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Gleanings — §427

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 427 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

تالله لا نريد أن نتصرّف في ممالككم بل جئنا لتصرّف القلوب إنّها لمنظر البهآء يشهد بذلك ملكوت الأسمآء لو أنتم تفقهون والّذي اتّبع مولاه إنّه أعرض عن الدّنيا كلّها وكيف هذا المقام المحمود دعوا البيوت ثمّ أقبِلوا إلى الملكوت هذا ما ينفعكم في الآخرة والأولى يشهد بذلك مالك الجبروت لو أنتم تعلمون

Shoghi Effendi Translation

By the righteousness of God! It is not Our wish to lay hands on your kingdoms. Our mission is to seize and possess the hearts of men. Upon them the eyes of Bahá are fastened. To this testifieth the Kingdom of Names, could ye but comprehend it. Whoso followeth his Lord, will renounce the world and all that is therein; how much greater, then, must be the detachment of Him Who holdeth so august a station! Forsake your palaces, and haste ye to gain admittance into His Kingdom. This, indeed, will profit you both in this world and in the next. To this testifieth the Lord of the realm on high, did ye but know it.

Translation Notes

تالله
ʾ-l-h → “By the righteousness of God”

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

لا
l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

نريد
r-y-d → “wish”

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

أن
ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

نتصرّف
ṣ-r-f → “lay hands on”

literal: to turn; to dispose; to manage affairs

في
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

ممالككم
m-l-k → “kingdoms”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty; possessions; property; ownership

بل
b-l

literal: rather; but; rather/nay

جئنا
j-y-ʾ → “come” Distinctive

literal: come; came; to come

القلوب
q-l-b → “hearts”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

إنّها
null → ““death””

literal: that, it; to be; indeed

لمنظر
n-ẓ-r → “eyes”

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

البهآء
b-h-w → “the All-Glorious” Distinctive

literal: splendor; glory; magnificence; Bahá (Proper Name in Bahá’í texts)

يشهد
sh-h-d → “testifieth”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

بذلك
dh-l-k → “this”

literal: that; this; it; by that

الأسمآء
s-m-w → “Names”

literal: heaven; sky

لو
l-w → “If”

literal: if; would that; O that

أنتم
n-t-m → “you”

literal: you

تفقهون
f-q-h → “comprehend”

literal: to understand; to comprehend; insight; jurisprudence

والّذي
dh-w-y → “and” Distinctive

literal: who; which; that which

اتّبع
t-b-ʿ → “followeth”

literal: to follow; to obey; to pursue

مولاه
w-l-y → “Lord”

literal: guardian; protector; friend; ally; lord; helper; first; primary; original

إنّه
ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: I, verily; behold I

أعرض
ʿ-r-ḍ → “renounce” Distinctive

literal: to turn away; to avert; to abstain; heedless

عن
ʿ-n

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

الدّنيا
d-n-w → “the world”

literal: this world; earthly life; temporal realm; lowest; base; mean; of little account; to know; to be acquainted with

كلّها
k-l-l → “and all that is therein”

literal: all; every; whole; entirety; entire; completely

وكيف
k-y-f → “how much greater”

literal: how; in what manner

هذا
h-dh-ʾ → “This, indeed, will”

literal: this; that

المقام
q-w-m → “station”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

المحمود
ḥ-m-d → “thanks” Distinctive

literal: praise; to praise

دعوا
w-d-ʿ → “entrusted” Distinctive

literal: call, invocation, summons; to call, invite, summon

البيوت
b-y-t → “House”

literal: house; houses; house/home

ثمّ
th-m-m → “then”

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

أقبِلوا
q-b-l → “before” Distinctive

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

إلى
ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

ما
m-ʾ

literal: what; which; that which; relative pronoun; interrogative

ينفعكم
n-f-ʿ → “profit”

literal: benefits; profits; advantages

الآخرة
ʾ-kh-r → “next”

literal: the hereafter, the next life, the world to come; last, latter; the next life, the hereafter; delay; postponement

والأولى
ʾ-w-l → “this world”

literal: first; beginning; at first; the first; former; possessors of; those who have; masters of

الجبروت
j-b-r → “realm”

literal: compelled; forced; constrained

تعلمون
ʿ-l-m → “know”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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59 ¶