Kitáb-i-Íqán — §198

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 198 of 291.

Source (Persian)

باری، نظر به اين مقام، ذکر ربوبيّه و امثال ذلک از ايشان ظاهر شده و در مقام رسالت اظهار رسالت فرمودند و همچنين در هر مقام به اقتضای آن ذکری فرمودند و همه را نسبت به خود دادهاند از عالم امر الی عالم خلق و از عوالم ربوبيّه الی عوالم ملکيّه. اين است که آنچه بفرمايند و هرچه ذکر نمايند از الوهيّت و ربوبيّت و نبوّت و رسالت و ولايت و امامت و عبوديّت، همه حقّ است و شبهه ای در آن نيست. پس بايد تفکّر در اين بيانات که استدلال شده نمود تا ديگر از اختلافات اقوال مظاهر غيبيّه و مطالع قدسيّه احدی را اضطراب و تزلزل دست ندهد.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

By virtue of this station, they have claimed for themselves the Voice of Divinity and the like, whilst by virtue of their station of Messengership, they have declared themselves the Messengers of God. In every instance they have voiced an utterance that would conform to the requirements of the occasion, and have ascribed all these declarations to Themselves, declarations ranging from the realm of divine Revelation to the realm of creation, and from the domain of Divinity even unto the domain of earthly existence. Thus it is that whatsoever be their utterance, whether it pertain to the realm of Divinity, Lordship, Prophethood, Messengership, Guardianship, Apostleship or Servitude, all is true, beyond the shadow of a doubt. Therefore, these sayings which We have quoted in support of Our argument must be attentively considered, that the divergent utterances of the Manifestations of the Unseen and Daysprings of Holiness may cease to agitate the soul and perplex the mind.

Translation Notes

باری،

b-r-y → “Briefly”

literal: well; cistern; pit

نظر

n-ẓ-r

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

به

b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

مقام

q-w-m → “station”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

ربوبيّه

r-b-b → “Voice of Divinity”

literal: divine; of God; lordly

امثال

m-th-l → “like”

literal: like; example; parable; similitude

ذلک

dh-l-k

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

از

ʾ-z → “from the”

literal: from

ايشان

ʾ-y-sh → “Prophets”

literal: that; it (object pronoun with suffix)

شده

sh-d

literal: to become; to be

در

d-r-r

literal: in; in, at; radiant

رسالت

r-s-l → “of Messengership”

literal: to send; dispatch; transmission

فرمودند

f-r-m → “have declared” Distinctive

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

همچنين

ch-n-n → “likewise”

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

هر

h-r

literal: whatever; all that; whatever thing

اقتضای

q-ḍ-y → “decree” Distinctive

literal: requirement; exigency; what demands or calls for; to require; to necessitate; to demand

آن

ʾ-n → “of the occasion”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

ذکری

dh-k-r → “mention” Distinctive

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

همه

h-m-h → “all these”

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

نسبت

n-s-b → “ascribed”

literal: relation; relationship; connection; attribution; proportion

خود

kh-w-d → “their own”

literal: self; himself; herself; itself; own

دادهاند

d-ʾ-d

literal: give; grant; bestow; award

عالم

ʿ-l-m → “realm of divine Revelation” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

امر

ʾ-m-r

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

الی

ʾ-l-y → “to the” Distinctive

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

خلق

kh-l-q → “creation”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

ملکيّه.

m-l-k → “of earthly existence”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty; possessions; property; ownership

که

k-h → “which”

literal: that; who; who, that

نمايند

n-m-ʾ

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

الوهيّت

ʾ-l-h → “the realm of Divinity”

literal: to preserve, guard, protect

نبوّت

n-b-w → “Prophethood”

literal: prophethood; prophets

ولايت

w-l-y → “Guardianship”

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

امامت

ʾ-m-m → “before” Distinctive

literal: mother; to lead; to head; matter; affair; people; nation; community; female servant; handmaiden; umma

عبوديّت،

ʿ-b-d → “Servitude”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

حقّ

ḥ-q-q → “true” Distinctive

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

شبهه

sh-b-h → “doubt”

literal: doubt; uncertainty; suspicion; resemblance; semblance

ای

ʾ-y-y

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

نيست.

b-w-d → “beyond the shadow of” Distinctive

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

پس

p-s → “From”

literal: then; then, therefore; therefore

بايد

b-y-d → “must be”

literal: by hand; with hands; eternal; perpetual; everlasting

تفکّر

f-k-r → “attentively considered” Distinctive

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

بيانات

b-y-n → “utterance”

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident

استدلال

d-l-l → “proof” Distinctive

literal: to argue; to demonstrate; proof

تا

t-y-y → “that”

literal: so that/until

ديگر

d-g-r

literal: home; place; land; abode

اختلافات

kh-l-f → “contrary” Distinctive

literal: opposing; contrary; conflicting

اقوال

q-w-l → “utterances”

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

مظاهر

ẓ-h-r → “Manifestations”

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

غيبيّه

gh-y-b → “of the Unseen”

literal: the unseen; the invisible; the hidden; the unknowable; stranger; foreign; alien; separated

مطالع

ṭ-l-ʿ → “Daysprings of”

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

قدسيّه

q-d-s → “Holiness”

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

احدی

ʾ-ḥ-d → “none”

literal: oneness; unity; absolute unicity; singleness of divine essence

اضطراب

ḍ-ṭ-r-b

literal: to be troubled, shaken, agitated; to tremble

تزلزل

z-l-z-l → “dismayed” Distinctive

literal: to shake; to quake; to be shaken; to be moved

دست

d-s-t

literal: hand; control, power, authority

ندهد.

d-h → “imputed” Distinctive

literal: to give; to grant; not to give

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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59 ¶