night to dawn

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Abu Basir narrated from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) that He said: “Indeed, Allah, Blessed and Exalted, calls out every Thursday night, from above His Throne, from the beginning of the night until its end:

‘Is there not a believing servant who calls upon Me concerning his Hereafter and his worldly life before the break of dawn so that I may answer him?

Is there not a believing servant who repents to Me from his sins before the break of dawn so that I may accept his repentance?

Is there not a believing servant upon whom I have tightened his provision who asks Me for an increase in his provision before the break of dawn so that I may expand it for him?

Is there not a believing servant who is sick and asks Me to heal him before the break of dawn so that I may grant him health?

Is there not a believing servant who is imprisoned or in distress who asks Me to release him from his confinement so that I may free him?

Is there not a believing servant who is wronged and asks Me to avenge his oppression before the break of dawn so that I may grant him justice?’ The call continues until the break of dawn.”

The Creative Utterance (Inshā’)

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بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Introduction: Beyond Mere Words

In the rich tapestry of Islamic thought, few concepts are as misunderstood, yet as profoundly significant as the nature of sacred speech. When a momin raises their hands in supplication (du’ā’), recites the words of a divine text, or utters a prayer transmitted through the ages, what exactly is occurring? Is this simply a human being conveying information to God or articulating a pre-existing emotional state? Or is something far more profound taking place?

Islamic rhetorical theory (balāghah) and philosophy offer a compelling answer through the concept of creative utterance (inshā’). This article explores this concept, drawing upon the teachings of Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli, arguing that sacred speech—particularly supplication (du’ā’)—is not merely descriptive but performative, bringing spiritual meanings into existential reality through the very act of utterance.

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growth

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“Spiritedness in a boy during his childhood is commendable, so that he may grow into a man of clemency.” ( Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as)) (Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh h. # 264, vol 1, sec 23)

Beyond “Bestiality”: The Unmarked Night of the Soul in Duʿāʾ 1 of al-Ṣaḥīfa al-Sajjādiyya

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بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Anyone who has spent time with the opening duʿāʾ of al-Ṣaḥīfa al-Sajjādiyya knows the moment. Imam Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn (ʿa) turns to describe the human being who grows content with fleeting pleasures, and then the prayer says:

فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ لَتَصَرَّفُوا فِي مِنَنِهِ فَلَمْ يَحْمَدُوهُ، وَتَوَسَّعُوا فِي رِزْقِهِ فَلَمْ يَشْكُرُوهُ، وَلَوْ كَانُوا كَذٰلِكَ لَخَرَجُوا مِنْ حُدُودِ الْإِنْسَانِيَّةِ إِلَىٰ حَدِّ الْبَهِيمِيَّةِ
There are among them those who dispose freely of His gifts but do not praise Him (fa-lam yaḥmadūhu), and who expand in His provision but do not thank Him (fa-lam yashkurūhu). Were they to remain thus, they would exit the boundaries of humanity and enter the limit of al-bahīmiyyah.

For generations, translators and commentators have rendered al-bahīmiyyah as “bestiality” or “the level of brute beasts.” The image is stark: a human being, by abandoning the path of conscious devotion, degrades himself to the rank of an animal. There is truth in this reading, but it rests on an assumption that may not do justice to the Arabic root or to the Qurʾān’s own depiction of the animal world — and, crucially, it can close the door to a deeper spiritual insight the Imam is placing before us.

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بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

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The Secret of the Single Chain: Why the Greatest Du‘ās Came Through One Narrator

If you have ever recited Du‘ā’ Kumayl on a Thursday night or Du‘ā’ Abū Ḥamza al-Thumālī in the pre-dawn hours of Ramaḍān, you may have noticed something curious. These supplications, almost always trace back to a single companion of the Imāms. Du‘ā’ Kumayl was taught by Imām ‘Alī (a) to one man: Kumayl ibn Ziyād. Du‘ā’ Abū Ḥamza was entrusted solely to Abū Ḥamza al-Thumālī by Imām Zayn al-‘Ābidīn (a). Al-Ziyārah al-Jāmi‘a al-Kabīra came to us through a single narrator, Mūsā ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Nakha‘ī, from Imām ‘Alī al-Hādī (a). The same pattern repeats for many of our most treasured texts.

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