CONTENTS

page
FOREWORD
INTRODUCTION: The Manifestations of God
1

1.

THE BIRTH OF THE REVELATION

7

2.

BAHÁ'U'LLÁH IN EXILE

12

3.

THE WORD OF GOD

18
     The Word of God Is Independent of Acquired Knowledge
18
     The Nature of Bahá'u'lláh's Revelation
21
     The Creative Power of the Word of God
30
     The Word as the Source of Knowledge
32
     The Most Exalted Pen
34
     The Authenticity of the Word of God
40
     True Knowledge
42

4.

THE FIRST EMANATIONS OF THE SUPREME PEN

45
     The Poem of Rashh-i-'Amá
45
     The City of Tihrán
46
     The Sisters of Bahá'u'lláh
49
     A Prayer on Leaving Persia
51

5.

THE EARLY TABLETS IN 'IRÁQ

53
     Circumstances of Their Revelation
53
     Lawh-i-Kullu't-Ta'ám
55
     Some Tablets Revealed in Kurdistán
60
     The Day of God
64
     Bahá'u'lláh's Return to Baghdád
67

6.

THE HIDDEN WORDS

71

7.

SOME EARLY BELIEVERS

84
     Mullá Ridá of Muhammad-Ábád
84
     Nabíl-i-Akbar
91

8.

THE SEVEN VALLEYS

96
     Siyyid Ismá'íl of Zavárih (Dhabíh)
101
     The Four Valleys
104

9.

SOME OUTSTANDING TABLETS

105
     Sahífiy-i-Shattíyyih
105
     Madínatu'r-Ridá
108
     Madínatu't-Tawhíd
109
     Súriy-i-Qadír
119
     Hurúfát-i-'Állín
122
     Lawh-i-Húríyyih
125
     Lawh-i-Áyiy-i-Núr
125
     Lawh-i-Fitnih
128
     Súriy-i-Nush
137
     Shikkar-Shikan-Shavand
147
     Javáhiru'l-Asrár
149

10.

THE KITÁB-I-ÍQÁN

153
     Circumstances of Its Revelation
153
     The Importance of the Kitáb-i-Íqán
160
     Major Themes of the Kitáb-i-Íqán (Part One)
162
          The reasons for man's opposition to the Prophets of God
163
          The signs of the return of Christ
165
          Interpretation of symbolic terms
166
          Further reasons for man's rejection of the Prophets
171
     Major Themes (Part Two)
175
          The nature of God and His Manifestations
175
          The sovereignty of the Prophets
180
          The meaning of 'life', 'death' and 'resurrection'
183
          The veil of knowledge
185
          The true seeker
186
          Proofs of the Báb's Revelation
189
          Bahá'u'lláh anticipates His own Revelation
194

11.

OTHER EARLY BELIEVERS

198
     Hájí Mírzá Muhammad-Taqíy-i-Afnán
198
     Nabíl-i-A'zam
202
     Companions of Bahá'u'lláh
206

12.

BAHÁ'U'LLÁH'S APPROACHING DECLARATION

210
     Subhána-Rabbíya'l-A'lá
211
     Lawh-i-Ghulámu'l-Khuld
213
     Húr-i-'Ujáb
218
     Az-Bágh-i-Iláhí
218
     Halih-Halih-Yá-Bishárat
219

13.

FRIENDS AND FOES

221
     Hájí Siyyid Javád-i-Karbilá'í
221
     Some Powerful Enemies
225

14.

TABLET OF THE HOLY MARINER

228
     Other Tablets of This Period
244

15.

MÍRZÁ YAHYÁ AND SIYYID MUHAMMAD-I-ISFAHÁNÍ

246

16.

THE DECLARATION OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH IN THE GARDEN OF RIDVÁN

257
     His Influence on the People of Baghdád
257
     The Festival of Ridván
259
     Lawh-i-Ayyúb
263
     The Significance of Ridván
273
     Three Important Statements by Bahá'u'lláh
278
     The Báb's Prophecies Fulfilled
280
     Bahá'u'lláh's Departure from the Garden
281

17.

THE JOURNEY TO CONSTANTINOPLE

283

18.

'HIM WHOM GOD SHALL MAKE MANIFEST'

294


APPENDIX I: Mírzá Áqá Ján

315
APPENDIX II: Hájí Muhammad-Táhir-i-Málmírí
320
APPENDIX III: Vahíd
325
APPENDIX IV: Hájí Mírzá Karím Khán
332


BIBLIOGRAPHY

337
REFERENCES
341
INDEX
351





ILLUSTRATIONS

TABLET OF THE HOLY MARINER
   Revealed by Bahá'u'lláh in Arabic
   In the handwriting of 'Abdu'l-Bahá
facing page

'ABDU'L-BAHÁ
   The Centre of the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh
   A photograph taken in Adrianople

14

BAHÁ'ÍYYIH KHÁNUM
   The Greatest Holy Leaf, daughter of Bahá'u'lláh
   A photograph taken circa 1895

15

MÍRZÁ MÚSÁ, SURNAMED ÁQÁY-I-KALÍM
   A most faithful brother of Bahá'u'lláh
   And foremost among His Apostles

46

MÍRZÁ MUHAMMAD-QULÍ
   The youngest half-brother of Bahá'u'lláh
   Devoted to Him and steadfast in His Cause

47

THE SEALS OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH
   Displayed in an ornamental Persian design
   (As reproduced in The Bahá'í World, vol. V, p. 4)

78

MULLÁ ZAYNU'L-'ÁBIDÍN
   A noted scribe and Apostle of Bahá'u'lláh
   Surnamed by Him Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín

79

ONE SHEET OF 'REVELATION WRITING' BY MÍRZÁ ÁQÁ JÁN
   (reduced from the original size of 35 x 22 cms)
   Only the first few words are sufficiently legible to identify the
   passage as the third Tajallí of the Tablet of Tajallíyát

110
between pages
A FEW LINES OF THE 'REVELATION WRITING'
   From the Tablet illustrated on the previous page (actual size)
110-11


facing page
MÍRZÁ HUSAYN-I-ISFAHÁNÍ
   Entitled Mishkín-Qalam
   An Apostle of Bahá'u'lláh and distinguished calligrapher
111

HÁJÍ MUHAMMAD-TÁHIR-I-MÁLMÍRÍ
   Historian and teacher of the Faith, father of the author
   Some of his memoirs concerning Bahá'u'lláh are quoted in this book

142

TABLET OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH
   In His own handwriting
   Intended for Hájí Muhammad-Táhir-i-Málmírí (see page 39)

143

MULLÁ MUHAMMAD-RIDÁ OF MUHAMMAD-ÁBÁD
   An outstanding and heroic exponent of the Faith

174

MULLÁ MUHAMMAD-I-QÁ'INÍ
   An erudite teacher and Apostle of Bahá'u'lláh
   Surnamed by Him Nabíl-i-Akbar

175

SHAYKH SALMÁN
   The indefatigable special messenger of Bahá'u'lláh

206

HÁJÍ MÍRZÁ MUHAMMAD-TAQÍY-I-AFNÁN
   A cousin of the Báb
   And a renowned follower of Bahá'u'lláh

207

MULLÁ MUHAMMAD-I-ZARANDÍ
   Historian, Apostle of Bahá'u'lláh and His poet-laureate
   Surnamed by Him Nabíl-i-A'zam

238

HÁJÍ SIYYID JAVÁD-I-KARBILÁ'Í
   One of the 'Mirrors' of the Bábí Dispensation
   And an outstanding follower of Bahá'u'lláh

239