Footnotes
The Manifestation.
Muḥammad, Aḥmad and Maḥmúd are names and titles of the Prophet, derived from the verb “to praise,” “to exalt.”
Qur’án 17:110.
Sermon by ‘Alí.
Qur’án 2:282.
Qur’án 16:71.
Qur’án 16:71.
The holy Sanctuary at Mecca. Here the word means “goal.”
Qur’án 29:69: “And whoso maketh efforts for Us, in Our ways will We guide them.”
The holy Sanctuary at Mecca. Here the word means “goal.”
Literally, Majnún means “insane.” This is the title of the celebrated lover of ancient Persian and Arabian lore, whose beloved was Laylí, daughter of an Arabian prince. Symbolizing true human love bordering on the divine, the story has been made the theme of many a Persian romantic poem, particularly that of Nizámí, written in 1188–1189 A.D.
Arabian proverb.
Refer to the story of Joesph in the Qur’án and the Old Testament.
Farídu’d-Dín Attár (ca. 1150–1230 A.D.), the great Persian Súfí poet.
Persian mystic poem.
Persian mystic poem. Cf. The Hidden Words, No. 7, Arabic.
Qur’án 50:29.
Jalálu’d-Dín Rúmí (1207–1273 A.D.); The Mathnaví. Jalálu’d-Dín, called Mawláná (“our Master”), is the greatest of all Persian Súfí poets, and founder of the Mawlaví “whirling” dervish order.
From an ode by Bahá’u’lláh.
Qur’án 67:3.
Qur’án 67:3.
Qur’án 41:53.
Qur’án 41:53.
Qur’án 57:3.
Saying attributed to ‘Alí.
Shaykh Abú Ismá’íl ‘Abdu’lláh Ansárí of Hirát (1006–1088 A.D.) Súfí leader, descended from the Prophet’s companion Abú Ayyúb. Chiefly known for his Munáját (Supplications) and Rubá’íyyát (Quatrains). “Ansár” means the “Helpers” or companions of Muḥammad in Medina.
Qur’án 1:5.
The Mathnaví.
This refers to the mystic wandering and search for truth guided by “Lights” or Súfí leaders. Bahá’u’lláh here warns the mystics that the coming of the Divine Manifestation in His Day makes further search unnecessary, as it was said by ‘Alí: “Quench the lamp when the sun hath risen”—the sun referring to the Manifestation of God in the New Day.
The Mathnaví.
Qur’án 2:151.
The Mathnaví.
Qur’án 4:80.
Qur’án 18:37.
The holy Sanctuary at Mecca. Here the word means “goal.”
This refers to Bahá’u’lláh’s own Manifestation.
The Mathnaví.
Qur’án 16:63.
Hadíth, i.e. action or utterance traditionally attributed to the Prophet Muḥammad or to one of the holy Imáms.
Qur’án 83:28.
Sermon by ‘Alí.
Hadíth, i.e. action or utterance traditionally attributed to the Prophet Muḥammad or to one of the holy Imáms.
The Prophet Muḥammad.
The Prophet Muḥammad.
Háfiz: Shamsu’d-Dín Muḥammad, of Shíráz, died ca. 1389 A.D. One of the greatest of Persian poets.
Hadíth, i.e. action or utterance traditionally attributed to the Prophet Muḥammad or to one of the holy Imáms.
The Mathnaví.
Qur’án 57:3.
The Mathnaví.
This refers to the Súfí idea of the inner plane, which compared to Revealed Truth is but unreal.
The Mathnaví.
This refers to Bahá’u’lláh Himself, Who had not yet declared His mission.
Qur’án 4:129.
Háfiz: Shamsu’d-Dín Muḥammad, of Shíráz, died ca. 1389 A.D. One of the greatest of Persian poets.
Arabian poem.
Hadíth, i.e. action or utterance traditionally attributed to the Prophet Muḥammad or to one of the holy Imáms.
From Qur’án 50:21.
Persian mystic poem.
‘Alí.
The Mathnaví.
Literally “Jayhún,” a river in Turkistán.
Qur’án 9:51.
The Mathnaví.
Qur’án 76:5.
Muḥammad.
Qur’án 55:26, 27.
Qur’án 15:21.
Farídu’d-Dín Attár (ca. 1150–1230 A.D.), the great Persian Súfí poet.
Hadíth, i.e. action or utterance traditionally attributed to the Prophet Muḥammad or to one of the holy Imáms.
The Mathnaví.
Pantheism, a Súfí doctrine derived from the formula: “Only God exists; He is in all things, and all things are in Him.”
This refers to the three stages of Súfí life: 1. Sharí’at, or Religious Laws; 2. Taríqat, or the Path on which the mystic wayfarer journeys in search of the True One; this stage also includes anchoretism. 3. Haqíqat, or the Truth which, to the Súfí, is the goal of the journey through all three stages. Here Bahá’u’lláh teaches that, contrary to the belief of certain Súfís who in their search for the Truth consider themselves above all law, obedience to the Laws of Religion is essential.
Maqám-i-Mahmúd. Qur’án 17:81.
Qur’án 2:84.
Persian mystic poem.
“Peace.” This word is used in concluding a thesis.
Arabian poem.
The five letters comprising this word in Persian are: G, N, J, SH, K, that is, Gáf, Nún, Jím, Shín, Káf.
This and the foregoing quotations are from the teachings of Islám.
This is a reference in the traditional Persian style to Bahá’u’lláh Himself.
Mathnaví of Rúmí.
Sa’dí, Muslihu’d-Dín of Shíráz (ca. 1184–1291), famed author of the Gulistán and other poetical works.
Persian proverb describing a man who gives up easily. As used here one connotation is that the Shaykh might have considered his station as a mystic leader compromised by the fact of his being taught the new truth by Bahá’u’lláh.
Qur’án 41:30.
Qur’án 11:114; 42:14.
Sa’dí.
Ibid.
Senna, capital of Persian Kurdistán.
This preamble to The Four Valleys is written in the finest Persian epistolary style. The rules of classical letter writing in Persian require quotations from literary works, and assertions of abiding love for the one addressed, who is chided for having neglected the writer.
Hadíth.
The Mathnaví. Here Rúmí tells a story of four evil birds which, when put to death, changed into four birds of goodness. The allegory refers to subduing evil qualities and replacing them with good.
Qur’án 89:27–30.
Qur’án 89:27–30.
Qur’án 41:53.
Qur’án 17:15.
Famed writers on grammar and rhetoric.
The Mathnaví.
Qur’án 59:19.
An attribute of God and one of the titles of Muḥammad.
Maqám-i-Mahmúd—Praiseworthy Station—is the rank of Prophets endowed with constancy.
Qur’án 18:16. This is a reference to the station of complete faith. The companions of the Cave are identified with early Christian martyrs.
Qur’án 24:37.
Qur’án 2:282.
Hadíth.
Qur’án 37:59.
Qur’án 2:151.
That attribute of God which draws all creatures to Him.
The Mathnaví.
Qur’án 21:27.
Sa’dí.
The Cyclic Theory of Abú-‘Alí Síná (Avicenna—980–1037) as expressed by him in the quatrain: Every semblance, every shape that perisheth today In the treasure-house of Time is safely stored away. When the world revolveth to its former place, Out of the Invisible He draweth forth its face. See also Some Answered Questions, p. 326.
The Mathnaví.
Ibid.
From Qur’án 18:37.
Qur’án 2:254; 5:1, etc
Statement attributed to ‘Alí.
This quotation is in Arabic.
The Mathnaví.
This was revealed before the Declaration of Bahá’u’lláh. The lines following refer to the imminence of His Manifestation.
Literally, the garment of Há, which is the letter “H” and here represents Bahá.
This reference is to the story of Joseph in the Qur’án and the Bible.
This refers to those who did not expect the imminent advent of Him Whom God Shall Manifest.
The Mathnaví.
Qur’án 76:13.
This quotation is from one of the commentators on Qur’án 55:29. Cf. the dictionary Lisánu’l-‘Arab.
Qur’án 55:29.
Qur’án 6:79.
Qur’án 6:75.
Cf. Qur’án 7:105 etc., and Hadíth.
The Mathnaví.
Ismat-i-Kubrá, the invariable attribute of the Divine Manifestation.
Muḥammad.
Hadíth.
Qur’án 33:62; 48:23.
Qur’án 4:164.
Sa’dí.
Qur’án 7:140.
Shams-i-Tabríz, the Súfí who exerted a powerful influence on Jalálu’d-Dín Rúmí, diverting his attention from science to Mysticism. A great part of Rúmí’s works are dedicated to him. These lines are from the Mathnaví.
Qur’án 37:180.