The Tablet to the Nineteenth Temple
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Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: The Báb, The Tablet to the Nineteenth Temple, bahai-library.com.
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The Báb’s Tablet to the Nineteenth Temple
Mohammad Norozi1

9 August 2025

Introduction and background:

In the nascent Bábí Dispensation, the first eighteen individuals to recognize the Báb’s
divine mission were conferred the title “Letters of the Living” (Hurúf-i-Hayy) (Báb,
Persian Bayán II:7). In Bábí theology, the “letter” serves as a metaphor for a
messenger—an intermediary proceeding from the “Point,” which symbolizes the
Manifestation of God (Báb, Qayyúmu’l-Asmá’, Súrah of Joseph).

Collectively, these eighteen disciples and the Báb Himself constitute what the Báb
termed the First Vahid (Unity) of His Dispensation. The term Vahid, meaning “One,”
bears the numerical value of nineteen in the Abjad system (MacEoin, Denis. 2009. The
Sources for Early Bābī Doctrine and History. Leiden: Brill., pp. 32–33), thus signifying
unity and completeness. The number nineteen therefore represents not only a
numerical structure but also a theological statement of wholeness, with the Báb at the
center and the eighteen Letters as emanations of His revelation.

The Letters of the Living are thus more than the earliest believers; they embody the
spiritual completeness and unfolding of the Báb’s message. As the “points” from which
the letters emerge, they herald the transformation of the spiritual order and prepare the
way for the advent of the next Manifestation—the Promised One foretold by the Báb
(Báb, Persian Bayán II:7; Amanat, Abbas. 1989. Resurrection and Renewal: The Making
of the Babi Movement in Iran, 1844–1850. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press., pp. 166–
167).

In the Bábí and Bahá’í sacred writings, the Arabic term Haykal—literally “temple” or
“body”—carries profound symbolic and theological significance. In the writings of the
Báb, it can denote the physical form (jasad) of the Manifestation of God, the
Manifestation’s perfect spiritual reality, or a mystical archetype representing divine
revelation itself (Báb, Persian Bayán V:7). The Haykal frequently designates the
Manifestation as the living Temple of God—the visible locus of the invisible divine will
(Bahá’u’lláh, Súriy-i-Haykal, ¶1).

One of the most distinctive symbolic representations of the Haykal in the Bábí
dispensation is the five-pointed star. This star is composed of five intersecting lines
which form six internal chambers—together yielding a total of eleven distinct elements.

Contact email address; nsm_dist@hotmail.com.

In the Abjad numerical system, the word Huwa (“He”) has the value of eleven (Saiedi,
Nader. 2008. Gate of the Heart: Understanding the Writings of the Báb. Waterloo, ON:
Wilfrid Laurier University Press., pp. 150). Thus, the very geometry of the five-pointed
star becomes a visual declaration of divine unity, representing the Manifestations of
God as the earthly embodiment of the eternal “He.”

In the Bábí context, the Haykal can signify:

1. The Manifestation’s own physical person (jasad), as the Temple of God (Báb,
Persian Bayán V:7).

2. The perfect spiritual reality of the Manifestation, reflecting all divine Names.

3. A representative believer who serves as a locus of the Cause in their time.

4. A symbolic geometric form (especially the five-pointed star) used to convey
mystical truths.

In all these senses, the Haykal functions as a bridge between the unseen realm and the
visible world, embodying the purpose of revelation: to make God’s will manifest in
creation. As Bahá’u’lláh later affirmed: “This is the Temple of God amongst you, and His
Tabernacle in your midst” (Súriy-i-Haykal, authorized trans., Bahá’u’lláh 1978).

As indicated by the superscription of the Tablet under study, it is clear that the Báb
revealed it specifically for the Nineteenth Temple. As previously noted, the first
eighteen individuals who embraced His divine mission are designated as the Letters of
the Living. Together with the Báb Himself, Who is symbolized as the Point, they
constitute what is known as the First Vahid, or First Unity, of His Dispensation.

Significantly, the Tablet appears to be revealed by the Báb in a dual capacity—both as
the divine Messenger and as the representative of the collective unity of the Letters.

In addition to this central Tablet, the Báb also revealed eighteen separate Tablets, each
dedicated to one of the Letters of the Living, thereby honoring their foundational roles in
the unfolding Revelation. Furthermore, He revealed one Tablets addressed to Him
Whom God Shall Make Manifest—Bahá’u’lláh—the Promised One foretold by the Báb,
who would succeed and complete the cycle of divine Manifestations.

This intricate literary and theological structure not only reflects the Báb’s profound
awareness of His own station and that of His disciples but also situates the Nineteenth
Temple as the culminating point of the initial phase of the Bábí Dispensation, pointing
forward to the coming of Bahá’u’lláh and the subsequent Bahá’í Revelation.

This sacred Tablet, revealed wholly in Arabic at some point in the year 1844 C.E., dates
from the earliest days of the Báb’s ministry.

What follows is a provisional English rendering of this luminous Tablet, translated with
the utmost reverence and care. The original text is published in Muḥammad Labīb,
ّ‫( توقيعات مباركه حضرت باب خطاب به حروف حيّ بخطّ آن حضرت و بخطّ كاتب‬Tawqīʿāt Mubārakah Ḥaḍrat
al-Bāb Khiṭāb biḥ Ḥurūf-i-Ḥayy bi-Khaṭṭ-i-Ān Ḥaz̤rat wa bi-Khaṭṭ-i-Kātib).

The Báb Reveals:

“This is what We have revealed unto the Temple of the Ninth, before the Tenth,2 the
Convocation of the Temples, from God, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting.

He

In the Name of God, the Living, the All-Glorious, the Manifest,3 the Near

Glorified be He Who standeth firm upon His Cause,4 Who knoweth what issueth forth
from the heaven, and what descendeth upon the earth, and what ascendeth unto it.

Say: All are filled with awe and trembling before Him. He it is Who rewardeth every soul
according to that which it hath earned.

Say: All prostrate themselves before Him. To Him belong creation and command, in the
past and in the future. And all, by His command, are made to know.

The Arabic phrase ‫ تاسع قبل عشر‬literally reads “the Ninth before the Tenth.” In Bábí/Bahá’í symbolism such numerical
locutions are frequently used in a non-literal, symbolic way to indicate the position within the nineteen-unit system
(the first eighteen Letters of the Living + the Báb’s special station), and therefore may be taken to signify the
Nineteenth in a symbolic sense.
The term al-Badūḥ (‫)البدوح‬, appearing among the Divine Attributes in the Báb’s invocation, derives from the root b-d-
ḥ, which encompasses meanings of “open expanse” and “to reveal or disclose.” In the sacred context of this Tablet,
and consistent with classical Islamic theology and Bahá’í interpretive tradition, al-Badūḥ is best understood as a
Divine Name signifying “the Manifest”—the One who unveils and reveals His Presence and Essence. This rendering
aligns with Shoghi Effendi’s stylistic precedent in translating divine epithets that emphasize God’s self-revelation, and
maintains the solemn sequence of Names: the Living, the All-Glorious, the Manifest, and the Near. Although the
lexical roots suggest notions of spatial vastness and revelation, theologically the term functions as an elevated Divine
Attribute rather than a created entity or angelic figure.
The phrase al-Qā’im ʿalá amrihi (‫ )الذي قائم على أمره‬literally means “He Who standeth firm upon His Cause,”
emphasizing God’s sovereign authority and firm establishment over His command. This rendering aligns with Shoghi
Effendi’s authoritative style in translating divine epithets, as seen in Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh.
Although the root q-w-m can also mean “to arise,” the phrase here refers primarily to God’s active governance rather
than the Promised Qā’im, a title the Báb adopts elsewhere for Himself. In the context of this Tablet, revealed by the
Báb for Himself, the expression carries a layered meaning: it denotes both God’s unchallengeable dominion and the
Manifestation’s station as the One who arises to establish and fulfill that divine command. This dual significance
reflects the theophanic voice of God speaking through the Manifestation, uniting the transcendent and manifest
aspects of the divine reality. For this reason, the translation preserves the phrase’s literal form in the text while the
additional interpretive nuance is reserved for commentary. See Shoghi Effendi, Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahá’u’lláh, p. 164; Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb; and Nabil-i-Azam, The Dawn-Breakers, for further
elaboration on the Qā’im’s station.

Say: He is the Most Exalted above all things. And He is the Inaccessible, the Well-
Beloved. Unto Him belong whatsoever is in the heavens and on the earth and
whatsoever lieth between them.

And all, by reason of fear of Him, are filled with reverent awe. He is God; there is none
other God but Him. O My servants, fear ye Me.

Say: These are verily perspicuous verses from the Letter Thā’5 unto the Letter of the
Ninth, before the Tenth, the Convocation of the Temples.

Bear thou witness that there is none other God but Him, the Sovereign, the Most Holy.
He it is Who knoweth what is in the heavens, and on the earth, and whatever lieth
between them.

And all before Him shall be presented. To Him belong bounty and grace, in the past and
in the future. He singleth out whomsoever He willeth for His mercy.

Say: All ask of His bounty. Unto Him belong whatsoever He hath brought into being in
the heavens and on the earth. And all do His bidding.

He giveth life and causeth death, then, by His grace, giveth life again,6 howsoever He
willeth.

Say: All are fearful because of His dread. He is God; there is none other God but Him.

The Knower of the unseen and the seen, the Living, the All-Watchful, the Self-Subsisting.
He it is Who, by His command, succoureth whomsoever He willeth.

Say: We all beseech of the bounty of God. O thou that Name!7 Magnify, through God, thy
Lord, for that there is none other God but Him, the Sovereign, the All-Powerful.

That the command of God, thy Lord, may reach unto every thing — a bounty from Him,
an existence proceeding from His Presence; there is none other God but Him, unto
Whom all shall be raised.

Cf. The Bab, Selections 3: “This is the first letter of ‘Thamarih’ which means ‘fruit’. Shoghi Effendi, in his writings,
refers to the Bab as the ‘Thamarih’ (fruit) of the Tree of God’s successive Revelations.” (See Shoghi Effendi’s letter to
the Baha’is of the East dated Naw-Ruz 110, page 5).”
Qur’ān 2:28
The phrase “O thou that Name!” (‫ )ان يا ذلك االسم‬is a profound self-address by the Báb to His own exalted station as the
Manifestation of God’s Name in this dispensation. In Bábí and Bahá’í theology, the “Name” signifies the divine Reality
through which God’s attributes are made manifest to humanity. Here, the Báb invokes His sacred station, exhorting it
to magnify and glorify God, thus underscoring the intimate relationship between the Manifestation and the Divine
Source. This usage aligns with the Qur’anic and mystical tradition wherein the “Name” of God represents the eternal
and ineffable divine essence (cf. Kitáb-i-Íqán, Bahá’u’lláh; God Passes By, Shoghi Effendi). The Báb’s self-referential
invocation emphasizes the unity of the speaker and the revealed Word, marking His unique role as the “Promised
Qá’im” and the divine Manifestation of the Names and Attributes of God in this sacred Tablet revealed by Himself for
Himself.

And verily unto Him belongeth the Dominion of the heavens and the earth; unto Him
shall all return.

He it is before Whom those in the heavens and on the earth are filled with reverent awe;
and all, in very truth, are devoted unto God.

Say: Fear ye God, O concourse, then Him shall ye fear.

He it is Who created you from one and the same substance8 — will ye then still do
wrong?

Verily the command of God, thy Lord, hath come; yet most among men have no
certitude — yea, the greater part of them are in error and perceive it not.

He it is Whom naught in the Realm of the Divine Dominion can frustrate — the Might of
all — and unto Him all are devoted.

Say: He is the All-Prevailing over those in the heavens and on the earth.

Say: He is the All-Powerful over His Cause; He createth whatsoever He willeth by His
Wisdom — ‘Be, and it is.’

Say: He is the All-Prevailing over those in the heavens and on the earth. And all, by
reason of fear and trembling at His Presence, are submissive unto Him; and all are
bowed low before Him.

He it is Who created us and provided for us by His command — “Be,” and it is. To Him
belongeth whatsoever hath appeared and whatsoever shall appear in the realm of His
Divinity — all things — and unto Him are the returners.

Be not grieved by the concealment of men from their Creator; verily, they shall not attain
success. Most of them are in error, and those are indeed the losers.

God shall recompense them with the blazing Fire, a requital for what they have earned.
Say: We are, all of us, those who seek His forgiveness.

And thus God — our Lord, the Lord of the heavens and the earth — there is none other
God but Him; unto Him do all return.

Say: Do not buy the verses of God for a paltry price,9 if ye are possessed of
understanding.

“‫ عنصر واحدة‬is rendered ‘one and the same substance’; manuscript variant may reflect orthographic/grammatical
lapse — translation follows contextual sense.”
The admonition “Do not buy the verses of God for a paltry price” echoes a recurring Qur’ānic injunction (e.g., Qur’ān
2:41, 2:79, 3:187, 5:44) condemning the act of bartering away divine revelation for worldly gain or advantage. In the
Bábí and Bahá’í contexts, such counsel serves both as a moral warning against the commodification of sacred truth
and as a call to preserve the purity of God’s verses from the distortions of personal ambition, sectarian interest, or
material desire.

Say: Lo! the life of this world is vain; and unto God shall they be gathered.

Say: Verily, the Dominion of the Hereafter endureth — have ye then no understanding?

Say: God sendeth down what He willeth by His command; and verily we have certitude
therein.

Say: He is the All-Watchful over His Cause; and all are humble before Him.

Say: If ye desire whatsoever is good, ye shall attain it.

Hereunto, upon the Crimson Truth,10 ye inscribe— God beareth witness: there is none
other God but Him, and all remember Him by His Signs.

Say: If ye desire Him Whom God shall make manifest,11 ye will believe; behold, these
are His Signs which ye read at every season.

The Dominion belongeth to God, before and after; He maketh manifest whom He willeth
by His command — and we are assured thereof.

Say: If ye desire to dwell in the shelter of God, ye shall be guarded; behold, all His gifts
from every quarter have been brought unto you,12 and thereby do ye recognize Him.

He it is Who sufficeth all things with regard to every thing; naught in the heavens and on
the earth can suffice Him.

And He was, over all things, a Reckoner. God beareth witness that there is none other
God but Him, and unto Him they shall all return.

God beareth witness: there is none other God but Him, and all Manifestations proceed
from Him alone.

In the text provided by Muḥammad Labīb, the Arabic phrase appears as "‫الحقيق الحمر‬." However, the correct and
established term is "‫الحقيقة الحمرا ّء‬," meaning “the Crimson Truth.” This discrepancy is presumed to be a typographical
error. Accordingly, the present rendering adopts the latter, which aligns with the established usage in Bahá’í sacred
writings and preserves both linguistic accuracy and spiritual significance. The phrase “Crimson Truth” (‫ )الحقيقة الحمراء‬is
a symbolic expression found in Bábí and Bahá’í writings, evoking the spiritual reality imbued with sacrifice and divine
revelation. The term “crimson” is preferred over “red” to reflect the sacred significance of the color, which is
commonly associated with martyrdom and the profound truths manifested through the blood of the Cause. This
usage aligns with the elevated and poetic style of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, as well as authoritative Bahá’í texts such
as “The Crimson Ark” (Safinat al-Hamra). The capitalization of “Crimson Truth” highlights its status as a distinctive
spiritual concept.
“Him Whom God shall make manifest” is a distinct title employed by the Báb, particularly in the Bayán, to refer to
the Promised Manifestation who is to follow Him—Bahá’u’lláh. This phrase signifies the awaited divine Revelation
destined to succeed the Báb’s own mission and complete the cycle of spiritual renewal. The designation embodies
both a prophetic promise and a recognition of the continuity of divine guidance, affirming Bahá’u’lláh’s unique station
as the fulfillment of the Báb’s revelation (cf. Bayán, various Tablets; Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By). The usage of this
title underscores the Báb’s role as the Herald of Bahá’u’lláh and marks a pivotal theological cornerstone in the Bahá’í
Faith.
In the text provided by Muḥammad Labīb, the phrase is rendered as " ‫كلك اآلته عن كل شطرينتهى‬," which appears to be a
typographical error. The correct and coherent reading is " ّ‫لّشَطرّّانتَ َهىّإِلَي ُكم‬
ِّ ‫عنّّ ُك‬
َ ّ‫ ُكلّّآتِ ِّه‬," meaning “His gifts from every
quarter have been brought unto you.” The corrected version is adopted here to maintain textual fidelity and clarity in
accordance with authoritative Bahá’í sources.

The Truth, from the One Who hath no beginning unto the One Who hath no end. And we
are all grateful unto Him. And unto Him belong the Keys of the heavens and the earth,
which He revealeth unto whom He willeth by His command.

Say: All ask of His bounty. And that thou mayest deliver from God, thy Lord, a bounty
from His presence upon all things.

There is none other God but Him, the Self-Subsisting, the Ever-Watchful. And unto Him
belongeth all praise, in the Hereafter and the former world. There is none other God but
Him, and unto Him are all those who give praise.

His servant, the Remembrance.’’13

The title “Remembrance” (al-Dhikr) is one of the exalted names of the Báb, signifying His role as the Divine
Reminder who calls humanity to the awareness of God’s presence. This title appears in both the Báb’s writings and
Bahá’í authoritative texts, and is rendered by Shoghi Effendi as “the Remembrance” to reflect His spiritual station.
(See Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1970), and selected Tablets of the Báb).

‫‪The Báb’s Tablet to the Nineteenth Letter of the Living, Transcribed from a Typed‬‬
‫‪Copy‬‬

‫هذا ما نزلنا الى هيكل التاسع قبل عشر مجمع الهيا كل من عند هللا العزيزّ‬
‫القيوم‬

‫هو‬
‫بسم هللا الحي المستعزز البدوح القريب‬
‫سبحان الذى قائم على امره يعلم ما يخرج من السماء وما ينزل في االرض وما يصعد اليها قل كل من خيفته وجلون هوّ الذى‬
‫يجزى كل نفس بما كسبتّ قل كل اياه ساجدون له الخلق واالمر من قبل ومن بعد وكل بامرهّ يعلمون قل هو الفاخر فوق كل‬
‫شئى وهو الممتنع المحبوب له ما فى السموات واالرض وماّ بينهما وكل من خشيته يشفقون هو هللا الّ اله االهوان يا عباد‬
‫فاتقون فقل تلك آياتّ بيناتّ من عند الثاء إلى حرف التاسع قبل عشر مجمع الهياكل فاشهد على أنه ال اله االهو المليك القدوس‬
‫هو الذي يعلم ما في السمواتّ واألرض وما بينهما وكل عليه‬
‫ليعرضون له الجود والفضل من قبل ومن بعد يختص من يشاء برحمته قل كل من جودهّ‬
‫يسئلون وله ما بدع في السموات واألرض وكل بامره عاملون هو الذي يحيى وّ‬
‫يميت ثم يحيى بفضله كيف يشاء قل كل من رعبه خائفون هوّ هللا ال اله االهو عالم الغيب والشهادة الحي المهيمن القيومّ هو‬
‫الذي ينصر من يشاء بامره قل اناّ كل من فضل هللا سائلون ان يا ذلكّ االسم فاشيد باهلل رنك بانه ال اله اال هو المليكّ القدور‬
‫لا من عنده وجودّا ا من لدنه ال اله األوانّ اليه كل يبعثون وان له ملك السموات واالرض‬        ‫ولتبلغن امر هللاّ ربك الى كل شيّ فض ّ‬
‫وكل اليه راجعون هو الذى يشفق له من فى السموات واالرض وكلّ اياه عابدون قل اتقوهللاّ يا ايها الملء ثم اياهّ تتقون هوالذى‬
‫خلقكم من عنصر واحدة االّ‬
‫تظلمون ولقد جاءّ امر هللا رّبك ولكن اكثر الناس ال يوقنون وان أكثرهم لفي ضللة والهم يشعرون هوالذى لن يعجزه من شئ‬
‫فى الهوت عزكل وكل له عابدون قل‬
‫هو‬
‫القادرعلى امره يخلق ما يشاءّ بحكمه كن فيكون قل هوّ الغالب على من في السموات واالرض واناّ كل من خيفته وجلون وانا‬
‫كل له خاضعون هوالذى خلقنا و‬
‫رزقنا بامره كن فيكون وله ما ظهر و يظهر فى الهوت كلّ شئ وكل اليه المنقلبون و الّ يحزنكّ احتجاب الناس عن بارئهمّ تا‬
‫هلل هم ال يفلحون وان اكثرهم لفي ضللةّ و ان اولئك لهم الخاسرون يجزيهم هللا نار الحريقّ جزاء بما كسبو قل اناّ كل اياهّ‬
‫لمستغفرون وكذلك هللا ربنا رب السموات واالرض ال اله االهو وكل اليه يقلبون قل ال تشتروا آياتّ هللا بثمن معدودة ان كنتم‬
‫تعقلون قل ان حيوة الدنياّ باطلة وهم هللا ليحشرون قل ان ملك اآلخرة باقية افل تعلمون قل هللاّ‬
‫ينزل مايشاء بامره وانا كل به موقنون قل هو المهيمن على امره وكل ل‬
‫خاشعون قل ان تريدون كل الخير تدركون هنا لك على الحقيق الحمر تنقشون شهد هللاّ‬
‫ال اله اال هو وكل بآياته ذاكرون قل ان تريدون من يظهره هللا تؤمنون هنا لکّ‬
‫هذه اآلياته فى كل حين تقرؤن الملك هلل من قبل ومن بعد يظهر من يشاء بامرهّ انا کل به موقنون قل ان تريدون في كنف هللا‬
‫تحرسون هنا لك كلك اآلته عن كلّ شطرينتهى اليكمّ ثم اياهّ تعرفون هوالذى يكفى كل شئى عن كل شئ وال يكفيه من شئى فى‬
‫من في السموات واالرض وانه كان بكل شئ حسيبّا ا شهد هللا انه ال اله األهو وكل اليه يرجعون شهد هللا اله ال اله االهو وانما‬
‫الظهورات من عنده لحق من قبل الذى ال قبل له الى بعد الذى ال بعد له وانا كل له شاكرون وله مفاتيح السموات واالرض‬
‫لا منّ لدنه ال اله اال هو‬     ‫ينزلها على من يشاء بامره قل كل من فضله يسئلون و لتسلمن من عند هللا ربكّ على كل شئ فض ّ‬
‫المهيمن القيوم وله الحمد في اآلخرة واالولى الّ اله االهو وكل له حامدون ‪.‬عبده الذكر‬

‫‪8‬‬
-- The Tablet to the Nineteenth Temple (Used by permission of the curator)