“Bahāu’llāh’s first principle is the seeking of the truth. He says that man must seek the truth and set aside imitations.”

Ref: – Abdu’l-Bahā, Khaṭābāt (Tehran), vol. 2, p. 144.

Abdul Baha says that everyone should search for truth themselves without any influence of love and hatred, imitations.  As imitations cause war and conflicts because of which unity among mankind is not possible. Hence to awaken ones insight it is necessary to keep away prejudice and search for truth.

Ref: – Abdu’l-Bahā, Khaṭābāt (Tehran), vol. 2, pp. 144–145.

According  to  `Abdul-Bahā,  since  every  nation  has  its  own  set  of imitations, and none  of them  ever  heads  towards  a  single  truth. They will always be at war with each other.  Instead, they  should put these imitations  aside  and independently  search for  the  truth  so  that all problems  are  solved.

Analysing the 1st principle of  Bahā’u’llāh  through 3 perspective:-

A) First Perspective :-

Is Seeking the Truth and Setting Aside Imitations an Innovation of Baha’ism?

That  which  is  propagated  in  Baha’i teachings  as  seeking the  truth— which  the  Baha’i’s  pride  themselves  in  having  discovered—is  in  reality an  innate  principle  that  has  come  in  the  books  of different religions  and can  clearly  be  seen  in  the  works  of different philosophers. Book of zorastrain, Bible, Quran all talks about this. It is clearly evident that this principle is not a new discovery or novel innovation of Baha’ism. Rather, all schools of thought and all of the Divine Religions call upon people to seek what is right, say what is right, and accept what is right.

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B) Second Perspective :-

Did  the  leaders  of  Baha’ism  try  to  spread, seek,  and accept the  truth, or did they—and do  they  still—try  to  hide  and deny  it?

Baha’ullah claims that one’s reason and knowledge are invalid unless one becomes a Baha’i.

Ref:`Abd a l-Ḥamīd Ishrāq Khāwarī, Mā’idiy-i āsimānī (Tehran: Mu’assisiyi Millī Maṭbū`āt Amrī, 129 Badī`), vol. 7, p. 160.

Baha’ullah also says that whoever denies his revelations completely lacks reason.

Ref : – Iqtidārāt wa chand lauḥ dīgar,  page 168.

Bahā’u’llāh  has  similar  teachings  regarding  knowledge  and  claims  that those  who  do  not  become  Baha’is  are  ignorant  even if they  possess  all the  knowledge  on earth

Ref :- Bahā’u’llāh, Iqtidārāt wa chand lauḥ dīgar, page 111.

Do  these  statements  from  the  founder  of Baha’ism  agree  with the notion of accepting  and  seeking  the  truth?  Do  Baha’is  tell  the  world  that their  leader  believes  that those  who  do  not become  Baha’is  lack  reason and  are  ignorant? It appears  that reason is  a  tool  that is  only  useful  for  reaching Baha’ism. Baha’is  have  been forbidden  by  Bahā’u’llāh  from  hearing any  sort  of  criticism  from  the  opponents  of their  creed;  even if they  are criticized  using  strong  evidence  and  documents.

Although Baha’is  preach the  Investigation of Truth, their  laws  prevent direct  interaction with those  who  they  deem  as  inappropriate  sources. Unauthorized materials,  such as  translations  not yet approved by  the UHJ,  memoirs  of  people  who  have  socialized  with  Baha’i figures,  books that have  not been authorized by  the  UHJ, pilgrims’ notes,  and similar works  are  considered  inappropriate  for investigating  the  truth.  Although Baha’is  are  allowed  to  read  these  books,  any  conclusion  they  reach using  these  sources  is  void and unacceptable  if  it is  against the  official UHJ  stance.

Ref :- Helen Bassett Hornby, Lights of Guidance: A Bahā’ī Reference File, chap. XXXVIII, no. 1431.

The  only  authoritative sources  for  investigating  the  truth  in  Baha’ism  are books  or  translations  published and distributed by  the  UHJ  .

Ref : – Helen Bassett Hornby, Lights of Guidance: A Bahā’ī Reference File, chap. XXXVIII, no. 1435.

C) Third Perspective:-

Is This Principle  Correct  from  a  Rational  and  Logical Perspective?

Seeking  the  truth and accepting  what is  right is  an innate  matter.  This concept is  a  fundamental  basis  of the  Shi’a  Islamic  belief  which Bahā’u’llāh  had  firm  belief  in  for  years  before  he  founded  the  Baha’i creed.  A  glance  at the  teachings  of  the  Quran  can reveal the  origins  of this so-called  novel  Baha’i  principle. Despite  the  external appearance  of  rejecting  imitation  completely, Baha’is  have  many  decrees  and  orders  that  they  all must  imitate  and follow.  For  example, one  can refer  to  the  book of  Aqdas—the  most important book in the  Baha’i  creed—and the  book  ‘Ganjīniy-i  ḥudūd wa aḥkām’  whose do’s  and  don’ts  all Baha’is  are  obligated  to  submit  to.

Is acting  on the  decrees  and  orders  of the  ‘Aqdas’  not considered imitation?  Is  it not an  imitation when `Abdu’l-Bahā  orders  Baha’is  to submit to  the  decisions  made  by  the  Universal  House of  Justice (UHJ)?.

Conclusion of  all these three  perspectives:

1)  Is  “Seeking  the  truth and setting  aside  imitations,”  a  new principle? In the  books  of the  Zoroastrians, the  Jews, the  Christians, and  Muslims, people  are  invited to  seek and accept the  truth  and  are  forbidden from blind imitations.  It is evident that this principle is  not  novel.

2)  Did the leaders of Baha’ism act upon this principle? Bahā’u’llāh  ordered  his  followers  to  blindly  imitate  him,  the  UHJ actively prevents  the  investigation of the  truth by  withholding  or  distorting Baha’i scripture,  and  Baha’i missionaries  proselytize  to  groups  that  have no  means  of investigating  the  truth.  It  is  obvious  that Baha’is  do  not adhere  to  this  principle.

3)  Are these principles, reasonable  and  logical? Investigating  the  truth  is  reasonable  but putting  aside  imitations  is  not always  a  good thing.  For instance,  referring  to  experts  and  specialists  in a certain  field  and imitating  them,  is  not problematic, but rather, it is confirmed  by  common  sense  and  logic.