Holy-Writings.com - Read text

Brett Zamir's Bahá'í Page

(Revised August 17, 2005)
(See below for a log of changes.)

(The quotation on the symbolism of Adam and Eve has been moved here.)

Table of Contents:

More items should be coming soon!

Brett Zamir

If you wish to contact me, you can send me an email at: .

Sacred Writings

Feel free to check out http://www.bahai-library.com/browse0.php. The design is very bare bones, but at least one can change the appearance for the final result...

I hope we can in the future add search features, "next page/previous page"'s, and user preferences, not to mention additional texts and additional content functionality. Let me know if anyone is interested in collaboration in the programming, design and/or formatting and uploading of new content documents for the database (the Writings).
The Qur'án page has links to George Sale's translation of the Qur'án with his extensive notes (long out of print) as well as to Rodwell's translation and its notes. Both translations were recommended by Shoghi Effendi (during his lifetime at least). There is also a multilinear version including these translations as well as references to Bahá'í interpretations of and other data corresponding to the respective verses. Now available with frames. Also integrated at new browse site.
The Bible page contains the King James translation of the Bible (also recommended by Shoghi Effendi) also in a multilinear format (though currently without other Bible translations) with corresponding references to Bahá'í interpretations of and other data corresponding to the respective verses. Not yet available with frames. Also integrated at new browse site.
The following are some Tablets attributed to 'Abdu'l-Bahá (in two parts: BC#71-77A (special thanks to Nicole Zamir for the latter) and BC#1-80B passim) (from the Dwight Barstow collection) which have been translated into English but for which no Persian original copy has yet been found nor has the translation been authenticated. Nevertheless, it is thought that these may be of some interest, and it is hoped that the Persian originals may be found (and perhaps the English translations here can be of some assistance in making authoritative translations for those that may be found).

Universal House of Justice Letters:

(For the letters previously listed here, they are now integrated within the main site under Universal House of Justice--Unpublished and Compilation - Bahá'í World Centre.)

Here is a memorandum from the Research Department regarding recommended translations of the Qur'án and recommended introductory works. (This is included in the Qur'án page mentioned above, but still needs to be listed separately...)
Here is a 4 September 1994 response on behalf of the Universal House of Justice containing practical advice for Bahá'ís on planning in "each important area of one's life". The letter also discusses the issue of balancing one's education and career with service to the Cause. Although it is integrated at the site mentioned, I have included it here because of its great utility.

Study Guides and Compilations:

Youth/Adult Study Compilation

Click here to see a compilation from the Bahá'í Writings on youth study (also for adults). Once the page loads, click on the "contents" tab on the right side of the page. (You should expand the page's window if any of the tabs are not showing.)

Once you select a heading from the Table of Contents (and then a section heading) (or you may select a different side tab), you can then navigate with the buttons in the top right hand corner to go up or down a page. You can also click on the left-hand side of all outline entries to expand or collapse that entry's contents for easier viewing. If you have any trouble viewing it in your browser, please let me know.

This compilation shows exactly what books and content we are to study, how we are supposed to study and use the knowledge we acquire, and so forth. Most of the items referred to here on this page (the study outlines and Qur'án and Bible cross-referencing) were designed to make study and internalization of the recommended books' content more possible.

Alternatively, you can choose to view the unformatted compilation (though it has more formatting than the other version in one way in the sense that the quotations have underlining added to show their relevance to the headings in which they have been categorized). The unformatted version also contains a sample structure for a class which might incorporate all of the content and methods referred to in the compilation's quotations.
Miscellaneous Study Outlines

Also already on-site now for some time (though previously in not very readable formats) are some different study outlines at http://www.bahai-library.org/?collection=Study. If someone would like to collaborate on the content (or even just to provide a little feedback), please feel free to let me know at . An Outline of The Dawn-Breakers and A Traveler's Narrative Cross-Referencing have now been fully formatted, the God Passes By outline has been completed through the chapters corresponding to events in The Dawn-Breakers, and An outline of Prosperity of Humankind and Turning Point for all Nations Study Outline have had formatting completed. A Some Answered Questions Outline is now available.
The Hidden Words Study Tool

Here is a study guide on The Hidden Words. It is very crude in formatting and could use some reviewing for content as well. However, I thought I would make it available in case it could be of some use. Crude paraphrases are made of each Hidden Word in simpler English (at the bottom of the document) and are then placed in outlines of varying detail (the rest of the document) to provide a conceptual framework for memorizing and recalling the Hidden Words.
Bahá'í Collaboration Project

One other project which is far from finished yet which I wanted to offer is a site similar to The Bahá'í by Subject site in that it aims to categorize the Writings and other materials by subject (along with other categorization schemes). However, the project I have been working on aims to orient itself for use in making plans, and as a hierarchy for storing other information (including but not limited to quotations from the Writings). I hope the site could evolve into a Wiki site such as that at Wikipedia but dedicated to a consideration of all aspects of life from a Bahá'í perspective. The opportunity for fully interlinking items as intended does not yet seem possible in current operating systems, but I am hopeful and confident that they will eventually develop to this capacity. Feel free to visit the site (and contribute if you wish) at http://bahai9.com You would also be welcome to email me to discuss this idea if you wish.

Quotation on the Sybmolism of Adam and Eve (mentioned to participants of an ABS lecture on a feminist topic)

Regarding thy question as to the beginning of Creation: Know thou that the Truth (GOD) has eternally ever been, and so also have His creatures, for there is no beginning either for the Truth (God) or for the creatures. According to the bodies in the contingent world, the "beginning" mentioned in the Holy Scriptures means the beginning of the Manifestation, and "creation" signifies the Second Spiritual Birth: as Christ says, "You must be born again." There is no doubt that the beginning of this Spiritual creation was the Manifestation Himself, for each Manifestation of the Divine Manifestations is the Adam (of His time,) and His first believer is Eve, while all the souls who are born of the Second Birth are His children and decendents. In the New Testament it is recorded: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit." Again in John 1:13" Which was born not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
.....
BC#286B
.....
(Signed) Abdul-Baha Abbas.

(Revealed Oct. 24, 1903. Translated in the Holy City. Translation certified to by Mirza Fareed Ameen, Dec.26, 1903.)
Pub. by C.e. Sprague, 3502 Lake Ave., Chicago, Ill. Apr. 19, 08.
BC#286C (Note these quotations let alone translations have not yet been verified, but could in fact be actual text, rather than pilgrim's notes)

Log of changes to this page (for ease of reference):

17.8.2005 - Small fixes, relocated content within the page or referenced to the content at other pages
2.5.2005 - Adding database browser link and info to Sacred Writings section
7.9.2004 - Small correction
26.8.2003 - Added Some Answered Questions Outline link.
17.7.2003 - Changed outlines and added an item to the collaboration section just above.