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The Prayer of Amir’ul-Mu’mineen Ali (A.S.)
Source: Ain-al-Hayat, By: Allama Muhammad Baqir Majlisi
Bin Babawiyah has quoted from Urwa bin Zubair that one day they were assembled in the Prophet (S)’s Mosque. The topic of discussion was the prayers of the people of Badr and Baiath al-Ridhwan. Abu Darda said: Gentlemen! I am telling about an august personality who had less worldly wealth than other Companions of the Prophet (S) but was the most superior in piety and prayer. The gathering wondered who could this personage be?
Abu Darda then said, “It was ‘Ali bin Abi Talib (as)!” Hearing this they turned away their faces! From the group of Ansar a person said, “Why did you broach a discussion that no one here likes?” Abu Darda said, “I have said what I had seen! One night I went to the oasis of Bani Najjar. There I heard that behind the trees someone was saying prayer in a tone full of pathos,’ O Allah! You are so Merciful that despite seeing the innumerable sins of your creatures You have bestowed on them uncountable Blessings! We humans commit such unpardonable misdeeds but You don’t shame us! O Allah! The entire life was spent in difficulties.
Our List of Deeds (Nama al-Aamaal) is predominantly filled with mention of the sins committed! Now we seek Deliverance from You! We don’t seek anything other than Your Pleasure!’ Hearing this I moved closer. I noticed that it was ‘Ali Bin abi Talib (as). I kept watching his supplication. After the supplication he offered several genuflections(Rakaat) of prayer. He then continued his beseeching to Allah, ‘When I look at Your Great Deliverance, the sins of humans appear trivial to me! When I look at Your Stringent Retribution I feel that the men have committed gravest of sins! Oh! We humans have forgotten lot of sins committed by us. But You have the exact account of everyone’s deeds! With Your Orders the angels would review them! What will be the position of men who will not have the assistance of their next of kin, they will not be able to hear the pleadings of these men! What severe fire will be there that it would burn the very entrails of the persons! In the Hell it would be like a river of fire!’
Saying this Amir’ul-Mu’mineen ‘Ali (as) cried with intensity and then his voice choked. I thought that it was late night and he might have fallen asleep. When it was almost time for the Fajr prayer I went near him to wake him up for the prayer. I called him several times but didn’t get any reply. I touched him and found his body as motionless as the dry timber. Reciting Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajeoon I rushed to Amir’ul-Mu’mineen ‘Ali (as)’s house. I told Lady Fatima (as) about her husband’s condition.
She said, ‘O Abu Darda! Don’t be astonished! Abul Hasan (as) will be in such a state many a time when he supplicates to Allah!’ I took some water to where Amir’ul-Mu’mineen ‘Ali (as) was lying and revived him with a few splashes of the water. He said, ‘O Abu Darda! Why are you worried and crying?’ I said,’ I worried seeing your condition!’ He said,’ What will be your condition if you see the angels take you for accounting of your deeds in front of Allah and surrounded on all sides by the angels with ferocious faces. No friend will come near you at that time. The people of the Firmament will take pity on you! O Abu Darda! Only the Allah’s favored persons will have pity on you!’ Abu Darda says, “By Allah! I never saw any other Companion of the Prophet so intense in prayer and fearful of Allah!”
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