بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيم
The Tafsīr [ḥuruf al-] Basmala (= Bismillāh al-Raḥman al-Raḥīm) of Sayyid `Ali Muhammad the Bab (d. 1850 CE).
Stephen Lambden UCMerced.
In progress 2015
The Tafsīr ḥurūf al-basmala of the Bāb
The Tafsīr ḥurūf al-basmala of the Bab begins with a new basmala formula. It reads,
بسم الله البديع الذيلا اله الا هو
In the Name of God, the Wondrous (al-badi`) Who, no God is there except Him.The occurrence of the divine Name البديع al-badi` here is important in that this Divine Attribute is expressive of God's power as Fashioner, Creator and Wonderful Originator of God engerdered revolution. It is fitting that a messianic claimant refashion the Islamic basmala in this way. It is reminiscent of Qayyum al-asma' ADD.
The text of the Tafsīr ḥurūf al-basmala proper commences as follows:
صبحاته قدجعل لظهوره لخلقه اربع مقامات المشاراليها
Loosely translated this reads,
"All Glorification (subhān) be unto Him for He hath fashioned His creation [through His very creation] for His theophanic Manifestation (li-zuhurihi) alotting four stations [levels](maqamat) that are especially pertinent thereto (maqamāt al-mashar ilayhi).
OR
All Glorification (subuhāt) be unto Him for He hath fashioned for His theophanic Manifestation (li-zuhurihi) relative to His Creation, four stations [levels] for the aforementioned [realm of creation] (maqamāt al-mashar ilayhi)...
بديع al-badi` here is important in that this word is expressive of God's power as fashioner, creator and wonderful originator of revolution. It is fitting that a messianic claimant refashion the Islamic basmala in this way. It is reminiscent of Qayyum al-asma' ADD.
The text proper commences as follows:
صبحاته قد جعل لظهوره لخلقه اربع مقامات المشاراليها
Loosely translated (ms. texts vary) this reads,
"All Glorification (subhān) be unto Him for He hath fashioned His creation [through His act of creation] for His theophanic Manifestation (li-zuhurihi) alotting four stations [levels](maqamat) that are especially pertinent thereto (maqamāt al-mashar ilayhi).
"All Glorification (subuhāt) be unto Him for He hath fashioned for His theophanic Manifestation (li-zuhurihi) relative to His Creation, four stations [levels] for the aforementioned [realm of creation] (maqamāt al-mashar ilayhi)...
