Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3570

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Ahmad ibn al-Hasan narrated to us: Sulayman ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Dimashqi narrated to us, from al-Walid ibn Muslim, from Ibn Jurayj, from ‘Ata ibn Abi Rabah and ‘Ikrimah, the freedman of Ibn ‘Abbas, from Ibn ‘Abbas, who said: While we were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib came to him and said: ‘May my father and mother be your ransom! This Qur’an slips away from my heart, and I find that I cannot retain it.’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him: ‘Abu al-Hasan, shall I teach you some words by which Allah will benefit you and those whom you teach, and make firm in your heart what you have learned?’ He said: ‘Yes, Messenger of Allah; teach me.’ He said: ‘On the night before Friday, if you can stand during the last third of the night, do so, for it is an hour witnessed, and supplication during it is answered. My brother Jacob said to his sons, “I shall seek forgiveness for you from my Lord,” meaning until the night before Friday comes. If you cannot, then stand in the middle of the night; if you cannot, then stand at its beginning, and pray four units. In the first unit recite the Opening of the Book and Surah Ya-Sin; in the second, the Opening of the Book and Ha-Mim, the Smoke; in the third, the Opening of the Book and Alif-Lam-Mim, the Prostration; and in the fourth, the Opening of the Book and Tabarak al-Mufassal. When you finish the tashahhud, praise Allah and praise Him well, invoke blessings upon me and do so well, and upon the rest of the prophets. Ask forgiveness for the believing men and women and for your brothers who preceded you in faith. Then say at the end: “O Allah, have mercy on me by enabling me to abandon sins forever, for as long as You let me live. Have mercy on me by keeping me from taking on what does not concern me, and grant me sound judgment in what pleases You concerning me. O Allah, Originator of the heavens and earth, Possessor of majesty, generosity, and inviolable honor, I ask You, O Allah, O Most Merciful, by Your majesty and the light of Your Face, to make my heart retain Your Book as You taught me, and grant me to recite it in the manner that pleases You concerning me. O Allah, Originator of the heavens and earth, Possessor of majesty, generosity, and inviolable honor, I ask You, O Allah, O Most Merciful, by Your majesty and the light of Your Face, to illuminate my sight through Your Book, set my tongue free through it, relieve my heart through it, expand my breast through it, and wash my body through it. For none but You can aid me in the truth, and none grants it except You. There is no might or power except through Allah, the Most High, the Magnificent.” Abu al-Hasan, do this for three Fridays, or five, or seven, and you will be answered, by Allah’s permission. By the One who sent me with the truth, no believer has ever done this without receiving an answer.’ Ibn ‘Abbas said: By Allah, ‘Ali waited only five or seven [days] before he came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ at a gathering like that one and said: ‘Messenger of Allah, formerly I could retain only four verses or so; when I recited them to myself, they slipped away. Today I learn forty verses or so, and when I recite them to myself, it is as though the Book of Allah is before my eyes. I used to hear a hadith and, when I repeated it, it slipped away; today I hear hadiths and, when I relate them, I do not omit a single letter.’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then said to him: ‘A believer, by the Lord of the Ka‘bah, Abu al-Hasan!’ Abu ‘Isa said: This is a hasan gharib hadith; we know it only through the narration of al-Walid ibn Muslim.