Prayers and Meditations — §537

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 537 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ يا إِلهِي تَرَى وَتَعْلَمُ بِأَنِّي ما دَعَوتُ عبادَكَ إِلاَّ إِلى شَطْرِ مَواهِبِكَ وَما أَمَرْتُهُمْ إِلاَّ ما أُمِرْتُ بِهِ فِي مُحْكَمِ كِتابِكَ الَّذِيْ نُزِّلَ مِنْ قَدَرِكَ المَحْتُومِ وَقَضائِكَ المَرْقُومِ.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! Thou seest and knowest that I have called upon Thy servants to turn nowhere except in the direction of Thy bestowals, and have bidden them observe naught save the things Thou didst prescribe in Thy Perspicuous Book, the Book which hath been sent down according to Thine inscrutable decree and irrevocable purpose.

Translation Notes

سُبْحَانَكَ

subḥának s-b-ḥ → “praise be to thee” Distinctive

literal: glory; glory, praise; glory/praise

This form usually rendered as “glorified”, “lauded”, “praised” (181 occurrences)

SE expanded to “Praise be to Thee”

glorified 27% lauded 19% praised 14% glory 12% praise 10% magnified 6% exalted 5% all 3% unto 2% “glory 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §244: the veils gleaningsGWB §597: veils kitab-i-iqanKIQ §219: “veils prayers-and-meditationsP&M §254: Lauded and glorified tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §11: my Lord the-hidden-wordsHW §89: from on high epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §256: Great God gleaningsGWB §450: High is God exalted

اللَّهُمَّ

al-lahumm ʾ-l-h → “o lord” Distinctive

literal: God; divine; god

SE usually renders this root as “god”, “divine”, “god’s”

god 67% divine 18% god’s 4% lord 4% divinity 3% holy 1% other 1% mystic 1% heavenly 1% godhead 0%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §109: Divine gleaningsGWB §560: is kitab-i-iqanKIQ §123: Cause of God prayers-and-meditationsP&M §470: Lord the-hidden-wordsHW §147: celestial will-and-testamentW&T §18: of the Lord epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §168: divine and celestial gleaningsGWB §204: her God

تَرَى

tará r-ʾ-y → “seest”

literal: see; to see; see/behold

thou 53% seest 16% beholdest 12% behold 6% wert 2% regard 2% seest?” 2% discover 2% dost 2% art 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §68: regard fire-tabletFire §26: seest gleaningsGWB §611: the unseen prayers-and-meditationsP&M §85: see Thee the-hidden-wordsHW §37: and to mirror forth will-and-testamentW&T §5: behold him epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §132: beholdeth gleaningsGWB §611: the seen

وَتَعْلَمُ

wataʿlam ʿ-l-m → “knowest”

literal: knowledge

knowest 42% thou 15% art 12% knowing 6% well 6% beholdest 6% what 3% learned 3% studied 3% testifieth 3%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §218: wisdom fire-tabletFire §13: ensigns gleaningsGWB §122: kingdoms kitab-i-iqanKIQ §145: that ye may know prayers-and-meditationsP&M §290: hidden wisdom tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §17: of all the worlds tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §13: we have taught thee the-hidden-wordsHW §14: seekest thou enlightenment

بِأَنِّي

biʾanní ʾ-n-n → “that i”

literal: that

moment 29% such 14% just 14% truly 14% should 14% how 14%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §53: that gleaningsGWB §690: O prayers-and-meditationsP&M §745: For epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §134: a moment gleaningsGWB §694: He prayers-and-meditationsP&M §487: how epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §262: is gleaningsGWB §242: such as to justify

دَعَوتُ

daʿawt d-ʿ-w → “have called upon”

literal: call; invitation

SE expanded to “have called upon”

summoned 42% summon 19% have 12% called 8% hath 4% summoning 4% invited 4% empowered 4% caused 4%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §189: summoneth you gleaningsGWB §521: unenforced kitab-i-ahdAhd §6: Pray kitab-i-iqanKIQ §270: in the “Prayer prayers-and-meditationsP&M §16: I call upon Thee tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §50: idle claimants the-hidden-wordsHW §24: I call thee epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §238: summoned, and art still summoning

عبادَكَ

ʿbádak ʿ-b-d → “thy servants”

literal: servants; servant; servant/slave

servants 89% people 4% creatures 1% unto 1% all 1% sincere 1% servants’ 1% such 1% comprehension 1% who 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §129: one fire-tabletFire §50: all the servants gleaningsGWB §215: the hearts of His servants kitab-i-iqanKIQ §224: to prayers-and-meditationsP&M §333: with such of Thy servants tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §15: a service the-hidden-wordsHW §56: Our servants will-and-testamentW&T §38: are servants

شَطْرِ

shaṭr sh-ṭ-r → “direction”

literal: direction; direction/side; direction, side

direction 47% towards 20% court 16% seat 4% prison 2% north 2% upper 2% capital 2% persia 2% constantinople 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §120: upper chamber gleaningsGWB §635: this prayers-and-meditationsP&M §524: in every direction epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §77: faces towards gleaningsGWB §726: direction prayers-and-meditationsP&M §189: side epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §243: to Persia gleaningsGWB §569: unto the court

مَواهِبِكَ

mawáhibik w-h-b → “thy bestowals”

literal: gift; bestower; gifts

gifts 38% favors 18% bestowals 12% bountiful 9% manifold 6% bounties 6% suns 3% bounty 3% heavenly 3% swear 3%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §15: of all gifts gleaningsGWB §195: All-Bountiful prayers-and-meditationsP&M §715: of Thy bestowals will-and-testamentW&T §56: gift epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §152: All-Bounteous gleaningsGWB §569: and bounty prayers-and-meditationsP&M §537: Thy bestowals will-and-testamentW&T §10: a bounty

أَمَرْتُهُمْ

ʾamartuhum ʾ-m-r → “have bidden them”

literal: command

SE expanded to “have bidden them”

have 50% commanded 25% bidden 25%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §7: didst bid fire-tabletFire §17: Command gleaningsGWB §39: His commandments kitab-i-ahdAhd §7: a decree kitab-i-iqanKIQ §75: Command,”prayers-and-meditationsP&M §735: in Him tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §12: to its dwellers the-hidden-wordsHW §157: results

مُحْكَمِ

muḥkam ḥ-k-m → “thy perspicuous”

literal: wisdom; wise; judgment

perspicuous 23% gird 15% firmly-established 8% mighty 8% resistless 8% fortified 8% fully 8% firmly 8% emphatically 8% impregnable 8%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §122: Governor gleaningsGWB §464: have judged kitab-i-ahdAhd §6: rulership kitab-i-iqanKIQ §159: truth of prayers-and-meditationsP&M §845: of Thy governance tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §1: the Wise the-hidden-wordsHW §13: My command will-and-testamentW&T §25: regulations

كِتابِكَ

kitábik k-t-b → “book, the book”

literal: book; books; write

SE expanded to “Book, the Book”

book 92% statutes 4% written 4%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §132: books gleaningsGWB §725: sacred Scriptures kitab-i-ahdAhd §15: Holy Writ kitab-i-iqanKIQ §20: words prayers-and-meditationsP&M §755: of these Books the-hidden-wordsHW §68: have written will-and-testamentW&T §40: Text epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §221: in numerous books

نُزِّلَ

nuzzil n-z-l → “hath been sent down”

literal: send down; descending; descend

SE expanded to “hath been sent down”

sent 41% hath 33% revealed 11% have 6% messages 2% book 2% inflicted 2% heaped 2% spoken 2% hast 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §174: flow gleaningsGWB §198: hath it been sent down kitab-i-ahdAhd §5: have already been revealed kitab-i-iqanKIQ §242: revealed unto prayers-and-meditationsP&M §228: hath celebrated tablet-of-carmelCarmel §1: ‘Haste thee tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §42: then descended the-hidden-wordsHW §54: visit

قَدَرِكَ

qadarik q-d-r → “thine inscrutable decree” Distinctive

literal: power; powerful; amount

This form usually rendered as “suffered”, “exaltation”, “worth” (7 occurrences)

SE expanded to “Thine inscrutable decree”

suffered 14% exaltation 14% worth 14% name 14% inscrutable 14% station 14% capacity 14%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §237: while fire-tabletFire §48: Ordainer gleaningsGWB §563: How numerous kitab-i-ahdAhd §12: granted kitab-i-iqanKIQ §178: dispensations of His providence prayers-and-meditationsP&M §842: have the power tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §3: the Powerful tablet-of-carmelCarmel §5: of His might

المَحْتُومِ

al-maḥtúm ḥ-t-m → “irrevocable”

literal: decreed; inevitable; certain

irrevocable 67% fixed 17% irrevocably 17%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §223: irrevocable gleaningsGWB §689: is incumbent the-hidden-wordsHW §141: irrevocably gleaningsGWB §264: fixed and settled gleaningsGWB §586: irrevocable Decree

وَقَضائِكَ

waqaḍáʾik q-ḍ-y → “decree”

literal: decree; decree/judgment; decreed

decree 69% irrevocable 10% dispositions 3% judgment 3% purpose 3% appointments 3% ordained 3% through 3%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §41: decided fire-tabletFire §29: of destiny gleaningsGWB §631: fulfill kitab-i-ahdAhd §10: is ended kitab-i-iqanKIQ §12: was prayers-and-meditationsP&M §651: and redeem the-hidden-wordsHW §19: have ordained epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §155: that have happened

المَرْقُومِ

al-marqúm r-q-m

literal: written; inscribe; inscribed

SE rendered المَحْتُومِ (al-maḥtúm), وَقَضائِكَ (waqaḍáʾik), المَرْقُومِ (al-marqúm) as “irrevocable, purpose”

written 45% recorded 27% set 9% inscribed 9% wrote 9%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §58: written down gleaningsGWB §692: hath fixed prayers-and-meditationsP&M §780: laid down will-and-testamentW&T §9: written by epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §54: recorded gleaningsGWB §56: hath imprinted the testimony prayers-and-meditationsP&M §224: hath written epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §165: written

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