Kitáb-i-Íqán — §34

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 34 of 291.

Source (Persian)

و در مقام ديگر مقصود از شمس و قمر و نجوم، علمای ظهور قبلند که در زمان ظهور بعد موجودند و زمام دين مردم در دست ايشان است. و اگر در ظهور شمس اُخری به ضيای او منوّر گشتند لهذا مقبول و منير و روشن خواهند بود و الّا حکم ظلمت در حقّ آنها جاری است اگر چه به ظاهر هادی باشند زيرا که جميع اين مراتب از کفر و ايمان و هدايت و ضلالت و سعادت و شقاوت و نور و ظلمت منوط به تصديق آن شمس معنوی الهی است. بر هر نفسی از علماء حکم ايمان از مبدأ عرفان در يوم تغابن و احسان جاری شد حکم علم و رضا و نور و ايمان درباره او صادق است و الّا حکم جهل و نفی و کفر و ظلم در حقّ او جريان يابد.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

In another sense, by these terms is intended the divines of the former Dispensation, who live in the days of the subsequent Revelations, and who hold the reins of religion in their grasp. If these divines be illumined by the light of the latter Revelation they will be acceptable unto God, and will shine with a light everlasting. Otherwise, they will be declared as darkened, even though to outward seeming they be leaders of men, inasmuch as belief and unbelief, guidance and error, felicity and misery, light and darkness, are all dependent upon the sanction of Him Who is the Day-star of Truth. Whosoever among the divines of every age receiveth, in the Day of Reckoning, the testimony of faith from the Source of true knowledge, he verily becometh the recipient of learning, of divine favour, and of the light of true understanding. Otherwise, he is branded as guilty of folly, denial, blasphemy, and oppression.

Translation Notes

در

d-r-r → “In”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

مقام

q-w-m → “sense” Distinctive

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

ديگر

d-g-r → “another”

literal: home; place; land; abode

مقصود

q-ṣ-d → “intended” Distinctive

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

از

ʾ-z → “by” Distinctive

literal: from

شمس

sh-m-s → “these” Distinctive

literal: sun; daystar; manifestation of divine light

قمر

q-m-r → “moon”

literal: moon

نجوم،

n-j-m

literal: star

علمای

ʿ-l-m → “divines”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

ظهور

ẓ-h-r → “Dispensation” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

قبلند

q-б-l → “former”

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

که

k-h → “which”

literal: that; who; who, that

زمان

z-m-n → “days”

literal: time; age; era; period

بعد

b-ʿ-d → “subsequent” Distinctive

literal: after; behind; distance

موجودند

w-j-d → “live”

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

زمام

z-m-m → “reins”

literal: reins; bridle; control; governance

دين

d-y-n → “religion”

literal: religion; faith; creed; belief

مردم

m-r-d → “men”

literal: rebellion; mutiny; revolt

دست

d-s-t → “hand”

literal: hand; control, power, authority

ايشان

ʾ-y-sh → “Prophets”

literal: that; it (object pronoun with suffix)

است.

b-w-d → “is”

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

اگر

ʾ-g-r → “were they”

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

اُخری

ʾ-kh-r → “end” Distinctive

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

به

b-h → “as”

literal: by it; by him; with it

ضيای

ḍ-w-ʾ

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

او

h-w-w → “the” Distinctive

literal: he; it (third person pronoun); refuge; shelter; dwelling place; abode; lamentation, cry, woe; melody, song

منوّر

n-w-r → “illumined”

literal: light; illumination

گشتند

g-sh-t → “be”

literal: to become; to turn; to be

لهذا

l-dh-ʾ → “therefore”

literal: therefore; for this reason; hence; so

مقبول

q-b-l → “acceptable”

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

روشن

r-w-sh → “light” Distinctive

literal: light; illumination; brilliance; clarity

خواهند

kh-w-ʾ-h → “will”

literal: to will; to want; shall; will (future auxiliary)

حکم

ḥ-k-m → “wisdom”

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom

ظلمت

ẓ-l-m → “darkened” Distinctive

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

حقّ

ḥ-q-q → “Truth”

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

آنها

null → ““death””

literal: that, it; to be; indeed

جاری

j-r-y → “be” Distinctive

literal: trade; commerce; business; to flow; to run; to be in effect; flowing

چه

ch-h

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

هادی

h-d-y → “guidance”

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

زيرا

z-y-r → “inasmuch as”

literal: because; since; for; inasmuch as

جميع

j-m-ʿ → “all”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

اين

ʾ-y-n

literal: this; these

مراتب

r-t-b

literal: rank; station; degree; time; instance

کفر

k-f-r → “unbelief”

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

ايمان

ʾ-m-n → “belief”

literal: to believe; to have faith; to be secure; trust; trustworthiness; covenant; deposit; believer, faithful

ضلالت

ḍ-l-l → “error”

literal: error; straying; misguidance; delusion; falsehood

سعادت

s-ʿ-d → “good” Distinctive

literal: happy, fortunate; fortunate; Sa’id

شقاوت

sh-q-w → “misery”

literal: wretchedness; misery; ill-fortune

منوط

n-w-ṭ → “dependent upon”

literal: to be dependent upon, to hang upon, to hinge upon

تصديق

ṣ-d-q → “sanction” Distinctive

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

آن

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

معنوی

ʿ-n-y

literal: meaning; sense; significance

الهی

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

بر

b-r-r → “righteous” Distinctive

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

هر

h-r → “every”

literal: whatever; all that; whatever thing

نفسی

n-f-s → “souls”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

مبدأ

b-d-ʾ → “Source”

literal: beginning; source; origin, beginning

عرفان

ʿ-r-f → “knowledge”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

يوم

y-w-m → “Day”

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

تغابن

gh-b-n → “deceit”

literal: mutual loss, mutual deception; reckoning

احسان

ḥ-s-n → “most excellent” Distinctive

literal: goodness; beauty; excellence; good deed

شد

sh-d → “becometh” Distinctive

literal: to become; to be

رضا

r-ḍ-y

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

درباره

d-r-b

literal: concerning, about; in connection with

جهل

j-h-l → “folly”

literal: ignorant; foolish; the ignorant ones

نفی

n-f-y → “denial”

literal: is not; not to be; does not exist; negation, denial, banishment; to negate, deny, banish; contradiction; opposition; contrariety

يابد.

y-ʾ-f-t

literal: find; to find, obtain; found

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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Tablet of Carmel

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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 ¶