Biblical paralells
Sizwe Cawe
Greetings
line of this familiar prayer:
renew a tranquil conscience within me, O my Hope ..."
the Psalms:
t withim me". (Ps 50:10).
niscent of earlier scripture such as this one?
izwe.
Douglas McAdam
As you can see something went wrong with your post, the first is
clipped for some reason. Also the ref. Ps. 50:10 does not fit.
regards,
doug
Suzanne
Hi Sizwe,
I think I've pieced together your question. I believe you were
remarking about the parallels between these two quotes:
"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within
me" (Psalms 51:10)
"Create in me a pure heart, O my God, and renew a tranquil conscience
within me, O my Hope!"
(Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 248)
I would say that the prayer by Baha'u'llah is actually quoting
directly from the passage in Psalms, or re-stating it. But it is just
this one line. After that, the prayer and the Psalm diverge and are
completely different. That is one of my favorite prayers:
"Create in me a pure heart, O my God, and renew a tranquil conscience
within me, O my Hope! Through the spirit of power confirm Thou me in
Thy Cause, O my Best-Beloved, and by the light of Thy glory reveal
unto me Thy path, O Thou the Goal of my desire! Through the power of
Thy transcendent might lift me up unto the heaven of Thy holiness, O
Source of my being, and by the breezes of Thine eternity gladden me, O
Thou Who art my God! Let Thine everlasting melodies breathe
tranquillity on me, O my Companion, and let the riches of Thine
ancient countenance deliver me from all except Thee, O my Master, and
let the tidings of the revelation of Thine incorruptible Essence bring
me joy, O Thou Who art the most manifest of the manifest and the most
hidden of the hidden!"
(Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 248)
Of course the HIdden Words is re-stating much that has already been
said in previous Dispensations, sometimes in almost the same words
too.
All best wishes,
Suzanne
Suzanne
Yes, I was remarking on those two passages. I also suspect
Bahá'u'llah's prayer is deliberately quoting the Psalm. It is also one
of my favourites. Which Hidden Words mimic Biblical/Quranic passages?
That is what I was hoping srb subscribers would indicate. Do you mind
posting this exchange over there? I am blessed with having my posts
truncated in that forum, in that forum & only im that forum! Kindest
regards, Sizwe
Suzanne
<<Which Hidden Words mimic Biblical/Quranic passages? That is what I
was hoping srb subscribers would indicate.>>
Hi Sizwe,
An interesting question but a tough one for anyone who isn't a scholar
of both the Bible, the Qur'an and the Hidden Words. There are
parallels, but often they aren't exact.
In Genesis God talks about man being created in His image:
1:26 "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our
likeness".
The Hidden Words also speak of this theme:
3. O SON OF MAN!
"Veiled in My immemorial being and in the ancient eternity of My
essence, I knew My love for thee; therefore I created thee, have
engraved on thee Mine image and revealed to thee My beauty."
*****
There is also a theme about light in the Bible. Christ says in
Matthew:
5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill
cannot be hid.
5:15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on
a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good
works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Baha'u'llah too speaks much about light. He says:
11. O SON OF BEING! Thou art My lamp and My light is in thee. Get
thou from it thy radiance and seek none other than Me. For I have
created thee rich and have bountifully shed My favor upon thee.
(Baha'u'llah: Arabic Hidden Words, Page: 11)
*****
And then there's the passage in the Sermon on the Mount about judging
others while one is oneself imperfect:
Matthew 7:3 "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's
eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 7:4 Or how
wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine
eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 7:5 Thou hypocrite,
first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see
clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."
In the Hidden Words it says:
26. O SON OF BEING!
How couldst thou forget thine own faults and busy thyself with the
faults of others? Whoso doeth this is accursed of Me.
*****
Christ said, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a
needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."
Matthew 19:24
It sounded like there was no hope for the rich. Baha'u'llah too
speaks of this theme in several places, but, again, with more nuance
and flexibility:
53. O YE THAT PRIDE YOURSELVES ON MORTAL RICHES!
Know ye in truth that wealth is a mighty barrier between the seeker
and his desire, the lover and his beloved. The rich, but for a few,
shall in no wise attain the court of His presence nor enter the city
of content and resignation. Well is it then with him, who, being rich,
is not hindered by his riches from the eternal kingdom, nor deprived
by them of imperishable dominion. By the Most Great Name! The splendor
of such a wealthy man shall illuminate the dwellers of heaven even as
the sun enlightens the people of the earth!
And He speaks in several places about how the rich should be with the
poor:
49. O CHILDREN OF DUST!
Tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the poor, lest heedlessness
lead them into the path of destruction, and deprive them of the Tree
of Wealth. To give and to be generous are attributes of Mine; well is
it with him that adorneth himself with My virtues.
54. O YE RICH ONES ON EARTH!
The poor in your midst are My trust; guard ye My trust, and be not
intent only on your own ease.
And He warns people of the test of wealth:
55. O SON OF BEING!
Busy not thyself with this world, for with fire We test the gold, and
with gold We test Our servants.
I think that's enough for now. Do you have some thoughts yourself
about themes that are in the Bible or Qura'n and in the Hidden Words?
Best wishes,
Suzanne
Suzanne
Suzanne
I was looking through just the first couple of verses of Psalms this
morning for passages which fit with the Hidden Words. Now I
understand what Baha'u'llah was saying in the beginning of the Hidden
Words:
"This is that which hath descended from the realm of glory, uttered by
the tongue of power and might, and revealed unto the Prophets of old.
We have taken the inner essence thereof and clothed it in the garment
of brevity..."
(Baha'u'llah: Arabic Hidden Words, Page: 1)
In other words, the meaning in these verses has been revealed before
by prophets and Manifestations of God in the past, but it wasn't
necessarily in a brief, succinct form as it is now. I can see that as
I reflect on it. The meanings are there, but they are scattered
throughout the passages with a little phrase here and a word or two
there, and, of course, the passages may be translated quite
differently. You really need to piece them together to get what
Baha'u'llah says in the Hidden Words so succinctly.
In Psalms it talks about the ways of the righteous and the ways of the
"ungodly" and how we need to free ourselves from their ways. But it is
scattered about and you can't really pin down one statement which says
exactly the same as Baha'u'llah. At least not in my readings so far.
Also Baha'u'llah has added images which deepen one's understanding of
what's intended. Below are two passages from the Hidden Words which I
believe relate to this passage from Psalms:
(Pslams 2:3) "Let us break their chains," they say,
"and throw off their fetters."
In the Hidden Words it says:
"Burst thy cage asunder, and even as the phoenix of love soar into the
firmament of holiness. Renounce thyself and, filled with the spirit of
mercy, abide in the realm of celestial sanctity...
"Free thyself from the fetters of this world, and loose thy soul from
the prison of self. Seize thy chance, for it will come to thee no
more."
(Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words, 38 and 40)
I think I'll leave it there for now. As I said before, Sizwe, this is
a big subject and would require a lot of thought and research to
answer well. It would also be good to consult with others who are
meditating on these themes to see what we can come up with together.
I think that focusing on the Bible is enough for now, and even just
looking at Psalms and the Sermon on the Mount would be more than
enough.
Best wishes,
Suzanne
Gilberto Simpson
from Bahaullah that it is actually thought to be a copy of a book
which Muhammad (Saaws) gave to Fatima (ra) his daughter. Is that
correct?
In any case, some similarities between the Hidden Words and other
texts (outside the Quran) are:
31: O SON OF BEING! Bring thyself to account each day ere thou art
summoned to a reckoning; for death, unheralded, shall come upon thee
and thou shalt be called to give account for thy deeds.
which is similar to a quote attributed to Umar (ra):
“Bring yourself to account before you are brought to account. And
weigh your deeds before your deeds are weighed.
and then:
43. O SON OF BEING!
Make mention of Me on My earth, that in My heaven I may remember
thee, thus shall Mine eyes and thine be solaced
and the hadith qudsi:
On the authority of Abu Harayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who
said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Allah the Almighty
said:
I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with him when he makes mention of
Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to
Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention
of him in an assembley better than it. And if he draws near to Me an
arm's length, I draw near to him a fathom's length. And if he comes to
Me walking, I go to him at speed.
Suzanne
Thanks, Suzanne. One would expect certain admonishments to recur in
most, if not all scripture. A favourite Bahá'í example is the 'golden
rule'. The contents of the Hidden Words, expressed in various ways,
could be expected in other scripture. I had in mind passages that are
as close in their wording as that prayer & Psalm are. It's interesting
to recall that Bahá'u'llah said He could read whatever text He wanted
to: it appeared to His eyes. No miracle, of course. Regards. Sizwe. P/
S: Please post. SC.
Suzanne
Suzanne
wrote:
> I read somewhere that even though the Bahais get "the Hidden Words"
> from Bahaullah that it is actually thought to be a copy of a book
> which Muhammad (Saaws) gave to Fatima (ra) his daughter. Is that
> correct?
Hi Gilberto,
Yes and no. It was given to Fatima but not by Muhammad. The angel
Gabriel sent these Words to console her when she was heart-broken at
the martyrdom of her son. Here's what Shoghi Effendi said about it:
"... The title 'Hidden Words' was given by Bahá'u'lláh because there
is a tradition in Islam, that Fatimih, Muhammad's daughter, grieved
greatly over the Martyrdom of her son, and God sent Gabriel to speak
encouraging words to her. These words were 'hidden', only she having
heard them, and in these latter days the Promised One has revealed
them, thus fulfilling a tradition."
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual
believer, December 20, 1949;Lights of Guidance, p. 488)
Thanks, Gilberto, for sharing the similar passages from the Hidden
Words and Hadith. I imagine that there are a lot of other passages
which are in the Qur'an and Hadith in slightly different forms. If
you can think of any more, I would be interested.
I hope you're happy and well. It's been a long time.
All best wishes,
Suzanne