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Kitáb-i-Íqán — §151

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 151 of 291.

Source (Persian)

و اگر گويند تجلّی ثانی است که معبّر به فيض مقدّس شده اين مسلّماً در عالم خلق است، يعنی در عالم ظهور اوّليّه و بروز بدعيّه. و اين مقام مختصّ به انبياء و اوليای اوست چه که اعظم و اکبر از ايشان در عوالم وجود موجود نگشته. چنانچه جميع بر اين مطلب مقرّ و مذعن اند. و ايشانند محالّ و مظاهر جميع صفات ازليّه و اسماء الهيّه. و ايشانند مرايائی که تمام حکايت می نمايند و جميع آنچه به ايشان راجع است فی الحقيقه به حضرت ظاهر مستور راجع. و معرفت مبدأ و وصول به او حاصل نمی شود مگر به معرفت و وصول اين کينونات مشرقه از شمس حقيقت. پس، از لقاء اين انوار مقدّسه لقاء اللّه حاصل می شود و از علمشان علم اللّه و از وجهشان وجه اللّه و از اوّليّت و آخريّت و ظاهريّت و باطنيّت اين جواهر مجرّده ثابت می شود از برای آن شمس حقيقت باَنّه هُوَ الاَوَّلُ و " لهذا هر نفسی که به اين انوار مضيئه ممتنعه و شموس مشرقه لائحه در هر ظهور موفّق و فائز شد او به لقاءاللّه فائز است و در مدينه حيات ابديّه باقيه وارد. و اين لقاء ميسّر نشود برای احدی الّا در قيامت که قيام نفس اللّه است به مظهر کلّيّه خود.الآخِرُ وَالظّاهرُ و البَاطِنُ." و همچنين سائر اسماء عاليه و صفات متعاليه.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

And were they to say that by “divine Presenceis meant the “Secondary Revelation of God,” interpreted as the “Holy Outpouring,” this is admittedly applicable to the world of creation, that is, in the realm of the primal and original manifestation of God. Such revelation is confined to His Prophets and chosen Ones, inasmuch as none mightier than they hath come to exist in the world of being. This truth all recognize, and bear witness thereto. These Prophets and chosen Ones of God are the recipients and revealers of all the unchangeable attributes and names of God. They are the mirrors that truly and faithfully reflect the light of God. Whatsoever is applicable to them is in reality applicable to God, Himself, Who is both the Visible and the Invisible. The knowledge of Him, Who is the Origin of all things, and attainment unto Him, are impossible save through knowledge of, and attainment unto, these luminous Beings who proceed from the Sun of Truth. By attaining, therefore, to the presence of these holy Luminaries, the “Presence of God” Himself is attained. From their knowledge, the knowledge of God is revealed, and from the light of their countenance, the splendour of the Face of God is made manifest. Through the manifold attributes of these Essences of Detachment, Who are both the first and the last, the seen and the hidden, it is made evident that He Who is the Sun of Truth is “the First and the Last, the Seen, and the Hidden.” Likewise the other lofty names and exalted attributes of God. Therefore, whosoever, and in whatever Dispensation, hath recognized and attained unto the presence of these glorious, these resplendent and most excellent Luminaries, hath verily attained unto the “Presence of God” Himself, and entered the city of eternal and immortal life. Attainment unto such presence is possible only in the Day of Resurrection, which is the Day of the rise of God Himself through His all-embracing Revelation.

Translation Notes

گويند
gúynd g-w-y

literal: say; to say; as-if

SE rendered گويند (gúynd)تجلّی (tjllí)ثانی (thání)معبّر (mʿbbr) as “Revelation, “Secondary, interpreted”

maintain 67% utter 17% voicing 17%
يعنی
yʿní ʿ-n-y “that is”

literal: meaning

SE rendered مسلّماً (msllmáan)عالم (ʿálm)خلق (khlq)يعنی (yʿní)عالم (ʿálm)ظهور (ẓhúr)اوّليّه (iwwlílh)بروز (brúz) as “admittedly, realm, creation, that is, manifest, primal, manifestation”

who 40% meant 40% meaneth 20%
اکبر
ikbr k-b-r

literal: greatest; greater

SE rendered اوليای (iwlíáy)اوست (iwst)چه (chh)اعظم (iʿẓm)اکبر (ikbr)از (iz)ايشان (iyshán)عوالم (ʿúálm)وجود (wjúd)موجود (mújúd) as “Ones, chosen, inasmuch as, mightier, than, they, world of, being, exist”

most 25% greater 20% transcendent 10% surest 10% great 10% mighty 5% lesser 5% excel 5% greet 5% “greater 5%
ايشان
iyshán ʾ-y-sh “prophets”

literal: they; they, them; they/them

3 occurrences in corpus

بر
br b-r-r

literal: on; on, upon; upon

SE rendered وجود (wjúd)موجود (mújúd)نگشته (ngshth)چنانچه (chnánchh)جميع (jmíʿ)بر (br)مطلب (mṭlb)مقرّ (mqrr)مذعن (mdhʿn)اند (ind) as “being, exist, hath come to, This truth, all, witness, thereto”

land 33% upon 11% piety 11% unto 11% pious 6% righteousness 6% beseech 6% good 6% against 6% indignities 6%
مطلب
mṭlb ṭ-l-b

literal: seeking; seek; seeker

SE rendered نگشته (ngshth)چنانچه (chnánchh)جميع (jmíʿ)بر (br)مطلب (mṭlb)مقرّ (mqrr)مذعن (mdhʿn)اند (ind)ايشانند (iyshánnd) as “hath come to, This truth, all, witness, thereto, are”

theme 37% argument 11% truth 11% purpose 11% aim 5% principle 5% things 5% lofty 5% meaning 5% object 5%
مقرّ
mqrr q-r-r

literal: abode; place

SE rendered نگشته (ngshth)چنانچه (chnánchh)جميع (jmíʿ)بر (br)مطلب (mṭlb)مقرّ (mqrr)مذعن (mdhʿn)اند (ind)ايشانند (iyshánnd)محالّ (mḥáll) as “hath come to, This truth, all, witness, thereto, are, recipients”

seat 36% habitation 13% place 10% abide 10% court 8% spot 5% confessed 5% abode 5% retreats 5% acceptance 3%
می
m-y-y

literal: present continuous marker; continuous-marker

SE rendered ايشانند (iyshánnd)مرايائی (mráyáʾí)تمام (tmám)حکايت (ḥkáyt)می (mí)نمايند (nmáynd)جميع (jmíʿ)آنچه (ánchh)ايشان (iyshán) as “They are, mirrors, truly and faithfully, reflect, hath, Whatsoever, them”

3 occurrences in corpus

نمی
nmí n-h-y

literal: end; ended; utmost

SE rendered معرفت (mʿrft)مبدأ (mbdʾ)وصول (wṣúl)حاصل (ḥáṣl)نمی (nmí)مگر (mgr)معرفت (mʿrft)وصول (wṣúl) as “knowledge, Origin, attainment, are impossible, save through”

end 16% forbidden 12% ended 12% infinite 12% highest 12% forbiddeth 8% most 8% utmost 8% last 8% unnumbered 4%
برای
bráy b-r-y

literal: for

SE rendered جواهر (júáhr)مجرّده (mjrrdh)ثابت (thábt)می (mí)از (iz)برای (bráy)شمس (shms)حقيقت (ḥqíqt)باَنّه (báannh)الاَوَّلُ (al-áawwal) as “Essences, Detachment, is made evident, unto, Sun, Truth, that He, First”

wherefore 50% light 50%
نفسی
nfsí n-f-s

literal: self; soul; souls

SE rendered الاَوَّلُ (al-áawwal)لهذا (lhdhá)هر (hr)نفسی (nfsí)انوار (inúár)مضيئه (mḍíʾh) as “First, Therefore, whosoever, resplendent, light”

myself 28% soul 15% one 14% man 10% anyone 8% any 8% mine 5% self 5% life 3% souls 3%
ممتنعه
mmtnʿh m-n-ʿ

literal: prevent; prevented; prevention

SE rendered انوار (inúár)مضيئه (mḍíʾh)ممتنعه (mmtnʿh)شموس (shmús)مشرقه (mshrqh)لائحه (láʾḥh)هر (hr)ظهور (ẓhúr) as “resplendent, light, Luminaries, most excellent, Dispensation, Presence”

hinder 18% have 17% withhold 13% hindered 11% deter 9% kept 8% powerless 7% hath 7% withheld 5% may 5%
نشود
nshúd sh-w-d

literal: become; to become; became

SE rendered باقيه (báqíh)وارد (wárd)لقاء (lqáʾ)ميسّر (míssr)نشود (nshúd)برای (bráy)احدی (iḥdí)قيامت (qíámt) as “immortal, entered, presence, possible, none, Resurrection”

should 60% nothing 20% shall 20%

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán

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