March 5. On this date in 1935, Shoghi Effendi wrote "... concerning the "Kitáb-i-Aqdas", he does not think that it would be advisable to circulate at present, whether among the friends or in the outside public, any of the existing translations of this book...When completed, this translation should not, the Guardian feels, be printed entirely and circulated among the believers. But only extracts of it should, with the approval of your N.S.A., be brought to the attention of the friends until such time as the publication of the whole book would be deemed advisable."

 

March 5. On this date in 1935, Shoghi Effendi wrote "... concerning the "Kitáb-i-Aqdas", he does not think that it would be advisable to circulate at present, whether among the friends or in the outside public, any of the existing translations of this book...When completed, this translation should not, the Guardian feels, be printed entirely and circulated among the believers. But only extracts of it should, with the approval of your N.S.A., be brought to the attention of the friends until such time as the publication of the whole book would be deemed advisable."

On December 27, 1941, Shoghi Effendi wrote the NSA of India giving reasons as to why the Kitáb-i-Aqdas is not circulated amongst all the Bahá'ís or translated into their native languages.

William McElwee Miller and Earl E. Elder's translation of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas was published by the Royal Asiatic Society in 1961 as Al-kitab al-aqdas or The most holy book, some thirty years before the Bahá'í Administrative Order's authorized translation in 1992.

What I particularly like about the Elder & Miller translation is that it uses contemporary English. The 1992 translation commissioned by Universal House of Justice unnecessarily uses words like "hath," "heareth," "thy," and "ye" in an attempt to mimic the tone of the King James Version of the Bible.

In 1973 a "Synopsis and Codification" of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas was published in English by the Universal House of Justice, with 21 passages of the Aqdas that had already been translated into English by Shoghi Effendi with additional terse lists of laws and ordinances contained in the book outside of any contextual prose.

The Aqdas was only officially translated into English in 1992, by which time other translations were becoming increasingly available through dissemination via the internet. 

My personal opinion is that the material in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas is so objectionable that the Bahá'í authoritieswished to shield Western believers from its contents, as they do from Bahá'u'lláh's other works by not providing translations.

5 March 1935 Dear Dr. Muhlschlegel,

The Guardian has received and carefully considered your letter of the 24th of February last, and wishes me to thank you for it.

With reference to your questions concerning the "Kitáb-i-Aqdas", he does not think that it would be advisable to circulate at present, whether among the friends or in the outside public, any of the existing translations of this book, in view of the fact that all these versions, both English and Russian, are not authoritative and hence may misrepresent altogether the Teachings.

He would, however, suggest that your N.S.A. should appoint a Committee for the purpose of undertaking the translation of the "Aqdas" into German. This is of course a peculiarly difficult task, as some of the members of such a committee should have sufficient knowledge of the Arabic language, and in addition should be well versed in the history and teachings of Islam.

The Guardian hopes, nevertheless, that with your knowledge of Arabic and German you may be able to do something truly worthwhile and substantial in this connection. Your translation, of course, will not be considered as final. But for the present it would be of a great assistance to the friends in Germany who, as you rightly suggest, have a great desire to get acquainted with the laws and precepts of the Cause as recorded in the "Aqdas".

When completed, this translation should not, the Guardian feels, be printed entirely and circulated among the believers. But only extracts of it should, with the approval of your N.S.A., be brought to the attention of the friends until such time as the publication of the whole book would be deemed advisable....

In the Guardian's own handwriting:

May our beloved and vigilant Master even keep you under His wings, and inspire you to promote far and wide and in a most effective manner the manifold interests of His Faith and its ever-developing institutions.

Your true and grateful brother,

Shoghi