Prayers and Meditations — §286

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 286 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

رَبِّ لَمَّا هَدَيْتَهُمْ إِلى بابِ فَضْلِكَ لا تَطْرُدْهُمْ بِعِنايَتِكَ، وَلَمَّا دَعَوْتَهُمْ إِلى أُفُقِ أَمْرِكَ لا تَمْنَعْهُمْ بِجُودِكَ وَكَرَمِكَ، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ المُقْتَدِرُ عَلَى ما تَشآءُ لا إِلهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ العَلِيمُ الخَبِيرُ.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Now that Thou hast guided them unto the door of Thy grace, O my Lord, cast them not away, by Thy bounty; and now that Thou hast summoned them unto the horizon of Thy Cause, keep them not back from Thee, by Thy graciousness and favor. Powerful art Thou to do as Thou pleasest. No God is there but Thee, the Omniscient, the All-Informed.

Translation Notes

رَبِّ

r-b-b → “O my Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

لَمَّا

l-m-ʾ → “When”

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

هَدَيْتَهُمْ

h-d-y → “Thou hast guided them”

literal: guidance; guide; guided

إِلى

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

بابِ

b-w-b → “door”

literal: door; gate; chapter; way; manner

فَضْلِكَ

f-ḍ-l → “of Thy grace”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

تَطْرُدْهُمْ

ṭ-r-d → “cast them” Distinctive

literal: cast out; driven away; expelled

بِعِنايَتِكَ،

ʿ-n-y → “by Thy bounty” Distinctive

literal: to concern; to mean; to turn away from; bounty; loving-kindness; grace; divine care; attention; meaning; significance; inner sense

دَعَوْتَهُمْ

d-ʿ-w → “summoned”

literal: call; invitation; claim

أُفُقِ

ʾ-f-q → “horizon”

literal: horizon; sphere; realm; quarter

أَمْرِكَ

ʾ-m-r → “of Thy Cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair; Cause (of God); to command; to order

تَمْنَعْهُمْ

m-n-ʿ → “hinder”

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

بِجُودِكَ

j-w-d

literal: generosity; bounty; liberality

وَكَرَمِكَ،

k-r-m → “by Thy graciousness and favor” Distinctive

literal: Carmel (Mount Carmel); vineyard, fruitful field; honor; generosity; nobility

إِنَّكَ

ʾ-n-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

المُقْتَدِرُ

q-d-r → “Powerful”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

ما

m-ʾ → “as” Distinctive

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

تَشآءُ

sh-y-ʾ → “Thou pleasest”

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

إِلهَ

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

إِلاَّ

ʾ-kh-r → “but” Distinctive

literal: end; hereafter; other

العَلِيمُ

ʿ-l-m → “the Omniscient”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

الخَبِيرُ.

kh-b-r → “the All-Informed”

literal: all-knowing; aware; well-informed; omniscient

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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17 ¶

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59 ¶