In Confession
( 12 ) وَ كَانَ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فِي الِاعْتِرَافِ وَ طَلَبِ التَّوْبَةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى
His Supplication in Confession and in Seeking Repentance toward God
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّهُ يَحْجُبُنِي عَنْ مَسْأَلَتِكَ خِلَالٌ ثَلَاثٌ ، وَ تَحْدُونِي عَلَيْهَا خَلَّةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ
O God, three traits have prevented me from asking Theeand one trait has urged me on:
يَحْجُبُنِي أَمْرٌ أَمَرْتَ بِهِ فَأَبْطَأْتُ عَنْهُ ، وَ نَهْيٌ نَهَيْتَنِي عَنْهُ فَأَسْرَعْتُ إِلَيْهِ ، وَ نِعْمَةٌ أَنْعَمْتَ بِهَا عَلَيَّ فَقَصَّرْتُ فِي شُكْرِهَا .
I am prevented by a command Thou hast commanded in which I have been slow, a prohibition Thou hast prohibited toward which I have hurried, and a favour through which Thou hast favouredfor which I have not given sufficient thanks.
وَ يَحْدُونِي عَلَى مَسْأَلَتِكَ تَفَضُّلُكَ عَلَى مَنْ أَقْبَلَ بِوَجْهِهِ إِلَيْكَ ، وَ وَفَدَ بِحُسْنِ ظَنِّهِ إِلَيْكَ ، إِذْ جَمِيعُ إِحْسَانِكَ تَفَضُّلٌ ، وَ إِذْ كُلُّ نِعَمِكَ ابْتِدَاءٌ
I am urged to ask Theeby Thy gratuitous bounty upon him whoturns his face toward Theeand comes to Thee with a good opinion, since all Thy beneficence is gratuitous bountyand every one of Thy favours a new beginning!
فَهَا أَنَا ذَا ، يَا إِلَهِي ، وَاقِفٌ بِبَابِ عِزِّكَ وُقُوفَ الْمُسْتَسْلِمِ الذَّلِيلِ ، وَ سَائِلُكَ عَلَى الْحَيَاءِ مِنِّي سُؤَالَ الْبَائِسِ الْمُعِيلِ
So here I am, my God, standing at the gate of Thy might, the standing of the lowly, the surrendered, asking Thee in my shame, the asking of the destitute, the pitiful,
مُقِرٌّ لَكَ بِأَنِّي لَمْ أَسْتَسْلِمْ وَقْتَ إِحْسَانِكَ إِلَّا بِالْإِقْلَاعِ عَنْ عِصْيَانِكَ ، وَ لَمْ أَخْلُ فِي الْحَالَاتِ كُلِّهَا مِنِ امْتِنَانِكَ .
admitting to Thee thatat the time of Thy beneficence I surrendered notsave through abstaining from disobedience toward Theeand in none of my states was I ever without Thy Kindness.
فَهَلْ يَنْفَعُنِي ، يَا إِلَهِي ، إِقْرَارِي عِنْدَكَ بِسُوءِ مَا اكْتَسَبْتُ وَ هَلْ يُنْجِينِي مِنْكَ اعْتِرَافِي لَكَ بِقَبِيحِ مَا ارْتَكَبْتُ أَمْ أَوْجَبْتَ لِي فِي مَقَامِي هَذَا سُخْطَكَ أَمْ لَزِمَنِي فِي وَقْتِ دُعَايَ مَقْتُكَ .
Will it profit me, my God, to admit to Thee the evil of what I have earned? Will it save me from Thee to confess the ugliness of what I have done? Or wilt Thou impose upon me in this my station Thy displeasure? Will Thy hate hold fast to me in the time ofmy supplication?
سُبْحَانَكَ ، لَا أَيْأَسُ مِنْكَ وَ قَدْ فَتحْتَ لِي بَابَ التَّوْبَةِ إِلَيْكَ ، بَلْ أَقُولُ مَقَالَ الْعَبْدِ الذَّلِيلِ الظَّالِمِ لِنَفْسِهِ الْمُسْتَخِفِّ بِحُرْمَةِ رَبِّهِ .
Glory be to Thee! I do not despair of Thee, for Thou hast opened the door of repentance toward Thyself. Rather, I say, the words of a lowly servant, having wronged himselfand made light of his Lord's inviolability,
الَّذِي عَظُمَتْ ذُنُوبُهُ فَجَلَّتْ ، وَ أَدْبَرَتْ أَيَّامُهُ فَوَلَّتْ حَتَّى إِذَا رَأَى مُدَّةَ الْعَمَلِ قَدِ انْقَضَتْ وَ غَايَةَ الْعُمُرِ قَدِ انْتَهَتْ ، وَ أَيْقَنَ أَنَّهُ لَا مَحِيصَ لَهُ مِنْكَ ، وَ لَا مَهْرَبَ لَهُ عَنْكَ ، تَلَقَّاكَ بِالْإِنَابَةِ ، وَ أَخْلَصَ لَكَ التَّوْبَةَ ، فَقَامَ إِلَيْكَ بِقَلْبٍ طَاهِرٍ نَقِيٍّ ، ثُمَّ دَعَاكَ بِصَوْتٍ حَائِلٍ خَفِيٍّ .
and whose sins are dreadful, great, whose days have parted, fled, until, when he sees the term of his works expiredand the limit of his lifetime reachedand knows with certainty that he has no escape from Thee, no place to flee from Thee, he turns his face toward Thee in repeated turning, makes his repentance toward Thee sincere, stands before Thee with a pure and purified heart, then supplicates Thee with a feeble, quiet voice.
قَدْ تَطَأْطَأَ لَكَ فَانْحَنَى ، وَ نَكَّسَ رَأْسَهُ فَانْثَنَى ، قَدْ أَرْعَشَتْ خَشْيَتُهُ رِجْلَيْهِ ، وَ غَرَّقَتْ دُمُوعُهُ خَدَّيْهِ ، يَدْعُوكَ بِيَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ ، وَ يَا أَرْحَمَ مَنِ انْتَابَهُ الْمُسْتَرْحِمُونَ ، وَ يَا أَعْطَفَ مَنْ أَطَافَ بِهِ الْمُسْتَغْفِرُونَ ، وَ يَا مَنْ عَفْوُهُ أَكْثرُ مِنْ نَقِمَتِهِ ، وَ يَا مَنْ رِضَاهُ أَوْفَرُ مِنْ سَخَطِهِ .
He is bowed before Thee, bent, his head lowered, thrown down, his legs shaking in fear, his tears flooding his cheeks. He supplicates Thee: O Most Merciful of the merciful! O Most Merciful of those toward whom seekers of mercy keep on turning! O Tenderest of those around whom runseekers of forgiveness! O He whose pardon is greater than His vengeance! O He whose good pleasure is more abundantthan His anger!
وَ يَا مَنْ تَحَمَّدَ إِلَى خَلْقِهِ بِحُسْنِ التَّجَاوُزِ ، وَ يَا مَنْ عَوَّدَ عِبَادَهُ قَبُولَ الْإِنَابَةِ ، وَ يَا مَنِ اسْتَصْلَحَ فَاسِدَهُمْ بِالتَّوْبَةِ وَ يَا مَنْ رَضِيَ مِنْ فِعْلِهِمْ بِالْيَسِيرِ ، وَ مَنْ كَافَى قَلِيلَهُمْ بِالْكَثِيرِ ، وَ يَا مَنْ ضَمِنَ لَهُمْ إِجَابَةَ الدُّعَاءِ ، وَ يَا مَنْ وَعَدَهُمْ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ بِتَفَضُّلِهِ حُسْنَ الْجَزَاءِ .
O He who seeks His creatures' praise with excellent forbearance! O He who has accustomed His servants to the acceptance of their repeated turningl! O He who seeks to heal their corruption through repentance! O He who is pleased with the easy of their acts! O He who recompenses with the much their little ! O He who has made himself accountable to them to respond to supplication! O He who pledged Himself by His gratuitous bounty to give them excellent repayment!
مَا أَنَا بِأَعْصَى مَنْ عَصَاكَ فَغَفَرْتَ لَهُ ، وَ مَا أَنَا بِأَلْوَمِ مَنِ اعْتَذَرَ إِلَيْكَ فَقَبِلْتَ مِنْهُ ، وَ مَا أَنَا بِأَظْلَمِ مَنْ تَابَ إِلَيْكَ فَعُدْتَ عَلَيْهِ .
I am not the most disobedient of those who have disobeyed Thee and whom Thou hast forgiven, nor am I the most blameworthy to offer excuses which Thou hast accepted, nor am I the most wrongdoing of those who haverepented to Thee, and to whom Thou hast returned
أَتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ فِي مَقَامِي هَذَا تَوْبَةَ نَادِمٍ عَلَى مَا فَرَطَ مِنْهُ ، مُشْفِقٍ مِمَّا اجْتَمَعَ عَلَيْهِ ، خَالِصِ الْحَيَاءِ مِمَّا وَقَعَ فِيهِ .
I repent to Thee in this my station, the repentance of oneremorseful over what preceded from him hastily, apprehensive of what has gathered around him, pure in shame for that in to which he has fallen,
عَالِمٍ بِأَنَّ الْعَفْوَ عَنِ الذَّنْبِ الْعَظِيمِ لَا يَتَعَاظَمُكَ ، وَ أَنَّ التَّجَاوُزَ عَنِ الْإِثْمِ الْجَلِيلِ لَا يَسْتَصْعِبُكَ ، وَ أَنَّ احْتِمَالَ الْجِنَايَاتِ الْفَاحِشَةِ لَا يَتَكَأَّدُكَ ، وَ أَنَّ أَحَبَّ عِبَادِكَ إِلَيْكَ مَنْ تَرَكَ الِاسْتِكْبَارَ عَلَيْكَ ، وَ جَانَبَ الْإِصْرَارَ ، وَ لَزِمَ الِاسْتِغْفَارَ .
knowing that pardoning great sins is nothing great for Thee. overlooking enormous misdeeds is not difficult for Thee, putting up with indecent crimes does not trouble Thee, and the most beloved of Thy servants to Thee is he who refrains from arrogance before Thee, pulls aside from persistence, and holds fast to praying forgiveness!
وَ أَنَا أَبْرَأُ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ أَنْ أَسْتَكْبِرَ ، وَ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ أَنْ أُصِرَّ ، وَ أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ لِمَا قَصَّرْتُ فِيهِ ، وَ أَسْتَعِينُ بِكَ عَلَى مَا عَجَزْتُ عَنْهُ .
I am clear before Thee of arrogance, I seek refuge in Thee from persistence, I pray forgiveness from Thee for shortcomings, I seek help from Thee in incapacity!
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ ، وَ هَبْ لِي مَا يَجِبُ عَلَيَّ لَكَ ، وَ عَافِنِي مِمَّا أَسْتَوْجِبُهُ مِنْكَ ، وَ أَجِرْنِي مِمَّا يَخَافُهُ أَهْلُ الْإِسَاءَةِ ، فَإِنَّكَ مَلِيءٌ بِالْعَفْوِ ، مَرْجُوٌّ لِلْمَغْفِرَةِ ، مَعْرُوفٌ بِالتَّجَاوُزِ ، لَيْسَ لِحَاجَتِي مَطْلَبٌ سِوَاكَ ، وَ لَا لِذَنْبِي غَافِرٌ غَيْرُكَ ، حَاشَاكَ
O God, bless Muhammad and his Household, dispense with what is incumbent upon me toward Thee, release me from what I merit from Thee, and grant me sanctuary from what the evildoers fear! For Thou art full of pardon, the hoped-for source of forgiveness, well known for Thy forbearance. My need has no object but Thee, . my sin no forgiver other than Thee -could that be possible?
وَ لَا أَخَافُ عَلَى نَفْسِي إِلَّا إِيَّاكَ ، إِنَّكَ أَهْلُ التَّقْوَى وَ أَهْلُ الْمَغْفِرَةِ ، صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ ، وَ اقْضِ حَاجَتِي ، وَ أَنْجِحْ طَلِبَتِي ، وَ اغْفِرْ ذَنْبِي ، وَ آمِنْ خَوْفَ نَفْسِي ، إِنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ، وَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْكَ يَسِيرٌ ، آمِينَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ .
I have no fear for myself except from Thee; Thou artworthy of reverential fear, and worthy to forgive! Bless Muhammad and his Household, grant my need, answer my request favourably, forgive my sin, and give me security from fear for myself! Thou art powerful over everything, and that is easy for Thee. Amen, Lord of the world!