Bahá'ísm and Its Claims:
A Study of the Religion Promulgated by Baha Ullah and Abdul Baha

by Samuel Graham Wilson

I have scanned and corrected this work, from the 1970 reprint of the original 1915 edition, because the work has become hard to obtain, at least in Europe. Page numbers are at the top of each page.

I have not felt that the work warrants the time required to correct the electronic text word-for-word, and the user is warned that there may be minor errors. In particular the footnote numbers in the original are so small, and the layout of the footnotes on the page so various, that there is a good chance that note numbers have been omitted or assigned to the wrong note, although the notes should at least be on the correct page.

The user should be warned that Wilson's work is frankly hostile and unscientific in its use of sources. The scientific method requires a researcher not only to look for evidence that supports his or her thesis, but also to look for counter-evidence, and to deal with it fairly. Wilson on the other hand seizes on a single citation or piece of historical evidence that can be used to support a negative view, while ignoring ten times as much contrary evidence. After working closely with the text, I have to say that I find it impossible to believe that the author writes in good faith. He must have been aware that he was spreading deliberate distortions. Distortions of this kind have not been remarked on in the text. The user must take this as a general warning. Because of what appears to be a deliberately selective use of sources, no statement made by Wilson about the Bahá'í teachings or history can be relied on.

There are also errors in good faith, where Wilson has been mislead by a bad translation or has simply not known some fact. In some cases I have added a note in square brackets [** ] by way of amendment. Often the same translation or ignorance has led the Bahá'ís of Wilson's day to the same conclusions, as can be seen in his citations from early Bahá'í authors. A complete inventory of these honest errors is impossible, but I would gladly add any that readers may detect, both to redeem Wilson's reputation as far as can be, and because of the insight it gives us into the materials available to the Bahá'ís of his time and how they were read.

In many places the author's own doctrinal position and apologetic intent have lead to distorted interpretations and frankly illogical arguments. No effort has been made to point these out, since they are obvious enough. No writer is free of such biases, and (as Islamic theologians often conclude) 'God knows best'.

Square brackets have been used to mark editorial additions. In the few cases where Wilson himself had used square brackets, these have been changed to parentheses ( ). [-S.M., July 2000]

Introduction