Kitáb-i-Íqán — §184

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 184 of 291.

Source (Persian)

حال انصاف دهيد اگر اين عباد موقن به اين کلمات درّيّه و اشارات قدسيّه شوند و حقّ را يَفعَلُ ما يَشاء بدانند، ديگر چگونه به اين مزخرفات تشبّث می نمايند و تمسّک می جويند؟ بلکه آنچه بفرمايد به جان اقرار نمايند و مذعن شوند. قسم به خدا که اگر تقديرات مقدّره و حکمت های قدريّه سبقت نيافته بود ارض جميع اين عباد را معدوم می نمود و لَکِن يُؤَخِّرُ ذلِکَ إلی ميقاتِ يومٍ مَعلُومٍ.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Be fair: Were these people to acknowledge the truth of these luminous words and holy allusions, and recognize God as “Him that doeth whatsoever He pleaseth,” how could they continue to cleave unto these glaring absurdities? Nay, with all their soul, they would accept and submit to whatsoever He saith. I swear by God! But for the divine Decree, and the inscrutable dispensations of Providence, the earth itself would have utterly destroyed all this people! “He will, however, respite them until the appointed time of a known day.”

Translation Notes

حال

ḥ-w-l

literal: state; condition; circumstance

انصاف

n-ṣ-f → “fair”

literal: justice; fairness; equity

دهيد

d-h → “Be” Distinctive

literal: to give; to provide; to yield; to grant; to bestow

اگر

ʾ-g-r → “were they”

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

عباد

ʿ-b-d → “people”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

موقن

y-q-n → “certitude” Distinctive

literal: to be certain; to know with certainty

به

b-h → “to”

literal: by it; by him; with it

کلمات

k-l-m → “words”

literal: words; utterances; locutions; word; utterance; speech; sayings; verses

درّيّه

d-r-r → “luminous”

literal: veiling; concealment; to have; to possess; to hold

اشارات

sh-y-r → “allusions”

literal: explanation; commentary; to explain; to open

قدسيّه

q-d-s → “holy”

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

شوند

sh-w-d

literal: become; to become; became

حقّ

ḥ-q-q → “God”

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

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

يَفعَلُ

f-ʿ-l → “doeth”

literal: to do, act, make; deed, action

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

يَشاء

sh-y-ʾ → “pleaseth,”” Distinctive

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

بدانند،

d-ʾ-n → “considered” Distinctive

literal: this world; earthly life; temporal realm; lowest; base; mean; of little account; to know; to be acquainted with

ديگر

d-g-r → “another”

literal: home; place; land; abode

چگونه

ch-g-n → “how”

literal: how; in what manner

مزخرفات

z-kh-r-f → “absurdities”

literal: ornament; adornment; decoration; falsehood

تشبّث

sh-b-th → “clung”

literal: to cling to; to grasp; to hold fast

می

m-y-y

literal: present continuous marker; continuous-marker

نمايند

n-m-ʾ → “will” Distinctive

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

تمسّک

m-s-k

literal: musk; to seize; grip; to hold fast; to cling to; to grasp

جويند؟

j-w-y → “take fast hold”

literal: to seek; to quest; to look for; to search for

بلکه

b-l-k → “Nay”

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

آنچه

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; indeed; that, to

بفرمايد

f-r-m → “saith” Distinctive

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

جان

j-ʾ-n → “soul”

literal: soul; life; spirit; self

اقرار

q-r-r → “acknowledged”

literal: stability; firmness; establishment

مذعن

dh-ʿ-n → “acknowledged His truth”

literal: to know; to be aware

قسم

q-s-m → “swear”

literal: oath; division; kind; type

خدا

kh-d-ʾ → “God”

literal: God; the Divine

که

k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

تقديرات

q-d-r → “Decree”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

حکمت

ḥ-k-m → “wisdom”

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom; firm; solid; strengthened

های

null

literal: and; that; in

سبقت

s-b-q

literal: to precede; to surpass; to excel

نيافته

y-ʾ-f-t

literal: to find, discover; to obtain, acquire; to find; to obtain; to discover

بود

b-w-d

literal: to be; to exist; to have been

ارض

ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

جميع

j-m-ʿ → “all”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

معدوم

ʿ-d-m → “nothingness”

literal: nonexistent; void; nullified

لَکِن

l-k-n → “however”

literal: but; however; yet; nevertheless

يُؤَخِّرُ

ʾ-kh-r → “end” Distinctive

literal: end; hereafter; other

ذلِکَ

dh-l-k

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

إلی

ʾ-l-y → “until”

literal: except; but; if not; lo; now; at this time; save; only; unless

ميقاتِ

w-q-t → “appointed time” Distinctive

literal: time; occasion; moment; period

يومٍ

y-w-m → “day.””

literal: day; age; period; era; a day

مَعلُومٍ.

ʿ-l-m → “known”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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Tablet of Carmel

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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.

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59 ¶