His Supplication in Giving Thanks

ient servantthat which Thou Thyself hadst undertaken, he would be on the point of losing Thy rewardand seeing the end of Thy favour, but through Thy generosity Thou hast repaid himfor a short, perishing term with a long, everlasting term, and for a near, vanishing limit with an extended, abiding limit. 13- Then Thou dost not visit him with a settling of accounts for Thy provisionthrough which he gained strength to obey Thee, nor dost Thou force him to make reckoningsfor the organs he employedto find the means to Thy forgiveness. Wert Thou to do that to him, it would take away everything for which he had labouredand all wherein he had exerted himselfas repayment for the smallest of Thy benefitsand kindnesses, and he would remain hostage before Theefor Thy other favours. So how can he deserve something of Thy reward? Indeed, how? 14- This, my God, is the state of him who obeys Theeand the path of him who worships Thee. But as for him who disobeys Thy commandand goes against Thy prohibition, Thou dost not hurry him to Thy vengeance, so that he may seek to replacehis state in disobeying Theewith the state of turning back to obey Thee, though he deserved from the time he set out to disobey Theeevery punishment which Thou hast preparedfor all Thy creatures. 15- Through each chastisement which Thou hast kept back from himand each penalty of Thy vengeance and Thy punishment which Thou hast delayed from him, Thou hast refrained from Thy rightand shown good pleasurein place of what Thou hast made obligatory. 16- So who is more generous, my God, than Thou? And who is more wretched than he who perishesin spite of Thee? Indeed, who? Thou art too blessed to be described by any but beneficenceand too generous for any but justice to be feared from Thee! There is no dread that Thou wilt be unjusttoward him who disobeys Thee, nor any fear of Thy neglecting to rewardhim who satisfies Thee. 2So bless Muhammad and his Household, give me my hope, and increase me in that of Thy guidancethrough which I may be successful in my works! Surely Thou art All-kind, Generous. Whoso brings a good deed shall have ten the like of it; and whoso brings an evil deed shall only be recompensed the like of it; they shall not be wronged Cf. 40: 40.