Selected translations

from

 the Kitāb-i Panj Sha`n (Book of the Five Modes)

 

of

 

Sayyid `Alī Muhammad, the Bāb (d. Tabriz, 1850 CE).

Stephen Lambden

   کتاب پنج شأن  

 

 

The first page of the Azalī-Bābī printed edition of the Kitāb-i Panj Sha`n

which has sometimes questionable orthography and is is without voweling

(like many autograph and other mss. of the writings of the Bāb)

 

Last updated 08/06/06

 

        The Kitāb-i Panj Sha`n (= KPS) (The Book of the Five Modes [ or Grades]) is a fairly lengthy major work of the Bāb largely written largely in Arabic but with some (heavily Arabized) Persian sections making up 1/5th of the work. It is a very rich work existing in a large number of mss. copies dating from the 1850s. Its subject matter is representative of the last phrase of the thought and meditative devotional style of the Bāb.

        As is well-known, the Bāb divided his writings into categories, modes, grades or types (sha`n,  pl. shu`ūn).  He often spoke of a five-fold division (cf. the word Bāb has an abjad numerical value of 5) which, though it sometimes varies a little, often includes the following categories of revealed verses :

·         (1) Āyāt  = Qur’anic style verses;

·         (2) Munājāt = Devotional pieces, prayers, supplications;

·         (3) Khuṭbah = Sermons, Orations, Homilies /   

          or alternatively,  Suwar-i `ilmiyya = "Surahs expressive of divine knowledge”;

·         (4) Tafāsīr [sing. Tafsīr] = “Commentaries”, and

·         (5) Fārsī  =  Persian language revelations.

 

This pentadic (five-fold) configuration is clear from the Persian Bayān and other writings, especially Persian Bayan   III:17;  VI:1 and IX:2.  It is on account of this five-fold division of the Bāb’s writings that the Kitāb-i Panj Sha`n gets its name. Panj means “five” and  sha`n  (pl.  shu`ūn) means “mode”, “category”, “grade”, etc. The KPS and related works and compilations are sometimes also referred to by the slightly abbreviated Persian equivalent Shu'ūn-i khamsa  (= “Five Modes”). Volumes of works with this title can be found in mss. collections of the Bāb's writings existing in the British Museum [Library] ( Or. 5612 and Or. 6680), the Cambridge University Library (Browne Collection) and elsewhere (e.g. BBF.2 etc).

It is significant that the Bāb included Persian as one of the specific languages of revelation as, of course, did Baha'u'llah himself. Within Islam the only language of qur'anic revelation is Arabic. Although some foreign language items of vocabulary such as the Persian words  firdaws (Paradise) are found in the Qur'an,  many if not most Islamic scholars tended to play down the existence and/or importance of such loan words or items of non-Arabic qur'anic vocabulary. It was argued by Muslims in the light of authoritative hadith that Arabic is supreme and that it is the language of God most fit for the revelation of the Word of God.  The Bāb and Baha'u'llah added Persian to the Islamic Arabic language of revelation. An Indo-European language (Persian) was added to the Semitic (Arabic) language, rather like the Christian Bible which includes scripture in a Semitic (Hebrew-Aramaic) language (the Hebrew Bible, Tanakh) and an Indo-European language (Greek),  the Greek New Testament. 

 The Kitāb-i Panj Sha`n is a work that the Bāb began writing at  a very auspicious time,  at the beginning of the Bābī year seven  which falls in the spring  of the year 1850 CE.  More precisely he commenced  this work on the 1st of Bahā’  of the Badī` or Bābī (-Bahā’ī  ) year 7 (= 1850 )  which (in the Christian Gregorian calendar ) corresponds to the 19th of March 1850 CE  (= in the Islamic calendar to the 5th of Jumāda I  in the year 1266 AH). From this date onwards the Bāb wrote five Arabic-Persian grades daily in the name of specific  leading Bābī disciples (to whom specific groups were sent out) until 21st Jumada I (1266),  about 4 months before the martyrdom of the Bāb in Tabrīz (NW Iran) on July 9th 1850.  In communicating these daily revelations   for 17 days the result was 17x5 or 85 grades constituting a lengthy book of   over 500  pages. The  Kitāb-i Panj Sha`n was thus fairly  speedily  completed on the 4th of April 1850  or  21 Jumādā 1st 1266 AH,  about 4 months before the martyrdom of the Bāb in Tabrīz (NW Iran) on July 9th 1850. 

Though many unpublished often incomplete mss. of the Kitāb-i Panj Sha`n are known to exist, no compete critical edition has to date been produced.  Important   mss.  have not yet been collected together and compared with one another in order to obtain a  reliable or critical edition. The Azalī Bābī, only barely semi-critical printed edition dating to the 1960s, is not complete according to the Bāb’s own mss. description of  his planned  `Book of the Five Grades’. It contains twelve five-fold sections constituting (5 x12 = ) sixty  divisions and thus lacks twenty-five grades or modes (5X5) which he apparently actually revealed.  Something like a third of the KPS is absent from the Azali printed edition which is in part a pastiche from a variety of mss. 

The Kitāb-i Panj Sha`n  fast became a much beloved compendium of deep at times devotional or Dhikr-type revelations. It is full of richly meditative and rhythmic paragraphs as well as highly evocate theological materials. It is meant to be chanted and heard as well as intellectually experienced, being both meditative and rhapsodic as well as intellectually challenging  for the Bābi or Muslim and other readers. The KPS includes many theologically challenging paragraphs as well as bewilderingly complex mystical details. It also contains a large number of cryptic messianic references to the Bābī messiah man yuẓhir-uhu Allāh  (Him whom God shall make manifest”). The Bab championed the eternal continunity of divine guidance through theophanic manifestations of God. His interpretation of the qur'anic doctrine of the eschatological liqa'-Allah (Encounter with God) presupposed the personal Beautific vision of the Manifestation of God. His theology was uncompromisingly apophatic (without a directly knowable Godhead) through there was always room for the  cataphatic Being of locus of His Will (mashiyyat) centered in the divine Manifestation of God.

 

 

THE RECIPIENTS OF PENTADIC DIVISIONS OF THE KITAB-I PANJ SHA'N

 

Several thought not all  of the seventeen major pentadic (five-fold) sections of the KPS appear to be most centrally related to a particular disciple of the Bāb. This was often someone who held a leading position in the Bābi religion in the period immediately prior its times of writing (1850). The Names of God focused upon in the five-fold sections of the KPS often relate closely to the theological identity of a given Bābī leader as is indicated by the abjad or numerical value of that persons name or title. It is not currently known with any certainty which specific Bābī disciples are alluded or addressed in each of  the 17 divisions of the KPS, the identity of only a proportion of them is tentatively known: exactly which persons are allusively indicated is either unknown or is disputed. It is not known for whom the opening section of the Kitab-i Panj Sha`n was written though this first Pentad perhaps might be especially  associated with the Bābī messiah figure man yuẓhiru-hu-Allāh  (Him whom God shall make Manifest) who may be alluded to as the Deity Most Divine or Supreme though subordinate Deity:

 

 

Translation of Kitāb-i panj sha`n I /1:1ff

 

The translation below is highly provisional. It will be subject to constant revision in the light of the availability of better mss.  and ongoing corrections. Verse numbering is somewhat arbitrary not being part of the original text; it is used here for the sake of reference and commentary.

 

 [I]

Revelation Mode (sha`n)  1  Āyāt (Arabic verses)

 

[1]

 

بسم الله الاءله الاٍٍءله 

 

اننی انا الله لا اله الا انا الاءله الاءله

 

In the Name of God, the Deity Most Divine (al-a'lah), the Supreme Deity (al-a'lah).

I, verily am God, no God is there except Me, the Deity Most Divine (al-a'lah), the Supreme Godhead (al-a'lah).

 

[2]

 

 بسم الله الاءله الاءله بالله الله الاءله الاءله

 

In the Name of God, the Deity Most Divine (al-a'lah), the Supreme Deity (al-a'lah).

Through God is God (bi-Allāh Allāh), the Deity Most Divine (al-a'lah), the Supreme Godhead (al-a'lah).

 

[3]

بسم الله المؤٍله المؤله الله لا اله الا هو الاءله الاءله

 

In the Name of God, the Deified, the Deified. 

God, no God is there except Him, the Deity Most Divine, the Supreme Deity.

[4]

 

الله لا اله الا هو المؤِِله المؤِِله

 الله لا اله الا هو المؤِِتله الالهان

       

God, no God is there except Him, the Deified, the Deified

 

God, no God is there except Him, the Deity Generative of the twin Deities (al-ilāhān)

 

            [5]

الله لا اله الا هو المؤِِتله المتال

ولله اليه الهان السموات والارض وما بينهما

 

God, no God is there except Him, the Deity Generative of the Deity Generated.

Unto God indeed, unto Him [alone]  are these dual Deities of the heavens and of the earth and what lieth between them. 

 [6]

 

والله الاه آله اليه ولله اليه الهان السموات والارض وما بينهما

 

And God is a Deity, Supremely Divine is His Divinity.

And before God is His Divinity Doubly Divine throughout the heavens and the earth and what lieth between them.

 

 [7]

 

والله الهان موءِتله متال

 ولله مليك سلطان الوهيته السموات والارض وما بينهما

والله الاه موءِتله متال

 

And God is a Deity Doubly Divine,  a Deity Generative of Deity Deified.

And before God is the King of the Sovereignty of His Divinity throughout the heavens and the earth and what lieth between them

And God is a Deity Generative of Deity Deified.

 

 [8]

 

  قل الله اءِله فوق كل ذی

ائلاه لن يقدران يمتنع عن مليك سلطان ائلائه فی احد لا فی السموات

ولا فی الارض ولا ما بينهما انه كان الاها الها الها

Say: God is a Deity beyond every possessor of  Divinity.

It would prove impossible for any soul to estimate the extent of His abstraction beyond the King of the Sovereign of His Divinity

be they in the heavens or on the earth or [located in] what lieth betwixt them.

[This in that] He hath ever been a Supreme Deity, One [incomparably]  Divine, Divine.

 

 [9]

  قل الله اءِله فوقكل ذی ائلاه لن يقدران يمتنع عن اليه الهان ائلائه فی احد لا فی

السموات ولا فی الارض ولا ما بينهما انه كان الاها الها اليها

 

 

Say: God is a Supreme Deity!  So trust [ye then] the Locus of Deification!

It would prove impossible for any soul to estimate the extent of His abstraction beyond the Deity

of those Doubly Divine in  [their] Divinity be they in the heavens or on the earth or [located in] what lieth betwixt them.

[This in that] He hath ever been a Supreme Deity, One [incomparably]  Divine, Deified.

 

 [10]

 

سبحانك اللهم انك انت الهان السموات والارض وما بينهما ليوءِتين

الالوهيه من تشاءِ ولتنزعنها عمن تشاءِ

ِ

 Glorified be Thou, O my God!

Thou art indeed One Doubly Divine throughout the heavens and the earth

and whatsoever lieth betwixt them.

This to the end that He might indeed bestow Divinity upon whomsoever Thou willeth

and cause to be divested thereof whomsoever Thou willeth.

 

 [11]

 

 ولترفعن من تشاءِ ولتنزلن

من تشاءِ ولتنصرن من تشاءِ ولتخذلن من تشاءِ

 

And to the end [that Though might] cause to be elevated whomoever Thou willeth

and might cause to descend whomsover Thou willeth.

And to the end [that Though might] render victorious whomoever Thou willeth

and cause to be abandoned whomsoever Thou willeth.

 

 [12]

 

 

 ولتعزن من تشاء ولتزلن من تشاءِ ولتغنين من تشاءِ ولتفقرن من تشاءِ

 

And to the end [that Though might] empower whomoever Thou willeth

and might cause to slip whomsover Thou willeth.

 [13]

 

 فی قبضتك ملكوت كل شيیءِ تخلق ما تشاءِ بامرك انك كنت علی كل شيیءِ قديرا

 

And to the end [that Though might] make wealthy whomoever Thou willeth

and cause to be impoverished whomsoever Thou willeth for in Thy grasp are the Kingdoms of all things.

Thou createst whatsoever Thou willest through a Command on Thy part for Thou, verily, art Powerful over all things.

 

 [14]

 

سبحانك اللهم انك انت الهان الاءِلابين لتوءِتين الامر من تشاءِ

ولتنزلن عن الامر عمن تشاءِ

 

Glorified be Thou, O my God!

Thou art indeed One Doubly Divine although not with aught  betwixt,

This that Thou might indeed bestow the Cause (al-amr) upon whomsoever Thou willeth

and cause to be sent down  against the Cause (al-amr) whomsoever Thou willeth.

 

 [15]

 

 ولترفعن من تشاءِ ولتنزلن من تشاءِ و لتنصرن من تشاءِ ولتخذلن من تشاء

 

And Thou do indeed cause to be elevated whomsoever Thou willeth

and cause to descend whomsoever Thou willeth.

And Thou  do indeed render victorious whomsoever Thou willeth

and do cause to be abandoned whomsoever Thou willeth.

 

 [16]

 

 ولتغنين من تشاء  ولتفقرن من تشاءِ ولتغرن من تشاءِ ولتزلن من تشاءِ

 فی قبضتك ملكوت كل شيیء

 تخلق ما تشاءِ بامرك انك كنت الاها الها اليها

 

And  Thou do indeed make [independently] wealthy whomoever Thou willeth

and cause to be impoverished whomsoever Thou willeth.

Thou do indeed empower whomsoever Thou willeth and  do assuredly cause to slip

whomsoever Thou willeth

for in Thy grasp are the kingdoms of all things. 

Thou createst whatsoever Thou willest through a Command on Thy part for

Thou, verily, art   a Divinity Divine through Thy Deification.

 

 

 [17]

 

 

 قل اللهم انك انت اءِله الاءِلهين ليعبدنك من فی ملكوت السموات والارض

وما بينهما  وليسجدن لك ما فی ملكوت الامر والخلق وما دونهما

وانك كنت بكل شيیءِ عليما

Say: O my God! Thou,

Thou  art indeed a Deity relative to Double Divinities for such do indeed serve Thee

be they in the heavens or upon the earth or within what lieth between these twain.

And such also do indeed prostrate before Thee, as exist within the Kingdom of the Cause

and of the Creation (malakut al-amr wa'l-amr) as well as what is other than these two realities

for Thou, verily, art Well-Informed of all things.

 

 [18]

 

 قل االلهم انك انت الاه السموات والارض وما بينهما لتغرسن

 شجره الاثبات فی كل ما قد خلقت

وتخلق بامرك ليوم تظهرن فيه مظهر نفسك ليكونن كل به موءِمنين

وموقنين ثم بين يديه ساجدين

Say: O my God! Thou, Thou  art indeed a Deity [throughout] the heavens and the earth

and whatsoever lieth between these twain.

This that Thou might indeed plant the Tree of Affirmation (shajarat al-ithbāt)

throughout all that Thou hast created and will [in future] create through Thy [Logos-] Command.

This for the [eschatological] Day whereon there shall indeed be made manifest

the Manifestation of Thy Logos-Self

(mazhar nafsika) that all might assuredly come to faith in Him, attain certitude then fall down prostrate betwixt His hands.

 

 [19]

 

  قل الله اءِله فوق كل ذی الهه لن يقدران يمتنع عن اليه الهان ائتلائه من احد

 لافی السموات ولا فی الارض ولا ما بينهما انه كان الاها موءِتلها اليها

 

Say: God is a Deity beyond every possessor of Divinity.

It would prove impossible that any soul, even though they be outside of the heavens and of the earth or what lieth betwixt these twain,

to become abstracted from Him, from the Double Divinity of His Divinization.

He, verily, was a Deity Divinized through Him.

 

 [20]

 

 هذا كتاب من الله الی من يظهره الله علی انه لا اله الا انا الموءِتله الالهان

 

 

This is a Book from God unto man yuẓhiru-hu Allāh (Him whom God shall make manifest)

for He, verily, no God is there save I Myself, the Deity Generative of Double Deity.

 

 [21]

 قد جعلت اول كل دين كلمه لا اله الا الله

I did indeed make the Primary element of every religion the word

lā ilāha ilā Allāh  لا اله الا الله      (= There is no Deity but God).

 

 [22]

 

 لعل الذين اوتوا الكتاب

فی يوم ظهورك فی ظل نفسك يستثبتون اولئك هم اولاءِ الاثبات

فی كتاب الله واولئك هم الثابتون

This perchance those who were given the Book on the [eschatologial] Day of Thy theophany

in the shadow of Thine Own Logos-Self , might stand confirmed to the degree that they constitute

the primary loci of affirmation in the Book of God

and are of such as are immovably constant (al-thābitun) [therein].

 [23]

 

وان الذين يحتجبون عنك حين ظهورك لو يوحدون بعدد كل شيیءِ لاينفعهم توحيدهم لله ربهم

 

And such as veil themselves from Thee at the moment of Thy [coming] theophany [manifestation] (zuhur),

 even if they combine so as to achieve the [abjad] numerical value of "all things" (= 361),

will in no wise have their unity (tawhid) avail them of aught before God their Lord. 

 

 [24]

 

قل ان ياكل شيیءِ ايای فاتقون اننی انا الله لا اله الا انا لن يدركنی

احد من دونی ومن اراد ان يدركنی فليدركن من يظهره الله

فان هذا صراط  ممتنع منيع

 

Say: O [Bābī] Pleroma!  (kulli shay' = lit. "Everything")

Will ye not then fear God? for I, verily, I am indeed God, no God is there except I Myself.

I shall never be comprehended by anyone aside from Mine Own Self

for whomsoever desirseth that they might comprehend Me, let  such persons rather comprehend

[the messianic ] man yuẓhiru-hu Allah (Him whom God shall make manifest).

Such is indeed the Path (sirat) which is inscrutable, elusive.

 

[25]

  واننی انا الله لا اله الا انا لن يرانی من شيیءِ ومن اراد

ان ينظرن الی فلينظرن الی من يظهره الله

فان هذا صراط ممنتع منيع

 

And I, verily, I am indeed God, no God is there except Me.

It is impossible that I should in any way be seen.

And whoso desireth that they might vision me then let them rather attempt to vision

[the messianic] man yuẓhiru-hu Allah (Him whom God shall make manifest).

Such is indeed the Path (ṣirāṭ) which is Inscrutable, Elusive.

 

[26]

 

واننی انا الله لا اله الا انا لن يعرفنی من شيیءِ

 ومن اراد ان يعرفنی فليعرفن من يظهره الله

فان هذا كتاب مشتمخ شميخ

And I, verily, I am indeed God, no God is there except Me.

It is impossible that anyone in any way comprehend Me.

And whoso desireth that they might fathom I, Myself,  let them rather attempt to comprehend

[the messianic] man yuẓhiru-hu Allah (Him whom God shall make manifest) for

such assuredly constituteth the Book (kitab) which is Towering in Lofty Heights (mashtamikh),

Lofty indeed (shamīkh).

 

[27]

 

واننی انا الله لا اله الا انا لن يستطيعن ان يحبنی من شيیءِ

 ومن اراد ان يحبنی فليحبن من يظهره الله

 

 فان هذا صراط مبتذخ بذيخ

 

And I, verily, I am indeed God, no God is there except Me.

It is impossible that anyone befittingly love Me.

Whoso desireth that they might love Me,  let them rather attempt to love [the messianic]

man yuẓhiru-hu Allah (Him whom God shall make manifest) for

such is indeed the Path (ṣirāṭ) which is Luxorious (mubtadhikh),  Splendid (badhīkh).

 

[28]

 

اننی انا ا لله لا اله الا انا لن يسمع ذكری من احد

 ومن اراد ان يسمع ذكری فليسمعن ذكر من يظهره الله

 فان هذا صراط مبتهی بهی

 

And I, verily, I am indeed God, no God is there except Me.

None one is capable of hearkening unto My Remembrance.

Whoso desireth that they might hearken unto My Remembrance, 

let them rather hearken out for the mention [remembrance]

of [the messianic] man yuẓhiru-hu Allah (Him whom God shall make manifest) for

such is indeed the Path (ṣirāṭ) which is Radiantly Splendid (mubtahiyy),  Luminous (bahiyy).

 

[29]

 

اننی انا الله لا اله الا انا لن يوحدنی من شيیءِ

 ومن اراد ان يوحدنی فلا يقترنن بمن يظهره الله من شيیءِ

 فان هذا صراط حق مجتلل جليل

 

And I, verily, I am indeed God, no God is there except Me.

Nothing is capable of befittingly uniting with Me! 

Whoso desireth that they might unite with Me,  such shall never in any way be associated

with [the messianic Reality] of man yuẓhiru-hu Allah (Him whom God shall make manifest) for

such is indeed the Ultimately Real Path (ṣirāṭ ḥaqq), Sublime (mujtalal), Weighty (jalīl).

 

[30]

 

واننی انا الله لا اله الا انا لن يقدر احد ان يحبنی

 ومن اراد ان يحبنی فليمجدن من يظهره الله يوم ظهوره فان

 هذا صراط حق مجتمل جميل

 

And I, verily, I am indeed God, no God is there except Me.

It is impossible that anyone should befittingly love Me.

Whoso desireth that they might love Me,  let them rather attempt to love [the messianic]

 man yuẓhiru-hu Allah (Him whom God shall make manifest) on the Day of His

Theophany [Manifestation] (ẓuhūr)

for such is indeed the Ultimately Real Path (ṣirāṭ ḥaqq) which is  Beauteous (mujtamal), Beautiful (jamīl).

 

[31]

 

 اننی انا الله لا اله الا انا لن يقدسنی من شيیءِ

 ومن اراد ان يقدسنی فلثنين من يظهره الله فی ايام ظهوره

فان هذا صراط حق معتظم عظيم

 

And I, verily, I am indeed God, no God is there except Me.

It is impossible that anyone should befittingly sanctify Me.

Whoso desireth that they might sanctify Me,  let them rather attempt to laud [praise] [the messianic]

man yuẓhiru-hu Allah (Him whom God shall make manifest) during the Days of His Theophany [Manifestation] (ẓuhūr) 

 for such is indeed  the Ultimately Real Path (ṣirāṭ ḥaqq) which is Supremely Elevated (mu`atazam),  Mighty (`azim).

 

[32]

 

 اننی انا الله لا اله الا انا لن يد&