161 Payment Of Zakat #146
Categories: NOTESSources: The Kitab-i-aqdas
Zakat is referred to in the Qur'an as a regular charity binding upon
Muslims. In due course the concept evolved into a form of alms-tax which
imposed the obligation to give a fixed portion of certain categories of
income, beyond specified limits, for the relief of the poor, for various
charitable purposes, and to aid the Faith of God. The limit of exemption
varied for different commodities, as did the percentage payable o
portion assessable.
Baha'u'llah states that the Baha'i law of Zakat follows what hath been
revealed in the Qur'an (Q and A 107). Since such issues as the limits for
exemption, the categories of income concerned, the frequency of payments,
and the scale of rates for the various categories of Zakat are not
mentioned in the Qur'an, these matters will have to be set forth in the
future by the Universal House of Justice. Shoghi Effendi has indicated
that pending such legislation the believers should, according to their
means and possibilities, make regular contributions to the Baha'i Fund.
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147 The Number Of Months In A Year Appointed In The Book Of God Is Nineteen #127
The Baha'i year, in accordance with the Badi calendar, consists of nineteen months of nineteen days each, with the addition of certain intercalary days (four in an ordinary year and five in a leap year) between the eighteenth and nineteenth months... 148 The First Hath Been Adorned With This Name Which Overshadoweth The Whole Of Creation #127
In the Persian Bayan, the Bab bestowed the name Baha on the first month of the year (see note 139). ... 149 The Lord Hath Decreed That The Dead Should Be Interred In Coffins #128
In the Bayan, the Bab prescribed that the deceased should be interred in a coffin made of crystal or polished stone. Shoghi Effendi, in a letter written on his behalf, explained that the significance of this provision was to show respect for the h... 14: O Friends! Abandon Not The Everlasting Beauty For A Beauty
O FRIENDS! Abandon not the everlasting beauty for a beauty that must die, and set not your affections on this mortal world of dust. ... 14: O Son Of Man! Thou Art My Dominion And My Dominion Perisheth
O SON OF MAN! Thou art My dominion and My dominion perisheth not; wherefore fearest thou thy perishing? Thou art My light and My light shall never be extinguished; why dost thou dread extinction? Thou art My glory and My glory fadeth not; thou art... 15
And should they reply: "The Books that are in the hands of this people, which they call the Gospel and attribute to Jesus, the Son of Mary, have not been revealed by God and proceed not from the Manifestations of His Self", then this would imply a ce... 15 God Hath Granted You Leave To Prostrate Yourselves On Any Surface That Is Clean
for We have removed in this regard the limitation that had been laid down in the Book 10 The requirements of prayer in previous Dispensations have often included prostration. In the Arabic Bayan the Bab called upon the believers to lay their f... 150 The Point Of The Bayan #129
The Point of the Bayan is one of the titles by which the Bab referred to Himself. ... 151 The Deceased Should Be Enfolded In Five Sheets Of Silk Or Cotton #130
In the Bayan, the Bab specified that the body of the deceased should be wrapped in five sheets of silk or cotton. Baha'u'llah confirmed this provision and added the stipulation that for those whose means are limited a single sheet of either fabric... 152 It Is Forbidden You To Transport The Body Of The Deceased A Greater Distance Than One Hour's Journey From The City #130
The intention of this command is to limit the duration of the journey to one hour's time, irrespective of the means of transport that are chosen to carry the body to the burial site. Baha'u'llah affirms that the sooner the burial takes place, the ... 153 God Hath Removed The Restrictions On Travel That Had Been Imposed In
the Bayan. 131 The Bab decreed certain restrictions on travel which were to remain in force until the advent of the Promised One of the Bayan, at which time the believers were instructed to set out, even if on foot, to meet Him, since the attainm... 154 Raise Up And Exalt The Two Houses In The Twin Hallowed Spots
and the other sites wherein the throne of your Lord ... hath been established. 133 Baha'u'llah identifies the two Houses as His House in Baghdad, designated by Him as the Most Great House, and the House of the Bab in Shiraz, both of which have... 155 Take Heed Lest Ye Be Prevented By Aught That Hath Been Recorded In The Book From Hearkening Unto This The Living Book #134
The Book is the record of the revealed Word of the Manifestations of God. The Living Book is a reference to the Person of the Manifestation. These words contain an allusion to a statement of the Bab in the Persian Bayan about the Living Book, wh... 156 Tribute To This Revelation From The Pen Of Him Who Was My Herald #135
The tribute that Baha'u'llah quotes in this passage is from the Arabic Bayan. ... 157 The Qiblih Is Indeed He Whom God Will Make Manifest; Whenever He Moveth It Moveth Until He Shall Come To Rest #137
For a discussion of this verse see notes 7 and 8. 158. It is unlawful to enter into marriage save with a believer in the Bayan. Should only one party to a marriage embrace this Cause, his or her possessions will become unlawful to the o... 159 The Point Of The Bayan #140
One of the titles of the Bab. ... 15: O Son Of Spirit! The Time Cometh When The Nightingale Of Holiness
O SON OF SPIRIT! The time cometh, when the nightingale of holiness will no longer unfold the inner mysteries and ye will all be bereft of the celestial melody and of the voice from on high. ... 15: O Son Of Utterance! Turn Thy Face Unto Mine And Renounce All Save
O SON OF UTTERANCE! Turn thy face unto Mine and renounce all save Me; for My sovereignty endureth and My dominion perisheth not. If thou seekest another than Me, yea, if thou searchest the universe for evermore, thy quest will be in vain. ... 16
Ponder then in thine heart: Matters being such as thou dost witness, and as We also witness, where canst thou flee, and with whom shalt thou take refuge? Unto whom wilt thou turn thy gaze? In what land shalt thou dwell and upon what seat shalt thou a... 16 Let Him That Findeth No Water For Ablution
repeat five times the words In the Name of God, the Most Pure, the Most Pure, and then proceed to his devotions. 10 Ablutions are to be performed by the believer in preparation for the offering of obligatory prayer. They consist of washing the ... 160 Verily There Is None Other God Besides Me #143
The Baha'i Writings contain many passages that elucidate the nature of the Manifestation and His relationship to God. Baha'u'llah underlines the unique and transcendent nature of the Godhead. He explains that since there can be no tie of direct in... 161 Payment Of Zakat #146
Zakat is referred to in the Qur'an as a regular charity binding upon Muslims. In due course the concept evolved into a form of alms-tax which imposed the obligation to give a fixed portion of certain categories of income, beyond specified... 162 It Is Unlawful To Beg And It Is Forbidden To Give To Him Who Beggeth #147
In a Tablet 'Abdu'l-Baha expounds the meaning of this verse. He states that mendicancy is forbidden and that giving charity to people who take up begging as their profession is also prohibited. He further points out in that same Tablet: The object... 163 A Fine Had Formerly Been Prescribed For Anyone Who Was The Cause Of Sadness To Another #148
Baha'u'llah abrogates the law of the Persian Bayan concerning the payment of a fine in reparation for causing sadness to one's neighbour. ... 164 The Sacred Lote-tree # 148
The sacred Lote-Tree is a reference to the Sadratu'l-Muntaha, the Tree beyond which there is no passing (see note 128). It is used here symbolically to designate Baha'u'llah. ... 165 Recite Ye The Verses Of God Every Morn And Eventide #149
Baha'u'llah states that the essential requisite for reciting the verses of God is the eagerness and love of the believers to read the Word of God (Q and A 68). With regard to the definition of verses of God, Baha'u'llah states that it refers to... 166 Ye Have Been Enjoined To Renew The Furnishings Of Your Homes After The Passing Of Each Nineteen Years #151
Baha'u'llah confirms the injunction in the Arabic Bayan regarding the renewal, every nineteen years, of the furnishings of one's home, provided one is able to do so. 'Abdu'l-Baha relates this ordinance to the promotion of refinement and cleanlines... 167 Wash Your Feet #152
The believers are exhorted in the Kitab-i-Aqdas to bathe regularly, to wear clean clothes and generally to be the essence of cleanliness and refinement. The Synopsis and Codification, section IV.D.3.y.i.-vii., summarizes the relevant prov... 168 Ye Have Been Prohibited From Making Use Of Pulpits
Whoso wisheth to recite unto you the verses of his Lord, let him sit on a chair placed upon a dais 154 These provisions have their antecedent in the Persian Bayan. The Bab forbade the use of pulpits for the delivery of sermons and the reading o... 169 Gambling #155
The activities that are included in this prohibition have not been outlined in the Writings of Baha'u'llah. As both 'Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi have indicated, it is left to the Universal House of Justice to specify the details of thi... 16: O Essence Of Negligence! Myriads Of Mystic Tongues Find Utterance In One
O ESSENCE OF NEGLIGENCE! Myriads of mystic tongues find utterance in one speech, and myriads of hidden mysteries are revealed in a single melody; yet, alas, there is no ear to hear, nor heart to understand. ... 16: O Son Of Light! Forget All Save Me And Commune With My Spirit
O SON OF LIGHT! Forget all save Me and commune with My spirit. This is of the essence of My command, therefore turn unto it. ... 17
O thou who hast soared to the realm of guidance and ascended to the kingdom of virtue! Shouldst thou desire to apprehend these celestial allusions, to witness the mysteries of divine knowledge, and to become acquainted with His all-encompassing Word,... 17 In Regions Where The Days And Nights Grow Long
let times of prayer be gauged by clocks and other instruments that mark the passage of the hours. 10 This refers to territories situated in the extreme north or south, where the duration of days and nights varies markedly (Q and A 64 and 103). ... 170 The Use Of Opium Any Substance That Induceth Sluggishness And Torpor #155
This prohibition of the use of opium is reiterated by Baha'u'llah in the final paragraph of the Kitab-i-Aqdas. In this connection, Shoghi Effendi stated that one of the requirements for a chaste and holy life is total abstinence ... from opium, an... 171 The Mystery Of The Great Reversal In The Sign Of The Sovereign #157
Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsa'i (1753-1831), who was the founder of the Shaykhi School and the first of the twin luminaries that heralded the advent of the Faith of the Bab, prophesied that at the appearance of the Promised One all things would be reversed,... 172 The Six Raised Up By Virtue Of This Upright Alif #157
In his writings, Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsa'i placed great emphasis on the Arabic letter Vav. In The Dawn-Breakers, Nabil states that this letter symbolized for the Bab the advent of a new cycle of Divine Revelation, and has since been alluded to by Baha... 173 It Hath Been Forbidden You To Carry Arms Unless Essential #159
Baha'u'llah confirms an injunction contained in the Bayan which makes it unlawful to carry arms, unless it is necessary to do so. With regard to circumstances under which the bearing of arms might be essential for an individual, 'Abdu'l-Baha gives... 174 And Permitted You To Attire Yourselves In Silk #159
According to Islamic practice, the wearing of silk by men was generally forbidden, except in times of holy war. This prohibition, which was not based on the verses of the Qur'an, was abrogated by the Bab. 175. The Lord hath relieved you ..... 176 O Land Of Kaf And Ra! #164
Kaf and Ra are the first two consonants of Kirman, the name of a city and province of Iran. ... 177 We Perceive That Which Secretly And Stealthily Diffuseth From Thee #164
This passage is a reference to the intrigues of a group of Azalis, followers of Mirza Yahya (see note 190), associated with the city of Kirman. They include Mulla Ja'far, his son Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ruhi and Mirza Aqa Khan-i-Kirmani (both sons-in-law o... 178 Call Ye To Mind The Shaykh Whose Name Was Muhammad-hasan #166
Shaykh Muhammad-Hasan, one of the leading exponents of Shi'ih Islam, rejected the Bab. The author of voluminous writings on Shi'ih jurisprudence, he is reported to have died around 1850. Nabil, in The Dawn-Breakers, describes the encounter that ...