- Acts at al-Kūfa
Devotional Acts at the Third Column
Walk to the seat of Imām ʿAlī b. al-Ḥusayn Zayn al-ʿAbidīn(a) that is situated near the third column from the direction of Bāb Kindah (the Gate of Kindah). Opposite to this place from the Qiblah direction is the seat of Imām ʿAlī ʾAmīr al-Muʾminīn(a) and from the west side is Bāb Kindah, which is now blocked. It has been also said that one who wants to offer prayers there must stand five arms far from the column, since the actual place of the seat of Imām Zayn al-ʿAbidīn(a) was there. Anyhow, you may offer there a two-unit prayer reciting Sūrah al-Fātiḥa and any other Sūrah and say the Tasbīḥ statements, you may say the following:
بِسْمِ الله الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ اَللَّهُمَّ إِنَّ ذُنُوبِي قَدْ كَثُرَتْ وَلَمْ يَبْقَ لَهَا إِلاَّ رَجَاءُ عَفْوِكَ |
bismi allāhi alrra¦mān alrra¦¢mi allāhumma inna dhun£b¢ qad kathurat wa lam yabqa lahā illā rajā'u `afwika |
In the Name of Allāh; the All-beneficent, the All-merciful. O Allāh, my sins have been growing and nothing can stand for them except the hope in Your pardon |
وَقَدْ قَدَّمْتُ آلَةَ الْحِرْمَانِ إِلَيْكَ فَأنَا أسْألُكَ اللَّهُمَّ مَا لاَ أسْتَوْجِبُهُ |
wa qad qaddamtu ālata al¦irmāni ilayka fa'anā as'aluka allāhumma mā lā astawjibuh£ |
although I have done things due to which I deserve deprivation of Your pardon. Therefore, I beseech You, O Allāh, for that which I do not deserve |
وَأطْلُبُ مِنْكَ مَا لاَ أسْتَحِقُّهُ اَللَّهُمَّ إِنْ تُعَذِّبْنِي فَبِذُنُوبِي وَلَمْ تَظْلِمْنِي شَيْئاً |
wa a§lubu minka mā lā asta¦iqquh£ allāhumma in tu`adhdhibn¢ fabidhun£b¢ wa lam ta¨limn¢ shay'an |
and I seek from You that which I do not merit. O Allāh, If you chastise me, then this will be on account of my sins and You shall never be unjust to me. |
وَإِنْ تَغْفِرْ لِي فَخَيْرُ رَاحِمٍ أنْتَ يَا سَيِّدِي |
wa in taghfir l¢ fakhayru rā¦imin anta yā sayyid¢ |
But if You forgive me, then You are already the best of all those who show mercy, O my Master. |
اَللَّهُمَّ أنْتَ أنْتَ وَأنَا أنَا أنْتَ الْعَوَّادُ بِالْمَغْفِرَةِ وَأنَا الْعَوَّادُ بِالذُّنُوبِ |
allāhumma anta anta wa anā anā anta al`awwādu bilmaghfirati wa anā al`awwādu bildhdhn£bi |
O Allāh, You are what You are and I am what I am: You always return with forgiveness and I always return with sinning. |
وَأنْتَ الْمُتَفَضِّلُ بِالْحِلْمِ وَأنَا الْعَوَّادُ بِالْجَهْلِ |
wa anta almutafa¤¤ilu bil¦ilmi wa anā al`awwādu biljahli |
You always confer with forbearance and I always return with impatience. |
اَللَّهُمَّ فَإِنِّي أسْألُكَ يَا كَنْزَ الضُّعَفَاءِ يَا عَظِيمَ الرَّجَاءِ يَا مُنْقِذَ الْغَرْقَى |
allāhumma fa'inn¢ as’aluka yā kanza al¤¤u`afā’i yā `a¨¢ma alrrajā’i yā munqidha algharqā |
O Allāh, I do beseech You, O treasure of the weak! O He in Whom great hope is put! O rescuer of the drowned! |
يَا مُنْجِيَ الْهَلْكَى يَا مُمِيتَ الأحْيَاءِ يَا مُحْيِيَ الْمَوْتَى |
yā munjiya alhalkā yā mum¢ta al-a¦yā’i yā mu¦yiya almawtā |
O savior of those about to perish! O He Who cause the alive to die! O He Who causes the dead to live again! |
أنْتَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لاَ إِلهَ إِلاَّ أنْتَ |
anta allāhu alladh¢ lā ilāha illā anta |
You are Allāh; there is no god but You. |
أنْتَ الَّذِي سَجَدَ لَكَ شُعَاعُ الشَّمْسِ وَنُورُ الْقَمَرِ وَظُلْمَةُ اللَّيْلِ |
anta alladh¢ sajada laka shu`ā`u alshshamsi wa n£ru alqamari wa ¨ulmatu allayli |
It is You before Whom have prostrated the ray of the sun, the moonlight, the murk of night, |
وَضَوْءُ النَّهَارِ وَخَفَقَانُ الطَّيْرِ |
wa ¤aw'u alnnahāri wa khafaqānu al§§ayri |
the light of daytime, and the flapping of birds. |
فَأسْألُكَ اللَّهُمَّ يَا عَظِيمُ بِحَقِّكَ يَا كَرِيمُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ الصَّادِقِينَ وَبِحَقِّ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ الصَّادِقِينَ عَلَيْكَ |
fa-as'aluka allāhumma yā `a¨¢mu bi¦aqqika yā kar¢mu `alā muḥammadin wa ālih¢ al¥¥ādiq¢n wa bi¦aqqi muḥammadin wa ālih¢ al¥¥ādiq¢na `alayka |
I thus beseech You, O All-great, in the name of the duty of Muḥammad and his veracious Household towards You, O All-generous, in the name of Your duty towards Muḥammad and his veracious Household, |
وَبِحَقِّكَ عَلَى عَلِيٍّ وَبِحَقِّ عَلِيٍّ عَلَيْكَ وَبِحَقِّكَ عَلَى فَاطِمَةَ وَبِحَقِّ فَاطِمَةَ عَلَيْكَ |
wa bi¦aqqika `alā Alīyyin wa bi¦aqqi Alīyyin `alayka wa bi¦aqqika `alā fā§imata wa bi¦aqqi fā§imata `alayka |
in the name of the duty of Alī towards You, in the name of Your duty towards Alī, in the name of the duty of Fāṭima towards You, in the name of Your duty towards Fāṭima, |
وَبِحَقِّكَ عَلَى الْحَسَنِ وَبِحَقِّ الْحَسَنِ عَلَيْكَ وَبِحَقِّكَ عَلَى الْحُسَيْنِ وَبِحَقِّ الْحُسَيْنِ عَلَيْكَ |
wa bi¦aqqika `alā al¦asani wa bi¦aqqi al¦asani `alayka wa bi¦aqqika `alā al¦usayni wa bi¦aqqi al¦usayni `alayka |
in the name of the duty of al-Ḥasan towards You, in the name of Your duty towards al-Ḥasan, in the name of the duty of Al-Ḥusayn towards You, and in the name of Your duty towards Al-Ḥusayn. |
فَإِنَّ حُقُوقَهُمْ مِنْ أفْضَلِ إِنْعَامِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ |
fa'inna ¦uq£qahum min af¤ali in`āmika `alayhim |
Verily, Your duty towards them is one of the greatest blessings that You conferred upon them. |
وَبِالشَّأنِ الَّذِي لَكَ عِنْدَهُمْ وَبِالشَّأنِ الَّذِي لَهُمْ عِنْدَكَ صَلِّ يَا رَبِّ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلاَةً دَائِمَةً مُنْتَهَى رِضَاكَ |
wa bilshsha'ni alladh¢ laka `indahum wa bilshsha'ni alladh¢ lahum `indaka ¥alli yā rabbi `alayhim ¥alātan dā'imatan muntahā ri¤āka |
And (I beseech You) in the name of the position that You enjoy with them and in the name of the position that they enjoy with You to (please) bless them, O Lord, with blessings that are endless until they attain Your pleasure, |
وَاغْفِرْ لِي بِهِمُ الذُّنُوبَ الَّتِي بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكَ وَأتْمِمْ نِعْمَتَكَ عَلَيَّ كَمَا أتْمَمْتَهَا عَلَى آبَائِي مِنْ قَبْلُ |
waghfir l¢ bihim aldhdhun£ba allat¢ bayn¢ wa baynaka wa atmim ni`mataka `alayya kamā atmamtahā `alā ābā'¢ min qablu |
to forgive me, in their names, the sins that I committed concerning my duties towards You, to complete Your favors upon me in the same way as You had completed them upon my forefathers. |
يَا كهيعص اَللَّهُمَّ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ فَاسْتَجِبْ لِي دُعَائِي فِيمَا سَألْتُكَ |
yā kāf hā yā `ayn ¥ād allāhumma kamā ¥allayta `alā muḥammadin wa āli muḥammadin fastajib l¢ du`ā'¢ f¢mā sa'altuka |
O kaf-ha-ya-‘ayn-sad! O Allāh, just as You have poured blessings upon Muḥammad and the Household of Muḥammad, (please) respond to my entreaty as regards that which I have asked from You. |
Perform prostration while sticking your right cheek to the ground and repeat as much as possible the following statements with reverence and weeping:
يَا سَيِّدِي يَا سَيِّدِي يَا سَيِّدِي صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَاغْفِرْ لِي وَاغْفِرْ لِي… |
yā sayyid¢ yā sayyid¢ yā sayyid¢ ¥alli `alā muḥammadin wa āli muḥammadin waghfir l¢ waghfir l¢… |
O my Master! O my Master! O my Master! Bless Muḥammad and the Household of Muḥammad and forgive me. Please, forgive me… |
You may then stick your left cheek to the ground and repeat the same words. You may then supplicate Almighty Allāh for anything you want.
Some books have mentioned that the following instruction of Imām al-Ṣādiq(a) to one of his companions may be carried out in this place. As a matter of fact, this instruction is not dedicated to this place; rather, to the courtyard of Masjid al-Kūfa. It is narrated that Imām al-Ṣādiq(a) said to one of his companions: If you pass by the grand mosque of al-Kūfa in the early morning, you may offer there a four-unit prayer and then say the following supplicatory prayer:
إِلهِي إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ عَصَيْتُكَ فَإِنِّي قَدْ أطَعْتُكَ فِي أحَبِّ الأشْيَاءِ إِلَيْكَ لَمْ أتَّخِذْ لَكَ وَلَداً وَلَمْ أدْعُ لَكَ شَرِيكاً |
ilāh¢ in kuntu qad `a¥aytuka fa'inn¢ qad a§a`tuka f¢ a¦abbi al-ashyā'i ilayka lam attakhidh laka waladan wa lam ad`u laka shar¢kan |
O Allāh, if I have disobeyed you, I have also obeyed you in the things that You most like. I have not claimed that You have child and I have not associated any one with You. |
وَقَدْ عَصَيْتُكَ فِي أشْيَاءَ كَثِيرَةٍ عَلَى غَيْرِ وَجْهِ الْمُكَابَرَةِ لَكَ وَلاَ الِاسْتِكْبَارِ عَنْ عِبَادَتِكَ |
wa qad `a¥aytuka f¢ ashyā'a kath¢ratin `alā ghayri wajhi almukābarati laka wa lā alistikbāri `an `ibādatika |
Yet, I have disobeyed You in many things on account of neither defiance, nor my being too arrogant to serve You, |
وَلاَ الْجُحُودِ لِرُبُوبِيَّتِكَ وَلاَ الْخُرُوجِ عَنِ الْعُبُودِيَّةِ لَكَ وَلَكِنِ اتَّبَعْتُ هَوَايَ |
wa lā alju¦£di lirub£biyyatika wa lā alkhur£ji `an al`ub£diyyati laka wa lākin ittba`tu hawāya |
nor denial of Your Godhead, nor mutiny against my servitude to You; rather, I only followed my lusts |
وَأزَلَّنِيَ الشَّيْطَانُ بَعْدَ الْحُجَّةِ وَالْبَيَانِ فَإِنْ تُعَذِّبْنِي فَبِذُنُوبِي غَيْرَ ظَالِمٍ أنْتَ لِي |
wa azallaniya alshshay§ānu ba`da al¦ujjati walbayāni fa'in tu`adhdhibn¢ fabidhun£b¢ ghayra ¨ālimin anta l¢ |
and Satan caused me to slip although You have clear argument against me. Thus, if You chastise me, then it is on account of my sins and You are never unjust to me. |
وَإِنْ تَعْفُ عَنِّي وَتَرْحَمْنِي فَبِجُودِكَ وَكَرَمِكَ يَا كَرِيمُ |
wa in ta`fu `ann¢ wa tar¦amn¢ fabij£dika wa karamika yā kar¢mu |
And if You pardon me and have mercy upon me, then this is out of Your magnanimity and generosity, O All-generous! |
You may also say the following:
غَدَوْتُ بِحَوْلِ الله وَقُوَّتِهِ غَدَوْتُ بِغَيْرِ حَوْلٍ مِنِّي وَلاَ قُوَّةٍ وَلَكِنْ بِحَوْلِ الله وَقُوَّتِهِ |
ghadawtu bi¦awli allāhi wa quwwatih¢ ghadawtu bighayri ¦awlin minn¢ wa lā quwwatin wa lākin bi¦awli allāhi wa quwwatih¢ |
I begin this day with the might and power of Allāh. I do not begin it with my might or power; rather, with Allāh’s might and power. |
يَا رَبِّ أسْألُكَ بَرَكَةَ هذَا الْبَيْتِ وَبَرَكَةَ أهْلِهِ وَأسْألُكَ أنْ تَرْزُقَنِي رِزْقاً حَلاَلاً طَيِّباً |
yā rabbi as'aluka barakata hādhā albayti wa barakata ahlih¢ wa as'aluka an tarzuqan¢ rizqan ¦alālan §ayyiban |
O my Lord, I beseech You for the blessing of this house and the blessing of its people and I pray You to grant me sustenance from Your sustenance; sustenance that is legal and pleasant, |
تَسُوقُهُ إِلَيَّ بِحَوْلِكَ وَقُوَّتِكَ وَأنَا خَائِضٌ فِي عَافِيَتِكَ |
tas£quh£ ilayya bi¦awlika wa quwwatika wa anā khā'i¤un f¢ `āfiyatika |
and that You bring it to me by Your might and Power, while I experience good health. |
Immediately after their reference to the recommended acts at the fourth column, Shaykh al-Shahīd and Muḥammad b. al-Mashhadī have included this act with the other acts that are done at the courtyard of the mosque. They have added that one may offer a four-unit prayer in the first two units of which one may recite Sūrah al-Fātiḥa and Sūrah al-Tawḥīd and the last two units one may recite Sūrah al-Fātiḥa and the Sūrah al-Qadr. Once done, one may say the Tasbīḥ al-Zahrā etc.
According to an authoritative narration, Abū Ḥamza al-Thumālī reported that he was sitting in the grand mosque of al-Kūfa one day, when a man entered from Bāb Kindah. His face was indeed the prettiest, he smelt the nicest perfume, and he put on the cleanest dress. He also put a turban, a shirt, and a jubbah1. As he was also wearing Arabian slippers, he took them off when he entered the mosque. He then stopped near the sixth column of the mosque, raised his hands to the level of his ears and uttered a takbīr statement that was so reverent that my entire body shivered. He then offered a four-unit prayer with excellent genuflection and prostration. At accomplishment, he uttered the supplicatory prayer that begins with this statement:
إِلهِي إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ عَصَيْتُكَ فَإِنِّي قَدْ أطَعْتُكَ فِي أحَبِّ الأشْيَاءِ إِلَيْكَ…2
When he reached the statement:
يَا كَرِيمُ يَا كَرِيمُ يَا كَرِيمُ3
he went into prostration and repeated this word as much as one breath may take. He then said while prostrating:
يَا مَنْ يَقْدِرُ عَلَى حَوَائِجِ السَّائِلِينَ…4
He then repeated the following word seventy times:
يَا سَيِّدِي5
When he raised his head, I looked at him closely and realised that he was Zayn al-ʿAbidīn(a). I thus kissed his hand and asked him what had caused him to come to the mosque. The Imām(a) answered, “As you have seen.” (i.e. I came here to offer prayers the al-Kūfa Mosque)… etc.