Kitáb-i-Íqán — §6

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 6 of 291.

Source (Persian)

اگر بر ابتلای انبياء و علّت و سبب اعتراضات عباد بر آن شموس هويّه آگاه شويد بر اکثری از امور اطّلاع يابيد و ديگر هر چه اعتراضات مردم را بر مشارق شموس صفات احديّه بيشتر ملاحظه کنيد در دين خود و امراللّه محکم تر و راسخ تر شويد. لهذا بعضی از حکايات انبياء مجملاً در اين الواح ذکر می شود تا معلوم شود و مبرهن آيد که در جميع اعصار و اقران بر مظاهر قدرت و مطالع عزّت وارد می آوردند آنچه را که قلم از ذکرش خجل و منفعل است. شايد اين اذکار سبب شود که بعضی از ناس از اعراض و اعتراض علماء و جهّال عصر مضطرب نشوند و بلکه بر ايقان و اطمينانشان بيفزايد.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Should you acquaint yourself with the indignities heaped upon the Prophets of God, and apprehend the true causes of the objections voiced by their oppressors, you will surely appreciate the significance of their position. Moreover, the more closely you observe the denials of those who have opposed the Manifestations of the divine attributes, the firmer will be your faith in the Cause of God. Accordingly, a brief mention will be made in this Tablet of divers accounts relative to the Prophets of God, that they may demonstrate the truth that throughout all ages and centuries the Manifestations of power and glory have been subjected to such heinous cruelties that no pen dare describe them. Perchance this may enable a few to cease to be perturbed by the clamour and protestations of the divines and the foolish of this age, and cause them to strengthen their confidence and certainty.

Translation Notes

اگر

ʾ-g-r → “were they”

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

بر

b-r-r → “indignities heaped upon”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

ابتلای

b-l-w

literal: trial; affliction; tribulation; testing

انبياء

n-b-ʾ → “Prophets”

literal: prophet; messenger

علّت

ʿ-l-l → “causes”

literal: for us; to us

سبب

s-b-b → “causes”

literal: cause; reason; means; instrument

اعتراضات

ʿ-r-ḍ → “objections”

literal: objection, protest, denial; cavil

عباد

ʿ-b-d → “servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

آن

ʾ-n → “their”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

شموس

sh-m-s

literal: sun; daystar; manifestation of divine light

هويّه

h-w-y

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

آگاه

ʾ-g-h → “cognizant”

literal: aware; cognizant; informed; apprised; awareness; knowledge; consciousness

شويد

sh-w-d → “been” Distinctive

literal: to become; to be

اکثری

k-th-r

literal: majority; multitude; abundance; multiplicity

از

ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

امور

ʾ-m-r → “Cause” Distinctive

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

اطّلاع

ṭ-l-ʿ → “apprehend” Distinctive

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

يابيد

y-b-d → “will surely appreciate”

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

ديگر

d-g-r

literal: home; place; land; abode

هر

h-r

literal: whatever; all that; whatever thing

چه

ch-h

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

مردم

m-r-d → “those” Distinctive

literal: rebellion; mutiny; revolt

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

مشارق

sh-r-q → “Manifestations”

literal: honor; nobility; eminence; to honor

صفات

w-ṣ-f → “attributes”

literal: attribute; quality; characteristic

احديّه

ʾ-ḥ-d → “divine” Distinctive

literal: oneness; uniqueness; absolute unity; singularity of God

بيشتر

b-y-sh → “gain” Distinctive

literal: increase; abundance; more; greater; excess

ملاحظه

l-ḥ-ẓ → “observe”

literal: assembly; multitude; chiefs; to fill; people of rank; fullness, assembly

کنيد

k-r-d

literal: do; to do; do, make

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

دين

d-y-n → “faith”

literal: religion; faith; creed; belief

خود

kh-w-d → “their own”

literal: self; himself; herself; itself; own

محکم

ḥ-k-m → “wisdom” Distinctive

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom

تر

t-r-r

literal: more (comparative suffix)

راسخ

r-s-kh

literal: steadfast; firm; firmly rooted; established

لهذا

l-dh-ʾ → “therefore”

literal: therefore; for this reason; hence; so

بعضی

b-ʿ-ḍ → “few” Distinctive

literal: part; some; portion

حکايات

ḥ-k-y → “story” Distinctive

literal: story; incident; indicative, testifying

مجملاً

j-m-l → “Beauty” Distinctive

literal: beauty; totality; beautiful

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this”

literal: this; these

الواح

l-w-ḥ → “Tablet”

literal: tablet; panel; divine decree; revelation

ذکر

dh-k-r → “mention”

literal: remembrance; mention; memory; invocation; reminders; commemorations

می

m-y-y → “will be made”

literal: what; which; that which; relative pronoun; interrogative

تا

t-y-y → “so that”

literal: so that/until

معلوم

ʿ-l-m → “knowledge” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

مبرهن

b-r-h-n

literal: proof, evidence, demonstration, argument

آيد

ʾ-y-d

literal: come; support; may aid

که

k-h → “that throughout”

literal: that; who; who, that

جميع

j-m-ʿ → “all”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

اعصار

ʿ-ṣ-r → “ages”

literal: age; era; century; period of time

اقران

q-r-n → “centuries”

literal: stability; firmness; establishment

مظاهر

ẓ-h-r → “Manifestations”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest; to display; to reveal; ظهور here means ‘backs’ (plural of ظهر), different semantic use than manifestation

قدرت

q-d-r → “power”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

عزّت

ʿ-z-z → “glory”

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

وارد

w-r-d

literal: to enter, to come, to befall, to arrive

آوردند

ʾ-w-r

literal: to bring; bring; brought

قلم

q-l-m → “pen”

literal: pen; writing instrument

خجل

kh-j-l

literal: shame; embarrassment; disgrace

منفعل

f-ʿ-l

literal: do; deed; do/act

است.

b-w-d

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

شايد

sh-y-d → “Perchance”

literal: perhaps, perchance, haply, maybe, possibly; to become; to be; to happen; to occur

ناس

n-ʾ-s

literal: companionship; fellowship; familiarity; to keep company

جهّال

j-h-l → “foolish”

literal: ignorant; foolish; the ignorant ones

مضطرب

ḍ-r-b → “tremble”

literal: to shake, quiver, vibrate, tremble with emotion

نشوند

sh-d → “was” Distinctive

literal: to become; to be

بلکه

b-l-k

literal: nay; but rather; on the contrary; but

ايقان

y-q-n → “certainty” Distinctive

literal: certainty; certitude; conviction; faith

اطمينانشان

ṭ-m-n → “confidence”

literal: tranquility; confidence; tranquil

بيفزايد.

f-z-y → “kindleth”

literal: increase; excess; more; additional; to increase; to grow; to be added

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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

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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

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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 ¶