Gleanings — §39

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 39 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

مشاهده شود فی الحقيقه در عهد خاتم هم کتاب عيسی و امر او ثابت شد در مقام اسم که خود حضرت فرمود منم عيسی و آثار و اخبار و کتاب عيسی را هم تصديق فرمود که من عند اللّه بوده در اين مقام نه در خودشان فرقی مشهود و نه در کتابشان غيريّتی ملحوظ زيرا که هر دو قائم بأمر اللّه بودند و هم ناطق بذکر اللّه و کتاب هر دو هم مشعر بر اوامر اللّه بود از اين جهت است که خود عيسی فرمود "من ميروم و مراجعت ميکنم" بمثل شمس که اگر شمس اليوم بگويد من شمس يوم قبلم صادق است و اگر بگويد در حدود يومی که غير آنم صادق است و همچنين در ايّام ملاحظه نمائيد که اگر گفته شود که کلّ يک شیءاند صحيح و صادق است و اگر گفته شود که بحدود اسمی و رسمی غير همند آنهم صادق است چنانچه می‌بينی با اينکه يک شیءاند با وجود اين در هر کدام اسمی ديگر و خواصّی ديگر و رسمی ديگر ملحوظ ميشود که در غير آن نميشود و بهمين بيان و قاعده مقامات تفصيل و فرق و اتّحاد مظاهر قدسی را ادراک فرمائيد تا تلويحات کلمات آن مُبْدِع اسماء و صفات را در مقامات جمع و فرق عارف شوی و واقف گردی و جواب مسأله خود را در موسوم نمودن آن جمال ازلی در هر مقام خود را باسمی و رسمی بتمامه بيابی ...

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Every discerning observer will recognize that in the Dispensation of the Qur’án both the Book and the Cause of Jesus were confirmed. As to the matter of names, Muḥammad, Himself, declared: “I am Jesus.” He recognized the truth of the signs, prophecies, and words of Jesus, and testified that they were all of God. In this sense, neither the person of Jesus nor His writings hath differed from that of Muḥammad and of His holy Book, inasmuch as both have championed the Cause of God, uttered His praise, and revealed His commandments. Thus it is that Jesus, Himself, declared: “I go away and come again unto you.” Consider the sun. Were it to say now, “I am the sun of yesterday,” it would speak the truth. And should it, bearing the sequence of time in mind, claim to be other than that sun, it still would speak the truth. In like manner, if it be said that all the days are but one and the same, it is correct and true. And if it be said, with respect to their particular names and designations, that they differ, that again is true. For though they are the same, yet one doth recognize in each a separate designation, a specific attribute, a particular character. Conceive accordingly the distinction, variation, and unity characteristic of the various Manifestations of holiness, that thou mayest comprehend the allusions made by the Creator of all names and attributes to the mysteries of distinction and unity, and discover the answer to thy question as to why that everlasting Beauty should have, at sundry times, called Himself by different names and titles.…

Translation Notes

مشاهده

sh-h-d → “Every discerning observer will recognize” Distinctive

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

شود

sh-w-d → “be said”

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

فی

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

الحقيقه

ḥ-q-q → “truth”

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

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

عهد

ʿ-h-d → “Covenant”

literal: covenant; testament; promise; command

خاتم

kh-t-m

literal: to seal; to conclude; to end; seal

هم

h-m-m → “endeavor” Distinctive

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

کتاب

k-t-b → “Book”

literal: book; scripture; writing

امر

ʾ-m-r → “Cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

او

h-w-w

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

ثابت

th-b-t → “were confirmed”

literal: firm; steadfast; established; fixed

شد

sh-d

literal: to become; to be

اسم

s-m-w → “matter of names”

literal: name; title; designation

که

k-h → “that”

literal: that; who; who, that

خود

kh-w-d → “Muḥammad, Himself”

literal: self; himself; herself; itself; own

حضرت

ḥ-ḍ-r

literal: presence; majesty; His/Your Excellency

فرمود

f-r-m → “declared”

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

آثار

ʾ-th-r → “truth of the signs”

literal: effect; trace; influence; imprint; sign; mark; vestige

اخبار

kh-b-r → “prophecies”

literal: news; inform; informed

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

تصديق

ṣ-d-q → “testified” Distinctive

literal: to confirm; to verify; to acknowledge; to testify to truth

من

m-n → “from”

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

عند

ʿ-n-d → “of” Distinctive

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

اللّه

ʾ-l-h → “of God”

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

بوده

b-w-d → “were all” Distinctive

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

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

نه

n-h-y → “forbidden”

literal: end; ended; utmost

زيرا

z-y-r → “inasmuch as”

literal: because; since; for; inasmuch as

هر

h-r → “every”

literal: whatever; all that; whatever thing

دو

d-w

literal: two; run; running

قائم

q-w-m → “have championed” Distinctive

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

بأمر

ʾ-m-r → “Cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

ناطق

n-ṭ-q → “uttered”

literal: to speak; to utter; to pronounce; to articulate

بذکر

dh-k-r → “His praise”

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

مشعر

sh-ʿ-r → “consciousness” Distinctive

literal: hair

بر

b-r-r

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

از

ʾ-z

literal: from

جهت

j-h-t

literal: direction; aspect; side; regard

ميروم

r-f-t → “fled” Distinctive

literal: go; to go; gone

مراجعت

r-j-ʿ → “return”

literal: return; reference; place of return; resort

ميکنم"

k-r-d → “made”

literal: do; to do; do, make

بمثل

m-th-l → “Consider”

literal: like; example; parable; similitude

شمس

sh-m-s → “sun”

literal: sun; daystar; manifestation of divine light

اگر

ʾ-g-r → “were they”

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

اليوم

y-w-m → “Day”

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

بگويد

g-w-y → “say”

literal: say; to say; said

قبلم

q-b-l → “before” Distinctive

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

غير

gh-y-r → “other than that”

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

آنم

ʾ-n-m

literal: people; mankind; human beings

همچنين

ch-n-n → “In like manner”

literal: always; ever; forever; at all times; constantly

ملاحظه

l-ḥ-ẓ → “Consider”

literal: to observe; to consider; to note; observation

نمائيد

n-m-ʾ

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

گفته

g-f-t

literal: utterance; speech; word; discourse

کلّ

k-l-l

literal: for us; to us

يک

y-k → “one”

literal: one; a single

شیءاند

sh-y-ʾ

literal: thing; will; things

صحيح

ṣ-ḥ-ḥ → “correct”

literal: health; sound; correct

بحدود

ḥ-d-d → “limitations”

literal: iron; sharp, keen, acute

رسمی

r-s-m → “designations”

literal: form; custom; tradition; design; symbol

همند

h-m → “all”

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

آنهم

ʾ-n-n → “that” Distinctive

literal: that; indeed; verily

می‌بينی

d-y-d

literal: see; seen; to see

با

b-ʾ-ʾ → “yet” Distinctive

literal: to; with; by

وجود

w-j-d

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

کدام

k-d-m → “each”

literal: which; what; whoever; any

ديگر

d-g-r → “again” Distinctive

literal: home; place; land; abode

خواصّی

kh-ṣ-ṣ → “singled out”

literal: will; to wish; to want

آن

ʾ-n → “Creator”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

بهمين

h-m-n → “Help in Peril” Distinctive

literal: the same; that very

بيان

b-y-n

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident

قاعده

q-ʿ-d

literal: rule; principle; foundation; basis

تفصيل

f-ṣ-l

literal: detail; distinction; differentiation; to detail; to separate

فرق

f-r-q → “of distinction”

literal: faction; sect; group; company

اتّحاد

w-ḥ-d → “and unity”

literal: unity; union; unification

مظاهر

ẓ-h-r → “of the various Manifestations”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

قدسی

q-d-s → “of holiness”

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

ادراک

d-r-k → “mayest comprehend”

literal: to overtake; to catch; to reach; to attain; to perceive; to comprehend

تا

t-y-y → “so that”

literal: so that/until

تلويحات

l-w-ḥ → “allusions”

literal: tablet; panel; divine decree; revelation

کلمات

k-l-m → “speak” Distinctive

literal: words; utterances; locutions

مُبْدِع

b-d-ʿ

literal: to create; most wondrous; excel

صفات

w-ṣ-f → “and attributes”

literal: attribute; quality; characteristic

جمع

j-m-ʿ → “unity”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

عارف

ʿ-r-f

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

شوی

sh-d-n

literal: be; become

واقف

w-q-f

literal: to stop; to halt; to pause; to hesitate

گردی

g-r-d

literal: become; to become; make

جواب

j-w-b → “answer”

literal: answer, reply, response

مسأله

s-ʾ-l → “thy question”

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

موسوم

w-s-m → “called”

literal: named; discerning; named, called

نمودن

n-m-ود → “they”

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

جمال

j-m-l → “everlasting Beauty”

literal: beauty; comeliness

ازلی

ʾ-z-l

literal: eternity; pre-eternity; without beginning; eternal; everlasting; from eternity

بتمامه

t-m-m

literal: most complete; to complete; perfect; fullness

بيابی

y-ʾ-b → “they may find” Distinctive

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

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 ¶