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Gleanings — §295

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 295 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

یعتکفوا حین الظّهور بشيء عمّا خلق بین السّموات والأرضین وقال یا قوم إنّي قد أظهرت نفسي لنفسه وما نزّلت البیان إلّا لإثبات أمره اتّقوا الله ولا تتعرّضوا به کما اعترضوا عَلَيَّ ملأ الفرقان وإذا سمعتم ذکره فاسعوا إلیه وخذوا ما عنده لأنّ دونه لن یغنیکم لو تتمسّکوا بحجج الأوّلین والآخرین فلمّا قضت أشهر معلومات وسنین معدودات قد شقّت سمآء القضآء

Shoghi Effendi Translation

A few believed in Him; few of Our servants are the thankful. These He admonished, in all His Tablets — nay, in every passage of His wondrous writings — not to give themselves up in the Day of the promised Revelation to anything whatever, be it in the heaven or in the earth. “O people!” said He, “I have revealed Myself for His Manifestation, and have caused My Book, the Bayán, to descend upon you for no other purpose except to establish the truth of His Cause. Fear ye God, and contend not with Him as the people of the Qur’án have contended with Me. At whatever time ye hear of Him, hasten ye towards Him, and cleave ye to whatsoever He may reveal unto you. Naught else besides Him can ever profit you, no, not though ye produce from first to last the testimonies of all those who were before you.”

Translation Notes

خلق
khlq kh-l-q

literal: creation; create; created

SE rendered یعتکفوا (yʿtkfúá)حین (ḥín)الظّهور (aẓ-ẓhúr)بشيء (bshíʾ)خلق (khlq)السّموات (as-smúát)والأرضین (wálʾarḍín)وقال (wqál) as “not to give themselves up, in the Day, of the promised Revelation, to anything whatever, the heaven, or in the earth, said He”

creation 31% creatures 16% hath 14% created 12% men 9% people 7% mankind 4% world 3% called 2% made 2%
کما
kmá k-m “as”

literal: decrease; less; as

SE rendered اتّقوا (ittqúá)الله (al-lh)تتعرّضوا (ttʿrrḍúá)کما (kmá)اعترضوا (iʿtrḍúá)ملأ (mlʾ)الفرقان (al-frqán) as “Fear ye, God, contend not, as, have contended, the people of, the Qur’án”

3 occurrences in corpus

فلمّا
flmmá l-m-m

literal: when

SE rendered تتمسّکوا (ttmsskúá)بحجج (bḥjj)الأوّلین (al-ʾawwlín)والآخرین (wálákhrín)فلمّا (flmmá)قضت (qḍt)أشهر (ʾashhr)معلومات (mʿlúmát)وسنین (wsnín)معدودات (mʿdúdát) as “no, not though ye produce, testimonies, from first, to last, few”

sooner 33% found 33% when 33%
قضت
qḍt q-ḍ-y

literal: decree; decree/judgment; decreed

SE rendered بحجج (bḥjj)الأوّلین (al-ʾawwlín)والآخرین (wálákhrín)فلمّا (flmmá)قضت (qḍt)أشهر (ʾashhr)معلومات (mʿlúmát)وسنین (wsnín)معدودات (mʿdúdát) as “testimonies, from first, to last, few”

أشهر
ʾashhr sh-h-r

literal: city; famous; month

SE rendered الأوّلین (al-ʾawwlín)والآخرین (wálákhrín)فلمّا (flmmá)قضت (qḍt)أشهر (ʾashhr)معلومات (mʿlúmát)وسنین (wsnín)معدودات (mʿdúdát) as “from first, to last, few”

city 26% well-known 15% months 7% reputed 7% cities 7% month 7% widely 7% spread 7% well 7% fame 7%
معلومات
mʿlúmát ʿ-l-m

literal: world; knowledge; worlds

SE rendered والآخرین (wálákhrín)فلمّا (flmmá)قضت (qḍt)أشهر (ʾashhr)معلومات (mʿlúmát)وسنین (wsnín)معدودات (mʿdúdát) as “to last, few”

knowledge 24% world 22% worlds 15% all 9% divines 9% all-knowing 7% know 5% signs 4% learning 4% earth 3%
وسنین
wsnín s-n-h

literal: year; years; year-old

SE rendered والآخرین (wálákhrín)فلمّا (flmmá)قضت (qḍt)أشهر (ʾashhr)معلومات (mʿlúmát)وسنین (wsnín)معدودات (mʿdúdát) as “to last, few”

years 61% year 18% twenty 3% many 3% centuries 3% aeons 3% seventy-year 3% “the 3% ere 3% long 3%

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