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Musnad Ali Ridha
Musnad Ali Ridha
Among the works of Imam al-Ridha’, peace be on him, is this excellent dissertation
called Sahifat al-Ridha’; a group of narrators has called it Musnad al-Imam al-Ridha’, and
this name is closer to the composition of the dissertation, for it contains the traditions
which Imam al-Ridha’ has narrated on the authority of his grandfather, may Allah bless
him and his family, and on the authority of his pure fathers, peace be on them. A group
of researchers has stated that this dissertation is one of the works of Imam al-Ridha’,
peace be on him.1
Any how, this dissertation is among the treasures of Prophet and of the members of the
House (Ahl al-Bayt), peace be on them, and of the Imams; it has reached the top of honor
and glory in the chain of authorities, as Dr. Husayn ‘Ali Mahfu’z said.2
As for us, we have quoted this dissertation from a version printed in Cairo by al-Ma‘a’hid
Press, near al-Azhar, in the year 1340 A. H., and then it was printed by al-‘Alla’ma ‘Abd
al-Wa’si‘, who classified it into ten chapters, which are as follows:
Chapter 3: On Urging To Performing The Five Prayers And The Quality Of The
Prayer For The Dead
23. Through his chain of authorities, he said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him
and his family, said:] “Satan is still afraid of Adam’s son as long as he keeps his prayers.
However, if he neglects them, he (Satan) dares against him and throws him into great
sins.”
Allah, the Most High, honored and dignified man through praying and standing before
Him during the five prayers. However, the stoned Satan plays with man and does his best
to deprive him of this excellence and honorable rank.
24. Through his chain of authorities, he said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him
and his family, said:] “He who performs a religious duty (farida), Allah responds to his
supplication.”
Surely, he who performs a religious duty, whether prayer or fasting or hajj or others, Allah
rewards him and accepts his supplication.
25. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may
Allah bless him and his family, said:] “My community is still in good as long as they love
each other, return things deposited (with them), refrain from the unlawful, entertain the
guest, perform the prayer, and pay zaka’t (alms). However, if they do not do that, they will
be afflicted by drought.”
The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family has summoned his community to keep
these noble qualities, and he promised that they would be in good as long as they
performed them, but if they neglected them, Allah would afflict them with a dreadful
tribulation.
26. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may
Allah bless him and his family, said:] “If man is not able to perform prayer in standing
position, he can pray in sitting position. If he cannot pray in sitting position, he can pray
laying down on his back and his feet facing the qibla, and he makes a sign.”
The prayer is the most important of religious duties, and the responsible is not exempted
from it in all circumstances. If he is able, he prays in standing position; if he is unable, he
prays in sitting position; and so on.
27. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may
Allah bless him and his family, said:] “Keep the five prayers, for Allah, the Great and
Almighty, will summon the servant on the Day of Resurrection; prayer will be the first thing
about which He will ask him. If he brings it perfect; otherwise, he will be pushed into the
Fire.”
Prayer will be the first thing about which the responsible will be asked during his mustering
and his raising from the dead. If he performs prayer perfectly, he will be safe from the
chastisement of Allah; if he performs it imperfectly or neglects one of its pre-conditions,
he will be thrown into the Fire.
28. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may
Allah bless him and his family, said:] “Do not lose your prayers, for he who loses his prayer
will be mustered along with Qa’ru’n and Fir‘oun and Ha’ma’n; and it is incumbent upon
Allah to make him enter the Fire along with the hypocrites; and woe unto him who does
not keep his prayers and does not perform the Sunna of his Prophet.”
Islam takes great care of prayer and distinguishes it from the rest of acts of worship. So
he who performs it is a Muslim; and he who denies it dies the death of those pagans
before Islam and will be mustered along with the oppressive and the unbelievers.
29. Through his chain of authorities, he said: [‘Ali, the blessings of Allah be on him, said:]
“Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, led us in the traveler’s shortened
prayer and recited in the first (rak‘a) al-hamd and qul ya’ ayuha’ al-kafiru’n, and in the
other (rak‘a) he recited al-hamd and qul huwa Allahu ahad. Then he said: ‘I recited to you
the one-third and one-fourth of the Qur’an.’”
A four-rak‘a prayer is shortened during travel, and surely the Prophet, may Allah bless
him and his family, recited qul ya’ ayuha’ al-kafiru’n in the first rak‘a after al-fa’tiha, and in
the second rak‘ahe recited surat al-Tawhid after al-fa’tiha; and he, may Allah bless him
and his family, made clear the reward of that when he said that he recited the one-third
of the Qur’an in the first rak’a and the one-fourth of the Qur’an in the second rak’a.
30. Through his chain of authorities, he said: “Muhammad b. ‘Ali, peace be on him, was
asked about the prayer, and he claimed that his father would shorten the prayer during
travel.”
As for shortening prayer during travel, it is among the necessities of the creed of the
members of the House (Ahl al-Bayt), peace be on them; the Book and the Sunna are two
proofs of that.
31. Through his chain of authorities, he said: “I saw the Prophet, may Allah bless him and
his family, exclaim ‘Allah is Great!’ over his uncle Hamza, peace be on him, five times,
and after him he exclaimed ‘Allah is Great!’ over the martyrs, so seventy times of
exclaiming ‘Allah is Great!’ was the share of Hamza.”
As for the prayer for the dead, it is one of the general obligations. In other words, it is not
obligatory on all Muslims to perform it; rather it obligatory on some of them. As for its
performance, it is as follows: Five takbirs should be made; al-Shaha’datayn (the two
testimonies: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah’s
Messenger) should be recited after the first takbir, calling down blessing upon the
Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, should be after the second takbir; a
supplication for the believers, male and female, should be recited after the third takbir; a
supplication for the deceased should be recited after the fourth takbir; the
fifth takbir should be recited, and then departure.6 In this connection many traditions have
been reported from the members of the House (Ahl al-Bayt), peace be on them.7 As for
the Sunnis, they believe that the takbirs are four, and the worshipper departs after the
fourth (takbir).8
32. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may
Allah bless him and his family, said:] “O ‘Ali, when you pray over a deceased person, say:
O Allah, verily this is Your slave and son of Your bondmaid has passed away according
to Your decree, and he is not a mentioned thing. He has visited You and You are the best
One whom is visited. O Allah, dictate to him Your argument, join him to Your Prophet,
brighten his grave for him, be generous toward him during his entering, make him firm
through the firm statement, for he is in need of You and You are in no need of him. He
bore witness that there was no god but You, so forgive him. O Allah, do not deprive us of
the reward through him and do not try us after him.
“O ‘Ali, when you pray over a woman, say: O Allah, You created her, and You gave life to
her, and You made her die, and You are more knowledgeable of her secret and openness.
We have come to You as intercessors for her, so forgive her. O Allah, do not deprive us
of the reward through her.
“O ‘Ali, when you pray over a child, say: O Allah, make him an ancestor and provisions
for his parents, make him an intercessor (for them), make him for them as light and
guidance, and make his parents follow (him to) the Garden. Verily, You are powerful over
all things!”
As for the performance of the prayer for the dead, we have already mentioned it. As for
this supplication, it should be recited after the fourth takbir. As for the prayer over the
child, it is as follows: If he/she dies at the age of six years, then the prayer for the dead
should be performed over him. If he/she has not reached this age, then prayer over them
is recommended.