Prayers and Meditations — §167

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 167 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

لَ كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ عَلَمَ هِدَايَتِكَ بَيْنَ عِبادِكَ وَإِشْراقَ أَنْوارِ شَمْسِ عِنايَتِكَ بَيْنَ بَرِيَّتِكَ، قَدِ اخْتَصَصْتَهُمْ يا إِلهِي لِمَحَبَّتِكَ وَالحُضُورِ لَدَى عَرْشِ عَظَمَتِكَ هذا مَقامٌ ما سَبَقَهُمْ أَحَدٌ فِيْ ذلِكَ، كَمْ مِنْ لَيالٍ يا إِلهِي ما نامُوا لِذِكْرِكَ وَكَمْ مِنْ أَيَّامٍ ناحُوا بِما وَرَدَ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ أَعْدائِكَ، أَسْئَلُكَ يا مالِكَ المُلُوكِ وَرافِعَ المَمْلُوكِ بِأَنْ تُؤَيِّدَهُمْ عَلَى نُصْرَةِ أَمْرِكَ وَإِعْلآءِ كَلِمَتِكَ عَلَى شَأْنٍ يَنْتَشِرُ بِهِمْ ذِكْرُكَ بَيْنَ خَلْقِكَ وَثَنائُكَ فِيْ مَمْلَكَتِكَ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْمُقْتَدِرُ المُتَعالِ الْغَفُورُ الْكَرِيمُ، سُبْحانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ يا إِلهِي هذا عَبْدُكَ الَّذِيْ سَمَّيْتَهُ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I beseech Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of all being and the Enlightener of all things visible and invisible, to grant that every one of them may become an ensign of Thy guidance among Thy servants, and a revelation of the splendors of the Daystar of Thy loving-kindness amidst Thy creatures. Thou hast, O my God, chosen them to love Thee, and to stand before the throne of Thy majesty. No other station hath excelled the station to which Thou hast called them. How many the nights, O my God, when sleep failed to overtake them because of their remembrance of Thee, and how numerous the days which they spent in lamentation over the things that have befallen Thee at the hands of Thine enemies! I entreat Thee, O Thou Who art the Ruler of rulers, and the Uplifter of the downtrodden, to aid them so to assist Thy Cause and exalt Thy word that through them Thy praise may be shed abroad amidst Thy creatures, and Thy virtues recounted throughout Thy realm. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.

Translation Notes

كُلَّ

k-l-l → “every one”

literal: for us; to us

وَاحِدٍ

w-ḥ-d

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

مِنْهُمْ

m-n → “of them”

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

عَلَمَ

ʿ-l-m → “ensign” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

هِدَايَتِكَ

h-d-y → “guidance”

literal: guidance; to guide; direction; leading rightly; this; this one

بَيْنَ

b-y-n → “among Thy”

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

عِبادِكَ

ʿ-b-d → “servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

وَإِشْراقَ

sh-r-q → “revelation of the splendors” Distinctive

literal: radiance; splendor; dawn; illumination

أَنْوارِ

n-w-r

literal: light; illumination

شَمْسِ

sh-m-s → “Daystar”

literal: sun; daystar; manifestation of divine light

عِنايَتِكَ

ʿ-n-y → “loving-kindness”

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

بَرِيَّتِكَ،

b-r-ʾ → “creatures”

literal: to create; to create anew; to be free from; innocent; free from; clear of; to cure; to heal; to clear

قَدِ

q-d → “We have been”

literal: verily; indeed; certainly (particle of emphasis)

اخْتَصَصْتَهُمْ

kh-ṣ-ṣ → “singled out” Distinctive

literal: special; particular; specific

يا

y-ʾ → “O ye”

literal: O; or

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “O my God”

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

لِمَحَبَّتِكَ

ḥ-b-b → “to love Thee”

literal: love; affection

وَالحُضُورِ

ḥ-ḍ-r → “His Majesty” Distinctive

literal: presence; majesty; His/Your Excellency

لَدَى

l-d-y → “before”

literal: with; in the presence of; from; by

عَرْشِ

ʿ-r-sh → “throne”

literal: of the Throne; companion of the Throne

عَظَمَتِكَ

ʿ-ẓ-m → “of Thy majesty”

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

هذا

h-dh-ʾ

literal: this; that

مَقامٌ

q-w-m → “station hath excelled the station”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

ما

m-ʾ → “No” Distinctive

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

سَبَقَهُمْ

s-b-q

literal: to precede; to surpass; to excel

أَحَدٌ

ʾ-ḥ-d → “one”

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

فِيْ

f-y

literal: in; in-it; in it

ذلِكَ،

dh-l-k

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

كَمْ

k-m-m → “How many”

literal: how many; how much

لَيالٍ

l-y-l → “nights”

literal: night; nights; the nights

نامُوا

n-w-m → “slumber”

literal: sleep; sleeping; name

لِذِكْرِكَ

dh-k-r → “because of their remembrance”

literal: remembrance; mention; memory; invocation; reminders; commemorations

أَيَّامٍ

y-w-m → “days”

literal: day; age; period; era; a day

ناحُوا

n-w-ḥ → “spent in lamentation”

literal: lament; lamentation; Noah

وَرَدَ

w-r-d → “befallen”

literal: to enter, to come, to befall, to arrive

عَلَيْكَ

ʿ-l-y → “upon”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

أَعْدائِكَ،

ʿ-d-w → “enemies”

literal: when; if; whenever; at that time

أَسْئَلُكَ

s-ʾ-l → “I entreat Thee” Distinctive

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

مالِكَ

m-l-k → “Ruler” Distinctive

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty; possessions; property; ownership

وَرافِعَ

r-f-ʿ → “raised” Distinctive

literal: raise; raised; elevation

بِأَنْ

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تُؤَيِّدَهُمْ

ʾ-y-d → “aid”

literal: to grant; to give; to bestow; to support, aid

نُصْرَةِ

n-ṣ-r → “to assist” Distinctive

literal: aid, help, succor, victory, support

أَمْرِكَ

ʾ-m-r → “Cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

وَإِعْلآءِ

ʿ-l-w → “exalt”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

كَلِمَتِكَ

k-l-m → “Thy word”

literal: words; utterances; locutions

شَأْنٍ

sh-ʾ-n → “in such wise”

literal: affair; concern; matter; aspect; quality; state; affairs; matters; conditions; circumstances; affair, matter, station, rank, dignity; station; rank; importance; matter, affair, concern, dignity, rank

يَنْتَشِرُ

n-sh-r → “spreading” Distinctive

literal: spreading; spread; diffusion

بِهِمْ

h-m → “all”

literal: them (feminine or general); by them; through them

خَلْقِكَ

kh-l-q → “creatures”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

وَثَنائُكَ

th-n-y → “Thy virtues”

literal: praise; commendation; eulogy; glorification; praise, commendation, eulogy

إِنَّكَ

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t

literal: you (masculine singular)

الْمُقْتَدِرُ

q-d-r → “Almighty”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

الْغَفُورُ

gh-f-r → “the Ever-Forgiving”

literal: to forgive; forgiveness

الْكَرِيمُ،

k-r-m → “the Most Generous”

literal: Carmel (Mount Carmel); vineyard, fruitful field

سُبْحانَكَ

s-b-ḥ

literal: glorified; the All-Praised; exalted; dawn; daybreak; morning

الَّذِيْ

l-dh-y

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

سَمَّيْتَهُ

s-m-w

literal: name; heaven; names

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