The Times and Conditions in which there is Hope for Acceptance
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1ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ أَبِي الْبِلادِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ زَيْدٍ الشَّحَّامِ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) اطْلُبُوا الدُّعَاءَ فِي أَرْبَعِ سَاعَاتٍ عِنْدَ هُبُوبِ الرِّيَاحِ وَزَوَالِ الأفْيَاءِ وَنُزُولِ الْقَطْرِ وَأَوَّلِ قَطْرَةٍ مِنْ دَمِ الْقَتِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِ فَإِنَّ أَبْوَابَ السَّمَاءِ تُفَتَّحُ عِنْدَ هَذِهِ الأشْيَاءِ.
1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from Yahya ibn Ibrahim ibn abu al-Belad from his father from Zayd al- Shahham who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Seek prayer in four hours: at the time of the blowing of winds, at the time of vanishing of shadows, at the time of the coming of raindrops and at the time the first drop of the blood of a believing person murdered spills. At such times the doors of the heavens open up.’”
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2ـ عَنْهُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَغَيْرِهِ عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِي الْعَبَّاسِ فَضْلٍ الْبَقْبَاقِ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) يُسْتَجَابُ الدُّعَاءُ فِي أَرْبَعَةِ مَوَاطِنَ فِي الْوَتْرِ وَبَعْدَ الْفَجْرِ وَبَعْدَ الظُّهْرِ وَبَعْدَ الْمَغْرِبِ.
2. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from his father from others from al-Qasim ibn ‘Urwah from abu al-‘Abbas Fadl al-Baqbaq who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘One’s praying and pleading before Allah for help is accepted in four occasions: in al-Witr, the last Rak’at of night prayer, after dawn, after noon time and after sunset.”’
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3ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ النَّوْفَلِيِّ عَنِ السَّكُونِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) اغْتَنِمُوا الدُّعَاءَ عِنْدَ أَرْبَعٍ عِنْدَ قِرَاءَةِ الْقُرْآنِ وَعِنْدَ الأذَانِ وَعِنْدَ نُزُولِ الْغَيْثِ وَعِنْدَ الْتِقَاءِ الصَّفَّيْنِ لِلشَّهَادَةِ.
3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfali from al-Sakuni from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) has said, ‘Use the opportunity for praying and pleading before Allah for help, on four occasions: at the time of reading the Holy Quran, at the time of Adhan (call for prayer) at the time it rains and at the time of the meeting of two armies (of which one sides is) for martyrdom.”’
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4ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ جَمِيلِ بْنِ دَرَّاجٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ عَطَاءٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ كَانَ أَبِي إِذَا كَانَتْ لَهُ إِلَى الله حَاجَةٌ طَلَبَهَا فِي هَذِهِ السَّاعَةِ يَعْنِي زَوَالَ الشَّمْسِ.
4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Jamil ibn Darraj from ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Ata’ from abu Ja’far (a.s.) who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘When my father needed help from Allah he would pray for it on this hour, that is, at noon time.’”
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5ـ عَنْهُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ حُسَيْنِ بْنِ الْمُخْتَارِ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِذَا رَقَّ أَحَدُكُمْ فَلْيَدْعُ فَإِنَّ الْقَلْبَ لا يَرِقُّ حَتَّى يَخْلُصَ.
5. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from his father from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Husayn ibn al-Mukhtar from abu Basir from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Whenever any one of you feels moved, you should pray at such time; the heart does not feel moved in tenderness until it becomes sincere.’”
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6ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ شَرِيفِ بْنِ سَابِقٍ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ أَبِي قُرَّةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) خَيْرُ وَقْتٍ دَعَوْتُمُ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِيهِ الأسْحَارُ وَتَلا هَذِهِ الآيَةَ فِي قَوْلِ يَعْقُوبَ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) سَوْفَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكُمْ رَبِّي وَقَالَ أَخَّرَهُمْ إِلَى السَّحَرِ.
6. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from Sharif ibn Sabiq from al-Fadl ibn abu Qurrah from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘The best time to pray to Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, is the last part of the night’ and he read this verse that quotes Ya’qub, peace be upon him, ‘I shall ask my Lord to forgive you; He is All-Forgiving and All-Merciful.’ (12:98) He said that he (Ya’qub) waited until the last part of the night (Sahar), then he prayed.’”
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7ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ سَعْدَانَ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ كَانَ أَبِي إِذَا طَلَبَ الْحَاجَةَ طَلَبَهَا عِنْدَ زَوَالِ الشَّمْسِ فَإِذَا أَرَادَ ذَلِكَ قَدَّمَ شَيْئاً فَتَصَدَّقَ بِهِ وَشَمَّ شَيْئاً مِنْ طِيبٍ وَرَاحَ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ وَدَعَا فِي حَاجَتِهِ بِمَا شَاءَ الله.
7. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Ahmad ibn Ishaq from Su’Dan ibn Muslim from Mu’awiyah ibn ‘Ammar from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Whenever my father prayed to Allah for help he would do so at noontime when the sun began to descend to the western horizon. When he intended it, first he would give something in charity, use perfume, go to the Mosque and pray to Allah for whatever he wanted.”
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8ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ حَدِيدٍ رَفَعَهُ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِذَا اقْشَعَرَّ جِلْدُكَ وَدَمَعَتْ عَيْنَاكَ فَدُونَكَ دُونَكَ فَقَدْ قُصِدَ قَصْدُكَ‏. قَالَ وَرَوَاهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنْ أَبِي إِسْمَاعِيلَ السَّرَّاجِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ سَعِيدٍ مِثْلَهُ.
8. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from Ali ibn Hadid in a marfu’ manner from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Whenever your skin feels a tingling sensation and your eyes tear up, you must pray and plead before Allah for help, it (your wish) is coming your way.” The narrator has said that Muhammad ibn Isma’il has narrated from abu Isma’il al-Sarraj from Muhammad ibn abu Hamza from Sa’id a similar Hadith.
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9ـ عَنْهُ عَنِ الْجَامُورَانِيِّ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ صَنْدَلٍ عَنْ أَبِي الصَّبَّاحِ الْكِنَانِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يُحِبُّ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كُلَّ عَبْدٍ دَعَّاءٍ فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالدُّعَاءِ فِي السَّحَرِ إِلَى طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ فَإِنَّهَا سَاعَةٌ تُفَتَّحُ فِيهَا أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاءِ وَتُقَسَّمُ فِيهَا الأرْزَاقُ وَتُقْضَى فِيهَا الْحَوَائِجُ الْعِظَامُ.
9. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from al-Jamurani from al- Hassan ibn Ali ibn abu Hamza from Sandal from abu al-Sabbah al-Kinani from abu Ja’far (a.s.) who has said the following: “Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, from among His believing people loves every prayerful one. You should pray during the last part of the night until sunrise; it is the hour in which the doors of heaven open up, sustenance is distributed and people in need are granted great help.”
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10ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ أُذَيْنَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ إِنَّ فِي اللَّيْلِ لَسَاعَةً مَا يُوَافِقُهَا عَبْدٌ مُسْلِمٌ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي وَيَدْعُو الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِيهَا إِلا اسْتَجَابَ لَهُ فِي كُلِّ لَيْلَةٍ قُلْتُ أَصْلَحَكَ الله وَأَيُّ سَاعَةِ هِيَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ قَالَ إِذَا مَضَى نِصْفُ اللَّيْلِ وَهِيَ السُّدُسُ الأوَّلُ مِنْ أَوَّلِ النِّصْفِ.
10. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from ‘Umar ibn ‘Udhaynah who has said the following: “I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘In a night there is an hour during which if a Muslim servant (of Allah) has the opportunity to perform a formal prayer and then plead before Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, for help, he will receive an answer every night.’ I (the narrator) then asked, ‘May Allah grant you well being, which hour of night is that?’ The Imam said, ‘It is the first one-sixth of the second half of the night.’”