Question 78: In Dua’ Kumayl: “My God! My Master! You have run a law upon me but instead I obeyed the desires of my own self. And I did not guard myself against the allurements of my enemy, he deceived me with that which I desire, and fate helped him in that respect. Thus I transgressed some of Your limits, and I disobeyed some of Your commands. You have therefore a (just) cause/proof against me in all those matters and I have no plea against Your judgement which You passed against me. I have therefore become (justifiably) liable to Your judgement and afflictions. But now I have turned towards You, my Lord, after being guilty of shortcoming against myself and wasting my self, apologetically, repentantly, broken heartedly, entreating earnestly for forgiveness, yieldingly confessing (to my guilt), as I can find no escape from that which was done by me and having no refuge to which I could turn except seeking Your acceptance of my excuse and admitting me into the vastness of Your spacious Mercy.” [Misbah Al Mutahajjid: page 846.]
1- What is the meaning of the words in this Dua’?
2- The one who is narrating this Dua’ is the Prince of the Believers Ali (pbuh). So how could he transgress against Allah and disobey Allah (swt) while he is the master of the Vicegerents and the one who divides between Paradise and Hellfire, and he is an infallible [protected] from transgressing against Allah or disobeying a command of Allah?
Ahmed Alhasan (pbuh) answered: (You have run): It comes from the running of the water, so if water runs towards your direction then it must overwhelm/cover you.
(A law): Means, a judgment and an execution, after fate and ordainment which preceded it.
(And the desires of the self and the enemy): Is the Qareen ([the constant companion]), and he is the black spot/stain which is present in the Fitra (the nature) of the human being or the defect of darkness of the human being.
(And the law which is run): Is the acceptance of the human being to this black stain/spot and his defect of darkness, meaning, it is the contentment of the human being with his existence, or his acceptance of this supposed existence.
(So I transgressed….Your limits and disobeyed….Your commands): Meaning, because of my acceptance of my existence, and which is established by the defect of my darkness, so I am a transgressor against Your limits, and disobedient to your commands, even though this transgression and this disobedience is the sin which is never separated from the human being, and without it nothing would remain except Allah The One The Conqueror.
And this transgression and this disobedience are because I have not sought the seeking of Muhammad (pbuh & his family) in order to remove the defect of nothingness.
Ali, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is below the Messenger of Allah Muhammad (pbuh & his family), and the veil of the Divine was lifted/revealed to Muhammad (pbuh & his family), and Allah (swt) said to him:
{Indeed, We have opened for you, [O Muhammad], a clear opening. So that Allah may forgive for you what preceded of your sin and what will follow.} [Surah Al-Fath (48:2)]
And that sin is the defect of darkness and nothingness, and it is the disobedience and the first transgression.
As for the Prince of the Believers Ali (pbuh), verily, he said: “If the veil was revealed/lifted for me…” So the veil of the Divine was not revealed/lifted for him except by Muhammad (pbuh & his family), for Ali knows Allah by Muhammad (pbuh & his family). Meaning, indeed Ali knows Allah (swt) by Allah in creation, and that is Muhammad (pbuh & his family).
(You have therefore a (just) cause/proof): Because I am a shortcomer in regards to catching up with Muhammad (pbuh & his family) and accompanying him in all of his conditions, for the Messenger of Allah Muhammad (pbuh & his family) had a condition with his Lord (swt) which neither the Prince of the Believers Ali (pbuh) nor any other than him from the Prophets and Messengers had any share in it.
And the Messenger of Allah Muhammad (pbuh & his family) was specialized by the fact that his speck of darkness submitted; because in the moments of the lifting of the veil and the clear opening, the defect of darkness and nothingness does not remain, and Muhammad does not remain.
Rather, nothing remains except for Allah, the One, the Conqueror, Light with no darkness in Him. Glory be to Allah, He is far more Exalted than what they associate to Him.
(and I have no proof against Your judgement which You passed against me. I have therefore become (justifiably) liable to Your judgement and afflictions):
For the proof is for you against me, and no servant from Your servants has a proof against You, Glory be to You. So Your judgement and ordainment and affliction run upon Your servants by their shortcoming by looking towards themselves and turning to their selves.
The master of monotheists Ali (pbuh) said: “My God! I have looked towards my self! So woe to it if You do not forgive it.”
Meaning, O my God, I have come to You after my shortcoming and the wasting of myself, and my looking towards it, and turning to it, apologetically…
(Your acceptance of my excuse and admitting me into the vastness of Your capacious Mercy):
Meaning, if I was not worthy of being Allah in creation, then make me Al-Rahman (The Merciful) in creation, and if I was not worthy of being the City, then make me its door {Call upon Allah, or Call upon Al-Rahman (The Merciful), whichever you call upon, to Him belong the Best of Names}
And verily, Ali (pbuh) got what he asked for, for he is the door of Allah in creation, and he is Al-Rahman (The Merciful) in creation {And We gave them of Our mercy, and We made for them a truthful tongue, Aliyaa}
First Mahdi : Yamani : Ahmed Alhasan 