Prayers and Meditations — §796

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 796 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

فِي كُلِّ حِينٍ ما تَفْزَعُ بِهِ حَقائِقُ أَصْفِيائِكَ وَأُمَنائِكَ، إِذًا أَسْئَلُكَ يا إِلهِي بِاسْمِكَ الَّذِيْ بِهِ هَدَيْتَ العاشِقِينَ إِلى كَوْثَرِ فَضْلِكَ وَأَلْطافِكَ وَاجْتَذَبْتَ المُشْتاقِينَ إِلى رِضْوانِ قُرْبِكَ وَلِقائِكَ، بِأَنْ تَفْتَحَ أَبْصارَ بَرِيَّتِكَ لِيَشْهَدُنَّ فِي هذا الظُّهُورِ ظُهُورَ عِزِّ فَرْدانِيَّتِكَ وَطُلُوعَ أَنْوارِ وَجْهِكَ وَجَمالِكَ، ثُمَّ طَهِّرْهُمْ يا إِلهِي مِنَ الظُّنُونِ وَالأَوْهامِ لِيَجِدُنَّ رَوائِحَ التَّقْدِيسِ مِنْ قَمِيْصِ ظُهُورِكَ وَأَمْرِكَ لَعَلَّ لا يَرِدُ مِنْهُمْ عَلَيَّ ما تَمْنَعُ بِهِ أَنْفُسَهُمْ مِنْ نَفَحاتِ شُئُونِ رَحْمانِيَّتِكَ فِي أَيَّامِ ظُهُورِ مَظْهَرِ نَفْسِكَ وَمَطْلَعِ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I entreat Thee, therefore, O my God, by Thy Name through which Thou hast guided Thy lovers to the living waters of Thy grace and Thy favors, and attracted them that long for Thee to the Paradise of Thy nearness and Thy presence, to open the eyes of Thy people that they may recognize in this Revelation the manifestation of Thy transcendent unity, and the dawning of the lights of Thy countenance and Thy beauty. Cleanse them, then, O my God, from all idle fancies and vain imaginations, that they may inhale the fragrances of sanctity from the robe of Thy Revelation and Thy commandment, that haply they may cease to inflict upon me what will deprive their souls of the fragrances of the manifold tokens of Thy mercy, that are wafted in the days of Him Who is the Manifestation of Thyself, and the Dayspring of Thy Cause, and that they may not perpetrate what will call down Thy wrath and anger.

Translation Notes

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

كُلِّ

k-l-l

literal: for us; to us

حِينٍ

ḥ-y-n

literal: time; moment; while; season

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

تَفْزَعُ

f-z-ʿ

literal: terror; alarm; fear

بِهِ

b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

حَقائِقُ

ḥ-q-q

literal: truth; right; that which is true or just

أَصْفِيائِكَ

ṣ-f-w

literal: pure one; chosen one; selected one; elite; purity; clarity; sincerity; pure; sincere

وَأُمَنائِكَ،

ʾ-m-n

literal: to believe; to have faith; to be secure; trust; trustworthiness; covenant; deposit; believer, faithful

إِذًا

ʾ-dh-n → “ears”

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

أَسْئَلُكَ

s-ʾ-l

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

يا

y-ʾ

literal: O; or

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “O my God”

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

بِاسْمِكَ

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 → “through which”

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

هَدَيْتَ

h-d-y → “Thou hast guided”

literal: guidance; guide; guided

العاشِقِينَ

ʿ-sh-q → “Thy lovers”

literal: lover; love; lovers

إِلى

ʾ-l-y → “to the” Distinctive

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

كَوْثَرِ

k-w-th-r → “living waters”

literal: abundance; river of paradise; the Kawthar

فَضْلِكَ

f-ḍ-l → “of Thy grace”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

وَأَلْطافِكَ

l-ṭ-f → “and Thy favors”

literal: kindness; grace; gentleness; benevolence

وَاجْتَذَبْتَ

j-dh-b → “and attracted”

literal: to draw, attract, pull; to be enraptured

المُشْتاقِينَ

sh-w-q → “them that long for” Distinctive

literal: to encourage; to incite; yearning; enthusiasm

رِضْوانِ

r-ḍ-w → “Paradise”

literal: good-pleasure, consent, satisfaction; satisfaction; pleasure; approval; contentment

قُرْبِكَ

q-r-b → “of Thy nearness”

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

وَلِقائِكَ،

l-q-y → “and Thy presence”

literal: opposite; facing; in front of; towards

بِأَنْ

ʾ-n-n → “to” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تَفْتَحَ

f-t-ḥ → “open”

literal: opening; opening up; conquests; revelations; disclosure

أَبْصارَ

b-ṣ-r → “eyes”

literal: sight; insight; eyes

بَرِيَّتِكَ

b-r-ʾ → “of Thy people”

literal: to create; to create anew; to be free from; innocent; free from; clear of; to cure; to heal; to clear

لِيَشْهَدُنَّ

sh-h-d → “that they may recognize”

literal: witness; observation; witnessed

هذا

h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; that

الظُّهُورِ

ẓ-h-r → “Revelation”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

عِزِّ

ʿ-z-z → “of Thy transcendent”

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

فَرْدانِيَّتِكَ

f-r-d → “unity”

literal: unique; singular; incomparable

وَطُلُوعَ

ṭ-l-ʿ → “Dayspring” Distinctive

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

أَنْوارِ

n-w-r → “of the lights”

literal: light; illumination

وَجْهِكَ

w-j-h → “of Thy countenance”

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

وَجَمالِكَ،

j-m-l → “and Thy beauty”

literal: beauty; comeliness

ثُمَّ

th-m-m → “then”

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

طَهِّرْهُمْ

ṭ-h-r → “Cleanse them”

literal: to purify; to cleanse

مِنَ

m-n → “from all”

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

الظُّنُونِ

ẓ-n-n → “idle fancies”

literal: fancy; supposition; vain imagination; idle conjecture

وَالأَوْهامِ

w-h-m → “and vain imaginations”

literal: to imagine, suppose; fancy, idle imagination

لِيَجِدُنَّ

w-j-d → “that they may inhale”

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

رَوائِحَ

r-w-ḥ → “fragrances” Distinctive

literal: narration; tradition; fragrance; to grow; to spring forth; to sprout

التَّقْدِيسِ

q-d-s → “of sanctity”

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

قَمِيْصِ

q-m-ṣ → “robe”

literal: garment; shirt; tunic

وَأَمْرِكَ

ʾ-m-r → “and Thy commandment” Distinctive

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

لَعَلَّ

l-ʿ-l → “that haply”

literal: perhaps; perchance; hopefully

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

يَرِدُ

w-r-d → “hath befallen” Distinctive

literal: hand; power; strength; (plural) hands; agents; helpers; to assist, to support, to aid, to strengthen

عَلَيَّ

ʿ-l-w → “upon me” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

تَمْنَعُ

m-n-ʿ → “will deprive” Distinctive

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

أَنْفُسَهُمْ

n-f-s → “their souls” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

نَفَحاتِ

n-f-ḥ → “fragrances”

literal: breeze; fragrance; whiff; breath; emanation

شُئُونِ

sh-ʾ-n → “station” Distinctive

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

رَحْمانِيَّتِكَ

r-ḥ-m → “of Thy mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

أَيَّامِ

y-w-m → “days”

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

Bahá’u’lláh

The last outstanding Tablet revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, written around 1891 and addressed to Shaykh Muḥammad-Taqí of Iṣfahán. It calls upon that rapacious priest to repent, quotes the most celebrated passages from Bahá’u’lláh’s own writings, and adduces proofs establishing the validity of His Cause.

268 ¶

Fire Tablet

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in late 1871 during a period of severe hardship in ‘Akká, this Tablet takes the form of an anguished dialogue between Bahá’u’lláh and God. Questions about the sufferings of the faithful are answered with divine assurances, building to a crescendo of triumph over tribulation.

50 ¶

Gleanings

Bahá’u’lláh

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

Bahá’u’lláh

The Book of the Covenant — Bahá’u’lláh’s Will and Testament, written entirely in His own hand and unsealed on the ninth day after His ascension. It designates ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His successor and establishes what Shoghi Effendi called the mightiest Covenant in all religious history.

16 ¶

Kitáb-i-Íqán

Bahá’u’lláh

The principal doctrinal work of the Faith, revealed in Baghdad within the space of two days and two nights in response to questions from the Báb’s maternal uncle. Shoghi Effendi described it as occupying a position unequalled by any work except the Kitáb-i-Aqdas — a model of Persian prose, at once original, chaste, vigorous, and remarkably lucid.

291 ¶

Tablet of Aḥmad

Bahá’u’lláh

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

Bahá’u’lláh

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

Bahá’u’lláh

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

Bahá’u’lláh

Seventy-one Arabic and eighty-two Persian aphorisms revealed around 1858 while walking along the banks of the Tigris in Baghdad. Originally designated the “Hidden Book of Fáṭimih,” Shoghi Effendi described it as a marvelous collection of gem-like utterances occupying a position of unsurpassed preeminence among the ethical writings of the Faith.

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 ¶