From: hakim@bigq.enet.dec.com
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: Question about Baha'i (5/5)
Date: 16 Nov 92 23:19:19 GMT

Continuation from part 4:

Since few quotations have been cited from Prophet Muhammad about the
Day of Resurrection:
 
"There will be no Book after my Book (the Holy Qur'an), and, there
will be no religion after my religion (Islam) until the day of
resurrection."
 
Moreover, He is recorded to have said in another occasion:
 
"Whatever was made lawful by Me (i.e. Muhammad) shall remain lawful
until the day of resurrection, and whatever was made unlawful by Me
shall remain unlawful until the day of resurrection."
 
Let us discuss this issue in some detail:
 
The meaning usually given to the "Day of Resurrection" by the people
of the Book (Jews, Christians and Muslims) is a day in which all the
dead shall literally rise and leave their sepulchers, become alive in
order to be judged by God. Each religion appears to paint somewhat a
different picture about the details of this event, and how it will
come about. Nevertheless, they all agree that physically dead shall
become alive on that day.
 
I will not attempt to recount the beliefs of various people about the
Day of Resurrection, however, I would like to say that such belief is
based on a very literalistic approach to Scripture, which is against
the teachings of the Messengers of God, and the Imams of religion,
beside being an absurd thought among mindful believers. Allow me to
discuss alternative ways of understanding the meaning of the "Day of
Resurrection". The Ba'b addresses the meaning of the "Day of
Resurrection" in the Persian Baya'n as follows:
 
"The substance of this chapter is this that what was intended by the
Day of Resurrection is the Day of the appearance of the Tree of divine
Reality, but it is not seen that any one of the followers of Shi'ih
Islam hath understood the meaning of the Day of Resurrection; rather
they have fanatically imagined a thing which with God hath no reality.
In the estimation of God and according to the usage of such as are
initiated into the divine mysteries, what is meant by the Day of
Resurrection is this, that from the time of the appearance of Him Who
is the Tree of divine Reality, at whatever period and under whatever
name, until the moment of His disappearance, is the Day of
Resurrection.
 
"For example, from the inception of the mission of Jesus -may peace be
upon Him- till the day of His ascension was the Resurrection of Moses.
For during that period the Revelation of God shone forth through the
appearance of that divine Reality [i.e. Jesus], Who rewarded by His
Word everyone who believed in Moses, [i.e. was a true believer within
the Mosaic law], and punished by His Word everyone who did not believe
[i.e. was not a true believer -was a believer by name only-]; inasmuch
as God's Testimony for that Day was that which He had solemnly
affirmed in the Gospel. And from the inception of the Revelation of
the Apostle of God -may the blessings of God be upon Him- till the day
of His ascension was the Resurrection of Jesus [i.e.  Day of
Resurrection for the followers of Jesus] -peace be upon Him- wherein
the Tree of divine Reality appeared in the person of Muhammad,
rewarding by His Word everyone who was a believer in Jesus, and
punishing by His Word everyone who was not a believer in Him. And from
the moment when the Tree of Baya'n [i.e. The Ba'b is referring to
Himself] appeared until it disappeareth is the Resurrection of the
Apostle of God, as is divinely foretold in the Qur'an.....The stage of
perfection of everything is reached when its resurrection occureth.
The perfection of the religion of Islam was consummated at the
beginning of this Revelation until its setting, the fruits of the Tree
of Islam, whatever they are, will become apparent.  The Resurrection
of the Baya'n [i.e. the Holy Book revealed by The Ba'b, The Qa'im of
the House of the Prophet.] will occur at the time of the appearance of
Him Whom God shall make manifest [i.e. The Return of Christ, the Glory
of God, Baha'u'llah]. For today the Baya'n is in the stage of seed; at
the beginning of the manifestation of Him Whom God shall make manifest
its ultimate perfection will become apparent. He [Him Whom God shall
make manifest] is made manifest in order to gather the fruits of the
trees He [i.e. The Ba'b] hath planted; even as the Revelation of the
Qa'im [He Who ariseth] -an allusion to Himself-, a descendant of
Muhammad -may the blessings of God rest upon Him- is exactly like unto
the Revelation of the Apostle of God Himself [Muhammad].  He appeareth
not, save for the purpose of gathering the fruits of Islam from the
Qur'anic verses which He [Muhammad] hath sown in the hearts of men.
The fruits of Islam cannot be gathered except through allegiance unto
Him [the Qa'im], and by believing in Him...yet unjustly have they
consigned Him to the Mountain of Maku."
						The Persian Baya'n II:7
						    Baha'i Scripture
 
And Baha'u'llah elaborates further on this explanation as follows:
 
"These Prophets and chosen Ones of God are the recipients and
revealers of all the unchangeable attributes and names of God. They
are the mirrors that truly and faithfully reflect the light of God.
Whatsoever is applicable to them is in reality applicable to God,
Himself, Who is both the Visible and the Invisible. The knowledge of
Him Who is the Origin of of all things (i.e God) and attainment unto
Him, are impossible save through knowledge of, and attainment unto,
these luminous Beings who proceed from the Sun of Truth. By attaining,
therefore, to the presence of these holy Luminaries, the "Presence of
God" Himself is attained. From their knowledge, the knowledge of God
is revealed, and from the light of their countenance, the splendour of
the Face of God is made manifest. Through the manifold attributes of
these Essences of Detachment, Who are both the first and the last, the
seen and the hidden, it is made evident that He Who is the Sun of
Truth is "the First and the Last, the Seen, and the Hidden. [Qur'an
57:3]." Likewise the other lofty names and exalted attributes of God.
Therefore, whosoever, and in whatever Dispensation, hath recognized
and attained unto the presence of these glorious, these resplendent
and most excellent Luminaries, hath verily attained unto the "Presence
of God" Himself, and entered the city of eternal and immortal life.
Attainment unto such presence is possible only in the Day of
Resurrection, which is the Day of the rise of God Himself through His
all-embracing Revelation.
 
This is the meaning of the "Day of Resurrection," spoken of in all the
scriptures, and announced unto all people. Reflect, can a more
precious, a mightier, and more glorious day than this be conceived, so
that man should willingly forego its grace, and deprive himself of its
bounties, which like unto vernal showers are raining from the heaven
of mercy upon all mankind? ...Have they not heard the well-known
tradition: "When the Qa'im riseth, that day is the Day of
Resurrection?" [Hadith from Imam Sadiq] In like manner, the Imams,
those unquenchable lights of divine guidance, have interpreted the
verse: "What can such expect but that God should come down to them
overshadowed with clouds," [Qur'an 2:210]- a sign which they have
unquestionably regarded as one of the features of the Day of
Resurrection- as referring to Qa'im and His manifestation.
 
"Strive therefore, O my brother, to grasp the meaning of
'Resurrection,' and cleanse thine ears from the idle sayings of these
rejected people.  Shouldst thou step into the realm of complete
detachment, thou wilt readily testify that no day is mightier than
this Day, and that no resurrection more awful than this Resurrection
can ever be conceived."
				Baha'u'llah, Ketab-i-Iqan p. 142-144
 
						Part 5 of 5