Gleanings — §290

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 290 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

أن یا عبد، أن استمع ما یوحي إلیک عن جهة عرش ربّک العليّ العظیم بأنّه لا إله إلّا هو قد خلق الخلق لعرفان نفسه الرّحمن الرّحیم وأرسل إلی کلّ مدینة رسولاً من عنده لیبشّرهم برضوان الله ویقرّبهم إلی مقعد الأمن مقرّ قدس رفیع ومن النّاس من اهتدی بهدی الله وفاز بلقائه

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Give ear, O My servant, unto that which is being sent down unto thee from the Throne of thy Lord, the Inaccessible, the Most Great. There is none other God but Him. He hath called into being His creatures, that they may know Him, Who is the Compassionate, the All-Merciful. Unto the cities of all nations He hath sent His Messengers, Whom He hath commissioned to announce unto men tidings of the Paradise of His good pleasure, and to draw them nigh unto the Haven of abiding security, the Seat of eternal holiness and transcendent glory.

Translation Notes

یا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

عبد،

ʿ-b-d → “servant”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

استمع

s-m-ʿ → “Give ear”

literal: heard, hearkened to, acceptable, worthy of attention

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

یوحي

w-ḥ-y → “Revelation” Distinctive

literal: revelation; revelation/inspiration; revelation, inspiration

إلیک

ʾ-l-y → “towards” Distinctive

literal: one; a single

عن

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

جهة

literal: direction; side; way; quarter; aspect

عرش

ʿ-r-sh → “Throne”

literal: of the Throne; companion of the Throne

ربّک

r-b-b → “Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

العليّ

ʿ-l-w → “Inaccessible” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

العظیم

ʿ-ẓ-m → “Most Great”

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

بأنّه

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

إله

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

إلّا

ʾ-kh-r → “but” Distinctive

literal: except; but; if not; lo; now; at this time; save; only; unless

هو

h-w → “is”

literal: He; He is

قد

q-d → “We have been”

literal: verily; indeed; certainly (particle of emphasis)

خلق

kh-l-q → “called into being” Distinctive

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

لعرفان

ʿ-r-f → “know Him” Distinctive

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

نفسه

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

الرّحمن

r-ḥ-m → “Compassionate”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

وأرسل

r-s-l → “sent”

literal: to send; dispatch; transmission

کلّ

k-l-l → “all”

literal: for us; to us

مدینة

m-d-n → “cities” Distinctive

literal: religion; faith; creed; belief

من

m-n

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

عنده

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

لیبشّرهم

b-sh-r → “announce unto men tidings”

literal: human; mankind; human nature

برضوان

r-ḍ-w → “Paradise”

literal: good-pleasure, consent, satisfaction

الله

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

ویقرّبهم

q-r-b → “draw them nigh”

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

مقعد

q-ʿ-d → “Seat”

literal: rule; principle; foundation; basis

الأمن

ʾ-m-n → “security”

literal: to believe; to have faith; to be secure; trust; trustworthiness; covenant; deposit; believer, faithful

مقرّ

literal: matter; affair; thing

قدس

q-d-s → “holiness”

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

رفیع

r-f-ʿ → “raised” Distinctive

literal: to be raised, elevated, exalted, lifted up

النّاس

literal: companionship; fellowship; familiarity; to keep company

اهتدی

literal: guidance; to guide

وفاز

literal: to attain; to gain; to succeed; to win

بلقائه

literal: opposite; facing; in front of; towards

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