Kitáb-i-Íqán — §88
Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 88 of 291.
Source (Persian)
و چون امم عيسی به اين معانی نرسيدند و اين علامات بر حسب ظاهر چنانچه خود و علمای ايشان ادراک نمودهاند ظاهر نشد لهذا به مظاهر قدسيّه از آن يوم تا به حال اقبال ننمودند و از جميع فيوضات قدسيّه محروم شدند و از بدايع کلمات صمدانيّه محجوب گشتند. اين است شأن اين عباد در يوم معاد. و اين قدر ادراک ننمودند که اگر در هر عصری علائم ظهور مطابق آنچه در اخبار است در عالمِ ظاهر ظاهر شود ديگر که را يارای انکار و اعراض می ماند و چگونه ميان سعيد و شقيّ و مجرم و متّقی تفصيل می شود؟ مثلاً انصاف دهيد اگر اين عبارات که در انجيل مسطور است بر حسب ظاهر ظاهر شود و ملائکه با عيسی بن مريم از سماء ظاهره با ابری نازل شوند ديگر که يارای تکذيب داردو يا که لايق انکار و قابل استکبار باشد؟ بلکه فی الفور همه اهل ارض را اضطراب به قسمی احاطه می کند که قادر بر حرف و تکلّم نيستند تا چه رسد به ردّ و قبول. و نظر به عدم ادراک اين معانی بود که جمعی از علمای نصاری به آن حضرت معارضه نمودند که اگر تو آن نبيّ موعودی چرا با تو نيستند آن ملائکه که در کتب ما مسطور است که بايد با جمال موعود بيايند تا او را اعانت نمايند در امر او و منذر باشند برای عباد؟ چنانچه ربّ العزّه از لسان ايشان خبر داده : "لَولا اُنزِلَ إليهِ مَلَکٌ فَيَکُونَ مَعَهُ نذيراً " که مضمون آن اين است : چرا فرو فرستاده نشد با محمّد ملکی پس باشد با او بيم دهنده و ترساننده مردمان را.
Shoghi Effendi Translation
As the adherents of Jesus have never understood the hidden meaning of these words, and as the signs which they and the leaders of their Faith have expected have failed to appear, they therefore refused to acknowledge, even until now, the truth of those Manifestations of Holiness that have since the days of Jesus been made manifest. They have thus deprived themselves of the outpourings of God’s holy grace, and of the wonders of His divine utterance. Such is their low estate in this, the Day of Resurrection! They have even failed to perceive that were the signs of the Manifestation of God in every age to appear in the visible realm in accordance with the text of established traditions, none could possibly deny or turn away, nor would the blessed be distinguished from the miserable, and the transgressor from the God-fearing. Judge fairly: Were the prophecies recorded in the Gospel to be literally fulfilled; were Jesus, Son of Mary, accompanied by angels, to descend from the visible heaven upon the clouds; who would dare to disbelieve, who would dare to reject the truth, and wax disdainful? Nay, such consternation would immediately seize all the dwellers of the earth that no soul would feel able to utter a word, much less to reject or accept the truth. It was owing to their misunderstanding of these truths that many a Christian divine hath objected to Muhammad, and voiced his protest in such words: “If Thou art in truth the promised Prophet, why then art Thou not accompanied by those angels our sacred Books foretold, and which must needs descend with the promised Beauty to assist Him in His Revelation and act as warners unto His people?” Even as the All-Glorious hath recorded their statement: “Why hath not an angel been sent down to him, so that he should have been a warner with Him?”
Translation Notes
معانی
literal: to concern; to mean; to turn away from; bounty; loving-kindness; grace; divine care; attention; meaning; significance; inner sense
ادراک
literal: to overtake; to catch; to reach; to attain; to perceive; to comprehend
فيوضات
literal: flood; abundance; overflow; emanation; grace; overflowing; emanating; surplus
شأن
literal: affair; concern; matter; aspect; quality; state; affairs; matters; conditions; circumstances; affair, matter, station, rank, dignity; station; rank; importance; matter, affair, concern, dignity, rank
تفصيل
literal: detail; distinction; differentiation; to detail; to separate
