A Bahá'í Glossary - Persian & Arabic Names

Persian & Arabic Names

Below is the contents of a letter the webmaster wrote to his daughter who is ardently studying the Bahá'í Faith. The first four paragraphs are not to be taken as an official Bahá'í explanation. It is simply one Bahá'í talking to another another. The list of terms and definitions are taken from this glossary.

When you go to read about the early days of the Bahá'í and Bábí Faiths, you will run across some very long and confusing names. Had I had the explanation below I could have made sense of it all instead of just skipping over stuff I didn't understand. I made up a name to analyze. If this is a real person's name, I offer my sincerest apologies.

Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid Mullá 'Alí K̲h̲án-i-S̲h̲írází ibn Shaykh Ḥasan-i-Zunúzí =

A fellow named 'Alí, who has gone on a pilgrimage to Mecca (Ḥájí)

is titled Mister (Mírzá )

is a direct descendant of Muḥammad (Siyyid)

is a cleric (Mullá)

is a prince or chieftain (K̲h̲án)

from the city of S̲h̲íráz (-i- and last í in S̲h̲írází)

is the son of (ibn) Ḥasan

who is a venerated teacher (S̲h̲ayk̲h̲)

from the city of Zunúz (-i- and last í in Zunúzí)

Oh, and since 'Alí is a Siyyid and Ḥasan is not you know that 'Alí is a direct descendant of Muḥammad through his mother.

Clear as clay? If they were Klingon, it would simply be 'Alí son of Ḥasan

So here is a brief list of terms that concern names and titles. Happy reading!

Afnán	[Ar] Twigs (of the Sacred Lote-Tree). The descendants of the two brothers of the Báb's wife and of the Báb's maternal uncles.
Ag̲h̲san	[Ar] (plural of 'ghusn') Branches (of the Sacred Lote-Tree). The family of Bahá'u'lláh, specifically His sons and His descendants. 'Abdu'l-Bahá was designated 'the Most Great Branch' (Ghusn-i-A'ẓam), preceding Mírzá Muḥammad-'Alí, 'the Greater Branch' (Ghusn-i-Akbar).
'álim	See: 'Ulamá
Amír	[Ar, Pers] Prince, governor, commander, lord.
Áqá	Master; Title given by Bahá'u'lláh to 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Also means Mullá or sir
Big	[Turk] A title after a man's name, meaning 'lord' or 'prince'. Honorary title lower than K̲h̲án.
Caliph	(Khalífih) A successor of Muḥammad as the head of Islam. Shoghi Effendi calls the Caliph 'self-styled vicar of the Prophet of Islam' who 'exercised a spiritual sovereignty, and was invested with a sacred character' and who 'usurped the authority of the lawful successors of the Apostle of God (the Imáms)'. The Caliphate is an institution of Sunní Islam.
Dárúghih	High constable.
Darvish	Dervish. [Pers] Literally, beggar [Arabic: Faqír: poor one]. More specifically, a traveling religious mendicant of one of several Sufí orders or other Muslim mystic traditions.
Dawlih	State; government.
Faraqlit	Paraclete. This refers to Muḥammad. Cf. Tablet of 'Abdu'l-Bahá to Charles Mason Remey, S of W, vol. 3, No. 7: "His Holiness the Christ took the Covenant of the 'Paraclete'--which means His Holiness Muḥammad--and announced the glad-tidings of His appearance." Islámic doctrine is that this is the original of the word translated "Ahmad" in Qur'án 61:6. Nicholson translates "Ahmad" laudatissimus.
Farmán	(also, firmám) [Pers] In Persia or Turkey, a royal decree or edict.
Farrásh	[Pers] Literally, carpet-spreader; attendant, footman.
Farrásh-Báshí	[Pers] Head farrásh. The farrásh-báshí to the Sháh was able, at times, to exert power and influence.
Ḥájí	[Pers] One who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca. The term is placed before the person's name, preceding other titles such as Mírzá, Siyyid or S̲h̲ayk̲h̲.
Hujah	His reverence, eminence,etc.
-i-	Of, from.
í	Pertaining to, belonging to.
ibn	Son.
íl	Clan.
K̲h̲án	Originally, from the Mongolian term for a ruler; a title meaning prince, chieftain or man of rank.
Mírzá	[Pers] (from Amír-Zádih, 'son of a prince') A title which when placed before a name means 'Mister' and when placed after a name means 'prince'.
Mujtahid	Literally, 'one who strives'. In Shí'ih Islam, the highest rank of divine, with the right to make authoritive pronouncements and decisions on points of law in the name of the Hidden Imám. Doctor of Muḥammadan law. Persian mujtahids generally receive their diplomas from eminent jurists of Karbilá and Najaf.
Mullá	Islamic cleric, theologian, judge.
Qádí	In Islam, a religious judge
Qá'im	(Qá'im-i-ál-i-Muḥammad) He who shall arise (on the family of Muḥammad). The Twelfth Imám, the Mihdí, awaited by Shí'ih Muslims, who was to return in the fullness of time and bring a reign of righteousness to the world. The Báb declared Himself to be the Qá'im and also the Gate (Báb) to a greater divine messenger, 'Him Whom God Shall Make Manifest'.
Qá'im Maqám	In Iran, a local governor.
Qayyúm	[Ar] Bahá'u'lláh. Siyyid Kázim foretold the coming of the Qayyúm: 'Verily I say, after the Qá'im [the Báb] the Qayyúm will be made manifest. For when the star of the Former has set, the sun of the beauty of Ḥusayn will rise . . .'
Sáhibu'z-Zamán	The Lord of the Age. Title of the Promised One of Shí'ah Islám: the Báb.
S̲h̲áh	[Pers.] King, especially of Iran.
S̲h̲ayk̲h̲	[Ar] A title of respect which was generally given to an old man, denoting reverence, especially referring to one who is a venerated teacher or the head of an order of Ṣúfís.
Siyyid	A descendant of the Prophet Muḥammad through his daughter Fáṭimih, with the right to wear the green turban distinguishing his ancestry. A title prefixed to a man's name, denoting descent from the Prophet. The Báb was a siyyid.
'Ulamá	[Ar] Plural of 'álim. Learned scholars; Muslim divines. The Bábí and Bahá'í Faiths found their most devoted believers, heroes and martyrs, as well as their bitterest enemies, among the 'ulamá of nineteenth-century Iran.
Ustád	[Ar] Professor; master.
Vizír	(also, vazír) [Ar, Pers] Vizier. In Iran and the Ottoman Empire, the prime minister or minister of state.
Zádih	[Pers] Child, offspring. It is used in combination with other words, often to form a name or title, e.g. Imám-Zádih, a descendant of an Imám.

[ABG]

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