Will and Testament — §27

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 27 of 59.

Source (Persian)

ای یاران عبدالبهآء محض الطاف بی‌پایان حضرت یزدان بتعیین حقوق اللّه بر عباد خویش منّت گذاشت والّا حقّ و بندگانش مستغنی از کائنات بوده و اللّه غنیّ عن العالمین امّا مفروضی حقوق سبب ثبوت و رسوخ نفوس و برکت در جمیع شئون گردد و حقوق اللّه راجع بولیّ امر اللّهست تا در نشر نفحات اللّه و ارتفاع کلمة اللّه و اعمال خیریّه و منافع عمومیّه صرف گردد

Shoghi Effendi Translation

O friends of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá! The Lord, as a sign of His infinite bounties, hath graciously favoured His servants by providing for a fixed money offering (Ḥuqúq), to be dutifully presented unto Him, though He, the True One, and His servants have been at all times independent of all created things, and God verily is the All-Possessing, exalted above the need of any gift from His creatures. This fixed money offering, however, causeth the people to become firm and steadfast and draweth Divine increase upon them. It is to be offered through the Guardian of the Cause of God, that it may be expended for the diffusion of the Fragrances of God and the exaltation of His Word, for benevolent pursuits and for the common weal.

Translation Notes

ای

ʾ-y-y → “O”

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

یاران

y-ʾ-r → “friends”

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

عبدالبهآء

ʿ-b-d → “servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

محض

m-ḥ-ḍ

literal: pure; unmixed; absolute; sheer

الطاف

l-ṭ-f → “loving-kindness” Distinctive

literal: the letter Ṭá; refers to Ṭihrán (also spelled Ṭehran)

بی‌پایان

p-ʾ-y → “feet”

literal: foot; basis; foundation; end; with negation: endless, infinite, boundless

حضرت

ḥ-ḍ-r → “The” Distinctive

literal: presence; majesty; His/Your Excellency

یزدان

y-z-d → “Divine”

literal: God, the Almighty (Persian term); divine; of God; Godly

بتعیین

ʿ-y-n → “eyes” Distinctive

literal: eye; fountain; spring; essence; to appoint; to designate; to specify; to determine

حقوق

ḥ-q-q → “truth” Distinctive

literal: truth; right; that which is true or just

اللّه

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

بر

b-r-r → “upon”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

خویش

kh-w-sh → “sweet”

literal: self; own; personal

منّت

m-n-n → “of” Distinctive

literal: to grant, bestow favor; grace, bounty, kindness

گذاشت

g-dh-r

literal: to place, to put, to leave, to set, to pass

والّا

w-l-y → “Lord” Distinctive

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

بندگانش

b-n-d → “servants” Distinctive

literal: servants; bondsmen; slaves

مستغنی

gh-n-y → “independent of”

literal: to be independent of; to be in no need of; to dispense with

از

ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

کائنات

k-w-n → “be”

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

بوده

b-w-d → “have been at all” Distinctive

literal: be; is; to be

غنیّ

gh-n-y → “All-Possessing”

literal: to be independent of; to be in no need of; to dispense with

عن

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

العالمین

ʿ-l-m → “knowledge” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

امّا

ʾ-m-m → “nations” Distinctive

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

مفروضی

f-r-ḍ → “hast bidden” Distinctive

literal: obligatory; incumbent; imposed; prescribed; fixed

سبب

s-b-b → “causeth”

literal: cause; reason; means; instrument

ثبوت

th-b-t → “firm”

literal: firm; steadfast; established; fixed

رسوخ

r-s-kh → “steadfast”

literal: steadfast; firm; firmly rooted; established

نفوس

n-f-s → “souls”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

برکت

b-r-k → “blessed” Distinctive

literal: blessed; auspicious; fruitful; blest; blessed word

در

d-r-r

literal: in; in, at; radiant

جمیع

j-m-ʿ

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

شئون

sh-ʾ-n → “station” Distinctive

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

گردد

g-r-d → “to become”

literal: become; to become; make

راجع

r-j-ʿ → “return”

literal: return; reference; place of return; resort

امر

ʾ-m-r → “of the Cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

تا

t-y-y → “so that”

literal: so that/until

نشر

n-sh-r → “diffusion”

literal: to scatter; to spread; to unfold; to disseminate

نفحات

n-f-ḥ → “Fragrances”

literal: breeze; fragrance; whiff; breath; emanation

ارتفاع

r-f-ʿ → “exaltation”

literal: to be raised, elevated, exalted, lifted up

کلمة

k-l-m → “His Word”

literal: words; utterances; locutions; word; utterance; speech; sayings; verses

اعمال

ʿ-m-l → “deeds”

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

خیریّه

kh-y-r

literal: goodwill; benevolence; kindness; good; goodness; benefit; better; best

منافع

n-f-ʿ → “profit” Distinctive

literal: benefits; profits; advantages

عمومیّه

ʿ-m-m

literal: universal; general; public; comprehensive

صرف

ṣ-r-f → “treatment” Distinctive

literal: pure; absolute; to turn away; to expend

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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