Acts at al-Kūfa

Devotional Acts at the Fifth Column

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The fifth column in al-Kūfa Mosque is one of the peculiar places; therefore, it is advised not to miss offering a prayer there and not to miss supplicating Almighty Allāh for granting the personal requests. According to an authoritative narration, Prophet Abraham(a) offered a prayer at this place.

As other narrations have mentioned that Prophet Abraham(a) offered prayers at other places in this mosque, this does not bring about contradiction between such narrations; rather, it means that Prophet Abraham(a) offered prayers at different places in this mosque.

According to another authoritative narration, Imām al-Ṣādiq(a) has said, “The fifth column is the standing-place of Archangel Gabriel(a)”. It is also understood from an aforementioned narration that Imām al-Ḥasan(a) used to offer prayers at this place. Narrations have confirmed that the seventh and the fifth columns in Masjid al-Kūfa are the most blessed places.

Al-Sayyid b. Ṭāwūs says: At the fifth column, you may offer a two-unit prayer reciting any Sūrah you want after Sūrah al-Fātiḥa. When you finish the prayer and say the Tasbīḥ statements, you may say the following supplicatory prayer:

اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أسْألُكَ بِجَمِيعِ أسْمَائِكَ كُلِّهَا مَا عَلِمْنَا مِنْهَا وَمَا لاَ نَعْلَمُ

allāhumma inn¢ as'aluka bijam¢`i asmā'ika kullihā mā Alīmnā minhā wa mā lā na`lamu

O Allāh, I beseech You in the name of all Your Names: those which we know and those which we do not.

وَأسْألُكَ بِاسْمِكَ الْعَظِيمِ الأعْظَمِ الْكَبِيرِ الأكْبَرِ

wa as'aluka bismika al`a¨¢mi ala`¨ami alkab¢ri alakbari

And I beseech You in the name of Your Great, All-great, grand, and All-grand Name,

الَّذِي مَنْ دَعَاكَ بِهِ أجَبْتَهُ وَمَنْ سَألَكَ بِهِ أعْطَيْتَهُ وَمَنِ اسْتَنْصَرَكَ بِهِ نَصَرْتَهُ

alladh¢ man da`āka bih¢ ajabtah£ wa man sa'alaka bih¢ a`§aytah£ wa man istan¥araka bih¢ na¥artah£

which if one beseeches You by it, You will respond to him, if one begs you by it, You will give him, if one asks You for victory by it, You will give him victory,

وَمَنِ اسْتَغْفَرَكَ بِهِ غَفَرْتَ لَهُ وَمَنِ اسْتَعَانَكَ بِهِ أعَنْتَهُ وَمَنِ اسْتَرْزَقَكَ بِهِ رَزَقْتَهُ

wa man istaghfaraka bih¢ ghafarta lah£ wa man ista`ānaka bih¢ a`antah£ wa man istarzaqaka bih¢ razaqtah£

if one asks for Your forgiveness by it, You will forgive him, if one seeks Your aid by it, You will aid him, if one solicits You by it for sustenance, You will grant him sustenance,

وَمَنِ اسْتَغَاثَكَ بِهِ أغَثْتَهُ وَمَنِ اسْتَرْحَمَكَ بِهِ رَحِمْتَهُ وَمَنِ اسْتَجَارَكَ بِهِ أجَرْتَهُ

wa man istaghāthaka bih¢ aghathtah£ wa man istar¦amaka bih¢ ra¦imtah£ wa man istajāraka bih¢ ajartah£

if one seeks Your help by it, You will help him, if one begs Your mercy by it, You will have mercy upon him, if one seeks refuge with You by it, You will protect him,

وَمَنْ تَوَكَّلَ عَلَيْكَ بِهِ كَفَيْتَهُ وَمَنِ اسْتَعْصَمَكَ بِهِ عَصَمْتَهُ وَمَنِ اسْتَنْقَذَكَ بِهِ مِنَ النَّارِ أنْقَذْتَهُ

wa man tawakkala `alayka bih¢ kafaytah£ wa man ista`¥amaka bih¢ `a¥amtah£ wa man istanqadhaka bih¢ min alnnāri anqadhtah£

if one asks for Your support by it, You will support him, if one seeks Your shield by it, You will guard him, if one seeks You by it to save him from Hellfire, You will save him,

وَمَنِ اسْتَعْطَفَكَ بِهِ تَعَطَّفْتَ لَهُ وَمَنْ أمَّلَكَ بِهِ أعْطَيْتَهُ

wa man ista`§afaka bih¢ ta`a§§afta lah£ wa man ammalaka bih¢ a`§aytah£

if one seeks Your kindness by it, You will be kind to him, and if one puts hope in You by it, You will give him:

الَّذِي اتَّخَذْتَ بِهِ آدَمَ صَفِيّاً وَنُوحاً نَجِيّاً وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ خَلِيلاً وَمُوسَى كَلِيماً وَعِيسَى رُوحاً

alladh¢ ittakhadhta bih¢ ādama ¥afiyyan wa n£¦an najiyyan wa ibrāh¢ma khal¢lan wa mūsā kal¢man wa `¢sā r£¦an

the Name by which You have betaken Adam as Your choice, Noah as Your confidant, Abraham as Your intimate friend, Moses as the one spoken by You, Jesus as Your spirit,

وَمُحَمَّداً حَبِيباً وَعَلِيّاً وَصِيّاً صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ أجْمَعِينَ

wa muḥammadan ¦ab¢ban wa Alīyyan wa¥iyyan ¥allā allāhu `alayhim ajma`¢na

Muḥammad as Your most beloved one, and Alī as Your Prophet’s successor, may Your blessings be upon all of them,

أنْ تَقْضِيَ لِي حَوَائِجِي وَتَعْفُوَ عَمَّا سَلَفَ مِنْ ذُنُوبِي

an taq¤iya l¢ ¦awā’ij¢ wa ta`fuwa `ammā salafa min dhun£b¢

(I beseech You) to grant me my requests, overlook my past sins,

وَتَتَفَضَّلَ عَلَيَّ بِمَا أنْتَ أهْلُهُ وَلِجَمِيعِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ لِلدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ

wa tatafa¤¤ala `alayya bimā anta ahluh£ wa lijam¢`i almu'min¢na walmu'mināti lilddunyā wal-ākhirati

and confer upon me with that which befits You as well as upon all the believing men and women in this world and the world to come.

يَا مُفَرِّجَ هَمِّ الْمَهْمُومِينَ وَيَا غِيَاثَ الْمَلْهُوفِينَ لاَ إِلهَ إِلاَّ أنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ

yā mufarrija hammi almahm£m¢na wa yā ghiyātha almalh£f¢na lā ilāha illā anta sub¦ānaka yā rabba al`ālam¢na

O He Who relieves the grievances of the aggrieved ones! O He Who aids the confused ones! There is no god but You. All glory be to You, O Lord of the worlds.

It is narrated that Imām al-Ṣādiq(a) instructed one of his companions to offer a two-unit prayer at the fifth column, for it is the place where Prophet Abraham(a) used to offer prayers. The Imām(a) then taught him to say there, while facing the Qiblah direction, the aforementioned form of ziyārah that comprises the following statements:

Peace be upon our father Adam and our mother Eve…

alssalāmu `alā ab¢nā ādama wa umminā ¦awwā'a…

اَلسَّلاَمُ عَلَى أبِينَا آدَمَ وَأمِّنَا حَوَّاءَ…