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The Tablet of Maqsúd

An Introductionto the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh

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Do you know this teaching?

“The earth is but onecountry and mankind its

citizens”

This is one of the best known quotes fromthe Writings of Bahá‘u’lláh.

It is also one of the most used publicstatements to represent the Bahá‘í Faith.

Probably most Bahá’ís are aware of thisteaching.

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And what about these?

• “You are fruits of one tree, leaves of one branch.”• “Should any king take up arms against another, all should

unitedly arise and prevent him.”• “Whatsoever passeth beyond the limits of moderation will

cease to exert a beneficial influence.”• “Such academic pursuits as begin and end in words alone

have never been and will never be of any worth.”

These statements are often known even by those who mayhave only a limited knowledge about the Bahá’í Faith. Theyall, of course, describe some of the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh.They all also have a common source: the Tablet of Maqsúd.

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A first encounter

The content of the Tablet of Maqsúd can be seen as a goodpresentation of the principles and teachings of the Bahá’íFaith. Its structure is suitable to anyone, including someonewho is first coming into contact with the Bahá'í Writings.Before starting an analysis of Tablet we must remember thefollowing:

A sacred text has its own very specificfeatures. We must acquaint ourselves withthe style, know the terminology, andremember the purpose of the author, if wewant to understand the intended meaning ofthe text.If we are not aware of these features, we runa serious risk of not understanding the text.

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Some challenges...

The Writings revealed by Bahá'u'lláh may presentseveral difficulties to a reader. For example:CONTEXTàWhat were the circumstancessurrounding the revelation of the text? When andwhere was it revealed? Why was it revealed?Does the text contain answers pertaining to aspecific believer? (If so, then what are thequestions and what are the motivations that leadto Bahá’u’lláh’s response?)THEMES à There often are several secondarythemes within the overall major subject areas thatcan go unnoticed if minor phrases and metaphorsare not seriously considered.STYLE à The overlapping of themes and theconnections between them are frequent featuresof the Writings. In the middle of any given text, wemay well find invocations and prayers.

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Background

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The Tablet of Maqsúd

This Tablet was revealed in 'Akka on the 20th of January 1882 during thefourth exile of Bahá'u'lláh.Parts of this Tablet were published during the 20th Century.A full English translation was released in 1978 and later in otherlanguages in a volume entitled "Epistles of Bahá'u'lláh revealed after theKitab-i-Aqdas".This book contains a series of tablets revealed by Bahá'u'lláh during thelast years of his life; these clarify and reaffirm some teachings previouslyestablished.

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Who was Maqsúd? (1)

We also know that he was dedicated to poetry and that some of hispoems were recited in the presence of Bahá'u'lláh.In these poems one could perceive just how much he wanted tovisit Him personally.

The addressee was a believernamed Mirza Maqsúd living inSyria . Little is known abouthim.The very Tablet of Maqsúdturns out to be the main sourceof information about thisbeliever.We know that Maqsúd lived inDamascus and had written atleast twice to Bahá'u'lláh.

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Who was Maqsúd? (2)

Bahá'u'lláh probably liked Maqsúd because He says that He willremember him and also says that God will remember him.Bahá'u'lláh adds that the name of Maqsúd is often mentioned in Hispresence.When the tablet was revealed, Maqsúd was preparing to make a tripto Mosul ( Iraq ) in order to teach the Bahá’í Faith.Bahá'u'lláh makes some recommendations to him for this trip,advising him to use tact and wisdom.Bahá'u'lláh also presents some spiritual and material advice. Hetells him that if he is happy with everything in his life, then whateverhappens to him would be worthy of praise. He also warns him to geta profession!Towards the end of the Epistle, Bahá'u'lláh also reveals a prayer forMaqsúd.

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Historical BackgroundIn the years prior to the revelation of the Tablet of Maqsúd twoevents occurred that disturbed the Islamic world and which alsoimpacted on the newly-born Baha'i community:

• The Russian-Ottoman war (1877-1878).• Crisis in Egypt: the bombardment of Alexandria (1882)

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The Ottoman humiliation (1878)

The Russian-Ottoman war (1877-1878) had its roots in severalmassacres of Christians within theOttoman provinces. It began withRussian support of nationalistmovements in the Balkans, andended with huge territorial lossesfor the Ottoman Empire :• Independence of Romania,Serbia and Montenegro, Bulgaria• Bessarabia and Kars (Russia)• Cyprus (United Kingdom),• Bosnia-Herzegovina (Austro-Hungarian Empire)

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Alexandria (1882)

"Today, at the time I writing,Alexandria is just a huge pile ofruins. Of the European quarter, thefamous Consuls Square, the hotels,banks, offices of corporations, thecoffee-brothels, there is only left aconfusing rubble on the ground, andhere and there a darkened wall thatcollapses. For the fourth time inhistory, Alexandria ceased to exist.“

Eça de Queirós

The bombardment of Alexandria was preceded by a political crisisthat ignited a riot in the city that killed about 50 Europeans. TheBritish fleet destroyed the city.

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Themes of the Tablet

In the Tablet of Maqsúd it ispossible to identify somecentral themes:

ØRevelation and Religion,ØCivilization andØThe Human Being.

We can also identify some secondary themes to whichBahá'u'lláh devotes only a paragraph or a line.

These themes are intertwined with each other and also withwords addressed to Maqsúd in invocations and prayers.

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Revelation and Religion

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Many questions about religion...

• What is religion?

• Why are there so many religions?

• Why do religions have positiveand negative influence?

• Are religions compatible?

• Is it possible that there is only onetrue religion and all others arefalse?

• Is there any religion that is thefinal word of God to humanity?

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Revelation and Religion

In the Tablet of Maqsúd, Bahá'u'lláh affirms theveracity of the major world religions and describesthem as steps in a gradual process of DivineRevelation. At the same time, He rejects any claimof exclusivism or finality proclaimed by the clergy inany religion.The founder of the Bahá’í Faith says that Godsends Divine Messengers cyclically to humanity.These messengers - the founders of major worldreligions - bring teachings whose aim is to guideand enlighten the people.And whenever a Divine Messenger appeared, Hewas persecuted and accused of being the instigatorof misery and distress among the people.The second paragraph of the Tablet of Maqsúdcontains a summary of this concept that in Baha'iterminology is known as "Progressive Revelation."

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Revelation and Religion

“Moreover He hath in every age and cycle, in conformity withHis transcendent wisdom, sent forth a divine Messenger torevive the dispirited and despondent souls with the livingwaters of His utterance, One Who is indeed the Expounder,the true Interpreter, inasmuch as man is unable tocomprehend that which hath streamed forth from the Pen ofGlory and is recorded in His heavenly Books. Men at all timesand under all conditions stand in need of one to exhort them,guide them and to instruct and teach them. Therefore He hathsent forth His Messengers, His Prophets and chosen ones thatthey might acquaint the people with the divine purposeunderlying the revelation of Books and the raising up ofMessengers, and that everyone may become aware of thetrust of God which is latent in the reality of every soul...” [2].

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Revelation and Religion

Krishna

Moses

Buddha

( ... )

Adam

Zoroaster

Christ

Muhammad

Bahá’u’lláh

Báb

GOD

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Revelation and Religion

Bahá'u'lláh adds a briefreference to religious leaders,who must consult with thegovernment on what bestserves the interest of humanity.The religious leaders also havea role to play in therehabilitation of the humancondition.

The Tablet of Maqsúd shows us what the objectives of religionshould be and what its potential as a regenerating agent in theworld can be.According to the founder of the Bahá’í Faith, the purpose ofreligion is “safeguard the interests and promote the unity of thehuman race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongstmen. Suffer it not to become a source of dissension and discord,of hate and enmity.”[15].

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Revelation and Religion

Throughout the evolution of humanity,there were major progress and terribleafflictions. We can not ignore the abilityof religion to guide the development andmitigate sufferings.According to Bahá'u'lláh, the Scripturesshow the path to follow in the evolutionof humanity and the means to solve theirproblems.To illustrate this point, uses themetaphor “fruits of the tree of wisdom”[33]to refer to the teachings of Godcontained in the Scriptures, and addsthat the people of the world seemsunable to appreciate the taste these fruits due to “the fever ofnegligence and folly”[33].

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Revelation and Religion

According to Bahá'u'lláh, the source ofmany of humanity problems seems to liein the inability of humans to put intopractice the true teachings of any religion.When a person puts into practice theteachings of a religion, he/she transformshimself/herself and affects in a positiveway all those around him/her. The merepolitical and social transformationssustained in the Tablet will not have majoreffects just by themselves.A change at the individual level is alsorequired. As someone said, you can notmake a gold society with of people madeof lead.

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Revelation and Religion

All religions have their own scriptures wherethe words, teachings and traditions associatedwith the Manifestations are recorded anddemonstrated by the first believers.Some of these Scriptures are considered asemanations of the Word of God.The Tablet of Maqsúd describes the Word ofGod as the most powerful force between increation: “...its pervasive influence isincalculable. It hath ever dominated and willcontinue to dominate the realm of being”[32].Although Bahá'u'lláh does not write much aboutthis subject in this tablet, He uses interestingmetaphors that describe the power of theDivine Word: “... an ocean inexhaustible inriches”[32] “... master key for the wholeworld”[32].

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Civilization

World peace, the art of governingand the well-being of people

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The Condition of Mankind (1)

According to Bahá'u'lláh,humanity has been afflicted byseveral turmoils, and yet,nobody seems to havestopped for a moment toreflect on the reasons for theanxiety of the people. "Thewinds of despair are, alas,blowing from every direction,and the strife that divideth andafflicteth the human race isdaily increasing “ [27].

Human beings seem to be divided against each other and are alwayswilling to conflict. When looking at the succession of conflicts and cruelty,and the persistence of some leaders in their pursuance of these types ofacts, Bahá'u'lláh laments: “How long will injustice continue? How long ischaos and confusion to reign amongst men? How long will discord agitatethe face of society?” [26]

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The Condition of Mankind (2)

Although the world has changed a lot - for better and for worse –since the revelation of this Tablet until today, these questions stillneed to be updated and should make us think a little.The problems Bahá'u'lláh mentions are not the problems of His owntime. The words of the founder of Bahá'í Faith in this Tablet applyto the history of human civilization.

But Bahá'u'lláh does not have a fatalistic view. Hesays that the human being - as a rational creature- has all the capabilities to solve his problems, butstrangely does not seem to want to use theseskills to solve these problems.To respond to current problems of humanity,Bahá'u'lláh advocates the need of a New WorldOrder.

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A New World Order (1)

More recently, the term has again been used to describe the need forglobal solutions to environmental problems, economic crises, and otherglobal problems as the administration of global institutions (World Bank,IMF, the G-20) as well as the creation of a military force to quicklyintervene in failed states.The term may also have a negative meaning and can be presented assynonym of "imperialism" or global dictatorship (“1984”).

The term "New World Order" has been used todescribe significant changes and rebalancing ofpower in world politics.The term had some use at the end of the twoWorld Wars, but was only at the end of the ColdWar, which began to be used more often.At that time, the American and Soviet presidentsfelt the need to define the nature of the world in anew era of cooperation between super-powers.

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A New World Order (2)

After characterizing political and social problems affecting the peoples ofthe earth, Baha‘u’llah presents a formula to achieve peace and tranquilityamong them:“The time must come when the imperative necessity for the holding of avast, an all-embracing assemblage of men will be universally realized. Therulers and kings of the earth must needs attend it, and, participating in itsdeliberations, must consider such ways and means as will lay thefoundations of the world's Great Peace amongst men. Such a peacedemandeth that the Great Powers should resolve, for the sake of thetranquility of the peoples of the earth, to be fully reconciled amongthemselves. Should any king take up arms against another, all shouldunitedly arise and prevent him. If this be done, the nations of the world willno longer require any armaments, except for the purpose of preserving thesecurity of their realms and of maintaining internal order within theirterritories. This will ensure the peace and composure of every people,government and nation. “ [8].

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A New World Order (3)

The previous paragraph is one of the mostquoted of the Bahá’í Writings and containsa formula that today seems obvious toanyone with a little common sense.

In recent history we witnessed a fewattempts to implement plans like this. TheLeague of Nations after WWI and now theUnited Nations are apt examples.

These two organizations were created inthe aftermath of World Wars. In a wayboth reflect the world political balance atthe time they were created. Over timeboth became inadequate to meet newglobal demands.

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A New World Order (4)

It is not surprising, therefore, that demands for the reform of the UN isnow current. The claim is that it needs to be more balanced, moreinterventionist, and more representative of current global conditions.One possible interpretation of the words of Bahá'u'lláh, leads us tobelieve that such a world body should reflect the basic and desirablebalance between all nations and not one that suits a particular balancebetween particular nations at a particular time in human history.

Can we build a world orderthat is strong enough to bebroadly accepted and beflexible enough to adaptand sustain changes thatinevitably will occur in theworld?

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The Art of Governing (1)

Today we talk a lot about theseparation of State and Religion.It is more often than not that themodern constitutional state is requiredby law to separate these powers. Thisis in contrast to centuries of rule inwhich the religion of the majority wasfavored, often to the detriment ofadherents of minority faiths.But it is not unusual to hear criticismof secular power interfering inreligious affairs, and that of religiouspowers interfering in the affairs ofstate.

Bahá'u'lláh, however, never wanted to interfere in the affairs ofgovernance. In the Epistle to the Kings He had already stated: "It is notOur wish to lay hands on your kingdoms.“

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The Art of Governing (2)

But Bahá'u'lláh does not refrain frompresenting several ethical values that shouldguide governance.In the Tablet of Maqsúd, kings and rulers aredescribed as "symbols of the power ofGod“[6].Bahá'u'lláh says that justice must be thecornerstone of the acts of any statesman.His/Her purpose should be “welfare, securityand protection of mankind and the safety ofhuman lives” [12].Bahá'u'lláh does not hesitate in condemningtyrants, and regrets that the "tabernacle ofjustice hath fallen into the clutches of tyrannyand oppression “[11].

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The Art of Governing (3)

In the Tablet of Maqsúd, Bahá'u'lláh further adds that the rulersshould have a comprehensive world view.

Service to the state cannot be accomplished only with the aim ofbringing benefits to a particular people (over others), benefit only asegment of society or a certain social classes.Bahá'u'lláh explains: "That one indeed is a man who, today,dedicateth himself to the service of the entire human race “[13]. Andconcerning current nationalisms: “It is not for him to pride himselfwho loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the wholeworld. The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens“[13].Rulers need be aware of this sense of justice and service tohumanity in order to help the people realize what their best interestsare.

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An international auxiliary language

Another teaching presented in this Tablet isthe adoption of an international auxiliarylanguage: "The day is approaching when allthe peoples of the world will have adoptedone universal language and one commonscript. When this is achieved, to whatsoevercity a man may journey, it shall be as if hewere entering his own home “ [10].It is another measure to increase theunderstanding and harmony among thepeoples of the world.The nations of the earth should appoint men of wisdom who,through dialogue and consultation, will choose "one language fromamong the varied existing languages, or create a new one, to betaught to the children in all the schools of the world “[9].

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The Human Being

… and some ethic teachings.

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HumanismAfter the 15th century, the Renaissance and the Enlightenment lead to theemergence of various trends of humanist thought. These proclaimed thedignity and worth of every human being, and stressed the importance ofhis/her rationality.Erasmus of Rotterdam (1469-1536), a Dutch Catholictheologian, was the best known exponent ofRenaissance humanism and was considered the“teacher of teachers”. Throughout his life he urged hisfollowers to devote themselves to teaching and theestablishment of schools.He believed that without education, civilization wouldbe replaced by barbarity. Education develops thehuman being and raises him/her above othercreatures. Humans act according to reason, theanimals act by instinct. Therefore reason must bedeveloped through education.Ø “Men not born men, they become men.”

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The Human Being

In the Bahá’í Writings we can find manyconfirmations of the validity of the humanistperspective and many references to theimportance of education in the developmentof human potential.In the Tablet of Maqsúd, Bahá'u'lláh describeshuman beings as a "supreme Talisman"[3]and "a mine rich in gems of inestimablevalue”[3]. Being the highest expression ofcreation, human beings must express a"goodly character, pure deeds, and a seemlyand praiseworthy conduct"[28].And if the human being has a high status inthe eyes of God, their efforts to rehabilitatethe world and working for the welfare ofnations should also by high [36].

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The Human Being

Bahá'u'lláh believes that lack of education hasprevented people from revealing their fullpotential and emphasizes that children shouldstudy sciences and arts that "will result inadvantage to man, will ensure his progress andelevate his rank"[17].

"Such academic pursuits as beginand end in words alone have neverbeen and will never be of anyworth"[18].And then Bahá’u’lláh notes thatmuch of the studies of many of the“educated” of Persia of His timeproduced nothing but words!

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The Wise and Learned

As in other tablets, Bahá'u'lláh also hererefers to the "wise and learned,"emphasizing their importance in society:"The man of consummate learning andthe sage endowed with penetratingwisdom are the two eyes to the body ofmankind. God willing, the earth shallnever be deprived of these two greatestgifts"[24].Their role in educating the people andthe dissemination of knowledge, placesthem as key actors in the socialregeneration of mankind.These people must serve all peoples ofthe earth!

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Words

• "One word may be likened unto fire,another unto light, and the influencewhich both exert is manifest in theworld"[31];

• "One word is like unto springtimecausing the tender saplings of therose-garden of knowledge tobecome verdant and flourishing,while another word is even as adeadly poison"[31].

To describe the power of human words, Bahá'u'lláh, uses severalmetaphors:

Every person must expresshimself/herself in such a manner that itwill cause the listener to experiencewhat is worthy of the human condition.To put it another way, words alone cancause human beings to commit actsworthy or unworthy of their condition.

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Moderation

The need for dialogue and moderation inhuman activities - repeatedly advocated bymany scholars and philosophers - is alsoemphasized in the Tablet of Maqsúd."Never enter into excess; let Moderationguide you “(Cicero)

This is a recommendation not only for ordinarypeople, but also for anyone who has a positionof authority. "Whatsoever passeth beyond thelimits of moderation will cease to exert abeneficial influence"[19].Moderation should also be applied, with tactand wisdom, to the use of words [29, 30].

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In Conclusion…

Throughout Tablet of Maqsúd, Bahá'u'lláhaddresses the purpose of religion, suggestssolutions to the establishment of peacebetween nations, discusses the value ofhuman beings and presents several ethicalteachings.There are other texts by the Founder of theBahá’í Faith that expose other principlesaimed at the transformation of human, socialand political conditions of the planet.These proposals should not be seen as apanacea per se. These are guidelines to helptransform the world of nations into a globalvillage, well balanced and in a state ofconstant progress.The basic teaching that Bahá'u'lláh makescan be summarized in: "Ye are the fruits ofone tree, and the leaves of one branch “ [6]. (Gl3, 27-28)

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Concluding…

We made a brief analysis of one of the many tablets revealed byBahá'u'lláh, in this case, the Tablet of Maqsúd.We identified several themes that are among the principles and teachingsof the Bahá’í Faith.This analysis could, no doubt, be more extensive and more profound.And, for sure, other people may identify other issues and other reasons tofind interest in this tablet.I hope this presentation has aroused your curiosity and interest in thisdocument. It is an example of what anyone of us can do. It has given mejoy and understanding!

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Further information:

Marco Oliveira

marco_oliv@yahoo.com

http://povodebaha.blogspot.com/

http://www.bahai.org

Special thanks to Richard Bettswho review this translation