Gleanings — §284

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 284 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

فانظروا في رحمة الله وألطافه إنّه يأمركم بما ينفعكم بعد إذ كان غنيّا عن العالمين لن تضرّنا سيّئاتكم كما لا تنفعنا حسناتكم إنّما ندعوكم لوجه الله يشهد بذلك كلّ عالم بصير...

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Consider the mercy of God and His gifts. He enjoineth upon you that which shall profit you, though He Himself can well dispense with all creatures. Your evil doings can never harm Us, neither can your good works profit Us. We summon you wholly for the sake of God. To this every man of understanding and insight will testify.

Translation Notes

فانظروا

fánẓrúá n-ẓ-r → “consider”

literal: look; looking

consider 33% regard 20% behold 13% “consider 7% “regard 7% look 7% keep 7% fix 7%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §140: in their concern fire-tabletFire §48: looking toward gleaningsGWB §353: reading kitab-i-ahdAhd §10: to turn kitab-i-iqanKIQ §130: owing to lack of prayers-and-meditationsP&M §27: look upon tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §3: Most Great Beauty the-hidden-wordsHW §76: seeketh

رحمة

rḥmh r-ḥ-m → “mercy”

literal: mercy; merciful

mercy 72% have 7% tender 7% pity 3% god’s 3% compassion 3% tenderness 3%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §8: of Thy mercy fire-tabletFire §30: Thy compassion gleaningsGWB §35: loving providence kitab-i-ahdAhd §8: blessings kitab-i-iqanKIQ §240: mercy of the All-Bountiful prayers-and-meditationsP&M §109: the Most Compassionate.”tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §15: a mercy the-hidden-wordsHW §68: By My mercy

وألطافه

wʾalṭáfh l-ṭ-f → “favors” Distinctive

literal: kindness

This form usually rendered as “bounty”, “bounties”, “providence” (13 occurrences)

bounty 18% bounties 9% providence 9% god 9% manifold 9% favors 9% most 9% favours 9% divine 9% loving-kindness 9%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §198: most sanctified gleaningsGWB §327: subtle Reality kitab-i-iqanKIQ §107: lofty prayers-and-meditationsP&M §200: Thy bounties the-hidden-wordsHW §109: loving and kindness will-and-testamentW&T §27: as a sign epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §253: is pure gleaningsGWB §694: bountiful favor

يأمركم

yʾamrkm ʾ-m-r → “enjoineth upon you”

literal: command

SE expanded to “enjoineth upon you”

biddeth 33% commandeth 17% enjoineth 17% follow 17% bidding 17%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §13: bade Me fire-tabletFire §17: Command gleaningsGWB §202: was bidden kitab-i-ahdAhd §7: a decree kitab-i-iqanKIQ §57: take counsel prayers-and-meditationsP&M §272: at Thy behest tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §12: to its dwellers the-hidden-wordsHW §30: My command

ينفعكم

ynfʿkm n-f-ʿ → “that which shall profit”

literal: benefit; beneficial; benefited

SE expanded to “that which shall profit”

shall 25% can 13% unprofitable 13% which 13% profit 13% profiteth 13% indeed 13%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §203: profiteth gleaningsGWB §719: indeed, profit prayers-and-meditationsP&M §158: me the-hidden-wordsHW §19: profiteth thee will-and-testamentW&T §27: for the common weal epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §55: profit thee gleaningsGWB §443: promote the highest interests prayers-and-meditationsP&M §854: enable

غنيّا

ghníná gh-n-y → “all creatures” Distinctive

literal: rich; wealth; riches

This form usually rendered as “all-possessing”, “rich”, “dispense” (42 occurrences)

all-possessing 37% rich 33% dispense 7% afford 3% self-sufficient 3% all 3% can 3% independent 3% truth 3% enrich 3%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §5: Thy riches gleaningsGWB §297: can well dispense kitab-i-iqanKIQ §258: rich prayers-and-meditationsP&M §243: by Thy wealth tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §2: singeth tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §37: eternal wealth the-hidden-wordsHW §57: rich in its possession epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §205: notes

عالم

ʿálm ʿ-l-m → “man of understanding” Distinctive

literal: world; knowledge; worlds

This form usually rendered as “world”, “earth”, “mankind” (363 occurrences)

SE expanded to “man of understanding”

world 68% earth 8% mankind 7% realm 4% men 3% whole 2% all 2% all-knowing 2% knoweth 2% dwell 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §155: Your sciences fire-tabletFire §49: all the worlds gleaningsGWB §152: Object kitab-i-iqanKIQ §16: the standard prayers-and-meditationsP&M §316: the ensigns of Thy guidance tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §17: of all the worlds tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §13: we have taught thee the-hidden-wordsHW §104: existence

سيّئاتكم

sísʾátkm s-w-ʾ → “sins” Distinctive

literal: evil; sin; evil/harm

This form usually rendered as “evil” (1 occurrences)

sins 29% evil 14% all 14% ills 14% wretched 14% misfortunes 14%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §135: thy sins gleaningsGWB §682: wretched prayers-and-meditationsP&M §858: sins gleaningsGWB §509: Our ills prayers-and-meditationsP&M §127: misfortunes gleaningsGWB §284: evil doings gleaningsGWB §428: all else but Me

كما

kmá k-m → “loss”

literal: decrease; less; as

3 occurrences in corpus

gleaningsGWB §147: loss kitab-i-iqanKIQ §262: as

حسناتكم

ḥsnátkm ḥ-s-n → “good works”

literal: best; Husayn; beautiful

most 36% good 13% bounty 10% goodly 8% bountiful 8% excellent 5% do 5% best 5% which 5% kindly 5%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §206: most excellent gleaningsGWB §284: good works kitab-i-iqanKIQ §120: righteousness prayers-and-meditationsP&M §561: that which is good the-hidden-wordsHW §2: kindly will-and-testamentW&T §21: improve epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §56: preferable gleaningsGWB §574: that do good

إنّما

ʾinnmá n-m-ʾ

literal: do; show; make

SE rendered سيّئاتكم (sísʾátkm), كما (kmá), تنفعنا (tnfʿná), حسناتكم (ḥsnátkm), إنّما (ʾinnmá), ندعوكم (ndʿúkm), لوجه (lújh), الله (al-lh), يشهد (yshhd), بذلك (bdhlk) as “evil doings, neither can, profit, good works, summon, for the sake, God, testify, To this”

have 25% will 14% hath 14% thou 9% consider 7% may 7% made 7% can 7% reflect 7% offered 5%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §242: said gleaningsGWB §40: quench kitab-i-ahdAhd §14: be made kitab-i-iqanKIQ §47: Reflect prayers-and-meditationsP&M §667: show the-hidden-wordsHW §160: will reveal will-and-testamentW&T §55: them epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §242: peruse

ندعوكم

ndʿúkm d-ʿ-w → “summon”

literal: call; invitation; claim

summoned 22% summon 20% summoneth 13% calling 9% called 9% beseech 8% call 6% claim 5% have 5% thou 4%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §135: summoneth gleaningsGWB §719: turn away kitab-i-ahdAhd §6: Pray kitab-i-iqanKIQ §206: claims prayers-and-meditationsP&M §523: I have summoned tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §53: was called the-hidden-wordsHW §99: guise epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §89: invoketh

لوجه

lújh w-j-h → “for the sake”

literal: face

SE expanded to “for the sake”

sake 57% face 19% countenance 12% wholly 2% bright 2% whose 2% friendly 2% light 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §30: thy face towards fire-tabletFire §30: This Face gleaningsGWB §539: His countenance kitab-i-ahdAhd §10: turn your faces kitab-i-iqanKIQ §30: to turn prayers-and-meditationsP&M §220: fix my gaze upon Thee tablet-of-carmelCarmel §1: the light of the the-hidden-wordsHW §9: thyself

يشهد

yshhd sh-h-d → “testify”

literal: witness; witnessed

testifieth 22% beareth 22% testify 18% bear 13% witness 7% unto 4% will 4% confesseth 4% witnesseth 2% well 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §240: beareth Me witness fire-tabletFire §48: the place gleaningsGWB §672: gaze kitab-i-ahdAhd §3: appeareth kitab-i-iqanKIQ §252: Martyrs”prayers-and-meditationsP&M §714: are tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §12: dost witness the-hidden-wordsHW §46: Seek a martyr’s death

بذلك

bdhlk dh-l-k → “to this”

literal: that; thus; by-that

SE rendered ندعوكم (ndʿúkm), لوجه (lújh), الله (al-lh), يشهد (yshhd), بذلك (bdhlk), عالم (ʿálm), بصير (bṣír) as “summon, for the sake, God, testify, To this, man of understanding, insight”