Neo-basmala of the Lawh-i Nasir
Lawh-i Nasir,
The Tablet to Hajji Muhammad Nasir Qazvini (d. Rasht, 1300/1882-3/8).
Introduction
The Arabic and Persia text of the Lawh-i Nasir was written after the `Most Great Separation' (1866) from Mirza Yahya and his followers in reply to a question of Hajji Muhammad Nasir Qazvini about the position of this Mirza Yahya Nuri (c.1831-1914) the half-brother of Baha'-Allah who challenged his theophanic claims.
Mss. and printed texts can be found in:
- MAM: 166-202.
Translations :
- Shoghi Effendi, partial in Gleanings (GWB) LIII and LXXV.
- cf. GPB:171 trans. of a short extract printed in MAM:175.
- E. G. Browne, small extract - MAM : 173 in
Notes and comments on this Tablet and its recipient.
- Ishraq Khavari, Ganj, 173.
- Mazandarani, Athar al-asrar, V:224.
- Samandar, Tarikh, 87, 214f.
- Taherzadeh RB II: 39,245-7.
The text of the largely Persian Lawh-i Nasir Qazvini opens with the following Arabic Baha'i huwa ("He is") affirmation with two Baha' related adjectives or Divine Attributes: "He is the Splendid (al-bahiyy), the All-Glorious (al-abha)" (MAM: 166).
The only two who knew of the genesis of the Baha'i Cause.
"The origins [genesis] of this Cause (amr) were concealed (mastur) from all. No one was adequately aware thereof save two souls; one of these two being named Ahmad who suffered the testimony [of martyrdom] in the path of his Lord and returned unto the ultimate abode (muqarr al-quswa) while the other was he who was named "the Speaker" (al-Kalim - "He who [like Moses] conversed", i.e. with God) who at this moment can be found in our presence" (MAM:174).
These two persons mentioned in the Lawh-i Nasir, who were uniquely, befittingly aware of the genesis of the religious amr (Cause) of Baha'-Allah, were Ahmad or Mirza `Abd al-Khaliq-i Qazvini who was a key, a major amanuesis of the Bab who suffered martyrdom in 1852 CE. while the other was the brother of Baha'-Allah named Mirza Musa, hence his title Kalim. He died in the 18XXs.
The Bab nigh the Divine Throne speaks out
"At this moment the Soul [Person] of the Most Transcendent Point (nuqta-' a`la) is situated (waqif) nigh the Right-Hand side of the All-Glorious Divine Throne (bar yamin-i `arsh-i abha) and uttereth the following luminous, resplendent, blessed, goodly, noble words : "O my Servants! (MAM:177)
Baha'-Allahs' twenty year protection of his half-brother Mirza Mirza Yahya Nuri (c. 1831- d. April 29, 1912, aged 80).
(MAM:180-1)
Baha'-Allah was about fourteen years older that his younger half-brother Mirza Yahya Nuri who died about ten years after Baha'-Allah who passed away on May 29th 1892 CE. The twenty year period referred to above probably covers the two decades from the inception of the Babi Cause in 1260/ May 1844 until the time of Baha'-Allah's own theophanic claims, nineteen or twenty years later. Alternatively,
