Order of devotional Acts

The order of doing the recommended acts in Masjid al-Kūfa according to the opinion of the majority of scholars is that the acts to be done in the center of the mosque come directly after the acts at the fourth column. Hence, the acts of the seat of judgment and the place of washtub should be the last of all, which means that they are done after the accomplishment of the acts at the seat of Imām al-Ṣādiq^(a) (dakkat al-Ṣādiq). In this book, we imitate the order followed by al-Sayyid b. Ṭāwūs, in his book of Miṣbāh al-Zā'ir, al-ʿAllāma al-Majlisī, in his book of Biḥār al-ʾAnwār, and Shaykh Khadir, in his book of al-Mazār.

In conclusion, one who desires to follow the opinion of the majority of scholars may do the acts at the seat of judgment (dakkat al-qada') and the place of washtub (bayt al-tast) after accomplishing all the other acts of Masjid al-Kūfa.

After finishing from the fourth column, walk to dakkat al-qadā' and offer there a two-unit prayer, reciting in each unit Sūrah al-Fātiḥa and any other Sūrah of your choice. You may say the famous Tasbīḥ al-Zahrā and then say:

يَا مَالِكِي وَمُمَلِّكِي وَمُتَغَمِّدِي بِالنِّعَمِ الْجِسَامِ مِنْ غَيْرِ اسْتِحْقَاقٍ

yā mālik¢ wa mumallik¢ wa mutaghammid¢ bilnni`ami aljisāmi min ghayri isti¦qāqin

O He who possesses me, endows me with possessions, and encompasses me with enormous bounties I don’t deserve

وَجْهِي خَاضِعٌ لِمَا تَعْلُوهُ الأقْدَامُ لِجَلاَلِ وَجْهِكَ الْكَرِيمِ

wajh¢ khā¤i`un limā ta`l£hu al-aqdāmu lijalāli wajhika alkar¢mi

My face is humble to what is overtopped by feet due to the majesty of Your Noble Face.

لاَ تَجْعَلْ هذِهِ الشِّدَّةَ وَلاَ هذِهِ الْمِحْنَةَ مُتّصِلَةً بِاسْتِيصَالِ الشَّأفَةِ

lā taj`al hādhih¢ alshshiddata wa lā hādhih¢ almi¦nata mutta¥ilatan bist¢¥āli alshsha'fati

(Please) do not make this hardship and this ordeal to be continual until they lead to the extirpation of the root.

وَامْنَحْنِي مِنْ فَضْلِكَ مَا لَمْ تَمْنَحْ بِهِ أحَداً مِنْ غَيْرِ مَسْألَةٍ

wamna¦n¢ min fa¤lika mā lam tamna¦ bih¢ a¦adan min ghayri mas'alatin

And (please) grant me from Your favor more than that which You have granted to any body who has not asked You to grant him.

أنْتَ الْقَدِيمُ الأوَّلُ الَّذِي لَمْ تَزَلْ وَلاَ تَزَالُ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

anta alqad¢mu al-awwalu alladh¢ lam tazal wa lā tazālu ¥alli `alā muḥammadin wa āli muḥammadin

You are verily the Eternal and the First Lord Who has neither beginning nor end. (please) send blessings upon Muḥammad and the Household of Muḥammad,

وَاغْفِرْ لِي وَارْحَمْنِي وَزَكِّ عَمَلِي وَبَارِكْ لِي فِي أجَلِي

waghfir l¢ war¦amn¢ wa zakki `amal¢ wa bārik l¢ f¢ ajal¢

forgive me, have mercy on me, admit my deeds, bless my lifetime,

وَاجْعَلْنِي مِنْ عُتَقَائِكَ وَطُلَقَائِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَا أرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ

waj`aln¢ min `utaqā'ika wa §ulaqā'ika min alnnāri bira¦matika yā ar¦ama alrrā¦im¢na

and include me with those whom You release and pardon from Hellfire, in the name of Your mercy, O most merciful of all those who show mercy.

At the place of the washtub, which is connected to the seat of judgment, you may offer a two-unit prayer. When you finish the prayer and say the Tasbīḥ statements, you may say the following:

اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي ذَخَرْتُ تَوْحِيدِي إِيَّاكَ وَمَعْرِفَتِي بِكَ وَإِخْلاَصِي لَكَ وَإِقْرَارِي بِرُبُوبِيَّتِكَ

allāhumma inn¢ dhakhartu Tawhid¢ iyyāka wa ma`rifat¢ bika wa ikhlā¥¢ laka wa iqrār¢ birub£biyyatika

O Allāh, I save (the reward of) my submission to Your Oneness, my recognition of You, my sincerity to You, and my bearing witness of Your Godhead,

وَذَخَرْتُ وِلايَةَ مَنْ أنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ بِمَعْرِفَتِهِمْ مِنْ بَرِيَّتِكَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعِتْرَتِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ

wa dhakhartu wilāyata man an`amta `alayya bima`rifatihim min bariyyatika muḥammadin wa `itratih¢ ¥allā allāhu `alayhim

and I also save (the reward of) my loyalty to those with the recognition of whom You have bestowed upon me: namely, Muḥammad and his Household, peace of Allāh be upon them,

لِيَوْمِ فَزَعِي إِلَيْكَ عَاجِلاً وَآجِلاً وَقَدْ فَزِعْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَإِلَيْهِمْ يَا مَوْلاَيَ

liyawmi faza`¢ ilayka `ājilan wa ājilan wa qad fazi`tu ilayka wa ilayhim yā mawlāya

(I save all that) to the day of my taking refuge with You, whether in this world or the Hereafter. Thus, I am now taking refuge with You, O my Master, and with them,

فِي هذَا الْيَوْمِ وَفِي مَوْقِفِي هذَا وَسَألْتُكَ مَا زَكَا مِنْ نِعْمَتِكَ وَإِزَاحَةَ مَا أخْشَاهُ مِنْ نِقْمَتِكَ

f¢ hādhā alyawmi wa f¢ mawqif¢ hādhā wa sa'altuka mā zakā min ni`matika wa izā¦ata mā akhshāhu min niqmatika

on this day and on this very situation, and I thus beg You for Your increasing bounties, for removing from me Your chastisement that I fear,

وَالْبَرَكَةَ فِيمَا رَزَقْتَنِيهِ وَتَحْصِينَ صَدْرِي مِنْ كُلِّ هَمٍّ وَجَائِحَةٍ وَمَعْصِيَةٍ

walbarakata f¢mā razaqtan¢hi wa ta¦¥¢na ¥adr¢ min kulli hammin wa jā'i¦atin wa ma`¥iyatin

for blessing all the sustenance which You grant me, and for immunizing my heart from receiving any grievous matter, any calamity, or any act of disobedience to You,

فِي دِينِي وَدُنْيَايَ وَآخِرَتِي يَا أرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ

f¢ d¢n¢ wa dunyāya wa ākhirat¢ yā ar¦ama alrrā¦im¢na

regarding my religion, worldly life, and the Next Life. O most merciful of all those who show mercy.