Gems of Divine Mysteries

Arabic epistle by Baháʼu'lláh, founder of the Baháʼí Faith

Texts and scriptures
of the Baháʼí Faith

From Baháʼu'lláh

* Days of Remembrance
* Epistle to the Son of the Wolf
* The Four Valleys
* Gems of Divine Mysteries
* Gleanings
* Kitáb-i-Aqdas
* Kitáb-i-Íqán
* Kitáb-i-Badíʻ
* The Hidden Words
* The Seven Valleys
* Summons of the Lord of Hosts
* Tabernacle of Unity
* Tablets of Baháʼu'lláh

* List of writings of Baháʼu'lláh

From the Báb

* Persian Bayán
* Arabic Bayán
* Writings of the Báb

From ʻAbdu'l-Bahá

* Paris Talks
* The Secret of Divine Civilization
* Some Answered Questions
* Tablets of the Divine Plan
* Tablet to Dr. Forel
* Tablet to The Hague
* Will and Testament

From Shoghi Effendi

* God Passes By
* Advent of Divine Justice
* Promised Day is Come

* v
* t
* e

Gems of Divine Mysteries (Jawáhiru'l-Asrár, Arabic: جواهر الاسرار) is a lengthy Arabic epistle[1] by Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith.[2] The tablet (as Baháʼu'lláh's works are often called) was written during his time in Baghdad (1853-1863) in Arabic, and was published in English in 2002.[2]

## Background

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The work was written in reply to a question from Siyyid Yúsuf-i-Sidihí Isfahání, a religious leader of the Shiʻas in Najaf,[1] who had asked the question of how the promised Mahdi could have been "transformed"[3] (meaning: the return of the Promised One in a different human guise) into Ali-Muhammad the (Báb).[3] The work was written on the same day as the question had been received and delivered through an intermediary.[3]

According to a compilation published in 2000 by researchers at the Wilmette Institute, Siyyid Yúsuf-i-Sidihí Isfahání, who was residing in Karbila when the tablet was written,[3] recognized the divinity of Baháʼu'lláh after reading the tablet.[1] When he met Baháʼu'lláh later, he became a Babi.[1] His friends rejected him for becoming a Babi and he could no longer stay in their home.[1]

## Contents

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First page of the Javáhiru'l-Asrár, with an added note in Baháʼu'lláh's handwriting

Baháʼu'lláh himself states that he took "the opportunity provided by" the question "to elaborate on a number of subjects". The introduction of the published English translation lists some of these topics, some of which are: "rejection of the Prophets of the past," "danger of a literal reading of scripture," "the meaning of the signs and portents of the Bible concerning the advent of the new Manifestation," "the continuity of divine revelation," "intimations of Baháʼu'lláh's approaching declaration," and the significance or meanings of terms such as "Day of Judgement" and "the Resurrection."[3]

Similar themes as those presented in the Gems of Divine Mysteries can be found in the Seven Valleys and in the Kitáb-i-Íqán.[3]

## Translation

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The governing body of the Baha'i Faith global community, the Universal House of Justice, announced in April 2001, as part of its ongoing five-year plan, that the Centre for the Study of the Texts — at the Baháʼí World Centre — would "focus on translations into English from the Holy Texts."[4] The publication of Gems of Divine Mysteries was one of the projects undertaken in fulfilment of that five-year plan.[3]

## See also

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* Jabulqa and Jabulsa

## References

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1. ^ a b c d e Brown, Kathryn; Davis, Sharon; Johnson, Karen (2000). "Timeline to the Baghdad Period: Themes of Early Tablets and Historical Personages Related to them 2000". Wilmette Institute. Chicago. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
2. ^ a b Baháʼu'lláh (2002). Gems of Divine Mysteries. Haifa, Israel: Baháʼí World Centre. ISBN 0-85398-975-3.
3. ^ a b c d e f g Baháʼu'lláh (2002). introduction. Gems of Divine Mysteries. Haifa, Israel: Baháʼí World Centre. ISBN 0-85398-975-3.
4. ^ "Riḍván Message 2001", Universal House of Justice, 21 April 2001

## Further reading

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* Hatcher, J.S. (1997). The Ocean of His Words: A Reader's Guide to the Art of Baháʼu'lláh. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Baháʼí Publishing Trust. ISBN 0-87743-259-7.
* Saiedi, Nader (2000). Logos and Civilization - Spirit, History, and Order in the Writings of Baháʼu'lláh. USA: University Press of Maryland and Association for Baha'i Studies. pp. 62–66. ISBN 1883053609. OL 8685020M.
* Taherzadeh, A. (1976). The Revelation of Baháʼu'lláh, Volume 1: Baghdad 1853-63. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0-85398-270-8. Archived from the original on 2018-02-05. Retrieved 2017-07-25.

## External links

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* Baháʼí World News Service: New volume of Baha'i sacred writings is published
* Compendium on Gems of Divine Mysteries

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