The word "Haykal" (Temple) in Arabic and Persian comes from a
Sumerian root. In Sumerian language it referred to temple (Place
of worship) or castle. In Arabic and Persian it has many meanings
and connotations in addition to the body or temple of a human
being, such as, the face of a human, a statute, tall building or
tree, corpulent animal or human being. It is also used as the
name of the place of religious sacrifice in the temples or
synagogue. In Persian it has also been used for a charm or a
refuge.
The word has a rich background in literature and religious texts
of all Semitic religions. In the Bábí period the Báb has revealed
a number of Súrah-ye Herziyyeh composed of names of God, numbers
and cryptographic symbols written in pentacle shape. Bábís were
carrying them on their body for protection purposes. The Báb had
written these charm-like protection prayers in the pentacle shape
for men and in circular shape for women. Therefore in the Bábí
period men were referred to as Awlel-Hayakil (Those having or
carrying the temples) and women were referred to as
Zavatu'l-Dava'ir (Those who are the essence of circles). These
Súrahs were referred to as Hayakil (pl.haykal). The Báb has also
revealed a Tablet, a book, for Dayyan, by the name of Hayakil
which is a commentary on the science of numerology. Bahá'u'lláh
has referred to this book in some of his Tablets and the
mysteries contained in it.
In the Bahá'í era: Bahá'u'lláh has revealed a charm-like prayer,
in pentacle form, for protection. It is called Du'a-ye Haykal
(Prayer of Haykal). Bahá'u'lláh in a special Tablet has given the
exact and rather elaborate instructions on how this prayer should
be copied, in what color and with what kind of ink, and how it
should be carried. The instruction even includes the amount of
the contribution that should be donated by the person who wants
to carry this prayer on himself.
Súrih-ye Haykal is one of the Tablets that was revealed in Akká
in 1869. Its original text in Arabic is 88 printed page and
contains the texts of a number of Tablets addresses to the Kings
and Rulers. It should not be mistaken by Lawh-i-Haykal which
contains a selection of extracts from the Tablets addressed to
the Kings and Rulers of the world and is written in pentacle form
at the instruction of Bahá'u'lláh . Someone had asked Bahá'u'lláh
about the addressee of Súrih-ye Haykal. In response, He has
stated that both the addresser and the addressee is His own self.
This point is also evident from certain statements in the
Súrih-ye Haykal. Another indication is in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas para
86: "O King of Berlin! Give ear unto the Voice calling from this
manifest Temple." Yet an extra indication that Haykal refers to
Bahá'u'lláh is in Hidden Words (Arabic): "The temple of being is
My Throne."
It should be also added that Bahá'ís in the East particularly in
Persia from the very early days were and still are using
"Hakal-i-Mobarak" (The Blessed Temple) when they refer to the
central figures of the Faith (the Báb, Bahá'u'lláh, 'Abu'l-Bahá
and Shoghi Effendi).
"Haykal" in the Writings have been used to allude to other things
as well. At the beginning of the Will and Testament of
'Abdu'l-Bahá, it refers to the Cause of God: " All praise to Him
Who, by the Shield of His Covenant, hath guarded the Temple of
His Cause." Bahá'u'lláh In the Tablet of Nasir refers to Mírzá
Yahyá as the Haykal-i-Nar (the Temple of Fire). Also in the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas, para 14, seating cross-legged in original Arabic
is seating in the form of Haykal-i-Tawhíd (Tabernacle of Unity).
back to Main Index: Wilmette Institute notes on the Tablets of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh
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