Hello, I have been a baha'i for 2 years now yet i have one question that i cant answer throughout this journey, in bible jesus calls god his father in lots of verses yet in Quran god says thay claimed god had a son how mistaken they are. I can understand that religions essence are same yet practices mag differ yet this one is such a big controversy. Curious for answer ty
Answer:
Hi,
Allah'u'Abha!
Thank you for reaching out with your thoughtful question. The apparent divergence in how Jesus is described in the Bible and the Quran, particularly concerning the concept of God having a son, is indeed a significant theological distinction between Christianity and Islam. Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i Faith addresses this issue, shedding light on the spiritual and symbolic nature of such descriptions.
The confusion, as Baha'u'llah elucidates, often arises from interpreting Jesus as God's literal son rather than understanding the symbolism behind the term "Son of God." This distinction is crucial in discerning the spiritual truths conveyed through religious teachings. Baha'u'llah delves into this subject in works such as "The Wine of Astonishment" and "The Book of Certitude" (Kitab-i-Iqan). The Kitab-i-Iqan, in particular, explores the profound nature of God, emphasizing His unknowable essence and transcending any human attributes.
As per the teachings of Baha'u'llah – "God, the unknowable Essence, the divine Being, is immensely exalted beyond every human attribute, such as corporeal existence, ascent and descent, egress and regress. Far be it from His glory that human tongue should adequately recount His praise, or that human heart comprehends His fathomless mystery."
It is essential to recognize that God, in the Baha'i understanding, is beyond any anthropomorphic description. God is not a physical entity, and the language used in religious texts, including metaphors about familial relationships, aims to convey spiritual truths in terms that people can comprehend.
The compilation, "Nature of God," provides additional insights into this topic, offering a collection of extracts from Baha'i writings that delve into the nature of God. You can explore these passages to further deepen your understanding.
In essence, the Baha'i perspective affirms the oneness of God and recognizes the manifestations of God, including Jesus, as symbolic representations of divine attributes rather than literal progeny. Understanding the spiritual symbolism behind such terms helps reconcile the apparent differences in religious scriptures. If you have further questions or would like to explore this topic more deeply, feel free to continue the conversation.
Hope that answers your question. Do write back in case of any questions.
Regards,
Team Free Baha'is
Reference : The Caravan Vol 7 Edition 6
1 comment:
I found this in Mírzá Mahmúd
Diary. Monday, June 10, 1912
After prayers and meditations in the morning, the Master called us into His presence and requested that we chant some prayers. Later He was occupied managing His affairs. In the meeting with the friends today He spoke about differences that arise within religions after the ascension of their Founders, the Manifestations, to the heavenly but the Blessed Beauty has shut the door on such differences and has referred all affairs to the House of Justice so that whatever the House of Justice commands, all must obey and submit to it. He said that if the Bahá'ís should become divided into two branches, each establishing a House of Justice of its own in opposition to the other, both would be false. Bahá'u'lláh wrote His Covenant with His own Pen and, prior to the establishment of the House of Justice, He appointed and confirmed the Center of the Covenant, `Abdu'l-Bahá, directing that `whatever He does is correct'.
There are other Bahai sects I know that established a UHJ and a couple I know of that were and some are trying to do the same although they’re not to the magnitude of Haifa’s UHJ but according to this statement by Abdulbaha they are all false. My understanding is that the in the future a tribunal from all the world, not just of the religious body will decide upon this Faith and form the UHJ as it’s ultimate governmental laws and guild lines. The title itself refers to Justice. Since God is over the leaders of the world I would think this is why the Laws laid out by Bahaullah would be infallible, not infallibility of the erring believers, having no understanding of the law and it’s characteristics. This seems fitting due to the statements of Abdulbaha on the two laws, one divine and unchanging and the second civil. It appears to me that these two are separate as one is the individuals worship of God and the other pertains to governing laws of the land. The present UHJ in Haifa presently rules over both the conscience of believers and the civil laws making the Movement nothing like what the early writers including the Prophets wrote about. So if Bahá’ís try and form a UHJ they are false showing a lack of understanding of it’s whole purpose. This is my understanding of it. Could you elaborate on this a little from your perspective? Also, I’m a little surprised Haifa didn’t catch this and change its interpretation after it was reviewed. Respectfully
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