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Gleanings — §255

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 255 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

فاعلموا بأنّ البلایا والمحن لم یزل كانت موكلة لأصفیآء الله واحبّائه ثمّ لعباده المنقطعین الّذین لا تلهیهم التّجارة ولا بیع عن ذكر الله ولا یسبقونه بالقول وهم بأمره لمن العاملین كذلك جرت سنّة الله من قبل ویجری من بعد فطوبی للصّابرین الّذین یصبرون في البأسآء والضّرّآء ولن یجزعوا من شیء وكانوا علی مناهج الصّبر لمن السّالكین....

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Know ye that trials and tribulations have, from time immemorial, been the lot of the chosen Ones of God and His beloved, and such of His servants as are detached from all else but Him, they whom neither merchandise nor traffic beguile from the remembrance of the Almighty, they that speak not till He hath spoken, and act according to His commandment. Such is God’s method carried into effect of old, and such will it remain in the future. Blessed are the steadfastly enduring, they that are patient under ills and hardships, who lament not over anything that befalleth them, and who tread the path of resignation.…

Translation Notes

فاعلموا
ʿ-l-m → “Know”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

بأنّ
ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

البلایا
b-l-w → “trials and tribulations”

literal: affliction; trial; calamity

والمحن
m-ḥ-n

literal: trial; tribulation; affliction; test

لم
l-y-s

literal: to reproach; blame; censure

یزل
z-w-l

literal: cease; to cease; decline

كانت
k-w-n → “have, from time immemorial, been”

literal: you (masculine singular)

موكلة
w-k-l → “ministers” Distinctive

literal: agency; representation; trusteeship; delegated authority; to rely; to trust; to place trust in

لأصفیآء
ṣ-f-w → “chosen Ones”

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

الله
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

واحبّائه
ḥ-b-b → “beloved”

literal: love; affection

ثمّ
th-m-m → “then”

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

لعباده
ʿ-b-d → “servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

المنقطعین
q-ṭ-ʿ → “detached”

literal: to be severed; to be cut off; to detach oneself; to abstain

الّذین
l-dh-y → “which” Distinctive

literal: those who; the ones who (relative pronoun)

لا
l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

تلهیهم
l-h-w → “for him” Distinctive

literal: to distract; to divert; to amuse

التّجارة
t-j-r → “reputation” Distinctive

literal: trade; commerce; business

ولا
w-l-y → “nor” Distinctive

literal: friend; lord; guardian

بیع
b-y-ʿ → “trading”

literal: sale; to sell; to swear allegiance; to pledge; to make covenant

عن
ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

ذكر
dh-k-r → “remembrance” Distinctive

literal: remembrance; mention; memory; invocation; reminders; commemorations

یسبقونه
s-b-q

literal: to precede; to surpass; to excel

بالقول
q-w-l

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

وهم
w-h-m

literal: to imagine, suppose; fancy, idle imagination

بأمره
ʾ-m-r → “His commandment” Distinctive

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

العاملین
ʿ-m-l → “act”

literal: to work; to act; to do; to perform

كذلك
dh-l-k → “Such”

literal: thus; likewise; also

جرت
j-r-y → “flow”

literal: trade; commerce; business

سنّة
s-n-h → “years”

literal: year

من
m-n → “from”

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

قبل
q-b-l

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

بعد
b-ʿ-d

literal: after; behind; distance

فطوبی
ṭ-w-b → “Blessed”

literal: happiness; blessedness; felicity

للصّابرین
ṣ-b-r → “patience”

literal: patience; forbearance; endurance; to be patient

في
f-y → “under” Distinctive

literal: in; in-it; in it

البأسآء
b-ʾ-s → “Wretched” Distinctive

literal: worst; evil; bad; other than; besides; save; except

والضّرّآء
ḍ-r-r → “harm” Distinctive

literal: harm; damage; injury; detriment

ولن
l-n → “not” Distinctive

literal: will not (negation of future)

یجزعوا
j-z-ʿ → “impatient” Distinctive

literal: to grieve; to be dismayed; grief, dismay

شیء
sh-y-ʾ → “anything” Distinctive

literal: thing; something; to will; to wish; to desire; to open; to unfold; to reveal

علی
ʿ-l-w → “tread the path of” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

مناهج
n-h-j

literal: ways; paths; way

السّالكین....
s-l-k

literal: conduct; behavior; way; path; spiritual wayfaring

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