Journey with me unto the Divine Throne · Luvah_ Journal of the Creative Imagination

8/13/2019 Journey with me unto the Divine Throne · Luvah_ Journal of the Creative Imagination

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N . WA H I D A Z A L

ا ا ه

Siyyid ʿ Alī Muḥammad Shīrāzī, the Bāb (d. 1850) (Courtesy of the Bayā ī!ommu ity)

ي ا إ !"#$ !%

Whosoever knows their Self, knows their Imām, who is their Lord! " Shay#hī$Bā%īreiteratio of the &el'hi! ma im ( ours)

&' !( ) !* +' !, ا !' - #+. + ا / 0 12 ا - 3 ا ا$

I am the Philosopher’s Stone from which has ushed forth welve Sprin s! " ʿ Alī( "hu ṭ ba al#Ba$ān $m$ trans .)

'+ ! 2 إ &42 5 6 ا % 7 86! . + ا ' !" 3 ا 9 2:; ا 7< %!3$

e are, %y *od, the Most Beautiful +ames ithout hom *od does ot a!!e't a y a!tio of -is ser a ts e !e't throu/h ur / osis " 2a ʿ far al$Ṣādi3 (!f. 4% Bā% ya,

"%tāb al# awḥ%d , bāb al#nawādir $m$ trans .)

6he follo i / 'ie!e !o stitutes a !om'a io arti!le to our 're ious o e 'u%lished i this 7our al.4t is also a re ised ersio of a arti!le e mea t to 'u%lish some here i 011 %ut i stead

ithdre from its ori/i ally 'la ed e ue a d the self$'u%lished i its first, rou/h draft o li e.

Besides mi or !orre!tio s a d some issues of 'roof$readi /, style, tra sliteratio a d fi edrefere !es, there are ery sli/ht differe !es of em'hases %et ee this 'ie!e a d the earlier o e.6hat said, other tha a fe e!essary asides, the histori!al a d 'a radi/mati! disti !tio s %et eeBā%ism, the reli/io of the Bayā , a d Bahā9ism already !o ered ill ot %e re'eated here. -erei stead e ill %e dis!ussi / the Bā%9s theoso'hi!al al!hemy, a 'ers'e!ti e that may illumi ate

ney with me unto the Divine Throne · Luvah: Journal of the Creativ... http://luvah.org/five/journey-with-me-unto-the-divine-throne.html

18 9/11/2013 10:43 PM

u'o a fe themes !o ered i the arti!le o Ṣu%ḥ$i$Azal.

6his theoso'hi!al al!hemy of the Bā%9s, e ould ar/ue, has as its fo!us the s'iritual 'erfe!tio of the soul of the i itiated %elie er ithi the meta'hysi!al reality of the 4mām: the 4mām hosimulta eously a!ts as %oth the i itiati / /uide of the initiated believer (mu’min) i to the /reatermysteries as ell as %ei / the ultimate /oal of the opus itself. e ill also se eral times %etou!hi / o the 3uestio of the Imām#of#ones#bein that is l i #ed to this o erall 3uestio ,offeri / a some hat more fi essed a d ua !ed i ter'retatio of its u derlyi / mea i / tha

hat has %ee offered i re!e t years %y some 'o'ular literature: a idea, althou/h e 'li!itly Alam tī 4smā ʿ īlī i its !oi a/e, is already late t ithi the esoteri! tea!hi /s of the 4māms of

6 el er Shī ʿ ism a d later i the Bā%. e hold that the su%7e!t of Shī ʿ ite al!hemy $ a d thesoteriolo/y u der/irdi / it to/ether ith the esoteri! meta'hysi!s i formi / that $ is ultimately i se'ara%le from a ade3uate u dersta di / of hat this hole idea e e mea s. e also su//estthat this otio i o ay, sha'e or ma er im'lies the tra sformatio of the %ase, !o !u'is!e te/o &ua the %ase, !o !u'is!e t e/o i to the 4mām; or do em'ty de!laratio s as to the attai me tof its status ithout the re3uisite i itiatio a d the adde dum s'iritual ayfari / ( sul'k ) < thea!tual e /a/eme t i the al!hemi!al opus ma num $ ma#e it so. =ather it e tails the 'ro/ressi estri''i / a d erasure of the %ase, !o !u'is!e t e/o herei the soul fi ally %e!omes the >ter al4mām9s 'erfe!t mirror a d 'la !e of re'ose. Additio ally the otio s of the 4mām$of$o es$%ei /a d that of the -iero$4 telli/e !e ( ʿ a&l ) < a d he !e the >ter al 4mām < are i se'ara%le o es.

4 the meta'hysi!al di!tio of Bā%ism this is all referred to as the ?rimal ill ( mash%’a al#'lā).6his ill %e o e of our /uidi / motifs throu/hout this 'ie!e.

4 this 'rese t arti!le here e ill, first, offer a s!hemati! %io/ra'hy of the Bā% himself. 6he e ill 'rese t a !omme tary o the 'olar motif /uidi / the i er i te tio of our mai tra slated'ie!e (i.e. a %rief res'o se %y the Bā% o the ars operativa ) to/ether ith some rele a t !omme tsre/ardi / the 'la!e of ematria . 6his is follo ed %y a e e/esis o the sym%olism of theal!hemi!al as!e sio as it relates to our item to/ether ith some tra slatio s from the Bā%9s Bookof the (ive )rades a d the fi al !omme tary o the !o !ludi / i te tio of the 'ie!e. After this

e ill detail the t o MSS. used i our semi$!riti!al tra slatio a d offer some remar#sattem'ti / to lo!ate a timeli e for the or# %efore su%mitti / a a otated tra slatio of the te titself.

T H E B Ā B

Siyyid ʿ Alī Muḥammad Shīrāzī (%. 18 0 < d. 1850); # o to 'osterity as the Bāb (@ate9 or

@threshold 9), a d 'er his o desi/ atio (amo / se eral other titles) as the *ssence of the Seven Letters (dhāt ḥur'f al#saba ʿ a); as a 4ra ia s!io of the house of the ?ro'het of 4slam (i.e. a

@si$$id 9) ho at the ri'e a/e of t e ty$four, i the middle of the i etee th !e tury, u leashed o eof the most mome tous (yet simulta eously most tra/ i!) e'isodes i mo eme ts !laimi /!hiliasti! / osti! fulfilme t a d re e al i the history of Shī ʿ ite 4slam si !e the +i ẓārī 4smā9īlī

4mām Ḥassa 44 ʿ alā dhikrihi salām had li#e ise u derta#e a similar missio i his &%$āma'ro!lamatio at Alam t i 11 C>: e e ts of stri#i / resem%la !e a d similarly meeti / a tra/i!e d, al%eit ot as i te se, dramati! or ide ra /i / i the si /ularity of their fier!ely iole td+nouement as Bā%ism9s. &uri / the si year 'eriod of his mi istry from May 18 i Shīrāzto his e e!utio for heresy i 6a%rīz o 2uly 8 1850, the Bā% %e!ame for ma y thousa ds of hisfollo ers i 4rā3 a d 4ra the fo!us of i te se adoratio a d, at o !e, the literal mouth'ie!e of the-idde 4mām of the A/e; the the 4mām of the A/e or the esurrector (al#&ā’im) i 'erso ; a dfi ally a e 6heo'ha y or ma ifestatio of the &i i ity ( ma ẓ har allāh ) i his o ri/ht'ro!laimi / the alto/ether a%ro/atio of the (at the time 1 D0 year) dis'e satio al aeon of 4slama d ith it the i au/uratio of the !y!le of the Bayā (e 'ositio ). Seei / himself i the sametheophanolo ical lea/ue as (a d e e /reater tha ) the A%rahami! messe /er$la /i ers ho had're!eded him $ su!h as A%raham, Moses, 2esus a d Mu ḥammad $ this Bayā i! !y!le as deemed

%y him to last for a duratio of a y here from %et ee 1511 to 001 years 7ust as the 4slami!dis'e satio had itself lasted i this s!heme for 1 D0 years.

&ramati!ally %e/i i / his 'u%li! !areer as messiah$'ro'het o May , 18 , ith a!omme tary ( taf ṣ%r) o the t elfth s'rāh of the Eur9ā , # o as the @ best of stories9 (aḥsanal#&i ṣṣā ṣ, i.e. 2ose'h); amely, the -a$$'m al#.smā’ (the @ Peerless9, @ .risen 9 or @ Self#Subsistent /ames 9); he erita%ly 'rodu!ed a e Eur9ā i his o ri/ht !o sisti / of 're!isely 111 s'rāh s,!om'lete ith dis!o e!ted letters o'e i / ma y of the !ha'ters a d all the !hara!teristi!s!ri'tural refrai s, tur s of 'hraseolo/y, im'erious to e, /rammati!al a omalies, so orouselli'ti!al am%i/uities, te tual a d arrati al 'arallelisms, a d /e erally aty'i!al li /uisti! stylismsty'i!al of the hi/h !lassi!al forms, di!tio a d e e!utio of the Ara%i! of the ?ers'i!uous Boo#:

!laimed %y the Boo# itself (a d 'er the i imita%ility,ʿ

i01ā2 al#&urān, ar/ume t) that o e !a'rodu!e a si /le erse the li#e thereof. +ot e e the Ḥur fī fou der Fa ḍl9ullāh Astarā%ādī9s (d.1 G ) ?ersia 3āvidān /āmih#i#"ab%r (6he *reat Boo# of >ter ity) had dared rea!h su!hharro i /ly dizzyi / hei/hts of o%le a d su%lime auda!ity; a d this, from a mere t e ty$four

year old mem%er of the mer!ha t !lass ith o semi ary or ad a !ed s!holasti! reli/ious trai i / hatsoe er. Het the la!# of the author9s formal edu!atio as 're!isely 'art of the a''eal he as

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ma#i / re/ardi / his i ate, u lear ed # o led/e ( ʿ ilm fi ṭ r% ) a d so e ide !e that su!h

ersi!al$si/ s ( ā$āt ) ere issui / from the same ells'ri / sour!es of i s'iratio (or evelation)as the Eur9ā 9s.

As su!h hat -amid &a%ashi says of the t elfth !e tury 4ra ia Sufi i!o o!last ʿ Ay 9ul$Euḍāt

-amadā ī (d. 11 1) is e e more true of the Bā%, that he %ro#e IJthe i terdi!tory motifs of hisi herited sa!red order to the su% ersi e 'oi t of o retur .K -ere i this first of his or#s'u%li!ized as the most radi!al le/a!y, as ell as the most far$rea!hi / of te de !ies, i 6 el erShi9ite esoteri!ism a d / osis !o er/ed i to a si /le point a d i !o summate ( ay, dramati!)dis'lay; a d so, therefore, e'itomized a d personified , i the Bā% himself. ithi days after

!om'osi / the i itial !ha'ters of the -a$$'m al#.smā’ o the 'rom'ti / of his emi e t /uest a d isitor, the se ior Shay#hī !leri! Mullā Ḥusay Bushr 9ī (d. 18 G) (i.e. his first %elie er, awwal man āmana , referred to thereafter as the @ )ate of the )ate 9, Bāb al#Bāb), si tee other i di idualsi 'erso as ell soo 'aid their alle/ia !es to the Bā% as his fi rst %elie ers ( ith o e i a%se tia,totalli / se e tee ), thus !o stituti / the Letters of the Li i / ( ḥur'f al# ḥa$$). ? er theneoplatoni2in ra #i / system of Bā%ism, the Letters of the Li i /, to/ether ith the Bā% himself,made u' the hierar!hy of the First ity ( al#wāḥid al#awwal4 of All$6hi /s ( kullu#sha$’ ).

After the formatio of this i itial hierar!hy of the Bā%ī e!!lesia, i early Se'tem%er 18 the Bā%set out for the ḥa00 'il/rima/e to Me!!a a!!om'a ied %y the fi al mem%er of it Mullā Mu ḥammadʿ Alī Bārfur shī -udd's (d. 18 G). 6here he had made his !laims 'u%li!, riti / assorted

e'istles to arious reli/ious leaders, i !ludi / the shar%ff of Me!!a as ell as other di/ itaries.=etur i / to 4ra i MayN2u e 18 5, a d as the mo eme t as e 'a di / ith e 'o e tial s'eed;

ot to me tio as the im'a!t of his i itial !laims ere rea#i / some ha o! amo / Shī ʿ i faithful

i 4rā3 a d 4ra ; he as arrested %y authorities i the 'ort !ity of Bushihr a d es!orted %y armed/uard %a!# to Shīraz here he as 'la!ed u der house arrest a d soo !om'elled to ma#e a'u%li! retra!tio of his ! laims. &ur i / this 'eriod of his house arrest i Shīraz, thro /s of isitorsflo!#ed to the !ity a d ritte !orres'o de !es %et ee the Bā% a d arious reli/ious fi/ures!ir!ulated %a!# a d forth from all o er the Shī ʿ i !e ters.

A !holera e'idemi! i Fars 'ro i !e duri / the mo th of Se'tem%er 18 !om'elled the Bā% tota#e fli/ht from Shīraz to 4sfahā here he fou d %rief 'atro a/e u der its a/ei / 'ro i !ial/o er or Ma u!hihr Ohā Mu ʿ tamid$&a lih, the *eor/ia , a d here i itially he as, at first,

e e fa oura%ly re!ei ed %y a fe ota%le reli/ious di/ itaries. 6here a ttem'ti / to see# aaudie !e ith the Eā7ār mo ar!h Mu ḥammad Shāh (d. 18 G) i the !a'ital 6ehrā ; u'o thedeath of Ma u!hihr Ohā i Fe%ruary 18 D, a fatwa !alli / for the Bā%9s death %y the more!o ser ati e ʿ ulamā of the !ity o''osed to his !laims for!ed him to flee 4sfahā headi / for the

!a'ital u der es!ort 'ro ided %y its e 'ro i !ial /o er or. the outs#irts of 6ehrā he asi ter!e'ted o the orders of the 'rime mi ister -ā77ī Mīrzā A3āsī (d. 18 G), ho o %e!ame theBā%9s !hief Eā7ār e emy a d sym%oli!ally emer/ed for the Bā%īs hat Mīra shāh (d. 1 08) had

%ee !e turies earlier to Fa ḍl9ullāh Astarā%ādī (d. 1 G ) a d the Ḥur fīs < vi25 a ti!hrist ( da00āl ).

Feari / the Bā%9s i flue !e o the im'ressio a%le mo ar!h should he e ter the !a 'ital a d o%taia audie !e, -ā77ī Mīrzā A3āsī o redire!ted him u der hea ier es!ort to the orther to of Mā# o the Azer%ai7ā $=ussia %order here he as to remai from 2uly 18 D to May 18 8.

A''rehe si e of the Bā%9s /ro i / i flue !e a d 'o'ularity, a d hat this mea t for the Muslimsu%7e!ts of the em'ire9s %orders ith 4ra , the =ussia mi ister i 6ehrā e t dema ded the'rime mi ister relo!ate the Bā% to the remote to of Chihrī3 ear r mīya here he as the'la!ed u der stri!t !o fi eme t. Soo after his ar ri al i Chihrī3 he as %riefly %rou/ht to 6a%rīz

here a #a /aroo !ourt, !om'osed of the the !ro 'ri !e +ā ṣiruddī Mīrzā a d 'romi e tʿ ulamā9, attem'ted ot so mu!h to as!ertai the ature of his !laims %ut to 'u%li!ly humiliate

him. 6his far!i!al trial of the Bā% as to e d ith the Bā%9s %asti ado a d a fi!titious letterma ufa!tured %y o e of its !hief 'residers !laimi / the Bā% had retra!ted his !laims.

ith the Bā%ī u'risi /s i Māza darā u der ay ith iole t fero!ity as of the summer of 18 8;this, follo i / the Badasht /atheri / here the to' Bā%ī leadershi' had formally a ou !ed the&%$āma a d the e d of the 4slami! shar% ʿ a a d its dis'e satio ; the death of Mu ḥammad Shāh

a d the a!!essio of +ā ṣiruddī Shāh to the Eā7ār thro e i Se'tem%er 18 8 !o i !edauthorities that the Bā% had to %e 'ut to death. Ar/ua%ly the i itial tide of these u'risi /s're e ted them from doi / so earlier; %ut after the Māza darā Bā%ī u'risi / at Shay#h Ṭa%arsī

as %rutally !rushed, ith all of its leaders a d most of its 'arti!i'a ts massa!red; a d ith otheru'risi /s o emer/i / i its stead ith /reater fero!ity a d s'readi / to Hazd the +ayrīz i!e tral 4ra the shortly after that to Pa 7ā i Azer%ai7a as ell; authorities a!ted s iftly a d soi the early summer of 1850 the Bā% as summarily %rou/ht from Chihrī3 %a!# to 6a%rīz here,to/ether ith a dis!i'le, he as 'u%li!ly e e!uted %y firi / s3uad at oo o 2uly 8 1850 i the!ity9s military %arra!#s. -a i / %ee formally a''oi ted to su!!eed him some mo ths %efore, the

i etee year old Mīrzā Ha ḥ yā + rī Ṣu%ḥ$i$Azal o emer/ed as the Bā%9s le/atee, Mirror a dsu!!essor a d so the su'reme 'o tiff of the as!e t Bā%ī e!!lesia.

e should ote here that the year 18 (!orres'o di / to the hi0r% 1 0) as 're!isely o e$thousa d years from the !omme !eme t of the !!ultatio ( ha$ba) of the 6 elfth, a d

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fi al, ithnā ʿ ashar% 4mām Mu ḥammad i% Ḥassa al$ ʿ As#arQ (%. 8 G C>) i 0 A- (8D C>).

6he /e eral si/ ifi!a !e of this fa!t alo e should ot %e lost si/ht of i a y o erall a ssessme tre/ardi / the i itial 'oliti!al su!!esses of Bā%ism, as it u ders!ores the fa!t that messia i!fer our, s'e!ulatio , ot to me tio e 'e!tatio , as rife at the time throu/hout the area. 4t may also to some e te t 'ossi%ly e 'lai its ultimate 'oliti!al failure as ell. Be that as it may, a d asMa!>oi has 3uite ri/htly 'oi ted out, the sheer 'rodi/ious out'ut of !om'ositio s left %y theBā% duri / this short si year 'eriod of his mi istry $ totalli / some Ififty olumes, ea!h of o ehu dred 'a/es ith te ords to the li e a d t e ty li es to the 'a/eK %y o e estimate ( Sources,15) $ 'erha's ! o stitutes o e of the most i teresti / !or'us of r iti /s a aila%le i the history of

!hiliasti! se!taria mo eme ts i 4slami!ate; or else here, for that matter.T H E P O L A R M O T I F, T H E S C I E N C E O F T H E L E T T E R S A N D T H E A L C H E M I C A L A S C E N S I O N

e ill o tur to a dis!ussio of the 'olar motif a imati / the i er i te tio %ehi d our mai'ie!e %y the Bā% (tra slated %elo ) a d ho this i forms the o erall situation of its al!hemi!al

arrati e, %efore reiterati / a fe 'oi ts o the s!ie !e of the letters, after hi!h e ill tou!hu'o the sym%olism of the al!hemi!a l as!e sio i our 'ie!e. e ill state from the %e/i i / of this e t dis!ussio that hat is detailed %elo is refle!ti e of the /reater do!tri al frame or# thathas %ee !lassified as -i/h 4mamolo/y. 6his -i/h 4mamolo/y, for its 'art, !a ar/ua%ly %elo!ated ithi sour!es a d tra smissio s mu!h older < a d !loser to the 'eriod of 4slam9s first!e turies $ tha similar s!hemes fou d mu!h later o , su!h as the theoso'hi!al Sufism of fi/uresli#e 4% ʿ Ara%ī (d. 1 0) a d his s!hool. 6hat said, the s'e!ifi! 'oi ts of de'arture, ot to me tio

the 3ualified hue, this 'ers'e!ti e ta#es here is from start to fi ish o es that si /ularly i formBā%ism a d the earlier Shay#hī s!hool.

From the ery outset of the /reater Shī ʿ ite traditio , the first 4mām ʿ Alī i% A%īṬāli%9s (d. 1)

ell # o ma im that Ial!hemy is the sister of 'ro'he!yK as to %e ta#e 3uite a!utely %y all of our Shi9ite spirituals as o e of se eral 'i oti / a d /uidi / leitmotifs of Shī ʿ ite / osis a d

esoteri!ism tout court . Besides this famous stateme t, there are !ou tless others li#e it, su!h asthe 4mām9s homily of the tra smuted fire ( al#nār al#muḥarra&) that is fou d i the "hu ṭ baal#Ba$ān (Sermo of the > 'ositio ), o e of the t o most idely re/arded e i/mati! sermo sattri%uted to the Comma der of the Faithful, herei theopathic stateme ts a%ou d $ ma y of them %ei / of a disti !tly al!hemi!al fla our. 6his homily, i tur , as to famously %e!ome a to'i!of !omme tary %y the fourtee th !e tury Shī ʿ ite al!hemist al$2alda#ī, to ame %ut o ly o e of

its ma y emi e t !omme tators. 4 deed from the ery %e/i i / of this s'e!ifi! traditio 9s/e eral treatme t of the arcana , the 'olar$a ial 'ositio of the 4māms < ay, the ?eo'le of the

-ouse ( ahl al#ba$t ) i e tirety $ suffuses it herei to a /reat e te t the motifs of sear!h a dre!o/ itio of the 4mām a d the opus a d !reatio of the Most *reat >li ir ( iks%r al#aʿ ẓ am) <

other ise # o as the Sto e ( al#ḥa0ar) $ may %e said o ma y le els to %e sy !hro ousdis!ourses; that is, arra ti es e!essarily i ter'e etrati / ea!h other.

From this a ta/e 'oi t of -i/h 4mamolo/y, therefore, the stress laid i the esoteri! tea!hi /s of the 4māms o the realizatio of the @ true reli ion9 (d%n al#ḥa&& R ma ʿ arifa , / osis); hi!h they

de ote li#e ise ith the term the @ pure reli ion9 (d%n al#khāli ṣ); ith the noesis of the -iero$4 telli/e !e ( ʿ a&l ); %ei / the a!tual realizatio ( taḥ&%&, taḥa&u&&) of the i itiati! # o led/e

(the tra smitted ʿ ilm of the 4mām) as su!h, a d he !e the realizatio of hat i the Alam tī

+i ẓārī 4smā ʿ īlī do!tri e su'er%ly /ets termed the Imām#of#ones#bein; !o stitutes the o erall

si/ ifi!a !e of the ars operativa i Shī ʿ ite al!hemy. 4 this 'ers'e!ti e, the Person of the 4mām;

that is, the 6elestial Personalit$ ho sta ds as the eil of Li/ht, ho is %oth the master 'residi /

o er 'aradise as ell as hell, a d ho is the S'ea#i / Boo# ( kitāb al#nāṭ i&); a d the?hiloso'her9s Sto e are o e a d the same %e!ause as the 6heo'ha y par e7cellence the 4māmsta ds at the limit (the ḥadd ) at hi!h the coincidentia oppositorum o!!urs. 6his may %e o e

ay a Shī ʿ ite al!hemi!al /loss, a taw%l , o Eur9ā 1:5 may %e u derstood. But, e e more

e 'li!itly, it is ho the e i/mati! stateme t %y the Comma der of the Faithful 'ro'erly !omme !i / the dis!ourse of the Sermo Bet ee the 6 o *ulfs ( khuṭ ba al#taṭ an0%$a) must, iour o'i io , %e u derstood: I I am the 8ne standin between the wo )ulfs 9and: I am the 8neobservant over the two Wests and the two *astsJK *i e this, the 4mām is here the opus as ellas its eli ir N lapis, its 'atie t a d its a!tor, the alpha a d the ome a, herefore 2a ʿ far 'ro!laims,

Iveril$ 8ur 6ause is the eal ruth and the ealit$ of the ruth, and it is the ;anifest and the <idden, and the <idden of the <idden, and it is a ;$ster$ and the *ni ma of that ;$ster$, and it is a secreted Secret, and a 9hi h: ;$ster$ concealed within another Secret JK

As su!h the dis!ourse %y the Bā% %elo !a o ma y 'arallel le els %e /lossed as a i itatio to

its re!i'ie t !oded i al!hemi!al !i'her to %elie e i his !ause ( amr ) as the 6rue 4mām a d &i i e*uide &ua the ?hiloso'her9s Sto e N the Most *reat >li ir: a i itatio herei the i ersym%oli! reality a d statio of the Bā% himself is u eiled throu/h su!h !i'hers to his i terlo!utor

ithi a dis!ourse a%out the ars operativa . 6his is, ho e er, ot to %e ta#e i either a y !ate/ori!al se se or as a mere meta'hori! dis!ourse !ou!hed i the la /ua/e of al!hemi!al

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flourishes. 4 stead the dis!ourse is to %e ta#e o as!e di / s!ales a d u'o a a a/o/i!al ladderof e er e 'a di / mea i /s e /a/i / sym%oli! alle/ory &ua the ars operativa that !a ot %e!ommu i!ated i a y other ay. *i e this, e ould su//est that the sta/es (or theo'ha i!se3ue !es, rather) of ʿ Alī9sḥad%t ḥ al#ḥa&%&a %e #e't firmly i mi d here as !ommu i!ati e of the

u foldi / tra7e!tories of the a a/o/i!al le els of as!e t a!utely 'rese t i our te t. -ere it is, as it ere, the Bā%9s I disclosure of the ma0esties of lorification (sub'hāt al#0alāl ) without indicationK to his addressee throu/h hi!h the sta/es of the 'ro!ess ill ultimately !ulmi atefor this i terlo!utor, should he asse t, i the e ti /uishi / of the lam' of his o 'artial i telle!tu'o the a''rehe sio of the arise &a of the i ersal 4 telle!t, the ?rimal ?oi t, hi!h here

is the Bā% himself as the Ma ifest 4mām: the Ma ifest 4mām ho is the 6heo'ha y par e7cellencea d so the e'i'ha y of the coincidentia oppositorum made ma ifest to our i terlo!utor. 6his %e!omes, the , the erita%le !reatio of the eli ir N lapis Iin the hori2ons and in the selvesK as therealizatio of the I eal ruth = the rul$ eal K (al#ḥa&&), i.e. the Ẓ uh'r (di i e ma ifestatio Na''eara !e). 4 other ords, for the i itiated 'ro/e y of Adam a d > e, it is throu/h, %y a d ithe 4mām herei the palin enesis o!!urs, si !e the 4mām is the soul9s 'erfe!t mirror ( mir’āt ) $literally its locus amoenus, its 'la!e of re'ose $ ho fu !tio s as its erita%le sym%oli! athanorthat accomplishes its tra smutatio .

Let us a alyse the matter further a d from ithi our o te t. 6he Bā% %e/i s the se!o d'ara/ra 'h of the dis!ourse %y stati / that I*od has ot !reated a ythi / ithout also fashio i /

ithi it a letter ( ḥarf ) of the eli ir i a! !orda !e ith its statio N e iste tial ra #K ( ma&ām)(14-15). -ere this dis!losure is !i'heri!ally iterati e of the meta'hysi!al a!tuality of the?re$>ter al Co e a t of .last (Eur9ā , D:1D ,al#. ʿ rāf , @the -ei/hts9) here%y in illo tempore

the 're$!reatio al late !y of the !olle!ti e multitude of the eidaic (?lato i! 4deal$Ar!hety'e)form$su%sta !es ( 0awhar%$āt ) $ hi!h is a other ay of sayi / the e7istential particles(dharr%$āt ) $ of the 'ro/e y of Adam a d > e are dramatur icall$ assem%led u'o theatemporal 'la es of /atheri / ( mashḥar ) < that is, i the 2amān (time) of dahr (duratio less ess'er'etuity) $ to %ear it ess ithi themsel es en toto a d i the 'rese !e of the &i i e as to thedisti !ti e ess, the si /ular u i3ue ess ( fardān%$a), of their Lord (i.e. IAm 4 ot your LordT,Kalastu bi#rabbikum, to hi!h the !olle!ti e res'o se is, Iyes, e testify Uthat 6hou art V,K balashahadnā ); this, so that u'o the &ay of =esurre!tio ( $awm al#&%$āma) < hi!h i its Bā%ī'arla !e e 'li!itly de otes the Ẓ uh'r itself < they may ot the !laim to ha e %ee u a are orheedless of their o e iste tially situated 're$!reatio al ( fi ṭ r% ) affirmatio ( ibid . our'ara'hrase). 4 its Shī ʿ ite$Bā%ī /loss the Lord ( rabb ), of !ourse, here sta ds for the 4mām a d

ot for the )odhead per se, si !e i 4ts utter, remote tra s!e de !e ( tan2%h) 4t sta ds ell %eyo dall thi /s a d so !a dis'e se ith su!h trifles as re3uiri / either the asse t or the de ial of 4ts

!reatio . 6herefore, to 'ut it a other ay, the 4mām is hat is here mea t i Eur9ā 5 :1 as thesidrat’ul#muntahā (the Lote$6ree of the farthest limit, that 'ro'erly mar#s the %ou dary of these e th hea e ), a d so here the ars operativa a d soteriolo/y are i tri si!ally li #ed s!hemesthus ma#i / of the Shī ʿ ite$Bā%īopus a /e erally sal ifi! u derta#i /.

+o the e iste tial mar# of this 'rimordial asse t to the Lordshi' ( rub'b%$a) of the 4mām is theletter (the ḥarf ) %y hi!h ea!h i di idual mem%er of the 'ro/e y of Adam a d > e $ 'ast, 'rese ta d future $ is ! reati ely i sta tiated %e!ause it is ea!h o e9s 'rime al, 're$!reatio alindividuation (the 'redetermi ed fi ṭ r%$a of ea!h thi /, its ta&d%r) i the ?re$>ter al ( a2al% ) di i ematri . 6he i er mystery ( sirr ) of ea!h letter, i tur , is its eli7iric reality ( ḥa&%&a iks%r%$a) < %ut!o ti /e t u'o its a!tualizatio i the horizo tally situated s'atiotem'oral mu da e $ to hi!hits realizatio is ultimately li #ed a d de'e de t via its affirmatio ( ithbāt ) of the Celestial ?ersoof the 4mām (R the mea i / of the illā allāh Ne7cept )od of the shahada ) that, the , is the #ey (miftāḥ) < its o individuated !i'her, as it ere $ to its feli!ity ( falāḥ), its 'ali /e esis, i thea''rehe sio of the 4mām$of$o es$%ei /; hi!h is, the realizatio of the -iero$4 telli/e !e ( vi2 .the ʿ a&l as the a!tualizatio of the 4mām9s ʿ ilm). 4 Suhra ardī9s di!tio , this is the realizatio of

o e9s ?erfe!t +ature ( ṭ iba ʿ al#tamm), the s$2$ $ (i.e. the Poroastria $a2ata ), amely, themalak't% a /eli!$dou%le; there%y ma#i / of the >ter al 4mām here the Celestial Lord of thes'e!ies ( rabb al#naw ʿ ) 'residi / o er the 'ro/e y of Adam a d > e. 6his, the , is o e of the

mea i /s %ehi d ʿ Alī9s reiteratio of the &el'hi! ma im, I whosoever knows their Self, knowstheir Lord K /i e that the Self ( nafs, anima ) here &ua the 4mām$of$o es$%ei / is i all !ases the>ter al 4mām, the ʿ ā&l (-iero$4 telli/e !e). As su!h to those amo /st their i itiated / osti!

ade'ts (i.e. the mu’min%n, the true, i itiati! %elie ers) ho ha e truly # o $ that is, noetici2ed $their Lord, the >ter al 4mām is %oth the a'otheosis of their souls ithi the tra smuti / 'ro!essof their i di idual palin eneses (their arise &a ) ( sol ) as ell as the u i3ue ( fard% ),i di iduated sophianit$ , the fāṭ im%$a, that o !elestially des!e ds u'o them as a result a d soatta!hes itself he !eforth as the 'erma e t mar# ( luna), its esti/ial si/ ature or si/ ( 1alāma);

%e!ause this is the eli iri! reality o a!tualized, hi!h is the ʿ a$n al#fu’ād (the >ye or

4 telli/e !e of the -eart) actuated (o fu’ād , see our ote %elo ).

-a i / u 'a!#ed a%o e hat the i er thrust of the e 'li!itly al!hemi!al se!tio of our treatise ismea t to !o ey, let us o ma#e a fe more 'erti e t !omme ts a%out the s!ie !e of the letters( ʿ ilm al#ḥur'f ) itself a d its relatio to the Art. 4 his ;u&adimma the fourtee th !e tury Muslim

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so!iolo/ist a d historio/ra'her 4% Ohald says of it:

Let it %e # o to youJthat the s!ie !e of letters is a im'orta t s!ie !e. 6he s!holar ho # o s it !omes to # o thi /s that he ould ot %e a%le to # o ith the hel' of a y other s!ie !e i the orld. 6he 'ra!ti!e of the s!ie !e of (letter ma/i!) re3uires!ertai !o ditio s. ith its hel', the s!holar may dis!o er the se!rets of !reatio a dthe i er or#i /s of ature. 6hus, he lear s the t o results of 'hiloso'hy, hi!h areletter ma/i! a d its sister (al!hemy). 6he eil of the u # o is lifted for him. -ethus lear s the se!ret re!esses of the heartJ

More re!e tly tha 4% Ohald , i he Science of the Letters =e W *uW o 'oi/ a tly ma#esthe !o e!tio %et ee the =ed Sul'hur ( al#kibr%t al#aḥmar ), the s!ie !e of the letters a d itsassimilatio to the ars operativa /e erally s'ea#i /. -e !o !ludes his essay %y o%ser i /:

4 fa!t, these t o s!ie !es Ui.e. the s!ie !e of letters a d al!hemyV, he u derstoodi de'th, are i reality o e a d the same; a d that hi!h %oth of them e 'ress u der

ery differe t a''eara !es is othi / more tha the ery 'ro!ess of i itiatio itself hi!h, moreo er, ri/orously re'rodu!es the !osmo/o i! 'ro!ess, i asmu!h as thetotal realisatio of the 'ossi%ilities of a %ei / is e!essarily %rou/ht a%out %y 'assi /throu/h the same 'hases as that of u i ersal > iste !e ( ibid54

-ere *uW o has hi/hli/hted the esse tial fa! ility of this s!ie !e9s a''li!atio i the 'ra!ti!e of thearcana , es'e!ially he im'lyi / ho it mirrors (e e @fa!ilitates9) the ste's o the ladder of the

soul9s as!e t throu/h the le els of Bei /. 6he Bā% restates the issue e e more e 'li!itly, a d o a'ra!ti!al le el e e e 7oi s the 'ra!ti!e of the s!ie !e of letters u'o all his %elie ers as a!or ersto e of the Bayā ī !reed, ma#i / it o e of the e oteri! 'illars of the e Bayā ī shar% ʿ a< or more 're!isely, aḥkām (ordi a !es). 4 the se!tio # o as @ the tablet re ardin the letters9(lawḥ#i#ḥur'fāt ) of the late Book of the (ive )rades , i mu!h more au/me ted fashio , the Bā%e!hoes the last 'art of *uW o 9s 'oi t, as ell as deli eati / the /reater Bayā ī meta'hysi!al'ers'e!ti e o it, stati /:

JAmo / the %ou ties that the ?rese !e of !ha /a%lea ess ( ḥaḍ rat#i#lam $a2al )Ui.e. *odV has %esto ed u'o the ?oi t of the Bayā is the # o led/e of all thi /s i asi /le Self ( nafs#i#wāhid ) so that he may %ehold /e erated e iste !e ( takw%n) ithithe orld of the letters ( ʿ ālam#i#ḥur'f ) ith the eye of !ertai ty ( ʿ a$n#i#$a&%n); a d

this is a 'erfe!t 'roof u to all 7ust li#e the ersi!al$si/ s ( ā$āt ); a d it asU!o !ealedV amo / the hidde treasuries ( makh2'n ) of the &i i e # o led/e ( ʿ ilm#

i#ilāh% ) that as ot re ealed u til o , for it is more treme dous ( a122 ) tha a y other # o led/e. All the UholyV Boo#s ill %e re ealed Ui the futureV, a d it is fromthis # o led/e that the Cause of I $our )od, who is 8ne )od ,K (Eur9ā 1 : ) hasUalreadyV %ee re ealed Ui the 'astV. 4 the Bayā the ma ifestatio s of ea!hlordshi' Usu%sistV u der the shado of this erse ithi the /ates of 'aradise a dli#e ise i this ma er ithi the fire, hi!h I over it is nineteenK (Eur9ā D : 0).

A d the Bayā has arise ithi the ords of e alted ess ( kalimāt#i#ʿ i22%$a) to su!h

a e te t that, *od illi /, ithi Uthe !y!le of theV Bayā UitselfV it Ui.e. the s!ie !e of the lettersV shall rea!h its mode of !om'letio a d utmost 'erfe!tio . 4 short, allthi /s ( kullu#sha$’ ) e er fall outside Uthe 'ur ie V of the t e ty$ei/ht letters Uof the

Ara%i! al'ha%etV, a d i this ma er the /e erated e iste !e of all thi /s isUli#e iseV e er outside Uof the 'ur ie V of the mea i / of these letters; a d the 6ruly =eal ( ḥa&&), /lorified %e -e a d -i/h, has assem%led these letters ithi ele e

de/rees of 4t9s # o led/e; a d from the 6alisma i!$6em'le ( ha$kal ) of the ?rimal ill ( mash%’$at#i#avval%$a), hi!h is the First -uma ( insān#i#awwal ), U4tV hasdetermi ed the out ard UformV of this 6alisma i!$6em'le to %e Uthe letterV hā’ ( )

a d its i terior to %e Uthe letterV wāw (<); a d it has fashio ed ei/htee 6alisma i!$

6em'les u der the shado of this 6alisma i!$6em'le ithi the o!ea of Udi i eVames; a d it !a ot %e!ome t e ty %e!ause the utmost limit of the Udi i eV ames is

the Udi i eV ame the Aid 4 o#ed ( musta hāth =2001 ); a d !o sider that i

the Uei/htee V 6alisma i!$6em'les this matter shall %e !o !lusi ely 'ro e ithi themost 'erfe!t frame or#. A d the diffusio of the re elatio of this # o led/e of the6alisma i!$6em'les is au/ht %ut for the sa#e of Uesta%lishi /V !o !lusi edemo stratio s for the *uides of the Bayā for Uthe sa#e of all ho areV other thathem Ui.e. the o $%elie ers, i.e. ʿ awwām , the /e eralityV ( $D, my tra s.) J

>arlier i the same the %oo#, dire!tly s'ea#i / to al!hemy, the Bā% states:

J6he s!ie !e of the >li ir is l i#e the !reatio of all thi /s Ui.e. the !osmo/e esisV. 4t isot 'ossi%le for it to ha e a %e/i i / or a e d, a d o o e may /ras ' the /rades

a d statio s of its limits other tha *od, for all ha e arise %y the !ause N !omma d(amr ) of *od erily ithi the Uthe a!me ofV the i terior reality of this Ual!hemi!alV

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s!ie !e is Ufou dV *od U ho is !o !ealedV ithi the Ui fi iteV eils of holi ess ( ḥu0ubal#&uds). A d he soe er a yo e from amo /st -is ser a ts hath !ome u'o thisUal!hemi!al s!ie !eV, it hath %ee %y the !omma d N !ause of *od that they e /a/e iit Ui.e. the ars operativa V (hum bi#amri’Llāhi $aʿ mal'n ) ( , my tra s.)

+o i our 'ie!e %elo the Bā% %e/i s his short dis!ourse %y offeri / a set of i stru!tio s to hisi terlo!utor that the 'ro'erly sets the sta/e for the ars operativa of the opus itself. hile somemay 'er!ei e the details of these t o 'ara/ra'hs as addressi / t o !om'letely se'ara te 3uestio s,i reality they are ot. All as'e!ts of the dis!ussio , from %e/i i / to e d, are i terli #ed ithi a

lar/er e us of !orres'o de !es %e!ause ea!h 'hase %uilds u'o the e t ithi the sta/es of thei itiati! 7our ey, all the ay to the fi al 'ali /e esis. -e says, I take at the head of ever$ ten the first letter and calculate it b$ the first element of (ire around the name of )od 1the 6onstrictor’>and in the second element of .ir around the name of )od 1the Livin ’> and in the third element of Water around the name of )od 1the evivifier’> and in the fourth element of *arth around thename of )od the 1 aker of Life9JK (1-4). 6hese four di i e ames a d their s'e!ifi!!orres'o de !es to the four eleme ts as detailed %y the Bā% (i.e. Fire, Air, ater a d >arth); these e fold di isio a d 'la!eme t of the t e ty$ei/ht letters a!!ordi / to the !orres'o di /eleme t; the !al!ulatio that follo s a d the meditatio that e sues as a result; determi es theo'erati e %ala !es ( mawa2%n) that the resol es the 're!ise astrolo/i!al e3uili%riums a d !osmi!sym'athies that the allo s the i terlo!utor &ua as'ira t his e !ou ter ith the *reat So erei/

A /el ( malak al#kab%r) ho ill re eal to him the !orre!t #eys to his al!hemi!a l as!e sio < iz.the talismanic#lunettes or ma/i!al !i'hers, the o!!ult 'e s ( a&lām). 6his i tur ill the /uide

his soul 'ast the su%lu ary realm, the fli/ht %eyo d the !osmi! !ry't, a d o er to the rie t of Li/ht ( mashri& al#n'r ), from the locus of hi!h he ill e t 7our ey to the &i i e 6hro e ( ʿ arsh )

here he ill %e (re$)u ited ith the >ter al 4mām ithi the a''er!e'tio of those isio ary to'o/ra'hies of the mundus ima inalis ( ʿ ālam al#mithāl ) laid out i the se!o d 'ara/ra'h.

-ere, ith the di i e assista !e issui / from the >ter al 4mām, he ill /o %eyo d the 6hro e itself a d there%y %e!ome a ihilated ithi the reality of the *reatest +ame ( ism al#aʿ 2am) that ill

!o stri!t his %ei / ( &abḍ ) ithi 4tself throu/h the %ur i / Celestial Fire hi!h ill the o'e himu', a d so u ite him further, ith the aystatio s ( manā2il ) of the /reater multi ersal e 'a ses of Bei / < i.e. the ?rimal ill. 4 this situs he ill %ehold the theo'ha y of the e iste tial Si ā9īrefle!ted to him from the ipseital statio s of the > ! lusi e e ess ( aḥad%$a) herei the retortaof his sol (animus) is 7oi ed ith < that is, falls i to 'la!e u'o the rim of $ the alem%i! of his luna(anima ). 6he fruit of the Si iati! 6ree that ill emer/e from this i itial con0unctio ithi himself <the fruit of hi!h he ill o eat < ill re eal to him i that limit the %ifur!ated a imatio of themystery of the &i i e ?o er ( active, i.e. male R sol R sulfur) ithi that of the &i i e?redomi atio ( passive, i.e. female R luna R salt).

As the realizatio of this mystery is made to fall i to its situs; that is, %e!ome fully ma ifested intohim; the Most *reat Crimso il emer/es from the Celestial Si iati! Fire; hi!h is the a''eara !e(ba$ān) of the >ter al 4mām9s 'ro imate immi e !e ithi the horizo s of his self as the S'ea#er(nāṭ i&) ithi him; at hi!h 'oi t our as'ira t %e!omes the ery si/ of *od I throu hout all theworlds accordin to its Uor @his9Vcapacit$K (21); amely, he has thorou/hly a o#e to therealizatio of the 4mām$of$his$%ei /, the -iero$4 telli/e !e ( 1a&l ), his o di i e mystery, thatthe e !om'asses se e earths a d se e hea e s ithi him; mea i /, he is o thetra sfi/urated 6heo'ha i! Li/ht ( n'r muta0all% ) of the >ter al 4mām ithi the loci of his ose e meta'hysi!al su%tleties ( mashā ʿ ir) %e!ause the >ter al 4mām is o e i him o si !e he

has o further ide tity a y more other tha the >ter al 4mām9s; as he has s um a!ross the o!eaof the !orrosi e aters, stri''i / all esti/es of his 'artial e/o i the 'ro!ess, a d o er to its othershores there%y e ti /uishi / the lam' ( sirā0 ) of his separative (solve) ide tity, hi!h has s iftly 'assed a ay i its illusory su%strates, for the emer/e !e of that hi!h is faster tha the t i #li /of a eye, vi25 the alread$#alwa$s arise &a of the 4mām$of$his$%ei / ( coa ula). So he theBā% later states, I Wherefore have we concealed from revealin this secret from the a2e of all those lookin upon the penetrative metaph$sical subtlet$ of diver ent contrarinessK (23 ), he isim'li!itly i di!ati / this theoso'hi! isomor'hism < i.e. the tra7e! toral de'th that is the e'i'ha i!setti / 'la!eme t ( maw&i1 ) $ hi!h i forms, the , the !ulmi atio of this 'ali /e eti! 'ro!ess,vi2 . the ta’aluh (i.e. theosis), that o e %ut the realized ade'ts, the theoso'hi! sa/es (i.e. mu’min%nR ḥak%m muti’alih), !a fully !om'rehe d, let alo e !ommu i!ate, herefore the /azes of the/e erality are !o !ealed from %eholdi / it.

T H E M S S . , L O C AT I N G T H E P I E C E A N D S E M I - C R I T I C A LT R A N S L AT I O N

6he first of the t o MSS. of our treatise %elo as o%tai ed from amo /st s!a s #i dly /i e to us %y the e%master of Baya i!.!om i 00D. 6he !olle!tio the 'rese t or# !ame from as sim'ly listed as Book 3 a d !o tai ed forty$four short, i de'e de t treatises a d res'o ses to 3ueries

%y the Bā%. 6he 'a'er of the MS. a''ears to %e i a li/ht /ree ith, i total, 1G folio 'a/es (1 0'a/es of a! tual s!a ) ith %et ee ei/htee to i etee li es 'er 'a/e. ur 'ie!e as the

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t e ty$ i th i the !olle!tio a d o!!urs i full o '. G1 of our s !a (folio 181$8 of the MS.) 6heMS. !o tai s o !olo'ho or a y other ide tifiers as to 'ro e a !e or the ide tity of the s!ri%e a dits date of !om'letio . e ha e desi/ ated this MS. as B!".B3 . e ote that a %ul# of the items!o tai ed i B!".B3 !a a lso %e fou d i other ersio s ithi the assorted 4+BA (4ra ia+atio al Bahā9ī Ar!hi es) !olle! tio s.

6he se!o d MS. as o%tai ed for us i early A'ril 011 %y the e%master of the &i/ital !!ultMa us!ri'ts Li%rary from material the re!e tly made 'u%li! %y the &i/ital Li%rary of 4ra a dmar#ed as MS. 1 8. e ha e desi/ ated this !olle!tio as DLI 1244 . ri/i ally from theli%rary of o e Bā/hir 6ara3ī (a d !atalo/ued as X 8), DLI 1244 seems to ha e made its ay at

some 'oi t from this !olle!tio i to the !olle!tio of the 4ra ia +atio al Ma7lis Li%rary $ a d asthe dis'layi / stam' o the fro t$'ie!e demo strates $ sometime duri / the ?ahla ī era(1G $1GDG C>) here it as !atalo/ued as 85D N 1 1G1. hat a ''ears to %e some #i d of ide tifier for the s!ri%e (%ut ot a ame) a ''ears u der eath the ta%le of !o te ts ( fihrist ), %ut itis !om'letely ille/i%le to us i the s!a a d so e !a ot 'ro'erly ma#e it out. 6his !om'ilatio!o tai s fourtee or#s of the Bā% rou/hly !o eri / the 'eriod u' to the 'oi t i 18 D 7ust %eforehe made his !laim to -ā’im%$a a d i !ludes the ery rare isitatio 'rayer ( 2%$āra) for Fā ṭima thatu til o as thou/ht to e ist i o ly a si /le MS. ('er Sources, GG). 6he s!ri%e does ot furtheride tify him or herself o a y 'a/e of either its erso or re!to, or does he N she 'ro ide the datefor their tra s!ri'tio ; %ut they ere !ertai ly a Bā%ī of some des!ri'tio /i e the /e eralem'loyme t of laudatory 'raises (i.e. ṣalawāt , 'e ed i red i #) at the ery o'e i / of a um%erof the items he referri / to the Bā% as I-is -oli ess the =emem%ra !e, u'o him %e 'ea!eK(ḥaḍ rat al#dhikr ʿ ali$hi al#salām). 6he ?df of this MS. is 'a/es i le /th < a d /i e this, it is

diffi!ult to as!ertai here the a!tual folios of the !o te t %e/i , so e ill here !ite the 'a/eum%ers as 'er the ?df (its fro t a d %a!# %i di / ha e also %ee i !luded i the s!a as 'art of a

si /le file) $ ith its ta%le of !o te ts o!!urri / as of '. 8 immediately follo ed o the e t 'a/e %y the Bā%9sṢ aḥ%fa .ʿ māl al#Sana’ (6he >'istle of the derta#i /s duri / the Hear) ith the te t of

the hole MS. e di / at '. 0. F iftee li es 'er 'a/e, the %e edi!tio of our 'ie!e %e/i s at the %ottom of '. ith the 'ie!e itself !o eri / all of ''. $ 5 a d e di / o the se!o d li e of '. . 6hat said, the a''eara !e of this MS. !om'ilatio (that i ester a!ademi! 'ri t, atleast, as alto/ether u # o ) is a ery im'orta t fi d for Bā%ī studies, a d to/ether ith some of the other MSS. e ha e /e erously %ee /i e %y the 4ra ia Bayā ī !ommu ity o er the 'astde!ade, !halle /es a fe (if ot more) of Ma!>oi 9s fi di /s i Sources that o re3uire someu'date a d re isio .

ly o e other MS. of this s'e!ifi! 'ie!e is 'rese tly # o to us, that %ei / 4+BMC D(4 ter atio al Bahā9ī Ma us!ri't Colle!tio s), 0 $ (see Sources ibid5) e ha e either 'erused

or had a!!ess to this s'e!ifi! MS. ?er this MS. Ste'he Lam%de 'ro ides a 'artial tra slatio of the se!o d half of the 'ie!e < vi2 . our se!o d 'ara/ra'h, ith some ariatio s a d the a''are to!!urre !e of a e tra !lause i his tra slated te t that does ot a''ear to o!!ur i either o e of ours. e ha e follo ed Lam%de 9s tra slatio !losely i this se!o d 'ara/ra'h a d a/ree ithsome of his ordi / %ut ot ith ma y others. All of this has %ee i di!ated i the otes. eshould me tio that there is a mu!h lo /er dis!ourse %y the Bā% o /ematria a d al!hemy thate 'a ds u'o some of the themes 'rese ted i our 'ie!e %elo . Based o the MSS. 4+BMC G1:

0$ a d 4+BMC D: 8$ $ either o e hi!h e ha e had a!!ess to $ Lam%de 'ro ides ai !om'lete > /lish tra slatio of it o his e%site. 6here is also, of !ourse, the dis!ussio s of /ematria a d al!hemy i the Persian Ba$ān a d the Book of the (ive )rades (es'. $5 ) $s i''ets of hi!h e ha e 3uoted a%o e $ that re'rese ts the Bā%9s la test a d most systemati!thou/hts o the su%7e!t.

6he !ir!umsta !es for the !om'ositio of our 'rese t 'ie!e %elo are ot suffi!ie tly # o . But %ased o some 'eri'heral e ide !e e may %e a%le to !o 7e!ture as to rou/hly hat timeli eduri / the Bā%9s mi istry it may ha e %ee !om'osed. the a aila%le e ide !e, the ide tity of itsre!i'ie t is early im'ossi%le to determi e. 6hat stated, the list 'ro ided %y Ma!>oi i Sources(1G0) re/ardi / the !o te ts of 4+BMC D 'la!es our 'ie!e as the fifth item i %et ee a 'ie!e %y the Bā% deali / ith the ḥa00 a d o e addressi / a !ertai Shay#h Ḥassa re/ardi / e e ts i 4rā3that simulta eously 'ro ides i stru!tio s to the Letters of the Li i / to 'ro!eed to Oar%alā (iorder to assem%le for the 'ossi%le khur'0 T) 6hese are res'e!ti ely the items #$%& a d #%$& listedi that !olle!tio that a''ear to mai ly i !lude or#s from the 18 $18 5 'eriod of the ḥa00

7our ey a d the retur to 4ra (late summer 18 $May N 2u e 18 5). '. 1 of our MS. DLI1244 $ that is, three items %efore our o 'ie!e, as 'er the s!ri%e $ e ha e a res'o se to a3uestio 'ut %y o e Mu ḥammad 4%rāhim to the Bā%. 6he item immediately 're!edi / ours,ho e er, is the Bā%9s ell # o early tra!t o the # o led/e of the u see ( ʿ ilm al# ha$b),

hi!h is other ise a !omme tary o a famous ḥad%th %y 4mām 2aʿ far al$Ṣādi3 o the su%7e!t.

So, for o , this ould elimi ate the aforeme tio ed Mu ḥammad 4%rāhim as its tar/et re!i'ie t.Ma!>oi lo!ates this last !omme tary o the ḥad%th %y 2aʿ far as %ei / o e !o tem'ora eous ith

the -a$$'m al#.smā’ ( Sources, ''. 5D$8); that is, May$2u e N 2uly 18 . H'(' immediately follo i / our o 'ie!e o '. of ?LI @A C is to %e fou d a 'rayer that !o !ludes o '. 8.

erall it is ot a''are t to us hat, if a y, method the s!ri%e has em'loyed i !o stru!ti / a

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!hro olo/i!al timeli e of these or#s i his !om'ilatio so that o e may %e / lea ed from it. Hetmost of the ide tified or#s of this !om'ilatio a''ear to !ome from mostly that 18 $5 'eriod.

B!".B3 !o fou ds further 'ossi%le attem'ts at 're!ise lo!atio . 4t 'l a!es our 'ie!e as these e tee th item amo /st a /rou' of t e ty$four that the s!ri%e has mar#ed as %ei / res'o ses toa 'resuma%ly !hro olo/i!al list of 3uestio s. 6he first of these items (%e/i i / at folio 1 ) is theBā%9s !omme tary o ʿ Alī9s reiteratio of the &el'hi! ma im. 6he item immediately 're!edi /

ours (a d mar#ed the si tee th 3uestio , %e/i i / at folio 1D8) !omme !es %y addressi /3uestio s of health, si!# ess a d ritual 'urity ( ṭ āḥara ) %efore 'ro!eedi / i to a a!rosti! 'rayer.4 this last item the s!ri%e a ''ears to ha e !o de sed se eral shorter 'ie!es i to o e. Lam%de

'ro ides a te t of the a!rosti! 'rayer (%ut ithout ide tifyi / his MS.) to/ether ith a i !om'lete> /lish tra slatio o his e%site. 6he item follo i / ours i this !olle!tio is a ery short 'ie!e!o sisti / of a si /le 'ara/ ra'h addressi / theodi!y a d si!# ess (folio 18 $ ). As me tio ed, ouro 'ie!e o!!urs o folios 181$ .

6hese issues stated, e s'e!ulate that our 'ie!e is /e erally lo!ated i the 18 5$ 'eriod fromeither duri / the ḥa00 7our ey or immediately thereafter, %ut %efore the Bā%9s fli/ht from Shīrāz to4sfahā (late summer 18 5$Se'tem%er 18 ). til further !o !lusi e e ide !e !omes to li/ht, for

o e te tati ely %ase this dati /, first, o the orderi / of 4+BMC D, hi!h deals ith or#sfrom that /e eral 'eriod of the Bā%9s mi istry; a d, se!o d, that the orderi / follo ed %y DLI1244 9s s!ri%e has 'la!ed this or# alo /side o e of the Bā%9s earliest, ot to me tio the fa!tthat the ma7ority of the or#s i this !om'ilatio are s'e!ifi!al ly from that 'eriod. e illem'hasize this 'oi t, ho e er, that this ide tifi!atio is te tati e, at %est, if ot alto/ethersu'erfi!ial, %e!ause the /e eral state of 'arate tual disarray here Bā%ī MSS. timeli es are!o !er ed is su!h that it ofte !o futes ma y attem'ts 'rese tly at lo!ati / these 're!isely, letalo e !o !lusi ely ide tifyi / their re!i'ie ts; that is, u less a! tual auto/ra'hs should a ''earsomeday that 're!isely date them. e ho'e this situatio ill !ha /e i !omi / years a d thereare ho'eful i di!atio s at 'rese t that it mi/ht.

e ha e di ided this semi$!riti!al tra slatio i to um%ered 'assa/es, %rea#i / it do i toe a!tly t e ty$ei/ht i total, %asi / our 'assa /i / u'o the te t of B!".B3 . here this o!!urs,the um%eri / i di!ates the %e/i i / of ea!h 'assa/e. Ara%i! tra sliteratio s ha e %ee 'la!edi side rou d %ra!#ets (), as ell as italici2ed , ith i sertio s of eeded ordi / 'la!ed i sides3uare %ra!#ets UV. All tra sliteratio s of di i e ames a d attri%utes from Ara%i!, Lati ords or

eolo/isms ha e %ee italici2ed . 6he foot otes i di!ate the aria t readi /s from the MSS. a doffer /losses.

T E ) T

4 the +ame of *od the Com'assio ate, the Mer!iful

As for the 3uestio re/ardi / the s!ie !e of letters ( ʿ ilm al#hur'f ): ta#e at the head

of e ery te the first letter *2+ a d !al!ulate it %y the first eleme t of Fire ( nār )arou d the ame of *od @ the 6onstrictor 9 (al#&ābi ḍ ); a d i the se!o d eleme t of Air(hawā’ ) arou d the ame of *od @ the Livin 9 (al#ḥa$$); a d i the third eleme t of

ater ( mā’ ) arou d the ame of *od @ the evivifier9 (al#muḥa$$i ); a d i the fourtheleme t of >arth ( turāb ) *4+arou d the ame of *od the @ aker of Life9 (al#mum%t ).6he multi'ly the te letters from the first to the fourth a d from the third to * + these!o d. 6he dedu!t se e a d e aluate %y se e . After ards ye ill o%ser e from thet e ty$ i e Ulu arV ma sio s ( manā2il ), !omme surate ith the s!ie !e ( ʿ ilm) of

their astrolo/i!al houses ( al#nu0'm), a!!ordi / to the letter of Fire, the aluatio of

* + Fire; a d Air, the aluatio of Air; a d ater, the aluatio of ater; a d >arth,the aluatio of >arth. 6his is the 'oi t of # o led/e a d its #ey that you ill emer/efrom to ards the 'ath of the strai/ht li e ( khaṭṭ ) of that /ate. *1 + 6here ye illfi d the *reat USo erei/ V A /el ( malak al#kab%r), for that is the talisma i!resolutio that is Ufou dV i the %oo#s of the Christia s the li#e ess of hi!h as otfou d u til o amo /st the talismanic#lunettesUi.e.a&lām, the o!!ult 'e sV. So'rote!t it ith a utmost 'rote!tio ; a d if *12+ a result does ot follo , do ot %edismayed or !o sider this to %e a set%a!#, for erily i deed *od ill re eal fromthis UfailureV the UtrueVtalismanic#lunette a!!ordi / to the %oo#. A d either is therehumidity ( rutab ) or aridity ( $ābis) other tha hat has %ee *14+ re!orded i that

As for the 3uestio re/ardi / the >li ir ( iks%r): u dersta d that *od has ot

!reated a ythi / ithout also fashio i / ithi it a letter of the >li ir i a!!orda !e ith its statio ( ma&ām). As for its hidde realities ( ha&ā’i&): *1 + 7our ey ith meu to the &i i e 6hro e ( ʿ arsh ) u til thou hast /o e %eyo d it ith the Udi i eV

assista !e ou!hsafed u to thee Ua dV u til ye ha e it essed the Fire of that Most*reat +ame of *od ( ism allāh al#akbar), letti / it flare u' ith a %laze

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(ashta ʿ alhu) %y the re di / of the *1 + eil (kashf al#hi0āb) of the i mostsubtilised heart#flu7 ( fu’ād ). 6he 'la!e the retorta (al#&arʿ ) u'o the rim of the

alem%i! ( amb%&) a d ta#e from the fruit of the 6ree emer/i / from the Mou tSi ā9i of the > ! lusi e e ess ( ṭ 'r al#s%nā’ al#aḥad ) u to the limit of the U&i i eV?o er ( al#&adr) ithi the *2 + mystery of the U&i i eV ?redomi atio(al#mu&tadir), a d allo it to fall i to its 'la!e ( aw ṣiluhā ilā maḥalihā). 6here Uithat locusV you shall fi d the Most *reat Crimo il ( duhn al#aḥmar al#akbar )Uemer/eV from this USi iati!V Fire ( al#nār) more s iftly tha the t i #li / of a eye(a&rab min lamḥ al#ba ṣar ). 4 that situs, *22+ to ards *od ( ilā allāh), you are the

ery si/ of *od ( ā$at allāh ) a d li#e ise throu/hout all the orlds a!!ordi / to its!a'a!ity ( bi#ḥasbihi ); that is, u til the !ulmi atio of the matter ( al#amr) u to Uthelimit ofV the mi eral orld ( ʿ ālam al#0amād ). U hereforeV ha e e !o !ealed from

re eali / ( khifnā min al#a ẓ hār ) Uthis se!retV from the /aze of all those!o tem'lati / ( lil#nā ẓ ir%n) u'o the 'e etrati e Umeta'hysi!alV su%tlety of di er/e t !o trari ess ( mash ʿ ar al#aḍ dād ), *24+ a d ha e esta%lished it there,

i that leaf ( wara&a), the se!ret of the t o U!osmi!V li es ( ṣaṭ ra$n ) !o tai ed ithithe t o mysteries Uof de'thV ( sirra$n ) that 'er!ha !e someo e may a''rehe dit; a d suffi!ie t is *od %y the ?roof as it ess to the truth ( kaf%$a bi#Llāhi bi#l#hu00atiʿ ali#l#ḥa&& shah%dan). A d if you truly !om'rehe d Uthis affairV, *2 +

you ill %e a%le to u derta#e the Art of the >li ir ( sana ʿ al#iks%r) a d i that locustruly /ras' the reality of the matter ( ḥa&%&at al#amr). A d this is Ua issueV

ell$# o i the 'rese !e of o e hom *od has made to it ess the !reatio of

*2 + -ea e a d earth, a d the !reatio of -is Lo os#Self , for o 'o er a d ostre /th is there sa e i *od, the Soari /ly -i/h, the Mi/hty *lorified %e *oda%o e hat is attri%uted to -im, a d 'raised %e *od, the Lord of all the orlds

M S . B A . B 3

MS. Bay.B 8

M S . D L I 1 2 4 4

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MS. Bay.B 8

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[For a 'o'ular treatme t of the Imām#of#ones#bein, see ?eter Lam%or ilso 9s ScandalD *ssa$s in Islamic <eres$ (Broo#ly : Auto omedia, 1G88). e !autio our reader from ta#i / thisdo!tri e i the u fi essed ay it has %ee 'rese ted i some 'o'ular sour!es lately as !o !lusi e.For !om'arati e 'ur'oses, the o ly o $Shī ʿ i a d o $4slami! sour!e that may e umerate this

!ore esoteri! tea!hi / of the 4māms < ith some o'a! ities o the Shī ʿ i side still eedi / to %e

u 'a!#ed $ may %e !o sidered to %e the ?oima dres of the Cor'us -ermeti!um.[ ↩

[6he do!tri e as tau/ht i the 4māmī akhbār !or'us %e/ i i / ith the famous o'e i / ḥād%th of al#ʿ a&l wa al#0ahl i Oulay ī9s @ Book of the <iero#Intelli ence and i norance9 ( "itāb al# ʿ .&l waal#3ahl ) of his al#"āf% ; see es'e!ially as ell Mohammad Ali Amir$Moezzi9s he ?ivine )uide in *arl$ Shi ʿ ismD he Sources of *sotericism in Islam tra s. &a id Strei/ht (Al%a y: 6he State

i ersity of +e Hor# ?ress, 1GG ) !h'. 1, es'. $1 a d passim.[ ↩

[6he title of the 'ie!e deri es from its si tee th 'assa/e (see %elo ).[ ↩.

[ e refer to the sour!es listed i of our 're ious arti!le.[ ↩5.

[6his date is %ased o the 1st of Mu ḥarram 1 A- (G !to%er 18 0 C>) dati / of the Bā%9s %irthday held %y the Bayā īs as the o e !orre!t rather tha the 1st of Mu ḥarram 1 5 A- ( 0

!to%er 181G) !ited %y the Bahā9īs, see >.*. Bro e . raveller’s /arrative Written to Illustratethe *pisode of the Bāb (Cam%rid/e: Cam%rid/e i ersity ?ress, 18G1), olume , +ote C:

1$ .[↩

[4 !ludi / emembrance (dhikr), the Proof of )od (ḥu00at’ullāh), the Primal Point (nu&ṭ at al#'lā ) a d the Supreme Lord (rabb al#a ʿ lā), to ame a fe .[ ↩

[-e !laimed this title, o its i itial le el, %e!ause his /i e ame ʿ Alī Muḥammad !o tai s a total

of se e letters i Ara%i! (i.e. 5 / = / that i (? < ي its ab0ad umeri!al alue as 0 is

e3ui ale t to rabb (lord). e of the lesser # o reaso s hy the Bā% used this title i its s'e!ifi!'hrasi / to de ote himself is %e!ause it i di!ates the se e i de'e de t si/ils of the !all i/ram of

the *reatest +ame ( ism al#aʿ ẓ am), amely: . 6his sym%ol

!o stitutes the su'reme o!!ult$ma/i!al ! i'her i the 4slami! esoteri! traditio a d is %elie ed toha e %ee ori/i ally tra smitted %y the first 4mām ʿ Alī, see *eor/es A a ati Le nom suprGme dedieu ( Ism .llāh al#. ʿ 2am) i .tti del III 6on resso di Studi .rabi e Islamici (=a ello 1$

f 18 9/11/2013 10:43 PM

Se'tem%er 1G ) 1G D: D$58. For e am'le, the 'hrasi / dhāt ḥur'f al#saba ʿ a !a itself %e fou d

i refere !e to these se e si/ils i ma y 4slami! o!!ult ma uals of r' ḥān% hite ma/i! (i.e. theliterature of the ʿ ul'm har%ba Nʿ ul'm khaf%$a) that dis!uss it at le /th, es'e!ially i al$B ī,

%e!ause the follo i / se e Ara%i! letters are i di!ated as re'rese ti / it: A B C D E @ ف(%ei / that they are those se e letters that do ot a''ear i al#fāti ḥa, the first !ha'ter of theEur9ā ).[ ↩

[6he Bā%ī re!#o i / of the !omme !eme t of the 4slami! era %e/i s as of the @ call 9 of Muḥammad(bithʿ at ), that is, from his first e !ou ter ith the Ar!ha /el *a%riel o Mou t Ḥirā a d the

=e elatio of the first surāh of the Eur9ā ( al#ʿ ala&, @the 6lot 9, i.e. the G th !ha'ter), a d ot from

the !omme !eme t of the hi0r% !ale dar, hi!h is te years su%se3ue t to that e e t.[ ↩

[6he Bayā , i tur , is to %e a%ro/ated (or fulfilled ) after this 'eriod i the Bā%ī messia i! fi/ure <e whom )od shall make ;anifest (man $u ẓ hiruhu’Llāh) i a !y!le of 'ro/ressi ely e dlesstheo'ha olo/i!al ma ifestatio s that, 'er the Bā%9s o el /loss o the !o !e't of the @ resurrection 9(&%$āma), ill e er a!tually !ease, i.e. e dless &%$āmāt . -o e er, des'ite the !laim of the Bahā9īs'ut for ard o %ehalf of their fou der Bahā’ullāh, i the do!tri e of the Bā% himself thei terre/ um 'eriod %et ee these @ma ifestatio s9 ( ẓ uh'rāt ) < /lossed as dawr al#la$l (the !y!leof i/ht) < is to last for this a''ro imately le /thy 'eriod of %et ee 1511 to 001 years, a d thete ts are 3uite e 'li!it o this 'oi t. For e am'le, i ity , *ate 1D of the Persian Ba$ān, theBā% states, I4f -e hom *od shall ma#e Ma ifest a''ears i the um%er h%$āth UR 1511V a d alle ter therei , o e shall remai i the fire Uof re7e!tio V. 4f it tarr ies till Uthe um%erV musta hāthUR 001V, a ll shall e ter therei , a d o e shall remai i the fire Uof re7e!tio V, as all shal l %etra sfi/urated i to his Li/ht R,K (my tra s.); a d ity , *ate 15, I+o e # o eth the time of thema ifestatio other tha *od. he soe er it shall ta#e 'la!e, all must testify to its truth a d /i etha #s u to *od, althou/h %y -is /ra! ious %ou ty it is ho'ed that -e ill a''ear till the time of musta hāth UR 001V herei the ord of *od may %e ele ated. A d the ?roof is the si/ , for -is

ery %ei / 'ro es -im, hilst -e !a ot %e # o %y hat is %e eath -is ra #. *lory %e to *oda%o e hat is attri%uted to -imK (my tra s.) *i e this, the Bahā9ī !laim that the Bā% had'redi!ted the !omi / of the Bā%ī messia i! fi/ure i the 'erso of their fou der a d i the year

i e of the Bayā ī !y!le (!orres'o di / to 18 N i the 'ro'er yearly re!#o i / %e/i i / asof Mar!h 1850 or 185 N %y the re!#o i / of the years of the ma ifestatio from 18 ) is ot

%or e out %y a si /le te t, a d es'e!ially ot i the Ara%i! Bayā here they !laim this o!!urs as'er the !ry'ti! 'hrase I after a whileK (ba ʿ da ḥ%n) hose ab0ad umeri!al alue is 1 redu!i / i

its 0afr to G. 6hat sa id, duri / the !y!le of this i terre/ um %et ee ma ifestatio s i umera%ledi i e mirrors a d /uides are to arise /uidi / the faithful (or @i itiates9) %et ee the t o 'eriods.6o 3uote Ma!>oi , IJfor our u dersta di / of su%se3ue t e e tsJthe hierar!hi!al system of ImirrorsK ( mirʾāt ), I/lassesK ( bul'ri$$āt ), I/uidesK( adillāʾ), a d I it essesK ( shuhadā ʾ)de elo'ed %y the Bā% i his later riti /s Uis of 'a ramou t im'orta !eV. 6his is ot, i the stri!tse se, a or/a ized system of hierar!hi!al /rades si !e the terms i ol ed are, to a lar/e de/ree,mutually i ter!ha /ea%le a d im're!isely used i the te ts. +e ertheless, hierar!hy is !ertai ly i ol ed i the !o !e't, a d there are i di!atio s that defi ite roles ere e isa/ed for i di idualse er!isi / the fu !tio s asso!iated ith the titles. 4 this res'e!t, Bā%ī do!tri e offers a !lear!o ti uatio of the Shi ʿ i theory of < u00i$$a, hi!h is e te ded, ot o ly to the 'ro'het a d the

4māms or their e3ui ale ts, %ut to other /rades of a loose hierar!hy as ell,K !f. he ;essiah of Shira2 (Leide : >.2. Brill, 00G), .[ ↩

[See Shahrzad Bashir9s (a2lallah .starabadi and the <urufis ( ford: e orld ?u%li!atio s,00G).[ ↩

[Cf. ruth and /arrativeD he ntimel$ hou hts of ʿ .$n’ul#-u ḍ āt .l#<amadān% (=i!hmo d

Surrey: Curzo ?ress, 1GGG), 5.[ ↩

[For the massi e !o tro ersy this or# made o its diffusio %y the Bā%ī emissary i 4rā3 a d itsre!e'tio %y %oth reli/ious !ir!les a d ttoma se!ular authorities, see Moo7a Mome 9s I he

rial of ;ulla ʿ .li BastamiD . 6ombined Sunni#Shi ʿ i (atwa a ainst the Bāb ,K i 3ournal of the British Institute of Persian Studies, 1G8 , 0: 11 $ ; ==, 0$ 8.[ ↩

[See &. Ma!>oi 9s e try i *Ir (!ited i our 're ious 'ie!e).[ ↩1 .

[6his is %e!ause ei/htee is the ab0ad umeri!al alue of ḥa$$ (li i /, ali e). 6hey ere li#e isereferred to as the ṣābi&'n (the 're!eders), hi!h is a term ta#e dire!tly from 6 el er Shī ʿ i

es!hatolo/i!al refere !es.[ ↩

[6he full 'leroma of All$6hi /s ( kullu#sha$’ ) !o sists of 1 i total (1G 1G). 6he um%er 1Gitself is !o sidered the most sa!red um%er i Bā%ism; it is the fu dame tal u it ela%orati / the?ersia Bayā as ell as the Bayā ī !ale dar of 1G mo ths a d 1G days. 6he ords wāḥid (o e,u ity) a d wu0'd (%ei /, e iste !e) !orres'o d to it i ab0ad umerolo/y. Amo / the reaso s hy this um%er is held sa!red is %e!ause the bismillāh %e edi!tio !o tai s 're!isely i etee lettersi total a d so the First ity is held here to %e the i sta tiated 'erso ifi!atio s of these letters

ho are the held to re'rese t the !o !ourse of the theo'ha i! 'erso s of the Fourtee 4 falli%les(i.e. Mu ḥammad, Fā ṭima a d the 6 el e 4māms) to/ether ith the four /ates (or, inter alia , the

f 18 9/11/2013 10:43 PM

four Ar!ha /els of the 6hro e D Isfrā’%l N =a'hael, ;%kā’%l N Mi!hael, I2rā’%l N Azrael a d 3ibrā’%l N*a%riel) a d the ?rimal ill ( mash%’ā al#'lā) ho has /e erated the 're!edi / a d ho isre'rese ted %y the letter bā’ (F) a d its 'oi t ( nu&ṭ a); see ?ersia Ba$ān, ity 1, a d also A%%as

Ama at esurrection and enewal , (4tha!a: Cor ell i ersity ?ress, 1G8G; re'ri ted, Los A /eles: Oalimat ?ress, 005),188$G ; see as ell -e ry Cor%i 9s I he Science of the Balanceand 6orrespondences between Worlds in Islamic )nosis accordin to the work of Ḥ a$dar .muli,Cth = @ th centur$,K i emple and 6ontemplation (Lo do : =outled/e Z Oe/a ?aul, 1G8 ),55$1 1.[ ↩

[See Ma!>oi 9s e try i *Ir (!ited i our 're ious 'ie!e).[ ↩1D.

[See Ma!>oi 9s I he rial of the BābD Shi ʿ ite 8rthodo7$ confronts its mirror ima e K i he ;essiah of Shirā2, 0G$50.[ ↩

[See our 're ious arti!le. -ere e ould li#e to ma#e a !orre!tio to o e of the !itatio s i theotes of our 're ious 'ie!e. 4 e said that S.M. +a%a i$=aza i =oha i9s ār%kh#i#(ir&i#

i#Bāb%’i dar Ba hdād a2 @A C tā @ACF ( 'u%lished dissertatio : 6ehrā , 01 ) as a MA thesisfrom 6ehrā i ersity. 4t is i fa!t f rom Shahīd Bihishtī i ersity a d ot 6ehrā

i ersity.[ ↩

[6he hole first 'art of Ama at9s esurrection and enewal , ''. $105, ser es as a i stru!ti e'rimer i that re/ard.[ ↩

[4 Sources for *arl$ Babi ?octrine and <istor$D . Surve$ (Leide : >.2. Brill, 1GG ), he !eforth Sources.[ ↩

[6he %est i trodu!tio o the su%7e!t rema i s Mohammad Ali Amir$Moezzi9she ?ivine )uide in *arl$ Shi ʿ ismD he Sources of *sotericism in Islam; see as ell 6odd La so 9s I he ?awnin

Places of the Li hts of 6ertaint$ in the ?ivine Secrets 6onnected with the 6ommander of the (aithful b$ a0ab Bursi ,K i he Le ac$ of ;edieval Persian Sufism ed. Leo ard Le isoh(Lo do : Oha i3ah$i$+imatullahi ?u%li!atio s, 1GG ; re$'ri ted ford: e orld ?u%li!atio s,1GGG), 1$ D .[↩

[For the Shay#hī s!hool, see -e ry Cor%i 9s <istor$ of Islamic Philosoph$ (Lo do a d +e Hor#: Oe/a ?aul 4 ter atio al a d the 4 stitute of 4smā ʿ īlī Studies, 1GG ), 5 $ , a d *n islamiranien .spect spirituels et philosophi&uesD ome IH L’ cole d’Ispahan, L’ cole sha$khie, Le ?ou2Jeme ImKm (?aris: *allimard, 1GD ), 05$ 00; a d %elo .[ ↩

[See Mu ḥammad i% Ma ḥm d &ihdār Shīrāzī9s Sharḥ#i#"huṭ ba al#Ba$ān, .d., .'.; see alsoCor%i 9s a'ro'os remar#s re/ardi / al$2alda#ī, the Sermon of the *7position a d the e3ui ale !y of al!hemy ith ḥikma (theoso'hi!al isdom) i <istor$ of Islamic Philosoph$, 1$ .[↩

[6he other %ei / the Sermon Between the wo )ulfs (khuṭ ba al#ṭ atan0%$$a).[ ↩5.

[See -e ry Cor%i .lchimie comme art hi+rati&ue, ed. ?ierre Lory (?aris: L9-er e, 1G8 ), 1;$ D.[↩

[See a%o e.[ ↩D.

[4 itself !o sidered a di i e %ou ty ( ni ʿ ma) rather tha a!3uired throu/h 'erso al effort or

a!3uisitio ( kasb).[ ↩

[ e ote the follo i / khabar from 2a ʿ far re!orded i Oulay ī9s al#"āf% : I*od has 'la!ed t o

#i ds of authority o er huma s. 6he a''are t a d ma ifest ( ẓ āhir ) authority a d the i ter al a dhidde ( bāṭ in) authority. 6he 'ro'hets a d messe /ers are the a ''are t a d ma ifest authorities,a d -iero$4 telli/e !e U ʿ a&l R ousV is the hidde ( bāṭ in) a d i ter al authority,K - 1 , Ch. 1.[ ↩

[ e famous ḥad%th i Ma7lisī9s Bi ḥār al#.nwār (6he !ea s of the Li/hts) is oted for!hara!terizi / ʿ Alī %y the a''ellatio ر ' ا < G'- ا HI J (the master of 'aradise a d the

fire), see htt':NNshia%oo#.%lo/fa.!omN'ost$G.as' (a!!essed A'ril 011).[ ↩

[Cor%i : l’Imam comme ma2har est bien la limite K partir de la&uelle prennent naissance lescouples de termes antith+ti&ues (6here is o dou%t, the 4mam as di i e ma ifestatio , is the limitat hi!h the arious 'airs of a titheti!al terms are %or , tra s. 6odd La so ), !f. 6oincidentia8ppositorum in the -a$$um al#.smaD the terms MPointN Onu&ta4, MPoleN O&utb4, M6enterN Omarka24 and the "hutba al# atan0i$a !!asio al ?a'ers i Shay#hi, Ba%i a d Baha9i Studies,-$Bahai: ol.5, +o.1, 2a uary, 001.[ ↩

[ Soon shall we show them 8ur si ns in the hori2ons Of%’l#āfā&4 and in themselves Owa f% anfusihim4 until it become manifest O$ataba$$ana4 to them that, veril$, it is the eal ruthOal#ḥa&&4, my tra s.[ ↩

[My tra s. +ote the !o !e't of the Watcher (s) ( %r%n) i the Boo# of &a iel as a !i'her i di!ati /*od9s a /els as I at!hfulK or I i/ila t se ti els,K htt':NN .a%u. %.!aNCoursesN+e 6estame tN-e%re sNA /els.htm (retrei ed A'ril 011); for a Ara%i! te t of the Sermo Bet ee the6 o *ulfs, see A''e di 44 of La so 9s 'a'er a%o e.[ ↩

[Cf. Ṣaffār al$Eummī, Basā’ir al#?ara0āt (Beirut: .d.), 1 :5G.[ ↩.

f 18 9/11/2013 10:43 PM

[4.e. the first theo'ha i! se3ue !e of the ḥad%th al#ḥa&%&a.[ ↩5.

[See our 5 i the 're ious arti!le.[ ↩.

[For a /e eral dis!ussio of this 'oi t i its early Bā%ī tra7e!tory, see 6odd La so , I he Structure of *7istence in the Bāb’s afsir and the Perfect ;an ;otif ,K Studia Iranica , 1GG :81$GG.[↩

[+ote the sym%olism of the 6ree ( sha0ara) < 'arti!ularly the 6ree of =eality ( sha0arat’ul#ḥa&%&a)$ as o e i di!ati e of the embodified ( ot @em%odied9) 6heo'ha y &ua the >ter al 4mām i the

riti /s of the Bā%. 4 the !o te t of 4slami!$Bā%ī esoteri!ism a d / osis, embodiment R ḥul'l (i !ar atio ) hereas embodification R ta0all% N ẓ uh'r (theo'ha y N ma ifestatio ).[ ↩

6he e t t o 'ara/ra'hs is our o summarized 'ara'hrase of #ey se!tio s of the Bā%9s!omme tary o the s'rah of the Co (al$Ba3ara), his first e te si e or# 'rior to his de!lara tioi 18 , hi!h e hold as the edifi!e of his e tire meta'hysi!al system. For the te t of this!omme tary, see, htt':NN .h$ et.or/N\%ahaiNare'ri tN%a%NS$PNtaf%a3N%a3arah.htm(a!!essed 1 Mar!h 011). ↩

[4t should %e oted that amo / the titles for the 4māms is the men of the <ei hts (ri0āl al#aʿ rāf ) here%y this hole surāh , a d this erse s'e!ifi!ally a d the su%se3ue t, is said to refer to them.4 his !omme tary o the !alli/ram of the *reatest +ame, Siyyid Oā ẓim =ashtī (d. 18 N T)a''lies this title to the 4māms hilst !orres'o di / ea!h of the si/ils of the *reatest +ame to themas ell. For a te t of Siyyid Oā ẓim =ashtī9s !omme tary, see htt':NN .s!ri%d.!omNdo!N5 G5 1 N=ashti$Sharh$4sm$Allah$al$A$zam (a!!essed A'ril 011) ( e are /rateful to?rofessor La so for ma#i / the MS. of this im'orta t or# a aila%le to us).[ ↩

[6he 4mām ho is the a ima, soul or Self ( nafs) of o e9s %ei / i the reality of di i e affirmatio %ut ot i the e/atio ( lā ilāha) that is the e/oi!, !o !u'is!e t self or the mere e/oi!self$i di iduatio ( hi!h is still ot the s'iritual i di iduatio of the Self).[ ↩

[6he Bā%9s o !omme tary o this famous ḥad%th i sta !es this 'oi t e 'li!itly.[ ↩.

[*uW o : IJi sofar as it is a @se!o d %irth9, i itiatio is fu dame tally othi / other tha the@a!tualizatio 9 i the huma %ei / of the ery 'ri !i'le hi!h, i u i ersal ma ifestatio , a''earsas the eternal .vatara JK Perspectives on Initiation (-illsdale: So'hia ?ere is, 001), GG.[ ↩

[?er the mea i / of the fi al theo'ha i! se3ue !e of the ḥad%th al $ha&%&a.[ ↩.

+ote the !o !e't of the Mazdea farr N Y ar ah (the li/ht of /lory), es'. as outli ed %y -e ry Cor%i i Spiritual Bod$ and 6elestial *arthD (rom ;a2daean Iran to Shi’ite Iran , tra s. +a !y ?earso , (?ri !eto : Bolli /e Series YC4, ?ri !eto i ersity ?ress, 1GDD), $50. ↩

[A'art from hat is stated %elo , e should 'oi t out that e erythi / that a!!rues i thedefi itio of ʿ a$n al#&alb (eye of the heart) i Sufi /lossaries is a''li!a%le to fu’ād a d more so i

its Shay#hī$Bā%ī de otatio . 6his is es'e!ially em'hasized /i e that its em'loyme t i Eur9ā5 :11 s'e!ifi!ally follo s, a d is 7u ta'osed, %y @ isio 9, amely, the ?ro'het9s o . *i e this, e

ill say that fu’ād , the 4 telli/e !e of the -eart, the -iero$4 telli/e !e a d the 4mām$of$o e9s$%ei / are sy o ymous a d thorou/hly i ter!ha /ea%le terms.[ ↩

[6ra s. Fra z =ose thal, !h'. : ?df ersio ( .'., .d.), 81.[ ↩D.

[4 (undamental S$mbolsD he niversal Lan ua e of Sacred Science ed. Z !om'. Mi!hel alsa , tra s. Al i Moore 2 r., re i. Marti Li /s ( ford: Eui ta >sse tia, 1GG5), $ 8.[ ↩

[I But strive in the "nowled e of the Letters, and 6on0unctions of the /umbers of )od’s /ames,and 6on0unctions of like words, and 6on0unctions of like Writin s in their proper place> for Permission hath been accorded for each person to arran e the order of the Ba$ān in such wise

as appeareth sweetest> for thou h it appear after a thousand fashions, $et do all return to the Soul of the Ba$ān,K ity , *ate 1 , tra s. >.*. Bro e i Summar$ of the Persian Ba$an in Selections from the Writin s of *5)5 Browne on the Babi and Baha’i eli ions, ed. Moo7aMome ( ford: *eor/e =o ald, 1G8D), 1 .[ ↩

[As Ma!>oi has !orre!tly /lossed, these are the ele e de/rees !orres'o di / to the sum of theletters a d that i و sta !es h'w%$a. here he has erred, is i /lossi / h'w%$a as @e iste !e9(wu0'd ) ithout further !omme tary si !e h'w%$a re'rese ts the mystery of the di i e ipseit$that is strictu sensu e!essarily %eyo d wu0'd i Bā%ī meta'hysi!s, hi!h 'ro'erly %elo /s to therealm of the ?rimal ill. hat the Bā% has i di!ated here, hi!h is immediately made a''are ti the follo i / !lause, is that these ele e de/rees re'rese ti / the ipseit$ are the mirrors to the?rimal ill ho re'rese ts the ipseit$. 4 other ords, the ?rimal ill, as the ema atedi sta tiatio of the ipseit$, mirror9s it < ot that it is it. 6he lar/er ema atio ist s!heme here isa''are t. Ma!>oi 9s error is %oth sema ti! a d i atte tio to the su%tleties a d !ate/oriesi formi / the lar/er meta'hysi!s here.[ ↩

[ hom i the la /ua/e of 4māmī esoteri!ism re'rese t the o $i itiates.[ ↩51.

[6his is our o tra slatio that Ma!>oi 'artially 'ro ides i his I /ineteen 6entur$ Babi alismans,N Studia Islamica, 1 N i, (1G85): 8 ; o i he ;essiah of Shira2 , 5 $ .[ ↩

f 18 9/11/2013 10:43 PM

6hat is, Cf. itual’s in Babism and Bahaism(Lo do a d +e Hor#: 4.B 6auris ?u%lishers a d the Ce tre of Middle >aster Studies,

i ersity of Cam%rid/e, 1GG ), A''e di 444, 101. 4 this form a%o e < the i de'e de t forms'ro!eedi / horizo tally from to' far$ri/ht to %ottom far$left $ they are held %y the Bā% to %e thetelesmati! i sta tiatio s of ea!h of the i etee letters of the bismillāh.↩

[ ther ise # o as the laṭ ’if .[ ↩5 .

[S'e!ifi!ally olumes 0, 5 a d G. For these olumes, see, htt':NN .h$ et.or/N\%ahaiNi deNal%a%.htm (a!!essed 18 A'ril 011).[ ↩

[6he hole of this ?df !a %e fou d o S!ri%d, at, htt':NN .s!ri%d.!omNdo!N5 G0G0DNAssorted$>arly$ or#s$of$the$Ba% (a!!essed 10 A'ril 011).[ ↩

[ hi!h e are 'rese tly i the 'ro!ess of 're'ari / a tra slatio from our MS.[ ↩5D.

6his 'artial tra slatio first a''eared as I .lchemical )nosis in Bāb%#Bahā’% ScriptureD . Paper first read at a post# raduate seminar niv5 of /ewcastle upon $neK ( O), 1G8 , a d !a o %efou d o his e%site, at, htt':NN .hur3alya.' '.%lueyo der.!o.u#NBA-A] D$ALLA-N6B$?-4L S ?->=] DS] 0S6 +>.htm (a!!essed A'ril 011). ↩

htt':NN .hur3alya.' '.%lueyo der.!o.u#N0 $6->] 0BABNO- 6BAS] 0BABN01$Ohut%a] 0] 0ilm] 0al$huruf.htm (a!!essed A'ril 011).[ ↩

[For details of the Bā%ī khur'0 (mille aria i surre!tio ) i the 4rā3ī Shīʿ

ite holy la d that e er

tra s'ired, see esurrection and enewalD he ;akin of the Babi ;ovement in Iran, @C #EF,1G $D; 1 ; $5.[↩

[6his is the famous ḥad%th al#0arr%$a arrated %y Ṣadīr hi!h !a %e fou d i Oulay ī, ol. 1(6ehra , 1 G N 1GD $D ), G5$G . A!!ordi / to Sources ('. 58) o ly Isi sur i i / ma us!ri'tsKremai of the Bā%9s !omme tary o this ḥad%th. Both of our MSS. !o tai a !o'y of it, o i !reasi / this um%er to ei/ht. More are sure to follo , if they ha e 9t %ee already si !eMa!>oi first rote.[ ↩

htt':NN .hur3alya.' '.%lueyo der.!o.u#N0 $6->] 0BABN'ost] 018NAC= S64C] 0?=AH>=$BAB.7'/ (te t) (a!!essed 0 A'ril 011).htt':NN .hur3alya.' '.%lueyo der.!o.u#N0 $6->] 0BABN'ost] 018NAC= S64C] 0?=AH>=$BAB.htm (tra slatio ) (a!!essed 0 A'ril 011). ↩

6he o'e i / %e edi!tio , the bismillāh, does ot o!!ur i B!".B3 %ut is i !luded i DLI 1244(?df '. fi al li e, that is, the %ottom of the 'a/e 're!edi / the s!a of the 'a/e dis'layedhere). B!".B3 sim'ly has I the seventeenth &uestionK( * ا < K " ا ا< L" ا ) .↩

[6 o s!ri%es i t o se'arate MSS. ha e %. * ا < G : + ا a d this is !ertai ly ote orthy

si !e the Bā% a''ears to %e ei/hi / i o a lo /sta di / de%ate amo / Muslim o!!ultists a d othe side of the t elfth !e tury 6u isia 'olymath of the arcana , Shay#h A ḥmad al$B ī ho'ro'osed (that is, if the %e !o sidered the t e ty$ i th letter of the Ara%i! al'ha%et, or t e ty$ei/hth he e made the t% ي e ty$ i th) the um%er of lu ar ma sio s to %e t e ty$ i e, see Shams al#;a’ārif al#"'brā (the *reat Su of * oses) (Beirut: ;u’assasah al#/'r lil#;a ṭ b' ʿ āt ,1 0 N 1GGG), 10. 6his is usually ot the !ase ith some ota%le o!!ult a d astrolo/i!al te ts fromthe 4slami! east, a d either is it the 'ositio of ?seudo$Ma7rītī either i the Picatri7 ( hā$at al#ḥak%m).[ ↩

4 DLI 1244 %ut ot i B!".B3 . e has M( +"2 ا NOا 8(6: hile the other has

M( +"2 ا 8(6: (the strai/ht 'ath). ↩

[ r @)reat Soverei n = "in 9 (malik al#kab%r). -o e er, e 'refer readi / malak rather thamālik sim'ly %e!ause all su!h o'eratio s i the ma uals of 4slami! hite ma/i! ( r' ḥān%$a), as

ell as i 4slami! al!hemy ( al#k%m%$ā), usually i ol e a e !ou ter ith a A /el or s'irit/uardia ( muwwakil ) of some ra # or des!ri'tio duri / the a!tual !ourse of a o'eratio . f !ourse it /oes ithout sayi / that i this /e eral 'ers'e!ti e ea!h malak (a /el) is ofte alsore/arded a malik (so erei/ #i /) i its o s'e!ifi! domai ithi the /reater hierar!hy of itso admi isteri / ra # a d statio . ithout ishi / to !ite !o'ious refere !es here from arioussour!es o a /elolo/y (4slami! or other ise), e refer the /e eral reader to Cor%i 9s mostillumi ati / dis!ussio of this su%7e!t < a d is!ussio o a /elolo/y that i our o'i io has ot

%ee su'erseded $ i the se!o d !ha'ter of .vicenna and the Hisionar$ ecital (?ri !eto :?ri !eto i ersity ?ress, Bolli /e Series LY 4, 1G 8; re'ri ted 1G88), $1 .[ ↩

[ DLI 1244 %P < QR3 4 . B!".B3 o ly has QR3 .[ ↩D.

[ DLI 1244 has ا ر +" ith a S rather tha ith a as i ط B!".B3 . e disa/ree ith DLI1244 9s 'hrasi / here.[ ↩

[ DLI 1244 7 Qا T . B!".B3 7 Qا .[ ↩G.

f 18 9/11/2013 10:43 PM

[ r @e iste tial ra #9.[ ↩D0.

[ DLI 1244 has this s'e!ifi! 'hrasi /. B!".B3 sim'ly has ا 6 M:ا (the Most *reat

+ame). e ha e 'referred this o e %e!ause Lam%de i di!ates it 'er INBMC 0. e ote this is 7ust a other ay of sayi / the *reatest +ame. See a%o e.[ ↩

Lam%de 9s tra slatio has this li e of the 'assa/e as I to remove the coverin (al#ḥā’ib).K +eithero e of our t o MSS. has this. 4 stead %oth ha e F -3 ا U* (to re d N the re di / of the eil).

Si !e e do ot ha e a!!ess to the te t of 4+BMC D e !a ot !om'are the dis'ar ity here; %ut theide ti!al 'hrasi / of this li e i %oth of our t o MSS. should %e oted for a y future !om'ariso sa d i esta%lishi / a y fi al !riti!al te ts of the ori/i al Ara%i! %e!ause this !ha /es %oth itsthrust a d its su%tle mea i /. ↩

[ (u’ād is a te!h i!al term i the le i!o of Shay#hī (a d %y e te stio , Bā%ī) thou/ht re'lete ithsi/ ifi!a !e de oti / a mea i / %eyo d 7ust a mere sy o ym for @ heart 9 (&alb). 4dris Sama iḤamid9s 3uite i si/htful re deri / of fu’ād as @heart#flu7 9 4 ha e 3ualified further as @ subtilised heart#flu7’ , see he ;etaph$sics and 6osmolo $ of Process .ccordin to Sha$kh . ḥmad al#. ḥsā’% (Buffalo: ?h.&. dissertatio , State i ersity of +e Hor# at Buffalo, 1GG8), here he

otes, IJ fu’ād is more s'e!ialized tha the heart itself, a dJ a notion of motion or flu7 is fundamental to its meanin (my italics)J ith Shay#h A ḥmad al$A ḥsā9ī fu’ād is more s'e!ializedtha the &alb,K 101. 6herefore, i its Shay#hī<Bā%ī de otatio %oth these terms (@ &alb9 a d @ fu’ād 9)!arry far more multifa!eted a d e 'a ded im'li!atio s tha usually assumed o first /la !e orother ise /lea ed from the defi itio s 'ro ided i Sufi te!h i!al ha d%oo#s. Shay#h A ḥmadal$A ḥsā9ī (d. 18 ), for i sta !e, a''ears to ma#e the o erall meta'hysi!al fu !tio of fu’ād

simulta eously !osmolo/i!al as ell as o tolo/i!al tur i / fu’ād i to the a imati / fu !tio of @bein = e7istence9 (wu0'd ) itself. 4 the ery First %ser atio of his (awā’id al# Ḥ ikm%$a( Subtilised <eart#(lu7ual 8bservations of Wisdom) he states outri/ht that fu’ād is @bein = e7istence9 (a d as ḤamQd 'oi ts out, he is s'ea#i / of wu0'd i its o $delimited a d u i ersalse se), DD. 6o it, I he 9subtilised: heart#flu7 is the hi hest of all of 9humanit$’s: loci of co nition5 It is the li ht of 9)od: which <e 9the Prophet: Oupon whom be peace4 mentioned in hisdictumD 1Beware of the penetration of the faithful> for 9he = she: contemplates throu h the li ht of )od’5 It is e7istence because e7istence is the hi hest orientation of 9humanit$:, that is, 9its: direction in orientation is to 9its: Lord, because e7istence does not contemplate itself at all but rather 9it contemplates: its Lord> 0ust as essence does not contemplate its Lord at all but rather 9it contemplates: itself K Usli/htly modified tra slatio from -amid9sV. 6he s!ri'tural root of this ord as a te!h i!al term, of !ourse, ori/i ates ith Eur9ā 5 :11 ( al#na0m, @he Star9), i.e. ItheUsubtilised Vheart U$flu Vhath not lied re ardin what it hath seen,K hi!h refers to the ?ro'het9s

o!tur al as!e sio ( mi’rā0 ) a d his %eholdi / of the &i i e Fa!e at IJ two bow#len ths ornearer K (&āba &awsa$ni aw adnā) (5 :G). 4 li/ht of this, e shall offer our s!hematizatio of thehierar!hy of the su%tle 'hysiolo/y of the heart i Shay#hism a d i Bā%ism as follo s (as!e di /):1. &alb (heart) 2. bāṭ in (i terior), 3. suwa$dā’ (!ore), 4. ḥabbat (#er el), 5. sirr (se!ret) a d . fu’ād (su%tilised heart$flu R e iste !e N %ei /). 6he le el of fu’ād is the le el at hi!h 'er thetraditio s of the 4māms e !a s'ea# of the @ <iero#Intelli ence9 (i.e. the 1a&l ). ur !omme ts hereshould also %e !o te tualized i li/ht of Shay#h A ḥmad al$A ḥsā9ī9s do!tri e of al!hemy, the dou%leokhTmU a d the 'hysiolo/y of the resurre!tio %ody as detailed i -e ry Cor%i 9s Spiritual Bod$and 6elestial *arthD (rom ;a2dean Iran to Shi’ite Iran , 180$ 1; this, si !e if the su%tle'hysiolo/y as detailed %y Shay#h A ḥmad al$A ḥsā9ī %e di ided i to a %asi! ter ary s!heme (a dfurther au/me ted) as 0ism, 0asad a d r' ḥ e may the !orres'o d &alb to 0ism 1, bāṭ in to 0ism 2,suwa$dā’ to 0asad 1, ḥabbat to 0asad 2, sirr to r' ḥ 1 a d fu’ād to r' ḥ 2. See Moezzi, passim, a des'e!ially Basā’ir al#?ara0āt (the &e/rees of the A''er!e'tio s) for the s'e!ial te!h i!al mea i /of r' ḥ i the esoteri! tea!hi /s of the 4māms. 4 the Persian Ba$ān :5 the %asi! 3uater ary s!heme of the su%tle %ody la id out %y the Bā% (i des!e di / order) is fu’ād (su%tilised heart$flu ),r' ḥ (s'irit), nafs (soul) a d 0ism (%ody). 6his should demo strate that, li#e Shay#h A ḥmad, theBā% l i#e ise !o sidered the fu’ād to %e the hi/hest or/a of 'er!e'tio .[ ↩

DLI 1244 has %('( ا (@the e$es9). *i e the !o te t, a d a''are tly as V(6$ ا also seems to

a''ear i 4+BMC D as ell, e hold B!".B3 as the !orre!t ordi / here. ↩

DLI 1244 ر د ا Iد ا 9W'(" ا ر X (the ;ount Sina’i of the *7clusive 8neness of the ?ivine Power = ?estin$ ). e do 9t # o hether or ot the s!ri%e has misread I (u to to

the limit) for Iد ا (the > ! lusi e e ess). +e ertheless e ha e #e't its 'hrasi / u' to Iد ا

a d !om%i ed it ith B!".B3 9s I (u to to the limit), readi / the li e as B!".B3 has it

from there o ards. ↩

[ r @ ?estin$ 9.[ ↩D .

[?er INBMC 0 (a!!ordi / to Lam%de ), hi!h has al#&adVr fV sirr al#&adr, Lam%de hasre dered this 'art of the 'assa/e as IJ the ?ivine Power in 9the midmost heart: of the ?ivine ?estin$ 9Power: .K Both of our . ha e ر +د 2 ا : ر د ا .[ ↩

[ r @ pour9.[ ↩D8.

DLI 1244 has misread alto/ether a (oil) 5ه% d %y dro''i / the 5 has ritte i i stead .toDG@) ه%

f 18 9/11/2013 10:43 PM

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weep9 or @si h9). As 'er Lam%de , INBMC 0 has .5ه% DLI 1244 9s 'hrasi / here does ot

ma#e se se, i a y !ase. ↩

[ ur re deri / for Y ].ه' ↩80.

[ DLI 1244 has 7 Z$ا (@thou art )od 9).B!". B3 has 7 G.[ Z$ا hi!h also seems to a''ear

i INBMC 0. e ha e re'hrased the se3ue !e of the li e of the 'assa/e from the ori/i al heresome hat. Lam%de has I In that place $ou are the ver$ Msi n of )odN both before )od and towards )od .K e do 9t e!essarily disa/ree ith his readi /. -o e er, u less there is additio al

ordi / i INBMC 0 hi!h is 9t i ours, ا 7 (@to = towards )od 9) sim'ly mea s 7ust that a d

this 're!ise 'hrasi /, ithout a y additio al ordi /, o!!urs i %oth of our .[ ↩

[> e @cause9or @command 9. +amely, the 8pus .[ ↩8 .

[ r @ presentin 9.[ ↩8 .

[ r @mark 9 as Lam%de has it.[ ↩8 .

[Lam%de has this li e of the 'assa/e as, I Wherefore have We concealed from the vision of suchas a2e towards that which bears the marks of contrariness JK[ ↩

B!". B3 has it as Y +2د ا . DLI 1244 has it as a%o e. Lam%de has it as, I have laid it down Rthere,K hi!h te ds to su''ort the same readi / as i DLI 1244 hi!h is Sد\+ ا .↩

[?er Lam%de .[ ↩8D.

[-ere Lam%de i !ludes a li e that does ot o!!ur i either o e of our t o . 6o it, I hushath <e tau ht s 9the eli7orial m$steries: JK[ ↩

[+amely, the B^% himself.[ ↩8G.

[ DLI 1244 has the !o 7u !tio < (@and 9) after ] # (suffi!ie t is *od). B!". B3 does

ot.[ ↩

[> e @realit$ of the cause#command 9.[ ↩G1.

[A te!h i!al term re'lete throu/hout the riti /s of the Bā% (a d o e ith some 4smā ʿ īlī

!o otatio s as ell) is nafs allāh . Literally this de otes the self , or e e anima , of *od. Ste'heLam%de has !o siste tly tra slated this term as Lo os#Self a d e fully !o !ur ith his 3uite

%eautiful re deri /. 4 the theo'ha olo/y of the Bā% this term de otes the di i e @ messen er# prophet 9 (ras'l Nnab% ), vice erent#providential uide (wal% ) a d le atee (wa ṣ% ) as thema ifestatio of the ?rimal ill ( mash%’a al#'lā). >lse here i the u i erse of 4slami! / osis this

ould %e !lassified as the i ersal 4 telle!t ( ʿ a&l kull ) or Pen (&alam). A !orollary to this term i

the Bā%9s di!tio is point (nu&ṭ a).[ ↩

[ B!". B3 does ot ha e M(P ا (the Mi/hty). Both MSS. ha e 'la!ed a shadda o er the > of

ا (the -i/h), i.e. ا , there%y i te sifyi / the te se.[ ↩

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