JESUSBaha'u'llah on 'Abdu'l-Baha:
"Whoso turneth towards Him hath turned towards God, and whoso turneth away from Him hath turned away from My beauty, hath repudiated My Proof, and transgressed against Me. He is the Trust of God amongst you, His charge within you, His manifestation unto you and His appearance among His favored servants… We have sent Him down in the form of a human temple. Blest and sanctified be God Who createth whatsoever He willeth through His inviolable, His infallible decree." (God Passes By, p.135)
In the Book of Acts, chapter one, Luke, a disciple of Paul, writes the following:
THE former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,Some of the Friends will say, "Ah, this never happened! The disciples were not on the top of the Mount of Olives! Jesus did not appear to them. He did not ascend into a cloud! Two men did NOT appear and tell them that Jesus was returning as He left (i.e. in a cloud). This is a non-historical parable, a metaphor of something! I disagree.
2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion [death] by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and incSamaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey. (Acts chapter 1)
Luke was writing of what actually happened. The disciples were gathered on the top of the Mount of Olives, just outside old Jerusalem. Jesus appeared to them in a vision. Mary had a "vision" of a "man" (Gabriel) who told her that she would be the mother of the Messiah. This does not mean that Gabriel had a physical body. In like manner, Jesus appeared to them in a "vision"; in an ethereal body that can only be "seen" in divine visions.
Jesus ascends into a "cloud" and two men say that "this same Jesus" shall come again "in like manner". That means "in a cloud".
Baha'u'llah interpreted "clouds" to mean "veils" like clouds "veil" the Sun. In other words:
*The Imaam Mehdi returned in two "clouds" (i.e. with two new bodies and two new names--The Báb and Quddús--for Quddús was the "return" of the soul of the Imaam Mehdi and The Báb was the "return" of his spirit).
*The Prophet Muhammad returned in a "cloud" (i.e. a new body and name--Mollah Husayn Bushru'i--who was the "return" for of the Soul of that Prophet).
*The Imaam Husayn returned in a "cloud" (i.e. as the soul or "nafs" of Baha'u'llah)
*Jesus (His Nafs) returned in "clouds" (plural): first as Ali ibn Talib, cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad, husband of Fatimah, and, most recently, as Abbas Effendi 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the Master and Examplar of the Faith. Let me explain.
Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa'i, the Seer of Behrain, taught the concept of RA'JA (Arabic: "return"). He taught that in every Dispensation, the Prophets and Chosen Ones ("Moostawfeen") "return" as new people. He taught that the ruh (spirit) and nafs (soul) of the Prophets and Chosen Ones return (ra'ja) in new bodies, born of new mothers. He taught that the "Manifestations of God" are the incarnations of His Namse and Attributes. He taught that the Manifestations of God include the Prophets and the Chosen Ones. The 12 Imaams were not "Prophets" but they were "Chosen Ones".
He taught that Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad, was the "return" of Mary the mother of Jesus, and that Mary was the "return" of Maryam, the sister of Moses. Tahirih claimed to be the "return" of Fatimah!
He taught that Muhammad was the "return" of Ruh (Spirit) of Moses, and the Imaam Ali (the husband of Fatimah) was the "return" of the Nafs (Soul) of Jesus! This is why the Imaam Ali referred to himself as "The WORD". In his Sermon on the Gulf the Imaam Ali said:
"I am the WORD through Which all things are consummated and through which the Universes are brought into being." (Sermon of the Gulf)The Imaam Ali also said:
"I am the Jesus who heals the blind and the leprous, creating birds and dispersing clouds. Christ is the Qa'im bi'l-haqq, and the king of this world and the next. The Qur'an itself confirms this in the verse: Peace be upon me the day I was born, and the day that I die, and the day that I am raised up alive. [19:33] Thus Isa ibn Maryam is of me and I am of him, and he is the Most Great Word of God (kalimat allah al-kubra) and he is the witness and I am the one testified to." (Kitab al-Kashf)When ALLÁH said "KÚN!" (English: "BE!") and created the Cosmos, the creative WORD "KÚN!" (BE!) took on its own Being, and became the Creator and Mediator between ALLÁH and His creation.
The Names and Attributes exist in the World of God. The WORD exists the World of Command. The creation exists in the World of Creation.
This is why Jesus is called the "MONOGENES" (Greek: "Unique/One-of-a-king") Son of God, because He was a Prophet (Name/Attribute/Spirit) and the WORD (Soul) in one body. The other Prophets had a Name/Attribute instead of a human spirit, but their Souls were NOT the WORD! This is why "Jesus Christ" is unique among the Manifestations of God.
The WORD created the world, and the world had rebelled against the Creator, so the Creator had to "atone" for the sins of the world.
Jesus Christ was NOT merely "one among 9" but held a unique station among the Prophets.
The Holy Writings of the Faith cannot be properly and fully understood without knowing and understanding the works and theology and terminology of the Shaykhis.
In Some Answered Questions 'Abdu'l-Baha denied the existence of reincarnation for human souls. He said that human souls cannot return to this material planet anymore than we can return to the wombs of our own mothers.
But, 'Abdu'l-Baha never denied that incarnation on other material planets was possible for human souls; one incarnation per planet. This is called consecutive incarnation. Consecutive incarnation is taught in The Urantia Book; a revelation of a Seer named Wilfred Kellogg in the 1920s.
Also, the Manifestations of God do not have "human" souls. Their souls are either Powerful Souls or Divine Souls.
Malak means "Angel".
Jabar means "Power".
Lah means "Divinity". (Al-Lah means "THE Divinity").
Malakoot is the "Realm of Angels".
Jabaroot is the "Realm of Powers".
Lahoot is the "Realm of Divinities".
The "Divinities" (plural) are the "Perfections" of ALLAH; His Names and Attributes.
ALLÁH is the TOTALITY of Divinities. That is Why He says "WE" and "OUR" and "US" throughout the Qur'an. This is the meaning of "Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness." A colony of bees are not hundreds of bodies with individiual minds, but ONE MIND with many different bodies all working according to the ONE MIND that all share. The ONE MIND of the Manifestations of God is ALLÁH ("THE" Divinity).
The Holy Qu'ran lists 99 Names/Attributes of ALLÁH. The Names are also Attributes. The Prophets are the "incarnations" of the Names/Attributes. The Essence of God does not incarnate, but His Names/Attributes do. The Names/Attributes of ALLÁH; which are also called His "Perfections" or "Qualities" of "Quiddities". Whenever the Holy Texts say "perfections" or "qualities" these Verses refer to the Ruh (Spirit) of a Manifestation of God. But not the Nafs (Soul) of a Manifestation.
The Names have existed for eternity past (azal). They had no beginning; because God has no beginning. In fact, ALLAH is the TOTALLY of His Names/Attributes. This is in the Qu'ran ALLAH says "WE" and "US" and "OUR". This is why it says in Genesis: "Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness". ALLAH is the plurality of His Names and Attributes.
The Manifestations of God also have a SOUL (NAFS); which is the "individuality" of the Man.
Can the "Perfections" and "Souls" of the Manifestations of God "return" to this material planet?
Yes, of course! According to Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa'i, They can and do! He called this ra'ja (Arabic: "return"). Not only the "Perfections" but also the Souls. Not only the Souls of the Prophets, but the Souls of the "Chosen Ones" as well. This is what he meant by "ra'ja" (return). The Prophets and Chosen Ones "return" in every Dispensation like actors return in new roles. Human souls do not reincarnate on this planet, but the "Manifestations of God" (he coined the phrase) "return" in every Dispensation. For example, Fatimah (the daughter of Muhammad) was the "return" of Mary the mother of Jesus, and Mary the mother of Jesus was the "return" of Maryam the sister of Moses, etc.
The Báb declared that He was the "return" of the Imaam Mehdi; who "disappeared" in 857A.D. (260 A.H.); either be going into an underground cave, or falling down a well near Qom, Iran. The Imaam Mehdi was just a small child. He was probably playing when he fell down the well and died down there. The Shi'ites believed that the Imaam Mehdi was in a "state of occultation" (hiding), and that he would appear in the last days to establish the True Faith. They believed that God was keeping the Imaam Mehdi in hiding, and that he was still alive, and would live until the last days when he would return as a mature man and lead the Shi'ites to victory over the world.
The Báb claimed to be the "return" of the Imaam Mehdi. To the Shi'ite this was blasphemy; since The Bab was born in 1819! He obviously was NOT the Imaam Mehdi whom Shi'ites believed had never died. But, to the Shaykhis, the Imaam Mehdi was to appear 1000 lunar years from 260 A.D. (1260 A.H./1844 A.D.) He would be the "return"; which was a word that Shaykhis knew to mean the "return" of the "spirit" (not the soul) of the Imaam Mehdi.
In English, the word "soul" and "spirit" are interchangeable. They mean the same thing: the "immortal" part of a human being. But, in Arabic, the words RUH (spirit) and NAFS (soul) are not interchangeable, and do not mean the same thing. The RUH (spirit) is one thing, and the NAFS (soul) is different. According to Baha'u'llah (Surah of Sorrows 8), humans consist of the following four parts:
*Spirit (Ruh)
*Soul (Nafs)
*Physical body
*Ethereal body
Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa'i wrote extensively on the spirit, soul, physical body, and ethereal body. He wrote that the Imaam Mehdi died down the well. God is not hiding him somewhere. The Imaam Mehdi would "return"; not in his physical body, but his RUH (spirit) would return.
The Shaykh also taught that the spirits of the Prophets and the Chosen Ones were "the Manifestations of God". He invented the term "Manifestation of God". That term did not exist before him.
Siyyid Kazim Rashti founded a new sect of Shi'ite Islaam, called the Shaykhi sect, based upon the teachings of Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa'i; who was a Muhaddas ("Seer"--a non-prophet who sees angels).
Shaykh Ahmad taught that the "return" of the Imaam Mehdi was not the "return" of the physical body of the boy who fell down a well near Qom in 260 A.H., but the "return" of the RUH (spirit) and NAFS (soul) of the boy; two Men who would be born of other mothers and have new bodies and new names.
The Spirit (RUH) is not the Soul (NAFS). The soul means our individual personality; that which makes us totally unique. The Spirit is not the Soul. The Spirit of a Prophet or Imaam is a Name/Attribute of ALLÁH. But the NAFS (Soul) means the individuality.
According to Shaykh Ahmad, the RUH (Spirit) of the boy Imaam Mehdi will "return" 1000 lunar (nor solar) years from 260 A.H. (the year he fell down the well). That brings it to the year 1260 A.H./1844 A.D. In that year, the Shaykhis awaited the advent of the Imaam Mehdi. They did not expect the Imaam Mehdi to be the "return" of the boy who died 1000 lunar years previously. They expected the "return" of the Spirit of the Imaam Mehdi.
In 1844 (1260 A.H.), Siyyid Muhammed Ali Shirazi, a disciple of Siyyid Kazim Rashti, claimed to be the "return" of the Imaam Mehdi. To orthodox Shi'ites this was utter blasphemy. They expected the Imaam Mehdi to return as a 1000+ year old man; the same boy who fell down the well would return in a mature, but strong and sprite, male body because Allah had hidden him away but strengthened him and caused him from dying or aging too much! But, to the Shaykhis, the notion that the "return" of the Imaam Mehdi would be in a new body, born of new parents, was entirely possible and consistent.
Shoghi Effendi purportedly told Marguerite R. Sears the following:
"The early Babis believed in reincarnation. Mulla Husayn in Fort Tabarsi was longing to be martyred and then return." (Pilgrims Notes of Marguerite R. Sears)The first of the Shaykhis to accept The Báb was Mulla Husayn Bushru'i. He believed that "raj'a" (Arabic: "Return") meant reincarnation. He was a prominent member of the Shaykhi Sect. Many of the early Shaykhis believed that Mulla Husayn Bushru'i was in the fact the "return" of the Imaam Mehdi, but Mulla Husayn denied this repeatedly. He was the first to reognize that The Báb was the "return" of the Imaam Mehdi. Not his physical return, but the "Return" of His RUH (Spirit).
The Báb declared the Mulla Husayn was the "return" of the Prophet Muhammad; the Messenger of God. This presents a delemma! How can Mulla Husayn be the "return" of a Manifestation of God, when Mulla Husayn was not a Manifestation?
In what "way" was Mulla Husayn Bushru'i the "return" of the Prophet Muhammad?
*Mulla Musayn Bushru'i was not a Prophet nor did he claim to be.
*Mulla Husayn Bushru'i wrote no book of laws.
One has to understand the teachings of Shaykh Ahmad to understand how Mulla Husayn Bushru'i can be the "return" of the Prophet Muhammad.
' The Shaykhi meaning is this: the Prophets have a Spirit and a Soul; both of which may ra'ja (return) to this material world (naw-soot).
If this interpretation is true, it would mean that The Báb was the "return" of the RUH (Spirit) of the Prophet Muhammed (Bayan II:11), while Mulla Husayn Bushru'i was the "return" of the NAFS (Soul) of the Prophet Muhammad. This is, in fact, what the Bayan claims. And it is perfectly consistent with Shaykhi doctrine.
In Shaykhi nomenclature, another name for the Spirit of a Prophet is His "Perfections" or "Qualities" or "Quiddities". Whenever the Central Figures write of a Prophets "Perfections" or "Qualities" They are referring to His Spirit (not His Soul).
In like manner, The Báb was the "return" of the SPIRIT (RUH) of the Imaam Mehdi, while Quddús was "the return" of the SOUL (NAFS) of the Imaam Mehdi. This is why Nabil wrote:
"In this manner they reached the shrine of Shaykh Tabarsi. The first words that fell from the lips of Quddús after he had dismounted and leaned against the shrine were the following: 'The Baqiyyatu'llah will be best for you if ye are of those who believe.' By this utterance was fulfilled the prophecy of Muhammad as recorded in the following tradition: 'And when the Mehdi is made manifest, He shall lean His back against the Ka'bih and shall address to the three hundred and thirteen followers who will have grouped around Him, these words: "The Baqiyyatu'llah will be best for you if ye are of those who believe."'" (The Dawn-Breakers, pages 352-3)Nabil wrote that Quddús fulfilled a particular Shi'ite prophecy concerning the return of the Imaam Mehdi! How is this possible?
Remember, before becoming Bábís, the Bábís were Shaykhis, and Shaykh Ahmad taught that the Prophets "return" in every Dispensation. One Prophet can "return" as two different people: since the RUH (Spirit) of the Prophet can return as one person, and the NAFS (Soul) of the Prophet can return as a totally different person.
This concept of "return" was well understood by the early Bábís and Baha'is; most of whom had been Shaykhis before becoming followers of The Báb.
THE BÁB="the return" of the Spirit (RUH) of the Prophet Muhammad and the Spirit (RUH) of the Imaam Mehdi who fell down a well in 260 A.H.
QUDDÚS="the return" of the Soul (NAFS) of the Imaam Mehdi.
MULLA HÚSAYN="the return" of the Soul (NAFS) of the Prophet Muhammad.
By "return" no "mere metaphor" is meant! The Báb was the literal "return" of the RUH of the Prophet Muhammad and the Imaam Mehdi. Quddús (khud-dooce) was the literal "return" of the NAFS of the Imaam Mehdi. Mulla Husayn was the literal "return" of NAFS of the Prophet Muhammad.
The NAFS is the soul/individuality. For Prophets and Chosens Ones, the souls pre-exists (meaning it existed before Their current life).
Bahá'u'lláh wrote:
"Consider thou the Revelation of the Point of the Bayan — exalted is His glory. He pronounced the First One [1] to believe in Him to be Muhammad, the Messenger of God. Doth it beseem a man to dispute with Him by saying that this man is from Persia, the Other from Arabia, or this one was called Husayn while the Other bore the name of Muhammad? Nay, I swear by God’s holy Being, the Exalted, the Most Great. Surely no man of intelligence and insight would ever pay attention unto limitations or names, but rather unto that with which Muhammad was invested, which was none other than the Cause of God. Such a man of insight would likewise consider Husayn and the position he occupied in the Cause of God, the Omnipotent, the Exalted, the Knowing, the Wise. And since the First One to believe in God in the Dispensation of the Bayan was invested with command similar to that with which Muhammad, the Messenger of God, was invested, therefore the Báb pronounced him to be the latter, namely His return and resurrection. This station is sanctified from every limitation or name, and naught can be seen therein but God, the One, the Peerless, the All-Knowing." (Bahá’u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u'lláh, p. 184)In Dante's Inferno, which was presented by him in the year 1300 A.D. as a true vision of the Seer, Dante Alighieri, and not a work of fiction, an angel shows Dante the Prophet Muhammad and the Imaam Ali, both dwelling in a level of Hell. Muhammad is cut from chin to groin, and says:
To Bahá'ís this is blasphemy! For Muhammad was among the sinless Manifestation of God, and could never dwell in "Hell" not even in metaphor!"You see how I am split! See how Mohamet is deformed and torn! In front of me weeping, Ali walks, his face cleft from his chin to his crown." (Inferno XXVIII 31-32)
But wait...Shaykh Ahmad taught that the Prophets and Chosen Ones each had a RUH (spirit) and a NAFS (soul). Their Spirit was incapable of sin, but their Soul was capable (i.e. Adam was the spirit of Adam and Eve was His soul--who ate the forbidden fruit and sinned). And for every act in this world, this is recommpense (reward or punishment) in the next. And our world (planet) is Nawsoot, the Material Realm; which is where the Sun burns our skin, and where we experience pain, and punishment. So, if the NAFS of Muhammad had sinned, then their must be punishment in the "next world".
Adam was a Manifestation of God, yet He sinned and was thrust out of the Garden of Eden! In Shaykhism, the RUH (Spirit) of Adam was the Manifestation of God, but His NAFS (Soul) could indeed sin, and did.
Indeed, The Báb claimed that Mollah Husayn Bushru'i was the "return" of the NAFS (Soul) of Muhammad. And Mollah Husayn Bushru'i died at the battle of Fort Tabarsi; by being split from his chin to his groin. This is no coincidence.
The RUH (Spirit) of Muhammad was sinless, but His NAFS (Soul) sinned. Anyone who studies the life of the Prophet Muhammad will know this; in the case of His marrying a seven year old slave-girl A'isha, and then consummating that marriage when she was nine year old, and also His mistreatment of the Jews of Medina.
Bahá'u'lláh wrote of the Manifestations:
"Unto this subtle, this mysterious and ethereal Being He hath assigned a twofold nature; the physical, pertaining to the world of matter, and the spiritual, which is born of the substance of God Himself. He hath, moreover, conferred upon Him a double station. The first station, which is related to His innermost reality, representeth Him as One Whose voice is the voice of God Himself...The second station is the human station, exemplified by the following verses: `I am but a man like you.'" (Gleanings, pages 66-67)The RUH (Spirit) of a Manifestation of God is GOD! But His NAFS (Soul) is not.
In other words, if the NAFS (soul/individuality) of a Prophet or Chosen One sins, then that NAFS (Soul) must return to this material world in the next Dispensation; to "pay" for that previous sin or sins. And in the works of Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsa'i, who claimed to be a MUHADDATH (Seer), who prophesied of the "return" of the Imaam Mehdi in the year 1260 A.H. (1844 A.D), our material/physical realm (Nawsoot)is "The Fire" of Hell; where the Sun burns our skin, and where all of us (including the Souls of the Prophets and Chosen Ones) are punished for our sins.
While reincarnation is impossible for human souls; it is quite possible for the Manifestations of God; Who "return" in every Dispenation. For example, Moses and Joshua "returned" during the Dispensation of Christ as John the Baptist and Jesus, John and Jesus "returned" during the Dispensation of Muhammad as Muhammad and Ali, and Muhammad "returned" during the Dispensation of The Báb as The Báb and Mulla Husayn. His RUH returned as The Báb, and His NAFS returned as Mulla Husayn. This may sound strange or confusing to us, but to the Shaykhi point-of-view, all this was perfectly logical and consistent.
Even Tahirih claimed to be "the return" of Fatimah; the daughter of Muhammad and husband of Ali.
Bahá'ís will say that Mollah Husayn Bushru'i, and Tahirih, and Quddús, were only the "return" of the Prophet Muhammad, and Fatimah, and the Imaam Mehdi, is some "mystical sense we cannot understand". No! According to Shaykhi doctrine (and The Báb was a Shaykhi), the RUH and NAFS of the Prophets and Chosen Ones literally "return" (i.e. reincarnate) in every Dispensation upon this planet.
In the Gospels it is recorded that Jesus appeared to John the Baptist, who was baptizing people in the Jordan River, for the remission of sins. Jesus appeared, and John told Him that He should baptize him (John) instead of the other way around. Jesus said He had to be baptized "to fulfill all righteousness". Christian scholars have tried to understand that phrase for 2,000 years. If Jesus was sinless, they argue, why would he need baptism; an ordinance for sinners.
John dips Jesus below the waters of the Jordan, and then a voice comes from Heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son, today I have begotten thee". Then Johns sees a "Spirit" land on Jesus like a dove.
What is the meaning?
The meaning is this: Jesus son of Mary had a NAFS (Soul), but not a RUH (Spirit). In order to get a RUH (Spirit) He had to become a clean and sinless "vessal" for the Spirit to dwell. He repented of all His sins, and was baptized, and received the Spirit of God for a spirit. The Holy Spirit "dwelt" in Jesus from His baptism until just before His death on the Cross. When the Spirit left Jesus, He cried:
"My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46)In other words, the NAFS (soul) of Jesus was His own individuality. The RUH (Spirit) of Jesus was the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God; One of the Names/Attributes of God. Jesus was the SOUL and the Holy Spirit was the SPIRIT.
Thus, "Jesus Christ" was a combination of TWO Beings: the SOUL of Jesus (the WORD of God), and the HOLY SPIRIT of God.
The Spirit of God is the "Begetter" of Jesus. The Gospels say that He Who begot Jesus was the Holy Spirit (also called "Holy Ghost"). But the Qur'an says that ALLÁH does not beget, nor is He begotten. The Qur'an says that ALLÁH has no son nor consort.
How can this contradiction be explained?
The meaning is this: 1) Jesus was a combination of SOUL and SPIRIT.
2) The SPIRIT "begot" the SOUL.
3) The SPIRIT is the Begetter; the One Who is called "Jehovah" in the Old Testament.
4) In Hebrew "Jehovah" means "The Self-Existing". In Arabic it is Al-Quyyoom: one of the Names/Attributes of ALLAH.
5) ALLAH did not "beget" the soul of Jesus, but His Own Spirit (Jehovah) did.
6) Jehovah is called "The LORD of Hosts" or "the Holy Spirit". He incarnated as Baha'u'llah.
7) Baha'u'llah is the Father, the Begetter of Jesus.
The phrase "He cometh with clouds" is for Baha'is, to mean that when Christ returns He will return "in a cloud"; not riding upon a cloud, not literally in a cloud in the sky, but in a "veil". By "cloud" is mean a new human body and name.
Baha'u'llah wrote in the Kitab-i-Iqan that He was the "return" of the Imaam Hussein; the son of the Imaam Ali who was martyred. Again, most Baha'is would see this as a "metaphor" meaning that Imaam Hussein was innocent, but persecuted, so Baha'u'llah was innocent but persecuted: not any more meaning than this. But, it means much more than that.
Baha'u'llah claimed that Jesus "returned" in Him. He wrote:
"O Jews! If ye be intent on crucifying once again Jesus, the Spirit of God, put Me to death, for He hath once more, in My person, been made manifest unto you." (Gleanings, p.101)Baha'is think that Baha'u'llah was the "return" of Jesus in some "metaphorical" way, like Jesus taught race unity, so did Baha'u'llah, thus, He was the "return" of a "quality" of Jesus.
But that is not Shaykhi doctrine, which says that the Prophet are the "return" of the "Perfections" (i.e. the Name/Attribute which is the Spirit of the Prophet).
The "Spirit" of a Prophet is not a human spirit, but a Name/Attribute of ALLAH; which are also called His "Perfections" or "Qualities" or "Quiddities".
Now, was He referring to the RUH or the NAFS of Jesus? The RUH of Muhammad returned as The Báb Who was a Prophet. The NAFS of Muhammad returned as Mulla Husayn Bushru'i; a totally separate person who was not a Prophet but a "Chosen One".
Obviously, since Baha'ullah was a Prophet, it was the RUH (Spirit) of Jesus Who returned in the Person of Baha'u'llah. This is why He wrote that "the Spirit of God" (Jesus) had "returned" in His Person.
But the Spirit (RUH) is not the "individuality". The "individuality" of a person is their Soul (NAFS). In their last vision of Jesus, the disciples are gathered on the Mount of Olives, and they "see" (in vision) Jesus ascend up into a cloud. Two "men in white" then appear and say to the disciples that "this SAME Jesus" will come again in like manner (i.e. in a cloud).
A "vision" is literal, and historical, but it is NOT material/physical. Jesus "literally" appeared to His disciples in "vision" on the Mount of Olives. This was not a "physical" event, but a "literal/historical" event. It was NOT a "mere metpahor" or non-historical parable.
The phrase "this SAME Jesus" means the individuality, or NAFS (soul) of Jesus would return "in a cloud". By "cloud" is meant a "veil"; by "veil" is meant a new body and new name, born of a new woman.
The NAFS (soul) of Jesus would return; not as a Prophet. The RUH (Spirit) of Jesus was Divine: a Name/Attribute of God. But the NAFS (Soul) of Jesus was ___--NOT--__ a Name/Attribute of God, but the WORD of God.
What is the "WORD" of God?
Most Baha'is have heard of the phraise "WORD of God". Many think it refers to the Bible, or perhaps the Qu'ran, or both. In the Gospel of John, chapter one, we read:
"In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with God, and the WORD was God.The ancient mystical Jews believed in a Mediator between God and the Cosmos they called "Metatron" or "The WORD". God uttered a "word" and created the Cosmos. God did not deal directly with His creation, but via an Intermediary called "The WORD".
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
14 And the WORD was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:1-3,14)
In the Qu'ran, it says that ALLÁH said "Be!" (Arabic: "Kún!") and created the Cosmos. The "Be!" is "THE WORD". The WORD is also called the Primal Will, or the Universal Will.
The WORD of God is not a Name/Attribute of God! The WORD is not among the 99 Names/Attributes of ALLAH mentioned in the Qu'ran. The Names/Attributes are from the World of God. The WORD of God exists in what is called "The World of Command". The World of Command is "between" (mediator) between the World of God and the World of Creation:
The World of Command is also called the "World of Revelation".
The Three Worlds is typified by the ringstone symbol:
The ringstone consists of a top horizontal letter B, then a horizontal letter H in the middle, then a bottow horizontal letter B, then a vertical letter H that forms a cross which "connects" all three Worlds:
The middle "H" represents the World of Command
The bottom "B" represents the World of Creation.
The horizontal "H" represents the WORD of God; which intersects (reconciles) all three Worlds.
The two Stars represent the Twin Manifestations.
"Shoghi Effendi, in letters written on his behalf, has explained the significance of the 'letters B and E'. They constitute the word 'Be', which, he states, 'means the creative Power of God Who through His command causes all things to come into being'...." Kitab-i-Aqdas, note 188, p. 247.)Bahá'u'lláh wrote:
"...Thou didst, through a word of Thy mouth, bring creation into being and fashion the universe." (Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations, Selection IV, p. 6, U.S., 1987 pocket-size ed.)"Having created the world and all that liveth and moveth therein, He, through the direct operation of His unconstrained and sovereign Will, chose to confer upon man the unique distinction to know and to love (God)....[which is] the generating impulse and primary purpose underlying the whole of creation...." (Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, Selection XXVII, p. 65.) Most Bahá'ís today have been taught that the top B means God, the middle H means the Prophets, and the bottom B means the world of creation or Humanity. This interpretation is false! It goes against the explanations of 'Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi! The Middle H ( horizontal) represent the World of Command, and the WORD of God (verticle H) which intersects all Three Worlds; forming a Cross.
The WORD or WILL of God is the "mediator" (go-between) between the World of God (the Prophets) and the World of Creation (mankind).
Bahá'u'lláh wrote that the Master was:
"A WORD which God hath adorned with the ornament of His Own Self, and made it Sovereign over the earth and all that is therein." (The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, p.135)Jesus son of Mary had a RUH (SPIRIT) and a NAFS (SOUL). The Spirit was a Name/Attribute of God. the NAFS was the WORD of God. The WORD of God is NOT a Name/Attribute, but the Creative WORD, the "Be!", the "Kun!", the Mediator between the World of God and the World of Creation.
Abbas Effendi (1868)
Many of the early Western Baha'is, and even His own personal secretary, believed that 'Abdu'l-Baha was the reincarnation of Jesus. They wrote:
"Abbas is the heir and Master of the Kingdom. He was on earth 1900 years ago as the Nazarene." (Lou Getsinger, Notes at Acca, p.24)Assadullah was the personal secretary of 'Abdu'l-Bahá; His greatest friend and companion. 'Abdu'l-Bahá did not seem at first to counter the belief that He was Jesus returned, but that changed when the the American and British Bahá'ís starting referring to Him as "The Christ". 'Abdu'l-Bahá wrote:"He has come again in the Kingdom of His Father." (Thorton Chase, Before Abraham I Was, p. 46)
"He is the Son of God, the only Door, the Lord of Mankind." (Assadullah, Sacred Mysteries, p.74
"You have written that there is a difference among the believers concerning the `Second Coming of Christ.' Gracious God! Time and again this question hath arisen, and its answer hath emanated in a clear and irrefutable statement from the pen of `Abdu'l-Bahá, that what is meant in the prophecies by the `Lord of Hosts' and the `Promised Christ' is the Blessed Perfection (Bahá'u'lláh) and His holiness the Exalted One (the Báb). My name is `Abdu'l-Bahá. My qualification is `Abdu'l-Bahá. My reality is `Abdu'l-Bahá. My praise is `Abdu'l-Bahá. Thraldom to the Blessed Perfection is my glorious and refulgent diadem, and servitude to all the human race my perpetual religion... No name, no title, no mention, no commendation have I, nor will ever have, except `Abdu'l-Bahá. This is my longing. This is my greatest yearning. This is my eternal life. This is my everlasting glory." (World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, p.139)'Abdu'l-Bahá never denied He was the "return" of Jesus, but strongly rejected the title of "The Christ". He was not "The Christ". The title of "The Christ" was bestowed only upon Seven Manifestations of God (incarnations of the Name and Attributes of God), and He was not a Manifestation of God. He was something more than a mere human being, but something less than a Manifestation. He was not "The Christ".
Bahá'u'lláh referred to His Son 'Abdu'l-Bahá as "the Mystery of God" (a title used for Jesus--1 Colossians 2:2) and also called Him the "WORD" (another title of Jesus--John 1:1-2,14). Bahá'u'lláh wrote that His Son 'Abdu'l-Bahá was--
"A WORD which God hath adorned with the ornament of His Own Self, and made it Sovereign over the earth and all that is therein." (The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, p.135)'Abdu'l-Baha is "The Return" of the NAFS (Soul) of Jesus, Who is the WORD of God! That is why He is called "He" is not "he". That is why He had super-human abilities but was not a Prophet. That is why He has a "unique station" between the Prophets and Humans. HE IS THE WORD OF GOD incarnate!
Shoghi Effendi (or perhaps his secretary) wrote:
"That `Abdu'l-Baha is not a Manifestation of God, that He gets His light, His inspiration and sustenance direct from the Fountain-head of the Baha'i Revelation; that He reflects even as a clear and perfect Mirror the rays of Baha'u'llah's glory, and does not inherently possess that indefinable yet all-pervading reality the exclusive possession of which is the hallmark of Prophethood; that His words are not equal in rank, though they possess an equal validity with the utterances of Baha'u'llah that He is not to be acclaimed as the return of Jesus Christ, the Son Who will come "in the glory of the Father"..." (The World Order of Baha'u'llah, p.139)This statement means:
a) 'Abdu'l-Baha is NOT the return of the Son in the Glory of the Father (not metaphorically nor literally).
b) 'Abdu'l-Baha is NOT to be acclaimed (proclaimed) as the return of Jesus Christ, the Son Who will come "in the glory of the Father",... because that will present Him as the Messenger for our Day, when in fact He is not a Prophet and the Father is greater than He, and He is is not a Manifestation of God.
Either interpretation is possible! Was Shoghi Effendi denying 'Abdu'l-Baha was the return of the WORD, or was He admonishing the Friends to simply NOT to "acclaim" that?
Shoghi Effendi seemed worried that the Friends were exalting too high the station of the Master to a Manifesation of God. He wanted that stopped. He told them NOT TO ACCLAIM that the Master was the Son come in the glory of the Father. Did he want this directive to last for all time?
I believe that 'Abdu'l-Baha _IS_ the Son returned in the Glory of the Father. But should Baha'is "acclaim" that?
Is this directive of Shoghi Effendi "eternal" or "conditional". We don't know.
Jesus Himself once asked His disciples "Whom do the people say that I am?" Some said "a Prophet". Others said "John the Baptist". Other said "Elijah". Peter said, "You are the Christ, the Son of God". Jesus replied:
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He began asking His disciples, saying, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" 14And they said, "Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." 15He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16And Simon Peter answered and said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17And Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it. 19"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." 20Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ. Matthew 16:13-20 (New American Standard Version - NAS)Does that mean:
a) Jesus was NOT the Christ, the Son of the Living God?
b) Jesus was telling His disciples it is not the right time to acclaim Him as the Christ and Son of God.
The correct answer is "b".
In like manner, I don't think the Guardian was saying that the Master was not the Son (WORD) returned. We must look at the context of his directive. At the time, many of the Friends were making 'Abdu'l-Baha the equal of Baha'u'llah, and calling Him a Prophet and "The Christ" and a Messenger of God. Some of the Friends were telling others that 'Abdu'l-Baha was "the return of Jesus Christ". But "Christ" (the Spirit) returned "in" Baha'u'llah. "Jesus Christ" was a combination of Spirit (Christ) and Soul (Jesus). Baha'u'llah was the "return" of Christ.
The Cable signed by Shoghi Effendi was not written by him, but by a secretary. I don't believe that the infallible of the Guardian means his secretaries were also "infallible".
Even the Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, did not claim for his secretaries "infalliblity". Some of the Friends believe that the Guardian was infallible and all communications authorized by him via his Secretaries are infallible. I don't believe that. The secretaries are not infallible. Only the Infallible Pen, and that Pen must be wielding by One Who is Infallible. The "Pen" of the Manifestations of God are Infallible, as are the Chosen Ones.
In my opinion, no cable or letter by Shoghi Effendi can be declared "infallible" unless written (not just signed) by him.
Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa'i taught invented the phrase "Manifestation of God". Before him, nobody referred to Prophets as "Manifestations of God". He did not limit the term to Prophets. He said that the "Prophets and Chosen Ones" were both "Manifestations of God".
A "Chosen One" (Arabic: Moos-staw-faw) is a man, or a woman, Who is (according to Shaykhism), the "return" of the soul (nafs) of a Prophet. Thus, the Imaam Ali was the return of the soul of Jesus. The Qai'iym (Riser) would be the "return" of the spirit (ruh) and the soul (nafs) of the Imaam Mehdi. He prophesied tha the Qai'iym (Riser) would "arise" in 1260 A.H. (1844 A.D.); 1000 lunar years from 260 A.H. (847 A.D.) when the real Imaam Mehdi, as a young boy, "disappeared" (i.e. fell down a well and died).
Two Men proclaimed to be the Qai'iym: The Báb and Quddús. One was the return of the ruh (Perfections) of the Imam Mehdi and the other was the return of his nafs (soul/individuality).
Shoghi Effendi was undoubtedly a MÚHÁDDÁTH (Seer); an ordinary human soul who had prophetic abilities. He saw the Holocaust before it occurred. He saw the Internet long before it was reality. But, he did not have supra-human spiritual insight. Had he such, he would have made provisions for succession in a Will. He did not. In my opinion, he was not a Mustafa ("Chosen One"). He did not know he would die without writing a Will. He made no plans for his succession, which led to confusion. He worked on the House of the Guardian, but did not know he would be the last Guardian. He had divine authority, and prophetic ability, but he was not a Musfafa.
I believe that 'Abdu'l-Baha was a MUSTAFA (Chosen One); the return of the Soul (Nafs) of a Prophet or Chosen One. According to Nabil, in The Dawnbreakers, Quddús identified himself with the Imaam Mehdi. The Báb also identified Himself with the "return" of the Imaam Mehdi. In Shaykhism, the Spirit (Ruh) of the Imaam Mehdi (a Chosen One) would return as a Prophet, but his soul (nafs) would return as a "Chosen One". The Báb was a Prophet, and Quddús was a "Chosen One". BOTH were the "return" of the Imaam Mehdi.
A Mustafa (moo-staw-faw) has supra-human spiritual insight, as did 'Abdu'l-Baha. That is why He refused to take the Titanic to America. That is why He ordered the planting of extra crops a year before the great famine of 1918 in Palestine. He was a "Chosen One".
Actual Montreal Daily Star front page
In 1912, in Montreal Canada, 'Abdu'l-Bahá predicted World War I, and the Spanish Flu edidemic (1914-1918). In 1920, He was knighted by the Queen of English for saving thousands from a famine in Palestine in 1918. In 1917 He ordered extra crops to be grown; saving most of northern Palestine (the great majority of whom were Arab Muslims and Druze) from the 1818 famine that devastated the rest of the Middle East.
In 1912, while in San Francisco, 'Abdu'l-Bahá was speaking at a Unitarian Church which was attended by the Japanese ambassador (who was visiting the city at that time) Viscount Arakawa. 'Abdu'l-Baha warned him of a new "power" that would prove destructive to his country:
"Scientific discoveries have increased material civilization. There is in existence a stupendous force, as yet, happily undiscovered by man. Let us supplicate God, the Beloved, that this force be not discovered by science until spiritual civilization shall dominate the human mind. In the hands of men of lower nature, this power would be able to destroy the whole earth." ('Abdu'l-Bahá, Japan Will Turn Ablaze, p. 51)A Mustafa can be a Man or a Woman. They have supra-human spiritual insight. No Prophet can come for 1000 years after 1863, but Musfafas can appear on this planet any time. I can think of St. Francis, Guru Nanak, and Kabir, and Ramakrishna, Ba'al Shem Tov, and Sai Baba of Shirdi, and Doctor Dahesh of Lebanon, to name a few.
Baha'ullah wrote:
"The Prophets and Chosen Ones [moos-staw-feen] have been commissioned by the One True God, magnified be His glory, to nurture the trees of human existence with the living waters of uprightness and understanding, that there may appear from them that which God hath deposited within their inmost selves." (Gleanings, p.287).
Now, Dear Reader, I think you are finally prepared for me to introduce this true story, as recounted by Bahá'í historian H.M. Balyuzi, in his book 'Abdu'l-Bahá. The true story is of one American woman living in New York City in 1911 who had recurring dreams where Jesus appeared to her and told her that He had returned. The woman wanted to see Him in person. She had this dream over and over again for many nights. But the woman did not know what to make of it, and thought perhaps Jesus had returned to Jerusalem, but was not sure. She told her little seven year old daughter about the dreams, and she told her daughter that she would go meet Jesus if she only knew where He was. Balyuzi continues:
" At home her little daughter had asked her what she would do should the Lord Jesus return to the world. She would rush to seek Him, she had said, only to be told [by her child] that "Lord Jesus is here!" [the girl's finger was on France on a globe they had in their living room]. How did she know, the mother had inquired. The child reported that the Lord Jesus had told her Himself. Some days later the mother was reproached for not doing what she had said she would do [i.e. travel to France to see Him]. Twice the Lord Jesus had told her that He was here, the little girl insisted. But she did not know where to look, the mother told her child. That afternoon, on a walk, the little girl suddenly stopped and, excited and ecstatic, pointed to a kiosk where magazines were displayed. Prominent there was the photograph of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. "There, there!" the child shouted, was the Lord Jesus. The magazine which contained the photograph of 'Abdu'l-Bahá [a French magazine] led the way to Paris, and the American lady, taking the first available boat to cross the Atlantic, sailed that very night." (Balyuzi, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, p.109)
Shoghi Effendi writes of when 'Abdu'l-Baha reached America, and was in the city of Boston, a Syrian woman approached Him saying:
I confess that in Thee I have recognized the Spirit of God and Jesus Christ Himself." (God Passes By 19:24)There is no indication that the Master reproved the woman or corrected her. This reminds me of what Jesus asked the Disciples:
27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”Jesus did NOT want His disciples telling others He was the Christ during His lifetime. He wanted it kept a secret for the time being. Why? We don't know. But His true station was to be kept secret for the time being.
28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”
29“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” 30 Jsus warned them not to tell anyone about him. (Mark 8:27 NIV)
Shoghi Effendi writes of Phoebe Hearst, who wrote of Him:
"... I believe in Him with all my heart and soul, and I hope all who call themselves believers will concede to Him all the greatness, all the glory, and all the praise, for surely He is the Son of God--and `the spirit of the Father abideth in Him.'" (God Passes By, p.258)Bahá'u'lláh wrote of His Firstborn Son that "Whosoever turneth towards Him hath turned towards God." (GPB 14:11) and that He was "the One around Whom all Names revolved" (243) and that He was God's "most great boundy [mercy]" (2452) and He was "the Gulf that has branched out of this ocean that has encompassed all the created things." (243).
The above "Gulf" is a reference to the World of Command, which exists between the World of God and the World of Creation. Allah said "Be!" and the Cosmos was created. It was the "Be!" ("Command" of Allah) that created the Cosmos. The "Be!" is the "Gulf" between God (Allah) and His entire Creation. This "Be!" is the "mediator between God and man" (Jesus is also identified as such by Paul in 1 Timothy 2:5). The WORD is also called the "Primal Will" and the "Universal Will". It is literally the "WILL" of Allah. To be saved one must "submit" to the "Will" of Allah.
Jesus said:
"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)In other words, the WORD of God, the Creator of the Cosmos, the "BE!", is the Mediator between God and His creation, and nobody can approach God without following (i.e. obeying and walking according to the example of) the Mediator.
It is the WORD that shows THE WAY, the Example, of how to be a Perfect Servant of God; which is what is required to be "saved" (i.e. to escape the Material Realm and enter the Spiritual Realms at death).
It is my belief that Jesus Christ has returned in "clouds" (new bodies and new names). The RUH of Jesus returned as Bahá'u'lláh. The RUH of Jesus a Name/Attribute of God and the Holy Spirit.
The NAFS of Jesus returned as 'Abdu'l-Baha. This is why Bahá'u'lláh called Him "The Mystery of God" and "The WORD" and "The Master". These are titles of Jesus found in the New Testament, and Baha'u'llah was very familiar with that book.
"Jesus Christ" was a combination of SOUL (WORD of God) and SPIRIT (Holy Spirit). The WORD (Jesus) returned first as the Imaam Ali, then as 'Abdu'l-Baha. The SPIRIT (Christ) returned twice as well! But, how could both The Bab and Baha'u'llah be the RUH (Spirit) of Christ when they both lived at the same time? Is anything too hard for God? In the Book of Revelations, the Christ is called the "Lamb of God" and the Angel of Jesus (who shows John the vision)
shows him a Lamb with seven horns and seven eyes; Who are called "The Seven Spirits of God". Thus, "Christ" is not One Ruh only, but Seven Spirits! Seven Messengers of God!
According to the Bible (Genesis chapter one) and the Qur'an, ADAM (One being composed of male and female) was appointed Sovereign over this material world. Baha'u'llah wrote that 'Abdu'l-Baha was a "WORD" from God Who "made it Sovereign over the earth and all that is therein." (The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, p.135).
This, I believe, is the meaning that Jesus Christ would return in "clouds". Not one "cloud", but TWO! This is why it says in the Apocalypse:
7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. (Rev. 1:7)In a vision on the Mount of Olives, the Disciples of Jesus saw Him ascend up into a "cloud" and two angels appeared telling them "this SAME Jesus will come again" in the same manner (i.e. in a cloud). By "cloud" is meant a new body and a new name. In the Dispensation of Muhammad, the WORD was His cousin and son-in-law, the Imaam Ali ibn Talib. The WORD would return again in every Dispensation.
The Gospels are narratives from beginning to end. They are not "historical" until Jesus' death, then turn into "mere (non-historical) parables" after His death! Jesus was raised from the dead, NOT in His physical body, but in His ethereal body which could only be seen in visions. Jesus literally/histocially appeared in vision for forty days after His death. Visions are "literal" and "historical" but they are not "physical" or "material" in nature. Visions are NOT "mere parables" but historical events.
According to Luke (a disciple of Paul) who wrote The Book of Acts (a history of the acts of Jesus' apostles--mostly Peter and Paul), Jesus appeared to His disciples, off and on, in visions for 40 days after His death. A "vision" is NOT a physical/material event, but it is a literal/historical event. A "vision" is NOT a "mere metaphor" or non-historical "parable". These visions were LITERAL, but they were not "physical". The final vision was when the Disciples had gathered on the top of the Mount of Olives, just outside Old Jerusalem. They see Jesus ascend into the sky; disappearing into a cloud. 
Two "men in white" then appear to the Disciples on the Mount. The "two men" tell the Disciples "This SAME Jesus will come again in like manner as ye have seen Him ascend into the sky." (i.e. into a cloud). The meaning is that "this SAME Jesus" (i.e. His soul, nafs, individuality) shall appear again "in a cloud"; meaning with a new body and new name. He shall appear again "in a cloud" in every Dispensation. His "soul" is the WORD of God!
Abbas Effendi ('Abdu'l-Bahá) was born on the very Day that The Báb made His Declaration in 1844. This is not a mere coincidence! The WORD OF GOD (Kalim'u'llah) "returns" in every Dispensation. The Prophets and Chosen Ones (not us!) ra'ja ("return") in every Dispensation. But there is no ra'ja ("return") for human souls to this material planet. Human souls have one life per planet. Human souls shall go far away from this planet, to another material planet, and experience "the second death" (to die again). And that process continues until a human soul becomes an angelic soul (Mal-law-koot). But, the Prophets and Chosen Ones do not have "human" souls (Naw-soot). They have Divine Souls (Prophets=Lawhoot) or Powerful Souls (Chosen Ones=Jaw-bar-root).
1) Jesus Christ was a combination of two Divine Beings: the Spirit of God from the World of God and the WORD of God from the World of Command. The Spirit was His RUH, and the WORD was His NAFS. The New Testament calls Jesus Christ the MONOGENES (greek: "one-of-a-kind") Son of God. Why? Because He was both a Prophet and the WORD.
2) According to the teachings of Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa'i, a Shi'ite Seer who taught in the early 1800s, every Manifestation of God has a RUH (Spirit) from the World of God (a Name/Attribute of God), but also a NAFS (Soul); which is the "individuality" of that Manifestation of God. The RUH and NAFS can return as two different individuals; as a Prophet and a "Mustafa" (Chosen One). Shaykh Ahmad was not the founder of a sect or school, but he left an extensive body of writings.
3) In 1840, Siyyid Kazim Rashti codified the teachings of Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa'i, and founded the Shaykhi School of Twelver Shi'ite Islaam. He taught that the Imaam Mehdi was going to "ra'ja" (return) in the year 1260 A.H. (1844 A.D.); according to the prophecies of Shaykh Ahmad. He taught that the Prophets and Chosen Ones (not us) "return" (ra'ja) in every Dispensation.
4) Siyyid Muhammad Ali Shirazi, a young Shi'ite merchant from Shiraz, otherwise known as "The Báb", was a disciple of Siyyid Kazim Rashti, and made His declaration in 1260 A.H. On the very day of this Declaration, Abbas Effendi was born.
5) The Báb taught that Mollah Husein Bushru'i, the first Letter of the Living, was the "return" of the Nafs (individuality) of the Prophet Muhammad.
6) Janib-i-Quddús, another Letter of the Living, proclaimed at Fort Tabarsi that he was the "return" of the Imaam Mehdi (i.e. the return of the NAFS/Soul/Individuality of the Imaam Mehdi).
7) Baha'u'llah proclaimed that He was the "return" of the Imaam Husayn (martyred son of the Imaam Ali) and also the "return" of the Spirit of God (i.e. the return of the RUH of Jesus).
8) 'Abdu'l-Baha denies the title of "Christ"; saying His only title and glory should be "Servant of Glory". He does not actually deny He is Jesus "returned". Rather, He rejects the title of "Christ". Baha'u'llah refers to His Son as "the Mystery of God" and "The Word" and "The Master"; known titles of Jesus found in the New Testament.
9) On September 28th, 1912, 'Abdu'l-Baha knocks on the East Door of the Salt Lake Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah. Not being a Mormon, He is denied entry. According to Mormon prophecies, Jesus will "suddenly" (unexpectantly) come to His Temple before the generation living in 1832 were all dead, wearing red apparel. His photo is printed in The Salt Lake Tribune, and one Mormon woman, Xorol Richards Oliver, believes He is Jesus reincarnated. She becomes the first Mormon to become a Baha'i.
10) 'Abdu'l-Baha was not a Prophet lesser or otherwise, but He was greater than an ordinary human being. He had a "unique station" between the World of God and the World of Creation (i.e. He is from the World of Command and is the "Mediator" between God and Mankind).
The time was not right in 1934 to acclaim the true station of 'Abdu'l-Baha, the WORD and Master and Mystery of God. The Friends were not ready. The World was not ready. I believe the Friends and the World-at-large are now ready. But, are you?
Thank you.
"Aenon E. Moss"
*Preach peace and tolerance (He said, "I come not to bring peace, but a sword!"~Matt.10:34)
*Write a book of Holy Laws (He wrote no book)
*Improve the status of minorities and women. (He did not change any Jewish law except for Sabbath and divorce)
*Unite cities (Jesus didn't even "unite" one city!)
Jesus came to offer Himself, His blood on the Cross, as as "a ransom for the sins and iniquities of all mankind." (Gleanings, p.100). That is what Jesus came to do!
*The Empty Tomb: The Metaphor Only View vs. the Spiritual Body View of the Resurrection of Christ
*1891: Did Joseph Smith Prophesy of Bahá'u'lláh?
*The Earth-is-Hell View: An Alternative Bahá'í View of the Afterlife
*The Mystery of God: Jesus and 'Abdu'l-Baha
*The Curse of Canaan in the Light of the Baha'i Teachings
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