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Kitáb-i-Íqán — §128

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 128 of 291.

Source (Persian)

و هرگز در هيچ عهد و عصر جز حيات و بعث و حشر حقيقی مقصود انبياء و اولياء نبوده و نيست. و اگر قدری تعقّل شود در همين بيان آن حضرت، کشف جميع امور می شود که مقصود از لحد و قبر وصراط و جنّت و نار چه بود. و ليکن چه چاره که جميع ناس در لحد نفس محجوب و در قبر هوی مدفونند. خلاصه اگر قدری از زلال معرفت الهی مرزوق شويد می دانيد که حيات حقيقی حيات قلب است نه حيات جسد. زيرا که در حيات جسد همه ناس و حيوانات شريکند و ليکن اين حيات مخصوص است به صاحبان افئده منيره که از بحر ايمان شاربند و از ثمره ايقان مرزوق. و اين حيات را موت از عقب نباشد و اين بقا را فنا از پی نيايد. چنانچه فرمودهاند: "المؤمِنُ حَيٌّ فِی الدّارَينِ." اگر مقصود حيات ظاهره جسدی باشد که مشاهده می شود موت آن را اخذ می نمايد.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

In every age and century, the purpose of the Prophets of God and their chosen ones hath been no other but to affirm the spiritual significance of the terms “life,” “resurrection,” and “judgment.” If one will ponder but for a while this utterance of ‘Alí in his heart, one will surely discover all mysteries hidden in the terms “grave,” “tomb,” “sirat,” “paradise” and “hell.” But oh! how strange and pitiful! Behold, all the people are imprisoned within the tomb of self, and lie buried beneath the nethermost depths of worldly desire! Wert thou to attain to but a dewdrop of the crystal waters of divine knowledge, thou wouldst readily realize that true life is not the life of the flesh but the life of the spirit. For the life of the flesh is common to both men and animals, whereas the life of the spirit is possessed only by the pure in heart who have quaffed from the ocean of faith and partaken of the fruit of certitude. This life knoweth no death, and this existence is crowned by immortality. Even as it hath been said: “He who is a true believer liveth both in this world and in the world to come.” If by “life” be meant this earthly life, it is evident that death must needs overtake it.

Translation Notes

هيچ
hích h-y-ch

literal: any

SE rendered هرگز (hrgz)هيچ (hích)عهد (ʿhd)عصر (ʿṣr)جز (jz)حيات (ḥíát)بعث (bʿth) as “every, age, no other but, “life,””

5 occurrences in corpus

عهد
ʿhd ʿ-h-d

literal: covenant; age

SE rendered هرگز (hrgz)هيچ (hích)عهد (ʿhd)عصر (ʿṣr)جز (jz)حيات (ḥíát)بعث (bʿth)حشر (ḥshr)حقيقی (ḥqíqí) as “every, age, no other but, “life,”, “resurrection,”, spiritual”

بعث
bʿth b-ʿ-th

literal: resurrection

SE rendered هيچ (hích)عهد (ʿhd)عصر (ʿṣr)جز (jz)حيات (ḥíát)بعث (bʿth)حشر (ḥshr)حقيقی (ḥqíqí)مقصود (mqṣúd)انبياء (inbíáʾ) as “age, no other but, “life,”, “resurrection,”, spiritual, purpose, Prophets”

همين
hmín h-m-n “this”

literal: guardian; guardian/protector; guardian, protector

SE rendered قدری (qdrí)تعقّل (tʿqql)همين (hmín)بيان (bíán)حضرت، (ḥḍrt،)کشف (kshf)جميع (jmíʿ)امور (imúr) as “a while, ponder, this, utterance, ‘Alí, discover, all, mysteries”

می
m-y-y

literal: present continuous marker; continuous-marker

SE rendered بيان (bíán)حضرت، (ḥḍrt،)کشف (kshf)جميع (jmíʿ)امور (imúr)می (mí)مقصود (mqṣúd)از (iz)لحد (lḥd)قبر (qbr)وصراط (wṣráṭ) as “utterance, ‘Alí, discover, all, mysteries, in, “grave,”, “tomb,”, “sirat,””

3 occurrences in corpus

چه
chh ch-h

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

SE rendered لحد (lḥd)قبر (qbr)وصراط (wṣráṭ)جنّت (jnnt)نار (nár)چه (chh)ليکن (líkn)چه (chh)چاره (chárh)جميع (jmíʿ) as ““grave,”, “tomb,”, “sirat,”, “paradise”, “hell.”, oh! how, all”

what 50% whatsoever 50%
چاره
chárh ch-r-h

literal: remedy; remedy, alternative

SE rendered جنّت (jnnt)نار (nár)چه (chh)ليکن (líkn)چه (chh)چاره (chárh)جميع (jmíʿ)ناس (nás)لحد (lḥd)نفس (nfs)محجوب (mḥjúb) as ““paradise”, “hell.”, oh! how, all, people, tomb, self, imprisoned”

remedy 50% release 50%
مدفونند
mdfúnnd d-f-n “buried”

literal: burial; buried

buried 50% bury 50%
خلاصه
khláṣh kh-l-ṣ

literal: sincere; pure; sincere ones

SE rendered محجوب (mḥjúb)قبر (qbr)هوی (húy)مدفونند (mdfúnnd)خلاصه (khláṣh)قدری (qdrí)از (iz)زلال (zlál)معرفت (mʿrft)الهی (al-hí) as “imprisoned, worldly desire, buried, in, dewdrop of the crystal waters, knowledge, divine”

wholly 32% sincere 19% devoted 10% deliver 9% pure 6% who 6% essence 6% faithful 6% true 4% set 3%
دانيد
dáníd d-ʾ-n-s “ignorance” Distinctive

literal: ignorance

This form usually rendered as “realize” (1 occurrences)

نه

literal: end; ended; utmost

SE rendered دانيد (dáníd)حيات (ḥíát)حقيقی (ḥqíqí)حيات (ḥíát)قلب (qlb)نه (nh)حيات (ḥíát)جسد (jsd)زيرا (zírá)حيات (ḥíát)جسد (jsd) as “realize, life, true, heart, not, flesh, For”

end 16% forbidden 12% ended 12% infinite 12% highest 12% forbiddeth 8% most 8% utmost 8% last 8% unnumbered 4%
زيرا
zírá z-y-r “for”

literal: under

SE rendered حيات (ḥíát)قلب (qlb)نه (nh)حيات (ḥíát)جسد (jsd)زيرا (zírá)حيات (ḥíát)جسد (jsd)همه (hmh)ناس (nás)حيوانات (ḥíwánát) as “life, heart, not, flesh, For, men, animals”

inasmuch 71% beneath 14% under 14%
همه
hmh h-m-h

literal: all; every/all

SE rendered حيات (ḥíát)جسد (jsd)زيرا (zírá)حيات (ḥíát)جسد (jsd)همه (hmh)ناس (nás)حيوانات (ḥíwánát)شريکند (shríknd) as “life, flesh, For, men, animals, common”

all 63% every 16% each 5% whole 5% actuated 5% such 5%
مخصوص
mkhṣúṣ kh-ṣ-ṣ

literal: special; particular; specific

SE rendered حيوانات (ḥíwánát)شريکند (shríknd)ليکن (líkn)حيات (ḥíát)مخصوص (mkhṣúṣ)صاحبان (ṣáḥbán)افئده (ifʾdh)منيره (mnírh) as “animals, common, life, heart, pure”

صاحبان
ṣáḥbán ṣ-ḥ-b

literal: companions; possessor; companion

SE rendered ليکن (líkn)حيات (ḥíát)مخصوص (mkhṣúṣ)صاحبان (ṣáḥbán)افئده (ifʾdh)منيره (mnírh)از (iz)بحر (bḥr)ايمان (iymán) as “life, heart, pure, ocean, faith”

people 20% whose 10% who 10% scientists 10% thirsty 10% men 10% illumined 10% have 10% masters 10%
عقب
ʿqb ʿ-q-b

literal: height

SE rendered مرزوق (mrzúq)حيات (ḥíát)موت (mút)از (iz)عقب (ʿqb)نباشد (nbáshd)بقا (bqá) as “partaken, life, death, knoweth, existence”

followed 33% awaiteth 33% height 17% hill 17%
فنا
fná f-n-y

literal: annihilation; perish; perishing

SE rendered موت (mút)از (iz)عقب (ʿqb)نباشد (nbáshd)بقا (bqá)فنا (fná)از (iz)پی (pí)نيايد (níáyd)چنانچه (chnánchh)فرمودهاند (frmúdhánd) as “death, knoweth, existence, come, Even as, hath been said”

extinction 29% death 29% transient 14% poverty 14% utter 14%
پی
p-y

literal: trace; pursuit; trace, awareness

SE rendered نباشد (nbáshd)بقا (bqá)فنا (fná)از (iz)پی (pí)نيايد (níáyd)چنانچه (chnánchh)فرمودهاند (frmúdhánd)المؤمِنُ (al-mʾmin) as “knoweth, existence, come, Even as, hath been said, believer”

discover 50% unravel 50%
مشاهده
msháhdh sh-h-d

literal: witness; observation; witnessed

SE rendered حيات (ḥíát)ظاهره (ẓáhrh)جسدی (jsdí)باشد (báshd)مشاهده (msháhdh)می (mí)موت (mút)اخذ (ikhdh) as ““life”, earthly, life, be meant, death, overtake”

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán

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