Sahifa Sajjadiyya 33: His Supplication in Asking for Best

اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ

Allāhumma ʾinnī astakhīruka bi-ʿilmika

O Allah! I seek the best from You through Your knowledge.

فَصَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ، وَاقْضِ لِي بِالْخِيَرَةِ

Fa-ṣalli ʿalā Muḥammadin wa-Ālihī, wa-qḍi lī bil-khīrah

So bless Muhammad and his family, and decree for me the best choice.

وَأَلْهِمْنَا مَعْرِفَةَ الِاخْتِيَارِ،

Wa-alhimnā maʿrifata al-ikhtiyār

And inspire us with knowledge of choosing rightly.

وَاجْعَلْ ذَلِكَ ذَرِيعَةً إِلَى الرِّضَا

Wa-jʿal dhālika dharīʿatan ilā al-riḍā

And make that a means to contentment.

بِمَا قَضَيْتَ لَنَا، وَالتَّسْلِيمِ لِمَا حَكَمْتَ

Bimā qaḍayta lanā, wa-al-taslīmi limā ḥakamta

With what You have decreed for us, and submitting to what You decide.

فَأَزِحْ عَنَّا رَيْبَ الِارْتِيَابِ

Fa-aziḥ ʿannā rayba al-irtīyāb

So remove from us the doubts of uncertainty.

وَأَيِّدْنَا بِيَقِينِ الْمُخْلِصِينَ

Wa-ayyidnā bi-yaqīni al-mukhliṣīn

And strengthen us with the certainty of the sincere.

وَلَا تَسُمْنَا عَجْزَ الْمَعْرِفَةِ عَمَّا تَخَيَّرْتَ

Wa-lā tasumnā ʿajza al-maʿrifati ʿammā takhayyarta

And do not make us suffer the ignorance of what You have chosen.

فَنَغْمِطَ قَدْرَكَ، وَنَكْرَهَ مَوْضِعَ رِضَاكَ

Fa-naghmiṭa qadraka, wa-nakraha mawḍiʿa riḍāk

So that we belittle Your decree or dislike the place of Your pleasure.

وَنَجْنَحَ إِلَى الَّتِي هِيَ أَبْعَدُ مِنْ حُسْنِ الْعَاقِبَةِ

Wa-najnaḥa ilā allatī hiya abʿadu min ḥusni al-ʿāqibah

And incline towards that which is far from a good outcome.

وَأَقْرَبُ إِلَى ضِدِّ الْعَافِيَةِ

Wa-aqrabu ilā ḍiddi al-ʿāfiyah

And nearer to the opposite of well-being.

حَبِّبْ إِلَيْنَا مَا نَكْرَهُ مِنْ قَضَائِكَ

Ḥabbib ʾilaynā mā nakrahu min qaḍāʾika

Make beloved to us what we dislike from Your decree.

وَسَهِّلْ عَلَيْنَا مَا نَسْتَصْعِبُ مِنْ حُكْمِكَ

Wa-sahhil ʿalaynā mā nastasʿibu min ḥukmika

And make easy for us what we find difficult from Your judgment.

وَأَلْهِمْنَا الِانْقِيَادَ لِمَا أَوْرَدْتَ عَلَيْنَا مِنْ مَشِيَّتِكَ

Wa-alhimnā al-inqiyāda limā awradta ʿalaynā min mashīʾatika

And inspire us to submit to whatever You bring upon us from Your will.

حَتَّى لَا نُحِبَّ تَأْخِيرَ مَا عَجَّلْتَ

Ḥattā lā nuḥibba taʾkhīra mā ʿajjalta

So that we do not wish to delay what You hasten.

وَلَا تَعْجِيلَ مَا أَخَّرْتَ، وَلَا نَكْرَهَ مَا أَحْبَبْتَ

Wa-lā taʿjīla mā akhkharta, wa-lā nakraha mā aḥbabta

Nor hasten what You delay, nor dislike what You love.

وَلَا نَتَخَيَّرَ مَا كَرِهْتَ

Wa-lā natakhayyara mā karihta

Nor choose what You dislike.

وَاخْتِمْ لَنَا بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْمَدُ عَاقِبَةً وَأَكْرَمُ مَصِيرًا

Wa-akhtim lanā billatī hiya aḥmadu ʿāqibatan wa-akramu maṣīrā

And seal for us with that which is the best outcome and most honorable end.

إِنَّكَ تُفِيدُ الْكَرِيمَةَ وَتُعْطِي الْجَسِيمَةَ

ʾInnak tufīdu al-karīmata wa-tuʿṭī al-jasīmah

Surely You bestow generosity and grant great gifts.

وَتَفْعَلُ مَا تُرِيدُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

Wa-tafʿalu mā turīdu, wa-anta ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr

And You do what You will, and You are powerful over all things.