Traditional Prayers of Supplication [ad`iya ma’thura] that are particularly appropriate on the first night of Rajab.
When the worshipper has duly performed his ritual prayer [salat] on the first night of
Rajab, he is recommended to offer the following prayer of supplication [du`a]:
“O Allah, to You the applicants apply this night, to You the aspirants aspire,
and for Your gracious bounty and beneficence the seekers look in hope. You have special
favors [nafahat] to bestow this night, and prizes and gifts and presents. You will bestow
them upon whomever You choose from among Your servants, and You will withhold them from
those who are not ready to receive Your providential care [‘inaya]. Well, here am I, Your
servant who is sorely in need of You, hoping for Your gracious bounty and beneficence! If
it pleases You, O my Master [ya Mawlaya], to bestow Your grace this night upon one of Your
creatures, and if You will be so generous as to grant him a favor out of Your kindness,
then bless Muhammad and his family, and let me enjoy Your superabundance and beneficence,
O Lord of All the Worlds [ya Rabba’l-`Alamin]!”
`Ali ibn Abi Talib (karamAllah wajhu) would devote himself entirely to worship during
four nights of the year, namely: The first night of Rajab; the night of the [Festival of]
Fastbreaking [lailat al-Fitr]; the night of the [Festival of] Sacrifices [lailat al-Adha];
and the night of the middle of Sha’ban. Here is the prayer of supplication [du`a] he used
to offer on those nights:
“O Allah, bless Muhammad and his family, those lanterns of wisdom [masabih
al-hikma], masters of grace [mawali ‘n-ni`ma] and mines of virtue [ma`adin al-`isma]! Let
them be my protection against all evil. Do not take me by surprise or unawares. Do not
cause the outcome of my life’s work to be nothing but disappointment and regret. May it
please You to view me with favor, for Your forgiveness is granted to the wrongdoers and I
am one of the wrongdoers. O Allah, forgive me that which cannot do You any harm, and grant
me that which cannot bring You any benefit. You are the One whose Mercy [Rahma] is
all-embracing, the One whose Wisdom [Hikma] is incomparable, so grant me the blessings of
comfort and composure, security and good health, thankfulness, well-being, and devotion to
duty [taqwa]. Instill patience and honesty in me and in your saintly friends [awliya’].
Let ease [yusr] be Your gift to me, and do not let it come with difficulty [`usr]
attached. Extend these same blessings to my wife and children, to my brothers in You, and
to all those Muslim men [Muslimin] and Muslim women [Muslimat], those believing men
[mu’minin] and believing women [mu’minat], who have helped me to become the man I am
today.”
>> Part 2
