A whisper for Thursday nights

اللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ بِرَحْمَتِكَ الَّتِي وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ، وَبِقُوَّتِكَ الَّتِي قَهَرْتَ بِهَا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ، وَخَضَعَ لَهَا كُلُّ شَيْءٍ، وَذَلَّ لَهَا كُلُّ شَيْءٍ، وَبِجَبَرُوتِكَ الَّتِي غَلَبْتَ بِهَا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ، وَبِعِزَّتِكَ الَّتِي لَا يَقُومُ لَهَا شَيْءٌ، وَبِعَظَمَتِكَ الَّتِي مَلَأَتْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ، وَبِسُلْطَانِكَ الَّذِي عَلَا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ، وَبِوَجْهِكَ الْبَاقِي بَعْدَ فَنَاءِ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، وَبِأَسْمَائِكَ الَّتِي مَلَأَتْ أَرْكَانَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، وَبِعِلْمِكَ الَّذِي أَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ، وَبِنُورِ وَجْهِكَ الَّذِي أَضَاءَ لَهُ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ، يَا نُورُ يَا قُدُّوسُ، يَا أَوَّلَ الْأَوَّلِينَ وَيَا آخِرَ الْآخِرِينَ.

O Allah, I ask You by Your mercy that embraces all things, and by Your power through which You overcome all things, and to which all things are humbled and lowly. I ask You by Your might that has subdued all things, by Your majesty against which nothing can stand, by Your greatness that fills all things, and by Your dominion that towers over all things. I ask You by Your face that abides after the passing of every other thing, by Your names that have filled the foundations of all things, by Your knowledge that encompasses all things, and by the light of Your face by which all things are illumined. O Light, O Holy One, O First of the first and Last of the last.

اللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِيَ الذُّنُوبَ الَّتِي تَهْتِكُ الْعِصَمَ، اللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِيَ الذُّنُوبَ الَّتِي تُنْزِلُ النِّقَمَ، اللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِيَ الذُّنُوبَ الَّتِي تُغَيِّرُ النِّعَمَ، اللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِيَ الذُّنُوبَ الَّتِي تَحْبِسُ الدُّعَاءَ، اللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِيَ الذُّنُوبَ الَّتِي تُنْزِلُ الْبَلَاءَ، اللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي كُلَّ ذَنْبٍ أَذْنَبْتُهُ، وَكُلَّ خَطِيئَةٍ أَخْطَأْتُهَا. اللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّي أَتَقَرَّبُ إِلَيْكَ بِذِكْرِكَ، وَأَسْتَشْفِعُ بِكَ إِلَىٰ نَفْسِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ بِجُودِكَ أَنْ تُدْنِيَنِي مِنْ قُرْبِكَ، وَأَنْ تُوزِعَنِي شُكْرَكَ، وَأَنْ تُلْهِمَنِي ذِكْرَكَ.

O Allah, forgive me the sins that tear apart my safeguards. O Allah, forgive me the sins that bring down adversities. O Allah, forgive me the sins that change blessings. O Allah, forgive me the sins that hold back my supplication. O Allah, forgive me the sins that bring down trials. O Allah, forgive me every sin I have committed and every wrong I have done. O Allah, I draw near to You through Your remembrance, and I seek Your intercession with Yourself, and I ask You by Your generosity to draw me close to You, to make me grateful to You, and to inspire in me Your remembrance.

اللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ سُؤَالَ خَاضِعٍ مُتَذَلِّلٍ خَاشِعٍ، أَنْ تُسَامِحَنِي وَتَرْحَمَنِي، وَتَجْعَلَنِي بِقِسْمِكَ رَاضِيًا قَانِعًا، وَفِي جَمِيعِ الْأَحْوَالِ مُتَوَاضِعًا. اللّٰهُمَّ وَأَسْأَلُكَ سُؤَالَ مَنِ اشْتَدَّتْ فَاقَتُهُ، وَأَنْزَلَ بِكَ عِنْدَ الشَّدَائِدِ حَاجَتَهُ، وَعَظُمَ فِيمَا عِنْدَكَ رَغْبَتُهُ. اللّٰهُمَّ عَظُمَ سُلْطَانُكَ، وَعَلَا مَكَانُكَ، وَخَفِيَ مَكْرُكَ، وَظَهَرَ أَمْرُكَ، وَغَلَبَ قَهْرُكَ، وَجَرَتْ قُدْرَتُكَ، وَلَا يُمْكِنُ الْفِرَارُ مِنْ حُكُومَتِكَ.

O Allah, I ask You with the asking of one who is humbled, lowered, and meek, that You overlook my faults, have mercy upon me, and make me content with what You have apportioned for me, and humble in every state. O Allah, I ask You with the asking of one whose need has become severe, who has placed his hardships before You, and whose desire for what is with You has grown great. O Allah, Your authority is great, Your place is exalted, Your wisdom is hidden, Your command is manifest, Your overpowering is dominant, Your power flows through all things, and there is no fleeing from Your governance.

إِلٰهِي وَرَبِّي وَسَيِّدِي وَمَوْلَايَ! لِأَيِّ الْأُمُورِ إِلَيْكَ أَشْكُو؟ وَلِمَا مِنْهَا أَضِجُّ وَأَبْكِي؟ لِأَلِيمِ الْعَذَابِ وَشِدَّتِهِ؟ أَمْ لِطُولِ الْبَلَاءِ وَمُدَّتِهِ؟ فَلَئِنْ صَيَّرْتَنِي لِلْعُقُوبَاتِ مَعَ أَعْدَائِكَ، وَجَمَعْتَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ أَهْلِ بَلَائِكَ، وَفَرَّقْتَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ أَحِبَّائِكَ وَأَوْلِيَائِكَ، فَهَبْنِي يَا إِلٰهِي وَسَيِّدِي وَمَوْلَايَ وَرَبِّي صَبَرْتُ عَلَىٰ عَذَابِكَ، فَكَيْفَ أَصْبِرُ عَلَىٰ فِرَاقِكَ؟ وَهَبْنِي صَبَرْتُ عَلَىٰ حَرِّ نَارِكَ، فَكَيْفَ أَصْبِرُ عَنِ النَّظَرِ إِلَىٰ كَرَامَتِكَ؟ أَمْ كَيْفَ أَسْكُنُ فِي النَّارِ وَرَجَائِي عَفْوُكَ؟

My God, my Lord, my Master, my Protector! Of which matters shall I complain to You, and over which shall I weep and wail? Over the painfulness of the punishment and its severity, or over the length of the trial and its duration? My God, even were You to bind me to suffering with Your enemies, and gather me with the people of Your chastisement, and separate me from those who love You and are devoted to You — suppose, my God, my Master, my Lord and my Protector, that I were able to endure Your punishment, how could I endure being parted from You? Suppose I could endure the heat of Your fire, how could I endure being denied the sight of Your generosity? How could I dwell in the fire while my hope is in Your pardon?

اللّٰهُمَّ مَوْلَايَ، كَمْ مِنْ قَبِيحٍ سَتَرْتَهُ، وَكَمْ مِنْ فَادِحٍ مِنَ الْبَلَاءِ أَقَلْتَهُ، وَكَمْ مِنْ عِثَارٍ وَقَيْتَهُ، وَكَمْ مِنْ مَكْرُوهٍ دَفَعْتَهُ، وَكَمْ مِنْ ثَنَاءٍ جَمِيلٍ لَسْتُ أَهْلًا لَهُ نَشَرْتَهُ. اللّٰهُمَّ عَظُمَ بَلَائِي، وَأَفْرَطَ بِي سُوءُ حَالِي، وَقَصُرَتْ بِي أَعْمَالِي، وَقَعَدَتْ بِي أَغْلَالِي، وَحَبَسَنِي عَنْ نَفْعِي بُعْدُ أَمَلِي، وَخَدَعَتْنِي الدُّنْيَا بِغُرُورِهَا، وَنَفْسِي بِجِنَايَتِهَا. يَا سَيِّدِي، فَأَسْأَلُكَ بِعِزَّتِكَ أَلَّا يَحْجُبَ عَنْكَ دُعَائِي سُوءُ عَمَلِي وَفِعَالِي.

My God and my Master, how many ugly things You have concealed, how many heavy trials You have lifted, how many stumbles You have prevented, how many evils You have turned away, and how much beautiful praise — that I am not worthy of — You have spread on my behalf. My God, my trial has become great, my state has worsened, my deeds have fallen short, my chains have weighed me down, my distant hopes have held me back from what would benefit me, this world has deceived me with its illusions, and my own soul has been my undoing. O my Master, I ask You by Your might, do not let the wrongness of my deeds and actions become a veil between my supplication and You.

يَا سَرِيعَ الرِّضَا، اغْفِرْ لِمَنْ لَا يَمْلِكُ إِلَّا الدُّعَاءَ، فَإِنَّكَ فَعَّالٌ لِمَا تَشَاءُ. يَا مَنِ اسْمُهُ دَوَاءٌ، وَذِكْرُهُ شِفَاءٌ، وَطَاعَتُهُ غِنًى، اِرْحَمْ مَنْ رَأْسُ مَالِهِ الرَّجَاءُ، وَسِلَاحُهُ الْبُكَاءُ. يَا سَابِغَ النِّعَمِ، يَا دَافِعَ النِّقَمِ، يَا نُورَ الْمُسْتَوْحِشِينَ فِي الظُّلَمِ، يَا عَالِمًا لَا يُعَلَّمُ، صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، وَافْعَلْ بِي مَا أَنْتَ أَهْلُهُ.

O Swift in being pleased, forgive the one who possesses nothing but supplication, for You do as You will. O He whose name is a remedy, whose remembrance is a healing, and whose obedience is true wealth, have mercy on the one whose only capital is hope and whose only weapon is weeping. O Bestower of abundant blessings, O Repeller of adversities, O Light of those who feel lost in the dark, O Knower who is taught by no one — bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and do with me what is worthy of You.

وَصَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِ وَالْأَئِمَّةِ الْمَيَامِينِ مِنْ آلِهِ، وَسَلَّمَ تَسْلِيمًا كَثِيرًا. اللّٰهُمَّ اسْتَجِبْ دُعَائِي، وَتَقَبَّلْ ثَنَائِي، وَاجْمَعْ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ أَوْلِيَائِي، بِحَقِّ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلِيٍّ وَفَاطِمَةَ وَالْحَسَنِ وَالْحُسَيْنِ، إِنَّكَ وَلِيُّ نَعْمَائِي، وَمُنْتَهَى مُنَايَ، وَغَايَةُ رَجَائِي فِي مُنْقَلَبِي وَمَثْوَايَ.

And may Allah send His blessings upon His Messenger and upon the blessed Imams of his family, with abundant peace. O Allah, answer my supplication, accept my praise, and gather me with those I love — by the truth of Muhammad and Ali and Fatima and al-Hasan and al-Husayn — for You are the Guardian of my blessings, the furthest reach of my hopes, and the goal of my longing in this life and the next.