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Kitáb-i-Íqán — §105

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 105 of 291.

Source (Persian)

سبحان اللّه، بلکه ميانه ممکنات و کلمه او هم نسبت و ربطی نبوده و نخواهد بود. "وَ يُحَذّرُکُم اللّهُ نَفسَهُ" بر اين مطلب برهانی است واضح "وَ کانَ اللّهُ وَ لَم يَکُن مَعَهُ من شَيْءٍ " دليلی است لائح. چنانچه جميع انبياء و اوصياء و علماء و عرفاء و حکماء برعدم بلوغ معرفت آن جوهر الجواهر و بر عجز از عرفان و وصول آن حقيقة الحقائق مقرّ و مذعن اند.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Gracious God! How could there be conceived any existing relationship or possible connection between His Word and they that are created of it? The verse: “God would have you beware of Himself” unmistakably beareth witness to the reality of Our argument, and the words: “God was alone; there was none else besides Him” are a sure testimony of its truth. All the Prophets of God and their chosen Ones, all the divines, the sages, and the wise of every generation, unanimously recognize their inability to attain unto the comprehension of that Quintessence of all truth, and confess their incapacity to grasp Him, Who is the inmost Reality of all things.

Translation Notes

سبحان
s-b-ḥ → “Gracious”

literal: glorified; the All-Praised; exalted; dawn; daybreak; morning

اللّه،
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

بلکه
b-l-k → “Nay”

literal: nay; but rather; on the contrary; but

ميانه
w-s-ṭ → “meridian” Distinctive

literal: between; among; amid; in the midst of

ممکنات
m-k-n → “they that are created” Distinctive

literal: establishment; confirmation; empowerment; firm settlement; place; possibility; being (negated as ‘non-being’)

کلمه
k-l-m → “Word”

literal: words; utterances; locutions; word; utterance; speech; sayings; verses

او
h-w-w → “His”

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

هم
h-m-m

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

نسبت
n-s-b → “relationship”

literal: relation; relationship; connection; attribution; proportion

ربطی
r-b-ṭ → “firm” Distinctive

literal: connection; attachment; link; bond

نبوده
b-w-d → “is” Distinctive

literal: to be; to exist; to have been

نخواهد
kh-w-h

literal: will; to wish; to want

"وَ
w-w-w

literal: and; quotation mark

يُحَذّرُکُم
ḥ-dh-r → “would have you beware”

literal: to warn; to caution

نَفسَهُ"
n-f-s → “Himself””

literal: self; soul; souls

بر
b-r-r → “to”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

اين
ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

مطلب
ṭ-l-b → “argument”

literal: seeker, one who seeks; those who seek

برهانی
b-r-h → “proof”

literal: proof, evidence, demonstration, argument

واضح
w-ḍ-ḥ → “evident”

literal: clear; evident; manifest; obvious

کانَ
k-w-n → “was”

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

لَم
l-y-s

literal: to reproach; blame; censure

مَعَهُ
m-ʿ → “notwithstanding”

literal: معه = مع + ه (with him), preposition, not from root ع-م-م

من
m-n

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

شَيْءٍ
sh-y-ʾ → “none else” Distinctive

literal: thing; something; to will; to wish; to desire; to open; to unfold; to reveal

دليلی
d-l-l → “testimony”

literal: to argue; to demonstrate; proof

لائح.
l-w-ḥ → “Tablet” Distinctive

literal: to appear; to shine; to flash; to gleam

چنانچه
ch-n-n

literal: thus; in such manner; as

جميع
j-m-ʿ → “All”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

انبياء
n-b-ʾ → “Prophets of God”

literal: prophet; messenger

اوصياء
w-ṣ-y → “testaments” Distinctive

literal: admonition; admonish; testament

علماء
ʿ-l-m → “divines”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

حکماء
ḥ-k-m → “wisdom” Distinctive

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

برعدم
ʿ-d-m → “nothingness” Distinctive

literal: non-existence; non-existent; nonexistent

بلوغ
b-l-gh → “attain”

literal: to reach; to attain; to deliver; to proclaim

معرفت
ʿ-r-f → “comprehension”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

آن
ʾ-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

جوهر
j-w-h-r → “Quintessence”

literal: jewel; essence; gem; substance

عجز
ʿ-j-z → “powerlessness”

literal: to be unable; to fail; to be exhausted; impotence

از
ʾ-z

literal: from

وصول
w-ṣ-l

literal: reunion; union; meeting; connection

حقيقة
ḥ-q-q → “truth”

literal: truth; right; that which is true or just

مقرّ
q-r-r → “recognize” Distinctive

literal: matter; affair; thing

مذعن
dh-ʿ-n → “acknowledged His truth”

literal: to know; to be aware

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán

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