Supplication for his Parents (24)

وَ كَانَ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ لِأَبَوَيْهِ عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَامُ
His Supplication for his Parents (peace be upon the two of them)
Translated by William Chittick

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِكَ وَ رَسُولِكَ ،

O God, bless Muhammad, Thy slave and Thy messenger,

وَ أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ الطَّاهِرِينَ ،

and his Household, the pure,

وَ اخْصُصْهُمْ بِأَفْضَلِ صَلَوَاتِكَ وَ رَحْمَتِكَ

and single them out for the best of Thy blessings, Thy mercy,

وَ بَرَكَاتِكَ وَ سَلَامِكَ .

Thy benedictions, and Thy peace!

وَ اخْصُصِ اللَّهُمَّ وَالِدَيَّ

And single out my parents, O God,

بِالْكَرَامَةِ لَدَيْكَ ، وَ الصَّلَاةِ مِنْكَ ،

for honour with Thee and blessings from Thee,

يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ .

O Most Merciful of the merciful!

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ ،

O God, bless Muhammad and his Household,

وَ أَلْهِمْنِي عِلْمَ مَا يَجِبُ لَهُمَا عَلَيَّ إِلْهَاماً ،

teach me through inspiration knowledge of everything incumbent upon me toward them,

وَ اجْمَعْ لِي عِلْمَ ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ تَمَاماً ،

and gather within me knowledge of all that completely!

ثُمَّ اسْتَعْمِلْنِي بِمَا تُلْهِمُنِي مِنْهُ ،

Then make me act in accordance with what Thou hast inspired me

وَ وَفِّقْنِي لِلنُّفُوذِ فِيمَا تُبَصِّرُنِي مِنْ عِلْمِهِ

and give me the success to put into practice the knowledge Thou hast shown to me,

حَتَّى لَا يَفُوتَنِي اسْتِعْمَالُ شَيْ‏ءٍ عَلَّمْتَنِيهِ ،

lest I fail to act according to something Thou hast taught me

وَ لَا تَثْقُلَ أَرْكَانِي عَنِ الْحَفُوفِ فِيمَا أَلْهَمْتَنِيهِ .

or my limbs feel too heavy to perform that with which Thou hast inspired me!

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ

O God, bless Muhammad and his Household,

كَمَا شَرَّفْتَنَا بِهِ ،

as Thou hast ennobled us through him,

وَ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ ،

and bless Muhammad and his Household,

كَمَا أَوْجَبْتَ لَنَا الْحَقَّ عَلَى الْخَلْقِ بِسَبَبِهِ .

as Thou hast made incumbent upon us rights toward the creatures because of him!

اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي أَهَابُهُمَا

O God, fill me with awe of my parents,

هَيْبَةَ السُّلْطَانِ الْعَسُوفِ ،

the awe one has toward a tyrannical sovereign,

وَ أَبَرُّهُمَا بِرَّ الْأُمِّ الرَّءُوفِ ،

and let me be devoted to them, with the devotion of a compassionate mother!

وَ اجْعَلْ طَاعَتِي لِوَالِدَيَّ وَ بِرِّي بِهِمَا

Make my obedience and devotion to them

أَقَرَّ لِعَيْنِي مِنْ رَقْدَةِ الْوَسْنَانِ ،

more gladdening to my eyes than sleep to the drowsy

وَ أَثْلَجَ لِصَدْرِي مِنْ شَرْبَةِ الظَّمْآنِ

and more refreshing to my breast than drink to the thirsty,

حَتَّى أُوثِرَ عَلَى هَوَايَ هَوَاهُمَا ،

so that I may prefer their inclination to my inclination,

وَ أُقَدِّمَ عَلَى رِضَايَ رِضَاهُمَا

set their satisfaction before my satisfaction,

وَ أَسْتَكْثِرَ بِرَّهُمَا بِي وَ إِنْ قَلَّ ،

make much of their devotion to me though it be little,

وَ أَسْتَقِلَّ بِرِّي بِهِمَا وَ إِنْ كَثُرَ .

and make little of my devotion to them though it be great.

اللَّهُمَّ خَفِّضْ لَهُمَا صَوْتِي ،

God, lower before them my voice,

وَ أَطِبْ لَهُمَا كَلَامِي ،

make agreeable to them my words,

وَ أَلِنْ لَهُمَا عَرِيكَتِي ،

make mild before them my temper,

وَ اعْطِفْ عَلَيْهِمَا قَلْبِي ،

make tender toward them my heart,

وَ صَيِّرْنِي بِهِمَا رَفِيقاً ،

and turn me into their kind companion,

وَ عَلَيْهِمَا شَفِيقاً .

their loving friend!

اللَّهُمَّ اشْكُرْ لَهُمَا تَرْبِيَتِي ،

O God, thank them for my upbringing,

وَ أَثِبْهُمَا عَلَى تَكْرِمَتِي ،

reward them for honouring me,

وَ احْفَظْ لَهُمَا مَا حَفِظَاهُ مِنِّي فِي صِغَرِي .

and guard them as they guarded me in my infancy!

اللَّهُمَّ وَ مَا مَسَّهُمَا مِنِّي مِنْ أَذًى ،

O God, and whatever harm has touched them from me,

أَوْ خَلَصَ إِلَيْهِمَا عَنِّي مِنْ مَكْرُوهٍ ،

detested thing has reached them from me,

أَوْ ضَاعَ قِبَلِي لَهُمَا مِنْ حَقٍّ

or right of theirs which has been neglected by me,

فَاجْعَلْهُ حِطَّةً لِذُنُوبِهِمَا ،

allow it to alleviate their sins,

وَ عُلُوّاً فِي دَرَجَاتِهِمَا ،

raise them in their degrees,

وَ زِيَادَةً فِي حَسَنَاتِهِمَا ،

and add to their good deeds!

يَا مُبَدِّلَ السَّيِّئَاتِ بِأَضْعَافِهَا مِنَ الْحَسَنَاتِ .

O He who changes evil deeds into manifold good deeds!

اللَّهُمَّ وَ مَا تَعَدَّيَا عَلَيَّ فِيهِ مِنْ قَوْلٍ ،

O God, whatever word through which they have transgressed against me,

أَوْ أَسْرَفَا عَلَيَّ فِيهِ مِنْ فِعْلٍ ،

act through which they have been immoderate with me,

أَوْ ضَيَّعَاهُ لِي مِنْ حَقٍّ ،

right of mine which they have left neglected,

أَوْ قَصَّرَا بِي عَنْهُ مِنْ وَاجِبٍ

or obligation toward me in which they have fallen short,

فَقَدْ وَهَبْتُهُ لَهُمَا ، وَ جُدْتُ بِهِ عَلَيْهِمَا

I grant it to them and bestow it upon them,

وَ رَغِبْتُ إِلَيْكَ فِي وَضْعِ تَبِعَتِهِ عَنْهُمَا ،

and I beseech Thee to remove from them its ill consequence,

فَإِنِّي لَا أَتَّهِمُهُمَا عَلَى نَفْسِي ،

for I do not accuse them concerning myself,

وَ لَا أَسْتَبْطِئُهُمَا فِي بِرِّي ،

find them slow in their devotion toward me,

وَ لَا أَكْرَهُ مَا تَوَلَّيَاهُ مِنْ أَمْرِي يَا رَبِّ .

or dislike the way they have attended to my affairs, my Lord!

فَهُمَا أَوْجَبُ حَقّاً عَلَيَّ ،

They have rights against me which are more incumbent,

وَ أَقْدَمُ إِحْسَاناً إِلَيَّ ،

precedence in beneficence toward me that is greater,

وَ أَعْظَمُ مِنَّةً لَدَيَّ

and kindness toward me that is mightier

مِنْ أَنْ أُقَاصَّهُمَا بِعَدْلٍ ، أَوْ أُجَازِيَهُمَا عَلَى مِثْلٍ ،

than that I should settle accounts with justice or repay them with equivalents.

أَيْنَ إِذاً يَا إِلَهِي طُولُ شُغْلِهِمَا بِتَرْبِيَتِي

Where then, my God, would be their long occupation with bringing me up?

وَ أَيْنَ شِدَّةُ تَعَبِهِمَا فِي حِرَاسَتِي

Where the hardship of their toil in taking care of me?

وَ أَيْنَ إِقْتَارُهُمَا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمَا

Where the stinting of themselves

لِلتَّوْسِعَةِ عَلَيَّ

to provide me with plenty?

هَيْهَاتَ

What an idea!

مَا يَسْتَوْفِيَانِ مِنِّي حَقَّهُمَا ،

I can never discharge their right against me,

وَ لَا أُدْرِكُ مَا يَجِبُ عَلَيَّ لَهُمَا ،

fulfil my obligations toward them,

وَ لَا أَنَا بِقَاضٍ وَظِيفَةَ خِدْمَتِهِمَا ،

or accomplish the duty of serving them.

فَصَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ ،

So bless Muhammad and his Household

وَ أَعِنِّي يَا خَيْرَ مَنِ اسْتُعِينَ بِهِ ،

and help me, O Best of those whose help we seek!

وَ وَفِّقْنِي يَا أَهْدَى مَنْ رُغِبَ إِلَيْهِ ،

Give me success, O Most Guiding of those whom we beseech!

وَ لَا تَجْعَلْنِي فِي أَهْلِ الْعُقُوقِ لِلْآبَاءِ وَ الْأُمَّهَاتِ

Place me not among the people of disrespect to fathers and mothers

يَوْمَ تُجْزَى كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ

on the day when every soul will be repaid for what it has earned,

وَ هُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ .

they shall not be wronged.

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ وَ ذُرِّيَّتِهِ ،

O God, bless Muhammad, his Household, and his progeny

وَ اخْصُصْ أَبَوَيَّ بِأَفْضَلِ

and single out my parents for the best

مَا خَصَصْتَ بِهِ آبَاءَ عِبَادِكَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَ أُمَّهَاتِهِمْ ،

which Thou hast singled out for the fathers and mothers of Thy faithful servants,

يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ .

O Most Merciful of the merciful!

اللَّهُمَّ لَا تُنْسِنِي ذِكْرَهُمَا فِي أَدْبَارِ صَلَوَاتِي ،

O God, let me not forget to remember them after my ritual prayers,

وَ فِي إِنًى مِنْ آنَاءِ لَيْلِي ،

at every time throughout my night,

وَ فِي كُلِّ سَاعَةٍ مِنْ سَاعَاتِ نَهَارِي .

and in each of the hours of my day!

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ ،

O God, bless Muhammad and his Household,

وَ اغْفِرْ لِي بِدُعَائِي لَهُمَا ،

forgive me through my supplication for my parents,

وَ اغْفِرْ لَهُمَا بِبِرِّهِمَا بِي

forgive them through their devotion toward me

مَغْفِرَةً حَتْماً ،

with unfailing forgiveness,

وَ ارْضَ عَنْهُمَا بِشَفَاعَتِي لَهُمَا

be well pleased with them through my intercession for them

رِضًى عَزْماً ،

with resolute good pleasure,

وَ بَلِّغْهُمَا بِالْكَرَامَةِ مَوَاطِنَ السَّلَامَةِ .

and make them reach through Thy generosity the abodes of safety!

اللَّهُمَّ وَ إِنْ سَبَقَتْ مَغْفِرَتُكَ لَهُمَا

O God, if Thy forgiveness reaches them first,

فَشَفِّعْهُمَا فِيَّ ،

make them my intercessors,

وَ إِنْ سَبَقَتْ مَغْفِرَتُكَ لِي

and if Thy forgiveness reaches me first,

فَشَفِّعْنِي فِيهِمَا

make me their intercessors,

حَتَّى نَجْتَمِعَ بِرَأْفَتِكَ

so that we may gather together through Thy gentleness

فِي دَارِ كَرَامَتِكَ وَ مَحَلِّ مَغْفِرَتِكَ وَ رَحْمَتِكَ ،

in the house of Thy generosity and the place of Thy forgiveness and mercy!

إِنَّكَ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ ، وَ الْمَنِّ الْقَدِيمِ ،

Verily Thou art Possessor of abounding bounty and ancient kindness,

وَ أَنْتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ .

and Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful!