My dear Shirley Macias
Your Moslem friend with a pure heart wrote:
<<Shirley Macias
Assalamu alaykum (if I may)
Thank you, sister, for the detailed reply from your scholar.
It was both heartfelt and informative.
Although there are certainly matters about which you and I will simply agree
to disagree, I realize that your faith is your business, and not mine, and I
look forward to discussing interfaith issues with you further.
The peace and blessings of the One God be with you.
xxxx >>
The point I wish to reply to and continue with is this that he wrote:
***there are certainly matters about which you and I will simply agree to
disagree, I realize that your faith is your business, and not mine,***
Please tell him that in truth if only we were to delve deeper we do not
disagree.
1] How can one possibly disagree with this blessed and eternal verse? Please
tell him that Baha'is revere and accept this verse for all time:
***God is the light of the Heavens and of the Earth. His Light is like a
niche in which is a lamp - the lamp encased in glass - the glass, as it
were, a
glistening star. From a blessed tree it is lighted, the olive neither of the
East nor of the West, whose oil would well nigh shine out, even though fire
touched it not! It is light upon light. God guideth whom He will to His
light, and God setteth forth parables to men, for God knoweth all things.
In the temples which God hath allowed to be reared, that His name may
therein be remember, do men praise Him morn and even.
(The Qur'an (Rodwell tr), Sura 24 - Light)
***
35 God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The similitude of His
light is as a niche wherein is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The glass is
as it were a shining star. (This lamp is) kindled from a blessed tree, an
olive neither of the East nor of the West, whose oil would almost glow forth
(of itself) though no fire touched it. Light upon light. Allah guideth unto
His light whom He will. And God speaketh to mankind in allegories, for God
is Knower of all things.
36 (This lamp is found) in houses which God hath allowed to be exalted and
that His name shall be remembered therein. Therein do offer praise to Him at
morn and evening.
37 Men whom neither merchandise nor sale beguileth from remembrance of God
and constancy in prayer and paying to the poor their due; {Pickthall}
**Allahu nooru alssamawati waal-ardi mathalu noorihi kamishkatin feeha
misbahun almisbahu fee zujajatin alzzujajatu kaannaha kawkabun durriyyun
yooqadu min shajaratin mubarakatin zaytoonatin la sharqiyyatin wala
gharbiyyatin yakadu zaytuha yudee-o walaw lam tamsas-hu narun noorun AAala
noorin yahdee Allahu linoorihi man yashao wayadribu Allahu al-amthala
lilnnasi waAllahu bikulli shay-in AAaleemun Fee buyootin athina Allahu an
turfaAAa wayuthkara feeha ismuhu yusabbihu lahu feeha bialghuduwwi
waal-asali **
2]
The Baha'i faith agrees with the divine Names and attributes:
***God! There is no god but He,-the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No
slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on
earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth?
He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) before or after or behind
them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth.
His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no
fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme
(in glory). *** 2:255
"Allahu la ilaha illa huwa alhayyu alqayyoomu la ta/khuthuhu sinatun wala
nawmun lahu ma fee alssamawati wama fee al-ardi man tha allathee yashfaAAu
AAindahu illa bi-ithnihi yaAAlamu ma bayna aydeehim wama khalfahum wala
yuheetoona bishay-in min AAilmihi illa bima shaa wasiAAa kursiyyuhu
alssamawati waal-arda wala yaooduhu hifthuhuma wahuwa alAAaliyyu alAAatheemu
"
3] The Baha'i Faith is absolutely in agreement with:
3: 84
Say: "We believe in God, and in what has been revealed to us and what was
revealed to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in (the
Books) given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets, from their Lord: We make no
distinction between one and another among them, and to God do we bow our
will (in Islam)."
Qul amanna biAllahi wama onzila AAalayna wama onzila AAala ibraheema
wa-ismaAAeela wa-ishaqa wayaAAqooba waal-asbati wama ootiya moosa waAAeesa
waalnnabiyyoona min rabbihim la nufarriqu bayna ahadin minhum wanahnu lahu
muslimoona
Notice We make no distinction =la nufarriqu bayna ahadin minhum
and 4]
We have sent thee inspiration, as We sent it to Noah and the Messengers
after him: we sent inspiration to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob and the
Tribes, to Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon, and to David We gave the
Psalms.
Of some apostles We have already told thee the story; of others We have
not;- and to Moses God spoke direct;- [4: 163-164]
So the Unity of God, the Unity of the Prophets, and Humankind are absolutely
what we share [Please mention this to him]
***The transcendent majesty and unity of an unknowable and unapproachable
God is extolled, and the oneness of His Messengers proclaimed and
emphasized.
(Shoghi Effendi: The Promised Day is Come, Page: 45)
***Within a compass of two hundred pages [the Iqan] proclaims unequivocally
the existence and oneness of a personal God, unknowable, inaccessible, the
source of all Revelation, eternal, omniscient, omnipresent and almighty;
asserts the relativity of religious truth and the continuity of Divine
Revelation; affirms the unity of the Prophets, the universality of their
Message, the identity of their fundamental teachings, the sanctity of their
scriptures, and the twofold character of their stations;
(Shoghi Effendi: God Passes By, Page: 139)
and 5thly and most importantly we as Baha'is do not wish to follow the
example of those who say God's hands are chained and that He, exalted be His
limitless grace, cannot send further guidance [the example of whose
behaviour is condemned in the Holy Qur'an
40:34
"And to you there came Joseph in times gone by, with Clear Signs, but ye
ceased not to doubt of the (Mission) for which he had come: At length, when
he died, ye said: 'No apostle will God send after him.' thus doth God leave
to stray such as transgress and live in doubt,-
By saying 'No apostle [RASOOLAN] will God send after him' thus doth God
leave one to stray
Walaqad jaakum yoosufu min qablu bialbayyinati fama ziltum fee shakkin mimma
jaakum bihi hatta itha halaka qultum lan yabAAatha Allahu min baAAdihi
"rasoolan" kathalika yudillu Allahu man huwa musrifun murtabun
This so clear.
Please God we may all see the implication here.
And also:
And that they thought as you think, that God would not raise anyone:[72:7]
Waannahum thannoo kama thanantum an lan yabAAatha Allahu ahadan
Baha'is believe that God can indeed raise some One...
And that His Words are limitless:
6]
18:109
Say: "If the ocean were ink (wherewith to write out) the words of my Lord,
sooner would the ocean be exhausted than would the words of my Lord, even if
we added another ocean like it, for its aid."
Say: If the sea were ink for the words of my Lord, the sea would surely be
consumed before the words of my Lord are exhausted, though We were to bring
the like of that (sea) to add
Say: Though the sea became ink for the Words of my Lord, verily the sea
would be used up before the words of my Lord were exhausted, even though We
brought the like thereof to help.
31:27
And if all the trees on earth were pens and the ocean (were ink), with seven
oceans behind it to add to its (supply), yet would not the words of God be
exhausted (in the writing): for God is Exalted in Power, full of Wisdom.
And were every tree that is in the earth (made into) pens and the sea (to
supply it with ink), with seven more seas to increase it, the words of God
would not come to an end; surely God is Mighty, Wise.
And if all the trees in the earth were pens, and the sea, with seven more
seas to help it, (were ink), the words of God could not be exhausted. Lo!
God is Mighty, Wise.
http://www.al-quran.org.uk/
http://transliteration.org/quran/Color/Fram2.htm
and finally this great and awesome warning from the mouth of the |Prophet
[and mentioned in the Writings of the exalted Bab] in terms of not following
the examples of the past Dispensations and not accepting God's Messenger
when He comes:
a theme repaeated throughout Sura of Hud [the 11th Sura] eg verse 91
They said: "O Shu'aib! much of what thou sayest we do not understand! In
fact among us we see that thou hast no strength! Were it not for thy family,
we should certainly have stoned thee! for thou hast among us no great
position!"
*****Book 034, Number 6448:
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported God's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as
saying: You would tread the same path as was trodden by those before you
inch by inch and step by step so much so that if they had entered into the
hole of the lizard, you would follow them in this also. We said: God's
Messenger, do you mean Jews and Christians (by your words)" those before
you"? He said: Who else (than those two religious groups)?
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/092.sbt.html#0
09.092.422
Volume 9, Book 92, Number 422:
Narrated Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri:
The Prophet said, "You will follow the ways of those nations who were before
you, span by span and cubit by cubit (i.e., inch by inch) so much so that
even if they entered a hole of a mastigure, you would follow them." We said,
"O God's Apostle! (Do you mean) the Jews and the Christians?" He said, "Whom
else?"****
----------
You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
To unsubscribe send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Baha'i Studies is available through the following:
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://list.jccc.net/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=bahai-st
news://list.jccc.net/bahai-st
http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist (public)
http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] (public)
