لوح ميرزا عباس استراباد
Extract from a Tablet of Baha’u’llāh to Mīrzā `Abbās Āstarābadī about the Greatest Name of God (Per. ism-i a`ẓam).
Persian text from Mā’ida-yi asmānī, Vol. 4: 23.
بنام خداوند يكتا
... كتابت در سجن حاضر و توجه اليه طرف المظلوم الّذی دعا الكل الی اللّه المهيمن القيّوم و صدر آن باين كلمهء مباركه مزين بود اللّهم انّی اسئلك من بهائك بابهاه مشاهده در غفلت اهل فرقان نمائيد مع آنكه از قبل فرمودهاند كه اسم اعظم الهی در اين دعا مذكور است و نزد صاحبان بصر بسی واضح و مشهود است كه مقام ذكر اسم اعظم در اول و ابتدا بوده چه كه مقدم بر اسماء و مبدأ و مطلع اذكار است و در صدر دعای مذكور واقع شده با وجود اين جميع انكار نموده و عارف بحق او نشدند بلكه فتوی بر قتلش دادند الّا من حفظه اللّه بالحق و انقذه من بحر الاوهام انّه لهو المقتدر القدير
Trans. Stephen Lambden UC Merced
Trans. Stephen Lambden c.1980 revised 2007 + 17-05-2015 - last corrected 25-05-2020.
In the Name of God, the One.
Thy letter arrived in the (Acre) Prison and the gaze of the Wronged One (al-maẓlūm = Bahā’u’llāh) who summoneth all unto God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting was directed unto it. The commencement (ṣadr) of that [communication] was ornamented with this blessed phrase (kalimat-i mubāraka), “I, verily, O my God, beseech Thee through Thy Bahā’ (Splendour) at its Most Resplendent (bi-abhā-hu)”. Thou art aware of the perfidy of the people of the Criterion (ahl al-furqān) [=Qur’ān = Muslims] despite the fact that they [certain of the Imams] indicated that the Greatest Name of God (ism-i a`ẓam-i ilāhī) is mentioned in this [Ramaḍan fasting] Supplication (du`ā) [relayed through Imam Muhammad al-Bāqir]. And it is abundantly clear and evident on the part of the possessors of insight (ṣaḥibān-i baṣar) that the position (maqām) of the mention [of baha' in the Du`ā] of the Greatest Name (ism-i a`ẓam) is at its very opening or commencement. This since it has preeminence (muqaddam) over the [other Divine] Names (asmā’) and is the genesis (mubdā’) and dawning-point (maṭlā) of the [other] commemorative lines [of the Supplication] (adhkar) being mentioned and positioned at the very inception (ṣadr) of the Supplication (du`ā). In spite then of this all repudiated it and remained unaware of its Truth. Nay indeed! They [the Shī`ī] ulamā’ issued a fatwā for his [Bahā’u’llah’s] execution, save, that is, such as were, in very Truth, safeguarded by God and rescued from the ocean of idle fancies. He [God] indeed is assuredly the Powerful, the Potent.
Translated by Stephen N. Lambden from the Persian text published in Mā’ida-yi āsmānī, Vol. 4: 23.
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