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Gleanings — §313

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 313 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

اینکه از حقیقت نفس سؤال نمودید انّها آیة الهیّة و جوهرة ملکوتیّة الّتی عجز کلّ ذی علم عن عرفان حقیقتها و کلّ ذی عرفان عن معرفتها انّها اوّل شیء حکی عن الله موجده و اقبل الیه و تمسّک به و سجد له در اینصورت بحقّ منسوب و باو راجع و من غیر آن بهوی منسوب و باو راجع الیوم هر نفسی شبهات خلق او را از

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Thou hast asked Me concerning the nature of the soul. Know, verily, that the soul is a sign of God, a heavenly gem whose reality the most learned of men hath failed to grasp, and whose mystery no mind, however acute, can ever hope to unravel. It is the first among all created things to declare the excellence of its Creator, the first to recognize His glory, to cleave to His truth, and to bow down in adoration before Him. If it be faithful to God, it will reflect His light, and will, eventually, return unto Him. If it fail, however, in its allegiance to its Creator, it will become a victim to self and passion, and will, in the end, sink in their depths.

Translation Notes

اینکه
ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter” Distinctive

literal: that, the fact that, this (demonstrative particle)

از
ʾ-z

literal: from

حقیقت
ḥ-q-q → “truth”

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

نفس
n-f-s → “soul”

literal: soul; self; person; essence

سؤال
s-ʾ-l

literal: question; problem; issue; matter; asking; petition; request

نمودید
n-m-ʾ → “will”

literal: to show, display, exhibit; to grow, develop

انّها
null → “that”

literal: that, it; to be; indeed

آیة
ʾ-y-y → “sign”

literal: verse; sign; miracle; proof

الهیّة
ʾ-l-h → “of God”

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

جوهرة
j-w-h-r → “Essences”

literal: jewel; essence; gem; substance

ملکوتیّة
m-l-k → “heavenly”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty

الّتی
ʾ-l-l → “which”

literal: who; which/that; which

عجز
ʿ-j-z → “failed” Distinctive

literal: to be unable; to fail; to be exhausted; impotence

کلّ
k-l-l

literal: for us; to us

ذی
dh-w-y

literal: possessor; possessor of; possessor/owner

علم
ʿ-l-m → “learned” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

عن
ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

عرفان
ʿ-r-f → “knowledge”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

اوّل
ʾ-w-l → “first”

literal: first; beginning; at first

شیء
sh-y-ʾ → “things”

literal: thing; something; to will; to wish; to desire; to open; to unfold; to reveal

حکی
ḥ-k-y → “testify” Distinctive

literal: telling; indicative; narrator; testifier; narrative; story; account; tale; to relate; one who relates; speaking of

موجده
w-j-d → “being” Distinctive

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

اقبل
q-b-l → “before” Distinctive

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

الیه
ʾ-l-y

literal: to; to him; besmirch

تمسّک
m-s-k → “cleave”

literal: musk; to seize; grip; to hold fast; to cling to; to grasp

به
b-h → “as”

literal: by it; by him; with it

سجد
s-j-d → “worship” Distinctive

literal: mosque; place of prostration

له
h-w → “is”

literal: for them both; to both of them (dual pronoun)

در
d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

اینصورت
ṣ-w-r

literal: to imagine; to conceive; to suppose

منسوب
n-s-b

literal: relation; relationship; connection; attribution; proportion

باو
ʾ-w-w → “return unto Him”

literal: sale; to sell; to swear allegiance; to pledge; to make covenant

راجع
r-j-ʿ → “return”

literal: return; reference; place of return; resort

من
m-n

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

غیر
gh-y-r → “other”

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

آن
ʾ-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

بهوی
h-w-y → “to self and passion”

literal: desire; vain desire; inclination; passion; whim; realm; region

الیوم
y-w-m

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

هر
h-r

literal: whatever; all that; whatever thing

شبهات
sh-b-h

literal: doubt; uncertainty; suspicion; resemblance; semblance

خلق
kh-l-q → “created”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

او
h-w-w

literal: he; it (third person pronoun); refuge; shelter; dwelling place; abode; lamentation, cry, woe; melody, song

را
r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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59 ¶