Some Answered Questions

Read online at https://bahai-library.com/abdul-baha_some_answered_questions . Read the older translation at https://bahai-library.com/abdul-baha_some_answered_questions-original . For seeing the differences between the versions, see https://bahai-library.com/writings/abdulbaha/saq/diffs/abdulbaha_saq_comparison_table.html .

Subject matter

Reveals the significance of this divine revelation and unity of prior Prophets

"Books such as the Iqán, Some Answered Questions and The Dawn-Breakers should be mastered by every Bahá'í. The first two books will reveal the significance of this divine revelation as well as the unity of all the Prophets of old."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, from a letter dated 9 June 1932, in Importance of Deepening our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith, no. 106)

Study Some Answered Questions (to find answers on certain theological questions)

"The soul or spirit of the individual comes into being with the conception of his physical body.

"The Prophets, unlike us, are pre-existent. The Soul of Christ existed in the spiritual world before His birth in this world. We cannot imagine what that world is like, so words are inadequate to picture His state of being.

"We cannot know God directly, but only through His Prophets. We can pray to Him, realizing that through His Prophets we know Him, or we can address our prayer in thought to Bahá'u'lláh, not as God, but as the Door to our knowing God.

"We find God only through the Intermediary of His Prophet. We see the Perfection of God in His Prophets. Time and space are physical things; God the Creator is not in a 'place' as we conceive of place in physical terms. God is the Infinite Essence, the Creator. We cannot picture Him or His state; if we did, we would be His equals, not His Creatures. God is never flesh, but mirrored in the attributes of His Prophets, we see His Divine characteristics and perfections.

"Shoghi Effendi advises you to study 'Some Answered Questions' and the 'Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh' which help you to grasp these questions."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, October 9, 1947; quoted in Lights of Guidance, no. 1699)

Can find the clue to all perplexing questions that agitate the mind of man in search after true knowledge

"Regarding the questions raised in our beloved Bahá'í brother, Mr. Dewing's letter, I feel that I can not add to what has already been fully and clearly stated by our Master `Abdu'l-Bahá in the book of "Some Answered Questions", where, I am sure, she will find the clue to all the perplexing questions that agitate the mind of man in his search after true knowledge. The more this Book is read with care and patience, the greater are its revelations, and the more complete the understanding of its inner truth and significance."

(Shoghi Effendi, 13 March 1923, Messages to the Antipodes, p. 15)

Importance of reading (and mastering/reading carefully)

Encouragement to study (outstanding book in our Bahá'í Literature and one of the most important for proper study of the Faith)

"I urge you to study the Teachings and particularly `Abdu'l-Bahá's Some Answered Questions and Dr. Esslemont's Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, two of the outstanding books in our Bahá'í Literature."

(Shoghi Effendi, Messages to Canada (1999 version), p. 20)

"He feels that the urgent need now is to get out "Some Answered Questions", which is one of the most important books for a proper study of the Faith. When this has been printed, the next publication of the Master's Works can be considered...."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Unfolding Destiny, p. 383)

To gain a mastery of Some Answered Questions

"...as to what subjects within the Faith you should concentrate on he feels that the young Bahá'ís should gain a mastery of such books as the "Gleanings", the "Dawn-breakers", "God Passes By", the "Íqán", "Some Answered Questions" and the more important Tablets. All aspects of the Faith should be deeply studied."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, letter dated 4 May 1946, in Importance of Deepening our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith, no. 143)

"Of special importance is the Book of the Íqán which explains the attitude of the Cause towards the prophets of God and their mission in the history of society. Besides this there is Some Answered Questions of the Master and The Dawn-Breakers of Nabíl. Every Bahá’í should master these books and be able to explain their contents to others. Besides their importance, they are interesting and most absorbing."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, February 9, 1932, in Importance of Deepening our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith, no. 102 and in Lights of Guidance, no. 1931)

To read with care and patience to bring one greater revelations and more complete understanding

"Regarding the questions raised in our beloved Bahá'í brother, Mr. Dewing's letter, I feel that I can not add to what has already been fully and clearly stated by our Master `Abdu'l-Bahá in the book of "Some Answered Questions", where, I am sure, she will find the clue to all the perplexing questions that agitate the mind of man in his search after true knowledge. The more this Book is read with care and patience, the greater are its revelations, and the more complete the understanding of its inner truth and significance."

(Shoghi Effendi, 13 March 1923, Messages to the Antipodes, p. 15)

Should read and read over again Some Answered Questions by every soul desiring to serve Movement or consider self an active member

"Books such as the Íqán, Some Answered Questions, the Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, Nabíl’s Narrative and Dr. Esslemont’s book should be read and read over again by every soul who desires to serve the Movement or considers himself an active member of the group."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith, no. 109)

Authenticity

The text was read in full and corrected by 'Abdu'l-Baha and its original preserved in the Holy Land

"The original of "Some Answered Questions" in Persian is preserved in the Holy Land; its text was read in full and corrected by Abdu'l-Baha Himself." (23 March 1987)"

(Letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, from a memorandum of the Research department dated 28 March 1996 at https://bahai-library.com/uhj_authenticity_some_texts#memorandum2 )

"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)

Outlines

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

Comparison of page numbers in 1981 version vs. previous versions

• https://bahai-library.com/heggie_bahai_references#saq

By Chapter/Paragraph

Foreword

• https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/the-universal-house-of-justice/messages/20160221_001/1#791507151

1

• Surpassing laws of nature
• Further references (beyond those in this study outline): https://bahai-library.com/goodall_cooper_daily_lessons#11 (elaborates more on proving by perfections, example of the root/branch)

10, par. 2

• People in need of proofs as Manifestation has gone

27, par. 3

"the Divine Reality is sanctified from singleness" is to forcibly impress us with fact that Godhead is unknowable

"The Master uses the term "the Divine Reality is sanctified from singleness" in order to forcibly impress us with the fact that the Godhead is unknowable and that to define It is impossible; we cannot contain It in such concepts as singleness and plurality which we apply to things we know and can experience. He uses the method of exaggerated emphasis in order to drive home His thought that we know the sun directly though its rays, the Godhead indirectly through the Manifestations of God."

(From a letter on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, dated 20 February 1950 cited in Bahá'í Canada Supplement 6, online at https://bahai-library.com/fazel_understanding_exclusivist_texts )

49, par. 7

"To Mrs. Ella Goodall Cooper

"It is written in Miss Barney's book that the human fetus is not an animal fetus although it has gone through various and complex transformations and metamorphosis in the womb until it has taken to itself human form and appearance. Therefore that fetus was essentially human and the problem is solved when we realize that it has transformed from one form to another until it appears and manifests with the utmost beauty...

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Japan Will Turn Ablaze!, p. 25, Translated by A. Esphahani, March 23, 1909)

82

All things are not parts of God

"In a Tablet Bahá’u’lláh says that even though absolute being can be attributed only to God we cannot say that other objects have no being. A table has an existence even though its existence compared with the existence of the carpenter who is its maker is almost nothing. Compared to God nothing has existence but this does not mean that even stones do not have being. It is speaking relatively. Moreover, God reveals Himself in all things in the sense that He is the Source of their being and the Cause of their existence. Without Him all things will shrink down to nothing. This however does not mean that all things are parts of God as the pantheist believes. The pantheist says that only God exists, objects are mere modes of His attributes. Bahá’u’lláh however says that objects have a separate reality that is created by God. The Master explains these things in the 'Some Answered Questions', especially in one of the last chapters. There are also many Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh explaining these matters. Most of them, however, have not yet been translated into English. Let us hope that some day this work will be done and the friends will appreciate how Bahá’u’lláh has solved their problems."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, October 26, 1932, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1583)

84

• See also Gleanings, sec. 81 on how even materialistic philosophers recognize the wisdom of the Prophets.

Analysis by Chapter (to move to Bahaipedia as not authoritative sources)

41

When 'Abdu'l-Bahá states "the earth, every three hundred and sixty-five days, five hours, forty-eight minutes and a fraction, completes a revolution; and then it begins a new cycle--that is to say, the first cycle is again renewed.", this is apparently in reference to the mean tropical year.