Dua-e-Arafa (Imam Husain)
The supplicatory prayer of Imam al-Husayn (as), the Chief of Martyrs, on the Arafat Day is one of the famous prayers. Bishr and Bashir, the sons of Ghalib al-Asadi, narrated that they, once, accompanied Imam al-Husayn (as) at the Arafat Night when he left his tent with submission and reverence. He walked slowly until he, accompanied by a group of his household, sons, and servants, stopped at the left side of Mount `Arafat and turned his face towards the Holy Ka`bah. He then raised his hands (for supplication) to the level of his face, just like a poor man begging food, and said
دعا عرفه
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِي لَيْسَ لِقَضَائِهِ دَافِعٌ
Praise be to Allah Whose determination cannot be repelled by anything,
وَلاَ لِعَطَائِهِ مَانِعٌ
Whose gifts cannot be stopped by anything,
وَلاَ كَصُنْعِهِ صُنْعُ صَانِعٍ
and Whose making cannot be resembled by the making of anyone.
وَهُوَ ٱلْجَوَادُ ٱلْوَاسِعُ
He is the All-magnanimous, the All-liberal.
فَطَرَ اجْنَاسَ ٱلْبَدَائِعِ
He originated the genus of the wonderfully created things
وَاتْقَنَ بِحِكْمَتِهِ ٱلصَّنَائِعَ
and He perfected the made things by His wisdom.
لا تَخْفَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ٱلطَّلاَئِعُ
All growing things cannot be hidden from Him
وَلاَ تَضِيعُ عِنْدَهُ ٱلْوَدَائِعُ
and all things deposited with Him shall never be wasted.
جَازِي كُلِّ صَانِعٍ
He is the Repayer on every deed,
وَرَايِشُ كُلِّ قَانِعٍ
the Enricher of every satisfied one,
وَرَاحِمُ كُلِّ ضَارِعٍ
the Merciful toward every suppliant,
وَمُنْزِلُ ٱلْمَنَافِعِ
and the Revealer of the benefits
وَٱلْكِتَابِ ٱلْجَامِعِ بِٱلنُّورِ ٱلسَّاطِعِ
and the All-comprehensive Book with the glaring light.
وَهُوَ لِلدَّعَوَاتِ سَامِعٌ
He is also the Hearer of prayers,
وَلِلْكُرُبَاتِ دَافِعٌ
the Warder-off of anguishes,
وَلِلدَّرَجَاتِ رَافِعٌ
the Raiser of ranks,
وَلِلْجَبَابِرَةِ قَامِعٌ
and the Suppressor of the tyrants.
فَلاَ إِلٰهَ غَيْرُهُ
There is no god other than Him
وَلاَ شَيْءَ يَعْدِلُهُ
and there is nothing equivalent to Him
وَلَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ
and nothing like a likeness of Him,
وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ
and He is the All-hearing, the All-seeing,
ٱللَّطِيفُ ٱلْخَبِيرُ
the All-gentle, the All-aware,
وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
and He has power over all things.
اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي ارْغَبُ إِلَيْكَ
O Allah, I willingly desire for You
وَاشْهَدُ بِٱلرُّبُوبِيَّةِ لَكَ
and I testify to the Lordship of You,
مُقِرّاً بِانَّكَ رَبِّي
confessing that You are verily my Lord
وَانَّ إِلَيْكَ مَرَدِّي
and to You shall be my return.
اِبْتَدَاتَنِي بِنِعْمَتِكَ
You had begun bestowing on me
قَبْلَ انْ اكُونَ شَيْئاً مَذْكُوراً
before I was anything worth mentioning,
وَخَلَقْتَنِي مِنَ ٱلتُّرَابِ
and You created me from dust.
ثُمَّ اسْكَنْتَنِي ٱلاصْلاَبَ
You then put me up in the loins,
آمِناً لِرَيْبِ ٱلْمَنُونِ
(making me) saved from vicissitudes of time,
وَٱخْتِلافِ ٱلدُّهُورِ وَٱلسِّنِينَ
and change of ages and years.
فَلَمْ ازَلْ ظَاعِناً مِنْ صُلْبٍ إِلَىٰ رَحِمٍ
I was moving from a loin to a womb
فِي تَقَادُمٍ مِنَ ٱلايَّامِ ٱلْمَاضِيَةِ
throughout the passage of the past days
وَٱلْقُرُونِ ٱلْخَالِيَةِ
and the ancient ages;
لَمْ تُخْرِجْنِي لِرَافَتِكَ بِي
as You have not taken me out (to this world)—on account of Your sympathy to me,
وَلُطْفِكَ لِي
Your kindness to me,
وَإِحْسَانِكَ إِلَيَّ
and Your compassion to me—
فِي دَوْلَةِ ائِمَّةِ ٱلْكُفْرِ
in the government of the heads of unbelief
ٱلَّذِينَ نَقَضُوٱ عَهْدَكَ
who breached their covenant with You
وَكَذَّبُوٱ رُسُلَكَ
and denied Your messengers.
لٰكِنَّكَ اخْرَجْتَنِي لِلَّذِي سَبَقَ لِي مِنَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ
However, You took me out on account of the guidance that You have already known about me
ٱلَّذِي لَهُ يَسَّرْتَنِي
and You have made easy the way to it
وَفِيهِ انْشَاتَنِي
and You have brought me up in it.
وَمِنْ قَبْلِ ذٰلِكَ رَؤُفْتَ بِي
Even before that, You had compassion on me,
بِجَمِيلِ صُنْعِكَ
through Your excellent conferral
وَسَوَابِغِ نِعَمِكَ
and Your affluent bestowals.
فَٱبْتَدَعْتَ خَلْقِي مِنْ مَنِيٍّ يُمْنَىٰ
So, You fashioned my creation from semen that gushed forth
وَاسْكَنْتَنِي فِي ظُلُمَاتٍ ثَلاَثٍ
and put me up in triple darkness
بَيْنَ لَحْمٍ وَدَمٍ وَجِلْدٍ
among flesh, blood, and skin.
لَمْ تُشْهِدْنِي خَلْقِي
You have not made me witness my creation,
وَلَمْ تَجْعَلْ إِلَيَّ شَيْئاً مِنْ امْرِي
and You have not referred any part of my creation to me.
ثُمَّ اخْرَجْتَنِي لِلَّذِي سَبَقَ لِي مِنَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ
You then took me out on account of the guidance that You have already known about me
إِلَىٰ ٱلدُّنْيَا تَامّاً سَوِيّاً
to the world, perfect and in sound health.
وَحَفِظْتَنِي فِي ٱلْمَهْدِ طِفْلاً صَبِيّاً
You have safeguarded me in the cradle as small child.
وَرَزَقْتَنِي مِنَ ٱلْغِذَاءِ لَبَناً مَرِيّاً
You have provided me with wholesome milk as food.
وَعَطَفْتَ عَلَيَّ قُلُوبَ ٱلْحَوَاضِنِ
You have made the hearts of the nursemaids tender.
وَكَفَّلْتَنِي ٱلامَّهَاتِ ٱلرَّوَاحِمَ
You have given me into the charge of merciful mothers.
وَكَلَاتَنِي مِنْ طَوَارِقِ ٱلْجَانِّ
You have saved me from the visits of the Jinn.
وَسَلَّمْتَنِي مِنَ ٱلزِّيَادَةِ وَٱلنُّقْصَانِ
You have delivered me from increase and decrease.
فَتَعَالَيْتَ يَا رَحِيمُ يَا رَحْمٰنُ
So, Exalted be You, O All-merciful, O All-beneficent.
حَتَّىٰ إِذَا ٱسْتَهْلَلْتُ نَاطِقاً بِٱلْكَلاَمِ
When I commenced (my life) by pronouncing words,
اتْمَمْتَ عَلَيَّ سَوَابِغَ ٱلإِنْعَامِ
You perfected for me the affluent bestowals,
وَرَبَّيتَنِي زَائِداً فِي كُلِّ عَامٍ
and brought me up with an increase every year.
حَتَّىٰ إِذَا ٱكْتَمَلَتْ فِطْرَتِي
When my creation was accomplished,
وَٱعْتَدَلَتْ مِرَّتِي
and my power became straight,
اوْجَبْتَ عَلَيَّ حُجَّتَكَ
You put me under the obligation of Your Claim,
بِانْ الْهَمْتَنِي مَعْرِفَتَكَ
which is that You inspired me with recognition of You
وَرَوَّعْتَنِي بِعَجَائِبِ حِكْمَتِكَ
and alarmed me by the wonders of Your wisdom,
وَايْقَظْتَنِي لِمَا ذَرَاتَ فِي سَمَائِكَ وَارْضِكَ
and You aroused in me that which You created in Your heavens and lands,
مِنْ بَدَائِعِ خَلْقِكَ
which is the excellent creation of You.
وَنَبَّهْتَنِي لِشُكْرِكَ وَذِكْرِكَ
You attracted my attentions to thank and mention You.
وَاوْجَبْتَ عَلَيَّ طَاعَتَكَ وَعِبَادَتَكَ
You made obligatory on me to obey and worship You.
وَفَهَّمْتَنِي مَا جَاءَتْ بِهِ رُسُلُكَ
You made me understand that with which Your Apostles came.
وَيَسَّرْتَ لِي تَقَبُّلَ مَرْضَاتِكَ
You made easy for me to find agreeable Your pleasure.
وَمَنَنْتَ عَلَيَّ فِي جَمِيعِ ذٰلِكَ
You bestowed upon me with the favor of all that,
بِعَوْنِكَ وَلُطْفِكَ
out of Your aid and Your gentleness.
ثُمَّ إِذْ خَلَقْتَنِي مِنْ خَيْرِ ٱلثَّرَىٰ
As You created me from the best of soil,
لَمْ تَرْضَ لِي يَا إِلٰهِي نِعْمَةً دُونَ اخْرَىٰ
You, my God, have not wanted for me to have a certain favor (and to be deprived of another)
وَرَزَقْتَنِي مِنْ انْوَاعِ ٱلْمَعَاشِ
and You therefore provided me with the various kinds of living
وَصُنُوفِ ٱلرِّيَاشِ
and types of wealth,
بِمَنِّكَ ٱلْعَظِيمِ ٱلاعْظَمِ عَلَيَّ
out of Your great and grand conferral upon me,
وَإِحْسَانِكَ ٱلْقَدِيمِ إِلَيَّ
and Your eternal kindness to me.
حَتَّىٰ إِذَا اتْمَمْتَ عَلَيَّ جَمِيعَ ٱلنِّعَمِ
As You perfected for me all the graces
وَصَرَفْتَ عَنِّي كُلَّ ٱلنِّقَمِ
and warded off all misfortunes,
لَمْ يَمْنَعْكَ جَهْلِي وَجُرْاتِي عَلَيْكَ
my ignorance of You and challenge have not stopped You
انْ دَلَلْتَنِي إِلَىٰ مَا يُقَرِّبُنِي إِلَيْكَ
from showing me that which takes me near to You,
وَوَفَّقْتَنِي لِمَا يُزْلِفُنِي لَدَيْكَ
and from leading me to that which grants me proximity to You.
فَإِنْ دَعَوْتُكَ اجَبْتَنِي
So, if I pray You, You will respond to me;
وَإِنْ سَالْتُكَ اعْطَيْتَنِي
and if I beg You, You will give me;
وَإِنْ اطَعْتُكَ شَكَرْتَنِي
and if I obey You, You will thank me;
وَإِنْ شَكَرْتُكَ زِدْتَنِي
and if I thank You, You will give me more.
كُلُّ ذٰلِكَ إِكْمَالاً لانْعُمِكَ عَلَيَّ
All that is completion of Your favors for me,
وَإِحْسَانِكَ إِلَيَّ
and Your kindness to me.
فَسُبْحَانَكَ سُبْحَانَكَ
So, all glory be to You; all glory be to You.
مِنْ مُبْدِيً مُعِيدٍ
You are verily Originator and Reproducer (of the creation)
حَمِيدٍ مَجِيدٍ
and worthy of all praise and full of all glory.
وَتَقَدَّسَتْ اسْمَاؤُكَ
Holy be Your Names
وَعَظُمَتْ آلاؤُكَ
as Your bounties are so immeasurable.
فَايَّ نِعَمِكَ يَا إِلٰهِي احْصِي عَدَداً وَذِكْراً؟
Which of Your favors, O my God, can I count in numbers and examples?
امْ ايَّ عَطَايَاكَ اقُومُ بِهَا شُكْراً
Or which of Your gifts can I thank properly?
وَهِيَ يَا رَبِّ اكْثَرُ مِنْ انْ يُحْصِيهَا ٱلْعَادُّونَ
They are, O my Lord, too numerous to be counted by counters
اوْ يَبْلُغَ عِلْماً بِهَا ٱلْحَافِظُونَ
or to be realized by memorizers.
ثُمَّ مَا صَرَفْتَ وَدَرَاتَ عَنِّي
Moreover, that which You have warded off and repelled,
اللَّهُمَّ مِنَ ٱلضُّرِّ وَٱلضَّرَّاءِ
O Allah, from (the various kinds of) harm and mischief
اكْثَرُ مِمَّا ظَهَرَ لِي مِنَ ٱلْعَافِيَةِ وَٱلسَّرَّاءِ
is more than that which came to me from wellbeing and joy.
وَانَا اشْهَدُ يَا إِلٰهِي بِحَقِيقَةِ إِيـمَانِي
And I bear witness, O my God, with my true belief,
وَعَقْدِ عَزَمَاتِ يَقِينِي
and the fortitude of the determinations of my conviction
وَخَالِصِ صَرِيحِ تَوْحِيدِي
and the purity of my open belief in Your Oneness
وَبَاطِنِ مَكْنُونِ ضَمِيرِي
and the essence of the secret of my conscience,
وَعَلاَئِقِ مَجَارِي نُورِ بَصَرِي
and the ties of the canals of the light of my sight,
وَاسَارِيرِ صَفْحَةِ جَبِينِي
and the lines of my forehead
وَخُرْقِ مَسَارِبِ نَفْسِي
and the hallows of the courses of my breath,
وَخَذَارِيفِ مَارِنِ عِرْنِينِي
and the (nasal) cavities of my nose,
وَمَسَارِبِ صِمَاخِ سَمْعِي
and the courses of the meatus of my hearing,
وَمَا ضَمَّتْ وَاطْبَقَتْ عَلَيْهِ شَفَتَايَ
and whatever my two lips hide and cover up,
وَحَرَكَاتِ لَفْظِ لِسَانِي
and the motions of the vocalization of my tongue,
وَمَغْرَزِ حَنَكِ فَمِي وَفَكِّي
and the socket of the palate of my mouth and jaw,
وَمَنَابِتِ اضْرَاسِي
and the matrices of my dents,
وَمَسَاغِ مَطْعَمِي وَمَشْرَبِي
and the tasting of my food and my drink,
وَحِمَالَةِ امِّ رَاسِي
and the carrier of my skill,
وَبُلُوعِ فَارِغِ حَبَائِلِ عُنُقِي
and the tube of the tissues of my neck
وَمَا ٱشْتَمَلَ عَلَيْهِ تَامُورُ صَدْرِي
and what is included by the cloak of my chest,
وَحَمَائِلِ حَبْلِ وَتِينِي
and the carriers of the cord of my aorta,
وَنِيَاطِ حِجَابِ قَلْبِي
and the cords of the pericardium of my heart,
وَافْلاذِ حَوَاشِي كَبِدِي
and the pieces of the retinues of my liver,
وَمَا حَوَتْهُ شَرَاسِيفُ اضْلاَعِي
and that which is included by the cartilages of my ribs,
وَحِقَاقِ مَفَاصِلِي
and the cavities of my joints,
وَقَبْضِ عَوَامِلِي
and the interactings of my organisms,
وَاطْرَافِ انَامِلِي
and the extremes of my fingertips,
وَلَحْمِي وَدَمِي
and my flesh, and my blood,
وَشَعْرِي وَبَشَرِي
and my hair, and my skin,
وَعَصَبِي وَقَصَبِي
and my nerve, and my sinews,
وَعِظَامِي وَمُخِّي وَعُرُوقِي
and my bones, and my brain, and my veins,
وَجَمِيعِ جَوَارِحِي
and all of my organs,
وَمَا ٱنْتَسَجَ عَلَىٰ ذٰلِكَ ايَّامَ رِضَاعِي
and that which was pieced together during the days of my suckling,
وَمَا اقَلَّتِ ٱلارْضُ مِنِّي
and whatever of my body that the ground carries,
وَنَوْمِي وَيَقْظَتِي وَسُكُونِي
and my sleeping, and my wakefulness, and my motionlessness,
وَحَرَكَاتِ رُكُوعِي وَسُجُودِي
and the movements of my bowing and prostration;
انْ لَوْ حَاوَلْتُ وَٱجْتَهَدْتُ مَدَىٰ ٱلاعْصَارِ
(by all that I bear witness) that if I try my best and strive throughout all ages
وَٱلاحْقَابِ لَوْ عُمِّرْتُهَا
and all times, if I live them,
انْ اؤَدِّيَ شُكْرَ وَاحِدَةٍ مِنْ انْعُمِكَ
to thank properly only one of Your favors,
مَا ٱسْتَطَعْتُ ذٰلِكَ
I will not be able to do that,
إِلاَّ بِمَنِّكَ ٱلْمُوجَبِ عَلَيَّ بِهِ شُكْرُكَ
except through a favor of You, which also requires me to thank You for it,
ابَداً جَدِيداً
once again with new thanking
وَثَنَاءً طَارِفاً عَتِيداً
and with praise that is newly acquired and newly prepared.
اجَلْ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتُ
True is this! And if I try hard,
انَا وَٱلْعَادُّونَ مِنْ انَامِكَ
as well as the counters from Your creatures,
انْ نُحْصِيَ مَدَىٰ إِنْعَامِكَ
to count the scope of Your favoring,
سَالِفِهِ وَآنِفِهِ
both the past and the present,
مَا حَصَرْنَاهُ عَدَداً
we shall never be able to calculate it in number,
وَلاَ احْصَيْنَاهُ امَداً
or count it in time.
هَيْهَاتَ انَّىٰ ذٰلِكَ
Too far is this! How can it be!
وَانْتَ ٱلْمُخْبِرُ فِي كِتَابِكَ ٱلنَّاطِقِ
While it is You Who have informed in Your rational Book
وَٱلنَّبَأِ ٱلصَّادِقِ
and true news:
”وَإِنْ تَعُدُّوٱ نِعْمَةَ اللّهِ لاَ تُحْصُوهَا“
“And if you count Allah’s favors, you will not be able to number them.”
صَدَقَ كِتَابُكَ ٱللَّهُمَّ وَإِنْبَاؤُكَ
True is Your Book, O Allah, and Your informing.
وَبَلَّغَتْ انْبِيَاؤُكَ وَرُسُلُكَ
Your Prophets and Messengers have conveyed
مَا انْزَلْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ وَحْيِكَ
what You revealed to them, from Your Revelation,
وَشَرَعْتَ لَهُمْ وَبِهِمْ مِنْ دِينِكَ
and what You have made plain for them and through them Your religion.
غَيْرَ انِّي يَا إِلٰهِي
Nevertheless, O my God,
اشْهَدُ بِجُهْدِي وَجِدِّي
I bear witness by my ultimate possibility and my diligence
وَمَبْلَغِ طَاقَتِي وَوُسْعِي
and the scope of my vigor and my capacity,
وَاقُولُ مُؤْمِناً مُوقِناً
and I say with full faith and conviction:
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِي لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَداً
All praise be to Allah Who has not taken to Himself a son
فَيَكُونَ مَوْرُوثاً
to be inherited,
وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ شَرِيكٌ فِي مُلْكِهِ
and Who does not have a partner in His kingdom,
فَيُضَادُّهُ فِيمَا ٱبْتَدَعَ
to oppose Him in what He fashions,
وَلاَ وَلِيٌّ مِنَ ٱلذُّلِّ
and Who does not have a helper to save Him from disgrace,
فَيُرْفِدَهُ فِيمَا صَنَعَ
to help Him in what He makes.
فَسُبْحَانَهُ سُبْحَانَهُ
So, glory be to Him, glory be to Him.
لَوْ كَانَ فِيهِمَا آلِهَةٌ إِلاَّ ٱللَّهُ لَفَسَدَتَا وَتَفَطَّرَتَا
If there had been in them any gods except Allah, they would both have certainly been in a state of disorder and destruction.
سُبْحَانَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْوَاحِدِ ٱلاحَدِ ٱلصَّمَدِ
All glory be to Allah, the One, the Only One, the Besought of all,
ٱلَّذِي لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ
Who begets not nor is He begotten,
وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُواً احَدٌ
and there is none like Him.
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ حَمْداً يُعَادِلُ حَمْدَ مَلائِكَتِهِ ٱلْمُقَرَّبِينَ
All praise be to Allah—praise that is equal to the praise of His Favorite Angels,
وَ انْبِيَائِهِ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ
and His missioned Prophets.
وَصَلَّىٰ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ خِيَرَتِهِ
May Allah send blessings to His Select,
مُحَمَّدٍ خَاتَمِ ٱلنَّبِيِّينَ
Muhammad, the Seal of Prophets,
وَآلِهِ ٱلطَّيِّبِينَ ٱلطَّاهِرِينَ ٱلْمُخْلَصِينَ وَسَلَّمَ
and upon his Household, the pure, immaculate, and well-chosen, and may He send benedictions upon them.