Skip to main content

Kitáb-i-Íqán — §45

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 45 of 291.

Source (Persian)

اين است معنی آيهمبارکه که می فرمايد: "فَلا اُقسِمُ بِرَبِّ المَشارِقِ و المَغَارِب." زيرا که از برای هر شمسی از اين شموس مذکوره محلّ اشراق و غروب است. و چون علمای تفسير بر حقيقت اين شمس های مذکوره اطّلاع نيافتند لهذا در تفسير اين آيه مبارکه معطّل شدند. و بعضی ذکر نمودند که چون آفتاب در هر روز از نقطه ای طلوع می نمايد غير از نقطه يوم قبل لهذا به لفظ جمع ذکر فرموده. و بعضی ديگر نوشتهاند که مقصود فصول اربعه است که در هر فصلی چون شمس از محلّی طالع می شود و به محلّی غروب می نمايد لهذا مشارق و مغارب ذکرشده. اين است مراتب علم عباد. و با وجود اين به جواهرعلم و لطائف حکمت چه جهل ها و عيوب ها که نسبت می دهند.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

This is the meaning of the sacred verse: “But nay! I swear by the Lord of the Easts and the Wests,” inasmuch as the “Suns” referred to have each their own particular rising and setting place. And as the commentators of the Qur’án have failed to grasp the symbolic meaning of these “Suns,” they therefore were at pains to interpret the above-quoted verse. Some of them maintained that owing to the fact that the sun each day rises from a different point, the terms “easts” and “wests” have been mentioned in the plural. Others have written that by this verse the four seasons of the year are intended, inasmuch as the dawning and setting points of the sun vary with the change of the seasons. Such is the depth of their understanding! None the less, they persist in imputing error and folly to those Gems of knowledge, those irreproachable and purest Symbols of wisdom.

Translation Notes

آيهمبارکه
áyhmbárkh ʾ-y-ي/ب-r-k “sacred”

literal: blessed verse

1 occurrence in corpus

می
m-y-y

literal: present continuous marker; continuous-marker

SE rendered معنی (mʿní)آيهمبارکه (áyhmbárkh)می (mí)فرمايد (frmáyd)فَلا (falá)اُقسِمُ (uqsim)بِرَبِّ (birabb) as “meaning, sacred verse, “But, I swear, by the Lord”

3 occurrences in corpus

برای
bráy b-r-y

literal: for

SE rendered المَغَارِب (al-maghárib)زيرا (zírá)از (iz)برای (bráy)هر (hr)شمسی (shmsí)از (iz) as “the Wests,”, inasmuch as, the, each”

wherefore 50% light 50%
مذکوره
mdhkúrh dh-k-r

literal: mention; mentioned

SE rendered از (iz)برای (bráy)هر (hr)شمسی (shmsí)از (iz)شموس (shmús)مذکوره (mdhkúrh)محلّ (mḥll)اشراق (ishráq)غروب (ghrúb)چون (chún) as “the, each, place, rising, setting, And as”

بر
br b-r-r

literal: on; on, upon; upon

SE rendered غروب (ghrúb)چون (chún)علمای (ʿlmáy)تفسير (tfsír)بر (br)حقيقت (ḥqíqt)شمس (shms)های (háy)مذکوره (mdhkúrh)اطّلاع (iṭṭláʿ) as “setting, And as, the commentators, Qur’án, the symbolic meaning, “Suns,”, failed to grasp”

land 33% upon 11% piety 11% unto 11% pious 6% righteousness 6% beseech 6% good 6% against 6% indignities 6%
های
háy null

literal: and; that; in

SE rendered علمای (ʿlmáy)تفسير (tfsír)بر (br)حقيقت (ḥqíqt)شمس (shms)های (háy)مذکوره (mdhkúrh)اطّلاع (iṭṭláʿ)نيافتند (níáftnd)لهذا (lhdhá) as “the commentators, Qur’án, the symbolic meaning, “Suns,”, failed to grasp, have, therefore”

مبارکه
mbárkh b-r-k

literal: blessed; blessing

SE rendered نيافتند (níáftnd)لهذا (lhdhá)تفسير (tfsír)آيه (áyh)مبارکه (mbárkh)معطّل (mʿṭṭl)شدند (shdnd)بعضی (bʿḍí)ذکر (dhkr) as “have, therefore, interpret, verse, at pains, Some of them, maintained”

blessed 61% holy 19% sacred 6% hallowed 6% hand 3% blest 3%
شدند
shdnd sh-d

literal: become; to become; became

SE rendered تفسير (tfsír)آيه (áyh)مبارکه (mbárkh)معطّل (mʿṭṭl)شدند (shdnd)بعضی (bʿḍí)ذکر (dhkr)نمودند (nmúdnd)چون (chún) as “interpret, verse, at pains, Some of them, maintained, they, owing to”

روز
rúz r-w-z

literal: day; today; that-day

SE rendered ذکر (dhkr)نمودند (nmúdnd)چون (chún)آفتاب (áftáb)هر (hr)روز (rúz)از (iz)نقطه (nqṭh)طلوع (ṭlúʿ) as “maintained, they, owing to, the sun, each day, the, a different point, rises”

day 64% days 9% stage 9% daytime 9% day-time 9%
غير
ghír gh-y-r

literal: other; other than

SE rendered از (iz)نقطه (nqṭh)طلوع (ṭlúʿ)می (mí)نمايد (nmáyd)غير (ghír)از (iz)نقطه (nqṭh)يوم (yúm)لهذا (lhdhá)لفظ (lfẓ) as “the, a different point, rises, terms”

other 28% without 11% another 11% none 11% any 8% others 8% different 6% unseemly 6% else 6% anyone 6%
يوم
yúm y-w-m

literal: day; days; today

SE rendered طلوع (ṭlúʿ)می (mí)نمايد (nmáyd)غير (ghír)از (iz)نقطه (nqṭh)يوم (yúm)لهذا (lhdhá)لفظ (lfẓ)جمع (jmʿ)ذکر (dhkr)فرموده (frmúdh) as “rises, the, terms, in the plural, mentioned, have been”

day 89% whereon 3% days 1% judgment 1% wondrous 1% today 1% which 1% great 1% day?” 1% blessed 1%
ديگر
dígr d-g-r

literal: other; other, another; other/another

SE rendered لفظ (lfẓ)جمع (jmʿ)ذکر (dhkr)فرموده (frmúdh)بعضی (bʿḍí)ديگر (dígr)نوشتهاند (núshthánd)مقصود (mqṣúd)فصول (fṣúl) as “terms, in the plural, mentioned, have been, Others, have written, the four seasons of, seasons”

another 44% other 16% different 16% again 6% else 6% hand 3% furthermore 3% passage 3% once 3%
اربعه
irbʿh r-b-ʿ

literal: four

SE rendered نوشتهاند (núshthánd)مقصود (mqṣúd)فصول (fṣúl)اربعه (irbʿh)هر (hr)فصلی (fṣlí)چون (chún)شمس (shms)از (iz) as “have written, the four seasons of, seasons, intended,, inasmuch as, of the sun, the”

four 67% twenty-four 33%
عباد
ʿbád ʿ-b-d

literal: servants; servant; servant/slave

SE rendered مراتب (mrátb)علم (ʿlm)عباد (ʿbád)وجود (wjúd)جواهرعلم (júáhrʿlm) as “depth, of their understanding, Gems of knowledge”

servants 34% men 30% people 21% man 3% all 3% peoples 3% unto 2% who 2% serve 2% mankind 2%
وجود
wjúd w-j-d

literal: existence; existent

SE rendered مراتب (mrátb)علم (ʿlm)عباد (ʿbád)وجود (wjúd)جواهرعلم (júáhrʿlm)لطائف (lṭáʾf)حکمت (ḥkmt) as “depth, of their understanding, Gems of knowledge, irreproachable and purest Symbols, of wisdom”

چه
chh ch-h

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

SE rendered جواهرعلم (júáhrʿlm)لطائف (lṭáʾf)حکمت (ḥkmt)چه (chh)جهل (jhl)ها (há)عيوب (ʿíwb)ها (há)نسبت (nsbt) as “Gems of knowledge, irreproachable and purest Symbols, of wisdom, error, folly, imputing”

what 50% whatsoever 50%
ها
w-j-h

literal: face; attention; turning

SE rendered جواهرعلم (júáhrʿlm)لطائف (lṭáʾf)حکمت (ḥkmt)چه (chh)جهل (jhl)ها (há)عيوب (ʿíwb)ها (há)نسبت (nsbt)می (mí)دهند (dhnd) as “Gems of knowledge, irreproachable and purest Symbols, of wisdom, error, folly, imputing, to those”

face 35% faces 12% countenance 10% set 10% sake 9% turn 8% turning 7% turned 4% setting 3% have 2%
عيوب
ʿíwb ʿ-y-b “faults”

literal: faults; fault; fault, defect

folly 50% faults 50%

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf cover

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

Bahá’u’lláh

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.

268 ¶

Fire Tablet cover

Fire Tablet

Bahá’u’lláh

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 cover

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 cover

Kitáb-i-’Ahd

Bahá’u’lláh

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 cover

Prayers and Meditations

Bahá’u’lláh

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 cover

Tablet of Aḥmad

Bahá’u’lláh

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 cover

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 cover

Tablet of the Holy Mariner

Bahá’u’lláh

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 cover

The Hidden Words

Bahá’u’lláh

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 cover

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 ¶