T-Z

Ta, Land of: Meaning Tihran, being the initial letter of the name.

Tabarsi: A shrine lying 14 miles southeast of Barfurush, where Quddus, Mulla Husayn and many leading Babis suffered martyrdom.

Tablet: Divinely revealed scripture. The giving of the Law to Moses on tables, or tablets, is mentioned in Koran 7:142: "We wrote for him (Moses) upon tables (alwah, pl. of luh) a monition concerning every matter." In Baha’i scripture the term refers to denote writings revealed by Baha'u'llah, the Bab, and 'Abdu’l-Baha.

Tablet of Carmel: The charter for the world spiritual and administrative centers of the Baha’i Faith on Mount Carmel. The tablet was revealed by Baha’u’llah in 1890 during one of His visits to Mount Carmel.

Tablet of Ra’is: Epistle of Baha’u’llah to 'Ali Pasha, the Ottoman Grand Vizir.

Tabriz: City in resent-day Iran where the Bab was martyred.

Taff (land of): The plain of Karbila in which vicinity Imam Husayn was martyred.

Taj: Persian means 'crown'. A tall felt head-dress. Plural: Tajha.

Takur: Village where Baha’u’llah’s ancestral home was located. Takur is situated in the district of Nur, in the province of Mazindaran, Iran.

Talisman: Lit. a charm which drew down the power of heaven to protect its wearer. A symbol of man protected by the power of God.

Tehran: Capital of present-day Iran and birthplace of Baha’u’llah. Also the site of Baha’u’llah’s revelation in the underground dungeon known as the Black Pit, where He was falsely imprisoned after the attempted assassination of the shah in 1852.

Templers: Members of the Society of the Temple, founded in the mid-1800s in Germany. They believed that Christ's return was imminent and settled in the Holy Land in anticipation of the event. The first and largest of their settlements was in Haifa at the foot of Mount Carmel, where they built their homes.

Ten Year Crusade: (1953-1963) Ten Year Plan initiated by Shoghi Effendi for teaching the Baha'i Faith, which culminated with the election of the Universal House of Justice during the centenary of the declaration of Baha’u’llah. The objectives of the Crusade were the development of the institutions at the World Centre, the consolidation of the communities of the participating National Spiritual Assemblies, and the spread of the Faith to new regions.

Tenth Avatar: The tenth appearance of the God Vishnu, as anticipated in Hinduism.

Thamud: An idolatrous tribe of ancient Hamitic people, inhabiting the borders of Edom and living in caves. They were nearly exterminated by Chedorlaomer, the Elomite conqueror. The survivors fled to Mt. Seir where they dwelt in the time of Isaac and Jacob. (see Qur’an 7:71 and 9:71)

Tihran, or Tehran: The capital of Iran and the birthplace of Baha’u’llah.

Torah: The Pentateuch of Moses.

Towa: A holy vale in Sinai. (Qur'an 20: 10, 11, Exod. 3; 1 Kgs. 198.)

Traditions: The authoritative record of inspired sayings and acts of the Prophet, in addition to the revelation contained in the Qur'an.

Tripolitania: A former Ottoman colony that is now part of present-day Libya.

Tuman: Unit of Iranian currency.

Universal House of Justice: Head of the Baha’i Faith after the passing of Shoghi Effendi and the supreme administrative and legislative body ordained by Baha’u’llah in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, His book of laws. Established in 1963, the Universal House of Justice is elected every five years by members of all National Spiritual Assemblies who assemble at an International Baha’i Convention. The Universal House of Justice directs and guides the administrative activities of the worldwide Baha’i community. It is the institution ordained by Baha’u’llah as the agency invested with authority to legislate on matters not covered in His writings. In his will and testament ‘Abdu’l-Baha elaborates on its functions and affirms that it is infallibly guided.

Urvatu'l-Vuthga: Literally, "the strongest handle," meaning the Faith of God.

Vali-‘Ahd: “Heir to the throne”

Vizier: A high executive officer in various Muslim countries and especially of the Ottoman Empire.

Will and Testament of ‘Abdu'l-Baha: A document, in the handwriting of ‘Abdu'l-Baha, that establishes the institution of the Guardianship and appoints Shoghi Effendi as Guardian. It provides for the election of the Universal House of Justice and for the appointment of the Hands of the Cause of God, and it prescribes the functions of these two institutions. It also creates the institution of the National Spiritual Assembly.

World Order of Baha’u’llah: A critical element of the Baha’i teachings is the concept of a new World Order, which, in coming centuries, is destined to embrace the whole of mankind, to be a force for peace and justice, and to provide the basis for the emergence of a world civilization. Its details are set out in the writings of Baha’u’llah and ‘Abdu'l-Baha and the letters of Shoghi Effendi, and its current Baha’i Administrative Order is viewed as the nucleus and pattern of the evolving world order.

Yahya: John, the forerunner of Jesus Christ. He was beheaded by Herod.

Yanbu: A compilation of Shi’ih traditions.

Yathrib: The ancient name of the city which was changed to Medinat un-Nabi, the City of the Prophet, or shortly Medina, the city par excellence.

Year Sixty: Meaning 1260 A.H., A.D. 1844, the year of the Bab's Declaration.

Young Turk Revolution: A revolutionary movement against the authoritarian regime of Ottoman Sultan ‘Abdu’1-Hamid II, which resulted in the establishment of a constitutional government in 1908 and the subsequent release of all political and religious prisoners-including ‘Abdu'l-Baha. In 1909 Sultan ‘Abdu’l-Hamid was deposed.

Za, Land of: Meaning Zanjan, being the initial letter of the name.

Zadih: “Son”

Zagros Mountains: A mountain range in southern and southwestern Iran bordering Iraq, Turkey, and the Persian Gulf.

Zamzam(well of): A well in Mecca regarded by the Muslims as sacred.

Zanjan: A town in western Iran and the capital of the district of Khamsih and the scene of the martyrdom of 1800 Babis led by Mulla Muhammad ‘Ali, surnamed Hujjat.

Zaqqum: A tree in the Infernal Regions.

Zion: A hill in Jerusalem, the site of the royal residence of David and his successors.

Zoroaster: (c.628 B.C. – c. 551 B.C.) Regarded by Baha’is as a Messenger of God and founder of the Zoroastrian religion. He predicted the coming of a World Redeemer, the Shah-Bahram, Who would create an era of world peace. Baha’is believe the figure referred to in this prophecy is Baha’u’llah, Who is also a descendant of Zoroaster.