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Part 1: “Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! There…”

In His Name, the Most High, the Most Great!

Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! There is none other God but Thee. Through Thee have I known Thee, and by Thy call have I ascended unto Thee, and through what Thou hast inspired me of Thy remembrance have I recognized Thy oneness. Were it not for Thee, I would have been as nothing, and were it not for Thee, I would not have drawn near to remembrance, and were it not for Thee, I would not have performed any good deed, and were it not for Thee, I would not have acquired any matter.

Through Thee, O my God, do I exalt Thee above all others, and through Thee, O my Lord, do I sanctify Thee from all else, and through Thee, O my Beloved, do I remember Thee with the beauty of Thy bounty, and through Thee do I contemplate Thee in the majesty of Thy signs. Thou hast ever been what Thou art. Thou canst not be described by any other than Thyself, nor be praised except by Thine own Being, nor be glorified by Thy creation, nor be extolled by Thy dominion, for the existence of others negates Thy Self.

Glorified art Thou, O Beloved, above what is concealed in existence and what is hidden in non-existence. Thou hast ever been the One Who indicateth Thine eternity and Who speaketh forth the praise of Thy grandeur. Through Thy remembrance of Thyself do I exalt Thee above my remembrance of Thee, and through Thy praise of Thine Essence do I sanctify Thee from my praise of Thee. Thou art the One praised in all deeds, and Thou art the Most Exalted through bounty and grace.

The cause of Thy creation hath ever been Thy generosity, and the reason for Thy invention, Thy grace, around which revolve the mill of all contingent beings and move the spheres in the kingdoms of earth and heaven. To Thee belongeth all praise, and through Thee is proof made impossible, for Thine Essence, as it is in itself, is pure and separate in its substantiality from the bounds of knowledge, and Thy Reality, as it is in itself, is simple and detached, cutting off all substantiality from the bounds of utterance.

How can I mention any but Thee, O my Beloved, after Thou hast given me to drink of the water of life in Thy knowledge? And how can I mention myself and its conditions after my awareness of Thy Being and Thy manifestations? By Thy might! It beseemeth not the non-existent to mention non-existence before Thy Ancient Self, O Everlasting One!

Through Thee, O my God, do I turn to Thee, and from Thee do I seek the most glorious spirit before Thee. If I have sinned against Thee, I am but Thy servant, and if I have obeyed Thee, I am still but Thy servant. I feel no sorrow for my disobedience nor joy for my deeds, for with Thee the decree of light and darkness is the same, and the judgment of good and evil is at the level of creation. Verily, the servant, as he is, is that he remember himself with his conditions, and he hath no sin like this and no error similar to this.

How could it not be so? He who saith “Thou art Thou,” how can he dare say “I am I”? By Thy might! I shall ever say “Thou art Thou” and shall not return to myself, nor remember my being, nor cling to the conditions of my heart, for all this is evil before Thee and error in Thy presence. If all seek Thy forgiveness for their sins, I, by Thy might, praise Thee for my sin and have no [regret] for it, for how else would Thy forgiveness be manifested? And if I had not sinned against Thee, from where would Thy protection appear?

Glorified art Thou, O my Beloved! I desire sin that through it the sovereignty of Thy tenderness might be revealed, and I long for error that through it the dominion of Thy mercy might be made manifest, for Thy most exalted attributes and Thy most beautiful names have preceded all creation with fulfillment, and have decreed it with destiny, and have ordained in its regard origination, and have executed in its essence glory. These names are manifest and cannot be concealed, and these attributes are evident and cannot differ. It behooveth the servant, according to his station, to perform in Thy dominion a deed that would manifest Thy wondrous names and reveal Thy hidden attributes.

O Lord! Thou proceedest to reveal Thy subtle attributes, and this is established only through the disobedience of Thy servants and the forgetfulness of the lands. Therefore dost Thou love the places of testimony and the scenes of the servants, that the scrolls of their disobedience may be spread before Thee and the sins of their souls be read upon the carpet of Thy sovereignty. Through this Thou dost manifest Thy wondrous mercy and inscribe upon them Thy subtle favors.

O my God! Thou knowest that this is an exalted night and the final evening, as the nights of this month of Thine and these days of Thy fasting draw to a close. We have witnessed naught against ourselves save what Thou hast witnessed against us. These hours have passed in heedlessness and its moments elapsed in forgetfulness. Thou, O my God, art the King of beneficence and the Ancient of favors. Therefore, bestow upon us as Thou didst bestow upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad and the followers of Muhammad and the servants of Muhammad. For our hands are empty of goodly deeds and our scrolls are void of righteous acts and what Thou lovest from disobedience.

Unto Thee have hands been stretched forth for bounty, and unto Thee have feet been directed for favor. Thou art the Ever-Living Who slumbereth not, the King Who cannot be approached, and the Sovereign Who cannot be wronged. Bestow upon us then, O Lord of Majesty and Bounty, and have mercy upon us, O Lord of Grace and Favor! Enable us to attain every goal and whatever good Thy knowledge encompasseth in the days to come, by the right of Muhammad, Thy beloved, the best of mankind, and by Thy Sacred House, and Fatima the Sacred Month, and Hassan the Corner and Station, and Hussein the Lawful and Forbidden, and the Imams from the seed of Hussein, peace be upon him—the manifestations of Thy signs in the kingdom of creation and the places of Thy revelations in the depths of the heaven of invention.

Verily, Thou art God, the Munificent, possessed of grace, possessed of generosity and glory, possessed of gifts and favors, possessed of bounties and beneficence, possessed of blessings and benevolence. Thy gift, O my God, is the best of gifts, Thy bestowal the best of bestowals, and Thy decree the best of afflictions, for Thou decreest only what befitteth the sovereignty of Thy generosity and ordaineth only what is worthy of the dominion of Thy grace.

Unto Thee be the most glorious splendor in this dark night, and unto Thee be the greatest praise in this deafening trial. Thine is the creation and from Thee is the command, and unto Thee doth everything return in poverty and every thing confesseth its impotence. I beseech Thee in this hour by what Thou lovest from all the people of creation and invention, and what Thou wilt create hereafter through origination and bring into being through innovation.

Thou knowest, O my Beloved, that Thy joy hath ever descended upon the chosen ones among Thy servants, and the gladness of Thy honor hath ever been ordained for those near ones among Thy loved ones. Indeed, Thy month is about to pass from us and Thy days to bid us farewell. I beseech Thee by Thy generosity to seal for us this month of Thine with Thy greatest remembrance and Thy most luminous presence, and to ordain for me and for whom Thou lovest all that Thou hast decreed for Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the greatest dwelling and the hidden horizon.

For Thou art the Lord of generosity and bounty, the King of grace and pre-existence, and the Sovereign of justice and non-existence. Should Thou grant us what we have asked, it would be from Thy all-encompassing grace and Thy perfect generosity. And shouldst Thou deny us what we have mentioned before Thee, Thy decree would be justice wherein there is no tyranny, and Thy ruling would be truth that cannot be reversed.

This would be naught but a favor from Thee regarding my right and a bounty from Thy presence regarding my station, for Thou knowest best the interests of one who turns to Thee in his days. I have no choice save what Thou hast chosen, nor can I ask save what Thou hast graciously bestowed.

O Lord! Thy generosity hath emboldened me to beseech Thee, and Thy bounty hath encouraged me to cherish hope. Thy grace hath moved me to implore Thee persistently and to humble myself before Thee, O Thou Who art the Bestower of gifts and favors!

O Lord! It behooveth One like Thee to be my Lord, while I stand in fear before Thee. O Lord! It behooveth One like Thee to be my Sovereign, while I am imprisoned before the court of Thy glory. O Lord! It behooveth One like Thee to be my King, while I am overcome before Thy servants. O Lord! It behooveth One like Thee to be my Master, while I am abased in the hands of Thy slaves. O Lord! It behooveth One like Thee to be my Lord, while I stand alone before Thee on this mountain. O Lord! It behooveth One like Thee to be my Almighty One, yet I see my rights in the hands of others among Thy servants, whom Thou knowest better than I do and over whom Thou hast more power than I.

By Thy glory! Though this may befit the sovereignty of Thy grandeur, it befitteth not my inherent poverty nor my essential helplessness. How is it that Thou hast named Thyself the All-Compelling, yet dost not hasten to judge Thy servants, though Thou art the Almighty, the All-Powerful? By Thy truth! This befitteth not the sovereignty of Thine eternity, nor is it worthy of the dominion of Thy self-subsistence, nor doth it befit the court of Thy sanctified glory.

For Thou art self-sufficient above all things, while I am worthy of nothing. Yet Thy mercy hath encompassed all things, Thy loving-kindness hath surrounded all things, Thy bounty sufficeth all things, and Thy might subdueth all things. Far be it from One like Thee, O Beloved, though these words of mine may resemble the utterances of the transgressors. By Thy glory! I desire naught but to mention those who are detached, for this is Thy test which Thou hast willed to try me with, and Thy tribulation through which Thou hast ordained to observe me.

By Thy might! I have no path, no refuge, no guide, and no escape. To whom shall I complain when Thou art my God? To whom shall I turn when Thou art my hope? From whom shall I seek severance when Thou art my Sovereign? Whom shall I implore when Thou art my King? To whom shall I cry when Thou art my Master?

Part 2: “By Thy glory! Even shouldst Thou drive me…”

By Thy glory! Even shouldst Thou drive me from Thy door, I would return to Thee, and if Thou shouldst turn me away from Thy presence, I would take refuge in Thy court. For whither can the servant turn save to his Lord? And where can the slave flee save to his Master? No, by Thy glory! I see the paths of all seekers leading to Thee, the ways of detachment ascending toward Thee, the gates of suppliants descending before Thee, the prayers of the hopeful descending before Thee, and the scrolls of all Thy creation spread before Thee.

Thou art He Who hath stretched forth His hands in giving, Who hath favored creation with bounties, Who hath exalted Thyself above all created things through praise, and Who hath transcended all things through glory. Therefore, unto Thee do I pour forth my soul, O my God, and before Thee do I cry out.

This is the month wherein Thou didst free Thy servants from the fire and didst pardon those deserving of punishment. Am I not one of Thy servants? Am I not one of those who belong to Thy kingdom? To whom then shall I turn, when Thou art my Lord? To whom shall I cry, when Thou art my God?

My very traces Thou dost witness, my supplications weigh upon me and Thou hearest them, my tribulations constrict my breast and Thou dost enumerate them, my affairs have become burdensome and Thou art their Creator. I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou dost create whatsoever Thou willest as Thou willest, and bestowest upon whomsoever Thou willest as Thou willest, and favorest whomsoever Thou willest as Thou willest, and gracest whomsoever Thou willest with whatsoever Thou willest, to gaze upon me with a near gaze, grant me a mighty gift, favor me with bountiful bestowals, and ordain for me sincerity through Thy decree which prevaileth in whatsoever Thou willest.

Did any but Thee create all things through the word “Be”? Is any but Thee aware of the secrets within? Nay, by Thy glory! Glory be to Thee and exalted art Thou! It is Thy way to show kindness to them that are nigh unto Thee, and Thy custom to shower favors upon the wayward.

By Thy might! If Thou wishest me to be among the remorseful, I am the first of the penitent; or if among the patient, I am the first of them that seek forgiveness. For by the testimony of creation and its people, and the decree of invention, my very existence is pure sin and my traces mere falsehood.

How then can one whose very being is thus, and whose deeds of selfhood reach such extent, dare mention before Thee his grievous calamities and his great transgressions? Woe, utter woe, if sin be made the means of sin, and the cause of pardon be made transgression!

O my God! Thou art witness that were it not for the necessity of accepting Thy decree and following Thy command, I would declare Thee far above my unity with Thee and my mention of Thy Self. For what am I and what is my measure that I should make mention of Thee? For my mention which riseth from me is according to my measure, not Thine. It is a sin derived from the sin of my existence, and a transgression confirmed by the transgression of my being.

How then can one whose mention before Thee and whose description of Thee is such, how can his seeking Thy forgiveness be the cause of Thy pardon, and his repentance before Thee the cause of Thy grace? Nay, by Thy might! Nothing can save me from Thy wrath save Thy pardon, and naught can bring down Thy gift save Thy grace.

From time immemorial the cause of Thy bounty hath been Thy bounty, and the cause of Thy grace Thy grace, for I was nothing and Thou didst create me. I have no doubt that Thou wilt grant me what is best for me, for Thy bounty preceded my existence and Thy grace was the cause of my manifestation. How then can He Whose custom before my existence was bounty withhold His grace from me after my existence? Nay, by Thy truth! I have thought naught of Thee save the best thoughts, and witnessed from Thee naught save the best intentions.

I have no fear after knowing Thy grace, no abasement after knowing Thy might. My solitude on this mountain doth not dismay me after my intimacy with Thy presence. The calamities of the world do not repel me after knowing Thy mercy, nor do the decrees of the transgressors against my rights grieve me after my certitude in Thy decree and the sovereignty of Thy might.

My Lord! Have mercy on him who is just in Thy dominion, who feareth in Thy kingdom, who fleeth unto the sovereignty of Thy might. Make up for what hath passed from Thy believing servants, and cause them to attain the summit of Thy bounty with Thy detached servants, and bring them to the sacred precinct in Paradise among Thy chosen servants. O my Lord! When I gaze upon the garments of Thy bestowing nature, my heart is cooled as though it were pieces of ice in a frozen sea, but when I look upon myself, my heart is consumed as though by a fire that no water can quench.

By Thy glory! Even if Thou shouldst punish me with the punishment of Thy power, and enlarge my body to the size of Thy heaven and earth, and burn me in the fire such that no one else is tormented but me—by Thy glory, Thou art the Just One in the sovereignty of Thy grandeur, the One Who is obeyed in the kingdom of Thy oneness, the One Who is praised in all Thy deeds and handiwork, and the One Who is thanked in Thy decrees and ordinations. And I, by this, deserve the recompense of denying the pure essence of Thy unity, for the lot of the contingent is torment and the state of the needy is punishment.

Therefore, unto Thee do I flee, O Bestower, and in Thee do I seek refuge, O Oft-Returning! If Thou forgivest none but the believers, whither shall the sinners flee? And if Thou pardonest none but the obedient ones, where shall the rebellious run? From Thee unto Thee do I flee, and from Thee unto Thy presence do I hasten. Thou art the King, the All-Powerful, and the Sovereign, the Administrator.

Be Thou my supporter behind all things and my shelter with all things. Direct through the sovereignty of Thy direction my affairs, and dispose through the dominion of Thy decree my condition, for besides Thee none hath power over anything, and all else besides Thee is needy and cannot accomplish anything. Thine is all creation and command, and in Thy hands are destiny and administration. Every hardship is made easy through Thee.

Therefore, O God, open the gates of joy through Thy grace, and send down, O Lord, the best outcome through Thy might, for none hath power to withhold or bestow in the kingdom of Thy heaven and earth except by Thy leave. All good and all gladness are through Thy will. Nothing can be attributed to Thee, nor raised before Thee, nor dost Thou love it or art pleased with it, that Thou wouldst not obtain, nor can any fugitive flee from Thy dominion. All are within Thy grasp and the sovereignty of Thy decree, and all are under the shadow of Thy will and the dominion of Thy direction.

None attaineth unto any good except through Thy grace, and no soul acquireth evil except through Thy justice, for the signs of Thy sovereignty are manifest and cannot be concealed, and the evidences of Thy mercy are exalted and cannot be withheld. Beloved is he who turneth toward Thee, for the one who turneth shall never be rejected or enslaved, and deprived is he who turneth away from Thee, for the one who turneth away shall forever be banished and prohibited.

Grant me, O my God, in this hour, the best of what Thou hast ordained in Thy kingdom and sent down upon Thy creation. Enable us to attain unto that which Thou lovest and with which Thou art pleased, quench our thirst from the cup of Thy bounty and Thy glory, and grant us complete detachment unto the depths of lights, and ascension unto Thee with the chosen ones among Thy righteous servants, and descent upon Thee with the near ones among Thy virtuous servants, until I am illumined by the light of Thy countenance, O Almighty, and take my portion from the meeting of Thy face, O Concealer, and bear witness before Thee to that which Thou lovest and with which Thou art pleased, O Chosen King, and delight in Thy remembrance in every condition, O Sovereign, the Gracious, the All-Forgiving, and forget everything besides Thee through the sovereignty of Thy might, O Subduer!

Thou art the Knower of secrets and the Witness of what is hidden in hearts. Thou knowest the concealed things in the inmost parts and art aware of what is hidden. Therefore forgive me and all whom Thou lovest as Thou lovest, by Thy hidden Name, and bestow upon me and those whom Thou lovest, through Thy Protected Remembrance—by which when Thou art called upon at the gates of heaven they are opened, and when Thou art called upon in the narrow places of earth they burst forth, and by which the earth was spread out, and the seas flowed, and the sky was raised up, and the trees put forth leaves, and the mountains were lifted up—I beseech Thee by the right of this Most Glorious, Most Mighty, Most Exalted, Most Great, Most Noble, Most Ancient Name, that Thou send blessings upon Muhammad, the Lord of all peoples, and upon the Manifestations of His Self, the Sources of bounty and generosity, in this hour of this dark night, and that Thou send down upon us the sovereign of relief through Thy grace, and aid us with the hosts of the heavens and earth through Thy bounty.

For we have cast ourselves before Thee and committed our affairs into Thy hands. Deal with us as befitteth Thee and do with us as beseemeth Thee and ordain for us what Thou deservest, for Thou hast said—and Thy word is the truth—and taught us Thy prayer and Thy just decree:

“Our Lord! Give us good in this world and good in the hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the fire.”

There is no power nor strength save in God. Our Lord! Cause us to depart with truth and make us among Thy triumphant servants and join us with those of Thy righteous servants who are nigh unto Thee. Verily Thou art God, the Munificent, the All-Forgiving. Glorified be thy Lord, the Lord of Might, above what they describe. And peace be upon the Messengers. And praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.