Ḥurúfát-i-‘Állín

Ḥurúfát-i-‘Állín or Musíbat-i-Hurúf-i-‘Állín, provisionally translated as The Exalted Letters or Suffering of the Exalted Letters, is an Arabic Tablet revealed by Bahá’u’lláh in Baghdad. It was also revealed in Persian, although Bahá’u’lláh noted that the Persian was a translation of the essence of the Tablet, not a literal translation from the Arabic. It has not been officially translated into English, but a provisional translation from the Arabic exists.

Structure

The voice of the Tablet is addressing God and Gloria Shahzadeh suggests that it can be regarded as a prayer. It consists of eight sections which are revealed in Arabic and also in Persian, with the Persian version of each section immediately following the Arabic original. It also includes a prologue providing context to the Persian translation.

The Tablet is focused on life and death, and explores many themes. Shahzadeh describes it as; describing the creation of man by God in His image, the granting of man with the bounty of recognizing the Manifestation to gain eternal life, exploring the journey to certitude through detachment from all but God , describing the station of the soul, and explaining physical death.

Adib Taherzadeh notes that the commentary on physical death in the Tablet states that it represents the end of the union between body and soul, with the body perishing while the soul is elevated. It also explains that as the spiritual worlds of God are not visible to man it is difficult for the living not to feel anguish at the separation from soul and body upon the death of loved ones.

Joshua Hall describes the structure of the Tablet in the introduction to his provisional translation. Hall notes that letter in a Bábí context refers to a believer, and suggests that the first two parts of the Tablet may refer to the persecution of the Letters of the Living and the Bábís in general. He describes the Tablet as beginning as a lamentation and resignation, which transitions into a request for forgiveness for the lamentation, noting and describing the bounties of God and that death of the body is required for life in the spirit.

John Walbridge describes the Tablet as describing the origin, life, and destiny of the human soul, noting that it begins with sorrow, and ends with unconditional praise of God.

History

Taherzadeh notes that the Tablet was revealed in memory of Mirza Muhammad-i-Vazir, Bahá’u’lláh's brother-in-law. Mirza Muhammad and his wife Havva, who was Bahá’u’lláh's niece through His half-sister Sakínih Khánum, were Bahá’ís. He passed away while Bahá’u’lláh was in Baghdad, so it was during the Baghdad period that this Tablet was revealed. The Tablet was sent to Maryam and Havva and the last section of it is revealed specifically to console them.

The Tablet was initially revealed in Arabic but Bahá’u’lláh also revealed the Tablet in Persian at the request of some of the Bahá'ís, noting that it was not a literal translation. The Tablet began to be used as a chant at funerals and memorials, and it continues to be recited at funerals of eastern Bahá'ís to this day.

Provisional Translations

• Provisional Translation by Joshua Hall

References

• Gloria Shahzadeh, Bahá’u’lláh’s Four Tablets to Maryam, Online Journal of Bahá‟í Studies, Volume 1 (2007), pp 275-76
• John Walbridge The Exalted Letters (Hurúfát-i-'Álín): Overview published in Sacred Acts, Sacred Space, Sacred Time: Bahá'í Studies volume 1, pages 267-8 Oxford: George Ronald, 1996
• Adib Taherzadeh, Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, Vol. 1, pp 124-125