Gleanings — §135

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 135 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

فانظر بطرف البدء فیما نظرت إلی آدم الأولی ثمّ من بعده إلی أن یصل الأمر إلی عَلِيٍّ قبل نبیل قل تالله کلّهم قد جاؤوا عن مشرق الأمر بکتاب وصحیفة ولوح عظیم واوتوا کلّ واحد منهم علی ما قدّر لهم وهذا من فضلنا علیهم إن أنتم من العارفین...حتّی إذا بلغ الأمر إلی وجهه العزیز المقدّس المتعالي المنیر إِذًا احتجب نفسه في ألف حجاب لئلّا یعرفه من أحد بعد الّذي کان ینزل علیه الآیات من کلّ الجهات وما أحصاها أحد إلّا الله ربّک وربّ العالمین فلمّا تمّ میقات السّتر إِذًا أظهرنا عن خلف ألف ألف حجاب من النّور نورًا من أنوار وجه الغلام أقلّ من سَمِّ الإبرة إِذًا انصعقت أهل ملأ العالین ثمّ سجدت وجوه المقرّبین وظهر بشأن ما ظهر مثله في الإبداع بحیث قام بنفسه بین السّموات والأرضین

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Contemplate with thine inward eye the chain of successive Revelations that hath linked the Manifestation of Adam with that of the Báb. I testify before God that each one of these Manifestations hath been sent down through the operation of the Divine Will and Purpose, that each hath been the bearer of a specific Message, that each hath been entrusted with a divinely revealed Book and been commissioned to unravel the mysteries of a mighty Tablet. The measure of the Revelation with which every one of them hath been identified had been definitely foreordained. This, verily, is a token of Our favor unto them, if ye be of those that comprehend this truth.… And when this process of progressive Revelation culminated in the stage at which His peerless, His most sacred, and exalted Countenance was to be unveiled to men’s eyes, He chose to hide His own Self behind a thousand veils, lest profane and mortal eyes discover His glory. This He did at a time when the signs and tokens of a divinely appointed Revelation were being showered upon Him — signs and tokens which none can reckon except the Lord, your God, the Lord of all worlds. And when the set time of concealment was fulfilled, We sent forth, whilst still wrapt within a myriad veils, an infinitesimal glimmer of the effulgent Glory enveloping the Face of the Youth, and lo, the entire company of the dwellers of the Realms above were seized with violent commotion and the favored of God fell down in adoration before Him. He hath, verily, manifested a glory such as none in the whole creation hath witnessed, inasmuch as He hath arisen to proclaim in person His Cause unto all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth.

Translation Notes

فانظر

n-ẓ-r → “Consider”

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

بطرف

ṭ-r-f → “with” Distinctive

literal: extremity; end; edge; outskirt; periphery

البدء

b-d-ʾ → “beginning”

literal: beginning; primacy; originality; origin; principle; starting point; commencement; start; inception; creation

إلی

ʾ-l-y → “with that” Distinctive

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

الأولی

ʾ-w-l

literal: first; beginning; at first; the first; former; possessors of; those who have; masters of

ثمّ

th-m-m

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

بعده

b-ʿ-d

literal: after; behind; distance

أن

ʾ-n → “that hath linked”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

یصل

w-ṣ-l

literal: to reach; to arrive; to attain; to connect

الأمر

ʾ-m-r → “the chain of successive Revelations”

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

قبل

q-b-l

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

نبیل

n-b-l → “Báb”

literal: noble; exalted; distinguished; the Báb

قل

q-w-l → “Say”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

تالله

ʾ-l-h → “before God”

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

کلّهم

k-l-l → “all”

literal: all; every; whole; entirety; entire; completely

قد

q-d → “We have been”

literal: verily; indeed; certainly (particle of emphasis)

جاؤوا

j-y-ʾ → “come” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest; to display; to reveal; ظهور here means ‘backs’ (plural of ظهر), different semantic use than manifestation

عن

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

مشرق

sh-r-q

literal: radiance; splendor; dawn; illumination

بکتاب

k-t-b → “with a divinely revealed Book”

literal: book; scripture; writing

وصحیفة

ṣ-ḥ-f

literal: page; tablet; scroll; book

ولوح

l-w-ḥ → “Tablet”

literal: tablet; panel; divine decree; revelation

عظیم

ʿ-ẓ-m → “mighty” Distinctive

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

واوتوا

ʾ-t-y → “came”

literal: to be able; to can

واحد

w-ḥ-d → “of” Distinctive

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

منهم

m-n → “them”

literal: from; out of; than (preposition and particle)

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

قدّر

q-d-r → “had been definitely foreordained”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

لهم

l-h-m → “inspiration” Distinctive

literal: inspiration; divine inspiration; revelation

وهذا

h-dh-ʾ → “This, verily, is a token”

literal: this; that

فضلنا

f-ḍ-l → “favor”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

أنتم

n-t-m

literal: you

العارفین...حتّی

ʿ-r-f → “that comprehend this truth.…”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

إذا

ʾ-dh-n → “ears”

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

بلغ

b-l-gh → “teach” Distinctive

literal: to reach; to attain; to deliver; to proclaim

وجهه

w-j-h → “Countenance”

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

العزیز

ʿ-z-z → “glory” Distinctive

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

المقدّس

q-d-s → “sacred” Distinctive

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

المتعالي

ʿ-l-w → “exalted”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

المنیر

n-w-r → “effulgent Glory” Distinctive

literal: light; illumination

احتجب

ḥ-j-b → “veils” Distinctive

literal: to veil oneself, to be veiled

نفسه

n-f-s → “His own Self”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

في

f-y → “in”

literal: in a day; during a day; one day after another

ألف

ʾ-l-f → “thousand”

literal: word; expression; utterance; to reconcile; to compose; to compile; to unite

لئلّا

l-y-l → “night”

literal: night; darkness

أحد

ʾ-ḥ-d → “one”

literal: one; anyone; oneness

الّذي

l-dh-y → “which”

literal: who; which; that which; the one who

کان

k-w-n

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

ینزل

n-z-l → “were being showered”

literal: to descend, to be revealed

علیه

ʿ-l-y → “upon Him”

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

الآیات

ʾ-y-y → “the signs and tokens”

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

الجهات

j-h-h

literal: direction; aspect; side; regard

أحصاها

ḥ-ṣ-y → “reckon”

literal: count; enumerate; enumeration

إلّا

ʾ-kh-r → “end”

literal: end; hereafter; other

ربّک

r-b-b → “Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

العالمین

ʿ-l-m → “worlds”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

فلمّا

l-m-m → “No sooner”

literal: when; as soon as; thereupon

تمّ

t-m-m → “was fulfilled”

literal: complete; all; completed

میقات

w-q-t → “set time”

literal: time; occasion; moment; period

السّتر

s-t-r → “of concealment” Distinctive

literal: to veil; to conceal; to cover; veil; covering

أظهرنا

ẓ-h-r → “We sent forth”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest; to display; to reveal; ظهور here means ‘backs’ (plural of ظهر), different semantic use than manifestation

خلف

kh-l-f → “whilst still wrapt within”

literal: opposing; contrary; conflicting

الغلام

gh-l-m → “of the Youth”

literal: youth; boy; servant; the Youth (Bahá’u’lláh)

أقلّ

q-l-l → “less”

literal: little; few; scanty; small in quantity

سَمِّ

s-m-m

literal: name; title; designation

الإبرة

ʾ-b-r

literal: to create; to create anew; to be free from; innocent; free from; clear of; to cure; to heal; to clear

انصعقت

ṣ-ʿ-q → “dumbfounded”

literal: to be thunderstruck; to be dumbfounded; to swoon

أهل

ʾ-h-l → “men” Distinctive

literal: people; inhabitants; family; kin; worthy; deserving; my family; my people; my kin

ملأ

m-l-ʾ → “Concourse”

literal: assembly; multitude; chiefs; to fill; people of rank; fullness, assembly

سجدت

s-j-d → “worship” Distinctive

literal: prostrate; mosque; prostrated

المقرّبین

q-r-b → “favored of God”

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

بشأن

sh-ʾ-n → “station”

literal: affair; concern; matter; aspect; quality; state; affairs; matters; conditions; circumstances; affair, matter, station, rank, dignity; station; rank; importance; matter, affair, concern, dignity, rank

مثله

m-th-l

literal: like; example; parable; similitude

الإبداع

b-d-ʿ → “wondrous” Distinctive

literal: to create; most wondrous; excel

بحیث

ḥ-y-th → “in such wise that”

literal: where; in which; inasmuch as; in such wise that; whereby; in that; respect, aspect

قام

q-w-m → “He hath arisen to proclaim”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

بین

b-y-n

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

السّموات

s-m-w → “heavens”

literal: heaven; sky

والأرضین

ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

Bahá’u’lláh

The last outstanding Tablet revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, written around 1891 and addressed to Shaykh Muḥammad-Taqí of Iṣfahán. It calls upon that rapacious priest to repent, quotes the most celebrated passages from Bahá’u’lláh’s own writings, and adduces proofs establishing the validity of His Cause.

268 ¶

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 ¶

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 ¶