Kitab-i-Aqdas

Questions for Further Study

• 1. Numerous religions—Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Zoroastrianism, and the Baha’i, among others—place considerable emphasis on a messiah figure. Why do you believe that the figure of a coming messiah seems to be important in religious belief both now and in the past?
• 2. Although membership in the Baha’i faith worldwide is relatively small, the religion’s membership has grown steadily, and it has become a popular modern religion among some people, even in the United States. Why do you think this is the case? What is the appeal of the religion in the modern world?
• 3. Outline the relationship between Baha’u’llah and the Kitab-i-Aqdas on the one hand and the Bab and the Persian Bayan on the other.
• 4. Many readers might regard the Kitab-i-Aqdas as pretentious, perhaps even arrogant, in expressing the belief that the Baha’i faith abrogates earlier religions such as Christianity and Islam. Do you agree with this assessment of the document? Why or why not?
• 5. To what extent does the Kitab-i-Aqdas resemble other religious texts that establish laws for the followers of the religion? For reference, consider the biblical books of Genesis and Exodus, the Shulchan Arukh and Mishneh Torah of Judaism or various Islamic texts such as the Sahih al-Bukhari.