Bahá’í Scholarship

The Origins of Bahá’í Scholarship:

Bahá’í scholarship has a long history, with its roots in the early Bábí community. The Letters of the Living were Shaykhí mullás, trained by the renowned Sayyid Kázim, who was the disciple of Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsá’í. The Shaykhí tradition itself had its roots in the long shí‘í tradition of scholarship that claimed to derive its authority and wisdom from the holy Imáms themselves. While Shaykh Ahmad did couch his writings in the language of past traditions and philosophies, especially that of the ‘Ishráqí (illuminationist’) philosophy, his scholarship was also a renewal of scholarship itself. Although he was a recognised mujtahid, he derived his authority from a source that was invisible, unseen. He claimed to be in direct contact with the holy Imáms who appeared to him in dreams and visions. The shí‘í scholars of the day had lost touch with the spirit of Islam, that was well on its way to complete extinction. Shaykh Ahmad revealed the inner meanings of the scriptures and the prophecies concerning the resurrection and Day of Judgement.

For centuries, shí‘í Scholars existed as the custodians of Islamic knowledge. Religious scholars educated their disciples through lectures and dialogue. Devout students memorised the rules of Arabic grammar (sarf and nahw), rhetoric (balághah), logic and traditions and learned to recite the Qur’án from memory (tajwíd). While this system succeeded in its purpose of passing knowledge from one generation to the next, much of this knowledge was superficial. The Qur’án was learned as a literal text, devoid of inner spiritual meaning. The laws and traditions were endlessly debated by idle students who imposed their faulty understanding on the texts. The Shaykhís themselves, though educated by the enlightened Shaykh Ahmad and Sayyid Kázim, were nevertheless prone to the same faults as their predecessors. Exalting their acquired knowledge above spiritual intuition, many Shaykhís failed to recognise the Báb when He declared His mission in 1844. Those that did recognise the Báb often struggled with their scholarly education, which taught them to prefer man-made interpretations to the raw spiritual power of the scriptures.

The Danger of the Scholarly Class:

The point that must be emphasised is not that reliance on the scriptures blind scholars—rather, it is  reliance upon man-made knowledge that blinds the soul. Literal interpretations of the Qur’án based on man-made misinterpretations, hair-splitting ‘logic’ and philosophy, and a high regard for miracles and literal fulfilment served as barriers between the scholar and God. Desire for power, arrogant assertion of power and jealousy always corrupt clerical systems.  Bahá’u’lláh writes:

“Leaders of religion, in every age, have hindered their people from attaining the shores of eternal salvation, inasmuch as they held the reins of authority in their mighty grasp. Some for the lust of leadership, others through want of knowledge and understanding, have been the cause of the deprivation of the people. By their sanction and authority, every Prophet of God hath drunk from the chalice of sacrifice, and winged His flight unto the heights of glory. What unspeakable cruelties they that have occupied the seats of authority and learning have inflicted upon the true Monarchs of the world, those Gems of divine virtue! Content with a transitory dominion, they have deprived themselves of an everlasting sovereignty. Thus, their eyes beheld not the light of the countenance of the Well-Beloved, nor did their ears hearken unto the sweet melodies of the Bird of Desire.”

(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan Book of Certitude, pp. 15-16)

The scriptures become a veil, in the sense that they are misinterpreted and enveloped in layers of man-made dogma and theologies. The biggest danger to a religion has always been its clergy, which drain the religion’s spiritual force and mislead the masses with hatred and prejudice. Bahá’u’lláh writes:

“We, verily, see amongst you him who taketh hold of the Book of God and citeth from it proofs and arguments wherewith to repudiate his Lord, even as the followers of every other Faith sought reasons in their Holy Books for refuting Him Who is the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Say: God, the True One, is My witness that neither the Scriptures of the world, nor all the books and writings in existence, shall, in this Day, avail you aught without this, the Living Book, Who proclaimeth in the midmost heart of creation: "Verily, there is none other God but Me, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise."” (Bahá’u’lláh, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, v. 168, pp. 80-81)

When the Letters of the Living and other mullás accepted the Báb, they became illumined with the light of faith. Bahá’u’lláh  writes:

“If these divines be illumined by the light of the latter Revelation they will be acceptable unto God, and will shine with a light everlasting. Otherwise, they will be declared as darkened, even though to outward seeming they be leaders of men, inasmuch as belief and unbelief, guidance and error, felicity and misery, light and darkness, are all dependent upon the sanction of Him Who is the Day-star of Truth. Whosoever among the divines of every age receiveth, in the Day of Reckoning, the testimony of faith from the Source of true knowledge, he verily becometh the recipient of learning, of divine favour, and of the light of true understanding. Otherwise, he is branded as guilty of folly, denial, blasphemy, and oppression.” (Bahá’u’lláh, The Kitab-i-Iqan Book of Certitude, p. 36)

The Emergence of Modern Bahá’í Scholarship:

These early scholars used their knowledge and education to defend the Bábí Faith and uphold its principles. Later on, as the Bahá’í Faith was established, new scholars emerged. Notable among these was Mírzá Abu’l-Fadl Gulpáygání, who wrote numerous apologetic works defending the Faith from outside attacks.  It wasn’t until the mid-1970s, however, that a new Bahá’í scholarship began to emerge, in which the Faith was studied by Bahá’ís in an academic manner. Associations for Bahá’í Studies were established and the Universal House of Justice encouraged its development. In 1979, they wrote: “The Universal House of Justice regards Bahá'í scholarship as of great potential importance for the development and consolidation of the Bahá'í community as it emerges from obscurity.” (From a letter dared 3 January 1979 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)

Trained in Western academia, Bahá’í scholars now began the process of viewing the Faith objectively, through the lens of the modern academic. Some scholars, prejudiced with the world-view they inherited from a defective, secular educational system, left the Faith when their conclusions disagreed with the Bahá’í teachings. Denis MacEoin and Juan Cole are notable among these individuals. Shoghi Effendi writes: “"It has often happened in the history of the Cause that those who were once among the leaders and in the forefront of Bahá'í activity grew in their old age lukewarm and inactive not to say sceptical."  (Shoghi Effendi, Messages to the Indian Subcontinent, p. 63) Others continued to view the Faith positively and remained within the fold. Scholarship was bound to be different for Bahá’ís as we do not have a system of clergy. The role of the scholar in the Bahá’í Faith is fundamentally different from the role of Islamic scholars. Throughout their writings, the House of Justice has focused on the role of the Bahá’í scholar as the defender of the Faith and discouraged the modern secular tendency to distort religious truth “to make it conform to understandings and perceptions current in the scientific world”:

“. . . the House of Justice understands that you desire to find ways of conveying spiritual truths in logical ways and demonstrating their validity through scientific proofs. There can be no objection to such an attitude. 'Abdu'l-Bahá Himself used such a method. The danger Bahá'í scholars must avoid is the distortion of religious truth, almost forcibly at times, to make it conform to understandings and perceptions current in the scientific world. True Bahá'í scholars should guard against this.”

(From a letter dated 7 June 1983 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)

Many achievements have been made by Bahá’í scholars and its roots are strong, but the influence of Western academia is strong.

Why Modern Scholarship is Often Misdirected:

The problem with modern scholarship is that is holds all truth to be relative. There is no good or bad—no Absolute Truth or error. There is no authority higher than can be discerned objectively, through experiment and evidence. It is strongly influenced by the anti-religious ideas that began to emerge in the 18^th and 19^th centuries, fueling the development of academic materialism, especially the counterfeit ideology known as Marxism. As mankind began to shed off the husks of blind religious dogma formed from the man-made interpretations of a hierarchical religious caste, it threw out the baby with the bath-water and religion became absolutely separated from science. True science (‘ilm) is knowledge, not just natural science. It embraces all aspects of human knowledge. A fundamental principle established by Bahá’u’lláh is the harmony of science (acquired knowledge) and religion (revealed knowledge). Modern scholarship rejects this notion and holds that only acquired knowledge has value, which must be independent and separate from religion, which is valueless. In reality, science and religion must go hand in hand. Religion must inform and inspire scientific research. This has, unfortunately, been ignored by many who are indoctrinated in the world of academia. The House writes:

“The House of Justice feels that Bahá'í scholars must beware of the temptations of intellectual pride. 'Abdu'l-Bahá has warned the friends in the West that they would be subjected to intellectual tests, and the Guardian reminded them of this warning. There are many aspects of western thinking which have been exalted to a status of unassailable principle in the general mind, that time may well show to have been erroneous or, at least, only partially true. Any Bahá'í who rises to eminence in academic circles will be exposed to the powerful influence of such thinking.” (From a letter dated 27 March 1983 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)

The greatest enemies of the Bahá'í Faith are not external enemies. Those members of other religions or other beliefs and philosophies who attack the Faith only serve to strengthen the Faith and increase its expansion. Government oppression leads to greater victories. The greatest enemies of the Faith are those that claim to uphold the teachings but attack the spiritual authority underlying those teachings. The Guardian writes:

"...the believers need to be deepened in their knowledge and appreciation of the Covenants of both Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá. This is the stronghold of the Faith of every Bahá'í, and that which enables him to withstand every test and the attacks of the enemies outside the Faith, and the far more dangerous, insidious, lukewarm people inside the Faith who have no real attachment to the Covenant, and consequently uphold the intellectual aspect of the teachings while at the same time undermining the spiritual foundation upon which the whole Cause of God rests."  (Shoghi Effendi - The Light of Divine Guidance (Volume 2), p. 82)

There are many sincere Bahá’í scholars who are defending the Faith and upholding its teachings. There are others also who are more interested in promoting the idea that homosexuality is somehow a legitimate tendency, that women may one day serve on the Universal House of Justice or that the House itself isn’t quite as infallible as it’s cracked up to be. Some e-mail lists and Planet Bahá’í sometimes become forums for unrest, where scholars and others debate Bahá’í teachings in a futile endeavour to force it to conform to modern ideas or ideologies. Instead of uniting to defend the Faith, some individuals (not the majority) are interested in undermining its authority. This is what the House of Justice has condemned and Shoghi Effendi warned about.

I recently wrote to the ------ list saying: “We probably all have our own feelings about this, but in this ------ list, there are too many arguments which tend to question Baha'i teachings, rather than uphold them. What we should all be agreed on is that the Universal House of Justice members must be male and we should defend that, not question it. Most of mankind is looking for certainty in belief, not doubt and confusion. Baha'is should not be arguing with each other over points of belief, we should accept the Writings and the guidance of the House, share our personal opinions (such as mine above) without arguing about them, and defend the Faith from its critics and enemies. We should be defending the Faith from outside forces, NOT questioning the idea of an all-male House of Justice or questioning the authority of the House of Justice.”

I knew it was futile but, nevertheless, it needed to be said. The response from some was negative, as my remarks were characterised as self-righteous, preachy, unacceptable and problematic. Such a response is only to be expected. I don't blame the individual in question for his response, though I do not believe I have been preachy, etc. Most Bahá’ís are defenders of truth and uphold the teachings sincerely. The Bahá’í community is united its obedience to the Universal House of Justice and the spiritual authority of the Scriptures.

Real scholarship is not the possession of the educated, the elite, the trained academic. Real Bahá’í scholarship belongs to all Bahá’ís. Any Bahá’í can become a Bahá’í scholar simply by engaging with the teachings, studying them, defending them and applying them to life. On one e-mail group years ago I was criticised for not speaking Arabic and Persian, not having a degree, etc. Now I have studied Arabic and Persian, have an undergraduate degree and am currently completing another degree. Yet I am the same, and my views on the Faith are not changed as a result. I have not adopted the faulty system of academia or its materialistic goals and ideologies. Rather, I have seen its flaws and realise its weakness.

Grassroots Scholarship:

The Universal House of Justice seeks to engage all Bahá’ís in grassroots scholarship, a new scholarship that transcends the fortress of academia. They write: “The House of Justice is fully committed to fostering the development of Bahá’í scholarly activity in all parts of the Bahá’í world. Through their scholarly endeavours believers are able to enrich the intellectual life of the Bahá’í community, to explore new insights into the Bahá’í teachings and their relevance to the needs of society, and to attract the investigation of the Faith by thoughtful people from all backgrounds. Far from being a diversion from the worldwide effort to advance the process of entry by troops, Bahá’í scholarship can be a powerful reinforcement to that endeavour and a valuable source of new enquirers.” (Department of the Secretariat, 24 April 2008)

Real knowledge should be generated by the world as a whole, not by a select few. The House writes:

“To read the writings of the Faith and to strive to obtain a more adequate understanding of the significance of Bahá'u'lláh's stupendous Revelation are obligations laid on every one of His followers.  All are enjoined to delve into the ocean of His Revelation and to partake, in keeping with their capacities and inclinations, of the pearls of wisdom that lie therein.

“…Access to knowledge is the right of every human being, and participation in its generation, application and diffusion a responsibility that all must shoulder in the great  enterprise of building a prosperous world civilization--each individual according to his or her talents and abilities.  Justice demands universal participation.” (Ridván 2010 Message)

Real understanding of the Bahá’í Faith requires only love and sincerity, not university education. Bahá'u'lláh writes:

“Heed not the idle contention of those who maintain that the Book and verses thereof can never be a testimony unto the common people, inasmuch as they neither grasp their meaning nor appreciate their value… Such contention is utterly fallacious and inadmissible. It is actuated solely by arrogance and pride. Its motive is to lead the people astray from the Ridván of divine good-pleasure and to tighten the reins of their authority over the people. And yet, in the sight of God, these common people are infinitely superior and exalted above their religious leaders who have turned away from the one true God. The understanding of His words and the comprehension of the utterances of the Birds of Heaven are in no wise dependent upon human learning. They depend solely upon purity of heart, chastity of soul, and freedom of spirit. This is evidenced by those who, today, though without a single letter of the accepted standards of learning, are occupying the loftiest seats of knowledge; and the garden of their hearts is adorned, through the showers of divine grace, with the roses of wisdom and the tulips of understanding. Well is it with the sincere in heart for their share of the light of a mighty Day!” (Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Iqan Book of Certitude, pp. 210-2011)

Thus scholarship ultimately depends only upon “purity of heart, chastity of soul, and freedom of spirit”. None of us are perfect, and we all strive to attain this exalted goal. But let us reflect on the fact that scholarship is not the domain of the few, but the many. Real Bahá’í scholarship does not accept the superiority of material knowledge. Rather, it acknowledges divine revelation and is informed by spiritual teachings. It does not question the teachings, but applies them to reality, upholds and defends them. While tolerating differences of opinion, Bahá’í scholars are quick to uphold Bahá’í teachings. I believe we must join together in unity, not endless arguments and disputes over points of belief. I will end with this quote:

“O people of God! Righteous men of learning who dedicate themselves to the guidance of others and are freed and well guarded from the promptings of a base and covetous nature are, in the sight of Him Who is the Desire of the world, stars of the heaven of true knowledge. It is essential to treat them with deference. They are indeed fountains of soft-flowing water, stars that shine resplendent, fruits of the blessed Tree, exponents of celestial power, and oceans of heavenly wisdom. Happy is he that followeth them. Verily such a soul is numbered in the Book of God, the Lord of the mighty Throne, among those with whom it shall be well. (Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh Revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas, pp. 96-97)



NOTE: 

I take my blog posts very seriously. There are not enough positive blogs about the Bahá’í Faith out there, and this is one more attempt to give a positive, accurate explanation of Bahá’í principles. Comments such as those of P---s below are unwelcome on my blog. While I have defended myself from two very negative posts by P---s (not much really needs to be said about such misconceptions), I do not welcome comments from individuals who criticise me personally or attack Bahá’í principles. There are some individuals who welcome criticism of all kinds, and that is there business. I do not welcome personal criticism at all. None of us are perfect, but personal criticism is unhelpful and pointless.