The definition of the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh has changed dramatically since 1950

By Guest Blogger
Barbara Walsh

From reading posts in Talk Religion Bahá'í, I have been reminded of the book “The Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh” that was published in 1950. I loved its introduction because it beautifully integrated the spiritual and administrative aspects of the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh. The quotes below are from the introduction in referring to the establishment of the Kingdom of God on Earth.

"It is with this culmination of the process of social evolution on the planet, analogous to the stage of adult maturity in the individual, that the Bahá'í Faith is directly associated. The conditions of its establishment are the conditions of the Covenant of God in this age. The complexities of a world grown adult are infinitely manifold. Because all men are created different, the opinions of men vary greatly. It is for this reason that there must exist some absolute standard by which men can be reconciled; for otherwise the descent into the anarchy of the kingdom of expedience is inevitable. It is solely through the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh that this standard will be upraised and maintained."

"The Eternal Covenant of God is the recognition of, and response to, His Ancient Beauty through whomsoever It may be revealed. The complete revelation of that Beauty in the 'Day of God' necessitates the complete response of the whole of mankind and the maintenance of the fullest relation of love towards It, through the Center of that Covenant, Who is appointed to sustain the Balance of truth amid the changing realities of the world."

"Of this one Eternal Covenant all other Covenants form a part, whether that between God and His Messengers allotting each His degree of revelation, or those between His Messengers and the faithful, keeping alive for forgetful mankind the fuller promise to come - the 'Greater Covenant', to accept the next Messenger, and the 'Lesser Covenant', of obedience to the appointed head of the divinely established faith."

Reading further: "...But this life, for man grown adult, is to be established in a unity founded upon a divine structure or organization, reconciling the expression of the individual conscience with the necessary restraint of the basic authority of the Word of God, and collective responsibility for the whole community, under the guidance of God's finger through the Center of His Covenant. For the first time God's representative will be continually associated with men in the work of safeguarding the interests of the whole earth as one entity and one family acknowledging one Father. Bahá'u'lláh, ‘the Blessed Perfection’, the Most Great Beauty through Whom truth shall be distinguished from error and the wisdom of every command shall be tested,’ the complete fulfillment of the age of prophecy, made a provision for the protection of His Cause that was not open to His great Predecessors, for men in those times, our New Testament tells us, were not ready, and could not have borne it. Bahá'u'lláh in unequivocal terms established His own first-born son, `Abdu'l-Bahá, in His written Will, the Book of the Covenant, as the Center of the Covenant of God, and `Abdu'l-Bahá in His turn established Shoghi Effendi, the first Guardian, as the Center of the Covenant of God. They, and all the Guardians who will succeed Shoghi Effendi, are alone the ones through whom the absolute truth of the Word of Bahá'u'lláh can be known whenever there is need for the authority of God to reconcile the divergent relative opinions of men. The Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá, providing as it does the Charter of the New World, gives the Guardianship the function of interpretative guidance of man."

The entire introduction to this book is a wonderful, and I think, comprehensive definition of the Covenant in 1950, seven years before the death of Shoghi Effendi, and remains the definition of the Covenant for the Orthodox Bahá'ís today. The heterodox Bahá'ís have changed the definition dramatically.

Comments

[Ayla]

Keep up the good work.

[BOB]

Hello Baha’is,

I was really amazed to learn that the Baha ‘I Faith let me believe it is the latest Universal religion with answers to all questions and omnipresent laws that replace all other teachings to establish a universal Religion with universal regulations and guidelines befitting our own time and place. It is rational to perfect harmony with all religions and people of the world.
This has led me to conduct and dig deeper into the Baha “I literature to convince myself.
But I have stuck myself against some very disturbing matters. I will restrict myself to the use of only authentic Baha ‘ I SOURCES/ REFERENCES here.
I know you are under a constant moral pressure, fear, harassment from the Books of being a transgressor .
You prefer to ignore certain passages.
BUT PLEASE FAR FROM ME TO INFLUENCE YOU , I ONLY JUST WANT SOME LIGHT BEING SHED ON.
One of the principles is “”Independent investigation of truth’’
In the Aqdas (p. 64 V.128) “”In the Bayan it had been forbidden you to ask Us questions’’ the Lord hath now relieved you of this prohibition that you may be free to ask what you need to ask…’’

1.MORE THAN TWO WIVES.

It is said in the Aqdas (p.57 V.105) ‘’ …whoso interpreteth what hath been sent down from the heavens of Revelations and altereth its evident meaning, he verily is of them that have been perverted the sublime words of God and is of the lost ones in the Lucid Book’’.
Aqdas (p.205)’’Taking a second wife is made dependant upon equity and justice being held between the two wives under all conditions. However, observance of justice and equity toward the two wives is utterly impossible’’

‘’---- if utterly impossible’’ as pointing out by Abdul’baha why did Bahaullah have three wives instead and the third ones after He already received His Revelation in 1853 despite He knew that He was the Supreme Manifestation of God
A girl being born from this third union.

Aqdas (P.41 V.63)’’....beware that ye take not to yourselves more wives than two’’

Does not His son who have completely altereth the meaning of the written law. If His son is the sole interpreter but does this mean He can altered every word in the Book.???
It is said by Shoghi Effendi that Bahaullah followed by that time the muslim traditions .But I will tell you after He married Navvab, He was already a BABI.
And even in the Bayan did not mentioned plurality of wives.
How can Bahaullah followed the muslim law when the Islamic law have been abrogated at the time of Bab make His declaration.

Shoghi Effendi says that in no other religions made it mention of monogamy. Please read this verse from the Bible

Mathieu 19. V 9’’…Mais je vous le dit que celui qui repudie sa femme sauf pour infidelite et qui epouse une autre, commet une adultere’’
Here it mentionned monogamy
Tit 1:6 ‘’s’il s’y trouve quelque homme irreprochable, mari d’une seule femme, ayant des enfants fideles, qui ne soient ni accusses de debauche ni rebelles’’.
There are lot of verses in the BiBle speaking for monogamy.

2.’’it is forbidden you to marry...’’

Aqdas (p/38 v.107) ‘’It is forbidden you to wed your fathers wives. We shrink to very shame from treating of the subject of boys’’

L learned from other religious Books that incest, sodomy, homosexuality are prohibited but according to Bahaullah does this mean that in the Golden age of humanity all these not mentioned in His Book will be lawful. How can a Supreme Manifestation of God fell very shame to edict a law to bring humanity to a healthy spiritual life.

3.’’Semen is not unclean’’
From the medical point of view I know that semen is clean and pure unless the subject has a disease.
But in this revelation it is said that semen is ritually pure,
Aqdas (p.212 v.103) mean that you can perform your obligatory prayer despite if you discharge in your garment.
You have born the concept of cleanliness in all elements as you can read in the Aqdas.’’all things has been immersed in the ocean of purification on the first day of Ridvan’’.And please answer to yourself in what moral and physical condition this happen.

Aqdas (p.47 v.76) ‘’…should the garb of any one be visibly sullied his prayer shall not ascend…’’
But what happen if the sullied garment or body is not visible??

Bayan Arabic unite 5.
Bab says ‘’La semence (humaine) est pure, car vous, vous etes crees de cette semence meme. Cependant, nettoyez vos corps des traces de cette semence, il se peut vous jouissiez alors de la proprete’’.
In certain condition it is considered clean and other unclean.

Bayan Arabic Wahid chap.6 Cap 11 Unite 5

‘’we have made the semen clean so that He Whom God shall manifest is not born of impure semen’’ and we know that Bahaullah born 2 years before BAb.
So is He of an IMPURE semen.???

4.The Bahai fast..’’Restrain yourself from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk’’, and make not mentioned if having sex during that period is prohibited.

5.What is the alteration brought from using a pulpit to speech and a low platform with a chair on it or you stand up on it to address your audience.
‘’you have been prohibited from making the use of pulpit. Whosoever wishes to recite unto you the verses of his Lord let him sit on a chair place upon a dais’’

6.’’Whosoever intentionally burns a person’s home, him also shall ye burn’’. If you think that this law is for the golden age of humanity or are we returning to the stone age. Please think with an open mind and discern with your feeling. To burn someone alive.

7. As concerning the shroud for the dead no one can answer. How this should be done with the five pieces of tissue.

8. It is prohibited to carry a dead body more than one hour from the place…..
But what about the Bab---- He was transfer from Tabriz to Mount Carmel on the 1313 AH. Did the distance covered in less than one hour.????
In the book A Traveller’s Narrative the exact replica by E.G.Browne
‘’There is no doubt that as Gobineau states (p 258) the Bab fully expected to suffer martyrdom. He even issue instructions as to the disposal of His remains, which he desired should be placed near the shrine of SHAH Abdu’l – Azim some miles to the south of Teheran. The place of Shah Abdu’l Azim is a good land by reason of the proximity of wahid’’

Whose name is numerically equal to wahid.?????

9. Equality of man and woman rights.
Aqdas (p.30 V.32) “”God hath exempted women who are in their courses from obligatory prayer and fasting.’’

“”women are exempted from pilgrimage because to prevent them from tiremess of traveling..’’

‘’Women are not allow to take part in decision making at the Universal House of Justice’’

And you preach that women has given the responsibility in this dispensation to bring unity.

Even in heritage partaking again according to Aqdas, female has the least part as member of the family

Aqdas (p.156, K, L, M).
If the teacher is a Baha’I the heirs are Baha’Is they inherit of the material things, which Bahaullah said should have the least interest for you,
But in case the teacher and the heirs are not Baha’I they do not inherit, even if the heirs are of your own blood your own brother and sisters your mother or your sons or your daughters, they have not the right to partake this worldly things as yours. And you spread the teaching for detachment from material things.

Is that what you call gender equality. You preach to others of equal rights between both sexes.

10. Bab.the Bayan.

If you consider the Bab as the great and forerunner of Bahaullah why after more than 150 years His Book the Bayan are not made available. As if something secret that need to be hidden from the masses. But instead many other Bab’s writings are circulating.

Are you afraid to learn that most of the laws in the Aqdas have been copied from the Bayan with certain modification and omission. Please I invite you to read it.

Aqdas (p.77 V. 162)
‘’To none is given the right to question His authority’’
“”Whoso will hesitate though it be for less than one moment should be regarded as a transgressor’’
Abdu’lbaha written in His Will and testament ’’You have no right to have your own opinion’’

I compared the tablet of Bahaullah of the true seeker and the shrill threats launched at unbelievers in the Aqdas make me wonder.
According to professor Browne””materials for the study of the babi religion ‘’ page 206.

In the last days He was staying in Bahji outside Akka with His second wife and children(because Assiyih Kahnum stayed at House of ABud). His eldest son Abdulbaha used to stay in Akka. His nature was so very repentant that cannot be described and such was never seen in Him before. He often used to say,’’leave me alone in a dark and small room that I may cry over my past mistakes’’

At first sight very amazing what you teach but as you go further and deeper so many many contradictions arise.

Bayan unite V11
‘’le fruit de cet ordre et ceci qu’il se peut que vous saississiez la beaute du jour du jugement(ou le monde se renouvelle) a la condition que ce livre nouveau soit meilleur que le livre ancient. Si la deuxieme n’est pas meilleur que le premier il faut garder le premier.

You can please find attached a message I sent to the Secretary of the Universal House of Justice but without any answer yet but I will be please if can do better.
Sorry if I am direct and my subjects left a souring taste to you, but I am like that.

From a seeker.

BoB.

.

Hello Baha’is,

I was really amazed to learn that the Baha ‘I Faith let me believe it is the latest Universal religion with answers to all questions and omnipresent laws that replace all other teachings to establish a universal Religion with universal regulations and guidelines befitting our own time and place. It is rational to perfect harmony with all religions and people of the world.
This has led me to conduct and dig deeper into the Baha “I literature to convince myself.
But I have stuck myself against some very disturbing matters. I will restrict myself to the use of only authentic Baha ‘ I SOURCES/ REFERENCES here.
I know you are under a constant moral pressure, fear, harassment from the Books of being a transgressor .
You prefer to ignore certain passages.
BUT PLEASE FAR FROM ME TO INFLUENCE YOU , I ONLY JUST WANT SOME LIGHT BEING SHED ON.
One of the principles is “”Independent investigation of truth’’
In the Aqdas (p. 64 V.128) “”In the Bayan it had been forbidden you to ask Us questions’’ the Lord hath now relieved you of this prohibition that you may be free to ask what you need to ask…’’

1.MORE THAN TWO WIVES.

It is said in the Aqdas (p.57 V.105) ‘’ …whoso interpreteth what hath been sent down from the heavens of Revelations and altereth its evident meaning, he verily is of them that have been perverted the sublime words of God and is of the lost ones in the Lucid Book’’.
Aqdas (p.205)’’Taking a second wife is made dependant upon equity and justice being held between the two wives under all conditions. However, observance of justice and equity toward the two wives is utterly impossible’’

‘’---- if utterly impossible’’ as pointing out by Abdul’baha why did Bahaullah have three wives instead and the third ones after He already received His Revelation in 1853 despite He knew that He was the Supreme Manifestation of God
A girl being born from this third union.

Aqdas (P.41 V.63)’’....beware that ye take not to yourselves more wives than two’’

Does not His son who have completely altereth the meaning of the written law. If His son is the sole interpreter but does this mean He can altered every word in the Book.???
It is said by Shoghi Effendi that Bahaullah followed by that time the muslim traditions .But I will tell you after He married Navvab, He was already a BABI.
And even in the Bayan did not mentioned plurality of wives.
How can Bahaullah followed the muslim law when the Islamic law have been abrogated at the time of Bab make His declaration.

Shoghi Effendi says that in no other religions made it mention of monogamy. Please read this verse from the Bible

Mathieu 19. V 9’’…Mais je vous le dit que celui qui repudie sa femme sauf pour infidelite et qui epouse une autre, commet une adultere’’
Here it mentionned monogamy
Tit 1:6 ‘’s’il s’y trouve quelque homme irreprochable, mari d’une seule femme, ayant des enfants fideles, qui ne soient ni accusses de debauche ni rebelles’’.
There are lot of verses in the BiBle speaking for monogamy.

2.’’it is forbidden you to marry...’’

Aqdas (p/38 v.107) ‘’It is forbidden you to wed your fathers wives. We shrink to very shame from treating of the subject of boys’’

L learned from other religious Books that incest, sodomy, homosexuality are prohibited but according to Bahaullah does this mean that in the Golden age of humanity all these not mentioned in His Book will be lawful. How can a Supreme Manifestation of God fell very shame to edict a law to bring humanity to a healthy spiritual life.

3.’’Semen is not unclean’’
From the medical point of view I know that semen is clean and pure unless the subject has a disease.
But in this revelation it is said that semen is ritually pure,
Aqdas (p.212 v.103) mean that you can perform your obligatory prayer despite if you discharge in your garment.
You have born the concept of cleanliness in all elements as you can read in the Aqdas.’’all things has been immersed in the ocean of purification on the first day of Ridvan’’.And please answer to yourself in what moral and physical condition this happen.

Aqdas (p.47 v.76) ‘’…should the garb of any one be visibly sullied his prayer shall not ascend…’’
But what happen if the sullied garment or body is not visible??

Bayan Arabic unite 5.
Bab says ‘’La semence (humaine) est pure, car vous, vous etes crees de cette semence meme. Cependant, nettoyez vos corps des traces de cette semence, il se peut vous jouissiez alors de la proprete’’.
In certain condition it is considered clean and other unclean.

Bayan Arabic Wahid chap.6 Cap 11 Unite 5

‘’we have made the semen clean so that He Whom God shall manifest is not born of impure semen’’ and we know that Bahaullah born 2 years before BAb.
So is He of an IMPURE semen.???

4.The Bahai fast..’’Restrain yourself from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk’’, and make not mentioned if having sex during that period is prohibited.

5.What is the alteration brought from using a pulpit to speech and a low platform with a chair on it or you stand up on it to address your audience.
‘’you have been prohibited from making the use of pulpit. Whosoever wishes to recite unto you the verses of his Lord let him sit on a chair place upon a dais’’

6.’’Whosoever intentionally burns a person’s home, him also shall ye burn’’. If you think that this law is for the golden age of humanity or are we returning to the stone age. Please think with an open mind and discern with your feeling. To burn someone alive.

7. As concerning the shroud for the dead no one can answer. How this should be done with the five pieces of tissue.

8. It is prohibited to carry a dead body more than one hour from the place…..
But what about the Bab---- He was transfer from Tabriz to Mount Carmel on the 1313 AH. Did the distance covered in less than one hour.????
In the book A Traveller’s Narrative the exact replica by E.G.Browne
‘’There is no doubt that as Gobineau states (p 258) the Bab fully expected to suffer martyrdom. He even issue instructions as to the disposal of His remains, which he desired should be placed near the shrine of SHAH Abdu’l – Azim some miles to the south of Teheran. The place of Shah Abdu’l Azim is a good land by reason of the proximity of wahid’’

Whose name is numerically equal to wahid.?????

9. Equality of man and woman rights.
Aqdas (p.30 V.32) “”God hath exempted women who are in their courses from obligatory prayer and fasting.’’

“”women are exempted from pilgrimage because to prevent them from tiremess of traveling..’’

‘’Women are not allow to take part in decision making at the Universal House of Justice’’

And you preach that women has given the responsibility in this dispensation to bring unity.

Even in heritage partaking again according to Aqdas, female has the least part as member of the family

Aqdas (p.156, K, L, M).
If the teacher is a Baha’I the heirs are Baha’Is they inherit of the material things, which Bahaullah said should have the least interest for you,
But in case the teacher and the heirs are not Baha’I they do not inherit, even if the heirs are of your own blood your own brother and sisters your mother or your sons or your daughters, they have not the right to partake this worldly things as yours. And you spread the teaching for detachment from material things.

Is that what you call gender equality. You preach to others of equal rights between both sexes.

10. Bab.the Bayan.

If you consider the Bab as the great and forerunner of Bahaullah why after more than 150 years His Book the Bayan are not made available. As if something secret that need to be hidden from the masses. But instead many other Bab’s writings are circulating.

Are you afraid to learn that most of the laws in the Aqdas have been copied from the Bayan with certain modification and omission. Please I invite you to read it.

Aqdas (p.77 V. 162)
‘’To none is given the right to question His authority’’
“”Whoso will hesitate though it be for less than one moment should be regarded as a transgressor’’
Abdu’lbaha written in His Will and testament ’’You have no right to have your own opinion’’

I compared the tablet of Bahaullah of the true seeker and the shrill threats launched at unbelievers in the Aqdas make me wonder.
According to professor Browne””materials for the study of the babi religion ‘’ page 206.

In the last days He was staying in Bahji outside Akka with His second wife and children(because Assiyih Kahnum stayed at House of ABud). His eldest son Abdulbaha used to stay in Akka. His nature was so very repentant that cannot be described and such was never seen in Him before. He often used to say,’’leave me alone in a dark and small room that I may cry over my past mistakes’’

At first sight very amazing what you teach but as you go further and deeper so many many contradictions arise.

Bayan unite V11
‘’le fruit de cet ordre et ceci qu’il se peut que vous saississiez la beaute du jour du jugement(ou le monde se renouvelle) a la condition que ce livre nouveau soit meilleur que le livre ancient. Si la deuxieme n’est pas meilleur que le premier il faut garder le premier.

You can please find attached a message I sent to the Secretary of the Universal House of Justice but without any answer yet but I will be please if can do better.
Sorry if I am direct and my subjects left a souring taste to you, but I am like that.

From a seeker.

BoB.

.