دُعَاؤُهُ إذا ذَكَرَ الْمَوْتِ

When he remembered Death

1
أَللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّد وَآلِهِ،
allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā muḥammad wa ālihī
O God, Bless Muhammad and his Household,
2
وَاكْفِنَا طُـولَ الأمَـلِ، وَقَصِّرْهُ عَنَّا بِصِدْقِ الْعَمَلِ
wākinā ṭūla al-amal, waqaṣṣirhu ʿannā biṣidqi al-ʿamal
spare us drawn out expectations and cut them short in us through sincerity of works,
3
حَتَّى لا نُؤَمِّلَ اسْتِتْمَامَ سَاعَةٍ بَعْدَ سَاعَةٍ
ḥattá lā nuʾammila istitmāma sāʿatin baʿda sāʿaẗin
that we may not hope expectantly for completing an hour after an hour,
4
وَلاَ اسْتِيفَاءَ يَوْمٍ بَعْدَ يَوْمٍ،
wa lā istīfāʾa yawmin baʿda yawm
closing a day after a day,
5
وَلاَ اتِّصَالَ نَفَسٍ بِنَفَس،
wa lā ittiṣāla nafsin binafs
joining a breath to a breath,
6
وَلا لُحُـوقَ قَدَمٍ بِقَـدَم.
wa lā luḥūqa qadamin biqadam
or overtaking a step with a step!
7
وَسَلِّمْنَا مِنْ غُرُورِهِ، وَآمَنَّا مِنْ شُـرُوْرِهِ،
wasallimna min ghururihi, wa amanna min shuroorihi
Keep us safe from the delusions of expectations, make us secure from their evils,
8
وَانْصِبِ المَوْتَ بَيْنَ أَيْدِينَا نَصْباً،
wa-anṣibi al-mawta bayna ʾaydinā naṣban
set up death before us in display.
9
وَلاَ تَجْعَلْ ذِكْرَنَا لَهُ غِبّاً،
walā tajʿal dhikranā lahu ghībban
and let not our remembering of it come and go!
10
وَاجْعَلْ لَنَا مِنْ صَالِحِ الأعْمَـالِ
wa-jʿal-lanā min ṣāliḥi al-aʿmāl
Appoint for us from among the righteous works
11
عَمَلاً نَسْتَبْطِئُ مَعَهُ الْمَصِيرَ إلَيْكَ،
ʿamalan nastabṭiʾu maʿahu al-maṣīr ilayk
a work through which we will feel the homecoming to Thee as slow
12
وَنحْـرِصُ لَهُ عَلَى وَشْكِ اللِّحَاقِ بِكَ
wa-naḥrisu lahu ʿalā waškil-liḥāqi bika
and crave a quick joining with Thee,
13
حَتَّى يَكُونَ الْمَوْتُ مَأنَسَنَا الَّذِي نَأنَسُ بِهِ،
ḥattá yakūna al-mawtu ma'anasanā alladhī ná'nasu bihī
so that death may be our intimate abode with which we are intimate,
14
وَمَألَفَنَا الَّذِي نَشْتَاقُ إلَيْهِ، وَحَامَّتَنَا الَّتِي نُحِبُّ الدُّنُوَّ مِنْهَا
wa ma'alafana allathi nash'taq'u ilayhi, wa hammatana allati nuhibbu addunyawwa minha
our familiar place toward which we yearn, and our next of kin whose coming we love!
15
فَإذَا أَوْرَدْتَهُ عَلَيْنَا، وَأَنْزَلْتَهُ بِنَا
fa'idhā awradtahu ʿalaynā, wa-anzaltahu binā
When Thou bringest it to us and sendest it down upon us,
16
فَأسْعِدْنَا بِهِ زَائِراً، وَآنِسْنَا بِهِ قَادِماً،
fa asʿidnā bihi zāʾiran, wa ānisnā bihi qādiman
make us happy with it as a visitor, comfort us with its arrival,
17
وَلاَ تُشْقِنَا بِضِيافَتِهِ، وَلا تُخْزِنَا بِزِيارَتِهِ،
walā tušqinā biḍīāfatih, walā tukhzinā biziyāratih
make us not wretched through entertaining it, degrade us not through its visit,
18
وَاجْعَلْهُ بَاباً مِنْ أَبْوَابِ مَغْفِرَتِكَ،
wa-jʿalhu bāban min abwābi maghfiratika
and appoint it one of the gates to Thy forgiveness
19
وَمِفْتَاحاً مِنْ مَفَاتِيحِ رَحْمَتِكَ.
wa-miftāḥan min mafātīḥi raḥmatika
and the keys to Thy mercy!
20
أَمِتْنَا مُهْتَدِينَ غَيْرَ ضَالِّينَ
amatna muhtadeen ghayra dhalilin
Make us die guided, not astray,
21
طائِعِينَ غَيْرَ مُسْتَكْرِهِينَ تَائِبينَ غَيْرَ عاصِينَ وَلا مُصِرِّينَ
ṭāʾiʿīna ghayra mustakrihīna tāʾibīna ghayra ʿāṣīna walā muṣirrīna
obedient, not averse, repentant, not disobedient or persisting,
22
يَا ضَامِنَ جَزَاءِ الْمُحْسِنِينَ،
yā ḍāminaj jazā' al-muḥsinīn
O He who guarantees the repayment of the good-doers
23
وَمُسْتَصْلِحَ عَمَلِ الْمُفْسِدِينَ.
wa mustaṣliḥa ʿamali al-mufsidiin
and seeks to set right the work of the corrupt!