Al-Kafi · Hadith 6

The Book of Supplication · Praising Allah Before Praying and Pleading for Help · Volume 2, book 2, chapter 16, Hadith 6

Original Arabic text

6ـ أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الأشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ عَنْ عِيصِ بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) إِذَا طَلَبَ أَحَدُكُمُ الْحَاجَةَ فَلْيُثْنِ عَلَى رَبِّهِ وَلْيَمْدَحْهُ فَإِنَّ الرَّجُلَ إِذَا طَلَبَ الْحَاجَةَ مِنَ السُّلْطَانِ هَيَّأَ لَهُ مِنَ الْكَلامِ أَحْسَنَ مَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَيْهِ فَإِذَا طَلَبْتُمُ الْحَاجَةَ فَمَجِّدُوا الله الْعَزِيزَ الْجَبَّارَ وَامْدَحُوهُ وَأَثْنُوا عَلَيْهِ تَقُولُ يَا أَجْوَدَ مَنْ أَعْطَى وَيَا خَيْرَ مَنْ سُئِلَ يَا أَرْحَمَ مَنِ اسْتُرْحِمَ يَا أَحَدُ يَا صَمَدُ يَا مَنْ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُواً أَحَدٌ يَا مَنْ لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ صَاحِبَةً وَلا وَلَداً يَا مَنْ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيَحْكُمُ مَا يُرِيدُ وَيَقْضِي مَا أَحَبَّ يَا مَنْ يَحُولُ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِ يَا مَنْ هُوَ بِالْمَنْظَرِ الأعْلَى يَا مَنْ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ يَا سَمِيعُ يَا بَصِيرُ وَأَكْثِرْ مِنْ أَسْمَاءِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَإِنَّ أَسْمَاءَ الله كَثِيرَةٌ وَصَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ وَقُلِ اللهمَّ أَوْسِعْ عَلَيَّ مِنْ رِزْقِكَ الْحَلالِ مَا أَكُفُّ بِهِ وَجْهِي وَأُؤَدِّي بِهِ عَنْ أَمَانَتِي وَأَصِلُ بِهِ رَحِمِي وَيَكُونُ عَوْناً لِي فِي الْحَجِّ وَالْعُمْرَةِ وَقَالَ إِنَّ رَجُلاً دَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ سَأَلَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) عَجَّلَ الْعَبْدُ رَبَّهُ وَجَاءَ آخَرُ فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ أَثْنَى عَلَى الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَصَلَّى عَلَى النَّبِيِّ وَآلِهِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) سَلْ تُعْطَ.

Published English translation

6. Abu Ali al-Ash’ari has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan from ‘Iys ibn al-Qasim who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Whenever anyone of you wishes to ask for help he should praise his Lord and thank Him. When a man wants to ask a king for something, he prepares to say the best of words that he can. When you like to ask for help, speak of the Glory of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Compelling, thank Him and praise Him saying, “O the Most Generous in granting favors and the Best to be asked for help. O the Most Kind to those who ask for kindness, O the only One and Self-sufficient. O the One Who has no children and is not born from anyone and there is no one as His partner. O the One Who has no companion and children. O the One Who does as He wishes, commands as He wills and judges as He loves. O the One Who stands between a man and his heart, O the One Who is in a high position, O the One in Whose likeness there is no creature, O the Hearing, and the Seeing.” Speak of the names of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy; they are many and ask from Him favors for Muhammad and his family and then say, ‘O Lord, extend for me of Your lawful supplies with which I can save my face, return safely what is entrusted with me, maintain good relations with relatives and be helpful in my Hajj and ‘Umrah.’ The Imam said, ‘Once a man came in the Mosque, performed two Rak’at (prayer consisting of twice kneeling) then asked Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, for help and the Messenger of Allah said, ‘The servant (of Allah) hastened his Lord.’ Then another man came in and prayed two Rak’at then he praised Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, and asked from Him favors for the Holy Prophet and his family and the Messenger of Allah said, ‘Ask for help you will receive it.’”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: صحيح

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (12/64)

Assessment transcribed from the source's named scholar and reference. No new grading or consensus is asserted; differing entries remain separate.

Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi: صحيح

Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī, vol. 1, p. 140

Assessment transcribed from the source's named scholar and reference. No new grading or consensus is asserted; differing entries remain separate.

Source, rights, and attribution

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translator: Muhammad Sarwar
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