Prayers and Meditations — §543

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 543 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

أَسْئَلُكَ يا مَحْبُوبَ العالَمِينَ وَمَقْصُودَ العارِفِينَ بِاسْمِكَ الَّذِيْ بِهِ تُقَلِّبُ مَنْ تَشآءُ وَتُقَرِّبُ مَنْ تَشآءُ، بِأَنْ تَفْتَحَ أَبْصارَ أَحِبَّتِكَ لِئَلا يَحْتَجِبُوا كما احْتَجَبَ مَنْ فِي البِلادِ وَيَرَوْا آثارَ قُدْرَتِكَ ظاهِرًا وَما قَدَّرْتَ لَهُمْ فِي مَمالِكَ عِزِّكَ باطِنًا، إِنَّكَ أنْتَ المُقْتَدِرُ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I implore Thee, O Thou Who art the Beloved of the worlds and the Desire of all that have recognized Thee, by Thy name, through which Thou stirrest up whom Thou willest and drawest toward Thee whom Thou pleasest, to open the eyes of all that are dear to Thee, that haply they may not be veiled from Thee as the peoples of the earth are, but may outwardly perceive the signs and tokens of Thy power, and inwardly apprehend the things Thou didst ordain for them in the realms of Thy glory.

Translation Notes

أَسْئَلُكَ

ʾasʾaluk s-ʾ-l → “i implore”

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

beseech 46% implore 24% entreat 18% beg 5% pray 4% destroy 1% ask 1% deal 1% god 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §146: beseech gleaningsGWB §39: thy question kitab-i-iqanKIQ §285: seek prayers-and-meditationsP&M §682: Deal epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §104: ask gleaningsGWB §260: ‘Ask prayers-and-meditationsP&M §699: beg epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §227: We pray

مَحْبُوبَ

maḥbúb ḥ-b-b → “beloved”

literal: love; beloved; beloved ones

beloved 44% well-beloved 26% best-beloved 12% loved 6% prized 2% who 2% one 2% pleasing 1% god 1% new 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §11: prized and greatly cherished fire-tabletFire §7: of Thy love gleaningsGWB §342: highly meritorious kitab-i-iqanKIQ §142: love?”prayers-and-meditationsP&M §841: and for such of tablet-of-carmelCarmel §1: a Day tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §40: the Beloved One the-hidden-wordsHW §20: My lover

العالَمِينَ

al-ʿálamín ʿ-l-m → “the worlds”

literal: world; worlds

worlds 53% all 31% world 5% whole 3% earth 2% men 2% creation 2% entire 1% people 1% peoples 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §132: worlds fire-tabletFire §13: ensigns gleaningsGWB §728: The knowledge thereof kitab-i-iqanKIQ §276: all prayers-and-meditationsP&M §500: I recognize tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §17: of all the worlds tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §13: we have taught thee the-hidden-wordsHW §14: seekest thou enlightenment

وَمَقْصُودَ

wamaqṣúd q-ṣ-d → “desire”

literal: intended; purpose; desired

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

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §172: meant gleaningsGWB §528: his motive kitab-i-ahdAhd §10: The object kitab-i-iqanKIQ §31: meant solely prayers-and-meditationsP&M §513: to attain the-hidden-wordsHW §76: the charm will-and-testamentW&T §7: purposed epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §141: of the goal

العارِفِينَ

al-ʿárifín ʿ-r-f → “all that have recognized”

literal: knowledge; know; knower

SE expanded to “all that have recognized”

have 17% comprehend 15% all 15% know 12% such 10% understanding 7% understand 7% perceive 7% who 5% every 5%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §132: discernment gleaningsGWB §214: unaware kitab-i-ahdAhd §13: perform praiseworthy deeds kitab-i-iqanKIQ §2: true understanding prayers-and-meditationsP&M §195: such as have recognized tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §12: to see the-hidden-wordsHW §99: HAVE A NAME epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §135: hath enlightened

بِاسْمِكَ

biásmik s-m-w → “thy name”

literal: name; names

name 87% most 4% through 2% whose 2% called 1% all-glorious 1% beareth 1% friend 1% shadowing 1% have 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §34: noble fire-tabletFire §36: heavenly gleaningsGWB §285: conception of faith kitab-i-iqanKIQ §28: empty name prayers-and-meditationsP&M §730: these names tablet-of-carmelCarmel §4: Names.’tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §12: my Lord the-hidden-wordsHW §121: call

تُقَلِّبُ

tuqallib q-l-b → “hearts” Distinctive

literal: heart; hearts; turn

This form usually rendered as “distract”, “thou”, “turning” (4 occurrences)

distract 25% thou 25% turning 25% stirrest 25%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §215: fearful heart gleaningsGWB §555: a new heart kitab-i-ahdAhd §4: a pure heart kitab-i-iqanKIQ §119: “Hearts prayers-and-meditationsP&M §515: hearts of Thy dear ones the-hidden-wordsHW §120: mind will-and-testamentW&T §23: the spirit of love epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §92: your hearts

وَتُقَرِّبُ

watuqarrib q-r-b → “drawest toward”

literal: nearness; near; bring near

approach 22% draw 17% approaching 17% drawing 11% thou 6% draweth 6% causest 6% near 6% having 6% drawest 6%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §98: draweth nigh fire-tabletFire §3: ocean gleaningsGWB §248: drawing closer kitab-i-ahdAhd §13: Kindred kitab-i-iqanKIQ §157: a sacrifice prayers-and-meditationsP&M §65: Thy nearness tablet-of-carmelCarmel §4: favoured the-hidden-wordsHW §36: drawing near

تَفْتَحَ

taftaḥ f-t-ḥ → “open”

literal: open; opened

open 50% flung 17% can 17% may 17%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §57: conqueror fire-tabletFire §33: the key gleaningsGWB §555: that kitab-i-iqanKIQ §64: gladness prayers-and-meditationsP&M §5: may be opened epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §152: one who will open gleaningsGWB §428: to unlock kitab-i-iqanKIQ §159: prayed for victory

أَبْصارَ

ʾabṣár b-ṣ-r → “eyes”

literal: sight; insight; eyes

eyes 49% insight 14% sight 11% all 11% vision 9% seeing 3% observer 3%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §11: the All-Seeing gleaningsGWB §118: eye kitab-i-ahdAhd §3: hearing kitab-i-iqanKIQ §16: gaze prayers-and-meditationsP&M §442: our eyes the-hidden-wordsHW §107: thy very sight epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §150: with discernment gleaningsGWB §491: moment

لِئَلا

liʾalá l-y-l → “night”

literal: night; nights; the nights

night 62% night-season 23% nights 8% day 8%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §150: the day-time gleaningsGWB §492: in the night season kitab-i-iqanKIQ §40: night-season prayers-and-meditationsP&M §839: blessed night epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §224: the daytime prayers-and-meditationsP&M §351: in the daytime epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §190: the night season prayers-and-meditationsP&M §167: the nights

يَحْتَجِبُوا

yaḥtajibúá ḥ-j-b → “be veiled”

literal: veil; veiled; veils

veils 30% veil 27% veiled 17% shut 9% wrapt 4% unveiled 4% have 3% deprived 3% obscure 3% concealment 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §115: the veils gleaningsGWB §373: ignorant kitab-i-iqanKIQ §178: have been hindered prayers-and-meditationsP&M §404: may prevent the-hidden-wordsHW §150: the epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §227: a veil gleaningsGWB §563: concealment kitab-i-iqanKIQ §27: deprive

كما

kmá k-m → “as”

literal: decrease; less; as

SE rendered أَحِبَّتِكَ (ʾaḥibbatik), لِئَلا (liʾalá), يَحْتَجِبُوا (yaḥtajibúá), كما (kmá), احْتَجَبَ (iḥtajab) as “all that are dear, that haply, be veiled, as”

3 occurrences in corpus

gleaningsGWB §147: loss kitab-i-iqanKIQ §262: as

البِلادِ

al-bilád b-l-d

literal: lands; land

SE rendered كما (kmá), احْتَجَبَ (iḥtajab), البِلادِ (al-bilád), وَيَرَوْا (wayarawá), آثارَ (áthár), قُدْرَتِكَ (qudratik) as “as, outwardly perceive, the signs and tokens, Thy power”

cities 43% land 21% earth 14% nations 7% whole 7% neighbor 7%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §119: city gleaningsGWB §467: the City kitab-i-iqanKIQ §211: soil prayers-and-meditationsP&M §430: dominions the-hidden-wordsHW §3: of thy neighbor will-and-testamentW&T §38: all countries epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §7: in Thy realms gleaningsGWB §267: of the earth

وَيَرَوْا

wayarawá r-ʾ-y → “thou” Distinctive

literal: see; to see

This form usually rendered as “see”, “recognize”, “outwardly” (5 occurrences)

see 40% recognize 20% outwardly 20% found 20%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §157: We behold fire-tabletFire §23: Thou seest Me gleaningsGWB §466: thee kitab-i-iqanKIQ §237: “What thinkest prayers-and-meditationsP&M §518: seen will-and-testamentW&T §35: saw me epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §194: behold fire-tabletFire §14: Thou seest

آثارَ

áthár ʾ-th-r → “signs and tokens”

literal: traces; trace; signs

SE expanded to “signs and tokens”

signs 45% evidences 10% remnant 10% marks 5% hostile 5% wondrous 5% heavenly 5% works 5% testimonies 5% truth 5%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §245: hostile attitude gleaningsGWB §575: influence kitab-i-iqanKIQ §217: signs prayers-and-meditationsP&M §563: revelations will-and-testamentW&T §1: writ and revealed epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §136: marks gleaningsGWB §550: remnant kitab-i-iqanKIQ §137: outward manifestations

قُدْرَتِكَ

qudratik q-d-r → “thy power”

literal: power; powerful

power 45% might 30% strength 7% almighty 7% through 4% authority 3% transcendent 1% all-conquering 1% omnipotent 1% sovereign 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §106: of Power fire-tabletFire §48: Ordainer gleaningsGWB §627: Whose power pervadeth kitab-i-ahdAhd §12: granted kitab-i-iqanKIQ §40: ordained—fasting prayers-and-meditationsP&M §182: Do Thou ordain tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §8: are not tablet-of-carmelCarmel §5: the Mighty, the All-Powerful

ظاهِرًا

ẓáhiran ẓ-h-r

literal: manifestation; manifest; appear

SE rendered وَيَرَوْا (wayarawá), آثارَ (áthár), قُدْرَتِكَ (qudratik), ظاهِرًا (ẓáhiran), قَدَّرْتَ (qaddart) as “outwardly perceive, the signs and tokens, Thy power, didst ordain”