Questions for your Cousin

1. Questions for your Cousin • When did this happen? • Do you have any Writings? • What makes you believe you are the return? • What was your inspiration? • Why should I become a follower? • Mohammed was the last prophet; how can you be another one? • How do you fulfil the prophecies? • How can I be sure that the changes I see in you are divine in origin? • Do you have a mission? What is its purpose? • Do you have miracles or proofs? • Do you have a book of laws? • What happens if I don’t believe? • Did you suffer to bring about your Movement? • How is this the day of judgement? • Why is there evil in the world?

2. The Book of Certitude • 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. 233

3. Family of the Bab • His father was Mirza Muhammad Rida. • His mother was Fatimih Bagum also Zajra Bagum. • Both mother and father were direct descendants of the Imam Husayn, Muhammad and Abraham, through Hagar. • His mother had three brothers.

4. The Uncles of the Bab • Haji Mirza Siyyid Ali or the Greatest Uncle • Haji Mirza Siyyid Muhammad or the Greater Uncle • Haji Mirza Hassan Ali or the Younger Uncle

5. Haji Mirza Siyyid Ali • a leading merchant in Shiraz • guardian to the Bab, after the death of His own father in 1828 • taught by Quddus • the first believer in Shiraz after the Letters of the Living

6. Haji Mirza Siyyid Ali • took full responsibility for the Bab after He was arrested • visited Him in Chihriq in 1849 • martyred as one of the Seven Martyrs of Tihran

7. Haji Mirza Siyyid Muhammad or the Greater Uncle • Eldest of the three brothers. • Traded with the Bab in Bushihr. • Not a believer during the life of the Bab. • But staunchly supported and defended his nephew during 6 years of ministry.

8. Haji Mirza Siyyid Muhammad or the Greater Uncle (cont) • In 1862 he travelled to Karbila with his younger brother. • They were invited to meet Baha’u’llah, the leader of the Babis at this time. • Nb before Declaration in Garden of Ridvan. • He agreed and was asked by Baha’u’llah what was standing in his way of accepting the Bab.

9. Haji Mirza Siyyid Muhammad or the Greater Uncle (cont) • He had previously received two other explanatory letters • from the Greatest Uncle from Chihriq: 'On such a daythe resplendent Light of God shone forth . . . This is the day of Resurrection . . . the day to behold the Visage of God.' • From Vahid presenting proofs to convince him of the truth of the claim of his Nephew.

10. Haji Mirza Siyyid Muhammad or the Greater Uncle (cont) • He wrote down his questions and submitted these to Baha’u’llah. • These questions can still be read today in the handwriting of the Greater Uncle. • The answer to the questions, revealed by Baha’u’llah in 48 hours is the Book of Certitude.

11. Haji Mirza Siyyid Muhammad or the Greater Uncle (cont) • After receiving this book of Certitude the Greater Uncle became a believer in and follower of both the Bab and later Baha’u’llah. • The original copy was transcribed by Abdul Baha • with corrections and additions in the margin by Baha’u’llah Himself. • Donated to the archives of the Baha’i Faith by the great-granddaughter of the Greater Uncle in 1948.

12. Haji Mirza Muhammad Taqi Afnan • A son of the Greater Uncle. He was commissioned by Abdul Baha to be in charge of building the House of Worship in Ishqabad. He is buried in Haifa, the first to be buried in the cemetery there.

13. Haji Mirza Hassan Ali or the Younger Uncle • A merchant engaged in trade with the Bab. • Journeyed with his eldest brother to the Shia Holy Places in Baghdad. • But adamantly refused to visit Baha’u’llah. • However, in later life he also became a believer in both Manifestations.

14. Questions of Uncles, simplified: • What happens on the Day of Resurrection? • Why is there so much injustice in the world today? • What about all the prophecies, that have not been fulfilled? • When to interpret holy textsliterally?  (See Balyuzi Baha’u’llah King of Glory p163-5 for full translation)

15. Book of Certitude… ‘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.’ (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 210)

16. From God Passes By p138 • Foremost among the priceless treasures cast forth from the billowing ocean of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation ranks the Kitáb-i-Íqán (Book of Certitude), • It was written in fulfilment of the prophecy of the Báb, Who had specifically stated that the Promised One would complete the text of the unfinished Persian Bayan…

17. Treasures! • ‘this unique repository of inestimable treasures ‘ (Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 139)

18. Spiritual significance! ‘The Íqán is the most important book written on the spiritual significance of the Cause. I do not believe any person can consider himself well versed in the teachings unless he has studied it thoroughly.’ (Shoghi Effendi, The Light of Divine Guidance v I, p. 37)

19. Clear Insight! • You should form study classes and read the important books that have been published, especially the “Íqán”, which contains the basic tenets of the Faith. The one who ponders over that book and grasps its full significance will obtain a clear insight into the old scriptures and appreciate the true Mission of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh. (Compilations, The Compilation of Compilations vol. I, p. 213)

20. Concentrate! • If you read the utterances of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with selflessness and care and concentrate upon them, you will discover truths unknown to you before and will obtain an insight into the problems that have baffled the great thinkers of the world. (Compilations, The Compilation of Compilations vol II, p. 2)

21. Mirza Abu’l-Fadl The eminent scholar Mirza Abu’l-Fadl recounted to Ali Kuli Khan ‘that he had read the Iqan with ‘the eye of intellect’ seventeen times through, and it had seemed to him a meaningless string of words. That later, he had read it with ‘the eye of faith’, and had found it the key with which he could unlock the secrets of all the sacred books of past religions.’ (Dawn over Mount Hira p112-3, Marzieh Gail)

22. Some Themes • 1,2 Introduction • 3-6 Rejection of Messenger • 7-13 Progressive Revelation • 14-18 Seeker • 19-22 Return of Christ • 23 Seeker • 24-30 Oppression

23. Some Themes (cont) • 31-36 Explanation:sun, moon and stars • 37 Seeker • 38-41 Continuing sun, moon and stars • 42 Summary • 43-45 Seeker • 46-50 Cleaving heavens, changing earth • 51-52 Seeker

24. Some Themes (cont) • 53-60 Tests • 61-62 Seeker • 63-64 Tests • 65 Seeker • 66-74 Stars and clouds • 75-78 Seeker • 79-84 Clouds

25. Some Themes (cont) • 85 Seeker • 86-88 Angels • 89-90 Religious leaders • 91-96 Corruption & modification of texts • 97 Seeker • 98 Corruption continued • 99-101 Seeker

26. Part Oneref Hooper Dunbar • the importance of detachment in attaining to true understanding of God and His Prophets; • an account of the cruelties suffered by the divine messengers; • the consequences of people blindly following religious leaders and not searching out truth for themselves;

27. Contd. • the exalted station of the manifestations of God; • the method of God in trying His servants to distinguish the sincere from the false; • the relativity of religious truth; • the continuity of divine Revelation…

28. Part Two ref Hooper Dunbar • on the sovereignty of the Manifestations of God and their mysterious two-fold nature; • unfolds the inner meaning of numerous abstruse scriptural terms and finally, • demonstrates the validity of the mission of the Bab and His Revelation.

29. IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD,THE EXALTED, THE MOST HIGH. • No man shall attain the shores of the ocean of true understanding except he be detached from all that is in heaven and on earth. Sanctify your souls, O ye peoples of the world, that haply ye may attain that station which God hath destined for you and enter thus the tabernacle which, according to the dispensations of Providence, hath been raised in the firmament of the Bayan.