Gleanings — §572

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 572 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

من المتّقين قل يا قوم أنتم إن تقولوا ما لا تفعلوا فما الفرق بينكم و‌بين الّذينهم قالوا اللّه ربّنا فلمّا جائهم علی ظلل القدس إذا كفروا به و‌كانوا من المنكرين ‌ خلّصوا أنفسكم عن الدّنيا و‌زخرفها إيّاكم أن لا تقرّبوا بها لأنّها يأمركم بالبغي و‌الفحشاء و‌يمنعكم عن صراط عزّ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Say: Should your conduct, O people, contradict your professions, how think ye, then, to be able to distinguish yourselves from them who, though professing their faith in the Lord their God, have, as soon as He came unto them in the cloud of holiness, refused to acknowledge Him, and repudiated His truth? Disencumber yourselves of all attachment to this world and the vanities thereof. Beware that ye approach them not, inasmuch as they prompt you to walk after your own lusts and covetous desires, and hinder you from entering the straight and glorious Path.

Translation Notes

من

m-n

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

قل

q-w-l → “Say”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

قوم

q-w-m → “people”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

أنتم

n-t-m → “you”

literal: you

إن

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

لا

l-ʾ → “not”

literal: no; not; negation particle

تفعلوا

f-ʿ-l → “deeds” Distinctive

literal: to do, act, make; deed, action

فما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

الفرق

f-r-q → “separation” Distinctive

literal: faction; sect; group; company

و‌بين

b-y-n → “from them”

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

الّذينهم

l-dh-y → “which” Distinctive

literal: those who; the ones who (relative pronoun)

اللّه

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

ربّنا

r-b-b → “Lord their”

literal: Lord; Master; Sustainer; Cherisher

فلمّا

l-m-m → “No sooner”

literal: when; as soon as; thereupon

جائهم

j-y-ʾ → “come” Distinctive

literal: to come; to arrive; to happen

علی

ʿ-l-w → “in the” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

ظلل

ẓ-l-l → “shadow”

literal: to take shelter; to dwell in shadow

القدس

q-d-s → “holiness”

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

إذا

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

كفروا

k-f-r → “repudiated”

literal: to disbelieve, reject; unbelief, ingratitude

به

b-h → “as”

literal: by it; by him; with it

و‌كانوا

k-w-n → “have” Distinctive

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

المنكرين

n-k-r → “and repudiated His truth” Distinctive

literal: denial; rejection; repudiation; wrong; evil; to deny; to reject

خلّصوا

kh-l-ṣ → “wholly” Distinctive

literal: sincere; devoted; pure one

أنفسكم

literal: self; soul; psyche

عن

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

الدّنيا

d-n-w → “this world”

literal: this world; earthly life; temporal realm

و‌زخرفها

z-kh-r-f → “and the vanities thereof”

literal: ornament; adornment; decoration; falsehood

إيّاكم

w-q-y → “Fear” Distinctive

literal: abstinence; piety; temperance; God-fearing

تقرّبوا

q-r-b → “approach them”

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

بها

literal: glory; most glorious; most-glorious

لأنّها

null → ““death””

literal: that, it; to be; indeed

يأمركم

ʾ-m-r → “Cause” Distinctive

literal: to command; to order; command; affair; matter

بالبغي

b-gh-y → “becometh” Distinctive

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

و‌الفحشاء

f-ḥ-sh → “wickedness”

literal: indecency; wickedness; iniquity; obscenity

و‌يمنعكم

m-n-ʿ → “and hinder you”

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

صراط

ṣ-r-ṭ → “straight and glorious Path”

literal: path, way, straight path

عزّ

literal: glory; might; honor; dignity; power; majesty

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