Anniversary of the Birth of Baha'u'llah: (Jesus, priests, Creator, Moses)

[arthra]

Anniversary of the Birth of Baha'u'llah is coming up soon in a few weeks from now... this is also a Holy Day for Baha'is and is observed around November 12...that is from sunset November 11th to sunset November 12th.

Baha'u'llah was born in 1817 a few years before the Bab... His family was actually noble..that is His father was a vizier in the Qajar court and it was expected that Baha'u'llah would assume His father's role...but this didn't really happen. More on that later.

Another aspect of the Birth of Baha'u'llah that has stirred some interest is that it roughly coincides with the Leonid meteor shower.. I'll also share some things about that.

- Art

[arthra]

Here's a site that describes the expectation that the Great Star Fall was a sign that the world was coming to an end and that Christ would return:

Shooting Stars - The Great Star Shower

Baha'is believe that the symbolism of falling stars is a reference to the loss of power of priests and functionaries of the firmament of religions.

- Art

[arthra]

Here's some background information of Baha'u'llah and about His early childhood:


On 12 November 1817 in Teheran, the capital of Persia, a son was born to a prominent minister of state, Mirza Buzurg, and his wife Khadijih. The boy, to whom they gave the names of Husayn-Ali, was later to be known as Baha'u'llah. The child led a carefree life, growing up as a member of a wealthy family who never suspected that their son might one day proclaim Himself to be the great Universal Teacher foretold by every earlier Messenger of God. Yet the father soon realised that his son was different from other children. For, although little Mirza Husayn-Ali had never been in school and had only recieved some instruction at home, He was extraordinarily knowledgable.

Before He was thirteen He was already famous at the Court for His learning. The ministers used to come to Him to discuss their problems with Him. He was already speaking at great assemblies of theologians and explaining the most complicated matters to them. But it was not only because of His knowledge that everyone came to Him. As a child He was extremely kind and helpful. Wherever people were in need, Mirza Husayn-Ali extended a helping hand and used to spend His time in caring for the sick and the poor.

When His father died in 1839, the government wished to appoint Him as his successor but He would not accept the appointment.
Shortly before this, He had married Navvab, the daughter of another minister. Husband and wife devoted themselves to the care of the poor and became known respectively as the Father of the Poor and the Mother of Consolation. A few years later, on 23 May 1844, a son was born. They called Him 'Abbas and He later took the title of 'Abdu'l-Baha. A short time after this event Mirza Husayn-'Ali, who was now twenty-seven years of age, received a scroll written by the Bab.

[arthra]

There is a verse found in Ishraqat found on p. 118 of the "Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh Revealed After the Kitáb-i-Aqdas":

They say: ‘Have the stars fallen?’ Say: ‘Yea, when He Who is the Self-Subsisting dwelt in the Land of Mystery.

It is believed that the reference to the "Land of Mystery" is Adrianople...so if we know when Baha'u'llah was in Adrianople we can perhaps tell what the "stars fallen" refers to.

According to "A Basic Baha'i Chronology" Baha'u'llah and His family arrived in Adrianople on December 12th 1863 and stay there for almost four years. On July 26, 1868 Sultan Abdul-Aziz issues a firman condemning Baha'u'llah to perpetual banishment and on August 12, 1868 Baha'u''lah and His family are escorted by soldiers and they embark from Adrianople to Gallipoli. They arrive in Haifa Bay on August 31, 1868 and are subsequently imprisoned in the prison fortress of Akka.

So can we say when the "star fall" described by Baha'u'llah when He was in Adrianople occurred?

The Leonids were first discovered around November 12th in 1833:

The night of November 12-13, 1833, not only marks the discovery of the Leonid meteor shower, but it marks the actual birth of meteor astronomy.

Source:

http://meteorshowersonline.com/leonids.html


Leonid showers were recorded over two years while Baha'u'llah was in Adrianople:

"The expected meteor storm occurred in 1866 as predicted, with observers reporting hourly rates ranging from 2000 to 5000 per hour. The Leonids were again seen in 1867, when moonlight reduced the rates to 1000 per hour. Another strong appearance of the Leonids in 1868 reached an intensity of 1000 per hour in dark skies."

Source:

http://meteorshowersonline.com/leonids.html

So we can say that the Leonid shower was visible over the years from 1866 to 1867.. By the time the 1868 shower occurred which would have been around November 11-12 Baha'u'llah would have been in Akka. So it's most likely the showers Baha'u'llah referred to were the ones in 1866 and 1867. There were earlier showers to be sure but these were the most notable ones after the 1833 Great Star Fall which prompted many Millerites to believe the end of the world was indeed drawing nigh and Jesus was returning.

- Art

[arthra]

Celebrating the Birth of Baha’u’llah:

Divine teacher for this age

“The face of him on whom I gazed I can never forget, though I cannot describe it. Those piercing eyes seemed to read one's very soul; power and authority sat on that ample brow.... No need to ask in whose presence I stood, as I bowed myself before one who is the object of a devotion and love which kings might envy and emperors sigh for in vain!”

Baha’u’llah, Whose birthday Baha’is celebrate on Monday, Nov. 12, was thus described by the well-known Cambridge University Orientalist Edward Granville Browne in 1890. Baha’u’llah had at that time been a prisoner and exile for almost 40 years, and His teachings were shrouded in obscurity.

Today Baha’u’llah is recognized by close to six million followers around the world as the Manifestation of God, or Divine Teacher for this age. He taught that all of the Manifestations of God, including Moses, Abraham, Christ, Muhammad, Krishna and Buddha, have appeared at intervals throughout history to found the world's great religions. They have been sent by a loving Creator to help us know and worship Him and bring human civilization to ever-higher levels of achievement.

Baha’u’llah's central message for humanity in this day is one of unity and justice. In two oft-quoted passages He wrote, "The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens,” and "The best beloved of all things in My sight is justice. He also stated, "The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.”

While such statements have become part of mainstream thinking in the contemporary world, we can only imagine the startling effect they would have had on someone like E.G. Browne, to whom Baha’u’llah uttered the following remarkable statement:

“Thou hast come to see a prisoner and an exile.... We desire but the good of the world and the happiness of the nations; yet they deem us a stirrer-up of strife and sedition worthy of bondage and banishment.... That all nations should become one in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men should be strengthened; that diversity of religion should cease, and differences of race be annulled -- what harm is there in this? ...Yet so it shall be; these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the `Most Great Peace' shall come...”

Born into a noble family in 19th century Persia, Baha’u’llah's destiny would seem to have been one of wealth and ease. Yet, from an early age He showed little interest in following in His father's footsteps at the Shah's court, preferring to spend His time and resources in ministering to the poor. Later, His recognition of the religion of His forerunner, the Bab, caused Him to be cast into prison and subsequently exiled.

It was during His initial imprisonment that Baha’u’llah first experienced divine revelation. Of it, He wrote:
“During the days I lay in the prison of Tihran, though the galling weight of the chains and the stench-filled air allowed Me but little sleep, still in those infrequent moments of slumber I felt as if something flowed from the crown of My head over My breast, even as a mighty torrent that precipitateth itself upon the earth from the summit of a lofty mountain. Every limb of My body would, as a result, be set afire. At such moments My tongue recited what no man could bear to hear.”

Throughout His long years of exile, Baha’u’llah revealed divinely inspired passages equivalent to more than 100 volumes. This revelation comprises mystical writings, social and ethical teachings, laws and ordinances, and a fearless proclamation of His message to the kings and rulers of the world, including Napoleon III, Queen Victoria, Pope Pius IX, the Shah of Persia, Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany and the Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria.

Baha’u’llah's son, Abdu'l-Baha, who was appointed by Him as His successor, described the mission of His Father in these words:

“He bore these ordeals, suffered these calamities and difficulties in order that a manifestation of selflessness and service might become apparent in the world of humanity; that the Most Great Peace should become a reality; that human souls might appear as the angels of heaven; that heavenly miracles would be wrought among men; that human faith should be strengthened and perfected; that the precious, priceless bestowal of God, the human mind, might be developed to its fullest capacity in the temple of the body; and man become the reflection and likeness of God, even as it hath been revealed in the Bible: `We shall create man in Our own image.”

Baha’u’llah passed from this earthly world in 1892, still nominally a prisoner in Palestine. The day of His birth (Nov. 12) and Ascension (May 29) are two of nine holy days on which Baha'is suspend work and school.

We invite you to learn more about Baha’u’llah’s life and mission; to study the prayers and sacred writings revealed by Him; and to investigate His astounding claim to be "the Promised One of All Ages" and His promise of a future when "these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the `Most Great Peace' shall come."