ভূমিকা

I am too weak for Thy wrath and there is none to strengthen me. I have approached the terror of meeting Thee and there is none to still my fear. 2- Who can make me secure from Thee when Thou hast filled me with terror? Who can come to my aid when Thou hast isolated me? Who can strengthen me when Thou hast weakened me? 3- None can grant sanctuary to a vassal, my God, but a lord, none can give security to one dominated but a dominator, none can aid him from whom demands are made but a demander.

4- In Thy hand, my God, is the thread of all that, in Thee the place of escape and flight, so bless Muhammad and his Household, give sanctuary to me in my flight, and grant my request!

5- O God, if Thou shouldst turn Thy generous face away from me, withhold from me Thy immense bounty, forbid me Thy provision, or cut off from me Thy thread, I will find no way to anything of my hope other than Thee nor be given power over what is with Thee through another's aid, for I am Thy servant and in Thy grasp; my forelock is in Thy hand.[^1] 6- I have no command along with Thy command.

Accomplished is Thy judgement of me, just Thy decree for me!'[^2] I have not the strength to emerge from Thy authority nor am I able to step outside Thy power. I cannot win Thy inclination, arrive at Thy good pleasure, or attain what is with Thee except through obeying Thee and through the bounty of Thy mercy. 7- O God, I rise in the morning and enter into evening as Thy lowly slave. I own no profit and loss for myself except through Thee.

I witness to that over myself and I confess to the frailty of my strength and the paucity of my stratagems. So accomplish what Thou hast promised me and complete for me what Thou hast given me, for I am Thy slave, miserable, abased, frail, distressed, vile, despised, poor, fearful, and seeking sanctuary!