c. 1857 - 1858
185- |
Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Four Valleys, (Chahar Vadi) addressed to Shaykh 'Abdu'r-Rahmán-i-Tálabání (or Karkútí), a man of erudition and understanding and a leader of the Qádiríyyih Order, someone He had come in contact with in Kurdistán. In it He describes four different paths of approach to the Divine. [SA157–8, BKG163; RoB1p104]
"The Four Valleys was revealed ... in a mystical language and style, in response to a request made by a prominent Sufi. Yet, despite the traditional Sufi concepts, language, and symbolism employed by Bahá'u'lláh, studying the text in light of the totality of Bahá'í writings demonstrates that its main purpose is to guide the wayfarers to the recognition of the Manifestation of God, soon to be revealed to be Bahá'u'lláh Himself. Furthermore, understanding the text as portraying two complementary paradigms—four parallel paths towards God and the four stages of a single path—leads to integrative and holistic perspectives and practices prescribed in the Bahá'í writings." [Reflections on The Four Valleys of Bahá'u'lláh by Amrollah Hemmat found in the Journal of Bahá'í Studies 30 4 2020] |
* Bahá'u'lláh, Basic timeline; * Bahá'u'lláh, Writings of; * Bahá'u'lláh, Writings of (before Declaration); * Bahaullah (chronology); - Basic timeline, Expanded; - Call of the Divine Beloved (book); Baghdad, Iraq; Chahar Vadi (Four Valleys); Iraq; Shaykh Abdur-Rahman-i-Talabani |
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1857 c.
185- |
The revelation of Sahíiy-i-Shattíyyih (Book of the River or Book of the Tigris) by Bahá'u'lláh.
See Tablet of the River [Tigris] by Bahá'u'lláh translated by Juan Cole, 1997 for the background to the Tablet and a translation. Cole contends, by his translation, that at this time Bahá'u'lláh, had no thought of advancing any claim to Revelation.
See Concealment and Revelation in Bahá'u'lláh's Book of the River by Nader Saiedi published in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 9:3, 1999 where Saiedi postulates, based on his translation that Bahá'u'lláh was fully aware of His mission from at least the time of his imprisonment in the Siyah-Chal and rejects any suggestion that Bahá'u'lláh's consciousness evolved in this regard.
See Messianic Concealment and Theophanic Disclosure by Moojan Momen
published in Online Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 1 Association for Bahá'í Studies of New Zealand, 2007, where Momen contends that the controversy is an illusory one caused by the specific nature of the meaning of the word "amr" and that the phrase that is the subject of dispute proves neither side's case, however it is translated. He explains it by say there is a theological schematic of the stages of the evolution of the mission of the Manifestations of God, the phenomenon of a period of messianic concealment followed by a theophanic disclosure. He then imposes this schematic upon the dispensation of the Báb creating a new interpretation of His ministry and further suggests it could be applied to the Revelation of Muhammad and Jesus. |
* Bahá'u'lláh, Writings of; * Bahá'u'lláh, Writings of (before Declaration); Baghdad, Iraq; Bahá'u'lláh, Birth of Revelation of; Bahá'u'lláh, Declaration of; Iraq; Rivers; Shahifiy-i-Shattiyyih (Book of the River); Tigris River |
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Canada
