“Knowledge is twenty and seven letters. All that the Prophets have revealed are two letters thereof."

"“Knowledge is twenty and seven letters. All that the Prophets have revealed are two letters thereof. No man thus far hath known more than these two letters. But when the Qá’im* shall arise, He will cause the remaining twenty and five letters to be made manifest.”† Consider; He hath declared Knowledge to consist of twenty and seven letters, and regarded all the Prophets, from Adam even unto the “Seal,” ¶ as Expounders of only two letters thereof and of having been sent down with these two letters. He also saith that the Qá’im will reveal all the remaining twenty and five letters. Behold from this utterance how great and lofty is His station! His rank excelleth that of all the Prophets, and His Revelation transcendeth the comprehension and understanding of all their chosen ones. "

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitáb-i-Íqán (The Book of Certitude), pp.243-244

* Literally, "He who arises." The Promised One of Islam. Baha'is believe the Bab was the Qa'im.
† Ṣádiq, son of Muḥammad
¶ Muḥammad


Walker Evans
Library of Congress