He begins with the words, in the name of our lord, the exalted. Study of the kitabiiqanbook of certitude posts facebook. Exiled by the ottoman government to palestine in 1868, baha u llah and his family spent many years imprisoned in the old prison colony and walled fortress of akka, until authorities relaxed the prison conditions and allowed baha u llah. The book of certitude an online bahai learning center. They regard a single drop of the sea of delusion as preferable to an ocean of certitude. The revelation of bahaullah, volume 3, chapter github pages. The book of certitude is a work of exegesis, where nontransparent passages of the ible and the qur an. The iqan is the most important book written on the spiritual significance of the cause and is unique in that this book alone provides the basis for reconciling the followers of the great religions of the world. The book was originally known as risaliyikhal, epistle to the uncle, and later entitled by baha u llah himself as the kitabiiqan.
The iqan is the most important book written on the spiritual significance of the cause and is. The book is designed as an explanation of the true nature of religion, of revelation, and of the nature of the prophet or manifestation of god. Without any question, as the believers level of certainty rises, so will the level. Bahaullah often refers to the learned or divines who have opposed and rejected the. Baha u llah refers to the virgin birth in his book of certitude, in the course of an argument for the humanity of past holy figures. The work was composed partly in persian and partly in arabic by bahaullah, the founder of the bahai faith, in 1861, when he was living as an exile in. In it, bahaullah gives a sweeping overview of religious truth, explaining the underlying unity of the worlds religions, describing the universality of the revelations humankind has revceived from the prophets of god, illuminating their fundamental teachings, and elucidating allegorical passages from the new testament and the quran that have given rise to misunderstanding among.
Bahaullah revealed the book of certitude in a convincing manner to elevate. From these statements therefore it hath been made evident and manifest that should a soul in the end that knoweth no end be made manifest, and arise to proclaim and uphold a cause which in the beginning that hath no beginning another soul had proclaimed and upheld, it can be truly declared of him who is the last and of him who was the first that they are one and the same, inasmuch. Bahaullahs book of certitude and the sun of iqan certainty hnet. Next to it in rank is the kitabiiqan book of certitude. By holding fast unto names they deprive themselves of the inner reality and by clinging to vain imaginings they are kept back from the dayspring of heavenly signs. If you want an introduction to the history, teachings, and community, baha u llah and the new era is a wonderful book. Baha u llah follows the quote with his own restatement and interpretation of it. Incidentally, the successive exiles of baha u llah form a sickleshaped pattern enclosing the sickle of figure 8 with the two blades touching at smyrna. If absolute certainty is beyond our reach, perhaps a high degree of relative certainty is not. In this book baha u llah explains the process of progressive revalation through which god, that creative power of the universe, had. Blessed be he who knoweth of a certainty that he shall attain unto the presence of god on that day when his beauty shall be made manifest.
The first duty prescribed by god for his servants is the recognition of him who is the dayspring of his revelation and the fountain of his laws, who representeth the godhead in both the kingdom of his. Bahaullahs kitabiiqan, revealed in 1861, is one of the foremost among the works of his revelation, unequalled by any work in the entire range of bahai literature, except the kitabiaqdas. In the treasuries of the knowledge of god there lieth concealed a knowledge which, when applied, will largely, though not wholly, eliminate fear. We would like to hear a word from him, if he would accept the opportunity to be one of our facilitators in this baha i facebook onlinestudy bfos on the book the kitabi iqanbook of certitude which is one of the lofty avenues for serving the cause of hazrat baha u llah the cause that has strongly and cohesively bonded the friends from. Let us examine how baha u llah deals with the major events and themes in the life of jesus. It was revealed by aha ullah in aghdad, in january 1861. Selections from the writings of the bab, tablets of baha u llah, kitabiaqdas most holy book, kitabiiqan book of certitude, baha i prayers, some answered questions. The babs uncle could not understand how the babs claims.
This book affirms the unity of the prophets, the universality of their message, the identity of their fundamental. In the book of certitude, the frequency of baha u llah s recourse to imami akhbar is second only to his appeals to the quran. Bahaullah often refers to the learned or divines who have opposed and. The impotency of the clergy was always demonstrated against such innate knowledge. Baha u llah, the prophet and founder of the baha i faith, passed away in 1892. Baha u llah is not in the practice of overstating things, so what is he saying exactly. Such a textual, or antitextual argument is not once adduced in the book of certitude. The book of certitude, or kitabiiqan, as it is also known. Imprisoned and impoverished himself for those beliefs, bahaullah, his family and. This is the day in which the testimony of the lord hath been fulfilled, the day in which the word of god hath been made manifest, and his evidence firmly established.
The sickle has been a sign of the harvest and reaping since ancient times. Notwithstanding the warning which, in marvelously symbolic language and subtle allusions, hath been uttered in days past, and which was intended to. Failure to teach is a symptom of a special deficiency in the soul called a lack of certitude, or a partially convinced mind. One bahai scholar states that it can be regarded as the most influential quran commentary in persian outside the muslim world, because of its international audience. The book of certitude baha u llah, shoghi effendi on. The sickle may also symbolize baha u llah as the divine reaper of chapter 14, verse 14. The most essential spiritual teachings are enshrined in the beautiful little book called the hidden words of baha u llah. Bahaullah, gleanings from the writings of bahaullah, p. The book of certitude baha u llah wrote the book of certitude in response to several questions from a maternal uncle of the bab, who had not yet accepted the bab as a messenger of god. A baha i view of the fear of god in his book epistle to the son of the wolf, baha u llah writes. And wert thou to soar in the holy realm of god was alone, there was none. During the decade of baha u llah s exile in baghdad, he revealed one of the most important works of the entire baha i dispensation.
Baha u llah, book of certitude what is baha u llah saying here. That noah actually lived 950 years or that his dispensation lasted that long. The kitabiiqan is one of many books held sacred by followers of the bahai faith. The book of certitude by bahaullah, paperback barnes.
Prologue ii alleges alterations taghyir in the quran. It is no happenstance that baha u llah s book about certitude should open with this statement. His voice is calling you unto that which shall profit you, and enjoineth you to observe that which. The writings of baha u llah are full of stories of the prophets of the past, told to illustrate or to convey particular spiritual messages. To this testify the records of all the scriptures and heavenly books. There is a final tablet with the seals of the bab that was delivered to baha u llah after the bab was executed with the name baha. The work holds a position of unsurpassed preeminence among baha u llah s ethical writings. It was revealed by ahaullah in aghdad, in january 1861. For people who have god on their minds, hearts and on their lips, religion. Notwithstanding the warning which, in marvelously symbolic language and subtle allusions, hath been uttered in days past, and which was intended to awaken the peoples of the wo.
Over 100 volumes written by the bab, baha u llah and abdul baha. Knowledge of proofs and prophecies is the fuel or the driving force that leads us. A treatise revealed by baha u llah in baghdad in 186162 in response to questions posed by one of the maternal uncles of the bab, translated by shoghi effendi and first published in english in 1931. See also an introduction to bahaullahs book of certitude and dating bahau llahs. As pointed out in the book of certitude, these learned people fear the loss of. See also an introduction to bahaullahs book of certitude and dating bahaullahs. The book of certitude the abin introduction 1 the book of certitude the kitab i iqan is the 2nd most important book of the ahai writings.
With the onehundredyear anniversary of the martyrdom of varqa and his son, ruhu llah, at hand, this presentation is only a humble tribute to their memory. The uncle of the bab had inquired as to why the bab, if he were truly the mahdi or promised one of islam, had failed to establish his sovereignty. Though basically a book of laws and ordinances, it is so revealed that its laws are. Meaning and significance of certitude bahai library online. The people of insight can see with the eye of certainty be yond the pomp of. Finally, as stated in books and 8 traditions, there remained with him only forty or seventytwo of his. From the very first verse of this sacred book, baha u llah demonstrates that his theme is to prove the mission of the bab. As a result of hbahai discussions of my paper conversion of the great uncle of the bab the issue came up regarding a letter of the khali akbar, dated 5 rajab 1277 a. Certainty and certitude, of course, share a root word. Various traditions ascribed to them are adduced as proof texts. Momen estimated at least 90% of all babis who survived until baha u llah s public declarations was made known became baha is.
His voice is calling you unto that which shall profit you, and enjoineth you to. Knowledge of proofs and prophecies is the fuel or the driving force that leads us to serve humankind. Known as the book of the covenant kitabiahd, the will and testament, written in baha u llah s own hand, was unsealed and read before nine witnesses nine days after baha u llah s passing. No matter what argument the clergy used against the bab or baha u llah, both the bab and baha u llah were always able to prove their point by the koran, any other scriptures, or offer a tradition from any source when required. In the kitdbijqdn book of certitude, he uses the following analogy to. This meant critiquing bahaullahs claim from the standpoint of logic and. Bahaullah concedes corruption of scripture only insofar as it applies to interpretation. Abdul baha named him posthumously as a hand of the cause, and shoghi effendi designated him as one of the apostles of baha u llah. The kitabiiqan the book of certitude was revealed by bahaullah in. Book of certitude is one of many books held sacred by followers of the bahai faith. Later the same day, a large company gathered in baha u llah.
Only those will attain to the knowledge of the word of god that have turned unto him thus god hath reaffirmed the law of the day of his revelation, and inscribed it with the pen of power upon the. Mr bijan motlagh, understanding the kitabiiqan, book of certitude. Of the kitabiaqdas, bahaullah states, this book is a heaven which we have adorned with. A bahai view of the fear of god reflections on the baha. The kitabiiqan, the book of certitude, is one of the an important scriptural works in the bahai faith. The kitabiiqan, the book of certitude, is one of the an important scriptural works in the baha i faith. The book of certitude is a work of exegesis, where nontransparent passages of the ible and the qur an parables. The book of certitude kitabi iqan is the preeminent doctrinal work of the bahai faith. Certainty originally meant pledge or surety, then developed a sense of something that is certain, and certitude derives from a latin word with the same meaning. In it, baha u llah gives a sweeping overview of religious truth, explaining the underlying unity of the worlds religions, describing the universality of the revelations humankind has revceived from the prophets of god, illuminating their fundamental teachings, and elucidating allegorical.
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