Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §172

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 172 of 268.

Source (Persian)

در جميع کتب الهی وعده لقاء صريح بوده و هست و مقصود از اين لقاء لقاء مشرق آيات و مطلع بيّنات و مظهر اسماء حسنی و مصدر صفات عليای حقّ جلّ جلاله است * حقّ بذاته و بنفسه غيب منيع لا يدرک بوده پس مقصود از لقاء لقاء نفسی است که قائم مقام اوست ما بين عباد و از برای او هم شبه و مثلی نبوده و نيست چه اگر از برای او شبه و مثلی مشاهده شود کيف يثبت تقديس ذاته و تنزيه کينونته عن الاشباه و الامثال * باری در مقامات لقاء و تجلّی در کتاب ايقان نازل شده انچه که منصفين را کفايت نمايد * نسأله تعالی ان يؤيّد الکلّ علی الصّدق الخالص و يقرّبهم اليه انّه هو المقتدر القدير لا اله الّا هو السّامع النّاطق العزيز الحميد *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

In all the Divine Books the promise of the Divine Presence hath been explicitly recorded. By this Presence is meant the Presence of Him Who is the Dayspring of the signs, and the Dawning-Place of the clear tokens, and the Manifestation of the Excellent Names, and the Source of the attributes, of the true God, exalted be His glory. God in His Essence and in His own Self hath ever been unseen, inaccessible, and unknowable. By Presence, therefore, is meant the Presence of the One Who is His Viceregent amongst men. He, moreover, hath never had, nor hath He, any peer or likeness. For were He to have any peer or likeness, how could it then be demonstrated that His being is exalted above, and His essence sanctified from, all comparison and likeness? Briefly, there hath been revealed in the Kitáb-i-Íqán (Book of Certitude) concerning the Presence and Revelation of God that which will suffice the fair-minded. We beseech Him - exalted be He - to aid every one to become the essence of truthfulness, and to draw nigh unto Him. He, verily, is the Lord of strength and power. No God is there but Him, the All-Hearing, the Lord of Utterance, the Almighty, the All-Praised.

Translation Notes

در

d-r-r → “In”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

جميع

j-m-ʿ → “all”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

کتب

k-t-b → “Divine Books”

literal: book; scripture; writing

الهی

ʾ-l-h → “God”

literal: God; Allah; deity; Divinity; divine nature; godhood

وعده

w-ʿ-d → “promise”

literal: promised; the Promised One

لقاء

l-q-y → “Divine Presence”

literal: opposite; facing; in front of; towards

صريح

ṣ-r-ḥ → “explicitly”

literal: explicit statement; clear declaration

بوده

b-w-d → “hath been” Distinctive

literal: to do; to make; to perform; to be; was

هست

h-s-t → “is” Distinctive

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

مقصود

q-ṣ-d → “meant the”

literal: intention; purpose; aim; goal; to seek; to direct oneself

از

ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

اين

ʾ-y-n → “By this” Distinctive

literal: this; these

مشرق

sh-r-q → “Dayspring”

literal: radiance; splendor; dawn; illumination

آيات

ʾ-y-y → “signs”

literal: verse; sign; miracle; proof; sign, verse, miracle, token, indication; ayah; he; him; it

مطلع

ṭ-l-ʿ → “Dawning-Place”

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

بيّنات

b-y-n → “tokens”

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident; in; among; between; at this moment

مظهر

ẓ-h-r → “Manifestation”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

اسماء

s-m-w → “Names”

literal: name

حسنی

ḥ-s-n → “Excellent”

literal: goodness; beauty; excellence; good deed

مصدر

ṣ-d-r → “Source”

literal: to issue, emanate, proceed; issued, emanating

صفات

w-ṣ-f → “attributes”

literal: attribute; quality; characteristic

حقّ

ḥ-q-q → “God”

literal: truth; right; that which is true or just

جلّ

j-l-l → “exalted be”

literal: majesty; glory; exaltation; magnificence

بذاته

dh-w-t → “in His Essence”

literal: essence, self, being, substance; with preposition ‘by’

بنفسه

n-f-s → “in His own Self”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

غيب

gh-y-b → “unseen”

literal: the unseen; the invisible; the hidden; the unknowable; stranger; foreign; alien; separated

منيع

m-n-ʿ → “inaccessible” Distinctive

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

لا

l-ʾ → “No”

literal: no; not; negation particle

يدرک

d-r-k → “comprehend” Distinctive

literal: to overtake; to catch; to reach; to attain; to perceive; to comprehend

پس

p-s

literal: then; then, therefore; therefore

که

k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

قائم

q-w-m → “Viceregent” Distinctive

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

ما

m-ʾ

literal: what; which; that which; relative pronoun; interrogative

عباد

ʿ-b-d → “men”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

برای

b-r-y

literal: to see; to perceive; to look; to see, to observe, to behold; to view; vision; dream; sight; ل is prefix; verb تری (you see) is from ر-ا-ي

او

h-w-w → “He to have any peer” Distinctive

literal: he; it (third person pronoun); refuge; shelter; dwelling place; abode; lamentation, cry, woe; melody, song

هم

h-m-m → “endeavor” Distinctive

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

شبه

sh-b-h → “peer”

literal: doubt; uncertainty; suspicion; resemblance; semblance

مثلی

m-th-l → “likeness”

literal: like; example; parable; similitude

چه

ch-h → “For”

literal: what; what/for; whatsoever, that which

اگر

ʾ-g-r → “were they”

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

مشاهده

sh-h-d

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

شود

sh-w-d

literal: to come; to go; to arrive; came

کيف

k-y-f → “how could”

literal: how; in what manner

يثبت

th-b-t → “be demonstrated”

literal: firm; steadfast; established; fixed

تقديس

q-d-s → “exalted above” Distinctive

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

تنزيه

n-z-h → “sanctified”

literal: exalted; sanctified; free from; removed from

کينونته

k-w-n → “be”

literal: to do; to make; to perform; to be; was

عن

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

باری

b-r-y → “Briefly”

literal: to see; to perceive; to look; to see, to observe, to behold; to view; vision; dream; sight; ل is prefix; verb تری (you see) is from ر-ا-ي

تجلّی

j-l-w → “Revelation”

literal: effulgence; manifestation; revelation; manifestation, revelation, appearance

ايقان

y-q-n → “of Certitude)”

literal: certainty; certitude; conviction; faith

نازل

n-z-l → “hath been revealed”

literal: to descend, to be revealed

شده

sh-d

literal: to become; to be

انچه

ʾ-n → “that which”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

منصفين

n-ṣ-f → “fair-minded”

literal: justice; fairness; equity

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

کفايت

k-f-y → “suffice”

literal: to be content; to suffice; to be satisfied; to be satisfied with

نمايد

n-m-ʾ → “will” Distinctive

literal: to show, display, exhibit; to grow, develop

نسأله

s-ʾ-l → “beseech”

literal: question; problem; issue; matter; asking; petition; request

تعالی

ʿ-l-w → “exalted be He”

literal: exalted; highest; supreme; most high; upon you; on; over; Ali (name); upon

يؤيّد

ʾ-y-d → “aid”

literal: support; strengthen; assist

الکلّ

k-l-l → “every one”

literal: for us; to us

الصّدق

ṣ-d-q → “truthfulness”

literal: to confirm; to verify; to acknowledge; to testify to truth

الخالص

kh-l-ṣ → “the essence”

literal: sincere; devoted; pure one

يقرّبهم

q-r-b → “draw nigh unto”

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

اليه

ʾ-l-y → “besmirch”

literal: to; to him; besmirch

انّه

ʾ-n-n → “He, verily”

literal: I, verily; behold I

هو

h-w → “is”

literal: He; He is

المقتدر

q-d-r → “the Lord of” Distinctive

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

اله

ʾ-l-h → “God”

literal: God; Allah; deity; Divinity; divine nature; godhood

الّا

ʾ-kh-r → “but” Distinctive

literal: except; but; if not; lo; now; at this time; save; only; unless

السّامع

s-m-ʿ → “the All-Hearing”

literal: heard, hearkened to, acceptable, worthy of attention

النّاطق

n-ṭ-q → “Lord of Utterance”

literal: to speak; to utter; to pronounce; to articulate

العزيز

ʿ-z-z → “Almighty”

literal: glory; might; honor; dignity; power; majesty

الحميد

ḥ-m-d → “the All-Praised”

literal: praise; to praise

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

Fire Tablet

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in late 1871 during a period of severe hardship in ‘Akká, this Tablet takes the form of an anguished dialogue between Bahá’u’lláh and God. Questions about the sufferings of the faithful are answered with divine assurances, building to a crescendo of triumph over tribulation.

50 ¶

Gleanings

Bahá’u’lláh

A compilation of 166 selections from Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablets, spanning the Baghdad, Adrianople, and ‘Akká periods (1853–1892). George Townshend assisted with English refinement. Shoghi Effendi wrote that it gives the friends a splendid opportunity to acquire knowledge and understanding of the Faith.

729 ¶

Kitáb-i-’Ahd

Bahá’u’lláh

The Book of the Covenant — Bahá’u’lláh’s Will and Testament, written entirely in His own hand and unsealed on the ninth day after His ascension. It designates ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His successor and establishes what Shoghi Effendi called the mightiest Covenant in all religious history.

16 ¶

Kitáb-i-Íqán

Bahá’u’lláh

The principal doctrinal work of the Faith, revealed in Baghdad within the space of two days and two nights in response to questions from the Báb’s maternal uncle. Shoghi Effendi described it as occupying a position unequalled by any work except the Kitáb-i-Aqdas — a model of Persian prose, at once original, chaste, vigorous, and remarkably lucid.

291 ¶

Prayers and Meditations

Bahá’u’lláh

Published in 1938, this companion volume to Gleanings contains 184 prayers and meditations selected by Shoghi Effendi from Bahá’u’lláh’s devotional writings revealed across successive exiles from Baghdad to ‘Akká. Shoghi Effendi described it as a volume whose perusal would deepen the spirit of devotion and faith.

858 ¶

Tablet of Aḥmad

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in Adrianople and addressed to a believer named Aḥmad, this Tablet has been invested by Bahá’u’lláh with a special potency and significance. Its central imagery draws on the metaphor of fire and water: “Be thou as a flame of fire to My enemies and a river of life eternal to My loved ones.”

17 ¶

Tablet of Carmel

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed during a visit to Mount Carmel, this Tablet addresses the mountain directly and prophesies its future as the world spiritual and administrative center of the Faith. Shoghi Effendi designated it one of three foundational Charters. Its imagery of the Ark and the dwellers therein prefigures the Universal House of Justice.

5 ¶

Tablet of the Holy Mariner

Bahá’u’lláh

Chanted aloud in the outskirts of Baghdad just weeks before the Declaration in the Garden of Riḍván, its gloomy prognostications aroused the grave apprehensions of all who heard it. Only the Arabic portion has an authorized translation; the Persian portion remains untranslated.

57 ¶

The Hidden Words

Bahá’u’lláh

Seventy-one Arabic and eighty-two Persian aphorisms revealed around 1858 while walking along the banks of the Tigris in Baghdad. Originally designated the “Hidden Book of Fáṭimih,” Shoghi Effendi described it as a marvelous collection of gem-like utterances occupying a position of unsurpassed preeminence among the ethical writings of the Faith.

160 ¶

Will and Testament

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in three parts between 1901 and 1908, opened and read after His passing on 28 November 1921. Shoghi Effendi designated it the Charter of the New World Order — the mightiest instrument forged to ensure the continuity of the three ages of the Bahá’í Dispensation.

59 ¶