Gleanings — §576

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 576 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

و‌مثلهم عند اللّه كمثل السّراج ليستضيء منه العباد و‌هو يحترق في نفسه و‌يكون

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Should such a man ever succeed in influencing anyone, this success should be attributed not to him, but rather to the influence of the words of God, as decreed by Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Wise. In the sight of God he is regarded as a lamp that imparteth its light, and yet is all the while being consumed within itself.

Translation Notes

و‌مثلهم

w‌mthlhm m-th-l → “like” Distinctive

literal: like; likeness

This form usually rendered as “lamp”, “resemble” (2 occurrences)

lamp 50% resemble 50%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §75: same as gleaningsGWB §126: peerless kitab-i-ahdAhd §14: like unto kitab-i-iqanKIQ §137: For instance prayers-and-meditationsP&M §499: all peers or likeness the-hidden-wordsHW §4: image epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §37: as if gleaningsGWB §359: like ourselves

السّراج

as-sráj s-r-j → “that imparteth its light”

literal: lamp; lamps; lamp/light

SE expanded to “that imparteth its light”

lamp 70% light 11% lamps 5% extinguish 3% imparteth 3% deprive 3% flame 3% quencheth 3%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §161: lamp gleaningsGWB §99: those lamps kitab-i-iqanKIQ §121: light of Qur’ánic Revelation prayers-and-meditationsP&M §295: Thy Lamp epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §149: a lamp gleaningsGWB §684: flame kitab-i-iqanKIQ §28: lamp of conscience and reason prayers-and-meditationsP&M §77: my lamp

ليستضيء

lístḍíʾ ḍ-w-ʾ

literal: illuminated

SE rendered اللّه (al-lh), كمثل (kmthl), السّراج (as-sráj), ليستضيء (lístḍíʾ), العباد (al-ʿbád), و‌هو (w‌hú), يحترق (yḥtrq), نفسه (nfsh) as “God, as, that imparteth its light, and yet is, all the while being consumed, itself”

will 25% illuminate 25% illumined 25% kindle 25%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §68: aglow fire-tabletFire §9: of Thy splendor gleaningsGWB §458: enveloped prayers-and-meditationsP&M §26: splendor the-hidden-wordsHW §61: and resplendent epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §133: turned fire-tabletFire §9: Radiance gleaningsGWB §198: shineth

العباد

al-ʿbád ʿ-b-d

literal: servants; servant; servant/slave

SE rendered كمثل (kmthl), السّراج (as-sráj), ليستضيء (lístḍíʾ), العباد (al-ʿbád), و‌هو (w‌hú), يحترق (yḥtrq), نفسه (nfsh) as “as, that imparteth its light, and yet is, all the while being consumed, itself”

servants 34% men 30% people 21% man 3% all 3% peoples 3% unto 2% who 2% serve 2% mankind 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §152: His servants fire-tabletFire §49: Adored gleaningsGWB §388: the worshiper kitab-i-iqanKIQ §226: peoples of the world prayers-and-meditationsP&M §313: to Thy servants tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §15: a service the-hidden-wordsHW §56: Our servants will-and-testamentW&T §38: are servants

و‌هو

w‌hú h-w → “and yet is”

literal: he; He

SE rendered السّراج (as-sráj), ليستضيء (lístḍíʾ), العباد (al-ʿbád), و‌هو (w‌hú), يحترق (yḥtrq), نفسه (nfsh) as “that imparteth its light, and yet is, all the while being consumed, itself”