Shoghi:Click Here For Contradictions of Other Teachings
1. Removing All Prejudice or Prohibition of Meeting with Non-Baha'is
`Abdu’l-Bahā:
Have no prejudice and show no hatred towards any religion.[1]
Bahā’u’llāh and `Abdu’l-Bahā:
Keep away from non-Baha’is and do not socialize with them. [2]
[1] “Keep aloof from the scent of ignorant prejudice, enmity, vulgar hatred, and sexual, national and religious delusions, for they are all against God’s religion and His satisfaction and will deprive mankind of God’s graces . . . do not have the slightest hatred towards anyone from any nation, religion, tribe, sex, or land, rather show utmost compassion and friendship,” Riyāḍ Qadīmī, Gulzār-i ta`ālim Bahā’ī, pp. 366–367.
[2] “Do not socialize with those who deny God (meaning non-Baha’is) and his signs and keep away from their kind,” `Abd al-Ḥamīd Ishrāq Khāwarī, Mā’idiy-i āsimānī, vol. 8, p. 39; “In it incumbent on ever soul to keep away from the wicked breath of the polytheists (deniers of Baha’ism),” `Abd al-Ḥamīd Ishrāq Khāwarī, Mā’idiy-i āsimānī, vol. 8, p. 39; “Know that God has forbidden his friends from meeting with the polytheists (deniers of Baha’ism) and hypocrites,” `Abd al-Ḥamīd Ishrāq Khāwarī, Mā’idiy-i āsimānī, vol. 4, p. 280. for more quotes refer to chapter 2.
2. Having No Prejudice or Considering All Non-Baha'is Ignorant and Unreasonable?
`Abdu’l-Bahā:
Religious prejudice destroys the foundations of humanity.[3]
Bahā’u’llāh:
Only Baha’is are knowledgeable and reasonable and non-Baha’is are ignorant and lack reason.[4]
[3] “The fifth Baha’i principle is that sexual prejudice, religious prejudice, spiritual prejudice, national prejudice, and political prejudice are the destroyers of human foundations,” `Abdu’l-Bahā, Khaṭābāt (Tehran), vol. 2, p. 147.
[4] “From now on nobody is to be called knowledgeable, except those who have decorated themselves with the garment of this New Affair (meaning those who have become Baha’is),” Bahā’u’llāh, Badī`, p. 138–139; “If today, someone grasps all of the knowledge on earth but stops at the word ‘yes’ (meaning does not become a Baha’i), the Lord will not pay attention to him (ladī l-Ḥaqq madhkūr na) and he will be considered as the most ignorant amongst the people,” Bahā’u’llāh, Iqtidārāt wa chand lauḥ dīgar, p. 111; “The general criterion is what we mentioned and any soul who has success in it, meaning recognizes and realizes the Sunrise of Manifestation (meaning himself), will be mentioned in the Divine Book as someone who possesses reason or else he will be (mentioned as) ignorant even if he himself thinks that his reason equals that of the whole world,” `Abd a l-Ḥamīd Ishrāq Khāwarī, Mā’idiy-i āsimānī, vol. 7, p. 160; “No one has denied or will deny what has been revealed by the Ancient Pen (meaning himself) in this Most Great Manifestation regarding society, unity, manners, rites, and being occupied with what has benefits for the people, except that he completely lacks reason,” Bahā’u’llāh, Iqtidārāt wa chand lauḥ dīgar, p. 168.
3. Removing Prejudice or Claiming Each Baha'i worth More than a Million Non-Baha'is?
`Abdu’l-Bahā:
People must not regard themselves superior to others.[5]
Bahā’u’llāh:
“My friends are the pearls of [this] order and all others are earthly pebbles . . . a single one of these (Baha’is) is more precious than a million others (non-Baha’is),”[6]
[5] “One of Bahā’u’llāh’s teachings is mutual aid between humans. This aid is much greater than equality. It means that not only one must not see himself superior to others; rather, he must sacrifice his life and belongings for other people,” `Abdu’l-Bahā, Makātīb (Egypt), vol. 3, p. 107.
[6] `Abd al-Ḥamīd Ishrāq Khāwarī, Mā’idiy-i āsimānī, vol. 4, p. 353.
4. Removing Prejudice or Depriving Non-Baha'is from Their Share of Inheritance?
`Abdu’l-Bahā:
All people have equal rights.[7]
Bahā’u’llāh:
Non-Baha’is do not inherit from their Baha’i parents.[8]
[7] “There is equality between people and complete brotherhood. Justice implies that the rights of humankind be protected and preserved and all have equal rights,” `Abd al-Ḥamīd Ishrāq Khāwarī, Payām-i malakūt, p. 30.
[8] “Bahā’u’llāh states that non-Baha’is have no right to inherit from their Bahā’ī parents or relatives,” Bahā’u’llāh, The Kitābi Aqdas, p. 184.
5. Removing All Prejudice or Calling Non-Baha'is Animals
`Abdu’l-Bahā:
The truth can only be exposed when all religions remove prejudice.[9]
Bahā’u’llāh:
Non-Baha’is are animals.[10]
[9] “The follower of Moses must put aside prejudice, the Christian must put aside prejudice, and the Buddhist must put aside prejudice. Not until this is performed will it be possible to expose the truth . . . [no one] should have prejudice,” `Abd al-Ḥamīd Ishrāq Khāwarī, Payām-i malakūt, p.18.
[10] “Today, according to the decree of the Point of Bayān (meaning the Bāb), those individuals who turn away from this Novel Affair (meaning Baha’ism) are deprived of the garb of being called and described [as humans?] and are assembled and mentioned as animals in the presence of God,” Bahā’u’llāh, Badī`, p. 213; “Do not see the polytheists (deniers of Baha’ism) but as earthworms and their sounds but the buzzing of flies,” Bahā’u’llāh, Āthār-i Qalam-i A`lā, vol. 1, no. 20, p. 183; “O group of polytheists (deniers of Baha’ism), if you take pride in your name remaining amongst the animals or being mentioned amongst the livestock, then take pride in that for you are worthy of it,” Bahā’u’llāh, Āthār-i Qalam-i A`lā, vol. 2, no. 81, p. 452; “Oh you donkeys! Whatever God says is the truth and will not become void by the words of the polytheists (deniers of Baha’ism),” Bahā’u’llāh, Badī`, p. 174; “When the one who turned away from God halted (in accepting me) and fell off the path, in that moment his body left the garb of humanness and appeared and became visible in the skin of animals. Sanctified is He who changes the beings how he likes,” Bahā’u’llāh, Badī`, p. 110.
6. Removing All Prejudice or Calling Non-Baha'is Bastards
`Abdu’l-Bahā:
“This century, is the century of progress. These prejudices are unjustified. These are rooted in ignorance.”[11]
Bahā’u’llāh:
Non-Baha’is are Bastards[12].
[11] `Abd al-Ḥamīd Ishrāq Khāwarī, Payām-i malakūt, p. 25.
[12] “Whoever denies this apparent exalted luminous grace (meaning Baha’ism), it is worthy that he asks his state from his mother and he will soon be returned to the bottom of hell,” `Abd al-Ḥamīd Ishrāq Khāwarī, Mā’idiy-i āsimānī, vol. 4, pp. 355 and `Abd al-Ḥamīd Ishrāq Khāwarī, Ganj-i shāygān, p. 78; “Whoever has the enmity of this servant (meaning Bahā’u’llāh) in his heart, certainly Satan has entered their mother’s bed,” `Abd al-Ḥamīd Ishrāq Khāwarī, Ganj-i shāygān, p. 79.
7. Removing All Prejudice or Saying Non-Baha'is Are like Dry Wood That Are Only Worthy of Fire?
`Abdu’l-Bahā:
We act to remove prejudice but others just talk.[13]
Bahā’u’llāh:
Non-Baha’is are like dry wood that are only worthy of fire.[14]
[13] “To reach the goal of (removing prejudice) we strive . . . but others just talk,” `Abd al-Ḥamīd Ishrāq Khāwarī, Payām-i malakūt, p. 99.
[14] “Anyone who has a garden will not allow the dry trees to remain in the garden and will definitely cut them and throw them in fire, for dry wood is only worthy of fire. Thus, O inhabitants of my orchard, protect yourselves from the wicked poisonous breath and void breeze which is socializing with the polytheists (deniers of Baha’ism) and the unaware (ghāfil),” `Abd al-Ḥamīd Ishrāq Khāwarī, Mā’idiy-i āsimānī, vol. 8, p. 39.
8. Removing Prejudice or Depriving of All Graces, Those Who View Non-Baha'is as Humans?
`Abdu’l-Bahā:
People must not regard themselves superior to others.[15]
Bahā’u’llāh:
Whoever call my deniers humans, will be deprived of all of God’s graces.[16]
[15] “One of Bahā’u’llāh’s teachings is mutual aid between humans. This aid is much greater than equality. It means that not only one must not see himself superior to others; rather, he must sacrifice his life and belongings for other people,” `Abdu’l-Bahā, Makātīb (Egypt), vol. 3, p. 107.
[16] “From this day, any individual that mentions as human a single person from those who deny me—whether that [denier] has a high or low stature—they will be excluded from all of (God’s) Merciful Graces, let alone trying to prove [those deniers] have dignity or stature,” Bahā’u’llāh, Badī`, p. 140.
9. Removing Racial Prejudice or Calling All Black Africans Irrational Savages?
`Abdu’l-Bahā:
Prejudice destroys the foundations of humanity.[17]
`Abdu’l-Bahā:
The inhabitants of a land like Africa are all like wild savages and land-dwelling animals that lack common-sense and knowledge.[18]
[17] “The fifth Baha’i principle is that sexual prejudice, religious prejudice, spiritual prejudice, national prejudice, and political prejudice are the destroyers of human foundations,” `Abdu’l-Bahā, Khaṭābāt (Tehran), vol. 2, p. 147.
[18] “The inhabitants of a land like Africa are all like wild savages and land-dwelling animals that lack common-sense and knowledge and are all wild. There is not a single wise and civilized person among them,” `Abdu’l-Bahā, Makātīb (Egypt), vol. 1, pp. 331; “The wild tribes have no superiority over animals. For example what is the difference between African blacks and American blacks? The [black Africans] are cows that God has created with human faces. The [black Americans] are civilized, intelligent, and have culture . . .” `Abdu’l-Bahā, Khaṭābāt (Tehran), vol. 3, p. 48.
10. Having No Prejudice or Saying Turks Deserve Ridiculous Answers?
`Abdu’l-Bahā:
“In the presence of God there is no [such thing] as English, French, Turk, or Persian. To God they are all the same.”[19]
`Abdu’l-Bahā:
Turks deserve ridiculous answers.[20]
[19] `Abd al-Ḥamīd Ishrāq Khāwarī, Payām-i malakūt, p. 45-46.
[20] “When Djemal Pasha[20] . . . reached Acre[20] and asked to see me, I mounted a donkey and headed for his home. As soon as he saw me, he greeted me and sat me next to him and without hesitation said: “You are a corrupter of religion and that is why the government of Iran exiled you here . . .” I thought to myself that he is a Turk and I must give him a ridiculous and silencing answer,” Asad-Allāh Fāḍil Māzandarānī, Asrār al-āthār khuṣūṣī,vol. 3,p. 42–43.
11. Having No Prejudice or Praising the Most Prejudice Based Religion to Ever Exist?
`Abdu’l-Bahā:
Religious prejudice destroys the foundations of humanity.[21]
The Bāb:
Destroy all non-Bābī books.[22] Massacre all non-Bābis and destroy their monuments.[23]Teaching non-Bābī books is prohibited.[24]
Bahā’u’llāh:
“I [swear by] He who in His hand is my soul and my essence, a single letter from the Bayān is dearer to me than everything that is in the heavens and the earth.”[25]
[21] “The fifth Baha’i principle is that sexual prejudice, religious prejudice, spiritual prejudice, national prejudice, and political prejudice are the destroyers of human foundations,” `Abdu’l-Bahā, Khaṭābāt (Tehran), vol. 2, p. 147.
[22] The Bāb, Farsi Bayān: “Chapter six of the sixth unit which is about destroying all books but those that have been written or will be written about this order (meaning the Bab’s creed)”; “The utterance of the [book or religion] of Bayān in the day of the appearance of his Highness A`lā (meaning the Bāb) was to behead, burn the books, destroy the monuments, and massacre [everyone] but those who believed [in the Bāb’s religion] and verified it,” `Abdu’l-Bahā, Makātīb (Egypt: 1330 AH), vol. 2, p. 266.
[23] “The utterance of the [book or religion] of Bayān in the day of the appearance of his Highness A`lā (meaning the Bāb) was to behead, burn the books, destroy the monuments, and massacre [everyone] but those who believed [in the Bāb’s religion] and verified it,” `Abdu’l-Bahā, Makātīb (Egypt: 1330 AH), vol. 2, p. 266.
[24] The Bāb, Farsi Bayān: “The tenth chapter of the fourth unit which is about [the decree] that it is prohibited to teach any book but the book of Bayān.”
[25] Asad-Allāh Fāḍil Māzandarānī, Asrār al-āthār khuṣūṣī, vol. 5,p. 333.
12. Removing All Prejudice or Discrimination between Men and Women?
`Abdu’l-Bahā:
All people have equal rights.[26]
Bahā’u’llāh and `Abdu’l-Bahā:
Women are inferior to men,[27] they take a smaller share of inheritance,[28] and cannot be a member of the UHJ.[29]
[26] “There is equality between people and complete brotherhood. Justice implies that the rights of humankind be protected and preserved and all have equal rights,” `Abd al-Ḥamīd Ishrāq Khāwarī, Payām-i malakūt, p. 30.
[27] “A woman’s question was referred to him who had asked why hasn’t God made any woman Prophets and why have all Divine Manifestations been men. He answered: ‘Although women and men share the same capacities and abilities, there is definitely no doubt that men are superior and stronger. Even in animals like pigeons, sparrows, peacocks, and other [birds] this advantage is visible,’” Maḥmūd Zaraqānī, Badā’i` al-āthār, vol. 1, p. 153.
[28] The deceased’s property are split into 2520 portions. Out of these, 1080 are for the children, 390 for the wives, fathers 330, mothers 270, brothers 210, sisters 150, teachers 90 (`Abd al-Ḥamīd Ishrāq Khāwarī, Ganjīniy-i ḥudūd wa aḥkām, chap. 10, p. 117–119).
[29] `Abd al-Ḥamīd Ishrāq Khāwarī, Ganjīniy-i ḥudūd wa aḥkām, chap. 27, p. 219.
