Muslims: What Do You Think of the Baha'i Faith?

[MSizer]

Are believers in Baha'i faith unforgivable heretics? Do you consider them like christians, who got part of the story right, but part of it wrong?

[ProudMuslim]

Personally i think Baha'i are the most respectful to prophet Muhammed (PBUH) and Qur'an after Muslims and therefore they got my utmost respect.

[not4me]

Baha'i faith is invalid and followers of that religion are disbelievers, islamically speaking.

But the Christians and the Jews are People of the Book who have a special regard.

[YmirGF]

Originally Posted by not4me

Baha'i faith is invalid and followers of that religion are disbelievers, islamically speaking.

From a theological view, that is my understanding as well. I think most Muslims would echo this sentiment.

[MissAlice]

I don't know about Islam itself but I do know many Baha'is have been persecuted for a long time by many people of muslim faith.

[arthra]

Baha'i Faith is an independent religion having it's own sites of pilgrimage, prayers and revealed Writings..

Since this is a comparative religion section and the question was raised by Hyper above I wanted to share the following citation:

Ye are forbidden to commit adultery, sodomy and lechery. Avoid them, O concourse of the faithful. By the righteousness of God! Ye have been called into being to purge the world from the defilement of evil passions. This is what the Lord of all mankind hath enjoined upon you, could ye but perceive it. He who relateth himself to the All-Merciful and committeth satanic deeds, verily he is not of Me. Unto this beareth witness every atom, pebble, tree and fruit, and beyond them this ever-proclaiming, truthful and trustworthy Tongue.

~ Bahá'u'lláh, from a Tablet - translated from the Arabic

(Compilations, The Compilation of Compilations vol. I, p. 57)

Cleanliness is also I might add a quality that is extolled in the Faith:

External cleanliness, although it is but a physical thing, hath a great influence upon spirituality. For example, although sound is but the vibrations of the air which affect the tympanum of the ear, and vibrations of the air are but an accident among the accidents which depend upon the air, consider how much marvelous notes or a charming song influence the spirits! A wonderful song giveth wings to the spirit and filleth the heart with exaltation. To return to the subject, the fact of having a pure and spotless body likewise exerciseth an influence upon the spirit of man.

~ Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith, p. 333

Abdul-Baha said this about Prophet Muhammad:

All praise and honor be to the Dayspring of Divine wisdom, the Dawning Point of Revelation (Muhammad), and to the holy line of His descendants, since, by the widespread rays of His consummate wisdom, His universal knowledge, those savage denizens of Yathrib (Medina) and Batha (Mecca), miraculously, and in so brief a time, were drawn out of the depths of their ignorance, rose up to the pinnacles of learning, and became centers of arts and sciences and human perfections, and stars of felicity and true civilization, shining across the horizons of the world.

~ Abdu'l-Baha, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 4

Baha'is have utmost respect for Prophet Muhammad and His dispensation..

[kai]

Bahais very existence presents a challenge to the doctrine of the perfection and finality of Muhammad's revelation.

[BruceDLimber]

Greetings!

Originally Posted by kai

Bahais very existence presents a challenge to the doctrine of the perfection and finality of Muhammad's revelation.

Not at all!

We Baha'is happily stipulate the perfection of Muhammad, and all the other Divine Messengers as well!

But this in no way implies Muhammad or Islam was any sort of final revelation. That's only one of a number of different interpretations of the verse in question, and the other interpretations clearly permit further revelations.

Peace, :-)

Bruce

[Snowber]

Originally Posted by MSizer

Are believers in Baha'i faith unforgivable heretics? Do you consider them like christians, who got part of the story right, but part of it wrong?

Though many Muslims agree that they disagree with how the Bahaii faith is practiced, it is noteworthy that it is no reason to persecute them:

[2:256] There shall be no COMPULSION in religion: the right way is now distinct from the wrong way. Anyone who denounces the devil and believes in GOD has grasped the strongest bond; one that never breaks. GOD is Hearer, Omniscient.

So to answer your question, Muslims typically believe Bahaii faith is an innovation of religion. That being said, many Muslims are wrong in oppressing them as well.

Originally Posted by BruceDLimber

Greetings!



Not at all!

We Baha'is happily stipulate the perfection of Muhammad, and all the other Divine Messengers as well!

But this in no way implies Muhammad or Islam was any sort of final revelation. That's only one of a number of different interpretations of the verse in question, and the other interpretations clearly permit further revelations.

Peace, :-)

Bruce

According to the Koran, messengers and prophets were not perfect (I don't mean to debate here, just discussing what it says -_^). I want to ask how the Koran is interpreted to say that there will be another scripture if I may, but I am afraid it will break the rules of this Discussion forum(?)

[A-ManESL]

Originally Posted by Snowber

I want to ask how the Koran is interpreted to say that there will be another scripture if I may, but I am afraid it will break the rules of this Discussion forum(?)

I guess the reference must be to the following verse of the Quran,

Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the Prophets: and Allah has full knowledge of all things.-Quran 33:40

The word "Seal of the Prophets" is taken to mean by orthodox Muslims as the final prophet. The Bahá'í Faith does regard Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) as the seal of the prophets in another sense, but does not interpret this term as meaning that no further messengers from God are possible.