Letters and Essays 1886-1913

Here are collected the letters and scholarly treatises of Mírzá Abú'l Fadl, famed as the greatest and most learned of all Bahá'í scholars. Included are commentaries, essays and correspondence written in Iran, Russia and Egypt over a period of almost thirty years. The letters written from 1886-1888, in Southwestern Iran, are among the few documents which throw light on Abú'l Fadl's early Bahá'í career. Also available for the first time in English is "A Treatise for Alexander Tumansky," written for the noted orientalist — a major work which provides an invaluable summary of the life of Bahá'u'lláh, as well as unique information on the controversial histories Táríkh-i Jadíd and Nuqtatu'l-Káf. There is the courageous defense of the Bahá'í Faith that Abú'l Fadl was able to publish in the Egyptian press, the first article of its kind. And finally, the letters collected from the last years of his life that show his scholarship at its most profound and most mature. The startling modernity of Abú'l Fadl's thought is as challenging today as it was when first written. This book is required reading for any serious student of the Bahá'í religion.

Contents
Foreword, by Alessandro Bausani ix
Editor's Note xi
Part I: Iran, 1886-1888
On the Meaning of Civilization 3
On the Resurrection Day 7
Why Moses Could Not See God 15
Against Blind Obedience 37
Part II: The Russian Empire, 1892
A Treatise for Alexander Tumansky 43
Part III: Palestine, 1894
On Meeting 'Abdu'l-Bahá 87
Part IV: Egypt, 1895-1914
The Bab and the Babi Religion 95
A Letter to Tripoli 111
On Tests and Trials 135
On Perfection and Imperfection 139
On the Reaction in Egypt to His Writings 147
On the Meaning of Angels 155
The Reality of the Holy Spirit 171
Did Moses Prophesy Muhammad? 173
A Commentary on the Saying "Knowledge Is 27 Letters" 181

A collection of essays and letters on diverse subjects by the most accomplished scholar of the Bahá'í Faith's first century ; selected from the Persian collection _Rasá'il va Raqá'im_. "What is remarkable about the nature of Abu'l-Fadl's responses is that they are firmly based upon meticulous and prodigious historical inquiry and encyclopedic knowledge of sources, aided by full and free use of deductive reasoning." [Introduction] Includes essays on: On the meaning of civilization ; On the resurrection day ; Why Moses could not see God ; Against blind obedience ; A treatise for Alexander Tumansky ; The Báb and the Bábí religion ; A letter to Tripoli ; On tests and trials ; On perfection and imperfection ; On the reaction in Egypt to his writings ; On the meaning of angels ; The reality of the Holy Spirit ; Did Moses prophesy Muhammad? ; A commentary on the saying "Knowledge is twenty-seven letters".