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Gleanings — §159

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 159 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

ما فاز بهذا الأصل الأسنی والمقام الأعلی تحرّکه أرياح الشّبهات وتقلّبه مقالات المشرکين من فاز بهذا الأصل قد فاز بالإستقامة الکبری حبّذا هذا المقام الأبهی الّذي بذکره زيّن کلّ لوح منيع کذلک يعلّمکم الله ما يخلّصکم عن الرّيب والحيرة وينجّيکم في الدّنيا والآخرة إنّه هو الغفور الکريم...

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Whoso hath not recognized this sublime and fundamental verity, and hath failed to attain this most exalted station, the winds of doubt will agitate him, and the sayings of the infidels will distract his soul. He that hath acknowledged this principle will be endowed with the most perfect constancy. All honor to this all-glorious station, the remembrance of which adorneth every exalted Tablet. Such is the teaching which God bestoweth on you, a teaching that will deliver you from all manner of doubt and perplexity, and enable you to attain unto salvation in both this world and in the next. He, verily, is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Bountiful.

Translation Notes

ما
m-ʾ → “that”

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

فاز
f-w-z → “hath not recognized” Distinctive

literal: to attain; to gain; to succeed; to win

بهذا
h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; that

الأصل
ʾ-ṣ-l → “essence”

literal: root, origin, principle, foundation

الأسنی
s-n-w → “sublime”

literal: most beautiful; finest; highest

والمقام
q-w-m → “station”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

الأعلی
ʿ-l-w → “exalted”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

تحرّکه
ḥ-r-k → “move”

literal: movement; motion; trembling; activity; حراک is unusual; possible typo or dialectal. Standard Arabic would be حرك or اهتزاز for ‘trembling’

أرياح
r-w-ḥ → “winds”

literal: to throw; to cast; Aramaic/Persian proper name reference; to throw, cast, shoot; to pelt; to shoot

الشّبهات
sh-b-h → “doubt”

literal: doubt; uncertainty; suspicion; resemblance; semblance

وتقلّبه
q-l-b → “hearts” Distinctive

literal: to turn; to overturn; to reverse

مقالات
q-w-l → “sayings”

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

المشرکين
sh-r-k → “infidels”

literal: partner; associate; sharer; companion

من
m-n → “that” Distinctive

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

قد
q-d

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

الکبری
k-b-r → “most perfect” Distinctive

literal: great; grand; mighty; large; greatness; majesty; sovereignty; arrogance

حبّذا
ḥ-b-b → “love” Distinctive

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

الأبهی
b-h-w → “all-glorious”

literal: splendor; glory; magnificence; Bahá (Proper Name in Bahá’í texts)

الّذي
l-dh-y → “which”

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

بذکره
dh-k-r → “remembrance” Distinctive

literal: remembrance; mention; memory

زيّن
z-y-n → “adorneth”

literal: to adorn; ornament; beauty; adornment; embellishment; decoration

کلّ
k-l-l → “every”

literal: for us; to us

لوح
l-w-ḥ → “Tablet”

literal: tablet; panel; divine decree; revelation

منيع
m-n-ʿ → “exalted”

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

کذلک
dh-l-k → “Such is”

literal: thus; likewise; also

يعلّمکم
ʿ-l-m → “teaching”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

الله
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

يخلّصکم
kh-l-ṣ → “wholly” Distinctive

literal: sincere; pure; sincere ones

عن
ʿ-n → “from all manner of”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

الرّيب
r-y-b → “doubt”

literal: doubt, suspicion, uncertainty; doubt; suspicion

والحيرة
ḥ-y-r → “perplexed” Distinctive

literal: bewildered; perplexed; confused; astounded; amazed; bewilderment; perplexity; wonder; amazement

وينجّيکم
n-j-w → “deliver” Distinctive

literal: salvation; prayer; salvation/deliverance

في
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

الدّنيا
d-n-w → “world”

literal: this world; earthly life; temporal realm; lowest; base; mean; of little account; to know; to be acquainted with

والآخرة
ʾ-kh-r → “next”

literal: the hereafter, the next life, the world to come; last, latter; the next life, the hereafter; delay; postponement

إنّه
ʾ-n-n → “He, verily”

literal: I, verily; behold I

هو
h-w → “He”

literal: He; He is

الغفور
gh-f-r → “Ever-Forgiving”

literal: to forgive; forgiveness

الکريم...
k-r-m → “Bountiful”

literal: Carmel (Mount Carmel); vineyard, fruitful field; honor; generosity; nobility

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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268 ¶
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50 ¶
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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 ¶
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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 ¶
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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 ¶
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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 ¶
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5 ¶
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57 ¶
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160 ¶
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59 ¶