Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Imam Sajjad (as)'s supplication when sick

His Supplication when Sick

His Supplication when Sick or Visited by Distress or an Affliction


1 O God, to Thee belongs praise
for the good health of my body
which lets me move about,
and to Thee belongs praise,
for the ailments
which Thou causest to arise in my flesh!
2 For I know not, my God,
which of the two states deserves more my thanking Thee
and which of the two times is more worthy for my praise of Thee:
3 the time of health,
within which Thou makest me delight
in the agreeable things of Thy provision,
through which Thou givest me the joy to seek
the means to Thy good pleasure and bounty,
and by which Thou strengthenest me
for the acts of obedience
which Thou hast given me success to accomplish;
4 or the time of illness
through which Thou puttest me to the test
and bestowest upon me favours:
lightening of the offenses
that weigh down my back,
purification of the evil deeds
into which I have plunged,
incitement to reach
for repentance,
reminder of the erasure of misdeeds
through ancient favour;
5 and, through all that, what the two writers write for me:
blameless acts,
which no heart had thought,
no tongue had uttered,
and no limb had undertaken,
rather, as Thy bestowal of bounty upon me
and the beneficence of Thy benefaction toward me.
6 O God,
bless Muhammad and his Household,
make me love
what Thou hast approved for me,
make easy for me
what Thou hast sent down upon me,
purify me of the defilement
of what I have sent ahead,
erase the evil
of what I have done beforehand,
let me find the sweetness
of well-being,
let me taste the coolness
of safety,
and appoint for me
a way out from my illness to Thy pardon,
transformation of my infirmity into Thy forbearance,
escape from my distress to Thy refreshment,
and safety from this hardship in Thy relief!
7 Thou art gratuitously bountiful in beneficence,
ever gracious in kindness,
the Generous, the Giver,
Possessor of majesty and munificence!

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Du'a for Sahar (Dawn)

Du'a for Sahar

This is a very beautiful du'a. Its poetic language and heartfelt message makes for an outstanding prayer. The all encompassing mercy of the Almighty is analogized with the vastness of the sea, while the needy are passengers on a ship waiting to cross.

Humility is an essential part of the etiquette of Du'a. An acknowledgemnt of one's sins and shortcomings is most becoming to a supplicant. This is succintly expressed in the following Du'a.

In the name of Allah the Beneficent, the Merciful.

O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad.

My God,

the beggars are standing at Your door,

the needy have taken refuge with Your Honor.

The ship carrying the poor and humble people,

is standing at the shores of the sea ,

of Your generosity and grace,

hoping for permission to cross ,

to the shores of Your mercy and blessings.

My God, if You do not forgive,

in this honored month,

except the one who has sincerely purified himself for You,

in his fasting and prayers,

then who is there for the negligent sinner,

when he drowns in the sea of his sins?

My God, if You do not have mercy on any,

except the obedient,

then who is there for the disobedient?

And if You do not accept from any,

except the performers of (good) actions,

then who is there for those who fall short?

My God, those who fast have profited,

those who stay up in prayer have won,

and those who are sincere have succeeded,

but we are Your sinful servants!

So be kind to us through Your mercy

and save us from the fire through Your forgiveness, O Gracious

O most merciful.

O Allah, bless Muhammad and his family, the purified ones.