Bahá'u'lláh and the New EraEsslemont, J. E. (John Ebenezer)
Religion
Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era
Esslemont, J. E. (John Ebenezer)
Bahai Faith; Bahá'u'lláh, 1817-1892
His teachings are thus very completely preserved, and they cover a very
wide range of subjects. With many of the problems of both East and West He
dealt more fully than His Father had done, giving more detailed
applications of the general principles laid down by Bahá’u’lláh. A number
of His Writings have not yet been translated into any Western language but
enough is already available to give deep and full knowledge of the more
important principles of His teaching.
He spoke Persian, Arabic and Turkish. In His Western tours His talks and
addresses were always interpreted, obviously losing much of their beauty,
eloquence and force in the process, yet such was the power of the Spirit
which accompanied His words that all who heard Him were impressed.
Station of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
The unique station assigned to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá by the Blessed Perfection is
indicated in the following passage written by the latter:—“When the ocean
of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My Revelation is ended, turn
your faces towards Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath branched from this
Ancient Root.” And again:—“ ... refer ye whatsoever ye understand not in
the Book to Him Who hath branched from this mighty Stock.” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Himself wrote the following:—“In accordance with the explicit text of the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas Bahá’u’lláh hath made the Center of the Covenant the
Interpreter of His Word—a Covenant so firm and mighty that from the
beginning of time until the present day no religious Dispensation hath
produced its like.”
The very completeness of the servitude with which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá promulgated
the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh in East and West resulted at times in a confusion
of belief concerning His station on the part of believers. Realizing the
purity of the spirit animating His word and deed, surrounded by religious
influences marking the breakdown of their traditional doctrines, a number
of Bahá’ís felt that they honored ‘Abdu’l-Bahá by likening Him to a
Manifestation, or hailing Him as the “return of Christ.” Nothing caused
Him such intense grief as this failure to perceive that His capacity to
serve Bahá’u’lláh proceeded from the purity of the mirror turned to the
Sun of Truth, and not from the Sun itself.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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