Baha'u'llah and the New Era
by J.E. Esslemont
Edition 1, (September 2006)
BAHA'I TERMS OF USE
You have permission to freely make and use copies of the text and any
other information ("Content") available on this Site including printing,
emailing, posting, distributing, copying, downloading, uploading,
transmitting, displaying the Content in whole or in part subject to the
following:
1. Our copyright notice and the source reference must be attached to the
Content;
2. The Content may not be modified or altered in any way except to change
the font or appearance;
3. The Content must be used solely for a non-commercial purpose.
Although this blanket permission to reproduce the Content is given freely
such that no special permission is required, the Baha'i International
Community retains full copyright protection for all Content included at
this Site under all applicable national and international laws.
For permission to publish, transmit, display or otherwise use the Content
for any commercial purpose, please contact us
(http://reference.bahai.org/en/contact.html).
CONTENTS
Baha'i Terms of Use
Preface to 1937 Edition
Preface to 1950 Edition
Preface to 1970 Edition
Introduction
Chapter 1: The Glad Tidings
The Greatest Event in History
The Changing World
The Sun of Righteousness
The Mission of Baha'u'llah
Fulfillment of Prophecies
Proofs of Prophethood
Difficulties of Investigation
Aim of Book
Chapter 2: The Bab: The Forerunner
Birthplace of the New Revelation
Early Life
Declaration
Spread of the Babi Movement
Claims of the Bab
Persecution Increases
Martyrdom of the Bab
Tomb on Mount Carmel
Writings of Bab
He Whom God Shall Make Manifest
Resurrection, Paradise, and Hell
Social and Ethical Teachings
Passion and Triumph
Chapter 3: Baha'u'llah: The Glory of God
Birth and Early Life
Imprisoned as Babi
Exile to Baghdad
Two Years in the Wilderness
Opposition of Mullas
Declaration at Ridvan near Baghdad
Constantinople and Adrianople
Letters to Kings
Imprisonment in Akka
Restrictions Relaxed
Prison Gates Opened
Life at Bahji
Ascension
Prophethood of Baha'u'llah
His Mission
His Writings
The Baha'i Spirit
Chapter 4: 'Abdu'l-Baha: The Servant of Baha
Birth and Childhood
Youth
Marriage
Center of the Covenant
Strict Imprisonment Renewed
Turkish Commissions of Investigation
Western Tours
Return to Holy Land
War Time at Haifa
Sir 'Abdu'l-Baha Abbas, K.B.E.
Last Years
The Passing of 'Abdu'l-Baha
Writings and Addresses
Station of 'Abdu'l-Baha
Exemplar of Baha'i Life
Chapter 5: What is a Baha'i
Living the Life
Devotion to God
Search After Truth
Love of God
Severance
Obedience
Service
Teaching
Courtesy and Reverence
The Sin-covering Eye
Humility
Truthfulness and Honesty
Self-Realization
Chapter 6: Prayer
Conversation with God
The Devotional Attitude
Necessity for a Mediator
Prayer Indispensable and Obligatory
Congregational Prayer
Prayer the Language of Love
Deliverance from Calamities
Prayer and Natural Law
Baha'i Prayers
Chapter 7: Health and Healing
Body and Soul
Oneness of All Life
Simple Life
Alcohol and Narcotics
Enjoyments
Cleanliness
Effect of Obedience to Prophetic Commands
The Prophet as Physician
Healing by Nonmaterial Means
The Power of the Holy Spirit
Attitude of the Patient
The Healer
How All Can Help
The Golden Age
Right Use of Health
Chapter 8: Religious Unity
Sectarianism in the Nineteenth Century
The Message of Baha'u'llah
Can Human Nature Change?
First Steps Toward Unity
The Problem of Authority
Progressive Revelation
Infallibility of the Prophets
The Supreme Manifestation
A New Situation
Fullness of the Baha'i Revelation
The Baha'i Covenant
No Professional Priesthood
Chapter 9: True Civilization
Religion the Basis of Civilization
Justice
Government
Political Freedom
Rulers and Subjects
Appointment and Promotion
Economic Problems
Public Finance
Voluntary Sharing
Work for All
The Ethics of Wealth
No Industrial Slavery
Bequest and Inheritance
Equality of Men and Women
Women and the New Age
Methods of Violence Discarded
Education
Innate Differences of Nature
Character Training
Arts, Sciences, and Crafts
Treatment of Criminals
Influence of the Press
Chapter 10: The Way to Peace
Conflict versus Concord
The Most Great Peace
Religious Prejudices
Racial and Patriotic Prejudices
Territorial Ambitions
Universal Language
Universal League of Nations
International Arbitration
Limitation of Armaments
Nonresistence
Righteous Warfare
Unity of East and West
Chapter 11: Various Ordinances and Teachings
Monastic Life
Marriage
Divorce
The Baha'i Calendar
Spiritual Assemblies
Baha'i Feasts, Anniversaries, and Days of Fasting
Feasts
Fast
Meetings
The Nineteen Day Feast
Mashriqu'l-Adhkar
Life After Death
Heaven and Hell
Oneness of the Two Worlds
The Nonexistence of Evil
Chapter 12: Religion and Science
Conflict Due to Error
Persecution of Prophets
The Dawn of Reconciliation
The Agnosticism
Knowledge of God
The Divine Manifestations
Creation
The Evolution of Man
Body and Soul
Unity of Mankind
The Era of Unity
Chapter 13: Prophecies Fulfilled by the Baha'i Movement
Interpretation of Prophecy
The Coming of the Lord
Prophecies about Christ
Prophecies about the Bab and Baha'u'llah
The Glory of God
The Branch
The Day of God
The Day of Judgment
The Great Resurrection
Return of Christ
The Time of the End
Signs in Heaven and Earth
Manner of Coming
Chapter 14: 'Abdu'l-Baha
Creative Power of God's Word
Napoleon III
America
The Great War
Social Troubles After the War
Coming of the Kingdom of God
Akka and Haifa
Chapter 15: Retrospect and Prospect
Progress of the Cause
Prophethood of Bab and Baha'u'llah
A Glorious Prospect
Renewal of Religion
Need for New Revelation
The Last Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha
The Guardian of the Cause of God
Hands of the Cause of God
The Administrative Order
The World Order of Baha'u'llah
Epilogue
PREFACE TO 1937 EDITION
With the publication of "Baha'u'llah and the New Era" more than ten years
ago, the Baha'i Faith was given its first well-conceived, thorough
exposition by a student of the teachings. Recognizing its value as the
most satisfactory introduction to the Cause, Baha'is in both East and West
have found Dr. Esslemont's book so helpful that it has been translated
into some thirty different languages.
As Dr. Esslemont himself recognized, the Faith entered a new phase of its
history after the ascension of 'Abdu'l-Baha. The result is that the
author's views, some of them written prior to 1921, no longer, on certain
aspects of the subject, correspond to the evolutionary character of the
Faith. His treatment of events and social conditions then existing,
moreover, no longer appears fully relevant. Unavoidably, a few errors of
fact had entered his text, while his explanation of the stations of the
Bab and of 'Abdu'l-Baha have been replaced in the minds of Baha'is by the
authoritative interpretations since made by the first Guardian of the
Faith, Shoghi Effendi.
The present edition therefore represents a revision made by the American
National Spiritual Assembly, acting under the advice and approval of
Shoghi Effendi.
These revisions in no respect alter the original plan of Dr. Esslemont's
book, nor affect the major portion of his text. Their purpose has been to
amplify the author's discussion in a few passages by the addition of
material representing the fuller knowledge available since his lamented
death, and newer translations of his quotations from Baha'i Sacred
Writings.
Baha'i Publishing Committee
January 1937
PREFACE TO 1950 EDITION
With this edition the American Baha'i Publishing Committee takes over
copyright and other interests in "Baha'u'llah and the New Era" from
Messrs. George Allen & Unwin Ltd., of London, England, through whom the
late Dr. J. E. Esslemont published his famous book more than twenty years
ago. Under arrangement with the British publishers, the Committee has
since 1928 brought out eleven printings, in addition to the first American
edition imported by Brentano's of New York.
This edition does not displace the text as it has appeared since major
revision was made in the book under the direction of the Guardian of the
Faith in 1937, as the time has not come for anything like a thorough
recasting of the book to make its references to world conditions
completely contemporaneous. Dr. Esslemont's work endures as a trustworthy
introduction to the history and teachings of the Baha'i Faith. Its
translation into some thirty different languages attests its appeal to
students in the East as well as the West.
It should be added that any further revision of the text in the future is
subject to approval by Shoghi Effendi. The Committee has no authority to
pass upon revisions which may be desired by Baha'is of other countries for
their particular need.
Baha'i Publishing Committee
December 1950
PREFACE TO 1970 EDITION
Since 1937 no revision has been made to the text of Dr. Esslemont's book,
although in 1950 some minor corrections were introduced. On the other
hand, the diffusion and development of the Baha'i Faith since that time
have been tremendous, and there has been added to Baha'i bibliography a
rich legacy of incomparable expositions, translations and historical
accounts from the pen of Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Faith and the
appointed interpreter of its Sacred Writings.
It has therefore been deemed necessary to bring the book up to date in
order to maintain its usefulness for modern readers. This has been done
with a minimum of alteration to the text, and chiefly by the use of
footnotes and of an epilogue giving the current statistics and new
developments in the organic unfoldment of the Baha'i Faith.
Dr. Esslemont's book continues to be one of the most widely used
introductory books on the Baha'i Faith, as evidenced by the fact that
since 1937 the number of its translations has increased from thirty to
fifty-eight.
Baha'i Publishing Trust
INTRODUCTION
In December 1914, through a conversation with friends who had met
'Abdu'l-Baha, and the loan of a few pamphlets, I first became acquainted
with the Baha'i teachings. I was at once struck by their
comprehensiveness, power and beauty. They impressed me as meeting the
great needs of the modern world more fully and satisfactorily than any
other presentation of religion which I had come across--an impression which
subsequent study has only served to deepen and confirm.
In seeking for fuller knowledge about the movement I found considerable
difficulty in obtaining the literature I wanted, and soon conceived the
idea of putting together the gist of what I learned in the form of a book,
so that it might be more easily available for others. When communication
with Palestine was reopened after the war, I wrote to 'Abdu'l-Baha and
enclosed a copy of the first nine chapters of the book, which was then
almost complete in rough draft. I received a very kind and encouraging
reply, and a cordial invitation to visit Him in Haifa and bring the whole
of my manuscript with me. The invitation was gladly accepted, and I had
the great privilege of spending two and a half months as the guest of
'Abdu'l-Baha during the winter of 1919-1920. During this visit
'Abdu'l-Baha discussed the book with me on various occasions. He gave
several valuable suggestions for its improvement and proposed that, when I
had revised the manuscript, He would have the whole of it translated into
Persian so that He could read it through and amend or correct it where
necessary. The revisal and translation were carried out as suggested, and
'Abdu'l-Baha found time, amid His busy life, to correct some three and a
half chapters (Chapters I, II, V and part of III) before He passed away.
It is a matter of profound regret to me that 'Abdu'l-Baha was not able to
complete the correction of the manuscript, as the value of the book would
thereby have been greatly enhanced. The whole of the manuscript has been
carefully revised, however, by a committee of the National Baha'i Assembly
of England, and its publication approved by that Assembly.
I am greatly indebted to Miss E. J. Rosenberg, Mrs. Claudia S. Coles,
Mirza Lutfu'llah S. Hakim, Messrs. Roy Wilhelm and Mountfort Mills and
many other kind friends for valuable help in the preparation of the work.
As regards the transliteration of Arabic and Persian names and words, the
system adopted in this book is that recently recommended by Shoghi Effendi
for use throughout the Baha'i World.
J. E. ESSLEMONT
Fairford, Cults,
By Aberdeen.
CHAPTER 1: THE GLAD TIDINGS
The Promised One of all the peoples of the world hath appeared.
All peoples and communities have been expecting a Revelation, and
He, Baha'u'llah, is the foremost teacher and educator of all
mankind.--'ABDU'L-BAHA.
The Greatest Event in History
If we study the story of the "ascent of man" as recorded in the pages of
history, it becomes evident that the leading factor in human progress is
the advent, from time to time, of men who pass beyond the accepted ideas
of their day and become the discoverers and revealers of truths hitherto
unknown among mankind. The inventor, the pioneer, the genius, the
Prophet--these are the men on whom the transformation of world primarily
depends. As Carlyle says:--
The plain truth, very plain, we think is, that ... _one_ man that
has a higher Wisdom, a hitherto unknown spiritual Truth in him, is
stronger, not than ten men that have it not, or than ten thousand,
but than _all_ men that have it not; and stands among them with a
quite ethereal, angelic power, as with a sword out of Heaven's own
armory, sky-tempered, which no buckler, and no tower of brass,
will finally withstand.
--Signs of the Times
In the history of science, of art, of music, we see abundant illustrations
of this truth, but in no domain is the supreme importance of the great man
and his message more clearly evident than in that of religion. All down
the ages, whenever the spiritual life of men has become degenerate and
their morals corrupt, that most wonderful and mysterious of men, the
Prophet, makes His appearance. Alone against the world, without a single
human being capable of teaching, of guiding, of fully understanding Him,
or of sharing His responsibility, He arises, like a seer among blind men,
to proclaim His gospel of righteousness and truth.
Amongst the Prophets some stand out with special preeminence. Every few
centuries a great Divine Revealer--a Krishna, a Zoroaster, a Moses, a
Jesus, a Muhammad--appears in the East, like a spiritual Sun, to illumine
the darkened minds of men and awaken their dormant souls. Whatever our
views as to the relative greatness of these religion-founders we must
admit that They have been the most potent factors in the education of
mankind. With one accord these Prophets declare that the words They utter
are not from Themselves, but are a Revelation through Them, a Divine
message of which They are the bearers. Their recorded utterances abound,
too, in hints and promises of a great world teacher Who will appear "in
the fullness of time" to carry on Their work and bring it to fruition, One
Who will establish a reign of peace and justice upon earth, and bring into
one family all races, religions, nations, and tribes, that "there may be
one fold and one shepherd" and that all may know and love God "from the
least even unto the greatest."
Surely the advent of this "Educator of Mankind," in the latter days, when
He appears, must be the greatest event in human history. _And the Baha'i
Movement is proclaiming to the world the glad tidings that this Educator
has in fact appeared, that His Revelation has been delivered and recorded
and may be studied by every earnest seeker, that the "Day of the Lord" has
already dawned and the "Sun or Righteousness" arisen._ As yet only a few
on the mountaintops have caught sight of the Glorious Orb, but already its
rays are illumining heaven and earth, and erelong it will rise above the
mountains and shine with full strength on the plains and valleys too,
giving life and guidance to all.
The Changing World
That the world, during the nineteenth and the early part of the twentieth
centuries,(1) has been passing through the death pangs of an old era and
the birth pangs of a new, is evident to all. The old principles of
materialism and self-interest, the old sectarian and patriotic prejudices
and animosities, are perishing, discredited, amidst the ruins they have
wrought, and in all lands we see signs of a new spirit of faith, of
brotherhood, of internationalism, that is bursting the old bonds and
overrunning the old boundaries. Revolutionary changes of unprecedented
magnitude have been occurring in every department of human life. The old
era is not yet dead. It is engaged in a life and death struggle with the
new. Evils there are in plenty, gigantic and formidable, but they are
being exposed, investigated, challenged and attacked with new vigor and
hope. Clouds there are in plenty, vast and threatening, but the light is
breaking through, and is illumining the path of progress and revealing the
obstacles and pitfalls that obstruct the onward way.
In the eighteenth century it was different. Then the spiritual and moral
gloom that enshrouded the world was relieved by hardly a ray of light. It
was like the darkest hour before the dawn, when the few lamps and candles
that remain alight do little more than make the darkness visible. Carlyle
in his Frederick the Great writes of the eighteenth century thus:--
A century which has no history and can have little or none. A
century so opulent in accumulated falsities ... as never century
before was! Which had no longer the consciousness of being false,
so false had it grown; and was so steeped in falsity, and
impregnated with it to the very bone, that--in fact the measure of
the thing was full, and a French Revolution had to end it.... A
very fit termination, as I thankfully feel, for such a century....
For there was need once more of a Divine Revelation to the torpid,
frivolous children of men, if they were not to sink altogether
into the ape condition.--Frederick the Great, Book I, Chap. I.
Compared with the eighteenth century the present time is as the dawn after
darkness, or as the spring after winter. The world is stirring with new
life, thrilling with new ideals and hopes. Things that but a few years ago
seemed impossible dreams are now accomplished facts. Others that seemed
centuries ahead of us have already become matters of "practical politics."
We fly in the air and make voyages under the sea. We send messages around
the world with the speed of lightning. Within a few decades we have seen
miracles too numerous to mention.
The Sun of Righteousness
What is the cause of this sudden awakening throughout the world? Baha'is
believe that it is due to a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit through
the Prophet Baha'u'llah, Who was born in Persia in 1817 and passed away in
the Holy Land in 1892.
Baha'u'llah taught that the Prophet, or "Manifestation of God," is the
Light-bringer of the spiritual world, as the sun is the light-bringer of
the natural world. Just as the material sun shines over the earth and
causes the growth and development of material organisms, so also, through
the Divine Manifestation, the Sun of Truth shines upon the world of heart
and soul, and educates the thoughts, morals and characters of men. And
just as the rays of the natural sun have an influence which penetrates
into the darkest and shadiest corners of the world, giving warmth and life
even to creatures that have never seen the sun itself, so also, the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit through the Manifestation of God influences
the lives of all, and inspires receptive minds even in places and among
peoples where the name of the Prophet is quite unknown. The advent of the
Manifestation is like the coming of the Spring. It is a day of
Resurrection in which the spiritually dead are raised to new life, in
which the Reality of the Divine Religions is renewed and reestablished, in
which appear "new heavens and a new earth."
But, in the world of nature, the Spring brings about not only the growth
and awakening of new life but also the destruction and removal of the old
and effete; for the same sun, that makes the flowers to spring and the
trees to bud, causes also the decay and disintegration of what is dead and
useless; it loosens the ice and melts the snow of winter, and sets free
the flood and the storm that cleanse and purify the earth. So is it also
in the spiritual world. The spiritual sunshine causes similar commotion
and change. Thus the Day of Resurrection is also the Day of Judgment, in
which corruptions and imitations of the truth and outworn ideas and
customs are discarded and destroyed, in which the ice and snow of
prejudice and superstition, which accumulated during the season of winter,
are melted and transformed, and energies long frozen and pent up are
released to flood and renovate the world.
The Mission of Baha'u'llah
Baha'u'llah declared, plainly and repeatedly, that He was the
long-expected educator and teacher of all peoples, the channel of a
wondrous Grace that would transcend all previous outpourings, in which all
previous forms of religion would become merged, as rivers merge in the
ocean. He laid a foundation which affords a firm basis for Unity
throughout the whole world and the inauguration of that glorious age of
peace on earth, goodwill among men, of which prophets have told and poets
sung.
Search after truth, the oneness of mankind, unity of religions, of races,
of nations, of East and West, the reconciliation of religion and science,
the eradication of prejudices and superstitions, the equality of men and
women, the establishment of justice and righteousness, the setting up of a
supreme international tribunal, the unification of languages, the
compulsory diffusion of knowledge--these, and many other teachings like
these, were revealed by the pen of Baha'u'llah during the latter half of
the nineteenth century in innumerable books and epistles several of which
were addressed to the Kings and Rulers of the world.
His message, unique in its comprehensiveness and scope, is wonderfully in
accord with the signs and needs of the times. Never were the new problems
confronting men so gigantic and complex as now. Never were the proposed
solutions so numerous and conflicting. Never was the need of a great world
teacher so urgent or so widely felt. Never, perhaps, was the expectancy of
such a teacher so confident or so general.
Fulfillment of Prophecies
'Abdu'l-Baha writes:--
When Christ appeared, twenty centuries ago, although the Jews were
eagerly awaiting His Coming, and prayed ever day, with tears,
saying: "O God, hasten the Revelation of the Messiah," yet when
the Sun of Truth dawned, they denied Him and rose against Him with
the greatest enmity, and eventually crucified that divine Spirit,
the Word of God, and named Him Beelzebub, the evil one, as is
recorded in the Gospel. The reason for this was that they said:
"The Revelation of Christ, according to the clear text of the
Torah, will be attested by certain signs, and so long as these
signs have not appeared, whoso layeth claim to be a Messiah is an
impostor. Among these signs is this, that the Messiah should come
for an unknown place, yet we all know this man's house in
Nazareth, and can any good thing come out of Nazareth? The second
sign is that He shall rule with a rod of iron, that is, He must
act with the sword, but this Messiah has not even a wooden staff.
Another of the conditions and signs is this: He must sit upon the
throne of David and establish David's sovereignty. Now, far from
being enthroned, this man has not even a mat to sit on. Another of
the conditions is this: the promulgation of all the laws of the
Torah; yet this man has abrogated these laws, and has even broken
the sabbath day, although it is the clear text of the Torah that
whosoever layeth claim to prophethood and revealeth miracles and
breaketh the sabbath day, must be put to death. Another of the
signs is this, that in His reign justice will be so advanced that
righteousness and well-doing will extend from the human even to
the animal world--the snake and the mouse will share one hold, and
the eagle and the partridge one nest, the lion and the gazelle
shall dwell in one pasture, and the wolf and the kid shall drink
from one fountain. Yet now, injustice and tyranny have waxed so
great in his time that they have crucified him! Another of the
conditions is this, that in the days of the Messiah the Jews will
prosper and triumph over all the peoples of the world, but now
they are living in the utmost abasement and servitude in the
Empire of the Romans. Then how can this be the Messiah promised in
the Torah?
In this wise did they object to that Sun of Truth, although that
Spirit of God was indeed the One promised in the Torah. But as
they did not understand the meaning of these signs, they crucified
the Word of God. Now the Baha'is hold that the recorded signs did
come to pass in the Manifestation of Christ, although not in the
sense which the Jews understood, the description in the Torah
being allegorical. For instance, among the signs is that of
sovereignty. For Baha'is say that the sovereignty of Christ was a
heavenly, divine, everlasting sovereignty, not a Napoleonic
sovereignty that vanisheth in a short time. For well-nigh two
thousand years this sovereignty of Christ hath been established,
and until now it endureth, and to all eternity that Holy Being
will be exalted upon an ever-lasting throne.
In like manner all the other signs have been made manifest, but
the Jews did not understand. Although nearly twenty centuries have
elapsed since Christ appeared with divine splendor, yet the Jews
are still awaiting the coming of the Messiah and regard themselves
as true and Christ as false.--Written by 'Abdu'l-Baha for this
chapter.
Had the Jews applied to Christ He would have explained to them the true
meaning of the prophecies concerning Himself. Let us profit by their
example, and before deciding that the prophecies concerning the
Manifestation of the Latter-Day Teacher have not been fulfilled, let us
turn to what Baha'u'llah Himself has written regarding their
interpretation, for many of the prophecies are admittedly "sealed"
sayings, and the True Educator Himself is the only One Who can break the
seals and show the real meaning contained in the casket of words.
Baha'u'llah has written much in explanation of the prophecies of old, but
it is not on these that He depends for proof of His Prophethood. The sun
is its own proof, to all that have the power of perception. When it rises
we need no ancient predictions to assure us of its shining. So with the
Manifestation of God when He appears. Were all the former prophecies swept
into oblivion, He would still be His own abundant and sufficient proof to
all whose spiritual sense are open.
Proofs of Prophethood
Baha'u'llah asked no one to accept His statements and His tokens blindly.
On the contrary, He put in the very forefront of His teachings emphatic
warnings against blind acceptance of authority, and urged all to open
their eyes and ears, and use their own judgement, independently and
fearlessly, in order to ascertain the truth. He enjoined the fullest
investigation and never concealed Himself, offering, as the supreme proofs
of His Prophethood, His words and works and their effects in transforming
the lives and characters of men. The tests He proposed are the same as
those laid down by His great predecessors. Moses said:--
When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing
follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord
hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously:
thou shalt not be afraid of him.--Deut. xviii, 22.
Christ put His test just as plainly, and appealed to it in proof of His
own claim. He said:--
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing,
but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their
fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even
so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree
bringeth forth evil fruit.... Wherefore by their fruits ye shall
know them.--Matt. vii, 15-17, 20
In the chapters that follow, we shall endeavor to show whether
Baha'u'llah's claim to Prophethood stands or falls by application of these
tests: whether the things that He had spoken have followed and come to
pass, and whether His fruits have been good or evil; in other words,
whether His prophecies are being fulfilled and His ordinances established,
and whether His lifework has contributed to the education and upliftment
of humanity and the betterment of morals, or the contrary.
Difficulties of Investigation
There are, of course, difficulties in the way of the student who seeks to
get at the truth about this Cause. Like all great moral and spiritual
reformations, the Baha'i Faith has been grossly misrepresented. About the
terrible persecutions and sufferings of Baha'u'llah and His followers,
both friends and enemies are in entire agreement. About the value of the
Movement, however, and the character of its Founders, the statements of
the believers and the accounts of the deniers are utterly at variance. It
is just as in the time of Christ. Concerning the crucifixion of Jesus and
the persecution and martyrdom of His followers both Christian and Jewish
historians are in agreement, but whereas the believers say that Christ
fulfilled and developed the teachings of Moses and the prophets, the
deniers declare that He broke the laws and ordinances and was worthy of
death.
In religion, as in science, truth reveals her mysteries only to the humble
and reverent seeker, who is ready to lay aside every prejudice and
superstition--to sell all that he has, in order that he may buy the "one
pearl of great price." To understand the Baha'i Faith in its full
significance, we must undertake its study in the spirit of sincere and
selfless devotion to truth, persevering in the path of search and relying
on divine guidance. In the Writings of its Founders we shall find the
master key to the mysteries of this great spiritual awakening, and the
ultimate criterion of its value. Unfortunately, here again there are
difficulties in the way of the student who is unacquainted with the
Persian and Arabic languages in which the teachings are written. Only a
small proportion of the Writings has been translated into English, and
many of the translations which have appeared leave much to be desired,
both in accuracy and style. But despite the imperfection and inadequacy of
historical narratives and translations, the greatest essential truths
which form the massive and firm foundations of this Cause stand out like
mountains from the mists of uncertainty.(2)
Aim of Book
The endeavor in the following chapters will be to set forth, as far as
possible, fairly and without prejudice, the salient features of the
history and more especially of the teachings of the Baha'i Cause, so that
readers may be enabled to form an intelligent judgment as to their
importance, and perhaps be induced to search into the subject more deeply
for themselves.
Search after truth, however, important though it be, is not the whole aim
and end of life. The truth is no dead thing, to be placed in a museum when
found--to be labeled, classified, catalogued, exhibited and left there, dry
and sterile. It is something vital which must take root in men's hearts
and bear fruit in their lives ere they reap the full reward of their
search.
The real object, therefore, in spreading the knowledge of a prophetic
revelation is that those who become convinced of its truth may proceed to
practice its principles, to "lead the life" and diffuse the glad tidings,
thus hastening the advent of that blessed day when God's Will shall be
done on earth as it is in Heaven.