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Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Warwick Bahá'í Bookshop, Judaism and the Baha'i Faith: Warwick Leaflets, bahai-library.com.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Judaism and the Bahá'í Faith:
Warwick Leaflets
Warwick Bahá'í Bookshop
2004
Judaism,
one of the oldest of the world religions, is based on a series of Messengers and
Prophets Who have revealed God's will over many centuries. Jews see it as their
duty to follow God's laws to the best of their understanding and in return, God
promises to guard and guide them.
Bahá'ís
believe that this guidance has continued through the ages and that the latest of
the Messengers is Bahá'u'lláh. He was born in Persia (now Iran) in 1817. Bahá'ís
believe Him to have been the Promised One of all religions.
The Messengers of God
Bahá'u'lláh emphasised the Oneness of God, the Unknowable Lord: "Know
thou of a certainty that the Unseen can in no wise incarnate His Essence and
reveal it unto men. He is, and hath ever been, immensely exalted beyond all that
can either be recounted or perceived. From His retreat of glory His voice is
ever proclaiming: "Verily, I am God; there is none other God besides Me, the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise. I have manifested Myself unto men, and have sent down
Him Who is the Day Spring of the signs of My Revelation.."
The divine
Founders of religion, such as Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad and Bahá'u'lláh,
are, for each age, the Mouthpiece of God, but they are not God Himself. God, in
His essence, remains indescribably far removed from His creatures. In Their
Persons and through Their teachings they manifest to mankind the will of God for
that particular time. The basic truths of religion do not change but may be
developed further. Some social teachings may change according to the needs of
the times. Moses, for example, brought Commandments for which society, in the
time of Abraham, had not been ready. In this age Bahá'u'lláh has taken these
teachings further, as appropriate for today."The
All-Knowing Physician hath His finger on the pulse of mankind. He perceiveth
the disease, and prescribeth, in His unerring wisdom, the remedy. Every age hath
its own problem, and every soul its particular aspiration. The remedy the world
needeth in its present-day afflictions can never be the same as that which a
subsequent age may require."
Prophecy
There are
many prophecies in the Jewish Scriptures about the coming of the Promised One,
the Lord of Hosts. It is clear from these Scriptures that He will come to the
Holy Land from the east:"And
behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east." [Ezekiel 43:2]
Bahá'u'lláh, Whose name means "Glory of God", came from Persia which is east of
the Holy Land. And again:
"And
the glory of the Lord came into the house by way of the gate whose prospect is
towards the east."
[Ezekiel 43:4]
The Person
Who came to prepare the way for Bahá'u'lláh was called the Báb, which means the
Gate.
Because of
His claim to be a Messenger of God, Bahá'u'lláh was sent as a prisoner and an
exile through different parts of the Turkish empire and eventually to the Holy
Land. As Micah prophesied:"In that day also he shall come even
to thee from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even
to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain ... Feed thy
people in the midst of Carmel..." [Micah 7:
10-12]
Bahá'u'lláh
was banished first to Assyria (now part of Iraq), then to the city of
Constantinople, then again to the fortress within the fortified city of Akka.
When finally released from the fortress, he stayed on an island in the Na'mayn
river. During His banishments He travelled on the Black Sea and the
Mediterranean Sea, lived as a Holy Man on Mount Gar-lu and pitched His tent on
Mount Carmel, the "Mountain of God" where Elijah had dwelt in his cave.
The
Holy Land
In "The
Tablet of Carmel", Bahá'u'lláh wrote:"Call
out to Zion, O Carmel, and announce the joyful tidings: He that was hidden from
mortal eyes is come!...Hasten forth and circumambulate the City of God that hath
descended from heaven ... Ere long will God sail His Ark upon thee."
It is on
Mount Carmel that, in response to Bahá'u'lláh's own instructions, the beautiful
Shrine of the Báb has been erected and surrounded by gardens. Within these
peaceful gardens now stand the buildings which constitute the Bahá'í World
Centre. Bahá'u'lláh Himself is buried near Akka, so, for Bahá'ís, this part of
the Holy Land is the most sacred spot on earth. Bahá'í prophecy states that the
twin cities of Haifa and Akka will become the future capital of a federated
world.
The
Family
The basic
building-block of society is the family unit. Its healthy functioning is
therefore vital: "The
integrity of the family bond must be constantly considered and the rights of the
individual members must not be transgressed."
Respect for
parents remains important:"O My
people! Show honour to your parents... Beware lest ye commit that which would
sadden the hearts of your fathers and mothers."
To Bahá'ís,
as to Jews, the stability and progress of the family depend on its unity:"If love
and agreement are manifest in a single family, that family will advance, become
illumined and spiritual."
"Note ye
how easily, where unity existeth in a given family, the affairs of that family
are conducted; what progress the members of that family make, how they prosper
in the world. Their concerns are in order, they enjoy comfort and tranquillity,
they are secure, their position is assured, they come to be envied by all."
In
this age Bahá'u'lláh teaches that all mankind must become like one human family: "The
diversity in the human family should be the cause of love and harmony, as it is
in music where many different notes blend together in the making of a perfect
chord."
Justice
Bahá'u'lláh
makes justice the primary teaching underpinning a righteous and spiritual
society: "O
people of God! That which traineth the world is Justice, for it is upheld by two
pillars, reward and punishment. These two pillars are the sources of life to the
world."
"The
purpose of justice is the appearance of unity among men."
The
teachings of Bahá'u'lláh are based on the principles of justice and unity and
include:
Removal of all prejudice
Equality of women with men
A spiritual attitude to economics
Removal of poverty
Education for all
A universal peace treaty
A world federation
A common language for world communication
In this
New Age the Lord of Hosts is summoning His people to follow His guidance.
The text of all these leaflets remains the copyright of Warwick Bahá'í Bookshop. The Bookshop is happy for people to download individual copies for their own purposes. Printed copies can be purchased from the Warwick Bookshop. Individuals or communities wishing to translate or print these leaflets in other countries please contact the Bookshop for permission.
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──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Judaism and the Bahá'í Faith:
Warwick Leaflets
Warwick Bahá'í Bookshop
2004
Judaism,
one of the oldest of the world religions, is based on a series of Messengers and
Prophets Who have revealed God's will over many centuries. Jews see it as their
duty to follow God's laws to the best of their understanding and in return, God
promises to guard and guide them.
Bahá'ís
believe that this guidance has continued through the ages and that the latest of
the Messengers is Bahá'u'lláh. He was born in Persia (now Iran) in 1817. Bahá'ís
believe Him to have been the Promised One of all religions.
The Messengers of God
Bahá'u'lláh emphasised the Oneness of God, the Unknowable Lord: "Know
thou of a certainty that the Unseen can in no wise incarnate His Essence and
reveal it unto men. He is, and hath ever been, immensely exalted beyond all that
can either be recounted or perceived. From His retreat of glory His voice is
ever proclaiming: "Verily, I am God; there is none other God besides Me, the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise. I have manifested Myself unto men, and have sent down
Him Who is the Day Spring of the signs of My Revelation.."
The divine
Founders of religion, such as Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad and Bahá'u'lláh,
are, for each age, the Mouthpiece of God, but they are not God Himself. God, in
His essence, remains indescribably far removed from His creatures. In Their
Persons and through Their teachings they manifest to mankind the will of God for
that particular time. The basic truths of religion do not change but may be
developed further. Some social teachings may change according to the needs of
the times. Moses, for example, brought Commandments for which society, in the
time of Abraham, had not been ready. In this age Bahá'u'lláh has taken these
teachings further, as appropriate for today."The
All-Knowing Physician hath His finger on the pulse of mankind. He perceiveth
the disease, and prescribeth, in His unerring wisdom, the remedy. Every age hath
its own problem, and every soul its particular aspiration. The remedy the world
needeth in its present-day afflictions can never be the same as that which a
subsequent age may require."
Prophecy
There are
many prophecies in the Jewish Scriptures about the coming of the Promised One,
the Lord of Hosts. It is clear from these Scriptures that He will come to the
Holy Land from the east:"And
behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east." [Ezekiel 43:2]
Bahá'u'lláh, Whose name means "Glory of God", came from Persia which is east of
the Holy Land. And again:
"And
the glory of the Lord came into the house by way of the gate whose prospect is
towards the east."
[Ezekiel 43:4]
The Person
Who came to prepare the way for Bahá'u'lláh was called the Báb, which means the
Gate.
Because of
His claim to be a Messenger of God, Bahá'u'lláh was sent as a prisoner and an
exile through different parts of the Turkish empire and eventually to the Holy
Land. As Micah prophesied:"In that day also he shall come even
to thee from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even
to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain ... Feed thy
people in the midst of Carmel..." [Micah 7:
10-12]
Bahá'u'lláh
was banished first to Assyria (now part of Iraq), then to the city of
Constantinople, then again to the fortress within the fortified city of Akka.
When finally released from the fortress, he stayed on an island in the Na'mayn
river. During His banishments He travelled on the Black Sea and the
Mediterranean Sea, lived as a Holy Man on Mount Gar-lu and pitched His tent on
Mount Carmel, the "Mountain of God" where Elijah had dwelt in his cave.
The
Holy Land
In "The
Tablet of Carmel", Bahá'u'lláh wrote:"Call
out to Zion, O Carmel, and announce the joyful tidings: He that was hidden from
mortal eyes is come!...Hasten forth and circumambulate the City of God that hath
descended from heaven ... Ere long will God sail His Ark upon thee."
It is on
Mount Carmel that, in response to Bahá'u'lláh's own instructions, the beautiful
Shrine of the Báb has been erected and surrounded by gardens. Within these
peaceful gardens now stand the buildings which constitute the Bahá'í World
Centre. Bahá'u'lláh Himself is buried near Akka, so, for Bahá'ís, this part of
the Holy Land is the most sacred spot on earth. Bahá'í prophecy states that the
twin cities of Haifa and Akka will become the future capital of a federated
world.
The
Family
The basic
building-block of society is the family unit. Its healthy functioning is
therefore vital: "The
integrity of the family bond must be constantly considered and the rights of the
individual members must not be transgressed."
Respect for
parents remains important:"O My
people! Show honour to your parents... Beware lest ye commit that which would
sadden the hearts of your fathers and mothers."
To Bahá'ís,
as to Jews, the stability and progress of the family depend on its unity:"If love
and agreement are manifest in a single family, that family will advance, become
illumined and spiritual."
"Note ye
how easily, where unity existeth in a given family, the affairs of that family
are conducted; what progress the members of that family make, how they prosper
in the world. Their concerns are in order, they enjoy comfort and tranquillity,
they are secure, their position is assured, they come to be envied by all."
In
this age Bahá'u'lláh teaches that all mankind must become like one human family: "The
diversity in the human family should be the cause of love and harmony, as it is
in music where many different notes blend together in the making of a perfect
chord."
Justice
Bahá'u'lláh
makes justice the primary teaching underpinning a righteous and spiritual
society: "O
people of God! That which traineth the world is Justice, for it is upheld by two
pillars, reward and punishment. These two pillars are the sources of life to the
world."
"The
purpose of justice is the appearance of unity among men."
The
teachings of Bahá'u'lláh are based on the principles of justice and unity and
include:
Removal of all prejudice
Equality of women with men
A spiritual attitude to economics
Removal of poverty
Education for all
A universal peace treaty
A world federation
A common language for world communication
In this
New Age the Lord of Hosts is summoning His people to follow His guidance.
The text of all these leaflets remains the copyright of Warwick Bahá'í Bookshop. The Bookshop is happy for people to download individual copies for their own purposes. Printed copies can be purchased from the Warwick Bookshop. Individuals or communities wishing to translate or print these leaflets in other countries please contact the Bookshop for permission.
METADATA
Views15522 views since posted 2010-07-07; last edit 2026-04-18 15:32 UTC;
previous at archive.org.../warwick_judaism
Language
English
Permission
editor and publisher
Share
Shortlink: bahai-library.com/3800
Citation: ris/3800
select Collection:
Archives
Articles
Articles-unpublished
Audio
Bibliographies
BIC
Biographies
Books
Chronologies
Compilations
Compilations-NSA
Compilations-personal
Documents
East-asia
Encyclopedia
Essays
Etc
Excerpts
Fiction
Glossaries
Guardian
Histories
Introductory
Letters
Maps
Music
Newspapers
NSA-documents
NSA-letters
Personal
Pilgrims
Poetry
Presentations
Resources
Reviews
Scripts
Software
Statistics
Study
Talks
Theses
Transcripts
Translations
UHJ-documents
UHJ-letters
Video
Visual
Writings
home
sitemap
series
chronology
search:
author
title
date
tags
adv. search
languages
inventory
bibliography
abbreviations
links
about
contact
RSS
new
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