Hidden Words
- For the Hidden Words, see https://bahai-library.com/bahaullah_hidden_words
Compilations[edit]
- https://bahai-library.com/compilation_hidden_words_bwc
- http://www.bci.org/reno/hw/hw_aribic.htm (archived) (a version of the Hidden Words linked to the above compilation)
Derived materials[edit]
- https://bahai-library.com/mccleary_concordance_hidden_words (a concordance)
- http://wilmetteinstitute.org/projects/affirmations.html (affirmations based on this work)
- http://wilmetteinstitute.org/projects/wordsmap.index.html (a Knowledge map)
- For Hidden Words study outlines see Hidden Words study outlines
On the need to read, memorize, and live up to them[edit]
“He is the Glory of Glories! This is that which hath descended from the realm of glory, uttered by the tongue of power and might, and revealed unto the Prophets of old. We have taken the inner essence thereof and clothed it in the garment of brevity, as a token of race unto the righteous, that they may stand faithful unto the Covenant of God, may fulfill in their lives His trust, and in the realm of spirit, obtain the gem of divine virtue.”
- (Bahá’u’lláh, Hidden Words from the Arabic preamble)
“It behoveth us one and all to recite day and night both the Persian and Arabic “Hidden Words”, to pray fervently and supplicate tearfully that we may be enabled to conduct ourselves in accordance with these divine counsels. These holy Words have not been revealed to be heard but to be practiced.”
“We should memorize “The Hidden Words”, follow the exhortations of the Incomparable Lord, and conduct ourselves in a manner which befitteth our servitude at the threshold of the One True God.”
“Be assured in thyself that if you dost conduct thyself in accordance with “The Hidden Words” revealed in Persian and in Arabic, thou shalt become a torch of the fire of the love of God, an embodiment of humility, of lowliness, of evanescence and of selflessness.”
““The Hidden Words” is a treasury of divine mysteries. When thou ponderest its contents, the doors of the mysteries will open.”
“Read ye “The Hidden Words”, ponder the inner meanings thereof, act in accord therewith. Read, with close attention, the Tablets of Tarázát (Ornaments), Kalimát (Words of Paradise), Tajallíyyát (Effulgences), Ishráqát (Splendours), and Bishárát (Glad Tidings), and rise up as ye are bidden in the heavenly teachings. Thus may each one of you be even as a candle casting its light, the centre of attraction wherever people come together; and from you, as from a bed of flowers, may sweet scents be shed.”
“In this present age the world of humanity is afflicted with severe sicknesses and grave disorders which threaten death. Therefore, Bahá’u’lláh has appeared. He is the real Physician, bringing divine remedy and healing to the world of man. He has brought teachings for all ailments--the Hidden Words, Ishraqat, Tarazat, Tajalliyat, Words of Paradise, Glad Tidings, etc. These Holy Words and teachings are the remedy for the body politic, the divine prescription and real cure for the disorders which afflict the world. Therefore, we must accept and partake of this healing remedy in order that complete recovery may be assured. Every soul who lives according to the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh is free from the ailments and indispositions which prevail throughout the world of humanity; otherwise, selfish disorders, intellectual maladies, spiritual sicknesses, imperfections and vices will surround him, and he will not receive the life-giving bounties of God.”
- ('Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp. 204-205)
“Live thou in accord with the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. Do not only read them. There is a vast difference between the soul who merely reads the words of Bahá’u’lláh and the one who tries to live them. Read thou the “Hidden Words”. Ponder over their meanings and embody the behests into thy life.”
- (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Star of the West, vol. 7, no. 18, p. 178, in Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith, no. 65)
“O thou who gazest upon the Kingdom of God! Thy letter was received and we note that thou art engaged in teaching the children of the believers, that these tender little ones have been learning The Hidden Words and the prayers and what it meaneth to be a Bahá’í.”
- (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, sec. 123, p. 143)
See also[edit]
See https://bahai-library.com/zamir/sm/?19 (open sections IV.2.A, IV.2.B, and IV.3.A)
See Non-obligatory prayers mentioned for daily recitation on apparent non-requirement of daily recitation, however.
Meaning of the name "Hidden Words" is suggestive of how its spiritual realities and truths were reinterpreted and revealed afresh[edit]
"With regard to your question concerning the meaning of the name 'Hidden Words'. It is, indeed, one of the most suggestive titles of the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh. These words are called hidden due to the fact that men have had neither the knowledge nor a true sense of appreciation of them before they were revealed by Bahá'u'lláh. It is through Him, Who is the sole Mouthpiece of God in this age, that spiritual realities and truths have been once more reinterpreted and revealed afresh to mankind. Bahá'u'lláh's Message is thus the only key to a true understanding of the mysteries that envelop man's spiritual life."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, September 1, 1935, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1632)
The "Hidden Words" allusion to Shi'ah Hidden Book of Fatimih and containing guidance revealed to Prophets of old[edit]
"...the Hidden Words...was originally designated the 'Hidden Book of Fatimih,' and was identified by its Author with the Book of that same name, believed by Shi'ah Islam to be in the possession of the promised Qa'im, and to consist of words of consolation addressed by the angel Gabriel, at God's command, to Fatimih, and dictated to the Imam Ali, for the sole purpose of comforting her in her hour of bitter anguish after the death of her illustrious Father. The significance of this dynamic spiritual leaven cast into the life of the world for the reorientation of the minds of men, the edification of their souls and the rectification of their conduct can best be judged by the description of its character given in the opening passage by its Author: 'This is that which hath descended from the Realm of Glory, uttered by the tongue of power and might, and revealed unto the Prophets of old....'"
- (Shoghi Effendi: God Passes By, p. 140, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1631)
Gem-like utterances were inspired as Bahá'u'lláh paced in meditation along the banks of the Tigris[edit]
"Next to this unique repository of inestimable treasures must rank that marvelous collection of gem-like utterances, the "Hidden Words" with which Bahá'u'lláh was inspired, as He paced, wrapped in His meditations, the banks of the Tigris. Revealed in the year 1274 A.H., partly in Persian, partly in Arabic..."
- (Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, pp. 139-140)
The Hidden Words have no sequence[edit]
"The Hidden Words have no sequence. They are jewel-like thoughts cast out of the mind of the Manifestation of God to admonish and counsel men...."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, October 22, 1949, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1633)
See also[edit]
Generally believed Hidden Words revealed in sections rather than all at once[edit]
"It is generally believed that the Hidden Words was dictated by Bahá'u'lláh to His secretary as He strolled on the banks of the river in Baghdád--in sections rather than all at one time."
- (Unfolding Destiny, pp. 429-430)
Date of the Hidden Words[edit]
"The exact date in which the Hidden Words was written you can find on the opening page of Mrs. J. E. Stannard's translation published in Cairo. She gives a line in the Master's own handwriting giving the date as 1274 A.H. (1857-8 A.D.)."
- (Unfolding Destiny, p. 429)
Passages in which Bahá'u'lláh Refers to Man as "Son of Spirit"[edit]
"As to your second question concerning those passages in the 'Hidden Words' in which Bahá'u'lláh refers to man as 'Son of Spirit', 'Son of existence', 'Son of humanity' etc., the word 'son' used in this connection is a kind of collective noun, meaning mankind and has, therefore, no connotation of any sex differentiation between man and woman whatever."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, January 19, 1935, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1634)
"In many languages the use of the masculine gender, unless intended specifically to denote masculinity, is generic. For instance, in English we speak of the race of man, or mankind, in both instances meaning every member of the human race—men, women and children. There would be no reason to interpret “O Son of Being”, or “O Son of Man” as addressed only to males. It is the same with pronouns."
- (5 April 1981, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, The Use of the Masculine Gender in the Bahá'í Writings, no. 1)
Contains some new teachings as well as old[edit]
"While in the Hidden Words we read concerning that which has descended upon the Prophets of the past,* yet there are in the Hidden Words teachings which are new and particular to this Revelation."
"*Refers to the introductory paragraph of the Hidden Words, as follows: "This is that which descended from the Source of Majesty, through the tongue of Power and Strength upon the Prophets of the past. We have taken its essences and clothed them with the garment of brevity, as a favor to the beloved, that they may fulfil The Covenant of GOD; that they may perform in themselves that which He has entrusted to them, and attain the victory by virtue of devotion in the land of the Spirit.""
- (Star of the West, vol. 4, issue 15, p. 254)
Individual Hidden Words[edit]
Incorporates from https://bahai-library.com/compilation_hidden_words_bwc
| Verse | Topics | Earlier translations | Hidden Words cross-reference | Other writings cross-reference
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A0-Arabic (Introduction) | tongue, Prophets, brevity, Covenant | Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 86 (see also Star of the West, vol. 3, issue 4, p. 19) - Restates part of the preamble: "The preface announces that it contains the essences of the words of the Prophets of the past, clothed in the garment of brevity, for the teaching and spiritual guidance of the people of the world."
Star of the West, vol. 4, issue 15, p. 254 - Describes how the Hidden Words contain teachings revealed by the prophets of old (though also new teachings as well) | ||
| A1 | purity, kindness, radiance |
"There is no correspondence or connection between the Hidden Word (Arabic) no. 1 and the last Arabic Hidden Word, or between these and any passage of the Seven Valleys."
| ||
| A2 | justice | Cited in Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, Tarázát, pp. 36-37.
"Small wonder, therefore, that the Author of the Bahá'í Revelation should have chosen to associate the name and title of that House, which is to be the crowning glory of His administrative institutions, not with forgiveness but with justice, to have made justice the only basis and the permanent foundation of His Most Great Peace, and to have proclaimed it in His Hidden Words as "the best beloved of all things" in His sight."
"You raise concerns about the problems that can arise from the service of a husband and wife on the same Assembly. We should point out that the same problems can arise from the joint service of a parent and child, of two brothers, of two partners in business, or of any two other people who have close association outside their membership on the Assembly. A rule to deal with all these possibilities would itself introduce serious problems. The solution to this is a question of maturation. Bahá’ís have to learn to stand on their own two feet and speak their minds and judge according to their own understanding, as strongly exhorted by Bahá’u’lláh in the Hidden Words, in which He declares that “The best beloved of all things in My sight is justice.”" | ||
| A3 | Love of God for man | |||
| A4 | Love of God for man | |||
| A5 | Love of God for man, Love of man for God | |||
| A6 | Paradise | |||
| A7 | love, dying in God | "As to the reference in the Arabic "Hidden Words" that the human being must become detached from self, here too the meaning is that he should not seek out anything whatever for his own self in this swiftly-passing life, but that he should cut the self away, that is, he should yield up the self and all its concerns on the field of martyrdom, at the time of the coming of the Lord."
| ||
| A8 | Peace | |||
| A9 | Love, Stronghold | |||
| A10 | Love of God within man, nearness to God, stronghold | |||
| A11 | Lamp, God within man | |||
| A12 | Strength, God within man, faith | |||
| A13 | wealth, poverty, nobility, knowledge, enlightenment, love, God is within man |
When hearts are purified through the heavenly teachings, they become like clear mirrors[edit]"Thou hast asked about the statement in the Hidden Words: "O Son of Spirit! Turn thy sight unto thyself that thou mayest find Me standing within thee, mighty, powerful and self-subsisting." This is the same statement as was made by Christ to His apostles in the Gospel: "The Father is in the Son, and the Son is in you."[1. Cf. John 14:20] "It is evident that, when a heart is purified and through divine education and heavenly teachings becometh a manifestor of infinite bounty, it is like a clear mirror. The Sun of Truth will be reflected in it with might, power and omnipotence, to such an extent that whatever is brought before it is ignited and consumed. This is a brief interpretation because of lack of time. Therefore, do thou reflect and meditate upon it so that the doors of inner meanings may be opened before thine eyes.
The Divine Spirit can be reflected within us, but cannot be compared to the Revelation given to His Prophets[edit]"As to the passage No. 13 of the Arabic Hidden Words: That which Bahá'u'lláh declares we can find abiding within us is the power of the Divine Spirit, the reflection of the light of His Revelation. This reflection of the Divine Spirit, however, can in no way be compared to the Revelation which God discloses to His Prophets and Messengers. The similarity in the terminology should not confuse this distinction which is most fundamental."
| ||
| A14 | dominion, light, glory, robe, love | |||
| A15 | renunciation, sovereignty, dominion, universe | |||
| A16 | communion | |||
| A17 | contentment | A18 | ||
| A18 | contentment | A17 | ||
| A19 | breath, love | |||
| A20 | grace, love, light | |||
| A21 | tree, fruits, aspiration | |||
| A22 | nobility | |||
| A23 | eternity, desire | |||
| A24 | transgression, prostration | |||
| A25 | The poor | |||
| A26 | fault-finding | A27 | ||
| A27 | Fault-finding | A26 | ||
| A28 | Hypocrisy, justice | |||
| A29 | Golden rule, Fault-finding, trustworthiness, words and deeds | |||
| A30 | Generosity | |||
| A31 | Bringing oneself to account | Compare with Summons of the Lord of Hosts, Súriy-i-Mulúk, par. 69 (also in Promised Day Is Come, par. 92) re: "Bring thyself to account..." | ||
| A32 | death, joy | |||
| A33 | joy, light, peace, holiness | |||
| A34 | holiness, grieving, power, light, countenance | |||
| A35 | sorrow, rejoicing, closeness to God | |||
| A36 | rejoicing | |||
| A37 | robe, fountain | |||
| A38 | laws, self-denial | |||
| A39 | laws, teachings | |||
| A40 | space, heaven, rest, submission | |||
| A41 | Magnifying the Cause, light, eternity | |||
| A42 | Humility, Triumph of the Cause | |||
| A43 | Teaching the Faith | |||
| A44 | hearing, sight | |||
| A45 | Martyrdom, contentment, thankfulness, canopy, majesty | A46, A47 | ||
| A46 | Martyrdom, bed, light, Paradise | A45, A47 | ||
| A47 | Martyrdom, creation of the universe | A45, A46 | ||
| A48 | love, fortitude, patience | |||
| A49 | love, rebellion, forgiveness, sin, mercy | |||
| A50 | adversity, trials | |||
| A51 | calamity, trials | A50 |
Only Through Suffering Can Nobility of Character Be Made Manifest--The Energy We Spend Enduring the Intolerance of Others is Not Lost[edit]"As to the inconveniences you have experienced during the last ten years, the best consolation I can imagine for you is your own quotation of the Hidden Words, 'My calamity is my providence.' We must bear with one another. It is only through suffering that the nobility of character can make itself manifest. The energy we expend in enduring the intolerance of some individuals of our community is not lost. It is transformed into fortitude, steadfastness and magnanimity. The lives of Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá are the best examples for this. Sacrifices in the path of one's religion produce always immortal results, 'Out of the ashes rises the phoenix'."
God does not only punish; He chastises because He loves[edit]"God, however, as has been pointed out in the very beginning of these pages, does not only punish the wrongdoings of His children. He chastises because He is just, and He chastens because He loves. Having chastened them, He cannot, in His great mercy, leave them to their fate. Indeed, by the very act of chastening them He prepares them for the mission for which He has created them. "My calamity is My providence," He, by the mouth of Bahá'u'lláh, has assured them, "outwardly it is fire and vengeance, but inwardly it is light and mercy.""
| |
| A52 | prosperity, abasement | |||
| A53 | poverty, wealth, abasement, glory | |||
| A54 | dominion, sovereignty | |||
| A55 | wealth, gold, fire | |||
| A56 | gold, wealth | A55 | ||
| A57 | wealth, poor |
"As to your question about the meaning in the Arabic Hidden Words, "...couldst thou but see with Mine eye": When man reacheth the station of selflessness, and his love of self is entirely wiped out, his existence becometh like unto non- existence, and a ray from God's presence sheddeth its light upon him. Then he can see with the eye of God, and can hear with His ear. This is like iron in the fire. The qualities of the iron, its coldness, darkness and hardness are concealed, and it manifests heat, luminosity, and fluidity, which are the qualities of the fire."
| ||
| A58 | temple, cleanliness | |||
| A59 | heart, home, spirit, revelation, cleanliness |
The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 148. Also in Star of the West, vol. 3, issue 8, p. 21 and in Hidden Words (compilation), no. 12 | ||
| A60 | hand, bosom | |||
| A61 | Ascending, reunion, chalice, wine | |||
| A62 | bed, sleep, sun, light | |||
| A63 | Light, mountain, Sinai |
"Tur"2 and "Sinai" should not be taken literally; the first is an allusion to Mount Sinai, which in this case means the Manifestation of God; the second, "Sinai", represents the human heart.
"2. This statement referred to an early translation. The word "Tur" was later translated by the Guardian as "sacred Mount"." | ||
| A64 | eternity, creation | |||
| A65 | majesty, grandeur | |||
| A66 | Unknowability of God | |||
| A67 | Progressive revelation | |||
| A68 | Oneness of humanity | Star of the West, Volume 3, Issue 1, p. 4 (1912) | ||
| A69 | treasury, ungodly | |||
| A70 | Completeness, contentment |
"Hidden Word No. 70: this is not addressed to any person3 but is a mystical expression and an allusion to the Manifestation of God."
"3. Response to a question asking to whom the words "O SON OF HIM THAT STOOD BY HIS OWN ENTITY IN THE KINGDOM OF HIS SELF!" were addressed." | ||
| A71 | spirit, heart, martyrdom |
"The intent is total fulfilment of, and complete adherence to, the divine ordinances and exhortations.4
"4. Response to a question asking about the stations which are higher than martyrdom in His path, mentioned at the end of the Arabic Hidden Words." "There is no correspondence or connection between the Hidden Word (Arabic) no. 1 and the last Arabic Hidden Word, or between these and any passage of the Seven Valleys."
| ||
| P0-Persian (invocation) | utterance, might | |||
| P1 | spirit, nightingale, Solomon, Sheba, faithfulness | |||
| P2 | bird, nightingale, slough, heedlessness | |||
| P3 | garden, heart, rose, love, Association with righteous, Eschewment of fellowship with ungodly |
"In the passage "eschew all fellowship with the ungodly", Bahá'u'lláh means that we should shun the company of those who disbelieve in God and are wayward. The word "ungodly" is a reference to such perverse people.
| ||
| P4 | lover, patience, peace, sacrifice | |||
| P5 | negligence, dispute, words and deeds | |||
| P6 | envy | |||
| P7 | heights, tree, love, realm, pavilion | |||
| P8 | holiness, communion, cleanliness, spirit | |||
| P9 | doubt, certitude, veil | |||
| P10 | eye, beauty, like seeketh like | |||
| P11 | blind, beauty, ear, learning | |||
| P12 | eye, world, beauty | |||
| P13 | dove, heaven, loss, rose | |||
| P14 | beauty, material world | |||
| P15 | nightingale, holiness, mystery | |||
| P16 | negligence, speech, mystery, ear, heart | |||
| P17 | martyrdom, purity | |||
| P18 | holiness, garden, Paradise, striving | |||
| P19 | morning, will, desire, life, Covenant |
"The "true and radiant morn" is the dawn of the Covenant, and the first light of the Testament of the Day-Star of the world. The "Tree of Anisa"[5. In Shoghi Effendi's translation of the Hidden Words, the term "Tree of Anisa" is rendered by him as the "tree of life".] is the blessed tree which hath flourished in the Most Great Paradise and casteth its shadow upon all regions."
"By the term "that true and radiant morn" mentioned in the Hidden Words is meant the Dawn of divine Revelation when the Exalted One[6. The Báb] manifested Himself in the plenitude of His glory, while the Blessed Tree referreth to the Ancient Beauty. By those "surroundings" is meant the realm of the heart and of the spirit, and the gathering of the people implieth a spiritual communion, not a physical one. However when the Call of God was raised in the realm of the heart and spirit, mankind remained heedless and inattentive, and therefore was dumbfounded."
"By the "Tree of Anisa" is meant the Tabernacle of the Lord of Grace, the divine Lote-Tree, the Tree of Life, "the Olive that belongeth neither to the East nor to the West, whose oil would well nigh shine out even though fire touched it not".[7. Qur'án 24:35]"
"This is the Covenant and Testament which the Blessed Beauty established through the Supreme Pen in the Holy Land under the shade of the Tree of Anisa and which was promulgated after the Ascension."
"This has many spiritual meanings. Among them is that it designates the Tree of life, and at times it refers to the Temple of the Manifestation.[8. Response to an inquiry about the meaning of the Tree of Anisa.]"
"The passage[9. Response to an inquiry about the meaning of this passage of the Hidden Words, especially the last part in which reference is made to a "place" and "those surroundings".] in "The Hidden Words" no. 19 has a spiritual meaning and is allegorical, as are also the other passages in that book. It refers to the spiritual presence of Bahá'u'lláh."
| ||
| P20 | dead, heedlessness, purity, complacency | P37, P48 |
"These are the Tablets of the Kingdom written by the Supreme Pen in the Preserved Tablet. Such Tablets have not descended from the Realm of the Kingdom to the earthly world; nay they are preserved and protected in an invisible treasury. If at any time a soul show such Tablets attributing them to God saying that it is the "Ruby Tablet" or the "Fifth Tablet of Paradise", it is without truth.
| |
| P21 | communion, sword, rebellion, glory, shame | |||
| P22 | learned, wise, search, ego/self | |||
| P23 | candle, youth, monarch, love, tyranny, dove, holiness, negligence | |||
| P24 | shepherd, wolf, star | |||
| P25 | water, bitterness, assay, dust, mirror | |||
| P26 | friend, stranger, home | |||
| P27 | heaven, earth, stranger, home | |||
| P28 | dawn, bed, ease | |||
| P29 | atom, breast, milk, womb, love, heedlessness | |||
| P30 | dawn, heedlessness, sleep | |||
| P31 | beauty, eye, will, heart | |||
| P32 | candle, heart, ego/self, passion, remembrance | |||
| P33 | tongue, lips, seeds, soil, heart, hyacinth | |||
| P34 | paradise, tree, friendship, desire, passion | |||
| P35 | lamp, error, torch, guidance, assayer, virtue, holiness | |||
| P36 | Not speaking unless given a hearing, cup, lover, heart, hyacinth | |||
| P37 | dominion, sovereignty, not trading good for bad, river |
"These are the Tablets of the Kingdom written by the Supreme Pen in the Preserved Tablet. Such Tablets have not descended from the Realm of the Kingdom to the earthly world; nay they are preserved and protected in an invisible treasury. If at any time a soul show such Tablets attributing them to God saying that it is the "Ruby Tablet" or the "Fifth Tablet of Paradise", it is without truth.
"Thou hast asked about the pearls treasured in the Hidden Words where, addressing the abject and the foolish, Bahá'u'lláh hath admonished: "Abandon not for that which perisheth an everlasting dominion". "This is when man depriveth himself of the manifold favours of God, is debarred from the goodly gifts of the All-Merciful, is bereft of His infinite bounty and gracious rewards by following the prompting of his selfish desires, by seeking earthly pleasures and by indulging in corrupt imaginations. Hence "that which perisheth" is an allusion to every kind of corrupt inclination and evil deed. God indeed is the source of clear tokens!"
| ||
| P38 | cage, phoenix, renunciation, sanctity |
"Regarding the statement in "The Hidden Words", that man must renounce his own self, the meaning is that he must renounce his inordinate desires, his selfish purposes and the promptings of his human self, and seek out the holy breathings of the spirit, and follow the yearnings of his higher self, and immerse himself in the sea of sacrifice, with his heart fixed upon the beauty of the All-Glorious.
| ||
| P39 | ease, rest, garden, delight, not trading good for bad, prison, meads, cage, paradise | |||
| P40 | fetters, freedom, prison, taking opportunities | |||
| P41 | sovereignty, mystery, pure | |||
| P42 | malice, envy, holiness | |||
| P43 | friend, trespassing, theft, will | |||
| P44 | hearing, seeing, not speaking evil, not magnifying faults of others, abasement, stainlessness, paradise | |||
| P45 | desire, satanic fancies, vain imaginings, purity, detachment, counsel, beasts | |||
| P46 | mention of God, beauty, throne, holiness | |||
| P47 | vaingloriousness, haughtiness | |||
| P48 | Patience, detachment, pride, abasement, dust | |||
| P49 | wealthy, the poor, generosity | |||
| P50 | covetousness, contentment | |||
| P51 | contentment, poverty, wealth | |||
| P52 | house, enemy, friend, paradise, loyalty, horizon, hearing | |||
| P53 | wealth | |||
| P54 | The poor, ease | |||
| P55 | wealth, poverty, wine, immortal life | |||
| P56 | Eschewment of fellowship with ungodly, Association with righteous, ear | P57 | ||
| P57 | Eschewment of fellowship with ungodly | P56 | ||
| P58 | Holy Spirit, Association with righteous, morning, dead | |||
| P59 | Secrets of hearts are not hidden to God | |||
| P60 | Secrets of hearts are not hidden to God, grace | |||
| P61 | dewdrop, ocean, wine, unity, impurity, beauty, trading good for the bad | |||
| P62 | wine, dregs, immortal life, wisdom, aspiring | |||
| P63 | calamity, Secrets of hearts are not hidden to God, chyrsolite | Earlier translation by Shoghi Effendi in Gleanings, sec. 104; see also https://bahai-library.com/uhj_hidden_words_pup |
"Thou hast asked about the "Tablet of Chrysolite" and the "Preserved Tablet". By the "Chrysolite Tablet" is meant the Book of Bahá'u'lláh's Covenant which is the Preserved Tablet. It was hidden and preserved, now it is made manifest and resplendent. The Chrysolite Tablet is recorded and enshrined in the inmost recesses of the Book of the Covenant."
"One of the explanations given today concerned the meaning of the Tablets of chrysolite mentioned in the Hidden Words, about which one of the friends had asked. The Master replied: "What is meant is one of the holy Tablets. But it also alludes to the fact that the divine Tablets should be engraved on precious stones. In addition, there is a saying in the East by which the color white symbolizes divine will; red, divine decree and martyrdom; green, predestination; and yellow, execution of the decree."
"The prophetic voice of Bahá'u'lláh warning, in the concluding passages of the Hidden Words, "the peoples of the world" that "an unforeseen calamity is following them and that grievous retribution awaiteth them" throws indeed a lurid light upon the immediate fortunes of sorrowing humanity. Nothing but a fiery ordeal, out of which humanity will emerge, chastened and prepared, can succeed in implanting that sense of responsibility which the leaders of a new-born age must arise to shoulder."
| |
| P64 | tyranny, injustice, Covenant, Preserved Tablet, seal |
"The "Preserved Tablet" is a spiritual expression and has no actual existence. It sometimes refers to the Manifestation Himself, Whose knowledge encompasses the knowledge of the former and the latter generations."
| ||
| P65 | forbearance, negligence, passion, Secrets of hearts are not hidden to God | |||
| P66 | tongue, mention of God, detraction, fault-finding | |||
| P67 | dawn, holiness, satanic secrets will be exposed | |||
| P68 | desire, passion, communion | |||
| P69 | deeds, assayer, purity |
"For erelong the assayers of mankind shall, in the holy presence of the Adored One, accept naught but absolute virtue and deeds of stainless purity." "This holy verse is replete with meaning, and as time is pressing only a brief mention is made as follows: naught else but upright conduct and pure deeds shall be accepted at His divine Threshold."
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| P70 | pleasantness, gloriousness, sweetness, freedom from toil and sin | |||
| P71 | Covenant, Parán, Zamán, rebellion |
"As for the reference in "The Hidden Words" regarding the Covenant entered into on Mount Párán, this signifieth that in the sight of God the past, the present and the future are all one and the same--whereas, relative to man, the past is gone and forgotten, the present is fleeting, and the future is within the realm of hope. And it is a basic principle of the Law of God that in every Prophetic Mission, He entereth into a Covenant with all believers--a Covenant that endureth until the end of that Mission, until the promised day when the Personage stipulated at the outset of the Mission is made manifest. Consider Moses, He Who conversed with God. Verily, upon Mount Sinai, Moses entered into a Covenant regarding the Messiah, with all those souls who would live in the day of the Messiah. And those souls, although they appeared many centuries after Moses, were nevertheless--so far as the Covenant, which is outside time, was concerned--present there with Moses. The Jews, however, were heedless of this and remembered it not, and thus they suffered a great and clear loss." "The "Covenant" mentioned in the Hidden Words is the Covenant and Testament which was entered into by the pen of the Most High in the hallowed precincts of the Paran of the love of God, the summit of timeless time.[10. Zaman] The "dwellers in the city of eternity" and the "concourse on high" are souls who are firm in the Covenant."
"The meaning of the references to "Paran" and "Zaman" in the passage no. 71 of the Persian "Hidden Words" has been explained by 'Abdu'l-Bahá...."
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| P72 | sword, artificer, ego/self, desire | |||
| P73 | daystar, holiness, defilement, heedlessness, cloud | |||
| P74 | sovereignty, dominion, livery, pride, dust | |||
| P75 | sovereignty, bird, fowler, death, desire | |||
| P76 | Words and deeds | |||
| P77 | persecution, capacity, receptiveness, progressive revelation |
"When considering the identity of the Name which at that time was not fully divulged, thou wilt readily see what unspeakable cruelties the company of the faithless perpetrated and what misdeeds they committed. No injury did they spare and no harm did they fail to inflict. With the sword of unyielding cruelty they cut this Wronged Body to pieces. This is clear and evident to everyone."
"This great name is the Greatest Name. The Blessed Beauty is intended. What we have today are the meanings of two of the letters of the Greatest Name. They are: B and H."
"It should also be borne in mind that, great as is the power manifested by this Revelation and however vast the range of the Dispensation its Author has inaugurated, it emphatically repudiates the claim to be regarded as the final revelation of God's will and purpose for mankind.... "A reference to some of the already quoted utterances of Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá will surely suffice to establish, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the truth of this cardinal principle. Might not the following passage of "The Hidden Words" be, likewise, construed as an allegorical allusion to the progressiveness of Divine Revelation and an admission by its Author that the Message with which He has been entrusted is not the final and ultimate expression of the will and guidance of the Almighty? "O Son of Justice! In the night-season the beauty of the immortal Being hath repaired from the emerald height of fidelity unto the Sadratu'l-Muntahá, and wept with such a weeping that the concourse on high and the dwellers of the realms above wailed at His lamenting. Whereupon there was asked, Why the wailing and weeping? He made reply: As bidden I waited expectant upon the hill of faithfulness, yet inhaled not from them that dwell on earth the fragrance of fidelity. Then summoned to return I beheld, and lo! certain doves of holiness were sore tried within the claws of the dogs of earth. Thereupon the Maid of heaven hastened forth unveiled and resplendent from Her mystic mansion, and asked of their names, and all were told but one. And when urged, the first letter thereof was uttered, whereupon the dwellers of the celestial chambers rushed forth out of their habitation of glory. And whilst the second letter was pronounced they fell down, one and all, upon the dust. At that moment a voice was heard from the inmost shrine: 'Thus far and no farther.' Verily We bear witness to that which they have done and now are doing."
"Concerning your second question, these two letters -- the first and the second -- refer to the blessed Name of the Ancient Beauty, namely B and H. What is intended by Bahá'u'lláh is this: that which is latent and enshrined within the inmost reality of these three letters has not been revealed, inasmuch as the world of being still does not possess the capacity and receptiveness to reflect fully the glorious radiance of this divine Revelation. Thus whatever is hidden in the inmost essence of the third letter of His blessed Name will gradually be unfolded before the eyes of all men. "In another sense these letters bear reference to the incalculable sufferings borne by the Blessed Beauty, while the people of the world are acquainted with but a fragment thereof."
"Does not Bahá'u'lláh Himself allude to the progressiveness of Divine Revelation and to the limitations which an inscrutable Wisdom has chosen to impose upon Him? What else can this passage of the Hidden Words imply, if not that He Who revealed it disclaimed finality for the Revelation entrusted to Him by the Almighty? "O Son of Justice! In the night-season the beauty of the immortal Being hath repaired from the emerald height of fidelity unto the Sadratu'l-Muntahá, and wept with such a weeping that the concourse on high and the dwellers of the realms above wailed at His lamenting. Whereupon there was asked, Why the wailing and weeping? He made reply: As bidden I waited expectant upon the hill of faithfulness, yet inhaled not from them that dwell on earth the fragrance of fidelity. Then summoned to return I beheld, and lo! certain doves of holiness were sore tried within the claws of the dogs of earth. Thereupon the Maid of Heaven hastened forth, unveiled, and resplendent, from Her mystic mansion, and asked of their names, and all were told but one. And when urged, the first Letter thereof was uttered, whereupon the dwellers of the celestial chambers rushed forth out of their habitation of glory. And whilst the second letter was pronounced they fell down, one and all, upon the dust. At that moment a Voice was heard from the inmost shrine: `Thus far and no farther.' Verily we bear witness to that which they have done and now are doing."
"Concerning ... 'Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh'...Page 24, line 20: It refers to the reality of Bahá'u'lláh."
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| P78 | tongue, mystery, utterance, seeds, water, certitude, hyacinth | |||
| P79 | desire, wings, holiness, comb |
"Concerning "wings" and "the comb" mentioned in the Hidden Words this means the Covenant of God. This Covenant was taken so that the believers would remain loyal to 'Abdu'l-Bahá and not lacerate Bahá'u'lláh's blessed throat, meaning His blessed Cause. However, they completely shut their eyes to fairness, committed misdeeds and indulged in grievous injustice."
"The expression "tend My raven locks, and not wound My throat" is an allegorical warning by Bahá'u'lláh against the misuse of anything bestowed by Him on the world."
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| P80 | fruits, crafts, profession, wealth | |||
| P81 | fruit, idleness | |||
| P82 | Livelihood, spending, kindred | |||
| P83-Conclusion | bride, completeness, detachment, favor |
See also[edit]
- Ego/self (a frequent topic of the Hidden Words)
