POCKET TAWEEZ

Sixth: Yasir, the servant of al-Ma’mun the ‘Abbasid ruler, has reported that when Imam Abu’l-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Musa al-Rida (‘a) arrived in the palace of Hamid ibn Qahtabah to live in, he took off his shirt and handed it over to Hamid, who took it and gave it to one of his she-servants to wash it. Soon after that, the she-servant returned carrying a patch. She gave it to Hamid and said, “I have found this in the pocket of Abu’l-Hasan.”

Asking about it, Hamid said to Imam al-Rida (‘a), “May Allah accept me as ransom for you! The she-servant has found a patch in your pocket. What is it?”

Answering him, the Imam (‘a) said, “Hamid, this is a supplicatory amulet that I never put aside.”

Hamid said, “Will you kindly honor us with it?”

Imam al-Rida (‘a) further explained, “Whoever carries this supplicatory amulet in his pocket, will be saved from tribulations and it will protect him from Satan the accursed.”

Then, Imam al-Rida (‘a) dictated its form to Hamid. It is thus the following:

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحيمِ بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ اِنّى اَعُوذُ بِالرَّحْمنِ مِنْكَ اِنْ كُنْتَ تَقِيّاً اَوْ غَيْرَ تَقِىٍّ اَخَذْتُ بِاللّٰهِ السَّميعِ الْبَصيرِ عَلى سَمْعِكَ وَ بَصَرِكَ لا سُلْطانَ لَكَ عَلَىَّ وَ لا عَلى سَمْعى وَلا عَلى بَصَرى وَلاعَلى شَعْرى وَلاعَلى بَشَرى وَلا عَلى لَحْمى وَلا عَلى دَمى وَلا عَلى مُخّى وَلا عَلى عَصَبى وَلا عَلى عِظامى وَلاعَلى مالى وَ لا عَلى ما رَزَقَنى رَبّى سَتَرْتُ بَيْنى وَ بَيْنَكَ بِسِتْرِ النُّبُوَّةِ الَّذِى اسْتَتَرَ اَنْبِيآءُ اللّٰهِ بِهِ مِنْ سَطَواتِ الْجَبابِرَةِ وَالْفَراعِنَةِ جَبْرَئيلُ عَنْ يَمينى وَ ميكائيلُ عَنْ يَسارى وَ اِسْرافيلُ عَنْ وَرآئى وَ مَحَمَّدٌ صَلّىَ اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ اَمامى وَاللّٰهُ مُطَّلِعٌ عَلَىَّ يَمْنَعُكَ مِنّى وَ يَمْنَعُ الشَّيْطانَ مِنّى اَللّهُمَّ لا يَغْلِبْ جَهْلُهُ اَناتَكَ اَنْ يَسْتَفِزَّنى وَ يَسْتَخِفَّنى اَللّهُمَّ اِلَيْكَ الْتَجَاْتُ اَللّهُمَّ اِلَيْكَ الْتَجَاْتُ اَللّهُمَّ اِلَيْكَ الْتَجَاْتُ