W3bcrowf3r
Active Member
I was reading the Kitab al-Aqdas. And i wonder where i can find a translation of the Bab.
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Any readers of the Bab/Bahais here?
- Thread starter W3bcrowf3r
- Start date
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- al-aqdas bab bahai kitab kitab l aqdas
What language? English, Persian, or Arabic?
Baha'i Reference Library
Check out the left hand column and you have the writings of the Bab, Baha'u'llah. Abdu'l-Baha, Shoghi Effendi or the Universal House of Justice.
Go down and you have the languages.
Easy
Alternatively here's our newer version with the languages on the right hand side. Depends on what format you like...
Bahá’í Reference Library | The Bahá’í Faith
W3bcrowf3r
Active Member
There are a lot of writings there. Do you know if the Bab left a Holy Book for us?
Or is it just those writings?
All the writings of the Bab are considered Revelation from God. His most important work was considered to be the Persian Bayán.
Persian Bayán - Wikipedia
Excepts are included:
Selections from the Writings of the Báb | Bahá’í Reference Library
The next starting place would be a commentary of the Surah of Joseph revealed to Mulla Husayn.
Selections from the Writings of the Báb - Wikipedia'
Selections from the Writings of the Báb | Bahá’í Reference Library
Keep in mind the Babs central purpose was to prepare His followers for Him whom God shall make manifest or Bahá’u’lláh. This was similar to the role of John the Baptist in preparing the hearts for Christ.
W3bcrowf3r
Active Member
I am not into what people claim in name of certain Prophets or God. So i always skip that. I want to read on my own. I am that Scripture alone type. And i am always cautious about how people can claim to write something in name of a Prophet.
Anyways, i can't find a translation of the Bayan. Is there an English translation available?
I have already read a Dutch translation of the Kitab al-Aqdas. It's just 190 +/- verses long? Hmm, i think i have to reread it a couple of times before i get an idea of what it is. Most of the time my first readings are a critical scan.
The whole book is yet to be translated into English. Excepts only are available with link provided. For those that can read Persian, I understand the whole book is available.
The Kitab-I-Aqdas is not long. It does require reflection and reference to the supplementary texts.
With your knowledge of both Islam and Christianity, Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation will be much easier to understand. It’s important to understand Bahá’u’lláh appointed a successor, Abdul-Bahá who was authorised to interpret and explain His Father’s writings.
W3bcrowf3r
Active Member
Weird there is no translation of the Bayan in 2018..
The priority has been translating the writings of Baha'u'llah, Abdu'l-Baha, Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice. The writings of Baha'u'llah alone are said to take up 100 volumes. The Baha'i writings have been translated into over 800 languages. As we are a relatively new religion (174 years old) and have only 5 - 10 million adherents are resources are limited. We need to ensure quality translations rather than quantity. The Kitab-i-Aqdas wasn't fully translated into English until 1992! Some scholars both inside and outside the Faith have complained about the slow progress so what you say is nothing new.
W3bcrowf3r
Active Member
The priority has been translating the writings of Baha'u'llah, Abdu'l-Baha, Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice. The writings of Baha'u'llah alone are said to take up 100 volumes. The Baha'i writings have been translated into over 800 languages. As we are a relatively new religion (174 years old) and have only 5 - 10 million adherents are resources are limited. We need to ensure quality translations rather than quantity. The Kitab-i-Aqdas wasn't fully translated into English until 1992! Some scholars both inside and outside the Faith have complained about the slow progress so what you say is nothing new.
I have found a guy who made a translation of 100 pages of the Bayan. But its not complete.
There are people on the internet whose translations are not authorised. Some are poor quality. Others are done with the intent of misrepresenting and discrediting the Baha'is. Would you rely on a Christian apologist to translate the Quran or a Muslim?
W3bcrowf3r
Active Member
Well i don't trust translations at all anymore. I rather study the language. I am studying Arabic now, and i know how to read and write it. Focussing on grammar and words now. I am planning on learning Greek as well, and at a later stadium in my life God willingly Hebrew as well. I dont want to rely on translations, 99% they are made by sectarians.
So i don't prefer anyone or anything. I force myself to want the Truth what ever it takes. And everytime before i read Scripture, i ask God to protect me, increase my knowledge and grant me Hes understanding, and not mine.
It certainly is best to be able to read scripture in the language it was written. Not everyone has the knowledge and skills for such translation work. Its true that anyone translating could have a potential agenda for or against the religion.
Another consideration is relaible transmission. For example, what extent the Quran reflects what Muhammad taught or the gospels reflect Christ's Teaching. While the Quran is more reliable, so too are the gospels though not as much as the Quran. When it comes to texts in Buddhism the Pali cannon that's available wasn't written down for at least 400 years after the Buddha passed away. So with the transmission through oral traditions and such a volume of writings available, we can't be certain as to what the Buddha actually taught. I suspect that such problems are compounded when it comes to sacred writings in Hinduism.
Fortunately with the Baha'i writings, being such a young religion, we can certainly rely on the authenticity of the writings we have. Whether or not they are from God or from man is the critical question for anyone who sincerely seeks the truth.
W3bcrowf3r
Active Member
Well i still have to reread the Aqdas a couple of times to be able to compare it with the Quran, Gospel, Psalms and the Tora. I think time will tell, may God make me a reader of the Aqdas as well, if it's truelly from Him.
I believe in the New Testament as much as i believe in the Quran and the Tora. The Quran in 5:47 tells us to judge with the Gospel. The Quran in 5:68 tells us to uphold the Tora and the Gospel. But the sectarians want us to ditch those Holy Scriptures, and use the excuse that it's 'changed', while they don't know Greek or Hebrew at all.
The Quran confirmed both the Gospel and Tora 1400 years ago. The Tora survived thousands of years, the Gospel confirmed the Tora and the Quran confirmed the Gospel. So i think there are good enough copies to use for Scripture guidance.
I think the Tora is being protected as good as the Quran. For the Gospel you need to go to the Greek Church (but i reject their teachings about the Trinity in the Church though). Don't be misguided by these individuals such as Erasmus, Westcott and Hort and the Nestle Aland who made their own Greek New Testaments, they are western individuals who change the Text in the guise of 'textual criticism'. I believe the Greek Church upholds the most original copies of the Greek Gospel that we have.
Brother, after all.. faith is very easy. Love God, love your neighbor. That's what the Tora and the Prophets teach. I love how Christ in the Gospel made it so easy.
I have read a translation of the Buddha, but they say that it isn't a revelation from God? He speaks about after life etc. which makes me wonder though..
And i also read a translation of the Book of Tao. Chinese religion. It was down to earth as well. And i read it just once. So i don't know if its Inspired or just a good book.
W3bcrowf3r
Active Member
Do you know how much chapters the original Bayan has?
I have a translation with 19 Babs.
It is a common belief amongst Muslims to believe the Gospels the Christians have to be false. Baha'is do not believe this at all. Baha'u'llah in fact addressed this very point in His major work the Kitab-i-Iqan which addresses the theme of religious unity.
We have also heard a number of the foolish of the earth assert that the genuine text of the heavenly Gospel doth not exist amongst the Christians, that it hath ascended unto heaven. How grievously they have erred! How oblivious of the fact that such a statement imputeth the gravest injustice and tyranny to a gracious and loving Providence! How could God, when once the Day-star of the beauty of Jesus had disappeared from the sight of His people, and ascended unto the fourth heaven, cause His holy Book, His most great testimony amongst His creatures, to disappear also? What would be left to that people to cling to from the setting of the day-star of Jesus until the rise of the sun of the Muḥammadan Dispensation? What law could be their stay and guide? How could such people be made the victims of the avenging wrath of God, the omnipotent Avenger? How could they be afflicted with the scourge of chastisement by the heavenly King? Above all, how could the flow of the grace of the All-Bountiful be stayed? How could the ocean of His tender mercies be stilled? We take refuge with God, from that which His creatures have fancied about Him! Exalted is He above their comprehension!
Bahá'í Reference Library - The Kitáb-i-Íqán, Pages 81-93
It is regarded as the second most important of Baha'u'llah's works second only to the Kitab-i-Aqdas. I believe you would find it enlightening.
The Kitáb-i-Íqán | Bahá’í Reference Library
W3bcrowf3r
Active Member
An English translation of the Quran - 5:47 And let the people of the Gospel judge with what God has sent down in it. And whoever does not judge with what God has sent down, then these are the wicked.
5:68 Say: "O people of the Book, you are not upon anything until you uphold the Torah and the Gospel and what was sent down to you from your Lord." And for many of them, what was sent down to you from your Lord will only increase them in transgression and rejection. So do not feel sorry for the rejecting people.
Idc what the sectarians say in name of Islam. The Quran actually confirmed the Previous Scriptures. And tells us to Judge with the Gospel and to uphold the Gospel and the Tora.
Would be weird if God was asking to uphold something which cant be uphold..
Baha'i believe Buddha was a Manifestation of Good too. He was born in India about 2,500 years ago so a major theme of His Teachings was to live a more practical life and avoid excessive and unnecessary metaphysical speculation. This is best represented in the parable of the poisoned arrow.
http://ahimsaacres.org/Articles/Buddhism_02/ParableoftheArrow-Buddha.pdf
The Quran seems very clear about the Gospel and Torah as being from God but many Muslims see these books as being corrupted and obsolete. They argue that they have no need for such books as they have the Quran.
Baha'u'llah explores in the Kitab-i-Iqan how peoples of the book have been inclined to misunderstand and misinterpret the sacred writings of their own faith.
W3bcrowf3r
Active Member
An English translation of the Quran - 5:47 And let the people of the Gospel judge with what God has sent down in it. And whoever does not judge with what God has sent down, then these are the wicked.
5:68 Say: "O people of the Book, you are not upon anything until you uphold the Torah and the Gospel and what was sent down to you from your Lord." And for many of them, what was sent down to you from your Lord will only increase them in transgression and rejection. So do not feel sorry for the rejecting people.
But the sectarians are misguided.