Healing prophecy?
Matt Menge
Tablet of Ahmad" he asserts that the most important Tablets in the
Baha'i Dispensation, those endowed with special potency, pertain to the
Covenant. This would inlcude, of course, the Long Healing Prayer.
I have often wondered if there are not some prophetic elements in the
Long Healing Prayer. It is true that the next Manifestation of God is
not to appear for 900 years or more, and that we haven't even been
given so much as a clear name for Him. Yet, I feel that this is such
an important event that it is really never too early to prepare for His
coming, at least at a low level.
The prayer begins: "I call on Thee O Exalted One, O Faithful One, O
Glorious One!" The term "Glorious One" could of course be understood
as a name for Baha'u'llah. And in fact the term "Exalted One" is
sometimes understood as a name for the Bab. But then Who is the
"Faithful One"? Of course I can't say for sure, but I am suggesting
that this is the Promised One of the Baha'i Dispensation.
What is also interesting is the names given to these Triplets
throughout the Tablet. The first of the three, Who is presumable the
Bab is called variously the Sovereign, the Peerless One, the Most
Praised One, and so forth. Baha'u'llah (the third of three) is called
the Judge, the Known to all, the Uprooter, and so forth. But the
second of three (Who is presumably the Promised One) is called the
Ever-Abding and the Physician. The term "Abiding" is used throughout
the Tablet and the term "Physician" seems rather significant as the
whole Tablet or prayer is about healing. That is to say, it is really
a prayer to the Promised One for Healing.
sma...@jam.rr.com
I answered this on Baha'i-apologetics but perhaps I should mention it
here as well. I don't think your thesis works. You are conflating the
Covenant with prophecy and I don't think that is valid. There
is a reference to the Covenant of Alast in the last part of the Long
Healing Prayer wherein it says that God responded 'Yea' on behalf of
all creation. But that is not talking about the future. Nor do I think
you should equate the numerous names of God given in this prayer with
Manifestations.
As far as the notion that "Abiding One" might be a reference to future
Manifestation, if it refers to anything save God it would be a
reference to Baha'u'llah. he term for abiding is Baqaa. There is a
verse in the Qur'an, "all things perish (fanaa) and yet abides the Face
of God." All Islamic mysticism is based on this verse. The Sufi mystic
attempts to annhilate the self and achieve fana in order to abide baqaa
with God. Fanaa is the last Valley in the Seven Valleys but in the Gems
of Divine Mysteries Baha'u'llah speaks of the City of Baqaa (which gets
translated as Immortality.) He associates that City with He Whom God
would Make Manifest, i.e. His own dispensation. This was written before
His declaration.
Here are the passages I'm thinking of:
"From this most august and exalted station, [City of Absolute
Nothingness
*fanaa*] and from this most sublime and glorious plane, the seeker
entereth
the City of Immortality, [baqaa] therein to abide forever. In this
station
he beholdeth himself established upon the throne of independence and
the
seat of exaltation. Then will he comprehend the meaning of that which
hath
been revealed of old concerning the day "whereon God shall enrich all
through His abundance"."
<snip?
All that existeth in this city shall indeed endure and will never
perish.
Shouldst thou, by the leave of God, enter this sublime and exalted
garden,
thou wouldst find its sun in its noontide glory, never to set, never to
be
eclipsed. The same holdeth true of its moon, its firmament, its stars,
trees, and oceans, and of all that pertaineth thereunto or existeth
therein.
By Him besides Whom there is none other God! Were I to recount, from
this
day unto the end that hath no end, its wondrous attributes, the love
that My
heart cherisheth for this hallowed and everlasting city would never be
exhausted. I shall, however, bring My theme to a close, since time is
short
and the inquirer impatient, and since these secrets are not to be
openly
divulged save by the leave of God, the Almighty, the All-Compelling.
Erelong shall the faithful behold, in the day of the latter
Resurrection,
Him Whom God shall make manifest descending with this city from the
heaven
of the Unseen, together with a company of His exalted and favoured
angels.
warmest, Susan
Matt Menge
sma...@jam.rr.com wrote:
> Dear Matt,
>
> I answered this on Baha'i-apologetics but perhaps I should mention it
> here as well. I don't think your thesis works. You are conflating the
> Covenant with prophecy and I don't think that is valid. There
> is a reference to the Covenant of Alast in the last part of the Long
> Healing Prayer wherein it says that God responded 'Yea' on behalf of
> all creation. But that is not talking about the future. Nor do I think
> you should equate the numerous names of God given in this prayer with
> Manifestations.
Dear Dr. Maneck,
I really don't understand how the Covenant can not be understood
without reference to the future. I will admit I am not too familiar
with the Covenant of Alast, but all references to the Covenant or even
covenants in general (in the abstract) I have seen invariably have some
reference to the future.
As to the equating the numerous names of God given in the prayer with
names of Manifestations, yes of course this is a bit hard to swallow,
but this was the very idea I was trying to put forth. As was not on
the Apoplogetics list, the name given for Glorious One is Bahi, and the
name given for Exalted One is Ali, which can be taken as derivatives of
names for Baha'u'llah and the Bab respectively.
>
> As far as the notion that "Abiding One" might be a reference to future
> Manifestation, if it refers to anything save God it would be a
> reference to Baha'u'llah. he term for abiding is Baqaa. There is a
> verse in the Qur'an, "all things perish (fanaa) and yet abides the Face
> of God." All Islamic mysticism is based on this verse. The Sufi mystic
> attempts to annhilate the self and achieve fana in order to abide baqaa
> with God. Fanaa is the last Valley in the Seven Valleys but in the Gems
> of Divine Mysteries Baha'u'llah speaks of the City of Baqaa (which gets
> translated as Immortality.) He associates that City with He Whom God
> would Make Manifest, i.e. His own dispensation. This was written before
> His declaration.
I never disputed this. I disputed only that it referred _exclusively_
to Baha'u'llah. I was asserting that this is the City associated with
all Manifestations of God, which, ab initio, is more probable. I used
the Buddha as an example.
Speaking of the City of Immortality Baha'u'llah writes:
"From this most exalted station, and from this most sublime and
glorious plane, the seeker entereth the City of Immortality, therein
to abide forever." (Gems of Divine Mysteries, par. 105)
This is the same way that the Buddha describes Nirvana. Once the
individual attains Nirvana in this world he is free from rebirth, and
upon death he will attain final release.
Baha'is will often cite this passage from the Buddhist Theravada Canon:
"There is, monks, an Unborn, Unbecome, Unmade, Uncompounded (ajatam
abhutam akatam asankhatam). If there was not this Unborn, Unbecome,
Unmade, Uncompounded, then there would be no deliverance here visible
from that which is born, become, made, compounded." (Udana 8.3)
To the extent that Buddhists think of God, this is how they think of
Him. Is it surprising then that they see union with such a God in a
negative sense, as a successive removal of fetters?
Best Regards,
Matt
sma...@jam.rr.com
I will admit I am not too familiar
> with the Covenant of Alast, but all references to the Covenant or even
> covenants in general (in the abstract) I have seen invariably have some
> reference to the future.
Dear Matt,
In the sense that there is a promise of One who is come and an
obligation placed on us to recognize Him, yes. But the Covenant of
Alast is the primordial Covenant, what we Baha'is call the Most Great
Covenant. In the Qur'an this Covenant is made before and outside of
time. In the precreation God pronounces the word, "Am I not your Lord."
And all of what will be creation answers, "Yea, verily Thou art." What
the Long Healing Prayer says is that God answered on our behalf.
warmest, Susan
cbre...@northlink.com
misguide future generations? Look at the situation we have at present
in the world with billions of people expecting the Promised One, yet
veiled from recognizing Him because they have place confidence in the
speculations of dead theologians!
The best way, in my view to prepare the world for the next
Manifestation of God is to emphasis that He will be recognized by His
Self and His Word.
With regards to names, any of the names in the Long Healing Prayer
could refer to any one of God's Manifestations past, present or future.
"These Manifestations of God have each a twofold station. One is
the station of pure abstraction and essential unity. In this respect,
if thou callest them all by one name, and dost ascribe to them the same
attributes, thou hast not erred from the truth. Even as He hath
revealed: 'No distinction do We make between any of His Messengers.'
For they, one and all, summon the people of the earth to acknowledge
the unity of God, and herald unto them the Kawthar of an infinite grace
and bounty. They are all invested with the robe of prophethood, and are
honored with the mantle of glory."
Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 50-51
Carl Brehmer
Matt Menge
Thank you for your replies. I have probably been a little more
argumentative than I should. Naturally I am attached to my ideas:)
However, I will give all you have said thought.
Best Regards,
Matt
Matt Menge
misguide future generations? Look at the situation we have at present
in the world with billions of people expecting the Promised One, yet
veiled from recognizing Him because they have place confidence in the
speculations of dead theologians!
I am sorry Carl, I don't buy that arguement. The logical conclusion
is that we shouldn't think or live at all for fear of making mistakes!
> The best way, in my view to prepare the world for the next
Manifestation of God is to emphasis that He will be recognized by His
Self and His Word.
Baha'u'llah said that the whole purpose of our existence is to prepare
for the next Manifestation of God.
Actually, the Bab even proposed that a specific deputy be created with
the job of searching for the new Manifestation. Granted it is a little
premature for Baha'is to do this, but eventually it may be a good idea.
Baha'u'llah stated in the Kitab-i-Iqan, that from a proper study of the
Qur'an, even the cities the Bab visited could be determined.
Best Regards,
Matt