Gleanings — §411

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 411 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

الیوم لایق آنکه کل باسم اعظم متشبّث شوند نیست مهرب و مفرّی جز او و ناس را متّحد نمایند اگر نفسی در اعلی علوّ مقام قائم باشد و از او کلماتی ظاهر شود که سبب تفریق ناس گردد از شاطی بحر اعظم و علّت توجه بشطری جز مقام محمود مشهود که ظاهر است بحدود بشریّهٴ جهاتیّه یشه

Shoghi Effendi Translation

It beseemeth all men, in this Day, to take firm hold on the Most Great Name, and to establish the unity of all mankind. There is no place to flee to, no refuge that anyone can seek, except Him. Should any man be led to utter such words as will turn away the people from the shores of God’s limitless ocean, and cause them to fix their hearts on anything except this glorious and manifest Being, that hath assumed a form subject to human limitations — such a man, however lofty the station he may occupy, shall be denounced by the entire creation as one that hath deprived himself of the sweet savors of the All-Merciful.

Translation Notes

الیوم

y-w-m → “in this Day”

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

لایق

l-y-q → “beseemeth” Distinctive

literal: worthy, befitting, appropriate, suitable

آنکه

ʾ-n

literal: that; indeed; that, to

کل

k-l-l → “all men”

literal: for us; to us

باسم

s-m-w → “on the” Distinctive

literal: harm; strength; blame; hardship, adversity, tribulation, distress

اعظم

ʿ-ẓ-m → “Most Great Name”

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

متشبّث

sh-b-th → “take firm hold” Distinctive

literal: to cling to; to grasp; to hold fast

شوند

sh-w-d → “to”

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

نیست

b-w-d → “is”

literal: is not; not to be; does not exist; negation, denial, banishment; to negate, deny, banish; contradiction; opposition; contrariety

مهرب

h-r-b → “place to flee to”

literal: kindness, affection, clemency; kind, compassionate

مفرّی

f-r-r → “flee” Distinctive

literal: to flee, escape, run away

جز

j-z → “apart from”

literal: except

او

h-w-w → “is”

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

ناس

n-ʾ-s → “people”

literal: companionship; fellowship; familiarity; to keep company

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

متّحد

w-ḥ-d → “establish the unity”

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

نمایند

n-m-ʾ → “hath” Distinctive

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

اگر

ʾ-g-r → “were they”

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

نفسی

n-f-s → “any man” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

در

d-r-r

literal: in; in, at; radiant

اعلی

ʿ-l-w → “lofty” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

مقام

q-w-m → “station”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

از

ʾ-z → “from”

literal: from

کلماتی

k-l-m → “such words”

literal: words; utterances; locutions

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

که

k-h → “as” Distinctive

literal: that; who; who, that

سبب

s-b-b → “cause”

literal: cause; reason; means; instrument

تفریق

f-r-q

literal: faction; sect; group; company

گردد

g-r-d

literal: become; to become; make