One: Question from two Bahá'ís to the Universal House of Justice
The Universal House of Justice.
Dear Friends,
Several related questions concerning the infallibility of
Abdu'l-Bahá and the authority and interpretation of certain of His
statements have been troubling us recently. Our questions may be set
out as follows:
(1) Does Bahá'u'lláh explicitly state and define the
infallibility of Abdu'l-Bahá anywhere in His writings?
We are aware of many of the statements about Abdu'l-Bahá, which
are usually quoted from the writings of Bahá'u'lláh. We are also aware
of Bahá'u'lláh's statement concerning the degrees of infallibility and
the Most Great Infallibility of the Manifestations of God. While the
former statements certainly strongly imply the infallibility of
Abdu'l-Bahá and leave no possible excuse for Bahá'ís to not follow and
obey Him, we have been unable to discover, either in the writings of
Bahá'u'lláh or in the writings and authenticated statements of
Abdu'l-Bahá, any explicit statement concerning Abdu'l-Bahá's
infallibility.
(2) What is the authority of the writings and authenticated
utterances of Abdu'l-Bahá concerning subjects not directly related to
the Bahá'í Faith, or to religion in General?
The Guardian states that his (the Guardian's) infallibility
applies only to statements related strictly to the Cause and
interpretation of the teachings. He says that he is not an infallible
authority on other subjects, such as economics, science, etc. Do these
statements also apply to Abdu'l-Bahá?
(3) Can certain statements of Abdu'l-Bahá, not directly related
to the Bahá'í Faith, be taken as true only relative to the time and
place in which they were made, or are they a more universal expression
of truth?
In particular we are interested in some of Abdu'l-Bahá's
statements concerning scientific subjects. Can these statements be
understood in the context of the early twentieth century audience to
whom they were made (and hence be taken as possibly a lesser
expression of the truth than is found in present day science), or are
they more complete statements of truth which future science will
discover and corroborate?
For example, Abdu'l-Bahá makes several statements concerning the
ether, a hypothetical medium through which light waves propagate. To
an early twentieth century audience with some scientific knowledge,
these statements would have been instantly comprehensible and would
have powerfully reinforced the points which Abdu'l-Bahá wished to
make. Present-day scientific theories, however, do not use the concept
of the ether and indeed it is believed on good evidence that an ether
of the form used in the nineteenth century theories does not
exist. Are we then to take Abdu'l-Bahá's statements concerning the
ether to be statements of truth more complete than those of
present-day science, and perhaps attempt to construct a "Bahá'í theory
of the ether", or can these statements be interpreted in the context
of the time in which they were made? We also see difficulties in
interpreting Abdu'l-Bahá's statements concerning evolution.
We should be most grateful for any information or comments that
could help us to resolve these questions.
With warmest Bahá'í love,
Two: Response from the Universal House of Justice
Department of the Secretariat
3 June 1982
Mr. ______
Dear Bahá'í Friends,
The Universal House of Justice has asked us to acknowledge your
letter of April 28 and to make the following comments concerning your
three questions.
- It was the express wish of Bahá'u'lláh that after Him the friends
should "turn" to 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Bahá'u'lláh also said in His Book of
Laws that anything that was not clear in His Writings should be
"referred" to His Most Mighty Branch springing from the Ancient
Root. (See "The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh" pages 134-135.) In one
of the Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá published in "Selections from the
Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá" (page 214) He quotes the passages
mentioned above and interprets them to mean that "whatever He
('Abdu'l-Bahá) saith is the very truth". 'Abdu'l-Bahá further says,
referring to those who do not accept Him as the Interpreter of the
Word of God, "Whoso deviates from my interpretation is a victim of
his own fancy" ("The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh" page 138).
Moreover, in the "Star of the West" Volume XII, page 227,
'Abdu'l-Bahá interprets the verses from the "Tablet of the Branch"
to mean "...whatsoever His (Abdu'l-Bahá's) pen records, that is
correct...."
- There is nothing in the Writings that would lead us to the
conclusion that what Shoghi Effendi says about himself concerning
statements on subjects not directly related to the Faith also
applies to 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Instead we have assertions which indicate
that 'Abdu'l-Bahá's position in the Faith is one for which we find
"no parallel" in past Dispensations. For example, Bahá'u'lláh, in
addition to His reference to the Centre of His Covenant as the
"Mystery of God", states that 'Abdu'l-Bahá should be regarded as
God's "exalted Handiwork" and "a Word which God hath adorned with
the ornament of His Own Self, and made it sovereign over the earth
and all that there is therein..." And from Shoghi Effendi we have
the incontrovertible statement that the Guardian of the Faith while
"overshadowed" by the "protection'' of Bahá'u'lláh and of the Bab,
"remains essentially human", whereas in respect of 'Abdu'l-Bahá
Shoghi Effendi categorically states that "in the person of
'Abdu'l-Bahá the incompatible characteristics of a human nature and
superhuman knowledge and perfection have been blended and are
completely harmonized."
- With reference to your question about the "ether", the various
definitions of this word as given in the Oxford English Dictionary
all refer to a physical reality, for instance, "an element", "a
substance", "a medium", all of which imply a physical and objective
reality and, as you say, this was the concept posited by nineteenth
century scientists to explain the propagation of light waves. It
would have been understood in this sense by the audiences whom
'Abdu'l-Bahá was addressing. However, in Chapter XVI of "Some
Answered Questions", 'Abdu'l-Bahá devotes a whole chapter to
explaining the difference between things which are "perceptible to
the senses" which He calls "objective or sensible", and realities
of the "intellect" which have "no outward form and no place", and
are "not perceptible to the senses". He gives examples of both
"kinds" of "human knowledge". The first kind is obvious and does
not need elaboration. To illustrate the second kind the examples He
gives are: love, grief, happiness, the power of the intellect, the
human spirit and "ethereal matter". (In the original Persian the
word "ethereal" is the same as "etheric".) He states clearly that
"Even ethereal matter, the forces of which are said in physics to
be heat, light, electricity and magnetism, is an intellectual
reality, and is not sensible." In other words, the "ether" is a
concept arrived at intellectually to explain certain phenomena. In
due course, when scientists failed to confirm the physical
existence of the "ether" by delicate experiments, they constructed
other intellectual concepts to explain the same phenomena.
In considering the whole field of divinely conferred
"infallibility" one must be careful to avoid the literal understanding
and petty-mindedness that has so often characterised discussions of
this matter in the Christian world. The Manifestation of God (and, to
a lesser degree, 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi,) has to convey
tremendous concepts covering the whole field of human life and
activity to people whose present knowledge and degree of understanding
are far below His. He must use the limited medium of human language
against the limited and often erroneous background of His audience's
traditional knowledge and current understanding to raise them to a
wholly new level of awareness and behaviour. It is a human tendency,
against which the Manifestation warns us, to measure His statements
against the inaccurate standard of the acquired knowledge of
mankind. We tend to take them and place them within one or other of
the existing categories of human philosophy or science while, in
reality, they transcend these and will, if properly understood, open
new and vast horizons to our understanding.
Some sayings of the Manifestation are clear and obvious. Among
these are laws of behaviour. Others are elucidations which lead men
from their present level of understanding to a new one. Others are
pregnant allusions, the significance of which only becomes apparent as
the knowledge and understanding of the reader grow. And all are
integral parts of one great Revelation intended to raise mankind to a
new level of its evolution.
It may well be that we shall find some statement is couched in
terms familiar to the audience to which it was first addressed, but is
strange now to us. For example, in answer to a question about
Bahá'u'lláh's reference to the "Fourth Heaven" in the Kitab-i-Iqan,
the Guardian's secretary wrote on his behalf:
"Regarding the ascension of His Holiness Christ to the fourth
heaven revealed in the Book of Certitude, Shoghi Effendi says
that the phrase 'fourth heaven' is used to conform with the
ancient astronomers' terms and theories which were upheld by
the followers of the Shi'ih sect, and since the Book of
Certitude was originally revealed for the guidance of that
sect, the above phrase, therefore, was used in conformity with
their theories."
(Translated from the Arabic)
In studying such statements, however, we must have the humility to
appreciate the limitations of our own knowledge and outlook, and
strive always to understand the purpose of Bahá'u'lláh in making them,
trying to look upon Him with His own eyes, as it were.
It is hoped that the above explanations will prove useful to you
in your study of the subjects in which you have expressed interest.
With loving Bahá'í greetings,
For Department of the Secretariat