Kitáb-i-Íqán — §1

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 1 of 291.

Source (Persian)

بسم ربّنا العليّ الاعلی الباب المَذکُورُ فی بَيانِ اَنَّ العباد لَن يَصِلُوا إلی شاطِئِ بَحرِالعِرفانِ إلّا بِالانقِطاعِ الصِّرفِ عَن کُلِّ مَن فِی السَّمواتِ والاَرضِ. قَدِّسُوا اَنفُسَکُم يا اَهلَ الاَرضِ لَعَلَّ تَصِلُنَّ إلی المقامِ الَّذی قَدَّر اللّهُ لَکُم و تَدخُلُنَّ فی سُرادقٍ جَعَلهُ اللّهُ فی سَماء البَيانِ مَرفوعاً.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD, THE EXALTED, THE MOST HIGH. No man shall attain the shores of the ocean of true understanding except he be detached from all that is in heaven and on earth. Sanctify your souls, O ye peoples of the world, that haply ye may attain that station which God hath destined for you and enter thus the tabernacle which, according to the dispensations of Providence, hath been raised in the firmament of the Bayán.

Translation Notes

بسم

s-m-w → “IN THE NAME OF”

literal: in the name of; by the name of (Islamic formulaic opening)

ربّنا

r-b-b → “OUR LORD”

literal: Lord; Master; Sustainer; Cherisher

العليّ

ʿ-l-w → “EXALTED”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

الباب

literal: door; gate; chapter; way; manner

المَذکُورُ

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

فِی

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

اَنَّ

literal: that; those; he; she; it

العباد

ʿ-b-d → “No man” Distinctive

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

لَن

l-n → “neither”

literal: will not (negation of future)

يَصِلُوا

w-ṣ-l → “attain”

literal: and; union; reach

إلی

ʾ-l-y → “the” Distinctive

literal: except; but; if not; lo; now; at this time; save; only; unless

شاطِئِ

sh-ṭ-ʾ → “shores”

literal: fitting; suitable; becoming

بَحرِالعِرفانِ

b-ḥ-r → “ocean”

literal: sea; ocean; sea, ocean

إلّا

ʾ-kh-r → “end”

literal: end; hereafter; other

بِالانقِطاعِ

q-ṭ-ʿ → “detached” Distinctive

literal: to be severed; to be cut off; to detach oneself; to abstain

الصِّرفِ

ṣ-r-f → “treatment” Distinctive

literal: pure; absolute; to turn away; to expend

عَن

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

کُلِّ

k-l-l → “all”

literal: for us; to us

مَن

m-n → “that” Distinctive

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

والاَرضِ.

ʾ-r-ḍ → “and on earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

قَدِّسُوا

q-d-s → “Sanctify”

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

اَنفُسَکُم

n-f-s → “your souls”

literal: self; soul; psyche

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

اَهلَ

ʾ-h-l → “ye peoples”

literal: people; inhabitants; family; kin; worthy; deserving; my family; my people; my kin

لَعَلَّ

l-ʿ-l → “that haply”

literal: perhaps; perchance; hopefully

المقامِ

q-w-m → “station”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

الَّذی

l-dh-y → “which”

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

قَدَّر

q-d-r → “God hath destined” Distinctive

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

اللّهُ

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

لَکُم

l-k-m → “for you”

literal: for you, to you, your (dative pronoun)

تَدخُلُنَّ

d-kh-l → “enter”

literal: enter; entered; entering

سُرادقٍ

s-r-d-q → “tabernacle”

literal: pavilion; tabernacle; canopy; tent

جَعَلهُ

literal: to make; to cause; to render; to appoint

البَيانِ

b-y-n → “of the Bayán”

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

مَرفوعاً.

r-f-ʿ → “raised”

literal: raise; raised; elevation

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