The Hidden Words — §3

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 3 of 160.

Source (Arabic)

(٢) ﴿ يَا ابْنَ الرُّوحِ ﴾ أَحَبُّ الأَشْيَاءِ عِنْدِي الإنْصافُ. لَا تَرْغَبْ عَنْهُ إِنْ تَكُنْ إِلَيَّ راغِبًا وَلَا تَغْفَلْ مِنْهُ لِتَكُونَ لِي أَمِينًا وَأَنْتَ تُوَفَّقُ بِذلِكَ أَنْ تُشَاهِدَ الأَشْياءَ بِعَيْنِكَ لا بِعَيْنِ العِبادِ وَتَعْرِفَها بِمَعْرِفَتِكَ لا بِمَعْرِفَةِ أَحَدٍ فِي البِلادِ. فَكِّرْ فِي ذلِكَ كَيْفَ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ تَكُونَ. ذلِكَ مِنْ عَطِيَّتِي عَلَيْكَ وَعِنايَتي لَكَ فَاجْعَلْهُ أَمامَ عَيْنَيْكَ.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

(2) O SON OF SPIRIT! The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor. Ponder this in thy heart; how it behooveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee and the sign of My loving-kindness. Set it then before thine eyes.

Translation Notes

يَا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

ابْنَ

b-n-y → “SON”

literal: son

الرُّوحِ

r-w-ḥ → “SPIRIT”

literal: to go; to depart; to rest; spirit; soul

أَحَبُّ

ḥ-b-b → “best beloved”

literal: love; beloved; beloved ones

الأَشْيَاءِ

sh-y-ʾ → “all things”

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

عِنْدِي

ʿ-n-d → “in My sight”

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

الإنْصافُ.

n-ṣ-f → “Justice”

literal: justice; fairness; equity

لَا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

تَرْغَبْ

r-gh-b → “spurred him on”

literal: to desire, wish for; to turn away from; to be inclined towards

عَنْهُ

ʿ-n → “therefrom”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

إِنْ

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تَكُنْ

k-w-n → “thou” Distinctive

literal: to be; existence

إِلَيَّ

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

وَلَا

w-l-y → “not”

literal: friend; lord; guardian

تَغْفَلْ

gh-f-l → “neglect”

literal: heedlessness; negligence; inattention

مِنْهُ

m-n → “it” Distinctive

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

لِي

ʿ-l-y → “upon”

literal: for us; to us

أَمِينًا

ʾ-m-n → “trustworthy”

literal: to believe; to have faith; to be secure

وَأَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

تُوَفَّقُ

literal: accord, agreement, harmony; to agree, accord with

بِذلِكَ

dh-l-k → “Thus” Distinctive

literal: that; this; it; by that

تُشَاهِدَ

sh-h-d → “see”

literal: witness; observation; witnessed

بِعَيْنِكَ

ʿ-y-n → “with thine own eyes”

literal: eye; fountain; spring; essence

العِبادِ

ʿ-b-d → “of others” Distinctive

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

وَتَعْرِفَها

ʿ-r-f → “shalt know”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

أَحَدٍ

literal: Divine unity; monotheism; belief in the oneness of God

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

البِلادِ.

b-l-d → “city” Distinctive

literal: city; land; country

فَكِّرْ

f-k-r → “Ponder” Distinctive

literal: thoughts; ideas; fancies; opinions; to think; to reflect; to contemplate

كَيْفَ

k-y-f → “how”

literal: how; in what manner

يَنْبَغِي

n-b-gh → “behooveth”

literal: it is proper; it is fitting; it is necessary; it behooves

عَطِيَّتِي

ʿ-ṭ-w → “bounty” Distinctive

literal: bounty; gift; giving

وَعِنايَتي

ʿ-n-y → “and the sign of My loving-kindness”

literal: to concern; to mean; to turn away from; bounty; loving-kindness; grace; divine care; attention; meaning; significance; inner sense

لَكَ

l

literal: for us; to us

فَاجْعَلْهُ

j-ʿ-l → “make” Distinctive

literal: to make; to cause; to render; to appoint

أَمامَ

ʾ-m-m → “before”

literal: mother; to lead; to head; matter; affair; people; nation; community; female servant; handmaiden; umma

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