Badā'

Badā' بداء (meaning: "revealing after concealing", or "alteration in the divine will")

also see Mahtum

Qur’án 33:63: “Men will ask Thee of ‘the Hour.’ Say: The knowledge of it is with God alone.” Cf. also 22:1, “the earthquake of the Hour,” etc. See also Matthew 24:36, 42, etc.

Timeline of Bada' as a Shi'ite Doctrine

[3] For a precise and clear picture on the knowledge of God (which is absolute and unchanging, and is described as "al-lawh al-mahfûz - the protected tablet") vis-à-vis the knowledge of chosen human beings and angels (which is not necessarily absolute, and is described as "lawhu 'l-mahw wa 'l-ithbat -the tablet that can be erased and re-written"), see S. Saeed Akhtar Rizvi, The Justice of God, p. 21-26. The book clearly explains that bada' (change) does not occur in the knowledge of God, it can only occur in the knowledge of humans and angels. (http://www.imamreza.net/eng/imamreza.php?id=105, accessed 7/17/2011) [Guardianship a part of lawh al-mahfuz?]

from the lawh al-mahfuz of the Kitab-i Aqdas:

When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My Revelation is ended, turn your faces toward Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath branched from this Ancient Root. KA paragraph 121 http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/KA/ka-7.html

۱۲۱

اذا غيض بحر الوصال وقضي كتاب المبدء في المآل توجّهوا الى من اراده الله الّذي انشعب من هذا الاصل القديم. E

arabic notes from paragraph 121 on Abdu'l-Baha's appointment as Khalif:

٤٥- توجّهوا الى من اراده الله الذّي انشعب من هذا الاصل القديم ‹۱۲۱›

ألمح حضرة بهاء الله في هذا الموضع إلى تعيينه حضرة عبد البهاء خلفاً له، ودعا المؤمنين للتّوجّه إليه. ثمّ صرّح في وصيّته، المعروفة بكتاب "عهدي" بمضمون هذه الآية، فتفضّل قائلاً: "كان المقصود من هذه الآية المباركة الغصن الأعظم"، والغصن الأعظم أحد الألقاب الّتي أسبغها حضرة بهاء الله على حضرة عبد البهاء. (انظر أيضاً الشّرح فقرة ٦٦ و۱۸٤).

http://alaqdas.org/Kitab-i-Aqdas_13.htm

terms: انشعب = to divide out ("branched") يقال انشعبت أغصان الشجرة (saying branches divided from the tree)

Baha'u'llah usage of term 'mahtum' ( مختوم):

ay zâlemân-e arz! az zolm dast-e khod râ kutâh namâ'id ke qasam yâd nemude-am az zolm-e ahadi nagozaram va in 'ahdi-st ke dar lowh-e mahfuz mahtum dâshtam va be khâtem-e 'ezz makhtum

O Oppressors on Earth! Withdraw your hands from tyranny, for I have pledged Myself not to forgive any man's injustice. This is My covenant which I have irrevocably decreed in the preserved tablet and sealed it with my seal of glory.

از ظلم دست خود را کوتاه نمائيد که قسم ياد نموده‌ام از ظلم احدی نگذرم و اين عهدی است که در لوح محفوظ محتوم داشتم و بخاتم عزّ مختوم *٦٦

http://bahai-library.com/bsr/bsr07/761_lewis_scripture.htm accessed 7/18/2011

Abdu'l-Bahá in a Tablet dated 6 April 1906 and addressed to Miss Rosenberg in London gives a rather detailed exposition on the historical background of the Greek philosophers mentioned in the Tablet of Wisdom. Briefly, He mentions the following points:

1. The pre-Alexander the Great's history is perturbed and confused (mushavash)and not yet quite definitive. It cannot be trusted upon.

2. Every day new information and facts are uncovered about the ancient history.

3. There are differences between the history of the Greek philosophers as recorded in Oriental (Islamic) sources and as now-a-days written in the West.

4. Tablet of Wisdom is revealed for a philosopher from the Orient and relates the history according to what is known in the Orient.

5. The Divinely revealed texts are irrevocable decree (Amr-i-Mahtum) and must be trusted upon.

6. The search after truth in discovering the historical facts eventually would prove that validity of the contents of the divinely revealed texts.

Iraj Ayman

http://bahai-library.com/resources/tablets-notes/lawh-hikmat/notes.html accessed 7/18/2011

Nevertheless, Holy Writ is authoritative, and with it no history of the world can compare, for experience hath shown that after investigation of the facts and a thorough study of ancient records and corroborative evidence, all establish the validity of God's universal Manifestation; once His claim proveth true, then whatsoever He may choose to say is right and correct. http://bahai-library.com/provisionals/rosenburg.html acessed 7/21/2011

“In these days the things that are regarded as the most imperative of all and upon which will depend the development of the Cause of God, the enhancement of its position and prestige and the promulgation of the laws of His Faith, are but two momentous tasks: first, to expedite preparations for the formation of the divinely ordained, the Supreme House of Justice; second, to complete the construction of the Temple in the United States.” (From a letter dated 27 November 1929 to the Bahá'ís of Persia, translated from the Persian; Compilation on Establishment of the Universal House of Justice, The Compilation of Compilations vol. I, p. 333)

[Shoghi Effendi did not write to the Eastern believers about the future World Order, administration, until 1944 (Nakhjavani, pg. 304), http://www.scribd.com/doc/17582324/Shoghi-Effendi-The-Range-and-Power-of-His-Pen-by-Ali-Nakhjavani]

Notes:

From Afzal Sumar's paper, "Bada: Change in Divine Destiny [qadar] and Decree [qada']"

http://www.scribd.com/doc/22645855/Bada-Change-in-Divine-Destiny-and-Decree accessed 7/18/2011

1) First is the knowledge that belongs to Allah exclusively which He does not share

with anyone. This is known variously as al-lawh al-mahfud (the Preserved Tablet)

ummul kitab (the Mother of the Book), as well as ilm makhzun (Preserved

knowledge). This is the infinite knowledge of Allah. Certainly bada does not occur

in this knowledge, rather bada or “new knowledge” ensues from this infinite

knowledge as explained by the Imams. Imam Sadiq (A) says,

Allah possesses two kinds of knowledge. Knowledge that is guarded about

which no one knows except Him. From this knowledge originates al-bada and

secondly knowledge that He has taught to His angels, messengers and

Prophets and which we know.15

Imam Rida (A) said to Sulayman al-Marwazi,

It has been related from my father that he heard his father say ‘Allah

possesses two kinds of knowledge, one is the guarded, hidden knowledge

known to no one except Him. From that comes al-bada. The other is the

kind which He has taught His angels and Prophets...’.16

2) Second is the knowledge that Allah reveals to His angels and Prophets. The

contents of this knowledge are definitely going to pass and therefore entertain no

change. The difference between this knowledge and the first one is that while bada

originates from the former, no bada originates from the latter.17 This knowledge is

known as al-qada al-mahtum.

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"The second doctrine is the previously mentioned bada'; the assumption is that all knowledge posthumously imparted to the Imams forms part of God's ghayb which He had initially decided to withhold from them, but which later He chose to divulge to them: "When God changes His mind concerning some matter of the ghayb we [the Waliya (Guardians/Imams)] are informed of this" (fa idha bada lilah fi shay' minhu u'limna dhalika). " pg, 30 quoted in Authority and political culture in Shi'ism By Saïd Amir Arjomand

http://books.google.com.au/books?id=FSc31NvlnnQC&pg=PA29&dq=bada%27+shi%27a&as_brr=3#v=onepage&q=bada&f=false

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Encyclopedia of Islam article by Goldziher on Bada': http://books.google.com/books?id=rezD7rvuf9YC&pg=PA551&lpg=PA551&dq=%22mahtum%22+theology&source=bl&ots=DYeeZFgFU3&sig=78qeYDTYA4y1rx9d8m9c2CoW8uI&hl=en&ei=qoYkTpCBEoiisQPAxszPBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBwQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=true (`ilm mahtum: unalterable knowledge of God)

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From Ayatullah al-Uzma al-Hajj ash-Shaykh Lutfullah as-Safi al-Gulpaygani

“Neither compulsion (jabr) nor delegation (tafwid), but a matter between the two ideas.”[92]

As an example, Allah has decreed that fire should burn or that every created being should develop in its particular course, and if an obstacle comes about, that thing will not exist. Of course, it should be kept in mind that in matters pertaining to matter, if an obstacle to their coming about blocks the causes of an event, this is not called bada’. Only in instances when things like charity, kindness to family, and prayer influence the occurrence or nonoccurrence of an affair such that humanity considers its existence or non-existence definite from the point of view of apparent causes and then the opposite occurs, that is called bada’.

Second Objection:

How can the prophecies of the Prophets and Divine friends regarding unseen future events, especially the prophecies of the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him and his family) and the pure Imams (peace be upon them) be explained and justified if bada’ is possible with regard to them? That is, how have they given information with certainty about so many future events without taking into account the possibility of bada’ with respect to those prophecies?

ANSWER: The possibility of occurrence of bada’ and its occurrence in some instances does not mean that it occurs in all instances. Thus, the prophecies of those personages, whose knowledge was grounded in Allah’s knowledge and teaching and inspiration, indicates that bada’ will not occur, and is not in contradiction with the possibility of bada’.

The objection may also be worded in a different way: according to some traditions, in some instances the reports of the prophets and Imams (peace be upon them) did not come to pass, and the reason for that has been mentioned as bada’ or other factors. And this entails having informed about something that is untrue and being accused of lying, and causes a weakening of the position of prophecy and vicgerency.

In addition, the prophet or vicegerent who makes the prophecy either knows about the occurrence of bada’ or doesn’t know about it. In the first case, it is obvious that announcing with certainty the occurrence of an event that will not occur even though the announcer knows that it will not occur constitutes a lie. And the position of the prophets is far removed from that.

In the second case as well, announcing with certainty the occurrence of an event that may or may not occur because of the possibility of bada’, if not a lie, does not much befit the position of prophecy or Imamah.

http://www.imamreza.net/eng/imamreza.php?id=6578 (accessed 7/17/2011)

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Abstract: The claim that God changes His mind, known by the Arabic term bada' is a position within the Muslim Shi'a community. This concept was put forward by the Iranian Hands of the Cause of God to explain why there would be no more Guardians. This paper explores the Shi'a context of the concept of bada' showing how it does not fit into the argument put forward by the Iranian Hands. In short is a misappropriation of a extremist theological position not supported within the Baha'i writings and contradicts God's promise revealed in His revelation to David in the Book of Psalms (al-Zabur), which is confirmed as a Divine Revelation by the Qur'an: that there shall always be one to sit on the Throne of David. The throne of David which Baha'u'llah revealed that He ruleth from. A Divine Promise is not subject to bada' only God's secret knowledge according to mainstream Shi'ite Theologians. Shi'a theologians point out that something that is part of an eternal decree (qada') is not subject to abrogation, such as the concept of Guardianship (wilaya) or such as marriage. The conditions of Guardianship may be subject to Bada' such as an adopted son becoming a Guardian, but the Guardianship is not subject to Abrogation since it is already a Promise of God to His believers. I will also examine how such authoritarian interpretations based only on the weight of peer pressure has led to illicit claims of Authority. The leadership of a faith group can not be based on erroneous theological grounds but rather on the established principles of the founders of the faith group of rational continuity rather then falsely constructed arguments to explain things away creating a human innovation (bida) to the Covenant of God.