Definition of certitude as interpreted from the writings. A treatise revealed by bahaullah in baghdad in 186162 in response to questions posed by one of the maternal. Mr bijan motlagh, understanding the kitabiiqan, book of certitude. Some are implemented now and some will be for the future of mankind. Bahaullah article about bahaullah by the free dictionary. In honour of that joyous holy day, lets take a look at the bayan, a priceless gift the bab bequeathed to mankind. The brother of abdul baha abbas effendi, mohammed ali effendi claimed and believed that bahai faith has turned into a polytheistic religion after the passing of his father bahaullah. By the righteousness of god, ye have been created to glorify this most great announcement, this perfect. Writer and poet druzelle cederquist has gathered together a wealth of material about the lives. Bahaullah, book of certitude what is bahaullah saying here. Kitabi iqan book of certitude, a major bahai work by bahaullah.
A selection of prayers by bahaullah online at alibris. The work holds a position of unsurpassed preeminence among bahaullahs ethical writings. The kitabiiqan bahai reference library the bahai faith. The book of certitude bahaullah, shoghi effendi on amazon. The key principles of bahaullah s teachings are the oneness and wholeness of the human race, that there is only one god, and that all the world religions are expressions of a single, unfolding divine plan. Bahaullahs book of certitude and the sun of iqan certainty hnet. In the book of certitude bahaullah points out that the human tendency to cling to false traditions has always been one of the main reasons for the rejection and persecution every messenger of god has suffered. 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.
Bahaullah 18171892, meaning in arabic the glory of god, is the prophet and. Those who wish to achieve certitude, would require engaging in the process of establishing ertainty and truth about god and his manifestations, thereby understanding and recognizing the creator and his messengers. A collection of lyrical, gemlike verses of scripture that convey timeless spiritual wisdom clothed in the garment of brevity, the hidden words is one of the most important and cherished scriptural works of the bahai faith. Thomas aquinas believed in two types of individual revelation from god, general revelation and special revelation. 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.
The book of certitude by bahaullah, paperback barnes. Translated by shoghi effendi, reprinted in many editions. Its year begins on march 21, at the spring equinox. A new version of the bahai reference library is now available. I love that every single chapter recaptures my attention. The kitabiiqan, the book of certitude, is one of the an important scriptural works in the bahai faith.
This is a fourvolume series surveying the writings of bahaullah. A treatise revealed by bahaullah in baghdad in 186162 in response to. Refer to the library to find the volume relevant to your studies. Writings of baha u llah the kitabiiqan the book of certitude 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. How can we ever define or circumscribe this bestowal.
From the very first verse of this sacred book, bahaullah demonstrates that his theme is to prove the mission of the bab. They describe the content and background of numerous tablets and books. As pointed out in the book of certitude, these learned people fear the loss of power, prestige and control. Investigating the truth for yourself bahai inspired. 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. The kitabiiqan is one of many books held sacred by followers of the bahai faith. 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. Baha u llah is not in the practice of overstating things, so what is he saying exactly. Bah ullah describes the role of prophets throughout history and calls some of his contemporaries to task for promulgating false or selfserving views about religion. What is commonly referred an introduction to the bayan. This book affirms the unity of the prophets, the universality of their message, the identity of their fundamental.
Bahaullah follows the quote with his own restatement and interpretation of it. A model of persian prose, of a style at once original, chaste and vigorous, and remarkably lucid, both cogent in argument and matchless in its irresistible eloquence, this book, setting forth in outline the grand redemptive scheme of god, occupies a position unequalled by any work in the entire range of bahai literature, except the kitabiaqdas, bahaullahs most holy book. In the opening verses of bahaullahs book of certitude he says no man shall attain the shores of the ocean of true understanding except he be detached from all that is in heaven and on. It is no happenstance that bahaullahs book about certitude should open with this statement. Compendium on the kitabiiqan a pocketful of meaning, compilation of. Finally, as stated in books and traditions, there remained with him only forty or.
The kitabiiqan the book of certitude wilmette institute. This old version of the bahai reference library will be replaced at a later date. Among the better known writings of bahaullah are, the most holy book, the book of certitude, gleanings from the writings of bahaullah, the hidden words and the seven valleys. Start of page 93 this identity with god is in the realm of his attributes and not of his essence. The work was composed partly in persian and partly in arabic by bahaullah, the. The universal house of justice was revealed by bahaullah, delineated by abdulbaha and constituted by shoghi effendi in a four stage plan, to evolve in four phases from an embryonic state of an appointed body to an eventual efflorescence into a universally elected body from all the peoples and nations of the world. An introduction to bahaullahs book of certitude with two digital reprints of early. Despite this, however, bahaullah makes it clear that. Special revelation is the knowledge of god and spiritual. Reading and rereading all of bahaullahs writings, gradually, consistently.
Jinabifadilimazindarani, analyzing bahaullahs writings, states that he wrote in the different styles or categories including the interpretation of religious scripture, the enunciation of laws and ordinances, mystical writings, writings about government and world order, including letters to the kings and rulers of the world, writings about knowledge, philosophy, medicine, and alchemy, writings calling for education, good character and virtues, and writing about social teachings. Bahaullah has set forth the laws that will be used to build anew the whole world. Baha u llah, book of certitude what is baha u llah saying here. Revealed by bahaullah, the founder of the religion, the verses are a perfect guidebook to walking a spiritual path and drawing closer to god. Interview of hooper dunbar regarding the importance of studying the book of certitude. Along with this i would recommend the kitabiiqan the book of certitude in which bahaullah sets forth his theology of progressive revelation and its consequence today.
The book was originally known as risaliyikhal, epistle to the uncle, and later entitled by bahaullah himself as the kitabiiqan. The two go together very well and are constant companions by my side. The key to unsealing the symbols in the bible offsite divine verses cited in the ruhi books on holding gatherings for recitation of the divine verses. The iqan is the most important book written on the spiritual significance of the cause and is. He begins with the words, in the name of our lord, the exalted. Every year bahais around the world celebrate the anniversary of the declaration of the bab, the forerunner of bahaullah, on the 8th of azamat according to the badi calendar. That noah actually lived 950 years or that his dispensation lasted that long.
Meaning and significance of certitude bahai library online. Known as the book of the covenant kitabiahd, the will and testament, written in bahaullahs own hand, was unsealed and read before nine witnesses nine days after bahaullahs passing. He was the prophetic fulfillment of babism, a 19thcentury outgrowth of shaykhism, and, in a broader sense to be a manifestation of god. In other texts, bahaullah called the kings and rulers of his day to account for. 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. This firstever trade edition of bahaullahs book of certitude offers the prolific authors account of the tenets of the faith and the universal mission of all religions. It consists of interpretation of biblical and quranic terms, images, and prophecies, as well as containing many ethical and spiritual exhortations. In many of his tablets bahaullah proclaims, i am god. Bahaullah is not in the practice of overstating things, so what is he saying exactly. In general revelation, god reveals himself through his creation, such that at least some truths about god can be learned by the empirical study of nature, physics, cosmology, etc.