Papers delivered at the ‘Irfán Colloquium Session #125 (English)

Centre for Bahá'í Studies: Acuto, Italy

by Armin Eschraghi

by Iraj Ayman

"Let deeds, not words, be your adorning." Having knowledge of the Bahá'í way of life while necessary for conducting life as recommended in the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, does not, by itself, guarantee actualization of such knowledge in the daily life of individual believers. Bahá'í ethics, as revealed by Bahá'u'lláh, includes recommended standards and guidelines for Bahá'í way of moral behavior. He also calls on the individual to bring himself to account each and every day before being called upon to give account for his/her deeds. This procedure requires quantifying quality of deeds on daily basis. Mastering moral conduct, as recommended in the Writings, is a process and not an event. It is the process of gradually habituating to desired behavior. Therefore, we need a method for daily measurement of the progress of our deeds towards the ideal behavior. In this presentation a research proposal will be discussed for achieving such a goal.

by Hooman Momen

by Moojan Momen

by Akerdahl Peo-Olloff

by Armin Eschraghi

by Foad Seddigh

This paper takes a closer look at Súriy-i-Sabr (Surih Sabr) - a significant Tablet which is sometimes referred to by other names, and was revealed on the first day of Ridván 1863. In order to better understand the contents of this Tablet, the events in the life of Bahá'u'lláh during the last few weeks prior to his exile to Istanbul (Constantinople) and Adrianople (Edirne) are reviewed. Sabr is an Arabic word meaning patience, and Súriy-i-Sabr (Surih Sabr) derives its name from the attribute of 'patience' which is the starting theme of this Tablet. Ayyúb (Job) is one of the prophets of Israel who exhibited these qualities, having lived a life synonymous with patience. Ayyúb is also a name conferred by Bahá'u'lláh on an individual who showed the attribute of patience in the path of God and was steadfast in allegiance to his Lord, the Báb. This paper examines the significance of the devotion and heroic acts of Siyyid Yahyá Dárábí, Vahíd, and events of Nayríz.

The Tablet covers a range of topics including Seal of the Prophets, Beholding the Countenance of God, Appearance of God in the Shelter of the Clouds, attaining the presence of God, Great Announcement, the Hour, Day of Resurrection, the Trumpet Call, and clarification of other puzzling references in past scriptures, particularly the holy Qur'án. Most of these topics were elaborated upon in greater detail, in books such as the Kitáb-i-Íqán (Book of Certitude), and Gems of Divine Mysteries which were revealed before this Tablet. However, we suggest that topics such as the above which are presented in the Tablet, important as they may seem, may not constitute the primary significance of this Tablet. Rather, we believe that the primary significance of this Tablet lies in clarifying the manner of announcement of Bahá'u'lláh's station, when He left Baghdad, and in references made to His station as the Promised One of the Dispensation of the Báb. This paper discusses 'Concealed Declaration', 'Open Declaration', and 'Public Declaration'. The Tablet also makes reference to the Qayyúmu'l-Asmá. In this paper, we explore the inter-connectedness of the Qayyúmu'l-Asmá and the Tablet. References made in the Tablet regarding 'two names', 'two dawning places', 'two mysteries' and other such references are traced and identified in the Qayyúmu'l-Asmá. In this paper we note the striking resemblance between the Qayyúmu'l-Asmá and the Tablet of Patience and explore/examine the similarities between the two divinely revealed Tablets. The Surih-i-Sabr does not explicitly mention the name of the arch enemy of the 'Eternal Beauteous Countenance of God', the half-brother of Bahá'u'lláh, Yahyá Azal. However, the Tablet includes several references to Yahyá such as the 'Calf' and 'Sámirí'. This paper identifies these references and examines their meanings. The Tablet includes a prophecy and warning regarding the 'birds of darkness' which will start flying in the absence of the light - a reference which is in reality the 'Light of His Countenance'. These passages are identified and their meanings explored. Finally, the Tablet includes references to Satan and idol worshipers. These passages are also identified and their meaning explored.

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by Wendi Momen

    The goal of shared prosperity captures two key elements, economic growth and equity. Without sustained economic growth, poor people are unlikely to increase their living standards. Effective corrective action will require a number of approaches, including: every person having access to an income adequate to meet basic needs and favoring those who produce real value through productive work; recycling wealth from those who have far more than they need at the top to those at the bottom who lack access to the basic essentials; equitable land use and development policies; broad participation in ownership and access to commonwealth.

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by Mehrdad Ehsani

by Vahid Rafati

See also A Review of the Writings of `Abdu'l-Bahá addressed to Hand of the Cause Ibn Abhar.

by Vahid Rafati

See also A Review of the Tablets of Baha'u'llah addressed to Hand of the Cause Ibn Abhar.

by Julio Savi

This is one among eight Persian poems Bahá'u'lláh signed "Dervish." They were most probably written in Kurdistan, where Bahá'u'lláh remained from 10 April 1854 to 19 March 1856. It is a ghazal, meaning a mystical "song" or "elegy of love" about The Beloved, being God or His representative on earth.

See also the author's translation of the quasidih "At Dawn the Friend came to my bed": An early fruit of the Supreme Pen.

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by Baharieh Rouhani Ma'ani

In this paper the treatment of women in religion, the direct and indirect influence of the Babi and Bahá'í Faiths in raising awareness about women's plight and transforming attitudes towards them across the globe, the role of linguistic biases in degrading women's status, the role of wisdom in preparing the ground for gender equality, and finally the need for vigilance to prevent past shortcomings from infiltrating our way of thinking and behaving will be discussed.

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