# The Tablet to the Nineteenth Temple

*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: The Báb, The Tablet to the Nineteenth Temple, bahai-library.com.
> ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
> 
> The Báb’s Tablet to the Nineteenth Temple
> Mohammad Norozi1
> 
> 9 August 2025
> 
> Introduction and background:
> 
> In the nascent Bábí Dispensation, the first eighteen individuals to recognize the Báb’s
> divine mission were conferred the title “Letters of the Living” (Hurúf-i-Hayy) (Báb,
> Persian Bayán II:7). In Bábí theology, the “letter” serves as a metaphor for a
> messenger—an intermediary proceeding from the “Point,” which symbolizes the
> Manifestation of God (Báb, Qayyúmu’l-Asmá’, Súrah of Joseph).
> 
> Collectively, these eighteen disciples and the Báb Himself constitute what the Báb
> termed the First Vahid (Unity) of His Dispensation. The term Vahid, meaning “One,”
> bears the numerical value of nineteen in the Abjad system (MacEoin, Denis. 2009. The
> Sources for Early Bābī Doctrine and History. Leiden: Brill., pp. 32–33), thus signifying
> unity and completeness. The number nineteen therefore represents not only a
> numerical structure but also a theological statement of wholeness, with the Báb at the
> center and the eighteen Letters as emanations of His revelation.
> 
> The Letters of the Living are thus more than the earliest believers; they embody the
> spiritual completeness and unfolding of the Báb’s message. As the “points” from which
> the letters emerge, they herald the transformation of the spiritual order and prepare the
> way for the advent of the next Manifestation—the Promised One foretold by the Báb
> (Báb, Persian Bayán II:7; Amanat, Abbas. 1989. Resurrection and Renewal: The Making
> of the Babi Movement in Iran, 1844–1850. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press., pp. 166–
> 167).
> 
> In the Bábí and Bahá’í sacred writings, the Arabic term Haykal—literally “temple” or
> “body”—carries profound symbolic and theological significance. In the writings of the
> Báb, it can denote the physical form (jasad) of the Manifestation of God, the
> Manifestation’s perfect spiritual reality, or a mystical archetype representing divine
> revelation itself (Báb, Persian Bayán V:7). The Haykal frequently designates the
> Manifestation as the living Temple of God—the visible locus of the invisible divine will
> (Bahá’u’lláh, Súriy-i-Haykal, ¶1).
> 
> One of the most distinctive symbolic representations of the Haykal in the Bábí
> dispensation is the five-pointed star. This star is composed of five intersecting lines
> which form six internal chambers—together yielding a total of eleven distinct elements.
> 
> Contact email address; nsm_dist@hotmail.com.
> 
> In the Abjad numerical system, the word Huwa (“He”) has the value of eleven (Saiedi,
> Nader. 2008. Gate of the Heart: Understanding the Writings of the Báb. Waterloo, ON:
> Wilfrid Laurier University Press., pp. 150). Thus, the very geometry of the five-pointed
> star becomes a visual declaration of divine unity, representing the Manifestations of
> God as the earthly embodiment of the eternal “He.”
> 
> In the Bábí context, the Haykal can signify:
> 
> 1. The Manifestation’s own physical person (jasad), as the Temple of God (Báb,
> Persian Bayán V:7).
> 
> 2. The perfect spiritual reality of the Manifestation, reflecting all divine Names.
> 
> 3. A representative believer who serves as a locus of the Cause in their time.
> 
> 4. A symbolic geometric form (especially the five-pointed star) used to convey
> mystical truths.
> 
> In all these senses, the Haykal functions as a bridge between the unseen realm and the
> visible world, embodying the purpose of revelation: to make God’s will manifest in
> creation. As Bahá’u’lláh later affirmed: “This is the Temple of God amongst you, and His
> Tabernacle in your midst” (Súriy-i-Haykal, authorized trans., Bahá’u’lláh 1978).
> 
> As indicated by the superscription of the Tablet under study, it is clear that the Báb
> revealed it specifically for the Nineteenth Temple. As previously noted, the first
> eighteen individuals who embraced His divine mission are designated as the Letters of
> the Living. Together with the Báb Himself, Who is symbolized as the Point, they
> constitute what is known as the First Vahid, or First Unity, of His Dispensation.
> 
> Significantly, the Tablet appears to be revealed by the Báb in a dual capacity—both as
> the divine Messenger and as the representative of the collective unity of the Letters.
> 
> In addition to this central Tablet, the Báb also revealed eighteen separate Tablets, each
> dedicated to one of the Letters of the Living, thereby honoring their foundational roles in
> the unfolding Revelation. Furthermore, He revealed one Tablets addressed to Him
> Whom God Shall Make Manifest—Bahá’u’lláh—the Promised One foretold by the Báb,
> who would succeed and complete the cycle of divine Manifestations.
> 
> This intricate literary and theological structure not only reflects the Báb’s profound
> awareness of His own station and that of His disciples but also situates the Nineteenth
> Temple as the culminating point of the initial phase of the Bábí Dispensation, pointing
> forward to the coming of Bahá’u’lláh and the subsequent Bahá’í Revelation.
> 
> This sacred Tablet, revealed wholly in Arabic at some point in the year 1844 C.E., dates
> from the earliest days of the Báb’s ministry.
> 
> What follows is a provisional English rendering of this luminous Tablet, translated with
> the utmost reverence and care. The original text is published in Muḥammad Labīb,
> ّ‫( توقيعات مباركه حضرت باب خطاب به حروف حيّ بخطّ آن حضرت و بخطّ كاتب‬Tawqīʿāt Mubārakah Ḥaḍrat
> al-Bāb Khiṭāb biḥ Ḥurūf-i-Ḥayy bi-Khaṭṭ-i-Ān Ḥaz̤rat wa bi-Khaṭṭ-i-Kātib).
> 
> The Báb Reveals:
> 
> “This is what We have revealed unto the Temple of the Ninth, before the Tenth,2 the
> Convocation of the Temples, from God, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting.
> 
> He
> 
> In the Name of God, the Living, the All-Glorious, the Manifest,3 the Near
> 
> Glorified be He Who standeth firm upon His Cause,4 Who knoweth what issueth forth
> from the heaven, and what descendeth upon the earth, and what ascendeth unto it.
> 
> Say: All are filled with awe and trembling before Him. He it is Who rewardeth every soul
> according to that which it hath earned.
> 
> Say: All prostrate themselves before Him. To Him belong creation and command, in the
> past and in the future. And all, by His command, are made to know.
> 
> The Arabic phrase ‫ تاسع قبل عشر‬literally reads “the Ninth before the Tenth.” In Bábí/Bahá’í symbolism such numerical
> locutions are frequently used in a non-literal, symbolic way to indicate the position within the nineteen-unit system
> (the first eighteen Letters of the Living + the Báb’s special station), and therefore may be taken to signify the
> Nineteenth in a symbolic sense.
> The term al-Badūḥ (‫)البدوح‬, appearing among the Divine Attributes in the Báb’s invocation, derives from the root b-d-
> ḥ, which encompasses meanings of “open expanse” and “to reveal or disclose.” In the sacred context of this Tablet,
> and consistent with classical Islamic theology and Bahá’í interpretive tradition, al-Badūḥ is best understood as a
> Divine Name signifying “the Manifest”—the One who unveils and reveals His Presence and Essence. This rendering
> aligns with Shoghi Effendi’s stylistic precedent in translating divine epithets that emphasize God’s self-revelation, and
> maintains the solemn sequence of Names: the Living, the All-Glorious, the Manifest, and the Near. Although the
> lexical roots suggest notions of spatial vastness and revelation, theologically the term functions as an elevated Divine
> Attribute rather than a created entity or angelic figure.
> The phrase al-Qā’im ʿalá amrihi (‫ )الذي قائم على أمره‬literally means “He Who standeth firm upon His Cause,”
> emphasizing God’s sovereign authority and firm establishment over His command. This rendering aligns with Shoghi
> Effendi’s authoritative style in translating divine epithets, as seen in Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh.
> Although the root q-w-m can also mean “to arise,” the phrase here refers primarily to God’s active governance rather
> than the Promised Qā’im, a title the Báb adopts elsewhere for Himself. In the context of this Tablet, revealed by the
> Báb for Himself, the expression carries a layered meaning: it denotes both God’s unchallengeable dominion and the
> Manifestation’s station as the One who arises to establish and fulfill that divine command. This dual significance
> reflects the theophanic voice of God speaking through the Manifestation, uniting the transcendent and manifest
> aspects of the divine reality. For this reason, the translation preserves the phrase’s literal form in the text while the
> additional interpretive nuance is reserved for commentary. See Shoghi Effendi, Gleanings from the Writings of
> Bahá’u’lláh, p. 164; Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb; and Nabil-i-Azam, The Dawn-Breakers, for further
> elaboration on the Qā’im’s station.
> 
> Say: He is the Most Exalted above all things. And He is the Inaccessible, the Well-
> Beloved. Unto Him belong whatsoever is in the heavens and on the earth and
> whatsoever lieth between them.
> 
> And all, by reason of fear of Him, are filled with reverent awe. He is God; there is none
> other God but Him. O My servants, fear ye Me.
> 
> Say: These are verily perspicuous verses from the Letter Thā’5 unto the Letter of the
> Ninth, before the Tenth, the Convocation of the Temples.
> 
> Bear thou witness that there is none other God but Him, the Sovereign, the Most Holy.
> He it is Who knoweth what is in the heavens, and on the earth, and whatever lieth
> between them.
> 
> And all before Him shall be presented. To Him belong bounty and grace, in the past and
> in the future. He singleth out whomsoever He willeth for His mercy.
> 
> Say: All ask of His bounty. Unto Him belong whatsoever He hath brought into being in
> the heavens and on the earth. And all do His bidding.
> 
> He giveth life and causeth death, then, by His grace, giveth life again,6 howsoever He
> willeth.
> 
> Say: All are fearful because of His dread. He is God; there is none other God but Him.
> 
> The Knower of the unseen and the seen, the Living, the All-Watchful, the Self-Subsisting.
> He it is Who, by His command, succoureth whomsoever He willeth.
> 
> Say: We all beseech of the bounty of God. O thou that Name!7 Magnify, through God, thy
> Lord, for that there is none other God but Him, the Sovereign, the All-Powerful.
> 
> That the command of God, thy Lord, may reach unto every thing — a bounty from Him,
> an existence proceeding from His Presence; there is none other God but Him, unto
> Whom all shall be raised.
> 
> Cf. The Bab, Selections 3: “This is the first letter of ‘Thamarih’ which means ‘fruit’. Shoghi Effendi, in his writings,
> refers to the Bab as the ‘Thamarih’ (fruit) of the Tree of God’s successive Revelations.” (See Shoghi Effendi’s letter to
> the Baha’is of the East dated Naw-Ruz 110, page 5).”
> Qur’ān 2:28
> The phrase “O thou that Name!” (‫ )ان يا ذلك االسم‬is a profound self-address by the Báb to His own exalted station as the
> Manifestation of God’s Name in this dispensation. In Bábí and Bahá’í theology, the “Name” signifies the divine Reality
> through which God’s attributes are made manifest to humanity. Here, the Báb invokes His sacred station, exhorting it
> to magnify and glorify God, thus underscoring the intimate relationship between the Manifestation and the Divine
> Source. This usage aligns with the Qur’anic and mystical tradition wherein the “Name” of God represents the eternal
> and ineffable divine essence (cf. Kitáb-i-Íqán, Bahá’u’lláh; God Passes By, Shoghi Effendi). The Báb’s self-referential
> invocation emphasizes the unity of the speaker and the revealed Word, marking His unique role as the “Promised
> Qá’im” and the divine Manifestation of the Names and Attributes of God in this sacred Tablet revealed by Himself for
> Himself.
> 
> And verily unto Him belongeth the Dominion of the heavens and the earth; unto Him
> shall all return.
> 
> He it is before Whom those in the heavens and on the earth are filled with reverent awe;
> and all, in very truth, are devoted unto God.
> 
> Say: Fear ye God, O concourse, then Him shall ye fear.
> 
> He it is Who created you from one and the same substance8 — will ye then still do
> wrong?
> 
> Verily the command of God, thy Lord, hath come; yet most among men have no
> certitude — yea, the greater part of them are in error and perceive it not.
> 
> He it is Whom naught in the Realm of the Divine Dominion can frustrate — the Might of
> all — and unto Him all are devoted.
> 
> Say: He is the All-Prevailing over those in the heavens and on the earth.
> 
> Say: He is the All-Powerful over His Cause; He createth whatsoever He willeth by His
> Wisdom — ‘Be, and it is.’
> 
> Say: He is the All-Prevailing over those in the heavens and on the earth. And all, by
> reason of fear and trembling at His Presence, are submissive unto Him; and all are
> bowed low before Him.
> 
> He it is Who created us and provided for us by His command — “Be,” and it is. To Him
> belongeth whatsoever hath appeared and whatsoever shall appear in the realm of His
> Divinity — all things — and unto Him are the returners.
> 
> Be not grieved by the concealment of men from their Creator; verily, they shall not attain
> success. Most of them are in error, and those are indeed the losers.
> 
> God shall recompense them with the blazing Fire, a requital for what they have earned.
> Say: We are, all of us, those who seek His forgiveness.
> 
> And thus God — our Lord, the Lord of the heavens and the earth — there is none other
> God but Him; unto Him do all return.
> 
> Say: Do not buy the verses of God for a paltry price,9 if ye are possessed of
> understanding.
> 
> “‫ عنصر واحدة‬is rendered ‘one and the same substance’; manuscript variant may reflect orthographic/grammatical
> lapse — translation follows contextual sense.”
> The admonition “Do not buy the verses of God for a paltry price” echoes a recurring Qur’ānic injunction (e.g., Qur’ān
> 2:41, 2:79, 3:187, 5:44) condemning the act of bartering away divine revelation for worldly gain or advantage. In the
> Bábí and Bahá’í contexts, such counsel serves both as a moral warning against the commodification of sacred truth
> and as a call to preserve the purity of God’s verses from the distortions of personal ambition, sectarian interest, or
> material desire.
> 
> Say: Lo! the life of this world is vain; and unto God shall they be gathered.
> 
> Say: Verily, the Dominion of the Hereafter endureth — have ye then no understanding?
> 
> Say: God sendeth down what He willeth by His command; and verily we have certitude
> therein.
> 
> Say: He is the All-Watchful over His Cause; and all are humble before Him.
> 
> Say: If ye desire whatsoever is good, ye shall attain it.
> 
> Hereunto, upon the Crimson Truth,10 ye inscribe— God beareth witness: there is none
> other God but Him, and all remember Him by His Signs.
> 
> Say: If ye desire Him Whom God shall make manifest,11 ye will believe; behold, these
> are His Signs which ye read at every season.
> 
> The Dominion belongeth to God, before and after; He maketh manifest whom He willeth
> by His command — and we are assured thereof.
> 
> Say: If ye desire to dwell in the shelter of God, ye shall be guarded; behold, all His gifts
> from every quarter have been brought unto you,12 and thereby do ye recognize Him.
> 
> He it is Who sufficeth all things with regard to every thing; naught in the heavens and on
> the earth can suffice Him.
> 
> And He was, over all things, a Reckoner. God beareth witness that there is none other
> God but Him, and unto Him they shall all return.
> 
> God beareth witness: there is none other God but Him, and all Manifestations proceed
> from Him alone.
> 
> In the text provided by Muḥammad Labīb, the Arabic phrase appears as "‫الحقيق الحمر‬." However, the correct and
> established term is "‫الحقيقة الحمرا ّء‬," meaning “the Crimson Truth.” This discrepancy is presumed to be a typographical
> error. Accordingly, the present rendering adopts the latter, which aligns with the established usage in Bahá’í sacred
> writings and preserves both linguistic accuracy and spiritual significance. The phrase “Crimson Truth” (‫ )الحقيقة الحمراء‬is
> a symbolic expression found in Bábí and Bahá’í writings, evoking the spiritual reality imbued with sacrifice and divine
> revelation. The term “crimson” is preferred over “red” to reflect the sacred significance of the color, which is
> commonly associated with martyrdom and the profound truths manifested through the blood of the Cause. This
> usage aligns with the elevated and poetic style of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, as well as authoritative Bahá’í texts such
> as “The Crimson Ark” (Safinat al-Hamra). The capitalization of “Crimson Truth” highlights its status as a distinctive
> spiritual concept.
> “Him Whom God shall make manifest” is a distinct title employed by the Báb, particularly in the Bayán, to refer to
> the Promised Manifestation who is to follow Him—Bahá’u’lláh. This phrase signifies the awaited divine Revelation
> destined to succeed the Báb’s own mission and complete the cycle of spiritual renewal. The designation embodies
> both a prophetic promise and a recognition of the continuity of divine guidance, affirming Bahá’u’lláh’s unique station
> as the fulfillment of the Báb’s revelation (cf. Bayán, various Tablets; Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By). The usage of this
> title underscores the Báb’s role as the Herald of Bahá’u’lláh and marks a pivotal theological cornerstone in the Bahá’í
> Faith.
> In the text provided by Muḥammad Labīb, the phrase is rendered as " ‫كلك اآلته عن كل شطرينتهى‬," which appears to be a
> typographical error. The correct and coherent reading is " ّ‫لّشَطرّّانتَ َهىّإِلَي ُكم‬
> ِّ ‫عنّّ ُك‬
> َ ّ‫ ُكلّّآتِ ِّه‬," meaning “His gifts from every
> quarter have been brought unto you.” The corrected version is adopted here to maintain textual fidelity and clarity in
> accordance with authoritative Bahá’í sources.
> 
> The Truth, from the One Who hath no beginning unto the One Who hath no end. And we
> are all grateful unto Him. And unto Him belong the Keys of the heavens and the earth,
> which He revealeth unto whom He willeth by His command.
> 
> Say: All ask of His bounty. And that thou mayest deliver from God, thy Lord, a bounty
> from His presence upon all things.
> 
> There is none other God but Him, the Self-Subsisting, the Ever-Watchful. And unto Him
> belongeth all praise, in the Hereafter and the former world. There is none other God but
> Him, and unto Him are all those who give praise.
> 
> His servant, the Remembrance.’’13
> 
> The title “Remembrance” (al-Dhikr) is one of the exalted names of the Báb, signifying His role as the Divine
> Reminder who calls humanity to the awareness of God’s presence. This title appears in both the Báb’s writings and
> Bahá’í authoritative texts, and is rendered by Shoghi Effendi as “the Remembrance” to reflect His spiritual station.
> (See Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1970), and selected Tablets of the Báb).
> 
> ‫‪The Báb’s Tablet to the Nineteenth Letter of the Living, Transcribed from a Typed‬‬
> ‫‪Copy‬‬
> 
> ‫هذا ما نزلنا الى هيكل التاسع قبل عشر مجمع الهيا كل من عند هللا العزيزّ‬
> ‫القيوم‬
> 
> ‫هو‬
> ‫بسم هللا الحي المستعزز البدوح القريب‬
> ‫سبحان الذى قائم على امره يعلم ما يخرج من السماء وما ينزل في االرض وما يصعد اليها قل كل من خيفته وجلون هوّ الذى‬
> ‫يجزى كل نفس بما كسبتّ قل كل اياه ساجدون له الخلق واالمر من قبل ومن بعد وكل بامرهّ يعلمون قل هو الفاخر فوق كل‬
> ‫شئى وهو الممتنع المحبوب له ما فى السموات واالرض وماّ بينهما وكل من خشيته يشفقون هو هللا الّ اله االهوان يا عباد‬
> ‫فاتقون فقل تلك آياتّ بيناتّ من عند الثاء إلى حرف التاسع قبل عشر مجمع الهياكل فاشهد على أنه ال اله االهو المليك القدوس‬
> ‫هو الذي يعلم ما في السمواتّ واألرض وما بينهما وكل عليه‬
> ‫ليعرضون له الجود والفضل من قبل ومن بعد يختص من يشاء برحمته قل كل من جودهّ‬
> ‫يسئلون وله ما بدع في السموات واألرض وكل بامره عاملون هو الذي يحيى وّ‬
> ‫يميت ثم يحيى بفضله كيف يشاء قل كل من رعبه خائفون هوّ هللا ال اله االهو عالم الغيب والشهادة الحي المهيمن القيومّ هو‬
> ‫الذي ينصر من يشاء بامره قل اناّ كل من فضل هللا سائلون ان يا ذلكّ االسم فاشيد باهلل رنك بانه ال اله اال هو المليكّ القدور‬
> ‫لا من عنده وجودّا ا من لدنه ال اله األوانّ اليه كل يبعثون وان له ملك السموات واالرض‬        ‫ولتبلغن امر هللاّ ربك الى كل شيّ فض ّ‬
> ‫وكل اليه راجعون هو الذى يشفق له من فى السموات واالرض وكلّ اياه عابدون قل اتقوهللاّ يا ايها الملء ثم اياهّ تتقون هوالذى‬
> ‫خلقكم من عنصر واحدة االّ‬
> ‫تظلمون ولقد جاءّ امر هللا رّبك ولكن اكثر الناس ال يوقنون وان أكثرهم لفي ضللة والهم يشعرون هوالذى لن يعجزه من شئ‬
> ‫فى الهوت عزكل وكل له عابدون قل‬
> ‫هو‬
> ‫القادرعلى امره يخلق ما يشاءّ بحكمه كن فيكون قل هوّ الغالب على من في السموات واالرض واناّ كل من خيفته وجلون وانا‬
> ‫كل له خاضعون هوالذى خلقنا و‬
> ‫رزقنا بامره كن فيكون وله ما ظهر و يظهر فى الهوت كلّ شئ وكل اليه المنقلبون و الّ يحزنكّ احتجاب الناس عن بارئهمّ تا‬
> ‫هلل هم ال يفلحون وان اكثرهم لفي ضللةّ و ان اولئك لهم الخاسرون يجزيهم هللا نار الحريقّ جزاء بما كسبو قل اناّ كل اياهّ‬
> ‫لمستغفرون وكذلك هللا ربنا رب السموات واالرض ال اله االهو وكل اليه يقلبون قل ال تشتروا آياتّ هللا بثمن معدودة ان كنتم‬
> ‫تعقلون قل ان حيوة الدنياّ باطلة وهم هللا ليحشرون قل ان ملك اآلخرة باقية افل تعلمون قل هللاّ‬
> ‫ينزل مايشاء بامره وانا كل به موقنون قل هو المهيمن على امره وكل ل‬
> ‫خاشعون قل ان تريدون كل الخير تدركون هنا لك على الحقيق الحمر تنقشون شهد هللاّ‬
> ‫ال اله اال هو وكل بآياته ذاكرون قل ان تريدون من يظهره هللا تؤمنون هنا لکّ‬
> ‫هذه اآلياته فى كل حين تقرؤن الملك هلل من قبل ومن بعد يظهر من يشاء بامرهّ انا کل به موقنون قل ان تريدون في كنف هللا‬
> ‫تحرسون هنا لك كلك اآلته عن كلّ شطرينتهى اليكمّ ثم اياهّ تعرفون هوالذى يكفى كل شئى عن كل شئ وال يكفيه من شئى فى‬
> ‫من في السموات واالرض وانه كان بكل شئ حسيبّا ا شهد هللا انه ال اله األهو وكل اليه يرجعون شهد هللا اله ال اله االهو وانما‬
> ‫الظهورات من عنده لحق من قبل الذى ال قبل له الى بعد الذى ال بعد له وانا كل له شاكرون وله مفاتيح السموات واالرض‬
> ‫لا منّ لدنه ال اله اال هو‬     ‫ينزلها على من يشاء بامره قل كل من فضله يسئلون و لتسلمن من عند هللا ربكّ على كل شئ فض ّ‬
> ‫المهيمن القيوم وله الحمد في اآلخرة واالولى الّ اله االهو وكل له حامدون ‪.‬عبده الذكر‬
> 
> ‫‪8‬‬
>
> — *The Tablet to the Nineteenth Temple (Used by permission of the curator)*