Posted by Salik on October 21, 1998 at 22:03:27:
In Reply to: Re: Why did you choose Bahaism over Islam? posted by Richard on October 06, 1998 at 14:54:59:
: Dear Salik:
: I thought it good to add an addition to my earlier post, having run out of time.
: As I mentioned, I was reared a Christian, and with that Christian upbringing was included an understanding of Judaism as the mother faith of Christianity. As Christians we honored the Jewish Torah as the Old Testament from God and the Gospel as God's new Testament. When in 1959 I heard of Baha'u'llah and the Baha'i Faith, I quickly overcame any reservations and accepted Baha'u'llah's proclamation to be the Return of Christ in the glory of the Father. Through the Sacred Scriptures of the Baha'i Faith, I found myself able to accept and believe in the Holy Qur'an as the Word of God, as His newer Testament, supersiding that of the Torah and the Gospel. My maturation in understanding the revelation of Baha'u'llah made me see the Holy Qur'an as an Old Testament vis a vis the Baha'i Holy Scriptures.
: The question you posed suggested that the Baha'is lack good reason for distinguishing themselves from Islam. It is precisely because God has renewed revelation through the Bab and through Baha'u'llah that we are called into faith as Baha'is. Muslims distinguish themselves from Christians for the same reasons: Jesus had been fulfilled in the person of Muhammad Who revealed the Holy Qur'an. To argue that the Christians were not ready to accept a new Messenger is to call into question the prerogative of God to send humanity His Messengers. To argue that the Muslims divided the Christian community by insisting upon following Muhammad is what God does in every age when He sends a new Messenger: the faithful are divided from others.
: Again I strongly urge you to read the "Kitab-i-Iqan' the Book of Certitude by Baha'u'llah where human hearts are set at rest on such issues.
: Regards,
: Richard
Richard,
I just saw your response. Interesting argument. I am sure your beautiful intentions are just that. However,
I have read the Kitab-i Iqan in translation and compared it to the farsi terms of the original and the arabic origin of some
of those key terms. It is the western ideas taken out of context which has created, what I believe, is a false dichotomy between
Islam and the Baha'i Faith. Baha' Allah himself (ra) was a Muslim. It is that historical fact which makes me question the need for
Baha'is to remain outside of the loop. One must place the revelation (inspiration) of the Bab and Baha' Allah within the irfani (gnostic)
traditions they belonged to, Shaykhism and Sufism, respectively. Again, in the context of those writings the inspiration is that of mystical
insight not that of the Judgement which Isa bin Maryam (Jesus Christ) is to usher in at the Eschaton. I encourage all to study the mystic tradition of
Islam to deepen one's understanding of the writings. And, Inshallah, if you come to the same conclusion I have come to then I would deeply enjoy seeing you
in the Mosques and the Sufi Halls.
Peace,
Salik
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