Imām Mahdī(a)

Duʿāʾ al-ʿAhd

9 min read

Imām Ṣādiq(a) imparts that "a devotee who intones this supplication for 40 consecutive mornings shall be counted among the helpers of Imām Mahdī(a). Even if such a devotee departs from this life prior to the reappearance of Imām Mahdī(a), Allah will resurrect him from his grave to provide assistance to the Holy Imām(a). Each word of this supplication uttered results in Allah granting the speaker 1000 virtues and the erasure of 1000 sins from his record of deeds."

As the title "al-ʿAhd" or "The Pledge" suggests, this supplication is an oath of allegiance to the holy Imām(a). A daily morning recitation reaffirms this solemn covenant. The one uttering these sacred words places himself under the stewardship of the Imām(a). The supplicant implores Allah to count him among the Imām's supporters and grant him the privilege of achieving martyrdom in his presence. Furthermore, he pleads to Allah that, should he pass away before the Imām's return, Allah should resurrect him from his grave to aid the Imām in his divine mission.

The supplicant passionately entreats Allah for the honour of witnessing the Imām(a). This also carries an implicit acknowledgement that only the reappearance of the Imām(a) can resolve the challenges faced by this nation. It is believed that his return is imminent by the faithful, while others perceive it to be a distant event.

اَللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النُّورِ الْعَظِيمِ وَرَبَّ الْكُرْسِيِّ الرَّفِيعِ وَرَبَّ الْبَحْرِ الْمَسْجُورِ

allāhumma rabba alnn£ri al`a¨¢mi wa rabba alkursiyyi alrraf¢`i wa rabba alba¦ri almasj£ri

O Allāh the Lord of the Great Light, the Lord of the Elevated Throne, the Lord of the swollen ocean,

وَمُنْزِلَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَالإِنْجِيلِ وَالزَّبُورِ وَرَبَّ الظِّلِّ وَالْحَرُورِ

wa munzila alttawrāti wal-inj¢li wallzzab£ri wa rabba al¨¨illi wal¦ar£ri

the Revealer of the Torah, the Gospel, and the Psalms, the Lord of shade and heat,

وَمُنْزِلَ الْقُرْآنِ الْعَظِيمِ وَرَبَّ الْمَلاَئِكَةِ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ وَالأنْبِيَاءِ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ

wa munzila alqur'āni al`a¨¢mi wa rabba almalā'ikati almuqarrab¢na wal-anbiyā'i walmursal¢na

the Revealer of the Great Qur’ān, and the Lord of the Archangels, the Prophets, and the Messengers:

اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أسْألُكَ بِاسْمِكَ الْكَرِيـمِ وَبِنُورِ وَجْهِكَ الْمُنِيرِ وَمُلْكِكَ الْقَدِيمِ

allāhumma inn¢ as'aluka bismika alkar¢mi wa bin£ri wajhika almun¢ri wa mulkika alqad¢mi

O Allāh, I beseech You in Your Noble Name, in the Light of Your Luminous Face and Your Eternal Kingdom.

يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ أسْألُكَ بِاسْمِكَ الَّذِي أشْرَقَتْ بِهِ السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالأرَضُونَ

yā ¦ayyu yā qayy£mu as'aluka bismika alladh¢ ashraqat bih¢ alssamāwātu wal-ara¤£na

O Ever-living! O Self-Subsistent! I beseech You in the name of Your Name with which the heavens and the earth have lit up

وَبِاسْمِكَ الَّذِي يَصْلَحُ بِهِ الأوَّلُونَ وَالآخِرُونَ

wa bismika alladh¢ ya¥lu¦u bih¢ al-awwal£na wal-ākhir£na

and in Your Name with which the past and the coming generations have become upright!

يَا حَيّاً قَبْلَ كُلِّ حَيٍّ وَيَا حَيّاً بَعْدَ كُلِّ حَيٍّ وَيَا حَيّاً حِينَ لا حَيُّ

yā ¦ayyan qabla kulli ¦ayyin wa yā ¦ayyan ba`da kulli ¦ayyin wa yā ¦ayyan ¦¢na lā ¦ayyu

O He Who has been always alive before the existence of all living things! O He Who shall be alive after the extinction of all living things! O He Who has been always alive even when there was nothing else alive!

يَا مُحْيِيَ الْمَوْتَى وَمُمِيتَ الأحْيَاءِ يَا حَيُّ لا إِلهَ إِلاَّ أنْتَ

yā mu¦yiya almawtā wa mum¢ta al-a¦yā’i yā ¦ayyu lā ilāha illā anta

O He Who revives the dead ones and causes the living ones to die! O Ever-living! There is no god save You.

اَللَّهُمَّ بَلِّغْ مَوْلاَنَا الإِمَامَ الْهَادِيَ الْمَهْدِيَّ الْقَائِمَ بِأمْرِكَ صَلَوَاتُ الله عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آبَائِهِ الطَّاهِرِينَ

allāhumma balligh mawlānā al-imāma alhādiya almahdiyya alqā'ima bi’amrika ¥alawātu allāhi `alayhi wa `alā ābā'ih¢ al§§āhir¢na

O Allāh, convey to our master Imām al-Mahd¢, the guide who is to undertake Your orders, may Allāh’s blessings be upon him and upon his immaculate fathers,

عَنْ جَمِيعِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ فِي مَشَارِقِ الأرْضِ وَمَغَارِبِهَا سَهْلِهَا وَجَبَلِهَا

`an jam¢`i almu'min¢na walmu’mināti f¢ mashāriqi al-ar¤i wa maghāribihā sahlihā wa jabalihā

on behalf of all of the believing men and women in the east and west of the earth and in plains, mountains,

وَبَرِّهَا وَبَحْرِهَا وَعَنِّي وَعَنْ وَالِدَيَّ مِنَ الصَّلَوَاتِ زِنَةَ عَرْشِ الله

wa barrihā wa ba¦rihā wa `ann¢ wa `an wālidayya min al¥¥alawāti zinata `arshi allāhi

lands, and seas, and on behalf of my parents (convey to him) blessings that are as weighty as Allāh’s Throne,

وَمِدَادَ كَلِمَاتِهِ وَمَا أحْصَاهُ عِلْمُهُ وَأحَاطَ بِهِ كِتَابُهُ

wa midāda kalimātih¢ wa mā a¦¥āhu `ilmuh£ wa a¦ā§a bih¢ kitābuh£

as much as the ink of His Words, and as many as that which is counted by His knowledge and encompassed by His Book.

اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أجَدِّدُ لَهُ فِي صَبِيحَةِ يَوْمِي هذَا وَمَا عِشْتُ مِنْ أيَّامِي

allāhumma inn¢ ujaddidu lah£ f¢ ¥ab¢¦ati yawm¢ hādhā wa mā `ishtu min ayyām¢

O Allāh, I update to him in the beginning of this day and throughout the days of lifetime a pledge,

عَهْداً وَعَقْداً وَبَيْعَةً لَهُ فِي عُنُقِي لا أحُولُ عَنْه وَلا أزُولُ أبَداً

`ahdan wa `aqdan wa bay`atan lah£ f¢ `unuq¢ lā a¦£lu `anhu wa lā az£lu abadan

a covenant, and allegiance to which I commit myself and from which I neither convert nor change.

اَللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي مِنْ أنْصَارِهِ وَأعْوَانِهِ وَالذَّابِّينَ عَنْهُ

allāhumma ij`aln¢ min an¥ārih¢ wa a`wānih¢ waldhdhābb¢na `anhu

O Allāh, (please do) make me of his supporters, sponsors, defenders,

وَالْمُسَارِعِينَ إِلَيْهِ فِي قَضَاءِ حَوَائِجِهِ وَالْمُمْتَثِلِينَ لأوَامِرِهِ وَالْمُحَامِينَ عَنْهُ

walmusāri`¢na ilayhi f¢ qa¤ā'i ¦awā’ijih¢ walmumtathil¢na li’awāmirih¢ walmu¦ām¢na `anhu

and those who hurry in carrying out his instructions, those who comply with his orders, those who uphold him,

وَالسَّابِقِينَ إِلَى إِرَادَتِهِ وَالْمُسْتَشْهَدِينَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ

walssābiq¢na ilā irādatih¢ walmustashhad¢na bayna yadayhi

those who precede others to implementing his will, and those who will be martyred before him.

اَللَّهُمَّ إِنْ حَالَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ الْمَوْتُ الَّذِي جَعَلْتَهُ عَلَى عِبَادِكَ حَتْماً مَقْضِيّاً

Allāhumma in ¦āla bayn¢ wa baynah£ almawtu alladh¢ ja`altah£ `alā `ibādika ¦atman maq¤iyyan

O Allāh, if death that You have made inevitably and certainly incumbent upon Your servants stands between me and him,

فَأخْرِجْنِي مِنْ قَبْرِي مُؤْتَزِراً كَفَنِي شَاهِراً سَيْفِي مُجَرِّداً قَنَاتِي

fa'akhrijn¢ min qabr¢ mu'taziran kafan¢ shārihan sayf¢ mujarridan qanāt¢

then (please do) take me out of my grave using my shroud as dress, unsheathing my sword, holding my lance in my hand,

مُلَبِّياً دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِي فِي الْحَاضِرِ وَالْبَادِي

mulabbiyan da`wata alddā`¢ fil¦ā¤iri walbād¢

and responding to the call of the Caller who shall announce (his advent) in urban areas and deserts.

اَللَّهُمَّ أرِنِي الطَّلْعَةَ الرَّشِيدَةَ وَالْغُرَّةَ الْحَمِيدَةَ

allāhumma arin¢ al§§al`ata alrrash¢data walghurrata al¦am¢data

O Allāh, (please do) show me his magnificent mien and his praiseworthy forehead,

وَاكْحُلْ نَاظِرِي بِنَظْرَةٍ مِنِّي إِلَيْهِ وَعَجِّلْ فَرَجَهُ وَسَهِّلْ مَخْرَجَهُ

wak¦ul nā¨ir¢ bina¨ratin minn¢ ilayhi wa `ajjil farajah£ wa sahhil makhrajah£

delight my eyes by letting me have a look at him. And (please) expedite his relief, make his reappearance easy,

وَأوْسِعْ مَنْهَجَهُ وَاسْلُكْ بِي مَحَجَّتَهُ وَأنْفِذْ أمْرَهُ وَاشْدُدْ أزْرَهُ

wa awsi` manhajah£ wasluk b¢ mu¦ajjatah£ wa anfidh amrah£ washdud azrah£

clear a spacious space for him, guide me to follow his course, give success to his issues, and confirm his strength.

وَاعْمُرِ اللَّهُمَّ بِهِ بِلادَكَ وَأحْيِ بِهِ عِبَادَكَ فَإِنَّكَ قُلْتَ وَقَوْلُكَ الْحَقُّ:

wa`mur allāhumma bih¢ bilādaka wa a¦yi bih¢ `ibādaka fa'innaka qulta wa qawluka al¦aqqu

O Allāh, construct Your lands through him and refresh Your servants through him, For You have said, and true are Your words:

«ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أيْدِي النَّاسِ.»

¨ahara alfasādu filbarri walba¦ri bimā kasabat ayd¢ alnnāsi

“Corruption has appeared in the land and the sea on account of what the hands of men have wrought.”

فَأظْهِرِ اللَّهُمَّ لَنَا وَلِيَّكَ وَابْنَ بِنْتِ نَبِيِّكَ الْمُسَمَّى بِاسْمِ رَسُولِكَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ

fa'a¨hir allāhumma lanā waliyyaka wabna binti nabiyyika almusammā bismi ras£lika ¥allā allāhu `alayhi wa ālih¢

So, O Allāh, (please) show us Your vicegerent, the son of Your Prophet, and the namesake of Your Messenger, peace be upon him and his Household,

حَتَّى لا يَظْفَرَ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الْبَاطِلِ إِلاَّ مَزَّقَهُ وَيُحِقُّ الْحَقَّ وَيُحَقِّقَهُ

¦attā lā ya¨fara bishay'in min albā§ili illā mazzaqah£ wa ya¦iqqa al¦aqqa wa yu¦aqqiqah£

so that he shall tear up any wrong item that he will face and shall confirm and approve of the truth.

وَاجْعَلْهُ اللَّهُمَّ مَفْزَعاً لِمَظْلُومِ عِبَادِكَ وَنَاصِراً لِمَنْ لا يَجِدُ لَهُ نَاصِراً غَيْرَكَ

waj`alhu allāhumma mafza`an lima¨l£mi `ibādika wa nā¥iran liman lā yajidu lah£ nā¥iran ghayraka

O Allāh, (please) make him the shelter to whom Your wronged servants shall resort, the supporter of those who cannot find any supporter save You,

وَمُجَدِّداً لِمَا عُطِّلَ مِنْ أحْكَامِ كِتَابِكَ وَمُشَيِّداً لِمَا وَرَدَ مِنْ أعْلامِ دِينِكَ وَسُنَنِ نَبِيِّكَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِهِ

wa mujaddidan limā `u§§ila min a¦kāmi kitābika wa mushayyidan limā warada min a`lāmi d¢nika wa sunani nabiyyika ¥allā allāhu `alayhi wa ālih¢

the reviver of the laws of Your Book that have been suspended, and the constructor of all signs of Your religion and instructions of Your Messenger, peace be upon him and his Household, that he will see.

وَاجْعَلْهُ اللَّهُمَّ مِمَّنْ حَصَّنْتَهُ مِنْ بَأسِ الْمُعْتَدِينَ

waj`alhu allāhumma mimman ¦a¥¥antah£ min ba'si almu`tad¢na

O Allāh, (please) include him with those whom You protect from the domination of the aggressors.

اَللَّهُمَّ وَسُرَّ نَبِيَّكَ مُحَمَّداً صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِهِ بِرُؤْيَتِهِ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُ عَلَى دَعْوَتِهِ وَارْحَمِ اسْتِكَانَتَنَا بَعْدَهُ

allāhumma wa surra nabiyyaka muḥammadan ¥allā allāhu `alayhi wa ālih¢ biru'yatih¢ wa man tabi`ah£ `alā da`watih¢ war¦am istikānatanā ba`dah£

O Allāh, (please) delight Your Prophet Muḥammad, peace be upon him and his Household, as well as all those who followed him in his promulgation by making (us) see him, and (please) have mercy upon our humiliation after him.

اَللَّهُمَّ اكْشِفْ هذِهِ الْغُمَّةَ عَنْ هذِهِ الأمَّةِ بِحُضُورِهِ وَعَجِّلْ لَنَا ظُهُورَهُ

allāhumma ikshif hādhih¢ alghummata `an hādhih¢ al-ummati bi¦u¤£rih¢ wa `ajjil lanā ¨uh£rah£

O Allāh, (please) relieve this community from the (current) grief through presenting him and expedite his advent for us:

«إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُ بَعِيداً وَنَرَاهُ قَرِيباً.» بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَا أرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِين

innahum yarawnah£ ba`¢dan wa narāhu qar¢banbira¦matika yā ar¦ama alrrā¦im¢na

“Surely, they think it to be far off, and We see it nigh.” [do all that] In the name of Your mercy; O most merciful of all those who show mercy.

You may then slap your right thigh with your hand three times and say:

الْعَجَلَ الْعَجَلَ يَامَوْلايَ يَا صَاحِبَ الزَّمَانِ

al`ajala al`ajala yā mawlāya yā ¥ā¦iba alzzamāni

(We pray for Your) earliest advent, earliest advent, O Patron of the Age.