Du'a al-Iftitah (The Opening Supplication)

Du'a al-Iftitah (Arabic: دعاء الافتتاح), "The Opening Supplication," is a beautiful and profound supplication recited every night during the month of Ramadan. It is attributed to the 12th Imam, Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his appearance), and is one of Ramadan's most characteristic supplications.

The supplication opens with a majestic praise of Allah: "Allahumma inni aftatihu al-thana'a bi hamdika..." (O Allah, I open the praise with Your praise...). It contains deep theological reflections on Allah's oneness, power, mercy, and compassion, followed by a praise of the Prophet Muhammad and his family, and concludes with a supplication for Imam al-Mahdi's appearance.

Du'a al-Iftitah is narrated in Iqbal al-A'mal by Sayyid ibn Tawus and in Mafatih al-Jinan by Shaykh Abbas al-Qummi. It is typically recited after the Isha prayer, either before or after the night prayer. The supplication's final part contains one of the most moving passages about Imam al-Mahdi: "O Allah, we earnestly desire from You an honorable state through which You elevate Islam and its people and humiliate hypocrisy and its people..."

For Shia Muslims, Du'a al-Iftitah is an indispensable part of Ramadan's nightly program. It combines theological depth with poetic beauty and creates an atmosphere of devotion and longing that is characteristic of Ramadan. In Shia mosques, it is often recited communally after the Isha prayer, and its words create a powerful spiritual experience for all present.