Kitáb-i-Íqán — §253

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 253 of 291.

Source (Persian)

و از همه گذشته، علامت صدق و کذب در کتاب معلوم و مقرّر شده. بايد ادّعا و دعاوی کلّ عباد به اين محک الهی زده شود تا صادق را از کاذب تميز دهد. اين است که می فرمايد: "فَتَمَنَّوُا المَوْتَ إنْ کُنتُمْ صَادِقينَ." حال ملاحظه فرمائيد با اين شهدای صادق که نصّ کتاب شاهد بر صدق قول ايشان است، چنانچه ديده ايد که همه جان و مال و زن و فرزند و کلّ ما يملک را انفاق نمودهاند و به اعلی غرف رضوان عروج فرمودند، شهادت اين طلعات عاليه و انفس منقطعه بر تصديق اين امر عالی متعالی مقبول نيست و شهادت اين گروه که برای ذهب از مذهب گذشتهاند و برای جلوس بر صدر از اوّل ما صدر احتراز جستهاند بر بطلان اين نور لائح جائز و مقبول است؟ با اينکه جميع مردم ايشان را شناختهاند و اين قدر ادراک نمودهاند که از ذرهّ ای از اعتبار ظاهری ملکی در سبيل دين الهی نمی گذرند تا چه رسد به جان و مال و غيره.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Furthermore, the sign of truth and falsehood is designated and appointed in the Book. By this divinely-appointed touchstone, the claims and pretensions of all men must needs be assayed, so that the truthful may be known and distinguished from the imposter. This touchstone is no other than this verse: “Wish for death, if ye are men of truth.” Consider these martyrs of unquestionable sincerity, to whose truthfulness testifieth the explicit text of the Book, and all of whom, as thou hast witnessed, have sacrificed their life, their substance, their wives, their children, their all, and ascended unto the loftiest chambers of Paradise. Is it fair to reject the testimony of these detached and exalted beings to the truth of this pre-eminent and glorious Revelation and to regard as acceptable the denunciations which have been uttered against this resplendent Light by this faithless people, who for gold have forsaken their faith, and who for the sake of leadership have repudiated Him Who is the First Leader of all mankind? This, although their character is now revealed unto all people who have recognized them as those who will in no wise relinquish one jot or one tittle of their temporal authority for the sake of God’s holy Faith, how much less their life, their substance, and the like.

Translation Notes

از

ʾ-z

literal: from

همه

h-m-h → “all”

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

علامت

ʿ-l-m → “sign”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

صدق

ṣ-d-q → “and” Distinctive

literal: to confirm; to verify; to acknowledge; to testify to truth

کذب

k-dh-b → “is” Distinctive

literal: denial; belying; falsification; rejection; liar; lying; false

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

کتاب

k-t-b → “Book”

literal: book; scripture; writing

مقرّر

q-r-r → “acknowledged” Distinctive

literal: abode; place; established

شده.

sh-d

literal: to become; to be

بايد

b-y-d → “must needs be”

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

ادّعا

d-ʿ-w → “claims”

literal: call, invocation, summons; to call, invite, summon

کلّ

k-l-l → “all”

literal: for us; to us

عباد

ʿ-b-d → “men”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

به

b-h → “By” Distinctive

literal: by it; by him; with it

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this”

literal: this; these

محک

m-ḥ-k → “touchstone”

literal: touchstone; touchstone, test

الهی

ʾ-l-h → “divinely-appointed”

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

زده

z-d → “assayed”

literal: to strike; to add; to afflict

شود

sh-w-d

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

تا

t-y-y → “so that”

literal: so that/until

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

تميز

m-y-z → “distinguished”

literal: to distinguish; to differentiate; to discern

دهد.

d-h

literal: to give; to grant; to yield

است

b-w-d → “is”

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

که

k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

می

m-y-y

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

فرمايد:

f-r-m → “revealed”

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

"فَتَمَنَّوُا

m-n-y → “through Him Whom God” Distinctive

literal: through whom; remain; from

المَوْتَ

m-w-t → “death”

literal: death; dead; to die

إنْ

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

کُنتُمْ

k-w-n → “ye”

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

حال

ḥ-w-l → “now”

literal: state; condition; circumstance

ملاحظه

l-ḥ-ẓ → “Consider”

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

با

b-ʾ-ʾ → “have clung”

literal: to; with; by

شهدای

sh-h-d → “martyrs”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

نصّ

n-ṣ-ṣ → “explicit”

literal: explicit text; clear statement

بر

b-r-r → “righteous” Distinctive

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

قول

q-w-l

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

ايشان

ʾ-y-sh → “Prophets”

literal: that; it (object pronoun with suffix)

چنانچه

ch-n-n

literal: thus; in such manner; as

ديده

d-y-d → “witnessed”

literal: to give; to grant; to present; justice; judgment; to see; sight; eye; seen

ايد

ʾ-y-d

literal: come; support; may aid

جان

j-ʾ-n → “life” Distinctive

literal: soul; life; spirit; self

مال

m-w-l → “substance”

literal: hope; wish; desire; aspiration

زن

z-n-n → “wives”

literal: wife; woman, wife; strike

فرزند

f-r-z → “children”

literal: to kindle, to light, to inflame

ما

m-ʾ

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

يملک

m-l-k

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty; possessions; property; ownership

انفاق

n-f-q → “sacrificed”

literal: hypocrisy; sedition; discord; betrayal

نمودهاند

n-m-w → “have”

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

اعلی

ʿ-l-w → “loftiest” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

غرف

gh-r-f → “chambers”

literal: chamber; room; elevated chamber

رضوان

r-ḍ-w → “Paradise”

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

عروج

ʿ-r-j → “ascended”

literal: to ascend, climb, mount

طلعات

ṭ-l-ʿ → “beings”

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

انفس

n-f-s

literal: self; soul; souls

منقطعه

q-ṭ-ʿ → “detachment” Distinctive

literal: point; dot; spot; region; area

امر

ʾ-m-r → “Revelation”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair; Cause (of God); to command; to order

مقبول

q-b-l → “acceptable”

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

گروه

g-r-w → “people”

literal: numerous; many; multiple

برای

b-r-y → “for”

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

ذهب

dh-h-b → “gold”

literal: religion; creed; doctrine; belief; sect

گذشتهاند

g-dh-r → “forsaken”

literal: to leave; to pass; to abandon

جلوس

j-l-s → “leadership”

literal: place; location; spot

صدر

ṣ-d-r → “of” Distinctive

literal: to issue, emanate, proceed; issued, emanating

اوّل

ʾ-w-l → “First”

literal: first; beginning; at first; the first; former; possessors of; those who have; masters of

احتراز

ḥ-r-z → “repudiated”

literal: avoidance; caution; protection; guard

جستهاند

j-s-t → “have clung”

literal: to seek; to cling; to grasp; to strive

بطلان

b-ṭ-l

literal: falsehood, false; vain, null

نور

n-w-r → “Light”

literal: light; illumination

لائح

l-w-ḥ → “resplendent”

literal: to appear; to shine; to flash; to gleam

جائز

j-w-z

literal: permissible; allowed; possible; fair; lawful

جميع

j-m-ʿ → “all”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

مردم

m-r-d → “people”

literal: rebellion; mutiny; revolt

شناختهاند

sh-n-kh → “recognized”

literal: to know, recognize, acquaint oneself with

قدر

q-d-r

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

ادراک

d-r-k

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

ذرهّ

dh-r-r

literal: atom; particle; mote

ای

ʾ-y-y

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

اعتبار

ʿ-b-r → “tears” Distinctive

literal: credible; reliable; worthy of trust; esteemed

ظاهری

ẓ-h-r → “Revelation” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest; to display; to reveal; ظهور here means ‘backs’ (plural of ظهر), different semantic use than manifestation

ملکی

m-l-k

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty; possessions; property; ownership

سبيل

s-b-l

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

دين

d-y-n → “Faith”

literal: religion; faith; creed; belief

نمی

n-h-y

literal: to show, to display, to manifest, to exhibit; to manifest; to display; to show

چه

ch-h

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

رسد

r-s-d → “how much less”

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

غيره.

gh-y-r → “others”

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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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.

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Fire Tablet

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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 ¶