TABLE OF CONTENTS

 From

A Companion to the Study of The Kitab-I-Íqán

Hooper C. Dunbar (1998)

Section 4


"The following outline represents one effort to identify the important subject matter of the ĺqán in the order in which it appears in the text. The task is formidable. The outline is not intended to be fully comprehensive but, rather, to serve as an aid to locating various subjects...the Iqán is composed of a number of themes, all intricately interwoven. This sequential approach does not deal adequately with this interweaving."

Part One
The Book of Certitude is divided into two parts. Each is headed by a brief paragraph which sets out its general theme. Part One centres on the importance of detachment in attaining to true understanding of God and His Prophet; an account of the cruelties suffered by the divine Messengers; the consequences of people blindly following religious leaders and not searching out truth for themselves; the exalted station of the Manifestation of God; the method of God in trying His servants to distinguish the sincere from the false; and the relativity of religious truth, as well as the continuity of divine Revelation. (ibid, p. 70)
paragraph
page
1. Detachment is the key to true understanding
1-2
3
2. Requirements of those who tread the path of faith
3
3. Words and deeds of men are no standard for understanding and recognition of God and His Prophets
3
4. Cause of denial of Prophets of the past
3-6
4
     a. Súrih of Húd surely sufficeth
5
5. Accounts of cruelties suffered by the Prophets of the past
6-17
6
     a. Noah - 'no fulfilment of the divine promise'
7-8
7
     b. Húd
9
     c. Sálih
9
     d. Abraham - 'episode of fire'
10
     e. Moses
11
     f. Jesus
17
6. Denials of religious leaders
13-16
12
7. Unfoldment of mysteries of verses
19
8. Coming and return of Prophets
19-20
20
9. Distinction, variation and unity of Prophets
20
10. Food, bread
22
11. Explanation of Matthew 24:29-31
24-51,
66-87 
24,
61 
     a. Reference to Luke 21:33
27
     b. Oppression an essential feature of every Revelation
28-30
29
     c. Highest purpose of creation
29
     d. 'Sun' and 'moon' interpreted
31-42
33
          i. Sun of Truth
31-33
33
          ii. Religious leaders
34-36
36
          iii. Laws and teachings
38-42
38
          iv. Prayer and fasting
38-40
38
          v. Their darkening
51-52
46
     e. 'Cleaving of heaven'
44
     f. Consider hardship and bitterness of lives of Prophets
45
     g. 'Changing of the earth'
48-51
46
     h. Knowledge is a light
46
12. Purpose of symbolic terms to test and prove people, that sincere may be known from the false
53-63
49
     a. Change of the Qiblih
54-55
49
     b. Homicide of Moses
57-58
53
     c. Condition of the Virgin Mary
56
13. Ways of the Manifestations contrary to the desires of men
61-63
57
14. Passages on 'stream of utterance' and 'universe is pregnant'
64-65
59
15. Continued explanation of Matthews 24:29-31
68-87,
24-51 
63,
24 
     a. Signs of coming in visible and invisible heavens, 'sign of the Son of man in heaven'
61-73
57
          i. Time of Abraham
62
          ii. Time of Moses
63
          iii. Time of Jesus
69-70
64
          iv. Time of Muhammad
65
          v. Time of the Báb
65
     b. Mourning of tribes; coming in clouds
66
     c. Meaning of 'heaven'
74-75
66
          i. Inner state of the Manifestations
66
          ii. Many diverse applications--various heavens
68
     d. Two kinds of knowledge
69
     e. Heart must be cleansed from idle sayings
70
     f. Meaning of 'clouds'
79-83
71
     g. Meaning of 'smoke'
76
     h. Meaning of 'angels'
86-87
78
16. Objections and differences persist in every age
88-90
80
17. Alleged corruption of the Texts
91-98
83
     a. Story of Ibn-i-Súríyá on penalty for adultery
84
     b. Distortion after hearing the Word
87
     c. Meaning of 'corruption'
93-94
86
     d. Supposed non-existence of genuine Gospel
89
18. 'Everlasting Morn is breaking'
90
19. Three degrees of perception of Truth: 'holy realm of the spirit', 'sacred domain of truth' and 'land of testimony'
91
20. Exhortation to the people of the Bayán
92
21. Consummation of all things is belief in the Promised One
92

Part Two
The second part of the text centres on the sovereignty of the Manifestations of God and their mysterious two-fold nature. It also unravels the inner meaning of numerous abstruse scriptural terms and, finally, demonstrates the validity of the Mission of the Báb and His Revelation. (ibid, p. 134)
22. Manifestations reveal undisputed sovereignty over all in heaven and earth
97
23. Twofold purpose for appearance of Manifestations
97
24. God, the Unknowable Essence
104-105
98
25. Relationship between Manifestation and Divine Essence
105-106
98
26. Direct evidence of the names and attributes of God within all things
107-110
100
     a. Man potentially reveals to a supreme degree all names and attributes of God
100
     b. Manifestations most accomplished, distinguished, excellent of men
102
     c. Every Manifestation bearer and embodiment of all names
103
27. Failure of peoples to seek inner meaning of God's words
111-12
104
28. Why the sovereignty of the Qá'im is not manifest
113-118
106
     a. Sovereignty as spiritual ascendancy
113-114
106
     b. Example of Muhammad's sovereignty
114-118
107
     c. Effects of allegiance to God's Revelation
111
29. Meaning of 'wolf' and 'lamb' feeding together
113
30. Meaning of 'life' and 'death'
113
31. Verdict of the Last Day, of resurrection, of judgement
121-122
114
     a. Meaning of 'idhá'
115
32. Meaning of 'trumpet' and 'resurrection'
122-123
115
33. Spiritual rebirth: examples from past Scriptures
125-129
118
     a. Example of Hamzih
121
34. Spiritual sovereignty superior to worldly domain
131-145
123
     a. Regarding Husayn, son of 'Alí
135-40,
251 
126,
225 
     b. Meaning of 'ascendancy', 'power' and 'authority'
137-138
127
     c. Station of sacrifice
139-140
129
     d. Jesus, Son of Mary
141,
144-147
130,
132 
     e. Sádiq, the sixth Imám
131
     f. Meaning of 'riches' and 'poverty'
132
     g. Comprehending the inner meaning of 'sovereignty'
146
134
35. Allegation that the hand of God is chained up, that revelation is ended
147-148
135
36. Promise of attainment to the Divine Presence
148-151
136
     a. Three stages of Divine Revelation
149-151
139
     b. Meaning of 'Presence of God' is attainment to the presence of His Manifestation
141
37. No day is mightier than this Day
152-153
143
     a. One righteous work performed in this Day
153
144
38. Fundamental purpose of all learning
153-154
144
     a. Recognition of the Manifestation
145
     b. Abased shall be exalted, exalted abased: sign of this Day
146
39. Return of the qualities of former Dispensations seen in each new Revelation
156-171
147
     a. Reference to the miracle of Abel and Cain
148
     b. Meaning of the 'return' of Prophets, of Revelation, of holy souls, of people
158-171
149
     c. Twofold station of the Manifestation: abstraction and unity
161-162,
20,
191-194 
152,
20,
176 
     d. Example of Noah
153
     e. Rebirth and transformation of this people
163-164
155
     f. Potency of the Divine Elixir
164-167
156
     g. Example of the rose
158
     h. Worlds of unity, diversity, variation, oneness, limitation and detachment
170-171
159
40. All the Manifestations are at the same time the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End
171-188
161
     a. Meaning of the 'Seal of the Prophets'
161,
163,
166 
     b. Meaning of 'veils of glory'
175-178
164
     c. 'I was with a thousand Adams'
167
     d. Testimony of the Qur'án
168
     e. God doeth whatsoever He pleaseth
169
     f. Respite to an appointed time
111
     g. 1280 years have passed
185
172
     h. Peoples judged by their countenance
173
41. Able to unfold innumerable mysteries
175
42. Twofold station assigned to each Manifestation
191-194,
20,
161-162 
176,
20,
152 
     a. First station: All one person, one soul
177
     b. Second station: Distinction, differentiation, temporal limitations, etc.
178
43. Truth of divergent utterances of the Manifestations: Divinity, Lordship, Prophethood, Messengership, Guardianship, Apostleship or Servitude
196-199
178
44. Manifestation as the source of all knowledge
199-201
181
     a. Concerning the 'new moons'
182
     b. Concerning the 'Spirit'
183
     c. Meaning of 'knowledge'
183
45. Reference to the works of Hájí Mírzá Karím Khán
184
     a. Concerning the 'Mi'raj'
184
46. Prerequisites of the true seeker after God
212-216
191
47. Glories and wonders of the City of God, the City of Certitude
213-219
192
     a. A new eye, a new ear, a new heart and a new mind
195
     b. Allusion to the unrevealed Kitáb-i-Aqdas
199
48. Word of God the greatest testimony: example of the Qur'án
220-234
200
     a. Twin weighty testimonies of Muhammad: 'The Book of God and My Family'
201
     b. Reference to the disconnected letters
202
     c. Supremacy and effect of divinely-revealed verses
226-228
204
     d. People's derision and denial of the Word
229-236,
238 
206,
214 
     e. Standard for understanding of God's Word: purity of heart, chastity of soul and freedom of spirit
210
49. Rejection based on belief in finality of Revelation
236-245
212
     a. A spiritual disease
212
     b. Meaning of 'Whom God causeth to err through a knowledge'
237-238
213
     c. Case of the newly-revealed verses
243-245
219
50. Proofs related to the Revelation of the Báb
246-265
221
     a. Acceptance by a number of divines and men of learning
247-249
222
     b. Mullá Husayn, Siyyid Yahyá and others
223
     c. Sacrifice of such men
249-250
223
     d. Reference to the Imam Husayn
251,
135-40 
225,
126 
     e. Sign of truth and falsehood: 'Wish for death'
227
     f. Revelation of an Epistle to the divines of every city
229
     g. Constancy and steadfastness of the Báb in proclaiming His Faith
230
     h. Prophesied His own martyrdom
258-262
231
     i. His ascendancy, unaided and alone
263-265
234
51. All Scriptures and their mysteries condensed into the ĺqán
237
52. References to various Islamic traditions
266-275
237
     a. Annulment of rules, customs and habits cause of denial
238
     b. Object of every Revelation is transformation of mankind
240
     c. Youth from Baní Háshim
270-271
240
     d. Knowledge is twenty and seven letters
242
     e. Perfection of Moses, splendour of Jesus, patience of Job
244
     f. Concerning Zawrá'
274-275
246
53. Entreaty to the people of the Bayán
276-267
248
54. 'We betook Ourselves to the wilderness'
278-279
250
55. Yearning for martyrdom in the path of the Primal Point
251
56. Truth as resplendent as the sun
252
57. Even the year of His coming specifically recorded
253
58. Four signs from four Prophets
254
59. Twofold language of the Manifestations
283-284
254
60. None found seeking guidance concerning abstruse matters
256
 
ANNOTATIONS
GLOSSARY AND NOTES
INDEX