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MERITS OF RECITING THE DUA (اعددت لکل هول)

وَ اللهُ اَكْبَرُ۔

and Allah is the Greatest.

In the book of al-Balad al-Amin, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) is reported to have said: He who says these words ten times every day, Almighty Allah will forgive four thousand of his grand sins, will save him from the death agonies, the grave pressure, and one hundred of the horrors on the Resurrection Day, will also save him from the evil of Iblis (i.e. Satan) and his troops, will help him settle his debts, and will relieve him from his distress, grief, and anguishes:

اَعْدَدْتُ لِكُلِّ هَوْلٍ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَ لِكُلِّ هَمٍّ وَ غَمٍّ مَا شَاۤءَاللّٰهُ وَ لِكُلِّ نِعْمَةٍ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ وَ لِكُلِّ رَخَاۤءٍ الشُّكْرُ لِلّٰهِ وَ لِكُلِّ اُعْجُوْبَةٍ سُبْحَانَ اللّٰهِ وَ لِكُلِّ ذَنْبٍ اَسْتَغْفِرُاللّٰهَ وَ لِكُلِّ مُصِيْبَةٍ اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَ اِنَّا اِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُوْنَ وَ لِكُلِّ ضَيْقٍ حَسْبِىَ اللّٰهُ وَ لِكُلِّ قَضَاۤءٍ وَ قَدَرٍ تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللّٰهِ وَ لِكُلِّ عَدُوٍّ اَعْتَصَمْتُ بِاللّٰهِ وَ لِكُلِّ طَاعَةٍ وَ مَعْصِيَةٍ لَا حَوْلَ وَ لَا قُوَّةَ اِلَّا بِاللّٰهِ الْعَلِىِّ الْعَظِيْمِ۔

I am preparing “There is no god save Allah” to face any horror;

and “Only that which Allah wills shall come to pass” to face any grief and angst;

and “All praise be to Allah” to thank all graces;

and “All thanks be to Allah” to thank all items of luxury;

and “All glory be to Allah” to express any astonishing matter;

and “I implore for Allah’s forgiveness” to face any sin;

and “We are Allah’s and to Him shall we return” to face any misfortune;

and “Allah is sufficient to me” to face any distress;

and “In Allah do I trust” to face any unexpected matter;

and “In Allah do I take shelter” to face any enemy;

and “There is neither might nor power except with Allah, the All-High, the Allgreat” to face any act of obedience or disobedience.

Al-Kulayni, Ibn Baabwayh, and al-Barqi, may Allah’s mercy be upon them, have reported through valid chains of authority that Imam al-Sadiq(a.s.) said: He who repeats the following statement ten times every day, Almighty Allah will record for him forty-five thousand rewards, erase forty-five thousand of his sins, raise him forty-five thousand ranks towards Paradise, his saying will be shelter against Satan and despotic rulers, and no grand sin will surround him.

According to another narration, he will be granted the reward of one who has recited the entire Qur’an twelve times and Almighty Allah will build a house in Paradise for him.

In the narration of Ibn Baabwayh, it is not mentioned that the statement must be repeated ten times:

اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لَّاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهُ لَاشَرِيْكَ لَهُ اِلٰهًا وَاحِدًا اَحَدًا صَمَدًا لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ صَاحِبَةً وَ لَا وَلَدًا۔

I bear witness that there is no god save Allah,

One and Only and having no associate with Him (in Godhead);

He is the One God;

the Unique, the Besought of all;

He has taken to Himself neither a wife nor a son.

In the book of Thawab al-A’mal, al-Mahasin, and al-Kafi, Imam al-Sadiq(a.s.) is reported to have quoted the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) as saying: He who repeats the following saying fifteen times every day, Almighty Allah will receive him with His Face and will not turn His Face away from him before he enters Paradise:

لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ حَقًّا حَقًّا لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ اِيْمَانًا وَ تَصْدِيْقًا لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ عُبُوْدِيَّةً وَرِقًّا۔

There is no god save Allah, indeed, indeed.

There is no god save Allah, having faith in and giving credence to Him.

There is no god save Allah, worshipping and serving Him.

In the book of al-Mahasin, the following is reported from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.):

To glorify Almighty Allah one hundred times every day is better than offering one hundred camels as presents to the Holy House of Allah:

سُبْحَانَ اللهِ۔

All glory be to Allah.

To praise Almighty Allah one hundred times every day is better than manumitting one hundred slaves:

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ۔

All praise be to Allah.

To profess Almighty Allah being the Greatest (i.e. too great to be described) one hundred times every day is better than offering hundred horses, along with their saddles and reins, in the way of Allah (i.e. in holy wars):

اَللهُ اَكْبَرُ۔

Allah is the Greatest.

To profess Almighty Allah being the one and only god one hundred times every day is better than the deeds of all peoples, except those who repeat it more than one hundred times:

لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللهُ۔

There is no god save Allah.

Al-Qutb al-Rawandi has related the following story:

A worshipper from the children of Israel (i.e. Israelites) asked Allah the Almighty and Majestic, saying, “O Lord! What is my status with You? If it is praiseworthy, then I will try to add up to my good deeds; but if it is blameworthy, I will repent to You before I die.”

Replying to his question, Almighty Allah sent to him one of His angels to tell him that he has no good point with Allah.

“O Lord!” asked the man, “Where are then all my deeds?”

The Lord answered, “Whenever you did a good deed, you told people about it so that they would consider you virtuous and mention you reputably. Therefore, no reward will be given for your deeds except the reward that you have accepted for yourself.”

This fact disturbed and aggrieved the man extremely; therefore, Almighty Allah sent the same angel to convey the following message to him: “Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, says to you that you must purchase yourself from Him with alms that you must give every day for each one of your veins.”

The man asked, “O Lord! Is there any creature able to do that?”

The Almighty instructed, “You may repeat the following statement three hundred and sixty times, the number of your veins, every day:

سُبْحَانَ اللّٰهِ

All glory be to Allah,

وَالْحَمْدُلِلّٰهِ

all praise be to Allah,

وَلَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ

there is no god save Allah,

وَاللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ

Allah is the Greatest,

The man said, “O Lord! Please, give me more.”

وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَاقُوَّةَ اِلَّا بِاللّٰهِ۔

and there is neither might nor power except with Allah.”

The Almighty said, “If you add to the number, I will add to you.”

Al-Kulayni has reported through a valid chain of authority that Imam al-Sadiq(a.s.) said: The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) used to repeat the following doxology (zikr) three hundred and sixty times, the number of the veins, each day:

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ كَثِيْرًا عَلٰى كُلِّ حَالٍ۔

All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, very much for all conditions.