Imām Zayn al-’Abidīn (‘a) in his prayer on the arrival of...

“O Allāh, bless Muhammad and his Household; inspire us with knowledge of its excellence, veneration of its inviolability, and caution against what You have forbidden within it, and help us to fast in it by our restraining our limbs from acts of disobedience toward You and our employing them in that which pleases You, so that we lend not our ears to idle talk and hurry not with our eyes to diversion, we stretch not our hands toward the forbidden and stride not with our feet toward the prohibited, our bellies hold only what You have made lawful and our tongues speak only what You have exemplified, we undertake nothing but what brings close to Your reward and pursue nothing but what protects from Your punishment!

Then rid all of that from the false show of the false ostentatious and the fame seeking of the fame seekers, lest we associate therein anything with You or seek therein any object of desire but You![^6]” [^1]: In terms of obligation, however, the Islamic Jurists unanimously consider the first fast to be sufficient. However, for those who worship Allāh (SwT) to attain His proximity such a fast would not avail them save being absolved from their obligation. [^2]: al-Amālī, pg. 166.

[^3]: Ibid., vol. 39, pg. 294. [^4]: Mustadrak al-Wasā’il, vol. 7, pg. 366. [^5]: Wasā’il al-Shī‘ah, vol. 10, pg. 165 . [^6]: Imām al-Sajjād (‘a), al-Sahīfah al-Sajjādiyyah, sup. 44, pp. 143-144. Previous…