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Gleanings — §521

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 521 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

الفانية فينبغي للتّراب أن يفتخر عليكم لأنّه يبذل وينفق عليكم كلّ ذلك من مقدّر قدير وقدّر الله كلّ ذلك في بطنه ويخرج لكم من فضله إذا فانظروا في شأنكم وما تفتخرون به إن أنتم من النّاظرين، لا فوالّذي في قبضته جبروت الممكنات لم يكن الفخر لكم إلّا بأن تتّبعوا سنن الله في أنفسكم ولا تدعوا أحكام الله بينكم مهجورا وتكوننّ من الرّاشدين...

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Nay! By Him Who holdeth in His grasp the kingdom of the entire creation! Nowhere doth your true and abiding glory reside except in your firm adherence unto the precepts of God, your wholehearted observance of His laws, your resolution to see that they do not remain unenforced, and to pursue steadfastly the right course.

Translation Notes

الفانية
f-n-y

literal: annihilation; perishing; extinction; cessation; the threshold

فينبغي
n-b-gh

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

للتّراب
t-r-b

literal: dust; earth; soil

أن
ʾ-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

عليكم
ʿ-l-y

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

يبذل
b-dh-l

literal: to give; to bestow; to expend

وينفق
n-f-q

literal: hypocrisy; sedition; discord; betrayal

كلّ
k-l-l

literal: for us; to us

ذلك
dh-l-k

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

من
m-n

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

مقدّر
q-d-r

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

الله
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

في
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

بطنه
b-ṭ-n

literal: inner; hidden; inward; esoteric

ويخرج
kh-r-j

literal: bringing out, taking out, expulsion, extraction

لكم
l-k-m → “your”

literal: for you, to you, your (dative pronoun)

فضله
f-ḍ-l

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

إذا
ʾ-dh-n

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

فانظروا
n-ẓ-r

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

شأنكم
sh-ʾ-n → “that they” Distinctive

literal: affair; concern; matter; aspect; quality; state; affairs; matters; conditions; circumstances; affair, matter, station, rank, dignity; station; rank; importance; matter, affair, concern, dignity, rank

وما
m-ʾ

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

به
b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

أنتم
n-t-m

literal: you

لا
l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

فوالّذي
ʾ-l-h → “God” Distinctive

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

قبضته
q-b-ḍ → “grasp”

literal: grasp; grip; control; seize

جبروت
j-b-r → “dominion”

literal: compelled; forced; constrained

الممكنات
m-k-n → “the entire creation”

literal: establishment; confirmation; empowerment; firm settlement; place; possibility; being (negated as ‘non-being’)

لم
l-y-s → “not”

literal: to reproach; blame; censure

يكن
k-w-n → “be”

literal: is; to be (third person singular present); to be one; oneness; unity

الفخر
f-kh-r → “glory”

literal: glory; boasting; pride

إلّا
ʾ-kh-r → “end”

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

بأن
ʾ-n-n → “in” Distinctive

literal: I, verily; behold I

تتّبعوا
t-b-ʿ → “follow”

literal: to follow; to obey; to pursue

سنن
s-n-n → “precepts”

literal: arrow; pointed weapon; spear-point; edge

أنفسكم
n-f-s

literal: self; soul; psyche

ولا
w-l-y → “Lord” Distinctive

literal: friend; lord; guardian

تدعوا
w-d-ʿ → “entrusted” Distinctive

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

أحكام
ḥ-k-m → “laws”

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

بينكم
b-y-n

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

مهجورا
h-j-r

literal: to emigrate, migrate, forsake; migration, emigration

الرّاشدين...
r-sh-d → “illumined”

literal: truthfulness; righteousness; right guidance

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