Skip to main content

Kitáb-i-Íqán — §135

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 135 of 291.

Source (Persian)

و اگر مقصود اين باشد که اين همج رعاع می گويند مفرّی برای ايشان نمی ماند مگر انکار جميع اين کلمات قدسيّه و اشارات ازليّه را نمايند. زيرا که جُندی از حسين بن علی اعلی در ارض نبوده که اقرب الی اللّه باشد و آن حضرت بر روی ارض مثلی و شبهی نداشت. لَولاهُ لَم يکُن مثلُهُ فی المُلکِ. با وجود اين شنيديدکه چه واقع شد. اَلا لَعنةُ اللّهِ عَلَی القَومِ الظَّالِمينَ.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Were the idle contention of these foolish and despicable souls to be true, they would have none other alternative than to reject all these holy utterances and heavenly allusions. For no warrior could be found on earth more excellent and nearer to God than Husayn, son of ‘Alí, so peerless and incomparable was he. “There was none to equal or to match him in the world.” Yet, thou must have heard what befell him. “God’s malison on the head of the people of tyranny!”

Translation Notes

همج
hmj h-m-j

literal: rabble; rabble, ignorant; rabble/lowly

SE rendered مقصود (mqṣúd)باشد (báshd)همج (hmj)رعاع (rʿáʿ)می (mí)گويند (gúynd)مفرّی (mfrrí)برای (bráy)ايشان (iyshán) as “idle contention, to be true, despicable souls, alternative, they”

می
m-y-y

literal: present continuous marker; continuous-marker

SE rendered مقصود (mqṣúd)باشد (báshd)همج (hmj)رعاع (rʿáʿ)می (mí)گويند (gúynd)مفرّی (mfrrí)برای (bráy)ايشان (iyshán) as “idle contention, to be true, despicable souls, alternative, they”

3 occurrences in corpus

گويند
gúynd g-w-y

literal: say; to say; as-if

SE rendered باشد (báshd)همج (hmj)رعاع (rʿáʿ)می (mí)گويند (gúynd)مفرّی (mfrrí)برای (bráy)ايشان (iyshán)نمی (nmí)ماند (mánd)مگر (mgr) as “to be true, despicable souls, alternative, they, than”

maintain 67% utter 17% voicing 17%
برای
bráy b-r-y

literal: for

SE rendered رعاع (rʿáʿ)می (mí)گويند (gúynd)مفرّی (mfrrí)برای (bráy)ايشان (iyshán)نمی (nmí)ماند (mánd)مگر (mgr)انکار (inkár)جميع (jmíʿ) as “despicable souls, alternative, they, than, reject, all”

wherefore 50% light 50%
ايشان
iyshán ʾ-y-sh “prophets”

literal: they; they, them; they/them

3 occurrences in corpus

نمی
nmí n-h-y

literal: end; ended; utmost

SE rendered رعاع (rʿáʿ)می (mí)گويند (gúynd)مفرّی (mfrrí)برای (bráy)ايشان (iyshán)نمی (nmí)ماند (mánd)مگر (mgr)انکار (inkár)جميع (jmíʿ)کلمات (klmát) as “despicable souls, alternative, they, than, reject, all, utterances”

end 16% forbidden 12% ended 12% infinite 12% highest 12% forbiddeth 8% most 8% utmost 8% last 8% unnumbered 4%
ماند
mánd m-ʾ-n

literal: remain; remained; to remain

SE rendered مفرّی (mfrrí)برای (bráy)ايشان (iyshán)نمی (nmí)ماند (mánd)مگر (mgr)انکار (inkár)جميع (jmíʿ)کلمات (klmát)قدسيّه (qdsísh) as “alternative, they, than, reject, all, utterances, holy”

postponed 17% left 17% strayed 17% endure 17% have 17% knowledge 17%
نمايند
nmáynd n-m-ʾ “to”

literal: do; show; make

SE rendered قدسيّه (qdsísh)اشارات (ishárát)ازليّه (izlílh)نمايند (nmáynd)زيرا (zírá)جُندی (jundí)از (iz)حسين (ḥsín)بن (bn) as “holy, allusions, heavenly, to, For, warrior, Husayn, son”

may 15% should 15% quench 15% choose 8% converse 8% will 8% dedicate 8% consider 8% declare 8% heart 8%
زيرا
zírá z-y-r “for”

literal: under

SE rendered اشارات (ishárát)ازليّه (izlílh)نمايند (nmáynd)زيرا (zírá)جُندی (jundí)از (iz)حسين (ḥsín)بن (bn)اعلی (iʿlí) as “allusions, heavenly, to, For, warrior, Husayn, son, more excellent”

inasmuch 71% beneath 14% under 14%
از
iz ʾ-z

literal: from

SE rendered ازليّه (izlílh)نمايند (nmáynd)زيرا (zírá)جُندی (jundí)از (iz)حسين (ḥsín)بن (bn)اعلی (iʿlí)ارض (irḍ)نبوده (nbúdh) as “heavenly, to, For, warrior, Husayn, son, more excellent, earth, found”

23 occurrences in corpus

بر
br b-r-r

literal: on; on, upon; upon

SE rendered اقرب (iqrb)اللّه (al-lh)باشد (báshd)حضرت (ḥḍrt)بر (br)روی (rúy)ارض (irḍ)مثلی (mthlí)شبهی (shbhí)نداشت (ndásht) as “nearer, God, was, him, peerless, incomparable, none”

land 33% upon 11% piety 11% unto 11% pious 6% righteousness 6% beseech 6% good 6% against 6% indignities 6%
روی
rúy r-w-y

literal: face; grow; tradition

SE rendered اللّه (al-lh)باشد (báshd)حضرت (ḥḍrt)بر (br)روی (rúy)ارض (irḍ)مثلی (mthlí)شبهی (shbhí)نداشت (ndásht) as “God, was, him, peerless, incomparable, none”

scornfully 50% over 50%
لَولاهُ
lawláh l-w-l

literal: tube; if-not; not-for-you

SE rendered مثلی (mthlí)شبهی (shbhí)نداشت (ndásht)لَولاهُ (lawláh)يکُن (ykun)مثلُهُ (mthluh)المُلکِ (al-mulk) as “peerless, incomparable, none, was, equal, the world.””

4 occurrences in corpus

وجود
wjúd w-j-d

literal: existence; existent

SE rendered يکُن (ykun)مثلُهُ (mthluh)المُلکِ (al-mulk)وجود (wjúd)شنيديدکه (shnídídkh)چه (chh)واقع (wáqʿ) as “was, equal, the world.”, heard, what, befell”

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf cover

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 cover

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 cover

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 cover

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 cover

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 cover

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 cover

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 cover

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 cover

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 cover

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 ¶