The Tablet of Wisdom

Among the Tablets treated by Adib Taherzadeh in the fourth volume of *The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh* is the *Lawḥ-i-Ḥikmat* — the *Tablet of Wisdom*.

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Its recipient was Áqá Muḥammad of Qá'in, entitled Nabíl-i-Akbar, a man renowned throughout Persia as a theologian and philosopher. He had first met Bahá'u'lláh years earlier in Baghdád. Around 1873-74 he came on pilgrimage to 'Akká and attained Bahá'u'lláh's presence in the House of 'Abbúd, and it was on that occasion that the Tablet was revealed in his honour. 'Abdu'l-Bahá later described him as at once a mujtahid, a philosopher and a mystic, with a great and universal mind.

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The Tablet is in Arabic and, Taherzadeh notes, stands out among Bahá'u'lláh's Writings for its philosophical terminology and its references to the ancient Greek philosophers. It deplores the condition of the world, *when the countenance of Justice is soiled with dust*, and sets out counsels for humanity: *Let each morn be better than its eve and each morrow richer than its yesterday. Man's merit lieth in service and virtue and not in the pageantry of wealth and riches.*

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In answer to a question from Nabíl-i-Akbar about the beginning of creation, Bahá'u'lláh explains that creation has existed *from the beginning that hath no beginning*, while being *preceded by a Firstness which cannot be regarded as firstness*. *That which hath been in existence had existed before,* He writes, *but not in the form thou seest today.*

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He then speaks of the sages of old. *The sages aforetime acquired their knowledge from the Prophets,* He writes, *inasmuch as the latter were the Exponents of divine philosophy.* Empedocles, He states, was a contemporary of David, and Pythagoras lived in the days of Solomon and acquired wisdom from the treasury of prophethood.

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He speaks of Hippocrates as one who believed in God; of Socrates as *the most distinguished of all philosophers*; of Plato, his pupil and successor; and of Aristotle. These men, who stood out as leaders of the people, one and all acknowledged, He affirms, their belief in God. He also mentions the invocation of Bálinus.

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> The essence and the fundamentals of philosophy have > emanated from the Prophets.

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Toward its close Bahá'u'lláh speaks to Nabíl directly: *O My Nabíl! Let nothing grieve thee, rather rejoice with exceeding gladness inasmuch as I have mentioned thy name.*

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Taherzadeh records that when the early British Bahá'í Ethel Rosenberg asked 'Abdu'l-Bahá about differences between the historical records and the Tablet's account of the philosophers, He replied that the records of the times before Alexander the Great are not reliable, having been compiled in later years mainly from oral tradition.

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*A retelling based on **The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, Vol. 4 — Mazra'ih and Bahjí 1877-92** (Adib Taherzadeh). For the fuller account, see the original.*

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