His Supplication in Giving Thanks

His Supplication when Confessing his Shortcomings in Giving Thanks 1. O God, no one reaches a limit in thanking Theewithout acquiring that of Thy beneficencewhich enjoins upon him thanksgiving, 2- nor does anyone reach a degree in obeying Thee, even if he strives, without falling shortof what Thou deservest because of Thy bounty. 3- The most thankful of Thy servants has not the capacity to thank Thee, and the most worshipful of them falls short of obeying Thee. 4- To none of them is dueThy forgiveness through what he himself deservesor Thy good pleasure for his own merit. 5- When Thou forgivest someone, it is through Thy graciousness, and when Thou art pleased with someone, it is through Thy bounty. 6- Thou showest gratitude for the paltry for which Thou showest gratitude1and Thou rewardest the small act in which Thou art obeyed, so that it seems as if Thy servants' thanksgivingfor which Thou hast made incumbent their reward and made great their repaymentis an affair from which they could have held back without Thee, and hence Thou wilt recompense them, and whose cause is not in Thy hand, and hence Thou wilt repay them. 7- Nay, my God, Thou hadst power over their affairbefore they had power to worship Thee, and Thou hadst prepared their rewardbefore they began to obey Thee; and that because Thy wont is bestowal of bounty, Thy custom beneficence, Thy way pardon. 8- So all creatures confessthat Thou wrongest not him whom Thou punishestand bear witness that Thou bestowest bounty upon him whom Thou pardonest. Each admits that he has fallen short of what Thou meritest. 9- Had Satan not misled them from Thy obedience, no disobeyer would have disobeyed Thee, and had he not shown falsehood to them in the likeness of truthno strayer would have gone astray from Thy path. 10- So glory be to Thee! How manifest is Thy generosity in dealing with him who obeys or disobeys Thee! Thou showest gratitude to the obedientfor that which Thou undertakest for him, and Thou grantest a respite to the disobedientin that within which Thou art able to hurry him. 11- Thou givest to each of them that which is not his due, and Thou bestowest bounty upon eachin that wherein his works fall short. 12- Wert Thou to counterbalance for the obed