Ṣaḥífiy-i-Shaṭṭíyyih

Ṣaḥífiy-i-Shaṭṭíyyih is a Tablet revealed by Bahá'u'lláh predominantly in Persian in Baghdad. Its title has been provisionally translated as Book of the River or alternatively Book of the Tigris. It was revealed in response to a set of questions asked by a Bábi named Javád. It is notable for its discussion of miracles.

Bahá'u'lláh notably quotes one of the Hidden Words in the Ṣaḥífiy-i-Shaṭṭíyyih, albeit with slightly different grammar, which perhaps suggests that it was revealed in 1857 at approximately the same time as the Hidden Words themselves. Nader Saiedi argues that the quotation of the Hidden Words is not conclusive evidence, and that the Tablet could have also been revealed at any point from 1858 to 1863.

Adib Taherzadeh describes the Ṣaḥífiy-i-Shaṭṭíyyih as discussing the power and sovereignty of the Cause of God, comparing its progress with the flow of the Tigris river, and using the analogy of a river to explain that God's bounty is shared among creation equally, but that it is received by each created thing in accordance with its capacity. Bahá'u'lláh also discusses the concept of miracles, emphasizing that they are not proof of the authenticity of a Prophets Message, with a Prophets Revelation of the Word of God serving that purpose instead.

Nader Saiedi explains that the discussion of miracles in this Tablet is particularly important, as prominent Bábis had begun to attribute miracles to Bahá'u'lláh in the period it was revealed, with Javád placing particular focus on these alleged miracles as a justification of Bahá'u'lláh's spiritual authority in his questions. Saiedi outlines Bahá'u'lláh's discussion of miracles as rejecting a rationalist position, arguing that the nature of reality transcends the limits of human reason using complex metaphysical and epistemological analysis, and rejecting the argument that miracles said to have happened in the past could not have happened due to the same miracles not being observed in the present by emphasizing the dynamic nature of existence. Saiedi states that the most important point made is that miracles are not an essential proof of a Manifestation of Gods claims.

It has not yet been officially translated, however a provisional translation exists. Saiedi has argued that this translation contains inaccuracies, for example he states that it mistakenly translates Bahá'u'lláh as stating that He "makes no claim to a Cause" Himself while the passage in question is actually a common idiom in Persian indicating that one does not wish to engage in a task, with the task in this case being discussion of Bahá'u'lláhs own Station.

Provisional Translation

• Provisional translation by Juan Cole
• Article by Nader Saiedi which discusses Cole's translation

References

• https://bahai-studies.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/9.3-Saiedi.pdf
• https://bahai-library.com/revelation_bahaullah_1/taherzadeh_revelation_bahaullah_1.txt