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Prayers and Meditations — §808

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 808 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

لِبَلَائِكَ الْفِدَاءُ أَسْئَلُ اللّهَ بِكَ وَبِالَّذِينَ اسْتَضَائَتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ مِنْ أَنْوارِ وَجْهِكَ وَاتَّبَعُوا مَا أُمِرُوا بِهِ حُبًّا لِنَفْسِكَ أَنْ يَكْشِفَ السُّبُحَاتِ الَّتِي حَالَتْ بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ خَلْقِكَ وَيَرْزُقَنِي خَيْرَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْمُقْتَدرُ الْمُتَعالِي الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

May my spirit be a sacrifice to the wrongs Thou didst suffer, and my soul be a ransom for the adversities Thou didst sustain. I beseech God, by Thee and by them whose faces have been illumined with the splendors of the light of Thy countenance, and who, for love of Thee, have observed all whereunto they were bidden, to remove the veils that have come in between Thee and Thy creatures, and to supply me with the good of this world and the world to come. Thou art, in truth, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate.

Translation Notes

لِبَلَائِكَ
b-l-w → “tribulations” Distinctive

literal: affliction; trial; calamity; trial, tribulation, affliction, calamity; yes; indeed; verily

الْفِدَاءُ
f-d-y → “sacrifice”

literal: to sacrifice; to ransom; to redeem

أَسْئَلُ
s-ʾ-l → “I beseech”

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

اللّهَ
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

وَبِالَّذِينَ
l-dh-y → “which”

literal: those who; who; which

اسْتَضَائَتْ
ḍ-w-ʾ → “glory hath irradiated” Distinctive

literal: to shine; to be illuminated; to light up

وُجُوهُهُمْ
w-j-h → “faces”

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

مِنْ
m-n → “with” Distinctive

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

أَنْوارِ
n-w-r → “splendors”

literal: light; illumination

وَاتَّبَعُوا
t-b-ʿ → “follow”

literal: to follow; to obey; to pursue

مَا
m-ʾ → “that”

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

أُمِرُوا
ʾ-m-r → “they were bidden”

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

بِهِ
b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

حُبًّا
ḥ-b-b → “for love of Thee”

literal: love; affection

لِنَفْسِكَ
n-f-s → “soul” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

أَنْ
ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

يَكْشِفَ
k-sh-f

literal: unveiling; uncover; unveiled

السُّبُحَاتِ
s-b-ḥ → “the veils”

literal: glorified; the All-Praised; exalted

الَّتِي
ʾ-l-l → “which”

literal: who; which/that; which

حَالَتْ
ḥ-w-l → “come in between”

literal: states; conditions; circumstances; situations; affairs

بَيْنَكَ
b-y-n → “Thee”

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

خَلْقِكَ
kh-l-q → “Thy creatures”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

وَيَرْزُقَنِي
r-z-q → “and to supply me”

literal: sustenance; provision; to grant livelihood

خَيْرَ
kh-y-r → “good”

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

الدُّنْيَا
d-n-w → “of this world”

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

وَالْآخِرَةِ،
ʾ-kh-r → “and the world to come”

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

إِنَّكَ
ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; indeed; verily

أَنْتَ
ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

الْمُقْتَدرُ
q-d-r → “the Almighty”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

الْمُتَعالِي
ʿ-l-w → “the Most Exalted”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

الْعَزِيزُ
ʿ-z-z → “the All-Glorious”

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

الْغَفُورُ
gh-f-r → “the Ever-Forgiving”

literal: to forgive; forgiveness

الرَّحِيمُ.
r-ḥ-m → “the Most Compassionate”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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