Prayers and Meditations — §402

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 402 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

لإِظْهارِ أَمْرِكَ وَارْتِقائِهِمْ إِلى جَبَرُوتِ البَقآءِ فِي جِوارِكَ وَلَكنْ أَنْتَ تَعْلَمُ بِأَنَّ بَيْنَهُمْ ضُعَفآءُ يَجْزَعُونَ مِنَ البَلايا، أَسْئَلُكَ يا إِلهِي بِأَنْ تُوَفِّقَهُمْ عَلَى الاصْطِبارِ فِي حُبِّكَ ثُمَّ أَشْهِدْهُمْ ما قَدَّرْتَ لَهُمْ خَلْفَ سُرادِقِ عِصْمَتِكَ لِيُسْرِعُنَّ إِلى القَضآءِ فِي سَبِيلِكَ وَيَسْتَبِقُنَّ البَلآءَ فِي حُبِّكَ، أَوْ فَأَظْهِرْ رايَاتِ نُصْرَتِكَ ثُمَّ اجْعَلْهُمْ مُقْتَدِرًا عَلَى أَعْدائِكَ لِيَظْهَرَ سُلْطانُكَ عَلَى مَنْ فِي مَمْلَكَتِكَ وَاقْتِدارُكَ بَيْنَ خَلْقِكَ، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ المُقْتَدِرُ عَلَى ما تَشآءُ لا إِلهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ العَلِيمُ الحَكِيمُ، أَنْ أَثْبِتْ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Help them through Thy strengthening grace, I beseech Thee, O my God, to suffer patiently in their love for Thee, and unveil to their eyes what Thou hast decreed for them behind the Tabernacle of Thine unfailing protection, so that they may rush forward to meet what is preordained for them in Thy path, and may vie in hasting after tribulation in their love towards Thee. And if not, do Thou, then, reveal the standards of Thine ascendancy, and make them to be victorious over Thine adversaries, that Thy sovereignty may be manifested unto all the dwellers of Thy realm, and the power of Thy might demonstrated amidst Thy creatures. Powerful art Thou to do what Thou willest. No God is there but Thee, the Omniscient, the All-Wise.

Translation Notes

أَمْرِكَ

ʾ-m-r

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

وَارْتِقائِهِمْ

r-q-y

literal: ascension; ascend; advancement

إِلى

ʾ-l-y → “to”

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

جَبَرُوتِ

j-b-r → “dominion”

literal: compelled; forced; constrained

البَقآءِ

b-q-y

literal: remaining; everlasting; eternal; immortal; permanence; duration; continuance

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

جِوارِكَ

j-w-r

literal: to neighbor; to adjoin; to dwell near

وَلَكنْ

l-k-n → “however”

literal: but; however; yet; nevertheless

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

بِأَنَّ

ʾ-n-n → “that they may”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

بَيْنَهُمْ

b-y-n → “utterance” Distinctive

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

ضُعَفآءُ

ḍ-ʿ-f

literal: weak; weakness; weaken

يَجْزَعُونَ

j-z-ʿ

literal: to grieve; to be dismayed; grief, dismay

مِنَ

m-n

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

أَسْئَلُكَ

s-ʾ-l → “beseech”

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

يا

y-ʾ

literal: O; or

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

تُوَفِّقَهُمْ

w-f-q → “aid” Distinctive

literal: accord, agreement, harmony; to agree, accord with

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w → “over” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

الاصْطِبارِ

ṣ-b-r

literal: patience; forbearance; endurance; to be patient

حُبِّكَ

ḥ-b-b → “love for Thee”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

ثُمَّ

th-m-m → “and” Distinctive

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

أَشْهِدْهُمْ

sh-h-d → “witness” Distinctive

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

قَدَّرْتَ

q-d-r → “decreed”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

لَهُمْ

l-h-m → “inspiration” Distinctive

literal: inspiration; divine inspiration; revelation

خَلْفَ

kh-l-f → “behind”

literal: opposing; contrary; conflicting

سُرادِقِ

s-r-d-q → “Tabernacle”

literal: pavilion; tabernacle; canopy; tent

عِصْمَتِكَ

ʿ-ṣ-m → “unfailing protection” Distinctive

literal: immaculate; protected; infallible

لِيُسْرِعُنَّ

s-r-ʿ → “hastened” Distinctive

literal: hasten; hastened; hasten/hurry

القَضآءِ

q-ḍ-y → “meet what is preordained” Distinctive

literal: requirement; exigency; what demands or calls for

سَبِيلِكَ

s-b-l → “Thy path”

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

وَيَسْتَبِقُنَّ

s-b-q → “hath surpassed” Distinctive

literal: precede; preceded; precedence

البَلآءَ

b-l-w → “tribulation”

literal: affliction; trial; calamity; trial, tribulation, affliction, calamity; yes; indeed; verily

أَوْ

h-w-w → “is”

literal: he; it (third person pronoun); refuge; shelter; dwelling place; abode; lamentation, cry, woe; melody, song

فَأَظْهِرْ

ẓ-h-r → “reveal”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest; to display; to reveal; ظهور here means ‘backs’ (plural of ظهر), different semantic use than manifestation

رايَاتِ

r-w-y → “banners”

literal: banner; banner/flag; banners

نُصْرَتِكَ

n-ṣ-r → “ascendancy” Distinctive

literal: aid, help, succor, victory, support

اجْعَلْهُمْ

j-ʿ-l → “make them” Distinctive

literal: to make; to cause; to render; to appoint

أَعْدائِكَ

ʿ-d-w → “Thine adversaries”

literal: hostility, aggression, enmity, transgression

سُلْطانُكَ

s-l-ṭ → “Thy sovereignty”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

مَمْلَكَتِكَ

m-l-k → “Thy realm”

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

خَلْقِكَ،

kh-l-q → “Thy creatures”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

إِنَّكَ

ʾ-n-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تَشآءُ

sh-y-ʾ → “Thou willest”

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

لا

l-ʾ → “No”

literal: no; not; negation particle

إِلهَ

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

إِلاَّ

ʾ-kh-r → “but” Distinctive

literal: end; hereafter; other

العَلِيمُ

ʿ-l-m → “the Omniscient”

literal: to see; to perceive; to look

الحَكِيمُ،

ḥ-k-m → “the All-Wise”

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom; firm; solid; strengthened

أَنْ

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أَثْبِتْ

th-b-t

literal: firm; steadfast; established; fixed

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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