“Ṭá” is the initial letter of Ṭihrán, the capital of Írán. Bahá’u’lláh has often chosen to represent certain place names by reference to their initial letter. According to the abjad system of reckoning, the numerical value of Ṭá is nine, which equals the numerical value of the name Bahá.

This is a reference to the birth of Bahá’u’lláh in Ṭihrán on 12 November 1817.

A reference to the Íránian province of Khurásán and neighbouring areas, which include the city of Ishqábád (Ashkhabad).

This verse establishes Ḥuqúqu’lláh, the Right of God, the offering of a fixed portion of the value of the believer’s possessions. This offering was made to Bahá’u’lláh as the Manifestation of God and then, following His Ascension, to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the Centre of the Covenant. In His Will and Testament, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá provided that the Ḥuqúqu’lláh was to be offered “through the Guardian of the Cause of God”. There now being no Guardian, it is offered through the Universal House of Justice as the Head of the Faith. This fund is used for the promotion of the Faith of God and its interests as well as for various philanthropic purposes. The offering of the Ḥuqúqu’lláh is a spiritual obligation, the fulfilment of which has been left to the conscience of each Bahá’í. While the community is reminded of the