NIGHT & DAY OF 25TH ZILQAD (THE SPREADING OF THE EARTH)
NIGHT & DAY OF 25TH ZILQAD (THE SPREADING OF THE EARTH)
THE TWENTY-FIFTH NIGHT OF ZILQAD;
The Earth Spreading night
This night is called laylat dahw al-ard (the night at which the earth was spread on the water where the Holy Ka’bah is now situated). Being distinctively honorable, at this night the mercy of Almighty
Allah is poured on people. A great reward is obtained by those who practice acts of worship at this night. Ali ibn al-Hasan al-Washsha’ has narrated that when he was young, he was with his father in the hospitality of Imam al-Rida(a.s.) at the twenty-fifth night of Dhu’l-Qa’dah. After they had their supper, Imam al-Rida(a.s.) said, “At the twenty-fifth night of Dhu’l-Qa’dah, Prophet Abraham was born, Prophet Jesus the son of Mary was born, and the earth was spread on the water where the Holy Ka’bah is now situated. Hence, if one observes fasting on this day, he will be given the reward of observing fasting in sixth months.” According to another narration, Imam al-Rida(a.s.) added, “Verily, on this day, al-Qa’im (i.e. Imam al-Mahdi) will appear.”
THE TWENTY-FIFTH OF ZILQAD;
The Earth Spreading Day
The twenty-fifth of Dhu’l-Qa’dah is one of the four days on which fasting is exclusively confirmed. According to a narration, to observe fasting on this day is equal to seventy year fasting. It also erases the sins of seventy years. According to another narration, to observe fasting on this day and to practice acts of worship at its night is equal (in reward) to one hundred year worship. Everything that is between the sky and the earth will ask God’s forgiveness for one who does these rites. On this day, the mercy of Almighty
Allah has been spread. To practice acts of worship and hold sessions for mentioning Almighty
Allah on this day bring about an abundant reward. Apart from fasting, acts of worship, remembrance of Almighty
Allah, and bathing, there are two other acts that are advisably done on this day:
First: The books written by Shi’ite scholars of Qumm have mentioned that, on this day, it is recommended to offer, in the morning, a prayer consisting of two units, reciting in the each unit Surah al-Faatehah once and repeating Surah al-Shams (No. 91) five times. After accomplishment, the following litany is said:
لا حَوْلَ وَ لا قُوَّةَ اِلا بِاللّٰهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْعَظِيمِ
Then, one may pray Almighty
Allah for granting his needs and then say the following supplicatory prayer:
يَا مُقِيلَ الْعَثَرَاتِ اَقِلْنِي عَثْرَتِي يَا مُجِيبَ الدَّعَوَاتِ اَجِبْ دَعْوَتِي يَا سَامِعَ الْاَصْوَاتِ اسْمَعْ صَوْتِي وَ ارْحَمْنِي وَ تَجَاوَزْ عَنْ سَيِّئَاتِي وَ مَا عِنْدِي يَا ذَا الْجَلالِ وَ الْاِكْرَامِ .
Second: In Misbah al-Mutahajjid, Shaykh al-Tusi has mentioned that it is recommended to say the following supplicatory prayer on this day:
اللّٰهُمَّ دَاحِيَ الْكَعْبَةِ وَ فَالِقَ الْحَبَّةِ وَ صَارِفَ اللَّزْبَةِ وَ كَاشِفَ كُلِّ كُرْبَةٍ اَسْاَلُكَ فِي هٰذَا الْيَوْمِ مِنْ اَيَّامِكَ الَّتِي اَعْظَمْتَ حَقَّهَا وَ اَقْدَمْتَ سَبْقَهَا وَ جَعَلْتَهَا عِنْدَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَدِيعَةً وَ اِلَيْكَ ذَرِيعَةً وَ بِرَحْمَتِكَ الْوَسِيعَةِ اَنْ تُصَلِّيَ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِكَ الْمُنْتَجَبِ فِي الْمِيثَاقِ الْقَرِيبِ يَوْمَ التَّلاقِ فَاتِقِ كُلِّ رَتْقٍ وَ دَاعٍ اِلَى كُلِّ حَقٍّ وَ عَلَى اَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ الْاَطْهَارِ الْهُدَاةِ الْمَنَارِ دَعَائِمِ الْجَبَّارِ وَ وُلاةِ الْجَنَّةِ وَ النَّارِ وَ اَعْطِنَا فِي يَوْمِنَا هٰذَا مِنْ عَطَائِكَ الْمَخْزُونِ غَيْرَ مَقْطُوعٍ وَ لا مَمْنُوعٍ <مَمْنُونٍ> تَجْمَعُ لَنَا بِهِ التَّوْبَةَ وَ حُسْنَ الْاَوْبَةِ، يَا خَيْرَ مَدْعُوٍّ وَ اَكْرَمَ مَرْجُوٍّ يَا كَفِيُّ يَا وَفِيُّ يَا مَنْ لُطْفُهُ خَفِيٌّ الْطُفْ لِي بِلُطْفِكَ وَ اَسْعِدْنِي بِعَفْوِكَ وَ اَيِّدْنِي بِنَصْرِكَ وَ لا تُنْسِنِي كَرِيمَ ذِكْرِكَ بِوُلاةِ اَمْرِكَ وَ حَفَظَةِ سِرِّكَ وَ احْفَظْنِي مِنْ شَوَائِبِ الدَّهْرِ اِلَى يَوْمِ الْحَشْرِ وَ النَّشْرِ وَ اَشْهِدْنِي اَوْلِيَاءَكَ عِنْدَ خُرُوجِ نَفْسِي وَ حُلُولِ رَمْسِي وَ انْقِطَاعِ عَمَلِي وَ انْقِضَاءِ اَجَلِي اللّٰهُمَّ وَ اذْكُرْنِي عَلَى طُولِ الْبِلَى اِذَا حَلَلْتُ بَيْنَ اَطْبَاقِ الثَّرَى وَ نَسِيَنِيَ النَّاسُونَ مِنَ الْوَرَى وَ اَحْلِلْنِي دَارَ الْمُقَامَةِ وَ بَوِّئْنِي مَنْزِلَ الْكَرَامَةِ ، وَ اجْعَلْنِي مِنْ مُرَافِقِي اَوْلِيَائِكَ وَ اَهْلِ اجْتِبَائِكَ وَ اصْطِفَائِكَ وَ بَارِكْ لِي فِي لِقَائِكَ وَ ارْزُقْنِي حُسْنَ الْعَمَلِ قَبْلَ حُلُولِ الْاَجَلِ بَرِيئا مِنَ الزَّلَلِ وَ سُوءِ الْخَطَلِ اللّٰهُمَّ وَ اَوْرِدْنِي حَوْضَ نَبِيِّكَ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ وَ اسْقِنِي مِنْهُ مَشْرَبا رَوِيّا سَائِغا هَنِيئا لا اَظْمَاُ بَعْدَهُ وَ لا اُحَلَّاُ وِرْدَهُ وَ لا عَنْهُ اُذَادُ وَ اجْعَلْهُ لِي خَيْرَ زَادٍ وَ اَوْفَى مِيعَادٍ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْاَشْهَادُ اللّٰهُمَّ وَ الْعَنْ جَبَابِرَةَ الْاَوَّلِينَ وَ الْآخِرِينَ وَ بِحُقُوقِ <لِحُقُوقِ> اَوْلِيَائِكَ الْمُسْتَأْثِرِينَ اللّٰهُمَّ وَ اقْصِمْ دَعَائِمَهُمْ وَ اَهْلِكْ اَشْيَاعَهُمْ وَ عَامِلَهُمْ وَ عَجِّلْ مَهَالِكَهُمْ وَ اسْلُبْهُمْ مَمَالِكَهُمْ وَ ضَيِّقْ عَلَيْهِمْ مَسَالِكَهُمْ وَ الْعَنْ مُسَاهِمَهُمْ وَ مُشَارِكَهُمْ. اللّٰهُمَّ وَ عَجِّلْ فَرَجَ اَوْلِيَائِكَ وَ ارْدُدْ عَلَيْهِمْ مَظَالِمَهُمْ وَ اَظْهِرْ بِالْحَقِّ قَائِمَهُمْ وَ اجْعَلْهُ لِدِينِكَ مُنْتَصِرا وَ بِاَمْرِكَ فِي اَعْدَائِكَ مُؤْتَمِرا اللّٰهُمَّ احْفُفْهُ بِمَلائِكَةِ النَّصْرِ وَ بِمَا اَلْقَيْتَ اِلَيْهِ مِنَ الْاَمْرِ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ مُنْتَقِما لَكَ حَتَّى تَرْضَى وَ يَعُودَ دِينُكَ بِهِ وَ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ جَدِيدا غَضّا وَ يَمْحَضَ الْحَقَّ مَحْضا وَ يَرْفِضَ الْبَاطِلَ رَفْضا اللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَيْهِ وَ عَلَى جَمِيعِ آبَائِهِ وَ اجْعَلْنَا مِنْ صَحْبِهِ وَ اُسْرَتِهِ وَ ابْعَثْنَا فِي كَرَّتِهِ حَتَّى نَكُونَ فِي زَمَانِهِ مِنْ اَعْوَانِهِ اللّٰهُمَّ اَدْرِكْ بِنَا قِيَامَهُ وَ اَشْهِدْنَا اَيَّامَهُ وَ صَلِّ عَلَيْهِ <عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ> وَ ارْدُدْ اِلَيْنَا سَلامَهُ وَ السَّلامُ عَلَيْهِ <عَلَيْهِمْ> وَ رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ وَ بَرَكَاتُهُ.
In his epistle entitled al-Arba’at Ayyam (The Four Days), Sayyid al-Damad has mentioned that to visit the holy tomb of Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Rida(a.s.) on the day; i.e. the Earth Spreading Day, is the most preferable act. Similarly, to visit his tomb on the first of Rajab is highly desirable; therefore, he has urged on it greatly.
THE LAST DAY OF ZILQAD
On the last day of Dhu’l-Qa’dah 220 AH, Imam Muhammad ibn Ali al-Yaqi al-Jawad(a.s.) was martyred. He was poisoned by Al-Mu’tasim Bi’llah, the ‘Abbasid ruler. That was only two years and a half after the death of al-Ma’mun, the ‘Abbasid ruler. The Imam (a.s.) himself had predicted so when he said, “Relief shall come thirty months after the death of al-Ma’mun.”
In fact, this statement reveals the scope of torture and pain that were suffered by the Imam (a.s.) in his life with al-Ma’mun. Hence, the Imam (a.s.) regarded his passing away as relief. Similarly, his father, Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Rida(a.s.), suffered the same pains and hardships when he was appointed as the crown prince. Whenever he returned from the mosque on Fridays, Imam al-Rida(a.s.) used to raise his hands to the sky, sweaty and dust-covered, and supplicate to Almighty
Allah, saying, “My God, if my death is my relief, then please do hasten the hour of my death.” He, furthermore, was always depressed and miserable until he departed life.
Imam Muhammad ibn Ali al-Yaqi(a.s.) lived for twenty-five years and a few months only. His holy tomb is directly behind the holy tomb of his grandfather, Imam Musa al-Kazim (a.s.), in the city of al-Kazimiyyah, Baghdad.