Prayers and Meditations — §21

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 21 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

رَبِّ هذِهِ أَيّامٌ الَّتِيْ فَرَضْتَ فِيها الصِّيامَ عَلَى عِبادِكَ، طُوبى لِمَنْ صَامَ خالِصًا لِوَجْهِكَ، مُنْقَطِعًا عَنِ النَّظَرِ إِلى دُونِكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ وَفِّقْنِي وَإِيَّاهُمْ عَلَى طاعَتِكَ وَإِجْرآءِ حُدُودِكَ، وَإِنَّكَ أَنْتَ المُقْتَدِرُ عَلَى ما تَشاءُ،

Shoghi Effendi Translation

These are, O my Lord, the days in which Thou hast bidden Thy servants to observe the Fast. Blessed is he that observeth the Fast wholly for Thy sake and with absolute detachment from all things except Thee. Assist me and assist them, O my Lord, to obey Thee and to keep Thy precepts. Thou, verily, hast power to do what Thou choosest.

Translation Notes

رَبِّ

r-b-b → “Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

هذِهِ

h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; this (masculine); this (feminine)

أَيّامٌ

y-w-m → “days”

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

الَّتِيْ

ʾ-l-l → “in which”

literal: who; which/that; which

فَرَضْتَ

f-r-ḍ → “hast bidden”

literal: obligatory; incumbent; imposed; prescribed; fixed

فِيها

f-y

literal: in it; in them

الصِّيامَ

ṣ-w-m → “the Fast”

literal: fasting; to abstain from food

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w → “exalted”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

عِبادِكَ،

ʿ-b-d → “servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

طُوبى

ṭ-w-b → “Blessed”

literal: happiness; blessedness; felicity

لِمَنْ

m-n → “from”

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

خالِصًا

kh-l-ṣ → “wholly”

literal: sincere; devoted; pure one

لِوَجْهِكَ،

w-j-h → “for Thy sake”

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

مُنْقَطِعًا

q-ṭ-ʿ → “absolute detachment” Distinctive

literal: to be severed; to be cut off; to detach oneself; to abstain

عَنِ

ʿ-n → “from all things”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

النَّظَرِ

n-ẓ-r → “Consider”

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

إِلى

ʾ-l-y

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

دُونِكَ،

d-w-n → “except Thee”

literal: below; lower than; beneath

أَيْ

ʾ-y-y → “O”

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

وَفِّقْنِي

w-f-q → “Assist me”

literal: accord, agreement, harmony; to agree, accord with

وَإِيَّاهُمْ

ʾ-y-y → “signs”

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

طاعَتِكَ

ṭ-w-ʿ → “obey”

literal: obedient; obedience; to obey

وَإِجْرآءِ

j-r-y → “flow” Distinctive

literal: trade; commerce; business; to flow; to run; to be in effect; flowing

حُدُودِكَ،

ḥ-d-d → “precepts”

literal: iron; sharp, keen, acute

وَإِنَّكَ

ʾ-n-n → “that” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

المُقْتَدِرُ

q-d-r → “hast power” Distinctive

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

تَشاءُ،

sh-y-ʾ → “Thou choosest” Distinctive

literal: thing; something; to will; to wish; to desire; to open; to unfold; to reveal

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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291 ¶

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17 ¶

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5 ¶

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57 ¶

The Hidden Words

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160 ¶

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59 ¶