Chapter 33
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Conflicting writings on infallibility.
Passage 1 on infallibility from the writings of Abdu'l-Baha is largely in
agreement with passages 2 and 3 from the Tablets of Baha'u'llah.
However, passage 2 from the writings of Baha'u'llah makes no mention of
infallibility being an attribute of groups of people (for example, the House of Justice), only an attribute of the two classes of Prophets
(Independent Prophets and Dependent/Lesser Prophets). It therefore
conflicts with Baha'u'llah's statement: "the Most Great Infallibility
is confined to the One Whose station is immeasurably exalted beyond
ordinances or prohibitions and is sanctified from errors and
omissions." By inference, the Dependent/Lesser Prophets are, "every soul whom God hath guarded against
sin, transgression, rebellion, impiety, disbelief and the like". Given that Baha'u'llah, the Most Great Infallibility, who
is "sanctified from errors and omissions", makes no mention of
infallibility being an attribute of any group of people, writings of Abdu'l-Baha attributing
infallibility to anyone besides the two classes of Prophets
may be
inauthentic/interpolated... In practice, Shoghi Effendi and the House
have made many statements that conflict with Baha'u'llah's Holy Writings; for example, when
they say, only Independent Prophets are Manifestations of God...
1)
Know that infallibility is of two kinds: essential infallibility and
acquired infallibility. In like manner there is essential knowledge and
acquired knowledge; and so it is with other names and attributes.
Essential infallibility is peculiar to the supreme Manifestation, for
it is His essential requirement, and an essential requirement cannot be
separated from the thing itself. The rays are the essential necessity
of the sun and are inseparable from it. Knowledge is an essential
necessity of God and is inseparable from Him. Power is an essential
necessity of God and is inseparable from Him. If it could be separated
from Him, He would not be God. If the rays could be separated from the
sun, it would not be the sun. Therefore, if one imagines separation of
the Most Great Infallibility from the supreme Manifestation, He would
not be the supreme Manifestation, and He would lack the essential
perfections.
But acquired infallibility is not a natural necessity; on the contrary,
it is a ray of the bounty of infallibility which shines from the Sun of
Reality upon hearts, and grants a share and portion of itself to souls.
Although these souls have not essential infallibility, still they are
under the protection of God--that is to say, God preserves them from
error. Thus many of the holy beings who were not dawning-points of the
Most Great Infallibility, were yet kept and preserved from error under
the shadow of the protection and guardianship of God, for they were the
mediators of grace between God and men. If God did not protect them
from error, their error would cause believing souls to fall into error,
and thus the foundation of the Religion of God would be overturned,
which would not be fitting nor worthy of God.
To epitomize: essential infallibility belongs especially to the supreme
Manifestations, and acquired infallibility is granted to every holy
soul. For instance, the Universal House of Justice, if it be
established under the necessary conditions--with members elected from
all the people--that House of Justice will be under the protection and
the unerring guidance of God. If that House of Justice shall decide
unanimously, or by a majority, upon any question not mentioned in the
Book, that decision and command will be guarded from mistake. Now the
members of the House of Justice have not, individually, essential
infallibility; but the body of the House of Justice is under the
protection and unerring guidance of God: this is called conferred
infallibility.
-- `Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 171
2)
O thou who hast set thy face towards the Realm on High and hast quaffed
My sealed wine from the hand of bounteousness! Know thou that the term
'Infallibility' hath numerous meanings and divers stations. In one
sense it is applicable to the One Whom God hath made immune from error.
Similarly it is applied to every soul whom God hath guarded against
sin, transgression, rebellion, impiety, disbelief and the like. However,
the Most Great Infallibility is confined to the One Whose station is
immeasurably exalted beyond ordinances or prohibitions and is sanctified from errors and omissions.
Indeed He is a Light which is not followed by darkness and a Truth not
overtaken by error. Were He to pronounce water to be wine or heaven to
be earth or light to be fire, He speaketh the truth and no doubt would
there be about it; and unto no one is given the right to question His
authority or to say why or wherefore. Whosoever raiseth objections will
be numbered with the froward in the Book of God, the Lord of the
worlds. 'Verily He shall not be asked of His doings but all others shall be asked of their doings.'
[1] He is come from the invisible heaven, bearing the banner 'He doeth
whatsoever He willeth' and is accompanied by hosts of power and
authority while it is the duty
of all besides Him to strictly observe whatever laws and ordinances
have been enjoined upon them, and should anyone deviate therefrom, even
to the extent of a hair's breadth, his work would be brought to naught.
[1 cf. Qur'án 21:23.]
-- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 108
3)
In response to thy request the Pen of Glory hath graciously described
the stations and grades of the Most Great Infallibility. The purpose is
that all should know of a certainty that the Seal of the Prophets [Muhammad, the Independent Prophet]--may
the souls of all else but Him be offered up for His sake--is without
likeness, peer or partner in His Own station. The Holy Ones [The Holy Imams, Dependent/Lesser Prophets of Muhammad, one of the two classes of Prophets]--may
the blessings of God be upon them--were created through the potency of
His Word, and after Him they were the most learned and the most
distinguished among the people and abide in the utmost station of
servitude. The divine Essence, sanctified from every comparison and
likeness, is established in the Prophet, and God's inmost Reality,
exalted above any peer or partner, is manifest in Him. This is the
station of true unity and of véritable singleness. The followers of the previous Dispensation [Islam] grievously failed to acquire an adequate understanding of this station. The Primal Point [The Bab]
--may the life of all else but Him be offered up for His sake--saith:
`If the Seal of the Prophets had not uttered the word "Successorship",
such a station would not have been created.'
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 123
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