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Gleanings — §128

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 128 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

جمیع ناس را از شمال بعد و هوی بیمین قرب و لقا رساند لو شآء الله لیکون النّاس أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً ولکن مقصود صعود انفس طیّبه و جواهر مجرّده است که بفطرت اصلیّهٴ خود بشاطی بحر اعظم وارد شوند تا طالبان جمال ذو الجلال از عاکفان امکنهٴ ضلال و اضلال از یکدیگر مفصول و ممتاز شوند کذلک قدّر الأمر

Shoghi Effendi Translation

He Who is the Dayspring of Truth is, no doubt, fully capable of rescuing from such remoteness wayward souls and of causing them to draw nigh unto His court and attain His Presence. “If God had pleased He had surely made all men one people.” His purpose, however, is to enable the pure in spirit and the detached in heart to ascend, by virtue of their own innate powers, unto the shores of the Most Great Ocean, that thereby they who seek the Beauty of the All-Glorious may be distinguished and separated from the wayward and perverse. Thus hath it been ordained by the all-glorious and resplendent Pen.…

Translation Notes

جمیع
j-m-ʿ → “all men”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

ناس
n-ʾ-s → “men”

literal: companionship; fellowship; familiarity; to keep company

را
r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

از
ʾ-z → “from”

literal: from

شمال
sh-m-l → “left hand”

literal: to comprehend; to include; whole; all

بعد
b-ʿ-d

literal: after; behind; distance

هوی
h-w-y

literal: desire; vain desire; inclination; passion; whim; realm; region

بیمین
y-m-n → “right hand”

literal: right hand; oath; right side

قرب
q-r-b

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

لقا
l-q-y → “attain His Presence”

literal: opposite; facing; in front of; towards

رساند
r-s-n → “attain”

literal: to reach; to convey; to cause to arrive; to deliver

لو
l-w → “If”

literal: if; would that; O that

شآء
sh-y-ʾ → “pleased”

literal: thing; something; to will; to wish; to desire; to open; to unfold; to reveal

الله
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

لیکون
k-w-n → “had surely made” Distinctive

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

أُمَّةً
ʾ-m-m → “before” Distinctive

literal: mother

وَاحِدَةً
w-ḥ-d → “one”

literal: Divine unity; monotheism; belief in the oneness of God

ولکن
l-k-n → “however”

literal: but; however; yet; nevertheless

مقصود
q-ṣ-d → “His purpose”

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

صعود
ṣ-ʿ-d → “ascend”

literal: ascent; ascension; rising; elevation

انفس
n-f-s

literal: self; soul; souls

طیّبه
ṭ-y-b → “pure” Distinctive

literal: good; pure; sweet; fragrant; virtuous

جواهر
j-w-h-r

literal: jewel; essence; gem; substance

مجرّده
j-r-d → “detached”

literal: neck; throat

است
b-w-d → “is”

literal: to be; are (third person plural present copula)

که
k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

بفطرت
f-ṭ-r → “true Faith” Distinctive

literal: creator; the one who splits/creates

اصلیّهٴ
ʾ-ṣ-l → “principles” Distinctive

literal: peace; reconciliation

خود
kh-w-d

literal: self; himself; herself; itself; own

بشاطی
sh-ṭ-ʾ → “unto the shores”

literal: shore; bank; coast; beach

بحر
b-ḥ-r → “of the” Distinctive

literal: sea; ocean

اعظم
ʿ-ẓ-m → “Most Great”

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

وارد
w-r-d → “hath befallen” Distinctive

literal: to enter, to come, to befall, to arrive

شوند
sh-w-d

literal: become; to become; became

تا
t-y-y → “so that”

literal: so that/until

طالبان
ṭ-l-b → “they who seek”

literal: seeker, one who seeks; those who seek

جمال
j-m-l → “Beauty”

literal: beauty; comeliness

ذو
dh-w → “of the” Distinctive

literal: possessor of; one having; those having

الجلال
j-l-l → “All-Glorious” Distinctive

literal: majesty; glory; exaltation; magnificence

عاکفان
ʿ-k-f → “the”

literal: to seclude oneself; to devote oneself; to be occupied with

امکنهٴ
m-k-n

literal: possibility; possible; possible things

ضلال
ḍ-l-l → “wayward” Distinctive

literal: error; straying; misguidance; delusion; falsehood

یکدیگر
d-y-g-r

literal: other; another; different

مفصول
f-ṣ-l → “separated”

literal: detail; distinction; differentiation; to detail; to separate

ممتاز
m-y-z → “may be distinguished”

literal: distinguished; excellent; outstanding

کذلک
dh-l-k → “Thus”

literal: thus; likewise; also

قدّر
q-d-r → “hath it been ordained”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

الأمر
ʾ-m-r → “Cause”

literal: mother; to lead; to head; matter; affair; people; nation; community; female servant; handmaiden; umma

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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