Pilgrims' notes

Pilgrim's notes are non-authoritative statements attributed to the Central Figures of the Bahá'í Faith. As per the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, "Such reports may be interesting but not authoritative..."

Specific notes

• https://bahai-library.com/Pilgrims

Books which are at least partially only pilgrims' notes (due to lack of confirmed Persian original)

• 'Abdu'l-Bahá in London (entirely pilgrim's notes)
• Paris Talks
• Promulgation of Universal Peace
• Star of the West

Compilations

• https://bahai-library.com/compilation_pilgrims_notes (re: status of)

By Period

• For Bahá'í Faith
  • Life of 'Abdu'l-Bahá
• For Islám
• For Christianity
• For Judaism

By topic

On the "calamity"

• https://bahai-library.com/itc_calamity_pilgrims_notes

Sharing

• https://bahai-library.com/uhj_sharing_pilgrims_notes
• https://bahai-library.com/uhj_pilgrims_notes_online

By figure

Bahá'u'lláh

Only Bahá'u'lláh's writings are to be relied upon though they may be interesting

"Bahá'u'lláh definitely states that only His actual writings are to be relied upon. Such reports may be interesting but not authoritative, no matter who the reporter may be..."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 9 June 1930, Unfolding Destiny, p. 425)

While not considered (authentic) scripture, pilgrim's notes can be of value and have a place in our literature

"Regarding "'Abdu'l-Bahá in London". Nothing can be considered scripture for which we do not have an original text. A verbatim record in Persian of His talks would of course be more reliable than one in English because He was not always accurately interpreted. However such a book is of value, and certainly has its place in our literature."

(Unfolding Destiny, p. 208)

From Lights of Guidance (to categorize)

Any Narrative Not Authenticated by a Text Should Not Be Trusted

"Thou has written concerning the pilgrims and pilgrims' notes. Any narrative that is not authenticated by a Text should not be trusted. Narratives, even if true, cause confusion. For the people of Bahá, the Text, and only the Text, is authentic."

('Abdu'l-Bahá: from a previously untranslated Tablet, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1431)

Privilege of Friends to Share Results of These Visits

"Regarding the notes taken by pilgrims at Haifa. The Guardian has stated that he is unwilling to sign the notes of any pilgrim, in order that the literature consulted by the believers shall not be unduly extended... This means that the notes of pilgrims do not carry the authority resident in the Guardian's letters written over his own signature. On the other hand each pilgrim brings back information and suggestions of a most precious character, and it is the privilege of all the friends to share in the spiritual results of these visits."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States: Bahá'í News, No. 281, p. 4, July 1954, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1432)

Pilgrims' Notes Are Hearsay and Cannot Claim the Authority of the Sacred Text

"The instructions of the Master and the Guardian make it very clear that Pilgrims' notes are hearsay and cannot claim the authority and binding power of the Sacred Text.... Moreover, the fact that the pilgrim writing of his experience is a reliable or well-known believer, or that the reported statement seems to be repeated in the notes of several pilgrims, does not in itself confer authority upon the pilgrim's note in question."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, January 23, 1980, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1433)

The Notes of Pilgrims Are for Their Own Use

"Shoghi Effendi has often said that the notes of the pilgrims should be for their own personal use and bear absolutely no authority. What he desires to convey to the friends at large he will always say in his general letters."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, February 26, 1933, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1434)

Stories Told About Abdu'l-Bahá

"He would also urge you to attach no importance to the stories told about Abdu'l-Bahá or to those attributed to Him by the friends. These should be regarded in the same light as the notes and impressions of visiting pilgrims. They need not be suppressed, but they should not also be given prominence or official recognition."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, October 2, 1935, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1436)

Only Signed or Sealed Tablets Are Considered Authentic

"According to the Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh no authority can be attached to a mere hearsay, no matter through whom it may come. The Tablets that bear the seal or signature of Bahá'u'lláh and the Master are the only parts of the literature that have any authority and that constitute the basis of our belief. All other forms of literature may bear points of interest but they cannot be considered as authentic. This is the view that Shoghi Effendi took towards the talks of Abdu'l-Bahá that Ahmad Sohrab had incorporated in his book, and it is the attitude that he would take towards any other reported saying, naturally unless the Master has appended His signature to that talk and thereby given it the authority of a Tablet such as is the case with 'Some Answered Questions' that was actually corrected by Him."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, November 18, 1931, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1437)

Haifa Notes Collected by Mrs. Maxwell

"With reference to the Haifa notes collected by dear Mrs. Maxwell: These have exactly the same status as all other pilgrims' notes, and as such there should be no objection to their circulation among the believers. While these notes taken down by the pilgrims do not constitute as official pronouncements made by the Guardian, and therefore should not be imposed on the friends, those who wish to share them with the members of the Community should, under no circumstances, be prevented from doing so. Though not strictly official, and in some instances inaccurate and misleading, these notes, as experience has shown, can be of tremendous help, guidance and inspiration to many individual believers, and their value as such should therefore be readily admitted."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, April 28, 1939, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1439)

To-dos for this page

• Might be grouped into those with His sayings on a given topic (Talks of 'Abdu'l-Bahá) and those more related to His actions

See also

• Hadíth