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 title assumed by Mirza Ali-Muhammad (1819-1850) after the Declaration of His Mission in Shiraz 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 God and a title 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 God”, title of Mirza Husayn-‘Ali (1817-1892), the Founder of the Baha’i Faith.
Bayan
The Bayan (“Exposition”) is the title 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 principal 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.
Huququ’llah
The “Right of God”. Instituted 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.
Mashriqu’l-Adhkar
Literally “the Dawning-place of the praise of God”, the designation of the Baha’i House of Worship and its dependencies.
Mithqal
A unit of weight, equivalent to a little over 3 ½ grammes, used in the Kitab-i-Aqdas with reference to quantities of gold or silver for various purposes, usually in amounts of 9, 19 or 95 mithqals. 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 mithqals = 32.775 grammes = 1.05374 troy ounces 19 mithqals = 69.192 grammes = 2.22456 troy ounces 95 mithqals = 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 mithqal consists of nineteen nakhuds. The weight of twenty-four nakhuds equals four and three-fifths grammes. Calculations may be made on this basis.” The mithqal traditionally used in the Middle East had consisted of 24 nakhuds but in the Bayan this was changed to 19 nakhuds and Baha’u’llah confirmed this as the size of the mithqal referred to in the Baha’i laws (Q and A 23).
Nakhud
A unit of weight. See “mithqal”.
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-Chal
Literally “the Black Pit”. The dark, foul-smelling, subterranean dungeon in Tihran where Baha’u’llah was imprisoned for four months in 1852.