Prayers and Meditations — §322

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 322 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

إِمَائِكَ وَقَدْ وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيْ إِلى حَرَمِ إِفْضالِكَ وَكَعْبَةِ إِجْلالِكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ طَهِّرْنِي عَنْ دُونِكَ ثُمَّ اسْتَقِمْنِي عَلَى حُبِّكَ وَرِضائِكَ لأَسْتَأْنِسَ بِجَمالِكَ وَأَنْقَطِعَ عَنِ العَالَمِينَ وَأَقُولَ فِي كُلِّ حيِنٍ أَنِ الحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ العالَمِينَ،

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I am one of Thy handmaidens, O my Lord! I have turned my face towards the sanctuary of Thy gracious favors and the adored tabernacle of Thy glory. Purify me of all that is not of Thee, and strengthen me to love Thee and to fulfill Thy pleasure, that I may delight myself in the contemplation of Thy beauty, and be rid of all attachment to any of Thy creatures, and may, at every moment, proclaim: “Magnified be God, the Lord of the worlds!”

Translation Notes

إِمَائِكَ

ʾ-m-y → “Thy handmaidens”

literal: mother; to lead; to head; matter; affair; people; nation; community; female servant; handmaiden; umma

وَقَدْ

q-d → “We have been”

literal: and indeed; and already; conjunction indicating completed action

وَجْهِيْ

w-j-h → “my face”

literal: direction; aspect; side; regard

إِلى

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

حَرَمِ

ḥ-r-m → “sanctuary”

literal: sanctity, inviolability, dignity, honor, respect

إِفْضالِكَ

f-ḍ-l → “gracious favors” Distinctive

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

وَكَعْبَةِ

k-ʿ-b → “adored tabernacle” Distinctive

literal: Kaaba; cube/Kaaba; Kaaba/lodestar

إِجْلالِكَ،

j-l-l → “Thy glory”

literal: majesty; glory; exaltation; magnificence

أَيْ

ʾ-y-y → “O”

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

رَبِّ

r-b-b → “my Lord”

literal: love; affection

طَهِّرْنِي

ṭ-h-r → “Purify”

literal: to purify; to cleanse

عَنْ

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

دُونِكَ

d-w-n → “not of Thee” Distinctive

literal: below; lower than; beneath

ثُمَّ

th-m-m → “and” Distinctive

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

اسْتَقِمْنِي

q-w-m → “strengthen”

literal: station; people; place

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w → “to”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

حُبِّكَ

ḥ-b-b → “love”

literal: love; beloved; beloved ones

وَرِضائِكَ

r-ḍ-y → “Thy pleasure”

literal: good-pleasure, consent, satisfaction; satisfaction; pleasure; approval; contentment

لأَسْتَأْنِسَ

ʾ-н-s → “may delight myself in”

literal: familiar; intimate; companionship; to be acquainted with; companion; intimate friend; to be intimate with; to keep company; to console

بِجَمالِكَ

j-m-l → “Thy beauty”

literal: beauty; comeliness

وَأَنْقَطِعَ

q-ṭ-ʿ → “be rid of all attachment” Distinctive

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

العَالَمِينَ

ʿ-l-m → “any of Thy creatures” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

وَأَقُولَ

q-w-l → “proclaim” Distinctive

literal: little; few; scanty; small in quantity

فِي

f-y → “at” Distinctive

literal: in; in-it; in it

كُلِّ

k-l-l → “every”

literal: for us; to us

حيِنٍ

ḥ-y-n → “moment”

literal: time; moment; while; season

أَنِ

ʾ-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

الحَمْدَ

ḥ-m-d → “thanks”

literal: praise; to praise

لِلَّهِ

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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17 ¶

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57 ¶

The Hidden Words

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160 ¶

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59 ¶