Skip to main content

Kitáb-i-Íqán — §14

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 14 of 291.

Source (Persian)

آخر تأمّل فرمائيد که سبب اين افعال چه بود که به اين قسم با طلعات جمال ذی الجلال سلوک می نمودند؟ و هر چه که در آن ازمنه سبب اعراض و اغماض آن عباد بود حال هم سبب اغفال اين عباد شده. و اگر بگوئيم حجج الهيّه کامل و تمام نبود لهذا سبب اعتراض عباد شد، اين کفری است صراح. لأجل آنکه اين به غايت از فيض فيّاض دور است و از رحمت منبسطه بعيد که نفسی را از ميان جميع عباد برگزيند برای هدايت خلق خود و به او حجّت کافيه وافيه عطا نفرمايد و مع ذلک خلق را از عدم اقبال به او معذّب فرمايد. بلکه لم يزل جود سلطان وجود بر همه ممکنات به ظهور مظاهر نفس خود احاطه فرموده و آنی نيست که فيض او منقطع شود و يا آنکه امطار رحمت از غمام عنايت او ممنوع گردد. پس نيست اين امورات محدَثه مگر از انفس محدوده که در وادی کبر و غرور حرکت می نمايند و در صحراهای بُعد سير می نمايند و به ظنونات خود و هر چه از علمای خود شنيدهاند همان را تأسّی می نمايند. لهذا غير از اعراض امری ندارند و جز اغماض حاصلی نخواهند. و اين معلوم است نزد هر ذی بصری که اگر اين عباد در ظهور هر يک از مظاهرشمس حقيقت چشم و گوش و قلب را از آنچه ديده و شنيده و ادراک نموده پاک و مقدّس می نمودند البتّه از جمال الهی محروم نمی ماندند و از حرم قرب و وصال مطالع قدسيّه ممنوع نمی گشتند. و چون در هر زمان حجّت را به معرفت خود که از علمای خود شنيده بودند ميزان می نمودند و به عقول ضعيفه آنها موافق نمی آمد لهذا از اين گونه امور غير مرضيّه از ايشان در عالم ظهور به ظهور می آمد.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Reflect, what could have been the motive for such deeds? What could have prompted such behaviour towards the Revealers of the beauty of the All-Glorious? Whatever in days gone by hath been the cause of the denial and opposition of those people hath now led to the perversity of the people of this age. To maintain that the testimony of Providence was incomplete, that it hath therefore been the cause of the denial of the people, is but open blasphemy. How far from the grace of the All-Bountiful and from His loving providence and tender mercies it is to single out a soul from amongst all men for the guidance of His creatures, and, on one hand, to withhold from Him the full measure of His divine testimony, and, on the other, inflict severe retribution on His people for having turned away from His chosen One! Nay, the manifold bounties of the Lord of all beings have, at all times, through the Manifestations of His divine Essence, encompassed the earth and all that dwell therein. Not for a moment hath His grace been withheld, nor have the showers of His loving-kindness ceased to rain upon mankind. Consequently, such behaviour can be attributed to naught save the petty-mindedness of such souls as tread the valley of arrogance and pride, are lost in the wilds of remoteness, walk in the ways of their idle fancy, and follow the dictates of the leaders of their faith. Their chief concern is mere opposition; their sole desire is to ignore the truth. Unto every discerning observer it is evident and manifest that had these people in the days of each of the Manifestations of the Sun of Truth sanctified their eyes, their ears, and their hearts from whatever they had seen, heard, and felt, they surely would not have been deprived of beholding the beauty of God, nor strayed far from the habitations of glory. But having weighed the testimony of God by the standard of their own knowledge, gleaned from the teachings of the leaders of their faith, and found it at variance with their limited understanding, they arose to perpetrate such unseemly acts.

Translation Notes

فرمائيد
frmáʾíd frmúdn

literal: say

SE rendered آخر (ákhr), تأمّل (tʾamml), فرمائيد (frmáʾíd), سبب (sbb), افعال (ifʿál), چه (chh) as “Reflect, what, could have been, motive for such deeds, What”

ذی
dhí dh-w-y

literal: possessor; possessor of; possessor-of

SE rendered قسم (qsm), طلعات (ṭlʿát), جمال (jmál), ذی (dhí), الجلال (al-jlál), سلوک (slúk), می (mí), نمودند؟ (nmúdnd؟), هر (hr) as “behaviour, beauty of, All-Glorious, such behaviour, hath, Whatever in days gone by”

man 44% every 17% beings 6% discerning 6% word 6% ears 6% each 6% one 6% who 6%
حال
ḥál ḥ-w-l

literal: now; state

SE rendered سبب (sbb), اعراض (iʿráḍ), اغماض (ighmáḍ), عباد (ʿbád), حال (ḥál), سبب (sbb), اغفال (ighfál), عباد (ʿbád) as “to the perversity, of the denial, opposition, the people”

بگوئيم
bgúʾím gftn

literal: say; to say; said

SE rendered عباد (ʿbád), بگوئيم (bgúʾím), حجج (ḥjj), الهيّه (al-híhh), کامل (káml), تمام (tmám), نبود (nbúd) as “the people, the testimony of Providence, God, was incomplete, all, are”

say 43% said 14% maintain 10% have 8% hath 6% saying 5% claim 5% called 3% spoken 3% declare 3%
لأجل
lʾajl ʾ-j-l

literal: sake; term; term/appointed time

SE rendered عباد (ʿbád), کفری (kfrí), صراح (ṣráḥ), لأجل (lʾajl), آنکه (ánkh), غايت (gháyt), از (iz), فيض (fíḍ), فيّاض (fífáḍ) as “of the people, blasphemy, open, from, from the grace, the All-Bountiful”

term 25% set 13% decree 13% inasmuch 13% appointed 13% sake 13% death 13%
غايت
gháyt gh-y-t

literal: end

SE rendered صراح (ṣráḥ), لأجل (lʾajl), آنکه (ánkh), غايت (gháyt), از (iz), فيض (fíḍ), فيّاض (fífáḍ), دور (dúr), از (iz) as “open, from, from the grace, the All-Bountiful, How far”

wish 17% how 17% utterly 17% highest 17% sorely 17% end 17%
برگزيند

literal: choose; to choose, to select

2 occurrences in corpus

هدايت
hdáyt h-d-y

literal: guidance; guide; guided

SE rendered ميان (míán), جميع (jmíʿ), عباد (ʿbád), برگزيند (brgzínd), برای (bráy), هدايت (hdáyt), خلق (khlq), حجّت (ḥjjt), کافيه (káfíh) as “from amongst, all men, single out, for the guidance, of His creatures, His divine testimony, the full measure”

وافيه
wáfíh w-f-y

literal: faithfulness; fidelity; fulfill

SE rendered خلق (khlq), حجّت (ḥjjt), کافيه (káfíh), وافيه (wáfíh), عطا (ʿṭá), نفرمايد (nfrmáyd), خلق (khlq) as “His people, His divine testimony, the full measure”

عطا
ʿṭá ʿ-ṭ-w

literal: bounty

SE rendered حجّت (ḥjjt), کافيه (káfíh), وافيه (wáfíh), عطا (ʿṭá), نفرمايد (nfrmáyd), خلق (khlq), از (iz) as “His divine testimony, the full measure, His people, of”

عدم
ʿdm ʿ-d-m

literal: non-existence; non-existent; nonexistent

SE rendered خلق (khlq), از (iz), عدم (ʿdm), اقبال (iqbál), معذّب (mʿdhdhb), فرمايد (frmáyd), بلکه (blkh) as “His people, of, for having turned away, inflict severe retribution, Nay, the manifold bounties”

يزل
yzl z-w-l

literal: cease; to cease; ceased

SE rendered معذّب (mʿdhdhb), فرمايد (frmáyd), بلکه (blkh), يزل (yzl), جود (júd), سلطان (slṭán), وجود (wjúd), بر (br), همه (hmh) as “inflict severe retribution, Nay, the manifold bounties, the Lord of all beings, all”

time 20% all 20% hath 16% everlasting 12% throughout 8% ever 8% invariably 4% never 4% will 4% eternity 4%
جود
júd j-w-d

literal: generosity; bounty; generosity, bounty

SE rendered معذّب (mʿdhdhb), فرمايد (frmáyd), بلکه (blkh), يزل (yzl), جود (júd), سلطان (slṭán), وجود (wjúd), بر (br), همه (hmh), ممکنات (mmknát) as “inflict severe retribution, Nay, the manifold bounties, the Lord of all beings, all”

وجود
wjúd w-j-d

literal: existence; existent

SE rendered بلکه (blkh), يزل (yzl), جود (júd), سلطان (slṭán), وجود (wjúd), بر (br), همه (hmh), ممکنات (mmknát), ظهور (ẓhúr), مظاهر (mẓáhr) as “Nay, the manifold bounties, the Lord of all beings, all, the Manifestations”

world 17% notwithstanding 17% all 14% beings 11% creation 8% yet 8% mankind 8% existence 6% exist 6% souls 6%
ممکنات
mmknát m-k-n

literal: possible things

SE rendered سلطان (slṭán), وجود (wjúd), بر (br), همه (hmh), ممکنات (mmknát), ظهور (ẓhúr), مظاهر (mẓáhr), نفس (nfs), احاطه (iḥáṭh) as “the Lord of all beings, all, the Manifestations, Essence, encompassed”

all 48% entire 15% created 10% creation 6% whole 5% beings 5% universe 3% creatures 3% every 3% earth 2%
غمام
ghmám gh-m-m

literal: clouds; cloud; cloud, clouds

SE rendered آنکه (ánkh), امطار (imṭár), رحمت (rḥmt), از (iz), غمام (ghmám), عنايت (ʿnáyt), ممنوع (mmnúʿ), گردد (grdd), پس (ps), نيست (níst) as “the showers, of His loving-kindness, from, ceased to rain upon mankind, Consequently, can be”

عنايت
ʿnáyt ʿ-n-y

literal: care

SE rendered آنکه (ánkh), امطار (imṭár), رحمت (rḥmt), از (iz), غمام (ghmám), عنايت (ʿnáyt), ممنوع (mmnúʿ), گردد (grdd), پس (ps), نيست (níst) as “the showers, of His loving-kindness, from, ceased to rain upon mankind, Consequently, can be”

حرکت
ḥrkt ḥ-r-k

literal: movement; move; movement, motion

SE rendered محدوده (mḥdúdh), وادی (wádí), کبر (kbr), غرور (ghrúr), حرکت (ḥrkt), می (mí), نمايند (nmáynd), صحراهای (ṣḥráháy) as “petty-mindedness, the valley, arrogance, pride, tread, the wilds”

سير
sír s-y-r

literal: other; conduct; journey

SE rendered نمايند (nmáynd), صحراهای (ṣḥráháy), سير (sír), می (mí), نمايند (nmáynd), ظنونات (ẓnúnát) as “walk, the wilds, ways of their idle fancy”

made 20% path 20% walk 20% concerning 20% traverse 20%
تأسّی

literal: follow; following, imitation

SE expanded to “follow the dictates”

follow 50% comforts 25% peace 25%
غير
ghír gh-y-r

literal: other; other than

SE rendered تأسّی (tʾassí), می (mí), نمايند (nmáynd), لهذا (lhdhá), غير (ghír), از (iz), اعراض (iʿráḍ), امری (imrí), ندارند (ndárnd), جز (jz), اغماض (ighmáḍ) as “follow the dictates, of, mere opposition, ignore the”

others 19% other 19% without 10% all 10% except 10% unseemly 9% another 7% different 5% any 5% infinite 5%
ندارند
ndárnd dáshtn

literal: have; to have

SE rendered از (iz), اعراض (iʿráḍ), امری (imrí), ندارند (ndárnd), جز (jz), اغماض (ighmáḍ), حاصلی (ḥáṣlí) as “of, mere opposition, ignore the, found”

have 60% all 20% possess 20%
نخواهند
nkhúáhnd khúástn

literal: will; to want/will

SE rendered اغماض (ighmáḍ), حاصلی (ḥáṣlí), نخواهند (nkhúáhnd), معلوم (mʿlúm), نزد (nzd) as “ignore the, found, is evident and manifest, Unto every discerning observer”

will 50% tread 50%
بصری
bṣrí b-ṣ-r

literal: sight; insight; eyes

SE rendered معلوم (mʿlúm), نزد (nzd), هر (hr), ذی (dhí), بصری (bṣrí), عباد (ʿbád), ظهور (ẓhúr), هر (hr), يک (yk) as “is evident and manifest, Unto every discerning observer, each, these people, one”

discerning 50% eye 20% observer 10% mine 10% sight 10%
مظاهرشمس
mẓáhrshms ẓ-h-ر / ش-m-s

literal: manifestations of the sun

SE rendered عباد (ʿbád), ظهور (ẓhúr), هر (hr), يک (yk), از (iz), مظاهرشمس (mẓáhrshms), حقيقت (ḥqíqt), چشم (chshm), گوش (gúsh), قلب (qlb), از (iz) as “these people, each, one, from, Truth, their eyes, their ears, their hearts”

1 occurrence in corpus

پاک
pák pák

literal: pure; clean; pure/clean

SE rendered ديده (dídh), شنيده (shnídh), ادراک (idrák), نموده (nmúdh), پاک (pák), مقدّس (mqdds), می (mí), نمودند (nmúdnd), البتّه (al-btth), از (iz) as “had seen, felt, they, sanctified, surely, of”

نمی
nmí n-h-y

literal: end; utmost; ended

SE rendered نمودند (nmúdnd), البتّه (al-btth), از (iz), جمال (jmál), الهی (al-hí), محروم (mḥrúm), نمی (nmí), ماندند (mándnd), از (iz), حرم (ḥrm) as “they, surely, of, the beauty, God, deprived of beholding, the habitations”

ماندند
mándnd mándn

literal: remain; remained; to remain

SE rendered البتّه (al-btth), از (iz), جمال (jmál), الهی (al-hí), محروم (mḥrúm), نمی (nmí), ماندند (mándnd), از (iz), حرم (ḥrm), قرب (qrb), وصال (wṣál), مطالع (mṭálʿ) as “surely, of, the beauty, God, deprived of beholding, the habitations, the Manifestations”

failed 25% deprived 25% have 25% lost 25%
قرب
qrb q-r-b

literal: nearness; near; bring near

SE rendered الهی (al-hí), محروم (mḥrúm), نمی (nmí), ماندند (mándnd), از (iz), حرم (ḥrm), قرب (qrb), وصال (wṣál), مطالع (mṭálʿ), قدسيّه (qdsísh), ممنوع (mmnúʿ) as “God, deprived of beholding, of, the habitations, the Manifestations, of glory, withhold”

divine 20% proximity 14% nearness 14% presence 14% draw 9% near 9% above 6% inmost 6% reunion 6% hath 3%
وصال
wṣál w-ṣ-l

literal: union; reunion

SE rendered از (iz), حرم (ḥrm), قرب (qrb), وصال (wṣál), مطالع (mṭálʿ), قدسيّه (qdsísh), ممنوع (mmnúʿ), نمی (nmí), گشتند (gshtnd) as “of, the habitations, the Manifestations, of glory, withhold, have been”

ميزان
mízán w-z-n

literal: balance/scale; balance

SE rendered از (iz), علمای (ʿlmáy), شنيده (shnídh), بودند (búdnd), ميزان (mízán), می (mí), نمودند (nmúdnd), عقول (ʿqúl), ضعيفه (ḍʿífh) as “of, the leaders, gleaned from, having weighed, their limited understanding”

standard 54% balance 46%
آمد
ámd ámdn

literal: come; came; to come

SE rendered عقول (ʿqúl), ضعيفه (ḍʿífh), آنها (ánhá), موافق (múáfq), نمی (nmí), آمد (ámd), لهذا (lhdhá), از (iz), گونه (gúnh), امور (imúr) as “their limited understanding, at variance with, of, such, such unseemly acts”

came 21% come 16% hath 16% turned 11% now 11% appeared 5% befallen 5% arose 5% approaching 5% made 5%
گونه
gúnh gúnh → “such”

literal: kind; kind, type; manner

such 86% so-called 14%
مرضيّه
mrḍíḍh r-ḍ-y

literal: pleasure; pleasure/satisfaction

SE rendered از (iz), گونه (gúnh), امور (imúr), غير (ghír), مرضيّه (mrḍíḍh), از (iz), ايشان (iyshán), عالم (ʿálm), ظهور (ẓhúr) as “of, such, such unseemly acts, they, to perpetrate”

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 ¶