Kitáb-i-Íqán — §113

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 113 of 291.

Source (Persian)

باری، راجع به مطلب می شويم که سؤال از آن شده بود که سلطنت قائم با آنکه در احاديث مأثوره از انجم مضيئه وارد شده با وجود اين اثری از سلطنت ظاهر نشد بلکه خلاف آن تحقّق يافت. چنانچه اصحاب و اوليای او در دست ناس مبتلا و محصور بوده و هستند و در نهايت ذلّت و عجز در ملک ظاهرند. بلی، سلطنتی که در کتب در حقّ قائم مذکور است حقٌ وَ لا رَيبَ فيه و ليکن آن نه آن سلطنت و حکومتی است که هر نفسی ادراک نمايد. و ديگر آنکه جميع انبيای قبل که بشارت دادهاند مردم را به ظهور بعد، همه آن مظاهر قبل ذکر سلطنت ظهور بعد را نموده چنانچه در کتب قبل مسطور است و آن تخصيص به قائم ندارد و در حقّ جميع آن مظاهر قبل و بعد حکم سلطنت و جميع صفات و اسماء ثابت و محقّق است زيرا که مظاهر صفات غيبيّه و مطالع اسرار الهيّه اند چنانچه مذکورشد.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

And now, to resume Our argument concerning the question: Why is it that the sovereignty of the Qá’im, affirmed in the text of recorded traditions, and handed down by the shining stars of the Muhammadan Dispensation, hath not in the least been made manifest? Nay, the contrary hath come to pass. Have not His disciples and companions been afflicted of men? Are they not still the victims of the fierce opposition of their enemies? Are they not today leading the life of abased and impotent mortals? Yea, the sovereignty attributed to the Qá’im and spoken of in the scriptures, is a reality, the truth of which none can doubt. This sovereignty, however, is not the sovereignty which the minds of men have falsely imagined. Moreover, the Prophets of old, each and every one, whenever announcing to the people of their day the advent of the coming Revelation, have invariably and specifically referred to that sovereignty with which the promised Manifestation must needs be invested. This is attested by the records of the scriptures of the past. This sovereignty hath not been solely and exclusively attributed to the Qá’im. Nay rather, the attribute of sovereignty and all other names and attributes of God have been and will ever be vouchsafed unto all the Manifestations of God, before and after Him, inasmuch as these Manifestations, as it hath already been explained, are the Embodiments of the attributes of God, the Invisible, and the Revealers of the divine mysteries.

Translation Notes

باری،

b-r-y → “And now”

literal: well; cistern; pit

راجع

r-j-ʿ → “return”

literal: return; reference; place of return; resort

به

b-h → “as”

literal: by it; by him; with it

مطلب

ṭ-l-b → “argument”

literal: seeker, one who seeks; those who seek

می

m-y-y → “will be made”

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

شويم

sh-w → “been” Distinctive

literal: to become; to be

که

k-h → “which”

literal: that; who; who, that

سؤال

s-ʾ-l → “question”

literal: question; problem; issue; matter; asking; petition; request

از

ʾ-z

literal: from

آن

ʾ-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

شده

sh-d → “was”

literal: to become; to be

سلطنت

s-l-ṭ → “sovereignty”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

قائم

q-w-m → “people” Distinctive

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

با

b-ʾ-ʾ

literal: to; with; by

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

احاديث

ḥ-d-th → “recorded traditions”

literal: events, occurrences, accidents, changes and chances

مأثوره

ʾ-th-r

literal: effect; trace; influence; imprint; sign; mark; vestige

انجم

n-j-m → “shining stars”

literal: star

مضيئه

ḍ-w-ʾ

literal: to shine; to illuminate; to light up; illumined; shining; radiant

وارد

w-r-d → “hath befallen” Distinctive

literal: to enter, to come, to befall, to arrive

وجود

w-j-d

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

اين

ʾ-y-n

literal: this; these

اثری

ʾ-th-r

literal: effect; trace; influence; imprint; sign; mark; vestige

ظاهر

ẓ-h-r → “been made” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

بلکه

b-l-k → “Nay”

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

خلاف

kh-l-f → “contrary”

literal: opposing; contrary; conflicting

تحقّق

ḥ-q-q → “truth” Distinctive

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

يافت.

y-f-t

literal: find; found; to find, to attain

چنانچه

ch-n-n

literal: thus; in such manner; as

اصحاب

ṣ-ḥ-b → “disciples and companions”

literal: possessor; those who have; companion; followers

اوليای

w-l-y

literal: guardian; protector; friend; ally; lord; helper; first; primary; original

او

h-w-w → “His”

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

دست

d-s-t

literal: hand; control, power, authority

ناس

n-ʾ-s → “of men”

literal: companionship; fellowship; familiarity; to keep company

مبتلا

b-l-w → “been afflicted”

literal: affliction; trial; calamity; trial, tribulation, affliction, calamity; yes; indeed; verily

محصور

ḥ-ṣ-r → “confined”

literal: limited; confined; confined, besieged

هستند

h-s-t → “Are”

literal: to be; to exist

نهايت

n-h-y

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

ذلّت

dh-l-l → “abased and” Distinctive

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

عجز

ʿ-j-z → “impotent” Distinctive

literal: to be unable; to fail; to be exhausted; impotence; أعجاز (roots of trees/extremities) is Pattern II plural, distinct from ‘inability’ forms

ملک

m-l-k → “Kingdom”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty; possessions; property; ownership

بلی،

b-l-y → “Yea”

literal: affliction; trial; calamity; trial, tribulation, affliction, calamity; yes; indeed; verily

کتب

k-t-b → “in the scriptures”

literal: book; scripture; writing

مذکور

dh-k-r → “mentioned”

literal: remembrance; mention; memory

است

b-w-d → “is”

literal: to be; to exist; to have been

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

رَيبَ

r-y-b → “doubt”

literal: doubt, suspicion, uncertainty; doubt; suspicion

فيه

f-y

literal: alas; woe; oh

ليکن

l-k-n → “however” Distinctive

literal: is; to be (third person singular present); to be one; oneness; unity

نه

n-h-y → “not” Distinctive

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

حکومتی

ḥ-k-m

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom

هر

h-r

literal: whatever; all that; whatever thing

نفسی

n-f-s → “minds of men” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

ادراک

d-r-k → “comprehend”

literal: to overtake; to catch; to reach; to attain; to perceive; to comprehend

نمايد.

n-m-ʾ → “will” Distinctive

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

ديگر

d-g-r → “another”

literal: home; place; land; abode

جميع

j-m-ʿ → “each and every one”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

انبيای

n-b-ʾ → “Prophets”

literal: to send; dispatch; transmission

قبل

q-b-l → “old”

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

بشارت

b-sh-r → “announce”

literal: human; mankind; human nature

دادهاند

d-ʾ-d

literal: give; grant; bestow; award

مردم

m-r-d → “people”

literal: rebellion; mutiny; revolt

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

بعد،

b-ʿ-d

literal: after; behind; distance

همه

h-m-h → “all”

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

ذکر

dh-k-r → “referred to” Distinctive

literal: remembrance; mention; memory

نموده

n-m-ود → “hath”

literal: do; to do; do/make

مسطور

s-ṭ-r

literal: written; inscribed; recorded

تخصيص

kh-ṣ-ṣ → “singled out” Distinctive

literal: specific matter; particularity; especially; in this matter

ندارد

d-ʾ-r

literal: below; lower than; beneath

حکم

ḥ-k-m → “attribute of sovereignty” Distinctive

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom

صفات

w-ṣ-f → “attributes”

literal: attribute; quality; characteristic

اسماء

s-m-w

literal: to name, to nominate, to designate, to appoint

ثابت

th-b-t → “established”

literal: firm; steadfast; established; fixed

زيرا

z-y-r → “inasmuch as”

literal: because; since; for; inasmuch as

غيبيّه

gh-y-b → “God, the Invisible”

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

مطالع

ṭ-l-ʿ → “Revealers of” Distinctive

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

اسرار

s-r-r → “divine mysteries”

literal: throne; couch; seat of authority

الهيّه

ʾ-l-h

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

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