Scripture as Literature: The Writings of Bahá’u’llah in their Literary Context

Abstract

The writings of Mírzá Husayn-'All Núrí, Bahá'u'lláh (1817-92), are said to number about 15,000 books and letters, and constitute the primary scripture of the Baháíí religion. Because of Bahá'u'lláh's claim to be a Manifestation of God (mazhar-i-ilahí), His Writings have been studied, like most scripture, primarily for their theological and doctrinal content. The literary qualities of His writings, unlike the literary qualities of the Qur'án, have been largely taken for granted, perhaps because there is no formal parallel in Baháíí belief to the Islamic doctrine of i'jáz al-Qur'án. Many literary, cultural-historical and theological questions arise when we look at Bahá'u'lláhís scripture in terms, not solely of the religious canon (the Hebrew Bible, the Gospels, the Qur'án), but in terms of the Persian and Arabic literary tradition. This paper examines several of Bahá'u'lláhís works, including Kalimát-i-Maknúnih (The Hidden Words), Haft Vadí (The Seven Valleys), and Qasídiy-yi-Varqá'íyyih, all of which are acknowledged as revealed texts, in the context of literary history, tracing a few of the prominent motifs or genres and indicating how they fit into and resonate with the prior literary tradition. The paper concludes that the development of a deeper understanding of Bahá'u'lláh's works in the context of the Perso-Arabic literary tradition would be valuable for the following reasons: 1) By understanding the literary background of scriptural texts Concluding the history of words, motifs and genres that appear in them), obscure points or statements In Bahá'í scripture can often be elucidated, by providing an appropriate context for interpretation. 2) A proper appreciation of the literary achievement of Bahá'u'lláh's works will help win a place for them in the study of Persian and Arabic belles-letteres, calling them to the attention of individuals who might not be interested in them as religious texts. 3) Because more is known about the literary and cultural milieu that. shaped the forms and styles in which Bahá'u'lláh's Revelation was expressed, study of the ways in which the genres and motifs of Persian and Arabic literature are employed and reworked in Bahá'í scripture may provide models for understanding how the literary milieus into which the Qur'án, the Gospels and the Hebrew Bible contributed to the formation of those scriptures.