Sahifat as-Sajjadiyya - Supplication 44 (Prayer for Ramadan)

Praise belongs to God who guided us to His praise 

and placed us among the people of praise

that we might be among the thankful for His beneficence

and that He might recompense us for that

with the recompense of the good-doers!

And praise belongs to God who showed favor to us through His religion

singled us out for His creed

and directed us onto the roads of His beneficence

in order that through His kindness we might travel upon them

to his good pleasure

a praise which He will accept from us and through which He will be pleased with us!

And praise belongs to God who appointed among those roads His month

the month of Ramadan

the month of fasting

the month of submission

the month of purity

the month of putting to test

the month of standing in prayer

in which the Qur'an was sent down as a guidance to the people

and as clear signs of the Guidance and Separator!

He clarified its excellence over other months

by the many sacred things and well-known excellencies

which He placed therein

for he made unlawful in it what He declared lawful in others to magnify it

He prohibited foods and drinks in it to honor it

and he appointed for it a clear time which He (Majestic and Mighty is He)

allows not to be set forward

and accepts not to be placed behind

Then He made one of its nights surpass the nights of a thousand months

and named it the Night of Decree;

in it the angels and the Spirit descend

by leave of their Lord upon every command

a peace constant in blessings

until the rising of the dawn

upon whomsoever He will of His servants

according to the decision He has made firm

O God, bless Muhammad and his Household

inspire us with knowledge of its excellence

veneration of its inviolability

and caution against what Thou hast forbidden within it

and help us to fast in it

by our restraining our limbs

from acts of disobedience toward Thee

and our employing them in that which pleases Thee

so that we lend not our ears to idle talk 

and hurry not with our eyes to diversion

we stretch not our hands toward the forbidden

and stride not with our feet toward the prohibited

our bellies hold only what Thou hast made lawful

and our tongues speak only what Thou hast exemplified

we undertake nothing but what brings close to Thy reward

and pursue nothing but what protects from Thy punishment!

Then rid all of that from the false show of the false showers

and the fame-seeking of the fame-seekers

lest we associate therein anything with Thee

or seek therein any object of desire but Thee!

O God, bless Muhammad and his Household

in it make us attend to the appointed moments of the five prayers within

the bounds Thou hast set, the obligations Thou hast decreed

the duties Thou hast assigned and the times Thou hast specified

and in the prayers make us alight in the station of the keepers of their stations

the guardians of their pillars, their performers in their times

as Thy servant and Thy Messenger set down in his sunnah 

(Thy blessings be upon him and his Household)

in their bowings, their prostrations, and all their excellent acts

with the most complete and ample ritual purity

and the most evident and intense humility!

Give us success in this month to tighten our bonds of kin with devotion and gifts

attend to our neighbors with bestowal and giving

rid our possessions from claims

purify them through paying the alms

go back to him who has gone far from us

treat justly him who has wronged us

make peace with him who shows enmity toward us

(except him who is regarded as an enemy in Thee and for Thee

for he is the enemy whom we will not befriend, the party whom we will not hold dear)

and seek nearness to Thee through blameless works which will purify us from sins

and preserve us from renewing faults

so that none of Thy angels will bring for Thee 

the kinds of obedience and sorts of nearness-seeking unless they be less than what we bring!

O God, I ask Thee by the right of this month

and by the right of him who worships Thee within it

from its beginning to the time of its passing

whether angel Thou hast brought nigh to Thee

prophet Thou has sent or righteous servant Thou hast singled out

that Thou bless Muhammad and his Household

make us worthy of the generosity Thou hast promised Thy friends

make incumbent for us what Thou hast made incumbent

for those who go to great lengths in obeying Thee

and place us in the ranks of those who deserve through Thy mercy the highest elevation!

O God, bless Muhammad and his Household,

turn us aside from deviation in professing Thy Unity,

falling short in magnifying Thee in Thy religion

blindness toward Thy path, heedlessness of Thy inviolability

and being deceived by Thy enemy, the accursed Satan!

O God, bless Muhammad and his Household

and when in every night of this month's nights

Thou hast necks which Thy pardon will release

and Thy forgiveness, disregard

place our necks among those necks and place us among the best folk 

and companions of this our month!

O God, bless Muhammad and his Household

efface our sins along with the effacing of its crescent moon

and make us pass forth from the ill effects of our acts

with the passing of its days until it leaves us behind

while within it Thou hast purified us of offenses and rid us of evil deeds!

O God, bless Muhammad and his Household

and should we go off to one side in this month, set us aright;

should we swerve, point us straight; and should Thy enemy Satan enwrap us

rescue us from him!

O God, fill this month with our worship of Thee

adorn its times with our obedience toward Thee

help us during its daytime with its fast

and in its night with prayer and pleading toward Thee

humility toward Thee and lowliness before Thee

so that its daytime may not bear witness against our heedlessness

nor its night against our neglect!

O God, make us like this in the other months and days

as long as Thou givest us life and place us among Thy righteous servants

those who shall inherit Paradise, therein dwelling forever

those who give what they give while their hearts quake

that they are returning to their Lord

those who vie in good works, outracing to them!

O God, bless Muhammad and his Household

in every time, in all moments, and in every state

to the number that Thou hast blessed whomsoever Thou hast blessed

and to multiples of all that, through multiples

which none can count but Thee!

Surely Thou art Accomplisher of what Thou desirest.

(ameen)