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The Commentaries of the Bab on the Islamic basmala.

 

The Commentaries of the Bab on the Islamic basmala.

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 2016

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' ...

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).

 

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)...