Prayers and Meditations — §555

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 555 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

َالخَوْفُ بِالأَمانِ وَالضَّعْفُ بِالقُدْرَةِ وَالذِّلَّةُ بِالعِزَّةِ، بِأَنْ تُؤَيِّدَنِي وَعِبادَكَ عَلَى إِعْلآءِ ذِكْرِكَ وَإِبْلاغِ كَلِمَتِكَ وَإِظْهارِ أَمْرِكَ بِحَيْثُ لا يَمْنَعُنا يا مَحْبُوبِي سَطْوَةُ الظَّالِمِينَ وَغَضَبُ المُشْرِكِينَ، أَيْ رَبِّ أَنَا أَمَتُكَ الَّتِيْ سَمِعْتُ نِدائَكَ وَسَرُعْتُ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I beseech Thee, by Thy name through which Thou turnest restlessness into tranquility, fear into confidence, weakness into strength, and abasement into glory, that Thou of Thy grace wilt aid me and Thy servants to exalt Thy name, to deliver Thy Message, and to proclaim Thy Cause, in such wise that we may remain unmoved by either the assaults of the transgressors or the wrath of the infidels, O Thou Who art my Well-Beloved!

Translation Notes

َالخَوْفُ

kh-w-f → “fear”

literal: to fear; to be afraid; fear

بِالأَمانِ

ʾ-m-n → “trustworthy”

literal: to grant, bestow favor; grace, bounty, kindness

وَالضَّعْفُ

ḍ-ʿ-f → “weakness”

literal: weak; feeble; imperfect

بِالقُدْرَةِ

q-d-r → “strength” Distinctive

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

وَالذِّلَّةُ

dh-l-l → “abasement”

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

بِالعِزَّةِ،

ʿ-z-z → “glory”

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

بِأَنْ

ʾ-n-n → “that Thou of Thy grace wilt”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تُؤَيِّدَنِي

ʾ-y-d → “aid”

literal: to support, assist, strengthen, confirm; to support; to assist; to strengthen; to aid; confirmation; support; strengthening

وَعِبادَكَ

ʿ-b-d → “Thy servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w → “to”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

ذِكْرِكَ

dh-k-r → “Thy name” Distinctive

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

وَإِبْلاغِ

b-l-gh → “teach” Distinctive

literal: reach; reached; attainment

كَلِمَتِكَ

k-l-m → “words”

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

وَإِظْهارِ

ẓ-h-r → “proclaim”

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

أَمْرِكَ

ʾ-m-r → “Thy Cause”

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

بِحَيْثُ

ḥ-y-th → “in such wise that”

literal: where; in which; inasmuch as; in such wise that; whereby; in that; respect, aspect

لا

l-ʾ

literal: no; not; negation particle

يَمْنَعُنا

m-n-ʿ → “hinder”

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived