# Sahifa Sajjadiyya 37: For Giving Thanks

- **Arabic title:** دُعَاؤُهُ فِي الشُّكْرِ
- **Type:** Dua
- **Categories:** [Gratitude](https://duasonline.org/category/gratitude.md), [Sahifa Sajjadiyya](https://duasonline.org/category/sahifa-sajjadiyya.md)
- **Recitation:** none yet
- **Web page:** https://duasonline.org/dua/sahifa-sajjadiya-dua-37

## Origin

Imam Zayn al-Abidin (a), al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya, supplication 37: giving thanks. Transmitted through the chain given in the Sahifa's preface; standard printed editions.

## Source

Arabic text, translation and transliteration from [duas.org](https://www.duas.org/mobile/sahifasajjadia-dua37-giving-thanks.html).

## Text

Each line gives the Arabic, then the transliteration in italics, then the English.

1. أللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ،\
   *allāhumma ṣalli ‘alā Muḥammadin wa-ālihi*\
   O Allah, bless Muhammad and his family.

2. اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّ أَحَدًا لَا يَبْلُغُ مِنْ شُكْرِكَ غَايَةً\
   *Allāhumma inna aḥadan lā yablughu min shukrika ghāyah*\
   O Allah, nobody can ever reach the limit of thanking You

3. إِلَّا حَصَلَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ إِحْسَانِكَ مَا يُلْزِمُهُ شُكْرًا\
   *Illā ḥaṣala ʿalayhi min iḥsānika mā yulzimuhu shukran*\
   Except that Your kindness to him requires him to thank You further

4. وَلَا يَبْلُغُ مَبْلَغًا مِنْ طَاعَتِكَ وَإِنِ اجْتَهَدَ\
   *Wa lā yablughu mablaghan min ṭāʿatika wa in ijtahada*\
   And no one attains the rank of truly obeying You, even by striving

5. إِلَّا كَانَ مُقَصِّرًا دُونَ اسْتِحْقَاقِكَ بِفَضْلِكَ\
   *Illā kāna muqaṣṣiran dūna istiḥqāqika bifaḍlika*\
   Except that he always falls short of deserving Your grace

6. فَأَشْكَرُ عِبَادِكَ عَاجِزٌ عَنْ شُكْرِكَ\
   *Fa-ashkaru ʿibādika ʿājizun ʿan shukrika*\
   Thus, the most grateful of Your servants is weak in thanking You

7. وَأَعْبَدُهُمْ مُقَصِّرٌ عَنْ طَاعَتِكَ\
   *Wa-aʿbaduhum muqaṣṣirun ʿan ṭāʿatika*\
   And the best worshipper among them falls short in serving You

8. لَا يَجِبُ لِأَحَدٍ أَنْ تَغْفِرَ لَهُ بِاسْتِحْقَاقِهِ\
   *Lā yajibu li-aḥadin an taghfira lahu bi-istiḥqāqihi*\
   No one deserves forgiveness on account of their own merit

9. وَلَا أَنْ تَرْضَى عَنْهُ بِاسْتِيجَابِهِ\
   *Wa lā an tarḍā ʿanhu bi-istijābihi*\
   Nor does anyone earn Your pleasure by their own acts

10. فَمَنْ غَفَرْتَ لَهُ فَبِطَوْلِكَ\
   *Fa-man ghafarta lahu fa-bi-ṭawlika*\
   Whomever You forgive, it is through Your benevolence

11. وَمَنْ رَضِيتَ عَنْهُ فَبِفَضْلِكَ\
   *Wa-man raḍīta ʿanhu fa-bi-faḍlika*\
   And whomever You are pleased with, it is by Your favor

12. تَشْكُرُ يَسِيرَ مَا شُكِرْتَهُ وَتُثِيبُ عَلَى قَلِيلِ مَا تُطَاعُ فِيهِ\
   *Tashkuru yasīra mā shukirta wa tuthību ʿalā qalīli mā tuṭāʿu fīh*\
   You reward even a little thankfulness, and grant much for few acts of obedience

13. حَتَّى كَأَنَّ شُكْرَ عِبَادِكَ الَّذِي أَوْجَبْتَ عَلَيْهِ ثَوَابَهُمْ\
   *Ḥattā ka-anna shukra ʿibādika alladhī awjabta ʿalayhi thawābahum*\
   Until it seems that the thankfulness of Your servants has necessitated their reward

14. وَأَعْظَمْتَ عَنْهُ جَزَاءَهُمْ\
   *Wa a'ẓamta ʿanhu jazā'ahum*\
   And You have magnified their recompense

15. أَمْرٌ مَلَكُوا اسْتِطَاعَةَ الاِمْتِنَاعِ مِنْهُ دُونَكَ\
   *Amrun malakū istiṭāʿata al-imtināʿ minhu dūnaka*\
   As if they possessed the strength to abstain from it without You

16. فَكَافَيْتَهُمْ أَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ سَبَبُهُ بِيَدِكَ فَجَازَيْتَهُمْ\
   *Fa-kāfaytahum aw lam yakun sababuhu biyadika fa-jāzaytahum*\
   You rewarded them—or if its reason were not in Your hand, You would still reward them

17. بَلْ مَلَكْتَ يَا إِلَهِي أَمْرَهُمْ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَمْلِكُوا عِبَادَتَكَ\
   *Bal malakta yā Ilāhī amrahum qabla an yamlikū ʿibādataka*\
   Rather, O my God, You owned their affair before they owned Your worship

18. وَأَعْدَدْتَ ثَوَابَهُمْ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُفِيضُوا فِي طَاعَتِكَ\
   *Wa aʿdadda thawābahum qabla an yufīḍū fī ṭāʿatika*\
   And prepared their reward before they could even perform Your obedience

19. وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ سُنَّتَكَ الْإِفْضَالُ\
   *Wa dhalika anna sunnataka al-ifḍāl*\
   And that is because Your tradition is to show grace

20. وَعَادَتَكَ الإِحْسَانُ وَسَبِيلُكَ الْعَفْوُ\
   *Wa ʿādatuka al-iḥsānu wa-sabīluka al-ʿafwu*\
   Your custom is generosity, and Your way is forgiveness

21. فَكُلُّ الْبَرِيَّةِ مُعْتَرِفَةٌ بِأَنَّكَ غَيْرُ ظَالِمٍ لِمَنْ عَاقَبْتَ\
   *Fa-kullu al-barīyah muʿtarifatun bi-anna-ka ghayru ẓālimin liman ʿāqabta*\
   All creation acknowledges that You do not wrong those whom You punish

22. وَشَاهِدَةٌ بِأَنَّكَ مُتَفَضِّلٌ عَلَى مَنْ عَافَيْتَ\
   *Wa shāhidatun bi-anna-ka mutafaḍḍilun ʿalā man ʿāfayta*\
   And witnesses that You bestow grace upon those You pardon

23. وَكُلٌّ مُقِرٌّ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ بِالتَّقْصِيرِ عَمَّا اسْتَوْجَبْتَ\
   *Wa kullun muqirrun ʿalā nafsihi bi-t-taqṣīr ʿammā istawjabta*\
   And everyone admits his own shortcomings before what You rightfully deserve

24. فَسُبْحَانَكَ مَا أَبْيَنَ كَرَمَكَ\
   *Fa-subḥānaka mā abyana karamak*\
   Glory be to You, how clear Your generosity is

25. فِي مُعَامَلَةِ مَنْ أَطَاعَكَ أَوْ عَصَاكَ\
   *Fī muʿāmalati man aṭāʿaka aw ʿaṣāk*\
   In Your dealing with those who obey or disobey You

26. تَشْكُرُ لِلْمُطِيعِ مَا أَنْتَ تَوَلَّيْتَهُ لَهُ\
   *Tashkuru lil-muṭīʿi mā anta tawallaytahu lahu*\
   You thank the obedient for what You undertook for him

27. وَتُمْلِي لِلْعَاصِي فِيمَا تَمْلِكُ مُعَاجَلَتَهُ فِيهِ\
   *Wa tumlī lil-ʿāṣī fīmā tamluku muʿājilatahu fīh*\
   And You give respite to the sinner in matters You could punish him for

28. أَعْطَيْتَ كُلًّا مِنْهُمَا مَا لَمْ يَجِبْ لَهُ\
   *Aʿṭayta kulla minhumā mā lam yajib lahu*\
   You have given both what they did not earn

29. وَتَفَضَّلْتَ عَلَى كُلٍّ مِنْهُمَا بِمَا يَقْصُرُ عَمَلُهُ عَنْهُ\
   *Wa tafadalt ʿalā kullin minhumā bimā yaqṣuru ʿamaluhu ʿanhu*\
   And You granted each of them what his deeds could not attain

30. وَلَوْ كَافَأْتَ الْمُطِيعَ عَلَى مَا أَنْتَ تَوَلَّيْتَهُ\
   *Wa law kāfa'ta al-muṭīʿa ʿalā mā anta tawallaytahu*\
   And if You rewarded the obedient only for what You undertook

31. لَأَوْشَكَ أَنْ يَفْقِدَ ثَوَابَكَ\
   *La-awshaka an yafqida thawābaka*\
   He would soon lose Your reward

32. وَأَنْ تَزُولَ عَنْهُ نِعْمَتُكَ\
   *Wa an tazūla ʿanhu niʿmatuka*\
   And Your blessing would depart from him

33. وَلَكِنَّكَ بِكَرَمِكَ جَازَيْتَهُ\
   *Wa lakinnaka bikaramika jāzaytahu*\
   But by Your generosity, You rewarded him

34. عَلَى الْمُدَّةِ الْقَصِيرَةِ الْفَانِيَةِ بِالْمُدَّةِ الطَّوِيلَةِ الْخَالِدَةِ\
   *ʿalā al-muddati al-qaṣīrati al-fāniyati bil-muddati al-ṭawīlati al-khālidah*\
   With the passing, brief time by the everlasting time

35. وَعَلَى الْغَايَةِ الْقَرِيبَةِ الزَّائِلَةِ بِالْغَايَةِ الْمَدِيدَةِ الْبَاقِيَةِ\
   *Wa ʿalā al-ghāyati al-qarībati az-zā'ilati bil-ghāyati al-madīdati al-bāqiyah*\
   And for the short-lived outcome by the never-ending final reward

36. ثُمَّ لَمْ تَسُمْهُ الْقِصَاصَ فِيمَا أَكَلَ مِنْ رِزْقِكَ\
   *Thumma lam tasumhu al-qiṣāṣa fīmā akala min rizqika*\
   Then, You did not demand compensation for what he ate from Your provision

37. الَّذِي يَقْوَى بِهِ عَلَى طَاعَتِكَ\
   *Alladhī yaqwa bihi ʿalā ṭāʿatika*\
   By which he was able to obey You

38. وَلَمْ تَحْمِلْهُ عَلَى الْمُنَاقَشَةِ فِي الْآلاتِ\
   *Wa lam taḥmilhu ʿalā al-munāqasha fī al-ālāt*\
   Nor did You call him to account for all the means

39. الَّتِي تَسَبَّبَ بِاسْتِعْمَالِهَا إِلَى مَغْفِرَتِكَ\
   *Allatī tasabbaba bi-istimāliha ilā maghfiratika*\
   Which he used to obtain Your forgiveness

40. وَلَوْ فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ بِهِ\
   *Wa law faʿalta dhalika bihi*\
   And had You done so to him

41. لَذَهَبَ بِجَمِيعِ مَا كَدَحَ لَهُ\
   *Ladhahaba bijamīʿi mā kadhaha lahu*\
   It would have taken away all his efforts

42. وَجُمْلَةِ مَا سَعَى فِيهِ\
   *Wa jumlati mā saʿa fīh*\
   And all that he tried to achieve

43. جَزَاءً لِلصُّغْرَى مِنْ أَيَادِيكَ وَمِنَنِكَ\
   *Jazā'an lil-ṣughra min ayādīka wa minanik*\
   As a price for the smallest of Your gifts and blessings

44. وَلَبَقِيَ رَهِينًا بَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ بِسَائِرِ نِعَمِكَ\
   *Wa labaqiya rahīnan bayna yadayka bisā'iri niʿamik*\
   And he would remain hostage to You for all Your blessings

45. فَمَتَى كَانَ يَسْتَحِقُّ شَيْئًا مِنْ ثَوَابِكَ، لَا، مَتَى؟\
   *Fa-matā kāna yastaḥiqu shay'an min thawābaka, lā, matā?*\
   So when would he ever deserve any of Your reward? Never. When?

46. هَذَا يَا إِلَهِي حَالُ مَنْ أَطَاعَكَ وَسَبِيلُ مَنْ تَعَبَّدَ لَكَ\
   *Hādhā yā Ilāhī ḥālu man aṭāʿaka wa-sabīlu man taʿabbada laka*\
   This, O my God, is the state of those who obey You and the path of those devoted in worship to You

47. فَأَمَّا الْعَاصِي أَمْرَكَ وَالْمُوَاقِعُ نَهْيَكَ\
   *Fa-ammā al-ʿāṣī amraka wa-l-muwāqiʿu nahyaka*\
   But as for the one who defies Your commands and carries out Your prohibitions

48. فَلَمْ تُعَاجِلْهُ بِنَقِمَتِكَ لِكَيْ يَسْتَبْدِلَ بِحَالِهِ فِي مَعْصِيَتِكَ\
   *Fa-lam tuʿājilhu bi-niqmatik li-kay yastabdil bi-ḥālihi fī maʿṣiyatik*\
   You did not hasten punishment, that he might change his condition in Your disobedience

49. حَالَ الإِنَابَةِ إِلَى طَاعَتِكَ\
   *Hāla al-inābah ilā ṭāʿatika*\
   To a state of returning to Your obedience

50. وَلَقَدْ كَانَ يَسْتَحِقُّ فِي أَوَّلِ مَا هَمَّ بِعِصْيَانِكَ\
   *Wa la-qad kāna yastaḥiqu fī awwali mā hamma bi-ʿiṣyānika*\
   Indeed, he deserved, the moment he intended to defy You

51. كُلَّ مَا أَعْدَدْتَ لِجَمِيعِ خَلْقِكَ مِنْ عُقُوبَتِكَ\
   *Kulla mā aʿdadda li-jamīʿ khalqika min ʿuqūbatik*\
   All that You have prepared for all Your creation of retribution

52. فَجَمِيعُ مَا أَخَّرْتَ عَنْهُ مِنِ الْعَذَابِ\
   *Fa-jamīʿu mā akhkharta ʿanhu min al-ʿadhāb*\
   So all that You have delayed from him of punishment

53. وَأَبْطَأْتَ بِهِ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ سَطَوَاتِ النَّقِمَةِ وَالْعِقَابِ تَرْكٌ مِنْ حَقِّكَ\
   *Wa abṭa'ta bihi ʿalayhi min saṭawāti an-niqmah wa-l-ʿiqābi tarkun min ḥaqqika*\
   And withheld from him of Your wrath and retribution is a reduction in what he truly deserves from You

54. وَرِضًا بِدُونِ وَاجِبِكَ\
   *Wa riḍān bi-dūni wājibik*\
   And contentment with less than what was obligatory (upon him)

55. فَمَنْ أَكْرَمُ يَا إِلَهِي مِنْكَ\
   *Fa-man akramu yā Ilāhī minka*\
   So who is more generous than You, my God?

56. وَمَنْ أَشْقَى مِمَّنْ هَلَكَ عَلَيْكَ ، لَا ، مَنْ؟\
   *Wa-man ashqā mimman halak ʿalayk, lā, man?*\
   And who is more wretched than one destroyed before You? No one—who?

57. فَتَبَارَكْتَ أَنْ تُوصَفَ إِلَّا بِالإِحْسَانِ\
   *Fa-tabārakta an tuwaṣafa illā bi-l-iḥsān*\
   You are Blessed, none may describe You except with excellence

58. وَكَرُمْتَ أَنْ يُخَافَ مِنْكَ إِلَّا الْعَدْلُ\
   *Wa karumta an yukhāfa minka illā al-ʿadl*\
   You are Noble, none should fear You except in justice

59. لَا يُخْشَى جَوْرُكَ عَلَى مَنْ عَصَاكَ\
   *Lā yukhshā jawruka ʿalā man ʿāṣāk*\
   No one fears injustice from You, even those who disobey

60. وَلَا يُخَافُ إِغْفَالُكَ ثَوَابَ مَنْ أَرْضَاكَ\
   *Wa lā yukhāfu ighfāluka thawāba man arḍāk*\
   Nor should anyone fear being deprived of reward who has pleased You

61. فَصَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ وَهَبْ لِي أَمَلِي\
   *Fa-ṣalli ʿalā Muḥammad wa ālih wa hab lī amalī*\
   So bless Muhammad and his family, and grant me my hopes

62. وَزِدْنِي مِنْ هُدَاكَ\
   *Wa zidnī min hudāk*\
   And increase me in Your guidance

63. مَا أَصِلُ بِهِ إِلَى التَّوْفِيقِ فِي عَمَلِي\
   *Mā aṣilu bihi ilā at-tawfīqi fī ʿamalī*\
   So I may attain success in my actions through it

64. إِنَّكَ مَنَّانٌ كَرِيمٌ\
   *Innaka mannānun karīm*\
   Truly, You are Most Generous and Noble

## Related

- [Sahifa Sajjadiyya 18: When Perils Were Repelled or Requests Quickly Granted](https://duasonline.org/dua/sahifa-sajjadiya-dua-18.md)
- [Sahifa Sajjadiyya 15: When Sick](https://duasonline.org/dua/sahifa-15-sickness.md)
- [Sahifa Sajjadiyya 1: In Praise of Allah](https://duasonline.org/dua/sahifa-01-praise-allah.md)
- [Sahifa Sajjadiyya 10: In Seeking Asylum With God](https://duasonline.org/dua/sahifa-sajjadiya-dua-10.md)