Qayyūm al-asmā

Qayyūm al-asmā or Qayyúmu'l-Asmáʼ (Arabic: قيوم الأسماء; transl. "The Self-Subsisting Lord of All Names") is the first major work by Siyyid ʻAlí Muhammad Shírází, the Báb, after declaring himself to be the Qa'im, the eschatological figure expected by many in Shia Islam. Also known as the Tafsir Surat Yusuf (Commentary on the Surah of Joseph), the book is an unconventional form of commentary on Surah 12 in the Qurʼan: Surat Yusuf, and beyond that the Qurʼan as a whole. Although drawing on verses from the Surah of Joseph, the content often strays significantly from the explicit meaning of the text. The composition is deliberately similar in its structure and style to the Qurʼan: composed entirely in Arabic, it contains 111 chapters (the Surah of Joseph contains 111 verses) designated as Surahs, each with 42 verses (Āyah), is written in Saj' rhyming prose, and refers to itself within the text as 'the recitation' (qu'rān) or 'the criterion' (furqān, Qu'ran 25:1). While ostensibly the Qayyūm al-asmā is an esoteric commentary on the story of Joseph and the principles of Islam, inwardly it stakes a much larger claim, making evocative and enigmatic addresses to humanity on the need for renewed spiritual and ethical teachings. It guardedly announces the birth of a new and hidden cause, and the arrival of the Day of God; simultaneously he aims to prepare the world for the imminent arrival of the "Promised One" of all ages, while himself making veiled and direct claims to divine revelation. The provocative and stimulating nature of this work ignited significant religious fervor throughout Persia, quickly galvanizing both devoted followers and fanatical critics alike, and ultimately sparking the birth of the Babi Faith.