Primary sources: Arabic edition with Persian notes, 1995
Haifa. For a summary of earlier published editions see 'Rituals' 81-2 n2.
English trans. Baha'i World Centre 1992.
Two earlier official sources are (1) Baha'i World volume XV: 1968-73, which has brief letters from the Universal House of Justice
regarding the publication of the Synopsis and Codification..., the
Synopsis itself, and other related official statements, and (2)
the separate book publication of the Synopsis and Codification...
(1973) which also adds a lengthy letter from the House introducing and
summarizing the Aqdas.
Other English translations done by
Anton Haddad, Earl Elder, and Marzieh Gail. Two of these can be found
online in parallel with the official translation at bahai-library.com/provisionals. French Ms trans. by Dreyfus 190?, 62pp, and
separate Ms trans. of Questions and Answers, n.d.; for the former see
Paris Archives Boite 11107, Grand cahier noir:122 (according to Laura
Dreyfus-Barney, "Hippolyte Dreyfus. Article for Baha'i World": "He
[Hippolyte Dreyfus-Barney] trans....the Aqdas which he annotated during
a sojourn in 'Akka with the aid of 'Abdu'l-Baha".); brief comments by
Ruhiyyih (Rabbani) Khanum about the Guardian's translation in The
Guardian of the Baha'i Faith 237-38. |
definition in Basic Baha'i Dictionary
132-33; date in A Basic Baha'i Chronology 99; 120, 138; 145;
166; 476; Some Answered Questions 64; explanation of verse 1 in
ibid 238; explanation of verse 47 in ibid. 171-74; brief mention in
Promulgation of Universal Peace 454 and elsewhere, passim; biography of
Zaynu'l-Muqarrabin in Memorials of the Faithful 150-153; God
Passes By 14, 139, 177, 206-09, 213-16, 219, 254-55, 326,
328, 411; Promised Day is Come 39-42, 58-60, 64-65, 92, 94-95, 100, 118-21, 133-37 (page numbers differ in different editions); World Order of Baha'u'llah passim; 3
sentences about translation and punishments in Unfolding
Destiny 455; discussion of the relationship between the
Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice as elucidated in the
Aqdas in Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1968-1973 37-44, reprinted in Covenant of Baha'u'llah 438-40;
coverage in Rev. of Baha'u'llah vol.1 26, 60, 153, 160, 212, 301;
vol.2 120, 122, 130, 240, 354-55, 389; vol.3 147, 164, 240, 275-399;
vol.4 114, 116, 123, 138-39, 160, 212, 248-56, 299-300, 321, 399,
400, 417, 421, 423, 433; Baha'u'llah: King of Glory 245, 319,
351-53, 382, 422, 425; Covenant of Baha'u'llah 24, 68, 99, 141,
143, 155-56, 175-76, 212, 218-19, 240, 264, 266-67, 310-13, 378,
382, 386, 390, 396, 401-02; Eminent Baha'is 189, 259; 'Abdul-Baha: Centre of the Covenant 49, 51, 163, 492
full
discussion of the Kitab-i-Aqdas in John Walbridge "The Kitab-i-Aqdas"
available online at bahai-library.com/encyclopedia/aqdas.html; discussion of the Aqdas' gendered
language in Baharieh Ma'ani "The Effect of Philosophical and Linguistic
Gender Biases..." Journal of Baha'i Studies 8:1 59-61; examination
of some of the significances of the Aqdas and the possible impact of its
publication upon its Western audience in Udo Schaefer "'The Balance
hath been Appointed': Some Thoughts on the Publication of the Kitab-i-Aqdas" Baha'i Studies Review 3:1 (1993), also available online at
bahai-library.com/articles/balance.aqdas.html; discussion
of the "twin duties," social action, and other topics in John S. Hatcher
"Unsealing the Choice Wine..." in Journal of Baha'i Studies 6:3 27-36; examination of the legal aspects and social principles of the Aqdas
in Martha Schweitz "The Kitab-i-Aqdas: Baha'i Law, Legitimacy, and
World Order" in Journal of Baha'i Studies 6:1 35-59; Robert
Stockman discusses the translation of the Aqdas in "Revelation,
Interpretation, and Elucidation in the Baha'i Writings" in Scripture
and Revelation (Baha'i Studies vol.3) 63-66; John Walbridge offers
an extended discussion of the Aqdas in Sacred Acts... (Baha'i
Studies vol.1) xiii, 3-4, 16-22, 248-252, and numerous other pages,
passim; brief comments on an early translation in Robert Stockman,
Baha'i Faith in America vol.1 160; vol.2 11, 27, 363, 438n.38; see
also other minor citations, esp. concerning the establishment of local
"Houses of Justice," in ibid. passim; history in Hatcher/Martin's
Baha'i Faith...Global Religion 46-47, 153-56; full introduction in
Anonymous "The Kitab-i-Aqdas: Its Place in Baha'i Literature" in The
Baha'i World 1992-93 103-18; discussion of "socio-cultural
constructs" given in the Aqdas in R. Jackson Armstrong-Ingram "The
Provisions for Sexuality in the Kitab-i-Aqdas in the Context of Late
Nineteenth Century Eastern and Western Sexual Ideologies" available
online at bahai-library.com/conferences/sex.aqdas.html;
analysis of the treatment of homosexuality in the Kitab-i Aqdas and its
background in Kamran Hakim "Commentary on Kitab-i Aqdas verse 107"
available online at bahai-library.com/essays/aqdas.107.html; exploration of philosophical
framework by William Hatcher in "The Kitab-i-Aqdas: The Causality
Principle in the World of Being" in The Baha'i World 1993-94
189-236; David S. Ruhe Door of Hope... 46-48, 51, 56; discussion of the
style of Writings on the Covenant, including the Aqdas, in John S.
Hatcher The Ocean of His Words 153-64; passing mentions in ibid.
11, 16, 71, 79, 99, 122, and other places, passim; a few studies
examining the inheritance laws in the Aqdas include Bahiyyih
Nakhjavani "Exemption" in Baha'i Studies Review 3.1 (1993) 75-78, available online at bahai-library.com/articles/exemption.html, Seena Fazel "Inheritance" in ibid. 4.1 (1994) 71-75, Sen McGlinn
"Some considerations relating to the inheritance laws of the Kitab-i-Aqdas" in ibid 5.1 (1995) 37-50, available online at bahai-library.com/articles/inheritance.BSR.html and bahai-library.com/articles/inheritance.arjmand.html, Linda and John Walbridge
"Baha'i Laws on the Status of Men" in World Order 19:1-2 (1984)
25-36, John and Linda Walbridge "A Question of Gender" in
Dialogue 1987 32-34, and Martha Leach Schweitz "Of Webs and
Ladders: Gender Equality in Baha'i Law" in World Order 27:1
(1995) 22; Suheil Bushrui's The Style of the Kitab-i-Aqdas is a
lengthy meditation with occasional literary analysis; more analysis is
provided in Sen McGlinn's review of this book in Baha'i Studies
Review 6 (1996) 93-96, also available online at bahai-library.com/reviews/; some opinions on Baha'u'llah's teachings on
politics in the Aqdas in Juan Cole "Iranian Millenarianism and
Democratic Thought in the 19th Century" in International Journal of
Middle East Studies 24 (1992) 1-26 passim; 1/2 page on the
meaning of "irfan" in verse 1 in Jalil Mahmoudi "`Irfan, Gnosis, or
Mystical Knowledge" in World Order 7:4 (1973) 14; discussion of
Baha'i law in the Aqdas in Afshin Khavari "Parallels Between Islamic
and Baha'i laws and Constitutional Principles" at bahai-library.com/articles/parallels.html; some philosophical meditations on
the introductory verse of the Aqdas by Sen McGlinn in "Commentary on
Kitab-i Aqdas verse one" at bahai-library.com/articles/aqdas.verse1.html; more information can be found
in an online translation project of the Aqdas at bahai-library.com/provisionals. |
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