An in-depth Investigation of Baha’i Principles
Baha’is believe that Bahā’u’llāh and his successor `Abdu’l-Bahā are infallible and possess Divine or superhuman knowledge. According to Shia Islam—which Bahā’u’llāh adhered to before becoming a Bābī—one of the traits of the Messengers of God and their successors, is the ability to speak the language of all people and races.
Provisional translations, is a term used by Baha’is to refer to works and translations that have not yet been verified by the Baha’i administration. Nevertheless, these translations are widely circulated and used by Baha’is. We will refer to a sample here.
Why is there so much interest and eager sympathy shown towards these twenty individuals, while for five thousand persons there is none? [Because they are not French. If they are cut to pieces it is of no concern] They are all men, they all belong to the family of mankind, but they are of other lands and races. It is no concern of the disinterested countries if these men are cut to pieces, this wholesale slaughter does not affect them!
The Bāb and Bahā’u’llāh have written many of their works in Arabic but since this wasn’t their mother tongue, their Arabic works have a fair amount of etymological and syntactical errors.
Although `Abdu’l-Bahā had made explicit statements about making great effort to spread this language as far as possible, the UHJ has yet to accept this language as a universal auxiliary language.
Although Baha’is propagate this principle with great pride and regard it as one of their greatest teachings in achieving oneness of humanity, the Baha’i administration has failed after more than 150 years, in implementing Bahā’u’llāh’s direct order in implementing this principle or even selecting or creating a single language to serve this purpose!
Although Bahā’u’llāh insists that “We have decreed before that it has been destined to speak with two tongues and a great effort must be put to limit this to one [tongue],” Baha’is have been ordered to learn many other languages.
The Bāb, Bahā’u’llāh, and `Abdu’l-Bahā have all used a mixture of Arabic and Farsi in their writings and speeches. This makes no sense given that they were speaking to a group of people who were Persians not Arabs.
Although `Abdu’l-Bahā announces that an auxiliary language is needed and will be “one of the great factors in the unification of man,” Baha’i scriptures have been authored in at least three different languages.
The problem of an Auxiliary language has existed ever since antiquity when people with different languages had engaged in trade with each other. Nicholas Olster’s Empires of the World: A Language History of the World, manifests great insight into this topic.