My Lord! I praise you, and You are most worthy of praise. And I extol Your goodness in every way.

I thank you for everything You have given me, as well as for what You have withheld from me. What You withhold from me is also a gift, for You know me better than I know myself.

I beseech You to increase my determination to come to the aid of the oppressed, to help the weak, and give shelter to the displaced. Let me never find myself among the ranks of the oppressors, sinners, tyrants, and liars.

O Allah! I beseech You that I always speak the truth whether I am pleased or displeased, that I value what I have whether I am in wealth or poverty, and that I fear You openly and in secret.

Inspire me to say what will win Your favor and not Your anger, nor the anger of those You love.

O Allah! Whenever you give me the opportunity to speak, let me speak the truth, and let me do so in a good and proper manner.

I seek refuge with You that I should ever speak falsely or ever cover up an iniquity, or ever be deceived in my faith.

Inspire me to be sincere to You in all that I say, seeking Your pleasure. Make my purpose to use what You have given me in a way that You love.

O Allah! Make me one of the righteous people who proclaim:

My Lord! For what you have given me, I will never be a supporter the wrongdoers. (28: 17)

O Allah! Let me never for even a single day be a supporter of falsehood, or an advocate for iniquity, or a protector of vested interests. Protect me from bigotry, ignorance and deviance.

You know my weakness and how I am unable to utter everything I wish to say, and You know my utterances which can sometimes be misinterpreted, and the accountability which may or may not befall.

You know my hesitation to pay the price for saying certain things. So bless me with Your pardon and mercy what will cover up for my lapses and for when I fear the people.

Bestow upon me courage, strength, the resolve to please You, and the desire for the Hereafter which will inspire met for the rest of my life to undertake the weighty trust that the heavens, the Earth, and the mountains refused to bear, but that humanity has undertaken though they are ignorant and sinful, a trust that I intend and aspire to uphold.

O Allah! Make me of those who speak a good, true word that is firmly rooted and whose branches extend far and wide, a clear word which is not constrained by impositions nor distorted by deceptions.

Inspire me to utter that word, even if it is against my own self, my parents, my children, or my closest friends, and even if it benefits my enemy. Let the hatred of a people never cause me to sway from doing them justice.

I have indeed oppressed myself, but protect me from ever oppressing others or being oppressed by them. Remove from me and from all your creatures the harm and abuse they suffer from. Never let anyone have power over us to compel us to what is untrue or obstruct us from what You have granted us and permitted us.

O Allah! I know I might say something true that will benefit a resident, a citizen, a neighbor, or an advice-seeker, but remain silent fearing the consequences. So I beseech You, my Lord, to bless me with the wisdom and insight to see the truth for what it is and to see falsehood for what it is, and to guide me to know what to say and when and how to say it.

Pardon me for the wavering of my heart and the hesitation of my tongue. Bestow Your grace upon me by giving me the firm resolve to do what is right, engage in righteousness, and remain free from sin.

My Lord! Bless us to be among the believers who stand firm in justice as witnesses for You to all people near and far, friend and foe, and even against ourselves, our parents, and our children. It is a difficult thing except for those You choose to bless and make it easy for them.

My Lord! I seek refuge with You from being needy while blessed with Your providence, or going astray while blessed with Your guidance, or being humiliated while graced with Your might, or coming to harm in Your dominion, or being persecuted while all affairs are in Your hand.

Bestow upon me an open heart, an enlighten soul, and a strong personality to help me in doing what You love of supporting the weak, the oppressed, the disenfranchised, the distraught, and the grief-stricken. Make this my life’s solace, my heart’s joy, my preoccupation, and the sweetness of my eyes.

My Lord! Make me participate with this spirit as long as there are needy people on Earth. Bless me in what You give me, and spare me from tribulations. Bless my heart to love the people of righteousness and bless me to have their love in return, and make us all righteous people.

First appeared at Islam Today.