Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

by Bahá'u'lláh, Shoghi Effendi (Translator)

The Epistle to the Son of the Wolf is the last major work of Bahá'u'lláh, founder of the Bahá'í Faith, before his death in 1892. It is a letter written to a Muslim cleric, a violent opponent of the Bahá'ís who, along with his father (called by Bahá'u'lláh "the wolf"), also a Muslim cleric, had put to death a number of Bahá'ís. In this work Bahá'u'lláh quotes extensively from his own previously revealed scriptures. This makes a large portion of the work a summary of excerpts on critical concepts expressed in previous works in a condensed form.

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"Baha'u'llah (November 12, 1817 - May 29, 1892), born Mirza Husayn-'Ali Nuri, was the founder of the Baha'i Faith.

He claimed to fulfill the Babi prophecy of "He whom God shall make manifest", but in a broader sense he also claimed to be the "supreme Manifestation of God", referring to the fulfillment of the eschatological expectations of a prophetic cycle beginning with Adam, and including Abrahamic religions, as well as Zoroastrianism, the Indian religions, and others. Baha'is see Baha'u'llah as the initiator of a new religion, as Jesus or Muhammad - but also the initiator of a new cycle, like that attributed to Adam.

Baha'u'llah authored many religious works, most notably the Kitab-i-Aqdas and the Kitab-i-lqan. He died in Bahji, Palestine, present-day Israel, and is buried there.

Genres: Baha I, Religion, Nonfiction, Spirituality

194 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1892

About the author

Persian religious leader Bahaullah, originally Mirza Huseyn Ali, a follower of the Bab, founded the Baha'i in 1863.

Baha'i, the word, signifies a follower of Bahaullah, which means the "splendor of God" in Persian.

Bahá'u'lláh, a member of the great patrician family, endowed with wealth and vast estates, ably traced lineage to the ruling dynasties of imperial past. Bahá'u'lláh turned his back on the position at court, which these advantages offered; people knew his generosity and kindliness, which made him deeply loved among his countrymen.

The religious revolution caused much social upheaval, and Bahá'u'lláh announced support for the message, so his privileged position survived not long. After the execution, authorities unleashed the the waves of violence unleashed upon the Bábis; Bahá'u'lláh, engulfed, suffered the loss of all his worldly endowments, and imprisonment, torture, and a series of banishment subjected him. In the first banishment to Baghdad, he in 1863 announced that God promised his coming as the one divine messenger.

From Baghdad, people sent Bahá'u'lláh to Constantinople, to Adrianople, and finally to Acre in the Holy Land, where he arrived as a prisoner in 1868. From Adrianople and later from Acre, Bahá'u'lláh addressed a series of letters among the most remarkable documents in religious history to the rulers of his day. They proclaimed the coming unification of humanity and the emergence of a world civilization. They called upon the monarchs, emperors, and presidents of the 19th century to reconcile their differences, to curtail their armaments, and to devote their energies to the establishment of universal peace.

Bahá'u'lláh passed away at Bahji, just north of Acre, and people buried his body. His teachings already began to spread beyond the confines of the Middle East and brought the world community, focused on the point of his shrine today.

Reviews

[Joseph Urlacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would Christ do if He grew up a Muslim in Iran? Exactly what this book concerns is theme of the Renewal of that Christ Spirit not only within a Shia Islamic civilization, but in the context of the whole world's civilization. How could this be? Just read and it will become apparent that tremendous worldwide repercussions are more than prevalent for today and the future.

[Yvor]

I read this book in a study group that informally met weekly. We completed it at our own mutual pace over the course of a year. This book lends itself to group study because the Persian and Arabic names can be distracting or challenging and are more easily tackled as a group. This is an interesting work because, to my knowledge, there is nothing like it in religious primary source literature--a survey or summary of the major, essential teachings of a faith revealed or written by its Prophet-Founder near the close of his earthly life. This book is actually a long letter (approx 180 pages)from Baha'u'llah, the Prophet-Founder of the Baha'i Faith, to one of its most vociferous enemies. In it Baha'u'llah quotes extensively from his own previous works written over a 30 year span in which he was exiled from his native Iran in 1853 to Iraq, and then to Turkey in 1863, and finally to Palestine (now Israel) in 1868 where he remained a prisoner of the Ottoman Turks until his passing in 1892. His own works that he quotes from include books like The Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah and the Kitab-i-Iqan (The Book of Certitude)and his correspondence with heads of state (e.g., Queen Victoria of Britain, Napoleon III of France, the Shah of Persia, and the Russian Czar) and ecclesiastical leaders (e.g., Pope Pius IX and the Sultan of Turkey). If you want to see how a religious leader explains his own teachings and defends the community spawned by those teachings, where he places the emphasis and how he weighed the historical events related to his ministry, this is a good read. If your interest is mainly in what Baha'u'llah taught or the history of this faith community, there are other books that are more easily accessible.

[Betty Foerster · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing

This book takes a lot of effort and concentration to read, and every moment reading provides insight and spiritual inspiration.

[Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is so much to ponder in Baha'u'llah's writings. He talks about Kings and how they need to be just and fair but how corrupt they are. How they should have turned to Baha'u'llah as the Messenger of God and because they didn't they fell from power. There is so much more in this book. I love to read everything Baha'u'llah wrote.

[John White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. Everything that comes from the pen of Baha'u'llah is beautiful.

[Chloë]

Who am I to rate the Word of God.

[Jean-Marie Nau · Rating 5 out of 5]

The content provides a unique german translation of this epistle. It gives the reader historical background information on the period in and around Persia, how Babis and Baha'is stood between the Shii clergy and local, regional and national government authorities. The epistle is provided with a detailed commentary and text analysis.
I couldn't find the reference as to what version/translation of the Koran was used, if any reader can provide help here.
I hope more academic research surrounding this period in history and the Writings of Baháʼu'lláh will emerge.

[William Saeednia-Rankin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very special book. It consists of a letter by Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i Faith, to a man who had been behind the persecution and death of many of his followers. In this letter Baha'u'llah, in patient and clear language, lays out many of his teachings - such as the oneness of humanity, the abolition of prejudice and the essential oneness of religion, and asks the man to reconsider his position.

I read this intentionally slowly, reflecting on each point. It was a very enlightening and often moving experience.

[Aaron Schiffer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm sure there's something important I'm missing, but since 95-98% of it was effusive, sycophantic praise unto god that I feel there was barely anything of substance there. I came to understand that there was a personage who was undeservedly imprisoned, that is about all. Oh well. Let it be my lack and my loss, if I have missed anything else.

[Margaret Tuomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars are too few for this book!