IQBAL HUSSEIN'S SITE: 11/03/12

What is the Day of al-Ghadeer? AND The Rituals of the Day

What is the Day of al-Ghadeer?

After completing his last pilgrimage ten years after hijrah, the Messenger of God (saws) left Mecca and headed back to Madina, but not before stopping at a place called Ghadir Khumm.

In this very place, the following verse of the Qur'an was revealed:

"O Apostle! Deliver what has been sent down to you from your Lord; and if you don't do it, you have not delivered His message (at all); and Allah will protect you from the people ..."
(Qur'an 5:67)

The Messenger of God (saws) then stated:

"It seems the time approached when I shall be called away (by Allah) and I shall answer that call. I am leaving for you two precious things and if you adhere to them both, you will never go astray after me. They are the Book of Allah and my Progeny, that is, my Ahlul Bayt. The two shall never separate from each other until they come to me by the Pool (of Paradise)."

He continued:
"Do I not have more right over the believers than what they have over themselves?"

People cried and answered:
"Yes, O' Messenger of God."

He then made one of the most important statements in Islamic history.

He held up the hand of 'Ali and said:
"He over whom I have primacy, Ali has primacy. O' God, love those who love him, and be hostile to those who are hostile to him."

The Covenant of Brotherhood

During the annual celebration of Eid al-Ghadeer, it is customary for believers to engage in a "covenant of brotherhood."

They interlock right hands and say the following:

"I hereby make you my brother/sister for God's sake; I hereby choose you for God's sake; I hereby take your hand for God's sake. And I make a covenant before God, his angels, his scriptures, his messengers, his prophets, and his immaculate imams, that if I am judged to be among the denizens of paradise, worthy of intercession, and am given permission to enter paradise, I shall not enter it unless you are with me."

The other person should then say,

"I accept your covenant, and I relieve you of all the responsibilities of brotherhood except that you must intercede on my behalf before God, you must pray for me, and you must visit me."

The Rituals of the Day

There are numerous a'amal to be performed during this blessed day, including:
1. Observe fasting on this day, as it erases the sins of sixty years. It has also been narrated that it is equal to fasting for one's whole lifetime and is equal to the rewards of one hundred performances of Hajj and `Umrah.

2. Perform ghusl.

3. Recite the following three ziyaraat:

a. Special Ghadir ziyarah

b. Ziyarah Ameenulla

c. Ziyarah Mutlaqah of Imam Ali (as)

4. Recite Dua Nudba

5. Pray the first of two special two rakat prayers (details)

6. Pray the second of two special two rakat prayers (details)

7. When greeting fellow believers, recite the special greeting.

8. Recite the special dhikr and two duaa

AMAL FOR EID-E-GHADIR -18TH ZIL HAJJ

Imam Ali Ibn Moosa Ar Reza (a.s.) said:

"It is highly rewarding to be in Najaf Ashraf today for performing the Ziyarat of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (A.S.).

Give today as much as you can, in the name of Allah, to the less fortunate, because, the "day of Ghadeer" is particularly specified for helping deserving people."
Today's A'maal

(1) Have a Ghusl /bath, put on new or clean clothes and apply perfume.

(2) Observe fast.

(3) Recite special Ziyarats of Imam Ali ibne Abi Talib (i) Ziyarat Ameenallah & (ii) Ziyarat Mut"laqah

(4) Recite Dua"a Nudbah

(5) We can give expression to our joy and happiness in whatever manner available or suitable to us keeping in view the life style the tenets of Islam.It is highly desirable to make the faithfuls (Moomineen) happy to do favours to relatives, to give gifts, and invite friends and relatives to eat meals together, and above all to send blessings on Muhammad and Aali Muhammad as many times as possible.

(6) Pray a 2 Raka"t Salaat. just before noon time , as under:

In every Raka"t, after the recitation of Soorah Al Fatih"ah, recite: (i) Soorah Al Ikhlaas 10 times.(ii) Aayaat ul Kursee 10 times. (iii) Soorah At Qadr. 10 times.(iv) After the Salaam go into Sajdah and say 100 times: ALH"AMDULILLAAH SHUKRAN LILLAAH

Then sit and recite the dua"a "Allamumma inni asaloka be anna lakal hamda wahdaka".

Then go into Sajdah and recite :ALHAMDU LILLAH 100 times & SHUKRAN LILLAH 100 times

One who does this a"mal" today is entitled to receive the reward of a person who was present at Ghadeer, had heard the declaration, and accepted it as true.

(7) At the time of meeting with the brothers-in-faith say the following:

الْحَمْدُ للهِ الّذى جَعَلَنا مِنَ الْمُتَمَسِّكينَ بِوِلايَةِ اَميرِ الْمُؤْمِنينَ وَالاَئِمَّةِ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلامُ

Praise be to Allah, who blessed us to be among -those who cling and hold to the "Wilayaat" (love, friendship and authority) of Ameer Al Momineen and all the Imams, peace be on them all.

ALH"AMDU LILLAAHILLAD"EE JA-A"LANAA MINAL MUTAMASSIKEENA BIWILAAYATI AMEERIL MOOMINEENA WAL A-IMMATI A"LAYHIMUS SALAAM
اَلْحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذى اَكْرَمَنا بِهذَا الْيَوْمِ وَجَعَلَنا مِنَ الْمُوفنَ، بِعَهْدِهِ اِلَيْنا وَميثاقِهِ الّذى واثَقَنا بِهِ مِنْ وِلايَةِ وُلاةِ اَمْرِهِ وَالْقَوّامِ بِقِسْطِهِ، وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْنا مِنَ الْجاحِدينَ وَالْمُكَذِّبينَ بِيَوْمالدِّينَ

Praise be to Allah who honoured us with this day, and included us among those who have been given all that which was promised to them, and have been tied together with the bonds of contract to have full confidence in the authority of the guardians of the religious laws who established justice; and did not disgrace us to be among those who know better but deny the truth and treat the Day of Judgement as a false fable.

ALH"AMDU LILLAAHIL LAD"EE AKRAMNAA BIHAAD"AL YAWME JA-A"LANAA MINAL MOOFEENA BI-A"HDIHl ILAYNAA WA MEETHAAQIHIL LAD"EE ATHAQANAA BIHI MIN WILAAYATI WULAATI AMRIHI WAL QUWWAAMI BIQISTEHI WA LAM YAJ-A"LNAA MINAL JAAHEDEENA WAL MUKAD"D"IBEENA BIYAWMID DEEN

(8) Recite the following 100 times:

ALH"AMDU LILLAAHILLAD"EE JA-A"LA KAMAALA DEENIHI WA TAMAAMA NIA"-MATIHI BIWALAAYATI AMEERIL MOOMINEENA ALIYYIBNA ABEE T"AALIB A"LAYHISSALAAM

Praise be to Allah, who had perfected His religion and completed His favour with the establishment of Ali ibn Abi Talib"s authority, peace be on him.

(9) Recite special Ziyarats of Imam Ali ibne Abi Talib (i) Ziyarat Ameenallah & (ii) Ziyarat Mut"laqah