Prayers and Meditations — §189

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 189 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

نَفْسَهُ فِيْ سَبِيلِكَ وَما أَرادَ لِنَفْسِهِ إِلاَّ البَلايا فِيْ حُبِّكَ، قَدْ حَمَلَ الشَّدَائِدَ كُلَّها لإِظْهارِ سَلْطَنَتِكَ بَيْنَ عِبادِكَ وَإِعْلاءِ كَلِمَتِكَ بَيْنَ بَرِيَّتِكَ، كُلَّما ازْدادَتِ البَلايا وَأَحاطَتْهُ القَضايا مِنْ كُلِّ الأَشْطارِ إِنَّهُ زادَ فِيْ ذِكْرِكَ عَلَى شَأْنٍ ما خَوَّفَهُ جُنُودُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِكَ وَبِآياتِكَ، أَيْ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I testify, O my Lord, that He hath surrendered His life in Thy path, and hath wished for Himself nothing but tribulation in the love He beareth to Thee. He hath endured all manner of vexations that He may manifest Thy sovereignty unto Thy servants, and exalt Thy word amidst Thy creatures. As the adversities deepened, and the troubles sent down by Thee compassed Him on every side, He became so impassioned by His thought of Thee, that the hosts of all them that had disbelieved in Thee and repudiated Thy signs ceased to affright Him.

Translation Notes

نَفْسَهُ

n-f-s → “His life” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

فِيْ

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

سَبِيلِكَ

s-b-l → “Thy path”

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

وَما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

أَرادَ

r-y-d → “wished” Distinctive

literal: to will, to intend, to wish, to desire; to want; to intend; to desire

إِلاَّ

ʾ-kh-r → “but” Distinctive

literal: except; but; if not; lo; now; at this time; save; only; unless

البَلايا

b-l-w → “tribulation”

literal: affliction; trial; calamity

حُبِّكَ،

ḥ-b-b → “love”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

قَدْ

q-d → “We have been”

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

حَمَلَ

ḥ-m-l → “bear” Distinctive

literal: to bear; to endure; to carry; to tolerate

الشَّدَائِدَ

sh-d-d → “tribulations”

literal: strong; severe; intense; violent

كُلَّها

k-l-l → “all”

literal: all; every; whole; entirety; entire; completely

لإِظْهارِ

ẓ-h-r → “manifest” Distinctive

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

سَلْطَنَتِكَ

s-l-ṭ → “Thy sovereignty”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

بَيْنَ

b-y-n → “unto” Distinctive

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

عِبادِكَ

ʿ-b-d → “Thy servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

وَإِعْلاءِ

ʿ-l-w → “exalt”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

كَلِمَتِكَ

k-l-m → “Thy word”

literal: words; utterances; locutions

بَرِيَّتِكَ،

b-r-ʾ → “Thy creatures”

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

ازْدادَتِ

z-y-d → “waxed greater and greater” Distinctive

literal: increase; excess; more; additional

وَأَحاطَتْهُ

ḥ-w-ṭ → “compassed”

literal: to encompass, surround, envelop, embrace

القَضايا

q-ḍ-y → “decree”

literal: requirement; exigency; what demands or calls for; to require; to necessitate; to demand

مِنْ

m-n

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

الأَشْطارِ

sh-ṭ-r → “side”

literal: side, direction; half; to split

إِنَّهُ

ʾ-n-n → “He”

literal: I, verily; behold I

ذِكْرِكَ

dh-k-r → “His thought of Thee” Distinctive

literal: remembrance; mention; memory

شَأْنٍ

sh-ʾ-n

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

خَوَّفَهُ

kh-w-f → “fear”

literal: to fear; to be afraid; fear

جُنُودُ

j-n-d → “hosts”

literal: hosts, armies, troops

الَّذِينَ

l-dh-y → “of all them that”

literal: those who; the ones who (relative pronoun)

كَفَرُوا

k-f-r → “had disbelieved”

literal: to disbelieve, reject; unbelief, ingratitude; to deny, to disbelieve, to reject