Kitáb-i-Íqán — §233

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 233 of 291.

Source (Persian)

باری، اين سخن به غايت لغو و غير مقبول است. همه از روی کبر و غرور گفته می شود که مردم را از رياض رضای الهی دور کنند و زمام آنها را محکم حفظ نمايند. با اينکه نزد حقّ اين عوام از علمای ايشان که از حقّ اعراض نمودهاند به غايت مقبول تر و پسنديده ترند. و فهم کلمات الهيّه و درک بيانات حمامات معنويّه هيچ دخلی به علم ظاهری ندارد. اين منوط به صفای قلب و تزکيه نفوس و فراغت روح است. چنانچه حال عبادی چند موجودند که حرفی از رسوم علم نديدهاند و بر رفرف علم جالسند و از سحاب فيض الهی رياض قلوبشان به گل های حکمت و لاله های معرفت تزيين يافته. فَطُوبی لِلمُخلِصينَ مِن اَنوارِ يَومٍ عَظيمٍ.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Such contention is utterly fallacious and inadmissible. It is actuated solely by arrogance and pride. Its motive is to lead the people astray from the Ridván of divine good-pleasure and to tighten the reins of their authority over the people. And yet, in the sight of God, these common people are infinitely superior and exalted above their religious leaders who have turned away from the one true God. The understanding of His words and the comprehension of the utterances of the Birds of Heaven are in no wise dependent upon human learning. They depend solely upon purity of heart, chastity of soul, and freedom of spirit. This is evidenced by those who, today, though without a single letter of the accepted standards of learning, are occupying the loftiest seats of knowledge; and the garden of their hearts is adorned, through the showers of divine grace, with the roses of wisdom and the tulips of understanding. Well is it with the sincere in heart for their share of the light of a mighty Day!

Translation Notes

باری،

b-r-y → “Such” Distinctive

literal: well; cistern; pit

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

سخن

s-kh-n → “theme”

literal: word; speech; discourse; utterance

به

b-h → “as”

literal: by it; by him; with it

غايت

gh-y-t → “highest wish”

literal: purpose; aim; goal; end; ultimate

لغو

l-gh-w → “divers tongues” Distinctive

literal: word; language; utterance

غير

gh-y-r

literal: without; besides; other than; except; other; different

مقبول

q-b-l → “before” Distinctive

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

است.

b-w-d → “is”

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

همه

h-m-h → “all”

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

از

ʾ-z → “by” Distinctive

literal: from

روی

r-w-y → “by” Distinctive

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

کبر

k-b-r → “arrogance”

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

غرور

gh-r-r → “pride”

literal: delusion, deceit; deluded, deceived

گفته

g-f-t → “said”

literal: utterance; speech; word; discourse

می

m-y-y → “is” Distinctive

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

شود

sh-w-d → “is”

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

که

k-h → “to” Distinctive

literal: that; who; who, that

مردم

m-r-d → “people”

literal: rebellion; mutiny; revolt

را

r-ʾ-ʾ → “people”

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

رياض

r-w-ḍ → “garden”

literal: garden; meadow; enclosed garden

رضای

r-ḍ-y → “good-pleasure”

literal: good-pleasure, consent, satisfaction; satisfaction; pleasure; approval; contentment

الهی

ʾ-l-h → “divine”

literal: God; Allah

دور

d-w-r → “far”

literal: cycle; dispensation; age; turn; round

کنند

k-r-d → “made” Distinctive

literal: do; to do; do, make

زمام

z-m-m → “reins”

literal: reins; bridle; control; governance

آنها

null → ““death””

literal: that, it; to be; indeed

محکم

ḥ-k-m → “wisdom” Distinctive

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

حفظ

ḥ-f-ẓ → “protect”

literal: guardian; preserver; keeper

نمايند.

n-m-ʾ → “may”

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

با

b-ʾ-ʾ → “And yet” Distinctive

literal: to; with; by

نزد

n-z-d → “in the sight”

literal: near; beside; with; in the presence of

حقّ

ḥ-q-q → “God”

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

عوام

ʿ-w-m

literal: with her/it; associated with her/it

علمای

ʿ-l-m → “their religious leaders”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

ايشان

ʾ-y-sh → “Prophets”

literal: that; it (object pronoun with suffix)

اعراض

ʿ-r-ḍ → “turned away”

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

نمودهاند

n-m-w → “have”

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

تر

t-r-r → “infinitely superior”

literal: more (comparative suffix)

پسنديده

p-s-n-d → “praiseworthy”

literal: pleasing, acceptable, approved; praised

فهم

f-h-m → “understanding”

literal: understanding; comprehension; to understand; to comprehend

کلمات

k-l-m → “His words”

literal: words; utterances; locutions

درک

d-r-k → “comprehension”

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

بيانات

b-y-n → “utterances”

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

حمامات

ḥ-m-m → “Doves”

literal: dove; pigeon

معنويّه

ʿ-n-y → “meaning” Distinctive

literal: meaning; sense; significance

هيچ

h-y-ch → “any”

literal: nothing; any; not a single

دخلی

d-kh-l → “enter” Distinctive

literal: to enter; to admit; to bring in

ظاهری

ẓ-h-r → “Revelation” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

ندارد.

d-ʾ-r → “repository” Distinctive

literal: below; lower than; beneath

منوط

n-w-ṭ → “They depend”

literal: to be dependent upon, to hang upon, to hinge upon

صفای

ṣ-f-w → “purity”

literal: attribute; quality; characteristic

قلب

q-l-b → “heart”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

تزکيه

z-k-y → “chastity”

literal: purification

نفوس

n-f-s → “soul”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

فراغت

f-r-gh → “freedom”

literal: free; detached; empty; unoccupied

روح

r-w-ḥ → “spirit”

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

چنانچه

ch-n-n → “by” Distinctive

literal: thus; in such manner; as

حال

ḥ-w-l → “today” Distinctive

literal: state; condition; circumstance

عبادی

ʿ-b-d → “those who” Distinctive

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

چند

ch-n-d → “while” Distinctive

literal: some; several; a few; how many

موجودند

w-j-d → “being” Distinctive

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

حرفی

ḥ-r-f → “single letter”

literal: letter; character; edge

رسوم

r-s-m → “renown” Distinctive

literal: form; custom; tradition; design; symbol

نديدهاند

d-y-d → “seen”

literal: see; seen; to see

بر

b-r-r → “the” Distinctive

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

رفرف

r-f-r → “retreats”

literal: twinkling; blinking; moment

جالسند

j-l-s → “seated” Distinctive

literal: council; assembly; gathering; session

سحاب

s-ḥ-b → “showers”

literal: cloud; clouds

فيض

f-y-ḍ → “grace”

literal: flood; abundance; overflow; emanation; grace; overflowing; emanating; surplus

گل

g-l → “roses”

literal: rose-garden; garden of flowers

لاله

l-ʾ-l-h → “tulips”

literal: tulip; tulips

معرفت

ʿ-r-f → “understanding”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

تزيين

z-y-n → “adorned”

literal: to adorn; ornament; beauty; adornment; embellishment; decoration

يافته.

y-ʾ-f → “found”

literal: find; to find; found

فَطُوبی

ṭ-w-b → “Well is it”

literal: happiness; blessedness; felicity

لِلمُخلِصينَ

kh-l-ṣ → “sincere”

literal: sincere; devoted; pure one

مِن

m-n

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

اَنوارِ

n-w-r → “light”

literal: light; illumination

يَومٍ

y-w-m → “mighty Day”

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

عَظيمٍ.

ʿ-ẓ-m → “mighty Day” Distinctive

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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59 ¶