Kitáb-i-Íqán — §85

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 85 of 291.

Source (Persian)

و عنقريب است که اعلام قدرت الهی را در همه بلاد مرتفع بينی و آثار غلبه و سلطنت او را در جميع ديار ظاهر مشاهده فرمائی. باری، اکثر علماء چون اين آيات را ادراک ننمودهاند و از مقصود قيامت واقف نشدهاند لهذا جميع را به قيامت موهوم من حَيثُ لا يَشعُر تفسير می نمايند. خدای واحد شاهد است که اگر قدری بصيرت باشد از تلويح همين دو آيه جميع مطالب که مقصود است ادراک می شود و به صبح منير ايقان به عنايت رحمان واصل می گردند. کَذلِکَ تَغَنُّ عَلَيکَ حَمامَةُ البَقاءِ عَلی اَفنانِ سِدرَةِ البهاء لَعَلَّ تکُونَنَّ فی مناهِج العِلْمِ وَ الحِکمَةِ بإذنِ اللّه سالِکاً.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Ere long, thine eyes will behold the standards of divine power unfurled throughout all regions, and the signs of His triumphant might and sovereignty manifest in every land. As most of the divines have failed to apprehend the meaning of these verses, and have not grasped the significance of the Day of Resurrection, they therefore have foolishly interpreted these verses according to their idle and faulty conception. The one true God is My witness! Little perception is required to enable them to gather from the symbolic language of these two verses all that We have purposed to propound, and thus to attain, through the grace of the All-Merciful, the resplendent morn of certitude. Such are the strains of celestial melody which the immortal Bird of Heaven, warbling upon the Sadrih of Bahá, poureth out upon thee, that, by the permission of God, thou mayest tread the path of divine knowledge and wisdom.

Translation Notes

عنقريب

q-r-b → “Ere long”

literal: soon; shortly; ere long

است

b-w-d → “is”

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

که

k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

اعلام

ʿ-l-m → “standards of divine power”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

در

d-r-r

literal: in; in, at; radiant

همه

h-m-h → “all regions”

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

بلاد

b-l-d

literal: city; land; country

مرتفع

r-f-ʿ → “unfurled throughout” Distinctive

literal: to be raised, elevated, exalted, lifted up

بينی

b-y-n → “thine eyes will behold”

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

آثار

ʾ-th-r → “signs”

literal: effect; trace; influence; imprint; sign; mark; vestige

غلبه

gh-l-b → “ascendancy”

literal: to overcome, overpower, vanquish, prevail

سلطنت

s-l-ṭ → “sovereignty”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

او

h-w-w → “His”

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

جميع

j-m-ʿ → “every land”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

ديار

d-w-r

literal: land; region; place; abode; dwelling

ظاهر

ẓ-h-r → “manifest”

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

مشاهده

sh-h-d → “in” Distinctive

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

فرمائی.

f-r-m

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

باری،

b-r-y

literal: well; cistern; pit

اکثر

k-th-r → “most of”

literal: majority; multitude; abundance; multiplicity

چون

ch-w-n → “As”

literal: since; when; as

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

ادراک

d-r-k → “failed to apprehend”

literal: to overtake; to catch; to reach; to attain; to perceive; to comprehend

از

ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

مقصود

q-ṣ-d → “purpose”

literal: intention; purpose; aim; goal; to seek; to direct oneself

قيامت

q-w-m → “Day of Resurrection”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

واقف

w-q-f → “hesitated” Distinctive

literal: to stop; to halt; to pause; to hesitate

لهذا

l-dh-ʾ → “therefore”

literal: therefore; for this reason; hence; so

به

b-h → “as”

literal: by it; by him; with it

موهوم

w-h-m → “idle and faulty conception” Distinctive

literal: to imagine, suppose; fancy, idle imagination

من

m-n

literal: from; out of; than (preposition and particle)

حَيثُ

ḥ-y-th

literal: where; in which; inasmuch as; in such wise that; whereby; in that; respect, aspect

لا

l-ʾ

literal: no; not; negation particle

يَشعُر

sh-ʿ-r → “consciousness” Distinctive

literal: indicating; hair; perceive

تفسير

f-s-r → “interpreted”

literal: interpretation; inquiry; commentary

می

m-y-y

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

نمايند.

n-m-ʾ → “have” Distinctive

literal: to show, display, exhibit; to grow, develop

خدای

kh-d-ʾ → “God”

literal: God; divine; deity

واحد

w-ḥ-d → “one true”

literal: Divine unity; monotheism; belief in the oneness of God

اگر

ʾ-g-r

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

قدری

q-d-r → “power” Distinctive

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

بصيرت

b-ṣ-r

literal: sight; insight; discernment; spiritual perception

تلويح

l-w-ḥ → “Tablet” Distinctive

literal: tablet; panel; divine decree; revelation

همين

h-m-n → “Help in Peril” Distinctive

literal: the same; that very

دو

d-w

literal: two; run; running

آيه

ʾ-y-y → “verses all”

literal: verse; sign; miracle; proof; sign, verse, miracle, token, indication; ayah; he; him; it

مطالب

ṭ-l-b → “theme” Distinctive

literal: seeker, one who seeks; those who seek

شود

sh-w-d → “be”

literal: to become; to be

صبح

ṣ-b-ḥ → “resplendent morn”

literal: morning, dawn; daybreak

منير

n-w-r

literal: light; illumination

ايقان

y-q-n → “of certitude”

literal: certainty; certitude; conviction; faith

عنايت

ʿ-n-y → “grace of”

literal: to concern; to mean; to turn away from; bounty; loving-kindness; grace; divine care; attention; meaning; significance; inner sense

رحمان

r-ḥ-m → “All-Merciful”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

واصل

w-ṣ-l → “to attain”

literal: reunion; union; meeting; connection

گردند.

g-r-d

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

کَذلِکَ

dh-l-k → “Such”

literal: thus; likewise; also

تَغَنُّ

gh-n-y → “wealth” Distinctive

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

عَلَيکَ

ʿ-l-y → “upon”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

حَمامَةُ

ḥ-m-m → “Doves”

literal: dove; doves; arrived/decreed

البَقاءِ

b-q-y

literal: remaining; everlasting; eternal; immortal

عَلی

ʿ-l-w → “upon” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

اَفنانِ

f-n-n → “Afnán”

literal: twigs; branches

سِدرَةِ

s-d-r

literal: lote-tree; divine tree

البهاء

b-h-w → “the All-Glorious” Distinctive

literal: splendor; glory; magnificence; Bahá (Proper Name in Bahá’í texts)

لَعَلَّ

l-ʿ-l → “that”

literal: perhaps; perchance; hopefully

تکُونَنَّ

k-w-n → “thou mayest” Distinctive

literal: to do; to make; to perform; to be; was

فی

f-y

literal: in; in-it; in it

مناهِج

n-h-j → “path”

literal: ways; paths; way

الحِکمَةِ

ḥ-k-m → “wisdom”

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom; firm; solid; strengthened

بإذنِ

ʾ-dh-n → “by the permission of”

literal: ear; permission; leave; to permit; to allow; to listen

اللّه

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

سالِکاً.

s-l-k → “Deal” Distinctive

literal: conduct; behavior; way; path; spiritual wayfaring

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

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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 ¶