When he finished his prayer, he would stand in place, face the qibla, and say:
1- O He who has mercy upon him toward whom the servants show no mercy!
2- O He who accepts him whom the cities will not accept!
3- O He who looks not down upon those who have need of Him!
4- O He who disappoints not those who implore Him!
5- O He who slaps not the brow of the people of boldness toward Him with rejection!
6- O He who collects the little that is given to Him and shows gratitude for the paltry that is done for Him!
7- O He who shows gratitude for the small and rewards with the great!
8- O He who comes close to him who comes close to Him!
9- O He who invites to Himself him who turns his back on Him!
10- O He who changes not favour1 and rushes not to vengeance!
11- O He who causes the good deed to bear fruit so that He may make it grow, and overlooks the evil deed so that He may efface it!
Everything majestic before Thee is small, everything eminent beside Thy eminence vile! Those who reach other than Thee are disappointed, those who present themselves to other than Thee have lost, those who stay with other than Thee have perished, and those who retreat - except those who retreat to Thy bounty - are desolate!
12- Hopes turn back with needs fulfilled short of the extent of Thy generosity, the cups of requests fill up with the overflow of Thy munificence, and attributes fall apart without reaching Thy description. For to Thee belongs the highest highness above everything high, and the most glorious majesty beyond every majesty!
13- Everything majestic before Thee is small, everything eminent beside Thy eminence vile! Those who reach other than Thee are disappointed, those who present themselves to other than Thee have lost, those who stay with other than Thee have perished, and those who retreat - except those who retreat to Thy bounty - are desolate!
14- Thy door is open to the beseechers, Thy munificence free to the askers, Thy help near to the help-seekers!
15- The expectant are not disappointed by Thee, those who present themselves despair not of Thy bestowal, the forgiveness-seekers become not wretched through Thy vengeance!
16- Thy provision is spread among those who disobey Thee, Thy clemency presents itself to those hostile toward Thee, Thy habit is beneficence toward the evildoers, and Thy wont is to spare the transgressors, so much so that Thy lack of haste deludes them from returning, and Thy disregard bars them from desisting!
Thy provision is spread among those who disobey Thee, Thy clemency presents itself to those hostile toward Thee, Thy habit is beneficence toward the evildoers, and Thy wont is to spare the transgressors, so much so that Thy lack of haste deludes them from returning, and Thy disregard bars them from desisting!
17- Thou actest without haste toward them so that they will come back to Thy command and Thou disregardest them confident in the permanence of Thy kingdom, so Thou sealest him who is worthy of it with felicity, and Thou abandonest him who is worthy of it to wretchedness!
18- All of them come home to Thy decree, their affairs revert to Thy command; Thy authority grows not feeble through their drawn out term, Thy proof is not refuted by the failure to hurry after them.
19- Thy argument is established, never refuted, Thy authority fixed, never removed. Permanent woe belongs to him who inclines away from Thee, forsaking disappointment to him who is disappointed by Thee, and the most wretched wretchedness to him who is deluded about Thee!
20- How much he will move about in Thy chastisement! How long he will frequent Thy punishment! How far his utmost end from relief! How he will despair of an easy exit! [All of this] as justice from Thy decree (Thou art not unjust in it!), and equity from Thy judgement (Thou dost not act wrongfully against him!).
21- Thou supported the arguments, tested the excuses, began with threats, showed gentleness with encouragement, struck similitudes, made long the respite, delayed, while Thou art able to hurry, and acted without haste, while Thou art full of quick accomplishment!
22- Not because of incapacity is Thy slowness, feebleness Thy giving respite, heedlessness Thy showing restraint, dissemblance Thy waiting! But that Thy argument be more conclusive, Thy generosity more perfect, Thy beneficence more exhaustive, Thy favour more complete! All of this has been and always was, is and ever will be.
23- Thy argument is greater than that its totality be described, Thy glory more elevated than that it be limited in its core, Thy favour more abundant than that its entirety be counted, Thy beneficence more abundant than that thanks be given for its least amount!
So here I am: I repair to Thee by coming forward, and I ask from Thee good support So bless Muhammad and his Household, hear my whispered words, grant my supplication, seal not my day with disappointment, slap not my brow by rejecting my request, and make noble my coming from Thee and my going back to Thee! Surely Thou art not constrained by what Thou desirest, nor incapable of what Thou art asked! Thou art powerful over everything,2 and 'There is no force and no strength save in God, the All-high, the All-mighty!3'
24- Speechlessness has made me fall short of praising Thee, restraint has made me powerless to glorify Thee, and the most I can do is admit to inability, not out of desire, my God, but out of incapacity.
25- So here I am: I repair to Thee by coming forward, and I ask from Thee good support So bless Muhammad and his Household, hear my whispered words, grant my supplication, seal not my day with disappointment, slap not my brow by rejecting my request, and make noble my coming from Thee and my going back to Thee! Surely Thou art not constrained by what Thou desirest, nor incapable of what Thou art asked! Thou art powerful over everything,2 and 'There is no force and no strength save in God, the All-high, the All-mighty!3'
1. Allusion to 8:53: God would never change His favour that He conferred on a people until they changed what was within themselves.
2. 3:26
3. An oft-repeated formula found in many hadith.
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