Kitáb-i-Íqán — §82

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 82 of 291.

Source (Persian)

پس بايد جهدی نمود تا به اعانت غيبی از اين حجبات ظلمانی و غمام امتحانات ربّانی از مشاهده آن جمال نورانی ممنوع نشويم و او را به نفس او بشناسيم و اگر هم حجّت بخواهيم به يک حجّت و برهان اکتفا نمائيم تا به منبع فيض نامتناهی که جميع فيوضات نزد او معدوم صرف است فائز گرديم نه آنکه هر روز به خيالی اعتراض نمائيم و به هوائی تمسّک جوئيم.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

It behooveth us, therefore, to make the utmost endeavour, that, by God’s invisible assistance, these dark veils, these clouds of Heaven-sent trials, may not hinder us from beholding the beauty of His shining Countenance, and that we may recognize Him only by His own Self. And should we ask for a testimony of His truth, we should content ourselves with one, and only one; that thereby we may attain unto Him Who is the Fountain-head of infinite grace, and in Whose presence all the world’s abundance fadeth into nothingness, that we may cease to cavil at Him every day and to cleave unto our own idle fancy.

Translation Notes

پس

p-s → “From”

literal: then; then, therefore; therefore

بايد

b-y-d → “must”

literal: by hand; with hands; eternal; perpetual; everlasting

جهدی

j-h-d → “Strive” Distinctive

literal: effort; striving; exertion; endeavor

نمود

n-m-ʾ → “may” Distinctive

literal: to become; to be

تا

t-y-y → “that”

literal: so that/until

به

b-h → “as”

literal: by it; by him; with it

اعانت

ʿ-w-n → “assistance” Distinctive

literal: help; aid; helper; supporter

غيبی

gh-y-b → “invisible”

literal: the unseen; the invisible; the hidden; the unknowable; stranger; foreign; alien; separated

از

ʾ-z → “from”

literal: from

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

حجبات

ḥ-j-b → “veils”

literal: states; conditions; circumstances; situations; affairs

ظلمانی

ẓ-l-m → “dark”

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

غمام

gh-m-m → “clouds”

literal: cloud; clouds

امتحانات

m-ḥ-n → “trials”

literal: trial; test; examination

ربّانی

r-b-b → “Heaven-sent” Distinctive

literal: education; upbringing; training; cultivation

مشاهده

sh-h-d → “beholding”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

آن

ʾ-n → “the”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

جمال

j-m-l → “beauty”

literal: beauty; comeliness

نورانی

n-w-r → “shining”

literal: light; illumination

ممنوع

m-n-ʿ → “hinder”

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

نشويم

sh-w-d → “may not”

literal: to become; to be

او

h-w-w → “is”

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

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

نفس

n-f-s → “Self”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

بشناسيم

sh-n-kh → “recognize”

literal: most ugly; most abominable; most heinous

اگر

ʾ-g-r → “were they”

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

هم

h-m-m

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

حجّت

ḥ-j-j → “testimony”

literal: path, way; clear path

بخواهيم

kh-w-h → “will” Distinctive

literal: to read; to call; to recite

يک

y-k → “one”

literal: one; a single

برهان

b-r-h

literal: proof, evidence, demonstration, argument

اکتفا

k-f-y → “suffice” Distinctive

literal: recompense; reward; requital; equal, match, peer; worthy, suitable

منبع

n-b-ʿ → “Source”

literal: to not be; non-existence; there is not

فيض

f-y-ḍ → “grace”

literal: flood; abundance; overflow; emanation; grace; overflowing; emanating; surplus

که

k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

جميع

j-m-ʿ → “all”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

نزد

n-z-d → “unto”

literal: near; beside; with; in the presence of

معدوم

ʿ-d-m → “nothingness”

literal: nonexistent; void; nullified

صرف

ṣ-r-f

literal: pure; absolute; to turn away; to expend

است

b-w-d

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

فائز

f-w-z → “attain”

literal: benefit, profit, advantage; usefulness; bounty; effusion; grace

گرديم

g-r-d → “become” Distinctive

literal: become; to become; make

نه

n-h-y

literal: end, limit, utmost, extreme; final; the end, limit, utmost bound; Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing; end; limit; terminus

هر

h-r → “every”

literal: whatever; all that; whatever thing

روز

r-w-z → “day”

literal: day; today; that-day

خيالی

kh-y-l → “fancy”

literal: imagination; fancy; shadow; phantom

اعتراض

ʿ-r-ḍ → “cavil” Distinctive

literal: objection, protest, denial; cavil

هوائی

h-w-y

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

تمسّک

m-s-k → “cleave”

literal: musk; to seize; grip; to hold fast; to cling to; to grasp

جوئيم.

j-w-y

literal: seek; to seek; place

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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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.

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17 ¶

Tablet of Carmel

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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.

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160 ¶

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‘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 ¶