# Transliteration

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-20 — 1 clipping.*

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Moojan Momen, Transliteration, bahai-library.com.
> ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
> 
> Transliteration
> 
> Moojan Momen
> 
> 1991
> 
> Transliteration: The representation of a word from a language written in one alphabet to another
> alphabet. The transliteration of Arabic and Persian words into the Roman alphabet has always
> been a problem for orientalists and there is still no system that is completely satisfactory. Since
> 1923 Bahá'ís have adopted a standard system.
> 
> 1. Early Bahá'í transliteration and transcription The early Western Bahá'ís had no standard way
> of spelling Bahá'í names and terms. Though the works of E. G. Browne, who used forms
> common to British orientalists of the time, certainly exercised an influence, early spellings
> represented nonscholarly spellings adopted by early Middle Eastern Bahá'í teachers and by
> western Bahá'ís. "Bahá'u'lláh," for example, could be spelled Beha'Ulläh, Behá'U'lláh, and so on.
> In 1902, `Abdu'l-Bahá gave instructions for a change from the "Beha" that had been favored by
> Kheiralla (q.v.) to "Baha." In 1906, `Abdu'l-Bahá wrote to Roy Wilhelm instructing that the
> transliteration "Baha'o'llah" be used. In 1921, in a tablet to Jean Masson, `Abdu'l-Bahá stated
> that the transliterations "Baha 'Ullah" and "Mashreq 'Ul-Azkar" be used (SoW 1921 12:168-170).
> 
> 2. Shoghi Effendi's adoption of a standard system. The present Bahá'í system of transliteration
> was initiated by Shoghi Effendi in a letter to the Bahá'ís of America dated 12 March 1923. He
> enclosed a list of oriental terms and phrases spelled according a standard system of
> transliteration and asked them henceforward to keep to this system (BA 43). He sent similar
> letters to other National Spiritual Assemblies over the next few years. The list appeared in the
> Bahá'í Year Book in 1926 (p. 131), though with many of the diacritical marks missing, probably
> for typographical reasons. A corrected table appeared in Bahá'í World 2:213-14. This listing has
> been reprinted in substantially the same form in every subsequent volume with the exception of
> a few words added to the list over the years.
> 
> From the June 1923 issue of Star of the West, attempts were made to introduce the system
> although these are at first very patchy. The first books that appear to be trying to put the system
> into use are Esslemont's Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era and Herrick's Unity Triumphant (the latter
> not entirely consistently), both published in 1923. Although some books appearing in 1924 did
> not follow the system, from this time on, books and other printed material published under
> Bahá'í auspices have followed it.
> 
> From Bahá'í World Volume 2 onwards, a statement appears on the reverse of the title page to the
> effect that "The spelling of Oriental words and proper names in this issue of the bahá'í world
> is according to the system of transliteration established at one of the International Oriental
> Congresses." This refers to the Tenth International Congress of Orientalists held in September
> 1894 at Geneva, which, at the recommendation of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain,
> adopted a system similar to one that had been adopted by the Society. In adapting this system for
> Bahá'í use, Shoghi Effendi used the permitted alternative of two letters in all but one case where
> the Congress recommended single letters (e.g. sh instead of s$(1); except for j where the
> alternative dj is primarily for the French). Shoghi Effendi deviated from the Congress's system in
> his handling of the Arabic definite article by using the double consonant in the case of the "Sun
> letters": as-, ash-, ar-, etc., instead of "al-"--following the pronunciation rather than the Arabic
> spelling. Also Shoghi Effendi uses v instead of w for the Persian letter vav.
> 
> One of the peculiarities of the Bahá'í transliteration system is the propensity to use the short
> vowel "i" in many situations where the standard Persian pronunciation would be "a". Examples
> of this are: Siyyid, Karbilá, Mázindarán, Mihdí, and Ádhirbáyján where the normal
> pronunciation would give Sayyid, Karbalá, Mázarandán, Mahdí, and Ádharbáyján. It would
> appear that this is due to the fact that Shoghi Effendi spoke Persian with an Isfahání accent
> learned from his grandmother Munírih Khánum. She was from Isfahan and passed on her accent
> to her daughters and grandchildren.
> 
> There are several other peculiarities. For example, the persistent use of -íyyi- in such words as
> Bahíyyih, Bábíyyih, etc., in place of the more correct -íyi- or -iyyi-. A number of much-used
> words and phrases also appear to be inconsistent: for example, Alláh-u-Abhá, which should be
> Alláhu Abhá. Arabic words, names, and phrases are often spelled as though they were Persian;
> for example, Kitáb-i-Aqdas instead of Kitábu'l-Aqdas.
> 
> 3. Current Bahá'í practices and policies At present, the Bahá'í transliteration system is followed
> by Bahá'í publishers and individuals in all languages using the Roman alphabet. The only major
> exceptions are scholarly works written for publication by non-Bahá'í publishers following their
> own system of transliteration.
> 
> Two letters from the Universal House of Justice, dated 20 October 1978 and 8 March 1979, have
> developed the Bahá'í system of transliteration with the following additional principles: there is
> no need to transliterate the names of well-known places; -a or -ah can be used to indicate the
> Arabic tá marbútah; either Arabic or Persian forms of words and names may be used; and flat
> accents may be used.
> 
> Attempts have been made to have similar standardization for languages using other scripts, such
> as Japanese and Chinese.
> 
> Bibliography
> For further details, see M. Momen, "The Bahá'í System of Transliteration" Bahá'í
> Studies Bulletin 1991 5/1-2:13-55. J.E. Esslemont, Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, London:
> George Allen and Unwin, 1923. Elizabeth Herrick, Unity Triumphant: The Call of the Kingdom,
> London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co, 1923.
> 
> Note:
> 
> 1. This should be an "s" with a little "v" on top
> 
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> Views15305 views since posted 2010-05-25; last edit 2025-03-06 13:13 UTC;
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> — *Transliteration (Used by permission of the curator)*