- International Shia News Agency - https://en.shafaqna.com -

“In Praise of God” from Al-Sahifa Al-Sajjadiya

SHAFAQNA-

Praise belongs to God,
أَلْحَمْدُ للهِ
1
2
the First, without a first before Him,
الاوَّلِ بِلا أَوَّل كَانَ قَبْلَهُ،
2
3
the Last, without a last behind Him.
وَ الاخِر بِلاَ آخِر يَكُونُ بَعْدَهُ
3
4
Beholders’ eyes fall short of seeing Him,
،الَّذِي قَصُرَتْ عَنْ رُؤْيَتِهِ أَبْصَارُ النَّاظِرِينَ
4
5
describers’ imaginations are not able to depict Him.
وَ عَجَزَتْ عَنْ نَعْتِهِ أَوهامُ اَلْوَاصِفِينَ
5
6
He originated the creatures through His power with an origination,
ابْتَدَعَ بِقُدْرَتِهِ الْخَلْقَ اَبتِدَاعَاً،
6
7
He devised them in accordance with His will with a devising.
وَاخْتَرَعَهُمْ عَلَى مَشِيَّتِهِ اخترَاعاً،
7
8
Then He made them walk on the path of His desire,
ثُمَّ سَلَكَ بِهِمْ طَرِيقَ إرَادَتِهِ،
8
9
He sent them out on the way of His love.
وَبَعَثَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ مَحَبَّتِهِ
9
10
They cannot keep back from that to which He has sent them forward,
لايَمْلِكُونَ تَأخِيراً عَمَا قَدَّمَهُمْ إليْهِ
10
11
nor can they go forward to that from which He has kept them back.
وَلا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ تَقَدُّماً إلَى مَا أَخَّرَهُمْ عَنْهُ،
11
12
He assigned from His provision to each of their spirits
وَ جَعَلَ لِكُلِّ رُوْح مِنْهُمْ
12
13
a nourishment known and apportioned.
قُوتَاً مَعْلُوماً مَقْسُوماً مِنْ رِزْقِهِ
13
14
No decreaser decreases those whom He increases,
لاَ يَنْقُصُ مَنْ زادَهُ نَاقِصٌ،
14
15
no increaser increases those of them whom He decreases.
وَلاَ يَزِيدُ مَنْ نَقَصَ منْهُمْ زَائِدٌ
15
16
Then for each spirit He strikes a fixed term in life,
ثُمَّ ضَرَبَ لَهُ فِي الْحَيَاةِ أَجَلاً مَوْقُوتاً،
16
17
for each He sets up a determined end;
وَ نَصَبَ لَهُ أَمَداً مَحْدُوداً،
17
18
he walks toward it through the days of his span,
يَتَخَطَّأُ إلَيهِ بِأَيَّامِ عُمُرِهِ،
18
19
he overtakes it through the years of his time.
وَيَرْهَقُهُ بِأَعْوَامِ دَهْرِهِ،
19
20
Then, when he takes his final step
حَتَّى إذَا بَلَغَ أَقْصَى أَثَرِهِ،
20
21
and embraces the reckoning of his span,
وَ اسْتَوْعَبَ حِسابَ عُمُرِهِ،
21
22
God seizes him to the abundant reward
قَبَضهُ إلَى ما نَدَبَهُ إلَيْهِ
22
23
or the feared punishment to which He has called him,
مِنْ مَوْفُورِ ثَوَابِهِ أَوْ مَحْذُورِ عِقَابِهِ،
23
24
“That He may repay those who do evil for what they have done
لِيَجْزِيَ الَّذِينَ أَساءُوا بِمَا عَمِلُوا
24
25
and repay those who do good with goodness” (53:31),
وَ يَجْزِىَ الَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا بِالْحُسْنَى
25
26
as justice from Him (holy are His names,
عَدْلاً مِنْهُ تَقَدَّسَتْ أَسْمَآؤُهُ،
26
27
and manifest His boons).
وَتَظَاهَرَتْ ألاؤُهُ،
27
28
“He shall not be questioned as to what He does, but they shall be questioned” (21:23).
لاَ يُسْأَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَهُمْ يُسْأَلُونَ
28
29
Praise belongs to God, for, had He withheld from His servants the knowledge
وَالْحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذِي لَوْ حَبَسَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِ مَعْرِفَةَ
29
30
to praise Him for the uninterrupted kindnesses with which He has tried them
حَمْدِهِ عَلَى مَا أَبْلاَهُمْ مِنْ مِنَنِهِ الْمُتَتَابِعَةِ
30
31
and the manifest favours which He has lavished upon them,
وَأَسْبَغَ عَلَيْهِمْ رمِنْ نِعَمِهِ الْمُتَظَاهِرَة
31
32
they would have moved about in His kindnesses without praising Him,
لَتَصرَّفُوا فِي مِنَنِهِ فَلَمْ يَحْمَدُوهُ
32
33
and spread themselves out in His provision without thanking Him.
وَتَوَسَّعُوا فِي رِزْقِهِ فَلَمْ يَشْكُرُوهُ،
33
34
Had such been the case, they would have left the bounds of humanity
وَلَوْ كَانُوا كَذلِكَ لَخَرَجُوا مِنْ حُدُودِ الانْسَانِيَّةِ
34
35
for that of beastliness
إلَى حَدِّ الْبَهِيمِيَّةِ،
35
36
and become as He has described in the firm text of His Book:
:فَكَانُوا كَمَا وَصَفَ فِي مُحْكَم كِتَابِهِ
36
37
“They are but as the cattle—nay, but they are further astray from the way”! (25:46)
( إنْ هُمْ إلا كَالانْعَامِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلا )
37
38
Praise belongs to God, for the true knowledge of Himself He has given to us,
وَالْحَمْدُ لله عَلَى مَا عَرَّفَنا من نفسه
38
39
the thanksgiving He has inspired us to offer Him,
وَأَلْهَمَنَا مِنْ شُكْرِهِ
39
40
the doors to knowing His Lordship He has opened for us,
وَفَتَحَ لَنَا من أبوَابِ الْعِلْمِ بِرُبُوبِيّته
40
41
the sincerity towards Him in professing His Unity to which He has led us,
وَدَلَّنَا عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الاِخْلاَصِ لَهُ فِي تَوْحِيدِهِ
41
42
and the deviation and doubt in His Command from which He has turned us aside;
وَجَنَّبَنا مِنَ الالْحَادِ وَالشَّكِّ فِي أَمْرِهِ،
42
43
a praise through which we may be given long life among those of His creatures who praise Him,
حَمْداً نُعَمَّرُ بِهِ فِيمَنْ حَمِدَهُ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ
43
44
and overtake those who have gone ahead toward His good pleasure and pardon;
وَنَسْبِقُ بِـهِ مَنْ سَبَقَ إلَى رِضَاهُ وَعَفْوِهِ
44
45
a praise through which He will illuminate for us the shadows of the interworld,
حَمْداً يُضِيءُ لَنَا بِهِ ظُلُمَاتِ الْبَرْزَخِ
45
46
ease for us the path of the Resurrection,
وَيُسَهِّلُ عَلَيْنَا بِهِ سَبِيلَ الْمَبْعَثِ
46
47
and raise up our stations at the standing places of the Witnesses
وَيُشَرِّفُ بِهِ مَنَازِلَنَا عِنْدَ مَوَاقِفِ الاشْهَادِ
47
48
“on the day when every soul will be repaid for what it has earned – they shall not be wronged” (45:21);
يَوْمَ تُجْزَى كُلُّ نَفْس بِمَا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لا يُظْلَمُونَ
48
49
“the day a master shall avail nothing a client, and they shall not be helped” (44:41);
(يَوْمَ لاَ يُغْنِي مَوْلىً عَنْ مَوْلىً شَيْئاً وَلاَ هُمْ يُنْصَرُونَ)
49
50
a praise which will rise up from us to the highest of the ‘Illiyun
حَمْداً يَرْتَفِعُ مِنَّا إلَى أَعْلَى عِلِّيِّينَ
50
51
“in a book inscribed, witnessed by those brought nigh” (83:20-21),
فِي كِتَاب مَرْقُوم يَشْهَدُهُ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ،
51
52
a praise whereby our eyes may be at rest when sight is dazzled,
حَمْداً تَقَرُّ بِهِ عُيُونُنَا إذَا بَرِقَت الابْصَارُ
52
53
our faces whitened when skins are blackened,
وَتَبْيَضُّ بِهِ وُجُوهُنَا إذَا اسْوَدَّتِ الابْشَارُ،
53
54
a praise through which we may be released from God’s painful Fire
حَمْداً نُعْتَقُ بِهِ مِنْ أَلِيمِ نار الله
54
55
and enter God’s generous neighbourhood,
الى كَرِيمِ جِوَارِ اللهِ
55
56
a praise by which we may jostle the angels brought nigh
حَمْداً نُزَاحِمُ بِهِ مَلاَئِكَتَهُ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ
56
57
and join the prophets, the envoys,
وَنُضَامُّ بِـهِ أَنْبِيآءَهُ الْمُـرْسَلِيْنَ
57
58
in a House of Permanence that does not remove,
فِي دَارِ الْمُقَامَةِ الَّتِي لا تَزُولُ
58
59
the Place of His Generosity that does not change.
وَمَحَلِّ كَرَامَتِهِ الَّتِي لاَ تَحُولُ
59
60
Praise belongs to God, who chose for us the good qualities of creation,
وَالْحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذِي اخْتَارَ لَنَا مَحَاسِنَ الْخَلْقِ
60
61
granted us the agreeable things of provision,
وَأَجرى عَلَيْنَا طَيِّبَاتِ الرِّزْقِ
61
62
and appointed for us excellence through domination over all creation;
وَجَعَلَ لَنَا الفَضِيلَةَ بِالْمَلَكَةِ عَلَى جَمِيعِ الْخَلْقِ
62
63
every one of His creatures submits to us through His power
فَكُلُّ خَلِيقَتِهِ مُنْقَادَةٌ لَنَا بِقُدْرَتِهِ،
63
64
and comes to obey us through His might.
وَصَآئِرَةٌ إلَى طَاعَتِنَا بِعِزَّتِهِ
64
65
Praise belongs to God, who locked for us the gate of need except toward Him.
وَالْحَمْدُ لله الَّذِي أَغْلَقَ عَنَّا بَابَ الْحَّاجَةِ إلاّ إلَيْهِ
65
66
So how can we praise Him? When can we thank Him? Indeed, when?
فَكَيْفَ نُطِيقُ حَمْدَهُ أَمْ مَتَى نُؤَدِّي شُكْرَهُ؟ لا، مَتى؟
66
67
Praise belongs to God, who placed within us the organs of expansion,
وَالْحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذِي رَكَّبَ فِينَا آلاَتِ الْبَسْطِ
67
68
assigned for us the agents of contraction,
وَجَعَلَ لَنَا أدَوَاتِ الْقَبْضِ،
68
69
gave us to enjoy the spirits of life,
وَمَتَّعَنا بِاَرْواحِ الْحَياةِ
69
70
fixed within us the limbs of works,
وَأثْبَتَ فِينَا جَوَارِحَالاعْمَال
70
71
nourished us with the agreeable things of provision,
وَغَذَّانَا بِطَيِّبَاتِ الرِّزْقِ ،
71
72
freed us from need through His bounty,
وَأغْنانَا بِفَضْلِهِ
72
73
and gave us possessions through His kindness.
وَأقْنانَا بِمَنِّهِ
73
74
Then He commanded us that He might test our obedience
ثُمّ أَمَرَنَا لِيَخْتَبِرَطاعَتَنَا،
74
75
and prohibited us that He might try our thanksgiving. So we turned against the path of His commandments
وَنَهَانَا لِيَبْتَلِيَ شُكْرَنَا فَخَالَفْنَا عَنْ طَرِيْقِ أمْرِهِ
75
76
and mounted the backs of His warnings.
وَرَكِبْنا مُتُونَ زَجْرهِ ِ
76
77
Yet He hurried us not to His punishment,nor hastened us on to His vengeance, ,
فَلَم يَبْتَدِرْنابِعُقُوبَتِه وَلَمْ يُعَاجِلْنَا بِنِقْمَتِهِ
77
78
No, He went slowly with us through His mercy, in generosity, and awaited our return through His clemency, in mildness.
بَلْ تَانَّانا بِرَحْمَتِهِ تَكَرُّماً، وَانْتَظَرَ مُراجَعَتَنَا بِرَأفَتِهِ حِلْماً.
78
79
Praise belongs to God, who showed us the way to repentance,
وَالْحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذِي دَلَّنَاعَلَى التَّوْبَةِ
79
80
which we would not have won save through His bounty.
الَّتِي لَمْ نُفِدْهَا إلاّ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ،
80
81
Had we nothing to count as His bounty
فَلَوْ لَمْ نَعْتَدِدْ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ
81
82
but this, His trial of us would have been good,
إلاّ بِهَالَقَدْ حَسُنَ بَلاؤُهُ عِنْدَنَا،
82
83
His beneficence toward us great,
وَ جَلَّ إحْسَانُهُ إلَيْنَا،
83
84
His bounty upon us immense.
وَ جَسُمَ فَضْلُهُ عَلَيْنَا
84
85
For such was not His wont in repentance
فَمَا هكذا كَانَتْ سُنَّتُهُ فِي التَّوْبَةِ
85
86
with those who went before us.
لِمَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَنَا
86
87
He has lifted up from us
لَقَدْ وَضَعَ عَنَّا
87
88
“what we have not the strength to bear”(2:286) ,
مَا لا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ،
88
89
charged us only to our capacity,
وَلَمْ يُكَلِّفْنَا إلاّ وُسْعاً،
89
90
imposed upon us nothing but ease,
وَ لَمْ يُجَشِّمْنَا إلاّ يُسْراً
90
91
and left none of us with an argument or excuse.
وَلَمْ يَدَعْ لاَحَـد مِنَّا حُجَّةً وَلاَ عُذْراً
91
92
So the perisher among us is he who perishes in spite of Him
فَالْهَالِكُ مِنَّا مَنْ هَلَكَ عَلَيْهِ
92
93
and the felicitous among us he who beseeches Him.
وَ السَّعِيدُ مِنَّا مَنْرَغِبَ إلَيْهِ
93
94
And praise belongs to God with all the praises of
وَ الْحَمْد للهِ بِكُلِّ مَا حَمِدَهُ بِهِ
94
95
His angels closest to Him,
أدْنَى مَلائِكَتِهِ إلَيْهِ
95
96
His creatures most noble in His eyes,
وَ أَكْرَمُ خَلِيقَتِهِ عَلَيْهِ
96
97
and His praisers most pleasing to Him;
وَأرْضَىحَامِدِيْهِ لَدَيْهِ
97
98
a praise that may surpass other praises
حَمْداً يَفْضُلُ سَآئِرَ الْحَمْدِ
98
99
as our Lord surpasses all His creatures.
كَفَضْلِ رَبِّنا عَلَى جَمِيعِ خَلْقِهِ
99
100
Then to Him belongs praise,
ثُمَّ لَهُ الْحَمْدُ
100
101
in place of His every favour upon us
مَكَانَ كُلِّ نِعْمَة لَهُ عَلَيْنَا
101
102
and upon all His servants, past and still remaining,
وَ عَلى جَمِيعِ عِبَادِهِ الْمَاضِينَ وَالْبَاقِينَ
102
103
to the number of all things His knowledge encompasses,
عَدَدَ مَا أَحَاطَ بِهِ عِلْمُهُ مِنْ جَمِيعِالاشْيَآءِ
103
104
and in place of each of His favours,
وَ مَكَانَ كُلِّ وَاحِدَة مِنْهَا عَدَدُهَا
104
105
their number doubling and redoubling always and forever, to the Day of Resurrection;
أَضْعافَاً مُضَاعَفَةً أَبَداً سَرْمَداً إلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ
105
106
a praise whose bound has no utmost end,
حَمْداً لاَ مُنْتَهَى لِحَدِّهِ
106
107
whose number has no reckoning,
وَ لا حِسَابَ لِعَدَدِهِ
107
108
whose limit cannot be reached,
وَ لاَ مَبْلَغَ لِغَايَتِهِ
108
109
whose period cannot be cut off;
وَ لا انْقِطَاعَ لاَمَدِهِ
109
110
a praise which will become a link to His obedience and pardon,
حَمْدَاً يَكُونُ وُصْلَةً إلَى طَاعَتِهِ وَعَفْوِهِ
110
111
a tie to His good pleasure,
وَ سَبَباً إلَى رِضْوَانِهِ
111
112
a means to His forgiveness,
وَذَرِيعَةً إلَى مَغْفِرَتِهِ
112
113
a path to His Garden,
وَ طَرِيقاً إلَى جَنَّتِهِ
113
114
a protector against His vengeance,
وَخَفِيْراً مِنْ نَقِمَتِهِ
114
115
a security against His wrath,
وَ أَمْناً مِنْ غَضَبِهِ
115
116
an aid to obeying Him,
وَ ظَهِيْراً عَلَى طَاعَتِهِ
116
117
a barrier against disobeying Him,
وَ حَاجِزاً عَنْ مَعْصِيَتِهِ
117
118
a help in fulfilling His right and His duties;
وَعَوْناً عَلَى تَأدِيَةِ حَقِّهِ وَ وَظائِفِهِ
118
119
a praise that will make us felicitous among His felicitous friends,
حَمْداً نَسْعَدُ بِهِ فِي السُّعَدَاءِ مِنْ أَوْلِيَآئِهِ
119
120
and bring us into the ranks of those martyred by the swords of His enemies.
وَنَصِيرُ بِهِ فِي نَظْمِ الشُّهَدَآءِ بِسُيُوفِ أَعْدَائِهِ
120
121
He is a Friend, Praiseworthy!
إنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ