Gleanings — §417

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 417 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

مقصود از کتابهای آسمانی و آیات الهی آنکه مردمان بآدابی تربیت شوند که سبب راحت خود و سایر بندگان شود هر امری که قلب را راحت نماید و بر بزرگی انسان بیفزاید و ناس را راضی دارد مقبول خواهد بود مقام انسان بلند است اگر بانسانیّت مزیّن باشد والّا پست‌تر از جمیع مخلوق مشاهده میشود بگو ای دوستان امروز را غنیمت شمرید و خود را از فیوضات بحر معانی محروم ننمائید از حقّ میطلبیم جمیع را بطراز عمل پاک و خالص در این یوم مبارک مزیّن فرماید انّه لهو الحاکم المختار

Shoghi Effendi Translation

The purpose underlying the revelation of every heavenly Book, nay, of every divinely revealed verse, is to endue all men with righteousness and understanding, so that peace and tranquillity may be firmly established amongst them. Whatsoever instilleth assurance into the hearts of men, whatsoever exalteth their station or promoteth their contentment, is acceptable in the sight of God. How lofty is the station which man, if he but choose to fulfill his high destiny, can attain! To what depths of degradation he can sink, depths which the meanest of creatures have never reached! Seize, O friends, the chance which this Day offereth you, and deprive not yourselves of the liberal effusions of His grace. I beseech God that He may graciously enable every one of you to adorn himself, in this blessed Day, with the ornament of pure and holy deeds. He, verily, doeth whatsoever He willeth.

Translation Notes

مقصود

q-ṣ-d → “purpose underlying”

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

از

ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

کتابهای

k-t-b → “heavenly Book”

literal: book; scripture; writing

آسمانی

s-m-w

literal: heaven; sky

آیات

ʾ-y-y → “verse”

literal: verse; sign; miracle; proof; sign, verse, miracle, token, indication; ayah; he; him; it

الهی

ʾ-l-h → “divinely revealed”

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

آنکه

ʾ-n → “to” Distinctive

literal: that; indeed; that, to

مردمان

m-r-d → “all men” Distinctive

literal: rebellion; mutiny; revolt

بآدابی

ʾ-d-b → “righteousness and understanding”

literal: admonition; discipline; etiquette; courtesy

تربیت

r-b-y

literal: education; upbringing; training; cultivation

که

k-h → “so that”

literal: that; who; who, that

سبب

s-b-b → “cause”

literal: cause; reason; means; instrument

راحت

r-w-ḥ → “peace and tranquillity”

literal: rest; comfort; ease; relief

خود

kh-w-d → “their own”

literal: self; himself; herself; itself; own

سایر

s-y-r

literal: captive; prisoner; captivity; to journey; to move; course

بندگان

b-n-d

literal: servants; bondsmen; slaves

شود

sh-w-d → “may be firmly established”

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

هر

h-r → “every”

literal: whatever; all that; whatever thing

امری

ʾ-m-r → “revelation” Distinctive

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

قلب

q-l-b → “hearts”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

نماید

n-m-ʾ

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

بر

b-r-r

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

بزرگی

b-z-r-g → “great”

literal: great; large; important; grandeur

انسان

ʾ-n-s → “man”

literal: man; human being; mankind

بیفزاید

f-z-y

literal: increase; excess; more; additional; to increase; to grow; to be added

ناس

n-ʾ-s → “of men”

literal: companionship; fellowship; familiarity; to keep company

راضی

r-ḍ-y → “good-pleasure” Distinctive

literal: good-pleasure, consent, satisfaction; satisfaction; pleasure; approval; contentment

دارد

d-ʾ-r

literal: to have; to hold; to possess; to maintain

مقبول

q-b-l → “is acceptable”

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

خواهد

kh-w-h

literal: will; to wish; to want

مقام

q-w-m → “station”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

بلند

b-l-n-d → “lofty”

literal: high; lofty; raised; to raise

است

b-w-d → “is”

literal: to be; to exist; to have been

اگر

ʾ-g-r → “were they”

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

بانسانیّت

ʾ-n-s

literal: man; human being; mankind

مزیّن

z-y-n → “adorn”

literal: to adorn; ornament; beauty

والّا

w-l-y → “Lord” Distinctive

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

پست‌تر

p-s-t

literal: low; abased; vile; base; mean

جمیع

j-m-ʿ → “all”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

مخلوق

kh-l-q → “of creatures” Distinctive

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

مشاهده

sh-h-d → “witness”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

بگو

g-w-y

literal: say; to say; as-if

ای

ʾ-y-y

literal: verse; sign; miracle; proof; sign, verse, miracle, token, indication; ayah; he; him; it

دوستان

d-w-s-t → “O friends”

literal: friend; beloved

امروز

r-w-z → “this Day”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

غنیمت

gh-n-m → “flock” Distinctive

literal: booty; spoil; gain; treasure; advantage

شمرید

sh-m-r → “Seize”

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

فیوضات

f-y-ḍ → “grace” Distinctive

literal: flood; abundance; overflow; emanation; grace; overflowing; emanating; surplus

بحر

b-ḥ-r

literal: sea; ocean

معانی

ʿ-n-y → “His grace” Distinctive

literal: to concern; to mean; to turn away from; bounty; loving-kindness; grace; divine care; attention; meaning; significance; inner sense

محروم

ḥ-r-m

literal: sanctity, inviolability, dignity, honor, respect

حقّ

ḥ-q-q → “God”

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

میطلبیم

ṭ-l-b → “I beseech”

literal: seeker, one who seeks; those who seek

بطراز

ṭ-r-z → “with the ornament”

literal: ornament; adornment; embroidery; stripe

عمل

ʿ-m-l → “pure and holy deeds”

literal: to work; to act; to do; to perform

پاک

p-ʾ-k

literal: pure; clean; sanctified; holy

خالص

kh-l-ṣ

literal: sincere; devoted; pure one

در

d-r-r → “in this”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

این

ʾ-y-n

literal: this; these

یوم

y-w-m → “blessed Day”

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

مبارک

b-r-k → “blessed”

literal: blessed; auspicious; fruitful; blest; blessed word

فرماید

f-r-m → “saith”

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

انّه

ʾ-n-n

literal: I, verily; behold I

لهو

h-w → “he”

literal: to distract; to divert; to amuse

الحاکم

ḥ-k-m → “wisdom” Distinctive

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom

المختار

kh-y-r → “good” Distinctive

literal: west; the western region

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 ¶