Gleanings — §363

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 363 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

و به چه عشق و حبّ و محبّت و ذوق که جان رایگان در سبیل سبحان انفاق نمودند چنانچه بر همه واضح و مبرهن است با وجود این چگونه این امر را سهل شمرند آیا در هیچ عصر چنین امر خطیری ظاهر شد و آیا اگر این اصحاب مجاهد فی‌الله نباشند دیگر که مجاهد خواهد بود و آیا اینها طالب عزّت و مکنت و ثروت بودند و آیا مقصودی جز رضای حقّ داشتند و اگر این همه اصحاب با این آثار عجیبه و افعال غریبه باطل باشند دیگر که سزاوار است که دعوی حقّ نماید قسم بخدا که همین فعلشان برای جمیع من علی الأرض حجّت کافی و دلیل وافی است لو کان النّاس فی اسرار الأمر یتفکّرون وَسَیَعْلَمُ الَّذِینَ ظَلَمُوا أَيِّ مُنْقَلَبٍ یَنقَلِبُونَ...

Shoghi Effendi Translation

With what love, what devotion, what exultation and holy rapture, they sacrificed their lives in the path of the All-Glorious! To the truth of this all witness. And yet, how can they belittle this Revelation? Hath any age witnessed such momentous happenings? If these companions be not the true strivers after God, who else could be called by this name? Have these companions been seekers after power or glory? Have they ever yearned for riches? Have they cherished any desire except the good pleasure of God? If these companions, with all their marvelous testimonies and wondrous works, be false, who then is worthy to claim for himself the truth? I swear by God! Their very deeds are a sufficient testimony, and an irrefutable proof unto all the peoples of the earth, were men to ponder in their hearts the mysteries of Divine Revelation. “And they who act unjustly shall soon know what lot awaiteth them!”…

Translation Notes

به

b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

چه

ch-h → “For”

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

عشق

ʿ-sh-q → “love”

literal: love, passion, ardor

حبّ

ḥ-b-b → “devotion” Distinctive

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

ذوق

dh-w-q → “rapture”

literal: to taste; taste, flavor

که

k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

جان

j-ʾ-n → “lives”

literal: soul; life; spirit; self

رایگان

r-y-g

literal: to see; to perceive; to look; to see, to observe, to behold; to view; vision; dream; sight; ل is prefix; verb تری (you see) is from ر-ا-ي

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

سبیل

s-b-l → “path”

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

سبحان

s-b-ḥ → “All-Glorious” Distinctive

literal: glorified; the All-Praised; exalted; dawn; daybreak; morning

انفاق

n-f-q → “sacrificed”

literal: hypocrisy; sedition; discord; betrayal

نمودند

n-m-ود → “they”

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

بر

b-r-r

literal: on; on, upon; upon

همه

h-m-h → “all”

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

واضح

w-ḍ-ḥ

literal: clear; evident; manifest; obvious

مبرهن

b-r-h-n

literal: human; mankind; human nature

با

b-ʾ-ʾ → “with”

literal: to; with; by

وجود

w-j-d

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

این

ʾ-y-n → “this”

literal: this; these

چگونه

ch-g-n → “how”

literal: how; in what manner

امر

ʾ-m-r → “Revelation”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

سهل

s-h-l → “belittle”

literal: easy; to make easy; to regard as light

شمرند

sh-m-r

literal: to count; to regard; to esteem; to consider

آیا

ʾ-y-y → “signs”

literal: does; is it that (interrogative particle); sign; verse; O! (vocative particle); him; them (object pronoun)

هیچ

h-y-ch → “any”

literal: nothing; any; not a single

عصر

ʿ-ṣ-r → “age”

literal: age; era; century; period of time

چنین

ch-n-n → “likewise” Distinctive

literal: thus; in such manner; as

خطیری

kh-ṭ-r → “momentous”

literal: danger; peril; risk; to cross the mind

ظاهر

ẓ-h-r → “Revelation” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest; to display; to reveal; ظهور here means ‘backs’ (plural of ظهر), different semantic use than manifestation

شد

sh-d

literal: to become; to be

اگر

ʾ-g-r → “were they”

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

اصحاب

ṣ-ḥ-b → “companions”

literal: possessor; those who have; companion; followers

مجاهد

j-h-d → “strivers”

literal: effort; striving; exertion; endeavor

فی‌الله

f-y → “in” Distinctive

literal: in God, for God’s sake

نباشند

b-w-d → “be”

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

دیگر

d-g-r → “else” Distinctive

literal: home; place; land; abode

خواهد

kh-w-h → “will”

literal: will; to wish; to want

طالب

ṭ-l-b → “seekers”

literal: seeker, one who seeks; those who seek

عزّت

ʿ-z-z → “glory”

literal: glory; might; honor; dignity; power; majesty

مکنت

m-k-n → “power”

literal: place; possibility; possible

ثروت

th-r-w → “riches”

literal: wealth, riches, affluence

مقصودی

q-ṣ-d → “desire”

literal: intention; purpose; aim; goal; to seek; to direct oneself

جز

j-z → “apart from”

literal: except

رضای

r-ḍ-y → “good pleasure”

literal: good-pleasure, consent, satisfaction

حقّ

ḥ-q-q → “God”

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

داشتند

d-ʾ-sh

literal: to have; to hold; to keep

آثار

ʾ-th-r → “signs”

literal: effect; trace; influence; imprint

عجیبه

ʿ-j-b → “strange”

literal: wonder; amazement; marvelous; strange

افعال

f-ʿ-l → “works”

literal: to do, act, make; deed, action

غریبه

gh-r-b → “wondrous”

literal: west; sunset; place of setting

باطل

b-ṭ-l → “false”

literal: falsehood, false; vain, null

سزاوار

s-z-w → “beseemeth”

literal: worthy; fitting; deserving; appropriate; suitable

دعوی

d-ʿ-w → “claim for himself the truth”

literal: to claim; to allege; claim; assertion; to assert

نماید

n-m-ʾ

literal: do; show; make

قسم

q-s-m → “swear”

literal: oath; division; kind; type

بخدا

kh-d-y → “verses”

literal: God; the Divine

همین

h-m-n → “Help in Peril” Distinctive

literal: the same; that very

برای

b-r-y

literal: for; on; briefly

جمیع

j-m-ʿ → “all”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

من

m-n

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

علی

ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

الأرض

ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

حجّت

ḥ-j-j → “proof”

literal: path, way; clear path

کافی

k-f-y → “sufficient”

literal: to be content; to suffice; to be satisfied; to be satisfied with

دلیل

d-l-l → “testimony”

literal: to argue; to demonstrate; proof

وافی

w-f-y

literal: faithfulness; fidelity; fulfill

لو

l-w → “If”

literal: if; would that; O that

کان

k-w-n

literal: to do; to make; to perform; to be; was

النّاس

n-ʾ-s → “men”

literal: companionship; fellowship; familiarity; to keep company

اسرار

s-r-r → “mysteries”

literal: throne; couch; seat of authority

الأمر

ʾ-m-r → “Revelation”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

یتفکّرون

f-k-r → “ponder”

literal: reflection; thought; reflect

وَسَیَعْلَمُ

ʿ-l-m → “know”

literal: world; knowledge; worlds

الَّذِینَ

l-dh-y → “which” Distinctive

literal: those who; the ones who (relative pronoun)

ظَلَمُوا

ẓ-l-m → “unjustly”

literal: wrongedness, oppression, meekness; state of being wronged or oppressed

أَيِّ

ʾ-y-y → “signs” Distinctive

literal: does; is it that (interrogative particle); sign; verse; O! (vocative particle); him; them (object pronoun)

مُنْقَلَبٍ

q-l-b → “lot”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

Bahá’u’lláh

The last outstanding Tablet revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, written around 1891 and addressed to Shaykh Muḥammad-Taqí of Iṣfahán. It calls upon that rapacious priest to repent, quotes the most celebrated passages from Bahá’u’lláh’s own writings, and adduces proofs establishing the validity of His Cause.

268 ¶

Fire Tablet

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in late 1871 during a period of severe hardship in ‘Akká, this Tablet takes the form of an anguished dialogue between Bahá’u’lláh and God. Questions about the sufferings of the faithful are answered with divine assurances, building to a crescendo of triumph over tribulation.

50 ¶

Kitáb-i-’Ahd

Bahá’u’lláh

The Book of the Covenant — Bahá’u’lláh’s Will and Testament, written entirely in His own hand and unsealed on the ninth day after His ascension. It designates ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His successor and establishes what Shoghi Effendi called the mightiest Covenant in all religious history.

16 ¶

Kitáb-i-Íqán

Bahá’u’lláh

The principal doctrinal work of the Faith, revealed in Baghdad within the space of two days and two nights in response to questions from the Báb’s maternal uncle. Shoghi Effendi described it as occupying a position unequalled by any work except the Kitáb-i-Aqdas — a model of Persian prose, at once original, chaste, vigorous, and remarkably lucid.

291 ¶

Prayers and Meditations

Bahá’u’lláh

Published in 1938, this companion volume to Gleanings contains 184 prayers and meditations selected by Shoghi Effendi from Bahá’u’lláh’s devotional writings revealed across successive exiles from Baghdad to ‘Akká. Shoghi Effendi described it as a volume whose perusal would deepen the spirit of devotion and faith.

858 ¶

Tablet of Aḥmad

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in Adrianople and addressed to a believer named Aḥmad, this Tablet has been invested by Bahá’u’lláh with a special potency and significance. Its central imagery draws on the metaphor of fire and water: “Be thou as a flame of fire to My enemies and a river of life eternal to My loved ones.”

17 ¶

Tablet of Carmel

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed during a visit to Mount Carmel, this Tablet addresses the mountain directly and prophesies its future as the world spiritual and administrative center of the Faith. Shoghi Effendi designated it one of three foundational Charters. Its imagery of the Ark and the dwellers therein prefigures the Universal House of Justice.

5 ¶

Tablet of the Holy Mariner

Bahá’u’lláh

Chanted aloud in the outskirts of Baghdad just weeks before the Declaration in the Garden of Riḍván, its gloomy prognostications aroused the grave apprehensions of all who heard it. Only the Arabic portion has an authorized translation; the Persian portion remains untranslated.

57 ¶

The Hidden Words

Bahá’u’lláh

Seventy-one Arabic and eighty-two Persian aphorisms revealed around 1858 while walking along the banks of the Tigris in Baghdad. Originally designated the “Hidden Book of Fáṭimih,” Shoghi Effendi described it as a marvelous collection of gem-like utterances occupying a position of unsurpassed preeminence among the ethical writings of the Faith.

160 ¶

Will and Testament

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in three parts between 1901 and 1908, opened and read after His passing on 28 November 1921. Shoghi Effendi designated it the Charter of the New World Order — the mightiest instrument forged to ensure the continuity of the three ages of the Bahá’í Dispensation.

59 ¶