In a posting today http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist/m43115.html
dear Gilberto writes many things but the pressure of time prevents this servant from responding and I am beginning to doubt that my postings are read in the spirit of enquiry I was hoping for but these words in http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist/m43115.html arrested my attention Gilberto writes: > 160 observing that just as the companions of the Prophet Muhammad were willing to lay down their lives at His feet, the followers of the Bab were willing to do the same If martyrdom proved anything then you all should join HAMAS.> The Martyrdom that His holiness Baha'u'llah's Iqan refers to is precisely that Martyrdom which is mentioned twice in the Qur'an. One is here 2:94 Please forgive me as I will be unable after the end of today to enter into a dialogue with you until some weekends... 002.094 YUSUFALI: Say: "If the last Home, with God, be for you specially, and not for anyone else, THEN SEEK YE FOR DEATH, IF YE ARE SINCERE." PICKTHAL: Say (unto them): If the abode of the Hereafter in the providence of God is indeed for you alone and not for others of mankind (as ye pretend), THEN LONG FOR DEATH (FOR YE MUST LONG FOR DEATH) IF YE ARE TRUTHFUL. SHAKIR: Say: If the future abode with God is specially for you to the exclusion of the people, THEN INVOKE DEATH IF YOU ARE TRUTHFUL. 2:94. Qul in kanat lakumu alddaru al-akhiratu AAinda Godi khalisatan min dooni alnnasi FATAMANNAWOO almawta in kuntum sadiqeena And the exalted Bab anticipating His own Martyrdom uses the Qur'anic term [tamannaa] yearning ****O THOU Remnant of God! I have sacrificed myself wholly for Thee; I have accepted curses for Thy sake, and have yearned [ maa tamannytu] for naught but martyrdom in the path of Thy love. Sufficient witness unto me is God, the Exalted, the Protector, the Ancient of Days. O Qurratu'l-'Ayn! The words Thou hast uttered in this momentous Call have grieved Me bitterly. However, the irrevocable decision resteth with none but God and the decree proceedeth from none save Him alone. By My life, Thou art the Well-Beloved in the sight of God and His creation. Verily, there is no power except in God, and sufficient witness unto Me is your Lord, Who is, in very truth, the Omnipotent Avenger. (The Bab: Selections from the Bab, Page: 59)**** As a warning about questioning that goes nowhere and increases doubt rather than certitude I quote from the most famous 40 Hadiths http://islamworld.net/nawawi.html#hadith2 On the authority of Al-Hasan bin Ali, the grandson of the messenger of God, who said : I memorized from the messenger of God his saying : "LEAVE THAT WHICH MAKES YOU DOUBT FOR THAT WHICH DOES NOT MAKE YOU DOUBT." On the authority of Abu Hurairah, who said : I heared the messenger of God say : "What I have forbidden to you, avoid; what I have ordered you [to do], do as much of it as you can. IT WAS ONLY THEIR EXCESSIVE QUESTIONING AND THEIR DISAGREEING WITH THEIR PROPHETS THAT DESTROYED THOSE WHO WERE BEFORE YOU." related bu Bukhari and Muslim and may joy and peace be with you all as you deeply peruse the Iqan, the Qur'an, and the Bible... __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:archive@mail-archive.com To unsubscribe, send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, use subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:bahai-st@list.jccc.edu Web - http://list.jccc.edu/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.net New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.edu
