Tablet of Aḥmad — §4

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 4 of 17.

Source (Arabic)

أَنْ يَا أَحْمَدُ فَٱشْهَدْ بِأَنَّهُ هُوَ اللهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْسُّلْطَانُ ٱلْمُهَيمِنُ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْقَدِيرُ وَٱلَّذِي أَرْسَلَهُ بِٱسْمِ عَلِيٍّ هُوَ حَقٌّ مِنْ عِنْد اللهِ وَإِنَّا كُلٌّ بِأَمْرِهِ لَمِنَ ٱلْعَامِلِينَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

O Ahmad! Bear thou witness that verily He is God and there is no God but Him, the King, the Protector, the Incomparable, the Omnipotent. And that the One Whom He hath sent forth by the name of Ali [1] was the true One from God, to Whose commands we are all conforming.

Translation Notes

أَنْ

ʾ-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

يَا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

أَحْمَدُ

ḥ-m-d → “thanks”

literal: praise; to praise

فَٱشْهَدْ

sh-h-d → “Bear thou witness” Distinctive

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

هُوَ

h-w → “He”

literal: He; He is

اللهُ

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

لَا

l-ʾ → “no”

literal: no; not; negation particle

إِلَهَ

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

إِلَّا

ʾ-kh-r → “but” Distinctive

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

ٱلْسُّلْطَانُ

s-l-ṭ → “King”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

ٱلْمُهَيمِنُ

h-m-n → “Protector”

literal: the Protector; the Overseer; the Guardian

ٱلْعَزِيزُ

ʿ-z-z → “glory” Distinctive

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

ٱلْقَدِيرُ

q-d-r → “Omnipotent” Distinctive

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

وَٱلَّذِي

dh-w-y → “And that the One Whom He” Distinctive

literal: who; which; that which

أَرْسَلَهُ

r-s-l → “hath sent forth”

literal: to send; dispatch; transmission

بِٱسْمِ

s-m-w → “by the name”

literal: harm; strength; blame; hardship, adversity, tribulation, distress

عَلِيٍّ

ʿ-l-w → “exalted”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

حَقٌّ

ḥ-q-q → “true One” Distinctive

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

مِنْ

m-n → “from”

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

عِنْد

ʿ-n-d

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

كُلٌّ

k-l-l → “all”

literal: for us; to us

بِأَمْرِهِ

ʾ-m-r → “commands” Distinctive

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

ٱلْعَامِلِينَ

ʿ-m-l → “deeds” Distinctive

literal: to work; to act; to do; to perform

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