| The mightiest proof of the greatness of Bahá'u'lláh and
of the transcendental character of His divine mission lies in His
Writings which streamed from His Pen like a torrential rain during a
period of no less than forty years of uninterrupted revelation.
History clearly shows that Bahá'u'lláh never attended a
school and that the tuition He received at home after the fashion of
the nobility at that time was but rudimentary. In His Epistle to the
Sháh of Persia, Bahá'u'lláh writes these challenging
words:
"The learning current amongst men I studied not; their
schools I entered not. Ask of the city wherein I dwelt, that thou
mayest be well assured that I am not of them who speak
falsely."
When we look at the surging ocean of Bahá'u'lláh's
Writings against a background of a life of suffering, imprisonment,
privation and manifold calamities, we are amazed at the vastness, the
range and the rare quality of this priceless heritage which He has
bequeathed to posterity. Indeed no human mind can chart the extent or
fathom the depths of this immense ocean or appreciate the true value
and significance of those myriads of priceless gems which are
enshrined in it. One striking feature of Bahá'u'lláh's
Writings is its prodigious flow. We know for instance that the whole
book of Íqán was revealed within the short space of two
days during the last year of His stay in Baghdád. Commenting
on the copious outpouring of His Writings Shoghi Effendi affirms in
God Passes By:
"A certain Muhammad Karím, a native of Shíráz,
who had been a witness to the rapidity and the manner in which the
Báb had penned the verses with which He was inspired, has left the
following testimony to posterity, after attaining, during those days,
the presence of Bahá'u'lláh, and beholding with his own eyes
what he himself had considered to be the only proof of the mission of
the Promised One: `I bear witness that the verses revealed by
Bahá'u'lláh were superior, in the rapidity with which they
were penned, in the ease with which they flowed, in their lucidity,
their profundity and sweetness to those which I, myself, saw pour
from the pen of the Báb when in His presence. Had
Bahá'u'lláh no other claim to greatness, this were
sufficient, in the eyes of the world and its people, that He produced
such verses as have streamed this day from His pen.'"
And further on he writes:
"`Day and night,' an eye-witness has written, `the
Divine verses were raining down in such number that it was impossible
to record them. Mírzá Áqá Ján wrote them as they were
dictated, while the Most Great Branch was continually occupied in
transcribing them. There was not a moment to spare.' `A number of
secretaries,' Nabíl has testified, `were busy day and night and
yet they were unable to cope with the task. Among them was Mírzá
Báqir-i-Shírází.... He alone transcribed no less than
two thousand verses every day. He laboured during six or seven
months. Every month the equivalent of several volumes would be
transcribed by him and sent to Persia. About twenty volumes, in his
fine penmanship, he left behind as a remembrance for Mírzá
Áqá Ján.' Bahá'u'lláh, Himself, referring to the
verses revealed by Him, has written: `Such are the outpourings
... from the clouds of Divine Bounty that within the space of an hour
the equivalent of a thousand verses hath been revealed.' `So
great is the grace vouchsafed in this day that in a single day and
night, were an amanuensis capable of accomplishing it to be found,
the equivalent of the Persian Bayán would be sent down from the
heaven of Divine holiness.' `I swear by God!' He, in
another connection has affirmed, `In those days the equivalent
of all that hath been sent down aforetime unto the Prophets hath been
revealed.' `That which hath already been revealed in this
land (Adrianople),' He, furthermore, referring to the
copiousness of His writings, has declared, `secretaries are
incapable of transcribing. It has, therefore, remained for the most
part untranscribed.'"
In The Bahá'í World volumes there is a list of some
one hundred and fifty of the best-known works of Bahá'u'lláh
which were revealed in the form of books, epistles and Tablets. But
this list is by no means exhaustive; it barely covers a portion of
His Writings. In order to get a fair idea of their scope and vastness
we ought also to take into account:
1. Thousands of Tablets of varying length, ranging from a few
lines to numerous pages which were addressed to individual believers
in Persia and other neighbouring countries.
2. The vast amount of His original Writings which have been lost
to posterity either through ill-preservation, or because they fell
into wrong hands, or were destroyed by enemies, or obliterated by
Bahá'u'lláh's own instruction. Concerning the fate of the
last portion, Shoghi Effendi quotes Nabíl's testimony as
follows:
"No less an authority than Mírzá Áqá Ján,
Bahá'u'lláh's amanuensis, affirms, as reported by Nabíl,
that by the express order of Bahá'u'lláh, hundreds of
thousands of verses, mostly written by His own hand, were obliterated
and cast into the river. `Finding me reluctant to execute His
orders,' Mírzá Áqá Ján has related to Nabíl,
`Bahá'u'lláh would reassure me saying: "None is to be
found at this time worthy to hear these melodies...." Not once,
or twice, but innumerable times, was I commanded to repeat this
act.'"
3. Bahá'u'lláh's unrecorded utterances which rained
down so profusely that the secretaries could not cope with their
recording. Again the Guardian invokes Nabíl:
"So prolific was this period, that during the first two
years after His return from His retirement, according to the
testimony of Nabíl, who was at that time living in
Baghdád, the unrecorded verses that streamed from His lips
averaged, in a single day and night, the equivalent of the
Qur'án!"
As to the immensity of the field of Bahá'u'lláh's
Writings we would do well to refer to Shoghi Effendi's comments in
God Passes By:
"With this book (Epistle to the Son of the Wolf)
revealed about one year prior to His ascension, the prodigious
achievement as author of a hundred volumes, repositories of the
priceless pearls of His Revelation, may be said to have practically
terminated--volumes replete with unnumbered exhortations,
revolutionizing principles, world-shaping laws and ordinances, dire
warnings and portentous prophecies, with soul-uplifting prayers and
meditations, illuminating commentaries and interpretations,
impassioned discourses and homilies, all interspersed with either
addresses or references to kings, to emperors and to ministers, of
both the East and the West, to ecclesiastics of divers denominations,
and to leaders in the intellectual, political, literary, mystical,
commercial and humanitarian spheres of human activity."
Bahá'u'lláh's Writings are profound, and peerless in
eloquence. They are lavishly sprinkled with symbolic expressions and
vibrate with a spiritual potency that no pure-hearted seeker can fail
to discern. They are revealed in Persian and Arabic in a style and
language which are unique and unrivalled in every sense. Unbiased
scholars of the Persian and Arabic tongues readily recognize
Bahá'u'lláh's Writings as a novel creation, quite distinct
in wording and expression from the conventional literary styles used
until then by any known writer. Indeed a casual study of these
Writings would suffice to convince the unprejudiced reader that the
Author must have been divinely inspired and that His knowledge and
wisdom were innate and not scholastic. Needless to say, many seekers
after truth who had a literary bent of mind readily embraced the
Cause soon after perusing some passages from the Writings of
Bahá'u'lláh.
In the following pages an attempt is made to give a brief
description of some of the well-known Works of Bahá'u'lláh
which were revealed before His declaration in 1863 and up to the time
of His arrival in `Akká in 1868. These Writings are dealt with in
chronological order following the path of His journey--Tihrán,
Baghdád, Sulaymáníyyih, Baghdád, Constantinople
and Adrianople. A few of these works have been translated into
English by the beloved Guardian; others he has referred to in his
writings, chiefly God Passes By.
RASHH-I-`AMÁ
This wondrous poem was revealed by Bahá'u'lláh in
Tihrán before He was exiled to `Iráq, and is regarded as the
first intimation of the stirring of the Spirit of God within His
Soul.
The language used in this poem is full of ecstasy and exultation
and contains many veiled and figurative terms such as: "the
hidden ocean", "the musk-laden breeze", "the Maid
of heaven", "the Day of God", "the dawn of the
revelation of I am He", "the warbling of the Dove",
"the living waters of God", "the wondrous
Beauty", which are but the effusions of that billowing ocean of
divine Revelation which surged and swelled within His inner Being,
though it was still hidden from the eyes of men.
TABLET OF KULLU'T-TA`ÁM
This is one of the outstanding Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh
revealed in the year 1854, soon after His banishment to `Iráq. It
is rather long and written in exquisite Arabic. In a passage in
God Passes By Shoghi Effendi describes the circumstances which
led to the revelation of this eloquent and illuminating commentary.
The passage runs as follows:
"The circumstances leading to the revelation of the
Tablet of Kullu't-Ta`ám, written during that period, at
the request of Hájí Mírzá Kamálu'd-Dín-i-Naráqí, a
Bábí of honorable rank and high culture, could not but aggravate
a situation that had already become serious and menacing. Impelled by
a desire to receive illumination from Mírzá Yahyá concerning
the meaning of the Qur'ánic verse `All food was allowed to
the children of Israel,' Hájí Mírzá Kamálu'd-Dín
had requested him to write a commentary upon it--a request which was
granted, but with reluctance and in a manner which showed such
incompetence and superficiality as to disillusion Hájí Mírzá
Kamálu'd-Dín, and to destroy his confidence in its author.
Turning to Bahá'u'lláh and repeating his request, he was
honored by a Tablet, in which Israel and his children were identified
with the Báb and His followers respectively--a Tablet which by
reason of the allusions it contained, the beauty of its language and
the cogency of its argument, so enraptured the soul of its recipient
that he would have, but for the restraining hand of
Bahá'u'lláh, proclaimed forthwith his discovery of God's
hidden Secret in the person of the One Who had revealed
it."
Apart from the numerous interpretations of the terms
"Israel" and "children of Israel",
Bahá'u'lláh defines in this Tablet the qualities and
attributes with which every seeker after truth must be endowed,
dwells on the wrongs and afflictions He endured both at the hand of
His foes and through the vile conduct of His friends, and alludes, in
no ambiguous terms, to the imminent fulfilment of the Will of God
amongst men. Another significant feature of this Tablet is that in it
Bahá'u'lláh confers the exalted title of "The Last
Point" upon Quddús.
On receiving this inspiring Tablet Hájí Mírzá
Kamálu'd-Dín became an ardent admirer of Bahá'u'lláh
and later, when He declared His mission, he distinguished himself as
a devoted follower of the Faith. His name is immortalized by a number
of Tablets Bahá'u'lláh revealed in his honour.
It is interesting to note that at the time of
Bahá'u'lláh's departure from Baghdád, when He was
actually leaving His house for the last time amidst the wailing and
weeping of the Bábís, it was this same Kamál who, overwhelmed
by grief and despondency, was moved to offer his infant son as a
ransom, by placing him at the feet of Bahá'u'lláh. The little
child shriekingly grasped the hem of His garment with his tiny hands
and made a poignant gesture which clearly meant he was begging Him
not to leave. Bahá'u'lláh Himself confirms this incident in a
Tablet which was revealed soon after His declaration: "He
(Bahá'u'lláh) observed at His feet a suckling, withdrawn from
the breast of his mother, grasp the sacred Hem with beseeching
fingers and call to Him in a weak voice."
It should be noted, moreover, that Hájí Mírzá
Kamál's great-grandfather was the well-known Mullá Mihdí, one
of the leading Muslim clergy during the reign of Fath `Alí
Sháh (1798-1834). He is the author of the book entitled
Muhriqu'l-Qulúb, which contains a stirring account of the
episode of Karbilá and the martyrdom of Imám Husayn. This is the
same book parts of which were read aloud to the Báb every morning
by His amanuensis during his [sic] period of incarceration, and in
Nabíl's words: "...its recital would provoke intense emotion
in the heart of the Báb and his [sic] tears would keep flowing as
He listened to that tale." Hájí Mírzá Kamál passed
away in his home town Naráq in Persia, in the year 1881.
SÁQÍ AZ GHAYB-I-BAQÁ
Another outpouring of divine grace which streamed from the Pen
of Bahá'u'lláh during His retirement to the mountains of
Sulaymáníyyih is this soul-entrancing ode in Persian which
exhibits a rare beauty. The whole poem is full of veiled and symbolic
terms which unmistakably hint at His forthcoming Revelation. Shoghi
Effendi alludes to this point in these words: "These initial and
impassioned outpourings of a Soul struggling to unburden itself, in
the solitude of a self-imposed exile (many of them, alas lost to
posterity) are, with the Tablet of Kullu't-Ta`ám and the
poem entitled Rashh-i-`Amá, revealed in Tihrán,
the first fruits of His Divine Pen."
The opening couplet of the above ode runs as follows:
Rend asunder Thy veil, O Cupbearer of the invisible eternity!
So that from the Face of the All-Glorious, I may quaff the wine of
immortality. All the wine in thy store can scarce allay the ardour of
my love: pour out for me an ocean of thy mystic wine!
And further on occurs this verse which is familiar to many of
the friends:
If thine aim be to cherish thy life, approach not our Court:
but if sacrifice be thy heart's desire, come and let others come
with thee. For such is the way of Faith, if in thy heart thou seekest
reunion with Bahá: shouldst thou refuse to tread this path, why
trouble Us, begone!
QASÍDIY-I-VARQÁ'ÍYYIH
This wonderful ode is endowed with much beauty and power. It
comprises a series of thought-provoking verses in Arabic and was
revealed by Bahá'u'lláh during the period of His retirement
to the mountains of Kurdistán in the year 1854-5.
In God Passes By Shoghi Effendi describes how
Bahá'u'lláh was prompted to reveal this poem at the request
of a delegation of eminent doctors and distinguished scholars of
Kurdistan:
"Amazed by the profundity of His insight and the compass of
His understanding, they were impelled to seek from Him what they
considered to be a conclusive and final evidence of the unique power
and knowledge which He now appeared in their eyes to possess. `No
one among the mystics, the wise, and the learned,' they claimed,
while requesting this further favor from Him, `has hitherto proved
himself capable of writing a poem in a rhyme and meter identical with
that of the longer of the two odes, entitled
Qasídy-i-Tá'íyyih [sic] composed by
Ibn-i-Fárid. We beg you to write for us a poem in that same
meter and rhyme.' This request was complied with, and no less than
two thousand verses, in exactly the manner they had specified, were
dictated by Him, out of which He selected one hundred and
twenty-seven, which He permitted them to keep, deeming the subject
matter of the rest premature and unsuitable to the needs of the
times. It is these same one hundred and twenty-seven verses that
constitute the Qasíidiy-i-Varqá'íyyih, so familiar to,
and widely circulated amongst His Arabic speaking
followers."
The theme of this inspiring poem, portrayed in symbolic terms,
is the advent of the Promised Day and the release of the quickening
power of the Spirit of God in this age. Referring to the same poem,
Shoghi Effendi affirms that it was revealed "in praise of the
Maiden personifying the Spirit of God recently descended upon
Him." In a passage of this verse Bahá'u'lláh also gives
vent to the "agonies of His sorrow-laden heart" in these
words:
Noah's flood is but the measure of the tears I have shed,
and Abraham's fire an ebullition of My soul. Jacob's grief is but
a reflection of My sorrows, and Job's afflictions a fraction of My
calamity.
THE HIDDEN WORDS
The Hidden Words is another well-known work of
Bahá'u'lláh which was revealed in Baghdád before His
Declaration in 1863. It is unique in style and captivating in
eloquence and power of appeal.
In God Passes By Shoghi Effendi extols the exalted
character of this work in these words:
"Next to this unique repository of inestimable treasures
(the Íqán) must rank that marvellous collection of
gem-like utterances, The Hidden Words with which
Bahá'u'lláh was inspired, as He paced, wrapped in His
meditations, the banks of the Tigris. Revealed in the year 1274 A.H.,
partly in Persian, partly in Arabic, it was originally designated
The Hidden Book of Fátimih, and was identified by its Author
with the Book of that same name, believed by Shí`ah
Islám to be in the possession of the promised Qá'im, and to
consist of words of consolation addressed by the angel Gabriel, at
God's command, to Fatimih, and dictated to the Imám `Alí, for
the sole purpose of comforting her in her hour of bitter anguish
after the death of her illustrious Father. The significance of this
dynamic spiritual leaven cast into the life of the world for the
reorientation of the minds of men, the edification of their souls and
the rectification of their conduct can best be judged by the
description of its character given in the opening passage by its
Author: `This is that which hath descended from the Realm of
Glory, uttered by the tongue of power and might, and revealed unto
the Prophets of old. We have taken the inner essence thereof and
clothed it in the garment of brevity, as a token of grace unto the
righteous, that they may stand faithful unto the Covenant of God, may
fulfill in their lives His trust, and in the realm of spirit obtain
the gem of Divine virtue.'"
In the vast field of Bahá'u'lláh's Writings, The
Hidden Words stands out forever as a shining beacon shedding the
light of divine guidance upon the path of a wayward humanity.
KITÁB-I-ÍQÁN
(The Book of Certitude)
The Íqán bears ample testimony to the greatness and
divine knowledge of Bahá'u'lláh and is an outstanding
landmark in the vast field of His Writings. Plunging into this
inexhaustible fountain of divine Truth one can find explicit answers
to many questions which have, for centuries, perplexed the minds of
men.
Concerning the revelation as well as the contents of this
masterpiece of literary beauty and eloquence, Shoghi Effendi writes
in God Passes By:
"Foremost among the priceless treasures cast forth from the
billowing ocean of Bahá'u'lláh's Revelation ranks the
Kitáb-i-Íqán (Book of Certitude), revealed within the
space of two days and two nights, in the closing years of that period
(1278 A.H.--A.D. 1862). It was written in fulfillment of the prophecy
of the Báb, Who had specifically stated that the Promised One would
complete the text of the unfinished Persian Bayán, and in reply to
the questions addressed to Bahá'u'lláh by the as yet
unconverted maternal uncle of the Báb, Hájí Mírzá Siyyid
Muhammad, while on a visit, with his brother, Hájí Mírzá
Hasan-`Alí, to Karbilá. A model of Persian prose, of a style at
once original, chaste and vigorous, and remarkably lucid, both cogent
in argument and matchless in its irresistible eloquence, this Book,
setting forth in outline the Grand Redemptive Scheme of God, occupies
a position unequalled by any work in the entire range of Bahá'í
literature, except the Kitáb-i-Aqdas,
Bahá'u'lláh's Most Holy Book. Revealed on the eve of the
declaration of His Mission, it proffered to mankind the `Choice
Sealed Wine', whose seal is of `musk', and broke the
`seals' of the `Book' referred to by Daniel, and
disclosed the meaning of the `words' destined to remain
`closed up' till the `time of the end.'
"Within a compass of two hundred pages it proclaims
unequivocally the existence and oneness of a personal God,
unknowable, inaccessible, the source of all Revelation, eternal,
omniscient, omnipresent and almighty; asserts the relativity of
religious truth and the continuity of Divine Revelation; affirms the
unity of the Prophets, the universality of their Message, the
identity of their fundamental teachings, the sanctity of their
scriptures, and the twofold character of their stations; denounces
the blindness and perversity of the divines and doctors of every age;
cites and elucidates the allegorical passages of the New Testament,
the abstruse verses of the Qur'án, and the cryptic Muhammadan
traditions which have bred those age-long misunderstandings, doubts
and animosities that have sundered and kept apart the followers of
the world's leading religious systems; enumerates the essential
prerequisites for the attainment by every true seeker of the object
of his quest; demonstrates the validity, the sublimity and
significance of the Báb's Revelation; acclaims the heroism and
detachment of His disciples; foreshadows, and prophesies the
world-wide triumph of the Revelation promised to the people of the
Bayán; upholds the purity and innocence of the Virgin Mary;
glorifies the Imáms of the Faith of Muhammad; celebrates the
martyrdom, and lauds the spiritual sovereignty, of the Imám Husayn;
unfolds the meaning of such symbolic terms as `Return',
`Resurrection', `Seal of the Prophets' and
`Day of Judgment'; adumbrates and distinguishes between
the three stages of Divine Revelation; and expatiates, in glowing
terms, upon the glories and wonders of the `City of God',
renewed, at fixed intervals, by the dispensation of Providence, for
the guidance, the benefit and salvation of all mankind. Well may it
be claimed that of all the books revealed by the Author of the
Bahá'í Revelation, this Book alone, by sweeping away the
age-long barriers that have so insurmountably separated the great
religions of the world, has laid down a broad and unassailable
foundation for the complete and permanent reconciliation of their
followers."
This "priceless treasure" to which Bahá'u'lláh
subsequently gave the title of Íqán (Certitude) was
originally known among the early believers as "Epistle to the
Uncle (of the Báb)", since it was his request for
elucidation regarding some specific questions which prompted
Bahá'u'lláh to reveal this book. The questions he had asked
were closely linked with the coming of the Promised Qá'im, such
as the following:
The fulfillment of specific signs
The question of Muhammad being considered as the last of the Prophets
The resurrection of the dead
The sovereignty of the Qá'im
The Day of Judgment
Doomsday
The return of the Imáms
Belief in the perpetual character of the laws of Islám
Opposition of the clergy
These as well as many other interesting topics are treated in this outstanding work.
THE SEVEN VALLEYS AND THE
FOUR VALLEYS
Bahá'u'lláh's Seven Valleys is a monumental
work in the realm of mystical thought. Shoghi Effendi refers to it as
"a treatise that may well be regarded as His greatest mystical
composition ... which He wrote in answer to the questions of
Shaykh Muhyi'd-Dín, the Qádí of
Khániqayn, in which He describes the seven stages which the
soul of the seeker must needs traverse ere it can attain the object
of its existence."
This profound essay opens up a new outlook on life and brings
abiding delight to the heart of many a seeker after truth. The story
is one of a lover who, despite much suffering and hardship, trudges
through mystic valleys in his eager search for the One Who is the
Object of his quest. The valleys referred to in the text are those
of: Search, Love, Knowledge, Unity, Contentment, Wonder, True Poverty
and Absolute Selflessness, each of which has been described in this
treatise.
The Four Valleys is a sister essay to the former. It is
revealed in the same mystical language and is full of charm and food
for thought. It streamed from the Pen of Bahá'u'lláh some
time after the Seven Valleys had been revealed, and is
addressed to Shaykh `Abdu'r-Rahmán-i-Karkútí,
a learned Súfí of that period. In it Bahá'u'lláh traces
out four paths, namely: Spirit, Reason, Love and the Realm of
Conscience, by which the ardent lover may set out on his spiritual
journey to the court of the Beloved.
These two essays are unique among the Writings of
Bahá'u'lláh and their perusal serves immensely to enhance
one's capacity for meditation and spiritual perception.
TABLET OF THE HOLY MARINER
This is one of the weightiest emanations from the Pen of
Bahá'u'lláh. In it He hints at the ominous happenings which
then loomed on the horizon and foreshadows the approach of a period
of apprehension and grave anxiety. Expatiating on the circumstances
which prevailed at the time when this Tablet was revealed Shoghi
Effendi writes:
"It was on the fifth of Naw-Rúz (1863), while
Bahá'u'lláh was celebrating the festival in the
Mazra`iy-i-Vashásh, in the outskirts of
Baghdád, and had just revealed the Tablet of the Holy
Mariner, whose gloomy prognostications had aroused the grave
apprehensions of His companions, that an emissary of Námiq
Páshá arrived and delivered into His hands a communication
requesting an interview between Him and the governor.
"Already, as Nabíl has pointed out in his narrative,
Bahá'u'lláh had, in the course of His discourses, during the
last years of His sojourn in Baghdád, alluded to the period
of trial and turmoil that was inexorably approaching, exhibiting a
sadness and heaviness of heart which greatly perturbed those around
Him."
And further on:
"`Oceans of sorrow,' Nabíl affirms, `surged in the
hearts of the listeners when the Tablet of the Holy Mariner
was read aloud to them.... It was evident to every one that the
chapter of Baghdád was about to be closed, and a new one
opened, in its stead. No sooner had that Tablet been chanted than
Bahá'u'lláh ordered that the tents which had been pitched
should be folded up, and that all His companions should return to the
city. While the tents were being removed He observed: "These
tents may be likened to the trappings of this world, which no sooner
are they spread out than the time cometh for them to be rolled
up." From these words of His they who heard them perceived
that these tents would never again be pitched on that spot. They had
not yet been taken away when the messenger arrived from
Baghdád to deliver the afore-mentioned communication from
the governor.'"
LAWH-I-HÚRÍYYIH
(Tablet of the Maiden)
This is yet another matchless outpouring from the Pen of
Bahá'u'lláh in which, as affirmed by the beloved Guardian,
"events of a far remoter future are foreshadowed."
This Tablet is wholly in Arabic and begins with these
words:
"In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted!
Praise be to Thee, O Lord, my God. I make mention of Thee at this
moment when Thy divine Luminary hath risen above the horizon of the
sacred Mount of Thy celestial realm of oneness."
The main part of this Tablet is couched in figurative language,
depicting a wondrous Maiden who embodies the Most Great Spirit.
SÚRIY-I-SABR
(Súrih of Patience)
This lengthy Epistle, also known as the Súrih of Ayyúb (Job)
was revealed by Bahá'u'lláh on the first day of Ridvan 1863.
The whole Súrih is written in Arabic. It is highly eloquent in
style and vibrant with power and glory.
In it, among other things, Bahá'u'lláh refers to the
woeful episode of Nayríz and praises in glowing terms the heroism
and fortitude of Vahíd and the company of his fellow-sufferers. The
recipient of this mighty Epistle is none other than the indomitable,
the long-suffering Hájí Muhammad Taqí who bore heroically, over
a long period, horrible tortures beyond human endurance.
Hájí Muhammad Taqí was one of the wealthiest natives of
Nayríz, famous for his honesty and noble character. When the Báb
declared His mission in 1844, he embraced the new Faith and became
one of its ardent followers. At the outbreak of the Nayríz upheaval
in 1850, Hájí Muhammad Taqí threw in his lot with the defenders
of the Fort of Khájih near Nayríz, and during the whole
period of siege, which lasted no less than four months, he acted as
the host, furnishing unstintingly from his own resources all the food
and provisions needed for the subsistence of his besieged companions.
This vital contribution, together with the daring deeds whereby he
managed to get the supplies into the fort in the teeth of enemy
vigilance and opposition, made Zaynu'l-`Ábidín Khán,
the fanatical governor of Nayríz, so furious that he vowed to wreak
his vengeance upon him as soon as the Bábís had surrendered.
Later when, through enemy treachery, the evacuation of the fort took
place, Hájí Muhammad Taqí was delivered into the hands of the
ruthless governor, who imprisoned him in a dungeon and tortured him
daily for nearly a year.
The nature of the torture the governor had prescribed for this
victim is too shocking to contemplate. Every morning, even on cold,
winter days, he was stripped of clothing, then cast into the pool in
the courtyard, while a number of guards stood around the pool and
thrashed him mercilessly with rods until the water was tinged red
with his blood and the victim was in a state of collapse. After a
short time, the sight of the havoc wrought upon his body through this
daily torture was frightful. His head and shoulders were a mass of
blood and swollen flesh, while his face was wholly disfigured beyond
recognition. Sometimes, with his ghastly wounds exposed, he was
paraded through the bazaars and along the streets at the head of a
shouting and jeering crowd, while his jailers were busily engaged in
extorting money from the awe-struck shopkeepers and passers-by.
The story of how Hájí Muhammad Taqí was miraculously
rescued from jail is part of Bahá'í history. It remains to be
said that he eventually went to Yazd where by the grace of God his
wounds gradually healed and he was later able to go on foot to
Baghdád where he attained the presence of
Bahá'u'lláh not long before His declaration in 1863.
COMMENTARY ON THE LETTERS PREFIXED
TO THE SÚRIHS OF THE QUR'ÁN
This lengthy Epistle, revealed in Arabic, is profound. It
enshrines many pearls of divine reality and unfolds the meaning of a
number of symbolic terms and passages, including various
interpretations of the disconnected letters Alif, Lám, Mím, which
occur at the commencement of the second Súrih of the Qur'án.
Moreover, the commentary on the figurative passage in the Qur'án
which begins with the words "Alláh is the light of the
heaven and of the earth" is highly illuminating. In this
Epistle Bahá'u'lláh also expatiates on the significance and
use of certain elements and makes reference to the substance known as
"elixir and the philosopher's stone".
This Epistle was revealed by Bahá'u'lláh in
Baghdád in reply to questions put to Him by one of the
followers of the Báb, named Mírzá Áqáy-i-Rikáb-Sáz who
was eventually martyred in Shíráz with two other
Bábís. Shoghi Effendi in God Passes By refers to this
episode in these words:
"In Shíráz Mírzá Áqáy-i-Rikáb-Sáz,
together with Mírzá Rafí`-i-Khayyát and
Mashhadí Nabí, were by order of the local mujtahid
simultaneously strangled in the dead of night, their graves being
later desecrated by a mob who heaped refuse upon them."
The mujtahid who condemned the above believers to death was
named Shaykh Husayn-i-Názim, whom Bahá'u'lláh
stigmatized as "the tyrant".
LAWH-I-MADÍNATU'T-TAWHÍD
(Tablet of the City of Unity)
Within the pages of this enthralling Tablet Bahá'u'lláh
proclaims the oneness of God, describes some of His transcendent
attributes and affirms that no one can ever attain to His knowledge
save by recognizing those who are the Bearers of His Message and the
Repositories of His celestial wisdom and glory. The opening verse of
this Tablet runs as follows:
"This is the City of Divine Unity. Enter ye therein, O
concourse of the believers in divine unity, so that ye may, through
heavenly tidings, be numbered among those who rejoice with exceeding
gladness."
From the latter part of this Tablet is wafted the vivifying
breeze of the coming Springtime. Here Bahá'u'lláh gives, in
clear and thrilling language, the tidings of the approaching hour of
His Revelation. One passage reads:
"Hearken unto the Day when the Herald raiseth His Call
in the midmost heart of the immortal realm, when the Dove of Hijáz
warbleth from the land of `Iráq summoning all unto concord, and
when the gate of heaven is flung open before the face of the entire
creation. This is the Day that shall not be overtaken by the gloom of
night, as the sun receiveth its light therefrom, inasmuch as this Day
is illumined by the splendour of His radiant face. By the
righteousness of God! At that moment a holy and new earth is spread
out at the behest of God, the Omnipotent, the Mighty, the
Inaccessible."
The recipient of this beautiful Tablet was the devoted
Shaykh Salmán of Hindíyán in southern Persia,
Bahá'u'lláh's trusted and high-spirited courier during the
whole period of His ministry. He also continued his services during
the days of the Master until he passed away in Shíráz
after a life-long period of unexcelled devotion and sacrifice.
When Bahá'u'lláh was exiled to Baghdád in 1852,
Salmán was the first follower of the Báb to enter His presence.
Once he asked Him for some explanations about the oneness of God and
how one could reach Him and know Him. In reply, Bahá'u'lláh
revealed this soul-uplifting Tablet in his honour.
SAHÍFIY-I-SHATTÍYYÍH
In this inspiring, lengthy Tablet Bahá'u'lláh
demonstrates the invincible power of the Cause of God. He asserts
that no matter how formidable the reverses it might suffer in the
future it is nevertheless endowed with a power such as to surmount
every crisis and tear down every obstacle that stands in its way. It
is simply undefeatable. It forges ahead victoriously from strength to
strength until its glorious mission is wholly consummated. Dwelling
on this subject, Bahá'u'lláh likens the irresistible march of
the Faith to a great river (hence the title
Sahífiy-i-Shattíyyíh meaning river-like) which when in flood
carries everything before it. He portrays this point in these
words:
"Behold the flow of this river which we see before Us.
When torrential and swollen it rolleth on and surgeth forward.
Whatever course it taketh, it is irresistible in its might. It taketh
no notice of the hue and cry the populace raise, shouting: `The
great dyke hath burst', or `the embankment is flooded', or
`the house is ruined', or `the palace is devastated'.
Unconcerned it rusheth on pursuing its path with vehement fury and
force and with overwhelming strength and majesty."
MUSÍBÁT-I-HURÚFÁT-I-`ÁLÍYÁT
(The Calamities of the Letters of Loftiness)
A stream of sadness runs through this Tablet as
Bahá'u'lláh dramatically depicts the transitory nature of
this earthly life and brings home to one's mind, in graphic manner,
the important fact that there is no refuge for man save through
submission to the inscrutable Will of the Supreme Ordainer.
In the dedicatory note at the beginning of this Tablet
Bahá'u'lláh affirms that this Epistle was written about the
calamities of the Letters of Loftiness and that in those days He
dedicated it to a particular person. Later certain individuals begged
Bahá'u'lláh to write a commentary on it in the Persian
tongue. It was done and this Tablet became manifest and resplendent
in gem-like words. He explains also that since word-for-word
translation, in conformity with the original style, lacks refinement,
that which streamed forth from His Pen was recorded.
The person alluded to in the text is Bahá'u'lláh's
cousin, Mírzá Muhammad Vazír, who was much loved and favoured
by Him. He passed away in Mázindarán, Persia, at the time when
Bahá'u'lláh was in Baghdád. His death came as a
tragic blow both to Bahá'u'lláh and the rest of the Holy
Family, particularly to the wife and sister of the deceased named
Havvá (Eve) and Maryam (Mary) respectively. Therefore as a token of
heartfelt sympathy for the loss His two loved kinswomen had
sustained, Bahá'u'lláh honoured them with this Tablet which
immortalized their memory and brought solace and consolation to their
grief-laden hearts. In the closing paragraph of this Tablet
Bahá'u'lláh recalls to mind, in touching language, the
burdens of care and anguish these two souls were destined to bear.
The epilogue opens with these words:
"However, Thou hast ordained that afflictions shall, in
these times, be the lot of these two beauteous countenances. The
first is named after the One whom Thou hast singled out to be the
Mother of all mankind, and the other is the one who beareth the name
of Her whom Thou hast raised above all the women in the
world."
Maryam, the sister of the deceased Mírzá Muhammad Vazír,
was Bahá'u'lláh's cousin who had married His half-brother,
Mírzá Rídá Qulí. She was greatly devoted to
Bahá'u'lláh, enjoyed His unqualified confidence and was
highly admired by Him for her noble qualities and spiritual
attainments. Notable among Maryam's writings is a poem she wrote in
praise of Bahá'u'lláh in which she gives vent to the gnawing
grief she bore for her separation from Him.
Among the Tablets Bahá'u'lláh revealed in her name is
the well-known Tablet of Maryam from which Shoghi Effendi
quotes a few passages in God Passes By. One passage is as
follows:
"The wrongs I suffer have blotted out the wrongs
suffered by My First Name (the Báb) from the Tablet of
creation." "O Maryam!" He continues, "From
the Land of Tá (Tihrán), after countless afflictions, We
reached `Iráq, at the bidding of the Tyrant of Persia, where
after the fetters of Our foes, We were afflicted with the perfidy of
Our friends. God knoweth what befell Me thereafter!"
And another passage:
"I roamed the wilderness of resignation, travelling in
such wise that in My exile every eye wept sore over Me, and all
created things shed tears of blood because of My anguish. The birds
of the air were My companions and the beasts of the field My
associates."
Maryam passed away in Tihrán and is buried in the precincts of
Násiri'd-Dín Sháh's sepulchre in the outskirts of
the capital.
The other "beauteous countenance" mentioned in
the Tablet is Havvá. She was the wife of the deceased Mírzá
Muhammad and a niece of Bahá'u'lláh whom He always regarded
with much favour and affection and used to call by the pet name
"Sháh Bájí". She died in Tákur,
Mázindarán where she was laid to rest close to the tombs of her
parents.
JAVÁHIRU'L-ASRÁR
(The Essence of Mysteries)
Javáhiru'l-Asrár is a monumental work. It is one of
the choicest fruits that the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh has
yielded. Judged by the nature of its contents, this illuminating
book, which is written in eloquent Arabic, may be regarded as a
sister to the Íqán, since most of the subjects treated in
that celebrated work are also briefly mentioned in this epistle. It
was written by Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdád sometime
before the revelation of the Íqán, in answer to a number of
questions put to Him by Hájí Siyyid Muhammad-i-Isfáháíi,
one of the most accomplished Persian students of Isfáhán who at
that time resided in `Iráq.
In this mighty epistle, within the space of about one hundred
pages, Bahá'u'lláh refers to the grievous tribulation and
adversities that He suffered at the hand of the infidels; deplores
the perversity of the followers of past religions; elucidates the
meaning of the signs and prophecies concerning the advent of the new
Manifestation, including the meaning of the passage in the Bible
where it says: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My word
shall not pass away"; affirms the continuity of divine
revelation; unfolds the significance of such symbolic terms as
"the Day of Judgment", "the Balance", "the
Way", "the resurrection of the dead", and "the
identity of the Promised Qá'im and the place from which He is
expected to appear"; asserts the inevitability of heaven-sent
trials, and describes the inner meaning of such terms as "life
and death", "attainment to the presence of God",
"the valley of bewilderment", "the station of
self-surrender" and "the character and qualities of those
who have attained His Court".
Hájí Siyyid Muhammad was one of the distinguished disciples
of the learned and well-known Shaykh Murtida Ansárí
who was the recognized head of the Shí`ah hierarchy and
occupied a pre-eminent position among the leaders of Islám. (This
is the same Ansárí to whom Bahá'u'lláh refers in His
Epistle to the Sháh of Persia).
On completing his studies at the Muslim centre of learning at
Sámarrá' in `Iráq, Siyyid Muhammad was elevated to the rank
of Mujtahid, a title which confers upon the holder the authority to
expound and apply the laws and doctrines of Islám. Having thus
attained the pinnacle of the learning of his time, he decided to
return to his home town of Isfáhán to practise law and act as the
leading cleric of that city. He therefore left for Baghdád
where he stayed for a time at the home of two Persian merchant
brothers from his home town of Isfáhán.
During his sojourn there he learned that the Bábí movement
had made great headway in that city under the leadership of one who
bore the title of Bahá'u'lláh. Siyyid Muhammad, boastful of
his high learning and priding himself on his new title and position,
felt inclined to seek a confrontation with the leader of this new
movement, with the view to confound him by his power of argument and
superior knowledge, and to assert his ascendancy over him. Such a
victory, he thought, would enhance his position in the eyes of the
leading mullás and redound to his glory and reputation throughout
Persia and `Iráq.
Therefore, one evening he sought a meeting with
Bahá'u'lláh at His home and was admitted into His presence.
This meeting must have been dramatic and stirring beyond words. It
lasted several hours at the end of which time Siyyid Muhammad, far
from having gained ascendancy over his adversary found, to his
amazement, that he had virtually been reduced to a speck of dust in
the face of the overwhelming power and knowledge of his Host.
Presently his sense of pride and vanity evaporated and gave way to
humility and submissiveness. There at this meeting he became
convinced of the divine character of the new Revelation and was so
impressed by the transcendent personality of Bahá'u'lláh that
he sat in His presence for a long time, spellbound with wonder and
awe. Eventually when the time for leave-taking came, it was well past
midnight.
On reaching his lodging that night he boldly told his landlords
where he had been and what had transpired at the meeting. Being
extremely fanatical in religious matters, the two Isfáhání
brothers rebuked him severely, denied him food and drink, and in a
rush of anger expelled him from their house in the dead of night.
Undismayed by this ungracious treatment, Siyyid Muhammad trudged his
way on foot to Sámarrá', a distance of about one hundred
kilometers, where he sought the presence of his former master and
spiritual leader, the far-famed Shaykh Murtida
Ansárí at the same school which he himself had attended as a
pupil. When he entered his presence, he found him giving a discourse
to a vast company of his disciples. He sat there among the audience
and, immediately after the talk was over, sprang to his feet and in a
courageous and impressive manner expounded the teachings of the Báb
and vindicated the truth of His mission. Thereupon a wave of
indignation swept over the whole company who denounced him as a
heretic and rushed upon him in fury, and had it not been for the
tactful and timely intervention of their master they would have
inflicted severe injuries upon him.
The words of Siyyid Muhammad, however, made a deep impression
upon his learned master, who deplored the unseemly conduct of his
students. Meanwhile he thought the moment was not propitious to
comment on this subject, but promised to examine the teachings of
this new creed and make a statement about it later.
As to Siyyid Muhammad, he remained firm and steadfast in the new
Faith he had embraced, despite the bitter hatred and opposition of
the Muslim clergy, and soon after this incident took up his residence
in Najaf, renounced title and position and devoted much of his time
to studying and spreading the teachings of this Revelation. Then
sometime later he was prompted to write to Bahá'u'lláh and
ask for elucidation of certain questions which baffled his mind. In
reply, Bahá'u'lláh revealed this sparkling gem, the
Javáhiru'l-Asrár, for his enlightenment and that of men
of understanding in this age.
LAWH-I-SHIKKAR SHIKAN
This Tablet was revealed by Bahá'u'lláh sometime towards
the end of His sojourn in Baghdád in reply to a seemingly
mild communication addressed to Him by Mírzá Sa`íd
Khán, the then Persian Foreign Minister.
In God Passes By Shoghi Effendi describes the evil
machinations of this crafty man who stigmatized the Faith as a
"misguided and detestable sect" and assiduously
endeavoured, through the dissemination of false reports and alarming
accusations, to have Bahá'u'lláh banished to a place far
removed from the Persian border. In his letter the minister feigned
concern about Bahá'u'lláh's safety, saying that he had
reasons to believe that His enemies were conspiring against Him, and
that it would be advisable for him to transfer His place of residence
to another town away from Baghdád. Bahá'u'lláh's
reply, embodied in this Tablet, is imbued with the spirit of
detachment and fortitude and strikingly reflects His imperturbable
calm and serenity. One passage runs as follows:
"One should kiss the hand of the executioner and, rapt
in holy ecstasy, set one's face towards the abode of the
Beloved."
And further He says:
"Holding up Our neck, We eagerly yearn for the pitiless
sword of the Loved One, and, exposing Our breast, We crave, with
heart and soul, after the darts of His Decree. We disdain fame and
keep aloof from aught else but Him. We neither flee from Our enemies
nor disperse them. We earnestly pray for adversity in order to soar
in the holy realms of the spirit, abide 'neath the shade of the
tree of reunion and attain the loftiest station of love. Afflictions
cannot annihilate this people. This wayfaring cannot be accomplished
by human feet, nor can any veil obscure this
Countenance."
And further He continues:
"We are established upon the seat of tranquillity and
occupy the couch of resignation. Why should the mystic fish fear
shipwreck, or the sanctified spirit allow itself to be distressed at
the destruction of the physical body?"
LAWH-I-GHULÁMU'L KHULD
(Tablet of the Youth of Paradise)
This wonderful Tablet was revealed by Bahá'u'lláh in
Baghdád during the Ridván Festival. The first part is in
Arabic, the latter in Persian. It begins with these words:
"This is in commemoration of what hath been manifested
in the year sixty, in the Days of God, the Omnipotent, the Help in
Peril, the Almighty, the All-Knowing."
Every word of this Tablet rings with ecstasy and heavenly
delight and reverberates with the glorification of the dawning light
of the Day of God which broke on the horizon of Shíráz
through the appearance of the Báb.
Here Bahá'u'lláh extols this momentous event by means of
symbolic expressions which are interspersed with many a soul-stirring
refrain such as this one:
"Glad-tidings! This is the Youth of Paradise. Verily He
is come with the crystal water."
In the latter part of this Tablet Bahá'u'lláh refers to
the coming of Him Who is the Desired One, and proclaims:
"O friends! The Wine of eternal life is steaming forth.
O ye that yearn after Him! The Beauty of the Beloved is unveiled and
manifest. O beloved ones! The Flame on the Sinai of love is shining
resplendent."
LAWH-I-HAWDAJ
(Tablet of the Howdah)
This Tablet which is also known as the Tablet of
Sámsún is yet another wondrous outpouring of the Pen of
Bahá'u'lláh. It was revealed in August 1863 when He, together
with the company of the exiles, had reached the outskirts of
Sámsún on the Black Sea, on their way to Constantinople.
In God Passes By Shoghi Effendi refers to this Tablet in
these words:
"Sighting from His howdah the Black Sea, as He approached
the port of Sámsún, Bahá'u'lláh, at the request of
Mírzá Áqá Ján, revealed a Tablet, designated
Lawh-i-Hawdaj (Tablet of the Howdah), which by such allusions
as the `Divine Touchstone', `the grievous and
tormenting Mischief', reaffirmed and supplemented the dire
predictions recorded in the recently revealed Tablet of the Holy
Mariner."
The opening passage of the Tablet runs as follows:
"These verses were revealed behind the Veil of
Immortality, in the Howdah of Holiness, when the Most Great Name
arrived from the court of the All-Glorious in the land of Sámsún,
on the shore of the great sea. Thereupon the hosts of divine
revelation descended, arrayed in such beauty that all that are in
heaven and on earth were dumbfounded. The Day Star of Beauty shone
forth before them in His holy and ethereal Temple and addressed to
the Ark what had previously been revealed in a Tablet by the Pen of
the Most High, in which the Holy Mariner is invoked in a tone of
grief."
The theme which runs through the text of this historic Tablet is
the affirmation of the invincible power of the Cause of God,
stressing that whatever the reverses and setbacks the Cause may yet
suffer, there can be no shadow of doubt that its future glory and
triumph are unimaginably great.
TABLET TO SULTÁN `ABDU'L-`AZÍZ
AND HIS MINISTERS
Unfortunately the text of this momentous Tablet is not
available. However, in God Passes By Shoghi Effendi describes
the historical background as well as the dire circumstances which led
to the revelation of this mighty Tablet. The following extracts are
highly illuminating:
"The initial phase of that Proclamation may be said to have
opened in Constantinople with the communication (the text of which
we, alas, do not possess) addressed by Bahá'u'lláh to
Sultán `Abdu'l-`Azíz himself, the self-styled vicar of the
Prophet of Islám and the absolute ruler of a mighty empire.... The
occasion for this communication was provided by the infamous edict
the Sultán had promulgated, less than four months after the arrival
of the exiles in his capital, banishing them, suddenly and without
any justification whatsoever, in the depth of winter, and in the most
humiliating circumstances, to Adrianople, situated on the extremities
of his empire.... No less a personage than the highly-respected
brother-in-law of the Sadr-i-A`zam was commissioned to apprize the
Captive of the edict pronounced against Him...
"That same day a Tablet, severely condemnatory in tone, was
revealed by Bahá'u'lláh, was entrusted by Him, in a sealed
envelope, on the following morning, to Shamsí Big, who was
instructed to deliver it into the hands of `Alí Páshá,
and to say that it was sent down from God. `I know not what that
letter contained,' Shamsí Big subsequently informed
Áqáy-i-Kalím, `for no sooner had the Grand Vizir perused it
than he turned the color of a corpse, and remarked: "It is as if
the King of Kings were issuing his behest to his humblest vassal king
and regulating his conduct." So grievous was his condition that
I backed out of his presence.' `Whatever action,'
Bahá'u'lláh, commenting on the effect that Tablet had
produced, is reported to have stated, `the ministers of the
Sultán took against Us, after having become acquainted with its
contents, cannot be regarded as unjustifiable. The acts they
committed before its perusal, however, can have no
justification.'
"That Tablet, according to Nabíl, was of considerable
length, opened with words directed to the sovereign himself, severely
censured his ministers, exposed their immaturity and incompetence,
and included passages in which the ministers themselves were
addressed, in which they were boldly challenged, and sternly
admonished not to pride themselves on their worldly possessions, nor
foolishly seek the riches of which time would inexorably rob
them."
LAWH-I-NÁQÚS
(The Tablet of the Bell)
"O Monk of the Incomparable One! Ring out the Bell,
inasmuch as the Day of the Lord hath shone forth and the Beauty of
the All-Glorious is established upon His holy and resplendent
Throne."
This Tablet, the opening verse of which is given above, reflects
in every word the grandeur and sublimity of this divine Revelation.
Whether this is due to its rare eloquence, or the captivating charm
of its refrains, or the depth and wealth of its symbolic terms, or
the beauty of its rhymed words and phrases, or the sense of heavenly
joy its glad-tidings evoke, or is due to any combination of these
features, it is hard to say. Bahá'u'lláh revealed these
verses of praise in celebration of that auspicious night which
witnessed the inception of the Faith of God on earth through the
declaration of the Báb.
Shoghi Effendi in a letter to Mr. Ágáh of Shíráz
affirms that this Tablet was revealed by Bahá'u'lláh and
written in His own hand in Constantinople on the eve of the fifth of
Jamádíyu'l-Avval, 1280 A.H. (October 19, 1863) which marks the
twenty-first lunar anniversary of the Báb's declaration, at the
request of one of His devoted companions named Muhammad `Alí
Isfáhání. (An outline of his biography appears in
`Abdu'l-Bahá's Memorials of the Faithful.)
Shoghi Effendi considers that it would be appropriate to read
this Tablet at the meetings held for the celebration of this
anniversary.
MATHNAVÍ
This is a collection of veritable mystic gems which the Pen of
Bahá'u'lláh has strung together into a masterpiece of poetry.
The work comprises more than three hundred lines of enchanting verse
in Persian, and is yet another striking evidence of
Bahá'u'lláh's matchless utterance.
In these verses Bahá'u'lláh communes with His own inner
Being in the language of a lover whose heart leaps with joy and
adoration, or like a nightingale which pours forth songs of praise in
its ardent longing for the beauty of the mystic Rose. He invokes the
Source of His Soul, beseeching It to reveal a glimpse of Its eternal
beauty and to bestow upon the world a dewdrop from the infinite ocean
of divine mercy, so that wayward humanity may be redeemed and attain
to a new life.
The verses abound in allegorical terms, and their reading evokes
a subtle and deep thought in one's mind. It opens up a new approach
to the knowledge of God and unfolds a vast horizon for contemplation
of the greatness of Bahá'u'lláh's manifestation.
The work was revealed in Constantinople in 1863, as
Bahá'u'lláh Himself affirms in His monumental apologia, the
Kitáb-i-Badí`, wherein He voices His yearning for
tribulation in the path of His Beloved. There He quotes the closing
lines of this work which refer to the same theme and give vent also
to His anguish at the fate His Most Holy Habitation in
Baghdád was destined to suffer. These few lines run somewhat
like this:
"From the Court of the Beloved, O gentle
breeze!
Wing for once thy way over the land of
Baghdád.
Say unto her: O City of God!
How canst thou remain tranquil
since thy Beloved is gone away?
Thy Beloved is consigned to prison and sorely
wronged,
Like unto Husayn on the plain of Karbilá.
One lonely Husayn amid thousands of Yazíds,
One single Friend among a host of fierce foes."
Notes by Gwyn Magaditsch, typist
The attached Bahá'í World article by
Mr. Khavari and translated by Habib Tahirzadih, has been proofed several times,
but that does not mean it is completely error-free. Our years of experience have
proven that sometimes it takes six or seven different proofreaders to comb out all
the errors in any typed or scanned text to catch the majority of typos--and even
then there may be one or two left in a text as large as the Kitáb-i-Íqán or 10 or more in a text the size of Unfolding Destiny or God
Passes By.
A few notes on the work: In the second paragraph
under Lawh-i-Shikkar Shikan, "...it would be advisable for him to transfer His place
of residence..."-- does the "him" refer to the minister changing
Bahá'u'lláh's place of residence or to Bahá'u'lláh
changing His place of residence? That would determine if the "him" should be "Him"
or not.
There were a few places in which double-quotes and
single-quotes were transposed and which we have corrected in this text. There
was a some inconsistency in using quote marks for offset paragraphs quoting
Bahá'u'lláh. See the two quotations under the Tablet entitled
SÁQÍ AZ GHAYB-I-BAQÁ, as well as the quotation beginning
"Noah's flood..." under the Ode entitled QASÍDIY-I-VARQÁ'ÍYYIH.
Also, I used MARS to get the writings from God
Passes By, and I noted that some punctuation was omitted from excerpts, the
word "the" was used instead of "that" in one place, and a few other such
discrepancies. The original work I had compiled for you with diacritical marks in MS-
Word had those discrepancies, but this vanilla text, which I created for my own
database [REFER module], and it has the writings exactly as found in the REFER
version of God Passes By.
There were also a few typos which failed to
capitalize the pronouns for the Manifestations. I inserted [sic] into the text where
these typos occurred.
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