Dua for first night of Ramadhan (Imam Sadiq)
Imam Jafar as Sadiq (as) used to recite this dua on the last night of Shaban and the first night of Ramadhan.
اللّهُمَّ إنَّ هذَا الشَّهْرَ الْمُبَارَكَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ
O Allah: verily, this blessed month, in which the Quran was revealed
وَجُعِلَ هُدَىً لِلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِنَ الْهُدَى وَالْفُرْقَانِ
and was made guidance for people and clear proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion (of right and wrong),
قَدْ حَضَرَ
has commenced
فَسَلِّمْنَا فِيهِ
So, (please) keep us out of blemish during it,
وَسَلَّمْهُ لَنَا
and keep it sound for us,
وَتَسَلَّمْهُ مِنَّا فِي يُسْرٍ مِنْكَ وَعَافِيَةٍ،
and receive it from us with means of easiness and good health from You
يَا مَنْ أَخَذَ الْقَلِيلَ وَشَكَرَ الْكَثِيرَ
O He Who has accepted the little (deed) and thanked for the much;
اقْبَلْ مِنِّي الْيَسِيرَ.
(please) accept from me the little (deed).
اللّهُمَّ إنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ أَنْ
O Allah: I beseech You to
تَجْعَلَ لِي إلَى كُلِّ خَيْرٍ سَبِيلاً،
make for me a path to every decency,
وَمِنْ كُلِّ مَا لا تُحِبُّ مَانِعاً
and to make for me a barrier against everything that You do not like
يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ،
O the most Merciful of all those who show mercy.
يَا مَنْ عَفَا عَنِّي وَعَمَّا خَلَوْتُ بِهِ مِنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ،
O He Who has pardoned me and overlooked the misdeeds that I have committed secretly;
يَا مَنْ لَمْ يُؤَاخِذْنِي بِارْتِكَابِ الْمَعَاصِي،
O He Who has not punished me for my committing acts of disobedience to Him:
عَفْوَكَ عَفْوَكَ عَفْوَكَ، يَا كَرِيمُ.
I seek Your pardon, I seek Your pardon, I seek Your pardon, O the All-generous.
إلهِي وَعَظْتَنِي فَلَمْ أَتَّعِظْ،
O my God: You advised me, but I have not followed Your advice,
وَزَجَرْتَنِي عَنْ مَحَارِمِكَ فَلَمْ أَنْزَجِرْ،
and You rebuked me for violating that which You have deemed forbidden, but I have not stopped,
فَمَا عُذْرِي؟
Now, what is my excuse?
فَاعْفُ عَنِّي يَا كَرِيمُ، عَفْوَكَ عَفْوَكَ.
So, (please) pardon me, O the All-generous; I seek Your pardon, I seek Your pardon!
اللّهُمَّ إنّي أَسْأَلُكَ
O Allah: I beseech You
الرَّاحَةَ عِنْدَ الْمَوْتِ،
for rest at death,
وَالْعَفْوَ عِنْدَ الْحِسَابِ،
and for pardon at calling to account.
عَظُمَ الذَّنْبُ مِنْ عَبْدِكَ فَلْيَحْسُنِ التَّجَاوُزُ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ،
Great is the sin of Your servant; so, let Your overlooking him be excellent.
يَا أَهْلَ التَّقْوَى وَيَا أَهْلَ الْمَغْفِرَةِ، عَفْوَكَ عَفْوَكَ.
O He Who is worthy of being feared and is worthy of forgiving; I seek Your pardon, I seek Your pardon.
اللّهُمَّ إنِّي عَبْدُكَ بْنُ عَبْدِكَ بْنُ أَمَتِكَ
I Allah: I am Your servant and the son of Your servant and Your she-servant,
ضَعِيفٌ فَقِيرٌ إلَى رَحْمَتِكَ،
and I am weak and in need for Your mercy;
وَأَنْتَ مُنْزِلُ الْغِنَى وَالْبَرَكَةِ عَلَى الْعِبَادِ،
and You are the Pourer of wealth and bless on the servants (of You),
قَاهِرٌ مُقْتَدِرٌ
and You are omnipotent and full of power;
أَحْصَيْتَ أَعْمَالَهُمْ،
as You have recorded all their (i.e. Your servants) deeds,
وَقَسَمْتَ أَرْزَاقَهُمْ،
and You have decided the sustenance of each one them,
وَجَعَلْتَهُمْ مُخْتَلِفَةً أَلْسِنَتُهُمْ وَأَلْوَانُهُمْ خَلْقاً مِنْ بَعْدِ خَلْقٍ،
and You have made them of different languages and colors; in different stages of creation;
وَلا يَعْلَمُ الْعِبَادُ عِلْمَكَ،
Your servants can never attain Your knowledge,
وَلا يَقْدِرُ الْعِبَادُ قَدْرَكَ،
and Your servants can never recognize the real estimate that is due to You
وَكُلُّنَا فَقِيرٌ إلَى رَحْمَتِكَ،
and all of us are needy for Your mercy;
فَلا تَصْرِفْ عَنِّي وَجْهَكَ،
So, (please) do not turn Your Face away from me,
وَاجْعَلْنِي مِنْ صَالِحِي خَلْقِكَ فِي الْعَمَلِ وَالأَمَلِ وَالْقَضَاءِ وَالْقَدَرِ.
and include me with the virtuous creatures of You in deeds, hopes, and Your decisions (for me).
اللّهُمَّ أَبْقِنِي خَيْرَ الْبَقَاءِ،
O Allah: (please) keep me alive in the best manner of living,
وَأَفْنِنِي خَيْرَ الْفَنَاءِ عَلَى مُوَالاةِ أَوْلِيَائِكَ،
and decide for me to die in the best manner of death keeping loyal to Your representatives,
وَمُعَادَاةِ أَعْدَائِكَ
and incurring the enmity of Your enemies,
وَالرَّغْبَةِ إلَيْكَ، وَالرَّهْبَةِ مِنْكَ،
and keeping desiring for You and fearing from You,
وَالْخُشُوعِ وَالْوَفَاءِ وَالتَّسْلِيمِ لَكَ،
and submission, faithfulness, and compliance with You,
وَالتَّصْدِيقِ بِكِتَابِكَ،
and keeping belief in Your Book
وَاتِّبَاعِ سُنَّةِ رَسُولِكَ.
and following Your Prophet’s instructions.
اللّهُمَّ مَا كَانَ فِي قَلْبِي
O Allah: as for whatever I bear in my heart,
مِنْ شَكٍّ أَوْ رِيبَةٍ
including suspicion or doubt
أَوْ جُحُودٍ أَوْ قُنُوطٍ
or denial or despair
أَوْ فَرَحٍ أَوْ بَذَخٍ أَوْ بَطَرٍ
or (excessive) joy or lavish expenditure or recklessness
أَوْ خُيَلاءَ أَوْ رِيَاءٍ أَوْ سُمْعَةٍ
or pride or arrogance or ostentation
أَوْ شِقَاقٍ أَوْ نِفَاقٍ
or discord or hypocrisy
أَوْ كُفْرٍ أَوْ فُسُوقٍ أَوْ عِصْيَانٍ
or unbelief or licentiousness or disobedience
أَوْ عَظَمَةٍ أَوْ شَيْءٍ لا تُحِبُّ،
or conceit or anything else that You do not like;
فَأَسْأَلُكَ يَا رَبِّ أَنْ تُبَدِّلَنِي مَكَانَهُ إيمَاناً بِوَعْدِكَ،
I thus beseech You, O my Lord, to substitute all that with belief in Your promise
وَوَفَاءً بِعَهْدِكَ،
and fulfilling of my covenant to You
وَرِضاً بِقَضَائِكَ،
and satisfaction with what You decide for me
وَزُهْداً فِي الدُّنْيَا،
and indifference to the worldly pleasures
وَرَغْبَةً فِيمَا عِنْدَكَ،
and desire for that which You have
وَأَثَرَةً وَطُمَأْنِينَةً وَتَوْبَةً نَصُوحاً،
and altruism and tranquility and sincere repentance;
أَسْأَلُكَ ذلِكَ يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ.
I beseech You for all that, O the Lord of the worlds.
إلهِي أَنْتَ مِنْ حِلْمِكَ تُعْصَى فَكَأَنَّكَ لَمْ تُرَ،
O my God: because You are so forbearing, You are disobeyed as if You are not present,
وَمِنْ كَرَمِكَ وَجُودِكَ تُطَاعُ فَكَأَنَّكَ لَمْ تُعْصَ،
and because You are so generous and magnanimous, You are obeyed as if You have not been disobeyed at all
وَأَنَا وَمَنْ لَمْ يَعْصِكَ سُكَّانُ أَرْضِكَ
Both those who have not disobeyed You and I are the inhabitants of Your lands;
فَكُنْ عَلَيْنَا بِالْفَضْلِ جَوَاداً،
So, (please) confer magnanimously upon us with Your favors
وَبِالْخَيْرِ عَوَّاداً،
and always refer to us with Your goodness
يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ،
O the most Merciful of all those who show mercy.
وَصَلَّى اللّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ صَلاةً دَائِمَةً
May Allah bless Muhammad and his Household with endless blessings
لا تُحْصَى وَلا تُعَدُّ وَلا يَقْدِرُ قَدْرَهَا غَيْرُكَ
that are innumerable, uncountable, and none can do it save You,