Footnotes
See pages 1 and 6 of Tablets.
Surat-ul-Hykl, by Baha’o’llah, a portion of which was translated by Anton Haddad, published in 1900. The retranslation of this book has not yet been undertaken.
Referring to passage in “The Life and Teachings of Abbas Effendi” (Abdul-Baha) by Myron T. Phelps, published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, New York.
This is a usage of the people of the East. The purpose is that in every matter the commencement should be in the Name of God.
This Tablet bears the following superscription: “To the members of the House of Justice, the servants of the Covenant, the faithful worshippers of the Holy Threshold of the Beauty of El-Abha.” This Tablet and the following eighteen are to the House of Spirituality of Chicago.
Abha—literally, the Most Glorious.
This Tablet is also addressed to the House of Justice.
Acca, Syria—the Holy Land.
I.e., such as hath no precedent in any former age.
A renowned Bahai teacher sent by Abdul-Baha in 1901 to America, and who organized the House of Justice (House of Spirituality) in September of that year.
Addressed to the Secretary of the House of Spirituality.
Baha’o’llah.
Mashrak-el-Azcar—Temple of Worship. Literally, the Dawning-place of Praises.
Addressed to the Secretary of the House of Spirituality.
This instruction is to the organized and elected Body, whose function is to look after the welfare of the Cause in its community.
Prayer to be said at the close of the meeting of the House of Spirituality.
Temple of Worship. Literally, the Dawning-place of Praises.
Following Tablet as received bore no opening line of address.
Refers to a declaration intended to be spread broadcast drafted by the House of Spirituality, and sent to Abdul-Baha for his approval.
This spelling was later changed by Abdul-Baha to Baha’o’llah, as an aid to more correct pronunciation.
A term synonymous with heavenly food.
Ishrakat, i.e., Effulgences. Tarazat, i.e., Spiritual Ornaments. Bescharat, i.e., Glad-tidings. Tajalliat, i.e., Spiritual Splendors. Kalamat, i.e., Words of Paradise.
This completes the Tablets to the House of Spirituality.
Extracts from a Tablet to Mirza Assad Ullah, at the time of the organization of the House of Justice, and the Assembly of Teaching of Chicago, in September, 1901.
Leaves, i.e., women. This Tablet and the two following are to the Assembly of Teaching of Chicago.
Maid-servants.
To the believers in general throughout America.
The Tomb of BAHA’O’LLAH.
Mirza Ameen Ullah Fareed, son of Mirza Assad Ullah.
Acca.
American believers.
Revealed in response to a supplication signed by 422 believers in America and sent July 4, 1905.
Revealed for American believers in 1906, who had sent Abdul-Baha a New Year’s greeting.
Revealed in response to a supplication signed by 489 believers in America during the period of the 19-day fast in 1906.
Kheta and Khotan are two cities in China celebrated for having large numbers of musk-producing animals. The reference here symbolizes the severed and detached believers who are diffusing the fragrance of the Word of God.
The BAB.
BAHA’O’LLAH.
Acca.
Acca.
Ring stone having this design:[i: Ringstone symbol].
Husband and wife.
Husband and wife.
The word “mind” (Persian, “dale”) is also translated “heart”; here it is mind.
From March 2d to March 20th, inclusive. The fast is kept by refraining from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset.
Acca.
To the Muskegon (Mich.) assembly.
Husband and wife.
Texts relating to parables and which are veiled in symbols and have esoteric meanings.
The Tomb of BAHA’O’LLAH.
Following Tablet as received bore no opening line of address.
Women.
The Cause.
The high station mentioned in the Koran referring to the Manifestation, BAHA’O’LLAH.
Husband and wife.
The Light of the World.
See following Tablet.
To the above mentioned assembly of Racine (Wis.).
To the Racine assembly.
Christ.
The BAB.
Site of Temple at Chicago, Ill.
April 21, 1909.
The BAB.
“Bible” signifies the Old Testament; “Gospel” signifies the New Testament.
During the time of BAHA’O’LLAH’S residence in Baghdad (the Dwelling of Peace), men of learning, including Jews, Christians and Mohammedans, visited Him seeking answer to religious and scriptural questions. Such answer He gave in the Book of Ighan, otherwise known as the Book of Explanations and Assurance. It concerns the Reality and Authority of the human Divine “Manifestations.”
The book was published in 1904.
Acca.
Extract from Tablet. Copy sent in bore no opening line of address.
Acca, Syria—the Holy Land.
The Tomb of BAHA’O’LLAH.
Interrupted.
Abdul-Baha himself.
Through the western states.
El-Zekkum—a thorny tree so called, which bears fruit like an almond, but extremely bitter. Therefore the tree symbolizes a very sever punishment and bitter remorse for the unbelievers.
Praise be to God!
Husband and wife.
To the Board of Counsel of Kenosha (Wis.).
To the maid-servants of the Kenosha assembly.
To the maid-servants of the Kenosha assembly.
To the Kenosha assembly.
To the Kenosha assembly.
When the recipient was in Acca.
The Recipients of the following Tablets, up to and including page 167, are unknown to the Librarian of the House of Spirituality, but have previously been published.
May be said before meals.
May be said after meals.
Eternal world.
Following extracts from Tablets as received bore no opening line of address.
Following extracts from Tablets as received bore no opening line of address.
Ring having stone of this design: [i: Ring Stone symbol].
See following Tablet.
A prayer for the forgiveness of souls who have departed from this world in ignorance of the Truth.
“Deprivest whomsoever Thou willest not,” refers to the reward and punishment of the souls according to its deeds. There are many instances of this in all the heavenly Scriptures.
Husband and wife.
A rosary is generally used in connection with the daily mentioning of the Greatest Name.
The BAB.
The mother of the one to whom this Tablet was revealed was an Adventist, who, in 1844, expected to “meet the Lord in the air.” At that time the recipient was three months old.
At Acca.
BAHA’O’LLAH.
Insight.
The Manifestation of God.
Revealed in 1905.
The Holy Land.
One of the translators.
See page 107.
The Holy Land.
The Greatest Name.
I.e., as the sun rises out of the darkness.
Following Tablet as received bore no opening line of address.
Supplication begging the forgiveness of God for Dr. .........., who hath ascended to the Kingdom of God.
Revealed in 1906.
Baha’o’llah.
Mirza Abul Fazl—a renowned Bahá’í teacher who visited America during 1902–1904.
To the Cleveland (O.) assembly.
Husband and wife.
El Abd—the Servant, meaning Abdul-Baha.
“Consolation of the eye”—idiomatic Persian expression meaning “son.”
To aXXX a man who was born a slave and freed by the emancipation proclamation.
To the Counsel Board of West Hoboken (N.J.).
To the West Hoboken assembly.
To the West Hoboken assembly.
America.
1905.
Written by Abdul-Baha on the flyleaf of a Bible.
Mirza Abul Fazl—a renowned Bahai teacher, then in Cairo, Egypt.
Leaf, Leaves—meaning the ladies of the Household at Acca—sister, wife and daughters of Abdul-Baha.
Christmas tree.
To Acca.
The residence was destroyed by fire.
The Sister of Abdul-Baha.
The following Tablet as received bore no opening line of address.
Answer to question of a physician regarding the sympathetic nervous system of the human organism.
Husband and wife.
Husband and wife.
Husband and wife.
Husband and wife.
During the time of Baha’o’llah’s residence in Baghdad (the Dwelling of Peace), men of learning, including Jews, Christians and Mohammedans, visited Him seeking answer to religious and scriptural questions. Such answer He gave in the Book of Ighan, otherwise known as the Book of Explanations and Assurance. It concerns the Reality and Authority of the human “Divine Manifestations.”
“The Bahai Proofs.”
Refers to California and the Pacific coast.
Naurooz, i.e., New Day—or spring equinox, March 21st.
Kitab-el-Akdas, by Baha’o’llah.
Inshallah, i.e., if it be the will of God—also implies hope or wish.
See Tablet commencing bottom page 139, Vol. I.
All martyred in Persia. Khudoos, in the city of Barfurush; Bab-el-Bab, in Tabarsi; King of Martyrs and Beloved of Martyrs, both in Ispahan; Vaheed, in Nariz.
July 24,1908, the day of the proclamation of a constitutional government in Turkey, and the freeing of all political prisoners and exiles.
To four members of the Chicago (Ill.) assembly.
To three members of the Chicago assembly who were traveling and teaching.
To two members of the Chicago assembly.
To the Chicago assembly.
Baha’o’llah.
Addressed to the translator for the Chicago assembly.
Baha’o’llah.
Refers to an invitation sent from Chicago, in 1901, to Abdul-Baha to come to America.
To the Chicago assembly.
To fifteen members of the Chicago assembly.
To the Chicago assembly.
“Wealth of Nature” refers to a state wherein man can dispense with things and be happy in their absence.
The Book of Laws—the Most Holy Book.
Revealed for the believers in Persia in 1901.
One of the fountains of Paradise mentioned in the Koran.
Salsahil, i.e., Sweet Water of Life.
The unkind brother.
An accusation that Abdul-Baha was claiming to be a Manifestation who is promised after a lapse of a thousand years.
Abdul-Baha.
Syria.
An expression of astonishment.
The Tomb of the Bab on Mt. Carmel.
These expressions are intended to convey the inference that he is orthodox.
Baha’o’llah.
One of the teachers of the Bahai Revelation in Persia.
For recitation when visiting the tomb of his honor Aka-Reza, of Isfand-Abad, Persia, a famous and valiant man who suffered martyrdom in 1901. The chief religious magistrate of the locality commissioned a number of men to enter his home at night and they shot him to death.
Idiomatic expression for turning unto God and being illumined with His Spirit.
For recitation when visiting the tomb of his honor Aka-Seyed-Jaffar, of Isfand-Abad, Persia, who suffered martyrdom in 1901. When he would not recant, Mulla Abdul-Kani, the chief religious magistrate of the locality, turned him over to three different men for execution, and when each refused to carry out the order, the Mulla struck him on the head with a stone, and, with the assistance of another Mulla, put him to death.
For recitation when visiting the tomb of his honor Aka-Zaman, of Isfand-Abad, Persia, who suffered martyrdom in 1901. He was delivered into the hands of a mob, who brought him out of prison, made him ride an ox and paraded him through the streets. Many struck him with stones and clubs, and wounded him. While he was surrounded by this general assault and uproar and the people danced and clapped their hands in joy, Aka-Zaman himself also clapped his hands with them, and evinced great joy on account of his approaching martyrdom. Then a wretch from behind cut off his ear and stuffed it into the martyr’s mouth, but he did not even turn nor move. Finally they put him to death with all kinds of wounds and with the severest persecutions, and stoned him. Then they dragged away his body from under the heaps of stones and burned it along with the body of his honor Aka-Seyed-Jaffar.
To the assembly of Zanjan, Persia.
One of the angels of the “Resurrection day,” mentioned in the Koran.
To the assembly of Teheran, Persia.
To the assembly of Teheran, Persia.
This Tablet is to the believers throughout Persia. Copy sent in bore no opening line of address.
One of the Fountains of Paradise mentioned in the Koran.
One of XXXhe teachers of the Bahai Revelation in Persia.
Baha’o’llah.
Abdul-Baha.
An expression of astonishment.
Refers to the following poem composed by a nine-year-old boy of Hamadan, Persia, by the name of Isaac. It is a literal rather than a poetic translation:
HE IS THE PURPOSE!
Rejoice, O ye servants,
for the King of kings hath come!
Be glad, be happy,
The shining Sun hath come!
O ye lovers! O ye lovers!
Lights have been shed upon the world.
O nightingales! O nightingales!
The Rose hath come to the garden.
O ye who are negligent, be mindful!
O ye who sleep, awake!
O ye who are dead, get ye life!
For the Life of lives hath come.
How long will ye remain ignorant?
Your time is but a waste.
Rejoice in this glad-tidings:
Abdul-Baha the beloved hath come!
My Lord! My God!
Thou who gave life again to my brethren.
His bounty hath enveloped me,
His love hath thrilled me.
Thy love makes Isaac proclaim;
His joy increase, O Baha’!
The world has Abdul-Baha.
The sea hath the brilliant pearl.
To the maid-servant Ta-er, of Teheran, Persia.
To a believer in Persia.
To the Johnstown (N.Y.) assembly.
To the Johnstown (N.Y.) assembly.
When the recipient was in Acca.
Feast of Remembrance or Meeting of Faithfulness, held every nineteen days.
The Sister of Abdul-Baha.
Spiritual women.
Baha’o’llah.
Following Tablet as received bore no opening line of address.
Where a number of the believers spent the summer months.
To the New York City Board of Counsel.
“In the Tablet in which I have stateXXX ’I am not Christ and am not Eternal,’ the meaning is this, that I am not Christ—and not the Eternal Lord! But I am Abdul-Baha. This is its real purport. Undoubtedly those souls who are under the shadow of the Blessed Cause, believing and assured, firm and steadfast, and living in accord with the divine exhortations and advices, all of them are confirmed in the everlasting life.”—Abdul-Baha.
To the New York City assembly.
To the New York City assembly.
To the New York City assembly.
Acca.
Nakazeen—violators, i.e., those who reject after having professed allegience. Here it refers particularly to those scattered few who profess to believe in Baha’o’llah but who refuse to follow His command to turn to Abdul-Baha, the Centre of the Covenant, as appointed by Baha’o’llah.
To the Washington (D.C.) assembly.
Revealed in 1900.
To the Washington (D.C.) assembly.
To the “Working Committee” of the Washington (D.C.) assembly. As no Board of Counsel had been organized, a number of the believers, both men and women, volunteered for service as a “Working Committee.”
To the Baltimore (Md.) assembly.
To the Baltimore assembly.
To the Baltimore assembly.
The Tomb of the Bab on Mt. Carmel.
Rizwan, i.e., Paradise.
Following Tablet as received bore no opening line of address.
Following Tablet as received bore no opening line of address.
Names of some important Tablets of Baha’o’llah, published in 1906.
Following Tablet as received bore no opening line of address.
Following Tablet as received bore no opening line of address.
See page 441.
Following Tablet as received bore no opening line of address.
Ishkabad, Russia, near the Persian border.
Mother and daughter.
Hyacinths typify knowledge; roses typify wisdom.
To the Newark (N.J.) assembly.
See page 562.
Established Sept. 12, 1906.
Followers of Subi-Ezel who disturbed the Babis by claiming to be the One promised by the Bab.
America.
One of the well-known Bahais in Egypt.
During 1906.
Following Tablet as received bore no opening line of address.
To the Fair Hope (Ala.) assembly.
See foot note page 479. Here it implies the wisdom which comes from knowledge of realities and significations.
Acca.
Addressed to two maid-servants living in the same household.
Following Tablets as received bore no opening line of address.
Refers to the earthquake and fire, April 18, 1906.
The first meetings of the House of Justice (House of Spirituality) in America, were held in the household of the recipient of this Tablet—Librarian.
Husband and wife.
Incorporated in book entitled “Some Answered Questions,” compiled by Miss L. C. Barney and published in 1908 by Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., London, Eng.
Ring stone having this design: [Design of Greatest Name]
See footnote page 107, Vol. 1, or page 322, Vol. II.
To the Ithaca (N.Y.) assembly.
To the Montreal (Canada) assembly.
To a family.
Mother and daughter.
All revealed by Baha’o’llah.
England.
While in Haifa, some years ago, before he became a believer, the recipient of this Tablet saw Baha’o’llah and some of the followers and was attracted to Him, but owing to circumstances had no means of communicating with Him at that time.
Husband and wife.
I.e., the return of the qualities, powers and attributes in another human being.
I.e., in the sense of continued existence after the death of the body.
Husband and wife.
This Tablet bore the following heading: “Chant thou this commune.”
This metaphor means the state of spontaneous prayer and communion with God.
To the Buffalo (N.Y.) assembly.
To the Buffalo assembly.
To the Hoboken (N.J.) assembly.
The following four Tablets are addressed to a Japanese residing in the United States.
Hyacinth—the flower symbolic of knowledge.
Comparing those near at hand who disobeyed the command of Baha’o’llah, with the recipient of this Tablet—a Japanese.
Infinite in regard to imagination, for without the mind there would be no imagination. Another translation of this paragraph is as follows: “All the people have formed a god in the world of thought and they worship that form of their own imagination, while the fact is that the imagined concept is comprehended by the mind which is comprehensive. Surely that which comprehends is greater than the comprehended, for imagination is accidental (non-essential), while the mind is essential. Surely the essential is greater than the accidental.”
Addressed to a Japanese residing in the United States—a friend of the recipient of the four preceding Tablets.
The following extract from a Tablet as received bore no opening line of address.
Refers to the recipients of the preceding Tablets.
The following Tablets up to and including page 585, are “General Tablets” revealed for all the friends throughout the world.
Departure, i.e., death—which occurred May 29, 1892.
Sadrat-el-Montaha—The name of a tree planted by the Arabs in ancient times at the end of a road, to serve as a guide. As a symbol it denotes a Manifestation in His day.
Cucumis calocynthis.
The Druses.
Husband and wife.
A prayer for children.
To the Milwaukee (Wis.) assembly.
Board of Counsel.
The recipients of the following Tablets up to and including page 619, are unknown, and although we have no specific permission to publish them, they are included here as they have been previously published.—Librarian
The recipients of the following Tablets up to and including page 619, are unknown, and although we have no specific permission to publish them, they are included here as they have been previously published.—Librarian.
This Tablet bears the following heading: “Each child may memorize as much as he can from this supplication.”
The following Tablet as received bore no opening line of address.
Refers to the congress of The Hague held in 1907.
During the year 1899.
This Tablet bore the following heading: “A general prayer for everyone to recite.”
Children of the recipient of the preceding Tablet.
The following extract from a Tablet as received bore no opening line of address.
Revealed during 1908.
Addressed to three maid-servants.
Baha’o’llah.
To the Boston (Mass.) assembly.
The name “Boston” rhymes with the Arabic name “Bostan,” or fruit-garden.—Translator.
This Tablet bears the following heading: “To the members of the Spiritual Assembly of Chicago and the Spiritual Assembly of New York.”
To the Samarkand, Russia, assembly.
To a believer in Baku, Russia.
Abdul-Baha elucidated Jesus’ teaching against the theory of “blindness from birth” and the defects being caused by the sin of the individual in a former state (see St. John 9:1–3), thus: “Jesus states that this defect exists in order to prove and show that the gift of sight is from God alone and is one of his bounties. Because were all created with sight the people would consider it a mere natural fact that they must be so made, and not give God thanks for His great gift.”—Translator
To the Cincinnati (O.) assembly.
The following extract from a Tablet as received bore no opening line of address.
The first teachers of the Bahai Cause to come to America from the Orient dwelt in the household of the recipient of this Tablet.
The following Tablet as received bore no opening line of address.
Khai Khosroe was a Zoroastrian Bahai of Bombay, India, who left his home and went to Lahore to nurse Mr. Sydney Sprague who was sick of a fever. Mr. Sprague recovered, while the great Khai Khosroe died. He was the first Oriental friend to give his life for a Western Bahai brother.
To the California maid-servants.
To the California maid-servants.
The following Tablet as received bore no opening line of address. The Tablet is to husband and wife.
Literally, in order that we may emerge our head out of the bosom of the kingdom of immortality.
The following extract from a Tablet as received bore no opening line of address.
The believers are sometimes referred to as a republic.
To the Brooklyn (N.Y.) assembly.
The recipient of this Tablet, when writing to Abdul-Baha, extended to him, in spirit, a lily.
To the Fruitport (Mich.) assembly.
To three maid-servants at Chicago.
Baha’o’llah.
The Bab.
Khudoos, literally, Holy; the title given to one of the great martyrs of Persia.
Baha’o’llah.
Germany.
To the Seattle (Wash.) assembly.
To a believer in New Zealand.
To America.
This word means a treasure or supply laid up for future use.—Translator.
I.e., the power of the spiritual wine of truth will make her conscious of all else save the love of God.—Translator.
The following Tablet as received bore no opening line of address.
The following extract from a Tablet as received bore no opening line of address.