Specifically, he contrasted the "official modern Bahāʾī doctrine reject any notion of incarnationism and stress instead his status as a locus of divine manifestation comparable to a mirror with respect to the sun," to several quotes from the writings of Baháʼu'lláh, which he argued are suggestive of a more radical interpretation. In his book The Messiah of Shiraz, Denis MacEoin noted a possible discrepancy between the contemporary Baháʼí understanding of Baháʼu'lláh's station as a Manifestation of God and that found in Baháʼu'lláh's own works. According to ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, the son and successor of the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, the Manifestations of God must be distinguished above any other person in every aspect and qualification, in order that they can effectively train and educate people. They are also seen to have innate, divinely revealed knowledge and absolute knowledge of the physical world. They are understood to have existed in the spiritual world prior to their physical birth in this life. Thus, the Manifestations of God are special beings, having a unique relationship to God as they have been sent by God from the spiritual world as an instrument of divine revelation.
The Manifestations of God are not seen to be simply great thinkers or philosophers who have a better understanding than others, but that, by their nature, they are inherently superior to the average human. The Manifestations of God are believed to possess capacities that do not exist in humans, and this difference is not a difference in degree but a difference in kind. These stations are complementary rather than mutually exclusive. They may at times emphasize their humanity, and at other times proclaim their divinity. Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, explained that at one extreme the Manifestations of God are humble servants of God and at the other extreme they claim to speak with the voice of God, and manifest his attributes to humanity. The Manifestations of God are seen to represent a level of existence which is an intermediary between God and humans.
Thus, the Manifestations of God act as pure mirrors that reflect the attributes of God onto this material world. The spirit and attributes of God are likened to the rays of the Sun, and the Manifestations of God are likened to perfect mirrors reflecting the rays of the Sun. In the analogy, God is likened to the Sun – the source of physical life on earth. A common Baháʼí analogy used to explain the relationship between the Manifestation of God and God is that of a perfect mirror. In the station of divinity, they show forth the will, knowledge, and attributes of God in the station of humanity, they show the physical qualities of common man. Instead, the Baháʼí concept of a Manifestation of God emphasizes the simultaneously existing qualities of humanity and divinity. The Manifestations of God are not seen as incarnations of God as God cannot be divided and does not descend to the condition of his creatures, but they are also not seen as ordinary mortals. In expressing God's intent, these Manifestations are seen to establish religion in the world.
#Manifest quotes series#
Baháʼís believe that God expresses this will at all times and in many ways, including through a series of divine messengers referred to as Manifestations of God. Though inaccessible directly, God is nevertheless seen as conscious of his creation, with a mind, will and purpose. Baháʼís believe in a single, imperishable God, the creator of all things, including all the creatures and forces in the universe. The Baháʼí concept of the intermediary between God and humanity is expressed in the term Manifestation of God. The Ringstone symbol represents humanity's connection to God through the Manifestation of God The Manifestations of God are directly linked with the Baháʼí concepts of progressive revelation and unity of religion. Baháʼí teachings hold that the motive force in all human development is due to the coming of the Manifestations of God.
They act as perfect mirrors reflecting the attributes of God into the physical world. In the Baha'i Faith, it is believed that the Manifestations of God are the only channel for humanity to know about God because contact with the Spirit is what transforms the heart and mind, creating a living relationship between the soul and God. The Manifestations of God are appearances of the Divine Spirit or Holy Spirit in a series of personages, and as such, they perfectly reflect the attributes of the divine into the human world for the progress and advancement of human morals and civilization through the agency of that same Spirit. The Manifestation of God ( Persian: مظهر ظهور maẓhar ẓohūr) is a concept in the Baháʼí Faith that refers to what are commonly called prophets.