We are going to conclude the short series of introductory essays on the Baha’i Faith and the Revelation of Baha’u’llah with several installments that outline the basic social and spiritual teachings Baha’u’llah proclaimed to “save the world”.  These ideas are as relevant and compelling now as they were when they were first enunciated. Baha’u’llah came in the 19th century, a century rife with paralyzing divisions, but also a time of immense potential and transformation.  Most of the basis of our modern civilization was laid or solidified in that century.  It was also the century in which a rich and beautiful new revelation of God unfolded itself before humanity. 

Whenever someone gives a talk, at an academic conference or other settings, there is invariably a host who first welcomes everyone and then introduces the speaker. Oftentimes, these introductions take the form of reciting the speaker’s accomplishments, titles, and so forth- reasons that they are particularly worthy to give such a presentation.  Ultimately, the introduction is intended to convince you that you should pay attention to the speaker and the content they will deliver. 

When a new Manifestation of God comes into the world, they are often devoid of any of the “worldly titles” that tend to draw peoples attention.  Imagine if we were to introduce Christ to an audience of his contemporaries.  We would have nothing to say of His worldly titles.  He was not rich or known to have scholastic accomplishments. He didn’t write a book or lead an army.  There was nothing to acclaim His message except the power and truth of His own words.  This was true of every Manifestation of God we know of.  ‘Abdu’l-Baha’, Baha’u’llah’s son, once wrote that the Manifestations of God come into the world “dressed in nothing but their own poverty”. 

The host who introduced Baha’u’llah to the world was the herald-prophet known as the “The Báb”- a 26 yo merchant from Shiraz Iran, who, without any theological training or accomplishment, turned his country on end with His claim to be a Prophet of God.  The Báb’s story is absolutely fascinating.  In His early teachings, He presented his religion within the context of the theological world view of the time. Once he had gained an audience, numbering thousands of people, many of whom were so attracted to him that they would willingly give their lives, He pivoted all his teachings to the One who would come after Him.  His later writings are a single song of praise for the Manifestation of God who would soon come into the world and transform our conceptions radically.  Once He had the attention of an entire country, he funneled it all to the transformative figure he was sent to herald- Baha’u’llah. 

The Báb was introducing the speaker. He was telling us why we should pay attention- who the Speaker was in relation to us and to Him.  He did that through theological and philosophical explanation, but also through some truly remarkable passages, like this one- 

When the Day-Star of Bahá will shine resplendent above the horizon of eternity it is incumbent upon you to present yourselves before His Throne. Beware lest ye be seated in His presence or ask questions without His leave….Ye have, one and all, been called into being to seek His presence and to attain that exalted and glorious station. Indeed, He will send down from the heaven of His mercy that which will benefit you, and whatever is graciously vouchsafed by Him shall enable you to dispense with all mankind. Verily on that Day the learning of the learned shall prove of no avail, neither the accomplishments of the exponents of knowledge, nor the pomp of the highly honoured, nor the power of the mighty, nor the remembrance of the devout, nor the deeds of the righteous, nor the genuflexion of the kneeling worshipper, nor his prostration or turning towards the Qiblih, nor the honour of the honoured, nor the kinship of the highly born, nor the nobility of those of noble descent, nor the discourse of the eloquent, nor the titles of the prominent—none of these shall be of any avail unto them—inasmuch as all these and whatever else ye have known or comprehended were created by His word of command ‘Be’ and it is.

The Báb was executed by the Persian authorities, at the behest of the clergy, because his movement was thought to be a threat to the government, despite the fact that the Báb had written Tablets to the King emphasizing that He had no desire for worldly leadership. His mission was only to prepare the way for the One who would come after.  On the eve of His death, He revealed passages such as this one-

I, verily, have not fallen short of My duty to admonish that people, and to devise means whereby they may turn towards God, their Lord, and believe in God, their Creator. If, on the day of His Revelation, all that are on earth bear Him allegiance, Mine inmost being will rejoice, inasmuch as all will have attained the summit of their existence, and will have been brought face to face with their Beloved, and will have recognized, to the fullest extent attainable in the world of being, the splendour of Him Who is the Desire of their hearts. If not, My soul will indeed be saddened. I truly have nurtured all things for this purpose. How, then, can anyone be veiled from Him? For this have I called upon God, and will continue to call upon Him. He, verily, is nigh, ready to answer.

Nineteen years after the Báb had initiated His movement, Baha’u’llah formally declared Himself to be the Promise the Báb had foretold.  As a result of the Báb’s teaching, most of His followers almost immediately accepted Baha’u’llah and He molded that community into a new creation over the ensuing decades of His Revelation.  In place of division and discord, he taught them to be united.  Whole communities of Jews and Zoroastrians became Baha’is, and together with former Muslims, they would meet in secret to study the new Word of God and implement it in their families and communities. People who would normally not even associate in public life were now meeting together in secret, offering their possessions and even their lives for each other. 

While Baha’u’llah was molding the new community internally, He simultaneously announced His mission and teachings to the rest of humanity with Tablets and Letters to every significant government and religious authority on the planet.  These “Tablets to the Kings” form the proclamation of Baha’u’llah, both announcing the new Revelation, but also providing an overview of the social teachings that would underly His Revelation and unfold in more detail in the ensuing decades.  Like the passages from the Báb, the Tablets to the Kings contain equally compelling statements of divine authority-

Ye are but vassals, O Kings of the earth! He Who is the King of kings hath appeared, arrayed in His most wondrous glory, and is summoning you unto Himself, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Take heed lest pride deter you from recognizing the Source of Revelation; lest the things of this world shut you out as by a veil from Him Who is the Creator of heaven. Arise, and serve Him Who is the Desire of all nations, Who hath created you through a word from Him, and ordained you to be, for all time, the emblems of His sovereignty.

For many who have come from Christian backgrounds, reading the passages addressed to Christians is eye-opening, as they clearly demonstrate the remarkable and compelling nature of His claim.

O people of the Gospel! They who were not in the Kingdom have now entered it, whilst We behold you, in this day, tarrying at the gate. Rend the veils asunder by the power of your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Bounteous, and enter, then, in My name My Kingdom. Thus biddeth you He Who desireth for you everlasting life… We behold you, O children of the Kingdom, in darkness. This, verily, beseemeth you not. Verily, He (Jesus) said: ‘Come ye after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.’ In this day, however, We say: ‘Come ye after Me, that We may make you to become quickeners of mankind.’

In this next passage, Baha’u’llah abolishes monasticism and priesthood! He then states that confessions of sins before human beings is no longer permitted. 

The pious deeds of the monks and priests among the followers of the Spirit (Christ)…are remembered in His presence. In this Day, however, let them give up the life of seclusion and direct their steps towards the open world and busy themselves with that which will profit themselves and others. We have granted them leave to enter into wedlock that they may bring forth one who will make mention of God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen, the Lord of the Exalted Throne.

When the sinner findeth himself wholly detached and freed from all save God, he should beg forgiveness and pardon from Him. Confession of sins and transgressions before human beings is not permissible, as it hath never been nor will ever be conducive to divine forgiveness. Moreover such confession before people results in one’s humiliation and abasement, and God—exalted be His glory—wisheth not the humiliation of His servants. Verily He is the Compassionate, the Merciful.

We don’t cite these passages to be controversial, but to truthfully state the extraordinary claims of Baha’u’llah as He Himself enunciated them.  He spoke with the Voice of God throughout His Revelation, with a compelling and powerful tone.  It is the combination of those extraordinary claims with the simultaneous reasonability, coherence, and uplifting nature of his teachings that makes Baha’u’llah so intriguing to any reflective reader.

After Baha’u’llah, his son ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ would then come to North America and Europe, where he would further expand on Baha’u’llah’s teachings to a Western audience.  In churches and synagogues, philosophical societies and social organizations, ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ proclaimed the oneness of humanity, encouraged the investigation of truth so that humanity would no longer be fettered by the prejudices of the past, and outlined with more specifics Baha’u’llah’s teachings. Taken all together, these represent God’s “divine prescription” for how we can save our world. Baha’u’llah described himself as a “physician” prescribing a remedy. 

The All-Knowing Physician hath His finger on the pulse of mankind. He perceiveth the disease, and prescribeth, in His unerring wisdom, the remedy. Every age hath its own problem, and every soul its particular aspiration. The remedy the world needeth in its present-day afflictions can never be the same as that which a subsequent age may require. Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and center your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements…We can well perceive how the whole human race is encompassed with great, with incalculable afflictions. We see it languishing on its bed of sickness, sore-tried and disillusioned. They that are intoxicated by self-conceit have interposed themselves between it and the Divine and infallible Physician…Incline your ears to the sweet melody of this Prisoner. Arise, and lift up your voices, that haply they that are fast asleep may be awakened. Say: O ye who are as dead! The Hand of Divine bounty proffereth unto you the Water of Life. Hasten and drink your fill. Whoso hath been re-born in this Day, shall never die; whoso remaineth dead, shall never live.

This “divine prescription” contained remarkable elements, elements that were not traditionally  associated with religion but Baha’u’llah proclaimed were essential to the peace of the world.  Among them were universal education, reduction of the extremes of wealth and poverty, the education of women and full participation in the functions of society, the investigation of truth with an open and unbiased mind- a mind not limited by tradition or traditional assumptions.  He called upon world leaders to “reconcile their differences” and initiate a plan for collective security that would ensure the peace of the planet. 

Baha’u’llah urged us to “be anxiously concerned with the age in which ye live”. When we look around our world, we see it continues to be beset with many of the same problems that were present in the 19th century- marked disparities between the rich and poor, both on the levels of individuals and countries, the hoarding of wealth, rising nationalism, lack of a vision of world solidarity, and the continued oppression of women and minorities.  We have made great progress on many issues, and we will see that much of this progress is because humanity, even without specific knowledge of Baha’u’llah’s teachings, applied His principles to humanity’s problems- often after suffering the devastation of neglecting them first. 

 In the following installments of this essay entitled “How to Save the World”, we will outline these principles and how they unfolded within the Revelation of Baha’u’llah and also how they continue to apply to our modern world.