أَللَّهُمَّ إنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ

allāhumma innī astakhiruka biʿilmika

O God, I ask from Thee the best in Thy knowledge,

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فَصَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّد وَآلِهِ وَاقْضِ لِيْ بِالْخِيَرَةِ

faṣalli ʿalā muḥammad wa ālihī wa aqḍi lī bil-khiyarah

so bless Muhammad and his Household and decree for me the best!

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وَأَلْهِمْنَا مَعْرِفَةَ الاخْتِيَارِ،

wa alhimnā maʿrifat al-ikhtiyār

Inspire us with knowledge to chose the best

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وَاجْعَلْ ذَلِكَ ذَرِيعَةً إلَى الرِّضَا

wajʿal dhālika dhariʿatan ilā al-riḍā

and make that a means to being pleased

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بِمَا قَضَيْتَ لَنَا وَالتَّسْلِيْمِ لِمَا حَكَمْتَ.

bimā qaḍayta lanā wal-taslīm li-mā ḥakamta

with what Thou hast decreed for us and submitting to what Thou hast decided!

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فَأَزِحْ عَنَّا رَيْبَ الارْتِيَابِ،

fa'azih 'anna rayba al-irtiyab

Banish from us the doubt of misgiving

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وَأَيِّدْنَا بِيَقِينِ الْمُخْلِصِينَ،

wa ayyidnā biyaqīni almukhliṣīn

and confirm us with the certainty of the sincere!

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وَلاَ تَسُمْنَا عَجْزَ الْمَعْرِفَةِ عَمَّا تَخَيَّرْتَ،

wala tasumnā ʿajz al-maʿrifati ʿammā takhayyart

Visit us not with incapacity to know what Thou hast chosen,

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فَنَغْمِطَ قَدْرَكَ، وَنَكْرَهَ مَوْضِعَ رِضَاكَ،

fanaghmita qadranka, wa nakrah maudha'a ridhak

lest we despise Thy measuring out, dislike the place of Thy good pleasure,

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وَنَجْنَحَ إلَى الَّتِي هِيَ أَبْعَدُ مِنْ حُسْنِ الْعَاقِبَةِ

wa najnaha ila al-lati hiya ab'adu min husni al-'aqibah

and incline toward that which is further from good outcome

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وَأَقْرَبُ إلَى ضِدِّ الْعَافِيَةِ.

wa aqrabu ila ḍiddil-'afiyah

and nearer to the opposite of well-being!

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حَبِّبْ إلَيْنَا مَا نَكْرَهُ مِنْ قَضَائِكَ

ḥabbib ilaynā mā nakrahū min qaḍā'ika

Make us love what we dislike in Thy decree

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وَسَهِّلْ عَلَيْنَا مَا نَسْتَصْعِبُ مِنْ حُكْمِكَ،

wasahhil ʿalayna ma nastaṣʿibu min ḥukmika

and make easy for us what we find difficult in Thy decision!

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وَأَلْهِمْنَـا الانْقِيَـادَ لِمَا أَوْرَدْتَ عَلَيْنَـا مِنْ مَشِيَّتِكَ

wa alhimnā alinqiyād limā awradta 'alaynā min mashyyatika

Inspire us to yield to that which Thou bringest upon us by Thy will,

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حَتَّى لاَ نُحِبَّ تَأخِيْرَ مَا عَجَّلْتَ،

ḥattá lā nuḥibba taʾakhir maʾ ʿajjalta

lest we love the delay of what Thou hast hastened

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وَلاَ تَعْجيْلَ مَا أَخَّرْتَ، وَلا نَكْرَهَ مَا أَحْبَبْتَ،

walā taʿjil mā akhkhar-ta, wa-lā nakrah mā aḥbab-ta

and the hastening of what Thou hast delayed, dislike what Thou lovest,

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وَلا نَتَخَيَّرَ مَا كَرِهْتَ،

walā natakhyarra mā karithta

and choose what Thou dislikest!

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وَاخْتِمْ لَنَا بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْمَدُ عَاقِبةً وَأكْرَمُ مَصِيراً

wa-ikhtim lana bi-allati hiya ahmadu aaqibatan wa-akramu maseeran

Seal us with that which is most praised in outcome and most generous in issue!

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إنَّكَ تُفِيدُ الْكَرِيمَةَ وَتُعْطِي الْجَسِيمَةَ،

'innaka tufīdu l-karīmata wa tuʿṭī l-jasīmata

Surely Thou givest generous gain, bestowest the immense,

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وَتَفْعَلُ مَا تُرِيدُ وَأَنْتَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْء قَدِيرٌ .

wa tafʿalu ma turidu wa anta ʿala kulli shayʾin qadirun

dost what Thou wilt, and Thou art powerful over everything (3:26).

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