# Hidden Words, also known as Book of Fatimih: Tablet study outline

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-18 — 1 clipping.*

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> Name of Tablet in Arabic or Persian:
>  "Kalimát-i-Maknúnih" or 
> "Sahífiy-i-Fatimiyyih"
> 
> Translation into English:
>   Originally "The Hidden Book of Fatimih," and 
> later "The Hidden Words." Also sometimes referred to simply as "The 
> Book of Fatimih." See below.
> 
> There have been more translations of the Hidden Words than of any 
> other Bahá'í text. E.G. Browne first translated parts of it for his 
> rendition of A Traveller's Narrative in 1891; Ibráhím Kheiralla 
> translated the entire text in 1894 and 1900; Amin Fareed trans. and 
> published it in 1905; a Mrs. Stannard rendered it in English in 1921; 
> and Shoghi Effendi translated it in a few drafts: the first in 1923, the 
> second in 1924, the third in 1925, the fourth in 1929, with a final 
> revision in 1954.
> 
> For discussion of the Hidden Words, see Diana Malouf, Unveiling the 
> Hidden Words (George Ronald, 1997), and also her article "The 
> Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh: Translation Norms Employed by Shoghi 
> Effendi," in The Vision of Shoghi Effendi (ABS, 1993); E.G. Browne, 
> original trans. of Traveller's Narrative, 122-126; and Franklin 
> Lewis' "Scripture as Literature," available only online, at 
> Bahái-library.org/conferences/scripture.lit.html. David 
> Hofman discusses George Townshend's role in the authorized 
> translation in his book George Townshend, pp. 56-59 and 78-79.
> 
> Significance of Name:
> The Hidden Words was known as the "Hidden Book of Fatimih," 
> (Sahífiyyih-Maknúniyh-Fatimiyyih) until around the mid-1860s, at 
> which time it came to be referred to simply as the "Hidden Words." In the 
> Lawh-i-Sultán (Tablet to the King of Persia), from 1867, Bahá'u'lláh 
> quotes four Persian Hidden Words and states that these are from a work 
> which "was" known as "Sahífiyyih-Maknúniyh-Fatimiyyih" but "these 
> days" is called "Kalimát-i-Maknúnih" (Hidden Words).
> 
> For many reasons which are beyond the scope of this note, Shiism has 
> long held strong beliefs in two layers of meaning in Sacred Writings, 
> the "exoteric" (zahir) and the "esoteric" or "hidden" (batin). The 
> former are the outer essentials of religion and theological explanations 
> for the masses, and especially the non-Shii Muslims. The "hidden" 
> teachings are those only known to the truest Muslims, the Shiis and 
> especially the Shii Imáms. (Much discussion of this can be found in 
> The Divine Guide in Early Shi'ism, by Mohammad Alí Amir-Moezzi, 
> and also in a paper I wrote, "The Shi'i Qur'an," online at 
> Bahái-library.org/personal/jw/my.papers/.) This, then, 
> is one possible meaning of "hidden," the fact that Bahá'u'lláh is now 
> revealing teachings which previously had been reserved for the 
> spiritual elite.
> 
> The academic consensus, supported even by much Shi'i consensus, is 
> that the Book of Fatimih is mythical; even 'Abdu'l-Bahá admitted that it 
> did not really exist. As a myth, however, its history and meaning was 
> clear. The sixth Imám of Shiism, Ja'far al-Sadiq, relates that, when 
> Muhammad's daughter Fatimih — the wife of the first Imám Alí and 
> mother of Imám Husayn — was grieving Muhammad's death, an angel 
> visited her with words of comfort. This angel is often said to be Gabriel 
> and, since Gabriel was the bearer of the annunciation to Mary, mother 
> of Jesus, and to Muhammad, he represents divine revelation and the 
> Book of Fatimih would thus have come from God. Fatimih mentioned 
> this to Ali, who advised that she record everything Gabriel told her 
> (or, in some versions, wrote it down himself). The resulting Book of 
> Fatimih is unlike the Qur'an in that it contained more mystical and 
> prophetic teachings, and was said to be 17,000 verses, almost three 
> times the size of the Qur'an. The subsequent Imáms were the only ones 
> who had possession of the book and, by extension, anyone who had the 
> book was the Imám (this is important). In 874, though, the last Imám 
> disappeared and became "occulted," or "hidden." Within a short time, 
> Shiis ("Twelver" Shiis only) began to believe that the Hidden Imám 
> would one day return as the "Qa'im," or "Mahdi," and bring the Day of 
> Judgment and the end of time. When he came, one of the proofs he would 
> have of his identity would be that he would possess the hidden Book of 
> Fatimih. As well, he would prove his authority by revealing the hidden, 
> secret meanings of all previous religious texts (sound familiar?!).
> 
> A further significance has far-reaching ramifications. The exact 
> meanings of terms like "Báb," "Mahdi," and "Qa'im" are difficult to 
> determine and, even though the Báb was technically the 
> Báb/Mahdi/Qa'im, Bahá'u'lláh also represents certain aspects of each. 
> The Shii audience would have been expecting the Mahdi to authenticate 
> His revelation by, among other things, revealing the "hidden" meanings 
> of previous religions and possessing the Hidden Book of Fatimih. Thus, 
> when Bahá'u'lláh gave His book that title, the significance could not 
> have escaped His audience, for the very act of composing a book by that 
> title was to make an indirect claim, not just to Prophethood, but to the 
> very abrogation of the rule of the Ulama! 'Abdu'l-Bahá also points out 
> this significance, saying that Bahá'u'lláh "willed to make known the 
> appearance of the Qa'im by intimation and implication; therefore was it 
> mentioned in this manner for a wise reason which He had" (quoted in 
> Malouf, diss. version of Unveiling..., 95 [trans. Browne?]).
> 
> While it would have been clear that the Hidden Words was not 
> *literally* meant to be the Book of Fatimih, for it was much shorter 
> and did not contain some of the things that Fatimih's was said to 
> contain, the title alone would have been enough to make some people 
> wonder. It is not clear how many people made the connection, since this 
> was 5 years before His private declaration and 10 years before His 
> public one, but in retrospect we can see the great significance this title 
> has.
> 
> 
> Tablet was revealed in:
>     Arabic and  Persian
>     
> Reason for Revelation of the Tablet:
> Bahá'u'lláh gives four reasons for the revelation of the work in the 
> preface to the Arabic section: "This is that which hath descended from 
> the realm of glory, uttered by the tongue of power and might, and 
> revealed unto the Prophets of old.  We have taken the inner essence 
> thereof and clothed it in the garment of brevity, [1] as a token of grace 
> unto the righteous, [2] that they may stand faithful unto the Covenant 
> of God, [3] may fulfill in their lives His trust, [4] and in the realm of 
> spirit obtain the gem of Divine virtue." Taherzadeh also gives as a 
> reason that: "The chief aim of Bahá'u'lláh in The Hidden Words is to 
> detach man from this mortal world and to protect his soul from its 
> greatest enemy, himself" (p. 75). 
> 
> 
> Date of Revelation:
>  Taherzadeh writes that it was revealed in 1858, 
> with certain passages being added later. On page 98 of George Latimer's 
> pilgrim's notes, The Light of the World (1920), the following 
> unauthenticated quotation is found:  The question was asked, "When and 
> where was the Hidden Words revealed and why was it called hidden?"  
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá answered: "At first it was concealed.  It was not circulated.  It 
> was revealed at Baghdad towards the ends of our stay there.  It was not given 
> to anyone.  There were not more than two or three copies of it.  It was at a 
> time when all the enemies were attacking us.  The Sháh of Persia was 
> oppressing and the Ottoman government was also oppressing us.  At such a 
> time they were revealed."
> 
> Place of Revelation:
>   Baghdad, while pacing the banks of the Tigris 
> River
> 
> Role of Amanuensis or Secretary:
> Many students have written that 
> there was an amanuensis who recorded the Hidden Words as they were 
> revealed. I have found no mention of a role of an amanuensis. If you have 
> found evidence, please tell me where.
> 
> Other Tablets revealed at about the same time:
> Numerous tablets were revealed during this, the middle to late Baghdad 
> period, such as the Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys, the many 
> tablets studied in Week One, and numerous mystical Tablets such as the 
> Tablet of the Maiden. John Hatcher also gives a list in The Ocean of His 
> Words, p.380.
> 
> Style, Subject, and Genre:
>         Style: Tablets with the tone of command and authority. Townshend's 
> introduction says that the Arabic Hidden Words are "more simple, 
> direct, definite, ethical" exhortations, mostly addressed to individuals, 
> while the Persian ones are longer, "personal, appealing, mystical, 
> poetical" and often addressed to groups.
>         Subject: The Hidden Words encompass a number of subjects. While the 
> main ones are "Tablets exhorting men to education, goodly character 
> and divine virtues" and "Tablets dealing with social teachings," some 
> also "concern matters of government and world order" and at least one, 
> the Persian #77, is "Mystical." Shoghi Effendi also calls it "ethical," 
> saying that the Hidden Words has the position of "unsurpassed 
> preeminence among the...ethical writings of [Bahá'u'lláh]" (God 
> Passes By, 140).
>         Genre: It can be said to be an "Essay or book, not revealed to a specific 
> person," but is more clearly a kind of rhymed prose akin to poetry 
> called "saj`," which is the same style of most of the Qur'an. But, since 
> it isn't wholly saj`, there really is no clear genre in all of Arabic-
> Persian literary tradition into which the Hidden Words falls; it is a 
> unique literary form.
> 
> Voice of Tablet: [?]
>  While most of the Hidden Words is clearly in the voice 
> of God ("O My Servants"), there are places in which it sounds as if 
> Bahá'u'lláh is addressing us more from the human vantage point.
> 
> Outline Contents of Tablet (if possible)
> The contents are perhaps best summarized by Taherzadeh on p. 72: 
> "This marvelous collection of heavenly counsels and admonitions can be described as a perfect 
> guide-book for man on his journey to the spiritual worlds of God...The Hidden 
> Words not only sets out the provisions of this universal and everlasting Covenant which binds 
> man  to his Creator, but also demonstrates the way in which he can be faithful to 
> it." 
> 
> Principal themes of the Tablet:
> Diana Malouf, in the dissertation version of Unveiling..., writes 
> "Thematically, numerous strands wind themselves intricately though 
> the broader tapestry. They are like an arabesque, interwoven, 
> recombined, weaving in and out without an abrupt beginning or end. 
> Some stanzas in proximity address a certain theme, such as love (A 3-
> 10), faultfinding (A 26-29), death (A 31-34), martyrdom (A 45-
> 57), or tribulation (A 48-53). However, in stanzas dealing 
> ostensibly with a subject, other themes enter and are picked up and 
> then disappear and appear later, in another stanza, composing a rich 
> texture....The work resists [thematization; it] is far too complex" 
> (diss., 57-58).
> 
> One student has also drawn up a useful four-part typology:
>       1. Commands on heavenly virtues
>       2. Commands on earthly virtues
>       3. Descriptions of heavenly virtues or verities
>       4. Descriptions of earthly virtues or verities
> 
> Comment on the Tablet's relationship to any other tablets:
> The Hidden Words mentions two other tables, the "fifth Tablet of 
> Paradise" and the "Ruby Tablet," both of which Abdu'l-Bahá says have 
> not yet been revealed. After the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Shoghi Effendi ranks the 
> Hidden Words second  only to the Kitáb-i-Íqán in importance. (God 
> Passes By, 140) 
> 
> As well, the Hidden Words can be related to all other dispensations by the statement which it opens with, "This is that which hath descended from the realm of glory, 
> uttered by the tongue of power and might, and revealed 
> unto the Prophets of old.  We have taken the inner essence 
> thereof and clothed it in the garment of brevity..." It is thus a distillation of the teachings from all previous dispensations.
>
> — *Hidden Words, also known as Book of Fatimih: Tablet study outline (Used by permission of the curator)*