Some Bahá’í teachings that are similar to those found in Islam.
A word of caution is necessary: The Baha’i views extend profoundly beyond the focus given on these sound-bit topics below. For example, the Baha’i view on life after death is not reduced to rewards and punishments. Consider the following two passages. As with any of the topics covered in the Baha’i Writings it is best to examine ALL of the passages regarding a particular topic, for they are complementary. Taking one out of the context of the broader Revelation may cause the reader to skew his or her understanding into a warped perspective. This is true of the subject of evil, for example, which the Baha'i Writings unequivocally state exists, while its nature is more complex to understand. The same principle of keeping the broader context is also true for the Qur’an and the Bible. For instance, John the Baptist said he was not Elijah, while Christ Jesus said that he was. If you took only one of the passages you would not understand. You need both. I have used a biblical example to balance things a bit, since these comparisons were written primarily for Muslims investigating and comparing the Baha'i religion. Now, here are two complementary views on life after death from the Baha'i Writings (more in the last section below, which I felt was inadequate):
“And now
concerning thy question regarding the soul of man and its survival after death. Know thou of a truth that the soul, after
its separation from the body, will continue to progress until it attaineth the presence of God, in a state and condition
which neither the revolution of ages and centuries, nor the changes and chances
of this world, can alter. It will endure as long as the
“He [the true seeker] should forgive the sinful, and never despise his low estate, for none knoweth what his own end shall be. How often hath a sinner attained, at the hour of death, to the essence of faith, and, quaffing the immortal draught, hath taken his flight unto the Concourse on high! And how often hath a devout believer, at the hour of his soul's ascension, been so changed as to fall into the nethermost fire!” (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 265)
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Islam |
Bahá’í |
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God (Allah) |
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God witnesseth that there is no god but He: and the angels, and mean endued with knowledge, stablished in righteousness, proclaim "There is no god but He, the Mighty, the Wise!" -- The Qur'an 3:18 |
Beware, beware, lest thou be led to join partners with the Lord, thy God. He is, and hath from everlasting been, one and alone, without peer or equal, eternal in the past, eternal in the future, detached from all things, ever-abiding, unchangeable, and self-subsisting. He hath assigned no associate unto Himself in His Kingdom, no counsellor to counsel Him, none to compare unto Him, none to rival His glory. To this every atom of the universe beareth witness, and beyond it the inmates of the realms on high -- Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, XCIV |
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Praise be to God, Who created (out of nothing) the heavens and the earth, Who made the angels, messengers with wings,- two, or three, or four (pairs): He adds to Creation as He pleases: for God has power over all things. -- The Qur'an: 35:1 |
All praise to the unity of God… Who, out of utter nothingness, hath created the reality of all things, Who, from naught, hath brought into being the most refined and subtle elements of His creation, and Who, rescuing His creatures from the abasement of remoteness and the perils of ultimate extinction, hath received them into His kingdom of incorruptible glory. -- Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, XXVII |
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Seest thou not that God created the heavens and the earth in Truth? If He so will, He can remove you and put (in your place) a new creation? Nor is that for God any great matter. -- Qur'an 14:19-20 "Neither will this be difficult with God." --Qur'án
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He ordaineth as He pleaseth, by virtue of His sovereignty, and doeth whatsoever He willeth at His own behest. He shall not be asked of the things it pleaseth Him to ordain. He, in truth, is the Unrestrained, the All-Powerful, the All-Wise. (Gleanings 223) I beg of God that He may make you diffusers of His fragrances, servants of His Cause, gazers unto His Face, speakers in His praise, and that He may protect you against tests and trials, so that ye may become shining lights, beaming stars, gleaming lamps and lofty trees. Verily, this is not difficult with God!” (TAB v2, 274) “Strive that by your deeds you may bear witness to the truth of
these words of God, and beware lest,
by 'turning back,' He may 'change you for another people,' who
'shall not be your like,' and who shall take from you the “If we are not the instruments in spreading this Cause, others will be chosen. . . God will raise up a people who will hoist the standard of God, who will ignite the Lamp of God, who will conquer the cities of the hearts, who will show forth the potency of the Word of God. But for us the desire is that we may be the instruments and thus we may be crowned. Otherwise, God is able to create instruments whereby His Word shall be published broadcast. If this does not happen today . . .(Abdu’l-Baha, Baha'i Scriptures, p. 374 ) |
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The Messengers of God (Allah) and Progressive Revelation |
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We gave Moses the Book and followed him up with a succession of apostles; We gave Jesus the son of Mary Clear (Signs) and strengthened him with the holy spirit. Is it that whenever there comes to you an apostle with what ye yourselves desire not, ye are puffed up with pride? - Some ye called impostors, and others ye slay! -- Qur'an 2:87 . And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the Law that had come before him: We sent him the Gospel: therein was guidance and light, and confirmation of the Law that had come before him: a guidance and an admonition to those who fear God. -- Qur'an 5:49 Then sent We our apostles in succession: every time there came to a people their apostle, they accused him of falsehood: so We made them follow each other (in punishment): We made them as a tale (that is told): So away with a people that will not believe! -- Qur'an 23:44 |
Consider the past. How many, both high and low, have, at all times, yearningly awaited the advent of the Manifestations of God in the sanctified persons of His chosen Ones. How often have they expected His coming, how frequently have they prayed that the breeze of divine mercy might blow, and the promised Beauty step forth from behind the veil of concealment, and be made manifest to all the world. And whensoever the portals of grace did open, and the clouds of divine bounty did rain upon mankind, and the light of the Unseen did shine above the horizon of celestial might, they all denied Him, and turned away from His face--the face of God Himself. Refer ye, to verify this truth, to that which hath been recorded in every sacred Book. -- The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 4 |
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Say ye: "We believe in God, and the revelation given to us, and to Abraham, Ismá'íl, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) prophets from their Lord: We make no difference between one and another of them: And we bow to God (in Islám)." -- Qur'an 2:136 |
Beware, O believers in the Unity of God, lest ye be tempted to make any distinction between any of the Manifestations of His Cause, or to discriminate against the signs that have accompanied and proclaimed their Revelation. This indeed is the true meaning of Divine Unity, if ye be of them that apprehend and believe this truth. -- Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, XXIV Be thou assured in thyself that verily, he who turns away from this Beauty hath also turned away from the Messengers of the past and showeth pride towards God from all eternity to all eternity – Tablet of Ahmad |
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They ask thee concerning the Spirit (of inspiration). Say: "The Spirit (cometh) by command of my Lord: of knowledge it is only a little that is communicated to you, (O men!)" -- Qur'an 17:85 And there is not a thing but its (sources and) treasures (inexhaustible) are with Us; but We only send down thereof in due and ascertainable measures. -- Qur'an 15:21 |
O SON OF BEAUTY! By My spirit and by My favor! By My mercy and by My beauty! All that I have revealed unto thee with the tongue of power, and have written for thee with the pen of might, hath been in accordance with thy capacity and understanding, not with My state and the melody of My voice. -- The Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah, Arabic #67 |
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The Human Soul and its Development |
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Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: "I will create a vicegerent on earth.".. -- Qur'an 2:30 O ye people! Adore your Guardian-Lord, who created you and those who came before you, that ye may have the chance to learn righteousness -- Qur'an 2:21 |
And since there can be no tie of direct intercourse to bind the one true God with His creation, and no resemblance whatever can exist between the transient and the Eternal, the contingent and the Absolute, He hath ordained that in every age and dispensation a pure and stainless Soul be made manifest in the kingdoms of earth and heaven. 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. To this testifieth the tradition: "Manifold and mysterious is My relationship with God. I am He, Himself, and He is I, Myself, except that I am that I am, and He is that He is." And in like manner, the words: "Arise, O Muhammad, for lo, the Lover and the Beloved are joined together and made one in Thee." He similarly saith: "There is no distinction whatsoever between Thee and Them, except that They are Thy Servants." The second station is the human station, exemplified by the following verses: "I am but a man like you." "Say, praise be to my Lord! Am I more than a man, an apostle?" These Essences of Detachment, these resplendent Realities are the channels of God's all-pervasive grace. Led by the light of unfailing guidance, and invested with supreme sovereignty, They are commissioned to use the inspiration of Their words, the effusions of Their infallible grace and the sanctifying breeze of Their Revelation for the cleansing of every longing heart and receptive spirit from the dross and dust of earthly cares and limitations. Then, and only then, will the Trust of God, latent in the reality of man, emerge, as resplendent as the rising Orb of Divine Revelation, from behind the veil of concealment, and implant the ensign of its revealed glory upon the summits of men's hearts. (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 66 – this quote was not included in Momen’s comparison, in his book "Islam and the Bahá’í Faith) Out of the wastes of nothingness, with the clay of My command I made thee to appear, and have ordained for thy training every atom in existence and the essence of all created things. Thus, ere thou didst issue from thy mother's womb, I destined for thee two founts of gleaming milk, eyes to watch over thee, and hearts to love thee. Out of My loving-kindness, 'neath the shade of My mercy I nurtured thee, and guarded thee by the essence of My grace and favor. And My purpose in all this was that thou mightest attain My everlasting dominion and become worthy of My invisible bestowals. (The Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah, Persian #29) |
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Relate to them the story of the man to whom We sent Our signs, but he passed them by: so Satan followed him up, and he went astray. If it had been Our will, We should have elevated him with Our signs; but he inclined to the earth, and followed his own vain desires. His similitude is that of a dog: if you attack him, he lolls out his tongue, or if you leave him alone, he (still) lolls out his tongue. That is the similitude of those who reject Our signs; So relate the story; perchance they may reflect. -- Qur'an 7:175-176 |
In man there are two natures; his spiritual or higher nature and his material or lower nature. In one he approaches God, in the other he lives for the world alone. Signs of both these natures are to be found in men. In his material aspect he expresses untruth, cruelty and injustice; all these are the outcome of his lower nature. The attributes of his Divine nature are shown forth in love, mercy, kindness, truth and justice, one and all being expressions of his higher nature. Every good habit, every noble quality belongs to man's spiritual nature, whereas all his imperfections and sinful actions are born of his material nature. If a man's Divine nature dominates his human nature, we have a saint. -- `Abdu'l-Bahá, |
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Life after Death |
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"As to those who reject faith, I will punish them with terrible agony in this world and in the Hereafter, nor will they have anyone to help." "As to those who believe and work righteousness, God will pay them (in full) their reward; but God loveth not those who do wrong." -- Qur'an 3:56-57 |
Thou hast decided between all created things, causing them who are devoted to Thee to ascend unto the summit of glory, and the infidels to fall into the lowest abyss. -- Bahá'u'lláh, Tablet of Visitation |
This chart mostly taken from Momen’s book on "Islam and the Bahá’í Faith" (General introductory comments by Greg Kagira-Watson.)