Ayatollah Khamenei's comments on the supplication recommended by the late Ayatollah Bahjat

Ayatollah Bahjat was a revered source of emulation and was famous among Shi’ite Muslims for his knowledge of Islamic Gnosticism and his mysticism. His religious decrees were followed by many Shi’ite Muslims. Ayatollah Bahjat died at the age of 96 from heart disease on May 17, 2009 in the holy city of Qom.

When the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, visited the holy city of Qom on October 24, 2010, he mentioned to thousands of seminarians and teachers of the Islamic Seminaries in a speech that 'Ayatollah Bahjat recommended the recitation of Du’a al-Ghariq (Supplication of the Drowning Man) regularly and encouraged the seminarians to do this as well, as it holds countless spiritual benefits.

These are Ayatollah Khamenei’s comments on this supplication which were part of the previously mentioned speech delivered in Qom:

یَا اللَّهُ یَا رَحْمَانُ یَا رَحِیمُ، یَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِی عَلَى دِینِکَ

“Oh God! Oh All-Beneficent! Oh All-Merciful! Oh Turner of hearts! (Please) make my heart firm in Your religion.” (Du’a al-Ghariq as narrated by Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq.

Ayatollah Bahjat said that even if someone had a small problem and read this supplication, his prayers would be answered by God. He said that someone whose faith is strong might think that by reciting the phase “(Please) make my heart firm on Your religion,” that they are telling God that their faith is not rational or strong, and that they might think that this phrase is for lower classes. Ayatollah Bahjat said that the reason someone should continuously pray for strong faith despite having it is that a person can still turn back from this firm faith and go astray.