ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Supplication In the Eyes of the (as) Divine Love in the Supplications of the (‘a) The Relation with Allah “Say, ‘If your fathers and your sons, your brethren, your spouses, and your kinsfolk, the possessions that you have acquired, the business you fear may suffer, and the dwellings you are fond of, are dearer to you than Allah and His Apostle and to waging jihad in His way, then wait until Allah issues His edict, and Allah does not guide the transgressing lot.”[^1] The correct form of relation ( ‘alaqat ) with Allah, the Exalted, develops as a result of the coming together of a number of harmonious elements.

The Islamic sources reject the idea that the relation with Allah should be established based on a single element only, such as fear, hope, love, or humility. Rather they regard such a relation as one devoid of equilibrium and harmony. There is a wide range of elements that make up the correct form of relation with Allah. Some of these have been mentioned in detail in the verses of the Qur’an, the traditions and supplications.

Some of these elements are: hope in Allah ( raja’ ), fear of Him ( khawf ), pleading before Him ( tadarru’ ), humility toward Him ( khushu’ ), lowliness before Him ( tadhallul ), love of him ( hubb ), yearning for Him ( shawq ), intimacy with Him ( uns ), returning to Him ( inabah ), dedication to Him ( tabattul ), pleading for His forgiveness ( istighfar ), seeking protection from Him ( isti’adhah ), beseeching His mercy ( istirham ), total absorption in Allah ( inqta’ ), extolling Him ( tamjid ), praising Him ( hamd ), craving for Him ( raghbah ), obedience to Him ( ta’ah ), His servanthood ( ‘ubudiyyah ), His remembrance ( dhikr ), neediness to Him ( faqr ), and holding fast to Him ( i‘tisam ).

Imam ‘Ali bin al-Husayn Zayn al-’Abidin (‘a) says in a supplication, “O Allah, I ask You to fill my heart with love of You, awe of You, belief in You, faith in You, fear of You, and yearning toward You.”[^2] A harmonious spectrum for establishing a relation with Allah is constituted of these various elements mentioned above. Each of these elements is to be considered a key to a door out of the doors of Allah’s mercy and recognition ( ma‘rifah ).

For instance, beseeching Him for His mercy is the key to His mercy, as pleading for His forgiveness is the key to His forgiveness. Moreover, each one of these elements is, in itself, to be regarded as a path leading toward Allah.