When he finished his prayer, He would stand in place, face the qibla, and say:
O He who has mercy upon him toward whom the servants show no mercy!
O He who accepts him whom the cities will not accept!
O He who looks not down upon those who have need of Him!
O He who disappoints not those who implore Him!
O He who slaps not the brow of the people of boldness toward Him
with rejection!
O He who collects the little that is given to Him
and shows gratitude for the paltry that is done for Him!
O He who shows gratitude for the small and rewards with the great!
O He who comes close to him who comes close to Him!
O He who invites to Himself him who turns his back on Him!
O He who changes not favor196 and rushes not to vengeance!
O He who causes the good deed to bear fruit
so that He may make it grow,
and overlooks the evil deed
so that He may efface it!
Hopes turn back with needs fulfilled
short of the extent of Your generosity,
the cups of requests fill up
with the overflow of Your munificence,
and attributes fall apart
without reaching Your description.
For to You belongs the highest highness
above everything high,
and the most glorious majesty
beyond every majesty!
Everything majestic before You is small,
everything eminent beside Your eminence vile!
Those who reach other than You are disappointed,
those who present themselves to other than You
have lost,
those who stay with other than You
have perished,
and those who retreat –
except those who retreat to Your bounty –
are desolate!
Your door is open to the beseechers,
Your munificence free to the askers,
Your help near to the help-seekers!
The expectant are not disappointed by You,
those who present themselves
despair not of Your bestowal,
the forgiveness-seekers
become not wretched through Your vengeance!
Your provision is spread among those who disobey You,
Your clemency presents itself to those hostile toward You,
Your habit is beneficence toward the evildoers,
and Your wont is to spare the transgressors,
so much so that Your lack of haste deludes them from returning,
and Your disregard bars them from desisting!
You act without haste toward them
so that they will come back to Your command
and You disregard them
confident in the permanence of Your kingdom,
so You seal him who is worthy of it with felicity,
and You abandon him who is worthy of it to wretchedness!
All of them come home to Your decree,
their affairs revert to Your command;
Your authority grows not feeble through their drawn out term,
Your proof is not refuted by the failure to hurry after them.
Your argument is established, never refuted,
Your authority fixed, never removed.
Permanent woe belongs
to him who inclines away from You,
forsaking disappointment
to him who is disappointed by You,
and the most wretched wretchedness
to him who is deluded about You!
How much he will move about in Your chastisement!
How long he will frequent Your punishment!
How far his utmost end from relief!
How he will despair of an easy exit!
[All of this] as justice from Your decree
(You are not unjust in it!),
and equity from Your judgement
(You do not act wrongfully against him!).
You supported the arguments,
tested the excuses,
began with threats,
showed gentleness with encouragement,
struck similitudes,
made long the respite,
delayed,
while You are able to hurry,
and acted without haste,
while You are full of quick accomplishment!
Not because of
incapacity is Your slowness,
feebleness Your giving respite,
heedlessness Your showing restraint,
dissemblance Your waiting!
But that Your argument be more conclusive,
Your generosity more perfect,
Your beneficence more exhaustive,
Your favor more complete!
All of this has been and always was,
is and ever will be.
Your argument is greater
than that its totality be described,
Your glory more elevated
than that it be limited in its core,
Your favor more abundant
than that its entirety be counted,
Your beneficence more abundant
than that thanks be given for its least amount!
Speechlessness has made me fall short of praising You,
restraint has made me powerless to glorify You,
and the most I can do is admit to inability,
not out of desire, my God,
but out of incapacity.
So here I am:
I repair to You by coming forward,
and I ask from You good support
So bless Muhammad and his Household,
hear my whispered words,
grant my supplication,
seal not my day with disappointment,
slap not my brow by rejecting my request,
and make noble my coming from You
and my going back to You!
Surely You are not constrained by what You desire,
nor incapable of what You are asked!
You are powerful over everything,197
and ‘There is no force and no strength save in God,
the All-high, the All-mighty!’