Supplication in Confession (12)

وَ كَانَ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فِي الِاعْتِرَافِ وَ طَلَبِ التَّوْبَةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى
His Supplication in Confession and in Seeking Repentance toward God
Translated by William Chittick

  اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّهُ يَحْجُبُنِي عَنْ مَسْأَلَتِكَ خِلَالٌ ثَلَاثٌ ،

O God, three traits have prevented me from asking Thee

    وَ تَحْدُونِي عَلَيْهَا خَلَّةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ

and one trait has urged me on:

     يَحْجُبُنِي أَمْرٌ أَمَرْتَ بِهِ فَأَبْطَأْتُ عَنْهُ ،

I am prevented by a command Thou hast commanded in which I have been slow,

    وَ نَهْيٌ نَهَيْتَنِي عَنْهُ فَأَسْرَعْتُ إِلَيْهِ ،

a prohibition Thou hast prohibited toward which I have hurried,

    وَ نِعْمَةٌ أَنْعَمْتَ بِهَا عَلَيَّ فَقَصَّرْتُ فِي شُكْرِهَا

and a favour through which Thou hast favoured for which I have not given sufficient thanks

     وَ يَحْدُونِي عَلَى مَسْأَلَتِكَ

I am urged to ask Thee

    تَفَضُّلُكَ عَلَى مَنْ أَقْبَلَ بِوَجْهِهِ إِلَيْكَ ،

by Thy gratuitous bounty upon him who turns his face toward Thee

    وَ وَفَدَ بِحُسْنِ ظَنِّهِ إِلَيْكَ ،

and comes to Thee with a good opinion,

    إِذْ جَمِيعُ إِحْسَانِكَ تَفَضُّلٌ ،

since all Thy beneficence is gratuitous bounty

    وَ إِذْ كُلُّ نِعَمِكَ ابْتِدَاءٌ

and every one of Thy favours a new beginning!

     فَهَا أَنَا ذَا ، يَا إِلَهِي ،

So here I am, my God,

    وَاقِفٌ بِبَابِ عِزِّكَ وُقُوفَ الْمُسْتَسْلِمِ الذَّلِيلِ ،

standing at the gate of Thy might, the standing of the lowly, the surrendered,

    وَ سَائِلُكَ عَلَى الْحَيَاءِ مِنِّي

asking Thee in my shame,

    سُؤَالَ الْبَائِسِ الْمُعِيلِ

the asking of the destitute, the pitiful,

     مُقِرٌّ لَكَ بِأَنِّي

admitting to Thee that

    لَمْ أَسْتَسْلِمْ وَقْتَ إِحْسَانِكَ إِلَّا بِالْإِقْلَاعِ عَنْ عِصْيَانِكَ ،

at the time of Thy beneficence I surrendered not save through abstaining from disobedience toward Thee

    وَ لَمْ أَخْلُ فِي الْحَالَاتِ كُلِّهَا مِنِ امْتِنَانِكَ

and in none of my states was I ever without Thy Kindness

     فَهَلْ يَنْفَعُنِي ، يَا إِلَهِي ، إِقْرَارِي عِنْدَكَ بِسُوءِ مَا اكْتَسَبْتُ

Will it profit me, my God, to admit to Thee the evil of what I have earned?

    وَ هَلْ يُنْجِينِي مِنْكَ اعْتِرَافِي لَكَ بِقَبِيحِ مَا ارْتَكَبْتُ

Will it save me from Thee to confess the ugliness of what I have done?

    أَمْ أَوْجَبْتَ لِي فِي مَقَامِي هَذَا سُخْطَكَ

Or wilt Thou impose upon me in this my station Thy displeasure?

    أَمْ لَزِمَنِي فِي وَقْتِ دُعَايَ مَقْتُكَ

Will Thy hate hold fast to me in the time of my supplication?

    سُبْحَانَكَ ، لَا أَيْأَسُ مِنْكَ

  Glory be to Thee! I do not despair of Thee,

    وَ قَدْ فَتحْتَ لِي بَابَ التَّوْبَةِ إِلَيْكَ ،

for Thou hast opened the door of repentance toward Thyself

    بَلْ أَقُولُ مَقَالَ الْعَبْدِ الذَّلِيلِ الظَّالِمِ لِنَفْسِهِ

Rather, I say, the words of a lowly servant, having wronged himself

    الْمُسْتَخِفِّ بِحُرْمَةِ رَبِّهِ

and made light of his Lord's inviolability,

     الَّذِي عَظُمَتْ ذُنُوبُهُ فَجَلَّتْ ،

and whose sins are dreadful, great,

    وَ أَدْبَرَتْ أَيَّامُهُ فَوَلَّتْ

whose days have parted, fled,

    حَتَّى إِذَا رَأَى مُدَّةَ الْعَمَلِ قَدِ انْقَضَتْ

until, when he sees the term of his works expired

    وَ غَايَةَ الْعُمُرِ قَدِ انْتَهَتْ ،

and the limit of his lifetime reached

    وَ أَيْقَنَ أَنَّهُ لَا مَحِيصَ لَهُ مِنْكَ ، وَ لَا مَهْرَبَ لَهُ عَنْكَ ،

and knows with certainty that he has no escape from Thee, no place to flee from Thee,

    تَلَقَّاكَ بِالْإِنَابَةِ ،

he turns his face toward Thee in repeated turning,

    وَ أَخْلَصَ لَكَ التَّوْبَةَ ،

makes his repentance toward Thee sincere,

    فَقَامَ إِلَيْكَ بِقَلْبٍ طَاهِرٍ نَقِيٍّ ،

stands before Thee with a pure and purified heart,

    ثُمَّ دَعَاكَ بِصَوْتٍ حَائِلٍ خَفِيٍّ

then supplicates Thee with a feeble, quiet voice

     قَدْ تَطَأْطَأَ لَكَ فَانْحَنَى ،

He is bowed before Thee, bent,

    وَ نَكَّسَ رَأْسَهُ فَانْثَنَى ،

his head lowered, thrown down,

    قَدْ أَرْعَشَتْ خَشْيَتُهُ رِجْلَيْهِ ،

his legs shaking in fear,

    وَ غَرَّقَتْ دُمُوعُهُ خَدَّيْهِ ،

his tears flooding his cheeks

    يَدْعُوكَ بِيَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ ،

He supplicates Thee: O Most Merciful of the merciful!

    وَ يَا أَرْحَمَ مَنِ انْتَابَهُ الْمُسْتَرْحِمُونَ ،

O Most Merciful of those toward whom seekers of mercy keep on turning!

  وَ يَا أَعْطَفَ مَنْ أَطَافَ بِهِ الْمُسْتَغْفِرُونَ ،

  O Tenderest of those around whom run seekers of forgiveness!

    وَ يَا مَنْ عَفْوُهُ أَكْثرُ مِنْ نَقِمَتِهِ ،

O He whose pardon is greater than His vengeance!

    وَ يَا مَنْ رِضَاهُ أَوْفَرُ مِنْ سَخَطِهِ

O He whose good pleasure is more abundant than His anger!

     وَ يَا مَنْ تَحَمَّدَ إِلَى خَلْقِهِ

O He who seeks His creatures' praise

    بِحُسْنِ التَّجَاوُزِ ،

with excellent forbearance!

    وَ يَا مَنْ عَوَّدَ عِبَادَهُ قَبُولَ الْإِنَابَةِ ،

O He who has accustomed His servants to the acceptance of their repeated turningl!

    وَ يَا مَنِ اسْتَصْلَحَ فَاسِدَهُمْ بِالتَّوْبَةِ

O He who seeks to heal their corruption through repentance!

    وَ يَا مَنْ رَضِيَ مِنْ فِعْلِهِمْ بِالْيَسِيرِ ،

O He who is pleased with the easy of their acts!

    وَ مَنْ كَافَى قَلِيلَهُمْ بِالْكَثِيرِ ،

O He who recompenses with the much their little !

    وَ يَا مَنْ ضَمِنَ لَهُمْ إِجَابَةَ الدُّعَاءِ ،

O He who has made himself accountable to them to respond to supplication!

    وَ يَا مَنْ وَعَدَهُمْ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ

O He who pledged Himself

    بِتَفَضُّلِهِ حُسْنَ الْجَزَاءِ

by His gratuitous bounty to give them excellent repayment!

     مَا أَنَا بِأَعْصَى مَنْ عَصَاكَ

I am not the most disobedient of those who have disobeyed Thee

    فَغَفَرْتَ لَهُ ،

and whom Thou hast forgiven,

    وَ مَا أَنَا بِأَلْوَمِ مَنِ اعْتَذَرَ إِلَيْكَ

nor am I the most blameworthy to offer excuses

    فَقَبِلْتَ مِنْهُ ،

which Thou hast accepted,

    وَ مَا أَنَا بِأَظْلَمِ مَنْ تَابَ إِلَيْكَ

nor am I the most wrongdoing of those who have repented to Thee,

    فَعُدْتَ عَلَيْهِ

and to whom Thou hast returned

   أَتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ فِي مَقَامِي هَذَا

I repent to Thee in this my station,

    تَوْبَةَ نَادِمٍ عَلَى مَا فَرَطَ مِنْهُ ،

the repentance of one remorseful over what preceded from him hastily,

    مُشْفِقٍ مِمَّا اجْتَمَعَ عَلَيْهِ ،

apprehensive of what has gathered around him,

    خَالِصِ الْحَيَاءِ مِمَّا وَقَعَ فِيهِ

pure in shame for that into which he has fallen,

     عَالِمٍ بِأَنَّ الْعَفْوَ عَنِ الذَّنْبِ الْعَظِيمِ لَا يَتَعَاظَمُكَ ،

knowing that pardoning great sins is nothing great for Thee

    وَ أَنَّ التَّجَاوُزَ عَنِ الْإِثْمِ الْجَلِيلِ لَا يَسْتَصْعِبُكَ ،

overlooking enormous misdeeds is not difficult for Thee,

    وَ أَنَّ احْتِمَالَ الْجِنَايَاتِ الْفَاحِشَةِ لَا يَتَكَأَّدُكَ ،

putting up with indecent crimes does not trouble Thee,

    وَ أَنَّ أَحَبَّ عِبَادِكَ إِلَيْكَ مَنْ تَرَكَ الِاسْتِكْبَارَ عَلَيْكَ ،

and the most beloved of Thy servants to Thee is he who refrains from arrogance before Thee,

    وَ جَانَبَ الْإِصْرَارَ ، وَ لَزِمَ الِاسْتِغْفَارَ

pulls aside from persistence, and holds fast to praying forgiveness!

     وَ أَنَا أَبْرَأُ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ أَنْ أَسْتَكْبِرَ ،

I am clear before Thee of arrogance,

    وَ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ أَنْ أُصِرَّ ،

I seek refuge in Thee from persistence,

    وَ أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ لِمَا قَصَّرْتُ فِيهِ ،

I pray forgiveness from Thee for shortcomings,

    وَ أَسْتَعِينُ بِكَ عَلَى مَا عَجَزْتُ عَنْهُ

I seek help from Thee in incapacity!

     اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ ،

O God, bless Muhammad and his Household,

    وَ هَبْ لِي مَا يَجِبُ عَلَيَّ لَكَ ،

dispense with what is incumbent upon me toward Thee,

    وَ عَافِنِي مِمَّا أَسْتَوْجِبُهُ مِنْكَ ،

release me from what I merit from Thee,

    وَ أَجِرْنِي مِمَّا يَخَافُهُ أَهْلُ الْإِسَاءَةِ ،

and grant me sanctuary from what the evildoers fear!

    فَإِنَّكَ مَلِي‏ءٌ بِالْعَفْوِ ،

For Thou art full of pardon,

    مَرْجُوٌّ لِلْمَغْفِرَةِ ،

the hopedfor source of forgiveness,

    مَعْرُوفٌ بِالتَّجَاوُزِ ،

well known for Thy forbearance

    لَيْسَ لِحَاجَتِي مَطْلَبٌ سِوَاكَ ،

My need has no object but Thee,

    وَ لَا لِذَنْبِي غَافِرٌ غَيْرُكَ ، حَاشَاكَ

my sin no forgiver other than Thee could that be possible?

     وَ لَا أَخَافُ عَلَى نَفْسِي إِلَّا إِيَّاكَ ،

I have no fear for myself except from Thee;

    إِنَّكَ أَهْلُ التَّقْوَى وَ أَهْلُ الْمَغْفِرَةِ ،

Thou art worthy of reverential fear, and worthy to forgive!

    صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ ،

Bless Muhammad and his Household, grant my need,

    وَ اقْضِ حَاجَتِي ، وَ أَنْجِحْ طَلِبَتِي ، وَ اغْفِرْ ذَنْبِي ،

answer my request favourably, forgive my sin,

    وَ آمِنْ خَوْفَ نَفْسِي ،

and give me security from fear for myself!

    إِنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ قَدِيرٌ ،

Thou art powerful over everything,

    وَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْكَ يَسِيرٌ ،

and that is easy for Thee

    آمِينَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ

Amen, Lord of the world!