Supplication when Provision was Stinted (29)

وَ كَانَ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ إِذَا قُتِّرَ عَلَيْهِ الرِّزْقُ
His Supplication when his Provision was Stinted
Translated by William Chittick

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ ابْتَلَيْتَنَا فِي أَرْزَاقِنَا بِسُوءِ الظَّنِّ ،

O God, Thou hast tried us with distrust in our provisions

وَ فِي آجَالِنَا بِطُولِ الْأَمَلِ

and the expectation of long lives,

حَتَّى الْتَمَسْنَا أَرْزَاقَكَ مِنْ عِنْدِ الْمَرْزُوقِينَ ،

until we begged for provisions from those who are provided

وَ طَمِعْنَا بِآمَالِنَا فِي أَعْمَارِ الْمُعَمَّرِينَ .

and craved in our expectations the life-spans of the long-lived!

فَصَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ ،

So bless Muhammad and his Household,

وَ هَبْ لَنَا يَقِيناً صَادِقاً

give us a true certainty

تَكْفِينَا بِهِ مِنْ مَئُونَةِ الطَّلَبِ ،

that will suffice us the burden of seeking,

وَ أَلْهِمْنَا ثِقَةً خَالِصَةً تُعْفِينَا بِهَا مِنْ شِدَّةِ النَّصَبِ

and inspire us with a sincere trust that will release us from the hardship of exertion!

وَ اجْعَلْ مَا صَرَّحْتَ بِهِ مِنْ عِدَتِكَ فِي وَحْيِكَ ،

Let Thy clear promise in Thy Revelation

وَ أَتْبَعْتَهُ مِنْ قَسَمِكَ فِي كِتَابِكَ ،

which Thou hast followed in Thy Book with Thy oath

قَاطِعاً لِاهْتِمَامِنَا بِالرِّزْقِ

cut off our worry about the provision

الَّذِي تَكَفَّلْتَ بِهِ ،

for which Thou hast made Thyself responsible

وَ حَسْماً لِلِاشْتِغَالِ بِمَا ضَمِنْتَ الْكِفَايَةَ لَهُ

and sever our occupation with everything whose sufficiency Thou hast guaranteed!

فَقُلْتَ وَ قَوْلُكَ الْحَقُّ الْأَصْدَقُ ،

For Thou hast said - and Thy word is the most truthful truth -

وَ أَقْسَمْتَ

and Thou hast sworn

وَ قَسَمُكَ الْأَبَرُّ الْأَوْفَى

- and Thy oath is the most kept and fulfilled -

وَ فِي السَّمَاءِ رِزْقُكُمْ وَ مَا تُوعَدُونَ .

In the heaven are your provision and everything you are promised!

ثُمَّ قُلْتَ

And then Thou hast said,

فَوَ رَبِّ السَّمَاءِ وَ الْأَرْضِ

So by the Lord of heaven and earth,

إِنَّهُ لَحَقٌّ مِثْلَ مَا أَنَّكُمْ تَنْطِقُونَ

it is as surely true as that you have speech!