Will and Testament — §41

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 41 of 59.

Source (Persian)

باری این شخص بنصّ الهی بادنی انحراف ساقطست تا چه رسد بهدم بنیان و نقض عهد و پیمان و تحریف کتاب و القای شبهات و افترای بر عبدالبهآء و ادّعاهای ما انزل اللّه بها من سلطان و القای فساد و سعی در سفک دم عبدالبهآء و تفاصیل دیگر که کل مطّلعید دیگر معلومست که این شخص اگر رخنه‌ئی در امر نماید بکلّی امر اللّه را محو و نابود نماید زنهار از تقرّب باین شخص که از تقرّب بنار بدتر است

Shoghi Effendi Translation

In short, according to the explicit Divine Text the least transgression shall make of this man a fallen creature, and what transgression is more grievous than attempting to destroy the Divine Edifice, breaking the Covenant, erring from the Testament, falsifying the Holy Text, sowing the seeds of doubt, calumniating ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá, advancing claims for which God hath sent down no warrant, kindling mischief and striving to shed the very blood of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá, and many other things whereof ye are all aware! It is thus evident that should this man succeed in bringing disruption into the Cause of God, he will utterly destroy and exterminate it. Beware lest ye approach this man, for to approach him is worse than approaching fire!

Translation Notes

باری

b-r-y → “In short” Distinctive

literal: well; cistern; pit

این

ʾ-y-n → “this”

literal: this; these

شخص

sh-kh-ṣ → “man”

literal: person, individual, self; movement, stirring

بنصّ

n-ṣ-ṣ → “Text”

literal: explicit text; clear statement

الهی

ʾ-l-h → “Divine”

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

بادنی

d-n-w → “least”

literal: this world; earthly life; temporal realm; lowest; base; mean; of little account; to know; to be acquainted with

انحراف

ḥ-r-f → “transgression” Distinctive

literal: letter; character; edge

ساقطست

s-q-ṭ → “fallen creature”

literal: dropping; omitting; falsifying; interpolating

تا

t-y-y

literal: so that/until

چه

ch-h → “For”

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

رسد

r-s-d → “reached” Distinctive

literal: Persian verb رسیدن (to arrive/reach), not Arabic ر-س-د

بهدم

h-d-m → “will demolish” Distinctive

literal: blood; the last breath; moment

بنیان

b-n-y

literal: building, structure, edifice

نقض

n-q-ḍ → “breaking”

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

عهد

ʿ-h-d → “Covenant”

literal: covenant; testament; promise; command

پیمان

p-y-m → “Testament”

literal: covenant; bond; pledge; testament; to measure; to traverse; to pass

کتاب

k-t-b → “Text” Distinctive

literal: book; scripture; writing

القای

l-q-y → “Presence”

literal: suggestion; instilling; casting; throwing

شبهات

sh-b-h → “doubt”

literal: doubt; uncertainty; suspicion; resemblance; semblance

افترای

f-r-y → “calumniating”

literal: slander; calumny; fabrication; false accusation

بر

b-r-r

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

عبدالبهآء

ʿ-b-d → “servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

ادّعاهای

d-ʿ-y → “advancing claims”

literal: to claim; to allege; claim; assertion; to assert

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

literal: what; which; that which; relative pronoun; interrogative

انزل

n-z-l → “hath sent down”

literal: to descend, to be revealed

بها

b-h-w

literal: by it; by him; with it

من

m-n → “no” Distinctive

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

سلطان

s-l-ṭ → “sovereignty”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

فساد

f-s-d → “mischief”

literal: corruption; ruin; discord; mischief; decay

سعی

s-ʿ-y → “to strive”

literal: endeavor; effort; striving; exertion; endeavour

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

سفک

s-f-k → “shed”

literal: to shed; to spill; bloodshed; to shed (blood)

دم

d-m-m → “blood”

literal: blood; the last breath; moment

تفاصیل

f-ṣ-l

literal: detail; separated; separation

دیگر

d-g-r → “many other things”

literal: home; place; land; abode

که

k-h → “that”

literal: that; who; who, that

کل

k-l-l → “are all aware”

literal: for us; to us

مطّلعید

ṭ-l-ʿ

literal: rising-place; dawning-place; countenance

معلومست

ʿ-l-m → “is thus evident”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

اگر

ʾ-g-r → “were they”

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

رخنه‌ئی

r-kh-n → “disruption”

literal: breach

امر

ʾ-m-r → “Cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair; Cause (of God); to command; to order

نماید

n-m-ʾ → “may”

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

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

محو

m-ḥ-w → “destroy”

literal: to efface; to obliterate; to blot out; to cause to disappear

نابود

n-b-d → “FLEETING”

literal: annihilation; nonexistence; destruction

زنهار

z-h-r → “Beware”

literal: beware; take heed; warning

از

ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

تقرّب

q-r-b → “approach”

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

باین

b-y-n → “this” Distinctive

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

بنار

n-ʾ-r → “fire”

literal: fire; blaze; flame

بدتر

b-d-d → “no evil” Distinctive

literal: bad; necessarily; necessary

است

b-w-d → “is”

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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