Fortress of the Muslim
Fortress of the Muslim
حصن المسلم
May Allah bless you in your family and your wealth. The recompense for a loan is only gratitude and repayment.
Translation notes
إِنَّما جَـزاءُ السَّلَفِ الْحَمْدُ والأَداء
The concise Arabic aphorism names praise and performance/repayment as the return for a loan; the exact nuance of al-salaf may depend on context.
Can an Arabic reviewer confirm the most natural rendering of this maxim?
O Allah, I seek refuge in You from associating anything with You knowingly, and I seek Your forgiveness for what I do not know.
O Allah, there is no omen but Your omen, no good but Your good, and no deity but You.
Translation notes
وَلا إِلهَ غَيْـرُك
The witness renders this as “none worthy of worship other than You,” an interpretive expansion of the Arabic wording.
Should the witness expansion be noted for editorial review?
In the name of Allah, and praise be to Allah. “Glory be to Him who has subjected this for us, though we could not have mastered it ourselves; and surely, to our Lord we will return.” Praise be to Allah, praise be to Allah, praise be to Allah. Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. Glory be to You, O Allah. I have wronged myself, so forgive me, for none forgives sins except You.
Translation notes
وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ
The witness adds “by our efforts,” while the Arabic says that we could not have managed or subdued it.
Should “by our efforts” be treated as explanatory rather than source text?
Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. “Glory be to Him who has subjected this for us, though we could not have mastered it ourselves; and surely, to our Lord we will return.” O Allah, we ask You on this journey of ours for righteousness and piety, and for deeds that please You. O Allah, make this journey easy for us and fold up its distance for us. O Allah, You are the Companion on the journey and the Guardian over the family. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the hardships of travel, a sorrowful sight, and an evil return concerning wealth and family. Upon returning, he would say the same and add: “We return, repentant, worshipping, and praising our Lord.”
Translation notes
وَاطْوِ عَنَّا بُعْدَهُ
The Arabic idiom literally asks that the distance of the journey be folded up; the witness renders this as making the distance easy.
Which idiomatic English rendering should be standardized for this travel supplication?
O Allah, Lord of the seven heavens and whatever they shade, Lord of the seven earths and whatever they bear, Lord of the devils and those they lead astray, and Lord of the winds and what they scatter: I ask You for the good of this town, its people, and what is in it, and I seek refuge in You from its evil, the evil of its people, and the evil of what is in it.
Translation notes
وَرَبَّ الأَراضيـنَ السّـبْعِ وَما أقْلَلْـن
The witness renders al-aradin as “worlds,” while the Arabic says “earths/lands.”
Should “earths” be retained in line with the source, or is “worlds” an established rendering here?
There is no deity but Allah alone, without partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise. He gives life and causes death, and He is Living and does not die. In His hand is all good, and He has power over all things.
Translation notes
لا إلهَ إلاّ اللّه
The witness expands the declaration with “none has the right to be worshipped,” which is not explicit in this source text.
Should the interpretive expansion be noted in editorial review?
I entrust your religion, your trust, and the final deeds of your life to Allah.
Translation notes
وَأَمانَتَـكَ
The witness renders amanatak as “your safety,” while the Arabic word more directly denotes a trust or responsibility.
Should an editor establish a preferred rendering for amanah in this supplication?
May Allah provide you with piety, forgive your sin, and make goodness easy for you wherever you are.
Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Whenever we ascended, we said Allah is the Greatest, and whenever we descended, we glorified Allah.
Translation notes
إِذَا صَعَدْنَا كَبَّرْنَا
The witness specifies going up a hill, while the Arabic simply says ascending.
Should “a hill” be treated as context supplied by the witness?
A hearer has heard the praise of Allah and His good favor toward us. Our Lord, accompany us and bestow favor upon us; seeking refuge in Allah from the Fire.
Translation notes
سَمِـعَ سـامِعٌ بِحَمْـدِ اللهِ وَحُسْـنِ بَلائِـهِ عَلَيْـنا. رَبَّنـا صـاحِبْـنا وَأَفْـضِل عَلَيْـنا عائِذاً باللهِ مِنَ النّـار
The opening phrase samiʿa sāmiʿun is obscure and has more than one proposed reading; the witness supplies a long explanatory interpretation and reports an alternate vocalization.
Which reading and concise translation should be followed for this phrase?
I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of what He has created.
At every elevated place, he would say “Allah is the Greatest” three times, then say: “There is no deity but Allah alone, without partner. His is the dominion and the praise, and He has power over all things. We return, repentant, worshipping, and praising our Lord. Allah fulfilled His promise, aided His servant, and alone defeated the confederate forces.”
Translation notes
لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ
The witness expands this declaration as “none has the right to be worshipped,” which goes beyond the wording shown in the Arabic source.
Should this interpretive expansion be raised for editorial review?
When something that pleased him occurred, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would say: “Praise be to Allah, by whose favor good deeds are completed.” When something he disliked occurred, he would say: “Praise be to Allah in every circumstance.”
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Whoever invokes one blessing upon me, Allah will bestow ten blessings upon him.”