Baháʼí cosmology explained

In Baháʼí cosmology reality is divided into three divisions. The first division is God, who is preexistent and on whom the rest of creation is contingent.^[1] The second division is God's Logos, the Primal Will, which is the realm of God's commands and grace. This realm pervades all created things. The Manifestations of God, Messengers from God, are appearances of the Logos in the physical world.^[1] The third division is Creation, which includes the physical world.^[1] Creation is not seen as confined to the material universe, and individual material objects, such as the Earth, are seen to come into being at particular moment and subsequently break down into their constituent parts.^[2] Thus, the current universe is seen as a result of a long-lasting process (cosmological time scales), evolving to its current state.^[3] In the Baháʼí Faith, the whole universe is a sign of God and is dependent on him^[1] and humanity was created to know God and to serve his purpose.^[4]

Realms

Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, distinguished five realms of existence.^{[1] [5]} The terminology used can partly be traced back to Islamic Neoplatonism and Sufism, but this does not mean that Baháʼu'lláh supports a Neoplatonist or Sufi worldview.^{[6] [7] [8] [9]} He views all metaphysical viewpoints as relative, reflecting only the soul or psyche and cultural background of the individual rather than any Absolute Truth. The Baháʼí teachings de-emphasize the importance of metaphysics, while focusing primarily on social and personal ethics.

God is manifested in all five realms, the Manifestations of God in all but the first realm, and humans exist between the angelic and physical realms and can choose which to live in.^[1]

Realm	Descriptions	Stages of creation (arc of descent)	Colour symbolism
Háhút	The essence of God unmanifested. The 'Hidden Mystery' or the 'Hidden Treasure', the Absolute Unknown, the Primal Oneness.^[10]
Láhút	The All-Glorious Horizon, the Heavenly Court, the Throne of God. The names and attributes of God are manifested. The station of pure abstraction and essential unity. The Holy Spirit, the Word of God (Logos), the First Intellect, the Divine Will. The Universal Manifestation of God, Burning Bush, the speaker on Sinai, the Ancient Beauty, the Divine Lote Tree, the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Most Exalted Pen,^[11] the Tongue of Grandeur, the Lord of Lords, the Primal Will, the First Intelligence. The Divine Dove, the Angel Gabriel, the Maid of Heaven, the Mystical Nightingale.	Will (mashiyyat)^[12]	Snow-White^[13]
Jabarút	The all-highest Paradise. The realm of Command or Decree.^[14] The station of distinction: the Manifestations of God (including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Zoroaster, Jesus, Muhammad, the Báb and Baháʼu'lláh) acquire individual existences and become channels of the divine will. The Mother Book (eternal spiritual laws), the Preserved Tablet (divine decrees, knowledge of past and future) and the divine Pen.	Purpose, Determination (iradah)	Yellow (golden)
Malakút	The All-glorious Paradise, Abhá Kingdom The angelic realm, the world of souls. Includes the Concourse on High (the souls of prophets, martyrs and saints).	Predestination/Destiny (qadar)	Green
Násút	The physical world, subdivided into the human, animal, vegetal and mineral kingdoms.	Fate, decree (qada) Implementation Record	Crimson

All the divine worlds revolve around this world, and all are interdependent. The divine worlds can only be described by metaphors, and can be compared with the world of dreams.^[15] The realms of Nasut and Malakut are parts of the 'world of creation' and are ruled by the same spiritual laws. The purpose of life in this world is to develop spiritual qualities that are needed in the next world.

Man has a free will to live a material life in the world of Nasut, or a life of detachment in the realm of Malakut, manifesting the names and attributes of God.^[16] Baháʼu'lláh explains that the 'realm of subtle entities' (ʻalam-i-dharr, a reference to God's primordial covenant with humanity mentioned in Qurʼán 7:172) refers to the revelation of the Prophets. Before the Word of God is revealed, all people are considered equal in rank. Differences only appear after the Prophet reveals himself, caused by the different responses of each individual's free will.^[17]

Baháʼu'lláh also wrote of many worlds of God. In the Súriy-i-Vafa, he writes: "Know thou of a truth that the worlds of God are countless in their number, and infinite in their range. None can reckon or comprehend them except God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise."^[18] ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, son and successor of Baháʼu'lláh, writes in the Lawh-i-Aflákiyyih (Tablet of the Universe) that there are infinite Manifestations of God in the infinite worlds of God.^{[19] [20]}

Baháʼu'lláh explained that while humans should seek knowledge, no human can understand the nature of God's creation or God himself. He stated that while God had given humans a rational mind, humans are unable to comprehend the inner reality.^[1]

See also

• Arcs of Descent and Ascent
• Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion
• Baháʼí Faith on life after death
• Baháʼí Faith and science
• Some Answered Questions
• Cosmology in medieval Islam
• Kingship and kingdom of God
• Sufi cosmology
• Religious cosmology
• Rūḥ, Nafs, and 'Aql

Further reading

• Bau, Hui (2016). Demystifying Bahá'u'lláh's Tablet of the Holy Mariner (Part III).
• Lepain, Jean-Marc (2015) [2002]. The Archeology of the Kingdom of God.
• Ma'sumian, Bijan. Realms of Divine Existence as described in the Tablet of All Food, in Deepen, 3.2.2, pp. 11–17, 1994 Summer.
• Mihrshahi, Robin (2013). A Wondrous New Day: The Numerology of Creation and 'All Things' in the Badíʻ Calendar.
• Book: Momen , Moojan . Moojan Momen. Momen. Moojan. The Baha'i Faith and the World's Religions. The God of Baháʼu'lláh. 2003. George Ronald. Oxford, UK. 1–38. https://bahai-library.org/momen_god_bahaullah .
• Encyclopedia: Encyclopædia Iranica, Vol. VI, Fasc. 3 . 2011 . Cosmogony and Cosmology viii. in the Bahai faith . Moojan . Momen. Moojan Momen . http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/cosmogony-viii . 328–329.

External links

• The Loom of Reality, thematic compilations of quotations from the Bahá’í Writings and beyond
• Reality, Soul and the Worlds of God, compilation by Marian Crist Lippitt and J. Michael Kafes
• Iscander Tinto: The Worlds of God
• More articles on Baháʼí cosmology and related subjects on Baháʼí Library (various authors)

Notes and References

1. Encyclopedia: Smith . Peter. Peter Smith (historian) . A Concise Encyclopedia of the Baháʼí Faith . metaphysics: God and the world . 2000 . Oneworld Publications . Oxford . 1-85168-184-1 . 245–246.
2. Encyclopedia: Smith . Peter. Peter Smith (historian) . A Concise Encyclopedia of the Baháʼí Faith . creation . 2000 . Oneworld Publications . Oxford . 1-85168-184-1 . 116.
3. Web site: Originality of Species . 1998-03-08 . 2008-04-13 . Eberhard . von Kitzing .
4. [Baháʼí World Centre]
5. Book: Momen, Moojan . Moojan Momen . 1988 . Studies in the Bábí and Baháʼí Religions vol. 5, chapter: A Basis For Baháʼí Metaphysics . Kalimat Press . 185–217 . 0-933770-72-3.
6. Lepain, J.M. (2010) [1990]. The Tablet of All Food: The Hierarchy of the Spiritual Worlds and the Metaphoric Nature of Physical Reality. Baháʼí Studies Review 16, pp. 43–60. doi: 10.1386/bsr.16.43/1.
7. Kluge, Ian (2010, 2011). Neoplatonism and the Baháʼí Writings. Parts 1 and 2, published in Lights of Irfan.
8. Book: Savi, Julio . 2008 . Towards the Summit of Reality: An introduction to Baháʼu'lláh's Seven Valleys and Four Valleys . George Ronald . Oxford, UK . 978-0-85398-522-8 .
9. Khadem, Babak Rod. Origins of the Bahá'í Concept of Unity and Causality: A Brief Survey of Greek, Neoplatonic, and Islamic Underpinnings, in Lights of Irfan, Volume 7 (2006)
10. Book: Momen, Moojan . Momen . Moojan. Moojan Momen . The Bahaʼi Faith and the World's Religions . The God of Baháʼu'lláh . 2003 . George Ronald . Oxford, UK . 1–38 . https://bahai-library.org/momen_god_bahaullah.
11. Milani, Kavian; Fananapazir, Nafeh (1999). A Study of the Pen Motif in the Baháʼí Writings. in: Journal of Baháʼí Studies, 9:1. Association for Baha'i Studies North America, Ottawa.
12. Book: Saiedi, Nader . Gate of the Heart: Understanding the Writings of the Báb . Wilfrid Laurier University Press . Waterloo, ON . 978-1-55458-035-4 . 2008 . 137.
13. Book: Lambden, Stephen . 2004 . Irfan Colloquia . 5 . Kaleidoscope: Some Aspects of Angelology, Light, the Divine Throne and Color Mysticism in Bábí and Baháʼí Scripture . Irfan Colloquia . Wilmette, IL . 1904510000 . 179–180 . http://irfancolloquia.org/pdf/lights5_lambden.pdf .
14. Momen, Moojan (2000). A Study of the Meaning of the Word "Al-Amr" in the Qur'án and in the Writings of Baháʼu'lláh. Lights of Irfan, Book 1.
15. Lepain, Jean-Marc (2007). An Introduction to the Lawh-i Haqqu'n-Nas.
16. Kluge, Ian (2018). Freedom and the Baháʼí Writings. in Lights of Irfan 19.
17. Kazemi, Farshid (2009). Mysteries of Alast: The Realm of Subtle Entities and the Primordial Covenant in the Bábí-Baháʼí Writings. Baháʼí Studies Review 15.
18. Book: Baháʼu'lláh . Baháʼu'lláh . 1873-92 . 1994 . Tablets of Baháʼu'lláh Revealed After the Kitáb-i-Aqdas . Baháʼí Publishing Trust . Wilmette, Illinois, USA . 0-87743-174-4 . 187.
19. Book: Hatcher, John S. . Close Connections: The Bridge Between Spiritual and Physical Reality . 2005 . Wilmette, Illinois . 1-931847-15-0 . 150–151 .
20. ['Abdu'l-Bahá]