Three Books to Master

In 1932, Shoghi Effendi said if we want to "be able to teach others and render real service to the promulgation of the Faith", we need to understand the spirit and tenets of the Faith. "Of special importance", he went on, "is the Book of the Íqán which explains the attitude of the Cause towards the prophets of God and their mission in the history of society. Besides this there is Some Answered Questions of the Master and The Dawn-Breakers of Nabíl. Every Bahá’í should master these books and be able to explain their contents to others."

The Iqan. The Dawn-Breakers. Some Answered Questions.

Why these three?

He begins by referring us to the Iqan, a book of "special importance". And yes, it does explain our attitude towards the various Manifestations, as well as their role in history, but it does so much more than that. There are multiple lists of all the various topics covered in that remarkable book. Volumes could be, and have been, written about the ideas within it.

But what about the Dawn-Breakers? Why would he include a volume written not by one of the Central Figures of the Faith but by a poet? Perhaps the answer can be found in the Iqan. In paragraph 6 we read, "the more closely thou observest the denials of those who have opposed the Manifestations of the divine attributes, the firmer will be thy faith in the Cause of God." The Dawn-Breakers is one of the books that talks about those very denials. Later, of course, Shoghi Effendi would also include "God Passes By" in this list, which is another repository of many of these heart-breaking and inspiring stories, but I'm going to stick with this one for now.

The third book on that list is "Some Answered Questions". Why, out of all the volumes given to us by the Master, did he choose this one?

Of course, I don't actually know. I'm only guessing. But I think this is a good guess. And if I can think of one reason, then there are likely at least 70.

To start, the Iqan is a fascinating book on so many levels. It is the only book I am aware of in which we can see how a Manifestation of God actually teaches the faith to another individual. An uncle of the Bab had asked some some questions, and this volume is the response. It brings him from being a sincere seeker all the way to the station of a confirmed believer. And we can actually witness how Baha'u'llah did it, step by step in this book.

The reasons Baha'u'llah offers to uncle are reasons we can understand. His explanations of the Manifestations, their role in the development of society, the hierarchy of nature, the importance of detachment in our search for truth, the qualities necessary to be a true seeker: the list goes on and on. These are things that we can begin to grasp, and are the very basis of our belief system. They are the answers to many of the questions we either have or will hear in our lifetime.

The Dawn-Breakers gives us the courage to go out and teach. These stories within its pages lift the heart, break it to pieces, and rebuild it even stronger. It not only fortifies our faith, it becomes a powerful source of our motivation.

Some Answered Questions, though, gives us an example of how to respond in a conversation. Someone asks us a question? We are probably not in a position to ask them to write it down, as Baha'u'llah did with the uncle. No. We're in the middle of a conversation with a friend. How should we respond in the moment?

We have the information from the Iqan. We have the courage to reply from the Dawn-Breakers. And now we have the example of how to answer.

Some Answered Questions is the record of, to put it simply, dinner conversations with 'Abdu'l-Baha. They were informal, yet informative. Personal, yet applicable to all.

Notice how, for example, He answers the question, "What is to be said about reincarnation..?" He doesn't give a simple yes or no, we agree or not, response. He begins, "Our purpose in what we are about to say is to express the truth and not to denigrate the beliefs of others: It is merely to explain the facts of the matter and nothing more. Otherwise, we are neither inclined to dispute anyone’s deeply held beliefs, nor do we sanction such conduct."

Throughout this book we see His tender mercy and wisdom, His love and care for those He meets. What a precious example to follow.

What to teach. The courage to teach. How to teach. All contained within three inspirational volumes.