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Gleanings — §151

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 151 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

و هم‌چنین در ظهور رسول روح ما سواه فداه علمای مکّه و مدینه در سنین اوّلیّه بر اعراض و اعتراض قیام نمودند و نفوسی که ابدًا اهل علم نبودند بایمان فائز شدند قدری تفکّر فرمائید بلال حبشی که کلمه‌ئی از علم نخوانده بود بسماء ایمان و ایقان ارتقا نمود و عبدالله أُبَيّ که از علما بود بنفاق برخاست راعی غنم بنفحات آیات بمقرّ دوست پی‌برد و بمالک امم پیوست و صاحبان علوم و حکم ممنوع و محروم اینست که میفرماید: "حتّی یصیر أعلاکم أسفلکم وأسفلکم أعلاکم" و مضمون این فقره در اکثر کتب الهیّه و بیانات انبیا و اصفیا بوده

Shoghi Effendi Translation

In like manner, when Muḥammad, the Prophet of God — may all men be a sacrifice unto Him — appeared, the learned men of Mecca and Medina arose, in the early days of His Revelation, against Him and rejected His Message, while they who were destitute of all learning recognized and embraced His Faith. Ponder awhile. Consider how Balál, the Ethiopian, unlettered though he was, ascended into the heaven of faith and certitude, whilst ‘Abdu’lláh Ubayy, a leader among the learned, maliciously strove to oppose Him. Behold, how a mere shepherd was so carried away by the ecstasy of the words of God that he was able to gain admittance into the habitation of his Best-Beloved, and was united to Him Who is the Lord of Mankind, whilst they who prided themselves on their knowledge and wisdom strayed far from His path and remained deprived of His grace. For this reason He hath written: “He that is exalted among you shall be abased, and he that is abased shall be exalted.” References to this theme are to be found in most of the heavenly Books, as well as in the sayings of the Prophets and Messengers of God.

Translation Notes

روح
rúḥ r-w-ḥ

literal: spirit; spiritual; soul

SE rendered هم‌چنین (hm‌chnín), ظهور (ẓhúr), رسول (rsúl), روح (rúḥ), سواه (súáh), فداه (fdáh), علمای (ʿlmáy), مکّه (mkkh), مدینه (mdính) as “In like manner, Revelation, Muḥammad, the Prophet, the learned men, Mecca, Medina”

spirit 69% soul 10% breath 4% life 4% souls 3% who 3% joy 2% holy 2% jesus 2% ghost 2%
سواه
súáh s-w-y

literal: other than, except

SE rendered هم‌چنین (hm‌chnín), ظهور (ẓhúr), رسول (rsúl), روح (rúḥ), سواه (súáh), فداه (fdáh), علمای (ʿlmáy), مکّه (mkkh), مدینه (mdính) as “In like manner, Revelation, Muḥammad, the Prophet, the learned men, Mecca, Medina”

all 43% else 14% everywhere 7% except 7% besides 7% created 7% naught 7% every 7%
فداه
fdáh f-d-y

literal: sacrifice; sacrificed

SE rendered هم‌چنین (hm‌chnín), ظهور (ẓhúr), رسول (rsúl), روح (rúḥ), سواه (súáh), فداه (fdáh), علمای (ʿlmáy), مکّه (mkkh), مدینه (mdính), سنین (snín), اوّلیّه (iwwlílh) as “In like manner, Revelation, Muḥammad, the Prophet, the learned men, Mecca, Medina, early days”

قیام
qíám q-w-m

literal: station; people; place

SE rendered سنین (snín), اوّلیّه (iwwlílh), بر (br), اعراض (iʿráḍ), اعتراض (iʿtráḍ), قیام (qíám), نمودند (nmúdnd), نفوسی (nfúsí) as “early days, arose, against Him and rejected, they who”

نمودند
nmúdnd nmúdn

literal: do; to do; show

SE rendered سنین (snín), اوّلیّه (iwwlílh), بر (br), اعراض (iʿráḍ), اعتراض (iʿtráḍ), قیام (qíám), نمودند (nmúdnd), نفوسی (nfúsí), ابدًا (ibdan), اهل (ihl), علم (ʿlm) as “early days, arose, against Him and rejected, they who, were destitute of all learning”

have 45% hath 11% suffered 8% sought 8% spoke 5% caused 5% arose 5% put 5% winged 5% arrested 3%
ابدًا
ibdan ʾ-b-d

literal: ever; never

SE rendered نفوسی (nfúsí), ابدًا (ibdan), اهل (ihl), علم (ʿlm), نبودند (nbúdnd), بایمان (báymán), فائز (fáʾz), شدند (shdnd) as “they who, were destitute of all learning, embraced His Faith”

wise 27% never 18% ever 14% all 9% evermore 9% everlasting 5% any 5% pause 5% time 5% forbear 5%
اهل
ihl ʾ-h-l

literal: people; people/folk; people/inhabitants

SE rendered نفوسی (nfúsí), ابدًا (ibdan), اهل (ihl), علم (ʿlm), نبودند (nbúdnd), بایمان (báymán), فائز (fáʾz), شدند (shdnd) as “they who, were destitute of all learning, embraced His Faith”

نبودند
nbúdnd búdn

literal: be; to be; been

SE rendered نفوسی (nfúsí), ابدًا (ibdan), اهل (ihl), علم (ʿlm), نبودند (nbúdnd), بایمان (báymán), فائز (fáʾz), شدند (shdnd), قدری (qdrí), تفکّر (tfkkr) as “they who, were destitute of all learning, embraced His Faith, Ponder”

hath 38% have 35% had 11% can 4% remained 3% could 3% found 2% promulgated 2% hast 2% regarded 2%
نخوانده
nkhúándh khúándn

literal: call; read; call, summon

SE rendered بلال (blál), حبشی (ḥbshí), کلمه‌ئی (klmh‌ʾí), از (iz), علم (ʿlm), نخوانده (nkhúándh), بسماء (bsmáʾ), ایمان (iymán), ایقان (iyqán) as “Balál, Ethiopian, unlettered though he was, ascended into the heaven, faith and, certitude”

summoning 43% read 14% regarded 14% summoned 14% cry 14%
ارتقا
irtqá r-q-y

literal: ascension; ascend

SE rendered بسماء (bsmáʾ), ایمان (iymán), ایقان (iyqán), ارتقا (irtqá), نمود (nmúd), عبدالله (ʿbdállh), أُبَيّ (ʾubayy) as “ascended into the heaven, faith and, certitude, ‘Abdu’lláh, Ubayy”

برخاست
brkhást kh-y-z

literal: arose

SE rendered أُبَيّ (ʾubayy), از (iz), علما (ʿlmá), بنفاق (bnfáq), برخاست (brkhást), راعی (ráʿí), غنم (ghnm), بنفحات (bnfḥát), آیات (áyát), بمقرّ (bmqrr) as “Ubayy, a leader among the learned, maliciously strove, shepherd, the words of God that, gain admittance into the habitation”

nullified 50% arose 50%
غنم
ghnm gh-n-m

literal: sheep; booty; treasure

SE rendered علما (ʿlmá), بنفاق (bnfáq), برخاست (brkhást), راعی (ráʿí), غنم (ghnm), بنفحات (bnfḥát), آیات (áyát), بمقرّ (bmqrr) as “a leader among the learned, maliciously strove, shepherd, the words of God that, gain admittance into the habitation”

flock 35% treasure 18% flocks 6% fold 6% chance 6% haste 6% precious 6% hasten 6% seize 6% profiting 6%
بنفحات
bnfḥát n-f-ḥ

literal: fragrance; breeze; breath

SE rendered بنفاق (bnfáq), برخاست (brkhást), راعی (ráʿí), غنم (ghnm), بنفحات (bnfḥát), آیات (áyát), بمقرّ (bmqrr) as “maliciously strove, shepherd, the words of God that, gain admittance into the habitation”

دوست
dúst dúst

literal: friend; friend, beloved; beloved

SE rendered راعی (ráʿí), غنم (ghnm), بنفحات (bnfḥát), آیات (áyát), بمقرّ (bmqrr), دوست (dúst), پی‌برد (pí‌brd), بمالک (bmálk), امم (imm), پیوست (píwst) as “shepherd, the words of God that, gain admittance into the habitation, Lord of Mankind, his Best-Beloved”

صاحبان
ṣáḥbán ṣ-ḥ-b

literal: possessor

SE rendered بمالک (bmálk), امم (imm), پیوست (píwst), صاحبان (ṣáḥbán), علوم (ʿlúm), حکم (ḥkm), ممنوع (mmnúʿ), محروم (mḥrúm) as “Lord of Mankind, his Best-Beloved, knowledge and, wisdom, remained deprived of His grace”

who 23% have 15% whose 8% ill-wishers 8% men 8% wise 8% illumined 8% possessed 8% masters 8% people 8%
ممنوع
mmnúʿ m-n-ʿ

literal: prevent; prevented; prevention

SE rendered پیوست (píwst), صاحبان (ṣáḥbán), علوم (ʿlúm), حکم (ḥkm), ممنوع (mmnúʿ), محروم (mḥrúm), اینست (iynst), میفرماید (mífrmáyd) as “his Best-Beloved, knowledge and, wisdom, remained deprived of His grace, written”

یصیر
yṣír ṣ-y-r

literal: became; become; becomes

SE rendered محروم (mḥrúm), اینست (iynst), میفرماید (mífrmáyd), یصیر (yṣír) as “remained deprived of His grace, written”

shall 33% assume 33% prove 33%
مضمون
mḍmún ḍ-m-n

literal: meaning; content/meaning

SE rendered مضمون (mḍmún), فقره (fqrh), اکثر (ikthr), کتب (ktb), الهیّه (al-híhh) as “most of, the heavenly Books”

similar 25% theme 13% such 13% purport 13% meaning 13% implication 13% text 13%

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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