Gleanings — §137

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 137 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

احدی اطّلاع بر عنایات خفیّهٴ حقّ و رحمت محیطهٴ او نداشته و ندارد نظر بعصیان اهل عالم و خطاهای واقعهٴ در آن و مصیبات واردهٴ بر اصفیا و اولیا جمیع مستحقّ هلاکت بوده و هستند ولکن الطاف مکنونهٴ الهیّه بسببی از اسباب ظاهره و باطنه حفظ فرموده و میفرماید تفکّر لتعرف و کن من الثّابتین....

Shoghi Effendi Translation

No man can ever claim to have comprehended the nature of the hidden and manifold grace of God; none can fathom His all-embracing mercy. Such hath been the perversity of men and their transgressions, so grievous have been the trials that have afflicted the Prophets of God and their chosen ones, that all mankind deserveth to be tormented and to perish. God’s hidden and most loving providence, however, hath, through both visible and invisible agencies, protected and will continue to protect it from the penalty of its wickedness. Ponder this in thine heart, that the truth may be revealed unto thee, and be thou steadfast in His path.

Translation Notes

احدی

ʾ-ḥ-d → “No man can ever claim to” Distinctive

literal: oneness; unity; absolute unicity; singleness of divine essence

اطّلاع

ṭ-l-ʿ → “Dayspring” Distinctive

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

بر

b-r-r

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

عنایات

ʿ-n-y → “grace”

literal: to concern; to mean; to turn away from; bounty; loving-kindness; grace; divine care; attention; meaning; significance; inner sense

خفیّهٴ

kh-f-y → “conceal” Distinctive

literal: hiddenness, concealment, obscurity

حقّ

ḥ-q-q → “God”

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

رحمت

r-ḥ-m → “mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

محیطهٴ

ḥ-w-ṭ → “encompassed” Distinctive

literal: to encompass; to surround; to encircle

او

h-w-w → “His”

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

نداشته

d-ʾ-sh-t → “have”

literal: to have; to possess; to hold

ندارد

d-ʾ-r → “repository” Distinctive

literal: below; lower than; beneath

نظر

n-ẓ-r

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

بعصیان

ʿ-ṣ-y → “sinner”

literal: disobey; transgress; rebel

اهل

ʾ-h-l

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

عالم

ʿ-l-m → “men” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

خطاهای

kh-ṭ-ʾ → “grievous transgression” Distinctive

literal: error; mistake; fault; transgression; sin

واقعهٴ

w-q-ʿ → “occurred” Distinctive

literal: to fall, to occur, to happen; incident, event

در

d-r-r

literal: in; in, at; radiant

آن

ʾ-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

مصیبات

ṣ-w-b → “trials”

literal: calamity; misfortune; disaster; affliction

واردهٴ

w-r-d

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

اصفیا

ṣ-f-w → “chosen ones”

literal: pure one; chosen one; selected one; elite; purity; clarity; sincerity; pure; sincere

اولیا

w-l-y → “Lord” Distinctive

literal: guardian; protector; friend; ally; lord; helper; first; primary; original

جمیع

j-m-ʿ → “all”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

هلاکت

h-l-k → “tormented and to perish”

literal: to destroy; to ruin; to cause to perish; perishing; destroyer; lost

بوده

b-w-d → “been”

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

هستند

h-s-t → “hath” Distinctive

literal: to be; to exist

ولکن

l-k-n → “however”

literal: but; however; yet; nevertheless

الطاف

l-ṭ-f → “loving-kindness” Distinctive

literal: the letter Ṭá; refers to Ṭihrán (also spelled Ṭehran)

مکنونهٴ

k-n-n → “hidden” Distinctive

literal: to do; to make; to perform

الهیّه

ʾ-l-h → “God’s”

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

بسببی

s-b-b → “through”

literal: cause; reason; means; instrument

از

ʾ-z

literal: from

ظاهره

ẓ-h-r → “visible” Distinctive

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

باطنه

b-ṭ-n → “invisible”

literal: inner; hidden; inward; esoteric

حفظ

ḥ-f-ẓ → “protected”

literal: guardian; preserver; keeper

فرموده

f-r-m → “hath” Distinctive

literal: to say; to decree; to ordain; to command

تفکّر

f-k-r → “Ponder”

literal: thoughts; ideas; fancies; opinions; to think; to reflect; to contemplate