Dua'a for Memory and Speech

DUA'A 10 If one fails to remember an event or written text or spoken words, according to Imam Jafar bin Muhammad al Sadiq one should put the right hand on the forehad and recite: INNEE AS-ALUKA YAA MUD'AKKIRAL KHAYRI WA FAA-ILAHOO WAL AAMIRA BIHEE AN TUS'ALLIYA A'LAA MUH'AMMADIN WA AALI MUH'AMMADIN WA TUD'AKKIRANEE MAA ANSAANEEHISH SHAYT'AAN

I beseech You, O He who reminds about doing good, does good and commands to do good. Send blessings on Muhammed and the family of Muhammed and let me remember what shaytan makes me forget.

DUA'A 11 According to Imam Ali ibn abi Talib to retain in memory whatever one listens or reads, recite the following dua'a after every obligatory salat. In the name of Allah the most kind the most merciful. Glory be to Him who does not treat the citizens of His kingdom unjustly. Glory be to Him who does not let the torment and pain come suddenly upon mankind. Glory be to the compassionate the merciful. O Allah, fill my heart with true enlightenment, wisdom, understanding and knowledge. Surely you are able to do all things. SUBH'AANA MAN LAA YATADEE AA'LAA AHLI MAMLAKATIHEE SUBH'AANA MAN LAA YAAKHUD'U AHLAL ARZ'I BILWAANIL A'D'AABI SUBH'AANAR RA-OOFIR RAH'EEMI ALLAAHUMMAJ-A'L LEE FEE QALBEE NOORAN WA BAS'ARAN WA FAHMAN WA I'LMAN INNAKA A'LAA KULLI SHAY-IN QADEER DUA'A 12 Recite the following dua'a 7 times after obligatory salat to increase knowledge RABBI ZIDNEE I'LMAA

DUA'A 13 To learn the holy Quran by heart (or remember its important verses) recite the following dua'a by Imam Ali ibn abi Talib written in Sahifa Alawiyyah

O Allah have mercy on me to be able to leave disobeying you till I am alive. Show mercy on me by not imposing a troublesome and difficult task on me. Make me do good deeds that please you. Make me learn your book by heart, just like you have taught me.Give me the ability to recite it in a manner that pleases you. O Allah (through the quran) enlighten my wisdom, open the doors of understanding and liberate my heart. Loosen my tongue, let my body be active and give me strength for it. No one can help me save you. There is no god except you.
ALLAAHUMMAR-H'AMNEE BITARKIL MA-A'AS'EE ABDAN MAA ABQAYTANEE FARH'AMNEE MIN TAKALLUFI MAA LAA YUNEENEE WARZUQNEE H'USNAL MANZ'ARI FEEMAA YURZ'EEKA A'NNEE WAL-ZAM QALBEE H'IFZ'A KITAABIKA KAMAA A'LLAMTANEE WARZUQNEE AN ATLUWAHOO A'LAN NAH'WIL LAD'EE YURZ'EEKA A'NNEE ALLAAHUMMA NAWWIR

BAS'AREE WASH-RAH BIHEE S'ADRE WA FARRU BIHEE QALBEE WA AT'LIQ BIHEE LISAAANEE WAS-TA-MIL BIHEE BADANEE WA QAWWINEE A'LAA D'AALIKA WA A-I'NNEE A'LAYHI INNAHOO LAA MU-E'ENA A'LAYHI ILLAA ANTA LAA ILAAHA ILLAA ANTA

DUA'A 14 Whoever writes surah Bani Israil with saffron, washes it with pure water and drinks it will grow in wisdom and have fluent speech. DUA'A 15 To speak clearly and fluently recite surah al Jumu-ah a great deal, and to have a photographic memory learn surah al A-laa by heart.

Memory and Retention Ayatullah Ali Qadhi al-Tabatabai would advise one to recite Ayat alKursi [2:255-257] and Maudhatayn (Surat al-Falaq and Surat al-Nas) for strengthening ones memory Reciting regularly Salwaat on the holy prophet & his household is also a method to improve ones memory Take 4 or 7 almonds and pray salwat then pray "Ya Zul Jallale wal Ikraam" 11times, again salwat then and blow ( breathe on the almonds with the breath of the Zikr as you recite it ) on the almonds and eat them first thing every morning, Inshallah it will help your memory From Baqiyatus slaehat ( margins of Mafatih ) :It is reported in 'Makaarimul Akhlaq' from Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) and Imam Sadiq (a.s.) that one should write on a clean vessel with safron the Chapter of Al-Hamd, Ayatul Kursi, the Chapters of Qadr, Yasin, Waqiah, Hashr, Mulk, Ikhlas, Falaq and Nas and should then wash them with Zamzam water, rain water or clean water and add in the water about two grams of 'kandaroo', fifty grams of sugar and fifty grams of honey. At night it should be kept under open sky on iron. At the end of the night one should recite two rakaats in each of which after the recitation of the Chapter of Al-Hamd, the chapter of Ikhlas be recited fifty times. On completion of the salaat, one should drink the water which is good and tested

owing duaa was taught by the Holy Prophet (S.A.) to Imam Ali (A.S.), to be recited after every obligatory Sal developing a flawless memory:

Him who does not treat the citizens of His Kingdom unjustly Glory be to Him who does not let torment and pain come on mankind, Glory be to the Compassionate, the Merciful. O heart and mind with true enlightenment, discerning

quick understanding and knowledge, Verily Thou art able to .

Proven Supplication for increasing memory ( Tohfatul Hashmiya) Write on seven pieces of sugar and eat a piece everyday. Write on the first one:

.
Fataaalallaahul malikul haqq Supremely exalted is therefore Allah, the King, the Truth,[1] and eat it on Saturday, and on the second write:

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Wa qur rabbi zidnee ilmaa. And say: O my Lord! Increase me in knowledge.[2] and eat it on Sunday, and on the third write:

.
Laa tuharrik-bihi lisaanak. Do not move your tongue with it[3] and eat it on Monday, and on the fourth piece write

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Inna alainaa jam-ahu wa qur-aanah. Surely on Us (devolves) the collecting of it and the reciting of it.[4] and eat it on Tuesday, and on the fifth piece write:

Fa-idhaa qaraa-nahu fattabi qur-aanah. Therefore when We have recited it, follow its recitation.[5] and eat it on Wednesday, and on the sixth piece write:

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Sanuqri-uka falaa tansaa. We will make you recite so you shall not forget,[6] and eat it on Thursday, and on the seventh piece write:

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Innahu yalamul jahra wa maa yakhfaa. Surely He knows the manifest, and what is hidden.[7] and eat it on Friday. Memorization would became easy for one who does this for seven days, and his tongue would become eloquent and his memory will increase. Another Supplication for Memory[8] The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said to Ali (a.s.): If you intend that you retain all that you hear, then recite the following after every ritual prayer:

.
Sub-haana mallaa yatadee alaa ahli mamlikatih. Sub-haana mallaa yaa-khudhu ahlal arzi bialwaanil adhaab. Sub-haanar ra-oofur raheem. Allaahummaj-al fee qalbee nooranw wa basaraa. Wa fahimanw wa ilmaa. Innaka alaa kulli shai-in qadeer. Glory be to the One who does not oppress His subjects, Glory be to the One Who does not subject the people of the earth to various punishments, Glory be to the forgiving and the Merciful, O Allah, put in my heart a light and perception and understanding. Indeed You are powerful over all things.

[1] Surah Taha 20:114 [2] Surah Taha 20:114 [3] Surah Qiyamah 75:16 [4] Surah Qiyamah 75:17 [5] Surah Qiyamah 75:18 [6] Surah Alaa 87:6 [7] Surah Alaa 87:7 [8] Tibb al-Aaimma, As-Sayyid Shubbar, Pg. 388

I Have Been Sent As A Teacher Prophet (saww)

ids to Memory: Listing

rophet Muhammad (saww) used several techniques and methods to teach Islamic rules to his people. One of the techniques he sed was Aids to Memory The Prophet was adept at using to memory, so as to make things clear.

ne device was to structure the material in a few numbered points; either three or five are common. For instance: Islam was built n five (pillars) ..

Three things will make a man a through hypocrite: when he speaks he lies, when he promises, he breaks his promises, and when e is trusted, he breaks his trust.

requently, we find a grand total is given for emphasis. Forcing the material into specific numbers in such a way makes the listene ager to get the right number. Thus you may sometimes find a companion reporting: and I have forgotten the third. By omparing his version to those of others, a full list can be obtained.

ometimes, before listing the item, the Prophet would pause, to arouse curiosity: There are three persons God will not speak to on e day of Judgement: (and he repeated this statement three times and paused). Abu Dhar asked: They are lost and ruined indeed! Who are they, O Prophet of God?

ids to Memory: Illustrations

similar logical structuring of material is found in general statements followed by illustrations, such as: Each of you is a hepherd, and will be responsible for his charges: the man is a Shepard in his house, he then continues with the woman, the child e servant He then repeats the general statement at the end.

ids to Memory: Questions

should also be noted that the question and answer technique, and the suspense it involves, was an aid to memory: What day is is? he asked. Friday, they answered. What month is this? Dhul Hijjah. What place is this? The sanctuary.

Then you should know that your blood, your money, your honour, is as inviolable to you as they are in this day, this month and is place. Here he used the technique even in a sermon.

ids to Memory: Brevity

ther devices to aid memory included brevity of statement; formulating material on the same order and pattern as Quranic verses; rhythmic statements (which is very common); explanation of cause and contrast, as in: the upper hand is bette an the lower one (in giving).

ids to Memory: Body Language

ody language was also used to give particular emphasis to important points: Reclining, he asked: Shall I tell you of the gr eatest ns? After mentioning the first two he sat up, and said: and indeed: giving false testimony, giving false testimony, giving false stimony. And the narrator said: He went on saying this until we began to say: When will he stop?

he Prophet saw a crowd of women and children coming back from a wedding celebration. So he stood up to his full height and id: By God! You are amongst the dearest to my heart! repeating this three times.

e looked at the full moon and said to his Companions: You will see your actions as clearly as you see this. So if you can some ayer before sunrise or before sunset, dont miss opportunity.

ids to Memory: Incentives

his demonstrates the Prophets skill in arousing incentives to learn and do-good deeds, rather than asking for an action to be don

man asked: Tell me something which if do it, I will enter Paradise. The Prophet told him to worship God alone, do the prayer, nd pay the zakah and fast in Ramdhan. The man said: I swear by God, I will not do any more than that. The Prophet ommented: If it pleases any of you to look at a man who will be one of the inhabitants of Paradise, he should look at this man.

n Masud also reported that the Prophet once drew a diagram on the sand to illustrate that man cannot escape death and the many ccidents that befall him in his life: that is, if he escapes one he will be caught by another.

ids to Memory: Simple Language

he Prophet used simple, clear language - he hated obfuscation. One of the highly appreciated qualities of hadith material in rabic isjawami al-kallim, that is, concise, all embracing statements: A man asked the Prophet: Tell me something about Islam hich I can ask of no one but you. He answered: Say, I believe in God, and thereafter be upright.

When a man asked him how to perform the rites of Umrah he replied: Do as you do on Hajj.

nce he said to his companions Leave what makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt.

nd also it is reported that he said If you feel no shame, then do as you wish.

ids to Memory: Paradoxes

many hadiths the Prophet surprises the listener with the unexpected poses of a paradox. Once he said: The portion given away charity decreases no money.

n one occasion they killed a sheep and began to give it away in charity. He asked Aisha, how much is left? She said: It has all one except the shoulder. He replied: No, it all remains except the shoulder.

nce he said: Fasting people will enter Paradise through the gate of Al-Rayyan (the one whose thirst has been quenched).

ids to Memory: Images

the hadith, powerful images are expressive, and impress themselves on the memory: Let no one fall on his wife as a male onkey falls on a she-donkey; send a messenger first. They asked what messenger, he said: A kiss.

e also said: When one of you gives charity - and God only accepts what is good - God receives it in his right hand and rears it a ne of you rears his young foal, until it becomes as big as a mountain.

e said: Two hungry wolves set loose in a flock of sheep would not wreak more havoc than a mans excessive eagerness to amas ealth and status harms his religious practice.

ids to Memory: Balanced and Comprehensive Statements

or example Prophet (s) would say: Relieve the distressed; feed the hungry, visit the sick.

e also said: The tooth-stick cleans the mouth and pleases the Lord.

ids to Memory: Emphasis

mphasis is also a common feature of hadith language. This is achieved through oaths such as: By Him who holds my soul in Hi ands .!

tensity is also expressed by using such empathic particle as: inna, add, ladad, alal and halla.

Imam Jafar Sadiq (A.S.) on Knowledge Knowledge is the basis of every sublime state and the culmination of every high station. That is why the Holy Prophet said, 'It is the duty of every Muslim, man and woman, to seek knowledge,' that is, the knowledge of precaution (taqwa) and certainty. Imam 'Ali [a] said, Seek knowledge, though it be in China, meaning the knowledge of gnosis of the self, in it is contained knowledge of the Lord. The Holy Prophet said, 'Whoever knows his own self knows his Lord; moreover, you should acquire that knowledge without which no action is correct, and that is sincerity ... We seek refuge with Allah from knowledge which has no benefit', that is, from knowledge which is contrary to actions performed with sincerity.

Know that a small amount of knowledge requires a great deal of action, because knowledge of the Hour requires the person who has such knowledge to act accordingly during his entire life. Isa [a] said, 'I saw a stone on which was written, "Turn me over", so I turned it over. Written on the other side was "Whoever does not act by what he knows will be doomed by seeking what he does not know, and his own knowledge will be turned against him." ' Allah revealed to David, 'The least that I shall do to someone with knowledge who does not act by his knowledge is worse than the seventy inner punishments which result in My removing from his heart the sweetness of My remembrance.' There is no way to Allah except via knowledge. And knowledge is the adornment of man in this world and the next, his driver to Paradise, and by means of it he attains Allah's contentment with him. He who truly knows is the one in whom sound actions, pure supplications, truthfulness and precaution speak out; not his tongue, his debates, his comparisons, assertions or claims. In times other than these, those who sought knowledge were those who had intellect, piety, wisdom, modesty and caution; but nowadays we see that those who seek it do not have any of these qualities. The man of knowledge needs intellect, kindness, compassion, good counsel, forbearance, patience, contentment and generosity; while anyone wishing to learn needs a desire for knowledge, will, devotion (of his time and energy), piety, caution, memory and resolution. How the Men of Knowledge are Ruined Caution and fear are the legacy of knowledge and its measure; knowledge is the ray of gnosis and the heart of belief. Whoever is denied caution is not a man of knowledge, even if he can split hairs in dealing with obscure items of knowledge. Allah said, Only those of His servants who are possessed of knowledge fear Allah. (35:28) Men of knowledge are ruined by eight things: greed and miserliness, showing off and partisanship, love of praise, delving into things whose reality they cannot reach, affectation by taking excessive pains to beautify their speech with superfluous expressions, lack of modesty before Allah, boastfulness, and not acting upon what they know. Isa [a] said, 'The most wretched of all people is he who is known for his knowledge, not for his actions.' The Holy Prophet said, 'Do not sit with every presumptuous caller who summons you from certainty to doubt, from sincerity to showing off, from humility to pride, from good counsel to enmity, and from abstinence to desire. Draw near to the person with knowledge, who summons you from pride to humility, from showing off to sincerity, from doubt to certainty, from desire to abstinence, from enmity to good counsel.' None are fit to preach to creation except that person who has gone beyond these evils by his truthfulness. He sees the faults of speech and knows what is sound from what is unsound, the defectiveness of thoughts, and the temptations of the self and his fancies. 'Ali said, 'Be like the kind, compassionate doctor who places the remedy where it will be of benefit.' They asked Isa [a], 'With whom shall we sit, O Spirit of Allah?' 'With one the sight of whom reminds you of Allah,' he replied, 'and whose speech increases you in knowledge, and whose actions make you desire the next world.' Intellect and Passion The man of intellect submits to what is true and is just in his speech; he shrinks from what is false but opposes it in his speech. He leaves this world behind, but does not leave his faith. The proof of the man of intellect lies in two things: truthful words and correct actions. The man

of intellect does not say something which the intellect rejects, neither does he expose himself to suspicion, nor abandon the help of those who have been tested. Knowledge guides him in his actions; gnosis is his certainty in the paths he treads, and forbearance is his companion at all times. Passion, however, is the enemy of the intellect, the opponent of truth and the companion of falsehood. The strength of passion comes from worldly appetites, and its initial manifestation is caused by doing what is forbidden, neglecting obligations, making light of the sunnah and engrossing oneself in amusements. Reflection Reflect on what has passed of this world. Has any of it remained for anyone? Has anyone remained in it, be he noble or lowly, rich or poor, friend or enemy? Similarly, what has not yet happened of it resembles more closely that which has passed of it, than water resembles water. The Messenger of Allah said, 'Death is enough of a warner; the intellect is enough of a guide; precaution is enough of a provision; worship is enough of an occupation; Allah is sufficient as an intimate friend; the Qur'an is enough of a clarification.' And elsewhere, 'Only affliction and trial remain of this world. If a person is saved, it is only by sincerely seeking refuge.' And Noah said, 'I found this world to be like a house with two doors. I entered through one of them and went out through the other.' Such is the state of the one who was saved by Allah: so what is the state of one who feels at ease in this world, relies on it, wastes his life by cultivating it, and is full of worldly demands? Reflection is the mirror of good deeds and the expiation of bad deeds. It is the light of the heart, and guarantees ease to other people and success in obtaining betterment for the next abode; it allows one to foresee the outcome of one's actions, and causes an increase in knowledge. Worship of Allah is unparalleled when accompanied by this quality. The Messenger of Allah said, 'To reflect for an hour is better than worshipping for a year.' The station of reflection is only obtained by him whom Allah has singled out for the light of gnosis (ma'rifah) and tawhid. Gnosis (ma 'rifah) The person of the gnostic ('arif) is with the people, while his heart is with Allah. If his heart were to forget Allah for the time it takes to blink an eye, he would die of yearning for Him. The gnostic is the trustee over the happenings of Allah, the treasury of His secrets, the repository of his lights, the proof of His mercy to creation, the instrument of His sciences and the measure of His favour and justice. He needs neither people, nor a goal, or nor this world. He has no intimate except Allah, nor any speech, gesture or breath except by Allah, with Allah, and from Allah, for he frequents the garden of His sanctity and is enriched by His subtlest favours to him. Gnosis is a root whose branch is belief. Wisdom Wisdom is the light of gnosis, the measure of fearful awareness and the fruit of truthfulness. Allah has not given any of his servants a greater, more favourable, generous, lofty or more splendid blessing than wisdom for the heart. In Allah's words, He grants wisdom to whom He pleases and whoever is granted wisdom, he indeed is given a great good and none but the men of understanding remember. (2:269) That is, only the one whom I have singled out for My sake and whom I have designated for it knows what wisdom I have reserved and prepared. Wisdom is rescue, steadiness at the beginning

of the affair and a firm stance at the end. It makes Allah's creatures aspire to Him. And the Messenger of Allah said to 'Ali, 'That Allah should guide one of His slaves at your hands is better for you than everything the sun shines upon, from east to west.' Source: Lantern of the Path by Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (A.S.)