THE BOOK
ZOROASTRIAN BAHA’I FAITH:
From “Prophecy Fulfilled” webpage:
‘Members of the Baha’i Faith believe that in the middle of the last [19th] century these prophecies actually were fulfilled and that the Promised One truly did appear. Baha’u’llah, the Prophet founder of the Baha’i Faith, claims to be the Promised One whose coming was explicitly foretold, not only in the Old and New Testaments .... but also in the prophecies of the Hindu, Buddhist, Zoroastrian, Islamic and other religions.’ [Baha’u’llah: Born 12/11/1817 in Tehran, Iran: Died 29/5/1892 in Acre, Israel.]
The 19th century was characterised by rapid changes in areas ranging from politics to science to military adventurism. However, in religious/spiritual terms, it also produced especial seeds that later brought forth perhaps the major event in human history --- the long-awaited but little-recognised arrival of the prophesied One. Despite the global promulgation by Baha’i faithful that Baha’u’llah was the expected “one”; along with many other claimants to that occurrence of Messiahship, he was not. Let’s summarise, so far, from “Prophecy Fulfilled” webpage:
‘Each of the world’s major religions contains Messianic prophecies. ‘Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, the Zoroastrian religion and even the Native American religions all foretell the coming of a Promised One. Each of the Founders of these great religions either promised to personally return himself, to send another like himself or in some instances .... The Founder promised to do both.
‘Christians await the return of Christ and the coming of “another comforter.” The Jewish scriptures foretell the coming of “another prophet” like Moses and the return of Elijah from heaven. Many Moslems await the appearance of Mahdi and Meseeh. Krishna promised to personally return from age to age. Buddha said that he was not the first Buddha ever to appear and that another “supremely enlightened” Buddha was still yet to come. Zoroastrian prophecies foretell the coming of a “World-renovator.” Native American prophecies foretell the coming of a bearded white man from the east who will bring teachings which will restore the hoop of unity. ‘Each religion, in its own way, has foretold the coming of a great ‘religion- restoring’, world-uniting’, ‘peace-bringing’ Messiah.
‘For centuries, people from all over the world have been hoping and praying that they will be the generation which will witness the appearance of their Promised One.’ (Italics mine.)
Note the last words of the above essay; ‘...the appearance of their Promised One’. How many “Promised Ones” does the human race want? The Book of Ecclesiastes (the Preacher) terms it succinctly:
“Vanity of Vanities!” says the Preacher; “Vanity of Vanities, all is vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2.)
“I examined all the things they produced under the skies, and saw that all was vanity and vexation of spirit! The ‘crooked’ could not be straightened; and the ‘wrong’ could not be righted.” (Ecclesiastes 1:14. Fenton Bible, Emphases mine.)
There stands the fatuous nature of the human condition. It is akin to the “aspiritual and nauseating mantra” that we examined earlier on, and which is the major stumbling block that prevents Recognition by global humanity of The Only True One. That intonation, saturated with conceit, is: ‘I have my truth, and my truth is the only right one.’
Do you think we are also saying the same thing, and with conceit? Read on and delve deeply within these pages into detailed knowledge about the “great questions to life” for one, and be amazed and enlightened – and become ‘spiritually free’. If that should be ‘your’ experience, then let any gratitude ‘you’ may feel soar ‘upwards’ to the Very Origin of the knowledge that graces this Work; that we humans at the very lowest level of Creation are graciously permitted to have. For the ‘crooked’ will be straightened, and the ‘wrong’ will be righted. The process has already begun!
Now, what about Islam: a key religion in our narrative? What is truly curious to this writer is that despite the fact we are stridently told Muhammad was/is supposed to be the very last Messenger as the “Spirit of Truth”, there is a belief, or perhaps another belief within the religion, of an ‘end-time Messiah’ for Muslims. All prophecy, indeed, all logic, clearly presupposes that The Spirit of Truth and his accompanying All-Truth simply has to be the Last One.
‘Spirits of Truth’ cannot keep “popping up” whenever in history it is convenient for a religion or faith. So how, Islam, can you have another that you, too, await if Mohammad was ‘the final messenger’? It makes no sense whatsoever! Very obviously, there is a serious difference in belief or teaching among Muslims on this point. What that clearly means is that Islam is not united at all, but seriously fractured and goes against all that at least M.M Ali loyally declares. So where is the true story in the religion of Islam?