ددُعَاؤُهُ فِي طَلَبِ الْعَفْوِ و المَغْفِرَةِ
39. In asking Pardon & Mercy
Narrated by Imam Ali Zayn al-Abidin
أَللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ
allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā muḥammad wa ālihi
O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and his family
وَاكْسِرْ شَهْوَتِي عَنْ كُلِّ مَحْرَمٍ
wa-ksir shahwatī ʿan kulli maḥramin
And break my desire from every forbidden thing
وَازْوِ حِرْصِي عَنْ كُلِّ مَأثَمٍ
wazwi ḥirṣī ʿan kulli maʾtham
And turn away my greed from every sin
وَامْنَعْنِي عَنْ أَذَى كُلِّ مُؤْمِنٍ وَمُؤْمِنَةٍ وَمُسْلِمٍ وَمُسْلِمَةٍ
wa-mnaʿnī ʿan adhā kulli muʾminin wa muʾminatin wa muslimin wa muslimatin
And prevent me from harming any believing man, believing woman, Muslim man, or Muslim woman
أَللَّهُمَّ وَأَيُّمَا عَبْدٍ نَالَ مِنِّي مَا حَظَرْتَ عَلَيْهِ
allāhumma wa ayyuma ʿabdin nāla minnī mā ḥazarta ʿalayh
O Allah, whomever among Your servants gained from me what You have prohibited
وَانْتَهَكَ مِنِّي مَا حَجَرْتَ عَلَيْهِ
wa-intahaka minnī mā ḥajarta ʿalayh
And violated from me what You have forbidden
فَمَضَى بِظُلَامَتِي مَيِّتًا
fa-maḍā bi-ẓulāmatī mayyitan
And so he went with my wrongdoing against him as a deceased
أَوْ حَصَلَتْ لِي قِبَلَهُ حَيًّا
aw ḥaṣalat lī qibalahu ḥayyan
Or it remains for me against him while he is alive
فَاغْفِرْ لَهُ مَا أَلَمَّ بِهِ مِنِّي
faghfir lahu mā alamma bihi minnī
Then forgive him for what befell him from me
وَاعْفُ لَهُ عَمَّا أَدْبَرَ بِهِ عَنِّي
wa-ʿfu lahu ʿammā adbara bihi ʿannī
And pardon him for what he kept away from me
وَلَا تَقِفْهُ عَلَى مَا ارْتَكَبَ فِيَّ
wa lā taqifhu ʿalā mā irtakaba fīya
And do not hold him accountable for what he committed against me
وَلَا تَكْشِفْهُ عَمَّا اكْتَسَبَ بِي
wa lā takshifhu ʿammā iktasaba bī
And do not expose him for what he gained through me
وَاجْعَلْ مَا سَمَحْتُ بِهِ مِنَ الْعَفْوِ عَنْهُمْ
wa-jʿal mā samaḥtu bihi mina al-ʿafwi ʿanhum
And make my forgiveness of them
وَتَبَرَّعْتُ بِهِ مِنَ الصَّدَقَةِ عَلَيْهِمْ
wa-tabarrʿtu bihi mina aṣ-ṣadaqati ʿalayhim
And my charity towards them
أَزْكَى صَدَقَاتِ الْمُتَصَدِّقِينَ
azka ṣadaqāti al-mutataṣaddiqīn
Most pure of the charities of the charitable
وَأَعْلَى صِلاتِ الْمُتَقَرِّبِينَ
wa aʿlā ṣilāti al-mutaqarribīn
And highest of the acts of approach by those close to You
وَعَوِّضْنِي مِنْ عَفْوِي عَنْهُمْ عَفْوَكَ
wa-ʿawwiḍnī min ʿafwī ʿanhum ʿafwaka
And exchange my forgiveness of them with Your forgiveness for me
وَمِنْ دُعَائِي لَهُمْ رَحْمَتَكَ
wa-min duʿāʾī lahum raḥmatak
And my prayers for them for Your mercy
حَتَّى يَسْعَدَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنَّا بِفَضْلِكَ
ḥattā yasʿada kullu wāḥidin minnā bi-faḍlika
So that each one of us is made happy by Your grace
وَيَنْجُوَ كُلٌّ مِنَّا بِمَنِّكَ
wa-yanjūa kullun minnā bi-mannika
And each one of us is saved by Your bounty
أَللَّهُمَّ وَأَيُّما عَبْدٍ مِنْ عَبِيدِكَ
allāhumma wa ayyuma ʿabdin min ʿabīdika
O Allah, whichever servant of Yours
أَدْرَكَهُ مِنِّي دَرَكٌ أَوْ مَسَّهُ مِنْ نَاحِيَتِي أَذًى
adrakahu minnī darakun aw massahu min nāḥiyatī adhā
Who was touched by me or harmed by my actions
أَوْ لَحِقَهُ بِي أَوْ بِسَبَبِي ظُلْمٌ
aw laḥiqahu bī aw bi-sababī ẓulmun
Or was wronged by me or through my actions
فَفُتُّهُ بِحَقِّهِ
fafuttuhu bi-ḥaqqihi
Or I neglected his right
أَوْ سَبَقْتُهُ بِمَظْلَمَتِهِ
aw sabaqtuhu bi-maẓlamatih
Or I was quicker to wrong him
فَصَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ
faṣalli ʿalā muḥammad wa ālihi
So send blessings upon Muhammad and his family
وَأَرْضِهِ عَنِّْي مِنْ وُجْدِكَ
wa-arḍihi ʿannī min wujdika
And please him from Your bounty
وَأَوْفِهِ حَقَّهُ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ
wa-awfihi ḥaqqahu min ʿindik
And grant him his right from Yourself
ثُمَّ قِنِي مَا يُوجِبُ لَهُ حُكْمُكَ
thumma qinī mā yūjibu lahu ḥukmuk
Then protect me from what Your judgment imposes on him
وَخَلِّصْنِي مِمَّا يَحْكُمُ بِهِ عَدْلُكَ
wa-khalliṣnī mimmā yaḥkumu bihi ʿadluka
And save me from what Your justice decrees
فَإِنَّ قُوَّتِي لَا تَسْتَقِلُّ بِنَقِمَتِكَ
fa-inna quwwatī lā tastaqillu bi-niqmatik
For my strength cannot withstand Your punishment
وَإِنَّ طَاقَتِي لَا تَنْهَضُ بِسُخْطِكَ
wa-inna ṭāqatī lā tanhaḍu bi-sukhṭik
And my capacity cannot bear Your anger
فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ تُكَافِنِي بِالْحَقِّ تُهْلِكْنِي
fa-innaka in tukāfinī bil-ḥaqqi tuhkliknī
If You judge me by truth, You will destroy me
وَإِلَّا تَغَمَّدْنِي بِرَحْمَتِكَ تُوبِقْنِي
wa-illā taghamidnī bi-raḥmatika tūbiqni
And unless You envelop me in Your mercy, I will perish
أَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَوْهِبُكَ يَا إِلَهِي مَا لَا يَنْقُصُكَ بَذْلُهُ
allāhumma innī astawhibuka yā ilāhī mā lā yanquṣuka badhluhu
O Allah, I seek as a gift what You never lose by giving
وَأَسْتَحْمِلُكَ مَا لَا يَبْهَظُكَ حَمْلُهُ
wa-astaḥmiluka mā lā yabhaẓuka ḥamluhu
And I ask You to carry what is not heavy for You
أَسْتَوْهِبُكَ يَا إِلَهِي نَفْسِيَ الَّتِي لَمْ تَخْلُقْهَا لِتَمْتَنِعَ بِهَا مِنْ سُوءٍ
astawhibuka yā ilāhī nafsī allātī lam takhluqha li-tamteniʿ bihā min sūʾin
I request from You, O my God, my soul which You didn't create to withhold from evil
أَوْ لِتَطَرَّقَ بِهَا إِلَى نَفْعٍ
aw li-tatarraqa bihā ilā nafʿin
Or to use it for benefit
وَلَكِنْ أَنْشَأْتَهَا إِثْبَاتًا لِقُدْرَتِكَ عَلَى مِثْلِهَا
walākin anshaʾtaha ithbātan li-qudratika ʿalā mithlihā
But You originated it to affirm Your power over its like
وَاحْتِجَاجًا بِهَا عَلَى شَكْلِهَا
wa-iḥtijājan bihā ʿalā shaklihā
And as an argument over whatever resembles it
وَأَسْتَحْمِلُكَ مِنْ ذُنُوبِي مَا قَدْ بَهَظَنِي حَمْلُهُ
wa-astaḥmiluka min dhunūbī mā qad bahaẓanī ḥamluhu
And I ask You to carry for me from my sins that which burdens me
وَأَسْتَعِينُ بِكَ عَلَى مَا قَدْ فَدَحَنِي ثِقْلُهُ
wa-astaʿīnu bika ʿalā mā qad fadaḥanī thiquluhu
And I seek Your help for what I struggle with its weight
فَصَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ
faṣalli ʿalā muḥammad wa ālihi
So send blessings upon Muhammad and his family
وَهَبْ لِنَفْسِي عَلَى ظُلْمِهَا نَفْسِي
wa-hab li-nafsī ʿalā ẓulmihā nafsī
And grant my soul to myself, despite its wrongdoing
وَوَكِّلْ رَحْمَتَكَ بِاحْتِمَالِ إصْرِي
wa-wakkil raḥmataka bi-iḥtimāli iṣrī
And assign Your mercy to bear my burden
فَكَمْ قَدْ لَحِقَتْ رَحْمَتُكَ بِالْمُسِيئِينَ
fa-kam qad laḥiqat raḥmatuka bi-l-musīʾīn
How often Your mercy has reached the wrongdoers
وَكَمْ قَدْ شَمِلَ عَفْوُكَ الظَّالِمِينَ
wa-kam qad shamil ʿafwuka aẓ-ẓālimīn
How often Your forgiveness has encompassed the transgressors
فَصَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ وَاجْعَلْنِي أُسْوَةَ مَنْ قَدْ أَنْهَضْتَهُ
faṣalli ʿalā muḥammad wa ālihi wa-jʿalnī uswat man qad anhaḍtahu
So send blessings upon Muhammad and his family, and make me an example of those whom You have raised
بِتَجَاوُزِكَ عَنْ مَصَارِعِ الْخَاطِئِينَ
bi-tajāwuzika ʿan maṣāriʿi al-khāṭiʾīn
By Your pardon from the downfall of the erring
وَخَلَّصْتَهُ بِتَوْفِيقِكَ مِنْ وَرَطَاتِ الْمُجْرِمِينَ
wa-khallaṣtahu bi-tawfīqika min waraṭāti al-mujrimīn
And You saved him, through Your guidance, from the traps of the criminals
فَأَصْبَحَ طَلِيقَ عَفْوِكَ مِنْ إسَارِ سُخْطِكَ
fa-aṣbaḥa ṭalīqa ʿafwika min isāri sukhṭika
And so he became freed by Your pardon from the bonds of Your anger
وَعَتِيقَ صُنْعِكَ مِنْ وَثَاقِ عَدْلِكَ
wa-ʿatīqa ṣunʿika min wathāqi ʿadlika
And emancipated by Your favor from the chains of Your justice
إنَّكَ إنْ تَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ يَا إِلَهِي تَفْعَلْهُ بِمَنْ
innaka in tafʿal dhalika yā ilāhī tafʿalhu biman
If You do that, O my God, You do it for one
لاَ يَجْحَدُ اسْتِحْقَاقَ عُقُوبَتِكَ
lā yajḥadu istiḥqāqa ʿuqūbatika
Who does not ever deny deserving Your punishment
وَلاَ يُبَرِّئُ نَفْسَهُ مِنِ اسْتِيجَابِ نَقِمَتِكَ
wa-lā yubarriʾu nafsahu min istījābi naqimatika
And does not absolve himself of deserving Your wrath
تَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ يَا إِلَهِي بِمَنْ خَوْفُهُ مِنْكَ أَكْثَرُ مِنْ طَمَعِهِ فِيكَ
tafʿalu dhalika yā ilāhī bi-man khawfuhu minka aktharu min ṭamaʿihi fīk
You treat in this way, my God, those whose fear of You is greater than their hope in You
وَبِمَنْ يَأْسُهُ مِنَ النَّجَاةِ أَوْكَدُ مِنْ رَجَائِهِ لِلْخَلاَصِ
wa-biman ya'suhu mina an-najāti awkadu min rajā'ihi lil-khalāṣ
And those whose despair of deliverance is stronger than their hope for salvation
لاَ أَنْ يَكُونَ يَأْسُهُ قُنُوطًا
lā an yakūna ya'suhu qunūṭan
Not because his despair is disbelief
أَوْ أَنْ يَكُونَ طَمَعُهُ اغْتِرَارًا
aw an yakūna ṭamaʿuhu ightirāran
Nor his hope is recklessness
بَلْ لِقِلَّةِ حَسَنَاتِهِ بَيْنَ سَيِّئَاتِهِ
bal li-qillati ḥasanātihi bayna sayyiātihi
But due to the scarcity of his good deeds among his sins
وَضَعْفِ حُجَجِهِ فِي جَمِيعِ تَبِعَاتِهِ
wa-ḍaʿfi ḥujajihi fī jamīʿi tabīʿātihi
And his weak excuses for all of his consequences
فَأَمَّا أَنْتَ يَا إِلَهِي فَأَهْلٌ أَنْ لاَ يَغْتَرَّ بِكَ الصِّدِّيقُونَ
fa-ammā anta yā ilāhī fa-ahlu an lā yagh-tarra bika as-ṣiddīqūn
As for You, my God, it is fitting that the sincere do not become deluded by You
وَلاَ يَيْأَسَ مِنْكَ الْمُجْرِمُونَ
wa-lā yay'asa minka al-mujrimūn
And that the guilty do not despair of You
لاِنَّكَ الرَّبُّ الْعَظِيمُ الَّذِيْ لاَ يَمْنَعُ أَحَدًا فَضْلَهُ
li-annaka ar-rabbu al-ʿaẓīm alladhī lā yamnaʿu aḥadan faḍlahu
For You are the Supreme Lord who never withholds His bounty from anyone
وَلاَ يَسْتَقْصِي مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَقَّهُ
wa-lā yastaqṣī min aḥadin ḥaqqahu
Nor exacts from anyone all of his due
تَعَالَى ذِكْرُكَ عَنِ الْمَذْكُورِينَ
taʿālā dhikruka ʿani al-madhkūrīn
Exalted is Your remembrance above those who are mentioned
وَتَقَدَّسَتْ أَسْمَاؤُكَ عَنِ الْمَنْسُوبِينَ
wa-taqaddasat asmāʾuka ʿani al-mansūbīn
And hallowed are Your names above those who are attributed
وَفَشَتْ نِعْمَتُكَ فِي جَمِيعِ الْمَخْلُوقِينَ
wa-fashat niʿmatuka fī jamīʿi al-makhluqīn
And Your blessings have spread in all creation
فَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ
fa-laka al-ḥamdu ʿalā dhālika yā rabba al-ʿālamīn
So to You is all praise for that, O Lord of the worlds
أَللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ
Allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā Muḥammad wa ālihi
O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and his family