From: hakim@bigq.enet.dec.com
Newsgroups: soc.religion.bahai
Subject: The Claims of The Bab (was Refutation of Baha'i....) (Part 05/10)
Date: 4 Dec 92 14:33:42 GMT
Article-I.D.: ogicse.47210
Organization: -

Continuation from part 4:

HS>In Resalah Lel-Thamarah (Treatise for fruit), he [The Bab --rdt]
HS>wrote:

HS>                       "Truly I am certainly God: there is no God
HS>other than me. I am unique and single. Truly I am God, there is no
HS>God other than me - the eternal Lord, truly I am that very God and
HS>there is no God other than me who is unique and single. In the name
HS>of God who prevents and who is holy and pure, in praise of You my
HS>God, truly I call You and and all things to witness that You are
HS>truly God and there is no God other than You."
 
The title of your reference and its translation are questionable my
friend.  Please allow me to offer the readership of this forum the
entire Epistle under discussion so that the readership of this
newsgroup could compare the two.

"In the name of the Sovereign Lord, the Lord of Power. Glorified is He
before Whom all the dwellers of earth and heaven bow down in adoration
and unto Whom all men turn in supplication. He is the One Who holdeth
in His grasp the mighty kingdom of all created things and unto Him
shall all return. He is the One Who revealeth whatsoever He willeth
and by His injunction `Be Thou' all things have come into being [In
this paragraph The Bab is praising Allah. KH].

"This is an epistle from the letter `Tha' [i.e. Thamarih which means
fruit.  Here The Bab is referring to Himself as the `Fruit of God's
successive Revelations'. KH] unto Him Who will be made manifest [i.e.
Issa-ibn-i Maryam. KH --Literally, Jesus, son of Mary --rdt] through
the power of Truth -He Who is All-Glorious, the Beloved- to affirm
that all created things as well as myself bear witness for all time
that there is none other God but Thee [The Bab is referring to the
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
return of Issa-ibn-i Maryam in this manner. KH], the Omnipotent, the
Self-Subsisting; that Thou art God, there is no God besides Thee and
that all men shall be raised up to life through Thee. [In this and the
following paragraphs The Bab is praising Issa-ibn-i Maryam. KH]

"Lauded and glorified be Thy name, O Lord, My God! From all eternity I
have indeed recognized Thee and unto all eternity will ever do so
through Thine Own Self and not through any one else besides Thee.
Verily Thou art the source of all knowledge, the Omniscient. From
everlasting I have besought and unto everlasting will beseech
forgiveness for my limited understanding of Thee, aware as I am that
there is no God but Thee, the All-Glorious, the Almighty.

"I beg of Thee, O my Best Beloved, to pardon me and those who
earnestly seek to promote Thy Cause; Thou art indeed the One Who
Forgiveth the sins of all mankind. And in this second year of my
Revelation -a Revelation which took place at Thy behest- I bear
witness that Thou art the Most Manifest, the Omnipotent, the
Ever-Abiding; that of all things that exists on earth and in the
heavens nothing whatsoever can frustrate Thy purpose and that Thou art
the Knower of all things and the Lord of might and majesty.

"Verily, we have believed in Thee and in Thy signs ere the dawn of Thy
Manifestation [i.e. The Bab is referring to the immediate appearance
of Issa-ibn-i Maryam which was to take place 9 years after His own
declaration, according to the text of the Holy Qur'an.], and in Thee
are we all well-assured. Verily, we have believed in Thee and in Thy
signs after the fulfilment of Thy Manifestation, and in Thee do we all
believe. Verily, we have believed in Thee and in Thy signs at the hour
of Thy Manifestation and bear witness that through Thine injunction
`Be Thou' all things have been created.

"Every Manifestation is but a revelation of Thine Own Self, with each
of Whom we have truly appeared and we bow down in adoration before
Thee.  Thou hast been, O my Best Beloved, and shalt ever be my witness
throughout bygone times and in the days to come. Verily, Thou art the
All-Powerful, the Ever-Faithful, the Omnipotent.

"I have testified to Thy oneness through thine Own Self before the
dwellers of the heavens and the earth, bearing witness that , verily,
Thou art the All-Glorious, the Best Beloved. I have attained the
recognition of Thee through Thine Own Self before the dwellers of the
heavens and the earth, bearing witness that Thou art in truth the
Almighty, the All-Praised. I have glorified Thy Name through Thine Own
Self before the dwellers of the heavens and the earth, bearing witness
that Thou art indeed the Lord of power, He Who is the Most Manifest. I
have exalted Thy holiness through Thine Own Self before the dwellers
of the heavens and the earth, bearing witness that in truth Thou art
the Most Sanctified, the Most Holy.  I have praised Thy sanctity
through Thine Own Self before the dwellers of the heavens and the
earth, bearing witness that Thou art indeed the Indescribable, the
Inaccessible, the immeasurably Glorified. I have extolled Thine
overpowering majesty through Thine Own Self before the dwellers of the
heavens and the earth, bearing witness that, verily, Thou and Thou
alone art the Lord of might, the Eternal One, the Ancient of Days.

"Hallowed and glorified art Thou; there is none other God but Thee and
in truth unto Thee do we all return.

"As to those who have put the kindred of `Ali to death, ere long they
shall realize to what depths of perdition they have descended."

	An Epistle of The Bab addressed to "Him Whom God shall make manifest"
			Selections from the Writings of The Bab, pp. 3-5

Please accept my apologies for quoting at length. I felt this was necessary
for the sake of comparison.

Since the above quotation contrasts with what you are attempting to
convey to your audience, namely: "He [i.e. The Bab. KH] was not
emotionally balanced, and as such, later claimed Godhood," please
                                         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
allow me to offer some other examples. There is no need for you to
make your point by a MODIFIED text, or QUESTIONABLE translations.

The Bab in a second Epistle addressed to "Him Whom God shall make
manifest" (i.e. Issa-ibn-i Maryam, Who was to appear after Him.)
writes:

"He is the Most Glorious. He is God, no God is there but Him, the
Almighty, the Best Beloved. All that are in the heavens and on the
earth and whatever lieth between them are His. Verily He is the Help
in Peril, the Self-Subsisting [This introduction is in the praise of
Allah. KH].

This is a letter from God [i.e. The Bab. KH], the Help in Peril, the
          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Self-Subsisting, unto God [i.e. Issa-ibn-i Maryam. KH] the Best
                 ^^^^^^^^
Beloved, to affirm that the Bayan [i.e. The Book of laws revealed by
The Bab. KH] and such as bear allegiance to it [i.e. The followers of
The Bab. KH] are but a present from me unto Thee and to express my
undoubting faith that there is no God but Thee [i.e. Issa-ibn-i
                      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Maryam. KH], that the kingdoms of Creation and Revelation are Thine."

			Selections from the Writings of The Bab, pp. 6-7

The implication of this language will be discussed in parts 6 and 7.

						Part 5 of 10