2 Supplications From Imam al-Mahdi for the Month of Rajab

The month of Rajab is not merely a prelude to Ramadan; it is a sacred season in its own right — a time of awakening, realignment, and return. It is a month in which the believer is invited to soften the heart, recalibrate intention, and prepare the soul for the greater spiritual journeys ahead.

Among the most profound legacies of Rajab are the supplications attributed to Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance). These prayers were taught by him during the period of occultation through his trusted deputies.

Preserved by Shaykh al-Tusi in Misbah al-Mutahajjid, both supplications are reported through Abu Abd Allah Ahmad ibn Muhammad (Ibn Ayyash) — a 4th-century Imami scholar whose works and narrations were widely cited by later scholars in devotional and historical literature.

Dua 1: Narrated from the 2nd Deputy of Imam al-Mahdi

This supplication was transmitted through Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Uthman ibn Said, the second deputy of Imam al-Mahdi, and was written from a tawqi’ (letter) sent by the Imam. It is prescribed to be recited each day of the month of Rajab, serving as a comprehensive prayer of repentance, faith, and spiritual readiness for the months ahead.

اللَّهُمَّ إِنّي أَسأَلُكَ بِمَعاني جَميعِ ما يَدعوكَ بِهِ
Allahumma inni as’aluka bi-ma‘ani jami‘i ma yad‘uka bihi
O Allah, I ask You by the meanings of all that is used to call upon You.

وُلاةُ أَمرِكَ المَأمونونَ عَلى سِرِّكَ
Wulatu amrik al-ma’mununa ‘ala sirrik
Those entrusted with Your command and trusted with Your secret.

المُستَبشِرونَ بِأَمرِكَ
Al-mustabshiruna bi-amrik
Those who rejoice in Your command.

الواصِفونَ لِقُدرَتِكَ
Al-wasifuna li-qudratik
Those who describe Your power.

المُعلِنونَ لِعَظَمَتِكَ
Al-mu‘linuna li-‘azamatik
Those who proclaim Your greatness.

أَسأَلُكَ بِما نَطَقَ فيهم مِن مَشيئَتِكَ
As’aluka bima nataqa fihim min mashiyatik
I ask You by that through which Your will spoke within them.

فَجَعَلتَهُم مَعادنَ لِكَلِماتِكَ
Fa ja‘altahum ma‘adina li-kalimatik
You made them repositories of Your words.

وَأَركانًا لِتَوحيدِكَ
Wa arkana li-tawhidik
And pillars of Your oneness.

وَآياتِكَ وَمَقامِاتِكَ
Wa ayatika wa maqamatik
And Your signs and sacred stations.

الَّتي لا تَعطيلَ لَها في كُلِّ مَكان
Allati la ta‘tila laha fi kulli makan
Which are never absent in any place.

يَعرِفُكَ بِها مَن عَرَفَكَ
Ya‘rifuka biha man ‘arafak
Through them, whoever knows You truly knows You.

لا فَرقَ بَينَكَ وَبَينَها
La farqa baynaka wa baynaha
There is no distinction between You and them.

إِلّا أَنَّهُم عِبادُكَ وَخَلقُكَ
Illa annahum ‘ibaduka wa khalquk
Except that they are Your servants and Your creation.

فَتقُها وَرَتقُها بِيَدِكَ
Fatquha wa ratquha bi-yadik
Their unfolding and restoration are in Your hand.

بَدؤُها مِنكَ
Bad’uha minka
Their beginning is from You.

وَعَودُها إِلَيك
Wa ‘awduha ilayk
And their return is to You.

أَعضادٌ وَأَشهادٌ وَحُفّاظٌ وَرُوّاد
A‘dad wa ashhad wa huffaz wa ruwad
Supporters, witnesses, protectors, and guides.

فَبِهِم مَلَأتَ سَماءَكَ وَأَرضَكَ
Fa bihim mala’ta sama’aka wa ardak
Through them You filled Your heavens and Your earth.

حَتّى ظَهَرَ أَن لا إِلهَ إِلّا أَنت
Hatta zahara an la ilaha illa ant
Until it became clear that there is no god but You.

فَبِذلِكَ أَسأَلُكَ
Fa bidhālika as’aluka
By all of this, I ask You.

أَن تُصَلّيَ عَلى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ
An tusalliya ‘ala Muhammad wa alih
To send blessings upon Muhammad and his family.

وَأَن تَزيدَني إيمانًا وَتَثبيتًا
Wa an tazidani imanan wa tathbitan
And to increase me in faith and steadfastness.

يا باطِنًا في ظُهورِهِ
Ya batinan fi zuhurih
O You who are inward within Your outwardness.

وَظاهِرًا في بُطونِهِ وَمَكنونِهِ
Wa zahiran fi butunih wa maknunih
And manifest within what is hidden and concealed.

يا مُفَرِّقًا بَينَ النّورِ وَالدُّجور
Ya mufarriqan bayna an-nur wa ad-dujur
O You who distinguish light from darkness.

يا مَوصوفًا بِغَيرِ كُنه
Ya mawsufan bi-ghayri kunh
O You who are described without being fully grasped.

وَمَعرُوفًا بِغَيرِ شِبه
Wa ma‘rufan bi-ghayri shibh
And known without any likeness.

حاصِرَ كُلِّ مَحدود
Hasira kulli mahdud
You encompass every limited thing.

وَشاهِدَ كُلِّ مَشهود
Wa shahida kulli mashhud
You witness all that is witnessed.

وَمُوجِدَ كُلِّ مَوجود
Wa mujida kulli mawjud
You bring every being into existence.

وَمُحصي كُلِّ مَعدود
Wa muhsī kulli ma‘dud
You count all that can be counted.

وَفاقدَ كُلِّ مَفقود
Wa faqida kulli mafqud
Nothing absent is hidden from You.

لَيسَ دونَكَ مِن مَعبود
Laysa dunaka min ma‘bud
There is no deity besides You.

أَهلَ الكِبرياءِ وَالجود
Ahla al-kibriya’ wa al-jud
O Possessor of majesty and generosity.

يا مَن لا يُكَيَّفُ بِكَيف
Ya man la yukayyafu bi-kayf
O You who cannot be defined by “how.”

وَلا يُؤيَّنُ بِأَين
Wa la yu’ayyanu bi-ayn
Nor confined by “where.”

يا مُحتَجِبًا عَن كُلِّ عَين
Ya muhtajiban ‘an kulli ‘ayn
O You who are veiled from every eye.

يا دَيمومُ يا قَيّوم
Ya dayyum ya qayyum
O Everlasting, O Self-Subsisting.

وَعالِمَ كُلِّ مَعلوم
Wa ‘alima kulli ma‘lum
Knower of all that is known.

صَلِّ عَلى عِبادِكَ المُنتَجَبين
Salli ‘ala ‘ibadika al-muntajabin
Send blessings upon Your chosen servants.

وَبُشُرِكَ المُحتَجَبين
Wa bushurika al-muhtajabin
And Your concealed proofs.

وَمَلائِكَتِكَ المُقَرَّبين
Wa mala’ikatika al-muqarrabin
And Your nearest angels.

وَالصّافّينَ الحافّين
Wa as-saffina al-haffin
And those arrayed and encircling.

بارِك لَنا في شَهرِنا هٰذا
Barik lana fi shahrina hadha
Bless for us this month of ours.

رَجَب المُرَجَّب المُكَرَّم
Rajab al-murajjab al-mukarram
Rajab, exalted and honoured.

وَما بَعدَهُ مِنَ الأَشهُرِ الحُرُم
Wa ma ba‘dahu min al-ashhur al-hurum
And the sacred months that follow it.

وَأَسبِغ عَلَينا فيهِ النِّعَم
Wa asbigh ‘alayna fihi an-ni‘am
Pour upon us abundant blessings.

وَأَجزِل لَنا فيهِ القِسَم
Wa ajzil lana fihi al-qisam
Grant us generous portions within it.

وَاغفِر لَنا ما تَعلَمُ مِنّا
Wa ghfir lana ma ta‘lamu minna
Forgive us for what You know of us.

وَما لا نَعلَم
Wa ma la na‘lam
And for what we do not know.

وَاعصِمنا مِنَ الذُّنوبِ خَيرَ العِصَم
Wa‘simna min adh-dhunubi khayra al-‘isam
Protect us from sins with the best protection.

وَلا تَكِلنا إِلى غَيرِكَ
Wa la takilna ila ghayrik
Do not leave us to anyone besides You.

وَبَلِّغنا شَهرَ الصِّيام
Wa ballighna shahr as-siyam
Allow us to reach the month of fasting.

وَما بَعدَهُ مِنَ الأَيّامِ وَالأَعوام
Wa ma ba‘dahu min al-ayyam wa al-a‘wam
And the days and years that follow.

يا ذَا الجَلالِ وَالإِكرام
Ya dhal-jalali wa al-ikram
O Possessor of Majesty and Honour.

Dua 2: Narrated from the 3rd Deputy of Imam al-Mahdi

Ibn Ayyash narrates that this supplication was conveyed to his household through the great shaykh Abu al-Qasim Husayn ibn Ruh al-Nawbakhti, the 3rd deputy of Imam al-Mahdi, to be recited during the days of Rajab:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنّي أَسأَلُكَ بِالمَولودَينِ في رَجَبٍ
Allahumma inni as’aluka bil-mawludayn fi Rajab
“O Allah! I ask You by the two who were born in the month of Rajab.

مُحَمَّدِ بنِ عَلِيٍّ الثّاني وَابنِهِ عَلِيِّ بنِ مُحَمَّدٍ المُنتَجَبِ،
Muhammad ibn Ali ath-thani wa-ibnih Ali ibn Muhammad al-Muntajab,
Muhammad ibn Ali, the second and his son Ali ibn Muhammad, the chosen one,

‏وَأَتَقَرَّبُ بِهِما إِلَيكَ خَيرَ القُرَبِ،
Wa ataqarrabu bihima ilayka khayra al-qurab
and I seek nearness to You through them in the best manner of seeking nearness.

‏يا مَن إِلَيهِ المَعروفُ طُلِبَ، وَفيما لَدَيهِ رُغِبَ،
Ya man ilayhi al-ma‘ruf tuliba wa fima ladayhi rughiba
O He from whom all goodness is sought, and toward whom all aspirations are directed.

أَسأَلُكَ سُؤالَ مُقتَرِفٍ مُذنِبٍ قَد أَوبَقَتهُ ذُنوبُهُ، وَأَوثَقَتهُ عُيوبُهُ،
As’aluka su’ala muqtarif mudhnib qad awbaqat-hu dhunubuhu, wa awthaqat-hu ‘uyubuhu
I ask You with the plea of a transgressing sinner — one whose sins have ruined him, whose faults have bound him,

فَطالَ عَلى الخَطايا دُؤوبُهُ، وَمِنَ الرَّزايا خُطوبُهُ.
fa tala ‘ala al-khataya du’ubu, wa min ar-razaya khutubuhu
whose persistence in wrongdoing has grown long, and whose afflictions and burdens have multiplied.

يَسأَلُكَ التَّوبَةَ، وَحُسنَ الأَوبَةِ، وَالنُّزوعَ عَنِ الحَوبَةِ،
Yas’aluka at-tawbah, wa husn al-awbah, wa an-nuzu‘ ‘an al-hawbah
He asks You for repentance, for a beautiful return, and for withdrawal from sin,

وَمِنَ النّارِ فَكاكَ رَقَبَتِهِ، وَالعَفوَ عَمّا في رِبقَتِهِ،
wa min an-nar fakaka raqabatihi, wal-‘afwa ‘amma fi ribqatihi
for the freeing of his neck from the Fire, and for pardon regarding what is encompassed in his record.

فَأَنتَ مَولايَ أَعظَمُ أَمَلِهِ وَثِقَتِهِ.
Fa anta mawlaya a‘dhama amalihi wa thiqatihi
For You are my Master, the One in whom rests my greatest hope and trust.

اللَّهُمَّ وَأَسأَلُكَ بِمَسائِلِكَ الشَّريفَةِ، وَوَسائِلِكَ المُنيفَةِ
Allahumma wa as’aluka bi-masa’ilika ash-sharifah, wa wasa’ilika al-munifah
O Allah! I also ask You — by Your noble requests and Your exalted means

أَن تَتَغَمَّدَني في هٰذا الشَّهرِ بِرَحمَةٍ مِنكَ واسِعَةٍ، وَنِعمَةٍ وازِعَةٍ،
an tataghammadani fi hadha ash-shahr, bi-rahmah minka wasi‘ah, wa ni‘mah wazi‘ah
to envelop me in this month with a vast mercy from You, a restraining and protective blessing

‏وَنَفسٍ بِما رَزَقتَها قانِعَةٍ،
wa nafsin bima razaqtaha qani‘ah
and a soul content with what You have provided it,

إِلى نُزولِ الحافِرَةِ، وَمَحَلِّ الآخِرَةِ، وَما هِيَ إِلَيهِ صائِرَةٌ.
ila nuzul al-hafirah, wa mahall al-akhirah, wa ma hiya ilayhi sa’iratan
until the moment of descending into the grave, and the station of the Hereafter, and to whatever end it proceeds.