[page 335]
NOTE U.
WRITINGS OF THE BÁB AND
SUBH-I-EZEL.
On
October 11th, 1889, I received a letter from Captain Young (dated September
30th) enclosing a letter and sundry other documents from
Subh-i-Ezel. Amongst these documents was a list of some of the
writings of the Báb and Subh-i-Ezel written out by the latter.
Although this list does not profess to be complete, comprising only such works
as were carried by the Bábí exiles to Baghdad, and although, in the absence of
detailed information about the works enumerated therein, it is incapable of
affording much help in the identification of Bábí MSS., I here append a
translation of it, in the hope that it may serve in some measure to throw light
on the very imperfectly explored bibliography of the sect. Explanatory notes of
my own are added in square brackets.
[WRITINGS OF THE BÁB.]
"What was collected of the books of the Beyán of the remnant
left from Persia, which was taken away in Baghdad, carried off by the relations
of this humble one [i.e.
Subh-i-Ezel].
[1] Commentary on the Kur'án in the style of
the Kur'án, complete, 1 vol.
[2] Answers and Commentaries ~~~, 1 vol.
[3] Commentary on the Kur'án
in the fashion of the verses of the Kur'án, complete, 1
vol.
[4] The Five
Grades ~~~, 1 vol. [A MS. of this work was forwarded to me by
Subh-i-Ezel with the letter above referred to. It comprises 395
pages of 14 lines each, and contains selections of pieces in each of the
"five
[page 336]
grades" or "styles" employed by the Báb, the
nature of which will be briefly discussed at the end of this
note.]
[5]
Verses ~~~, 2 vols.
[6] The Book of Recompense ~~~, 2 vols. [A small
fragment of this work, transcribed by Subh-i-Ezel, is in my
possession. One peculiarity thereof is the occurrence of groups of verses
differing from one another only in one or two words. By combining the first
letters of the divergent words or clauses proper names are formed, so that the
book would appear to be in part a cabbalistic register of the names of
believers. In the following specimen, which will render the nature of this
procedure more clear, the catch-words are indicated by a line drawn over
them:-
[ten lines of Persian/Arabic text]
[page 337]
[nine lines of Persian/Arabic
text]
By combining the first
letters of the catch-words in the above extract (after discarding the definite
article, in cases where this is prefixed) we get the name ~~~ Hájí
'Abdu'l-Muttalib. Similarly the verses immediately succeeding
these give the name ~~~ Hájí Muhammad Mahdí.]
[7] Supplications and Visitations~~~,
1 vol. [In my second article on the Bábís in the J. R. A. S. for
1889, I described one of these "Visitations" under the name Ziyárat-námé
(pp. 894-902, 1000), and attempted to prove its identity with Gobineau's
"Journal du Plerinage" and with a Bábí MS. described by Mirza Kazem-Beg (ii,
pp. 498-502). At that time I was not aware that the Báb had composed more than
one work
[page 338]
of this character. I subsequently enquired of
Subh-i-Ezel as to the authenticity of this work. In reply he wrote
as follows:- "The 'Book of Visitation' (Kitáb-i-ziyárat) which you
alluded to is from His Highness the Point (i.e. the Báb), and was after the
'Manifestation,' as its contents testify. He wrote many 'Visitations': it is not
limited to one. But there is also a 'Book of Visitations' by myself. That is in
another style, but there is in this land but a small portion thereof." Some of
these 'Visitations' are included in the MS. of the 'Five Grades' mentioned
above, amongst them being one designed for the use of pilgrims visiting the
graves of the martyrs who fell at Sheykh Tabarsí. This, according to
Subh-i-Ezel, was also composed by the Báb.]
[8] Prayers (~~~), 1 vol.
[9] Various Grades
(~~~), unbound, 1 [vol.].
[10] Writings of the Scribe [probably Áká
Seyyid Huseyn of Yezd or Mullá 'Abdu'l-Karím of Kazvín]
comprising what was revealed at Shíráz and Isfahán and during the journey of
the Pilgrimage [to Mecca], 3 vols.
[11] The Best of Stories (~~~), 1 vol.
[This work, better known as the 'Commentary of the Súra of Joseph,' is so
called in allusion to Kur'án xii, 3, where the history of Joseph is thus
characterized. Specimens of it have been published by Baron Rosen in vol. i of
the Collections Scientifiques de l'Institut des Langues Orientales (St
Petersburg, 1877), pp. 179-191. Some description of it, based on the extracts
published by Baron Rosen, is given at pp. 904-909 of my second article on the
Bábís. See also p. 3 supra, and note 3 thereon.]
[12] The Book of Names (~~~),
comprising 361 Names, amongst which is the Name 'Musakkin' ('the
Calmer'), incomplete, 2 vols. [The extracts from a Bábí MS. in the St
Petersburg collection published by Dorn in the Bulletin de l'Académie
Impériale de St Pétersbourg of Dec. 22nd, 1864, were pronounced by
Subh-i-Ezel, to whose inspection I submitted them, to belong to
this work.]
[page 339]
[13]
Writings of the deceased Áká Seyyid Huseyn [of
Yezd], original copy, 2 vols.
[14] Various Grades (~~~), 1 vol.
[15] The Book of Figures (~~~), 1 vol.
[See note 1 on p. 42 supra, Mirza Kazem-Beg, ii, p. 498, and
Gobineau, p. 498, note 1.]
[16] Sundry (~~~), 1 vol.
[17] Things appertaining to
Jenáb-i-Sheykh-i-'Azím [Mullá Sheykh 'Alí, see Note T, p. 329
supra], 3 vols., together with his effects.
[18] Copies and originals of writings (~~~),
tied up together in four bundles.
[19] Beyán, 1 vol. [Concerning the application of
this name see below.]
[20] Prayers (~~~), 1 vol.
[21] Prayers and Visitations (~~~), 1 vol.
[22] The Best of
Stories [see No. 11 supra], and another Beyán which
is missing (~~~), 2 [vols.].
[23] The Five Grades [see No. 4
supra], 1 vol.
[24] Sundry (~~~).
[25] Another Book, 1 vol.
"Besides what was destroyed in Persia, some of which never reached
[my] hand, and what went to foreign lands and was therefore
ignored in [making out the catalogue of] the trust. What was
promulgated [by the Báb] at first in Shíráz and other places
[included] the Book of seven hundred Súras (~~~); the
Book of the Proof (~~~, sic); the Book of the two Sanctu-
[page 340]
Ęuaries (~~~); the [Book
of] Justice (~~~); the Prayer of the two alifs (or, of
the two thousand, ~~~); Epistles of the earlier period of the
dispensation (~~~), each of which was sent to a different destination; the
Commentary on the 'Bismi'lláh' (~~~); and the Commentary on
[Súra ciii of the Kur'án beginning]
'Wa'l-'asr' (see supra, p. 11).
"As to what appertained to [i.e. was composed by]
the 'Name of the Last' (~~~) [by which title, as
Subh-i-Ezel explained elsewhere, Mullá Muhammad 'Alí of
Bárfurúsh, called by the Bábís Jenáb-i-Kuddús, is
intended], but little remained in [my] hands. All the
rest passed into the hands of strangers. Amongst other things the Commentary
on [the opening chapter of the Kur'án entitled
'Al-]Hamd,' [the eloquence of] which
was beyond the power of man, was entirely destroyed, and no copy remained in
[my] possession."
[WRITINGS OF SUBH-I-EZEL.]
"What appertaineth to this humble one [i.e.
Subh-i-Ezel], apart from that whereof the existence in
Persia is unknown [i.e. besides what may exist in Persia unknown to
me].
[1] The Book
of Light (~~~), 1 vol. [See Gobineau, pp. 312-313; B. ii. pp.
939-942; and M. C. Huart's Note sur trois ouvrages Bâbis in the
Journal Asiatique for 1887 (série viii, tome x, pp. 133-144). M. Huart
identified the first of the three works which he described with the Book of
Light mentioned by Gobineau, but did not fail to observe the discrepancy in
size between the "assez gros in-folio" of the latter writer and the small volume
which was the subject of his own description. The solution of the difficulty
appears to be that there are two separate works bearing the same name, both
composed by
[page 341]
Subh-i-Ezel. I forwarded an
abstract of M. Huart's description of the supposed Book of Light to
Subh-i-Ezel, who replied as follows:- "The Book of Light is
by this humble one [i.e. by myself], but there are two
Lights, a first and a second. If it be the second, it will be worthy of
attentive perusal, and will be a voluminous work. Some of the names of the
súras which you wrote are from the Book of Light, provided that
there be not therein interpolations of enemies, such as my relatives have
effected in some cases, inserting their own calumnies in certain epistles;
though to him who hath knowledge of God this will be apparent." The Book of
Light mentioned in this list is, as I ascertained during my sojourn at
Famagusta, the larger of the two works bearing this name.]
[2] The Highest Heaven (~~~), 1 vol.
[Of this work Subh-i-Ezel mentioned two copies, one in
Persia, and one (the same here mentioned) in the hands of the Behá'ís at
Acre.]
[3]
Miscellaneous (~~~), 1 vol.
[4] The Wakeful, &c (~~~), 1 vol. [A
copy extant in Persia.]
[5] Writings of the Scribe (~~~), 2 vols. [By "the
Scribe," as subsequently explained by Subh-i-Ezel, Mullá
'Abdu'l-Karím of Kazvín is intended. See note 2 on p. 41
supra.]
[6]
Tracts, &c., of [the nature of] Visitations
(~~~), 1 large vol.
[7]
Another book, miscellaneous, 1 vol.
[8] Commentary on the Kasída, and other
miscellaneous writings (~~~), unbound, 1 vol.
[9] [Book of] Light, unbound, 1 vol.
[The same as No. 1 supra.]
[10] Verses (~~~), 1 vol.
"Besides what may exist unknown [to me] in other
[page 342]
lands, and entirely apart from [what
exists in] the prison of this land. All these books and epistles have
disappeared, save what have remained in other countries and the few which remain
in this land."
In the letter accompanying
this list Subh-i-Ezel wrote as follows concerning the fate of the
Báb's works generally and of those above enumerated in
particular:-
"As to what you asked concerning
the existence of certain epistles, it is even as you have heard, leaving out of
account that which from first to last passed into the hands of strangers,
whereof no copy was preserved. At the time of the martyrdom [of the
Báb] at Tabríz, as they wrote from thence, many of the original writings
passed into the hands of persons belonging to the country of your Excellency or
to Russia, amongst these being even autograph writings of His Highness the Point
[i.e. the Báb]. Search is necessary, for to read the originals is
difficult. If this humble one be applied to, copies thereof will be sent. What I
myself arranged and copied out while at Baghdad, and what was commanded to be
collected of previous and subsequent [writings] until the Day of
Martyrdom [of the Báb], was nigh upon thirty volumes of bound
books. I myself wrote them with my own hand, and up to the present time I have
written many. The originals and copies of these, together with what was in the
writing of others, sundry other [books] written in proof of this
religion by certain learned friends1, and what I
myself wrote and compiled, amounted to numerous volumes, as [recorded
in] the list thereof [which] I have sent. For some years
all of these were in a certain place in the hands of a friend as a trust.
Afterwards they were deposited in another place2.
1 In answer to a question
as to the nature and authorship of the works here alluded to,
Subh-i-Ezel informed me that the Báb declared it to be a
meritorious action for each of his followers who was competent thereunto to
compose a treatise in defence of the Faith. Many such treatises were accordingly
composed by the more learned Bábís, amongst them being one by
Jenáb-i-'Azím (Mullá Sheykh 'Alí), and one called ~~~ ('The
seven hundred') by Jenáb-i-Táhira (Kurratu'l-'Ayn)
2 One of these depositaries, as I
subsequently learned from [footnote goes onto page 343]
Subh-i-Ezel, was Áká Seyyid Jawád, who died lately at
Kirmán. The other was a certain merchant of great wealth whom I cannot more
particularly designate.
[page 343]
Eventually I entrusted them to my own
relatives1, [in whose keeping] they
were preserved for a while; for, inasmuch as the friends of this recluse
[i.e. myself] had attained unto martyrdom through the
equity and justice of the oppressors of the age, who consider
themselves as seekers after truth and just men, there was no resource but that
this humble one [i.e. myself] should make his relatives his
trustees. So did this humble one; and whatever [was mine] of
books and epistles was [deposited] in their house. The
vicissitudes of the world so fell out that these also unsheathed the sword of
hatred and wrought what they would. They cruelly put to the sword the remnant of
[my] friends who stood firm2, and,
making strenuous efforts, got into their hands such of the books of His Highness
the Point as were obtainable, with the idea of destroying them, and
[thereby] rendering their own works more attractive. They also
carried off my trust [i.e. the books above referred to committed to their
care], and fell not short in anything which can be effected by
foes."
As to the meaning of the word
Beyán, Subh-i-Ezel writes in another passage of the same
letter as follows:- "But in the Beyán different grades (~~~) are
observed. The first grade is like [i.e. in the style of]
previous [sacred] books; the second [is] of
the nature of supplications and prayers (~~~); the third
[is] the grade of homilies (~~~), wherein he had regard to
clearness and eloquence; the fourth [comprises] scientific
treatises (~~~), commentaries, and answers to en-
1 By his 'relatives' Subh-i-Ezel means his
half-brother Behá'u'llah and those of his kindred who followed him. I never
heard Subh-i-Ezel allude to Behá'u'llah and his followers by name.
When he spoke of them at all (which he did but rarely) it was as his
'relatives,' the 'people at Acre,' or the 'Mírzá'ís'
2 See Note W infra.
[page 344]
quirers; the fifth [comprises
what is written] in the Persian language, which is [in
substance] identical with the aforementioned grades, 'for that all
this is watered with one water'."
This
statement of what is meant by the term Beyán is (with the exception of
some slight differences in the arrangement of the 'grades') fully corroborated
by the Persian Beyán, which, at the beginning of Váhid iii, ch17,
has the following passage:-
[six lines of Persian/Arabic
text]
"The substance of this
chapter is this, that all the writings of the Point [i.e. the
Báb] are named Beyán. But this name is, in its primary nature,
peculiar to verses [i.e. verses written in Arabic in the style of
the Kur'án]; then it is uttered in its secondary nature in regard
to supplications; then in its tertiary nature in regard to
commentaries; then in its quaternary nature in regard to scientific
treatises; then in its quinary nature it is used in regard to
Persian words [i.e. writings and discourses]. But properly
speaking this name [of Beyán] is peculiar to verses, and
[is applicable] to nought else."
Again in Váhid vi, ch. 1, the following passage
occurs:-
[one line of Persian/Arabic text]
[page 345]
[seven lines of Persian/Arabic
text, with one footnote]
"The name Beyán is, in its primary nature, applied to verses
alone, for they are the chiefest proof and greatest argument, which point not
save unto God alone. But in its secondary nature it is applied to
supplications; in its tertiary [nature] to
commentaries; in its quaternary [nature] to scientific
treatises; and in its quinary [nature] to Persian words.
But all [these] are mentioned in the shadow of [i.e.
as subsidiary or subordinate to] verses, for, although that
mysterious eloquence which is apparent in the first [grade] is
also observable [or, if we adopt B's reading, latent] in
the last, yet, since all cannot understand, they [i.e. the lower
grades] are not mentioned [as a proof]."
From all this it follows that, although the book generally
known as the Persian Beyán is a definite work of limited extent, we can
no longer employ the term Arabic Beyán in an equally definite sense. As
Subh-i-Ezel states in another letter, as a rule only those books
which were composed by the Báb during the earlier part of his mission received
special names, while at a later date all that he 'uttered' or 'revealed' was
named collectively Beyán ('Utterance' or 'Revelation'). Some of these
'utterances' (such as the
[page 346]
'verses' recited by the Báb before his judges
at Tabríz, concerning which see Gobineau, pp. 261-262) can hardly have been
preserved at all, much less were all ever collected into a single work, though,
according to Subh-i-Ezel, a selection in nineteen volumes was
compiled, or ordered to be compiled, during the Báb's lifetime. Gobineau, with
his usual acumen, appears to have clearly apprehended this peculiar and elastic
use of the term Beyán, for he says (p. 311):- "Le mot Biyyan, une fois
employé par le Bâb, lui parut convenir trs-bien pour désigner la sphre d'idées
dans laquelle sa pensée se mouvait, et il le donna ds lors pour titre tout ce
qu'il composa." When, therefore, he speaks of "a Beyán written in Persian, which
is not the commentary on the first Beyán written in Arabic," and of "a third
Beyán, likewise composed by the first Báb," he apparently intends merely to
signalize certain specially noteworthy parts of that almost limitless mass of
religious literature emanating from the Báb which is known collectively as the
Beyán.
From what has been said it is evident
that the short list of the Báb's works which I gave at the end of my second
article on the Bábís in the J. R. A. S. for 1889 (pp. 1000-1002) requires
much alteration both in the way of correction and extension. The sum total of
the Báb's writings would appear, both from the Persian Beyán and from the
Táríkh-i-Jadíd, to have been enormous; and, though much of this mass of
literature perished, much is still preserved in Persia and elsewhere in the
East. Quite recently I received from Subh-i-Ezel MSS. of the
Commentary on the Súratu'l-'asr (see supra, p. 11, and B.
ii. p. 912) and the Commentary on the Súratu'l-Bakara (see B. ii,
pp. 902-903, 912), which had been brought from Persia to Cyprus during the
present year (1890). Of the genuineness of these MSS. I entertain no doubt. Four
other MSS. of different works composed by the Báb (amongst which are included
the Commentaries on the Súras called Kawthar and Yúsuf) were
brought to Cyprus at the same time, but of these I have not yet obtained
copies1. Of the Súra-i-
1 Since writing the above I have received two of
these four MSS. One of them is the commentary on the Súratu'l- Kawthar
[footnote goes onto page 347] above mentioned. It contains
227 pages, and is dated Zi'l-Hijjé 4th, A.H. 1296 (Nov. 19, A.D. 1879).
The other, a much larger work, is named by Subh-i-Ezel
"Commentary on the Names" (~~~).
[page 347]
Yúsuf at least two copies are preserved
in Europe, one (numbered Or. 3539) in the British Museum, and one (fully
described by Baron Rosen at pp. 179-191 of vol. i of the Collections
Scientifiques &c.) at St. Petersburg.
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