اللَّهُمَّ فَارْفَعْهُ بِمَا كَدَحَ فِيكَ إِلَى الدَّرَجَةِ...

اللَّهُمَّ فَارْفَعْهُ بِمَا كَدَحَ فِيكَ إِلَى الدَّرَجَةِ الْعُلْيَا مِنْ جَنَّتِكَ حَتَّى لَا يُسَاوَى فِي مَنْزِلَةٍ ، وَ لَا يُكَافَأَ فِي مَرْتَبَةٍ ، وَ لَا يُوَازِيَهُ لَدَيْكَ مَلَكٌ مُقَرَّبٌ ، وَ لَا نَبِيٌّ مُرْسَلٌ .

وَ عَرِّفْهُ فِي أَهْلِهِ الطَّاهِرِينَ وَ أُمَّتِهِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ حُسْنِ الشَّفَاعَةِ أَجَلَّ مَا وَعَدْتَهُ يَا نَافِذَ الْعِدَةِ ، يَا وَافِيَ الْقَوْلِ ، يَا مُبَدِّلَ السَّيِّئَاتِ بِأَضْعَافِهَا مِنَ الْحَسَنَاتِ إِنَّكَ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ [^1]: Allusion to 9:33 and 61:9: It is He who has sent His Messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, that He may uplift it above every religion though the idolaters be averse.

[^2]: As Sayyid '''Alikhan points out, there is an allusion here to the hadith of 'mediation' (wasila) according to one version of which the Prophet said: 'Mediation is a degree with God in the Garden, and there is no degree higher than it, so pray to God to give me the mediation' (Ahmad III, 83). The fact that this is what the Imam has in mind is confirmed by his reference to 'intercession' in verse 25 (on the relationship between these two, cf. note 172).

[^3]: On the Prophet's intercession, cf. Padwick, Muslim Devotions pp. 37 ff. and Encyclopaedia of Islam (old edition), 'Shafa'a'. The commentator points out here that the Prophet's intercession alluded to in the Qur'an as his 'praiseworthy station' (17:79) - will be of several types, including the raising of those who are already in paradise to higher degrees. Hence there is no contradiction between the sinlessness of the Imams on the one hand and the Prophet's interceding for them on the other.

[^4]: Cf. 25:70: On Resurrection Day... God will change the evil deeds [of those who repent, have faith, and do righteous works] into good deeds. Previous…

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