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Prayer for the fulfillment of specific desires
By: Ayatullah Fadhil Milani
Despite Islamic guidance that every person is responsible for her/his own physical and worldly needs, Muslims are advised also to seek the Lord's help. Here are a few suggestions outlined by the Imams-
• To offer two raka’at in the great mosque in Kufa and in each raka’ah, to recite Surah 113, Surah 114, Surah 112, Surah 109, Surah 110, Surah 97 and Surah 87 - after Surah Al-Fatihah. Thereafter to recite the tasbih of Lady Fatimah (a.s.) - 'Allahu Akbar 34 times, 'Al Hamdu li’lah' 33 times and 'Subhana Allah' 33 times - before asking for one's requests to be granted.
• Imam Ali (a.s.) ibn Al-Husayn advised a frail and financially straitened person to offer two raka’at - to follow that with Allah's praise and sending the Prophet (S) and his progeny blessings - after which to recite the last three ayat of Surah 59, the first six ayat of Surah 57,and ayat 26 and 27 of Surah 3.39
Ayat 22-23- 24 of Surah 59 - Al-Hashr
 ÈöÓúãö ÇááøóÜåö ÇáÑøóÍúãóÜٰäö ÇáÑøóÍöíãö 
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the most Merciful.
åõæó Çááøóåõ ÇáøóÐöí áóÇ Åöáóٰåó ÅöáøóÇ åõæó ۖ ÚóÇáöãõ ÇáúÛóíúÈö æóÇáÔøóåóÇÏóÉö ۖ åõæó ÇáÑøóÍúãóٰäõ ÇáÑøóÍöíãõ {22}
Allah is He, than Whom there is no other god;- Who knows (all things) both secret and open; He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
åõæó Çááøóåõ ÇáøóÐöí áóÇ Åöáóٰåó ÅöáøóÇ åõæó Çáúãóáößõ ÇáúÞõÏøõæÓõ ÇáÓøóáóÇãõ ÇáúãõÄúãöäõ Çáúãõåóíúãöäõ ÇáúÚóÒöíÒõ ÇáúÌóÈøóÇÑõ ÇáúãõÊóßóÈøöÑõ ۚ ÓõÈúÍóÇäó Çááøóåö ÚóãøóÇ íõÔúÑößõæäó {23}
Allah is He, than Whom there is no other god;- the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Peace (and Perfection), the Guardian of Faith, the Preserver of Safety, the Exalted in Might, the Irresistible, the Supreme: Glory to Allah! (High is He) above the partners they attribute to Him.
åõæó Çááøóåõ ÇáúÎóÇáöÞõ ÇáúÈóÇÑöÆõ ÇáúãõÕóæøöÑõ ۖ áóåõ ÇáúÃóÓúãóÇÁõ ÇáúÍõÓúäóìٰ ۚ íõÓóÈøöÍõ áóåõ ãóÇ Ýöí ÇáÓøóãóÇæóÇÊö æóÇáúÃóÑúÖö ۖ æóåõæó ÇáúÚóÒöíÒõ ÇáúÍóßöíãõ {24}
He is Allah, the Creator, the Evolver, the Bestower of Forms (or Colours). To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names: whatever is in the heavens and on earth, doth declare His Praises and Glory: and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
Ayat 1-6 of Surah 57 - Al-Hadid
ÈöÓúãö ÇááøóÜåö ÇáÑøóÍúãóÜٰäö ÇáÑøóÍöíãö
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the most Merciful.
ÓóÈøóÍó áöáøóåö ãóÇ Ýöí ÇáÓøóãóÇæóÇÊö æóÇáúÃóÑúÖö ۖ æóåõæó ÇáúÚóÒöíÒõ ÇáúÍóßöíãõ {1}
Whatever is in the heavens and on earth,- let it declare the Praises and Glory of Allah: for He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
áóåõ ãõáúßõ ÇáÓøóãóÇæóÇÊö æóÇáúÃóÑúÖö ۖ íõÍúíöí æóíõãöíÊõ ۖ æóåõæó Úóáóìٰ ßõáøö ÔóíúÁò ÞóÏöíÑñ {2}
To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth: It is He Who gives Life and Death; and He has Power over all things.
åõæó ÇáúÃóæøóáõ æóÇáúÂÎöÑõ æóÇáÙøóÇåöÑõ æóÇáúÈóÇØöäõ ۖ æóåõæó Èößõáøö ÔóíúÁò Úóáöíãñ {3}
He is the First and the Last, the Evident and the Immanent: and He has full knowledge of all things.
åõæó ÇáøóÐöí ÎóáóÞó ÇáÓøóãóÇæóÇÊö æóÇáúÃóÑúÖó Ýöí ÓöÊøóÉö ÃóíøóÇãò Ëõãøó ÇÓúÊóæóìٰ Úóáóì ÇáúÚóÑúÔö ۚ íóÚúáóãõ ãóÇ íóáöÌõ Ýöí ÇáúÃóÑúÖö æóãóÇ íóÎúÑõÌõ ãöäúåóÇ æóãóÇ íóäúÒöáõ ãöäó ÇáÓøóãóÇÁö æóãóÇ íóÚúÑõÌõ ÝöíåóÇ ۖ æóåõæó ãóÚóßõãú Ãóíúäó ãóÇ ßõäúÊõãú ۚ æóÇááøóåõ ÈöãóÇ ÊóÚúãóáõæäó ÈóÕöíÑñ {4}
He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in Six Days, and is moreover firmly established on the Throne (of Authority). He knows what enters within the earth and what comes forth out of it, what comes down from heaven and what mounts up to it. And He is with you wheresoever ye may be. And Allah sees well all that ye do.
áóåõ ãõáúßõ ÇáÓøóãóÇæóÇÊö æóÇáúÃóÑúÖö ۚ æóÅöáóì Çááøóåö ÊõÑúÌóÚõ ÇáúÃõãõæÑõ {5}
To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth: and all affairs are referred back to Allah.
íõæáöÌõ Çááøóíúáó Ýöí ÇáäøóåóÇÑö æóíõæáöÌõ ÇáäøóåóÇÑó Ýöí Çááøóíúáö ۚ æóåõæó Úóáöíãñ ÈöÐóÇÊö ÇáÕøõÏõæÑö {6}
He merges Night into Day, and He merges Day into Night; and He has full knowledge of the secrets of (all) hearts.
Ayat 26 -27 of Surah 3 - Ali-Imran
ÈöÓúãö ÇááøóÜåö ÇáÑøóÍúãóÜٰäö ÇáÑøóÍöíãö
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the most Merciful.
Þõáö Çááøóåõãøó ãóÇáößó Çáúãõáúßö ÊõÄúÊöí Çáúãõáúßó ãóäú ÊóÔóÇÁõ æóÊóäúÒöÚõ Çáúãõáúßó ãöãøóäú ÊóÔóÇÁõ æóÊõÚöÒøõ ãóäú ÊóÔóÇÁõ æóÊõÐöáøõ ãóäú ÊóÔóÇÁõ ۖ ÈöíóÏößó ÇáúÎóíúÑõ ۖ Åöäøóßó Úóáóìٰ ßõáøö ÔóíúÁò ÞóÏöíÑñ {26}
Say: "O Allah! Lord of Power (And Rule), Thou givest power to whom Thou pleasest, and Thou strippest off power from whom Thou pleasest: Thou enduest with honour whom Thou pleasest, and Thou bringest low whom Thou pleasest: In Thy hand is all good. Verily, over all things Thou hast power.
ÊõæáöÌõ Çááøóíúáó Ýöí ÇáäøóåóÇÑö æóÊõæáöÌõ ÇáäøóåóÇÑó Ýöí Çááøóíúáö ۖ æóÊõÎúÑöÌõ ÇáúÍóíøó ãöäó ÇáúãóíøöÊö æóÊõÎúÑöÌõ ÇáúãóíøöÊó ãöäó ÇáúÍóíøö ۖ æóÊóÑúÒõÞõ ãóäú ÊóÔóÇÁõ ÈöÛóíúÑö ÍöÓóÇÈò {27}
"Thou causest the night to gain on the day, and thou causest the day to gain on the night; Thou bringest the Living out of the dead, and Thou bringest the dead out of the Living; and Thou givest sustenance to whom Thou pleasest, without measure."
Imam ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) said that after reciting the above,Allah will grant your desires for this world and for the world to come.
It is reported from Imam Ali (a.s.) that a four-rakat it prayer should be offered to invoke Allih to grant desires
In the first raka’ah after Al-Fatihah, to recite Qur’an 3:173 (Al-‘Imran) seven times - 'Allah is sufficient for us, He who protects us is Most Excellent.'
ÇáøóÐöíäó ÞóÇáó áóåõãõ ÇáäøóÇÓõ Åöäøó ÇáäøóÇÓó ÞóÏú ÌóãóÚõæÇ áóßõãú ÝóÇÎúÔóæúåõãú ÝóÒóÇÏóåõãú ÅöíãóÇäðÇ æóÞóÇáõæÇ ÍóÓúÈõäóÇ Çááøóåõ æóäöÚúãó Çáúæóßöíáõ {173}
Men said to them: "A great army is gathering against you": And frightened them: But it (only) increased their Faith: They said: "For us Allah sufficeth, and He is the best disposer of affairs."
In the second raka’ah after Al-Fatihah, to recite the following ayah of Al-Kahf seven times,
æóáóæúáóÇ ÅöÐú ÏóÎóáúÊó ÌóäøóÊóßó ÞõáúÊó ãóÇ ÔóÇÁó Çááøóåõ áóÇ ÞõæøóÉó ÅöáøóÇ ÈöÇááøóåö ۚ Åöäú ÊóÑóäö ÃóäóÇ ÃóÞóáøó ãöäúßó ãóÇáðÇ æóæóáóÏðÇ {39}
"Why didst thou not, as thou wentest into thy garden, say: 'Allah's will (be done)! There is no power but with Allah!' If thou dost see me less than thee in wealth and sons.. (Qur’an 18:39).
In the third rakacah after Al-Fatihah, to recite the following ayah seven times,
…Ãóäú áóÇ Åöáóٰåó ÅöáøóÇ ÃóäúÊó ÓõÈúÍóÇäóßó Åöäøöí ßõäúÊõ ãöäó ÇáÙøóÇáöãöíäó{87}
'There is no Divinity other than You - limitless Glory beyond imperfection. Truly I was among the unjust ..' (Qur’an 21:87).
In the fourth raka’ah after Al-Fatihah, to recite the following ayah seven times,
æóÃõÝóæøöÖõ ÃóãúÑöí Åöáóì Çááøóåö ۚ Åöäøó Çááøóåó ÈóÕöíÑñ ÈöÇáúÚöÈóÇÏö {44}
'I entrust my affairs to Allah, truly Allah watches over His servants' (Qur’an 40:44).
He said that after reciting the above, Allah will grant your desires for this world and for the world to come.
Prayer for istikhirah
The word istikharah - to petition Allah for guidance to all that is good - is derived from the Arabic root word khair - good. Human beings, created with intelligence and the ability to reason, are well equipped to evaluate the benefits and disadvantages of actions and make informed decisions. However, at moments of stress,or when obliged to make decisions crucial to their future success, believers are advised to seek the guidance of Allah - Knower of All that is Hidden and Manifest - to direct them to the 'best' solution via istikharah.
• Scholars have dedicated chapters, even volumes, to this subject. The most famous work is the book of Al-Sayyid ibn Tawus (d. 664 AH) 'Fath al-Abwab' (Opening the Doors) in which he records 20 different approaches to the seeking of istikharah.40
• Shaykh Saduq refers to Imam Sadiq (a.s.) saying, 'When one wishes to consult Allah, pray two raka’at, praise Allah, send blessings to the Prophet and his progeny and then say, "O Allah if this action is beneficial in terms of religion or worldly matters, please make it easy for me to undertake; if it is not, please erase it from my thoughts."' The narrator asked the Imam which surahs should be recited in the raka’at and was told that both Surah Al-lkhlas Qur’an 112 and Surah Al-Kafiriun Qur’an 109 should be recited in the knowledge that the Prophet (S) said that the recitation of Al-Ikhlas is equalto the recitation of one-third of the Qur’an.41
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