The Kitab-i-Aqdas Part 35

The coming of age of the human race has been a.s.sociated by Shoghi Effendi with the unification of the whole of mankind, the establishment of a world commonwealth, and an unprecedented stimulus to "the intellectual, the moral and spiritual life of the entire human race".

GLOSSARY

'Abdu'l-Baha The "Servant of Baha", Abbas Effendi (1844-1921), the eldest son and appointed Successor of Baha'u'llah, and the Centre of His Covenant.

Abjad The ancient Arabic system of allocating a numerical value to letters of the alphabet, so that numbers may be represented by letters and vice versa. Thus every word has both a literal meaning and a numerical value.

Bab, The Literally the "Gate", the t.i.tle a.s.sumed by Mirza 'Ali-Mu?ammad (1819-1850) after the Declaration of His Mission in S_h_iraz in May 1844. He was the Founder of the Babi Faith and the Herald of Baha'u'llah.

Baha Baha means Glory. It is the Greatest Name of G.o.d and a t.i.tle by which Baha'u'llah is designated. Also, the name of the first month of the Baha'i year and of the first day of each Baha'i month.

Baha'u'llah The "Glory of G.o.d", t.i.tle of Mirza ?usayn-'Ali (1817-1892), the Founder of the Baha'i Faith.

Bayan The Bayan ("Exposition") is the t.i.tle given by the Bab to His Book of Laws, and it is also applied to the entire body of His Writings.

The Persian Bayan is the major doctrinal work and princ.i.p.al repository of the laws ordained by the Bab. The Arabic Bayan is parallel in content but smaller and less weighty. References in the annotations to subjects found in both the Persian Bayan and the Arabic Bayan are identified by use of the term "Bayan" without further qualification.

?uququ'llah The "Right of G.o.d". Inst.i.tuted in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, it is an offering made by the Baha'is through the Head of the Faith for the purposes specified in the Baha'i Writings.

Mas_h_riqu'l-Ad_h_kar Literally "the Dawning-place of the praise of G.o.d", the designation of the Baha'i House of Wors.h.i.+p and its dependencies.

Mit_h_qal

A unit of weight, equivalent to a little over 3 1/2 grammes, used in the Kitab-i-Aqdas with reference to quant.i.ties of gold or silver for various purposes, usually in amounts of 9, 19 or 95 mit_h_qals. The equivalents of these in the metric system and in troy ounces (which are used in the measurement of precious metals), are as follows:

- 9 mit_h_qals = 32.775 grammes = 1.05374 troy ounces - 19 mit_h_qals = 69.192 grammes = 2.22456 troy ounces - 95 mit_h_qals = 345.958 grammes = 11.12282 troy ounces

This computation is based on the guidance of Shoghi Effendi, conveyed in a letter written on his behalf, which states "one mit_h_qal consists of nineteen nak_h_uds. The weight of twenty-four nak_h_uds equals four and three-fifths grammes. Calculations may be made on this basis." The mit_h_qal traditionally used in the Middle East had consisted of 24 nak_h_uds but in the Bayan this was changed to 19 nak_h_uds and Baha'u'llah confirmed this as the size of the mit_h_qal referred to in the Baha'i laws (Q and A 23).

Nak_h_ud A unit of weight. See "mit_h_qal".

Qayyumu'l-Asma The Bab's commentary on the Surih of Joseph in the Qur'an. Revealed in 1844, this work is characterized by Baha'u'llah as "the first, the greatest, and mightiest of all books" in the Babi Dispensation.

Shoghi Effendi Shoghi Effendi (1897-1957), Guardian of the Baha'i Faith from 1921-1957. He was the eldest grandson of 'Abdu'l-Baha and was appointed by Him as the Head of the Faith.

Siyah-C_h_al Literally "the Black Pit". The dark, foul-smelling, subterranean dungeon in ?ihran where Baha'u'llah was imprisoned for four months in 1852.