The Hidden Words (Kalimát-i-Maknúnih,, ) is a book written by Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, around 1858. He composed it while walking along the banks of the Tigris river during his exile in Baghdad. The book is written partly in Arabic and partly in Persian. The Hidden Words is written in the form of a collection of 153 short aphorisms, 71 in Arabic and 82 in Persian, in which Baháʼu'lláh says he has taken the basic essence of certain spiritual truths and written them in brief form. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, Baháʼu'lláh's son and the authorized interpreter of his teachings, advised Baháʼís to read them every day and every night and to implement their latent wisdom into their daily lives. He also said that The Hidden Words is "a treasury of divine mysteries" and that when one ponders its contents, "the doors of the mysteries will open".

History

There is a Shiʻa Muslim tradition called "Mushaf of Fatimah", which speaks of Fatimah upon the passing of her father, Muhammad. There are several versions of this tradition, but common to all are that the angel Gabriel appeared to her and consoled her by telling her things that she wrote in a book. According to one tradition they were prophesies. The book, if ever physical, did not survive, and was seen to be something that the Mahdi would reveal in the last days. Baháʼís believe that The Hidden Words was revealed by Baháʼu'lláh in fulfillment of this tradition. Baháʼu'lláh originally named the book The Book of Fatimah, though he later referred to it in its modern appellation. This aspect of fulfillment corresponds with the Baháʼí beliefs that end times prophesies of all the world's religions are to be interpreted mystically and metaphorically. This puts the Baháʼí understanding of what Gabriel revealed to Fatimah somewhat at odds with the Shiʻa traditions. According to Jonah Winters, there have been more translations of The Hidden Words than of any other Bahá'í text. It was first translated in 1894, meaning it was one of the first books of Bahá'í scripture to be translated into English. The current official translation by Shoghi Effendi was the result of a process of drafts beginning in 1923 and ending with a final revision in 1954.

Text

The text of The Hidden Words has 153 passages divided into two sections: one in Arabic and the other in Persian. Each consists of a series of short, numbered passages. The Arabic has 71 passages and the Persian has 82. Each passage begins with an invocation, many of which repeat. Some common invocations include "O Son of Spirit", "O Son of Man", and "O Son of Being". Baháʼí prayers are written in the first person of humanity, so that the reader can feel like they are having a conversation with God. The Hidden Words are written in the first person of God, so that the reader feels like God is speaking to them.

Introduction

From the Arabic, the following is the introduction written by Baháʼu'lláh:

Samples

From the Arabic From the Persian

Ending

After the last passage, Baháʼu'lláh wrote: