REGISTER TO WATCH
“Huwíyyah” (Divine Ipseity) is a central concept of Bahá’í theology, critical to its doctrine of the Unknowability of God. Derived from the Arabic pronoun Huwa (“He”), it functions as a technical theological term indicative of God as the absolutely Hidden, Unknowable Essence, beyond all conception and qualification. The Bahá’í Writings feature a range of stunning and radically apophatic formulations on the nature of the Divine, insisting that the gates of knowledge of the Divine Essence are irrevocably closed. Nonetheless, the doctrine of ‘Manifestationhood’ provides a model for how reality and revelation do, indeed, exist, emerging from that Unknowable Reality. Despite the importance of the ‘Hidden Essence’ as a feature of Bahá’í theology, Huwíyyah has received only modest attention in Bahá’í scholarship. This presentation introduces this concept to supplement familiar passages wherein it is found to open a dialogue on its mystical and philosophical import. We will grapple with the paradox of absolute Divine Inaccessibility, and the prospects for resolution via the Primal Will (Mashíyyah), the notion of emanation, and the Manifestation of God. Particular attention is given to Bahá’u’lláh’s articulation of the twofold station of the Manifestations—their absolute unity and complete servitude—which accounts for their ability to speak both from the positionality of “He is” (huwa) and “I am” (aná), without violating divine unity (tawḥíd). Key passages from the Kitáb-i-Íqán, Seven Valleys, Gems of Divine Mysteries, and Súriy-i-Haykal are explored to trace the lexical and philosophical weight of this concept. The presentation situates Bahá’í metaphysics within broader philosophical and religious contexts, drawing on selective comparisons with Islamic mystical terminology and Neoplatonic apophaticism (especially Plotinus). By clarifying the distinction between ipseity, quiddity, and manifestation, the presentation aims to illuminate the coherence, rigor, and philosophical significance of Bahá’í teachings on divine transcendence, revelation, and the limits of theological language.
Aaron John Robarts Ferguson is an interdisciplinary researcher, writer, epidemiologist, and Bahá’í scholar. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and History from Pacific University and a Masters in Epidemiology from the University of Washington. His professional research focuses on applied social epidemiology topics including healthcare access, youth and adolescent health disparities, health impacts of immigration, spatial epidemiology, and substance use. His other scholarly interests include a range of topics in history, religion, and philosophy. He studies Persian and Arabic in his free time, producing provisional translations of the Bahá’í Writings as he explores the depths of the Ocean of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation.
Leave a Reply