The Independent Search After Truth, Unfettered by Superstition or Tradition

1. Is the principle of seeking the truth new?

2.

3. `Abd al-Bahā:

4.

5. The principles of Baha’u’llah are novel.[2]

`Abd al-Bahā:

Seeking the truth is not adiscovery of the Baha’i’s and in essence has been

the work of all of the Prophets.[1]

2. Are non-Baha’is ignorant?

`Abd al-Bahā:

One must not label people as being ignorant.[4]

Baha’u’llah:

Whoever does not become a Baha’i is among the most ignorant of the people, even if they have mastery over all sciences.[3]

3. Kindness or Hatred (Separation)?

`Abd al-Bahā:

Kindness causes life, separation causes death.[6]

`Abd al-Bahā:

If someone protests the Guardian of the Cause of God, immediately kick them out of the community of Baha’is and never accept any excuses from them.[5]

4. Can the recognition of God be obtained through intellect?

`Abd al-Bahā:

Attain divine recognition with intellectual and written arguments.[8]

Baha’u’llah:

One cannot reach divine recognition with logic.[7]

5. Should we investigate or accept without any questions?

`Abd al-Bahā:

A person who is fair, will investigate and doresearch to seek the truth.[10]

Baha’u’llah:

Accept my words without any questions or comparison with someone else’s words.[9]

6. Investigating the truth: only for non-Baha’is.

7.

`Abd al-Bahā:

Different religions should listen to the words of other religions. Perhaps, what is right is with them.[12]

Baha’u’llah:

Even if someone criticizes Baha’ism with proof, do not listen. [11]

8. Should Baha’is listen or not?

9.

10.

11. Baha’u’llah:

Research and listen with your own ears and see with your own eyes.[14]

Baha’u’llah:

Do not see anything but me and do not listen to anything other than what I say.[13]

12. Has the book of Bayān been abrogated?

13.

Baha’u’llah:

The book of Bayān has been abrogated.[16]

Baha’u’llah:

The book of Bayān has not been abrogated.[15]

[1] “His Highness Moses spread the truth as did his Highness Jesus and his Highness Abraham and his Highness the Messenger (meaning the Prophet Muḥammad) and his Highness the Bāb and his Highness Baha’u’llah. They all established and spread the truth,” `Abd al-Bahā, Khaṭābāt (Tehran), vol. 2, p. 5; “Prophets . . . is truth, and the truth is one. His Highness Abraham was the harbinger of truth. His Highness Moses was the servant of truth. His Highness Christ was the establisher of truth. His Highness Muḥammad was the propagator of truth. His Highness A`lā (meaning the Bāb) was the herald of truth, and his Highness Baha’u’llah, was the light of truth,” Ibid, p.55; “The foundation of the divine religions is one. It is one truth, it is one spirit, it is one light, and it does not have a multitude. Among the foundations of the divine religion is seeking the truth [so] that the whole of humanity seeks the truth,” `Abd al-Bahā, Khaṭābāt (Egypt), vol. 1, p. 66.

[2] “The call of Allah (nidā Allāh) was raised to such an extent that . . . the minds were astonished at what call this is that is so high? What is this star that has come up? Some were astonished, others were researching, and others were uttering proofs. They all said, ‘The principles of his Highness Baha’u’llah truly have no equal, they are the soul of this era and the light of this century,’” Abbas Effendi (`Abd al-Bahā), Khaṭābāt, vol. 3, p. 78;

[3] “If today, someone grasps all of the knowledge on earth but stops at the word ‘yes’ (meaning does not become a Baha’i), the Lord will not pay attention to him (ladī l-Ḥaqq madhkūr na) and he will be considered as the most ignorant amongst the people,” Baha’u’llah, Iqtidārāt wa chand lauḥ dīgar, (n.p.: n.p., n.d.), p. 111.

[4] “The divine principles in this luminous era are such that one must not insult anyone or attribute them to ignorance [by saying] that you do not know and I know. Rather, one must view everyone from a respectful perspective and must speak and argue from the viewpoint of seeking the truth. [They must say] come, there are several issues at hand, so let us seek the truth, and see how and why [it is so]. The missionary must not consider himself wise and others as ignorant. This thought will result in arrogance, and arrogance causes a lack of effectiveness; instead, one must not see any merit in himself and must speak with the maximum extent of kindness, humility, and humbleness. This kind of expression will be effective,” `Abd al-Bahā, Makātīb (Egypt: Maṭba`at al-Kurdistān al-`Ilmiyya [Published by Faraj-Allāh Dhakī al-Kurdī], 1328 AH), vol. 1, p. 355.

[5] “The Hands of the Cause of God must be ever watchful and as soon as they find anyone beginning to oppose and protest against the Guardian of the Cause of God, cast him out from the congregation of the people of Bahā and in no way accept any excuse from him,” `Abd al-Bahā, The Will and Testament of `Abdu’l-Bahā [sic] (US Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1990), p. 12, http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/WT/wt-1.html

[6] “Kindness brings about life, separation brings about death,” `Abd al-Bahā, Khaṭābāt(Egypt), vol.1, p. 153.

[7] “Know that from now on, that which has reached your intellect or will reach it, or is perceived by the intellects of [those with intellects] superior or inferior to yours, none are the criterion for recognizing the truth and will never be,” Baha’u’llah, Badī` (Tehran: n.p., n.d.), p. 286.

[8] “If you seek divine recognition (`irfān ilāhī) . . .  refer to intellectual and written (naqlī) arguments,” `Abd al-Bahā, Makātīb (n.p. [probably Tehran]: Mu’assisiyi Millī Maṭbū`āt Amrī, 134 Badī`), vol. 8, pp. 119 -120.

[9] “No pleasure has been created in the world greater than listening to the verses [brought by Baha’u’llah] and understanding their meanings and not objecting to or questioning any of the words and comparing them with the words of others,” Baha’u’llah, Badī` (Tehran: n.p., n.d.), p. 145.

[10] \"Those who are fair will examine, research and inquire. This examination and inquiry will result in their guidance . . . they say: ‘We will go and see, and we will investigate the truth,’” `Abd al-Bahā, Khaṭābāt (Egypt), vol.1, pp. 189.

[11] “[Baha’u’llah says,] ‘All of the Lovers of God (i.e. Baha’is) must avoid anyone from whom they perceive the smell of hatred towards the ‘Beauty of the Glory of Abhā’ (jamāl `izz abhā which refers to Baha’ism or Baha’u’llah), even if they [argue by] speaking of all the verses and by clinging to all the books.’ Then he, glorified be his name, said, ‘They should protect themselves with perfect protection, lest they fall to the trap of their deceptions and tricks. This is the advice of the Pen of Fate (qalam taqdīr).’ And in another speech he states, ‘Rejecting such individuals has been—and will be—the closest way [of achieving] divine satisfaction, for their breath spreads like poison,’” `Abd a l-Ḥamīd Ishrāq Khāwarī, Ganjīniyi ḥudūd wa aḥkām, 3^rd ed. (Tehran: Mu’assisiyi Millī Maṭbū`āt Amrī,128Badī`), chap. 70, p. 450.

[12] “The followers of Moses (i.e. Jews) have imitations (taqālīd), Zoroastrians have imitations, Christians have imitations, Buddhists have imitations, and every nation has imitations [and] thinks that its imitations are correct and the imitations of others are invalid. For example, the followers of Moses believe that their imitations are correct and the imitations of others are invalid. We want to find out which [imitations] are correct. [Obviously] not all imitations are correct. If we stick to an imitation it will prevent us from correctly investigating other [religions] imitations. For example, a Jewish person cannot understand that other [religions] are correct because he believes and sticks to the imitations of Judaism. Therefore, he must put aside the imitations and seek the truth and [think that] perhaps others might be right. Thus, until imitations are not put aside, the truth will not become manifest,” `Abd al-Ḥamīd Ishrāq Khāwarī, Payām malakūt, p.17 (citing `Abd al-Bahā).

[13] “Become blind so that you see my face, become deaf so that you hear my pleasant tone and voice, become ignorant so that you get a share of my knowledge, and become poor so that you can take an everlasting portion from the sea of my eternal riches. Become blind means [see] nothing but my beauty and become deaf means [hear] nothing but my words and become ignorant means [have no knowledge] but my knowledge, so that with a pure eye and clean heart and fine ear you come to my sanctified realm,” Baha’u’llah,Ad`iyyi ḥaḍrat maḥbūb, pp. 427–428.

[14] “When humans attain the rank of [religious] maturity they must investigate and think about [the things] the servants [of God] grasp—without [the influence] of love or hatred— whilst they have trust in God, and [they] must hear and see with their own ears and eyes.” `Abd al-Ḥamīd Ishrāq Khāwarī, Payām malakūt, p.11 (citing Baha’u’llah).

[15] “I swear to God that if an individual from the followers of the Bayān mentions the abrogation of that book, God will break the mouth of the speaker and defamer. I [swear by] He who in His hand is my soul and my essence, a single letter from the Bayān is dearer to me than everything that is in the heavens and the earth,” Asad-Allāh Fāḍil Māzandarānī,Asrār al-āthār khuṣūṣī, vol. 5,p. 333; “Say: ‘The polytheists thought that we might want to abrogate what was revealed unto the Point of Bayan (Nuqtat al-Bayān which means the Bab) . . . but God has desired by this manifestation [meaning Baha’u’llah himself] to make firm what has been revealed by the Point of Bayan. Thus we will make firm his decrees and will prove his writings on earth with an evident power and authority,” Baha’u’llah, Badī`, p. 390.

[16] “The book of Aqdas abrogates all the decrees of the book of Bayān . . . everyone’s[religious] source is [now] the book of Aqdas not the book of Bayān. The decrees of theBayān are [now] abrogated,” Asad-Allāh Fāḍil Māzandarānī, Asrār al-āthār khuṣūṣī, vol. 2,p. 106.

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