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Prayers and Meditations — §462

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 462 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

ابِ بُرْهَانِكَ، فَلَمَّا جَاءَ الوَعْدُ وَظَهَرَ المَوْعُودُ أَنْكَرُوهُ عِبَادُكَ الَّذِينَ يَدَّعُونَ الإِيمَانَ بِمَظْهَرِ نَفْسِكَ الَّذِيْ جَعَلْتَهُ مُبَشِّرًا لِهذَا الظُّهُورِ الَّذِيْ مِنْهُ قَرَّتْ عُيُونُ أَهْلِ خِبَاءِ أَحَدِيَّتِكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ لَمْ أَدْرِ بِأَيِّ حُجَّةٍ آمَنُوا بِكَ وَبِآياتِكَ وَبِأَيِّ بُرْهانٍ كَفَرُوا بِسُلْطَانِكَ، كُلَّما أَدْعُوهُمْ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

And when the Pledge was fulfilled and the Promised One appeared, He was rejected by such of Thy servants as profess to have believed in Him in Whom Thy Godhead was manifested, Whom Thou didst ordain to be the Herald of this Revelation, and through Whose advent the eyes of the inmates of the sanctuary of Thy unity were cheered.

Translation Notes

ابِ
m-w-h

literal: father; ancestry; forefathers

بُرْهَانِكَ،
b-r-h

literal: proof, evidence, demonstration, argument

فَلَمَّا
l-m-m → “No sooner”

literal: when; as soon as; thereupon

جَاءَ
j-y-ʾ → “come”

literal: to come; to arrive; to happen

الوَعْدُ
w-ʿ-d → “promised”

literal: promised; the Promised One

وَظَهَرَ
ẓ-h-r → “fulfilled” Distinctive

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

أَنْكَرُوهُ
n-k-r → “denied”

literal: deny; denial; deniers

عِبَادُكَ
ʿ-b-d → “servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

الَّذِينَ
l-dh-y → “which” Distinctive

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

يَدَّعُونَ
d-ʿ-w → “summoned” Distinctive

literal: call, invocation, summons; to call, invite, summon

الإِيمَانَ
ʾ-m-n → “trustworthy” Distinctive

literal: to believe; to have faith; to be secure; trust; trustworthiness; covenant; deposit; believer, faithful

نَفْسِكَ
n-f-s → “in Him” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

جَعَلْتَهُ
j-ʿ-l → “make” Distinctive

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

مُبَشِّرًا
b-sh-r → “was manifested” Distinctive

literal: human; mankind; human nature

لِهذَا
l-dh-ʾ → “therefore”

literal: therefore; for this reason; hence; so

مِنْهُ
m-n → “from”

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

قَرَّتْ
q-r-r → “of this”

literal: coolness; comfort; delight; comfort of the eye

عُيُونُ
ʿ-y-n → “eyes”

literal: eye; fountain; spring; essence; to appoint; to designate; to specify; to determine

أَهْلِ
ʾ-h-l → “people”

literal: people; inhabitants; family; kin; worthy; deserving; my family; my people; my kin

خِبَاءِ
kh-b-ʾ → “Tabernacle”

literal: to hide; to conceal; tent; pavilion; chamber; tabernacle; hiding place

أَحَدِيَّتِكَ،
ʾ-ḥ-d → “one”

literal: oneness; unity; absolute unicity; singleness of divine essence

أَيْ
ʾ-y-y → “signs” Distinctive

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

رَبِّ
r-b-b → “of Thy” Distinctive

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

لَمْ
l-y-s → “not”

literal: to reproach; blame; censure

أَدْرِ
d-r-y → “know”

literal: know; in; sea

بِأَيِّ
ʾ-y-y

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

حُجَّةٍ
ḥ-j-j

literal: path, way; clear path

آمَنُوا
ʾ-m-n

literal: to believe; to have faith; to be secure; trust; trustworthiness; covenant; deposit; believer, faithful

وَبِآياتِكَ
ʾ-y-y

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

كَفَرُوا
k-f-r

literal: to disbelieve, reject; unbelief, ingratitude; to deny, to disbelieve, to reject

بِسُلْطَانِكَ،
s-l-ṭ

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

كُلَّما
k-l-l

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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