Introducing The Principal Theme
In this lesson, we will see what bounty it is that for some forty years, Bahá’u’lláh revealed the Word of God. To begin, let us review some of the ideas discussed in Lesson 11:
Q. Do you remember what happened after Bahá’u’lláh and His family spent two years in ‘Akká?
Q. What was the name of the house where He and the family were transferred?
Q. How had the conditions of His imprisonment gradually changed in those years?
The people of ‘Akká and the local authorities had gradually come to realize they had been told lies about Bahá’u’lláh and grew to admire and respect Him. Later, through the efforts of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Who was by then a young man and so dedicated to His Father, Bahá’u’lláh moved to a place called Mazra‘ih outside the city walls.
Q. Why did He finally consent to leave, and where did He spend the final years of His earthly life?
Today Mazra‘ih and Bahjí are the most beautiful places, surrounded by gardens, and Bahá’ís from all over the world visit them every year, as well as the Shrine of the Báb, which was built on the very spot that Bahá’u’lláh pointed out during His visit to Haifa.”
Of course, you already know that, from the time Bahá’u’lláh was imprisoned in the Síyáh-Chál until the end of His life in Bahjí, He continued to reveal Divine guidance. We know, too, that, it is by studying the Utterances of God’s Manifestations in every age that humanity understands His Will for us.
In this new Age, Bahá’u’lláh revealed the Word of God for nearly forty years. The Word of God is like the rays of the sun. Just as all created things require the rays of the sun in order to grow and develop, the human soul needs the Word of God so that it may grow and draw closer to Him.
‘The Word of God’, Bahá’u’lláh tells us, ‘is the king of words and its pervasive influence is incalculable.’
It trains and educates us. It has a special power that no other words could possibly have. It is creative. It has the power to transform us. It has the power to create in us courage, understanding, intelligence, and love.
The Word of God has the power to make of this world a new world, a world in which human beings will learn to live together in unity and harmony.”
The Word of God is an expression of His love for us. How fortunate are we to be aware of the appearance of God’s Supreme Manifestation!
In the passage you will start to memorize today, we are reminded that Bahá’u’lláh has unlocked the doors of the knowledge of God and brought forth His laws, and the passage will help you to remember as you grow that, when we follow the teachings of God and obey His laws and commandments, we find true joy. His laws are the light that guides us throughout our lives. They are the standard by which we can measure the purity of our words and deeds. They are a fortress that protects us from things that are not pleasing to God, like discord, dishonesty, and disunity.
MEMORIZATION AID FOR PRAYERS
Download the memorization aid for all prayers here
“Say: This is the Dayspring of Divine knowledge, if ye be of them that understand, and the Dawning-place of God’s commandments,if ye be of those who comprehend.”
Bahá’u’lláh The Kitáb-i-Aqdas
MEANING OF SOME OF THE WORDS IN THE QUOTE
Use this to write all the words you don’t know but want to remember!
SEND A POSTCARD
- Song Who Is the Prophet of God for Today: By Saul Accouche
- Yes I Believe You: By Nicolas Tchamegni
These two are just suggestions from the Ruhi.org song page. Feel free to use any of these wonderful songs. HERE
STORY 1
In this historical episode, we will read a few accounts that provide an indication of the greatness of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation.
Bahá’u’lláh was the Chosen Mouthpiece of God in this Day. Through Him flowed God’s knowledge and wisdom to humanity. What it was like during those moments when the Divine verses were being revealed by Him is difficult for us to imagine. We know from the accounts of all those who had the inestimable bounty of being in Bahá’u’lláh’s presence at such times that the forces at work were so strong that the very atmosphere and surroundings seemed to change. Ḥájí Mírzá Ḥaydar-‘Alí, who was granted this great bounty in ‘Akká, has left us one such account. He recalls the moment that he passed beyond the curtain and entered the room where Bahá’u’lláh, seated on His couch with great authority, was revealing the verses of God. The words were streaming forth from His lips like an uninterrupted rain. It seemed to Ḥájí Mírzá Ḥaydar-‘Alí that the door, the walls, the carpet, the ceiling, the floor, and the air were all perfumed and illumined.
“They all had been transformed,” he tells us, “each and everyone, into ears and were filled with a spirit of joy and ecstasy.”
Every object in the room had become refreshed and was beating with new life. “To which worlds I was transported and in what state I was,” he says, “no one who has not experienced such as this can ever know.”
Another believer has left us an account that gives us a glimpse of the rapidity with which Bahá’u’lláh revealed the Word of God. This believer, who lived in ‘Akká for many years, recalls that while Mírzá Áqá Ján, Bahá’u’lláh’s secretary, was recording His words, the shrill sound of his pen could be heard from a distance of twenty paces. At the time, Persian and Arabic scripts, the languages of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation, were written with a reed pen that produced a distinct sound as it moved on the paper.
The account goes on to explain that, in those days, all the letters that arrived for Bahá’u’lláh were passed to Mírzá Áqá Ján. He would bring these into the presence of Bahá’u’lláh and, after receiving permission, would read them aloud. Bahá’u’lláh would then direct him to take up his pen and record the Tablet which was revealed in reply.
Mírzá Áqá Ján had a large ink pot the size of a small bowl. He also had available about ten to twelve pens and large sheets of paper in stacks. “Such was the speed with which he used to write the revealed Word”, the account continues, “that the ink of the first word was scarcely yet dry when the whole page was finished.” It looked as if someone had dipped a lock of hair in the ink and applied it over the whole page. Mírzá Áqá Ján, however, was able to read the words on the page, and he would later rewrite the pages in clear penmanship. If ever there were occasions when even he could not decipher the words, he would seek the help of Bahá’u’lláh.
And why do you think that Mírzá Áqá Ján always had ten to twelve pens with him? Well, another account explains that so fast he wrote down the verses that flowed from Bahá’u’lláh that the pen would sometimes jump out of his hand. He would immediately take up another pen and continue. But, we are told, there were times when not even he could keep up and he found himself incapable of writing at the speed at which the verses were revealed by Bahá’u’lláh.
STORY 2
Bahá’u’lláh has revealed hundreds and hundreds of Books and Tablets which contain the guidance that will enable humanity to build a glorious new world and live in peace and unity for thousands of years to come. From the time He was imprisoned in the Síyáh-Chál until the end of His life in Bahjí, Divine verses continued to flow from Him.
You know, for example, that the ten years He spent in Baghdád were a period of extraordinary potency. Of that period, He Himself has said:
“We revealed, as a copious rain, by the aid of God and His Divine Grace and mercy, Our verses, and sent them to various parts of the world.”
As you learned in another class, among these verses were the Hidden Words and the Kitáb-i-Íqán, or Book of Certitude. Then, while in Constantinople, Adrianople, and later in ‘Akká, Bahá’u’lláh addressed Tablets to the kings and rulers of the world. These include, as you know, the king of Persia and the Sulṭán of the Ottoman Empire. The kings of France, Prussia, Austria, and Russia, and the queen of England also received Tablets, as did the rulers of the Americas.
It was in ‘Akká, in around 1873, while residing in the House of ‘Abbúd, that Bahá’u’lláh revealed His Most Holy Book, the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Bahá’u’lláh has referred to this Book as the
“source of true felicity”, the “Straight Path”, and the “quickener of mankind”.
In it, He sets out the laws and commandments of this Dispensation that will enable humanity to live in accordance with the Will of God. When you get older you will learn about these laws in more detail. Throughout your life, as you follow His laws, you should always remember His Words:
“Observe My commandments, for the love of My beauty.”
There is a story about an early believer that helps us think about how impossible it is for any human being, even the most accomplished and learned, to write even a single word that matches the potency of the Word of God. Mírzá Abu’l-Faḍl was the head of an important religious school in Ṭihrán before embracing the Cause. He was considered a most scholarly and learned man. Some of the believers who were trying to open his eyes to the truth of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation gave him a copy of the Kitáb-i-Íqán, the Book of Certitude. But upon reading it, he did not appreciate its depth and declared that he could write a far better book.
The following day a prominent woman went to him and asked him to write an important letter for her. She had been told that Mírzá Abu’l-Faḍl was an excellent writer. He agreed and took up his pen to begin but, to his surprise, discovered that he was unable to write even one sentence. Not knowing what to do, he started to scribble on the corner of the page, but still not a word would flow from his pen. Seeing this, the woman lost her patience and rose to go. On the way out, she mockingly said to him that if he had forgotten how to write a simple letter, he should have said so and not wasted her time. Mírzá Abu’l-Faḍl was extremely embarrassed. He suddenly remembered the comment that he had made the day before about the Book of Certitude and realized that his present state was the result of his arrogant belief that he could write a better book than Bahá’u’lláh. Mírzá Abu’l-Faḍl felt ashamed of his own pride. Never again did he deviate from the path of humility as he went on to become an outstanding scholar of the Faith.
For any of the figures we heard about, use the biography page to write down the information you would like to remember
Teachers Pay Teachers Free Biography page
- Bahá’u’lláh revealed the Word of God for nearly forty years.
- Bahá’u’lláh has left humanity volumes and volumes of Divine guidance that will enable it to build a glorious new world.
- The Kitáb-i-Aqdas was revealed around 1873 in the House of ‘Abbúd in ‘Akká.
- In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá’u’lláh sets out the laws and commandments of this Dispensation that will enable humanity to live in accordance with the Will of God.
- Bahá’u’lláh has referred to the Kitáb-i-Aqdas as the “source of true felicity”, the “Straight Path”, and the “quickener of mankind”.
- The Kitáb-i-Aqdas is also known as the “Most Holy Book”.
HOW FAST ARE YOU?
Remember we read about how fast Báha’u’lláh revealed the tablets and prayers?
Let us see how fast we can write what our partner has to say!
- You will need a passage from any book
- paper
- pens
In pairs, take turns reading a passage/prayer and the other person has to write and try to keep up. They CAN NOT ask the person to STOP or SLOW DOWN!
In the end, compare what was written to what was read. What do you think? Was it easy to keep up?
MAKE A REED PEN
Hey! We may not be able to use real REEDS but we can use other stuff we have in our homes to make pens like the one ‘Bahá’u’lláh used.
MAKE PAPER
Want to recycle paper and old material? Try making your own handmade paper.
DECORATE CALLIGRAPHY
Be not forgetful of the law of God in whatever thou desirest to achieve, now or in the days to come. Say: Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds!
BAHA’U’LLAH
Download the memorization PDF (as seen above) HERE
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