Gleanings — §720

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 720 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

إنّ الّذی تمسّک بالعدل إنّه لا یتجاوز حدود الاعتدال فی أمر من الأمور و یکون علی بصیرة من لدی البصیر إنّ التّمدّن الّذی یذکره علمآء مِصر الصّنایع و الفضل لو یتجاوز حدّ الاعتدال لتراه نقمة علی النّاس کذلک یخبرکم الخبیر إنّه یصیر مبدأ الفساد فی تجاوزه کما کان مبدأ الاصلاح فی اعتداله تفکّروا یا قوم و لا تکونوا من الهائمین سوف تحترق المدن من ناره و ینطق لسان العظمة الملک للّه العزیز الحمید

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Whoso cleaveth to justice, can, under no circumstances, transgress the limits of moderation. He discerneth the truth in all things, through the guidance of Him Who is the All-Seeing. The civilization, so often vaunted by the learned exponents of arts and sciences, will, if allowed to overleap the bounds of moderation, bring great evil upon men. Thus warneth you He Who is the All-Knowing. If carried to excess, civilization will prove as prolific a source of evil as it had been of goodness when kept within the restraints of moderation. Meditate on this, O people, and be not of them that wander distraught in the wilderness of error. The day is approaching when its flame will devour the cities, when the Tongue of Grandeur will proclaim: “The Kingdom is God’s, the Almighty, the All-Praised!”

Translation Notes

إنّ

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

الّذی

l-dh-y → “which”

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

تمسّک

m-s-k → “cleaveth”

literal: musk; to seize; grip

بالعدل

ʿ-d-l → “justice”

literal: justice; equity

إنّه

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: I, verily; behold I

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

یتجاوز

j-w-z → “transgressed”

literal: permissible; allowed; possible; fair; lawful

حدود

ḥ-d-d → “limits” Distinctive

literal: iron; sharp, keen, acute

فی

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

أمر

ʾ-m-r → “things” Distinctive

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

من

m-n → “from”

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

الأمور

ʾ-m-r

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

یکون

k-w-n → “be”

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

علی

ʿ-l-w → “upon” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

بصیرة

b-ṣ-r → “eyes” Distinctive

literal: sight; insight; discernment; spiritual perception

لدی

l-d-y → “at”

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

التّمدّن

m-d-n → “civilization”

literal: city; town

یذکره

dh-k-r → “mention” Distinctive

literal: remembrance; mention; memory; invocation; reminders; commemorations

علمآء

ʿ-l-m → “learned”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

مِصر

m-ṣ-r → “meads”

literal: matter; affair; thing

الصّنایع

ṣ-n-ʿ → “arts”

literal: fashioning; making; creation; artifice

الفضل

f-ḍ-l → “grace”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

لو

l-w → “If”

literal: if; would that; O that

لتراه

r-ʾ-y → “Thou seest” Distinctive

literal: to see; to perceive; to look; to see, to observe, to behold; to view; vision; dream; sight; ل is prefix; verb تری (you see) is from ر-ا-ي

نقمة

n-q-m → “chastisement” Distinctive

literal: punishment; vengeance; retribution

النّاس

n-ʾ-s → “men”

literal: companionship; fellowship; familiarity; to keep company

کذلک

dh-l-k → “Thus”

literal: thus; likewise; also

یخبرکم

kh-b-r → “warneth”

literal: all-knowing; aware; well-informed; omniscient

یصیر

ṣ-y-r → “interposed themselves” Distinctive

literal: to become; to turn into; to grow

مبدأ

b-d-ʾ → “source”

literal: beginning; source; origin, beginning

الفساد

f-s-d → “mischief” Distinctive

literal: corruption; ruin; discord; mischief; decay

کما

k-m → “loss” Distinctive

literal: as; like; how much; lane; street; quarter; abode

الاصلاح

ṣ-l-ḥ → “betterment”

literal: peace; reconciliation

تفکّروا

f-k-r → “Meditate”

literal: reflection; reflect; contemplation

یا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

قوم

q-w-m → “people”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

الهائمین

h-y-m → “them that rove distraught”

literal: the Protector; the Overseer; the Guardian; inspiration; revelation; intuition

سوف

s-w-f → “Ere long will”

literal: shall; will (future marker)

تحترق

ḥ-r-q → “devour”

literal: to burn; to be consumed by fire; burning

ناره

n-w-r → “flame”

literal: light; illumination

ینطق

n-ṭ-q → “proclaim”

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

لسان

l-s-n → “Tongue”

literal: tongue; language

العظمة

ʿ-ẓ-m → “Grandeur”

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

الملک

m-l-k → “Kingdom”

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

للّه

ʾ-l-h → “God’s”

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

العزیز

ʿ-z-z → “Almighty”

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

الحمید

ḥ-m-d → “All-Praised!””

literal: praise; to praise

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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268 ¶

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50 ¶

Kitáb-i-’Ahd

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16 ¶

Kitáb-i-Íqán

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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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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

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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

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57 ¶

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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 ¶

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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 ¶