Fortress of the Muslim
Hisn al-Muslim 29
وَجَّهـتُ وَجْهِـيَ لِلَّذي فَطَرَ السَّمـواتِ وَالأَرْضَ حَنـيفَاً وَمـا أَنا مِنَ المشْرِكين ، إِنَّ صَلاتـي ، وَنُسُكي ، وَمَحْـيايَ ، وَمَماتـي للهِ رَبِّ العالَمين ، لا شَريـكَ لَهُ وَبِذلكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنا مِنَ المسْلِـمين. اللّهُـمَّ أَنْتَ المَلِكُ لا إِلهَ إِلاّ أَنْت، أَنْتَ رَبِّـي وَأَنـا عَبْـدُك ، ظَلَمْـتُ نَفْسـي وَاعْـتَرَفْتُ بِذَنْبـي فَاغْفِرْ لي ذُنوبي جَميعاً إِنَّـه لا يَغْـفِرُ الذُّنـوبَ إلاّ أَنْت. وَاهْدِنـي لأَحْسَنِ الأَخْلاقِ لا يَهْـدي لأَحْسَـنِها إِلاّ أَنْـت ، وَاصْـرِف عَـنّْي سَيِّئَهـا، لا يَصْرِفُ عَـنّْي سَيِّئَهـا إِلاّ أَنْـت، لَبَّـيْكَ وَسَعْـدَيْك، وَالخَـيْرُ كُلُّـهُ بِيَـدَيْـك، وَالشَّرُّ لَيْـسَ إِلَـيْك ، أَنا بِكَ وَإِلَيْـك ، تَبـارَكْتَ وَتَعـالَيتَ أَسْتَغْـفِرُكَ وَأَتوبُ إِلَـيك
I have turned my face toward the One who created the heavens and the earth, inclining toward the truth, and I am not among the polytheists. Indeed, my prayer, my rites, my life, and my death are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. He has no partner. This is what I have been commanded, and I am among the Muslims.
O Allah, You are the Sovereign; there is no god but You. You are my Lord, and I am Your servant. I have wronged myself and acknowledged my sin, so forgive all my sins, for none forgives sins except You. Guide me to the best character, for none guides to the best of it except You. Turn its bad away from me, for none turns its bad away from me except You.
I respond to Your call and am at Your service. All good is in Your hands, and evil is not attributed to You. I am through You and toward You. Blessed and exalted are You. I seek Your forgiveness and turn to You in repentance.
Translation notes
إِنَّ صَلاتـي ، وَنُسُكي ، وَمَحْـيايَ ، وَمَماتـي للهِ رَبِّ العالَمين
The English witness renders نُسُكي as ‘my sacrifice’; the Arabic term can refer to devotional rites or sacrifice, and the short clause does not settle the scope.
Should نُسُكي here be rendered as ritual sacrifice, devotional rites, or another contextually supported sense?
وَالشَّرُّ لَيْـسَ إِلَـيْك ، أَنا بِكَ وَإِلَيْـك ،
Both clauses are compressed and admit interpretive renderings; the witness paraphrases them as ‘evil does not stem from You’ and ‘I exist by your will and will return to you.’
Which English wording best preserves the Arabic without adding a theological explanation?