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Gleanings — §40

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 40 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

چون غيب ازلی و ساذج هويّه شمس محمّدی را از افق علم و معانی مشرق فرمود از جمله اعتراضات علمای يهود آن بود که بعد از موسی نبی مبعوث نشود بلی طلعتی در کتاب مذکور است که بايد ظاهر شود و ترويج ملّت و مذهب او را نمايد تا شريعه شريعت مذکوره در توراة همه ارض را احاطه نمايد اينست که از لسان آن ماندگان وادی بُعد و ضلالت سلطان احديّت ميفرمايد: "وَقَالَتْ اليَهُودُ يَدُ اللّهِ مَغْلُولَةً غُلَّتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَلُعِنُوا بِمَا قَالُوا بَلْ يَدَاهُ مَبْسُوطَتَانِ" ترجمه آن اينست که گفتند يهودان دست خدا بسته شده بسته باد دستهای خود ايشان و ملعون شدند بانچه افترا بستند بلکه دستهای قدرت الهی هميشه باز و مهيمن است "يَدْ اللّهِ فَوْقَ أَيْدِيهِم" اگر چه شرح نزول اين آيه را علمای تفسير مختلف ذکر نموده‌اند ولکن بر مقصود ناظر شويد که ميفرمايد نه چنين است يهود خيال نمودند که سلطان حقيقی طلعت موسوی را خلق نمود و خلعت پيغمبری بخشيد و ديگر دستهايش مغلول و بسته شد و قادر نيست بر ارسال رسولی بعد از موسی ملتفت اين قول بی معنی شويد که چقدر از شريعه علم و دانش دور است و اليوم جميع اين مردم بامثال اين مزخرفات مشغولند و هزار سال بيش ميگذرد که اين آيه را تلاوت مينمايند و بر يهود من حيث لا يشعر اعتراض مينمايند و ملتفت نشدند و ادراک ننمودند باينکه خود سرّاً و جهراً ميگويند آنچه را که يهود بآن معتقدند چنانچه شنيده‌ايد که ميگويند جميع ظهورات منتهی شده و ابواب رحمت الهی مسدود گشته ديگر از مشارق قدس معنوی شمسی طالع نميشود و از بحر قدم صمدانی امواجی ظاهر نگردد و از خيام غيب ربّانی هيکلی مشهود نيايد اينست ادراک اين همج رعاع فيض کليّه و رحمت منبسطه که بهيچ عقلی و ادراکی انقطاع آن جائز نيست جائز دانسته و از اطراف و جوانب کمر ظلم بسته و همّت گماشته‌اند که نار سدره را بماء ملح ظنون مخمود نمايند و غافل از اينکه زجاج قدرت سراج احديّه را در حصن حفظ خود محفوظ ميدارد ...

Shoghi Effendi Translation

When the Unseen, the Eternal, the Divine Essence, caused the Daystar of Muḥammad to rise above the horizon of knowledge, among the cavils which the Jewish divines raised against Him was that after Moses no Prophet should be sent of God. Yea, mention hath been made in the Scriptures of a Soul Who must needs be made manifest and Who will advance the Faith, and promote the interests of the people of Moses, so that the Law of the Mosaic Dispensation may encompass the whole earth. Thus hath the King of eternal glory referred in His Book to the words uttered by those wanderers in the vale of remoteness and error: “‘The hand of God,’ say the Jews, ‘is chained up.’ Chained up be their own hands; And for that which they have said, they were accursed. Nay, outstretched are both His hands!” “The hand of God is above their hands.” Although the commentators of the Qur’án have related in divers manners the circumstances attending the revelation of this verse, yet thou shouldst endeavor to apprehend the purpose thereof. He saith: How false is that which the Jews have imagined! How can the hand of Him Who is the King in truth, Who caused the countenance of Moses to be made manifest, and conferred upon Him the robe of Prophethood — how can the hand of such a One be chained and fettered? How can He be conceived as powerless to raise up yet another Messenger after Moses? Behold the absurdity of their saying; how far it hath strayed from the path of knowledge and understanding! Observe how in this Day also, all these people have occupied themselves with such foolish absurdities. For over a thousand years they have been reciting this verse, and unwittingly pronouncing their censure against the Jews, utterly unaware that they themselves, openly and privily, are voicing the sentiments and belief of the Jewish people! Thou art surely aware of their idle contention, that all Revelation is ended, that the portals of Divine mercy are closed, that from the daysprings of eternal holiness no Sun shall rise again, that the Ocean of everlasting bounty is forever stilled, and that out of the Tabernacle of ancient glory the Messengers of God have ceased to be made manifest. Such is the measure of the understanding of these small-minded, contemptible people. These people have imagined that the flow of God’s all-encompassing grace and plenteous mercies, the cessation of which no mind can contemplate, has been halted. From every side they have risen and girded up the loins of tyranny, and exerted the utmost endeavor to quench with the bitter waters of their vain fancy the flame of God’s Burning Bush, oblivious that the globe of power shall, within its own mighty stronghold, protect the Lamp of God.…

Translation Notes

هويّه
húyyh h-w-y

literal: desire; passion

SE rendered چون (chún), غيب (ghíb), ازلی (izlí), ساذج (sádhj), هويّه (húyyh), شمس (shms), محمّدی (mḥmmdí), از (iz), افق (ifq), علم (ʿlm) as “When, Unseen, Eternal, the Divine Essence, Daystar, Muḥammad, of, horizon, knowledge”

corrupt 23% desire 19% desires 13% passion 12% essence 9% evil 6% self 5% divine 5% worldly 4% heaven 4%
جمله
jmlh j-m-l

literal: beauty; totality; beautiful

SE rendered افق (ifq), علم (ʿlm), معانی (mʿání), مشرق (mshrq), فرمود (frmúd), از (iz), جمله (jmlh), اعتراضات (iʿtráḍát), علمای (ʿlmáy), يهود (yhúd) as “horizon, knowledge, caused, among, cavils, Jewish divines”

among 57% while 7% one 7% partially 7% amongst 4% briefly 4% glimmer 4% came 4% all 4% none 4%
ماندگان

literal: remaining ones, dwellers; to remain

SE expanded to “wanderers in the vale”

2 occurrences in corpus

وادی
wádí w-d-y

literal: valley; vale

SE rendered اينست (iynst), از (iz), لسان (lsán), ماندگان (mándgán), وادی (wádí), ضلالت (ḍlált), سلطان (slṭán), احديّت (iḥdídt) as “are, of, words, wanderers in the vale, error, King of eternal glory”

valley 43% vale 43% wilderness 7% haven 7%
ترجمه
trjmh t-r-j-m

literal: translation

SE rendered يَدَاهُ (yadáh), مَبْسُوطَتَانِ (mabsúṭatán), ترجمه (trjmh), اينست (iynst), گفتند (gftnd), يهودان (yhúdán), دست (dst) as “hands, are, say, Jews, hand”

باد
bád bád → “be”

literal: wind

SE rendered يهودان (yhúdán), دست (dst), خدا (khdá), بسته (bsth), بسته (bsth), باد (bád), دستهای (dstháy), ايشان (iyshán), ملعون (mlʿún), شدند (shdnd) as “Jews, hand, God,’, Chained, be, accursed, was”

breeze 25% blasts 25% such 25% wind 25%
افترا
iftrá f-r-y

literal: calumny; calumnies; slander

SE rendered ايشان (iyshán), ملعون (mlʿún), شدند (shdnd), بانچه (bánchh), افترا (iftrá), بستند (bstnd), بلکه (blkh), دستهای (dstháy), قدرت (qdrt), الهی (al-hí) as “accursed, was, Nay, hand, God”

هميشه
hmíshh hmíshh

literal: always, continually

SE rendered بلکه (blkh), دستهای (dstháy), قدرت (qdrt), الهی (al-hí), هميشه (hmíshh), باز (báz), مهيمن (mhímn), يَدْ (yad), اللّهِ (al-lh) as “Nay, hand, God, outstretched”

all 40% continually 20% every 20% time 20%
تفسير
tfsír f-s-r

literal: interpretation; commentary

SE rendered شرح (shrḥ), نزول (nzúl), آيه (áyh), علمای (ʿlmáy), تفسير (tfsír), مختلف (mkhtlf), ذکر (dhkr), نموده‌اند (nmúdh‌ánd), ولکن (wlkn), بر (br) as “circumstances, revelation, verse, commentators of the Qur’án, divers, related, yet, upon”

موسوی
músúy m-w-s → “moses—“they” Distinctive

literal: moses

This form usually rendered as “burning” (1 occurrences)

بی
bí b-y

literal: without; is

SE rendered رسولی (rsúlí), از (iz), موسی (músí), ملتفت (mltft), قول (qúl), بی (bí), معنی (mʿní), شويد (shúyd), چقدر (chqdr), از (iz), شريعه (shríʿh), علم (ʿlm) as “Messenger, from, Moses, Behold, saying, absurdity, been, How, knowledge”

دانش
dánsh dánsh

literal: knowledge, wisdom; knowledge/wisdom

SE rendered شويد (shúyd), چقدر (chqdr), از (iz), شريعه (shríʿh), علم (ʿlm), دانش (dánsh), دور (dúr), اليوم (al-yúm), جميع (jmíʿ), مردم (mrdm) as “been, How, from, knowledge, far, Day, all, people”

wisdom 22% wise 22% understanding 22% divine 11% true 11% learned 11%
مزخرفات
mzkhrfát z-kh-r-f

literal: absurdities

SE rendered جميع (jmíʿ), مردم (mrdm), بامثال (bámthál), مزخرفات (mzkhrfát), مشغولند (mshghúlnd), هزار (hzár), سال (sál), بيش (bísh) as “all, people, such, occupied, thousand, years, over a”

ميگذرد
mígdhrd gdhshtn

literal: pass; to pass; passed

SE rendered مشغولند (mshghúlnd), هزار (hzár), سال (sál), بيش (bísh), ميگذرد (mígdhrd), آيه (áyh), تلاوت (tláwt), مينمايند (mínmáynd) as “occupied, thousand, years, over a, verse, reciting”

renounce 50% shall 50%
يشعر
yshʿr sh-ʿ-r

literal: hair; indicating; perceive

SE rendered تلاوت (tláwt), مينمايند (mínmáynd), بر (br), يهود (yhúd), حيث (ḥíth), يشعر (yshʿr), اعتراض (iʿtráḍ), مينمايند (mínmáynd), ملتفت (mltft), نشدند (nshdnd) as “reciting, pronouncing, Jews, censure, utterly unaware, have been”

معتقدند
mʿtqdnd ʿ-q-d

literal: belief; beliefs; beliefs/doctrines

SE rendered ميگويند (mígúynd), آنچه (ánchh), يهود (yhúd), معتقدند (mʿtqdnd), چنانچه (chnánchh), شنيده‌ايد (shnídh‌áyd), ميگويند (mígúynd) as “that, He, sentiments and belief, as”

شنيده‌ايد
shnídh‌áyd sh-n-w

literal: hear; hearing, listener; to hear

SE rendered يهود (yhúd), معتقدند (mʿtqdnd), چنانچه (chnánchh), شنيده‌ايد (shnídh‌áyd), ميگويند (mígúynd), جميع (jmíʿ), ظهورات (ẓhúrát) as “sentiments and belief, as, that, all, Revelation”

thou 50% heard 50%
امواجی
imúájí m-w-j

literal: wave; waves; surge

SE rendered نميشود (nmíshúd), از (iz), بحر (bḥr), قدم (qdm), صمدانی (ṣmdání), امواجی (imúájí), ظاهر (ẓáhr), نگردد (ngrdd), از (iz), خيام (khíám) as “been, of, Ocean, everlasting, manifest, is forever stilled, Tabernacle”

هيکلی
híklí h-y-k-l

literal: temple; temples; form

SE rendered نگردد (ngrdd), از (iz), خيام (khíám), غيب (ghíb), ربّانی (rbbání), هيکلی (híklí), مشهود (mshhúd), نيايد (níáyd), اينست (iynst), ادراک (idrák) as “is forever stilled, of, Tabernacle, Divine, have ceased, hath, understanding”

مشهود
mshhúd sh-h-d

literal: witness; witnessed

SE rendered از (iz), خيام (khíám), غيب (ghíb), ربّانی (rbbání), هيکلی (híklí), مشهود (mshhúd), نيايد (níáyd), اينست (iynst), ادراک (idrák), همج (hmj), رعاع (rʿáʿ) as “of, Tabernacle, Divine, have ceased, hath, understanding, small-minded, contemptible”

کليّه
klílh k-l-l

literal: all; all, every

SE rendered اينست (iynst), ادراک (idrák), همج (hmj), رعاع (rʿáʿ), فيض (fíḍ), کليّه (klílh), رحمت (rḥmt), منبسطه (mnbsṭh), بهيچ (bhích), عقلی (ʿqlí) as “hath, understanding, small-minded, contemptible, flow of God’s all-encompassing grace, plenteous mercies, mind”

بهيچ
bhích hích

literal: any, none; any

SE rendered فيض (fíḍ), کليّه (klílh), رحمت (rḥmt), منبسطه (mnbsṭh), بهيچ (bhích), عقلی (ʿqlí), ادراکی (idrákí), انقطاع (inqṭáʿ) as “flow of God’s all-encompassing grace, plenteous mercies, mind, understanding, cessation”

any 67% ever 33%
جائز
jáʾz j-w-z

literal: permissible; permission

SE rendered عقلی (ʿqlí), ادراکی (idrákí), انقطاع (inqṭáʿ), جائز (jáʾz), نيست (níst), جائز (jáʾz), دانسته (dánsth), از (iz), اطراف (iṭráf) as “mind, understanding, cessation, of, side”

دانسته
dánsth dánstn

literal: know; to know; to know, consider

SE rendered انقطاع (inqṭáʿ), جائز (jáʾz), نيست (níst), جائز (jáʾz), دانسته (dánsth), از (iz), اطراف (iṭráf), جوانب (júánb), کمر (kmr), ظلم (ẓlm) as “cessation, of, side, thou, loins, tyranny”

have 50% clear 13% considered 13% deemeth 13% knowing 13%
گماشته‌اند
gmáshth‌ánd gmáshtn

literal: appointed; to appoint; appoint

SE rendered جوانب (júánb), کمر (kmr), ظلم (ẓlm), بسته (bsth), همّت (hmmt), گماشته‌اند (gmáshth‌ánd), نار (nár), سدره (sdrh), بماء (bmáʾ), ملح (mlḥ), ظنون (ẓnún) as “thou, loins, tyranny, girded, endeavor, flame, Burning Bush, waters, fancy”

exerted 67% ordained 17% urge 17%
ملح
mlḥ m-l-ḥ

literal: salt; salt, bitter

SE rendered نار (nár), سدره (sdrh), بماء (bmáʾ), ملح (mlḥ), ظنون (ẓnún), مخمود (mkhmúd), نمايند (nmáynd), غافل (gháfl), از (iz) as “flame, Burning Bush, waters, fancy, quench, oblivious, of”

bitter 67% salt 33%
مخمود
mkhmúd kh-m-d

literal: extinguish; extinguished; extinguishing

SE rendered نار (nár), سدره (sdrh), بماء (bmáʾ), ملح (mlḥ), ظنون (ẓnún), مخمود (mkhmúd), نمايند (nmáynd), غافل (gháfl), از (iz), اينکه (iynkh), زجاج (zjáj) as “flame, Burning Bush, waters, fancy, quench, oblivious, of, globe of power”

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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268 ¶

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50 ¶

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16 ¶

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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 ¶

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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 ¶

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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 ¶

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5 ¶

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57 ¶

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160 ¶

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59 ¶