Chapter
11: Various Ordinances and Teachings
Know thou that in every age and dispensation all divine
ordinances are changed and transformed according to the requirement
of the time, except the law of love, which, like a fountain, always
flows and is never overtaken by change.—BAHÁ’U’LLÁH.
Monastic Life
Bahá’u’lláh, like Muḥammad,
forbids His followers to lead lives of monastic seclusion.
In the Tablet to Napoleon III we read:—
O concourse of monks! Seclude not
yourselves in churches and cloisters. Come forth by My leave, and
occupy yourselves with that which will profit your souls and the
souls of men.... Enter ye into wedlock, that after you someone may
fill your place. We have forbidden you perfidious acts, and not that
which will demonstrate fidelity. Have ye clung to the standards fixed
by your own selves, and cast the standards of God behind your backs?
Fear God, and be not of the foolish. But for man, who would make
mention of Me on My earth, and how could My attributes and My name
have been revealed? Ponder ye, and be not of them that are veiled and
fast asleep. He that wedded not (Jesus) found no place wherein to
dwell or lay His head, by reason of that which the hands of the
treacherous had wrought. His sanctity consisteth not in that which ye
believe or fancy, but rather in the things We possess. Ask, that ye
may apprehend His station which hath been exalted above the
imaginings of all that dwell on earth. Blessed are they who perceive
it.
Does it not seem strange that Christian sects should
have instituted the monastic life and celibacy for the clergy, in
view of the facts that Christ chose married men for His disciples,
and both He Himself and His apostles lived lives of active
beneficence, in close association and familiar intercourse with the
people?
In the Muḥammadan Qur’án we read:—
To Jesus the son of Mary We gave the
Gospel, and We put into the hearts of those who followed Him kindness
and compassion: but as to the monastic life, they invented it
themselves. The desire only of pleasing god did We prescribe to them,
and this they observed not as it ought to have been observed.—Qur’án,
s. lviii. 27.
Whatever justification there may have been for the
monastic life in ancient times and bygone circumstances, Bahá’u’lláh
declares that such justification no longer exists; and, indeed, it
seems obvious that the withdrawal of a large number of the most pious
and God-fearing of the population from association with their
fellows, and from the duties and responsibilities of parenthood, must
result in the spiritual impoverishment of the race.
Marriage
The Bahá’í teachings enjoin
monogamy, and Bahá’u’lláh makes marriage
conditional on the consent of both parties and of their parents. He
says in the Book of Aqdas:—
Verily in the Book of Bayán (the Báb’s
Revelation) the matter is restricted to the consent of both (bride
and bridegroom). As We desired to bring about love and friendship and
the unity of the people, therefore We made it conditional upon the
consent of the parents also, that enmity and ill-feeling might be
avoided.—Kitáb-i-Aqdas.
On this point ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote to
an inquirer:—“As to the question of marriage, according
to the law of God: First you must select one, and then it depends on
the consent of the father and mother. Before your selection they have
no right of interference.”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá says that as a result of
this precaution of Bahá’u’lláh’s the
strained relations between relatives-in-law which have become
proverbial in Christian and Muḥammadan countries are almost
unknown among the Bahá’ís, and divorce is also of
very rare occurrence. He writes on the subject of matrimony:—
Bahá’í marriage is union and cordial
affection between the two parties. They must, however, exercise the
utmost care and become acquainted with each other’s character.
This eternal bond should be made secure by a firm covenant, and the
intention should be to foster harmony, fellowship and unity and to
attain everlasting life....
In a true Bahá’í
marriage the two parties must become fully united both spiritually
and physically, so that they may attain eternal union throughout all
the worlds of God, and improve the spiritual life of each other. This
is Bahá’í matrimony.
The Bahá’í marriage ceremony is very
simple, the only requirement being that the groom and the bride, in
the presence of at least two witnesses, each say: “We will all,
verily, abide by the Will of God.”
Divorce
In the matter of divorce, as in that of marriage, the
instructions of the Prophets have varied in accordance with the
circumstances of the times. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá states
the Bahá’í teaching, with regard to divorce,
thus:—
The friends (Bahá’ís) must strictly
refrain from divorce unless something arises which compels them to
separate because of their aversion for each other; in that case, with
the knowledge of the Spiritual Assembly, they may decide to separate.
They must then be patient and wait one complete year. If during this
year harmony is not reestablished between them, then their divorce
may be realized.... The foundation of the Kingdom of God is based
upon harmony and love, oneness, relationship and union, not upon
differences, especially between husband and wife. If one of these two
become the cause of divorce, that one will unquestionably fall into
great difficulties, will become the victim of formidable calamities
and experience deep remorse. (Tablet to the Bahá’ís
of America).
In the matter of divorce, as in other matters, Bahá’ís
will, of course, be bound not only by the Bahá’í
teaching, but also by the laws of the country in which they live.
The Bahá’í
Calendar
Among different peoples and at different times many
different methods have been adopted for the measurement of time and
fixing of dates, and several different calendars are still in daily
use, e.g., the Gregorian in Western Europe, the Julian in many
countries of Eastern Europe, the Hebrew among the Jews, and the
Muḥammadan in Muslim communities.
The Báb signalized the importance of the
dispensation which He came to herald, by inaugurating a new calendar.
In this, as in the Gregorian Calendar, the lunar month is abandoned
and the solar year is adopted.
The Bahá’í year consists of 19
months of 19 days each (i.e. 361 days), with the addition of certain
“Intercalary Days” (four in ordinary and five in leap
years) between the eighteenth and nineteenth months in order to
adjust the calendar to the solar year. The Báb named the
months after the attributes of God. The Bahá’í
New Year, like the ancient Persian New Year, is astronomically fixed,
commencing at the March equinox (usually March 21), and the Bahá’í
era commences with the year of the Báb’s declaration
(i.e. 1844 A.D., 1260 A.H.).
In the not far distant future it will be necessary that
all peoples in the world agree on a common calendar.
It seems, therefore, fitting that the new age of unity
should have a new calendar free from the objections and associations
which make each of the older calendar unacceptable to large sections
of the world’s population, and it is difficult to see how any
other arrangement could exceed in simplicity and convenience that
proposed by the Báb.
The months in the Bahá’í Calendar
are as follows:
|
Arabic Name |
Translation |
First Days |
| 1st |
Bahá |
Splendor |
March 21 |
| 2nd |
Jalál |
Glory |
April 9 |
| 3rd |
Jamál |
Beauty |
April 28 |
| 4th |
‘Aẓamat |
Grandeur |
May 17 |
| 5th |
Núr |
Light |
June 5 |
| 6th |
Rahmat |
Mercy |
June 24 |
| 7th |
Kalímát |
Words |
July 31 |
| 8th |
Kamál |
Perfection |
Aug. 1 |
| 9th |
Asmá’ |
Names |
Aug. 20 |
| 10th |
‘Izzat |
Might |
Sept. 8 |
| 11th |
Mashíyyat |
Will |
Sept. 27 |
| 12th |
‘Ilm |
Knowledge |
Oct.16 |
| 13th |
Qudrat |
Power |
Nov. 4 |
| 14th |
Qawl |
Speech |
Nov. 23 |
| 15th |
Masa’il |
Questions |
Dec. 12 |
| 16th |
Sharaf |
Honor |
Dec. 31 |
| 17th |
Sulṭán |
Sovereignty |
Jan. 19 |
| 18th |
Mulk |
Dominion |
Feb. 7 |
|
|
Intercalary Days |
Feb. 26 to March 1, inclusive. |
| 19th |
‘Alá |
Loftiness |
March 2 |
Spiritual Assemblies
Before ‘Abdu’l-Bahá completed His
earthly mission, He had laid a basis for the development of the
administrative order established in Bahá’u’lláh’s
Writings. To show the high importance to be attributed to the
institution of the Spiritual Assembly, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
in a tablet declared that a certain translation must be approved by
the Spiritual Assembly of Cairo before publication, even though He
Himself had reviewed and corrected the text.
By Spiritual Assembly is meant the administrative body
of nine persons, elected annually by each local Bahá’í
community, in which is vested the authority of decision on all
matters of mutual action on the part of the community. This
designation is temporary, since in future the Spiritual Assemblies
will be termed Houses of Justice.
Unlike the organization of churches, these Bahá’í
bodies are social rather than ecclesiastical institutions. That is,
they apply the law of consultation to all questions and difficulties
arising between Bahá’ís, who are called upon no
to carry them to the civil court, and seek to promote unity as well
as justice throughout the community. The Spiritual Assembly is in no
wise equivalent to the priest or clergy, but is responsible for
upholding the teachings, stimulating active service, conducting
meetings, maintaining unity, holding Bahá’í
property in trust for the community, and representing it in its
relations to the public and to other Bahá’í
communities.
The nature of the Spiritual Assembly, local and
national, is described more fully in the section devoted to the Will
and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the final
chapter, but its general functions have been defined by Shoghi
Effendi as follows:—
The matter of Teaching, its direction, its ways and
means, its extension, its consolidation, essential as they are to the
interests of the Cause, constitute by no means the only issue which
should receive the full attention of these Assemblies. A careful
study of Bahá’u’lláh’s and
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Tablets will reveal that
other duties, no less vital to the interests of the Cause, devolve
upon the elected representatives of the friends in every
locality.
It is incumbent upon them to be vigilant and
cautious, discreet and watchful, and protect at all times the Temple
of the Cause from the dart of the mischief-maker and the onslaught of
the enemy.
They must endeavor to promote amity and concord amongst
the friends, efface every lingering trace of distrust, coolness and
estrangement from every heart, and secure in its stead an active and
whole-hearted cooperation for the service of the Cause.
They
must do their utmost to extend at all times the helping hand to the
poor, the sick, the disabled, the orphan, the widow, irrespective of
color, caste and creed.
They must promote by every means in
their power the material as well as the spiritual enlightenment of
youth, the means for the education of children, institute, whenever
possible, Bahá’í educational institutions,
organize and supervise their work and provide the best means for
their progress and development....
They must undertake the
arrangement of the regular meetings of the friends, the feasts and
the anniversaries, as well as the special gatherings designed to
serve and promote the social, intellectual and spiritual interests of
their fellow-men.
They must supervise in these days when the
Cause is still in its infancy all Bahá’í
publications and translations, and provide in general for a dignified
and accurate presentation of all Bahá’í
literature and its distribution to the general public.
The possibilities inherent in Bahá’í
institutions can only be estimated when one realizes how rapidly
modern civilization is disintegrating for lack of that spiritual
power which can alone supply the necessary attitude of responsibility
and humility to the leaders and the requisite loyalty to the
individual members of society.
Bahá’í Feasts,
Anniversaries, and Days of Fasting
Feast of Naw-Rúz (Bahá’í New Year), March 21.
Feast of Ridván (Declaration of Bahá’u’lláh), April 21-May 2.
Declaration
of the Báb, May 23.33
Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, May 29.
Martyrdom of the Báb, July 9.
Birth of the Báb, October 20.
Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, November 12.
Day of the Covenant, November 26.
Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, November 28.
Period of the Fast, nineteen days beginning March 2.
Feasts
The essential joyousness of the Bahá’í
religion finds expression in numerous feasts and holidays throughout
the year.
In a talk on the Feast of Naw-Rúz, in Alexandria,
Egypt, in 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said:—
In the sacred laws of God, in every cycle and
dispensation there are blessed feasts, holidays and workless days. On
such days all kinds of occupations, commerce, industry, agriculture,
etc., should be suspended.
All should rejoice together, hold
general meetings, become as one assembly, so that the national
oneness, unity and harmony may be demonstrated in the eyes of
all.
As it is a blessed day it should not be neglected, nor
deprived of results by making it a day devoted to the pursuit of mere
pleasure.
During such days institutions should be founded that
may be of permanent benefit and value to the people....
Today
there is no result or fruit greater than guiding the people.
Undoubtedly the friends of God, upon such a day, must leave tangible
philanthropic or ideal traces that should reach all mankind and not
pertain only to the Bahá’ís. In this wonderful
dispensation, philanthropic affairs are for all humanity without
exception, because it is the manifestation of the mercifulness of
God. Therefore, my hope is that the friends of God, every one of
them, may become as the mercy of God to all mankind.
The Feasts of Naw-Rúz (New Year) and Ridván,
the Anniversaries of the Birth of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh,
and of the Báb’s Declaration (which is also the birthday
of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá) are the great joy-days of the
year for Bahá’ís. In Persia they are celebrated
by picnics or festal gatherings at which music, the chanting of
verses and tablets, and short addresses suitable to the occasion are
contributed by those present. The intercalary days between the
eighteenth and nineteenth months (that is, February 26 to March 1
inclusive) are specially devoted to hospitality to friends, the
giving of presents, ministering to the poor and sick, et cetera.
The anniversaries of the martyrdom of the Báb and
the departure of Bahá’u’lláh and
‘Abdu’l-Bahá are celebrated with solemnity by
appropriate meetings and discourses, the chanting of prayers and
Tablets.
Fast
The nineteenth month, following immediately on the
hospitality of the intercalary days, is the month of the fast. During
nineteen days the fast is observed by abstaining from both food and
drink from sunrise to sunset. As the month of the fast ends at the
March equinox, the fast always falls in the same season, namely,
spring in the Northern, and autumn in the Southern, Hemisphere; never
in the extreme heart of summer nor in the extreme cold of winter,
when hardship would be likely to result. At that season, moreover,
the interval between sunrise and sunset is approximately the same all
over the habitable portion of the globe, namely, from about 6 A.M. to
6 P.M. The fast is not binding on children and invalids, on
travelers, or on those who are too old or too weak (including women
who are with child or have babes at the breast).
There is much evidence to show that a periodical fast
such as is enjoined by the Bahá’í teachings is
beneficial as a measure of physical hygiene, but just as the reality
of the Bahá’í fast does not lie in the
consumption of physical food, but in the commemoration of God, which
is our spiritual food, so the reality of the Bahá’í
fast does not consist in abstention from physical food, although that
may help in the purification of the body, but in the abstention from
the desires and lusts of the flesh, and in severance from all save
God. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:—
Fasting is a symbol. Fasting signifies abstinence from
lust. Physical fasting is a symbol of that abstinence, and is a
reminder; that is, just as a person abstains from physical appetites,
he is to abstain from self-appetites and self-desires. But mere
abstention from food has no effect on the spirit. It is only a
symbol, a reminder. Otherwise it is of no importance. Fasting for
this purpose does not mean entire abstinence from food. The golden
rule as to food is, do not take too much or too little. Moderation is
necessary. There is a sect in India who practice extreme abstinence,
and gradually reduce their food until they exist on almost nothing.
But their intelligence suffers. A man is not fit to do service for
God with brain or body if he is weakened by lack of food. He cannot
see clearly. (quoted by Miss E. S. Stevens in Fortnightly Review,
June 1911).
Meetings
‘Abdu’l-Bahá attaches the greatest
important to regular meetings of the believers for united worship,
for the exposition and study of the teachings and for consultation
regarding the progress of the Movement. In one of His Tablets He
says:—
It hath been decided by the Desire of God that union and
harmony may day by day increase among the friends of God and the
handmaids of the Merciful. Not until this is realized will the
affairs advance by any means whatever! And the greatest means for the
union and harmony of all are Spiritual Meetings. This matter is very
important and is as a magnet to attract divine confirmation.
In the spiritual meetings of Bahá’ís
contentious argument and the discussion of political or worldly
affairs must be avoided; the sole aim of the believers should be to
teach and learn Divine Truth, to have their hearts filled with Divine
Love, to attain more perfect obedience to the Divine Will, and to
promote the coming of the Kingdom of God. In an address given at New
York in 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said:—
The Bahá’í meeting must be the
meeting of the Celestial Concourse. It must be illumined by the
lights of the Celestial Concourse. The hearts must be as mirrors
wherein the lights of the Sun of Truth shall be revealed. Every bosom
must be as a telegraph station: one terminal of the wire shall be in
the bosom of the soul, the other in the Celestial Concourse, so that
messages may be exchanged between them. In this way from the Abhá
Kingdom inspiration shall flow and in all discussions harmony shall
prevail.... The more agreement, unity and love prevail among you,
the more shall the confirmations of God assist you, and the help and
aid of the Blessed Beauty, Bahá’u’lláh,
support you.
In one of His Tablets He said:—
In these meetings outside conversation must be entirely
avoided, and the gathering must be confined to chanting the verses
and reading the words, and to matters which concern the Cause of God,
such as explaining proofs, adducing clear and manifest evidences, and
tracing the signs of the Beloved One of the creatures. Those who
attend the meeting must, before entering, be arrayed with the utmost
cleanliness and turn to the Abhá Kingdom, and then enter the
meeting with all meekness and humbleness; and while the tablets are
being read, must be quiet and silent; and if one wishes to speak he
must do so with all courtesy, with the satisfaction and permission of
those present, and do it with eloquence and fluency.
The Nineteen Day Feast
With the development of the Bahá’í
administrative order since the ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
the Nineteen Day Feast, observed on the first day of each Bahá’í
month, has assumed a very special importance, providing as it does
not only for community prayer and reading from the Holy Books, but
also for general consultation on all current Bahá’í
affairs and for the association of the friends together. This Feast
is the occasion when the Spiritual Assembly makes its reports to the
community and invites both discussion of plans and suggestions for
new and better methods of service.
Mashriqu’l-Adhkár34
Bahá’u’lláh left instructions
that temples of worship should be built by His followers in every
country and city. To these temples He gave the name of
“Mashriqu’l-Adhkár,” which
means “Dawning Place of God’s Praise.” The
Mashriqu’l-Adhkár is to be a nine-sided
building surmounted by a dome, and as beautiful as possible in design
and workmanship. It is to stand in a large garden adorned with
fountains, trees and flowers, surrounded by a number of accessory
buildings devoted to educational, charitable and social purposes, so
that the worship of God in the temple may always be closely
associated with reverent delight in the beauties of nature and of
art, and with practical work for the amelioration of social
conditions.35
In Persia, up till the present, Bahá’ís
have been debarred from building temples for public worship, and so
the first great Mashriqu’l-Adhkár was
built in Ishqábád,36
Russia. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá dedicated the site of the
second Bahá’í House of Worship, to stand on the
shore of Lake Michigan a few miles north of Chicago, during His visit
to America in 1912.37
In tablets referring to this “Mother Temple”
of the West, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá writes as follows:—
Praise be to God, that, at this
moment, from every country in the world, according to their various
means, contributions are continually being sent toward the fund of
the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in America.... From
the day of Adam until now, such a thing has never been witnessed by
man, that from the furthermost country of Asia contributions were
forwarded to America. This is through the power of the Covenant of
God. Verily this is a cause of astonishment for the people of
perception. It is hoped that the believers of God may show
magnanimity and raise a great sum for the building.... I want
everyone left free to act as he wills. If anyone wishes to put money
into other things, let him do so. Do not interfere with him in any
way, but be assured that the most important thing at this time is the
building of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár.
...
The mystery of the edifice is great, and cannot be unveiled yet, but
its erection is the most important undertaking of this day. The
Mashriqu’l-Adhkár has important
accessories, which are accounted of the basic foundations. These are:
school for orphan children, hospital and dispensary for the poor,
home for the incapable, college for the higher scientific education,
and hospice. In every city a great Mashriqu’l-Adhkár
must be founded after this order. In the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár
services will be held every morning. There will be no organ in the
Temple. In buildings nearby, festivals, services, conventions, public
meetings and spiritual gatherings will be held, but in the Temple the
chanting and singing will be unaccompanied. Open ye the gates of the
Temple to all mankind.
When these institutions, college, hospital, hospice and
establishment for the incurables, university for the study of higher
sciences, giving post-graduate courses, and other philanthropic
buildings are built, the doors will be opened to all the nations and
religions. There will be absolutely no line of demarcation drawn. Its
charities will be dispense irrespective of color or race. Its gates
will be flung wide open to mankind; prejudice towards none, love for
all. The central building will be devoted to the purpose of prayer
and worship. Thus ... religion will become harmonized with science,
and science will be the handmaid of religion, both showering their
material and spiritual gifts on all humanity.
Life After Death
Bahá’u’lláh tells us that the
life in the flesh is but the embryonic stage of our existence, and
that escape from the body is like a new birth through which the human
spirit enters on a fuller, freer life. He writes:—
Know thou of a truth that the soul, after its separation
from the body, will continue to progress until it attaineth the
presence of God, in a state and condition which neither the
revolution of ages and centuries, nor the changes and chances of this
world, can alter. It will endure as long as the Kingdom of God, His
sovereignty, His dominion and power will endure. It will manifest the
signs of God and His attributes, and will reveal His loving kindness
and bounty. The movement of My Pen is stilled when it attempteth to
befittingly describe the loftiness and glory of so exalted a station.
The honor with which the Hand of Mercy will invest the soul is such
as no tongue can adequately reveal, nor any other earthly agency
describe. Blessed is the soul which, at the hour of its separation
from the body, is sanctified from the vain imaginings of the peoples
of the world. Such a soul liveth and moveth in accordance with the
Will of its Creator, and entereth the all-highest Paradise. The Maids
of Heaven, inmates of the loftiest mansions, will circle around it,
and the Prophets of God and His chosen ones will seek its
companionship. With them that soul will freely converse, and will
recount unto them that which it hath been made to endure in the path
of God, the Lord of all worlds. If any man be told that which hath
been ordained for such a soul in the worlds of God, the Lord of the
throne on high and of earth below, his whole being will instantly
blaze out in his great longing to attain that most exalted, that
sanctified and resplendent station.... The nature of the soul after
death can never be described, nor is it meet and permissible to
reveal its whole character to the eyes of men. The Prophets and
Messengers of God have been sent down for the sole purpose underlying
their revelation hath been to educate all men, that they may, at the
hour of death, ascend, in the utmost purity and sanctity and with
absolute detachment, to the throne of the Most High. The light which
these souls radiate is responsible for the progress of the world and
the advancement of its peoples. They are like unto leaven which
leaveneth the world of being, and constitute the animating force
through which the arts and wonders of the world are made manifest.
Through them the clouds rain their bounty upon men, and the earth
bringeth forth its fruits. All things must needs have a cause, a
motive power, an animating principle. These souls and symbols of
detachment have provided, and will continue to provide, the supreme
moving impulse in the world of being. The world beyond is as
different from this world as this world is different from that of the
child while still in the womb of its mother.—Gleanings from the
Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 155–157.
Similarly, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá writes:—
The mysteries of which man is heedless in the earthly
world, those will he discover in the heavenly world, and there will
he be informed of the secrets of the truth; how much more will he
recognize or discover persons with whom he has been associated.
Undoubtedly the holy souls who find a pure eye and are favored with
insight will, in the kingdom of lights, be acquainted with all
mysteries, and will seek the bounty of witnessing the reality of
every great soul. They will even manifestly behold the Beauty of God
in that world. Likewise will they find all the friends of God, both
those of the former and recent times, present in the heavenly
assemblage.
The difference and distinction between men will
naturally become realized after their departure from this mortal
world. But this distinction is not in respect to place, but in
respect to the soul and the conscience. For the Kingdom of God is
sanctified (or free) from time and place; it is another world and
another universe. And know thou for a certainty that in the divine
worlds the spiritual beloved ones will recognize one another, and
will seek union with each other, but a spiritual union. Likewise a
love that one may have entertained for anyone will not be forgotten
in the world of the Kingdom, nor wilt thou forget there the life that
thou hadst in the material world.
Heaven and Hell
Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
regard the descriptions of Heaven and Hell given in some of the older
religious writings as symbolic, like the Biblical story of the
Creation, and not as literally true. According to Them, Heaven is the
state of perfection, and Hell that of imperfection; Heaven is harmony
with God’s will and with our fellows, and Hell is the want of
such harmony; Heaven is the condition of spiritual life, and Hell
that of spiritual death. A man may be either in Heaven or in Hell
while still in the body. The joys of Heaven are spiritual joys; and
the pains of Hell consist in the deprivation of these joys.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:
When they [men] are delivered through the light of faith
from the darkness of these vices, and become illuminated with the
radiance of the sun of reality, and ennobled with all the virtues,
they esteem this the greatest reward, and they know it to be the true
paradise. In the same way they consider that the spiritual punishment
... is to be subjected to the world of nature, to be veiled from God,
to be brutal and ignorant, to fall into carnal lusts, to be absorbed
in animal frailties, to be characterized with dark qualities ...
these are the greatest punishments and tortures....
... The
rewards of the other world are the perfections and the peace obtained
in the spiritual worlds after leaving this world ... the spiritual
graces, the various spiritual gifts in the Kingdom of God, the
gaining of the desires of the heart and the soul, and the meeting of
God in the world of eternity. In the same way the punishments of the
other world ... consist in being deprived of the special divine
blessings and the absolute bounties, and falling into the lowest
degrees of existence. He who is deprived of these divine favours,
although he continues after death, is considered as dead by the
people of truth.
The wealth of the other world is nearness to
God. Consequently it is certain that those who are near the Divine
Court are allowed to intercede, and this intercession is approved by
God....
It is even possible that the condition of those who
have died in sin and unbelief may become changed; that is to say,
they may become the object of pardon through the bounty of God, not
through His justice; for bounty if giving without desert, and justice
is giving what is deserved. As we have the power to pray for these
souls here, so likewise we shall possess the same power in the other
world, which is the Kingdom of God.... Therefore in that world also
they can make progress. As here they can receive light by their
supplications, there also they can plead for forgiveness, and receive
light through entreaties and supplications.
Both before and after putting off this material form,
there is progress in perfection, but not in state.... There is no
other being higher than a perfect man. But man when he has reached
this state can still make progress in perfections but not in state,
because there is no state higher than that of a perfect man to which
he can transfer himself. He only progresses in the state of humanity,
for the human perfections are infinite. Thus however learned a man
may be, we can imagine one more learned.
Hence, as the
perfections of humanity are endless, man can also make progress in
perfections after leaving this world.—Some Answered Questions,
pp. 260, 261, 268, 269, 274.
Oneness of the Two Worlds
The unity of humanity as taught by Bahá’u’lláh
refers not only to men still in the flesh, but to all human beings,
whether embodied or disembodied. Not only all men now living on the
earth, but all in the spiritual world as well, are parts of one and
the same organism and these two parts are intimately dependent, one
on the other. Spiritual communion one with the other, far from being
impossible or unnatural, is constant and inevitable. Those whose
spiritual faculties are as yet undeveloped are unconscious of this
vital connection, but as one’s faculties develop,
communications with those beyond the veil gradually become more
conscious and definite. To the Prophets and saints this spiritual
communion is as familiar and real as are ordinary vision and
conversation to the rest of mankind.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:—
The visions of the Prophets are not dreams; no, they are
spiritual discoveries and have reality. They say, for example: “I
saw a person in a certain form, and I said such a thing, and he gave
such an answer.” This vision is in the world of wakefulness,
and not in that of sleep. Nay, it is a spiritual discovery....
...
Among spiritual souls there are spiritual understandings,
discoveries, a communion which is purified from imagination and
fancy, an association which is sanctified from time and place. So it
is written in the Gospel that on Mount Tabor, Moses and Elias came to
Christ, and it is evident that this was not a material meeting. It
was a spiritual condition....
... [Communications such as]
these are real, and produce wonderful effects in the minds and
thoughts of men, and cause their hearts to be attracted.—Some
Answered Questions, pp. 290, 291, 292.
While admitting the reality of “supernormal”
psychic faculties He deprecates attempts to force their development
prematurely. These faculties will unfold naturally when the right
time comes, if we only follow the path of spiritual progress which
the Prophets have traced for us. He says:—
To tamper with psychic forces while in this world
interferes with the condition of the soul in the world to come. These
forces are real, but, normally, are not active on this plane. The
child in the womb has its eyes, ears, hands, feet, etc., but they are
not in activity. The whole purpose of life in the material world is
the coming forth into the world of Reality, where those forces will
become active. They belong to that world. (from Miss Buckton’s
notes, revised by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá).
Intercourse with spirits of the departed ought not to be
sought for its own sake, nor in order to gratify idle curiosity. It
is both a privilege and duty, however, for those on one side of the
veil to love and help and pray for those on the other. Prayers for
the dead are enjoined on Bahá’ís. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
said to Miss E. J. Rosenberg in 1904: “The grace of effective
intercession is one of the perfections belonging to advanced souls,
as well as to the Manifestation of God. Jesus Christ had the power of
interceding for the forgiveness of His enemies when on earth, and He
certainly has this power now. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá never
mentions the name of a dead person without saying ‘May God
forgive him!’ or words to that effect. Followers of the
prophets have also this power of praying for the forgiveness of
souls. Therefore we may not think that any souls are condemned to a
stationary condition of suffering or loss arising from absolute
ignorance of God. The power of effective intercession for them always
exists....
“The rich in the other world can help the poor, as
the rich can help the poor here. In every world all are the creatures
of God. They are always dependent on Him. They are not independent
and can never be so. While they are needful of God, the more they
supplicate, the richer they become. What is their merchandise, their
wealth? In the other world what is help and assistance? It is
intercession. Undeveloped souls must gain progress at first through
the supplications of the spiritually rich; afterwards they can
progress through their own supplications.”
Again He says:—“Those who have ascended have
different attributes from those who are still on earth, yet there is
no real separation.
“In prayer there is a mingling of station, a
mingling of condition. Pray for them as they pray for
you!”—‘Abdu’l-Bahá in London, p. 97.
Asked whether it was possible through faith and love to
bring the New Revelation to the knowledge of those who have departed
from this life without hearing of it, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
replied:—“Yes, surely! since sincere prayer always has
its effect, and it has a great influence in the other world. We are
never cut off from those who are there. The real and genuine
influence is not in this world but in that other.”—Notes
of Mary Hanford Ford: Paris, 1911.
On the other hand, Bahá’u’lláh
writes:—
He who lives according to what is
ordained for him—the Celestial Concourse, and the people of the
Supreme Paradise, and those who are dwelling in the Dome of Greatness
will pray for him, by a Command from God, the Dearest and the
praiseworthy. (Tablet translated by ‘Alí Kuli Khán).
When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was asked how it
was that the heart often turns with instinctive appeal to some friend
who has passed into the next life, He answered:—“It is a
law of God’s creation that the weak should lean upon the
strong. Those to whom you turn may be mediators of God’s power
to you, even as when on earth. But it is the One Holy Spirit that
strengthens all men.”—‘Abdu’l-Bahá in
London, p. 98.
The Nonexistence of Evil
According to Bahá’í philosophy it
follows from the doctrine of the unity of God that there can be no
such thing as positive evil. There can only be one Infinite. If there
were any other power in the universe outside of or opposed to the
One, then the One would not be infinite. Just as darkness is but the
absence or lesser degree of light, so evil is but the absence or
lesser degree of good—the undeveloped state. A bad man is a man
with the higher side of his nature still undeveloped. If he is
selfish, the evil is not in his love of self—all love, even
self-love, is good, is divine. The evil is that he has such a poor,
inadequate, misguided love of self and such a lack of love for others
and for God. He looks upon himself as only a superior sort of animal,
and foolishly pampers his lower nature as he might pamper a pet
dog—with worse results in his own case than in that of the dog.
In one of His letters ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
says:—
As to thy remark, that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
hath said to some of the believers that evil never exists, nay
rather, it is a nonexistent thing, this is but truth, inasmuch as the
greatest evil is man’s going astray and being veiled from
truth. Error is lack of guidance; darkness is absence of light;
ignorance is lack of knowledge; falsehood is lack of truthfulness;
blindness is lack of sight; and deafness is lack of hearing.
Therefore, error, blindness, deafness and ignorance are nonexistent
things.
Again He says:—
In creation there is no evil; all is good. Certain
qualities and natures innate in some men and apparently blameworthy
are not so in reality. For example, from the beginning of his life
you can see in a nursing child the signs of desire, of anger, and of
temper. Then, it may be said, good and evil are innate in the reality
of man, and this is contrary to the pure goodness of nature and
creation. The answer to this is that desire, which is to ask for
something more, is a praiseworthy quality provided that it is used
suitably. So, if a man has the desire to acquire science and
knowledge, or to become compassionate, generous and just, it is most
praiseworthy. If he exercises his anger and wrath against the
bloodthirsty tyrants who are like ferocious beasts, it is very
praiseworthy; but if he does not use these qualities in a right way,
they are blameworthy....
... It is the same with all the
natural qualities of man, which constitute the capital of life; if
they be used and displayed in an unlawful way, they become
blameworthy. Therefore it is clear that creation is purely good.—Some
Answered Questions, pp. 250, 251.
Evil is always lack of life. If the lower side of man’s
nature is disproportionately developed, the remedy is not less life
for that side, but more life for the higher side, so that the balance
may be restored. “I am come,” said Christ, “that ye
may have life and that ye may have it more abundantly.” That is
what we all need—life, more life, the life that is life indeed!
Bahá’u’lláh’s message is the same as
Christ’s. “Today,” He says, “this servant has
assuredly come to vivify the world” (Tablet to Ra’ís),
and to His followers He says: “Come ye after Me, that We may
make you to become quickeners of mankind.” (Tablet to the
Pope.)
