Will and Testament — §19
Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 19 of 59.
Source (Persian)
و ایادی امر اللّه از نفس جمعیّت خویش نه نفر انتخاب نمایند و همیشه بخدمات مهمّۀ ولیّ امر اللّه مشغول باشند و انتخاب این نه نفر یا باتّفاق مجمع ایادی و یا باکثریّت آرا تحقّق یابد و این نه نفر یا بالاتّفاق یا باکثریّت آرا باید غصن منتخب را که ولیّ امر اللّه تعیین بعد از خود نماید تصدیق نمایند و این تصدیق باید بنوعی واقع گردد که مصدّق و غیر مصدّق معلوم نشود
Shoghi Effendi Translation
The Hands of the Cause of God must elect from their own number nine persons that shall at all times be occupied in the important services in the work of the Guardian of the Cause of God. The election of these nine must be carried either unanimously or by majority from the company of the Hands of the Cause of God, and these, whether unanimously or by a majority vote, must give their assent to the choice of the one whom the Guardian of the Cause of God hath chosen as his successor. This assent must be given in such wise as the assenting and dissenting voices may not be distinguished (i.e., secret ballot).
Translation Notes
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §107: graspgleaningsGWB §163: rodkitab-i-iqanKIQ §244: with their handsprayers-and-meditationsP&M §617: hands ofwill-and-testamentW&T §16: the Hands (pillars)epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §106: the handsgleaningsGWB §40: their own handskitab-i-iqanKIQ §95: with their own hands
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §205: at His biddingfire-tabletFire §17: CommandgleaningsGWB §272: the pathkitab-i-ahdAhd §15: hath prescribed for himkitab-i-iqanKIQ §258: enterpriseprayers-and-meditationsP&M §273: as bidden by Theetablet-of-ahmadAhmad §4: to Whose commandsthe-hidden-wordsHW §41: to Our command
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §266: \‘Godfire-tabletFire §41: after GodgleaningsGWB §544: and to this the Almighty is My witnesskitab-i-ahdAhd §10: the divine Testatorkitab-i-iqanKIQ §234: our godsprayers-and-meditationsP&M §606: Thou the Lordtablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §31: “By the Lordthe-hidden-wordsHW §154: heaven
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §176: some persongleaningsGWB §503: He Who iskitab-i-iqanKIQ §136: the least of menprayers-and-meditationsP&M §523: every breath I have breathedtablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §37: within thyselfthe-hidden-wordsHW §32: thy deedswill-and-testamentW&T §44: souls such as theseepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §159: by Myself
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §242: in everygleaningsGWB §423: ye have amassedkitab-i-ahdAhd §2: layeth upkitab-i-iqanKIQ §54: together withprayers-and-meditationsP&M §123: Assemble themthe-hidden-wordsHW §89: ye will allwill-and-testamentW&T §25: deliberationsepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §33: crowded
This form usually rendered as “may”, “would”, “will” (165 occurrences)
SE expanded to “at all times”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §101: servegleaningsGWB §598: to aidkitab-i-iqanKIQ §115: associated withprayers-and-meditationsP&M §173: for Thy servicewill-and-testamentW&T §19: important servicesepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §136: and of servinggleaningsGWB §698: honor of servingkitab-i-iqanKIQ §127: went
SE rendered انتخاب (intkháb), نمایند (nmáynd), همیشه (hmíshh), بخدمات (bkhdmát), مهمّۀ (mhmmۀ), ولیّ (wlíl), امر (imr), اللّه (al-lh), مشغول (mshghúl), باشند (báshnd) as “elect, must, at all times, important services, Guardian, Cause, God, occupied, be”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §204: setgleaningsGWB §278: their Lordkitab-i-iqanKIQ §2: His Prophetsprayers-and-meditationsP&M §88: them that are dear to Theethe-hidden-wordsHW §157: menwill-and-testamentW&T §17: the Guardianepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §233: the Mission ofgleaningsGWB §95: chosen Ones of God
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §14: have busied themselvesgleaningsGWB §552: communekitab-i-iqanKIQ §54: offeringprayers-and-meditationsP&M §505: what will cause them to be busiedthe-hidden-wordsHW §27: and busy thyselfwill-and-testamentW&T §14: hath spentepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §111: engaged in spreadinggleaningsGWB §362: Immersed
SE rendered ولیّ (wlíl), امر (imr), اللّه (al-lh), مشغول (mshghúl), باشند (báshnd), انتخاب (intkháb), نه (nh), نفر (nfr), باتّفاق (báttfáq) as “Guardian, Cause, God, occupied, be, election, nine, unanimously”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §242: for thee to remaingleaningsGWB §122: can be nokitab-i-ahdAhd §2: hath never beenkitab-i-iqanKIQ §135: foundprayers-and-meditationsP&M §704: I wasthe-hidden-wordsHW §93: ye werewill-and-testamentW&T §19: shall at all times beepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §111: seeking peace and retirement
concord 25% unity 20% unanimously 15% fellowship 10% unitedly 5% harmony 5% peace 5% spirit 5% union 5% firmly 5%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §113: assistgleaningsGWB §72: may fulfillkitab-i-iqanKIQ §199: inconsistentprayers-and-meditationsP&M §8: to grantthe-hidden-wordsHW §3: By its aidwill-and-testamentW&T §6: joining handsepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §42: weld togethergleaningsGWB §563: loyal and loving friends
most 63% living 7% majority 6% many 6% river 5% multitude 3% greater 2% generality 2% excess 2% inordinate 2%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §128: mostgleaningsGWB §549: the majoritykitab-i-iqanKIQ §144: a multitude of peopleprayers-and-meditationsP&M §217: a rivertablet-of-ahmadAhmad §10: a river of lifewill-and-testamentW&T §38: by a majorityepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §14: most mengleaningsGWB §361: most of them
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §71: ye beholdgleaningsGWB §358: I perceivedkitab-i-iqanKIQ §246: judgmentprayers-and-meditationsP&M §181: and may recognizewill-and-testamentW&T §58: wax stubbornepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §193: Seest thougleaningsGWB §357: “We will surely showkitab-i-iqanKIQ §275: Hast thou seen
SE rendered مجمع (mjmʿ), ایادی (iyádí), باکثریّت (bákthrírt), آرا (árá), تحقّق (tḥqqq), یابد (yábd), نه (nh), نفر (nfr), بالاتّفاق (báláttfáq) as “company, the Hands, majority, be, carried, unanimously”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §248: indubitablegleaningsGWB §220: Him Who is the Eternal Truthkitab-i-ahdAhd §16: hearingkitab-i-iqanKIQ §203: in factprayers-and-meditationsP&M §774: Thou hast confirmedthe-hidden-wordsHW §137: of your deservingwill-and-testamentW&T §9: have been madeepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §92: unjustly
This form usually rendered as “perceive”, “tasted”, “taste” (22 occurrences)
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §10: mayest inhalegleaningsGWB §168: inhaled notkitab-i-ahdAhd §4: inhaledkitab-i-iqanKIQ §28: they findprayers-and-meditationsP&M §666: they may find Theethe-hidden-wordsHW §128: securewill-and-testamentW&T §23: may shineepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §11: they may find
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §149: My Branches (sons)gleaningsGWB §235: have branched from My Treekitab-i-ahdAhd §10: towards the Most Mighty Branchprayers-and-meditationsP&M §773: Thy Brancheswill-and-testamentW&T §19: oneepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §235: branchgleaningsGWB §501: to one ofkitab-i-ahdAhd §12: Aghṣán
This form usually rendered as “appoint”, “chosen”, “appointed” (5 occurrences)
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §178: wellspringgleaningsGWB §649: living waterskitab-i-iqanKIQ §150: Itselfprayers-and-meditationsP&M §718: I shedtablet-of-ahmadAhmad §12: with their own eyestablet-of-carmelCarmel §3: thosetablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §57: tearsthe-hidden-wordsHW §3: not through the eyes
This form usually rendered as “acknowledge”, “truth”, “sanction” (28 occurrences)
acknowledge 25% truth 15% sanction 15% acknowledged 10% assent 10% recognize 5% faith 5% testified 5% unless 5% admit 5%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §113: faithfulgleaningsGWB §537: honestkitab-i-iqanKIQ §89: acceptingprayers-and-meditationsP&M §665: truth,”tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §16: with absolute sinceritywill-and-testamentW&T §7: acquiescedepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §268: hath spoken the truthgleaningsGWB §372: condemneth it to
This form usually rendered as “come”, “have”, “occurred” (37 occurrences)
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §142: have happenedgleaningsGWB §111: fulfilledkitab-i-iqanKIQ §266: happeningsprayers-and-meditationsP&M §232: succeeded in gazing ontablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §28: shonethe-hidden-wordsHW §148: situatewill-and-testamentW&T §36: hath fallenepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §216: come to pass
This form usually rendered as “others”, “other”, “without” (150 occurrences)
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §75: all else except Thyselffire-tabletFire §27: and honorgleaningsGWB §486: suchkitab-i-ahdAhd §2: changethkitab-i-iqanKIQ §261: any way butprayers-and-meditationsP&M §172: who else except Thyselfthe-hidden-wordsHW §106: another than Mewill-and-testamentW&T §44: insincere
This form usually rendered as “evident”, “known”, “clear” (86 occurrences)
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §193: signsfire-tabletFire §49: all the worldsgleaningsGWB §322: it would be necessary to inquire intokitab-i-ahdAhd §2: recognizedkitab-i-iqanKIQ §14: the leadersprayers-and-meditationsP&M §294: of the entire creationtablet-of-ahmadAhmad §17: of all the worldstablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §13: which we have taught
SE rendered مصدّق (mṣddq), غیر (ghír), مصدّق (mṣddq), معلوم (mʿlúm), نشود (nshúd) as “assenting, dissenting, distinguished, not be”
