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.