In Praise of God (1)

وَ كَانَ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ إِذَا ابْتَدَأَ بِالدُّعَاءِ بَدَأَ بِالتَّحْمِيدِ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ الثَّنَاءِ عَلَيْهِ ، فَقَالَ
When he (upon him be peace) began to supplicate, he would begin with praise and laudation of God (Mighty and Majestic is He). He would say:
Translated by William Chittick

     الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ

 Praise belongs to God,

    الْأَوَّلِ بِلَا أَوَّلٍ كَانَ قَبْلَهُ ،

the First, without a first before Him,

    وَ الْآخِرِ بِلَا آخِرٍ يَكُونُ بَعْدَهُ

the Last, without a last behind Him.

     الَّذِي قَصُرَتْ عَنْ رُؤْيَتِهِ أَبْصَارُ النَّاظِرِينَ ، وَ عَجَزَتْ عَنْ نَعْتِهِ أَوْهَامُ الْوَاصِفِينَ .

 Beholders' eyes fall short of seeing Him,

     ابْتَدَعَ بِقُدْرَتِهِ الْخَلْقَ ابْتِدَاعاً ،

describers' imaginations are not able to depict Him.

    وَ اخْتَرَعَهُمْ عَلَى مَشِيَّتِهِ اخْتِرَاعاً .

 He originated the creatures through His power with an origination,

     ثُمَّ سَلَكَ بِهِمْ طَرِيقَ إِرَادَتِهِ ،

He devised them in accordance with His will with a devising.

    وَ بَعَثَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ مَحَبَّتِهِ ،

 Then He made them walk on the path of His desire, He sent them out on the way of His love.

    لَا يَمْلِكُونَ تَأْخِيراً عَمَّا قَدَّمَهُمْ إِلَيْهِ ،

They cannot keep back from that to which He has sent them forward,

    وَ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ تَقَدُّماً إِلَى مَا أَخَّرَهُمْ عَنْهُ.

nor can they go forward to that from which He has kept them back.

     وَ جَعَلَ لِكُلِّ رُوحٍ مِنْهُمْ قُوتاً مَعْلُوماً مَقْسُوماً مِنْ رِزْقِهِ ،

 He assigned from His provision to each of their spirits a nourishment known and apportioned.

    لَا يَنْقُصُ مَنْ زَادَهُ نَاقِصٌ ،

No decreaser decreases those whom He increases,

    وَ لَا يَزِيدُ مَنْ نَقَصَ مِنْهُمْ زَائِدٌ .

no increaser increases those of them whom He decreases.

     ثُمَّ ضَرَبَ لَهُ فِي الْحَيَاةِ أَجَلًا مَوْقُوتاً ،

 Then for each spirit He strikes a fixed term in life, for each He sets up a determined end;

    وَ نَصَبَ لَهُ أَمَداً مَحْدُوداً ،

he walks toward it through the days of his span,

    يَتَخَطَّى إِلَيْهِ بِأَيَّامِ عُمُرِهِ ، وَ يَرْهَقُهُ بِأَعْوَامِ دَهْرِهِ ،

he overtakes it through the years of his time.

    حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ أَقْصَى أَثَرِهِ ، وَ اسْتَوْعَبَ حِسَابَ عُمُرِهِ ،

Then, when he takes his final step and embraces the reckoning of his span,

    قَبَضَهُ إِلَى مَا نَدَبَهُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ مَوْفُورِ ثَوَابِهِ ، أَوْ مَحْذُورِ عِقَابِهِ ،

God seizes him to the abundant reward or the feared punishment to which He has called him,

    لِيَجْزِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاءُوا بِمَا عَمِلُوا

That He may repay those who do evil for what they have done

    وَ يَجْزِيَ الَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا بِالْحُسْنَى

and repay those who do good with goodness,

     عَدْلًا مِنْهُ ، تَقَدَّسَتْ أَسْمَاؤُهُ ، وَ تَظاَهَرَتْ آلَاؤُهُ ،

 as justice from Him (holy are His names, and manifest His boons).

    لَا يُسْأَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَ هُمْ يُسْأَلُونَ .

He shall not be questioned as to what He does, but they shall be questioned.

     وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي

 Praise belongs to God, for,

    لَوْ حَبَسَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِ مَعْرِفَةَ حَمْدِهِ عَلَى مَا أَبْلَاهُمْ مِنْ مِنَنِهِ الْمُتَتَابِعَةِ ،

had He withheld from His servants the knowledge to praise Him for the uninterrupted kindnesses with which He has tried them

    وَ أَسْبَغَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ نِعَمِهِ الْمُتَظَاهِرَةِ ،

and the manifest favours which He has lavished upon them,

    لَتَصَرَّفُوا فِي مِنَنِهِ فَلَمْ يَحْمَدُوهُ ،

they would have moved about in His kindnesses without praising Him,

    وَ تَوَسَّعُوا فِي رِزْقِهِ فَلَمْ يَشْكُرُوهُ .

and spread themselves out in His provision without thanking Him.

     وَ لَوْ كَانُوا كَذَلِكَ

 Had such been the case,

    لَخَرَجُوا مِنْ حُدُودِ الْإِنْسَانِيَّةِ إِلَى حَدِّ الْبَهِيمِيَّةِ

they would have left the bounds of humanity for that of beastliness

    فَكَانُوا كَمَا وَصَفَ فِي مُحْكَمِ كِتَابِهِ :

and become as He has described in the firm text of His Book:

    {إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا كَالْأَنْعامِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلًا}.

They are but as the cattle—nay, but they are further astray from the way!

     وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ عَلَى مَا عَرَّفَنَا مِنْ نَفْسِهِ ،

 Praise belongs to God, for the true knowledge of Himself He has given to us,

    وَ أَلْهَمَنَا مِنْ شُكْرِهِ ،

the thanksgiving He has inspired us to offer Him,

    وَ فَتَحَ لَنَا مِنْ أَبْوَابِ الْعِلْمِ بِرُبُوبِيَّتِهِ ،

the doors to knowing His Lordship He has opened for us,

    وَ دَلَّنَا عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْإِخْلَاصِ لَهُ فِي تَوْحِيدِهِ ،

the sincerity towards Him in professing His Unity to which He has led us,

    وَ جَنَّبَنَا مِنَ الْإِلْحَادِ وَ الشَّكِّ فِي أَمْرِهِ .

and the deviation and doubt in His Command from which He has turned us aside;

     حَمْداً نُعَمَّرُ بِهِ فِيمَنْ حَمِدَهُ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ ،

 a praise through which we may be given long life among those of His creatures who praise Him,

    وَ نَسْبِقُ بِهِ مَنْ سَبَقَ إِلَى رِضَاهُ وَ عَفْوِهِ .

and overtake those who have gone ahead toward His good pleasure and pardon;

     حَمْداً يُضِي‏ءُ لَنَا بِهِ ظُلُمَاتِ الْبَرْزَخِ ،

 a praise through which He will illuminate for us the shadows of the interworld,

    وَ يُسَهِّلُ عَلَيْنَا بِهِ سَبِيلَ الْمَبْعَثِ ،

ease for us the path of the Resurrection,

    وَ يُشَرِّفُ بِهِ مَنَازِلَنَا عِنْدَ مَوَاقِفِ الْأَشْهَادِ ،

and raise up our stations at the standing places of the Witnesses

    يَوْمَ تُجْزَى كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ وَ هُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ ،

on the day when every soul will be repaid for what it has earned  they shall not be wronged;

    يَوْمَ لَا يُغْنِي مَوْلًى عَنْ مَوْلًى شَيْئاً وَ لَا هُمْ يُنْصَرُونَ .

the day a master shall avail nothing a client, and they shall not be helped;

     حَمْداً يَرْتَفِعُ مِنَّا إِلَى أَعْلَى عِلِّيِّينَ

 a praise which will rise up from us to the highest of the 'Illiyun

    فِي كِتَابٍ مَرْقُومٍ يَشْهَدُهُ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ .

in a book inscribed, witnessed by those brought nigh,

     حَمْداً تَقَرُّ بِهِ عُيُونُنَا إِذَا بَرِقَتِ الْأَبْصَارُ ،

 a praise whereby our eyes may be at rest when sight is dazzled,

    وَ تَبْيَضُّ بِهِ وُجُوهُنَا إِذَا اسْوَدَّتِ الْأَبْشَارُ .

our faces whitened when skins are blackened,

     حَمْداً نُعْتَقُ بِهِ مِنْ أَلِيمِ نَارِ اللَّهِ إِلَى كَرِيمِ جِوَارِ اللَّهِ

 a praise through which we may be released from God's painful Fire and enter God's generous neighbourhood,

     حَمْداً نُزَاحِمُ بِهِ مَلَائِكَتَهُ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ ،

 a praise by which we may jostle the angels brought nigh

    وَ نُضَامُّ بِهِ أَنْبِيَاءَهُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ

and join the prophets, the envoys,

    فِي دَارِ الْمُقَامَةِ الَّتِي لَا تَزُولُ ،

in a House of Permanence that does not remove,

    وَ مَحَلِّ كَرَامَتِهِ الَّتِي لَا تَحُولُ

the Place of His Generosity that does not change

     وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي اخْتَارَ لَنَا مَحَاسِنَ الْخَلْقِ ،

 Praise belongs to God, who chose for us the good qualities of creation,

    وَ أَجْرَى عَلَيْنَا طَيِّبَاتِ الرِّزْقِ

granted us the agreeable things of provision,

     وَ جَعَلَ لَنَا الْفَضِيلَةَ بِالْمَلَكَةِ عَلَى جَمِيعِ الْخَلْقِ ،

 and appointed for us excellence through domination over all creation;

    فَكُلُّ خَلِيقَتِهِ مُنْقَادَةٌ لَنَا بِقُدْرَتِهِ ،

every one of His creatures submits to us through His power

    وَ صَائِرَةٌ إِلَى طَاعَتِنَا بِعِزَّتِهِ

and comes to obey us through His might

     وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَغْلَقَ عَنَّا بَابَ الْحَاجَةِ

 Praise belongs to God, who locked for us the gate of need

    إِلَّا إِلَيْهِ ،

except toward Him

    فَكَيْفَ نُطِيقُ حَمْدَهُ أَمْ مَتَى نُؤَدِّي شُكْرَهُ لَا ، مَتَى

So how can we praise Him? When can we thank Him? Indeed, when?

     وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ

 Praise belongs to God,

    الَّذِي رَكَّبَ فِينَا آلَاتِ الْبَسْطِ ،

who placed within us the organs of expansion,

    وَ جَعَلَ لَنَا أَدَوَاتِ الْقَبْضِ ، وَ مَتَّعَنَا بِأَرْوَاحِ الْحَيَاةِ ،

assigned for us the agents of contraction, gave us to enjoy the spirits of life,

    وَ أَثْبَتَ فِينَا جَوَارِحَ الْأَعْمَالِ ،

fixed within us the limbs of works,

    وَ غَذَّانَا بِطَيِّبَاتِ الرِّزْقِ ،

nourished us with the agreeable things of provision,

    وَ أَغْنَانَا بِفَضْلِهِ ،

freed us from need through His bounty,

    وَ أَقْنَانَا بِمَنِّهِ

and gave us possessions through His kindness

     ثُمَّ أَمَرَنَا لِيَخْتَبِرَ طَاعَتَنَا ،

 Then He commanded us that He might test our obedience

    وَ نَهَانَا لِيَبْتَلِيَ شُكْرَنَا ،

and prohibited us that He might try our thanksgiving

    فَخَالَفْنَا عَنْ طَرِيقِ أَمْرِهِ ،

So we turned against the path of His commandments and mounted the backs of His warnings

    وَ رَكِبْنَا مُتُونَ زَجْرِهِ ،

Yet He hurried us not to His punishment,

    فَلَمْ يَبْتَدِرْنَا بِعُقُوبَتِهِ ،

nor hastened us on to His vengeance

    وَ لَمْ يُعَاجِلْنَا بِنِقْمَتِهِ ،

No, He went slowly with us through His mercy,

    بَلْ تَأَنَّانَا بِرَحْمَتِهِ تَكَرُّماً ، وَ انْتَظَرَ مُرَاجَعَتَنَا بِرَأْفَتِهِ حِلْماً

in generosity, and awaited our return through His clemency, in mildness

     وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ

 Praise belongs to God,

    الَّذِي دَلَّنَا عَلَى التَّوْبَةِ

who showed us the way to repentance,

    الَّتِي لَمْ نُفِدْهَا إِلَّا مِنْ فَضْلِهِ ،

which we would not have won save through His bounty

    فَلَوْ لَمْ نَعْتَدِدْ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ إِلَّا بِهَا

Had we nothing to count as His bounty but this,

    لَقَدْ حَسُنَ بَلَاؤُهُ عِنْدَنَا ، وَ جَلَّ إِحْسَانُهُ إِلَيْنَا

His trial of us would have been good, His beneficence toward us great,

    وَ جَسُمَ فَضْلُهُ عَلَيْنَا

His bounty upon us immense

     فَمَا هَكَذَا كَانَتْ سُنَّتُهُ فِي التَّوْبَةِ لِمَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَنَا ،

 For such was not His wont in repentance with those who went before us

    لَقَدْ وَضَعَ عَنَّا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ ،

He has lifted up from us what we have not the strength to bear,

    وَ لَمْ يُكَلِّفْنَا إِلَّا وُسْعاً ، وَ لَمْ يُجَشِّمْنَا إِلَّا يُسْراً ،

charged us only to our capacity, imposed upon us nothing but ease,

    وَ لَمْ يَدَعْ لِأَحَدٍ مِنَّا حُجَّةً وَ لَا عُذْراً

and left none of us with an argument or excuse

     فَالْهَالِكُ مِنَّا مَنْ هَلَكَ عَلَيْهِ ،

 So the perisher among us is he who perishes in spite of Him

    وَ السَّعِيدُ مِنَّا مَنْ رَغِبَ إِلَيْهِ

and the felicitous among us he who beseeches Him

     وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ بِكُلِّ مَا حَمِدَهُ بِهِ أَدْنَى مَلَائِكَتِهِ إِلَيْهِ

 And praise belongs to God with all the praises of His angels closest to Him,

    وَ أَكْرَمُ خَلِيقَتِهِ عَلَيْهِ

His creatures most noble in His eyes,

    وَ أَرْضَى حَامِدِيهِ لَدَيْهِ

and His praisers most pleasing to Him;

     حَمْداً يَفْضُلُ سَائِرَ الْحَمْدِ كَفَضْلِ رَبِّنَا عَلَى جَمِيعِ خَلْقِهِ

 a praise that may surpass other praises as our Lord surpasses all His creatures

     ثُمَّ لَهُ الْحَمْدُ مَكَانَ كُلِّ نِعْمَةٍ لَهُ عَلَيْنَا

 Then to Him belongs praise, in place of His every favour upon us

    وَ عَلَى جَمِيعِ عِبَادِهِ الْمَاضِينَ وَ الْبَاقِينَ

and upon all His servants, past and still remaining,

    عَدَدَ مَا أَحَاطَ بِهِ عِلْمُهُ مِنْ جَمِيعِ الْأَشْيَاءِ ،

to the number of all things His knowledge encompasses,

    وَ مَكَانَ كُلِّ وَاحِدَةٍ مِنْهَا

and in place of each of His favours,

    عَدَدُهَا أَضْعَافاً مُضَاعَفَةً أَبَداً سَرْمَداً

their number doubling and redoubling always and forever,

    إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ

to the Day of Resurrection;

     حَمْداً لَا مُنْتَهَى لِحَدِّهِ ،

 a praise whose bound has no utmost end,

    وَ لَا حِسَابَ لِعَدَدِهِ ، وَ لَا مَبْلَغَ لِغَايَتِهِ ، وَ لَا انْقِطَاعَ لِأَمَدِهِ

whose number has no reckoning, whose limit cannot be reached, whose period cannot be cut off;

     حَمْداً يَكُونُ وُصْلَةً إِلَى طَاعَتِهِ وَ عَفْوِهِ ،

 a praise which will become a link to His obedience and pardon,

    وَ سَبَباً إِلَى رِضْوَانِهِ ،

a tie to His good pleasure,

    وَ ذَرِيعَةً إِلَى مَغْفِرَتِهِ ،

a means to His forgiveness,

    وَ طَرِيقاً إِلَى جَنَّتِهِ ،

a path to His Garden,

    وَ خَفِيراً مِنْ نَقِمَتِهِ ،

a protector against His vengeance,

    وَ أَمْناً مِنْ غَضَبِهِ ،

a security against His wrath,

    وَ ظَهِيراً عَلَى طَاعَتِهِ ،

an aid to obeying Him,

    وَ حَاجِزاً عَنْ مَعْصِيَتِهِ ، وَ عَوْناً عَلَى تَأْدِيَةِ حَقِّهِ وَ وَظَائِفِهِ

a barrier against disobeying Him, a help in fulfilling His right and His duties;

     حَمْداً نَسْعَدُ بِهِ فِي السُّعَدَاءِ مِنْ أَوْلِيَائِهِ ،

 a praise that will make us felicitous among His felicitous friends,

    وَ نَصِيرُ بِهِ فِي نَظْمِ الشُّهَدَاءِ بِسُيُوفِ أَعْدَائِهِ ،

and bring us into the ranks of those martyred by the swords of His enemies

    إِنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ  

He is a Friend, Praiseworthy!