The Whispered Prayer of the Abstainers

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

    الخامسة عشرة : مناجاة الزاهدين

15. The Whispered Prayer of the Abstainers

    بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

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

     إلهِي أَسْكَنْتَنا داراً

My God, Thou hast settled us in an abode

    حَفَرَتْ لَنا حُفَرَ مَكْرِها

which has dug for us pits of deception,

    وَعَلَّقَتْنا بِأَيْدِي الْمَنايا

and Thou hast fastened us by the hands of death

    فِي حَبائِلِ غَدْرِها،

in the snares of that abode's treachery!

    فَإلَيْكَ نَلْتَجِئُ مِنْ مَكآئِدِ خُدَعِها،

In Thee we seek asylum from the tricks of its guile,

    وَبِكَ نَعْتَصِمُ مِنَ الاغْتِرارِ

and to Thee we hold fast, lest we be deluded

    بِزَخارِفِ زِيْنَتِهَا،

by the glitter of its ornaments!

    فَإنَّهَا الْمُهْلِكَةُ طُلاَّبَهَا،

It destroys its pursuers

    الْمُتْلِفَةُ حُلاَّلَهَا،

and ruins its settlers,

    الْمَحْشُوَّةُ بِالافاتِ،

it is stuffed with blights

    الْمَشْحُونَةُ بِالنَّكَباتِ.

and loaded with calamities.

    إلهِي فَزَهِّدْنا فِيها،

My God, induce us to renounce it

    وَسَلِّمْنا مِنْها بِتَوْفِيقِكَ وَعِصْمَتِكَ،

and keep us safe from it by Thy giving success and Thy preservation from sin.

    وَانْزَعْ عَنَّا جَلابِيبَ مُخالَفَتِكَ،

Strip from us the robes of opposing Thee,

    وَتَوَلَّ أُمُورَنا بِحُسْنِ كِفايَتِكَ،

attend to our affairs through Thy good sufficiency,

    وَأَوْفِرْ مَزِيدَنا مِنْ سَعَةِ رَحْمَتِكَ،

amplify our increase from the boundless plenty of Thy mercy,

    وَأَجْمِلْ صِلاتِنا مِنْ فَيْضِ مَواهِبِكَ،

be liberal in our gifts from the overflow of Thy grants,

    وَاغْرِسْ فِي أَفْئِدَتِنا أَشْجارَ مَحَبَّتِكَ،

plant in our hearts the trees of Thy love,

    وَأَتْمِمْ لَنا أَنْوارَ مَعْرِفَتِكَ،

complete for us the lights of Thy knowledge,

    وَأَذِقْنا حَلاوَةَ عَفْوِكَ، وَلَذَّةَ مَغْفِرَتِكَ،

give us to taste the sweetness of Thy pardon and the pleasure of Thy forgiveness,

    وَأَقْرِرْ أَعْيُنَنا يَوْمَ لِقآئِكَ بِرُؤْيَتِكَ،

gladden our eyes on the day of meeting Thee with the vision of Thee,

    وَأَخْرِجْ حُبَّ الدُّنْيا مِنْ قُلُوبِنا

dislodge the love of this world from our spirits,

    كَما فَعَلْتَ بِالصَّالِحِينَ مِنْ صَفْوَتِكَ،

just as Thou hast done for the righteous, Thy selected friends,

    وَالأَبْرارِ مِنْ خاصَّتِكَ

and for the pious, those whom Thou hast singled out!

    بِرَحْمَتِكَ يا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ،

O Most Merciful of the merciful,

    وَيا أَكْرَمَ الأَكْرَمِينَ.

O Most Generous of the most generous!