Kitáb-i-Íqán — §272

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 272 of 291.

Source (Persian)

حال اين روايت را ملاحظه نمائيد که چگونه از قبل جميع امورات را اخبار فرمودهاند. در "اربعين" ذکر فرموده: "يَظهَرُ مِن بَنی هاشِمٍ صَبّیٌ ذُو احکامٍ جَديدٍ فَيَدعو النّاسَ وَلَم يُجِبْهُ اَحَدٌ وَاَکثَرُ اعدائِهِ العُلَماءُ فإذا حَکَمَ بِشَیءٍ لَم يُطيعُوه فَيَقُولُونَ هذا خلافُ ما عِندَنا مِن اَئِمَّةِ الدّين" إلی آخر الحديث. چنانچه اليوم جميع همين کلمات را اعاده می نمايند و شاعر بر اين نشده که آن حضرت بر عرش يَفعَلُ ما يَشاء جالسند و بر کرسيّ يَحکُمُ ما يُريد ساکن.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

And now, consider this other tradition, and observe how all these things have been foretold. In “Arbá’in” it is recorded: “Out of Baní-Háshim there shall come forth a Youth Who shall reveal new laws. He shall summon the people unto Him, but none will heed His call. Most of His enemies will be the divines. His bidding they will not obey, but will protest saying: ‘This is contrary to that which hath been handed down unto us by the Imáms of the Faith.’” In this day, all are repeating these very same words, utterly unaware that He is established upon the throne of “He doeth whatsoever He willeth,” and abideth upon the seat of “He ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth.”

Translation Notes

حال

ḥ-w-l → “And now”

literal: state; condition; circumstance

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this”

literal: this; these

روايت

r-w-y → “tradition”

literal: narration; tradition; fragrance; to grow; to spring forth; to sprout

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

ملاحظه

l-ḥ-ẓ → “consider”

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

نمائيد

n-m-ʾ → “will” Distinctive

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

که

k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

چگونه

ch-g-n → “how”

literal: how; in what manner

از

ʾ-z

literal: from

قبل

q-b-l

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

جميع

j-m-ʿ → “all”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

امورات

ʾ-m-r → “things” Distinctive

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

اخبار

kh-b-r → “All-Informed” Distinctive

literal: news; inform; informed

فرمودهاند.

f-r-m → “He” Distinctive

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

در

d-r-r → “In”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

ذکر

dh-k-r

literal: remembrance; mention; memory; invocation; reminders; commemorations

"يَظهَرُ

ẓ-h-r → “shall come forth”

literal: manifestation; manifest; appear

مِن

m-n → “from”

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

بَنی

b-n-y → “Baní-Háshim”

literal: building, structure, edifice; to build, construct; structure, edifice

صَبّیٌ

ṣ-b-y → “Youth”

literal: to pour; to shed

ذُو

dh-w

literal: possessor of; one having; those having

احکامٍ

ḥ-k-m → “laws”

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

جَديدٍ

j-d-d → “new”

literal: new, novel, renewed; novelty, innovation

فَيَدعو

d-ʿ-w → “shall summon” Distinctive

literal: call; invitation; claim

النّاسَ

n-ʾ-s → “people”

literal: companionship; fellowship; familiarity; to keep company

وَلَم

l-m → “wherefore”

literal: did not; has not (negative particle with past tense)

يُجِبْهُ

j-w-b

literal: answer; answerer; answer, reply

اَحَدٌ

ʾ-ḥ-d → “none”

literal: Divine unity; monotheism; belief in the oneness of God

وَاَکثَرُ

k-th-r → “Most of”

literal: majority; multitude; abundance; multiplicity

اعدائِهِ

ʿ-d-w → “enemies”

literal: hostility, aggression, enmity, transgression

العُلَماءُ

ʿ-l-m → “divines”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

فإذا

ʾ-dh

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

بِشَیءٍ

sh-y-ʾ → “will” Distinctive

literal: thing; something; to will; to wish; to desire; to open; to unfold; to reveal

لَم

l-y-s → “will not”

literal: to reproach; blame; censure

يُطيعُوه

ṭ-w-ʿ → “obey”

literal: obedience; obeyed; obedient

فَيَقُولُونَ

q-w-l → “saying”

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

هذا

h-dh-ʾ → “‘This”

literal: this; that

خلافُ

kh-l-f → “contrary”

literal: opposing; contrary; conflicting

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

عِندَنا

ʿ-n-d → “possess” Distinctive

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

اَئِمَّةِ

ʾ-m-m → “Imáms”

literal: mother; to lead; to head; matter; affair; people; nation; community; female servant; handmaiden; umma

الدّين"

d-y-n → “Faith.’””

literal: religion; religions; religion, faith

إلی

ʾ-l-y

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

آخر

ʾ-kh-r → “other”

literal: the hereafter, the next life, the world to come; last, latter; the next life, the hereafter; delay; postponement

الحديث.

ḥ-d-th

literal: events, occurrences, accidents, changes and chances

چنانچه

ch-n-n

literal: thus; in such manner; as

اليوم

y-w-m → “day”

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

همين

h-m-n → “Help in Peril” Distinctive

literal: the same; that very

کلمات

k-l-m → “words”

literal: words; utterances; locutions

اعاده

ʿ-w-d → “habits” Distinctive

literal: tool; instrument; means

می

m-y-y

literal: present continuous marker; continuous-marker

شاعر

sh-ʿ-r → “consciousness” Distinctive

literal: hair

بر

b-r-r → “upon the”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

نشده

sh-d → “been” Distinctive

literal: to become; to happen; to occur

آن

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

حضرت

ḥ-ḍ-r → “He” Distinctive

literal: presence; majesty; His/Your Excellency

عرش

ʿ-r-sh → “throne”

literal: of the Throne; companion of the Throne

يَفعَلُ

f-ʿ-l → “doeth”

literal: to do, act, make; deed, action

جالسند

j-l-s → “established”

literal: council; assembly; gathering; session

کرسيّ

k-r-s → “seat”

literal: throne, seat; chair

يُريد

r-y-d → “pleaseth.””

literal: will; intention; to will; to intend; to wish

ساکن.

s-k-n → “abideth”

literal: stillness, rest, quietude, tranquility

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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50 ¶

Gleanings

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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

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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 ¶