أللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ،

allāhumma ṣalli ‘alā Muḥammadin wa-ālihi

O Allah, bless Muhammad and his family.

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّ أَحَدًا لَا يَبْلُغُ مِنْ شُكْرِكَ غَايَةً

Allāhumma inna aḥadan lā yablughu min shukrika ghāyah

O Allah, nobody can ever reach the limit of thanking You

إِلَّا حَصَلَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ إِحْسَانِكَ مَا يُلْزِمُهُ شُكْرًا

Illā ḥaṣala ʿalayhi min iḥsānika mā yulzimuhu shukran

Except that Your kindness to him requires him to thank You further

وَلَا يَبْلُغُ مَبْلَغًا مِنْ طَاعَتِكَ وَإِنِ اجْتَهَدَ

Wa lā yablughu mablaghan min ṭāʿatika wa in ijtahada

And no one attains the rank of truly obeying You, even by striving

إِلَّا كَانَ مُقَصِّرًا دُونَ اسْتِحْقَاقِكَ بِفَضْلِكَ

Illā kāna muqaṣṣiran dūna istiḥqāqika bifaḍlika

Except that he always falls short of deserving Your grace

فَأَشْكَرُ عِبَادِكَ عَاجِزٌ عَنْ شُكْرِكَ

Fa-ashkaru ʿibādika ʿājizun ʿan shukrika

Thus, the most grateful of Your servants is weak in thanking You

وَأَعْبَدُهُمْ مُقَصِّرٌ عَنْ طَاعَتِكَ

Wa-aʿbaduhum muqaṣṣirun ʿan ṭāʿatika

And the best worshipper among them falls short in serving You

لَا يَجِبُ لِأَحَدٍ أَنْ تَغْفِرَ لَهُ بِاسْتِحْقَاقِهِ

Lā yajibu li-aḥadin an taghfira lahu bi-istiḥqāqihi

No one deserves forgiveness on account of their own merit

وَلَا أَنْ تَرْضَى عَنْهُ بِاسْتِيجَابِهِ

Wa lā an tarḍā ʿanhu bi-istijābihi

Nor does anyone earn Your pleasure by their own acts

فَمَنْ غَفَرْتَ لَهُ فَبِطَوْلِكَ

Fa-man ghafarta lahu fa-bi-ṭawlika

Whomever You forgive, it is through Your benevolence

وَمَنْ رَضِيتَ عَنْهُ فَبِفَضْلِكَ

Wa-man raḍīta ʿanhu fa-bi-faḍlika

And whomever You are pleased with, it is by Your favor

تَشْكُرُ يَسِيرَ مَا شُكِرْتَهُ وَتُثِيبُ عَلَى قَلِيلِ مَا تُطَاعُ فِيهِ

Tashkuru yasīra mā shukirta wa tuthību ʿalā qalīli mā tuṭāʿu fīh

You reward even a little thankfulness, and grant much for few acts of obedience

حَتَّى كَأَنَّ شُكْرَ عِبَادِكَ الَّذِي أَوْجَبْتَ عَلَيْهِ ثَوَابَهُمْ

Ḥattā ka-anna shukra ʿibādika alladhī awjabta ʿalayhi thawābahum

Until it seems that the thankfulness of Your servants has necessitated their reward

وَأَعْظَمْتَ عَنْهُ جَزَاءَهُمْ

Wa a'ẓamta ʿanhu jazā'ahum

And You have magnified their recompense

أَمْرٌ مَلَكُوا اسْتِطَاعَةَ الاِمْتِنَاعِ مِنْهُ دُونَكَ

Amrun malakū istiṭāʿata al-imtināʿ minhu dūnaka

As if they possessed the strength to abstain from it without You

فَكَافَيْتَهُمْ أَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ سَبَبُهُ بِيَدِكَ فَجَازَيْتَهُمْ

Fa-kāfaytahum aw lam yakun sababuhu biyadika fa-jāzaytahum

You rewarded them—or if its reason were not in Your hand, You would still reward them

بَلْ مَلَكْتَ يَا إِلَهِي أَمْرَهُمْ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَمْلِكُوا عِبَادَتَكَ

Bal malakta yā Ilāhī amrahum qabla an yamlikū ʿibādataka

Rather, O my God, You owned their affair before they owned Your worship

وَأَعْدَدْتَ ثَوَابَهُمْ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُفِيضُوا فِي طَاعَتِكَ

Wa aʿdadda thawābahum qabla an yufīḍū fī ṭāʿatika

And prepared their reward before they could even perform Your obedience

وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ سُنَّتَكَ الْإِفْضَالُ

Wa dhalika anna sunnataka al-ifḍāl

And that is because Your tradition is to show grace

وَعَادَتَكَ الإِحْسَانُ وَسَبِيلُكَ الْعَفْوُ

Wa ʿādatuka al-iḥsānu wa-sabīluka al-ʿafwu

Your custom is generosity, and Your way is forgiveness

فَكُلُّ الْبَرِيَّةِ مُعْتَرِفَةٌ بِأَنَّكَ غَيْرُ ظَالِمٍ لِمَنْ عَاقَبْتَ

Fa-kullu al-barīyah muʿtarifatun bi-anna-ka ghayru ẓālimin liman ʿāqabta

All creation acknowledges that You do not wrong those whom You punish

وَشَاهِدَةٌ بِأَنَّكَ مُتَفَضِّلٌ عَلَى مَنْ عَافَيْتَ

Wa shāhidatun bi-anna-ka mutafaḍḍilun ʿalā man ʿāfayta

And witnesses that You bestow grace upon those You pardon

وَكُلٌّ مُقِرٌّ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ بِالتَّقْصِيرِ عَمَّا اسْتَوْجَبْتَ

Wa kullun muqirrun ʿalā nafsihi bi-t-taqṣīr ʿammā istawjabta

And everyone admits his own shortcomings before what You rightfully deserve

فَسُبْحَانَكَ مَا أَبْيَنَ كَرَمَكَ

Fa-subḥānaka mā abyana karamak

Glory be to You, how clear Your generosity is

فِي مُعَامَلَةِ مَنْ أَطَاعَكَ أَوْ عَصَاكَ

Fī muʿāmalati man aṭāʿaka aw ʿaṣāk

In Your dealing with those who obey or disobey You

تَشْكُرُ لِلْمُطِيعِ مَا أَنْتَ تَوَلَّيْتَهُ لَهُ

Tashkuru lil-muṭīʿi mā anta tawallaytahu lahu

You thank the obedient for what You undertook for him

وَتُمْلِي لِلْعَاصِي فِيمَا تَمْلِكُ مُعَاجَلَتَهُ فِيهِ

Wa tumlī lil-ʿāṣī fīmā tamluku muʿājilatahu fīh

And You give respite to the sinner in matters You could punish him for

أَعْطَيْتَ كُلًّا مِنْهُمَا مَا لَمْ يَجِبْ لَهُ

Aʿṭayta kulla minhumā mā lam yajib lahu

You have given both what they did not earn

وَتَفَضَّلْتَ عَلَى كُلٍّ مِنْهُمَا بِمَا يَقْصُرُ عَمَلُهُ عَنْهُ

Wa tafadalt ʿalā kullin minhumā bimā yaqṣuru ʿamaluhu ʿanhu

And You granted each of them what his deeds could not attain

وَلَوْ كَافَأْتَ الْمُطِيعَ عَلَى مَا أَنْتَ تَوَلَّيْتَهُ

Wa law kāfa'ta al-muṭīʿa ʿalā mā anta tawallaytahu

And if You rewarded the obedient only for what You undertook

لَأَوْشَكَ أَنْ يَفْقِدَ ثَوَابَكَ

La-awshaka an yafqida thawābaka

He would soon lose Your reward

وَأَنْ تَزُولَ عَنْهُ نِعْمَتُكَ

Wa an tazūla ʿanhu niʿmatuka

And Your blessing would depart from him

وَلَكِنَّكَ بِكَرَمِكَ جَازَيْتَهُ

Wa lakinnaka bikaramika jāzaytahu

But by Your generosity, You rewarded him

عَلَى الْمُدَّةِ الْقَصِيرَةِ الْفَانِيَةِ بِالْمُدَّةِ الطَّوِيلَةِ الْخَالِدَةِ

ʿalā al-muddati al-qaṣīrati al-fāniyati bil-muddati al-ṭawīlati al-khālidah

With the passing, brief time by the everlasting time

وَعَلَى الْغَايَةِ الْقَرِيبَةِ الزَّائِلَةِ بِالْغَايَةِ الْمَدِيدَةِ الْبَاقِيَةِ

Wa ʿalā al-ghāyati al-qarībati az-zā'ilati bil-ghāyati al-madīdati al-bāqiyah

And for the short-lived outcome by the never-ending final reward

ثُمَّ لَمْ تَسُمْهُ الْقِصَاصَ فِيمَا أَكَلَ مِنْ رِزْقِكَ

Thumma lam tasumhu al-qiṣāṣa fīmā akala min rizqika

Then, You did not demand compensation for what he ate from Your provision

الَّذِي يَقْوَى بِهِ عَلَى طَاعَتِكَ

Alladhī yaqwa bihi ʿalā ṭāʿatika

By which he was able to obey You

وَلَمْ تَحْمِلْهُ عَلَى الْمُنَاقَشَةِ فِي الْآلاتِ

Wa lam taḥmilhu ʿalā al-munāqasha fī al-ālāt

Nor did You call him to account for all the means

الَّتِي تَسَبَّبَ بِاسْتِعْمَالِهَا إِلَى مَغْفِرَتِكَ

Allatī tasabbaba bi-istimāliha ilā maghfiratika

Which he used to obtain Your forgiveness

وَلَوْ فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ بِهِ

Wa law faʿalta dhalika bihi

And had You done so to him

لَذَهَبَ بِجَمِيعِ مَا كَدَحَ لَهُ

Ladhahaba bijamīʿi mā kadhaha lahu

It would have taken away all his efforts

وَجُمْلَةِ مَا سَعَى فِيهِ

Wa jumlati mā saʿa fīh

And all that he tried to achieve

جَزَاءً لِلصُّغْرَى مِنْ أَيَادِيكَ وَمِنَنِكَ

Jazā'an lil-ṣughra min ayādīka wa minanik

As a price for the smallest of Your gifts and blessings

وَلَبَقِيَ رَهِينًا بَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ بِسَائِرِ نِعَمِكَ

Wa labaqiya rahīnan bayna yadayka bisā'iri niʿamik

And he would remain hostage to You for all Your blessings

فَمَتَى كَانَ يَسْتَحِقُّ شَيْئًا مِنْ ثَوَابِكَ، لَا، مَتَى؟

Fa-matā kāna yastaḥiqu shay'an min thawābaka, lā, matā?

So when would he ever deserve any of Your reward? Never. When?

هَذَا يَا إِلَهِي حَالُ مَنْ أَطَاعَكَ وَسَبِيلُ مَنْ تَعَبَّدَ لَكَ

Hādhā yā Ilāhī ḥālu man aṭāʿaka wa-sabīlu man taʿabbada laka

This, O my God, is the state of those who obey You and the path of those devoted in worship to You

فَأَمَّا الْعَاصِي أَمْرَكَ وَالْمُوَاقِعُ نَهْيَكَ

Fa-ammā al-ʿāṣī amraka wa-l-muwāqiʿu nahyaka

But as for the one who defies Your commands and carries out Your prohibitions

فَلَمْ تُعَاجِلْهُ بِنَقِمَتِكَ لِكَيْ يَسْتَبْدِلَ بِحَالِهِ فِي مَعْصِيَتِكَ

Fa-lam tuʿājilhu bi-niqmatik li-kay yastabdil bi-ḥālihi fī maʿṣiyatik

You did not hasten punishment, that he might change his condition in Your disobedience

حَالَ الإِنَابَةِ إِلَى طَاعَتِكَ

Hāla al-inābah ilā ṭāʿatika

To a state of returning to Your obedience

وَلَقَدْ كَانَ يَسْتَحِقُّ فِي أَوَّلِ مَا هَمَّ بِعِصْيَانِكَ

Wa la-qad kāna yastaḥiqu fī awwali mā hamma bi-ʿiṣyānika

Indeed, he deserved, the moment he intended to defy You

كُلَّ مَا أَعْدَدْتَ لِجَمِيعِ خَلْقِكَ مِنْ عُقُوبَتِكَ

Kulla mā aʿdadda li-jamīʿ khalqika min ʿuqūbatik

All that You have prepared for all Your creation of retribution

فَجَمِيعُ مَا أَخَّرْتَ عَنْهُ مِنِ الْعَذَابِ

Fa-jamīʿu mā akhkharta ʿanhu min al-ʿadhāb

So all that You have delayed from him of punishment

وَأَبْطَأْتَ بِهِ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ سَطَوَاتِ النَّقِمَةِ وَالْعِقَابِ تَرْكٌ مِنْ حَقِّكَ

Wa abṭa'ta bihi ʿalayhi min saṭawāti an-niqmah wa-l-ʿiqābi tarkun min ḥaqqika

And withheld from him of Your wrath and retribution is a reduction in what he truly deserves from You

وَرِضًا بِدُونِ وَاجِبِكَ

Wa riḍān bi-dūni wājibik

And contentment with less than what was obligatory (upon him)

فَمَنْ أَكْرَمُ يَا إِلَهِي مِنْكَ

Fa-man akramu yā Ilāhī minka

So who is more generous than You, my God?

وَمَنْ أَشْقَى مِمَّنْ هَلَكَ عَلَيْكَ ، لَا ، مَنْ؟

Wa-man ashqā mimman halak ʿalayk, lā, man?

And who is more wretched than one destroyed before You? No one—who?

فَتَبَارَكْتَ أَنْ تُوصَفَ إِلَّا بِالإِحْسَانِ

Fa-tabārakta an tuwaṣafa illā bi-l-iḥsān

You are Blessed, none may describe You except with excellence

وَكَرُمْتَ أَنْ يُخَافَ مِنْكَ إِلَّا الْعَدْلُ

Wa karumta an yukhāfa minka illā al-ʿadl

You are Noble, none should fear You except in justice

لَا يُخْشَى جَوْرُكَ عَلَى مَنْ عَصَاكَ

Lā yukhshā jawruka ʿalā man ʿāṣāk

No one fears injustice from You, even those who disobey

وَلَا يُخَافُ إِغْفَالُكَ ثَوَابَ مَنْ أَرْضَاكَ

Wa lā yukhāfu ighfāluka thawāba man arḍāk

Nor should anyone fear being deprived of reward who has pleased You

فَصَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ وَهَبْ لِي أَمَلِي

Fa-ṣalli ʿalā Muḥammad wa ālih wa hab lī amalī

So bless Muḥammad and his family, and grant me my hopes

وَزِدْنِي مِنْ هُدَاكَ

Wa zidnī min hudāk

And increase me in Your guidance

مَا أَصِلُ بِهِ إِلَى التَّوْفِيقِ فِي عَمَلِي

Mā aṣilu bihi ilā at-tawfīqi fī ʿamalī

So I may attain success in my actions through it

إِنَّكَ مَنَّانٌ كَرِيمٌ

Innaka mannānun karīm

Truly, You are Most Generous and Noble