O God, I make Thee my quest and bear witness to Thy...

O God, I make Thee my quest and bear witness to Thy Lordship, acknowledging that Thou art my Lord and to Thee is my return.[^4] Thou originated me by Thy blessing before I was a thing remembered.[^5] Thou created me from dust, then gavest me a place in the loins (of my fathers), secure from the uncertainty of Fate and the vagaries of the ages and the years. I remained a traveller from loin to womb in a time immemorial of past days and bygone centuries.

In Thy tenderness, bounty and goodness toward me Thou didst not send me out into the empire of the leaders of disbelief, those who broke Thy covenant and cried lies to Thy messengers.[^6] Rather, Thou sentest me out to that guidance which had been foreordained for me, the way which Thou madest easy for me and in which Thou nurtured me. And before that Thou wert kind to me through Thy gracious fashioning and abundant blessings.

Thou originated my creation from a sperm-drop spilled[^7] and madest me to dwell in a threefold gloom among flesh, blood and skin.[^8] Thou gavest me not to witness my creation,[^9] nor didst Thou entrust me with anything of my own affair. Then thou sentest me out into the world for the guidance that had been foredained for me, complete and unimpaired. Thou watched over me in the cradle as an infant boy, provided me with food, wholesome milk, and turned the hearts of the nurse-maids toward me.

Thou entrusted my upbringing to compassionate mothers, guarded me from the calamities brought by the jinn and kept me secure from excess and lack. High art Thou, O Merciful! O Compassionate! Then when I began to utter speech Thou completed for me Thy abundant blessings.

Thou nurtured me more and more each year until, when my nature was perfected and my strength balanced, Thou madest Thy argument encumbent upon me by inspiring me with knowledge of Thee, awing me with the marvels of Thy wisdom, awakening me to the wonders of Thy creation which Thou hadst multiplied in Thy Heaven and Thy earth,[^10] and instructing me in Thy thanks and remembrance.

Thou madest encumbent upon me Thy obedience and worship, madest me to understand what Thy messengers had brought and madest easy for me the acceptance of Thy good pleasure. Thou wast gracious to me in all of this, through Thy succour and kindness. Then, since Thou created me from the best soil,[^11] Thou wert not satisfied, my God, that I should have one blessing without another.