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Prayers and Meditations — §611

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 611 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

سُبْحَانَكَ يا إِلهِي أَسْئَلُكَ بِاسْمِكَ الَّرحْمنِ بِأَنْ تَحْفَظَ عِبادَكَ وَإِمائَكَ عِنْدَ هُبُوبِ أَرْياحِ الامْتِحانِ وَظُهُورِ شُئُوناتِ الافْتِتانِ، ثُمَّ اجْعَلْهُمْ يا إِلهِي مِنَ المُتَحَصِّنِينَ فِي حِصْنِ حُبِّكَ وَأَمْرِكَ عَلَى شَأْنٍ لا يُسَلِّطُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَعادِي نَفْسِكَ وَأَشْرارُ عبادِكَ الَّذِينَ نَقَضُوا عَهْدَكَ وَمِيثاقَكَ وَقامُوا بِأَعْلى الاِسْتِكبارِ عَل

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Glory be to Thee, O my God! I beg of Thee by Thy name, the Most Merciful, to protect Thy servants and Thy handmaidens when the tempests of trials pass over them, and Thy manifold tests assail them. Enable them, then, O my God, so to seek refuge within the stronghold of Thy love and of Thy Revelation, that neither Thine adversaries nor the wicked doers among Thy servants, who have broken Thy Covenant and Thy Testament, and turned away most disdainfully from the Dayspring of Thine Essence and the Revealer of Thy glory, may prevail against them.

Translation Notes

سُبْحَانَكَ
s-b-ḥ → “Glory be to Thee” Distinctive

literal: glorified; the All-Praised; exalted; dawn; daybreak; morning

يا
y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

إِلهِي
ʾ-l-h → “my God”

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

أَسْئَلُكَ
s-ʾ-l → “I beg of Thee” Distinctive

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

بِاسْمِكَ
s-m-w → “by Thy name”

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

الَّرحْمنِ
r-ḥ-m → “the Most Merciful” Distinctive

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

بِأَنْ
ʾ-n-n → “to” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تَحْفَظَ
ḥ-f-ẓ → “protect”

literal: guardian; preserver; keeper

عِبادَكَ
ʿ-b-d → “Thy servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

وَإِمائَكَ
ʾ-m-y → “and Thy handmaidens”

literal: mother; to lead; to head; matter; affair; people; nation; community; female servant; handmaiden; umma

عِنْدَ
ʿ-n-d → “when” Distinctive

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

هُبُوبِ
h-b-b → “wafted” Distinctive

literal: blowing; onset; rushing of wind

أَرْياحِ
r-w-ḥ → “spirit” Distinctive

literal: rest; ease; comfort; tranquility

الامْتِحانِ
m-ḥ-n

literal: trial; tribulation; affliction; test

وَظُهُورِ
ẓ-h-r → “Thy manifold tests assail them” Distinctive

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

شُئُوناتِ
sh-ʾ-n

literal: thing; something

الافْتِتانِ،
f-t-n

literal: to give a legal judgment; to decree; to issue a fatwa

ثُمَّ
th-m-m → “then”

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

اجْعَلْهُمْ
j-ʿ-l → “Enable them”

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

مِنَ
m-n

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

المُتَحَصِّنِينَ
ḥ-ṣ-n → “stronghold” Distinctive

literal: fortress, stronghold, fortified place

فِي
f-y → “within”

literal: in; in-it; in it

حُبِّكَ
ḥ-b-b → “of Thy love”

literal: love; affection

وَأَمْرِكَ
ʾ-m-r → “and of Thy Revelation” Distinctive

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

عَلَى
ʿ-l-w → “that” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

لا
l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

يُسَلِّطُ
s-l-ṭ → “sovereignty” Distinctive

literal: sovereignty; king; authority

عَلَيْهِمْ
ʿ-l-y → “against them” Distinctive

literal: exalted; highest; supreme; most high; upon you; on; over; Ali (name); upon

أَعادِي
ʿ-d-w → “Thine adversaries”

literal: enemy; enemies; enmity

نَفْسِكَ
n-f-s → “souls” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

وَأَشْرارُ
sh-r-r → “nor the wicked doers”

literal: evil; harm; wickedness

الَّذِينَ
l-dh-y → “which” Distinctive

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

نَقَضُوا
n-q-ḍ → “have broken”

literal: breaker; violator; one who breaks (covenant); covenant-breaker

عَهْدَكَ
ʿ-h-d → “Thy Covenant”

literal: covenant; testament; promise; command

وَمِيثاقَكَ
w-th-q → “and Thy Testament”

literal: covenant; testament; bond

وَقامُوا
q-w-m → “people” Distinctive

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

الاِسْتِكبارِ
k-b-r → “grandeur” Distinctive

literal: great; grand; mighty; large

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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