Ayyamul Beez: The Days of the Full Moon - Days of Supplication and Prayer

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ

'When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me.'

(Surat al-Baqara: 186)

This article was written by Ra'sul Hududil Mayameen Janab Syedi Aziz Bhaisaheb Qutbuddin in 2014.

The 13th, 14th and 15th of Rajab-ul-Asabb are known as the ‘Ayyamul Beez’ (أيّامُ البِيضْ) ‘the days of the white nights’ as these are the days in which the full moon is visible throughout the night. ‘Beez’ literally refers to ‘white’ in Arabic (from abyad) and by extension light, and so the connotation is that these are days in which the moonlight is so bright and continuous that night turns to day. These three days are particularly significant in the month of Rajab which is the month of Maulana Ali SA – just as Shaban is the month of Rasulullah SA, and Ramadan the month of Allah Ta’ala.

The 19th Dai Syedna Idris Imaduddin RA composed an entire Risalat “Risalat al-Bayan li ma wajab fi Ma’rifati Shahre Rajab” (رسالة البيان لما وجب في معرفة شهر رجب) in which he did bayaan on the deeper meanings of the month of Rajab and the significance of these three days in particular. In this Risalat, Syedna Idris RA first explains the origin of the amal (roza, namaaz, das surat and Sadaqalla) we do in these three days. In the time of Imam Ja’far-us-Sadiq SA, Umm Da’ud (the mother of Da’ud) went in the Imam’s Hazrat. Her son, Dau’d, also had a radaa’at (dudh nu mehram – kinship through nursing with milk) with one of the Imams wives. Imam Ja’farus Sadiq enquired about Da’ud and his mother informed the Imam that her son was imprisoned by Abud-dawaneeq (the Abbasid khalifa) in Iraq since a long time. The Imam advised her, “When the great month of Rajab approaches, and it is a month in which prayers are answered, fast on the 13th, 14th and 15th days. On the third day do full ablution (ghusul) before zawaal (time of Zohor Namaaz) and pray eight rak’ats Salat al-Zawaal. Then pray Zohor. After Zohor pray two Rak’ats in which you pray the Surahs Qul Huwallahu Ahad and Qul Ya ayyuhal-kaafirun. Then pray Asar. Then, facing the qibla recite Surat al-Hamd 100 times and Surat Qul Huwallahu Ahad 100 times. Then pray the ten Surahs (An’aam, Kahf, Yaseen, Saffat, Hameem Sajda, Hammeem Ain Seen Qaaf, Dukhaan, Fath, Waqi’a, Tabaarak and finally from Iza al-samaa’un Shaqqat to then end and al-Hamd). Then pray a doa (the Sadaqallah doa) till the end.”

Syedna Idris expounds the deep meanings in the Imam’s prescription for amal in Ayyamul Beez. Syedna Idris states that by taking the wasila of our Awliya’, by praying namaaz after fasting (roza) and by praying Qur’an and doa (Sadaqalla),“Our sins are atoned, our good deeds multiplied, our ill-deeds expunged and our prayers answered.”

Syedna Idris adds, “Especially in these times in which we are being tested (imtehaan)- and our brothers are dispersed and divided-the people of tyranny and abhorrence are strong. We have become in this age as Rasulullah the Sadiq said, “there will be a fitnat after me in which believers will run from one mountain to the other.” It is compulsory upon us in such difficult times to do more fasting (rozas) and prayers (namaaz and doa) – especially doa’s that are prescribed by our awliya’. These prayers do not go unanswered, for Allah Ta’ala says “when My servants ask you (Rasulullah SA) concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them)” (the ayat quoted above).

Centuries have passed, and again we are in an age when the description of Syedna Idris about the times precisely applies. In Syedna Idris’s zaman, the Da’wat and Mumineen survived those times, and so will the Da’wat and Mumineen today survive. As Syedna Idris took succor in namaaz and doa, his successor Syedna Qutbuddin TUS continues to pray for Mumineen every day and every hour. In these auspicious days, let us fast, pray namaaz, and pray Quran and doa as per Ja’farus Sadiq Imam’s irshaad and let us beseech Allah Ta’ala: May Allah Ta’ala protect Dawat, may He guide Mumineen to the True Dai and the True Path, may He give them strength to adhere to their beliefs and lead a good life according to the guidance of our Hudaat, may He keep Mumineen in His hifazat, may He take to task those who are using religion for material gain, and may He give a long life to our Dai and our guide, Syedna Khuzaima Qutbuddin TUS.