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‘Irfán Colloquium Sixty-Fifth Session
and
Seminar on the Writings of the
Báb and `Abdu’l-Bahá
Section IV
Louhelen Bahá’í School Davison, Michigan
October 7-10, 2005
`Irfán Colloquium Session One Hundred-and-Sixteenth
JUBILEE CELEBRATION Establishment of the
Universal House of Justice
PROGRAM
AND ABSTRACTS
Bosch Bahá´í School Santa Cruz, California May 30 – June 2, 2013
`Irfán Colloquium
The Haj Mehdi Arjmand Memorial Fund was
established in 1992 to honor Haj Mehdi Arjmand
(1861-1941) and is dedicated to promoting the
scholarly study of the Bahá’í Faith. Haj Mehdi
Arjmand was a Persian scholar and teacher of the
Bahá’í Faith who became well known in Iran for his
profound knowledge of the Bible, Qur’an, and Bahá’í
scriptures. The primary activity of the Fund is
sponsoring `Irfán Colloquium and its publications.
In 2012, benefiting from the guidance received
from the Universal House of Justice, a management
board was appointed for this fund to function as a
Bahá’í agency under the direction of the National
Spiritual Assembly of the United States and sponsor
`Irfán Colloquia, presently held in North America and
Western Europe in English, Persian and German
languages.
The `Irfán Colloquium aims at promoting and
supporting systematic studies of fundamental principles
of the Bahá’í beliefs, the Writings of the Central
Figures of the Bahá’í Faith, the interface of the Bahá’í
Faith with intellectual schools of thought and religious
traditions, and looking at current challenges in human
society from the Bahá’í perspective. `Irfán is a Persian
word referring to mystical, theological and spiritual
knowledge.
As of October 2012 one hundred and fourteen
sessions of colloquia have been held. Papers in English
presented or received at the `Irfán Colloquia are
annually published in a series of volumes of the Lights
of `Irfán.
`Irfán Colloquium One-Hundred-and-Sixteenth Session
May 30 – June2, 2013
Thursday May 30, 2013 4: 00PM – Registration
6: 00PM – Dinner
7: 30PM – 8:00 PM
Opening Prayers
Word of Welcome
School Administrator
Welcoming Remarks
Sholeh Quinn (English Program Coordinator)
Soheila Afnani / Bahia Farahi (Persian Program
Coordinators)
Introducing Participants
8:00 – 9:00 PM
`Irfán Colloquium: Program and Activiies
Iraj Ayman
(English Language Sessions will be held at Seminar Room 1,
and Persian Language Sessions at Martha Root Hall) 9:30 – 9:45 PM
The Last Refuge
Fifty years of the Ministry of the
Universal House of Justice
Shahbaz Fatheazam
9:45 - 10:30 PM
Open Dialogue
10:30 – 11:00
Bookshop Café
11:00 Campus Closes
Friday, May 31, 2013 7:00 -7:30 AM
Mashriqu'l-Adhkár
Martha Root Hall 7:30 – 8:30 AM
Breakfast
8:30 – 9:15 AM
Finding a Trace of the Traceless Friend -
Reflection on Bahá’í Scholarship as a Journey
in the Valley of Search
Wolfgang Klebel
9:15 – 9:30 AM
Discussion
10:00 – 10:45 AM
Religion, Revelation and Peace: Approximations
between Whitehead and Bahá’í Thought Roland Faber
10:45 – 11:00
Discussion
11:00 - 11:30 AM
Break
11:30 – 12:15
Man’s Station in the Universe:
A Scientist’s Journey
Mehrdad Ehsani
12:15 – 12:30 PM
Discussion
12:30 – 2:00 PM
Lunch and Free Time
2:00 – 2:45
The Forces of Evolution
Arsalan Geula
2:45 – 3:00 PM
Discussion
3:00 –3:15 PM
Break
3:15 – 3:30 PM
Musical Performance
3:30 – 4:15 PM
Ethics and the Bahá’í Writings:
A Philosophical Survey Ian Kluge
4:15 -- 4:30
Discussion
4:30 - 5:00 PM
Break
5:00 – 5:45
Shoghi Effendi’s Diary Letters
Mehrdad Bashiri
5:45 – 6:00
Discussion
6:00 – 8:00
Dinner and Free Time
8:00 – 9:00 PM
Bazm-e `Irfán
9:00 – 10:00 PM
School’s Special Desert Program
10:00 – 11:00 PM
Bookshop Café
11:00 Campus Closes
Saturday, June 1, 2013 7:00 – 7:30 AM
Mashriqu'l-Adhkár
Martha Root Hall 7:30 – 8:30 AM
Breakfast
8:30 – 9:15 AM
A New Approach to Proof of God and Soul
Based on Bahá’í Writings
Farjam Majd
9:15 – 9:30 AM
Discussion
930 – 9:45
Break
9:45 – 10:00
Musical Performance
10:00 – 10:45
The Concept of "Conflict Transformation" and
the Recent Guidelines of the Universal House of
Justice
Mahyad Rahnamaie
10:45 – 11:00 AM
Discussion
11:30– 11:30 AM
Break
11:30 – 12:15
Justice, Rights, Unity:
Foundations of a Prosperous Civilization
Farhad Sabetan
12:15 - 12:30 PM
Discussion
12:30 – 002:00 PM
Taking Group Picture
Lunch and Free Time
2:00 – 2:45
Knowing Self, Knowing God
Habib Riazati
2:45 – 3:00
Discussion
3:00 – 3:15
Break
3:15 – 3:30 PM
Musical Performance
3:30 – 4:15
Laozi and the Bahá’í Faith (Part II)
Roland Faber
4:15 – 4:30 PM
Discussion
4:30 – 5:00 PM
Break
5:00 – 5:45 PM
The Bábí-Bahá’í Theology of `Adl (Justice) and
the Lawh-i Ridván al-`Adl of Bahá'u'lláh Stephen Lambden
5:45 – 6:00
Discussion
6:00 – 8:00 PM
Dinner and Free Time
8:00 – 9:00 PM
Bazm-e `Irfán
9:00 – 10:00 PM
Centralization and Decentralization
in the Bahá’í Administrative Order
Iraj Ayman
10:00 – 11:00 PM
Bookshop Café
11:00 p.m.
Campus Closes
Sunday, June 2, 2013 7:00 – 7:30 AM
Mashriqu'l-Adhkár
Martha Root Hall 7:30 – 8:30 AM
Breakfast
8:30 – 9:15 AM
Forgiveness: Its meaning and merits from
religious as well as scientific viewpoint Keyvan Geula
9:15 AM – 9:30 AM
Discussion
9:30AM – 9:45 AM
Break
9:45 AM – 10:00 AM
Musical Performance
10:00 AM – 10:45 AM
The Development of the Baha’i Community:
1963 – 2013
Muin Afnani
10:45 AM – 11:00 AM
Discussion
11:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Break
11:30 – 12:15 PM
History and Prophesy Related to Carmel,
Mount Carmel and the Tablet of Carmel
Stephen Lambden 12:15 – 12:30 PM
Discussion
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM
Lunch and free time
End of the One Hundred-and-Sixteenth Session of
`Irfán Colloquium
Program Coordinator:
Dr. Sholeh Quinn
Bazim-i `Irfan Performers:
Dr. Arsalan Geula, Keyvan Geula, Firooz Mohtadi, Iraj
Kamalabadi, Monika Milani, Jamshid Pardepoush,
Naysan Geula and Shardad Jalilizadeh
ABSTRACTS
In Alphabetical Order of
Presenters’ Surnames
ABSTRACTS COLLECTION
The Development of the Bahá’í
Community: 1963 – 2013
Muin Afnani
While the growth of the Bahá’í Community under the
guidance of the Universal House of Justice in the 50
years since 1963 expands over a wide range, it could
be perceived in terms of two parallel sets of activities.
On the one hand we have witnessed the expansion and
consolidation of the Bahá’í community to such an
extent that it practically covers the entire globe; on the
other, the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh has increased its
influence substantially in the life of society. Having
passed the stage of obscurity the Faith has earned the
respect and admiration of international & national
institutions and many world leaders. On Issues as
diverse as human rights, environment, education,
peace, race and ethnic issues, and development the
views of the Bahá’í community are sought and
respected by many at local, national, and international
levels.
In essence the House of Justice has continued the
processes that were started by `Abdu’l-Bahá and
expanded by Shoghi Effendi based on the provisions of
the three Charters of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh:
The Tablet of Carmel, The Will and Testament of
`Abdu’l-Bahá, and the Tablets of the Divine Plan. In
this period we have observed the expansion of the
Bahá’í community, consolidation of Bahá’í institutions
as well as the creation of new institutions at various
levels, the development of institutions at the Bahá’í
World Center, as well as acquisition and development
of local and national properties and endowments.
Through 11 global plans, ranging from 12 months to 9
years in duration, the House of Justice has nurtured the
members of the Bahá’í community while increasing
the stature of the Faith in the eyes of the public. The
era from 1963 to 2013 could be divided into various
periods each with particular set of priorities and
emphasis in the unfoldment of the divine Plan. With
the introduction of the institute process by the House
of Justice in 1996, the community has embarked on a
steep learning process to increase the capacity of all its
members to arise and serve humanity.
Centralization and Decentralization
in the Bahá’í Administrative Order
Iraj Ayman
The Universal House of Justice is a unique institution
in the field, and discipline, of Public Administration. It
is the only international governing council whose
members, every five years, are internationally elected
by all the members of its community, namely the
Bahá’í s around the world, in a three-stage election,
which is free from any kind of electioneering. It is the
center of an order that “constitutes the very pattern of
that divine civilization which the almighty Law of
Bahá’u’lláh is designed to establish upon earth.” 1
Among its many features, it functions as the nerve
center of an unprecedented administrative structure
that combines the advantages of both centralized and
1 The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 152
decentralized systems of administration and
management.
The Bahá’í Administrative Order is an organic entity,
gradually growing and developing under the care and
guidance of the Universal House of Justice, which
presents a solution to many of the challenges and
problems in the field of Public Administration. This
study concentrates on one of those issues and
problems, i.e. centralized versus decentralized systems
of administration, from the perspective of the Bahá’í
pattern of administration. It also discusses the role and
function of the Universal House of Justice, as well as
other Bahá’í senior administrative intuitions, in
relation to centralization and decentralization.
Shared Leadership and Baha’is’
Community Life
Faris Badii
Even though the “Persian Bayán” is the mother-book
of the Bábí Dispensation, the Báb left it incomplete.
The Báb prophesied that “Him Whom God Shall Make
Manifest” will complete it. The revelation of the Kitáb-
i-Iqán fulfilled this prophecy. In this presentation
various features of the style of the revelation of the
Persian Bayán and the style of the revelation of the
Kitáb-i-Iqán are considered. We will show how this
“priceless treasure” acted as a bridge arcing the gap
between these two Dispensations. Further, the
significance of the Kitáb-i-Iqán within the ranks of the
Writings of Bahá’u’lláh as well as some if its intrinsic
features will be discussed. The statement of the
Guardian that this magnificent book “occupies a
position unequalled by any work in the entire range of
Bahá’í literature, except the Kitáb-i-Aqdas” will be
discussed.
Shoghi Effendi’s “Diary Letters”
An introduction and overview
Mehrdad Bashiri
The purpose of this presentation is to provide an
introduction and overview of a unique collection of
143 diary letters written by Shoghi Effendi from
February to November 1919. This collection of diary
letters is written in a critical stage of Shoghi Effendi’s
life when he was serving as `Abdu'l-Bahá’s secretary
and interpreter. The contents of these diary letters
vividly reflect various aspects of `Abdu'l-Bahá’s life in
the Holy Land after the end of the First World War
(Nov. 1918). The diary letters include numerous
translations of `Abdu'l-Bahá’s letters along with His
talks at the pilgrims gatherings.
Shoghi Effendi by describing the details of his
Grandfather’s life so masterfully invites the readers to
join him in a spiritual journey to the Holy Land. His
emotional descriptions of the events in the daily life of
the Master confer upon every reader a vivid joyous
spiritual pilgrimage.
He intended for his diary letters to be distributed in the
West amongst the believers. A copy of this collection
is stored at the National Bahá’í Archives of the United
States. Except a few that were printed in the Star of the
West Magazine in 1919 and 1920, the rest have
remained unpublished.
Man’s Station in the Universe:
A Scientist’s Spiritual Journey
Mehrdad (Mark) Ehsani
The Universe is very simple: mostly made of
hydrogen, helium and energy. However, the earth
contains amazing complexity that is nearly unique in
the universe. Unique circumstances have made
possible organic chemistry and life on earth, leading to
the most complex structure in the universe: the human
brain. For example, we can show that the energy
consumption of human brain per kilogram is 100,000
times the energy per kilogram that our sun can
produce. The purpose of all this miraculous
combination of events is human consciousness and
spiritual awareness. We will explore this physical-
spiritual phenomenon in this talk.
This presentation is intended to show the nobility of
man and his/her divine purpose. Quotes from
Bahá’u’lláh will be referenced to show that this is the
central teaching in his Writings. Further, it will be
shown that keen observation of the world around us,
all the way to the edge of the universe, will enlighten
the sensitive observer to the same realization. Thus,
we will see that one can progress from “faith” to
“certitude”, first through the intellect, then through the
heart, and finally, through unconditioned
consciousness (I bear witness O my God …). This is
what Bahá’u’lláh calls the state of “Absolute
Nothingness”, where “even love is a barrier between
the lover and the Beloved”.
I will offer scientific and spiritual pointers to how
evident, and yet subtle, the notion of Absolute
Nothingness, the unity of one with all, is. Although
the talk is intended to be simple, it is hoped that it will
open a window to our true nature, or our essence.
We will start with the notion of simplicity and
complexity: how as we travel from the outer universe
toward the planet earth and toward the human brain we
go from simplicity to complexity. This will show that
the human brain is at the apex of the very large
pyramid of the manifest universe. The brain realizes
human mind and spiritual awareness. All of this is to
show how noble and sacred the world around us, and
the station of man in it, is.
The talk will briefly use the current scientific
knowledge to illuminate the nature of the “physical
reality”. This is to show how mysterious this world
really is. In fact, there is no gap between reality and
nothingness (this is alluded to in the Book of
Certitude). This will show us that what we see as the
manifest reality is in fact dependent on our capacity to
perceive. The finer and more sensitive our perception,
the more we realize the nothingness that manifests
itself as the real world and we are part of this dance of
nothingness as form.
The above talk will be given as the personal journey of
this speaker who started as a Bahá’í and after spending
a lifetime in search of deeper truths in science and
spirituality, arrived at the ancient and simple insight
that is “the most manifest of the manifest and the most
hidden of the hidden”. This insight melted his heart in
the love of Bahá’u’lláh and his teachings.
Laozi and the Bahá’í Faith (Part II)
Roland Faber
Bahá’u’lláh admonishes Bahá’ís (and all human
beings) to converse with adherents of all religions in
the spirit of understanding and love, because all
religions emanate from one source and all human
beings are created from the same dust and to reflect the
infinity of divine attributes. While Bahá’í Scripture
recognizes many of the great religious traditions,
Daoism, one of the most ancient efforts to build a
peaceful and universal civilization, is barely
mentioned. After exploring and situating the two-fold
symbol of its becoming, the Laozi (Dao De Jing), its
scripture, and Laozi, its sage, two questions will be
raised: What are the resonances of early Daoism with
the Bahá’í Faith? And how can we understand the
station of Laozi from a Bahá’í perspective? This
exercise is an attempt in sensibility for the mission of
the Bahá’í Faith to facilitate the universal mutual
understanding of religions and to reflect their unique
contributions to unity in difference.
Religion, Revelation and Peace:
Approximations between Whitehead
and Bahá’í Thought
Roland Faber
A.N. Whitehead is one of the most interesting
philosophers of the 20th
century. Being a
mathematician (writing the Principia Mathematica
with Bertrand Russell, his student and colleague) and a
philosopher of science, he became convinced that the
scientific materialism underlying 19th
century science
was not only wrong given the new physical discoveries
in Relativity Theory and Quantum Physics, but that it
was philosophically insufficient to understand the
complexity of the world and to reflect the variety of
our experience adequately. Besides reformulating the
metaphysical basis for a new understanding of reality
through relations, processes and creativity, he was one
of the few thinkers to include the divine into this new
philosophical endeavor. This presentation will
concentrate on Whitehead's view on religion,
revelation and peace by which he, later in his life,
applied his cosmology to questions of the future of a
civilization of peace that does not exclude religion and
has found an harmonious understanding of the
relationship of philosophical thought and revelatory
inspiration on its way to a new level of expressing
humanity.
The Last Refuge
Fifty years of the Ministry of the
Universal House of Justice
Shahbaz Fatheazam
This paper focuses on the emergence of the Universal
House of Justice and studies the experience of the
Bahá’í world community with its supreme body since
its inception. As a corollary, the organizational
structure of Bahá’í polity and its special vision of
politics and government is also examined highlighting
the connection between the institutional and the
cultural and how the influence and durability of
institutions is a function of the extent to which they are
inculcated in political actors at the individual or
organizational level. To this end, cognitive scripts,
moral templates and personal perceptions are used
liberally. The task is made difficult by the limitations
imposed by: (a) our intellect which is not fixed but
always relative to the culture, ideas, arts and sciences,
of the times. It needs aging before it is potable and
safe; (b) the absence of precedence which raises the
problem of how to move the information we have
gathered into any form of conceptual framework – a
set of concepts that are easy to understand and that can
travel’ – i.e. are truly comparative across systems –
and can thus be related to the political process in
various societies and to which all people may easily
connect; and (c) the very contemporary nature of a
complex subject so closely rooted to the present with
no proper distance that our proximity to the passage of
time brings us too close to and perhaps even too much
part of the events to make proper historical judgements
compounded by how little we know about what is yet
to happen in an institution whose provisions and
implications are yet to be unveiled. We also underline
the importance of how the evolution of any religious
community rests on its ability to analyze its
institutional set-up and how the constitution of the
international governing body of the Bahá’í Faith is
necessary to its viability quite apart from the need to
maintain a healthy interaction between masses and
leaders whose outcome must match, as closely as
possible, intended results, assured only by man’s
willingness or ability to live within the structure of
authority.
The Forces of Evolution
Arsalan Geula
The Forces of Evolution is related to and a
continuation of a previous presentation on General
Theory of Evolution and Human Evolution. While
keeping in mind the principle of “Harmony of Science
and Religion,” we will discuss the important question
that always arises when we discuss evolution:
“If we assume that the result of evolution is
‘the survival of the fittest,’ then why nature and
evolution should lead to a very complex
individual like ‘homo sapiens’ who would be at
higher risk of annihilation by natural
catastrophes. Single cell organisms and insects
have a much higher proBábility of survival than
mammals or humans.”
In discussing this subject we will review the following
topics:
1. Creation: God is the “Creator,” the “Sustainer”
2. Natural force (Élan Vital).
3. Entropy: Second law of thermodynamic.
4. Anthropic Anthropomorphic Principle.
5. Biocentrism.
6. The Bahá’í Faith and evolution.
a) Bahá’u’lláh’s Writings.
b) ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Writings.
It will be argued that these topics are not contradictory.
The presentation will include references to many of
Bahá'u'lláh’s and `Abdu'l-Bahá’s Writings, especially
of Bahá'u'lláh’s Tablet of Wisdom. It will discuss the
following points:
• “The world of existence came into being
through the heat generated from the interaction
between the active force and that which is its
recipient. These two are the same, yet they are
different.” [Big bang theory]
• “…indeed created through the irresistible Word
of God which is the Cause of the entire
creation…” [Emanation]
• “Know thou, moreover, that the Word of God -
- exalted be His glory -- is higher and far
superior to that which the senses can perceive,
for it is sanctified from any property
or substance.”
• “Verily, the Word of God is the Cause which
hath preceded the contingent world…”
Forgiveness: Its meaning and merits from religious and
scientific viewpoint
Keyvan Geula
Forgiveness has been historically the business of
religion. Forgiveness is a complex and deeply
personal, cultural and religious phenomenon.
In recent years science has shown interest to
understand the psychological, social and physical
benefits of forgiveness. Science and religion both
acknowledge the complex question of justice and
forgiveness.
The presentation will examine:
How religious faith, in particular Bahá’í Writings
and history, guide and inspire us to forgive?
How science provides a secular frame and steps for
forgiveness?
Is forgiveness a sign of weakness?
Can forgiveness be taught?
How and why we should choose to forgive?
The presentation draws meaning from stories,
metaphors, prayers, historical references and examples
of forgiveness from both perspectives and its impact
on human soul, psyche, body and society.
Finding a Trace of the Traceless
Friend Reflection on Bahá’í Scholarship as a
Journey in the Valley of Search
Wolfgang A. Klebel
In this presentation the attempt is made to shed some
light at Bahá’í Scholarship from the First Valley of the
Seven Valleys of Bahá'u'lláh, the Valley of Search. The
combination of finding a “trace” of a “traceless
friend” indicates the mysteriousness and complexity of
this task, and introduces us into the mystical realm.
The introductory section of the Seven Valleys closes
with the following words, indicating that the purpose
of this Book is “that every man may thereby win his
way to the summit of realities, until none shall
contemplate anything whatsoever but that he shall see
God therein.” (SVFV 1) The summit of reality
indicates that it is a different and new reality that is
presented in the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, which must
be the basis of all Bahá’í scholarship.
In a letter on behalf of the Universal House of Justice it
was stated that “The combination of absolute loyalty
to the Manifestation of God and His Teachings, with
the searching and intelligent study of the Teachings
and history of the Faith which those Teachings
themselves enjoin, is a particular strength of this
Dispensation. “ This issue cannot be solved other than
by grounding all research and study on this new
understanding of reality.
These topics will be discussed in following the Valley
of Search:
1. Prerequisites of search
2. Independent Investigation and the role of the
heart, culture and tradition
3. How to deal with distractions
4. The standard of Majnún, seek her everywhere
5. The exclusivity of search and sacrificing
everything for it
6. Seeking the truth in every country, in every
mind and in every soul,
These points and some excursion into closely related
topics will be presented and the whole paper is carried
by the conviction that scholarship in the Bahá’í Faith,
and its assumptions about the reality of this world, is
much easier than following the assumptions of modern
science about reality from the point of view of any
previous religion. Modern science often is based on a
reductionistic and mostly materialistic world view. The
followers of previous religions are not able to combine
their religious understanding of reality with modern
science at all.
Bahá’í scholars need to discriminate and be selective
when comparing the Bahá’í writings with what is
taught today in academia. The reality of the new
scientific findings, obviously not all of them, but of the
most progressive and forward looking scholars and
philosophers of today need to be studied and
coordinated with the Writings of the Faith. It is the
Bahá’í scholar who has not only the ability but the task
to sort this out and look forward in his thinking.
As a Christian theologian I had to live in two worlds,
the world of the Bible and the world of Einstein, the
world of the Gospels and the world of modern science.
As a Bahá’í scholar the world has been opened up and
the most modern thinkers and scientists can be found
to be inspired by the new Revelation, even if they had
never heard of Bahá'u'lláh. I have presented this
understanding in all my previous presentations at the
`Irfán Colloquia for many years.
As a Bahá’í scholar and seeker we must live in this
new World Order (GWB 136) of Bahá’u’lláh. Then
Bahá’u’lláh will
… draw thee from the earthly homeland to the first,
heavenly abode in the Center of Realities, and lift thee
to a plane wherein thou wouldst soar in the air even as
thou walkest upon the earth, and move over the water
as thou runnest on the land (SVFV 3)
Only when the center of reality, as presented in the
Bahá’í Revelation is fully accepted by the scholar can
he/she devote absolute loyalty to the Manifestation of
God and combine it with an unfettered search after
truth. Any attempt to make compromises in theory or
practice will escalate the conflict and bring grief and
disunity into the life of the scholar.
This situation is not new, it was present in every
Revelation in the past, and the words of Jesus
(Matthew 10:16) come to mind when considering the
Bahá’í scholar in a modern academic setting.
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the
midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as
serpents, and harmless as doves.
Ethics and the Bahá’í Writings: A
Philosophical Survey
Ian Kluge
The Bahá’í Writings promise an ethical renewal for all
the peoples and cultures in the world and ethical
guidance for the future personal, social and spiritual
evolution of humankind. This paper pursues a
philosophical examination of the Writings’ ethical
teachings, how they relate to the major ethical systems
proposed in the past, and how they deal with some of
the difficulties inherent in past systems. Among the
topics discussed are virtue ethics, utilitarianism,
existentialism, Kant’s theories, natural law theory,
ethical subjectivism and objectivism, relativism,
intuitionism, Nietzschean ethics, and self-realization
ethics. Special attention will be paid to Udo Schaefer’s
magisterial two volume “Bahá’í Ethics in Light of
Scripture” which was the first study to undertake a
systematic review of Bahá’í ethical teachings.
Carmel Calling Jerusalem: Some historical and intertextual
explorations of Mt. Carmel and the Lawh-i
Karmil (Tablet of Carmel) of Bahá’u’lláh
Stephen N. Lambden
Shrine of the Báb
Seat of Universal House of Justice
Map of Haifa – 1878 Statue of Elijah
“It shall come to pass in the latter days that the
mountain of the house of the LORD shall be
established as the highest of the mountains, and
shall be raised above the hills; and all the
nations shall flow to it” (Isaiah 2:2)
“Call out to Zion, O Carmel, and announce the
joyful tidings: He that was hidden from mortal
eyes is come! His all-conquering sovereignty is
manifest; His all-encompassing splendour is
revealed” (extract from the Tablet of Carmel)
As a major location of pilgrimage visitation and the
site of the Bahá’í World Center in Haifa, Israel, Mount
Carmel is very well known to Bahá’ís as it is to
numerous others for cultural, religious and other
reasons. Mount Carmel (= Heb. `The Orchard or
Vineyard of God’) is a 24 mile long mountain range. It
surrounds or is adjacent to its key geographical
centerpiece, the ancient city of Haifa (= Heb. Perhaps,
‘The Beautiful Shore’). Haifa is today the third largest
city in Israel, a multicultural Mediterranean seaside
city of some magnitude (pop. perhaps 270,000).
According to the Hebrew Bible, Mt. Carmel and Haifa
(as well as Acre, Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee, etc)
are found within the western Galilean land allocated to
the various tribes of Israel, especially Asher, the eight
son of the patriarch Jacob or the second son of Jacob
and Zilpah (Joshua 19:24-31). Mt. Carmel lies on the
western boundary of the tribe of Asher (Josh. 19:24).
Both Jacob (fl. 2nd
millennium BCE) and Moses (d.
13th
cent. BCE) are said to have uttered blessings with
prophetic implications upon the region of the tribe of
Ashur (Gen. 49:20 and Deut 33:24).
While Haifa has existed from the early centuries of the
common era (CE), the 1500 foot high limestone Mount
Carmel range has been an important center of human
habitation since paleolithic times; note the early,
prehistoric (500,000 BCE??) human-hominid
(Neanderthal, Homo-Sapien) settlements. Significant
historical and religious events have taken place in the
Haifa-Carmel region for more than 3,000 years. The 9th
cent BCE Transjordanian prophet Elijah had a
confrontation with 450 priests of Baal on Mt. Carmel
(I Kings 18:17ff) where his cave- retreat or burial place
is believed to be located. In fact there are two alleged
caves of Elijah on Mt. Carmel! His successor Elisha
also visited Mt. Carmel (II Kings 2:25) as did many
other figures significant in Jewish, Christian and
Islamic history.
According to the ‘On the Pythagorean Way of Life’ of
the Syrian born Neo-Platonic successor to Plotinus and
Porphyry, Iamblichus of Chalcis (c. 240-325 CE), the
Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras of
Samos (c. 570- c. 497 BCE) spent some time in retreat
in a sanctuary on Mount Carmel. It is interesting that
the Mandaean Drāšā D-Yahyā (“Book of John”)
mentions Mount Carmel. Jesus of nearby Nazareth and
Paul of Tarsus may well have gone to the Carmel
region. Indeed, Mount Carmel is significant in the
Bible where it is a symbol of beauty and fertility (see
esp. Isaiah Isa. 35:2; Song 7.5 and Nahum 1:4).
Of especial interest in a Jewish context is the following
passage from the homilitic midrashic work Pesikta de
Rab Kahana (perhaps 5th cent. CE) where it is said in
Piska ("section") 21:
"At the [eschatological] restoration Sinai,
Tabor, and Carmel will hymn Moriah [= the
Temple Mount, Jerusalem, see 2 Chron. 3:1] -
Mount Zion -- in song."
The same source also has it (in the light of Isaiah 2:2 )
that R. Phineas (c. 360 CE) said in the name of R,
Reuben (c. 300) that God would bring Sinai, Tabor and
Carmel and build the [eschatological] Temple on their
summits. The notion of personified "mountains"
addressing one another has Biblical (and extra-
Biblical) roots and is echoed in the Tablet of Carmel.
That God would build a latter-day, spiritual, non-
concrete New Jerusalem on Mount Carmel is explicitly
stated by Bahá’u’lláh in his 1871 (or 1872) Lawh-i
Hartik (= Hardegg), the Tablet to the Templar leader
George David Hardegg (1812-1879). This has major
implications spelled out in symbolic language in the
‘Tablet of Carmel’ of Bahá’u’lláh, a fairly brief (2-3
page) wholly Arabic Tablet of great magnitude. It was
written around 1891 during its author’s fourth visit to
Haifa
If Armageddon, the scene of the eschatological battle
between the forces of “light” and those of “darkness”,
means “Mountain of Megiddo” (Aramaic har =
mountain) then it is likely that Mount Carmel is
indicated since this mountain is only a few miles from
the scene of the latter-day apocalyptic conflagration
(see Rev. 16:16). For some the modern battle of
Armageddon “took place at the head of a pass through
the Carmel Ridge, which overlooks the Valley of
Jezreel from the south” (New World Encyclopedia, Mt.
Carmel). General Edmund Allenby (1861-1936) led
the British forces which precipitated the defeat of the
Ottomans in Palestine and the subsequent freedom of
`Abdu’l-Bahá.
The Tablet of Carmel involves Carmel (= Bahá’u’lláh /
The Bahá’í revelation) crying out to Zion (= Jerusalem
/ the Jewish people and others) the good news of the
Bahá’í revelation. Carmel, symbolic of the ‘new
Jerusalem’, invites Zion to faith as representing the
previous edifice(s) of religion, the ‘old Jerusalem’. In
the Hebrew Bible Zion/Jerusalem is personified as the
place where God cries out: “the Lord roars from Zion
and utters his voice from Jerusalem… and the top of
Carmel withers” (Amos 1:2 cf. Joel 3:16, etc).
Bahá’u’lláh seems to reverse this Biblical pattern in
the light of the ‘New Jerusalem’ of his revelation
symbolized by Mount Carmel. “Zion” is a
topographical term which once designated the
southeast hill of the later city of Jerusalem. This term
occurs around 150 times in the Bible, though not in the
Qur'an. Today Zion mostly designates the area of the
‘Temple Mount’ where the Dome of the Rock is
situated. It is symbolic, among other things, of
Jerusalem as the locus of the Israelite religion/Judaism.
In this paper these and related themes will be
discussed.
A Consideration of Bahá’u’lláh’s
Tablet of Ridwan al-`Adl, (The Ridwan [“Beatitude”] of Justice)
Stephen N. Lambden
“This is the Ridwan al `Adl (“Paradise of
Justice”). It was indeed made manifest
through the Divine Bounty (al-fadl) for God
hath ornamented it with His Mighty,
Incomparable [Scriptural] Traces (al-
athar).”
In the Name of God,
the Promoter of Justice (al-adil), the All-
Wise (al-hakim). ..
“This is a Tablet (lawh) in which God raised
up His Name, the Promoter of Justice (al-
`Ádil). [2] Therefrom did He breathe forth
the Spirit of Justice (ruh al-`adl) within the
temples of the totality of created things
(hayakil al-khala’iq)” (Opening lines, AQA
4:299).
“Bestir yourselves, O people, in anticipation
of the days of Divine justice (ayyám al-`adl),
for the promised hour is now come. Beware
lest ye fail to apprehend its import and be
accounted among the erring” (AQA 4: 314
=Gleanings XII).
The roughly twenty page wholly Arabic scriptural
Tablet of Bahá’u’lláh entitled Ridwán al-`Adl, (The
Ridwān [“Paradise”, “Beatitude”] of Justice)
commences as translated above. It was addressed to a
certain Aqa Sayyid Muhammad Ridā’ Shahmirzadi (=
“Rida after Nabil” [= Muhammad Rida’]) (d.
1310/1892-3) one of the Baqiyyat al-sayf (`Remnant of
the Sword’), the survivors of the Shaykh Tabarsī
upheaval of 1848-9 (Ishraq Khavari, Ganj, No. 54, p.
208). This key Tablet of Bahá’u’lláh most likely dates
from the late Edirne [Adrianople] period, perhaps early
1867. The text can be found in numerous manuscripts
and has been published, in whole or in part, a number
of times; including within the compilation of the
Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh named Athar-i Qalam-i A`la
(`Traces of the Supreme Pen’); see vol. 4 (1st ed.), pp.
245-257 and (rev. ed. 125/1968), vol. 4 pp. 299-319.
Shoghi Effendi translated two brief paragraphs of the
‘Tablet of the Ridwan al-`Adl’ focusing on its central
concept of `adl (justice) in his compilation of the
writings of Bahá’u’lláh entitled Gleanings from the
Writings of Bahá’u’lláh (1st ed. 1935), section No. XII
[12] (p. 17) and section LXXXVIII [88] (p. 175).
A fairly lengthy Tablet, this revelatory writing opens
with three explicit paragraphs then many more
addressed to “this Name”, the “Just”. The many
subjects dealt with cannot all be listed here. It must
suffice to note that the Incomprehensibility of God is
underlined and celebrated, the importance of justice for
kings and rulers set forth, the position of the Báb as the
herald, and the history of the persecuted, rejected and
martyred figures of John the Baptist and Jesus is
outlined as an object lesson for the followers of the
Báb.
The central doctrinal locus of the ‘Tablet of the
Ridwán al-`Adl’, is God’s Name, al-`Adl (the Just) or
al-Ádil (“the Promoter of Justice”). The implications
of the effects of this Divine Name are closely
associated with the genesis of the Bahá’í revelation as
an expression of the Ridwán (loosely, Paradise,
Contentment, Beatitude, etc) of new age fulfillment.
Bahá’u’lláh identified the initial, April-May 1863
disclosure of his new religion as an expression of
Ridwán that is closely associated with the realization
of Divine and human Justice.
A number of Biblical and Islamic predictions have it
that in the eschatological, latter-day era, global justice
would be realized at the messianic age:
“Justice shall be the band around his waist, and
faithfulness a belt upon his hips (Isaiah 11:5)
… Here is my servant whom I uphold, my
chosen one with whom I am pleased. Upon him
I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice
to the nations … He will not fail or be
discouraged till he has established justice
(mishpat) in the earth; and the coastlands wait
for his law (le-torat-ow) (Isaiah 42:1, 4) …
They will be called oaks of justice (`e-le ha-
tzedek), the planting of the LORD to show his
glory (le-hit’pa’er)” (Isaiah 61:3).
إٌذا قٌام القٌائم حكم بالعدل “When the [messianic] Qa’im rises he will rule
with justice (al-`adl) … He [the expected
Qa’im] will fill the earth with justice (`adl) and
equity (qist) just as it was filled with tyranny
and oppression” (from Kulayni, al-Kafi cited
al-Mufid, al-Irshad and Majlisi; Bihar 52: 338,
etc).
“I am a believer in thee [Imam Husayn] and am
one certain about thy [eschatological] return
[parousia] (iyāb) with the regulations of my
religion (bi-sharā’ī` dīnī) and the finalities of
my endeavors (khwātīm `amalī)” (al-Tūsī,
Ziyārat al-`Arba`īn, in Tahdhīb al-ahkām,
1079).
The principles Bahá’u’lláh championed at his 1863
Ridwán declaration and a decade later in his Most Holy
Book (al-kitáb al-aqdas) and other writings, were
centrally related to the unfolding of the ‘Paradise of
Justice’ on all levels of creation and human society.
The Tablet of the Ridwán al-`Adl celebrates and
comments upon this.
The roughly synonymous Names of God al-`Adl (“the
Just”; see Qur’an 6:115, 4:58, 16:90, etc.) and al-`Ádil
(“the Just’, “Promoter of Justice”) do not explicitly
occur in the Qur’an as an Attribute of God although
the concept of Divine and human justice is central to
the Qur’anic message and to the Islamic religion. Thus
in certain Sunni versions of a prophetic hadīth
(tradition) God’s Name al-`Adl (“the Just”) is
important as the thirtieth of the ninety-nine ‘Most
Beautiful Names of God’ (al-asma al-husna; see Q.
7:180; 17:110; 20:8; 59:24). In another Shi`i Islamic
version relayed from Imam `Alī (d. 40/661), it is
counted number forty-eight of the ninety-nine Names
of God (see al-Ghazzali, al-Maqsad, 105f; cf. No. 86,
p.153 al-Muqsit (“the Equitable”) and al-Kaf`ami, al-
Misbah, 399-400). Close to the beginning of the
Lawh-i Ridwan al-`Adl, Bahá’u’lláh alludes to these
traditions referring to “this Name”, al-`Adl / `Adil (the
Just) as “a sun among the suns of Our Most Beautiful
Names (al-asma al-husna)”.
Justice and its promotion are very important religious
concepts. One of the main characteristics of the latter-
day, divine and messianic purpose is the realization of
international global divine justice. At the very
beginning of the Hidden Words (c. 1858 CE) of
Bahá’u’lláh (Arabic No.2) a Bahá’í ethic of insāf
(“equity” cf. the Name of God al-Muqsit) is counted
the “best beloved” of all things in the “sight of God”.
The concept of insāf (“equity”) and `adl (“justice”) are
very closely related and can again be synonymous.
Among the themes which will be summarily dealt with
in this paper will be the pre-Bábí-Bahá’í promises of
Divine Justice and their evolving fulfillment in the
contemporary Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í world.
Translation
“Bestir yourselves, O people, in anticipation of the
days of Divine justice, for the promised hour is now
come. Beware lest ye fail to apprehend its import and
be accounted among the erring.” (Gl. XII).
“Know verily that the essence of justice and the
source thereof are both embodied in the ordinances
prescribed by Him Who is the Manifestation of the
Self of God amongst men, if ye be of them that
recognize this truth. He doth verily incarnate the
highest, the infallible standard of justice unto all
creation. Were His law to be such as to strike terror
into the hearts of all that are in heaven and on earth,
that law is naught but manifest justice. The fears and
agitation which the revelation of this law provokes in
men’s hearts should indeed be likened to the cries of
the suckling babe weaned from his mother’s milk, if ye
be of them that perceive. Were men to discover the
motivating purpose of God’s Revelation, they would
assuredly cast away their fears, and, with hearts filled
with gratitude, rejoice with exceeding gladness.” (Gl.
LXXXVIII)
Origins of Creation, Proof of God, and
Related Subjects
Farjam Majd
Probably the most ancient and fundamental question of
all times on the individual and the collective mind is:
"Is there a God?"
The answer to this question has profound implications,
and indeed direct impact on the life of mankind and
how it looks upon the very meaning and purpose of
life. It can change what we strive for, how we look at
ourselves and others, what goals we set, and how we
live.
In regards to proof of existence of God, opinions range
from "there is no god," to "the existence of God cannot
be proven or disproven," to "the existence of God can
be proven." `Abdu’l-Bahá was of the latter mind, and
this paper follows His lead.
The meaning of proof, types of proof, and conditions
of the existence of a proof are explored. A few of the
classical proofs of the existence of God are briefly
examined. Some of the modern reasons believed by
some to show why God is not needed to explain the
universe are also reviewed.
The proof of existence of God is pursued on two
levels, which have been the traditional stomping
grounds of those examining this question: the
phenomenal world and its fundamental laws and
properties, and the evolution of species on earth. The
approaches chosen are necessarily extra-scientific, that
is, beyond the domain of science, but not beyond the
domain of rational discourse. More specifically, it is
shown that "something cannot result from nothing," or
put metaphorically, "there is no free lunch." This pre-
existence principle is applied to the physical world
itself and the properties embedded therein.
The pre-existence principle is also applied to the
phenomenon of evolution by examining information
contents at various organizational levels of living
organisms. A second approach applied to evolution is
based on probabilities. A simplified model of DNA
permutation is presented and argued that low level
organizations cannot spontaneously assemble into
higher level organizations by a purely random process.
It is concluded that the ultimate source of pre-existence
is God, and that the pre-existent properties are
attributes of God. It is further concluded that the DNA
molecule is endowed with pre-existent potentials and
configurations of life gradually triggered to be revealed
over the course of time, which is outwardly observed
as evolution.
Conflict Transformation:
(A Case Study of the Universal House of
Justice Messages to the Bahá’ís in Iran)
Mahyad Zaerpoor Rahnamaie
In the Old Testament, the history of conflict is as old
as human history, starting from the Genesis. This talk
comprises of two parts: it will first cover the gradual
developments of how humans have been dealing with
conflicts both on interpersonal and community levels.
There are at least five distinct but overlapping stages of
facing conflicts. The two more traditional forms of
“conflict eradication” and “conflict denial” use power
and aggression as the basic modes of operation. The
two more recent stages of “conflict management” and
“conflict resolution” use modern tools of consultation
rather than confrontation. After a brief review of these
familiar stages, the newest stage of “Conflict
Transformation” will be more fully discussed. This
recent concept welcomes social conflicts as effective
catalysts to foster constructive changes that reduce
violence, increase justice in direct interactions and
social structures, and respond to real life problems in
human relationship. Clearly, most of these recent ideas
have obvious counterparts and examples both in the
Bahá’í Sacred Writings and its history.
In the second part of the talk, an attempt will be made
to detect components of “conflict transformation” in
the contents and tone of the letters written by the UHJ
to the Bahá’ís in Iran. In the past thirty some years,
Bahá’ís of Iran have been subjected to horrendous
human rights violation and bravely endured their
ghastly conditions. The dynamics of growth and
maturation within the community has been, to a great
part, due to the continual guidance received from UHJ.
It seems that the tone and the content of these letters
have themselves gone through a gradual change and
more in line with the underlying concepts of “conflict
transformation”. It seems that the letters from the
House are more and more encouraging the Persian
Bahá’ís to see the present conflicts and the adversarial
role of the government as a propelling force for
growth, creating positives from the difficult or
negatives.
Knowing Self, Knowing God Discovering one's Own Innermost Divine
Reality
Habib Riazati
How our belief systems and perspectives on Human
Nature will impact the political doctrines and
governing principles.
Various meanings, applications and the implications of
"Self-Knowledge" and how such a knowledge is
equivalent to the "Knowledge of God"!
One of the main objectives of this presentation is to
examine some of the writings of the Báb, Bahá'u'lláh
and `Abdu’l-Bahá on some of the universal and the
contextual meanings of the statement: "One who
knows his own self, shall also know God" uttered by
the sages and manifestations throughout the history of
humankind.
Another major goal of this presentation is to
demonstrate the practical relevance of the doctrine of
Self-Knowledge on the developments of individual,
society (community), and the governing institutions. In
another words, how the different belief systems and
perspectives on the Nature and the Reality of man
(human) could have positive or negative influences- on
how we view our own individual self, our
attitudes towards others and about the world, and most
importantly how the different ideological doctrines on
human nature have resulted in the creation of different
social and political orders throughout the history.
Justice, Rights, Unity:
Foundations of a Prosperous
Civilization
Farhad Sabetan
This presentation examines the relationships between
Unity, Justice, and Rights from a Bahá’í perspective
compared to the way these themes are conceptualized
today. Through an exploratory approach, various
assumptions about social formation are reviewed and
critiqued. The predominantly accepted conception of
society as either a mere sum total of individuals or as
social division of labor based on tasks and functions
are compared with viewing society as an organic
system. The implication of each approach is examined
on the modes of relationships formed among
individuals forming the society. It is maintained that
these underlying assumptions frame various notions of
rights, democracy and justice (or lack thereof), which
leads to expected and often undesirable and at times
disastrous outcomes. The approach primarily relies on
current findings in economic philosophy. In particular,
theories promoted by Rawls, Sen, and Arrow are
examined in contrast with a Bahá’í view on social
justice. While these thinkers have made significant
contributions to clarifying abstract notions such as
justice and have provided operational instruments to
define and articulate them, fundamental work remains
on relaxing their assumptions on human nature and
individualism, and the implications these assumptions
have on the impossibility of aggregating individual
preferences to reach an overarching social welfare rule.
This presentation draws significant inspiration from
the statement issued by the Bahá’í World Centre titled
“Prosperity of Humankind” whose rich content
requires deep examination of pivotal concept forming
existing social realities.
Notes
Publications of the ‘Irfán Colloquia
Moojan. Momen (ed.), Scripture and Revelation
(Oxford: George Ronald, 1997)
Moojan Momen (ed.), The Bahá’í Faith and the World
Religions (Oxford: George Ronald, 2005)
Iraj Ayman (ed.), The Lights of `Irfán: Compilations of
Papers Presented at ‘Irfán Colloquia (in English),
Books One to Fourteen (2000–2013)
Iraj Ayman (ed.), Safini-yi Irfán: Compilations of
Papers Presented at ‘Irfán Colloquia (in Persian).
Books One to Fifteen, (1998–2012)
Farah Dustdar (ed.), Beiträge des ‘Irfán–Kolloquiums:
Compilations of Papers Presented at ‘Irfán Colloquia
(in German) Books One to Five (Hofheim, Germany:
Bahá’í Verlag, 2004–2009)
Maryam Afshar, Images of Christ in the Writings of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá (2004)
Wolfgang Klebel, Revelation of Unity, Unity of
Revelation (Darmsdat, Germany: Reyhani Verlag,
2009)
Vahid Rafati, Áftab Ámad Dalil-i Áftáb (The proof of
the Sun is the Sun) (Darmsdat, Germany: Reyhani
Verlag, 2010)
Vahid Rafati, Badáy’-i-Ma’áni va Tafsír (The
Wonders of Inner Meanings and Interpretation):
Selected Commentaries of `Abdu’l-Bahá on Qur’anic
Verses and Islamic Traditions (Darmsdat, Germany:
Reyhani Verlag, 2013)
Distributors of
`Irfán Publications
Bahá’í Distribution Service (BDS)
415 Linden Ave., Wilmette, IL 60091-2886, USA
Tel.: (847)425-7950 Fax: (847)425-7951
E-mail: [email protected]
Bahá’í Verlag (for German publications)
Eppsteiner Str. 89, D-65719, Hofheim, Germany
Tel: (49) 6192-22921 Fax: (49)6192-22936
E-mail: [email protected]
Reyhani Verlag
Benzweg 4, 64293, Darmsstadt, Germany
Tel: 49-6151-95170 Fax: 49-6151-9517299
E-Mail: [email protected]
Irfán Colloquium Bahá’í National Center
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Evanston, IL 60201
USA
Telephone : (847) 733-3501
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