Prayers and Meditations — §623

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 623 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

ْئَلُكَ بَاسْمِكَ الَّذِيْ بِهِ أَظْهَرْتَ نَفْسَكَ وَأَرْفَعْتَ أَمْرَكَ عَلَى كُلِّ المُمْكِناتِ، ثُمَّ بِكُلِّ أَسْمائِكَ الحُسْنَى وَصِفاتِكَ العُلْيا وَأَذْكارِ نَفْسِكَ العَلِيِّ الأَعْلَى بِأَنْ تُنَزِّلَ فِي هذا اللَّيْلِ مِنْ سَحابِ رَحْمَتِكَ أَمْطَارَ شِفائِكَ عَلَى هذا الرَّضِيعِ الَّذِيْ نَسَبْتَهُ إِلَى نَفْسِكَ الأَبْهى فِي مَلَكُوتِ الإِنْشآءِ، ثُمَّ أَلْبِسْهُ يا إِلهِي مِنْ فَضْلِكَ قَمِيصَ العافِيَةِ وَالسَّلامَةِ، ثُمَّ احْفَظْهُ يا مَحْبُوبِي عَنْ كُلِّ بَلاءٍ وَسَقَمٍ وَمَكْرُوهٍ، وَإِنَّكَ أَنْتَ المُقْتَدِرُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَإِنَّكَ أَنْتَ المُقْتَدِرُ القَيُّومُ، ثُمَّ أَنْزِلْ عَلَيْهِ يا إِلهِي خَيْرَ الدُّنْيا وَالآخِرَةِ وَخَيْرَ الأَوَّلِينَ وَالآخِرِينَ وَإنَّكَ عَلَى ذلِكَ لَقَدِيرٌ حَكِيمٌ.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I implore Thee, therefore, by Thy name through which Thou didst manifest Thy Godhead, and didst exalt Thy Cause above all creation, and by each of Thy most excellent titles and most august attributes, and by all the virtues wherewith Thy transcendent and most exalted Being is extolled, to send down this night from the clouds of Thy mercy the rains of Thy healing upon this suckling, whom Thou hast related unto Thine all-glorious Self in the kingdom of Thy creation. Clothe him, then, O my God, by Thy grace, with the robe of well-being and health, and guard him, O my Beloved, from every affliction and disorder, and from whatsoever is obnoxious unto Thee. Thy might, verily, is equal to all things. Thou, in truth, art the Most Powerful, the Self-Subsisting. Send down, moreover, upon him, O my God, the good of this world and of the next, and the good of the former and latter generations. Thy might and Thy wisdom are, verily, equal unto this.

Translation Notes

ْئَلُكَ

s-ʾ-l → “implore”

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

بَاسْمِكَ

s-m-w → “by Thy name”

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

الَّذِيْ

l-dh-y → “which”

literal: who; which; that which; the one who

بِهِ

b-h → “as”

literal: by it; by him; with it

أَظْهَرْتَ

ẓ-h-r → “manifest”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

نَفْسَكَ

n-f-s → “Thy Godhead” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

وَأَرْفَعْتَ

r-f-ʿ → “didst exalt”

literal: to be raised, elevated, exalted, lifted up

أَمْرَكَ

ʾ-m-r → “Thy Cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w → “above” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

كُلِّ

k-l-l → “all”

literal: for us; to us

المُمْكِناتِ،

m-k-n → “creation”

literal: to do; to make; to perform; to be

ثُمَّ

th-m-m → “and” Distinctive

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

الحُسْنَى

ḥ-s-n

literal: goodness; beauty; excellence; good deed

وَصِفاتِكَ

w-ṣ-f → “attributes”

literal: attribute; quality; characteristic

وَأَذْكارِ

dh-k-r → “virtues” Distinctive

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

بِأَنْ

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تُنَزِّلَ

n-z-l → “down”

literal: to descend, to be revealed

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

هذا

h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; that

اللَّيْلِ

l-y-l → “night”

literal: night; darkness

مِنْ

m-n → “from”

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

سَحابِ

s-ḥ-b → “clouds”

literal: cloud; clouds

رَحْمَتِكَ

r-ḥ-m → “Thy mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

أَمْطَارَ

m-ṭ-r → “rains”

literal: rain

شِفائِكَ

sh-f-y → “healing”

literal: healing; healing, cure; healer

الرَّضِيعِ

r-ḍ-ʿ → “suckling babe”

literal: suckling/infant; suckling

نَسَبْتَهُ

n-s-b → “related” Distinctive

literal: relation; relationship; connection; attribution; proportion

إِلَى

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

literal: except; but; if not; lo; now; at this time; save; only; unless

الأَبْهى

b-h-w

literal: splendor; glory; magnificence; Bahá (Proper Name in Bahá’í texts)

مَلَكُوتِ

m-l-k → “kingdom”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty; possessions; property; ownership

الإِنْشآءِ،

n-sh-ʾ → “Thy creation”

literal: creation; bringing into existence; establishment; God willing; if God wishes; please God

أَلْبِسْهُ

l-b-s → “Clothe” Distinctive

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

يا

y-ʾ

literal: O; or

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “O my God”

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

فَضْلِكَ

f-ḍ-l → “Thy grace”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

قَمِيصَ

q-m-ṣ → “robe”

literal: garment; shirt; tunic

العافِيَةِ

ʿ-f-w → “Thy forgiveness” Distinctive

literal: pardon; forgiveness; pardon/forgive

وَالسَّلامَةِ،

s-l-m → “resignation” Distinctive

literal: resignation; submission; surrender; submissiveness

احْفَظْهُ

ḥ-f-ẓ → “guard”

literal: guardian; preserver; keeper

مَحْبُوبِي

ḥ-b-b → “O my Beloved”

literal: love; affection

عَنْ

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

بَلاءٍ

b-l-w → “affliction”

literal: trial; affliction; test; calamity; plague

وَسَقَمٍ

s-q-m → “sickness”

literal: sickness; disease; ailment

وَمَكْرُوهٍ،

k-r-h → “abhor” Distinctive

literal: dislike; hate; haters/those who hate

وَإِنَّكَ

ʾ-n-n → “that” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

المُقْتَدِرُ

q-d-r → “the Most Powerful”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

شَيْءٍ

sh-y-ʾ → “all things”

literal: thing; something; to will; to wish; to desire; to open; to unfold; to reveal

القَيُّومُ،

q-w-m → “the Self-Subsisting”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

عَلَيْهِ

ʿ-l-y → “upon him”

literal: upon; on; exalted

خَيْرَ

kh-y-r → “good”

literal: goodwill; benevolence; kindness; good; goodness; benefit; better; best

الدُّنْيا

d-n-w → “this world”

literal: this world; earthly life; temporal realm; lowest; base; mean; of little account; to know; to be acquainted with

وَالآخِرَةِ

ʾ-kh-r → “of the next”

literal: the hereafter, the next life, the world to come; last, latter; the next life, the hereafter; delay; postponement

الأَوَّلِينَ

ʾ-w-l → “this world” Distinctive

literal: first; beginning; at first; the first; former; possessors of; those who have; masters of

ذلِكَ

dh-l-k → “equal unto this”

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

حَكِيمٌ.

ḥ-k-m → “Thy wisdom” Distinctive

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom; firm; solid; strengthened

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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59 ¶