Synopsis and Codification of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas

This page is both for information unique to the earlier independent publication as online at https://bahai-library.com/bahaullah_synopsis_codification as well as for the synopsis and codification published within the subsequent 1992 publication.

Note that the earlier publication, besides not containing all of the verses of the latter version, also contains different notes, and included links from the Synopsis and Codification to specific notes (and perhaps, as a result, indirectly to specific paragraphs).

Resources

• http://www.theaqdas.org/synopsis.php
• https://bahai-library.com/safai_synopsis_aqdas_correlation

Kitáb-i-Aqdas grouping of laws

"They [the laws] can be grouped under the following headings: prayer and fasting; laws of personal status governing marriage, divorce and inheritance; a range of other laws, ordinances and prohibitions, as well as exhortations; and the abrogation of specific laws and ordinances of previous Dispensations."

(Universal House of Justice, in the Introduction to the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 4)

By section

IV.D.1.y.xviii

Interpretation on homosexuality is both in Shoghi Effendi's own hand and cross-references to the paragraph on "the subject of boys" (par. 107)

"The Research Department at the Bahá'í World Centre has confirmed that the Guardian’s manuscript notes for the Codification of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, which includes in the list of prohibitions the word "homosexuality", are in his own handwriting in English. Furthermore, Shoghi Effendi’s handwritten notes in Persian clearly cross-referenced this entry to the specific term in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas concerning "the subject of boys" (Ḥukm-i-Ghilmán)."

(Research Department, at https://bahai-library.com/uhj_homosexuality_uganda )

Cross-reference of selection numbers in the Synopsis to the complete, updated translation

Synopsis Sel. #	Book paragraphs
1	1-5
2	7 (besides the first sentence)
3	10 (first 2 sentences only)
4	16 (3rd and 2nd-to-last sentences), 17 (last sentence)
5	30 (excluding the 2nd sentence)
6	35, 37 (excluding the last 3 sentences), 38-40
7	43
8	48
9	52 (excluding the first sentence)
10	53 (excluding the first two sentences and the "Say:" at the beginning of the third), 54, 55
11	58, 59
12	63 (2nd to last sentence only, excluding "amid my servants" at the end)
13	78-88, 89 (excluding the first three sentences)-93
14	99-105
15	118
16	120-125 (121 and 122 are combined in the synopsis version)
17	144
18	161-163 (excluding the last sentence)
19	165 (all sentences besides the 5th and the phrase at the end "and to this God's witnesses and chosen ones, yea, each and every one of Us, do solemnly attest."); the same paragraph in the Synopsis also includes the last 2 sentences of 166 and the last sentence of 167; the next paragraph in the synopsis selection includes 169 (besides the last sentence) and 171
20	173-174 (besides the first sentence of the latter paragraph, "O people of the world!")
21	181-183

Differences between the original version and the version published in the full translation

The notes in this version are significantly different from the ones in the new version. Also, this older version has footnotes leading from the synopsis, thereby indicating which synopsis item corresponds to the note (and perhaps as a result of this, the text as well).

The following very minor differences in the text and synopsis itself (mostly capitalization and punctuation) exist between the original version and the updated version:

• par. 2 (item 1)- comma after: "He that turneth away from them,"
• 7-(item 2) - "He doth what He pleaseth" vs. "doeth"; "He chooseth;" with a semicolon or comma?
• 10-(item 3) - "He has exempted" vs. "hath"
• 30-(item 5) - "doth not matter" vs. "does"
• 38-(item 6) - "Whoso hath recognized Me," with a comma at the end or not?
• 40-(item 6) - "Ere long" or "Erelong"
• 43-item 7: He Who is Aware (capitalized or not?)
• 48- (item 8) - "instruction, if he be wealthy, and if" or "instruction if he be wealthy and, if"; loving-kindness or loving kindness
• 52 - (item 9) - "realm of God, shepherds" "realm of God shepherds"
• 54-(item 10) - "rocks through the sweetness" or "rocks, through the sweetness";
• 55-(item 10) - "grace, that ye" or "grace; that ye"
• 81 - (item 13) - "light, by virtue" or "light by virtue";
• 83- (item 13) - "followeth his Lord will" or "followeth his Lord, will";
• 84- (item 13) fountainhead or fountain-head;
• 85- (item 13) "prison of 'Akká" with a comma at the end or not?;
• 85- (item 13) "about Him by Whom every" or "about Him, by Whom every"; "house is exalted" with a comma?;
• 86- (item 13)Temple: "Verily or Temple: Verily;; Ancient of Days." Take or Ancient of Days. Take;
• 88- (item 13)"Branch of Eternity: There is none other God but Me, the Ever-Abiding, the Forgiving, the All-Bountiful." or no quotes;
• 88- (item 13)"Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Lord of Utterance, the All-Knowing." with quotes or not?
• 91- (item 13)"glory of God and the glory" or "glory of God, and the glory"
• 92- (item 13)"the Dayspring of His light," or "the Dayspring of His light",
• 92- (item 13)Day-Star or Day-star
• 93- (item 13)Erelong or Ere long
• 120-(item 16) - Day-Star or Day-star
• 161-(item 18) - belief and its very foundation. or belief, and its very foundation.;
• 163-(item 18)All honour or All-honour
• 165-item 19 - turn unto God and embrace or turn unto God, and embrace
• 167(item 19) -hath made all your superstitions or hath caused all your superstitions
• 169-item 19 -Dawning-place or Dawning-Place
• 171-item 19 - days gone by and for ...or... days gone by, and for
• 173-item 20 - you, and woe betide ...or... you and woe betide
• 173-item 20 - everlasting life or Everlasting Life
• 183-item 21 - Beware lest ye or Beware, lest ye

• I.A - 'Ancient Root".' or 'Ancient Root."'
• I.B - 'Stock".' or 'Stock."'
• IV.C.1.f - 'stepmother' or 'step-mother'
• IV.C.1.k - 'dislike to the other before' or 'dislike to the other, before'
• IV.C.2.b - 'is forbidden, and' or 'is forbidden and'
• IV.C.2.i - 'Islamic law' or 'Islamic Law'
• IV.C.3.e - 'these do not exist, the same' or 'these do not exist the same'; 'lacking these, to their' or 'lacking these to their'
• IV.C.3.l - 'more than one teacher, the share' or 'more than one teacher the share'
• IV.D.1.p - '(Zakát)' or not present

See also

• Kitáb-i-Aqdas (or visit directly).

To-dos for this page

• We can use https://bahai-library.com/safai_synopsis_aqdas_correlation as a basis for a cross-reference placed here