Kitáb-i-Íqán — §56

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 56 of 291.

Source (Persian)

اگر قدری تأمّل رود در همين مطلب و بيان، ابواب های معانی و تبيان مفتوح بينيد و جميع علم و اسرار آن را بی حجاب مشاهده فرمائيد. و نيست اين امور مگر برای تربيت و خلاصی نفوس از قفس نفس و هوی و الّا آن سلطان حقيقی لم يزل به ذات خود غنيّ بوده از معرفت موجودات و لا يزال به کينونت خود مستغنی خواهد بود از عبادت ممکنات. يک نسيم از غنای او جميع عالم را به خلَع غنا مفتخر نمايد و يک قطره از بحر جود او همه هستی را به حيات باقيه مشرّف فرمايد. و ليکن چون مقصود امتياز حقّ از باطل و شمس از ظلّ است، اين است که در کلّ حين امتحان های مُنزله از جانب ربّ العزّه چون غيث هاطل جاری است.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Were you to ponder, but for a while, these utterances in your heart, you would surely find the portals of understanding unlocked before your face, and would behold all knowledge and the mysteries thereof unveiled before your eyes. Such things take place only that the souls of men may develop and be delivered from the prison-cage of self and desire. Otherwise, that ideal King hath, throughout eternity, been in His Essence independent of the comprehension of all beings, and will continue, for ever, in His own Being to be exalted above the adoration of every soul. A single breeze of His affluence doth suffice to adorn all mankind with the robe of wealth; and one drop out of the ocean of His bountiful grace is enough to confer upon all beings the glory of everlasting life. But inasmuch as the divine Purpose hath decreed that the true should be known from the false, and the sun from the shadow, He hath, therefore, in every season sent down upon mankind the showers of tests from His realm of glory.

Translation Notes

اگر

ʾ-g-r → “were they”

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

قدری

q-d-r → “for a while”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

تأمّل

ʾ-m-l → “ponder”

literal: denial; belying; falsification; rejection; liar; lying; false

رود

r-w-d

literal: to go; to come; to proceed

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

همين

h-m-n → “Help in Peril” Distinctive

literal: the same; that very

مطلب

ṭ-l-b

literal: seeker, one who seeks; those who seek

بيان،

b-y-n → “utterances”

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident

ابواب

b-w-b → “portals”

literal: door; gate; chapter; way; manner

های

null

literal: and; that; in

معانی

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

مفتوح

f-t-ḥ → “unlocked” Distinctive

literal: opening; opening up; conquests; revelations; disclosure

بينيد

d-y-d → “seen” Distinctive

literal: see; to see; seen

جميع

j-m-ʿ → “all”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

علم

ʿ-l-m → “knowledge”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

اسرار

s-r-r → “mysteries”

literal: throne; couch; seat of authority

آن

ʾ-n → “thereof”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

بی

b-y → “unveiled”

literal: without; is; to

حجاب

ḥ-j-b

literal: to veil oneself, to be veiled

مشاهده

sh-h-d

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

فرمائيد.

f-r-m → “He” Distinctive

literal: to say; to decree; to ordain; to command

نيست

b-w-d

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

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

امور

ʾ-m-r → “things”

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

مگر

m-g-r → “save through”

literal: matter; affair; thing

برای

b-r-y

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

تربيت

r-b-y → “education”

literal: education; upbringing; training; cultivation

خلاصی

kh-l-ṣ → “wholly” Distinctive

literal: sincere; devoted; pure one

نفوس

n-f-s → “souls”

literal: self; soul; psyche

از

ʾ-z → “from”

literal: from

قفس

q-f-ṣ → “prison-cage”

literal: cage; prison; enclosure

هوی

h-w-y → “desire”

literal: desire; vain desire; inclination; passion; whim; realm; region

الّا

ʾ-kh-r

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

سلطان

s-l-ṭ → “King”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

حقيقی

ḥ-q-q → “ideal”

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

لم

l-y-s → “not”

literal: to reproach; blame; censure

يزل

z-w-l

literal: cease; to cease; decline

به

b-h → “in” Distinctive

literal: by it; by him; with it

ذات

dh-w-t → “Essence”

literal: self; essence; being

خود

kh-w-d → “His” Distinctive

literal: self; himself; herself; itself; own

غنيّ

gh-n-y → “independent” Distinctive

literal: to be independent of; to be in no need of; to dispense with

معرفت

ʿ-r-f → “comprehension”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

موجودات

w-j-d → “beings”

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

کينونت

k-w-n → “be” Distinctive

literal: to do; to make; to perform; to be; was

مستغنی

gh-n-y → “wealth” Distinctive

literal: to be independent of; to be in no need of; to dispense with

خواهد

kh-w-h

literal: will; to wish; to want

عبادت

ʿ-b-d → “adoration”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

ممکنات.

m-k-n

literal: establishment; confirmation; empowerment; firm settlement; place; possibility; being (negated as ‘non-being’)

يک

y-k → “one”

literal: one; a single

نسيم

n-s-m → “breeze”

literal: breeze; gentle wind; fragrance

او

h-w-w → “His”

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

خلَع

kh-l-ʿ → “robe”

literal: robe; garment of honor; investiture

مفتخر

f-kh-r → “adorn” Distinctive

literal: glory; boasting; pride

نمايد

n-m-ʾ → “may”

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

قطره

q-ṭ-r → “drop”

literal: drop; region; country; rainfall

بحر

b-ḥ-r → “ocean”

literal: sea; ocean

جود

j-w-d → “bountiful grace” Distinctive

literal: generosity; bounty; liberality

همه

h-m-h → “all”

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

هستی

h-s-t → “beings”

literal: is; be; are

حيات

ḥ-y-y → “life”

literal: life; vitality; living

باقيه

b-q-y → “everlasting”

literal: remaining; everlasting; eternal; immortal; permanence; duration; continuance

مشرّف

sh-r-f → “glory” Distinctive

literal: honor; nobility; eminence; to honor

ليکن

l-k-n → “But”

literal: is; to be (third person singular present); to be one; oneness; unity

چون

ch-w-n → “As”

literal: since; when; as

مقصود

q-ṣ-d → “Purpose”

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

امتياز

m-y-z

literal: to distinguish; to differentiate; to discern

باطل

b-ṭ-l → “false”

literal: falsehood, false; vain, null

شمس

sh-m-s → “sun”

literal: sun; daystar; manifestation of divine light

ظلّ

ẓ-l-l → “shadow”

literal: to take shelter; to dwell in shadow

که

k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

کلّ

k-l-l → “every”

literal: for us; to us

حين

ḥ-y-n → “moment”

literal: time; moment; while; season

امتحان

m-ḥ-n → “tests”

literal: trial; tribulation; affliction; test

مُنزله

n-z-l → “sent down” Distinctive

literal: to descend, to be revealed

جانب

j-n-b → “thee” Distinctive

literal: to avoid; to shun; to keep away from

ربّ

r-b-b

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

العزّه

ʿ-z-z → “glory”

literal: glory; might; honor; dignity; power; majesty

غيث

gh-y-th → “showers”

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

هاطل

h-ṭ-l

literal: falling; pouring down; abundant

جاری

j-r-y

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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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

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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘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 ¶