Will and Testament — §39

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 39 of 59.

Source (Persian)

و آن اعضا در محلّی اجتماع کنند و در آنچه اختلاف واقع یا مسائل مبهمه و یا مسائل غیر منصوصه مذاکره نمایند و هر چه تقرّر یابد همان مانند نصّ است و چون بیت عدل واضع قوانین غیر منصوصه از معاملاتست ناسخ آن مسائل نیز تواند بود یعنی بیت عدل الیوم در مسئله‌ئی قانونی نهد و معمول گردد ولی بعد از صد سال حال عمومی تغییر کلّی حاصل نماید اختلاف ازمان حصول یابد بیت عدل ثانی تواند آن مسئلۀ قانونیّه را تبدیل بحسب اقتضای زمان نماید زیرا نصّ صریح الهی نیست واضع بیت عدل ناسخ نیز بیت عدل

Shoghi Effendi Translation

It is incumbent upon these members (of the Universal House of Justice) to gather in a certain place and deliberate upon all problems which have caused difference, questions that are obscure and matters that are not expressly recorded in the Book. Whatsoever they decide hath the same effect as the Text itself. And inasmuch as this House of Justice hath power to enact laws that are not expressly recorded in the Book and bear upon daily transactions, so also it hath power to repeal the same. Thus for example, the House of Justice enacteth today a certain law and enforceth it, and a hundred years hence, circumstances having profoundly changed and the conditions having altered, another House of Justice will then have power, according to the exigencies of the time, to alter that law. This it can do because that law formeth no part of the Divine Explicit Text. The House of Justice is both the initiator and the abrogator of its own laws.

Translation Notes

آن

ʾ-n → “these”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

اعضا

ʿ-ḍ-w → “members”

literal: limb; member; organ

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

محلّی

ḥ-l-l → “certain place”

literal: place; location; spot

اجتماع

j-m-ʿ → “gather”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

کنند

k-r-d → “hath” Distinctive

literal: do; to do; do, make

اختلاف

kh-l-f → “difference”

literal: opposing; contrary; conflicting

واقع

w-q-ʿ → “occurred”

literal: to fall, to occur, to happen; incident, event

یا

y-ʾ

literal: O; or

مسائل

s-ʾ-l → “questions” Distinctive

literal: question; problem; issue; matter; asking; petition; request

مبهمه

b-h-m → “obscure”

literal: obscure; ambiguous; unclear; vague

غیر

gh-y-r → “not” Distinctive

literal: without; besides; other than; except; other; different

منصوصه

n-ṣ-ṣ → “expressly recorded”

literal: explicit text; clear statement

مذاکره

dh-k-r → “mentioned” Distinctive

literal: remembrance; mention; memory

نمایند

n-m-ʾ → “will” Distinctive

literal: to show, display, exhibit; to grow, develop

هر

h-r → “every”

literal: whatever; all that; whatever thing

چه

ch-h

literal: what; what/for; whatsoever, that which

تقرّر

q-r-r → “decide”

literal: stability; firmness; establishment

یابد

y-ʾ-f-t

literal: find; to find, obtain; found

همان

h-m → “all” Distinctive

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

مانند

m-ʾ-n → “as”

literal: to remain; to stay; to be left

است

b-w-d → “is”

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

چون

ch-w-n → “As”

literal: since; when; as

بیت

b-y-t → “House”

literal: house; household; family; verse

عدل

ʿ-d-l → “Justice”

literal: justice; equity

واضع

w-ḍ-ʿ → “low” Distinctive

literal: lawgiver; one who establishes; founder

قوانین

q-n-n → “laws”

literal: law; canon; principle

از

ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

معاملاتست

ʿ-m-l → “transactions”

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

ناسخ

n-s-kh → “annulled” Distinctive

literal: abrogator; repealer; one who abrogates or abrogates the law

نیز

n-y-z → “also”

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

تواند

t-w-n → “power”

literal: to be able, can; power, strength

یعنی

ʿ-n-y → “meaning” Distinctive

literal: that is; meaning; i.e.

الیوم

y-w-m → “today”

literal: day; age; period; era

مسئله‌ئی

m-s-l → “law”

literal: question; issues

نهد

n-h-d → “built” Distinctive

literal: to place; to lay down; to set; to submit

گردد

g-r-d

literal: become; to become; make

ولی

w-l-y → “and” Distinctive

literal: guardian; protector; friend; ally; lord; helper; first; primary; original

بعد

b-ʿ-d

literal: after; behind; distance

صد

ṣ-d → “hundred”

literal: hundred

سال

s-n-h → “years”

literal: most beautiful; finest; highest

حال

ḥ-w-l → “circumstances” Distinctive

literal: state; condition; circumstance

عمومی

ʿ-m-m → “all” Distinctive

literal: universal; general; public; comprehensive

کلّی

k-l-l → “all”

literal: for us; to us

حاصل

ḥ-ṣ-l

literal: obtained; result; sum

ثانی

th-n-y → “praise” Distinctive

literal: praise; commendation; eulogy; glorification; praise, commendation, eulogy

مسئلۀ

s-ʾ-l → “beseech”

literal: question; problem; issue; matter; asking; petition; request

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

تبدیل

b-d-l → “alter” Distinctive

literal: in place of; instead of; to change; to alter (preposition or verb stem)

بحسب

ḥ-s-b → “accounted” Distinctive

literal: according to; in accordance with; as regards

اقتضای

q-ḍ-y → “decree” Distinctive

literal: requirement; exigency; what demands or calls for

زمان

z-m-n → “time”

literal: time; age; era; period

زیرا

z-y-r → “inasmuch as”

literal: because; since; for; inasmuch as

صریح

ṣ-r-ḥ

literal: explicit statement; clear declaration

الهی

ʾ-l-h → “Divine”

literal: God; Allah

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