Prayers and Meditations — §123

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 123 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

يْ أَرْضِكَ وَسَمائِكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ أَسْئَلُكَ بِاسْمِكَ الأَبْهى بِأَنْ تُعَرِّفَ أَهْلَ البَهآءِ ما قَدَّرْتَ لَهُمْ ثُمَّ احْفَظْهُمْ فِيْ حِصْنِ وِلايَتِكَ وَسُرادِقِ عِصْمَتِكَ لِئَلاَّ يَظْهَرَ مِنْهُمْ ما يَخْتَلِفُ بِهِ عِبادُكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ فَاجْمَعْهُمْ عَلَى شاطِئِ هذا البَحْرِ الَّذِيْ كُلُّ قَطْرَةٍ مِنْهُ تُنادِيْ بِأَنَّكَ أَنْتَ اللّهُ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thy most effulgent Name, to acquaint my people with the things Thou didst destine for them. Do Thou, then, preserve them within the stronghold of Thy guardianship and the tabernacle of Thine unerring protection, lest through them may appear what will divide Thy servants. Assemble them, O my Lord, on the shores of this Ocean, every drop of which proclaimeth Thee to be God, besides Whom there is none other God, the All-Glorious, the All-Wise.

Translation Notes

أَرْضِكَ

literal: earth; land; ground; country

أَيْ

ʾ-y-y → “O my” Distinctive

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

رَبِّ

r-b-b → “Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

أَسْئَلُكَ

s-ʾ-l → “I beseech Thee”

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

بِاسْمِكَ

s-m-w → “by Thy”

literal: to name, to nominate, to designate, to appoint; name; noun; to name, to appoint, to designate

الأَبْهى

b-h-w → “most effulgent” Distinctive

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

بِأَنْ

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تُعَرِّفَ

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

أَهْلَ

ʾ-h-l → “my people”

literal: people; inhabitants; family; kin; worthy; deserving; my family; my people; my kin

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

قَدَّرْتَ

q-d-r → “Thou didst destine” Distinctive

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

لَهُمْ

l-h-m → “inspiration” Distinctive

literal: inspiration; divine inspiration; revelation

ثُمَّ

th-m-m → “Do Thou, then”

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

احْفَظْهُمْ

ḥ-f-ẓ → “preserve them”

literal: guardian; preserver; keeper

فِيْ

f-y → “within”

literal: in; in-it; in it

حِصْنِ

ḥ-ṣ-n → “stronghold”

literal: fortress, stronghold, fortified place

وِلايَتِكَ

w-l-y → “of Thy guardianship”

literal: guardian; protector; friend; ally; lord; helper; first; primary; original

وَسُرادِقِ

s-r-d-q → “and the tabernacle”

literal: pavilion; tabernacle; canopy; tent

عِصْمَتِكَ

ʿ-ṣ-m → “of Thine unerring protection”

literal: immaculate; protected; infallible

لِئَلاَّ

l-y-l → “night”

literal: night; darkness

يَظْهَرَ

ẓ-h-r → “may appear” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

مِنْهُمْ

m-n → “them”

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

يَخْتَلِفُ

kh-l-f → “contrary” Distinctive

literal: different; behind; difference

بِهِ

b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

عِبادُكَ،

ʿ-b-d → “Thy servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

فَاجْمَعْهُمْ

j-m-ʿ → “Assemble them”

literal: all; all, entire; group

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w → “on” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

شاطِئِ

sh-ṭ-ʾ → “shores”

literal: fitting; suitable; becoming

هذا

h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; that

البَحْرِ

b-ḥ-r → “Ocean”

literal: sea; ocean

الَّذِيْ

l-dh-y → “which”

literal: who; which; that which; the one who

كُلُّ

k-l-l → “every”

literal: for us; to us

قَطْرَةٍ

q-ṭ-r → “drop”

literal: drop; region; country; rainfall

تُنادِيْ

n-d-y → “proclaimeth” Distinctive

literal: call; voice; cry; summons

بِأَنَّكَ

ʾ-n-n → “Thee to be”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

اللّهُ

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

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