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AAMAL IN THE SEAT OF Judgement (DAKKAT AL QAZA) AND THE PLACE OF THE WASH-TUB (BAYT AL TASHT)

The seat of Judgement (dakkat alqaza’) was a shoplike structure inside Masjid alKufah in which there was a bench that was used by Imam ‘Ali (‘a) for judging. Next to this place, there was a short column on which the following holy verse was written:

اِنَّ اللهَ يَاْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَ الْاِحْسَانِ

“Surely, Allah enjoins the doing of justice and the doing of good to others and the giving to the kindred, and He forbids indecency and evil and rebellion; He admonishes you that you may be mindful.”

The place of the washtub (bayt altast) is the place where one of the miracles of Imam ‘Ali (‘a) was shown:

While an unmarried girl was swimming in a pool, a leech could penetrate into her body to settle in her womb. This leech fed on the blood of that girl and thus grew up. Hence, the girl’s belly began to grow bigger and bigger that her brothers though that she was illegally pregnant. As they intended to kill their sister, they first provided the case before Imam ‘Ali (‘a) to decide about her. The Imam (‘a) ordered that a thick curtain should be erected in one of the sides of the mosque (Masjid alKufah) behind which the girl would sit. The Imam (‘a) then asked a famous midwife in alKufah city to check the girl. The answer of the midwife came as follows: “O Amir alMu’minin, this girl is pregnant. She carries a fetus in her womb.”

However, the Imam (‘a) ordered them to bring a washtub made of clay and he asked them to make that girl sit there. When the leech felt the stench of the clay, it sneaked out from where it had entered and it fell in the washtub. Thus, the innocence of the girl was proved.

According to other narrations, Imam ‘Ali (‘a) extended his hand and brought a piece of ice from the mountains of Syria and put it in the washtub, causing the leech to come out.

Order of devotional Acts in Masjid alKufah

Be it known to you that the order of doing the recommended acts in Masjid alKufah 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 Judgement 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 Imam alSadiq (‘a) (dakkat alsadiq).

In this book, I imitate the order followed by Sayyid Ibn Tawus, in his book of Misbah alZa’ir, ‘Aliamah alMajlisi, in his book of Bihar alAnwar, and Shaykh Khazir, in his book of alMazar.

In conclusion, one who desires to follow the opinion of the majority of scholars may do the acts at the seat of Judgement (dakkat alqaza’) and the place of washtub (bayt altast) after accomplishing all the other acts of Masjid alKufah.

يَا مَالِكِيْ وَ مُمَلِّكِيْ

وَ مُتَغَمِّدِيْ [مُعْتَمَدِيْ‏] بِالنِّعَمِ الْجِسَامِ

مِنْ غَيْرِ اسْتِحْقَاقٍ

وَجْهِيْ خَاضِعٌ لِمَا تَعْلُوْهُ الْاَقْدَامُ

لِجَلَالِ وَجْهِكَ الْكَرِيْمِ

لَا تَجْعَلْ هٰذِهِ الشِّدَّةَ وَ لَا هٰذِهِ الْمِحْنَةَ

مُتَّصِلَةً بِاسْتِيْصَالِ الشَّأْفَةِ

وَ امْنَحْنِيْ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ

مَا لَمْ تَمْنَحْ بِهِ اَحَدًا مِنْ غَيْرِ مَسْاَلَةٍ

اَنْتَ الْقَدِيْمُ الْاَوَّلُ

الَّذِيْ لَمْ تَزَلْ وَ لَا تَزَالُ

صَلِّ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

وَ اغْفِرْ لِيْ وَ ارْحَمْنِيْ

وَ زَكِّ عَمَلِيْ

وَ بَارِكْ لِيْ فِيْ اَجَلِيْ

وَ اجْعَلْنِيْ مِنْ عُتَقَاۤئِكَ وَ طُلَقَاۤئِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ

بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَاۤ اَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِيْنَ۔

Back to the acts of dakkat alqaza’ and bayt altast, after finishing from the fourth column, you may walk to dakkat alqaza’ and offer there a twounit prayer, reciting in each unit Surah alFatihah and any other Surah you like to recite. After accomplishment, you may say the famous Tasbih alZahra’ litany and then say the following supplicatory words:

اَللّٰهُمَّ اِنِّيْ ذَخَرْتُ تَوْحِيْدِيْ اِيَّاكَ

وَ مَعْرِفَتِيْ بِكَ

وَ اِخْلَاصِيْ لَكَ

وَ اِقْرَارِيْ بِرُبُوْبِيَّتِكَ

وَ ذَخَرْتُ وِلَايَةَ مَنْ اَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ بِمَعْرِفَتِهِمْ مِنْ بَرِيَّتِكَ

مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عِتْرَتِهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِمْ

لِيَوْمِ فَزَعِيْ اِلَيْكَ عَاجِلًا وَ اٰجِلًا

وَ قَدْ فَزِعْتُ اِلَيْكَ وَ اِلَيْهِمْ يَا مَوْلَايَ

فِيْ هٰذَا الْيَوْمِ وَ فِيْ مَوْقِفِيْ هٰذَا

وَ سَاَلْتُكَ مَآدَّتِيْ [مَا زَكٰى‏] مِنْ نِعْمَتِكَ

وَ اِزَاحَةَ مَاۤ اَخْشَاهُ مِنْ نِقْمَتِكَ

وَ الْبَرَكَةَ فِيْمَا رَزَقْتَنِيْهِ

وَ تَحْصِيْنَ صَدْرِيْ مِنْ كُلِّ هَمٍّ

وَ جَاۤئِحَةٍ وَ مَعْصِيَةٍ

فِيْ دِيْنِيْ وَ دُنْيَايَ وَ اٰخِرَتِيْ

يَاۤ اَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِيْنَ۔

O He Who possesses me, He Who endows me with possessions, and He Who encompasses me withenormous bounties albeit that I do not deserve them. My face is humble to what is overtopped by feet due to the majesty of Your Noble Face. (Please) do not make this hardship and this ordeal to be continual until they lead to the extirpation of the root. 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. You are verily the Eternal and the First Lord Who has neither beginning nor end. (please) send blessings upon Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad, forgive me, have mercy on me, admit my deeds, bless my lifetime, 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 Judgement, you may offer a twounit prayer. When you finish the prayer and say the Tasbih statements, you may say the following supplicatory words:

O Allah, 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, and I also save (the reward of) my loyalty to those with the recognition of whom You have bestowed upon me: namely, Muhammad and his Household, peace of Allah be upon them, (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, 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, 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, regarding my religion, worldly life, and the Next Life. O most merciful of all those who show mercy.

It is narrated that Imam alSadiq (‘a) offered a twounit prayer in this place; the place of the washtub (bayt altast).