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Kitáb-i-Íqán — §223

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 223 of 291.

Source (Persian)

حال به چشم انصاف و قلب طاهر و نفس زکيّه ملاحظه فرمائيد که در کتاب خدا که مسلّم بين طرفين است ازعامّه و خاصّه، چه را حجّت برای معرفت عباد قرار فرموده. بايد بنده و شما و کلّ من علی الارض به نور آن تمسّک جسته، حقّ را از باطل و ضلالت را از هدايت تميز دهيم و فرق گذاريم. زيرا که حجّت منحصر شد به دو، يکی کتاب و ديگر عترت.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

With unswerving vision, with pure heart, and sanctified spirit, consider attentively what God hath established as the testimony of guidance for His people in His Book, which is recognized as authentic by both the high and lowly. To this testimony we both, as well as all the peoples of the world, must cling, that through its light we may know and distinguish between truth and falsehood, guidance and error. Inasmuch as Muhammad hath confined His testimonies to His Book and to His Family, and whereas the latter hath passed away, there remaineth His Book only as His one testimony amongst the people.

Translation Notes

حال
ḥ-w-l

literal: state; condition; circumstance

به
b-h → “as”

literal: by it; by him; with it

چشم
ch-sh-m → “eyes”

literal: eye; vision; sight

انصاف
n-ṣ-f → “with” Distinctive

literal: justice; fairness; equity

قلب
q-l-b → “heart”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

طاهر
ṭ-h-r → “pure”

literal: to purify; to cleanse

نفس
n-f-s → “spirit” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

زکيّه
z-k-y → “may purify”

literal: pure; sanctified; chaste

ملاحظه
l-ḥ-ẓ → “consider attentively”

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

فرمائيد
f-r-m

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

که
k-h → “which”

literal: that; who; who, that

در
d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

کتاب
k-t-b → “Book”

literal: book; scripture; writing

خدا
kh-d-ʾ → “God”

literal: God; the Divine

مسلّم
s-l-m → “resignation” Distinctive

literal: resignation; submission; surrender; submissiveness

بين
b-y-n → “by” Distinctive

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident; in; among; between; at this moment

طرفين
ṭ-r-f → “eyes” Distinctive

literal: side; regions; sides

است
b-w-d → “is”

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

ازعامّه
ʿ-m-m → “all” Distinctive

literal: generality; general; general, universal

خاصّه،
kh-ṣ-ṣ

literal: specific matter; particularity; especially; in this matter

چه
ch-h

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

را
r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

حجّت
ḥ-j-j → “testimony”

literal: path, way; clear path

برای
b-r-y → “for”

literal: to see; to perceive; to look; to see, to observe, to behold; to view; vision; dream; sight; ل is prefix; verb تری (you see) is from ر-ا-ي

معرفت
ʿ-r-f

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

عباد
ʿ-b-d → “people”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

قرار
q-r-r → “established”

literal: stability; firmness; establishment

بايد
b-y-d → “must”

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

بنده
b-n-d → “we both”

literal: servants; bondsmen; slaves

شما
sh-m-ʾ

literal: you (plural); your

کلّ
k-l-l → “all”

literal: for us; to us

من
m-n → “all” Distinctive

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

علی
ʿ-l-w → “of” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

الارض
ʾ-r-ḍ → “world” Distinctive

literal: earth; land; ground; country

نور
n-w-r → “light”

literal: light; illumination

آن
ʾ-n → “its” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تمسّک
m-s-k → “cleave”

literal: musk; to seize; grip

جسته،
j-s-t → “have clung” Distinctive

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

حقّ
ḥ-q-q → “truth”

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

از
ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

باطل
b-ṭ-l → “falsehood”

literal: falsehood, false; vain, null

ضلالت
ḍ-l-l → “error”

literal: error; straying; misguidance; delusion; falsehood

هدايت
h-d-y → “guidance”

literal: guidance; direction; leading rightly

تميز
m-y-z → “distinguish”

literal: to distinguish; to differentiate; to discern

دهيم
d-h

literal: give; to give; given

فرق
f-r-q

literal: faction; sect; group; company

گذاريم.
g-dh-r

literal: to place, leave; to set

زيرا
z-y-r → “Inasmuch as”

literal: because; since; for; inasmuch as

منحصر
ḥ-ṣ-r → “confined”

literal: confined; restricted; limited to; concentrated

شد
sh-d

literal: to become; to be

دو،
d-w

literal: two; run; running

يکی
w-ḥ-d → “one”

literal: Divine unity; monotheism; belief in the oneness of God

ديگر
d-g-r

literal: home; place; land; abode

عترت.
ʿ-t-r → “denial” Distinctive

literal: objection; confessing/acknowledging; family, progeny

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán

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