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Kitáb-i-Íqán — §245

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 245 of 291.

Source (Persian)

حال اگر کسی بيايد به کرورها از آيات و خطب و صحائف و مناجات بی آنکه به تعليم اخذ نموده باشد، آيا به چه دليل می توان اعتراض نمود و از اين فيض اکبر محروم شد؟ و جواب چه خواهند گفت بعد از عروج روح از جسد ظلمانی؟ آيا متمسّک می شوند که به فلان حديث تمسّک جستيم و چون معنی آن را به ظاهر نيافتيم لهذا بر مظهر امر اعتراض نموديم و از شرائع حقّ دور گشتيم؟ آيا نشنيده ايد که از جمله علّت اينکه بعضی از انبياء اولو العزم بودند نزول کتاب بود بر آنها؟ و اين مسلّم است، با وجود اين چگونه جائز است که بر صاحب کتب که چندين مجلّدات از او ظاهر شده به حرف های فلان از روی جهل بعضی کلمات برای القای شبهه در قلوب جمع نموده و شيطان عصر شده برای اغفال عباد و اضلال من فی البلاد، پيروی نمايند و از خورشيد فيض الهی بی بهره گردند؟ و از همه اين مراتب گذشته، آيا از اين نَفَس قدسی و نَفْس رحمانی احتراز جويند و ادبار نمايند نمی دانم به که تمسّک جويند و به کدام وجه اقبال کنند؟ بلی، "وَ لِکُلٍّ وِجْهَةٌ هُوَ مُوَلّيها." فَقَد هَدَيناکَ السَّبيلَينِ فی هذَينِ المِنْهَجَينِ، ثُمَّ امشِ عَلی ما تَختارُ لِنَفْسِکَ.وَهذا قَولُ الحَقِّ و ما بَعدَ الحقِّ إلّا الضَّلالُ.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Therefore, should a person arise and bring forth a myriad verses, discourses, epistles, and prayers, none of which have been acquired through learning, what conceivable excuse could justify those that reject them, and deprive themselves of the potency of their grace? What answer could they give when once their soul hath ascended and departed from its gloomy temple? Could they seek to justify themselves by saying: “We have clung to a certain tradition, and not having beheld the literal fulfilment thereof, we have therefore raised such cavils against the Embodiments of divine Revelation, and kept remote from the law of God?” Hast thou not heard that among the reasons why certain Prophets have been designated as Prophets “endowed with constancy” was the revelation of a Book unto them? And yet, how could this people be justified in rejecting the Revealer and Author of so many volumes of verses, and follow the sayings of him who hath foolishly sown the seeds of doubt in the hearts of men, and who, Satan-like, hath risen to lead the people into the paths of perdition and error? How could they allow such things to deprive them of the light of the Sun of divine bounty? Aside from these things, if these people shun and reject such a divine Soul, such holy Breath, to whom, We wonder, could they cling, to whose face besides His Face could they turn? Yea—“All have a quarter of the Heavens to which they turn.” We have shown thee these two ways; walk thou the way thou choosest. This verily is the truth, and after truth there remaineth naught but error.

Translation Notes

کرورها
krúrhá k-r-w-r → “myriad”

literal: myriad

1 occurrence in corpus

مناجات
mnáját n-j-w

literal: prayer

SE rendered از (iz), آيات (áyát), خطب (khṭb), صحائف (ṣḥáʾf), مناجات (mnáját), بی (bí), آنکه (ánkh), تعليم (tʿlím), اخذ (ikhdh), نموده (nmúdh) as “from, verses, discourses, epistles, none, of which, learning, seek, have been”

prayer 40% prayers 40% sorrowful 20%
اکبر
ikbr k-b-r

literal: greatest; greater; great

SE rendered توان (túán), اعتراض (iʿtráḍ), نمود (nmúd), از (iz), فيض (fíḍ), اکبر (ikbr), محروم (mḥrúm), جواب (júáb) as “could, justify those that reject, hath, of, potency of their grace, What answer”

most 38% greater 15% great 13% greatest 5% mighty 5% transcendent 5% greet 5% more 5% surest 5% supreme 5%
محروم
mḥrúm ḥ-r-m

literal: deprived; deprive

SE rendered اعتراض (iʿtráḍ), نمود (nmúd), از (iz), فيض (fíḍ), اکبر (ikbr), محروم (mḥrúm), جواب (júáb), چه (chh), خواهند (khúáhnd), گفت (gft) as “justify those that reject, hath, of, potency of their grace, What answer, give”

خواهند
khúáhnd khúástn

literal: will; to want/will

SE rendered فيض (fíḍ), اکبر (ikbr), محروم (mḥrúm), جواب (júáb), چه (chh), خواهند (khúáhnd), گفت (gft), از (iz), عروج (ʿrúj), روح (rúḥ), از (iz), جسد (jsd) as “potency of their grace, What answer, give, from, hath ascended, soul, its gloomy temple”

will 53% would 20% shall 7% must 7% could 7% however 7%
ظلمانی؟
ẓlmání؟ ẓ-l-m

literal: darkness

SE rendered گفت (gft), از (iz), عروج (ʿrúj), روح (rúḥ), از (iz), جسد (jsd), ظلمانی؟ (ẓlmání؟), آيا (áyá), متمسّک (mtmssk), می (mí), شوند (shúnd), فلان (flán) as “give, from, hath ascended, soul, its gloomy temple, Could, have clung, such”

شوند
shúnd shdn

literal: become; to become

SE rendered از (iz), جسد (jsd), ظلمانی؟ (ẓlmání؟), آيا (áyá), متمسّک (mtmssk), می (mí), شوند (shúnd), فلان (flán), حديث (ḥdíth), تمسّک (tmssk), جستيم (jstím) as “from, its gloomy temple, Could, have clung, such, certain tradition, have”

may 25% will 15% would 10% should 10% made 10% must 10% mayest 5% might 5% again 5% commissioned 5%
نيافتيم
níáftím yáftn

literal: find; found; to find

SE rendered چون (chún), معنی (mʿní), ظاهر (ẓáhr), نيافتيم (níáftím), لهذا (lhdhá), بر (br), مظهر (mẓhr), امر (imr), اعتراض (iʿtráḍ) as “the literal fulfilment, therefore, the Embodiments, of divine Revelation, raised such cavils”

found 22% hath 20% have 14% may 12% can 8% perceive 6% having 6% mayest 4% inhaled 4% lie 4%
نشنيده
nshnídh shnídn

literal: hear; heard; to hear

SE rendered از (iz), شرائع (shráʾʿ), حقّ (ḥqq), دور (dúr), گشتيم؟ (gshtím؟), آيا (áyá), نشنيده (nshnídh), ايد (iyd), از (iz), جمله (jmlh), علّت (ʿllt), اينکه (iynkh) as “of, the law, of God?”, kept remote, Hast thou not heard, reasons, why”

heard 67% hath 17% hast 17%
ايد
iyd ʾ-y-d

literal: support; come; strengthen

SE rendered شرائع (shráʾʿ), حقّ (ḥqq), دور (dúr), گشتيم؟ (gshtím؟), آيا (áyá), نشنيده (nshnídh), ايد (iyd), از (iz), جمله (jmlh), علّت (ʿllt), اينکه (iynkh), بعضی (bʿḍí) as “the law, of God?”, kept remote, Hast thou not heard, of, reasons, why, certain”

may 33% assist 33% aid 10% all-merciful 5% will 5% “seal.” 5% how 5% step 5%
جمله
jmlh j-m-l

literal: beauty; totality; beautiful

SE rendered آيا (áyá), نشنيده (nshnídh), ايد (iyd), از (iz), جمله (jmlh), علّت (ʿllt), اينکه (iynkh), بعضی (bʿḍí), از (iz), انبياء (inbíáʾ) as “Hast thou not heard, of, reasons, why, certain, Prophets”

among 57% while 7% one 7% partially 7% amongst 4% briefly 4% glimmer 4% came 4% all 4% none 4%
اولو
iwlú ʾ-w-l

literal: first; beginning; firstness

SE rendered علّت (ʿllt), اينکه (iynkh), بعضی (bʿḍí), از (iz), انبياء (inbíáʾ), اولو (iwlú), العزم (al-ʿzm), بودند (búdnd), نزول (nzúl), کتاب (ktáb), بر (br) as “reasons, why, certain, of, Prophets, “endowed with constancy”, have been designated, revelation, Book, unto”

such 25% who 25% endowed 25% minds 25%
العزم

literal: determination, constancy; possessors of constancy; resolution

SE expanded to ““endowed with constancy””

مسلّم
msllm s-l-m

literal: peace; submission; greeted

SE rendered نزول (nzúl), کتاب (ktáb), بر (br), آنها؟ (ánhá؟), مسلّم (msllm), وجود (wjúd), چگونه (chgúnh) as “revelation, Book, unto, them, How”

وجود
wjúd w-j-d

literal: existence; existent

SE rendered بر (br), آنها؟ (ánhá؟), مسلّم (msllm), وجود (wjúd), چگونه (chgúnh), جائز (jáʾz), بر (br), صاحب (ṣáḥb) as “unto, them, How, Revealer and Author”

world 17% notwithstanding 17% all 14% beings 11% creation 8% yet 8% mankind 8% existence 6% exist 6% souls 6%
جائز
jáʾz j-w-z

literal: permissible; permission

SE rendered چگونه (chgúnh), جائز (jáʾz), بر (br), صاحب (ṣáḥb), کتب (ktb), چندين (chndín) as “How, Revealer and Author, volumes of verses, so many”

مجلّدات
mjlldát j-l-d

literal: volume

SE rendered بر (br), صاحب (ṣáḥb), کتب (ktb), چندين (chndín), مجلّدات (mjlldát), از (iz), ظاهر (ẓáhr) as “Revealer and Author, volumes of verses, so many, of”

volumes 60% flesh 20% skins 20%
حرف
ḥrf ḥ-r-f

literal: letter; word

SE rendered چندين (chndín), مجلّدات (mjlldát), از (iz), ظاهر (ẓáhr), حرف (ḥrf), های (háy), فلان (flán), از (iz), روی (rúy), جهل (jhl) as “so many, of, him, Face, foolishly”

کلمات
klmát k-l-m

literal: word; words

SE rendered فلان (flán), از (iz), روی (rúy), جهل (jhl), بعضی (bʿḍí), کلمات (klmát), برای (bráy), القای (al-qáy), شبهه (shbhh), قلوب (qlúb), جمع (jmʿ) as “him, of, Face, foolishly, sown the seeds of doubt, hearts, All”

شبهه
shbhh sh-b-h

literal: doubts; likeness

SE rendered روی (rúy), جهل (jhl), بعضی (bʿḍí), کلمات (klmát), برای (bráy), القای (al-qáy), شبهه (shbhh), قلوب (qlúb), جمع (jmʿ), نموده (nmúdh), شيطان (shíṭán) as “Face, foolishly, sown the seeds of doubt, hearts, All, they, Satan-like”

عصر
ʿṣr ʿ-ṣ-r

literal: age; age, era; ages

SE rendered قلوب (qlúb), جمع (jmʿ), نموده (nmúdh), شيطان (shíṭán), عصر (ʿṣr), برای (bráy), اغفال (ighfál), عباد (ʿbád), اضلال (iḍlál) as “hearts, All, they, Satan-like, perdition, men, error”

age 69% dispensation 7% day 7% one 4% generation 2% any 2% century 2% days 2% living 2% every 2%
البلاد،
al-blád، b-l-d

literal: lands; land

SE rendered اغفال (ighfál), عباد (ʿbád), اضلال (iḍlál), البلاد، (al-blád،), پيروی (pírúy), نمايند (nmáynd), از (iz), خورشيد (khúrshíd) as “perdition, men, error, follow, of, Sun”

cities 33% land 17% all 11% abroad 6% realms 6% earth 6% nations 6% property 6% whole 6% neighbor 6%
پيروی
pírúy pírúy → “follow”

literal: following

1 occurrence in corpus

همه
hmh h-m-h

literal: all; every/all

SE rendered الهی (al-hí), بی (bí), بهره (bhrh), گردند؟ (grdnd؟), از (iz), همه (hmh), مراتب (mrátb), گذشته، (gdhshth،), آيا (áyá), از (iz) as “divine, bounty, deprive them, of, Aside from, if”

all 52% every 17% whole 9% each 4% besides 4% throughout 4% solely 4% one 4%
مراتب
mrátb r-t-b

literal: rank; ranks

SE rendered بهره (bhrh), گردند؟ (grdnd؟), از (iz), همه (hmh), مراتب (mrátb), گذشته، (gdhshth،), آيا (áyá), از (iz), نَفَس (nafas), قدسی (qdsí) as “bounty, deprive them, of, Aside from, if, , such, holy”

احتراز
iḥtráz ḥ-r-z → “shun and reject” Distinctive

literal: avoidance; avoidance, abstaining; avoidance, abstention

This form usually rendered as “repudiated”, “refrain”, “turn” (16 occurrences)

SE expanded to “shun and reject”

repudiated 13% refrain 13% turn 13% shunned 13% avoid 13% shun 13% turned 6% terror 6% aversion 6% avoidance 6%
ادبار
idbár d-b-r

literal: management; scheme; arrange

SE rendered رحمانی (rḥmání), احتراز (iḥtráz), جويند (júynd), ادبار (idbár), نمايند (nmáynd), نمی (nmí), دانم (dánm), تمسّک (tmssk) as “Breath, shun and reject, have, cling”

نمی
nmí n-h-y

literal: end; utmost; ended

SE rendered احتراز (iḥtráz), جويند (júynd), ادبار (idbár), نمايند (nmáynd), نمی (nmí), دانم (dánm), تمسّک (tmssk), جويند (júynd) as “shun and reject, have, cling”

دانم
dánm dánstn

literal: know; to know; to know, consider

SE rendered احتراز (iḥtráz), جويند (júynd), ادبار (idbár), نمايند (nmáynd), نمی (nmí), دانم (dánm), تمسّک (tmssk), جويند (júynd), کدام (kdám) as “shun and reject, have, cling, whose”

ask 50% regarded 50%
کنند؟
knnd؟ krdn

literal: do; to do; do/make

SE rendered کدام (kdám), وجه (wjh), اقبال (iqbál), کنند؟ (knnd؟), بلی، (blí،), لِکُلٍّ (likullin), وِجْهَةٌ (wijhahun) as “whose, face, turn, Yea, quarter of the Heavens”

would 20% appreciate 10% witnessed 10% vainly 10% toward 10% should 10% uttered 10% give 10% indulge 10%
لِکُلٍّ
likullin k-l-l

literal: all; every; all, every

SE rendered کدام (kdám), وجه (wjh), اقبال (iqbál), کنند؟ (knnd؟), بلی، (blí،), لِکُلٍّ (likullin), وِجْهَةٌ (wijhahun) as “whose, face, turn, Yea, quarter of the Heavens”

all 62% every 25% each 3% whole 2% whatsoever 2% entire 1% everyone 1% continually 1% whatever 1% one 1%
مُوَلّيها
múallíhá w-l-y

literal: friend; guardian; lord

SE rendered وِجْهَةٌ (wijhahun), مُوَلّيها (múallíhá), فَقَد (faqad), هَدَيناکَ (hadaynák), السَّبيلَينِ (as-sabílayn) as “quarter of the Heavens, have shown, two ways”

lord 31% loved 24% chosen 15% guardian 12% ye 4% holy 3% men 3% guardianship 3% saints 3% dear 3%
المِنْهَجَينِ،
al-minhajayni، n-h-j

literal: paths; ways; method

SE rendered السَّبيلَينِ (as-sabílayn), هذَينِ (hdhayn), المِنْهَجَينِ، (al-minhajayni،), امشِ (imsh), تَختارُ (takhtár) as “two ways, walk, choosest”

ways 36% path 36% perversity 7% walk 7% paths 7% good 7%

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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268 ¶

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50 ¶

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729 ¶

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16 ¶

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858 ¶

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17 ¶

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5 ¶

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57 ¶

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160 ¶

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‘Abdu’l-Bahá

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59 ¶