Tag: Creation

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Tag: "Creation"

tag name Creation type: Philosophy; Religion, general; Science: natural, social, and applied

web link bahai-library.com/tags/Creation
variations or
mis-spellings Creator; Create; See variant original terms in notes below.
related tags – Concepts, Philosophical; – Concepts, Religious; – Concepts, Science; – Tags with many search results on bahai.org; God; Necessary relationships of the realities of things; Qayyum (Self-subsisting); Tags with multiple Inventory subjects (selected)
referring tags Active force and its recipient; Adam and Eve; Amr va Khalq (compilation); Be and it is (phrase); Book of Creation and written Book (two books); Causality (causation); Composition and decomposition; Created things (creatures); Dualism; Elements; Evolution; Genesis (Bible); God, Word of; Hidden Treasure; Human nature; Kingdoms, Physical; Lawh-i-Hikmat (Tablet of Wisdom); Monism; Nature; New creation (phrase); Primal Will; Purpose of life; Seven days of creation (Bible); Seven stages of creation; Universe; World; World of Command and World of Creation
Inventory subject Word of God the cause of creation; Absolute freedom; independence of God; Continual renewal of creation; Creation of the world; Eternality vs. origination; creation from nothingness; Infinity and eternity; Man is the sum; pinnacle; fruit of creation; Material and spiritual existence; two books; Necessary and possible being; Pairs in creation; male and female; B and E; agent and patient
notes

See also:
– Bahá'í Sacred Writings, chapter 4, section "God and Creation" (Bahá'u'lláh), and chapter 13, section Creation and the Appearance of Humanity" ('Abdu'l-Bahá)
– Covenant Library Unified Index

In cases where it means "created things", "creation" corresponds to one of these:
khalq ( خلق )
ashyá’ ( اشیاء )
mumkinát ( ممکنات )
When it occurs in such phrases as "the realm of creation," then "creation" corresponds to one of these:
inshá’ ( انشاء )
imkán ( امکان )
vujúd ( وجود )
íjád ( ایجاد )
ibdá‘ ( ابداع )
ikhtirá‘ ( اختراع )

selected quotations
(authoritative sources)
These quotations reflect common presentations of Bahá’í views; the materials below may show a wider range of interpretations and contexts:

"... That which hath been in existence had existed before, but not in the form thou seest today. The world of existence came into being through the heat generated from the interaction between the active force and that which is its recipient. These two are the same, yet they are different..."

– Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, Lawḥ-i-Ḥikmat (Tablet of Wisdom), ¶9 (BH00223)

"Veiled in My immemorial being and in the ancient eternity of My essence, I knew My love for thee; therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine image and revealed to thee My beauty."

– Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words, Arabic, no. 3 (BH00386)

"... Know that the order and perfection of the universe require that existence should appear in countless forms. Created things cannot therefore be realized in a single degree, station, manner, kind, or species: Differences of degree, distinctions in form, and a multiplicity of kinds and species are inevitable. So there must necessarily be mineral, vegetable, animal, and human kingdoms; for through man alone the world of existence could not be adequately arranged, adorned, organized, and perfected. By the same token, with the animals, plants, or minerals alone, this world would not possess such a wondrous appearance, sound arrangement, and subtle adornment: There must be differences of degrees and stations, of kinds and species, for existence to shine forth with the utmost perfection.
For example, if this tree were to become entirely fruit, the perfections of the vegetable kingdom could not be attained, for leaves, blossoms, and fruit are all needed for the tree to appear in the utmost beauty and perfection.
Consider likewise the body of man, which must of necessity be composed of different parts, limbs, and organs. The beauty and perfection of the human body require the existence of the ear, the eye, the brain, and even the nails and hair: If man were all brain, eyes, or ears, this would be tantamount to imperfection. So the absence of hair, eyelashes, teeth, and nails is imperfection itself, for even though in comparison with the eyes the latter are insentient and resemble the mineral and the plant, yet their absence in the body of man is most disagreeable and displeasing..."

– 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, chapter 32 (AB01359)

"... we have no record of twenty thousand years ago, even though we established before through rational arguments that life on this earth is very ancient—not one or two hundred thousand, or even one or two million years old: It is ancient indeed, and the records and traces of ancient times have been entirely obliterated..."

– 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, 41.3 Universal Cycles

"... As for the story of Adam, the Father of Mankind, which is recorded in the Sacred Scriptures, this requireth explanation and interpretation. By “genesis” is intended a spiritual creation and heavenly existence; for otherwise the most cursory reflection would be sufficient to convince even a child that this boundless universe, the world of being—this infinite cosmos, this prodigious system, this mighty and primordial workshop—is far more than six thousand years old, as hath in fact been realized in this illumined age by scientists and men of learning, on the basis of decisive proofs and evidences founded on both reason and discovery. In recent times remains have come to light which have been definitely and conclusively established to be more than ten thousand years old. Through the science of geology this hidden secret hath been grasped—that the age of the world surpasseth man’s conception..."

– 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Additional Tablets, Extracts and Talks (AB00262)

references en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creation; bahaiquotes.com/subject/creation-of-the-world; www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/search#q=Creation

"Creation" has been tagged in:

75 results from the Main Catalog

from the main catalog (75 results; collapse)

sorted by

n.d.. خاتمیت رد وحدت وجود غایت خلقت عالم وجود بدایتی ندارد (The doctrine of finality rejects the unity of existence; the purpose of the creation of the world of being has no beginning). Rouhi Roshani. On the concept of the Finality of Prophethood. Articles-unpublished.
2026. Story of Adam and Eve, The. Karl Weaver. Abdu’l-Bahá's explanations of the story of "Adam and Eve", and further interpretations and background. Articles-unpublished.
2025-11. Tablet of the Letters (Ḥurūfāt) Revealed by the Báb, The. The Báb, Mohammad Norozi, trans. . On the interrelation of the Divine Names, the cosmos, and the hierarchy of creation.The Báb enumerates 32 letters, each linked to a domain of creation or aspect of spiritual authority, conveying how God ordains, sustains, and animates reality. Translations.
2025-01. Big Bang Standard Model and Bahá'í Cosmology, The: Resolving a Present Disparity Through Science and Religion. Jack McLean. On cyclic models that posit a universe before the Big Bang; comparison of theories of dynamic expansion and contraction vs. Steady State and Cosmic Inflation; parallels between modern science and ancient Greek, Jewish and Hindu cosmology. Articles-unpublished.
2025. Timeless Principles of Religion, The: A Comparative Study across Christian, Islamic, and Bahá'í Thought. Iman Motlagh Arani. Theological map of nine principles in Christianity, Islam, and the Bahá'í Faith: oneness of God, unknowability of the divine essence, creation by God's sovereign act, office of prophethood, authority of revealed law, cardinal virtues, judgment and death. Articles-unpublished.
2025. Creation and Evolution in Bahá'í Thought: A Reflective Essay on Ideas and Debates. Behrooz Sabet. The Bahá’í view interlocks science, philosophy, and religion, rejecting literal creationism yet affirming evolution as purposeful. It bridges natural and spiritual laws, integrating differing theories into a unified vision of humanity’s global destiny. Articles-unpublished.
2024-12. Lawh-i-Abdu'r-Razzáq: Parallel Translation (English). Bahá'u'lláh, A. Bolhuis, comp. . Comparison of three English language translations, from River of Life (1914), Bahá'í Scriptures (1923), and Gleanings (1935). Translations.
2024-06-20. Potentialities and their Manifestation: A Selection of Passages from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh and the Báb and from the Writings and Talks of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Wm. Keith Bookwalter, comp. Compilation of quotations on one of the Bahá'í Faith's basic ideas, that Bahá'u'lláh calls upon us to "manifest the potentialities," the gems of our inborn nature via a "proper education." Compilations-personal.
2024-06. Le Verbe de Dieu, au coeur de l'existence. Pierre Daoust. Le présent essai examine les pouvoirs et l'influence du Verbe de Dieu (ou Parole divine) au sein de la création. Le Verbe est à la fois créateur, transformateur et régénérateur et la difficulté est de comprendre et analyser comment il agit. Articles-unpublished.
2024. Necessity for Prayer, The. Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'í World Centre, trans. . Extract from a Tablet of ‘Abdu'l-Bahá. Writings.
2023-12. Literary Imitation in Three Poems Attributed to Tahirih Qurrat al-ʿAyn. Sahba Shayani. The poetry of Tahirih has largely been ignored by historians, partly from politico-religious intolerance, but also because of a lack of detailed information and primary sources; comparison of three of her most famous istiqbál poems. Articles.
2023-01-02. Tablet of the Manifestation, The (Lawh-i-Zuhur). Bahá'u'lláh, Joshua Hall, trans. . Tablet on the metaphysical reality of the Manifestations of God, and their divine station as cosmic, "supernatural" entities. Translations.
2023-01-01/2025. Tablet on the Simple Reality, The (Lawḥ-i-Basíṭu'l-Ḥaqíqih). Bahá'u'lláh, Joshua Hall, trans. . Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablet of the Simple Reality examines Mullá Ṣadrá's dictum "The Simple Reality is all things," providing a nuanced, non-pantheistic interpretation. Translations.
2023. Role of Wonder in Creating Identity, The. Todd Lawson. The term badí', "wondrous" or "new," is used dozens of times by the Báb in his proclamatory work the Qayyúm al-Asmáʾ. Wonder plays a major role in Bábí and Bahá'í thought and practice, and in their ethos and message. Link to article (offsite). Articles.
2022-11-14. Tablet of the Gems of Unity, The (Lawh-i-Javáhir-i-Tawhíd). Bahá'u'lláh, Joshua Hall, trans. . Composite authoritative and provisional translation, partially from Gleanings section 27. Translations.
2022-03. Bahá'u'lláh and the God of Avicenna. Joshua Hall (published as Joshua D. T. Hall). Comparison of the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh on the nature of God with the philosophy of Avicenna; this helps one understand the philosophical content and significance, and rational rigor, of Bahá’u’lláh’s own statements on God’s existence and creative act. Articles.
2022. Qur'anic Kerygma: Epic, Apocalypse, and Typological Figuration. Todd Lawson. Article contains no mention of the Bábí or Bahá'í Faiths, but includes themes of relevance to Bahá'í teachings on the typologies of proclamation and apocalypse. Articles.
2022. Reis naar het Hart van de Qur'án: Het Heilige Boek van de islam voor hen die nadenken (door een niet-moslim). David Russell Garcia, Kees Poolman, trans. . Een overzicht van de Koran en zijn thema's: islam versus het christendom; wetten, geestelijke en sociale principes; heilige oorlog en vechten; redenen achter de reputatie van de islam als een oorlogsreligie; apocalypse. Books.
2021. Harmony of Science and Religion, The. Steven Phelps. Background; antecedent teachings; ineffability, metaphor, and epistemic humility; intelligibility of the universe and the elevation of rational thought; emanation and degrees of being; necessary relationships; relativity of religious truth. Articles.
2019-09. Worldview and the Laws of the Bayán. Nader Saiedi. Explores the Persian Bayán's spiritual worldview and laws through four talks, offering insights into the Báb's Dispensation. Audio.
2018-01-21. Resurrection and the World to Come. Bahá'u'lláh, William F. McCants, trans. . Extract from the Lawh-i-Yusuf (Tablet of Joseph), explaining the meaning of 'paradise', 'hellfire', 'resurrection', and similar terms. Translations.
2017. Active Force and That Which Is Its Recipient, The: A Bahá'í View of Creativity. Rick Johnson. On creativity and the pervasive nature of this concept in Bahá’í thought. The universe is coded to be creative; it exists in a perpetually generative, dynamic state and that creativity is the fundamental reality of the universe. Articles.
2017. Bahá'í Philosophy of Human Nature, The. Ian Kluge. How the essential reality of the individual — the human soul and its powers of rational thought, willpower, memory, and reflection — translates these capacities into physical action through the intermediary of the brain. Articles.
2015 Fall. Wittgensteinian Language-Games in an Indo-Persian Dialogue on the World Religions. Juan Cole. Reflections on Bahá'u'lláh's theology of previous religions and Ludwig Wittgenstein’s concept of "language games"; Hinduism, India, and 19th-century Iranian culture; Manakji’s questions about Hinduism and Zoroastrianism. Articles.
2014. Text and Context in the Bahá'í Heroic Age. Nader Saiedi. A series of 12 talks by Nader Saiedi exploring Bahá'í history, key writings, and the need for scholarly study, translation, and contextual analysis of Bahá'í texts. Audio.
2014. Origins of Creation. Farjam Majd. Some classical proofs of the existence of God; the meaning of proof, types of proof, and conditions of the existence of a proof; and contemporary reasons why some people believe God is not needed to explain the universe. Articles.
2013. Worlds of God, The. Iscander Micael Tinto. Creation is an act of divine manifestation across five realms: Háhút, the unknowable Essence of God; Láhút, the first actualization of potentiality; Jabarút, God's action and will in creation; Malakút, the angelic plane; and Násút, the physical world. Resources.
2013. Creation and Evolution: A Compilation. Bahá'u'lláh, Abdu'l-Bahá, Iscander Micael Tinto, comp. . Short compilation of passages on the creation of the universe, nature, and existence. Compilations-personal.
2012. "He hath known God who hath known himself": A Deepening Course on the Bahá'í Revelation. Barbara Ives Reich Kochmann, comp, Richard Kochmann, comp. A lengthy compilation by the granddaughter of Howard Colby Ives designed to be a study guide to the Writings, covering knowledge of God, the station of the Manifestations, the nature of the Covenant, and the dynamics of creation, constancy, and servitude. Compilations-personal.
2012. Human Nature and World Religion: Toward a Bahá'í-Inspired Philosophical Anthropology. Harold Rosen. On how the major religions depict human nature, philosophical anthropology, the shared metaphysical concept of four levels of reality, and the nature of divine reality across religions. Articles.
2011-04-11. Authenticity of Passage on the "Design of your Creator". Universal House of Justice. Letter from the Office of Correspondence indicating that a passage attributed to 'Abdu'l-Bahá which begins "Know that you are where you are, not by chance, but by the design of your Creator" can not be confirmed. UHJ-letters.
2011-03-29. Enigmatic Questions Surrounding the Appearances of the Prophets. John S. Hatcher. Issues related to the ontology and powers of the Manifestations can test the mettle of even deepened and learned Bahá'ís, but these concepts are central in understanding how the creator employs vicegerents to educate humankind. Video.
2011. Prophets of Mahabad, and Nature of Creation: The Two Questions of Manakji Limji Hataria. Susan Maneck. Discussion of Baha’u’llah’s letters to Manakji Hataria as found in the Tabernacle of Unity, compiled from an email discussion group archive; the context of the questions and their answers against the background of Ishraqi philosophy. Essays.
2009-2025. Translation List: Provisional Translations of Baháʼí Texts. Adib Masumian, trans. Index to talks, letters, and other items translated from Persian and Arabic to English by Adib Masumian; listed here for the sake of search engines and tagging. Bibliographies.
2009-2019. Lists of Articles. Brent Poirier. Lists of 126 articles at the author's six blog websites. Essays.
2009-2011. Provisional Translations of Selected Writings of the Báb, Baháʼuʼlláh, and ʻAbdu'l-Bahá. Peyman Sazedj. Twenty-four translations from 2009, 2010, and 2011 copied from the defunct website peyman.sazedj.org. Translations.
2009. Artist and the Grammarian, The. Otto Donald Rogers. On the process and meaning of creating art; its effect on the mind and the brain, the nature of painting; spiritual foundations of the natural world. Articles.
2008. Selections from the Bahá'í Writings and from Shaykh Ahmad on the Seven Stages of Creation. Keven Brown, comp. Collection of quotations from the Bab, Bahá'u'lláh, and Shaykh Ahmad, with footnotes, on the seven stages of Divine action: Will, Determination, Destiny, Decree, Permission, Term, and Book. Compilations-personal.
2008. Gate of the Heart: Understanding the Writings of the Bab (contents and index only). Nader Saiedi. A lengthy, detailed examination of the context, chronology, and content of the writings of the Báb. (Link to document, offsite; only the contents and index are on this site, for keyword searching.) Excerpts.
2005-11. Collected Essays. John Wiegley. Dozens of essays on numerous topics of Bahá'í thought and practice. Books.
2005-10. Service and Devotion: First talk in the "Serving the Divine Plan" program. Peter J. Khan. Audio.
2005. Tablet of 'Abdu'l-Bahá Explaining Three Verses in the Lawh-i-Hikmat, A. Abdu'l-Bahá, Keven Brown, trans. . Insights into three statements by Bahá'u'lláh on pre-existence, creation, and nature as the essence of God. Translations.
2004. Bahá'í Ethics: Answers to 55 Questions Submitted by Arthur Dobrin. Dianne Bradford, Fiona Missaghian, Udo Schaefer, Robert Stockman, Jonah Winters, comp. . Answers to questions submitted in preparation for a source book in religious ethics for a college course at Hofstra University, New York, fall 2001. Essays.
2003-10. Voyage to the Heart of the Koran: The Holy Book of Islám for Thinking Minds (By a Non-Muslim). David Russell Garcia. A lengthy overview of the Qur'án and its themes for a Bahá'í audience; holy war and fighting; reasons behind Islám's reputation as a war-like religion; theology of Islám vs. Christianity; laws and admonitions; spiritual and social principles; apocalypse. Books.
2003. Creation: The Nature of God and the Creation of the Universe in Bahá'í Cosmology. Keven Brown. Encyclopedia.
2002/2012. Reflection on the Theory of Alchemy as Explained in the Bahá'í Writings, A. Keven Brown. Bahá'u'lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá referred to the 'hidden craft' of alchemy as part of divine philosophy, but which would only be used wisely and properly appreciated after the attainment of human maturity; some Bábí and Bahá'í references to alchemy. Articles-unpublished.
2002/2003. Ether, Quantum Physics and the Bahá'í Writings. Robin Mihrshahi. Analysis of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's use of the term “ether”, correlated to His definition of this term as a medium not only for the propagation of electromagnetic radiation, but also for the communication of spiritual impulses to the physical world. Articles.
2002. Lawh-i-Hikmat: The Two Agents and the Two Patients. Vahid Rafati, Keven Brown, trans. . Discussion of the two terms fa`ilayn (the active force / "the generating influence") and munfa`ilayn (its recipient / "such as receive its impact") in Islamic philosophy, and their later use in Shaykhi and Bahá'í texts. Articles.
2002. Beginning That Hath No Beginning, The: Bahá'í Cosmogony. Vahid Brown. The dimensions of myth in the Bahá'í Faith focussing on the religion's narratives of creation, religious history, and Administrative Order. Articles.
2002. Creation. Lasse Thoresen. Contributing to the creation of a new civilization as a researcher or an artist means participating in the process of never-ending unfolding; the divine names are the eternal archetypes organizing the material world; dialogue between thinking and reality. Articles.
2002. Three Stages of Divine Revelation, The. Guy Sinclair. Shoghi Effendi states that the Kitáb-i-Iqán "adumbrates and distinguishes between the three stages of Divine Revelation"; some Sufi doctrines help understand the significance of Bahá'u'lláh’s three stages. Articles.
2001. Tablet on the Unity of Existence (Sharh Wahdat al-Wujúd). Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'í World Centre, trans. . Translations.
1999-12. Truth Triumphs: A Bahá'í Response to Misrepresentations of the Bahá'í Teachings and Bahá'í History. Peter Terry. Rebuttal of Francis Beckwith's thesis "Bahá'í, A Christian response to Bahá'ísm, the religion which aims toward one world government and one common faith." Articles-unpublished.
1998. Seed of Creation: A philosophical approach towards the status of Universal House of Justice in respect to Baha'i concept of creation. Ahmad Aniss. A philosophical approach towards the status of Universal House of Justice in respect to Bahá'í concept of creation. Articles-unpublished.
1997-10. God, Chance, and Necessity, by Keith Ward: Review. Brad Pokorny. Reviews.
1997. Metaphor and the Language of Revelation. Ross Woodman. To enter the realm of metaphor as the language of the soul is to come into direct contact with the Word as the originating power of creation. Articles.
1997. Mythoi: Stories of the Origin, Fall and Redemption of Humanity: A Study in the Topology of the Holy Books. William Barnes. Articles.
1996/2016. Humanity and the Universe: Mirror of the Unknown. Harry Liedtke. A study of the origin and nature of the universe in light of Bahá'í texts; creation and evolution; cosmology and life in the universe; technological progress; science and religion; the nature of time, our senses, and free will. Books.
1996. Bahá'u'lláh's Teachings on Spiritual Reality. Paul Lample, comp. The quest for spirituality, the spiritual life, material and spiritual reality, the progress of the soul and humanity’s spiritual education. Introductory.
1995. Bahá'í Cosmological Symbolism and the Ecofeminist Critique. Michael W. Sours. Constituents of Bahá'í cosmological symbolism; introduction to the main feminist/environmentalist arguments; eschatological character of Bahá'í cosmological symbolism; Bahá'í eschatology provides answers to many feminist and ecological objections. Articles.
1995. Tablet to Mirza Abu'l-Fadl Concerning the Questions of Manakji Limji Hataria: Baha'u'llah on Hinduism and Zoroastrianism. Bahá'u'lláh, Juan Cole, trans. . Introduction to, article about, and translation of the Tablet to Maneckji. Translations.
1994. "On Human Origins: A Bahá'í Perspective," by Craig Loehle: Response to Commentary. Keven Brown. Reviews.
1994. Arc of Ascent: The Purpose of Physical Reality II, by John S. Hatcher: Review. Ross Woodman. Reviews.
1993. "In the Beginning Was the Word": Apocalypse and the Education of the Soul. Ross Woodman. Hidden meanings in scripture and the soul are metaphorically identified with the huris, or brides. The bridegroom, Bahá'ulláh, enters union as the marriage of the Manifestation with the Maid of Heaven, who releases the Logos and the newly created soul. Articles.
1991-01. Five Questions: Loss of Voting Rights, Mani, Magi, Five-Pointed Star, Joseph Smith. Universal House of Justice. Responses to various questions. Closes with quotations on Confucianism and Genesis. UHJ-letters.
1990. Bahá'í Perspective on the Origin of Matter, A. Keven Brown. The origin of matter is spiritual. Science sees that, at its most fundamental level, reality is not particular materials or structures, but probabilities and transformation. The four elements, three-fold structure of being, and balance are also examined. Articles.
1990. "On Human Origins: A Bahá'í Perspective," by Craig Loehle: Commentary. Arash Abizadeh. Reviews.
1990. On Human Origins: A Bahá'í Perspective. Craig Loehle. The science of evolution is difficult for those who demand a literal interpretation of scripture and believe in a special origin for humanity. The Bahá’í writings view evolution and individual spiritual growth as one fundamental developmental process. Articles.
1988-06-13. Consciousness, Creation, and the Soul. Hooper Dunbar. Audio.
1988. "The active force and that which is its recipient". Betty Hoff Conow (published as Betty Conow). Metaphysics of gender and the Lawh-i-Hikmat; universal spiritualism; social indoctrination of gender roles. Essays.
1985-12. Commentary on the Islamic Tradition "I Was a Hidden Treasure..." (Tafsír-i-Hadith-i-Kuntu Kanzan Makhfíyyan). Abdu'l-Bahá, Moojan Momen, trans. . Translation of a treatise written by 'Abdu'l-Bahá when he was in his teens, expounding on the terms "Hidden Treasure", "Love", "Creation", and "Knowledge" in a manner which suggests that the recipient was a Sufi and an admirer of Ibn 'Arabí. Translations.
1982-2023. Encyclopaedia Iranica: Selected articles related to Persian culture, religion, philosophy and history. Encyclopaedia Iranica. Sorted, categorized collection of links to over 170 articles. Encyclopedia.
1979. Seven Mysteries of Life, The: An Exploration in Science and Philosophy. Guy Murchie. A poetic exploration of life’s unity, consciousness, love, and purpose, blending science, philosophy, and mysticism to reveal the interconnectedness of all existence. Books.
1976 [1921]. Tablet to Auguste Forel. Abdu'l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi, trans. . A letter of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá written in 1921, in reply to questions asked by the Swiss scientist Auguste-Henri Forel, exploring the soul, mind, spirit, and God's existence, affirming spiritual reality beyond materialism. Writings.
1939. Heart of the Gospel: The Bible and the Bahá'í Faith. George Townshend. Using only the text of the Bible, Townshend provides a new reading of Scripture as a guidebook for those who seek a universal view of religion and the contemporary world. Books.

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tag name	Creation	type:	Philosophy; Religion, general; Science: natural, social, and applied
web link	bahai-library.com/tags/Creation
variations or mis-spellings	Creator; Create; See variant original terms in notes below.
related tags	– Concepts, Philosophical; – Concepts, Religious; – Concepts, Science; – Tags with many search results on bahai.org; God; Necessary relationships of the realities of things; Qayyum (Self-subsisting); Tags with multiple Inventory subjects (selected)
referring tags	Active force and its recipient; Adam and Eve; Amr va Khalq (compilation); Be and it is (phrase); Book of Creation and written Book (two books); Causality (causation); Composition and decomposition; Created things (creatures); Dualism; Elements; Evolution; Genesis (Bible); God, Word of; Hidden Treasure; Human nature; Kingdoms, Physical; Lawh-i-Hikmat (Tablet of Wisdom); Monism; Nature; New creation (phrase); Primal Will; Purpose of life; Seven days of creation (Bible); Seven stages of creation; Universe; World; World of Command and World of Creation
Inventory subject	Word of God the cause of creation; Absolute freedom; independence of God; Continual renewal of creation; Creation of the world; Eternality vs. origination; creation from nothingness; Infinity and eternity; Man is the sum; pinnacle; fruit of creation; Material and spiritual existence; two books; Necessary and possible being; Pairs in creation; male and female; B and E; agent and patient
notes	See also: – Bahá'í Sacred Writings, chapter 4, section "God and Creation" (Bahá'u'lláh), and chapter 13, section Creation and the Appearance of Humanity" ('Abdu'l-Bahá) – Covenant Library Unified Index In cases where it means "created things", "creation" corresponds to one of these: khalq ( خلق ) ashyá’ ( اشیاء ) mumkinát ( ممکنات ) When it occurs in such phrases as "the realm of creation," then "creation" corresponds to one of these: inshá’ ( انشاء ) imkán ( امکان ) vujúd ( وجود ) íjád ( ایجاد ) ibdá‘ ( ابداع ) ikhtirá‘ ( اختراع )
selected quotations (authoritative sources)	These quotations reflect common presentations of Bahá’í views; the materials below may show a wider range of interpretations and contexts: "... That which hath been in existence had existed before, but not in the form thou seest today. The world of existence came into being through the heat generated from the interaction between the active force and that which is its recipient. These two are the same, yet they are different..." – Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, Lawḥ-i-Ḥikmat (Tablet of Wisdom), ¶9 (BH00223) "Veiled in My immemorial being and in the ancient eternity of My essence, I knew My love for thee; therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine image and revealed to thee My beauty." – Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words, Arabic, no. 3 (BH00386) "... Know that the order and perfection of the universe require that existence should appear in countless forms. Created things cannot therefore be realized in a single degree, station, manner, kind, or species: Differences of degree, distinctions in form, and a multiplicity of kinds and species are inevitable. So there must necessarily be mineral, vegetable, animal, and human kingdoms; for through man alone the world of existence could not be adequately arranged, adorned, organized, and perfected. By the same token, with the animals, plants, or minerals alone, this world would not possess such a wondrous appearance, sound arrangement, and subtle adornment: There must be differences of degrees and stations, of kinds and species, for existence to shine forth with the utmost perfection. For example, if this tree were to become entirely fruit, the perfections of the vegetable kingdom could not be attained, for leaves, blossoms, and fruit are all needed for the tree to appear in the utmost beauty and perfection. Consider likewise the body of man, which must of necessity be composed of different parts, limbs, and organs. The beauty and perfection of the human body require the existence of the ear, the eye, the brain, and even the nails and hair: If man were all brain, eyes, or ears, this would be tantamount to imperfection. So the absence of hair, eyelashes, teeth, and nails is imperfection itself, for even though in comparison with the eyes the latter are insentient and resemble the mineral and the plant, yet their absence in the body of man is most disagreeable and displeasing..." – 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, chapter 32 (AB01359) "... we have no record of twenty thousand years ago, even though we established before through rational arguments that life on this earth is very ancient—not one or two hundred thousand, or even one or two million years old: It is ancient indeed, and the records and traces of ancient times have been entirely obliterated..." – 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, 41.3 Universal Cycles "... As for the story of Adam, the Father of Mankind, which is recorded in the Sacred Scriptures, this requireth explanation and interpretation. By “genesis” is intended a spiritual creation and heavenly existence; for otherwise the most cursory reflection would be sufficient to convince even a child that this boundless universe, the world of being—this infinite cosmos, this prodigious system, this mighty and primordial workshop—is far more than six thousand years old, as hath in fact been realized in this illumined age by scientists and men of learning, on the basis of decisive proofs and evidences founded on both reason and discovery. In recent times remains have come to light which have been definitely and conclusively established to be more than ten thousand years old. Through the science of geology this hidden secret hath been grasped—that the age of the world surpasseth man’s conception..." – 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Additional Tablets, Extracts and Talks (AB00262)
references	en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creation; bahaiquotes.com/subject/creation-of-the-world; www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/search#q=Creation