Contradictory Dates in Bahá'í Texts Regarding the Public Announcement of the Prophet Muhammad

By Rauf Murtuzov (2023)

As a Muslim with an interest in history, I discovered apparent conflicting dates in Bahá'í texts regarding the public announcement of the prophethood of Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him), which prompted me to delve into this matter. The apparent discrepancy arises from the perspectives of two prominent figures within the Bahá'í faith, the Bab (allegedly) and Abdul Baha, who apparently each provide distinct interpretations of the timeline in relation to this momentous event.

After researching the Bab's writings, Stephen Lambden concluded that the Bab claimed the Prophet Muhammad publicly announced his Prophethood 7 years before Hijrah, after a number of years of private preaching. Lambden claimed: “The total value of all the disconnected letters from A.L.M. to A.L.M.R is thus 1267. It is evident that, taken as years of the Islamic lunar calendar (this calculation is based on the lunar, not solar calendar) yields 1267 which is 7 years in excess of 1260 (1260/1844). This seeming discrepancy can be resolved in the light of the Bāb's presupposing that the public commencement of the mission of the prophet Muhammad was about 7 years prior to the flight to Medina (Hijra, 1 A.H. = 622 C.E.) when the Islamic calendar begins. Account must then be taken of the fact that Muhammad did not proclaim his mission publicly for a number of years after his call to Prophethood at the time of his encounter with the angel Gabriel on Mount Hira (c. 610 CE or later?). These details were early on utilized in Bābī-Bahā'ī teaching activity. The great Bahā'ī apologist Mīrzā Abu'l-Faḍl Gulpāyigānī, for example, clarified and used this Islamic proof text in several of his writings including his early Sharḥ-i āyāt-i muvarrikhih ("Commentary upon the chronological proof texts") which was written in Hamadān (Irān) around 1888 CE.” [1]

Abdul Baha claimed that Prophet Muhammad publicly announced his Prophethood 10 years before Hijrah, after 3 years of private preaching. Abdul Baha claimed: “Afterwards, in verses 11 and 12, it is said: ’And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate be set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.’

The commencement of this lunar reckoning is from the day of the proclamation of the prophethood of Muḥammad in the land of Ḥijáz; and that was three years after the revelation of His mission, because in the beginning the prophethood of Muḥammad was concealed, and no one knew of it save Khadíjih and Ibn-i-Nawfal, until it was publicly announced three years later. And it was in the year 1290 from the proclamation of the mission of Muḥammad that Bahá’u’lláh announced His Revelation.” [2]

So Abdul Baha claimed that Bahá’u’lláh announced His Revelation in 1280 Hijri (Islamic Lunar Calendar) but the Prophet Muhammad publicly announced his Prophethood 10 years before Hijrah, so therefore '1290 days' in the Bible refers to this.

These conflicting narratives regarding the timing of the public announcement of Prophet Muhammad's prophethood within Bahá'í texts offer an opportunity for further exploration and discussion.

Notes

1. https://hurqalya.ucmerced.edu/node/3351">hurqalya.ucmerced.edu/node/3351

2. https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/abdul-baha/some-answered-questions/4#373565639">bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/abdul-baha/some-answered-questions/4#373565639

Source : https://bahai-library.com/murtuzov_dates_announcement_muhammad

Baha'i faith silences the victims and enables abusers by protecting, and even rewarding them.

There is a wide-range of quotes that silences the victims and enables abusers by protecting, and even rewarding them.

🚨WRONG : rewarding bad behaviour empowers abusers 🚨

"Should any come to blows with you, seek to be friends with him; should any stab you to the heart, be ye a healing salve unto his sores; should any taunt and mock at you, meet him with love. Should any heap his blame upon you, praise ye him; should he offer you a deadly poison, give him the choicest honey in exchange; and should he threaten your life, grant him a remedy that will heal him evermore. Should he be pain itself, be ye his medicine; should he be thorns, be ye his roses and sweet herbs. Perchance such ways and words from you will make this darksome world turn bright at last; will make this dusty earth turn heavenly, this devilish prison place become a royal palace of the Lord—so that war and strife will pass and be no more, and love and trust will pitch their tents on the summits of the world. Such is the essence of God’s admonitions; such in sum are the teachings for the Dispensation of Bahá." - Abdu'l-Baha

🚨WRONG: A person with ten bad qualities and one good one should be treated entirely differently to a person with ten good qualities and one bad. We should see people and situations for what they are instead of projecting good where it doesn't exist, and we should take action to protect ourselves 🚨

“To be silent concerning the faults of others, to pray for them, and to help them, through kindness, to correct their faults. To look always at the good and not at the bad. If a man has ten good qualities and one bad one, to look at the ten and forget the one; and if a man has ten bad qualities and one good one, to look at the one and forget the ten. Never to allow ourselves to speak one unkind word about another, even though that other be our enemy.” – Abdu’l-Baha

🚨WRONG: This is victim blaming and horrendously toxic. A person dealing with another person's imperfections may need assistance, protection, or intervention -- not blame.🚨

"Therefore, do not look at the shortcomings of anybody; see with the sight of forgiveness. The imperfect eye beholds imperfections. " - Abdu'l-Baha 

🚨WRONG: More victim blaming. It isn't a vice to see any person or situation for what it is 🚨

"How couldst thou forget thine own faults and busy thyself with the faults of others? Whoso doeth this is accursed of Me." - Bahá’u’lláh

🚨WRONG: One must see each person for who they and respond accordingly. This is toxic. 🚨

"One must see in every human being only that which is worthy of praise."-- Abdu'l-Baha

🚨WRONG: This makes the Baha'i community and its institutions complicit in abuse. It's criminal not to exercise duty of care and safeguarding. 🚨

"It is obvious that if we listen to those who complain to us about the faults of others we are guilty of complicity in their backbiting. We should therefore, as tactfully as possible, but yet firmly, do our utmost to prevent others from making accusations or complaints against others in our presence." - Shoghi Effendi

🚨WRONG: To "conceal" and "not to expose" the misdeeds of an abuser is actually being complicit in abuse. 🚨

You also ask what one should do to 'handle depression and anger with someone' one feels 'very positively about'. The Universal House of Justice suggests that you call to mind the admonitions found in our writings on the need to overlook the shortcomings of others, to forgive and conceal their misdeeds, not to expose their bad qualities, but to search for and affirm their praiseworthy ones, and endeavour to be always forbearing, patient, and merciful. -- Universal House of Justice

🚨WRONG: There are times when abusers must be criticised and held accountable 🚨

‘Abdu’l-Bahá does not permit adverse criticism of individuals by name in discussion among the friends, even if the one criticizing believes that he is doing so to protect the interests of the Cause.-- Universal House of Justice

https://www.reddit.com/r/exbahai/comments/15ks9mv/did_you_experience_harm_by_practising_the_bahai/jvc20xx/

Poor charitable performance of NSA Canada!

Since 2006 Charity Intelligence Canada (Ci) has been providing information about charities which accept donations from public. It provides high quality evidence-based research to help us guide our charity giving decisions.

Charity Intelligence's analysis goes beyond plain subjectivity or narrow financial analysis to dig deeper to arrive at those charities which either perform the best or the worst. This helps the common Canadian and other donors make an informed selection of the most impactful charity while donating their funds.

Through rigorous and independent research, Charity Intelligence aims to assist Canada’s dynamic charitable sector in being more transparent, accountable, and focused on results.

Its Latest report on National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Canada, Charity Intelligence shows the NSA in poor light in the matter of collection and usage of its charitable funds. In fact, it has been graded a poor LOW in its demonstrated Impact per dollar of funds received. (F-Grade) https://www.charityintelligence.ca/charity-details/991-national-spiritual-assembly-of-the-baha-is-of-canada

This report highlights the following shameful facts about NSAs charitable funding.

1. National Spiritual Assembly holds $83.2m in excess unutilised funding, which can cover 16.6 years of its current charitable expenses and costs. That is its spending on acts of charity is so low that if it receives no donations for the next 16.6 years it can carry on its present paltry charitable expenses.

2. Another important fact highlighted is the fact that in 2021 for a mere $5m of spending on national and international charities it bore an administrative cost of $1.411m which is a whooping 28% (Just for identifying and transferring every 1$ of its charity funds it spends $0.28). As compared to this poor fund management by NSA Canada

Another Charity “LifeWater Canada” which incidentally got a 5 star rating by Charity Intelligence spent only $ 0.003 for every dollar it spent on its charitable activities.

3. Continuing the Comparision with “LifeWater Canada” who managed to spend $3255m in 2022 with only one fulltime support staff, NSA Canada spend a mere $5m in 2021 by employing 24 fulltime staff! So much for its efficient management. https://www.charityintelligence.ca/charity-details/889-lifewater-canada

Conclusion:

1. At a time when humanity in the third world countries is suffering from severe economic crises, the rich NSA of Canada is hoarding its funds and not utilising them pro-actively. This speaks volumes of the NSA Canada’s commitment to the principles of the Bahai Faith.

2. NSA Canada has failed the UHJ and the Bahai faith which prides itself on efficient and effective management by utterly failing in the financial management of its human resources, Funds and expenses.

3. It seems that NSA Canada has just converted the entire NSA to offer easy and idle employment to its cahoots friends and relatives to live in luxury by denying thousands of deprived and needy in the society.

Suggestion:

The sincere Bahais and general donors are hereby cautioned against donating their hard earned earnings to NSA Canada as these donations will remain unutilised and rather be used to pay salaries of idle workers in NSA Canada.

October 26. On this date in 2013, Ahang Rabbani died.

A prolific Bahá’í translator and historian who served as director of statistics at the Bahá’í World Centre from 1981 to 1988. His translation are said to whitewash, censor,and obfuscate problematic matters in Bahá’í scripture.

From the chapter titled "Dr Ahang Rabbani: A translator in good faith or a Baha’i whitewasher" in the book Twelve Principles: A Comprehensive Investigation on the Baha'i Teachings...

While investigating how Baha’is censor and hide problematic matters in their scripture which had been inadvertently exposed by Dr Rabbani (the case has been documented in another article here), it was realized that Ahang Rabbani himself had distorted a number of very problematic statements while translating the volumes that he had been working on. In two cases, these distortions are amended by footnotes which state the translations are approximate/not precise, while in fact they are neither but an outright twisting of the truth.

In this article we will analyze the distortions introduced by Dr Rabbani in the work A Lifetime with Abdu'l-Bahá: Reminiscences of Khalil Shahidi. Also, a single quote from another one of his translations which is worthy of mentioning will be presented.

...

Pay attention to the following quote from Abdu’l-Baha:

“If you ask about Tiberius, know that its stones are black, its inhabitants are Jewish and their appearance is basic.” (Ahang Rabbani, A Lifetime with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Reminiscences of Khalíl Shahídí, p. 68)

Dr Rabbani writes a footnote at the end of this statement: “The narrator gives this statement in both original Arabic and translation in Persian. Translation of the final phrase is not precise.” (footnote no. 74)

...

The two arrows point to two sentences: one in Arabic and the same sentence again in Farsi:

" وجوههم کالقرد"

" صورتهایشان مانند میمونان است"

The translation of these statements is this:

“their appearance is like monkeys/apes”!

So this is what Abdu’l-Baha had said about the Jews of Tiberius:

“If you ask about Tiberius, know that its stones are black, its inhabitants are Jewish and their appearance is like monkeys/apes.”

This is how it was translated by the professional Baha’i translator who is no longer amongst us:

“If you ask about Tiberius, know that its stones are black, its inhabitants are Jewish and their appearance is basic.”

...

According to Ahang Rabbani, this is how Abdu’l-Baha had compared Baha’is with non-Baha’is:

“‘Abdu’l-Bahá said, “The least of the friends is better than the fairest of the nonbelievers.” Moreover, He used to say, “The worst of the friends is better than the best of the nonbelievers.”” (Ahang Rabbani, A Lifetime with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Reminiscences of Khalíl Shahídí*, p. 81)

...

The section marked in red that has been uttered by Abdu’l-Baha reads:

“یک کاکاسیاه احباب بهتر از یک حوریه اغیار است”

Which translates to:

“A Baha’i nigger is better than a non-Baha’i nymph”!

Apologies for using the n word! The original Farsi word Abdu’l-Baha used is ‘kaka siah’ (کاکا سیاه) which is the equivalent of ‘nigger’ in English.

Compare with Rabbani’s translation:

“The least of the friends is better than the fairest of the nonbelievers.”

What is more shameful is the fact that the word ‘least’ has been used as an equivalent for ‘nigger’!

...

Pay attention to the following quote:

“One of the pillars of the Covenant-breakers was named Muhammad-Javád Qazvíní. When he strolled, he held his neck exceedingly straight, particularly if he came upon the friends or His blessed Temple [‘Abdu’l-Bahá]. ‘Abdul-Bahá would say, “He is like someone with a back injury, and forced to hold his neck straight to ease the pain.” (Ahang Rabbani, A Lifetime with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Reminiscences of Khalíl Shahídí, p. 91)

What was so special about the last sentence that needed to be mentioned in the memoirs: “He is like someone with a back injury, and forced to hold his neck straight to ease the pain.”

...

The section underlined in red reads:

“این مثل الاغی می ماند که کمرش زخم شده باشد و از شدت درد گردنش را شق نگه دارد.”

Which translates to:

“He is like a donkey with a back injury, and forced to hold his neck straight to ease the pain.”

Abdu’l-Baha has compared a covenant-breaker with a donkey. This isn’t strange from Abdu’l-Baha. After all he is the son of Baha’u’llah who would refer to his deniers and enemies as donkeys, pigs, and dogs. Now, compare with Dr Rabbani’s translation:

“He is like someone with a back injury, and forced to hold his neck straight to ease the pain.”

Dr Rabbani writes in the footnote that this is “an approximate translation”. Apparently, in the Baha’i teachings, ‘donkey’ is an approximate translation for ‘someone’!

...

According to Ahang Rabbani this is how Abdu’l-Baha responded to a Jew he was debating:

“‘Abdu’l-Bahá immediately responded back with the lines,

This faith is true, that a delight!

and yet the mob, an ugly sight,

Protested it with all their might!

I wish I knew which one was right!

However, while He was saying, “and yet the mob, an ugly sight,” He was pointing to him with His blessed hand, meaning, “You are that ugly sight who denies these two Dispensations.” (Ahang Rabbani, A Lifetime with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Reminiscences of Khalíl Shahídí, pp. 23-24)

The original words (see image below) that Dr Rabbani has translated as “yet the mob, an ugly sight” read as:

"و لکن القوم القبیح"

These words translate to: “But the ugly people/race.” This is the first distortion in the translation. The second distortion occurs in the sentence: “You are that ugly sight.” In the original Farsi, the word translated as ‘You’ has been used in the plural form (shoma-ha) which means Abdu’l-Baha was referring to all Jews not just the person he was conversing with. Abdu’l-Baha directly calls the followers of Judaism an “ugly people/race.” This statement has been clearly distorted in the translation.

Ironically, Dr Rabbani states that he has made great effort to translate this work precisely and in the style and manner of the original text:

“Since the account is a primary source document, every effort was made to translate it precisely in the style and manner of the original, in hope that by so doing it would convey a flavor of the original text.” (Ahang Rabbani, A Lifetime with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Reminiscences of Khalíl Shahídí, p. 8)

We’ll leave it to the readers to Judge Dr Rabbani on this statement.

https://old.reddit.com/r/OnThisDateInBahai/comments/17g2519/bahai_history_october_26_on_this_date_in_2013/ 

Replying to Wendy Scott on Youtube.

Wendy Scott

The following are Wendy Scott's comments, to which I responded. Since my responses are not displayed beneath the video for some reasons, I am posting them here.

Wendy's comments:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-kstHTL2m4&lc=Ugw_tgeziVEwRNFPEzZ4AaABAg.9eLJiOSBdfZ9uwcq6Fjcem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-kstHTL2m4&lc=Ugw_tgeziVEwRNFPEzZ4AaABAg.9eLJiOSBdfZ9uwdJ7K4AfK

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-kstHTL2m4&lc=Ugw_tgeziVEwRNFPEzZ4AaABAg.9eLJiOSBdfZ9uwf4FPTSzV

My Replies (parts of Wendy's comments in Red)

 @wendyscott8425  Hi Wendy, Here is my response: Nature of Baha'u'llah's claims: The precise nature of Bahāʾ Allāh's claims is difficult to establish. The official modern Bahāʾī doctrine rejects any notion of incarnationism and stresses instead his status as a locus of divine manifestation (maẓhar ilāhī), comparable to a mirror with respect to the sun (see Shoghi Effendi The World Order of Bahāʾuʾllāh, rev. ed. [Wilmette, 1969], pp. 112–114). Nevertheless, it is difficult to avoid the suspicion that he himself made much more radical claims than this in parts of his later writings. The following statements are, I think, explicit enough to serve as examples: 'he who speaks in the most great prison (i.e. Acre) is the Creator of all things and the one who brought all names into being' (letter in Bahāʾ Allāh Āthār-i qalam-i aʿlā, vol. 2 [Tehran, n.d., being a repaginated reprint of a collection of writings originally preceded by the Kitāb al-aqdas, first printed Bombay, 1314/1896], p. 177); 'verily, I am God' (letter in Ishrāq Khāvarī Māʾida, vol. 7, p. 208); 'the essence of the pre-existent (dhāt al-qidām) has appeared' (letter to Ḥājī Muḥammad Ibrāhīm Khalīl Qazvīnī in ibid., vol. 8, p. 113); 'he has been born who begets not nor is begotten' ('Lawḥ-i mīlād-i ism-i aʿẓam' in ibid., vol. 4, p. 344, referring to Qurʾān sūra 112); 'the educator of all beings and their creator has appeared in the garment of humanity, but you were not pleased with that until he was imprisoned in this prison' ('Sūrat al-ḥajj' in Bahāʾ Allāh Āthār-i qalam-i aʿlā, vol. 4 [Tehran, 133 badīʿ/1976–77], p. 203). (The Messiah of Shiraz, Brill, 2009, p. 500, note 16.) Wonderful experience of being a Baha'i Shua Ullah, the eldest grandson of Baha'u'llah said it best: "I personally hesitate to commit myself [to the Baha'i faith] with the existing conditions amongst us, as today we observe only the differences of ideas, lack of cooperation, discord, enmity, selfishness, and hatred—while we should believe that smiles are better than frowns, kindness better than coldness, commendation better than criticism, sympathy better than deception, love better than hate, friendship better than enmity, unity better than discord, and peace better than chaos." (A Lost History of the Baha'i Faith, by Eric Stetson) The hate against different opinions is impregnated in the roots of the Bahá’í Faith. This just came up very early after The Bab's death when followers of Bahá'u'lláh and Subh-i-Azal started to kill each other. The names of a number of Azalis murdered by the Baha'is are given by Edward Browne in the Persian Introduction to Nuqtatul-Kaf, p. 42, and also in New History, pp. XXIII, XXIV, and J.R.A.S. July 1889, p. 517 The Bab was martyred in 1850. He was hanged for the following reasons: May 5. On this date in 1850 the Bábis of Zanjan rose in arms against the Qajar governor of the town. On March 20, 1848, Mullá Ḥusayn-i-Bushru'i, who in 1844 had become the first person to become a follower of the Báb, visited the Báb at Maku prison, where the Báb was incarcerated. Subsequent to his visit, Mullá Ḥusayn-i-Bushru'i became involved in the Bábi uprisings. Under instructions from the Báb, on July 21, 1848, Mullá Ḥusayn-i-Bushru'i unfurled a Black Standard in Mashhad, fulfilling an Islamic prophecy, and began a march with other Bábis. They were rebuffed at Barfurush and therefore made defensive fortifications at the shrine of Shaykh Tabarsí. Mullá Ḥusayn-i-Bushru'i would die at the battle of Shaykh Tabarsí on February 2, 1849, but siege itself would last until May 10, 1849. The Báb was later executed on July 9, 1850. Bábi uprisings would continue elsewhere in Iran, notably Neyriz and Zanjan. It's open every day to visitors. Yes, it is open to visitors but some so-called covenant-breakers were not given good treatment. Sometime after I was 'expelled' from the Cause and after the Bab’s shrine on Mount Carmel had been completed, a club of university graduates - chaired by an old friend of my sister's - invited me to talk about the Cause. This I was honoured to do and at the appointed date spoke at that meeting. However, upon leaving the hall, Mr. Mohammad Baha'i and Mr. Mansour, who, at that time worked at the house of Abdul Baha (and were in the service of Shoghi Effendi) came forward, spat in my face and slapping me in the face said 'You are an enemy of the Cause and you give talks about it!?' (Letter of Ruhi Afnan, published by the website of Abdul Baha's family)

 @wendyscott8425  It is very UNcultish. No. It IS cultish. Here are some of the cult-like tendencies in the Baha'i Faith that are not found in other major religions: 1. Each Baha'i has a 'membership card' with a membership number 2. Strict censorship and approval process for new books 3. Punishments against individuals for perceived infractions include deprivation of voting rights and potential ostracism and shunning 4. Ban on Baha'i Studies courses to prevent hierarchy formation perceived as a threat to the administrative structure 5. Suppression of Baha'i academics who don't follow the party line and agenda 6. Misuse of the notion of "unity" to silence and penalise divergent views 7. Discouragement from reporting misconduct of individual members in the interests of "unity" and public image 8. Selective translation of literature to control information and maintain a marketable narrative despite internal contradictions 9. Revisionist edits in new editions of books (e.g. removal of failed prophecies and intolerant language) 10. Frequent fundraising for projects to enhance global image The Bahá'í Faith is not a sect of Islam but an independent world religion It was portrayed as a sect of Islam to the Sunni Muslims in Ottoman territories, until the time Shoghi Effendi made it very clear that it is a new religion. "...both Baha’u’llah and his son and successor made efforts to appear palatable to Sunni Muslim authorities in Palestine. Both frequented Friday prayers at local mosques and both dressed and were bearded in the manner of many Muslim clerics. In addition, neither taught or propagated the tenets of their faith among Palestinian Muslims, apparently to avoid causing offense." (Randall S. Geller, The Baha’i minority in the State of Israel, 1948–1957) we believe our Faith has solutions for today's problems. Incorrect. Baha'is believe their Faith is the ONLY solution. "The believers should, therefore, seize this opportunity to make a supreme effort to present, in convincing and eloquent language, those social and humanitarian teachings of the Faith which we believe to constitute the sole panacea for the innumerable ills afflicting our present-day world." (Shoghi Effendi in Directives from the Guardian)

 @wendyscott8425  So you were a "follower" of all this before? Hmmm.... Yes, I was and I have read quite a few writings of the so-called covenant-breakers also. We worship God, not Bahá'u'lláh. Prof. Juan Cole found this species of Baha'is in the UK. One faction of Iranian emigrants to the U.K. in the 1980s and early 1990s led by a Cambridge-trained Iranian scholar even developed a doctrine that Baha'u'llah was the Godhead who had sent the other prophets. (Juan Cole, Review of Religious Research, Vol. 43, no. 3 (March, 2002)) His 40 years of suffering at the hands of the Persian and Ottoman Empires. His followers were mainly responsible for much of whatever they had to face. Here is one example: Disregarding the reiterated injunctions of Baha'u'llah, seven of the exiles (Baha'is) decided to rid their community of its tormentors. They spoke to no one of their abominable plan. One night, when all was quiet in the town, they managed to enter the home of the adherents of Mirza Yahya and slew them. With Siyyid Muhammad and Aqa-Jan Big perished a recent recruit to their circle, Mirza Rida-Quliy-i-Tafrishi. This third victim had time and again broken his word, and all ties between him and the followers of Baha'u'llah had finally been severed. Immediately pandemonium broke loose. The whole city was roused. People felt unsafe. Such were the fears of the populace that 'Abbud, whose house adjoined the residence of Baha'u'llah, added to the thickness of the walls separating the two houses. ('Abdu'l-Baha - The Centre of the Covenant of Baha'u'llah by H. M. Balyuzi) Bahá'u'lláh is the sender of all the prophets of the past and the revealer of all those Revelations I have already given you proofs about his different claims.

BAHA'I FAITH IS A CULT AND CONDONES SEXUAL ASSAULT AND GROOMING

This is the story of my experience in the Baha'i community:

I started participating as a JY facilitator after looking for extracurricular activities that would look good on my college applications. I was 15 turning 16 and never heard of the faith but was intrigued by their values and actions. I cared that they were part of the community, mainly working within a Latiné neighborhood. Everyone was extremely caring and hospitable. We worked out of a community house where 5 women in their late 20s lived but anyone could come and go and utilize the space. I soon started going more often than once a week outside of the weekly JY meetings. They cooked food for everyone, held gatherings where I could meet new people and I was invited to their fully paid overnight camps. Of course, I wanted to participate more in everything they offered, I was an impressionable teenager from a complicated home life. So I began working almost every day of the week volunteering my hours and practically living in the house. I should say that I have never been religious, even through my Catholic childhood and all the bahai propaganda I was subjected to, I will remain an atheist.

Eventually, I met a 20-year-old woman who had just left college and couldn't return to her family home, so she moved into the house. Soon after she moved in our relationship became flirtatious and romantic. She knew I was still in high school and 15 at the time. We were left alone in the house and it became obvious to the other women in the house that a romantic relationship had sparked between us. Today, I do not refer to this situation as a mutual, romantic relationship. I was groomed by an older person and used when I was new to my sexuality and to sex. The older women in charge of the house knew about this and never spoke with me. They spoke with the groomer but she continued to hurt me after they spoke with her. It wasn't until much later that I understood what happened to me and the reaction and abuse of power by the people caring for underage kids.

Before I left for college, one of the women living in the house, who was also a trusted friend (a bahai but not active in the faith), explained that she was raped by another bahai in the house around the same time I was groomed. She was younger than most of the other women living in the house so she asked for advice from another, older roommate. Her response was for my friend to forgive the rapist. Nothing ever came out of the situation, charges were never pressed against him and he continued to work with women and children.

I do not tolerate anyone condoning or refusing to hold a rapist accountable. As a woman, I will never understand how another person, especially another woman, could excuse any sexual abuse. She was raped around the same time I came into the faith and I was only discovering this by the end of my participation. After she told me, I completely ghosted every person in the bahai community without explaining to anyone why I left.

Throughout 3 years I was involved with the bahai community, I witness clear proselytization, abuse of power, cult-like actions (bahais only associating themselves with other bahais, manipulation, the emphasis on global unity through the faith), grooming, SA, hypocrisy, etc.

The reason for this post is to share with people my experience. Even if a couple of years have passed since I was in the community, all of their actions still haunt me and I feel for anyone else hurt by the reckless and contradicting behavior of the people who call themselves "bahais". The people who were meant to protect and care for children and teens still contact me today and have not owned up to their cruelty.

Source : https://www.reddit.com/r/exbahai/comments/149sz7k/bahai_faith_is_a_cult_and_condones_sa/

"In this Dispensation, divine guidance flows on to us in this world after the Prophet’s ascension, through first the Master, and then the Guardians."

While the Guardianship was to be a perpetual institution of the Administrative Order, it ceased to exist after the death of Shoghi Effendi because he died having violated Bahá'u'lláh's command in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas that "Unto everyone hath been enjoined the writing of a will." Having no children of his own and having declared every living male descendant of Bahá'u'lláh a Covenant-breaker, Shoghi Effendi left no eligible candidates for the office of Guardian, posing a serious problem given his assertion that "In this Dispensation, divine guidance flows on to us in this world after the Prophet’s ascension, through first the Master, and then the Guardians." He had furthermore stated in The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh that...

Divorced from the institution of the Guardianship the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh would be mutilated and permanently deprived of that hereditary principle which, as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written, has been invariably upheld by the Law of God. “In all the Divine Dispensations,” He states, in a Tablet addressed to a follower of the Faith in Persia, “the eldest son hath been given extraordinary distinctions. Even the station of prophethood hath been his birthright.” Without such an institution the integrity of the Faith would be imperiled, and the stability of the entire fabric would be gravely endangered. Its prestige would suffer, the means required to enable it to take a long, an uninterrupted view over a series of generations would be completely lacking, and the necessary guidance to define the sphere of the legislative action of its elected representatives would be totally withdrawn.

So fundamental was the office of the Guardianship, that Bahá’í literature was significantly altered subsequent to Shoghi Effendi's death, with the notable removal of references to "The First Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith," the "first and present Guardian," and "the lineage of succeeding Guardians." In some cases, references to the Guardian have been replaced or amended with "the Universal House of Justice" and in other instances references to the duties of the Guardian that were in the present tense have been changed to the past tense, indicating that the Guardianship has ceased.

From 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Will and Testament...

O ye beloved of the Lord! It is incumbent upon the Guardian of the Cause of God to appoint in his own life-time him that shall become his successor, that differences may not arise after his passing. He that is appointed must manifest in himself detachment from all worldly things, must be the essence of purity, must show in himself the fear of God, knowledge, wisdom and learning. Thus, should the first-born of the Guardian of the Cause of God not manifest in himself the truth of the words:—“The child is the secret essence of its sire,” that is, should he not inherit of the spiritual within him (the Guardian of the Cause of God) and his glorious lineage not be matched with a goodly character, then must he, (the Guardian of the Cause of God) choose another branch to succeed him." 

https://www.reddit.com/r/exbahai/comments/129fb9f/biggest_theological_problems_in_bahai_teaching/ 

A list of some censored books on the Baha'i Faith

Kitab-i-Nuqtatu'l-Kaf

Here's a list of some censored books on the Baha'i Faith. These books were all suppressed by the Baha'i authorities, and in some cases, the authors were killed.

It would be great to see a more organised effort to distribute and translate these Persian works. Please feel free to add to the list, or share translations if you are aware of any.

​

• Nuqtatu'l-Kaf
  • Nuqtatu'l-Kaf is a book that was originally published in 1851 but was suppressed in Iran. It contains material that is hostile to the Baha'i Faith. When E.G. Browne published the book with Persian and English introductions, a number of Baha'i scholars worked on refutations of the book, including Siyyid Mahdi Gulpaygani and Mirza Abu'l-Fadl. The book was discovered by E.G. Browne in Paris and published by him. This horrified Baha'i leaders who accused him of having become an Azali and of receiving a bribe from them to publish the book.
• The Philosophy of Niku (Filsifa-i-Niku)
  • Even after he had given up the Baha’i faith, the Baha’is of Teheran continued to claim him as one of their own, and Niku was forced to write several volumes in Persian entitled “The Philosophy of Niku,” to prove that he had left the movement. In an able and interesting manner, Niku described the things which he had seen and heard which disillusioned him, such as the worldly ambition of Abdu’l-Baha, his greed for money, and his flattering epistles to great and wealthy people whom he hoped to win as disciples.
• Hash Bihisht (The Eight Paradises)
  • The Hasht Bihisht is a book written by two sons-in-law of Subh-i-Azal, which contains the teachings and sayings of Haji Sayyid Jawad of Karbala, who was among the first Letters of the Living in the Bayan hierarchy. The book's preface discusses the virtues and claims of the Bayan religion over all other religions, while the body of the work consists of eight chapters dealing with the practice of the Bayan religion and the events of the Day of Resurrection. The book also contains an Elucidation of the Direful Mischief, which refers to the secession between the Azalis and the Bahais, and ends with a narrative of a visit to Acre by one of the people of the Bayan, Mirza Aqa Khan of Kerman, who was also one of the co-authors of the book. The work is considered a systematic treatise in the philosophy, theory, ethics, morality, and history of the Bayan religion.
• Kitab-i-Subhi
  • The Kitab-i-Subhi, written by Mirza Subhi, a former Persian scribe to Sir Abbas Effendi and a Bahai missionary. He wrote two books explaining why he left the Baha'i faith.
• Kashf-al-Hiyal (Exposure of Deception)
  • The book Kashf-al-Hiyal was written by Abd-al-Husayn Avarih, who was a Bahá'í and had also written the Kavakibu'd-Durriyyih, an important history of the Bahá'í Faith. However, he later left the Bahá'í Faith and wrote the Kashf-al-Hiyal in three volumes. In the book, he related how he became a Bahá'í and why he defected. He also mentioned that while writing the history of the movement, Abdu’l-Baha forced him to misrepresent the facts. Avarih was a member of the Hands of the Cause and a prominent Bahá'í missionary who was greatly revered by the Bahá'ís. He served Shoghi Efendi for a number of years and was sent by him to Europe to make converts but later left the movement. In Kashf-al-Hiyal, Avarih confirmed the account of Hasht-Bihisht and added that the assassins of Baha's brother Mirza Musa were Ustad Muhammad Ali the Barber and his accomplices.
• Book of Seraj
  • https://bayanic.com/showPict.php?id=seraj&ref=0&err=0&curr=0
• Book of Qahir
  • https://bayanic.com/showPict.php?id=qahir&ref=0&err=0&curr=0
• Tanbihun-Naimin
• The Tanbihun-Naimin, also known as The Awakening of the Sleepers, is a book comprising four parts. The first part is a facsimile of a letter from Abdul Baha to his aunt known as Khanum-i-Buzurg, urging her to believe in Baha and to renounce his half-brother Subh-i-Azal. The second part is a long reply from Khanum-i-Buzurg, commonly called Risala-i Amma, containing historical and biographical information about the Bahais, particularly during the Baghdad period and the schism between the Bahais and Azalis. The reply rebuts the claims of Baha'u'llah. The third part is a homily in Arabic followed by a refutation in Persian, both by Mirza Ahmad of Kerman. The fourth part is a facsimile of the Will and Testament of Baha, with the preamble and concluding notes in Baha's handwriting and the body of the will in his secretary's handwriting.

https://www.reddit.com/r/exbahai/comments/11pev32/censored_books_on_the_bahai_faith/