Kitab-i-Iqan, The Book of Certitude

Kitab-i-Iqan is a major work of Baha'u'llah. He wrote this book in defense of the religious claims of Bab.

Baha’u’llah wrote about Iqan in Iqan:

“…in as much as the things We have already mentioned suffice the world and that is therein. In fact, all the Scriptures and the mysteries thereof are condensed into this brief account. So much so, that were a person to ponder it a while in his heart, he would discover from all that hath been said the mysteries of the words of God, and would apprehend the meaning of whatever hath been manifested by that ideal king”. 

(English Translation of Iqan by Shoghi Effendi (Pocket Size Edition page No.237)

Bahā’u’llāh stated that Iqan is a Bābi Lawh-e- estedlāliya (Proof-offering Tablet), that is, a treatise written in proof of the messianic claims and religious doctrines of the Bāb. 
(Fāżel Māzandarāni, 1967, I, p. 276).

Shoghi Effendi Wrote About Iqan

"...the most important book written on the spiritual significance of the Cause"

(The light of Divine Guidance, Vol.1,37) 

Iqan is Lord of Books

Iqan is called as "Lord of books" (Sayyed-e- kotob)  and called as Divine Revelation.   “The Ketāb-e iqān is in reality the Lord of Books and issued forth from the Most Elevated Pen (Qalam-e Aa’lā)”.

English Translation

Ali Kuli Khan has translated the Iqan in English and its revised 1934 Cairo edition is available. Shoghi Effendi, the First Guardian of Bahai Faith and the second successor of Baha’u’llah has also translated it in English and Baha’i Publishing Trust of Wilmette, Illinois 600091 (USA) has printed it. Its first edition was published in 1931 and then in 1950 and subsequently printed seven times. First pocket size edition 1983 and reprinted in 1985 in 257 pages. At the end of the book Glossary and Notes and Index is added.

Dr. A. Parikh

Secretary, National Baha'i Council of India.

To Live............The Life

"To be no cause of grief to anyone.

To be kind to all people and to love them with a pure spirit.

Should opposition or injury happen to us, to bear it, to be as kind as ever can be, and through all, to love the people.   Should calamity exist in the greatest degree, to rejoice, for these things are the gifts and favors of God.

To be silent concerning the faults of others, to pray for them, and to help them, through kindness, to correct their faults.

To look always at the good and not at the bad.  If a man has ten good qualities and one bad one, look at the ten and forget the one. And if a man has ten bad qualities and one good one, to look at the one and forget the ten.

Never to allow ourselves to speak one unkind word about another, even though that other be our enemy.

To do all of our deeds in kindness.

To cut our hearts from ourselves and from the world.

To be humble.

To be servants of each other, and to know that we are less than anyone else.

To be as one soul in many bodies, for the more we love each other, the nearer we shall be to God; but to know that our love, our unity, our obedience must not be by confession, but of reality.

To act with cautiousness and wisdom.

To be truthful.

To be hospitable.

To be reverent.

To be the cause of healing for every sick one,
          a comforter for every sorrowful one,
          a pleasant water for every thirsty one.
          a heavenly table for every hungry one,
          a star to every horizon,
          a light for every lamp,
          a herald to everyone who yearns for the kingdom of God"

Abdu'l-Baha

Birth of Baha’u’llah

We congratulate you on this auspicious occasion and invite to you to pay attention to the following as sincere Baha’i and true seeker of truths.

They say:

“The covenant of Baha’u’llah , explores two interwoven themes:

One is the concept of a center to which all must turn,

 And the other concerns the standard of conduct that Baha’u’llah expects us to follow when we accept Him and enter into the Tabernacle of His Covenant”.

And they explain the above as under:

“Of course we know that the centre to which all Baha’is turn today is the Universal House of Justice. Baha’u’llah Himself ordained the institution of the Universal House of justice in the Kitab-i-Aqdas and Abdu’l’Baha confirms its authority in His will and Testament”.

We say:

Of course you don’t know that:

 The Headless Universal House of Justice is not the centre to which all Baha’is should turn.

The entity currently to be a Universal House of Justice cannot be an “authoritative” source of guidance for true Bahá’ís because the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Baha grants the following authority to the Guardian with respect to the UHJ, an authority that is totally lacking in his absence from the so called UHJ.

At the end:

Pay attention to the Will of beloved Master Abdu’l Baha:

“The mighty stronghold shall remain impregnable and safe through obedience to him who is the guardian of the Cause of God. It is incumbent upon the members of the House of Justice, upon all the Aghsán, the Afnán, the Hands of the Cause of God to show their obedience, submissiveness and subordination unto the guardian of the Cause of God, to turn unto him and be lowly before him. He that opposeth him hath opposed the True One, will make a breach in the Cause of God, will subvert His word and will become a manifestation of the Center of Sedition”.

Dr. A. Parikh,

Hand of the Cause of God,

Member of the Third International Baha’i Council,

The secretary of National Baha’i Council of India.

Bab the "Forerunner" of the Promised One.

BIRTH OF BAB

On this grand moment we offer our heartiest greetings to beloved Guardian and to all the Baha'is of the world.

On 20th October, the Baha'is observe a holy day as it is the Birth anniversary of the Bab, the Promised One foretold in the great religions. This date marks the anniversary of His birth, He was known as Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad and was born in 1819 in Shiraz, Iran.
The First Guardian Shoghi Effendi wrote in the Dispensation of Baha'u'llah:
"Dearly beloved friends! That the Bab, the inaugurator of the Babi Dispensation, is fully entitled to rank as one of the self-sufficient Manifestations of God, that He has been invested with sovereign power and authority, and exercises all the rights all the rights and prerogatives of independent Prophethood, is yet another fundamental verity which the Message of Baha u llah insistently proclaims and which its flowers must uncompromisingly uphold. That He is not to be regarded merely as an inspired Precursor of the Baha’i Revelation………
There can be no doubt that the claim to the twofold station ordained for the Bab by the Almighty, a claim which He Himself has so boldly advanced, which Baha u llah has repeatedly affirmed, and to which the Will and Testament of Abdu’l Baha has finally given the sanction of its testimony, constitute the most distinctive feature of the Baha’i Dispensation."
The Dispensation of Baha’u’llah, page No.31.

Whoso denieth Guardian hath denied God;

The sacred and youthful branch, the guardian of the Cause of God as well as the Universal House of Justice, to be universally elected and established, are both under the care and protection of the Abhá Beauty, under the shelter and unerring guidance of His Holiness, the Exalted One (may my life be offered up for them both). Whatsoever they decide is of God. Whoso obeyeth him (Guardian) not, neither obeyeth them hath not obeyed God; whoso rebelleth against him (Guardian) and against them hath rebelled against God; whoso opposeth him (Guardian) hath opposed God; whoso contendeth with them hath contended with God; whoso disputeth with him (Guardian) hath disputed with God; whoso denieth him hath denied God; whoso disbelieveth in him hath disbelieved in God; whoso deviateth, separateth himself and turneth aside from him hath in truth deviated, separated himself and turned aside from God. May the wrath, the fierce indignation, the vengeance of God rest upon him! The mighty stronghold shall remain impregnable and safe through obedience to him who is the guardian of the Cause of God.

(The Will & Testament of Abdu'l Baha)

International Conference of the Orthodox Baha'is

An international conference of the Orthodox Bahais of the world held at Albuquerque, New Mexico on 9th and 10th June 2012.
Conference opened with the reciting of several prayers by the friends including the Healing Prayer for all of those who are currently facing health problems.
The friends were delighted to welcome Hand of the Cause, Nosrat’u’llah Bahremand, from Australia, to share their conference experience. He is the Vice President of the Third International Baha’i Council and the appointed successor of the Third Guardian.

Deepening
This conference was a very successful gathering with the view point of devotionals and deepening. The following subjects discussed by the friends present in the conference:
The Necessity for a Mediator.
Prayer Indispensable and Obligatory.
Prayer the Language of Love.
Love, Jewels from the Words of Abdu’l-Baha.
Why do bad things happen to good people?
Prayer and Natural Law.
The Seven Mouths of God.
Seven major faiths Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Islam and Bahai’ism must be united from around the world. 
The History of the Tablet of Ahmad. Who was Ahmad?  What was happening historically when this tablet was revealed?
Khalil Gibran and the Baha’i Faith.
The Creative Power of the Word of God.

Administration & Future Vision
Publishing and Feast activities of Orthodox Baha’i’ Community of Roswell discussed. Same will continue to invite people to the Baha’i Topics. As the Feast is the bedrock of the community and the main purpose of feasts is consultation, will continue in Roswell and in Indian Community of Orthodox Baha’is.
As per the directives of Guardian, as far as possible new technologies will be utilized to deliver the message of guardianship. Video-conferencing, possibly using ‘Hang-out’ on Google+ and… will be encouraged everyone to use social networking sites, such as Google+, where you can distinguish groups of people through ‘circles. All friends are encouraged to develop a personal page or blog.
The topic Suggested for future conferences are:  Love, the Will and Testament of Baha’u’llah (Kitab-I-‘Ahd or the Book of the Covenant). Review of part I of the Seven Valleys, Tahirih, more from the New Era such as Science and Religion, a discussion of The Bible  Code. The Orthodox Baha’is of Colorado offered to host the summer 2013 conference in Colorado Springs.
The appointed successor of the Third Guardian, the Vice President of the Third International Baha’i Council the Hand of Cause of God Mr. Nosrat’u’llah Bahremand delivered a message of Third Guardian Joel Bray Marangella that: “the Guardian has asked us to create a presence on the internet.  He said everyone can have a blog, or get onto Facebook, Google+ or any social networking site.
Conference ended with the prayer by Mr. Nosrat’u’llah Bahremand.