Prayers and Meditations — §339

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 339 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

قُدْرَتِكَ لَوْ تُعَذِّبُنا بِعَذابِ الأَوَّلِينَ وَالآخِرِينَ لَتكُونُ عادِلاً فِي أَمْرِكَ وَمَحْمُودًا فِي فِعْلِكَ، وَإِنَّكَ أَنْتَ المُقْتَدِرُ عَلَى ما تَشآءُ لا إِلهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ المُقْتَدِرُ العَزِيزُ المُهَيْمِنُ القَيُّومُ.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

We are Thy servants, O my Lord, and in the grasp of Thy power. If Thou chastisest us with the chastisement inflicted upon the former and the latter generations, Thy verdict would be assuredly just and Thine act praiseworthy. Powerful art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. None other God is there beside Thee, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

Translation Notes

قُدْرَتِكَ

q-d-r → “Thy power”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

لَوْ

l-w → “If”

literal: if; would that; O that

تُعَذِّبُنا

ʿ-dh-b → “Thou chastisest us”

literal: torment, punishment, chastisement

الأَوَّلِينَ

ʾ-w-l → “this world” Distinctive

literal: first; beginning; at first; the first; former; possessors of; those who have; masters of

وَالآخِرِينَ

ʾ-kh-r → “next” Distinctive

literal: hereafter; other; last

لَتكُونُ

k-w-n → “be”

literal: to do; to make; to perform; to be; was

عادِلاً

ʿ-d-l → “assuredly just”

literal: justice; equity

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

أَمْرِكَ

ʾ-m-r

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

وَمَحْمُودًا

ḥ-m-d → “Thine act praiseworthy” Distinctive

literal: praise; to praise

فِعْلِكَ،

f-ʿ-l

literal: to do, act, make; deed, action

وَإِنَّكَ

ʾ-n-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t

literal: you (masculine singular)

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

تَشآءُ

sh-y-ʾ → “to do” Distinctive

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

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

إِلهَ

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

إِلاَّ

ʾ-kh-r → “end”

literal: hereafter; other; last

العَزِيزُ

ʿ-z-z → “the All-Glorious”

literal: glory; might; honor; dignity; power; majesty

المُهَيْمِنُ

h-m-n → “the Help in Peril”

literal: the Protector; the Overseer; the Guardian

القَيُّومُ.

q-w-m → “the Self-Subsisting”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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17 ¶

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160 ¶

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59 ¶