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Gleanings — §719

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 719 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

یا معشر البشر تمسّکوا بالحبل المتین إنّه ینفعکم فی الأرض من لدی الله ربّ العالمین خذوا العدل و الإنصاف و دعوا ما أمرکم به کلّ جاهل بعید الّذین زیّنوا رؤوسهم بالعمائم و افَتوا علی الّذی به ظهر کلّ امر حکیم باسمی رفعت مقاماتهم بین العباد و إذا أظهرتُ نفسی افتوا عَلَيَّ بظلم مبین کذلک نطق القلم بالحقّ و القوم من الغافلین

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Members of the human race! Hold ye fast by the Cord which no man can sever. This will, indeed, profit you all the days of your life, for its strength is of God, the Lord of all worlds. Cleave ye to justice and fairness, and turn away from the whisperings of the foolish, them that are estranged from God, that have decked their heads with the ornament of the learned, and have condemned to death Him Who is the Fountain of wisdom. My name hath uplifted them to lofty grades, and yet, no sooner did I reveal Myself to their eyes than they, with manifest injustice, pronounced the sentence of My death. Thus hath Our Pen revealed the truth, and yet the people are sunk in heedlessness.

Translation Notes

یا
y-ʾ

literal: O; or

معشر
ʿ-sh-r → “associated” Distinctive

literal: association; companionship; social interaction; عشرين (twenty) is from numeral root ع-ش-ر, distinct from ‘association’ meaning

البشر
b-sh-r → “the human race” Distinctive

literal: human; mankind; human nature

تمسّکوا
m-s-k → “Hold ye fast” Distinctive

literal: musk; to seize; grip; to hold fast; to cling to; to grasp

بالحبل
ḥ-b-l → “by the Cord”

literal: cord; rope; bond; connection

المتین
m-t-n → “mighty”

literal: firm, strong, robust, steadfast

إنّه
ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: I, verily; behold I

ینفعکم
n-f-ʿ → “indeed, profit” Distinctive

literal: benefits; profits; advantages

فی
f-y

literal: in; in-it; in it

الأرض
ʾ-r-ḍ

literal: earth; land; ground; country

من
m-n → “from”

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

لدی
l-d-y → “of”

literal: with; in the presence of; from; by

الله
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

ربّ
r-b-b → “Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

العالمین
ʿ-l-m → “of all worlds”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

خذوا
ʾ-kh-dh → “arrested” Distinctive

literal: will; to wish; to want

العدل
ʿ-d-l → “justice”

literal: justice; equity

الإنصاف
n-ṣ-f → “fairness”

literal: justice; fairness; equity

دعوا
w-d-ʿ → “turn away” Distinctive

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

ما
m-ʾ → “from” Distinctive

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

أمرکم
ʾ-m-r → “Cause” Distinctive

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

به
b-h → “of” Distinctive

literal: by it; by him; with it

کلّ
k-l-l → “the”

literal: for us; to us

جاهل
j-h-l → “foolish”

literal: ignorant; foolish; the ignorant ones

بعید
b-ʿ-d → “after” Distinctive

literal: after; behind; distance

الّذین
l-dh-y → “that”

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

زیّنوا
z-y-n → “have decked”

literal: to adorn; ornament; beauty; adornment; embellishment; decoration

رؤوسهم
r-ʾ-s → “their heads”

literal: chief; leader; head; president; beginning

بالعمائم
ʿ-m-m → “all”

literal: universal; general; public; comprehensive

افَتوا
f-t-y → “pronounce”

literal: slander; calumny; fabrication; false accusation

علی
ʿ-l-w → “exalted”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

امر
ʾ-m-r

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

حکیم
ḥ-k-m → “wisdom”

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

باسمی
s-m-w → “heaven” Distinctive

literal: heaven; sky

رفعت
r-f-ʿ → “uplifted” Distinctive

literal: to be raised, elevated, exalted, lifted up

مقاماتهم
q-w-m → “them to lofty grades”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

بین
b-y-n

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

العباد
ʿ-b-d

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

إذا
ʾ-dh-n → “ears”

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

أظهرتُ
ẓ-h-r → “I reveal” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

نفسی
n-f-s → “Myself”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

بظلم
ẓ-l-m → “with manifest injustice” Distinctive

literal: wrongedness, oppression, meekness; state of being wronged or oppressed

کذلک
dh-l-k → “Thus”

literal: thus; likewise; also

نطق
n-ṭ-q → “hath”

literal: to speak; to utter; to pronounce; to articulate

القلم
q-l-m → “Our Pen”

literal: pen; writing instrument

بالحقّ
ḥ-q-q → “revealed the truth”

literal: truth; right; that which is true or just

الغافلین
gh-f-l → “heedlessness”

literal: heedlessness; negligence; inattention

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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268 ¶
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50 ¶
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16 ¶
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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 ¶
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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.

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17 ¶
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160 ¶
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59 ¶