Kitáb-i-Íqán — §169

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 169 of 291.

Source (Persian)

اين است که در هر ظهور بعد، انفسی که سبقت يافتند به ايمان از کلّ من علی الارض و شربت زلال معرفت را از جمال احديّت نوشيدند و به اعلی معارج ايمان و ايقان و انقطاع ارتفاع جستند حکم رجوع انفس قبل که در ظهور قبل به اين مراتب فائز شدهاند بر اين اصحاب ظهور بعد می شود اسماً و رسماً و فعلاًو قولاً و امراً. زيرا آنچه از عباد قبل ظاهر شد از اين عباد بعد بعينه ظاهر و هويدا گشت. مثلاً اگر شاخسار گلی در مشرق ارض باشد و در مغرب هم از شاخه ديگر، آن گل ظاهر شود اطلاق گل بر او می شود. ديگر در اين مقام نظر به حدودات شاخه و هيئت آن نيست بلکه نظر به رائحه و عطری است که در هر دو ظاهر است.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Therefore, those who in every subsequent Dispensation preceded the rest of mankind in embracing the Faith of God, who quaffed the clear waters of knowledge at the hand of the divine Beauty, and attained the loftiest summits of faith and certitude, these can be regarded, in name, in reality, in deeds, in words, and in rank, as the “return” of those who in a former Dispensation had achieved similar distinctions. For whatsoever the people of a former Dispensation have manifested, the same hath been shown by the people of this latter generation. Consider the rose: whether it blossometh in the East or in the West, it is none the less a rose. For what mattereth in this respect is not the outward shape and form of the rose, but rather the smell and fragrance which it doth impart.

Translation Notes

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

که

k-h → “which”

literal: that; who; who, that

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

هر

h-r → “every”

literal: whatever; all that; whatever thing

ظهور

ẓ-h-r → “Dispensation” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

بعد،

b-ʿ-d → “subsequent” Distinctive

literal: after; behind; distance

انفسی

n-f-s → “those”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

سبقت

s-b-q → “preceded”

literal: to precede; to surpass; to excel

يافتند

y-ʾ-f

literal: find; to find; found

به

b-h → “as”

literal: by it; by him; with it

ايمان

ʾ-m-n → “Faith”

literal: to believe; to have faith; to be secure; trust; trustworthiness; covenant; deposit; believer, faithful

از

ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

کلّ

k-l-l → “rest” Distinctive

literal: for us; to us

من

m-n

literal: from; out of; than (preposition and particle)

الارض

ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

شربت

sh-r-b → “quaffed”

literal: to drink; to imbibe

زلال

z-l-l → “clear waters”

literal: to slip; to stumble; to fall

معرفت

ʿ-r-f → “knowledge”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

جمال

j-m-l → “Beauty”

literal: beauty; comeliness

احديّت

ʾ-ḥ-d → “divine”

literal: oneness; uniqueness; absolute unity; singularity of God

نوشيدند

n-w-sh

literal: drank; quaffed; to drink

اعلی

ʿ-l-w → “loftiest” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

معارج

ʿ-r-j → “summits”

literal: to ascend, climb, mount

ايقان

y-q-n → “certitude”

literal: certainty; certitude; conviction; faith

انقطاع

q-ṭ-ʿ

literal: to be severed; to be cut off; to detach oneself; to abstain

ارتفاع

r-f-ʿ → “raised” Distinctive

literal: to be raised, elevated, exalted, lifted up

جستند

j-s-t

literal: to seek; to cling; to grasp; to strive

حکم

ḥ-k-m → “wisdom”

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom

رجوع

r-j-ʿ → ““return””

literal: return; reference; place of return; resort

قبل

q-b-l → “former” Distinctive

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

مراتب

r-t-b → “station”

literal: rank; station; degree; time; instance

فائز

f-w-z → “achieved” Distinctive

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

شدهاند

sh-d → “was” Distinctive

literal: become; turned into; has become; to become; to be

بر

b-r-r → “by” Distinctive

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

اصحاب

ṣ-ḥ-b

literal: possessor; those who have; companion; followers

می

m-y-y

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

شود.

sh-w-d → “be”

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

اسماً

s-m-w → “in name”

literal: name; title; designation

رسماً

r-s-m → “renown”

literal: form; custom; tradition; design; symbol

فعلاًو

f-ʿ-l → “in deeds”

literal: do; deed; do/act

قولاً

q-w-l → “in words”

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

امراً.

ʾ-m-r → “Cause”

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

زيرا

z-y-r → “For”

literal: because; since; for; inasmuch as

آنچه

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

عباد

ʿ-b-d → “people”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

بعينه

ʿ-y-n → “eyes”

literal: eye; fountain; spring; essence

هويدا

h-w-y

literal: cradle; bed; couch; resting place

گشت.

g-sh-t → “hath been”

literal: to become; to turn; to be

مثلاً

m-th-l → “Consider”

literal: like; example; parable; similitude

اگر

ʾ-g-r → “were they”

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

شاخسار

sh-ʾ-kh

literal: branch; twig; limb

گلی

g-l → “rose” Distinctive

literal: flower; rose

مشرق

sh-r-q → “East” Distinctive

literal: radiance; splendor; dawn; illumination

ارض

ʾ-r-ḍ

literal: earth; land; ground; country

مغرب

gh-r-b → “West”

literal: west; sunset; place of setting

هم

h-m-m

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

ديگر،

d-g-r

literal: home; place; land; abode

اطلاق

ṭ-l-q

literal: divorce; release; freeing

او

h-w-w → “it” Distinctive

literal: he; it (third person pronoun); refuge; shelter; dwelling place; abode; lamentation, cry, woe; melody, song

مقام

q-w-m → “respect” Distinctive

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

نظر

n-ẓ-r → “Consider”

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

حدودات

ḥ-d-d

literal: iron; sharp, keen, acute

هيئت

h-y-ʾ → “Committee”

literal: every; each; any; whoever; form; figure; state; condition; prepared, ready, suitable

نيست

b-w-d → “is not the outward shape”

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

بلکه

b-l-k → “Nay”

literal: nay; but rather; on the contrary; but

رائحه

r-w-ḥ → “spirit” Distinctive

literal: banner; standard; flag; sign; banner, standard, flag, ensign

عطری

ʿ-ṭ-r → “hath derived” Distinctive

literal: perfume; to perfume; fragrance

دو

d-w

literal: two; run; running

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