Source of Shaykh Ahmad's knowledge

After noticing an interest in grammar on the part of his son, Shaykh Zayn al-Din (father of Shaykh Ahmad) sent him to a nearby village to study with a local scholar. Sometime during his studies there, young Ahmad began having visions and dreams in which a young man would teach him the meanings of Qur'anic verses, or he would visit strange worlds....

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The Bab was sentenced to death by the Shaykhis

Mirza Ali Muhammad (born in 1819; executed in 1850) of Shiraz, Iran, attended Sayyid Kazim's lectures in Karbala for up to two years. After the latter died, he declared himself to be the Bab or "gate" to the Twelfth Imam, who disappeared in 873. Later, he claimed to be the Twelfth Imam. Finally, he declared his own prophethood and superiority over...

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Effect of Sufi expressions on Baha'u'llah

Sufi expressions which emphasized personal transformation of character enabled Bahá'u'lláh to richly describe His doctrine of spreading Bábísm through the force of example rather than militancy, as had been the case with the supporters of earlier religions. He continued to use this mixture of Bábí and Sufi terminology until the period preceding the...

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The episode of Badasht in the words of Abdul Baha

When at dawn Ḥájí Mullá Taqí (Shi'ih cleric and father-in-law of Tahirih) came to the mosque, that individual (a Shaykhi from Shiraz) stabbed him in the back and in the mouth with a spear-tipped cane. Ḥájí Mullá Taqí fell to the ground and his assailant fled. When the people arrived, they saw the cleric lying dead…. … As a result, Ṭáhirih (also a Shaykhi,...

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at least half of the world will become Baha'i

There is no reference in the writings stating that every single person will become Bahá’í, but at least half of them will. Rúhíyyih Khánum used to say that Shoghi Effendi was asked this question quite often by pilgrims. He would answer by saying that, in this Dispensation, the totality of the peoples of the world will not become Bahá’ís, but the majority...

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Such will be the majesty of the Faith in the future.

Nevertheless, the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh is the Most Holy, the Most Sacred Shrine on the planet. And, as I stated before, the Shrine of the Báb and the World Administrative Centre are under the shadow of the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh. Blessed are those who are able to visit that Shrine. In this day we are permitted to enter the Shrine – what a blessing...

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Do you not remember your sodomies?

Of these times at Adrianople I have heard an interesting narrative from a Persian Mirza, in whose testimony as a witness I have strongest confidence. He was at the time a peesh-Khidmat to the Persian Minister at Constantinople. He was at Samsun when Azal, Baha and their party embarked, and was introduced to them by Haji Rajab Ali Khan. He saw them...

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Self-perception of Baha'is

The Baha'i religion is a small international community whose members wish to be perceived as adherents of a 'major world religion'. This creates problems for Baha'is, since outside observers may contradict their self-perception and use different criteria to evaluate their status.-Denis MacEoinhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1016/j.religion....

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tormenting trials will have surged above your heads...

"Say: O concourse of the heedless! I swear by God! The promised Day is come, the Day when tormenting trials will have surged above your heads, and beneath your feet, saying: 'Taste ye what your hands have wrought!'" (Bahá’u’lláh, quoted in The Advent of Divine Justice, p. ...

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