From: hakim@bigq.enet.dec.com (Kamran Hakim)
Subject: Re: Some more info on the Baha'is
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 17:08:47 GMT


Continuation from part 4:

farzin@apollo3d.apollo3.ntt.JP (Farzin Mokhtarian), you write:

>Destroy all the books except the ones that is about this "amr"i.e."Babigary"
>page 198 of Bayan-e-farsi

Let us examine this verse, hoping that you might learn something as you
inform others :-). Prof. Edward Brown offers the following translation 
for the verse under discussion in the Persian Bayan:

"Wahid VI, Chapter 6. "The command to destroy all books except such as have 
been or shall be composed in this religion. So, though there had been many
heavenly books from the time of Adam till the time of the Qur'an, all were
removed [i.e. abrogated] and those who continues to believe in them were
pronounced untrue. If it be so with divine books, how shall it be with
books of creatures which besides those books [The Bab is referring to the 
Books which written by theologians on theology] are as a reflection in a 
mirror compared to the Sun [i.e. the treaties of the theologian is compared
to the reflection of the light of the Sun which represents the Book of 
God.]? I swear by God that in the Day of Him whom God shall make manifest
[i.e. Baha'u'llah], to recite one of His verses is greater than all the
Bayan [Here The Bab is placing the Bayan in the status of abrogation and
uselessness in comparison to what is to be revealed by the Promised One 
of the Bayan.]"

It is important to note that by destruction of the Book The Bab IS NOT
REFERRING to the BOOKS OF SCIENCE. He is referring to those books which 
begin with words and end in words. Perhaps the following observation
made by A.L.M. Nicolas will help in demonstrating the nature of the
books available in Iran and the kind of mentality The Bab was faced
with:

"Muhammad having grown silent, Mirza Muhammad-Hassan, who followed the 
philosophical doctrine of Mulla Sadra, questioned the Bab in order to 
induce him to explain three miracles which it would suffice to relate 
in order to enlighten the reader. The first was the Tayyu'l-Ard, or 
the immediate transfer of a human being from one part of the world to
another very distant point. The Shiites are convinced that the third
Imam, Javad, had adopted this easy and economical way of traveling.
For example he betook himself, in the twinkling of an eye, from
Medina in Arabia to Tus in Khurasan.

The second miracle  was the multiple and simultaneous presence of the 
same person in many different places. Ali was, at the same moment, host
to sixty different people.

The third miracle was a problem of cosmography which I submit to our  
astronomers who will certainly relish it. It is said that, during the
reign of a tyrant, the heavens revolve rapidly, while during that of
an Imam they revolve slowly. First, how could the heavens have two 
movements and then, what were they doing during the reign of the 
Ummayads and the Abbasids? It was the solution of these insanities that 
                           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
they [i.e these religious leaders] proposed to the Bab!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I shall not dwell on them any longer but I believe I must here make
                                                   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
clear the mentality of the learned Muslim of Persia. And if one should
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
consider that, for nearly one thousand years, the science of Iran
                                              ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
rests upon such trash, that men exhaust themselves in continuous
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
research upon such matters, one will easily understand the emptiness
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
of all these minds.

But, that as it may, the reunion was interrupted by the announcement 
of dinner of which each one partook, after which they returned to
their respective homes."

                A.L.M. Nicolas "Seyyid Ali Muhammad dit le Bab p. 239-240

These are the books about which The Bab said: "destroy all books except 
such as have been or shall be composed in this religion." I hope you 
realize that The Bab was doing the people of Iran a favor. 

Elsewhere The Bab reveals in the Persian Bayan:

"It is unlawful to teach books other than the Bayan unless there be 
therein something related to Scholastic Philosophy (Ilm-i-Kalam), but 
Logic, Principles, and Jurisprudence, Philosophy, and dead languages, 
and the like are forbidden, as also what has been written on [Arabic] 
Grammar and Syntax: unless anyone should desire to learn so much of the 
latter as may suffice Him to read the Bayan, though there are so many 
of the writings of the Point in Persian that this is unnecessary for 
him. Nor must he learn more than this, nor other than this. This is the 
straight path for the believers until the day when the Tree of Truth 
(He whom God shall manifest -Baha'u'llah-) shall become manifest, for 
that is the Day of the Speaking Book of Truth when recourse to the Dumb 
Book tends but to veil men from the Speaking Book [i.e. Baha'u'llah], 
which is a book free from cognitional forms (shu'un-i-ilmiyya) of the 
Creature. Even so was it in this Manifestation of the Point [i.e. The 
Bab is referring to Himself], who is seen to be devoid of the sciences 
of Etymology, Syntax, Logic, and Jurisprudence and the various branches 
of these. For all these exist only for the understanding of God's Will 
as expressed in His Word."
					Bayan 4:10

Nevertheless, the commandment for the destruction of the books was annulled 
by Baha'u'llah:

Baha'u'llah reveals in the Tablet of Glad Tidings:

"As a token of grace from God, the Revealer of this Most Great Announcement, 
We have removed from the Holy Scriptures and Tablets the law prescribing
the destruction of books."
			10th Glad Tidings, Tablets of Baha'u'llah p. 25

"It is permissible to study sciences and arts, but such sciences as are
useful and would redound to the progress and advancement of the people.
Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who is the Ordainer, the All-Wise."

			11th Glad Tidings, Tablets of Baha'u'llah p. 26

"The third Tajalli [i.e. Effulgence] is concerning arts, crafts and 
sciences. Knowledge is as wings to man's life, and a ladder for his 
ascent. Its acquisition is incumbent upon everyone. The knowledge of 
such sciences, however, should be acquired as can profit the peoples of 
the earth, and not  those which begin with words and end with words. 
Great indeed is the claim of scientists and craftsmen on the peoples of 
the world. Unto this beareth witness the Mother Book on the Day of His 
return. Happy are those possessed of hearing ears. In truth knowledge is 
a veritable treasure for man, and a source of glory, of bounty, of joy, 
of exultation, of cheer and gladness unto him. Thus hath the tongue of 
Grandeur [i.e. Baha'u'llah] spoken in this Most Great Prison [i.e. Prison 
of Akka]
				3rd Tajalli, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 52

I hope this offers you some food for thought and gives you another 
perspective on this issue.
						Part 5 of 12