دُعَاؤُهُ فِي الشُّكْرِ

His supplication in giving Thanks

1
أللَّهُمَّ إنَّ أَحَداً لاَ يَبْلُغُ مِنْ شُكْرِكَ غَايَةً
allahumma innahu la yablughu min shukrika ghayatan
O God, no one reaches a limit in thanking Thee
2
إلاّ حَصَلَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ إحْسَانِكَ مَا يُلْزِمُهُ شُكْرَاً،
illaḥ ḥaṣala ʿalayhi min iḥsanika mā yulzimuhu shukran
without acquiring that of Thy beneficence which enjoins upon him thanksgiving,
3
وَلا يَبْلُغُ مَبْلَغاً مِنْ طَاعَتِكَ وَإن اجْتَهَدَ
walā yablughu mablaghan min ta'atika wa in ijtaḥada
nor does anyone reach a degree in obeying Thee, even if he strives,
4
إلاَّ كَانَ مُقَصِّراً دُونَ اسْتِحْقَاقِكَ بِفَضْلِكَ،
'illa kāna muqaṣṣiran dūna istiḥqāqika bifadlik
without falling short of what Thou deservest because of Thy bounty.
5
فَأَشْكَرُ عِبَادِكَ عَاجِزٌ عَنْ شُكْرِكَ
fa-ashkaru ʿibādika ʿājizun ʿan shukrika
The most thankful of Thy servants has not the capacity to thank Thee,
6
وَأَعْبَدُهُمْ مُقَصِّرٌ عَنْ طَاعَتِكَ،
wa'aʿbaduhum muqaṣṣirun ʿan ṭaaʿatika
and the most worshipful of them falls short of obeying Thee.
7
لا يَجبُ لأِحَد أَنْ تَغْفِرَ لَهُ بِاسْتِحْقَاقِهِ،
lā yajubu li'aḥad an taghfira lahū bi-istiḥqāqihi
To none of them is due Thy forgiveness through what he himself deserves
8
وَلا أَنْ تَرْضَى عَنْهُ بِاسْتِيجَابِهِ،
walā an tarḍā ʿanhu bi-istījābih
or Thy good pleasure for his own merit.
9
فَمَنْ غَفَرْتَ لَهُ فَبِطَولِكَ،
faman ghafartalahu fabitawlika
When Thou forgivest someone, it is through Thy graciousness,
10
وَمَنْ رَضِيْتَ عَنْهُ فَبِفَضْلِكَ
wa man raḍīta ʿanhu fabi faḍlika
and when Thou art pleased with someone, it is through Thy bounty.
11
تَشْكُرُ يَسِيرَ مَا شُكِرْتَهُ وَتُثِيبُ عَلَى قَلِيلِ مَا تُطَاعُ فِيهِ
tashkuru yasira ma shukirtahu wa tuthibu 'ala qaleelin ma tuta'afihu
Thou showest gratitude for the paltry for which gratitude is shown to Thee and Thou rewardest the small act in which Thou art obeyed,
12
حَتَّى كَأَنَّ شُكْـرَ عِبَادِكَ الَّذِيْ أَوْجَبْتَ عَلَيْهِ ثَوَابَهُمْ
ḥattá ka'anna shukra ʿibādika alladhī awjabta ʿalayhi thawābahum
so that it seems as if Thy servants' thanksgiving for which Thou hast made incumbent their reward
13
وَأَعْظَمْتَ عَنْهُ جَزَاءَهُمْ
wa'aẓamt(a) ʿanhu jazāʾahum
and made great their repayment
14
أَمْرٌ مَلَكُوا اسْتِطَاعَةَ الامْتِنَاعِ مِنْهُ دُونَكَ
amrun malakū istiṭāʿata al-imtināʿi minhu dūnaka
is an affair from which they could have held back without Thee,
15
فَكَافَيْتَهُمْ أَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ سَبَبُهُ بِيَدِكَ فَجَازَيْتَهُمْ،
fakaafaytahum aw lam yakun sababuhu biyadika fajaazaytahum
and hence Thou wilt recompense them, and whose cause is not in Thy hand, and hence Thou wilt repay them.
16
بَـلْ مَلَكْتَ يَا إلهِي أَمْرَهُمْ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَمْلِكُوا عِبَادَتَكَ،
bal malakta yā ilāhī amrahum qabla an yamlikū ibādataka
Nay, my God, Thou hadst power over their affair before they had power to worship Thee,
17
وَأَعْدَدْتَ ثَوَابَهُمْ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُفِيضُوا فِي طَاعَتِكَ،
wa'aʿdadta thawābahum qabla an yufīḍū fī ṭāʿatika
and Thou hadst prepared their reward before they began to obey Thee;
18
وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ سُنَّتَكَ الأِفْضَالُ،
wa dhalika anna sunnataka al-afḍal
and that because Thy wont is bestowal of bounty,
19
وَعَادَتَكَ الإحْسَانُ، وَسَبِيلَكَ الْعَفْوُ،
wa ʿadatka al-iḥsānu, wa sabīlaka al-ʿafwu
Thy custom beneficence, Thy way pardon.
20
فَكُلُّ الْبَرِيِّةِ مًعْتَرِفَةٌ بِأَنَّكَ غَيْرُ ظَالِم لِمَنْ عَاقَبْتَ،
fakullu al-bariyyati muʿtarifatun bi-annaka ghayru ẓalim li-man ʿaqabta
So all creatures confess that Thou wrongest not him whom Thou punishest
21
وَشَاهِدَةٌ بِأَنَّكَ مُتَفَضِّلٌ عَلَى مَنْ عَافَيْتَ،
wa shāhidatun bi-annaka mutafadhdhilun ʿalā man ʿāfayta
and bear witness that Thou bestowest bounty upon him whom Thou pardonest.
22
وَكُلٌّ مُقِرٌّ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ بِالتَّقْصِيْرِ عَمَّا اسْتَوْجَبْتَ،
wa kullun muqirrun ʿalā nafsihi bi-t-taqṣīri ʿammā mustawjabt
Each admits that he has fallen short of what Thou meritest.
23
فَلَوْلا أَنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَخْتَدِعُهُمْ عَنْ طَاعَتِكَ ما عَصاكَ عاصٍ
fala-wlā anna ash-shaytān-a yakh-taḍiʿuhum ʿan ṭāʿatika mā ʿaṣāka
Had Satan not misled them from Thy obedience, no disobeyer would have disobeyed Thee,
24
وَلَوْلا أَنَّهُ صَوَّرَ لَهُمُ البَاطِلَ فِي مِثَالِ الْحَقِّ
walawla annahu sawwara lahumul-batila fi mithali al-haqqi
and had he not shown falsehood to them in the likeness of truth
25
مَا ضَلَّ عَنْ طَرِيْقِكَ ضَالٌّ.
maḍalla ʿan ṭarīqika ḍāllun
no strayer would have gone astray from Thy path.
26
فَسُبْحَانَكَ مَا أَبْيَنَ كَرَمَكَ
fasubḥānaka mā ʾabyana karamaka
So glory be to Thee! How manifest is Thy generosity
27
فِي مُعَامَلَةِ مَنْ أَطَاعَكَ أَوْ عَصَاكَ،
fī muʿāmalati man ʾaṭāʿaka aw ʿaṣāka
in dealing with him who obeys or disobeys Thee!
28
تَشْكُرُ للْمُطِيْعِ مَا أَنْتَ تَوَلَّيْتَهُ لَهُ،
taškurul-limuṭīʿi mā ʾanta tawallaytahu lah
Thou showest gratitude to the obedient for that which Thou undertakest for him,
29
وَتُمْلِي لِلْعَاصِي فِيْمَا تَمْلِكُ مُعَاجَلَتَهُ فِيْهِ،
wa tumli li-l-ʿāṣī fīmā tamliku muʿājalatahu fīhi
and Thou grantest a respite to the disobedient in that within which Thou art able to hurry him.
30
أَعْطَيْتَ كُلاًّ مِنْهُمَا مَا لَمْ يَجِبْ لَهُ،
ʾaʿṭayta kullan minhuma mā lam yajib lah
Thou givest to each of them that which is not his due,
31
وَتَفَضَّلْتَ عَلَى كُلٍّ مِنْهُمَا بِمَا يَقْصُرُ عَمَلُهُ عَنْهُ
wa tafaḍḍaltu ʿalā kullin minhumā bimā yaqsuru ʿamaluhu ʿanhu
and Thou bestowest bounty upon each in that wherein his works fall short.
32
وَلَوْ كَافَأْتَ الْمُطِيعَ عَلَى مَا أَنْتَ تَوَلَّيْتَهُ
wa law kāfā'ta al-muṭīʿa ʿalā mā ʾanta tawallaytahu
Wert Thou to counterbalance for the obedient servant that which Thou Thyself hadst undertaken,
33
لاَوْشَكَ أَنْ يَفْقِدَ ثَوَابَكَ،
lāw shakka ʾan yafqiḍa thawābak
he would be on the point of losing Thy reward
34
وَأَنْ تَزُولَ عَنْهُ نِعْمَتُكَ
wa an tazūla ʿanhu niʿmatuka
and seeing the end of Thy favour,
35
وَلكِنَّكَ بِكَرَمِكَ جَازَيْتَهُ
wa lakinnaka bikaramika jazaytahu
but through Thy generosity Thou hast repaid him
36
عَلَى الْمُدَّةِ الْقَصِيرَةِ الفَانِيَةِ بِالْمُدَّةِ الطَّوِيلَةِ الْخَالِدَةِ،
ʿalā al-muddati al-qaṣīrah al-fāniyah bil-muddati aṭ-ṭawīlah al-khālidah
for a short, perishing term with a long, everlasting term,
37
وَعَلَى الْغَايَةِ الْقَرِيبَةِ الزَّائِلَةِ بِالْغايَةِ الْمَدِيدَةِ الْبَاقِيَةِ،
wa ʿalā al-ghāyati al-qarībah al-zāʾilah bil-ghāyati al-madīdah al-bāqiyah
and for a near, vanishing limit with an extended, abiding limit.
38
ثُمَّ لَمْ تَسُمْهُ الْقِصَاصَ فِيمَا أَكَلَ مِنْ رِزْقِكَ
thumma lam tasumhu al-qisasa fee ma akala min rizqik
Then Thou dost not visit him with a settling of accounts for Thy provision
39
الَّذِي يَقْوَى بِهِ عَلَى طَاعَتِكَ،
alladhī yaqwá bihi ʿalá ṭāʿatika
through which he gained strength to obey Thee,
40
وَلَـمْ تَحْمِلْهُ عَلَى الْمُنَاقَشَاتِ فِي الآلاتِ
walam tahmilhu ʿalal-munāqašātifil-ālāt
nor dost Thou force him to make reckonings for the organs
41
الَّتِي تَسَبَّبَ بِاسْتِعْمَالِهَا إلَى مَغْفِـرَتِكَ،
al-latī tasabbaba bi istiʿmālihā ilā maghfiratika
he employed to find the means to Thy forgiveness.
42
وَلَـوْ فَعَلْتَ ذلِكَ بِهِ
walaw faʿalta dhalika bihi
Wert Thou to do that to him,
43
لَذَهَبَ بِجَمِيْعِ مَا كَدَحَ لَهُ
laḏahaba bijamīʿi mā kadaha lah
it would take away everything for which he had laboured
44
وَجُمْلَةِ مَا سَعَى فِيهِ،
wa-jumlati mā saʿā fīhi
and all wherein he had exerted himself
45
جَزَاءً لِلصُّغْرى مِنْ أَيادِيْكَ وَمِنَنِكَ،
jazā'an li-ṣ-ṣughrā min ayādīka wa minannika
as repayment for the smallest of Thy benefits and kindnesses,
46
وَلَبَقِيَ رَهيناً بَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ بِسَائِرِ نِعَمِكَ
walabaqiya raheenan bayna yadayka bisa'iri ni'mika
and he would remain hostage before Thee for Thy other favours.
47
فَمَتَى كَانَ يَسْتَحِقُّ شَيْئاً مِنْ ثَوَابِكَ ، لا ، مَتَى؟.
famataa kana yastahiqq shay'an min thawabika, la, mataa?
So how can he deserve something of Thy reward? Indeed, how?
48
هَذَا يا إلهِي حَالُ مَنْ أَطَاعَكَ وَسَبِيلُ مَنْ تَعَبَّدَ لَكَ،
hādhā yā ilāhī ḥālu man aṭāʿaka wa sabīlu man taʿabbada laka
This, my God, is the state of him who obeys Thee and the path of him who worships Thee.
49
فَأَمَّا الْعَاصِيْ أَمْرَكَ وَالْمُوَاقِـعُ نَهْيَكَ
fa'ammā al-ʿāṣiyu amraka wal-muwāqiʿu nahyaka
But as for him who disobeys Thy command and goes against Thy prohibition,
50
فَلَمْ تُعَاجِلْهُ بِنَقِمَتِكَ لِكَيْ يَسْتَبْدِلَ بِحَالِهِ فِي مَعْصِيَتِكَ
falamm tuʿājilhu bināqimati-ka li-ky yastabdila bi-ḥāli-hi fī maʿṣiyatika
Thou dost not hurry him to Thy vengeance, so that he may seek to replace his state in disobeying Thee
51
حَالَ الاِنَابَـةِ إلَى طَـاعَتِـكَ،
ḥāla al-inābati ilā ṭāʿatika
with the state of turning back to obey Thee,
52
وَلَقَـدْ كَـانَ يَسْتَحِقُّ فِي أَوَّلِ مَـا هَمَّ بِعِصْيَانِكَ
wa-laqad kāna yastahiqq fī awwali mā hamma bi-ʿiṣyānik
though he deserved from the time he set out to disobey Thee
53
كُلَّ مَا أَعْدَدْتَ لِجَمِيعِ خَلْقِكَ مِنْ عُقُوبَتِكَ،
kullamaa aʿdadta li-jameeʿi khalqika min ʿuqubatika
every punishment which Thou hast prepared for all Thy creatures.
54
فَجَمِيعُ مَا أَخَّرْتَ عَنْهُ مِنْ الْعَذَابِ،
fajamiʿu mā ʾakhkhartahū min al-ʿadhāb
Through each chastisement which Thou hast kept back from him
55
وَأَبْطَأتَ بِهِ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ سَطَوَاتِ النَّقِمَةِ وَالْعِقَابِ تَرْكٌ مِنْ حَقِّكَ،
wa 'abta'ta bihi 'alayhi min satawaat al-naqimah wal-'iqaab tarakun min haqqika
and each penalty of Thy vengeance and Thy punishment which Thou hast delayed from him, Thou hast refrained from Thy right
56
وَرِضىً بِدُونِ وَاجِبِكَ،
wa riḍān bidūni wājibika
and shown good pleasure in place of what Thou hast made obligatory.
57
فَمَنْ أكْرَمُ يَا إلهِي مِنْكَ
faman akramu ya ilahi minka
So who is more generous, my God, than Thou?
58
وَمَنْ أَشْقَى مِمَّنْ هَلَكَ عَلَيْـكَ، لا ، مَنْ؟
wa-man ashqā mimman halaka ʿalayka, lā, man?
And who is more wretched than he who perishes in spite of Thee? Indeed, who?
59
فَتَبَارَكْتَ أَنْ تُوصَفَ إلاّ بِالإحْسَانِ،
fatabarakt(a) 'an tuwṣaf(a) 'ill(a) bil-'iḥsān(i)
Thou art too blessed to be described by any but beneficence
60
وَكَـرُمْتَ أَنْ يُخَافَ مِنْكَ إلاّ الْعَدْلُ،
wa karumta an yukhafa minka illa al-'adl
and too generous for any but justice to be feared from Thee!
61
لا يُخْشَى جَوْرُكَ عَلَى مَنْ عَصَاكَ،
lā yukhshā jawruka ʿalā man ʿasāka
There is no dread that Thou wilt be unjust toward him who disobeys Thee,
62
وَلاَ يُخَافُ إغْفَالُكَ ثَوَابَ مَنْ أَرْضَاكَ.
walā yukhāfu ʾiġfāluka thawāba man ʾarḍāka
nor any fear of Thy neglecting to reward him who satisfies Thee.
63
فَصَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّد وَآلِهِ وَهَبْ لِيْ أَمَلِي،
fasalli ʿala muhammadin wa ālihi wa hab li amalī
So bless Muhammad and his Household, give me my hope,
64
وَزِدْنِي مِنْ هُدَاكَ
wa zidni min hudak
and increase me in that of Thy guidance
65
مَا أَصِلُ بِهِ إلَى التَّوْفِيقِ فِي عَمَلِي،
ma aṣilu bihī ilā al-tawfīq fī ʿamalī
through which I may be successful in my works!
66
إنَّكَ مَنَّانٌ كَرِيمٌ.
'innaka mannānun karīmun
Surely Thou art All-kind, Generous.