New Publication: "Bahá’u’lláh’s Warning to Mírzá Muhammad-’Ali in a Tablet to Siyyid Mihdíy-i-Dahájí: Provisional Translation and Commentary"
My recent publication with the Bahá'i Studies Review
Hello!
As it turns out, I don’t only publish works here! In fact, there are times where I begin writing something intended for this site, but that I realize is significant enough that it should be shared more broadly. The following is one of those works.
I share for your consideration my newly published article, “Bahá’u’lláh’s Warning to Mírzá Muhammad-’Ali in a Tablet to Siyyid Mihdíy-i-Dahájí: Provisional Translation and Commentary”. It was reviewed by The Bahá’í Studies Review (BSR), a journal of the Association for Bahá’í Studies UK that was recently relaunched after several years of hiatus. This article features a provisional translation and succinct commentary I wrote on an important Tablet of Bahá’u’lláh that Bahá’í Studies Review has graciously reviewed and published.
https://www.abs.bahai.org.uk/bsr-e20251205
In this article, I translate an important Tablet of Bahá’u’lláh written to Siyyid Mihdíy-i-Dahájí. An excerpt from the Tablet will be well-known from a quotation of it featured in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Will & Testament, included also in several works of the Guardian, and from some brief historical overview of related events in Taherzadeh’s Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh series. Until now, I had not seen any full translations of the Tablet.
In this important Tablet, Bahá’ulláh issues a warning to His son, the Greater Branch, Mirzá Muhammad-Ali, against straying from the Cause. Although brief, it deserves to be considered alongside such important tablets from that same era as the Lawh-i Khalil, and the Súrih-i-Ghusn, texts that offer invaluable indications as to the envisioned status and station of the Aghsán, and especially the future status of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
To that end, alongside the full translation of BH06114, I also discuss, compare, and translate important excerpts from BH00941, BH00431 (Lawh-i Khalil), and BH02884. Collectively, these reflect on the broader themes of the nature of spiritual authority and succession in the Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’u’lláh’s admonitions to remain firm in His Covenant and Testament, and His aims to prevent schism.
I hope you enjoy!
Cheers,
Aaron