Contributor
Moojan Momen
- The History of Writing and Transmission of the Kitab-i-Aqdas Session #4 · 1994 No Manifestation of God comes into a vacuum. Baháíuílláh came into the social setting of Iran. Most of his followers were Iranians who had entered the new religion from a background of Shi'i Islam. Inevitably, Shi'i Isla…
- Panel Discussion: Kitab-i-Aqdas: Current Research and Future Directions Session #5 · 1995 The Saturday evening session was devoted to a panel discussion on "The Kitab-i-Aqdas: Current Research and Future Directions." The session began with introductory remarks by the three panelists: Dr. Jena Khadem, Dr. Mooj…
- The Legal Basis of Islamic Opposition to the Baha’i Faith Session #8 · 1995 From its inception as the Babi movement in 1844, the Baha'i Faith has been the subject of attacks from Muslim religious leaders in different parts of the Islamic world. This paper is an attempt to look at the basis for t…
- The God of Bahá’u’llah Session #12 · 1996 Bahá'u'llah's concept of God and its ability to reconcile Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and some Buddhist notions of the Ultimate.
- The Bahá’i Approach to Other Religions: The Example of Buddhism Session #14 · 1997 In this paper, we examine the way that the Bahá'i scriptures approach other religions. We look at the way that Bahá'u'llah and `Abdu'l-Bahá approach the Jewish, Christian and Islamic religions and extrapolate from that t…
- Religion and the Arts: The Cyclical Theory in the Bahá’í Faith Session #18 · 1998 Art is a sensitive indicator of the spiritual state of a society. It can, because of its sensitivity, pick up changes before they are evident in other areas. In the Christian world, the art of the Renaissance had picked …
- The Fire Tablet (Lawh-i-Ihtiraq) and the Tablet of the Land of Ba (Lawh-i-Arz-i-Ba) Session #22 · 1999 These are two tablets of Bahá'u'lláh revealed in the early 'Akká period and relating to specific historical episodes. In this presentation, therefore, we will discuss both the content and the historical context of these …
- A Study of the Meaning of the Word “Al-Amr” in the Qur’án and in the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh Session #22 · 1999 · Lights Vol. 1 · PDF The word "amr" in Persian or "al-amr" in Arabic has a range of meaning that covers several words in English. In two instances the precise meaning has become a source of controversy and it is therefore necessary to examin…
- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Commentary on the Qur’ánic Verses Concerning the Overthrow of the Byzantines: The Stages of the Soul Session #28 · 2000 · Lights Vol. 2 · PDF This paper is a translation and commentary upon a work of' 'Abdu'l-Bahá in which lie give a mystical commentary upon the first few words of the thirtieth Surah of the Qur'án, the Surah of' Rum. These words refer to the o…
- Mysticism and the Bahá’i Community Session #36 · 2001 · Lights Vol. 3 · PDF In this paper, we will examine five characteristic features that are common to mystical orders whether these be in Buddhism, Christianity or Islam: 1. A hierarchical structure with a leader who is regarded as being farth…
- The Bab’s Commentary on the Verse of Light Session #42 · 2002
- The Chapter of the Slave: Some problems in the translation and analysis of the Surat al-Abd, Chapter 109 of the Qayyumu’l-Asma’ Session #44 · 2002
- Súrat Adh-Dhir, Surah 108 of Qayyumu’l-Asma Session #44 · 2002
- Tafsir-i-Súri-yi Núr (Commentary on Qur’an’s Chapter of Light) Session #44 · 2002
- Legal terms in the translations of Shoghi Effendi and in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas Session #48 · 2003 · Lights Vol. 16 · PDF This presentation is in two halves. In the first half, the words which Shoghi Effendi renders as "law" or "laws" in his translations of the Baha'i scriptures are examined. The following terms are found: Sharí'ah or Sharí…
- Power and the Bahá’í Community Session #54 · 2004 · Lights Vol. 19 · PDF More than fifty years ago, Shoghi Effendi was writing that the thinking world has already caught up with the "great and universal principles enunciated by Bahá'u'lláh". He suggested that Baha'is needed to find ways of pr…
- Surat al-Dhikr of the Qayyúm al-Asmá’ (chapter 108): A provisional translation and commentary Session #62 · 2005 In this paper a preliminary and highly provisional attempt is made to understand and translate a Surah of the Qayyum al-Asma, the first book that the Báb revealed after His declaration in 1844. The 108th Surah, which is …
- The Baha’is in Sari and the Constitutional Revolution in Iran Session #69 · 2006
- Shoghi Effendi and Globalization Session #76 · 2007
- Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit: Chapter 31 of Some Answered Questions Session #83 · 2008 · Lights Vol. 10 · PDF In Chapter 31 of "Some Answered Questions", 'Abdu'l-Bahá gives a commentary on a verse from the Gospel of St Mathew: "Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, but the blasphem…
- The Báb’s Commentary on the Hadith of Kumail: What is Reality? Session #89 · 2009 According to this Tradition, Kumayl asked the Imam `Ali: "What is Reality?" `Ali at first demurred from answering and gave what appeared to be evasive responses. But after two or three such exchanges, he eventually gave …
- Perfection and Refinement: Toward an Aesthetic of the Báb Session #97 · 2010 · Lights Vol. 12 · PDF In this paper, I divide the arts into three major divisions: the plastic arts, those arts produced by using materials that can be molded or changed in some way, such as painting, sculpture, architecture, wood-and metal- …
- Apocalyptic Thinking and Process Thinking: A Baha’i Contribution to Religious Thought Session #104 · 2011 · Lights Vol. 13 · PDF The key feature of classical religious apocalyptic thinking is that affairs are static until they are suddenly moved from one state to another by God. Thus the change in affairs is sudden and immediate and it is supernat…
- Uniting Space and Time: Ritual and the Bahá’í Faith Session #111 · 2012 The Bahá'í Faith has very few communal rituals. There is almost no structure or set form to the regular meetings of the community or to such ceremonial occasions as weddings and funerals. Furthermore, there are textual i…
- Consultation in the Bahá’í Faith: A Review of its Developmental Process Session #118 · 2013 · Lights Vol. 15 · PDF This paper looks at consultation in the Bahá'í Faith. It starts from the mention of this process in the Kitab-i-Aqdas and the manner in which this was initially put into practice in Iran in the late 1870s. It then looks …
- Breaking Through Cultural Barriers: Migration and Change in the Baha’i Faith Session #125 · 2014
- Memorials of the Faithful: The Democratization of Sainthood Session #132 · 2015 This paper considers the literary genre and literary history behind Memorials of the Faithful (Tadhkiratu'l-Vafa) as well as examining what is new about the book. The paper will first consider the genre of hagiography in…
- A Comparison between the commentary and interpretation of an Islamic Tradition by `Abdu’l-Bahá and Ayatu’llah Khomeini Session #138 · 2016 · Lights Vol. 18 · PDF There is an Islamic Shi`i Tradition, attributed to the Eleventh Shi`i Imam, Hasan al-`Askari, in which he quotes the sixth Imam Ja`far as-Sadiq. It is very well-known among Shi`i Islamic scholars because it is the basis …
- Two Episodes from the Life of Bahá’u’lláh in Iran Session #153 · 2018 · Lights Vol. 20 · PDF This paper looks at the events that occurred to Baha'u'llah during the time that he lived in Iran. Particular attention is given to two historical episodes where close attention to the text of two Tablets of Baha'u'llah …