The first night of Shahru Ramadhan...A prescription from Ayatullah Tabrizi

A thing which a prudent wayfarer must not forget during the first night of the Holy month of Ramadan is resorting (tawassul) to the impeccable ones (Ma'sumin) in that night. 


It is up to him to stretch his hand sincerely towards the threshold of those exalted saintly personalities; present their blessed, glorious, and beautiful faces as intercessors for our unblessed and polluted (with sins) faces, thus, looking towards the Lord through THEIR splendour and magnanimity because, it is not appropriate and desirable to look towards Him directly with a face blackened with sins, and cheeks rusted with transgressions. Instead, he should plead with them, should open his tongue full of grief and anxiety, and should request them to act as intercessors for pleading his case.


Allah (the Glorious, the Exalted), being the most Compassionate and most Merciful, undoubtedly would accept the plea and intercession of those compassionate and exalted personalities, especially, those sinless noble ones, to whom He Himself has taught generosity and compassion, and allowed them to act as intercessors.


Yes! It is up to the prudent wayfarer to mobilize all his talents, expertise, strength, and endeavours for resorting towards them; crying and shedding tears; pleading and requesting for intercession and support with these exalted saintly personalities; so that through resorting for one hour, he may earn the prosperity for one year, and through such insignificant efforts might achieve huge gains. Also, he should not forget to repeat this resorting and crying every morning and evening, and by sending salutations (upon them) everyday and resorting to them every night, and  should strengthen his commitment towards them.


Another important deed is to take a bath (ghusl) during the first night, all the odd nights, and the first day. It has been narrated in a tradition that: "Whoever undertakes ghusl with running water during the first night of the Holy Month, and pours at least thirty handfuls of water upon his head, they would remain in the state of cleanliness (taharat) till the next Shahru Ramadhan."


And in another tradition taking a bath in the above manner has been described as medicine for the whole year.
Ayatullah Mirza Jawad Maliki Tabrizi; Suluk-i Arifan

Dhul Qa'ada - one of the three sacred months!

Comments by Shaykh 'Abbas Qummi (ra): "Know, that this month is the first of the 3 months in which are titled "Al-Haram" which Allah (swt) has made known in his excellent Book and the Sayyid Ibn Tawoos (ra) narrated in a Hadith that the Month of Dhu Al-Qa'ada is the domain of answered supplications upon encountering a catastrophe or a tragedy.


And it has been narrated on the authority of the Messenger of Allah (saw) that a prayer on Sundays in this month has numerous virtues, and among them is that whoever has prayed them his
- repentance to Allah is accepted, and
- every sin he has committed since the day he was born has been forgiven, and
- Allah is pleased with him on the Day of Judgment and
- he has died in pure faith (Iman). Also,
- his grave is made spacious and it is enlightened by Allah with light from Him (swt), and
- his father shall be pleased with him and
- his ancestors and descendants' sins shall be forgiven. Also,
- his blessings shall increase and
- the Angel of Death will be merciful upon taking his soul to Allah (swt) and
- his soul shall be taken from the body in a manner that is easy and fast.


How to Perform this Form of Prayer:
A) He should begin the day of Sunday by performing the rituals of Ghusl and make Wudhu'
B) Then to recite 2 units of 2 Rak'ah Prayer and in each of  the Rak'ahs to recite Surat Al-Fatiha, Surat Al-Ikhlas 3 times, The 2 'Al-Maw'adhatayn' Surahs (i.e. Al'Nas, Wal-Falaq) once.
C) After completion of the prayer, to ask forgiveness from Allah 70 times (Astaghfirullah), then to say
"La Hawla Wala Quwwata Ila Billah Al'Alyli 'Adheem"
 "Ya 'Azeezu Ya Ghaffaar ighfirli dhunubi wa thunuba jami' l-mu'mineen wal-mu'minaati fa innahu la yaghfirudh- dhunuba illa ant."("There is no power and strength except that what is in Allah, the High, the Almighty." Then he should say, "O the All-Powerful, the All-Forgiving, Forgive my sins and the sins of the believers from the male gender and from the female gender, for there is no one that forgives our sins except you." )
Know, that from our Ahadith is that one who fasts from this month 3 specific days: Thursday, Friday and Saturday Allah (swt) writes for him the worship of 900 years.
And the Shaykh 'Ali ibn Ibrahim Al-Qummi (ra) has said that sins in the 3 months of "Al-Haram" (Specifically: Muharram, Dhul Hijjah, Dhul Qa'ada) decrease and the good deeds increase.
Reference to this salaat: Mafateeh Al Jinan by Shiek Abbas Qummi (page 247), A'maal the month of Dhil Qa'da