Spirituality - Secrets of Prayer Taught by Imam Jafar Sadiq (AS) Print

In the Holy Qur'an


When my servants ask you about Me, (tell them that) I am indeed most near. I answer the supplicant's call when he calls Me. So let them respond to Me, and let them have faith in Me, so that they may fare rightly (2:186)

In the Traditions


My God,

the uninterrupted flow of Thy graciousness
hast distracted me from thanking Thee!
The flood of Thy bounty has rendered me incapable
of counting Thy praises!

The succession of Thy kind acts has diverted me
from mentioning Thee in laudation!

The continuous rush of Thy benefits has thwarted me
from spreading the news of Thy gently favours!

This is the station of him who
confesses to the lavishness of favours,
meets them with shortcomings,
and witnesses to his own disregard and negligence.

Thy favours are many -
my understanding falls short of grasping them,
not to speak of exhausting them!

So how can i achieve thanksgiving?

For my thanking Thee requires thanksgiving.

Whenever i say, 'To Thee belongs praise!',
it becomes thereby incumbent upon me to say,
'To Thee belongs praise!'

Excerpt of the Whispered Prayer of the Thankful
by Imam Zainul Abideen