Gleanings — §93

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 93 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

از آن شمس وجود و جوهر مقصود حکايت مينمايند مثلاً علم ايشان از علم او و قدرت ايشان از قدرت او و سلطنت ايشان از سلطنت او و جمال ايشان از جمال او و ظهور ايشان از ظهور او و ايشانند مخازن علوم ربّانی و مواقع حکمت صمدانی و مظاهر فيض نامتناهی و مطالع شمس لايزالی ... و اين هياکل قدسيّه مرايای اوّليّهء ازليّه هستند که حکايت نموده‌اند از غيب الغيوب و از کلّ اسماء و صفات او از علم و قدرت و سلطنت و عظمت و رحمت و حکمت و عزّت و جود و کرم و جميع اين صفات از ظهور اين جواهر احديّه ظاهر و هويدا است و اين

Shoghi Effendi Translation

These sanctified Mirrors, these Daysprings of ancient glory, are, one and all, the Exponents on earth of Him Who is the central Orb of the universe, its Essence and ultimate Purpose. From Him proceed their knowledge and power; from Him is derived their sovereignty. The beauty of their countenance is but a reflection of His image, and their revelation a sign of His deathless glory. They are the Treasuries of Divine knowledge, and the Repositories of celestial wisdom. Through them is transmitted a grace that is infinite, and by them is revealed the Light that can never fade.… These Tabernacles of Holiness, these Primal Mirrors which reflect the light of unfading glory, are but expressions of Him Who is the Invisible of the Invisibles. By the revelation of these Gems of Divine virtue all the names and attributes of God, such as knowledge and power, sovereignty and dominion, mercy and wisdom, glory, bounty, and grace, are made manifest.

Translation Notes

از

ʾ-z → “From”

literal: from

آن

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

شمس

sh-m-s → “Orb” Distinctive

literal: sun; daystar; manifestation of divine light

وجود

w-j-d → “universe” Distinctive

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

جوهر

j-w-h-r → “Essence”

literal: jewel; essence; gem; substance

مقصود

q-ṣ-d → “Purpose”

literal: intention; purpose; aim; goal; to seek; to direct oneself

حکايت

ḥ-k-y → “story”

literal: telling; indicative; narrator; testifier; narrative; story; account; tale; to relate; one who relates; speaking of

مينمايند

n-m-ʾ

literal: to show, to display, to manifest, to exhibit; to manifest; to display; to show

مثلاً

m-th-l → “such as”

literal: like; example; parable; similitude

علم

ʿ-l-m → “knowledge”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

ايشان

ʾ-y-sh → “Prophets”

literal: that; it (object pronoun with suffix)

او

h-w-w → “is”

literal: he; it (third person pronoun); refuge; shelter; dwelling place; abode; lamentation, cry, woe; melody, song

قدرت

q-d-r → “power”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

سلطنت

s-l-ṭ → “sovereignty”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

جمال

j-m-l → “beauty”

literal: beauty; comeliness

ظهور

ẓ-h-r → “revelation”

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

ايشانند

h-s-t → “are”

literal: familiar; intimate; companionship; to be acquainted with; companion; intimate friend; to be intimate with; to keep company; to console

مخازن

kh-z-n → “Treasuries”

literal: to store, to treasure; storehouse, depository, treasury

ربّانی

r-b-b → “Divine”

literal: education; upbringing; training; cultivation

مواقع

w-q-ʿ → “Repositories”

literal: to fall, to occur, to happen; incident, event

حکمت

ḥ-k-m → “wisdom”

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

صمدانی

ṣ-m-d → “celestial”

literal: eternal, self-sufficient, divine, the Eternal

فيض

f-y-ḍ → “grace”

literal: flood; abundance; overflow; emanation; grace; overflowing; emanating; surplus

نامتناهی

m-n-ʿ → “infinite”

literal: end, limit, utmost, extreme; final; the end, limit, utmost bound; Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing; end; limit; terminus

مطالع

ṭ-l-ʿ → “Daysprings”

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

لايزالی

z-w-l → “can never fade.…”

literal: to pass away; to vanish; to disappear; to cease

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

هياکل

h-y-k-l → “Tabernacles”

literal: temple; body; edifice; structure

قدسيّه

q-d-s → “Holiness”

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

مرايای

r-ʾ-y → “Mirrors”

literal: to guard, watch over, regard, heed, respect, maintain; care; protection; guardianship; watchfulness

اوّليّهء

ʾ-w-l → “Primal”

literal: first; beginning; first/former

ازليّه

ʾ-z-l → “eternal”

literal: eternity; pre-eternity; without beginning; eternal; everlasting; from eternity

که

k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

نموده‌اند

n-m-w

literal: to show, display, exhibit; to grow, develop

غيب

gh-y-b → “Invisible”

literal: the unseen; the invisible; the hidden; the unknowable; stranger; foreign; alien; separated

کلّ

k-l-l → “all”

literal: for us; to us

اسماء

s-m-w → “names”

literal: name

صفات

w-ṣ-f → “attributes”

literal: attribute; quality; characteristic

عظمت

ʿ-ẓ-m → “dominion”

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

رحمت

r-ḥ-m → “mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

عزّت

ʿ-z-z → “glory”

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

جود

j-w-d → “bounty”

literal: generosity; bounty; liberality

کرم

k-r-m → “bounty”

literal: Carmel (Mount Carmel); vineyard, fruitful field; honor; generosity; nobility

جميع

j-m-ʿ → “all”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

احديّه

ʾ-ḥ-d → “Divine” Distinctive

literal: oneness; uniqueness; absolute unity; singularity of God

هويدا

h-w-y

literal: cradle; bed; couch; resting place

است

b-w-d → “are”

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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The last outstanding Tablet revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, written around 1891 and addressed to Shaykh Muḥammad-Taqí of Iṣfahán. It calls upon that rapacious priest to repent, quotes the most celebrated passages from Bahá’u’lláh’s own writings, and adduces proofs establishing the validity of His Cause.

268 ¶

Fire Tablet

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Revealed in late 1871 during a period of severe hardship in ‘Akká, this Tablet takes the form of an anguished dialogue between Bahá’u’lláh and God. Questions about the sufferings of the faithful are answered with divine assurances, building to a crescendo of triumph over tribulation.

50 ¶

Kitáb-i-’Ahd

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The Book of the Covenant — Bahá’u’lláh’s Will and Testament, written entirely in His own hand and unsealed on the ninth day after His ascension. It designates ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His successor and establishes what Shoghi Effendi called the mightiest Covenant in all religious history.

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 ¶

Prayers and Meditations

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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.

858 ¶

Tablet of Aḥmad

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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

Bahá’u’lláh

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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Chanted aloud in the outskirts of Baghdad just weeks before the Declaration in the Garden of Riḍván, its gloomy prognostications aroused the grave apprehensions of all who heard it. Only the Arabic portion has an authorized translation; the Persian portion remains untranslated.

57 ¶

The Hidden Words

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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 ¶

Will and Testament

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

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 ¶