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Will and Testament — §1

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 1 of 59.

Source (Persian)

حمداً لمن صان هیکل امره بدرع المیثاق عن سهام الشّبهات و حمی حمی شریعته السّمحآء و وقی محجّته البیضآء بجنود عهوده من هجوم عصبة ناقضة و ثلّة هادمة للبنیان و حرس الحصن الحصین و دینه المبین برجال لا تأخذهم لومة لائم و لا تلهیهم تجارة و لا عزّة و لا سلطة عن عهد اللّه و میثاقه الثّابت بآیات بیّنات من اثر القلم الأعلی فی لوح حفیظ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

All praise to Him Who, by the Shield of His Covenant, hath guarded the Temple of His Cause from the darts of doubtfulness; Who by the Hosts of His Testament hath preserved the Sanctuary of His Most Beneficent Law and protected His Straight and Luminous Path, staying thereby the onslaught of the company of Covenant-breakers, that have threatened to subvert His Divine Edifice; Who hath watched over His Mighty Stronghold and All-Glorious Faith, through the aid of men whom the slander of the slanderer affecteth not, whom no earthly calling, glory and power can turn aside from the Covenant of God and His Testament, established firmly by His clear and manifest words, writ and revealed by His All-Glorious Pen and recorded in the Preserved Tablet.

Translation Notes

حمداً
ḥ-m-d → “All praise”

literal: praise; to praise

لمن
m-n → “to Him” Distinctive

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

صان
ṣ-w-n → “insure the protection” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

هیکل
h-y-k-l → “Temple”

literal: temple; structure; form; body

امره
ʾ-m-r → “of His Cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

بدرع
d-r-ʿ → “shield”

literal: shield; armor; mail

المیثاق
w-th-q → “of His Covenant”

literal: covenant; compact; pact; agreement

عن
ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

سهام
s-h-m → “darts”

literal: arrow; dart; shaft; portion; share

الشّبهات
sh-b-h → “of doubtfulness”

literal: doubt; uncertainty; suspicion; resemblance; semblance

حمی
ḥ-m-y → “protection” Distinctive

literal: to protect; to guard; to preserve; to defend

شریعته
sh-r-ʿ → “of His Most Beneficent Law”

literal: law; legislation; religious law; canon; ordinance

السّمحآء
s-m-ḥ

literal: to be lenient, clement; gracious, tolerant

وقی
w-q-y → “Fear” Distinctive

literal: to protect, safeguard, shield

محجّته
ḥ-j-j → “testimony” Distinctive

literal: path, way; clear path

البیضآء
b-y-ḍ

literal: white; pure; bright; radiant; clear

بجنود
j-n-d → “by the Hosts”

literal: hosts, armies, troops

عهوده
ʿ-h-d → “of His Testament”

literal: covenant; testament; promise; command

هجوم
h-j-m → “onslaught”

literal: to attack; assault; rush; onslaught

عصبة
ʿ-ṣ-b → “of the company”

literal: band; group; gang; faction; company

ناقضة
n-q-ḍ → “of Covenant-breakers”

literal: breaker; violator; one who breaks (covenant); covenant-breaker

ثلّة
th-l-l

literal: band; group; company; faction; host

هادمة
h-d-m → “will demolish” Distinctive

literal: to demolish, destroy, tear down

للبنیان
b-n-y → “His Divine Edifice”

literal: building, structure, edifice; to build, construct; structure, edifice

حرس
ḥ-r-s → “protect”

literal: to guard, protect, watch over

الحصن
ḥ-ṣ-n → “His Mighty Stronghold”

literal: fortress, stronghold, fortified place

دینه
d-y-n → “All-Glorious Faith”

literal: religion; faith; creed

برجال
r-j-l → “through the aid of men”

literal: man; men; person

لا
l-ʾ → “no”

literal: no; not; negation particle

تأخذهم
ʾ-kh-dh → “laid hold” Distinctive

literal: to take; to seize; to affect; to grasp

لومة
l-w-m → “slander of the slanderer”

literal: blame; censure; to blame

تلهیهم
l-h-w → “for him” Distinctive

literal: to distract; to divert; to amuse

تجارة
t-j-r → “reputation” Distinctive

literal: commerce, trade; dealing

عزّة
ʿ-z-z → “glory”

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

سلطة
s-l-ṭ → “power”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

اللّه
ʾ-l-h

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

الثّابت
th-b-t → “established firmly”

literal: firm; steadfast; established; fixed

بآیات
ʾ-y-y → “signs”

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

بیّنات
b-y-n → “clear and manifest” Distinctive

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

اثر
ʾ-th-r → “signs” Distinctive

literal: effect; trace; influence; imprint; sign; mark; vestige

القلم
q-l-m → “by His All-Glorious Pen”

literal: pen; writing instrument

الأعلی
ʿ-l-w → “and recorded” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

فی
f-y

literal: in; in-it; in it

لوح
l-w-ḥ → “in the Preserved Tablet”

literal: tablet; panel; divine decree; revelation

حفیظ
ḥ-f-ẓ

literal: guardian; preserver; keeper

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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