Bahai Blogcast collection

Baha'i Sacred Texts and Writings

Baha'i History and Texts

Baha'i

The appointment of Shoghi Effendi as Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith in the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá came as a surprise to most Bahá’ís, including Shoghi Effendi himself. The general expectation was that after the ascension of `Abdu’l-Bahá, the Universal House of Justice, which `Abdu’l-Bahá had referred to in a number of tablets and talks, would be elected to lead the community.  At the time, however, it would have been impossible to elect the Universal House of Justice in accordance with instructions given in `Abdu’l-Bahá’s will.  Consequently, both the community and Shoghi Effendi had to adapt to a period of leadership by the Guardian alone.

The early Guardianship can be seen as a transitional period in which Shoghi Effendi only gradually unveiled and utilized his full authority, which was almost immediately challenged by Covenant-breakers and tested by outside opponents of the Faith. In the early months of his ministry, Shoghi Effendi took a number of measures to assess the size and condition of Bahá’í communities around the world and to manage the affairs of the Bahá’í World Centre. He also identified the three areas of activity that would become the focus of his ministry: establishing the Bahá’í Administrative Order; developing the properties of the Bahá’í World Centre; and spreading the Faith around the world. He began or encouraged initiatives in each of these areas in the first few months of his ministry. This presentation will examine the evolution of the Guardianship until the late 1930s, by which time his guidance to and leadership of the Bahá’í community had solidified a foundation on which he could begin teaching plans that would eventually spread the Faith around the world and create the conditions for the election of the Universal House of Justice.

Contributor
Richard Hollinger

Richard Hollinger was born in California, where he became a Bahá’í in the 1970s. He holds M.A. degrees in Middle Eastern History from UCLA and in Public History/Historic Preservation from California State College at Dominguez Hills, and has recently retired from a career as an archivist. He has conducted research and published on American and Middle Eastern Bahá’í History, and wrote the chapter on Shoghi Effendi for the recently-published "World of the Bahá’í Faith."

169 Early Years Of The GuardianShip - Richard Hollinger

This webinar will closely examine Bahá’u’lláh’s proclamatory addresses to Pope Pius IX (r. 1846-1878) of the Roman Catholic Church, Emperor Franz Joseph Hapsburg (r. 1848-1916) of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Kaiser Wilhelm I (r. 1871-1888) of the German Empire. It is the first in a series of three webinars offered by the Wilmette Institute as part of a course scheduled to begin on Wednesday January 18th, 2023. For more details, visit the course page: God Summons Europe (Part II).

Presenter: 

Shahrokh Monjazeb is an independent scholar of the Bahá’í history and sacred scripture. He began his scholarly endeavors in Bahá’í history around 1989 after he completed his undergraduate degree in Applied Physics and Electro-Acoustics with a minor in Religious Studies and Middle Eastern History. Two years later in 1991, he was invited to present at the annual conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies North America on one of Bahá’u’lláh major works. Since then he has been involved with Bahá’í academic research as well as the work of translating into English the writings of the Central Figures of the Bahá’í Faith. He is a published author and lecturer whose writings and presentations focus on Bahá’í Sacred Text and their literary and historical significance in the context of the socio-spiritual condition of human society. He has authored more than a couple of dozen articles on Bahá’í history and Sacred Text as well as a monograph on Bahá’u’lláh entitled “Bahá’u’lláh: A Brief Survey of His Life & Works”

Webinar:  Baháulláhs Tablet To Pope Pius IX

This presentation starts from the Declaration of Baháu’lláh in the Garden of Ridvan. The Order issued by the Ottoman government for the banishment of Baháu’lláh from Baghdad to Constantinople, the Capital of The Ottoman Empire, was communicated to Baháu’lláh by Ali Pasha, the Prime Minister of the Ottoman Sultan. In courteous language, the letter invited Baháu’lláh to proceed to Constantinople as the guest of the Ottoman government. Thus, the time for the departure of Baháu’lláh from The Garden of Ridvan had come. The departure of Baháu’lláh from the garden of Ridvan was on May 3, 1863. The journey of Baháu’lláh from Baghdad to Constantinople started from Firayjat, three miles away on the bank of the Tigris.

The journey was idyllic, consisting of a caravan of Kajavahs (howdas) traversing through twenty two villages in the picturesque Anatolia. The journey, of the distance of one thousand miles, over one hundred and ten days, reached Samsun on the Black Sea. From Samsun Baháu’lláh and some among His retinue continued on toward Constantinople, the seat of the Caliphate and the Sultanate. The banishment of Baháu’lláh continued with His exile from Constantinople to Adrianople. After five years, the course of the banishment of Baháu’lláh continued yet further from Adrianople toward the penal colony of Akka. The course of the banishments and exile of Baháu’lláh, from Constantinople to Akka, is signified by the third glorious phase in the disclosure of His prophetic mission—The Proclamation of Baháu’lláh to the Kings and Rulers of His time.

Banishment Of Bahaullah From Baghdad To Constantinople And Beyond

Throughout His ministry, The Báb wrote many epistles addressed to theologians and seminary students. Among the writings of The Báb, there are two works known as the “Kitábu’l-‘Ulamá” or the “Epistle to the ‘Ulamá”, one which was revealed shortly after His return from the Arabian Peninsula to Iran and is the subject of this presentation.

This work, like many other epistles from the early period of The Báb’s ministry, is in the mode of divine verses and is in Arabic. We will attempt to provide brief historical background on developments in the world of Shí’ism prior to the inception of The Báb’s ministry and discuss the features of this epistle. Among the major themes of this work are the the subtlety of The Báb’s claims to a station greater than representing the hidden twelfth Imam, and the question of intertextuality between His writings and the Qur’án.

Our guest speaker is Nima Rafiei, who was born and raised in Minnesota and currently resides in Chicago, Illinois. He received his B.A. in history and political science from the University of Minnesota in 2013 and obtained an M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Chicago in 2021, where he studied both classical and modern Arabic and Persian literature. His interests in Bábí and Bahá'í studies include early mystical writings of Bahá'u'lláh from the Baghdad period and The Báb's commentaries on súrahs of the Qur'án and Islamic oral traditions. He also contributes English translations of Bahá'í texts from the original Arabic and Persian.

Webinar page: https://wilmetteinstitute.org/the-babs-epistle-to-the-ulama/

The Bab's Epistle to the 'Ulama

The Ras͟hḥ-i-ʻAmá is likely the first emanation from the Supreme Pen after the Maid of Heaven vested Baha’u’llah with his revelation in the Siyah-Chal. It has taken 165 years for this text to be translated into English and published in an official English translation. In his masterwork, The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, Adib Taherzadeh suggests the 20-couplet poem might well prove untranslatable. Join Karen Webb in exploring the official translation of this absorbing short work and its complex imagery. This webinar was designed to be accessible to those with no working grasp of either Persian or Arabic, and we will examine an approach to analyzing the poem that involves no skills beyond the participants’ imagination and a fairly basic knowledge of the Bábí and Bahá’í faiths.

A PDF copy of the handout mentioned in the video can be found on the website link for the original webinar.
https://wilmetteinstitute.org/the-rashh-i-ama-in-living-color/

The Lonely Goatherd:

https://youtu.be/UmmOJx_Hxto?si=hhDjv9hj4iUEfyIo

The Rashh-i-ʻAma in Living Color | Karen Anne Webb

Hello and welcome to the Baha'i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson.

In this series of podcasts, I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts and minds and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick.

In our very first episode, we kick things off with the founder of Baha'i Blog Naysan Naraqi and I interviewing each other. We talk about Baha'i Blog, education for young girls in Haiti, world citizenship, being a Baha'i in Hollywood, books we're reading, and some of the things we're working on within our own spiritual development.

You can also listen to the Baha'i Blogcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/41vfEAkvfxn1OqHwDjPJDP

Enjoy!

Baha'i Blogcast with Rainn Wilson - Ep.1: Naysan & Rainn

Episode 1: Naysan & Rainn

Hello and welcome to the Baha'i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson.

In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts and minds and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick.

In this episode, I interview multi-award winning Jazz singer and legend, Tierney Sutton. Tierney has won and been nominated for countless awards, including six consecutive Grammy nominations for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Tierney and I talk about how she first got into music, became a Baha'i, why she studied Russian, the power of music and the Holy Word, how Jazz and consultation relate, her favourite Baha'i quote, and what she's working on in her personal life. She even sings a beautiful prayer for us all as well, so I hope you enjoy this one! 

You can find out more about Tierney Sutton and her band, their performance dates, and albums at www.TierneySutton.com.

Also, here's the quote of the prayer by the Bab sung by Tierney in the podcast:

“O Lord! Unto Thee I repair for refuge, and toward all Thy signs I set my heart.
O Lord! Whether traveling or at home, and in my occupation or in my work, I place my whole trust in Thee.
Grant me then Thy sufficing help so as to make me independent of all things, O Thou Who art unsurpassed in Thy mercy!
Bestow upon me my portion, O Lord, as Thou pleasest, and cause me to be satisfied with whatsoever Thou hast ordained for me.
Thine is the absolute authority to command.”

The songs that were featured in this podcast can be purchased from the following links:

'It's Only a Paper Moon', 'Skylark', and 'Long Daddy Green' found on the album 'Desire' available at the following link on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/desire/id304753161

'You Are My Sunshine' found on the album 'On the Other Side' available at the following link on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/on-the-other-side/id209335059

'Court and Spark' found on the album 'After Blue' available at the following link on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/after-blue/id689073893

Be sure to check out and 'subscribe' to the Baha'i Blogcast for more weekly episodes on iTunes, Google Play, or Soundcloud.

You can also stream the Baha'i Blogcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2IMFv6Sv7ydDvHXIcgse5s

Thank you for listening to the Baha'i Blogcast. If you would like to find out more about the Baha'i Faith visit www.bahai.org, and for more Baha'i fun stuff check out www.bahaiblog.net.

-Rainn Wilson

Baha'i Blogcast with Rainn Wilson - Episode 2: Tierney Sutton

Episode 2: Tierney Sutton

Hello and welcome to the Baha'i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson.

In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts, and minds, and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick.

In this episode, I interview my good friend, Baha'i actor and filmmaker Justin Baldoni. Among many other things, Justin is currently starring in the hit TV show "Jane the Virgin", and in this podcast, we talk about being a new dad, personal hardships and putting your trust in God, making videos about death and creating content to be a source of healing, the Shout! app and social media, redefining masculinity, and celebrating birthdays for the homeless. 

Here's the music video Justin and I spoke about called ‘Armed’ by Devon Gundry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxa70NF_fPs.

You can also watch Justin's series called ‘My Last Days’ here on Soul Pancake: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzvRx_johoA8ITQgxBpeJTaDUhhIB7bfX

You can "Like" Justin on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/justinbaldoni/ and follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/justinbaldoni?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor. Be sure to check out and 'subscribe' to the Baha'i Blogcast for more weekly episodes on iTunes, Google Play, or Soundcloud.

You can also stream the Baha'i Blogcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ifb5RtFQy91r8dmMIoXfM

Thanks for listening!

-Rainn Wilson

Episode 3: Justin Baldoni

Hello and welcome to the Baha'i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson.

In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts, and minds, and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick.

In this episode I interview Layli Miller-Muro, founder and Executive Director of the Tahirih Justice Centre, a non-profit which provides free legal services to women and girls who are fleeing human rights abuses. The organization which was founded in 1997 and serves nearly 19,000 women aims to promote a world where women and girls enjoy equality and live in safety and dignity. In this interview Layli and I talk about her aspirations for service as a youth, her early experience as a lawyer, how the Tahirih Justice Centre came about, keeping the Faith at the center of what you do, personal detachment and welcoming tests, engaging with the wider community in your own field, plus a lot more.

The official website of the Tahirih Justice Centre is www.tahirih.org, and you can purchase a copy of Layli’s book about Fauziya Kassindja called Do They Hear You When You Cry here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/They-Hear-You-When-Cry/dp/0385319940/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1468769890&sr=8-1&keywords=do+they+hear+you+when+you+cry&linkCode=sl1&tag=baibl0c-20&linkId=470eaca42f39944156e86328adddd9e7

Also, here’s the quote by Baha’u’llah being discussed by Rainn and Layli:

“O CHILDREN OF DUST! Tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the poor, lest heedlessness lead them into the path of destruction, and deprive them of the Tree of Wealth. To give and to be generous are attributes of Mine; well is it with him that adorneth himself with My virtues.”

To watch an interview with Layli where she talks about the importance of work done in the spirit of service to others click here: http://bahaiblog.net/site/2014/07/interview-layli-miller-muro/.

Be sure to check out and 'subscribe' to the Baha'i Blogcast for more weekly episodes on iTunes, Google Play, or Soundcloud.

You can also stream the Baha'i Blogcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5TeyuUxdACwXJgxjhm46TI

Thank you for listening to the Baha'i Blogcast. If you would like to find out more about the Baha'i Faith visit www.bahai.org, and for more Baha'i fun stuff check out www.bahaiblog.net.

Thanks for listening!

-Rainn Wilson

Episode 4: Layli Miller-Muro

Hello and welcome to the Baha'i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson.

In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts, and minds, and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick.

In this episode I interview Payam Zamani, Iranian-born entrepreneur and philanthropist living in San Francisco. He tells me about his escape from Iran to the United States, his early religious experiences as a Baha'i, including the discrimination he experienced in Iran, his family's pioneering journeys in different countries, his humble beginnings, switching careers, becoming a business owner and his desire to find the spirit of service in his work, plus a lot more. Payam is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of One Planet Ops and the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of www.bahaiteachings.org.

To explore the Baha'i Teachings website click here: http://www.bahaiteachings.org, and to learn more about Payam's company you can visit One Planet Ops website here: http://www.oneplanetops.com. You can also follow Payam on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/PayamZamani?ref_src…erp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor.

Be sure to check out and 'subscribe' to the Baha'i Blogcast for more weekly episodes on iTunes, Google Play, or Soundcloud.

You can also stream the Baha'i Blogcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Okx0xTXk6dbyff5wRfTde

Thank you for listening to the Baha'i Blogcast. If you would like to find out more about the Baha'i Faith visit www.bahai.org, and for more Baha'i fun stuff check out www.bahaiblog.net.

Thanks for listening!

-Rainn Wilson

Episode 5: Payam Zamani

Recorded on 10/5/2017. Chris Buck talks about some of the resources available to assist those interested in studying Baha'u'llah's proclamatory tablets published in The Summons of The Lord of Hosts. In this brief interview he defines teleology; introduces us to the teleology of the Baha'i Faith; describes Progressive Revelation and the 'paradigm shift' of the current age; touches on the 'Rapture', little-known letters Baha'u'llah wrote to statesmen (politicians)and the immense scope of Baha'u'llah's vision being rapidly unveiled in this bicentenary year; and talks about the Kitab-i-Aqdas, Baha'u'llah's 'Most Holy Book' of Laws, reminding us that the Aqdas is like 'choice wine' and also contains many principles of the Faith, and is not just a book of rules.

Chris Buck is Lead Faculty of the Wilmette Institute course "The Summons of The Lord of Hosts" -  http://www.cvent.com/d/mfqthk

Links to the articles mentioned in the interview:
1. “The Eschatology of Globalization: Baha’u’llah’s Multiple-Messiahship Revisited” (2004) https://www.academia.edu/30670228/_The_Eschatology_of_Globalization_Baha_u_llah_s_Multiple-Messiahship_Revisited_2004_

2. “Baha’u’llah’s Bishārāt (Glad-Tidings): A Proclamation to Scholars and Statesmen” (2010) by Christopher Buck and Youli Ioannesyan
https://www.academia.edu/4332824/_Baha_u_llah_s_Bisharat_Glad-Tidings_A_Proclamation_to_Scholars_and_Statesmen_2010_

Article about the First Christian Baha'is on BahaiTeachings.org:
http://bahaiteachings.org/bahaullahs-welcome-first-christian-bahai

Chris Buck on Baha'u'llah's Vision for Humanity, Progressive Revelation, and more

Part 1 of "Todd Lawson Web Talk Series on the Báb, His Artistry, His Audience, and His Commentary on the Súrih of Joseph"

The new dispensation announced by the Báb challenged existing notions of religion and revelation. The Báb’s commentary on the Súrih of Joseph is a highly intricate and complex composition which betrays the authorial presence of the young messiah at every word. Yet, almost every word is Qur’anic, however rearranged and ordered to conform to the new message. Thus revelation is seen in a different light. While it is certainly divine in origin, the creativity and the boldness it represents should be seen as coming directly from the Báb Himself. Thus revelation emerges as a cooperative activity, one shared by God and the manifestation. Details and examples of such artistry and creativity will be illustrated through provisional translation.

050 Part 1: The Báb’s Artistry in His Commentary on the Súrih of Joseph | Todd Lawson

Part 2 of "Todd Lawson Web Talk Series on the Báb, His Artistry, His Audience, and His Commentary on the Súrih of Joseph"

In this session:  The Islamic philosophic or mystical tradition, frequently indistinguishable from the Islamic tradition in general, has long been distinguished by the intensity with which it venerates and celebrates certain specific divine teachings from the Qur’án or the Hadith on the spiritual value of beauty. “God is beautiful and loves beauty” is just one such teaching. There are countless others. The purpose of this web talk is to link the Islamic veneration of beauty with the coming of the new revelation of the Báb and, later, Bahá’u’lláh, who is widely known and referred to by Bahá’ís as the Blessed Beauty. 

The study of “beauty” as such is, of course, impossibly broad. In the course of the web talk we will focus on two aspects, revelation and manifestation as “messengers” of divine beauty. First, there will be a summary and elucidation of the aesthetic dimension of the Qur’anic revelation. Secondly, we will present the Islamic belief that Joseph, the subject of the Báb’s proclamatory Commentary introduced in web talk #1, was a unique embodiment of both spiritual and physical divine or blessed beauty. Muhammad, prophet and divine manifestation (and founder of Islam) is seen by the Islamic tradition as a reappearance of such spiritual and moral beauty. 

As we know, the Bahá’í Faith emphasizes the quality of beauty as elements of both the revelation and person of the divine manifestations, the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh. The role of beauty as religious or spiritual value, then, may be seen to be inherited, enriched and universalized by the Bahá’í revelation.

See Also:
Part 1: https://youtu.be/JAUzFdDHAfs
The Báb’s Artistry in His Commentary on the Súrih of Joseph   Todd Lawson

051 Part 2: Understanding the Báb’s Audience- Blessed Beauty in Islam | Todd Lawson

Part 3 of "Todd Lawson Web Talk Series on the Báb, His Artistry, His Audience, and His Commentary on the Súrih of Joseph"

In the Kitáb-i-Íqán Mulla Husayn is referred to by Bahá’u’lláh thus: But for him, God would not have been established upon the seat of His mercy, nor ascended the throne of eternal glory. This suggests, among other things, that had Mulla Husayn not recognized the Báb’s station and accepted His claims the new era would not have begun. We know from Bahá’í history that what enabled Mulla Husayn to acknowledge the truth of the Báb’s claims was in fact the first chapter of the Qayyúmu’l-Asmá’, also known as the Commentary on the Súrih of Joseph. In this web-talk we will enumerate in detail the various features of this brief composition, features that we may assume were of such striking originality and obvious divine authority (another way to translate the Arabic word mulk) that Mulla Husayn had no choice but to become the Báb’s first follower or, as he is sometimes referred to, the gate of the Gate.

052 Part 3: The Báb’s Great Announcement to Mulla Husayn- Cpt 1 of the Qayyúmu’l-Asmá’- Todd Lawson

In this online presentation we will take a lightning tour of the Writings of the Bab. We will briefly survey the state of knowledge of the manuscript sources, summarize the existing available translations, and introduce some of the secondary literature. We will look at the fascinating interplay between form and content in His Writings, address some recurring themes, and examine one possible periodization of His short ministry. The goal will be to provide serious students with an orientating framework and to point the way to resources that invite deeper independent study.

Steven Phelps received dual bachelors degrees in physics and philosophy from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in physics from Princeton University, specializing in cosmology. He served at the Bahá’í World Center in Haifa, Israel for 13 years in its Research Department, where he coordinated the indexing and collation of the Bahá’í Sacred Writings and their translation from Persian and Arabic into English. During that period he concurrently held a research position in the Physics Department at the Technion University in Haifa and published original research on the masses of nearby galaxies. He currently resides in the Portland area with his wife and three daughters.

053 Overview of the Writings of the Báb - Steven Phelps

In this webinar we will take a lightning tour of the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. We will briefly survey the state of knowledge of the primary manuscript sources in the original Arabic and Persian, take stock of the existing English translations, and present a high-level subject categorization. The goal will be to provide serious students with an orientating framework and to point the way to resources that invite deeper independent study.

The resources mentioned in this webinar:
Here is the latest version of the “Inventory” — an unofficial, academic tool for the identification of Bahá’í texts in Arabic/Persian and in English translation:
Also: Powerpoint slides from an introductory presentation on the Inventory can be found here: 

http://blog.loomofreality.org

and
http://loom.loomofreality.org

Steven Phelps received dual bachelors degrees in physics and philosophy from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in physics from Princeton University, specializing in cosmology. He served at the Bahá’í World Center in Haifa, Israel for 13 years in its Research Department, where he coordinated the indexing and collation of the Bahá’í Sacred Writings and their translation from Persian and Arabic into English. During that period he concurrently held a research position in the Physics Department at the Technion University in Haifa and published original research on the masses of nearby galaxies. He currently resides in the Portland area with his wife and three daughters.

053 Overview Of The Writings Of Bahá’u’lláh - Steven Phelps

The Wilmette Institute was founded in 1995 to provide basic and advanced courses on the Bahá’í Faith. In 1998, the Wilmette Institute moved to a largely online study approach in order to provide educational classes to a broader student body. It now offers more than 50 unique courses on the web to an average of 30 students per course.