Supplication for Children (25)

وَ كَانَ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ لِوُلْدِهِ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلَامُ
His Supplication for his Children
Translated by William Chittick

اللَّهُمَّ وَ مُنَّ عَلَيَّ

O God, be kind to me through

بِبَقَاءِ وُلْدِي وَ بِإِصْلَاحِهِمْ لِي

the survival of my children, setting them right for me,

و بِإِمْتَاعِي بِهِمْ .

and allowing me to enjoy them!

إِلَهِي امْدُدْ لِي فِي أَعْمَارِهِمْ ،

My God, make long their lives for me,

وَ زِدْ لِي فِي آجَالِهِمْ ،

increase their terms,

وَ رَبِّ لِي صَغِيرَهُمْ ،

bring up the smallest for me,

وَ قَوِّ لِي ضَعِيفَهُمْ ،

strengthen the weakest for me,

وَ أَصِحَّ لِي أَبْدَانَهُمْ وَ أَدْيَانَهُمْ وَ أَخْلَاقَهُمْ ،

rectify for me their bodies, their religious dedication, and their moral traits,

وَ عَافِهِمْ فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَ فِي جَوَارِحِهِمْ

make them well in their souls, their limbs,

وَ فِي كُلِّ مَا عُنِيتُ بِهِ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ ،

and everything that concerns me of their affair,

وَ أَدْرِرْ لِي وَ عَلَى يَدِي أَرْزَاقَهُمْ .

and pour out for me and upon my hand their provisions!

وَ اجْعَلْهُمْ أَبْرَاراً أَتْقِيَاءَ

Make them pious, fearing,

بُصَرَاءَ سَامِعِينَ مُطِيعِينَ لَكَ ،

insightful, hearing, and obedient  toward Thee,

وَ لِأَوْلِيَائِكَ مُحِبِّينَ مُنَاصِحِينَ ،

loving and well-disposed toward Thy friends,

وَ لِجَمِيعِ أَعْدَائِكَ مُعَانِدِينَ وَ مُبْغِضِينَ ، آمِينَ .

and stubbornly resistant and full of hate toward all Thy enemies! Amen!

اللَّهُمَّ اشْدُدْ بِهِمْ عَضُدِي ،

O God, through them strengthen my arm,

وَ أَقِمْ بِهِمْ أَوَدِي ،

straighten my burdened back,

وَ كَثِّرْ بِهِمْ عَدَدِي ،

multiply my number,

وَ زَيِّنْ بِهِمْ مَحْضَرِي ،

adorn my presence,

وَ أَحْيِ بِهِمْ ذِكْرِي ،

keep alive my mention,

وَ اكْفِنِي بِهِمْ فِي غَيْبَتِي ،

suffice me when I am away,

وَ أَعِنِّي بِهِمْ عَلَى حَاجَتِي ،

help me in my needs,

وَ اجْعَلْهُمْ لِي مُحِبِّينَ ،

and make them loving toward me,

وَ عَلَيَّ حَدِبِينَ مُقْبِلِينَ مُسْتَقِيمِينَ لِي ،

affectionate, approaching, upright,

مُطِيعِينَ ، غَيْرَ عَاصِينَ وَ لَا عَاقِّينَ وَ لَا مُخَالِفِينَ وَ لَا خَاطِئِينَ .

obedient, never disobedient, disrespectful, opposed, or offenders!

وَ أَعِنِّي عَلَى تَرْبِيَتِهِمْ وَ تَأْدِيبِهِمْ ، وَ بِرِّهِمْ ،

Help me in their upbringing, their education, and my devotion toward them,

وَ هَبْ لِي مِنْ لَدُنْكَ مَعَهُمْ أَوْلَاداً ذُكُوراً ،

give me among them from Thyself male children,

وَ اجْعَلْ ذَلِكَ خَيْراً لِي ،

make that a good for me,

وَ اجْعَلْهُمْ لِي عَوْناً عَلَى مَا سَأَلْتُكَ .

and make them a help for me in that which I ask from Thee!

وَ أَعِذْنِي وَ ذُرِّيَّتِي مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ ،

Give me and my progeny refuge from the accursed Satan,

فَإِنَّكَ خَلَقْتَنَا وَ أَمَرْتَنَا وَ نَهَيْتَنَا

for Thou hast created us, commanded us, and prohibited us,

وَ رَغَّبْتَنَا فِي ثَوَابِ مَا أَمَرْتَنَا وَ رَهَّبْتَنَا عِقَابَهُ ،

and made us desire the reward of what Thou hast commanded, and fear its punishment!

وَ جَعَلْتَ لَنَا عَدُوّاً يَكِيدُنَا ،

Thou assigned to us an enemy who schemes against us,

سَلَّطْتَهُ مِنَّا عَلَى مَا لَمْ تُسَلِّطْنَا عَلَيْهِ مِنْهُ ،

gave him an authority over us in a way that Thou didst not give us authority over him,

أَسْكَنْتَهُ صُدُورَنَا ،

allowed him to dwell in our breasts

وَ أَجْرَيْتَهُ مَجَارِيَ دِمَائِنَا ،

and let him run in our blood vessels;

لَا يَغْفُلُ إِنْ غَفَلْنَا ،

he is not heedless, though we be heedless,

وَ لَا يَنْسَى إِنْ نَسِينَا ،

he does not forget, though we forget;

يُؤْمِنُنَا عِقَابَكَ ، وَ يُخَوِّفُنَا بِغَيْرِكَ .

he makes us feel secure from Thy punishment and fills us with fear toward other than Thee.

إِنْ هَمَمْنَا بِفَاحِشَةٍ شَجَّعَنَا عَلَيْهَا ،

If we are about to commit an indecency, he gives us courage to do so,

وَ إِنْ هَمَمْنَا بِعَمَلٍ صَالِحٍ ثَبَّطَنَا عَنْهُ ،

and if we are about to perform a righteous work, he holds us back from it.

يَتَعَرَّضُ لَنَا بِالشَّهَوَاتِ ،

He opposes us through passions,

وَ يَنْصِبُ لَنَا بِالشُّبُهَاتِ ،

and sets up for us doubts.

إِنْ وَعَدَنَا كَذَبَنَا ،

If he promises us, he lies,

وَ إِنْ مَنَّانَا أَخْلَفَنَا ،

and if he raises our hopes, he fails to fulfil them.

وَ إِلَّا تَصْرِفْ عَنَّا كَيْدَهُ يُضِلَّنَا ،

If Thou dost not turn his trickery away from us, he will misguide us,

وَ إِلَّا تَقِنَا خَبَالَهُ يَسْتَزِلَّنَا .

and if Thou dost not protect us from his corruption, he will cause us to slip.

اللَّهُمَّ فَاقْهَرْ سُلْطَانَهُ عَنَّا بِسُلْطَانِكَ

O God, so defeat his authority over us through Thy authority,

حَتَّى تَحْبِسَهُ عَنَّا

such that Thou holdest him back from us

بِكَثْرَةِ الدُّعَاءِ لَكَ

through the frequency of our supplication to Thee

فَنُصْبِحَ مِنْ كَيْدِهِ فِي الْمَعْصُومِينَ بِكَ .

and we leave his trickery and rise up among those preserved by Thee from sin!

اللَّهُمَّ أَعْطِنِي كُلَّ سُؤْلِي ،

O God, grant me my every request,

وَ اقْضِ لِي حَوَائِجِي ،

accomplish for me my needs,

وَ لَا تَمْنَعْنِي الْإِجَابَةَ وَ قَدْ ضَمِنْتَهَا لِي ،

withhold not from me Thy response when Thou hast made Thyself accountable for it to me,

وَ لَا تَحْجُبْ دُعَائِي عَنْكَ وَ قَدْ أَمَرْتَنِي بِهِ ،

veil not my supplication from Thyself, when Thou hast commanded me to make it,

وَ امْنُنْ عَلَيَّ بِكُلِّ مَا يُصْلِحُنِي فِي دُنْيَايَ وَ آخِرَتِي

and be kind to me through everything that will set me right in this world and the next,

مَا ذَكَرْتُ مِنْهُ وَ مَا نَسِيتُ ،

in everything that I remember or forget,

أَوْ أَظْهَرْتُ أَوْ أَخْفَيْتُ

display or conceal,

أَوْ أَعْلَنْتُ أَوْ أَسْرَرْتُ .

make public or keep secret!

وَ اجْعَلْنِي فِي جَمِيعِ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْمُصْلِحِينَ بِسُؤَالِي إِيَّاكَ ،

In all of this, place me through my asking Thee among those who set things right,

الْمُنْجِحِينَ بِالطَّلَبِ إِلَيْكَ

those who are answered favourably when they request from Thee

غَيْرِ الْمَمْنُوعِينَ بِالتَّوَكُّلِ عَلَيْكَ .

and from whom is not withheld when they put their trust in Thee,

الْمُعَوَّدِينَ بِالتَّعَوُّذِ بِكَ ،

those accustomed to seek refuge in Thee,

الرَّابِحِينَ فِي التِّجَارَةِ عَلَيْكَ ،

those who profit through commerce with Thee,

الْمُجَارِينَ بِعِزِّكَ ،

those granted sanctuary through Thy might,

الْمُوَسَّعِ عَلَيْهِمُ الرِّزْقُ الْحَلَالُ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ ،

those given lawful provision in plenty from Thy boundless bounty

الْوَاسِعِ بِجُودِكَ وَ كَرَمِكَ ،

through Thy munificence and generosity,

الْمُعَزِّينَ مِنَ الذُّلِّ بِكَ ،

those who reach exaltation after abasement through Thee,

وَ الْمُجَارِينَ مِنَ الظُّلْمِ بِعَدْلِكَ ،

those granted sanctuary from wrong through Thy justice,

وَ الْمُعَافَيْنَ مِنَ الْبَلَاءِ بِرَحْمَتِكَ ،

those released from affliction through Thy mercy,

وَ الْمُغْنَيْنَ مِنَ الْفَقْرِ بِغِنَاكَ ،

those delivered from need after poverty through Thy riches,

وَ الْمَعْصُومِينَ مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ وَ الزَّلَلِ

those preserved from sins, slips, and offenses

وَ الْخَطَاءِ بِتَقْوَاكَ ،

through reverential fear toward Thee,

وَ الْمُوَفَّقِينَ لِلْخَيْرِ وَ الرُّشْدِ وَ الصَّوَابِ بِطَاعَتِكَ ،

those successful in goodness, right conduct, and propriety through obeying Thee,

وَ الْمُحَالِ بَيْنَهُمْ وَ بَيْنَ الذُّنُوبِ بِقُدْرَتِكَ ،

those walled off from sins through Thy power,

التَّارِكِينَ لِكُلِّ مَعْصِيَتِكَ ،

the refrainers from every act of disobedience toward Thee,

السَّاكِنِينَ فِي جِوَارِكَ .

the dwellers in Thy neighbourhood!

اللَّهُمَّ أَعْطِنَا جَمِيعَ ذَلِكَ بِتَوْفِيقِكَ وَ رَحْمَتِكَ ،

O God, give me all of that through Thy bestowal of success and Thy mercy,

وَ أَعِذْنَا مِنْ عَذَابِ السَّعِيرِ ،

grant us refuge from the chastisement of the burning,

وَ أَعْطِ جَمِيعَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَ الْمُسْلِمَاتِ

and give to all the Muslims, male and female,

وَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ

and all the faithful, male and female,

مِثْلَ الَّذِي سَأَلْتُكَ لِنَفْسِي وَ لِوُلْدِي

the like of what I have asked for myself and my children,

فِي عَاجِلِ الدُّنْيَا وَ آجِلِ الْآخِرَةِ ،

in the immediate of this world and the deferred of the next!

إِنَّكَ قَرِيبٌ مُجِيبٌ

Verily Thou art the Near, the Responder,

سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

the All-hearing, the All-knowing,

عَفُوٌّ غَفُورٌ

the Pardoner, the Forgiving,

رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ .

the Clement, the Merciful!

وَ آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً ،

And give to us in this world good,

وَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً

and in the next world good,

وَ قِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ .

and protect us from the chastisement of the Fire!