Kitáb-i-Íqán — §246

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 246 of 291.

Source (Persian)

و از جمله ادلّه بر اثبات اين امر آنکه در هر عهد و عصر که غيب هويّه در هيکل بشريّه ظاهر می شد بعضی از مردمی که معروف نبودند و علاقه به دنيا و جهتی نداشتهاند به ضياء شمس نبوّت مستضیء و به انوار قمر هدايت مهتدی می شدند و به لقاءاللّه فائز می گشتند. لهذا اين بود که علمای عصر و اغنيای عهد استهزاء می نمودند. چنانچه از لسان آن گمراهان می فرمايد: "فَقَالَ الْمَلأُ الَّذينَ کَفَروا مِنْ قَومِهِ مَا نَراکَ إلّا بَشَراً مِثْلَنا و ما نَراکَ اتَّبَعَک إلّا الَّذينَ هُمْ اَراذِلُنا بَادِيَ الرّأيِ و ما نَرَی لَکُمْ عَلَيْنَا مِنْ فَضْلٍ بل نَظُنُّکُمْ کَاذِبِينَ." اعتراض می نمودند و به آن مظاهر قدسيّه می گفتند که متابعت شما نکرده مگر اراذل ما که اعتنائی به شأن آنها نيست و مقصودشان اين بوده که علماء و اغنياء و معارف قوم به شما ايمان نياوردند و به اين دليل و امثال آن، استدلال بر بطلان من له الحقّ می نمودند.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Amongst the proofs demonstrating the truth of this Revelation is this, that in every age and Dispensation, whenever the invisible Essence was revealed in the person of His Manifestation, certain souls, obscure and detached from all worldly entanglements, would seek illumination from the Sun of Prophethood and Moon of divine guidance, and would attain unto the divine Presence. For this reason, the divines of the age and those possessed of wealth, would scorn and scoff at these people. Even as He hath revealed concerning them that erred: “Then said the chiefs of His people who believed not, ‘We see in Thee but a man like ourselves; and we see not any who have followed Thee except our meanest ones of hasty judgment, nor see we any excellence in you above ourselves: nay, we deem you liars.’” They caviled at those holy Manifestations, and protested saying: “None hath followed you except the abject amongst us, those who are worthy of no attention.” Their aim was to show that no one amongst the learned, the wealthy, and the renowned believed in them. By this and similar proofs they sought to demonstrate the falsity of Him that speaketh naught but the truth.

Translation Notes

از

ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

جمله

j-m-l → “the”

literal: beauty; totality; beautiful

ادلّه

d-l-l → “proofs”

literal: to argue; to demonstrate; proof

بر

b-r-r

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

اثبات

th-b-t → “established” Distinctive

literal: firm; steadfast; established; fixed

اين

ʾ-y-n → “of” Distinctive

literal: this; these

امر

ʾ-m-r → “this Revelation”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

آنکه

ʾ-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

هر

h-r → “every”

literal: whatever; all that; whatever thing

عهد

ʿ-h-d → “Dispensation”

literal: covenant; testament; promise; command

عصر

ʿ-ṣ-r → “age”

literal: age; era; century; period of time

که

k-h → “which”

literal: that; who; who, that

غيب

gh-y-b → “invisible”

literal: the unseen; the invisible; the hidden; the unknowable; stranger; foreign; alien; separated

هويّه

h-w-y → “Essence” Distinctive

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

هيکل

h-y-k-l → “form”

literal: temple; structure; form; body

بشريّه

b-sh-r → “of” Distinctive

literal: human; mankind; human nature

ظاهر

ẓ-h-r → “was revealed”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

می

m-y-y

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

شد

sh-d

literal: to become; to be

بعضی

b-ʿ-ḍ → “certain souls”

literal: part; some; portion

مردمی

m-r-d → “people”

literal: rebellion; mutiny; revolt

معروف

ʿ-r-f → “knowledge” Distinctive

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

علاقه

ʿ-l-q → “dependent” Distinctive

literal: attachment; connection; relationship

به

b-h → “from” Distinctive

literal: by it; by him; with it

دنيا

d-n-w

literal: this world; earthly life; temporal realm; lowest; base; mean; of little account; to know; to be acquainted with

جهتی

j-h-t

literal: direction; aspect; side; regard

نداشتهاند

d-ʾ-sh-t

literal: to have; to possess; to hold

ضياء

ḍ-w-ʾ → “shineth” Distinctive

literal: to shine; to illuminate; to light up; illumined; shining; radiant

شمس

sh-m-s → “Sun”

literal: sun; daystar; manifestation of divine light

نبوّت

n-b-w → “Prophethood”

literal: prophethood; prophets

انوار

n-w-r

literal: light; illumination

قمر

q-m-r → “Moon of divine guidance”

literal: moon

هدايت

h-d-y

literal: guidance; to guide; direction; leading rightly; this; this one

لقاءاللّه

l-q-y → “divine Presence”

literal: meeting; casting; meeting, attainment

فائز

f-w-z → “would attain”

literal: benefit, profit, advantage; usefulness; bounty; effusion; grace

گشتند.

g-sh-t

literal: to become; to turn; to be

لهذا

l-dh-ʾ → “For this reason”

literal: therefore; for this reason; hence; so

علمای

ʿ-l-m → “divines”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

اغنيای

gh-n-y → “those possessed of wealth”

literal: to be independent of; to be in no need of; to dispense with; rich; wealthy; needless

استهزاء

h-z-ʾ → “would scorn and scoff” Distinctive

literal: to mock; to ridicule; mockery

نمودند.

n-m-ود

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

چنانچه

ch-n-n → “Even as”

literal: thus; in such manner; as

لسان

l-s-n

literal: tongue; language

گمراهان

g-m-r

literal: to immerse; to submerge; depths; ocean

فرمايد:

f-r-m → “He hath revealed”

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

"فَقَالَ

q-w-l → ““Then said”

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

الْمَلأُ

m-l-ʾ → “the Concourse”

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

الَّذينَ

l-dh-y → “which” Distinctive

literal: those who; the ones who (relative pronoun)

کَفَروا

k-f-r → “believed not” Distinctive

literal: to disbelieve, reject; unbelief, ingratitude; to deny, to disbelieve, to reject

مِنْ

m-n → “of”

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

قَومِهِ

q-w-m → “His people”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

مَا

m-ʾ

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

نَراکَ

r-ʾ-y → “‘We see” 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

إلّا

ʾ-kh-r → “end”

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

مِثْلَنا

m-th-l → “like ourselves”

literal: like; example; parable; similitude

اتَّبَعَک

t-b-ʿ → “have followed”

literal: to follow; to obey; to pursue

هُمْ

h-m-m

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

اَراذِلُنا

r-dh-l → “meanest”

literal: lowest; basest; most vile; worst

بَادِيَ

b-d-w → “lest” Distinctive

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

لَکُمْ

l-k-m

literal: for you, to you, your (dative pronoun)

عَلَيْنَا

ʿ-l-y → “in you above ourselves” Distinctive

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

فَضْلٍ

f-ḍ-l → “grace”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

بل

b-l → “nay”

literal: rather; but; rather/nay

نَظُنُّکُمْ

ẓ-n-n → “idle fancies” Distinctive

literal: conjecture; think; suppositions

کَاذِبِينَ."

k-dh-b → “falsehood” Distinctive

literal: liar; denial; falsehood

اعتراض

ʿ-r-ḍ → “They caviled” Distinctive

literal: objection, protest, denial; cavil

قدسيّه

q-d-s

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

گفتند

g-f-t → “protested saying”

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

شما

sh-m-ʾ → “you”

literal: you (plural); your

نکرده

k-r-d

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

مگر

m-g-r → “save through”

literal: matter; affair; thing

اعتنائی

ʿ-n-y → “meaning” Distinctive

literal: meaning; grace; spiritual

شأن

sh-ʾ-n

literal: affair; concern; matter; aspect; quality; state; affairs; matters; conditions; circumstances; affair, matter, station, rank, dignity; station; rank; importance; matter, affair, concern, dignity, rank

آنها

null → ““death””

literal: that, it; to be; indeed

مقصودشان

q-ṣ-d → “Their aim”

literal: intention; purpose; aim; goal; to seek; to direct oneself

بوده

b-w-d → “was to show”

literal: to be; to exist; to have been

اغنياء

gh-n-y → “wealthy” Distinctive

literal: to be independent of; to be in no need of; to dispense with; rich; wealthy; needless

ايمان

ʾ-m-n → “believed in” Distinctive

literal: to believe; to have faith; to be secure

نياوردند

ʾ-w-r → “refuse”

literal: bring; to bring; to_bring

بطلان

b-ṭ-l → “falsehood” Distinctive

literal: falsehood, false; vain, null

له

h-w

literal: for them both; to both of them (dual pronoun)

الحقّ

ḥ-q-q → “truth”

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

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 ¶