ḤIZB AL-BAḤR (LITANY OF THE SEA) OF SAYYIDI ABUL ḤASAN AL-SHĀDHILĪ:
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ اللَّهُمَّ يَا اللَّهُ يَا عَلِيُّ يَا عَظِيمُ يَا حَلِيمُ يَا عَلِيمُ، أَنْتَ رَبِّي وَعِلْمُكَ حَسْبِي فَنِعْمَ الرَّبُّ رَبِّي وَنِعْمَ الْحَسْبُ حَسْبِي، تَنْصُرُ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَأَنْتَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيم، نَسْأَلُكَ الْعِصْمَةَ فِي الْحَرَكَاتِ وَالسَّكَنَاتِ وَالْكَلِمَاتِ وَالْإِرَادَاتِ وَالْخَطَرَاتِ مِنَ الشُّكُوكِ وَالظُّنُونِ وَالْأَوْهَامِ السَّاتِرَةِ لِلْقُلُوبِ عَنْ مُطَالَعَةِ الْغُيُوبِ، فَقَدِ ﴿ٱبْتُلِيَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَزُلْزِلُوا۟ زِلْزَالًا شَدِيدًا وَإِذْ يَقُولُ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ مَّا وَعَدَنَا ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥٓ إِلَّا غُرُورًا﴾
In the Name of Allāh, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. O Allāh! O Exalted One, O Gentle One, O the All-Knowing, You are my Lord, and Your knowledge suffices me. What an excellent Lord is my Lord! What an excellent sufficiency You are for me! You help whoever You will; and You are the Mighty, the Compassionate. We implore You to guard us from error in what we do and in what we refrain from doing, in our words, in our intentions and fleeting thoughts, and from doubts, suspicions, and illusions that veil our hearts from perceiving unseen realities. {The Believers put to the test and jolted severely. The hypocrites and those with sickness in their hearts said: “Allāh and His Messenger have promised us nothing but delusion.”} [Sūrah Al-Aḥzāb (33), Verses 11-12]
فَثَبِّتْنَا وَانْصُرْنَا وَسَخِّرْ لَنَا هَذَا الْبَحْرَ كَمَا سَخَّرْتَ الْبَحْرَ لِمُوسَى، وَسَخَّرْتَ النَّارَ لِإِبْرَاهِيم، وَسَخَّرْتَ الْجِبَالَ وَالْحَدِيدَ لِدَاوُۥدَ، وَسَخَّرْتَ الرِّيحَ وَالشَّيَاطِينَ وَالْجِنَّ لِسُلَيْمَانَ، وَسَخِّرْ لَنَا كُلَّ بَحْرٍ هُوَ لَكَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَالسَّمَاءِ وَالْمُلْكِ وَالْمَلَكُوتِ وَبَحْرَ الدُّنْيَا وَبَحْرَ الْآخِرَةِ، وَسَخِّرْ لَنَا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ يَا مَنْ بِيَدِهِ مَلَكُوتُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ
Make us steadfast and aid us. Subject this sea to us, just as You subjected the sea to Moses, the fire to Abraham, the mountains and iron to David, and the wind, the devils and the jinn to Solomon. Subject to us every sea every sea of Yours, on earth and in heaven, in the visible realm and the unseen, the sea of this world and the sea of the beyond, and subject all things to us, O You in Whose Hand is the dominion of all things.
Kāf Hā Yā ‛Ayn Ṣād (3 times) [Sūrah Maryam (19), Verse 1]
اُنْصُرْنَا فَإِنَّكَ خَيْرُ النَّاصِرِينَ، وَافْتَحْ لَنَا فَإِنَّكَ خَيْرُ الْفَاتِحِينَ، وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا فَإِنَّكَ خَيْرُ الْغَافِرِينَ، وَارْحَمْنَا فَإِنَّكَ خَيْرُ الرَّاحِمِينَ، وَارْزُقْنَا فَإِنَّكَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ، وَاهْدِنَا وَنَجِّنَا مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ، وَهَبْ لَنَا رِيحًا طَيِّبَةً كَمَا هِيَ فِي عِلْمِكَ، وَانْشُرْهَا عَلَيْنَا مِنْ خَزَائِنِ رَحْمَتِكَ، وَاحْمِلْنَا بِهَا حَمْلَ الْكَرَامَةِ مَعَ السَّلَامَةِ وَالْعَافِيَةِ فِي الدِّينِ وَالدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ، إِنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Help us, for You are the best of Helpers. Grant us victory, for You are the best of those who grant victory. Forgive us, for You are the best of those who forgive. Show compassion to us, for You are the best of those who show compassion. Sustain us, for You are the best of Sustainers. Guide us and rescue us from a wrongdoing people. Grant us, as You know best, a good wind, and send it upon us from the treasuries of Your mercy. And carry us thereby with honour, safety, and well-being in our religion, in this world, and in the Hereafter, for You have power over all things.
اللَّهُمَّ يَسِّرْ لَنَا أُمُورَنَا مَعَ الرَّاحَةِ لِقُلُوبِنَا وَأَبْدَانِنَا، وَالسَّلَامَةِ وَالْعَافِيَةِ فِي دِينِنَا وَدُنْيَانَا، وَكُنْ لَنَا صَاحِبًا فِي سَفَرِنَا وَخَلِيفَةً فِي أَهْلِنَا، وَاطْمِسْ عَلَى وُجُوهِ أَعْدَائِنَا وَامْسَخْهُمْ عَلَى مَكَانَتِهِم فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ الْمُضِيَّ وَلَا الْمَجِيءَ إِلَيْنَا، ﴿وَلَوْ نَشَآءُ لَطَمَسْنَا عَلَىٰٓ أَعْيُنِهِمْ فَٱسْتَبَقُوا۟ ٱلصِّرَٰطَ فَأَنَّىٰ يُبْصِرُونَ وَلَوْ نَشَآءُ لَمَسَخْنَـٰهُمْ عَلَىٰ مَكَانَتِهِمْ فَمَا ٱسْتَطَـٰعُوا۟ مُضِيًّا وَلَا يَرْجِعُونَ﴾
O Allāh! Ease our affairs, bringing comfort to our hearts and bodies, with security and well-being in our religious and worldly matters. Be our Companion in our journey and a Guardian over our families; and blind our enemies, and fix them where they stand so that they can neither advance nor come near us. {And if it had been Our Will, We could surely have wiped out their eyes (blinded them), then they would have run about groping for the Path. But how could they have seen? And if it had been Our Will, We could have transformed them (to lifeless objects) to remain in their places; then they would be unable to move about, nor would they be able to return (to goodness).} [Sūrah Yāsīn (36), Verses 66-67]
﴿يسٓ وَٱلْقُرْءَانِ ٱلْحَكِيمِ إِنَّكَ لَمِنَ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ عَلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ تَنزِيلَ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ لِتُنذِرَ قَوْمًا مَّآ أُنذِرَ ءَابَآؤُهُمْ فَهُمْ غَـٰفِلُونَ لَقَدْ حَقَّ ٱلْقَوْلُ عَلَىٰٓ أَكْثَرِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا فِىٓ أَعْنَـٰقِهِمْ أَغْلَـٰلًا فَهِىَ إِلَى ٱلْأَذْقَانِ فَهُم مُّقْمَحُونَ وَجَعَلْنَا مِنۢ بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ سَدًّا وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ سَدًّا فَأَغْشَيْنَـٰهُمْ فَهُمْ لَا يُبْصِرُونَ﴾
{Yāsīn. By the Qur’ān full of Wisdom! You ˹O Prophet˺ are truly one of the messengers, on a Straight Way. ˹This is a revelation from the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful, so that you may warn a people whose forefathers were not warned, and so are heedless. The Word is proved true against most of them: for they do not believe. We have put shackles around their necks up to their chins, so their heads are forced up, and have placed a barrier before them and a barrier behind them and covered them ˹all˺ up, so they fail to see ˹the truth˺.} [Sūrah Yāsīn (36), Verses 1-9]
شَاهَتِ الْوُجُوهُ (3) ﴿وَعَنَتِ ٱلْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ ٱلْقَيُّومِ ۖ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ حَمَلَ ظُلْمًا﴾ ﴿طسٓ﴾ ﴿حمٓ عٓسٓقٓ﴾ ﴿مَرَجَ ٱلْبَحْرَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌ لَّا يَبْغِيَانِ﴾
Confounded be those faces. (3 times) {And all faces will be humbled before the Ever-Living, All-Sustaining. And he who disbelieved became indeed a complete failure.} [Sūrah Ṭāhā (20), Verse 111] {Ṭā Sīn} [Sūrah Al-Naml (27), Verse 1] {Ḥāmīm ‛Ayn Sīn Qāf.} [Sūrah Al-Shūrā’ (42), Verses 1-2] {He has set the two oceans in motion, converging together. Between them is a barrier which none of them can transgress.} [Sūrah Al-Raḥmān (55), Verses 19-20]
﴿حمٓ﴾ (7) حُمَّ الْأَمْرُ وَجَاءَ النَّصْرُ فَعَلَيْنَا لَا يُنْصَرُونَ ﴿حمٓ تَنزِيلُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْعَلِيمِ غَافِرِ ٱلذَّنۢبِ وَقَابِلِ ٱلتَّوْبِ شَدِيدِ ٱلْعِقَابِ ذِى ٱلطَّوْلِ ۖ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ إِلَيْهِ ٱلْمَصِيرُ﴾
{Ḥāmīm} (7 times) The matter is settled and victory is here; our adversaries shall not prevail against us. {Ḥāmīm, The revelation of this Book is from Allah—the Almighty, All-Knowing, the Forgiver of sin and Accepter of repentance, the Severe in punishment, and Infinite in bounty. There is no god except Him. To Him is the final return.} [Sūrah Ghāfir (40), Verses 1-3]
﴿بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ﴾ بَابُنَا، ﴿تَبَـٰرَكَ﴾ حِيطَانُنَا، ﴿يسٓ﴾ سَقْفُنَا، ﴿كٓهيعٓصٓ﴾ كِفَايَتُنَا، ﴿حمٓ عٓسٓقٓ﴾ حِمَايَتُنَا، ﴿فَسَيَكْفِيكَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ﴾ سَتْرُ الْعَرْشِ مَسْبُولٌ عَلَيْنَا، وَعَيْنُ ٱللَّهِ نَاظِرَةٌ إِلَيْنَا، بِحَوْلِ ٱللَّهِ لَا يُقْدَرُ عَلَيْنَا، ﴿وَٱللَّهُ مِن وَرَآئِهِم مُّحِيطٌۢ بَلْ هُوَ قُرْءَانٌ مَّجِيدٌ فِى لَوْحٍ مَّحْفُوظٍۭ﴾
Bismillah is our door, Tabāraka our walls, Yāsīn our roof, Kāf Hā Yā ‛Ayn Ṣād our sufficiency, Ḥā-mīm ‘Ayn Sīn Qāf our protection. {Allāh will suffice you against them. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.} [Sūrah Al-Baqarah (2), Verse 137] The curtain of the Throne is draped over us, Allāh watches over us, and by His power, none can overpower us. {Allāh encompasses them from all sides. This indeed is a Glorious Qur'ān inscribed on a Preserved Tablet!} [Sūrah Al-Burūj (85), Verses 20-22]
﴿فَٱللَّهُ خَيْرٌ حَـٰفِظًا ۖ وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ﴾ (3)
But Allāh is the best Guardian, and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful. (3 times) [Sūrah Yūsuf (12), Verse 64]
﴿إِنَّ وَلِيِّيَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِي نَزَّلَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ ۖ وَهُوَ يَتَوَلَّى ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ﴾
Indeed, my Protector is Allāh, who revealed the Book, and He protects the righteous. [Sūrah Al-A‛rāf (7), Verse 196]
﴿حَسْبِيَ ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ ۖ وَهُوَ رَبُّ ٱلْعَرْشِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ﴾ (3)
Allah is sufficient for me. There is no god except Him. In Him I put my trust. And He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne. (3 times) [Sūrah Al-Tawbah (9), Verse 129]
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ الَّذِي لَا يَضُرُّ مَعَ اسْمِهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ (3)
In the Name of Allāh, by whose name nothing in the earth or the heavens can cause harm. He is the All-Hearing and All-Knowing. (3 times)
وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْعَظِيم
And there is no ability to change from one state to another, nor any strength, except by Allah, the Most High, the Most Great.
﴿إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلَـٰٓئِكَتَهُۥ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِىِّ ۚ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ صَلُّوا۟ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا۟ تَسْلِيمًا﴾
Verily, Allāh and His Angels send salutations upon the Prophet; O you who believe, send salutations and peace upon him. [Sūrah Al-Aḥzāb (33), Verse 56]
﴿ اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَئُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ ﴾
Allāh! There is no god but Him; the Ever-Living, the Self Subsisting, the Eternal One. Neither slumber nor sleep can overtake Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is there that can intercede in His Presence, except by His Permission? He Knows what will happen to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter; nor shall they comprehend anything at all of His Knowledge except as He Wills. His Throne extends over the Heavens and the earth, and preserving them does not exhaust Him, for He is the Exalted, the All-Mighty. [Sūrah Al-Baqarah (2), Verse 255]
[Ayatul Kursi - it is better if it is read in one breath]
يَا اللَّهُ يَا نُورُ يَا حَقُّ يَا مُبِينُ، اُكْسُنِي مِنْ نُورِكَ، وَعَلِّمْنِي مِنْ عِلْمِكَ، وَأَفْهِمْنِي عَنْكَ، وَأَسْمِعْنِي مِنْكَ، وَبَصِّرنِي بِكَ، وَأَقِمْنِي بِشُهُودِكَ، وَعَرِّفْنِي الطَّرِيقَ إِلَيْكَ، وَهَوِّنْهَا عَلَيَّ بِفَضْلِكَ، وَأَلْبِسْنِي لِبَاسَ التَّقْوَى مِنْكَ، إِنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ. يَا سَمِيعُ يَا عَلِيمُ يَا حَلِيمُ يَا عَلِيُّ يَا عَظِيمُ يَا اللَّهُ، اِسْمَعْ دُعَائِي بِخَصَائِصِ لُطْفِكَ آمِينَ
O Allāh! O Light, O Truth, O Manifest One; Clothe me with Your light, enlighten me with Your knowledge, and grant me understanding from You; and make me hear by You and see by You, and establish me in witnessing You, and show me the way to You, and make it easy for me through Your bounty, and clothe me in the garment of mindfulness of You; You have power over all things; O the Hearer, O the Knower, O the Forbearing, O the Most High, O the Mighty, O Allāh! Hear my supplication through Your special gentleness. Āmīn.
أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّاتِ كُلِّهَا مِنْ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ (3)
I seek refuge in the perfect Words of Allāh from the evil of all that He created (3 times).
يَا عَظِيمَ السُّلْطَانِ، يَا قَدِيمَ الْإِحْسَانِ، يَا دَائِمَ النَّعْمَاءِ، يَا بَاسِطَ الرِّزْقِ، يَا كَثِيرَ الْخَيْرَاتِ، يَا وَاسِعَ الْعَطَاءِ، يَا دَافِعَ الْبَلَاءِ، وَيَا سَامِعَ الدُّعَاءِ، يَا حَاضِرًا لَيْسَ بِغَائِبٍ، يَا مَوجُودًا عِنْدَ الشَّدَائِدِ، يَا خَفِيَّ اللُّطْفِ، يَا لَطِيفَ الصُّنْعِ، يَا حَلِيمًا لَا يَعْجَلُ، اِقْضِ حَاجَتِي بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ
O Tremendous Authority, O Eternal Goodness, O Perpetual Bestower of Favours, O Enlarger of provision, O Abundant Goodness, O Generous in Giving, O Repeller of Calamities, O Hearer of Supplications, O the Ever-Present, O You Who are present in every hardship, O Most Gentle, O Gentle and subtle in Your ways, O Forbearing One Who does not hasten, fulfill my need through Your mercy. O the Most Merciful of all who show mercy.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ تَعْلَمُ مَا نَحْنُ فِيهِ، وَمَا نَطْلُبُهُ وَنَرْتَجِيهِ مِنْ رَحْمَتِكَ فِي أَمْرِنَا كُلِّه، فَيَسِّرْ لَنَا مَا نَحْنُ فِيهِ مِنْ سَفَرِنَا وَمَا نَطْلُبُهُ مِنْ حَوَائِجِنَا، وَقَرِّبْ عَلَيْنَا الْمَسَافَاتِ، وَسَلِّمْنَا مِنَ الْعِلَلِ وَالْآفَاتِ، وَلَا تَجْعَلِ الدُّنْيَا أَكْبَرَ هَمِّنَا، وَلَا مَبْلَغَ عِلْمِنَا، وَلَا تُسَلِّطْ عَلَيْنَا مَنْ لَا يَرْحَمُنَا، بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ
O Allāh! You know our condition, and what we request; we hope for Your mercy in all our affairs; make easy for us our affairs in the circumstances we now face, and whatever we request with regard to our needs; shorten the journey for us, keep us safe from ailments and afflictions; and do not let this world be the greatest of our concerns, nor the extent of our knowledge; and do not let those who have no mercy for us have power over us. By Your mercy, O Most Merciful!
وَصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ وَسَلَّمَ
And may the blessings and peace of Allāh be upon our master Muḥammad, his family and companions.