Islam and Baha'i. whats the difference?

[Gharib]

dear friends i've oppened this thread so that i can make my questions to the Baha'i followers. i hope we can get along well.
and my first question is this:
the Baha'i followers believe in islam, hinduism, christianity, buddhism, etc. right.
but as you may very well know (if any of you has read the Kur'an) that islam forbids the worshiping of Allah through an idol just as the hindus do. so how can you have 2 opposite religions come together as one how can you have faith in islam and in hinduism or the other way around. thats a bit way off i recon, but i would like to know what you guys have to say.
and do toy reffer to god as Allah or in a different way.

 

[Steinninn]

Nicely asked, sadly there is no quick answer. Islam was the latest religion after Baha'i, so they are the most alike. Baha'u'llah was also a muslim. We do not believe in idols, there is only one god. But we believe that Krishna was a Manifestation from God for that time. Now is a new time, so different messages are sent to us. It's called progressive manifestation where everyone adds something to the last one.

So what makes islam and hinduism so different, in short, there are two things. First and most importantly they were religions for two different places and times. Second it has been destorted over time, restored by Baha'u'llah.

There are also many differences from the Jewish God, the Christian God and the Islamic God. But I believe he is the same God.

We do not follow any hinduist traditions, unless it is also in the latest scriptures. We simply recognize it as a religion, or something like that

I'm a very new baha'i, heard about it last september and declaired 17th of october. So maybe some if this is not 100% correct baha'i.

 

[Adib]

Welcome to the Baha'i forum eselam! Thanks for posting.

the Baha'i followers believe in islam, hinduism, christianity, buddhism, etc. right.
but as you may very well know (if any of you has read the Kur'an) that islam forbids the worshiping of Allah through an idol just as the hindus do. so how can you have 2 opposite religions come together as one how can you have faith in islam and in hinduism or the other way around. thats a bit way off i recon, but i would like to know what you guys have to say.

Indeed Steinninn, there's no quick answer, but I'll make an attempt.

First of all I want to remind you of a fact that I'm sure you're aware of, which is that most monotheists use images or ideas to remember God. I think it's inconceivable to do otherwise. For example, when Muslims go on pilgrimage and circumambulate the Ka'ba, are they worshipping the Ka'ba itself? No, they are worshipping what the Ka'ba ultimately represents, which is Allah. Muslims use the Ka'ba as one way to remember Muhammad and to invoke the presence of Allah. In this process, they are worshipping what the intermediary - the Ka'ba - represents, and not the intermediary itself.

For Baha'is, it is the same with the Shrine of Baha'u'llah, and even calligraphic depictions of what we believe to be The Greatest Name (Ya Baha'ul-Abha: "O Glory of the Most Glorious") that one might adorn their houses with. But in both cases, we are not worshipping the depiction, rather what the depiction represents. The Shrine of Baha'u'llah is not meant to elicit worship of Baha'u'llah himself, but rather worship of God, just as a Muslim goes to a mosque to worship God (Allah) and not Muhammad. Likewise with The Greatest Name, we are not worshipping that calligraphic rendering itself, but rather the root and very life of that phrase: the word "Baha" - glory - which Baha'is believe is the 100th name of God. Thus, we ultimately remember God by seeing such depictions.

Now then, back to the subject of worshipping the actual idols. Here is a quote from `Abdu'l-Baha, son of the founder of the Baha'i Faith (Baha'u'llah):

"Consider the superstitions and mythology of the Romans, Greeks and Egyptians; all were contrary to religion and science. It is now evident that the beliefs of these nations were superstitions, but in those times they held to them most tenaciously. For example, one of the many Egyptian idols was to those people an authenticated miracle, whereas in reality it was a piece of stone. As science could not sanction the miraculous origin and nature of a piece of rock, the belief in it must have been superstition. It is now evident that it was superstition. Therefore, we must cast aside such beliefs and investigate reality."

(`Abdu’l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp. 175-6.)

So it is basically as you say: worshipping a piece of stone for what it is - an inanimate object devoid of sentience or any will of its own - has no merit, there is no intelligence in submitting yourself to a subordinate kingdom, that of the minerals. Rather, the best in mankind is evidently brought about through submission to the higher kingdom, that of God.

But the idols themselves that one may find in Hinduism are primarily supposed to be depictions of deities, not devices meant to aid one in remembrance of a single God. This is why I don't see the merit of such idols, and why we need to use more relevant concepts and ideas to remember God.

In sum, one should worship God through abstract concepts or physical representations which can closely relate to Him, such as the Ka'ba or from the Baha'i perspective, the Shrine of Baha'u'llah. Worshipping through idols is an old tradition that doesn't serve the ultimate purpose - which is to try and remember God - and has instead become more of a ritual that centers around the idols themselves.

As an aside, `Abdu'l-Baha also states that the Buddha initially forbade idol worship, but much of his original teachings have become lost (as `Abdu'l-Baha also says that Buddhism originally believed in a God)...perhaps Krishna said something of the sort and his teachings had the same fate as Buddha's. I'm not sure if you know this, but the concept of reincarnation in Hinduism came about through the Upanishads, which were like commentaries written by "wise men," meaning that it was not a teaching of Krishna. Idol worship may very well be in the same category; however, this is just speculation.

I'm sorry I beat around the bush and rambled on this one - saying "it's late" isn't a good excuse either because I don't have a clear-cut answer regardless of the time of day. I'm not even sure if I answered your question! So I, too, hope that another Baha'i can help us out on this one.

and do [you] reffer to god as Allah or in a different way.]

From the Baha'i standpoint, Allah is one of the many names of God but not the only name. Other religions refer to God by different names as well. Hindus call Him Brahma, Christians may call Him the Father in Heaven, Jews call Him Yahweh, and Zoroastrians call Him Ahura Mazda. There are also the 99 names of God in the Qur'an, as well as what we believe to be the 100th: "Baha."

Baha'u'llah also refers to God with several titles, such as the Forgiver, the All-Knowing, the Almighty, the Compassionate, and the Bestower of Gifts. But again, these are just titles.

In short: no, there is no "one phrase" by which Baha'is universally refer to God, except perhaps "God" in their respective languages.

 

[Gharib]

Nicely asked, sadly there is no quick answer. Islam was the latest religion after Baha'i, so they are the most alike. Baha'u'llah was also a muslim. We do not believe in idols, there is only one god. But we believe that Krishna was a Manifestation from God for that time. Now is a new time,

so different messages are sent to us

. It's called progressive manifestation where everyone adds something to the last one.

if Baha'u'llah was a muslim then how is it possible for him to be a prophet or something like that, he should have known that there is no other prophet after Muhammed (saws), it is clearly stated in the Kur'an, if he believed it though

from who are the messages sent to you (your religion)

So what makes islam and hinduism so different, in short, there are two things. First and most importantly they were religions for two different places and times. Second it has been destorted over time, restored by Baha'u'llah.

well in islam we pray to Allah directly when we do Tekbir.
while the hindus believe that god is in all things thus they pray to idols, and believe that god is in them.
and second of all islam is still in it's place, it hasn't been distorted nor does it need to be restoreted ( thats my perspective as a muslim)

There are also many differences from the Jewish God, the Christian God and the Islamic God. But I believe he is the same God.

no there is not much difference.

We do not follow any hinduist traditions, unless it is also in the latest scriptures. We simply recognize it as a religion, or something like that

what latest scriptures, where did they come from?
are they a revelation from Allah to your baha'i (is that the person you guys consider to be a prophet).
i too respect other religions but they aren't part of islam, to tell you the truth i think they are way off from a real religion, but then again they also think the same thing about other religions, so in a way every religion is true, but they really aren't .

I'm a very new baha'i, heard about it last september and declaired 17th of october. So maybe some if this is not 100% correct baha'i.

well congrats on the new faith, what were you before?

 

[Gharib]

Welcome to the Baha'i forum eselam! Thanks for posting.

thank you and you are welcome

Indeed Steinninn, there's no quick answer, but I'll make an attempt.

First of all I want to remind you of a fact that I'm sure you're aware of, which is that most monotheists use images or ideas to remember God. I think it's inconceivable to do otherwise. For example, when Muslims go on pilgrimage and circumambulate the Ka'ba, are they worshipping the Ka'ba itself? No, they are worshipping what the Ka'ba ultimately represents, which is Allah. Muslims use the Ka'ba as one way to remember Muhammad and to invoke the presence of Allah. In this process, they are worshipping what the intermediary - the Ka'ba - represents, and not the intermediary itself.

well if you know about islam which you claim you do (your faith does) then you should know that the kabba is just a building, we do not turn to is as the hindus (Allah isn't in the kabba) but instead we turn in that way because Allah wan'ts us too everyone turns to a direction to pray and we turn to that, but we can just as well turn to other directions if we do not know in which way the Kabba is, it is the first place (building) of worship built by Adem (as) and then rebuilt By Ibraheem (as) and his son Ismaeel (as). thats why we are tolled to turn to it.

For Baha'is, it is the same with the Shrine of Baha'u'llah

whats that, never heard of it

, and even calligraphic depictions of what we believe to be The Greatest Name (Ya Baha'ul-Abha: "O Glory of the Most Glorious") that one might adorn their houses with. But in both cases, we are not worshipping the depiction, rather what the depiction represents. The Shrine of Baha'u'llah is not meant to elicit worship of Baha'u'llah himself, but rather worship of God, just as a Muslim goes to a mosque to worship God (Allah) and not Muhammad. Likewise with The Greatest Name, we are not worshipping that calligraphic rendering itself, but rather the root and very life of that phrase: the word "Baha" - glory - which Baha'is believe is the 100th name of God. Thus, we ultimately remember God by seeing such depictions.

we go to a mosque because it is better to pray as a group, the reward is much greater. we do not go to a mosque because of anything special painted on the wall or anything but because we can pray together, we can even do it outside as long as a group forms.

So it is basically as you say: worshipping a piece of stone for what it is - an inanimate object devoid of sentience or any will of its own - has no merit, there is no intelligence in submitting yourself to a subordinate kingdom, that of the minerals. Rather, the best in mankind is evidently brought about through submission to the higher kingdom, that of God.

yes there is no point in the idols (from my perspective).

But the idols themselves that one may find in Hinduism are primarily supposed to be depictions of deities, not devices meant to aid one in remembrance of a single God. This is why I don't see the merit of such idols, and why we need to use more relevant concepts and ideas to remember God.

yeah i can probably agree with that

In sum, one should worship God through abstract concepts or physical representations which can closely relate to Him, such as the Ka'ba or from the Baha'i perspective, the Shrine of Baha'u'llah. Worshipping through idols is an old tradition that doesn't serve the ultimate purpose - which is to try and remember God - and has instead become more of a ritual that centers around the idols themselves.

well we muslims do it by bowing to Allah. he is the only creator(being) that desserves any worship or bow or praises

As an aside, `Abdu'l-Baha also states that the Buddha initially forbade idol worship, but much of his original teachings have become lost (as `Abdu'l-Baha also says that Buddhism originally believed in a God)...perhaps Krishna said something of the sort and his teachings had the same fate as Buddha's. I'm not sure if you know this, but the concept of reincarnation in Hinduism came about through the Upanishads, which were like commentaries written by "wise men," meaning that it was not a teaching of Krishna. Idol worship may very well be in the same category; however, this is just speculation.

yeah i too think something like that may have happened, they lost the true wy and turned to something else, but then again who knows? only god, right

I'm sorry I beat around the bush and rambled on this one - saying "it's late" isn't a good excuse either because I don't have a clear-cut answer regardless of the time of day. I'm not even sure if I answered your question! So I, too, hope that another Baha'i can help us out on this one.

so each of you guys who will write something here will be expecting someone more educated to answer my questions and i should just ingone yours or they may heve something extra to add.

From the Baha'i standpoint, Allah is one of the many names of God but not the only name. Other religions refer to God by different names as well. Hindus call Him Brahma, Christians may call Him the Father in Heaven, Jews call Him Yahweh, and Zoroastrians call Him Ahura Mazda. There are also the 99 names of God in the Qur'an, as well as what we believe to be the 100th: "Baha."

well for me as a muslim Allah has many names not just exactly 99 and Allah being the 100'dth. there also is the name Rabbi meaning Creator, there might be more but i personally do not know them, because every name of Allah is a characteristic of Allah, but every characteristic of Allah isn't a name of Allah.
and as for the names that the other religions use they are no where near Allah's names, and to be honest with you nor is the name Baha which you guys consider.
what is it with that word anyway, i mean you seem to use it alot, there is Baha, Baha'i, Baha'u'llah, Bab (i think that is right), whats with that word, we have Muhammed (saws) as a prophet and we did not say that one of god names is Hammed or Muha or nothing like that, nor is the religion called Muhammedunin nor Muhammeden, i don't get that word. you have just added it everywhere.

Baha'u'llah also refers to God with several titles, such as the Forgiver, the All-Knowing, the Almighty, the Compassionate, and the Bestower of Gifts. But again, these are just titles.

well they are from the Kur'an, to tell you the truth. and they aren't just titels they are characteristics of Allah, he is the forgiver thats why he is called The Forgiver and so on with the other names

In short: no, there is no "one phrase" by which Baha'is universally refer to God, except perhaps "God" in their respective languages.

nor do we, we call Allah by all of his names, most of the time but who ever doesn't know them then they don't use them but it is very good for a muslim to know them because who ever remembers the names of Allah they will earn heaven on the day of judgement,

 

[Steinninn]

if Baha'u'llah was a muslim then how is it possible for him to be a prophet or something like that, he should have known that there is no other prophet after Muhammed (saws), it is clearly stated in the Kur'an, if he believed it though

from who are the messages sent to you (your religion)

Obviously he came to tell us that Muhammed was not the last prophet, but simply a seal of the prophets. The last in a ring of prophets, not the ultimate last one.

I'll tell you a quick story that I heard just today. The leader of Persia had sent Baha'u'llah (the latast manifestation from god today) to excile in Israel. Baha'u'llah's followers were still getting larger. So this leader figures he should send his most respected imam (it's imam right, a kind of priest, I'm not very good with these islamic words). Anyway, this imam sure had heard about Baha'u'llah, he got very angry every time he heard stories about him and was anciece to prove that he wasn't a prophet from God. He travels to Israel and as soon as he looks into Baha'u'llah's eyes he is filled with love and humillity. Even though he had believed all his life that Muhammed was the last prophet, he turnes baha'i and never returned to Persia. This is a story muslims woun't tell you, but it's true. To bad I don't remember his name. I'm sure imams now say that Baha'u'llah hypnotised him, hehe.

well in islam we pray to Allah directly when we do Tekbir.
while the hindus believe that god is in all things thus they pray to idols, and believe that god is in them.
and second of all islam is still in it's place, it hasn't been distorted nor does it need to be restoreted ( thats my perspective as a muslim)

I can't answere your first question, but sure, the quran is still valid, but misinturperated. Baha'u'llah removed all form of clergy, replacing it with "individual investigation of truth", and the Universal House of Justice, where we vote 9 members into office. We call it, and believe it is, The Kingdom of God.

no there is not much difference.

I'm no expert, but what I've heard is that the jewish God is very angry, and you should fear him. Jesus brought the love, that God loves you. I'm not sure about Allah, I have a feeling that Mohammed brought respect. So muslims fear, love and respect him. Not sure about this one, but I'm sure there are differences, just can't pinpoint what it is

what latest scriptures, where did they come from?
are they a revelation from Allah to your baha'i (is that the person you guys consider to be a prophet).
i too respect other religions but they aren't part of islam, to tell you the truth i think they are way off from a real religion, but then again they also think the same thing about other religions, so in a way every religion is true, but they really aren't .

The Báb and Baha'u'llah are the latest manifestation and brought around 100 books.
Wikipedia: "Bahá'ís believe that the founders of the religion, The Báb and Bahá'u'lláh, received revelation directly from God. As such their works are considered divinely inspired. These works are often referred to as "revealed text" or revelation."

The most holy book is called Kitab'i'Aqdas. Can you guess what it means? It's: "the Most Holy Book".

well congrats on the new faith, what were you before?

That's a long story. I was born a Christian. I always thought it was kind of strange that we were reading 2000 year old stories as facts. These could so easely be altered. And why were there prophets from god every now and then in the old days, why aren't we seeing any proof now, like they did. But I usually believed in God, although I was rarely sure about the status of Jesus. I went trough an athiest period. And then I started to travel. It's then that I gained my respect for Mohammed. I returned and had a hard time beeing christian again because I wasn't sure if I could reject Mohammed as a prophet. Then out of the blue I met an Icelandic baha'i, that had been baha'i all his life. I had never heard of it before and asked many questions. Two days later I went to the Icelandic website and emailed them and asked if I could meet some baha'i in Reykjavík to answer some questions. Well, the next day I met Davíð. Went to Ruhi meetings where I learned even more. And then declared.

 

[Gharib]

Obviously he came to tell us that Muhammed was not the last prophet, but simply a seal of the prophets. The last in a ring of prophets, not the ultimate last one.

no no. muhammed is the seal of the prophets, you are right here and do you know what the word SEAL means it means copletion, finish, no more.

I'll tell you a quick story that I heard just today. The leader of Persia had sent Baha'u'llah (the latast manifestation from god today) to excile in Israel. Baha'u'llah's followers were still getting larger. So this leader figures he should send his most respected imam (it's imam right, a kind of priest, I'm not very good with these islamic words). Anyway, this imam sure had heard about Baha'u'llah, he got very angry every time he heard stories about him and was anciece to prove that he wasn't a prophet from God. He travels to Israel and as soon as he looks into Baha'u'llah's eyes he is filled with love and humillity. Even though he had believed all his life that Muhammed was the last prophet, he turnes baha'i and never returned to Persia. This is a story muslims woun't tell you, but it's true. To bad I don't remember his name. I'm sure imams now say that Baha'u'llah hypnotised him, hehe.

i've never heard of that. and yes they are called imams.
to be completely honest with you that is just a copy of Muhammed (saws), people of other religions (scholars and others) would go to mecca to speak to Muhammed (saws) and they converted at first sight even without a hand shake or anything, as soon as they saw him they said he truely is a prophet. so to me you guys (your prophet or this exaple) has just been copied from islam, and a muslim would never convert to anything else especially an imam. well if the baha'u'llah knew magic then he might have but i don't think so, i do not believe that story, it's just a copy.

I can't answere your first question, but sure, the quran is still valid, but misinturperated. Baha'u'llah removed all form of clergy, replacing it with "individual investigation of truth", and the Universal House of Justice, where we vote 9 members into office. We call it, and believe it is, The Kingdom of God.

so Baha'u'llah has proven god wrong then, if he has changed the Kur'an he has proven god wrong thus claiming devinity for himself. you believe that Muhammed (saws) was a prophet right, and you also believe in the Kur'an, so are you saying that god made a mistake the first time and then corrected the errors? that doesn't sound like a god, what sort of a god makes mistakes?, Allah certainly doesn't make any mistakes.

I'm no expert, but what I've heard is that the jewish God is very angry, and you should fear him. Jesus brought the love, that God loves you. I'm not sure about Allah, I have a feeling that Mohammed brought respect. So muslims fear, love and respect him. Not sure about this one, but I'm sure there are differences, just can't pinpoint what it is

well Allah is everything, he created everything from nothing and nothing shares his Throne in heaven, we fear his punishment because it is the worst and we love him because his reward is the best. anothermuslim member has explained this right but i don't remember the thread.

The Báb and Baha'u'llah are the latest manifestation and brought around 100 books.
Wikipedia: "Bahá'ís believe that the founders of the religion, The Báb and Bahá'u'lláh, received revelation directly from God. As such their works are considered divinely inspired. These works are often referred to as "revealed text" or revelation."

wasn't one book enogh? all the religions have one what made the dramatic change in Baha'i? no one receives direct revelation, it is done through Gabriel (as).

The most holy book is called Kitab'i'Aqdas. Can you guess what it means? It's: "the Most Holy Book".

well i'm no arab, don't know the full alnguage at the moment, but the word Kitab means book where as the other is unfurmiliar to me i have never heard it, if i had i would have been able to translate it

That's a long story. I was born a Christian. I always thought it was kind of strange that we were reading 2000 year old stories as facts. These could so easely be altered. And why were there prophets from god every now and then in the old days, why aren't we seeing any proof now, like they did. But I usually believed in God, although I was rarely sure about the status of Jesus. I went trough an athiest period. And then I started to travel. It's then that I gained my respect for Mohammed. I returned and had a hard time beeing christian again because I wasn't sure if I could reject Mohammed as a prophet. Then out of the blue I met an Icelandic baha'i, that had been baha'i all his life. I had never heard of it before and asked many questions. Two days later I went to the Icelandic website and emailed them and asked if I could meet some baha'i in Reykjavík to answer some questions. Well, the next day I met Davíð. Went to Ruhi meetings where I learned even more. And then declared.

so basically you joined the Baha'i faith because it was a new religion, if you hadn't heard about you would have been a muslim because that was the youngest religion right.

 

[arthra]

dear friends i've oppened this thread so that i can make my questions to the Baha'i followers. i hope we can get along well.
and my first question is this:
the Baha'i followers believe in islam, hinduism, christianity, buddhism, etc. right.
but as you may very well know (if any of you has read the Kur'an) that islam forbids the worshiping of Allah through an idol just as the hindus do. so how can you have 2 opposite religions come together as one how can you have faith in islam and in hinduism or the other way around. thats a bit way off i recon, but i would like to know what you guys have to say.
and do toy reffer to god as Allah or in a different way.

Welcome to the Baha'i Forum Eselam!

You maybe should have posted this in the Comparative Religion Forum:

http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/comparative-religion/

This is not a debate forum either... but to answer your question:

While we acknowledge the Divine Origin of the great religions we do not endorse the practises of all these religions.. We are followers of the Divine Revelation for this Day which is the Baha'i Faith.

God has many names we believe and it is appropriate to call Him Allah, God or whatever name is used for the supreme Deity. Baha'is do use salutations like Allah'u'Abha however and acknowledge Arabic and Persian as languages of Divine Revelation but as such authorized translations of the Baha'i Writings are in over two hundred languages and are all acceptable to use.

Also see:

Baha'i Sacred Writings | Bahai Faith | Baha'i Faith

- Art

 

[arthra]

eselam wrote:

if Baha'u'llah was a muslim then how is it possible for him to be a prophet or something like that, he should have known that there is no other prophet after Muhammed (saws), it is clearly stated in the Kur'an, if he believed it though

from who are the messages sent to you (your religion)

Again this is not a Debate Forum.

While Baha'u'llah was raised a Muslim He received Divine Revelation we believe.. Baha'is believe that the Seal of the Prophets refers to the Seal of the Prophetic Age and this is the Age of Fulfillment. We also believe the Bab was the promised Qa'im and Mahdi of Islamic prophecy and that He was the Gate or Bab which lead to the Qayyum Who was to be manifest after the Qa'im. The Qayyum we believe refers to Baha'u'llah.

 

[Gharib]

Welcome to the Baha'i Forum Eselam!

You maybe should have posted this in the Comparative Religion Forum:

http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/comparative-religion/

This is not a debate forum either... but to answer your question:

While we acknowledge the Divine Origin of the great religions we do not endorse the practises of all these religions.. We are followers of the Divine Revelation for this Day which is the Baha'i Faith.

God has many names we believe and it is appropriate to call Him Allah, God or whatever name is used for the supreme Deity. Baha'is do use salutations like Allah'u'Abha however and acknowledge Arabic and Persian as languages of Divine Revelation but as such authorized translations of the Baha'i Writings are in over two hundred languages and are all acceptable to use.

Also see:

Baha'i Sacred Writings | Bahai Faith | Baha'i Faith

- Art

i think you are right i should have oppened it in the comparative religion forum but anyway i will only ask questions and keep the islamic perstpectives to my self. unless you guys wish to learn about the islamic perspectier or if any one is interested in the islamic persectives then please open a new thread in comparative religion. that sounds ok doesn't it

 

[Gharib]

ok so what about islam what do you guys think about it, do you believe in it (exapmle the Kur'an, Muhammed (saws), Allah, the angels of Allah, etc) can someone tell me what you think of islam as a religion

 

[arthra]

We're pretty familiar here as Baha'is with Islam and most of the early followers of the Bab and Baha'u'llah were Muslims at one time..

You can also get a pretty accurate perspective on Baha'i Faith in re. Islam at

Baha'u'llah: The Great Announcement of the Qur'an

- Art

 

[UnityNow101]

Eselam,

I can tell you from my own personal experience with the Bahai community that they all have the utmost respect and admiration for both the prophet of Islam and the Holiest book of Islam, the Quran. When we would get together for worship and observation, there were many readings which came directly from the words of the prophet and the Quran, with both being spoken of with the sincerest of intentions...

If you have a Bahai community of believers where you live, I would suggest that you check it out. They are some of the most welcoming and loving people that I have ever met.

 

[Gharib]

Eselam,

I can tell you from my own personal experience with the Bahai community that they all have the utmost respect and admiration for both the prophet of Islam and the Holiest book of Islam, the Quran. When we would get together for worship and observation, there were many readings which came directly from the words of the prophet and the Quran, with both being spoken of with the sincerest of intentions...

If you have a Bahai community of believers where you live, I would suggest that you check it out. They are some of the most welcoming and loving people that I have ever met.

well i know that they have respect for religions because thats what their faith tells them, right. so i understand it.

and i do not think there are any Baha'i followers in my comunity nor the soroundings. in fact there aren't any at all i think

 

[Gharib]

so whats after death. is there a perspective on this from the Baha'i religon,

and by the way do you guys believe in the big bang theory and the evolotion one? i would like to know this because if you believe in god then you must know that god created humans they didn't evolve from monkeys, right

 

[arthra]

well i know that they have respect for religions because thats what their faith tells them, right. so i understand it.

and i do not think there are any Baha'i followers in my comunity nor the soroundings. in fact there aren't any at all i think

Just out of curiosity where do you live...what country?

- Art

 

[Adib]

With life after death, we do believe in heaven and hell, but not as a physical paradise or torture pit laden with fire and brimstone (respectively), rather spiritual conditions.

I will quote the official Baha'i website here:

Bahá'u'lláh confirmed the existence of a separate, rational soul for every human. In this life, He said, the soul is related to the physical body. It provides the underlying animation for the body and is our real self.

Although undetectable by physical instruments, the soul shows itself through the qualities of character that we associate with each person. The soul is the focal point for love and compassion, for faith and courage, and for other such "human" qualities that cannot be explained solely by thinking of a human being as an animal or as a sophisticated organic machine.

The soul does not die; it endures everlastingly. When the human body dies, the soul is freed from ties with the physical body and the surrounding physical world and begins its progress through the spiritual world. Bahá'ís understand the spiritual world to be a timeless and placeless extension of our own universe--and not some physically remote or removed place.

Entry into the next life has the potential to bring great joy. Bahá'u'lláh likened death to the process of birth. He explains: "The world beyond is as different from this world as this world is different from that of the child while still in the womb of its mother."

The analogy to the womb in many ways summarizes the Bahá'í view of earthly existence. Just as the womb constitutes an important place for a person's initial physical development, the physical world provides the matrix for the development of the individual soul. Accordingly, Bahá'ís view life as a sort of workshop, where one can develop and perfect those qualities which will be needed in the next life.

"Know thou, of a truth, that if the soul of man hath walked in the ways of God, it will, assuredly return and be gathered to the glory of the Beloved," Bahá'u'lláh wrote. "By the righteousness of God! It shall attain a station such as no pen can depict, or tongue can describe."

In the final analysis, heaven can be seen partly as a state of nearness to God; hell is a state of remoteness from God. Each state follows as a natural consequence of individual efforts, or the lack thereof, to develop spiritually. The key to spiritual progress is to follow the path outlined by the Manifestations of God.

Beyond this, the exact nature of the afterlife remains a mystery. "The nature of the soul after death can never be described," Bahá'u'lláh writes.

 

[Adib]

Regarding evolution, we do not believe men evolved from monkeys: man has always been man. However, we obviously did not possess our current form several millenia ago. Therefore, all things - men, animals, plants - grow and progress within their own kingdom, but they never overstep that boundary.

I will quote Wikipedia on this subject because it has several quotes from `Abdu'l-Baha:

While `Abdu'l-Bahá states that man progressed through many stages before reaching this present form, `Abdu'l-Bahá states that humans are a distinct species, and not an animal. `Abdu'l-Bahá states that in every stage of evolution though which humans progressed – either mineral, vegetable, and animal – they were potentially humans. Mehanian and Friberg argue that potentiality is a key concept in `Abdu'l-Bahá's discussion of evolution. `Abdul-Bahá states that even if humans passed through an animal stage, it does not mean that humans are animals.

"But at all times, even when the embryo resembled a worm, it was human in potentiality and character, not animal. The forms assumed by the human embryo in its successive changes do not prove that it is animal in its essential character. Throughout this progression there has been transference of type, a conservation of species or kind. Realizing this we may acknowledge the fact that at one time man was an inmate of the sea, at another period an invertebrate, then a vertebrate and finally a human being standing erect. Though we admit these changes, we cannot say man is an animal. In each one of these stages are signs and evidences of his human existence and destination."[21]​

`Abdu'l-Bahá rejected the interpretation that the common ancestry of humans with other animals implies that humans are animals. He does not, however, deny that humans have much in common with the animal world, but denies instead that animal characteristics comprise humankind's entire nature. `Abdu'l-Bahá states that humans are on a different plane because of their spiritual and intellectual powers:

"Though man has powers and outer senses in common with the animal, yet an extraordinary power exists in him of which the animal is bereft. The sciences, arts, inventions, trades and discoveries of realities are the results of this spiritual power"[22]​

While `Abdu'l-Bahá states that humans species in its current form came out of evolution, he states that evolution is governed by universal law, and states that composition of elements responsible for the appearance of life and humans is not a random process:

"This composition and arrangement, through the wisdom of God and His preexistent might, were produced from one natural organization, which was composed and combined with the greatest strength, conformable to wisdom, and according to a universal law. From this it is evident that it is the creation of God, and is not a fortuitous composition and arrangement."[23]​

Much of `Abdu'l-Bahá's statements are in harmony with the conclusions of the evolutionary sciences`Abdu'l-Bahá supports an evolutionary perspective as the perspective for understanding the emergence of humans. `Abdu'l-Bahá describes humans as evolving through stages, including going through the animal stage, developing from a single origin through a slow process. He agrees with much scientific thought that the interdependence of different components in nature plays an important role in evolution.[4]

There are, however, some differences between `Abdu'l-Bahá's statements and current scientific thought. The Bahá’í perspective that religion must be in accordance with science seems to suggest that religion must accept current scientific knowledge as authoritative; but this is not necessarily always the case as the present scientific point of view is not always correct, nor truth only limited to what science can explain.[4]

`Abdu'l-Bahá states that humans, while they share some common characteristics with animals, are in some fundamental ways distinct from them. He also states that humans have always existed, either potentially or in actuality. `Abdu'l-Bahá, comparing the existence of a tree in a seed, states that humankind has always been present since the beginning of the evolutionary process, and links the evolutionary mechanisms to, not only as intrinsic to development of life, but also as the unfolding of God's creation.[4]

References:

[4] Mehanian, Courosh; Friberg, Stephen R. (2003), "Religion and Evolution Reconciled: `Abdu'l-Bahá's Comments on Evolution", The Journal of Bahá'í studies 13 (1-4): 55–93
[21] Effendi, Abbas (`Abdu'l-Baha) (1912), The Promulgation of Universal Peace, US Bahá’í Publishing Trust (published 1987), ISBN 0877431728
[22] `Abdu'l-Bahá (1908), Some Answered Questions, Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust (published 1990)
[23] Ibid., p. 181

 

[arthra]

so whats after death. is there a perspective on this from the Baha'i religon,

and by the way do you guys believe in the big bang theory and the evolotion one? i would like to know this because if you believe in god then you must know that god created humans they didn't evolve from monkeys, right

I think that's a fair question.

Baha'is believe the soul continues after death and will eventually progress through the worlds of God and finally will stand in the presence of God...

Usually out of respect I always capitalize the word "God"

but we believe evolution is a part of God's plan and creation..

"Therefore, all creatures emanate from God--that is to say, it is by God that all things are realized, and by Him that all beings have attained to existence... This emanation, in that which concerns its action in the world of God, is not limited by time or place; it is without beginning or end--beginning and end in relation to God are one... The existence of living things signifies composition, and their death, decomposition. But universal matter and the elements do not become absolutely annihilated and destroyed. No, their nonexistence is simply transformation." (SAQ 53)
​

but that each species as evolved separately ... Humans don't really acording to our Writings share a common ancestry with apes but could have appeared apelike at some point in developement.

... God was, and His creation had ever existed beneath His shelter from the beginning that hath no beginning ... That which hath been in existence had existed before, but not in the form thou seest today. The world of existence came into being through the heat generated from the interaction between the active force and that which is its recipient (Bahá'u'lláh, 1988, 9:8-9).
​

"... all things are subject to transformation and change, save only the essence of existence itself--since it is constant and immutable, and upon it is founded the life of every species and kind, of every contingent reality throughout the whole of creation." (`Abdu'l-Bahá, 1978, p. 157)


"But it is clear that this terrestrial globe in its present form did not come into existence all at once, but that this universal existence gradually passed through different phases until it became adorned with its present perfection...
In potential man has always been man.."

I don't think Baha'is have any teaching per se one way or the other on the "Big Bang" theory...

We do believe that the universe in some form has always been here and that God as the Creator has always been creating:

"As to thy question concerning the origin of creation. Know assuredly that God's creation hath existed from eternity, and will continue to exist forever. Its beginning hath had no beginning, and its end knoweth no end. His name, the Creator, presupposeth a creation, even as His title, the Lord of Men, must involve the existence of a servant." - Baha'u'llah in Gleanings Section 78

"This composition and arrangement, through the wisdom of God and His preexistent might, were produced from one natural organization, which was composed and combined with the greatest strength, conformable to wisdom, and according to a universal law. From this it is evident that it is the creation of God, and is not a fortuitous composition and arrangement. This is why from every natural composition a being can come into existence, but from an accidental composition no being can come into existence." (SAQ 47:3)
​

There's an article that deals with the subject in more detail at

Originality of Species

 

[Adib]

Lastly regarding creation, there is one passage in Baha'u'llah's Lawh-i-Hikmat (Tablet of Wisdom):

That which hath been in existence had existed before, but not in the form thou seest today. The world of existence came into being through the heat generated from the interaction between the active force and that which is its recipient. These two are the same, yet they are different. Thus doth the Great Announcement inform thee about this glorious structure. Such as communicate the generating influence and such as receive its impact are indeed created through the irresistible Word of God which is the Cause of the entire creation, while all else besides His Word are but the creatures and the effects thereof. [Emphasis added]​

Therefore I think it's safe to say that it came about through scientific means, perhaps like the big bang theory proposes, but that God was ultimately the one who triggered that scientific occurrence.

That might seem to contradict a quote arthra cited above:

"As to thy question concerning the origin of creation. Know assuredly that God's creation hath existed from eternity, and will continue to exist forever. Its beginning hath had no beginning, and its end knoweth no end. His name, the Creator, presupposeth a creation, even as His title, the Lord of Men, must involve the existence of a servant." - Baha'u'llah in Gleanings Section 78​

I would imagine that this is referring to God's inherent attribute as the ultimate creator - that is what has always been and will always be, not just specifically one of his creations, but the very power that allows him to create. This is my interpretation of the above quote.