Notes to Aqdas, Sentence #287
Notes from the Authorized Translation
145. turn your faces toward Him Whom God hath
purposed, Who hath branched from this Ancient
Root # 121
Baha'u'llah here alludes to Abdu'l-Baha as His Successor
and calls upon the believers to turn towards Him. In the
Book of the Covenant, His Will and Testament, Baha'u'llah
discloses the intention of this verse. He states: "The object of
this sacred verse is none other except the Most Mighty Branch."
The "Most Mighty Branch" is one of the titles conferred by
Baha'u'llah on Abdu'l-Baha. (See also notes 66 and 184.)
Earl Elder's Notes
2. Baha'u'llah here directs his followers to look to a son of his as their leader after his death. He
does not say here which Son. His purpose is explained in the Book of the Covenant
(Kitab-i-'ahd) which is found in Baha'i Scriptures, Brentano, 1923, pp. 259-
262. There Baha'u'llah refers to this passage in al-Kitab al-Aqdas and says that he is to
be succeeded by the Most Mighty Branch ('Abbas Effendi), who in turn will be succeeded by the
Most Great Branch (Muhammad 'Ali). These two sons were from different mothers. The
translator of Baha'i Scriptures mistakenly translates the two titles as the Greater and
the Greatest, whereas both terms have a superlative and equally great meaning [note 4] Abbas
Effendi, known as 'Abdul-Baha' succeeded his father.
Kitab-i-Aqdas Multilinear Translation table of contents
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