The Hidden Words — §69

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 69 of 160.

Source (Arabic)

(٦٨) ﴿ يَا أَبْناءَ الإِنْسانِ﴾ هَلْ عَرَفْتُمْ لِمَ خَلَقْناكُمْ مِنْ تُرابٍ واحِدٍ؛ لِئَلاَّ يَفْتَخِرَ أَحَدٌ عَلى أَحَدٍ. وَتَفَكَّرُوا فِي كُلِّ حِينٍ فِي خَلْقِ أَنْفُسِكُم؛ إِذاً يَنْبَغِي كَما خَلَقْناكُم مِنْ شَيْءٍ واحِدٍ أَنْ تَكُونُوا كَنَفْسٍ واحِدَةٍ، بِحَيْثُ تَمْشُونَ عَلى رِجْلٍ واحِدَةٍ، وَتَأْكُلُونَ مِنْ فَمٍ واحِدٍ، وَتَسْكُنُونَ فِي أَرْضٍ واحِدَةٍ؛ حَتَّى تَظْهَرَ مِنْ كَيْنُوناتِكُمْ وَأَعْمالِكُمْ وَأَفْعالِكُمْ آياتُ التَّوْحِيدِ وَجَواهِرُ التَّجْرِيدِ. هذا نُصْحِي عَلَيْكُم يا مَلأَ الأَنْوارِ، فَانْتَصِحُوا مِنْهُ لِتَجِدُوا ثَمَراتِ القُدْسِ مِنْ شَجَرِ عِزٍّ مَنيعٍ.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

(68) O CHILDREN OF MEN! Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created. Since We have created you all from one same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest. Such is My counsel to you, O concourse of light! Heed ye this counsel that ye may obtain the fruit of holiness from the tree of wondrous glory.

Translation Notes

يَا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

أَبْناءَ

b-n-y → “CHILDREN”

literal: son; foundation; sons

الإِنْسانِ﴾

ʾ-n-s → “OF MEN” Distinctive

literal: familiar; intimate; companionship; to be acquainted with; companion; intimate friend; to be intimate with; to keep company; to console

هَلْ

h-l → “people” Distinctive

literal: interrogative particle; whether; is it that

عَرَفْتُمْ

ʿ-r-f → “ye” Distinctive

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

لِمَ

l-y-s → “not”

literal: to reproach; blame; censure

خَلَقْناكُمْ

kh-l-q → “Thy creatures” Distinctive

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

مِنْ

m-n → “from”

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

تُرابٍ

t-r-b → “dust”

literal: dust; earth; soil

واحِدٍ؛

w-ḥ-d → “one”

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

لِئَلاَّ

l-y-l → “night”

literal: night; darkness

يَفْتَخِرَ

f-kh-r → “glory”

literal: glory; boasting; pride

أَحَدٍ.

ʾ-ḥ-d → “one”

literal: one; anyone; oneness

عَلى

ʿ-l-w → “exalt”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

وَتَفَكَّرُوا

f-k-r → “Ponder”

literal: reflection; reflect; contemplation

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

كُلِّ

k-l-l → “at all”

literal: for us; to us

حِينٍ

ḥ-y-n → “times”

literal: time; moment; while; season

أَنْفُسِكُم؛

n-f-s → “your hearts”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

إِذاً

ʾ-dh-n → “ears”

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

يَنْبَغِي

n-b-gh → “behooveth”

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

كَما

k-m

literal: as; like; how much; lane; street; quarter; abode

شَيْءٍ

sh-y-ʾ → “things”

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

أَنْ

ʾ-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تَكُونُوا

k-w-n → “on you to be”

literal: to do; to make; to perform; to be; was

بِحَيْثُ

ḥ-y-th → “in such wise that”

literal: where; in which; inasmuch as; in such wise that; whereby; in that; respect, aspect

تَمْشُونَ

m-sh-y

literal: walk; walking; walks

رِجْلٍ

r-j-l → “same feet”

literal: man; men; person

وَتَأْكُلُونَ

ʾ-k-l → “share with them their food” Distinctive

literal: eat; to eat

فَمٍ

f-m-m → “with the same mouth” Distinctive

literal: mouth

وَتَسْكُنُونَ

s-k-n → “and dwell”

literal: dwelling; inhabitants; dwell

أَرْضٍ

ʾ-r-ḍ → “same land”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

حَتَّى

ḥ-t-y → “that from” Distinctive

literal: to be necessary, inevitable; determined

تَظْهَرَ

ẓ-h-r → “may be made manifest”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

وَأَعْمالِكُمْ

ʿ-m-l → “by your deeds” Distinctive

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

وَأَفْعالِكُمْ

f-ʿ-l → “and actions”

literal: to do, act, make; deed, action

آياتُ

ʾ-y-y → “signs”

literal: verse; sign; miracle; proof; sign, verse, miracle, token, indication; ayah; he; him; it

وَجَواهِرُ

j-w-r → “precincts of Thy court” Distinctive

literal: jewel; essence; gem; substance

التَّجْرِيدِ.

j-r-d → “of detachment”

literal: neck; throat

هذا

h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; that

نُصْحِي

n-ṣ-ḥ → “My counsel”

literal: counsel; advice; admonition

عَلَيْكُم

ʿ-l-y → “to you”

literal: exalted; highest; supreme; most high; upon you; on; over; Ali (name); upon

مَلأَ

m-l-ʾ → “concourse”

literal: assembly; multitude; chiefs; to fill; people of rank; fullness, assembly

الأَنْوارِ،

n-w-r → “of light”

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

لِتَجِدُوا

w-j-d → “being” Distinctive

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

ثَمَراتِ

th-m-r → “fruit”

literal: fruit; the fruit

القُدْسِ

q-d-s → “of holiness”

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

شَجَرِ

sh-j-r → “tree”

literal: tree

عِزٍّ

ʿ-z-z → “of wondrous glory”

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

مَنيعٍ.

m-n-ʿ

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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59 ¶