back to Main IndexThe Bayán:
faculty notes by Brent Poirier, Peter Terry,
Christopher Buck, Moojan Momen, Jonah Winters
back to Main IndexShoghi Effendi wrote that the Persian Bayán "should be regarded primarily as a eulogy of the Promised One rather than a code of laws and ordinances designed to be a permanent guide to future generations." (God Passes By, p. 25) Perhaps this verse from the Aqdas is the source of the Guardian's guidance:
O Spot that art situate on the shores of the two seas! . . . We behold in thee the foolish ruling over the wise, and darkness vaunting itself against the light. Thou art indeed filled with manifest ["mubayyin"] pride
Aqdas p. 21
Erelong shall your days pass away, as shall pass away the days of those who now, with flagrant ["mubayyin"] pride, vaunt themselves over their neighbor.
Gleanings 226
O Banks of the Rhine! We have seen you covered with gore ... And We hear the lamentations of Berlin, though she be today in conspicuous ["mubayyin"] glory.
Aqdas 21
The All-Merciful is come invested with undoubted ["mubayyin"] sovereignty.
Gleanings 40
My sorrow is not for Myself, but for Him Who shall come after Me, in the shadow of My Cause, with manifest and undoubted ["mubayyin"] sovereignty
GPB 250
Whether ye rejoice, or whether ye burst for fury, the heavens are cleft asunder, and God hath come down, invested with radiant ["mubayyin"] sovereignty.
Gleanings 42
Lo, the Desired One is come with manifest ["mubayyin"] dominion!
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf 49
the Lucid ["mubayyin"] Book
Aqdas 23
He hath but to deliver this clear ["mubayyin"] message
Tablet of Ahmad
This is the luminous ["mubayyin"] Tablet, whose verses have streamed from the moving Pen of Him Who is the Lord of all worlds.
Gleanings 9
If ye pay no heed unto the counsels which, in peerless and unequivocal ["mubayyin"] language, We have revealed in this Tablet
Gleanings 251
God's perspicuous ["mubayyin"] Book hath been revealed
Gleanings 285
Thus have We set down Our decree in a perspicuous ["mubayyin"] Tablet.
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf 47
Even as the Lord of being hath in His unerring ["mubayyin"] Book [Kitáb mubayyin]
Kitáb-i-Íqán 169
There is neither a thing green nor sere but it is noted in the unerring ["mubayyin"] Book
(Quote from Qur'an) Kitáb-i-Íqán 190
Nothing is there green or sere, but it is noted in a distinct ["mubayyin"] writing.
(Same quote from Qur'an)
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 150
the heaven hath given out a palpable ["mubayyin"] smoke
Gleanings 40
They that have tarnished the fair name of the Cause of God, by following the things of the flesh - these are in palpable ["mubayyin"] error!
Gleanings 100
They that dispute, as prompted by their desires, are indeed wrapped in a palpable ["mubayyin"] veil.
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 55
He that is careless of what hath poured out from the finger of the Will of God liveth in manifest ["mubayyin"] error.
Gleanings 205
Every verse which this Pen hath revealed is a bright and shining ["mubayyin"] portal that discloseth the glories of a saintly and pious life, of pure and stainless deeds.
Gleanings 96
Religion is a radiant ["mubayyin"] light and an impregnable stronghold
The Promised Day is Come 113
His loved ones who, with manifest ["mubayyin"] sincerity, have come unto you.
Gleanings 124
By God! Should one who is in affliction or grief read this Tablet with absolute ["mubayyin"] sincerity God will dispel his sadness
Tablet of Ahmad
With a detached heart, and a dilated breast, and an utterly ["mubayyin"] truthful tongue, recite thou these sublime words
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p.142
...them that, without a tittle of evidence ["mubayyin"] have treated Us with manifest injustice.
Gleanings 129
He accused Us, in his letter to thee, and thou didst believe him and followed in his way, without seeking any proof or trustworthy evidence ["mubayyin"] from him.
Gleanings 229
that the truth, the infallible truth, may be indubitably manifested ["mubayyin"] unto you
Gleanings 146
With a certitude that none can question ["mubayyin"] , all men would cleave to His commandments, and would scrupulously observe them.
Gleanings 117
... so that every one may know of a certainty ["mubayyin"] that this Wronged One hath acted in a manner which hath been pleasing and acceptable unto men endued with insight
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf 22
so that thou mayest know of a certainty ["mubayyin"] that whatever hath been mentioned hath come from God
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf 38
The fear of God hath ever been a sure ["mubayyin"] defense and a safe stronghold for all the peoples of the world.
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf 27
Were His law to be such as to strike terror into the hearts of all that are in heaven and on earth, that law is naught but manifest ["mubayyin"] justice.
Gleanings 175
Wert thou to ponder in thine heart the behavior of the Prophets of God thou wouldst assuredly and readily ["mubayyin"] testify that there must needs be other worlds besides this world
Gleanings 157
that the leaders of men may fully ["mubayyin"] recognize the purpose for which the Eternal Truth hath been revealed
Gleanings 215
Every man of discernment, while walking upon the earth, feeleth indeed abashed, inasmuch as he is fully aware ["mubayyin"] that the thing which is the source of his prosperity ... is the very earth . .
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf 44
Deal with them with undeviating justice, so that none among them may either suffer want, or be pampered with luxuries. This is but manifest ["mubayyin"] justice.
Gleanings 235
... judge ye between Us and Our enemies with equity. This will, surely, be a manifest ["mubayyin"] advantage unto you.
Gleanings 248
Should any one among you take up arms against another, rise ye all against him, for this is naught but manifest ["mubayyin"] justice.
Gleanings 254
... no sooner did I reveal Myself to their eyes than they, with manifest ["mubayyin"] injustice, pronounced the sentence of My death.
Gleanings 342
... they took Us forth from Our prison and made Us, with glaring ["mubayyin"] injustice, enter the Most Great Prison.
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf 49
We had sent Moses of old with Our signs and with clear ["mubayyin"] authority to Pharaoh
Qur'an, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 64
Said Moses to him: 'Thou art plainly ["mubayyin"] a most depraved person.'
Qur'an, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p.66
The bells, verily, peal out My Name, and lament over Me, but My spirit rejoiceth with evident ["mubayyin"] gladness
The Promised Day is Come 101
In the estimation of men of insight whatsoever befalleth in the path of God is manifest ["mubayyin"] glory and a supreme attainment.
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 125
O Fleeting Shadow!
Pass beyond the baser stages of doubt and rise to the exalted heights of certainty. Open the eye of truth, that thou mayest behold the veilless ["mubayyin"] Beauty and exclaim: Hallowed be the Lord, the most excellent of all creators!
Persian Hidden Words 9
He hath achieved a glorious triumph and obtained the true ["mubayyin"] victory
Selections from the Writings of `Abdu'l-Bahá 264
Ere long will ye behold him and his associates, outwardly and inwardly, condemned to utter ["mubayyin"] ruin.
The Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Bah 6
Soon thou that find thyself in evident ["mubayyin"] loss
The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh 178
Every man of discernment beholdeth thee, and such as are like thee, engulfed in evident ["mubayyin"] folly
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 80
Such is their blindness that, with unfeigned ["mubayyin"] severity, they have cast into this fortified and afflictive Prison Him, for the servants of Whose Threshold the world hath been created.
Gleanings 116
... some who were possessed of an affluent fortune and lived in the midst of excessive riches, while others were in dire want and abject ["mubayyin"] poverty.
Gleanings 235
We find some men desiring liberty, and priding themselves therein. Such men are in the depths of ["mubayyin"] ignorance
Aqdas 24
and yet the people are, for the most part, sunk in manifest ["mubayyin"] ignorance!
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 92
All must seek guidance and turn unto the Center of the Cause and the House of Justice. And he that turneth unto whatsoever else is indeed in grievous ["mubayyin"] error.
Will and Testament 26
Such a soul hath, in truth, wandered far in the path of ["mubayyin"] error
Gleanings 160
He is ... the Expounder ["mubayyin"] of the hidden and ancient wisdom.
Kitáb-i-Íqán 243
Justice is a powerful force. It is, above all else, the conqueror of the citadels of the hearts and souls of men, and the revealer of the secrets ["mubayyin"] of the world of being ...
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf 32
He is the Interpreter of the Word of God. He is the expounder of the words of God [mubayyin ayat alláh]
(Words of the Master referring to Shoghi Effendi, translated both ways by Shoghi Effendi — Bahá'í Administration, p. 7, Will and Testament p. 11)
No one is permitted to give these verses any other interpretation. I am according to the explicit texts of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas and the Kitáb-i-`Ahd the manifest Interpreter of the Word of God ... Whoso deviates from my interpretation is a victim of his own fancy.
`Abdu'l-Bahá, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh 138
My station is the station of servitude — a servitude which is complete, pure and real, firmly established, enduring, obvious, explicitly revealed and subject to no interpretation whatever. I am the Interpreter [mubayyin] of the Word of God; such is my interpretation [Bayán].
`Abdu'l-Bahá, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh 133
"God is My witness that the Bayán was sent down for no other purpose than to celebrate My praise,did ye but know. In it the pure in heart will find only the fragrance of My love, only My Name that overshadoweth all that seeth and is seen." (Bahá'u'lláh, Aqdas, Paragraph 179)There is a multitude of references in the Bayán to "Him Whom God shall manifest." In addition, there were a number of references to Bahá'u'lláh by Name, and I would like to share them. These were translated by Edward Granville Browne, and are available in "Selections from the Writings of E.G. Browne" edited by Moojan Momen:
In this verse, the Báb states that He has named the first month of the year, the Month of Bahá, after Him Whom God shall manifest:"And the first month is the Month of the Point, round which the (18) months of the Living revolve; its similitude amongst the months is as the Sun, while the rest of the months are like Mirrors, and it is named by God the month of Bahá, seeing that the splendour (Bahá) of all the months is included in it. For God hath set it apart for Him whom God shall manifest . .. ."
(Persian Bayán, Vahid 5, Chapter 3, E.G. Browne Translation, "Selections from the Writings of E. G. Browne," Momen, p. 362.)
"The best of all names are such as are related to God like Bahá'u'lláh and Jalalu'lláh, and Jamálu'lláh or Nuru'lláh or Fadlu'lláh, or Judu'lláh, and the like of these and Abdu'lláh and Dhikru'lláh. Gradually, in later Manifestations, all persons will be named with Names of God until all the Heaven and Earth and what is between them becomes filled with the Name of God. . . . He whom God shall manifest is like a touchstone, discriminating between pure gold and all beside. For instance if a person be named Bahá'u'lláh (the Splendour of God) and if he believes in the splendour (Bahá) of him who was the First to believe, then that Name becomes confirmed for him in Heaven ..."
(The Persian Bayán, Vahid V, Chapter 4, Momen, p. 362-3)
The Báb promised that eventually His faith will cover the earth:
"The object is that when He whom God shall manifest shall appear, all shall have been educated in the Bayán, that none of the believers in the Bayán may remain outside belief in Him; should one do so, the Command concerning him is as the Command concerning him who believeth not in God. I swear by God that in the Manifestation of Him whom God shall manifest all shall unite in helping [the propagation of the Faith], not one will remain on the earth who shall not enter into Paradise."
(The Persian Bayán, Vahid V, Chapter 4, Momen, p. 364)
"In the 'Bayán' the Báb says that every religion of the past was fit to become universal. The only reason why they failed to attain that mark was the incompetence of their followers. He then proceeds to give a definite promise that this would not be the fate of the revelation of 'Him Whom God would make manifest,' that it will become universal and include all the people of the world. This shows that we will ultimately succeed. But could we not, through our shortcomings, failures to sacrifice and reluctance to concentrate our efforts in spreading the Cause, retard the realization of that ideal? And what would that mean? It shall mean that we will be held responsible before God, that the race will remain longer in its state of waywardness, that wars would not be so soon averted, that human suffering will last longer."
(From a letter dated 20 February 1932 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, cited in the Compilation on Living the Life)
"Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him."
(Revelation 1:7)
"Our exalted Herald — may the life of all else besides Him be offered up for His sake — hath revealed certain laws. However, in the realm of His Revelation these laws were made subject to Our sanction, hence this Wronged One hath put some of them into effect by embodying them in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas in different words. Others We set aside. He holdeth in His hand the authority. He doeth waht He willeth and He ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth. He is the Almighty, the All-Praised. There are also ordinances newly revealed. Blessed are they that attain. Blessed are they that observe His precepts."
It is incumbent on him who is able to take 3 diamonds according to the number of Bism and four yellow amethysts according to the number of Alláh and six emeralds, the number of Al-Amna` and six rubies, the number of Al-Aqdas, that he should take them, and salute (or submit himself to) Him whom God shall manifest and the Letters of the Living on the day of His Manifestation."Then the Báb mentions four lights:
"The laws revealed in the Bayán by the Báb were designed to be short-lived. Some of them were incomplete, being either directly or by implication dependent upon the advent of 'Him Whom God shall make Manifest'. The laws of the Bábí religion were abrogated by the revelation of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Only a few of the laws given by the Báb were confirmed by Bahá'u'lláh and these were reinstated in that same book. 'Abdu'l-Bahá has declared that those laws of the Báb which were not confirmed in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas are to be considered as abrogated. In another Tablet He states that any law revealed elsewhere in the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, if contrary to the laws of the Aqdas, is invalid. But those which are not contrary, or are not mentioned in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, are valid and binding."
"It would, however, be helpful and instructive to bear in mind certain basic principles with reference to the Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Bahá, which, together with the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, constitutes the chief depository wherein are enshrined those priceless elements of that Divine Civilization, the establishment of which is the primary mission of the Bahá'í Faith. A study of the provisions of these sacred documents will reveal the close relationship that exists between them, as well as the identity of purpose and method which they inculcate. Far from regarding their specific provisions as incompatible and contradictory in spirit, every fair-minded inquirer will readily admit that they are not only complementary, but that they mutually confirm one another, and are inseparable parts of one complete unit. A comparison of their contents with the rest of Bahá'í sacred Writings will similarly establish the conformity of whatever they contain with the spirit as well as the letter of the authenticated writings and sayings of Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá. In fact, he who reads the Aqdas with care and diligence will not find it hard to discover that the Most Holy Book itself anticipates in a number of passages the institutions which Abdu'l-Bahá ordains in His Will. By leaving certain matters unspecified and unregulated in His Book of Laws, Bahá'u'lláh seems to have deliberately left a gap in the general scheme of Bahá'í Dispensation, which the unequivocal provisions of the Master's Will have filled..."
(World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, 3-4)
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