Prescript, Basmala of the Opening of the Surat al-dhikr AQA IV:236
Surat al-Dhikr (The Surah of the Remembrance).
Introduction
Stephen Lambden
In Progress Last uploaded : 28-07-2017.
The wholly Arabic Surat al-Dhikr or Surah of the Remembrance most probably dates to the early Edirne or Adrianople period ( c. 1865?). It has a prescript and a neo-basmala (see above) after which the text commences with a statement to the effect that it constitutes a Book from the nuqtat al-ulya the Primal Point, which (among others) is nornally used as a title of the Bab who is also (note the title Surat al-dhikr) known as the Dhikr or messianic remembrance.
Manuscriots (mss.) abd printed texts of the Surat al-Dhikr can be located in the following sources:
- Athar-i qalam-i a`la (AQA) vol. IV : 236-245 (cited and translated here).
The opening portion may be translated as follows :
This is the Surat al-dhikr (Surah of the Remembrance).
It was assuredly sent down through the Divine Bounty (bi'l-fadl) perchance the Concourse of the Bayan [Babis] might detach themselves from that which they possess then orient themselves towards the right hand side of Divine Justice (yamin al-`adl), rise up from the slumber of base passion, and hasten unto their Lord, the Transcendent, the All-Glorious (al-aliyy al-abha), in very truth, the right Path (sabil an).
The new basmala prescript with three divine attributes - Bismillah al-aqdas, al-`aliyy al-a`la - may be translated as follows :
In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Exalted, the Most Exalted
The main opening section commences as follows:
This is a Book [communication] (kitab) of the Primal Point (nuqtat al-awwali / ulya) unto such as have believed in God, the One (al-wahid), the Peerless (al-fard), the Mighty (al-`aziz), the All-Knowing (al-`alim). Therein He addresses such as have been faithful unto this Cause (al-amr) among the Concourse of the Bayan...
The Surat al-dhikr concludes as follows:
Translation =
... Then render thou thanks unto God in that He hath assisted thee through a knowledge [gnosis] (`irfan) from His Self (nafs) and hath sent down verses unto thee from the heaven of Providence (sama' al-fadl). This to the end that thou might attain a station (maqam) which God caused to be sanctified above the gnosis of the people of tyranny (`irfan ahl al-tughyan) who have strayed from the stipulations of God (hudud Allah) and have forgotten His Covenant (`ahd) and His Testament (mithaq). By God! Such are indeed but compnions of injustice! Now al-Baha' be upon thee and upon whomsoever taketh hold of God and turneth away of Satan (al-shaytan),
