The Life of Baha’u’llah, Compared to Jesus

Baha’u’llah wrote, “Let deeds, not words, be your adorning.” But I fail to see where Baha’u’llah’s deeds indicate that he was a “supreme manifestation of God” equal to Jesus. I just don’t get it. If you see it differently, you’re welcome to explain why at the end of this article in the comment section.

Who could fail to be impressed with the books of Baha’u’llah that have been translated into English? He was obviously an intelligent man with a lot to say, even though much of it was rambling and hard to follow. As I see it, he wrote one great book of spiritual wisdom at the beginning of his ministry – “The Hidden Words”. Most of the rest of his books (speaking now of those I know of translated to English) were long rambling, unfocused prose, like the “Kitab-i-Iqan” and “Epistle to the Son of the Wolf,” or letters like “Seven Valleys,” and “Four Valleys,” … and then there’s the compilations of extracts like “Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah” and of course, that book of laws – the “Kitab-i-Aqdas”, referred to by Baha’is as the “Most Holy Book.”

All these words came from the man who wrote, “Let deeds, not words, be your adorning.” It seems like he’s adorned with words, more than most.

Having read all the books named above, I do not believe they are any more impressive or compelling than many other books of a spiritual nature written by people who do not claim divinity for themselves. Of course, back when I was a Baha’i I would have disputed that, but now that I’m more objective in my viewpoint, having left Baha’i quite a long time ago, I honestly don’t believe his books were amazingly better, and they don’t convince me he’s a special big-M messenger of God.

“Let deeds not words be your adorning.”
– Baha’u’llah, Hidden Words #5

It wasn’t until many years after my “declaration” in the 1960s that I took a long, careful look at the actual DEEDS of Baha’u’llah. More than ten years after I left the Baha’i Faith I was finally able to examine the life of Baha’u’llah with a detached mind.

I took time to analyze his life, his lifestyle, his family life, etc. … whatever I’d learned about him in the 30 years I’d been a Baha’i … and that’s what made me wake up and realize he did not have a holy lifestyle and did not in any way compare favorably to the purity and holiness of Jesus Christ.

Marriages of Baha’u’llah

His family life – that’s what gets to me. I’d like to ask you, “Where were you when you heard that Baha’u’llah had three wives?” (Thinking of the question of “Where were you when you heard JFK was shot?”) Well, as I recall, I was already a Baha’i and was at a fireside, when I heard that Baha’u’llah had three wives.

Instant cognitive dissonance! That shook me up. But immediately the other Baha’is justified this with the excuse that Baha’u’llah was born a Muslim and for them it was okay. That’s right. They say Baha’u’llah wasn’t a Baha’I – he was born Muslim… born in Iran. Sure enough… they think multiple simultaneous spouses are A-okay for Baha’u’llah, but Baha’is should marry only one at a time. Not three at a time like he did.

Deep breath. Suck in that double standard for a while. Okay. It just feels so cult-like, but if you want to be a Baha’i bad enough, you’ll accept the justifications and go on trying to be a perfect, devoted Baha’i. That’s what Baha’is do.

Note: There have also been reports of a fourth wife, mentioned in the footnotes of the Kitab-i-Aqdas: Baha’u’llah’s marriage to Jamaliyyah. I wrote more about this in my article: Sexual Abuse in the Baha’i Community. It seems that information about Jamaliyya was suppressed because he married her late in life after writing the Kitab-i-Aqdas.

I know what Baha’is reading this are thinking right now. They’re priding themselves on being steadfast believers who won’t let a little thing like bigamy bother them.

Family of Baha’u’llah

I was a Baha’i for many years and in all that time I heard mainly about his three children from wife Asiyah… and another, who was a big bad covenant breaker who we’d better not learn anything more about or the CB cooties might spread to us. Right? (Easy way to keep people from any kind of “independent investigation of truth,” right?)

Eventually I learned that Baha’u’llah had other children who died in infancy or early childhood. In particular there was a story about a child who was a toddler when Baha’u’llah left Baghdad to go live in the Sulaymaniyyah Mountains. We all know about his mountain retreat for a few years, right? He was supposedly a hermit living in a cave there to “prepare for his mission.”

Meanwhile he left his toddler and three older children and wife, Asiyah, in the care of his half-brother, the infamous Subh-i-Azal… the one who the Bab had appointed as successor, who we as Baha’is were taught was a huge source of evil and malevolence towards Baha’u’llah.

While the family was living with Subh-i-Azal in Baghdad (sans Baha’u’llah, the mountain man) the little toddler got sick. According to Bahiyyah Khanum’s account, recorded in “The Chosen Highway” by Lady Blomfield, mean old Azal wouldn’t let Asiyah take the little boy to a doctor, so eventually the boy died. (excerpt posted below)

Now, let’s imagine that this man who titled himself “Baha’u’llah” was really a manifestation of God of supreme importance of any kind, even equal to Jesus Christ. Well, wouldn’t he know the boy was going to die? Wouldn’t he know that Azal was a bad guy his family shouldn’t have to live with? Couldn’t he see the future like Jesus Christ did when He repeatedly announced His upcoming martyrdom to His disciples? Matthew 16:21

The inability of Baha’u’llah to foresee the future sort of flies in the face of that oft-repeated Baha’i idea that Baha’u’llah had ALL the qualities of ALL the manifestations of God but only showed a few of them. For example, he didn’t perform miracles publicly like Jesus did. So if he really had ALL the qualities, SURELY he knew that his little boy would die from child neglect in the care of Asiyah and Subh-i-Azal.

If Jesus could see the future, so could Baha’u’llah, right?

More dead children

So the boy died. Tragic, right?

Baha’u’llah had other children nobody talks much about – at least six of his children died in infancy or early childhood. SIX of them. Yes, this “supreme manifestation” was impregnating his three wives repeatedly with one baby after another, with about half of them dying very young.

So why would all-knowing Baha’u’llah keep having children who were destined to die?

If he was equal to Jesus do you think he might have the good sense not to put his three wives through so much pain and grief? What’s that all about? Who would, looking at that situation, think that this man led a holy life showing his purity and qualification to be called a “supreme manifestation of God?”

Any thoughts on that?

I see Baha’u’llah’s deeds as being not at all Jesus-like.

The Life of Jesus

To compare, we know Jesus never married. After working as a carpenter in Nazareth, He moved to Capernaum where He met fishermen and went to the synagogue where He would speak. They called him Rabbi. Teacher.

Then He wandered with no fixed abode for a while I guess, because He said, “The Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Matthew 8:20 So Jesus was homeless by choice.

Jesus accepted that His life was a sacrifice for our sins, and knowing full well that He would be tortured and crucified, He went to Jerusalem where He was killed at the request of jealous priests who used as an excuse, that Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath.

“For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.”
– 1 Corinthians 4:20

I honestly don’t see where the deeds of Baha’u’llah in any way compare favorably with the life of Jesus Christ. I don’t see it. Do you?

Bahiyyah Khanum’s Story

This is the story of the death of Baha’u’llah’s child while he was in the Sulaymaniyyah Mountains:

QUOTING FROM THE CHOSEN HIGHWAY by Lady Blomfield – her source is Baha’u’llah’s daughter:

http://bahai-library.com/blomfield_chosen_highway&chapter=2#4

” Our grief was intense when my father left us. He told none of us either where he was going or when he would return. He took no luggage, only a little rice, and some coarse bread. So we, my mother, my brother `Abbas and I, clung together in our sorrow and anxiety.

Subh-i-Azal rejoiced, hoping to gain his ends, now that Jamal-i-Mubarak was no longer present.

Meanwhile, he was a guest in our house. He gave us much trouble, complaining of the food. Though all the best and most dainty things were invariably given to him.

He became at this time more than ever terrified lest he should one day be arrested. He hid himself, keeping the door of our house locked, and stormed at anybody who opened it.

As for me, I led a very lonely life, and would have liked sometimes to make friends with other children. But Subh-i-Azal would not permit any little friends to come to the house, neither would he let me go out!

Two little girls about my own age lived in the next house. I used to peep at them; but our guest always came and shouted at me for opening the door, which he promptly locked. He was always in fear of being arrested, and cared for nothing but his own safety.

We led a very difficult life at this time as well as a lonely one. He would not even allow us to go to the Hamman to take our baths. Nobody was permitted to come to the house to help us and the work therefore was very hard.

For hours every day I had to stand drawing water from a deep well in the house; the ropes were hard and rough, and the bucket was heavy. My dear mother used to help, but she was not very strong, and my arms were rather weak. Our guest never helped.

My father having told us to respect and obey this tyrannical person, we tried to do so, but this respect was not easy, as our lives were made so unhappy by him.

During this time the darling baby brother, born after our arrival in Baghdad, became seriously ill. Our guest would not allow a doctor, or even any neighbour to come to our help.

My mother was heart-broken when the little one died; even then we were not allowed to have anybody to prepare him for burial.

The sweet body of our beautiful baby was given to a man, who took it away, and we never knew even where he was laid. I remember so clearly the sorrow of those days.”

About christianexbahai

I'm a former Baha'i; now a Christian.

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Tagged with: Baha'i History, Baha'u'llah, Christianity, Family of Baha'u'llah, Jesus, Jesus Christ
Posted in Baha'u'llah - Who Was He?