Prayers and Meditations — §626

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 626 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

سُبْحَانَكَ يا إِلهِي لَكَ الحَمْدُ بِما أَنْطَقْتَنِي بِآياتِكَ وَأَظْهَرْتَنِي بِحُجَّتِكَ وَبُرهانِكَ عَلَى شَأْنٍ طَافَ كُلُّ حُجَّةٍ حَوْلَ إِرادَتِيْ وَكُلُّ بُرْهانٍ حَوْلَ مَشِيَّتِي، أَيْ رَبِّ تَراني بَيْنَ أَعادِيْ نَفْسِكَ الَّذِينَ أَنْكَرُوا آياتِكَ وَأَدْحَضُوا بُرْهانَكَ وَأَعْرَضُوا عَنْ جَمالِكَ وَقامُوا عَلَى سَفْكَ دَمِكَ، أَسْئَلُكَ يا مالِكَ الأَسْمآءِ بِاسْمِكَ الَّذِيْ سَخَّرْتَ بِهِ الأَشْياءَ بِأَنْ تُؤَيِّدَ عِبادَكَ وَأَحِبّائَكَ عَلَى الاسْتِقامَةِ عَلَى أَمْرِكَ، ثُمَّ أَشْرِبْهُمْ ما تَحْيى بِهِ أَفْئِدَتُهُمْ فِي أَيَّامِكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ فَاجْعَلْهُمْ فِي كُلِّ الأَحْوالِ ناظِرِينَ إِلى رِضائِكَ وَشاكِرِينَ لِظُهُوراتِ قَضائِكَ، لأنَّكَ أَنْتَ المَحْمُودُ فيما فَعَلْتَ وَتَفْعَلُ وَالمُطاعُ فِيما أَرَدْتَ وَتُرِيْدُ وَالمَحْبُوبُ فِيْما شِئْتَ وَتَشآءُ، تَنْظُرُ أَحِبَّائَكَ بِلَحَظاتِ أَعْيُنِ أَلْطافِكَ وَلا تُنَزِّلُ لَهُمْ إِلاَّ ما هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَهُمْ بِفَضْلِكَ وَمَواهِبِكَ، نَسْئَلُكَ يا غَيْثَ الجُودِ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I give praise to Thee, that Thou hast made me able so to reveal Thine utterances, and manifest Thy proofs and Thy testimonies, that every proof hath been made to circle round my will, and every testimony to compass my pleasure. Thou seest me, O my Lord, lying at the mercy of Thine adversaries, who have repudiated Thy signs, and refuted Thy testimony, and turned back from Thy beauty, and resolved to shed Thy blood. I beseech Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of all names, by Thy name through which Thou hast subdued all created things, to graciously aid Thy servants and Thy loved ones to cleave steadfastly to Thy Cause. Give them, then, to drink what will quicken their hearts in Thy days. Enable them, moreover, O my Lord, to fix their gaze at all times upon Thy pleasure, and to yield Thee thanks for the evidences of Thine irrevocable decree. For Thou art, verily, praiseworthy in all that Thou hast done in the past, or wilt do in the future, and art to be obeyed in whatsoever Thou hast wished or wilt wish, and to be loved in all that Thou hast desired or wilt desire. Thou lookest upon them that are dear to Thee with the eyes of Thy loving-kindness, and sendest down for them only that which will profit them through Thy grace and Thy gifts.

Translation Notes

سُبْحَانَكَ

s-b-ḥ → “Glorified”

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

يا

y-ʾ → “O ye”

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “O my God”

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

لَكَ

literal: for us; to us

الحَمْدُ

ḥ-m-d → “give praise”

literal: praise; to praise

بِما

m-ʾ → “that” Distinctive

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

أَنْطَقْتَنِي

n-ṭ-q

literal: to speak; to utter; to pronounce; to articulate

بِآياتِكَ

ʾ-y-y → “Thine utterances”

literal: verse; sign; miracle; proof; sign, verse, miracle, token, indication; ayah; he; him; it

وَأَظْهَرْتَنِي

ẓ-h-r → “and manifest”

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

بِحُجَّتِكَ

ḥ-j-j → “Thy proofs”

literal: path, way; clear path

وَبُرهانِكَ

b-r-h-n → “Thy testimonies”

literal: proof, evidence, demonstration, argument

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w → “to”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

شَأْنٍ

sh-ʾ-n

literal: affair; concern; matter; aspect; quality; state; affairs; matters; conditions; circumstances; affair, matter, station, rank, dignity; station; rank; importance; matter, affair, concern, dignity, rank

طَافَ

ṭ-w-f → “hath been made to circle”

literal: the letter Ṭá; refers to Ṭihrán (also spelled Ṭehran)

كُلُّ

k-l-l → “every”

literal: for us; to us

حَوْلَ

ḥ-w-l → “round”

literal: states; conditions; circumstances; situations; affairs

إِرادَتِيْ

r-y-d → “desire”

literal: to will; to intend; to wish; will, volition, intention, desire

بُرْهانٍ

b-r-h → “proof”

literal: proof; proof, evidence; evidence

مَشِيَّتِي،

sh-y-ʾ → “my pleasure”

literal: thing; something

أَيْ

ʾ-y-y → “O”

literal: verse; sign; miracle; proof; sign, verse, miracle, token, indication; ayah; he; him; it

رَبِّ

r-b-b → “my Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

تَراني

r-ʾ-y → “Thou seest me”

literal: to see; to perceive; to look; to see, to observe, to behold; to view; vision; dream; sight; ل is prefix; verb تری (you see) is from ر-ا-ي

بَيْنَ

b-y-n

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

أَعادِيْ

ʿ-d-w → “Thine adversaries”

literal: enemy; enemies; enmity

نَفْسِكَ

n-f-s

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

الَّذِينَ

l-dh-y → “which” Distinctive

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

أَنْكَرُوا

n-k-r → “have repudiated” Distinctive

literal: denial; rejection; repudiation; wrong; evil; to deny; to reject

وَأَدْحَضُوا

d-ḥ-ḍ → “outcast” Distinctive

literal: refuted/cast-down; refuted/condemned; refuted/cast off

وَأَعْرَضُوا

ʿ-r-ḍ → “and turned back” Distinctive

literal: to turn away; to avert; to abstain; heedless

عَنْ

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

جَمالِكَ

j-m-l → “Thy beauty”

literal: beauty; comeliness

وَقامُوا

q-w-m → “people” Distinctive

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

سَفْكَ

s-f-k → “shed”

literal: to shed; to spill; bloodshed; to shed (blood)

دَمِكَ،

d-m-y → “Thy blood”

literal: breath; moment; instant

أَسْئَلُكَ

s-ʾ-l → “I beseech Thee”

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

مالِكَ

m-l-k → “Lord”

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

الأَسْمآءِ

s-m-w → “of all names”

literal: heaven; sky

سَخَّرْتَ

s-kh-r → “Thou hast subdued”

literal: to subdue, subject, render submissive; to harness

بِهِ

b-h → “as”

literal: by it; by him; with it

بِأَنْ

ʾ-n-n → “to” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تُؤَيِّدَ

ʾ-y-d → “graciously aid”

literal: to grant; to give; to bestow; to support, aid

عِبادَكَ

ʿ-b-d → “Thy servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

وَأَحِبّائَكَ

ḥ-b-b → “and Thy loved ones”

literal: love; affection

أَمْرِكَ،

ʾ-m-r → “Thy Cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

ثُمَّ

th-m-m → “then”

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

أَشْرِبْهُمْ

sh-r-b → “Give them”

literal: to drink; to imbibe

تَحْيى

ḥ-y-y → “life” Distinctive

literal: life; living; shame

أَفْئِدَتُهُمْ

f-ʾ-d → “their hearts”

literal: heart; hearts; hearts, souls

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in a day; during a day; one day after another

أَيَّامِكَ،

y-w-m → “in Thy days”

literal: day; age; period; era; a day

فَاجْعَلْهُمْ

j-ʿ-l → “Enable them”

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

ناظِرِينَ

n-ẓ-r → “to fix their gaze” Distinctive

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

إِلى

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

رِضائِكَ

r-ḍ-y → “Thy pleasure”

literal: good-pleasure, consent, satisfaction

وَشاكِرِينَ

sh-k-r → “and to yield Thee thanks” Distinctive

literal: thank; thankful; thanks

قَضائِكَ،

q-ḍ-y → “of Thine irrevocable decree”

literal: requirement; exigency; what demands or calls for; to require; to necessitate; to demand

لأنَّكَ

ʾ-n-n → “verily”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

فَعَلْتَ

f-ʿ-l → “Thou hast done”

literal: to do, act, make; deed, action

وَالمُطاعُ

ṭ-w-ʿ → “art to be obeyed”

literal: obedient; obedience; to obey

أَرَدْتَ

r-w-d → “Thou hast wished” Distinctive

literal: to will, to intend, to wish, to desire; to want; to intend; to desire

بِلَحَظاتِ

l-ḥ-ẓ → “with”

literal: to observe; to consider; to note; observation

أَعْيُنِ

ʿ-y-n → “eyes”

literal: eye; eyes; appointed

أَلْطافِكَ

l-ṭ-f → “of Thy loving-kindness” Distinctive

literal: kindness; grace; gentleness; benevolence

وَلا

w-l-y

literal: no; not; negation particle

تُنَزِّلُ

n-z-l → “sendest down” Distinctive

literal: to descend, to be revealed

لَهُمْ

l-h-m → “inspiration” Distinctive

literal: inspiration; divine inspiration; revelation

إِلاَّ

ʾ-kh-r → “end”

literal: end; hereafter; other

هُوَ

h-w

literal: He; He is

خَيْرٌ

kh-y-r → “good”

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

بِفَضْلِكَ

f-ḍ-l → “through Thy grace”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

وَمَواهِبِكَ،

w-h-b → “and Thy gifts”

literal: gift; grant; bestowal

غَيْثَ

gh-y-th

literal: to call for help; to cry out; to seek assistance

الجُودِ

j-w-d

literal: generosity; bounty; liberality

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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Gleanings

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A compilation of 166 selections from Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablets, spanning the Baghdad, Adrianople, and ‘Akká periods (1853–1892). George Townshend assisted with English refinement. Shoghi Effendi wrote that it gives the friends a splendid opportunity to acquire knowledge and understanding of the Faith.

729 ¶

Kitáb-i-’Ahd

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16 ¶

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291 ¶

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Revealed in Adrianople and addressed to a believer named Aḥmad, this Tablet has been invested by Bahá’u’lláh with a special potency and significance. Its central imagery draws on the metaphor of fire and water: “Be thou as a flame of fire to My enemies and a river of life eternal to My loved ones.”

17 ¶

Tablet of Carmel

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Revealed during a visit to Mount Carmel, this Tablet addresses the mountain directly and prophesies its future as the world spiritual and administrative center of the Faith. Shoghi Effendi designated it one of three foundational Charters. Its imagery of the Ark and the dwellers therein prefigures the Universal House of Justice.

5 ¶

Tablet of the Holy Mariner

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Chanted aloud in the outskirts of Baghdad just weeks before the Declaration in the Garden of Riḍván, its gloomy prognostications aroused the grave apprehensions of all who heard it. Only the Arabic portion has an authorized translation; the Persian portion remains untranslated.

57 ¶

The Hidden Words

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160 ¶

Will and Testament

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

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 ¶