Sources of Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh

by Vahid Rafati, Denis MacEoin, and Faruq Izadinia

The following is from a few sources: First, Vahid Ra'fati compiled it under the title "The Sources of Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh," published in Andalib magazine, vol. 4 no.13, (Winter 1984-1985), pp. 59-71 [Institute for Bahá'í Studies in Persian, in Dundas, Ontario, Canada]. Elham Afnan then translated this portion from English into Persian.

Second, Denis MacEoin posted an expanded version to the Internet in April, 1997. The notes listed in the text and included at the end are his. They are not to be considered authoritative, since they may constitute personal opinions of one independent scholar.

Finally, I compiled the two and added obvious data where missing, such as some translations of some titles and publication information. The information here is not complete and I may have introduced errors.

An "xx" indicates entry not applicable (e.g. that the Kitab-i-Aqdas had no single recipient) or that the information is not known.

See also another table of Sources [RTF], provided by Faruq Izadinia, dated 1971. I have not correlated the two tables, because some information conflicts between the two, and I don't have the knowledge to determine which one is correct in each case. More information about each of the Tablets listed here can be found in the Leiden List of the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh. [-J.W., 2001]

A more accurate table (PDF scan) can be found as an appendix to the original-language volume of selections corresponding to Gleanings (2nd edition, Bahá’í-Verlag, 2006).

Division into five parts (as described in the introduction):
Part 1, pp. 1-46 (sections 1-18) - This age as the "Day of God"
Part 2, pp. 46-136 (sections 19-69) - The Manifestation of God and the significance of the Manifestation in representing the attributes of God
Part 3, pp. 136-200 (sections 70-99) - The soul and its immortality
Part 4, pp. 200-259 (sections 100-121) - Spiritual aspects of World Order and the Most Great Peace
Part 5, pp. 259-346 (sections 122-166) - Duties of the individual and the spiritual meaning of life

MacEoin's notes:

1. Part of this tablet ['Centre your energies... dumbfounded] is quoted in Risala-yi rahnama-yi tabligh, p. 6, where the opening line is cited. It is stated there that the passage is taken from a collection of tablets transcribed in Shiraz, p. 349.

2. This item is not, as Raf'ati states, addressed to 'Andalib, but to Mirza Badi' Allah ('One of our sons').

3. The order in which the Gleanings text has been arranged does not follow the original.

4. There are long lacunae between the translated sections making up the Gleanings passage.

5. (To section 36): This passage comes from a reply to questions from a Christian priest. The Iqtidarat text quotes it as from a previous tablet.

6. There should be no lacunae between 'created things' and 'In like manner'.

7. (Section 43) There should be lacunae marks on p. 95, between 'holy Book' and 'O people of Justice!'

8. For a Persian trans. of part of this section ('Regard the world' to end], apparently by 'Abbas Effendi, see Amr wa khalq v. 3, pp. 219-221.

9. The passage 'We pray God... with him' has an analogue on p.243 and also in Iqtidarat p. 142.

Further remarks:

There are some variant translations by Shoghi Effendi (and, I'm sure, more than I have noted): p. 95 'It is not his to boast', cf. p. 249 and World Order of Bahá'u'lláh p. 41; p. 138 'Verily... angels', cf. Bahá'í Administration p. 16; pp. 215-16 cf. WOB p. 32; p. 217, cf. WOB p. 41; p. 249, cf. WOB p. 41; p. 243, cf. p.339 and p.345

I have Qur'anic sources for all but three of the analogues from sections XVII and XVIII, if anyone needs them.

Not all the above information may be correct: I'm using material I haven't really looked at closely in many years, so there's room for error. But I hope this brings us closer to a properly edited text. It is certainly of major importance to be able to compare Shoghi Effendi's often very free translations with the originals.

Additional notes:

Note 10. Verse from the Gulistán of Sa'dí, chapter 2, story 11, with reference to Qur'án 50:16. [with thanks to Adib Masumian; -A.B.]

Sources (extracted from the Partial Inventory)

DOR. Days of Remembrance: Selections from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh for Bahá’í Holy Days. Bahá’í World Centre, 2016. https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/bahaullah/daysremembrance

GWB. Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. U.S. Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1935. https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritativetexts/bahaullah/gleanings-writings-bahaullah

GWBP. Muntakhabátí-az-Áthár-i-Ḥaḍrat-i-Bahá’u’lláh. Bahá'í-Verlag, 2006. Persian/Arabic edition of GWB. https://www.bahai.org/fa/library/authoritative-texts/bahaullah/gleaningswritings- bahaullah and http://bahailib.com/pdf/15.pdf

AQA. Áthár-i Qalam-i A`lá (7 vols). Bombay and BPT Iran, 1890-1978. Collection of Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh. Republished by the Canada Association for Bahá’í Studies (2002-2006) in 3 volumes, vol. 1 = old Vol. 1 (http://bahailib.com/pdf/565.pdf), vol. 2 = old vols. 2,3,4 (http://bahailib.com/pdf/566.pdf), vol. 3 [typescript] = old vols. 5,6,7 (http://bahailib.com/pdf/567.pdf). Pagination in the Partial Inventory follows the original series. Any references to AQA that you see in the table above which are followed by the hash (number sign #) refer to the newer editions published in Canada. Any references which don't have that symbol refer to the original editions, since those older editions did not divide their contents into numbered selections.

AVK. Mázandarání, Fáḍil. Amr va Khalq (4 vols.). Bahá'í-Verlag, 1985. Thematic compilation of extracts. http://reference.bahai.org/fa/t/c/AK1
English translation of table of contents: http://www.kashkul.org/wpcontent/ uploads/2018/05/Amr-va-Khalq-Contents.pdf

DLH. Ishráq-Khávarí, Abdu'l-Ḥamíd. Durj-i La'álíy-i Hidáyat (3 vols.). BPT Iran, 132 B.E. [1975]. Talks. http://bahailib.com/pdf/729.pdf

DLS. Miṣbáḥ, ‘Azízulláh. Dala'il al-Ṣulḥ. BPT Iran, 128 B.E. [1971]. Aspects of Bahá'í philosophy and teachings. http://bahailib.com/pdf/675.pdf

HYK. Lawḥ-i Haykal. Bombay, 1890. Collection of Tablets including the Súriyi-Haykal. Corresponds in part to AQA1.

IQT. Iqtidárát va Chand Lawḥ-i Dígar. BPT Iran, 1970. Collection of Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh. http://bahailib.com/pdf/24.pdf

LHKM. La'álíy-i ḥikmat (3 vols.). Editora Baha’i-Brasil, 1991. Collection of Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh. Vol. 1: http://bahailib.com/pdf/561.pdf, Vol. 2: http://bahailib.com/pdf/562.pdf, Vol. 3: http://bahailib.com/pdf/563.pdf

MJMM. Majmú`ih-yi Maṭbú`ih-yi Alváḥ-i Mubárakih-yi Ḥaḍrat-i Bahá'u'lláh. U.S. Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1978. Collection of Tablets originally published in Cairo 1920. https://reference.bahai.org/fa/t/b/MR/download.html

OOL. “Ocean of Lights”. Website containing Bahá’í Writings and translations. https://oceanoflights.org

TB. Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Bahá’í World Centre, 1978. https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/bahaullah/tablets-bahaullah

TBP. Majmú`i'í az Alváḥ-i Jamál-i Aqdas-i Abhá kih ba`d az Kitáb-i Aqdas Názil Shudih. Bahá'í-Verlag, 1980. Original language version of TB. https://www.bahai.org/fa/library/authoritative-texts/bahaullah/tablets-bahaullah