Translated by Edward G. Browne A New and Corrected Edition

FOREWORD

Among the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bah‡ several deal with biographical and historical topics. Bah‡'’s are already familiar with Memorials of the Faithful, sketches of persons who dedicated their lives to Bah‡'u'll‡h, and with The Secret of Divine Civilization, which discusses historical and social problems in Persia, and by extension in the world, in the nineteenth century.
A Traveler's Narrative is even more specifically a history. It details events in the life of The B‡b, the Founder of the B‡b’ Faith and the Prophet-Herald of the Bah‡'’ Faith, and in the lives of His followers, including Bah‡'u'll‡h, the Prophet-Founder of the Bah‡'’ Faith.
'Abdu'l-Bah‡ wrote A Traveler's Narrative, a copy of which was given without indication of authorship to Edward Granville Browne, an English Orientalist who attained Bah‡'u'll‡h's presence in 1890. An avid gatherer of B‡b’ and Bah‡'’ manuscripts, Browne had the Persian manuscript and his English translation of it, together with a long introduction and copious footnotes, published by Cambridge University Press in 1891. In this edition we have omitted Browne's introduction and footnotes, aiming at the general reader without making any attempt to provide a scholarly edition. We have made the transliteration of Persian and Arabic words uniform with that used in other Bah‡'’ books. A brief glossary, a few notes, and an index have been added to aid the reader.

Adh‡n: Muslim call to prayer.

Alif: In the Arabic (or Persian) script, the first letter of the alphabet, a straight, vertical line. This is used as a symbol of God, the One alone Beloved.

Am’r: Lord, prince, commander, governor.

çq‡: Title meaning mull‡ or sir.

Chief of the Martyrs: Husayn, Son of 'Al’ and the Prophet Muhammad's daughter, F‡timih. The third of the Holy Im‡ms, he was martyred at Karbil‡, 10 October 680.

Day of Invocation: The "day of mutual outcry," Qur'‡n 40:34, the Day of Judgment, of Doom.

Elburz: Mountain range, north êr‡n.

Farr‡sh: Footman; attendant.

Fourth Support: The Rukn-i-R‡b’'ÐFourth Pillar or SupportÐa perfect man believed always to exist among the Sh’'ihs, and to serve as a Channel of Grace.

Furq‡n: The Qur'‡n, that which distinguishes between truth and falsehood. See Qur'‡n 25:1.

Gabr: Muslim term for a Zoroastrian.

H‡j’: Title of a Muslim who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Husayn ibn Rœh: One of the "Four Gates." See "Occultation."

Ibn Mihr’y‡r: A native of Ahv‡z, thought to be in touch with the Hidden Im‡m during the Minor Occultation. He was not one of the "Gates," they being 'Uthm‡n ibn Sa'’d; his son Muhammad ibn 'Uthm‡n; Husayn ibn Rœh; and 'Al’ ibn Muhammad S’mar’. See "Occultation."

Im‡m-Jum'ih: Chief of the mull‡s in a town or city; prayer-leader in the Friday or cathedral mosque.

Ja'far: Ja'far-i-S‡diq (d. A.H. 140/A.D. 757), the Sixth Im‡m, poisoned by order of Caliph Mansœr.

Kal‡ntar: Mayor.

Kashkœl: Dervish alms cup with chain, originally made from a sea-coconut.

Kawthar: River in Paradise, whence all other rivers derive their source. See Qur'‡n 108:1.

Kh‡n: Originally a title of the nobility or of chiefs of tribes; by extension an honorific denoting gentleman.

Kul‡h: The Persian lambskin hat worn by government employees and civilians.

Lord of the Age: The S‡hibuz-Zam‡n, a title of the Twelfth Im‡m. To Bah‡'’s, the B‡b.

Mihd’: One Who is guided. A title of the Twelfth Im‡m.

M’rz‡: A contraction of Am’r-Z‡dih, meaning son of an Am’r. When following a name, it signifies prince; when preceding, simply Mr.

Mujtahid: Muslim doctor of the Law, qualified to render independent judgments on legal and theological questions.

Mull‡: Muslim priest, theologian, judge.

Occultation: State of being hidden from view (ghaybat). According to Sh’'ih belief, the Minor Occultation began in A.H. 260/A.D. 872, with the "disappearance" of the Twelfth Im‡m, as a child. During this period, the Hidden Im‡m was still accessible through four successive "Gates," or Abv‡b (plural of B‡b). This period lasted sixty-nine years (A.H. 260/A.D. 872-A.H. 329/A.D. 939). The Major Occultation was to last from the death of the "Fourth Gate" until the Return of the Twelfth Im‡m. During the Major Occultation the Twelfth Im‡m supposedly lived in one of two mysterious cities, J‡bulq‡ and J‡buls‡, and he "disappeared" at S‡marr‡, on the Tigris.

Perspicuous Book: The Qur'‡n (which means the Book to be Read).

Perspicuous Law, also Law: Law of Isl‡m.

Perspicuous Religion: Isl‡m.

Point: To Persian mystics all writing emanates from a single calligraphic dot on the page. The B‡b is the Primal Point, "from which have been generated all created things."

Prince of Worshipers: 'Al’ ibn Husayn, entitled Zaynu'l-'Abid’n (d. A.H. 95/A.D. 712), the Fourth Im‡m. See p. 76.

Pure Lineage: A siyyid, or descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.

Q‡'im: He Who ariseth, the Promised One of the Sh’'ihs. A title of the B‡b.

Seal of the Prophets: Muhammad, cf. Qur'‡n 33:40. To Muslims this title means that no Prophet will ever appear again, only reformers; to Bah‡'’s, that Muhammad closed the prophetic cycle, the present cycle being that of fulfillment, as promised in the Holy Books of the previous Faiths.

Shaykh: Venerable old man; man of authority; elder, chief, professor, superior of a dervish order.

Shaykh’: Sect of Sh’'ih Islam, founded by Shaykh Ahmad of Ahs‡.

Shaykhu'l-Isl‡m: Head of religious court, appointed to every large city by the Sh‡h.

Shikastih: A type of cursive script, or half-shorthand, thought to have been invented by a governor of Hir‡t at the close of the seventeenth century.

Siyyid: Title of the Prophet Muhammad's descendants.

Sufy‡n: A man with a hideous face, whose coming was to be a sign of the Day of Judgment. He was to rule eight months, with five cities in his hands.

Supreme Shrines: A termÐ'Atab‡t 'Al’y‡tÐby which Sh’'ih Muslims referred to the cities of Kazimayn, Najaf, and Karbil‡ (where several of the Holy Im‡ms are buried) and generally applied to the region of eastern 'Ir‡q, of which Baghd‡d was the center.

T‡: Tihr‡nÐ"the dayspring of glory"Ðfrom the first letter of the name.

Tum‡n: Persian monetary unit.

'Ulam‡: Divines, scholars,

Well-Established Path: Isl‡m.

White Hand: When Moses, before Pharoah, drew forth His hand from His garment, it had turned miraculously shining and white. (See Ex. 4:6 and Quran 7:105.)

INDEX