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The Imam’s Battle Prayer: An Inquiry into Ali ibn Abi Talib’s Supplications in Siffin
Abstract
The Islamic devotional tradition preserves a plethora of prayers (du?a) attributed to Ali, which appear both as short pieces interspersed within his sermons and as self-standing supplications. These prayers, while the subject of much Shi’ite commentary, are largely neglected within academic studies of Ali’s literary oeuvre. In this paper, I remedy this neglect by examining four “battle prayers” which are attributed to the Battle of Siffin (37 A.H./657 C.E.). These prayers feature in al-Sharif al-Radi’s (d. 406/1016) Nahj al-Balagha, Nasr b. Muzahim al-Minqari’s (d. 212/827) Waq‘at Siffin, and Ibn Tawus’ (d.673/1274-5) Muhaj al-da?awat, albeit with slight variation in content and context. Through a close reading of these four battle prayers, I explore their literary style, themes, and function within their historical and devotional contexts. While Ali’s prayers speak to the battle, they almost always extend beyond their particular circumstances, the battle context. As such, they subvert the category of “battle prayer.” Consciously transcending the battle setting, Ali’s prayers reinforce the broader and more fundamental context of humans’ relationship to God, especially qua Witness and Creator. Overall, these prayers connect the spiritual and the temporal through an all-encompassing conception of taqwa, or God-conscious piety. They appear as practical applications of the teachings in his sermons and orations. They are rooted in the Quran’s language and teachings, and often directly build on the Prophet’s traditions (hadith). In doing so, they invite the question of the relationship between du’a, the Quran, and hadith within the Islamic scriptural context. With this basic exposition of the Siff?n prayers, I discuss the multi-dimensionality of the du’a genre in the Islamic tradition, the fluidity of its boundaries, and its relevance to both literary and historical studies.
Discipline
Literature
Geographic Area
All Middle East
Sub Area
Islamic Studies