Kitáb-i-Íqán — §76

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 76 of 291.

Source (Persian)

و علم به دو قسم منقسم است: علم الهی و علم شيطانی. آن از الهامات سلطان حقيقی ظاهر و اين از تخيّلات انفس ظلمانی باهر. معلّم آن حضرت باری و معلّم اين وساوس نفسانی. بيان آن "اتّقوا اللّه يُعلِّمکم اللّه" و بيان اين "العلمُ حجابُ الاکبر". اثمار آن شجر، صبر و شوق و عرفان و محبّت، و اثمار اين شجر، کبر و غرور و نخوت. و از بيانات صاحبان بيان که در معنی علم فرمودهاند هيچ رائحه اين علوم ظلمانی که ظلمت آن همه بلاد را فرا گرفته استشمام نمی شود. اين شجر جز بغی و فحشاء ثمری نياورد و جز غلّ و بغضاء حاصلی نبخشد. ثمرش سمّ قاتل است و ظلّش نار مهلک. فنعم ما قال: "تَمَسَّکْ بِاَذيالِ الهَوی واخلَعِ الْحَياء وَخَلِّ سَبيلَ النّاسِکينَ و إن جَلُّوا."

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Know verily that Knowledge is of two kinds: Divine and Satanic. The one welleth out from the fountain of divine inspiration; the other is but a reflection of vain and obscure thoughts. The source of the former is God Himself; the motive-force of the latter the whisperings of selfish desire. The one is guided by the principle: “Fear ye God; God will teach you;” the other is but a confirmation of the truth: “Knowledge is the most grievous veil between man and his Creator.” The former bringeth forth the fruit of patience, of longing desire, of true understanding, and love; whilst the latter can yield naught but arrogance, vainglory and conceit. From the sayings of those Masters of holy utterance, Who have expounded the meaning of true knowledge, the odour of these dark teachings, which have obscured the world, can in no wise be detected. The tree of such teachings can yield no result except iniquity and rebellion, and beareth no fruit but hatred and envy. Its fruit is deadly poison; its shadow a consuming fire. How well hath it been said: “Cling unto the robe of the Desire of thy heart, and put thou away all shame; bid the worldlywise be gone, however great their name.”

Translation Notes

علم

ʿ-l-m → “Knowledge”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

به

b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

دو

d-w → “two”

literal: two; run; running

قسم

q-s-m → “swear”

literal: oath; division; kind; type

است:

b-w-d → “is”

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

الهی

ʾ-l-h → “Divine”

literal: God; Allah

شيطانی.

sh-ṭ-n → “Satanic”

literal: Satan; devil; evil one; accursed one

آن

ʾ-n → “one” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

از

ʾ-z → “welleth out from”

literal: from

الهامات

l-h-m → “inspiration”

literal: inspiration; divine inspiration; revelation

سلطان

s-l-ṭ

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

حقيقی

ḥ-q-q → “truth”

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

ظاهر

ẓ-h-r

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

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

تخيّلات

kh-y-l → “desire” Distinctive

literal: imagination; fancy; shadow; phantom; thought; idea

ظلمانی

ẓ-l-m → “obscure” Distinctive

literal: wrongedness, oppression, meekness; state of being wronged or oppressed

باهر.

b-h-r

literal: portion, share; for the sake of; spring (season)

حضرت

ḥ-ḍ-r

literal: presence; majesty; His/Your Excellency

باری

b-r-y → “Briefly”

literal: well; cistern; pit

وساوس

w-s-w-s → “of”

literal: whisper; whispering; temptation

نفسانی.

n-f-s → “selfish desire”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

بيان

b-y-n → “utterance”

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident; in; among; between; at this moment

"اتّقوا

w-q-y → ““Fear”

literal: piety; fear; aware, knowing

حجابُ

ḥ-j-b → “veil”

literal: to veil oneself, to be veiled

الاکبر".

k-b-r → “pride” Distinctive

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

اثمار

th-m-r → “fruit”

literal: fruit; the fruit

شجر،

sh-j-r → “tree”

literal: tree

صبر

ṣ-b-r → “patience”

literal: patience; forbearance; endurance; to be patient

شوق

sh-w-q → “longing desire”

literal: to encourage; to incite; yearning; enthusiasm

عرفان

ʿ-r-f → “understanding”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

محبّت،

ḥ-b-b → “love”

literal: love; affection

غرور

gh-r-r → “vainglory”

literal: delusion, deceit; deluded, deceived

نخوت.

n-kh-w → “arrogance”

literal: arrogance; pride; haughtiness

صاحبان

ṣ-ḥ-b → “companions” Distinctive

literal: possessor; those who have; companion; followers

که

k-h → “which”

literal: that; who; who, that

در

d-r-r

literal: in; in, at; radiant

معنی

ʿ-n-y → “meaning”

literal: meaning; sense; significance

فرمودهاند

f-r-m → “have expounded” Distinctive

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

هيچ

h-y-ch → “any”

literal: nothing; any; not a single

رائحه

r-w-ḥ → “spirit” Distinctive

literal: banner; standard; flag; sign; banner, standard, flag, ensign

همه

h-m-h → “all”

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

بلاد

b-l-d → “city” Distinctive

literal: city; land; country

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

فرا

f-r-ʾ → “have obscured”

literal: to flee; to escape; to scatter

گرفته

g-r-f

literal: captive, afflicted, troubled, caught; affliction, trouble

استشمام

sh-m-m → “detected”

literal: smell; smelling; Syria

نمی

n-h-y

literal: to show, to display, to manifest, to exhibit; to manifest; to display; to show

شود.

sh-w-d → “be”

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

جز

j-z → “apart from”

literal: except

بغی

b-gh-y → “oppression”

literal: to seek; to desire; to rebel; to transgress

فحشاء

f-ḥ-sh → “wickedness” Distinctive

literal: indecency; wickedness; iniquity; obscenity

نياورد

ʾ-w-r → “refuse” Distinctive

literal: bring; to bring; to_bring

غلّ

gh-l-l → “envy”

literal: one who envies; envious; malicious

بغضاء

b-gh-ḍ → “hatred”

literal: hatred; enmity; animosity

حاصلی

ḥ-ṣ-l → “attained” Distinctive

literal: obtained; result; sum

نبخشد.

b-kh-sh → “grace” Distinctive

literal: to grant; to give; to forgive; to bestow

سمّ

s-m-m → “poison”

literal: name; title; designation

قاتل

q-t-l → “death” Distinctive

literal: slayer; killer; murderer

ظلّش

ẓ-l-l → “shadow”

literal: for us; to us

نار

n-ʾ-r → “fire”

literal: light; illumination

مهلک.

h-l-k → “consumed” Distinctive

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

فنعم

n-ʿ-m → “How well” Distinctive

literal: bliss; bounty; grace; comfort; felicity

ما

m-ʾ

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

قال:

q-w-l → “said”

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

"تَمَسَّکْ

m-s-k → “cleave” Distinctive

literal: hold fast; clinging; cling

بِاَذيالِ

dh-y-l → “hem”

literal: hem; skirt; tail; border

الهَوی

h-w-y → “Desire”

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

واخلَعِ

kh-l-ʿ

literal: robe; robe/garment; robe of honor

الْحَياء

ḥ-y-y → “shame”

literal: greeting; salutation; tribute; to make alive; to revive

وَخَلِّ

kh-l-y → “bid”

literal: leave

سَبيلَ

s-b-l → “path”

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

النّاسِکينَ

n-s-k → “worldlywise”

literal: ascetics

جَلُّوا."

j-l-l → “glory” Distinctive

literal: exalted; glory; majesty

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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