Kitáb-i-Íqán — §172

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 172 of 291.

Source (Persian)

و اين مطلب با اينکه چقدر واضح است نزد شاربان صهبای علم و ايقان، مع ذلک چه مقدار از نفوس که به سبب عدم بلوغ به اين مطلب به ذکر خاتم النّبيّين محتجب شده از جميع فيوضات محجوب و ممنوع شدهاند با اينکه خود آن حضرت فرمود: "اَمَّا النَّبيّونَ فَاَنَا." و همچنين فرمودند: منم آدم و نوح و موسی و عيسی چنانچه ذکر شد. مع ذلک تفکّر نمی نمايند بعد از آنکه بر آن جمال ازلی صادق می آيد به اينکه فرمودند: منم آدم اوّل، همين قسم صادق می آيد که بفرمايند: منم آدم آخر. و همچنانکه بدء انبياء را که آدم باشد به خود نسبت دادند همين قسم ختم انبياء هم به آن جمال الهی نسبت داده می شود. و اين بسی واضح است که بعد از آنکه بدء النّبيّين بر آن حضرت صادق است همان قسم ختم النّبيّين صادق آيد.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Notwithstanding the obviousness of this theme, in the eyes of those that have quaffed the wine of knowledge and certitude, yet how many are those who, through failure to understand its meaning, have allowed the term “Seal of the Prophets” to obscure their understanding, and deprive them of the grace of all His manifold bounties! Hath not Muhammad, Himself, declared: “I am all the Prophets?” Hath He not said as We have already mentioned: “I am Adam, Noah, Moses, and Jesus?” Why should Muhammad, that immortal Beauty, Who hath said: “I am the first Adam” be incapable of saying also: “I am the last Adam”? For even as He regarded Himself to be the “First of the Prophets”—that is Adam—in like manner, the “Seal of the Prophets” is also applicable unto that Divine Beauty. It is admittedly obvious that being the “First of the Prophets,” He likewise is their “Seal.”

Translation Notes

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this”

literal: this; these

مطلب

ṭ-l-b → “theme”

literal: seeker, one who seeks; those who seek

با

b-ʾ-ʾ

literal: to; with; by

چقدر

ch-q-d → “How all-encompassing”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

واضح

w-ḍ-ḥ → “evident”

literal: clear; evident; manifest; obvious

نزد

n-z-d → “unto”

literal: near; beside; with; in the presence of

شاربان

sh-r-b → “those that have quaffed”

literal: to drink; to imbibe

صهبای

ṣ-h-b → “immortal draught”

literal: wine

علم

ʿ-l-m → “knowledge”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

ايقان،

y-q-n → “certitude”

literal: certainty; certitude; conviction; faith

مع

m-ʿ → “yet”

literal: with; together with; alongside

ذلک

dh-l-k

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

چه

ch-h → “For”

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

مقدار

q-d-r → “many”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

از

ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

نفوس

n-f-s → “those who” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

که

k-h → “which”

literal: that; who; who, that

به

b-h → “as”

literal: by it; by him; with it

سبب

s-b-b

literal: cause; reason; means; instrument

عدم

ʿ-d-m

literal: nonexistent; void; nullified

بلوغ

b-l-gh

literal: to reach; to attain; to deliver; to proclaim

ذکر

dh-k-r → “mention”

literal: remembrance; mention; memory; invocation; reminders; commemorations

النّبيّين

n-b-y → “Prophets””

literal: prophet; prophets

محتجب

ḥ-j-b → “obscure their understanding” Distinctive

literal: to veil oneself, to be veiled

شده

sh-d → “have allowed” Distinctive

literal: to become; to be

جميع

j-m-ʿ → “all”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

فيوضات

f-y-ḍ → “grace” Distinctive

literal: flood; abundance; overflow; emanation; grace

ممنوع

m-n-ʿ → “deprive them” Distinctive

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

خود

kh-w-d → “Himself”

literal: self; himself; herself; itself; own

آن

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

حضرت

ḥ-ḍ-r → “Muhammad”

literal: presence; majesty; His/Your Excellency

فرمود:

f-r-m → “declared”

literal: to say; to decree; to ordain; to command

"اَمَّا

ʾ-m-m → “nations” Distinctive

literal: nations; as for; mother

النَّبيّونَ

n-b-y → “Prophets”

literal: prophet; prophets

فَاَنَا."

ʾ-n-ʾ → “Prophets?””

literal: I

همچنين

ch-n-n → “likewise”

literal: always; ever; forever; at all times; constantly

نوح

n-w-ḥ → “groan”

literal: to wail; to lament; lamentation

تفکّر

f-k-r → “ponder”

literal: thoughts; ideas; fancies; opinions; to think; to reflect; to contemplate

نمی

n-h-y → “forbidden”

literal: to show, to display, to manifest, to exhibit; to manifest; to display; to show

نمايند

n-m-ʾ → “Hath” Distinctive

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

بعد

b-ʿ-d → “after”

literal: after; behind; distance

بر

b-r-r

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

جمال

j-m-l → “Beauty”

literal: beauty; comeliness

ازلی

ʾ-z-l

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

صادق

ṣ-d-q

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

می

m-y-y

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

آيد.

ʾ-y-d → “aid” Distinctive

literal: come; support; may aid

اوّل،

ʾ-w-l → “first”

literal: first; beginning; at first; the first; former; possessors of; those who have; masters of

همين

h-m-n → “Help in Peril” Distinctive

literal: the same; that very

قسم

q-s-m

literal: oath; division; kind; type

آخر.

ʾ-kh-r → “end”

literal: the hereafter, the next life, the world to come; last, latter; the next life, the hereafter; delay; postponement

همچنانکه

ch-n-y → “likewise” Distinctive

literal: likewise; such; as

بدء

b-d-ʾ → ““First”

literal: beginning; primacy; originality; origin; principle; starting point; commencement; start; inception; creation

انبياء

n-b-ʾ → “Prophets”—that”

literal: prophet; messenger

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

باشد

b-w-d → “are” Distinctive

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

نسبت

n-s-b → “regarded” Distinctive

literal: relation; relationship; connection; attribution; proportion

دادند

d-ʾ-d → “of equity” Distinctive

literal: to give; to grant; to issue

ختم

kh-t-m → ““Seal”

literal: to seal; to conclude; to end; seal

هم

h-m-m → “endeavor” Distinctive

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

الهی

ʾ-l-h → “Divine”

literal: God; Allah; deity; Divinity; divine nature; godhood

شود.

sh-w-d

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

بسی

b-s-y → “greatly” Distinctive

literal: many; much; very

همان

h-m

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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