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Baha'-Allah - Lawh-i Madinat al-Tawhid (The Tablet of the City of the Divine Unity).

THE

لوح مدينة التوحيد

LAWḤ-I MADĪNAT AL-TAWḤĪD

(THE TABLET OF THE CITY OF THE DIVINE UNITY)

OF

MIRZA HUSAYN `ALI NURI BAHA’-ALLAH

Introduction

Stephen N. Lambden 2006 + 2015 +2023.

The Persian text of this scriptural Tablet can be found in :

  • INBMC 36:396-401. 
  • Ishraq Khavari ed. Ma'ida-yi asmani, 4:313ff.
  • Majmu`a-yi alwah-i mubaraka, 307-315.

 

The Arabic word tawḥīd, basically  means being somehow related to the number one or to oneness. It can mean “making one,” or “proclaiming oneness”. The Qur'an and and hence the religion of Islam are centered upon the theological proclamation of the Divine "oneness", the tawḥīd of Allah, the single nature of the One Creator and personal God of all humanity.  The Islamic testimony to the Divine Oneness and the prophethood of Muhammad is known as الشهادة‎ the shahādah  or “bearing witness”. It is summed up in the anti-polytheistic, anti-dualistic and anti-trinitarian utterance,

لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله

“There is no God but God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God”

 

♦

 

This  Tablet of the City of Divine Unity (madīnat al-tawḥīd)  commences with the following prefix:

هو

البهى البهى الابهى

 He is the Splendid, the Splendid, the Most Splendidly Radiant.

We then have the identificatory line and a counsel :

This is the City of Divine Unity (madīnat al-tawḥīd) .

Enter ye therein, O concourse of the believers in Divine Unity! (mawḥidīn), so that ye may, on account of the glad-tidings of the Spirit  (bisharāt al-rūḥ), be numbered among such as are endowed with mystic insight. [1]

This is followed by a second theological huwa phrase with serveral divine Attbibutes indicative of the exaltedness of the Godhead :

He is the Mighty, the One, the Elevated, the Transcendent, the

Baha'-Allah then introduces the text as follows:

These are the verses of the Book. I have distinguished its verses making them wondrous, without error as befits the signs of God; [Ma'idih 4:314] a guidance, a light and a remembrance unto whomsoever are resident in the heavens or on the earth. Therein are contained that which will draw the people nigh unto the court of sanctity. It, furthermore, is a Book wherein is contained every  mighty directive ("Cause", amr).  It, in truth, was sent down on the part of One Wise, Knowing.