The book was originally known as risaliyikhal, epistle to the uncle, and later entitled by baha u llah himself as the kitabiiqan. A new version of the bahai reference library is now available. Meaning and significance of certitude bahai library online. This old version of the bahai reference library will be replaced at a later date. The book of certitude kitabi iqan is the preeminent doctrinal work of the bahai faith. The work holds a position of unsurpassed preeminence among baha u llah s ethical writings. Unlike the kitabiaqdas which is the most holy book of laws, this book was written because the babs the gate uncle was perplexed to find that his nephew was a prophet of god. The book of certitude by bahaullah, paperback barnes. Wert thou to cleanse the mirror of thy heart from the dust of malice, thou wouldst apprehend the meaning of the symbolic terms revealed by the allembracing word of god made manifest in every dispensation, and wouldst discover the mysteries of divine knowledge. Baha u llah, which means the glory of god in arabic, was born mirza husayn ali in 1817 into one of persias most noble and privileged families education. With a certitude that none can question, all men would cleave to his commandments, and would scrupulously observe them.
Pdf a symbolic profile of the bahai faith researchgate. As baha u llah quotes the quran, how well hath a believer of the kindred of pharaoh, whose story is recounted by the allglorious in his book revealed unto his beloved one, observed. Baha u llah refers to the virgin birth in his book of certitude, in the course of an argument for the humanity of past holy figures. A treatise revealed by bahaullah in baghdad in 186162 in response to questions posed by one of the maternal. I have been reading the book of certitude, which i really love i am a muslim, though somewhat unorthodox, and really enjoyed the alternate take on exegesis. The kitabiiqan is the creative word of god written by bahaullah from god. Baha u llahs book of certitude, however, is much more accessible than the writings of the bab and certainly the shaykhi texts. A treatise revealed by baha u llah in baghdad in 186162 in response to questions posed by one of the maternal uncles of the bab, translated by shoghi effendi and first published in english in 1931. From the very first verse of this sacred book, baha u llah demonstrates that his theme is to prove the mission of the bab. Buy kitabiiqan book online at low prices in india kitabiiqan. This most holy book sets forth laws of god for the bahai dispensation, and ordains necessary institutions through which the integrity and the unity of baha u llah. Absolutely, it is really one of the most profound religious texts in history and one of the most sacred books in the baha i faith and also considered by baha is as the completion of the persian bayan previously revealed by the bab. The month of kalimat words reflections on the bahai.
The book of certitude is a work of exegesis, where nontransparent passages of the ible and the qur an parables. Book of certitude is one of many books held sacred by followers of the bahai faith. His voice is calling you unto that which shall profit you, and enjoineth you to observe that which shall draw you nigh unto god, the lord of revelation. He spent most of his adult life in prison or under close surveillance. An introduction to bahaullahs book of certitude with two digital reprints of. When speaking of him, we are speaking of a being greater than a human being, so we must be careful to not attempt to contain him within human concepts, or presume that our limited minds are capable of grasping his. The kitabiiqan, the book of certitude, is one of the an important scriptural works in the baha i faith. There are many synonyms for this trying, in bahaullahs. Bahaullah, the prophetfounder of the bahai faith, revealed all 290 paragraphs of this work in two days. The kitabiiqan is one of many books held sacred by followers of the bahai faith. The book of certitude paperback published october 28th 1983 by baha i distribution service paperback, 274 pages. Were he that treadeth the path of guidance and seeketh to scale the heights of righteousness to attain unto this glorious and exalted station, 268 he would inhale, at a distance of a thousand leagues, the fragrance of god, and would perceive the resplendent morn of a divine guidance rising above the day spring of all things.
Bahaullah often refers to the learned or divines who have opposed and. They regard a single drop of the sea of delusion as preferable to an ocean of certitude. The book of certitude an online bahai learning center. The kitabiaqdas is baha u llah s charter of his new world order. Let us examine how baha u llah deals with the major events and themes in the life of jesus.
Definition of certitude as interpreted from the writings. This course will study the kitabiiqan the book of certitude, an early work by baha u llah. As pointed out in the book of certitude, these learned people fear the loss of power. He went to bahaullah the twin manifestation of this age. He, in truth, is the great giver, the allbountiful.
One bahai scholar states that it can be regarded as the most influential quran commentary in persian outside the muslim world, because of its international audience. In it, baha u llah gives a sweeping overview of religious truth, explaining the underlying unity of the worlds religions, describing the universality of the revelations humankind has revceived from the prophets of god, illuminating their fundamental teachings, and elucidating allegorical. The book of certitude aka kitabiiqan this is our primary theological work. This is the day in which the testimony of the lord hath been fulfilled, the day in which the word of god hath been made manifest, and his evidence firmly established. Translated by shoghi effendi, reprinted in many editions. Compilation from the writings of baha u llah and his universal house of justice on the power of the word of god give ear unto the verses of god which he. The work was composed partly in persian and partly in arabic by bahaullah, the founder of the bahai faith, in 1861, when he was living as an exile in.
See also an introduction to bahaullahs book of certitude and dating. We stand, life in hand, wholly resigned to his will. By holding fast unto names they deprive themselves of the inner reality and by clinging to vain imaginings they are kept back from the dayspring of heavenly signs. The iqan is the most important book written on the spiritual significance of the cause and is. Bahaullah 18171892, meaning in arabic the glory of god, is the prophet. Baha u llah exposes the blindness of the muslim scholars who attempted to explain away such verses by stating that when the arabic word idha appears in a present tense phrase, it refers to the future. A treatise revealed by bahaullah in baghdad in 186162 in response to. So, as baha u llah explains in the book of certitude, baha is believe that jesus contains all of these stations within himself. The bayan was the babs prime book a synonym for heaven as in. Syllabus for a study of bahaullahs kitabiiqan, the. Tag archive word of god reflections on the bahai writings. The uncle of the bab had inquired as to why the bab, if he were truly the mahdi or promised one of islam, had failed to establish his sovereignty. It is as if baha u llah had distilled the crux of progressive revelation from the babs teaching and placed it at the heart of his revelation. Compilation from the writings of bahaullah and his.
He begins with the words, in the name of our lord, the exalted. Baha u llah s kitabiiqan revealed in 1861, is one of the foremost among the works of his revelation, unequalled by any work in the entire range of baha i literature, except the kitabiaqdas. All books are in clear copy here, and all files are secure so dont worry about it. This firstever trade edition of bahaullahs book of certitude offers the prolific authors account of the tenets of the faith and the universal mission of all religions. In it bahaullah explains the underlying unity of the worlds religions, describes the universality of. This site is like a library, you could find million book here by using search box in the header. Some answered questions, 1908 edition by abdul baha. In passages that draw not only on the quran, but with equal facility and insight on the old and new testaments, the messengers of god are depicted as agents of a single. Finally, as stated in books and traditions, there remained with him only forty or. In it, baha u llah gives a sweeping overview of religious truth, explaining the. It is better than my shunning baha u llah, my lord. The word of god hath set the heart of the world afire. Bahaullahs kitabiiqan, revealed in 1861, is one of the foremost among the works of his revelation, unequalled by any work in the entire range of bahai literature, except the kitabiaqdas. All people must accept the baha i manifestations of god.