BB00018: Sahifiy-i-Makhzunih (Hidden Treasured Epistle)
Opening Prayer
In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate
All praise be to God, Who existed before all things when naught existed with Him, Who was when no existence was found in His presence. The hearts of the mystics fall short of knowing His most modest attribute, and the minds of the monotheists are powerless to comprehend the least sign of His power. Glorified art Thou, O my God! Tongues are rendered impotent to extol Thy handiwork; how then could they extol Thy power? Understanding fails to fathom the essence of any of Thy creation; how then could it fathom Thine own Self? Through Thy revelation of Thyself have I known Thee, that Thou canst not be known through aught else but Thee. Through Thy creation of all things from nothing have I known Thee, that none can attain unto knowledge of Thine essence.
Thou art God—there is none other God but Thee. None knoweth how Thou art save Thee alone; Thou hast no partner. Thou art God: Thou hast ever been; and there was nothing with Thee. And Thou art God, abiding for ever: Thou hast ever been, and within Thy rank there hath been naught.
Therefore do all confess their impotence, O my God, even as Thou alone knowest Thine own Self. Thy creative power is known unto contingent beings, and Thine originated inventions are described by way of intimations. Glorified art Thou! Exalted is Thy Self above the knowledge of any of Thy creatures, as Thou art meet and worthy to be known. Wherefore glorified art Thou: by Thy creation out of nothing, all things have been barred from knowing Thee; and by Thy bringing forth of the creation as it is, Thou hast borne witness to their utter nothingness before any attempt to describe Thee. Glorified art Thou, O my God! Souls have proved powerless to magnify Thee, and minds have fallen short of praising Thee.
O my God! I testify before Thee that Thou art known through Thy signs and described through Thy tokens. Through Thy bringing us into being, we acknowledge before Thee that Thou art sanctified above our description, and through Thy creating our attributes, I bear witness that Thou art exalted above our knowledge.
O my God! Grant me the perfection of ascending unto Thee and draw me through the breezes of Thy holiness unto Thee, until I rend asunder the veils through the light of attraction and the dwellers of separation are dissolved through arrival at the seats of union, and the veils of subtleties that prevented me from entering the mansion of majesty are made thin, that I may enter unto Thee and abide with Thee, and acknowledge to Thee what Thou describest to me of Thyself: that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, the Single, the One, the Self-Subsisting, Who begetteth not, nor was begotten, and there is none like unto Thee, nor any protector out of lowliness, and Thou art God, the Lord of all worlds.
I testify that all besides Thee are Thy creation and in Thy grasp, and none hath power to spread or withhold save through Thy will. Thou art the Ancient Sovereign, the Great King. Nothing can frustrate Thy power, and naught exists save through Thy will. All acknowledge their servitude and inadequacy, and there is nothing that doth not glorify Thy praise.
I beseech Thee, O God, by the majesty of Thy glorious countenance and the greatness of Thy ancient Name, that Thou deprive me not of the breezes of the affairs of Thy days which Thou bringest about and createst, and leave me not for Thy days wherein Thou sayest “Seize ye him and fetter him, then cast him into the blazing Fire; then in a chain whereof the length is seventy cubits thrust him.”
I adjure Thee by Thy right that Thou make me among those who attain unto Thy nearness and seek refuge in Thy presence, and that Thou call me secretly unto all that Thou lovest in the path of Thy love, that I may act for Thee openly. Make me among those whom Thou callest from behind the veils unto Thy unity and the ways of Thy good-pleasure, and they answer Thee; and whom Thou regardest with the glance of Thy countenance, and they cry out from Thy might; and whom Thou callest unto Thy love, and they turn wholly unto Thee.
O my God! Unto Thee be glory and splendor, grandeur and light, majesty and might! Thou givest sovereignty to whom Thou willest and withholdest sovereignty from whom Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted. Thou art He Who establisheth creation and all therein. There is none to be compared with Thee, nor is this befitting save unto Thee. All else besides Thee is rejected in Thy presence and non-existent before Thee. I describe Thee only as Thou hast described Thyself in Thy perspicuous Book, wherein Thou sayest:
“No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision: He is the Subtle One, aware of all things.”
Glorified art Thou, O my God! Neither can thoughts of reflection grasp Thy signs through mine ears, nor the most subtle contemplations. Thou art God; there is no God but Thee. I testify that Thy description of Thyself is without change, and no description exists for aught else before Thee, nor any description from Thee unto them. Glorified art Thou! Sanctified is Thy Self from the description of all else, for they know not the truth of Thy attributes, nor can they comprehend the essence of Thy Being. Thou art too exalted to be described through Thy creation or to be known through any other than Thyself. I have known Thee, O my God, through what Thou hast made known of Thyself unto me, and were it not for Thy revelation, I would not have known Thee. I have worshipped Thee according to Thy call unto me, and were it not for Thy summons, I would not have worshipped Thee.
Glorified art Thou, O my God! Great indeed is my shortcoming and grievous my disobedience. How wretched is my state, for I have not known Thee as Thou hast made Thyself known to me, nor worshipped Thee as Thou hast called me to worship Thee, nor obeyed Thee as Thou hast inspired me to the path of Thy love. O my God! By Thy might, Thy truth is more glorious and greater than that anyone could fulfill it. No thing can know Thee with true knowledge, nor can any servant worship Thee with true worship. Thy proof, O my God, is more sublime than to be described in its essence, and Thy bounties are more numerous than to be counted in their entirety.
I beseech Thee, O God, O my Master, by Thy generosity and by the pillars of might of Thy Throne, to have mercy upon these abject souls who cannot endure in this transient world any of its adversities—how then can they endure the punishment of Thine hereafter, which is established through Thy justice and emanates from Thy wrath, and for which there is no end? O my God, my Lord, and my Master! I have sought Thy intercession with Thyself, and have fled from Thy justice to Thy grace, and have taken refuge in Thee and in those who have not been heedless of Thy path for the twinkling of an eye, through whom Thou didst create creation out of bounty and grace.
I beseech Thee, O God, to send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as Thou art worthy and deserving thereof, and to admit me into the fortress of Thy unity and the guardianship of those among Thy creation whom Thou lovest—those whom Thou hast made the authorities of Thy Cause, the treasurers of Thy knowledge, the guardians of Thy mystery, the interpreters of Thy revelation, the pillars of Thy unity, and Thy witnesses unto Thy creation. O God! Send Thy blessings upon them as they have manifested Thy unity and Thy justice, and have conveyed unto Thy servants what is incumbent upon them in the path of Thy love and good-pleasure, and have accepted the sacrifice of their lives for the exaltation of the Word of Thy unity. O God! Send Thy blessings and peace upon them as they deserve, and punish their enemies according to their deeds. And they who act unjustly shall soon know to what place of turning they shall be turned—the Fire—and they shall have no helper.
O my God, my Lord, and my Master! I seek Thy forgiveness for every pleasure taken without Thy love, for every rest enjoyed without Thy nearness, for every joy experienced without Thy good-pleasure, and for every existence maintained without intimacy with Thee. I bear witness before Thee, O my God, that Thou, from the sublimity of Thy Self which nothing can attain unto, hast made Muhammad and his family—Thy blessings be upon them—the places of Thy knowledge, the mines of Thy words, the pillars of Thy greatness, and the repositories of Thy command, lest anything should miss the recognition of Thy Essence and the affirmation of Thy Oneness, and that souls might perceive that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, nothing is like unto Thee, and unto Thee is the final return. I acknowledge before Thee, O my God, whatsoever Thou willest concerning them of Thy power, and none knoweth their essence save Thee, for they point to none except Thee alone, Who hath no partner. I seek Thy forgiveness!
O my God! I repent for my soul’s shortcomings in knowing them and for what Thou lovest from the people of Thy love towards them. I turn unto Thee in repentance for that which Thy knowledge encompasses about me, and by Thy might, I am among those who regret what Thy chosen ones detest and who return to the place wherein Thy loved ones have stood firm. O my God! By Thy might, test me not in the places of trial, and guide me through inspirations in moments of heedlessness. Verily, Thou art God Who hath power over whatsoever Thou willest. None can oppose Thy Will, and none can thwart Thy Purpose. I beseech Thee to send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and his family as befitteth Thee. Verily, Thou art the Lord of righteousness and forgiveness. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
Prayer on the Day of Ghadir, Friday, and the fifth of Jumada al-Awwal
In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate
Praise be to God Who inspired creation with His oneness, and were it not for His inspiration, they would have been among the forgotten ones. Thou, O my God, didst originate creation through Thy Will, not from anything, as an origination, and Thou didst bring forth all things through the excellence of Thy Will as an innovation. Then Thou placed them in the seats of Thy holiness, in the stations of Thy Command and creation, to acknowledge Thy oneness and what is required of them in the path of Thy love, and what Thou desirest from them in pursuing their servitude to Thee, until the worlds reached this world. And the ultimate purpose of creation on that day reached its final destination. Thou didst establish on that day, out of Thy bounty, the noblest of Thy creation, Muhammad, to remind of the covenants of Thy sovereignty taken in the seats of Thy might, that Thy proof might be completed over the lands and those therein, and Thy favor perfected upon all possibility and those therein, and that nothing might be deprived of anything from Thy Command, and none might say “Had Thou sent a Messenger, I would have been among the guided ones.”
We praise Thee, O God, for that magnificent scene wherein Thy love established upon the noblest spot of earth the manifestation of Thy purpose from the fruit of creation and invention, where he raised to whatever height Thou desired, and Ali was at his side, and he spoke with Thy truthful tongue: “Whomsoever I am the master of, Ali is his master.” I bear witness before Thee and those who bear witness in Thy presence that he indeed conveyed as Thou desired from the fruit of creation and invention. Sufficient art Thou and those who possess knowledge of the Book as witnesses. Therefore, O God, reward him for conveying Thy Command as befitteth Thee. Verily, Thou art the Lord of glory and beauty, of light and majesty, and none can reward him save Thee alone, Who hath no partner.
O my God! Thou hast made me know Thyself through that station, and were it not for Thy causing me to know, I would not have known Thee. Through Thee I have worshipped Thee, and were it not for Thee, I would not have known who Thou art. Through Thy love for me, I hope for Thy Paradise, and through Thy remembrance of me, I have ascended to the atmosphere of Thy mention. All is from Thee and for Thee alone. There is no God but Thee. From Thee knowledge originated, and Thou didst create me when I was nothing, and Thou didst nurture me in the seats of Thy truth through the inspiration of Thy remembrance, and Thou didst preserve me through the establishment of Thy chosen ones from the places of heedlessness.
Today Thy religion is perfected, and the Manifestation of Thy Self hath appeared, and all Thy favors are completed. To Thee belongs the most exalted praise as Thou deservest it and knowest it, apart from others, and art pleased with it from us, apart from all else. O my God! To Thee belongs the Most Glorious Glory and the Most Supreme Light. Thy majesty is more exalted than thoughts can encompass, and Thy might is more powerful than the birds of hearts and understanding can reach. All acknowledge their inability to praise Thee as Thou deservest.
Glorified art Thou! None knoweth Thy praise as Thou art in Thyself, and Thou knowest as Thou art in Thyself, and none knoweth how Thou art except Thee. Therefore do I praise Thee, O God our Lord, for all Thy creation and invention, with radiant praise that proceedeth from none save Thine inspiration, whose reckoning none but Thee can encompass. Unto Thee be praise and thanksgiving for this glorious bounty and mighty sign in the worlds of command and creation, as befitteth the presence of Thy majesty and the glory of Thy grandeur.
Glorified art Thou! Great indeed is Thy right, and none hath valued Thee as Thou shouldst be valued, and none knoweth Thee as Thou shouldst be known save Thyself. Thou art manifest through bounty, and no being besides Thee can be known through the sublimity of Thy manifestation. Glorified art Thou! Can any existence render Thee mighty, that it should become a proof of Thee? Can any mention exalt Thee, that I should know Thee thereby? Every known thing is known through Thy being known, and everything hath been set in motion through the stirring of Thy Will. Thou art nearer to all things than all things.
Glorified art Thou! Thy glory is sanctified above the reach of the hands of them that are endued with understanding, and Thy nearness transcendeth the paths of comprehension and vision. Glorified art Thou, O God our Lord, Who hath made the hearts of Thy loved ones the manifestations of Thy Self, that they might know Thee through them and none other, and Who hath made the hearts of Thy chosen ones, through Thy bounty, the repositories of Thy Will, in manifestation of might and power.
Here am I, O my God, confessing before Thee in this station, the seat of Thy loved ones and chosen ones, that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee. I have fallen short in comprehending Thy praise, and have remained silent in my inability to render thanks to Thee, and have retreated from glorifying Thee due to my inadequacy. Here am I, O my Lord, bearing witness in this station unto Thee alone, there is no God but Thee, as Thou lovest for Thyself and for the pure ones among Thy creation whom Thou hast made the chosen ones of Thy Self, and I bear witness for myself according to what I deserve.
Glorified art Thou, our Lord! Those who would count have fallen short of enumerating Thy favors, and the ultimate confession is the confession of inability to confess. O my God, with my whole being have I acknowledged Thee and cast myself before Thee. It is not possible to know Thee as Thou art in Thyself. Alas, alas for my wretchedness! I have not known Thee as Thou hast made Thyself known to me, and I have not worshipped Thee as Thou hast inspired me to describe Thee.
O my God! I have fled from Thy justice unto Thee, and have stood before Thee with my whole being, acknowledging Thy oneness as it deserveth. I call Thee to witness—and sufficient art Thou as a witness—that shouldst Thou, O my Lord, punish me with the punishment of all Thy power over me, I would proclaim in the fire that Thou art just and not unjust, and all this would be naught but from Thy mercy and to purify my soul as recompense for my heedlessness of Thy presence. This is what the heavens and earth cannot bear, yet all this would not equal an atom’s weight of disobedience against Thee. Alas, alas, shouldst Thou take me to task for all that Thy knowledge encompasseth and Thy Guarded Tablet recordeth! There is no God but Thee, O All-Glorious, O Compelling One!
I seek intercession from Thee with Thee, and seek protection in Thy custody with Thee. Through Thy bounty didst Thou create me, through Thy wisdom didst Thou nurture me, and through Thy forbearance didst Thou protect me. Glorified be the Ancient King Who is and was while naught else was aught. O my God! Through Thy making Thyself known have I known that Thou art Lord, and were it not for Thy making Thyself known, I would be naught and would not know what Thou art.
By Thy might, O my God, I beseech Thee to maintain me in the perpetuity of Thy remembrance until I have entered the precincts of Thy holiness and become established before Thee, and make me forget all else through the rapture of the might of Thy nearness. Glorified art Thou, O God! Thy justice is the truth, and I am the least of those recorded in Thy Book. My fear is only of Thee, and my hope is only from Thee.
Exalted art Thou, O my God, above being indicated by any sign from Thy creation. Great indeed, O my Creator, is my fear in disobeying Thee. By Thy glory, when I return unto myself, I love only what Thou lovest and detest only what displeases Thee. Alas, alas! How I have wasted my life in heedlessness of Thee, yet Thy decree ordained it thus. I testify that whatsoever proceedeth from Thee is truth. I have no argument against Thy decree, and none hath any claim upon Thee.
My God, I know Thee not as befitteth Thee, nor do I fear Thee as beseemeth me. In what state then shall I remember Thee, and through what obedience shall I turn to Thee? Thou didst not create me to demonstrate Thy power, for it is evident and manifest, and Thou art God Who hath ever been and before Whom nothing was. Rather, Thy power created us through grace to remember ourselves when Thy remembrance is manifested.
O my God, I know naught of Thee save what Thou hast taught me of the knowledge of Thyself, and I know naught of myself save weakness and shortcoming. Here am I, O my God, standing wholly before Thee regarding what Thou desirest of me, casting myself before Thy grace, acknowledging that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, alone with no partner, and there is nothing like unto Thee, as Thou Thyself dost testify and deserve. I bear witness to Muhammad and his family—Thy blessings be upon them as Thou willest concerning them—that Thou hast made them the signs of Thyself, the emblems of Thy justice, the repositories of Thy Will, the pillars of Thy unity, and bestowed upon them from Thy bounty what none save Thee can comprehend. There is no God but Thee. Through them Thou dost fill creation that Thy unity might be made manifest.
Glorified art Thou! There is no God but Thee. I claim nothing in what Thou createst except as Thou willest, and Thou sufficest as a witness. By Thy might and majesty, from the day Thou didst originate my creation, I have loved to will only what Thou willest. Raise me to these heights, for Thou art powerful over what Thou willest.
O my God, I confess before Thee my grievous shortcomings and mighty transgressions regarding what I have brought upon myself after Thou didst raise the banners of Thy prohibition. This was not from denial of Thy Lordship nor rejection of Thy Oneness, but my wretchedness and desires overcame me, and Thy decree established me in that state. Here am I, O my God, standing before Thee, abased, submissive, humble, seeking protection. I ask Thy forgiveness and turn repentant unto Thee for what Thy knowledge hath encompassed, beyond what the recording angels have written of my deeds.
Alas, alas, for my heedlessness of Thee while Thy inspiration and call never cease from me for less than a moment, and for my soul’s stillness regarding Thee while Thy attraction never ceases from me for less than an instant! O my God, my Master, my Lord! By Thy might and majesty, wert Thou to punish me throughout the eternity of Thy Essence with whatever punishment lies within Thy power, I would deserve it, yet that would not equal the least of what Thy knowledge encompasseth of my heedlessness of Thee.
Glorified art Thou! Thy way is beneficence and Thy name is the All-Bountiful. Thou dealest with Thy servants only through grace. Glorified, glorified art Thou! Nothing can withstand Thy justice. O my God and my Master, great is my affliction and grievous my transgression. O my God, when I remember Thy justice, the pillars of my heart are scattered, and when I behold the dwellers of Thy Throne delighting in Thy remembrance and finding rest in Thy nearness, their station fills me with yearning for Thee, and Thy treatment of them causes me to dwell [in hope], for none can hope save in Thy mercy, and none need fear save Thy justice. O my God, by Thy might, if Thou shouldst command the fire to seize me, its people would know that I love Thee, and I would cry out in the midst of separation that I have no strength, O my God, to bear separation from Thee.
O God! I have no patience in awaiting Thy promises for the Day of Meeting. Far be it that I should think ill of Thee in this station. My supplication in these words is because, through the mystery of Thy justice, Thou hast made me to fear, O Thou the Compeller, the All-Subduing! Glory be unto Thee! Thy generosity is too great for any of Thy creatures to despair thereof, and Thy mercy too vast for any of Thy servants to be deprived of it. Alas for those who forget Thee while Thou dost remember them, and for those who fear Thee not though Thou rememberest them through Thy justice. Glory be to Thee! Far above art Thou from what the wrongdoers say, with great exaltation. I have none besides Thee, O my God, as the Dispeller of my terror, and Thou, O my God, art the Ultimate End of my desire. I love none except Thee and those whom Thou lovest. I testify that my life and my death are for Thee alone, Who hath no partner.
O Lord! Forgive me for the stations wherein I was heedless of Thee. By Thy might and Thy greatness! I have not known Thee as befitteth Thee, nor have I worshipped Thee as Thou deservest, though Thou rememberest me as Thou shouldst be remembered. O my Lord! Woe unto me if Thou shouldst take me to task for my crimes and transgressions. By Thy right, which none but Thee knoweth, I have no helper besides Thee, no refuge apart from Thee, and none among Thy creatures can intercede except by Thy leave. I seek intercession with Thee through Thyself, and I hold fast to Thy love. I call upon Thee as befitteth Thee, as Thou hast commanded me. Therefore answer me as Thou hast promised. Verily Thou art God, there is no God but Thee. Thou art God, Self-Sufficient in Thine Own Self above all things. The obedience of those who love Thee profiteth Thee not, nor doth the disobedience of those who turn away harm Thee. Thou art God, my Lord, Who faileth not in His promise.
O my God! By Thy generosity, I beseech Thee to draw me nigh unto the summit of Thy nearness and to preserve me from entering into reference to aught else but Thee. O my God! Guide me to all that Thou lovest as Thou lovest, and protect me from Thy wrath and vengeance and from entering places which Thou lovest not, by Thy power. O my God! I seek Thy forgiveness and turn unto Thee as Thou wouldst have Thy servants do for Thy sake. Therefore accept our repentance as befitteth Thee, and forgive me and my parents and those who have entered the house of Thy love, according to what Thy knowledge encompasseth, as beseemeth the glory of Thy greatness and the majesty of Thy power.
O my God! Thou hast inspired my supplication to Thee; were it not for Thee, I would not supplicate Thee. Glory be unto Thee! I praise Thee not as Thou hast made Thyself known to me, and I seek Thy forgiveness for my shortcomings in knowing Thee and in treading the path of Thy love. O my God! I beseech Thee by Thyself and by Muhammad and his family—Thy blessings be upon them—that Thou leave me not to myself for less than what Thy knowledge encompasseth. By the perpetuity of Thine Own Self, inspire me with Thy remembrance and honor me with Thy meeting. Were it not for Thy remembering me, I would not remember Thee, and were it not for Thy inspiration, I would not describe Thee.
Glory be unto Thee! Thy proof is manifest beyond description, and Thy glory overwhelming beyond comprehension. Glory be unto Thee, O God, our Lord! I praise Thee for what Thou willest and createst for me and for all things, with praise that transcendeth the praise of all creation and is sanctified beyond the comprehension of all besides Thee. None knoweth its essence save Thee. Praise be to God Who hath made no way for creation to know His Self except through what He hath originated of His description, through what creation can originate and invention can bring forth. I have believed in Thee as Thou art, and none knoweth how Thou art except Thee. I praise Thee with every attribute that is Thine in Thy knowledge, which none encompasseth save Thy Self. So I praise Thee through the sanctification of Thyself in the Mighty Book:
“Glory be to thy Lord, the Lord of the Throne, above what they describe! And peace be upon the Messengers, and praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.”
Prayer on the Day of Breaking the Fast
In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate!
O Thou Who art arrayed in majesty and grandeur, before Whose might all others tremble in fear! O my God! Through Thy Will the realities of all created things have been established, and by the sovereignty of Thy Purpose have all things been brought into being. Thou art He Who can neither be known nor confined, Who can neither be described nor perceived. Thy originating Will is the most powerful testimony to detachment, and Thy creative Purpose the most exalted proof of the impossible.
Glorified art Thou, O my God, above the description of all else but Thee. None knoweth Thine Essence save Thee, and none comprehendeth Thy Reality except Thyself. I confess, O my God, my powerlessness and my shortcoming in fulfilling what is due unto Thee. All praise and glory be unto Thee; there is no God but Thee.
Glorified art Thou, O my God! The obedience of those who love Thee profiteth Thee not, nor doth the disobedience of the rebellious harm Thee. Thou art the Self-Sufficient, without compare. There is no God but Thee, and no object of worship besides Thee.
O my God! Through Thy creation of all joined things have we known Thee through their sanctification from Thee, and through Thy bringing into being all similar things have we known Thee through their detachment from Thee. Through Thy fashioning of all imagined things have we known Thee as having no likeness, and through Thy origination of all created things have we described Thee as having no limitation. Through all things collectively have we testified to that which Thou testifieth concerning Thyself: Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, alone, with no partner.
All things, O my God, are humbled before Thy grandeur, are abased before Thy might, and are submissive before Thy majesty. Through Thine originating glory do the glorious derive their glory, and through Thy manifested power do the powerful derive their power. No glory reacheth us except that which hath descended from the clouds of Thy grace, and no deed benefiteth us save that which hath issued from the treasuries of Thy majesty. All good proceedeth from Thee and returneth unto Thee alone, Who hath no partner. Thou bestowest upon whom Thou willest as Thou willest, and withholdest from whom Thou willest as Thou desirest. None can prevent Thy giving, and none can reverse Thy decree.
Glorified art Thou! O God, O my God, I beseech Thee on this day which Thou hast made a festival for Thy loved ones and commanded them to gather at Thy holy places, that Thou send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, through Thy wondrous attributes which none but Thee can reckon. Verily, Thou art God, Who each day art engaged in a fresh manifestation of Thy power, bringing forth that which hath never been before.
I beseech Thee, O God, O my Lord, to send Thy peace upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad with all Thy salutations and blessings, of which Thou art the Originator and which the Book preserveth. There is no God but Thee, alone, without partner.
Through Thy gracious call have I recognized the excellence of this day, and through Thy wondrous inspiration have I turned my face toward the sanctuary of Thy bounty. O my God! None knoweth what is due unto Thee save Thee, and I know my own excesses in places of turning away and my shortcomings in moments of drawing near. I bear witness unto Thee as Thou bearest witness unto Thyself in that station. I beseech Thee by Thy Name that is hidden in the most exalted veils, which none but Thee should discover, and by Thy Most Great and Most Glorious Name, through which Thy mercy was established upon the throne of giving, that Thou bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and that Thou forgive us and those who love Thee for all that displeaseth Thy good-pleasure.
Verily, Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, Who knoweth the treachery of eyes and what the hearts conceal. I beseech Thee by Thy truth which none knoweth save Thee, that Thou bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, that Thou honor us on this festival day with all that Thou lovest for Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and that Thou forgive us, our parents, those who have claims upon us, and those in whose nature is love for this day. Verily, Thou art the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. O my God!
Thine is the glory and the splendor, the greatness and the grandeur! I beseech Thee by Thy mighty truth upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and by their truth in Thy path, that Thou cast us not away from Thy gate as outcasts. For by Thy might, we know no refuge save Thee, and recognize no shelter besides Thee. Here am I, O my God, having sought sanctuary in Thy presence and having sought intercession with Thee. Admit me, through Thy mercy, among Thy righteous servants who inherit Paradise through Thy bounty. Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Wise. Thou bestowest Thy gifts upon whomsoever Thou willest as Thou willest and for whatsoever Thou willest, and Thou withholdest from whomsoever Thou willest as Thou willest and for whatsoever Thou willest. Verily, Thou art God, the Lord of all worlds. Thou art He Who hath assigned no separation to Thy Will in creation, and no connection to Thy decree in invention. There is no power nor strength save through Thee, and Thou art the Most High, the Most Great. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
Prayer on the Feast of Sacrifice
In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.
Praise be to God, the First before all things and the Last after all things, Who hath taken neither consort nor son, Who hath no partner in sovereignty, and Who hath no protector out of weakness. There is no God but He, the Great, the Most High. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant whom He chose for His message, created for His authority, selected for His love, and distinguished for His knowledge—the Bearer of glad tidings, the Warner, and the Luminous Lamp. God clothed him in the mantle of His greatness for the glory of His Self, and God chose him for the mystery of servitude in the station of His might—he before whom no originated thing compareth in originality, nor any created thing resembleth in creation.
The One who, after Thee, O Most Merciful, standeth alone beyond conjunction, and who, by God’s grace, transcendeth all association. He whom God made, in the matter of the Book, the garment of His manifestation and the expression of His Being. God honored him with standing in a station in the worlds of His Lordship and Oneness, where God created him as evidence of His Self and above the evidence of aught else, for eyes apprehend Him not, nor do thoughts of mind encompass Him. And verily He is the Truth, there is no God but He. He perceiveth all vision, and He is the Subtle, the All-Informed.
Therefore I beseech Thee, O God, my God, to bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad with Thy wondrous attributes which Thou originatest from nothing, as befitteth Thee and as Thou deserveth, and to send peace upon him and upon Thy well-pleased friends as Thou lovest from the creation of Thy handiwork, as Thou art their Protector. And I beseech Thee, O God, my God, on this Great Feast and Noble Station, to admit me into every good whereinto Thou didst admit Muhammad, Thy beloved, and his family, and to preserve me from all that from which Thou preserved Thy beloved and his family, peace be upon them.
O my God, through Thine inspiration of stations have I ascended to Thy presence, and through the prayers of Thy mystery have I hoped for the seat of Thy truth. O my God, had Thou not created me, I would have been nothing, and had Thou not inspired me with Thy remembrance, I would not have chosen glory. Through Thy call to me for Thy unity was I ennobled, and through Thine inspiration to me of Thy remembrance was I made happy. There is no God but Thee, alone with no partner. Through Thy bounty, O my God, have I traversed the path of unity, and through Thy call have I ascended to the station of uniqueness. Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, alone with no partner. Through Thine essence, O my God, have I known Thy oneness. Were it not for Thee, I would not know what Thou art. O my God, Thine essence is sanctified above names and attributes, and Thy being is exalted above likenesses and indications.
Glory be to Thee O my God! From all eternity the recognition of created things and the description of contingent beings has been Thy self-description, and none knoweth how Thou art except Thee, and none knoweth as Thou art except Thee. O my God, my Lord and my Master! How can I call upon Thee when Thine Essence hath severed all from approach, and the nature of Thy creation pointeth to a barred path? Thou, O my God, dost not burden any soul beyond what Thou hast given it. I bear witness—and sufficient art Thou as witness—that creation informeth me only of severance, that proofs lead me only to prevention, and that minds and souls bear witness only to despair. By Thy might and Thy majesty! After attaining certitude of severance, I have testified that there is no God but Thee, and after acknowledging prevention, I have recognized that there is no God besides Thee. Such recognition from the servants was naught but the fruit of invention which its Creator made as sustenance for the lands.
Glorified art Thou, O my God! There is no end to Thy command. I beseech Thee, O my God, to bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, the manifestations of Thy Lordship and the repositories of Thy oneness. Here am I, O my God, confessing before Thee in this my station my powerlessness to know Thy right as my powerlessness hath ever been before Thee alone, Who hath no partner, O Thou besides Whom none knoweth His right as He is. Forgive me, O my God, and those who love Thee, for all that Thou lovest not in the path of fearing Thee. Verily Thou art the One worthy of worship; there is no God but Thee. Unto Thee is the return, and there is no power nor strength except in God. Thou art God, the Most High, the Most Great. Judge Thou, O God, on this day upon the straight path. Praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds.
Prayer to the Lord of the Worlds on a Friday
In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.
Praise be to God Who is unique in His unity, and there is no God but He, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. Praise be to God Who is singular in His eternality, and there is no God but He, the Mighty, the Wise. O my God! This is Friday, the festival of Thy beloved Muhammad, and here am I, having risen with my whole being unto Thee, acknowledging before Thee what Thou lovest for Thyself for the creation of Thy servants. None knoweth Thy great purpose as it is except Thee alone, Who hath no partner. O my God! I have called upon Thee and risen to the station of intimate discourse with Thee. Were it not for Thee, I would be nothing, that I might describe Thee.
Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Through the mystery of my being Thou didst permit me to stand before Thee, and through the openness of my servitude Thou didst commune with me secretly. I am the one who hath ever worked openly for Thy sake, and there is no power nor strength except through Thee. Glory be unto Thee, O my God, above the description of created things and the recognition of contingent beings! Nothing shall ever know Thee according to the truth of Thine Essence, and no servant shall ever praise Thee according to the truth of Thy Being.
Glory be unto Thee! Exalted and magnified is Thy Self above any indication reaching unto Thee from creation. O my God! When I ascended into Thy atmosphere and attained unto the spirit of intimate discourse with Thee, I saw naught for myself save severance from union with Thee and prevention from indicating Thee. Therefore have I returned to the direction of Thy loved ones, whom Thou hast placed in the station of Thy love and knowledge, the station of Thy Self. Bless them, O God, according to what Thy knowledge hath encompassed in the creation of Thy power, with honor and knowledge. O my God, my Lord and my Master! By Thy might and Thy majesty, Thou art the One Worshipped, none other than Thee, O my God.
Verily the paths of detachment have caused me to utter these words, and the ways of remoteness have enabled me to make these declarations. Glory be to Thee, O my God! Thy manifestation is more evident in all things than that I should refer to aught else but Thee, and Thy love is sweeter than all knowledge such that I should need to know aught besides Thee. Glory be to Thee, O my God! I have believed in Thee as Thou art, and I turn unto Thee, renouncing myself and all the worlds, as Thou art. I have fled, O my God, wholly unto Thee, and have cast myself before Thee. I possess nothing before Thee—if Thou shouldst chastise me with all Thy power, Thou art indeed just in Thy decree, and if Thou shouldst bestow upon me every good thing, Thou art the Source of bounty and bestowal, and Thou art independent of all the worlds.
O my Lord! I have sought union with Thee and found it only in detachment from all else but Thee. I have sought Thy love and found it only in effacement from all besides Thee. I have sought obedience to Thee and found it only through love for Thy loved ones. Glory be to Thee, O my God! I know none but Thee alone, no partner hast Thou. And Thou, O my God, knowest our sins, none besides Thee. I seek forgiveness for all that Thou lovest not, and I call upon Thee in every state with the tongue of Thy inspiration. Thou art the Self-Sufficient without compare. There is no God but Thee. Glory be to Thee, far above what they compare Thee to, with supreme transcendence.
Peace be upon thee, O this new and blessed Day which God hath made a festival for His purified loved ones, who have emerged from affliction, who grieve with His pure-hearted loved ones, who have sacrificed themselves in love for the loved ones of the All-Merciful, with perfect submission. And peace be upon thee, an everlasting peace forever, and the mercy of God and His blessings.
Then turn to the sun and say: Peace be upon thee, O rising sun and resplendent, effulgent light! I call thee to witness my unity with God, that thou mayest be my witness when the Lord appears for the universal judgment on the new Day. O God! I seek refuge in Thee and in the light of Thy countenance, lest my form be disfigured or my spirit be cast repeatedly into torment. By Thy light that is veiled from every beholder, illumine my heart, for I am Thy servant and within Thy grasp, and I have no Lord besides Thee.
O God! I draw near unto Thee with a submissive heart and approach Thy loved ones with a humble body, and unto the rightly-guided Imams with a lowly heart, and unto the noble Chiefs and illustrious Princes with humility. I press my nose in the dust for those who have recognized Thy unity. There is no God but Thee and no Creator besides Thee. I diminish my station before Thy near ones and deny any opponent or peer to Thee, for I am Thy abased servant who acknowledges his sins. I beseech Thee, O my Master, to remove them from me and purify me from all defilement and uncleanliness.
O my God, my Master, and my Lord! I have detached myself from my relatives and become independent through Thee from the people of the world, seeking Thy favor. Grant me from Thy favor that which will make me independent of all else but Thee, and increase for me from Thy manifest bounty. Verily, Thou art the Possessor of great bounty.
And say after the afternoon prayer: O God! Send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, the chosen successors, with Thy most excellent blessings, and bestow Thy most excellent benedictions upon them. And peace be upon him and upon them, and upon their souls and bodies, and the mercy of God and His blessings. And may God bless Muhammad and his family and his friends, all of them, and grant them abundant peace.
Prayer on the Day of Arafah
In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.
Praise be to God Who has testified to His own Oneness before all things that there is no God but Him, the Most High, the Most Great. Unto Thee be praise for inspiring me with Thy testimony. I bear witness that there is no God but Thee, alone with no partner. Had Thou not called me, I would not have called upon Thee, and were it not for Thee, nothing would exist to know how Thou art. Glory be unto Thee! Thou art God, the Originator and Creator of all things. Thou art God, the Deity and Bringer into being of all things. Thou art God, the Lord and Ordainer of all things. Thou art God, the Fashioner and Former of all things. Thou art God, the Provider and Distributor of all things. Thou art God, the Quickener and Resurrector of all things. Thou art God, who causeth all things to die and gathereth them together. Thou art the Producer of all things and their Maker. Thou art God, the Lord of all the worlds. There is no God but Thee. Nothing is like unto Thee, and no knowledge of anything escapeth Thee. Verily, Thou hast ever encompassed all things with Thy knowledge and watched over all things.
Glorified and exalted art Thou, O my God, far above what the wrongdoers assert with great haughtiness! O my God, from Thee unto Thy near servants there have been, in Thy knowledge, breaths wherewith Thou honorest whomsoever Thou willest among Thy servants. Among these is this Day wherein Thy servants have gathered to establish Thy unity. I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thy generosity, and I draw nigh unto Thee through Muhammad and his family, the manifestations of Thy Will, that Thou deprive me not of Thy wondrous favors in these days, and grant me to stand in that place which Thou hast ordained for Thy loved ones, that I may bear witness before Thee to what Thou makest known to me of Thy testimony.
Praise be to God for this glorious blessing! I bear witness that there is no God but God, alone with no partner. His is the Kingdom and His the praise. He giveth life and causeth death, and He hath power over all things. Praise be to God, Whose bounty none can prevent, Whose decree none can resist, Whose grace knoweth no cessation, and Whose power knoweth no change. Thou art He Who hath ordained, and what Thou hast ordained is truth; Thou hast decreed, and what Thou hast decreed is justice. Thou art He Who hath brought all things into being through creation and originated them through Thy power, not after any model Thou hadst formed before.
Glorified art Thou, O my God, above what the wrongdoers describe and what those who liken Thee to aught else attribute in limiting Thy power! O my God, Thou art Lord when there is no lord besides Thee, and Thou art Truth when there is no object of worship except Thee. Thou art He Whose essential Divinity none knoweth save Thyself, and none comprehendeth the reality of Thy Lordship except Thee. Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Thou art He Who hath encompassed all through Thy knowledge, even as Thou didst enumerate them before their existence. There is no God besides Thee, O my God!
Our souls have described Thee as not knowing in the way we know. Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Thy bringing things into being testifieth to separation, and Thy creation of realities preventeth the way. Unto Thee be thanks, O my God, as Thou knowest, not as others know, and unto Thee be praise as Thou art aware, not as others are aware. I praise Thee, O my God, from the beginning of Thy creation of our souls and for what Thy power hath established in the worlds which Thou ordainest within us for the perfection of Thy bounty upon us—from the summit of lights appeared Thy servants and from the darkness of the wombs as Thou didst ordain for Thy handmaidens—and for what existeth of the stations whose course cannot be turned back and whose ends cannot be reached. Such praise transcendeth all things through Thy loftiness and riseth above all things through Thy exaltation.
I bear witness unto Thee, O my God, to what Thy friends witness in the worlds of Thy holiness. Here am I, O my Lord, confessing before Thee what hath been beloved by Thee, and I bear witness to what Thou bearest witness unto Thyself and what Thou bearest witness unto the people of Thy creation. Sufficient art Thou as a witness that Thou art God; there is no God but Thee, alone with no partner, and everything besides Thyself Thou bringest into being.
O my God! Nothing exists except through Thy power, and Thou holdest it in the shelter of servitude unto Thyself. Nothing comes into being save by Thy decree, and Thou art He Who, when He willeth a thing, it cometh to pass by His irresistible Will, and when He judgeth, His judgment is perfect justice. All things are within Thy grasp and power, and nothing existeth save through Thy Will. There is no God but Thee, the Originator of the heavens and earth, the Creator of both worlds and the Throne. There is nothing like unto Thee.
I beseech Thee, O my Lord, to send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and to bestow Thy peace upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as Thou art worthy and deserving thereof. O my God! Truly have I magnified none but Thee, and verily have Thy bounties been glorified in truth. None can attain to proper thanksgiving unto Thee as is Thy due, and all confess their powerlessness to render thanks worthy of Thee.
O my God! All bounties, being from Thee, are verified as magnificent and great, and all things, being of Thy creation, are established as ancient and mighty. What sorrow for those who have changed Thy bounties by attributing them to themselves, and who have squandered Thy hidden essence within their realities by turning away from Thy remembrance!
O my God! Thou art the Ever-Lasting Self-Sufficient, the Eternal without transition. All else besides Thee is as nothingness before Thee. Thou art God Who hath ever been, and there was nothing like unto Thee. Thou art God Who forever shall be, and there is naught comparable unto Thee. Thou art He Who hath given no way for creation to know Thy Self, neither through inability nor through severance. Glory be unto Thee! Thy Self is sanctified and Thy Grandeur is too great for anything to attain unto Thee.
Glorified art Thou! None knoweth how Thou art save Thee alone. And how could it be otherwise, when all created things are fashioned by Thy Will as they are, in accordance with what beseemeth Thee, while they comprehend naught save themselves and point to naught but their own essence. Thou art singular in the knowledge of Thyself and unique in the unity of Thine Essence. None hath way unto Thee, and nothing can claim aught before Thee.
O my God! Through our disobedience to Thy command, I have fled from Thee unto Thee and taken refuge in Thy Self with Thee. I bear witness that I acknowledge Thy greatness and Thy justice, and I approached not my desires save through what Thy decree hath made felicitous for me—not through denial of Thy sovereignty nor through permission of what Thy Lordship hath forbidden. Rather, weakness overcame my power and hope of forgiveness prevailed over fear of vengeance.
Here am I, standing before Thee in my weakness, acknowledging my whole being before Thee. Verily, Thy proof is manifest and cannot be hidden, and Thy decree is decisive and cannot be altered. The wretched one is he who turneth away from Thee, and the blessed one is he who seeketh Thee.
O my God! Through my disobedience hath appeared the countenance of Thy forgiveness, and through my turning away hath been raised the approaching of Thy face. Nothing can save me from Thy wrath save Thy pardon, and naught can show me mercy from Thy anger save Thy clemency. Thou art He Who cannot be described through creation, for that would enable a way unto Thee. Thou art He Who cannot be known through invention, for that would weave a path toward Thee. The mystics have known Thee by knowing they cannot know Thee, and those who would describe Thee are rendered powerless to describe Thee.
Thou art He Who hath neither begotten nor been begotten, and there is none like unto Thee nor equal unto Thee. Thou art the Eternal, the Single, the Powerful. O my God! Thy Essence cutteth off all things from knowledge, and Thy Being proveth separation in consciousness. There is no God but Thee, the Single, the One, the Eternal, the Self-Subsisting, the Everlasting, the Living, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. Thou art, O my God, the ultimate goal of those who seek, and Thou art the final aim of those who hope.
Thou art the Adored, the Praised One. No partner hast Thou, nor peer, nor equal, nor likeness. O my God, Thou art the Exalted and all else is abased; Thou art the Lofty and all else is poor. Thy remembrance is honor to them that remember, and Thy praise is glory to them that praise. None would know recognition of Thy Self were it not for the flowing of Thy lordly decrees. Authority belongs to whoso believeth in Thy Self, and knowledge to whoso feareth Thy justice. They who believe not in Thee have no authority, and they who know Thee not have no knowledge.
We praise Thee, O my Lord, through the totality of Thy grace, and the recognition of Thy way, and certitude in loyalty to them that love Thee—they whom Thou hast brought into being for Thyself, and chosen for Thy love, and singled out for loyalty to Thee. I beseech Thee, O Lord, to send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and his well-pleasing successors with Thy choicest blessings, and upon their followers with Thy most excellent benedictions. Thou art possessed of ancient bounty and mighty grace, and there is no God but Thee, O Lord of the worlds. And I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Muhammad and his family—Thy blessings be upon them—not to turn us away disappointed from those noble stations, and to honor us with that wherewith Thou honorest Thy near-chosen ones in those mighty stations. Verily Thou art the Hearer of prayer, and praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
Prayer on the Greatest Festival, the ninth of the month of Rabi’ al-Awwal
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
We praise Thee, O God our Lord, beside Whom there is no other God, the Mighty, the Wise. O my God, this is the day which Thou didst originate through power before all days, and didst bring into being through might for the people of Islam. O Thou Whose power is ancient and Whose might is eternal, Thou bestowest it upon whom Thou willest as Thou willest, and withholdest from whom Thou willest as Thou willest. Thou callest Thy servants as none other than Thee can call, and Thou acceptest from them as none other than Thee can accept. All creation confesseth its impotence to know Thee, and all design acknowledgeth its shortcoming in fulfilling what is due to Thee.
We praise Thee for making known the stations of Thy love. Were it not for Thy making them known, the servants would attain no glory, and in that they would be as Thou describest in Thy firm Book:
“They are but as the cattle—nay, they are yet more astray.”
We praise Thee, O God our Lord, for that which Thou hast made known to us of the stations of Thy lordship and the signs of Thy grandeur. Glory be unto Thee! There is no God but Thee, alone, without partner or likeness.
O my God, manifest are the signs of Thy grandeur in the kingdom of Thy heaven and Thy earth, which creation hath brought into being from naught in their form. Thus do the imitators imagine them to be the likeness of Thy power—how exalted art Thou above this! Glory be unto Thee! Were they to know Thee, they would not describe Thee thus; and were they to know Thee as Thou makest Thyself known to them, they would testify that none can know Thee. Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Thou art too exalted to be known through aught else than Thyself, or for Thy creation’s indication to point to Thee. Thou art God Who hath ever been, and there was naught else with Thee.
Through Thy power Thou dost originate creation in origination, and fashion them upon the form of Thy love in innovation. Then Thou makest known to them the path of Thy will, and establishest them in the way of Thy purpose through bounty and honor, until the hesitant ones become perplexed in recognition of Thy ways, and the needy ones become aware that there is no sufficiency save in Thee, and that nothing of the stations of Thy knowledge escapeth Thy servants, nor doth aught of the resources of Thy will diminish from them. Thereby hath Thy proof become conclusive and Thy honor manifest, that the saved might be saved with clear evidence and the perished might perish with clear evidence, and that none might have against Thee any argument or way. O my God! Glory be unto Thee! We have naught that might benefit us with Thee save through Thy bounty.
Through Thy power Thou hast sustained us, and through Thy clemency Thou hast withheld Thy wrath from reaching us, and through Thy pardon Thou hast veiled Thy displeasure from touching us. My God! Thine is the might and power, and there is no strength nor force except through Thee. I seek Thy intercession on this day before Thee, and draw near unto Thee. Verily Thou art God, there is none other God but Thee, alone with no partner. I acknowledge before Thee on this Thy Greatest Day, O my God, that which Thou dost inspire Thy loved ones and chosen ones regarding Thy testimony unto Thyself that Thou art God, there is none other God but Thee. I bear witness to Thy testimony unto Thyself, and that none knoweth the knowledge of Thy testimony save Thee. Glory be unto Thee, O my God! None knoweth Thy testimony as Thou art except Thee alone, with no partner.
O my God! Great and mighty hath been Thy favor unto us. Thou hast made me know the stations of Thy knowledge which have no limitation in any place. Were I to approach them myself, I would be consumed by their potency. And Thou, through Thy pervading power and overwhelming manifestation, dost distribute among us the knowledge of Thee and submission to Thy unity. Through Thy subtle and mighty handiwork that ancient Reality hath been established within these weak souls. Were it not for Thy power sustaining us, we would become as nothing, as on the day when I was naught. Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for all Thy favors, as befitteth Thee. I bear witness that I have not described Thee except as Thou describest Thyself. Glory be unto Thee, far above what the wrongdoers say, with great exaltation! I testify before Thee that they who attribute to Thee any description have not known Thee through Thy testimony unto Thyself, and the testimony of description that it is other than Thee. Glory be unto Thee! Thy Self is sanctified from being known by anything or being unified by anything.
Glory be unto Thee, glory be unto Thee! None knoweth how Thou art except Thee alone, with no partner. O my God! That which is known through signs hath been Thy wondrous sign, and that which is described through tokens hath been Thy manifold power. All those who describe Thee, O my God, acknowledge their impotence and shortcoming, and all those who know Thee witness their inability and separation. Glory be unto Thee, O my God! All things point to Thy creation, yet are cut off from Thee by their very coming into being. They indicate naught but their contingency and speak naught but of their invention. There is nothing that hath not testified to its own powerlessness to describe Thee, its severance from knowing Thee, and its inability to indicate Thee. How could it be otherwise when all besides Thee is bounded by the limitations of Thy creation and characterized by the attributes of Thy handiwork?
Glory be unto Thee, O my God! None hath known Thee, nor shall ever know Thee as befitteth Thee. Those who point to Thee through mention of themselves before Thee are veiled from Thy unity and have been rejected by Thy decree back to Thy dominion. Those who describe Thee through creation shall never know Thee, for it acknowledgeth severance, witnesseth separation, and indicateth division.
Thou art God, the Single, the One, the Self-Subsisting. He begetteth not, nor is He begotten, and there is none like unto Him. The Everlasting Who hath ever been, and no thing was with Him. The Eternal Who hath never ceased to be, and no thing shall be at His level, alone with no God but He, Who hath no partner, no minister, no equal, and no likeness. He Who hath been Lord with none lordly, hath been God with none deified, hath been Truth with none mentioned, hath been All-Knowing with nothing known, hath been All-Powerful with nothing empowered. He hath ever been in one state, creation hath not changed Him for He is the Author of creation. He is the One Whom neither slumber nor sleep overtaketh, Whose knowledge none comprehendeth, and Whom nothing knoweth as befitteth Him.
My God! Thou hast filled the heavens of Thy names […] Holy art Thou, O my God! Thy will hath appeared in all things, yet its form remaineth concealed, wherefore they likened Thee to them and took some of Thy signs as lords besides Thee, and thus they did not truly worship Thee. O my God! Our knowledge can never ascend unto Thee, nor can our allusions ever point to Thee. The very essence of servitude returneth unto Thy creation, and the loftiest peaks of existence fall short of Thy creation.
Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou art worthy of worship in truth, and unto Thee belongeth primordial oneness and ancient glory which none besides Thee deserveth. Glorified art Thou, O my God, beyond the utmost reach of those who seek to describe Thee, for Thou canst not be described save by Thyself, nor known save through Thyself. Thou art God, there is no God but Thee. None knoweth Thy essence save Thyself. All things speak of Thy power, ascend unto Thy Will, and conceive of Thy greatness. Nothing existeth save through Thy power, and nothing subsisteth save through Thy decree.
Thine is the Command and the Creation. O my God, I testify that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, alone with no partner. I beseech Thee by Thy generosity to honor me with the perpetual remembrance of Thee, for should Thy remembrance forsake me, I would be as one extinct. O my Lord! Nothing hath honor save through what Thou teachest of Thy remembrance, and nothing hath glory save through what Thou inspirest of Thy knowledge.
I confess before Thee, O my God, on this great day and noble scene, concerning what Thou lovest from the people of Thy creation and what Thou hast ordained. I bear witness that Thou lovest none but Thyself, and all who are beloved by Thee are only beloved through Thy love. Glorified art Thou, O my God! I confess before Thee my inability to love Thee as Thou art. Neither I nor anything else can claim to love Thee as Thou art worthy and deserving.
O my God! The knowers recognize what Thy power hath ordained and attribute it to Thy Will itself. Glorified art Thou, O my God, far above what the wrongdoers describe, with great transcendence. I beseech Thee, O God, O my God, to send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, the places of Thy love, the pillars of Thy Will, the mines of Thy creation, the foundations of Thy invention, and the signs of Thy knowledge, even as Thou hast originated them, expressing through them all the conditions which Thou hast created. And bestow peace upon them as Thou knowest their excellence, for none can know their true station save Thee.
O my God! Through the signs of their own selves, which Thou hast placed in the horizons and within souls, all things have testified to Thy oneness. Through their power, the people of understanding recognize Thy creation, and through their deeds, the inhabitants of the heavens and earth find evidence of Thy justice. O my God! Thou art He Who originateth them for Thyself, and therefore they guide unto Thee only through Thee. I bear witness before Thee that they are Thy honored servants who speak not before Thee but act by Thy command.
O my God! We praise Thee for making them known to us, for were it not for Thy making them known, nothing would recognize them. We testify before Thee that from the grace of their lights, minds recognize Thy oneness, and from the shadows of their temples, all created things shine with Thy praise. None knoweth their true right save Thee. I beseech Thee to bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as Thou art worthy and deserving, and I seek Thy forgiveness, O my God, for what my soul hath fallen short in the path of Thy love. Neither I nor anything else can claim to fulfill Thy right save through incapacity and shortcoming.
O my God! Forgive me and the people of Thy love for all that Thy knowledge encompasseth and Thy Book recordeth. Verily, Thou art God, there is no God but Thee. Nothing hath power to withstand Thy justice. I have fled from Thee, O my God, unto Thee, and have sought Thy intercession with Thyself, and I beseech Thee to save me from the onslaughts of Thy wrath, O my God! None but Thee can reckon our deeds as Thou dost reckon them, and none but Thee can forgive our grievous sins as Thou dost conceal them. O my God! Thine is the mighty power and the enduring sovereignty to which all things have submitted and all affairs have yielded in perfection. Thou, O my God, knowest the treachery of eyes and what the hearts conceal. Forgive me then, and my parents, and whomsoever Thou lovest, as befitteth Thee and as Thou art worthy of. O my God! There is nothing but glorifieth Thee and seeketh Thy love.
Those upon whom the word of punishment hath been fulfilled are prevented by veils from Thy remembrance, though Thy proof hath reached all things. Those who have been favored with Thy prior care have been touched by Thy grace, while those for whom the fire hath been decreed have been overcome by their souls’ wretchedness, even after Thou hadst raised the banners of Thy proof in their outward being and established in their inward parts the hidden inspirations of Thy revelation. Thou, O my God, art not unjust to Thy servants. Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, alone with no partner. I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy mighty right over us of inspiring Thy unity and knowledge of those in authority over Thy Cause, that Thou count me not on the Day of Resurrection among anything Thou abhorrest, for nothing hath power to withstand Thy grasp and Thy vengeance.
Thou art God, the Single, the Self-Subsisting, the One. Thou bestowest favor upon whom Thou willest as Thou willest through grace, and Thou punishest whom Thou willest as Thou willest through justice. I beseech Thee by Thy right and by the right of the best of Thy creation, Muhammad and his family—Thy blessings be upon them—that Thou pardon us. Verily Thou art our God and the God of all things. There is no God but Thee. Glory be to Thee! I have been among the wrongdoers. There is no power nor strength save in God, the Exalted, the Great.
Prayer for the Day of Tarwiyah and Weeping
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
Praise be to God Who hath singled Himself out through might, veiled Himself through grandeur, and magnified Himself through power. There is no God but Him. Nothing is like unto Him and He is the Exalted, the Supreme. God hath testified to His Own Self through His Own Self in the might of His Essence that there is no God but Him, and none knoweth how He is save Him. The people of recognition have testified at the dawbreak of certitude to the description of Thy signs that originated creation. Therefore they described in the realities of their inner secrets Thy unity, that there is no God but Thee, alone with no partner. Their tongues have pronounced upon the Manifestation of Thy justice that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, alone with no partner.
O my God! Thy Will existed at creation and Thy Purpose was mentioned at the dawning-place of origination. Glory be to Thee, O my God! The might of Thy Self is too mighty for anything to comprehend, and Thy Essence is too exalted and majestic to be described by anything of Thy creation. O my God! Thy Being is known to Thine Essence and none knoweth it save Thee. How could it be otherwise when the uttermost goal of the seekers hath reached only to the point of innovation, and the ascent of the knowers hath returned to the point of the gate?
Glory be to God, the Exalted, the Great, the Single, the One, the Self-Subsisting, the Unique, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting, the Eternal, besides Whom there is no God and with Whom there is none but Him. No description from anything can grasp Him and no attribute from anything can reach Him. Thy decree concerning the people of creation hath gone forth aforetime, and nothing is known except through its essence, and nothing is described except through its identity. O my God! Thou art known through Thy signs by signs, and through Thy attributes by attributes, yet these can never attain to any description of Thee nor reach any knowledge of Thee. O my God! The paths of unity have testified to separation, and the gate of inaccessibility hath pointed to detachment.
Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou art the Beloved, there is none other besides Thee, and Thou art the Desired One, there is none other save Thee. Love for Thee is my very self that Thou hast created, and Thy grace is according to my poverty. Alas, alas for the remote allusions far removed from the essence of the great primordial nature! I have not worshipped Thee as Thou hast placed Thy sign within my soul, nor have I sought Thee as Thou hast created the temple of Thy love in my innermost being. Alas, alas, shouldst Thou take me to task through Thy justice or call me to account through the all-encompassing power of Thy knowledge!
By Thy might and Thy majesty, and by the right of Thine Own Self which none besides Thee can know, were Thou to decree that everything encompassed by Thy knowledge be consumed by fire in a single place, and were my naked body to be filled therewith, by the Truth of God, I would proclaim therein, O my God, that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee. I have testified to Thy Self-Subsistence as beseemeth Thee and to Thine Identity as befitteth Thee. Verily, Thou art praised among mankind, and this Thy decree upon me, by Thy Most Great Right than which there is no God, is truth like unto Thy truth, and there is no averting it.
God is Most Great! God is Most Great! God is Most Great above this supreme torment the like of which is impossible before the All-Merciful in creation, nor can the knowledge of invention bear its similitude. I bear witness unto myself by the Most Great Truth, and this is not even the recompense of less than an atom’s weight of a needle’s eye for my heedlessness of the station of Thy intimacy, my turning away from the seats of communing with Thee, my disobedience in the places of Thy command, and my negligence of the sources of Thy inspiration. Alas, alas, O my Lord! I have turned my face toward Thee, and sought intercession from Thyself with Thee, and fled from Thy justice unto Thee.
Here am I, confessing before Thee to the supreme shortcoming and the great calamity on this Mighty Day of the Sacred Month wherein Thou hast prescribed for the people of Thy love the pilgrimage to Thy Sacred House, and standing before Thee in the land of the Sacred Monument and Station, and Thou hast commanded them to gather at the Corner of the Sacred Gate.
I beseech Thee to send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and to send down through Thy power from the newly-created fragrances which Thou createst by Thy power upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad—the embodiments of Thy grandeur, the mines of Thy power, the pillars of Thy might, the places of Thy command, the foundations of Thy unity, the object of creation, and the praised ones of invention—whom Thou hast made, for the glory of Thy Self-Subsistence, the Manifestation of Thine Own Most Holy and Most Great Self, besides Whom there is no God. Thou hast called their essence by Thy Self, their attributes by Thy creative force, their names by Thy sovereignty, their deeds by Thy sanctity, their love by Thy love, their knowledge by Thy knowledge, their obedience by Thy obedience, their grace by Thy grace, and their rejection by Thy rejection.
I beseech Thee, O my God, O my Lord, to send Thy peace upon them as befitteth Thee in their manifestation of Thy unity and their delivery of the word of Thy justice: There is no God but Thee, alone, without partner. Through Thee have I known Thee from all else; were it not for Thee, I would not have been anything until it was known how Thou art. Glorified art Thou! Verily Thou art the Worshipped One at the dawning-place of union, and Thou art the Desired One at the dayspring of separation. I have loved nothing except Thee, nor have I wished to desire anything except for Thy love, O my God! Therefore, draw me through the calls of Thy mystery to the seat of Thy holiness, and inspire me through the communing of Thy praise to the inmost sanctuary of Thy glory. O my God! My all is from Thee, and I love naught for myself save Thee. Thou art One, no partner hast Thou.
Verily have I spoken before Thee, in the presence of those of Thy servants who are nigh unto Thee, through my soul, my spirit, my body, my mouth, my bones, my blood and all my veins, of Thy oneness and that the noblest of Thy creation in Thine all-encompassing knowledge hath been Thy beloved Muhammad, the blessings of God be upon him and his family. And I bear witness that Thou hast made his successors the manifestation of his self in grace and truth, none knoweth them as they are except Thee alone, no partner hast Thou. And I bear witness before Thee on behalf of their faithful followers who are nigh unto the people of Thy creation and what Thou createst through wondrous conditions, not from anything, of what Thou lovest for them.
O my God, I beseech Thee by Thy mighty truth to bestow peace upon their foremost followers whom Thou hast made, in the midst of sanctity, a manifestation of grace, and in the world of command, standing by Thy command over all that Thou hast created and brought into being, with every good that Thy knowledge hath encompassed. Verily, Thou art powerful over all things and loving toward the believers. There is no power nor strength save in God, the Exalted, the Great. God’s blessings be upon Muhammad and his family. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
Prayer for each day of the months of Rajab, Sha’ban and Ramadan
In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.
Praise be to God, the Single, the One, the Eternal, besides Whom there is no god, and none knoweth how He is except He. He unto Whom nothing can be compared, no affair distracteth Him from another affair, and He is every day engaged in a fresh work, not from anything. Glory be unto Him, exalted is His might. So mighty is He that all things fall short before Him, and none knoweth how He is except He. Glory be to God, the One possessed of conquest and dominion. None encompasseth His knowledge save He, nothing is hidden from Him, and naught is called upon except He. There is no god but He. He hath decreed fate in this month through His will, and none knoweth His subtle workmanship except He.
Glory be unto Him! He hath not ordained for creation any door to Him save through effacement from all else and severance from allusion. Glory be unto Him! There is no refuge beside Him save unto Him, and there is no door unto Him save through Him. Verily the thing reflecteth the thing, and He is the Creator, not from anything. The reality of things is as the thing reflecteth, not from anything. Glory be unto Him! None knoweth His essence save He, and no one hath any way to His true nature. His power hath brought the created things into being, and they indicate naught save severance, and they ascend not in His kingdom save unto prohibition. Glory be unto Him!
The paths in their reality are closed before Him, and all in their existence are turned back unto Him. Glory be to the One, the Ancient, and the Single, the All-Knowing. There is no god but He, and none knoweth a single letter save He.
O my God! I bear witness that I desire none save Thee and love none save Thee. Thou art the Goal through truth and Thou art the Object of worship through certitude. There is no god but He. And I bear witness before Thee, O my God, as Thy Being beareth witness unto itself, and there is no god but He, that nothing, O my God, hath desired aught save Thee except that I have found it turning away from the gate and arriving at the gathering place of the cattle. Glory be unto Thee! Perfect is Thy proof and great art Thou, for he is praised who desireth none save Thee, and he is rejected who desireth Thee for aught else besides Thy love.
Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I have not found Thee save through Thyself, and I have not drawn near to remembrance save through Thy love. There is no god but He. I bear witness before Thee, O my God, to that which Thou bearest witness for the people of the gate from among Thy servants. O Lord of all worlds! By Thy decree, no soul hath ever truly sought Thee except that Thou wert already seeking it, and no soul hath ever turned away from Thy gate except that Thou hadst inspired it with love despite its denial. O Thou besides Whom there is no God, I testify before Thee that he who seeketh Thy gate is inscribed with Thee among the lines of the monotheists, and all are beloved by Him in proportion to their love for Thee. For Thou art God, there is no God but Him, and all else is His creation within His grasp, and there is no God but Him.
O my God! This is Thy sacred month, established in truth by Thee. Therefore inspire me, O my God, and the people of Thy love, with the sweetness of love from Thy remembrance and protection from remoteness from Thy gate, for these are the pivot of all affairs with Thee. All good is established through the remembrance of those who remember Thee, and all evil is attributed to the heedlessness of those who are heedless of Thy decree.
O Thou besides Whom there is no God! Inspire me with the wonders of Thy love, just as Thou art their Originator. O Thou Who hast ever been standing, O my God and the God of my fathers, O Ever-Living, O Self-Subsisting! I beseech Thee to bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as befitteth Thee.
O Thou besides Whom there is no God! By Thy might and Thy majesty—and there is no knowledge save for those who fear Thee, and no wisdom save for those who love Thee—even if Thou shouldst punish me with every punishment within Thy power, by Thy Most Great Right, besides which there is no God, I would still speak in Thy presence as I now speak before Thee. There is no God but He—Thou didst create me when I was nothing, and Thou didst nurture me by Thy power without any deservedness on my part. Indeed, if Thou hadst judged with justice upon anything at the beginning of its existence, it would have perished from its very inception.
O my God! Thou art the Self-Sufficient, there is no God but He. By God, I am ashamed to mention any punishment from Thee before Thy presence, for Thou hast ever been—there is no God but He—and all Thy punishment and whatsoever else are but Thy creation, and become as nought before Thy remembrance.
O my God! Thy pardon, Thy pardon! I ask forgiveness for myself and for the souls of those who have answered Thy call, and I turn in repentance unto Thee from all that Thy knowledge encompasseth and Thy Book hath recorded. O Thou besides Whom there is no God! Glory be to Thee, there is no God but He!
O Thou Who sufficeth for all things while nothing sufficeth apart from Thee! O God, O Lord! Bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and decree for me what Thou hast decreed through Thy implementation, as befitteth Thee and as Thou deserveth. And I beseech Thee, O God, O Lord of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, to hasten the relief of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and to send down upon Thy vicegerent who standeth before Thee, the administrator of the kingdom according to Thy Most Great Word, from the wondrous breaths which none knoweth save Thee. Open the Book for Thy Word and make His word manifest to the people of the earth until nothing worshippeth Thee in association, and religion becomes wholly for God, the Praiseworthy, on the day of Thy Greatest Proof upon pure truth.
O God! Bless him and the people of his love among the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth. Here am I, O my God, beseeching Thee by Thy right to preserve through Thy power the absence of Muhammad and to exact justice for the self of Muhammad. Verily, Thy decree is the truth and Thy word is justice, and nothing can be reversed except with Thee. Here am I, seeking intercession from Thee to Thyself, and fleeing from Thy justice to Thy bounty. Write for me as befitteth Thee, for Thou art the Truth, there is no God but He. Verily, God and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O ye who believe!
Invoke blessings upon him and greet His Most Great Word, and magnify God as He has guided you to His religion. Glorified be God, our Lord, the Lord of the Throne, above what they describe. Peace be upon the Messengers, and praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
Prayer on the night of ʿAshura
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
Praise be to God Who has made Himself known to us as the Truth, there is no God but He, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting. O my God! I bear witness before Thee in this station of mine to that which Thou bearest witness unto Thyself, and those endowed with knowledge among Thy creation, that there is no God but Thee, the Ancient, the Most Exalted. O my God! Thou art He Who originates through His power the servants without any prior example, and creates for them what they need in the path of Thy love as a new creation. Therefore I praise Thee, O God our Lord, for having created me when I was nothing, and for having made me know Thy Self, the Ancient One, Who has ever been.
By my self, which was nothing—glory be unto Thee, O my God! Great indeed is Thy creation and magnificent is Thy favor, and it is not possible to fulfill what is due unto Thee as is Thy right. Glory be unto Thee, O my God! None knoweth Thy subtle handiwork except Thee. I praise Thee, O my God, for all that Thou lovest and art pleased with, through all the phases of Thy manifestations and conditions of the lights of Thy sovereignty, for what Thou hast inspired me concerning the knowledge of the Guardians of Thy Cause, the Trustees of Thy Knowledge, the Pillars of Thy Unity, the Repositories of Thy Love, and the Tongues of Thy Will—Muhammad and his successors, Thy blessings be upon them.
I beseech Thee, O God, my Master, to send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad according to the power of Thy creation and the mystery of Thy invention, as Thou art their Protector. And I beseech Thee, O God, my Lord, to send peace upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as befitteth Thee, and to grant them from Thy bounty that which none besides them deserves. I bear witness before Thee, O my God, that they were the fruit of creation in Thy knowledge and the ultimate purpose of invention in Thy Book. None can know them as Thou hast made them to be. Glory be unto Thee, O God! Thou hast originated them for Thyself to stand in Thy station, and Thou hast brought them into being such that there is no difference between Thee and them except that they are Thy creation and Thy servants.
Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Through the shadows of their forms deposited in the realities of existing things, all have learned Thy unity, and through their names flowing through the inmost essence of contingent beings, all have come to know Thy praise. Glory be unto Thee, O God, my Lord! None knoweth their true station save Thee, nor their excellence except Thee. I bear witness that Thy blessings are prepared for those who believe in them, and Thy retribution is decreed for those who deny them. And Thou, O my God, dost not burden any soul beyond its capacity. Here am I, O my God, confessing before Thee my inability to know them and my shortcomings regarding their rights.
Therefore, O God, my Lord, requite them according to what they deserve, as befitteth Thee and as Thou art worthy. This is the night in which Thy Proof and the son of Thy Proof was slain, so send down through Thy wondrous mercy and Thy new creation upon him and upon those who follow their souls in visiting him for Thy sake. Have mercy, O my God, upon the faces that were changed by the heat of the sun in his path for Thy love, and upon the eyes from which tears flowed at his martyrdom for Thy sake. O my God! Great was his martyrdom and tremendous was his calamity for Thee, and none knows his right as it is except Thee, nor the magnitude of his trials in Thy path, nor the antiquity of his pleasure for Thee except Thee. I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy might and Thy majesty, to bless him and those who love him through the perpetuity of Thy Self, as Thou art Thou.
Curse His murderers, O Lord, and those who were pleased with their deeds, with such chastisement as lies within Thy power, for all eternity throughout the duration of Thy sovereignty, as they deserve and merit. And O my God, with their punishment curse the hosts of Satan who rejoice in their deeds. Verily Thou art possessed of terrible might and severe retribution. None can question what Thou doest, but they shall be questioned. There is no power nor strength except in God, the Most High, the Most Great.
Prayer on the Night of the Declaration, the twenty-seventh night of the month of Rajab, and on the fifth night of Jamadi’l-Avval
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
Praise be to God, the One, the Single, the Individual, the Self-Subsisting, there is no God but He, the Great, the Most High. Praise be to God for making known to us the stations of His Cause and the sources of His Message, until the people of the Covenant became certain that He is the Just, the Praiseworthy, there is no God but He, the Ancient, the Worshipped One.
O God! I beseech Thee by the Praised Lord and the Desired Tree, whom Thou didst choose for Thyself and select for Thy love, and whom Thou didst elect from among all created things to stand in Thy station, which Thou hadst made the station of Thine own Self in being known, since things cannot comprehend Thy Essence nor can servants know Thy Reality—the Bearer of Glad-Tidings, the Warner, Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets. May Thy blessings be upon him and upon his rightly-guided successors and upon their pure followers.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by his noble Mission and his sublime Glory, which Thou didst specially reserve for Thyself apart from all creation. Thou art He Who manifests his authority on this night for all created things to acknowledge his prophethood. Therefore I praise Thee, O God, for this mighty station and this glorious, sublime blessing which Thou bestowest upon whom Thou willest as Thou willest, and withholdest from whom Thou willest as Thou willest.
I bear witness before Thee, O my God, that he is Thy Beloved and Thy Messenger from when nothing existed before Thee, and all creation acknowledges that he is the Purpose of Thy creation and the Beloved in Thy invention. From the rays of his light do the mystics attain certitude, and from the excellence of his remembrance do the spiritually refined derive their essence.
Therefore I beseech Thee, O my God, my Lord and my Master, to send blessings upon him and upon his accepted successors with Thy most excellent blessings, as befits Thee, and to reward him and those whom Thou hast chosen as his successors with Thy most perfect recompense. Verily Thou doest what Thou willest and decreest what Thou desirest, and Thou art God, powerful over all things.
O my God! Thou art the One truly worthy of worship, there is no God but Thee. Through Thy love hast Thou created me, through Thy power hast Thou preserved me from annihilation. By Thy might and Thy majesty, and since nothing exists save through Thy will, were Thou to ordain the fire for those who love Thee—by Thy very Self, and there is no power nor strength except through Thee—I would choose naught but Thy love and Thy good-pleasure. There is no God but Thee, alone without partner, and Thou sufficest as a witness. Thou art God, the Beloved of the mystics, Thou art God, the Ultimate Desire of the seekers, and Thou art God, the Lord of all the worlds.
O my Master! I have acknowledged before Thee, at the station of the manifestation of Thy justice, Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family, that Thou art God, our Lord and the Lord of our forefathers. There is no God but Thee, Originator of the heavens and the earth.
O my God! Thy Essence cuts off creation from the path, and Thy Reality blocks things from the way. O Thou besides Whom there is no God! Thy Self is too mighty for anything to reach Thee. Glory be to Thee, O my God! None knoweth how Thou art except Thee alone, without partner. Through Thy origination of originated things do the mystics know of Thy sanctification beyond conjunction, and through Thy invention of invented things do the learned know of Thy transcendence beyond association. Thou besides Whom there is no God, and none knoweth how He is except Him! Verily the mystics traverse the path of origination without reaching its end, and the unitarians ascend into the station of creation without prayer.
Glorified art Thou, O my God! Through Thy creation my soul hath recognized its powerlessness to know Thee, and through Thy handiwork my deeds have acknowledged their shortcoming in fulfilling what is due unto Thee. O my God! None have any refuge save Thee. They who detach themselves from all else but Thee, truly worship Thee, and they who take shelter in other than Thee have not known Thee in any way. O my God! Through Thee have I known Thee, and through Thyself have I sought intercession with Thee. Were it not that Thou willest love, who would love Thee? And were it not that Thou inspirest remembrance, who would remember Thee?
O my God! From Thee is all bounty, and ours is all shortcoming. Thou hast ever been the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous, while I have been the negligent, the prodigal. There is no escape save unto Thee, and no salvation except with Thee. I am the one who fleeth, O my God, from Thy justice unto Thee, and here am I taking refuge in Thy generosity. O Thou besides Whom there is none other God! Thy knowledge sufficeth without expression. Thou art the One intended, none else but Thee, and Thou art the One worshipped, none besides Thee. I beseech Thee to send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as befitteth Thee and as Thou art worthy. Verily, Thou art the Lord of righteousness and the Lord of forgiveness. Praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds.
Prayer on the night of the middle of the month of Sha’ban
In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate
Praise be to God Who hath testified to His Own Oneness that there is no God but He, the Most High, the Most Great. O Thou Who art near in the might of Thy Essence yet far from the perception of Thy servants. There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Great, the Most High. O my God! Through Thy testimony to Thyself have I testified to Thy Oneness, and through Thy attraction have I turned away from observing aught else but Thee. Were it not that Thou hadst made Thyself known to me, I would not have remembered Thee, and were it not that Thou hadst inspired me with Thy remembrance, I would not have praised Thee.
I acknowledge before Thee, O my God, on this august night that Thou art the One worthy of worship. There is no God but Thee. Thee do we worship and Thine aid do we seek. Sanctified is Thy Self, O my God, from being known by anyone through other than Thy description, and exalted is Thy Being from being described by the knowledge of Thy servants. Glory be to Thee, O my God! All creation acknowledgeth Thy might and uniqueness, and all existence proveth Thy permanence and unity.
Glory be to Thee, O my God, from any proof of other than Thyself to Thyself. Thou art He Who honoreth Thy sincere loved ones with the might of Thy Self, while they are in awe of Thee. There is no God besides Thee and no one to be worshipped other than Thee. Everyone, O my God, calleth upon Thee after Thou hast shown them the way of detachment, and all worship Thee after Thou hast shown them the path of abstinence. O my God! There is nothing except that it hath been formed through the acceptance of Thy love, and there is no being save that it hath come into existence through the acceptance of Thy justice.
Thou art God, the Lord of all things and their Creator without any “thingness.” There is nothing like unto Thee, and there is none besides Thee who created things from nothing. Thou art He Who, when Thou willest a thing, it cometh into being, and when Thou desirest something, it becometh limited. None can resist Thy Will, and none can reverse Thy Purpose. Unto Thee ascendeth all goodly words and righteous deeds. There is no God but Thee.
I beseech Thee by Thy Name which Thou hast made for Thyself and which pointeth to naught save Thee, that Thou send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and that Thou honor us with the perpetuity of Thy remembrance and obedience. There is no God but Thee. Thy door is open to those who seek, and Thy way is set forth for those who desire. Here am I, O my God, having turned myself toward Thee and having testified with my whole being before Thee that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, alone with no partner, and that Muhammad is Thy servant whom Thou didst choose from the midst of contingent being to stand in Thy place, and Thou didst send him in the most exalted of times and the most propitious of days for the completion of Thy favor, and Thou hast manifested it through the most excellent of Arabs and the noblest of nobles to reveal Thy bounty.
Therefore, O God, send Thy blessings upon him and upon his chosen successors who are the bearers of Thy Book, the interpreters of Thy revelation, the pillars of Thy unity, and the custodians of Thy Cause—those whose hearts Thou hast made the seat of Thy love, whose innermost beings the place of Thy Will, whose souls the repository of Thy Purpose, whose attributes the manifestation of Thy Names, and whose deeds are indicative of Thy justice.
O God! Send Thy peace upon them and upon their Qaim, Thy chosen one, whom Thou hast selected for Thyself, elected for Thy love, preserved for the manifestation of Thy justice, and reserved for Thy Day which Thou lovest and art pleased with, to stand in Thy station, though the polytheists be averse.
O my God! I have believed in him as Thou willest concerning him, and I await his relief as Thou desirest regarding him. By Thy might, I am pleased with Thee as Thou art Thou—Thy deed is the purpose and Thy decree is praiseworthy. Nothing exists save what has been realized through the pleasure of Thy authority, and nothing is for anything except what has been determined by the decree of Thy sovereignty.
Therefore, I beseech Thee, O my God, to send blessings upon Thy chosen one who stands by Thy Cause and is concealed by Thy protection, through all Thy wondrous conditions which none can encompass save Thy knowledge and none can enumerate save Thy Book. I implore Thee, O my God, by his right, to make us among those sincere in his love and steadfast in his authority, to honor our faces by the sight of his countenance and our souls by the sanctity of his presence.
And if Thou hast decreed death for us in Thy judgment, then revive us in his dominion and in the return of Thy sincere loved ones. I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy generosity and by the right of Muhammad and his family, the best of Thy beloved ones, to protect him with Thine eye that never sleeps and to guard him with Thy power that cannot be resisted, and to hasten his relief through Thy bounty, for none deserves his manifestation through Thy justice. Therefore, reach the worlds through Thy grace and remove the veils that have prevented the people from serving him.
Glory be to Thee, O my God! Thy proof stands and is not hidden, Thy authority is manifest and does not differ, and Thy friends are not concealed from their subjects except when hopes veil them. Therefore, I beseech Thee, O my God, to send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, to hasten their relief and bring near their dominion. Verily, Thou hast power over what Thou willest, and there is no might nor power except through God, and praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
Prayer on the twenty-third night of the month of Ramadan
In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.
Praise be to God, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, there is no god but He, the Mighty, the Wise. O God, Lord of the Night of Power, who has made it better than a thousand months, I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy generosity to ordain in this night from the breezes of Thy glory and the stations of Thy holiness what Thou createst eternally for Muhammad and the family of Muhammad—Thy blessings be upon them morning and evening—and to have mercy upon us through them in this blessed night in which Thou revealed the Qur’an to Thy beloved Muhammad—Thy blessings be upon him and upon his chosen successors. Verily, Thou art the Possessor of ancient bounty and great favor.
Thy giving is grace and Thy decree is justice. Thou bestowest upon whom Thou willest as Thou willest, and Thou withholdest from whom Thou willest what Thou willest. Thou art God, there is no god but Thee. If Thou decree with mercy, then it is worthy of Thy bounty that has reached us, and if Thou execute Thy decree with recompense for what our hands have sent forth, then Thou art God, the Just in judgment and the Praiseworthy in command. None has power over His good pleasure nor can any influence His decree. None can attain aught save through acceptance of His will, for such has ever been Thy way. O my God! Deprived is he who seeketh other than Thy judgment, and praised is he who acquiesceth in Thy decree.
O my God! This is a night whose excellence no book can reckon. I beseech Thee by Thy right that Thou draw me nigh unto Thee and inspire me with Thy remembrance. Had Thou not created me, I would have been as nothing, and had Thou not inspired me, I would not have drawn near unto Thy glory.
I turn, O my God, with all my being toward Thee, and flee from my self unto Thy presence. I testify that Thou art God, and there is no God but Thee, the Lord of bounty and grace. And I bear witness that Muhammad and his family are Thy beloved ones, whom Thou hast chosen for Thyself, elected for Thy love, and selected for Thy knowledge. Of their truth Thou sayest:
“They are honored servants who speak not until He hath spoken, and who act by His command.”
Therefore, O Lord, bless them as they deserve.
I bear witness, O my God, as the Book hath testified, that I desire naught save what Thou desirest, and love naught save what Thou lovest. Sufficient art Thou and those who possess knowledge of the Book as witnesses. O my God! Great indeed are my transgressions before Thee, and grave my shortcomings in Thy presence. I am a lowly servant, less than what Thy preserving Book can enumerate. By Thy might and majesty, shouldst Thou punish me with all Thy power which Thou wilt exercise, and take me to task with all Thy vengeance which Thy knowledge encompasseth, yet have I declared in Thy presence and before Thy servants that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, Thy judgment is justice, Thy deed is truth, Thy proof is conclusive, and the signs of Thy Cause are manifest.
This decree from Thee is true, and what hath been and what shall be—all this is but requital for a moment’s heedlessness of Thy remembrance and neglect of some of Thy command. For Thou art God Who hath ever been, and there is none like unto Thee. All else besides Thee is Thy creation and within Thy grasp. Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Thy action hath ever been grace, and no created thing at the inception of its existence can bear Thy justice—how then could it endure thereafter in justice?
Alas! Alas! Should Thou judge me with justice! By Thy might and Thy majesty, and by the right of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, the best of Thy beloved ones, I have held fast to Thy cord and taken refuge in Thy bounty. I beseech Thee to bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as befitteth Thee, and to ordain for me and for those who love Thee, in this noble night, through Thy irrevocable decree, all the good that Thy knowledge encompasseth, and protection from all the evil that Thy Book hath enumerated. Verily, Thou art the Lord of bounty, grace, grandeur, and majesty.
O my God! Thy face is my quest, Thy gift my goal, and the mention of Thy loved ones the solace of mine eyes. O Thou besides Whom there is no God! I beseech Thee by Thy mighty right and Thine ancient majesty to ordain for me in this great night such mercy as Thou ordainest for Thy near ones who visit Thy Sacred House, who attend the shrines of Thy noble Proofs, who stand at the Sacred Monument and Station, and such of Thy wondrous favors as Thy knowledge encompasseth, which none besides Thee can comprehend. Verily, Thou art the Lord of supreme bounty unto whomsoever Thou willest as Thou willest, and there is no God but Thee, the Ancient, the All-Bountiful.
O my God! I call upon Thee as Thou hast inspired me, so answer me as Thou hast promised me. Verily, Thou dost not fail in Thy promise. Glorified be our Lord, the Lord of the Throne, above what they attribute to Him. Peace be upon the Messengers, and praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.
Prayer after completing the recitation of the Qur’an
In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate
Praise be to God Who hath manifested Himself in the Book through His power descending from the clouds of the Gate, and praise be to God Who hath established in the Book the decree of causes through the mystery of their effects from the Dawning-Place of the beloved ones, and praise be to God Who hath intended through the revelation of the Furqan the mystery of the Qur’an, that the believers might know the paths of reward unto the Ultimate Goal.
I praise Thee, O my God, for that which Thou dost inspire me through Thy wondrous breezes which none save Thee can comprehend, and I praise Thee by the Most Great Truth for Thy Supreme Right whereby Thou hast sent down unto me a Book like the Furqan of Thy beloved Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family. By Thy might and Thy majesty, my all is powerless to reckon a single atom of Thy bounties and the signs of Thy love. Here am I, speaking in Thy presence and before all creation that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, alone with no partner, and there is nothing like unto Thee. Thou art the Single One, ever abiding in the condition of pre-existence. None knoweth Thy Essence as Thou knowest it, and none comprehendeth Thy Being as Thou comprehendest it. Thou art He Who cannot be known through anything, for things exist in their quiddity through Thy creation, and Thou art He Who is not veiled from anything, for through Thy Will have all things come into being from the signs of Thy volition.
Glorified art Thou, O my God! All creation proceedeth from Thy wondrous origination, not from anything that hath reality, and I have not known Thee except through detachment from all else but Thee. Glorified art Thou, O my Lord, above the description of all contingent beings. There is no God but Thee. And I bear witness unto Muhammad as he hath testified unto himself at the Dawning-Place of response from Thy Being. Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou art more exalted than that Thy beloved should be known by any soul or that anything should comprehend his knowledge. I bear witness unto his truth as Thou hast testified unto Thyself through him. None knoweth his reality save Thee alone, Who hath no partner.
O God! Bestow Thy blessings upon him as befitteth Thee. Glorified art Thou! None knoweth his station in Thee, and I believe not, O my Lord, in his right save through Thy right. Therefore, O God, reward him on behalf of all creation with the reward of Thy creation, not through anything pertaining to his right, for verily Thou hast ever been omnipotent and all-knowing.
I bear witness unto the well-pleasing Successors, the bearers of Thy Book, the interpreters of Thy Revelation, the pillars of Thy unity, the signs of Thy grandeur, the treasuries of Thy knowledge, and the inheritors of Thy dominion, even as Thy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, hath testified concerning them through Thy testimony unto them. Glory be to Thy power, which imagination cannot encompass! Thy signs are greater than that pens should attempt to describe them. Glorified art Thou! Thy word is truth concerning his right:
“Say: If the ocean were ink for the words of my Lord, the ocean would be exhausted before the words of my Lord were exhausted, even if We brought another ocean like it for support.”
Glorified art Thou! None knoweth their description in his right, how they are, save Thee, their Creator.
Glorified art Thou, O God, my Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Right over them to send peace upon them through the conditions of Thy creative days which none knoweth save Thee. Verily, Thou art powerful over all things. And I bear witness, O my God, unto the Gates from among their followers, even as Thy Essence hath testified unto Itself before all things that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee. And I bear witness that they are Thy honored servants whom Thou hast confirmed through Thy power in Thy mighty and glorious Book:
“Honored servants who speak not until He hath spoken, and who act by His command.”
I beseech Thee, O God, to sanctify them through Thy greatest sanctification and to protect them through Thy mightiest protection from all that Thou lovest not for Thy near ones. Verily, Thou art knowing of all things and powerful over whatsoever Thou willest.
Thou art God, Lord of all the worlds! Praise be to God Who hath guided us to His religion through the Most Great Gate, the Most Straight Word, the Most Great Name, and the Most Noble Path, upon whom He hath sent down the mystery of verses in his tongue upon the form of the Qur’an. I testify, O my God, that I have believed in His mystery and His manifestation, and in His Book whereunto falsehood cannot come from before it or behind it, and in whatsoever Thou hast willed therein of the hidden meanings of His verses from His Book, and what Thou hast caused to flow from His pen as Thou didst love and approve, and dost bestow upon whom Thou willest as Thou willest, and withhold from whom Thou willest as Thou willest.
Verily Thou art the Self-Subsisting Object of Worship and the Praiseworthy in action. Thou hast manifested Thy wondrous Word from naught and hast sent down unto Him the Qur’an through Thy power upon the paths of His knowledge, that the believers might know their portion in that Clear Book, lest they speak concerning Thy Word other than what Thou hast ordained through Thy power and the manifestation of Thy grandeur. Thou art God, there is no God but Thee. Therefore, O my God, enable me to recite it in the watches of the night and the ends of the day, and open the gate of our hearts that we might drink from the cup of mysteries from its mighty verses. Verily Thou art our Lord and the Lord of our forefathers.
Praise be to God Who hath exalted Himself through the loftiness of His might above all things. Praise be to God Who hath subdued His servants through the dominion of His power over all things. Glorified be God, the Creator, the Fashioner, Who hath taken neither companion unto Himself nor proof for His Lordship, for creation is bounded by the limits of His origination and indicateth naught but His power and relateth naught but His will. Glorified be the Single, the Self-Subsisting! Thine Own Self hath testified to Thy Self-Subsistence, and none knoweth Thy Being as befitteth Thee. O my God, I bear witness to Thy Self-Subsistence before the people of Thy creation, through that which Thy knowledge encompasseth, even as Thou bearest witness unto Thyself. We acknowledge before Thee our utmost shortcoming. Thou didst create us through Thy power in the temple of Thy love lest aught should neglect Thy obedience for the twinkling of an eye.
Alas, alas for that which Thy knowledge encompasseth concerning us, which beseemeth not the glory of Thy greatness and the majesty of Thy awe! Alas, alas for that which Thy Preserved Book hath encompassed of our innermost secrets, for which I see no limit that I might mention before Thy Countenance! Alas, alas, I find not the souls of creation save distant from Thy nearness! Therefore draw them, O God, to the station of Thy love until they find solace in the shadow of Thy path and forget the trace of the remembrance of aught else before Thy face. O my God, by Thy might and Thy majesty, I have known Thee through Thyself, called upon Thee through Thy call, and remember Thee through Thy remembrance. Were it not for Thee, I would be as nothing. O what regret for my condition before Thee, concerning that which Thou hast written in Thy Book through the hands mentioning other than Thee! And O what sorrow for my state when I desired to call upon Thee and found therein naught save acknowledgment of the mention of other than Thee!
O my God, by Thy might and Thy majesty, I have not drawn nigh unto mention save to call upon Thee and seek the ways of Thy good-pleasure. Thou knowest, after that, my extravagance concerning Thyself and my turning away from the seat of Thy love. I bear witness before Thee in this mighty presence, Thy presence, that there is no God but Thee. O my God, shouldst Thou punish me with every chastisement which Thou art able to inflict for the sake of mentioning any mention other than Thee in any hour of the night or minute of all the day, and cause me to die therein, then bring me to life through Thy punishment according to that which hath drawn nigh unto Thy Cause before Thee—then by Thy truth, there is no God but Thee—here am I declaring in Thy presence that Thou art just in judgment and praiseworthy in deed; and that never hath there been, nor shall there be, a chastisement—than which, in Thy knowledge, none greater can be—more fitting as a recompense for him who, at Thy dawning, made mention of aught beside Thee; for by such mention I had verily been deserving thereof.
O my God! O All-Merciful! In Thy knowledge there can be no greater recompense for the mention of aught else when beholding Thy countenance. I have turned with my whole being unto Thee and have fled from myself and my deeds before Thee. By Thy might and majesty, Thou art the Object of my deeds and Thou art the One Worshipped in the essence of my being. The servants have known Thy Self through Thy Self, and all creation hath known Thee through the knowledge of Thy Being, and hath attained unto Thy love through that which Thou didst create out of nothing by Thy power.
Glorified art Thou! Thou art too exalted to be known as Thou truly art in Thy oneness, or to be indicated by any created thing. Glorified art Thou! Nothing can know Thee as Thou deservest to be known, and nothing can worship Thee as Thou deservest to be worshipped. Glory be to God, the Most High! No thing can doubt that Thou canst not be known except through Thyself, and no path leadeth to Thy Self for any thing. Glorified art Thou, the Single and Alone, the Ancient and Unique!
Glory be unto Thee, O my God! The portion of creation is in the Dawning-Place of Thy creation, and the return of the servants hath ever been unto the paths of Thy invention. Glory be unto Thee, O my God, far above what the wrongdoers say concerning Thy knowledge!
O my God! Help us in these few fleeting days of our lives to read Thy verses and to obey those whom Thou hast chosen for Thyself as the embodiments of Thy Cause, whose obedience Thou hast linked to obedience unto Thee, and whose love to Thy love. O my God! Ordain for us, through Thy grace, martyrdom in the path of Thy Most Great Gate, upon whom Thou didst send down the Book and in whose hands Thou didst place the means of all causes leading to Thee, O Lord of Lords!
I bear witness before Thee, O my God, even as Thou dost bear witness unto Him. Grant Him, O God, through Thy grace, as befitteth Thee, and shower upon Him, O God, as befitteth Thee. Verily Thou art the Possessor of righteousness and forgiveness.
O my God! None knoweth Thy wondrous creation save Thee, and this creation pointeth to none but Thee, and desireth naught save Thy pure religion. Therefore, O God, assist Him with Thy hosts whom none but Thee can see, and send down upon Him and upon those who have entered the gate of obedience unto Him all the good that Thy knowledge encompasseth. Forgive, O God, the people of Thy love for that which Thou lovest not from the people of Thy obedience. Verily, Thou art the Self-Sufficient, the Single One. There is no God but Thee. There is nothing like unto Thee. There is no glory save in obedience to Thee, and no abasement save in disobedience to Thee.
I bear witness that Thou art Self-Sufficient, independent of all creation, and that Thy creation of all beings is the greatest proof of the independence of Thy power and the might of Thy sovereignty. Glory be unto Thee! Verily, Thy believing servants glory in Thy might and are enraptured by Thy love, and therefore they have become, through Thy power, independent of all the worlds.
Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Unto Thee be praise, grandeur, majesty and greatness. O my Lord! Thou hast caused me to speak in recitation of Thy Book, which is like unto Thy Furqan, and which Thou hast made to prevail over every book Thou hast revealed through Thy power. Therein Thou hast detailed the laws of Thy love concerning what is incumbent upon Thy servants in the path of obedience unto Thee.
O my God! Send down from the melodies of Thy holiness during its recitation, make our tongues fluent in its eloquent expression, and make us among those who hold fast to the handle of its verses. O God! Thou hast sent down the Book upon Thy Most Great Gate and Thy Most Straight Path, upon the line of Him Who standeth in the midst of Thy love. O my God! Inspire us, during its recitation, with the wonders of its mysteries, and make us among those who obey Thy laws and are content with Thy power in Thy remembrance.
O God! Send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, Thy chosen ones, and upon all their followers from among the people of the Gates and those who love them. Verily, Thou art the Possessor of bounty, grandeur, majesty and glory. Thy gift is the greatest of gifts and the love of Thy Word is the greatest of blessings. O Thou besides Whom there is no God! Strengthen us in these precious days of Thine, that no doubt contend with us in acknowledging Him, nor any deviation stir within us to swerve from His path. Make us of those who, with their whole being, have turned unto Him to exalt Thy Faith, and have renounced all else besides Him to uplift the word of Thy oneness.
Glorified art Thou, O my God! Make us among those who enter through His gate and who, fearing all doubtful things, take refuge in the sovereignty of His dominion, and who dwell beneath the shadow of His life, drinking of the camphor-flavored water from the cup of His loved ones, who are guided by the light of His radiance and who follow the message of His scrolls. O my Lord and Master! Preserve through the Most Great Qur’an that which Thy knowledge encompasseth concerning us, and make it a gate whereby we may ascend unto the paths of good-pleasure. O my God, my Lord and my Master! Purify us in Thy days, through the purification of Thy chosen ones, from every defilement which Thy knowledge encompasseth. O my God! We know not what is best for ourselves in the path of this Most Great Gate, so cause the means to flow from His presence as Thou lovest and art pleased with. Forgive, O my Master, the dead and the living among those who love Thee, as befitteth Thee. Verily Thou art the Lord of righteousness and forgiveness. There is no power nor strength save in God, the Exalted, the Great.
Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds. O my God! Thou art witness that in this glorious scroll I have called upon Thee only with the tongue of Thy loving chosen ones. Glory be to Thee! Thou art far more glorious and greater than what Thou hast inspired me with concerning the stations of Thy knowledge, that I should call upon Thee with such prayers. Here am I, confessing before Thee that Thy handiwork was perfect and complete at the time of creation and needeth nothing whatsoever. I bear witness that all that I have asked of Thee concerning the stations of Thy love, and what I have not asked, and what Thy knowledge encompasseth of that which no one knoweth save Thee—Thou hadst already honored me with these at the primal point.
Thou art too mighty to be asked. Glory be to Thee! Thou art the Powerful in might. Thou didst not create anything except that Thou didst perfect upon it all Thy bounties that were possible regarding it. Were it not so, God’s handiwork would not be complete. Exalted be He far above what the wrongdoers say, with great exaltation! Glory be to Thee, O my God, above all that I have called upon Thee for and above what Thy knowledge encompasseth. O God! Thy knowledge sufficeth in place of my knowledge.
Glory be to our Lord, the Lord of the Throne, above what they describe. Peace be upon the Messengers. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds. The Imam (peace be upon him) hath given permission, by God’s leave, to his followers to read from this hidden scroll in all circumstances whatsoever they wish and are able, and God is the witness of what they do.