Begin with Praise: Inspirations from Du'a al-Iftitah

by Sayyid Muneer Al-Khabbaz

“O’ God, I begin exaltation with Your praise!” Those words appear at the beginning of Du’a al-Iftitah – a supplication taught to us by our beloved Imam al-Mahdi, may God hasten his return. He taught us to recite this blessed supplication every night in the Holy Month of Ramadan. Du’a al-Iftitah addresses a plethora of topics on Islamic theology, spirituality, and ethics. Contemplation on its verses allows believers to make the best the Muslim Holy Month of fasting – building on their relationship with God Almighty. In this book, delve with Sayyid Muneer al-Khabbaz into the depths of this sublime supplication to understand its pure spiritual, social, ethical, and educational teachings. This book will aid the reader in finding a source of spiritual connection during the Holy Month through Du’a al-Iftitah, especially in light of the spiritually deprived climate of our contemporary world.

Genres: Islam

302 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 12, 2019

Reviews

[Muhammad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the supplication, of course. Some of the interpretation by the author was a bit off putting. Example, if in the supplication the Imam says "Praise be to God, who answers to me whenever I call Him, covers up all my shortcomings while I disobey Him", then the author says that an Immaculate Imam has no sins... How would you know, if God is covering his sins from you, the viewing public? See, that's what creates personality cults and religious fanatics. Believing that ANY human is without sin just because you as a scholar, or follower are unaware of it. Our sin is between us and Allah. No human being can be an example for another human being without experiencing the very things that all humans experience, sin included.

"Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city. Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins." Ecclesiastes 7:19 - 20

"So be patient, O Prophet, for Allah's promise is certainty true. Seek forgiveness for your shortcomings." Surah 40: The Forgiver

The Immaculate nature of the Imam has to do with the nature of the initiation process into the special knowledge of God he has been blessed with, not his being perfect or free from sin. It's sort of the same concept in Christianity of the Immaculate conception. Not that God has come down and mated with a human to create a child, but the gifting of knowledge of his Being, mystery religion style.

"Our Immaculate Imams supplicate and weep not in respect to their own existence, but with respective to the collective." That's incorrect. It's not a matter of either/or, it's both/and. We weep with respect to our own existence and the glory that Allah has called us to AND for the collective.

I thought this part was interesting: "In every succeeding generation of my nation, there is a counterpart from my household who shall protect this religion against the distortions of fanatics, the deceit of corrupters, and the interpretations of the ignorant." Of course, not saying the Holy Prophet (pbuh) was wrong, because he wasn't... but then them folks in the "Middle East" got some "splaining" to do (in my Ricky Ricardo voice)!

Giving 3 stars. Good break down of the Dua, a little repetitive.