Kitáb-i-Íqán — §13

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 13 of 291.

Source (Persian)

حال قدری در اين امورات تأمّل فرمائيد که چه سبب اين گونه اختلافات بوده که هر ظهور حقّی که در امکان از افق لامکان ظاهر می شد اين گونه فساد و اغتشاش و ظلم و انقلاب در اطراف عالم ظاهر و هويدا می گشت؟ با اينکه جميع انبياء در حين ظهور خود مردم را بشارت می دادند به نبيّ بعد و علامتی از برای ظهور بعد ذکر می فرمودند چنانچه در همه کتب مسطور است. با وجود طلب و انتظار ناس به مظاهر قدسيّه و ذکر علامات در کتب، چرا بايد اين گونه امور در عالم رو دهد که جميع انبياء و اصفياء را در هر عهد و عصر اين گونه ظلم و جبر و تعدّی نمايند؟ چنانچه می فرمايد: "اَفَکُلَّما جَاءَکُم رَسُولٌ بِمَا لا تَهوی اَنفُسُکُم استَکبَرتُم فَفَريقاً کذّبتُم وفَريقاً تَقتُلُونَ." می فرمايد هر زمان و عهد که آمد به سوی شما رسولی از جانب پروردگار به غير هوای نفس شما، تکبّر نموديد و موقن نشديد و گروهی از آن انبياء را تکذيب نموديد و گروهی را می کشتيد.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

And now, ponder upon these things. What could have caused such contention and conflict? Why is it that the advent of every true Manifestation of God hath been accompanied by such strife and tumult, by such tyranny and upheaval? This notwithstanding the fact that all the Prophets of God, whenever made manifest unto the peoples of the world, have invariably foretold the coming of yet another Prophet after them, and have established such signs as would herald the advent of the future Dispensation. To this the records of all sacred books bear witness. Why then is it that despite the expectation of men in their quest of the Manifestations of Holiness, and in spite of the signs recorded in the sacred books, such acts of violence, of oppression and cruelty, should have been perpetrated in every age and cycle against all the Prophets and chosen Ones of God? Even as He hath revealed: “As oft as an Apostle cometh unto you with that which your souls desire not, ye swell with pride, accusing some of being impostors and slaying others.”

Translation Notes

حال

ḥ-w-l → “And” Distinctive

literal: state; condition; circumstance

قدری

q-d-r → “power” Distinctive

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

امورات

ʾ-m-r → “Cause” Distinctive

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

تأمّل

ʾ-m-l → “hope” Distinctive

literal: denial; belying; falsification; rejection; liar; lying; false

فرمائيد

f-r-m → “He” Distinctive

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

که

k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

چه

ch-h → “For”

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

سبب

s-b-b → “caused”

literal: cause; reason; means; instrument

گونه

g-w-n → “such”

literal: kind, type; kind; manner

اختلافات

kh-l-f → “contention and conflict” Distinctive

literal: opposing; contrary; conflicting

بوده

b-w-d → “could have” Distinctive

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

هر

h-r → “every”

literal: whatever; all that; whatever thing

ظهور

ẓ-h-r → “Manifestation”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

حقّی

ḥ-q-q → “true”

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

امکان

m-k-n

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

از

ʾ-z

literal: from

افق

ʾ-f-q

literal: horizon; sphere; realm; quarter

لامکان

m-k-n

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

می

m-y-y

literal: present continuous marker; continuous-marker

شد

sh-d

literal: to become; to be

فساد

f-s-d → “strife”

literal: corruption; ruin; discord; mischief; decay

اغتشاش

gh-sh-sh → “are enwrapped” Distinctive

literal: confused, turbid, troubled, obscured

ظلم

ẓ-l-m → “tyranny”

literal: wrongedness, oppression, meekness; state of being wronged or oppressed

انقلاب

q-l-b → “hearts” Distinctive

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

اطراف

ṭ-r-f

literal: extremity; end; edge; outskirt; periphery

عالم

ʿ-l-m → “world”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

هويدا

h-w-y → “manifest”

literal: cradle; bed; couch; resting place

گشت؟

g-sh-t → “have been” Distinctive

literal: to become; to turn; to be

با

b-ʾ-ʾ

literal: to; with; by

جميع

j-m-ʿ → “all”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

انبياء

n-b-ʾ → “Prophets”

literal: prophet; messenger

حين

ḥ-y-n → “whenever” Distinctive

literal: time; moment; while; season

خود

kh-w-d

literal: self; himself; herself; itself; own

مردم

m-r-d → “peoples”

literal: rebellion; mutiny; revolt

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

بشارت

b-sh-r → “foretold” Distinctive

literal: human; mankind; human nature

دادند

d-ʾ-d

literal: to give; to grant; to issue

به

b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

نبيّ

n-b-ʾ → “Prophet”

literal: prophet; messenger

بعد

b-ʿ-d → “after”

literal: after; behind; distance

برای

b-r-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

ذکر

dh-k-r

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

چنانچه

ch-n-n → “likewise” Distinctive

literal: thus; in such manner; as

همه

h-m-h → “all”

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

کتب

k-t-b → “books”

literal: book; scripture; writing

مسطور

s-ṭ-r → “records”

literal: written; inscribed; recorded

وجود

w-j-d → “being”

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

طلب

ṭ-l-b → “theme” Distinctive

literal: seeker, one who seeks; those who seek

انتظار

n-ẓ-r

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

ناس

n-ʾ-s → “men in their quest”

literal: companionship; fellowship; familiarity; to keep company

قدسيّه

q-d-s → “Holiness”

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

چرا

ch-r-ʾ → “Why should”

literal: why; wherefore

بايد

b-y-d → “should”

literal: by hand; with hands; eternal; perpetual; everlasting

رو

r-w-y

literal: face; grow; tradition

دهد

d-h

literal: to give; to grant; to yield

اصفياء

ṣ-f-w → “chosen Ones”

literal: pure one; chosen one; selected one; elite; purity; clarity; sincerity; pure; sincere

عهد

ʿ-h-d → “Covenant”

literal: covenant; testament; promise; command

عصر

ʿ-ṣ-r → “age”

literal: age; era; century; period of time

جبر

j-b-r → “dominion” Distinctive

literal: compelled; forced; constrained

تعدّی

ʿ-d-w → “enemies” Distinctive

literal: enemy; enemies; enmity

نمايند؟

n-m-ʾ → “hath” Distinctive

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

"اَفَکُلَّما

k-l-m → “words” Distinctive

literal: word; words; speech

جَاءَکُم

j-y-ʾ → “cometh”

literal: to come; to arrive; to happen

رَسُولٌ

r-s-l → “Apostle”

literal: to send; dispatch; transmission

بِمَا

m-ʾ → “with” Distinctive

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

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

تَهوی

h-w-y → “desire”

literal: cradle; bed; couch; resting place

اَنفُسُکُم

n-f-s → “souls” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche

استَکبَرتُم

k-b-r → “swell”

literal: great; grand; mighty; large; greatness; majesty; sovereignty; arrogance

فَفَريقاً

f-r-q → “some”

literal: faction; sect; group; company

کذّبتُم

k-dh-b → “falsehood” Distinctive

literal: denial; belying; falsification; rejection; liar; lying; false

تَقتُلُونَ."

q-t-l → “slaying”

literal: kill; killing; killed

زمان

z-m-n

literal: time; age; era; period

آمد

ʾ-m-d → “came”

literal: to come; to go; to arrive; came

سوی

s-w-y

literal: worst; evil; bad; other than; besides; save; except

شما

sh-m-ʾ

literal: you (plural); your

جانب

j-n-b

literal: to avoid; to shun; to keep away from

پروردگار

r-b-b

literal: Lord; Sustainer; Provider; Creator

غير

gh-y-r

literal: without; besides; other than; except; other; different

موقن

y-q-n

literal: to be certain; to know with certainty

نشديد

sh-d-n

literal: become; to become; became

گروهی

g-r-w

literal: numerous; many; multiple

آن

ʾ-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

کشتيد.

k-sh-t → “killed” Distinctive

literal: kill; to kill; to-plant

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 ¶