Sequential Outline of the Kitáb-i-Íqán:
condensed version

edited by Arjen Bolhuis
2021

"The following outline represents one effort to identify the important subject matter of the Iqan in the order in which it appears in the text. The task is formidable. The outline is not intended to be fully comprehensive but, rather, to serve as an aid to locating various subjects. It is suggested the student should consider preparing his own version. It proves a very helpful exercise in coming to an understanding of the structure of the book as a whole and leads to an appreciation of how the Iqan is composed of a number of themes, all intricately interwoven. This sequential approach does not deal adequately with this interweaving. Section 3 of this study offers references indicating the flow of some of these themes and section 5 provides a topical outline. The items below are accompanied by paragraph numbers from the Iqan." (From Hooper Dunbar's introduction, p. 51)

The below outline is a condensed and edited version of Hooper Dunbar's outline, inspired by the above statement "It is suggested the student should consider preparing his own version".

Part One

Detachment is the key to true understanding (1-2)

Cause of denial of Prophets of the past (3-6)*

Cruelties suffered by the Prophets of the past: Noah, Hud, Salih, Abraham, Moses, Jesus (6-17)*

Denials of religious leaders (13-16)*

Coming and return of Prophets (19-20)*

Food, bread (22)

Explanation of Matthew 24:29-31 (25-51) (also 66-87)

- Oppression, 'Sun' and 'moon', Religious leaders, Laws and teachings, 'Cleaving of heaven', 'Changing of the earth' (48-51)

Purpose of symbolic terms to test and prove people (53-63)
- Change of the Qiblih, homicide of Moses, condition of the Virgin Mary (54-9)

Continued explanation of Matthew 24:29-31 (68-87) (also 25-51)
- Signs of coming in visible and invisible heavens, 'sign of the Son of man in heaven' (Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, the Báb) (61-73)

- Meaning of 'heaven' (74-5)

- Two kinds of knowledge (76)

- Meaning of 'clouds' (79-83)*

- Meaning of 'smoke' (84)

- Meaning of 'angels' (86-7)

Objections and differences persist in every age (88-90)

Alleged corruption of the Texts (91-8)

Part Two

Twofold purpose for appearance of Manifestations of God (103)

God, the Unknowable Essence (104-5)*

Relationship between Manifestation and Divine Essence (105-6)*

Direct evidence of the names and attributes of God within all things (107-10)*

Failure of peoples to seek inner meaning of God's words (111-12)

Why the sovereignty of the Qa'im is not manifest (113-18)*

Meaning of 'wolf' and 'lamb' feeding together (119)

Meaning of 'life' and 'death' (120)

Verdict of the Last Day, of resurrection, of judgement (121-2)

Meaning of 'trumpet' and 'resurrection' (122-3)

Spiritual rebirth (125-9)

Spiritual sovereignty superior to worldly domain (131-45)

Allegation that the hand of God is chained up, that revelation is ended (147-8)*

Promise of attainment to the Divine Presence (148-51)

Fundamental purpose of all learning: Recognition of the Manifestation (153-4)

Meaning of the 'return' of Prophets and holy souls (156-71)

Twofold station of the Manifestation of God: abstraction and unity (161-62)*
(also (20), (191-4))

Rebirth and transformation (163-4)

The Divine Elixir (164-7)

Example of the rose (169)

All the Manifestations of God are at the same time the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (171-88)

- Meaning of the 'Seal of the Prophets' (172, 174, 178)

Twofold station assigned to each Manifestation of God (191-4)*
(also (20), (161-2))
- First station: All one person, one soul (193)*

- Second station: Distinction, differentiation, temporal limitations, etc. (194)*

Truth of divergent utterances of the Manifestations: Divinity, Lordship, Prophethood, Messengership, Guardianship, Apostleship or Servitude (196-9)*

Manifestation of God as the source of all knowledge (199-201)

Prerequisites of the true seeker after God (212-16)*

The City of Certitude (213-9)*

The Word of God is the greatest testimony (220-34)

- People's derision and denial of the Word of God (229-36), (238)

- Standard for understanding of God's Word: purity of heart, chastity of soul and freedom of spirit (233)

Rejection based on belief in finality of Revelation (236-45)

Proofs related to the Revelation of the Báb (246-65)*

References to various Islamic traditions (hadith) (266-75)

Four signs from four Prophets (282)

Twofold language of the Manifestations of God (283-4)

* Forty passages from entries marked with an asterisk above, were selected by Shoghi Effendi for inclusion in Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh.