Gleanings — §261

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 261 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

قضت أیّام معدودات وما رجع إلینا إلی أن أرسل رسولاً آخر أخبرنا بأنّ القوم أعرضوا عمّا أرادوا وهم قوم صاغرون کذلك قضي الأمر في العراق إنّي شهید علی ما أقول وانتشر هذا الأمر في الأقطار وما استشعر أحد کذلك قضینا إن أنتم تعلمون

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Days passed and he failed to come back to Us. Eventually, there came another messenger who informed Us that the people had given up what they originally had purposed. They are indeed a contemptible people. This is what happened in ‘Iráq, and to what I reveal I Myself am witness. This happening was noised abroad, yet none was found to comprehend its meaning. Thus did We ordain it. Would that ye knew this!

Translation Notes

قضت

q-ḍ-y → “passed”

literal: requirement; exigency; what demands or calls for

أیّام

y-w-m → “Days”

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

معدودات

ʿ-d-d

literal: numerous; many; multiple

وما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

رجع

r-j-ʿ → “return”

literal: return; reference; place of return; resort

إلینا

ʾ-l-y → “besmirch” Distinctive

literal: to; to him; besmirch

إلی

ʾ-l-y

literal: to; to him; besmirch

أن

ʾ-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أرسل

r-s-l → “Apostle” Distinctive

literal: to send; dispatch; transmission

آخر

ʾ-kh-r → “another”

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

أخبرنا

kh-b-r → “informed”

literal: all-knowing; aware; well-informed; omniscient

بأنّ

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

القوم

q-w-m → “the people”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

أعرضوا

ʿ-r-ḍ → “turned away”

literal: to turn away; to avert; to abstain; heedless

عمّا

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: with them; in their company

أرادوا

r-y-d → “purposed”

literal: to intend; to will; to desire

وهم

w-h-m

literal: to imagine, suppose; fancy, idle imagination

صاغرون

ṣ-gh-r → “young” Distinctive

literal: smallness; insignificance; youth; to belittle

کذلك

dh-l-k → “Thus”

literal: thus; likewise; also

الأمر

ʾ-m-r → “Cause”

literal: mother; to lead; to head; matter; affair

في

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

العراق

ʿ-r-q → “vein”

literal: Iraq; sweat

إنّي

ʾ-n-n → “I”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

شهید

sh-h-d → “witness”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

علی

ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

أقول

q-w-l → “Say”

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

وانتشر

n-sh-r → “spreading” Distinctive

literal: to scatter; to spread; to unfold; to disseminate

هذا

h-dh-ʾ → “This is what”

literal: this; that

الأقطار

q-ṭ-r → “drop” Distinctive

literal: drop; region; country; rainfall

استشعر

sh-ʿ-r → “comprehend”

literal: hair

أحد

ʾ-ḥ-d → “none”

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

أنتم

n-t-m → “you”

literal: you

تعلمون

ʿ-l-m → “knew” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

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