Kitáb-i-Íqán — §68

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 68 of 291.

Source (Persian)

و بعد از او حکايت کليم اللّه بود که کَهَنَه آن زمان فرعون را خبر دادند که کوکبی در سماء طالع شده که دالّ است بر انعقاد نطفه ای که هلاک تو و قوم تو بر دست اوست. و همچنين عالمی پيدا شد که شب ها بنی اسرائيل را بشارت و تسلّی می فرمود و اطمينان می داد چنانچه در کتب مسطور است. و اگر تفصيل اين امور ذکر شود اين رساله کتابی می شود. و ديگر آنکه دوست ندارم حکايات واقعه قبل را ذکر نمايم. و خدا شاهد حال است که اين بيان هم که می شود نيست مگر از کمال حبّ به آن جناب که شايد جمعی فقرای ارض بر شاطی غنا وارد شوند و يا گروهی از جاهلان بر بحر علم وارد گردند و يا تشنگان معرفت بر سلسبيل حکمت واصل آيند. و إلاّ اين عبد اشتغال به اين مقالات را ذنبی عظيم می دانم و عصيانی کبير می شمرم.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

After Him came Moses, He Who held converse with God. The soothsayers of His time warned Pharaoh in these terms: “A star hath risen in the heaven, and lo! it foreshadoweth the conception of a Child Who holdeth your fate and the fate of your people in His hand.” In like manner, there appeared a sage who, in the darkness of the night, brought tidings of joy unto the people of Israel, imparting consolation to their souls, and assurance to their hearts. To this testify the records of the sacred books. Were the details to be mentioned, this epistle would swell into a book. Moreover, it is not Our wish to relate the stories of the days that are past. God is Our witness that what We even now mention is due solely to Our tender affection for thee, that haply the poor of the earth may attain the shores of the sea of wealth, the ignorant be led unto the ocean of divine knowledge, and they that thirst for understanding partake of the Salsabíl of divine wisdom. Otherwise, this servant regardeth the consideration of such records a grave mistake and a grievous transgression.

Translation Notes

بعد

b-ʿ-d → “After”

literal: after; behind; distance

از

ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

او

h-w-w → “is”

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

حکايت

ḥ-k-y → “story”

literal: telling; indicative; narrator; testifier; narrative; story; account; tale; to relate; one who relates; speaking of

کليم

k-l-m → “words” Distinctive

literal: words; utterances; locutions; word; utterance; speech; sayings; verses

اللّه

ʾ-l-h → “God”

literal: God; Allah; deity; Divinity; divine nature; godhood

که

k-h → “which”

literal: that; who; who, that

کَهَنَه

k-h-n → “soothsayers”

literal: poor; needy; the poor one; pauper

آن

ʾ-n → “His” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

زمان

z-m-n → “time”

literal: time; age; era; period

فرعون

f-r-ʿ

literal: branch; offshoot; to branch off

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

خبر

kh-b-r → “warned” Distinctive

literal: all-knowing; aware; well-informed; omniscient

دادند

d-ʾ-d → “of equity” Distinctive

literal: to give; to grant; to issue

کوکبی

k-w-k-b → “star”

literal: star; planet

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

سماء

s-m-w → “heaven”

literal: heaven; sky

طالع

ṭ-l-ʿ → “risen”

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

شده

sh-d → “was”

literal: to become; to be

دالّ

d-l-l → “proof” Distinctive

literal: to argue; to demonstrate; proof

است

b-w-d → “hath” Distinctive

literal: to be; to exist; to have been

بر

b-r-r → “in” Distinctive

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

انعقاد

ʿ-q-d → “belief” Distinctive

literal: contract; covenant; knot; to tie; to contract; to conclude

نطفه

n-ṭ-f → “germ”

literal: germ; seed; sperm; drop; genesis

ای

ʾ-y-y

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

هلاک

h-l-k → “consumed” Distinctive

literal: to destroy; to ruin; to cause to perish; perishing; destroyer; lost

تو

t-w-w

literal: you

قوم

q-w-m → “people”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

دست

d-s-t → “His hand.””

literal: hand; control, power, authority

اوست.

h-s-t → “is”

literal: is; be; are

همچنين

ch-n-n → “In like manner”

literal: always; ever; forever; at all times; constantly

عالمی

ʿ-l-m → “knowledge” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

پيدا

p-y-d → “measure of the revelation” Distinctive

literal: stable; lasting; permanent (negated: unstable; transient); apparent; visible; manifest

شب

sh-b → “night”

literal: night; nights

ها

w-j-h

literal: He; He is

بنی

b-n-y → “SON”

literal: building, structure, edifice; to build, construct; structure, edifice

اسرائيل

s-r-ʾ → “songs”

literal: honor; singers, songs; Israel

بشارت

b-sh-r → “brought tidings” Distinctive

literal: human; mankind; human nature

تسلّی

s-l-w → “consolation”

literal: Siloam; mastery; mastery, control

می

m-y-y → “will be made”

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

فرمود

f-r-m

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

اطمينان

ṭ-m-n → “assurance”

literal: to be at peace; to be reassured; to settle down

کتب

k-t-b → “Book”

literal: book; scripture; writing

مسطور

s-ṭ-r → “recorded”

literal: written; inscribed; recorded

اگر

ʾ-g-r → “were they”

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

تفصيل

f-ṣ-l → “details” Distinctive

literal: detail; distinction; differentiation; to detail; to separate

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this”

literal: this; these

امور

ʾ-m-r

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

ذکر

dh-k-r → “mentioned”

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

شود

sh-w-d → “would” Distinctive

literal: to come; to go; to arrive; came

رساله

r-s-l → “Apostle” Distinctive

literal: to send; dispatch; transmission

کتابی

k-t-b → “book”

literal: book; scripture; writing

ديگر

d-g-r

literal: home; place; land; abode

دوست

d-w-s-t

literal: friend; beloved; to befriend

ندارم

d-ʾ-sh-t

literal: to have; to hold; to possess; to maintain

واقعه

w-q-ʿ → “occurred”

literal: to fall, to occur, to happen; incident, event

قبل

q-b-l → “past” Distinctive

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

نمايم.

n-m-ʾ → “may” Distinctive

literal: do; show; make

خدا

kh-d-ʾ → “God”

literal: God; the Divine

شاهد

sh-h-d → “witness”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

حال

ḥ-w-l → “now”

literal: state; condition; circumstance

بيان

b-y-n → “utterance”

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

هم

h-m-m → “endeavor” Distinctive

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

مگر

m-g-r

literal: matter; affair; thing

کمال

k-m-l

literal: perfection; completeness; fully; with full; in complete; to complete, perfect, fulfill

حبّ

ḥ-b-b → “tender affection” Distinctive

literal: love; beloved; beloved ones

به

b-h → “for” Distinctive

literal: by it; by him; with it

جناب

j-n-b → “thee”

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

شايد

sh-y-d → “haply”

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

جمعی

j-m-ʿ

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

فقرای

f-q-r → “poor”

literal: poor; needy; the poor one; pauper

ارض

ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

شاطی

sh-ṭ-ʾ → “shores”

literal: fitting; suitable; becoming

غنا

gh-n-y → “sea of wealth”

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

وارد

w-r-d → “attain” Distinctive

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

يا

y-ʾ

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

گروهی

g-r-w

literal: numerous; many; multiple

جاهلان

j-h-l → “ignorant”

literal: ignorant; foolish; the ignorant ones

بحر

b-ḥ-r → “ocean”

literal: sea; ocean

گردند

g-r-d → “become”

literal: to become; to happen; to come to pass

تشنگان

t-sh-n → “athirst”

literal: thirsty, athirst

معرفت

ʿ-r-f → “understanding”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

سلسبيل

s-l-s → “chains” Distinctive

literal: Salsabil; a spring in Paradise; easy to drink

حکمت

ḥ-k-m → “wisdom”

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom

واصل

w-ṣ-l → “and”

literal: reunion; union; meeting; connection

آيند.

ʾ-y-d → “aid”

literal: come; support; may aid

إلاّ

ʾ-kh-r → “Otherwise”

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

عبد

ʿ-b-d → “servant”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

اشتغال

sh-gh-l → “busied”

literal: to occupy; to engage; to busy; occupation

مقالات

q-w-l → “Say”

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

ذنبی

dh-n-b → “sin”

literal: sin; crime; offense; fault

عظيم

ʿ-ẓ-m → “Most Great”

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

دانم

d-ʾ-n → “considered” Distinctive

literal: this world; earthly life; temporal realm; lowest; base; mean; of little account; to know; to be acquainted with

عصيانی

ʿ-ṣ-y → “sinner” Distinctive

literal: disobey; transgress; rebel

کبير

k-b-r → “grievous” Distinctive

literal: great; grand; mighty; large; greatness; majesty; sovereignty; arrogance

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

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

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 ¶