Al-Sabah Supplication: Difference between revisions

* the earliest source which contained the supplication, was ''[[Ikhtiyar al-misbah]]'', (653H/1255) by Sayyid Ali b. Husayn b. Hasan b. al-Baqi al-Qurashi, a contemporary with [[Muhaqqiq al-Hilli]] and [[Sayyid b. Tawus]]. However, there's no mention of this Du'a' in earlier supplication sources, like ''[[Misbah al-mutahajjid (book)|Misbah al-mutahajjid]]'' of [[al-Shaykh al-Tusi]]. Although ''Ikhtiyar al-misbah'' is not available anymore, the author of ''[[Riyad al-'ulama']]'' had a copy of it, which was witnessed by [[Sayyid Muhammad Baqir Khwansari|al-Khwansari]], the author of ''[[Rawdat al-jannat]]''.

* [[Al-Majlisi]] presents another chain of transmission by Sharif Yahya b. Qasim al-'Alawi al-'Abbasi al-Yamani (d. circa. 753/1352) who had seen the supplication written on a long leather scroll and reported it in his book in 734/1333.

* It is famous that the supplication af Sabah (morning) had been written in Kufi style handwriting, on a long leather scroll,  bearing the signet of [[Imam 'Ali (a)]]. Al-Majlisi writes: in 939/1532 my great grandfather, Mawlana Darwish Muhammad al-Isfahani has recited it for [[Al-Muhaqqiq al-Karaki|Nur al-Din 'Ali b. 'Abd al-'Ali al-Karaki]] and authorized him to narrate the supplication based on a copy of that scroll.

Based on the account of al-Majlisi in ''[[Bihar al-anwar]]'', [[Imam 'Ali (a)]] wrote this supplication by his own blessed hands, on Thursday, eleventh of [[Dhu l-Hijja]] of the year 25/646.<ref>Al-Majlisi, ''Bihar al-Anwar'', vol.91 p.247</ref>

(an excerpt from the Supplication of Sabah: My God, if mercy from You does not begin with fair success for me, then who can take me to You upon the evident path? If Your deliberateness should turn me over to the guide of hope and wishes, then who will annul my slips from the stumbles of caprice? If Your help should forsake me in the battle against the soul and Satan, then Your forsaking will have submitted me to where there is hardship and deprivation.)

The hymn of morning starts with praising [[God]] and thanking him for his bounties like: arising the dawn, creation of [[heaven]]s, motion of the stars, the Sun and the Moon. Then it mentions [[the unity]], knowledge, generosity, beneficence and mercy of God before sending salutation to [[the Prophet (s)]] and his progeny. The hymn follows by making some requests to God: asking for guidance and divine patience, that is, not to hasten one's punishment. Then he considers his need for the fulfillment of his requests as the reason of turning toward God; and the carnal desires of [[soul]] as the reason of being away from God. In addition to such desires, false beliefs, wishful thinking, committing [[sin]]s and disobedience to God's laws are counted as reasons for one's deprivation from eternal blessing. Then he expresses his hope in God's mercy and seeks refuge in God's protection from his carnal desires.

the hymn continues with making some other requests. It mentions the limitless mercy of God and the trust in God's promise for accepting repentance and fulfilling hopes and granting requests. He mentions his poverty and desperation and says: My God, how could You drive away a poor beggar who seeks refuge in You from sins, fleeing? How could You disappoint one seeking guidance who repairs to Your threshold, running? How could You reject a thirsty man who comes to Your pools to drink? Never! (you won't do that) In the next phrase he again remembers the [[Divine Mercy]] and presents God as the ultimate being toward whom all hopes are directed and by whom only, the affairs of all creation are taken care of. He says "My God, these are the reins of my soul I have bounded with the ties of Your will." Then he mentions his complete trust in God and God's power, knowledge and benevolence and asks Him for guidance. In final phrases, he regards God as the possessor of all characteristics of perfection, praises God for His bounties, sends salutations to the Prophet and His household and mentions their purity from sins. The hymn ends with praising God and making some requests to Him.

# The Persian poetic commentary by Mawla Abu al-Wafa, titled: ''Miftah al-falah and Misbah al-najah''. The composer has dedicated this book to Nawwab Afrasiyab Biyk. The book starts with this line: Praising God is necessary in every dawn and sunset, with sincerity and upon all people.