Gleanings — §381

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 381 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

دو قسم است یک قسم آن محیط بر کلّ است و کلّ را تربیت میفرماید و رزق میدهد چنانچه خود را ربّ العالمین فرموده و قسم دیگر مخصوص بنفوسی است که در ظلّ این اسم در این ظهور اعظم وارد شده‌اند ولکن نفوس خارجه از این مقام محروم و از مائدهٴ احدیّه که از سماء فضل این اسم اعظم نازل ممنوعند چه نسبت است آن نفوس را مع این نفوس لو کشف الغطآء لینصعق من فی الأکوان من مقامات الّذین توجّهوا الی الله و انقطعوا فی حبّه عن العالمین و موحّد در این دو طائفه تجلّی این دو اسم را ملاحظه مینماید بقسمی که مذکور شد چه که اگر اخذ تجلّی شود کلّ هالک خواهند بود و همچنین در تجلّی شمس اسم احد ملاحظه

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Consider, for instance, the revelation of the light of the Name of God, the Educator. Behold, how in all things the evidences of such a revelation are manifest, how the betterment of all beings dependeth upon it. This education is of two kinds. The one is universal. Its influence pervadeth all things and sustaineth them. It is for this reason that God hath assumed the title, “Lord of all worlds.” The other is confined to them that have come under the shadow of this Name, and sought the shelter of this most mighty Revelation. They, however, that have failed to seek this shelter, have deprived themselves of this privilege, and are powerless to benefit from the spiritual sustenance that hath been sent down through the heavenly grace of this Most Great Name. How great the gulf fixed between the one and the other! If the veil were lifted, and the full glory of the station of those that have turned wholly towards God, and have, in their love for Him, renounced the world, were made manifest, the entire creation would be dumbfounded. The true believer in the Unity of God will, as it hath already been explained, recognize, in the believer and the unbeliever, the evidences of the revelation of both of these Names. Were this revelation to be withdrawn, all would perish.

Translation Notes

دو

d-w → “two kinds”

literal: two; run; running

قسم

q-s-m → “swear”

literal: oath; division; kind; type

است

b-w-d → “is”

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

یک

y-k → “one”

literal: one; a single

آن

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

محیط

ḥ-w-ṭ → “encompassed” Distinctive

literal: to surround, encompass, encircle, beset

بر

b-r-r → “upon”

literal: on; on, upon; upon

کلّ

k-l-l → “all things”

literal: for us; to us

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

تربیت

r-b-y → “education”

literal: education; upbringing; training; cultivation

رزق

r-z-q → “sustenance”

literal: sustenance; provision; to grant livelihood

میدهد

d-h

literal: give; grant; bestow; award

چنانچه

ch-n-n → “likewise” Distinctive

literal: thus; in such manner; as

خود

kh-w-d

literal: self; himself; herself; itself; own

ربّ

r-b-b → ““Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

العالمین

ʿ-l-m → “all worlds.””

literal: world; universe; the worlds

فرموده

f-r-m → “saith” Distinctive

literal: to say; to decree; to ordain; to command

دیگر

d-g-r → “other”

literal: home; place; land; abode

مخصوص

kh-ṣ-ṣ → “confined” Distinctive

literal: specific matter; particularity; especially; in this matter

بنفوسی

n-f-s → “them”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

که

k-h → “that”

literal: that; who; who, that

در

d-r-r

literal: in; in, at; radiant

ظلّ

ẓ-l-l → “shadow”

literal: to take shelter; to dwell in shadow

این

ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

اسم

s-m-w → “Name”

literal: name; title; designation

ظهور

ẓ-h-r → “Revelation”

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

اعظم

ʿ-ẓ-m → “most mighty” Distinctive

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

وارد

w-r-d → “have come” Distinctive

literal: to enter, to come, to befall, to arrive

شده‌اند

sh-d → “been” Distinctive

literal: become; turned into; has become; to become; to be

ولکن

l-k-n → “They, however”

literal: but; however; yet; nevertheless

خارجه

kh-r-j

literal: bringing out, taking out, expulsion, extraction

از

ʾ-z

literal: from

محروم

ḥ-r-m → “have deprived”

literal: sanctity, inviolability, dignity, honor, respect

مائدهٴ

m-w-d

literal: table; table/banquet; table, banquet

احدیّه

ʾ-ḥ-d → “of God”

literal: oneness; uniqueness; absolute unity; singularity of God

فضل

f-ḍ-l → “grace”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

نازل

n-z-l → “sent down”

literal: to descend, to be revealed

ممنوعند

m-n-ʿ

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

چه

ch-h

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

نسبت

n-s-b

literal: relation; relationship; connection; attribution; proportion

مع

m-ʿ

literal: with; together with; alongside

لو

l-w → “If”

literal: if; would that; O that

کشف

k-sh-f

literal: unveiling; disclosure; revelation

الغطآء

gh-ṭ-w → “veil”

literal: the letter Ṭá; refers to Ṭihrán (also spelled Ṭehran)

لینصعق

ṣ-ʿ-q → “dumbfounded”

literal: to be thunderstruck; to be dumbfounded; to swoon

من

m-n

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

فی

f-y

literal: in; in-it; in it

الأکوان

k-w-n → “the entire creation”

literal: be; was; to be

مقامات

q-w-m → “station”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

الّذین

l-dh-y → “which” Distinctive

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

توجّهوا

w-j-h → “turned” Distinctive

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

الی

ʾ-l-y

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

الله

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

انقطعوا

q-ṭ-ʿ → “renounced”

literal: to be severed; to be cut off; to detach oneself; to abstain

حبّه

ḥ-b-b → “love”

literal: love; beloved; beloved ones

عن

ʿ-n

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

موحّد

w-ḥ-d → “true believer”

literal: Divine unity; monotheism; belief in the oneness of God

طائفه

ṭ-w-f

literal: circle; circling; circumambulate

تجلّی

j-l-w → “revelation”

literal: effulgence; manifestation; revelation

ملاحظه

l-ḥ-ẓ → “recognize” Distinctive

literal: assembly; multitude; chiefs; to fill; people of rank; fullness, assembly

مینماید

n-m-ʾ → “will” Distinctive

literal: to show, to display, to manifest, to exhibit; to manifest; to display; to show

مذکور

dh-k-r → “mentioned”

literal: remembrance; mention; memory; invocation; reminders; commemorations

اگر

ʾ-g-r

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

اخذ

ʾ-kh-dh → “arrested”

literal: to take; to seize; to affect; to grasp

شود

sh-w-d

literal: to come; to go; to arrive; came

هالک

h-l-k → “perish”

literal: to destroy; to ruin; to cause to perish; perishing; destroyer; lost

خواهند

kh-w-ʾ-h → “will”

literal: to will; to want; shall; will (future auxiliary)

شمس

sh-m-s

literal: sun; daystar; manifestation of divine light

احد

ʾ-ḥ-d

literal: oneness; uniqueness; absolute unity; singularity of God

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 ¶