Summons of the Lord of Hosts

The Súriy-i-Haykal or Tablet of the Temple, is a composite work which consists of a tablet followed by five messages addressed to Pope Pius IX, Napoleon III, Czar Alexander II, Queen Victoria, and Naser al-Din Shah Qajar. The messages were written while Bahá'u'lláh was in Edirne (Adrianople) and shortly after its completion, Bahá'u'lláh instructed the Surih and the tablets to the kings be written in the form of a pentacle, symbolizing the human temple and added to it the conclusion:

"Thus have We built the Temple with the hands of power and might, could ye but know it. This is the Temple promised unto you in the Book. Draw ye nigh unto it. This is that which profiteth you, could ye but comprehend it. Be fair, O peoples of the earth! Which is preferable, this, or a temple which is built of clay? Set your faces towards it. Thus have ye been commanded by God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting."[1]"Thus have We built the Temple with the hands of power and might, could ye but know it. This is the Temple promised unto you in the Book. Draw ye nigh unto it. This is that which profiteth you, could ye but comprehend it. Be fair, O peoples of the earth! Which is preferable, this, or a temple which is built of clay? Set your faces towards it. Thus have ye been commanded by God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting."

Shoghi Effendi, who described the tablet as one of Bahá'u'lláh's most challenging works, writes about the Súriy-i-Haykal, "words which reveal the importance He attached to those Messages, and indicate their direct association with the prophecies of the Old Testament" referring to the prophecy in the Old Testament where Zechariah had promised the rebuilding of the Temple in the End of Times. In the Book of Zechariah it is recorded:

"And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both." Zechariah 6:12-13

Shoghi Effendi, in The Promised Day is Come (pp. 47–8), refers to this rebuilding of the temple as fulfilled in the return of the Manifestation of God in a human temple. Throughout the tablet, Bahá'u'lláh address the Haykal (the Temple) and explains the glory which is invested in it. Bahá'u'lláh, in response to a question, has stated that the Haykal is the person of Bahá'u'lláh. Adib Taherzadeh has written that "[i]t is fascinating to know that the One Who speaks with the voice of God in this Tablet is identical with the One spoken to."

Regarding the Haykal, Bahá'u'lláh writes that it refers to the human or physical temple of the Manifestation of God (prophets of God). He states that the Manifestation of God is a pure mirror that reflects the sovereignty of God and manifests God's beauty and grandeur to mankind. In essence Bahá'u'lláh explains that the Manifestation of God is a "Living Temple" and every time that Bahá'u'lláh addresses the Haykal he shows a new facet of God's revelation.

The Haykal, which represents the Manifestation of God who spreads the Word of God in the form of a human temple, has members each of whom symbolize one of the signs and attributes of God. To the eyes of the Haykal he asks it to not look at the world of creation, but instead to focus on the beauty of God. To the Haykal's ears Bahá'u'lláh asks it to become deaf to the voices of the ungodly and to listen to the Word of God. To the tongue of the Haykal Bahá'u'lláh states that it has been created to mention the name of God. To the hands of the Haykal Bahá'u'lláh asks them to stretch out upon all humankind and hold within their grasp the reins of God. Finally, Bahá'u'lláh states that from the heart of the Haykal knowledge will emerge and raise scientists who will bring about technological achievements.

Another symbol used by Bahá'u'lláh in describing the Haykal is through the four letters (H, Y, K, and L) that compose the word in the Arabic. Bahá'u'lláh in the tablet explains the spiritual significance of each letter: H is for Huwiyyah (Essence of Divinity), Y is for Qadír (Almighty), K is for Karím (All Bountiful), and L is for Fadl (Grace).

Regarding the five other messages to the rulers that form the pentacle of the Súriy-i-Haykal, Bahá'u'lláh tells them he is the Manifestation of God for this day, and that they should accept his message. The message to Násiri'd-Dín Sháh, which is the longest message, was delivered to the Shah by Badí‘, a youth who was killed by the Shah shortly thereafter.