What follows is my provisional translation (in other words, not official or authorized; see here for more) of a Tablet of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the original text of which appears in INBA 84:445–46.
Ṭihrán
To the esteemed relatives of Áqá Siyyid Jalál; Jináb-i-Síná; that handmaid of God, the mother of Áqá Siyyid Jalál; Áqá Siyyid Muḥammad-Riḍá, along with his brother, his wife, and his children; Áqá Muḥammad, his sister, and his children; the brother of Siyyid Ḥabíbu’lláh; the daughter of that soul who hath ascended unto God, Nayyir; and Áqá Muḥammad-‘Alí and his children, upon them all be the Glory of God, the All-Glorious[1]
He is God
O godly Síná, and O kindred of two brilliant candles![2] In this mighty Cycle—wherein the bright morn and the radiant dawn have illumined the whole world, and the Sun of Truth hath cast its rays with the utmost resplendence upon blessed souls—holy households have been established and sanctified families reared, which, throughout the passage of ages and centuries, and beneath the shade of the bounties of the Lord, shall become the embodiments of everlasting glory. Among these is the house of Nayyir and Síná. This lineage will continue and repose eternally beneath the shade of the blessed Tree. At every moment will it receive a fresh confirmation and behold wondrous bounties. Consider the souls who lived in the days of the Manifestations of God; since they came to believe in those holy Manifestations, their progeny take pride in them to this day.
As I was passing through a region of Syria one day, a group of people welcomed me and compelled me to stay there for a night. Among them was a man whom they all held in the highest esteem and regarded with great reverence. It was asked, “Who is this respected person?” They replied, “He is a descendant of Ḥurr ibn Zíyád al-Nakhá’í.” This prompted reflection, for the kings of the earth who conquered countries and wore crowns and diadems of sovereign might—such as the Kayanians, the Pishdadians, the Sassanians, the Abbasids, the Umayyads, and even the Safavids—sired progenies who have sunk into the most abject abasement, whereas Abú Dharr Ghifárí, who was a mere shepherd, believed in the Beauty of God.[3] As a result, the late Farrukh Khán,[4] during the days of his glory when he held high office as a minister of state, would swell with pride as he proclaimed, “I am a Ghifárí, a Ghifárí!”,[5] and all who heard him acknowledged his nobility. In this is there indeed a lesson for them that are endued with understanding.[6] In short, such is the glory of God’s loved ones upon this earthly heap of dust. Consider now what awaiteth them in the divine realm! My hope is that each of you may, until your last breath, be illumined with the light of the resplendent Orb.
Upon you all and upon those women be the Glory of the Most Glorious.
==========
[1] Another version of this Tablet, provided to me by Shahrokh Makhanian and available here, alternatively states that it was delivered through Áqá Siyyid Jalál and addressed to Nayyir and Síná; the brother of Áqá Siyyid Ḥabíbu’lláh; Áqá Muḥammad-Riḍá, along with his wife and children; and Áqá Muḥammad-‘Alí, along with his wife and children.
[2] The “two brilliant candles” being Áqá Siyyid Ismá‘íl Sidihí (1848–1917), a celebrated Bahá’í poet from Isfahan more commonly known by his pen name of Síná, and his older brother, Áqá Siyyid Maḥmúd Sidihí (1846–1909), known to most Bahá’ís as Nayyir. A biography of both brothers has been published in ‘Azízu’lláh Sulaymání, Maṣábíḥ-i-Hidáyat, vol. 1 (2nd ed.), pp. 93–172. Details on their lives in English can be found in Moojan Momen, The Bahá’í Communities of Iran, vol. 2, pp. 50–53, 55, 56n, 97, 154, 162, 222–3, 236, 318, 353n, and 439.
[3] Muḥammad.
[4] Farrukh Khán (1812–1871), also known as Amínu’d-Dawlih, was a high-ranking Iranian official. For more on him, refer to F. Gaffary, “AMĪN-AL-DAWLA, FARROḴ KHAN ḠAFFĀRĪ,” Encyclopædia Iranica, online edition, 2012, available here.
[5] Meaning that he was a descendant of Abú Dharr al-Ghifárí.
[6] cf. Qur’án 12:111.
A typescript of the original Persian and Arabic text of this Tablet appears below (all punctuation and short vowel marks mine).
Adib Masumian 