كـتـاب الأسـمـاء
The Kitab al-asma' (Book of Names) of the Bab II :
Select Excerpts in Translation.
Stephen Lambden UC Merced,
IN PROGRESS and being revised and corrected
Last updated July 27th 2020.
The Kitāb al-asmā' (The Book of Names).
This massive and complex, though centrally important late work of the Bab, has been little studied and has had some unfortunate negative appraisals by a few western academics who had never seen the whole, complete reorganised text (E. G. Browne and D. M. MacEoin). Today there are no critical or even semi-critical editions of this largely (if not wholly) Arabic text. Only twenty pages of the original have been published with English translation from a few adjacent Wahids (Vahids) (Unities) though with no indication of the mss. or mss. translated (see PDf. below). The extant mss. (see below) need comprehensive collection and an effort to produce a critical edition or perhaps editions. A good many extant mss. seem confused though a very important testimony to the late Arabic style of the Bab's revelations. These mss. should be regarded as one of the most theologically weighty or important writings of the Bab; rich, for example, in messianic urgency and predictions of the theophany of man yuzhiru-hu Allah (Him whom God shall make manifest), in invocatory depth and the intricacies of the secrets of the many Names of God (asmā' Allah) and of high-ranking Babi believers. Many lines of the Kitāb al-asmā' are rhythmic in intensity and should be heard as powerful expressions of revelatory disclosure. See the Bab/Haykal page on this website, Kitab al-asma' I for further introductory notes and details.:
كـتـاب الأسـمـاء
The Kitab al-asmā' -
Select Excerpts in Translation from Unpublished Manuscripts.
كـتـاب الأسـمـاء
الباب الاول من الواحد الاول
بسم الله الاسمم الاسمم
لا الله الا هو الارشد الارشد
قل الله الارشد فوق كل ذا ارشاد
لن يقدر ان يمتنع عن مليك سلطان ارشده
The First Bāb (Gate) of the First Wāhid (Unity).
In the Name of God the Supreme Bestower of a Name (al-asmam),
the Supreme Namer (al-asmam).
No God is there except Him, the Supreme Guide (al-arshad), the Supreme Guide (al-arshad). Say : God is the Supreme Guide beyond every possessor of guidance (da irshad). It is inconceivable that He would inhibit from Rulership (malik), the very Sovereign of His Guidance (sultan irshād)...
♦
It appears that the Kitab al-Asma' commences as above; the translation is loose and provisional as I have not seen the original ms but the opening citation and entry of Phelps in his comprehensive yet ongoing database. I have translated the unusual superlative al-asmam as if it derives from the root s-m-y, form II s-m-m, meaning `to name'. To open the Kitab al-asma', the Book of Names picturing God as the supreme generator or bestower of Names would be befitting. This superlative asamam might also be translated as indicating God as the supreme creator of the neo-basmala formulas so frequent in the writings of the Bab - `In the Name of God the XXX (Arabic superlative), the XXX (Arabic superlative) (see Persian and Arabic Bayans, III.11). Less likely, perhaps, would be the translation rooted in the Arabic word samm meaning an apeture or "hole" (cf. Matthew 19:24), God being "One Beyond the Eye of a Needle" (al-asmam), though this does reflect Qur'anic Arabic vocabulary (see the hapax legomenon samm al-khiyat at Q. 7:40) and would support the doubled root-letter m. That God might be "Beyond the Eye of a Needle" could also point towards the hidden, cryptic Apophatic Deity whose mystery was so repeatedly celebrated by the Bab.
The Kitab al-asma' - Ms. INBMC 29.
The commencement of another manuscript of the Kitab al-asmā', the opening text from INBMC 29, is similar though apparently from VIII.1. It reads as follows :
Lambden Translation from INBMC 29.[The Kitab al-asma' [VIII.1]
It has four levels (maratib). The First [Section] within the First [Division]:
In the Name of God,
the Supremely Guided (al-arshad), the Supremely Guided (al-arshad).
In the Name of God,
the Supremely Guided (al-arshad), the Supremely Guided (al-arshad),
In the Name of God, the Supreme Guide (al-arshad), the Supreme Guide (al-arshad). God, no God is there except Him, the Supreme Guide (al-arshad), the Supreme Guide (al-arshad). Say: God is the Supreme Guide (al-arshad), above every possessor of Guidance (al-irshād). It is inconceivable that He would inhibit from Rulership (malīk), the very Sovereign of His Guidance (sultan irshād), from anyone whether or not they be within the heavens or upon the earth or whatsoever lieth between them. He createth whatsoever He willeth through His Logos-Command. He hath ever been One True Guide (rashshād an), the One Who Guides (rāshid an), the One Rightly-Guiding (rashīd an).
So glorified be whomsoever prostrateth before Him be they within the heavens or upon the earth or whatsoever lieth between them...
This same superlative occurs several further times in this opening section, as a Name of God at [VIII] 1.1f, as do other, diverse derivitives from the same r-sh-d root such as Irshad = "Guidance". It is not clear exactly why the Bab chose the initial Name of God as that derived from the root r-sh-d though it would not be strange to express a note of supreme eschatological guidance at the outset of this specific wahid. If there is allusion to the name or title of a contemporary Babi believer it is not clear who this might be. Common names and designations from this root include Rashid (The One Guided) and Murshid (The Guide). The triliteral root r-sh-d has a numerical value of r = 200+ sh = 300 + d = 4; total = 704. The Name or title Rashid (The One Guided) has an abjad numerical value of 714 (the long i or y = abjad 10).
The Arabic text of the Kitab al-asma' partially translated below, is primarily from the 1970s privately published `Iran National Baha'i Archives' (= INBMC) volume 29. When necessary, select other mss. will be consulted and detailed notes be set down, especially when portions of text are absent, unclear or corrupt. Kitab al-asma' Wahid I.1f is not at presemt available to me though see above. In the opening of the INBMC No. 29 ms. reflecting the commencement though not the earliest or the beginning of the text of the Kitab al-asma' translated below, the first section or first bab (gate-section) of this unspecified unity (wahid/vahid), is initially oriented around the Arabic triliteral root r-sh-d expressed in its basic verbal form as rashada, meaning `to be on the right path, the right way, to guide' etc. Cf. the Name Rashid (One Guided). The superlative arshad from the root r-sh-d, occurs as the Name of God "the Supremely Guided" twice in the opening, neo-basmala formula; namely,
[The Kitab al-asma' VIII.1?]
It has four levels (maratib). The First [Section] within the First [Division]:
In the Name of God,
the Supremely Guided (al-arshad), the Supremely Guided (al-arshad).
God, no God is there save Him, the Supremely Guided (al-arshad), the Supremely Guided (al-arshad). Say: God proffers a Guidance (arshad) beyond every possessor of Guidance (irshad). It cannot be reckoned that He would withold from anyone, whether in the heavens or upon the earth or whatsoever lieth between them, the Ruler (malik) who is the Sovereign of His Guidance (malik sultan irshadihi). He createth whatsoever He willeth through His Command (amr). He hath ever been the One True Guide (rashshād an), the One Who Guides (rāshid an), the One Rightly-Guiding (rashīd an). Glorified be whomsoever is prostrate before Him whether they be in the heavens or upon the earth or whatsoever lieth between them.
Say: All are upstanding before Him. And Praised be unto God! before whom all do utter glorification be they in the heavens or upon the earth or whatsoever lieth between them.
Say : All are prostrate before Him. God testifieth that He, no God is there except Him, the King and the Kingdom (al-mulk wa'l-malakut), the Mighty and the Omnipotent (al-`izz wa'l-jabarut), the Powerful and the Divine (al-qudrat wa'l-lahut), the Powerful and the One Empowered, the Gem-like Preciousness [Sapphire] (al-quwwat wa'l-yaqut), the One Sovereign and the [Commander of the] mundane realm (al-sultana wa'l-nasut). He it is Who bringeth Life and causeth to die, then He causeth to die and bringeth Life. He is indeed One Living (hayy) who dieth not, the King (malik) who fadeth not, the Just One (`adl) never tyrannical, the Sovereign (sultan) never disempowered, the One Unique (fard) for nothing escapeth from His grasp be it in the heavens or on the earth or between them. He creath whatsoever He willeth through His Logos-Command (amr) for He is indeed One Powerful over All-things (kull shay').
Blessed be He before Whom is the dominion (mulk) of the heavens and of the earth and whatsoever lieth between them, No God is there except Him, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting (al-muhaymin al-qayyum). So exalted he He before whom is whatsoever is in the heavens or upon the earth and whatsoever lieth between them. No God is there except Him, the Mighty, the One Beloved (al-`aziz al-mahbub). [ms. p.2>]
Say: God did indeed originate All-things (kull shay'), then He celebrated it and unto Him does everything return. He is indeed the One Who created All-things (kull shay') through His Logos-Command (amr) and before Him does everything turn about [transform]. Wherefore before thee is God, thy Lord, unto Whom is the creation and the Command (al-khalq wa'l-amr) both aforetime and thereafter. No God is there except Him, the Mighty, the One Beloved (al-`aziz al-mahbub). He is indeed the One Who created All-things (kull shay') through His Logos-Command (amr), Indeed One before Whom is the creation and the Command (al-khalq wa'l-amr) both aforetime and thereafter, No God is there except Him, the Help in Peril, the Self- Subsisting (al-muhaymin al-qayyum). He is the One Who estimates the meaasures of of All-things (kul shay') in the Book (al-kitab). No God is there except Him.
Say: All are prostrate before Him. Whomsoever is in the heavens or upon the earth offereth glory before Him. No God is there except Him, the Help in Peril, the One Beloved (al-mahbub). Such are are within the Kingdom of Command and of Creation (malakut al-amr wa'l-khalq) and whatsoever lieth between them are prostrate before Him, No God is there except Him, the Help in Peril, the Self- Subsisting (al-muhaymin al-qayyum).
Say: He is One Wrathful (al-qahir) towards His creation and Evident above [ill-disposed towards] His servants for He is the Mighty, the One Beloved (al-`aziz al-mahbub).
Say: He is One Self-Sufficient above what is in the heavens or upon the earth and what lieth between them for all are upstanding at His Logos-Command (al-amr). He is indeed the One Who created All-things (kull shay') through His Logos-Command (amr) for all during the night-season and at dawn shall indeed be prostrate before Him. He is the One who decreed providence for All-things (kull shay') through His Logos-Command (amr). No God is there except Him. Indeed is He All-Mighty and All-Powerful (al-hawl wa'l-tawl) in times past and those to come. All are indeed upstanding before HIm! He is the One Who giveth Life and causeth to die not as a result of any Deity except God.
Say : All are prostrate before Him. He is the One who dispatched the winds (al-rayyah) a good-news emanating betwixt the hands of His Mercy. He sent down from heaven something of the [blessed] Water of Life (ma' [mubaraka] haywan) which you all who are upon the earth should strive to attain. He is the One Who maketh subservient the sun, the moon and the stars, obedient to His Command (amr). His is indeed the Creation and the Command (al-khalq wa'l-amr). No God is there except Him, the Mighty, the One Beloved..
Say: He is indeed One Upstanding (al-qa'im) above His creation, Before Him are whomsoever are in the kingdom of the heavens and of the earth, and whatsoever lieth between them. No God is there except Him, the Mighty (al-kabir), the Transcendent (al-muta`ali).
Say: Through God are all upstanding! Glorified be He! and Elevated be He! above that which hath been asserted!
- Glorified be God! (subhan Allah) the Possessor of Sovereignty and of the Kingdom (al-mulk wa'l-malakut)!
- Glorified be God! the One possessed of Might and One Omnipotent (al-`izz wa'l-jabarut)! [ms. p.3>]
- Glorified be God! the One Possessed of Power and Divinity (qudrat wa'l-lahut)!
- And Glorified be God! the One Possessed of Power and the Gemstone [Sapphire] (al-quwwat wa'l-yaqut)!
- And Glorified be God! the One Sovereign and the [Commander of the] mundane realm (al-sultana wa'l-nasut)!
- And Glorified be God! the One Possessed of Might and Majesty ( al`izzat wa'l-jalal)!
- And Glorified be God! the One Possessed of the Dawning-Light and Beauty (al-tala`at wa'l-jamal)!
- And Glorified be God! the One Possessed of Eminence and Perfection (al-wajhat wa'l-kamal)!
- And Glorified be God! the One Possessed of Power and Dynamism (quwwat wa'l-fa`al).
- And Glorified be God! the One Possessed of Mercifulness. the Graciousness (al-rahmat wa'l-fidal).
- And Glorified be God! the One Possessed of Authority, the One Just (al-satwat wa'l-`adal).
- And Glorified be God! the One Possessed of Similitude, the Similitudes (pl.) (al-mithl wa'l-amthal).
- And Glorified be God! the One Possessed of Multi-Evidence, and the Distinguished (al-mawaqi` wa'l-ijlal).
- And Glorified be God! the One Possessed of Grandeur and Independence (al-`azimat wa'l-istiqlal).
- And Glorified be God! the One Possessed of Magnitude and Sublimity (al-kubriya wa'l-istijlal).
- And Glorified be God! the One Possessed of Might and Impenetrability (al`izzat wa'l-imtana`a)!
- And Glorified be God! the One Possessed of Power and Loftiness (al-qudrat wa'l-irtifa`a).
- And Glorified be God! the One Possessed of Resplendence and Delight (al-bahjat wa'l-ibtihaj).
- And Glorified be God! the One Possessed of Sovereignty and Power (al-sultanat wa'l-iqtidar).
- And Glorified be God! the One Possessed of Victpry and Inauguration (al-nasr wa'l-iftitah).
- And Glorified be God! the One Possessed of Triumph and Subjurgation (al-ghalbat wa'l-iqtihar).
- And Glorified be God! the One Possessed of Supremany and Exhibited (al-haymat wa'l-iztihar).
- And Glorified be God! the One Possessed of Authority and All-Powerful (al-satwat wa'l-ijtibar).
- And Glorified be God! the One Possessed of Strength and Loftyness (al-quwwat wa'l-irtifah).
- And Glorified be God! the One Possessed of Dawning-Light and Abstraction (al-tal`at wa'l-imtina`).
- And Glorified be God! the One Possessed of Might and Isolation (al-`azimat wa'l-inqata`a).
- And Glorified be God! the One Possessed of Grandeur and an Organizer [?] (al-kubriya' wa'l-irqitah/j).
Whomsoever are in the kingdom of the heavens and of the earth, and whatsoever lieth between them.do glorify Him. No God is there except Him. the All-Mighty (al-mutakabbir) the Transcendent (al-Muta`al).
- Say: All are believing in God and His verses [signs] (al-mu'minun)!
- Say: All stand upright before God and His verses [signs] (al-qa'imun)!
- Say: All are prostrate before God and His verses [signs] (al-sajidun)!
- Say: All do speak forth about God and His verses [signs] (al-qa'ilun?)!
- Say: All do call to remembrance in God and His verses [signs] (al-dhakirun)!
Say: Thou, in thine own selves, if thou believe in God [ms. p.4] and in His verses, then thou should [again] come to faith; otherwise, when thou come nigh God and such as have proffered knowledge, thou shall indeed be counted among the infidels (al-kafirun)! He is God Who, no God is there except Him. He bringeth alive and He causeth to die. And unto Him do all return. Such as have believed in God and His verses [signs] do comprehend within their own selves by virtue of their own selves that [they are] indeed believers (mu'minun). God is Self-Sufficient of these [souls] and from their [alleged] firmness (ayman)as well as whatsoever is in the heavens and upon the earth and whatsoever lieth between them.. All are in servitude before Him. Such as have become veiled from the command of their Lord shall, within their own selves, forevermore be consigned to hellfire (al-nar). .
Say: He is the True One (al-haqq). No God is there except Him who originaeth whatsoever He willeth through His Logos-Command, "Be! And it is!" (kun fa-yakun).
Say : He is One Wrathful (al-qahir) with thee! And One Manifest (al-zahir) unto thee. And One Elevated (al-murtafa`) above thy right-hand! Transcendent (al-muta`ali) is He above thee, above thy heads and Sovereign before thee. From every direction he passeth before thee to the end that orient thee towards the Kingdom of the heavens and upon the earth and whatsoever lieth between them.in whatsoever manner He pleaseth by virtue of His Logos-Command (al-amr). He hath ever been Powerful above All-Things (kull shay).
- Before God is whatsoever He created and will create for unto Him do all return!
- Before God is the Baha' (Glory) of that which He created and will create for before Him is everything overturned!
- Before God is the Jalal (Splendour) of that which He created and will create for unto Him is everything reversed!
- Before God is the Jamal (Beauty) of whatsoever He created and will create for unto Him is everything raised up!
- Before God is the `Azimat (Grandeur) of whatsoever He created and will create for unto Him is everything at His Command is raised upright!
- Before God is the Nur (Light) of whatsoever He created and will create for unto Him is everything reversed!
- Before God is the Rahmat (Mercy) of whatsoever He created and will create for through His Mercy does everything receive Mercy!
- Before God are the Asma' (Names) of whatsoever He created and will create for unto Him all through His Names come to be named!
- Before God is the `Izz (Might) of whatsoever He created and will create for unto Him for all through His Might made mighty!
- Before God is the Majd (Majesty) of whatsoever He created and will create for all through His majesty and rendered majestic!
- Before God is the `Ilm (Knowledge) of whatsoever He created and will create for through His Knowledge are all informed!
- Before God is the Qudrat (Power) of whatsoever He created and will create for all through His Power are empowered.
- Before God is the Quwwat (Might) of whatsoever He created and will create for all through His Might are made mighty!
- Before God is the Rida' (Contentment) of whatsoever He created and will create for all through His Contenetment are contented!
- Before God is the Sharaf (Nobility) of whatsoever He created and will create for all through His Nobility are Ennobled!
- Before God is the Sultan (Sovereignty) of whatsoever He created and will create for all through His Sovereignty are given authority!
- Before God is the Mulk (Dominion) of whatsoever He created and will create for all through His Nobility are accorded dominion!
- Before God is the `Aliyy (Elevation) of whatsoever He created [ms. p. 5] and will create for all through His Elevation are Elevated!
- Before God are the Ayat (Signs-Verses) of whatsoever He created and will create for all through His Signs are Enobled!
- Before God is the al-Ghana' (Self-Sufficiency) of whatsoever He created and will create for all through His Self-Sufficiency are made self-sufficient.
- Before God is the al-Fadl (Bounty) of whatsoever He created and will create for all through His Bounty are recepients of Bounty.
- Before God is the `Adl (Justice) of whatsoever He created and will create for all through His Justice all exhibit Justice.
So be ye observant of thy genesis and of thy termination! Then anticipate ye how many servants are like unto thee. Such hath been decreed for thee on the part of God. At this thou shall not prove self-magnifying! This is what God hath stipulated for thee hrough His Command (al-amr). And should God raise up any single thing thou should indeed bear witness.
The Kitab al-asma' [VIII] IIf
The Second [Section] constituting the Second [Division] (al-thani fi'l-thani).
[The Munajat, Devotional Mode of Revelation]
In the Name of God, the Supremely Guided (al-arshad), the Supremely Guided (al-arshad).
Praised be unto Thee O my God! In no way do we or "All-Things" (Kull shay) adequately testify unto Thee for Thou art indeed God. No God is there except Thee. No doubt is there as to Thy Singleness.
- [1] Thine, Thine is the Dominion and the Kingdom (al-mulk wa'l-malakut).
- [2] Thine is the Might and the Omnipotence (al-`izz wa'l-jabarut).
- [3] Thine is the Power and the Divinity (al-qudrat wa'l-lahut).
- [4] Thine is the Strength and the Gem-like/ Ruby Preciousness [Sapphire] (al-qudrat wa'l-yaqut).
- [5] Thine is the Sovereignty and the mundane world (al-sultanat wa'l-nasut).
- [6] Thine is the Might and the Beauty (al-`izz wa'l-jamal)! .
- [7] Thine is the Dawning-Light and the Beauty (al-tal`at wa'l-jamal)!
- [8] Thine is the Design and the Perfection (al-wijhat wa'l-kamal)!
- [9] Thine is the Similitude and the Similitudes (al-mithl wa'l-amthal)!
- [10] Thine are the Encounters and the Exaltedness (al-mawaqi` wa'l-ijlal)!
- [11] Thine are the Might and the Grandeur (al-`azimat wa'l-kubriya')!
- [12] Thine are the Grandeur and the Magnificence (al-kubriya' wa'l-istijlal)!
- [13] Thine are the Suzereignty and the Independence (al-haymanat wa'l-istiqlal)!
- [14] Thine are the Mighty and the Impenetratable (al-`izzat wa'l-imtana`a)!
- [15] Thine are the Power and the Exaltedness (al-quwwat wa'l-irtifa`)!
- [16] Thine are the Resplendence and the Delight (al-bahjat wa'l-ibtihaj)!
Thine is that which Thou held Beloved and which We held beloved within the Kingdom of Thy Command and of Thy Creation. For all eternity Thou were a Deity (ilah an), a Unity (wahid an), All-Perpetual (samad an), Peerless (fard an), One Living (hayy an). Self-Subsisting (qayyum an), All-Enduring (da'im an), Eternal (abad an), Dependable (mu`tamad an), Transcendent (muta`aliyy an), Abstracted [Apophatic] (mumtana` an). Thou did not appropriate for thyself any master (sahib) or any progeny (walad an). For thee there should be no partner (sharik) with respect to whatsoever thou hast created and no Wali (Intimate Friend) with respect to whatsoever thou set down. He did indeed create "All-Things" (kull shay') through Thy Power as something determined, regulated (taqdir an). Thou didst fashion "All-Things" (kull shay') throughThy Divine Will (mashiyyat) for Thou didst fashion this as something formulated [conceptual] (taswir an). There is no doubt that there is no Authority (murshid) aside from Thee and no Guide (hadi) apart from Thee. From Thee cometh His Murshid (Authority) who never goeth astray! From Thee is His Guidance (hadi) for never art thou veiled from [possibility of] His Good-Plesure (rida')!
- Glorified (subhan) be Thou! Thou art indeed One Elevated above Thy creation for within Thy grasp is indeed what Thou hast lifted up through Thy Loftyness above all realms of contingency (mumkinat).
- Thou divulged Thy glory [Self-Manifested] (tajalli) through Thy Splendor (jalal) above all contingent realms (mumkinat)!
- And Thou magnified through Thy Might (`izzat) beyond all realms of Being (ka'inat)!
- And Thou manifested soverignty through Thy Sovereignty (sultanat) beyond every particle of existence (dharrat)!
- And Thou wert wrathful through Thy Wrathfulness (qahariyya) towards all who are in the Kingdom of earth and of the heavens!
- And Thou didst compel through Thine Omnipotence (jabbariyya) beyond every likeness and things allusive (al-mithl wa'l-isharat).
- Glorified (subhan) be Thou! There is nothing greater (a`zam) than thee for He raised thee up and magnified thee, elevated thee and hid thee away, was warthful towards thee and compelled thee.
He assuredly raised up the creation of "All-Things" (kull shay') from nothing (shay') through Thy Power (qudrat). Then He divulged His Glory (tajalliat) unto "All-Things" (kull shay') through "All-Things" (kull shay') by virtue of Thy Might (`azimat)! Thus, whomsoever was transfigured (istijlla) through Thy Glorious Self-Revelation (tajalliyat) did so by virtue of empowerment through His Logos-Self (nafs)! Thus indeed did He precipitate the annihilation of self-centeredness (fana' al-sarf) in favor of an eternity of good-fortune (baqa' al-bakht) and He replaced the strictures of poverty for an unadulterated purity (iftiqar al-mahd) within the riches of the Divine Command [Cause] (istigna' al-amr)! Wherefore was I [God] eternally transcendent (muta`aliyy an) above whatsoever I had created and will for evermore create and sanctified (mutaqaddas an) above whatsoever I had designed or forevermore will design of whatsoever lieth with the Kingdom of Thy heaven and of Thine earth. All by virtue of His directive towards thee do achieve a relationship. This for the magnification of their own selves and their contingent existence (wujud).
- Glorified (subhan) be Thou! Thou did indeed cut off a [Divine] relationship (al-nasab) with any possessor of a [mundane] relationship for Thou singled out for [a special] relationship the Manifestation of Thy Logos-Self (mazahir nafsika). And He cut off every relationship with every [religious] community (kull al-nasb `an kull al-umam), save that is, such as follow Thee, the Reality of Thy Dawning Place in the Exposition (al-bayan), such as serve Thee, the Reality [Truth] of Servitude to Thee relative to the Explanation (al-tibyan) up till the Day when Thou hast desired to transform the [object of] Love (al-hubb) and make manifest the verses of Thy Power for those who inhabit the Kingdom of the earth and of the heavens!
- Glorified (subhan) be Thou! Thou did indeed elevate all such as serve Thee with respect to the Truth of the Sovereign of Thy Oneness (sultan wahdaniyyatika) and all such as are prostrate before Thee with respect to the Truth of the Might of Thy Peerless One (`izz fardaniyyatika). And all such as affirm Thy Unity respecting the Manifestations of the Glory of Thy Divinity (zuhurat majd lahutiyyatika) [p.7>] for there is no Informer (murshad) aside from Thee and no Guide (al-hadi) other than Thee, Through Thee is His Instruction (murshid) which can never be misleading! Through Thee is His Guidance (hadiyya) which can never be veil the fullness of Thy contentment.
- Glorified (subhan) be Thou! Thou do indeed elevate all of Thy creatures such as are in Thy grasp.Thou do indeed raise them up through Thy Elevatedness, up above all realms of being (al-mumkinat). And Thou did magnify all on account of Thy Glory (jalal) up above all realms of being (al-mumkinat)!
Further Extracts from INBMC 29:212f
The Second of Four Sections based on the Arabic root R-S-L meaning in Qur'anic Arabic, `to send, commission'. Arsala (IV) = `to send, one sent, etc. persons such as Messengers of God Rasul (sent Messenger) and a sent message or Risala (Message, Document).
II-II AL-ARSAL AL-ARSAL 29: 212-213.
In the Name of God, the Supreme Comissioner (al-arsal). the Most Frequent Sender of an Envoy / Dispatcher of the Messengers Supreme (al-arsal)!
O my God! O my God! We do indeed testify unto Thee as indeed do All-Things (kull shay') for Thou, Thou art God, no God is there except Thee Alone. There is no doubt regarding Thee for
- Unto Thee is the Dominion (al-mulk) and the Kingdom (al-malakut).
- And Thine is the Might (al-`izz) and the Omnipotent Realm (al-jabarut).
- And Thine is the Power (al-quwwat) and the Divine Realm (al-lahut).
- And Thine is the Power (al-quwwat) and the Crimson-Ruby (al-yaqut).
- And Thine is the Sovereighty (al-saltanat) and the Mundane realm (al-nasut).
- And Thine is indeed the Might (al-`izzat) and the Glory (al-jalal).
- And Thine is the Face (al-wajh) and the Perfection (al-kamal).
- And Thine is the Countenance (al-tal`at) and the Beauty (al-jamal).
- And Thine is the Power (al-quwwat) and the ( al- ).
The above is In progress and under revision...
____________
Note an earlier passage (translated above) and that immediately below reflecting the Bab's use of the Ramadan Dawn Prayer, the twelver Shi`i Du`ā' al-saḥar (Dawn supplication) attributed to the 5th Imam Muhammad al-Bāqir (d. 126/743) and transmitted by Imām `Ali l-Ridā' (d. 203 /818) - see al-Qummī's Mafātīḥ al-jannān pp. 351-355 and the annotated translation on this website). This twelver Shi`i Ramadan Dawn Prayer with its initially parallel recension known as the Du`ā' yawm al-mubāhala ("Supplication for the Day of Mutual Execration") transmitted by the 6th Imam Ja`far al-Ṣādiq (d.183 799), are devotional supplications omnipresent in the later writings of the Bab. For details and translations see:
- "The Dawn Supplication of Glory-Beauty (al-bahā') (Ramaḍān Dawn Prayer) ascribed to Imam Muhammad al-Bāqir (d. c. 126/743) - https://hurqalya.ucmerced.edu/node/86
- "The Du`ā' yawm al-mubāhala" webpage - https://hurqalya.ucmerced.edu/node/101
The numerous recreations by the Bab of these supplications are frequent in many of his later writings, especially his Kitab al-asma' and the Kitab-i Panj Sha`n. It is echoed and `recreated' in the calendar of the Bab where the names of the months are found as centrally important Names or Attributes of God.
اَللّـهُمَّ اِنّي اَسْاَلُكَ
مِنْ مَسائِلِكَ بِاَحَبِّها اِلَيْكَ وَ كُلُّ مَسائِلِكَ اِلَيْكَ حَبيبَةٌ
اَللّـهُمَّ اِنّي اَسْاَلُكَ بِمَسائِلِكَ كُلِّها
O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Masā'il ("Questions") which are most Agreeable (aḥabb) of Thee for all of Thy Concerns (masā'il) are truly beloved (ḥabīb); I, verily, O my God! beseech Thee by the whole of Thine Affairs (masā'il).
See further: "Some Notes on the term Masa'il in the twelver Shi`i Du`ā' al-saḥar (Dawn supplication), the Du`ā' yawm al-mubāhala ("Supplication for the Day of Mutual Execration") and in select Writings of the Bab" . This subject is dealt with on the following webpage : https://hurqalya.ucmerced.edu/node/4151
++++++++++++++
[p.213]
So reveal ye now then unto them, O my God! this very Night, what will be made manifest though all of Thy Baha' (Glory) in its Supreme Glory (abha-hu), from all of Thy Jalal (Splendour) at its Most Splendid, from all of thy Jamal (Beauty) in its supreme Beauty, from all of thy `Azimat (Might) at its acme of Might and from all of Thy Light (nur) His Lights (anwar).
- And from all of thy Rahmat (Mercy) let it be diffused abroad!
- By virtue of all of Thy Words (Kalimat) are matters completed!
- By virtue of all of Thy Names (Asma') things are magnified!
- By virtue of all of Thy Might (`Izzat') are things empowered!
- By virtue of all of Thy Will (Mashiyyat') everything is actualized!
- As a result of the totality of Thy Knowledge (`Ilm) matters were befittingly transmitted!
- And all of Thy Objectives (Masa'il) [Propositions, Questions] become especially beloved for Thy sake. Such were assuredly ennobled for Thy sake!
- For by virtue of all of Thy Nobility (Sharaf) was everything made noble!
- By virtue of all of Thy Sovereignty (Sultan) was everything ever abiding!
Translation from INBMC 69
♦
Translation from VIII.1 an unidentified (from Marzieh Gail Coll ?) ms.
♦
The Kitab al-asma' VIII: 1.
Opening lines in ms. text of Kitab al-asma from VIII:1,
Trans. Stephen Lambden.
The first Gate (al-bab) from the eighth Unity (wahid) of the eighth month of the year on the gnosis of the Name al-murshid ( ) which consists of four [sub-] sections (maratib). .
In the Name of God, the Supremely Guided (al-arshad), the Supremely Guided (al-arshad).
God, no God is there save Him., the Supremely Guided (al-arshad), the Supremely Guided (al-arshad). Say: God proffers a Guidance (arshad) beyond every possessor of Guidance (irshad).
Page preceeding the Kitab al-asma' VIII. 1 (above),
The page partially set down below preceeds that of the Kitab al-asma; VIII. 1 translated above . It may be an unrelated work of the Bab or perhaps the end of Kitab al-asma' VII. 19 or most likely f prolegomenon to VIII. 1.though it seems in part a repiition of parts of VIII.1 ms,. I shall here translate parts of this possible page from the Kitab al-asma :
The page preceeding the first [wahid] (of Kitab al-asma; VIII:1
[1] He is the One Who created All-things (kull shay') through His Command (amr) for all during both night and day do offer Glorification! [2] And He is the One Who provided for All-things (kull shay') through His Command (amr), the All-Mighty, Powerful Cause (al-illat al-hawl wa'l-tawl) in times past and during times to come.[3] All are indeed upstanding before Him. [4] He is the One Who bringeth Life and causeth to die for nothing cometh from God except God Himself! See trans/ abpve ...
APPENDIX 1
INBA 29 - See Kitab al-asma; II:7b ?? Misplaced.repeated text ??
1] He is the One Who created All-things (kull shay') through His Command (amr) for all during both night and day do offer Glorification! [2] And He is the One Who provided for All-things (kull shay') through His Command (amr), the All-Mighty, Powerful Cause (al-illat al-hawl wa'l-tawl) in times past and during times to come.[3] All are indeed upstanding before Him. [4] He is the One Who bringeth Life and causeth to die for nothing cometh from God except God Himself!
Say: All are indeed prostrate before Him! He is the One who dispatched the winds [canal]? (al-rayyah) a good-news emanating betwixt the hands of His Mercy, He sent down from heaven something of the blessed Water of Life (ma' mubaraka haywan) which you all who are upon the earth should strive to attain. He is the One Who maketh subservient the sun. the moon and the stars, obedient to His Command (amr). Is it not that the Creation and the Command (al-khalq wa'l-amr) belong to Him! No God is there except Him, the Mighty, the One Beloved.
Say: He is indeed One Upstanding [Upright] (al-qa'im) above His creation. Before Him are whomsoever are in the kingdom of the heavens and of the earth, [the earth] and what is between them. No God s there except Him, the Mighty (al-`aziz), the Transcendent (al-muta`ali).
[14] Say: By God! All are upstanding ...
