Supplication in Seeking Asylum with God (10)

وَ كَانَ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فِي اللَّجَإِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى
His Supplication in Seeking Asylum with God
Translated by William Chittick

  اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ تَشَأْ

O God, if Thou willest,

    تَعْفُ عَنَّا فَبِفَضْلِكَ ،

Thou wilt pardon us through Thy bounty

    وَ إِنْ تَشَأْ تُعَذِّبْنَا فَبِعَدْلِكَ

and if Thou willest, Thou wilt chastise us through Thy justice

     فَسَهِّلْ لَنَا عَفْوَكَ بِمَنِّكَ ،

So make our ways smooth to Thy pardon through Thy kindness

    وَ أَجِرْنَا مِنْ عَذَابِكَ بِتَجَاوُزِكَ ،

and grant us sanctuary from Thy chastisement through Thy forbearance,

    فَإِنَّهُ لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِعَدْلِكَ ،

for none of us has the endurance for Thy justice

    وَ لَا نَجَاةَ لِأَحَدٍ مِنَّا دُونَ عَفْوِكَ

and none of us can reach deliverance without Thy pardon!

     يَا غَنِيَّ الْأَغْنِيَاءِ ،

O Richest of the rich!

    هَا ، نَحْنُ عِبَادُكَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ ،

Here we are, Thy servants, before Thee

    وَ أَنَا أَفْقَرُ الْفُقَرَاءِ إِلَيْكَ ،

I am the neediest of the needy toward Thee,

    فَاجْبُرْ فَاقَتَنَا بِوُسْعِكَ ،

so redress our neediness through Thy plenty

    وَ لَا تَقْطَعْ رَجَاءَنَا بِمَنْعِكَ ،

and cut us not off from our hopes through Thy withholding,

    فَتَكُونَ قَدْ أَشْقَيْتَ مَنِ اسْتَسْعَدَ بِكَ ،

lest Thou makest wretched him who seeks felicity through Thee

    وَ حَرَمْتَ مَنِ اسْتَرْفَدَ فَضْلَكَ

and deprivest him who seeks help from Thy bounty!

     فَإِلَى مَنْ حِينَئِذٍ مُنْقَلَبُنَا عَنْكَ ،

Then to whom would we return after Thee?

    وَ إِلَى أَيْنَ مَذْهَبُنَا عَنْ بَابِكَ ،

Where would we go from Thy gate?

    سُبْحَانَكَ نَحْنُ الْمُضْطَرُّونَ

Glory be to Thee! We are the distressed,

    الَّذِينَ أَوْجَبْتَ إِجَابَتَهُمْ ،

the response to whom Thou hast made incumbent,

    وَ أَهْلُ السُّوءِ الَّذِينَ وَعَدْتَ الْكَشْفَ عَنْهُمْ

the people from whom Thou hast promised to remove the evil

     وَ أَشْبَهُ الْأَشْيَاءِ بِمَشِيَّتِكَ ،

That thing most resembling Thy will

    وَ أَوْلَى الْأُمُورِ بِكَ فِي عَظَمَتِكَ

and that affair most worthy for Thee in Thy mightiness

    رَحْمَةُ مَنِ اسْتَرْحَمَكَ ،

is showing mercy to him who asks Thee for mercy

    وَ غَوْثُ مَنِ اسْتَغَاثَ بِكَ ،

and helping him who seeks help from Thee

    فَارْحَمْ تَضَرُّعَنَا إِلَيْكَ ،

So show mercy upon our pleading with Thee

    وَ أَغْنِنَا إِذْ طَرَحْنَا أَنْفُسَنَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ

and free us from need when we throw ourselves before Thee!

     اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ قَدْ شَمِتَ بِنَا

O God, Satan will gloat over us

    إِذْ شَايَعْنَاهُ عَلَى مَعْصِيَتِكَ ،

if we follow him in disobeying Thee,

    فَصَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ ،

so bless Muhammad and his Household

    وَ لَا تُشْمِتْهُ بِنَا بَعْدَ تَرْكِنَا إِيَّاهُ لَكَ ،

and let him not gloat over us after we have renounced him for Thee

    وَ رَغْبَتِنَا عَنْهُ إِلَيْكَ

and beseeched Thee against him!