Bahá’í World/Volume 16/Oriental terms

The Bahá’í World
Volume 16

ORIENTAL TERMS

III

1. TRANSLITERATION OF ORIENTAL WORDS FREQUENTLY USED IN Bahá’í LITERATURE

‘Abé

Abédih ‘Abbés ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ‘Abdu’l-Hamid ‘Abdu’l-Husayn ‘Abdu’lláh Abhá Abu’l-Fadl ‘Adasiyyih Again Aflirbéyjén Afnán Ag_h$é1n

‘Ahd

Ahmad Ahsé’i

Ahvéz

Akbar

‘Akká

‘Alé’

‘Ali ‘Ali-Muhammad Alláh-u-Abhá Alváḥ Alváḥ-i—Salétin Amatu’l-Bahá Amin

Amir Amir-Nizém Amru’lláh Amul

Anzali

Aqé

Aqdas ‘Arabistén Asmá’ ‘Avéfliq Ayédi

Azal

‘Azamat

‘Aziz

Báb

Bábi Bábu’l—Báb Baghdad Bahá Bahá’í Bahá’u’lláh Bahíyyih Bahjí Balfighistén Bandar-‘Abbés Béqir Baqiyyatu’lláh Bérfurfish Basrih Bén'lm Bayén

Bayt

Big

Birjand Bighérét Bismi’lláh Bufiléré Burfij ird Bfisilihr Bahá’í Bufilrfiyih

Qihriq

Dalé’il—i-Sab‘ih Dérfighih Dawlat-Abéd thibih Duzdéb

Faré’id Férén Farmén

Farréfi—BéLhi Fairs

Farsafll Fath—‘Ali Firdaws Firdawsi

Ganjih Gilén Gul Gulistén Gurgin

Habib

Haditi‘l

Hadrat

Hájí

Hájí Mirzá Áqásí Héjj

Hamadén Ḥaram

Hasan

Hawdaj Haydar-‘Ali Haykal Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds Hijéz

Hij rat Himmat-Abéd HUJ'jat

Husayn

Ibréhim i1 ‘Ilm Imém Imém-Jum‘ih Imém—Zédih iqén Írán ‘Iráq

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‘Iráqi ‘Iráq-i-‘Ajam Iṣfahán ‘ngébéd IfIráqét [Etihérd Islém Ismé‘iliyyih Istarébéd ‘Izzat

Jalél

J amédiyu’l-Avval Jamél

J amél—i-Mubérak J amél-i—Qidam Jésb

J ubbih

Ka‘bih Kad—K_hudé1 Kaléntar Kalimét Kamél Karand Karbilá Kéflén

K amkfil Kawmu’s—Sa‘éyidih Kawmar Káẓim Káẓimayn Igalfilél K_h2'1n _K_Qéniqayn K_hayli Iflfib @urésén Khuy Kirmén Kirméngléh

[Page 625]Kitáb-i-‘Ahd Kitáb-i-Aqdas Kitáb-i-Asmá’ Kitáb-i-Badi‘ Kitáb-i-iqén Kuléh Kurdistén

Léhijén Lér Lawh Luristén

Madrisih Mahbfibu’sll-flluhadé Mahd-i—‘Ulyé Méh-Kfi Mahmfid Maléyir Man-Yuzhiruhu’lláh Maqém Maréghih Marhabé

Marv

Masé’il Masilhad Mas__hiyyat Mashriqu’l-Adhkár Masjid

Maydén Mézindarén Mihdi

Mihréb

Milén

Mi‘réj

Mirzá Mishkín-Qalam Mu’aflcfllin Mufti Muhammad Muhammad-‘Ali Muhammarih Muharram

ORIENTAL TERMS

Mujtahid

Mulk

Mullá

Munirih Mustafé MustaghéLh Muzaffari’d-Din

Nabil Nabil—i-A‘zam Najaf Najaf-Abéd Néqidin Nasir Né$iri’d—Din Navvéb Naw-Rúz Nayriz Nifiépfir Nuqtih

Nfir

Pahlavi Pérén

Qédi Qédiyén Qahqahih Qá’im

Qéjér Qalyén Qam§ar Qasr-i-§_}_1irin Qaw] Qayyl'lm Qayyumu’l-Asmá Qazvin Qiblih Qfic__hén Quddfis Qudrat

Qum

Qur’án

s

Qurbén Qurratu’l—‘Ayn

Rafsinjén Rahim Rahmz’m Rahmat Ra’is Ramadan Rasht Rawhéni Riḍván Rfihu’lláh

Sabzivér Sadratu’l—Muntahé Séhibu’z—Zamén Sahifatu’l-Ḥaramayn Sa‘id

Salsabil Samarqand Sangsar

Séri

Saysén

fila‘bén

Shéh

flahid flahmirzéd fléhrfid

flaraf

flari‘ah

filayfil flayfl-Tabarsi flayfllu’l-Islém Shi‘ah (flfi‘ih) Shiréz

fibufltar Simném

Sistén Siyéh—Qél Siyyid

Sfifi

Sulaymén

625

Sultén Sultén—Abéd Sulgénu’gl-filuhadé’ Sunni Sfiratu’l-Haykal Sfirih Sfiriy—i-Damm SL'lriy-i-Cflusn Sfiriy-i-Ra’is Sfiriy-i-Sabr

Tabarsi Tabríz Iéhirih Tajalliyét Tékur Taqi Iarézét Tarbiyat Tasjkand Tawhid flurayyé Ṭihrán Tfimén Turkistán

‘ Ulamé Urfimiyyih “Ummén

Vahid

Vali

Vali-‘Ahd

Varqé

Vazir (also Vizir)

Yé-Bahá’u’l-Abhá Yaḥyá Yazd

Zanjén Zarand Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin

[Page 626]626

THE BAHA’T WORLD

2. GUIDE TO TRANSLITERATION AND PRONUNCIATION OF THE PERSIAN ALPHABET

' « h h 2 ...... J J ..... z_ E— ..... s. p ...... h i '3 ..... Q J ...... 3 c9 ...... f ...... y z ...... h L)“ ..... sh d ...... q 5 ...... ’ l 1 7 7 ‘ l a...asin T i...as(e)in \ u...as(0)in aw...asin 5 account best 1 short i mown 2'1...asin i...as(ee)in ‘ (I...as(oo)in ‘ ‘ arm meet moon

m #, s___i_l

The ‘i’ added to the name of a town signifies ‘belonging to’. Thus fliirézi means native of

fliiréz.

3. NOTES ON THE PRONUNCIATION OF PERSIAN WORDS

The emphasis in Persian words is more or less evenly distributed, each syllable being equally stressed as in French. For example, do not say Tabríz or Tabarsi ; stay as long on one syllable as on the next; Tabríz; Tabarsi. (While there are many exceptions to this rule, it is the most generally correct method of treating the question of stress.)

A frequent mistake is the failure to distinguish between broad and flat ‘a’s.’ This differentiation makes the language especially musical and should be observed: in the word Afnán, for example, pronounce the first ‘a’ as in

account, and the second syllable to rhyme with on. Americans are apt to pronounce short ‘a’ plus ‘r’ like the verb form are; this is a mistake; ‘ar’ should be pronounced as in the word hurry—cf. Tarbiyat.

The same differentiation should be observed in the case of long and short ‘i’ and long and short ‘u’. As the guide to the transliteration indicates, short ‘i’ is like ‘e’ in best, and long ‘i’ like ‘ee’ in meet; for example, Ibréhim is pronounced Eb-réheem; Islém is Ess-lahm. Short ‘u’ being like ‘0’ in short, and long ‘ú’ like ‘00’ in moon, the following would be pro [Page 627]ORIENTAL TERMS

nounced: Quddfis—Qod-dooss; BarfurfiglBar-foroosh.

Pronounce ‘aw’ to rhyme with low, or mown; Naw-Rúz is No-Rooz.

The following consonants may be pronounced like 2: fl, 2, z, d.

The following consonants may be pronounced like ss: m, s, s.

A is pronounced like the ‘s’ in pleasure. K_h is pronounced like ‘ch’ in Scottish lock or German nacht. Do not pronounce it as ‘k’. Westerners often experience difficulty pronouncing ‘g_’ and ‘q’; a guttural French ‘r’ will serve here; otherwise use hard ‘g’ as in good.

H and h, approximately like the English aspirate ‘h’, should never be dropped. Tihran is Teh-ron; madrisih is mad-res—seh; Mihrab is Meh-rob.

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In the case of double letters pronounce each separately: ‘Ab-bas.

The character transliterated (’) represents a pause; it is not unlike the initial sound made in pronouncing such a word as every. The word Bahá’í is phonetically as follows: ‘a’ as in account; ‘a’ as in hall; (’), pause; ‘i’ as ee in meet.

The character transliterated (‘) may also be treated as a pause.

N.B. As Persian often indicates no vowel sounds and as its pronunciation differs in diflerent localities throughout Persia and the Near East as well as among individuals in any given locality, a uniform system of transliteration such as the above, which is in use by Bahá’í communities all over the world, is indispensable to the student.

Calligraphic arrangement by Mzflkz’n—Qalam thlze invocation: O Thou ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ‘Abbas!

[Page 628]628

THE BAHA’1WORLD

4. DEFINITIONS OF SOME OF THE ORIENTAL TERMS USED IN BAHA’T LITERATURE

Ab: Father.

Aba, Abil, Abi: Father of.

‘Aba: Cloak or mantle.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Servant of Bahá.

Abhá: Most Glorious.

Aflan: Muslim call to prayer.

Adib: literally ‘the learned’.

Afnan: literally ‘twigs’. Denotes the relations of the Báb.

Aghsan: literally ‘branches’. Denotes sons and male descendants of Baha’u’llah.

A.H.: ‘Anno Hejirae’. Year of Muhammad’s migration from Mecca to Medina, and the beginning of the Muslim era.

‘Ahd: Covenant.

Ahsanu’l-Qisas: One of the commentaries on the Qur’án revealed by the Báb, on the St'lrih of J oseph, translated by Táhirih.

Akbar: ‘Greater’, ‘greatest’. (See ‘Kabir’.)

A’lé: ‘The Most Exalted One’, a title of the Báb.

‘Alé’: ‘Loftiness’. Nineteenth month of the Badi‘ calendar.

‘Ali: The first Imam, the rightful successor of Muhammad; also the fourth Caliph.

Allah: ‘God’.

Alláh-u-Abhá: ‘God is All—Glorious’. The Greatest Name, adopted during the period of Bahá’u’lláh’s exile in Adrianople as a greeting among Bahá’ís.1

Allah-u-Akbar: ‘God is the Most Great’. Superseded by ‘Alláh-u-Abhá’ during the Adrianople period.2

Al-Madinah: The city to which Muhammad migrated. (See ‘A.H.’)

Amin: literally ‘the trusted’. Trustee.

Amir: ‘Prince’, ‘ruler’, ‘commander’, ‘governor”.

Aqa: ‘Master’. Title given by Baha’u’llah to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Also ‘Mister’ when preceding a name.

Aqdas: ‘The Most Holy’.

Asma: ‘Names’. Ninth month of the Badi‘ calendar.

Ayyam: (See Ha).

A‘zam: ‘The greatest’.

‘Azamat: ‘Grandeur’. Fourth month of the Badi‘ calendar.

1 God Fumes By. p. 176. 3 ibid., p. 18.

Bab: ‘Gate’. Title assumed by Mirzá ‘AliMuhammad, after the declaration of His Mission in Shíráz in May 1844 AD.

Babi: Follower of the Báb.

Babu’l-Bab: ‘The Gate of the Gate’. Title of Mullá Husayn, the first Letter of the Living.

Badi‘: literally ‘the wonderful’.

Baha: ‘Glory’, ‘splendour’, ‘light’. Title by which Baha’u’llah (Mirza Husayn-‘Ali) is designated. First month of the Badi‘ calendar.

Bahá’í: Follower of Baha’u’llah.

Baha’u’l-Abhá: ‘The Glory of the Most Glorious’.

Baha’u’llah: ‘The Glory of God’. Title of Mirza Husayn-‘Ali; born Tihran, Persia, 12 Nov. 1817; ascended Bahjí, Palestine (now Israel), 29 May 1892.

Bahjí: literally ‘delight’. Denotes that part of the Plain of ‘Akká (Israel) where the Shrine and the Mansion of Baha’u’llah are situated.

Bani-Hégim: The family from which Muhammad was descended.

Baqiyyatu’llah: ‘Remnant of God”; title applied both to the Báb and to Baha’u’llah.

Bayan: ‘Exposition’, ‘explanation’. Title given by the Báb to His Revelation, and to two of His Writings, one in Persian the other in Arabic.

Baytu’l—‘Adl—i-A‘zam: The Universal House of Justice.

Big: Honorary title; lower title than gain.

Bishérat: literally ‘Glad-tidings’. Title of one of the Tablets of Baha’u’llah.

Caravansary (also ‘caravanserai’, ' ‘caravansera’): An inn for caravans.

Darfighih: ‘High constable‘.

Dawlih: ‘State’, ‘government’.

mi’b: ‘The Wolf’,fi1ayfl1 Muhammad-Baqir.

D_hikr: ‘Remembrance’, ‘commemoration’, ‘mention’; praise or glorification of God; recital of His Names; religious exercise or ceremony; (plural aflkar).

El-Abhá: ‘The Most Glorious’.

Farman: ‘Order’, ‘command’, ‘royal decree’.

Farragl: ‘Footman‘, ‘lictor’, ‘attendant’.

Farrafl-Béfli: The head-farragl.

FarsaLh: Unit ofmeasurement. Approximately three miles or five kilometres.

[Page 629]ORIENTAL TERMS

Fatvé: Sentence or judgement by Muslim mufti.

@11an ‘Branch’. Son or male descendant of Baha’u’llah.

Ha, (Days of): Ayyam-i-Hé. The Intercalary Days, so named by Bahá’u’lláh in the Book of Aqdas, where He also ordained that they should immediately precede the month of ‘Ala’, i.e. the month of fasting which closes the Bahá’í year. Every fourth year the number of the Intercalary Days is raised from four to five.

Hadim: Tradition. The whole body of the sacred tradition of the Muslims is called the hadim. (Plural ahadim.)

Hadrat: literally ‘threshold’. Courtesy title sometimes translated as ‘His Holiness’.

Haji: A Muslim who has performed the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Ḥaram-i-Aqdas: The Most Holy Sanctuary, a designation given by the Guardian to the north—western quadrant of the garden surrounding the Shrine of Baha’u’llah.

Hawdaj (Howdah): A litter carried by a camel, mule, horse or elephant for travelling purposes.

Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds: ‘The Sacred Fold’, official title designating headquarters of Bahá’í administrative activity.

Hijrat (also ‘Hijra’, ‘Hegira’.): literally ‘migration’. The basis of Islamic chronology. The date of Muhammad’s migration from Mecca to Medina.

Huqt’lqu’lláh: ‘Right of God’; payment by believers instituted in the Kita'b-i—Aqdas.

Husayniyyih: Place where martyrdom of Husayn is mourned, or where Muslim passion plays may be presented. Designation given by fili‘ahs to Baha’u’llah’s Most Great House in Baghdad, forcibly occupied by them.

Ibn: ‘Son’.

ll: ‘Clan’.

‘llm: ‘Knowledge’. Twelfth month of the Badi‘ calendar.

Imam: Title of the twelve §hi‘ah successors of Muhammad. Also applied to Muslim religious leaders.

Imam-Jum‘ih: Chief of the mullas, who recites the Friday prayers for the sovereign.

Imam-Zédih: Descendant of an Imam or his shrine.

lnsha’allé1h: ‘If God wills it’.

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lqan: literally ‘certitude’. The title of Bahá’u’lláh’s Epistle to one of the uncles Of the Báb.

IfIráqat: literally ‘splendours’. Title of one of the Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh.

Israfil: The angel whose function is to sound the trumpet on the Day of Judgement.

‘Izzat: ‘Might’. Tenth month of the Badi‘ calendar.

Jahiliyyih: The dark age of ignorance among the Arabs before the appearance of Muhammad.

Jalalz ‘Glory’. Second month of the Badi‘ calendar.

Jamal: ‘Beauty’. Third month of the Badi‘ calendar.

Jamal-i-Mubérak: literally ‘the Beauty’, applied to Bahá’u’lláh. Jamal-i-Qidam: literally ‘the Ancient Beauty’,

applied to Bahá’u’lláh.

Jihad: Holy war, as specified in Qur’án.

Jinab: Courtesy title sometimes translated ‘His Honour’.

Jubbih: An outer coat.

Ka‘bih: Ancient shrine at Mecca. Now recognized as the most holy shrine of Islam.

Kabir: literally ‘great’. (See ‘Akbar’.)

Kad—Quda: Chief of a ward or parish in a town; headman of a village.

Kalantar: ‘Mayor’.

Kalim: ‘One who discourses’.

Kalimu’llah: ‘One Who converses with God’. Title given to Moses in the Islamic dispensation.

Kalimat: ‘Words’. Seventh month of the Badi‘ calendar.

Kamal: ‘Perfection’. Eighth month of the Badi‘ calendar.

Karbila’i: A Muslim who has performed the pilgrimage to Karbila.

Kawmar: A river in Paradise, whence all the other rivers derive their source.

K_hadimu’llah: ‘Servant of God’, title of Mirza Aqa J an.‘

Qan: ‘Prince’, ‘lord’, ‘nobleman’, ‘chieftain’.

Khán: similar to a caravansary.

K_hicjr: literally ‘The Green One’.

K_hutbih: Sermon delivered on Fridays at noon in Islamic religion.

Kitab: ‘Book’.

Kitáb-i-Aqdas: literally ‘The Most Holy Book’. Title of Baha’u’llah’s Book of Laws.

Blessed

‘ Gad Payxex By. p. 115,

[Page 630]630

Kuléh: The Persian lambskin hat worn by government employees and civilians.

Madrisih: ‘Seminary’, 'school’, ‘religious college’.

Man-Yuzhiruhu’lláh : ‘He Whom God will make manifest’. The title given by the Báb to the Promised One.

Marhabé: ‘Bravo! Well done !’

Masé’il: ‘Questions’. Fifteenth month of the Badi‘ calendar.

Mafiihadi: A Muslim who has performed the pilgrimage to Maghad.

Mafiliyyat: ‘Will’. Eleventh month of the Badi‘ calendar.

Mashriqu’l-Afiikér: literally ‘the dawning place of the praise of God’. Title designating Bahá’í Houses of Worship.

Masjid: Mosque; Muslim place of worship.

Maydén: A square or open place.

Mihdi: Title of the Manifestation expected by Islém.

Mihréb: The principal place in a mosque where the Imém prays with his face turned towards Mecca.

Mi‘réj: ‘Ascent’. Used with reference to Muhammad’s ascension to heaven.

Mirzá: A contraction of‘Amir—Zédih’, meaning son of Amir. When atfixed to a name it signifies prince; when prefixed, simply mister.

Migkin-Qalam: literally ‘the musk—scented pen’. Title applied to a famed Bahá’í calligraphist.

Mu’aclhd_hin: The one who sounds the Aflén, the Muslim call to prayer.

Mufti: Expounder of Muslim law; gives a fatvé or sentence on a point of religious jurisprudence.

Muharram: First month of the Muslim year, the first ten days of which are observed by flli‘ahs as part of their mourning period for the Iméms. The tenth day, ‘Afiu’lré’, is the day of the martyrdom of Husayn.

Mulk: ‘Dominion’. Eighteenth month of the Badi‘ calendar.

Mujtahid: Muslim doctor-of—law. Most of the mujtahids of Persia have received their diplomas from the most eminentjurists of Karbilá and Najaf.

Mullá: Muslim priest.

MustaghéLh: ‘He Who is invoked’, the numerical value of which has been assigned by the Báb as the limit of the time fixed for the advent of the promised Manifestation.

THE BAHA’l WORLD

Mutisarrif: ‘Governor’.

Nabil: ‘Learned’, ‘noble’.

Naw-Rúz: ‘New Day’. Name applied to the Bahá’í New Year’s Day; according to the Persian calendar the day on which the sun enters Aries.

Nuqtih: ‘Point’.

Nfir: ‘Light’. Fifth month of the Badi‘ calendar.

Pahlavém: ‘Athlete’, ‘champion’; term applied to brave and muscular men.

Pam: Honorary title formerly given to officers of high rank in Turkey.

Pifilkigl: ‘Present’, ‘tip’, ‘douceur’.

Qédi: ‘Judge’; civil, criminal and ecclesiastical.

Qá’im: ‘He Who shall arise’. Title designating the Promised One of Islém.

Qalyén: A pipe for smoking through water.

Qawl: ‘Speech’. Fourteenth month of the Badi‘ calendar.

Qiblih: ‘Point of Adoration’; prayer-direction toward which the faithful turn in prayer. The M ost Holy Tomb of Bahá’u’lláh at Bahjí is ‘the Heart and Qiblih of the Bahá’í world’.1

Qurbém: ‘Sacrifice’.

Qudrat: ‘Power’. Thirteenth month of the Badi‘ calendar.

Qur’án: ‘The Reading’; ‘that which ought to be read’. The Book revealed by Muhammad. Rabb—i-A’lé: “Exalted Lord’. One of the de signations of the Báb.

Rahmat: ‘Mercy’. Sixth month of the Badi‘ calendar.

Ra’is: ‘President’, ‘head’. Lawh—i—Ra’is, a Tablet addressed to the Prime Minister of Turkey by Bahá’u’lláh.

Riḍván: ‘Paradise’; also the name of the custodian of Paradise. The holiest and most significant of all Bahá’í festivals commemorating Bahá’u’lláh’s Declaration of His Mission to His companions in 1863, a twelveday period beginning on 21 April and celebrated annually.

Sadratu’l-Muntahét: The Divine Lote Tree; the Tree beyond which there is no passing.

Sadr-i-A‘zam: ‘Prime Minister’.

Séhibu’z—Zamén: ‘Lord of the Age’; one of the titles of the promised Qá’im.

Salém: ‘Peace’, ‘salutation’. Muslim greeting. Word used to end a thesis.

Salsabil: A fountain of Paradise.

Samandar: literally ‘the phoenix’.

‘God Passex By, pp 110. 277.

[Page 631]ORIENTAL TERMS

Sarkar-Aqé: literally ‘The Honourable Master”, applied to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

fliéh: ‘King’, especially of Persia.

fliéh-Bahrém: World Saviour and Promised One of the Zoroastrians. Fulfilled by Bahá’u’lláh.

fliahid: ‘Martyr’. Plural ofmartyr is ‘flluhada’.

fliaraf: ‘Honour’. Sixteenth month of the Badi‘ calendar.

flari‘ah, flari‘at: Muslim canonical law. The law.

flayfll: Venerable old man; man of authority; elder, chief, professor, superior of a dervish order, etc.

flayfiii: School founded by ghath-Ahmad-iAhsé’i. Among his doctrines, in addition to the imminent dual Advent, was that the Prophet Muhammad’s material body did not ascend on the night of the Mi‘raj.

flayfllu’l-Islém: Head of religious court, appointed to every large city by the Sha'th.

fili‘ah, flli‘ih, Shi’ite: Party (of ‘Ali). Partisan of ‘Ali and of his descendants as the sole lawful ‘Vicars of the Prophet’. The fli‘ahs reject the first three Caliphs, believing that the successorship in Islam belonged rightfully to ‘Ali (first Imam and fourth Caliph) and to his descendants by divine right. Originally, the successorship was the vital point of difference, and Islam was divided because Muhammad’s (albeit verbal) appointment of ‘Ali was disregarded.

Sirét: literally ‘bridge’ or ‘path’; denotes the religion of God.

Siyah-Qalz Black Pit in Tihran where, in August 1852, Bahá’u’lláh was chained in the darkness three flights of stairs underground, with some 150 thieves and assassins. Here He received the first intimations of His world Mission. Holiest place in Persia’s capital.

Siyyid: Descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.

Sfifi: Mystics or mystical doctrine in Islam.

Sultan: ‘Sovereignty’. Seventeenth month of the Badi‘ calendar.

Sunni, Sunnite: From ‘Sunna’ (the Way or Practice of the Prophet, as reported in the hadim.) By far the largest sect of Islam, this includes the four so-called orthodox sects: Hanbalites, Hanafites, Malikites, Shafiites.

St’trih: Name of the chapters of the Qur’án.

St'lriy-i-Mult'lk: ‘St’lrih of Kings’; Tablet revealed by Bahá’u’lláh in Adrianople.

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Ta: Letter ‘T’ standing for Ṭihrán.

Taj: literally ‘crown’; tall felt headdress adopted by Bahá’u’lláh in 1863, on the day of His departure from His Most Holy House.

Tajalliyét: literally ‘eflulgences’. Title of one of the Tablets of Bahát’u’llah.

Takyih: Religious establishment; usual place of observance of the martyrdom of Imam Husayn.

Tarézét: literally ‘ornaments’. Title of one of the Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh.

Tfiman: Unit of Iranian currency.

‘Ulama: Plural of ‘one who knows’; ‘learned’, ‘a scholar’.

‘Urvatu’l—Vutilqa: literally ‘the strongest handle’; symbolic of the Faith of God.

Véhid: 1. A ‘unity’ or section of the Bayan. The Persian Bayén consists of nine Véhids of nineteen chapters each, except the last, which has only ten chapters. 2. The eighteen Letters of the Living (constituting the Báb’s first disciples) and the Báb Himself. 3. Each cycle of nineteen years in the Badi‘ calendar. The word, signifying unity, symbolizes the unity of God. The numerical values of the letters of this word total nineteen,

Vahid: ‘Unique’.

Véli: ‘Governor’.

Vali: ‘Guardian’.

Vali—‘Ahd: ‘heir to the throne’.

Varaqiy-i-‘Ulya: literally ‘the Most Exalted Leaf, applied to Bahá’íyyih (Bahíyyih) Khánum, sister of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.‘

Varqa: literally ‘the dove’.

Vazir (Vizir, Vizier): Minister of State. Grand Vazir; Prime Minister.

Vilayat: ‘Guardianship’.

Waqf: Muslim endowments; in Persia, the landed property of the expected Imam.

‘White Path’: Symbolizes the religion of God.

Ya: ‘O’—e.g., Ya Baha’u’l-Abhá (O Thou the Glory of the Most Glorious !)

Zédih: ‘Son’.

Zawra: ‘Black mountain’; the land of Rayy.

Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin : literally ‘the Ornament of the favoured’.

Zamzam: Sacred well within the precincts of the Great Mosque at Mecca. Though salty, its water is much esteemed for pious uses, such as ablutions, and drinking after a fast.

1 The Bahá’í World, vol. V, p. 205; ‘Genealogy ofBaha'u‘Iléih’.