Various stages of praying to the Almighty

1- Stage of Raghbah (desire)

In this stage, the slave puts his palms to the sky out of need and asks for goodness, mercy, forgiveness… from the threshold of his friend. This state is performed in the Qonout of Salāt, many supplications and other acts of worship and supplication of the servants of Almighty Allah.

2- The stage of Rahbah (absolute desire)

This stage is higher than the stage of desire. At this stage, the servant is turning towards his Friend Allah, but he is afraid that the weight of his sins and failure to fulfill his Shari’ah duties and obligations will deprive him of the mercy of the truth, and in this fear, he turns his back of his hands to the sky. And he calls the Most High for his kindness and grace…

3-Stage of Tadharru’ (Supplication)

This is a higher stage than the previous stage. At this stage, the servant turns to His Territory out of fear and supplication, but he does not know which companions he is in. The companions of the right or the companions of the left? And it is in this state that the index finger of his right hand is a sign of need and supplication; He moves his face towards Him to the left and right…” This is the state of supplication at the end of the prayer of the month of Rajab.

4- The stage of Tabattul (severance from all wrong)

This stage is also higher than the stage of supplication. At this stage, the servant has cut off from what is not right and has rushed to the threshold of the right for obedience and worship, beseeching and begging, but he still does not know whether he has been raised to the heavenly sky by the Almighty or is still in lowly positions and he is at the bottom of the world, for this reason he moves the index finger of his left hand with all his being towards the sky, up and down, and calls the Almighty with supplication and need…

5- The stage of Ibtihāl (lament)

The highest stage of the servant’s worship in front of the Most High is the stage of Ibtihāl. At this stage, with humility and supplication, the servant raises the Kaffayn (palms of both hands) up to the elbows towards the sky, while the tears of joy and regret in front of the Friend are on his eyes, he leaves the affairs to the creator of the being…. Hazrat Ayatollah Behjat RA used to pray in this state…