One of the most unique features of the Bahá’í Faith, which distinguishes it from other religions, is that its administrative system does not have clergy. What, then, do Bahá’u’lláh’s writings tell us about clergy of other religions? This paper addresses this question by exploring, analyzing, and contextualizing the ways in which Bahá’u’lláh addresses Muslim clerics or divines (‘ulamá). While Bahá’u’lláh’s writings suggest that it is possible for religious leaders to be “lamps of guidance” and a “head to the body of the world,” he refers to clerics as “voracious beasts,” “doctors of doubt,” “pompous and hypocritical,” and “the exponents of idle fancies and vain imaginings.” In the Kitáb-i-Íqán, Bahá’u’lláh succinctly delineates a distinction between two types of ‘ulamá: “If they be in the likeness of the Sun of Truth, they will surely be accounted as the most exalted of all luminaries; otherwise, they are to be recognized as the focal centers of hellish fire” (www.bahai.org/r/461291652).
Although Bahá’u’lláh praises the ‘ulamá who followed the Báb and several Muslim clerics, he proclaims that the generality of Muslim clerics and the ecclesiastical order of Islam constitute a major cause of darkness in the world. For example, he refers to the Shí‘ih “divines of Persia” as “thick clouds of oppression, which obscure the daystar of justice” (www.bahai.org/r/943085671), and he prophesizes that their “glory will be turned into the most wretched abasement” (www.bahai.org/r/597255050). Addressing Muslim clerics in the Lawḥ-i-Burhán, Bahá’u’lláh clearly states “O concourse of divines! Because of you the people were abased, and the banner of Islám was hauled down, and its mighty throne subverted” (www.bahai.org/r/870139629). Beyond Islam, he concludes that religious leaders are “the source and origin of tyranny,” and in every age they have prevented people from recognizing the Manifestations of God. Bahá’u’lláh empathically declares, then, that he has seized power from religious leaders (www.bahai.org/r/808267762). Part of Bahá’u’lláh’s rationale for what is ultimately a non-clerical approach to religion includes the following criticisms of Muslim clerics: they misinterpret the Quran, they lead their followers astray, they commit injustices, they contribute to the disunity of humanity, they are accountable for the decay of religion, and they are responsible for the persecution of Bábís and Bahá’ís.
Zack Heern is a Professor at ISU in the Department of History, and he serves as Associate Dean for Social and Behavioral Sciences in the College of Arts and Letters. Dr. Heern earned his BA from UCLA, and he received his MA and PhD in Middle East Studies and World History at the University of Utah. His research sits at the intersection of religion, politics, and society. He has published widely on Shi‘i Islam, Iran, Iraq, and the Baha’i Faith. His book, The Emergence of Modern Shi‘ism: Islamic Reform in Iraq and Iran, was widely reviewed in academic journals as well as The Economist magazine. He has published academic journal articles on state formation in Iraq, religious authority, and Islamic educational and legal systems. He has presented his research in a variety of venues in the United States and abroad, including Harvard, Oxford, and the Illinois Holocaust Museum. His current research focuses on the writings of Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Baha’i Faith.
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