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Gleanings — §264

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 264 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

یا ثمرتی دو امر از آمر حقیقی ظاهر و این در مقامات قضا و قدر است اطاعتش لازم و تسلیم واجب اجلیست محتوم و همچنین اجلیست بقول خلق معلّق امّا اوّل باید بآن تسلیم نمود چه که حتم است ولکن حقّ قادر بر تغییر و تبدیل آن بوده و هست ولکن ضرّش اعظم است از قبل لذا تفویض و توکّل محبوب

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Know thou, O fruit of My Tree, that the decrees of the Sovereign Ordainer, as related to fate and predestination, are of two kinds. Both are to be obeyed and accepted. The one is irrevocable, the other is, as termed by men, impending. To the former all must unreservedly submit, inasmuch as it is fixed and settled. God, however, is able to alter or repeal it. As the harm that must result from such a change will be greater than if the decree had remained unaltered, all, therefore, should willingly acquiesce in what God hath willed and confidently abide by the same.

Translation Notes

یا
y-ʾ

literal: O; or

ثمرتی
th-m-r → “fruit of My Tree”

literal: fruit; the fruit

دو
d-w → “two kinds”

literal: two; run; running

امر
ʾ-m-r → “Cause”

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

از
ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

حقیقی
ḥ-q-q → “God” Distinctive

literal: truth; right; that which is true or just

ظاهر
ẓ-h-r

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

این
ʾ-y-n

literal: this; these

در
d-r-r

literal: in; in, at; radiant

مقامات
q-w-m

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

قضا
q-ḍ-y → “fate”

literal: requirement; exigency; what demands or calls for; to require; to necessitate; to demand

قدر
q-d-r → “power”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

است
b-w-d → “are”

literal: to be; are (third person plural present copula)

اطاعتش
ṭ-w-ʿ → “to be obeyed”

literal: obedient; obedience; to obey

لازم
l-z-m

literal: necessary, incumbent, obligatory, essential

تسلیم
s-l-m → “resignation”

literal: resignation; submission; surrender; submissiveness

واجب
w-j-b

literal: incumbent; obligatory; necessary; required

اجلیست
ʾ-j-l → “to” Distinctive

literal: اجلیست appears to relate to اجل ‘appointed time/irrevocable’ from ا-ج-ل, not ج-ل-ي (manifestation); term; appointed time; period; sake

محتوم
ḥ-t-m → “irrevocable”

literal: to be necessary, inevitable; determined

همچنین
ch-n-n

literal: always; ever; forever; at all times; constantly

بقول
q-w-l → “Say” Distinctive

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

خلق
kh-l-q → “by men” Distinctive

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

معلّق
ʿ-l-q → “dependent”

literal: attachment; connection; relationship

امّا
ʾ-m-m

literal: mother; to lead; to head; matter; affair; people; nation; community; female servant; handmaiden; umma

اوّل
ʾ-w-l → “first”

literal: first; beginning; at first; the first; former; possessors of; those who have; masters of

باید
b-y-d → “all must”

literal: by hand; with hands; eternal; perpetual; everlasting

بآن
ʾ-n-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

نمود
n-m-ʾ → “hath”

literal: to become; to be

چه
ch-h

literal: what; what/for; whatsoever, that which

که
k-h → “which”

literal: that; who; who, that

ولکن
l-k-n → “however”

literal: but; however; yet; nevertheless

بر
b-r-r → “to”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

تغییر
gh-y-r → “alter”

literal: without; besides; other than; except; other; different

تبدیل
b-d-l → “change”

literal: in place of; instead of; to change; to alter (preposition or verb stem)

آن
ʾ-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

هست
h-s-t → “are”

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

ضرّش
ḍ-r-r → “harm”

literal: harm; hardship; affliction

اعظم
ʿ-ẓ-m → “greater”

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

قبل
q-b-l

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

لذا
l-dh-ʾ → “therefore”

literal: therefore; for this reason; hence; so

تفویض
f-w-ḍ → “commit”

literal: to delegate; to entrust; to resign; resignation to God’s will

توکّل
w-k-l → “trust”

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

محبوب
ḥ-b-b

literal: love; affection

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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