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Prayers and Meditations — §19

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 19 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

سُبْحانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ يا إِلهِي أَسْئَلُكَ بِهذا الظُّهُورِ الَّذِيْ فِيهِ بُدِّلَ الدَّيْجُورُ بِالبُكُورِ، وَبُنِيَ البَيْتُ المَعْمُورُ، وَنُزِّلَ اللَّوْحُ المَسْطُورُ، وَظَهَرَ الرَّقُّ المَنْشُورُ، بِأَنْ تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيَّ وَمَنْ مَعِي ما يُطَيِّرُنَا إِلى هَوآءِ عِزِّ أَحَدِيَّتِكَ، وَيُطَهِّرُنَا مِنَ الشُّبُهاتِ الَّتِي بِها مُنِعَ المُرِيبُونَ عَنِ الدُّخُولِ فِيْ حَرَمِ تَوْحِيدِكَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by this Revelation whereby darkness hath been turned into light, through which the Frequented Fane hath been built, and the Written Tablet revealed, and the Outspread Roll uncovered, to send down upon me and upon them who are in my company that which will enable us to soar into the heavens of Thy transcendent glory, and will wash us from the stain of such doubts as have hindered the suspicious from entering into the tabernacle of Thy unity.

Translation Notes

سُبْحانَكَ
s-b-ḥ → “Praise be to Thee” Distinctive

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

اللَّهُمَّ
ʾ-l-h → “O Lord” Distinctive

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

يا
y-ʾ

literal: O; or

أَسْئَلُكَ
s-ʾ-l → “I beseech Thee”

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

بِهذا
h-dh-ʾ → “by this”

literal: this; that

الظُّهُورِ
ẓ-h-r → “Revelation”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

الَّذِيْ
l-dh-y → “which”

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

بُدِّلَ
b-d-l → “hath been turned”

literal: in place of; instead of; to change; to alter (preposition or verb stem)

الدَّيْجُورُ
d-j-r → “Darkness”

literal: darkness; obscurity; gloom

بِالبُكُورِ،
b-k-r → “at morn”

literal: repetition; repeatedly; time and again; pulley; virgin; early morning

وَبُنِيَ
b-n-y → “SON” Distinctive

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

البَيْتُ
b-y-t → “House”

literal: house; household; family; verse

المَعْمُورُ،
ʿ-m-r

literal: to work; to act; to do; to perform

وَنُزِّلَ
n-z-l → “revealed”

literal: to descend, to be revealed

اللَّوْحُ
l-w-ḥ → “the Written Tablet”

literal: tablet; panel; divine decree; revelation

المَسْطُورُ،
s-ṭ-r

literal: written; inscribed; recorded

الرَّقُّ
r-q-q → “Thy slaves” Distinctive

literal: slave; subtle things, delicate things; fine

المَنْشُورُ،
n-sh-r

literal: spreading; spread; diffusion

بِأَنْ
ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

عَلَيَّ
ʿ-l-w → “upon me” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

وَمَنْ
m-n → “and upon them who” Distinctive

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

مَعِي
m-ʿ → “notwithstanding” Distinctive

literal: with; together with; alongside

ما
m-ʾ → “that”

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

يُطَيِّرُنَا
ṭ-y-r → “will enable us to soar”

literal: bird; birds; flying creature; flying; flight

إِلى
ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

هَوآءِ
h-w-y → “heavens”

literal: air; atmosphere; void

عِزِّ
ʿ-z-z → “glory”

literal: glory; might; honor; dignity; power; majesty

أَحَدِيَّتِكَ،
ʾ-ḥ-d → “one”

literal: oneness; unity; absolute unicity; singleness of divine essence

وَيُطَهِّرُنَا
ṭ-h-r → “pure” Distinctive

literal: purify; pure; purified

الشُّبُهاتِ
sh-b-h → “such doubts”

literal: doubt; uncertainty; suspicion; resemblance; semblance

الَّتِي
ʾ-l-l → “as” Distinctive

literal: who; which/that; which

بِها
b-h-w

literal: by it; by him; with it

مُنِعَ
m-n-ʿ → “have hindered”

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

المُرِيبُونَ
r-y-b → “doubt” Distinctive

literal: doubt, suspicion, uncertainty; doubt; suspicion

عَنِ
ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

الدُّخُولِ
d-kh-l → “entering”

literal: to enter; to admit; to bring in

فِيْ
f-y → “in”

literal: alas; woe; oh

حَرَمِ
ḥ-r-m → “tabernacle”

literal: sanctity, inviolability, dignity, honor, respect

تَوْحِيدِكَ
w-ḥ-d → “of Thy unity”

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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