Suratul Kawthar and Bab

By: Dr. Mohammed Alam Qurayshi

HAJI: Explain this verse of the Holy Quran: “It is He who maketh you to behold the lightening, a fear and a hope” (reference: Quran 13:13), and also tell me what is the construction of ‘Khaufan’ wa ‘Taaman’ (words used in the verses literally translated as Fear and Hope)

Bab: I don’t remember.

HAJI: What is the meaning of this tradition

“Lanallahul uyuna fainna zalomatil ainal waahidatan”

(May God curse the eye for verily they have acted unjustly towards the one eye)

Bab: I don’t know?

HAJI: Explain the meaning of this tradition of what passed between Mamun, the Caliph and Imam Reza, His Highness, the Eighth Imam:

“Mamun Said: ‘What is the proof of the right to the caliphate of your ancestor Ali ibn Abi Talib’? He (Imam Reza) replied, ‘The sign of ourselves’. Mamun said, ‘if it were not for our wives!’. Imam Reza said, ‘If it were not for our sons!’ Then Mamun was silent.”

‘What was the nature of the argument employed by Imam Reza, and what is the point of Mamun’s objection, and the reply of Imam Reza thereto?’

Bab: ‘Is this a tradition’?

HAJI: Yes (cites authorities) The circumstances under which the Surah-tul-Kawthar was revealed, as is well known, the following; “His Highness, the Holy Prophet was passing by. Aas said, ‘this person is a childless man!’. Shortly afterwards he died leaving no children. His Highness, the Prophet was grieved, and so this surah was revealed for his consolation. Tell me now what was the nature of the consolation which it contained”?

Bab: Were these indeed the circumstances under which it was revealed?

HAJI: Yes (cites authorities).

(The Bab asks for time to think)

Once again we see Bab’s inability to answer well-founded questions. If Bab was sent by God, as claimed by the Baha’is, how did he fail to answer questions based on Quran and traditions? How can he claim to explain the subtle matters of Quran if he did not even have the apparent knowledge. The irony is Bab has written an entire commentary on Surat-ul Kawthar, while he did not even know it’s Shaan-e-Nuzul.

I wonder if Bab knew anything about Surat-ul Yusuf, whose commentary the Qayyumul Asma he has presented as evidence of his claims.

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