Gleanings — §91

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 91 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

و بر اولی العلم و افئده منيره واضح است که غيب هُويّه و ذات احديّه مقدّس از بروز و ظهور و صعود و نزول و دخول و خروج بوده و متعاليست از وصف هر واصفی و ادراک هر مدرکی لم يزل در ذات خود غيب بوده و هست و لايزال بکينونت خود مستور از ابصار و انظار خواهد بود لا تدرکه الأبصار و هو يدرک الأبصار و هو اللّطيف الخبير ...

Shoghi Effendi Translation

To every discerning and illuminated heart it is evident that God, the unknowable Essence, the Divine Being, is immensely exalted beyond every human attribute, such as corporeal existence, ascent and descent, egress and regress. Far be it from His glory that human tongue should adequately recount His praise, or that human heart comprehend His fathomless mystery. He is, and hath ever been, veiled in the ancient eternity of His Essence, and will remain in His Reality everlastingly hidden from the sight of men. “No vision taketh in Him, but He taketh in all vision; He is the Subtile, the All-Perceiving.”…

Translation Notes

بر

b-r-r → “To”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

اولی

ʾ-w-l → “first” Distinctive

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

العلم

ʿ-l-m

literal: world; universe; the worlds

افئده

f-ʾ-d → “illuminated heart” Distinctive

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

منيره

n-w-r

literal: light; illumination

واضح

w-ḍ-ḥ → “is evident”

literal: clear; evident; manifest; obvious

است

b-w-d → “is”

literal: to be; are (third person plural present copula)

که

k-h → “that God,”

literal: that; who; who, that

غيب

gh-y-b → “unknowable” Distinctive

literal: the unseen; the invisible; the hidden; the unknowable

هُويّه

h-w-y → “Essence” Distinctive

literal: desire; vain desire; inclination; passion; whim; realm; region

ذات

dh-w-t → “Essence”

literal: essence; self; being

احديّه

ʾ-ḥ-d → “Divine Being” Distinctive

literal: oneness; unity; absolute unicity; singleness of divine essence

مقدّس

q-d-s

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

از

ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

بروز

b-r-z → “revelation”

literal: appearance; manifestation; coming forth

ظهور

ẓ-h-r

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

صعود

ṣ-ʿ-d → “ascent”

literal: ascent; ascension; rising; elevation

نزول

n-z-l → “descent”

literal: to descend, to be revealed

دخول

d-kh-l

literal: to enter; to admit; to bring in

خروج

kh-r-j → “egress”

literal: bringing out, taking out, expulsion, extraction