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Prayers and Meditations — §329

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 329 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

جاءَ الوَعْدُ وَتَمَّ المِيقاتُ ظَهَرَ مالِكُ الأَسْمآءِ وَالصِّفاتِ، إِذًا فَزَعَ كُلُّ مَنْ فِي السَّمَواتِ وَالأَرْضِ إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ عَصَمْتَهُمْ بِعِصْمَتِكَ وَحَفَظْتَهُمْ فِي كَنَفِ قُدْرَتِكَ وَعِنايَتِكَ وَوَرَدَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ طُغاةِ خَلْقِكَ ما عَجِزَتْ عَنْ ذِكْرِهِ أَلْسُنُ عِبادِكَ، إِذًا يا إِلهِي فَانْظُرْ إِلَيْهِ بِلَحَظَاتِ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

And when Thy promise came to pass and the set time was fulfilled, He Who is the Possessor of all Names and Attributes was made manifest unto men. Thereupon all that were in the heavens and all that were on the earth were terror-stricken save those whom Thou didst keep under Thy protection and preserve within the shelter of Thy power and gracious providence. There befell Him, at the hands of such of Thy creatures as have transgressed against Thee, that which the tongue of no one of Thy servants can recount.

Translation Notes

جاءَ
j-y-ʾ → “come”

literal: to come; to arrive; to happen

الوَعْدُ
w-ʿ-d → “promise”

literal: promised; the Promised One

وَتَمَّ
t-m-m → “was fulfilled”

literal: and complete, fulfill; captivate, enslave

المِيقاتُ
w-q-t → “set time”

literal: time; occasion; moment; period

ظَهَرَ
ẓ-h-r → “made manifest” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

مالِكُ
m-l-k → “Possessor” Distinctive

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty; possessions; property; ownership

الأَسْمآءِ
s-m-w → “Names”

literal: heaven; sky

وَالصِّفاتِ،
w-ṣ-f → “Attributes”

literal: attribute; quality; characteristic

إِذًا
ʾ-dh-n → “ears”

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

فَزَعَ
f-z-ʿ → “caused”

literal: to fear; to be terrified; terror, fright

كُلُّ
k-l-l → “all”

literal: for us; to us

مَنْ
m-n → “from”

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

فِي
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

وَالأَرْضِ
ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

إِلاَّ
ʾ-kh-r → “end”

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

الَّذِينَ
l-dh-y → “which” Distinctive

literal: those who; the ones who (relative pronoun)

عَصَمْتَهُمْ
ʿ-ṣ-m → “protection” Distinctive

literal: immaculate; protected; infallible

وَحَفَظْتَهُمْ
ḥ-f-ẓ → “preserve”

literal: guardian; preserver; keeper

كَنَفِ
k-n-f → “shelter”

literal: shelter; shelter/protection; regions

قُدْرَتِكَ
q-d-r → “power”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

وَعِنايَتِكَ
ʿ-n-y → “gracious providence” Distinctive

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

وَوَرَدَ
w-r-d → “befell” Distinctive

literal: to enter, to come, to befall, to arrive

عَلَيْهِ
ʿ-l-y → “Him” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

طُغاةِ
ṭ-gh-y → “oppressors”

literal: the letter Ṭá; refers to Ṭihrán (also spelled Ṭehran)

خَلْقِكَ
kh-l-q → “creatures”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

ما
m-ʾ → “that”

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

عَجِزَتْ
ʿ-j-z → “can recount”

literal: to be unable; to fail; to be exhausted; impotence; أعجاز (roots of trees/extremities) is Pattern II plural, distinct from ‘inability’ forms

عَنْ
ʿ-n → “of”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

ذِكْرِهِ
dh-k-r

literal: remembrance; mention; memory; invocation; reminders; commemorations

أَلْسُنُ
l-s-n → “tongue”

literal: tongue; language

عِبادِكَ،
ʿ-b-d → “servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

يا
y-ʾ

literal: O; or

إِلهِي
ʾ-l-h

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

فَانْظُرْ
n-ẓ-r

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

إِلَيْهِ
ʾ-l-y

literal: to; to him; besmirch

بِلَحَظَاتِ
l-ḥ-ẓ

literal: to observe; to consider; to note; observation

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