Dakkat al-Qada'

Dakkat al-Qaḍāʾ (Arabic: دَکَّةُ الْقَضاء, literally: Platform of Judgment) was a place in the Mosque of Kufa in which Imam ʿAli (a) served as a judge. There are reports of events and judgments by Imam ʿAli (a) in this place. There are practices exclusive to this place, such as performance of two rakʿas of prayer, Tasbih of Lady Fatima (a), and a particular supplication, which are done together with the practices of the Mosque of Kufa.

Place and Position

Dakkat al-Qadaʾ (Platform of Judgment) in the mosque of Kufa

Dakkat al-Qadaʾ (Platform of Judgment) was a place in the Mosque of Kufa in the form of a bench or a seat, on which Imam ʿAli (a) served as a judge. Some people believe that there was no shade on this platform, and the verse “was inscribed on its lateral pillar.”

Practices

There are practices recommended for Dakkat al-Qada, which is a station in the Mosque of Kufa, including two rakʿas of prayers, tasbihat of Lady Zahra (a), and a specific supplication.

According to Shaykh Abbas Qummi, the majority of scholars believe that practices of this station are done after those of the Mosque of Kufa and those of the station of Imam al-Sadiq (a). Nevertheless, in Mafatih al-jinan, following the order of Misbah al-zaʾir, these practices appear after those of the station of Abraham (the fourth pillar).

In some sources, this place has been identified with Bayt al-Tasht, and the same practices are cited for both. However, some people believe that although the two places are adjacent, they are distinct, and have cited different practices for each.

Historical Events

In books concerning the virtues of Imams, events are cited about Dakkat al-Qada, including:

• Imam ʿAli’s supernatural intervention to solve the problem of a girl who seemed to be pregnant without having married.
• Imam ʿAli’s talk to clouds, and their testimony for his guardianship, his riding on the clouds to go to other places. The Shiqshiqiyya Sermon is said to be delivered by Imam ʿAli (a) on this occasion.
• There are stories of certain people visiting Imam al-Mahdi (a) near Dakkat al-Qada.

Jurisprudential Implications

It has been claimed that it is disliked (makruh) to judge in the mosque. However, some jurists have appealed to Imam ʿAli’s judgements in Dakkat al-Qadaʾ to show that it is not disliked to do so, or at least it is not disliked for an Infallible to do so, or that it is only disliked at the time of prayer. There is also a hadith to the effect that the Prophet (s) also judged in the mosque.

Mirza Mahmud Tabatabaʾi (d. 1272/1855-6), an Imami scholar, wrote a book titled Dakkat al-qadaʾ fi masaʾil al-qadaʾ wa-l-shahadat (Platform of judgment on the problems of judgment and testimonies) or Dakkat al-qadaʾ fi l-ahkam wa-l-shahadat (Platform of judgment on rulings and testimonies).