Tablet of Ridván: Tablet study outline
Exported from Holy-Writings.com on 2026-06-19 - 1 clipping

Name of Tablet in Arabic or Persian: Lawh-i-Ridván (one of a few 
with this name)

Translation into English: Tablet of Ridván. This is *not* the same 
Tablet of Ridván as can be found excerpted in Gleanings XIV, nor is it 
the same Tablet of Ridván which can be found on the internet in 
provisional translation. There would seem to be no part of this Tablet 
translated anywhere.

Significance of Name: It was revealed during Ridván.

Tablet was revealed in: Arabic

Reason for Revelation of the Tablet: This Tablet opens with the 
words (provisional translation):
"This is a Tablet that was revealed in Ridván so that all may read it 
in the Festival of Ridván in the voice of God, the Almighty, the All-
Wise." 

Date of Revelation: The ninth day of Ridván, 1869 (Bahá'u'lláh 
mentions in the text of this Tablet that  "now is the ninth day of the 
days of Ridván"). Taherzadeh (vol. 3, p. 53) writes that "It was 
probably revealed during Ridván 1869, the first of the two Ridván 
Festivals that He celebrated in the prison, for in it He mentions the 
names of several believers who had tried to enter `Akká and been 
stopped by the authorities.")

Place of Revelation: Akká, "in the barracks" (ibid, p. 53)

Voice of Tablet: [?] Bahá'u'lláh

Outline Contents of Tablet:
Taherzadeh (vol. 3, 53-54) writes: 

        In this Tablet Bahá'u'lláh describes how...He was invited by one 
of the believers in the prison to honour his room with His presence 
and attend the celebration of that great Festival. His companions on 
that day were truly intoxicated with the wine of His presence. The 
believer who had invited Bahá'u'lláh entertained Him with the best 
food he could provide. Bahá'u'lláh refers to this and states that other 
believers had invited Him to their rooms during the Ridván period 
also. Each according to his capacity had provided some food and some 
had nothing to entertain Him with except a cup of tea.
        In this Tablet Bahá'u'lláh showers His bounties upon His 
companions, and prays that they may remain steadfast in His Cause 
and united among themselves."

        Dr. Iraj Ayman, who has read the Tablet in Arabic, adds:
"It is interesting that at the end of  this Tablet Bahá'u'lláh 
supplicates God to aid and assist the  friends so that they can 
entertain and celebrate this occasion by  their behavior and their 
deeds thus through such behavior and   celebration the tablecloth of 
divine blessing be spread    throughout the world!

Principal themes of the Tablet:
Not stated; presumably the Tablet is suffused with the spirit of 
proclamation, joy, and hope, for such is the character of other 
Tablets of Ridván.

Tablet's relationship to other tablets: 
This is one of many Tablets revealed on or in commemoration of the 
Festival of Ridván. John Walbridge discusses some of these Tablets 
(though not this one) in the book _Sacred Acts, Sacred Space, Sacred 
Time_, pages 232-241.

Biography or bio note of the recipient of the Tablet:

The following is summarized/paraphrased from Taherzadeh, vol. 3, 
53-56:

In this Tablet Bahá'u'lláh refers to two Persian believers living in 
`Akká itself, some who were trying to come in, and some who were 
staying at Haifa.  The two in `Akká were Muhammad Ja`far-i-Tabrizi, 
entitled Mansur, and Mírzá Hadi  `Abdu'l-Ahad. The latter was the 
first to arrive in `Akká. He had been sent there by `Abdu'l-Bahá some 
time before Bahá'u'lláh's exile to that city, and no one suspected him 
of being a Bahá'í. He opened a shop but did not try to contact 
Bahá'u'lláh and His companions in the barracks when they arrived. 
However, the few Bahá'í prisoners who went to the market every day 
to purchase provisions met him and knew that he was a Bahá'í. 
Through him, and by other means, the news of Bahá'u'lláh's 
whereabouts soon reached the believers in Persia and a few of His 
followers travelled to `Akká. `Abdu'l-Ahad very discreetly helped 
some of the visitors who had managed to enter the city to approach 
the barracks. Sometimes he even had to hide the visitors in the back 
of his shop. 

        Among those living at Haifa was Mírzá Ibráhím-i-Kashani, a 
copper-smith by profession, whom Bahá'u'lláh refers to in this Tablet 
as Khalíl. He was a devoted believer, and had been among the Bahá'í 
prisoners sent from Baghdad to Mosul. Accompanied by some 
relatives he had managed to leave Mosul and settle in Haifa. In those 
days, entering `Akká was very difficult for the believers, but he 
managed to enter frequently by taking some of his copper implements 
for sale. He thus became an important channel of communication 
between the believers and Bahá'u'lláh.

        Another believer mentioned in the Ridván Tablet was an old 
man, Ustad Isma`il. He was a master builder of wide experience who 
had worked for the government officials in Persia. When he became 
known as a Bábí, he had to leave his work. He then went to Baghdad 
where he was given the honour of carrying out construction work on 
the house of Bahá'u'lláh. And when the believers in that city were 
exiled to Mosul, he managed to travel to `Akká. In spite of old age he 
walked all the way until he came and stood in front of the Most Great 
Prison eagerly waiting to behold the face of his Beloved from across 
the moat.
-- Tablet of Ridván: Tablet study outline (Used by permission of the curator)