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The
Baha'i Faith
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- The Unity of the Prophets, Messengers
and Manifestations
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 We: Station of Unity
and Oneness
- By Cynthia McDaniel
- Copyright ©2003
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- The words “we” and “us” are consistently
used in Judaism, Christianity, Islam and the Bahá'í
Faith. It is not used in Hinduism. But does this mean anything?
If one thinks of these terms as referring to the Messengers of
God who are united in Their devotion to God and in Their purpose
as the Mouthpieces of God, then these terms take on new meaning.
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- Perhaps God is waiting for people to find out where the religions
overlap and, in fact, are the same. This is a concept which is
present in all religions from God but was not expressed clearly
until the Baha'i Faith was founded in 1844. Bahá'u'lláh
states that all the religions come from God through the agency
of a Messenger/Prophet/ Mani- festation. Manifestation is the
term used by Baha'is for Someone Who brings a new Book from God.
Baha'u'llah says that each Manifestation brings a message for
a certain group of people at a certain time. In consideration
of His time, each Manifesta- tion is unique. However, in terms
of the eternity of God, each Manifestation is connected to the
others as the Represen- tative of God and acts as a part of the
whole group which has been representing God at different times.
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- Bahá'u'lláh also says that religion is progressive
in the same way that academic schooling is progressive. All Manifestations
are teachers in the same school (God’s School). At first,
the Manifestation offered simple spiritual realities to humanity,
not because of limitations of the Manifestation (the teacher)
but because of limitations in the understanding of humanity (the
student). As humanity has grown and progressed through understanding
more complicated ideas, more abstract spiritual principles were
presented or clarified. Today, Bahá'u'lláh says,
humanity is entering its maturity.
- Bahá'u'lláh links all these religions together
saying:
- “Say: O people! We, verily, summoned you, in Our
former Revelation, unto this Scene of transcendent glory...and
announced unto you the advent of the Days of God.” (Summons
of the Lord of Hosts, p 53, para 197)
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- "Our former Revelation" refers to the religions
of God which have been revealed one after the other and to various
peoples around the world. These Representatives of God are united
in Their purpose to create the spiritual world of God through
the Words that They bring from God. They see Themselves as One
as this verse from Baha'u'llah shows:
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- If thou be of the inmates of this city within the ocean
of divine unity, thou wilt view all the Prophets and Messengers
of God as one soul and one body, as one light and one spirit,
in such wise that the first among them would be last and the
last would be first. For they have all arisen to proclaim His
Cause and have established the laws of divine wisdom. They are,
one and all, the Manifestations of His Self, the Repositories
of His might, the Treasuries of His Revelation, the Dawning-Places
of His splendour and the Daysprings of His light. Through them
are manifested the signs of sanctity in the realities of all
things and the tokens of oneness in the essences of all beings.
Through them are revealed the elements of glorification in the
heavenly realities and the exponents of praise in the eternal
essences. From them hath all creation proceeded and unto them
shall return all that hath been mentioned. And since in their
inmost Beings they are the same Luminaries and the self-same
Mysteries, thou shouldst view their outward conditions in the
same light, that thou mayest recognize them all as one
Being, nay, find them united in their words, speech, and utterance.
- (Baha'u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 32)
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- Note the use of the words "We", "Our"
and "Days".in all the Scriptures of God. These terms
refer to the Manifestations of God (Adam, Buddha, Krishna, Moses,
Zoroaster, Jesus, Muhammad, the Bab, Baha'u'llah and some unknown
Messengers) united in their purpose to introduce God to humanity.
These Beings communicate with each other in their station as
the most direct connection with God for humanity. There is no
disagreement between those who refer to themselves as “We”or
"Us."
- And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:
and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over
the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth,
and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
- HB-Genesis 1:26
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- The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Thus
speaketh the LORD God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words
that I have spoken unto thee in a book. For, lo, the days come,
saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people
Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return
to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess
it. And these are the words that the LORD spake concerning Israel
and concerning Judah. For thus saith the LORD; We have heard
a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace.
- Jeremiah 30:1-5
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- For example, note below how Jesus starts out by saying “I
say to thee” (when speaking of His own mission to humanity)
and then immediately switches to “We” (when referring
to times past which are outside His own lifetime). Once Jesus
completes the message from the united group, He refers to himself
again as “I” because he is referring again to His own
mission and His own time.
- Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know,
and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall
ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath
ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even
the Son of man which is in heaven.
- NT-John 3:11-13
- Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will
keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come
unto him, and make our abode with him.
- John 14:23
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- Note also that in the Qur’an, “We” sent Moses
to humanity and again in a later scripture, “We” sent
Jesus (the Spirit of God) to humanity. It is only possible for
this to be true if "We" represents all the Manifestations
as a group. These Manifestations are the means by which God creates
the heaven (spiritual aspects) of His religion and the earth
(laws and foundation) of His religion.
- And behold, We said to the angels: "Bow down to Adam"
and they bowed down. Not so Iblis: he refused and was haughty:
He was of those who reject Faith.
- Qur’an 2.34 (Yusuf Ali translation)
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- And remember, We delivered you from the people of Pharaoh:
They set you hard tasks and punishments, slaughtered your sons
and let your women-folk live; therein was a tremendous trial
from your Lord. And remember We divided the sea for you and saved
you and drowned Pharaoh's people within your very sight. And
remember We appointed forty nights for Moses, and in his absence
ye took the calf (for worship), and ye did grievous wrong. Even
then We did forgive you; there was a chance for you to be grateful.
And remember We gave Moses the Scripture and the Criterion (Between
right and wrong): There was a chance for you to be guided aright.
- Qur’an 2.49-53 (Yusuf Ali translation)
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- We gave Moses the Book¹ and followed him up with a succession
of apostles; We gave Jesus the son of Mary Clear (Signs) and
strengthened him with the holy spirit. Is it that whenever there
comes to you an apostle with what ye yourselves desire not, ye
are puffed up with pride?- Some ye called impostors, and others
ye slay!
- Qur’an 2.87 (Yusuf Ali translation)
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- INDEED We conversed with Moses by the leave of God from the
midst of the Burning Bush in the Sinai and revealed an infinitesimal
glimmer of Thy Light upon the Mystic Mount and its dwellers,
whereupon the Mount shook to its foundations and was crushed
into dust.
- The Bab: Selections from the Bab, p 72
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- One night, in a dream, these exalted words were heard on
every side: "Verily, We shall render Thee victorious by
Thyself and by Thy Pen. Grieve Thou not for that which hath befallen
Thee, neither be Thou afraid, for Thou art in safety. Erelong
will God raise up the treasures of the earth - men who will aid
Thee through Thyself and through Thy Name, wherewith God hath
revived the hearts of such as have recognized Him."
- Baha'u'llah: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p 21
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- "But when Our clear signs are recited
to
 them,
they who look not forward to attain Our Presence, say, `Bring
a different Qur'an from this, or make some change in it.' Say:
It is not for Me to change it as Mine own soul prompteth. I follow
only what is revealed to Me: verily, I fear, if I rebel against
My Lord, the punishment of a great day." And likewise He
saith: "Then gave We the Book to Moses² - complete for Him who should
do right, and a decision for all matters, and a guidance, and
a mercy, that they might believe in the Presence of their Lord."
And likewise he saith: "They are those who believe not in
the signs of the Lord, or that they shall ever attain His Presence.
Vain, therefore, are their works; and no weight will We allow
them on the Day of Resurrection. This shall be their reward—Hell.
Because they were unbelievers, and treated My signs and My Apostles
with scorn."
- Baha'u'llah: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p 116-117
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- HE IS THE GLORY OF GLORIES
- This is that which hath descended from the realm of glory,
uttered by the tongue of power and might, and revealed unto the
Prophets of old. We have taken the inner essence thereof and
clothed it in the garment of brevity, as a token of grace unto
the righteous, that they may stand faithful unto the Covenant
of God, may fulfill in their lives His trust, and in the realm
of spirit obtain the gem of Divine virtue.
- Baha'u'llah: Arabic Hidden Words, p 1
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- Be not dismayed, O peoples of the world, when the day-star
of My beauty is set, and the heaven of My tabernacle is concealed
from your eyes. Arise to further My Cause, and to exalt My Word
amongst men. We are with you at all times, and shall strengthen
you through the power of truth. We are truly almighty. Whoso
hath recognized Me will arise and serve Me with such determination
that the powers of earth and heaven shall be unable to defeat
his purpose.
- Baha'u'llah: The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p 32-33
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- Rely upon God, thy God and the Lord of thy fathers. For the
people are wandering in the paths of delusion, bereft of discernment
to see God with their own eyes, or hear His Melody with their
own ears. Thus have We found them, as thou also dost witness.
- Baha'u'llah: Baha'i Prayers (US), p 212-213
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- Footnotes:
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Baha'u'llah: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p 116-118
- ²
Qur’an 2.87
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