Prayers and Meditations — §99

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 99 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

إِلَيْكَ وَفِيْ السِّجْنِ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلى شَطْرِ مَواهِبِكَ وَأَلْطافِكَ، كُلَّما ازْدادَ البَلايا إِنَّهُ زادَ فِيْ إِظْهارِ أَمْرِكَ وَإِعْلاءِ كَلِمَتِكَ، أَشْه

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Thou seest, O my God, how, notwithstanding the swords that are drawn against Him, He calleth the nations unto Thee, and though Himself a prisoner summoneth them to turn in the direction of Thy gifts and bounties. With every fresh tribulation He manifested a fuller measure of Thy Cause, and exalted more highly Thy word.

Translation Notes

إِلَيْكَ

ʾ-l-y → “towards” Distinctive

literal: one; a single

وَفِيْ

f-y → “in”

literal: faithfulness; loyalty; fulfillment; fidelity; to be faithful; faithful, loyal

السِّجْنِ

s-j-n

literal: prison, imprisonment; to imprison

يَدْعُوهُمْ

d-ʿ-w → “summoneth them”

literal: call; invitation; claim

شَطْرِ

sh-ṭ-r → “direction”

literal: side, direction; half; to split

مَواهِبِكَ

w-h-b → “gifts”

literal: gift; grant; bestowal

وَأَلْطافِكَ،

l-ṭ-f → “bounties”

literal: kindness; grace; gentleness; benevolence

كُلَّما

k-l-l → “With every” Distinctive

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

ازْدادَ

z-y-d → “waxed greater and greater”

literal: increase; excess; more; additional; to increase; to grow; to be added

البَلايا

b-l-w → “tribulation”

literal: affliction; trial; calamity

إِنَّهُ

ʾ-n-n → “He”

literal: I, verily; behold I

إِظْهارِ

ẓ-h-r

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

أَمْرِكَ

ʾ-m-r → “Cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

وَإِعْلاءِ

ʿ-l-w → “exalted”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

كَلِمَتِكَ،

k-l-m → “word”

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

أَشْه

sh-h-d

literal: witness; observation; witnessed

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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729 ¶

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16 ¶

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291 ¶

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17 ¶

Tablet of Carmel

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5 ¶

Tablet of the Holy Mariner

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57 ¶

The Hidden Words

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160 ¶

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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 ¶