His Supplication in Sorrow

His Supplication when Something Made him Sorrow and Offenses Made him Worry


1

O God,
          O Sufficer of the isolated and weak
                    and Protector against terrifying affairs!
          Offenses have isolated me,
                    so there is none to be my companion.
          I am too weak for Thy wrath
                    and there is none to strengthen me.
          I have approached the terror of meeting Thee
                    and there is none to still my fear.

2

Who can make me secure from Thee
                    when Thou hast filled me with terror?
          Who can come to my aid
                    when Thou hast isolated me?
          Who can strengthen me
                    when Thou hast weakened me?

3

None can grant sanctuary to a vassal, my God,
                    but a lord,
          none can give security to one dominated
                    but a dominator,
          none can aid him from whom demands are made
                     but a demander.

4

In Thy hand, my God, is the thread of all that,
                    in Thee the place of escape and flight,
          so bless Muhammad and his Household,
                    give sanctuary to me in my flight,
                    and grant my request!

5

O God,
          if Thou shouldst
                    turn Thy generous face away from me,
                    withhold from me Thy immense bounty,
                    forbid me Thy provision,
                    or cut off from me Thy thread,
          I will find no way to anything of my hope
                    other than Thee
          nor be given power over what is with Thee
                    through another's aid,
          for I am Thy servant and in Thy grasp;
                    my forelock is in Thy hand.104

6

          I have no command along with Thy command.
                    'Accomplished is Thy judgement of me,
                    just Thy decree for me!'105
          I have not the strength to emerge from Thy authority
                    nor am I able to step outside Thy power.
          I cannot win Thy inclination,
                     arrive at Thy good pleasure,
                     or attain what is with Thee
                    except through obeying Thee
                    and through the bounty of Thy mercy.

7

O God,
          I rise in the morning and enter into evening
                    as Thy lowly slave.
          I own no profit and loss for myself
                    except through Thee.
           I witness to that over myself
          and I confess to the frailty of my strength
                    and the paucity of my stratagems.
           So accomplish what Thou hast promised me
                    and complete for me what Thou hast given me,
          for I am Thy slave,
                    miserable, abased,
                    frail, distressed, vile,
                    despised, poor, fearful,
                     and seeking sanctuary!

8

O God,
          bless Muhammad and his Household
          and let me not
                    forget to remember Thee in what Thou hast done for me,
                     be heedless of Thy beneficence in Thy trying me,
                    or despair of Thy response to me,
                               though it keep me waiting,
                     whether I be in prosperity or adversity,
                               hardship or ease,
                               well-being or affliction,
                               misery or comfort,
                               wealth or distress,
                               poverty or riches!

9

O God,
           bless Muhammad and his Household,
           make me laud Thee, extol Thee, and praise Thee in all my states
                     so that I rejoice not over what Thou givest me of this world
                     nor sorrow over that of it which Thou withholdest from me!
           Impart reverential fear of Thee to my heart,
           employ my body in that which Thou acceptest from me,
           and divert my soul through obedience to Thee
                    from all that enters upon me,
           so that I love nothing that displeases Thee
                     and become displeased at nothing that pleases Thee!

10

O God,
           bless Muhammad and his Household,
          empty my heart for Thy love,
           occupy it with remembering Thee,
           animate it with fear of Thee and quaking before Thee,
          strengthen it with beseeching Thee,
          incline it to Thy obedience,
          set it running in the path most beloved to Thee,
           and subdue it through desire for what is with Thee
                     all the days of my life!

11

Let
          my provision in this world
                     be reverential fear of Thee,106
                     my journey
                               be toward Thy mercy,
                     and my entrance
                               be into Thy good pleasure!
           Appoint for me a lodging
                    in Thy Garden,
           give me strength to bear
                     everything that pleases Thee,
           make me flee to Thee
                     and desire what is with Thee,
           clothe my heart in estrangement
                     from the evil among Thy creatures,
           and give me intimacy with Thee,
                     Thy friends,
                    and those who obey Thee!

12

Assign to no wicked person or unbeliever
                    a kindness toward me
                     or a hand that obliges me,
          nor to me a need for one of them!
           Rather make
                    the stillness of my heart,
                    the comfort of my soul,
                    my independence and my sufficiency
                    lie in Thee and the best of Thy creatures!

13

O God,
           bless Muhammad and his Household,
           make me their comrade,
           make me their helper,
          and oblige me with yearning for Thee
                     and doing for Thee what Thou lovest and approvest!
          Thou art powerful over everything107
                    and that is easy for Thee.