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Gleanings — §90

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 90 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

أن يا عبد النّاظر أن اشكر اللّه بما نزّل لك في السّجن هذا اللّوح لتذكّر النّاس بأيّام ربّك العزيز العليم كذلك أسّسنا لك بنيان الإيمان من ماء الحكمة والبيان وهذا مآء الّذي كان مستوي على عرش ربّك الرّحمن وكان عرشه على المآء فكّر لتعرف وقل الحمد للّه ربّ العالمين.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

O My servant that hath turned thy face towards Me! Render thanks unto God for having sent down unto thee this Tablet in this Prison, that thou mayest remind the people of the days of thy Lord, the All-Glorious, the All-Knowing. Thus have We established for thee, through the waters of Our wisdom and utterance, the foundations of thy belief. This, verily, is the water whereon the Throne of thy Lord hath been raised. “His Throne had stood upon the waters.” Ponder this in thine heart, that thou mayest comprehend its meaning. Say: Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

Translation Notes

أن
ʾ-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

يا
y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

عبد
ʿ-b-d → “servant”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

النّاظر
n-ẓ-r → “hath turned thy face towards Me”

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

اشكر
sh-k-r → “Render thanks”

literal: thankfulness, gratitude; to give thanks, be grateful; manifest; evident; apparent; clear

اللّه
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

بما
m-ʾ

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

نزّل
n-z-l → “sent down”

literal: to descend, to be revealed

لك
l → “His is”

literal: for; for you; for him

في
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

السّجن
s-j-n → “Prison”

literal: prison, imprisonment; to imprison

اللّوح
l-w-ḥ → “Tablet”

literal: tablet; panel; divine decree; revelation

لتذكّر
dh-k-r → “that thou mayest remind”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

النّاس
n-ʾ-s → “people”

literal: companionship; fellowship; familiarity; to keep company

بأيّام
y-w-m → “days”

literal: day; age; period; era; a day

ربّك
r-b-b → “Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

العزيز
ʿ-z-z → “All-Glorious”

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

العليم
ʿ-l-m → “All-Knowing”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

كذلك
dh-l-k → “Thus”

literal: thus; likewise; also

أسّسنا
ʾ-s-s → “foundation” Distinctive

literal: foundation; foundation, base; foundation, basis

بنيان
b-n-y → “foundations”

literal: building, structure, edifice; to build, construct; structure, edifice

الإيمان
ʾ-m-n → “belief”

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

من
m-n

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

ماء
m-w-h → “waters”

literal: water; shelter; refuge; dwelling; abode; essence

الحكمة
ḥ-k-m → “wisdom”

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

والبيان
b-y-n → “utterance”

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

وهذا
h-dh-ʾ → “This, verily, is”

literal: this; that

الّذي
l-dh-y → “which”

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

كان
k-w-n → “hath been raised”

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

مستوي
s-w-y

literal: level; equal; straight; upon a throne; resting upon; toward; to; direction of; other than; besides; except

على
ʿ-l-w → “upon” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

عرش
ʿ-r-sh → “Throne”

literal: of the Throne; companion of the Throne

الرّحمن
r-ḥ-m

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

فكّر
f-k-r → “Ponder” Distinctive

literal: thoughts; ideas; fancies; opinions

لتعرف
ʿ-r-f → “that thou mayest comprehend” Distinctive

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

وقل
q-w-l → “Say”

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

الحمد
ḥ-m-d → “Praise be”

literal: praise; to praise

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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