Chapter 13: The Supplications of Jesus

1. It is reported that one was imprisoned by the Banu ‘Umayya. He saw Jesus (‘a) in a dream. Jesus taught him some words. So Allah, the Exalted, released him from it the rest of his day. Here are those words: “There is no god but Allah, the King, the Plain Truth.” (Misbàh, 179)

2. ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Mughíra said, “The righteous servant Ibràhím Musà ibn Ja‘far al-Kàzimu passed by a crying woman at Minà and her children were around her crying. A cow of theirs died before. Al-Kàzim came near to her and said, ‘O servant woman of Allah! What makes you cry?’ She said, ‘O servant of Allah! I have a young girl, [and] orphans. We had a cow that was my livelihood and that of my household. It died and I remained with my children and we have no remedy.’ He said, ‘O servant woman of Allah! Do you want me to make it alive?’ She was inspired, and then she said, ‘Yes.’ Al-Kàzimu went aside and prayed two rak‘a, then he raised his hands, turned his right hand and moved his two lips. Then he stood, passed by the cow and kicked the cow or hit it with his foot. Then it stood up on the ground. When the woman looked at the cow and saw that it stood, she shouted and said, ‘Jesus the son of Mary! By the Lord of al-Ka‘ba! Then heu mixed with the people and left.” (Da‘avàt, 70)

3. It is reported that (for hardship with labor,) it should be written for her what is reported from Jesus (‘a), “O Creator of the soul from the soul, Director of the soul from the soul and Savior of the soul from the soul! Save her.” (Misbàh, 159)

4. It is reported that the Prophet said, “Whoever reads Sura Saff, Jesus (‘a) will pray for him and ask God’s forgiveness for him in the world and he will be his companion on the Resurrection Day.” (Misbàh, 447)

5. It is reported that when Jesus (‘a) called Him by this psalm, Allah, the Exalted, raised him to Him and saved him from the Jews. It is: “O Allah! I call You by Your name, the Majestic (al-‘Azím), the One (al-Wàhid) and Most Mighty (al-A‘azz). I call you by Your name, the Everlasting Refuge (al-Samad).I call You, O Allah! By Your name, the Majestic (al-‘Azím) and single (al-Watr) I call You, O Allah! By Your name, the Great (al-Kabír) and Exalted (al-Muta‘àl), by which all Your pillars were firmly set, may peace be with Muhammad and his progeny and remove the troubles I have morning and night.” (Misbàh, 299)

6. Among the supplications narrated from Jesus the son of Mary (‘a) is: “O Allah! You are the deity of all who are in heaven and the deity of all on the earth. There is no deity in them other than You, and You are the All-wise for all in heaven and the All-wise for all on the earth. There is no All-wise in them other than You. And you are the King of all in heaven and all on the earth. There is no King in them other than You. Your power in heaven is like Your power on the earth. And Your sovereignty in heaven is like Your sovereignty on the earth. I ask you by Your All-generous Name and Your radiant face and Your eternal kingdom, do such and such for me.” (Sharh Nahj al-Balàghah, 6, 187)

7. Imam Sàdiq (‘a) said, “In the Gospel Jesus (‘a) says, ‘O Allah! Bestow upon me a flat loaf of barley bread in the morning and a flat loaf of barley bread in the evening, and do not bestow more than this upon me that I become rebellious.'” (Bihàr, 14, 326, 39)

8. Among the supplications mentioned are those of Jesus that we reported with our chain of narrators to Sa‘íd ibn Hibah Allah al-Ràwandí, may Allah have mercy on him, from the book, QiSaS al-Anbiya’ (Stories of the Prophets), with a chain of narrators to al-Sàdiq (‘a) from his fathers, peace be with them, that the Prophet (‘s) said, “When the Jews gathered before Jesus (‘a) to kill him, as they imagined, Gabriel came to him and covered him with his wing. Then Jesus looked at him carefully. There was writing within Gabriel and it was: ‘O Allah! I call You by Your most mighty name, al-Wàhid (the One), and I call You, O Allah, by Your name, al-Samad (the Everlasting Refuge), and I call You, O Allah, by Your single name, al-‘Azím (the Majestic), and I call You, O Allah, by Your exalted name, al-Kabír (the Great), by which all Your pillars stand firm, remove the troubles I have morning and night.’

When Jesus (‘a) called him by this, Allah revealed to Gabriel, ‘Raise him to me.'” Then the Messenger of Allah, may the blessing of Allah be with him, said, “O Children of ‘Abd al-Muttalib! Beseech your Lord by these words. By Allah, in Whose hand is my soul! No servant has called upon Him by them without the throne being moved, and without Allah saying to the angels, ‘Bear witness that I, verily, answered him by these words and gave him what he asked in the transient world and in the term of the hereafter.'” Then he said to his companions, “Beseech by it and do not postpone the answering.” (Bihàr92, 175)

9. This is the psalm of Jesus by another narration, “The prophet saw this psalm within Gabriel, then he taught it to ‘Alí and al-‘Abbàs and said, ‘O ‘Alí! O the best one among Banu Hàshim! O the children of ‘Abd al-Muttalib! Ask your Lord by these words. By One, that my soul is in His hand, every believer calls [Him] by these words sincerely, the Throne, the seven heavens and the earth’s will tremble for it and Allah, the Exalted, says to His angels, ‘Testify. I answered the caller by these words and gave him his request in this world and the other world.'” Some [of the narrators] thought that this psalm is the psalm by which Jesus the son of Mary called Him.

It is this psalm: ‘O Allah! I take refuge in your name, the Unique (al-Wàhid), the One (al-Ahad) and Most Mighty (al-A‘azz). I take refuge in your name, the One (al-Ahad), the Everlasting Refuge (al-Samad).I take refuge in Your name, O Allah, the Majestic (al-‘Azím) and Single (al-Watr). I take refuge, O Allah, in Your name, the Great (al-Kabír) and Exalted (al-Muta‘àl), by which all Your pillars have been set firm, remove the troubles I have morning and night.'” (Bihàr, 92, 176)

10. This is one of the psalms of Jesus the son of Mary (‘a) by another narration: “O Creator of the soul from the soul, Director of the soul from the soul and Deliverer of the soul from the soul! Release us and deliver us from our trouble.” (Bihàr, 92, 176)

11. Among these supplications is the supplication of Asif, the minister of Solomon son of David, about which it is narrated that by it he brought the throne of Bilqís,⁴² and that by it Jesus (‘a) revived the dead. It is, “O Allah! I beseech You by this that You are Allah; there is no god but You, the Alive, the Self-subsisting, the Pure, the Purifying, the Light of the heavens and the earth’s (and according to some narrations, this last phrase is ‘the Lord of the heavens and the earths’), Knower of the invisible and visible, the Great and Exalted, the Compassionate, the Beneficent, Lord of Majesty and Honor, I beseech You [by these words] to do (this or that) for me.” (Bihàr, 92, 175)

12. The Commander of the Faithful sought refuge in Allah every day through this prayer, known as khislah, “I seek refuge in Allah, the Hearing and Knowing from Satan the cursed… O Allah! Verily I beseech You by the ayah by which You commanded your servant Jesus the son of Mary to call You, then you answered him, and he revived the dead, cured the blind and the leper with Your permission, and by Your revelation he told of mysteries with Your grace, kindness and mercy. Praise be to You, Lord of the heavens and the earth, Lord of the worlds. His is the dominion in the heavens and the earth. He is the Magnificent, the Wise. Come between us and our enemies and help us against them, O our Master and Lord.” (Bihàr, 84, 17)

13. It is reported that a man complained to Jesus (‘a) about his debts. Jesus (‘a) said to him, “Say: ‘O God, Who takes away grief, removes sadness, disposes of sorrow, answers the prayers of the needy! O Merciful of this world and the other world and the Compassionate of them! You are Merciful to me and Merciful to all things! So, be Merciful to me, with a mercy that will make me needless of the mercy of others than You, and by that mercy let my debts be paid.” (Mustadrak al-Wasà’il, 13, 289, 15379)

14. It is reported that Gabriel brought these five psalms to Jesus the son of Mary (‘a) as a gift of Allah, the Exalted, to supplicate by them during the first ten days of Dhu al-Hajja:

1. I witness that there is no god but Allah alone, there is no partner for Him, the kingdom is for Him, praise be to Him, the good is in His hand and He is Almighty over erything;
2. I witness that there is no god but Allah Alone and Everlasting; there is no partner for Him. He did not take any wife or child;
3. I witness that there is no god but Allah Alone and Everlasting, there is no partner for Him, who did not beget and was not begotten and no one is equal to Him;
4. I witness that there is no god but Allah alone, there is no partner for Him, the kingdom is for Him, praise be to Him, He makes alive and makes dead, He is alive and does not die, the good is in His hand and He is Almighty over everything;
5. Allah is sufficient and enough for me. Allah hears whoever calls him. After Allah there is no end. I bear witness to Allah by what He claimed for Himself. He is exempt from those who disassociate from Him. The Last and the First is for Him. (Mafàtíh al-Jinàn,

Notes:

42. The Queen of Sheba.