Kitáb-i-Íqán — §231

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 231 of 291.

Source (Persian)

و در جای ديگر می فرمايد: "وَ إذَا تُتْلَی عَلَيْهِم آياتُنا بَيِّناتٍ مَا کَانَ حُجَّتَهُمْ إلّا اَنْ قَالُوا ائْتُوا بِآبائِنا إن کُنتُمْ صَادِقِيْنَ. " يعنی در وقتی که تلاوت کرده می شود بر ايشان آيات ما، نيست حجّت ايشان مگر آنکه بگويند بياوريد پدرهای ما را اگر هستيد راست گويان. مشاهده نما که چه حجّت ها بر آن رحمت های کامله واسعه می گرفتند. به آياتی که حرفی از آن اعظم است از خلق سماوات و ارض و مردگان وادی نفس و هوی را به روح ايمان زنده می فرمايد استهزاء می نمودند و می گفتند: پدرهای ما را از قبر بيرون آر. اين بود اعراض و استکبار قوم. و هر کدام از اين آيات برای کلّ من علی الارض حجّتی است محکم و برهانی است معظّم که جميع ارض را کفايت می کند لَو اَنتُم فی آياتِ اللّهِ تَتَفَکَّرُونَ. و در همين آيه مذکوره لئالی اسرار مکنون است. اگر فی الجمله دردی يافت شود دوا می رسد.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

In another passage He saith: “And when Our clear verses are recited to them, their only argument is to say, ‘Bring back our fathers, if ye speak the truth!’” Behold, what foolish evidences they sought from these Embodiments of an all-encompassing mercy! They scoffed at the verses, a single letter of which is greater than the creation of heavens and earth, and which quickeneth the dead of the valley of self and desire with the spirit of faith; and clamoured saying: “Cause our fathers to speed out of their sepulchres.” Such was the perversity and pride of that people. Each one of these verses is unto all the peoples of the world an unfailing testimony and a glorious proof of His truth. Each of them verily sufficeth all mankind, wert thou to meditate upon the verses of God. In the above-mentioned verse itself pearls of mysteries lie hidden. Whatever be the ailment, the remedy it offereth can never fail.

Translation Notes

در

d-r-r → “In”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

جای

j-y-ʾ → “came”

literal: to come; to arrive; to happen

ديگر

d-g-r → “another”

literal: home; place; land; abode

می

m-y-y → “will be made”

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

فرمايد:

f-r-m → “saith”

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

"وَ

w-w-w → ““And”

literal: and; quotation mark

إذَا

ʾ-dh-n → “ears”

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

تُتْلَی

t-l-w → “are recited”

literal: to recite; to read; to follow

عَلَيْهِم

ʿ-l-y → “to them” Distinctive

literal: exalted; highest; supreme; most high; upon you; on; over; Ali (name); upon

آياتُنا

ʾ-y-y → “Our clear verses” Distinctive

literal: beware; take heed; woe to you

بَيِّناتٍ

b-y-n

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

مَا

m-ʾ

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

کَانَ

k-w-n → “is”

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

حُجَّتَهُمْ

ḥ-j-j → “testimony” Distinctive

literal: path, way; clear path

إلّا

ʾ-kh-r

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

إن

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

قَالُوا

q-w-l → “to say”

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

ائْتُوا

ʾ-t-y → “hath come” Distinctive

literal: to be able; to can

بِآبائِنا

ʾ-b-w → “our fathers”

literal: father; to father; Abú Dharr (companion of Prophet Muhammad)

صَادِقِيْنَ.

ṣ-d-q → “truth!’”” Distinctive

literal: truth; truthful; true

يعنی

ʿ-n-y

literal: that is; meaning; i.e.

وقتی

w-q-t

literal: time; occasion; moment; period

که

k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

کرده

k-r-d

literal: to do; to make; to perform; deed; action; conduct; behavior

شود

sh-w-d

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

بر

b-r-r → “upon”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

ايشان

ʾ-y-sh

literal: that; it (object pronoun with suffix)

مگر

m-g-r

literal: matter; affair; thing

بگويند

g-w-y

literal: say; to say; as-if

بياوريد

ʾ-w-r

literal: bring; to bring; brought

پدرهای

p-d-r → “our fathers”

literal: father; paternal

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

اگر

ʾ-g-r

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

هستيد

h-s-t

literal: is; be; are

راست

r-s-t → “verily” Distinctive

literal: chief; leader; head; president; beginning

مشاهده

sh-h-d → “Behold”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

نما

n-m-ʾ → “Behold”

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

چه

ch-h

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

ها

w-j-h

literal: He; He is

رحمت

r-ḥ-m → “mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

های

null

literal: and; that; in

کامله

k-m-l

literal: perfection; completeness; fully; with full; in complete; to complete, perfect, fulfill

واسعه

w-s-ʿ → “contain” Distinctive

literal: to contain; to encompass; to be capacious

گرفتند.

g-r-f → “hath quaffed” Distinctive

literal: to take; to seize; to grasp; to hold

به

b-h → “at” Distinctive

literal: by it; by him; with it

آياتی

ʾ-y-y → “verses”

literal: beware; take heed; woe to you

حرفی

ḥ-r-f → “single letter”

literal: letter; character; edge

از

ʾ-z → “from”

literal: from

اعظم

ʿ-ẓ-m → “greater than”

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

است

b-w-d → “is”

literal: is not; not to be; does not exist; negation, denial, banishment; to negate, deny, banish; contradiction; opposition; contrariety

خلق

kh-l-q → “creation”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

سماوات

s-m-w → “heavens”

literal: heaven; sky

ارض

ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

مردگان

m-r-d → “dead”

literal: death; dead; to die

وادی

w-d-y → “valley”

literal: valley

نفس

n-f-s → “self”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

هوی

h-w-y → “desire”

literal: desire; vain desire; inclination; passion; whim; realm; region

روح

r-w-ḥ → “spirit”

literal: to go; to depart; to rest; spirit; soul

ايمان

ʾ-m-n → “faith”

literal: to believe; to have faith; to be secure; trust; trustworthiness; covenant; deposit; believer, faithful

زنده

z-n-d

literal: prison; jail

استهزاء

h-z-ʾ → “scorn”

literal: to mock; to ridicule; mockery

نمودند

n-m-ود → “they”

literal: do; to do; do/make

گفتند:

g-f-t → “saying”

literal: say; to say; said

قبر

q-b-r → “sepulchres” Distinctive

literal: Cyprus (toponym)

بيرون

b-r-n

literal: outside; out; forth

آر.

r-ʾ-y

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

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

اعراض

ʿ-r-ḍ → “turned away”

literal: to turn away; to avert; to abstain; heedless

استکبار

k-b-r → “pride” Distinctive

literal: great; grand; mighty; large; greatness; majesty; sovereignty; arrogance

قوم.

q-w-m → “people”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

هر

h-r

literal: whatever; all that; whatever thing

کدام

k-d-m → “of these verses”

literal: which; what; whoever; any

برای

b-r-y

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

کلّ

k-l-l → “all”

literal: for us; to us

من

m-n

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

علی

ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

الارض

ʾ-r-ḍ → “world” Distinctive

literal: earth; land; ground; country

محکم

ḥ-k-m → “wisdom” Distinctive

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom

برهانی

b-r-h → “proof”

literal: proof, evidence, demonstration, argument

جميع

j-m-ʿ → “peoples” Distinctive

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

کفايت

k-f-y → “sufficeth”

literal: to be content; to suffice; to be satisfied; to be satisfied with

لَو

l-w → “If”

literal: if; would that; O that

اَنتُم

n-t-m

literal: you

فی

f-y

literal: in; in-it; in it

اللّهِ

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

تَتَفَکَّرُونَ.

f-k-r → “meditate”

literal: reflection; thought; reflect

همين

h-m-n → “Help in Peril” Distinctive

literal: the same; that very

مذکوره

dh-k-r → “mentioned”

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

لئالی

l-ʾ-l → “pearls”

literal: night; darkness

اسرار

s-r-r → “mysteries”

literal: throne; couch; seat of authority

مکنون

k-n-n → “hidden”

literal: to do; to make; to perform

الجمله

j-m-l

literal: beauty; comeliness

دردی

d-r-d → “disease” Distinctive

literal: to tear; to rend; to tear asunder

يافت

y-f-t → “be”

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

دوا

d-w-y → “two”

literal: two; remedy; ran

رسد.

r-s-d → “reached” Distinctive

literal: Persian verb رسیدن (to arrive/reach), not Arabic ر-س-د

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 ¶