His Supplication in Hardship

His Supplication in Hardship, Effort, and Difficult Affairs


1 O God,
          Thou hast charged me concerning myself
                    with that which belongs more to Thee than to me.
          Thy power over it and over me is greater than my power,
                     so give me in myself
                               what will make Thee pleased with me
                     and take for Thyself
                               Thy good pleasure in my self's well-being!
2 O God,
          I have
                    no endurance for effort,
                    no patience in affliction,
                    no strength to bear poverty.
          So forbid me not my provision
                    and entrust me not to Thy creatures,
          but take care of my need alone
                    and Thyself attend to sufficing me!
3           Look upon me and look after me in all my affairs,
                    for if Thou entrustest me to myself,
                              I will be incapable before myself
                              and fail to undertake that in which my best interest lies.
                    If Thou entrustest me to Thy creatures,
                              they will frown upon me,
                    and if Thou makest me resort to my kinsfolk,
                              they will refuse to give to me;
                    if they give,
                              they will give little and in bad temper,
                                        making me feel long obliged
                                        and blaming me much.
4           So through Thy bounty, O God,
                              free me from need,
                    through Thy mightiness,
                              lift me up,
                    through Thy boundless plenty,
                              open my hand,
                    and with that which is with Thee,
                              suffice me!
5 O God,
          bless Muhammad and his Household,
           rid me of envy,
          encircle me against sins,
          make me abstain from things unlawful,
          give me not the boldness of disobedient acts,
          assign me love for that which is with Thee
                    and satisfaction with that which comes to me from Thee,
           bless me in
                    that which Thou providest me,
                     that which Thou conferrest upon me,
                     and that through which Thou favourest me,
           and make me in all my states
                    safeguarded, watched,
                    covered, defended,
                    given refuge, and granted sanctuary!
6 O God,
          bless Muhammad and his Household
           and let me accomplish everything which
                              Thou hast enjoined upon me
                               or made obligatory for me toward Thee,
                               in one of the ways of Thy obedience,
                               or toward one of Thy creatures,
                     though my body be too frail for that,
                               my strength too feeble,
                               my power not able to reach it,
                               and my possessions and what my hand owns
                                         not encompass it,
                    and whether I have remembered it or forgotten it.
7           It, my Lord, is among that which Thou hast counted against me
                    while I have been heedless of it in myself.
          Let me perform it
                    through Thy plentiful giving
                     and the abundance which is with Thee
                     - for Thou art Boundless, Generous - so that nothing of
                     it may remain against me,
                     lest Thou wouldst wish
                               to settle accounts for it from my good deeds
                              or to compound my evil deeds
                                        on the day I meet Thee, my Lord!
8 O God,
          bless Muhammad and his Household
          and provide me with desire to serve Thee
                    for the sake of my state in the hereafter,
          such that I know the truthfulness of that [desire] in my heart,
                    be dominated by renunciation while in this world,
                    do good deeds with yearning,
                    and remain secure from evil deeds in fright and fear!
          And give me a light whereby I may walk among the people,108
                    be guided in the shadows,
                    and seek illumination in doubt and uncertainty!
9 O God,
          bless Muhammad and his Household
          and provide me with fear of the threatened gloom
                     and yearning for the promised reward,
           such that I may find
                     the pleasure of that for which I supplicate Thee
                    and the sorrow of that from which I seek sanctuary in Thee!
10 O God,
          Thou knowest what will set my affairs right
                    in this world and the next,
          so be ever gracious toward my needs!
11 O God,
           bless Muhammad and Muhammad's Household
           and provide me with what is Thy right
                    when I fall short in thanking Thee
                    for that through which Thou hast favoured me
                              in ease and difficulty,
                              health and sickness,
          such that I may come to know in myself
                     repose in satisfaction
                     and serenity of soul
                              in that which Thou hast made incumbent upon me
                              in whatever states may occur:
                                        fear and security,
                                        satisfaction and displeasure,
                                        loss and gain!
12 O God,
          bless Muhammad and his Household
          and provide me with a breast safe from envy,
          such that I envy none of Thy creatures
                    and in anything of Thy bounty
           and such that I see none of Thy favours
          toward any of Thy creatures
                              in religion or this world,
                              well-being or reverential fear,
                              plenty or ease,
                    without hoping for myself better than it
                              through and from Thee alone,
                              who hast no associate!
13 O God,
          bless Muhammad and his Household
           and provide me in this world and the next
                    with caution against offenses
                     and wariness against slips
                     in the state of satisfaction and wrath,
          such that I may
                    remain indifferent toward that which enters upon me
                               from the two states,109
                    work toward Thy obedience,
                    and prefer it and Thy good pleasure over all else
                              in both friends and enemies.
                    Then my enemy may stay secure
                              from my wrongdoing and injustice
                    and my friend may despair
                              of my inclination
                              and the bent of my affection.
14 Make me one of those who supplicate Thee with sincerity in ease
                    with the supplication of those
                    who supplicate Thee with sincerity in distress!
           Verily Thou art Praiseworthy, Glorious.