Learning Spirituality from Imam Husayn (a): A Commentary on Du‘a ‘Arafah

by Javad Shomali

Du’a ‘Arafah of Imam Husayn is among the deepest texts on spirituality. It is an inexhaustible ocean of spirituality and knowledge. The deeper a person can dive, the more gems they will find. This book is a humble attempt to bring out some of these gems and share them with you.

I personally feel like I learned more from reflection on this du‘a, than I had learned from years of studying and reading about religion and God. Du’a ‘Arafah did not just teach me about God, but also enabled me to feel His presence and love. And I am very excited to share this experience with you. The commentary is designed to help you connect with the phrases of the du‘a in a more personal and real way.

Genres: Islam, Spirituality, Religion

221 pages, Paperback

Published June 24, 2022

Reviews

[mana · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is an explanation of the love letter of a creation (imam hussain as) to the Creator.
this book should be read by literally everyone walking on earth who searches for Allah (swt). i didn’t wanna finish this book, but on the other hand i saw the flaws that i had in my relationship with Him and i wanted to work on them. Our communities need to be re-educated about God and His everlasting mercy and love.

i cried my eyes out reading the last chapter.
—here some piece that will resonate with me for a long long time・

𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩. 𝙍𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙬, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙬𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙃𝙞𝙢, 𝙃𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩. 𝙃𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙗𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙗𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙨. 𝙃𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚. 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩.

8:24・𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩.

𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙄𝙢𝙖𝙢 𝙃𝙪𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙣 (𝙖): 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘽𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣. 𝙃𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠. 𝙃𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙃𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩. 𝙃𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨. 𝙃𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡. 𝙃𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙣, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙙. 𝙃𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙮𝙚𝙩 𝙃𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙃𝙞𝙢. 𝙃𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙃𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪; 𝙃𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙩.

𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙃𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙞𝙩:

41:54・𝙃𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜

i will definitely re-read this book and take lessons from it.
All i have to say: shukran lillah, shukran lillah, shukran lillah (thank you oh Allah)

[ruvesayli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that when you finish it, you are more sad than happy. Enlightened but sad.
I never felt like a belonged in my religion and this book did just that for me. Allah swt wanted me to read this book so I could see how He truly wants me to feel about Him. I see it now, loud and clear. May I never cease to forget.

[Masuma Zahra · Rating 5 out of 5]

i read this book at such a pivotal moment in my life; it felt like God was really speaking to me. absolutely beautiful

[Sakina Zehra · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s like therapy in 200 pages

[Shakila · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really an example of how to be your authentic self with God. Imam Hussain as demonstrated this elegantly and beautifully through his deep Dua. There is no any concerns which cannot be discussed or even felt when it comes to tell it to God first. Every Line of the Dua made me ponder about my own emotions and how i wanted to express myself to God. This book really helped me to clear my thought and tell God about my deepest pain and joy in my life. I feel enlighten reading this beautiful book.

[Nahin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was written with such warmth, it brought tears to my eyes several times. Truly divine.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will forever cherish <3

[Luna M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for a book club with some friends. While I appreciated that the author grounded his analysis in love, mercy, and compassion rather than fear, I wish it was a little more academic. That might not have been the purpose of the book and it’s certainly a question of taste. It was very accessible and easy to read.

The book did well what “Secrets of Divine Love” attempted so poorly and sloppily to do.

[Reza M · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're familiar with Shaikh Javad Shomali and have listened to his lectures before, the perspective he brings to this commentary on Dua Arafah will not surprise you. He explains this Dua through the lens of love - the Dua is not a servant begging his Lord out of fear, but a conversation between two lovers. I read the entire book on the Day of Arafah, and regret not taking my time with it and reflecting on it more.

[Batool Rizvi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This truly changed my world view as well as my understanding of God. It gave me a glimpse of the way in which Imam Hussain (as) saw God and his close, intimate relationship with God. The translations are meaningful, deep, insightful, and explained. I wish for Sheikh Shomali to write a book like this for every other dua that exists so we can really go beyond the surface.

[Mena Almutawa · Rating 5 out of 5]

a special one to the heart,
this book is like a mentor that teaches you the essence of duas, changes the perspective in which you will ever view duas.
beautifully manuscripted and speaks to every heart that is open for change.

[Fatima Sheriff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this in Iraq ages ago and never finished so I thought this Muharram was a good time. Definitely one I'll return to as a little spiritual boost and once I'm more familiar with the dua in Arabic

[Anees Raza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mind Blowing and Heart Melting Book. Recommended

[Parwana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forever grateful to have been recommended this gem. As I have little words right now, I’ll revisit soon with a review.

❤️

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite Islamic books of all time. Loved it so much.

[Zeeshan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written with warmth, the title emphasises how everything is rooted in God’s abundant love and the necessity to view our lives through those lenses to ensure we practice the religion in the true way it was intended, for our own growth and benefit.