Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh for Deepening, Devotion, Discourse

Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash

Course: Introducing Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh for Deepening, Devotion, Discourse (2024)
Faculty Mentor: Christopher Buck

As the new course title reflects, “Introducing Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh for Deepening, Devotion, Discourse” was redesigned to engage the participants in the Ruhi Institute process by emphasizing devotion for its spiritualizing effects, and discourse to apply Bahá’í precepts and principles to the public discourses of society at large, and to enrich meaningful conversations on the interpersonal level of interaction.

One outstanding participant took this somewhat experimental pedagogical (learning) approach quite seriously, as seen in the following selected posts by Marco Liuzzi, who lives in Brindisi, Italy, and works at the United Nations International Computing Centre. Marco dedicated nearly 30 years of his career to various roles within the United Nations system, including technologist, engineer, and manager.

Another outstanding participant is Dr. Emilia Phillips, a practicing physician in Manchester, Massachusetts. Because of her noble profession as a medical doctor, I asked Dr. Phillips the following question, “As a practicing physician, what are your thoughts on Bahá’u’lláh’s metaphor of the ‘Divine Physician,’ if you don’t mind my asking?” As a faculty member, one must always be cautious and circumspect in asking a participant a direct question because, in a sense, it puts the participant on the spot. Moreover, the question was asked without advance notice and without knowing whether the participant would be comfortable responding to that invitation for reflection. In this case, I took a chance—with a happy result—as Dr. Phillips’ response is fascinating. Enjoy! 

—Chris Buck

by Marco Liuzzi

From Adrianople to ‘Akká

In the course Introducing Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh for Deepening, Devotion, Discourse, one of our early assignments was to post our reflections on one of the “Bahá’í Scholarship” articles provided by the instructor. I chose to write about the article “From Adrianople to ‘Akká,” in Abu’l-Qásim Faizí’s book Conqueror of Hearts (London: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1969/1974).

The document describes some of the events surrounding the revelation of the Lawḥ-i-Aqdas, or, more specifically, the first epistolary connection between Bahá’u’lláh and Fáris Effendi, the Christian physician and priest who was probably the intended recipient of the Tablet. 

Bahá’u’lláh is the first Manifestation of God Who has blessed three continents with His presence: Asia, in which he lived most of his life; Europe, with his stays in Constantinople (Istanbul) and Adrianople (Edirne); and Africa, in Alexandria, where he changed vessels during his trip from Gallipoli to Haifa.

The connection between Bahá’u’lláh and the Christian physician is nothing short of miraculous. While miracles should not be used as a proof, they add interesting colors to a narrative. Bahá’u’lláh’s follower Nabíl-i-A`zam was imprisoned in Egypt, and in prison he met Fáris Effendi, who was also incarcerated. Nabíl introduced him to the Bahá’í Faith, and Fáris Effendi quickly became an ardent believer, which transformed his experience of imprisonment from sorrow to joy. The narrative recounts when Nabíl, from his prison window, spotted Muhammad Ibráhím, a fellow believer, and learned of Bahá’u’lláh’s proximity on a steamer nearby. This intensified the emotional state of both Nabíl and Fáris Effendi, who longed to see Bahá’u’lláh. Fáris Effendi and Nabíl wrote a letter to Bahá’u’lláh, expressing their devotion and longing to see Him. The task of delivering this letter fell to a young man named Constantine, a clock-maker, who faced the challenging task of catching up to the departing steamer. The steamer unexpectedly stopped, allowing Constantine to deliver the letter. This event was seen as miraculous by those present, both on the steamer and in the prison. Bahá’u’lláh was deeply moved by the letter, which He later mentioned in one of His Tablets. He sent back gifts to Nabíl and Fáris Effendi, affirming their efforts and devotion.

The letter of Fáris Effendi to Bahá’u’lláh is a beautiful example of spiritual transformation and passionate commitment. Here are excerpts from his letter: “O Thou Glory of the All Glorious, and the Exalted One of the Most Exalted … I am honoured to write and send this supplication to Thy Presence… .” “May I entreat Thee to include my people and myself amongst those who are immersed in the bounties of the oceans of Thy grace… .” “How intensely do I long to be in Thy company! … O Sea! What hath befallen thee? I see thee disturbed. Is it because of the fear of thy Lord, the Most Great?” 

The letter by Fáris Effendi acknowledges the reality of the unity of the Manifestations as well as the repeated persecutions endured by these Holy Beings (“They did to Thee what they did to Jesus, the Manifestation of His Wisdom…”), which shows his deep understanding of a recurring theme in Bahá’u’lláh’s writing. This is a critical theme, including for teaching the faith. Adib Taherzadeh, in his speech “Drawing Nigh to Bahá’u’lláh” (available in SoundCloud), suggested that we should learn from this approach and that this should be a standard way of presenting the truths of the faith to believers of other faiths, starting from the reality and challenges of previous dispensations and showing how the same challenges are faced by the faith of Bahá’u’lláh.

Glad-Tidings: Deepening, Devotion, Discourse

After reading the “Bishárát (Glad-Tidings)” from the Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, we were asked to post our reflections by following the “Deepening, Devotion, and Discourse” model:

1. Deepening: As a personal deepening, please post what you have found to be the single most intriguing Paragraph from this Unit’s readings from Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Why did you find this Paragraph so intriguing?
2. Devotion: As a personal devotion, please post what you have found to be the single most inspiring Paragraph from this Unit’s readings from Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas.Why did you find this Paragraph so inspiring?
3. Discourse: As a personal discourse, please post what you have found to be the single most instructive and constructive Paragraph from this Unit’s readings from the Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. How does this instructive and constructive principle apply to the “betterment of society” in the world today?

I chose to comment on the article “Baha’u’llah’s Bishārāt (Glad-Tidings): A Proclamation to Scholars and Statesmen,” by Christopher Buck and Youli A. Ioannesyan, published in Bahá’í Studies Review 16 (2010): 3–28, edited by Moojan Momen. 

This paper provides a detailed historical analysis of the Lawh-i-Bishārāt or Tablet of Glad-Tidings, revealed by Bahá’u’lláh around 1891. It presents new theories regarding the provenance and purpose of the Tablet, emphasizing its role in articulating key teachings of the Bahá’í Faith in a structured format. Below are a couple of thoughts on the reading:

• It was fascinating to learn that the term “bishárát” (glad-tidings) has both Islamic and Christian roots. In Islam, the term “bashir” refers to a prophet who brings good news, and “bishárát” means “glad-tidings” or “good news.” Similarly, “good news” is also the meaning of the word “gospel” and, interestingly, it is the original meaning of the word “Vangelo” in Italian (Evangel). Additionally, it was interesting to note that the Tablet was sent to (or through) two Western scholars, presumably for a Western audience. We have discussed the relation between the Bahá’í Faith and the West in a previous assignment.
  
• Another intriguing aspect was the existence of two slightly different versions of the Tablet sent to the two scholars. One version included the fifteenth glad-tiding (the passage on constitutional monarchy), while the other did not. The article states, “Whether or not the omission was deliberate, or due to a scribal error, has not yet been determined.” The two scholars quickly noticed the omission and explained it based on their perspectives. Browne perceived it as an expedient “suppression,” believing that the original version included the fifteenth glad-tiding, which was removed to avoid displeasing Rosen. Conversely, Rosen viewed it as an addition to “please the British,” assuming the original was the version he received instead, without the fifteenth glad-tiding. A possible explanation is that each message was adapted to its audience. This, in a sense, is confirmed by the fact that each scholar felt that the “true” version was the one he had received. The notion that messages need to be tailored to the audience’s capacity and receptiveness is supported by Bahá’u’lláh’s and Shoghi Effendi’s quotes expressing this principle:
  
  • “Even as it hath been said: ‘Not everything that a man knoweth can be disclosed, nor can everything that he can disclose be regarded as timely, nor can every timely utterance be considered as suited to the capacity of those who hear it.’ ” (Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh) www.bahai.org/r/306626215
    
• “It was He, our beloved ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá, our true and shining Exemplar, who with infinite tact and patience, whether in His public utterances or in private converse, adapted the presentation of the fundamentals of the Cause to the varying capacities and the spiritual receptiveness of His hearers.” (Bahá’í Administration) www.bahai.org/r/843641812

Instructor’s Comment:

Thanks for your post on the Unit 3 Bahá’í scholarship reading.

As I recall, the suppression of the Fifteenth Glad-Tiding in the version of the Lawh-i-Bishárát sent to Baron Rosen was so as not to offend the Czar or otherwise appear to be antithetical to czarist rule by praising the British parliamentary system and monarchy. 

Also, to your excellent point that there may be more than one “variant” in authorized versions of Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablets; there are three authenticated versions of the Súriy-i-Haykal, if memory serves.

Chris

Editor’s Note: Stay tuned for next month’s eNewsletter, when we will publish more comments—this time on Bahá’u’lláh’s “Tablet of the World”—from Marco Liuzzi.