Gleanings — §145

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 145 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

تا بدرمان یگانگی بیماری بیگانگیرا چاره نمایند در کردار و رفتار پزشگ جای گفتار نه زیرا که او بر چگونگی کالبد و بیماریهای آن آگاه است و هرگز مرغ بینش مردمان زمین بفراز آسمان دانش او نرسد پس اگر رفتار امروز پزشگ را با گذشته یکسان نه‌بینند جای گفتار نه چه که هر روز بیمار را روش جداگانه سزاوار و همچنین پیمبران یزدان هرگاه که جهانرا بخورشید تابان دانش درخشان نمودند بهر چه سزاوار آن روز بود مردم را بسوی خداوند یکتا خواندند و آنها را از تیرگی نادانی بروشنائی دانائی راه نمودند پس باید دیدهٴ مردم دانا بر راز درون ایشان نگران باشد چه که همگی را خواست یکی بوده و آن راهنمائی گم‌گشتگان و آسودگی درماندگان است... مردمانرا بیماری فراگرفته بکوشید تا آنها را بآن درمان که ساختهٴ دست توانای پزشگ یزدان است رهائی دهید

Shoghi Effendi Translation

The Prophets of God should be regarded as physicians whose task is to foster the well-being of the world and its peoples, that, through the spirit of oneness, they may heal the sickness of a divided humanity. To none is given the right to question their words or disparage their conduct, for they are the only ones who can claim to have understood the patient and to have correctly diagnosed its ailments. No man, however acute his perception, can ever hope to reach the heights which the wisdom and understanding of the Divine Physician have attained. Little wonder, then, if the treatment prescribed by the physician in this day should not be found to be identical with that which he prescribed before. How could it be otherwise when the ills affecting the sufferer necessitate at every stage of his sickness a special remedy? In like manner, every time the Prophets of God have illumined the world with the resplendent radiance of the Daystar of Divine knowledge, they have invariably summoned its peoples to embrace the light of God through such means as best befitted the exigencies of the age in which they appeared. They were thus able to scatter the darkness of ignorance, and to shed upon the world the glory of their own knowledge. It is towards the inmost essence of these Prophets, therefore, that the eye of every man of discernment must be directed, inasmuch as their one and only purpose hath always been to guide the erring, and give peace to the afflicted.… These are not days of prosperity and triumph. The whole of mankind is in the grip of manifold ills. Strive, therefore, to save its life through the wholesome medicine which the almighty hand of the unerring Physician hath prepared.

Translation Notes

تا

t-y-y

literal: so that/until

بدرمان

d-r-m → “remedy”

literal: to hold, keep, maintain, possess

یگانگی

y-k → “oneness” Distinctive

literal: oneness; unity; singleness; uniqueness

بیماری

b-y-m → “sickness”

literal: fear, dread, apprehension

بیگانگیرا

b-y-g → “divided humanity”

literal: alienation; estrangement; separation

چاره

ch-r-h → “remedy”

literal: remedy; cure; solution; means; way

نمایند

n-m-ʾ → “may”

literal: do; show; make

در

d-r-r

literal: in; in, at; radiant

کردار

k-r-d → “conduct”

literal: to do; to make; to perform

رفتار

r-f-t → “fled” Distinctive

literal: to go; to pass; to have gone

پزشگ

p-z-sh → “physicians”

literal: physician; doctor

جای

j-y-ʾ

literal: to come; to arrive; to happen

گفتار

g-f-t → “words”

literal: utterance; speech; word; discourse

نه

n-h-y

literal: end; ended; utmost

زیرا

z-y-r → “for”

literal: because; since; for; inasmuch as

که

k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

او

h-w-w → “is”

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

بر

b-r-r → “upon”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

چگونگی

ch-g-n → “How”

literal: how; in what manner

کالبد

k-l-b-d → “human temple”

literal: body; corporeal form; structure

آن

ʾ-n → “the”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

آگاه

ʾ-g-h → “cognizant”

literal: aware; cognizant; informed; apprised; awareness; knowledge; consciousness

است

b-w-d → “are”

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

هرگز

h-r-g → “never”

literal: never; at no time; never ever

مرغ

m-r-gh → “, can”

literal: bird; fowl

بینش

b-y-n → “utterance” Distinctive

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

مردمان

m-r-d → “man”

literal: rebellion; mutiny; revolt

زمین

z-m-n → “earth”

literal: time; age; era; period

بفراز

f-r-z → “children” Distinctive

literal: to kindle, to light, to inflame

آسمان

s-m-w → “heaven”

literal: heaven; sky

دانش

d-n-sh → “knowledge”

literal: to know; to understand

نرسد

r-s-d → “reached”

literal: to arrive; to reach; to attain; to come

پس

p-s → “From”

literal: then; then, therefore; therefore

اگر

ʾ-g-r → “were they”

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

امروز

r-w-z → “day”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

با

b-ʾ-ʾ

literal: to; with; by

گذشته

g-dh-r → “renounced”

literal: to leave; to pass; to abandon

یکسان

y-k-s → “equalled”

literal: the same; uniform; equal; alike

چه

ch-h

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

هر

h-r → “every”

literal: whatever; all that; whatever thing

روش

r-w-sh → “light” Distinctive

literal: light; illumination; brilliance; clarity

جداگانه

j-d-ʾ → “distinct”

literal: new, novel, renewed; novelty, innovation

سزاوار

s-z-w → “beseemeth”

literal: worthy; fitting; deserving; appropriate; suitable

همچنین

ch-n-n → “In like manner”

literal: always; ever; forever; at all times; constantly

پیمبران

p-y-m-b-r → “Prophets”

literal: covenant; bond; pledge; testament; to measure; to traverse; to pass

یزدان

y-z-d → “Divine”

literal: God, the Almighty (Persian term)

جهانرا

j-h-ʾ-n → “world”

literal: world

بخورشید

kh-w-r → “Daystar”

literal: sun; Daystar

تابان

t-ʾ-b → “Orb”

literal: shining; radiant; luminous

درخشان

d-r-kh → “radiance”

literal: tree

نمودند

n-m-ود → “illumined”

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

بسوی

s-w-y → “God”

literal: level; equal; straight; upon a throne; resting upon; toward; to; direction of; other than; besides; except

یکتا

y-k-t

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

خواندند

kh-w-ʾ-n → “summoned”

literal: blood

آنها

null → ““death””

literal: that, it; to be; indeed

از

ʾ-z

literal: from

تیرگی

t-y-r-g → “darkness”

literal: darkness; obscurity; gloom

نادانی

d-ʾ-n → “ignorance”

literal: call; voice; proclamation

بروشنائی

r-w-sh-n

literal: bright; make bright, illuminate; bright, illuminated

راه

r-h

literal: way; path; road

باید

b-y-d → “must”

literal: by hand; with hands; eternal; perpetual; everlasting

دیدهٴ

d-y-d → “seen” Distinctive

literal: see; to see; seen

راز

r-ʾ-z → “secret”

literal: secret; mystery; whisper

درون

d-r-w-n → “inmost”

literal: within; inner; interior

ایشان

ʾ-y-sh → “Prophets”

literal: that; it (object pronoun with suffix)

نگران

n-g-r → “imagine” Distinctive

literal: to deem; to regard; to consider; to hold

همگی

h-m-g

literal: all; everyone; together

خواست

kh-w-ʾ-s-t → “purpose”

literal: to wish, to desire, to want, to ask, to request; wish, desire, will

یکی

w-ḥ-d → “one”

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

راهنمائی

r-h-n-m-ʾ

literal: guidance

گم‌گشتگان

g-m → “erring”

literal: lost; bewildered; strayed

آسودگی

ʾ-s-w → “rest”

literal: blackened; dark; tranquil; at peace; undisturbed

درماندگان

d-r-m-ʾ-n-d → “afflicted.…”

literal: afflicted

فراگرفته

g-r-f → “hath quaffed” Distinctive

literal: captive, afflicted, troubled, caught; affliction, trouble

بکوشید

k-w-sh → “Strive”

literal: effort; endeavour; exertion; striving; to strive; to endeavor; to toil; to struggle; to attempt

بآن

ʾ-n-n

literal: that; indeed; moment

ساختهٴ

s-ʾ-kh-t → “sentence”

literal: to build; to construct; to make

دست

d-s-t → “hand”

literal: hand; control, power, authority

توانای

t-w-ʾ-n → “unto Thy weak creatures” Distinctive

literal: to be able, can; power, strength

رهائی

r-h-ʾ

literal: way; path; road; deliverance; liberation; freedom

دهید

d-h → “imputed” Distinctive

literal: to give; to provide; to yield; to grant; to bestow

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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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.

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50 ¶

Kitáb-i-’Ahd

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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 ¶