The Mafatih al-Jinān contains a special ziyārah and supplication for Hazrat Abū al-Faḍl al-ʿAbbās (ʿA). Devotees often recite this ziyārah and its prayers when asking for heartfelt needs or asking for the healing of the sick. The article explains the recommended text, the proper attitude of visitation, and specific devotional practices
Tawassul (turning in devotion) to Hazrat Abū al-Faḍl al-ʿAbbās (peace be upon him) and reciting his specific supplication and ziyārah in the Mafatih is highly recommended for attaining needs and for healing patients.
Hazrat Abū al-Faḍl al-ʿAbbās, because of his special status before the Merciful Lord, is granted abundant favor and mercy. For that reason, seeking intercession through him to obtain needs and heartfelt requests is common among Muslims worldwide. Every year many pilgrims travel to his sacred shrine, recite the specific ziyārah and supplications associated with him, and ask for their needs and inner wishes to be granted.
In Mafatih there is a specific supplication and ziyārah for Hazrat Abū al-Faḍl that the Imams and tradition strongly encourage. It is held that this practice is recommended (mustahabb) and helps bring the pilgrim closer to God, and can lead to the fulfillment of requests and wishes in this world and the next.
Arabic (opening formula) — English rendering:
“Sallāmu llāhi wa sallāmu malāʾikatihi al-muqarrabīn wa anbiyāʾihi al-mursalīn wa ʿibādihi al-ṣāliḥīn wa jamīʿ al-shuhadāʾ wa al-ṣiddīqīn.”
— “May God’s peace be upon you, and the peace of His nearest angels, His messengers, His righteous servants, and all the martyrs and the truthful.”
Persian/English commentary (translated):
“God’s peace and the salutations of His nearest angels, of His sent prophets, of His righteous servants, and of all martyrs and truthful believers — may that peace be upon you.”
Arabic phrase rendered & translated:
“(wa) al-zākiyāt al-ṭayyibāt fīmā taghtadī wa tarūḥ ʿalayka yā ibn amīr al-muʾminīn.”
— “And the pure, good souls that begin and end each day with you — peace be upon you, O son of the Commander of the Faithful.”
Then the ziyārah continues (core affirmations & salutations), meaning:
“I testify for you regarding surrender, truthfulness, loyalty and sincere counsel to the successor of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). I call you the chosen scion (of the Prophet), the guiding, learned leader, the appointed guardian and the wronged, oppressed one. May God reward you on behalf of His Messenger and on behalf of the Commander of the Faithful and for Hasan and Husayn (peace be upon them) with the best reward.”
English rendering of several key supplicatory lines that follow in the ziyārah:
“For your patience and endurance in supporting your brother (al-Ḥusayn), may God grant you a noble outcome in the Hereafter.”
“May God curse those who killed you; may God curse those who ignored your right and violated your sanctity; may God curse those who stood between you and the water of the Euphrates.”
“I testify that you were slain unjustly and that God will fulfill to you what He promised.”
“I have come to you, O son of the Commander of the Faithful, a supplicant to you with my heart submissive and following you.”
“I stand with you, I am with you, not with your enemies; by you and your return I am one of the believers.”
“May God destroy the nation that killed you by hand and tongue.”
Instruction in the Mafatih: enter the rawḍah (the shrine chamber), press yourself to the sacred grille (zarih), and say:
“As-salāmu ʿalayka ayyuhā al-ʿabdu al-ṣāliḥ” — “Peace be upon you, O righteous servant.”
Followed by praise: “obedient to God and His Messenger and to the Commander of the Faithful and Hasan and Husayn (peace be upon them).”
Continuation (English rendering of the salutations and praise):
“Peace be upon you, and God’s mercy, blessings, forgiveness and pleasure upon your spirit and body.”
“I testify, and call God to witness, that you departed having achieved the high station of the martyrs like those of Badr and those who strove in God’s path…”
More attestations of praise and reward:
“May God give you the best, most plentiful reward; may He grant reward to those who remained true to their covenant and answered his call and obeyed the rightful authorities.”
“I testify that you reached the utmost in sincere counsel and fulfilled the greatest effort; God has raised you among the martyrs and made your spirit dwell with the blessed.”
Further lines (translated):
“I testify that you did not waver nor fail; you proceeded in your matter with insight, emulating the righteous and following the prophets. May God join us and you and His Messenger and His chosen ones in the ranks of the humble—He is the Most Merciful of the merciful.”
Author’s note in the original Persian (translated):
The compiler (author) says it is good to recite this ziyārah standing at the grave facing the qibla, as noted by Sheikh in Tahdhib. Then enter, lay oneself upon the grave, and say while facing the qibla: “As-salāmu ʿalayka ayyuhā al-ʿabdu al-ṣāliḥ.” Also, tradition (Seyyed ibn Tawus, Sheikh Mufid and others) recommend, after that, to go to the head of the grave, pray two rakʿahs, then continue with whatever further prayer you wish. After the prayer, say many praises (salawāt):
Arabic invocation (translated):
“Allahumma ṣalli ʿalā Muḥammad wa āli Muḥammad.”
— “O God, send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad.”
Petitions (translated):
“O Lord, do not leave for me in this honored place and sacred visitation any sin except that You have forgiven it; do not leave me any worry except that You remove it; do not leave any sickness except that You heal it; do not leave any flaw except that You cover it; do not leave any sustenance except that You expand it; do not leave any fear except that You make me secure; do not leave any scattered state except that You gather it; protect every absent one and bring them near.”
“And for every need of this world and the next that contains Your pleasure and my righteousness — fulfill it, O Most Merciful of the merciful.”
Then the instructed posture: return to the zarih (shrine grill), stand near the feet of the Imam and say:
“As-salāmu ʿalayka yā Abā al-Faḍl al-ʿAbbās ibn amīr al-muʾminīn.”
— “Peace be upon you, O Abā al-Faḍl al-ʿAbbās, son of the Commander of the Faithful.”
Extolling his virtues (translation highlights):
“Peace be on you, son of the first among the people to accept Islam and the foremost in faith and the most steadfast in God’s religion and most vigilant in protecting Islam. I bear witness that you were sincere in goodness to God, His Messenger and your brother; God curse the people who killed you and the nation that violated your sanctity.”
More praise (translated):
“You were the exemplary patient struggler, the defender and helper; you obeyed your Lord and eagerly sacrificed, and you gained abundant reward and good renown.”
“May God join you with your noble ancestors in the gardens of bliss.”
Returning to supplication (translation):
“O Lord, I have come seeking visitation of Your friends for the sake of Your reward and in hope of Your forgiveness and abundant favor. I ask You to send blessings upon Muhammad and his pure family and to make my provision through them enduring, my life good, my ziyārah accepted, and enroll me among the honored.”
“Make me of those who return from their visitation of the shrines of Your beloved ones successful and granted their needs. They deserve forgiveness of sins, covering of faults, and relief from distress. You are the One of piety and forgiveness.”
Final farewell formula (translated):
When you are ready to depart, approach the noble grave and say the farewell words recorded in the Abu Hamza Thamali narrative (and cited by scholars):
“Astawdīʿuka Allāh wa astarʿīka wa aqraʾu ʿalayka al-salām.”
— “I entrust you to God, I ask God to care for you, and I deliver to you salutations.”
Then affirm faith in God, His Messenger, His book and that which he brought; ask God to write you among the witnesses. Pray that this visitation not be your last, ask for the blessing of always being able to visit, to be raised in faithfulness, to die in faith and in allegiance to ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib and the Imams, and to disavow their enemies.
Closing petition (translation):
“O God, send blessings upon Muhammad and his family, let me die upon belief in You and affirmation of Your Messenger, and in allegiance to ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib and the Imams from his descendants; make me free from their enemies — for I am pleased, O my Lord, with that. Blessings upon Muhammad and his family.”
Final practical note: after these prayers, you may supplicate for yourself, your parents, the believers and Muslims generally; choose any supplication you wish.
As stated, the Mafatih contains a ziyārah and prayer for Hazrat Abū al-Faḍl that devotees use to obtain needs and heartfelt wishes. Healing the sick is among these needs for which this ziyārah is especially recommended. Tradition advises that if someone seeks recovery for a patient, they may first recite this ziyārah, then intercede through Hazrat Abū al-Faḍl and finally ask God for recovery.
Specific recommended devotional recipes cited in tradition (translated):
On Wednesday night recite Sūrat al-Qadr 133 times with the intention of healing a patient, and afterwards recite 1,000 salawāt (blessings on the Prophet and his family).
Another narrated practice: perform two rakʿahs of prayer with the following recitations: in the first rakʿah recite Sūrat al-Fātiḥah then continue with Sūrat al-Anʿām up to verse 94; in the second rakʿah recite Sūrat al-Fātiḥah then continue Sūrat al-Anʿām from verse 94 to the end. After concluding the prayer, send 1,000 salawāt on Muhammad and his family and present your need, asking through Hazrat Abū al-Faḍl for the healing of your patient.
