Kitáb-i-Íqán — §280

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 280 of 291.

Source (Persian)

ديگر قلم عاجز است از ذکر آنچه بعد از رجوع ملاحظه شد. حال دو سنه می گذرد که اعداء در اهلاک اين عبد فانی به نهايت سعی و اهتمام دارند چنانچه جميع مطّلع شدهاند. مع ذلک نفسی از احباب نصرت ننموده و به هيچ وجه اعانتی منظور نداشته. بلکه از عوض نصر، حزن ها که متوالی و متواتر قولاً و فعلاً مثل غيث هاطل وارد می شود. و اين عبد در کمال رضا جان بر کف حاضرم که شايد از عنايت الهی و فضل سبحانی اين حرف مذکور مشهور، در سبيل نقطه و کلمه عليا فدا شود و جان در بازد. و اگر اين خيال نبود فَوَالَّذی نَطَقَ الرُّوحُ بِاَمرِه، آنی در اين بلد توقّف نمی نمودم وَکَفی بِاللّهِ شَهيداً. اَختِمُ القَولَ بلا حَولَ وَ لا قُوَّةَ إلّا بِاللّهِ وَ إنّاللِّهِ و إنّا اِليهِ راجِعُون.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

What pen can recount the things We beheld upon Our return! Two years have elapsed during which Our enemies have ceaselessly and assiduously contrived to exterminate Us, whereunto all witness. Nevertheless, none amongst the faithful hath risen to render Us any assistance, nor did any one feel inclined to help in Our deliverance. Nay, instead of assisting Us, what showers of continuous sorrows, their words and deeds have caused to rain upon Our soul! Amidst them all, We stand, life in hand, wholly resigned to His will; that perchance, through God’s loving kindness and His grace, this revealed and manifest Letter may lay down His life as a sacrifice in the path of the Primal Point, the most exalted Word. By Him at Whose bidding the Spirit hath spoken, but for this yearning of Our soul, We would not, for one moment, have tarried any longer in this city. “Sufficient Witness is God unto Us.” We conclude Our argument with the words: “There is no power nor strength but in God alone.” “We are God’s, and to Him shall we return.”

Translation Notes

ديگر

d-g-r

literal: home; place; land; abode

قلم

q-l-m → “pen”

literal: pen; writing instrument

عاجز

ʿ-j-z → “can” Distinctive

literal: to be unable; to fail; to be exhausted; impotence; أعجاز (roots of trees/extremities) is Pattern II plural, distinct from ‘inability’ forms

از

ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

ذکر

dh-k-r → “recount” Distinctive

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

آنچه

ʾ-n → “things” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

بعد

b-ʿ-d → “after”

literal: after; behind; distance

رجوع

r-j-ʿ → “Our return”

literal: return; reference; place of return; resort

ملاحظه

l-ḥ-ẓ

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

شد.

sh-d

literal: to become; to be

دو

d-w → “Two”

literal: two; run; running

سنه

s-n-h → “years”

literal: year; way; tradition; custom

می

m-y-y

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

گذرد

g-dh-r → “have elapsed”

literal: pass; place; passed

که

k-h → “which”

literal: that; who; who, that

اعداء

ʿ-d-w → “enemies”

literal: when; if; whenever; at that time

در

d-r-r

literal: in; in, at; radiant

اهلاک

h-l-k → “perdition” Distinctive

literal: people; inhabitants; family; kin; worthy; deserving; my family; my people; my kin

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this”

literal: this; these

عبد

ʿ-b-d → “servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

فانی

f-n-y

literal: annihilation; perishing; extinction; cessation; the threshold

به

b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

نهايت

n-h-y

literal: end, limit, utmost, extreme; final; the end, limit, utmost bound; Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing; end; limit; terminus

سعی

s-ʿ-y → “to strive”

literal: endeavor; effort; striving; exertion; endeavour

اهتمام

h-m-m

literal: them (feminine or general); by them; through them

دارند

d-ʾ-r → “repository” Distinctive

literal: to hold, keep, maintain, possess

چنانچه

ch-n-n → “likewise” Distinctive

literal: thus; in such manner; as

جميع

j-m-ʿ → “all”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

مطّلع

ṭ-l-ʿ → “Dayspring”

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

مع

m-ʿ → “notwithstanding”

literal: with; together with; alongside

ذلک

dh-l-k

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

نفسی

n-f-s → “soul”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

احباب

ḥ-b-b → “faithful”

literal: love; affection

نصرت

n-ṣ-r → “aid”

literal: aid, help, succor, victory, support

ننموده

n-m-ʾ → “will” Distinctive

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

هيچ

h-y-ch → “any”

literal: nothing; any; not a single

وجه

w-j-h

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

اعانتی

ʿ-w-n → “assistance”

literal: help; aid; helper; supporter

منظور

n-ẓ-r → “Consider” Distinctive

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

نداشته.

d-ʾ-sh-t → “hath”

literal: to have; to possess; to hold

بلکه

b-l-k → “Nay”

literal: nay; but rather; on the contrary; but

عوض

ʿ-w-ḍ → “instead”

literal: exchange; compensation; substitute

حزن

ḥ-z-n → “sorrows”

literal: sorrow; grief; sadness; anguish

متوالی

w-l-y → “Lord” Distinctive

literal: guardian; protector; friend; ally; lord; helper; first; primary; original

متواتر

w-t-r

literal: successive; continuous; transmitted by multiple independent chains

قولاً

q-w-l → “their words”

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

فعلاً

f-ʿ-l → “and deeds” Distinctive

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

مثل

m-th-l

literal: like; example; parable; similitude

غيث

gh-y-th → “showers”

literal: to call for help; to cry out; to seek assistance

هاطل

h-ṭ-l → “copious rain”

literal: falling; pouring down; abundant

وارد

w-r-d

literal: to enter, to come, to befall, to arrive

شود.

sh-w-d → “have caused” Distinctive

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

کمال

k-m-l → “utmost”

literal: perfection; completeness; fully; with full; in complete; to complete, perfect, fulfill

رضا

r-ḍ-y → “resigned” Distinctive

literal: good-pleasure, consent, satisfaction

جان

j-ʾ-n → “life in hand” Distinctive

literal: soul; life; spirit; self

بر

b-r-r → “upon”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

کف

k-f-f

literal: palm; palm, hand; hand

حاضرم

ḥ-ḍ-r → “His Majesty” Distinctive

literal: presence; present; presence, majesty

شايد

sh-y-d → “perchance”

literal: perhaps, perchance, haply, maybe, possibly; to become; to be; to happen; to occur

عنايت

ʿ-n-y → “loving kindness” Distinctive

literal: to concern; to mean; to turn away from; bounty; loving-kindness; grace; divine care; attention; meaning; significance; inner sense

الهی

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

فضل

f-ḍ-l → “grace”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

سبحانی

s-b-ḥ

literal: glorified; the All-Praised; exalted; dawn; daybreak; morning

حرف

ḥ-r-f → “Letter”

literal: letter; character; edge

مذکور

dh-k-r

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

مشهور،

sh-h-r → “well-known”

literal: city; month; fame, renown

سبيل

s-b-l → “path”

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

نقطه

n-q-ṭ → “Primal Point”

literal: point; dot; spot; region; area

کلمه

k-l-m → “Word”

literal: words; utterances; locutions; word; utterance; speech; sayings; verses

عليا

ʿ-l-w → “exalted”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

فدا

f-d-y → “sacrifice”

literal: to sacrifice; to ransom; to redeem

بازد.

b-dh-l

literal: bestowed; expended; granted

اگر

ʾ-g-r

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

خيال

kh-y-l → “desire”

literal: ill-wishing; malice; enmity

نبود

b-w-d → “but for” Distinctive

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

فَوَالَّذی

ʾ-l-h → “God” Distinctive

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

نَطَقَ

n-ṭ-q → “hath spoken”

literal: to speak; to utter; to pronounce; to articulate

الرُّوحُ

r-w-ḥ → “Spirit”

literal: to go; to depart; to rest; spirit; soul

بِاَمرِه،

ʾ-m-r → “at Whose bidding” Distinctive

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

آنی

ʾ-n-n → “that” Distinctive

literal: I, verily; behold I

بلد

b-l-d → “city”

literal: city; land; country

توقّف

w-q-f → “hesitated”

literal: to stop; to halt; to pause; to hesitate

نمی

n-h-y → “forbidden”

literal: end, limit, utmost, extreme; final; the end, limit, utmost bound; Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing; end; limit; terminus

نمودم

n-m-w → “have”

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

وَکَفی

k-f-y → “suffice” Distinctive

literal: to be content; to suffice; to be satisfied; to be satisfied with

شَهيداً.

sh-h-d → “witness”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

اَختِمُ

kh-t-m → “conclude”

literal: to seal; to conclude; to end; seal

بلا

b-l-w

literal: tribulation; affliction; trial

حَولَ

ḥ-w-l → “no power” Distinctive

literal: state; condition; circumstance

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

قُوَّةَ

q-w-y

literal: power; strength; force

إلّا

ʾ-kh-r → “but” Distinctive

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

اِليهِ

ʾ-l-y → “besmirch”

literal: to; to him; besmirch

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 ¶

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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 ¶