Reciting prayers in the Major Occultation Era

During the Major Occultation Era, one of the duties of the worshippers is beseeching and requesting The Supreme God, to protect our faith and religion from the devils’ skepticism and Zandaqa1. The other duty is, reciting the prayers that are related to the case.

The prayer was mentioned by Shaykhayn Nuˈmai and Kulaynī, based on various documents. They mentioned:

[In this regard,] Zurārah said, ‘Once I heard Aba Abdullâh (pbuh) stated, ‘Qā’im (mGehr) is occulted for a long time before he will emerge!’ I wondered, ‘How come?!’ He stated, ‘He fears.’ And he pointed to his blessed belly with his hand. Then he kept on, ‘O, Zurārah! He is the one who is looking forward to his emergence [Mūntasar2]. Also, he is the one whom they will doubt in his birth!

Well, some people will say that his father did not consider any successor, and some others will say that he is still in his mother’s womb, or he is still occulted! The other will say that he was born before his father died. Yes, in this period, God will be testing Shi’a’s hearts.’

Zurārah explained, ‘There, I said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you! If I am alive then, what am I expected to do?’

The Imām stated, ‘If you are alive then, recite this prayer:

اَللّھُمَّ عَرِّفْنى نَفْسَكَ فَاِنَّكَ اِنْ لَمْ تُعَّرِفْنى نَفْسَكَ لَمْ اَعْرِفْ نِبیِّكَ اَللّھُمَّ عَرِّفْنى نَفْسَكَ فَاِّنَكَ اِنْ لَمْ

تُعَرِّفْنِى رَسُولَكْ لَمْ اَعْرِفْ حُجَّتَكْ اَللّھُمَّ عَرِّفْنِى حُجَّتَكْ فَاِنَّكَ اِنْ لَمْ تُعَّرِفْنى حُجَّتَكْ ضَلَلْتُ عَنْ دينى…

It means:

Oh God, make yourself known to me, for if you do not make yourself known to me, I will not know your Prophet. Oh God, make your Prophet known to me, for if you do not, I won’t know your Proof [the infallible Imām]. O God, let me know your Proof because if you don’t, I will go astray from my religion.

Moreover, there is another long prayer, but it initiates with the same prayer.

Anyhow, the Imām stated, ‘If you have any excuse of doing the whole things I said and reciting it after the afternoon prayer of Fridays, be aware not to read it carelessly! We have known the virtue of The Almighty God who considered us unique. Therefore, trust in the prayer.’

 

1-It is an Islamic pejorative applied to individuals who are considered to hold views or follow practices that are contrary to central Islamic dogmas. Zandaqa is the noun describing these view.

2- It means, to be waited for.