Tablet of the Holy Mariner
Encyclopedia
Lawh-i-Malláhu'l-Quds or the Tablet of the Holy Mariner is a tablet
written by Bahá'u'lláh
, founder of the Bahá'í Faith
, in Baghdad
in 1863. The tablet's main theme is the covenant
between man and God, and man being unfaitful to it.
The tablet is written in two parts; one which is in Arabic
, and the other in Persian
; currently only the Arabic part has been translated into English. The Persian tablet is for the most part similar in content to the Arabic tablet. The tablet is written in allegorical terms and its main theme is the covenant
and man being unfaithful to it. In the tablet, Bahá'u'lláh refers to himself as the "Holy Mariner," uses an "ark
" to symbolize the Covenant of God, and symbolized the believers in the covenant as the "dwellers" in the "ark;" he writes that those people who are in the ark are safe and will acquire salvation. In the tablet, Bahá'u'lláh also alludes to his perceived station as He whom God shall make manifest
, a messianic figure predicted by the Báb
, and the fate of Subh-i-Azal
, Bahá'u'lláh's half-brother who wanted to cause a split
in the Babi
community.
The tablet was written on March 27, 1863; after the tablet was written, Bahá'u'lláh's amanuensis came out of Bahá'u'lláh's tent and read the tablet to his followers. It is stated that at this point it was evident to Bahá'u'lláh's followers that their time in Baghdad would be shortly over. Shortly thereafter, Bahá'u'lláh was summoned by the Ottoman government
from Baghdad to Constantinople
(present-day Istanbul
); before leaving Baghdad, he entered the garden of Ridván
, where he publicly stated his claimed prophethood.
Tablet (religious)
A tablet, in the religious context, is a term traditionally used for religious texts.Jews and Christians believe that Moses brought the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai in the form of two stone tablets. According to the Book of Exodus, God delivered the tablets twice, the first set having been...
written by Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh , born ' , was the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. He claimed to be the prophetic fulfilment of Bábism, a 19th-century outgrowth of Shí‘ism, but in a broader sense claimed to be a messenger from God referring to the fulfilment of the eschatological expectations of Islam, Christianity, and...
, founder of the Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
, in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
in 1863. The tablet's main theme is the covenant
Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh
Covenant in the Bahá'í Faith refers to two separate binding agreements between God and man. A Covenant in the religious sense is a binding agreement made between God and man wherein a certain behaviour is required of man and in return God guarantees certain blessings...
between man and God, and man being unfaitful to it.
The tablet is written in two parts; one which is in Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, and the other in Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
; currently only the Arabic part has been translated into English. The Persian tablet is for the most part similar in content to the Arabic tablet. The tablet is written in allegorical terms and its main theme is the covenant
Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh
Covenant in the Bahá'í Faith refers to two separate binding agreements between God and man. A Covenant in the religious sense is a binding agreement made between God and man wherein a certain behaviour is required of man and in return God guarantees certain blessings...
and man being unfaithful to it. In the tablet, Bahá'u'lláh refers to himself as the "Holy Mariner," uses an "ark
Boat
A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...
" to symbolize the Covenant of God, and symbolized the believers in the covenant as the "dwellers" in the "ark;" he writes that those people who are in the ark are safe and will acquire salvation. In the tablet, Bahá'u'lláh also alludes to his perceived station as He whom God shall make manifest
He whom God shall make manifest
He whom God shall make manifest is a messianic figure in the religion of Babism. The messianic figure was repeatedly mentioned by the Báb, the founder of Babism, in his book, the Bayán. The Báb described the messianic figure as the origin of all divine attributes, and stated that his command was...
, a messianic figure predicted by the Báb
Báb
Siyyid `Alí Muḥammad Shírází was the founder of Bábism, and one of three central figures of the Bahá'í Faith. He was a merchant from Shíráz, Persia, who at the age of twenty-four claimed to be the promised Qá'im . After his declaration he took the title of Báb meaning "Gate"...
, and the fate of Subh-i-Azal
Subh-i-Azal
' was a Persian religious leader of Azali Bábism.-Background:Mirza Yahya was born in 1831 to Kuchak Khanum-i-Karmanshahi and Mírzá Buzurg-i-Núrí, in the province of Mazandaran, and a younger-half-brother of Mírzá Husayn `Ali, better known as Bahá'u'lláh...
, Bahá'u'lláh's half-brother who wanted to cause a split
Bahá'í/Bábí split
The Bahá'í/Bábí split occurred when most Bábís accepted Bahá'u'lláh as the messiah of the Báb's writings, leading them to become Bahá'ís, and leaving a remnant of Bábís who became known as Azalis...
in the Babi
Bábism
The Babi Faith is a religious movement that flourished in Persia from 1844 to 1852, then lingered on in exile in the Ottoman Empire as well as underground. Its founder was Siyyid `Alí Muhammad Shirazi, who took the title Báb—meaning "Gate"—from a Shi'a theological term...
community.
The tablet was written on March 27, 1863; after the tablet was written, Bahá'u'lláh's amanuensis came out of Bahá'u'lláh's tent and read the tablet to his followers. It is stated that at this point it was evident to Bahá'u'lláh's followers that their time in Baghdad would be shortly over. Shortly thereafter, Bahá'u'lláh was summoned by the Ottoman government
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
from Baghdad to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
(present-day Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
); before leaving Baghdad, he entered the garden of Ridván
Ridván
Riḍván is a twelve-day festival in the Bahá'í Faith, commemorating the commencement of Bahá'u'lláh's prophethood. It begins at sunset on April 20 and continues until sunset, May 2...
, where he publicly stated his claimed prophethood.
External links
- Tablet of the Holy Mariner: Tablet Study Outline, by Jonah Winters.
- Lawh-i-Malláhu'l-Quds: faculty notes by Jonah Winters, Michael Sours
- A study compilation on the Tablet of the Holy Mariner, compiled by Aziz Mboya.