resolutions of my certainty, my
pure and unadulterated profession
of Unity, the hidden inwardness of
my consciousness, the places to
which the streams of light of my
eyes are attached, the lines on my
forehead's surface, the openings for
my breath's channels, the parts of
my nose's soft point, the paths of
my ears' canals, what my lips close
upon and compress, the
movements of my tongue in
speaking, the joint at the back of
my mouth and jaw, the sockets of
my molar teeth, the place where I
swallow my food and drink, that
which bears my brain, the hollow
passages of my neck's fibers, that
which is contained in my breast's
cavity, the carriers of my aorta, the
places where my heart's curtain is
attached, the small pieces of flesh
around my liver, that which the ribs
of my sides encompass, the sockets
of my joints, the contraction of my
members, the tips of my fingers,
my flesh, my blood, my hair, my
skin, my nerves, my windpipe, my
bones, my brain, my veins, and all
of my members, what was knitted
upon them in the days when I was
a suckling baby, what the earth has
taken away from me, my sleep, my
waking, my being still, and the
movements of my bowing and
prostrating, that had I taken pains
and had I striven for the duration
of the epochs and ages were my life
to be extended through them to
deliver thanks for one of Thy
blessings, I would not have been
able to do so, except by Thy grace,
which alone makes encumbent
upon me never-ending and ever
renewed gratitude to Thee, and
fresh and ever present praise.
Indeed, and were I and the
reckoners among Thy creatures
ever so eager to calculate the extent
of Thy bestowal of blessings,
whether past or approaching, we
would fail to encompass it through
numbers or to calculate its
boundaries.
Never how could it ever be done!
For Thou announcest in Thy
eloquent Book and truthful Tiding,
"And if you count God's blessing,
you will never number it" (XIV, 34).
Thy Book, O God, Thy Message,
has spoken the truth! And Thy
prophets and messengers delivered
Thy revelation that Thou hadst
sent down upon them and the
religion that Thou hadst
promulgated for them and through
them.
And I witness, my God, by my
effort, my diligence, and the extent
of my obedience and my capacity,
and I say as a believer possessing
certainty, "Praise belongs to God,
who has not taken to Him a son"
that He might have an heir, "and
who has not any associate in His
dominion" who might oppose Him
in what He creates, "nor any
protector out of
humbleness" (XVII, III) who
would aid Him in what He
fashions. So glory be to Him, glory
be to Him! "Why, were there gods
in earth and heaven other than
God, they would surely go to
ruin" (XXI, 22) and be rent.
Glory be to God, the Unique, the
One, "the Everlasting Refuge" who
"has not begotten, nor has He been
begotten, and equal to Him there is
none" (CXII, 2-4). Praise belongs
to God, praise equal to the praise
of the angels stationed near to Him
and the prophets sent by Him. And
God bless His elect, Muhammad,
the Seal of the Prophets, and his
virtuous, pure and sincere
household, and give them peace.
Then he began to supplicate. He
occupied himself with prayer as
tears ran from his blessed eyes.
Then he said: O God, cause me to
fear Thee as if I were seeing Thee,
give me felicity through piety
toward Thee, make me not
wretched by disobedience toward
Thee, choose the best for me by
Thy decree (qadha') and bless me
by Thy determination (qadar), that
I may love not the hastening of
what Thou hast delayed, nor the
delaying of what Thou hast
hastened. O God, appoint for me
sufficiency in my soul, certainty in
my heart, sincerity in my action,
light in my eyes, and insight in my
religion.
Give me enjoyment of my bodily
members, make my hearing and my
seeing my two inheritors, help me
against him who wrongs me, show
me in him my revenge and my
desires, and console thereby my
eyes.
O God, remove my affliction, veil
my defects, forgive my offence,
drive away my Satan, dissolve my
debt, and give me, my God, the
highest degree in the world to
come an