The Baha'i Studies Listserv I remember a friend (then, not yet a Baha'i) in college asking me if I could help him to understand what Baha'u'llah meant by the fear of God?
So, as a naïve but ardent 20 yr old, I sought out passages in the Writings about the fear of God. Pretty quickly, I realized that I was over my head, but . . . and this is the main point that I want to share . . . One passage read as follows: "The essence of wisdom is the fear of God." I didn't understand the concept of the fear of God, but I knew that I really wanted to gain wisdom in life . . . And this passage from the Writings set up a definition and an equation and a hierarchy. Essence establishes the base, grounds, foundation, core. Well, even though I didn't understand what constituted the fear of God, I realized that it was "essential" to the attainment of wisdom. So, I decided that I better start praying for: "the fear of God." Thank you for the discussion and quotations. It makes me think of those viewed as elders in Indigenous tribal communities who are always those who are deeply men and women who walk a sacred path in life. All the best to you all, Susan Brill de Ramirez Sent from my Windows Mobile® phone. -----Original Message----- From: Sen & Sonja <sen.so...@casema.nl> Sent: Friday, August 27, 2010 4:13 AM To: Baha'i Studies <bahai-st@list.jccc.edu> Subject: at-Taqwa (Godconciousness) The Baha'i Studies Listserv > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taqwa > Sawm and Taqwa are associated. Is there a Baha'i reference to Taqwa? Indeed there is: In the fourth Ishraq (splendor) of the Ishraqat (Tablet of Splendors) We have mentioned: "Every cause needeth a helper. In this Revelation the hosts which can render it victorious are the hosts of praiseworthy deeds and upright character. The leader and commander of these hosts hath ever been the fear of God (taqwa-ye allah), a fear that encompasseth all things, and reigneth over all things." (Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 26) By God! This people have never been, nor are they now, inclined to mischief. Their hearts are illumined with the light of the fear of God (nur-e taqwa), and adorned with the adornment of His love. (Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 122) Ye are the shepherds of mankind; liberate ye your flocks from the wolves of evil passions and desires, and adorn them with the ornament of the fear of God. (taqwa-ye allah (Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 29) it behooveth every fair-minded person to succor Him Whom the world hath cast away and the nations abandoned, and to lay hold on piety and righteousness (taqwa). (Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 35) The cities of knowledge and of understanding wept with such a weeping that the souls of the pious and of the God-fearing (ahl-e ... taqwa) were melted. (Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 72) God-consciousness is a good translation of the concept: it is a pity that it is so hard to fit elegantly into a sentence: "the people of God-consciousness..." "the God-conscious ones" "The leader and commander of these hosts hath ever been God- consciousness..." The last of these works for us, but probably would not have worked for the more biblically educated audience of Shoghi Effendi's day, who were used to "fear of God" and had not been familiarized with "God-consciousness" by the Hare Krishna movement Sen ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Sen McGlinn http://senmcglinn.wordpress.com All is to be yielded up, save only the *remembrance* of God; all is to be dispraised, except His praise. Today, to this melody of the Company on high, the world will leap and dance: `Glory be to my Lord, the All-Glorious!' (Selections from the Writings of `Abdu'l-Baha, p. 93) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -- __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:br...@bumail.bradley.edu Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:leave-522917-220...@list.jccc.edu Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to ly...@list.jccc.edu Or subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:bahai-st@list.jccc.edu Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st News (on-campus only) - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai...@list.jccc.net New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.edu __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:arch...@mail-archive.com Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:leave-522923-274...@list.jccc.edu Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to ly...@list.jccc.edu Or subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:bahai-st@list.jccc.edu Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st News (on-campus only) - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai...@list.jccc.net New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.edu