Nine modes of revelation
Suzanne Gerstner
Martin Clark
news:l9udnZ0eyvN4W9TR...@giganews.com:
Hi Suzanne,
I guess the nine modes would include the particular language, eg
Persian or Arabic, also the style, eg direct or allusive?
I think Baha'u'llah says somewhere (can't find it) that the Word can
be expressed as numbers. Maybe that was also a prophecy - since it can
be expressed in a character set, and ultimately a sequence of zeros
and ones ?
Regards
Martin Clark
Suzanne
> Suzanne Gerstner <suzanne.gerst...@gmail.com> wrote innews:l9udnZ0eyvN4W9
TRnZ2dnUV...@giganews.com:
Thanks for your thoughts, Martin. I do remember reading about the
different modes of revelation somewhere. It may have been in a book
by Mr Taherzadeh. It wasn't authoratative, but was something that one
very deepened believer had worked out. Unfortunately, I can't find it
now. I do think that direct and allusive are two modes, although they
can probably both be subdivided into different categories.
My memory, which are doubtless colored by my own thoughts, are that
one mode is Baha'u'llah speaking as the Mouthpiece of God; so it is as
God speaking directly to humanity as in the Hidden Words. Another
would be the human side of Baha'u'llah speaking, as in the Fire
Tablet. Sometimes He would reveal Tablets as though He were His
amanuensis, Mirza Aqa Jan. Also some writings were laws, others
admonitions, some prayers, prophecies, explanations, etc. Sometimes
His Revelation can be warm and loving and sometimes it can be strong
warnings; perhaps that has to do with modes too.
Usually when I have a question about something in the Writings I do a
search and I find something that helps me to understand, but this time
I just can't find anything.
Thanks for thinking with me on this.
All best wishes,
Suzanne
Suzanne
wrote:
> Baha'u'llah says in The Summons of the Lord of Hosts that He has used nin
e different modes of revelation:
>
> 51
> Say: We have revealed Our verses in nine different modes. Each one of the
m bespeaketh the sovereignty of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting
dlessness. Should it be Our wish, We would reveal them in countless other m
odes.
>
> Does anyone know what the nine modes of revelation are?
>
> Suzanne
I found the passage I was looking for in the first volume of the
Revelation of Baha'u'llah thanks to the help of a Baha'i who wrote me
directly. The passage says:
"In the Suriy-i-Haykal (Surih of the Temple) revealed in 'Akká,
Bahá'u'lláh states that in this Dispensation the verses of God have
been revealed in nine different styles or categories. A well-known
Bahá'í scholar, Jinab-i-Fadil-i-Mazindarani, after careful study of
the Writings, has enumerated these styles as follows:(14) 43
1. Tablets with the tone of command and authority.
2. Those with the tone of servitude, meekness and supplication.
3. Writings dealing with interpretation of the old Scriptures,
religious beliefs and doctrines of the past.
4. Writings in which laws and ordinances have been enjoined
for this age and laws of the past abrogated.
5. Mystical Writings.
6. Tablets concerning matters of government and world
order, and those addressed to the kings.
7. Tablets dealing with subjects of learning and knowledge,
divine philosophy, mysteries of creation, medicine, alchemy,
etc.
8. Tablets exhorting men to education, goodly character and
divine virtues.
9. Tablets dealing with social teachings.
(Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah v 1, p. 42)
The above list isn't at all authoratative, but is one Baha'is views.
Prayers don't seem to be listed as a separate category, as such,
although that may be what was meant by number 2: those with a tone of
servitude, meekness and supplication.
All best wishes,
Suzanne
cesar
This is an interesting subject.
In "Gate of the Heart"by Nader Saiedi page 40 under the title "a
Typology of the modes of Revelation" it is mentioned:
"The Islamic Revelation , as the Báb explains, was characterized by
four modes of revelation: divine verses, prayesrs and supplicationes,
commentaries and sermons and rational, educational, and philosophical
discourse, while the Báb's revelation consisted of five modes, four of
which parallel the four Islamic modes. In linguistic terms, the modes
of revelation can be understood, in part, as different registers, as
they are defined by the relationship, relative station, an attitude of
the speaker with respect to the addressee. The mode of divine verses
is the direct revelation of God, uttered in the voice of God as the
speaker addressing His creation (an affirmation of "I am God"). This
mode employs the language of divinity, ascendancy, and lordship. In
this mode God declares, for example "Verily, I am God and there is no
other God but Me, the Lord of all things"...
....
The mode of prayers and supplications is the reverse of the mode of
divine verses. Here the language of revelation is uttered in the voice
of the Prophet, but now speaking in the station of creation,
addressing the Creator with an attitude of servitude and effacement
(an affirmation of "Thou are God")...
....
The mode of commentaries and sermons primarily expresses affirmation
of the words of God, Commentaries and sermons are uttered in the voice
of the Revelator speaking to human beings about God and His words (an
affirmation of "He is God"). The commentaries are interpretative words
that aim to explain, in expository form, the true meanings of the
divine verses...
....
The fourth mode of revelation -rational, educational, and
philosophical discourse is again spoken in the voice of the Revelator
addressing human beings, but this time using rational arguments to
demonstrate the truth of the Word of God and explain the message
expressed in the prayers (an affirmation of "He is God Who is")...
Very interesting, is it not? and important to understand better the
Word of God.
César
compx2
It is nice to see a new contributor, with new information and new
sources. I have not read or heard of "Gate of the Heart" by Nader
Saiedi before now.
I am interested to know if it is a common assertion among Muslims that
there are four modes of Revelation, as enumerated by the Bab. Do
Muslims generally agree with the four: "prayesrs and supplicationes,
commentaries and sermons and rational, educational, and philosophical
discourse"?
Or is this a Baha'i assertion, that Muslims have *only* four, but we
have five or nine?
Thanks for adding so much to this discussion. --Kent
> César- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
Suzanne
Hi Cesar,
Yes, very intereseting. What I see in the above is that the four
different modes employed in the Qur'an (and by the Bab and Baha'u'llah
along with other modes) is: God to man; man to God (supplications);
the Manifestation to His followers in commenting and interpreting
other things; and the Manifestation of God educating the souls of men.
Thanks for your contribution in this consultation.
All best wishes,
Suzanne
Suzanne
> I am interested to know if it is a common assertion among Muslims that
> there are four modes of Revelation, as enumerated by the Bab. Do
> Muslims generally agree with the four: "prayesrs and supplicationes,
> commentaries and sermons and rational, educational, and philosophical
> discourse"?
If you are really interested in what Muslims commonly believe the best
way to find out is to ask them. The fact that a Baha'i quotes a
Baha'i source on a Baha'i newsgroup doesn't mean they are experts on
commonly held views in Islam or that they need to be.
>
> Or is this a Baha'i assertion, that Muslims have *only* four, but we
> have five or nine?
So far everyone has been quoting from other sources. Baha'u'llah said
quite plainly that He revealed in nine modes. He didn't say how many
others did. We have been trying to work out what the nine modes
are. Any thoughts yourself on this issue?
All best wishes,
Suzanne
Janine Van Rooij
Hi Cesar,
Thanks for quoting from that book Gate of the Heart. Does it say what
was the 5th mode that the Bab added?
Kind regards,
Janine van Rooij