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Kitáb-i-Íqán — §160

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 160 of 291.

Source (Persian)

حال حکم رجوع را ادراک فرما که به چه صريحی در خود فرقان نازل شده و احدی تا اليوم ادراک آن ننموده. حال چه می فرمائيد؟ اگر می فرمائيد که آن حضرت رجعت انبيای قبل بودند چنانچه از آيه مستفاد ميشود، و همچنين اصحاب او هم رجعت اصحاب قبل خواهند بود، چنانچه از آيات مذکوره هم رجعت عباد قبل واضح و لائح است. و اگر انکار کنند بر خلاف حکم کتاب که حجّت اکبر است قائل شدهاند. پس همين قسم حکم رجع و بعث و حشر را در ايّام ظهور مظاهر هويّه ادراک نما تا رجوع ارواح مقدّسه را در اجساد صافيه منيره به عين رأس ملاحظه فرمائی و غبارهای جهل و نفس ظلمانی را به آب رحمت علم رحمانی پاک و منزّه نمائی که شايد به قوّت يزدانی و هدايت سبحانی و سراج نورانی، سبيل صبح هدايت را از شام ضلالت تميز دهی و فرق گذاری.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Strive therefore to comprehend the meaning of “return” which hath been so explicitly revealed in the Qur’án itself, and which none hath as yet understood. What sayest thou? If thou sayest that Muhammad was the “return” of the Prophets of old, as is witnessed by this verse, His Companions must likewise be the “return” of the bygone Companions, even as the “return” of the former people is clearly attested by the text of the above-mentioned verses. And if thou deniest this, thou hast surely repudiated the truth of the Qur’án, the surest testimony of God unto men. In like manner, endeavour to grasp the significance of “return,” “revelation,” and “resurrection,” as witnessed in the days of the Manifestations of the divine Essence, that thou mayest behold with thine own eyes the “return” of the holy souls into sanctified and illumined bodies, and mayest wash away the dust of ignorance, and cleanse the darkened self with the waters of mercy flowing from the Source of divine Knowledge; that perchance thou mayest, through the power of God and the light of divine guidance, distinguish the Morn of everlasting splendour from the darksome night of error.

Translation Notes

چه
chh ch-h

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

SE rendered حکم (ḥkm)رجوع (rjúʿ)ادراک (idrák)فرما (frmá)چه (chh)صريحی (ṣríḥí)فرقان (frqán)نازل (názl) as “meaning of, “return”, comprehend, explicitly, Qur’án, revealed”

what 50% whatsoever 50%
می
m-y-y

literal: present continuous marker; continuous-marker

SE rendered اليوم (al-yúm)ادراک (idrák)ننموده (nnmúdh)حال (ḥál)چه (chh)می (mí)فرمائيد؟ (frmáʾíd؟)می (mí)فرمائيد (frmáʾíd) as “as yet, understood, hath, What, sayest”

3 occurrences in corpus

مستفاد
mstfád f-y-d “idle” Distinctive

literal: derived

This form usually rendered as “implieth”, “derived” (4 occurrences)

implieth 50% derived 50%
ميشود،
míshúd، sh-w-d “is”

literal: become; to become; became

SE rendered بودند (búdnd)چنانچه (chnánchh)از (iz)آيه (áyh)مستفاد (mstfád)ميشود، (míshúd،)همچنين (hmchnín)اصحاب (iṣḥáb)رجعت (rjʿt) as “was, as, verse, witnessed, is, likewise, Companions, “return””

affirm 14% bringeth 14% conscripted 14% now 14% shall 14% ascribed 14% will 14%
بر
br b-r-r

literal: on; on, upon; upon

SE rendered لائح (láʾḥ)انکار (inkár)کنند (knnd)بر (br)خلاف (khláf)حکم (ḥkm)کتاب (ktáb)حجّت (ḥjjt)اکبر (ikbr) as “attested, deniest, hath, Qur’án, testimony, surest”

land 33% upon 11% piety 11% unto 11% pious 6% righteousness 6% beseech 6% good 6% against 6% indignities 6%
خلاف
khláf kh-l-f

literal: different; behind; difference

SE rendered انکار (inkár)کنند (knnd)بر (br)خلاف (khláf)حکم (ḥkm)کتاب (ktáb)حجّت (ḥjjt)اکبر (ikbr) as “deniest, hath, Qur’án, testimony, surest”

قائل
qáʾl q-w-l

literal: say; saying

SE rendered کتاب (ktáb)حجّت (ḥjjt)اکبر (ikbr)قائل (qáʾl)شدهاند (shdhánd)پس (ps)همين (hmín)قسم (qsm)حکم (ḥkm)رجع (rjʿ) as “Qur’án, testimony, surest, “return,””

“saying 33% belief 33% saying 33%
شدهاند
shdhánd sh-d “been”

literal: become; to become

SE rendered کتاب (ktáb)حجّت (ḥjjt)اکبر (ikbr)قائل (qáʾl)شدهاند (shdhánd)پس (ps)همين (hmín)قسم (qsm)حکم (ḥkm)رجع (rjʿ)بعث (bʿth) as “Qur’án, testimony, surest, “return,”, “revelation,””

become 33% had 33% proceeded 33%
پس
ps p-s

literal: then; then, therefore; therefore

SE rendered حجّت (ḥjjt)اکبر (ikbr)قائل (qáʾl)شدهاند (shdhánd)پس (ps)همين (hmín)قسم (qsm)حکم (ḥkm)رجع (rjʿ)بعث (bʿth)حشر (ḥshr) as “testimony, surest, “return,”, “revelation,”, “resurrection,””

wherefore 50% purge 50%
همين
hmín h-m-n

literal: guardian; guardian/protector; guardian, protector

SE rendered حجّت (ḥjjt)اکبر (ikbr)قائل (qáʾl)شدهاند (shdhánd)پس (ps)همين (hmín)قسم (qsm)حکم (ḥkm)رجع (rjʿ)بعث (bʿth)حشر (ḥshr) as “testimony, surest, “return,”, “revelation,”, “resurrection,””

قسم
qsm q-s-m

literal: oath, swear

SE rendered اکبر (ikbr)قائل (qáʾl)شدهاند (shdhánd)پس (ps)همين (hmín)قسم (qsm)حکم (ḥkm)رجع (rjʿ)بعث (bʿth)حشر (ḥshr)ايّام (iyyám) as “surest, “return,”, “revelation,”, “resurrection,”, days”

صافيه
ṣáfíh ṣ-f-w “and”

literal: chosen ones; chosen-ones; purity

SE rendered رجوع (rjúʿ)ارواح (irúáḥ)مقدّسه (mqddsh)اجساد (ijsád)صافيه (ṣáfíh)منيره (mnírh)عين (ʿín)رأس (rʾas)ملاحظه (mláḥẓh)فرمائی (frmáʾí) as ““return”, souls, holy, bodies, and, illumined, eyes, mayest”

crystal 40% stainless 20% pure 20% immaculate 20%
رأس
rʾas r-ʾ-s

literal: head

SE rendered اجساد (ijsád)صافيه (ṣáfíh)منيره (mnírh)عين (ʿín)رأس (rʾas)ملاحظه (mláḥẓh)فرمائی (frmáʾí)غبارهای (ghbárháy)جهل (jhl) as “bodies, and, illumined, eyes, mayest, dust, ignorance”

head 60% diadem 20% once 20%
ملاحظه
mláḥẓh l-ḥ-ẓ

literal: observation; observe; observation, consideration

SE rendered اجساد (ijsád)صافيه (ṣáfíh)منيره (mnírh)عين (ʿín)رأس (rʾas)ملاحظه (mláḥẓh)فرمائی (frmáʾí)غبارهای (ghbárháy)جهل (jhl)نفس (nfs) as “bodies, and, illumined, eyes, mayest, dust, ignorance, self”

منزّه
mnzzh n-z-h

literal: exaltation; exalted

SE rendered آب (áb)رحمت (rḥmt)علم (ʿlm)رحمانی (rḥmání)پاک (pák)منزّه (mnzzh)نمائی (nmáʾí)شايد (sháyd)قوّت (qúqt)يزدانی (yzdání) as “waters, mercy, Knowledge, divine, cleanse, wash, perchance, power”

يزدانی
yzdání y-z-d “divine”

literal: God; divine; divine, of God

divine 80% god 20%
سبحانی
sbḥání s-b-ḥ

literal: glory; glory, praise; glory/praise

SE rendered شايد (sháyd)قوّت (qúqt)يزدانی (yzdání)هدايت (hdáyt)سبحانی (sbḥání)سراج (sráj)نورانی، (núrání،)سبيل (sbíl)صبح (ṣbḥ) as “perchance, power, divine, guidance, light, Morn”

divine 50% all-glorious 13% kindness 13% god 13% high 13%
سبيل
sbíl s-b-l

literal: path; way; path/way

SE rendered هدايت (hdáyt)سبحانی (sbḥání)سراج (sráj)نورانی، (núrání،)سبيل (sbíl)صبح (ṣbḥ)هدايت (hdáyt)از (iz)شام (shám)ضلالت (ḍlált) as “guidance, light, Morn, from, night, error”

path 72% way 12% straight 3% sake 3% road 2% means 2% state 2% door 2% self 2% path!” 2%
شام
shám sh-ʾ-m “night”

literal: evening/night; evening, night

night 50% darksome 50%
گذاری
gdhárí g-dh-r

literal: pass; place; passed

SE rendered از (iz)شام (shám)ضلالت (ḍlált)تميز (tmíz)دهی (dhí)فرق (frq)گذاری (gdhárí) as “from, night, error, distinguish”

renounced 23% renounce 17% have 13% abandon 10% pass 10% leave 7% relinquish 7% forsake 7% past 3% before 3%

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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