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Manifestation of God

2024-01-03T03:37:30Z

Doughbo: /* Explanation of the Term */

==Explanation of the Term==

===The term "Manifestation of God" should be understood as the return of certain heavenly attributes and perfections===

"In the Holy Books and Sacred Scriptures there is mention of a “return”, but the ignorant have failed to grasp its meanings and have imagined it to refer to reincarnation. For what the Prophets of God meant by “return” is not the return of the essence but of the attributes; it is not the return of the Manifestation Himself but of His perfections. In the Gospel it is said that John the son of Zacharias is Elijah. By these words is not meant the return of the rational soul and personality of Elijah in the body of John, but rather that the perfections and attributes of Elijah became plain and manifest in him.

"A lamp was lit in this room last night: When another lamp is lit tonight, we say that the light of last night is shining again. When the water that had ceased to flow from a fountain flows a second time, we say that it is the same water flowing once again, or we say that this light is the same as the former light. Likewise, last spring flowers and sweet-scented herbs bloomed and delicious fruits were produced; next year we say that those delicious fruits and those blossoms, flowers, and sweet herbs have returned. It is not that the very same constituents of last year’s flowers, after decomposing, have recombined and returned. No, the meaning is that the same freshness and delicacy, the same pleasing fragrance and wondrous colour that characterized last year’s flowers are to be exactly found in the flowers of this year. Briefly, the point is the resemblance and similarity between the former and the latter flowers. This is the “return” which is mentioned in the heavenly Scriptures. It is fully explained by Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitáb-i-Íqán: Refer to it, that you may be informed of the truth of the divine mysteries."

:([['Abdu'l-Bahá]], [[Some Answered Questions]], ch. 81, pars. [[saq:288|14-15]].)

====See also====
* [[Kitáb-i-Íqán#The_interpretation_of_the_Return_and_last_days_is_covered_in_the_Íqán]]

==Awareness of Their own station==

===Manifestations Had Some Consciousness of Their Station===

"The Manifestations no doubt had some consciousness of Their station, but what the nature of that consciousness was we do not know."

:(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, November 19, 1945: Bahá’í News, No. 210, August 1948, p. 3, in ''[[Lights of Guidance]]'', no. [[logn:1698|1698]])

===Christ, the Báb, Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá knew about Their missions from early childhood===

"The Holy Spirit was always with Christ. He knew about His mission from early childhood."

:(Words of Abdu'l-Bahá: ''[[Star of the West]]'', Vol. XIV, p. 274; in ''[[Lights of Guidance]]'', no. [[logn:1642|1642]])

"Question: "Did Jesus first realize his mission when the Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove?"

"'Abdu'l-Bahá: "The Holy Spirit was always with Christ."

"Question: "Did he know of it?"

"'Abdu'l-Bahá: "It was hidden from others, but manifest to him. The story about the dove is simply a metaphor. No dove came down. Amongst the people, the Baptist felt that the Holy Spirit was in Christ. The Holy Spirit was always with Christ. He knew about his mission from early childhood."

"Question: "Did the Báb, Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá also know of their mission from early childhood?"

"'Abdu'l-Bahá: "Yes."

"Question: "In a book I read that at the age of twenty-four the Báb realized his mission."

"'Abdu'l-Bahá: "From childhood it was apparent to him, like the sun. The people felt his greatness although they did not know about his future.""

:(From notes sent to America by Mr. Fugeta, in ''[[Star of the West]]'', vol. 14, issue 9, p. [[text:Star of the West/Volume 14/Issue 9/Text#pg274|274]])

===Bahá'u'lláh not aware of His station before experience in the Siyáh-Chál===

"Bahá'u'lláh was not aware of His own station prior to His experience in the Siyáh-Chál of Tiherán. He himself says so by implication in His Tablet to the Sháh."

:([[On behalf of Shoghi Effendi]], ''[[Messages to the Antipodes]]'', [https://bahai-library.com/shoghieffendi_messages_antipodes&chapter=1#15%20March%201948 15 March 1948])

====See also====
* Per the above note, ''[[Dawn-Breakers]]'', p. [https://bahai-library.com/books/dawnbreakers/chapters/2.html#32 32], https://bahai-library.com/uhj_sdc_capital_punishment#s7 , and ''[[Memorials of the Faithful]]'', p. [[mf:49|49]] and [[mf:54|54]], Bahá'u'lláh apparently was aware to some degree of His station before His Revelation in the Siyáh-Chál (with others discovering this to some degree)

==Symbolism behind the entities used to portray the Manifestation of God first receiving Their mission==

===Explanation of Bahá'u'lláh saying He was asleep is a metaphor showing how Manifestations are silent like sleeper before Their declaration===

"We come to the explanation of the words of Bahá'u'lláh when He says: "O king! I was but a man like others, asleep upon My couch, when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted over Me, and taught Me the knowledge of all that hath been. This thing is not from Me, but from One Who is Almighty and All-Knowing."+F1 [+F1 Extract from the letter to Násiri'd-Dín Sháh.] This is the state of manifestation: it is not sensible; it is an intellectual reality, exempt and freed from time, from past, present and future; it is an explanation, a simile, a metaphor and is not to be accepted literally; it is not a state that can be comprehended by man. Sleeping and waking is passing from one state to another. Sleeping is the condition of repose, and wakefulness is the condition of movement. Sleeping is the state of silence; wakefulness is the state of speech. Sleeping is the state of mystery; wakefulness is the state of manifestation.

"For example, it is a Persian and Arabic expression to say that the earth was asleep, and the spring came, and it awoke; or the earth was dead, and the spring came, and it revived. These expressions are metaphors, allegories, mystic explanations in the world of signification.

"Briefly, the Holy Manifestations have ever been, and ever will be, Luminous Realities; no change or variation takes place in Their essence. Before declaring Their manifestation, They are silent and quiet like a sleeper, and after Their manifestation, They speak and are illuminated, like one who is awake.

:(''[[Some Answered Questions]]'', pp. [[saq:85|85]]-86)

===The dove which descended on Christ was not a material dove but a spiritual state (as with God appearing as a pillar of fire in the Old Testament)===

"...the dove which descended upon Christ was not a material dove, but it was a spiritual state, which, that it might be comprehensible, was expressed by a sensible figure. Thus in the Old Testament it is said that God appeared as a pillar of fire: this does not signify the material form; it is an intellectual reality which is expressed by a sensible image."

:(''[[Some Answered Questions]]'', p. [[saq:85|85]])

==[["Sin" by Manifestations of God]]==

==Impossibility of people being taught to become the Promised One==

* [[Esotericism#Ignorance_in_belief_that_a_boy_can_be_taught_in_schools_to_become_the_promised_one_.28God_must_instead_choose.29]]

==The Prophet is omniscient at will (not just guided by God)==

"He [the Guardian] likes to be provided with facts by the friends, when they ask his advice, for although his decisions are guided by God, he is not, like the Prophet, omniscient at will, in spite of the fact that he often senses a situation or condition without having any detailed knowledge of it...."

:([[On behalf of Shoghi Effendi]], 4 March 1948, ''[[Unfolding Destiny]]'', p. [[ud:449|449]]; quote also cited in different citation in ''[[Lights of Guidance]]'', no. [[logn:1050|1050]])

==(Lack of invincibility of the Prophets)==

===Even the Prophets of God sometimes got tired and cried out in despair===

"We must not only be patient with others, infinitely patient!, but also with our own poor selves, remembering that even the Prophets of God sometimes got tired and cried out in despair!"

:([[On behalf of Shoghi Effendi]], 22 October 1949, ''[[Unfolding Destiny]]'', p. [[ud:456|456]])

=== The Prophets of God suffered agony when the Spirit of God descended on Them and commanded Them to arise and preach ===

"You have voiced the same suffering, the sign of the same mystery, as has been voiced by almost all those who have been called upon to serve God. Even the Prophets of God, we know, suffered agony when the Spirit of God descended on Them and commanded Them to arise and preach. Look at Moses saying, "I am a stutterer!". Look at Muhammad rolled in His rug in agony! The Guardian himself suffered terribly when he learned he was the one who had been made the Guardian.

"So you see your sense of inadequacy, your realisation of your own unworthiness is not unique at all. Many, from the Highest to the humblest have had it. Now the wisdom of it is this: it is such seemingly weak instruments that demonstrate that God is the Power achieving the victories and not men. If you were a wealthy, prominent, strong individual who knew all about Africa and looked upon going out there as fun, any service you render, and victories you have, would be laid to your personality, not to the Cause of God! But because the reverse is true, your services will be a witness to the Power of Bahá'u'lláh and Truth of His Faith.

"Rest assured, dear sister, you will ever-increasingly be sustained, and you will find joy and strength given to you, and God will reward you. You will pass through these dark hours triumphant. The first Bahá'í going on such an historic mission could not but suffer--but the compensation will be great....

:([[On behalf of Shoghi Effendi]], 11 January 1951, ''[[Unfolding Destiny]]'', p. [[ud:459|459]])

===Had the Prophets, 'Abdu'l-Baha, and Shoghi Effendi had fewer problems and worries, they could have given more creatively===

"What the Master meant in the words you quoted is simply that joy gives one more freedom to create; if the Prophets, the Master Himself, and the Guardian, had less problems and worries, They could give forth a great deal more creatively to the Cause. When He said that "grow to be as a fruitful tree" he meant that, by lifting burdens from the Guardian and trying as much as possible to do our share of the work of the Faith, we would help Shoghi Effendi to develop his full powers as Guardian and, through the Covenant, the Cause would spread its shadow over all men. This we have seen happen in the last 30 years, but that does not mean we must not try to our utmost to help him by our lives and our services."

:([[On behalf of Shoghi Effendi]], 5 October 1952, ''[[Unfolding Destiny]]'', p. [[ud:461|461]])

==Todos for this page==
* Include any further quotes about Dove on Christ, Baha'u'llah from [[sleep]], etc.; compare to Christ speaking as babe per Qur'an, etc.

==See also==
* [[Promised One]]
* [[Prophets]]

Education of girls

2024-01-03T03:16:11Z

Doughbo: /* Greater importance of educating girls and women */ Link attributed work

==Greater importance of educating girls and women==

"This principle, that women and girls should receive priority over men and boys in access to education, has been a long-standing principle in the Bahá'í teachings. Speaking in 1912, `Abdu'l-Bahá said: "In proclaiming the oneness of mankind [Bahá'u'lláh] taught that men and women are equal in the sight of God and that there is no distinction to be made between them. The only difference between them now is due to lack of education and training. If woman is given equal opportunity of education, distinction and estimate of inferiority will disappear.... Furthermore, the education of women is of greater importance than the education of men, for they are the mothers of the race, and mothers rear the children. The first teachers of children are the mothers. Therefore, they must be capably trained in order to educate both sons and daughters. There are many provisions in the words of Bahá'u'lláh in regard to this."

"He promulgated the adoption of the same course of education for man and woman. Daughters and sons must follow the same curriculum of study, thereby promoting unity of the sexes."

`Abdu'l-Bahá, [[Promulgation of Universal Peace]]. Comp. Howard MacNutt. (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. 1982.) pp. [[pup:174|174-175]].

:([[Bahá'í International Community]], ''[[Turning Point for All Nations]]'', https://bahai-library.com/uhj_turning_point_nations )

"The question of training the children and looking after the orphans is extremely important, but most important of all is the education of girl children, for these girls will one day be mothers, and the mother is the first teacher of the child. In whatever way she reareth the child, so will the child become, and the results of that first training will remain with the individual throughout his entire life, and it would be most difficult to alter them. And how can a mother, herself ignorant and untrained, educate her child? It is therefore clear that the education of girls is of far greater consequence than that of boys. This fact is extremely important, and the matter must be seen to with the greatest energy and dedication.

"God sayeth in the Qur'án that they shall not be equals, those who have knowledge and those who have it not. Ignorance is thus utterly to be blamed, whether in male or female; indeed, in the female its harm is greater. I hope, therefore, that the friends will make strenuous efforts to educate their children, sons and daughters alike. This is verily the truth, and outside the truth there is manifestly naught save perdition."

:([['Abdu'l-Bahá]], from a Tablet - translated from the Persian and Arabic; in [[Bahá'í Education (compilation)]], no. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_bahai_education#84 84])

"'Abdu'l-Bahá laid great stress on Education. He said "The girl's education is of more importance today than the boy's, for she is the mother of the future race. It is the duty of all to look after the children. Those without children should, if possible, make themselves responsible for the education of a child.""

:(Attributed to [['Abdu'l-Bahá]], [['Abdu'l-Bahá in London]], p. [[abl:91|91]])

"Third, while the overall goal of any society must be to educate all its members, at this stage in human history the greatest need is to educate women and girls.[38] For over twenty years, studies have consistently documented that, of all possible investments, educating women and girls pays the highest overall dividends in terms of social development, the eradication of poverty and the advancement of community.[39]"

:([[Bahá'í International Community]], ''[[Turning Point for All Nations]]'', https://bahai-library.com/uhj_turning_point_nations )

==Preference to be given for educating girls over boys if resources are limited==

"Education holds an important place in the new order of things. The education of each child is compulsory. If there is not money enough in a family to educate both the girl and the boy the money must be dedicated to the girl's education, for she is the potential mother. If there are no parents the community must educate the child. In addition to this widespread education each child must be taught a profession, art, or trade, so that every member of the community will be enabled to earn his own livelihood."

:(Attributed to [['Abdu'l-Bahá]], ''[['Abdu'l-Bahá on Divine Philosophy]]'', p. [[adp:83|83]])

"...the first duty of the beloved of God and the maid-servants of the Merciful is this: They must strive by all possible means to educate both sexes, male and female; girls like boys; there is no difference whatsoever between them. The ignorance of both is blameworthy, and negligence in both cases is reprovable. “Are they who know and they who do not know equal?” (Koran)

"The command is decisive concerning both. If it be considered through the eye of reality, the training and culture of daughters is more necessary than that of sons, for these girls will come to the station of motherhood and will mould the lives of the children. The first trainer of the child is the mother. The babe, like unto a green and tender branch, will grow according to the way it is trained. If the training be right, it will grow right, and if crooked, the growth likewise, and unto the end of life it will conduct itself accordingly.

"Hence, it is firmly established that an untrained and uneducated daughter, on becoming a mother, will be the prime factor in the deprivation, ignorance, negligence and the lack of training of many children.

"O ye beloved of God and the maid-servants of the Merciful! Teaching and learning, according to the decisive texts of the Blessed Beauty (Baha’o’llah), is a duty. Whosover is indifferent therein depriveth himself of the great bounty.

"Beware! Beware! that ye fail not in this matter. Endeavor with heart, with life, to train your children, especially the daughters. No excuse is acceptable in this matter.

"Thus may eternal glory and everlasting supremacy, like unto the mid-day sun, shine forth in the assemblage of the people of Baha’, and the heart of Abdul-Baha become happy and thankful."

:([['Abdu'l-Bahá]], ''[[Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá]]'', pp. [[tab:579|579]]-580)

"Equality between men and women does not, indeed physiologically it cannot, mean identity of functions. In some things women excel men, for others men are better fitted than women, while in very many things the difference of sex is of no effect at all. The differences of function are most apparent in family life. The capacity for motherhood has many far-reaching implications which are recognized in Bahá'í Law. For example, when it is not possible to educate all one's children, daughters receive preference over sons, as mothers are the first educators of the next generation. Again, for physiological reasons, women are granted certain exemptions from fasting that are not applicable to men.

:([[Universal House of Justice]], 24 July 1975 [[to an individual believer]], ''[[Women (compilation)]]'', no. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_women&chapter=all#ch1_30 30])

"...the mother—not the father—bears the children, nurses them in babyhood, and is thus their first educator; hence daughters have a prior right to education over sons and, as the Guardian's secretary has written on his behalf, "The task of bringing up a Bahá'í child, as emphasized time and again in Bahá'í Writings, is the chief responsibility of the mother, whose unique privilege is indeed to create in her home such conditions as would be most conducive to both his material and spiritual welfare and advancement. The training which a child first receives through his mother constitutes the strongest foundation for his future development..." A corollary of this responsibility of the mother is her right to be supported by her husband—a husband has no explicit right to be supported by his wife...."

:([[On behalf of the Universal House of Justice]], 28 December 1980 to the National Spiritual Assembly of New Zealand, ''[[Women (compilation)]]'', no. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_women&chapter=all#ch3_71 71])

"The decision-making agencies involved would do well to consider giving first priority to the education of women and girls, since it is through educated mothers that the benefits of knowledge can be most effectively and rapidly diffused throughout society."

:([[Universal House of Justice]], ''[[Promise of World Peace]]'')

==Preference for girls' school over boy's school (where resources limited)==

"The school for girls taketh precedence over the school for boys, for it is incumbent upon the girls of this glorious era to be fully versed in the various branches of knowledge, in sciences and the arts and all the wonders of this pre-eminent time, that they may then educate their children and train them from their earliest days in the ways of perfection.

"If, as she ought, the mother possesseth the learning and accomplishments of humankind, her children, like unto angels, will be fostered in all excellence, in right conduct and beauty. Therefore the School for Girls that hath been established in that place must be made the object of the deep concern and high endeavours of the friends. The teachers of that school are handmaids close to the Sacred Threshold, for they are of those who, obedient to the commandments of the Blessed Beauty, have arisen to educate the girl children.

"The day will come when those children will be mothers, and each one of them in her deep gratitude will offer up prayers and supplications to Almighty God and ask that her teachers will be granted joy and well-being forever, and a high station in the Kingdom of God.

"Name ye this school the Mawhibat School (The School of Bounty)."

:([['Abdu'l-Bahá]], from a Tablet - translated from the Persian, [[Bahá'í Education (compilation)]], no. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_bahai_education#80 80])

"Devote ye particular attention to the school for girls, for the greatness of this wondrous Age will be manifested as a result of progress in the world of women. This is why ye observe that in every land the world of women is on the march, and this is due to the impact of the Most Great Manifestation, and the power of the teachings of God.

"Instruction in the schools must begin with instruction in religion. Following religious training, and the binding of the child's heart to the love of God, proceed with his education in the other branches of knowledge.

:([['Abdu'l-Bahá]], from a Tablet - translated from the Persian, [[Bahá'í Education (compilation)]], no. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_bahai_education#67 67])

==Need for education of girls to include moral and Baha'i education==

"In past centuries the girl children of Persia were deprived of all instruction. They had neither school nor academy, no kindly tutor and no teacher. Now in this greatest of centuries the bounty of the All-Bountiful hath encompassed the girls as well, and many schools have been founded in Persia for the education of girl children — but what is missing from them is character training, and this despite the fact that such training is more important than instruction, for it is the primary accomplishment of humankind.

"Praised be God, a school for girls hath now been established in Hamadán. Ye who are the teachers thereof must devote more of your efforts to character training than instruction, and must raise up your girl children to be modest and chaste, of good character and conduct — and in addition must teach them the various branches of knowledge.

"If ye follow this course, the confirmations of the All-Glorious Kingdom, in a great rolling swell, will rise and surge above that school.

"My hope is that ye will succeed in this."

:([['Abdu'l-Bahá]], from a Tablet - translated from the Persian, [[Bahá'í Education (compilation)]], no. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_bahai_education#82 82])

"Thou didst write about the believers' daughters who attend the schools of other faiths. It is true that, while these children do learn a little in such schools, still the character and behaviour of the women teachers have an effect on them, and through the inculcation of doubts and ambiguities, the minds of these girls are influenced and changed.

"It is incumbent upon the friends to provide a school for Bahá'í girls whose women teachers will educate their pupils according to the teachings of God. There must the girls be taught spiritual ethics and holy ways.

"A child is as a young plant: it will grow in whatever way you train it. If you rear it to be truthful, and kind, and righteous, it will grow straight, it will be fresh and tender, and will flourish. But if not, then from faulty training it will grow bent, and stand awry, and there will be no hope of changing it.

"Certainly, the women teachers from Europe give instruction in language and scripts, and housekeeping, and embroidery and sewing; but their pupils' character is completely altered, to such a point that the girls no longer care for their mothers, their disposition is spoiled, they misbehave, they become self-satisfied and proud.

"Rather, girls ought to be trained in such a manner that from day to day they will become more self-effacing, more humble, and will defer to and obey their parents and forebears, and be a comfort and a solace to all."

:([['Abdu'l-Bahá]], from a Tablet - translated from the Persian, [[Bahá'í Education (compilation)]], no. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_bahai_education#85 85])

"As to the education of children, exert every effort to further this; it is of the utmost importance. So too, the education of girls in all the rules of righteous conduct, that they may grow up with a good character and high standards of behaviour. For mothers are the first educators of the child, and every child at the beginning of life is like a fresh and tender branch in his parents' hands. His father and mother can train him in any way they choose.

:([['Abdu'l-Bahá]], from a Tablet - translated from the Persian, [[Bahá'í Education (compilation)]], no. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_bahai_education#79 79])

"To the mothers must be given the divine Teachings and effective counsel, and they must be encouraged and made eager to train their children, for the mother is the first educator of the child. It is she who must, at the very beginning, suckle the new-born at the breast of God's Faith and God's Law, that divine love may enter into him even with his mother's milk, and be with him till his final breath.

"So long as the mother faileth to train her children, and start them on a proper way of life, the training which they receive later on will not take its full effect. It is incumbent upon the Spiritual Assemblies to provide the mothers with a well-planned programme for the education of children, showing how, from infancy, the child must be watched over and taught. These instructions must be given to every mother to serve her as a guide, so that each will train and nurture her children in accordance with the Teachings."
:([['Abdu'l-Bahá]], ''[[Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá]]'', no. [[swabs:113|113]])

Mary

2024-01-03T03:00:14Z

Doughbo: Created page with "====The Bahá'í Faith recognizes the Immaculacy of the Virgin Mary==== * See Christ#Virgin birth (of Christ only)"

====The Bahá'í Faith recognizes the Immaculacy of the Virgin Mary====

* See [[Christ#Virgin birth (of Christ only)]]

Self-cleaning

2024-01-03T02:51:33Z

Doughbo: /* General importance of attending to one's appearance */ Add quotations

==General importance of attending to one's appearance==

===Expression of importance for cleanliness===

"God loveth those who are pure. Naught in the Bayan and in the sight of God is more loved than purity and immaculate cleanliness."

:([[The Báb]], [[Selections from the Writings of the Báb]], p. [[swb:80|80]]).

"Therefore strive that the greatest cleanliness and sanctity, which is the great desire of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, should be resplendent among the Bahá’ís, and that the companions of God should surpass the rest of mankind in all conditions and perfections; that they may be physically and morally superior to others; that through cleanliness and purity, refinement and health, they may be the chief of wise men, and that by their affranchisement, their prudence, and the control of their desires, they may be the princes of the pure, the free and the wise."

:([['Abdu'l-Bahá]], Bahá’í World Faith, p. [[bwf:336|336]]).

====See also====
* [[Tablet of Purity]].

===Although physical, it has a spiritual effect===

"...although bodily cleanliness is a physical thing, it hath, nevertheless, a powerful influence on the life of the spirit."

:([['Abdu'l-Bahá]], [[Tablet of Purity]], in ''[[Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá]]'', sec. [[swabs:129|129]])

====See also====
* [[Music#Music More Helpful Before a Talk|Music]] (also described as being material with a spiritual effect)

===Spend half of the day in search of livelihood, guaranteeing your material life and dignified appearance===

"...Share your time with God. Spend half of the day in search of livelihood, guaranteeing your material life and dignified appearance, and dedicate the other half in the acquisition of moral virtues and service at the threshold of God..."

:(Attributed to [['Abdu'l-Bahá]], quoted on back cover of "Economics of the Future" (see [https://bahai-library.com/?file=uhj_share_time_god.html here] for a discussion of this quotation))

===Believers exhorted to be the essence of cleanliness and refinement===

"The believers are exhorted in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas to...generally...be the essence of cleanliness and refinement. The Synopsis and Codification, section [[syn:IV.D.3.y.i|IV.D.3.y.i]].-vii., summarizes the relevant provisions.

:(Notes to the [[Kitáb-i-Aqdas]], no. [[kan:167|167]])

==The purpose of Muhammad's revealing laws (on personal [[hygiene]]) was to free people from the chains of fanaticism and forestall the objections which confuse the mind and conscience of the simple and helpless==

"Would it have been impossible for Muhammad to reveal a Law which bore no resemblance whatever to any practice current in the Days of Ignorance? Rather, the purpose of His consummate wisdom was to free the people from the chains of fanaticism which had bound them hand and foot, and to forestall those very objections which today confuse the mind and trouble the conscience of the simple and helpless."

:([['Abdu'l-Bahá]], ''[[Secret of Divine Civilization]]'', p. {{sdc|29}})

==Aspects of cleaning==

'''Note: All of the excerpts from ''[[Secret of Divine Civilization]]'' below which highlight aspects of cleanliness have been extracted from the midst of the following quotation:'''

"The people of the Days of Ignorance engaged in many practices which the Law of Islám later confirmed...Can one, God forbid, assume that because some of the divine laws resemble the practices of the Days of Ignorance, the customs of a people abhorred by all nations, it follows that there is a defect in these laws? "

:([['Abdu'l-Bahá]], ''[[Secret of Divine Civilization]]'', pp. {{sdc|28}}-29)

===General/whole body===

====Clean selves with what had formerly been employed====

"It hath been enjoined upon you...to clean yourselves with whatsoever ye have formerly employed. Take heed lest through negligence ye fail to observe that which hath been prescribed unto you by Him Who is the Incomparable, the Gracious."

:([[Bahá'u'lláh]], ''[[Kitáb-i-Aqdas]]'', par. [[kap:106|106]])

:''Question'': Does this anticipate and recommend new devices such as modern toothbrushes, etc.

====[[Bathing]]====

* To [[Bathing|bathe]] in clean water (which has not been used) (though better to pour water over oneself (e.g., showering)) at least once a week
* Not to use [[public pools]] as in Persian baths where water stagnates and is not changed

====Use rose water and other pure perfumes====

* To make use of [[rose water and pure perfumes]]

===Specific parts of the body===

====Face====
* See [[Washing soiled items#Water up to even 3 cups are used after a single washing of face and hands.3B 1.2F2 m3 water unchanged after 1 or 2 washings of the face .28unless altered in color.2C taste.2C or smell.29|Washing face (cleaning)]]; see also [[ablutions]]

====Mouth and nostrils====
* "...to rinse out the mouth and snuff up water through the nostrils..."

:([['Abdu'l-Bahá]], ''[[Secret of Divine Civilization]]'', p. {{sdc|28}})

====Teeth====
* "...use the tooth-stick..."

:([['Abdu'l-Bahá]], ''[[Secret of Divine Civilization]]'', p. {{sdc|28}})

====Armpits====
* "...pluck the armpits..."

:([['Abdu'l-Bahá]], ''[[Secret of Divine Civilization]]'', p. {{sdc|28}})

====Hands and feet====

* See [[pare one's nails]].

=====Hands=====
* See [[Washing soiled items#Water up to even 3 cups are used after a single washing of face and hands.3B 1.2F2 m3 water unchanged after 1 or 2 washings of the face .28unless altered in color.2C taste.2C or smell.29|Washing hands]]; see also [[ablutions]]

=====Feet=====
*[[Washing feet|Wash feet]] (at least) once a day in summer; once every 3 days in winter (preferably with warm water)

====Lower body====

* "...to perform ablutions after intercourse..."

:([['Abdu'l-Bahá]], ''[[Secret of Divine Civilization]]'', p. {{sdc|28}})

(though see [[ritual uncleanliness]]/[[ritual uncleanliness - semen]] on the lack of a ritual requirement to do so)

==See also==
* [[Grooming]]
* [[Make-up]]

[[Category:Question]]

User:Doughbo

2023-05-31T22:34:58Z

Doughbo: Created page with "Alláh-u-Abhá I am new here. Please be patient as I attempt to contribute in a meaningful way. All feedback is welcome. الله أبهى"

Alláh-u-Abhá

I am new here. Please be patient as I attempt to contribute in a meaningful way.

All feedback is welcome.

الله أبهى

Ezekiel

2023-05-31T22:33:23Z

Doughbo: Prophethood

==Ezekiel was a dependent prophet==

"Pause then to reflect upon the difference between the virtues and perfections of Christ and the splendours and effulgences of Bahá’u’lláh, on the one hand, and the virtues of the Prophets of the House of Israel, such as Ezekiel or Samuel, on the other. All were the recipients of divine revelation, but between them there is an immeasurable distance."

:([[saqc:37|Some Answered Questions, Chapter 37, Paragraph 13]])

Samuel

2023-05-31T22:32:52Z

Doughbo: Prophethood

==Samuel was a dependent prophet==

"Pause then to reflect upon the difference between the virtues and perfections of Christ and the splendours and effulgences of Bahá’u’lláh, on the one hand, and the virtues of the Prophets of the House of Israel, such as Ezekiel or Samuel, on the other. All were the recipients of divine revelation, but between them there is an immeasurable distance."

:([[saqc:37|Some Answered Questions, Chapter 37, Paragraph 13]])

Resurrection

2023-05-31T22:21:44Z

Doughbo: /* Resurrection of Christ */

==Scripture==
* ''[[Some Answered Questions]]'', Chapter [[saqc:23|23]]

==Letters==
* https://bahai-library.com/uhj_resurrection_return_jesus

==Compilations==
* https://bahai-library.com/compilation_resurrection_christ

==The Day of Resurrection, of Judgement, and the Tomb==

"… Concerning the meaning of 'Resurrection': Although this term is often used by Bahá’u’lláh in His Writings, as in the passage quoted in your letter, its meaning is figurative. The tomb mentioned is also allegorical, i.e., the tomb of unbelief. The Day of Resurrection, according to Bahá’í interpretation, is the Judgement Day, the Day when unbelievers will be called upon to give account of their actions, and whether the world has prevented them from acknowledging the new Revelation."

:(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, Dawn of a New Day, p. 79, in ''[[Lights of Guidance]]'', no. [[logn:1593|1593]])

==Resurrection of Christ==

===Bahá'ís Do Not Believe in a Bodily Resurrection After the Crucifixion===

"We explain, therefore, the meaning of Christ’s resurrection in the following way: After the martyrdom of Christ, the Apostles were perplexed and dismayed. The reality of Christ, which consists in His teachings, His bounties, His perfections, and His spiritual power, was hidden and concealed for two or three days after His martyrdom, and had no outward appearance or manifestation—indeed, it was as though it were entirely lost. For those who truly believed were few in number, and even those few were perplexed and dismayed. The Cause of Christ was thus as a lifeless body. After three days the Apostles became firm and steadfast, arose to aid the Cause of Christ, resolved to promote the divine teachings and practise their Lord’s admonitions, and endeavoured to serve Him. Then did the reality of Christ become resplendent, His grace shine forth, His religion find new life, and His teachings and admonitions become manifest and visible. In other words, the Cause of Christ, which was like unto a lifeless body, was quickened to life and surrounded by the grace of the Holy Spirit."

:([[saqc:23|Some Answered Questions, Chapter 23, Paragraph 6]])

"...We do not believe that there was a bodily resurrection after the Crucifixion of Christ, but that there was a time after His Ascension when His disciples perceived spiritually His true greatness and realized He was eternal in being. This is what has been reported symbolically in the New Testament and been misunderstood. His eating with His disciples after the resurrection is the same thing."

:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, October 9, 1947, in ''[[Lights of Guidance]]'', no. [[logn:1648|1648]])

===Bahá'ís should try to find a spiritual meaning to the resurrection of Christ and discard the physical interpretation===

"Concerning the resurrection of Christ, he wishes to call your attention to the fact that in this as well as in practically all the so-called miraculous events recorded in the Gospel we should, as Bahá'ís, seek to find a spiritual meaning and to entirely discard the physical interpretation attached to them by many of the Christian sects. The resurrection of Christ was, indeed, not physical but essentially spiritual, and is symbolic of the truth that the reality of man is to be found not in his physical constitution, but in his soul. A careful perusal of the 'Iqan' and of the 'Some Answered Questions' makes this indubitably clear."

:(From a letter written to an individual believer on behalf of the Guardian, August 14, 1934, in ''[[Lights of Guidance]]'', no. [[logn:1649|1649]])

==In Islam==

==="From It (Earth) We Have Created You"===

"Regarding the passage on page 231 of the 'Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh', the sentence beginning with the words 'From it(earth) have We created you', is a quotation from the Qur'án.…

"By 'second time' is meant the spiritual resurrection of man, that is to say, his acceptance of the Divine Manifestation. But Muslims have given this term a literal interpretation: the physical resurrection of man. Bahá’u’lláh is using this same interpretation current among Muslims to defeat their argument."

:(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, May 8, 1936, in ''[[Lights of Guidance]]'', no. [[logn:1591|1591]])

===The Spiritual Resurrection of Man===

"With regard to the Racine Assembly's request for an explanation of the passage on page [[gwb:231|231]] of the 'Gleanings' beginning with the words: 'From it (earth) have We created you…': this is a verse from the Qur'án… Bahá’u’lláh in quoting this passage seeks to refute the argument of the Muslims, who attach a purely literal interpretation to this verse of the Qur'án, and therefore consider it as implying bodily resurrection. To these Muslims He says, you who literally believe that the human body will return to dust and will be raised from it again, and therefore attach so much importance to this mortal world, how then can you wax so proud, and boast over things which are but perishable and consequently void of any true and lasting value."

:(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to the Racine Assembly, February 7, 1939: Bahá’í News, No. 124, April 1939, p. 6, in ''[[Lights of Guidance]]'', no. [[logn:1592|1592]])

==See also==
* [[Miracle]]