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").

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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

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(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.