Gleanings — §621

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 621 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

ًا لظهور تجلّياته إِذًا قَدِّسُوها عن دونها لِيَرْ تَسِم عليها ما خلقت لها وإنّ هذا لفضل عظيم قل يا قوم زيّنوا لسانكم بالصّدق ونفوسكم بالأمانة إيّاكم يا قوم لا تخانوا في شيء وكونوا أمناء الله بين بريّته وكونوا من المحسنين إنّ الّذين يرتكبون البغي والفحشاء أولئك ضَلَّ سعيهم وكانوا من الخاسرين أن اجهدوا يا قوم بأن يكون عيونكم ناظرة إلى شطر رحمة الله وقلوبكم مُتَذَكِّرًا ببدايع ذكره ونفوسكم مطمئنّة بمواهبه وفضله وأرجلكم ماشِيَة على سُبُل رضائه وهذا وصيّتي عليكم إن أنتم من العاملين.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Unlock, O people, the gates of the hearts of men with the keys of the remembrance of Him Who is the Remembrance of God and the Source of wisdom amongst you. He hath chosen out of the whole world the hearts of His servants, and made them each a seat for the revelation of His glory. Wherefore, sanctify them from every defilement, that the things for which they were created may be engraven upon them. This indeed is a token of God’s bountiful favor. Beautify your tongues, O people, with truthfulness, and adorn your souls with the ornament of honesty. Beware, O people, that ye deal not treacherously with anyone. Be ye the trustees of God amongst His creatures, and the emblems of His generosity amidst His people. They that follow their lusts and corrupt inclinations, have erred and dissipated their efforts. They, indeed, are of the lost. Strive, O people, that your eyes may be directed towards the mercy of God, that your hearts may be attuned to His wondrous remembrance, that your souls may rest confidently upon His grace and bounty, that your feet may tread the path of His good-pleasure. Such are the counsels which I bequeath unto you. Would that ye might follow My counsels!

Translation Notes

لظهور

ẓ-h-r → “for the revelation”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest; to display; to reveal; ظهور here means ‘backs’ (plural of ظهر), different semantic use than manifestation

تجلّياته

j-l-w → “revelation” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; manifest; manifested

إِذًا

ʾ-dh-n → “ears”

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

قَدِّسُوها

q-d-s → “holy”

literal: holiness; holy; sanctified

عن

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

دونها

d-w-n → “except Thee” Distinctive

literal: below; lower than; beneath

لِيَرْ

r-ʾ-y

literal: see; to see; see/behold

تَسِم

w-s-m → “called” Distinctive

literal: named; discerning; named, called

عليها

ʿ-l-y → “upon them”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

خلقت

kh-l-q → “were created”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

لها

l-h-w → “for him”

literal: to it; towards it; unto it

وإنّ

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

عظيم

ʿ-ẓ-m → “Most Great”

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

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

زيّنوا

z-y-n → “adorn”

literal: to adorn; ornament; beauty

لسانكم

l-s-n → “your tongues”

literal: tongue; language

بالصّدق

ṣ-d-q → “with truthfulness”

literal: to confirm; to verify; to acknowledge; to testify to truth

ونفوسكم

n-f-s → “your souls”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

بالأمانة

ʾ-m-n → “trustworthy”

literal: to believe; to have faith; to be secure; trust; trustworthiness; covenant; deposit; believer, faithful

إيّاكم

w-q-y → “Fear” Distinctive

literal: beware; take heed; woe to you

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

تخانوا

kh-w-n → “treacherously” Distinctive

literal: blood

في

f-y → “with anyone” Distinctive

literal: in; in-it; in it

شيء

sh-y-ʾ

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

وكونوا

k-w-n → “Be ye”

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

الله

ʾ-l-h → “of God”

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

بين

b-y-n → “amongst”

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

بريّته

b-r-ʾ → “His creatures” Distinctive

literal: creation; creation/creatures; creatures

من

m-n → “of the lost”

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

المحسنين

ḥ-s-n

literal: goodness; beauty; excellence; good deed

أن

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

الّذين

l-dh-y → “which” Distinctive

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

يرتكبون

r-k-b

literal: to ride; to commit; to undertake; composition; combination; structure

البغي

b-gh-y → “becometh” Distinctive

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

والفحشاء

f-ḥ-sh → “wickedness”

literal: indecency; wickedness; iniquity; obscenity

أولئك

ʾ-w-l

literal: first; beginning; at first; the first; former; possessors of; those who have; masters of

ضَلَّ

ḍ-l-l → “error” Distinctive

literal: error; error/misguidance; error, misguidance

سعيهم

s-ʿ-y → “to strive” Distinctive

literal: endeavor; effort; striving; exertion; endeavour

الخاسرين

kh-s-r

literal: loss; ruin; to suffer loss

اجهدوا

j-h-d → “Strive”

literal: effort; striving; exertion; endeavor

بأن

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

عيونكم

ʿ-y-n → “your eyes”

literal: eye; fountain; spring; essence; to appoint; to designate; to specify; to determine

ناظرة

n-ẓ-r

literal: neck; slaves; those held in bonds

إلى

ʾ-l-y → “towards the”

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

شطر

sh-ṭ-r → “towards the”

literal: side, direction; half; to split

رحمة

r-ḥ-m → “mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

وقلوبكم

q-l-b → “your hearts”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

مُتَذَكِّرًا

dh-k-r → “mention” Distinctive

literal: remembrance; mention; memory

ببدايع

b-d-ʿ → “His wondrous remembrance”

literal: to create; most wondrous; excel

مطمئنّة

ṭ-m-n → “may rest confidently” Distinctive

literal: to be at peace; to be reassured; to settle down

بمواهبه

w-h-b → “gifts”

literal: gift; grant; bestowal

وفضله

f-ḍ-l → “upon His grace and bounty”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

وأرجلكم

r-j-l → “your feet”

literal: man; men; foot

ماشِيَة

m-sh-y → “walking”

literal: walk; walking; walks

على

ʿ-l-w → “the”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

سُبُل

s-b-l → “path”

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

رضائه

r-ḍ-y → “of His good-pleasure”

literal: pleasure; pleasure/satisfaction; pleasure, satisfaction

وهذا

h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; that

وصيّتي

w-ṣ-y → “counsels”

literal: counsel; commandment; bequest; will; testament; admonition; command

أنتم

n-t-m

literal: you

العاملين.

ʿ-m-l

literal: to work; to act; to do; to perform

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

Bahá’u’lláh

The last outstanding Tablet revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, written around 1891 and addressed to Shaykh Muḥammad-Taqí of Iṣfahán. It calls upon that rapacious priest to repent, quotes the most celebrated passages from Bahá’u’lláh’s own writings, and adduces proofs establishing the validity of His Cause.

268 ¶

Fire Tablet

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Revealed in late 1871 during a period of severe hardship in ‘Akká, this Tablet takes the form of an anguished dialogue between Bahá’u’lláh and God. Questions about the sufferings of the faithful are answered with divine assurances, building to a crescendo of triumph over tribulation.

50 ¶

Kitáb-i-’Ahd

Bahá’u’lláh

The Book of the Covenant — Bahá’u’lláh’s Will and Testament, written entirely in His own hand and unsealed on the ninth day after His ascension. It designates ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His successor and establishes what Shoghi Effendi called the mightiest Covenant in all religious history.

16 ¶

Kitáb-i-Íqán

Bahá’u’lláh

The principal doctrinal work of the Faith, revealed in Baghdad within the space of two days and two nights in response to questions from the Báb’s maternal uncle. Shoghi Effendi described it as occupying a position unequalled by any work except the Kitáb-i-Aqdas — a model of Persian prose, at once original, chaste, vigorous, and remarkably lucid.

291 ¶

Prayers and Meditations

Bahá’u’lláh

Published in 1938, this companion volume to Gleanings contains 184 prayers and meditations selected by Shoghi Effendi from Bahá’u’lláh’s devotional writings revealed across successive exiles from Baghdad to ‘Akká. Shoghi Effendi described it as a volume whose perusal would deepen the spirit of devotion and faith.

858 ¶

Tablet of Aḥmad

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in Adrianople and addressed to a believer named Aḥmad, this Tablet has been invested by Bahá’u’lláh with a special potency and significance. Its central imagery draws on the metaphor of fire and water: “Be thou as a flame of fire to My enemies and a river of life eternal to My loved ones.”

17 ¶

Tablet of Carmel

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed during a visit to Mount Carmel, this Tablet addresses the mountain directly and prophesies its future as the world spiritual and administrative center of the Faith. Shoghi Effendi designated it one of three foundational Charters. Its imagery of the Ark and the dwellers therein prefigures the Universal House of Justice.

5 ¶

Tablet of the Holy Mariner

Bahá’u’lláh

Chanted aloud in the outskirts of Baghdad just weeks before the Declaration in the Garden of Riḍván, its gloomy prognostications aroused the grave apprehensions of all who heard it. Only the Arabic portion has an authorized translation; the Persian portion remains untranslated.

57 ¶

The Hidden Words

Bahá’u’lláh

Seventy-one Arabic and eighty-two Persian aphorisms revealed around 1858 while walking along the banks of the Tigris in Baghdad. Originally designated the “Hidden Book of Fáṭimih,” Shoghi Effendi described it as a marvelous collection of gem-like utterances occupying a position of unsurpassed preeminence among the ethical writings of the Faith.

160 ¶

Will and Testament

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in three parts between 1901 and 1908, opened and read after His passing on 28 November 1921. Shoghi Effendi designated it the Charter of the New World Order — the mightiest instrument forged to ensure the continuity of the three ages of the Bahá’í Dispensation.

59 ¶