A Brief Overview of the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh during the Istanbul-Adrianople Period
First presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #20
Louhelen Bahá'í School: Michigan, USA
October 9–12, 1998
(see list of papers from #20)
The immensity of Bahá'u'lláh's revelation during the Adrianople period, as testified by Himself and recorded by eyewitnesses, is beautifully summarized by Shoghi Effendi in the following paragraph:
A period of prodigious activity which, in its repercussions, outshone the vernal years of Bahá'u'lláh's ministry. "Day and night," an eyewitness has written, "the Divine verses were raining down in such number that it was impossible to record them. Mírzá Aqá Jan wrote them as they were dictated, while the Most Great Branch was continually occupied in transcribing them. There was not a moment to spare." "A number of secretaries," Nabíl has testified, "were busy day and night and yet they were unable to cope with the task. Among them was Mírzá Báqir-i-Shírází.... He alone transcribed no less than two thousand verses every day. He labored during six or seven months. Every month the equivalent of several volumes would be transcribed by him and sent to Persia. About twenty volumes, in his fine penmanship, he left behind as a remembrance for Mírzá Aqá Jan." Bahá'u'lláh, Himself, referring to the verses revealed by Him, has written: "Such are the outpourings ... from the clouds of Divine Bounty that within the space of an hour the equivalent of a thousand verses hath been revealed." "So great is the grace vouchsafed in this day that in a single day and night, were an amanuensis capable of accomplishing it to be found, the equivalent of the Persian Bayán would be sent down from the heaven of Divine holiness." "I swear by God!" He, in another connection has affirmed, "In those days the equivalent of all that hath been sent down aforetime unto the Prophets hath been revealed.'' "That which hath already been revealed in this land (Adrianople), " He, furthermore, referring to the copiousness of His writings, has declared, "secretaries are incapable of transcribing It has, therefore, remained for the most part untranscribed."[1]
Some of the Tablets are known by specific names or titles. About forty-four of such Tablets were definitely revealed during the Istanbul-Adrianople period. Out of them thirty-four Tablets have so far been published in original Persian or Arabic languages and a few of them, totally or in parts, are available in authorized English translations. This presentation attempts to present a brief sketch of the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh during this period.
Notes
1. Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By. Wilmette, Illinois: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1971, p. 171.
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