Supplication when Sick (15)

وَ كَانَ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ إِذَا مَرِضَ أَوْ نَزَلَ بِهِ كَرْبٌ أَوْ بَلِيَّةٌ
His Supplication when Sick or Visited by Distress or an Affliction
Translated by William Chittick

   اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ

O God, to Thee belongs praise

    عَلَى مَا لَمْ أَزَلْ أَتَصَرَّفُ فِيهِ مِنْ سَلَامَةِ بَدَنِي ،

for the good health of my body which lets me move about,

    وَ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ

and to Thee belongs praise,

    عَلَى مَا أَحْدَثْتَ بِي مِنْ عِلَّةٍ فِي جَسَدِي

for the ailments which Thou causest to arise in my flesh!

     فَمَا أَدْرِي ، يَا إِلَهِي ،

For I know not, my God,

    أَيُّ الْحَالَيْنِ أَحَقُّ بِالشُّكْرِ لَكَ ،

which of the two states deserves more my thanking Thee

    وَ أَيُّ الْوَقْتَيْنِ أَوْلَى بِالْحَمْدِ لَكَ

and which of the two times is more worthy for my praise of Thee:

     أَ وَقْتُ الصِّحَّةِ

the time of health,

    الَّتِي هَنَّأْتَنِي فِيهَا طَيِّبَاتِ رِزْقِكَ ،

within which Thou makest me delight in the agreeable things of Thy provision,

    وَ نَشَّطْتَنِي بِهَا لِابْتِغَاءِ مَرْضَاتِكَ وَ فَضْلِكَ ،

through which Thou givest me the joy to seek the means to Thy good pleasure and bounty,

    وَ قَوَّيْتَنِي مَعَهَا

and by which Thou strengthenest me

    عَلَى مَا وَفَّقْتَنِي لَهُ مِنْ طَاعَتِكَ

for the acts of obedience which Thou hast given me success to accomplish;

     أَمْ وَقْتُ الْعِلَّةِ

or the time of illness

    الَّتِي مَحَّصْتَنِي بِهَا ،

through which Thou puttest me to the test

    وَ النِّعَمِ الَّتِي أَتْحَفْتَنِي بِهَا ،

and bestowest upon me favours:

    تَخْفِيفاً لِمَا ثَقُلَ بِهِ عَلَيَّ ظَهْرِي مِنَ الْخَطِيئَاتِ ،

lightening of the offenses that weigh down my back,

    وَ تَطْهِيراً لِمَا انْغَمَسْتُ فِيهِ مِنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ ،

purification of the evil deeds into which I have plunged,

    وَ تَنْبِيهاً لِتَنَاوُلِ التَّوْبَةِ ،

incitement to reach for repentance,

    وَ تَذْكِيراً لِمَحْوِ الْحَوْبَةِ بِقَدِيمِ النِّعْمَةِ

reminder of the erasure of misdeeds through ancient favour;

     وَ فِي خِلَالِ ذَلِكَ مَا كَتَبَ لِيَ الْكَاتِبَانِ

and, through all that, what the two writers write for me:

    مِنْ زَكِيِّ الْأَعْمَالِ ،

blameless acts,

    مَا لَا قَلْبٌ فَكَّرَ فِيهِ ،

which no heart had thought,

    وَ لَا لِسَانٌ نَطَقَ بِهِ ،

no tongue had uttered,

    وَ لَا جَارِحَةٌ تَكَلَّفَتْهُ ،

and no limb had undertaken,

    بَلْ إِفْضَالًا مِنْكَ عَلَيَّ ،

rather, as Thy bestowal of bounty upon me

    وَ إِحْسَاناً مِنْ صَنِيعِكَ إِلَيَّ

and the beneficence of Thy benefaction toward me

     اللَّهُمَّ فَصَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ ،

O God, bless Muhammad and his Household,

    وَ حَبِّبْ إِلَيَّ مَا رَضِيتَ لِي ،

make me love what Thou hast approved for me,

    وَ يَسِّرْ لِي مَا أَحْلَلْتَ بِي ،

make easy for me what Thou hast sent down upon me,

    وَ طَهِّرْنِي مِنْ دَنَسِ مَا أَسْلَفْتُ ،

purify me of the defilement of what I have sent ahead,

    وَ امْحُ عَنِّي شَرَّ مَا قَدَّمْتُ ،

erase the evil of what I have done beforehand,

    وَ أَوْجِدْنِي حَلَاوَةَ الْعَافِيَةِ ،

let me find the sweetness of wellbeing,

    وَ أَذِقْنِي بَرْدَ السَّلَامَةِ ،

let me taste the coolness of safety,

    وَ اجْعَلْ مَخْرَجِي عَنْ عِلَّتِي إِلَى عَفْوِكَ ،

and appoint for me a way out from my illness to Thy pardon,

    وَ مُتَحَوَّلِي عَنْ صَرْعَتِي إِلَى تَجَاوُزِكَ ،

transformation of my infirmity into Thy forbearance,

    وَ خَلَاصِي مِنْ كَرْبِي إِلَى رَوْحِكَ ،

escape from my distress to Thy refreshment,

    وَ سَلَامَتِي مِنْ هَذِهِ الشِّدَّةِ إِلَى فَرَجِكَ

and safety from this hardship in Thy relief!

     إِنَّكَ الْمُتَفَضِّلُ بِالْإِحْسَانِ ، الْمُتَطَوِّلُ بِالِامْتِنَانِ ،

Thou art gratuitously bountiful in beneficence, ever gracious in kindness,

    الْوَهَّابُ الْكَرِيمُ ،

the Generous, the Giver,

    ذُو الْجَلَالِ وَ الْإِكْرَامِ

Possessor of majesty and munificence!