The Supplication of the Oppressed

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

This highly potent du’a by the renowned Sufi, Shaykh Muhammad Fatha ibn Muhammad ibn Naswir (q.s.), was recited across Morocco and inspired resistance to the French Occupation.  So powerful was it that the French President had to issue an order banning its recitation from the mosques.  Moroccans date the movement to return King Muhammad from that outlawing of the du’a.  It is most appropriate to the present state of the ummah. 

The power of this prayer of Shaykh Muhammad ibn Naswir ad-Dari (q.s.) lies in its simplicity, its purity, and its sincere supplication.  It is essentially a plea to Allah (s.w.t.) that our transgressions be Overlooked, that Divine Mercy be Bestowed upon us, that social justice be Restored in spite of us, that wrongs be Righted, and that righteousness reign once again in our lands, so that the destitute may no longer be in need, the young may be educated, the animals’ purpose fulfilled, rain restored, and bounties poured forth.  It is a plea to be Freed from the aggression of foreigners in lands over which they have no right, a plea much needed in our modern world, rampant as it is with invasions and territorial occupations. 

Ultimately, it asks not that our enemies be destroyed, but simply that their plots, and the harm they cause, be halted.  Its essence is Mercy, which in turn is the essence of the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (s.a.w.): 

سُوۡرَةُ الاٴنبیَاء

وَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَـٰكَ إِلَّا رَحۡمَةً۬ لِّلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ (١٠٧) 

We Sent you not, but as a Mercy for all creatures. (Surah al-Anbiya’:107)

The translation of this du’a is as follows: 

“In the Name of Allah the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. 

O You to Whose Mercy one flees towards.  You in Whom the one in need and distress seeks Refuge!  O Lord, You Whose Pardon is near!  O You Who Helps all who call on Him! 

We seek Your help, O You Who Helps the weak!  You are enough for us, O Lord!  There is nothing more majestic than Your Immense Power and nothing mightier than the Might of Your Force.  Kings are humbled by the Might of Your domain and You Lower or Elevate whomever You Wish.  The entire affair Returns to You, and the release or conclusion of all matters is in Your Hand.  We have presented our affair before You, and we complain to You of our weakness. 

Have Mercy on us, O You Who Knows our weakness and continue to be Merciful with us.  Look at what we have experienced from people!  Our state among them is as You See.  Our troops are few and our wealth is little.  Our power has declined among groups.  They have weakened our solidarity and strength and diminished our numbers and our preparation. 

O You Whose Kingdom cannot be pillaged!  Give us Shelter by Your Rank which is never overcome.  O Succor of the poor, we trust in You!  O Refuge of the weak, we rely on You!  You are the One on Whom We call to Remove our adversities, and You are the One we hope will Dispel our sorrows.  You have such Concern for us that we cannot hope for protection which comes through any other door.  We rush to the door of Your Bounty and You Honour the one You Enrich by Your gifts.  You are the One Who Guides when we are misguided.  You are the One Who Pardons when we slip.  You have Full Knowledge of all You have Created and Encompassed with Compassion, Mercy and Forbearance.  There is none in existence more lowly than we are nor poorer and more in need of what You have than us. 

O You of Vast Kindness!  O You Whose Good Encompasses all mankind, and no other is called on!  O Saviour of the Drowning!  O Compassionate!  O Rescuer of the Lost!  O Gracious Bestower!  Words are lacking, O One Who is Listening, O One Who Answers!  The cure is difficult, O Him Who is Swift.  O Him Who is Near!  To You, O our Lord, we have stretched out our hands and from You, O our Lord, we hope for Kindness.  Be kind to us in what You Decree and let us be pleased with what Pleases You. 

O Allah, Change the state of hardship to ease and Help us with the wind of victory.  Give us victory over the aggressors and Contain the evil among those who asked for it.  Overpower our enemy, O Mighty One, with a Force which Disorders them and Crushes them.  Overturn what they desire and make their efforts fail, Defeat their armies and Unsettle their resolve.  O Allah!  Hasten Your Revenge amongst them.  They will not stand before Your Power. 

O Lord, O Lord, our protection is by Your Love and by the Might of Your Help.  Be for us and do not be against us.  Do not leave us to ourselves for a single moment.  We have no power of defense nor have we any device to bring about our benefit.  We do not aim for other than Your Noble Door, we do not hope for other than Your Encompassing Bounty.  Minds only hope for Your Blessing by the simple fact that You Say ‘Be’ and it is. 

O Lord, O Lord, arrival is by You to what You have and seeking the means is by You!  O Lord, You are our Highest Pillar of Support!  O Lord, You are our Impregnable Fortress.  O Lord, O Lord, Give us Security, when we travel and when we remain.  O Lord, Preserve our crops and herds, and Preserve our trade and make our numbers more!  Make our land a land of the Diyn and repose for the needy and the poor.  Give us force among the lands as well as respect, impregnability and a polity.  Appoint it its might from the protected Secret, and Grant it Protection by the Beautiful Veiling.  By Swad, Qaf and Nun!  Place a thousand veils in front of them!  By the Rank of the Light of Your Noble Face, and the Rank of the Secret of Your Immense Kingdom, and the rank of ‘Laa ilaha illa Allah,’ and the Rank of the Best of Creation, O our Lord.  And the Rank of that by which the prophets prayed to You, and the Rank of that by which the awliya’ pray to you.  And the rank of the power of the aqthab and the awtad and the rank of the ajras and afrad, and rank of the akhyar and the rank of nujaba’, and the rank of the abdal and the rank of the nuqaba’, and by the rank of every one worshiping and doing dzikr, and the by rank of everyone praising and giving shukr, and the by rank of everyone whose worth You Elevated, both those who are concealed and those whose renown has spread.  And by the Ranks of the firm Signs of the Book and by the Rank of the Greatest Supreme Name. 

O Lord, O Lord, make us stand as fuqara’ before You, weak and lowly.  We call to You with the supplication of the one who calls on a noble Lord Who does not turn aside those who call.  Accept our supplication with Your Pure Grace, with the Acceptance of Someone Who Sets aside the Fair Reckoning.  Bestow on us, the Favours of the Generous, and Show us the Kindness of the Forbearing.  O Merciful One, Extend Your Mercy over us, and Spread Your Blessing over us, O Most Generous.  Choose for us in all our words and Select for us in all our actions.  O Lord, Make it our habit to cling and devote ourselves to the resplendent sunnah.  Confine our manifold desires to You, and Grant us full and complete gnosis.  Combine both knowledge and action for us, and Direct our hopes to the Abiding Abode. 

O Lord, Make us follow the road of the fortunate, and make our seal the Seal of the Martyrs, O Lord!  Make our sons and daughters virtuous and righteous, scholars with action and people of good counsel.  O Allah, Remedy the situation of the people and, O Allah, Make the reunification easy.  O Lord, Grant Your clear victory to the one who takes charge and empowers the Diyn and Help him, O You Who are Forbearing, and Help his party and Fill his heart with what will make him pleasing to You. 

O Lord, Help our Beloved Muhammad’s (s.a.w.) Diyn, and Make it end as mightily as it began!  Preserve it, O Lord, through the preservation of the scholars, and Raise the minaret of its light to Heaven.  Pardon, Grant well-being, Make Up for our deficiency and Forgive our sins and the sins of every Muslim, O our Lord.  O Lord, Bless the Chosen One with your perfect prayer of blessing.  Your prayer is that which Grants success in his business as befits his lofty worth.  Then Bless his noble family and glorious companions and those who have followed them.  Praise belongs to Allah by Whose Praise those with an aim completely fulfill that aim.  For the sake of Sayyidina Habibina Muhammad al-Muswthafa Rahmatan li al-‘Alamin (s.a.w.). 

al-Fatihah.”



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