Introduction to the Writings of the Bab
Farzin Aghdasi
The Opportunity to Write
“This period of captivity, (three years in Ádhirbayján) in a remote corner of the realm, far removed from the storm centers of Shíráz, Isfahán, and Tihrán, afforded Him (the Bab) the necessary leisure to launch upon His most monumental work, as well as to engage on other subsidiary compositions designed to unfold the whole range, and impart the full force, of His short-lived yet momentous Dispensation.”
-- Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 22
The Volume of His Writings
“Alike in the magnitude of the writings emanating from His pen, and in the diversity of the subjects treated in those writings, His Revelation stands wholly unparalleled in the annals of any previous religion.”
-- Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 22
“He Himself affirms, while confined in Máh-Ku, that up to that time His writings, embracing highly diversified subjects, had amounted to more than five hundred thousand verses.”
-- Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 22
“The verses which have rained from this Cloud of Divine mercy have been so abundant that none hath yet been able to estimate their number. A score of volumes are now available. How many still remain beyond our reach! How many have been plundered and have fallen into the hands of the enemy, the fate of which none knoweth!”
-- Bahá'u'lláh, the Kitáb-i-Iqán, p.216
“No less arresting is the variety of themes presented by these voluminous writings, such as prayers, homilies, orations, Tablets of visitation, scientific treatises, doctrinal dissertations, exhortations, commentaries on the Qur'án and on various traditions, epistles to the highest religious and ecclesiastical dignitaries of the realm, and laws and ordinances for the consolidation of His Faith and the direction of its activities.”
-- Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 22
The following are in more or less chronological order
2) The First Book, Qayyúmu'l-Asmá
Ø Revealed in Shiraz in 1844, its first chapter in the presence of Mulla Husayn on 5/22
Ø “The first, the greatest, and mightiest of all books” in the Bábí Dispensation
Ø Commentary on the Súrah of Joseph from Quran
Ø 9300 verses, Divided into 111 chapters for the 111 verses of the Súrah of Joseph
Ø “Fundamental purpose was to forecast what the true Joseph (Bahá'u'lláh) would, in a succeeding Dispensation, endure at the hands of one who was at once His arch-enemy and blood brother”
Ø Regarded by the early Babis as their Bible
Ø A few pages of this book was used by Mulla Husayn in “attracting” Baha’u’llah to the new Faith, converted Hujjat; and inspired the heroes at Fort Tabarsí, Nayríz and Zanján, and inflamed the hostility of Husayn Khán, the governor of Shiraz
Ø Is in Arabic, and was translated by Tahirih into Farsi
Ø Contains the following subjects:
· Warnings to the "concourse of kings and of the sons of kings;"
· Forecasts the doom of Muhammad Sháh;
· Commands Hájí Mírzá Aqásí (the prime minister and Grand Vizir) to abdicate
· Admonishes the entire Muslim ecclesiastical order;
· Specifically cautions the members of the Shí'ah community;
· Extols the virtues of Him whom God will manifest
· Anticipates the coming of Bahá'u'lláh
· Refers to Bahá'u'lláh as the "Remnant of God," and the "Most Great Master"
· Proclaims the independence and universality of the Bábí Revelation
· Unveils the importance of the new revelation
· Affirms the inevitable triumph of the Bab
· Directs the "people of the West" to "issue forth from your cities and aid the Cause of God"
· Warns the peoples of the earth of the "terrible, the most grievous vengeance of God"
· Threatens the whole Islámic world with "the Most Great Fire" were they to turn aside from the newly-revealed Law
· Foreshadows His own martyrdom
· Eeulogizes the high station ordained for the people of Bahá, the "Companions of the crimson-colored ruby Ark"
· Pprophesies the fall of some of His greatest followers
· Predicts "afflictive torment," in both the "Day of Our Return" and in "the world which is to come," for the usurpers of the Imamate, who "waged war against Husayn (Imám Husayn) in the Land of the Euphrates."
2) The first Tablet to Muhammad Sháh
3) Tablet to Sultán `Abdu'l-Majíd
4) Tablet to Najíb Páshá, governor of Baghdad
5) Sahífiy-i-baynu'l-Harámayn (Tablet of between two holy places) revealed between Mecca and Medina, in answer to questions posed by Mírzá Muhít-i-Kirmání
6) Epistle to the Sheríf of Mecca
7) Kitábú'r-Rúh (the Book of the Spirit): 700 Súrahs
8) Khasá'il-i-Sab`ih (the 7 Attributes)
Ø Revealed to the early believers in Shiraz
Ø Describes the 7 attributes of a true Babi
Ø Entrusted to Quddus for delivery to Mulla Sadiq Muqqadas Khorasani
Ø Enjoined the alteration of the formula of the adhán
9) Risáliy-i-Furú-i-`Adlíyyih (Epistle on the details of Justice), translated into Farsi by Mullá Muhammad-Taqíy-i-Haratí
10) Commentary on the Súrah of Kawthar
Ø Revealed in Shiraz, for Vahíd, the greatest emissary of the Shah
Ø Vahíd was a most learned cleric who had been sent to investigate the claims of the Bab
Ø Caused the conversion of Vahíd
Ø Has approximately 2000 verses
Ø Súrah of Kawthar, (The Abundance of Good) is Súrah number 108 in the Qura’n, was revealed in Mecca, and has only 3 verses
11) Commentary on the Súrah of Va'l-`Asr
Ø Revealed in the house of the Imám-Jum'ih of Isfahán at his request
Ø Has approximately 2000 verses
Ø Súrah of Va'l-`Asr (Eventide) is also Meccan, it is Súrah number 108, with 3 verses, it is the shortest chapter in Qur’an..
12) Dissertation on Specific Mission of Muhammad
Ø Revealed in Isfahán at the request of Manúchihr Khán
Ø It is in proof of the Specific Mission of Muhammad
Ø Manúchihr Khán was the governor of Isfahán, originally from Georgia, and he was a Christian
13) Súrah of Va'l-`Asr (Eventide) is also Meccan, it is Súrah number 108, with 3 verses, it is the shortest chapter in Qur’an
14) The second Tablet to Muhammad Sháh, asking to meet the Shah to provide proofs of the new Revelation
15) Tablets sent from the village of Síyáh-Dihán to the `ulamás of Qazvín and to Hájí Mírzá Aqásí, inquiring from him as to the cause of the sudden change in his decision.
16) From Máh-Ku and Chihríq many Epistles specifically addressed to the divines of every city in Persia, as well as to those residing in Najaf and Kárbilá, wherein He set forth in detail the errors committed by each one of them
17) In Máh-Ku 9 commentaries on the whole of the Qur'án, lost.
18) The Persian Bayán (Exposition)
Ø Revealed in Máh-Ku
Ø Consists of 8000 verses in 9 Vahíds (Unities) of 19 chapters each, except the last Vahíd which has only 10 chapters;
Ø “Wholly safeguarded from the interpolation and corruption which has been the fate of so many of the Báb's lesser works”
Ø Contains laws, and promises regarding "Him Whom God will make manifest"
Ø Laws regarding prayer, fasting, marriage, divorce and inheritance
Ø Affirms the divine origin of Islam
Ø Interprets meanings of Paradise, Hell, Death, Resurrection, the Return, the Balance, the Hour, the Last Judgment, and the like
Ø “Designedly severe in the rules and regulations it imposed, revolutionizing in the principles it instilled, calculated to awaken from their age-long torpor the clergy and the people, and to administer a sudden and fatal blow to obsolete and corrupt institutions, it proclaimed, through its drastic provisions, the advent of the anticipated Day, the Day when "the Summoner shall summon to a stern business," when He will "demolish whatever hath been before Him, even as the Apostle of God demolished the ways of those that preceded Him."
Ø “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”
Ø Announces the New World Order: “Well is it with him who fixeth his gaze upon the Order of Bahá'u'lláh, and rendereth thanks unto his Lord. For He will assuredly be made manifest. God hath indeed irrevocably ordained it in the Bayán.”
19) The Arabic Bayan, considerably shorter and less weighty
20) The 3rd Tablet to Muhammad Sháh
Ø Revealed in Máh-Ku
Ø Similar to Lawh-i-Sultán, Bahá'u'lláh’s Tablet to Násiri'd-Dín Sháh
Ø Contents:
· Begins by a reference to the unity of God, to His Apostles and to the twelve Imáms
· Unequivocally asserts the divinity of the Bab
· Claims supernatural powers in Bab’s Revelation
· Precisely cites verses and traditions in confirmation of the Bab’s claim
· Severely condemns some of the officials and representatives of the Sháh's administration, particularly Husayn Khán, the governor of Fars
· Movingly describes the Bab’s hardships
19) The Dalá'il-i-Sab`ih (Seven Proofs)
Ø Another important book revealed in Máh-Ku
Ø “Remarkably lucid, admirable in its precision, original in conception, unanswerable in its argument, …”
Ø Contains various proofs of Bab’s mission
Ø Blames the "seven powerful sovereigns ruling the world" in His day
Ø Stresses the responsibilities, and censures the conduct, of the Christian divines at the time of Muhammad
20) Lawh-i-Hurúfat (Tablet of the Letters)
Ø Revealed in Chihríq
Ø In honor of Dayyán
Ø Originally misconstrued as an exposition of the science of divination
Ø Explains the mystery of the Mustagháth
Ø Abstrusely alludes to the 19 years duration of the babi dispensation
21) Tablet to Hájí Mírzá Aqásí
Ø Revealed in Chihríq, after the Bab’s return from His trial in Tabriz
Ø Highly condemnatory
Ø Delivered to the prime minister by Hujjat
22) Kitáb-i-Panj-Sha'n (the Book of Five Stations)
Ø Revealed towards the end of His life in Chihríq
Ø Collection of His tablets revealed in 5 different styles to some of his followers, including Azim of Torshiz, one of His early and staunch followers
Ø Contains prophecies about the name of “Him Whom God will manifest”
Ø Foretells His own martyrdom
[adopted partially from God Passes By, p.22-28, and other sources]