Prayers and Meditations — §352

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 352 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

بِهِ الأَنامَ، وَقَدْ بَلَغُوا فِي الغُرُورِ وَالاسْتِكْبارِ إِلى مَقامٍ أَنْكَرُوا قُدْرَتَكَ وَسَلْطَنَتَكَ وَاقْتِدارَكَ، إِنِّي فَوَعِزَّتِكَ أُحِبُّ ضُرِّيْ وَضُرَّ أَحِبَّائِي فِي سَبِيْلِكَ وَلكِنْ صَعْبٌ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَيْهِمْ بِأَنْ يَسْمَعُوا مِنْهُمْ مِنَ الاعْتِراضِ وَالإِنْكارِ ما يَرْجِعُ إِلى نَفْسِكَ المُخْتارِ، إِلى مَ يا إِلهِي اسْتَوَيْتَ عَلَى عَرْشِ الصَّبْرِ وَالاصْطِبارِ؟ تَكَلَّمْ بِكَلِمَةٍ مِنَ القَهْرِ يا مَنْ لا تُدْرَكَ بِالأَبْصارِ، إِنَّ الرَّحْمَةَ مَحْبُوبٌ لِلْمُخْلِصِينَ مِنْ عِبادِكَ وَالنَّقْمَةَ لِلْمُشْرِكينَ مِنْ أَعْدائِكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ فَأَنْزِلْ عَلَيْهِمْ ما يُوقِنُنَّ بِهِ عَلَى قَهْرِكَ وَقَهَّارِيَّتِكَ وَيَعْرِفُنَّ قُدْرَتَكَ وَاقْتِدارَكَ، وَلَوْلا تَنْصُرُ يا إِلهِي أَحِبَّتَكَ فَانْصُرْ نَفْسَكَ وَذِكْرَكَ، أَسْئَلُكَ بِاسْمِكَ الَّذِيْ بِهِ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Thy glory beareth me witness! I delight in mine own afflictions and in the afflictions which they who love me suffer in Thy path. Neither I nor they, however, are able to bear such affronts and reproaches as are uttered by Thine enemies against Thy Self, the Unrestrained. How long shalt Thou remain seated, O my God, on the throne of Thy forbearance and patience? Speak Thou Thy word of wrath, O Thou Whom no eyes can see! Well-beloved is Thy mercy unto the sincere among Thy servants, and well-beseeming Thy chastisement of the infidels among Thine enemies. Send down upon them, therefore, O my Lord, that which will unmistakably reveal unto them the fury of Thy wrath and the ascendancy of Thy power, and will enable them to recognize the weight of Thy might and the greatness of Thy strength. If Thou refusest, O my God, to aid them that love Thee, assist Thou, then, Thine own Self and Him Who is Thy Remembrance.

Translation Notes

بِهِ

b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

الأَنامَ،

ʾ-n-m

literal: people; mankind; human beings

وَقَدْ

q-d

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

بَلَغُوا

b-l-gh

literal: to reach; to attain; to deliver; to proclaim

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

الغُرُورِ

gh-r-r

literal: delusion, deceit; deluded, deceived

وَالاسْتِكْبارِ

k-b-r

literal: great; grand; mighty; large; greatness; majesty; sovereignty; arrogance

إِلى

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

مَقامٍ

q-w-m

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

أَنْكَرُوا

n-k-r → “denied”

literal: denial; rejection; repudiation; wrong; evil; to deny; to reject

قُدْرَتَكَ

q-d-r → “Thy might”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

وَسَلْطَنَتَكَ

s-l-ṭ → “ascendancy of Thy power” Distinctive

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

إِنِّي

ʾ-n-n → “that” Distinctive

literal: I, verily; behold I

فَوَعِزَّتِكَ

ʿ-z-z → “Thy glory beareth me witness”

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

وَضُرَّ

ḍ-r-r → “harm”

literal: harm; damage; injury; detriment

أَحِبَّائِي

ḥ-b-b → “they who love me suffer” Distinctive

literal: love; affection

سَبِيْلِكَ

s-b-l → “path”

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

وَلكِنْ

l-k-n → “Neither I nor they, however”

literal: but; however; yet; nevertheless

صَعْبٌ

ṣ-ʿ-b → “greater”

literal: most difficult; hardest; most arduous

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w → “on” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

بِأَنْ

ʾ-n-n

literal: I, verily; behold I

يَسْمَعُوا

s-m-ʿ → “heard”

literal: hear; hearing; heard

مِنْهُمْ

m-n → “from” Distinctive

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

الاعْتِراضِ

ʿ-r-ḍ

literal: objection, protest, denial; cavil

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

يَرْجِعُ

r-j-ʿ → “return”

literal: return; reference; place of return; resort

نَفْسِكَ

n-f-s → “Thy Self” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

المُخْتارِ،

kh-y-r → “good” Distinctive

literal: west; the western region

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

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

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “my God”

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

اسْتَوَيْتَ

s-w-y → “except Thee” Distinctive

literal: level; equal; straight; upon a throne; resting upon; toward; to; direction of; other than; besides; except

عَرْشِ

ʿ-r-sh → “throne”

literal: of the Throne; companion of the Throne

الصَّبْرِ

ṣ-b-r → “patience”

literal: patience; forbearance; endurance; to be patient

تَكَلَّمْ

k-l-m → “Speak Thou” Distinctive

literal: words; utterances; locutions; word; utterance; speech; sayings; verses

القَهْرِ

q-h-r → “wrath”

literal: to overpower; to vanquish; wrath; might; force; compulsion; overwhelming

لا

l-ʾ → “no”

literal: no; not; negation particle

تُدْرَكَ

d-r-k → “comprehend” Distinctive

literal: comprehension; perception; perception, comprehension

بِالأَبْصارِ،

b-ṣ-r → “eyes”

literal: sight; insight; discernment; spiritual perception

إِنَّ

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

الرَّحْمَةَ

r-ḥ-m → “Thy mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

لِلْمُخْلِصِينَ

kh-l-ṣ → “sincere”

literal: sincere; devoted; pure one

عِبادِكَ

ʿ-b-d → “Thy servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

وَالنَّقْمَةَ

n-q-m → “and well-beseeming Thy chastisement” Distinctive

literal: punishment; vengeance; retribution

لِلْمُشْرِكينَ

sh-r-k → “of the infidels”

literal: partner; associate; sharer; companion

أَعْدائِكَ،

ʿ-d-w → “Thine enemies”

literal: when; if; whenever; at that time

أَيْ

ʾ-y-y → “O”

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

رَبِّ

r-b-b → “my Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

فَأَنْزِلْ

n-z-l → “Send down”

literal: to descend, to be revealed

عَلَيْهِمْ

ʿ-l-y → “upon them”

literal: exalted; highest; supreme; most high; upon you; on; over; Ali (name); upon

يُوقِنُنَّ

y-q-n → “certitude” Distinctive

literal: certainty; certitude; be certain

وَيَعْرِفُنَّ

ʿ-r-f → “will enable them to recognize”

literal: knowledge; know; knower

وَلَوْلا

l-w-l → “rifle”

literal: were it not for; if not for; save for

تَنْصُرُ

n-ṣ-r → “to aid”

literal: help; victory; helper

وَذِكْرَكَ،

dh-k-r → “Remembrance”

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

أَسْئَلُكَ

s-ʾ-l

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

بِاسْمِكَ

s-m-w

literal: to name, to nominate, to designate, to appoint; name; noun; to name, to appoint, to designate

الَّذِيْ

l-dh-y

literal: who; which; that which; the one who

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