Kitáb-i-Íqán — §106

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 106 of 291.

Source (Persian)

و چون ابواب عرفان ذات ازل بر وجه ممکنات مسدود شد لهذا به اقتضای رحمت واسعه "سَبَقَتْ رَحمَتُهُ کُلَّ شَیءٍ " و وَسِعَتْ رَحمَتی کُلّ شَيْءٍ " جواهر قدس نورانی را از عوالم روحانی به هياکل عزّ انسانی در ميان خلق ظاهر فرمود تا حکايت نمايند از آن ذات ازليّه و ساذج قدميّه. و اين مرايای قدسيّه و مطالع هويّه بتمامهم از آن شمس وجود و جوهر مقصود حکايت می نمايند، مثلاً علم ايشان از علم او و قدرت ايشان از قدرت او وسلطنت 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 نا متناهی و مطالع شمس لايزالی چنانچه می فرمايد: "لا فَرقَ بَينَکَ و بَينَهُم إلّا بانَّهُم عِبادُکَ وَ خَلقُکَ." و اين است مقام "اَنَا هو و هو اَنَا" که در حديث مذکور است.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

The door of the knowledge of the Ancient of Days being thus closed in the face of all beings, the Source of infinite grace, according to His saying: “His grace hath transcended all things; My grace hath encompassed them all” hath caused those luminous Gems of Holiness to appear out of the realm of the spirit, in the noble form of the human temple, and be made manifest unto all men, that they may impart unto the world the mysteries of the unchangeable Being, and tell of the subtleties of His imperishable Essence. These sanctified Mirrors, these Day-springs 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. Even as He hath said: “There is no distinction whatsoever between Thee and them; except that they are Thy servants, and are created of Thee.” This is the significance of the tradition: “I am He, Himself, and He is I, myself.”

Translation Notes

چون

ch-w-n → “As”

literal: since; when; as

ابواب

b-w-b → “door”

literal: door; gate; chapter; way; manner

عرفان

ʿ-r-f → “knowledge”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

ذات

dh-w-t → “Essence”

literal: self; essence; being

ازل

ʾ-z-l

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

بر

b-r-r → “in the” Distinctive

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

وجه

w-j-h → “face”

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

ممکنات

m-k-n → “all created things”

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

مسدود

s-d-d → “closed”

literal: threshold; barrier; seat of authority

شد

sh-d

literal: to become; to be

لهذا

l-dh-ʾ → “therefore”

literal: therefore; for this reason; hence; so

به

b-h → “as”

literal: by it; by him; with it

اقتضای

q-ḍ-y → “decree” Distinctive

literal: requirement; exigency; what demands or calls for; to require; to necessitate; to demand

رحمت

r-ḥ-m → “infinite grace”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

واسعه

w-s-ʿ → “contain” Distinctive

literal: to contain; to encompass; to be capacious

"سَبَقَتْ

s-b-q → “hath surpassed” Distinctive

literal: precede; preceded; precedence

کُلَّ

k-l-l → “all”

literal: for us; to us

شَیءٍ

sh-y-ʾ → “things”

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

جواهر

j-w-h-r → “luminous Gems”

literal: jewel; essence; gem; substance

قدس

q-d-s → “Holiness”

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

نورانی

n-w-r

literal: light; illumination

را

r-ʾ-ʾ → “to appear”

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

از

ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

عوالم

ʿ-l-m → “realm”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

روحانی

r-w-ḥ → “spirit”

literal: to go; to depart; to rest; spirit; soul

هياکل

h-y-k-l → “temple”

literal: temple; body; edifice; structure

عزّ

ʿ-z-z → “glory”

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

انسانی

ʾ-n-s → “human”

literal: human; mankind; of humanity

در

d-r-r

literal: in; in, at; radiant

ميان

m-y-n

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

خلق

kh-l-q → “men” Distinctive

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

ظاهر

ẓ-h-r → “made manifest”

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

فرمود

f-r-m → “caused”

literal: to say; to decree; to ordain; to command

تا

t-y-y → “so that”

literal: so that/until

حکايت

ḥ-k-y → “story”

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

نمايند

n-m-ʾ → “may”

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

آن

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

ازليّه

ʾ-z-l

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

ساذج

s-dh-j → “Essence”

literal: simplicity, artlessness, plainness; simple soul or being

قدميّه.

q-d-m → “Ancient of Days” Distinctive

literal: ancientness; antiquity; foot; to come forward

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

مرايای

r-ʾ-y → “Mirrors”

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

مطالع

ṭ-l-ʿ → “Dayspring”

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

هويّه

h-w-y → “desires”

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

بتمامهم

t-m-m → “one and all”

literal: most complete; to complete; perfect; fullness

شمس

sh-m-s → “Orb” Distinctive

literal: sun; daystar; manifestation of divine light

وجود

w-j-d → “being”

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

مقصود

q-ṣ-d → “Purpose”

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

می

m-y-y → “will be made”

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

مثلاً

m-th-l

literal: like; example; parable; similitude

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

وسلطنت

s-l-ṭ → “sovereignty”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

جمال

j-m-l → “beauty”

literal: beauty; comeliness

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

متناهی

n-h-y → “infinite”

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

لايزالی

z-w-l → “can never fade”

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

چنانچه

ch-n-n → “Even as”

literal: thus; in such manner; as

"لا

l-ʾ → “no” Distinctive

literal: not; no, not; no

فَرقَ

f-r-q → “distinction”

literal: faction; sect; group; company

بَينَکَ

b-y-n → “Thee”

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

إلّا

ʾ-kh-r → “end”

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

بانَّهُم

ʾ-n-n → “that they are Thy”

literal: that; indeed; verily

عِبادُکَ

ʿ-b-d → “servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

است

b-w-d → “is”

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

مقام

q-w-m → “people” Distinctive

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

هو

h-w → “is”

literal: He; He is

که

k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

حديث

ḥ-d-th → “tradition”

literal: events, occurrences, accidents, changes and chances

مذکور

dh-k-r

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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A compilation of 166 selections from Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablets, spanning the Baghdad, Adrianople, and ‘Akká periods (1853–1892). George Townshend assisted with English refinement. Shoghi Effendi wrote that it gives the friends a splendid opportunity to acquire knowledge and understanding of the Faith.

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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 ¶

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17 ¶

Tablet of Carmel

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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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57 ¶

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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 ¶

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59 ¶