my argument, and by my poverty towards You and Your independence of me, that You forgive me and have mercy on me. My God, I did not do good until You gave me the ability, and I did not do evil until You decreed it against me. O Allah, I obeyed You by Your grace in the most beloved of things to You, the testimony that there is no god but Allah, and I did not disobey You in the most hateful of things to You, associating partners with You, so forgive me for what is between them. O Allah, You are the companion of the lonely for Your saints, and the closest of those who suffice those who rely upon You. You witness them in their inner thoughts and observe their secrets; my secret, O Allah, is manifest to You, and I am yearning for You. When loneliness causes me fear, Your remembrance brings me comfort, and when burdens press upon me, I take refuge in You, seeking sanctuary with You, knowing that the reins of all affairs are in Your hand and their source is from Your decree. Ibrahim ibn Ishaq al-Harbi used to say: "O Allah, You have sheltered me from my exhaustion, granted me insight from my blindness, and saved me from my ignorance and harshness. I ask You for that by which my success is completed, and what I hope for in the immediate life of my world and my religion, and for the hope of my end and my return. Then, for what I cannot reach the performance of its thanks, nor can I attain its counting and remembrance, except by Your facilitation and inspiration: that You have stirred my hard heart towards the pilgrimage to Your Sanctuary, strengthened my weak limbs for the visitation of Your Ancient House, and moved my body to witness the stations of Your Sanctuary, following the Sunnah of Your Friend (Khalil), emulating the example of Your Messenger, and following the traces of Your chosen ones, prophets, and saints (14), may Allah bless them all. I call upon You in the stations of the prophets, peace be upon them, the rituals of the blessed, and the places of the martyrs (15), with the supplication of one who has come to You hoping for Your mercy, distant from his homeland, performing his rites, fulfilling Your obligations, reciting Your Book, calling upon his Lord, Exalted and Majestic is He, responding to Him, complaining to Him of his heart, fearing for his sin, failing in his share, and as a pledge
(12) Asma al-amr fulanan: it befell him. (13) In the original and A: "wa-bassartani" (and you granted me insight). (14) Omitted from: The original. (15) In A, B, and M: "wa-masajid" (and the mosques).
حُجَّتِى، وبِفَقْرِى إليكَ وغِنَاكَ عَنِّى، أن تَغْفِرَ لى وَتَرْحَمَنِى، إلهِى لم أُحْسِنْ حتَّى أَعْطَيْتَنِى، ولم أُسِئْ، حتَّى قَضَيْتَ عَلَىَّ، اللَّهُمَّ أَطَعْتُكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ فى أحَبِّ الأشْياءِ إليكَ، شَهَادَةِ أنْ لا إله إلَّا اللهُ، ولم أَعْصِكَ فى أبْغَضِ الأشْياءِ إليك، الشِّرْكِ بك، فاغْفِرْ لى ما بينهما، اللَّهُمَّ أنْتَ أُنْسُ المُؤْنِسينَ لأوْلِيَائِكَ، وأقْرَبُهم بِالكِفَايَةِ من المُتَوَكِّلِينَ عليك، تُشَاهِدُهم فى ضَمَائِرِهم، وتَطَّلِعُ على سَرَائِرِهم، وسِرِّى اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ مَكْشُوفٌ، وأنا إليك مَلْهُوفٌ، إذا أوْحَشَتْنِى الغُرْبَةُ آنَسَنِى ذِكْرُكَ، وإذا أَصْمَتْ (١٢) علىَّ الهُمُومُ لَجَأْتُ إليك، اسْتِجَارَةً بكَ، عِلْمًا بأنَّ أزِمَّةَ الأمُورِ بِيَدِكَ، ومَصْدَرَها عن قَضَائِكَ. وكان إبراهيمُ بنُ إسحاقَ الحَرْبِىُّ، يقولُ: اللَّهُمَّ قد آوَيْتَنِى مِن ضَنَاىَ، وبَصَّرْتَنِى من عَمَاىَ، وأَنْقَذْتَنِى (١٣) من جَهْلِى وجَفَاىَ، أسْأَلُكَ ما يَتِمُّ به فَوْزِى، وما أُؤَمِّلُ فى عَاجلِ دُنْيَاىَ ودِينِى، ومَأْمُولِ أَجَلِى ومَعَادِى، ثمَّ ما لا أبْلُغُ أدَاءَ شُكْرِه، ولا أنَالُ إحْصَاءَه وذِكْرَهُ، إلَّا بِتَوْفِيقِكَ وإلْهَامِكَ، أن هَيَّجْتَ قَلْبِىَ القَاسِى، على الشُّخُوصِ إلى حَرَمِك، وقَوَّيْتَ أرْكَانِى الضَّعِيفَةَ لِزِيَارَةِ عَتِيقِ بَيْتِكَ، ونَقَلْتَ بَدَنِى، لإشْهَادِى مَوَاقِفَ حَرَمِكَ، اقْتِدَاءً بِسُنَّةِ خَلِيلكَ، واحْتِذَاءً على مِثَالِ رَسُولِكَ، واتِّبَاعًا لآثَارِ خِيرَتِكَ وأنْبِيَائِكَ وأصْفِيَائِكَ (١٤)، صَلَّى اللَّه عليهم، وأَدْعُوكَ فى مَوَاقِفِ الأنْبِيَاءِ، عليهم السَّلَامُ، ومَنَاسِكِ السُّعَدَاءِ، ومَشَاهِدِ (١٥) الشُّهَدَاءِ، دُعَاءَ من أتَاكَ لِرَحْمَتِكَ رَاجِيًا، عن وَطَنِه نَائِيًا، ولِقَضَاءِ نُسُكِهِ مُؤَدِّيًا، ولِفَرَائِضِكَ قَاضِيًا، ولِكِتَابِكَ تَالِيًا، ولِرَبِّهِ عَزَّ وجَلَّ دَاعِيًا مُلَبِّيًا، ولِقَلْبِه شَاكِيًا، ولِذَنْبِه خَاشِيًا، ولِحَظِّهِ مُخْطِئًا، ولِرَهْنِه
(١٢) أصمى الأمر فلانا: حل به.(١٣) فى الأصل، أ: "وبصرتنى".(١٤) سقط من: الأصل.(١٥) فى أ، ب، م: "ومساجد".
