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Prayers and Meditations — §804

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 804 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

كْمُ الْكافِ وَالنُّونِ وَبَرَزَ سِرُّ اللّهِ الْمَكْنُونُ وَبُدِئَتِ الْمُمْكِناتُ وَبُعِثَتِ الْظُّهُوراتُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ بِجَمالِكَ ظَهَرَ جَمالُ الْمَعْبُودِ وَبِوَجْهِكَ لَاحَ وَجْهُ الْمَقْصُودِ وَبِكَلِمَةٍ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ فُصِّلَ بَيْنَ الْمُمْكِناتِ وَصَعَدَ الْمُخْلِصُونَ إِلَى الذُّرْوَةِ الْعُلْيا وَالْمُشْرِكُونَ إِلَى الدَّرَكاتِ السُّفْلى، وَأ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I bear witness, moreover, that through Thy beauty the beauty of the Adored One hath been unveiled, and through Thy face the face of the Desired One hath shone forth, and that through a word from Thee Thou hast decided between all created things, causing them who are devoted to Thee to ascend unto the summit of glory, and the infidels to fall into the lowest abyss.

Translation Notes

كْمُ
k-m-m

literal: how many

الْكافِ
k-f-y

literal: suffice; sufficient; sufficiency

وَالنُّونِ
n-w-n

literal: letter nun; the letter nun

وَبَرَزَ
b-r-z

literal: appearance; manifestation; coming forth

سِرُّ
s-r-r

literal: throne; couch; seat of authority

اللّهِ
ʾ-l-h

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

الْمَكْنُونُ
k-n-n

literal: to do; to make; to perform

وَبُدِئَتِ
b-d-ʾ

literal: beginning; beginning, origin; origin

الْمُمْكِناتِ
m-k-n → “all created things”

literal: establishment; confirmation; empowerment; firm settlement; place; possibility; being (negated as ‘non-being’)

وَبُعِثَتِ
b-ʿ-th

literal: to send; to raise up; to dispatch

وَأَشْهَدُ
sh-h-d → “I bear witness”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

أَنَّ
ʾ-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

بِجَمالِكَ
j-m-l → “through Thy beauty”

literal: beauty; comeliness

ظَهَرَ
ẓ-h-r → “hath been unveiled” Distinctive

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

الْمَعْبُودِ
ʿ-b-d → “of the Adored One”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

وَبِوَجْهِكَ
w-j-h → “through Thy face”

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

لَاحَ
l-w-ḥ → “hath shone forth” Distinctive

literal: tablet; panel; divine decree; revelation

الْمَقْصُودِ
q-ṣ-d → “of the Desired One”

literal: intention; purpose; aim; goal; to seek; to direct oneself

وَبِكَلِمَةٍ
k-l-m → “word”

literal: words; utterances; locutions; word; utterance; speech; sayings; verses

مِنْ
m-n → “from”

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

عِنْدِكَ
ʿ-n-d → “Thee”

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

فُصِّلَ
f-ṣ-l → “separated”

literal: detail; distinction; differentiation; to detail; to separate

بَيْنَ
b-y-n → “between” Distinctive

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

وَصَعَدَ
ṣ-ʿ-d → “to ascend”

literal: ascent; ascension; rising; elevation

الْمُخْلِصُونَ
kh-l-ṣ → “devoted” Distinctive

literal: sincere; devoted; pure one

إِلَى
ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

الذُّرْوَةِ
dh-r-w → “the summit”

literal: peak; apex; pinnacle; summit

الْعُلْيا
ʿ-l-w → “of glory” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

وَالْمُشْرِكُونَ
sh-r-k → “infidels”

literal: partner; associate; sharer; companion

الدَّرَكاتِ
d-r-k → “comprehend” Distinctive

literal: to overtake; to catch; to reach; to attain; to perceive; to comprehend

السُّفْلى،
s-f-l

literal: to lower; abase; the lower part

وَأ
w-ʾ-y

literal: by; by (oath particle)

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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