كتاب
الفهرست
The Kitāb al-fihrist ("The Book of the Index")
of
the Sayyid `Ali Muhammad, the Bāb (1819-1950 CE).
Opening words of the Kitāb al-Fihrist from Ms. 6007C
Stephen Lambden UC-Merced
Introduction
The Bab composed his Kitab al-fihrist (Book of the Index) on 15th
Jumada II 1261 AH or June 21st 1845 CE. This after his Ḥajj or pilgrimage
of 1844-5 CE. Among many other important things he lists his writings up to the time of
composition; detailing titles, subsections and to some extent contents.
See further
THE TEXT AND TRANSLATION BELOW ARE UNDER CONSTANT CORRECTION AND REVISION
LAST REVISED AND CORRECTED : 13-10-09
Provisional Translation
Stephen N. Lambden
This translation is made from the
Arabic text contained in TBA Ms. 6007C pp. 339-348 selectively imaged below and gradually retyped
here also. Readings in other mss. have also been
consulted and variant readings will in due course be noted including those
contained in the following mss -:
Manuscripts of
the Kitāb al-fihrist
- (1) Tehran Baha'i Archives = INBA
4011C pp. 62-69.
- (2) Tehran Baha'i Archives = INBA
5014C pp. 285-293.
- (3) Tehran Baha'i Archives = INBA
6006[7]C pp. 339-348.
- (4) Princeton Univ. Lib. Ms. ADD
HERE.
- (5) INBMC 43 :123-4 (Final Pages
only).
- (6) Ms. ?? French trans. and
tabulation in Nicholas, 1905 (Séyyèd Ali Mohammed...) pp. 22-46.
The Kitāb al-fihrist, text and Provisional Translation
(I)
The Kitāb al-fihrist (Book of the Index)
[1]
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
[2]
المرا
Alif-Lām-Mīm-Rā’-Alif
“A”- “L”- “M”- “R”- “A”.
[3-8]
و انه لكتاب
من الله
قد نزل من لدن
بقية الله امام حق قديم و انه
لهو الحق في السموات و الارض لا يعزب من علمه شيیءِ
و لا يحيط بذكره خلق و انه لامام حي عظيم
ان اتبع حكم ما اوحی اليك الان
من ربك فان الامر قد قضی و كل
في حشر البديع ليبعثون
[3]
And this is a Book which was sent down from God containing a directive (ḥukm)
from a wondrous servant.
[4]
It is indeed a Book which hath come down from the Remnant of God (Baqiyyat-Allāh), an Imam,
a True One, and Ancient of Days [Pre-existent] (al-ḥaqq al-qadīm).
[5] He is indeed the True One (al- ḥaqq) [for whomsoever
are] within the heavens and on the earth.
[6] No single thing escapes His
knowledge neither do the creatures befittingly encompass His Dhikr
(Remembrance) for He is assuredly an Imam, One Living (al-ḥayy) and a Mighty
One (al-`aẓīm). [7] So follow whatsoever decree (ḥukm) He hath
now inspired for unto
thee for such cometh from thy Lord. [8] The
Cause (amr) hath indeed been initiated such that all shall
certainly be raised up [resurrected] at the wondrous [ new eschatological] Assembling (fī ḥashr al-badī`).
[II]
[1-4]
قل انني عبد من بقية الله
قد امنت بالله
و
اياته
و ما نزل في القران من عند الله و انه لا اله الا هو لشهيد عليم
اشهد لله في ذلك الكتاب بما
شهد لذاته بذاته انه لا اله الا هو العزيز القديم
و
اشهد لمحمد رسول الله ما قد شآءِ الله لنفسه انه لا اله الا هو لقوي عزيز
[1] Say: `I am a servant from the Baqiyyat-Allāh (messianic
Remnant of God). [2] I have believed in God and His verses [signs]
and what hath been sent down in the Qur’ān on the part of God. He, verily, no God
is there except Him, assuredly a Witness,
One Informed. [3] I bear witness
before God regarding this Book since He doth
testify before His Own Essence and through
His Own Essence that He is indeed One
besides Whom there is none other Deity
except Him, the Mighty, the
Ancient. [4] And I bear
witness that Muhammad is assuredly the Messenger of God
whom God hath indeed willed for his own
Logos-Self (li-nafsihi), for He, verily, no
deity is there except Him, One Powerful and
Mighty indeed.
[5-9]
قل
انه متفرد في علم الله عن المثل و كل لديه من المعدومين في كتاب الله لمسطور
و اشهد بعد رسول الله في حكم الولاية في احرف الاحدية لا اله الا الله و
كل له مسلمون اشهد ان اسمآئهم
في كتاب الله عليّ و الحسن و الحسين و عليّ و محمد و جعفر و موسی و عليّ و
محمد و عليّ و الحسن و محمد امام العدل لمسطور
و
اشهد ان ما سواهم لدی ذكر قدرتهم لمعدوم بعد ذكر لموجود
و اشهد ان فاطمة بنت رسول الله
ورقة من الشجرة البيضآءِ لا اله الا هو
[5] Say: `He is
supremely unique in the knowledge of
God relative to any
[inadequate] similitude for all before Him
are naught but things reckoned non-existent in the inscribed Book of God. [6] And I bear witness
after the Messenger of God unto the decree of
the wilāya (the locus of divine
providence) relative to the
[abjad value] of the (twelve) [supreme] letters of
the Divine Unity (=
لا
اله الا الله
the aḥraf al-aḥadiyya = `the twelver Imams') before whom all are
accounted Muslims. [7] I testify that their
(twelve) names in the Book of
God are : [Imams] [i] `Alī and [ii] Ḥasan and [iii]Ḥusayn [iv] `Alī (Zayn al-Abidin)
[v] Muhammad (al-Baqir) and [vi] Ja`far (al-Sādiq) [vii] Mūsā (al-Kāẓim)
[viii] `Alī (al-Riḍā'), [ix] Muhammad (al-Taqī) [x] `Alī (al-Nāqī)
[xi] Ḥasan (al-`Askarī) and [xii] Muhammad
(al-Mahdī) the Imam of [who
will establish] Divine Justice, assuredly one
divinely inscribed [ in the Book]. [8] And I bear witness that supplementary to
these [imamological] aspects before [Me] is mention of their power [of
affirmation] (qudrat) nigh [their] negation (ma`dūn) [= the
لا "no God"]
juxtaposed with the mention of their [affirmative] existence (mawjūd).
[9] And I bear witness that Fāṭima is the daughter of the Messenger of God (rasūl
Allāh), a leaf (waraqa) of the Snow-white Tree (al-shajarat al-bayḍā').
[10-11]
قل
ايای فاسجدون
و اشهد لنفسي كل ما شاءِ الله
لنفسه لن يحيط بعلم الله احد و كل له خاضعون و اشهد لابواب كلمة الرحمن لا اله
الا هو
قل ايای فاشهدون
شهد الله لعبده
بما قد احاط علم ربه و كفی بذلك في الحكم عليك شهيدا
[10] And Say: `Prostrate ye then before Me!' I do indeed bear witness
relative to My Self (nafs) unto all that God hath willed for His Own Self.
None can encompass His knowledge. All are indeed humbled before Him. And I
testify unto the gates (li-abwab) of the Word of the All-Merciful (kalimat
al-rahman), No God is there except Him.
[11] Say: `Bear ye witness before Me!' God hath indeed testified unto [the
truth of] His servant (`abd) since He hath indeed encompassed the knowledge
of His Lord. And such is a sufficient witness of the decree respecting thee.
[III]
[1-00]
قل يا ايها الملاءِ
ان اسمعوا حكم بقية الله من لدن عبده
علي حكيم و انه لعبد قد ولد في يوم اول المحرم من سنة 1235
و ان الان يوم النصف من شهر
المقدم علی شهر الرجب من سنة في كتاب الله لمسطور
و ان ما نزل من يديه من يوم الاذن الی ذلك اليوم تلك الايات في كتاب
الله لمشهود و ان اول قد نزل الروح علی قلبه قد كان يوم النصف من شهر عين الاول
و الی ذلك اليوم الذي قد حرم الله عليكم اياتنا خمسة عشر شهرا في كتاب الله
لمكتوب قل كل ما نزل من يدي من دون ما قرئت كتاب الله
[1] Say: O thou Concourse! Hearken ye unto the decree of the Remnant of God
(Baqiyyat-Allāh through his servant `Alī [Muhammad, the Bab], the Wise
One (al-hakīm). He is indeed a servant (`abd) born on that day which is the
first of Muḥarram 1235 (AH) [= [Wednesday] October 20th 1819 CE]. [2] And
now [the date is] a day in the middle (15th) of the month preceding the
month of al-Rajab [= 15th Jumada II = June 21st 1845 CE ] in the year
1261 which was assuredly inscribed in the Book of God (kitāb Allāh). [3] And
that which was revealed [sent down from God] through his hands from the day
of his authorization [by God] (yawm al-idhn) unto this day are [such as is
reckoned] verses (al-ayat) in the Book of God (kitan Allah), a befitting
witness. [4] The onset (awwal) [of the time of] the descent of the Spirit
(al-rūḥ) upon his heart (qalb) was in the middle (15th) of that month
which is the essence of the First. [5] And up until that day it was the case
that God sanctified Our verses for [a period of] fifteen months as indeed
was reckoned in the Book of God (kitāb Allāh), Say: Everything that was sent
down through my hands aside from what you recite.... ADD
_______________________
Say: `My name is Muhammad after the
word `Alī [= Muhammad `Alī] and the name of my father, after the mention of the
word Muhammad is Riḍā' [= Muhammad Riḍā']. He, assuredly, was written down in
the Book of God. The name of my grandfather in the Book of God was Ibrāhīm
(Abraham) and the name of his father (the Bāb's great-grandfather) was Naṣr-Allāh such as is recorded in the Qur'ān. 2
___
This Book is a Remembrance on My
part in order that the people might be instructed. What follows is everything
which was sent down on the part of the Remembrance (= the Bāb) in the days of
His Lord -- written during a fifteen month period and sometime earlier. Persons
should preserve it, just as they do their own selves, a recompense
for the Day when all shall belong to God. They should write down these sūras:
