Bahá'u'lláh

From Bahai9

Note: This page was added in a paragraphed essay-style format and needs to be changed to include quotations from the authoritative Writings only (besides headings, etc.).

Introductory Works

See http://bahai.org/article-1-3-0-2.html for an introductory article or http://www.bahai-library.com/published.uhj/statement.bahaullah/ for a more extensive authoritative book about His Life and teachings.

For the publicly editable wiki article, see Wikipedia:Bahá'u'lláh

His Life by time/time period

In His own words:

Writings on Accounts-Events of Bahá'u'lláh by date

Chronological History (compiled from Balyuzi, Baha'u'llah: King of Glory)

lifetime: (Nov. 12, 1817 - May. 29, 1892)

a: arrived

d: departed

Tihran

Tihran I (November 12, 1817- August 1844)

ends with letter from Mulla Husayn in August 1844.

Mazindaran (August 1844-1845)

Bahá'u'lláh immediately wanders through Mazindaran teaching. During this trip he encouners Mulla Muhammad and a young Sufi, who says "I am cooking God to eat Him." Route: Tihran, Afchih, Yalrud, Takur, Darkala, Sa'ádat-Ábád, Darkala, Tihran

Tihran II (1845-June 1848)

Bahá'u'lláh returns to Tihran in 1845. While in Tihran Bahá'u'lláh arranges for the escape of Tahirih from confinement and Mirza Mihdi is born. In late 1847 Bahá'u'lláh is briefly imprisoned, the first of many, when falsely implicated in a murder.

Conference of Badasht (June 26, 1848-July 17, 1848)

The trip to the conference appears to be uneventful. The conference itself, the first conference of the Bahá'í era, was notable for Tiririh appearing without her veil. The return trip was eventful, including the first meeting between Mulla Husayn and Bahá'u'lláh at Fort Shaykh Tabarsí and the order of execution of Bahá'u'lláh by Muhammad Shah, which became null the next day when the shah died. Route: Tihran, Sháh-rúd, Níyálá, Bandar-Gaz, Sárí, Bárfurúsh, Darkala, Takur, Afrá, Fort Shaykh Tabarsí, Tihran

The Ámul Incident (early December 1848-1849)

Bahá'u'lláh promised Mulla Husayn that he would return to the fort. On the way Bahá'u'lláh and his party are arrested and taken to Amúl. While there Bahá'u'lláh is interrogated by the clergy, imprisoned for the second time, and tortured. Route: Tihran, Ámul, Tihran

Tihran III (1849-June 1851)

At the insistence of Taqi Khan, Bahá'u'lláh leaves Tihran to go on pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage (June 1851-May 1852)

Tihran, Kirmanshah, Baghdad, Karbila (a. Aug. 28), Najaf, Karbila, Baghdad, Kirmanshah, Shimírán, Afchih (May 1852)

Return from pilgrimage (May 1852-Aug 1852)

Upon returning from pilgrimage Bahá'u'lláh was a guest of Ja'fár-Qulí-Khán, the brother of Persia's prime minister. During this time a small group of Bábís attempted to assassinate the Shah, resulting in brutal persecutions of Bábís throughout Persia. Route: Afchih, Zargandih, Tihran

Imprisonment in the Síyáh-Chál (August 1852-December 1852)

As a result of the persecutions, Bahá'u'lláh was sent to Tihran's notorious Síyáh-Chál (the Black Pit) prison in August 1852. In October 1852 Bahá'u'lláh received his first contact with the Holy Ghost in the form of a maiden, the event which started His mission as a Messenger of God. In December 1852 Bahá'u'lláh was released from prison after the Russian government exerted pressure on the Persian government.

Baghdad

Baghdad I(December 1852-April 10, 1854)

Bahá'u'lláh spent a few weeks with his brother, a physician, and then, along with his extended family, started his exile in Palestine. The trip to Baghdad was perilous because it was undertaken in the middle of winter and the travelers were not equipped for the journey. Route: Tihran, Baghdad (a. April 8, 1853)

Kurdistan Mountains (April 10, 1854-March 19, 1856)
Baghdad II (March 19, 1856-

Adrianople

Journey to Adrianople (May 9, 1863-December 12, 1863)

Route: Contaninople (a. Aug. 12) Adrianople (a. Dec. 12)

Adrianople (December 12, 1863-August 12, 1868

Akka

Journey to Akka (August 12, 1868-August 31, 1868

Route: Adrianople, Gallipoli (d. Aug 21), Haifa, Akka

Akka
Bahji (-May 29, 1892)

Map of His travels

From Lights of Guidance (to categorize)

No Prophet in Same Category as Bahá'u'lláh

"There are no Prophets, so far, in the same category as Bahá'u'lláh, as He culminates a great cycle begun with Adam."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New Zealand, December 26, 1941: Letters from the Guardian to Australia and New Zealand, p. 41, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1550)

Bahá'u'lláh Has Appeared in God's Greatest Name

"...By 'Greatest Name' is meant that Bahá'u'lláh has appeared in God's Greatest Name, in other words, that He is the Supreme Manifestation of God."

(Ibid., p. 41, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1551)

Bahá'u'lláh Conversed with Moses in the Burning Bush

"Bahá'u'lláh is not the Intermediary between other Manifestations and God. Each has His own relation to the Primal Source. But in the sense that Bahá'u'lláh is the greatest Manifestation to yet appear, the One Who consummates the Revelation of Moses; He was the One Moses conversed with in the Burning Bush. In other words Bahá'u'lláh identifies the glory of the Godhead on that occasion with Himself. No distinction can be made amongst the Prophets in the sense that They all proceed from One Source, and are of One Essence. But Their stations and functions in this world are different."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, October 19, 1947, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1552)

Bahá'u'lláh is Not God--But Through Him We Can Know God

"As regards your question: Bahá'u'lláh is, of course, not God and not the Creator; but through Him we can know God, and because of this position of Divine Intermediary, in a sense, He (or the other Prophets) is all we can ever know of that Infinite Essence which is God. Therefore, we address ourselves in prayer and thought to Him, or through Him to that Infinite Essence behind and beyond Him."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, June 4, 1951, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1553)

Why He Uses the Pronoun "We"

"When Bahá'u'lláh uses the plural--'We', 'Our' etc.--He is merely using a form

which is regal and has greater power than the singular 'I'. We have this same usage in English, when the King says 'we'. The Pope does the same thing."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, February 18, 1951, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1554)

There is No Record of a Prophet Similar in Station to Bahá'u'lláh

"Regarding your questions: There is no record in history, or in the teachings, of a Prophet similar in station to Bahá'u'lláh having lived 500,000 years ago. There will, however, be one similar to Him in greatness after the lapse of 500,000 years, but we cannot say definitely that His Revelation will be inter-planetary in scope. We can only say that such a thing may be possible. What Bahá'u'lláh means by His appearance in 'other worlds' He has not defined, as we could not visualize them in our present state, hence He was indefinite, and we cannot say whether He meant other planets or not...."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, December 24, 1941, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1555)

Hour of Bahá'u'lláh's Birth

"Bahá'u'lláh was born at dawn."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, July 10, 1939, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1556)

Todos

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