Kitáb-i-Íqán — §150

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 150 of 291.

Source (Persian)

و اگر گويند مقصود تجلّی خاصّ است آن هم اگر در عين ذات است درحضرت علم ازلاً، چنانچه جمعی از صوفيّه اين مقام را تعبير به فيض اقدس نمودهاند، بر فرض تصديق اين رتبه، صدق لقاء برای نفسی در اين مقام صادق نيايد لاَجل آنکه اين رتبه درغيب ذات محقّق است واحدی به آن فائز نشود. " السَّبيلُ مَسدُودٌ وَ الطَّلَبُ مَردُودٌ." افئده مقرّبين به اين مقام طيران ننمايد تا چه رسد به عقول محدودين و محتجبين.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

And were they to maintain that by “divine Presence” is meant the “Specific Revelation of God,” expressed by certain Súfís as the “Most Holy Outpouring,” if this be in the Essence Itself, it is evident that it hath been eternally in the divine Knowledge. Assuming the truth of this hypothesis, “attainment unto the divine Presence” is in this sense obviously possible to no one, inasmuch as this revelation is confined to the innermost Essence, unto which no man can attain. “The way is barred, and all seeking rejected.” The minds of the favourites of heaven, however high they soar, can never attain this station, how much less the understanding of obscured and limited minds.

Translation Notes

اگر

ʾ-g-r → “were they”

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

گويند

g-w-y

literal: say; to say; as-if

مقصود

q-ṣ-d → “is meant”

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

تجلّی

j-l-w → “Revelation”

literal: effulgence; manifestation; revelation

خاصّ

kh-ṣ-ṣ → “singled out” Distinctive

literal: specific matter; particularity; especially; in this matter

است

b-w-d → “be”

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

آن

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

هم

h-m-m

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

عين

ʿ-y-n → “eyes”

literal: eye; fountain; spring; essence; to appoint; to designate; to specify; to determine

ذات

dh-w-t → “Essence”

literal: self; essence; being

درحضرت

ḥ-ḍ-r

literal: presence; majesty; His/Your Excellency

علم

ʿ-l-m → “divine Knowledge”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

ازلاً،

ʾ-z-l → “been eternally” Distinctive

literal: eternity; pre-eternity; without beginning; eternal; everlasting; from eternity

چنانچه

ch-n-n

literal: thus; in such manner; as

جمعی

j-m-ʿ → “all” Distinctive

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

از

ʾ-z → “to” Distinctive

literal: from

صوفيّه

ṣ-w-f → “Súfís”

literal: Sufi

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this”

literal: this; these

مقام

q-w-m → “this station”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

تعبير

ʿ-b-r → “tears” Distinctive

literal: expression; phrase; utterance; statement; passage; wording

به

b-h → “unto”

literal: by it; by him; with it

فيض

f-y-ḍ → “grace”

literal: flood; abundance; overflow; emanation; grace; overflowing; emanating; surplus

اقدس

q-d-s

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

نمودهاند،

n-m-w → “hath” Distinctive

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

بر

b-r-r

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

فرض

f-r-ḍ → “hast bidden” Distinctive

literal: obligatory; incumbent; imposed; prescribed; fixed

تصديق

ṣ-d-q → “truth”

literal: to confirm; to verify; to acknowledge; to testify to truth

رتبه،

r-t-b → “station”

literal: rank; station; degree; time; instance

لقاء

l-q-y → ““attainment unto the divine Presence””

literal: opposite; facing; in front of; towards

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

نفسی

n-f-s → “no one” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

نيايد

ʾ-m-d

literal: to come; to arrive; to attain; to support; to aid; to strengthen; to confirm

لاَجل

ʾ-j-l → “to”

literal: majesty; glory; exaltation; magnificence

درغيب

gh-y-b

literal: unseen; invisible; hidden

محقّق

ḥ-q-q → “evident”

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

واحدی

w-ḥ-d → “one” Distinctive

literal: Divine unity; monotheism; belief in the oneness of God

فائز

f-w-z → “attain”

literal: benefit, profit, advantage; usefulness; bounty; effusion; grace

نشود.

sh-w-d → “be”

literal: to not become; to not be

السَّبيلُ

s-b-l → “way”

literal: captive; prisoner; captivity; to journey; to move; course

مَسدُودٌ

s-d-d → “closed”

literal: threshold; barrier; seat of authority

الطَّلَبُ

ṭ-l-b → “seeking”

literal: seeker, one who seeks; those who seek

مَردُودٌ."

r-d-d → “rejected.””

literal: rejection; rejected; refutation

افئده

f-ʾ-d → “minds” Distinctive

literal: heart, innermost soul, mind; heart; inner consciousness; mind; one who benefits; advantageous

مقرّبين

q-r-b → “nearness” Distinctive

literal: stability; firmness; establishment

طيران

ṭ-y-r → “soar”

literal: bird; birds; flying creature

ننمايد

n-m-ʾ → “may” Distinctive

literal: to appear; to show; to display; to exhibit

تا

t-y-y

literal: so that/until

چه

ch-h

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

رسد

r-s-d → “how much less”

literal: Persian verb رسیدن (to arrive/reach), not Arabic ر-س-د

عقول

ʿ-q-l → “understanding”

literal: intellect; wise persons; to understand

محدودين

ḥ-d-d → “limited”

literal: limit; limited; limits

محتجبين.

ḥ-j-b → “obscured” Distinctive

literal: to veil oneself, to be veiled

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