Prayers and Meditations — §237
Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 237 of 858.
Source (Arabic)
تِكَ مُنَزَّهًا عَنْ وَصْفِ ما دُونَكَ، فَوَعِزَّتِكَ يا مَحْبُوبِي لا يَنْبَغِي ذِكْرُ المَوْجُوداتِ لِنَفْسِكَ الأَعْلى وَلا يَلِيقُ وَصْفُ المُمْكِناتِ لِبَهائِكَ الأَبْهى بَلْ ذِكْرُ دُونِكَ شِرْكٌ فِي ساحَةِ قَدْسِ رُبُوبِيَّتِكَ وَنَعْتُ غَيْرِكَ ذَنْبٌ عِنْدَ ظُهُورِ سُلْطانِ أُلُوهِيَّتِكَ لأَنَّ بِالذِّكْرِ يُثْبَتُ الوُجُودُ تِلْقآءَ مَدْيَنِ تَوْحِيدِكَ، وَهذا شِرْكٌ مَحْضٌ وَكفْرٌ
Shoghi Effendi Translation
I swear by Thy might, O my Beloved! To make mention of any created thing beseemeth not Thy most exalted Self, and to bestow any praise upon any one of Thy creatures would be wholly unworthy of Thy great glory. Nay, such a mention would be but blasphemy uttered within the court of Thy holiness, and such praise would amount to no less than a transgression in the face of the evidences of Thy Divine sovereignty. For the mere mention of any one of Thy creatures would in itself imply an assertion of their existence before the court of Thy singleness and unity. Such an assertion would be naught but open blasphemy, an act of impiety, the essence of profanity and a wanton crime.
Translation Notes
SE expanded to “I swear by Thy might”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §118: gloryfire-tabletFire §43: by Thy banishmentgleaningsGWB §374: and exalted be His glorykitab-i-iqanKIQ §264: dignitariesprayers-and-meditationsP&M §238: transcendentthe-hidden-wordsHW §1: realm of glorywill-and-testamentW&T §10: my prideepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §86: Hath thy pomp
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §59: purityfire-tabletFire §31: ThygleaningsGWB §407: shall sanctifykitab-i-iqanKIQ §201: are immeasurably glorifiedprayers-and-meditationsP&M §602: Thy sanctitythe-hidden-wordsHW §57: thy freedomwill-and-testamentW&T §21: detachedepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §64: the purity of Thine Essence
description 24% praise 24% describing 12% applicable 6% described 6% character 6% eulogy 6% extol 6% glory 6% notion 6%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §182: DescribinggleaningsGWB §6: the praisekitab-i-iqanKIQ §93: extol and magnifyprayers-and-meditationsP&M §350: Thy virtuesepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §33: thatgleaningsGWB §99: ascribe to themkitab-i-iqanKIQ §274: characterprayers-and-meditationsP&M §844: being praised
SE expanded to “any one of Thy creatures”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §150: Thy lovefire-tabletFire §7: of Thy lovegleaningsGWB §541: fellowship and lovekitab-i-iqanKIQ §100: affectionateprayers-and-meditationsP&M §496: well pleasingtablet-of-carmelCarmel §1: a Daytablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §40: the Beloved Onethe-hidden-wordsHW §6: thou lovest Me not
SE rendered فَوَعِزَّتِكَ (fawaʿizzatik), مَحْبُوبِي (maḥbúbí), يَنْبَغِي (yanbaghí), ذِكْرُ (dhikr), المَوْجُوداتِ (al-mawjúdát) as “I swear by Thy might, my Beloved, make mention, any created thing”
remembrance 25% mention 22% praise 20% mentioned 8% recorded 4% describe 4% remember 4% remembering 4% referred 4% words 3%
المَوْجُوداتِ
literal: existence; find; existent
This form usually rendered as “all”, “entire”, “creation” (42 occurrences)
SE expanded to “any created thing”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §68: Makerfire-tabletFire §49: thou canst breathegleaningsGWB §344: existkitab-i-iqanKIQ §221: be foundprayers-and-meditationsP&M §840: hath been called into beingtablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §40: may findthe-hidden-wordsHW §16: will be in vainwill-and-testamentW&T §4: the firm
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §42: yougleaningsGWB §287: one ofkitab-i-ahdAhd §8: thosekitab-i-iqanKIQ §79: ways and desiresprayers-and-meditationsP&M §774: Thine own Revelationtablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §52: within herselfthe-hidden-wordsHW §71: OF HIS SELFwill-and-testamentW&T §27: the people
SE rendered المَوْجُوداتِ (al-mawjúdát), لِنَفْسِكَ (linafsik), الأَعْلى (al-ʾaʿlى), يَلِيقُ (yalíq), وَصْفُ (waṣf), المُمْكِناتِ (al-mumkinát) as “any created thing, Self, to bestow, any one of Thy creatures”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §55: fitgleaningsGWB §656: great glorykitab-i-ahdAhd §13: best befitprayers-and-meditationsP&M §790: what can truly befitepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §111: unseemlygleaningsGWB §395: entirely unworthyprayers-and-meditationsP&M §441: and beseemed notepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §55: worthy
This form usually rendered as “all”, “entire”, “created” (58 occurrences)
SE expanded to “any one of Thy creatures”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §106: be achievedfire-tabletFire §20: every creaturegleaningsGWB §278: eye of creationkitab-i-iqanKIQ §271: beingprayers-and-meditationsP&M §856: of all beingsthe-hidden-wordsHW §128: securewill-and-testamentW&T §17: subordinationepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §30: all created things
SE expanded to “of Thy great glory”
all-glorious 38% glory 35% most 8% splendor 4% glorious 4% abhá 4% effulgent 3% (bloodmoney) 1% lights 1% verily 1%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §193: glorygleaningsGWB §186: the Faithprayers-and-meditationsP&M §573: Thy Lightthe-hidden-wordsHW §22: effulgent glorywill-and-testamentW&T §56: Glory of Gloriesepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §204: lightsgleaningsGWB §661: of Gloryprayers-and-meditationsP&M §239: the brightest realities
This form usually rendered as “act”, “blasphemy”, “naught” (3 occurrences)
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §156: partnergleaningsGWB §374: peers and partnerskitab-i-iqanKIQ §128: commonprayers-and-meditationsP&M §85: peer or partnerthe-hidden-wordsHW §153: arewill-and-testamentW&T §5: my partnerepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §159: joined partnersgleaningsGWB §387: association
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §234: to this Holy CourtgleaningsGWB §210: the courtkitab-i-iqanKIQ §131: hallowed sanctuaryprayers-and-meditationsP&M §364: ofthe-hidden-wordsHW §146: at the courtepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §7: sanctuary of Thy presencekitab-i-iqanKIQ §109: presenceprayers-and-meditationsP&M §78: the exalted court
SE expanded to “of Thy holiness”
holiness 45% holy 34% most 6% sanctified 5% eternal 3% sacred 2% hallowed 2% divine 2% sanctity 2% unknowable 1%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §153: sanctifygleaningsGWB §645: untaintedkitab-i-iqanKIQ §28: heavenly graceprayers-and-meditationsP&M §621: immensely exaltedtablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §26: Celestial Concoursethe-hidden-wordsHW §57: thy sanctityepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §165: exaltedgleaningsGWB §387: unknowable
SE rendered شِرْكٌ (shirkun), ساحَةِ (sáḥah), قَدْسِ (qads), رُبُوبِيَّتِكَ (rubúbíbatik), وَنَعْتُ (wanaʿt), غَيْرِكَ (ghayrik), ذَنْبٌ (dhanbun) as “but blasphemy, the court, of Thy holiness, such praise, a transgression”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §196: andgleaningsGWB §572: the Lord theirkitab-i-iqanKIQ §16: eyeprayers-and-meditationsP&M §165: O my Lordtablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §11: the All-Gloriousthe-hidden-wordsHW §25: of thy Godwill-and-testamentW&T §9: ‘Lordepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §168: her Lord
This form usually rendered as “such” (2 occurrences)
SE rendered وَنَعْتُ (wanaʿt), غَيْرِكَ (ghayrik), ذَنْبٌ (dhanbun), ظُهُورِ (ẓuhúr) as “such praise, a transgression, the evidences”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §61: nonefire-tabletFire §21: pervertedgleaningsGWB §549: unceasinglykitab-i-iqanKIQ §109: save Theeprayers-and-meditationsP&M §241: with any one exceptthe-hidden-wordsHW §14: with anotherwill-and-testamentW&T §38: is notepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §242: any one else
This form usually rendered as “sin”, “crime”, “sins” (17 occurrences)
This form usually rendered as “revelation”, “manifestation”, “dispensation” (396 occurrences)
revelation 63% manifestation 15% dispensation 8% advent 3% appearance 3% coming 2% manifestations 2% most 1% hath 1% manifest 1%
SE expanded to “of Thy Divine sovereignty”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §145: the higher powersgleaningsGWB §63: through the powerkitab-i-iqanKIQ §131: of the earthprayers-and-meditationsP&M §616: Lord and King oftablet-of-ahmadAhmad §1: is the Kingthe-hidden-wordsHW §103: celestialwill-and-testamentW&T §41: warrantepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §145: the powers
SE rendered ظُهُورِ (ẓuhúr), سُلْطانِ (sulṭán), أُلُوهِيَّتِكَ (ʾulúhíhatik), بِالذِّكْرِ (biáldhdhikr), يُثْبَتُ (yuthbat) as “the evidences, of Thy Divine sovereignty, the mere mention, imply an assertion”
This form usually rendered as “demonstrated”, “maintained”, “canst” (17 occurrences)
demonstrated 17% maintained 17% canst 8% establish 8% vindicate 8% confirm 8% will 8% imply 8% recognized 8% becometh 8%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §140: firmnessgleaningsGWB §696: that he may establishkitab-i-ahdAhd §7: of His confirmationkitab-i-iqanKIQ §20: confirmedprayers-and-meditationsP&M §499: be maintainedthe-hidden-wordsHW §124: writ and recordedwill-and-testamentW&T §13: that are steadfastepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §172: be demonstrated
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §132: castfire-tabletFire §33: to the Divine PresencegleaningsGWB §375: brought face to facekitab-i-iqanKIQ §71: beholdprayers-and-meditationsP&M §805: unto the presencetablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §16: of eternal reunionthe-hidden-wordsHW §72: We have revealed unto theewill-and-testamentW&T §41: kindling
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §43: the citadelsgleaningsGWB §560: the Wordprayers-and-meditationsP&M §371: the habitationepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §162: Great CitygleaningsGWB §438: civilizationprayers-and-meditationsP&M §224: the everlasting Citiesepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §127: the CitygleaningsGWB §230: native city
SE expanded to “of Thy singleness and unity”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §84: anotherfire-tabletFire §43: By Thine alonenessgleaningsGWB §246: Godkitab-i-iqanKIQ §193: Supreme Singlenessprayers-and-meditationsP&M §520: adore Thy unitytablet-of-ahmadAhmad §2: believers in the Divine Unitytablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §51: lonethe-hidden-wordsHW §69: all from one same
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §130: Him Who isgleaningsGWB §402: verily, istablet-of-ahmadAhmad §7: thesetablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §57: and thiswill-and-testamentW&T §34: of this landepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §228: For thisgleaningsGWB §468: thetablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §12: Wherein
SE rendered تَوْحِيدِكَ، (tawḥídika،), وَهذا (wahdhá), شِرْكٌ (shirkun), مَحْضٌ (maḥḍun), وَكفْرٌ (wakfrun) as “of Thy singleness and unity, Such an assertion, naught but open blasphemy, an act of impiety”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §245: Our loving-kindnessgleaningsGWB §132: utter nothingnesskitab-i-iqanKIQ §51: sheerprayers-and-meditationsP&M §665: the very essence ofwill-and-testamentW&T §17: so soon as theyepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §140: whollygleaningsGWB §129: uttergleaningsGWB §97: token of
This form usually rendered as “unbelief”, “repudiated”, “misbelief” (24 occurrences)
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §135: forgivegleaningsGWB §260: rejectkitab-i-iqanKIQ §159: infidels!”prayers-and-meditationsP&M §427: and the perversetablet-of-ahmadAhmad §7: denywill-and-testamentW&T §34: denied Thy wondrous Signsepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §108: unbelieversgleaningsGWB §531: cast it behind your backs
