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Gleanings — §477

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 477 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

بما اصطفاك بين بريّته وجعلك سلطانا للمسلمين، وينبغي لك بأن تعرف قدر ما وهبك الله من بدايع جوده وإحسانه وتشكره في كلّ حين، وشكرك ربّك هو حبّك أحبّاءه وحفظك عباده وصيانتهم عن هؤلاء الخائنين، لئلاّ يظلمهم أحد ثمّ إجراء حكم الله بينهم لتكون في شرع الله لمن الرّاسخين، وإنّك

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Render thanks unto God for having chosen thee out of the whole world, and made thee king over them that profess thy faith. It well beseemeth thee to appreciate the wondrous favors with which God hath favored thee, and to magnify continually His name. Thou canst best praise Him if thou lovest His loved ones, and dost safeguard and protect His servants from the mischief of the treacherous, that none may any longer oppress them. Thou shouldst, moreover, arise to enforce the law of God amongst them, that thou mayest be of those who are firmly established in His law.

Translation Notes

بما
m-ʾ → “that” Distinctive

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

اصطفاك
ṣ-f-w → “chosen thee”

literal: attribute; quality; characteristic

بين
b-y-n → “utterance” Distinctive

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident; in; among; between; at this moment

بريّته
b-r-ʾ → “Thy people” Distinctive

literal: creation; creation/creatures; creatures

وجعلك
j-ʿ-l → “and made thee”

literal: to make; to cause; to render; to appoint

سلطانا
s-l-ṭ → “king”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

للمسلمين،
s-l-m → “resignation” Distinctive

literal: resignation; submission; surrender; submissiveness

وينبغي
n-b-gh → “It well beseemeth thee”

literal: it is proper; it is fitting; it is necessary; it behooves

لك
l

literal: for us; to us

بأن
ʾ-n-n → “to” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تعرف
ʿ-r-f → “appreciate” Distinctive

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

قدر
q-d-r

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

وهبك
w-h-b → “gifts” Distinctive

literal: gift; grant; bestowal

الله
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

بدايع
b-d-ʿ → “wondrous”

literal: to create; most wondrous; excel

جوده
j-w-d → “favors”

literal: generosity; bounty; liberality

وإحسانه
ḥ-s-n → “most excellent” Distinctive

literal: goodness; beauty; excellence; good deed

وتشكره
sh-k-r → “Render thanks” Distinctive

literal: thankfulness, gratitude; to give thanks, be grateful; manifest; evident; apparent; clear

في
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

كلّ
k-l-l

literal: for us; to us

حين،
ḥ-y-n

literal: time; moment; while; season

ربّك
r-b-b → “Him” Distinctive

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

هو
h-w → “is”

literal: He; He is

حبّك
ḥ-b-b → “thou lovest”

literal: love; affection

وحفظك
ḥ-f-ẓ → “and dost safeguard”

literal: guardian; preserver; keeper

عباده
ʿ-b-d → “His servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

وصيانتهم
ṣ-w-n → “insure the protection” Distinctive

literal: preservation; safeguarding; protection

عن
ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

هؤلاء
h-ʾ-l

literal: these

الخائنين،
kh-w-n → “the mischief of the treacherous”

literal: blood

لئلاّ
l-y-l → “night”

literal: night; darkness

يظلمهم
ẓ-l-m → “oppress them”

literal: wronged; injustice; darkness

أحد
ʾ-ḥ-d

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

ثمّ
th-m-m → “then”

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

إجراء
j-r-y → “flow” Distinctive

literal: trade; commerce; business; to flow; to run; to be in effect; flowing

حكم
ḥ-k-m → “law”

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom

لتكون
k-w-n → “that thou mayest be”

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

شرع
sh-r-ʿ → “His law”

literal: law; legislation; religious law; canon; ordinance

لمن
m-n → “from”

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

الرّاسخين،
r-s-kh → “steadfast”

literal: steadfast; firm; firmly rooted; established

وإنّك
ʾ-n-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

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