Supplication of the Holy Month of Sha'ban (Munajat-e-Shabanyeh)

The supplication of the Holy Month of Sha'ban-the famous (Munajat-e-Shabanyeh) narrated by the Commander of the Faithful Imam ' Ali (A) and other infallible Imams of Prophet (S)'s Ahlul Bayt, is one of the most precious mystic supplication. Imam Khomeini (R.A.) the most perfect gnostic of our times, in his repeated speeches have emphasized the special spiritual importance of this precious supplication. Those who are blessed with Divine grace of keeping themselves continuously engaged in supplications and God's remembrance loves this supplication a lot, and because of this supplication eagerly await for the arrival of the Holy Month of Sha’ban.

This supplication contains vest sublime themes especially the etiquettes and manners of servanthood; the manners of how to face the God-Almighty; how to beseech Him; how to tell him about heart's secrets; how to open tongue for offering apologies and how to remain hopeful. Also, in these supplications the meanings of interpretation of God's Countenance (Laqa), God's Witnessing (Shahood) God's Nearness, (Qurb) have been described in a delicate manner, which do not leave any doubt or confusion for those wayfarers, who are still double minded, and who do not want to believe. Regarding self-awareness which is preliminary for God's learning (Marefah), this supplication contains most meaningful and surprising points.

Since the recital of this supplication, especially, during the Holy Month of Sha’ban as well as throughout the year for the wayfarers of spiritual migration have been strongly recommended, I feel it appropriate to present its English translation for the utilization of dear readers. For the convenience of those readers who do not know how to read Arabic, its pronunciation in English has been included.

[1] Added by [Tr].

Allahumma salle ala Muhammadin wa ale Muhammad," wasma , duai eza dawatoka; wasma' nedai eza nadetoka," wa aqbbil alliya eza najetoka faqad harabto elaika," wa waqfato baina yadeka" Mustakinan laka muttazzare an elaika" rajeyan lema ladaika thawabi; wa ta'lama ma .fi nafsi," wa takhboro hajali; wa ta'refo zamiri wala yakhfa alaika amro munqallbi," wa maswaya wama' orido an obdea behi," min manteqi wa atafawawhu behi min talebeti; wa arjuho leaqebati," wa qad jorat maqade roka aliya. Ya sayyidi! fima yakuno minni ila akhire umri, min savi rati wa ala niyati," wa bejadeka la abide ghairaka zeyadati," wa naqsi wa nafi wa zarri.

Elahi inharamtani faman zallazi yarzuqni wa in khzaltani taman lazi yansurni. Elahi auzobeka min ghzabeka wa huloole sakhteka. Elahi in kunto ghaira mustahilin le rahmanteka fa anta ahlun an tajuda aliya befazle sa'teka" Elahi kaanni benalsi waqefatun bena yadeka," wa qad azzallaha husno tavakoli alaka faqulta ma anta ahlohu; wa tughmadtani be afuwaka. Elahi in afowta faman owla minka bezaleka; wa in kana qad dna ajali,. wa lam yodneni minka amali faqad ja 'ltol iqrara bezarbe elaika wasilati. Elahi! Qadjurto ala nafsi fin nazare lahafalahal waslo in lam taghfir laha. Elahi lam uazal birroka aliya ayama hayatifala taqta'a birraka anni fi mamati. Elahi kaifa ayasa min husane nazereka li ba'da mamati,. wa anta lam tawalleni lllal jamila fi hayati. Elahi tawwala min amri ma anta ahlohu wa ud aliya befazleka ala muznebin qad ghamarahu jahalahu. Elahi qad satarta aliya zunuban fid duniya, wa ana ahwaju ila saterha aliya minka fil ukhra izlam tuzjhir-ha leahdin min ebadekassaleheen. Fala taf-zahani yomal qayamatch ala ra 'usil ashade. Elahi judoka basata amali wa afvoka aftalo min amali. Elahi fasurrani be leqaika yoma taqzi fehay baina ebadeka. Elahi etezari elaika etezaro man lam yastaqhney unqaboole uzrehi faqbal uzri ya akrama mone tazara elaihil musioona.

Elahi la turudda hajati wala tukhaiyyeb tama'i wala taqta'a minka rajai wa amali. Elahi la ard ta havani lam tahdini walou ardta fazihati, lam to afini. Elahi ma azunnoka tarud doni fi hajatin qad afneto umri fi zalabeha minka. Elahi falakal hamdo abadan daiman sarmodan yazido wala yabido kama tohibbo wa torza. Elahi in akhaz tani be jurmi akhaztoke be afweka wa in akhastana be zunobi akhastoka be maghferateka wa in udkhaltanin nara alamto ahleha anni ohibboka.

Elahi in kanna saqhora fi jambe ta'ateka amalifaqad kaborafi jambe rajaika amali. Elahi kaifa unqalabo min indeka bil khaibate mahruman wa qad kana husno zanni be judeka untaqlebani bin najate marhuman. Elahi wa qad afneto umri fi shir ratis sah ve unka wa ablato shababi fi sakratit taba odimneka. Elahi falam asteqiz aiyyamaqh terari beka wa rukoni ela sabil sakhateka. Elahi wa ana abdoka wabno abdeka qaimun baina yadaika mutawasselun be karameka elaika.

Elahi ana abdun ata nassalo elaika mimma kunto owajehoka behi min qil latis tehyai min nazareka wa utlobul afwa minka ezil afwo natun lekarameka. Elahi lam ya kunli holum fa untaqila behi un maseyateka illa fi waqtin aiqastani le mahabbeteka wa kama ard ta unakuna kunto fa shakartoka be idkhali fi karameka wale tathire galbi min ousakhil ghaflate unka. Elahin zur eliyya nazara man na daitaho fa ajabaka wastamaltaho bema wao nateka fa ataka ya qariban la yabodo ani mughtarre behi wa ya javadan la yabkhalo amman raja thawabaho.

Elahi hubli qalban yudnihe minka shoukohu wa lisanan yurfa'a elaika sidqohu wa nazaran yoqarrebohu minka haqohu. Elahi inna man ta'rrafa beka ghairo majhulin man la azabeka ghairo maqhzulin wa man aqbalta alaihe gnairo mamtukin. Elahi inna manin tahahoj beka lamustonirun wa inna mane tasama beka lamastajirun wa qad luz to beka. Ya Elahi fala tukhaiyab zanni min rahmateka wala tahjubni unrafateka. Elahi ogmeni fi ahle wa vilayateka moqama man raja izziyadata min mahabbateka. Elahi wal himni walahan be zekreka ila zekreka wa himmati fi rohe najahe asmaika wa mahlle qudseka. Elahi beka alaika ilIa alhaqtani be mahalle ahle ta ateka wal maswassalehe min marzateka fa inni la aqde ro le nafsi alafan wala amleko laha nafan.

Elahi abdohaz zaiful muznebo wa mamlukokal munibo fala tajalni min man sarafta unho wajhaka wa hajabahu sahwoho on afweka. Elahi hubli kamala[ inqtai elaika wa unre absara qulobena be ziae Zare ha elaika hatta takhreqa absarul qulobe hujoban noore fata sela ila ma'dinil azamate wa tasira arwahona muallaqatan be izze qudseka. Elahi qojalni mimman nadetahu fa ajabaka wala khat ta ho fasa eqa le jalaleka fana jetaho sirrun wa amela laka jahran.

Elahi lam ossallit ala hosne zanni qunotal ayase walan qat' a rajai min jamile karameka. Elahi in kanatil khatoya qad asqatatni ladeka fasfah anni be hosne tavvakuli alaika. Elahi in khat tatrniz zunobo min makareme lutfeka faqad nabbah nani el yaqino ila kareme atfeka. Elahi in anamatnil ghaflato aniestedade lil qaika faqad nabbah hatnil ma'refato bekaramil alyaka. Elahi inda'ani ilan nare azimo aqabekafaqad da'ani ilaljannate jazilo thawabeka. Elahi falaka asalo wa elaika abtahilo wa arghabo wa as aloka untosal leya ala Muhammadin wa ale Muhammadin wa un taj alani mimman yodimo zik ra ka wala yan qoso ah da ka wala yaqh folo un shukreka wala yes takhif-o be amreka- Elahi wal hiqni be noore ezzekal abhaje fa' akuna laka arefan wa un sevaka munharifan wa minka khaifan moraqeban ya zaljalale wal ikrame wa sallallaho ala Muhammadin rasulehi wa alehit tahirina wa sallama tasliman kasira.

"In the Name of God the Beneficent the Merciful"

"Oh God! Send salutation upon Muhammad and His Holy Progeny and since, I beseech You (please) grant my prayer; whenever I cry,- please listen to my cry; whenever I supplicate You please pay attention towards my condition; Because, I have taken refuge in You, am standing before Thy Threshold in a state of grief, entangled with hardships shedding tears, while still remaining hopeful of Your mercy and compassion- Thou are Knowledgeable about my heart; is aware of my needs, knows thoroughly about myself; and there is nothing hidden from You as far as my affairs of this world and next worlds are concerned.”

“And whatever I bring upon my tongue to speak about my needs as well as regarding my being hopeful in Thee for my eternal salvation-Thou know every thing about it- Oh my Master! Thou will governs all the hidden and apparent affairs of my life till its very last breath; whatever profit or loss reaches to me, it is from Thee and not from other than Thee- Oh God! If Thou deprive me than who else is there to provide my sustenance ? If Thou make me abject then who else is there to support me? Oh God!! I take refuge in Thee from Thy wrath and the severity of punishment- Oh God! If I don't deserve to receive Your blessing –Thou possesses the decency of bestowing forgiveness upon me with Thy infinite mercy and compassion.”

"Oh God! As though I am standing before Thy sacred threshold; my good faith and trust in Thee has already spreaded the shadow of mercy upon my head,- whatever was befitting from Thy magnanimity and benevolence, Thou have done with me accordingly, forgiveness and blessing has surrounded my entire existence- Oh God! If Thou pardon me who else is more befitting than Thee ?”

"And In case my death is near and my deeds did not earn Thy nearness, Then I will present my admittance of sins as a means to receive Thy forgiveness. O God! I do admit that I have oppressed my self: then woe be upon the self: if you do not bestow forgiveness upon him. Oh God ! Thy beneficence and merci surrounded me throughout my living; therefore, do not deprive me from Thy grace in my dying. Oh God! how can I be disappointed from receiving Thy Favors, after death, because during my entire life I have not seen any thing from Thee except compassion ?”

"Oh God! Be my guardian and supervisor over my affairs the way it is befitting of Thee (not what I deserve) pay attention with Thy benevolence and merci towards me -a sinner who has been overtaken completely by his ignorance. Oh God! Indeed thou have covered all my sins in this world; I need their cover-up in the Hereafter much more than the covering of this world, because, Thou were kind and did not expose them to anyone of your descent servants; therefore, on the Day of Judgment do not insult and expose me in front of all the humanity."

"Oh God! Thy mercy and compassion have increased my hopes, because Thy forgiveness is for better than my deeds. Oh God! On the Day when Thou will issue the final verdict for Thy servants, make me happy with Thou countenance. Oh God! I beseech Thou for forgiveness like some one who really is in need of acceptance of his repentance, therefore, accept my excuse, oh Beneficent! Who is besought by the sinners for atonement. Oh my Master! Do not turn down my request; do not deprive me from remaining hopeful of Your forgiveness," through the grace of Thy magnanimity do not cut off any hope and desire.

"Oh God! If thou had the intention of seeing me despised, would never blessed me with Thy guidance; if Thou had intended seeing me contemptible, would not have blessed me with health and happiness. Oh God! I can never believe it that Thou will turn down my request for which I have spent an entire life beseeching Thee for its grant. Oh God! Thou are the only one worthy of praise and adoration -the eternal and continuous praise always increasing and never ending, only if it could receive Thy pleasure and acceptance.

"Oh God! If Thou will remonstrate me for my offenses I will seek refuge in Thy forgiveness," if Thou will take me to task against my sins, I will take Thee to task for Thy forgiveness, if Thou will send me to Hell will inform its inmates that I loved Thee. Oh God! If my deeds are insignificant, but as compared to them my hope and desire in Thy magnanimity and benevolence is too much. Oh God! How can I return deprived and disappointed from Thy magnanimous kingdom, while remaining quite hopeful about Thy compassion and merci, that thou will be kind to me, and would include me among the rescued ones.

"Oh God! I have spend my entire life in ignorance, negligence, and forgetfulness from Thee, wasted my youth drunken into passions being ignorant of Thee. Oh God! I did not awake, because of being too proud to receive Thy forgiveness, and in this manner I followed the path of Your wrath and rage. Oh God! I am your humble servant and son of your servant who is now standing before Thee, pleading for Thy mercy and compassion as a means of my salvation.

"Oh God! I am your servant who has came to Thy threshold as ashamed and apologetic, I seek forgiveness and pardon for all my sins and transgressions, which were committed by me due to my lack of modesty from Thy presence, because bestowing forgiveness is the characteristic of Thy magnanimity. Oh God! I do not have the power of relinquishing sins except that Thou awaken me with love and kindness. Or, if thou desire that I should become the way Thou want me to be,' must be thankful to Thee for spreading Thy compassion and cleansing and purifying my heart from the filthiness of negligence.

"Oh God! With Thy Magnanimity treat me like some one to whom Thou invited -he accepted, and Thou asked him for obedience –he obeyed. Oh near one who is never away from Thy lovers, Oh Beneficent and Merciful who never acts miserly towards those who are hopeful of Thy favors. Oh God! Bless with a heart eager and anxious of Thy nearness, a tongue which should keep itself engaged in sending the words of truth up-ward towards Thee, and an insight which should bring me closer to Thee.

"Oh God! Whoever is known by thee cannot remain un-known; whoever takes refuge in Thee can never be despised, whoever received Thy attention would never become servant of anyone else, whoever followed Thy path become enlightened, whoever sought Thy shelter become secured. And I have taken refuge in Thee, therefore, Oh God! Don't disappoint me from Thy blessings and do not deprive me from receiving Thy grace and favors.”

"Oh God! Consider me among Thy favorite saints and bestow upon me the rank of some one who strives to receive Thy love as much as possible. Oh God! Reveal upon me the sweetness and pleasure of engaging into Thy remembrance continuously, bless me with the courage to seek pleasure, victory, and dependence in Thy Sacred Names and Exalted Essence. Oh God! I swear You by Thy Own Exalted Essence and the right which Thou possess over the creation to include me among the obedient ones and bestow upon me a descent position of Your pleasure and consent, because I am totally incompetent and neither can defend my self while encountering an evil nor can increase any profit for myself Oh God! I am a helpless servant and repentant sinner full of defects and faults, therefore, do not include me among those who earned your displeasure and because of their negligence become deprived of Thy forgiveness.

"Oh God! bestow upon me perfect attention towards Thee; open the esoteric eyes of my hearts so that they could witness Thy glory and piercing through the veils of celestial lights may connect them with the Absolute Source of Majesty; let our souls achieve the union with Thy Exalted Holy Essence. Oh God! consider me as some one to whom Thou called he accepted Thy invitation, when Thou paid attention toward him -became infatuated due to Thy glory and splendor and Thou confided in him secretly -he accepted it explicitly.

'Oh God! Don't impose hopelessness and sorrow upon my good expectations towards Thee, do not cut off my hopes from your generosity. Oh God! If my offenses have made me low and abjected before Thee, pardon me for the sake of my reliance and good faith in Thy forgiveness. Oh God ! If my sins have made me distant apart from Thy mercy and compassion, my belief reminds me about Thy magnanimity. Oh God! If ignorance and negligence have caused me to remain unprepared for Thy countenance, Thy bounties and blessings make me aware. Oh God! If Thy wrath and punishment will send me to Hell's fire, Thy generosity and reward have invited me towards the eternal Paradise.

"Oh God! Therefore, whatever I need I beseech Thee; cry and shed tears with hope, desire and anxiety before Thy Holy Threshold; I request Thee to send salutations upon Muhammad and His Holy Progeny; include me among the ones who are busy in Thy remembrance continuously; never break their commitments with Thee; don't forget thanking Thee even for an instant; and don't treat Thy commands lightly.”

"Oh God! Enlighten my existence with the illumination of thou Sacred Essence whose cheerfulness and joy is far superior than any other pleasure, so that I become absorbed in Thee completely, getting cut off from others, fearing Thee and paying attention towards Thy commands. Oh Thou possessor of splendor and majesty and salutations of God and lots of greetings be upon Muhammad and his Holy Progeny"

A Prayer

[1]Oh Lord! Be kind to us. Bestow upon us Your love and knowledge and guide us from darkness towards illumination.  If You Yourself make us know You, we would certainly love You, because, we would love You. Your Love would burn whatever falsehood, ignorance and arrogance there exist; rather the fire of Your love will burn down whatever veils exist between You and us. We would become the way -you want Your friends to be.

Oh our Lord, Master. Creator, God and Bestower of bounties. We have inflicted tyranny upon ourselves. Admit our sins and before the Day of Judgment cry: Is there a way to get out of the Hell ? [2] With Your mercy and compassion we have rested all our hopes upon You so that on the Judgment Day we are not doomed to utter the above cry and do not combine for us the suffering of this world and Hereafter.

Footnotes:

[1] Added by [Tr].

[2] The Holy Quran (40: 12)