih al-jinan, this supplication has been mentioned before Du'a Jawshan Kabir. Haji Nuri believed that this supplication was not transmitted from Imams (a) and is a work of Shia scholars and does not exist in hadith sources. However, reciting this supplication is permissible, hoping to receive reward and to strengthen beliefs.

Content

This supplication begins with testimony about the Unity of God and about the fact that the only religion accepted by God is Islam. Then, the reciter confesses that he has failed to be grateful enough about infinite blessings of God, who has removed all obstacles for doing obligations so that everyone could do obligations and made it easy to abandon prohibitions. Then, the reciter acknowledges that God sent His messengers to bring justice and to show His blessings to His servants. The next acknowledgements are about the Last Prophet (s), the Qur'an that was revealed to him, believing in his successor who was declared by the Prophet (s) on the Day of Ghadir, believing in all Imams (a) up to Imam al-Mahdi (a) we are waiting for, that death is a truth, questioning after death is a truth and resurrection is a truth.

At the end of the supplication, it reads that we trust our beliefs with God for He is the Best of Trust-keepers and ask Him to give them back to us upon death and take refuge in Him so that we do not turn away from faith to disbelief at that time.

Du'a al-'Adila al-Saghir

In Zad al-ma'ad, there is a supplication called Du'a al-'Adila al-Saghir which contains the same content as Du'a al-'Adila in brief.