Kitáb-i-Íqán — §123

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 123 of 291.

Source (Persian)

بلکه مقصود از صور، صور محمّدی است که بر همه ممکنات دميده شد و قيامت، قيام آن حضرت بود بر امر الهی. و غافلين که در قبور اجساد مرده بودند همه را به خلعت جديده ايمانيّه مخلّع فرمود و به حيات تازه بديعه زنده نمود. اين است وقتی که آن جمال احديّه اراده فرمود که رمزی از اسرار بعث و حشر و جنّت و نار و قيامت اظهار فرمايد جبرئيل وحی اين آيه آورد : "فَسَيُنغِضُونَ إلَيکَ رُؤوسَهُمْ و يَقُولُونَ مَتَی هُوَ قُل عَسَی اَنْ يَکُونَ قَريباً." يعنی زود است اين گمراهان وادی ضلالت سرهای خود را از روی استهزا حرکت می دهند و می گويند چه زمان خواهد اين امور ظاهر شد؟ تو در جواب بگو که شايد اينکه نزديک باشد. تلويح همين يک آيه مردم را کافی است اگر به نظر دقيق ملاحظه نمايند.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Nay, by “trumpet” is meant the trumpet-call of Muhammad’s Revelation, which was sounded in the heart of the universe, and by “resurrection” is meant His own rise to proclaim the Cause of God. He bade the erring and wayward arise and speed out of the sepulchres of their bodies, arrayed them with the beauteous robe of faith, and quickened them with the breath of a new and wondrous life. Thus at the hour when Muhammad, that divine Beauty, purposed to unveil one of the mysteries hidden in the symbolic terms “resurrection,” “judgment,” “paradise,” and “hell,” Gabriel, the Voice of Inspiration, was heard saying: “Erelong will they wag their heads at Thee, and say, ‘When shall this be?’ Say: ‘Perchance it is nigh.’” The implications of this verse alone suffice the peoples of the world, were they to ponder it in their hearts.

Translation Notes

بلکه

b-l-k → “Nay”

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

مقصود

q-ṣ-d → “meant”

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

از

ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

صور،

ṣ-w-r → “trumpet-call”

literal: to imagine; to conceive; to suppose

محمّدی

ḥ-m-d → “thanks”

literal: praise; Muhammad; praised

است

b-w-d → “is”

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

که

k-h → “which”

literal: that; who; who, that

بر

b-r-r → “in the heart of” Distinctive

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

همه

h-m-h → “all”

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

ممکنات

m-k-n → “all created things”

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

دميده

d-m-y → “blood” Distinctive

literal: breath; moment; instant

شد

sh-d → “was”

literal: to become; to be

قيامت،

q-w-m → ““resurrection””

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

آن

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

حضرت

ḥ-ḍ-r → “His own” Distinctive

literal: presence; majesty; His/Your Excellency

امر

ʾ-m-r → “Cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair; Cause (of God); to command; to order

الهی.

ʾ-l-h → “Cause of God”

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

غافلين

gh-f-l → “erring and wayward” Distinctive

literal: heedlessness; negligence; inattention

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

قبور

q-b-r → “sepulchres”

literal: Cyprus (toponym)

اجساد

j-s-d → “bodies”

literal: body; corpse; physical form

مرده

m-w-t

literal: death; dead; die

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

به

b-h → “as”

literal: by it; by him; with it

خلعت

kh-l-ʿ → “robe”

literal: robe; garment of honor; investiture

جديده

j-d-d → “new”

literal: new, novel, renewed; novelty, innovation

ايمانيّه

ʾ-m-n → “faith”

literal: to believe; to have faith; to be secure; trust; trustworthiness; covenant; deposit; believer, faithful

فرمود

f-r-m → “saith” Distinctive

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

حيات

ḥ-y-y → “life”

literal: life; vitality; living

تازه

t-ʾ-z

literal: fresh; new; renewed

بديعه

b-d-ʿ → “wondrous”

literal: to create; most wondrous; excel

زنده

z-n-d

literal: prison; jail

نمود.

n-m-ʾ

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

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

وقتی

w-q-t → “at the hour” Distinctive

literal: time; occasion; moment; period

جمال

j-m-l → “Beauty”

literal: beauty; comeliness

احديّه

ʾ-ḥ-d → “divine” Distinctive

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

اراده

r-w-d → “purposed” Distinctive

literal: to will; to intend; to wish; will, volition, intention, desire

رمزی

r-m-z → “mysteries” Distinctive

literal: symbolic; hidden; mysterious

اسرار

s-r-r → “mysteries”

literal: throne; couch; seat of authority

بعث

b-ʿ-th → “sent down”

literal: to send; to raise up; to dispatch

حشر

ḥ-sh-r → ““resurrection,””

literal: to gather, assemble, congregate; resurrection, Day of Judgment

جنّت

j-n-n → ““paradise,””

literal: you (singular/plural pronoun)

نار

n-ʾ-r → “fire”

literal: fire; blaze; flame

اظهار

ẓ-h-r → “unveil” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

جبرئيل

j-b-r → “dominion”

literal: might; might/omnipotence; dominion

وحی

w-ḥ-y → “Revelation”

literal: revelation; inspiration; divine communication

آيه

ʾ-y-y → “verse”

literal: verse; sign; miracle; proof; sign, verse, miracle, token, indication; ayah; he; him; it

آورد

ʾ-w-r → “saying”

literal: to bring; bring; brought

"فَسَيُنغِضُونَ

n-gh-ḍ → “wag”

literal: wag/shake

إلَيکَ

ʾ-l-y → “towards” Distinctive

literal: one; a single

رُؤوسَهُمْ

r-ʾ-s → “heads”

literal: chief; leader; head; president; beginning

يَقُولُونَ

q-w-l → “say”

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

هُوَ

h-w → “this”

literal: He; He is

عَسَی

ʿ-s-y → “‘Perchance”

literal: perhaps

يَکُونَ

k-w-n → “is” Distinctive

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

قَريباً."

q-r-b → “nigh.’””

literal: nearness; near; bring near

يعنی

ʿ-n-y

literal: that is; meaning; i.e.

زود

z-w-d → “too soon”

literal: soon; quickly; early

گمراهان

g-m-r → “waywardness”

literal: to immerse; to submerge; depths; ocean

وادی

w-d-y

literal: valley

ضلالت

ḍ-l-l

literal: error; straying; misguidance; delusion; falsehood

خود

kh-w-d → “their”

literal: self; himself; herself; itself; own

روی

r-w-y

literal: to see; to perceive; to look; to see, to observe, to behold; to view; vision; dream; sight; ل is prefix; verb تری (you see) is from ر-ا-ي

استهزا

h-z-ʾ

literal: mockery/scorn; mock

حرکت

ḥ-r-k

literal: movement; motion; trembling; activity; حراک is unusual; possible typo or dialectal. Standard Arabic would be حرك or اهتزاز for ‘trembling’

می

m-y-y → “will be made”

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

دهند

d-h

literal: to give; to provide; to yield; to grant; to bestow

گويند

g-w-y

literal: say; to say; as-if

چه

ch-h

literal: what; what/for; whatsoever, that which

زمان

z-m-n

literal: time; age; era; period

خواهد

kh-w-h → “shall”

literal: will; to wish; to want

تو

t-w-w

literal: you

جواب

j-w-b

literal: answer, reply, response

شايد

sh-y-d

literal: perhaps, perchance, haply, maybe, possibly; to become; to be; to happen; to occur

نزديک

n-z-d

literal: near; beside; with; in the presence of

تلويح

l-w-ḥ → “implications”

literal: tablet; panel; divine decree; revelation

همين

h-m-n → “this”

literal: the same; that very

يک

y-k → “one”

literal: one; with/to-one; one-colored

مردم

m-r-d → “peoples of the world”

literal: rebellion; mutiny; revolt

کافی

k-f-y → “suffice”

literal: to be content; to suffice; to be satisfied; to be satisfied with

اگر

ʾ-g-r → “were they”

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

نظر

n-ẓ-r

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

دقيق

d-q-q

literal: moment; strike; care

ملاحظه

l-ḥ-ẓ

literal: assembly; multitude; chiefs; to fill; people of rank; fullness, assembly

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

Bahá’u’lláh

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

Bahá’u’lláh

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 ¶

Gleanings

Bahá’u’lláh

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.

729 ¶

Kitáb-i-’Ahd

Bahá’u’lláh

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 ¶

Prayers and Meditations

Bahá’u’lláh

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

Bahá’u’lláh

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

Bahá’u’lláh

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

Bahá’u’lláh

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 ¶