About the Prayer of Nudbih

HuangRan
Posts: 32
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2010 5:45 am

About the Prayer of Nudbih

Postby HuangRan » Thu May 12, 2011 9:14 pm

Dear friends,

In Kitabi-i-Iqan, the footnote for the "Prayer of Nudbih" in para.33 is: “Lamentation” attributed to the Twelfth Imám. While in the glossary of that book, it is given: A “Lamentation” of the Imám ‘Alí. How to understand the difference there between?

Thanks.

Fadl
Posts: 104
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2004 4:55 am
Location: somewhere "in this immensity"

Re: About the Prayer of Nudbih

Postby Fadl » Sun Jun 19, 2011 11:03 am

I don’t have a printed copy of the Kitab-i-Iqan, only electronic, so unfortunately, I can’t verify or look into the discrepancy you mention. I am not that knowledgeable about Shia’ prayers and writings, but I can read Arabic so I did some sleuthing about the web among Shi’a sources to see what I could find out for you.

It seems that the origin of this dua is in dispute, even though it is apparently very well known and popular among Shia’. The majority of those who attribute it to someone attribute it to Imam Jafar Al-Sadiq (the 6th Imam in twelver tradition). It is widely distributed all over the web, in text, and also in video, many of which can be found on Youtube. If you are interested in listening to some (many have English subtitles) search YouTube using “dua-e-nudba” or “ دعاء الندبة " in your search and you should find many to view. Here is one with a particulary nice recitor with a good translation in the subtitles: http://wn.com/ja'far_al-sadiq?upload_ti ... rby=rating

Follows, is an excerpt from the nudbih supplication (دعاء الندبة) at the section corresponding to what is mentioned in the Iqan. The nubda is long, so I haven’t posted it in entirety. If you are interested, you may read it all at: http://www.duas.org/nudba.htm

Sorry I couldn’t answer your actual question more directly! It does seem unlikely, however, that it is from Ali based on internal textual evidnece since Ali is named (as well as Husayn, Husan, and Imam Mahdi).

إِذْ كَانَتِ ٱلارْضُ لِلَّهِ
Verily, the earth is Allah’s;
يُورِثُهَا مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ
He gives it in inheritance to whomever of His servants that He wishes;
وَٱلْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ
and the end result shall be for the pious.
وَسُبْحَانَ رَبِّنَا
All glory be to our Lord.
إِنْ كَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّنَا لَمَفْعُولاَ
Most certainly, the promise of our Lord shall come to pass.
وَلَنْ يُخْلِفَ ٱللَّهُ وَعْدَهُ
Allah shall never fail to fulfill His promise.
وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ
He is the Almighty, the All-wise.
فَعَلَىٰ ٱلاطَائِبِ مِنْ اهْلِ بَيْتِ مُحَمَّد وَعَلِيٍّ
For the immaculate ones from the household of Muhammad and `Ali,
صَلَّىٰ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمَا وَآلِهِمَا
may Allah bless both of them and their household,
فَلْيَبْكِ ٱلْبَاكُونَ
let weepers weep.
وَإِيَّاهُمْ فَلْيَنْدُبِ ٱلنَّادِبُونَ
For them too, let lamenters lament.
وَلِمِثْلِهِمْ فَلْتَذْرِفِ ٱلدُّمُوعُ
For the like of them, let tears be shed,
وَلْيَصْرُخِ ٱلصَّارِخُونَ
screamers scream,
وَيَضِجَّ ٱلضَّاجُّونَ
yellers yell,
وَيَعِجَّ ٱلْعَاجُّوَنَ
and wailers wail.
ايْنَ ٱلْحَسَنُ ايْنَ ٱلْحُسَيْنُ
Where is al-Hasan? Where is al-Husayn?
ايْنَ ابْنَاءُ ٱلْحُسَيْنِ
Where are the sons of al-Husayn;
صَالِحٌ بَعْدَ صَالِحٍ
a virtuous one after another,
وَصَادِقٌ بَعْدَ صَادِقٍ
and a veracious one after another?
ايْنَ ٱلسَّبِيلُ بَعْدَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ
Where is the course (to Allah) after a course?
ايْنَ ٱلْخِيَرَةُ بَعْدَ ٱلْخِيَرَةِ
ayna alkhiyaratu ba`da alkhiyarati
Where is the best after the best?
ايْنَ ٱلشُّمُوسُ ٱلطَّالِعَةُ
Where are the rising suns?
ايْنَ ٱلاقْمَارُ ٱلْمُنِيرَةُ
Where are the shining moons?
ايْنَ ٱلانْجُمُ ٱلزَّاهِرَةُ
Where are the brilliant stars?
ايْنَ اعْلاَمُ ٱلدِّينِ
Where are the authorities of the religion
وَقَوَاعِدُ ٱلْعِلْمِ
and the foundations of knowledge?
ايْنَ بَقِيَّةُ ٱللَّهِ
Where is the left by (remnant of) Allah
ٱلَّتِي لاَ تَخْلُو مِنَ ٱلْعِتْرَةِ ٱلْهَادِيةِ
that is always represented by individuals from the guiding (Prophetic) offspring?
"Thus doth the Nightingale utter His call unto you from this prison. He hath but to deliver this clear message. Whosoever desireth, let him turn aside from this counsel and whosoever desireth let him choose the path to his Lord." - Baha'u'llah

brettz9
Posts: 1368
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2003 12:12 pm
Contact:

Re: About the Prayer of Nudbih

Postby brettz9 » Sun Jun 19, 2011 11:01 pm

I've confirmed that the English print copy does say both as Huang mentioned, as does the official digital copy (which may be more up to date) at http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/KI/ki-1.html (though there is no glossary online to confirm that reference).

The glossary and no doubt even the footnotes are not authoritative parts of the text (e.g., the index of the Dawn-Breakers was prepared by someone other than Shoghi Effendi).

Fadl
Posts: 104
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2004 4:55 am
Location: somewhere "in this immensity"

Re: About the Prayer of Nudbih

Postby Fadl » Mon Jun 20, 2011 1:39 pm

brettz9 wrote:I've confirmed that the English print copy does say both as Huang mentioned, as does the official digital copy (which may be more up to date) at http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/KI/ki-1.html (though there is no glossary online to confirm that reference).

The glossary and no doubt even the footnotes are not authoritative parts of the text (e.g., the index of the Dawn-Breakers was prepared by someone other than Shoghi Effendi).


It might be worth pointing out to the research department at the world center. Top notch scholars working there, but to err is human.

Incidently, even though this particular du'a is well known and popular among the Shia', dua-e-nudba is not a unique or formal name for this prayer, but it is more a description or categorization. It may well be that 'Ali, Husayn, or others similarly revealed dua-e-nudbas as well. Nudba simply means a "wailing" or "lamenting" and du'a means "supplication." Any prayer meeting these two criteria would be a du'a-e-nudba. I did notice some more obsure du'a-e-nudbas around the web, but I don't recall whom they were by. This may expalin the mix up, but I'm only speculating.
"Thus doth the Nightingale utter His call unto you from this prison. He hath but to deliver this clear message. Whosoever desireth, let him turn aside from this counsel and whosoever desireth let him choose the path to his Lord." - Baha'u'llah


Return to “Bahá'í Writings”