Baháʼí cosmology

File:Ringstone.svg, showing the worlds of God, the Manifestation of God and creation, all linked by the Holy Spirit]]

In Baháʼí cosmology reality is divided into three divisions. The first division is God, who is preexistent and on whom the rest of creation is contingent.{{cite encyclopedia |last= Smith |first= Peter| author-link= Peter Smith (historian) |encyclopedia= A Concise Encyclopedia of the Baháʼí Faith |title= metaphysics: God and the world |year= 2000 |publisher=Oneworld Publications |location= Oxford |isbn= 1-85168-184-1 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=pYfrAQAAQBAJ |pages= 245–246}} The second division is God's Logos, the Primal Will, which is the realm of God's commands and grace. This realm pervades all created things. The Manifestations of God, Messengers from God, are appearances of the Logos in the physical world. The third division is Creation, which includes the physical world. Creation is not seen as confined to the material universe, and individual material objects, such as the Earth, are seen to come into being at a particular moment and subsequently to break down into their constituent parts.{{cite encyclopedia |last= Smith |first= Peter| author-link= Peter Smith (historian) |encyclopedia= A Concise Encyclopedia of the Baháʼí Faith |title= creation |year= 2000 |publisher=Oneworld Publications |location= Oxford |isbn= 1-85168-184-1 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=pYfrAQAAQBAJ |pages= 116}} Thus, the current universe is seen as a result of a long-lasting process (cosmological time scales), evolving to its current state.{{cite web | title = Originality of Species | date = 1998-03-08 | access-date = 2008-04-13 | first = Eberhard | last = von Kitzing | url = https://bahai-library.com/kitzing_origin_complex_order}} In the Baháʼí Faith, the whole universe is a sign of God and is dependent on him and humanity was created to know God and to serve his purpose.Baháʼí World Centre. [http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/bic/OCF/ocf-8.html.iso8859-1?#gr2 One Common Faith]. pp. 30-31.

Realms

Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, distinguished five realms of existence.{{cite book | last =Momen | first = Moojan |author-link = Moojan Momen |year = 1988 | title = Studies in the Bábí and Baháʼí Religions vol. 5, chapter: A Basis For Baháʼí Metaphysics | publisher = Kalimat Press | pages = 185–217 | url = http://bahai-library.com/momen_relativism_bahai_metaphysics | isbn = 0-933770-72-3}} The terminology used can partly be traced back to Islamic Neoplatonism and Sufism, but this does not mean that Baháʼu'lláh supports a Neoplatonist or Sufi worldview.Lepain, J.M. (2010) [1990]. [https://bahai-library.org/lepain_hierarchy_spiritual_worlds The Tablet of All Food: The Hierarchy of the Spiritual Worlds and the Metaphoric Nature of Physical Reality]. Baháʼí Studies Review 16, pp. 43–60. doi: 10.1386/bsr.16.43/1.Kluge, Ian (2010, 2011). [http://bahai-library.com/kluge_neoplatonism_bahai_writings Neoplatonism and the Baháʼí Writings]. Parts 1 and 2, published in Lights of Irfan.{{cite book |author=Savi, Julio |year=2008 |title=Towards the Summit of Reality: An introduction to Baháʼu'lláh's Seven Valleys and Four Valleys |publisher=George Ronald |location=Oxford, UK |isbn=978-0-85398-522-8 |url=http://bahai-library.com/savi_toward_summit_reality}}Khadem, Babak Rod. [https://bahai-library.com/khadem_unity_causality Origins of the Bahá'í Concept of Unity and Causality: A Brief Survey of Greek, Neoplatonic, and Islamic Underpinnings], in Lights of Irfan, Volume 7 (2006) He views all metaphysical viewpoints as relative, reflecting only the soul or psyche and cultural background of the individual rather than any Absolute Truth. The Baháʼí teachings de-emphasize the importance of metaphysics, while focusing primarily on social and personal ethics.

God is manifested in all five realms, the Manifestations of God in all but the first realm, and humans exist between the angelic and physical realms and can choose which to live in.

class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
Realm ! Descriptions ! Stages of creation (arc of descent) ! Colour symbolism
Háhút{{NoteTag\|Moojan Momen states that the "last four realms appear to be addressing the first realm in the Long Obligatory Prayer (salát-i kabír): "I testify unto that whereunto have testified all created things (násút), and the Concourse on high (malakút), and the inmates of the all-highest Paradise (jabarút), and beyond them the Tongue of Grandeur itself from the all-glorious Horizon (láhút), that Thou art God... " Bahá'u'lláh, Prayers and Meditations, No. CLXXXIII, p. 246/321." (the terms in between brackets do not occur in the original text. The terms used are: ashyáʼ, al-maláʼ al-aʻlá, jannat al-ʻulyá, and al-ufuq al-abhá.)}} \| The essence of God unmanifested. The 'Hidden Mystery' or the 'Hidden Treasure', the Absolute Unknown, the Primal Oneness.{{Cite book \|last = Momen \|first = Moojan \|editor-last = Momen \|editor-first = Moojan\|author-link = Moojan Momen \|title = The Bahaʼi Faith and the World's Religions \|contribution = The God of Baháʼu'lláh \|year = 2003 \|publisher = George Ronald \|place = Oxford, UK \|pages = 1–38 \|chapter-url = https://bahai-library.org/momen_god_bahaullah}} \| \|
Láhút \| The All-Glorious Horizon, the Heavenly Court, the Throne of God. The names and attributes of God are manifested. The station of pure abstraction and essential unity. The Holy Spirit, the Word of God (Logos), the First Intellect, the Divine Will. The Universal Manifestation of God, Burning Bush, the speaker on Sinai, the Ancient Beauty, the Divine Lote Tree, the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Most Exalted Pen,Milani, Kavian; Fananapazir, Nafeh (1999). [http://bahai-library.com/milani_fananapazir_pen_motif A Study of the Pen Motif in the Baháʼí Writings]. in: Journal of Baháʼí Studies, 9:1. Association for Baha'i Studies North America, Ottawa. the Tongue of Grandeur, the Lord of Lords, the Primal Will, the First Intelligence. The Divine Dove, the Angel Gabriel, the Maid of Heaven, the Mystical Nightingale. \| Will (mashiyyat){{cite book \| title = Gate of the Heart: Understanding the Writings of the Báb \| first = Nader \| last = Saiedi \| publisher = Wilfrid Laurier University Press \| location = Waterloo, ON \| isbn = 978-1-55458-035-4 \| year = 2008 \| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=XTfoaK15t64C \| pages = 137}} \| Snow-White{{Cite book \|last = Lambden \|first = Stephen \|year = 2004 \|title = Irfan Colloquia \|volume = 5 \|contribution = Kaleidoscope: Some Aspects of Angelology, Light, the Divine Throne and Color Mysticism in Bábí and Baháʼí Scripture \|publisher = Irfan Colloquia \|location = Wilmette, IL \|isbn = 1904510000 \|pages = 179–180 \|chapter-url = http://irfancolloquia.org/pdf/lights5_lambden.pdf }}
Jabarút \| The all-highest Paradise. The realm of Command or Decree.Momen, Moojan (2000). [http://bahai-library.com/momen_al-amr_quran_bahaullah A Study of the Meaning of the Word "Al-Amr" in the Qur'án and in the Writings of Baháʼu'lláh]. Lights of Irfan, Book 1. The station of distinction: the Manifestations of God (including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Zoroaster, Jesus, Muhammad, the Báb and Baháʼu'lláh) acquire individual existences and become channels of the divine will. The Mother Book (eternal spiritual laws), the Preserved Tablet (divine decrees, knowledge of past and future) and the divine Pen. \| Purpose, Determination (iradah) \| Yellow (golden)
Malakút \| The All-glorious Paradise, Abhá Kingdom The angelic realm, the world of souls. Includes the Concourse on High (the souls of prophets, martyrs and saints). \| Predestination/Destiny (qadar) \| Green
Násút \| The physical world, subdivided into the human, animal, vegetal and mineral kingdoms. \| Fate, decree (qada) Implementation Record \| Crimson

class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"

Realm

! Descriptions

! Stages of creation (arc of descent)

! Colour symbolism

Háhút{{NoteTag|Moojan Momen states that the "last four realms appear to be addressing the first realm in the Long Obligatory Prayer (salát-i kabír): "I testify unto that whereunto have testified all created things (násút), and the Concourse on high (malakút), and the inmates of the all-highest Paradise (jabarút), and beyond them the Tongue of Grandeur itself from the all-glorious Horizon (láhút), that Thou art God... " Bahá'u'lláh, Prayers and Meditations, No. CLXXXIII, p. 246/321." (the terms in between brackets do not occur in the original text. The terms used are: ashyáʼ, al-maláʼ al-aʻlá, jannat al-ʻulyá, and al-ufuq al-abhá.)}}

|

The essence of God unmanifested.
The 'Hidden Mystery' or the 'Hidden Treasure', the Absolute Unknown, the Primal Oneness.{{Cite book |last = Momen |first = Moojan |editor-last = Momen |editor-first = Moojan|author-link = Moojan Momen |title = The Bahaʼi Faith and the World's Religions |contribution = The God of Baháʼu'lláh |year = 2003 |publisher = George Ronald |place = Oxford, UK |pages = 1–38 |chapter-url = https://bahai-library.org/momen_god_bahaullah}}

|

Láhút

|

The All-Glorious Horizon, the Heavenly Court, the Throne of God.
The names and attributes of God are manifested.
The station of pure abstraction and essential unity.
The Holy Spirit, the Word of God (Logos), the First Intellect, the Divine Will.
The Universal Manifestation of God, Burning Bush, the speaker on Sinai, the Ancient Beauty, the Divine Lote Tree, the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Most Exalted Pen,Milani, Kavian; Fananapazir, Nafeh (1999). [http://bahai-library.com/milani_fananapazir_pen_motif A Study of the Pen Motif in the Baháʼí Writings]. in: Journal of Baháʼí Studies, 9:1. Association for Baha'i Studies North America, Ottawa. the Tongue of Grandeur, the Lord of Lords, the Primal Will, the First Intelligence.
The Divine Dove, the Angel Gabriel, the Maid of Heaven, the Mystical Nightingale.

|

Will (mashiyyat){{cite book | title = Gate of the Heart: Understanding the Writings of the Báb | first = Nader | last = Saiedi | publisher = Wilfrid Laurier University Press | location = Waterloo, ON | isbn = 978-1-55458-035-4 | year = 2008 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=XTfoaK15t64C | pages = 137}}

|

Snow-White{{Cite book |last = Lambden |first = Stephen |year = 2004 |title = Irfan Colloquia |volume = 5 |contribution = Kaleidoscope: Some Aspects of Angelology, Light, the Divine Throne and Color Mysticism in Bábí and Baháʼí Scripture |publisher = Irfan Colloquia |location = Wilmette, IL |isbn = 1904510000 |pages = 179–180 |chapter-url = http://irfancolloquia.org/pdf/lights5_lambden.pdf }}

Jabarút

|

The all-highest Paradise.
The realm of Command or Decree.Momen, Moojan (2000). [http://bahai-library.com/momen_al-amr_quran_bahaullah A Study of the Meaning of the Word "Al-Amr" in the Qur'án and in the Writings of Baháʼu'lláh]. Lights of Irfan, Book 1.
The station of distinction: the Manifestations of God (including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Zoroaster, Jesus, Muhammad, the Báb and Baháʼu'lláh) acquire individual existences and become channels of the divine will.
The Mother Book (eternal spiritual laws), the Preserved Tablet (divine decrees, knowledge of past and future) and the divine Pen.

|

Purpose, Determination (iradah)

|

Yellow (golden)

Malakút

|

The All-glorious Paradise, Abhá Kingdom
The angelic realm, the world of souls.
Includes the Concourse on High (the souls of prophets, martyrs and saints).

|

Predestination/Destiny (qadar)

|

Green

Násút

|

The physical world, subdivided into the human, animal, vegetal and mineral kingdoms.

|

Fate, decree (qada)
Implementation
Record

|

Crimson

All the divine worlds revolve around this world, and all are interdependent. The divine worlds can only be described by metaphors, and can be compared with the world of dreams.Lepain, Jean-Marc (2007). [http://bahai-library.com/lepain_lawh_haqqu_nas An Introduction to the Lawh-i Haqqu'n-Nas]. The realms of Nasut and Malakut are parts of the 'world of creation' and are ruled by the same spiritual laws. The purpose of life in this world is to develop spiritual qualities that are needed in the next world.

Man has a free will to live a material life in the world of Nasut, or a life of detachment in the realm of Malakut, manifesting the names and attributes of God.Kluge, Ian (2018). [http://bahai-library.com/kluge_freedom_bahai_writings Freedom and the Baháʼí Writings]. in Lights of Irfan 19. Baháʼu'lláh explains that the 'realm of subtle entities' (ʻalam-i-dharr, a reference to God's primordial covenant with humanity mentioned in Qurʼán 7:172{{Cite quran|7|172}}) refers to the revelation of the Prophets. Before the Word of God is revealed, all people are considered equal in rank. Differences only appear after the Prophet reveals himself, caused by the different responses of each individual's free will.Kazemi, Farshid (2009). [http://bahai-library.com/kazemi_mysteries_alast Mysteries of Alast: The Realm of Subtle Entities and the Primordial Covenant in the Bábí-Baháʼí Writings]. Baháʼí Studies Review 15.

Baháʼu'lláh also wrote of many worlds of God. In the Súriy-i-Vafa, he writes: "Know thou of a truth that the worlds of God are countless in their number, and infinite in their range. None can reckon or comprehend them except God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise."{{cite book |author = Baháʼu'lláh |author-link = Baháʼu'lláh |orig-year = 1873-92 |year = 1994 |title = Tablets of Baháʼu'lláh Revealed After the Kitáb-i-Aqdas |publisher = Baháʼí Publishing Trust |location = Wilmette, Illinois, USA |isbn = 0-87743-174-4 |url = http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/TB/tb-13.html.iso8859-1#gr20 | pages = 187}} ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, son and successor of Baháʼu'lláh, wrote in the Lawh-i-Aflákiyyih (Tablet of the Universe) that there are infinite Manifestations of God in the infinite worlds of God.{{Cite book |last=Hatcher |first=John S. |title=Close Connections: The Bridge Between Spiritual and Physical Reality |year=2005 |place=Wilmette, Illinois |publisher=Baháʼí Publishing |isbn=1-931847-15-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xxJCt1Kj--8C |pages=150–151|via=Google Books}}{{cite book|author-link=ʻAbdu'l-Bahá|last=ʻAbdu'l-Bahá|url=https://bahai-library.com/abdul-baha_lawh_aflakiyyih|title= Tablet of the Universe (Lawh-i-Aflákiyyih)|quote=Just as particulars are infinite in number, so also universals, on the material plane, and the great realities of the universe are without number and beyond computation. The Dawning Places of Unity, the Daysprings of Singleness and the Suns of Holiness are also sanctified beyond the bounds of number, and the luminous spiritual worlds are exalted above limits and restrictions. In like manner the worlds of bodily existence the mind of no man can reckon nor the understanding of the learned comprehend...|via=Bahai-Library.com}}

Baháʼu'lláh explained that while humans should seek knowledge, no human can understand the nature of God's creation or God himself. He stated that while God had given humans a rational mind, humans are unable to comprehend the inner reality.

Notes

References

External links

[https://loom.loomofreality.org/ The Loom of Reality], thematic compilations of quotations from the Bahá’í Writings and beyond
[https://www.miscellanie.com/allthetexts/comps/the-comps/rsw/contents.html Reality, Soul and the Worlds of God], compilation by Marian Crist Lippitt and J. Michael Kafes
[https://iscandertinto.com/?page_id=217 Iscander Tinto: The Worlds of God]
[http://bahai-library.org/tags/Cosmology More articles on Baháʼí cosmology] and [https://bahai-library.org/tags/Philosophy#3 related subjects] on Baháʼí Library (various authors)

Category:Bahá'í belief and doctrine

Category:Bahá'í terminology

Category:Religious cosmologies

Baháʼí cosmology

Realms

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

External links