Gleanings — §517

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 517 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

منكم يحكم على الأرض كلّها وكلّ ما فيها وعليها من بحرها وبرّها وجبلها وسهلها ولن يذكر عند الله ما ينفعه شيء من ذلك إن أنتم من العارفين، واعلموا بأنّ شرافة العبد في قربه إلى الله ومن دون ذلك لن ينفعه أبدا ولو يحكم على الخلائق أجمعين، قل قد هبّت عليكم نسائم الله عن شطر الفردوس وأنتم في غفلة عنها وكنتم من الغافلين، وقد جاءتكم الهداية من الله وأنتم ما استهديتم بها وكنتم من المعرضين، وقد أضاء سراج الله في مشكوة الأمر وأنتم ما استنورتم به وما تقرّبتم

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Beware not to deal unjustly with anyone that appealeth to you, and entereth beneath your shadow. Walk ye in the fear of God, and be ye of them that lead a godly life. Rest not on your power, your armies, and treasures. Put your whole trust and confidence in God, Who hath created you, and seek ye His help in all your affairs. Succor cometh from Him alone. He succoreth whom He will with the hosts of the heavens and of the earth.

Translation Notes

يحكم

ḥ-k-m

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom; firm; solid; strengthened

على

ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

الأرض

ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

كلّها

k-l-l → “all”

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

ما

m-ʾ

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

وعليها

ʿ-l-y

literal: exalted; highest; supreme; most high; upon you; on; over; Ali (name); upon

من

m-n → “from”

literal: from you; among you

بحرها

b-ḥ-r

literal: sea; ocean

وبرّها

b-r-r

literal: outside; out; forth

وجبلها

j-b-l

literal: mountain; nature, constitution; to create, to form

وسهلها

s-h-l

literal: easy; to make easy; to regard as light

ولن

l-n

literal: will not (negation of future)

يذكر

dh-k-r

literal: remembrance; mention; memory; invocation; reminders; commemorations

عند

ʿ-n-d

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

الله

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

ينفعه

n-f-ʿ

literal: benefits; profits; advantages

شيء

sh-y-ʾ → “will” Distinctive

literal: thing; something; to will; to wish; to desire; to open; to unfold; to reveal

ذلك

dh-l-k → “that appealeth” Distinctive

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

إن

ʾ-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أنتم

n-t-m → “you”

literal: you (plural)

العارفين،

ʿ-r-f

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

واعلموا

ʿ-l-m → “Walk ye”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

بأنّ

ʾ-n-n

literal: that; indeed; moment

شرافة

sh-r-f

literal: honor; nobility; eminence; to honor

العبد

ʿ-b-d

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

في

f-y → “in”

literal: in it; in them

قربه

q-r-b

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

إلى

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

دون

d-w-n

literal: below; lower than; beneath

أبدا

ʾ-b-d

literal: in place of; instead of; to change; to alter (preposition or verb stem)

ولو

l-w

literal: were it not for; if not for; save for

الخلائق

kh-l-q → “created” Distinctive

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

أجمعين،

j-m-ʿ

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

قل

q-w-l

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

قد

q-d → “We have been”

literal: verily; indeed; certainly (particle of emphasis)

هبّت

h-b-b

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

نسائم

n-s-m

literal: breeze; gentle wind; fragrance

عن

ʿ-n

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

شطر

sh-ṭ-r

literal: side, direction; half; to split

الفردوس

f-r-d-w-s

literal: Paradise; garden; the highest paradise

غفلة

gh-f-l

literal: heedlessness; negligence; inattention

عنها

ʿ-n-n

literal: from; from/about; about

وكنتم

k-w-n

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

جاءتكم

j-y-ʾ

literal: come; came; to come

الهداية

h-d-y

literal: guidance; to guide; direction; leading rightly; this; this one

بها

b-h-w

literal: by it; by him; with it

المعرضين،

ʿ-r-ḍ

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

أضاء

ḍ-w-ʾ

literal: to shine; to be illuminated; to light up

سراج

s-r-j

literal: lamp; light; illuminator

مشكوة

sh-k-w

literal: niche; chamber; recess

الأمر

ʾ-m-r

literal: mother; to lead; to head; matter; affair; people; nation; community; female servant; handmaiden; umma

استنورتم

n-w-r

literal: light; lights; luminous

به

b-h

literal: to; with it; with

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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17 ¶

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160 ¶

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59 ¶