Baha’ism and Investigating the Truth

Second Perspective
Part - 1

Baha’ism and Investigating the Truth

Did the leaders of Baha’ism try to spread, seek, and accept the truth, or did they—and do they still—try to hide and deny it?

1- How Baha’is View Reason and Knowledge

To investigate the truth, one must use reason and knowledge to reach logical conclusions on the matters being investigated. Bahā’u’llāh claims that one’s reason and knowledge are invalid unless one becomes a Baha’i. He says:

The general criterion is what we mentioned and any soul who has success in it, meaning recognizes and realizes the Sunrise of Manifestation (meaning himself), will be mentioned in the Divine Book as someone who possesses reason or else he will be (mentioned as) ignorant even if he himself thinks that his reason equals that of the whole world. (39 `Abd a l-Ḥamīd Ishrāq Khāwarī, Mā’idiy-i āsimānī (Tehran: Mu’assisiyi Millī Maṭbū`āt Amrī, 129 Badī`), vol. 7, p. 160.)

He also claims that, in contrast to previous revelations in which people could not understand some of the laws brought forth, in Baha’ism everything is quite clear, and whoever denies its revelations completely lacks reason:

No one has denied or will deny what has been revealed by the Ancient Pen (meaning himself) in this Most Great Manifestation regarding society, unity, manners, rites, and being occupied with what has benefits for the people, except that he completely lacks reason. (Bahā’u’llāh, Iqtidārāt wa chand lauḥ dīgar, (n.p.: n.p., n.d.), p. 168.)

Furthermore, Bahā’u’llāh and `Abdu’l-Bahā claim that reason serves the purpose of recognizing God:

The first grace that has been bestowed on the human body is reason and its purpose is the recognition of the Truth (meaning God) Exalted be His Glory.

(Bahā’u’llāh, Muntakhabātī az āthār Ḥaḍrat Bahā’u’llāh (Langenhain [Germany]: Lajniyi Millī Nashr Āthār Amrī Bi Zabānhayi Fārsī wa `Arabī, 141 Badī`), p. 127. The official Baha’i translation reads: “First and foremost among these favors, which the Almighty hath conferred upon man, is the gift of understanding. His purpose in conferring such a gift is none other except to enable His creature to know and recognize the one true God—exalted be His glory,” Bahā’u’llāh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahā’u’llāh (US Bahā’ī Publishing Trust, 1990 [pocket-size edition]), p. 194.)

If you seek the recognition of God . . . refer to the arguments (put forward by) reason and narrations. 

(`Abdu’l-Bahā, Makātīb (Tehran: Mu’assisiyi Millī Maṭbū`āt Amrī, 134 B.), vol. 8, pp. 119 -120.)

However when Bahā’u’llāh refers to Bābīs that have not accepted his authority he claims that this is not the case:

Know that today, that which has reached your reason or will reach it, or is perceived by the reasons of [those with intellects] superior or inferior to yours, none are the criterion for recognizing the Truth (meaning God) and will never be.

 (Bahā’u’llāh, Badī` (Tehran: n.p., n.d.), p. 286.)

Essentially, reason is a useless tool unless it is used to reach the conclusion that Baha’ism is a great religion that must be followed. Bahā’u’llāh has similar teachings regarding knowledge and claims that those who do not become Baha’is are ignorant even if they possess all the knowledge on earth:

If today, someone grasps all of the knowledge on earth but stops at the word ‘yes’ (meaning does not become a Baha’i), the Lord will not pay attention to him (ladī l-Ḥaqq madhkūr na) and he will be considered as the most ignorant amongst the people. 

(Bahā’u’llāh, Iqtidārāt wa chand lauḥ dīgar, p. 111.)

From now on nobody is to be called knowledgeable, except those who have decorated themselves with the garment of this New Affair (meaning those who have become Baha’is). (Bahā’u’llāh, Badī`, pp. 138–139.)

Thus, if a very knowledgeable scholar pauses and hesitates about acknowledging Baha’ism, he is considered among the most ignorant of the people.

Do these statements from the founder of Baha’ism agree with the notion of accepting and seeking the truth? Do Baha’is tell the world that their leader believes that those who do not become Baha’is lack reason and are ignorant?

It appears that reason is a tool that is only useful for reaching Baha’ism. Once someone embraces the faith, he must stop using his reason.

In Baha’ism, it is taught that every person must choose their beliefs after reaching the age of religious maturity (15 years for both girls and boys) 

(“A question [was asked] about the age of religious maturity; answer: maturity is in the fifteenth year and both men and women are the same regarding this matter,” `Abd a l-Ḥamīd Ishrāq Khāwarī, Ganjīniy-i ḥudūd wa aḥkām, 3rd ed. (Tehran: Mu’assisiyi Millī Maṭbū`āt Amrī, 128 B.), p. 14.)

Bahā’u’llāh says:

When humans attain the rank of [religious] maturity they must investigate . . . and [they] must hear and see with their own ears and eyes. (`Abd al-Ḥamīd Ishrāq Khāwarī, Payām-i malakūt, p. 11 (citing Bahā’u’llāh).)

Bahā’u’llāh claims that the ears and eyes are the same as reason. (“The soul, reason, spirit, ears, and eyes are all one but they are different in their instruments,” Bahā’u’llāh, Āthār-i Qalam-i A`lā (Canada: Mu’assisiyi Ma`ārif Bahā’ī, 1996), vol. 1, no. 3, p. 112.) 

Based on these words, one would be lead to believe that Baha’is are to investigate the truth using their reason once they become mature. Unfortunately, when Bahā’u’llāh explains how the truth must be investigated it becomes clear that this is not the case. Bahā’u’llāh expects his followers to shut down their reason and imitate him with complete blindness, deafness, and ignorance:

Become blind so that you see my face, become deaf so that you hear my pleasant tone and voice, become ignorant so that you get a share of my knowledge, and become poor so that you can take an everlasting portion from the sea of my eternal riches. ‘Become blind’ means [see] nothing but my beauty and ‘become deaf’ means [hear] nothing but my words and ‘become ignorant’ means [have no knowledge] but my knowledge, so that with a pure eye and clean heart and fine ear you come to my sanctified realm. (Bahā’u’llāh, Ad`iyyih-i ḥaḍrat-i maḥbūb (Egypt: Published by Faraj-Allāh Dhakī al-Kurdī, 1339 AH), pp. 427–428. This is the Official Baha’i translation for these words: “Blind thine eyes, that thou mayest behold My beauty; stop thine ears, that thou mayest hearken unto the sweet melody of My voice; empty thyself of all learning, that thou mayest partake of My knowledge; and sanctify thyself from riches, that thou mayest obtain a lasting share from the ocean of My eternal wealth. Blind thine eyes, that is, to all save My beauty; stop thine ears to all save My word; empty thyself of all learning save the knowledge of Me; that with a clear vision, a pure heart and an attentive ear thou mayest enter the court of My holiness,” Bahā’u’llāh, The Hidden Words of Bahā’u’llāh (US Bahā’ī Publishing Trust, 1985 [reprint]), p. 25.)

He further says:

No pleasure has been created in the world greater than listening to the verses [brought by Bahā’u’llāh] and understanding their meanings and not objecting to or questioning any of the words and comparing them with the words of others. (Bahā’u’llāh, Badī`, p. 145.)

These words are in no way justifiable. By this account, the leaders of Baha’ism want their followers to be like sheep (Bahā’u’llāh and `Abdu’l-Bahā have in numerous places referred to their followers as Aghnām Allāh (Sheep of God) that close their eyes and ears to anything other than the words of their leaders and only listen to their utterances, make no objections, and refrain from comparing them with the words of others. What kind of truth seeking requires one to become blind, deaf, and ignorant, and only entrust their heart to the claimant of truth, so that they enter his sanctified realm?

In the Baha’i faith, one must turn reason into a blindfold—instead of using it as a light to illuminate one’s path—and follow Bahā’u’llāh to wherever he wishes to take him. The Quran—the same book that Bahā’u’llāh had adhered to for years—had clearly warned about having such beliefs:

Say: “Are the blind and seeing equal? Do you not contemplate?” (Quran, 6:50.)

Those that preach these beliefs to non-Baha’is with great enthusiasm, never tell their audience that if they don’t accept this creed they will be considered to be ignorant people who lack reason, and if they do, they must shut down their reason and blindly imitate Bahā’u’llāh.