WHEN A TRUE SEEKER determineth to take the step of
the search, the path leading unto the knowledge of
the Ancient of Days, he must, before all else, cleanse his
heart, which is the seat of the revelation of the inner mysteries
of God, from the obscuring dust of all knowledge,
and the allusions of the embodiments of satanic fancy.
—Baha’u’llah, “Guidance for a Seeker of Truth,” The
Hidden Word
The following paper, the product of a fruitful
process of research that involved numerous interactions
with members of the Greater Boston Baha’i
community and the reading of Baha’i histories and
scriptures, focuses on Baha’i notions of suffering,
healing, and health.
Through my research I found out how important
the Baha’i scriptures are to the followers of the
Baha’i Faith, and that is the reason that I start each
section of this paper with a different Baha’i passage
that is relevant to that particular section.
I
And since there can be no tie of direct intercourse to bind
the one true God with His creation, and no resemblance
whatever can exist between the transient and the Eternal,
the contingent and the Absolute,He hath ordained that in
every age and dispensation a pure and stainless Soul be
made manifest in the kingdoms of earth and heaven.
—Baha’u’llah, “The Purpose of Creation and the
Station of God’s Messengers,” The Hidden Word
A Baha’i is a believer in the revelations of
Baha’u’llah, meaning they believe that Baha’u’llah is
a manifestation of God and that God spoke through
him, just as God has spoken through other manifestations
in the past. It is interesting to note that
Baha’is believe in all the other former manifestations
of God, whether they be the Son of God
(Jesus), the Prophet of God (Muhammad), or the
incarnation of God (Krishna), for they believe there
is but one God who shows himself through various
manifestations at various times.
A brief history of the Baha’i Faith is needed
before beginning any discussion of the Baha’is or
their notions of suffering, healing, and health
because, for Baha’is, their history is another act in
the divine drama, which narrates the relationship
between humankind and God. The central figure in
the Baha’i Faith is Mirza Husayn Ali Nuri, otherwise
known as Baha’u’llah. The Baha’is believe that
Baha’u’llah, which means Glory or Splendor of God,
was a manifestation of God, and they use the scriptures
revealed to Baha’u’llah by God as guidance for
action in everyday life. Baha’u’llah was born in Iran
in 1817. While Baha’u’llah was alive, he drew quite a
following in Iran, and also in parts of the Ottoman
Empire, where he went after he was exiled from
Iran. Before he died, Baha’u’llah designated his son,
Abdu’l-Baha, as his spiritual inheritor. During the
period of Abdu’l-Baha’s leadership, the Faith began
to spread beyond the borders of the Ottoman
Empire and Iran. Abdu’l-Baha traveled all over
Europe and America, spreading the teachings of the
Baha’i Faith. His writings, though not from a divine
source like Baha’u’llah’s, clarified much of his
father’s teachings, and thus are regarded as very
important to Baha’is. From 1866 to the present day,
the Baha’i Faith has grown so much that it has
“more than five million members from at least 2100
ethnic, racial and tribal groups” (Christianity and
the Baha’i Faith, a pamphlet).
It is fair to say that Baha’i history and scripture
bind Baha’is the world over. This is not only evident
in the worldwide diversity of Baha’is and the number
of translated scriptures and histories written in
various languages; it also came out in the interviews
I did with Boston-area Baha’is. They consistently
referred to their scriptures and to their history to
explain their beliefs. Thus, it is through an understanding
of their history and their scriptures that we
are better able to understand the Baha’i’s theology
and views on suffering, health, and healing.
II
O God! Recompense those who endure patiently in Thy
days, and strengthen their hearts to walk undeviatingly on
the path of Truth. Grant then, O Lord, such goodly gifts as
Tests of God
Notions of Suffering, Health, and Healing in the Baha’i Faith
Shreena Niketa Gandhi
52 / Religious Healing in Boston
would enable them to gain admittance into Thy blissful
Paradise.
—The Bab, from Baha’i Prayers, 21.
Two of the resources I used for my research were
histories written on the Baha’i Faith and the various
Baha’i scriptures.While these two sources were crucial,
because Baha’is regard them as most important,
what was most useful, and what brought the various
histories and scriptures alive, were the people I was
able to talk to about their faith, suffering, healing,
and health.
Over a period of three months I was fortunate to
be able to interview sixteen people using a structured
interview, all of whom were informed on healing
in the Baha’i Faith. They were all excited about
sharing their views on the subject. Though there is
much cultural, ethnic, religious, and generational
diversity in the Boston Baha’i community, I found
many of the answers to be similar, which was most
interesting, especially in light of the importance of
history and scripture in the lives of the Baha’is. In
the following sections of this paper, I will try to
show how, in the immense diversity of the Baha’is,
there is much unity in belief. However, one thing is
certain: in no way are their similarities the cookiecutter
variety.As we shall see, each of my informants
related to their faith in a different way, though all
held the same beliefs. And, when it came time to
make a call on whether they were healthier than
non-Baha’is, the pool was decisively split.
I I I
O Thou Whose tests are a healing medicine to such as are
nigh unto Thee, Whose sword is the ardent desire of all
them that love Thee, Whose dart is the dearest wish of
those hearts that yearn after Thee, Whose decree is the
sole hope of them that have recognized Thy truth! I
implore Thee, by Thy divine sweetness and by the splendors
of the glory of Thy face, to send down upon us from
Thy retreats on high that which will enable us to draw
nigh unto Thee. Set, then, our feet firm, O my God, in Thy
Cause, and enlighten our hearts with the effulgence of Thy
knowledge, and illumine our breasts with the brightness
of Thy names.
—Baha’u’llah, Kitab-i-Aqdas, 152:5.
All of my informants mentioned that suffering was
a type of test, given by God to his devotee. One of
my informants, Dr. Clare Levesque, told me that
“Baha’is believe there are tests given to us all the way
throughout out life on this plane of existence”
(Levesque interview, p. 2). She goes on to mention
that a test can be anything, from personal issues to
maybe an illness. Naseem Alizedeh, told me she
thinks “people need suffering,” for suffering is the
“cleansing that makes your spirit grow and develop”
(Alizedeh interview, p. 2). Eleanor Mitten, who had
recently miscarried her twins told me:
Even though tests are incredibly difficult to go through,
they really improve who you are. All the things I have been
through since 1996, all those things, through drawing
upon my faith, have assisted me in coming to a better
understanding of why I am here, and given me a better
ability to serve people. I would not have the kind of
understanding I have, the kind of gratefulness I have
about even being alive, without tests. Abdu’l-Baha says
sometimes sickness happens to prevent worse things from
happening to you, and that is one interesting way of looking
at it. (Mitten interview, p. 2)
Last, on the nature of tests, it was said to me best by
Courtney Craig, that “God never gives you a test you
cannot handle,” which Courtney thinks is “another
benefit to being Baha’i, because you have that
understanding that you have the capacity” (Craig
interview, p. 2).
These views on suffering come from two sources:
the Baha’i scriptures and Baha’i history. Since
Baha’is seem to be very aware of their history, they
know that Baha’u’llah and his followers were persecuted,
and it seems that they in some way identify
with the suffering of Baha’u’llah and the early
Baha’is. Saeed Khase told me a story of a letter being
written to Abdu’l-Baha, which said “he [the follower]
has to leave the city, a lot of people are getting
martyred” (Belotti/Khase interview, p. 4). Saeed told
me that Abdu’l-Baha wrote back: “Don’t worry,
Baha’u’llah is with you. You will be successful” (4).
Saeed then said, “Shreena, I remember those words
and everyday I feel that Baha’u’llah is walking with
me” (4). If Baha’u’llah, the splendor of God, suffered,
then why would the present followers of the
Baha’i Faith also suffer? Suffering was a way for
Baha’u’llah to access God; thus, naturally, suffering
become a way for Baha’is to become closer to God.
As Courtney Craig told me, Baha’is know they are
suffering for a reason, they have an understanding
of why they suffer, and part of that understanding
comes from the in-depth knowledge Baha’is seem to
have of their history and the strong identification
they also have with Baha’u’llah and what he went
through (Craig interview).
The writings of Baha’u’llah also reinforce that suffering
is a necessary part of being human and being
Baha’i, and suffering is God’s will and good for his
cause. Baha’u’llah writes:
I sorrow not for the burden of My imprisonment. Neither
do I grieve over My abasement, or the tribulation I suffer
at the hands of Mine enemies. By My life! They are My
Tests of God / 53
glory, a glory wherewith God hath adorned His own Self.
Would that ye know it! (Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the
Writings of Baha’u’llah, 100:1)
Baha’u’llah seems to be welcoming the suffering: he
is steadfast when confronted with it, for he knows
that it is a test from God, a test that he has to draw
meaning from. It becomes clearer that Baha’u’llah is
stalwart and will not be brought down by the suffering
inflicted upon him. He writes:
Dost thou imagine, O Minister of the Shah in the City
(Constantinople), that I hold within My grasp the ultimate
destiny of the Cause of God? Thinkest thou that My
imprisonment, or the shame I have been made to suffer,
or even My death and utter annihilation, can deflect its
course? Wretched is what thou hast imagined in thine
heart! Thou art indeed of them that walk after the vain
imaginings which their hearts devise. No God is there but
Him. Powerful is He to manifest His Cause, and to exalt
His testimony, and to establish whatsoever is His Will, and
to elevate it to so eminent a position that neither thine
own hands, nor the hands of them that have turned away
from Him, can ever touch or harm it. (Baha’u’llah,
Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, 19:1)
It is clear that Baha’u’llah is accepting this suffering,
these tests, just as the people I interviewed accept
them as natural consequences in life. The use of the
word “test” also implies that action needs to be
taken, that the test needs to be addressed in some
way. And this is where healing comes in, to which
the Baha’is have a two-fold approach.
IV
Thou art He, O my God, through Whose names the sick
are healed and the ailing are restored, and the thirsty are
given drink, and the sore-vexed are tranquillized, and the
wayward are guided, and the abased are exalted, and the
poor are enriched, and the ignorant are enlightened, and
the gloomy are illumined, and the sorrowful are cheered,
and the chilled are warmed, and the downtrodden are
raised up. Through Thy name, O my God, all created
things were stirred up, and the heavens were spread, and
the earth was established, and the clouds were raised and
made to rain upon the earth. This, verily, is a token of Thy
grace unto all Thy creatures.
—Baha’u’llah, Prayers and Meditations, 236:1.
Just as suffering comes from God, so does all healing—
and just about everything else. For Baha’is,
God is the source of all. This does not mean that
Baha’is just sit around and wait for God to heal
them when they are sick. The people I interviewed
were most clear about the fact that they take action
when they or someone else is sick or suffering.
First, it is important to note that sickness is not in
any way indicative of the state of a person’s soul.
Philippe Copeland told me, “illness is like when a
cloud passes over the sun, and the sun is the soul
and illness sort of impedes the powers of the souls,
but I know they are fundamentally healthy because
God made them that way” (Copeland interview, p. 1).
This sentiment is reinforced by a passage written by
Baha’u’llah. He writes”
Know thou that the soul of man is exalted above, and is
independent of all infirmities of body or mind. That a sick
person showeth signs of weakness is due to the hindrances
that interpose themselves between his soul and his body,
for the soul itself remaineth unaffected by any bodily ailments.
Consider the light of the lamp. Though an external
object may interfere with its radiance, the light itself continueth
to shine with undiminished power. In like manner,
every malady afflicting the body of man is an impediment
that preventeth the soul from manifesting its
inherent might and power.When it leaveth the body, however,
it will evince such ascendancy, and reveal such influence
as no force on earth can equal. Every pure, every
refined and sanctified soul will be endowed with tremendous
power, and shall rejoice with exceeding gladness.
(Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah,
80:2)
Since the human soul is always seen as healthy,
despite the existence of physical and mental illnesses,
Baha’is use two methods to combat attacks on
the body. Brian Aull informed me that “The Baha’i
teachings say that we should rely on a combination
of spiritual and physical remedies . . . following spiritual
and ethical teachings of the faith are the path to
healing, but at the same time when you have a cut
on your hands, you put something physical on it to
stop the bleeding” (Aull interview, p. 1). Eric Walker
mirrored these sentiments, saying, “Baha’is believe
that healing can be achieved through spiritual and
physical healing, and they are not separate” (Walker
interview, p. 1). Courtney Craig related healing to
some of her everyday situations. She said: “I have
been sick, and I found myself saying prayers over
and over, and it makes me feel better . . . but you
know what, God gave us Advil—take the Advil.
There is a reason that God gave us Advil” (Craig
interview, p. 2). Physical remedies do not necessarily
mean consulting a doctor trained in the West or
taking pharmaceutical drugs. All those I interviewed
said that they were open to other forms of physical
healing, and one even pointed out to me that “there
are so many Baha’is that are not Western, that I am
sure are using old-school remedies” (Craig/Diehl/
Sani/Schuster/Walker interview, p. 3).
A two-fold approach is not only used when one is
sick, but also when others are sick. Many of my
informants told me that they prayed for the well54
/ Religious Healing in Boston
being of people who were sick, even people they did
not know. This does not mean they prayed for the
curing of those that were sick. Susan Boyd told me,
“Abdu’l-Baha wrote that sometimes if a person is
sick and they pray for a cure, God will give them
whatever is the best solution” (Boyd/Majzoubi/
Tomarelli interview, p. 2). I was informed by
Sharona Schuster that “The long healing prayer is
actually endowed with special potency, like if someone
is ill, people will gather together and say that
prayer or other healing prayers” (Craig/Diehl/Sani/
Schuster/Walker interview, p. 2). Baha’is not only
pray for those who are sick; they also do their best to
help out. Saeed Khase said that Abdu’l-Baha “would
always visit the sick, always ask about them, always
try to send something if he could not visit” (Belotti/
Khase interview, p. 7). Naseem Alizedeh takes physically
helping one who is sick to mean “to show love
and nurture the person, if they need your help or
assistance, whether that is a ride to the hospital or
some facility or just keeping them in your heart and
praying for them” (Alizedeh interview, p. 2).
What my informants do when they or someone
else is sick comes straight from the writings of
Baha’u’llah and Abdu’l-Baha. Baha’u’llah requires
that: “Whenever ye fall ill, refer to competent physicians.
Verily we have not abolished recourse to
material means, rather have We affirmed it through
this Pen which God hath made the Dawning Place of
His luminous and resplendent Cause” (Baha’u’llah,
Kitab-i-Aqdas, 60). Abdu’l-Baha adds to this teaching.
He informs Baha’is that
The prayers which were written for the purpose of healing
are both for the spiritual and material healing. Therefore
chant them for the spiritual and material healing. If healing
is best for the patient surely it will be granted. For
some who are sick, healing for them shall be the cause of
other ills. Thus it is that wisdom does not decree the
answer to some prayers. (Abdu’l-Baha, Daily Lessons
Received at Akka, 86)
I believe that I received such similar responses
from people on the subject of healing in part
because of the clarity of the Baha’i teachings and the
importance of consulting the scriptures in times of
guidance. Baha’is do not just fall back on prayer
when it is needed. The Baha’is I talked to follow
what the teachings say on a daily basis, not just in
times of crisis. That, for them, is a major factor in
living and staying healthy.
V
My servants! Through the might of God and His power,
and out of the treasury of His knowledge and wisdom, I
have brought forth and revealed unto you the pearls that
lay concealed in the depths of His everlasting ocean. I have
summoned the Maids of Heaven to emerge from behind
the veil of concealment, and have clothed them with these
words of Mine—words of consummate power and wisdom.
I have, moreover, with the hand of divine power,
unsealed the choice wine of My Revelation, and have wafted
its holy, its hidden, and musk-laden fragrance upon all
created things.Who else but yourselves is to be blamed if
ye choose to remain unendowed with so great an outpouring
of God’s transcendent and all-encompassing
grace, with so bright a revelation of His resplendent
mercy?
—Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of
Baha’u’llah, pp. 327–28
Following the teachings revealed by Baha’u’llah is
not merely seen as obligatory when one is a Baha’i;
many Baha’is believe that by following the teachings,
they maintain a good level of health. The
teachings prohibit Baha’is from sex before marriage,
the consumption of alcohol, and the abuse of drugs
and strongly discourage the use of tobacco. These
are just some of the physical things mentioned in
my interviews that Baha’is are told to adhere to.
Clare Levesque also said, “We are told we are supposed
to pray and read the writings everyday, and I
think that centers you and gives you a spiritual cord
in your life” (Levesque interview, p. 1). Again we see
that there is also a two-fold approach to staying
healthy, which is also reinforced in the writings. I
want to reiterate that the answers I received were
fairly uniform. That is, they were uniform, until I
asked the one question which explicitly solicited an
opinion from the informants. To answer this question,
no one was really able to draw upon the scriptures
or on history to justify their response. The
question was: “Do you think Baha’is are more or less
healthy than non-Baha’is?” Seven said, yes, Baha’is
are healthier.Another seven said, no, that the Baha’is
are not protected from the ills that other communities
suffer from. One informant said that the Baha’is
may lead a healthier lifestyle than non-Baha’is, for
there are such specific guidelines for Baha’is to follow.
The most interesting answer was from Philippe
Copeland. Philippe felt that it was too early to say
one way or the other, whether Baha’is were healthier
or not. He said: “I think the Baha’i community is
very young, and it’s a global community, so I would
say that the Baha’is are in a process of learning a new
culture and new ways of being in the world. We
bring all our different cultural gifts and problems
with us” (Copeland interview, p. 2). I found this to
be a very astute observation. I interviewed an array
of Baha’is, from different faith backgrounds, ethnic
backgrounds, and generations. Because the question
“Do you think Baha’is are more or less healthy than
Tests of God / 55
non-Baha’is?” produced two such different sets of
answers, it is even more amazing to me that all the
other questions produced very similar answers from
all my informants. I think that in order to understand
why this unity exists in such diversity, one
must go back to the importance of Baha’i history
and scripture in the lives of the Baha’i. Because they
have a common, written history and common, written
scripture, which is so specific and detailed, from
which to draw, their approach to suffering and healing,
at least, is uniform. I do not mean to suggest
that all Baha’is think alike, nor that their history is
not contested in any way. One thing that came out
in all my interviews was that, although the answers
were similar, the ways in which each individual
informant related his or her answer to a certain
Baha’i passage or event in history was unique. Also,
as I delved deeper into Baha’i history, I did find that
many groups do challenge the Baha’i reading of history.
The Baha’i community is a young community,
and it will be fascinating to see the ways it develops
as the years progress.
The important point that can be extrapolated
from this initial research is the unique approach that
Baha’is have toward suffering and healing. To
Baha’is, suffering is a test from God, and overcoming
that test, healing from the pains of any test—
whether this means full recovery or death—is a
means by which an individual moves closer to God.
I also think that their two-fold approach to healing,
to overcoming tests, is a unique fusion of religion
and science, in that Baha’is do not see the two as
independent of each other, but rather as complementary
to each other; for the two come from one
source—God.
Interviews
Alizedeh, Naseem. Interview by author. Harvard Square
Coffee Shop, Cambridge, Mass., 8 February 2002.
Aull, Brian. Interview by author. Harvard Coop Coffee
Shop, Cambridge, Mass., 17 February 2002.
Belotti, Frank, and Saeed Khase. Interview by author.
Boston Baha’i Community Center, 30 January 2002.
Boyd, Susan, Naghmeh Majzoubi, and Tomarelli Dawn.
Interview by author. Boston Baha’i Community Center,
10 March 2002.
Copeland, Philippe. Interview by author. Ras, Central
Square, Cambridge, Mass., 18 February 2002.
Craig, Courtney. Interview by author. Harvard Square
Chocolatier, Cambridge, Mass., 11 February 2002.
Craig, Courtney, David Diehl, Yasii Sani, Sharona
Schuster, and Eric Walker. Interview by author. Boston
Baha’i Community Center, 10 March 2002.
Levesque, Claire. Interview by author. Ground Round,
Needham,Mass., 15 February 2002.
Mitten, Eleanor. Interview by author. Algiers, Harvard
Square, Cambridge, Mass., 11 February 2002.
Walker, Eric. Interview by author. Chinese Restaurant in
Harvard Square, Cambridge, Mass., 2 February 2002.
Additional Sources
Christianity and the Baha’i Faith. A Pamphlet. Stonehaven
Press, 1997.
MacEoin, Denis. The Sources for Early Babi Doctrine and
History. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1992.
Miller,William McElwee. The Baha’i Faith: Its History and
Teachings. South Pasadena, Calif.: William Carey
Library, 1974.
Smith, Peter. The Baha’i Religion. Oxford: George Ronald,
1988.
Smith, Peter. A Short History of the Baha’i Faith. Oxford:
Oneworld Publications, 1995.
Sours, Michael. Without Syllable or Sound. Los Angeles:
Kalimat Press, 2000.
Weller, Susan C. “Structured Interviewing and
Questionnaire Construction.” In Handbook Of Methods
in Cultural Anthropology, edited by H. Russell Bernard.
Walnut Creek, Calif.: AltaMira Press, 1998.
http://bahai-library.org.Website, visited from 2/02 to 5/02,
for the scriptures and writings of Baha’u’llah and
Abdu’l-Baha.
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