11. Channel to Allah - Surah Yusuf (12): Verse 42

فِي السِّجْنِ بِضْعَ سِنِينَ{42}

so he remained in the prison a few years.

In a tradition from Imam Sadiq (a.s.) it is narrated that after the time elapsed (of imprisonment of Hazrat Yusuf (a.s.)), Allah permitted Hazrat Yusuf (a.s.) to recite a dua for salvation. Hazrat Yusuf (a.s.) placed his cheeks on the ground and prayed to Allah,

اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كَانَتْ ذُنُوبِي قَدْ أَخْلَقَتْ وَجْهِي عِنْدَكَ- فَإِنِّي أَتَوَجَّهُ إِلَيْكَ بِوَجْهِ آبَائِيَ الصَّالِحِينَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَ إِسْمَاعِيلَ وَ إِسْحَاقَ وَ يَعْقُوب‏

Then Allah, the Almighty gave him freedom.

The narrator asked – May I be sacrificed for you, should we also pray like this? Imam Sadiq (a.s.) replied – Pray like this,

اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كَانَتْ ذُنُوبِي قَدْ أَخْلَقَتْ وَجْهِي عِنْدَكَ- فَإِنِّي أَتَوَجَّهُ إِلَيْكَ بِنَبِيِّكَ نَبِيِّ الرَّحْمَةِ مُحَمَّدٍ ص وَ عَلِيٍّ وَ فَاطِمَةَ وَ الْحَسَنِ وَ الْحُسَيْنِ وَ الْأَئِمَّةِ ع‏

“O Allah, even though my sin has covered my face in front of you, then surely I turn towards you through (the channel of) the Prophet, the Prophet of mercy (s.a.w.a.), Ali(a.s.), Janabe Fatima Zahra (s.a.), Hasan (a.s.), Husain (a.s.) and the Imams (a.s.).”¹

Footnotes

1. Tafsir al-Qummi, Vol. 1, Page 345 ↩