Kitáb-i-Íqán — §176

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 176 of 291.

Source (Persian)

با اينکه همه انبياء و اصفياء و اولياء من عنداللّه امر فرمودند که به چشم و گوش خود بشنوند و ملاحظه نمايند مع ذلک معتنی به نصح انبياء نگشته تابع علمای خود بوده و خواهند بود. و اگر مسکينی و يا فقيری که عاری از لباس اهل علم باشد بگويد: "يَا قَومِ اتَّبِعُوا المُرسَلِينَ" ، جواب گويند که اين همه علماء و فضلاء با اين رياست ظاهره و البسه مقطّعه لطيفه نفهميدهاند و حقّ را از باطل ادراک ننمودهاند و تو و امثال تو ادراک نموده ايد و نهايت تعجّب می نمايند از چنين قولی. با اينکه امم سلف اکثر و اعظم و اکبرند و اگر کثرت و لباس علم سبب و علّت علم و صدق باشد البتّه امم سابقه اولی واسبق اند.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Notwithstanding the divinely-inspired admonitions of all the Prophets, the Saints, and Chosen ones of God, enjoining the people to see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears, they have disdainfully rejected their counsels and have blindly followed, and will continue to follow, the leaders of their Faith. Should a poor and obscure person, destitute of the attire of men of learning, address them saying: “Follow ye, O people! the Messengers of God,” they would, greatly surprised at such a statement, reply: “What! Meanest thou that all these divines, all these exponents of learning, with all their authority, their pomp and pageantry, have erred, and failed to distinguish truth from falsehood? Dost thou, and people like thyself, pretend to have comprehended that which they have not understood?” If numbers and excellence of apparel be regarded as the criterions of learning and truth, the peoples of a bygone age, whom those of today have never surpassed in numbers, magnificence and power, should certainly be accounted a superior and worthier people.

Translation Notes

با

b-ʾ-ʾ → “have clung”

literal: to; with; by

اينکه

ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter” Distinctive

literal: that, the fact that, this (demonstrative particle)

همه

h-m-h → “all”

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

انبياء

n-b-ʾ → “Prophets”

literal: prophet; messenger

اصفياء

ṣ-f-w → “Thy chosen ones”

literal: pure one; chosen one; selected one; elite; purity; clarity; sincerity; pure; sincere

اولياء

w-l-y → “Chosen ones”

literal: guardian; protector; friend; ally; lord; helper; first; primary; original

من

m-n → “of”

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

عنداللّه

ʿ-n-d → “God”

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

امر

ʾ-m-r

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

فرمودند

f-r-m → “saith” Distinctive

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

که

k-h → “that”

literal: that; who; who, that

به

b-h → “with” Distinctive

literal: by it; by him; with it

چشم

ch-sh-m → “eyes”

literal: eye; vision; sight

گوش

g-w-sh → “ears”

literal: ear; hearing; to listen

خود

kh-w-d → “their own”

literal: self; himself; herself; itself; own

بشنوند

sh-n-w → “hear”

literal: most ugly; most abominable; most heinous

ملاحظه

l-ḥ-ẓ → “Consider”

literal: assembly; multitude; chiefs; to fill; people of rank; fullness, assembly

مع

m-ʿ

literal: with; together with; alongside

ذلک

dh-l-k

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

معتنی

ʿ-n-y → “loving-kindness” Distinctive

literal: to concern; to mean; to turn away from; bounty; loving-kindness; grace; divine care; attention; meaning; significance; inner sense

نصح

n-ṣ-ḥ → “counsels”

literal: counsel; advice; admonition

نگشته

g-sh-t

literal: to become; to turn; to be

تابع

t-b-ʿ → “followed”

literal: to follow; to obey; to pursue

علمای

ʿ-l-m → “leaders”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

بوده

b-w-d → “have blindly” Distinctive

literal: to do; to make; to perform; to be; was

خواهند

kh-w-ʾ-h → “will continue”

literal: to will; to want; shall; will (future auxiliary)

اگر

ʾ-g-r → “were they”

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

مسکينی

m-s-k → “poor”

literal: stillness, rest, quietude, tranquility

يا

y-ʾ

literal: O; or

فقيری

f-q-r → “poor” Distinctive

literal: poor; needy; the poor one; pauper

عاری

ʿ-r-y → “Rid” Distinctive

literal: naked; bare; stripped

از

ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

لباس

l-b-s → “attire” Distinctive

literal: garment; clothing; raiment; vesture

اهل

ʾ-h-l → “men” Distinctive

literal: people; inhabitants; family; kin; worthy; deserving; my family; my people; my kin

بگويد:

g-w-y → “address them saying”

literal: say; to say; said

قَومِ

q-w-m → “people”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

المُرسَلِينَ"

r-s-l → “Messengers”

literal: messenger; send; messengers

جواب

j-w-b → “reply”

literal: answer, reply, response

گويند

g-w-y

literal: say; to say; said

فضلاء

f-ḍ-l → “grace” Distinctive

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

رياست

r-ʾ-s → “authority” Distinctive

literal: ostentation; hypocrisy; vainglory; ruin

ظاهره

ẓ-h-r → “Revelation” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest; to display; to reveal; ظهور here means ‘backs’ (plural of ظهر), different semantic use than manifestation

مقطّعه

q-ṭ-ʿ

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

لطيفه

l-ṭ-f

literal: kindness; grace; gentleness; benevolence

نفهميدهاند

f-h-m → “understanding” Distinctive

literal: understanding; understand; understood

حقّ

ḥ-q-q → “truth”

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

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

باطل

b-ṭ-l → “falsehood”

literal: falsehood, false; vain, null

ادراک

d-r-k → “comprehend”

literal: to overtake; to catch; to reach; to attain; to perceive; to comprehend

ننمودهاند

n-m-ʾ → “not understood?””

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

تو

t-w-w → “thou”

literal: you

امثال

m-th-l → “like”

literal: like; example; parable; similitude

نموده

n-m-ود → “hath”

literal: do; to do; do/make

ايد

ʾ-y-d

literal: come; support; may aid

نهايت

n-h-y → “utmost”

literal: end, limit, utmost, extreme; final; the end, limit, utmost bound; Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing; end; limit; terminus

تعجّب

ʿ-j-b → “surprised”

literal: wonder; amazement; marvelous; strange

می

m-y-y

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

چنين

ch-n-n → “likewise” Distinctive

literal: such; thus; in this manner; like this

قولی.

q-w-l → “statement” Distinctive

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

امم

ʾ-m-m → “peoples”

literal: people; nation; community; female servant; handmaiden

سلف

s-l-f → “past”

literal: predecessor; ancestor; that which has passed

اکثر

k-th-r → “most”

literal: majority; multitude; abundance; multiplicity

اعظم

ʿ-ẓ-m

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

اکبرند

k-b-r → “pride”

literal: greatest; great; greater

کثرت

k-th-r → “most” Distinctive

literal: majority; multitude; abundance; multiplicity

سبب

s-b-b → “cause”

literal: cause; reason; means; instrument

علّت

ʿ-l-l → “of”

literal: for us; to us

صدق

ṣ-d-q → “truth”

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

البتّه

b-t-t → “assuredly”

literal: certainly; certainly, definitely; absolute

سابقه

s-b-q → “hath surpassed” Distinctive

literal: to precede; to surpass; to excel

اولی

ʾ-w-l

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

واسبق

s-б-q → ““His” Distinctive

literal: surpassing; preceded; former

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘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 ¶