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Gleanings — §696

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 696 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

إذا أشرقت من أفق البيان شمس الأحكام لكلّ أن يتّبعوها ولو بأمر تنفطر عنه سموات أفئدة الأديان إنّه يفعل ما يشآء ولا يُسئل عمّا شآء وما حكم به المحبوب إنّه لمحبوب ومالك الاختراع إن الّذي وجد عرف الرّحمن وعرف مطلع هذا البيان إنّه يستقبل بعينيه السّهام لإثبات الأحكام بين الأنام طوبى لمن أقبل وفاز بفصل الخطاب...

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Whenever My laws appear like the sun in the heaven of Mine utterance, they must be faithfully obeyed by all, though My decree be such as to cause the heaven of every religion to be cleft asunder. He doth what He pleaseth. He chooseth, and none may question His choice. Whatsoever He, the Well-Beloved, ordaineth, the same is, verily, beloved. To this He Who is the Lord of all creation beareth Me witness. Whoso hath inhaled the sweet fragrance of the All-Merciful, and recognized the Source of this utterance, will welcome with his own eyes the shafts of the enemy, that he may establish the truth of the laws of God amongst men. Well is it with him that hath turned thereunto, and apprehended the meaning of His decisive decree.

Translation Notes

إذا
ʾ-dh-n → “ears”

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

أشرقت
sh-r-q → “Dayspring” Distinctive

literal: radiance; splendor; dawn; illumination

من
m-n → “in” Distinctive

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

أفق
ʾ-f-q → “heaven” Distinctive

literal: horizon; sphere; realm; quarter

البيان
b-y-n → “of Mine utterance”

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident

شمس
sh-m-s

literal: sun; daystar; manifestation of divine light

الأحكام
ḥ-k-m → “laws”

literal: discourse; address; speech; utterance; the divine word

لكلّ
k-l-l

literal: for each; for every; to each

أن
ʾ-n → “they must be”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

يتّبعوها
t-b-ʿ → “follow” Distinctive

literal: to follow; to obey; to pursue

ولو
l-w → “If”

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

بأمر
ʾ-m-r → “My decree” Distinctive

literal: command; cause; matter; affair; Cause (of God); to command; to order

تنفطر
f-ṭ-r → “true Faith” Distinctive

literal: to split; to burst asunder; to cleave

عنه
ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

سموات
s-m-w → “heaven”

literal: heaven; sky

أفئدة
f-ʾ-d

literal: heart, innermost soul, mind; heart; inner consciousness; mind; one who benefits; advantageous

الأديان
d-y-n → “every religion” Distinctive

literal: religion; faith; creed; belief

إنّه
ʾ-n-n → “same is, verily” Distinctive

literal: I, verily; behold I

يفعل
f-ʿ-l → “doth”

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

ما
m-ʾ → “that”

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

يشآء
sh-y-ʾ → “pleaseth” Distinctive

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

ولا
w-l-y → “Lord” Distinctive

literal: no; not; negation particle

يُسئل
s-ʾ-l

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

به
b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

المحبوب
ḥ-b-b → “the Well-Beloved”

literal: love; affection

ومالك
m-l-k → “Lord”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty; possessions; property; ownership

الاختراع
kh-r-ʿ → “all creation”

literal: invention; creation; origination

الّذي
l-dh-y → “which”

literal: who; which; that which; the one who

وجد
w-j-d → “hath inhaled”

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

عرف
ʿ-r-f → “sweet fragrance”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

الرّحمن
r-ḥ-m → “the All-Merciful”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

مطلع
ṭ-l-ʿ → “Source” Distinctive

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

هذا
h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; that

بعينيه
ʿ-y-n → “with his own eyes”

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

السّهام
s-h-m → “the shafts”

literal: arrow; dart; shaft; portion; share

لإثبات
th-b-t → “that he may establish” Distinctive

literal: firm; steadfast; established; fixed

الأنام
ʾ-n-m

literal: people; mankind; human beings

طوبى
ṭ-w-b → “Well is it”

literal: happiness; blessedness; felicity

أقبل
q-b-l → “hath turned”

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

وفاز
f-w-z → “attain”

literal: to attain; to gain; to succeed; to win

بفصل
f-ṣ-l → “separated” Distinctive

literal: detail; distinction; differentiation; to detail; to separate

الخطاب...
kh-ṭ-b → “addressed”

literal: discourse; address; speech; utterance; the divine word

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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