دعاء التوبة
SUPPLICATION FOR REPENTANCE
By Imām Ali son of al-Hussain “Zainul-`Abidin”
Yasin T. al-Jibouri
[email protected]

This supplication is recommended to be recited during the nights of Lailatul-Qadr (the Night of Destiny), on all occasions, when one is bound to plead for forgiveness for his sins and request the fulfillment of his worldly needs from his Lord. It is as follows:

دعاء التوبة للإمام زين العابدين (ع), من يقرأه يغتسل من الذنوب

اللّهمّ يا منْ لا يصفه نعْت الْواصفين، ويا منْ لا يجاوزه رجاء الرّاجين، ويا منْ لا يضيع لديْه أجْر الْمحْسنين، ويا منْ هو منْتهى خوْف الْعابدين، ويا منْ هو غاية خشْية الْمتّقين،

هذا مقام منْ تداولتْه أيْدي الذّنوب وقادتْه أزمّة الْخطايا، واسْتحْوذ عليْه الشّيْطان، فقصّر عمّا أمرْت به تفْريطا، وتعاطى ما نهيْت عنْه تعْزيزا،

كالْجاهل بقدْرتك عليْه، أوْ كالْمنْكر فضْل إحْسانك إليْه،

حتّى إذا انْفتح له بصر الْهدى، وتقشّعت عنْه سحائب الْعمى، أحْصى ما ظلم به نفْسه، وفكّر فيما خالف به ربّه، فرأى كبير عصْيانه كبيرا، وجليل مخالفته جليلا،

فأقْبل نحْوك مؤملا لك، مسْتحْييا منْك، ووجّه رغْبته إليْك ثقة بك، فأمّك بطمعه يقينا، وقصدك بخوْفه إخْلاصا، قدْ خلا طمعه منْ كلّ مطْموعٍ فيه غيْرك، وأفْرج روْعه منْ كلّ محْذورٍ منْه سواك،

فمثل بيْن يديْك متضرّعا، وغمّض بصره إلى الْأرْض متخشّعا، وطأْطأ رأْسه لعزّتك متذلّلا، وأبثّك منْ سرّه ما أنْت أعْلم به منْه خضوعا، وعدّد منْ ذنوبه ما أنْت أحْصى لها خشوعا،

واسْتغاث بك منْ عظيم ما وقع به في علْمك، وقبيح ما فضحه في حكْمك، منْ ذنوبٍ أدْبرتْ لذّاتها فذهبتْ وأقامتْ تبعاتها فلزمتْ، لا ينْكر يا إلهي عدْلك إنْ عاقبْته، ولا يسْتعْظم عفْوك إنْ عفوْت عنْه ورحمْته، لأنّك الرّبّ الْكريم الّذي لا يتعاظمه غفْران الذّنْب الْعظيم؛

اللّهمّ فها أنا ذا قدْ جئْتك مطيعا لأمْرك فيما أمرْت به من الدّعاء، متنجّزا وعْدك فيما وعدْت به من الْإجابة، إذْ تقول [ادْعوني أسْتجبْ لكمْ]، اللّهمّ فصلّ على محمّدٍ والْقني بمغْفرتك كما لقيْتك بإقْراري، وارْفعْني عنْ مصارع الذّنوب كما وضعْت لك نفْسي، واسْترْني بستْرك كما تأنّيْتني عن الْانْتقام منّي،

اللّهمّ وثبّتْ في طاعتك نيّتي وأحْكمْ في عبادتك بصيرتي، ووفّقْني من الْأعْمال لما تغْسل به دنس الْخطايا عنّي، وتوفّني على ملّتك وملّة نبيّك محمّدٍ عليْه و على آله الصلاة والسّلام إذا توفّيْتني،

اللّهمّ إنّي أتوب إليْك في مقامي هذا منْ كبائر ذنوبي وصغائرها، وبواطن سيّئاتي وظواهرها، وسوالف زلاّتي وحوادثها، توْبة منْ لا يحدّث نفْسه بمعْصيةٍ، ولا يضْمر أنْ يعود في خطيئةٍ،

وقدْ قلْت يا إلهي في محْكم كتابك إنّك تقْبل التّوْبة عنْ عبادك، وتعْفو عن السّيّئات، وتحبّ التّوّابين، فاقْبلْ الهي توْبتي كما وعدْت، واعْف عنْ سيّئاتي كما ضمنْت وأوْجبْ لي محبّتك كما شرطْت،

ولك يا ربّ شرْطي ألاّ أعود في مكْروهك، وضماني ألاّ أرْجع في مذْمومك، وعهْدي أنْ أهْجر جميع معاصيك، اللّهمّ إنّك أعْلم بما عملْت، فاغْفرْ لي ما علمْت واصْرفْني بقدْرتك إلى ما أحْببْت،

اللّهمّ وعليّ تبعاتٌ قدْ حفظْتهنّ وتبعاتٌ قدْ نسيْتهنّ، وكلّهنّ بعيْنك الّتي لا تنام، وعلْمك الّذي لا ينْسى، فعوّضْ منْها أهْلها واحْططْ عنّي وزْرها، وخفّفْ عنّي ثقْلها، واعْصمْني منْ أنْ أقارف مثْلها، اللّهمّ وإنّه لا وفاء لي بالتّوْبة إلاّ بعصْمتك، ولا اسْتمْساك بي عن الْخطايا إلاّ عنْ قوّتك، فقوّني بقوّةٍ كافيةٍ، وتولّني بعصْمةٍ مانعةٍ، اللّهمّ أيّما عبْدٍ تاب إليْك وهو في علْم الْغيْب عنْدك فاسخٌ لتوْبته وعائدٌ في ذنْبه وخطيئته، فإنّي أعوذ بك أنْ أكون كذلك،

فاجْعلْ توْبتي هذه لا أحْتاج بعْدها إلى توْبةٍ، توْبة موْجبة لمحْو ما سلف والسّلامة فيما بقي،

اللّهمّ إنّي أعْتذر إليْك منْ جهْلي وأسْتوْهبك سوء فعْلي فاضْممْني إلى كنف رحْمتك تطوّلا، واسْترْني بستْر عافيتك تفضّلا،

اللّهمّ وإنّي أتوب إليْك منْ كلّ ما خالف إرادتك أوْ زال عنْ محبّتك منْ خطرات قلْبي ولحظات عيْني وحكايات لساني، توْبة تسْلم بها كلّ جارحةٍ على حيالها منْ تبعاتك وتأْمن ممّا يخاف الْمعْتدون منْ أليم سطواتك،

اللّهمّ فارْحمْ وحْدتي بيْن يديْك ووجيب قلْبي منْ خشْيتك، واضْطراب أرْكاني منْ هيْبتك، فقدْ أقامتْني يا ربّ ذنوبي مقام الْخزْي بفنائك فإنْ سكتّ لمْ ينْطقْ عنّي أحدٌ وإنْ شفعْت فلسْت بأهْل الشّفاعة،

اللّهمّ صلّ على محمّدٍ وا‏له وشفّعْ في خطاياي كرمك، وعدْ على سيّئاتي بعفْوك، ولا تجْزني جزائي منْ عقوبتك وابْسطْ عليّ طوْلك، وجلّلْني بستْرك، وافْعلْ بي فعْل عزيزٍ تضرّع إليْه عبْدٌ ذليلٌ فرحمه، أوْ غنيٌّ تعرّض له عبْدٌ فقيرٌ فنعشه،

اللّهمّ لا خفير لي منْك فلْيخْفرْني عزّك ولا شفيع لي إليْك فلْيشْفعْ لي فضْلك، وقدْ أوْجلتْني خطاياي فلْيؤْمنّي عفْوك، فما كلّ ما نطقْت به عنْ جهْلٍ منّي بسوء أثري ولا نسْيانٍ لما سبق منْ ذميم فعْلي لكنْ لتسْمع سماؤك ومنْ فيها وأرْضك ومنْ عليْها، ما أظْهرْت لك من النّدم ولجأْت إليْك فيه من التّوْبة،

فلعلّ بعْضهمْ برحْمتك يرْحمني لسوء موْقفي أوْ تدْركه الرّقّة عليّ لسوء حالي فينالني منْه بدعْوةٍ هي أسْمع لديْك منْ دعائي، أوْ شفاعةٍ أوكد عنْدك منْ شفاعتي تكون بها نجاتي منْ غضبك وفوْزي برضاك،

اللّهمّ إنْ يكنْ النّدم توْبة إليْك فأنا أنْدم النّادمين، وإنْ يكن التّرْك لمعْصيتك إنابة فأنا أوّل الْمنيبين، وإنْ يكن الْاسْتغْفار حطّة للذّنوب فإنّي لك من الْمسْتغْفرين، اللّهمّ فكما أمرْت بالتّوْبة وضمنْت الْقبول، وحثثْت على الدّعاء ووعدْت الْإجابة فصلّ على محمّدٍ وآ‏ل محمّدٍ، واقْبلْ توْبتي ولا ترْجعْني مرْجع الْخيْبة منْ رحْمتك، إنّك أنْت التّوّاب على الْمذْنبين، والرّحيم للْخاطئين الْمنيبين،

اللّهمّ صلّ على محمّدٍ وآ‏له كما هديْتنا به، وصلّ على محمّدٍ وآله كما اسْتنْقذْتنا به وصلّ على محمّدٍ وآله صلاة تشْفع لنا يوْم الْقيامة ويوْم الْفاقة إليْك، إنّك على كلّ شيْءٍ قديرٌ وهو عليْك يسيرٌ.

O Allāh! He (it is) Whom the depiction of those who describe fails to describe!

O He beyond Whom there is no hope for the hopeful!

O He with Whom the reward of the doers of good is not wasted!

O He Who is the Ultimate object of the fear of the worshippers!

O He Who is the utmost goal of the fear of the God-fearing!

This is the station of one whose sins have passed from hand to hand. The reins of offenses have led him on, Satan has gained the upper hand over him, so he fell short of attaining what You have commanded through his negligence, pursuing what You have prohibited in delusion, ignorant of Your power over him, or like one who denies the bounty of Your Beneficence towards him until,

when the eye of guidance was opened for him and the clouds of blindness were dispelled, he reckoned that through which he had wronged his own self and reflected on that in which he had opposed his Lord.

He saw his vast disobedience as such and his great opposition as great.

So he turned to You, hoping in You and feeling ashamed before You; he directed his plea to You, having trust in You. He repaired to You in his longing with certitude and he went straight to You in fear with sincerity. His longing was devoid of every object of longing save You, his fright departed from every object of fear save You.

So he stood before You pleading, his eyes turned towards the ground in humbleness, his head bowed before Your Might in lowliness; he revealed to You in meekness those secrets of his which You know better than him; he counted for You in humility those sins of his which You count better than him;

he sought help from You before the dreadful pit into which he has fallen and of which You know, and the ugliness of which has disgraced him in Your judgment: the sins whose pleasures have fled, whose bad consequences have lingered and struck fast.

He will not deny Your justice, Lord, if You punish him, nor will he consider Your pardon too much for You to carry out, so have mercy on him, Lord, for You are the Generous Lord for Whom the forgiveness of great sins is never too great!

O Allāh! Here I am; I have come to You obeying Your command (for You have enjoined us to supplicate to You), pleading for the fulfillment of Your Promise, (for You have promised to oblige): You have said: Invoke Me, and I shall respond to you” (Qur’ān, 40:60).

O Allāh! Bless Muhammed and his progeny, meet me with Your forgiveness just as I have met You with my confession, lift me up from the fatal infirmities of sins just as I have lowered myself before You, cover me with Your covering just as You have shown no haste to take vengeance on me!

O Allāh! Firm my intention to obey You, strengthen my insight in worshipping You, enable me to do the deeds which will wash away the defilement of offenses, take my soul away, when You do so, as an adherent to the creed of Your Prophet Muhammed.

O Allāh! I repent to You from my sins, big and small, and my evil deeds, inward and outward, and my lapses, past and present, with the repentance of one who does not tell himself that he might disobey or secretly think that he might return to an offense.

You have said, God, in the fixed text of Your Book, that You accept repentance from Your servants, that You pardon evil deeds, that You love those who repent; so, I plead to You to accept my repentance as You have promised, to pardon my evil deeds as You have guaranteed, to make obligatory towards me Your love as You have stipulated!

To You, Lord, belongs my stipulation that I will not return to what is disliked by You, my pledge that I will not go back to what You reprimand, my covenant to You that I will stay away from acts of disobedience to You.

Allāh! You know better what I have done, so forgive me what You know and direct me by Your Might towards what You love!

O Allāh! Counted against me are claims that linger in my memory and claims that I have forgotten, while all of them remain in Your eye that does not sleep and Your knowledge that does not forget! So compensate their owners, lighten their weight on me, lift their burden from me, protect me from approaching their likes!

O Allāh, but I cannot be faithful to my repentance without Your protection, nor can I refrain from offenses without Your strength, so strengthen me sufficiently and attend to me with a defending preservation!

O Allāh! If any servant repents to You, while You know in the Unseen that he will break his repentance and return to his sin and offense, I seek refuge with You lest I should be like him!

So make my repentance one after which I will need no further repentance, one which will obligate the erasing of what has gone by and bring safety to what remains!

O Allāh! I ask pardon from You for my ignorance, and I ask You to disregard my evil deeds! So join me to the shelter of Your mercy by Your Grace and cover me with the covering of Your well-being through Your Bounty!

O Allāh! I repent to You from everything opposed to Your will or distant from Your love, the thoughts of my heart, the glances of my eyes, the tales of my tongue, with repentance through which each of my bodily parts will by itself stay safe from ill consequences with You and remain secure from Your painful penalties that are feared by transgressors!

O Allāh! Have mercy on me, being alone before You, with my heart pounding in fear of You, my limbs trembling in awe of You! My sins, Lord, have placed me in the station of degradation in Your courtyard. If I remain silent, none will speak for me; if I seek an interces­sor, I am not worthy of intercession.

Allāh! Bless Muhammed and his progeny, make Your generosity intercede for my offenses, follow up my evil deeds with Your pardon, do not repay me with the punishment that is my proper repayment, spread over me Your grace, wrap me up in Your covering, do to me what is done by a Mighty One when a lowly servant pleads to Him and He shows him mercy, or a rich man when a poor slave lowers himself and he raises him to riches!

O Allāh! I have no protector against You, so let Your Might be my protector! I have no intercessor with You, so let Your bounty be my intercessor! My offenses have set me trembling, so let Your pardon provide me with security!

Not all that I have said ensues from ignorance of my evil footsteps or forgetfulness of my blameworthy acts in the past, but in order that Your heavens and those within them and Your earth and those on it may hear the remorse which I have declared to You and the repentance through which I have sought asylum with You.

Then perhaps one of them, through Your mercy, shows mercy on my evil situation or be seized by pity for my evil state. There may come from him for my sake a supplication to which You pay attention more than You might to mine, or an intercession surer with You than my intercession through which I may be delivered from Your Wrath and attain Your Pleasure!

O Allāh! If remorse is an expression of repentance towards You, then I am most remorseful! If refraining from disobedience is turning back to You, then I am the first of those who turn back! If praying for forgiveness alleviates sins, then surely I am one of those who pray for Your forgiveness!

O Allāh! As You have commanded repentance and guaranteed acceptance, as You have urged supplication and promised to respond, so also bless Muhammed and his progeny and accept my repentance, do not turn me disappointed in Your Mercy! Surely You are ever-Turning to the sinners, all-Compassionate towards the offenders who turn back to You!

O Allāh! Bless Muhammed and his progeny just as You have guided us by him! Bless Muhammed and his household just as You have saved us through them all! Bless Muhammed and his progeny with a blessing that will intercede for us on the Day of Resurrec­tion, the Day of need to You! You have power over all things; so, surely that is easy for You!

و السلام على من اتبع الهدى

أخوكم ياسين الجبوري