Prayers and Meditations — §199

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 199 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

بِما جَعَلْتَهُ قَوِيًّا بِقُوَّتِكَ وَمُقْتَدِرًا بِسُلْطانِكَ بِحَيْثُ يَرَى ما سِواكَ كقَبْضَةٍ مِنَ التُّرابِ، وَأَحاطَتْهُ أَنْوارُ القِدَمِ عَلَى شأْنٍ لا يَرَى ما دُونَكَ إِلاَّ كَالع

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Praised be Thou that Thou hast so strengthened Him with Thy strength, and endowed Him by Thine almighty power with such potency, that aught save Thee is in His estimation but a handful of dust. The lights of unfading splendor have so enveloped Him that all else but Thee is in His eyes but a shadow.

Translation Notes

جَعَلْتَهُ

j-ʿ-l → “Thou hast so strengthened Him” Distinctive

literal: to make; to cause; to render; to appoint

قَوِيًّا

q-w-y → “power”

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

وَمُقْتَدِرًا

q-d-r

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

بِسُلْطانِكَ

s-l-ṭ → “almighty power” Distinctive

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

بِحَيْثُ

ḥ-y-th → “with such” Distinctive

literal: where; in which; inasmuch as; in such wise that; whereby; in that; respect, aspect

يَرَى

r-ʾ-y → “Thou seest” Distinctive

literal: to see, to observe, to behold

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

سِواكَ

s-w-y

literal: other than; besides; except; equal; alike

كقَبْضَةٍ

q-b-ḍ → “grasp” Distinctive

literal: grasp; grip; control; seize

مِنَ

m-n → “of”

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

التُّرابِ،

t-r-b → “dust”

literal: dust; earth; soil

وَأَحاطَتْهُ

ḥ-w-ṭ → “have so enveloped” Distinctive

literal: to encompass, surround, envelop, embrace

أَنْوارُ

n-w-r → “lights”

literal: type; kind; species

القِدَمِ

q-d-m → “Ancient of Days”

literal: ancientness; antiquity; foot; to come forward

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

شأْنٍ

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

لا

l-ʾ

literal: no; not; negation particle

دُونَكَ

d-w-n → “but Thee”

literal: below; lower than; beneath

إِلاَّ

ʾ-kh-r → “but” Distinctive

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

كَالع

ẓ-l-l → “shadow”

literal: shadow; shade; shadow/shade

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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50 ¶

Gleanings

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A compilation of 166 selections from Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablets, spanning the Baghdad, Adrianople, and ‘Akká periods (1853–1892). George Townshend assisted with English refinement. Shoghi Effendi wrote that it gives the friends a splendid opportunity to acquire knowledge and understanding of the Faith.

729 ¶

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16 ¶

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The principal doctrinal work of the Faith, revealed in Baghdad within the space of two days and two nights in response to questions from the Báb’s maternal uncle. Shoghi Effendi described it as occupying a position unequalled by any work except the Kitáb-i-Aqdas — a model of Persian prose, at once original, chaste, vigorous, and remarkably lucid.

291 ¶

Tablet of Aḥmad

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Revealed in Adrianople and addressed to a believer named Aḥmad, this Tablet has been invested by Bahá’u’lláh with a special potency and significance. Its central imagery draws on the metaphor of fire and water: “Be thou as a flame of fire to My enemies and a river of life eternal to My loved ones.”

17 ¶

Tablet of Carmel

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5 ¶

Tablet of the Holy Mariner

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57 ¶

The Hidden Words

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160 ¶

Will and Testament

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in three parts between 1901 and 1908, opened and read after His passing on 28 November 1921. Shoghi Effendi designated it the Charter of the New World Order — the mightiest instrument forged to ensure the continuity of the three ages of the Bahá’í Dispensation.

59 ¶