About the Inspirations
The categories on this blog are meant to be a clue as to who wrote the main quotes that are included in the post and also where the main inspiration for that particular quote came from. Please note, however, that some posts have been listed in multiple categories as they may contain more than one quote or be comprised of a combination of different concepts.
Baha’i Writings
These are any of the thousands of pages of writings on the Baha’i Faith. They have been divided further according to their author, and in some cases the original source document.
Abdu’l-Baha
Abdu’l-Baha is the son of the founder of the Baha’i Faith. In Baha’u'llah’s will, Abdu’l-Baha was named as his father’s successor and the new head of the Baha’i Faith. Accordingly, his writings are considered to be just as sacred as those of Baha’u’llah’s. He died in 1921, but not before having the opportunity to travel to many places and help to spread the Faith around the globe. In addition to many prayers, Abdu’l-Baha also wrote many tablets and gave many different talks to believers and non-believers alike.
Abdu’l-Baha in London
As the name would suggest, these book is a collection of different talks that Abdu’l-Baha gave to a variety of audiences during his visit to London in 1911.
Abdu’l-Baha on Divine Philosophy
Published from 1916-1918 by Isabel Fraser Chamberlain this volume is a collection of notes and quotes from talks by Abdu’l-Baha. As these are mainly works that were attribute to Abdu’l-Baha and not neccessarily verified it has not been republished at the behest of Shoghi Effendi as the notes contained within “do not constitute an authentic text of the Master’s words.” I have chosen to include it here, however, to provide some examples of the way that the Faith was first introduced to people in the United States in the early 20th century.
Foundations of World Unity
First published in 1945, Foundations of World Unity is a compilation of different talks and writings of Abdu’l-Baha.
Paris Talks
Abdu’l-Baha visited Paris in 1912 on his way to the United States. He gave a series of talks on a wide variety of topis. These talks were transcribed and compiled and make up this book. Although Abdu’l-Baha was never able to authenticate the text himself, Shoghi Effendi did say they can be used by Baha’is for Guidance.
The Promulgation of Universal Peace
Abdu’l-Baha visited the United States and Canada from 1912-1914. This book contains the transcripts of talks that he gave during those two years.
The Secret of Divine Civilization
This book was written in 1875 and addressed to the people and rulers of Persia. Considered to be an authoritative text, it addresses many issues that were being discussed at the time of its writing related to modernization and future advancements of society.
Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha
A collection of 237 short tablets from “The Master”. The collection can be found online and downloaded for free from the Baha’i Reference Library.
Some Answered Questions
First published in 1908, Some Answered Questions is a compilation of responses to questions of Abdu’l-Baha by Laura Clifford Barney. A range of topics is covered such as immortality of the soul, the biblical prophecies from the book of Isaiah, and interpretations of events from the New Testament.
The Báb
Born in 1819, the Báb (which means “the gate” in Persian) was a manifestation of God sent just prior the to revelation of Baha’u'llah. He essentially prepared the way for the coming of Baha’u'llah who was the first of his 18 disciples during a time of religious upheaval within the world of Shi’a Islam. His writings are considered to be sacred and imbued with the wisdom of God. The Báb wrote prayers, as well as some tablets.
Baha’u'llah
Baha’u'llah is the founder and central figure of the Baha’i Faith. Baha’is believe that he is a manifestation of God. A messenger, or prophet, who revealed God’s message to the world for this era.
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf
Baha’u'llah’s last major work before his death, this writing is a letter addressed to a Muslim cleric who, along with his father (whom Baha’u'llah referred to as ‘the Wolf’) was a harsh critic of the Baha’i Faith and was responsible for the executions of many Baha’is. This work contains many quotes from Baha’u'llah’s previous writings.
Gleanings
Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah is a compilation of excerpts of Baha’u'llah’s writings covering the full range of his teaching from 1853 to his death 1892. The translation was overseen by Shoghi Effendi and first published in 1935. The selection of writings includes previously unpublished writings as well as sections from Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, The Hidden Words, Kitáb-i-Aqdas, and Kitáb-i-Íqán.
The Hidden Words
The Hidden Words are 153 short utterances written while Baha’u'llah was an exile in Baghdad. Each one is believed to contain the essence of a spiritual truth written in a brief form. The writing style is relatively ornate and beautiful. This has the effect of creating a short and easily memorized quote that is rich with meaning and requires the reader to reflect upon its meaning to fully understand it–if that is ever possible. 71 were written in Arabic and 82 in Persian. I have indicated which set and number the Hidden Word that I have used, but I have not created separate categories for the two as they are normally bound in the same book and are considered to be complementary texts.
Kitab-i-Aqdas
Originally written in Arabic (though usually referred to by its Persian name), the Kitab-i-Aqdas, or “the Most Holy Book,” it was completed in 1873. This book was referred to by Shoghi Effendi in God Passes By as the “charter of the future world civilization”. The Aqdas is sometimes known as a book of laws as it does contain much guidance on how to live one’s life, but it also contains informaiton of the establishment of Baha’i institutions, religious practices, social principles and prophecies. It is common to see Baha’is refer to this book when there is a question of ethics or morals, and to consult its pages for guidance.
Tablets of Baha’u'llah Revealed After the Kitab-i-Aqdas
These are a series of tablets written or dictated by Baha’u'llah following the writing of the Kitab-i-Aqdas in 1873 until his death in 1892. The volume known to most Baha’is was translated by Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice. It contains 16 complete tablets and excerpts from several others.
Secondary Sources
These writings are those authored by people writing about the Baha’i Faith and not the spiritual leaders of the Baha’i Faith themselves.
Shoghi Effendi
Shoghi Effendi, also known as “The Guardian” became the head of the Baha’i Faith in 1921 with the death of Abdu’l-Baha who had selected him (his grandson and the great-grandson of Baha’u'llah) for the position. Most of his writings were commentaries upon the writings of the other central figures of the Faith and directives for the future.
The Universal House of Justice
Following the death of Shoghi Effendi in 1957 the Universal House Justice became the supreme legislative and authoritative institution of the Baha’i Faith. The nine members are elected every five years through a democratic process involving all Baha’is around the world. Their decisions are considered to be infallible and their writings to be authoritative. This is because the establishment of this institution was ordained in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas.
Prayers
Most of the prayers were written by either Baha’u’llah, Abdu’l-Baha or The Báb. As prayers are different from other kinds of writings I have chosen to categorize them separately, though they are also cross-referenced with the author.
Reflections
These posts com from my own observations of the world we live in. They may also contain quotes from the writings, but it was something else that I noticed about the world that inspired the post.
World Religions
The Baha’is believe that all of the revealed religions are one. The founders of the different world religions were different manifestations of the same God, with each prophet revealing more of the divine message, a concept referred to as ‘progressive revelation’. The Baha’i Faith was revealed by Baha’u'llah and is the latest phase of the spiritual maturation of mankind. Because of their relationship with the Baha’i Faith, the writings of other major religions are also held sacred and are occasionally the inspiration for my posts.
* Please note that because many of the Baha’i writings can be found in several different works, categorizing them the way that I have chosen is somewhat arbitrary. In most cases, I have simply selected the volume where I first encountered it.