The Reply of the Bab
to
The Questions of Mirza Muhammad Zavarih [Zawara]
ADD ARABIC TEXT
INBMC 69:XX-XXX)
[1]
[1] As for what thou did ask regarding the clarification of the issue of pre-existence (al-qidam) and the origination [genesis] of things (al-ḥuduth). [2] There is no doubt that the pre-existence of the eternal Divine Essence (dhāt al-azal) is by virtue of His Own Self (nafsihi) for His Eternity (azal) was His Essence (al-dhāt). [3] There was nothing alongside Him other than He, until, that it, He decreed the distinguishing feature of His pre-existence (al-qidam). [4] The divine Names and Attributes became detached from the Court of His Holiness and the [emanated] traces (āthār) were prevented from ascending unto the level (maqām) of His divine Grandeur. [5] Wherefore is everything that testifieth unto Him, His Own creation. [6] And He is the One Who informs His servants.
[II]
[1] Thus does it derive from the alphabetical trace which is the generative script (khaṭṭ al-ibdā`a) and the specific nature of the invention (ni`at al-ikhtir`). [2] He, verily, is supremely glorious and far greater than One capable of being characterized by His creatures or described by His servants. [3] Praise be He and exalted be He above what can be described. [4] Thus, when the existence of the pre-existent divine Essence (dhat al-qidam) was established, it was through the existence of His Own Logos-Self (nafs) and [through] nothing that was separated from it. [5] [Imam] `Alī alluded unto this [when he said],
"O thou the establishment of whose Essence
is by virtue of His [Own] Essence (dhātihi bi-dhātihi)".
[6] The existence of origination (al-ḥuduth) was in consequence through the Creative Logos-Self (nafs al-ibadiyya)
...
[XX]
Among them is the level of exterior Eternity (azal al-ẓāhir) within the primal Remembrance
(al-dhikr al-awwal) and the exterior Pre-existence (al-qidam al-ẓāhir) as it relates to the station of the Divine Activity (al-maqām al-fi'l). This is the station which God made in the beginning (al-ibdā`a) for the station of the gnosis of the testimony (ma`rifat al-istidlāl) regarding the Eternity of His Essence (azal dhātihi) and His Pre-existence (qidamihi). Wherefore hath he said,
"I am the master of secondary [momentary] eternality (azaliyya al-thanawiyya).
And he [also] said in description of the Messenger of God in the Sermon of the Day of Gathering and the Ditch (khuṭba yawm al-jami`a wa'l-ghadīr),
`And I testify that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger whom He singled out from the midmost-heart of Pre-existence (bubūḥat al-qidam), one unique above the remainder of the peoples.... and the likeness of His rising up is [the realization of] the station of His Logos-Self (maqām nafsihi)
[XX]
Among them is the level of beginningless eternity (rutbat al-sarmad) which is the station of the appearance of the Divine Activity (maqām ẓuhūr al-fi`l) for which there is no beginning except by virtue of His Logos-Self (nafsihi) [XX] And there is also the level of the eternal continuance of time (rutbat al-dahr). [X] Again there is the level of the duration of Time (rutbat al-zamān)....
