A Closer Look at Baha\'i

By: Bob Pardon

Any belief system with 5 million followers that professes to be the preeminent, universal religion for all time invites close scrutiny of its claims. This is precisely what the Baha\'i faith declares. In just 150 years Baha\'is have grown to more than 5 million worldwide in 233 countries and territories, with 1,700 Spiritual Assemblies in the United States alone.⁽¹⁾ Baha\'u\'llah\'s writings (the founder of the Baha\'i Faith) have been translated into 802 languages.⁽²⁾ Under friendly evangelistic strategies new growth is occurring at the rate of 5.5% a year worldwide.⁽³⁾ By comparison, Christianity is expanding at a rate of 2.3% a year worldwide.

Perhaps no worldview is better suited to the tenor of our time. Arnold Toynbee predicted that it will be \"the world religion of the future.\"⁽⁴⁾ Then, J. K. Van Baalen has stated, the Baha\'i Faith \"is the unifying cult par excellence.\"⁽⁵⁾ This is because its basic principles have an appeal to all people: \"The Oneness of God and the Oneness of Religion; the Oneness of Humanity; Independent Investigation of Truth; Abolition of all Forms of Prejudice; Universal Peace; Universal Auxiliary Language; Universal Education; Equality for the Sexes; Spiritual Solution to Economic Problems; Religion Consistent with Science.\"⁽⁶⁾ Who would not desire to live in a world governed by these principles?

A Brief History of the Baha\'i Faith

It is a daunting task to find a consistent, clear picture of Baha\'i origins. Baha\'i historians and authorities have tended to rewrite the early years of the Faith that it might more effectively serve the cause. ⁽⁷⁾ What follows would be at variance with official Baha\'i versions but consistent with source materials.

The roots of the Baha\'i faith lie in the Shi\'ite sect of Islam which was led by 12 successive Imams, descendants of Muhammad\'s son-in-law, Ali. The 12th Imam, as a child, withdrew from society to escape assassination, the inevitable fate of his predecessors. He was never seen again and an eschatological tradition developed that he would appear at the end of time. In the interim he would make contact with the faithful through \"Gates,\" individuals through whom he would give his teachings. In 1844, Mirza Ali Muhammad (1819-1850), a follower of the Shi\'ite sect, declared himself to be the \"Gate,\" literally the \"Bab\" (pronounced Bob). However, he interpreted this in a broader context. He was not just a \"Gate,\" or even the 12th Imam returned, but rather the \"Gate\" of God, a Major Manifestation of God Himself equal to the prophet Muhammad. For six years he gathered the faithful around him, proclaimed a new revelation, and the eventual appearance of the final Manifestation (\"He-Whom-God-Will-Manifest\") for this cycle of history. The growing influence of the Bab and his followers, Babis, alarmed the Muslim authorities, and after numerous armed conflicts the Bab was martyred in 1850 and his followers scattered.

Succession is always an important time of transition for any belief system. If problems are going to arise they develop at this point. Such was the case for the emerging Babi religion. The Bab had designated a successor to follow him before he died, not expecting the final Manifestation for at least 1500 years.⁽⁸⁾ This successor was Mirza Yahya, the son of nobility and half brother to Mirza Husayn Ali, also a devoted follower of the Bab.⁽⁹⁾ Both brothers were eventually driven into exile by the authorities. During that exile, Mirza Husayn Ali proclaimed himself to be \"He-Whom-God-Will-Manifest,\" the Major Manifestation of God prophesied by the Bab. He also changed his name to Baha\'u\'llah, the \"Glory of God,\" and proclaimed that the Bab was his forerunner.⁽¹⁰⁾Mirza Yahya strenuously opposed this and both sides appear to have been involved in assassination. This infighting forced the Persian Government to further exile the brothers to separate places at the far reaches of the Ottoman Empire. Mirza Yahya (called by the Bab, Subh-i-Ezel, \"Morning of Eternity\") was exiled to the Island of Cyprus, and Baha\'u\'llah to Akka in Israel. Subh-i-Ezel descended into obscurity, while Baha\'u\'llah became the greater. Thus, the original followers of the Bab who gave their allegiance to Baha\'u\'llah became known as Baha\'is. A dynamic personality with great force of will, Baha\'u\'llah wrote over 100 volumes of Baha\'i scripture, entertained dignitaries and maintained a large correspondence, while under virtual house arrest for decades.

The Baha\'i Faith entered another troubled period of transition upon his death in 1892. His will designated his eldest son, Abdu\'l Baha (\"Slave of Baha\"), as his successor in the cause of the Baha\'i Faith.⁽¹¹⁾ But the extent of his authority in that position became a point of contention. There could not be another Manifestation for a 1000 years according to Baha\'u\'llah.⁽¹²⁾ That being so, Abdu\'l\' Baha began to fashion himself as an extension of his father\'s Manifestation. However, this was not without the bitter resistance of his brother, Mirza Muhammad Ali, who believed Abdu\'l Baha had gone too far. Abdu\'l\' Baha retaliated by \"excommunicating\" practically all his closest relatives and depriving them of their income from Baha\'u\'llah\'s estate.⁽¹³⁾

The Baha\'i Faith became worldwide under Abdu\'l\' Baha\'s leadership, and his mission trips to the West. However, upon his death in 1921, the transition of power was once again very troubled. Shoghi Effendi, Abdu\'l\' Baha\'s grandson, was designated the successor, the First Guardian of the Faith. With this position \"...his decisions were absolute and final and his words authoritative.\"⁽¹⁴⁾This brought him into conflict with other family members and he soon excommunicated his grandmother (Abdu\'l Baha\'s wife), Abdu\'l Baha\'s daughters, his descendants, his sons-in-law, then his own brothers and sisters, and last of all his own parents.⁽¹⁵⁾ However, under Shoghi Effendi\'s administrative skills the Baha\'i Faith continued to grow until his death in 1957. He left no designated successor and the Faith is now under the administration of the Universal House of Justice, a group of nine people who are elected democratically and oversee the Cause internationally.

Historical Critique

First, as stated in the beginning of this section, it is very difficult to get a reliable picture of the true origins of the Baha\'i Faith. The earliest source materials of the Faith have been suppressed and denigrated.⁽¹⁶⁾ One of the earliest and most important historical documents of the time, the Nuqtatu\'l-Kaf, was written by the Babi, Mirza Jani. Jani personally knew the Bab and died for the Babi faith in 1852, thus, his history was completed after the death of the Bab and before his own death. It clearly states that the Bab declared Mirza Yahya as his successor and speaks very favorably of him while presenting Baha\'u\'llah in a favorable, though inferior position to his brother. Since that time the Baha\'is have strenuously suppressed this fact.⁽¹⁷⁾ With the passing of years they have published histories more favorable to their position.⁽¹⁸⁾

This proclivity to revise history has extended even to the revision of books officially published by the Baha\'i Publishing Trust after the authors\' death, and without any notation in the text.⁽¹⁹⁾ One glaring example of this is an early version (1930) of John Esslemont\'s Baha\'u\'llah and the New Era. At the end of this book, Abdu\'l Baha (the infallible guide) states that the Kingdom of God would be established on earth by 1957. This would be a period of universal language and peace. When the book was republished in 1970 this section was removed and something more innocuous inserted in its place.⁽²⁰⁾

Second, one has to question the rigor of the Baha\'i\' principle the \"independent investigation of truth.\" How could a Baha\'i scholar vigorously pursue truth within an organization comprised of an infallible Center of the Covenant (Abdu\'l Baha), an infallible Guardian (Shoghi Effendi), and now an infallible Universal House of Justice? When they have spoken on some topic, be it theological, historical or ethical, the discussion is finished.

Third, the Baha\'i Faith is proclaimed as the religion for our time, and the most contemporary to our day. It is a religion that will last until the year 2866 according to Baha\'u\'llah.⁽²¹⁾ However, is the world truly ready for the teachings of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, The Most Holy Book? This is considered Baha\'u\'llah\'s most important work. In it, the new order will be governed by a 19 day month, 19 month year, the washing of feet, cutting of nails, bathing once a week, a dowry, a proscribed hair length, etc. Will the world ever embrace Baha\'u\'llah and the Universal House of Justice as a world governing body?⁽²²⁾

Fourth, if the history of the Baha\'i Faith reveals anything it is that the ethical injunctions of love and tolerance were not very frequently applied at the highest levels. The bitterness, rancor, assassinations and lack of forgiveness amongst the very founders of this faith do not demonstrate the reality of its ethical teachings.⁽²³⁾

Endnotes

1. The Baha\'i World: 1992-1993 (Haifa, Israel: Baha\'i World Centre, 1993), p. 311-314.

2. Ibid.

3. Patrick Johnstone, Operation World: The Day-by-Day Guide to Praying for the World (Grand Rapids, MI.: Zondervan Publishing House, 1993) p. 23.

4. This quote was taken from John Butterworth, Cults and New Faiths (Elgin, Ill.: David C. Cook Publishing Co., 1981), p. 44.

5. J. K. Van Baalen, The Chaos of the Cults (Grand Rapids, MI.: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1975), p. 148.

6. These basic principles can be found in any of the official publications of the Baha\'i Faith published by the Baha\'i Publishing Trust.

7. E.G. Browne, eminent orientalist of the last century and the greatest historian of the origins of the Baha\'i Faith, writes, \"Of this much I am certain, that the more the Baha\'i doctrine spreads, especially outside Persia, and most of all in Europe and America, the more the true history and nature of the original Babi movement is obscured and distorted.\" (Edward Granville Browne, Trans., Kitab-i-Nuqtatu\'l-Kaf, Being the Earliest History of the Babis Compiled by Hajji Mirza Jani of Kashan Between the Years A.D. 1850 and 1852 [London: Luzac & Co., 1910], p. xxxv). There are three other significant histories of the Babi/Baha\'i Faith that are important resource materials. These are: Edward Granville Browne, Trans., The New History (Tarikh-i-Jadid) of Mirza \'Ali Muhammed, The Bab, by Mirza Huseyn, of Hamadan, Composed A.D. 1880 (Amsterdam, Philo Press, 1975); Edward Granville Browne, Trans., Traveller\'s Narrative, Written to Illustrate the Episode of the Bab, Vol. II (London: C. J. Clay and Sons, 1891). It was later revealed that this was written in 1886 by Abdu\'l Baha, son of Baha\'u\'llah. The last work reveals very extensive revisions that began with The New History. Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By (Wilmette, Ill.: Baha\'i Publishing Trust, 1944).

8. William McElwee Miller, The Baha\'i Faith: Its History and Teachings (Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 1984) p. 54.

9. E. G. Browne writes, \"We now come to what is without doubt the most interesting and most important portion of Mirza Jani\'s history,...the account of the appearance of Mirza Yahya...as successor and viceregent to the Bab...This portion, needless to say has been entirely suppressed by the compilers of the New History, whose sympathies...where entirely with Baha (Baha\'u\'llah)...\" This is taken from Browne\'s notes as recorded in his translation of the New History, p. 374.

10. This is the official understanding of the Bab\'s function that can be found in any history published by the Baha\'i Faith from the Traveller\'s Narrative (1886) to the present.

11. Abdu\'l Baha is the name he gave himself at the beginning of his administration. His given name was Abbas Effendi.

12. Baha\'u\'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas: The Most Holy Book (Haifa, Israel: Baha\'i World Centre, 1992), p. 32.

13. Mirza Muhammad Ali was left in a state of abject poverty and designated as an arch enemy of the Faith, a \"Covenant Breaker.\"

14. A quote that comes from the unpublished notes of Mr. Jelal Azal that appears in The Baha\'i Faith: Its History and Teachings, p. 251.

15. Miller, p. 251.

16. Browne, Nuqtatu\'l-Kaf, p. xxxiv.

17. It is absolutely amazing to what lengths Baha\'i scholars will go to discredit Browne and his writings. See H. M. Balyuzi, Edward Granville Browne and the Baha\'i Faith (London: George Ronald, 1970), and Moojan Momen, Ed., Selections From the Writings of E. G. Browne on the Babi and Baha\'i Religions (Oxford: George Ronald, 1987).

18. The least reliable, but considered infallible and the most important history of the Faith, is God Passes By, written by Shoghi Effendi. Shoghi Effendi was the infallible Guardian of the Cause during his lifetime.

19. In John Ferraby, All Things Made New (London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd., 1957 and 1987 editions) numerous changes were made after the author\'s death. The most significant being that the position of Guardian of the Faith was to be passed on through the line of Shoghi Effendi. However, Shoghi Effendi died without naming a lineal descendant his successor. The same is changed in the following two works after the authors\' deaths. George Townshend, Christ and Baha\'u\'llah (London: George Ronald, 1957 and 1984 editions), and Shoghi Effendi, Selected Writings of Shoghi Effendi: Guardian of the Baha\'i Faith (Wilmette, Ill.: Baha\'i Publishing Trust, 1942 and 1975 editions).

20. Compare pages 287-289 (1930 edition) with pages 250-252 (1970 edition) of John Esslemont, Baha\'u\'llah and the New Era (New York: Baha\'i Publishing Committee, 1930) and John Esslemont, Baha\'u\'llah and the New Era, An Introduction to the Baha\'i Faith (Wilmette, Ill.: Baha\'i Publishing Trust, 1970).

21. Baha\'u\'llah, Aqdas, p. 32.

22. Miller, p. 356.

23. Ibid. pp. 183, 229. Miller further elaborates on this issue.

source:www. bahai1.htm