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Kitáb-i-Íqán — §57

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 57 of 291.

Source (Persian)

اگر قدری در انبيای قبل و ظهور ايشان تعقّل رود امر بسيار بر اهل ديار سهل شود به قسمی که از افعال و اقوالی که مخالف نفس و هوی است محتجب نمی مانند و همه حجبات را به نار سدره عرفان محترق نمايند و بر عرش سکون و اطمينان مستريح شوند. مثلاً موسی بن عمران که يکی از انبيای معظّم و صاحب کتاب بود در اوّل امر، قبل از بعثت، روزی در سوق می گذشت. دو نفر با يکديگر معارضه می نمودند. يکی از آن دو نفس از موسی استمداد جست. آن حضرت او را اعانت نموده مدّعی را بقتل رسانيد چنانچه درکتاب مسطور است و ذکر تفصيل، مايه تعويق و تعطيل مقصود می شود. و اين خبر در مدينه اشتهار يافت و آن حضرت را خوف غالب شد چنانچه نصّ کتاب است. تا آنکه به خبر " إنَّ المَلأ يَأتَمِرُونَ بِکَ لِيَقتُلُوکَ" مخبر شد و از مدينه بيرون تشريف بردند و در مدين در خدمت شعيب اقامه فرمودند. و در مراجعت، در وادی مبارکه که برّيّهء سينا باشد وارد شد و تجلّی سلطان احديّه را از شجره لا شرقيّه و لا غربيّه مشاهده نمود و ندای جانفزای روحانی را از نار موقده ربّانی استماع فرمود و مأمور به هدايت انفس فرعونی گشت تا مردم را از وادی نفس و هوی نجات داده، به صحراهای دلفزای روح و هدی وارد نمايد و از سلسبيل انقطاع جميع من فی الإبداع را از حيرتِ بُعد به دارالسّلام قرب رساند. و چون در منزل فرعون وارد شد و تبليغ نمود به آنچهمأمور بود فرعون زبان به بی ادبی گشود و گفت: آيا تو نبودی که قتل نفس نمودی و از کافران شدی؟ مثل اينکه ربّ العظمه خبر داد از لسان فرعون که به موسی عرض نمود: "وَ فَعَلْتَ فَعْلَتَکَ الَّتی فَعَلْتَ و اَنْتَ مِنَ الکَافِرينَ قَالَ فَعَلْتُها اذاً وَ اَنا مِنَ الضَّالّين فَفَرَرْتُ مِنْکُم لَمَّا خِفْتُکُم فَوَهَبَ لِی رَبّی حُکْماً و جَعَلَنَی مِنَ المُرْسَلِينَ."

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Were men to meditate upon the lives of the Prophets of old, so easily would they come to know and understand the ways of these Prophets that they would cease to be veiled by such deeds and words as are contrary to their own worldly desires, and thus consume every intervening veil with the fire burning in the Bush of divine knowledge, and abide secure upon the throne of peace and certitude. For instance, consider Moses, son of ‘Imrán, one of the exalted Prophets and Author of a divinely-revealed Book. Whilst passing, one day, through the market, in His early days, ere His ministry was proclaimed, He saw two men engaged in fighting. One of them asked the help of Moses against his opponent. Whereupon, Moses intervened and slew him. To this testifieth the record of the sacred Book. Should the details be cited, they will lengthen and interrupt the course of the argument. The report of this incident spread throughout the city, and Moses was full of fear, as is witnessed by the text of the Book. And when the warning: “O Moses! of a truth, the chiefs take counsel to slay Thee” reached His ears, He went forth from the city, and sojourned in Midian in the service of Shoeb. While returning, Moses entered the holy vale, situate in the wilderness of Sinai, and there beheld the vision of the King of glory from the “Tree that belongeth neither to the East nor to the West.” There He heard the soul-stirring Voice of the Spirit speaking from out of the kindled Fire, bidding Him to shed upon Pharaonic souls the light of divine guidance; so that, liberating them from the shadows of the valley of self and desire, He might enable them to attain the meads of heavenly delight, and delivering them, through the Salsabíl of renunciation, from the bewilderment of remoteness, cause them to enter the peaceful city of the divine presence. When Moses came unto Pharaoh and delivered unto him, as bidden by God, the divine Message, Pharaoh spoke insultingly saying: “Art thou not he that committed murder, and became an infidel?” Thus recounted the Lord of majesty as having been said by Pharaoh unto Moses: “What a deed is that which Thou hast done! Thou art one of the ungrateful. He said: ‘I did it indeed, and I was one of those who erred. And I fled from you when I feared you, but My Lord hath given Me wisdom, and hath made Me one of His Apostles.’”

Translation Notes

تعقّل
tʿqql ʿ-q-l → “the”

literal: intellect; minds; understand

SE rendered انبيای (inbíáy), ظهور (ẓhúr), ايشان (iyshán), تعقّل (tʿqql), رود (rúd), امر (imr), بسيار (bsíár), بر (br), اهل (ihl), ديار (díár), سهل (shl) as “meditate, lives, of, the, Prophets, old, so, easily, would, they”

اقوالی
iqúálí q-w-l → “of”

literal: say; said; saying

SE rendered قسمی (qsmí), از (iz), افعال (ifʿál), اقوالی (iqúálí), مخالف (mkhálf), نفس (nfs), هوی (húy), محتجب (mḥtjb) as “know, understand, the, of, Prophets, that, would, to”

say 46% said 14% words 11% saith 10% have 6% hath 4% saying 3% word 2% sayings 2% made 2%
نمی
nmí n-h-y → “be”

literal: end; utmost; ended

SE rendered مخالف (mkhálf), نفس (nfs), هوی (húy), محتجب (mḥtjb), نمی (nmí), مانند (mánnd), همه (hmh), حجبات (ḥjbát), نار (nár) as “Prophets, that, would, to, be, veiled, such, deeds, as”

محترق
mḥtrq ḥ-r-q → “to”

literal: burn; burned; burning

SE rendered حجبات (ḥjbát), نار (nár), سدره (sdrh), عرفان (ʿrfán), محترق (mḥtrq), نمايند (nmáynd), بر (br), عرش (ʿrsh), سکون (skún), اطمينان (iṭmínán) as “deeds, as, are, contrary, to, their, worldly, desires, and, consume”

consumed 20% fast 20% burn 20% melted 10% caused 10% consumeth 10% consume 10%
سکون
skún s-k-n → “and”

literal: dwelling; dwell

SE rendered عرفان (ʿrfán), محترق (mḥtrq), نمايند (nmáynd), بر (br), عرش (ʿrsh), سکون (skún), اطمينان (iṭmínán), مستريح (mstríḥ), شوند (shúnd), مثلاً (mthláan) as “contrary, to, their, worldly, desires, and, consume, every, intervening, veil”

بن

literal: son; sons

SE rendered اطمينان (iṭmínán), مستريح (mstríḥ), شوند (shúnd), مثلاً (mthláan), موسی (músí), بن (bn), عمران (ʿmrán), يکی (ykí), از (iz), انبيای (inbíáy), معظّم (mʿẓẓm) as “consume, every, intervening, veil, with, the, fire, in, Bush, of”

روزی
rúzí r-w-z → “and”

literal: day; today; by-day

SE rendered اوّل (iwwl), امر، (imr،), از (iz), بعثت، (bʿtht،), روزی (rúzí), سوق (súq), می (mí), گذشت (gdhsht), دو (dú), نفر (nfr) as “upon, the, of, peace, and, market, passing, two, men”

one 50% certain 40% day 10%
رسانيد
rsáníd r-s-n → “attain”

literal: bring; to cause to reach, deliver; to deliver, to convey

SE rendered اعانت (iʿánt), نموده (nmúdh), مدّعی (mddʿí), بقتل (bqtl), رسانيد (rsáníd), چنانچه (chnánchh), درکتاب (drktáb), مسطور (msṭúr), ذکر (dhkr) as “intervened and, slew him, opponent, slay, Book, testifieth the record, the details”

تفصيل،
tfṣíl، f-ṣ-l

literal: detail; separate; separated

SE rendered درکتاب (drktáb), مسطور (msṭúr), ذکر (dhkr), تفصيل، (tfṣíl،), مايه (máyh), تعويق (tʿúyq), تعطيل (tʿṭíl), مقصود (mqṣúd) as “Book, testifieth the record, the details, lengthen, interrupt, course of the argument”

مايه
máyh m-y-h

literal: water; cause, means; foundation

SE rendered درکتاب (drktáb), مسطور (msṭúr), ذکر (dhkr), تفصيل، (tfṣíl،), مايه (máyh), تعويق (tʿúyq), تعطيل (tʿṭíl), مقصود (mqṣúd) as “Book, testifieth the record, the details, lengthen, interrupt, course of the argument”

water 30% waters 20% whose 10% germ 10% foundation 10% through 10% waters.” 10%
غالب
ghálb gh-l-b

literal: dominance; victorious

SE rendered اشتهار (ishthár), يافت (yáft), حضرت (ḥḍrt), خوف (khúf), غالب (ghálb), چنانچه (chnánchh), نصّ (nṣṣ), کتاب (ktáb) as “spread throughout the, entered, Him, fear, as, text of the Book, Book”

بردند
brdnd b-r-d

literal: brother; take; coldness

SE rendered از (iz), مدينه (mdính), بيرون (bírún), تشريف (tshríf), بردند (brdnd), مدين (mdín), خدمت (khdmt), شعيب (shʿíb), اقامه (iqámh) as “from, city, went forth, exalted, Midian, in the service, Shoeb, sojourned in”

conducted 50% went 50%
جانفزای

literal: life-increasing, soul-stirring

1 occurrence in corpus

صحراهای
ṣḥráháy ṣ-ḥ-r

literal: desert, wilderness

SE rendered وادی (wádí), نفس (nfs), هوی (húy), نجات (nját), داده، (dádh،), صحراهای (ṣḥráháy), دلفزای (dlfzáy), روح (rúḥ), هدی (hdí), وارد (wárd), نمايد (nmáyd) as “valley, self, desire, delivering them, hath made, delight, attain the meads”

wilds 50% wilderness 25% meads 13% glorious 13%
جميع
jmíʿ j-m-ʿ

literal: all; all, entire

SE rendered وارد (wárd), نمايد (nmáyd), از (iz), سلسبيل (slsbíl), انقطاع (inqṭáʿ), جميع (jmíʿ), الإبداع (al-ʾibdáʿ), از (iz), حيرتِ (ḥírt) as “attain the meads, from, Salsabíl, renunciation, bewilderment”

all 80% every 9% whole 4% each 2% one 2% whatsoever 1% concourse 1% divers 1% entire 1% throughout 1%
الإبداع
al-ʾibdáʿ b-d-ʿ

literal: creation

SE rendered از (iz), سلسبيل (slsbíl), انقطاع (inqṭáʿ), جميع (jmíʿ), الإبداع (al-ʾibdáʿ), از (iz), حيرتِ (ḥírt), دارالسّلام (dárálsslám) as “from, Salsabíl, renunciation, bewilderment, peaceful city”

creation 25% entire 25% created 13% whole 8% all 8% world 4% universe 4% eye 4% uttermost 4% east 4%
منزل
mnzl n-z-l

literal: send down; descending; descend

SE rendered دارالسّلام (dárálsslám), قرب (qrb), رساند (rsánd), چون (chún), منزل (mnzl), فرعون (frʿún), وارد (wárd), تبليغ (tblígh), نمود (nmúd) as “peaceful city, presence, enter, when, Pharaoh, came unto, delivered unto him, did”

revealer 27% revealed 21% who 12% which 9% home 9% sent 6% have 6% even 3% eye 3% abode 3%
آنچهمأمور
ánchhmʾamúr inchhmámúr

literal: that which was commanded

SE rendered فرعون (frʿún), وارد (wárd), تبليغ (tblígh), نمود (nmúd), آنچهمأمور (ánchhmʾamúr), فرعون (frʿún), زبان (zbán) as “Pharaoh, came unto, delivered unto him, did, out”

1 occurrence in corpus

بی
bí b-y

literal: without; is

SE rendered فرعون (frʿún), زبان (zbán), بی (bí), ادبی (idbí), گشود (gshúd), گفت (gft), آيا (áyá), تو (tú), نبودی (nbúdí) as “Pharaoh, out, spoke insultingly saying, thou, was”

ادبی
idbí ʾ-d-b

literal: manners; courtesy; manner

SE rendered فرعون (frʿún), زبان (zbán), بی (bí), ادبی (idbí), گشود (gshúd), گفت (gft), آيا (áyá), تو (tú), نبودی (nbúdí) as “Pharaoh, out, spoke insultingly saying, thou, was”

گفت
gft gftn

literal: say; to say; said

SE rendered فرعون (frʿún), زبان (zbán), بی (bí), ادبی (idbí), گشود (gshúd), گفت (gft), آيا (áyá), تو (tú), نبودی (nbúdí), قتل (qtl), نفس (nfs), نمودی (nmúdí) as “Pharaoh, out, spoke insultingly saying, thou, was, murder, He, they”

said 36% say 18% spoken 9% hath 9% words 5% state 5% maintain 5% maintained 5% called 5% wert 5%
لسان
lsán l-s-n

literal: tongue; tongue, language; tongues

SE rendered ربّ (rbb), العظمه (al-ʿẓmh), خبر (khbr), داد (dád), از (iz), لسان (lsán), فرعون (frʿún), موسی (músí) as “Lord, majesty, recounted, the, Pharaoh, Moses”

tongue 78% language 5% languages 3% voice 3% words 3% tongues 3% mouth 3% said 1% own 1% through 1%
فَوَهَبَ
fawahab w-h-b

literal: gift; bestower; gifts

SE rendered مِنْکُم (minkum), خِفْتُکُم (khiftukum), فَوَهَبَ (fawahab), لِی (lí), رَبّی (rabbí), حُکْماً (ḥukmáan) as “from you, I feared you, upon, wisdom”

جَعَلَنَی
jaʿalanay j-ʿ-l

literal: make; made; to make

SE rendered لِی (lí), رَبّی (rabbí), حُکْماً (ḥukmáan), جَعَلَنَی (jaʿalanay), المُرْسَلِينَ (al-mursalín) as “upon, wisdom, Apostles.’””

thou 19% make 15% hath 13% made 11% grant 9% enable 8% hast 8% number 6% cause 6% will 5%

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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268 ¶

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50 ¶

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729 ¶

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16 ¶

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Prayers and Meditations

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858 ¶

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17 ¶

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5 ¶

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57 ¶

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160 ¶

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59 ¶