1. It is not permissible to ask questions from Him Whom God
will make manifest, except that which well beseemeth Him. For
His station is that of the Essence of divine Revelation...
Whatever evidence of bounty is witnessed in the world, is but
an image of His bounty; and every thing owes its existence to
His Being... The Bayán is, from beginning to end, the
repository of all of His attributes, and the treasury of both
His fire and His light. Should anyone desire to ask questions,
he is allowed to do so only in writing, that he may derive
ample understanding from His written reply and that it may
serve as a sign from his Beloved. However, let no one ask
aught that may prove unworthy of His lofty station.
-The Báb,
Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 101
2. In the Bayán
it had been forbidden you to ask Us questions. The Lord hath
now relieved you of this prohibition, that ye may be free to
ask what you need to ask, but not such idle questions as those
on which the men of former times were wont to dwell. Fear God,
and be ye of the righteous! Ask ye that which shall be of
profit to you in the Cause of God and His dominion, for the
portals of His tender compassion have been opened before all
who dwell in heaven and on earth.
- Bahá'u'lláh,
The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 64
3. Everything
that is hath come to be through His irresistible decree.
Whenever My laws appear like the sun in the heaven of Mine
utterance, they must be faithfully obeyed by all, though My
decree be such as to cause the heaven of every religion to be
cleft asunder. He doeth what He pleaseth. He chooseth, and
none may question His choice. Whatsoever He, the Well-Beloved,
ordaineth, the same is, verily, beloved. To this He Who is the
Lord of all creation beareth Me witness. Whoso hath inhaled
the sweet fragrance of the All-Merciful, and recognized the
Source of this utterance, will welcome with his own eyes the
shafts of the enemy, that he may establish the truth of the
laws of God amongst men. Well is it with him that hath turned
thereunto, and apprehended the meaning of His decisive
decree.
- Bahá'u'lláh,
The Kitab-i-Aqdas, pp. 21-22
4. As the wayward
of every age have failed to fathom the deeper import of these
weighty and pregnant utterances, and imagined the answer of
the Prophets of God to be irrelevant to the questions they
asked them, they therefore have attributed ignorance and folly
to those Essences of knowledge and understanding.
- Bahá'u'lláh,
The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 149
5. Know thou
moreover that thy letter reached Our presence and We perceived
and perused its contents. We noted the questions thou hast
asked and will readily answer thee. It behoveth everyone in
this Day to ask God that which he desireth, and thy Lord will
heed his petition with wondrous and undeniable verses.
- Bahá'u'lláh,
Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 183
6. This Wronged
One hath perused thy letter in the Most Great Prison and is
apprised of thine enquiry concerning the commandments of God
on the subjects of resurrection and the means of livelihood.
Thou hast done well to ask these questions, for the benefit
thereof will be gained by thyself as well as other servants of
God, both outwardly and inwardly. Verily thy Lord knoweth all
things and readily answereth the call.
- Bahá'u'lláh,
Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 267
7. The songs
which the bird of thine heart had uttered in its great love
for its friends have reached their ears, and moved Me to
answer thy questions, and reveal to thee such secrets as I am
allowed to unfold. In thine esteemed letter thou hadst
inquired which of the Prophets of God should be regarded as
superior to others. Know thou assuredly that the essence of
all the Prophets of God is one and the same. Their unity is
absolute. God, the Creator, saith: There is no distinction
whatsoever among the Bearers of My Message. They all have but
one purpose; their secret is the same secret. To prefer one in
honor to another, to exalt certain ones above the rest, is in
no wise to be permitted. Every true Prophet hath regarded His
Message as fundamentally the same as the Revelation of every
other Prophet gone before Him. If any man, therefore, should
fail to comprehend this truth, and should consequently indulge
in vain and unseemly language, no one whose sight is keen and
whose understanding is enlightened would ever allow such idle
talk to cause him to waver in his belief.
- Bahá'u'lláh,
Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, pp. 78-79
8. The fourth
teaching of Bahá'u'lláh is the agreement of religion and
science. God has endowed man with intelligence and reason
whereby he is required to determine the verity of questions
and propositions. If religious beliefs and opinions are found
contrary to the standards of science they are mere
superstitions and imaginations; for the antithesis of
knowledge is ignorance, and the child of ignorance is
superstition. Unquestionably there must be agreement between
true religion and science. If a question be found contrary to
reason, faith and belief in it are impossible and there is no
outcome but wavering and vacillation.
- `Abdu'l-Bahá,
Baha'i World Faith, p. 240
9. Now concerning
our social principles, namely the teachings of His Holiness
Bahá'u'lláh spread far and wide fifty years ago, they verily
comprehend all other teachings. It is clear and evident that
without these teachings progress and advancement for mankind
are in no wise possible. Every community in the world findeth
in these Divine Teachings the realization of its highest
aspirations. These teachings are even as the tree that beareth
the best fruits of all trees. Philosophers, for instance, find
in these heavenly teachings the most perfect solution of their
social problems, and similarly a true and noble exposition of
matters that pertain to philosophical questions. In like
manner men of faith behold the reality of religion manifestly
revealed in these heavenly teachings, and clearly and
conclusively prove them to be the real and true remedy for the
ills and infirmities of all mankind. Should these sublime
teachings be diffused, mankind shall be freed from all perils,
from all chronic ills and sicknesses. In like manner are the
Bahá'í economic principles the embodiment of the highest
aspirations of all wage-earning classes and of economists of
various schools.
- `Abdu'l-Bahá,
Baha'i World Faith, pp. 347-348
10. Thou hast
written concerning the meetings and the gathering places of
the believers of God. Such assemblies and congregations will
greatly aid the promotion of the Word--and all the audience,
whether friends or not friends, become affected. But when the
friends have the intention of entering in these meetings and
assemblies, they must first make the purpose pure, disengage
the heart from all other reflections, ask the inexhaustible
divine confirmation and with the utmost devotion and humility
set their feet in the gathering-place. Let them not introduce
any topic in the meeting except the mentioning of the True
One, neither must they confuse that merciful assembly with
perplexed outside questions. They must either teach or open
their tongues in propounding argument, either commune or
supplicate and pray to God, either read Tablets or give out
advices or exhortations.
- `Abdu'l-Bahá,
Baha'i World Faith, p. 407 11.
O thou
maid-servant of God! Whenever thou art desiring to talk and
answer questions, turn thy face toward the Kingdom of Abhá
and beseech for assistance; then loosen thy tongue. Thou wilt
behold at that time how thou art able to answer all the
questions!
- `Abdu'l-Bahá,
Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 592
12. His Holiness
Bahá'u'lláh has given instructions regarding every one of
the questions confronting humanity. He has given teachings and
instructions with regard to every one of the problems with
which man struggles.
- `Abdu'l-Bahá,
Foundations of World Unity, p. 39.
