La volonté primitive, d'après le Bab
Revue de l'histoire des religions

مذاهب ملل متمدنه
ترجمه ع م ف
اردیبهشت سال 1322

The Primal Volition, According to Bab
Review of The History of The Religions
Translated by A.M.F
April 1943

 

The present work is the Persian translation of A.L.M Nicolas' book entitled 'Review of the history of the religions'. Nicolas held the position of the first secretary at the French embassy in Iran and later held the position of the Consul at the French Consular in Tabriz in North West of Iran.

He was deeply interested in the history and teachings of Bayan. His works demonstrate clearly that he had extensive research and had thorough understanding of the history and teachings of Bayan.

His greatest contribution to the religion of Bayan was the translation of some of the most important works of the Primal Point. The translated works are:
  • Persian Bayan (in four volumes),
  • Arabic Bayan and
  • The Seven Proofs.
 These works:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 of Nicolas were buried in a small number of libraries and very scarce until recently when the People of Bayan reproduced them in their initial format.

Nicolas also corresponded with Subh-i Azal between 1894 and 1895. Like other Western scholars such as Browne and Gobineau, Nicola was disliked by Bahais for his assessment of the Bahai claim and Bahai version of the accounts. Nicolas was critiized for having translated the works of the Point. In the introductory chapter to the French translation of the Volume III of the Persian Bayan, he effectively has called the founder of Bahaism, Mirza Husayn-Ali Nouri a liar for having differentiated between himself and the Primal Point by labelling the Primal Point has his ‘herald’.
 Without a doubt, Nicolas’ service to the religion of Bayan is the greatest contribution ever made by a Westerner. The people of Bayan will always remember him in their prayers as a Letter of Light.

Nicolas wrote ‘Review of the history of the religions' in 1905. It is an excellent book that provides introductory chapters to the Islamic background and covers the events of the early period of the Bayani history. It also provides a basic understanding of some of the principals offered in Bayan.

This book also contains a Persian translation of the introductory chapter to the Volume three of the French translation of the Persian Bayan in which the Point's tablet to Mulla Baqir is quoted.