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Gleanings — §242

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 242 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

قل أتأخذون اصولکم و تضعون اصول الله ورآء ظهورکم و انّ هذا لظلم علی انفسکم و انفس العباد لو تکوننّ من العارفین قل ان کان اصولکم علی العدل فکیف تأخذون منها ما تهوی به هواکم و تَدَعون ما کان مخالفاً لأنفسکم ما لکم کیف تکوننّ من الحاکمین أ کان من اصولکم بأن تعذّبوا الّذی جآءکم بأمرکم و تخذلوه و تؤذوه فی کلّ یوم بعد الّذی ما عصاکم فی اقلّ من آن و یشهد بذلک کلّ من سکن فی العراق و من ورائه کلّ ذی علم علیم

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Would that ye could perceive it! Say: If your rules and principles be founded on justice, why is it, then, that ye follow those which accord with your corrupt inclinations and reject such as conflict with your desires? By what right claim ye, then, to judge fairly between men? Are your rules and principles such as to justify your persecution of Him Who, at your bidding, hath presented Himself before you, your rejection of Him, and your infliction on Him every day of grievous injury? Hath He ever, though it be for one short moment, disobeyed you? All the inhabitants of ‘Iráq, and beyond them every discerning observer, will bear witness to the truth of My words.

Translation Notes

قل
q-w-l → “Say”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

أتأخذون
ʾ-kh-dh → “arrested” Distinctive

literal: to take; to seize; to affect; to grasp

اصولکم
ʾ-ṣ-l → “rules and principles”

literal: principles; foundations; rules; origins

تضعون
w-ḍ-ʿ → “low” Distinctive

literal: lawgiver; one who establishes; founder

الله
ʾ-l-h

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

ظهورکم
ẓ-h-r

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

ان
ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

هذا
h-dh-ʾ

literal: this; that

لظلم
ẓ-l-m

literal: wrongedness, oppression, meekness; state of being wronged or oppressed

علی
ʿ-l-w → “on Him” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

العباد
ʿ-b-d

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

لو
l-w → “If”

literal: if; would that; O that

من
m-n → “of”

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

العارفین
ʿ-r-f

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

کان
k-w-n → “be”

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

العدل
ʿ-d-l

literal: justice; equity

فکیف
k-y-f → “why is it, then” Distinctive

literal: how; in what manner

تأخذون
ʾ-kh-dh

literal: to take; to seize; to affect; to grasp

ما
m-ʾ → “that”

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

تهوی
h-w-y → “accord with your corrupt inclinations”

literal: desire; inclination; whim; realm; region

به
b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

تَدَعون
w-d-ʿ

literal: call, invocation, summons; to call, invite, summon

مخالفاً
kh-l-f → “conflict”

literal: opposing; contrary; conflicting

لأنفسکم
n-f-s → “your desires”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

لکم
l-k-m

literal: for you, to you, your (dative pronoun)

الحاکمین
ḥ-k-m → “judge fairly between men”

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom; firm; solid; strengthened

بأن
ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; indeed; moment

تعذّبوا
ʿ-dh-b → “chastisement” Distinctive

literal: punishment; torment; tormented

الّذی
l-dh-y → “which”

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

جآءکم
j-y-ʾ → “come”

literal: to come; to arrive; to happen

بأمرکم
ʾ-m-r → “at your bidding”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair; Cause (of God); to command; to order

تخذلوه
kh-dh-l → “Abase” Distinctive

literal: abandon; forsake; abandoned

تؤذوه
ʾ-dh-y → “injury”

literal: harm; injury; was harmed

فی
f-y → “for” Distinctive

literal: in; in-it; in it

کلّ
k-l-l → “every”

literal: for us; to us

یوم
y-w-m → “day”

literal: day; age; period; era; a day

بعد
b-ʿ-d

literal: after; behind; distance

عصاکم
ʿ-ṣ-y → “sinner” Distinctive

literal: disobey; transgress; rebel

اقلّ
q-l-l → “less”

literal: little; few; scanty; small in quantity

یشهد
sh-h-d → “bear witness” Distinctive

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

بذلک
dh-l-k

literal: that; this; it; by that

سکن
s-k-n → “inhabitants”

literal: stillness, rest, quietude, tranquility

العراق
ʿ-r-q → “vein”

literal: Iraq; sweat

ورائه
w-r-ʾ → “them”

literal: behind; beyond; after

ذی
dh-w-y

literal: possessor; possessor of; possessor/owner

علیم
ʿ-l-m → “knowledge” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

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