Sh Vinay Khetia Tasneem Institute

History of Dua and Ziyarat

Du’a Jawshan al-Saghir- Imam al-Kazim �    �  Abī ʿAlī al-Ṭūsī (d.511/1117) in Ramāḍān, 507/1113 taught it to his

students and had it read back to him. �  Abū al-Wafāʾ ʿAbd al-Jabbār b. ʿAlī al-Rāzī taught it to his students in

Rayy during Shaʿbān, 503/1109. �  Abū al-Faḍl al-Muntahā b. Abī Zayd Kākā (d. c. 6th/12th century)

taught it to his students in Jurjān in Dhīl Ḥijja, 503/1109. �    �  Abu ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad b. Aḥmad b. Shahriyār al-Khāzin (d. c.

516/1122) taught it and issued an ijāza for it in Rajab, 514/1120. �  All four of the above state that Shaykh al-Tūsī (d.460/1067) narrated to

them this du‘ā’ in Ramāḍān, 458/1066 by the grave of ʿAlī in al-Gharī (Najaf). He was al-Ṭūsī’s son and successor about whom more will be discussed when examining the proliferation of al-Ṭūsī’s Miṣbāḥ al-mutahajjid.

Dua Jawshan al-Saghir �  Riwaya- with a “golden sanad” taught as a key text in classical period: �  It has been reported from him (al-Kāẓim) and we have reported it via

numerous channels reaching my grandfather, al-Saʿīd Abī Jaʿfar al-Ṭūsī; also we have transmitted it from a manuscript and these are its words : […] Abū Waḍāḥ Zayd al-Nashalī said my father (ʿAbd Allāh b. Zayd) informed me: ‘A group of exclusive disciples of Abī al-Ḥasan al-Kāẓim from among his family and his partisans (shīʿatihi) were present in his (al-Kāẓim’s) assembly (majlisihi) and they had soft black tablets (alwāḥ) in their sleeves (akmāmihim) and writing instruments (amyāl) so that when Abū al-Ḥasan (al-Kāẓim) issued an edict, they could retain what they heard from him (by writing it down). So, they heard the following from him as he was uttering in his supplication (duʿāʾihi)…

�  Ibn Ṭāwūs, Muḥaj al-daʿawāt, 220. �   

Dua Jawshan al-Saghir �  We see a clear tradition of writing down supplications

�  Issue of secrecy and fear

�  Numerous other books can be found

�  Genre- Kitab ‘Amal al-yawm wa layla �  Kitab al-Du’ah �  Kitab ‘Amal Sharh Ramadan, Sh’aban, etc �  Copied by numerous companions such as Mu’awiyya b. Ammar,

Yunus b. ‘Abd al-Rahman, Muhammad b. Abi ‘Umayr- all luminous ashab of Imams (as).

Part A- Question of Du’a Kumayl �  Transmission History – A case study

�  First source: Misbah al-mutahajjid �  Tradition is mursal- ruwiya- It is reported that Kumayl Say Ali

in Sajda on the 15th of Sha’ban saying: �  Allahumma inni as’aluka bi-rahmatikha….

What does this mean to us? �  Are we left with no resource to understanding it origins?

�  Answer is both yes and no

�  Depends on our mabani- foundational principles–epistemic concerns:

�  How do we determine the ‘itibar (informative and value) of a report?

Musannaf- Ibn Abi Shayba ( d.245 AH)-Sunni source �  100 years before al-Kulayni’s al-Kafi

ح ( 2 ) أنه كان يقول في دعائه : اللهم إني أسألك برحمتك التي وسعت بها كل شئ ، وبجبروتك ، التي غلبت بها كل شئ ، وبعظمتك التي غلبت بها كل التي غلبت بها كل شئ ، وبعظمتك التي غلبت بها كل

�  و كل شئ ، وبقوتك التي لا يقوم لها شئ ، وبنورك الذي أضاء له كل شئ ، وبعلمك الذي أحاط بكل شئ ، وباسمك الذي تبيد به كل شئ ، وبوجهك الباقي بعد فناء كل شئ ، يا نور يا قدوس يا نور يا قدوس - ثلاثا ، يا أول الأولين ويا آخر الآخرين ، ويا الله يا رحمان يا رحيم ! اغفر لي الذنوب التي تنزل النقم ، واغفر لي الذنوب التي تورث الدم واغفر لي الذنوب التي تحبس القسم ، واغفر لي الذنوب التي تغير النعم ، واغفر لي الذنوب التي تنزل البلاء ، وتديل الأعداء ، واغفر لي الذنوب التي تحبس غيث السماء ، وتعجل . الفناء ، وتظلم الهواء ، وترد الدعاء ، واغفر لي الذنوب التي تكشف الغطاء

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Issue of Authenticity �  First look at the source

� Misbah of al-Tusi and Iqbal al-A’mal of Ibn Tawus

�  2 of the earliest and most important sources of Shii dua and ziyara

� Compiled by renowned scholars who had access to hundreds of early texts ( even from time of the Imams)

Who are these people �  These are among the most famous and celebrated scholars of

the 5th-6th century A.H.

�  They were teaching and issuing licenses for this majmu’

�  Currently it is kept in Imam al-Rida library, Mashhad. �  For more info: see Chapter 1: Khetia, Vinay, History and

Philosophy of Shi’i Liturgical Literature: From the Imams to Abbas al-Qummi, Ph.D Dissertation, McMster University, 2019 (forthcoming).

What do we learn �  Extensive interconnected network of Dua and ziyarat

transmission ( including Dua Kumayl)

�  We are missing a sanad-but let us examine the plethora of other factors

�  There is a extensive poverty of knowledge on this subject

�  Many baseless opinions circulate without correct academic research

Sh. Tusi and Ibn Tawus �  Refer to their other sources

�  We will discover dozens of works from the time of the Imams themselves

�  Al-Tusi never composed his own dua in the book �  It was practiced for 1000 years after him �  Ibn Idris al-Hilli, Ibn Tawus, Allama al-Hilli, Shahid al-Awwal,

al-Majlisi, Abbas al-Qummi- a sample

Dua Kumayls transmission �  All of these scholars practiced, recited, and transmitted Dua

Kumayl �  Would that be on the basis of no knowledge of its source?

�  This is highly unlikely

�  We have great trust in their transmissions, especially Sh. Tusi and Ibn Tawus

Tradition of the Misbah and its Mukhtasar by Scholars �  A. Issued licenses for this book �  B. Practiced its contents �  C. Written notes on its margins �  D. Compiled commentaries or abridgements �  THESE ARE THE PILLARS OF JA’FFARI MADHAB �  Indicates Misbah is from “al-uṣūl al-muʿtabara (informative

sources),” and likewise relied on them �  Agha Buzurg Tihrani ( teacher of Sayyid Sistani and Sayyid

Jalali)- : “al-Usul al-du’iyya”:-Vol 8, al-Dharia

Agha Buzurg- Student of Abbas Qummi, teacher of Ayt Sistani in hadith

2 EXAMPLES �  A. Ibn Tawus (described as the performer of miracles by

Allama al-Hilli): �  Therefore, the one who composes a book of ritual worship,

must himself “follow[s] the act (of worship) therein (taqallada al-ʿamal bi-mā fīhi) for the one who acts upon its meanings (li-man ʿamila ʿalā maʿānīhi).” Ibn Ṭāwūs, Fatḥ al-abwāb, 186-187

Ibn Tawus (d.664 AH) and the Misbah �  Ibn Tawus on the Misbah: �  I found something great and replete with benefit in the

Miṣbāḥ al-kabīr (Miṣbāḥ al-mutahajjid) of my grandfather which he compiled for my mother.”

�  This led him to a life of spiritual discoveries- he wrote 11 volume addendum to the Misbah

�  Etan Kohlberg: A Medieval Muslim Scholar at Work: Ibn Tawus and His Library

�  Ibn Tawus is among the most celebrated spiritual authorities

Allama al-Hilli �  Wrote Minhaj al-Salah fi Ikhtisar al-Misbah (The Path of

Righteousness in Abridgement of the Misbah) �  Why did Allama not create his own book? �  “Our greatest Shaykh (Shakhuna al-a’zam) and foremost, Abu

Jafar al-Tusi composed a source of powerful devotional rites ( al-quwwa al-’amaliyya)- most of it is trusted to be from the Imams(as)-hence I abridged it”- Minhah al-Salah, p70.

Isnad Map for Misbah al-Kabir

Doubts and Accusations �  Where do some of our a’mal come from? �  What were sources of ‘Abbas al-Qummi and others? �  1. A’mal of Quran ( Ritual of Qur’an) from Imam al-Sadiq

(as) �  ذ

:م�  ا .بحقك عليهم فلا أحد أعرف بحقك منك، بك يا الله- عشر مرات

A’mal of Qur’an �  ث بالحسن- عشر مرات، بالحسين- عشر مرات، بعلي ابن الحسين- عشر مرات، بمحمد بن علي- عشر مرات، بجعفر بن محمد- عشر مرات، بموسى بن جعفر- ،عشر مرات، بعلي بن موسى- عشر مرات، بمحمد ابن علي- عشر مرات

�  Version 2- From Imam al-Kazim via Ali b Yaqtin for Laylat al-Qadr:

�  ذ موسى بن جعفر صلوات الله عليهما يقول فيه: خذ المصحف في يدك و ارفعه فوق

:ر�  Take the Qur;an and put it on your head

Amal of Qur’an from riwaya of Imam Kazim (as) �  ا

.ك�  ي

.م You shall not get up from your place until your need is fulfilled

and your affair made easy فإنك لا تقوم من موضعك حتى يقضى لك حاجتك، و تيسر لك أمرك �  ‏