Some Answered Questions

Part 1: On the Influence of the Prophets in the Evolution of Humanity
Nature Is Governed by a Universal Law
Proofs and Arguments for the Existence of God
The Need for an Educator
Abraham
Moses
Christ
Muḥammad
The Báb
Bahá’u’lláh
Rational Proofs and Traditional Arguments from the Sacred Scriptures
Commentary on the Eleventh Chapter of the Revelation of John
Commentary on the Eleventh Chapter of Isaiah
Commentary on the Twelfth Chapter of the Revelation of John
Material and Spiritual Cycles
True Felicity

Part 2: Some Christian Subjects
Intelligible Realities and Their Expression through Sensible Forms
The Birth of Christ
The Greatness of Christ
True Baptism
Baptism and the Changing Law of God
The Bread and the Wine
The Miracles of Christ
The Resurrection of Christ
The Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles
The Holy Spirit
The Second Coming of Christ and the Day of Judgement
The Trinity
The Pre-existence of Christ
Sin and Atonement
Adam and Eve
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit
“Many Are Called, but Few Are Chosen”
The Return of the Prophets
Peter and the Papacy
Free Will and Predestination

Part 3: On the Powers and Conditions of the Manifestations of God
The Five Kinds of Spirit
The Connection between God and His Manifestations
The Three Stations of the Divine Manifestations
The Human and the Divine Stations of the Manifestations
The Knowledge of the Divine Manifestations
Universal Cycles
The Power and Perfections of the Divine Manifestations
The Two Kinds of Prophets
The Rebukes Addressed by God to the Prophets
The Most Great Infallibility

Part 4: On the Origin, Powers, and Conditions of Man
Evolution and the True Nature of Man
The Origin of the Universe and the Evolution of Man
The Difference between Man and Animal
Evolution and the Existence of Man
Spiritual Proofs of the Originality of Man
The Appearance of the Spirit and the Mind in Man
The Appearance of the Spirit in the Body
The Connection between God and His Creation
The Procession of the Human Spirit from God
Spirit, Soul, and Mind
The Outward and the Inward Powers of Man
The Differences in Human Character
The Extent and Limitation of Human Comprehension
Man’s Comprehension of God
The Immortality of the Spirit (1)
The Immortality of the Spirit (2)
The Infinite Perfections of Existence and the Progress of the Soul in the Next World
The Progress of All Things within Their Own Degree
The Station of Man and His Progress after Death
Faith and Works
The Subsistence of the Rational Soul after the Death of the Body
Eternal Life and Entrance into the Kingdom of God
Two Kinds of Fate
The Influence of the Stars and the Interconnectedness of All Things
Free Will and Its Limits
Spiritual Disclosures
Healing without Medicine
Healing by Material Means

Part 5: Miscellaneous Subjects
On Good and Evil
Two Kinds of Torment
The Justice and Mercy of God
The Punishment of Criminals
Strikes
The Reality of the World of Being
Pre-existence and Origination
Reincarnation
The Unity of Existence
The Four Criteria of Comprehension
Good Deeds and Their Spiritual Prerequisites

A collection of transcriptions of table talks given by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in ‘Akká between 1904 and 1906 in response to questions posed by Laura Dreyfus-Barney, an American Bahá’í resident in Paris, and first published in 1908. The new edition, extensively retranslated, was published in 2014.

This translation has now been superseded by a new authorized translation from the Baha'i World Center in 2014

Laura Clifford Barney, the translator and compiler, visited `Abdu'l-Bahá in the Holy Land between 1904 and 1906, putting to him a variety of questions on Christian, philosophical and doctrinal subjects. The answers, which `Abdu'l-Bahá gave "in my tired moments", make one of the unique volumes of scripture in the corpus of the world's religious literature. Some passages quoted from Baha'u'llah have been changed to reflect authorized translations. Clarifying notes have been added.