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Kitáb-i-Íqán — §242

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 242 of 291.

Source (Persian)

و همچنين می فرمايد : " قُلْ يا اَهْلَ الکِتابِ هَل تَنْقِمُونَ منَّا إلّا اَنْ آمَنَّا بِاللّهِ وَ مَا اُنْزِلَ إلَيْنَا و مَا اُنْزِلَ مِنْ قَبْلُ و اَنَّ اَکْثَرَکُمْ فَاسِقُونَ." چقدر واضح است مقصود در اين آيه و چه مبرهن است حجّيّت آيات منزله. و اين آيه در وقتی نازل شد که کفّار به اسلام اذيّت می نمودند و نسبت کفر می دادند چنانچه نسبت می دادند به اصحاب آن حضرت که به خدا کافر شده ايد و به ساحری کذّاب مؤمن و موقن گشته ايد. و در صدر اسلام که هنوز امر بر حسب ظاهر قوّت نداشت در هر مقام و مکان که دوستان آن حضرت را ملاقات می نمودند نهايت اذيّت و زجر و رجم و سبّ بر آن مقبلين إلی اللّه معمول می داشتند. در اين وقت اين آيه مبارکه از سماء احديّه نازل شد به برهانی واضح و دليلی لائح. و تعليم فرمود اصحاب آن حضرت را که بگوئيد به کافران و مشرکان که آيا اذيّت می کنيد ما را و ستم می نمائيد و عملی از ما صادر نشد مگر آنکه ايمان آورديم به خدا و به آياتی که نازل شد بر ما از لسان محمّد، و همچنين آياتی که نازل شد بر انبيای او از قبل که مقصود اين است تقصيری نداريم مگر آنکه آيات جديده بديعه الهيّه را که بر محمّد نازل شد و آيات قديمه که برانبيای قبل نازل شد جميع را من عنداللّه دانستيم و تصديق و اذعان نموديم. و اين دليلی است که سلطان احديّه تعليم فرموده عباد خود را.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

And likewise, He saith: “Say, O people of the Book! do ye not disavow us only because we believe in God and in what He hath sent down to us, and in what He hath sent down aforetime, and because most of you are doers of ill?” How explicitly doth this verse reveal Our purpose, and how clearly doth it demonstrate the truth of the testimony of the verses of God! This verse was revealed at a time when Islám was assailed by the infidels, and its followers were accused of misbelief, when the Companions of Muhammad were denounced as repudiators of God and as followers of a lying sorcerer. In its early days, when Islám was still to outward seeming devoid of authority and power, the friends of the Prophet, who had turned their face toward God, wherever they went, were harassed, persecuted, stoned and vilified. At such a time this blessed verse was sent down from the heaven of divine Revelation. It revealed an irrefutable evidence, and brought the light of an unfailing guidance. It instructed the companions of Muhammad to declare the following unto the infidels and idolators: “Ye oppress and persecute us, and yet, what else have we done except that we have believed in God and in the verses sent down unto us through the tongue of Muhammad, and in those which descended upon the Prophets of old?” By this is meant that their only guilt was to have recognized that the new and wondrous verses of God, which had descended upon Muhammad, as well as those which had been revealed unto the Prophets of old, were all of God, and to have acknowledged and embraced their truth. This is the testimony which the divine King hath taught His servants.

Translation Notes

می
m-y-y “will”

literal: present continuous marker; continuous-marker

3 occurrences in corpus

هَل
hal h-l

literal: interrogative particle; people

SE rendered قُلْ (qul)اَهْلَ (ahl)الکِتابِ (al-kitáb)هَل (hal)تَنْقِمُونَ (tanqimún)منَّا (mnná) as ““Say, people, of the Book, do ye not disavow, us only because”

“hath 33% know 33% think 33%
دادند
dádnd d-ʾ-d

literal: give; to give; given

SE rendered نمودند (nmúdnd)نسبت (nsbt)کفر (kfr)می (mí)دادند (dádnd)چنانچه (chnánchh)نسبت (nsbt)می (mí)دادند (dádnd)اصحاب (iṣḥáb) as “had, accused of misbelief, when, Companions”

delivered 17% regarded 17% offer 17% warned 17% announced 17% refuted 17%
خدا
khdá kh-d-ʾ “god”

literal: God

3 occurrences in corpus

ايد
iyd ʾ-y-d

literal: may aid

SE rendered حضرت (ḥḍrt)خدا (khdá)کافر (káfr)ايد (iyd)ساحری (sáḥrí)کذّاب (kdhdháb)مؤمن (mʾmn) as “Muhammad, God, sorcerer, lying, as followers”

assist 50% may 17% aid 17% “seal.” 17%
موقن
múqn y-q-n

literal: certainty; certitude; certain

SE rendered ساحری (sáḥrí)کذّاب (kdhdháb)مؤمن (mʾmn)موقن (múqn)گشته (gshth)ايد (iyd)صدر (ṣdr)اسلام (islám) as “sorcerer, lying, as followers, were, Islám”

صدر
ṣdr ṣ-d-r

literal: breast

SE rendered مؤمن (mʾmn)موقن (múqn)گشته (gshth)ايد (iyd)صدر (ṣdr)اسلام (islám)هنوز (hnúz)امر (imr)بر (br)حسب (ḥsb) as “as followers, were, Islám, still, Revelation, to outward seeming”

breast 23% breasts 15% dilated 8% honor 8% midmost 8% radiant 8% leader 8% seats 8% heart 8% thoughts 8%
هنوز
hnúz h-n-w “still”

literal: still; still, yet

still 67% yet 33%
ظاهر
ẓáhr ẓ-h-r

literal: manifestation; manifest; appear

SE rendered اسلام (islám)هنوز (hnúz)امر (imr)بر (br)حسب (ḥsb)ظاهر (ẓáhr)قوّت (qúqt)نداشت (ndásht)هر (hr)مقام (mqám)مکان (mkán) as “Islám, still, Revelation, to outward seeming, authority and power, devoid of, wherever they went”

هر
hr h-r

literal: every; every/each; each

SE rendered امر (imr)بر (br)حسب (ḥsb)ظاهر (ẓáhr)قوّت (qúqt)نداشت (ndásht)هر (hr)مقام (mqám)مکان (mkán)دوستان (dústán)حضرت (ḥḍrt) as “Revelation, to outward seeming, authority and power, devoid of, wherever they went, friends, Prophet”

مقام
mqám q-w-m

literal: station; place

SE rendered حسب (ḥsb)ظاهر (ẓáhr)قوّت (qúqt)نداشت (ndásht)هر (hr)مقام (mqám)مکان (mkán)دوستان (dústán)حضرت (ḥḍrt) as “to outward seeming, authority and power, devoid of, wherever they went, friends, Prophet”

station 55% connection 12% place 6% most 5% seat 5% such 5% spot 3% another 3% court 2% instance 2%
ملاقات
mláqát l-q-y

literal: meeting; casting; meeting, attainment

SE rendered مکان (mkán)دوستان (dústán)حضرت (ḥḍrt)ملاقات (mláqát)می (mí)نمودند (nmúdnd)نهايت (nháyt)اذيّت (idhíht)زجر (zjr) as “wherever they went, friends, Prophet, had, harassed, persecuted, stoned”

نهايت
nháyt n-h-y

literal: utmost; end

SE rendered حضرت (ḥḍrt)ملاقات (mláqát)می (mí)نمودند (nmúdnd)نهايت (nháyt)اذيّت (idhíht)زجر (zjr) as “Prophet, had, harassed, persecuted, stoned”

زجر
zjr z-j-r

literal: rebuke

SE rendered نمودند (nmúdnd)نهايت (nháyt)اذيّت (idhíht)زجر (zjr)رجم (rjm)سبّ (sbb)بر (br)مقبلين (mqblín) as “had, harassed, persecuted, stoned, of old”

1 occurrence in corpus

رجم
rjm r-j-m

literal: stoning; translation; accursed

SE rendered نمودند (nmúdnd)نهايت (nháyt)اذيّت (idhíht)زجر (zjr)رجم (rjm)سبّ (sbb)بر (br)مقبلين (mqblín)اللّه (al-lh) as “had, harassed, persecuted, stoned, of old, God”

death 67% accursed 33%
سبّ
sbb s-b-b

literal: cause; cause, reason; means

SE rendered نمودند (nmúdnd)نهايت (nháyt)اذيّت (idhíht)زجر (zjr)رجم (rjm)سبّ (sbb)بر (br)مقبلين (mqblín)اللّه (al-lh) as “had, harassed, persecuted, stoned, of old, God”

blaspheme 25% curse 13% cursed 13% execration 13% curses 13% cursing 13% privily 13%
لائح
láʾḥ l-w-ḥ

literal: tablet; tablets; allusion

SE rendered برهانی (brhání)واضح (wáḍḥ)دليلی (dlílí)لائح (láʾḥ)تعليم (tʿlím)فرمود (frmúd)اصحاب (iṣḥáb)حضرت (ḥḍrt) as “irrefutable evidence, It instructed, He, companions, Muhammad”

کنيد
kníd k-r-d

literal: do; to do; do, make

SE rendered کافران (káfrán)مشرکان (mshrkán)آيا (áyá)اذيّت (idhíht)می (mí)کنيد (kníd)ستم (stm)می (mí)نمائيد (nmáʾíd)عملی (ʿmlí) as “infidels, idolators, : “Ye, oppress and persecute, what else have we done”

do 40% reflect 20% sanctify 20% yourselves 20%
ستم
stm s-t-m

literal: tyranny, cruelty

SE rendered آيا (áyá)اذيّت (idhíht)می (mí)کنيد (kníd)ستم (stm)می (mí)نمائيد (nmáʾíd)عملی (ʿmlí) as “: “Ye, oppress and persecute, what else have we done”

iniquity 50% cruelty 50%
نمائيد
nmáʾíd n-m-ʾ

literal: show

SE rendered اذيّت (idhíht)می (mí)کنيد (kníd)ستم (stm)می (mí)نمائيد (nmáʾíd)عملی (ʿmlí)از (iz)صادر (ṣádr)نشد (nshd)مگر (mgr) as “oppress and persecute, what else have we done, was, except”

recite 10% remember 10% consider 10% observe 10% ye 10% upon 10% arise 10% resolve 10% deliver 10% bestir 10%
آورديم
áwrdím ʾ-w-r

literal: bring; to bring; to_bring

SE rendered نشد (nshd)مگر (mgr)آنکه (ánkh)ايمان (iymán)آورديم (áwrdím)خدا (khdá)آياتی (áyátí)نازل (názl) as “was, except, that, have believed, God, verses, sent down”

refuse 14% fail 14% breathe 14% hath 14% performed 14% brought 14% gather 14%
قديمه
qdímh q-d-m

literal: ancient; eternity

SE rendered بر (br)محمّد (mḥmmd)نازل (názl)آيات (áyát)قديمه (qdímh)برانبيای (bránbíáy)نازل (názl)جميع (jmíʿ) as “upon Muhammad, revealed unto, Prophets, all”

ancient 77% which 8% eternal 8% past 8%
عنداللّه
ʿndálllh ʿ-n-d

literal: with; at; with/at

SE rendered نازل (názl)جميع (jmíʿ)عنداللّه (ʿndálllh)دانستيم (dánstím)تصديق (tṣdíq) as “revealed unto, all, acknowledged and embraced”

sight 50% god 25% inspired 25%
دانستيم
dánstím d-ʾ-n-s-t

literal: to know; know; known

SE rendered نازل (názl)جميع (jmíʿ)عنداللّه (ʿndálllh)دانستيم (dánstím)تصديق (tṣdíq) as “revealed unto, all, acknowledged and embraced”

regarded 33% consider 33% know 33%
اذعان
idhʿán dh-ʿ-n

literal: submitting; acknowledgment; acknowledging

SE rendered عنداللّه (ʿndálllh)دانستيم (dánstím)تصديق (tṣdíq)اذعان (idhʿán)نموديم (nmúdím)دليلی (dlílí) as “acknowledged and embraced, the testimony”

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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