Letters of the Bab to Mullā Ṣādiq Muqaddas Khurāsānī,
Ism-Allāh al-Asdaq
(d. Hamadan 1889 CE)
IN PROGRESS OCTOBER 2009
First Letter to Mullā Ṣādiq [Muqaddas] Khurāsānī
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Second Letter to Mullā Ṣādiq [Muqaddas] Khurāsānī
Text above as cited in Afnan `Ahd-i A`la
(Oxford: Oneworld, 2000), p. 101.
A Letter of the Bāb
to his disciple Mulla Ṣādiq Muqaddas-i Khurasānī
The issue of the changing of the Shi`i Islamic adhan (Call to prayer) is commented upon by
the Bāb himself in the beginning of an early Arabic letter to Mulla Ṣādiq-i Muqaddas-i Khurāsānī
who was himself involved in the Shiraz episode as described in the
Dawn-Breakers or Tarkh-i Zarandi (see below) and in a Times article of
19/11/1843 (p.3).
In this early letter the Khasā’l-i sab`a seems to be referred to
as part of (?) a currently unknown Kitab al-mulūk ("Book of the Kings")
and Mulla Ṣādiq Muqaddas-i Khurasānī is advised to make a fearless proclamation of the position of
the Bab :
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الم
ذكر ذكرالله للورقة الصفراء
عن يمين الطور لااله الاهو قل ايای فاخرجون ولقد نزلنا اليك كتاباْ من قبل
فيه آيات بينات من لدنا لقوم يسمعون ولقد سمعنا اليوم انك بعد مقرك فی تلك
الارض قداتبعت اهواء
الذين لا
يعلمون حكم بقية الله من لدن عبده علی حكيم وما بلغت حكم الله جهرة من خوف
ما كان الناس فی آيات الله ينصتون ان اقرء آياتنا فی كل يوم بين الناس من
دون قدرخردل من خوف فان امرالله لحق مثل ما كان الناس ينطقون ولقد كتبنا
للمومنين ان اذكروا ذكرالله فی الاذان بحكم ما نزلنا فی كتاب الملوك ان
ارفعوا حكم الله جهرة لعلكم تفلحون
"[1] A-L-M. [2] The Remembrance of God (Dhikr Allah) hath mentioned the
yellow leaf (l'l-waraqat al-sufrā') nigh the right-hand side of the
Mount [Sinai] (al-ṭūr), [saying] `No God is there except Him'.
[3] Say: `Go ye out
after Me!'. [4] We indeed previously send down unto thee a letter (kitāb
an) wherein were expository verses (āyāt bayyinat) from
Us [addressed to] the people to the end that they might hearken.
[5] We have indeed heard that today, after thy dwelling in that region
[presumably Shiraz], thou did follow the base passions of such as
were unaware of the decree of the Baqiyyat Allāh (Remnant of God)
through his servant (`abd = the Bab) `Alī [`the Elevated One],
the Wise One (al-ḥakīm) and did not publicly (jahrat) carry out [communicate] the decree
of God (ḥukm Allāh) out of fear that the people would
hear the verses of God (āyāt Allāh). [6] So recite Our verses every day
amongst the people, not merely to the extent of a mustard seed out of
fear. [7] Even if God commanded the like of that [public disclosure] such is
indeed the Truth [despite the fact that] the people would cry out [in protest!
[8] We
indeed wrote unto the believers that they should make mention of the Dhikr-Allāh (Remembrance of God) in the adhān ("Call to Prayer")
according to a decree (ḥukm) that We sent down in the Kitāb al-Mulūk ("Book of the Kings").
[9] So lift ye up [your voice] publicly (jahrat an)! [in
obedience to] the decree of God (ḥukm Allāh), perchance thou
will achieve success.
[II]
[1] O Thou man (al-rijal)! [Mulla Ṣādiq] Perform your devotions
in the mosque (al-majid) [the Shiraz house of the Bāb] for
therein were the verses (al-āyāt) from thy Lord sent down. [2]
And instruct therein in Our verses (āyāt) with justice (bi’l-`adl)
to the end that thou might assuredly be numbered among such as
have attained. [3] It [the Shiraz house] is the first house (bayt)
wherein the Book (al-kitāb) was revealed and therein indeed did
the men of the holy land (rijāl arḍ al-muqaddasa) [Shaykhis from
Iraq] come to believe. [4] They were assuredly among the
forerunners (al-sābiqūn). [5] And it [the Shiraz house of the
Bāb] is indeed a moque (al-masjid). [6] It was assuredly so
established with justice (bi’l-`adl) in accordance with the
ordinance of thy Lord (ḥukm rabbika) though it was, in the
beginning, (fi’l-awwāl) the house [synagogue] of the Jews
[Jewish community] (bayt al-yahūd). [6] And now it is indeed
inscribed in the Book of God (al-kitāb Allāh) as the “Holy Land”
(arḍ al-muqaddasa).
[III]
[1] And We did indeed send down a letter (kitāban)
unto the land of Kirmān which was dispatched the very moment it
was revealed
The Episode of
the adhān ("Call to Prayer") in Shiraz 1845 CE.
The passage in Para I:8-9 above evidently relates to an early episode surrounding the
incorporation of reference to the Bab as servant of the Dhikr-Allāh (Remembrance of God) into
the Shi`i Islamic adhān ("Call to Prayer") in Shiraz. The Bab states
that this directive was contained in the Kitāb al-Mulūk ("Book of the Kings")
which may be indicative of a work incorporating or another name for the Khasā’il-i sab`a.
Whatever the case, Mulla Ṣādiq is clearly rebuked for not reciting
publicly the words or new adhān of the Bab. He should be
fearless and ignore the clamor of the people. The Zarandi-Dawn-Breakers
account of Mulla Ṣādiq's role in the Shiraz episode of the new adhan
does not reflect the contents of the above letter but presents him as an
eager devotee ready to immediately incorporate the new addition to the
adhan. Perhaps, in reality, Mulla Ṣādiq gradually summoned up the
courage to adopt the call to prayer to reference the Bab as servant of
the Dhikr-Allah.
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Muhammad Nabil-i Zarandi
(d. 1892 CE) on the
Khasā’l-i sab`a
In Shoghi Effendi's redaction of the Tarikh or History of Nabil-i
Zarandi entitled the Dawn-Breakers (ch. VII see URL above) it is recorded :
"The Bab then delivered into his
[Quddus'] hands a letter He had written to Haji Mirza Siyyid Ali, His
maternal uncle, in which He had informed him of His safe return to
Bushihr. He also entrusted him with a copy of the Khasa'il-i-Sab'ih, (1)
a treatise in which He had set forth the essential requirements from
those who had attained to the knowledge of the new Revelation and had
recognised its claim. As He bade Quddus His last farewell, He asked him
to convey His greetings to each of His loved ones in Shiraz...
"The next person whom Quddus met in Shiraz [in 1845 CE] was
Ismu'llahu'l-Asdaq, Mulla Sadiq-i-Khurasani, to whom he entrusted the
copy of the Khasa'il-i-Sab'ih, and stressed the necessity of putting
into effect immediately all its provisions. Among its precepts was the
emphatic injunction of the Bab to every loyal believer to add the
following words to the traditional formula of the adhan: (1) "I bear
witness that He whose name is Ali-Qabl-i-Muhammad (2) is the servant of
the Baqiyyatu'-llah."(3) Mulla Sadiq, who in those days had been
extolling from the pulpit-top to large audiences the virtues of the
imams of the Faith, was so enraptured by the theme and language of that
treatise that he unhesitatingly resolved to carry out all the
observances it ordained. Driven by the impelling force inherent in that
Tablet, he, one day as he was leading his congregation in prayer in the
Masjid-i-Naw, suddenly proclaimed, as he was sounding the adhan, the
additional words prescribed by the Bab. The multitude that [145] heard
him was astounded by his cry. Dismay and consternation seized the entire
congregation. The distinguished divines, who occupied the front seats
and who were greatly revered for their pious orthodoxy, raised a clamour,
loudly protesting: "Woe betide us, the guardians and protectors of the
Faith of God! Behold, this man has hoisted the standard of heresy. Down
with this infamous traitor! He has spoken blasphemy. Arrest him, for he
is a disgrace to our Faith." "Who," they angrily exclaimed, "dared
authorise such grave departure from the established precepts of Islam?
Who has presumed to arrogate to himself this supreme prerogative?"...
