[Yusuf Ali]
> 034.029
They say: "When will THIS PROMISE (come to pass) if ye are telling the
truth?"
> 034.030
> Say: "The APPOINTMENT TO YOU IS FOR A DAY, which ye cannot put
> back for an hour nor put forward."
Dear Khazeh, when I read passages like the above, they generally make
me think of my individual death. If they referred mainly to
world-historical eschatological events then it is only meaningful to a
portion of people. Plenty of people will miss the coming of the Mahdi.
Plenty of people will miss the second coming of Jesus. Plenty of
people will miss the Beast, and the sun rising in the west, and the
Dajjal. But everyone who was born will die. And that's certainly an
appointment that everyone will make, and no one will speed up or slow
down.
Dear Gilberto
I read the above reply with affection and respect and warm regards for your
reply.
But I am a bit puzzled re your logic. In other words I am wondering what
exactly your point is. Is the fact that people miss the significance of an
Event [be it the significance of their won soul or life] or the Great
Significant Event of the Eschatology [ie the Coming of the Bab and
Baha'u'llah] a point that would weaken the challenge of the Qur'anic verses?
I am wondering...
In one of your letters you mentioned kindly about your Christian background.
Was not the Event of Christ's Coming a Judgement in a sense for His people?
Just as His Return in the Reality of Baha'u'llah a Judgement for all?
You also wrote dear Gilberto that
I'm not a Shia and even if I was I think it is highly unusual to say
that the dispensation of Muhammad actually started a couple of
centuries after Muhammad passed. If the Babi dispensation started when
the Bab made his declaration, it makes a lot more sense to say that the
dispensation of Muhammad at least started during his lifetime (when he
was born, when the Quran first started coming down, at the start of
the Hejra, or maybe when the verse about "I have perfected for you
your religion" came down). It seems bizarre to say the dispensation of
Muhammad didn't start until the disappearance of the last imam.
Peace
Gilberto
Dear Gilberto
Lest there be a misunderstanding I did not say that the Dispensation of
Muhammad [upon Him be all peace all salutation] started ! in 260 AH.
I said or meant to say that the Alfa Sanah [the thousand year period
mentioned in the Súrih 32: verse 5 and the Surah 22:47] started in the year
260 AH to take into account of all the elaboration exposition and
elucidation that the Imams offered the Community despite some very
horrendous persecutions and sufferings They underwent.
All the denominations of Islam [the proverbial 72 firqah's] all of these
branches agree on one hadith that the Prophet said
I leave you with two weighty valuable Things [thaqalayn]
**AlTirmidhí in his Sunan (v, 662, no. 3786) records the following
tradition
....Jábir ibn `Abd Allah said: "I saw the Messenger of God - upon whom be
God's peace and benedictions - in the course of his H.ajj pilgrimage on the
day of `Arafah. The Prophet (S) was seated on his camel, alQas.wá', and was
delivering a sermon. I heard him say: 'O PEOPLE, I AM LEAVING AMONG YOU THAT
WHICH IF YOU HOLD ON TO YOU SHALL NEVER GO ASTRAY: THE BOOK OF GOD AND MY
KINDRED, MY HOUSEHOLD."
One does not need to be a Shi'ih to accept the vital significance of this
Hadith which is also recorded in the Book of Certitude by Baha'u'llah
** Inasmuch as Muhammad hath confined His testimonies to His Book and to His
Family, and whereas the latter hath passed away, there remaineth His Book
only as His one testimony amongst the people.
(Baha'u'llah: The Kitab-i-Iqan, Page: 202)**
In the following missive
http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist/m43028.html
my dear Gilberto writes:
**** In Islam, especially among Sufis if you think about concepts like the
Perfect Man or the Qut.b, in a certain sense Muslims might even recognize
new Manifestations. The only question is whether the Shari'ah has been
abrogated or not.****
The Abrogation of the Shari'ah is really within the Will [Mashiyyat] of the
Supreme Ordainer, exalted be His Names and Attributes.
But there are clues/allusions/ intimations in the Holy Qur'an that this will
be the case. Thus:
****
010.049
YUSUFALI: Say: "I have no power over any harm or profit to myself except as
God willeth. TO EVERY PEOPLE IS A TERM APPOINTED: when their term is
reached, not an hour can they cause delay, nor (an hour) can they advance
(it in anticipation)."
PICKTHAL: Say: I have no power to hurt or benefit myself, save that which
God willeth. FOR EVERY NATION THERE IS AN APPOINTED TIME. When their time
cometh, then they cannot put it off an hour, nor hasten (it).
SHAKIR: Say: I do not control for myself any harm, or any benefit except
what God pleases; every nation has a term; when their term comes, they shall
not then remain behind for an hour, nor can they go before (their time).****
In relation to Shari'ah like everything else the Hand of God is unchained.
5:64
"God's hand is tied up."
God's hand is fettered
The hand of God is tied up!"
Sura 5 condemns any attitude which would say the Hand of God would be tied
up/fettered/ or chained
What He ordains for us operates in His Own Domain
017.029
YUSUFALI: Make not thy hand tied to thy neck
PICKTHAL: And let not thy hand be chained to thy neck
SHAKIR: And do not make your hand to be shackled to your neck
055.029
YUSUFALI: Of Him seeks (its need) every creature in the heavens and on
earth: EVERY DAY IN NEW SPLENDOUR DOTH HE (SHINE)!
Also this great reference is really worth thinking about
>From the BOOK BURHAAN
Burhaan, (=al-Sayyid Hashim al-Bahrani, Kitab al-burhan fi tafsir al-Qur'an.
4 vols. Tehran, 1375/1955).
It is a Book of Tafsir in 4 Volume. The Compiler finished compiling it and
passed away in 1107 A.H. [153 years before the Dawn of the 12th Imam as the
Holy Personage of the Primal Point.
The Imam Ja'far as. S.aadiq [the 6th Imam] was asked : What is the meaning
of the Holy Qur'an Verse in Sura Kahf [the Cave]
Sura 18:109. Qul law kana albah.ru midadan likalimati rabbee lanafida
albahru qabla an tanfada kalimatu rabbee walaw ji/na bimithlihi madadan
Sura 18:109
YUSUFALI: Say: "If the ocean were ink (wherewith to write out) the words of
my Lord, sooner would the ocean be exhausted than would the words of my
Lord, even if we added another ocean like it, for its aid."
PICKTHAL: Say: Though the sea became ink for the Words of my Lord, verily
the sea would be used up before the words of my Lord were exhausted, even
though We brought the like thereof to help.
SHAKIR: Say: If the sea were ink for the words of my Lord, the sea would
surely be consumed before the words of my Lord are exhausted, though We were
to bring the like of that (sea) to add.
The Imam was asked: What is the meaning of this verse:
The Infallible Imam replied:
Burhan, (=al-Sayyid Hashim al-Bahrani, Kitab al-burhan fi tafsir al-Qur'an.
4 vols. Tehran, 1375/1955).
Page 496 [akhbaraka anna Kalam Allah laysa lahuu aakhirun wa laa ghaayata wa
laa yanqat.i'u abadan] In other words ***GOD HERE INFORMS THEE THAT THE WORD
OF GOD HAS NO END, NO TERMINATION, AND IT SHALL NEVER CEASE AT ALL.***
This servant suggests this is a most precious find in such a wonderful Book
from such a Holy Imam.
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