156 – ʿAbdullāh narrated to us; he said: Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn narrated to me; he said: ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Muḥammad al-Taymī narrated to us; he said: Muʿādh ibn Ziyād, from one of his teachers, said:

“People talk about how the sons of Jacob were granted repentance, yet they do not know what they had to face and what they went through. Jacob—peace be upon him—continued to supplicate for twenty years, while his sons stood behind him calling upon Allah as well, until they learned certain invocations. Jacob then prayed with those words:

‘O Hope of the believers, do not cut off my hope.
O Rescuer of those who cry for help, rescue me.
O Protector of the believers, protect me.
O Beloved of those who repent, turn to us in forgiveness.’

⦗108⦘ He voiced these supplications in the last part of the night, and their repentance was accepted.”