__NOTOC__ The Tablet of Ahmad (or Lawh-i-Ahmad) is a tablet written by

Baháʼu'lláh Baháʼu'lláh (, born Ḥusayn-ʻAlí; 12 November 1817 – 29 May 1892) was an Iranian religious leader who founded the Baháʼí Faith. He was born to an aristocratic family in Iran and was exiled due to his adherence to the messianic Báb ...

, the founder of the

Baháʼí Faith The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...

, while he was in

Adrianople Edirne (; ), historically known as Orestias, Adrianople, is a city in Turkey, in the northwestern part of the Edirne Province, province of Edirne in Eastern Thrace. Situated from the Greek and from the Bulgarian borders, Edirne was the second c ...

. While the exact date is not known, the Tablet is believed to have been written in 1865 to a Baháʼí from

Yazd Yazd (; ) is a city in the Central District of Yazd County, Yazd province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. At the 2016 census, its population was 529,673. Since 2017, the historical city of Yazd is rec ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

, named Ahmad. Baháʼís often recite it as a prayer to dispel afflictions and inspire perseverance in the face of hardships. In a letter written on his behalf,

Shoghi Effendi Shoghí Effendi (; ;1896 or 1897 – 4 November 1957) was Guardian of the Baháʼí Faith from 1922 until his death in 1957. As the grandson and successor of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, he was charged with guiding the development of the Baháʼí Faith, in ...

stated that it has been 'invested by Baháʼu'lláh with a special potency and significance'. The language and content of the Tablet are nuanced and interrelated, with references to core Bábí and Bahá'í hermeneutics. It announces the station of the

Báb The Báb (born ʻAlí-Muḥammad; ; ; 20 October 1819 – 9 July 1850) was an Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbai ...

as "the King of the Messengers," and that of Bahá'u'lláh as "that Most Great Beauty, foretold in the Books of the Messengers," and the "Tree of Life that bringeth forth the fruits of God", which echoes the book of Revelation, 22:1-2. The four states mentioned as suitable for responding to the message of God, which lead to recognition of God's Messengers, are described as: sincerity, belief in the divine unity (the approach to God as manifested in the founders of the world religions is the same as approach to God), severance, and love. The freedom of individual conscience is reinforced in the pursuit of God and His Messengers, while obedience to the ordinances of God is enjoined, and that the truth of every command God ordains in these directives will be tested in one's life. Bahá'u'lláh then refers to His own tribulations and calls on Ahmad to rely upon God and to be steadfast in his love in times of difficulty and persecution. Bahá'u'lláh calls on Ahmad to "be thou as a flame of fire to My enemies," and "a river of life eternal to My loved ones" in response to his own suffering from the superstitions and oppression of others. The "flame of fire" refers to being steadfast in the truth, and unassailable as a flame, in the face of difficulties caused by others, while the "river of life" refers to becoming a source of inspiration, guidance, and edification to those who believe in the message of unity. The Tablet appears to revolve around the theme of transforming suffering into these virtuous qualities, symbolized as "fire" and "light", and "the fruits of God." Bahá'u'lláh concludes the Tablet by enjoining Ahmad to "learn well" the lessons contained in the Tablet and not to withhold himself from their benefit. The special role of sincerity in life is disclosed in the text, not only as a condition for recognition of the "nearness of God," but as the condition that leads to the relief of sadness and the resolution of difficulties. The Tablet can be seen as the outline of Bahá'u'lláh's theodicy, and is, therefore, used as a guide in times of personal trial to align one's inner life with the truths that "will be tested" in the process of turning "fire" of personal suffering into "light."

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Further reading