Prayers and Meditations — §288

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 288 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

وَهِدايَةَ بِرِيَّتِكَ اصْطَفَيْتَ أَحَدًا مِنْ عِبادِكَ وَأَرْسَلْتَهُ بِآياتِ سَلْطَنَتِكَ وَبَيِّناتِ أَحَدِيَّتِكَ لِتَتِمَّ حُجَّتُكَ عَلَى الإِمْكانِ وَيَكْمُلَ بُرْهانُكَ عَلَى مَنْ فِي الأَكْوانِ، فَلَمَّا ظَهَرَ بِأَمْرِكَ وَنادَى العِبادَ إِلى شَطْرِ مَواهِبِكَ وَأُفُقِ عِرْفانِكَ اخْتَلَفُوا، مِنْهُمْ مَنْ سَمِعَ ا

Shoghi Effendi Translation

And when Thou didst purpose to demonstrate the power of Thy sovereign might, and to glorify Thy word, and to guide the steps of Thy people, Thou didst raise up from among Thy creatures One of Thy servants, Whom Thou didst send forth with the signs of Thy sovereignty, and Whom Thou didst endue with the clear tokens of Thy oneness, that He might fulfill Thy testimony unto all created things, and perfect Thy proof before all men.

Translation Notes

وَهِدايَةَ

h-d-y → “and to guide”

literal: guidance; guide; guided

بِرِيَّتِكَ

b-r-ʾ → “Thy people”

literal: to create; to create anew; to be free from; innocent; free from; clear of; to cure; to heal; to clear

اصْطَفَيْتَ

ṣ-f-w → “Thy chosen ones” Distinctive

literal: chosen ones; chosen-ones; purity

أَحَدًا

ʾ-ḥ-d → “One of”

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

مِنْ

m-n → “from among”

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

عِبادِكَ

ʿ-b-d → “Thy servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

وَأَرْسَلْتَهُ

r-s-l → “Whom Thou didst send forth”

literal: to send; sent

بِآياتِ

ʾ-y-y → “with the signs”

literal: verse; sign; miracle; proof; sign, verse, miracle, token, indication; ayah; he; him; it

سَلْطَنَتِكَ

s-l-ṭ → “of Thy sovereignty”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

وَبَيِّناتِ

b-y-n → “with the clear tokens”

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident; in; among; between; at this moment

لِتَتِمَّ

t-m-m → “all” Distinctive

literal: complete; all; completed

حُجَّتُكَ

ḥ-j-j → “Thy testimony”

literal: path, way; clear path

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w → “unto all”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

الإِمْكانِ

m-k-n → “created things”

literal: establishment; confirmation; empowerment; firm settlement; place; possibility; being (negated as ‘non-being’)

وَيَكْمُلَ

k-m-l → “and perfect”

literal: perfection; completeness; fully; with full; in complete; to complete, perfect, fulfill

بُرْهانُكَ

b-r-h → “Thy proof”

literal: proof, evidence, demonstration, argument

فِي

f-y

literal: in; in-it; in it

الأَكْوانِ،

k-w-n

literal: be; was; to be

فَلَمَّا

l-m-m → “No sooner”

literal: when; as soon as; thereupon

ظَهَرَ

ẓ-h-r

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

بِأَمْرِكَ

ʾ-m-r

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

وَنادَى

n-d-y

literal: call; voice; cry; summons; to call; to proclaim; to cry out; to summon

إِلى

ʾ-l-y

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

شَطْرِ

sh-ṭ-r

literal: side, direction; half; to split

مَواهِبِكَ

w-h-b

literal: gift; grant; bestowal

وَأُفُقِ

ʾ-f-q

literal: horizon; sphere; realm; quarter

عِرْفانِكَ

ʿ-r-f

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

اخْتَلَفُوا،

kh-l-f

literal: opposing; contrary; conflicting

سَمِعَ

s-m-ʿ

literal: heard, hearkened to, acceptable, worthy of attention

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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291 ¶

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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 ¶

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‘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 ¶