This year, the 149th of the Baha'i era, marks the Centenary of the
Ascension of Baha'u'llah, Bearer of the universal Revelation of God
destined to lead humanity to its collective coming of age. That this
occasion should be observed by a community of believers representing a
cross-section of the entire human race and established, in the course of a
century and a half, in the most remote corners of the globe, is a token of
the forces of unity released by Baha'u'llah's advent. A further testimony
to the operation of these same forces can be seen in the extent to which
Baha'u'llah's vision has prefigured contemporary human experience in so
many of its aspects. It is a propitious moment for the publication of this
first authorized translation into English of the Mother Book of His
Revelation, His "Most Holy Book", the Book in which He sets forth the Laws
of God for a Dispensation destined to endure for no less than a thousand
years.
Of the more than one hundred volumes comprising the sacred Writings of
Baha'u'llah, the Kitab-i-Aqdas is of unique importance. "To build anew the
whole world" is the claim and challenge of His Message, and the
Kitab-i-Aqdas is the Charter of the future world civilization that
Baha'u'llah has come to raise up. Its provisions rest squarely on the
foundation established by past religions, for, in the words of
Baha'u'llah, "This is the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past,
eternal in the future." In this Revelation the concepts of the past are
brought to a new level of understanding, and the social laws, changed to
suit the age now dawning, are designed to carry humanity forward into a
world civilization the splendours of which can as yet be scarcely
imagined.
In its affirmation of the validity of the great religions of the past, the
Kitab-i-Aqdas reiterates those eternal truths enunciated by all the Divine
Messengers: the unity of God, love of one's neighbour, and the moral
purpose of earthly life. At the same time it removes those elements of
past religious codes that now constitute obstacles to the emerging
unification of the world and the reconstruction of human society.
The Law of God for this Dispensation addresses the needs of the entire
human family. There are laws in the Kitab-i-Aqdas which are directed
primarily to the members of a specific section of humanity and can be
immediately understood by them but which, at first reading, may be obscure
to people of a different culture. Such, for example, is the law
prohibiting the confession of sins to a fellow human being which, though
understandable by those of Christian background, may puzzle others. Many
laws relate to those of past Dispensations, especially the two most recent
ones, those of Muhammad and the Bab embodied in the Qur'an and the Bayan.
Nevertheless, although certain ordinances of the Aqdas have such a focused
reference, they also have universal implications. Through His Law,
Baha'u'llah gradually unveils the significance of the new levels of
knowledge and behaviour to which the peoples of the world are being
called. He embeds His precepts in a setting of spiritual commentary,
keeping ever before the mind of the reader the principle that these laws,
no matter the subject with which they deal, serve the manifold purposes of
bringing tranquillity to human society, raising the standard of human
behaviour, increasing the range of human understanding, and spiritualizing
the life of each and all. Throughout, it is the relationship of the
individual soul to God and the fulfilment of its spiritual destiny that is
the ultimate aim of the laws of religion. "Think not", is Baha'u'llah's
own assertion, "that We have revealed unto you a mere code of laws. Nay,
rather, We have unsealed the choice Wine with the fingers of might and
power." His Book of Laws is His "weightiest testimony unto all people, and
the proof of the All-Merciful unto all who are in heaven and all who are
on earth".
An introduction to the spiritual universe unveiled in the Kitab-i-Aqdas
would fail in its purpose if it did not acquaint the reader with the
interpretive and legislative institutions that Baha'u'llah has
indissolubly linked with the system of law thus revealed. At the
foundation of this guidance lies the unique role which Baha'u'llah's
Writings--indeed the text of the Kitab-i-Aqdas itself--confer on His eldest
son, 'Abdu'l-Baha. This unique figure is at once the Exemplar of the
pattern of life taught by His Father, the divinely inspired authoritative
Interpreter of His Teachings and the Centre and Pivot of the Covenant
which the Author of the Baha'i Revelation made with all who recognize Him.
The twenty-nine years of 'Abdu'l-Baha's ministry endowed the Baha'i world
with a luminous body of commentary that opens multiple vistas of
understanding on His Father's purpose.
In His Will and Testament 'Abdu'l-Baha conferred the mantle of Guardian of
the Cause and infallible Interpreter of its teachings upon His eldest
grandson, Shoghi Effendi, and confirmed the authority and guarantee of
divine guidance decreed by Baha'u'llah for the Universal House of Justice
on all matters "which have not outwardly been revealed in the Book". The
Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice can thus be seen to be, in
the words of Shoghi Effendi, the "Twin Successors" of Baha'u'llah and
'Abdu'l-Baha. They are the supreme institutions of the Administrative
Order which was founded and anticipated in the Kitab-i-Aqdas and
elaborated by 'Abdu'l-Baha in His Will.
During the thirty-six years of his ministry, Shoghi Effendi raised up the
structure of elected Spiritual Assemblies--the Houses of Justice referred
to in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, now in their embryonic stage--and with their
collaboration initiated the systematic implementation of the Divine Plan
that 'Abdu'l-Baha had laid out for the diffusion of the Faith throughout
the world. He also set in motion, on the basis of the strong
administrative structure that had been established, the processes which
were an essential preparation for the election of the Universal House of
Justice. This body, which came into existence in April 1963, is elected
through secret ballot and plurality vote in a three-stage election by
adult Baha'is throughout the world. The revealed Word of Baha'u'llah,
together with the interpretations and expositions of the Centre of the
Covenant and the Guardian of the Cause, constitute the binding terms of
reference of the Universal House of Justice and are its bedrock
foundation.
As to the laws themselves, a careful scrutiny discloses that they govern
three areas: the individual's relationship to God, physical and spiritual
matters which benefit the individual directly, and relations among
individuals and between the individual and society. They can be grouped
under the following headings: prayer and fasting; laws of personal status
governing marriage, divorce and inheritance; a range of other laws,
ordinances and prohibitions, as well as exhortations; and the abrogation
of specific laws and ordinances of previous Dispensations. A salient
characteristic is their brevity. They constitute the kernel of a vast
range of law that will arise in centuries to come. This elaboration of the
law will be enacted by the Universal House of Justice under the authority
conferred upon it by Baha'u'llah Himself. In one of His Tablets
'Abdu'l-Baha elucidates this principle:
Those matters of major importance which constitute the foundation
of the Law of God are explicitly recorded in the Text, but
subsidiary laws are left to the House of Justice. The wisdom of
this is that the times never remain the same, for change is a
necessary quality and an essential attribute of this world, and of
time and place. Therefore the House of Justice will take action
accordingly...
Briefly, this is the wisdom of referring the laws of society to
the House of Justice. In the religion of Islam, similarly, not
every ordinance was explicitly revealed; nay not a tenth part of a
tenth part was included in the Text; although all matters of major
importance were specifically referred to, there were undoubtedly
thousands of laws which were unspecified. These were devised by
the divines of a later age according to the laws of Islamic
jurisprudence, and individual divines made conflicting deductions
from the original revealed ordinances. All these were enforced.
Today this process of deduction is the right of the body of the
House of Justice, and the deductions and conclusions of individual
learned men have no authority, unless they are endorsed by the
House of Justice. The difference is precisely this, that from the
conclusions and endorsements of the body of the House of Justice
whose members are elected by and known to the worldwide Baha'i
community, no differences will arise; whereas the conclusions of
individual divines and scholars would definitely lead to
differences, and result in schism, division, and dispersion. The
oneness of the Word would be destroyed, the unity of the Faith
would disappear, and the edifice of the Faith of God would be
shaken.
Although the Universal House of Justice is explicitly authorized to change
or repeal its own legislation as conditions change, thus providing Baha'i
law with an essential element of flexibility, it cannot abrogate or change
any of the laws which are explicitly laid down in the sacred Text.
The society for which certain of the laws of the Aqdas are designed will
come only gradually into being, and Baha'u'llah has provided for the
progressive application of Baha'i law:
Indeed, the laws of God are like unto the ocean and the children
of men as fish, did they but know it. However, in observing them
one must exercise tact and wisdom... Since most people are feeble
and far-removed from the purpose of God, therefore one must
observe tact and prudence under all conditions, so that nothing
might happen that could cause disturbance and dissension or raise
clamour among the heedless. Verily, His bounty hath surpassed the
whole universe and His bestowals encompassed all that dwell on
earth. One must guide mankind to the ocean of true understanding
in a spirit of love and tolerance. The Kitab-i-Aqdas itself
beareth eloquent testimony to the loving providence of God.
The principle governing this progressive application was enunciated in a
letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to a National Spiritual
Assembly in 1935:
The laws revealed by Baha'u'llah in the Aqdas are, whenever
practicable and not in direct conflict with the Civil Law of the
land, absolutely binding on every believer or Baha'i institution
whether in the East or in the West. Certain ... laws should be
regarded by all believers as universally and vitally applicable at
the present time. Others have been formulated in anticipation of a
state of society destined to emerge from the chaotic conditions
that prevail today... What has not been formulated in the Aqdas,
in addition to matters of detail and of secondary importance
arising out of the application of the laws already formulated by
Baha'u'llah, will have to be enacted by the Universal House of
Justice. This body can supplement but never invalidate or modify
in the least degree what has already been formulated by
Baha'u'llah. Nor has the Guardian any right whatsoever to lessen
the binding effect much less to abrogate the provisions of so
fundamental and sacred a Book.
The number of laws binding on Baha'is is not increased by the publication
of this translation. When it is deemed timely, the Baha'i community will
be advised which additional laws are binding upon believers, and any
guidance or supplementary legislation necessary for their application will
be provided.
In general, the laws of the Kitab-i-Aqdas are stated succinctly. An
example of this conciseness can be seen in the fact that many are
expressed only as they apply to a man, but it is apparent from the
Guardian's writings that, where Baha'u'llah has given a law as between a
man and a woman, it applies mutatis mutandis between a woman and a man
unless the context makes this impossible. For example, the text of the
Kitab-i-Aqdas forbids a man to marry his father's wife (i.e. his
stepmother), and the Guardian has indicated that likewise a woman is
forbidden to marry her stepfather. This understanding of the implications
of the Law has far-reaching effects in light of the fundamental Baha'i
principle of the equality of the sexes, and should be borne in mind when
the sacred Text is studied. That men and women differ from one another in
certain characteristics and functions is an inescapable fact of nature and
makes possible their complementary roles in certain areas of the life of
society; but it is significant that 'Abdu'l-Baha has stated that in this
Dispensation "Equality of men and women, except in some negligible
instances, has been fully and categorically announced."
Mention has already been made of the intimate relationship between the
Kitab-i-Aqdas and the Holy Books of previous Dispensations. Especially
close is the relationship to the Bayan, the Book of Laws revealed by the
Bab. It is elucidated in the following excerpts from letters written on
behalf of the Guardian:
Shoghi Effendi feels that the unity of the Baha'i Revelation as
one complete whole embracing the Faith of the Bab should be
emphasized... The Faith of the Bab should not be divorced from
that of Baha'u'llah. Though the teachings of the Bayan have been
abrogated and superseded by the laws of the Aqdas, yet due to the
fact that the Bab considered Himself as the Forerunner of
Baha'u'llah, we would regard His Dispensation together with that
of Baha'u'llah as forming one entity, the former being
introductory to the advent of the latter.
The Bab states that His laws are provisional and depend upon the
acceptance of the future Manifestation. This is why in the Book of
Aqdas Baha'u'llah sanctions some of the laws found in the Bayan,
modifies others and sets aside many.
Just as the Bayan had been revealed by the Bab at about the mid-point of
His Ministry, Baha'u'llah revealed the Kitab-i-Aqdas around 1873, some
twenty years after He had received, in the Siyah-C{~COMBINING MACRON BELOW~}h{~COMBINING MACRON BELOW~}al of Tihran, the
intimation of His Revelation. In one of His Tablets He indicates that even
after its revelation the Aqdas was withheld by Him for some time before it
was sent to the friends in Iran. Thereafter, as Shoghi Effendi has
related:
The formulation by Baha'u'llah, in His Kitab-i-Aqdas, of the
fundamental laws of His Dispensation was followed, as His Mission
drew to a close, by the enunciation of certain precepts and
principles which lie at the very core of His Faith, by the
reaffirmation of truths He had previously proclaimed, by the
elaboration and elucidation of some of the laws He had already
laid down, by the revelation of further prophecies and warnings,
and by the establishment of subsidiary ordinances designed to
supplement the provisions of His Most Holy Book. These were
recorded in unnumbered Tablets, which He continued to reveal until
the last days of His earthly life...
Among such works is the Questions and Answers, a compilation made by
Zaynu'l-Muqarrabin, the most eminent of the transcribers of Baha'u'llah's
Writings. Consisting of answers revealed by Baha'u'llah to questions put
to Him by various believers, it constitutes an invaluable appendix to the
Kitab-i-Aqdas. In 1978 the most noteworthy of the other Tablets of this
nature were published in English as a compilation entitled Tablets of
Baha'u'llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas.
Some years after the revelation of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, Baha'u'llah had
manuscript copies sent to Baha'is in Iran, and in the year 1308 A.H.
(1890-91 A.D.), towards the end of His life, He arranged for the
publication of the original Arabic text of the Book in Bombay.
A word should be said about the style of language in which the
Kitab-i-Aqdas has been rendered into English. Baha'u'llah enjoyed a superb
mastery of Arabic, and preferred to use it in those Tablets and other
Writings where its precision of meaning was particularly appropriate to
the exposition of basic principle. Beyond the choice of language itself,
however, the style employed is of an exalted and emotive character,
immensely compelling, particularly to those familiar with the great
literary tradition out of which it arose. In taking up his task of
translation, Shoghi Effendi faced the challenge of finding an English
style which would not only faithfully convey the exactness of the text's
meaning, but would also evoke in the reader the spirit of meditative
reverence which is a distinguishing feature of response to the original.
The form of expression he selected, reminiscent of the style used by the
seventeenth-century translators of the Bible, captures the elevated mode
of Baha'u'llah's Arabic, while remaining accessible to the contemporary
reader. His translations, moreover, are illumined by his uniquely inspired
understanding of the purport and implications of the originals.
Although both Arabic and English are languages with rich vocabularies and
varied modes of expression, their forms differ widely from one another.
The Arabic of the Kitab-i-Aqdas is marked by intense concentration and
terseness of expression. It is a characteristic of this style that if a
connotation is obvious it should not be explicitly stated. This presents a
problem for a reader whose cultural, religious and literary background is
entirely different from that of Arabic. A literal translation of a passage
which is clear in the Arabic could be obscure in English. It therefore
becomes necessary to include in the English translation of such passages
that element of the Arabic sentence which is obviously implicit in the
original. At the same time, it is vital to avoid extrapolating this
process to the point where it would add unjustifiably to the original or
limit its meaning. Striking the right balance between beauty and clarity
of expression on the one hand, and literalness on the other, is one of the
major issues with which the translators have had to grapple and which has
caused repeated reconsideration of the rendering of certain passages.
Another major issue is the legal implication of certain Arabic terms which
have a range of meanings different from those of similar terms in English.
Sacred Scripture clearly requires especial care and faithfulness in
translation. This is supremely important in the case of a Book of Laws,
where it is vital that the reader not be misled or drawn into fruitless
disputation. As had been foreseen, the translation of the Most Holy Book
has been a work of the utmost difficulty, requiring consultation with
experts in many lands. Since some one third of the text had already been
translated by Shoghi Effendi, it was necessary to strive for three
qualities in the translation of the remaining passages: accuracy of
meaning, beauty of English, and conformity of style with that used by
Shoghi Effendi.
We are now satisfied that the translation has reached a point where it
represents an acceptable rendering of the original. Nevertheless, it will
undoubtedly give rise to questions and suggestions which may shed further
light on its content. We are profoundly grateful for the assiduous and
meticulous labours of the members of the Committees whom we commissioned
to prepare and review this translation of the Aqdas and to compose the
annotations. We are confident that this first authorized English edition
of the Kitab-i-Aqdas will enable its readers to obtain at least an inkling
of the splendour of the Mother Book of the Baha'i Dispensation.
Our world has entered the dark heart of an age of fundamental change
beyond anything in all of its tumultuous history. Its peoples, of whatever
race, nation, or religion, are being challenged to subordinate all lesser
loyalties and limiting identities to their oneness as citizens of a single
planetary homeland. In Baha'u'llah's words: "The well-being of mankind,
its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is
firmly established." May the publication of this translation of the
Kitab-i-Aqdas lend a fresh impulse to the realization of this universal
vision, opening vistas of a worldwide regeneration.