Tabernacle of Unity

The "Tabernacle of Unity" is a small book, first published in July 2006, containing Bahá'u'lláh's Tablet, from the early `Akká period, to Mánikchí Sáhib, a prominent Zoroastrian, and a companion Tablet addressed to Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl, the secretary to Mánikchí Sáhib at that time.

These, together with three shorter inspirational Tablets, offer a glimpse of Bahá'u'lláh’s relationship with the followers of Zoroastrianism.

The title of this work is taken from the following passage:

Tablet to Mánikchí Sáhib (Lawh-i-Mánikchí Sáhib)

This Tablet, revealed at the request of Mánikchí Sáhib in pure Persian, consists of 19 paragraphs. It emphasizes the universality of Bahá'u'lláh's prophetic claim, and includes some of the central teachings of the Bahá'í Faith.

Responses to questions of Mánikchí Sáhib from a Tablet to Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl

This is a lengthy Tablet revealed on 1 July 1882. Among the subjects discussed are:
*The nature of creation.
*The connection between faith and reason.
*The reconciliation of the differences that exist among the laws and ordinances of various religions (Hinduism, the Mahabad Faith, Zoroastrianism, Christianity and Islam).
*Their respective claims to exclusivity.
*Their differing degrees of eagerness to welcome others into their fold.

Tablet of the Seven Questions (Lawh-i-Haft Pursish)

This Tablet is Bahá'u'lláh's reply to questions asked by Ustád Javán-Mard, an early Bahá'í of Zoroastrian background and ex-student of Mánikchí Sáhib.

The questions are relating to the following subjects:
*In what tongue and towards what direction should God be worshipped?
*The Faith of God
*Opposition
*Sháh Bahrám
*The Bridge of Sirát, Paradise and Hell
*The soul
*The lineage and ancestry of Bahá'u'lláh

Two other tablets

These two short Tablets, each addressed to a believer of Zoroastrian background, are inspirational in nature, calling the believers for deeds, not words.

References

*cite book
author=Bahá'u'lláh
authorlink=Bahá'u'lláh
year=2006
title=Tabernacle of Unity
publisher=Bahá'í World Centre
location=Haifa, Israel
id=ISBN 0853989699
url=http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/TU/

*cite book
author = Hatcher, J.S.
year = 1997
title = The Ocean of His Words: A Reader's Guide to the Art of Bahá'u'lláh
publisher = Bahá'í Publishing Trust
location = Wilmette, Illinois, USA
id = ISBN 0877432597

*cite book
last = Taherzadeh
first = A.
year = 1984
title = The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, Volume 3: `Akka, The Early Years 1868-77
publisher = George Ronald
location = Oxford, UK
id = ISBN 0853981442

External links

* [http://news.bahai.org/story/466 BWNS: New volume of Bahá'í sacred writings is published]
* [http://bahai-library.com/?file=bahaullah_lawh_manikchi_neshati.html Tablet to Mánikchí Sáhib] , a provisional translation with an introduction and a brief outline, by Ramin Neshati.
* [http://bahaistudies.net/hindu_zoro.html Baha'u'llah on Hinduism and Zoroastrianism: The Tablet to Mirza Abu'l-Fadl Concerning the Questions of Manakji Limji Hataria] , Introduction and Translation by Juan R. I. Cole