Dawn-Breakers

"He started writing his narrative in 1305 A.H. four years before the passing of Bahá'u'lláh. It took him about a year and half to write it. His chief informants were Mirza Ahmad the amanuensis of the Báb and Mirza Musa the brother of Bahá'u'lláh."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 30 November 1930, Unfolding Destiny, p. 427)

Parts of the narrative read and approved by Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá[edit]

"Parts of his narrative were read in the presence of Bahá'u'lláh and approved by Him. 'Abdu'l-Bahá also went over sections of his narrative...."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 30 November 1930, Unfolding Destiny, pp. 428)

Potential for historical error[edit]

"The faith of the believers should not be disturbed, nor their adherence to the provisions of the Covenant diminished, by the occasional discovery of factual inaccuracies in the Guardian's writings such as “God Passes By” or his translation of “Nabil's Narrative”..."

"That some of the historical reference material he consulted may have contained inaccuracies, which inadvertently found their way into his book, should not be surprising. Such factual discrepancies do not result in any blemish on the infallible insight with which the Guardian treats such subjects as the development of the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh, the significance and import of the turbulent events in its history, and the interpretation of its Teachings.

"As you have pointed out in your letter, this matter should be treated with care and wisdom. When the believers are properly informed of it, they will thereby be immunized against the attempts of the malicious to sow the seeds of doubt through propagating unwarranted inferences about the Guardian's infallibility on the basis of their discovery of historical inaccuracies.

(20 January 1998) [1]

(cited at https://bahai-library.com/uhj_self-defense_ungodly_infallibility#s4 )

By Section[edit]

Table of Contents[edit]

"...the Table of Contents was prepared by Shoghi Effendi..."

(In a letter prepared on behalf of the Universal House of Justice at https://bahai-library.com/uhj_letters_quddus_dawnbreakers#2 )

List of Illustrations[edit]

"...the List of Illustrations and the Index were compiled by a committee headed by Mr. Alfred Lunt."

(In a letter prepared on behalf of the Universal House of Justice at https://bahai-library.com/uhj_letters_quddus_dawnbreakers#2 )

Tablets of the Bab[edit]

Copies presently cannot be made available: https://bahai-library.com/uhj_letters_quddus_dawnbreakers#5

Errata in label of "Twentieth Letter of the Living": https://bahai-library.com/uhj_letters_quddus_dawnbreakers#2

"Shoghi Effendi has found in the papers of 'Abdu'l-Bahá a complete set of the Báb's Tablets to the 18 Letters of the Living, all written in His own hand-writing and bearing His seal. In addition to these there are two other Tablets both written by Himself in exquisite hand-writing, the one addressed to the 19th Letter who was Himself and the other to "Him whom God will make manifest", i.e. Bahá'u'lláh. This last one has three seals and is written on blue paper...."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 30 November 1930, Unfolding Destiny, p. 425)

Introduction[edit]

p. xxxii-xxxiii[edit]

"Shoghi Effendi is enclosing an extremely interesting account given by a certain Dr. Cormick, an English physician long resident in Tabriz of his meeting with the Báb. He is apparently the only Westerner who has met the Báb and recorded his impressions... Shoghi Effendi thinks of adding it to his notes.

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 30 November 1930, Unfolding Destiny, p. 425)

Persia's State of Decadence in the Middle of the Nineteenth Century[edit]

(Extracts from "Persia and the Persian Question")

"He (the Guardian) is enclosing extracts from Lord Curzon's "Persia and the Persian Question" giving a detailed and faithful description of the state of Persia in the middle of the 19th century. He thinks that references to the extracts ... will be of great value in showing to the reader the contrast between the decadent state of the government and the people at that time and the heroism and nobility of character displayed by the early disciples of the Báb...

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 30 November 1930, Unfolding Destiny, p. 425)

Bahá'u'lláh's Tribute to the Báb and His Chief Disciples[edit]

link: Sources from the Kitáb-i-Íqán (slight translation differences): 257 (from second sentence), 258, 260 (first two sentences), 262, 263 (from second sentence), 264, 265 (first sentence)

Distinguishing Features of Shí'ah Islám[edit]

"Shoghi Effendi is also sending you an account of the doctrines of Shi'ah Islám from which the Movement originally sprang. It will help you to connect the origin of the Movement with the tenets and beliefs held by the Shi'ahs of Persia. The Báb declared Himself at the beginning of His mission to be the "Báb" by which He meant to be the gate or forerunner of "Him Whom God will make manifest", that is to say Bahá'u'lláh, Whose advent the Shi'ahs also expected in the person of "the return of Imám Husayn". The Sunnis also believe in a similar twofold manifestation, the first they call "the Mihdi", the second "the Return of Christ". By the term Bab, the Báb meant to be the forerunner of the second manifestation rather than, as some have maintained, the gate of the Qá'im. When He declared Himself to be the Báb, the people understood by the term that He was an intermediary between the absent Qá'im and His followers, though He Himself never meant to be such a person. All He claimed to be was that He was the Qá'im Himself and in addition to this station, that of the Báb, namely the gate or forerunner of "Him Whom God will make manifest".

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 30 November 1930, Unfolding Destiny, p. 426)

Appendix[edit]

"LIST OF THE BAB'S BEST-KNOWN WORKS": Also in Bahá'í Faith 1844-1963 Information Statistical and Comparative, p. 13

Chapter 3[edit]

The Báb’s Farewell Address to the Letters of the Living[edit]

https://bahai-library.com/uhj_authenticity_farewell_bab

Index[edit]

"...there is correspondence on file at the World Centre which makes it clear that the List of Illustrations and the Index were compiled by a committee headed by Mr. Alfred Lunt."

(In a letter prepared on behalf of the Universal House of Justice at https://bahai-library.com/uhj_letters_quddus_dawnbreakers#2 )

To-dos for this page[edit]

Add "Dawn-Breakers by location" (e.g., events in Shíráz, Tihrán, etc.), "Dawn-Breakers by virtue", "Dawn-Breakers by theme" with some beginning examples
Use links from http://www.bahai-education.org/projects/acuto-2013-dawn-breakers-study-resources instead of archived links

Dawn-Breakers

Need to study[edit]

Audio[edit]

Book synopsis[edit]

Study Outlines/Cross-reference[edit]

Character Index[edit]

Maps[edit]

Chronological/Sequential overviews[edit]

Pronunciation guides[edit]

Reading/Study tips[edit]

Islámic background introduced by[edit]

Arts inspired by[edit]

Regarding the original and corrected manuscripts[edit]

Preparation of the Dawn-Breakers[edit]

Began narrative in 1887/1888 and finished in about a year and a half; sources: Mírzá Ahmad, Mírzá Músá[edit]

Parts of the narrative read and approved by Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá[edit]

Potential for historical error[edit]

By Section[edit]

Table of Contents[edit]

List of Illustrations[edit]

Tablets of the Bab[edit]

Introduction[edit]

p. xxxii-xxxiii[edit]

p. xxxiv-xxxv[edit]

p. xxxv[edit]

Study[edit]

Persia's State of Decadence in the Middle of the Nineteenth Century[edit]

Bahá'u'lláh's Tribute to the Báb and His Chief Disciples[edit]

Distinguishing Features of Shí'ah Islám[edit]

Appendix[edit]

Chapter 3[edit]

The Báb’s Farewell Address to the Letters of the Living[edit]

Index[edit]

See also[edit]

To-dos for this page[edit]