# Second Tablet of Salmán: Tablet study outline

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-21 — 1 clipping.*

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> Name of Tablet in Arabic or Persian: Lawh-i-Salmán II
> 
> Translation into English: Tablet of Salmán / Tablet to Salmán. 
> Parts of this Tablet has been translated in Gleanings XXI, CXLVIII, and CLIV, 
> and one paragraph was translated in Promised Day is Come 115-16.
> 
> Significance of Name: The Tablet was revealed for Shaykh 
> Salmán, one of Bahá'u'lláh's staunch and faithful disciples famous for 
> dedicating his life to delivering Bahá'u'lláh's Tablets to the friends. Of the 
> many Tablets to Shaykh Salmán, two are simply referred to eponymously 
> as Lawh-i-Salmán. This is thus Lawh-i-Salmán II.
> 
> Tablet was revealed in: Persian
> 
> Name of Recipient: Shaykh Khánjar Hindiyani, named Shaykh 
> Salmán by Bahá'u'lláh in honor of the loyal disciple of Muhammad whom 
> that Prophet re-named as "Salmán." "Salmán" comes from the same root 
> as "Islam" and "Muslim," and carries the connotations of peace and 
> submission to the will of God. 
> 
> Reason for Revelation of the Tablet: It would appear that this 
> Tablet was revealed largely to guide and encourage Salmán and help 
> support him through the many tests he would face in his capacity as 
> Bahá'u'lláh's messenger. Bahá'u'lláh counsels Salmán to be resigned to the 
> commands of God and accept the trials and tests put before him, and to 
> keep in mind Bahá'u'lláh's own fortitude in the face of afflictions. It was a 
> reminder that holding fast to the Cause of God is far more important than 
> holding on to any of the things of the world.
> 
> Questions asked that are answered in Tablet: not known
> 
> Date of Revelation: Sometime shortly after the summer 1868, so 
> known because in the Tablet Bahá'u'lláh mentions the exile of the 
> believers from Baghdad to Mosul, which occurred in that summer.
> 
> Place of Revelation: Akká
> 
> Role of Amanuensis or Secretary: not stated
> 
> Other Tablets revealed at about the same time: There were many 
> Tablets revealed around this time, most notably the epistles to the Kings, 
> such as the Súriy-i-Ra'ís, Lawh-i-Ra'ís, Lawh-i-Fu'ád, Second Tablet to 
> Napoleon III, Tablet to Pope Pius IX, Tablet to Czar Alexander II, and the 
> Tablet to Queen Victoria. 
> 
> Style, subject, and genre of the Tablet: [?]
> 1.     Style: Tablet with the tone of command and authority.
> 2.     Subject: Tablet exhorting men to education, goodly character and divine virtue.
> 3.     Genre: Letter to an individual (Salmán).
> 
> Voice of Tablet: [?] Bahá'u'lláh
> 
> Outline Contents of Tablet: Since the Tablet hasn't been 
> translated in its entirety, only a partial summary can be provided. Among 
> other things, this Tablet counsels Salmán to accept God's decree and 
> submit to His tests; to recall how Bahá'u'lláh stayed committed to God 
> and His mission even in spite of the tribulations to which God subjected 
> him and to emulate this dedication; to strive to recognize God and His 
> Messengers and to observe their commandments; to remain radiant and 
> steadfast in the face of suffering; to recall that earthly glory and pride 
> are ephemeral and hence shouldn't be sought; to promote the Cause of 
> God and recall that great rewards come to those who work for His Cause.
>  
> Principal themes of the Tablet: The main themes of this 
> Tablet, at least as can be ascertained from the few parts translated, are 
> to recognize and accept the Revelation of God's messenger for our age, 
> to be steadfast in His Cause, and to remain steadfast in the face of 
> difficulties this commitment can bring.
> 
> 
>  Tablet's relationship to any other tablets.
>   This Tablet to Salmán is one of several Tablets to him, including the 
> Madinatu't-Tawhíd, and the second named simply "Lawh-i-Salmán." 
> Taherzadeh wrote that "Bahá'u'lláh has revealed many Tablets for Shaykh 
> Salmán, which often deal with weighty and profound subjects." (Rev. of 
> Bahá'u'lláh vol. 1, 113) It should also be remembered that this Tablet was 
> revealed at a time when Bahá'u'lláh was sending epistles to the rulers of 
> the world, informing them of His station and Message and calling them to 
> accept the new Revelation. This Tablet would seem to fit in with 
> Bahá'u'lláh's overall themes of this time period, namely the public 
> declaration of God's new Cause and the call to accept and support it.
> 
> In several paragraphs, record your personal responses to the 
> Tablet.
> 
> Biography:
>      Biographies of Shaykh Salmán can be found in many places, including 
> Memorials of the Faithful 13-16, Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh vol.1 109-13 and 
> 255-56 and vol.3 25-28, and Stories from the Delight of Hearts 133. One 
> student summarized this biographies with the following detailed 
> paragraph:
> 
> "Shaykh Salmán was Bahá'u'lláh's tireless messenger, 
> undergoing tremendous hardships and difficulties to carry Bahá'u'lláh's 
> Tablets to the believers in Iran, and to bring their news and letters back 
> to Him. The Prophet Muhammad had a Persian companion and messenger 
> named Ruz-bih, who was known as Salmán, and so the name Salmán was 
> given to Shaykh Salmán by Bahá'u'lláh in recognition of his services (ROB, 
> Vol. 1). He traveled primarily on foot, under the most trying of conditions, 
> and exercised such care that none of Bahá'u'lláh's Tablets were ever lost 
> to the enemies of the Faith. On one occasion, Salmán actually ate the 
> Tablets he was carrying, rather then let them fall into the hands of the 
> authorities in Iran (ROB, Vol. 2, Chapter 13). Shaykh Salmán was very frank 
> and direct, very simple and pure-hearted, causing certain believers in high 
> positions to avoid his company out of embarrassment. Although he was 
> illiterate, Shaykh Salmán had purified his heart to such an extent that he 
> was able to correctly identify the intended recipient of Tablets simply by 
> hearing the Words of Bahá'u'lláh. Shaykh Salmán was entrusted with the 
> responsibility of escorting Munirih Khánum to `Akká from Iran in order to 
> be married to `Abdu'l-Bahá. Hájí Mírzá Haydar-Alí states in "Stories from 
> the Delight of Hearts" (quoted in ROB Vol.2, Chapter 13) that he was filled 
> with joy by associating with Shaykh Salmán, and that all the believers with 
> pure hearts were devoted to him. He further states that Salmán was the 
> essence of selflessness, having no ego whatsoever, and that he was the 
> essence of wisdom and knowledge, although outwardly illiterate, able to 
> solve difficult problems and explain abstruse questions in simple 
> language."
>
> — *Second Tablet of Salmán: Tablet study outline (Used by permission of the curator)*