Kitabu'l-Asmá'

The Kitabu'l-Asmá' or Book of Divine Names is a book written by the Báb, the founder of Bábi religion, in Arabic[1] during his imprisonment in Máh-Kú and Chihriq in Iran (1847-1850). With a total volume of more than 3,000 pages, it is the largest revealed scripture in religious history.[2] At least twenty-six manuscripts exist,[3] and much of the text has not yet been located.[2] Some extracts are available in English in the volume Selections from the Writings of the Báb.[1]

Contents

The text is divided in nineteen unities (Vahid) and 361 gates (Báb; chapters).[2] and consists largely of "lengthy variations of invocations of the names of God'.[1] Each name is discussed in four different parts, each part written in a different 'mode of revelation':[4] divine verses, prayers, commentaries, and rational arguments.[5] The 361 chapters symbolize "all things" (Kull-i-Shay’) and the days of the year of the Badi' calendar.[6]

The Báb gives explanations about many divine names and attributes[4] and describes how humanity can be spritizualized by recognizing the Manifestation of God.[2]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Smith, Peter (2000). "Names, Book of". A concise encyclopedia of the Bahá'í Faith. Oxford: Oneworld Publications. p. 258. ISBN 1-85168-184-1.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Saiedi 2008, pp. 36
  3. ↑ Denis MacEoin (1992). The Sources for Early Bābī Doctrine and History. Leiden: Brill. pp. 91–92. ISBN 90-04-09462-8.
  4. 1 2 Saiedi 2008, pp. 45
  5. ↑ Saiedi 2008, pp. 337
  6. ↑ Saiedi 2008, pp. 336

References

Further reading

External links

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