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Abstract: Translation by Anton Haddad combined with the few passages translated by Shoghi Effendi, collated by Sen McGlinn. Notes: See the newer authorized translation at bahai-library.com/writings/bahaullah/slh/haykal.html. Words in this color font • and between bullets • are footnoted to the translations made by Shoghi Effendi of the same passage, which is presented in this color font and italicized. |
Tablet of the Temple (Súratu'l-Haykal):
Two translations collated
by Bahá'u'lláh
translated by Anton F. Haddad and Shoghi EffendiChicago: Behais Supply and Publishing Board, 1900
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The Surat 'ul Hykl is from the Pen of Beha 'Ullah, and is literally translated from the original Arabic by Anton F. Haddad. It is published for the enlightenment of those who seek for knowledge from the fountain head of truth.We desire to announce that this publication will be followed by other works from the same source, and it is hoped no one will attempt an interpretation of the Surat 'ul Hykl until he has had access to them, as therein light will be thrown on many passages the meaning of which may herein seem veiled or hidden.
THE PUBLISHERS.
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DISCOURSE OF THE BODY
[DISCOURSE OF THE TEMPLE]
[393] He is the Wonderful, The Most Glorious!
Glory be to Him who hath caused the signs to descend to those who perceive!
Glory be to Him who hath caused the signs (verses) to descend to those who understand!
Glory be to Him who guideth whomsoever He wisheth to His Path! Say, verily, it is the path of God to those who are in heaven and on earth: Blessed are they who hasten toward it.
Glory be to Him who hath caused the signs to descend to those who know!
Glory be to Him who speaketh from the Might of command, and who is not known to any save his noble servants.
Glory be to Him who quickeneth whom He wisheth, by merely saying "Be" and it is.
Glory be to Him who elevateth whom He willeth to the heaven of bounty, and bringeth
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down that which He pleaseth to a predetermined measure.
Blessed is He who doeth what He pleaseth by a command on His part; verily He is the True One, the Knower of secrets and unseen things.
Blessed is He who giveth by inspiration to whom He willeth that which He wisheth through His hidden and irresistible command.
Blessed is He who assisteth whom He pleaseth by the hosts of the unseen; verily He is the Doer [doer] of that which He willeth, and He is the Mighty, the Self-existing!
Blessed is He who stengtheneth whom He pleaseth by the dominion of His Power, and confirmeth whom He wisheth to accomplish what He willeth: Blessed are they who know!
Blessed is He who hath ordained to everything a measure decreed in a hidden tablet [Tablet]!
Blessed is He who hath caused to descend upon His servant, that, by reason of which all the hearts and minds will be enlightened!
Blessed is He who hath caused to descend upon His servant, that kind of calamity, whereby the hearts of those who rested inside the awnings of eternity, were burned [(with anguish)]; then also the hearts of those who are near!
Blessed is He who hath caused to descend
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upon His servant, from the cloud of Fate [fate], the arrows of disaster — and still He findeth Me in Supreme Patience [supreme patience].
Blessed is He who hath ordained to His servant that which was not ordained to any other one of His servants: Verily He is the One, the Mighty, the Self-subsistent.
Blessed is He who hath caused to descend upon His servant, from the clouds of the detestation of those who closed their eyes and feigned to take no notice, the spears of the irreversible decree — and still He sees Him offering great thanks.
Blessed is He who hath caused to descend upon His [his] servant that which equals the weight of the earth and the heaven, for which We indeed praise Him; and of this no one is cognizant save those who understand.
Glory be to Him who hath placed His Beauty under the claws of the rancour of the immoral; verily We are contented with that, and no one can comprehend this save the discerning.
Glory be to him who hath entrusted el-Huseyn [*]amongst the factions of the enemies, while at all times, the spears of hatred and ill treatment were brought upon His body; verily We thank Him for all that He hath decreed upon His servant, the sad, the distressed.
[* Bahá'u'lláh]
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[394] • But when I saw myself at the culmination of calamity, I heard, from above my head, the Most Wonderful [wonderful] and Melodious Voice [melodious voice], and when I turned I witnessed an Houri [a Maiden] (Nymph of Paradise) of the celebration of the Name of my Lord, suspended in the air on a level with my head; [.] I saw her, that she was indeed rejoicing within herself as though the embroidered Garment [garment] of pleasure was manifesting itself upon her face, and the brightness of the Merciful was apparent upon her cheeks; and between the earth and heaven, she was uttering a call, by which all the hearts and minds will be drawn, and at the same time, gladdening all the limbs of my internal and external being, with glad-tidings that made my soul rejoice, and those of the noble servants. Then with her finger, she pointed to my head, and addressed all those in heaven and earth saying: "By God, This is indeed the Beloved of the universe, but ye do not understand! This is the Beauty of God among you, and His Dominion within you, if ye are those who know! This is the Mystery of God, His Treasure, the Command of God, and His Glory, to those who are in the Kingdom of power and creation — were ye of those who reason! • 1 This is the One whose meeting will be longed for by all those who dwell in the everlasting spiritual world, and who have
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taken a station for themselves in the tents of El-ABHA [El-Abha]— while ye yourselves are turned away from His Beauty!
["]O People of el-Beyan [El-Beyan]! Should ye not assist Him, God will assist Him by the hosts of earth and heaven and those of the Unseen, through His Command which is "Be" and it is! And He will send forth by His Will certain people who are unknown to anyone but Himself, the Protector, the Self-existent, and purify them from the strain of surmise and passion, and elevate them to the rank of sanctity, and by them He will cause to appear the traces of the Glory of His Kingdom on earth: thus was it decreed on the part of God, the Mighty, the Beloved."
[395] O People of el-Beyan [El-Beyan]; do ye deny the One for whose meeting ye were created, and still ye are of those who sit in your place and rejoice? Do ye object to Him, the one hair of whose head is, before God, better than all there is in heaven and earth — and still do ye scoff at Him?
[396] O People of el-Beyan [El-Beyan]! Show forth that which ye have, that I may know by what proof ye have believed in the manifestation of the Command of God in the past, and to-day by what evidence do ye magnify yourselves?
[397] By the One who hath created Me from the Light of His Beauty, I have never found among
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the neglectful, one of such negligence, or among the ignorant, one of such ignorance, as ye are. (0 People.)
[398] Ye take as an evidence for your belief in God, the Tablets which ye have in your possession, but when the Signs came down and the Lamp gave Light, ye denied the One through whose Pen all matters were decreed in a Preserved Tablet. Do ye read the signs and deny their Originator [originator] and Revealer [revealer]? Thus hath God seized (deprived) your sight as a punishment for your actions — were ye of those who perceive: Do ye write the verses at even-tide and dawn, and from the One who caused them to descend ye conceal yourselves? And to-day the Supreme Assembly will see you in the mischief of your deeds and disavow you whilst ye are of those who do not hear — and the one will ask, and then another: "What do these ignorant people say, and in what vale do they rest? Do they close their eyes, while yet they see?" By God, 0 people, the inhabitants of the Cities of Names, became perplexed by your actions, and still in the barren valley ye are bewildered, and do not conceive [perceive].
[399] 0 Thou Supreme Pen! Hear the voice of Thy Lord from the Divine [divine] Lote-tree [Lote-Tree] in the brilliant Spot of Unity [spot of unity], that thou mayst find thyself in exhilaration and cheerfulness by the melodious
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Voice [voice] of Thy Lord, the Merciful, and be sanctified from all sorrows through the strong fragrance which was diffused from the region of My Name, the Pardoner; then, from this Temple, send the Temples of Unity to speak in the Kingdom of Creation, of their Lord, the Supreme, the Most Glorious, and be of those who obtain light by the Lights [lights] of their Lord. Verily We have ordained this Temple the beginning of the existence of the new creation, that each one may become convinced that I am indeed able to do what I wish, by merely saying, "Be," and it is. By the shadow of each letter of the letters of this Temple, We will send forth people whose number is not known to any save God, the Protector, the Self-existent; and from it [(the Temple)] God shall create certain people who will not be veiled by the illusions of those who acted wrongfully against God, and they will drink, at all times, the pure water of life: Verily are not they of those who are successful?
[400] They are those servants who have stationed themselves in the shadow of the Mercy [mercy] of their Lord, and were not prevented by the preventors; and in their faces the brightness of the Merciful is manifested, and from their hearts the mention of My Hidden [hidden] and Mighty [mighty] Name is heard: they are those, whose lips when opened in praising
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their Lord, all, whosoever is in earth and heaven, will praise with them — though there are but few people who do hear — and when they mention their Creator, all things will mention with them the same: Thus God hath preferred them to all creation, but indeed the people do not know. They move around the Command of God just as the shadow moveth around the sun.
[401] Open your eyes, O People of Beyan, that ye may witness! — and by the movement of these people all things will move, and by their quiescence all things will rest — were ye of those who believe: By them the Unitarians [people of unity] have come to the Koblat of the Horizons [(The Manifestations)] and calmness and forbearance became manifest amongst the good, and through them the earth was stationed, and the clouds gave out rain, and the table of Knowledge was descended from the Heaven of Bounty [heaven of bounty] — were ye of those who understand: These people are the keepers of the Command [command] of God on earth, protecting its beauty against the dust of surmise and suspicion; they do not fear for themselves, but will sacrifice themselves in the Cause of God, for the hope of meeting the Beloved who hath appeared by this Name, the Mighty, Able, the Precious, the Holy.
[402] O Thou this Temple, arise by Thyself with an
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affair, whereby the contingent beings will arise; then assist Thy God with that which we have given Thee of power and might! Beware not to fear in a day whereon all things do fear. Be the Manifestation of My Name, the Protector, the Self-existent.
[403] Render Thy Lord victorious by that which is within Thy Power, and do not look to the creatures and that which comes from their mouths, save as to the voice of an insect in an endless and boundless valley. Drink the pure water of life in My Name, the Merciful, then give to drink to those who are near [(to God)] of the people of this rank, that which will make them cut themselves from the Names, and cause them to enter into this blessed and extended shadow.
[404] O this Temple, We have assembled by Thee all the things, and that which was created in the earth and heaven, and asked them of that by reason of which We administered the oath upon them in the beginning of eternity: Lo! We found the majority of them possessed of dull tongues and glazed eyes, and the minority of bright faces and voluble tongues — and out of these, We have sent forth a creation of what was and is: thus hath God kept their faces aloof from turning to the polytheists, and made them dwell
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in the shadow (protection) of the Lote-tree [Lote Tree] of Himself; and thus He hath brought down upon them a calmness and strengthened them with the hosts of the Seen and the Unseen [seen and the unseen].
[405] O Thou, the Eye of this Temple! Look not to the heaven and what is therein, nor to the earth and whatsoever is thereupon; verily We created Thee for My Beauty — Lo, this is it [It]! Look as it pleaseth Thee and prevent not Thine eye from the Beauty of Thy Lord, the Precious, the Beloved. Through Thee We shall send forth Iron eyes [Eyes] and everseeing sight whereby they shall see the signs of their Creator, and turn away their eyes from that which the worldly wise have comprehended. Through Thee We give the power of sight to whomsoever We please, and seize those who were prevented from this bounty. Verily are they not drinking from the cups of imagination and they know not?
[406] O Thou, that Faculty of Hearing! Purify Thyself from the cry of every forsaken crier; then hear the voice of Thy Lord. Verily He revealeth unto Thee from the direction of the Throne, that indeed there is no God but ME [Me], the Precious, the Powerful, the Protector, the Self-existent. Through Thee We shall send forth purified ears that will listen to the Word of God and to that which became manifest from
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the dawning place of the Revelation, Thy Lord, the Merciful; verily do they find them melodious, the songstresses from this blessed and laudable place?
[407] O Thou, the Tongue of this Temple! Verily We have created Thee in My Name, the Merciful, and taught Thee that which was stored in el- Beyan [El-Beyan] (the revelation), and made Thee to speak for the sake of My great commemoration in the contingent world: Therefore do Thou utter this commemoration [(precious and wonderful)], and fear thou not from the manifestation of the Satan. Verily for this Thou wast created by My Command, the Protector, the Self-existent. By Thee We made the tongue utter the revelation of that which was, and by My Dominion We utter of that which is. By Thee We send forth speaking tongues that move with praise in the Supreme Assembly, and amongst the people of creation.
[408] Thus have the signs descended, and the matter been decreed on the part of the King of Names and Attributes. Verily thy Lord is the True One and the Knower [knower] of all the Unseen [unseen]. Verily nothing can prevent [(tongues)] from praising their Creator; and by them all things will rise for the commemoration of the King of Names — verily there is no God but Me, the Able, the Mighty, the Beloved.
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[409] The tongues of the Commemorators never speak unless reinforced by this Tongue, from this Station [station] — but there are few of the people who know. Everyone is able to praise his Lord and utter His remembrance, but some of the people understand and remember and some remember but do not understand.
O Houri of Knowledge! Come forth from the chamber of words by the permission of God, the King of heaven and earth; then appear with the Divine embroidered Garment and give to drink the wine of Jabarout (spiritual world) with the fingers of ruby; then it may be that the people of mankind will look upon that which shone from the horizon of the Kingdom through the appearance of the Sun of Eternity from the dawn of Splendor (Beha), and arise in praising between the earth and heaven at the commemoration of this Page, Who is established upon the Throne of His Name, the Helper, in the midst of Paradise: Upon His face the brightness of the Merciful (God) became manifest, and from His eyes appeared the eyes of God, and from His affairs the affairs of God, the Protector, the Precious, the Beloved.If thou (Houri) dost not find anyone to receive from thy white hand the red wine in the Name of thy Lord, the High, the Supreme, who
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appeared once more after His first appearance,* in His Name, El Abha (the Most Glorious), do not grieve, leave these people to themselves; then go back to the pavilion of Greatness and Might where thou wilt find people whose faces shine as the sun at mid-day, singing and praising their Lord in this Name which arose on the abode of sovereignty with the dominion of glory and power — verily though dost not hear from them aught save mention and praise — verily thy Lord is a witness to all that which I say. No one of those who were created from the Word of God in the eternity of eternities has come to know these people. Thus have we narrated in all particulars this matter and thus analyzed the signs — perhaps the people will ponder over the traces of their Lord. Verily they (these people) were neither commanded to prostrate before Adam, nor did they turn their faces from the Face of thy Lord, and with the grace of sanctity they, at all times, are delighted.Thus the Pen of the Merciful hath recorded the secrets of what was and what will be, and of it the people may become cognizant. God will make these people appear on the earth and by them He elevateth His mention, spreadeth His traces, confirmeth His Word and promulgateth
* This refers to the Bab and Beha 'Ullah.
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His Signs in spite of those who denied and contradicted, and were of those who Abjured His Words.O thou Countenance of Unity! Shouldst thou find them and be able to meet them, relate thou to them that which this Page is relating to thee from the stories of Himself and what has befallen Him that they may peruse that which was written in a preserved tablet. Tell them the news of this Page and how He was smitten with misfortune and injuries in order that they may remember My calamities and be of those who comprehend. Then mention to them that, verily We have chosen one of our brothers and showed to him a small drop of the high sea of science, and clothed him with the garment of one Name of the Names, and elevated him to a rank whereby every one rose to praise him, and protected him from the injury of the owner of injuries in such a manner that the powerful failed to affect him. Verily We were before the faces of whomsoever is in the heaven and earth in the days when all the servants arose to kill Me, and verily We were among them uttering the mention of God and His praise and sustaining His matter until the Word of God became ascertained amongst His creatures, His Traces famous, His Power High, and His Dominion Spread, and to this the noble servants will bear witness.
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Verily when my brother saw that the matter became notorious he found in himself pride and delusion, and accordingly went forth from behind the veils and fought with Myself, disputed My signs, falsified My proof, and denied My traces; but the belly of the greedy was not satisfied until he desired to eat My flesh and drink My blood. To this the servants will bear witness who fled into exile with God, also the servants who are near (to God). In this he consulted one of My servants and instigated him to acquiescence (to that deed). But lo! God assisted Me with the hosts of the Seen and the Unseen and preserved Me with the truth and caused to descend upon Me that which prevented him from accomplishing that which he desired, and stopped the craftiness of those who denied the signs of the Merciful — were they not indeed people of cunning and deceit?When that which his mind had enticed him to do became divulged and the exiles were cognizant of his wile, the noise of tumult was raised by these people, who attained to such a degree as to become known almost throughout the city — then We prevented them and bestowed upon them the word of patience that they should indeed be of those who forbear.
By God who is the only God and there is no
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God but He! Verily We were patient and truly We commanded the servants to practice endurance and forbearance. We went out from amongst those people and settled in another house in order that the fire of violent hatred might be quenched in his breast and he be of those who are guided. We did not object to him, neither did We see him after that; We sat in the house waiting for the bounty of God, the Protector, the Self-existent. Verily when he knew that the matter had become notorious, he took the pen of lies and wrote to the servants attributing all that which he committed, to My Beauty, the Oppressed, the One, for the purpose of creating discord among the servants, and sowing hatred in the breasts of those who believed in God, the Precious, the beloved.By the life of Him in whose hand My soul is, We were astonished at his deceit and all the creation of both the Seen and Unseen were astonished by him. Notwithstanding that which was in his heart abated not until he committed that which the pen dare not write, and by which he destroyed My reverence — the reverence of God, the Mighty, the Precious, the Praiseworthy. Were I to mention that which he did, such deeds could not be fulfilled and classified even were all the seas of the earth reduced to ink and all the
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things of the earth transformed into pens. Thus do We dictate that which has befallen Myself — were ye of those who know.O Thou Pen of Eternity! Do not grieve for that which has befallen Thee, for God shall send forth people who will see with their eyes and remember what did befall Thee. Withhold the pen from mentioning these people, then wield it in mentioning the King of the Ancient — set aside the contingent beings; then drink from the sealed and pure wine of My remembrance. Beware not to occupy thyself in mentioning those from whom thou dost not find but the scents of violent hatred, who were overtaken by the love of authority (temporal) in such wise that they destroy themselves in order to elevate their mention and perpetuate their names. God hath recorded these to be worshipers of names, in a preserved tablet. Mention thou that which is desired by thee to this Temple that its traces may appear in the earth and the lights of this Effulgence may fill the horizons and purify the earth from the pollution of those who deny God. Thus have We caused the signs to descend and classified the matter to the people who know.
O Thou this Temple! Stretch thou Thine hand over whomsoever is in the earth and heaven and take the reins of the command within the
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grasp of Thy will. Verily We have put in Thy right hand the kingdom of everything; do whatsoever Thou pleaseth and fear not those who do not know.Then lift up Thine hand to the tablet which shone from the horizon of the fingers of thy Lord and take it with strength, and by taking it, the hands of whomsoever is in existence will take it — this behooveth thee, wert thou of those who understand. By the elevation of thy hand to the heaven of My bounty the hands of everything will be elevated to God, the Mighty, the Precious, the Beloved. We shall send forth from Thy hand the hands of strength, power and might, and by them We show forth My power to whomsoever is in the Kingdom of command and creation, in order to assure the Servant that there is no God but Me, the Protector, the Self-existent. By them We give and take and no one knows this save those who see with the Spiritual Eye. Say, O people do ye flee from the Power of God?
[410] By God, there is no escape to-day [today] for you and no refuge for any one save from the Mercy of God on the part of His Bounty — verily He is the Forgiving, the Generous. Say, O people! Set aside that which ye have; then enter into the shadow of thy Lord the Merciful. This is better
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for you than that which ye have done or do — fear God and deprive not yourselves from the fragrances of the days of the King of the Names and Attributes and change not the word of God nor transpose its meaning — fear God and be of those who are devout. Say, O people! This is the Hand [hand] of God which has been above your hands — were ye of those who reason.
[411] Through It We have ordained the good for the heaven and earth in such a manner that no good becomes manifest unless it is produced from IT — thus have We made IT the source and the store of good to all that which has been and will be. Say, all that has flowed in the tablets of the river of demonstrations and explanation was connected with this Most Great Sea — were ye of those who perceive: And that which was detailed in the books was traced to this Supreme Word which shone from the mouth of the Will of EL-ABHA [El-Abha] (The Most Glorious)[(the Most Glorious)] in this manifestation whereby the mouths of the seen and the unseen were wreathed in smiles. • God shall send forth from the sleeves of Might the hands [Hands] of power and victory, and certain people to assist this Servant, and to cleanse the earth from the impurity of every abandoned polytheist, and they shall arise in favor of this matter, and open the countries in My Name, the Powerful, the Self- •
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• existent, and enter their boundaries, and their threats shall overtake all the servants; this is from the strength of God: Verily His Strength [strength] is great in favor of Justice [justice]. • 2
[412] Verily He is the Encompasser [encompasser] of whomsoever is in earth and heaven, and causeth to descend that which He pleaseth to a predetermined measure. Should anyone of those people rise up and confront whatsoever is created in the universe, he would certainly be the conqueror through the victory of Myself. This is from My power, but My people do not know; this is from My dominion but My creatures do not understand; this is from My command but My servants do not perceive; this is from My victory but mankind is not grateful, save those whose eyes God has illumined by the Light of the Knowledge [light of knowledge] of Himself, and whose hearts He hath made the stores of inspiration, and whose souls the carriers of His Command [commands]; these are the people who from the garment of His Name, will inhale the fragrance of the Merciful, and at the signs of God they are continually rejoicing, and those people who denied and associated others with God, will have the wrath of God upon them, and to the fire be dragged and in its strata they shall show forth their grief; thus do We classify the signs and explain the truth with evident proofs, hop-
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ing that the people will ponder over the traces of their Lord.
• O Thou, this Temple! We have made Thee the sign of My Might in all that was and will be; We have made Thee the sign of My Matter between the earth and heaven by My saying "Be" and it is. • 3(Words to the four letters of HYKL spelling "Temple" or "Body.")
O thou "Ha" of He (Deity) of this Name, We have made Thee the store of My Will, and the lurking place of My Wish to whomsoever is in the Kingdom of Creation and Command as a favor on the part of the Protector, the Self-existent.
O thou "Ya" of My Mighty Name, We have made thee the manifestation of My dominion and the rising place of My Names; and I am the powerful over all that which I say.
O thou "Kaf" of My Noble Name, We have made Thee the dawning place of My generosity amidst My creatures and the spring (origin) of MY benevolence amongst My people; I am the Mighty in My Dominion; nothing is hidden from My Knowledge of that which was created between the earth and heaven, and I am the True One, the Knower, of all secrets and unseen things.
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O thou Pen! Bring down from the clouds of Thy generosity that which will satisfy the contingent beings; do not withhold Thy benevolence from existence; verily Thou art the Generous in the everlasting spiritual world (Jabarout el-beka), and the possessor of the great Bounty to whomsoever is in the Kingdom of the Names. Look not to the people and what they have in their possession; look to the beauty of thy gifts and to thy incomparable grants; make the servants enter into thy extended shadow; stretch out the hand of munificence on the contingent beings and the fingers of generosity over the existing beings; this behooves Thee, but the people do not understand.He who advanceth unto Thee, it is from Thy bounty, and he who turns away, — verily Thy Lord is sufficient for all that which was created in the contingent world; to this the sincere servants will bear witness. • God shall send forth by Thee victorious hands and constraining supports, which will come forth from behind the veils to assist the Soul of the Merciful in this world. They will send forth a cry whereby the breasts will be rent asunder with rage. Thus it was decreed in a written tablet, and they will appear with a might whereby fear overtakes the inhabitants of the earth in a manner which will make •
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• them all shake and tremble. • 4 Beware that ye shed not blood; draw forth the sword of the tongue from the scabbard of utterance, for by it the cities of the heart will be subdued. WE have taken away the law of capital punishment from among you, verily My mercy has preceded the contingent beings — if ye are those who know. Assist your Lord the Merciful, with the sword of evidence; verily it is sharper than that of utterance and of more value — were ye of those who reflect upon the words of thy Lord. Thus the hosts of inspiration were made to manifest from the dawning place of the command on the part of God, the Protector, the Beloved.
[413] Say, verily the fates of all things were ordained in this Temple, the Treasured [treasured], the Illustrious [illustrious], and in It [IT] was stored the science of earth and heaven, and the science of that which was and is, and by the fingers of the skill of thy Lord, was written in this book that which the learned were unable to comprehend. He hath created in It [IT] the temples which were not known to any save God — were ye of those who believe.
[414] Blessed is the one who reads it and ponders over it and is of those who understand• . Say, nothing is seen in My Temple [temple], but the Temple of God, •
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• and in My beauty but His beauty [Beauty], and in My being but His being [Being], and in Myself but Himself, and in My movement but His movement [Movement], and in My acquiescence but His acquiescence [Acquiescence], and in My pen but His pen [Pen], the Precious, the Praiseworthy. •
[415] • Say, there hath not been in My soul but the Truth [truth] and in Myself nothing could be seen but God. • 5 Beware that ye mention not the two signs — all the particles in Myself speak, "verily there is no God but Me, the One, the Single, the Precious, the Beloved" — everlastingly in the spiritual world I was uttering "Verily I am God and there is no God but Me, the Protector, the Self-existent," and in the Kingdom of Names I everlastingly utter, "Verily I am God, there is no God but Me, the Precious, the Beloved."
[416] Say, Verily the Lordship is my Name and for it (the Lordship) I have created manifestations in the Kingdom; verily We have been free from them — were ye to bear witness: And the Divinity is My Name, and for it we have made places of rising to encompass all servants and make them worshippers of God — were ye to believe: And thus know all the Names (Prophets) — were ye to know.
(Note. "Lam" is the last letter in the word "hykl" also the last letter of El-Fadhl" which
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means "the Bounty" or its synonyms. "Hykl" means "Body" or "Temple.")
O thou letter "L" (Lam) of El-Fadhl (Bounty) in this Name! Verily we have made thee the manifestation of Bounty between earth and heaven; from thee we created, first, Generosity among the contingent beings and to thee we shall return it; and from thee we will manifest it another time as a command on the part of Our Presence, and I am the Doer of that which I desire by saying — "Be," and it is; and every manifestation of this Bounty which has appeared in the Kingdom, originated from thee and to thee it shall return — this is that which was ordained in a tablet which we preserved behind the Tents of Greatness and concealed it from being witnessed by the eyes. How good is he who does not deprive himself from the chained and celebrated Bounty.
[416] • Say, the fecundation of Bounty [bounty] has been wafted over all things in this day and everything has generated and brought forth its own kind, but verily the majority of the people have turned away from it — the trees bring forth the beautiful fruit, — the seas, the brilliant jewels, — man, knowledge and science, — the universe, the transfiguration of the Merciful — and the earth, that which no one comprehendeth, save the True One, the Knower [knower] of secrets and unseen things. • 6
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[418] Everything shall bring forth its own species. Blessed is the God who is the sender of this Bounty [bounty](el-fadhl), which surrounds all things that have appeared and that which is still hidden; thus have we created the beings of this day unequaled, but the majority of mankind do not perceive. Say, if the Bounty [bounty] (fadhl) of God cannot be known as it is, how would it be possible then to know Himself, the Protector, the Self-existent?
O Temple of the Command: If Thou findest none advancing toward Thy gifts, grieve not, — Thou wast created for Myself, occupy Thyself in celebrating Me amongst My servants, this was that which was apportioned to Thee in a preserved tablet. Verily when We found the hands impure on earth, We made Thy life pure, and sanctified it from touching them, or touching those who are infidels.Be patient at the command of thy Lord, for God shall raise up people of pure hearts and clear sights who will flee from all directions to the direction of thy Bounty, the surrounding, the expansive.
O Temple of God, when the Hosts of Revelation were caused to descend with the banners of the signs, from the King of the Names and Attributes, the people of imaginations and illusions
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were put to flight, and they denied the clear proofs of God, the Protector, the Self-existent, and stood up for deceit. Some of them said these signs are not evident signs from God and they were not made to descend upon the Fitrat.* Thus do the infidels remedy the wounds of the breasts. By this they will be cursed by whomsoever is in the heaven and earth, and in themselves they do not perceive. • Say, verily, the Holy Spirit hath been created by a letter of what hath been caused to descend from this Spirit, the Most Great, if ye could understand. • 7 Verily the religion of this land in its being was created from the signs of God, the Protector, the Precious, the Beloved. Verily it boasts on account of being attributed to Ourselves the Truth, but We do not boast of it or of that which is beside it; for all things besides Me were created by My word, if ye be of those who understand!
[419] Say, Verily, We have caused the signs to descend after nine conditions, each of which is a proof of the Dominion of God, the Protector, the Self-existent, — any one of these conditions is sufficient to convince whomsoever is in heaven and earth, but the majority of the people are heedless. Had We willed We would have revealed
* i. e. — Extemporaneously, according to the natural knowledge created in Him without any previous study.
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the signs after other conditions whose number could not be reckoned. Say O people, fear God and do not move your false tongues about that which God doth not like, — be ashamed before the one who formed you through a drop of water as ye do know. Say, verily, We have created whomsoever is in the heaven and the earth, after the nature of God. And he who advanceth to this Face will appear in the condition wherein he was created, and he who secludeth himself, will be secluded from this surrounding and hidden Bounty. Verily We did not prevent anything from attaining this Bounty, but We created all things equal according to their kind, and propounded to them the fidelity of Our love by a word on Our part; and he who remembereth, will escape and believe and be of those who will be saved from the terror of the Day, and he who turneth away will deny God, the Protector, the Self-existent. By the Word, We separated servants and classified them, verily We are the Separators. Say, the Word of God is not likened unto the words of His Creatures; verily it is the Sultan [king] of words, as His Soul is the Sultan [king] of souls, and His Command is the Protector [protector] over that which was and is.
O people, enter the chief city of Assurance, the abode of the throne of thy Lord, the Merciful.
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This is that which ye are commanded by the Pen of the Glorious, as a Bounty on His part upon you, — if from His command ye differ not. And amongst the infidels is he who disbelieved within his soul, and arose in war saying, "these signs are spurious;" — thus in bygone time said men who have passed away, and lo, in hellfire do they now cry for help! Say, woe unto you by reason of that which came out from your mouths; if these signs are spurious, then by what proof did ye believe in God? Produce it! — Whenever we revealed to them evident signs they have denied them, but when they found that all the people were unable to produce the like, they said "this is sorcery." What aileth these people? Why do they say that which they know not? Thus said the nation of the Koran (Mohammedans) when God brought forth His matter; verily are they not people of cunning? They prevented the people from coming before the Beauty of the Ancient, or from eating with His Beloved, and some of them have said "Come ye not near these people, verily they enchant the people and lead them astray from the path of God, the Protector, the Self-existent." By God the True One, the ones who could not speak in our presence have said that which was not uttered by the people of yore and committed that which was not com-
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mitted by those who have denied the Merciful in all ages: To this will their sayings and actions bear witness, — were ye of those who judge aright. Whoso attributeth the signs of God to sorcery, verily he is the one who hath not believed in any one of the messengers of God; he hath lost the fruits of his toil in this futile life, and is of those who say that which they know not.Say, O servant, fear God who created and fashioned thee, and seek not to emulate God, — then be impartial in thyself and be of those who perform justice. Verily those who were given knowledge from God are those who will ascertain from these very objections, sufficient and strong proofs wherewith to refute them and confirm this illustrious Light. Do ye say that which the infidels said when the Reminder (the Bab) came unto them from their Lord? Woe unto you O community of Ignorance, evil is that which ye acquire. O Blessed Perfection, set aside the infidels and what they have in their possession, then perfume the contingent beings by the celebration of thy beloved, the Supreme, the Great.
By His celebration all things will be vivified, and the temples of the people will be renovated. Verily he hath settled upon the Throne of Greatness and Glory, and he who wisheth to see His Beauty, lo, it is This. Blessed is God who ap-
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peared in this bright and effulgent Beauty! And he who wisheth to hear His melodious voice, verily it is heard from this wonderful and shining Mouth; and he who wisheth to be illumined by His Lights, say unto him "Come now before the Throne, — this is that which God hath bestowed upon you as a Bounty on His part to all the world."
[420] Say, O people, we ask a word from you by the Most Great Truth, — and we will take God as a witness between us, verily He is the Beloved, the Beneficent; — present thyself before the Throne of God, then let thy speech be unprejudiced and be ye of those who are just. Was God the powerful over His matter, or were we of those who are powerful? Was He the unconstrained in Himself, as ye say, "verily He doeth that which He pleaseth, nor is asked concerning that which He wisheth," or, are ye yourselves the unconstrained, and say this word merely by tradition, in the same manner as was said by your fathers, in the times of the messengers? Although He was unconstrained in Himself, He hath shown the manifestation of his command by signs, which are unequaled by anything either in heaven or on earth, — and he hath appeared after a condition the like of which hath not appeared in creation, — just as that of which ye hath seen and
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heard when the Light of the horizons shone forth from the regions of Irak (Baghdad) with evident dominion. All things return to the signs and these are the signs of God, the King, the Protector, the Precious, the Mighty! Beside these He hath appeared with a Command whereto all the contingent beings hath confessed its authority and no one denieth this save the iniquitous infidel.
Say, O people, do ye desire to conceal the Beauty of the Sun by the veils of your souls, or to prevent the Spirit from singing in this pure and illustrious Breast? Fear God and oppose not Himself and dispute not with the One by whose command the Kaf (letter K*) was created and connected with its Great Support. Believe in the Ambassadors of God, in His Dominion, in Himself and in His Greatness, and come not near those who have denied after they have believed, and who have taken a station for themselves in their own lust; verily are they not infidels? Bear witness for that which God hath borne witness, that those who are near may be enlightened by that which proceedeth from your mouth. Say, verily we believe in that which descended to the mes-
*The letter Kaf is the first letter of the word "Koun" in Arabic, which means "existence," and the "Great Support" means Abbas Effendi, the Greatest Branch.
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sengers of God aforetime, and to Ali (The Bab) with the truth, and that which will descend from the direction of the Great Throne (Abbas). Thus doth God teach you from His part and as a Generosity from His Presence. Verily, His Grace hath encompassed the whole world.O, thou Foot of this Temple: We have created Thee from the iron — be straightforward in the way of thy Lord, that through Thee will be straightened the feet of the devotees on the Path of Thy Lord, the Precious, the Wise.
Beware that thou art not moved by storms of violent hatred, nor by the sweeping winds of the wretched. Be firm in the command, and be of those who are steadfast. In Our Name, — through which the people of uprightness became straightened, and in every name of our Comely Names — We have sent Thee to whomsoever is in the heaven and on the earth. We shall send forth from Thee people (possessors) of straight feet, who will walk forward in the path and not deviate from it, even if opposed by soldiers equal in number with the soldiers of the ancients and moderns. Verily the whole bounty is within Our grasp: We give to whomsoever We please of Our servants who are near (to God); thus we bestowed upon Thee time after time, so that Thou wilt praise Thy Lord with a praise whereby the
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tongues of all beings will praise Me, the Merciful, the Clement.O Temple! Arise and assist this matter with Power and Dominion from Our Presence; then expound to the servants that which was expounded to thee by the Spirit of God, the Kind, the One, the Precious, the Wise. Say, O people, Do you cast the truth behind you and proclaim that which We have created from a handful of clay: This is self oppression, were ye of those who ponder upon the signs of your Lord.
O people! Purify your hearts, then your eyes, that ye may know your Creator in this holy and brilliant Garment (body)! Say, verily this is the Servant of my God who hath been established upon the Throne of Glory and who hath appeared with dominion of Power and Independence, exclaiming between the earth and heaven with His most wonderful and melodious proclamation — "O people of the universe, why have you denied your Lord, the Merciful, and turned away from the Beauty of the Praised? By God, this is the Secluded, and the unseen hath risen from the dawning place of the contingent world; this is the Beauty of the Beloved which hath shone from the horizon of this station, with the dominion of God, the Protector, the Precious, the Victorious, the Mighty."
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O thou Temple of Holiness! We have cleansed Thy Breast from the insinuations of contingent beings and sanctified it from their evidences, that the lights of My Beauty be printed in it, wherefrom they will reflect light to the mirrors of the world. Inasmuch as we have chosen Thee above all that was ordained in the Kingdom of Command and Creation, and appropriated Thee especially for Myself; this is from the Bounty of God upon Thee from this very day to a day that will never end in the Kingdom, but will rather continue by the continuance of God, the Protector, the Precious, the Omniscient.[421] For the day [Day] of God is He Himself, who hath appeared with the truth and will never be followed by the night, or limited by the remembrance, were ye of those who know.
O thou Breast of this Temple! Verily we have made all things as mirrors to Thyself and made Thee the Mirror of Myself, therefore reflect Thou upon the breasts of the contingent beings that which was reflected upon Thee from the Lights of Thy Lord, to purify from interpretations and illusions; thus hath the Sun of Wisdom shone from the horizon of the Pen of the King of Pre-existence; Blessed are they who read in Him, — His goodness. Verily We have originated from Thee the pure breasts and to Thee We return
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them as a mercy on Our part upon Thee and upon those who are near to God. • We shall raise up through Thee, people (lit. owners) of clear breasts and radiant ribs who will not speak save of My Beauty, and will not point save to the transfiguration of My Face; verily they are the mirrors of My Names among the whole creation. • 8
[422] O Temple of Holiness! Verily we have made Thy heart the store of knowledge of that which was and is and the rising place of Our science which We have ordained to the people of the earth and heaven, that the beings will be filled abundantly through Thee, and, by the wonders of Thy sciences, will attain the knowledge of God, the Able, the Supreme, the Great. Verily the science which is attributed to Myself was not known to anyone, nor will it be known by any soul, neither could it be endured by anyone of the world. Should we produce but one word of it all the souls will be disturbed, the supports of all things be destroyed and the feet of the accomplished will deviate. • We have in Our possession a science of which, should We convey but one word to the beings, every one would be made to believe in the Manifestation of God and His Knowledge, and be acquainted with the secrets of all sciences, and attain a position whereby they would find themselves able to dispense with the sciences of both the ancients and moderns. •
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[423] • We have also other sciences of which if We speak but a single letter the people will not be able to hear its mention. Thus have we informed you of the Science of God, the Knower, the Informed. Had We found vessels We would have laid in them the treasures of Knowledge and would have taught them that of which one letter will encompass the whole world. • 9
[424] O Heart of this Temple! Verily we have made Thee the rising place of My science and the manifestation of My wisdom to whomsoever is in heaven and on earth. We have made the sciences to appear from Thee and to Thee shall we return them; then they will be sent forth from thee for another occasion as a promise on Our part, — verily We have been the doers. We shall raise up from Thee people of wonderful sciences and powerful arts and will show forth from them that of which the heart of no servant could ever conceive: Thus we give to whomsoever We please that which we please and take from the one whom we desire that which we have given him, and govern by Our command that which we will. Verily should We, by the Sun [sun] of Our Providence reveal Ourself upon the mirror of the existing beings in one hour, and take away from them the lights of Our revelation in another hour, — we are indeed able, — and no one dare ask "Why?" or
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"How?" Verily We are the Doers of that which We please and will not be questioned as to that We have done, and no one doubts this save the doubting infidel.
[425] Say, Our power could not be hindered and Our authority will never be annulled; We elevate whom We please to the glory of might and power; then bring him back, should We will, to the lowest of the low. Do you think, O people of the earth, if We were to elevate anyone to the divine lote-tree [Lote Tree], could [that] My power and dominion be prevented from controlling him? No, by Myself, but rather should We please, will bring him again to the dust in an instant. Look at the tree — [.] We plant it in the garden and water it by the water of Our Providence; and when it becomes of great stature, puts forth green leaves and bears the best fruits, We then send upon it the sweeping wind of command, uproot it and leave it upon the surface of the earth; thus have We been doing and thus will We do with everything — this is from the wonders of Our laws before and after all things, were ye of those who see. No one can see the wisdom of this save God, the Powerful, the Precious, the Wise! Do ye deny, O people, that which ye see? Woe unto you, O assembly of Abnegation [abnegation]: And the One who doth not change is He Himself, the Merciful, the
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Clement, were ye of those who reflect. Beside Him everyone changeth by the will on His part and He is the Almighty, the Precious, the Wise.
O people, speak ye not of My affair; because ye do not comprehend the wisdom of your Lord, and cannot attain His powerful and surrounding Knowledge. He who claims the knowledge of himself, is the most ignorant of all people, and will be accused of lying by all the atoms, and to this My faithful and trustworthy tongue will bear witness. Remember My command; then speak of it and of that which ye were commanded by Our Presence; and to speak of aught beside it beseemeth you not, for unto it no one can find a way, were ye of those who hear.O thou Temple! We have made Thee the rising place of every Name of Our Comely Names, and the Manifestation of every attribute of our Supreme Attributes, and the Source of mention of Our Remembrances, to whomsoever is in heaven and earth. Then We sent Thee, after My Form, between the earth and heaven and made Thee the Sign of My Glory, to whomsoever is in the power of command and creation, that My servants may be guided by Thee and be of those who are rightly directed. We have made Thee the Lote-tree of Munificence to whomsoever is in the earth and heaven. Blessed is he
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who sheltereth himself in Thy Shadow, and draweth near to Thy soul, the Protector of all the worlds. Verily We have made every Name a fountain from which rivers of wisdom and knowledge were made to flow in the verdant Gardens of Command, whose number could not be known by anyone save Thy Lord, the Almighty, the Knower and the Wise.Say, We have originated all the letters from the Point (Nukta) and to it We returned them; then We sent them forth in the form of a Human Temple. May the Wonderful and Admirable Doer be exalted. We shall form (a temple) from it for another time in My Name — El-ABHA — as a Bounty on My part, and I am the most Generous and Ancient: We produced the Lights from the Sun of Our Name, the Truth, and to it We returned them and made them appear after the form of the temple of man; may He be exalted, the Able, the Powerful, the Mighty. No one prevented Me from accomplishing My Command and no soul could ever intervene between Me and My Dominion and Power; I am He who sent forth the contingent beings by My Word and I am the Powerful over that which I will. Say, verily, should We wish to take the spirits out of all things at one time and send them forth another time, We were indeed able, and no
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one knows this save God the Knower, the Omniscient. [426] Should We desire to show forth from an atom, suns without beginning and without end, We are indeed able and We can make them all appear in a moment by My Command. Should We please to produce from a drop of water the seas of the heaven and earth and from a letter the science of what was and is, we are indeed able, — Verily [verily] it is an easy matter.
[427] Thus I have been able from the first which has no beginning to the last which has no end; but My creatures became heedless of My power and turned away from My dominion and disputed Me, the Knower and the Wise. Nothing can move between the heaven and earth without My permission and no soul can ascend to the Kingdom without My Command; but My creatures veiled themselves from My power and authority — and were of those who are negligent. Say, nothing can be seen in My Manifestation but the Manifestation of God — nor in My power but the power of God, were ye of those who know! Say, the maxim of My creatures is likened unto that of the leaves of a tree — they appear and feel themselves independent but of their root they are neglectful. Thus we propounded a proverb unto Our servants, the wise, perhaps they will elevate themselves from the vegetable degree and attain
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the station of accomplishment in this confirmed and valid matter. Say, they are likened unto a whale in the water; verily the water is its source of life but it indeed does not know that the source of life is from the Presence of the Precious, the Wise; it is veiled from it to such an extent that if asked about the water and its qualities, it does not know.
Thus We propound proverbs; perhaps the people will advance to the Kobla (Manifested God) of whomsoever is in the heaven and earth.O people! Hear God and deny not the One whose Mercy has encompassed the contingent beings, and His Bounty preceded the existing beings, and the dominion of His Command encircled your external and internal, your beginning and end; honor God and be of those who are Godly. Beware of being like those upon whom the signs of God passed and they failed to know them; verily are they not of those who are neglectful? Say, do ye worship him who doth not hear or see, but was, rather, the lowest and most despised of the servants? Why do ye not follow the One who came from the rising place of Command with the message of God, the Supreme, the Great.
O people, be not like those who came before the Throne and could not perceive; verily are
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they not of those to be ignored? Verily we read to them the signs to which the people of might and the inhabitants of the Kingdom will be drawn; but they went back and veiled themselves from them, waiting anxiously to hear the voice of one of the servants who calls the people to prayer by the will of God. Thus do we convey to you that which will guide you to the same path as that of those who are near (to God). How many a servant entered the spot of Paradise, the station of the Throne, and stood before their Lord, the Supreme, the Great, and asked concerning the "Four Doors" or regarding one of the Imams of the Furkan (Koran); — thus was the condition of these people, — were ye of those who know.[428] In like manner in these days do ye see those who deny and associate others with God and adhere to one Name of the Names, but turn away from the One who created these Names; verily we testify that they are of the people of Fire. They ask the Sun of that which the shadow hath said, and the Truth of that which the preachers uttered; — were ye of those who bear witness. Say, O people! The sun hath nothing in itself but its effulgence and that which appears from it, and all things beside it are illuminated by its light. Fear God and be not of those who are ignorant. Some of them asked
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the darkness about the light. Say, open thine eyes that thou mayest see the effulgence surrounding the horizons; verily it could be seen by the naked eye — this is a Light [light] which hath shone and appeared from the horizon of the Dawn of Knowledge with evident brightness. Do ye ask the Jews whether the Spirit [(Christ)] was of a Truth from God? Or the Idols, whether Mohammed was a Prophet [(Messenger)]? Or the people of the Koran concerning the Reminder [(the Bab)] of God, the Supreme, the Great?
[429] Say, O people, set aside that which is in your possession [(religious doctrines)] at the appearance of this Manifestation and take what ye have been commanded. This is the command of God unto you, — verily He is the best of Commanders. By My Beauty, in saying these words it was My aim only to bring the servants nearer to God, the Precious, the Praise-worthy [Praiseworthy]. • Beware not to do with Me that which ye have done with My Precursor • 10 [(the Bab)], and when the signs of God are descended upon you from the region of My Munificence, do not say that they were not descended upon el-Fitrat [El- Fitrat], verily el-Fitrat [El-Fitrat] was created by My Words and revolves around Me, were ye of those who believe. Blessed is He who hath found the fragrances of the Garment of Knowledge [garment of knowledge] from the Revelation of His Lord the
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Merciful; verily they were spread over the universe and by them the contingent world was perfumed. Blessed is the one who scenteth its fragrance and advanceth to God with an enlightened heart.
O Thou Temple! We have made Thee a mirror for the Kingdom of the Names to speak of My Dominion among all the creatures and summon all the people to My meeting and Beauty and to be a Guide to My obvious and upright Path. We have elevated Thy Name among the servants as a Bounty, — and adorned Thee with the embroidered Garment of Myself and cast upon thee My Word to use the Authority in the Kingdom as it pleaseth Thee and to do what Thou willeth. We have ordained to Thee the good of the heaven and earth so that no good will be granted to anyone unless he enters Thy shadow, as a command on the part of Thy Lord, the Learned, the Informed. And We have given the rod of command and the divination of authority to enable Thee to distinguish the wisdom of every question. We have shown forth from Thy breast the seas of Knowledge and Revelation in the celebration of Thy Lord, the Merciful, in order that Thou shouldst praise and be of the thankful. We have chosen Thee from
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amongst My creatures and made Thee the Manifestation of My Soul to whomsoever is in the heaven and earth. Send Thou forth by a permission on Our part, speaking mirrors and high letters to tell of Thy dominion and power and to indicate Thy might and greatness and be the manifestations of Thy Names among all the creatures. We have made Thee the origin of the mirrors and their originator just as We have originated them from Thee the first time; and We will take back to Myself just as We have created them, — verily Thy Lord is the Victorious, the Mighty, the Able. Tell the mirrors on their appearance, not to feel great against their Creator and Originator at the event of His Appearance, and not let authority make them proud and prevent them from submissiveness before the Hands of God, the Precious, the Handsome.Say, O ye Mirrors! Verily ye were created by My Command and sent forth by My Will: — beware not to deny the signs of My Lord and be not of those who oppress; verily they are the losers, and take not hold of that which ye have in your possession or boast of the elevation of your names. It behooveth you to cut yourselves from that which is in the heaven and earth; thus hath it been ordained to you from the Presence of the Almighty, the Able.
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O Temple of My Command! Say, if I wish to make all things as mirrors of My Names in less than a moment, I am indeed able, how much more then is My Lord, who hath created Me by His confirmed and valid command? And if I wish to invert the contingent beings within less than a twinkling of an eye, I am indeed able; how much then is that wish which was stored in the will of My God, My Lord, and the Lord of the worlds? Say, O ye Manifestations of My Names! Should ye fight in the way of God with your property and yourselves, and worship Him as the number of the sands of the earth, and as the drops of the rain, and as the waves of the seas, but at the event of the Appearance, ye object to the Manifestation of the Command, your actions and deeds will not be mentioned on the part of God: And if ye give up actions, and believe in Him in these days, it may be that God will forgive your past trespasses; verily He is the Precious, the Wise. Thus God teacheth you that which is intended, and perhaps ye will not make yourselves great against the One by whom is confirmed that which was descended in eternity of eternities.Blessed is he who cometh near to the Most Great Outlook, and those who turn away, may they be far off; how many servants have ex-
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pended their money in the cause of God, but at the time of the Manifestation we see them turning away, and how many servants fast in these days and still object to the One by whose command the law of fasting was confirmed; verily are they not of those who are ignorant? And how many servants eat the bread of barley, sit on that which grows from the earth and suffer hardships as a protection for their authority? Thus have We analyzed to thee their actions that they may be a warning to the others. Those people suffer hardships before others for the purpose of maintaining their names hereafter; but nothing will be kept for them save that whereby they will be cursed by whomsoever is in the heaven and earth. And suppose your names will be kept as ye conjecture, would it be of any good to you? Not by the Lord of the Worlds. Doth My Power glory in keeping His Name continually among those who worship the Names? No, by the life of God, the Powerful, the Mighty. Should no one mention you on earth and at the same time God was pleased with you, then ye would be in the treasures of His Hidden Name. Thus have we caused to descend the signs in order to attract you unto the rising-place of the Lights and enable you to know that which thy Lord, the Learned, the Wise, hath willed. Hold yourselves
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from that which ye were forbidden in the Book, and eat of that which was lawfully given to you by God, and do not deprive yourselves of His gifts; verily He is the Generous, the Owner of the Great Bounty. Do not bring hardships upon yourselves, but do that which We have revealed to you through evident proofs and brilliant signs, and be not of those who are neglectful.
[430] O ye Assembly of Ulama! (Divines)[divines]. Should ye shun the wine and what resembles it of that which was forbidden you in the Book, it is not a thing to glory over at all, for in practising such habits you will lose your dignity before the people, your affairs will be changed and your shame become manifested; but the glory is in your submissiveness to the word of the Truth [truth], and in cutting yourselves secretly and openly from everything besides God, the Powerful, the Able. Blessed is the learned who doth not allow science to intervene as a veil between him and the Known, and when the Self- existent cometh, he advanceth unto Him with a bright face, — verily he is of the Ulama [divines], — by whose wit the people of paradise will be exalted, and by whose lamp whomsoever is in heaven and earth will be illumined. Verily he is one of the heirs of the Prophets and he who sees him hath seen the
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Truth, and he who advanceth towards him hath advanced to God, the Mighty, the Wise.
[431] O ye Dawning Places of Science, beware not to be changed in yourselves; because, by such a change, most of the servants change; verily this is an oppression on your part upon yourselves — to this will bear witness every informed Knower. Ye are likened unto a spring which when changed, all the rivers branching out from it will be changed; fear God and be of those who are pious.
[432] And thus is man, when his heart becomes corrupted all the other limbs will become corrupted; so also the tree, — if the roots are corrupted, all the branches, twigs, leaves and fruits will follow the same process: Thus We have propounded proverbs that ye may not veil yourselves by that which ye have, from what was ordained unto you on the part of the Precious, the Generous. Verily should we take a handful of dust and embroider it with the embroidered garment of the Names, — we are indeed able and this is a bounty on my part upon it and not according to its deserts. Thus hath it descended of a truth from the Presence of the abode of the Omniscient.
Look to the Blackstone of Caaba, Mecca, which God hath made the object of pilgrimage to the people; is this bounty from the stone itself? No, by My Soul!
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And is this glory from itself? No, by Myself, which the knowledge of every learned and wise man failed to comprehend. Again look to the Masjid el-Aksa (a mosque built upon the site of the Temple of Jerusalem) and others which we have made places of circuit to the people of all sides and regions; such honor is not to be attributed unto them, but unto Our Manifestations which we have made the rising places of Our Revelation among the servants, — were ye of those who know. Verily there is wisdom in all this which no one knoweth but God. Ask that God may point out unto you that which He willeth, — verily He is the Omniscient.O people! Cut yourselves from the world and its gold, and do not look to those who denied God and associated other things with Him; but look to the horizon of the Revelation (Beyan) for the purpose of celebrating your Lord, the Merciful. This is what God hath willed, — blessed are those who know.
Say, O people! We have commanded you in the tablets to sanctify yourselves on that occasion of the Appearance, from all the names, and that which was created in earth and heaven, in order that the transfiguration of the Sun of Truth from the horizon of the will of your Lord the Powerful, the Great, be printed upon your souls. Also,
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we have commanded you to purify your hearts from the love and detestation of those who are upon the earth, lest anything will prevent you from one direction and enforce you to another, — and this is of my greatest advice unto you in a perspicuous Tablet. He who adhereth to either the one or the other verily he cannot know the Command as it is, — unto this will bear witness every just and informed one. Ye have forgotten the Promise of God, and violated His Covenant in such a manner that ye turned away from the One by whose Appearance the eyes of the Unitarians were consoled. Purify your sight from the hidden and the veiled, then look to the evidences of the Prophets and Messengers, that ye may know the Matter of God in these days wherein the Promised One hath come with great sovereignty.Fear God and deprive not yourselves from the Rising-Place of the signs; this is that whereby you will be profited; — verily your Lord is the Rich, and He is sufficient for all the world. Verily He everlastingly was, and there was nothing beside Him. The standard of Unitarianism was elevated by His Name on el Tor (Mt. Sinai) of existence of the seen and unseen, declaring, "There is no God but Me, the One, the Powerful, the Single." Verily those who were created by
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His Will and were sent forth by His Command, have turned away from Him and chosen for themselves a lord other than God; — verily are they not of those who are far away? They used to mention the Merciful in all times, but when He truly appeared, they opposed Him, — shame upon them, because they have violated the Covenant at the Appearance of the Sun of the horizons from the region of the will of God, the Holy, the Omniscient, the Wise. They drew our swords of hatred against the face of God, perceiving not in themselves that they are as dead in the graves of their lusts, after the Garment hath diffused its perfume upon all provinces. Verily are they not enveloped in a thick veil? When the signs of God are read to them they continue their persistence in showing their greatness, as if they knew nothing or ever heard the voice of God, the Supreme, the Omniscient. Say, alas, what a pity on you! Do ye claim the faith in you while ye deny the signs of God, the Powerful, the Wise? Say, O people, turn your faces to the region of your Lord, the Merciful, and beware not to let that which was revealed in el-Beyan prevent you from coming to God. Verily it was not revealed save only for the sake of my Celebration, the Mighty, the Impregnable. Nothing was intended by him (the Bab who wrote the Beyan) save My
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Beauty. I have filled all the countries with My proofs, were ye of those who are just! • Had the First Point (Bab) been someone else beside Me, as ye claim, and reached the event of My Appearance he would never have left Me, but rather we would have had mutual delights with each other in My days; • 11 verily he lamented over our separation, and came before Me to preach to the people of my Kingdom; thus hath it been revealed in the Tablets, — were ye of those who see. Would there were someone from those who are ignorant, who have ears to hear his clamor in the Beyan of that which came upon Myself; and to know his yearning at My separation and his passionate love to meet Me, the Precious, the Incomparable. And at this time he sees his Beloved amongst the servants who were created for His days and for worshipping Him, in that state of submissiveness, and the Pen is ineffective to mention that which came upon Him from these oppressors.Say, O people; We have summoned you in the first Appearance to the Most Great Outlook, this Most Pure Station, and preached to you of the days of God, but when the most great Veil became rent and the Beauty of the Ancients hath come upon the clouds of Destiny, ye denied the One in whom ye believed: Woe unto you, O assembly of infidels. Fear God and do not refute
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the Truth by that which ye have. When the Sun of the Signs shines upon you from the horizon of the Finger of the King of the Names and Attributes, fall down upon your faces to worship God, the Lord of the Worlds. To worship in front of His Door is better unto you than being worshipped by mankind and genii; and to humble yourself upon the occasion of his Appearance is better for you than what is in the heaven and the earth.Say, O people, I remind you and do not want you to reward Me; for My reward is the One who hath created Me and sent Me with the Truth and made Me a remembrance to all of the creatures. Hasten to the outlook of God and His station and follow not Satan and yourselves; verily he (Satan) commandeth you to commit iniquity and injustice and preventeth you from the path which was set up in the world by the Wise the Confirmed Command. Say, the Satan hath appeared in a condition the like of which was not existent in creation, and also the Beauty of the Merciful hath been manifested in the Embroidered Garment the like of which was not comprehended and attained by the eyes of the Ancients.
[433] The Voice of the Merciful was raised, and from behind it the voice of Satan also. Blessed is the
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one who heareth the voice of God and turneth to the direction of the Throne, the Noble [noble] and Holy Outlook [holy outlook]. He who hath turned his heart less than a mustard seed of love for anything beside Me, verily he cannot enter My Kingdom, and My proof of this is that whereby the Face [face] of the Book of Existence is adorned — were ye of those who know.
[434] Say, this is the day whereon the Most Great Bounty has appeared, and nothing, either in the supremest heaven or in the lowest earth, but utters in My mention and sings in the praise of Myself — were ye of those who hear, O Temple of the Manifestation! Blow though the horn in My Name: Then O Temple of the Secrets! Breathe thou into the fife in commemoration of thy Lord, the Unconstrained: Then O Houri [Maid] of Paradise! Come out of the chambers of the Garden and say to the inhabitants of the universe, "By God, He hath appeared, the Beloved of the world, the Intended of the Knowers [knowers], the Worshipped of whomsoever is in the heaven and the earth and the adored [Adored] of the Ancients and Moderns [ancients and moderns]. Beware of hesitating to accept this Beauty, after the Ruler of Might, Power and Glory hath appeared. Verily, He is the Truth and everything besides Him on the part of His servants is annihilated and lost at the appearance of His
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Lights [lights]. Hasten to the River of Bounty [river of bounty] (Cowther el-Fadhl) and be of the impatient, and he who hesitates for an instant, God will frustrate his plans and bring him back to the station of overwhelming grief and constraint. Thus how terrible is the residence of those who hesitate!"
Notes:
1Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 1944, p. 101- 102:
"In His Suratu'l-Haykal (the Surih of the Temple) He thus describes those breathless moments when the Maiden, symbolizing the "Most Great Spirit" proclaimed His mission to the entire creation:
"While engulfed in tribulations I heard a most wondrous, a most sweet voice, calling above My head. Turning My face, I beheld a Maiden — the embodiment of the remembrance of the name of My Lord — suspended in the air before Me. So rejoiced was she in her very soul that her countenance shone with the ornament of the good- pleasure of God, and her cheeks glowed with the brightness of the All- Merciful. Betwixt earth and heaven she was raising a call which captivated the hearts and minds of men. She was imparting to both My inward and outer being tidings which rejoiced My soul, and the souls of God's honored servants. Pointing with her finger unto My head, she addressed all who are in heaven and all who are on earth, saying: 'By God! This is the Best-Beloved of the Worlds, and yet ye comprehend not. This is the Beauty of God amongst you, and the power of His sovereignty within you, could ye but understand. This is the Mystery of God and His Treasure, the Cause of God and His glory unto all who are in the kingdoms of Revelation and of creation, if ye be of them that perceive.'"
2Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 1938, p. 110:
"He will, ere long, out of the Bosom of Power draw forth the Hands of Ascendancy and Might — Hands who will arise to win victory for this Youth and who will purge mankind from the defilement of the outcast and the ungodly. These Hands will gird up their loins to champion the Faith of God, and will, in My name the self- subsistent, the mighty, subdue the peoples and kindreds of the earth. They will enter the cities and will inspire with fear the hearts of all their inhabitants. Such are the evidences of the might of God; how fearful, how vehement is His might!"
3Shoghi Effendi, The Promised Day is Come, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 1939, rev. edn. 1963, p. 47-48:
"The most important of His Tablets, addressed to individual sovereigns, Bahá'u'lláh ordered to be written in the form of a pentacle, symbolizing the temple of man, including therein, as a conclusion, the following words which reveal the importance He attached to those Messages, and indicate their direct association with the prophecy of the Old Testament:
"Thus have We built the Temple with the hands of power and might, could ye but know it. This is the Temple promised to you in the Book. Draw nigh unto it. This is that which profiteth you, could ye but comprehend it. Be fair, O peoples of the earth! Which is preferable, this, or a temple which is built of clay? Set your faces towards it. Thus have ye been commanded by God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Follow ye His bidding, and praise ye your God, your Lord, for that which He hath bestowed upon you. He, verily, is the Truth. No God is there but He. He revealeth what He pleaseth, through His words 'Be and it is.'"
4see note 2
5Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 1938, p. 109:
"In the Suratu'l-Haykal, one of the most challenging works of Bahá'u'lláh, the following verses, each of which testifies to the resistless power infused into the Revelation proclaimed by its Author, have been recorded:
"Naught is seen in My temple but the Temple of God, and in My Beauty is His Beauty, and in My being but His Being, and My self but His Self, and in My movement but His Movement, and in My acquiescence but His Acquiescence, and in My pen but His Pen, the Mighty, the All-Praised. There hath not been in My soul but the Truth, and in Myself naught could be seen but God."
6Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 1938, p 169:
"The onrushing winds of the grace of God have passed over all things. Every creature hath been endowed with all the potentialities it can carry. And yet the peoples of the world have denied this grace! Every tree hath been endowed with the choiceth fruits, every ocean enriched with the most luminous gems. Man, himself, hath been invested with the gifts of understanding and knowledge. The whole creation hath been made the recipient of the revelation of the All-Merciful, and the earth the repository of things inscrutable to all except God, the Truth, the Knower of things unseen. The time is approaching when every created thing will have cast its burden. Glorified be God Who hath vouchsafed this grace that encompasseth all things, whether seen or unseen!"
7Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 1938, p. 109:
"The Holy Spirit Itself hath been generated through the agency of a single letter revealed by this Most Great Spirit, if ye be of them that comprehend."
8Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 1938, p. 109-110:
"The day is approaching when God will have, by an act of His Will, raised up a race of men the nature of which is inscrutable to all save God, the All-Powerful, the Self- Subsisting."
9Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh,Bahá'í Publishing Trust, Wilmette,1938, p. 109:
"Within the treasury of Our Wisdom there lies unrevealed a knowledge, one word of which, if we chose to divulge it to mankind, would cause every human being to recognize the Manifestation of God and to acknowledge His omniscience, would enable everyone to discover the secrets of all the sciences, and to attain so high a station as to find himself wholly independent of all past and future learning. Other knowledges We do possess, not a single letter of which We can disclose, nor do We find humanity able to hear even the barest reference to their meaning. Thus have We informed you of the knowledge of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise."
10p. 50: Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 1938, p 117:
"Deal not with Him as ye have dealt with Me."
11Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 1938, p 138-139:
"Had the Primal Point (the Bab) been someone
else beside Me as ye claim.. and had attained My presence, verily He
would have never allowed Himself to be separated from Me, but rather
We would have had mutual delights with each other in My
Days."
Introductory notes
Bahá'ís reading this translation should be aware of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's statement, published in Tablets of Abdul-Baha Abbas, Volume I, 1908, p. 1: "Ye have written concerning the printing and publication of the Tablets. The translation of the Surat-ul-Hykl is of the utmost difficulty. It must be translated by a committee who are exceedingly efficient both in Persian and English, exercising the closest and most minute attention. Otherwise the text would not become intelligible. The same rule applieth to other Writings and Tablets. For the present the organization of such a committee of translators is not possible and there is no other means than the translations made by individuals. In the future, God willing, means will be brought about. Translations will be made by a committee composed of two most erudite Persians and two learned Americans, all of them having the utmost proficiency in both languages and possessing a certain knowledge of sciences and arts. Then others from among the scholars and thinkers must assist. At that time Tablets will be translated correctly and published. What ye have in your hands and what is already printed will impart a certain degree of information. Whatever matter the spiritual Boards of Council in New York, Chicago, Washington and Kenosha unanimously deem advisable to print and publish, ye may print and publish; and have the utmost union and oneness with each other."
This translation was also published abridged with minor editing in Bahá'í Scriptures, Selections from the Utterances of Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Ed. Horace Holley, New York, Brentano's, 1923 (Bahá'í Publishing Committee, 1928), p. 209 P 222.
Spelling or punctuation variations of the Bahá'í Scriptures edition are added in brackets.Bracketed numbers shown in this online edition indicate verse numbering used in the Bahá'í Scriptures editions.
Verses not in Bahá'í Scriptures edition, but found in the Haddad edition, are indented.
Words within parenthesis are only in the 1900 edition translated by Haddad. If also enclosed in brackets then such words in parenthesis also appear in Bahá'í Scriptures.
Page numbering in brackets is according to the Haddad translation and precede the page intended.
Words in this color font • and between bullets • are footnoted to the translations made by Shoghi Effendi of the same passage, which is presented in this color font and italicized. For best appearance of the text, the footnotes are contained in a different file. For comparison, the reader might wish to open these footnotes in a different browser window such that the two versions can be read side-by-side in different windows.
References
Athar-i Qalam-i A`la, vol. 1, p.2-38 (Revised Athar-i Qalam-i A`la, vol. 1 (forthcoming) will deal with differences between the two versions of the tablet. [Arabic])Athar-i Qalam-i A`la, vol. 4, p. 268-300. Bahá'í Scriptures, Selections from the Utterances of Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Ed. Horace Holley, New York: Brentano's, 1923 (Bahá'í Publishing Committee, 1928), p. 209 P 222
Bahá'í World Center, "Questions about the Suratu'l-Haykal," unpublished memo, 5 September 1993 [regarding the date of the tablet]
Bahá'u'lláh, Alwah-i, Surat al-Haykal, Bombay,1308, Lith.
Bahá'u'lláh, From Suratul-Heykle, the Book of the Temple, translation by Habib Katibah and L. K. Saleeby, n.p., n.d. [190-?] [4] p. [an early translation circulated widely in mimeo; see Collins 1.36]
Bushrui, Suheil, Style of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, University Press of Maryland, 1995. Discussion of Bahá'u'lláh's nine-tiered categorization of His Writings, 40-41; translation of one brief paragraph, 62.
al-Kitab al-mubin, Tehran, 120 B.E./1963[?], p. 2-38, [with numerous variations]
Lambden, Stephen, 'Sinaitic mysteries' SBBR, vol.5, p.145
Browne, Edward Granville, 'The Babis of Persia', II Their Literature and Doctrines. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, vol. 21, London,1889, p. 955-960 (see reprint: Selections from the Writings of E. G. Browne on the Babi and Bahá'í Religions, Ed. Moojan Momen, Oxford: George Ronald, 1987, p. 260-265)
Mazandarani, Jinab-i-Fadil-i-, Asraru'l-Athar, vol. 1, p. 33
Rosen, Collections scientifiques de L'institut de Langues Orientales du Ministere des Affairs Estrangeres, vol VI, 2e fascicule, 1891, Ms 247, reproduced in full pp. 149-192
Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1938, p. 109, 117, 138-9, 169
Taherzadeh, Adib, The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, Baghdad, 1853- 63, vol. 1, Oxford: George Ronald, 1974, pp. 42-43, 121-122
Taherzadeh, Adib, The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, Baghdad, 1853- 63, vol. 3, Oxford: George Ronald, 1983, p. 133-146
Walbridge, John. "The Suratu'l-Haykal." Encyclopedia article, online here.
Notes
Bahá'u'lláh had the Suratu'l-Haykal and Tablets to Pius IX, Napoleon III, Alexander II and the King of Persia (Nasiri'd-Din Shah) written in the form of a pentacle [see Shoghi Effendi God Passes By, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 1944, p. 212-3; Taherzadeh, Adib, The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, Baghdad, 1853-63, vol. 3, George Ronald, Oxford, 1983, p. 133]Bahá'u'lláh affirms in a separate tablet that the Haykal, or Temple, addressed in the tablet is Himself. He also says the Voice of God in the tablet is identical with His voice. [see Fadil-i-Mazindarani, Asadu'llah, Mirza, Asraru'l-Athar, vol. 5, Tihran: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 129 B.E./1972, p. 227]
Suratu'l-Haykal was first written in Edirne but revised in 'Akka, probably in 1869 (Lambden: 1873-4). [more bibliographic information needed]
Various spellings and names of this Tablet
-
Book of the Temple
Discourse of the Body
Discourse of the Temple
Surih of the Temple
Suriy-i-Haykal
Surat'ul-Haykal
Suratul-Heykle
Surat'ul-Hykl
Suratu'l-Haykal (the spelling used by Shoghi Effendi)
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