ARTICLES

Teaching

"O Friends! You must all be so ablaze in this day with the fire of the love of God that the heat thereof may be manifest in all your veins, your limbs and members of your body, and the peoples of the world may be ignited by this heat and turn to the horizon of the Beloved" (1)

Why should we teach the Faith?

Abdu'l-Baha says that today: "... the magnetic power that attracts heavenly blessings is teaching the Cause of God. Whoever arises to perform this service the armies of the angels will grant him victory" (2)

In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi it says: "Today, as never before, the magnet which attracts the blessings from on high is teaching the Faith of God. The Hosts of Heaven are poised between heaven and earth, just waiting, and patiently, for the Baha'i to step forth, with pure devotion and consecreation, to teach the Cause of God, so they may rush to his aid and assistance" (3)

and Abdu'l-Baha stresses that: "when the friends do not endeavour to spread the message, they fail to remember God befittingly, and will not witness the tokens of assistance and confirmation from the Abha Kingdom nor comprehend the divine mysteries. However, when the tongue of the teacher is engaged in teaching, he will naturally himself be stimulated, will become a magnet attracting the divine aid and bounty of the Kingdom..." (4)

We should always remember these words of Baha'u'llah: ... "seize thy chance for it shall come to thee no more" (5)

How should we teach?

In another tablet Abdu'l-Baha says: "By the Lord of the Kingdom! If one arises to promote the Word of God with a pure heart, overflowing with the love of God and severed from the world, the Lord of Hosts will assist him with such a power as will penetrate the core of the existent beings" (6)

Abdu'l-Baha describes how we should teach the Faith: "The teacher should teach as offering a gift to a king, humbly and submissively, not with force of insistence, imperiously - that is strenously - but with gentleness and sweetness: subitting the argument and truth to the heart and intellect of the hearer as the servant of God, and therefore His servant - taking care at all times to adapt the offered food to the condition and station of the listener, giving milk for babes and meat for those grown stronger" (7)

In 1914, Abdu'l-Baha named the three conditions of teaching: "The three conditions of teaching the Cause of God are the science of sociability, purity of deeds and sweetness of speech. I hope each one of you may become confirmed with these three attributes" (8)

In a letter written by Shoghi Effendi it says: "... one can hardly imagine what a great influence genuine love, truthfulness and purity of motives exert on the souls of men..." (9)

and in the words of Abdu'l-Baha: "In this day every believer must concentrate his thoughts on teaching the Faith ... O loved ones of God! Each one of the friends must teach at least one soul each year. This is everlasting glory. This is eternal grace" (10)

Consolidation

We must never forget: "... that consolidation is an essential and inseperable element of teaching ..." (11)

In 1974 the Universal House of Justice wrote: ..."true consolidation is to ensure that the love of Baha'u'llah and devotion to His Faith are firmly rooted in the hearts of the believers; this is the essential foundation for the subsequent addition of increased knowledge of the Teachings and the development of the Baha'i way of life." (12)

In 1981, the Universal House of Justice wrote to all National Spiritual Assemblies: "Consolidation ... is that aspect of teaching which assists the believers to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the Teachings, and fans the flame of their devotion of Baha'u'llah and His Cause, so that they will, of their own volition, continue the process of their spiritual development promote the teaching work, and strengthen the functioning of their administrative institutions" (13)

Compiled by Susanne Raum-Galitello

1) Baha'u'llah, Compilation of Compilations, vol 2 p293
2) Abdu'l-Baha, Star of the West vol XII, p177
3) From a letter dated 28th Mar 1953 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, compilation of Compilations p318
4) Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, Sec 211, pp267-68
5) Baha'u'llah, The Hidden Words, Persian, no 40
6) Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha, vol 2 p348
7) Abdu'l-Baha, Star of the West, vol III, no 19, p8
8) Abdu'l-Baha, Star of the West, vol XII, no 11, p177
9) Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i News, no 243, May 1951, p8
10) From a tablet, translated from the Persian, Compilation of Compilations, p301
11) From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to all Continental Pioneer Committees, 6th Apr 1981: Teaching and Commitment, a compilation of the Universal House of Justice
12) From a letter of the Universal House of Justice, 3rd Nov 1974, Lights of Guidance p594
13) From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to all NSAs, 17th Apr 1981, Lights of Guidance p595

Frankly speaking ... Backbiting ... a personal view

Backbiting means discussing the faults of others in their absence. Speaking about others in a manner that focuses on their faults and defames their characters. In everyday language this is what is called gossip or at the work place backstabbing. Abdu'l-Baha says of backbiting: "The worst human quality and the most great sin is backbiting, more especially when it emanates from the tongues of the believers of God" (1)

Religious scriptures of various faiths have, over the years, addressed this human failing. The Faith is no exception - backbiting is forbidden in the strongest of terms. Baha'u'llah, in The Hidden Words says: "O Son of Man! Breathe not the sins of others so long as thou art thyself a sinner. Shouldst thou transgress this command, accursed wouldst thou be, and to this I bear witness" (2) And again, "O Son of Being! How couldst thou forget thine own faults and busy thyself with the faults of others? Whoso doeth this is accursed of Me" (3) In another quotation we read: "... The tongue I have designed for mention of Me, defile it not with detraction. If the fire of self overcome you, remember your own faults and not the faults of My creatures ..." (4)

The fire of the tongue devoureth both heart and soul

All the past dispensations have addressed this issue, weighty counsels and admonitions have been revealed, yet man in his ignorance, has continued to commit this grievous error. So damaging is backbiting that Baha'u'llah in His description of the characteristics of a true seeker, wrote, "He must never seek to exalt himself above any one ... observe silence, and refrain from idle talk. For the tongue is a smouldering fire, excess of speech a deadly poison. Material fire consumeth the body, whereas the fire of the tongue devoureth both heart and soul." He continues, "That seeker should also regard backbiting as grievous error, keep himself aloof from its dominion, inasmuch backbiting quencheth the light of the heart and extinguisheth the life of the soul." (5)

Would we wish to confide in those who backbite?

Why is this admonition made in the strongest of terms? We are told that The tongue is a smouldering fire and excess of speech a deadly poison . There are many reasons why backbiting might be referred to as a deadly poison. Backbiting causes an estrangement among the three people/groups involved - the backbiter, the listener and the victim. Would we wish to confide in those who backbite about important issues or about ourselves? For the listener, previous feelings of trust, oneness, friendship, liking and respect for the victim and the backbiter may be called into question depending on how we perceive what has been said. We may feel a sense of guilt and confusion towards the persons in question. In addition, we may be unsure as to its accuracy and validity and we may have been privy to highly confidential information. But remember, even if what is said against another person be true, the mentioning of his faults to others still comes under the category of backbiting and is forbidden.

What are the causes of backbiting? A layman's practical and psychological point of view would be that to some people backbiting is used as a mechanism to help them cope with their insecurities, their void, their feelings of powerlessness and rejection. Like smoking, it is a habit that everyone knows is unhealthy, yet a lot of people may use it to cope with boredom, tension, and insecurity and it helps them savour moments of relaxation and feel equal in social situations. Backbiting may be used in this way but with serious spiritual consequences. Deep seated feelings of insecurity may make us feel vulnerable and unable to protect ourselves, physically or psychologically, we may tend to attack other people and therefore achieve a false sense of security.

Most of us do not have the training to communicate effectively

On the other hand, jealousy can also trigger backbiting. Success in the affairs of another may cause us to be envious. It shouldn't be so. How often do we hear this "They think they are better than us because they've got ..."? From the Writings we find this admonition, "O Son of Earth! Know, verily, the heart wherein the least remnant of envy yet lingers, shall never attain My everlasting dominion, nor inhale the sweet savours of holiness breathing from My kingdom of sanctity" (6). Lack of positive communication also plays a role in fanning the flames of gossiping. No matter what our background, most of us do not have the training to effectively communicate our deepest thoughts and feelings. If we are hurt by anyone we should talk to the person directly in a calm and relaxed manner and become comfortable together rather than discuss the issue with other people. By no means should we make others the object of derision and scornful laughter.

Many of us may suffer from some sort of complex, in this case inferiority. We mask our feelings by backbiting to obtain a false sense of superiority. The backbiter speaks against someone we may have admiration for to win our favour, or simply to put someone else down. We should be able to admit to ourselves when we feel threatened and try to deal with it.

We might recognise some of the following as motivating factors for letting our tongues loose in speaking ill of others:

dislike for somebody for a reason, perceived or otherwise, which we do not understand
feelings of revenge or fear towards somebody,
boredom - nothing better to talk about
feelings of jealousy
feeling that we are more successful than they are
feeling inferior
habit or something we have learned from family or culture and therefore perceive as "normal" prejudice
(there is something about a person that we dislike - race, looks, personality, aura, sex or sexuality, or the way we feel around them) they might remind us of someone we have had a bad experience with.

We must not break the confidentiality of Spiritual Assembly meetings

So when is talking about others acceptable? A distinction should be made between backbiting and speaking about others - even their faults - in an ethical manner. There may be instances when we are asked to discuss negative actions of others, for example, at a Local Spiritual Assembly meeting (with the good of the community and the individual in mind), at work (eg staff disputes or bad behaviour), a media reporter pursuing a story, a doctor discussing a patient, etc. Motivation, intention and context are keys to what constitutes backbiting. Formality, confidentiality and maturity should govern these types of communications about others. We must not break confidentiality by talking about what we have discussed in Assembly meetings, outside of that context.

As Baha'is should we be so tight-lipped that we dare not talk about other people? Friends and acquaintances may share good and bad news about others. This may not be backbiting. If it's good news so much the better. If it's bad news, such as a divorce, a lost job or some misfortune, it may easily turn into backbiting. The results of our conversations should not be to create alienation, division or estrangement, but to nurture amity and concord. A strong feeling of guilt for what we have done to others may ignite backbiting so as to assure ourselves and others that we did the right thing, that we are right and someone else is wrong. We may backbite because of a habit developed, probably from the company we keep or kept.

Develop a habit of praising people ... "transformation" is the word

Develop a habit of praising people both directly and to others. If you find yourself addicted or simply cannot resist the habit of backbiting, remain aware of it and substitute it with a more useful habit. Undergo a "spiritual therapy" by immersing yourself in the Writings, "transformation" is the word. When you experience feelings of hurt, take responsibility for the problem and stop blaming other people. Communicate directly to the person by whom you feel hurt and clarify the nature of the problem before it becomes backbiting. Try to understand the pain and spiritual struggle of the person who may have caused the hurt, forgive and consciously wish them well. If we realise we are backbiting, we must simply stop and consider: "I think I am backbiting." If we find ourselves listening to gossip then we should ask politely: "Aren't we backbiting?" Try to decide together to stop.

A letter written on behalf of the Guardian to the Baha'is of the British Isles, (11th Feb 1925) reads: "It is obvious that if we listen to those who complain to us about the faults of others we are guilty of complicity in their backbiting. We should therefore, as tactfully as possible, but yet firmly, do our utmost to prevent others from making accusations or complaints against others in our presence." (7)

Man must be a lover of light no matter from what dayspring it may appear

In conclusion, by not confronting even our loved ones for something wrong they may have done to us, we may start to backbite. Unfulfilled potential on our part, sparked by observing others progress should not be a problem to us once we accept who we are. If someone wrongs you it is not because he/she is black or white, male or female. It is because it is a human weakness that can come to anyone. "Be just and fair-minded", says Baha'u'llah, and Abdu'l-Baha's words remind us "Man must be a lover of light no matter from what dayspring it may appear. He must be a lover of the rose no matter in what soil it may be growing. He must be a seeker of truth no matter from what source it comes." (8) Try and be a Baha'i.

Aziz Maher Golova First published in Baha'i Youth the Baha'i World Centre magazine, June 1992 (ammended for this publication)

1) Lights of Guidance, no 305, p88 (BPT India)
2) The Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah, Arabic no 27
3) Ibid, no 26
4) Ibid, Persian no 66
5) The Kitab-i-Iqan, Baha'u'llah, pp123-124. 3rd edition (BPT UK)
6) The Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah, Persian no 6
7) Lights of Guidance, no 325, p94 (BPT India)
8) Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp151-152