Munajat al-ta'ibin

Munajat al-ta'ibin

Subject	Repentance and Istighfar
Hadith-Based/Non-Hadith-Based	Hadith-Based
Issued by	Imam al-Sajjad (a)
Shi'a sources	Al-Sahifa al-thaniya al-Sajjadiyya • Bihar al-anwar • Mafatih al-jinan
Time	Friday

Munājāt al-tā’ibīn (Arabic: مُناجاتُ التّائِبین, The Whispered Prayer of the Repenters) is one of The Fifteen Whispered Prayers attributed to Imam al-Sajjad (a). It is narrated in al-Sahifa al-sajjadiyya al-thaniya, Bihar al-anwar, and Mafatih al-jinan. According to Allama al-Majlisi, the preferred day for reciting this prayer is Friday.

Themes

• Repentance and asking for forgiveness
• The consequences of sins, which include abasement in this world and the hereafter, separation from God, and the death of hearts.
• Repentance is the way to attaining God's mercy.
• Praying to God beseechingly prepares one to receive God's mercy.
• The fact that God conceals His servants sins to preserve their reputation.
• Asking God to forgive the sins that doom the perpetrators.
• Asking God not to allow our sins and errors to be disclosed.
• Beseeching God by five of His attributes (Responder to the distressed, Remover of injury, Greatest in goodness, Knower of every secret, Beautiful through His covering over) and asking Him for forgiveness

Text and Translation

In the Name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful.	بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
My God, offenses have clothed me in the garment of my lowliness,	إلـٰهِي أَلْبَسَتْنِي الْخَطايا ثَوْبَ مَذَلَّتِي
separation from You has wrapped me in the clothing of my misery!	وَجَلَّلَنِي التَّباعُدُ مِنْكَ لِباسَ مَسْكَنَتِي،
My dreadful crimes have deadened my heart,	وَأَماتَ قَلْبِي عَظِيمُ جِنايَتِي،
so bring it to life by a repentance from You! O my hope and my aim!	فَأَحْيِه بِتَوْبَةٍ مِنْكَ يا أَمَلِي وَبُغْيَتِي،
O my wish and my want!	وَيا سُؤْلِي وَمُنْيَتِي،
By Your might, I find no one but You to forgive my sins	فَوَعِزَّتِكَ ما أَجِدُ لِذُنُوبِي سِواكَ غافِراً،
and I see none but You to mend my brokenness!	وَلا أَرَىٰ لِكَسْرِي غَيْرَكَ جابِراً،
I have subjected myself to You in repeated turning,	وَقَدْ خَضَعْتُ بِالإِنابَةِ إلَيْكَ
I have humbled myself to You in abasement.	وَعَنَوْتُ بِالاسْتِكانَةِ لَدَيْكَ،
If You cast me out from Your door, in whom shall I take shelter?	فَإنْ طَرَدْتَنِي مِنْ بابِكَ فَبِمَنْ أَلُوذُ؟
If You repell me from Your side, in whom shall I seek refuge?	وَإنْ رَدَدْتَنِي عَنْ جَنابِكَ فَبِمَنْ أَعُوذُ؟
O my grief at my ignominy and disgrace!	فَوَا أَسَفاهُ مِنْ خَجْلَتِي وَافْتِضَاحِي،
O my sorrow at my evil works and what I have committed!	وَوا لَهْفاهُ مِنْ سُوءِ عَمَلِي وَاجْتِراحِي.
I ask You, O Forgiver of great sins,	أَسْأَلُكَ يا غافِرَ الذَّنْبِ الْكَبِيرِ
O Mender of broken bones,	وَيا جابِرَ الْعَظْمِ الْكَسِيرِ،
to overlook my ruinous misdeeds	أَنْ تَهَبَ لِي مُوبِقاتِ الْجَرائِرِ،
and cover my disgraceful secret thoughts!	وَتَسْتُرَ عَلَيَّ فاضِحاتِ السَّرائِرِ،
At the witnessing place of the Resurrection, empty me not of the coolness of Your pardon and forgiveness,	وَلا تُخْلِنِي فِي مَشْهَدِ الْقِيامَةِ مِنْ بَرْدِ عَفْوِكَ وَغَفْرِكَ،
and strip me not of Your beautiful forbearance and covering!	وَلا تُعْرِنِي مِنْ جَمِيلِ صَفْحِكَ وَسَتْرِكَ.
My God, let the cloud of Your mercy cast its shadow upon my sins	إِلـٰهِي ظَلِّلْ عَلَىٰ ذُنُوبِي غَمامَ رَحْمَتِكَ،
and send the billow of Your clemency flowing over my faults!	وَأَرْسِلْ عَلىٰ عُيُوبِي سَحابَ رَأْفَتِكَ
My God, does the fugitive servant return to anyone other than his Master?	إِلـٰهِي هَلْ يَرْجِعُ الْعَبْدُ الأَبِقُ إلاَّ إلَىٰ مَوْلاهُ
Or does anyone grant him sanctuary from his Master’s wrath other than his Master Himself?	أَمْ هَلْ يُجِيرُهُ مِنْ سَخَطِهِ أَحَدٌ سِواهُ؟
My God, if remorse for sins is a repentance,	إِلـٰهِي إنْ كانَ النَّدَمُ عَلَىٰ الذَّنْب تَوْبَةً،
I - by Your might - am one of the remorseful!	فَإِنِّي وَعِزَّتِكَ مِنَ النَّادِمِينَ،
If praying forgiveness for offenses is an alleviation,	وَإِنْ كَانَ الاسْتِغْفارُ مِنَ الْخَطيئَةِ حِطَّةً،
I am one of those who pray forgiveness!	فَإِنِّي لَكَ مِنَ الُمُسْتَغْفِرِينَ،
To You I return that You may be well pleased!	لَكَ الْعُتْبىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَرْضَىٰ.
My God, through Your power over me, turn toward me,	إِلـٰهِي بِقُدْرَتِكَ عَلَيَّ تُبْ عَلَيَّ،
through Your clemency toward me, pardon me,	وَبِحِلْمِكَ عَنِّي اعْفُ عَنِّي،
and through Your knowledge of me, be gentle toward me!	وَبِعِلْمِكَ بِي ارْفَقْ بِي.
My God, You are He who has opened a door to Your pardon and named it 'repentance',	إِلـٰهِي أَنْتَ الَّذِي فَتَحْتَ لِعِبادِكَ بَابَاً إلَىٰ عَفْوِكَ سَمَّيْتَهُ التَّوْبَةَ،
for You said, Repent to God with unswerving repentance.	فَقُلْتَ: ( تُوبُوا إلَىٰ اللَّهِ تَوْبَةً نَصُوحَاً )،
What is the excuse of him who remains heedless of entering the door after its opening?	فَما عُذْرُ مَنْ أَغْفَلَ دُخُولَ الْبابِ بَعْدَ فَتْحِهِ.
My God, though the sins of Your servant are ugly,	إِلـٰهِي إنْ كانَ قَبُحَ الذَّنْبُ مِنْ عَبْدِكَ
Your pardon is beautiful.	فَلْيَحْسُنِ الْعَفْوُ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ.
My God, I am not the first to have disobeyed You, and You turned toward him,	إِلـٰهِي ما أَنَا بِأَوَّلِ مَنْ عَصاكَ، فَتُبْتَ عَلَيْهِ،
or to have sought to attain Your favour, and You were munificent toward him.	وَتَعَرَّضَ بِمَعْرُوفِكَ، فَجُدْتَ عَلَيْهِ،
O Responder to the distressed!	يا مُجِيبَ الْمُضْطَرِّ،
O Remover of injury!	يا كَاشِفَ الضُّرِّ،
O Great in goodness!	يا عَظِيمَ الْبِرِّ،
O Knower of everything secret!	يا عَليمَاً بِما فِي السِّرِّ،
O Beautiful through covering over!	يا جَمِيلَ السِّتْرِ
I seek Your munificence and Your generosity to intercede with You,	اسْتَشْفَعْتُ بِجُودِكَ وَكَرَمِكَ إلَيْكَ،
I seek Your side and Your showing mercy to mediate with You,	وَتَوَسَّلْتُ بِجَنابِكَ وَتَرَحُّمِكَ لَدَيْكَ،
so grant my supplication,	فَاسْتَجِبْ دُعائِي،
disappoint not my hope in You,	وَلا تُخَيِّبْ فِيكَ رَجَائِي
accept my repentance,	وَتَقَبَّلْ تَوْبَتِي
and hide my offense,	وَكَفِّرْ خَطيئَتِي،
through Your kindness and mercy,	بِمَنِّكَ وَرَحْمَتِكَ
O Most Merciful of the merciful	يا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ

References

• The material for this article is mainly taken from مناجات التائبین in Farsi WikiShia.