Jawshan Kabir


The Jawshan Kabeer is a long Islamic prayer that contains 1001 names and attributes of God in Islam, and is widely used in many Twelver Shi'i Muslim traditions, and also in some Sunni Muslim tradition especially in Turkey. Jawshan means "steel plate" or "mail" and thus the name of the prayer refers to Muhammad's heavy armor in battle. According to Shia Muslims, God taught the prayer to him as a protection from injuries in war, instead of hard armor.

History

The Islamic prophet Muhammad wore heavy armor when fighting. Because of the tightness of his armor, his body was injured. According to Shi'i Muslims, during the war, the angel Gabriel came and brought him a message from God, teaching prayer to Muhammad to protect him from bad events. Jibra'il said: "O’ Muhammad! Your God conveys his salutations to you and has said to take this coat of armor and to recite it as this is a protection for you and your Ummah." The prayer became his armor to protect him against injuries. The name of the prayer was taken from Muhammad's heavy armor in the battle.

Text

The context of the prayer was described by Ali al-Sajjad, the fourth Twelver Imam, and came to him from his great grandfather Muhammad by word of mouth. Afterwards, a Twelver narrator and faqih, Ibrahim ibn Ali A’meli Kafa’mi, mentioned the Jawshan Kabir in his book Balad al-Amin.
The Jawshan Kabir prayer contains 100 parts. Twenty-five of these parts start with, "I entreat You by Your Name". Names of God are recited after the phrase. The supplication comprises 250 names and 750 attributes of God and a request from God. For this reason, the Jawshan Kabir prayer is known as Ism-e-A’ẓam "the greatest name ". The exact phrase is repeated at the end of each part: "Praise be to Thee, there is no God but Thee, The Granter of all Succor, Protect us from the Fire, O Lord."

List of mentioned names and attributes of Allah

No.ArabicTransliterationEnglish translation
101ʿUddatī ʿinda ShiddatīProvider in My Hardship
102Rajāʾī ʿinda MuṣībatīHope in My Misfortune
103Muʾnisī ʿinda WaḥshatīCompanion in My Isolation
104Ṣāḥibī ʿinda GhurbatīCompanion in My Journey
105Waliyyī ʿinda NiʿmatīFriend in My Ease
106Ghiyāthī ʿinda KurbatīRescuer From My Trials
107Dalīlī ʿinda ḤayratīGuide in My Perplexity
108Ghināʾī ʿindaʼftiqārīResource in My Neediness
109Maljaʾī ʿindaʼḍṭirārīShelter in My Helplessness
110Muʿīnī ʿinda MafzaʿīDeliverer From My Fears
111ʿAllāmaʼl-GhuyūbKnower of the Unseen
112Ghaffāraʼḏ-ḎunūbForgiver of Wrongdoings
113Sattāraʼl-ʿUyūbConcealer of Defects
114Kāshifaʼl-KurūbExpeller of Pain
115Muqallibaʼl-QulūbChanger of the Hearts
116Ṭabībaʼl-QulūbPhysician of the Hearts
117Munawwiraʼl-QulūbIlluminator of the Hearts
118ʾAnīsaʼl-QulūbIntimate of the Hearts
119Mufarrijaʼl-HumūmEliminator of Anxiety
120Munaffisaʼl-GhumūmLiberator From Grief
121JalīlGlorious
122JamīlVirtuous
123WakīlProtector
124KafīlPatron
125DalīlGuide
126QabīlGuarantor
127MudīlBestower of Wealth
128MunīlBestower of Blessings
129MuqīlBestower of Strength
130MuḥīlAcceptor of Repentance
131Dalīlaʼl-MutaḥayyirīnGuide of the Waylaid
132Ghiyāthaʼl-MustaghīthīnRescuer of Those Who Appeal
133Ṣarīkhaʼl-MustaṣrikhīnHelper of Those Who Call
134Jāraʼl-MustajīrīnAider of Those Who Call
135ʾAmānaʼl-KhāʾifīnShelter of the Fearful
136ʿAwnaʼl-MuʾminīnSuccourer of the Faithful
137Rāḥimaʼl-MasākīnMerciful to the Indigent
138Maljaʾaʼl-ʿĀṣīnRefuge for the Disobedient
139Ghāfiraʼl-MuḏnibīnForgiver of Those Who Sin
140Mujība Daʿwatiʼl-MuḍṭarrīnResponder to the Calls of Those in Need
141Ḏāʼl-Jūdi waʼl-ʾIḥsānMaster of Liberality and Beneficence
142Ḏāʼl-Faḍli waʼl-ʾImtinānHe Who Is Gracious and Obliging
143Ḏāʼl-ʾAmni waʼl-ʾAmānMaster of Peace and Security
144Ḏāʼl-Qudsi waʼs-SubḥānHe Who Is Holy and Exalted
145Ḏāʼl-Ḥikmati waʼl-BayānMaster of Wisdom and Manifestation
146Ḏāʼr-Raḥmati waʼr-RiḍwānMaster of Mercy and Satisfaction
147Ḏāʼl-Ḥujjati waʼl-BurhānMaster of Argument and Proof
148Ḏāʼl-ʿAẓamati waʼs-SulṭānMaster of Grandeur and Sovereignty
149Ḏāʼr-Raʾfati waʼl-MustaʿānMaster of Kindness and Aid
150Ḏāʼl-ʿAfwi waʼl-GhufrānMaster of Pardon and Forgiveness
151Man Huwa Rabbu Kulli ShayʾHe Who Is the Lord Over All Things
152Man Huwa ʾIlāhu Kulli ShayʾHe Who Is the God of All Things
153Man Huwa Khāliqu Kulli ShayʾHe Who Is the Creator of All Things
154Man Huwa Ṣāniʿu Kulli ShayʾHe Who Is the Fashioner of All Things
155Man Huwa Qabla Kulli ShayʾHe Who Is the Predecessor of All Things
156Man Huwa Baʿda Kulli ShayʾHe Who Is the Successor of All Things
157Man Huwa Fawqa Kulli ShayʾHe Who Is Above All Things
158Man Huwa ʿĀlimun Bikulli ShayʾHe Who Is Knowledged on All Things
159Man Huwa Qādirun ʿalā Kulli ShayʾHe Who Is Powerful Over All Things
160Man Huwa Yabqā wa Yafnā Kullu
Shayʾ		He Who Is the Sustainer and Extinguisher of All Things
161MuʾminSecurer
162MuhayminProtector
163MukawwinBestower of Being
164MulaqqinBestower of Knowledge
165MubayyinManifester
166MuhawwinFacilitator
167MumakkinProvider of Place
168MuzayyinAdorner
169MuʿlinProclaimer
170MuqsimDistributor
171Man Huwa fī Mulkihi MuqīmHe Who Is Everlasting in His Kingdom
172Man Huwa fī Sulṭānihi QadīmHe Who Is Eternal in His Sovereignty
173Man Huwa fī Jalālihi ʿAẓīmHe Who Is Greatest in His Grandeur
174Man Huwa ʿalā ʿIbādihi RaḥīmHe Who Is Merciful to His Servants
175Man Huwa Bikulli Shayʾin ʿAlīmHe Who Is Aware of Everything
176Man Huwa Biman ʿAṣāhu ḤalīmHe Who Is Forbearing Towards the Disobedient
177Man Huwa Biman Rrajāhu KarīmHe Who Is Generous to the Beseechers
178Man Huwa fī Ṣunʿihi ḤakīmHe Who Is Wise Over What He Has Fashioned
179Man Huwa fī Ḥikmatihi LaṭīfHe Who Is Subtle in His Wisdom
180Man Huwa fī Luṭfihi QadīmHe Who Is Eternal in His Kindness
181Man Llā Yurjā ʾIllā FaḍluhHe From Whom Nothing Is Expected but His Favor
182Man Llā Yusʾalu ʾIllā ʿAfwuhHe From Whom Nothing Is Asked but His Pardon
183Man Llā Yunẓaru ʾIllā BirruhHe From Whom Nothing Comes Out but His Goodness
184Man Llā Yukhāfu ʾIllā ʿAdluhHe Who Is Not Feared but for His Justice
185Man Llā Yadūmu ʾIllā MulkuhHe Except Whose No Kingdom Is Eternal
186Man Llā Sulṭāna ʾIllā SulṭānuhHe Except Whose No Sovereignty Is Prevailing
187Man Wwasiʿat Kulla Shayʾi''n
Rraḥmatuh		He Whose Mercy Encompasses Everything
188Man Sabaqat Raḥmatuhu
Ghaḍabah		He Whose Mercy Surpasses His Wrath
189Man ʾAḥāṭa Bikulli Shayʾ''in ʿIlmuhHe Whose Knowledge Encompasses Everything
190Man Llaysa ʾAḥadun MithlahHe Who Has No Equal
191Fārijaʼl-HamRemover of Anxiety
192Kāshifaʼl-GhamDispeller of Sorrow
193Ghāfiraʼḏ-ḎanbForgiver of Wrongdoings
194Qābilaʼt-TawbAcceptor of Repentance
195Khāliqaʼl-KhalqCreator of Creations
196Ṣādiqaʼl-WaʿdTruthful in Promises
197Mūfiyaʼl-ʿAhdAccomplisher of Covenants
198ʿĀlimaʼs-SirKnower of Secrets
199Fāliqaʼl-ḤabSplitter of Seed
200Rāziqaʼl-ʾAnāmProvider for Creatures

Descriptions

Sunni and Shiite scholars have written commentaries on the prayer of Jowshan Kabir. The most famous commentary is the commentary of Mullah Hadi Sabzevari. This description is partly mystical and philosophical. Sabzevari has testified to Persian and Arabic poems based on prayer verses and has referred to Firoozabadi's dictionary of lexicon for lexical issues. He has also raised philosophical, mystical, and theological issues on a variety of occasions

Recitation

Muslims often read the Jawshan kabir in Laylat al-Qadr in Ramadan but some Hadiths recommend reading it at the beginning of Ramadan. Imam Ali said to his son, Husayn ibn Ali, to memorize and write this supplication on his kafan. Also, there are several hadiths from the prophet Muhammad that state that whoever recites this prayer will receive rewards in the world and Akhirah. Abbas Qumi wrote the prayer in his book Mafatih al-Janan.

Writing

According to the book of Urwath al-Wutha of Mohammed Kazem Yazdi, writing Dua Jawshan Kabir on the shroud is deemed as a Mustahabb practice; it has also been mentioned through Husayn ibn Ali that it is permissible to write Jawshan Kabir and Jawshan Sagheer on the shroud, but, in order not to be Najis, it is better not to write on the parallel or lower of Awrah.