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Dalā’il-i sab`ih
The
Persian Seven Proofs
of
Sayyid `Alī Muhammad, the Bāb (1819-1850 CE).
Translated and
annotated from the Azalī semi-critical edition
(Tehran, c. 1966?)
Stephen N. Lambden
In
Progress 03/11/04
There are
two books of the Bab entitled the Seven Proofs, one in Persian and another in
Arabic. The shorter Arabic
al-Dalā’il al-Sab`ah (Seven Proofs, written wholly in Arabic) appears to
be a synopsis of the much longer, probably earlier Persian Dalā’il-i Sab`ih.
Both these works appear to date to the Mah-Ku period of the Bab’s imprisonment in
Persian Ādhirbayjān (1846-1848) and remain in mss. ADD details.
Different mss. texts contain quite a few idiosyncrasies or unsatisfactory
readings. Yet the Persian Seven Proofs was translated by the French Bahā’ī
A. L .M. Nicholas (1864-1937) whose translation was made from one or two mss.
and was published in Paris in 1902 as
Le Livre des Sept Preuves de la
mission du Bab. (Paris: Maisonneuvre, 1902).
Despite
the textual uncertainty certain Azalī Babis of Iran (probably in the mid. 1960s)
published a reasoanble semi-critical edition of these both of these important
Arabic and Persian seven Proofs of the Bāb, though there are a few clear textual
errors. No wholly satisfactory critical edition of either the Arabic or Persian
Seven Proofs, however, has yet appeared. The translation below thus remains very
tentative.
■ The Persian Dalā’il al-Sab`ah (Seven Proofs) of the Bab: Some Introductory
Notes
It was perhaps towards the middle
or latter part of his nine-months imprisonment at Mā-kū (The Open Mountain)
between July 1847 and April 1848 in Persian province of Ādhirbayjān (in
the NW of Iran), that the Bāb composed the Persian and the shorter Arabic
recension of his (Per.) Dalā’il-i sab`ih (Seven Proofs). These closely
related literary works are most centrally concerned with a seven-fold proof
of the divinely revealed status of a sacred book, most notably the Qur’ān
and most centrally the Bāb’s own by then extensive divine revelations with
are post-qur’anic yet claim to be characterized by the inimitable style of
the Islamic Holy Book.
The Arabic version of the Seven
Proofs is a fairly brief, roughly fourteen page (with 19 or less
lines per page) version of the more extensive Persian Dala'il-i sab`ih
(Seven Proofs) which is just over 70 pages long. In literary form both of
these Persian and Arabic works constitute a variety of Istidlāliyya (“Testimonia”)
text designed to set forth prophetic and other proofs of an Islamic and
post-Islamic claim to (Ar.) waḥy (divine revelation) and maẓhariyya, the
status claimed by the Bab of being a manifestation of God. Primitive
Christianity missionary outreach was much facilitated by oral and written
collections of prophetic proof texts (= Testimonia) culled from the Hebrew
Bible and other sacred writings. In similar fashion the two Seven Proofs
works of the Bāb and Bahā’-Allāh’s major Istidlāliyya best known today as
the Kitāb-īqān (Book of Certitude), are basically scriptuiral testimonia or
Istidlāliyya works. The Bāb and Baha’-Allāh both wrote proofs of the truth
of their new religions and encouraged their followers to do likewise.
MORE TO BE ADDED
In summary, the Arabic 7 proofs are
that,
The Persian 7 proofs can also be
summed up as follows:
-
1) The
enduring qur’ānic relelation is superior to (all of) the miracles (mu`jizāt)
of all previous (pre-Islamic) prophets (anbiyā’) since their books
and demonstrations of power were abrogated by it (Dala'il 5-6)
-
2) The Bayān,
the collective revelations of the Bāb, are, like the Qur’ān,
inimitable ( ADD) (Dala'il, 6-9).
-
3) The
revelation of divinely inspired verses by a nafs-i ummī (“an
unlettered person”, cf. Qur’ān 7:57) (Dala'il 9-10).
-
4) The
revelation of even a single divinely inspired verse is sufficient
proof of a claim to prophethood (cf. Qur’ān 29:51) making the
performance of (other) miracles un- necessary (Dala'il, 10-13).
-
5) The proof
of the claim to prophethood revolves around the revelation of verses
(see Qur’ān 17:88) and not the performance of miracles. Such is not
contradicted by the fact that miracles are attributed to Muhammad
for they are not set forth as demonstrations of prophethood in the
Qur’ān itself. Only God is aware of the interpretation of such
verses as Qur’ān 54:1 (cf. 3:7) (Dala'il, 13).
-
6) On
rational grounds it is evident that the divine testimony (ḥujjat-i
ilāhī) regarding the truth of Islam is complete, (even) if this be
asserted on the basis of the Qur’ān itself. If this were not so the
legitimacy of punishment after death would be called into question
and this is so even if the (revealed) book is not fully appreciated
or understood. So too the truth of the Bābī theophany (zuhūr-i bābī)
which is something evident through inward affirmation on account of
Divine Grace ( ADD), despite the abstruse nature of the Bayān (Bāb’s
revelations) (Dala'il, 13-15).
-
7) Since
He is All-Knowing ( ) God, supports and protects the true
prophet not raising up an adversary against him (Dala'il, 15-ADD).
It will be observed that the two lists are not completely synonymous.
ADD
The Persian Dala'il‑i sab`ih,
addressed to a Shaykhī (and Babi?) of uncertain identity, opens
with a testimony to God's uniqueness, eternality and unknowability. The
essential identity, endless continuity and successive appearance of
prophets, messianic Dhikrs (lit. “Remembrances”), or human
manifestations of the Primal Will of God (al-mashiyya) is outlined. With
the termination of a 13,000 year cycle this Primal Will has, the Bāb
then asserts, become known through his own Logos-Self (Ar. nafs) which
is the "Point of the Bayān" (nuqṭa‑yi bayān), the focal center of
divine revelation. After noting that the Qur'ān should be viewed as the
unique and pre‑eminent proof of the prophetic mission of Muhammad, the
Bāb goes on to expound his "seven proofs". They, for the most part, are
based upon and revolve around aspects of the nature and uniqueness of
divine revelation as touched upon in the Qur'ān. The performance of
outward miracles (mu`jizāt) is deemed unimportant. The revelation of
the Bāb (= the Bayān) is the inimitable miracle of an "unlettered
person" (nafs‑yi ummi = the Bāb. cf. Qur'ān 7:157; Dalā'il, 6ff). Proof
seven relates to the Divine support of the true prophet (Dalā'il, 15f)
Having detailed his closely
related "seven proofs" the Bāb, among other things, argues that his
imprisonment does not contradict his claim to prophethood. He dwells on
the rejection of past prophets and asserts that, as the promised Qā'im,
he is capable of revealing the equivalent of the Qur'ān in just five
days. As one occupying the station of the foremost of creatures (awwal‑i
khalq) and the manifestation of "I verily am God" (anā Allāh) he also
explains how he, as an act of mercy extended towards the people of Islām,
gradually introduced his claims:
"Consider the mercy of his
holiness the expected one [the Bāb].. how he [initially] revealed
himself as the gate (bāb) of the Qā'im of the family of Muhammad [= the
expected messianic 12th Imām] .. and in his first work [the Qayyūm al‑asmā']
decreed observance of the laws of the Qur'ān so that men might not be
disturbed by [the revelation of] a new book and a new law..." (Dalā'il,
29).
In the light of his claim to
be the Qā'im a shift in the Bāb's eschatological views can be seen in
the Dalā'il‑i sab`ih. His earlier futurist though imminent
eschatological perspective begins to be transformed into a partly
realized or inaugurated eschatological stance. Traditional apocalyptic
and other expected latter day "signs" central to the Shī`ī' messianism
are given, in the light of their alleged fulfillment, non‑literal
interpretations (see Lambden, 1995:00).
1 The
eschatological "meeting with God" (liqā' Allāh; see Qur'ān 13:2, etc) is
not a literal coming into the presence of the eternal divine essence (dhāt‑i
azal) but the meeting with the divine manifestation of God (mazhar‑i
haqīqat): with, in fact, the Bāb on the mount of Mākū (or wherever he
resides: Dalā'il, 31f;cf. 57f). Spiritually understood, the
resurrection (qiyāmat) has come to pass such that the peoples may be
observed in the "paradise" of the "knowledge of the True One" (`irfān
bi‑hāqq) or in the "fire" of separation (ihtijāb) from Him (ibid 44,
57f). Again, the sun which, according to (both Sunnī and Shī`ī
prophetic traditions is to rise from the west (or its setting point) is
not the orb in the sky but the "sun of reality" (shams‑i haqīqat i.e.
the `sun of prophethood') which, with the Bāb's manifestation, rose from
its setting point ("west") in Mecca and subsequently in Shīrāz in the
Persian province of Fārs (land of Fā'; ibid 51‑2).
At the same time certain
more concrete prophetic traditions are interpreted literally. The `hadīth
of Adhirbayjān' for example, predicts the Bāb's presence in that north
Iranian province and a tradition reported by al‑Mufaddal ibn `Umar al‑Ja`fī
(a contemporary and devotee of Imām Ja`far Sādiq) indicates the
appearance of his "cause" (amr i.e. Bābīsm) in the "year 60"
understood as 1,260 AH = 1844 CE (ibid, 48‑9).
The futurist eschatological
element in developed Bābī messianism is also present in the Dalā'il‑i
sab`ih. In his later writings the Bāb appears to have seen
his own dispensation (Zuhur) as a kind of latter day messianic interregnum to
be followed by further eschatons or "days of resurrection" inaugurated
by successive manifestations of divinity the first of whom (as well as
other divine manifestations) he designated by the originally Sufi term
man yuzhiru-hu-Allāh ("him whom God shall make manifest" cf. Goldziher,
1921). A few times mentioned in the Dala'il‑i sab`ih, this Bābī messiah
will, at a future date, put the Bābī s to the test (mumtahan; ibid
45,73).
Despite his imprisonment in
Māku and his conviction that the seven kings of the Islāmic dominions
would (if informed) reject his Cause, the Bāb predicted its future
victory and establishment (Dalā'il, 33). He viewed holy war (jihād) as a
necessary and ultimately merciful act waged in each religious
dispensation against those who, unconvinced by proofs and arguments,
adopt a position of unbelief or faith "negation" (nafy) ‑‑ the Bāb
divided peoples into those of "affirmation" (ithbāt) and of
"negation". Though there are pacifist elements within the Bāb's
teachings, Bābīsm, unlike the later Bahā'ī movement, is not a wholly
pacifist religion. At the very outset of his 1863 Baghdad declaration,
Baha’-Allah totally rejected the Islamo-Babi doctrine of jihad (“holy
war”). He later abrogated it in his Kitab-i Aqdas (c.1873) and in
numerous other Tablets.
1 The Bab's cyclic eschatology would seem to be rooted in
an Isma'li type prophetological cyclic schema. The Sunni‑ Shi`i
belief that at his advent of the Mahdi‑ Qa`im will be
accompanied (or followed) by that of Jesus or the Imam Husayn
(d.61/680) is central as is the notion that God himself (as
represented by His Messenger) will appear at the eschatological
consummation.
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[0]
[صفحه
۱ ]
بسم الله الافرد الافرد
الحمد لله الذی لا اله الا هو الافرد الافرد و انما
البهاء من الله علی من يظهره الله ثم ادلائه
لم يزل و لا يزال
[0]
In the Name of
God, the most Unique, the Most Unique
(al-afrad al-afrad).
[1]
Praised be to
God, no God is there except Him,
The Most Unique,
the Most Unique
(al-afrad al-afrad).
.
[2]
Now the
Glory-Beauty from God (al-bahā’ min Allāh) be upon
`Him Whom God
shall make manifest’ (man yuẓhiru-hu Allāh), then [upon]
His unending and
everlasting Proofs (dalā’il).
[I]
[1]
و بعد لوح مسطور را مشاهده نموده . هرگاه
خواسته شود بتفصيل ذكر ادله در اثبات ظهور
گردد
الواح اكوانيه و امكانيه نتواند تحمل نمود ولی سازج كلام و جوهر مرام
The [contents of
your] written communication [lit. `tablet’] (lawḥ-i masṭūr) were evident.
Were the
particulars of the testimonies in demonstration of the [reality of the] Divine
theophany (ẓuhūr)
[of the Bāb] to
be made known, the very Tablets of the substance of Beingness (alwāḥ-i
akwāniyyih)
would prove
incapable of sustaining them.
Yet,
IN PROGRESS
. آنكه شبهه نبوده
ونيست كه خداوند لم يزل باستقلال استجلال ذات
مقدس خود بوده .و لا يزال باستمناع استرفاع كنه
مقدس خود خواهد بود . نشناخته است اورا هيچ
شيئ حق شناختن . و ستايش ننموده او را هيچ
شيئ حق ستايش نمودن . مقدس بوده از كل
اسمإ و منزه بوده از كل امثال . و كل باو معروف
ميگردد . و او اجل از آنست كه معروف بغير
گردد . و از برای خلق او اولی نبوده و آخری
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