MEMORANDUM
To: The Universal House of
Justice Date: 6 August 1997
From: Research Department
Questions about aspects of the Bahá'í Teachings
At the instruction of the Universal House of Justice, the Research Department has considered the questions about many aspects of the Bahá'í Teachings raised by Mr. ... in his 3 June 1997 letter and its multiple enclosures. We provide the following response.
Items 1, 6, 7 and 8
The attached materials referred to in items 1, 6, 7 and 8 have been read and noted.
Items 2, 12, 13(1), 15 and 16 — Authenticity of
Statements1
2. 'Yá Bahá'u'l-Abhá!...'
The passage sometimes attributed to 'Abdu'l-Bahá which begins, 'Yá Bahá'u'l-Abhá! In this cry, all the cries of the universe are sounded...' cannot be considered authentic. The Research Department has been unable to find, either in English or in Persian, such a statement attributed to 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
12. 'O Lord! Open Thou the door....'
An English translation of the first
sentence of the prayer submitted by Mr. ... is published in the United States Bahá'í News, May 1973, no. 506, p. 14.
As to its authenticity, the opening phrases of this prayer are found in a very
long prayer, revealed in Arabic, which is published in Min Makátíb 'Abdu'l-Bahá (Rio de Janeiro: Editora Bahá'í Brasil,
1982), vol. 1, pp. 9-12. However, the remainder of the English translation,
starting with 'that we may be guided', is not contained in that prayer,
and the Research Department has not been able to locate an original text which
could have been used for that translation. Therefore, aside from the opening
phrases, the validity of this prayer is questionable.
13(1). Prayer for Guidance
No authorized translation of this prayer has been issued. A provisional translation of this prayer was provided a few years ago for a member of the Bahá'í World Centre staff, who was told that he could share it with friends and that it could be used pending the publication of an authorized translation. We show the provisional translation below.
O my God!
Thou seest me detached from everything save Thee and clinging to Thee.
Guide me then in my doings in a manner which profiteth me for the glory of Thy
Cause and the loftiness of the state of Thy servants.
This prayer was revealed by the
Blessed Beauty for Jináb-i-Samandar [Shaykh Kázim Samandar], the
father of the Hand of the Cause of God Tarázu'lláh Samandarí, to assist him in
making a difficult decision. The prayer was to be recited nineteen times,
followed by meditation on the problem, the formulation of a solution, and the
implementation of the conceived solution.
15. Marriage Tablet attributed to
'Abdu'l-Bahá
Concerning the authenticity of this Tablet attributed to the Master, a letter dated 30 June 1987, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, stated:
We are instructed to say that this is not a Tablet, but an unauthenticated record by Ahmad Sohrab of a talk by 'Abdu'l-Bahá. The friends may use it, but it should be made clear that this is not Scripture and it should not be printed in a compilation of prayers and Tablets.
16. 'My home is the home of...'
In a letter dated 5 November 1992 written on its behalf, the Universal House of Justice indicated that
This quotation is taken from an excerpt from the Diary of Mirzá Ahmad Sohrab which was published in 'Star of the West', vol. IX, No. 3, p.39. It is not an authentic text, but is to be regarded as a pilgrim's note.
Item 3 - - 'alláhumma...'
With regard to the correct transliteration and the meaning of the song quoted by Mr. ..., it is suggested that his request be directed to one of the knowledgeable Persian believers residing in the ... community.
Item 4 - - Map of the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh
The drawing is substantially correct.
Item 5 - - Kull-i-Shay'
The table prepared by Mr. ... of the
first Kull-i-Shay' was perused. The literal meaning of 'Kull-i-Shay'' is
'all things'. It does not include among its meanings 'for the sake of God'.
Item 9 - - List of contents of Gleanings2
To date, due to limitation of
resources, it has not been possible for the Research Department to undertake
the task of identifying the sources of passages in Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh which are not included
in the list provided by Mr. ....
Item 10 - - Persian poetry cited in Bahá'í Writings
Reference is made to the fact that
Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá quote from the 'Mathnaví' of Rúmí in Their
Writings. Mr. ... mentions that he has purchased R.A. Nicholson's translation of
this work and requests assistance in locating the sources of the passages cited
in the Writings. We regret that we do not have a list of such sources but
suggest he might find it helpful to seek the assistance of one of the Persian
friends in identifying the means to pursue his research.
Item 11 - - Quotations from the Qur'án
Likewise, the Research Department
does not have a list of the many quotations from the Qur'án that are to be
found in the Epistle to the Son of the
Wolf and Paris Talks.3
Again, we suggest that Mr. ... consult with a knowledgeable Persian believer who
can help him to get started with this project. Should he, in the future, still
be unable to identify some of the Quranic verses, he might wish to enquire of
the Research Department. For his interest, we attach a compilation by Burl
Barer entitled 'Selections from the Holy Qur'án: Translations and Emendations
by Shoghi Effendi', which is published as an appendix in James Heggie's Bahá'í References to Judaism, Christianity
and Islam (Oxford: George Ronald, 1986).
Items 13(2) and 14 - - Questions arising from
Rituals in Babism and Baha'ism4
13. Recitation of prayer beginning, 'O Thou by
whose Name the sea of joy moveth...'
Mr. ... quotes the above-mentioned prayer
which is included in an album of Bahá'í songs. He enquires about the
translation of the prayer, where it is published and whether the information
about it contained in MacEoin's Rituals
in Babism and Baha'ism (p. 123) is accurate. No authorized translation of
the prayer is currently available. The version cited by Mr. ... represents an
early translation. With the exception of the last sentence, the prayer was
published in Bahá'í Scriptures,
Horace Holley, comp. (New York: Brentano's, 1923), p. 186, and in a prayer book
compiled at the request of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States
and Canada, entitled Prayers and
Meditations (New York City: Bahá'í Publishing Committee, 1929), p. 12. The
information in MacEoin's book is accurate.
14. Daily recitation of Qur'án 65:2-3
The information provided in Rituals in Babism and Baha'ism concerning
the daily recitation of Qur'án 65:2-3 is accurate.5 To date, the
particular Tablet has not been translated into English. Mr. ... is free to choose
which translation of the Qur'án he uses.
In relation to questions 13 and 14, we wish to note that in the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá, there are numerous examples of Their recommending to the friends that certain prayers and verses be recited at a certain time of day or a certain number of times. It is the view of the Research Department that, unless specified, such recommendations do not necessarily represent injunctions binding on all the friends.
Item 17 - - Verse in Marriage Prayer
As to interpretations in the Bahá'í
Writings of the Quranic verse cited in a Bahá'í marriage prayer, the verse in
question is taken from the 55th chapter of the Qur'án, called 'The
Merciful'. 'Abdu'l-Bahá's prayer for marriage may itself be considered an
elucidation of the Quranic verse. Used in this context the verse seems to
suggest that although the two people - - 'two seas' - - are joined in
matrimony, they do not merge together as they are two distinct human souls.
It is interesting to note that in other Tablets 'Abdu'l-Bahá gives different interpretations of the same verse. In one He likens the two seas to the material and spiritual worlds, with man and his rational soul like an interface between the two entities. In another Tablet 'Abdu'l-Bahá gives the allegory of the two worlds of light and darkness, of truth and of error, of guidance and of perdition, to signify the two seas referred to in this verse of the Qur'án.
Item 18 - - 'Sun' and 'Moon'
A question is raised about the following sentence in the Kitáb-i-Iqán:
Moreover, in the traditions the
terms 'sun' and 'moon' have been applied to prayer and fasting....6
Mr. ... observes that, throughout the passage that follows, Bahá'u'lláh refers to and interprets a number of traditions. In each instance He links the terms 'sun' with 'fasting' and 'moon' with 'prayer'. This differs from the sentence cited above. He, therefore, wishes to know whether, in this sentence, the terms might have been reversed. The Persian text of the sentence was studied and it was learned that, in the original language, the word 'fasting' precedes the word 'prayer'. Hence the pattern is uniform throughout. However, it should also be noted that Shoghi Effendi translated the text and his choice of wording may well reflect stylistic considerations.
Item 19 - - Hands of the Cause
The most complete listing of the
Hands of the Cause is contained in The
Ministry of the Custodians, 1957-1963: An Account of the Stewardship of the
Hands of the Cause (Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre, 1992), pp. xxii-xxiv. This
list includes 50 names.
Item 20 - - 'Night of Power'
Reference is made to 'a Bahá'í book
about the Qur'án, possibly Proofs from
the Holy Qur'án, where the Quranic 'Night of Power' is discussed.7
Mr. ... wishes to know whether the interpretation provided in this work is
correct. A discussion of this subject under the heading, 'The Night which is
better than [a] Thousand Months', is contained in Proofs from the Holy Qur'án, pp. 145-146. A careful reading of this
section will show that the author states that he is expressing his own view.
The Research Department has not been able to locate any authoritative
interpretation of this Quranic verse in the Bahá'í Writings. Mr. ... should reach
his own understanding of the matter.
Item 21 - - Khatt-i-Badí'
Mr. ... asks a number of questions
about the new language (and script) 'Khatt-i-Badí'', mentioned in
'Christopher Buck's book on the 'Kitáb-i-Iqán', and in the 'Epistle to the Son
of the Wolf''. He wishes to know who created this language, why it was never
used and whether any printed example of it exists.
Khatt-i-Badí' was a new script devised by Mírzá Muhammad
'Alí, half-brother of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and a calligrapher of great renown. We have
attached for Mr. ...'s study a sample of this new script which appears on the
last page of a collection of Bahá'u'lláh's Tablets published in 1891 (1308
A.H.). Mírzá Muhammad 'Alí calligraphed these Tablets and signed his name at
the bottom of the last page using the alphabet of the new script. The Research
Department has been unable to find any description of how this alphabet
functions.
Mr. ... also asks whether the Khatt-i-Badí' is connected in
some way with the following statement of Bahá'u'lláh found in the Epistle to
the Son of the Wolf:
At present, a new language and a new script have been devised.
If thou desirest, We will communicate them to Thee.8
We have been unable to find any direct reference in the Bahá'í Writings
to a connection between Bahá'u'lláh's statement above and the Khatt-i-Badí' ; however, we do
know that Bahá'u'lláh did not commission Mírzá Muhammad 'Alí to devise this
alphabet, nor did He subsequently approve it. Furthermore, we have the
following statements taken from letters in Persian written on behalf of the
Guardian concerning Bahá'u'lláh's statement in the Epistle to the Son of the
Wolf:
The nature of the new language and of the new script remained concealed
and hidden. No seeker was found nor did anyone inquire about them; therefore,
He [Bahá'u'lláh] left them undisclosed and undivulged.
(12 January 1929; provisional translation)
A new language and a new script were hidden in the treasury of His
knowledge. No seeker was found; therefore, they were not disclosed.
(29
December 1930; provisional translation)
Item 22 - - Sarcophagus from Burma for Bahá'u'lláh
Information about the sarcophagus
for Bahá'u'lláh is to be found in Dr. Giachery's Shoghi Effendi, Recollections.9 Decisions about this
alabaster sarcophagus will, at the appropriate time, be taken by the Universal
House of Justice.
Item 23 - - International Bahá'í Library Building
The decision to construct the International Bahá'í Library on Mount Carmel was taken by the Universal House of Justice. A description of this institution is contained in a letter dated 31 August 1987 to the Followers of Bahá'u'lláh throughout the World:
This Library is the central depository of all literature published on
the Faith, and is an essential source of information for the institutions of
the World Centre on all subjects relating to the Cause of God and the
conditions of mankind. In future decades its functions must grow, it will serve
as an active centre for knowledge in all fields, and it will become the kernel
of great institutions of scientific investigation and discovery.
The article 'The International
Bahá'í Library', from Vineyard of the
Lord, Mount Carmel Bahá'í Projects Update, Kalimát 151 B.E./July 1994 A.D.,
no. 4, p. 8, indicates that the construction of this institution is not
scheduled to be completed by the turn of the century.
Item 24 - - Commemoration of Bahá'í Holy Days
according to the Lunar Calendar
With regard to the commemoration of certain Bahá'í Holy Days according to the lunar calendar, we refer Mr. ... to the statement below taken from a letter dated 22 October 1986 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual with a similar question:
You have heard correctly that some of the Bahá'í Holy Days (i.e., the birthdays of Bahá'u'lláh and the Báb and the anniversaries of the Declaration and Martyrdom of the Báb) are observed in the Holy Land according to the lunar calendar. The timing of these observances follows a practice that was established at the beginning of the Faith in Iran where, as in other parts of the Middle East, dates were reckoned according to the lunar calendar.
As to whether this practice is
likely to change in the future, Bahá'u'lláh has left a number of matters affecting
the Bahá'í calendar to be determined by the Universal House of Justice. For
example, note 26 of The Kitáb-i-Aqdas:
The Most Holy Book discusses how implementing the law concerning the timing
of Naw-Rúz depends upon the House of Justice's choosing 'a particular spot on
earth which will serve as the standard for the fixing of the time of the spring
equinox'.10 Until this and other problems are resolved, the issue of
the Twin Birthdays will not be addressed. We also draw Mr. ...'s attention to
other relevant passages in The
Kitáb-i-Aqdas such as Bahá'u'lláh's answer to number 2 in Questions and
Answers, where He states that 'These two days are accounted as one in the sight
of God,'11 and the following statement found in note 138:
Given that the Bahá'í calendar (see notes 26 and 147) is a solar calendar, it remains for the Universal House of Justice to determine whether the Twin Holy Birthdays are to be celebrated on a solar or lunar basis.12
Item 25 - - New Volume of Translations
With regard to the Four Year Plan goal of translating a new volume of selections from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, the work of translation is in progress; however, the selection of materials for inclusion in the volume has not yet been finalized.
Item 26 - - Titles of Tablets and Names of
Recipients
We attach a summary of the
information currently available about the Tablets printed in the section headed
'Excerpts from other Tablets' in Tablets
of Bahá'u'lláh Revealed after the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas.
Item 27 - - University of Leiden Library
As to how the Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, held in the library of the University of Leiden, became part of the collection at that library, the Research Department has no specific information about this matter. We note, however, that Leiden has for many years been an important centre for Islamic studies and publishing. Furthermore, it was a common practice among Orientalists to collect manuscripts and to have them copied by scribes. Many of these manuscripts were either purchased or presented as gifts to the major European libraries.
Item 28 - - Chronology of Tablets to the Kings
The most complete sources of information about the approximate dates and the chronological sequence of the revelation of Bahá'u'lláh's Tablets to the Kings are:
God Passes By (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust,
1987), chapters IX, X, and XII
H. M. Balyuzi, Bahá'u'lláh, King
of Glory (Oxford: George Ronald, 1980)
Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of
Bahá'u'lláh (Oxford: George Ronald, 1977, 1983), volumes 2 and 3
With regard to Mr. ...'s questions
about the second Tablet to Sultán ''Abdu'l-Azíz of Turkey, the Súriy-i-Múlúk
and the Lawh-i-Sultán, the answers to his queries are to be found in God Passes By, pp. 171-173.
Item 29 - - Functions of the Research Department
Mr. ... asks about the procedures for requesting the services of the Research Department and whether the answering of questions of the kind he raises falls within its functions. The Research Department operates under the direction of the Universal House of Justice. At this time its activities include: support of the legislative function of the Universal House of Justice; implementation of projects designated by the House of Justice; preparation of compilations; and translation, classification and indexing of the Sacred Texts and letters of Shoghi Effendi.
Individuals are free to request the service of the Research Department. Such requests should be addressed to the Universal House of Justice. The work of the Department is assigned by the House of Justice. The staff of the Department is small; however, we are happy to endeavour, within the constraints imposed by the pressure of ongoing work, to respond to requests for assistance, as time and other priorities will permit.
Finally, it is suggested that, while individuals are free to turn to the Research Department, it is also important not to overlook the fact that, increasingly, there are many knowledgeable believers within the local and national Bahá'í communities. These friends represent an invaluable resource and a repository of knowledge and experience on which fellow researchers might draw for information and guidance.
Notes:
1.
We
note that there are two items that are numbered '13'.
2.
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust,
1983).
3.
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust,
1988); Paris Talks: Addresses given by
'Abdu'l-Bahá in Paris in 1911-1912 (London: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1995).
4.
Denis
MacEoin, Rituals in Babism and Baha'ism
(London: British Academic Press, 1994).
5.
Ibid.,
p. 43.
6.
The
Kitáb-i-Iqán (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1983), p. 39.
7.
Sábir
Afáqí, Proofs from the Holy Qur'án
(Regarding the Advent of Bahá'u'lláh) (New Delhi: Mir'át Publications,
1993).
8.
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust,
1988), page 138.
9.
Ugo
Giachery, Shoghi Effendi , Recollections
(Oxford: George Ronald, 1973). See page 137.
10. The Kitáb-i-Aqdas: The Most Holy
Book (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1993), page 179.
11. Ibid., page 105.
12. Ibid., page 224.
Attachments 3
Referring to item 21 - -
Khatt-i-Badí
Referring to item 26 - - Titles
of Tablets and Names of Recipients
INFORMATION ON CIRCUMSTANCES OF REVELATION OF TABLETS PRINTED IN
SECTION 17 OF 'TABLETS OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH REVEALED AFTER THE KITÁB-I-AQDAS'
|
Page |
Opening Words |
Addressee of Recipient |
Date |
|
231 |
God testifieth |
Aqá Siyyid Mírzá Afnán |
2 Muharam 1299 24 November 1881 |
|
233 |
All praise be to Thee |
Hájí Siyyid Mírzá |
Rabí'u'l-Avval 1292 April-May 1875 |
|
234 |
O Husayn |
Husayn Khán, Khá |
Muharram 1298 December 1880 |
|
235 |
This is a Tablet |
Aqá Husayn |
22 Muharram 1299 14 December 1881 |
|
236 |
O Friend! |
Varqá |
no date given |
|
237 |
O Javád |
Javád |
3 Jamádíyu'th-Thání 1298 3 May 1881 |
|
238 |
We make mention |
Aqá Mírzá Aqá Afnán |
Muharram 1299 November-December 1881 |
|
240 |
O thou who bearest |
Ism'u'lláh Javád |
8 Muharram 1299 30 November 1881 |
|
243 to 2571 |
O Haydar through This Wronged One |
Hájí Mírzá Haydar-'Alí |
19 Muharram 1309 25 August 1891 |
|
259 |
He Who Leadeth |
Muhammad Mustafá |
20 Rabí'u'l-Avval 1306 26 November 1888 |
|
261 |
This is a Tablet |
Mír 'Abdu'r-Rahím' Qamsar |
Ramadán 1291 October-November 1874 |
|
262 |
We desire to |
'Alí Qabl-i-Nabíl' Mashad |
Rabí' 1291 1874 |
|
265 |
Give ear unto |
Ma'súm Khán |
Rabí' 1291 1874 |
|
267 |
This Wronged One |
Hájí 'Alí Langarúd |
Rabí'u'l-Avval 1292 April-May 1875 |
Note:
1. The ten extracts
published in these pages are taken from one document addressed to Hájí Mírzá
Haydar-'Alí, even though some sections within the document clearly are revealed
for other believers.
Item 11 - - Quotations from the Qur'án
A compilation by Burl Barer entitled 'Selecions from the Holy Qur'án:
Translations and Emendations by Shoghi Effendi', which is published as an
appendix in James Heggie's Bahá'í
References to Judaism, Christianity and Islam (Oxford: George Ronald,
1986).
This compilation has not been reproduced here.
Below are added the texts to which some answers are referring to. They
are not part of the answer of the Research Department.
Allahumma yá Subúhun yá Quddus yá Hannánu yá
Mannán
Farridzj Laná Bi'l-Fazli Va'l-Ihsán
Innaka Rahmanu Mannán
O Lord, open Thou the door, provide the means, prepare the way, make safe the path, [that we may be guided to those souls, whose hearts are prepared for Thy Cause, and that they may be guided to us. Verily, Thou art the Merciful, the Most Bountiful, the All-Powerful.]
'Abdu'l-Bahá
O Thou by whose Name the sea of joy moveth and the fragrance of happiness is wafted. I ask Thee to show me from the wonders of Thy favor, that which shall brighten my eyes and shall gladden my heart. Verily, Thou art the Giver, the Generous.
Bahá'u'lláh
And for those who fear God, He ever prepares a way out, and He provides for him from sources he never could imagine. And if any one puts his trust in God, sufficient is God for him. For God will surely accomplish His purpose: verily, for all things has God appointed a due proportion.
Qur'án 65:2-3 (translation Rodwell)