Skip to main content

Will and Testament — §14

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 14 of 59.

Source (Persian)

در این ایّام اهمّ امور هدایت ملل و امم است باید امر تبلیغ را مهم شمرد زیرا اسّ اساس است این عبد مظلوم شب و روز بترویج و تشویق مشغول گردید دقیقه‌ئی آرام نیافت تا آنکه صیت امر اللّه آفاقرا احاطه نمود و آوازۀ ملکوت ابهی خاور و باختر را بیدار کرد یاران الهی نیز چنین باید بفرمایند اینست شرط وفا و اینست مقتضای عبودیّت آستان بها

Shoghi Effendi Translation

In these days, the most important of all things is the guidance of the nations and peoples of the world. Teaching the Cause is of utmost importance for it is the head cornerstone of the foundation itself. This wronged servant hath spent his days and nights in promoting the Cause and urging the peoples to service. He rested not a moment, till the fame of the Cause of God was noised abroad in the world and the celestial strains from the Abhá Kingdom roused the East and the West. The beloved of God must also follow the same example. This is the secret of faithfulness, this is the requirement of servitude to the Threshold of Bahá!

Translation Notes

در
d-r-r → “In”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

این
ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

ایّام
y-w-m

literal: day; age; period; era; a day

اهمّ
h-m-m → “endeavor” Distinctive

literal: master of ceremonies; chamberlain; host

امور
ʾ-m-r → “things”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

هدایت
h-d-y → “guidance”

literal: guidance; direction; leading rightly

ملل
m-l-l → “nations”

literal: nation; people; religion; community

امم
ʾ-m-m → “peoples”

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

است
b-w-d → “is”

literal: to be; are (third person plural present copula)

باید
b-y-d → “is” Distinctive

literal: by hand; with hands; eternal; perpetual; everlasting

تبلیغ
b-l-gh → “Teaching”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

را
r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

شمرد
sh-m-r → “regard” Distinctive

literal: to count; to regard; to esteem; to consider

زیرا
z-y-r → “for”

literal: because; since; for; inasmuch as

اسّ
s-ʾ-l → “I beseech Thee”

literal: foundation; basis; groundwork; founder; establisher; to found; to establish; we have founded

اساس
ʾ-s-s → “foundation”

literal: foundation; basis; groundwork; founder; establisher; to found; to establish; we have founded

عبد
ʿ-b-d → “servant”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

مظلوم
ẓ-l-m → “wronged”

literal: wrongedness, oppression, meekness; state of being wronged or oppressed

شب
sh-b → “days and nights”

literal: night; nights

روز
r-w-z

literal: day; today; that-day

بترویج
r-w-j → “promulgate” Distinctive

literal: promotion; propagation; circulation (verbal noun of روّج)

تشویق
sh-w-q → “longing” Distinctive

literal: to encourage; to incite; yearning; enthusiasm

مشغول
sh-gh-l → “busied”

literal: to occupy; to engage; to busy; occupation

گردید
g-r-d → “become” Distinctive

literal: Persian verb گردیدن (to become/turn), not from Arabic ك-ر-د

دقیقه‌ئی
d-q-q → “moment”

literal: attention; heed; care; precision

آرام
r-w-m → “Stillness”

literal: rest; repose; tranquility

نیافت
y-ʾ-f → “not” Distinctive

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

تا
t-y-y → “so that”

literal: so that/until

آنکه
ʾ-n → “to” Distinctive

literal: that; indeed; that, to

صیت
ṣ-y-t → “fame”

literal: fame, renown, reputation, repute, report

اللّه
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

آفاقرا
ʾ-f-q → “world”

literal: horizons; regions; quarters; skylines

احاطه
ḥ-w-ṭ → “encompassed”

literal: to encompass, surround, envelop, embrace

نمود
n-m-ʾ → “may” Distinctive

literal: to become; to be

آوازۀ
ʾ-w-z → “celestial strains”

literal: voice

ملکوت
m-l-k → “Kingdom”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty

ابهی
b-h-w → “Abhá” Distinctive

literal: splendor; glory; magnificence; Bahá (Proper Name in Bahá’í texts)

خاور
kh-w-r → “Daystar” Distinctive

literal: sun; eat; consumed

باختر
b-kh-t → “West”

literal: west; the western region

کرد
k-r-d → “made”

literal: to do; to make; to perform; deed; action; conduct; behavior

یاران
y-ʾ-r → “friends”

literal: friend; companion; helper; help; aid; grace

نیز
n-y-z → “also”

literal: also; likewise; and; as well; too

چنین
ch-n-n → “likewise” Distinctive

literal: such; thus; in this manner; like this

بفرمایند
f-r-m

literal: to say; to decree; to ordain; to command

اینست
h-s-t → “is”

literal: is; be; are

شرط
sh-r-ṭ → “essential conditions”

literal: condition; requirement; clause

وفا
w-f-y → “faithfulness”

literal: faithfulness; loyalty; fulfillment; fidelity

مقتضای
q-ḍ-y → “decree” Distinctive

literal: decree; requirement; requirements

آستان
ʾ-s-t → “is” Distinctive

literal: is; threshold; threshold/capital

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf cover

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

Bahá’u’lláh

The last outstanding Tablet revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, written around 1891 and addressed to Shaykh Muḥammad-Taqí of Iṣfahán. It calls upon that rapacious priest to repent, quotes the most celebrated passages from Bahá’u’lláh’s own writings, and adduces proofs establishing the validity of His Cause.

268 ¶
Fire Tablet cover

Fire Tablet

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in late 1871 during a period of severe hardship in ‘Akká, this Tablet takes the form of an anguished dialogue between Bahá’u’lláh and God. Questions about the sufferings of the faithful are answered with divine assurances, building to a crescendo of triumph over tribulation.

50 ¶
Gleanings cover

Gleanings

Bahá’u’lláh

A compilation of 166 selections from Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablets, spanning the Baghdad, Adrianople, and ‘Akká periods (1853–1892). George Townshend assisted with English refinement. Shoghi Effendi wrote that it gives the friends a splendid opportunity to acquire knowledge and understanding of the Faith.

729 ¶
Kitáb-i-'Ahd cover

Kitáb-i-’Ahd

Bahá’u’lláh

The Book of the Covenant — Bahá’u’lláh’s Will and Testament, written entirely in His own hand and unsealed on the ninth day after His ascension. It designates ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His successor and establishes what Shoghi Effendi called the mightiest Covenant in all religious history.

16 ¶
Kitáb-i-Íqán cover

Kitáb-i-Íqán

Bahá’u’lláh

The principal doctrinal work of the Faith, revealed in Baghdad within the space of two days and two nights in response to questions from the Báb’s maternal uncle. Shoghi Effendi described it as occupying a position unequalled by any work except the Kitáb-i-Aqdas — a model of Persian prose, at once original, chaste, vigorous, and remarkably lucid.

291 ¶
Prayers and Meditations cover

Prayers and Meditations

Bahá’u’lláh

Published in 1938, this companion volume to Gleanings contains 184 prayers and meditations selected by Shoghi Effendi from Bahá’u’lláh’s devotional writings revealed across successive exiles from Baghdad to ‘Akká. Shoghi Effendi described it as a volume whose perusal would deepen the spirit of devotion and faith.

858 ¶
Tablet of Aḥmad cover

Tablet of Aḥmad

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in Adrianople and addressed to a believer named Aḥmad, this Tablet has been invested by Bahá’u’lláh with a special potency and significance. Its central imagery draws on the metaphor of fire and water: “Be thou as a flame of fire to My enemies and a river of life eternal to My loved ones.”

17 ¶
Tablet of Carmel cover

Tablet of Carmel

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed during a visit to Mount Carmel, this Tablet addresses the mountain directly and prophesies its future as the world spiritual and administrative center of the Faith. Shoghi Effendi designated it one of three foundational Charters. Its imagery of the Ark and the dwellers therein prefigures the Universal House of Justice.

5 ¶
Tablet of the Holy Mariner cover

Tablet of the Holy Mariner

Bahá’u’lláh

Chanted aloud in the outskirts of Baghdad just weeks before the Declaration in the Garden of Riḍván, its gloomy prognostications aroused the grave apprehensions of all who heard it. Only the Arabic portion has an authorized translation; the Persian portion remains untranslated.

57 ¶
The Hidden Words cover

The Hidden Words

Bahá’u’lláh

Seventy-one Arabic and eighty-two Persian aphorisms revealed around 1858 while walking along the banks of the Tigris in Baghdad. Originally designated the “Hidden Book of Fáṭimih,” Shoghi Effendi described it as a marvelous collection of gem-like utterances occupying a position of unsurpassed preeminence among the ethical writings of the Faith.

160 ¶