The Whispered Prayer of the Complainers

Fifteen Whispered Prayers from the Words of Sayyid al-Sajidin
مُناجاتُ خَمْسَ عَشَرَةَ مِن كلامِ سَيِّد السِّاجِدينَ
Translated by William C. Chittick

الثانية : مناجاة الشاكين

  2. The Whispered Prayer of the Complainers

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In the Name of God, the All-merciful, the All-compassionate

    إلهِي إليْكَ أَشْكُو نَفْساً بِالسُّوءِ أَمَّارَةً،

 My God, to Thee I complain of a soul commanding to evil,

    وَإلَى الْخَطيئَةِ مُبادِرَةً،

  rushing to offenses,

  وَبِمَعاصِيكَ مُولَعَةً،

eager to disobey Thee,

    وَلِسَخَطِكَ مُتَعَرِّضَةً،

and exposing itself to Thy anger.

    تسْلُكُ بِي مَسالِكَ الْمَهالِكِ،

It takes me on the roads of disasters,

    وَتَجْعَلُنِي عِنْدَكَ أَهْوَنَ هالِك،

it makes me the easiest of perishers before Thee;

    كَثِيرَةَ الْعِلَلِ طَوِيلَةَ الاَمَلِ،

many its pretexts, drawn out its expectations;

    إنْ مَسَّهَا الشَّرُّ تَجْزَعُ، وَإنْ مَسَّهَا الْخَيْرُ تَمْنَعُ،

when evil touches it, it is anxious, when good touches it, grudging;

    مَيَّالَةً إلَى اللَّعِبِ وَاللَّهْوِ،

inclining to sport and diversion,

    مَمْلُوَّةً بِالْغَفْلَةِ وَالسَّهُوِ،

full of heedlessness and inattention,

    تُسْرِعُ بِي إلَى الْحَوْبَةِ، وَتُسَوِّفُنِي بِالتَّوْبَةِ.

it hurries me to misdeeds and makes me delay repentance.

    إلهِي أَشْكُو إلَيْكَ عَدُوّاً يُضِلُّنِي،

 My God, I complain to Thee of an enemy who misguides me

    وَشَيْطانَاً يَغْوِينِي،

and a satan who leads me astray.

    قَدْ مَلاَ بِالْوَسْواسِ صَدْرِي،

He has filled my breast with tempting thoughts,

    وَأَحاطَتْ هَواجِسُهُ بِقَلْبِي

and his suggestions have encompassed my heart.

    يُعاضِدُ لِيَ الْهَوى،

He supports caprice against me,

    وَيُزَيِّنُ لِي حُبَّ الدُّنْيَا،

embellishes for me the love of this world,

    وَيَحُولُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ الطَّاعَةِ وَالزُّلْفى.

and separates me from obedience and proximity!

     إلهِي إلَيْكَ أَشْكُو قَلْبَاً قاسِياً

 My God, to Thee I complain of a heart that is hard,

    مَعَ الْوَسْواسِ مُتَقَلِّباً،

turned this way and that by tempting thoughts,

    وَبِالرَّيْنِ وَالطَّبْعِ مُتَلَبِّساً،

clothed in rust and the seal,

    وَعَيْنَاً عَنِ الْبُكآءِ مِنْ خَوْفِكَ جامِدَةً،

and of an eye too indifferent to weep in fear of Thee

    وَإلى ما تَسُرُّها طامِحَةً.

and eagerly seeking that which gladdens it!

   إلهِي لا حَوْلَ وَلا قُوَّةَ إلاَّ بِقُدْرَتِكَ،

 My God, there is no force and no strength except in Thy power,

    وَلا نَجاةَ لِي مِنْ مَكارِهِ الدُّنْيا إلاَّ بِعِصْمَتِكَ،

and no deliverance for me from the detested things of this world save through Thy preservation.

    فَأَسْأَلُكَ بِبَلاغَةِ حِكْمَتِكَ،

So I ask Thee by Thy far-reaching wisdom

    وَنَفاذِ مَشِيَّتِكَ،

and Thy penetrating will

    أَنْ لا تَجْعَلَنِي لِغَيْرِ جُودِكَ مُتَعَرِّضاً،

not to let me expose myself to other than Thy munificence

    وَلا تُصَيِّرَنِي لِلْفِتَنِ غَرَضاً،

and not to turn me into a target for trials!

    وَكُنْ لِي عَلَى الأَعْداءِ ناصِرَاً،

Be for me a helper against enemies,

    وَعَلَى الْمَخَازِي وَالْعُيُوبِ ساتِراً،

a coverer of shameful things and faults,

    وَمِنَ الْبَلاءِ واقِياً،

a protector against afflictions,

    وَعَنِ الْمَعاصِي عاصِمَاً،

a preserver against acts of disobedience!

    بِرَأْفَتِكَ وَرَحْمَتِكَ يا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ.

By Thy clemency and mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful!