Supplication when Afflicted (34)

وَ كَانَ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ إِذَا ابْتُلِيَ أَوْ رَأَى مُبْتَلًى بِفَضِيحَةٍ بِذَنْبٍ
His Supplication when he was Afflicted or saw Someone Afflicted with the Disgrace of Sin
Translated by William Chittick

اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ عَلَى سِتْرِكَ بَعْدَ عِلْمِكَ ،

O God, to Thee belongs praise for Thy covering over after Thy knowledge

وَ مُعَافَاتِكَ بَعْدَ خُبْرِكَ ،

and Thy pardon after Thy awareness!

فَكُلُّنَا قَدِ اقْتَرَفَ الْعَائِبَةَ فَلَمْ تَشْهَرْهُ ،

Each of us has committed faults, but Thou hast not made him notorious,

وَ ارْتَكَبَ الْفَاحِشَةَ فَلَمْ تَفْضَحْهُ ،

done indecencies, but Thou hast not disgraced him,

وَ تَسَتَّرَ بِالْمَسَاوِئِ فَلَمْ تَدْلُلْ عَلَيْهِ .

and covered over evil deeds, but Thou hast not pointed to him.

كَمْ نَهْيٍ لَكَ قَدْ أَتَيْنَاهُ ،

How many are Thy prohibited acts which we have performed,

وَ أَمْرٍ قَدْ وَقَفْتَنَا عَلَيْهِ

Thy commandments of which Thou hast told us

فَتَعَدَّيْنَاهُ ،

which we have transgressed,

وَ سَيِّئَةٍ اكْتَسَبْنَاهَا ،

the evil deeds which we have earned,

وَ خَطِيئَةٍ ارْتَكَبْنَاهَا ،

the offenses which we have committed!

كُنْتَ الْمُطَّلِعَ عَلَيْهَا دُونَ النَّاظِرِينَ ،

Thou seest them to the exclusion of all observers;

وَ الْقَادِرَ عَلَى إِعْلَانِهَا فَوْقَ الْقَادِرِينَ ،

Thou hast the power to make them public above all the powerful!

كَانَتْ عَافِيَتُكَ لَنَا حِجَاباً دُونَ أَبْصَارِهِمْ ،

By giving us safety Thou hast veiled their eyes

وَ رَدْماً دُونَ أَسْمَاعِهِمْ

and stoppled their ears.

فَاجْعَلْ مَا سَتَرْتَ مِنَ الْعَوْرَةِ ،

So make the shameful things Thou hast covered over

وَ أَخْفَيْتَ مِنَ الدَّخِيلَةِ ،

and the inward reality Thou hast concealed

وَاعِظاً لَنَا ،

our admonisher,

وَ زَاجِراً عَنْ سُوءِ الْخُلُقِ ، وَ اقْتِرَافِ الْخَطِيئَةِ ،

a restrainer upon bad character traits and committing offenses,

وَ سَعْياً إِلَى التَّوْبَةِ الْمَاحِيَةِ ،

and a striving toward the repentance that erases [sins]

وَ الطَّرِيقِ الْمَحْمُودَةِ

and the praiseworthy path!

وَ قَرِّبِ الْوَقْتَ فِيهِ ،

Bring the time of striving near

وَ لَا تَسُمْنَا الْغَفْلَةَ عَنْكَ ،

and visit us not with heedlessness of Thee!

إِنَّا إِلَيْكَ رَاغِبُونَ ، وَ مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ تَائِبُونَ .

Surely we are Thy beseechers, the repenters of sins.

وَ صَلِّ عَلَى خِيَرَتِكَ اللَّهُمَّ مِنْ خَلْقِكَ

And bless Thy chosen, O God, from Thy creation,

مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عِتْرَتِهِ

Muhammad and his descendants,

الصِّفْوَةِ مِنْ بَرِيَّتِكَ الطَّاهِرِينَ ،

the friends selected from among Thy creatures, the pure,

وَ اجْعَلْنَا لَهُمْ سَامِعِينَ وَ مُطِيعِينَ كَمَا أَمَرْتَ .

and make us listeners to them and obeyers, as Thou hast commanded!