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