An Introduction to Tablet of Mulla Baqir

language including the entire Bayan. He begins by discussing the meaning of the pronoun word “this” or “that” when used to intend Him Whom God shall make manifest. He writes: Then repose and hearken unto that which I grant thee with regard to “that” Supreme Being: “That,” however, is a demonstrative pronoun, and it, verily, boweth down in adoration before the demonstrative pronoun used by Him; and the word “this” is ashamed of its inadequacy to refer unto His Eternal Essence. Glorified, immeasurably glorified, is the intrinsic glory of His Self, and exalted, immeasurably exalted, is the befitting loftiness of His Essence! 21 Most directly he affirms: And beware, beware that the words sent down in the Bayán shut thee not out as by a veil from Him, inasmuch as these are His own words in His former Manifestation. He is the Sun of Truth, the Face of Unity, the Countenance of Lordship, the Inmost Reality of Divinity, and the Self of Eternity. 22 Various statements in the writings of the Bab confirm this same point. In Persian Bayan the Bab emphasizes that no one can interpret the words of the Bab except Him Whom God shall make manifest. 23 This is a crucial part of the Bab’s approach to expectation and recognition of the Promised One. Since no one except the Bab himself and the Promised One can understand the true meanings of the Bayan, no understanding of any word in Bayan can turn into a standard and condition for the truth of the Promised One. In addition, the Bab has given one universal rule for understanding the true meaning of all the words of the Bayan. In Persian Bayan he says that any good name mentioned in the writings of the Bab refers in truth to Him Whom God shall make manifest and then a shadow of that meaning applies to others. Likewise, any negative name used in the Bayan refers in its primordial meaning to the person who opposes the Promised One. 24 As the Bab makes it clear in almost all his writings, it was the traditional method of expectation and recognition of the promised one that led to persecution of all the messengers of God. The Bab himself was rejected by the shi’h clerics precisely because his revelation seemed to contradict so many statements in their sacred books. It seemed that not only the door to prophethood was sealed by Muhammad, the Shi’ih 12 th Imam was also supposed to be born one thousand years earlier, to become victorious over the earth by war, and be accompanied by so many amazing signs and conditions. The Bab defined his revelation as the day of Resurrection which seemed to contradict the appearance of so many statements in the Qur’an. The response of the Bab to all these objections was that these ideas deduced from the Qur’an and traditions derive their legitimacy from the fact that they have been revealed and authorized by revelation of divine verses. But now he is revealing an ocean of divine verses and therefore the very objections against him prove the truth claim of the Bab. Those objections are perceived to be legitimate because they are ultimately believed to be confirmed by revelation of divine verses. 25 But now he is revealing the divine verses and that by itself is the ultimate vindicating proof of his revelation. The Bab educated the Babis so that they do not repeat the mistake of the Shi’ih followers in regard to recognizing the revelation of Him Whom God shall make manifest.

21 Ibdid. 22 Ibid. 23 The Bab, Persian Bayan 2:2.

24 Ibid. 2:8. 25 Ibid. 2:1.