Prayers and Meditations — §568

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 568 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

فَاخْتِمْ قُلُوبَهُمْ بِخَاتَمِ عِصْمَتِكَ لِئَلا يَدْخُلَ فِيها ذِكْرُ غَيْرِكَ، ثُمَّ اجعَلْهُمْ مُنادِيًا بِاسْمِكَ بَيْنَ خَلْقِكَ، ثُمَّ ارْزُقْهُمْ خَيْرَ ما قَدَّرْتَهُ لِلْمُقَرَّبِينَ مِنْ أَصْفِيائِكَ، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ المُقْتَدِرُ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Set, then, the seal of Thine unerring protection on their hearts, O my Lord, lest perchance the remembrance of aught else except Thee enter therein. Make them able, moreover, to proclaim Thy name amidst Thy creatures, and supply them with the best of what Thou hast destined for such of Thy chosen ones as enjoy near access to Thee.

Translation Notes

فَاخْتِمْ

kh-t-m → “Seal”

literal: to seal; to conclude; to end; seal

قُلُوبَهُمْ

q-l-b → “their hearts”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

عِصْمَتِكَ

ʿ-ṣ-m → “Thine unerring protection”

literal: immaculate; protected; infallible

لِئَلا

l-y-l → “night”

literal: night; darkness

يَدْخُلَ

d-kh-l → “enter”

literal: enter; entered; entering

فِيها

f-y → “in”

literal: in it; in them

ذِكْرُ

dh-k-r → “remembrance” Distinctive

literal: remembrance; mention; memory

غَيْرِكَ،

gh-y-r → “aught else except Thee”

literal: without; besides; other than; except; other; different

ثُمَّ

th-m-m → “then”

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

اجعَلْهُمْ

j-ʿ-l → “Make them able” Distinctive

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

مُنادِيًا

n-d-y → “proclaim”

literal: call; voice; proclamation

بِاسْمِكَ

s-m-w → “Thy name”

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

بَيْنَ

b-y-n → “amidst”

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

خَلْقِكَ،

kh-l-q → “Thy creatures”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

ارْزُقْهُمْ

r-z-q → “supply”

literal: provide; sustenance; provided

خَيْرَ

kh-y-r → “best” Distinctive

literal: good; goodness; benefit; better; best

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

قَدَّرْتَهُ

q-d-r → “Thou hast destined” Distinctive

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

لِلْمُقَرَّبِينَ

q-r-b → “enjoy near access”

literal: stability; firmness; establishment

مِنْ

m-n → “of”

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

أَصْفِيائِكَ،

ṣ-f-w → “Thy chosen ones”

literal: pure one; chosen one; selected one; elite

إِنَّكَ

ʾ-n-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t

literal: you (masculine singular)

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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729 ¶

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16 ¶

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291 ¶

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17 ¶

Tablet of Carmel

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5 ¶

Tablet of the Holy Mariner

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57 ¶

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160 ¶

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Written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in three parts between 1901 and 1908, opened and read after His passing on 28 November 1921. Shoghi Effendi designated it the Charter of the New World Order — the mightiest instrument forged to ensure the continuity of the three ages of the Bahá’í Dispensation.

59 ¶