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N. WAHI D AZAL
. _.... _... ...
Siyyid Al Muammad Shrz, the Bb (d. 1850) (Courtesy of the Bay
!ommuity)
. . ...
. ..
.. .
.
Whosoever knows their Self, knows their Imm, who is their Lord! " Shay#h$B%
reiteratio of the &el'hi! ma(im (ours)
..
. .
. ... .
.. >..
, . . ,
:..
>
>. ..
I am the Philosophers Stone from which has ushed forth !welve Sprins! " Al
("huba al#Ba$n $ m$ trans.)
....
., . .
. ..,.. . . _, .
,. . . _.
>. .... .
> .
)e are, %y *od, the Most Beautiful +ames ,ithout ,hom *od does ot a!!e't ay
a!tio of -is ser.ats e(!e't throu/h 0ur /osis1 " 2afar al$di3 (!f. 4% B%5ya,
"%tb al#!aw%d, bb al#nawdir $ m$ trans.)
6he follo,i/ 'ie!e !ostitutes a !om'aio arti!le to our 're.ious oe 'u%lished i this 7oural.
4t is also a re.ised .ersio of a arti!le ,e meat to 'u%lish some,here i 8011 %ut istead
,ithdre, from its ori/ially 'laed .eue ad the self$'u%lished i its first, rou/h draft olie.
Besides mior !orre!tios ad some issues of 'roof$readi/, style, trasliteratio ad fi(ed
refere!es, there are .ery sli/ht differe!es of em'hases %et,ee this 'ie!e ad the earlier oe.
6hat said, other tha a fe, e!essary asides, the histori!al ad 'aradi/mati! disti!tios %et,ee
B%ism, the reli/io of the Bay, ad Bah9ism already !o.ered ,ill ot %e re'eated here. -ere
istead ,e ,ill %e dis!ussi/ the B%9s theoso'hi!al al!hemy, a 'ers'e!ti.e that may illumiate
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u'o a fe, themes !o.ered i the arti!le o u%$i$Azal.
6his theoso'hi!al al!hemy of the B%9s, ,e ,ould ar/ue, has as its fo!us the s'iritual 'erfe!tio of
the soul of the iitiated %elie.er ,ithi the meta'hysi!al reality of the 4mm: the 4mm ,ho
simultaeously a!ts as %oth the iitiati/ /uide of the initiated believer (mumin) ito the /reater
mysteries as ,ell as %ei/ the ultimate /oal of the opus itself. )e ,ill also se.eral times %e
tou!hi/ o the 3uestio of the Imm#of#ones#bein that is li#ed to this o.erall 3uestio,
offeri/ a some,hat more fiessed ad ua!ed iter'retatio of its uderlyi/ meai/ tha
,hat has %ee offered i re!et years %y some 'o'ular literature: a idea, althou/h e('li!itly
Alam5t 4sml i its !oia/e, is already latet ,ithi the esoteri! tea!hi/s of the 4mms of
6,el.er Shism ad later i the B%. )e hold that the su%7e!t of Shite al!hemy $ ad the
soteriolo/y uder/irdi/ it to/ether ,ith the esoteri! meta'hysi!s iformi/ that $ is ultimately
ise'ara%le from a ade3uate uderstadi/ of ,hat this ,hole idea e.e meas. )e also su//est
that this otio i o ,ay, sha'e or maer im'lies the trasformatio of the %ase, !o!u'is!et
e/o &ua the %ase, !o!u'is!et e/o ito the 4mm; or do em'ty de!laratios as to the attaimet
of its status ,ithout the re3uisite iitiatio ad the addedum s'iritual ,ayfari/ (sul'k) < the
a!tual e/a/emet i the al!hemi!al opus manum $ ma#e it so. =ather it etails the 'ro/ressi.e
stri''i/ ad erasure of the %ase, !o!u'is!et e/o ,herei the soul fially %e!omes the >teral
4mm9s 'erfe!t mirror ad 'la!e of re'ose. Additioally the otios of the 4mm$of$oes$%ei/
ad that of the -iero$4telli/e!e (a&l) < ad he!e the >teral 4mm < are ise'ara%le oes.
4 the meta'hysi!al di!tio of B%ism this is all referred to as the ?rimal )ill (mash%a al#'l).
6his ,ill %e oe of our /uidi/ motifs throu/hout this 'ie!e.
4 this 'reset arti!le here ,e ,ill, first, offer a s!hemati! %io/ra'hy of the B% himself. 6he ,e
,ill 'reset a !ommetary o the 'olar motif /uidi/ the ier itetio of our mai traslated
'ie!e (i.e. a %rief res'ose %y the B% o the ars operativa) to/ether ,ith some rele.at !ommets
re/ardi/ the 'la!e of ematria. 6his is follo,ed %y a e(e/esis o the sym%olism of the
al!hemi!al as!esio as it relates to our item to/ether ,ith some traslatios from the B%9s Book
of the (ive )rades ad the fial !ommetary o the !o!ludi/ itetio of the 'ie!e. After this
,e ,ill detail the t,o MSS. used i our semi$!riti!al traslatio ad offer some remar#s
attem'ti/ to lo!ate a timelie for the ,or# %efore su%mitti/ a aotated traslatio of the te(t
itself.
THE BB
Siyyid Al Muammad Shrz (%. 1880 < d. 1850); #o, to 'osterity as the Bb (@ate9 or
@threshold9), ad 'er his o, desi/atio (amo/ se.eral other titles) as the *ssence of the Seven
Letters (dht ur'f al#sabaa); ,as a 4raia s!io of the house of the ?ro'het of 4slam (i.e. a
@si$$id9) ,ho at the ri'e a/e of t,ety$four, i the middle of the ieteeth !etury, uleashed oe
of the most mometous (yet simultaeously most tra/i!) e'isodes i mo.emets !laimi/
!hiliasti! /osti! fulfilmet ad ree,al i the history of Shite 4slam si!e the +ir 4sm9l
4mm assa 44 al dhikrihi salm had li#e,ise uderta#e a similar missio i his &%$ma
'ro!lamatio at Alam5t i 11AB C>: e.ets of stri#i/ resem%la!e ad similarly meeti/ a tra/i!
ed, al%eit ot as itese, dramati! or ,ide ra/i/ i the si/ularity of their fier!ely .iolet
d+nouement as B%ism9s. &uri/ the si( year 'eriod of his miistry from May 8C 18BB i Shrz
to his e(e!utio for heresy i 6a%rz o 2uly 8 1850, the B% %e!ame for may thousads of his
follo,ers i 4r3 ad 4ra the fo!us of itese adoratio ad, at o!e, the literal mouth'ie!e of the
-idde 4mm of the A/e; the the 4mm of the A/e or the ,esurrector (al#&im) i 'erso; ad
fially a e, 6heo'hay or maifestatio of the &i.iity (mahar allh) i his o, ri/ht
'ro!laimi/ the alto/ether a%ro/atio of the (at the time 18D0 year) dis'esatioal aeon of 4slam
ad ,ith it the iau/uratio of the !y!le of the Bay (e('ositio). Seei/ himself i the same
theophanoloical lea/ue as (ad e.e /reater tha) the A%rahami! messe/er$la,/i.ers ,ho had
're!eded him $ su!h as A%raham, Moses, 2esus ad Muammad $ this Bayi! !y!le ,as deemed
%y him to last for a duratio of ay,here from %et,ee 1511 to 8001 years 7ust as the 4slami!
dis'esatio had itself lasted i this s!heme for 18D0 years.
&ramati!ally %e/ii/ his 'u%li! !areer as messiah$'ro'het o May 8C, 18BB, ,ith a
!ommetary (taf%r) o the t,elfth s'rh of the Eur9, #o, as the @best of stories9 (asan
al#&i, i.e. 2ose'h); amely, the -a$$'m al#.sm (the @Peerless9, @.risen9 or @Self#Subsistent
/ames9); he .erita%ly 'rodu!ed a e, Eur9 i his o, ri/ht !osisti/ of 're!isely 111 s'rhs,
!om'lete ,ith dis!oe!ted letters o'ei/ may of the !ha'ters ad all the !hara!teristi!
s!ri'tural refrais, turs of 'hraseolo/y, im'erious toe, /rammati!al aomalies, soorous
elli'ti!al am%i/uities, te(tual ad arrati.al 'arallelisms, ad /eerally aty'i!al li/uisti! stylisms
ty'i!al of the hi/h !lassi!al forms, di!tio ad e(e!utio of the Ara%i! of the ?ers'i!uous Boo#:
!laimed %y the Boo# itself (ad 'er the iimita%ility, i012 al#&urn, ar/umet) that oe !a
'rodu!e a si/le .erse the li#e thereof. +ot e.e the ur5f fouder Fal9ullh Astar%d9s (d.
1CGB) ?ersia 3vidn /mih#i#"ab%r (6he *reat Boo# of >terity) had dared rea!h su!h
harro,i/ly dizzyi/ hei/hts of o%le ad su%lime auda!ity; ad this, from a mere t,ety$four
year old mem%er of the mer!hat !lass ,ith o semiary or ad.a!ed s!holasti! reli/ious traii/
,hatsoe.er. Het the la!# of the author9s formal edu!atio ,as 're!isely 'art of the a''eal he ,as
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ma#i/ re/ardi/ his iate, uleared #o,led/e (ilm fir%) ad so e.ide!e that su!h
.ersi!al$si/s ($t) ,ere issui/ from the same ,ells'ri/ sour!es of is'iratio (or ,evelation)
as the Eur99s.
As su!h ,hat -amid &a%ashi says of the t,elfth !etury 4raia Sufi i!oo!last Ay9ul$Eut
-amad (d. 11C1) is e.e more true of the B%, that he %ro#e IJthe iterdi!tory motifs of his
iherited sa!red order to the su%.ersi.e 'oit 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 tede!ies, i 6,el.er
Shi9ite esoteri!ism ad /osis !o.er/ed ito a si/le point ad i !osummate (ay, dramati!)
dis'lay; ad so, therefore, e'itomized ad personified, i the B% himself. )ithi days after
!om'osi/ the iitial !ha'ters of the -a$$'m al#.sm o the 'rom'ti/ of his emiet /uest ad
.isitor, the seior Shay#h !leri! Mull usay Bushr59 (d. 18BG) (i.e. his first %elie.er, awwal
man mana, referred to thereafter as the @)ate of the )ate9, Bb al#Bb), si(tee other idi.iduals
i 'erso as ,ell soo 'aid their alle/ia!es to the B% as his first %elie.ers (,ith oe i a%setia,
totalli/ se.etee), thus !ostituti/ the Letters of the Li.i/ (ur'f al#a$$). ?er the
neoplatoni2in ra#i/ system of B%ism, the Letters of the Li.i/, to/ether ,ith the B% himself,
made u' the hierar!hy of the First Mity (al#wid al#awwal4 of All$6hi/s (kullu#sha$).
After the formatio of this iitial hierar!hy of the B% e!!lesia, i early Se'tem%er 18BB the B%
set out for the a00 'il/rima/e to Me!!a a!!om'aied %y the fial mem%er of it Mull Muammad
Al Brfur5sh -udd's (d. 18BG). 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.
=eturi/ to 4ra i MayN2ue 18B5, ad as the mo.emet ,as e('adi/ ,ith e('oetial s'eed;
ot to metio as the im'a!t of his iitial !laims ,ere ,rea#i/ some ha.o! amo/ Shi faithful
i 4r3 ad 4ra; he ,as arrested %y authorities i the 'ort !ity of Bushihr ad es!orted %y armed
/uard %a!# to Shraz ,here he ,as 'la!ed uder house arrest ad soo !om'elled to ma#e a
'u%li! retra!tio of his !laims. &uri/ this 'eriod of his house arrest i Shraz, thro/s of .isitors
flo!#ed to the !ity ad ,ritte !orres'ode!es %et,ee the B% ad .arious reli/ious fi/ures
!ir!ulated %a!# ad forth from all o.er the Shi !eters.
A !holera e'idemi! i Fars 'ro.i!e duri/ the moth of Se'tem%er 18BA !om'elled the B% to
ta#e fli/ht from Shraz to 4sfah ,here he foud %rief 'atroa/e uder its a/ei/ 'ro.i!ial
/o.eror Mau!hihr Oh Mutamid$&a,lih, the *eor/ia, ad ,here iitially he ,as, at first,
e.e fa.oura%ly re!ei.ed %y a fe, ota%le reli/ious di/itaries. 6here attem'ti/ to see# a
audie!e ,ith the E7r moar!h Muammad Shh (d. 18BG) i the !a'ital 6ehr; u'o the
death of Mau!hihr Oh i Fe%ruary 18BD, a fatwa !alli/ for the B%9s death %y the more
!oser.ati.e ulam of the !ity o''osed to his !laims for!ed him to flee 4sfah headi/ for the
!a'ital uder es!ort 'ro.ided %y its e, 'ro.i!ial /o.eror. 0 the outs#irts of 6ehr he ,as
iter!e'ted o the orders of the 'rime miister -77 Mrz A3s (d. 18BG), ,ho o, %e!ame the
B%9s !hief E7r eemy ad sym%oli!ally emer/ed for the B%s ,hat Mrashh (d. 1B08) had
%ee !eturies earlier to Fal9ullh Astar%d (d. 1CGB) ad the ur5fs < vi25 ati!hrist (da00l).
Feari/ the B%9s iflue!e o the im'ressioa%le moar!h should he eter the !a'ital ad o%tai
a audie!e, -77 Mrz A3s o, redire!ted him uder hea.ier es!ort to the orther to, of
M#5 o the Azer%ai7$=ussia %order ,here he ,as to remai from 2uly 18BD to May 18B8.
A''rehesi.e of the B%9s /ro,i/ iflue!e ad 'o'ularity, ad ,hat this meat for the Muslim
su%7e!ts of the em'ire9s %orders ,ith 4ra, the =ussia miister i 6ehr e(t demaded the
'rime miister relo!ate the B% to the remote to, of Chihr3 ear Mr5mya ,here he ,as the
'la!ed uder stri!t !ofiemet. Soo after his arri.al i Chihr3 he ,as %riefly %rou/ht to 6a%rz
,here a #a/aroo !ourt, !om'osed of the the !ro, 'ri!e +irudd Mrz ad 'romiet
ulam9, 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 B% ,as to ed ,ith the B%9s %astiado ad a fi!titious letter
maufa!tured %y oe of its !hief 'residers !laimi/ the B% had retra!ted his !laims.
)ith the B% u'risi/s i Mzadar uder,ay ,ith .iolet fero!ity as of the summer of 18B8;
this, follo,i/ the Badasht /atheri/ ,here the to' B% leadershi' had formally aou!ed the
&%$ma ad the ed of the 4slami! shar%a ad its dis'esatio; the death of Muammad Shh
ad the a!!essio of +irudd Shh to the E7r throe i Se'tem%er 18B8 !o.i!ed
authorities that the B% had to %e 'ut to death. Ar/ua%ly the iitial tide of these u'risi/s
're.eted them from doi/ so earlier; %ut after the Mzadar B% u'risi/ at Shay#h a%ars
,as %rutally !rushed, ,ith all of its leaders ad most of its 'arti!i'ats massa!red; ad ,ith other
u'risi/s o, emer/i/ i its stead ,ith /reater fero!ity ad s'readi/ to Hazd the +ayrz i
!etral 4ra the shortly after that to Pa7 i Azer%ai7a as ,ell; authorities a!ted s,iftly ad so
i the early summer of 1850 the B% ,as summarily %rou/ht from Chihr3 %a!# to 6a%rz ,here,
to/ether ,ith a dis!i'le, he ,as 'u%li!ly e(e!uted %y firi/ s3uad at oo o 2uly 8 1850 i the
!ity9s military %arra!#s. -a.i/ %ee formally a''oited to su!!eed him some moths %efore, the
ietee year old Mrz Hay +5r u%$i$Azal o, emer/ed as the B%9s le/atee, Mirror ad
su!!essor ad so the su'reme 'otiff of the as!et B% e!!lesia.
)e should ote here that the year 18BB (!orres'odi/ to the hi0r% 18A0) ,as 're!isely
oe$thousad years from the !omme!emet of the 0!!ultatio (ha$ba) of the 6,elfth, ad
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fial, ithn ashar% 4mm Muammad i% assa al$As#arQ (%. 8AG C>) i 8A0 A- (8DB C>).
6he /eeral si/ifi!a!e of this fa!t aloe should ot %e lost si/ht of i ay o.erall assessmet
re/ardi/ the iitial 'oliti!al su!!esses of B%ism, as it uders!ores the fa!t that messiai!
fer.our, s'e!ulatio, ot to metio e('e!tatio, ,as rife at the time throu/hout the area. 4t may
also to some e(tet 'ossi%ly e('lai its ultimate 'oliti!al failure as ,ell. Be that as it may, ad as
Ma!>oi has 3uite ri/htly 'oited out, the sheer 'rodi/ious out'ut of !om'ositios left %y the
B% duri/ this short si( year 'eriod of his miistry $ totalli/ some Ififty .olumes, ea!h of oe
hudred 'a/es ,ith te ,ords to the lie ad t,ety lies to the 'a/eK %y oe estimate (Sources,
15) $ 'erha's !ostitutes oe of the most iteresti/ !or'us of ,riti/s a.aila%le i the history of
!hiliasti! se!taria mo.emets i 4slami!ate; or else,here, for that matter.
THE POLAR MOTI F, THE S CI ENCE OF THE LETTERS
AND THE ALCHEMI CAL AS CENS I ON
)e ,ill o, tur to a dis!ussio of the 'olar motif aimati/ the ier itetio %ehid our mai
'ie!e %y the B% (traslated %elo,) ad ho, this iforms the o.erall situation of its al!hemi!al
arrati.e, %efore reiterati/ a fe, 'oits o the s!ie!e of the letters, after ,hi!h ,e ,ill tou!h
u'o the sym%olism of the al!hemi!al as!esio i our 'ie!e. )e ,ill state from the %e/ii/ of
this e(t dis!ussio that ,hat is detailed %elo, is refle!ti.e of the /reater do!trial frame,or# that
has %ee !lassified as -i/h 4mamolo/y. 6his -i/h 4mamolo/y, for its 'art, !a ar/ua%ly %e
lo!ated ,ithi sour!es ad trasmissios mu!h older < ad !loser to the 'eriod of 4slam9s first
!eturies $ tha similar s!hemes foud mu!h later o, su!h as the theoso'hi!al Sufism of fi/ures
li#e 4% Ara% (d. 18B0) ad his s!hool. 6hat said, the s'e!ifi! 'oits of de'arture, ot to metio
the 3ualified hue, this 'ers'e!ti.e ta#es here is from start to fiish oes that si/ularly iform
B%ism ad the earlier Shay#h s!hool.
From the .ery outset of the /reater Shite traditio, the first 4mm Al i% A% li%9s (d. AA1)
,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 oe of se.eral 'i.oti/ ad /uidi/ leitmotifs of Shite /osis ad
esoteri!ism tout court. Besides this famous statemet, there are !outless others li#e it, su!h as
the 4mm9s homily of the trasmuted fire (al#nr al#muarra&) that is foud i the "huba
al#Ba$n (Sermo of the >('ositio), oe of the t,o most ,idely re/arded ei/mati! sermos
attri%uted to the Commader of the Faithful, ,herei theopathic statemets a%oud $ may 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 !ommetary %y the fourteeth !etury Shite al!hemist al$2alda#, to ame %ut oly oe of
its may emiet !ommetators. 4deed from the .ery %e/ii/ of this s'e!ifi! traditio9s
/eeral treatmet of the arcana, the 'olar$a(ial 'ositio of the 4mms < ay, the ?eo'le of the
-ouse (ahl al#ba$t) i etirety $ suffuses it ,herei to a /reat e(tet the motifs of sear!h ad
re!o/itio of the 4mm ad the opus ad !reatio of the Most *reat >li(ir (iks%r al#aam) <
other,ise #o, as the Stoe (al#a0ar) $ may %e said o may le.els to %e sy!hroous
dis!ourses; that is, arrati.es e!essarily iter'eetrati/ ea!h other.
From this .ata/e 'oit of -i/h 4mamolo/y, therefore, the stress laid i the esoteri! tea!hi/s of
the 4mms o the realizatio of the @true reliion9 (d%n al#a&& R maarifa, /osis); ,hi!h they
deote li#e,ise ,ith the term the @pure reliion9 (d%n al#khli); ,ith the noesis of the -iero$
4telli/e!e (a&l); %ei/ the a!tual realizatio (ta&%&, taa&u&&) of the iitiati! #o,led/e
(the trasmitted ilm of the 4mm) as su!h, ad he!e the realizatio of ,hat i the Alam5t
+ir 4sml do!trie su'er%ly /ets termed the Imm#of#ones#bein; !ostitutes the o.erall
si/ifi!a!e of the ars operativa i Shite al!hemy. 4 this 'ers'e!ti.e, the Person of the 4mm;
that is, the 6elestial Personalit$ ,ho stads as the Seil of Li/ht, ,ho is %oth the master 'residi/
o.er 'aradise as ,ell as hell, ad ,ho is the S'ea#i/ Boo# (kitb al#ni&); ad the
?hiloso'her9s Stoe are oe ad the same %e!ause as the 6heo'hay par e7cellence the 4mm
stads at the limit (the add) at ,hi!h the coincidentia oppositorum o!!urs. 6his may %e oe
,ay a Shite al!hemi!al /loss, a taw%l, o Eur9 B1:5C may %e uderstood. But, e.e more
e('li!itly, it is ho, the ei/mati! statemet %y the Commader of the Faithful 'ro'erly
!omme!i/ the dis!ourse of the Sermo Bet,ee the 6,o *ulfs (khuba al#taan0%$a) must, i
our o'iio, %e uderstood: II am the 8ne standin between the !wo )ulfs 9and: I am the 8ne
observant over the two Wests and the two *astsJK *i.e this, the 4mm is here the opus as ,ell
as its eli(ir N lapis, its 'atiet ad its a!tor, the alpha ad the omea, ,herefore 2afar 'ro!laims,
Iveril$ 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 *nima of that ;$ster$, and
it is a secreted Secret, and a 9hih: ;$ster$ concealed within another SecretJK
As su!h the dis!ourse %y the B% %elo, !a o may 'arallel le.els %e /lossed as a i.itatio to
its re!i'iet !oded i al!hemi!al !i'her to %elie.e i his !ause (amr) as the 6rue 4mm ad &i.ie
*uide &ua the ?hiloso'her9s Stoe N the Most *reat >li(ir: a i.itatio ,herei the ier
sym%oli! reality ad statio of the B% himself is u.eiled throu/h su!h !i'hers to his iterlo!utor
,ithi a dis!ourse a%out the ars operativa. 6his is, ho,e.er, ot to %e ta#e i either ay
!ate/ori!al sese or as a mere meta'hori! dis!ourse !ou!hed i the la/ua/e of al!hemi!al
80
81
88
8C
8B
85
8A
8D 88
8G
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C1
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flourishes. 4stead the dis!ourse is to %e ta#e o as!edi/ s!ales ad u'o a aa/o/i!al ladder
of e.er e('adi/ meai/s e/a/i/ sym%oli! alle/ory &ua the ars operativa that !aot %e
!ommui!ated i ay other ,ay. *i.e this, ,e ,ould su//est that the sta/es (or theo'hai!
se3ue!es, rather) of Al9s ad%t al#a&%&a %e #e't firmly i mid here as !ommui!ati.e of the
ufoldi/ tra7e!tories of the aa/o/i!al le.els of as!et a!utely 'reset i our te(t. -ere it is, as it
,ere, the B%9s Idisclosure of the ma0esties of lorification (sub'ht al#0all) without
indicationK to his addressee throu/h ,hi!h the sta/es of the 'ro!ess ,ill ultimately !ulmiate
for this iterlo!utor, should he asset, i the e(ti/uishi/ of the lam' of his o, 'artial itelle!t
u'o the a''rehesio of the arise &a, of the Mi.ersal 4telle!t, the ?rimal ?oit, ,hi!h here
is the B% himself as the Maifest 4mm: the Maifest 4mm ,ho is the 6heo'hay par e7cellence
ad so the e'i'hay of the coincidentia oppositorum made maifest to our iterlo!utor. 6his
%e!omes, the, the .erita%le !reatio of the eli(ir N lapis Iin the hori2ons and in the selvesK as the
realizatio of the I,eal !ruth = the !rul$ ,ealK (al#a&&), i.e. the uh'r (di.ie maifestatio N
a''eara!e). 4 other ,ords, for the iitiated 'ro/ey of Adam ad >.e, it is throu/h, %y ad i
the 4mm ,herei the palinenesis o!!urs, si!e the 4mm is the soul9s 'erfe!t mirror (mirt) $
literally its locus amoenus, its 'la!e of re'ose $ ,ho fu!tios as its .erita%le sym%oli! athanor
that accomplishes its trasmutatio.
Let us aalyse the matter further ad from ,ithi our o, te(t. 6he B% %e/is the se!od
'ara/ra'h of the dis!ourse %y stati/ that I*od has ot !reated aythi/ ,ithout also fashioi/
,ithi it a letter (arf) of the eli(ir i a!!orda!e ,ith its statio N e(istetial ra#K (ma&m)
(14-15). -ere this dis!losure is !i'heri!ally iterati.e of the meta'hysi!al a!tuality of the
?re$>teral Co.eat of .last (Eur9, D:1D8, al#.rf, @the -ei/hts9) ,here%y in illo tempore
the 're$!reatioal late!y of the !olle!ti.e multitude of the eidaic (?latoi! 4deal$Ar!hety'e)
form$su%sta!es (0awhar%$t) $ ,hi!h is aother ,ay of sayi/ the e7istential particles
(dharr%$t) $ of the 'ro/ey of Adam ad >.e are dramaturicall$ assem%led u'o the
atemporal 'laes of /atheri/ (mashar) < that is, i the 2amn (time) of dahr (duratiolessess
'er'etuity) $ to %ear ,itess ,ithi themsel.es en toto ad i the 'rese!e of the &i.ie as to the
disti!ti.eess, the si/ular ui3ueess (fardn%$a), of their Lord (i.e. IAm 4 ot your LordT,K
alastu bi#rabbikum, to ,hi!h the !olle!ti.e res'ose is, Iyes, ,e testify Uthat 6hou art1V,K bala
shahadn); this, so that u'o the &ay of =esurre!tio ($awm al#&%$ma) < ,hi!h i its B%
'arla!e e('li!itly deotes the uh'r itself < they may ot the !laim to ha.e %ee ua,are or
heedless of their o, e(istetially situated 're$!reatioal (fir%) affirmatio (ibid. our
'ara'hrase). 4 its Shite$B% /loss the Lord (rabb), of !ourse, here stads for the 4mm ad
ot for the )odhead per se, si!e i 4ts utter, remote tras!ede!e (tan2%h) 4t stads ,ell %eyod
all thi/s ad so !a dis'ese ,ith su!h trifles as re3uiri/ either the asset or the deial of 4ts
!reatio. 6herefore, to 'ut it aother ,ay, the 4mm is ,hat is here meat i Eur9 5C:1C as the
sidratul#muntah (the Lote$6ree of the farthest limit, that 'ro'erly mar#s the %oudary of the
se.eth hea.e), ad so here the ars operativa ad soteriolo/y are itrisi!ally li#ed s!hemes
thus ma#i/ of the Shite$B% opus a /eerally sal.ifi! uderta#i/.
+o, the e(istetial mar# of this 'rimordial asset to the Lordshi' (rub'b%$a) of the 4mm is the
letter (the arf) %y ,hi!h ea!h idi.idual mem%er of the 'ro/ey of Adam ad >.e $ 'ast, 'reset
ad future $ is !reati.ely istatiated %e!ause it is ea!h oe9s 'rime.al, 're$!reatioal
individuation (the 'redetermied fir%$a of ea!h thi/, its ta&d%r) i the ?re$>teral (a2al%) di.ie
matri(. 6he ier mystery (sirr) of ea!h letter, i tur, is its eli7iric reality (a&%&a iks%r%$a) < %ut
!oti/et u'o its a!tualizatio i the horizotally situated s'atiotem'oral mudae $ to ,hi!h
its realizatio is ultimately li#ed ad de'edet via its affirmatio (ithbt) of the Celestial ?erso
of the 4mm (R the meai/ of the ill allh N e7cept )od of the shahada) that, the, is the #ey
(mift) < its o, individuated !i'her, as it ,ere $ to its feli!ity (fal), its 'ali/eesis, i the
a''rehesio of the 4mm$of$oes$%ei/; ,hi!h is, the realizatio of the -iero$4telli/e!e (vi2.
the a&l as the a!tualizatio of the 4mm9s ilm). 4 Suhra,ard9s di!tio, this is the realizatio of
oe9s ?erfe!t +ature (iba al#tamm), the s$2$$ (i.e. the Poroastria $a2ata), amely, the
malak't% a/eli!$dou%le; there%y ma#i/ of the >teral 4mm here the Celestial Lord of the
s'e!ies (rabb al#naw) 'residi/ o.er the 'ro/ey of Adam ad >.e. 6his, the, is oe of the
meai/s %ehid Al9s reiteratio of the &el'hi! ma(im, Iwhosoever knows their Self, knows
their LordK /i.e that the Self (nafs, anima) here &ua the 4mm$of$oes$%ei/ is i all !ases the
>teral 4mm, the &l (-iero$4telli/e!e). As su!h to those amo/st their iitiated /osti!
ade'ts (i.e. the mumin%n, the true, iitiati! %elie.ers) ,ho ha.e truly #o, $ that is, noetici2ed $
their Lord, the >teral 4mm is %oth the a'otheosis of their souls ,ithi the trasmuti/ 'ro!ess
of their idi.idual palineneses (their arise &a, ) (sol) as ,ell as the ui3ue (fard%),
idi.iduated sophianit$, the fim%$a, that o, !elestially des!eds u'o them as a result ad so
atta!hes itself he!eforth as the 'ermaet mar# (luna), its .esti/ial si/ature or si/ (1alma);
%e!ause this is the eli(iri! reality o, a!tualized, ,hi!h is the a$n al#fud (the >ye or
4telli/e!e of the -eart) actuated (o fud, see our ote %elo,).
-a.i/ u'a!#ed a%o.e ,hat the ier thrust of the e('li!itly al!hemi!al se!tio of our treatise is
meat to !o.ey, let us o, ma#e a fe, more 'ertiet !ommets a%out the s!ie!e of the letters
(ilm al#ur'f) itself ad its relatio to the Art. 4 his ;u&adimma the fourteeth !etury Muslim
C5 CA
CD
C8
CG
B0
B1
B8
BC
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so!iolo/ist ad historio/ra'her 4% Ohald5 says of it:
Let it %e #o, to youJthat the s!ie!e of letters is a im'ortat 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
ay other s!ie!e i the ,orld. 6he 'ra!ti!e of the s!ie!e of (letter ma/i!) re3uires
!ertai !oditios. )ith its hel', the s!holar may dis!o.er the se!rets of !reatio ad
the ier ,or#i/s of ature. 6hus, he lears the t,o results of 'hiloso'hy, ,hi!h are
letter ma/i! ad its sister (al!hemy). 6he .eil of the u#o, is lifted for him. -e
thus lears the se!ret re!esses of the heartJ
More re!etly tha 4% Ohald5, i !he Science of the Letters =eW *uWo 'oi/atly ma#es
the !oe!tio %et,ee the =ed Sul'hur (al#kibr%t al#amar), the s!ie!e of the letters ad its
assimilatio to the ars operativa /eerally 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 ad al!hemyV, ,he uderstood
i de'th, are i reality oe ad the same; ad that ,hi!h %oth of them e('ress uder
.ery differet a''eara!es is othi/ more tha the .ery 'ro!ess of iitiatio itself
,hi!h, moreo.er, ri/orously re'rodu!es the !osmo/oi! 'ro!ess, iasmu!h as the
total 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 ui.ersal >(iste!e (ibid54
-ere *uWo has hi/hli/hted the essetial fa!ility of this s!ie!e9s a''li!atio i the 'ra!ti!e of the
arcana, es'e!ially ,he im'lyi/ ho, it mirrors (e.e @fa!ilitates9) the ste's o the ladder of the
soul9s as!et throu/h the le.els of Bei/. 6he B% restates the issue e.e more e('li!itly, ad o a
'ra!ti!al le.el e.e e7ois the 'ra!ti!e of the s!ie!e of letters u'o all his %elie.ers as a
!orerstoe of the Bay !reed, ma#i/ it oe of the e(oteri! 'illars of the e, Bay shar%a
< or more 're!isely, akm (ordia!es). 4 the se!tio #o, as @the tablet reardin the letters9
(law#i#ur'ft) of the late Book of the (ive )rades, i mu!h more au/meted fashio, the B%
e!hoes the last 'art of *uWo9s 'oit, as ,ell as delieati/ the /reater Bay meta'hysi!al
'ers'e!ti.e o it, stati/:
JAmo/ the %outies that the ?rese!e of M!ha/a%leaess (arat#i#lam $a2al)
Ui.e. *odV has %esto,ed u'o the ?oit of the Bay is the #o,led/e of all thi/s i a
si/le Self (nafs#i#whid) so that he may %ehold /eerated e(iste!e (takw%n) ,ithi
the ,orld of the letters (lam#i#ur'f) ,ith the eye of !ertaity (a$n#i#$a&%n); ad
this is a 'erfe!t 'roof uto all 7ust li#e the .ersi!al$si/s ($t); ad it ,as
U!o!ealedV amo/ the hidde treasuries (makh2'n) of the &i.ie #o,led/e (ilm#
i#ilh%) that ,as ot re.ealed util o,, for it is more tremedous (a122) tha ay
other #o,led/e. All the UholyV Boo#s ,ill %e re.ealed Ui the futureV, ad it is from
this #o,led/e that the Cause of I$our )od, who is 8ne )od,K (Eur9 1A:88) has
UalreadyV %ee re.ealed Ui the 'astV. 4 the Bay the maifestatios of ea!h
lordshi' Usu%sistV uder the shado, of this .erse ,ithi the /ates of 'aradise ad
li#e,ise i this maer ,ithi the fire, ,hi!h Iover it is nineteenK (Eur9 DB:C0).
Ad the Bay has arise ,ithi the ,ords of e(altedess (kalimt#i#i22%$a) to su!h
a e(tet that, *od ,illi/, ,ithi Uthe !y!le of theV Bay UitselfV it Ui.e. the s!ie!e of
the lettersV shall rea!h its mode of !om'letio ad utmost 'erfe!tio. 4 short, all
thi/s (kullu#sha$) e.er fall outside Uthe 'ur.ie,V of the t,ety$ei/ht letters Uof the
Ara%i! al'ha%etV, ad i this maer the /eerated e(iste!e of all thi/s is
Uli#e,iseV e.er outside Uof the 'ur.ie,V of the meai/ of these letters; ad the 6ruly
=eal (a&&), /lorified %e -e ad -i/h, has assem%led these letters ,ithi ele.e
de/rees of 4t9s #o,led/e; ad from the 6alismai!$6em'le (ha$kal) of the ?rimal
)ill (mash%$at#i#avval%$a), ,hi!h is the First -uma (insn#i#awwal), U4tV has
determied the out,ard UformV of this 6alismai!$6em'le to %e Uthe letterV h (.)
ad its iterior to %e Uthe letterV ww (); ad it has fashioed ei/htee 6alismai!$
6em'les uder the shado, of this 6alismai!$6em'le ,ithi the o!ea of Udi.ieV
ames; ad it !aot %e!ome t,ety %e!ause the utmost limit of the Udi.ieV ames is
the Udi.ieV ame the Aid 4.o#ed (mustahth = 2001 ); ad !osider that i
the Uei/hteeV 6alismai!$6em'les this matter shall %e !o!lusi.ely 'ro.e ,ithi the
most 'erfe!t frame,or#. Ad the diffusio of the re.elatio of this #o,led/e of the
6alismai!$6em'les is au/ht %ut for the sa#e of Uesta%lishi/V !o!lusi.e
demostratios for the *uides of the Bay for Uthe sa#e of all ,ho areV other tha
them Ui.e. the o$%elie.ers, i.e. awwm, the /eeralityV (BBA$D, my tras.) J
>arlier i the same the %oo#, dire!tly s'ea#i/ to al!hemy, the B% states:
J6he s!ie!e of the >li(ir is li#e the !reatio of all thi/s Ui.e. the !osmo/eesisV. 4t is
ot 'ossi%le for it to ha.e a %e/ii/ or a ed, ad o oe may /ras' the /rades
ad statios of its limits other tha *od, for all ha.e arise %y the !ause N !ommad
(amr) of *od1 Serily ,ithi the Uthe a!me ofV the iterior reality of this Ual!hemi!alV
BD
B8
BG
50
51 58
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s!ie!e is UfoudV *od U,ho is !o!ealedV ,ithi the UifiiteV .eils of holiess (u0ub
al#&uds). Ad ,hesoe.er ayoe from amo/st -is ser.ats hath !ome u'o this
Ual!hemi!al s!ie!eV, it hath %ee %y the !ommad N !ause of *od that they e/a/e i
it Ui.e. the ars operativaV (hum bi#amriLlhi $amal'n) (CCA, my tras.)
+o, i our 'ie!e %elo, the B% %e/is his short dis!ourse %y offeri/ a set of istru!tios to his
iterlo!utor that the 'ro'erly sets the sta/e for the ars operativa of the opus itself. )hile some
may 'er!ei.e the details of these t,o 'ara/ra'hs as addressi/ t,o !om'letely se'arate 3uestios,
i reality they are ot. All as'e!ts of the dis!ussio, from %e/ii/ to ed, are iterli#ed ,ithi a
lar/er e(us of !orres'ode!es %e!ause ea!h 'hase %uilds u'o the e(t ,ithi the sta/es of the
iitiati! 7ourey, all the ,ay to the fial 'ali/eesis. -e says, Itake 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 the
name of )od the 1!aker of Life9JK (1-4). 6hese four di.ie ames ad their s'e!ifi!
!orres'ode!es to the four elemets as detailed %y the B% (i.e. Fire, Air, )ater ad >arth); the
se.efold di.isio ad 'la!emet of the t,ety$ei/ht letters a!!ordi/ to the !orres'odi/
elemet; the !al!ulatio that follo,s ad the meditatio that esues as a result; determies the
o'erati.e %ala!es (mawa2%n) that the resol.es the 're!ise astrolo/i!al e3uili%riums ad !osmi!
sym'athies that the allo,s the iterlo!utor &ua as'irat his e!outer ,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!al as!esio < .iz.
the talismanic#lunettes or ma/i!al !i'hers, the o!!ult 'es (a&lm). 6his i tur ,ill the /uide
his soul 'ast the su%luary realm, the fli/ht %eyod the !osmi! !ry't, ad o.er to the 0riet of
Li/ht (mashri& al#n'r), from the locus of ,hi!h he ,ill e(t 7ourey to the &i.ie 6hroe (arsh)
,here he ,ill %e (re$)uited ,ith the >teral 4mm ,ithi the a''er!e'tio of those .isioary
to'o/ra'hies of the mundus imainalis (lam al#mithl) laid out i the se!od 'ara/ra'h.
-ere, ,ith the di.ie assista!e issui/ from the >teral 4mm, he ,ill /o %eyod the 6hroe itself
ad there%y %e!ome aihilated ,ithi the reality of the *reatest +ame (ism al#a2am) that ,ill
!ostri!t his %ei/ (&ab) ,ithi 4tself throu/h the %uri/ Celestial Fire ,hi!h ,ill the o'e him
u', ad so uite him further, ,ith the ,aystatios (man2il) of the /reater multi.ersal e('ases of
Bei/ < i.e. the ?rimal )ill. 4 this situs he ,ill %ehold the theo'hay of the e(istetial Si9
refle!ted to him from the ipseital statios of the >(!lusi.e 0eess (aad%$a) ,herei the retorta
of his sol (animus) is 7oied ,ith < that is, falls ito 'la!e u'o the rim of $ the alem%i! of his luna
(anima). 6he fruit of the Siiati! 6ree that ,ill emer/e from this iitial con0unctio ,ithi himself <
the fruit of ,hi!h he ,ill o, eat < ,ill re.eal to him i that limit the %ifur!ated aimatio of the
mystery of the &i.ie ?o,er (active, i.e. male R sol R sulfur) ,ithi that of the &i.ie
?redomiatio (passive, i.e. female R luna R salt).
As the realizatio of this mystery is made to fall ito its situs; that is, %e!ome fully maifested into
him; the Most *reat Crimso 0il emer/es from the Celestial Siiati! Fire; ,hi!h is the a''eara!e
(ba$n) of the >teral 4mm9s 'ro(imate immie!e ,ithi the horizos of his self as the S'ea#er
(ni&) ,ithi him; at ,hi!h 'oit our as'irat %e!omes the .ery si/ of *od Ithrouhout all the
worlds accordin to its Uor @his9V capacit$K (21); amely, he has thorou/hly a,o#e to the
realizatio of the 4mm$of$his$%ei/, the -iero$4telli/e!e (1a&l), his o, di.ie mystery, that
the e!om'asses se.e earths ad se.e hea.es ,ithi him; meai/, he is o, the
trasfi/urated 6heo'hai! Li/ht (n'r muta0all%) of the >teral 4mm ,ithi the loci of his o,
se.e meta'hysi!al su%tleties (mashir) %e!ause the >teral 4mm is oe i him o, si!e he
has o further idetity ay more other tha the >teral 4mm9s; as he has s,um a!ross the o!ea
of the !orrosi.e ,aters, stri''i/ all .esti/es of his 'artial e/o i the 'ro!ess, ad o.er to its other
shores there%y e(ti/uishi/ the lam' (sir0) of his separative (solve) idetity, ,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 4mm$of$his$%ei/ (coaula). So ,he the
B% later states, IWherefore have we concealed from revealin this secret from the a2e of all
those lookin upon the penetrative metaph$sical subtlet$ of diverent contrarinessK (23), he is
im'li!itly idi!ati/ this theoso'hi! isomor'hism < i.e. the tra7e!toral de'th that is the e'i'hai!
setti/ 'la!emet (maw&i1) $ ,hi!h iforms, the, the !ulmiatio of this 'ali/eeti! 'ro!ess,
vi2. the taaluh (i.e. theosis), that oe %ut the realized ade'ts, the theoso'hi! sa/es (i.e. mumin%n
R ak%m mutialih), !a fully !om'rehed, let aloe !ommui!ate, ,herefore the /azes of the
/eerality are !o!ealed from %eholdi/ it.
THE MS S . , LOCATI NG THE PI ECE AND S EMI - CRI TI CAL
TRANS LATI ON
6he first of the t,o MSS. of our treatise %elo, ,as o%taied from amo/st s!as #idly /i.e to us
%y the ,e%master of Bayai!.!om i 800D. 6he !olle!tio the 'reset ,or# !ame from ,as sim'ly
listed as Book 3 ad !otaied forty$four short, ide'edet treatises ad res'oses to 3ueries
%y the B%. 6he 'a'er of the MS. a''ears to %e i a li/ht /ree ,ith, i total, C1G folio 'a/es (1A0
'a/es of a!tual s!a) ,ith %et,ee ei/htee to ietee lies 'er 'a/e. 0ur 'ie!e ,as the
5C
5B
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t,ety$ith i the !olle!tio ad o!!urs i full o '. G1 of our s!a (folio 181$88 of the MS.) 6he
MS. !otais o !olo'ho or ay other idetifiers as to 'ro.ea!e or the idetity of the s!ri%e ad
its date of !om'letio. )e ha.e desi/ated this MS. as B!".B3. )e ote that a %ul# of the items
!otaied i B!".B3 !a also %e foud i other .ersios ,ithi the assorted 4+BA (4raia
+atioal Bah9 Ar!hi.es) !olle!tios.
6he se!od MS. ,as o%taied for us i early A'ril 8011 %y the ,e%master of the &i/ital 0!!ult
Maus!ri'ts Li%rary from material the re!etly made 'u%li! %y the &i/ital Li%rary of 4ra ad
mar#ed as MS. 18BB8. )e ha.e desi/ated this !olle!tio as DLI 1244. 0ri/ially from the
li%rary of oe B/hir 6ara3 (ad !atalo/ued as XC8), DLI 1244 seems to ha.e made its ,ay at
some 'oit from this !olle!tio ito the !olle!tio of the 4raia +atioal Ma7lis Li%rary $ ad as
the dis'layi/ stam' o the frot$'ie!e demostrates $ sometime duri/ the ?ahla. era
(1G8A$1GDG C>) ,here it ,as !atalo/ued as 85DCC N 181G1. )hat a''ears to %e some #id of
idetifier for the s!ri%e (%ut ot a ame) a''ears udereath the ta%le of !otets (fihrist), %ut it
is !om'letely ille/i%le to us i the s!a ad so ,e !aot 'ro'erly ma#e it out. 6his !om'ilatio
!otais fourtee ,or#s of the B% rou/hly !o.eri/ the 'eriod u' to the 'oit i 18BD 7ust %efore
he made his !laim to -im%$a ad i!ludes the .ery rare .isitatio 'rayer (2%$ra) for Fima that
util o, ,as thou/ht to e(ist i oly a si/le MS. ('er Sources, GG). 6he s!ri%e does ot further
idetify him or herself o ay 'a/e of either its .erso or re!to, or does he N she 'ro.ide the date
for their tras!ri'tio; %ut they ,ere !ertaily a B% of some des!ri'tio /i.e the /eeral
em'loymet of laudatory 'raises (i.e. alawt, 'eed i red i#) at the .ery o'ei/ of a um%er
of the items ,he referri/ to the B% as I-is -oliess the =emem%ra!e, u'o him %e 'ea!eK
(arat al#dhikr ali$hi al#salm). 6he ?df of this MS. is 8B8 'a/es i le/th < ad /i.e this, it is
diffi!ult to as!ertai ,here the a!tual folios of the !otet %e/i, so ,e ,ill here !ite the 'a/e
um%ers as 'er the ?df (its frot ad %a!# %idi/ ha.e also %ee i!luded i the s!a as 'art of a
si/le file) $ ,ith its ta%le of !otets o!!urri/ as of '. 8 immediately follo,ed o the e(t 'a/e %y
the B%9s a%fa .ml al#Sana (6he >'istle of the Mderta#i/s duri/ the Hear) ,ith the te(t of
the ,hole MS. edi/ at '. 8B0. Fiftee lies 'er 'a/e, the %eedi!tio of our 'ie!e %e/is at the
%ottom of '. 8CC ,ith the 'ie!e itself !o.eri/ all of ''. 8CB$8C5 ad edi/ o the se!od lie of
'. 8CA. 6hat said, the a''eara!e of this MS. !om'ilatio (that i )ester a!ademi! 'rit, at
least, ,as alto/ether u#o,) is a .ery im'ortat fid for B% studies, ad to/ether ,ith some of
the other MSS. ,e ha.e /eerously %ee /i.e %y the 4raia Bay !ommuity o.er the 'ast
de!ade, !halle/es a fe, (if ot more) of Ma!>oi9s fidi/s i Sources that o, re3uire some
u'date ad re.isio.
0ly oe other MS. of this s'e!ifi! 'ie!e is 'resetly #o, to us, that %ei/ 4+BMC AD
(4teratioal Bah9 Maus!ri't Colle!tios), 80C$B (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 traslatio of
the se!od half of the 'ie!e < vi2. our se!od 'ara/ra'h, ,ith some .ariatios ad the a''aret
o!!urre!e of a e(tra !lause i his traslated te(t that does ot a''ear to o!!ur i either oe of
ours. )e ha.e follo,ed Lam%de9s traslatio !losely i this se!od 'ara/ra'h ad a/ree ,ith
some of his ,ordi/ %ut ot ,ith may others. All of this has %ee idi!ated i the otes. )e
should metio that there is a mu!h lo/er dis!ourse %y the B% o /ematria ad al!hemy that
e('ads u'o some of the themes 'reseted i our 'ie!e %elo,. Based o the MSS. 4+BMC G1:
C0$CA ad 4+BMC AD: 888$8CC $ either oe ,hi!h ,e ha.e had a!!ess to $ Lam%de 'ro.ides a
i!om'lete >/lish traslatio of it o his ,e%site. 6here is also, of !ourse, the dis!ussios of
/ematria ad al!hemy i the Persian Ba$n ad the Book of the (ive )rades (es'. CCA$5A) $
si''ets of ,hi!h ,e ha.e 3uoted a%o.e $ that re'resets the B%9s latest ad most systemati!
thou/hts o the su%7e!t.
6he !ir!umsta!es for the !om'ositio of our 'reset 'ie!e %elo, are ot suffi!ietly #o,. But
%ased o some 'eri'heral e.ide!e ,e may %e a%le to !o7e!ture as to rou/hly ,hat timelie
duri/ the B%9s miistry it may ha.e %ee !om'osed. 0 the a.aila%le e.ide!e, the idetity of its
re!i'iet is early im'ossi%le to determie. 6hat stated, the list 'ro.ided %y Ma!>oi i Sources
(1G0) re/ardi/ the !otets of 4+BMC AD 'la!es our 'ie!e as the fifth item i %et,ee a 'ie!e %y
the B% deali/ ,ith the a00 ad oe addressi/ a !ertai Shay#h assa re/ardi/ e.ets i 4r3
that simultaeously 'ro.ides istru!tios to the Letters of the Li.i/ to 'ro!eed to Oar%al (i
order to assem%le for the 'ossi%le khur'0T) 6hese are res'e!ti.ely the items #$%& ad #%$& listed
i that !olle!tio that a''ear to maily i!lude ,or#s from the 18BB$18B5 'eriod of the a00
7ourey ad the retur to 4ra (late summer 18BB$May N 2ue 18B5). 0 '. 881 of our MS. DLI
1244 $ that is, three items %efore our o, 'ie!e, as 'er the s!ri%e $ ,e ha.e a res'ose to a
3uestio 'ut %y oe Muammad 4%rhim to the B%. 6he item immediately 're!edi/ ours,
ho,e.er, is the B%9s ,ell #o, early tra!t o the #o,led/e of the usee (ilm al#ha$b),
,hi!h is other,ise a !ommetary o a famous ad%th %y 4mm 2afar al$di3 o the su%7e!t.
So, for o,, this ,ould elimiate the aforemetioed Muammad 4%rhim as its tar/et re!i'iet.
Ma!>oi lo!ates this last !ommetary o the ad%th %y 2afar as %ei/ oe !otem'oraeous ,ith
the -a$$'m al#.sm (Sources, ''. 5D$8); that is, May$2ue N 2uly 18BB. H'(' immediately
follo,i/ our o, 'ie!e o '. 8CA of ?LI @ABBC is to %e foud a 'rayer that !o!ludes o '. 8C8.
0.erall it is ot a''aret to us ,hat, if ay, method the s!ri%e has em'loyed i !ostru!ti/ a
55
5A
5D
58
5G
A0
A1
8 of 18 9/11/2013 10:43 PM
!hroolo/i!al timelie of these ,or#s i his !om'ilatio so that oe may %e /leaed from it. Het
most of the idetified ,or#s of this !om'ilatio a''ear to !ome from mostly that 18BB$5 'eriod.
B!".B3 !ofouds further 'ossi%le attem'ts at 're!ise lo!atio. 4t 'la!es our 'ie!e as the
se.eteeth item amo/st a /rou' of t,ety$four that the s!ri%e has mar#ed as %ei/ res'oses to
a 'resuma%ly !hroolo/i!al list of 3uestios. 6he first of these items (%e/ii/ at folio 18A) is the
B%9s !ommetary o Al9s reiteratio of the &el'hi! ma(im. 6he item immediately 're!edi/
ours (ad mar#ed the si(teeth 3uestio, %e/ii/ at folio 1D8) !omme!es %y addressi/
3uestios of health, si!#ess ad ritual 'urity (ara) %efore 'ro!eedi/ ito a a!rosti! 'rayer.
4 this last item the s!ri%e a''ears to ha.e !odesed se.eral shorter 'ie!es ito oe. Lam%de
'ro.ides a te(t of the a!rosti! 'rayer (%ut ,ithout idetifyi/ his MS.) to/ether ,ith a i!om'lete
>/lish traslatio o his ,e%site. 6he item follo,i/ ours i this !olle!tio is a .ery short 'ie!e
!osisti/ of a si/le 'ara/ra'h addressi/ theodi!y ad si!#ess (folio 188$C). As metioed, our
o, 'ie!e o!!urs o folios 181$8.
6hese issues stated, ,e s'e!ulate that our 'ie!e is /eerally lo!ated i the 18B5$A 'eriod from
either duri/ the a00 7ourey or immediately thereafter, %ut %efore the B%9s fli/ht from Shrz to
4sfah (late summer 18B5$Se'tem%er 18BA). Mtil further !o!lusi.e e.ide!e !omes to li/ht, for
o, ,e tetati.ely %ase this dati/, first, o the orderi/ of 4+BMC AD, ,hi!h deals ,ith ,or#s
from that /eeral 'eriod of the B%9s miistry; ad, se!od, that the orderi/ follo,ed %y DLI
12449s s!ri%e has 'la!ed this ,or# alo/side oe of the B%9s earliest, ot to metio the fa!t
that the ma7ority of the ,or#s i this !om'ilatio are s'e!ifi!ally from that 'eriod. )e ,ill
em'hasize this 'oit, ho,e.er, that this idetifi!atio is tetati.e, at %est, if ot alto/ether
su'erfi!ial, %e!ause the /eeral state of 'arate(tual disarray ,here B% MSS. timelies are
!o!ered is su!h that it ofte !ofutes may attem'ts 'resetly at lo!ati/ these 're!isely, let
aloe !o!lusi.ely idetifyi/ their re!i'iets; that is, uless a!tual auto/ra'hs should a''ear
someday that 're!isely date them. )e ho'e this situatio ,ill !ha/e i !omi/ years ad there
are ho'eful idi!atios at 'reset that it mi/ht.
)e ha.e di.ided this semi$!riti!al traslatio ito um%ered 'assa/es, %rea#i/ it do, ito
e(a!tly t,ety$ei/ht i total, %asi/ our 'assa/i/ u'o the te(t of B!".B3. )here this o!!urs,
the um%eri/ idi!ates the %e/ii/ of ea!h 'assa/e. Ara%i! trasliteratios ha.e %ee 'la!ed
iside roud %ra!#ets (), as ,ell as italici2ed, ,ith isertios of eeded ,ordi/ 'la!ed iside
s3uare %ra!#ets UV. All trasliteratios of di.ie ames ad attri%utes from Ara%i!, Lati ,ords or
eolo/isms ha.e %ee italici2ed. 6he foototes idi!ate the .ariat readi/s from the MSS. ad
offer /losses.
TE)T
4 the +ame of *od the Com'assioate, the Mer!iful1
As for the 3uestio re/ardi/ the s!ie!e of letters (ilm al#hur'f): ta#e at the head
of e.ery te the first letter *2+ ad !al!ulate it %y the first elemet of Fire (nr)
aroud the ame of *od @the 6onstrictor9 (al#&bi); ad i the se!od elemet of Air
(haw) aroud the ame of *od @the Livin9 (al#a$$); ad i the third elemet of
)ater (m) aroud the ame of *od @the ,evivifier9 (al#mua$$i); ad i the fourth
elemet of >arth (turb) *4+aroud the ame of *od the @!aker of Life9 (al#mum%t).
6he multi'ly the te letters from the first to the fourth ad from the third to *,+ the
se!od. 6he dedu!t se.e ad e.aluate %y se.e. After,ards ye ,ill o%ser.e from the
t,ety$ie UluarV masios (man2il), !ommesurate ,ith the s!ie!e (ilm) of
their astrolo/i!al houses (al#nu0'm), a!!ordi/ to the letter of Fire, the .aluatio of
*+ Fire; ad Air, the .aluatio of Air; ad )ater, the .aluatio of )ater; ad >arth,
the .aluatio of >arth. 6his is the 'oit of #o,led/e ad its #ey that you ,ill emer/e
from to,ards the 'ath of the strai/ht lie (kha) of that /ate. *1-+ 6here ye ,ill
fid the *reat USo.erei/V A/el (malak al#kab%r), for that is the talismai!
resolutio that is UfoudV i the %oo#s of the Christias the li#eess of ,hi!h ,as ot
foud util o, amo/st thetalismanic#lunettesUi.e.a&lm, the o!!ult 'esV. So
'rote!t it ,ith a utmost 'rote!tio; ad if *12+ a result does ot follo,, do ot %e
dismayed or !osider this to %e a set%a!#, for .erily ideed *od ,ill re.eal from
this UfailureV the UtrueV talismanic#lunette a!!ordi/ to the %oo#. Ad either is there
humidity (rutab) or aridity ($bis) other tha ,hat has %ee *14+ re!orded i that
%oo#.
As for the 3uestio re/ardi/ the >li(ir (iks%r): uderstad that *od has ot
!reated aythi/ ,ithout also fashioi/ ,ithi it a letter of the >li(ir i a!!orda!e
,ith its statio (ma&m). As for its hidde realities (ha&i&): *1,+ 7ourey ,ith me
uto the &i.ie 6hroe (arsh) util thou hast /oe %eyod it ,ith the Udi.ieV
assista!e .ou!hsafed uto thee UadV util ye ha.e ,itessed the Fire of that Most
*reat +ame of *od (ism allh al#akbar), letti/ it flare u' ,ith a %laze
A8
AC
AB
A5
AA
AD
A8
AG
D0
D1
9 of 18 9/11/2013 10:43 PM
(ashtaalhu) %y the redi/ of the *1+ .eil (kashf al#hi0b) of the imost
subtilised heart#flu7 (fud). 6he 'la!e the retorta (al#&ar) u'o the rim of the
alem%i! (amb%&) ad ta#e from the fruit of the 6ree emer/i/ from the Mout
Si9i of the >(!lusi.e 0eess ('r al#s%n al#aad) uto the limit of the U&i.ieV
?o,er (al#&adr) ,ithi the *2-+ mystery of the U&i.ieV ?redomiatio
(al#mu&tadir), ad allo, it to fall ito its 'la!e (awiluh il maalih). 6here Ui
thatlocusV you shall fid the Most *reat Crimo 0il (duhn al#amar al#akbar)
Uemer/eV from this USiiati!V Fire (al#nr) more s,iftly tha the t,i#li/ of a eye
(a&rab min lam al#baar). 4 that situs, *22+ to,ards *od (il allh), you are the
.ery si/ of *od ($at allh) ad li#e,ise throu/hout all the ,orlds a!!ordi/ to its
!a'a!ity (bi#asbihi); that is, util the !ulmiatio of the matter (al#amr) uto Uthe
limit ofV the mieral ,orld (lam al#0amd). U)hereforeV ha.e ,e !o!ealed from
re.eali/ (khifn min al#ahr) Uthis se!retV from the /aze of all those
!otem'lati/ (lil#nir%n) u'o the 'eetrati.e Umeta'hysi!alV su%tlety of
di.er/et !otrariess (mashar al#add), *24+ ad ha.e esta%lished it there,
i that leaf (wara&a), the se!ret of the t,o U!osmi!V lies (ara$n) !otaied ,ithi
the t,o mysteries Uof de'thV (sirra$n) that 'er!ha!e someoe may a''rehed
it; ad suffi!iet is *od %y the ?roof as ,itess to the truth (kaf%$a bi#Llhi
bi#l#hu00ati ali#l#a&& shah%dan). Ad if you truly !om'rehed Uthis affairV, *2,+
you ,ill %e a%le to uderta#e the Art of the >li(ir (sana al#iks%r) ad i that locus
truly /ras' the reality of the matter (a&%&at al#amr). Ad this is Ua issueV
,ell$#o, i the 'rese!e of oe ,hom *od has made to ,itess the !reatio of
*2+ -ea.e ad earth, ad the !reatio of -is Loos#Self, for o 'o,er ad o
stre/th is there sa.e i *od, the Soari/ly -i/h, the Mi/hty1 *lorified %e *od
a%o.e ,hat is attri%uted to -im, ad 'raised %e *od, the Lord of all the ,orlds1
MS . BA.. B3
MS. Bay.BC8
MS . DLI 1 24 4
D8
DC
DB
D5
DA
DD D8
DG
80
81
88
8C
8B
85 8A
8D
88 8G
G0
G1
G8
GC
10 of 18 9/11/2013 10:43 PM
MS. Bay.BC8
WOR/S CI TED
Amaat, A%%as. ,esurrection and ,enewalD !he ;akin of the Babi movement in Iran, @CBB#EF,
4tha!a: Corell Mi.ersity ?ress, 1G8G; re'rited, Los A/eles: Oalimat ?ress, 8005.
Aa,ati, *eor/es. Le nom suprGme de dieu (Ism .llh al#.2am) i .tti del III 6onresso di
Studi .rabi e Islamici (=a.ello 1$A Se'tem%er 1GAA) 1GAD: D$58
4% B%5ya, A% 2afar Muammad i% Al i% al$usay, al$Eumm, Sha$kh al#ad'&. "itb
al#!aw%d, Beirut: &r al$Marifa, .d.
Bashir, Shahrzad. (a2lallah .starabadi and the <urufis, 0(ford: 0e,orld ?u%li!atios, 800G.
Bro,e, >.*. . !ravellers /arrative Written to Illustrate the *pisode of the Bb, 8 .olumes,
Cam%rid/e: Cam%rid/e Mi.ersity ?ress, 18G1.
B5, Amad al$. Shams al#;arif al#"'br Beirut: ;uassasah al#/'r lil#;ab't, 1B80 A-.
Cor%i, -ery. <istor$ of Islamic Philosoph$, Lodo ad +e, Hor#: Oe/a ?aul 4teratioal
ad the 4stitute of 4sml Studies, 1GGC.
""". .vicenna and the Hisionar$ ,ecital, ?ri!eto: ?ri!eto Mi.ersity ?ress, Bolli/e
Series LYS4, 1GA8; re'rited 1G88.
""".!emple and 6ontemplation (Lodo: =outled/e Z Oe/a ?aul, 1G8A.
""". .lchimie comme art hi+rati&ue, ed. ?ierre Lory, ?aris: L9-ere, 1G8A.
""". *n islam iranien .spect spirituels et philosophi&uesD !ome IH LIcole dIspahan, LIcole
sha$khie, Le ?ou2Jeme ImKm, ?aris: *allimard, 1GDC.
""". Spiritual Bod$ and 6elestial *arthD (rom ;a2daean Iran to Shiite Iran, tras. +a!y
?earso, ?ri!eto: Bolli/e Series YC4, ?ri!eto Mi.ersity ?ress, 1GDD.
&a%ashi, -amid. !ruth and /arrativeD !he Lntimel$ !houhts of .$nul#-ut .l#<amadn%,
=i!hmod Surrey: Curzo ?ress, 1GGG.
*uWo, =eW. Perspectives on Initiation, -illsdale: So'hia ?ereis, 8001.
""". (undamental S$mbolsD !he Lniversal Lanuae of Sacred Science ed. Z !om'. Mi!hel
Salsa, tras. Al.i Moore 2r., re.i. Marti Li/s, 0(ford: Euita >ssetia, 1GG5.
amid, 4dris Sama,i. !he ;etaph$sics and 6osmolo$ of Process .ccordin to Sha$kh .mad
al#.s%, Buffalo: ?h.&. dissertatio (u'u%lished), State Mi.ersity of +e, Hor# at Buffalo,
1GG8.
4% Ohald5. ;u&adimmah. 6ras. Fraz =osethal, ?df .ersio, .'., .d.
Oulay, 6hi3at al$4slam Muammad i% Ha35% al$. Ls'l min al#"f%, 6ehr: 1CG8 N 1GD8$DC.
Lam%de, Ste'he. I.lchemical )nosis in Bb%#Bah% Scripture,K A 'a'er first read at a
'ost$/raduate semiar Mi.ersity of +e,!astle u'o 6ye (MO), 1G8B.
La,so, B. 6odd. 6oincidentia 8ppositorum in the -a$$um al#.smaD the terms MPointN Onu&ta4,
MPoleN O&utb4, M6enterN Omarka24 and the "hutba al#!atan0i$a, 0!!asioal ?a'ers i Shay#hi,
Ba%i ad Baha9i Studies, -$Bahai: Sol.5, +o.1, 2auary, 8001.
""". I!he ?awnin Places of the Lihts of 6ertaint$ in the ?ivine Secrets 6onnected with the
6ommander of the (aithful b$ ,a0ab Bursi,K i !he Leac$ of ;edieval Persian Sufism ed.
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Leoard Le,isoh, Lodo: Ohai3ah$i$+imatullahi ?u%li!atios, 1GG8; re$'rited 0(ford:
0e,orld ?u%li!atios, 1GGG.
""".I!he Structure of *7istence in the Bbs !afsir and the Perfect ;an ;otif,K Studia Iranica,
1GG8: 81$GG.
Ma!>oi, &eis. !he ;essiah of Shira2, Leide: >.2. Brill, 800G.
""". ,ituals in Babism and Bahaism Lodo ad +e, Hor#: 4.B 6auris ?u%lishers ad the
Cetre of Middle >aster Studies, Mi.ersity of Cam%rid/e, 1GGB.
""". Sources for *arl$ Babi ?octrine and <istor$D . Surve$, Leide: >.2. Brill, 1GG8.
Mome, Moo7a. I!he !rial of ;ulla .li BastamiD . 6ombined Sunni#Shii (atwa aainst the
Bb,K i 3ournal of the British Institute of Persian Studies, 1G88, 80: 11C$BC; ==, 880$C8.
""". >d. Selections from the Writins of *5)5 Browne on the Babi and Bahai ,eliions, 0(ford:
*eor/e =oald, 1G8D.
Moezzi, Mohammad Ali Amir$. !he ?ivine )uide in *arl$ ShiismD !he Sources of *sotericism in
Islam, tras. &a.id Strei/ht, Al%ay: 6he State Mi.ersity of +e, Hor# ?ress, 1GGC.
Shrz, Siyyid Al Muammad Bb. MS. DLI 1244 (.ssorted *arl$ Works of the Bab),
6ehr: &i/ital Li%rary of 4ra, di/italized, 8011.
""". "itb#i#Pan0 Shan, .'. .d., di/italized, Bayai!.!om, 8005.
""".MS. B!".B3 ('ri.ate).
""". !afs%r S'rah al#Ba&ara, Lasi/, M4: -$Bahai, di/italized, 1GGG.
""". Ba$n#i#(rs%, 6ehr: 1GBA.
Shrz, Muammad i% Mam5d &ihdr. Shar#i#"huba al#Ba$n, .d., .'.
=asht, Siyyid Oim. Shar Ism .llh al#.am ('ri.ate), di/italized, 8011.
=ohai, S.M. +a%a.i$=aza.i. !r%kh#i#(ir&i#i#Bb%i dar Bahdd a2 @APC t @ACF, 6ehr:
u'u%lished MA thesis, Shad Bihisht Mi.ersity, 801C.
Eumm, affr al$. Basir al#?ara0t, Beirut: .d.
)ilso, ?eter Lam%or. ScandalD *ssa$s in Islamic <eres$, Broo#ly: Autoomedia, 1G88.
[IInvokin the Seven WorldsD .n acrostic pra$er b$ ;%r2 Qa$ /'r% ub#i#.2al,K i LLH.<D
3ournal of the 6reative Imaination, Solume B, 2ue 801C.[
1.
[For a 'o'ular treatmet of the Imm#of#ones#bein, see ?eter Lam%or )ilso9s ScandalD
*ssa$s in Islamic <eres$ (Broo#ly: Autoomedia, 1G88). )e !autio our reader from ta#i/ this
do!trie i the ufiessed ,ay it has %ee 'reseted i some 'o'ular sour!es lately as !o!lusi.e.
For !om'arati.e 'ur'oses, the oly o$Shi ad o$4slami! sour!e that may eumerate this
!ore esoteri! tea!hi/ of the 4mms < ,ith some o'a!ities o the Shi side still eedi/ to %e
u'a!#ed $ may %e !osidered to %e the ?oimadres of the Cor'us -ermeti!um.[
8.
[6he do!trie as tau/ht i the 4mm akhbr !or'us %e/ii/ ,ith the famous o'ei/ d%th of
al#a&l wa al#0ahl i Oulay9s @Book of the <iero#Intellience and inorance9 ("itb al#.&l wa
al#3ahl) of his al#"f%; see es'e!ially as ,ell Mohammad Ali Amir$Moezzi9s !he ?ivine )uide in
*arl$ ShiismD !he Sources of *sotericism in Islam tras. &a.id Strei/ht (Al%ay: 6he State
Mi.ersity of +e, Hor# ?ress, 1GGC) !h'. 1, es'. A$1C ad passim.[
C.
[6he title of the 'ie!e deri.es from its si(teeth 'assa/e (see %elo,).[ B.
[)e refer to the sour!es listed i A of our 're.ious arti!le.[ 5.
[6his date is %ased o the 1st of Muarram 18CA A- (G 0!to%er 1880 C>) dati/ of the B%9s
%irthday held %y the Bays as the oe !orre!t rather tha the 1st of Muarram 18C5 A- (80
0!to%er 181G) !ited %y the Bah9s, see >.*. Bro,e . !ravellers /arrative Written to Illustrate
the *pisode of the Bb (Cam%rid/e: Cam%rid/e Mi.ersity ?ress, 18G1), Solume 8, +ote C:
881$8.[
A.
[4!ludi/ ,emembrance (dhikr), the Proof of )od (u00atullh), the Primal Point (nu&at
al#'l) ad the Supreme Lord (rabb al#al), to ame a fe,.[
D.
[-e !laimed this title, o its iitial le.el, %e!ause his /i.e ame Al Muammad !otais a total
of se.e letters i Ara%i! (i.e. . , _ , _) that i its ab0ad umeri!al .alue as 808 is
e3ui.alet to rabb (lord). 0e of the lesser #o, reasos ,hy the B% used this title i its s'e!ifi!
'hrasi/ to deote himself is %e!ause it idi!ates the se.e ide'edet si/ils of the !alli/ram of
the *reatest +ame (ism al#aam), amely: . 6his sym%ol
!ostitutes the su'reme o!!ult$ma/i!al !i'her i the 4slami! esoteri! traditio ad is %elie.ed to
ha.e %ee ori/ially trasmitted %y the first 4mm Al, see *eor/es Aa,ati Le nom suprGme de
dieu (Ism .llh al#.2am) i .tti del III 6onresso di Studi .rabi e Islamici (=a.ello 1$A
8.
12 of 18 9/11/2013 10:43 PM
Se'tem%er 1GAA) 1GAD: D$58. For e(am'le, the 'hrasi/ dht ur'f al#sabaa !a itself %e foud
i refere!e to these se.e si/ils i may 4slami! o!!ult mauals of r'n% ,hite ma/i! (i.e. the
literature of the ul'm har%ba N ul'm khaf%$a) that dis!uss it at le/th, es'e!ially i al$B5,
%e!ause the follo,i/ se.e Ara%i! letters are idi!ated as re'reseti/ it: L _ :
(%ei/ that they are those se.e letters that do ot a''ear i al#ftia, the first !ha'ter of the
Eur9).[
[6he B% re!#oi/ of the !omme!emet of the 4slami! era %e/is as of the @call9 of Muammad
(bithat), that is, from his first e!outer ,ith the Ar!ha/el *a%riel o Mout ir ad the
=e.elatio of the first surh of the Eur9 (al#ala&, @the 6lot9, i.e. the GAth !ha'ter), ad ot from
the !omme!emet of the hi0r% !aledar, ,hi!h is te years su%se3uet to that e.et.[
G.
[6he Bay, i tur, is to %e a%ro/ated (or fulfilled) after this 'eriod i the B% messiai! fi/ure
<e whom )od shall make ;anifest (man $uhiruhuLlh) i a !y!le of 'ro/ressi.ely edless
theo'haolo/i!al maifestatios that, 'er the B%9s o.el /loss o the !o!e't of the @resurrection9
(&%$ma), ,ill e.er a!tually !ease, i.e. edless &%$mt. -o,e.er, des'ite the !laim of the Bah9s
'ut for,ard o %ehalf of their fouder Bahullh, i the do!trie of the B% himself the
iterre/um 'eriod %et,ee these @maifestatios9 (uh'rt) < /lossed as dawr al#la$l (the !y!le
of i/ht) < is to last for this a''ro(imately le/thy 'eriod of %et,ee 1511 to 8001 years, ad the
te(ts are 3uite e('li!it o this 'oit. For e(am'le, i Mity 8, *ate 1D of the Persian Ba$n, the
B% states, I4f -e ,hom *od shall ma#e Maifest a''ears i the um%er h%$th UR 1511V ad all
eter therei, oe shall remai i the fire Uof re7e!tioV. 4f it tarries till Uthe um%erV mustahth
UR 8001V, all shall eter therei, ad oe shall remai i the fire Uof re7e!tioV, as all shall %e
trasfi/urated ito his Li/htR,K (my tras.); ad Mity C, *ate 15, I+oe #o,eth the time of the
maifestatio other tha *od. )hesoe.er it shall ta#e 'la!e, all must testify to its truth ad /i.e
tha#s uto *od, althou/h %y -is /ra!ious %outy it is ho'ed that -e ,ill a''ear till the time of
mustahth UR8001V ,herei the ,ord of *od may %e ele.ated. Ad the ?roof is the si/, for -is
.ery %ei/ 'ro.es -im, ,hilst -e !aot %e #o, %y ,hat is %eeath -is ra#. *lory %e to *od
a%o.e ,hat is attri%uted to -imK (my tras.) *i.e this, the Bah9 !laim that the B% had
'redi!ted the !omi/ of the B% messiai! fi/ure i the 'erso of their fouder ad i the year
ie of the Bay !y!le (!orres'odi/ to 18AC N AB i the 'ro'er yearly re!#oi/ %e/ii/ as
of Mar!h 1850 or 1858 N C %y the re!#oi/ of the years of the maifestatio from 18BB) is ot
%ore out %y a si/le te(t, ad es'e!ially ot i the Ara%i! Bay ,here they !laim this o!!urs as
'er the !ry'ti! 'hrase Iafter a whileK (bada %n) ,hose ab0ad umeri!al .alue is 1BB redu!i/ i
its 0afr to G. 6hat said, duri/ the !y!le of this iterre/um %et,ee maifestatios iumera%le
di.ie mirrors ad /uides are to arise /uidi/ the faithful (or @iitiates9) %et,ee the t,o 'eriods.
6o 3uote Ma!>oi, IJfor our uderstadi/ of su%se3uet e.etsJthe hierar!hi!al system of
ImirrorsK (mirt), I/lassesK (bul'ri$$t), I/uidesK(adill), ad I,itessesK (shuhad)
de.elo'ed %y the B% i his later )riti/s Uis of 'aramout im'orta!eV. 6his is ot, i the stri!t
sese, a or/aized system of hierar!hi!al /rades si!e the terms i.ol.ed are, to a lar/e de/ree,
mutually iter!ha/ea%le ad im're!isely used i the te(ts. +e.ertheless, hierar!hy is !ertaily
i.ol.ed i the !o!e't, ad there are idi!atios that defiite roles ,ere e.isa/ed for idi.iduals
e(er!isi/ the fu!tios asso!iated ,ith the titles. 4 this res'e!t, B% do!trie offers a !lear
!otiuatio of the Shii theory of <u00i$$a, ,hi!h is e(teded, ot oly to the 'ro'het ad the
4mms or their e3ui.alets, %ut to other /rades of a loose hierar!hy as ,ell,K !f. !he ;essiah of
Shira2 (Leide: >.2. Brill, 800G), CBA.[
10.
[See Shahrzad Bashir9s (a2lallah .starabadi and the <urufis (0(ford: 0e,orld ?u%li!atios,
800G).[
11.
[Cf. !ruth and /arrativeD !he Lntimel$ !houhts of .$nul#-ut .l#<amadn% (=i!hmod
Surrey: Curzo ?ress, 1GGG), 5.[
18.
[For the massi.e !otro.ersy this ,or# made o its diffusio %y the B% emissary i 4r3 ad its
re!e'tio %y %oth reli/ious !ir!les ad 0ttoma se!ular authorities, see Moo7a Mome9s I!he
!rial of ;ulla .li BastamiD . 6ombined Sunni#Shii (atwa aainst the Bb,K i 3ournal of the
British Institute of Persian Studies, 1G88, 80: 11C$BC; ==, 880$C8.[
1C.
[See &. Ma!>oi9s etry i *Ir (!ited i our 're.ious 'ie!e).[ 1B.
[6his is %e!ause ei/htee is the ab0ad umeri!al .alue of a$$ (li.i/, ali.e). 6hey ,ere li#e,ise
referred to as the bi&'n (the 're!eders), ,hi!h is a term ta#e dire!tly from 6,el.er Shi
es!hatolo/i!al refere!es.[
15.
[6he full 'leroma of All$6hi/s (kullu#sha$) !osists of CA1 i total (1G ( 1G). 6he um%er 1G
itself is !osidered the most sa!red um%er i B%ism; it is the fudametal uit ela%orati/ the
?ersia Bay as ,ell as the Bay !aledar of 1G moths ad 1G days. 6he ,ords wid (oe,
uity) ad wu0'd (%ei/, e(iste!e) !orres'od to it i ab0ad umerolo/y. Amo/ the reasos ,hy
this um%er is held sa!red is %e!ause the bismillh %eedi!tio !otais 're!isely ietee letters
i total ad so the First Mity is held here to %e the istatiated 'ersoifi!atios of these letters
,ho are the held to re'reset the !o!ourse of the theo'hai! 'ersos of the Fourtee 4falli%les
(i.e. Muammad, Fima ad the 6,el.e 4mms) to/ether ,ith the four /ates (or, inter alia, the
1A.
13 of 18 9/11/2013 10:43 PM
four Ar!ha/els of the 6hroeD Isfr%l N =a'hael, ;%k%l N Mi!hael, I2r%l N Azrael ad 3ibr%l N
*a%riel) ad the ?rimal )ill (mash% al#'l) ,ho has /eerated the 're!edi/ ad ,ho is
re'reseted %y the letter b (,) ad its 'oit (nu&a); see ?ersia Ba$n, Mity 1, ad also A%%as
Amaat ,esurrection and ,enewal, (4tha!a: Corell Mi.ersity ?ress, 1G8G; re'rited, Los
A/eles: Oalimat ?ress, 8005),188$GC; see as ,ell -ery Cor%i9s I!he Science of the Balance
and 6orrespondences between Worlds in Islamic )nosis accordin to the work of a$dar .muli,
Cth = @Bth centur$,K i !emple and 6ontemplation (Lodo: =outled/e Z Oe/a ?aul, 1G8A),
55$1C1.[
[See Ma!>oi9s etry i *Ir (!ited i our 're.ious 'ie!e).[ 1D.
[See Ma!>oi9s I!he !rial of the BbD Shiite 8rthodo7$ confronts its mirror imaeK i !he
;essiah of Shir2, B0G$50.[
18.
[See our 're.ious arti!le. -ere ,e ,ould li#e to ma#e a !orre!tio to oe of the !itatios i the
otes of our 're.ious 'ie!e. 4 8B ,e said that S.M. +a%a.i$=aza.i =ohai9s !r%kh#i#(ir&i#
i#Bb%i dar Bahdd a2 @APC t @ACF (M'u%lished dissertatio: 6ehr, 801C) ,as a MA thesis
from 6ehr Mi.ersity. 4t is i fa!t from Shahd Bihisht Mi.ersity ad ot 6ehr
Mi.ersity.[
1G.
[6he ,hole first 'art of Amaat9s ,esurrection and ,enewal, ''. CC$105, ser.es as a istru!ti.e
'rimer i that re/ard.[
80.
[4 Sources for *arl$ Babi ?octrine and <istor$D . Surve$ (Leide: >.2. Brill, 1GG8), he!eforth
Sources.[
81.
[6he %est itrodu!tio o the su%7e!t remais Mohammad Ali Amir$Moezzi9s !he ?ivine )uide in
*arl$ ShiismD !he Sources of *sotericism in Islam; see as ,ell 6odd La,so9s I!he ?awnin
Places of the Lihts of 6ertaint$ in the ?ivine Secrets 6onnected with the 6ommander of the
(aithful b$ ,a0ab Bursi,K i !he Leac$ of ;edieval Persian Sufism ed. Leoard Le,isoh
(Lodo: Ohai3ah$i$+imatullahi ?u%li!atios, 1GG8; re$'rited 0(ford: 0e,orld ?u%li!atios,
1GGG), 8A1$8DA.[
88.
[For the Shay#h s!hool, see -ery Cor%i9s <istor$ of Islamic Philosoph$ (Lodo ad +e,
Hor#: Oe/a ?aul 4teratioal ad the 4stitute of 4sml Studies, 1GGC), C58$A, ad *n islam
iranien .spect spirituels et philosophi&uesD !ome IH LIcole dIspahan, LIcole sha$khie, Le
?ou2Jeme ImKm (?aris: *allimard, 1GDC), 805$C00; ad %elo,.[
8C.
[See Muammad i% Mam5d &ihdr Shrz9s Shar#i#"huba al#Ba$n, .d., .'.; see also
Cor%i9s a'ro'os remar#s re/ardi/ al$2alda#, the Sermon of the *7position ad the e3ui.ale!y
of al!hemy ,ith ikma (theoso'hi!al ,isdom) i <istor$ of Islamic Philosoph$, CC1$8.[
8B.
[6he other %ei/ the Sermon Between the !wo )ulfs (khuba al#atan0%$$a).[ 85.
[See -ery Cor%i .lchimie comme art hi+rati&ue, ed. ?ierre Lory (?aris: L9-ere, 1G8A), C1;
BA$BD.[
8A.
[See C a%o.e.[ 8D.
[4 itself !osidered a di.ie %outy (nima) rather tha a!3uired throu/h 'ersoal effort or
a!3uisitio (kasb).[
88.
[)e ote the follo,i/ khabar from 2afar re!orded i Oulay9s al#"f%: I*od has 'la!ed t,o
#ids of authority o.er humas. 6he a''aret ad maifest (hir) authority ad the iteral ad
hidde (bin) authority. 6he 'ro'hets ad messe/ers are the a''aret ad maifest authorities,
ad -iero$4telli/e!e Ua&l R ousV is the hidde (bin) ad iteral authority,K - 18, Ch. 1.[
8G.
[0e famous ad%th i Ma7lis9s Bir al#.nwr (6he 0!eas of the Li/hts) is oted for
!hara!terizi/ Al %y the a''ellatio ... .>. ,>.. (the master of 'aradise ad the
fire), see htt':NNshia%oo#.%lo/fa.!omN'ost$G.as'( (a!!essed 8B A'ril 8011).[
C0.
[Cor%i: lImam comme ma2har est bien la limite K partir de la&uelle prennent naissance les
couples de termes antith+ti&ues (6here is o dou%t, the 4mam as di.ie maifestatio, is the limit
at ,hi!h the .arious 'airs of atitheti!al terms are %or, tras. 6odd La,so ), !f. 6oincidentia
8ppositorum in the -a$$um al#.smaD the terms MPointN Onu&ta4, MPoleN O&utb4, M6enterN
Omarka24 and the "hutba al#!atan0i$a 0!!asioal ?a'ers i Shay#hi, Ba%i ad Baha9i Studies,
-$Bahai: Sol.5, +o.1, 2auary, 8001.[
C1.
[Soon shall we show them 8ur sins in the hori2ons Of%l#f&4 and in themselves Owa f%
anfusihim4 until it become manifest O$ataba$$ana4 to them that, veril$, it is the ,eal !ruth
Oal#a&&4, my tras.[
C8.
[My tras. +ote the !o!e't of the Watcher(s) (%r%n) i the Boo# of &aiel as a !i'her idi!ati/
*od9s a/els as I,at!hfulK or I.i/ilat setiels,K htt':NN,,,.a%u.%.!aNCoursesN+e,6estamet
N-e%re,sNA/els.htm (retrei.ed 8B A'ril 8011); for a Ara%i! te(t of the Sermo Bet,ee the
6,o *ulfs, see A''edi( 44 of La,so9s 'a'er a%o.e.[
CC.
[Cf. affr al$Eumm, Basir al#?ara0t (Beirut: .d.), 18:5G.[ CB.
14 of 18 9/11/2013 10:43 PM
[4.e. the first theo'hai! se3ue!e of the ad%th al#a&%&a.[ C5.
[See our 85 i the 're.ious arti!le.[ CA.
[For a /eeral dis!ussio of this 'oit i its early B% tra7e!tory, see 6odd La,so, I!he
Structure of *7istence in the Bbs !afsir and the Perfect ;an ;otif,K Studia Iranica, 1GG8:
81$GG.[
CD.
[+ote the sym%olism of the 6ree (sha0ara) < 'arti!ularly the 6ree of =eality (sha0aratul#a&%&a)
$ as oe idi!ati.e of the embodified (ot @em%odied9) 6heo'hay &ua the >teral 4mm i the
,riti/s of the B%. 4 the !ote(t of 4slami!$B% esoteri!ism ad /osis, embodiment R ul'l
(i!aratio) ,hereas embodification R ta0all% N uh'r (theo'hay N maifestatio).[
C8.
6he e(t t,o 'ara/ra'hs is our o, summarized 'ara'hrase of #ey se!tios of the B%9s
!ommetary o the s'rah of the Co, (al$Ba3ara), his first e(tesi.e ,or# 'rior to his de!laratio
i 18BB, ,hi!h ,e hold as the edifi!e of his etire meta'hysi!al system. For the te(t of this
!ommetary, see, htt':NN,,,.h$et.or/N\%ahaiNare'ritN%a%NS$PNtaf%a3N%a3arah.htm
(a!!essed 81 Mar!h 8011).
CG.
[4t should %e oted that amo/ the titles for the 4mms is the men of the <eihts (ri0l al#arf)
,here%y this ,hole surh, ad this .erse s'e!ifi!ally ad the su%se3uet, is said to refer to them.
4 his !ommetary o the !alli/ram of the *reatest +ame, Siyyid Oim =asht (d. 18BC N BT)
a''lies this title to the 4mms ,hilst !orres'odi/ ea!h of the si/ils of the *reatest +ame to them
as ,ell. For a te(t of Siyyid Oim =asht9s !ommetary, see htt':NN,,,.s!ri%d.!om
Ndo!N588G5C1BN=ashti$Sharh$4sm$Allah$al$A$zam (a!!essed B A'ril 8011) (,e are /rateful to
?rofessor La,so for ma#i/ the MS. of this im'ortat ,or# a.aila%le to us).[
B0.
[6he 4mm ,ho is the aima, soul or Self (nafs) of oe9s %ei/ i the reality of di.ie affirmatio
%ut ot i the e/atio (l ilha) that is the e/oi!, !o!u'is!et self or the mere e/oi!
self$idi.iduatio (,hi!h is still ot the s'iritual idi.iduatio of the Self).[
B1.
[6he B%9s o, !ommetary o this famous ad%th ista!es this 'oit e('li!itly.[ B8.
[*uWo: IJisofar as it is a @se!od %irth9, iitiatio is fudametally othi/ other tha the
@a!tualizatio9 i the huma %ei/ of the .ery 'ri!i'le ,hi!h, i ui.ersal maifestatio, a''ears
as the eternal .vataraJK Perspectives on Initiation (-illsdale: So'hia ?ereis, 8001), 8GG.[
BC.
[?er the meai/ of the fial theo'hai! se3ue!e of the ad%th al$ha&%&a.[ BB.
+ote the !o!e't of the Mazdea farr N Y.arah (the li/ht of /lory), es'. as outlied %y -ery
Cor%i i Spiritual Bod$ and 6elestial *arthD (rom ;a2daean Iran to Shiite Iran, tras. +a!y
?earso, (?ri!eto: Bolli/e Series YC4, ?ri!eto Mi.ersity ?ress, 1GDD), C$50.
B5.
[A'art from ,hat is stated %elo,, ,e should 'oit out that e.erythi/ that a!!rues i the
defiitio of a$n al#&alb (eye of the heart) i Sufi /lossaries is a''li!a%le to fud ad more so i
its Shay#h$B% deotatio. 6his is es'e!ially em'hasized /i.e that its em'loymet i Eur9
5C:11 s'e!ifi!ally follo,s, ad is 7u(ta'osed, %y @.isio9, amely, the ?ro'het9s o,. *i.e this, ,e
,ill say that fud, the 4telli/e!e of the -eart, the -iero$4telli/e!e ad the 4mm$of$
oe9s$%ei/ are syoymous ad thorou/hly iter!ha/ea%le terms.[
BA.
[6ras. Fraz =osethal, !h'.A: ?df .ersio (.'., .d.), A81.[ BD.
[4 (undamental S$mbolsD !he Lniversal Lanuae of Sacred Science ed. Z !om'. Mi!hel
Salsa, tras. Al.i Moore 2r., re.i. Marti Li/s (0(ford: Euita >ssetia, 1GG5), CB$C8.[
B8.
[IBut strive in the "nowlede of the Letters, and 6on0unctions of the /umbers of )ods /ames,
and 6on0unctions of like words, and 6on0unctions of like Writins in their proper place> for
Permission hath been accorded for each person to arrane the order of the Ba$n in such wise
as appeareth sweetest> for thouh it appear after a thousand fashions, $et do all return to the
Soul of the Ba$n,K Mity C, *ate 1A, tras. >.*. Bro,e i Summar$ of the Persian Ba$an in
Selections from the Writins of *5)5 Browne on the Babi and Bahai ,eliions, ed. Moo7a
Mome (0(ford: *eor/e =oald, 1G8D), C1A.[
BG.
[As Ma!>oi has !orre!tly /lossed, these are the ele.e de/rees !orres'odi/ to the sum of the
letters ad that ista!es h'w%$a. )here he has erred, is i /lossi/ h'w%$a as @e(iste!e9
(wu0'd) ,ithout further !ommetary si!e h'w%$a re'resets the mystery of the di.ie ipseit$
that is strictu sensu e!essarily %eyod wu0'd i B% meta'hysi!s, ,hi!h 'ro'erly %elo/s to the
realm of the ?rimal )ill. )hat the B% has idi!ated here, ,hi!h is immediately made a''aret
i the follo,i/ !lause, is that these ele.e de/rees re'reseti/ the ipseit$ are the mirrors to the
?rimal )ill ,ho re'resets the ipseit$. 4 other ,ords, the ?rimal )ill, as the emaated
istatiatio of the ipseit$, mirror9s it < ot that it is it. 6he lar/er emaatioist s!heme here is
a''aret. Ma!>oi9s error is %oth semati! ad iattetio to the su%tleties ad !ate/ories
iformi/ the lar/er meta'hysi!s here.[
50.
[)hom i the la/ua/e of 4mm esoteri!ism re'reset the o$iitiates.[ 51.
[6his is our o, traslatio that Ma!>oi 'artially 'ro.ides i his I/ineteen 6entur$ Babi
!alismans,N Studia Islamica, 1B N i, (1G85): 8C; o, i !he ;essiah of Shira2, 5BC$B.[
58.
15 of 18 9/11/2013 10:43 PM
6hat is, Cf. ,ituals in Babism and Bahaism
(Lodo ad +e, Hor#: 4.B 6auris ?u%lishers ad the Cetre of Middle >aster Studies,
Mi.ersity of Cam%rid/e, 1GGB), A''edi( 444, 101. 4 this form a%o.e < the ide'edet forms
'ro!eedi/ horizotally from to' far$ri/ht to %ottom far$left $ they are held %y the B% to %e the
telesmati! istatiatios of ea!h of the ietee letters of the bismillh.
5C.
[0ther,ise #o, as the laSif.[ 5B.
[S'e!ifi!ally .olumes B0, 5C ad AG. For these .olumes, see, htt':NN,,,.h$et.or/N\%ahaiNide(
Nal%a%.htm (a!!essed 18 A'ril 8011).[
55.
[6he ,hole of this ?df !a %e foud o S!ri%d, at, htt':NN,,,.s!ri%d.!omNdo!N58CG0G0D
NAssorted$>arly$)or#s$of$the$Ba% (a!!essed 10 A'ril 8011).[
5A.
[)hi!h ,e are 'resetly i the 'ro!ess of 're'ari/ a traslatio from our MS.[ 5D.
6his 'artial traslatio first a''eared as I.lchemical )nosis in Bb%#Bah% ScriptureD . Paper
first read at a post#raduate seminar Lniv5 of /ewcastle upon !$neK (MO), 1G8B, ad !a o, %e
foud o his ,e%site, at, htt':NN,,,.hur3alya.','.%lueyoder.!o.u#NBA-A]8D$ALLA-N6B$
?-4L0S0?->=]8DS]80S60+>.htm (a!!essed 88 A'ril 8011).
58.
htt':NN,,,.hur3alya.','.%lueyoder.!o.u#N0C$6->]80BABNO-M6BAS]80BABN01$Ohut%a
]80]A0ilm]80al$huruf.htm (a!!essed 88 A'ril 8011).[
5G.
[For details of the B% khur'0 (millearia isurre!tio) i the 4r3 Shite holy lad that e.er
tras'ired, see ,esurrection and ,enewalD !he ;akin of the Babi ;ovement in Iran, @CBB#EF,
1GB$D; 818; C8B$5.[
A0.
[6his is the famous ad%th al#0arr%$a arrated %y adr ,hi!h !a %e foud i Oulay, .ol. 1
(6ehra, 1CG8 N 1GD8$DC), BG5$GA. A!!ordi/ to Sources ('. 58) oly Isi( sur.i.i/ maus!ri'tsK
remai of the B%9s !ommetary o this ad%th. Both of our MSS. !otai a !o'y of it, o,
i!reasi/ this um%er to ei/ht. More are sure to follo,, if they ha.e9t %ee already si!e
Ma!>oi first ,rote.[
A1.
htt':NN,,,.hur3alya.','.%lueyoder.!o.u#N0C$6->]80BABN'ost]8018BB
NAC=0S64C]80?=AH>=$BAB.7'/ (te(t) (a!!essed 80 A'ril 8011).
htt':NN,,,.hur3alya.','.%lueyoder.!o.u#N0C$6->]80BABN'ost]8018BB
NAC=0S64C]80?=AH>=$BAB.htm (traslatio) (a!!essed 80 A'ril 8011).
A8.
6he o'ei/ %eedi!tio, the bismillh, does ot o!!ur i B!".B3 %ut is i!luded i DLI 1244
(?df '. 8CC fial lie, that is, the %ottom of the 'a/e 're!edi/ the s!a of the 'a/e dis'layed
here). B!".B3 sim'ly has Ithe seventeenth &uestionK (... _,... ..).
AC.
[6,o s!ri%es i t,o se'arate MSS. ha.e ,... ..... ad this is !ertaily ote,orthy
si!e the B% a''ears to %e ,ei/hi/ i o a lo/stadi/ de%ate amo/ Muslim o!!ultists ad o
the side of the t,elfth !etury 6uisia 'olymath of the arcana, Shay#h Amad al$B5 ,ho
'ro'osed (that is, if the %e !osidered the t,ety$ith letter of the Ara%i! al'ha%et, or t,ety$
ei/hth ,he %e made the t,ety$ith) the um%er of luar masios to %e t,ety$ie, see
Shams al#;arif al#"'br (the *reat Su of *oses) (Beirut: ;uassasah al#/'r lil#;ab't,
1B80 N 1GGG), 10. 6his is usually ot the !ase ,ith some ota%le o!!ult ad astrolo/i!al te(ts from
the 4slami! east, ad either is it the 'ositio of ?seudo$Ma7rt either i the Picatri7 (h$at
al#ak%m).[
AB.
4 DLI 1244 %ut ot i B!".B3. 0e has ,..... L>. _,. ,hile the other has
,..... _,. (the strai/ht 'ath).
A5.
[0r @)reat Soverein = "in9 (malik al#kab%r). -o,e.er, ,e 'refer readi/ malak rather tha
mlik sim'ly %e!ause all su!h o'eratios i the mauals of 4slami! ,hite ma/i! (r'n%$a), as
,ell as i 4slami! al!hemy (al#k%m%$), usually i.ol.e a e!outer ,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. 0f
!ourse it /oes ,ithout sayi/ that i this /eeral 'ers'e!ti.e ea!h malak (a/el) is ofte also
re/arded a malik (so.erei/ #i/) i its o, s'e!ifi! domai ,ithi the /reater hierar!hy of its
o, admiisteri/ ra# ad statio. )ithout ,ishi/ to !ite !o'ious refere!es here from .arious
sour!es o a/elolo/y (4slami! or other,ise), ,e refer the /eeral reader to Cor%i9s most
illumiati/ dis!ussio of this su%7e!t < a dis!ussio o a/elolo/y that i our o'iio has ot
%ee su'erseded $ i the se!od !ha'ter of .vicenna and the Hisionar$ ,ecital (?ri!eto:
?ri!eto Mi.ersity ?ress, Bolli/e Series LYS4, 1GA8; re'rited 1G88), BA$188.[
AA.
[DLI 1244 L. .
>. .. . B!".B3 oly has
>. . .[ AD.
[DLI 1244 has ... ,ith a . rather tha ,ith a as i B!".B3. )e disa/ree ,ith DLI
12449s 'hrasi/ here.[
A8.
[DLI 1244 . .... B!".B3 . .[ AG.
16 of 18 9/11/2013 10:43 PM
[0r @e(istetial ra#9.[ D0.
[DLI 1244 has this s'e!ifi! 'hrasi/. B!".B3 sim'ly has ,. ,. (the Most *reat
+ame). )e ha.e 'referred this oe %e!ause Lam%de idi!ates it 'er INBMC ,0. )e ote this is
7ust aother ,ay of sayi/ the *reatest +ame. See a%o.e.[
D1.
Lam%de9s traslatio has this lie of the 'assa/e as Ito remove the coverin (al#ib).K +either
oe of our t,o MSS. has this. 4stead %oth ha.e ,.>>. . (to red N the redi/ of the .eil).
Si!e ,e do ot ha.e a!!ess to the te(t of 4+BMC AD ,e !aot !om'are the dis'arity here; %ut the
ideti!al 'hrasi/ of this lie i %oth of our t,o MSS. should %e oted for ay future !om'arisos
ad i esta%lishi/ ay fial !riti!al te(ts of the ori/ial Ara%i! %e!ause this !ha/es %oth its
thrust ad its su%tle meai/.
D8.
[(ud is a te!hi!al term i the le(i!o of Shay#h (ad %y e(testio, B%) thou/ht re'lete ,ith
si/ifi!a!e deoti/ a meai/ %eyod 7ust a mere syoym for @heart9 (&alb). 4dris Sama,i
amid9s 3uite isi/htful rederi/ of fud as @heart#flu79 4 ha.e 3ualified further as @subtilised
heart#flu7, see !he ;etaph$sics and 6osmolo$ of Process .ccordin to Sha$kh .mad
al#.s% (Buffalo: ?h.&. dissertatio, State Mi.ersity of +e, Hor# at Buffalo, 1GG8), ,here he
otes, IJfud is more s'e!ialized tha the heart itself, adJ a notion of motion or flu7 is
fundamental to its meanin (my italics)J,ith Shay#h Amad al$As9 fud is more s'e!ialized
tha the &alb,K 101. 6herefore, i its Shay#h<B% deotatio %oth these terms (@&alb9 ad @fud9)
!arry far more multifa!eted ad e('aded im'li!atios tha usually assumed o first /la!e or
other,ise /leaed from the defiitios 'ro.ided i Sufi te!hi!al had%oo#s. Shay#h Amad
al$As9 (d. 188A), for ista!e, a''ears to ma#e the o.erall meta'hysi!al fu!tio of fud
simultaeously !osmolo/i!al as ,ell as otolo/i!al turi/ fud ito the aimati/ fu!tio of
@bein = e7istence9 (wu0'd) itself. 4 the .ery First 0%ser.atio of his (awid al#ikm%$a
(Subtilised <eart#(lu7ual 8bservations of Wisdom) he states outri/ht that fud is @bein =
e7istence9 (ad as amQd 'oits out, he is s'ea#i/ of wu0'd i its o$delimited ad ui.ersal
sese), 8DD. 6o ,it, I!he 9subtilised: heart#flu7 is the hihest of all of 9humanit$s: loci of
conition5 It is the liht of 9)od: which <e 9the Prophet: Oupon whom be peace4 mentioned in his
dictumD 1Beware of the penetration of the faithful> for 9he = she: contemplates throuh the liht of
)od5 It is e7istence because e7istence is the hihest orientation of 9humanit$:, that is, 9its:
direction in orientation is to 9its: Lord, because e7istence does not contemplate itself at all but
rather 9it contemplates: its Lord> 0ust as essence does not contemplate its Lord at all but rather
9it contemplates: itselfK Usli/htly modified traslatio from -amid9sV. 6he s!ri'tural root of this
,ord as a te!hi!al term, of !ourse, ori/iates ,ith Eur9 5C:11 (al#na0m, @!he Star9), i.e. Ithe
UsubtilisedV heartU$flu(V hath not lied reardin what it hath seen,K ,hi!h refers to the ?ro'het9s
o!tural as!esio (mir0) ad his %eholdi/ of the &i.ie Fa!e at IJtwo bow#lenths or
nearerK (&ba &awsa$ni aw adn) (5C:G). 4 li/ht of this, ,e shall offer our s!hematizatio of the
hierar!hy of the su%tle 'hysiolo/y of the heart i Shay#hism ad i B%ism as follo,s (as!edi/):
1. &alb (heart) 2. bin (iterior), 3. suwa$d (!ore), 4. abbat (#erel), 5. sirr (se!ret) ad ,.
fud (su%tilised heart$flu( R e(iste!e N %ei/). 6he le.el of fud is the le.el at ,hi!h 'er the
traditios of the 4mms ,e !a s'ea# of the @<iero#Intellience9 (i.e. the 1a&l). 0ur !ommets here
should also %e !ote(tualized i li/ht of Shay#h Amad al$As99s do!trie of al!hemy, the dou%le
okhTmU ad the 'hysiolo/y of the resurre!tio %ody as detailed i -ery Cor%i9s Spiritual Bod$
and 6elestial *arthD (rom ;a2dean Iran to Shiite Iran, 180$881; this, si!e if the su%tle
'hysiolo/y as detailed %y Shay#h Amad al$As9 %e di.ided ito a %asi! terary s!heme (ad
further au/meted) as 0ism, 0asad ad r' ,e may the !orres'od &alb to 0ism 1, bin to 0ism 2,
suwa$d to 0asad 1, abbat to 0asad 2, sirr to r' 1 ad fud to r' 2. See Moezzi, passim, ad
es'e!ially Basir al#?ara0t (the &e/rees of the A''er!e'tios) for the s'e!ial te!hi!al meai/
of r' i the esoteri! tea!hi/s of the 4mms. 4 the Persian Ba$n 8:5 the %asi! 3uaterary
s!heme of the su%tle %ody laid out %y the B% (i des!edi/ order) is fud (su%tilised heart$flu(),
r' (s'irit), nafs (soul) ad 0ism (%ody). 6his should demostrate that, li#e Shay#h Amad, the
B% li#e,ise !osidered the fud to %e the hi/hest or/a of 'er!e'tio.[
DC.
DLI 1244 has ... (@the e$es9). *i.e the !ote(t, ad a''aretly as _,.. also seems to
a''ear i 4+BMC AD as ,ell, ,e hold B!".B3 as the !orre!t ,ordi/ here.
DB.
DLI 1244 .. >. .... L (the ;ount Sinai of the *7clusive 8neness of the
?ivine Power = ?estin$). )e do9t #o, ,hether or ot the s!ri%e has misread > _.. (uto to
the limit) for >. (the >(!lusi.e 0eess). +e.ertheless ,e ha.e #e't its 'hrasi/ u' to >.
ad !om%ied it ,ith B!".B39s > _.. (uto to the limit), readi/ the lie as B!".B3 has it
from there o,ards.
D5.
[0r @?estin$9.[ DA.
[?er INBMC ,0 (a!!ordi/ to Lam%de), ,hi!h has al#&adVr fV sirr al#&adr, Lam%de has
redered this 'art of the 'assa/e as IJthe ?ivine Power in 9the midmost heart: of the ?ivine
?estin$ 9Power:.K Both of our 122. ha.e ....
. . ...[
DD.
[0r @pour9.[ D8.
DLI 1244 has misread . (oil) alto/ether ad %y dro''i/ the . has ,ritte i istead (@to DG.
17 of 18 9/11/2013 10:43 PM
Luvh) Journ# o& the Cretive Luvh) Journ# o& the Cretive Luvh) Journ# o& the Cretive Luvh) Journ# o& the Cretive
I%*intion I%*intion I%*intion I%*intion
ISSN +,-./-0,1 2on#ine34 is
e"ite" n" pub#ishe" b' Frsh
Eu5er6
Luvh
Journ# o& the Cretive
I%*intion
ISSN +,-./-0,1 2on#ine3
Frsh Eu5er
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Un#ess in"icte" other>ise4 ## %teri#s re cop'ri*hte" b' Luvh) Journ# o& the Cretive I%*intion n" #icense" un"er
Cretive Co%%ons Attribution/NonCo%%erci#/No=erivs 06; Unporte" License6
weep9 or @sih9). As 'er Lam%de, INBMC ,0 has .. DLI 12449s 'hrasi/ here does ot
ma#e sese, i ay !ase.
[0ur rederi/ for .....[ 80.
[DLI 1244 has . .. (@thou art )od9). B!". B3 has . , .. ,hi!h also seems to a''ear
i INBMC ,0. )e ha.e re'hrased the se3ue!e of the lie of the 'assa/e from the ori/ial here
some,hat. Lam%de has IIn that place $ou are the ver$ Msin of )odN both before )od and
towards )od.K )e do9t e!essarily disa/ree ,ith his readi/. -o,e.er, uless there is additioal
,ordi/ i INBMC ,0 ,hi!h is9t i ours, . _. (@to = towards )od9) sim'ly meas 7ust that ad
this 're!ise 'hrasi/, ,ithout ay additioal ,ordi/, o!!urs i %oth of our 122.[
81.
[>.e @cause9or @command9. +amely, the 8pus.[ 88.
[0r @presentin9.[ 8C.
[0r @mark9 as Lam%de has it.[ 8B.
[Lam%de has this lie of the 'assa/e as, IWherefore have We concealed from the vision of such
as a2e towards that which bears the marks of contrarinessJK[
85.
B!". B3 has it as .. . .... DLI 1244 has it as a%o.e. Lam%de has it as, Ihave laid it
down Rthere,K ,hi!h teds to su''ort the same readi/ as i DLI 1244 ,hi!h is ....
8A.
[?er Lam%de.[ 8D.
[-ere Lam%de i!ludes a lie that does ot o!!ur i either oe of our t,o 122. 6o ,it, I!hus
hath <e tauht Ls 9the eli7orial m$steries:JK[
88.
[+amely, the B^% himself.[ 8G.
[DLI 1244 has the !o7u!tio (@and9) after .., . (suffi!iet is *od). B!". B3 does
ot.[
G0.
[>.e @realit$ of the cause#command9.[ G1.
[A te!hi!al term re'lete throu/hout the ,riti/s of the B% (ad oe ,ith some 4sml
!ootatios as ,ell) is nafs allh. Literally this deotes the self, or e.e anima, of *od. Ste'he
Lam%de has !osistetly traslated this term as Loos#Self ad ,e fully !o!ur ,ith his 3uite
%eautiful rederi/. 4 the theo'haolo/y of the B% this term deotes the di.ie @messener#
prophet9 (ras'l N nab%), viceerent#providential uide (wal%) ad leatee (wa%) as the
maifestatio of the ?rimal )ill (mash%a al#'l). >lse,here i the ui.erse of 4slami! /osis this
,ould %e !lassified as the Mi.ersal 4telle!t (a&l kull) or Pen (&alam). A !orollary to this term i
the B%9s di!tio is point (nu&a).[
G8.
[B!". B3 does ot ha.e ,L.. (the Mi/hty). Both MSS. ha.e 'la!ed a shadda o.er the of
... (the -i/h), i.e. ..., there%y itesifyi/ the tese.[
GC.
18 of 18 9/11/2013 10:43 PM

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