Gleanings — §432

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 432 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

إنّ ربّکم الرّحمن یحبّ أن یَری من في الأکوان کنفس واحدة وهیکل واحد أن اغتنموا فضل الله ورحمته في تلک الأیّام الّتي ما رأت عین الإبداع شبهها طوبی لمن نبذ ما عنده ابتغآء لما عند الله نشهد إنّه من الفائزین...

Shoghi Effendi Translation

He Who is your Lord, the All-Merciful, cherisheth in His heart the desire of beholding the entire human race as one soul and one body. Haste ye to win your share of God’s good grace and mercy in this Day that eclipseth all other created Days. How great the felicity that awaiteth the man that forsaketh all he hath in a desire to obtain the things of God! Such a man, We testify, is among God’s blessed ones.

Translation Notes

إنّ

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

ربّکم

r-b-b → “your Lord”

literal: Lord; Master; Sustainer; Cherisher

الرّحمن

r-ḥ-m → “the All-Merciful”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

یحبّ

ḥ-b-b → “cherisheth”

literal: love; affection

یَری

r-ʾ-y → “beholding”

literal: ability; capability; capacity

من

m-n → “entire human race” Distinctive

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

في

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

الأکوان

k-w-n

literal: be; was; to be

کنفس

n-f-s → “one soul”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

واحدة

w-ḥ-d

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

وهیکل

h-y-k-l → “form”

literal: temple; body; edifice; structure

اغتنموا

gh-n-m → “flock” Distinctive

literal: booty; spoil; gain; treasure; advantage

فضل

f-ḍ-l → “good grace”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

الله

ʾ-l-h → “God’s”

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

تلک

t-l-k → “in this” Distinctive

literal: those; that; those (feminine)

الأیّام

y-w-m → “Day”

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

الّتي

ʾ-l-l → “that” Distinctive

literal: who; which/that; which

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

عین

ʿ-y-n

literal: eye; fountain; spring; essence; to appoint; to designate; to specify; to determine

الإبداع

b-d-ʿ → “wondrous” Distinctive

literal: to create; most wondrous; excel

شبهها

sh-b-h → “doubt” Distinctive

literal: doubt; uncertainty; suspicion; resemblance; semblance

طوبی

ṭ-w-b → “How great the felicity” Distinctive

literal: happiness; blessedness; felicity

نبذ

n-b-dh → “cast away”

literal: to cast; to reject; to abandon; to throw away

ابتغآء

b-gh-y → “becometh” Distinctive

literal: to seek; to desire; to rebel; to transgress

لما

l-m-ʾ → “When”

literal: when; certainly-not; when, since

عند

ʿ-n-d → “possess” Distinctive

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

نشهد

sh-h-d → “We testify”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

إنّه

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: I, verily; behold I

الفائزین...

f-w-z → “attain”

literal: to attain; to gain; to succeed; to win

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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Kitáb-i-Íqán

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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 ¶

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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.

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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

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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 ¶

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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 ¶