The Mother Book and the Preserved Tablet:

arthra · 02-23-2011, 01:25 AM

There is a concept called the "Mother Book":

He it is who has revealed to thee the Book, of which there are some verses that are decisive, they are the mother of the Book; and others ambiguous; but as for those in whose hearts is perversity, they follow what is ambiguous, and do crave for sedition, craving for (their own) interpretation of it; but none know the interpretation of it except God.

(The Qur'an (E.H. Palmer tr), Sura 3 - Imran's Family)

And we sent apostles before thee, and we made for them wives and seed; and no apostle could bring a sign save by God's permission;-

for every period there is a book.
God blots out what He will, or He confirms; and with Him is the Mother of the Book.

(The Qur'an (E.H. Palmer tr), Sura 13 - Thunder)

From the Baha'i Writings:

This, verily, is the most exalted Word which the Mother Book hath sent down and revealed unto you. To this beareth witness the Tongue of Grandeur from His habitation of glory.

(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 217)

Say: This, verily, is the heaven in which the Mother Book
is treasured, could ye but comprehend it.

(Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah v 3, p. 164)

It could also be called the "Preserved Tablet"

Through them the universes have been
adorned, and the Preserved Tablet embellished.

(Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah v 1, p. 238)

A Baha'i scholar wrote about the Preserved Tablet:

Dimensions of the "Preserved Tablet" have been much commented upon by Islamic mystics and philosophers. The influential mystic and exegete Ibn al-`Arabi d.638/1240) in his al-Futuhat al-makkiyya (Meccan Revelations) and other works, for example, associated the Lawh Mahfuz with the "Supreme Pen" (al-qalam al-a`la) and "The Universal Logos-Soul" (al-nafs al-kulliyya) as well as the beginning of existence (Futuhat 1:139;3:399, etc). His disciple, the Shi'ite Sufi `Abd al-Karim al-Jili (d. 832/1428) has a complex section on al-lawh al-mahfuz (Presreved Tablet) in section 42 of his seminal al-Insan al-Kamil... (The Perfect Man). There "Preserved Tablet" is seen to be indicative of the "Divine Light" (nur ilahi) which is "My Divine Reality" (haqqi) transfigured in the domain of human witness [testimony] (mashad) " before God's "creation" or "creatures" (al-Insan, 146.

The Báb's Response to a Question about Lawh-i-Mahfúz (Preserved Tablet)

tonyfish58 · 02-23-2011, 01:29 AM

Arthra - Thankyou, an interesting read, when I have a bit more time I will have a good think about it

Cheers Tony Bristow-Stagg

Pollwr · 02-23-2011, 01:54 AM

Previously, I was only aware of the reference in the wonderful Tablet of Ahmed

"Say: O people be obedient to the ordinances of God, which have been enjoined in the Bayan by the Glorious, the Wise One. Verily He is the King of the Messengers and His book is the Mother Book did ye but know."

(Compilations, Baha'i Prayers, p. 209)

02-23-2011, 01:25 AM	#1
arthra Senior Member Joined: Jun 2006 From: California Posts: 3,062	The Mother Book and the Preserved Tablet: There is a concept called the "Mother Book": He it is who has revealed to thee the Book, of which there are some verses that are decisive, they are the mother of the Book; and others ambiguous; but as for those in whose hearts is perversity, they follow what is ambiguous, and do crave for sedition, craving for (their own) interpretation of it; but none know the interpretation of it except God. (The Qur'an (E.H. Palmer tr), Sura 3 - Imran's Family) And we sent apostles before thee, and we made for them wives and seed; and no apostle could bring a sign save by God's permission;- for every period there is a book. God blots out what He will, or He confirms; and with Him is the Mother of the Book. (The Qur'an (E.H. Palmer tr), Sura 13 - Thunder) From the Baha'i Writings: This, verily, is the most exalted Word which the Mother Book hath sent down and revealed unto you. To this beareth witness the Tongue of Grandeur from His habitation of glory. (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 217) Say: This, verily, is the heaven in which the Mother Book is treasured, could ye but comprehend it. (Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah v 3, p. 164) It could also be called the "Preserved Tablet" Through them the universes have been adorned, and the Preserved Tablet embellished. (Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah v 1, p. 238) A Baha'i scholar wrote about the Preserved Tablet: Dimensions of the "Preserved Tablet" have been much commented upon by Islamic mystics and philosophers. The influential mystic and exegete Ibn al-`Arabi d.638/1240) in his al-Futuhat al-makkiyya (Meccan Revelations) and other works, for example, associated the Lawh Mahfuz with the "Supreme Pen" (al-qalam al-a`la) and "The Universal Logos-Soul" (al-nafs al-kulliyya) as well as the beginning of existence (Futuhat 1:139;3:399, etc). His disciple, the Shi'ite Sufi `Abd al-Karim al-Jili (d. 832/1428) has a complex section on al-lawh al-mahfuz (Presreved Tablet) in section 42 of his seminal al-Insan al-Kamil... (The Perfect Man). There "Preserved Tablet" is seen to be indicative of the "Divine Light" (nur ilahi) which is "My Divine Reality" (haqqi) transfigured in the domain of human witness [testimony] (mashad) " before God's "creation" or "creatures" (al-Insan, 146. The Báb's Response to a Question about Lawh-i-Mahfúz (Preserved Tablet)

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02-23-2011, 01:29 AM	#2
tonyfish58 Senior Member Joined: Sep 2010 From: Australia Posts: 828	Arthra - Thankyou, an interesting read, when I have a bit more time I will have a good think about it Cheers Tony Bristow-Stagg

02-23-2011, 01:54 AM	#3
Pollwr Senior Member Joined: Jun 2009 From: earth Posts: 311	Previously, I was only aware of the reference in the wonderful Tablet of Ahmed "Say: O people be obedient to the ordinances of God, which have been enjoined in the Bayan by the Glorious, the Wise One. Verily He is the King of the Messengers and His book is the Mother Book did ye but know." (Compilations, Baha'i Prayers, p. 209)