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Kitáb-i-Íqán — §55

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 55 of 291.

Source (Persian)

چنانچه در عهد اکثری انبياء که بعد از موسی مبعوث به رسالت شدند مثل داود و عيسی و دون آنها از انبيای اعظم که ما بين اين دو نبيّ آمدند هيچ حکم قبله تغيير داده نشد و همه اين مرسلين از جانب ربّ العالمين مردم را به توجّه همان جهت امر می فرمودند. و نسبت همه اراضی هم به آن سلطان حقيقی يکی است مگر هر ارضی را که در ظهور مظاهر خود تخصيص به امری دهد. چنانچه می فرمايد: "وَلِلّهِ المَشرِقُ والمَغرِبُ فَاَينَما تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجهُ اللّهِ." با وجود تحقّق اين امور چرا تبديل شد که سبب جزع و فزع عباد شود و علّت تزلزل و اضطراب اصحاب گردد؟ بلی، اين گونه امور که سبب وحشت جميع نفوس است واقع نمی شود مگر برای آنکه کلّ به محکّ امتحان اللّه در آيند تا صادق و کاذب از هم تميز و تفصيل يابد. اينست که بعد از اختلاف ناس می فرمايد : "وَ مَا جَعَلنَا القِبلةَ اَلَّتی کُنتَ عَلَيهَا إلّا لِنعْلَمَ مَن يَتَّبعُ الرَّسُولَ مِمَّنْ ينقَلِبُ عَلی عَقِبَيه " که مضمون آن اين است: ما نگردانيديم و برهم نزديم قبله را که آن بيت المقدّس باشد مگر آنکه بدانيم که متابعت تو می نمايد و که راجع بر عقبيه می شود، يعنی اعراض می نمايد و اطاعت نمی کند و صلات را باطل نموده فرار می نمايد. "حُمُرٌ مُسْتَنْفِرَةٌ فَرَّتْ مِنْ قَسْوَرَةٍ "

Shoghi Effendi Translation

None of the many Prophets sent down, since Moses was made manifest, as Messengers of the Word of God, such as David, Jesus, and others among the more exalted Manifestations who have appeared during the intervening period between the Revelations of Moses and Muhammad, ever altered the law of the Qiblih. These Messengers of the Lord of creation have, one and all, directed their peoples to turn unto the same direction. In the eyes of God, the ideal King, all the places of the earth are one and the same, excepting that place which, in the days of His Manifestations, He doth appoint for a particular purpose. Even as He hath revealed: “The East and West are God’s: therefore whichever way ye turn, there is the face of God.” Notwithstanding the truth of these facts, why should the Qiblih have been changed, thus casting such dismay amongst the people, causing the companions of the Prophet to waver, and throwing so great a confusion into their midst? Yea, such things as throw consternation into the hearts of all men come to pass only that each soul may be tested by the touchstone of God, that the true may be known and distinguished from the false. Thus hath He revealed after the breach amongst the people: “We did not appoint that which Thou wouldst have to be the Qiblih, but that We might know him who followeth the Apostle from him who turneth on his heels.” “Affrighted asses fleeing from a lion.”

Translation Notes

دو
dú d-w

literal: two

SE rendered از (iz), انبيای (inbíáy), اعظم (iʿẓm), دو (dú), نبيّ (nbíb), آمدند (ámdnd), هيچ (hích), حکم (ḥkm), قبله (qblh), تغيير (tghíyr) as “amongst, Prophet, more exalted, Manifestations, ever, altered the law, Qiblih, None”

two 82% twofold 9% both 9%
نبيّ

literal: prophet; prophets

SE rendered انبيای (inbíáy), اعظم (iʿẓm), دو (dú), نبيّ (nbíb), آمدند (ámdnd), هيچ (hích), حکم (ḥkm), قبله (qblh), تغيير (tghíyr) as “Prophet, more exalted, Manifestations, ever, altered the law, Qiblih, None”

prophet 82% tell 9% each 9%
هر
hr h-r

literal: every; each; every/each

SE rendered سلطان (slṭán), حقيقی (ḥqíqí), يکی (ykí), مگر (mgr), هر (hr), ارضی (irḍí), ظهور (ẓhúr), مظاهر (mẓáhr) as “King, ideal, one, excepting, place, Manifestations”

وَلِلّهِ
walillh l-h-h → “god” Distinctive

literal: god; to god

This form usually rendered as “prepared” (1 occurrences)

god 50% prepared 25% name 25%
فَثَمَّ
fathamm th-m-m → “there”

literal: there

1 occurrence in corpus

وجود
wjúd w-j-d

literal: existence; existent

SE rendered فَثَمَّ (fathamm), وَجهُ (wajh), اللّهِ (al-lh), وجود (wjúd), تحقّق (tḥqqq), امور (imúr), چرا (chrá), تبديل (tbdíl) as “there, face, God, truth, facts, why, changed”

world 17% notwithstanding 17% all 14% beings 11% creation 8% yet 8% mankind 8% existence 6% exist 6% souls 6%
چرا
chrá chrá → “why”

literal: why

4 occurrences in corpus

فزع
fzʿ f-z-ʿ

literal: terror; fear

SE rendered امور (imúr), چرا (chrá), تبديل (tbdíl), سبب (sbb), جزع (jzʿ), فزع (fzʿ), عباد (ʿbád), علّت (ʿllt), تزلزل (tzlzl), اضطراب (iḍṭráb) as “facts, why, changed, casting, dismay, people, causing, waver, confusion”

گونه
gúnh gúnh → “such”

literal: kind; kind, type; manner

such 86% so-called 14%
واقع
wáqʿ w-q-ʿ

literal: occurring; occurred

SE rendered سبب (sbb), وحشت (wḥsht), جميع (jmíʿ), نفوس (nfús), واقع (wáqʿ), نمی (nmí), مگر (mgr), برای (bráy), آنکه (ánkh) as “as throw, consternation, all, men, only, He”

come 22% have 17% occurred 17% brought 11% actually 6% episode 6% involved 6% there 6% fulfilled 6% hidden 6%
نمی
nmí n-h-y

literal: end; utmost; ended

SE rendered سبب (sbb), وحشت (wḥsht), جميع (jmíʿ), نفوس (nfús), واقع (wáqʿ), نمی (nmí), مگر (mgr), برای (bráy), آنکه (ánkh) as “as throw, consternation, all, men, only, He”

محکّ
mḥkk m-ḥ-k

literal: touchstone; touchstone, test

SE rendered مگر (mgr), برای (bráy), آنکه (ánkh), محکّ (mḥkk), امتحان (imtḥán), اللّه (al-lh), آيند (áynd), صادق (ṣádq) as “only, He, touchstone, God, true”

آيند
áynd ʾ-y-d

literal: support; come; strengthen

SE rendered محکّ (mḥkk), امتحان (imtḥán), اللّه (al-lh), آيند (áynd), صادق (ṣádq), کاذب (kádhb), از (iz), تميز (tmíz) as “touchstone, God, true, false, of, and distinguished”

تفصيل
tfṣíl f-ṣ-l

literal: detail; separate; separated

SE rendered صادق (ṣádq), کاذب (kádhb), از (iz), تميز (tmíz), تفصيل (tfṣíl), يابد (yábd), اينست (iynst), از (iz), اختلاف (ikhtláf) as “true, false, of, and distinguished, are, breach”

يابد
yábd yáftn

literal: find; found; to find

SE rendered کاذب (kádhb), از (iz), تميز (tmíz), تفصيل (tfṣíl), يابد (yábd), اينست (iynst), از (iz), اختلاف (ikhtláf), ناس (nás) as “false, of, and distinguished, are, breach, people”

مضمون
mḍmún ḍ-m-n

literal: meaning; content/meaning

SE rendered ينقَلِبُ (ynqalib), عَقِبَيه (ʿaqibayh), مضمون (mḍmún), نگردانيديم (ngrdánídím) as “hearts, heels.””

similar 25% theme 13% such 13% purport 13% meaning 13% implication 13% text 13%
نگردانيديم
ngrdánídím ngrdánídím

literal: turn

SE rendered نگردانيديم (ngrdánídím), برهم (brhm), نزديم (nzdím), قبله (qblh) as “Qiblih”

1 occurrence in corpus

برهم
brhm rstn

literal: deliver; together

SE rendered نگردانيديم (ngrdánídím), برهم (brhm), نزديم (nzdím), قبله (qblh) as “Qiblih”

2 occurrences in corpus

بيت
bít b-y-t

literal: house; house/home; houses

SE rendered برهم (brhm), نزديم (nzdím), قبله (qblh), بيت (bít), المقدّس (al-mqdds), باشد (báshd), مگر (mgr), آنکه (ánkh) as “Qiblih, He”

house 75% home 6% habitation 6% hath 3% own 3% chamber 3% one 3%
اعراض
iʿráḍ ʿ-r-ḍ

literal: turn away; turning away

SE rendered راجع (rájʿ), بر (br), عقبيه (ʿqbíh), می (mí), يعنی (yʿní), اعراض (iʿráḍ), می (mí), نمايد (nmáyd), اطاعت (iṭáʿt), نمی (nmí), کند (knd) as “turneth, on, may, hath”

صلات
ṣlát ṣ-l-w

literal: prayer

SE rendered نمايد (nmáyd), اطاعت (iṭáʿt), نمی (nmí), کند (knd), صلات (ṣlát), باطل (báṭl), نموده (nmúdh), فرار (frár) as “may, hath, fleeing”

prayer 86% praying 14%
باطل
báṭl b-ṭ-l

literal: falsehood; vain; false, vain

SE rendered کند (knd), صلات (ṣlát), باطل (báṭl), نموده (nmúdh), فرار (frár), می (mí), نمايد (nmáyd), حُمُرٌ (ḥumurun) as “hath, fleeing, asses”

falsehood 43% idle 13% false 13% come 4% wretched 4% dissipated 4% vain 4% superseded 4% wrong 4% error 4%
قَسْوَرَةٍ
qaswarahin q-s-r → “lion.””

literal: lion

1 occurrence in corpus

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán

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