Dua Nudbah

All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all worlds. May Allah bless our master Muhammad, His Prophet, and his family, and grant them perfect peace.

O Allah, praise is Yours for the decree You carried out concerning Your chosen friends, whom You purified for Yourself and Your religion.

You selected for them the abundant and lasting delight that is with You, a delight that never fades or diminishes.

This was after You required them to renounce the ranks, adornments, and attractions of this lowly world, and they accepted Your condition.

You knew they would remain faithful, so You accepted them, drew them near, and granted them an exalted remembrance and manifest praise.

You sent Your angels down to them, honored them with revelation, supported them with knowledge, and made them the path to You and the means to Your pleasure.

You settled one of them in Your Garden until You brought him out of it.

You carried another in Your Ark and, through Your mercy, saved him and those who believed with him from destruction.

You chose another as Your intimate friend; he asked You for an enduring good name among later generations, and You answered him.

You made that remembrance lofty. You spoke directly to another from a tree and appointed his brother as his support and minister.

You caused another to be born without a father, gave him clear signs, and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit.

For each of them You established a law, opened a clear way, and selected successors.

One entrusted guardian after another, from one era to the next, to uphold Your religion and serve as proof for Your servants.

So that truth would not be displaced from its station and falsehood would not overcome its people.

And so that no one could say: Why did You not send us a warning messenger and establish a guiding standard for us?

Then we would have followed Your signs before being humiliated and disgraced.

Until You brought the mission to Your beloved and chosen one, Muhammad—may Allah bless him and his family.

He was as You selected him: master of Your creation, the purest of those You chose, the finest of Your elect, and the noblest of those You trusted.

You placed him before Your prophets, sent him to humankind and jinn, and enabled his mission to reach Your eastern and western lands.

You subjected al-Buraq to him, raised his spirit to Your heaven, and entrusted him with knowledge of what had been and what would be until creation ends.

Then You supported him by casting awe into his enemies and surrounded him with Gabriel, Michael, and Your marked angels.

You promised to make his religion prevail over every religion, even if the polytheists disliked it, after granting him a true dwelling among his family.

For him and his family You appointed the first House established for humankind—the blessed House at Bakkah, a guidance for all worlds.

Within it are clear signs and the Station of Abraham; whoever enters it is safe.

And You said: Allah only wills to remove impurity from you, People of the House, and to purify you completely.

Then in Your Book You made love for Muhammad’s family the reward for his mission—Your blessings be upon him and them.

You said: I ask of you no reward for it except love for my near relatives; and You said: Whatever reward I asked is for your own benefit.

And You said: I ask no reward for it, except that whoever wishes may take a way to his Lord.

Thus they became the way to You and the path leading to Your pleasure.

When the Prophet’s days ended, he established his guardian, Ali ibn Abi Talib—Your blessings be upon them and their family—as a guide.

For he was the warner and every people has a guide. Before the assembled people he said: Whoever has me as master has Ali as master.

O Allah, befriend whoever befriends him, oppose whoever opposes him, support whoever supports him, and forsake whoever forsakes him.

He also said: Whoever has me as prophet has Ali as commander. And he said: Ali and I are from one tree, while other people are from different trees.

He gave him the rank of Aaron beside Moses and said: You are to me as Aaron was to Moses, except that there is no prophet after me.

He married him to his daughter, the leader of the women of all worlds; allowed him what he allowed himself in the Mosque; and closed every door except his.

Then he entrusted him with his knowledge and wisdom, saying: I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate; whoever seeks the city and wisdom must enter through its gate.

Then he said: You are my brother, successor, and heir. Your flesh is from my flesh and your blood is from my blood.

Peace with you is peace with me, war against you is war against me, and faith is mingled with your flesh and blood as it is with mine.

Tomorrow at the Pool you will be my successor; you will settle my debts and fulfill my promises.

Your followers will sit on pulpits of light, their faces radiant, gathered around me in Paradise as my neighbors.

O Ali, without you the believers after me would not be recognized.

After the Prophet, he was guidance against error, light against blindness, Allah’s firm rope, and His straight path.

No one surpassed him in kinship, precedence in faith, or any of his virtues, and no one could equal him.

He followed the Messenger step for step, fought for the true interpretation, and feared no blame in the cause of Allah.

For Allah’s cause he broke the power of the Arab chiefs, defeated their champions, and confronted their fiercest men.

Their hearts therefore carried the grudges of Badr, Khaybar, Hunayn, and other battles, and they clung to hostility toward him.

They rushed to oppose him until he fought the covenant-breakers, the unjust rebels, and those who strayed from the faith.

When his appointed term ended, the most wretched of later people killed him, following the example of the most wretched of earlier people.

The command of Allah’s Messenger—may Allah bless him and his family—concerning the successive guides was not obeyed.

The community persisted in hatred, agreed to sever the Prophet’s kinship and exclude his children, except for the few who faithfully observed their rights.

So some were killed, some were taken captive, and some were driven away.

The divine decree passed over them in a way for which a beautiful reward is hoped; the earth belongs to Allah, who gives it to whichever servants He wills, and the good end belongs to the God-conscious.

Glory be to our Lord. Surely our Lord’s promise will be fulfilled. Allah never breaks His promise; He is the Almighty, the All-Wise.

So let those who weep, weep for the pure ones from the household of Muhammad and Ali—may Allah bless them and their families.

Let mourners lament for them; for people like them let tears flow, cries rise, and voices of grief and wailing be heard.

Where is Hasan? Where is Husayn? Where are the descendants of Husayn—one righteous one after another, one truthful one after another?

Where is the path after the path? Where is the chosen one after the chosen one? Where are the rising suns and shining moons?

Where are the radiant stars? Where are the standards of religion and foundations of knowledge? Where is the Remaining Proof of Allah, never absent from the guiding family?

Where is the one prepared to cut off the roots of the oppressors? Where is the awaited one who will straighten every distortion?

Where is the one hoped for to remove injustice and aggression? Where is the one reserved to renew the obligations and traditions?

Where is the one selected to restore the faith and sacred law? Where is the one expected to revive the Book and its ordinances?

Where is the reviver of the signs of religion and its people? Where is the breaker of the aggressors’ power? Where is the destroyer of the structures of polytheism and hypocrisy?

Where is the one who will eradicate wickedness, disobedience, and tyranny? Where is the one who will cut down the branches of error and division?

Where is the one who will erase the traces of deviation and selfish desire? Where is the one who will sever the cords of lies and slander?

Where is the one who will destroy the arrogant rebels? Where is the one who will uproot obstinacy, deception, and unbelief?

Where is the one who honors Allah’s friends and humiliates His enemies? Where is the one who unites people upon God-consciousness?

Where is the Gate of Allah through which He is approached? Where is the Face of Allah toward which His friends turn?

Where is the link extending between earth and heaven? Where is the master of the Day of Victory and the bearer of the banner of guidance?

Where is the one who gathers together all that is righteous and pleasing? Where is the avenger for the prophets and the children of the prophets?

Where is the avenger for the one slain at Karbala? Where is the one granted victory over those who attack him and fabricate lies against him?

Where is the distressed one whose prayer is answered? Where is the foremost of creation, the possessor of goodness and piety?

Where is the son of the Chosen Prophet, the son of Ali al-Murtada, the son of radiant Khadijah, and the son of the great Fatimah?

May my father, mother, and soul be your ransom and protection—O son of the masters brought near, O son of the noblest chosen ones.

O son of the guiding and guided ones; O son of the purified elect; O son of the noble chiefs.

O son of the pure and purified; O son of the generous chosen ones; O son of the honored leaders.

O son of the luminous moons, the shining lamps, the piercing flames, and the radiant stars.

O son of the clear paths, the visible standards, the perfect knowledge, and the well-known traditions.

O son of the inherited landmarks, the manifest miracles, and the witnessed proofs.

O son of the straight path; O son of the great news; O son of him who, in the Mother of the Book with Allah, is exalted and wise.

O son of the signs and clear proofs; O son of the evident indications; O son of the brilliant and unmistakable arguments.

O son of the conclusive proofs and abundant blessings; O son of Ta-Ha and the decisive verses; O son of Ya-Sin and al-Dhariyat.

O son of al-Tur and al-Adiyat; O son of him who drew near and descended until he was two bow-lengths away or nearer, in closeness to the Most High.

Would that I knew where distance has settled you. What land or soil bears you? Is it Radwa, somewhere else, or Dhi Tuwa?

It is painful for me to see all creation while you remain unseen, and to hear neither a sound nor a whisper from you.

It is painful that trials should surround you instead of me, while neither my cry nor my complaint reaches you.

May my soul be your ransom: though hidden, you are never absent from us; though far away, you have never truly left us.

May my soul be your ransom: you are the hope of every believing man and woman who remembers you and longs for you; you are a foundation of unmatched honor.

May my soul be your ransom: you come from an unrivaled source of glory and from an ancient heritage of incomparable blessings.

May my soul be your ransom: you possess a full measure of honor that none can equal. O my master, how long must I remain bewildered about you?

With what address can I describe you, and with what intimate words can I speak to you? It pains me to receive answers from others and converse with anyone but you.

It pains me to weep for you while people abandon you; and it pains me that what has happened should fall upon you rather than them.

Is there a helper with whom I may prolong my wailing and tears? Is there a grieving soul whose sorrow I may share when alone?

Is there an eye made sore by grief so that my eye may join it in tears? O son of Ahmad, is there a path to you so that we may meet?

Will our day ever join the day promised with you so that we attain our hope? When will we reach your refreshing springs and drink our fill?

When will we benefit from your sweet water, for our thirst has lasted so long? When will we spend morning and evening with you and have our eyes delighted?

When will you see us and we see you, after you have raised the banner of victory?

Will you see us surrounding you while you lead all people, after you have filled the earth with justice?

After you have made your enemies taste humiliation and punishment and destroyed the tyrants and deniers of truth?

After you have cut off the arrogant and uprooted the foundations of the oppressors, while we say: All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all worlds?

O Allah, You remove anguish and affliction. To You I bring my plea, for judgment rests with You, and You are Lord of this world and the Hereafter.

So come to the aid of Your afflicted, humble servant, O Helper of all who seek help, and show him his master, O Possessor of mighty strength.

Through him remove grief and burning sorrow, and cool the thirst of his heart—O One established over the Throne, to whom all return and all ends.

O Allah, we are Your servants yearning for Your guardian, who reminds us of You and Your Prophet.

You created him as protection and refuge for us, established him as our support and shelter, and made him the Imam of the believers among us.

Convey to him our greetings and peace. Through this, O Lord, increase our honor and make his dwelling a place of settlement and residence for us.

Complete Your favor by placing him before us as our Imam, until You bring us into Your gardens and the company of the martyrs among Your chosen servants.

O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad; and bless Muhammad, his grandfather and Your Messenger, the greater master.

And bless his father, the lesser master, and his grandmother, the great truthful lady, Fatimah daughter of Muhammad.

May Allah bless Muhammad and his family, and the righteous forefathers of his whom You selected.

And bless him with the finest, fullest, most complete, most lasting, most abundant blessing You have granted any of Your chosen and favored servants.

Bless him with a blessing whose number has no limit, whose duration has no end, and whose span never runs out.

O Allah, establish truth through him, defeat falsehood through him, give victory to Your friends through him, and humble Your enemies through him.

O Allah, join us to him with a bond that leads to companionship with his forefathers, and make us among those who hold to them and remain beneath their shade.

Help us fulfill his rights, strive in obedience to him, avoid disobeying him, and graciously grant us his pleasure.

Grant us his kindness, mercy, prayer, and goodness, through which we may receive the breadth of Your mercy and attain success with You.

Through him make our prayers accepted, our sins forgiven, and our supplications answered.

Through him expand our provision, relieve our worries, and fulfill our needs.

Turn toward us with Your noble countenance and accept our efforts to draw near to You.

Look upon us with a merciful gaze through which we may receive complete honor in Your presence.

Then, through Your generosity, never turn that gaze away from us. Give us drink from the Pool of his grandfather—may Allah bless him and his family—from his cup and by his hand.

A full, satisfying, pleasant, and wholesome drink after which we will never thirst, O Most Merciful of the merciful.