Name of Tablet in Arabic or Persian:
Lawh-i-Malláhu'l-Quds (Persian title)
Translation into English:
Yes, the Arabic half has been translated, but not the Persian (a provisional
translation of the Persian exists, but hasn't been published). An early
version of the authorized Arabic was first published in Star of the West
(vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 75-77) and more accessibly in Bahá'í Prayers.
Significance of Name:
Holy Mariner refers to Bahá'u'lláh
Tablet was revealed in:
One half was revealed in Persian, the other in Arabic. The frontispiece of
The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh vol. 1 is a photographic reproduction of
part of the Tablet.
Name of Recipient:
Primary recipients were those companions of Bahá'u'lláh gathered
together before His departure from Baghdad.
Reason for Revelation of the Tablet:
Seemingly, it was mostly to foretell of coming events and to teach of the
dangers of departing from the Covenant
Date of Revelation:
The fifth of Naw-Ruz in 1863, just before Bahá'u'lláh left Baghdad.
Place of Revelation:
A place named "Mazra'iy-i-Vashshash," in the outskirts of Baghdad.
Role of Amaneuensis or Secretary:
Wrote it as revealed and then recited it to the believers as commanded by
Bahá'u'lláh.
Other Tablets revealed at about the same time:
See appendix to Hatcher's book The Ocean of His Words, p. 380. Includes
Hur-i-Ujab, Az-Bagh-i-Ilahi, Subhána-Rabbiya'l-A'la, Lawh-i-Ghulamu'l-
Khuld, Lawh-i-Ayyub, Shikkar-Shikan.
Style, subject, and genre of the Tablet: [?]
Tone: I think it has somewhat both tones (of command/authority
and servitude/supplication), depending on who is speaking
at each place in the tablet.
Subject: Mystical Writings; Tablets dealing with subjects of learning and knowledge, divine philosophy, mysteries of creation, medicine, alchemy, etc.
Genre: Poem
Voice of Tablet: [?]
Bahá'u'lláh, the Maid of Heaven, and God speaking through Bahá'u'lláh.
Outline Contents of Tablet:
Contents include (the following taken from
Taherzadeh, Balyuzi, and Shoghi Effendi, and others):
1) To teach of the dangers of departing from the Covenant
2) To foretell of coming events
3) To show ways to protect oneself in the Covenant
4) More direct allusion to Bahá'u'lláh's station.
5) Allusion to the unfaithfulness of some of Bahá'u'lláh's followers, especially Mírzá Yahyá and Sayyed Muhammad-i-Isfahani.
6) Rejection of the Faith by the public at large
7) Coming times of difficulties, and the importance keeping faith
8) Sorrow in exile
9) Many other mystical meanings...
Principal themes of the Tablet:
"The theme of this Tablet is the story of the Covenant and man's
unfaithfulness to it." (Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vol.1, page 230)