O God, set right our leaders and our nation, our judges, our rulers, our learned men, our lawgivers, our wise men, and our old men. Aid them in righteousness, and guide us. O God, destroy the enemies of our religion and unite the hearts of the faithful. Free the captives and pay the debts of the debtors. Relieve the distressed and forgive the living and the dead. God grant peace and safety to us and to the pilgrims and to the travelers on land and on sea who are of the people of Mohammed, for Thou art the most powerful, the best Master and the best Helper.
O God, drive away famine and distress, and disease, and iniquity, and oppression, and all calamities, and all evils outward and secret that may exist in our country especially and the countries of the Mohammedans in general, for Thou hast power over everything. Our Lord, forgive us and forgive our brothers who preceded us in the faith, and cast away from our hearts all jealousies and ill feeling toward the faithful. O God, our Lord, Thou art kind and gracious and generous and compassionate and able to forgive.
This was written by the poor and humble pilgrim Hajji Abdu-l-Bāqi, who hopes for forgiveness from the forgiving Lord and who was the son of Twan Hatib Jawari, a native of Sulug and follower of Shafi’i and Ash’ari.
May God forgive them and all Mohammedans and all the faithful. Amen.
First page of the Sulu oration for the feast of Ramadan
Photo by Martin. (About two-thirds original size.)
Second page of the Sulu oration for the feast of Ramadan
Photo by Martin. (About two-thirds original size.)