| 1 |
Zar zamišljaš, o, Ministre Šahov u Gradu (Konstantinopolu), da Ja u Svojoj ruci držim konačnu sudbinu Stvari Božje? Zar misliš da Moje utamničenje, i sramota koju Sam bio prisiljen trpjeti, ili čak i Moja smrt i potpuno uništenje mogu skrenuti njezin tijek? Zlo je ono što si zamislio u svojem srcu! Ti si, uistinu, od onih koji hode za ispraznim maštanjima koja su tvorevine njihovih srdaca. Nema drugog Boga osim Njega. Moćan je On objaviti Stvar Svoju, i uzvisiti Svoje svjedočanstvo, i uspostaviti što god Ga je Volja, i uzdići to na tako istaknut položaj da niti tvoje vlastite ruke, niti ruke onih koji su se od Njega okrenuli, mogu ikada dotaknuti to ili mu naškoditi. |
Dost thou imagine, O Minister of the Sháh in the City (Constantinople), that I hold within My grasp the ultimate destiny of the Cause of God? Thinkest thou that My imprisonment, or the shame I have been made to suffer, or even My death and utter annihilation, can deflect its course? Wretched is what thou hast imagined in thine heart! Thou art indeed of them that walk after the vain imaginings which their hearts devise. No God is there but Him. Powerful is He to manifest His Cause, and to exalt His testimony, and to establish whatsoever is His Will, and to elevate it to so eminent a position that neither thine own hands, nor the hands of them that have turned away from Him, can ever touch or harm it. |
| 2 |
Zar vjeruješ da imaš moć spriječiti Njegovu Volju, omesti Ga u izvršavanju Svojega suda, ili Ga odvratiti od vršenja Svoje vrhovnosti? Zar umišljaš da išta na nebu ili na zemlji može odoljeti Njegovoj Vjeri? Ne, Onoga Mi Koji je Vječna Istina! Baš ništa u cijelomu stvaranju ne može osujetiti Njegovu Namjeru. Odbaci, stoga, puku tlapnju koju slijediš, jer puka tlapnja nikada ne može zauzeti mjesto istine. Budi od onih koji su se istinski pokajali i okrenuli k Bogu, Bogu Koji te je stvorio, Koji te je othranio, i učinio te ministrom među onima koji ispovijedaju tvoju vjeru.
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Dost thou believe thou hast the power to frustrate His Will, to hinder Him from executing His judgment, or to deter Him from exercising His sovereignty? Pretendest thou that aught in the heavens or in the earth can resist His Faith? No, by Him Who is the Eternal Truth! Nothing whatsoever in the whole of creation can thwart His Purpose. Cast away, therefore, the mere conceit thou dost follow, for mere conceit can never take the place of truth. Be thou of them that have truly repented and returned to God, the God Who hath created thee, Who hath nourished thee, and made thee a minister among them that profess thy faith. |
| 3 |
Znaj, nadalje, da je On Onaj Koji je,Vlastitim nalogom, stvorio sve što je na nebu i sve što je na zemlji. Kako, dakle, može stvar koja je stvorena po Njegovoj zapovijedi biti jača od Njega? Visoko je uzvišen Bog iznad onoga što vi o Njemu zamišljate, o, ljudi zloće! Ako je ovo Stvar Božja, nijedan je čovjek ne može nadvladati; a ako nije od Boga, duhovnici među vama, i oni koji slijede svoje pokvarene žudnje i oni koji su se pobunili protiv Njega jamačno će biti dovoljni da je pobijede. |
Know thou, moreover, that He it is Who hath, by His own behest, created all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth. How can, then, the thing that hath been created at His bidding prevail against Him? High is God exalted above what ye imagine about Him, ye people of malice! If this Cause be of God, no man can prevail against it; and if it be not of God, the divines amongst you, and they that follow their corrupt desires and such as have rebelled against Him will surely suffice to overpower it. |
| 4 |
Zar nisi čuo što je čovjek iz obitelji faraona, vjernik, u davnini rekao, čovjek kojega je Bog ubrojio među Svoje Apostole, Kojega je izabrao iznad svih ljudskih bića, i povjerio Mu Svoju Poruku, i učinio Ga izvorom Svoje milosti svima koji žive na zemlji? On je rekao, a On, zaista, govori istinu: “Hoćete li ubiti čovjeka zato što kaže da je gospod moj Bog, kad vam je već došao s dokazima o svojem poslanju? Ako je lažac, na njega će pasti njegova laž, a ako je čovjek od istine, bar će dio onoga čime on prijeti pasti na vas.” To je objavio Bog Svojem Ljubljenomu, u Svojoj nepogrešivoj Knjizi. |
Hast thou not heard what a man of the family of Pharaoh, a believer, hath said of old, and which God recounted unto His Apostle, Whom He hath chosen above all human beings, and entrusted with His Message, and made the source of His mercy unto all them that dwell on earth? He said, and He, verily, speaketh the truth: “Will ye slay a man because he saith my Lord is God, when he hath already come to you with proofs of his mission? And if he be a liar, on him will be his lie, but if he be a man of truth, part at least of what he threateneth will fall upon you.” This is what God hath revealed unto His Well-Beloved One, in His unerring Book. |
| 5 |
Pa ipak, niste uspjeli prikloniti svoje uho Njegovu nalogu, zanemarili ste Njegov zakon, odbacili ste Njegov savjet kako je zapisan u Njegovoj Knjizi, i bili ste od onih koji su odlutali daleko od Njega. Koliko je onih koji su, svake godine, svakoga mjeseca, zbog vas pogubljeni! Kako brojne nepravde ste počinili – nepravde kakve oko stvaranja nije vidjelo, kakve nijedan ljetopisac još nije zabilježio! Kolika su djeca i dojenčad postala siročad, a očevi izgubili svoje sinove, zbog vaše okrutnosti, o, nepravednici! Koliko često je sestra tugovala i oplakivala svojega brata, i koliko je često žena plakala za mužem i jedinim hraniteljem! |
And yet, ye have failed to incline your ears unto His bidding, have disregarded His law, have rejected His counsel as recorded in His Book, and have been of them that have strayed far from Him. How many those who, every year, and every month, have because of you been put to death! How manifold the injustices ye have perpetrated—injustices the like of which the eye of creation hath not seen, which no chronicler hath ever recorded! How numerous the babes and sucklings who were made orphans, and the fathers who lost their sons, because of your cruelty, O ye unjust doers! How oft hath a sister pined away and mourned over her brother, and how oft hath a wife lamented after her husband and sole sustainer! |
| 6 |
Vaša je zloća rasla sve više i više, sve dok niste pogubili Onoga Koji nikada nije skrenuo Svojega pogleda s lica Boga, Najuzvišenijega, Najvećega. Da ste Ga bar pogubili onako kako ljudi žele pogubiti jedan drugoga! Međutim, vi ste Ga ubili u takvim okolnostima kakve nijedan čovjek nije nikada vidio. Nebesa su gorko plakala nad Njim, a duše onih koji su bliski Bogu vriskale su zbog Njegove patnje. Zar On nije bio Izdanak iz drevne Kuće vašega Proroka? Zar glas o Njemu kao izravnom potomku Apostola nije bio proširen među vama? Zašto ste Mu, onda, nanijeli ono što nijedan čovjek, ma koliko daleko u prošlost gledali, nije nanio drugomu? Tako Mi Boga! Oko stvaranja nikada nije vidjelo vama slične. Ubijate Onoga Koji je Izdanak iz Kuće vašega Proroka, i radujete se i veselite dok sjedite na vašim počasnim sjedištima! Bacate kletve na one koji su bili prije vas, i koji su počinili ono što ste vi počinili, a sami svo vrijeme ostajete nesvjesni vlastitih opačina!
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Your iniquity waxed greater and greater until ye slew Him Who had never taken His eyes away from the face of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Great. Would that ye had put Him to death after the manner men are wont to put one another to death! Ye slew Him, however, in such circumstances as no man hath ever witnessed. The heavens wept sore over Him, and the souls of them who are nigh unto God cried out for His affliction. Was He not a Scion of your Prophet’s ancient House? Had not His fame as a direct descendant of the Apostle been spread abroad amongst you? Why, then, did ye inflict upon Him what no man, however far ye may look back, hath inflicted upon another? By God! The eye of creation hath never beheld your like. Ye slay Him Who is a Scion of your Prophet’s House, and rejoice and make merry while seated on your seats of honor! Ye utter your imprecations against them who were before you, and who have perpetrated what ye have perpetrated, and remain yourselves all the time unaware of your enormities! |
| 7 |
Budite pošteni u svojoj prosudbi. Jesu li oni koje vi proklinjete, kojima zlo zazivate, djelovali drugačije od vas? Nisu li oni pogubili potomka svojega Proroka kao što ste vi pogubili potomka vašega? Nije li vaše ponašanje slično njihovu ponašanju? Zbog čega, dakle, tvrdite da ste drugačiji od njih, o, sijači razdora među ljudima? |
Be fair in your judgment. Did they whom you curse, upon whom ye invoke evil, act differently from yourselves? Have they not slain the descendant of their Prophet as ye have slain the descendant of your own? Is not your conduct similar to their conduct? Wherefore, then, claim ye to be different from them, O ye sowers of dissension amongst men? |
| 8 |
A kad ste Mu oduzeli život, jedan od Njegovih sljedbenika ustao je osvetiti Njegovu smrt. Bio je nepoznat ljudima, i naum koji je snovao nitko nije primijetio. Na koncu je počinio ono što je bilo predodređeno. Dolikuje vam, stoga, samo sebi samima pripisati krivicu za ono što ste počinili, kad biste samo pošteno sudili. Ima li ikoga na cijeloj zemlji tko je počinio ono što ste vi počinili? Nema, tako Mi Onoga Koji je Gospod svih svjetova! |
And when ye took away His life, one of His followers arose to avenge His death. He was unknown of men, and the design he had conceived was unnoticed by anyone. Eventually he committed what had been preordained. It behooveth you, therefore, to attach blame to no one except to yourselves, for the things ye have committed, if ye but judge fairly. Who is there on the whole earth who hath done what ye have done? None, by Him Who is the Lord of all worlds! |
| 9 |
Svi vladari i kraljevi na zemlji štuju i iskazuju počast potomcima svojih Proroka i svetim ljudima, kad biste to samo mogli vidjeti. Vi ste, međutim, odgovorni za takva djela kakva nijedan čovjek, ni u kojem dobu, nije počinio. Zbog vaših je zlodjela svako srce koje razabire obuzela tuga. Pa ipak, ostali ste uronjeni u svoj nemar, i niste uspjeli prepoznati zloću u svojim djelima. |
All the rulers and kings of the earth honor and revere the descendants of their Prophets and holy men, could ye but perceive it. Ye, on the other hand, are responsible for such acts as no man hath, at any time, performed. Your misdeeds have caused every understanding heart to be consumed with grief. And yet, ye have remained sunk in your heedlessness, and failed to realize the wickedness of your actions. |
| 10 |
Vi ste ustrajali u svojoj tvrdoglavosti sve dok niste ustali protiv Nas, premda Mi nismo učinili ništa što bi opravdalo vaše neprijateljstvo. Zar se ne bojite Boga Koji vas je stvorio, i omogućio vam da dosegnete snagu, i spojio vas s onima koji su se prepustili Njemu (muslimanima)? Koliko ćete dugo ustrajati u svojoj tvrdoglavosti? Koliko ćete dugo odbijati razmisliti? Kada ćete, napokon, otresti svoje sanje i ustati iz nemara? Koliko ćete dugo ostati nesvjesni istine? |
Ye have persisted in your waywardness until ye rose up against Us, though We had committed nothing to justify your enmity. Fear ye not God Who hath created you, and fashioned you, and caused you to attain your strength, and joined you with them that have resigned themselves to Him (Muslims)? How long will ye persist in your waywardness? How long will ye refuse to reflect? How long ere ye shake off your slumber and are roused from your heedlessness? How long will ye remain unaware of the truth? |
| 11 |
Razmislite u svom srcu. Jeste li, usprkos vašemu ponašanju i djelima vaših ruku, uspjeli ugasiti vatru Božju ili utrnuti svjetlo Njegove Objave – svjetlo koje je obavilo svojim sjajem one koji su uronjeni u oceane besmrtnosti koji se uzdižu, i privuklo duše onih koji istinski vjeruju i podržavaju Njegovo jedinstvo? Zar ne znate da je Ruka Božja iznad vaših ruku, da Njegov neopozivi Nalog nadilazi sve vaše namjere, da je On uzvišen nad Svojim slugama, da je On jednak Svojoj Nakani, da On čini što Ga je volja, da On neće biti upitan o bilo čemu što hoće, da On nalaže što Ga je volja, da je On Najmoćniji, Svemogući? Ako vjerujete da je to istina, zbog čega nećete prestati mučiti sami sebe i biti u miru sa sobom? |
Ponder in thine heart. Did ye, notwithstanding your behavior and the things your hands have wrought, succeed in quenching the fire of God or in putting out the light of His Revelation—a light that hath enveloped with its brightness them that are immersed in the billowing oceans of immortality, and hath attracted the souls of such as truly believe in and uphold His unity? Know ye not that the Hand of God is over your hands, that His irrevocable Decree transcendeth all your devices, that He is supreme over His servants, that He is equal to His Purpose, that He doth what He wisheth, that He shall not be asked of whatever He willeth, that He ordaineth what He pleaseth, that He is the Most Powerful, the Almighty? If ye believe this to be the truth, wherefore, then, will ye not cease from troubling and be at peace with yourselves? |
| 12 |
Svakoga dana počinjate novu nepravdu, i sa Mnom postupate onako kako ste postupali sa Mnom u prošlim vremenima, iako se nikada nisam pokušao miješati u vaše poslove. Nikada vam Se nisam suprotstavljao, niti Sam se pobunio protiv vaših zakona. Pogledajte kako ste Me, napokon, učinili zatočenikom u ovoj udaljenoj zemlji! Ali, budite uvjereni da, što god počinile vaše ruke ili ruke nevjernika, to nikada neće, niti je ikada prije moglo, izmijeniti Stvar božju ili promijeniti Njegove putove. |
Ye perpetrate every day a fresh injustice, and treat Me as ye treated Me in times past, though I never attempted to meddle with your affairs. At no time have I opposed you, neither have I rebelled against your laws. Behold how ye have, at the last, made Me a prisoner in this far-off land! Know for a certainty, however, that whatever your hands or the hands of the infidels have wrought will never, as they never did of old, change the Cause of God or alter His ways. |
| 13 |
Poslušaj Moje upozorenje, o, narode Perzije! Pogube li Me vaše ruke, Bog će jamačno podići nekoga koji će popuniti sjedalo koje je ispražnjeno Mojom smrću, jer tako je Božji način izvršavan od davnina, i nikakve promjene nećete naći u načinu Božjega djelovanja. Zar nastojite utrnuti Božje svjetlo koje sja na Njegovu zemlju? Suprotno je Bog od vaših želja. On će usavršiti Svoje svjetlo, premda ga se vi užasavate u potaji svojih srdaca. |
Give heed to My warning, ye people of Persia! If I be slain at your hands, God will assuredly raise up one who will fill the seat made vacant through My death, for such is God’s method carried into effect of old, and no change can ye find in God’s method of dealing. Seek ye to put out God’s light that shineth upon His earth? Averse is God from what ye desire. He shall perfect His light, albeit ye abhor it in the secret of your hearts. |
| 14 |
Zastani samo malo, i razmisli, o, ministre, i budi pošten u svojoj prosudbi. Što li Smo to počinili što bi moglo opravdati tebe kad si Nas oklevetao kod kraljevih ministara, iskrivio istinu, i izrekao protiv Nas svoje klevete? Mi dvojica se nikada nismo susreli, osim kad Smo te susreli u kući tvojega oca, u danima obilježavanja mučeništva Imama Husayna. U tim prigodama nitko ne bi bio uspio obznaniti drugima svoja viđenja i mišljenja u razgovoru ili izlaganju. Ti ćeš posvjedočiti o istini Mojih riječi, ako si od istinoljubivih. Nisam pohodio nijedan drugi skup na kojemu bi ti, ili bilo tko drugi mogao saznati Moje mišljenje. Kako si, dakle, izrekao svoj pravorijek protiv Mene, kada nisi čuo Moje svjedočanstvo s Mojih vlastitih usana? Zar nisi čuo što je rekao Bog, slavljen bio On: “Ne reci “Ti nisi vjernik” svakomu tko te pri susretu pozdravi.” “Ne odbaci one koji zazivaju Svojega Gospoda ujutro i uvečer, žudeći gledati Njegovo lice.” Ti si, uistinu, odbacio ono što je propisala Knjiga Božja, a ipak sebe vjernikom smatraš! |
Pause for but a little while and reflect, O Minister, and be fair in thy judgment. What is it that We have committed that could justify thee in having slandered Us unto the King’s Ministers, in following thy desires, in perverting the truth, and in uttering thy calumnies against Us? We have never met each other except when We met thee in thy father’s house, in the days when the martyrdom of Imám Ḥusayn was being commemorated. On those occasions no one could have the chance of making known to others his views and beliefs in conversation or in discourse. Thou wilt bear witness to the truth of My words, if thou be of the truthful. I have frequented no other gatherings in which thou couldst have learned My mind or in which any other could have done so. How, then, didst thou pronounce thy verdict against Me, when thou hadst not heard My testimony from Mine own lips? Hast thou not heard what God, exalted be His glory, hath said: “Say not to every one who meeteth you with a greeting, ‘Thou art not a believer’.” “Thrust not away those who cry to their Lord at morn and even, craving to behold His face.” Thou hast indeed forsaken what the Book of God hath prescribed, and yet thou deemest thyself to be a believer! |
| 15 |
Usprkos onomu što si ti počinio – a Bog Mi je o tome svjedok – Ja ne zamjeram tebi, niti ikomu, premda Nam ti i drugi zadajete takvu bol kakvu nijedan vjernik u jedinstvo Božje ne može podnijeti. Moj predmet* nije ni u čijoj ruci osim Božje, a Moje uzdanje samo je Njemu upućeno. Uskoro će vaši dani proći, kao što će proći dani onih koji sebe sada, s očiglednom gordošću, izdižu hvalom iznad svojega susjeda. Uskoro ćete biti okupljeni u nazočnosti Božjoj, i upitani o djelima vašim, i nagrađeni biti za ono što su počinile vaše ruke, a jadno li je boravište zločinaca! |
Despite what thou hast done I entertain—and to this God is My witness—no ill-will against thee, nor against anyone, though from thee and others We receive such hurt as no believer in the unity of God can sustain. My cause is in the hand of none except God, and My trust is in no one else but Him. Erelong shall your days pass away, as shall pass away the days of those who now, with flagrant pride, vaunt themselves over their neighbor. Soon shall ye be gathered together in the presence of God, and shall be asked of your doings, and shall be repaid for what your hands have wrought, and wretched the abode of the wicked doers! |
| 16 |
Tako Mi Boga! Kad bi ti shvatio što si učinio, gorko bi zaplakao nad sobom, i pohitao bi uteći se Bogu, i sve bi dane života svojega žalio i oplakivao, sve dok ti Bog ne bi oprostio, jer On je, uistinu, Najvelikodušniji, Svedarivatelj. Međutim, ti ćeš do svojega smrtnog časa ustrajati u svojem nemaru, jer si se, svim svojim srcem, dušom i unutarnjim bićem, zaokupio ispraznostima ovoga svijeta. Ti ćeš, po svojem odlasku, otkriti ono što Smo ti objavili, i naći sva svoja djela zabilježena u Knjizi u kojoj su zapisana djela svih onih koji žive na zemlji, pa bila ona teža ili lakša od težine atoma. Posluhni, stoga, Moj savjet, i pozorno slušaj, uhom svojega srca, Moj govor, i ne zanemari Moje riječi, i ne budi od onih koji odbacuju istinu. Ne ponosi se stvarima koje su ti dane. Pred svoje oči stavi ono što je bilo objavljeno u Knjizi Boga, Pomoćnika u nevolji, Sveslavljenoga: “A kad su zaboravili svoja upozorenja, otvorili Smo im vrata do svih stvari”, baš kao što Smo tebi i tebi sličnima otvorili vrata zemlje i njezinih uresa. Čekaj, dakle, ono što je obećano u kasnijem dijelu ovoga svetoga stiha, jer to je obećanje od Onoga Koji je Svemogući, Premudri – obećanje koje se neće izjaloviti. |
By God! Wert thou to realize what thou hast done, thou wouldst surely weep sore over thyself, and wouldst flee for refuge to God, and wouldst pine away and mourn all the days of thy life, till God will have forgiven thee, for He, verily, is the Most Generous, the All-Bountiful. Thou wilt, however, persist, till the hour of thy death, in thy heedlessness, inasmuch as thou hast, with all thine heart, thy soul and inmost being, busied thyself with the vanities of the world. Thou shalt, after thy departure, discover what We have revealed unto thee, and shalt find all thy doings recorded in the Book wherein the works of all them that dwell on earth, be they greater or less than the weight of an atom, are noted down. Heed, therefore, My counsel, and hearken thou, with the hearing of thine heart, unto My speech, and be not careless of My words, nor be of them that reject My truth. Glory not in the things that have been given thee. Set before thine eyes what hath been revealed in the Book of God, the Help in Peril, the All-Glorious: “And when they had forgotten their warnings, We set open to them the gates of all things,” even as We did set open to thee and to thy like the gates of this earth and the ornaments thereof. Wait thou, therefore, for what hath been promised in the latter part of this holy verse, for this is a promise from Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Wise—a promise that will not prove untrue. |
| 17 |
Ja ne poznajem put koji ste izabrali i kojim gazite, o, družbo onih koji Mi zlo žele! Pozivamo vas k Bogu, Podsjećamo vas na Njegov Dan, vijesti vam Javljamo o ponovnom sjedinjenju s Njim, Privlačimo vas k Njegovu dvoru, i Šaljemo na vas znamenje Njegove čudesne mudrosti, a – gle!, pogledajte kako Nas odbacujete, kako Nas osuđujete, poput nevjernika, kroz ono što su izrekla vaša lažljiva usta, kako snujete svoje spletke protiv Nas! A kad vam Objavljujemo ono čime Nas je, u Svojoj obilnoj naklonosti, Bog obdario, kažete “To je samo puka čarolija.” Iste su riječi izricali naraštaji koji su bili prije vas i koji su bili ono što ste i vi, kad biste to samo shvatili. Vi ste se, tako, lišili obilja Božjega i Njegove milosti, i nećete ih nikada zadobiti, sve do dana kada Bog ne presudi između Nas i vas, a On je, uistinu, najbolji do Sudaca. |
I know not the path ye have chosen and which ye tread, O congregation of My ill-wishers! We summon you to God, We remind you of His Day, We announce unto you tidings of your reunion with Him, We draw you nigh unto His court, and send down upon you tokens of His wondrous wisdom, and yet lo, behold how ye reject Us, how ye condemn Us, through the things which your lying mouths have uttered, as an infidel, how ye devise your devices against Us! And when We manifest unto you what God hath, through His bountiful favor, bestowed upon Us, ye say, “It is but plain magic.” The same words were spoken by the generations that were before you and were what you are, did ye but perceive it. Ye have thereby deprived yourselves of the bounty of God and of His grace, and shall never obtain them till the day when God will have judged between Us and you, and He, verily, is the best of Judges. |
| 18 |
Neki među vama rekli su: “Ovo je Onaj Koji je ustvrdio da je Bog.” Tako Mi Boga! To je teška kleveta. Ja sam samo sluga Božji Koji je povjerovao u Njega i Njegove znakove, u Njegove Proroke i Njegove anđele. Moj jezik i Moje srce, Moje unutarnje i Moje vanjsko biće svjedoče da nema drugog Boga osim Njega, da su svi drugi stvoreni po Njegovu nalogu, i bili uobličeni djelovanjem Njegove Volje. Nema drugog Boga osim Njega, Stvoritelja, Uskrisitelja, Oživitelja, Pogubitelja. Ja sam Onaj Koji širi vijesti o milostima kojima Me On, u svojoj darežljivosti, obdario. Ako je to Moj prekršaj, onda sam, zaista, prvi među prekršiteljima. Ja i moja rodbina u vašoj smo vlasti. Činite kako vam drago, i ne budite od onih koji oklijevaju, kako bih Se mogao vratiti Gospodu Bogu svojemu, i dostići mjesto u kojem više neću gledati vaša lica. To je, uistinu, Moja najdraža želja, Moja najvruća žudnja. Bog, uistinu, dovoljno poznaje Moj položaj i vidi ga. |
Certain ones among you have said: “He it is Who hath laid claim to be God.” By God! This is a gross calumny. I am but a servant of God Who hath believed in Him and in His signs, and in His Prophets and in His angels. My tongue, and My heart, and My inner and My outer being testify that there is no God but Him, that all others have been created by His behest, and been fashioned through the operation of His Will. There is none other God but Him, the Creator, the Raiser from the dead, the Quickener, the Slayer. I am He that telleth abroad the favors with which God hath, through His bounty, favored Me. If this be My transgression, then I am truly the first of the transgressors. I and My kindred are at your mercy. Do ye as ye please, and be not of them that hesitate, that I might return to God My Lord, and reach the place where I can no longer behold your faces. This, indeed, is My dearest wish, My most ardent desire. Of My state God is, verily, sufficiently informed, observant. |
| 19 |
Zamisli sebe pod Božjim okom, o, ministre! Ako ti ne vidiš Njega, On, zaista, jasno vidi tebe. Pripazi, i sudi pošteno Našoj Stvari. Što li Smo to počinili što te moglo navesti da ustaneš protiv Nas, da Nas ocrniš pred ljudima, ako si od onih koji su pravedni? Otputovali Smo iz Teherana, po nalogu kralja, i, s njegovim dopuštenjem, premjestili Svoje boravište u Irak. Ako Sam zgriješio protiv njega, zašto Me je, onda, oslobodio? A, ako Sam nevin, zašto ste Mi nanijeli takve patnje kakve nije trpio nijedan od onih koji ispovijedaju tvoju vjeru? Je li ijedan Moj čin, nakon Mojega dolaska u Irak, prijetio prevratom autoritetu vlade? Tko je onaj za kojega se može reći da je opazio bilo što vrijedno prijekora u Našemu ponašanju? Sam se raspitaj u narodu, kako bi mogao biti od onih koji su razabrali istinu. |
Imagine thyself to be under the eye of God, O Minister! If thou seest Him not, He, in truth, clearly seeth thee. Observe, and judge fairly Our Cause. What is it that We have committed that could have induced thee to rise up against Us, and to slander Us to the people, if thou be of them who are just? We departed out of Ṭihrán, at the bidding of the King, and, by his leave, transferred Our residence to ‘Iráq. If I had transgressed against him, why, then, did he release Me? And if I were innocent of guilt, wherefore did ye afflict Us with such tribulation as none among them that profess your faith hath suffered? Hath any of Mine acts, after Mine arrival in ‘Iráq, been such as to subvert the authority of the government? Who is it that can be said to have detected any thing reprehensible in Our behavior? Enquire for thyself of its people, that thou mayest be of them who have discerned the truth. |
| 20 |
Jedanaest Smo godina živjeli u toj zemlji, dok nije došao ministar, predstavnik tvoje vlade, čije je ime Našemu peru mrsko spomenuti, koji je bio sklon vinu, slijedio svoje strasti, činio opačine, bio pokvaren i kvario je Irak. Tomu će posvjedočiti većina stanovnika Bagdada, kad bi ih ti upitao, i bio od onih koji traže istinu. On je onaj koji je nepravedno prigrabio bogatstvo svojih bližnjih, odbacio sve zapovijedi Božje, i počinio sve što je Bog zabranio. Na koncu je, slijedeći svoje želje, ustao protiv Nas, i kročio putovima nepravednih. U svojem pismu upućenom tebi optužio Nas je, a ti si mu povjerovao i krenuo njegovim stopama, a da nisi od njega zatražio nikakav dokaz ili vjerodostojnu potkrjepu. Ti nisi zatražio objašnjenje, nisi pokušao istražiti niti utvrditi stvar, kako bi se, u tvojim očima, istina mogla razlikovati od laži, a ti mogao jasno razabirati. Sam se uvjeri kakav je čovjek on bio, ispitujući ministre koji su tada bili u Iraku, kao i upravitelja grada (Bagdada) i visoka mu vijećnika, kako bi ti istina bila otkrivena, a ti bio od dobro obaviještenih. |
For eleven years We dwelt in that land, until the Minister representing thy government arrived, whose name Our pen is loath to mention, who was given to wine, who followed his lusts, and committed wickedness, and was corrupt and corrupted ‘Iráq. To this will bear witness most of the inhabitants of Baghdád, wert thou to inquire of them, and be of such as seek the truth. He it was who wrongfully seized the substance of his fellowmen, who forsook all the commandments of God, and perpetrated whatever God had forbidden. Eventually, he, following his desires, rose up against Us, and walked in the ways of the unjust. He accused Us, in his letter to thee, and thou didst believe him and followed in his way, without seeking any proof or trustworthy evidence from him. Thou didst ask for no explanation, nor didst thou attempt either to investigate or ascertain the matter, that the truth might be distinguished from falsehood in thy sight, and that thou mightest be clear in thy discernment. Find out for thyself the sort of man he was by asking those Ministers who were, at that time, in ‘Iráq, as well as the Governor of the City (Baghdád) and its high Counselor, that the truth may be revealed to thee, and that thou mayest be of the well-informed. |
| 21 |
Bog Nam je svjedokom! Mi se, ni u kakvim okolnostima, nismo odupirali niti njemu, niti drugima. U svim Smo se uvjetima pridržavali preporuka Božjih, i nikada Nismo bili od onih koji potiču na nered. Tomu i on sam svjedoči. Njegova je namjera bila zgrabiti Nas, i poslati Nas nazad u Perziju, ne bi li on, na taj način, povećao svoju slavu i ugled. Ti si počinio isti zločin, i s istovjetnim ciljem. Obojica ste na istom stupnju u očima Boga, vrhovnoga Gospodara svega, Sveznajućega. |
God is Our witness! We have, under no circumstances, opposed either him, or others. We observed, under all conditions, the precepts of God, and were never one of those that wrought disorders. To this he himself doth testify. His intention was to lay hold on Us, and send Us back to Persia, that he might thereby exalt his fame and reputation. Thou hast committed the same crime, and for the self-same purpose. Ye both are of equal grade in the sight of God, the sovereign Lord of all, the All-Knowing. |
| 22 |
Ove ti riječi ne upućujemo zato da Nam olakšamo Našu nevolju, niti da tebe navedemo da se kod bilo koga založiš za Nas. Ne, tako Mi Onoga Koji je Gospod svih svjetova! Čitavu Smo ti stvar predočili zato da, možda, uvidiš što si počinio, da se suzdržiš od zadavanja drugima one boli koju si Nama zadao, i da budeš od onih koji se iskreno kaju pred Bogom, Koji je stvorio tebe i stvorio sve stvari, i da postupaš razborito u budućnosti. Bolje je to za tebe od svega što posjeduješ, od tvoje službe kojoj su dani odbrojani. |
It is not Our purpose in addressing to thee these words to lighten the burden of Our woe, or to induce thee to intercede for Us with anyone. No, by Him Who is the Lord of all worlds! We have set forth the whole matter before thee, that perchance thou might realize what thou hast done, might desist from inflicting on others the hurt thou hast inflicted on Us, and might be of them that have truly repented to God, Who created thee and created all things, and might act with discernment in the future. Better is this for thee than all thou dost possess, than thy ministry whose days are numbered. |
| 23 |
Pripazi da ne budeš zaveden previđati nepravdu. Upravi svoje srce čvrsto ka pravdi, i ne mijenjaj Stvar Božju, i budi od onih čije su oči upravljene u stvari koje su objavljene u Njegovoj Knjizi. Ne slijedi, ni pod kojim uvjetom, šapat svojih zlih želja. Izvršavaj zakon Boga Gospoda tvojega, Dobročinitelja, Pradavnoga. Ti ćeš se, sasvim sigurno, vratiti u prah, i propasti poput svih stvari u kojima nalaziš radost. Ovo je ono što je izrekao Jezik istine i slave. |
Beware lest thou be led to connive at injustice. Set thy heart firmly upon justice, and alter not the Cause of God, and be of them whose eyes are directed towards the things that have been revealed in His Book. Follow not, under any condition, the promptings of thine evil desires. Keep thou the law of God, thy Lord, the Beneficent, the Ancient of Days. Thou shalt most certainly return to dust, and shalt perish like all the things in which thou takest delight. This is what the Tongue of truth and glory hath spoken. |
| 24 |
Zar se ne sjećaš Božjega upozorenja izgovorenoga u prošlim danima, kako bi ti mogao biti od onih koji uvažavaju Njegovo upozorenje? On je rekao, a On, uistinu, govori istinu: “Od nje (zemlje) Smo te stvorili, u nju Ćemo te vratiti, i iz nje Ćemo te izvaditi još jednom.” Ovo je ono što je Bog naložio svima koji stanuju na zemlji, bili oni visoko ili nisko. Ne dolikuje, stoga, onomu koji je stvoren iz praha, koji će se u nj vratiti, i ponovno biti izveden iz njega, nadimati gordo pred Bogom, i pred Njegovim miljenicima, oholo ih prezirati, i biti ispunjen prezrivim omalovažavanjem. Nikako, prije dolikuje tebi i onima poput tebe podrediti se Onima Koji su Objavitelji jedinstva Božjega, i ponizno ustupiti pred vjernima, koji su ostavili sve svoje Boga radi, i odijelili se od stvari koje zaokupljaju pozornost ljudi, i odvraćaju ih od puta Boga, Sveslavljenoga, Hvaljenoga. Tako na vas Šaljemo dolje ono što će koristiti vama i koristiti onima koji su svu svoju vjeru i ufanje podarili svojemu Gospodu. |
Rememberest thou not God’s warning uttered in times past, that thou mayest be of them that heed His warning? He said, and He, verily, speaketh the truth: “From it (earth) have We created you, and unto it will We return you, and out of it will We bring you forth a second time.” This is what God ordained unto all them that dwell on earth, be they high or low. It behooveth not, therefore, him who was created from dust, who will return unto it, and will again be brought forth out of it, to swell with pride before God, and before His loved ones, to proudly scorn them, and be filled with disdainful arrogance. Nay, rather it behooveth thee and those like thee to submit yourselves to them Who are the Manifestations of the unity of God, and to defer humbly to the faithful, who have forsaken their all for the sake of God, and have detached themselves from the things which engross men’s attention, and lead them astray from the path of God, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised. Thus do We send down upon you that which shall profit you and profit them that have placed their whole trust and confidence in their Lord. |
