45. Forty-Day Supplications (Tawassulāt)

45.  ﺗﻮﺳّﻼت ﭼﻬﻞ روزه

ﺗﻮﺳﻼت ﭼﻬﻞ روزه رﯾﺸﻪ ي ﻗﺮآﻧﯽ دارد و ﺟﺎﯾﮕﺎه وﯾﮋه اي را در اﺣﺎدﯾﺚ ﺑﻪ ﺧﻮد اﺧﺘﺼﺎص داده اﺳﺖ:

(1 ﺧﺪاوﻧﺪ ﻣﻨّﺎن ﺑﻪ ﺣﻀـﺮت ﻣﻮﺳـﯽ ﻋﻠﯿﻪ اﻟﺴﻼم ﻓﺮﻣﺎن داد ﮐﻪ ﭼﻬﻞ روز از ﻗﻮم ﺧﻮد ﻋﺰﻟﺖ ﮔﺰﯾﻨﺪ و در ﻃﻮر ﺑﻪ ﻋﺒﺎدت، ﺗﻬﺠّﺪ و ﺗﻬﺬﯾﺐ ﻧﻔﺲ ﺑﭙﺮدازد، ﺗﺎ اﻟﻮاح را درﯾﺎﻓﺖ ﻧﻤﺎﯾﺪ ﮐﻪ دﻗﯿﻘﺎً روز ﭼﻬﻠﻢ اﻟﻮاح را درﯾﺎﻓﺖ ﻧﻤﻮد(8).

87 :ص

-8 .1 ﺳﻮره ﺑﻘﺮه، آﯾﻪ 51 و ﺳﻮره اﻋﺮاف، آﯾﻪ .142

(2 اﺷـﺮف ﮐﺎﯾﻨـﺎت ﺑﻪ ﻣـﺪّت ﭼﻬـﻞ ﺳـﺎل ﺑﻪ ﻋﺒـﺎدت ﭘﺮداﺧﺖ، ﺗـﺎ ﺑﻪ رﺳﺎﻟﺖ ﻣﺒﻌﻮث ﺷـﺪ، آﻧﮕﺎه ﻣﺄﻣﻮرﯾّﺖ ﯾﺎﻓﺖ ﮐﻪ ﭼﻬﻞ روز از ﺣﻀﺮت ﺧﺪﯾﺠﻪ ﻋﺰﻟﺖ ﮔﺰﯾﻨﺪ، ﺑﻪ ﻋﺒﺎدت و ﺗﻬﺠّﺪ وﯾﮋه ﺑﭙﺮدازد، ﺗﺎ ﮐﻮﺛﺮ ﻗﺮآن، ﺣﻀﺮت ﺻﺪﯾﻘﻪ ي ﮐﺒﺮي ﺑﻪ او اﻋﻄﺎ ﺷﻮد(1).

(3 ﺣﻀـﺮت داود ﻋﻠﯿﻪ اﻟﺴـﻼم ﭼﻬـﻞ روز ﻣﺸـﻐﻮل ﺗﻬﺠّـ ﺪ ﺑﻮد و ﻫﻤﻪ ي اوﻗـﺎﺗﺶ ﺑﻪ ﺟﺰ ﺳﺎﻋﺎتﺧﺎص در ﺣﺎل ﺳـﺠﺪه ﺑﻮد و ذﮐﺮ ﺧﺎﺻّﯽ در ﺳﺠﺪه ﻣﯽ ﺧﻮاﻧﺪ(2).

(4 ﺑﻬﻠﻮل ﻧﺒّﺎش ﭼﻬﻞ روز ﺗﻤﺎم ﺑﻪ ﺗﻀـﺮّع و اﺳـﺘﻐﻔﺎر ﭘﺮداﺧﺖ، روز ﭼﻬﻠﻢ ﺧﺪاوﻧـﺪ ﺗﻮﺑﻪ اش را ﭘﺬﯾﺮﻓﺖ و ﺑﻪ ﭘﯿﺎﻣﺒﺮ اﮐﺮم ﺻـﻠﯽ اﷲ ﻋﻠﯿﻪ و آﻟﻪ اﻣﺮ ﻓﺮﻣﻮد ﮐﻪ ﭘﺬﯾﺮش ﺗﻮﺑﻪ اش را ﺑﻪ وي اﺑﻼغ ﻓﺮﻣﺎﯾﺪ(3).

(5 ﻗﻮم ﺑﻨﯽ اﺳـﺮاﺋﯿﻞ ﻣﻘـﺪّر ﺑﻮد ﮐﻪ ﺑﻪ ﻣﺪّت ﭼﻬﺎرﺻﺪ ﺳﺎل دﭼﺎر ﺳـﺮﮔﺮداﻧﯽ و ﺳـﺮدرﮔﻤﯽ ﺑﺎﺷـﻨﺪ، ﭘﺲ از ﮔﺬﺷﺖ 230 ﺳﺎل، ﺑﻪ ﻣﺪت ﭼﻬﻞ روز ﺑﻪ ﮔﺮﯾﻪ و ﺗﻀﺮّع ﭘﺮداﺧﺘﻨﺪ، ﺧﺪاوﻧﺪ ﻣﻨّﺎن ﺗﻮﺑﻪ ي آﻧﻬﺎ را ﭘﺬﯾﺮﻓﺖ و ﻓﺮج آﻧﻬﺎ را 170 ﺳﺎل ﺟﻠﻮ

اﻧﺪاﺧﺖ(4).

45. Forty-Day Supplications (Tawassulāt)

Forty-day supplications (tawassulāt-e chehel roozeh) have their roots in the Qur’an, and they hold a special status in the hadith literature.

1.         The All-Beneficent God commanded Prophet Musa (a.s.) to isolate himself from his people for forty days and to engage in worship, night prayers, and self-purification at Mount Sinai, so that he might receive the tablets — which, precisely on the fortieth day, he did receive.

(Qur’an, Surah al-Baqarah, verse 51, and Surah al-Aʿrāf, verse 142)

2.         The Noblest of Creation (the Prophet, peace be upon him and his family) worshipped for forty years before being commissioned to prophethood, and then he was instructed to isolate himself from Lady Khadija (peace be upon her) for forty days, engaging in special worship and night prayers, so that God might grant him the Kauthar of the Qur’an, Lady Fatima al-Zahra (peace be upon her).

3.         Prophet Dawud (a.s.) engaged in night prayers for forty days, spending all his time — except for certain hours — in prostration, reciting a special remembrance (dhikr) while in prostration.

4.         Bahlul the grave-digger supplicated with tearful repentance for forty complete days; on the fortieth day, God accepted his repentance, and He commanded the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.) to convey the acceptance of his repentance to him.

5.         The people of Bani Israel had been decreed to remain in a state of confusion and wandering for four hundred years, but after 230 years, they turned to weeping and humble supplication for forty days, and the All-Beneficent God accepted their repentance and brought about their deliverance 170 years earlier than decreed.