Skip to main content

Kitáb-i-Íqán — §238

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 238 of 291.

Source (Persian)

آيا پند نمی گيريد؟ در معنی"وَاَضلَّهُ اللّه عَلی عِلمٍ"، اگر چه در ظاهر آن است که ذکر شده و ليکن نزد اين فانی، مقصود از آيه علمای عصراند که اعراض از جمال حقّ نمودند و به علوم خود که از نفس و هوی ناشی گشته متمسّک شده برنبأ الهی و امر او احتجاج می نمودند. " قُلْ هُوَ نَبَأٌ عَظِيمٌ اَنتُمْ عَنْهُ مُعرِضُونَ." و همچنين می فرمايد: "وَ إذَا تُتْلی عَلَيْهمْ آياتُنا بَيِّنَاتٍ قَالُوا ما هَذَا إلّا رَجُلٌ يُريدُ اَنْ يَصُدَّکُمْ عَمّا کَانَ يَعْبُدُ آباؤُکُمْ و قَالُوا ما هَذا إلّا إفکٌ مُفْتَریً."و الحقّ يقول : و چون خوانده شود بر ايشان، يعنی بر آن کفره فجره، آيات قدسيّه احديّه، گويند آن مشرکانِ از حقّ بی خبران، نيست اين رسول پروردگار مگر مردی که می خواهد منع کند شما را از آنچه که می پرستيدند آن را پدرهای شما و ديگر گفتند نيست اين مگر کذبی افترا کرده شده.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Although the outward meaning of “Whom God causeth to err through a knowledge” is what hath been revealed, yet to Us it signifieth those divines of the age who have turned away from the Beauty of God, and who, clinging unto their own learning, as fashioned by their own fancies and desires, have denounced God’s divine Message and Revelation. “Say: it is a weighty Message, from which ye turn aside!” Likewise, He saith: “And when Our clear verses are recited to them, they say, ‘This is merely a man who would fain pervert you from your father’s worship.’ And they say, ‘This is none other than a forged falsehood.’”

Translation Notes

پند
pnd p-n-d

literal: advice

SE rendered پند (pnd)نمی (nmí)گيريد؟ (gíríd؟) as “”

admonished 25% counsel 25% warned 25% take 25%
گيريد؟
gíríd؟ g-y-r

literal: take; takes; to take

SE rendered گيريد؟ (gíríd؟)معنی"وَاَضلَّهُ (mʿní"wáaḍllah)اللّه (al-lh) as “God”

abide 33% will 33% walk 33%
معنی"وَاَضلَّهُ
mʿní"wáaḍllah ʿ-n-y

literal: meaning; grace; spiritual

SE rendered معنی"وَاَضلَّهُ (mʿní"wáaḍllah)اللّه (al-lh)عِلمٍ"، (ʿilmin"،) as “God, a knowledge””

چه
chh ch-h

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

SE rendered اللّه (al-lh)عِلمٍ"، (ʿilmin"،)چه (chh)ظاهر (ẓáhr)ذکر (dhkr) as “God, a knowledge”, outward”

what 50% whatsoever 50%
ذکر
dhkr dh-k-r

literal: mention; remembrance; mentioned

SE rendered عِلمٍ"، (ʿilmin"،)چه (chh)ظاهر (ẓáhr)ذکر (dhkr)ليکن (líkn)نزد (nzd)فانی، (fání،) as “a knowledge”, outward, yet, to Us, signifieth”

ليکن
líkn l-k-n “yet”

literal: but; but, however; but/however

SE rendered ظاهر (ẓáhr)ذکر (dhkr)ليکن (líkn)نزد (nzd)فانی، (fání،)مقصود (mqṣúd)از (iz)آيه (áyh) as “outward, yet, to Us, signifieth, those”

oh! 50% pearls 50%
مقصود
mqṣúd q-ṣ-d

literal: intended; purpose; desired

SE rendered ليکن (líkn)نزد (nzd)فانی، (fání،)مقصود (mqṣúd)از (iz)آيه (áyh)علمای (ʿlmáy)عصراند (ʿṣránd)اعراض (iʿráḍ) as “yet, to Us, signifieth, those, divines, of the age, have turned away”

purpose 34% desire 28% meant 18% goal 5% object 4% desired 3% intended 2% aim 2% heart’s 2% meaning 2%
از

literal: from

SE rendered ليکن (líkn)نزد (nzd)فانی، (fání،)مقصود (mqṣúd)از (iz)آيه (áyh)علمای (ʿlmáy)عصراند (ʿṣránd)اعراض (iʿráḍ)از (iz) as “yet, to Us, signifieth, from, those, divines, of the age, have turned away”

23 occurrences in corpus

گشته
gshth g-sh-t

literal: become; became; to become

SE rendered علوم (ʿlúm)از (iz)نفس (nfs)هوی (húy)ناشی (náshí)گشته (gshth)متمسّک (mtmssk)برنبأ (brnbʾ)الهی (al-hí)امر (imr) as “own learning, their own fancies, and desires, as fashioned, clinging, divine Message, God’s, Revelation”

hath 24% made 18% returned 12% have 12% attained 6% forsook 6% manifested 6% illumined 6% opened 6% risen 6%
می
m-y-y

literal: present continuous marker; continuous-marker

SE rendered برنبأ (brnbʾ)الهی (al-hí)امر (imr)احتجاج (iḥtjáj)می (mí)نمودند (nmúdnd)قُلْ (qul)نَبَأٌ (nabaʾun) as “divine Message, God’s, Revelation, have denounced, “Say, a weighty Message”

3 occurrences in corpus

عَظِيمٌ
ʿaẓímun ʿ-ẓ-m

literal: greatest; great; greatness

SE rendered قُلْ (qul)نَبَأٌ (nabaʾun)عَظِيمٌ (ʿaẓímun)عَنْهُ (ʿanh)مُعرِضُونَ (muʿriḍún) as ““Say, a weighty Message, from which, ye turn aside!””

بَيِّنَاتٍ
bayyinátin b-y-n

literal: clear

SE rendered تُتْلی (tutlí)عَلَيْهمْ (ʿalayhm)آياتُنا (áyátuná)بَيِّنَاتٍ (bayyinátin)قَالُوا (qálúá)رَجُلٌ (rajulun) as “are recited, to them, Our clear verses, they say, a man”

evidences 57% tokens 14% proofs 14% clear 14%
يَصُدَّکُمْ
yaṣuddakum ṣ-d-d

literal: pursuit; hundred; intent

SE rendered رَجُلٌ (rajulun)يُريدُ (yuríd)يَصُدَّکُمْ (yaṣuddakum)يَعْبُدُ (yaʿbud) as “a man, who would fain pervert, your father’s worship.’”

arisen 14% tainted 14% ten 14% hinder 14% myriads 14% engaged 14% upon 14%
آباؤُکُمْ
ábáʾukum ʾ-b-w

literal: father; fathers; Abi

SE rendered يَعْبُدُ (yaʿbud)آباؤُکُمْ (ábáʾukum)قَالُوا (qálúá)إفکٌ (ʾifkun) as “your father’s worship.’, they say, a forged falsehood.’””

fathers 46% father 38% sires 8% sire” 8%
إفکٌ
ʾifkun ʾ-f-k “shed” Distinctive

literal: cast; false, mendacious; liar

This form usually rendered as “forged” (2 occurrences)

shed 33% lying 33% forged 33%
خوانده
khúándh kh-w-ʾ-n

literal: call; read; called

7 occurrences in corpus

ايشان،
iyshán، ʾ-y-sh

literal: they; they, them; they/them

3 occurrences in corpus

مشرکانِ
mshrkán sh-r-k

literal: polytheists; polytheism; polytheist

SE rendered مشرکانِ (mshrkán)از (iz)حقّ (ḥqq)بی (bí)خبران، (khbrán،)نيست (níst) as “is”

بی
b-y

literal: without; is; to

SE rendered بی (bí)خبران، (khbrán،)نيست (níst) as “is”

5 occurrences in corpus

مگر
mgr m-g-r

literal: except; except/unless

SE rendered نيست (níst)رسول (rsúl)پروردگار (prúrdgár)مگر (mgr)مردی (mrdí)می (mí)خواهد (khúáhd)منع (mnʿ)کند (knd) as “is”

save 50% other 50%
مردی
mrdí m-r-d

literal: people; dead; man

SE rendered نيست (níst)رسول (rsúl)پروردگار (prúrdgár)مگر (mgr)مردی (mrdí)می (mí)خواهد (khúáhd)منع (mnʿ)کند (knd) as “is”

people 45% dead 12% peoples 10% men 10% man 8% mankind 4% die 4% who 2% children 2% men’s 2%
پرستيدند
prstídnd p-r-s-t

literal: worshipped

SE rendered از (iz)آنچه (ánchh)می (mí)پرستيدند (prstídnd) as “”

1 occurrence in corpus

پدرهای
pdrháy p-d-r

literal: father; fathers

SE rendered پدرهای (pdrháy)ديگر (dígr)گفتند (gftnd)نيست (níst) as “is”

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf cover

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

Bahá’u’lláh

The last outstanding Tablet revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, written around 1891 and addressed to Shaykh Muḥammad-Taqí of Iṣfahán. It calls upon that rapacious priest to repent, quotes the most celebrated passages from Bahá’u’lláh’s own writings, and adduces proofs establishing the validity of His Cause.

268 ¶

Fire Tablet cover

Fire Tablet

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in late 1871 during a period of severe hardship in ‘Akká, this Tablet takes the form of an anguished dialogue between Bahá’u’lláh and God. Questions about the sufferings of the faithful are answered with divine assurances, building to a crescendo of triumph over tribulation.

50 ¶

Gleanings cover

Gleanings

Bahá’u’lláh

A compilation of 166 selections from Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablets, spanning the Baghdad, Adrianople, and ‘Akká periods (1853–1892). George Townshend assisted with English refinement. Shoghi Effendi wrote that it gives the friends a splendid opportunity to acquire knowledge and understanding of the Faith.

729 ¶

Kitáb-i-'Ahd cover

Kitáb-i-’Ahd

Bahá’u’lláh

The Book of the Covenant — Bahá’u’lláh’s Will and Testament, written entirely in His own hand and unsealed on the ninth day after His ascension. It designates ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His successor and establishes what Shoghi Effendi called the mightiest Covenant in all religious history.

16 ¶

Prayers and Meditations cover

Prayers and Meditations

Bahá’u’lláh

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 ¶

Tablet of Aḥmad cover

Tablet of Aḥmad

Bahá’u’lláh

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 ¶

Tablet of Carmel cover

Tablet of Carmel

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed during a visit to Mount Carmel, this Tablet addresses the mountain directly and prophesies its future as the world spiritual and administrative center of the Faith. Shoghi Effendi designated it one of three foundational Charters. Its imagery of the Ark and the dwellers therein prefigures the Universal House of Justice.

5 ¶

Tablet of the Holy Mariner cover

Tablet of the Holy Mariner

Bahá’u’lláh

Chanted aloud in the outskirts of Baghdad just weeks before the Declaration in the Garden of Riḍván, its gloomy prognostications aroused the grave apprehensions of all who heard it. Only the Arabic portion has an authorized translation; the Persian portion remains untranslated.

57 ¶

The Hidden Words cover

The Hidden Words

Bahá’u’lláh

Seventy-one Arabic and eighty-two Persian aphorisms revealed around 1858 while walking along the banks of the Tigris in Baghdad. Originally designated the “Hidden Book of Fáṭimih,” Shoghi Effendi described it as a marvelous collection of gem-like utterances occupying a position of unsurpassed preeminence among the ethical writings of the Faith.

160 ¶

Will and Testament cover

Will and Testament

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in three parts between 1901 and 1908, opened and read after His passing on 28 November 1921. Shoghi Effendi designated it the Charter of the New World Order — the mightiest instrument forged to ensure the continuity of the three ages of the Bahá’í Dispensation.

59 ¶