Deciding where to begin reading Baha’u’llah’s writings can be daunting because he wrote an awful lot. This means that his ideas are outlined and developed across many works, which can make it difficult for a reader to work out what he is saying. I have therefore created a list of works (see below) as a possible guide for deciding where to start.
Baha’u’llah wrote in Arabic and Persian. English translations fall into two categories: official translations and personal translations done by scholars (commonly called ‘provisional translations’). Translations are not all found in one place, but rather on a handful of websites. These websites include:
- The Baha’i Reference Library, which is home to the official translations. Note that many of Baha’u’llah’s works do not have official translations.
- The Baha’i Library Online, which has a comprehensive list of personal translations.
- Adib Masumian’s website, which is the home of Adib’s many translations.
- This website, which hosts about 40 translations and has guides for finding Baha’u’llah’s writings on the Internet:
- A list of important writings of Baha’u’llah, with links to them.
- A list of important tablets of Baha’u’llah, with links to them.
List of works for someone unfamiliar with Baha’u’llah’s writings
I have listed the works in alphabetical order by English name, given a brief discription and linked to the translation or translations. Where there is a reading of the work on YouTube, I have included a link to it. I have italicised the names of works that are books. Note that a Google search on a title will often throw up background information about it. For an absolute beginner, I recommend reading Baha’u’llah’s Hidden Words first.
Titles beginning with the letters A-L.
| Name of tablet | Description | Website and links |
|---|---|---|
| Book of the Covenant (Kitab-i-‘Ahd) | Baha’u’llah’s will and testament | Baha’i Reference Library YouTube |
| Breath of Spirit (Lawh-i huwwa munfikhu ‘r-ruh) | Mystical Houri tablet | Windflower Translations YouTube |
| Call of the Divine Beloved | Book of official translations of mystical works | Baha’i Reference Library |
| City of Radiant Acquiescence (Lawh-i Madinatu’r-Rida) | Commentary on happiness | Windflower Translations YouTube |
| Countenance of Love (Lawh al-Tal`at al-Hubb) | Short mystical work | Windflower Translations YouTube |
| Days of Remembrance | Holy day readings | Baha’i Reference Library |
| Fire Tablet (Lawh-i Qad-Ihtaraqa’l-Mukhlisun) | Devotional, verse | Baha’i Reference Library Baha’i Library Online Baha’i Library Online YouTube |
| Four Valleys (Chahar vadi) | Mystical work on the journey of the soul | Baha’i Reference Library Windflower Translations YouTube |
| Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah | An important collection of Baha’u’llah’s writings | Baha’i Reference Library |
| Hailing from the Godly Garden (Az Bágh-i-Iláhí) | Verse | Adib Masumian translations |
| Hidden Words (Kalimat-i Maknunih) | Aphorisms (probably the best place to start) | Baha’i Reference Library Baha’i Library Online YouTube |
| Houri of Wonder (Hur-i ‘Ujab) Tablet of the Wondrous Maiden (Lawh-i-al-`Ajab) | Verse, Houri tablet | Baha’i Reference Library YouTube Windflower Translations YouTube Baha’i Library Online |
| Long Healing Prayer (Anta’l-Kafi) | Devotional, verse | Baha’i Reference Library YouTube |
Titles beginning with the letters M-Z.
| Name of tablet | Description | Website and links |
|---|---|---|
| Most Holy Book (Kitab-i-Aqdas) | The principal source of Baha’u’llah’s laws | Baha’i Reference Library Baha’i Library Online YouTube |
| Most Holy Tablet (to the Christians) (Lawh-i-Aqdas) | Proclamation | Baha’i Reference Library |
| Nightingale and the Owl | Short story | Windflower Translations YouTube |
| Obligatory prayers | Devotional | Baha’i Reference Library (Short) Baha’i Reference Library (Medium) Baha’i Reference Library (Long) YouTube |
| O Nightingales (Ay Bulbulan) | Verse | Windflower Translations YouTube |
| Ode of the Dove (al-Qasidah al-Warqa’iyyah) | Houri tablet, verse and commentary | Windflower Translations (poem) YouTube Windflower Translations (notes) YouTube Hurqalya Publications |
| Praised be my Lord, the Most High (Subhana Rabbiyya’l-A`la) (Lawh-i Harf al-Baqa’) | Houri tablet, verse | Windflower Translations YouTube |
| Prayer books | A collection of prayer books | Baha’i Reference Library |
| Prayers and Meditations | Prayer book | Baha’i Reference Library |
| Seven Valleys (Haft Vadi) | Mystical work on the journey of the soul | Baha’i Reference Library YouTube |
| Summons of the Lord of Hosts | Baha’u’llah’s tablets to the kings and rulers | Baha’i Reference Library |
| Supplications | Prayer book | Joshua Hall Translations |
| Tabernacle of Unity | Important collection of writings | Baha’i Reference Library |
| Words of Wisdom (‘Asl-i-Kullu’l-Khayr) | Aphorisms | Baha’i Reference Library YouTube |
Titles beginning with “Tablet…”
| Name of tablet | Description | Website and link |
|---|---|---|
| Tablet of Ahmad (Arabic) | Pastoral letter Commonly used as a prayer | Baha’i Reference Library YouTube |
| Tablet of Ahmad (Persian) | Beautiful pastoral letter | Baha’i Reference Library Gleanings CLII Baha’i Reference Library Gleanings CLIII YouTube |
| Tablets of Baha’u’llah | Baha’u’llah’s law-related tablets (excluding the Most Holy Book) | Baha’i Reference Library |
| Tablet of the Houri (Lawh-i Huriyyih) | Mystical vision of the Houri | Windflower Translations YouTube |
| Tablet of the Lover and the Beloved (Lawḥ-i-‘Áshiq va Ma‘shúq) | Devotional, inspirational | Baha’i Reference Library YouTube |
| Tablet on the Right of the People (Lawh-i haqq al-nas) | Philosophical | Windflower Translations Baha’i Studies YouTube |
| Tablet of the Vision (Lawh-i Ru’ya) | Mystical, verse, Houri tablet | Windflower Translations Hurqalya Publications Beyond the Veil YouTube |
| Tablet on Understanding the Cause of Opposition | Commentary, includes a prayer | Windflower Translations YouTube |
| Tablet of Wisdom | Philosophical | Baha’i Reference Library |
| Tablet to Husayn (Lawh-i-Husayn) | Pastoral (delightful letter) | Adib Masumian translations |
| Tablets to women | Pastoral | Adib Masumian translations |