His Supplication in Imploring God (52)

وَ كَانَ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فِي الْإِلْحَاحِ عَلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى
His Supplication in Imploring God
Translated by William Chittick

يَا اللَّهُ الَّذِي لَا يَخْفَى عَلَيْهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ

O God, from whom nothing is concealed

فِي الْأَرْضِ وَ لَا فِي السَّمَاءِ ،

in earth or heaven!

وَ كَيْفَ يَخْفَى عَلَيْكَ يَا إِلَهِي مَا أَنْتَ خَلَقْتَهُ ،

How should what Thou hast created, my God, be concealed from Thee?

وَ كَيْفَ لَا تُحْصِي مَا أَنْتَ صَنَعْتَهُ ،

How shouldst Thou not number what Thou hast made?

أَوْ كَيْفَ يَغِيبُ عَنْكَ مَا أَنْتَ تُدَبِّرُهُ ،

How should what Thou governest be absent from Thee?

أَوْ كَيْفَ يَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ يَهْرُبَ مِنْكَ مَنْ لَا حَيَاةَ لَهُ إِلَّا بِرِزْقِكَ ،

How should one who has no life except through Thy provision have the ability to flee from Thee?

أَوْ كَيْفَ يَنْجُو مِنْكَ مَنْ لَا مَذْهَبَ لَهُ فِي غيْرِ مُلْكِكَ .

How should one who has no road except in Thy kingdom escape from Thee?

سُبْحَانَكَ

Glory be to Thee!

أَخْشَى خَلْقِكَ لَكَ أَعْلَمُهُمْ بِكَ ،

He among Thy creatures who fears Thee most knows Thee best,

وَ أَخْضَعُهُمْ لَكَ أَعْمَلُهُمْ بِطَاعَتِكَ ،

he among them most bent in humility is most active in obeying Thee,

وَ أَهْوَنُهُمْ عَلَيْكَ مَنْ أَنْتَ تَرْزُقُهُ وَ هُوَ يَعْبُدُ غَيْرَكَ

and he among them whom Thou providest while he worships another is most contemptible before Thee!

سُبْحَانَكَ

Glory be to Thee!

لَا يَنْقُصُ سُلْطَانَكَ مَنْ أَشْرَكَ بِكَ ،

He who associates others with Thee and denies Thy messengers

وَ كَذَّبَ رُسُلَكَ ،

diminishes not Thy authority.

وَ لَيْسَ يَسْتَطِيعُ مَنْ كَرِهَ قَضَاءَكَ

He who dislikes Thy decree

أَنْ يَرُدَّ أَمْرَكَ ،

cannot reject Thy command.

وَ لَا يَمْتَنِعُ مِنْكَ مَنْ كَذَّبَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ ،

He who denies Thy power keeps himself not away from Thee.

وَ لَا يَفُوتُكَ مَنْ عَبَدَ غَيْرَكَ ،

He who worships other than Thee escapes Thee not.

وَ لَا يُعَمَّرُ فِي الدُّنْيَا مَنْ كَرِهَ لِقَاءَكَ .

He who dislikes meeting Thee will not be given endless life in this world.

سُبْحَانَكَ مَا أَعْظَمَ شَأْنَكَ ،

Glory be to Thee! How mighty is Thy station,

وَ أَقْهَرَ سُلْطَانَكَ ،

overpowering Thy authority,

وَ أَشَدَّ قُوَّتَكَ ،

intense Thy strength,

وَ أَنْفَذَ أَمْرَكَ

penetrating Thy command!

سُبْحَانَكَ

Glory be to Thee!

قَضَيْتَ عَلَى جَمِيعِ خَلْقِكَ الْمَوْتَ

Thou hast decreed death for all Thy creatures,

مَنْ وَحَّدَكَ وَ مَنْ كَفَرَ بِكَ ،

both him who professes Thy Unity and him who disbelieves in Thee;

وَ كُلٌّ ذَائِقُ الْمَوْتِ ،

each one will taste death,

وَ كُلٌّ صَائِرٌ إِلَيْكَ ،

each one will come home to Thee.

فَتَبَارَكْتَ وَ تَعَالَيْتَ

Blessed art Thou and high exalted!

لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ

There is no god but Thou, Thou alone,

وَحْدَكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ .

who hast no associate.

آمَنْتُ بِكَ ، وَ صَدَّقْتُ رُسُلَكَ ،

I have faith in Thee, I attest to Thy messengers,

وَ قَبِلْتُ كِتَابَكَ ،

I accept Thy Book,

وَ كَفَرْتُ بِكُلِّ مَعْبُودٍ غَيْرِكَ ،

I disbelieve in every object of worship other than Thee,

وَ بَرِئْتُ مِمَّنْ عَبَدَ سِوَاكَ .

I am quit of anyone who worships another!

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أُصْبِحُ وَ أُمْسِي

O God, I rise in the morning and enter the evening

مُسْتَقِلًّا لِعَمَلِي ،

making little of my good works,

مُعْتَرِفاً بِذَنْبِي ،

confessing my sins,

مُقِرّاً بِخَطَايَايَ ،

admitting my offenses;

أَنَا بِإِسْرَافِي عَلَى نَفْسِي ذَلِيلٌ ،

I am abased because of my prodigality against myself.

عَمَلِي أَهْلَكَنِي ، وَ هَوَايَ أَرْدَانِي ، وَ شَهَوَاتِي حَرَمَتْنِي .

My works have destroyed me, my caprice has ruined me, my passions have deprived me.

فَأَسْأَلُكَ يَا مَوْلَايَ

So I ask Thee, my Master,

سُؤَالَ مَنْ نَفْسُهُ لَاهِيَةٌ لِطُولِ أَمَلِهِ ،

the asking of him whose soul is diverted by his drawn out expectations,

وَ بَدَنُهُ غَافِلٌ لِسُكُونِ عُرُوقِهِ ،

whose body is heedless because of the stillness of his veins,

وَ قَلْبُهُ مَفْتُونٌ بِكَثْرَةِ النِّعَمِ عَلَيْهِ ،

whose heart is entranced by the multitude of favours done for him,

وَ فِكْرُهُ قَلِيلٌ لِمَا هُوَ صَائِرٌ إِلَيْهِ .

whose reflection is little concerning that to which he is coming home;

سُؤَالَ مَنْ قَدْ غَلَبَ عَلَيْهِ الْأَمَلُ ،

the asking of him whom false expectation has overcome,

وَ فَتَنَهُ الْهَوَى ،

caprice has entranced,

وَ اسْتَمْكَنَتْ مِنْهُ الدُّنْيَا ،

and this world has mastered,

وَ أَظَلَّهُ الْأَجَلُ ،

and over whom death has cast its shadow;

سُؤَالَ مَنِ اسْتَكْثَرَ ذُنُوبَهُ ،

the asking of him who makes much of his sins

وَ اعْتَرَفَ بِخَطِيئَتِهِ ،

and confesses his offense;

سُؤَالَ مَنْ لَا رَبَّ لَهُ غَيْرُكَ ،

the asking of him who has no Lord but Thou,

وَ لَا وَلِيَّ لَهُ دُونَكَ ،

no friend besides Thee,

وَ لَا مُنْقِذَ لَهُ مِنْكَ ،

no one to deliver him from Thee,

وَ لَا مَلْجَأَ لَهُ مِنْكَ ، إِلَّا إِلَيْكَ .

and no asylum from Thee except in Thee.

إِلَهِي أَسْأَلُكَ بِحَقِّكَ الْوَاجِبِ عَلَى جَمِيعِ خَلْقِكَ ،

My God, I ask Thee by Thy right incumbent upon all Thy creatures,

وَ بِاسْمِكَ الْعَظِيمِ

by Thy mighty name

الَّذِي أَمَرْتَ رَسُولَكَ أَنْ يُسَبِّحَكَ بِهِ ،

with which Thou commanded Thy messenger to glorify Thee,

وَ بِجَلَالِ وَجْهِكَ الْكَرِيمِ ،

and by the majesty of Thy generous face,

الَّذِي لَا يَبْلَى وَ لَا يَتَغَيَّرُ ،

which ages not, nor changes,

وَ لَا يَحُولُ وَ لَا يَفْنَى ،

nor alters, nor passes away,

أَنْ تُصَلِّيَ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ ،

that Thou blessest Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad,

وَ أَنْ تُغْنِيَنِي عَنْ كُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ بِعِبَادَتِكَ ،

that Thou freest me from need for all things through worshipping Thee,

وَ أَنْ تُسَلِّيَ نَفْسِي عَنِ الدُّنْيَا بِمَخَافَتِكَ ،

that Thou distractest my soul from this world through fear of Thee,

وَ أَنْ تُثْنِيَنِي بِالْكَثِيرِ مِنْ كَرَامَتِكَ بِرَحْمَتِكَ .

and that Thou turnest me back toward Thy abundant generosity through Thy mercy!

فَإِلَيْكَ أَفِرُّ ،

To Thee I flee,

و مِنْكَ أَخَافُ ،

Thee I fear,

وَ بِكَ أَسْتَغِيثُ ،

from Thee I seek aid,

وَ إِيَّاكَ أَرْجُو ، وَ لَكَ أَدْعُو ،

in Thee I hope, Thee I supplicate,

وَ إِلَيْكَ أَلْجَأُ ، وَ بِكَ أَثِقُ ،

in Thee I seek asylum, in Thee I trust,

وَ إِيَّاكَ أَسْتَعِينُ ، وَ بِكَ أُومِنُ ،

from Thee I ask help, in Thee I have faith,

وَ عَلَيْكَ أَتَوَكَّلُ ،

in Thee I have placed my confidence,

وَ عَلَى جُودِكَ وَ كَرَمِكَ أَتَّكِلُ .

and upon Thy munificence and Thy generosity I rely.