An early Epistle of the Bāb to Ḥajji Mirza Muhammad
Kārim Khān Kirmānī (d.1871 CE) as cited in Kirman's
own Risāla al-Shihāb al-thāqib fī rajm al-nawāṣib ("The Piercing Thunderbolt for the
Stoning of the Enemies").
Muhammad Kārim Khān Kirmānī
Revised 22-10-09
The
short Arabic epistle of the Bāb delivered
in his own handwriting to Ḥajji Mirza Muhammad Kārim Khān Kirmānī is
translated
here as
it is reproduced in Kirmani's anti-Babi work al-Shihāb al-thāqib fī rajm al-nawāṣib
("The Piercing Thunderbolt for the Stoning of the Enemies") which
was completed by this (third Kirmani) Shaykhī leader on
21st Safar 1265 / 16th January 1849. It can be found, for example,
in the edition of this work published in Kirman at the Ṣa`adat Press (no
date -- 1960s + /1970s?), pp. 25- 27 and would appear to be much earlier than
Kirmani's writing of the al-Shihāb al-thāqib itself most likely
his very first epistle to Muhammad Karim Khan of 1261/1845. .This epistle of the Bab was apparently delivered by Muhammad `Alī Barfurushī, Quddūs,
("the Most Holy"), the 18th
Letter of the Living. In
the Kirman 1353 Sh. /1974-75 edition of this work the letter of the Bāb is
also reproduced on pp. 25-7. The text as cited here and
the translation remain very provisional and will be in need of further proof reading and
correction.
This short Arabic letter of the Bāb begins in distinctly neo-qur'anic
fashion with the basmala followed by the three isolated letters A-L-M
which occur before several surahs of the Qur'an. In cryptic language the letter
identifies itself as something revealed from on high, as a communication from
the occulted or hidden Dhikr, the messianic "Remembrance of Thy
Lord" unto the Bāb who is alluded to as the "Crimson Leaf at the right-hand side of
Snow-white Ocean". This letter in other words derives from the Hidden Imam (=
the Dhikr) via the Bāb who stands within a supernatural realm as the "Crimson
Leaf" [or "Page" / "Bird"] (ورقة
الحمراء
=
waraqat al-ḥamrā').
As the
earthly representative of the hidden Imam he stands at the right hand side of
the supernal Cosmic Ocean from which divine revelation may flow down to earth
through appropriate channels.
CONTINUE
Translation of the
Tablet-Letter of the Bāb
(I)
[1]
بسم الله الرحمن
الرحيم
[2]
آلم
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
Alif-Lam-Mim
[3]
ذكر ربكم
للورقة الحمراء
عن يمين بحر الابيض لا اله الا هو
[Revealed from] The Dhikr (Remembrance) of
thy
Lord unto the Crimson Leaf at the right-hand side of the snow-white Ocean. God, no God is there save Him.
[4]
قل اياى
فاخرجون اقراء كتاب ربك ثم اسجد لأمره و انه لا اله الا هو
Say: O hearken ye!
Then Emerge ye and recite the Book
of thy Lord! Then fall prostrate before His
Cause.
God, no God is there save Him.
[5]
قل اياى
فاسمعون ان اتبع ما اوحى اليك من كتاب ربك لا اله الا هو
Say: O hearken ye!
Then listen and follow what He
has caused to be revealed unto thee from
the Book of thy Lord. God, no God is there save Him.
[6]
قل اياى
فاشهدون شهد الله انه لا اله الا هو العزيز القديم
Say: O hearken ye!
Bear ye witness unto the testimony of
God. He, verily, no God is there except
Him, the Mighty, the Powerful.
[7]
اشهد لله في
ذلك الكتاب ثم لخلقه كما قد احب الله لعبده انه لا اله الا هو الغنى العليم
Testify before God regarding [the truth of] that Book
then before His creatures
even as the most beloved of God have done before His servants. He, verily, no
God is there except Him, the Independent, the All-Knowing.
[8]
و لقد نزلنا
كتاباً من قبل لمن على الارض ان ادخلوا الباب سجداً لعلكم تفلحون
We did indeed send down a
Book aforetime [the Qayyūm al-asmā'?]
unto whomsoever are upon the earth
to the end that
they might enter [the religion of] the [Bāb] Gate
(al-bāb)
prostrating. This perchance you
might be successful.
[9]
ان الذين اتبعوا
آياتنا بالعدل فاولئك هم السابقون و ان الذين اتبعوا اهوائهم فاولئك هم الظالمون
و
ان آية من آياتنا يعدل في كتاب الله آيات الاولين
Such as have followed Our
verses in justice are indeed numbered among the Forerunners (al-sābiqūn) but such as follow their base passions are numbered among the
tyrannical. If but one verse from among
Our verses finds a just place in the
Book of God then such are [all] accounted [sound] verses of the
primary-first ones (āyāt al-awwalīn).
[10]
و ما من بعد
كل الخلق من حجج الله
ليسئلون
لو اجتمع
الانس على أن يأتوا بمثل ذلك الكتاب الذي نزلنا الآن اليك
لن يستطيعن
و لن يقدرن
And should enquiries be
made whatsoever is [revealed]
subsequent to all creation is also from the [messianic]
Ḥujjat-Allāh (Proof of God).
If the people should gather
together for this purpose, that they produce the
likeness of this Book which We, this very moment,
send down for you,
they would never be
able to accomplish this nor bring it to realization.
[11]
و لو كان
الجن يمدونهم على الضعف و الله قوي حكيم
And, moreover, if the jinn
("spirits") should overpower them [in their attempt at
reveling verses] it would be an exposure of weakness and God is [in
reality] One Mighty, Powerful.
(II)
[1]
يا محمد
ايها الكريم
ان اتبع حكم ربك ثم اخرج لعهد بقية الله امام عدل مبين
O Muhammad!
O thou Karīm
[Khān Kirmani]! Follow ye the decree of thy
Lord then emerge as accords with the covenant of the [messianic] Baqiyyat-Allāh (Remnant of God), a
manifest and just Imam.
[2]
هو الذي بيده
ملكوت كل شيء
و لا يعزب من علمه بعض شيء
و انه عند الله في
كتاب حفيظ
He is the one, through whose hand is the Kingdom of all
things (malakūt kull shay') for no single thing escapes
his knowledge. He is One nigh unto God, [as decreed] in a Preserved Book
(kitāb ḥafīẓ).
[3]
و ان اليوم فرض
لمن على الارض من غربها و شرقها ان يخرجوا من بيتهم
مهاجراً الى بلد
الذكر لحكم بقية الله امام حي عظيم
And this Day he
ordains that whomsoever is upon earth, whether of its west or
of its east, should emerge from their
houses as helpers (muhājir an)
[traveling] unto the country
of the Remembrance (al-dhikr) for [the realization of the]
directive of the [messianic] Baqiyyat-Allāh
(Remembrance of God), an Imam, one Living and
Mighty.
[4]
ان الذين يبايعون
ذكر اسم الله بالعدل
انهم يبايعون الله
يد الله فوق كل شيء
و انه لا اله الا هو
لقوي حميد
Such as do sell out [for a
paltry price] the Remembrance of the Name of God (dhikr ism-Allah) [who appears with] justice, do indeed sell out God [for a paltry price] for the Hand of God is above
all things. And He, verily, no God is
there except Him, assuredly One Powerful,
Praiseworthy.
[5]
و لقد فرضاً
في كتاب الملوك
ان اذكروا
ذكر الله بعد ذكر بقية الله في الاذان
بانه على
صراط الله في كل لوح حفيظ
He indeed has assuredly
directed in the Book of the Kings (kitab al-mulūk) that they [the people]
should mention the [messianic] Remembrance of God
(Dhikr-Allah) after mentioning the Remnant of God (Baqiyyat-Allah)
in the [adapted Babi] call to prayer (al-adhān). This in that he is indeed reckoned in every Preserved Tablet (lawḥ
ḥafīẓ) as one [situated] upon the Path of God (sirat Allah)
[6]
ان ارفع هذا
الحكم جهرة و اخرج بنفسك مع الذين اتبعوك في الامر على
الفرس القوي بالآلات المكملة قبل ان يرتد اليك طرفك
و ان ذلك
لهو الفوز العظيم
So raise up this directive
straightforwardly and emerge forth through your own effort with such as follow thee
in the [Babi] Cause (al-amr) [seated] upon a
powerful steed (fars al-quwwa), with weapons of
requisite perfection (bi'l-ālāt al-makmalat) that he [the hidden
Imam] might stipulate for you your [adversary] allotted region (al-ṭarf) [for
conquering in holy war] for such will assuredly
betoken the mighty accomplishment [of victory].
[7]
و لقد مننا
عليك بحكم ربك قبل الناس لتكونن من الناصرين لمكتوب
ان اخرج من بيتك و
ادع الناس الى دين الله الخالص
And Our Bounty be upon you
according to the decree of your Lord before the [other] people
such that you be among the victorious,
for such was assuredly
written down [for you aforetime]. So emerge from your house!
and summon the people unto the pure
Religion of God (dīn Allāh al-khāliṣ).
[8]
و ارسل بمثل
ذلك الكتاب الى شرط الارض من يمينك و الشمائل
و لا تخف في
سبيل ربك من احد
So dispatch the likeness of
"that Book" [the Qur'an] unto the corners of the
earth, from its right-hand side and its left. And fear ye not anyone
in the Path of God, your Lord.
[9]
فان ذلك فضل
الله عليك و الله شهيد عليم و كفى بذلك الكتاب حجة
ذكر اسم ربك لمن في السموات و من في الارض و الله خبير عليم
For such [as We have
revealed] is indeed the Bounty of God upon you and God is an all-knowing
witness. And sufficient is this
epistle [Book] as a Proof of the Remembrance of the Name of thy Lord unto
whomsoever is in the heavens or whomsoever is upon the
earth. And God is indeed One
Mighty, All-Knowing.
(III)
[1]
و لو نشاء
لننزل في كل حرف
مثل آيات
القرآن و الله قوي عزيز
And if We so willed We could
assuredly send down for every [revealed] letter [of the
alphabet] the likeness of the verses of the Qur'ān. For God is indeed One
Powerful, Mighty. .
[2]
و سبحان الله ربك
رب العرش عما يصفون
و سلام على
المهاجرين و الحمد لله رب العالمين
So Praised be unto God,
your Lord and Lord of the
heavenly Throne above what some describe. And peace be upon the
Helpers (muhājirīn) and praise be unto God, the
Lord of all the worlds.
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