Baha'i Propoganda?
In response to something I read from Esra’a revealing post about how much idiocy she gets via email, I thought it might be useful to clarify some things again…About Islam and the Baha’i Faith.
First let me start by providing some quotes from the central figures of the Baha’i Faith about Islam etc…
“Blessing and peace be upon Him [Muhammad] through Whose advent Bathá [Mecca] is wreathed in smiles, and the sweet savours of Whose raiment have shed fragrance upon all mankind– He Who came to protect men from that which would harm them in the world below. Exalted, immensely exalted is His station above the glorification of all beings and sanctified from the praise of the entire creation. Through His advent the tabernacle of stability and order was raised throughout the world and the ensign of knowledge hoisted among the nations. May blessings rest also upon His kindred and His companions through whom the standard of the unity of God and of His singleness was uplifted and the banners of celestial triumph were unfurled. Through them the religion of God was firmly established among His creatures and His Name magnified amidst His servants.”
- Tablets of Baha’u'llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 162
Even though the Baha’i Faith is an independent religion and is not a sect of Islam, we find in the writings of Shoghi Effendi (the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith 1921-1957), much emphasis on the need for Baha’is to help correct the many mistaken views about Islam, held by the majority of people in the West:
‘There is so [much] misunderstanding about Islam in the West in general that you have to dispel. Your task is rather difficult and requires a good deal of erudition. Your chief task is to acquaint the friends with the pure teaching of the Prophet [Muhammad] as recorded in the Qur’án, and then to point out how these teachings have, throughout succeeding ages, influenced[,] nay[,] guided the course of human development. In other words you have to show the position and significance of Islam in the history of civilization.’
- Shoghi Effendi, (the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith). Lights of Guidance, New Delhi: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 2nd rev. and enlarged edition, 1988, #1664.
‘The mission of the American Bahá’ís is, no doubt to eventually establish the truth of Islam in the West.’
- Shoghi Effendi, Lights of Guidance, #1665.
Although the Baha’i clearly states that God’s revelation will continue forever and Muhammad was the last prophet of a cycle, it does not shy away from stating that it is a new religion meant for today. Our primary purpose is PEACE. The entire religion is based on very progressive principles that address all segments of humanity for this day and age.
We are forbidden against Jihad, political involvement, partisanship. We actively take part in all sorts of interfaith initiatives and cooperation. Far be it from me to proselytize on MEY. I feel it necessarily however to clear up some of the miss-information and propaganda put out by the IRI of Iran and other subversives and miss-leading elements.
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Great article Omid. If you don’t mind, I just sent this post as a response to every single person who e-mailed us regarding “Baha’i propaganda,” whose criticisms by the way were in direct reference to your posts about the IRI’s campaign against Baha’is.
I’m not looking forward to my inbox tomorrow morning
LOL let me read some!
I often hear that the Bahai faith is really an extension of Shia Islam (A Muslim told me this). Could you explain further how it is entirely a new faith? I was told that the founder didn’t originally view it as such.
ohmygawd:
I’m afraid if there is not a brief answer for your question. tons of pages one has to read in order to fully appreciate the siginificant, though subtle, differences.
Mohammad is correct. However, briefly from a theological standpoint the differences are less than from a day to day and practice standpoint.
The Baha’i Faith believes, as lined out by its originators, that the 12th Imam has returned and so has Jesus Christ in the form of Seyyid Ali Muhammad and Mirza Husayn Ali. Such a bold claim I know, right? It would be be helpful to understand their claims by reading about their prophetic and miracle filled lives. Although Baha’is do not be brag about miracles, there are enough of them documented by believers and non-believers to raise your eyebrows.
To gain initial support in the early days of the Bab’i movement, which was started by Seyyid Ali Muhammad in 1844, the doctrine and teachings were highly expected to be an extension of Shi’a Islam. The Imam Mehdi was expected at this time and there were large groups of people expecting something to happen.
See the Sheikhi Movement here…
Of course the literalists write off anything but a dramatic display of judgment by God and the ground opening up and so forth…
But in short…The Baha’i Faith defines itself from Islam in these defining ways.
1) Baha’is do not pray to Mecca
2) Baha’is have their own fasting period, prayer tradition, Holy Book(s), theology, central figures and institutions, and more over religious teachings.
3) Baha’is require a declaration of Faith
4) The Baha’is Faith is a very organized religion with local, national and international consultative and legislative bodies.
And many more…However I would like to note that a majority of the early Iranian converts were Shia’a Muslims who simply believed in the Imam Mehdi. It developed into a new religion step by step over time and then became the Baha’i Faith with the guidance of Baha’u'llah.
The main point I want to convey is the foundation of the Baha’i Faith is built on the needs of humanity for today and the principles it requires to progress spiritually, politically, economically (as any religion is). These methods are dramatically different but essentially comparable to Islams guidance. However, make no mistake, The Baha’i Faith is simply a continuation of what we believe is the one and only Faith.
Does that make sense?
Sounds like the Western version of Buddhism.
Interesting observation. Although Buddhism has many different forms and different interpretations, the writings of the Faith do have much emphasis on peaceful resolution and self improvement via detachment etc…My aunt who is Chinese and a Baha’i also has a strong cultural affiliation to Buddhism, which is cool.
Omid,
Nice response but please allow me to add the following:
Bahai Faith is the result of a religious evolution which has gone through a transition process (as in any evolutionary system). The Babi movement was the transition stage from Shia Islam to Bahai Faith. Bab declared that he was the Herald of a new Manifestation of God (Bahaullah, the prophet-founder of Bahai Faith). Because it was a transition stage, the Babi movement was short-lived and no longer exists. Thus the Bahai Faith is a new religion with no direct link to Islam.
Thank you Hassan. You are correct, no direct link to Islam. But I think it is safe to say that the Baha’i Faith had its roots in the Bab’i Faith and the Bab’is had their roots in Shia Islam. As of today there is no more of a link between Shia’a Islam as there is between the Baha’i Faith and Judiasm or Buddhism etc…Only spiritual kinship as im sure you know we are all brothers and sisters =-)
Hello all, as a Baha’i, I’d like to clarify a few things said on this page.
First of all, we have to clarify what we mean by “Islam.” As there are two mutually exclusive uses of the term.
1) Islam as the overarching single religion of God that began with Adam and goes on eternally. This is the use of the term in the Quran, though it is NOT the most common usage of the term.
2) Islam as referring to the Dispensation of Muhammad. This is not the use of the term in the Quran. Rather the Quran refers to the followers of this Dispensation as the people of the Book, or “the believers,” etc. This sense of the word is the MOST FREQUENTLY USED in society.
In that first sense, Baha’i's are (again only in that sense) as much Muslims as the deciples of Christ, or early Jews, etc – anyone before or after Muhammad who followed the single true faith of God is a Muslim according to the Quran.
In that second sense, no Baha’i's are NOT Muslims in that dispensational sense (the most frequent use of the terms Islam and Muslim).
The link, that which makes the Baha’i Faith successive of the Dispensation of Islam (again the first sense of the term Islam has no succession Quranically, though this is not believed to be so in the dispensational sense to Baha’i's) is that Baha’i's believe that The Bab (born Seyyid Ali-Muhammad Shirazi) was Imam Mahdi; the Qaim; the one promised to come to prelude the coming of the Return of Christ who would make the sharia universal within a course of time in His own Dispensation.
Baha’i's believe this “return of Christ” was manifest in Baha’u'llah (born Mirza Husayn-Ali Nuri). Baha’i's believe Baha’u'llah’s Revelation not only gave renewed and elaborated theological/spiritual explainations for mankind’s guidence, but also gave the blueprints for the establishment of a universal sharia to bring an era of Universal Peace and Justice for all mankind. Baha’i’ continue to follow this revelation in establishing such an era for the good of humanity.
Congratulations Omid!! Great article. This is exactly the kind of dialogue we need to engage in. And I also like the posts, quite informative and well-written. Keep it up guys, I’m glad we can use the internet as a sort of “media equalizer” to discuss these very important issues in a friendly, unity-oriented and world-embracing platform. May the fruits of these efforts be similarly revealed.
I read the article, and I have some things to say about it.
1.) Why are Baha’is called upon to teach “the West”, the true nature of Islam? Why can’t Muslims teach their own religion? Why do Muslims need Baha’is to do it for them?
2.) If Baha’is do teach “the West” the “true” nature of Islam, won’t it be rife with Baha’i interpretations of what Islam stands for, its purpose in the world, instead of what Muslims actually believe about their own religion? What if I told Muslims that they have to teach the world about the true nature of the Baha’i Faith (meaning, good things).
3.) I am a Muslim, and I don’t think I need Baha’is to teach people my religion for me. Your intentions may be good, but I find it to be almost like thievery that you would want to teach other people about your religion’s interpretation of Islam, instead of allowing Muslims to teach people their own faith as they see it. It’s common decency.
4.) I oppose all forms of persecution and discrimination against Baha’is in Iran, Egypt, Israel (yes, even Israel), Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and other lands on this earth.
5.) So if your goal is to subvert Muslim influence by “out teaching” Muslims, and convincing “the West” that your religion’s interpretation of Islam is better than what Muslims actually believe, then I have a huge problem with that. I’m sorry, but I do. How about we agree to stick to our own religions, and teach them to people, and not try to teach the truth of other religions to other people, because we all end up confirming our biases and making other religions appear to be “less than worthy of conversion” in the process. It is just human nature to do that. You can praise something, while at the same time subverting it and making it look detestable, without even knowing it.
That’s all for now.
Thank you for comment Muhammad and it is a valid point. If I understand you correctly, you are concerned that Baha’is are subverting Islam and twisting it fit their view of things…We’ll as a Baha’i who has talked about Islam and Muslims to Christians mostly, I always find myself talking about the Oneness of God as opposed to the Trinity interpretation. I also talk about progressive revelation and how Muslims believe that there is only one religion and Islam is simply the final chapter. I try to avoid the controversial stuff.
Thanks for understanding my concerns, Omid. You are partly correct. I don’t think all Baha’is are trying to subvert Islam or any other religion. The majority of my best friends are Baha’is. We get along fine, but I have some issues with the faith they follow, namely to do with the idea that only the Baha’i Faith has the “Spirit” of God, and all of the other religions are wandering aimlessly without a plan. With that outlook on other religions, I am concerned that Baha’is will be tempted to give people the rundown that Islam was once a great religion, but now it doesn’t exist, because it’s spirit has been transferred to the Baha’i Faith. So, if you want to see the Spirit of Islam, you can only see it in the Baha’i Faith. You can’t see it in Muslim faith or in the Mosque or the Islamic schools, or any of its institutions. Only through the Baha’i Faith can you see what all of the religions are supposed to teach. With that kind of outlook, basically what I think Baha’is are going to be tempted to say is that you should believe Islam came from God, but you shouldn’t convert to that religion because only its form exists, but not its spirit (‘Some Answered Questions’ in interpreting the Book of Revelation).
That poses a threat to Muslims such as myself, who want to teach my religion to other people, as I view the Muslim faith’s teachings. I don’t want someone who doesn’t even practice my religion to be teaching other people what it ‘really means’, and tell them the Baha’i interpretation of Islam, without saying it is the Baha’i interpretation of Islam, but simply as if it were fact.
As I said, I get along fine with my Baha’i friends. But this poses a problem for me.
I hope all is well with you today,
Muhammad,
This is a fantastic point and I am very glad you brought it up. Some Answered Questions, is just one resources and just a part of the view. if I may humbly offer my own, and what I believe is shared by most of my Baha’i friends.
God exists and so does a path toward Him, in all spiritual religions. Feeling close to God is something that is a pre-requisite for any faithful believer to stay with their religion. If people didn’t feel close to God in their religion then why would they stay? Of course He is there.
“…whichever way ye turn there is the face of God.” —Sura II, 109
I admit that this understanding is my own interpretation based off of my studies within the Baha’i writings and other religions. Some Baha’is have different takes, as I am sure some Muslims do…But, I hope that at least you know that Baha’is should not, under any circumstance, degrade or detract from Islam. On the contrary, in order to test the veracity of the Baha’i faith a thorough and spiritually guided application of Islam is needed, freed from dogma and rhetoric. The essence of all the religions, I believe is the same. Therefore, when anyone starts to play favorites and push it on to other people…They have missed the point all together.
Hello Everyone,
Lovely article. I am a Baha’i living in Canada. I hope it’s ok that I’m posting on here since I am not a Mid-East Youth but was searching information about Baha’is and Morocco as I am going there soon.
I am asked frequently by people unfamiliar with the Baha’i Faith about the separate religion/sect of Islam issue and have found the easiest way to explain it is that the Baha’i Faith is rooted in Shi’a Islam in the same way that Christianity is rooted in Judaism.
As for teaching Islam in the West – even before I became a Baha’i I “taught about Islam in the West” in a way because it is quite misunderstood here and I had been studying it [and the other major world faiths] for some time – to be specific I “taught” what I learned about Islam and by which I mean the Islam that Muslims believe in [this article is getting harder and harder to articulate in!]. I was unfamiliar with the exhortation to teach but I feel it boils down to teaching the virtues of the faith that people may be unfamiliar with. I find it interesting to note that at the time of the Baha’u'llah most of what “The West” would have known would have been from the crusades [or perhaps Mediterranean trade] and thus very unfamiliar giving justification for sharing the virtues of Islam, but the need seems ever more now with the chronic misunderstandings in the West [particularly here in North America]. The most current issue of The New Yorker Magazine has a cover of Barack Obama dressed as a Muslim and his wife as a terrorist in an attempt to mock the ignorant attacks on him [http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/07/14/obama-cartoon.html].
Lastly I’d just like to say that the history of the Baha’i Faith is very important to the Faith, just like every other faith, and that history can’t be separated from the Islamic context it grew out of. Thus in sharing our faith we naturally end up talking about Islam but fortunately we also end up knowing something about Islam to. Personally in such a situation I explain the Muslims believe YYYYY and Baha’is believe ZZZZZ about issue UUUU where the two faiths intertwine.
Thanks – I think this is a wonderful site!