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Kitáb-i- Íqán (The Book of Certitude)
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Baghdad, dated in various
Mss as A.H. 1278 or 1280 (1861/2 or 1863/4), the latter date possibly marking
an editing with marginal glosses by Baha'u'llah. Persian, with Arabic
quotations. Addressee Haji Mirza Siyyid Muhammad
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Various printings.
Bibliographical history in C. Buck, Symbol and Secret, pp. 14-37.
Persian. English trans. Shoghi Effendi 1946; Earlier trans. by Ali Quli Khan
is more literal. French trans. "Le Livre de la Certitude" by
Hippolyte Dreyfus & Mirza Habib-Ullah Chirazi, Paris, Ernest Leroux,
1904, contains an additional excordium. The 1893 lithograph, in the hand of
Mishqin Qalam, has been published online in .gif format at h-net2.msu.edu/
~bahai/areprint/ baha/G-/I/ iqan1893/ iqan1893.htm. Ishraq-Khavari wrote a
4-volume tafsir dictionary of the Iqan, Qamus-i-Iqan; a translation of
the original four questions submitted to Baha'u'llah, in answer to which the
Iqan was revealed, are available only online at bahai-library.org/ histories/
iqan.questions.html
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Brief mention in Promulgation
of Universal Peace 151; God Passes By 138-39; various topics in Unfolding
Destiny 424-26, 430, 432, 451; Messages from the Universal House of
Justice 1963-86 547; discussed Baha'u'llah: King of Glory 163-67,
266; mention of recipient Baha'u'llah: King of Glory 344, 388, 405;
discussion Covenant of Baha'u'llah 74-76, 101, 201; mention of
recipient Eminent Baha'is in the Time of Baha'u'llah 35 (footnote),
121, 217-18, 220-21, 226-27, 229; discussion of recipient and the Iqan The
Bab 86-87, 107; mention Abdu'l-Baha: The Centre of the Covenant
109, 527 (n.62); discussion Revelation of Baha'u'llah vol.1 153-197; Rev.
Baha'u'llah vol. 2 52, 68-70, 101, 219-20, 370; brief mentions Rev.
Baha'u'llah vol. 3 39, 93, 98, 275, 302-03, 334; Rev.
Baha'u'llah vol. 4 95, 136, 140, 152, 154, 207, 295, 322, 329,
385, 421; mention of addressee Rev. Baha'u'llah vol. 4 329;
comment in Ruhiyyih Rabbani The Priceless Pearl 214, repeated in her Shoghi
Effendi 91
The most complete discussion is by Christopher Buck, Symbol and Secret:
Qur'an Commentary in Baha'u'llah's Kitab-i-Iqan, where translation
history, theology, and symbolism are discussed; see also review of same by
Frank Lewis in Baha'i Studies Review 6 (1996); Buck also published a
study online, "The Kitab-i Iqan: An Introduction to Baha'u'llah's Book
of Certitude with Two Digital Reprints of Early Lithographs," at
http://h-net2.msu.edu/ ~bahai/bhpapers/vol2/iqan&sn.htm and a lengthy meditation
on Baha'u'llah's program of "world reform" as delineated by the
Iqan in "Baha'u'llah as World Reformer" in Journal of Baha'i
Studies 3:4 (1999-1991) 23-68 passim; brief summary of themes and history
of Iqan in Nasser Sabet "An Introduction to the Kitab-i-Iqan" in Journal
of Baha'i Studies 3:4 (1999-1991) 71-75; John Hatcher's Ocean of His
Words includes much discussion of the Iqan: passing mentions 45-49,
73-76, 111-114, discussion of the "true seeker" 152-53, complete
treatment and a detailed outline 247-337; discussion of the content and
publication history of the Iqan by E.G. Browne in Moojan Momen Selections
from the Writings of E. G. Browne 250-254; short literary discussion
Peter Smith The Babi and Baha'i Religions 63-65; discussion Stephen
Lambden "Sinaitic Mysteries: Notes on Moses/Sinai Motifs" in Studies
in Honor of the Late Hasan M. Balyuzi: Studies in the Babi and Baha'i
Religions vol. 5 122 and Stephen Lambden "Apophatic Theology in Babi
and Baha'i Scripture" in Revisioning the Sacred 64; mentions in
Hatcher and Martin The Baha'i Faith 37, 81, 84, 116; Bahiyyih Nakhjani
Asking Questions 132; John Walbridge Sacred Acts 157, 159; John
Hatcher "The Validity and Value of an Historical-Critical Approach"
in Scripture and Revelation 35-36, 39; Robert Stockman
"Revelation, Interpretation, and Elucidation" in Scripture and
Revelation 58, 60, 64-65; discussion of Biblical quotations in this
Tablet Stephen Lambden "Paraclete, Ahmad and the Comforter" in Scripture
and Revelation 90-91; discussion of some of the Iqan's "inner
teachings" in Ross Woodman "The Inner Dimensions of
Revelation" in Scripture and Revelation 343-47; comments on
symbolism in Michael Sours "The Maid of Heaven, the Image of Sophia, and
the Logos" in Journal of Baha'i Studies 4:1 (1991) 49 and passim;
comments on interpretation in Seena Fazel and Khazeh Fananapazir "Some
Interpretive Principles in the Baha'i Writings" in Bahai Studies
Review 2:1 (1992) 4-8 and Dann May "A Preliminary Survey of
Hermeneutical Principles Found within the Baha'i Writings" in Journal
of Baha'i Studies 1:2 (1989) 41-52; short discussion of theology in the
Iqan in Michael Sours "Seeing with the Eye of God" in Bahai
Studies Review 1:1 (1991) 31-32 and some notes; comments on Iqan's
reception in Moojan Momen "Learning from History" in Journal of
Baha'i Studies 2:2 (1989-1990) 57, 63; some discussion of eschatology in
Ross Woodman "The End of the World" in Journal of Baha'i Studies
3:2 (1990-1991) passim; mention of relevance of Iqan to Baha'i theology Jack
McLean "Prolegomena to a Baha'i Theology" in Journal of Baha'i
Studies 5:1 (1992) 49-50, 61; passing mentions Jack McLean Dimensions
of Spirituality 5, 11-12, 23, 156, 247; discussion of theology Michael
Sours "Immanence and Transcendence in Divine Scripture" in Journal
of Baha'i Studies 5:2 (1992) passim; discussion of Islamic symbolism
Seena Fazel and Khazeh Fananapazir "A Baha'i Approach to the Claim of
Finality in Islam" in Journal of Baha'i Studies 5:3 (1993)
passim, available online at http://bahai-library.org/
articles/jbs.5-3.fazel.html; symbolism of the Maiden in Iqan in Ross Woodman
"In the Beginning was the Word: Apocalypse and the Education of the
Soul" in Journal of Baha'i Studies 5:4 (1993-1994) 36, 39-40,
52-54; passing mentions of "social theology" John Hatcher
"Unsealing the Choice Wine at the Family Reunion" in Journal of
Baha'i Studies 6:3 (1994); comments on cosmology and ecology Michael
Sours "Baha'i Cosmological Symbolism and the Ecofeminist Critique"
in Journal of Baha'i Studies 7:1 (1995) passim; discussions of gender
symbolism Ross Woodman "The Role of the Feminine in the Baha'i
Faith" in Journal of Baha'i Studies 7:2 (1995) passim;
examination of meaning of metaphor in Iqan in Ross Woodman "Metaphor and
the Language of Revelation" in Journal of Baha'i Studies 8:1
(1997) 18-25; comments on epistemology and the Iqan Jalil Mahmoudi
"Irfan, Gnosis, or Mystical Knowledge" in World Order 7:4
(1973) 5-15 and Jack McLean "The Knowledge of God: An Essay on Baha'i
Epistemology" in World Order 12:3 (1978) 48-49; discussion of the
Islamic concept of "corruption of texts" (tahrif) William
Collins "Islam's Tahrif: Implications for the Baha'i Faith" in World
Order 11:1 (1976) 22-30
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