The Mahdi Times November 2011 | Page 50

my family and my property appoint for me a successor, in what Thou hast provided for me bless me, in my soul humble me, in the eyes of men magnify me, from the evil of jinn and men preserve me, for my sins disgrace me not, for my inward secrets shame me not, for my action try me not, of Thy blessings deprive me not and to other than Thee entrust me not. My God, to whom wouldst Thou entrust me? To a relative? He would cut me off. Or to a stranger? He would look at me with displeasure. Or to those who act toward me with arrogance? But Thou art my Lord and the sovereign over my affair.  I would complain to Thee of my exile and the remoteness of my abode, and that he whom Thou hast made sovereign over me despises me. My God, so cause not Thy wrath to alight upon me. If Thou becomest not wrathful with me I will have no care, glory be to Thee But Thy protection is more embracing.  So I ask Thee, O Lord, by the Light of Thy Face by which the earth and the heavens are illuminated, shadows are removed, and the affairs of the ancients and the later folks are set aright, not to cause me to die when Thy wrath is upon me, nor to send down upon me Thy anger. The pleasure is Thine The pleasure is Thine, to be satisfied with me before that. There is no god but Thou, Lord of the Holy Land, the Sacred Monument, and the Ancient House, upon which Thou caused blessing to descend and which Thou madest a sanctuary for mankind.  O He who pardons the greatest sins by His clemency! O He who lavishes blessings by His bounty! O He who gives abundance by His generosity! O Sustenance to me in my adversity! O Companion to me in my solitude! O Aid to me in my affliction! O Benefactor to me in my blessing! O my God and God of my fathers, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac and Jacob! Lord of Gabriel, Michael and Israfil! Lord of Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets, and his household, the chosen ones! Revealer of the Torah, the Gospel, the Psalms and the Criterion, and Sender down of Kaf Ha' Ya' Ayn Sad, Ta' Ha', Ya' Sin, and the Wise Quran!  Thou art my cave (of refuge) when the roads for all their amplitude constrict me and the land for all its breadth is strait for me. If not for Thy mercy, I would have been among the perishing, and Thou annullest my slip.  If not for Thy covering me, I would have been among the disgraced, and Thou confirmest me with help against my enemies. And if not for Thy helping me, I would have been among those overcome.  O He who appropriated loftiness and exaltation to Himself, so His friends (awliya') are mighty through His might! O He before whom kings place the yoke of abasement around their necks, for they fear His overwhelming power!  "He knows the treachery of the eyes and what the breasts conceal" (XL,19) and the unseen brought by time and fate.  O He about whom none knows how He is but He! O He about whom none knows what He is but He! O He whom none knows but He!  O He who squeezed the earth onto the water and held back the air with the sky! O He to whom belong the noblest Names!  O He who possesses kindness, which will never be cut off! O He who assigned the cavalcade to Joseph in the barren land, brought him out of the well and made him a king after slavery! O He who returned him to Jacob after "his eyes were whitened with sorrow that he was suppressing" (XII, 84)  O He who removed affliction and tribulation from Job and restrained Abraham's hands from the sacrifice of his son after he had reached old age and his life had passed by!  O He who answered the prayer of Zachariah and bestowed upon him John, not leaving him childless and alone! O He who brought Jonah out from the stomach of the fish!  O He who parted the sea for the Children of Israel, then saved them and drowned Pharoah and his hosts!  O He who sends winds heralding His mercy! O He who does not hurry (to act) against those of His creatures who disobey Him! O He who rescued the sorcerers after (their) long denial! They had early benefitted from His blessing, eating His provision and worshipping other than Him; they had opposed, denied and cried lies to His messengers.  O God! O God! O Beginner, O Creator with no compeer! O Everlasting who has no end! O Living when nothing was alive! O Quickener of the dead! O "He Who is aware of the deserts of every soul" (XIII,33)! O He toward whom my gratitude was little, yet He deprived me not! My transgression was great, yet He disgraced me not! He saw me committing acts of disobedience, yet he made me not notorious! O He who watched over me in childhood! O He who provided for me in my adulthood! O He whose favors toward me cannot be reckoned and whose blessings ca