BB00687: Prayer for Laylatu’l-Qadr

Part 1: “Praise be to God Who created the heavens…”

In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate!

Praise be to God Who created the heavens and the earth by His command; then those who have believed in God and His signs shall indeed be gathered unto Him. O my God! How can I call upon Thee when Thou hast never been known save through Thyself, and Thou art even as Thou hast ever been, nothing having been with Thee? Glorified art Thou! Verily, Thou art God, the Single, the One, the Self-Subsisting, Whom none can know save Thyself. Thou art the Just One. If I say “Thou art Thou,” then likeness would be compared to likeness, yet Thou canst never be known thereby. And if I say “He is Thou,” then Oneness would indicate the essence of creation and Unity the reality of invention, which in itself decisively proves and distinctly separates created things through exclusion, for Thou hast never been associated with Thy creation nor described by Thy servants. Indeed, Thine Essence is the camphorated Essence which, by its very being, separates material things from the mention of Names and Attributes, and prevents realities from attaining to the station of explanation and the Divine Essence.

O my God! Thou art He Who created me, sustained me, caused me to know Thee, then guided me and strengthened me. Thou hast ever manifested Thyself to me through me, through what Thou art in the Names of the manifestations of the Essence and the appearances of the condition of Attributes. And in every condition I fall short of another condition—were Thou to chastise me for all eternity by the everlastingness of Thine Essence alone, I would truly deserve it. Thou art the Praiseworthy in Thy deeds and the Obeyed in Thy judgment. Verily, O my God, I am possessed of the greatest disobedience and the gravest of offenses, such that were anyone else to bear what I have borne while Thou willest for him the punishment of justice, he would surely perish.

Would that all who dwell in the heavens and on earth perish in an instant! O my God! I implore Thy forgiveness, for my very existence is a sin with which no other sin can compare. How can I not seek Thy forgiveness when Thou art the Possessor of boundless mercy and eternal forgiveness? O my God! Thou art the Beloved Who hast ever called me unto Thee and drawn me to the precincts of Thy nearness. If I say “Thou art the Living Beloved,” the essence of Thy creation belies me, for at all times created things can know naught save their own station and perceive naught but the dictates of their own selves. And if I say “Thou art the Almighty,” this too bespeaks powerlessness.

Thou hast created me within myself that I might know Thee as One Who cannot be described through Thy creation, nor indicated by the signs of Thy dominion, nor limited, nor sensed, nor described, nor touched. Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! Thou art He Who hath numbered all things, Thou art He Who hath honored all things, Thou art He Who hath ordained all things, Thou art He Who hath guided all things, Thou art He Who hath ennobled all things, Thou art He Who hath strengthened all things.

Through Thy call was I made noble, and through Thy remembrance was my being made mighty. Thou art the Exalted, the Powerful, the Trusted, the All-Bountiful, Who hath ever been mighty to do what Thou willest, as Thou willest, by what Thou willest. None can resist Thy bidding, none can alter Thy word, and none can exhaust Thy signs.

I beseech Thee, O God, by Thy Self and the greatness of Thy names and attributes, to call me unto Thee in every condition secretly, that I might act for Thee openly. Grant me complete detachment unto the light of joy, and join me to the summit of union in the midst of the light of majesty and beauty.

Glory be unto Thee! Thy Essence is sanctified above the loftiest bird of all contingent beings taking wing toward it, and Thy Being is exalted above the most elevated abstractions attempting to know it. Thou art nearer to me than my own self, and more generous to me than all else, for Thy bounty hath no cause save Thyself and no splendor save the knowledge of Thy Essence. Thou hast ever revealed Thyself to me through me, through the essence of the light of Thy oneness, the holy names of Thy mercy, and the manifestations of the glory of Thy Being.

Glory be unto Thee! My back is laden with the transgressions of my outward self to such degree that I cannot praise Thy Being. Alas, alas for that which hath befallen my heart, which I cannot reveal before Thy creatures! O my God! By Thy might, Thou knowest my secret and my public self. In no matter have I sought aught save the manifestation of the light of Thy oneness and the attainment of the precincts of nearness to Thy chosen ones. Thou art the Lord Whom nothing in the heavens or on earth can overwhelm. Thou ordainest what Thou willest as Thou willest, and withholdest from whom Thou willest as Thou willest, by what Thou willest.

This is a night the like of which the Book hath never recorded. I beseech Thee, O God, by the majesty of the countenance of Thy Self-Subsistence, by the glory of the light of Thy Self-Sufficiency, by the signs of the dominion of Thy All-Compelling power, and by the conditions of the manifestations of Thy Self-Sufficiency, to bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad with all that belongeth unto Thee of the conditions of Thy mercy, the manifestations of Thy oneness, the revelations of Thy might, and whatsoever belongeth unto Thee of the effects of Thy power and the manifestations of Thy Self-Sufficiency, through Thy bounty and generosity. Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful.

O my God! My supplication is before the perpetual might of Thy oneness, and my station is before the eternal Self-Sufficiency. By Thy might, Thou knowest my secret and my public self, and I bear witness that this is a sin unequaled by any sin in the kingdom of Thy creation and Thy command. Thou art the Mighty, the Living, from Whose knowledge nothing escapeth and from Whose might nothing is beyond reach. I beseech Thee by Thy bounty to grant us on this night that which emanates from the manifestations of Thy Lordship’s revelation and the holy breathings of Thy Divine Unity, and that which Thou art able to bestow from Thy wondrous breathings which none can reckon save Thee. O my God! Thou art He Who hath witnessed my disobedience, yet pardoned me, and Who hath seen my transgressions, yet shown forbearance toward me. By Thy might and Thy majesty, if Thou shouldst chastise me throughout all eternity by virtue of Thy holy Self-Subsistence with every torment within Thy power throughout endless time, then by Thy Truth which none knoweth save Thee, I would deserve such recompense.

Alas, alas, how can I mention Thee, O my God, when I have performed no good deed that Thou lovest and approvest? How could I remain silent before Thy holy Self-Sufficiency when I behold Thy dealings with those servants who are nigh unto Thee, who delight in Thy remembrance, who find repose in nearness to Thee, and who yearn for the beauty of Thine Essence? Verily, it hath ever been Thy way to show favor, and Thy practice to make manifest. Should Thou forgive me and admit me into the chambers of paradise among those servants nigh unto Thee, this would be of Thy grace toward me and Thy generosity unto me, even as Thou didst create me in the first day when I was nothing.

And should Thou punish me with the utmost severity of vengeance and wrath, and command the angels to cast me into the fire, then by Thy might I would cry out to Thee therein and lament my remoteness from Thee, and would make known unto its denizens that I am a servant who hath said:

“I testify that there is no God but Thee, alone with no partner. Thou hast ever been without the existence of aught else, and wilt ever remain without mention of aught else. Ever hast Thou been the Describer of Thine own Self unto Thyself, and the Unifier of Thine own Essence with Thine Essence. None besides Thee can comprehend Thy oneness or bear witness to Thy Self-Sufficiency, for Thou hast never been known through Thy creation nor described through Thy servants. When any besides Thee make mention of Thee, they but mention Thy creation, and when they unify Thee, they but acknowledge Thine invention, for Thou art far exalted above being described by the attributes of contingent things and what resembleth them, and sanctified beyond being characterized by the qualities of existent things and what correspondeth to them.”

So glorified art Thou! Glorified art Thou! I speak, yet I fear not Thy justice and watch for Thy grace and rely upon Thee, O my God. Thou art He Who hath ever known His own Self, and wilt forever be even as Thou hast ever been. None of Thy creation shall ever know Thee, and none of Thy servants shall ever describe Thee, for Thy Essential Reality hath severed all beings from mention of the Essence among essences, and Thy Reality hath separated all existent things from mention of attributes among attributes. Should I say “Thou art Thou,” Thy Self and all Thy creation would give me the lie, for the servant can never know the Essence of his Lord nor unify the Reality of his Creator. Rather, in all conditions he knoweth the bounds of his own self and describeth openly his own reality.

Glorified art Thou! Glorified art Thou! Thou art nearer than all things through Thy Self, and Thou art more exalted than all things through Thine Essence. Thou acceptest from the servants what none else would accept, and Thou commandest creation with authority that none else would command. Thou art He Who brought me into being, and hast ever remembered me. Thou art He Who originated me, and hast ever sustained my form. Unto Thee be praise, O my God, praise resplendent, brilliant, holy, radiant, gleaming, eternal, endless, which transcendeth all things and excelleth all things—praise befitting Thine Essence, describing Thy Court, and gathering beneath the shadow of Thy Self-Sufficiency—praise which Thou lovest and approvest, and which Thou makest the description of Thy Self by Thy Self among the creation, and the characterization of Thine Essence by Thine Essence among the servants.

Glorified art Thou! Thou art exalted above all existent things through the transcendence of Thy Self, and Thou art sanctified beyond the glorification of contingent things through the holiness of Thine Essence. How then can I render thanks unto Thee when Thou hast ever been beyond the knowledge of any save know Thee, for that with which I call upon Thee is but a manifestation of the revelations of Thy Lordship, and an attribute from the holy fragrances of Thy mercy, and a bounty from the manifestations of the vast ocean of Thy omnipotence. Glorified art Thou! Thou art He Who hath made the sign of Thy reality and Thy Lordship to appear in the horizons and in the souls, that through it they may recognize Thy oneness, and Thou art He Who hath made the mirror of the souls souls of the unitarians to be the dawning-places of Thy light.

Ah! Ah! By Thy glory, which no thing can equal, Thou hast revealed Thyself to me through me and hast remembered me amidst the concourse of Thy creation. And I, by my condition which hath no standing save through Thy remembrance of me, can never worship Thee as befitteth Thy servants, nor know Thee as befitteth how Thou hast revealed Thyself to me through the manifestation of Thy sovereignty. Glorified, glorified art Thou! Thou hast ever been the Munificent, the Bestower, while I am the negligent, the prodigal. How can I mention myself before the surging ocean of Thy grandeur? The very mention of my existence is a sin that hath no equal in Thy dominion and no likeness in Thy wrath. If Thou shouldst desire to punish me for this sin throughout the eternity of Thy duration, the perpetuity of Thy omnipotence, and the confines of Thine everlasting self-subsistence, I would indeed deserve it. Thou art praised in Thy deeds and obeyed in Thy judgment. This judgment, which hath no equal before Thy omnipotence, is naught but pure truth, even as Thy reality.

Ah! Ah! I am he who hath disobeyed the Almighty of the heavens and the Throne by mentioning His Self, and I am he who hath turned away from the King of earth and heaven by making mention of His Essence. For He hath ever been too exalted to be known through His servants or to have the countenance of His Being described by any of His creatures. Glorified and exalted is He Who hath created all contingent things through His origination and hath made known to them the path of their love at the station of their creation, lest anyone be veiled from the countenance of His Will in anything, and that they might behold Him as a witness, present in all things, that there is no God but Him, the Powerful, the All-Bountiful, Who bestoweth upon whomsoever He willeth whatsoever He willeth as He willeth, and withholdeth from whomsoever He willeth as He willeth whatsoever He willeth. We acknowledge that He is the Most Merciful of the merciful in the realm of pardon and mercy, and the most severe of punishers in the station of might and power.

O my God! Thou art He before Whose holy court no description by Thy servants hath ever been befitting, nor can the hearts of all created things ever oppose the countenance of Thy divine omnipotence. For Thine Essence hath ever severed all contingent things and separated all existing things, and it beseemeth no one to say concerning Thee “Thou art Thou,” for Thou hast ever been singular in the unity of Thine Essence and in the knowledge of Thy Self. What the servants attain is but the station of their own selves and the ranks of their own identities which were created in them for the recognition of the stations of Thy command and prohibition, and for ascending to the place of Thy good-pleasure and the most glorious spirit of Thy forgiveness.

Ah! Ah! Is there anyone, O my God, who readeth these prayers and prostrateth not before the greatness of Thy countenance and forgetteth not himself before the presence of Thy Self-Subsistence? Nay, by Thy glory! I, by that condition than which I know of nothing lower in Thy knowledge, would be ashamed to say nay. How then could the hearts of the unitarians be content with anything else? Thou art indeed the Munificent, the Powerful, the All-Wise.

O my God! Since this night is the middle of Thy Greatest Month, wherein Thou didst ordain the Night of Power and made it better than a thousand months, and wherein Thou didst send down the Qur’an upon Thy beloved Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family, I beseech Thee by his right that Thou make us to be among those who are successful in remembering Thee through Thy remembrance, who are content with Thy decree, who are thankful for Thy favors, who are supplicants at Thy gate, who place their trust in Thee, and who hold fast to Thy cord, through Thy grace and favor. Verily Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful, from Whose knowledge nothing escapeth and from Whose judgment nothing can flee.

And Thou art He Who will judge between all things with Thy justice on the Day of Resurrection, even as Thou dost now judge the believers with Thy grace. Glorified art Thou, glorified art Thou! I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy generosity, to send down in that hour Thy mercy upon the graves of the repositories of Thy Cause, the mines of Thy wisdom, the places of Thy manifestation, and the dawning-places of Thy deeds—those trusted ones whom Thou hast chosen for Thyself, with whom Thou art well-pleased to share Thy secret, whom Thou hast selected for Thy providence, whom Thou hast singled out for Thy good-pleasure, and whose obedience Thou hast linked with obedience unto Thee.

Their knowledge is through Your knowledge, and their disobedience is through Your disobedience, in all that is attributed to them as is attributed to You, due to Your exalted station and Your supreme greatness, which nothing can attain and nothing can comprehend. Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! Bestow Thy blessings and peace upon them through all Thy signs, Thy fragrances, Thy manifestations, and Thy blessings, and through all that Thou art in the effects of Thy dominion, the attributes of Thy mercy, the expressions of Thy divinity, and all that Thou art in the manifestations of Thy sovereign power throughout eternity. Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! Far exalted art Thou above what the wrongdoers say regarding Thy signs!

O my God! Thou seest my station on this night before Thee and bearest witness to my private and public acts. I desire in all things to love only what Thou lovest and to detest only what Thou detestest. And if my soul hath committed any grievous sin, it was not to deny Thy oneness nor to reject Thy divinity, but rather because the desires of its own self overcame it, and it accepted disobedience to Thee in hope of Thy gracious pardon. For none would be content to oppose Thy Self after having loved Thee or having recognized the power of Thy sovereignty.

Part 2: “Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee!…”

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! Thou art He Who forgiveth whomsoever Thou willest as Thou willest, and chastiseth whomsoever Thou willest as Thou willest. None can resist Thy command, none can reverse Thy judgment, and there is no end to the manifestations of Thy mercy. Glory be unto Thee! Thou art the Almighty, the Supreme, the Munificent, the Generous, Who created me before I was anything in Thy dominion, and Who provideth for me at every moment through Thy sovereignty and Thy self-subsistence that which I do not deserve in any measure. This is naught but Thy generosity toward me and Thy forgiveness of my sins—for what am I and what are my deeds?

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! By Thy might! Were I to mention the grievous sins of my soul and my manifest transgressions before Thee, Thy servants would be ashamed to mention me in their presence. How then would be my state before the countenance of Thy might and the hands of Thy mercy? This is that before which the heavens and earth cannot stand, for Thou art He Who hath strengthened me through Thy generosity, honored me through the assistance of Thy holiness and the manifestations of Thy divinity. Thou dost not wish to take me to task for my sins nor question me about my transgressions, for Thy generosity hath ever encompassed me and Thy mercy hath ever embraced me. No justice toward anything is possible in Thy judgment, for if Thou shouldst desire to judge anything with justice, all who are in the heavens and earth would perish instantly.

Alas, alas! Woe unto me, then woe unto me, shouldst Thou take me to task for what my hands have wrought, or call me to account for what I have done in private or in public, or punish me for that which I deserve before the court of Thy self-subsistence! Alas, alas! Woe unto me, then woe unto me, shouldst Thou seize me with Thy judgment, or reckon with me through Thy justice, or remove me from Thy nearness! By Thy might and Thy majesty, and there is no power nor strength except through Thee, were Thou to promise those who have recognized Thy truth, feared Thy justice and hoped for Thy reward with the fire of Thy hell, and promise those who have denied Thy Cause, befriended [the enemies of] Thy friends, and warred against those near to Thy chosen ones with Thy good-pleasure—then by Thy truth, which I have no power to mention except through Thee, I would be content with Thy fire and would submit to Thy commands, and would desire nothing save Thy love.

Alas, alas! Verily the hearts of them that have recognized Thy countenance are prostrate before Thee, and the hearts of them that have professed Thy unity are enraptured by Thy remembrance, and the souls of them that yearn for Thee eagerly seek Thy good-pleasure.

I beseech Thee therefore, O my God, by Thy bounty in this hour of this night wherein I have presented myself before Thy chosen ones, to grant me a station from the light of Thy unity, and a token from the manifestation of Thy Lordship, and a sign from the signs of Thy divinity, that I may make mention of Thee before the court of Thy power even as Thou hast ever made mention of Thyself from time immemorial, that Thou art God, the Single, the One, the Self-Subsisting, the Unique, Whom nothing can know and no servant can describe, inasmuch as the essence of all things by its very nature severs all beings from the mention of Names and Attributes, and the reality of material things by its very nature prevents all realities from the mention of Names and Attributes.

Thou shalt never be known through similitudes nor bounded by likenesses. Glorified art Thou! Thou Who hast ever been the All-Knowing and none can be known at Thy level. Glorified art Thou! Thou Who hast ever been the All-Powerful and nothing had power beside Thee, and even now the decree remaineth thus.

Glorified art Thou! When certain philosophers could not gaze upon the countenance of Thy Self-Subsistence in the station of knowledge, they confused the signs of Thy dominion with the manifestations of Thine Essence, and thus described Thee in ways that knew Thee not. Glorified art Thou! Even if they knew Thee, they could not describe Thee. Glorified art Thou! Glorified art Thou!

O my God, I know not how to mention my condition before Thee, for Thou hast ever been the Counter of my deeds and transgressions in such wise that I cannot enumerate them. Glorified art Thou! If I weep for my disobedience, Thy dealings with those near unto Thee bring me joy; and if I weep for my transgressions, Thy way with the sinful fills me with longing.

Glorified art Thou! Thou art the Single, the One, the Unique, the Self-Subsisting, Whom no description from anything can grasp, nor any attribute from anything can reach, nor can any reality truly attain the court of Thy nearness, for Thou hast ever been the Beloved Who by Thine Essence hath severed all realities from the station of the Self, and by Thy Being hath separated all material things from the station of mentioning attributes.

Sufficient is it as a sin that I say “Thou art Thou,” for this is pure falsehood before Thy Self-Subsisting Presence and manifest untruth before the majesty of Thy mighty Countenance. Alas! Alas! This is an hour wherein Thou rejectest no one’s prayer and hast guaranteed an answer to each of Thy servants.

I beseech Thee by the right of Thy Light which shone forth unto Moses, son of Imran, on Mount Sinai, whereupon he swooned away before Thy presence, and when he recovered said:

“Glorified art Thou! I turn unto Thee, and I am the first of believers.”

Glorified art Thou! Glorified art Thou!

I beseech Thee by the light of Thy Countenance in Seir, and the manifestation of Thy Being in the Dome of Time, and the revelation of Thy Self-Sufficiency in Beer-sheba, and all Thy manifestations in the stations of creation and command which none save Thee can comprehend—verily Thou art the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

I beseech Thee by Thy right that Thou favor us through Thy grace and honor us through Thy loving-kindness and bring us unto the court of Thy nearness and the station of Thy manifestation, that I may be established upon the throne of Thy mercy before the Midian of Thy might, and describe Thee as Thou describest Thyself: that Thou art God, the Beauty of the heavens and earth, and Thou art God, the Glory of the heavens and earth, and Thou art God, the Grandeur of the heavens and earth, and Thou art God, the Praise of the heavens and earth, and Thou art God, the Kind Lord Whose knowledge encompasseth all things, Whose mercy embraceth all things, Whose power transcendeth all things, and Whose Will exalteth above all things, such that none of Thy creation knoweth what Thou knowest in the stations of Thy might, the signs of Thy Self-Subsistence, the stations of Thy mercy, and the verses of Thy Self-Sufficient manifestations.

Glorified art Thou! Glorified art Thou! I am the servant who hath been neglectful in Thy Cause, and I am the servant who hath forgotten Thy remembrance, and I am he who hath been heedless of the garments of Thy Being, and I am he who desired to unify Thine Essence and thereby acquired the greatest sin and the mightiest transgression, and I am he who desired to describe Thine Essence and thereby bore the grievous sin and grave error of mentioning Thy Self and describing Thine Essence.

I am he who yearned to portray Thy Will; and thereby I found the remembrance of my self set over against Midian, at the dawn of Thy mention, and the Most Great Deep within that which proceedeth from Thy act. Ah, ah! Were I to weep, for as long as Thine Essence endureth, for a single sin among my transgressions, my heart would not be emptied of Thy dominion.

O my God! Thou art the Single, the Self-Subsisting, Whom no description of anything can grasp, nor any attribute of anything define. Thou hast ever been self-sufficient in Thyself apart from all else, just in judgment, obeyed in action, and effective in command. Nothing in the heavens or on earth can rival Thy deed, for verily Thou art the Almighty, the Ever-Living, the Trusted, the Self-Subsisting.

Exalted is Thine Essence above any equivalence with the attributes of essences, and sanctified is Thy Being from any parallel with the description of material things. Thy Self hath ever known Thy Self, none else beside Thee, and Thine Essence hath ever unified Thine Essence, none other than Thee.

Thus do I, in this my station, bear witness that there is no God but Thee, alone with no partner, nothing is like unto Thee, and that Thou art He Who chose Muhammad—peace be upon him and his family—from the midst of contingent being at the station of Thy manifestation, and made his excellence Thine own excellence above all things.

Glorified art Thou and exalted is Thy Self above any comparison with anything ever, and never shall a servant equal Thy Being. Thou art the Exalted above all things and Thou art the Most Exalted above all things. None save Thee hath ever known or will ever know Thine Essence, and none but Thee hath described or will ever describe Thy Being. Glorified art Thou and exalted above what the speakers say of Thy Self and what those who draw comparisons describe of Thy deed, with supreme exaltation.

O my God! Thou art He Who hath decreed, and what Thou hast decreed is inevitable, and Thou art He Who hath ordained, and what Thou hast ordained is inevitable. Glorified art Thou! Sanctified is Thine Essence from being indicated by any attribute of Thine Essence, and exalted is Thy Being from being characterized by any of Thy creation.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! If I fear myself because of Thy justice, my hope in Thee gladdens me, and Thy dealings with those of Thy servants who are nigh unto Thee give me peace; and if I rest upon the throne of hope, Thy affliction and Thy justice frighten me.

Glorified art Thou! By what remembrance shall I turn toward Thee, and by what attribute shall I describe Thy Court? For in my turning away, I cannot glimpse a look at Thy face, and from my evil deeds, I cannot stand before the seat of Thy might. Thou art exalted above all things by the attribute of Thine Essence itself, and Thou art sanctified above all things, and no description of Thine Essence equals Thine Essence, for Thou art the All-Powerful, the Bestower, the Trusted, the Beneficent, Whose Being no being of any of Thy servants can equal.

Glorified art Thou! Thou art the Single, the Self-Subsisting, and the Eternal, the Ever-Living, Whose Essence none can equal. Glorified art Thou, O my God! None knoweth how Thou art except Thee.

O my God! I am he who hath sinned against Thee, and I am he who hath erred after having been certain of Thy judgment, and I am he who hath turned away from the countenance of Thy Being after Thou didst manifest Thyself to me through the signs of Thy oneness. I know not by what tongue I should recount my conditions, nor by what deed I should turn toward Thee, Who art alone with no partner.

O my God! Thou art the One sought after in the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and Thou art the One obeyed in the kingdom of command and creation. If Thou shouldst punish me with all Thy might and vengeance and whatsoever Thou art capable of through Thy power and strength, then by Thy glory I would deserve it, for Thou hast ever been praised in Thy deed and obeyed in Thy sovereignty. Nothing escapes Thy knowledge, nor can anyone be concealed from Thee.

Thou art He Who hath ever been without the description of anything, and will forever remain as One Who cannot be qualified by anything. How can I point to the station of Thy beneficence towards me and Thy bounty within my inmost being? If I say “Thou art Thou,” then verily would Oneness indicate the essential nature of creation and Unity the reality of invention, yet Thou hast ever been beyond description.

Thou canst not be described through Thy creation, nor canst Thou be known through Thy servants. Thou art the Most High, everlasting. Thou art He Who accepteth not any deed from anyone except through sincerity. Thou art He like unto Whom there is nothing. Thou art the Single, the Self-Subsisting, Who hath ever been. Thy Essence transcendeth all substance and expression, and Thy Being ever remaineth beyond all material description and attribute. Ever hast Thou been the Describer of Thine Own Self, and Thine Essence of Thine Own Essence. If I say Thou art He Who is He, verily the very essence of creation and being point to this. Thou art the Eternal, Single, All-Bountiful, Whom nothing in the heavens or earth can overwhelm. Thou art the All-Knowing, Whom nothing can overwhelm or change, and none of Thy servants can comprehend Thy knowledge. For Thou hast ever been the Knower of Thine Own Self, and the Director of Thy dominion through Thy Command. Thou art the Single, the One, the Self-Subsisting, the Unique, the Living, the Worshipped One.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou art He Whom nothing in the heavens or earth can overwhelm, and Thou art the Most Powerful, the Most Exalted. O my God! Thou hast manifested Thyself to all created things through Thy creative power, and hast ordained the path of their knowledge through the signs of Thy invention. Thou hast taught them the stations of Thy might at the ultimate point of connection. By Thy glory! Even if Thou shouldst make all that Thy knowledge encompasses in contingent existence into tormenting fire, then make my entire being as one body and torture me therein through the everlasting might of Thy grandeur—by Thy glory and Thy truth, and there is no might nor power except through Thee—I would still find Thee praiseworthy in Thy deed and obeyed in Thy judgment. Verily, I am deserving of this, and Thou art the Beloved in every condition. Thou art the Beloved in Thy deed and the Obeyed in Thy judgment.

I beseech Thee, O God, by Thy mighty truth and by Thine Own Self, besides Whom there is no God, to bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad—the Manifestations of Thy Self-Subsistence, the Signs of Thy Eternity, the Revelations of Thy Oneness, and the Stations of Thy Grandeur—through what Thou art of the divine manifestations of Thy creation, the celestial fragrances of Thy invention, the holy conditions of Thy sovereignty, the gleaming appearances of Thy heavenly dominion, and what Thou art of that which none knoweth save Thee, through Thy grace and bounty, O Most Generous of the generous ones, and God of all the worlds!

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou art nearer to all things than all things. Glorified and exalted art Thou! Thou didst create me when I was nothing, and nourished me after I had done good. Thy custom in every condition is beneficence, and Thy way in every time is expression. I beseech Thee, O God, by Thy bounty, to bring me to the sacred precinct among those of Thy chosen ones who are near unto Thee, to grant me perfect detachment, the mystery of abstraction, and the light of joy, until I reach the holy depths of majesty and find delight in the lights of bounty at the surging sea of the One in beauty. May I stand before the sanctuary of Thy oneness and acknowledge what Thou hast ordained for me of the signs of Thy might, the sovereignty of Thy Self-Subsistence, and bear witness unto Thyself as Thou bearest witness unto Thyself before all things—that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, alone with no partner.

Ever hast Thou been without mention of any other. Thou art the Describer of Thine Own Self and verily I am describing Thee through Thy description of Thyself. There is no God but Thee, glorified and exalted art Thou above what they describe. Glory be to God, the Lord of the Throne, above what they describe, and peace be upon the believers, and praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.