AAMAL AT THE THIRD COLUMN (SUTOON)

You may then walk to the seat of Imam ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-’Abidin (‘a) that is situated near the third column from the direction of bab kindah (the Gate of Kindah). Opposite to this place from the kiblah direction is the seat of Imam ‘Ali Amir al-Mu’minin (‘a) and from the west side is bab kindah, which is now blocked. It has been also said that one who wants to offer prayers there must stand five arms far from the column, since the actual place of the seat of Imam Zayn al-’Abidin (‘a) was there. Anyhow, you may offer there a two-unit prayer reciting Surah al-Fatihah and any other Surah you like. When you finish the prayer and say the Tasbih statements, you may say the following:

You may then prostrate yourself and stick your right cheek to the ground and repeat as much as possible the following statements with reverence and weeping:

You may then stick your left cheek to the ground and repeat the same words.

You may then supplicate Almighty Allah for anything you want.

Some inauthoritative books have mentioned that the following instruction of Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) to one of his companions may be carried out in this place. As a matter of fact, this instruction is not dedicated to this place; rather, to the courtyard of Masjid al-Kufah. However, this instruction is as follows:

It is narrated that Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) said to one of his companions: If you pass by the grand mosque of al-Kufah in the early morning, you may offer there a four-unit prayer and then say the following supplicatory prayer:

You may also say the following:

Immediately after their reference to the acts to be advisably done at the fourth column, Shaykh al-Shahid and Muhammad ibn al-Mashhadi have included this act with the other acts that are done at the courtyard of the mosque. They have added that one may offer a four-unit prayer in the first two units of which one may recite Surah al-Fatihah and Surah al-Tawhid and the last two units one may recite Surah al-Fatihah and the Surah al-Qadr. After accomplishment, one may say the Tasbih al-Zahra’ litany etc.

According to an authoritative narration, Abu-Hamzah al-Thumali reported that he was one day sitting in the grand mosque of al-Kufah when a man entered from bab kindah. His face was indeed the prettiest, he smelt the nicest perfume, and he put on the cleanest dress. He also put a turban, a shirt, and a jubbah (a type of long open cloth coat with wide sleeves). As he was also wearing Arabian slippers, he took them off when he entered the mosque. He then stopped near the sixth column of the mosque, raised his hands to the level of his ears and uttered a takbir statement (i.e. saying allahu-akbar) that was so reverent that my entire body shivered. He then offered a four-unit prayer with excellent genuflection (ruku') and prostration. At accomplishment, he uttered the supplicatory prayer that begins with this statement:

When he reached at the statement:

he prostrated himself and repeated this word as much as one breath may take. He then said while prostrating:

He then repeated the following word seventy times:

When he raised his head, I looked at him closely and could conclude that he was Zayn al-’Abidin (‘a). I thus kissed his hand and asked him what had caused him to come to the mosque. The Imam (‘a) answered, “As you have seen.” (i.e. I came here to offer prayers the al-Kufah Mosque) etc.

At the end of the seventh form of the untimed ziyarah of Imam ‘Ali (‘a), we have mentioned this story but with a little difference due to the difference of the reports. We have also mentioned that the Imam (‘a) suggested to Abu-Hamzah al-Thumali that he would accompany him to visiting the holy tomb of Imam ‘Ali (‘a) and the man agreed etc.