Difference between Sufi faith and the Baha'i faith

Well this is certainly an ancient thread... and as above there are references to Sufi writings in the Writings of Baha'u'llah. When Baha'u'llah was exiled from Persia He was sent to Baghdad and after awhile lived in Kurdistan... while there He responded to some questions of a Sufi Sheik in a book called the Seven Valleys (Farsi) and the Four Valleys (Arabic). You will find references in that book to Sufi writers such as Attar, Saadi, Rumi and others. The Seven Valleys is patterned after the Conference of the Birds. You can read the book online at

http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/SVFV/

The background of the book is described on Wikipedia at

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seven_Valleys

There is no formal connection though between the Baha'i Faith and Sufism as such.
 
arthra said:
As mentioned we don't accept that the soul becomes united with God or becomes God this is a more pantheistic idea.
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This is simply a fallacy...

The Seventh Valley presents it perfectly clearly...

While it is not true, technically, that any union happens, division itself ceases.

That which is apart from Allah no longer exists.

There is nothing else...

This is the whole message of Baha'u'llah, actually.

As you probably know, he spent most of his adult life around Sufi's.

He has realized this, but my complaint with him is that he often claims it as a unique station for himself and a few others.

I suppose it depends on your station.

If you are very concerned with the world and its affairs, it is quite dangerous to think you are God.

Please understand, there is no other purpose to religion than realizing you actually are.

Read the Seven Valleys again, please.
 
The very first sentence of the Seventh Valley states:

This station is the dying from self and the living in God
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Yet the Baha'is insist on remaining separate, why?
 
Perhaps the only true difference between the Sufi and Baha'i is that a realized Sufi does not necessarily uphold the laws, while Baha'u'llah insists it remains vital.

Well, that and the accepted source material...
 
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Thanks for your posts Francis... and welcome to the Forum!

I don't think we can establish as you wrote that Baha'u'llah "...spent most of His adult life around Sufis..." When He was in exile and spent two years or so (1854 - 1856) among Sufis in Kurdistan yes He was around Sufis.

On the oneness with God you wrote above "...While it is not true, technically, that any union happens, division itself ceases." I think for most Baha'is the belief is that the oneness with God occurs in following the revelation and not that we become God. The concept of Manifestation also is based on the Perfect Mirror..not that Baha'u'llah or Jesus become God but that They reflect the attributes of God perfectly. We ourselves can strive to reflect the perfections and attributes but we do not have the station of a Manifestation.

True Baha'u'llah did stress upholding revealed laws.
 
Good evening, everyone !

With your interesting remarks and contributions, something came to mind which I will share with you briefly.

First point. The Founders of the world's religion maintaining eternally their status of Manifestations in the divine realms, their loyal followers, be they Baha'i, Sufi or otherwise, can access the divine, according to Baha'u'llah (the said Union with God), only by faithfully following the divine Will :

"O Shaykh, O thou who hast surrendered thy will to God! By self-surrender and perpetual union with God is meant that men should merge their will wholly in the Will of God, and regard their desires as utter nothingness beside His Purpose."

Knowing the social teachings of prior Dispensations were abrogated with the Baha'i one, the wayfarers of other denominations searching for divine Union are left with the essential divine teachings (the perennial wisdom) as their sole obligation to follow, at least, until aware of the new Revelation. As for us Baha'is, our spiritual obligations, as mystic wayfarers, are far more extended considering not only the mystical content of the Writings but their social and administrative prescriptions. But to one of which much is asked, much is given...

The second point concerns the Sufi path, one of ardent yearning for God, and the description Baha'u'llah gives of it in His Four Valleys. I want to attract your attention on the talks given by Llewellyn Vaughan Lee, a Sufi mystic the spiritual experiences of which I evaluate as truly authentic considering his genuine personality and their similarity with Baha'u'llah's exposition.

Heavenly dreams !
 
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