The Profoundly Meaningful Prayer of the Great Sufi, Shaykh Junayd al-Baghdadi
Shaykh Junayd al-Baghdadi -may Allah have mercy on him- is one of the most important Sufis in the Islamic world. Known for the trials and tribulations he endured due to his piety and asceticism, this great scholar also serves as an example to us through his prayers. The following is a prayer by Shaykh Junayd al-Baghdadi:
PRAYER OF SHAYKH JUNAYD AL-BAGHDADI
O Most Excellent of Listeners, I desire your treasure of generosity and honor. O Noblest of those possessing grace, I seek your favor and beneficence. O Greatest of those who are forgiving, I implore your bestowment and mercy. O Best of those who give, in a state of brokenheartedness and humility, I need you intensely, as one whose needs you fulfill with necessity, I ask for you. Those in this state have great longing for You. They know that nothing can be without Your will, and no one can intercede without Your permission. There are many faults You conceal, calamities You avert, and sins You forgive.
O He who hears the plea of those seeking help, O He who knows what is hidden in the hearts of those who thirst, O He who sees what those in motion do in seclusion, I ask for my needs from You. May my bad deeds not prevent my voice from reaching You. May what is concealed in my secrets not shame me. Do not hasten to punish me for the faults that I committed in places unseen but which You know! Always treat me with compassion. Be gracious to me in every circumstance!
Divine Lord, I seek refuge in You. I ask for Your help. I pray that You deliver me from heart ailments and prevent my heart from being afflicted by such illnesses, so that my breast is not filled with these diseases. May my intellect and tongue derive pleasure from remembrance of You. May my body not falter in service. I am under the influence of deficiencies and faults. I ask You to remove these feelings from my mind. Make my nights and days replete with Your remembrance. Enable me to be devoted to worship and service, so that my arrival becomes singular and unified. Let there be no slackness or weariness. When we set out, may we hasten and reach You. Bestow upon us the delights of bliss, O Most Generous of those possessing generosity!
Divine! For whom has certainty been realized except for You, who is more beautiful in judgment? For whom who fears and turns to You, who is wider in mercy? For whom who desires and directs himself to Your obedience, whose mercy and compassion are quicker than Yours? All of them swim in Your blessings. They serve You through the shadow of Your generosity towards them. Their concerns for You are hidden. Their wills are directed to You, and their hearts are turned toward You. They have become transient from all pleasures except with You. Only with You they are united. Night and day, they turn to You in every circumstance. They prefer You over everything. I also desire You.
Divine! I ask You with Your generous favor to watch over me, protect me, and treat me with mercy. I seek refuge in You. I ask for Your help. I hope from You, I fear You. In all matters of this world and the hereafter, I rely on You. There is no god but You. I glorify You, for indeed I have been a wrongdoer.