Simplicity is the basis and order of Bahá'u'lláh's life. It
rules throughout His ways and manners of living, including garments, residence,
furniture, His approach to His friends and followers, and as a matter of fact,
to all the people of the world. The same order applies to His Writings. All are
easy to read, to follow and understand. Almost every Tablet starts with the
praise of God, and immediately after that, He starts to answer questions put to
Him by the believers. His answers are always direct, frank, to the point, and
concise. There are, however, some exceptions to this rule and there are obvious
reasons for such exceptional cases. I mention three of these exceptions.
The first is the Tablet to the King of Persia, Násiri'd-Dín
Sháh. The language is very exalted and in some parts the vocabulary is very
powerful and difficult to understand. The reason is this, that the King had
been surrounded by the divines, who always boasted of their knowledge of the
Arabic language. Bahá'u'lláh, Who had never been to their schools, by using
elaborate words and perfect melodious sentences desired to awaken and address
the King and his entourage to the source of His revelation, the greatness of
His Cause, and the exceptional power with which He had been endowed. When the
King received this Tablet, he sent it to the divines of his country and asked
them to compose a suitable answer, but none dared to even a sentence which
could be compared with the perfection of words, style and melody used by
Bahá'u'lláh in that great Tablet.
The other exception is His Tablet to Muhammad-Karím Khán, [1] who during his whole life stood firm against the Báb and His followers. Amongst other things that he did, he became so presumptuous as to say and write that some parts of the Báb's Writings are not of pure Arabic style. In this situation, rose to defend His beloved, the Báb and desired to bring this arrogant person to his knees. His answer long and in many instances each word refers to selected poems, prose and proverbs of archaic Arabic literature.
The Book of Aqdas is also difficult to understand, but not
because of language in which it is revealed. The language is lucid, very clear
and direct, but some sentences are peepholes through which one must see the
panorama of the past religions, religious beliefs, customs, etc. Should the
reader be a stranger to this background, such sentences would remain
meaningless and the reader will be startled as to why and what they stand for
in such a mighty book. To understand such references, we must know that in the
past religions of God, the people had many rules about hair, clothes, the place
of their prayers and worship, engaging servants, and many other petty problems,
and they were all sticking to these unnecessary details of their religious
life. We must know that there are man-made interpretations about customs,
habits, rituals and rules which the followers of the religions take them as the
revealed Words of God. Bahá'u'lláh abrogated all such man-made interpretations
which stood between man and his Creator, and Bahá'u'lláh, at the same time,
paves the way for us to approach God in worship and servitude only with pure,
radiant and kindly hearts. It is for these and some other reasons that the
beloved Guardian made the codification of the Book of Aqdas as one of the goals
of his Ten Year Plan, and not its direct translation.
- Hand of the Cause Mr. Faizi (Published in Conqueror of Hearts, Excerpts from Letters, Talks and Writings of Hand of the Cause of God Abu'l-Qásim Faizí, Compiled by Shirley Macias)
- Hand of the Cause Mr. Faizi (Published in Conqueror of Hearts, Excerpts from Letters, Talks and Writings of Hand of the Cause of God Abu'l-Qásim Faizí, Compiled by Shirley Macias)
[1] Hájí Mírzá Muhammad-Karím khán of Kirmán considered himself the successor to Siyyid Kázim and assumed leadership of the Shaykhí school.
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