Kitáb-i-Íqán — §29

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 29 of 291.

Source (Persian)

حال کدام ضيق و تنگی است که ازيد از مراتب مذکوره باشد که اگر نفسی طلب حقّی و يا معرفتی بخواهد نمايد نمی داند نزد کدام رود و از که جويا شود، از غايت اينکه رأی ها مختلف و سبيل ها متعدّد شده. و اين تنگی و ضيق از شرايط هر ظهور است که تا واقع نشود ظهور شمس حقيقت نشود زيرا که صبح ظهور هدايت بعد از ليل ضلالت طالع می شود. اين است که در روايات و احاديث جميع اين مضامين هست که کُفر عالم را فرو می گيرد و ظلمت احاطه می نمايد و امثال اينها چنانچه مذکور شد. و اين عبد بواسطه شهرت اين احاديث و اختصار ديگر متعرّض ذکر عبارات حديث نشده ام.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

What “oppression” is greater than that which hath been recounted? What “oppression” is more grievous than that a soul seeking the truth, and wishing to attain unto the knowledge of God, should know not where to go for it and from whom to seek it? For opinions have sorely differed, and the ways unto the attainment of God have multiplied. This “oppression” is the essential feature of every Revelation. Unless it cometh to pass, the Sun of Truth will not be made manifest. For the break of the morn of divine guidance must needs follow the darkness of the night of error. For this reason, in all chronicles and traditions reference hath been made unto these things, namely that iniquity shall cover the surface of the earth and darkness shall envelop mankind. As the traditions referred to are well known, and as the purpose of this servant is to be brief, He will refrain from quoting the text of these traditions.

Translation Notes

حال

ḥ-w-l → “now”

literal: state; condition; circumstance

کدام

k-d-m → “What”

literal: which; what; whoever; any

ضيق

ḍ-y-q → ““oppression” is”

literal: constricting; narrowing; tightening

تنگی

t-n-g → “oppression”

literal: I; truly I; verily I

که

k-h → “that”

literal: that; who; who, that

ازيد

z-y-d

literal: increase; excess; more; additional; to increase; to grow; to be added

از

ʾ-z → “from”

literal: from

مراتب

r-t-b → “station”

literal: rank; station; degree; time; instance

مذکوره

dh-k-r → “hath been recounted” Distinctive

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

باشد

b-w-d → “are” Distinctive

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

اگر

ʾ-g-r

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

نفسی

n-f-s → “soul”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

طلب

ṭ-l-b → “seeking”

literal: seeker, one who seeks; those who seek

حقّی

ḥ-q-q → “truth”

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

يا

y-ʾ

literal: O; or

معرفتی

ʿ-r-f → “knowledge of God”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

بخواهد

kh-w-h → “will”

literal: to read; to call; to recite

نمايد

n-m-ʾ → “will” Distinctive

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

نمی

n-h-y → “forbidden”

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

داند

d-ʾ-n

literal: to know; to understand; to recognize

نزد

n-z-d → “unto”

literal: near; beside; with; in the presence of

رود

r-w-d → “desire” Distinctive

literal: to go; to come; to proceed

جويا

j-w-y → “take fast hold” Distinctive

literal: to seek; to quest; to look for; to search for

غايت

gh-y-t

literal: purpose; aim; goal; end; ultimate

رأی

r-ʾ-y → “beholdest” 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

ها

w-j-h

literal: He; He is

مختلف

kh-l-f → “have sorely differed” Distinctive

literal: opposing; contrary; conflicting

سبيل

s-b-l → “ways”

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

متعدّد

ʿ-d-d → “capacity” Distinctive

literal: numerous; many; multiple

شده.

sh-d

literal: to become; to be

اين

ʾ-y-n → “This”

literal: that, the fact that, this (demonstrative particle)

شرايط

sh-r-ṭ → “essential conditions”

literal: condition; requirement; clause

هر

h-r → “every”

literal: whatever; all that; whatever thing

ظهور

ẓ-h-r → “Revelation”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

تا

t-y-y

literal: so that/until

واقع

w-q-ʿ → “it cometh to pass” Distinctive

literal: to fall, to occur, to happen; incident, event

نشود

sh-w-d → “will not be” Distinctive

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

شمس

sh-m-s → “Sun”

literal: sun; daystar; manifestation of divine light

زيرا

z-y-r → “For”

literal: because; since; for; inasmuch as

صبح

ṣ-b-ḥ → “break of the morn”

literal: morning, dawn; daybreak

هدايت

h-d-y → “divine guidance”

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

بعد

b-ʿ-d → “after”

literal: after; behind; distance

ليل

l-y-l → “darkness of the night”

literal: night; darkness

ضلالت

ḍ-l-l → “of error”

literal: error; straying; misguidance; delusion; falsehood

طالع

ṭ-l-ʿ

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

می

m-y-y

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

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

روايات

r-w-y → “traditions”

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

احاديث

ḥ-d-th → “traditions”

literal: events, occurrences, accidents, changes and chances

جميع

j-m-ʿ → “all”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

مضامين

ḍ-m-n → “purport” Distinctive

literal: content; meaning; content/meaning

هست

h-s-t → “hath been made” Distinctive

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

کُفر

k-f-r → “repudiated”

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

عالم

ʿ-l-m → “earth” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

فرو

f-r-w

literal: down; into; descent

گيرد

g-r-f → “hath quaffed” Distinctive

literal: to take; to seize; to grasp; to hold; to seek

ظلمت

ẓ-l-m → “darkness”

literal: wrongedness, oppression, meekness; state of being wronged or oppressed

احاطه

ḥ-w-ṭ → “envelop”

literal: to encompass, surround, envelop, embrace

امثال

m-th-l

literal: like; example; parable; similitude

چنانچه

ch-n-n

literal: thus; in such manner; as

عبد

ʿ-b-d → “servant”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

بواسطه

w-s-ṭ

literal: mediator; intermediary; means; to mediate

شهرت

sh-h-r → “well known”

literal: city; month; fame, renown

اختصار

kh-ṣ-r → “brief”

literal: brevity; curtailment; abridgement

ديگر

d-g-r

literal: home; place; land; abode

متعرّض

ʿ-r-ḍ → “turned away” Distinctive

literal: turn away; turning away; objection

ذکر

dh-k-r → “quoting” Distinctive

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

عبارات

ʿ-b-r → “tears” Distinctive

literal: expression; phrase; utterance; statement; passage; wording

ام.

ʾ-m-m

literal: mother

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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59 ¶