SHAFAQNA – In a part of the invocation of al-Iftitah which is recommended to be recited every night of the blessed month of Ramadan, we are encouraged to address Allah, reminding ourselves of our sins and his forgiveness, in chants that invoke much more love than sheer fear:
اللهم اذنت لي في دُعائك ومسئلتك
فاسمع يا سميع مدحتي واجب يا رحيم دعوتي
واقل يا غفور عثرتي
فكم يا الهي من كُربة قد فرجتها وهمُوم قد كشفتها
وعثرة قد اقلتها ورحمة قد نشرتها
وحلقة بلاء قد فككتها
O Allah You have allowed me to supplicate to You and ask from You
Then hear my praise O One who hears all
and answer my call O Merciful
and decrease my mistakes O most Forgiving
How often, O my God, You have relieved me of troubles
how many griefs You have dispelled
how many mistakes You have prevented
how many blessings You have spread
…
اللهم إني أسئلك قليلا من كثير
مع حاجة بي إليه عظيمة
وغناك عنه قديم
وهو عندي كثير وهو عليك سهل يسير
O Allah I ask You a little from much
although I am in great need of it
while You are eternally needless of it
though it is a lot for me
while it is easy and simple for You.
اللهم إن عفوك عن ذنبي وتجاوزك عن خطيئتي
وصفحك عن ظُلمي وسترك على قبيح عملي
وحلمك عن كثير جرمي
عند ما كان من خطاي وعمدي
اطمعني في ان اسئلك ما لا استوجبه منك
الذي رزقتني من رحمتك
واريتني من قدرتك وعرفتني من اجابتك
O Allah, indeed Your forgiveness of my sins
and Your overlooking my faults
Your pardoning my oppression
Your hiding my ugly deeds
and Your forbearing my many wrongs
done intentionally or unintentionally
tempted me to ask from You
what I did not deserve from You
which You (still) gave me out of Your Mercy
provided me by Your Power
and made known to me from Your answers.
فصرت ادعوك امنا واسئلك مُستانسا
لا خائفا ولا وجلا
مُدلا عليك فيما قصدت فيه اليك
فإن ابطأ عني عتبت بجهلي عليك ولعل الذي
ابطأ عني هو خير لي لعلمك بعاقبة الأمور
فلم ار مولىً كريما اصبر على عبد لئيم منك عليّ
So I became habituated to call You trustingly
and ask You familiarly
neither fearing nor scared
but with confidence in You for what I intended
Then if there was a delay (in Your answer)
I would blame You, due to my ignorance
and perhaps the delay was best for me
for You know the outcome of all affairs.
I have not seen a more generous master
patient with a wretched slave than You are with me
يا ربي إنك تدعوني فأولي عنك
وتتحبب إليّ واتبغض إليك
وتتودد إليّ فلا اقبل منك كأن لي التطوُّل عليك
فلم يمنعك ذالك من الرحمة لي والإحسان إليّ
والتفضل عليّ بجودك وكرمك
فارحم عبدك الجاهل وجُد عليه بفضل احسانك
إنك جواد كريم
My Lord, You call me and I turn away from You
You show affection to me and I show hatred towards You
You display Your love for me and I do not respond
as though I am above You
But this does not prevent You from having mercy on me
being good to me
and favouring me, through Your Generosity and Nobility
so please (continue to) have mercy on your ignorant slave
and be kind to him through the excellence of Your Grace
Surely You are the Bountiful, the Generous.