The last sections in the Dawnbreakers.

mlfrank
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Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2016 6:55 pm

The last sections in the Dawnbreakers.

Postby mlfrank » Mon Jul 25, 2016 12:35 pm

Last week while in a deepening on the Advent of Divine Justice, one member mentioned what he thought was a kitab-i-hearsay from back in the 70s about a deed in a believers past that lead them to becoming a Baha'i. Another member remembered where this actually came from - page number & book! It was from Section XXV - BAHÁ’U’LLÁH’S JOURNEY TO KARBILÁ in the Dawn-Breakers. There followed a discussion of when this quote (“Be thankful to God for having enabled you to recognise His Cause...”), attributed to Baha'u'llah by Nabil, was revealed. Reading the "paragraphs" before and after did not seem to help as the one before referred to letters to royalty by Baha'u'llah and the one after to an event during the Bab's Dispensation.

I and a few of the others at this deepening, would really appreciate clarification on these Sections, especially XXV. If any of you can enlighten us or even refer us to another scholar or book we would be indebted. Thanks....

Here's the whole quote:
“Be thankful to God for having enabled you to recognise His Cause. Whoever has received this blessing must, prior to his acceptance, have performed some deed which, though he himself was unaware of its character, was ordained by God as a means whereby he has been guided to find and embrace the Truth.” Excerpt From: Nabíl-i-Zarandí. “The Dawn-Breakers: Nabíl’s Narrative.” iBooks.

michael

MontanaDon
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Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:33 pm

Re: The last sections in the Dawnbreakers.

Postby MontanaDon » Tue Jul 26, 2016 12:41 am

Go back to the beginning of the Chapter, p582. He spends the next several pages saying that the people have rcvd all that is necessary to believe in a discussion of the reaction of people to His claims and then makes the statement you cite as the reason for these various reactions.

Don C
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Understood properly, all man's problems are essentially spiritual in nature.

brettz9
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Re: The last sections in the Dawnbreakers.

Postby brettz9 » Tue Jul 26, 2016 2:14 am

I believe there are other quotations though which might temper an extreme view of this idea of becoming a believer based on some action. I recall other quotations speaking about the fact that we might unnecessarily put barriers in front of people toward accepting the Faith by our actions, etc. I would like to compile such quotations as these together, but I don't have the energy atm for the digging that would be necessary.

The Hidden Words from the Persian, no. 22, I think may also indirectly suggest that it is not exclusively, at least in all cases, about merit:

O SON OF DESIRE! The learned and the wise have for long years striven and failed to attain the presence of the All-Glorious; they have spent their lives in search of Him, yet did not behold the beauty of His countenance. Thou without the least effort didst attain thy goal, and without search hast obtained the object of thy quest. Yet, notwithstanding, thou didst remain so wrapt in the veil of self, that thine eyes beheld not the beauty of the Beloved, nor did thy hand touch the hem of His robe. Ye that have eyes, behold and wonder.


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