Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya (The Psalms of Islam)

by Imam Ali Zaynul 'Abidin

In Praise of God

When he (upon him be peace) began to supplicate, he would beginwith praise and laudation of God (Mighty and Majestic is He). He would say:

1
Praise belongs to God,
the First, without a first before Him,
the Last, without a last behind Him.
2
Beholders' eyes fall short of seeing Him,
describers' imaginations are not able to depict Him.
3
He originated the creatures through His power with an origination,
He devised them in accordance with His will with a devising.
4
Then He made them walk on the path of His desire,
He sent them out on the way of His love.
They cannot keep back
from that to which He has sent them forward,
nor can they go forward
to that from which He has kept them back.
5
He assigned from His provision to each of their spirits
a nourishment known and apportioned.
No decreaser decreases those whom He increases,
no increaser increases those of them whom He decreases.
SOURCE:http://al-islam.org/sahifa/dua1.html