Dua Kumayl

A Translation & Commentary

By

HUSEIN A. RAHIM M.B.E. LONDON

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE COMPASSIONATE, THE MERCIFUL

O Allah! Bless Muhammad and his progeny.

O Allah! I beseech Thee by
Thy mercy which encompasses all things

"Allah" is the proper name applied to Him only and it has no corresponding
word in English. The English word "God" merely means a deity - an object
of worship and it may be fire, image, animal, sun or other celestial body.
It has "Goddess" for its feminine and "Gods" for its plural. Whilst the word
"Allah" has neither feminine nor plural and has never been applied to any
person or thing other than the unimaginable Supreme Being. The Arabic word
"llahun", which has for its dual "llahaini" and for its plural "Alihatun"
may perhaps be considered to be equivalent to the English word "God". The
word "Allah" comprises all the attributes of perfection and, when used in
the form of invocation as "Allahuma," the letter "Mim" is added in the end
to compensate the omission of the exclamation of entreaty "Ya" meaning "O
Allah!" Examples of such form of entreaty can be found in the Qur'an: "Jesus,
son of Mary, said "Allahuma" O Allah! Lord of us! send down for us table
spread with food from heaven". C.5 v. 114 and the Holy Prophet was similarly
directed to say - "Allahuma" O Allah! Owner of Sovereignty Thou givest Government
unto whom Thou wilt and Thou withdrawest Government from whom wilt. C. 3
v. 26. According to the teaching of the Qur'an, the all comprehensiveness
of Allah is referred to in the very first words of the Qur'an. He is the
Creator, the Nourisher and the Accomplisher of the entire creation.

The words "I beseech Thee" imply that the beseecher does not deem any one
else-besides Allah-deserving to be sought from and the words "Thy Mercy which
encompasses all things represent exactly the description thereof given in
C. 7 v. 156 of the Holy Qur'an.

And by Thy power by which Thou
overcometh all things and submit to it all things and humble before it all
things

C. 39 v. 4 of the Qur'an states - "He is Allah, the One, the Subduer (of
all)." "Al Qahar" (the Subduer) is an epithet of Allah and C. 2 v. 165 clarifies
that "The Power is wholly Allah's."

And by Thy might by which Thou
hast conquered all things

The word "Jabarut" meaning "Might", is derived from the epithet of Allah
"Al Jabbar" meaning "The Mighty One."

And by Thy majesty against
which nothing can stand up

The word "Izzat" is derived from Allah's epithet "Al Aziz" (The Glorious
) .

And by Thy grandeur which prevails
upon all things

"He is the Most High, the Tremendous" C. 2 v. 255 of the Qur'an.

And by Thy authority which
is exercised over all things

"O Thou against whose Authority no other authority prevails" (Du'a Jaushan
al-Kabir). The combined authority of all worldly powers are incapable to
prevent natural disasters like earthquakes, cyclones or floods even though
they may have had previous notice of it.

And by Thy own self that shall
endure forever after all things have vanished

The expression "Wajhika" has been defined by Malbubi as "Dhate Parwardighar"
Allah Himself. The Qur'an says - "Everything is perishable but He." C. 28
v. 88 and in C. 55 v. 27. it is stated "And there shall remain for ever the
Person of Thy Lord, the Lord of Glory and Honour."

And by Thy Names which manifest
Thy power over all things

This refers to "Asmaul Husna" the Excellent Names of Allah. Malbubi states
that these Names constitute the props which sustain everything in existence.

And by Thy knowledge which
pervades all things

"The Omniscient" is one of the positive attributes of Allah. The Qur'an states:
"Allah indeed encompasses all things in knowledge." C. 65 v. 12. "Al Muhitun"
meaning "One who Encompasses or Comprehends" is one of the epithets of Allah.

And by the light of Thy
countenance which illuminates everything

The word "Wajh" has a wide meaning including "cause, countenance, support,
appearance, aspect and look". According to Malbubi, it refers here to the
"light of His Own Self". In interpreting the same expression used in

C. 55 v. 27 of the Qur'an, Imam Zainul Abidin (A.S.) has stated that the
Imams are the countenance of Allah. (Tafsir Safi). Imam al-Ridha (A.S.) has
stated that the Prophets, the Messengers and the Imams are meant by the phrase
"Countenance of Allah" (Tafsir Qummi ) .

O Thou who art the light!
O Thou who art the most holy! O Thou who existed before the foremost! O Thou
who shall exist after the
last!

This passage asserts that Allah's eternity has no beginning and no end.

O Allah! Forgive me my such
sins as would affront my continency

The word "Isam" is the plural of "Ismat" meaning immaculacy, defence or
continency. Whilst immaculacy is reserved for Imams and the Prophets, every
sane and adult person is endowed by Allah with faculty to defend himself
against or resist sins and keep himself chaste. But the commission of certain
sins assail his powers of defence and even destroy his continency whereby
he becomes a profligate and a depraved person. May Allah protect us from
such sins! Imam Ja'far al Sadiq (A.S.) has enumerated the following sins
amongst those which abash one's chastity: (1 ) The drinking of intoxicants;
(2) Gambling, (3) Indulging in plays which cause mockery or derision amongst
people, (4) Gossiping about other people's vices or infamies; and (5) Associating
with those who are sceptics or agnostics (Anisul Lail).

O Allah! Forgive me my such
sins as would bring down calamity

According to a Hadith, the following sins bring down calamity: (1) Breach
of a covenant; (2) Manifestation of shameful conduct; (3) Publication of
falsehood; (4) Giving judgement contrary to Allah's revelation; (5) Refusing,
or preventing the payment of Zakaat, and (6) Giving of short measure. (Malbubi
) .

O Allah! Forgive me my such
sins as would change divine favours (into disfavours)

Imam Sadiq (A.S.) has stated that these include the following sins: (1) Inequity
against people; (2) Silencing or opposing an Alim; (3) Being ingratitude
to Allah's Grace; and (4) Assigning associate to Allah. Imam Sadiq (A.S.)
has also included the following other sins under this category:- (1) Displaying
one's own poverty; (2) Despising Allah's Favour; and (3) Uttering a complaint
against Allah. ( Anisul Lail ) .

O Allah! Forgive me my such
sins as would hinder my supplication

According to Imam Sadiq (A.S.), such sins are:- bad faith (mala fide), ceasing
to believe in the prayer being answered (granted ), hypocrisy towards brethren,
delay in the saying of prayers in time and violation of duties towards the
two parents (Uququl Walidain). (Anisul Lail).

O Allah! Forgive me such sins
as bring down misfortunes (or afflictions)

According to Imam Zainul Abidin (A.S.), the following sins bring down misfortunes
or afflictions: (1) Abandoning aid to those in affliction; (2) Abandoning
assistance to oppressed persons calling for assistance; and (3) To render
abortive (or destroy) the enjoining of good acts and forbidding that which
is evil (Amr bil Ma'ruf and Nahi Anil Munkar). (Anisul Lail).

O Allah! Forgive my such sins
as would suppress hope

Although this paragraph has been omitted from Sheikh Abbas Qummi's edition,
it does exist in other authoritative books and commentaries of the "Du'a".

According to Imam Sadiq (A.S.), the following sins are those which suppress
hope:- (1) Despairment of the Mercy of Allah; (2) To entertain no hope of
Allah's Clemency; (3) Reliance upon someone else besides Allah; and (4) Disbelief
in Allah's promises. Imam Zainul Abidin (A.S.) has referred in Sahifa Sajjadiya
to the similar effect. He has said:-"The seeking by one indigent person from
another necessitous being is a folly of his brain and loss of his common
sense. My Lord! How many men have sought honour from others than Thee and
have been dishonoured; they, who sought wealth from others than Thee, were
struck with poverty and those who sought greatness from others than Thee,
met with destruction.

Mohammed Ibn Ajlaan relates:-"Once I became so distressed, constrained and
helpless that I decided to appeal for financial assistance from Hassan Ibn
Zaid, who was then the Governor of Medina. As he was a friend of mine, I
had hoped he would be sympathetic towards me. On my way to the Government
House, I met Mohammed Ibn Abdulla, who was the grandson of Imam Mohammed
Baqir (A.S.). On noticing my perplexity, he inquired as where I was going.
I informed him of all my circumstances and said that I saw no other way except
to seek aid from Hassan Ibn Zaid. He said, "Your need will not be fulfilled
for verily I have heard my uncle, Imam Ja'far as Sadiq (A.S.) saying that
Allah had revealed to one of his Prophets as follows -"I swear by My Greatness
and Majesty that I shall sever the hope of every person who hopes, by reason
of despair, to obtain aid from any one else besides Me and I shall disgrace
him in the eyes of the people and I shall place him further from My Grace
and Favour. What! Does My bondman, in his distress, hope for relief from
any one else save Myself whilst I control destinies? Does he hope to acquire
anything from any one else when I am All Sufficing and Generous?" ( Anisul
Lail ) .

O Allah! Forgive every sin
that I have committed and every error that I have erred

"Sin" must be distinguished from an "error" which may be due to a mistake.
"To error is human" as it may be due to a mistake or misunderstanding the
position. The former implies intention to do wrong but the latter may be
due to a mistake made in good faith but as both may result in considerable
damage, they need Allah's grace of forgiveness.

C. 4 v. 17 of the Qur'an says-"Repentance with Allah is only for those who
do evil in ignorance, then turn (to Allah) soon, so these it is to whom Allah
turns (mercifully), and Allah is ever Knowing, Wise."

O Allah! I endeavour to draw
myself nigh to Thee through Thy invocation

Every prayer, every act of piety, every act of charity and benevolence must
be intended with the object of drawing one self nigh to Allah. Indeed the
entire life of a faithful must be aimed at achieving this aspiration for
which every jinn and man was created. Being nigh to Allah is the highest
prize a human being to attain. The Qur'an says-"Then if he is one of those
drawn nigh (to Allah); Then happiness and bounty and a garden of bliss (for
them)" (C. 56 v. 88 and 89).

And I pray to Thee to intercede
on my behalf

The power of intercession is solely vested in Allah. C.39 v.44 states:- "Say:
Allah's is the intercession altogether." But He may permit others also to
intercede. See Verse 109 of C. 20 which reads- "On that day shall no intercession
avail except of him whom the Beneficent God allows and whose word He is pleased
with."

And I entreat Thee by Thy
benevolence to draw me nearer to Thee

The nearness to God signifies the perfection of a human being

And grant me that I should
be grateful to Thee and inspire me to remember and to invoke Thee

"Gratitude to Allah" implies being faithful to His commandments and remembering
Him at every moment. Remembering Him at every stage deters us from committing
sins and our hearts are laid at rest. The Qur'an says-"Surely by Allah's
remembrance are the hearts set at rest." C. 13 v. 29.

O Allah! I entreat Thee begging
Thee submissively, humbly and awestrickenly

These are the essential qualities needed for approaching Allah. A person
is required to have awe of his Lord and fear the evil consequences of the
Day of Reckoning. See C. 13 v. 21 of the Qur'an.

To treat me with clemency
and mercy, and to make me pleased and contented with what Thou hast allotted
to me

The beseecher seeks the clemency of Allah in respect of his sins and short
comings; contentment and pleasure with the necessaries of life bestowed upon
him by Allah without seeking to beg the same from others. It is stated in
Hadith by Imam Ali (A.S.) that-"He who is contented, is honoured and ignominious
is he who yearns." It is stated in the second Hadith that "One who is contented
is self-sufficient even if he is hungry and naked; One who is contented triumphs
over the people of his time and one who is contented has sufficiency of means
over his generation; He who is contented has selected self sufficiency over
ignominy and ease over hardship". Imam Amir el Muminin (A.S.) has stated:-"I
sought richness but did not find it except in contentment and so it behoves
you to be contented and feel enriched, I sought for Glory and Position but
did not find them except in knowledge and it behoves you to acquire knowledge
and it will secure you glory and position in both the worlds; I sought to
obtain nobility and I could not find it except by fearing Allah, therefore,
fear Allah to become noble; I sought for tranquillity and found it in abandoning
mingling with people, therefore, leave the worldly people and you will obtain
tranquillity." (Malbubi).

The Holy Prophet has also said "Contentment is a treasure which does not
exhaust." (Malbubi).

Allah says in the Holy Qur'an-"We distribute among them their sustenance
(rizq) in the life of the world.'' C. 43 v. 32 (Malbubi).

And cause me to be modest
and unassuming in all circumstances

It is stated in Hadith that Allah has appointed two angels over each of his
bondsmen; whoever is humble and unassuming over others, Allah exalts him,
but whoever is arrogant suffers humiliation. ( Malbubi ) .

O Allah! I beg Thee as one
who is passing through extreme privation and who supplicates his needs to
Thee and his hope has been greatly
raised by that which is with Thee

Paradise, forgiveness and all that is good for human being are in the control
of Allah. But hope must be combined with fear of Allah. In one of our
supplications, we pray "O Thou! from Whom I hope (reward) for every good
and fear His Wrath for every evil (intended to be committed)." It is stated
by Allah in Hadith Qudsi "When hope and fear (of His Wrath) combine in a
believer, I make paradise for him incumbent." ( Malbubi ) .

O Allah! Great is Thy kingdom
and exalted is Thy greatness

This passage is auxiliary to the last passage in which a human being, having
acknowledged his own disability to remedy his own privation, seeks succour
from the Lord Whose Kingdom is great and Might is exalted. (Malbubi).

Thy plan is secret, Thy authority
is manifest, Thy might is victorious and subduing and Thy power is
prevalent throughout and it is
not possible to escape from Thy dominion

Imam Hussein (A.S.) reports that a man came to see his father Amir al Mominin
(A.S.) and said-"I am a sinner and find it difficult to resist the temptation
to sin. Wilt thou advise me what to do?"

Imam Amir al Mominin (A.S.) admonished the man as follows- If you possess
the ability for these five pre requisites, then you may commit any sin as
you like:- Firstly, stop partaking of sustenance (rizq) provided by Allah;
Secondly, get out of Allah's domain; Thirdly, find a place where Allah does
not see, Fourthly, acquire power to prevent the Angel of Death from taking
away your soul; and Fifthly, gather the strength to resist Malik, the Angel
in charge of the Hell, flinging you into the Hell. If you are able to do
these five things, then sin as you like. (Malbubi).

O Allah! Except Thee I do
not find any one able to pardon my sins nor to conceal my loathsome
acts

The Qur'an clearly states - "and who forgives the sins but Allah" C. 3 v.
134. It is the exclusive right of Allah, though others may intercede with
His permission. Qur'an C. 2 v. 255.

"Satir" (the concealor of loathsome acts of His bondsmen) is one of Allah's
attributes. By His infinite Grace, He conceals a lot of our loathsome acts
from the knowledge of the society, but discloses our virtues. In one of our
supplications, we say "O Thou! who makes conspicuous our decorous actions
and conceals those that are loathsome." ( Malbubi ) .

Nor have I any one except
Thee to change my evil deeds into virtues

It is Almighty alone who has the power to change our evil deeds into virtues.
Says the Holy Qur'an-"Except him who repents and believes and does a good
deed; so these are they of whom Allah changes the evil deeds to good ones;
and Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." C. 25 v. 70.

There is no god but Thou glory
and praise be to Thee I have made my own soul to suffer I had the audacity
(to sin) by my ignorance

"Ignorance" here means "foolishness or stupidity" (Malbubi).

Relying upon my past remembrance
of Thee and Thy grace towards me

Allah is, of course, Ever Gracious but it is sheer audacity and foolishness
to regard His Grace as a licence to commit sins and expose one's own soul
to the hazard of sufferings in the hereafter. The passage teaches us that
every sin will cause suffering to the soul unless immediate repentance is
made and Allah's forgiveness is sought. Repentance implies determination
not to repeat the sin.

Mansur el Ammar relates that once he had an occasion to go out of his house
at midnight and on his way he heard the pathetic voice of a young man making
supplication to Allah and saying: "My Lord! The sin which I have just committed
was not done with the intention of disobeying or defying Thee but was actuated
by sheer, lust over powering me and Satan leading me astray. I have made
my own soul to suffer and be liable to Thine indignation and chastisement."
Mansur states-"When I heard these words of supplication by the young man,
I went to the crevice of the young man's door and recited in a loud voice
this verse of the Qur'an-"O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families
from a fire whose fuel is men and stones, over it are angels stern and strong,
they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them, and do as they are
commanded." (C. 66 v. 6). Mansur continues to say "When I had recited this
verse, the young man raised a cry of lamentation and I heard him cry out-"My
Lord! my weak body has no power to become the fuel of the hell fire'." Mansur
walked away from the house and says - "When the next morning I passed by
that house from which I had heard the young man's supplication, I heard women
wailing. I went to inquire the cause for wailing and an old lady came to
the door and said-'Last night when my youthful son was engaged, through fear
of Allah, in supplication someone called at the door of our house and recited
an admonishing verse of the Qur'an which caused my son to shout and fall
on the ground palpitating and died immediately.' Mansur states that he informed
the old lady that as he was the cause of her son's death, would she permit
him to wash and shroud his dead body. The old lady permitted him to do so
and Mansur states-"When I entered the young man's room, I saw him lying facing
towards Ka'ba (Mecca) and I saw a piece of canvas on his chest. When I moved
away the canvas, I saw the following words engraved on his chest in clear
letters:-'I have washed this bondman with the water of penitence, now My
bondman is pure from sins.' (Anisul Lail).

O Allah! My Lord! How many
of my loathsome acts hast Thou screened (from public gaze)

How many of my grievous afflictions (distresses)
hast Thou reduced in severity

The word "Maula" has here been used in the sense of "Master" and the word
"Fadihin" means "heavy" or "grievous" (Malbubi).

And how many of my stumblings
hast Thou protected, how many of my detestable acts has Thou averted,
and how many of my undeserving
praises hast Thou spread abroad!

The Arabic word "ithar" has been translated by Malbubi as meaning "laghzish"
in Farsi language which means "a slip, slipping or stumbling." " Makruhin"
is used in the general sense to mean "any blameworthy act."

O Allah! My trails and sufferings
have increased and my evilness has worsened, my good deeds have
diminished and my yokes (of misdeeds)
have become firm

According to Maibubi, the Arabic word "afrata" means "increased" and that
"aghlal" is the plural of "ghalla" meaning restrained like imprisonment and
deprived of Allah's taufiq (the favour of Allah) to accomplish good deeds."
When the yokes of sins become heavy, they over power the sinner and prevent
him from accomplishing good deeds. ( Malbubi ) .

And remote hopes restrain
me to profit (by good deeds) and the world has deceived me with its
allurements and my own self has
been affected by treachery and procrastination

I have translated the Arabic word "nafs" as "self". The word "nafs" has been
used in the Qur'an in various ways according to its context e.g. "Nafsul
Ammara" referred to in C. 12 v. 52 means "soul prone to evil", "Nafsul Mutmainna"
referred to in C. 81 v. 18 means "soul at peace" and "Nafsul Lawamma" referred
to in C. 75 v. 2 means "self reproaching soul". Indeed Malbubi states that
Imam Ali (A.S.) has referred to several types of nafs'' in a Hadith recorded
in Majma' ul Bahraini but in the passage of this supplication, the supplicant
obviously refers to his own self.

Therefore, my Lord! I implore
Thee by Thy greatness not to let my sins and my misdeeds shut out access
to my prayers from reaching Thy
realm and not to disgrace me by exposing those (hidden ones) of which Thou
hast knowledge nor to hasten my retribution for those vices and misdeeds
committed by me in secret which were due to evilmindedness, ignorance, excessive
lustfulness and my negligence

O Allah! I beg Thee by Thy greatness to
be compassionate to me in all circumstances and well disposed towards me
in all matters

My God! My Nourisher! Have I anyone except
Thee from whom I can seek the dislodging of my evils and understanding of
my problems?

According to Malbubi, the evils may be physical or spiritual and it is only
Allah Who can perceive them and dislodge them. The Holy Qur'an says "Who
answers the distressed one when he calls upon Him and dislodges the evil"
C. 27 v. 62. One of the attributes of Allah is "Reliever of distresses" and
every Prophet has sought relief from Him during distress.

My God! My Master! Thou decreed
a law for me but instead I obeyed my own low desires

And I did not guard myself against the
allurements of my enemy

The enemy referred to is Satan who had declared before Allah- "I will certainty
make (evil) fairseeming to them on earth and I will cause them all to deviate."
C. 15 v. 39 of the Qur'an.

He deceived me with vain hopes
whereby I was led astray and fate helped him in that respect

I have translated the word "Qaza" here as "fate" to accord with the context.
Malbubi states that according to Maima'ul Bahrain "Qaza" has numerous meanings
amongst them it means "decreed", "created". "accomplished", "brought to an
end", "completed", "fulfilled", "destiny", "death", "fatality", "prayer after
the time appointed for it elapsed", "adjudged", "fate", "predestination",
or "inevitable fate".

Thus I transgressed some of
its limits set for me by Thee and I disobeyed some of Thy commandments;
Thou hast therefore a (just)
cause against me in all those matters and I have no plea against Thy judgement
passed against me

"Hujjat" means an argument, proof, reason, alteration or disputation. "Hujjat
by Allah" in the above passage signifies that the sinner confesses that Allah
had justly passed His judgement against him as Allah had done all that was
necessary for his guidance by sending an Apostle, revealing the Qur'an and
appointing the Imams to interpret His laws and the sinner further admits
that he has no "plea" or argument for excusing himself from transgressing
Allah's laws. ( Malbubi ) .

I have therefore become
(justifiably) liable to Thy judgement and afflictions

But now I have turned Thee, my Lord, after
being guilty of omissions and transgressions against my soul, apologetically,
repentantly, broken heartedly, entreating earnestly for forgiveness, yieldingly
confessing (to my guilt) as I can find no escape from that which was done
by me and having no refuge to which I could turn except seeking Thy acceptance
of my excuse and admitting me into the realm of Thy capacious mercy

O Allah! Accept my apology and have pity
on my intense sufferings and set me free from my heavy fetters (of evil
deeds)

My Nourisher! Have mercy on the infirmity
of my body, the delicacy of my skin and the brittleness of my bones

O' Thou! Who originated my creation and
(accorded me) my individuality, and (ensured) my upbringing and welfare (and
provided) my sustenance (I beg Thee) to restore Thy favours and blessings
upon me as Thou didst in the beginning of my life

O' my God! My master! My Lord! And my Nourisher!
What! Wilt Thou see me punished with the fire kindled by Thee despite my
belief in Thy unity? And despite the fact that my heart has been filled with
(pure) knowledge of Thee and when my tongue has repeatedly praised Thee and
my conscience has acknowledged Thy love and despite my sincere confessions
(of my sins) and my humble entreaties submissively made to Thy divinity?

Nay, Thou art far too kind and generous
to destroy one whom thyself nourished and supported, or to drive away from
Thyself one whom Thou has kept under Thy protection, or to scare away one
whom Thy self hast given shelter, or to abandon in affliction one Thou hast
maintained and to whom Thou hast been merciful

I wish I had known o' my Master, my God
and my Lord! Wilt Thou inflict fire upon faces which have submissively bowed
in prostration to Thy greatness, or upon the tongues which have sincerely
confirmed Thy unity and have always expressed gratitude to Thee, or upon
hearts which have acknowledged Thy divinity with conviction, or upon the
minds which accumulated so much knowledge of Thee until they became submissive
to Thee, or upon the limbs which strove, at the places appointed for Thy
worship, to adore Thee willingly and seek Thy forgiveness submissively?

In translating the above passage, I have adopted the Persian translation
thereof given by Malbubi. For instance, he translates the expression "laita
shi'ri" as "kash mi danistam" which means "I wish I had known", he translates
"kharrat" as "falling down on earth and prostrating"; he translates "jawarih"
as "limbs of the body"; he translates "hawat" as "to gather" which I have
rendered into English as "to accumulate", he translates "autaan" as plural
of "Watan" meaning centres or homes and "ta'abudi" as "worship" and I have
rendered the expression in English as "places appointed for worship" which
include mosques, places of prayers like namaz gah. In fact every inch of
the earth, which is not privately owned and is pure from pollution (najasat)
is a place of worship".

Such sort (of harshness) is
not expected from Thee as it is remote from Thy grace, o' generous
one!

Although the Qur'an proclaims Allah as "severe in requiting (evil)" in C.
2 v. 165, He is also described as "Oft relenting and Merciful." C. 9 v. 118.
According to Malbubi, a Hadith directs us always to have "Husni dhan a good
and favourable opinion for Allah.

O' Lord! Thou art aware of
my weakness to bear even a minor affliction of this world and its consequence
and adversity affecting the denizen
of this earth, although such afflictions are momentary, short-lived and
transient

How then can I bear the retributions and
the punishments of the hereafter which are enormous and of intensive sufferings,
of prolonged period and perpetual duration, and which shall never be alleviated
for those who deserve the same as those retributions will be the result of
Thy wrath; and Thy punishment which neither the heavens nor the earth can
withstand and bear!

My Lord! How can I, a weak, insignificant,
humble, poor and destitute creature of Thine be able to bear them?

O' my God! My Lord! My King! And Master!
Which of the matters shall I complain to Thee and for which of them shall
I bewail and weep?

Shall I bewail for the pains and pangs of
the punishment and their intensity or for the length of sufferings and their
duration?

Therefore (my Lord!) If Thou wilt subject
me to the penalties (of hell) in company of Thy enemies and cast me with
those who merited Thy punishments and tear me apart from Thy friends and
those who will be near to Thee, then my God, my Lord and my Master, though
I may patiently bear Thy punishments, how can I calmly accept being kept
away from Thee?

I reckon that though I may patiently endure
the scorching fire of Thy hell, yet how can I resign myself to the denial
of Thy pity and clemency? How can I remain in the fire while I have hopes
of Thy forgiveness?

Wailing, lamentation and weeping over one's own sins are the only weapons
available to a repentant sinner who seeks Allah's Mercy and Forgiveness.
"Call on your Lord," says the Qur'an, "humbly and secretly." In fact it is
stated in an authenticated hadith-"The most beloved tears in Allah's sight
are those that are shed by a repentant sinner" and numerous instances are
recorded of some reputed transgressors of Allah's laws being forgiven and
granted Allah's Mercy and Forgiveness by means of this weeping armoury.

Sheikh Bahai, (1) one of the leading Muslim theologians, records in Vo. 5
of his book called "Kashkul" that a reputed sinner happened to die in the
suburb of Basra, Iraq, and his widow did her best to obtain the assistance
of the villagers to wash, shroud and bury his body according to Muslim rites
but none of them, because of the deceased's notoriety, could be persuaded
to co-operate. As a last recourse, she had the deceased's body removed by
porters to a place where the Muslims usually assembled for their prayers
in the hope that some of the congregation might recite the funeral prayer
on the dead body but no one took any notice of the body. She then got the
porters to remove the corpse to a desert and accompanied the body with the
intention of getting a grave dug and bury it without ablution, shrouds or
funeral prayers. On reaching the desert, she was surprised to see an aged
devout worshipper, who lived in a cave near by to spend the rest of his life
in devotion and worship of Allah, waiting to receive the corpse. The devout
worshipper took over the corpse, washed and shrouded it and despatched a
courier to the villagers in the vicinity that he was going to recite the
funeral prayer on the body. When the villagers and the people in the city
of Basra got this news, a crowd of them assembled in the desert and inquired
from the venerable worshipper, who was held in high esteem for his piety
and asceticism, as to what prompted him, to leave the place of his worship
and attend to the funeral rites of a reputed wretch. He replied that he had
seen a vision commanding him to attend to the funeral rites of the deceased
who, he said, was described in the vision as "a; repentant person whom Allah
had forgiven and had assigned to him a place in the vicinity of His Mercy."
The crowd being astonished to hear of this vision, asked the deceased's widow
if he had any virtues to deserve a place in the Divine Mercy. She said that
so far as she knew, her husband was addicted to drinking and gay life but
he did possess three peculiar qualities. Firstly, when he woke up at day
break, he used to perform an absolute ablution of his body, dress in pure
garments and say his morning prayers. Secondly, never a day passed without
him doing some kindness to orphans. It was his habit to refuse taking his
meals unless two or three orphans joined him and he used to treat orphans
more kindly than his own children. Thirdly, if he happened to wake up in
the middle of the night, he used to weep and pray "My Lord! Is it possible
for my body to be so enlarged as to fill up the entire pit of hell so that
there would be no room in it for any one else; my Master! I shall endure
Thy hell fire but I shall not be able to endure to see the sufferings of
Thine other creatures." When the crowd heard this talk of the widow, they
all -including the devout worshipper wept and said-"Indeed, we are fortunate
to be able to join the funeral prayer of such a patron of orphans and tender
hearted person." They then all joined in the funeral prayer and buried the
body with respect and dignity. (Anisul Lail).

(1) Sheikh Bahai (whose full name is Bahau Deen Amili and ranks high amongst
Shia Ithna asheri theologians) should not be confused with the new Bahai
religious system which is a comparatively new system founded in the 19th
century by a person who was called "Baab" and was shortly thereafter followed
by a man called Bahau llah" who claimed to have received divine revelation.
(The Reader's Digest Great Encyclopaedic Dictionary).

O' my Lord! By Thy honour
truly do I swear that, if Thou wilt allow my power of speech to be retained
by me in the hell, I shall amongst
its inmates cry out bewailingly unto Thee like the cry of those who have
faith in Thy kindness and compassion

And I shall bemoan for Thee (for being deprived
of nearness to Thee) the lamentation of those who are bereaved, and I shall
keep on calling unto Thee: "Where art Thou o' Friend of the believers! O'
(Thou who art) the last hope and resort of those who acknowledge Thee and
have faith in Thy clemency and kindness; o' Thou who art the helper of those
seeking help! O' Thou who art dear to the hearts of those who truly believe
in Thee! And o' Thou who art the Lord of the universe."

Heart felt words are these to manifest the anguish and sorrow of a believer
who, while not resenting the justice meted out to him by Allah in casting
him into the hell, nevertheless deplores the fact that he has been separated
from Allah's Grace and Mercy. Appropriate phrases such as these for the purpose
of supplication can only be learnt from a true Imam who knows the proper
method of approach to Allah. We have instances of similar words employed
by Imam Zainul Abidin (A.S.) in the Du'a which he taught Abu Hamza Thamali
to recite in the early dawn of the holy month of Ramadhan. One of the passages
reads-"My Lord! If Thou wilt cast me into fire, it will only delight Thy
enemies but if Thou wilt cause me to enter paradise it will delight Thy Prophet
and by Allah I am aware that the joy of Thy Prophet is more beloved to Thee
than the joy of Thy enemies." Another passage of the Du'a reads: My God!
My Lord! I swear by Thy Honour and Majesty, if Thou seeks (to punish me)
for my sins, I shall seek Thy Forgiveness; if Thou seeks to reprove me for
my blames, I shall seek from Thee Thy Generosity; If Thou wilt cast me into
the fire, I shall inform its denizens of my love for Thee."

My Lord! Glory and praise
be to Thee, wouldst Thou (wish) to be seen (disregarding) the voice of a
muslim bondman, incarcerated
therein (the hell) for his disobedience and imprisoned within its pits for
his evildoings and misdeeds, crying out to Thee the utterance of one who
has faith in Thy mercy and calling out to Thee in the language of those who
believe in Thy unity and seeking to approach Thee by means of Thy epithet
"the Creator, the Nourisher, the Accomplisher and the Protector of the entire
existence"?

"Afaturaka" is composed of interrogative article "Aa" the conjunction "Fe"
and the word "Turaka" meaning "thou be seen" and every effort has been made
to render the complex Arabic passage comprehensible by the addition of a
couple of words in brackets, without omitting any of the original words.
This passage represents a humble reasoning, submitted with all humility,
by a fallible creature to invoke the mercy of the Creator.

The word "Rububiyyataka" is difficult to render accurately in English, "Rabb"
has been frequently used in the Qur'an and translated by most translators
into English as "Lord" but the word is very comprehensive and means also
"Nourisher", "Fosterer", "Accomplisher" and "Protector", when used in respect
of Allah, it covers all these meanings and means "The Author and the Originator
of all the existence."

My Lord! Then how could he
remain in torments when he hopefully relies upon Thy past forbearance,
compassion and mercy?

Indeed. Allah has himself drawn attention to these attributes in the following
verses of the Holy Qur'an: "Announce (O' Mohammed) unto my slaves that verily
I am Forgiving, Merciful." C. 15 v. 49. Allah is not the Lord of Vengeance
but of Mercy. In Ch. 6 verse 54 of the Holy Qur'an, He says - "Your Lord
hath prescribed for Himself Mercy." (Malbubi).

And how can the fire cause
him suffering when he hopes for Thy grace and mercy and how can its roaring
flames char him when Thou hearest
his voice and sees his plight? And how can he withstand its roaring flames
when Thou knowest his frailness? And how can he be tossed about between its
layers when Thou knowest his sincerity? And how can the guards of hell threaten
him when he calls out to Thee?

"My Lord", and how would Thou abandon him
therein (the hell) when he has faith in Thy grace to set him free?

Alas! That is not the concept (held by us)
of Thee nor has Thy grace such a reputation nor does it resemble that which
Thou hast awarded by Thy kindness and generosity to those who believe in
Thy unity

I definitely conclude that hadst Thou not
ordained punishment for those who disbelieved in Thee, and hadst Thou not
decreed Thy enemies to remain in hell, Thou wouldst have made the hell cold
and peaceful and there would never have been an abode or place for any one
in it; but sanctified be Thy Names, Thou hast sworn to fill the hell with
the disbelievers from amongst the jinns and mankind together and to place
forever Thy enemies therein

And Thou, exalted be Thy praises, hadst
made manifest, out of Thy generosity and kindness, that a believer is not
like unto him who is an evil-liver

See C. 32 v. 18 of the Holy Qur'an, Pickthall's translation.

My Lord! My Master! I, therefore
implore Thee by that power which Thou determineth and by the decree
which Thou hast finalised and
ordained whereby Thou hath prevailed upon whom Thou hast imposed it, to bestow
upon me this night and this very hour the forgiveness for all the transgressions
that I have been guilty of, for all the sins that I have committed, for all
the loathsome acts that I have kept secret and for all the evils done by
me, secretly or openly, in concealment or outwardly and for every evil action
that Thou hast ordered the two noble scribes to confirm whom Thou hast appointed
to record all my actions and to be witnesses over me along with the limbs
of my body, whilst Thou observeth over me besides them and wast witness to
those acts concealed from them? Which Thou in Thy mercy hast kept secret
and through Thy kindness unexposed

And I pray to Thee to make my share plentiful
in all the good that Thou dost bestow; in all the favours that Thou dost
grant; and in all the virtues that Thou dost allow to be known everywhere;
and in all the sustenance and livelihood that Thou dost expand and in respect
of all the sins that Thou dost forgive and the wrongs that Thou dost cover
up

O' Lord! O' Lord! O' Lord! O' my God! My
Lord! My King! O' Master of my freedom! O' Thou who holdeth my destiny and
who art aware of my suffering and poverty, o' Thou who knoweth my destitution
and starvation, o' my Lord! O' Lord, o' Lord!

I beseech Thee by Thy glory and Thy honour,
by Thy supremely high attributes and by Thy names to cause me to utilise
my time, day and night, in Thy remembrance, by engaging myself in serving
Thee (Thy cause) and to let my deeds be such as to be acceptable to Thee,
so much so that all my actions and offerings (prayers) may be transformed
into one continuous and sustained effort and my life may take the form of
constant and perpetual service to Thee

The Holy Qur'an says "Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest."
C. 13 v. 28. It gives solace to those suffering misery, bereavement, destitution
or sinfulness. Service to Allah includes service to family and humanity.
"Offering prayers", of course, has been particularly mentioned because without
observing the daily prayers, there can be no "remembrance of Allah." Allah
says in the Qur'an- "Therefore, remember Me, I will remember you." C. 2 v.
152. It is stated in the Hadith of the Imam that when the time arrives for
saying the prayers, an angel calls out to the people-"Stand up to extinguish
the fire that you have kindled behind your backs and put it out by means
of your mouths (prayers)" (Malbubi).

O' my Master! O' Thou upon
Whom I rely! O' Thou unto Whom I express my distress! O' my Lord! My Lord!
My Lord! Strengthen my limbs
for Thy service and sustain the strength of my hands to persevere in Thy
service and bestow upon me the eagerness to fear Thee and constantly to serve
Thee

"Fear of Allah" is the sheet anchor for preventing disorders, crimes and
vandalism. The sanctions of human made laws cannot do so. To instil the fear
of Allah needs to introduce into human minds the knowledge of Allah, His
Powers and Retributions. "Only the erudite among His bondsmen fear Allah"
Qur'an C. 25 v. 28.

In order to warn mankind of the catastrophic results of their misdeeds, Allah
does some time create symbolic punishments in this world in the form of
hurricanes, earthquakes and floods which no power on earth, despite being
fore warned by barometers and other scientific means, can forestall or prevent.
These are mere symbols of Allah's Power to deter us from our sinful courses.
But, instead of drawing any lessons from them, we have, by human made laws,
legalised the abominable acts of homosexualism and have condoned immorality
by changing its nomenclature to "permissiveness" and have thereby, in the
name of liberty, allowed our daughters, mothers and sisters, to purvey their
most sacred jewel, Chastity as a saleable commodity and to portray one of
the most beloved servants of Allah, Prophet Jesus Christ, as a homosexualist!
Does this type of conduct justify us to plead to our Creator to save us from
the Doom hereafter which has been described as one which "the earth and heavens
cannot withstand." What is called for, is pure character and not "songs of
Praise."

So that I may lead myself
towards Thee in the field with the vanguards who are in the fore rank and
be swift towards Thee among those
who hasten towards Thee and urge eagerly to be near Thee and draw myself
towards Thee like them who sincerely draw themselves towards Thee and to
fear Thee like the fear of those who believe firmly in Thee and thus I may
join the congregation of the faithful congregated near Thee (for
protection)

According to Malbubi, the words "saraha" means to lead out" the word "mayadin"
is the plural of "maidan" meaning "the battle field" which obviously means
"spiritual" battle field whose van guards (leaders) are the prophets and
friends of Allah and the word "jawar" is the plural of Jar" meaning a neighbour
and in the passage above it means "Allah's protection."

O' Allah! Whosoever intendeth
evil against me, let ill befall on him and frustrate him who plots against
me and assign for me a place
in Thy presence with the best of Thy bondsmen and nearer abode to Thee, for
verily that position cannot be attained except through Thy grace and treat
me benevolently, and through Thy greatness extend Thy munificence towards
me and through Thy mercy protect me and cause my tongue to accentuate Thy
remembrance and my heart filled with Thy love and be liberal to me by Thy
gracious response and cause my evils to appear fewer and forgive me my errors
for verily, Thou hast ordained for Thy bondsmen Thy worship and bidden them
to supplicate unto Thee and hast assured them (of Thy) response

The assurance referred to in the above passage is given in Ch. 40 v. 60 of
the Qur'an which reads-"And your Lord hath said: "Call on Me, I will answer
your call". But there are requisites laid down by the Holy Qur'an for the
supplication to be answered. Allah says in Ch. 2 v. 186: "I answer the
supplication of every supplicant who calleth on Me, let them also, with a
will, answer My call, and have faith in Me, that they may proceed aright."
"Faith in Me" means a vivid realisation of His Living Presence and the truth
of His having care of us. "Answer My call" means obedience to His commandments.
He says "Fulfil your promise to Me and I will fulfil Mine to you." (Ch. 2
v. 40).

So, my Lord! I look earnestly
towards Thee and towards Thee, my Lord! I have stretched forth my hands
therefore, by Thy honour, respond
to my supplication and let me attain my wishes and, by Thy bounty, frustrate
not my hopes and protect me from the evils of my enemies, from among the
jinns and mankind o' Thou! Who readily pleased, forgive one who owns nothing
but supplication for Thou doest what Thou willest o' Thou! Whose Name is
the remedy (for all ills) and Whose remembrance is a sure cure for all ailments
and obedience to Whom makes one self sufficient; have mercy on one whose
only asset is hope and whose only armour is lamentation

O' Thou! Who perfecteth all bounties and
Who wardeth off all misfortunes! O' Light! Who illuminateth those who are
in bewilderment! O' Omniscient! Who knoweth without (acquisition of) learning!
Bless Mohammed and the Descendants of Mohammed and do unto me in accordance
with that which befitteth Thee, and deal with me not in accordance to my
worth

The supplicant, in utter humility, entreats Allah, to deal with him not in
accordance with what he deserves as a sinner, but in compatibility with Allah's
own high attributes as Forgiver, Merciful and Cherisher of His bondman and
lead him to the path of piety and righteousness as He, Allah, is the Lord
of Piety and Righteousness.

May the blessings of Allah be bestowed upon
His Apostle and the Rightful Imams from his Descendants and His peace be
upon them plentifully

Notes:

The Author acknowledges with gratitude the assistance received from the following
works -

(a) "KNOW YOUR ISLAM" published by Peermohamed Ebrahim Trust of Karachi
(Pakistan), which contains a verbatim translation of the "Du'a" in the English
language, and which has been reproduced mutatis mutandis in this Commentary.

(b) "ANISUL LAIL Fl SHARHI DU'AIL KUMEIL" which is an Arabic commentary on
the "Du'a"; and

(c) "DARMAN RUHO RAWAN" which is a commentary in the Farsi language of the
Du'a and contains scholarly interpretations of its words and phrases written
by the learned Aqa Mohammed Baqir Malbubi.