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Similar to many religions, Bábism has had critics who have found fault with some of its teachings. A few of these criticisms are outlined below.
Criticism of Scripture
[edit]Criticism of Teachings
[edit]Denis MacEoin describes the Haykal al-din, the al-Bayan al-'Arabi, and the Bayan-i Farsi as being inspired but sometimes incoherent. He also argues that the Bab's obsessions about cleanliness, polite behaviour and elegance led him to output a mishmash of rules and regulations. On the topic of tolerance, he argued that the Bábi scripture taught intolerance to non-believers, exemplified by how the Bayan prescribed the demolition of the shrines and holy places of previous religions (such as the Muslim Kaaba). Furthermore he argues that the Bayan also prescribed the destruction of all non-Babi books and that believers were not to sit in the company of non-believers, nor were they to marry them. In fact, Denis MacEoin claims that the Bayan says that the property of non-believers can be seized by Bábis.[1] MacEoin further says that the Bayan's laws were not to be taken serioursly due to the apparent surreal nature of some the laws. He gives the following example:
Instituting his house in Shiraz as the new Ka'ba, he writes that it is to measure thirty-six cubits long and wide. If it were possible, his followers would be commanded to fill it to the top with diamonds, to replace its earth with elixir, and its water with red perfume. Since that isn't possible, mirrors will do instead. Believers are expected to wear or carry any number of inscribed rings, stones, and talismans. Coffins are to be made from crystal, marble, or polished stone. And so on.[1]
Finally, MacEoin criticises the Báb's early work, saying that his "early writings, described as tafsirs on this or that sura of the Qur'an, are really not commentaries at all.".[1]
In the book Twelve Principles (2014), iranian critics cite the Bayan as an example of the Báb's religious orders that contradict reason and logic.[2] They give the following teachings as examples of illogical religious orders: The destruction of anyone and anything non-Bábi, the teaching of other books apart from the Bayan being forbidden, the use of medicine being forbidden, donkey's milk being forbidden and the punishment of having one's wife be "illegal" to them for 19 months if they break and enter someones house.[3]
Notes
[edit]- ^ a b c MacEoin, Denis. "Deconstructing and Reconstructing the Shari'a".
- ^ Basiti, Moradi & Akhoondali 2014, pp. 163–164.
- ^ Basiti, Moradi & Akhoondali 2014, pp. 163–170.
References
[edit]- Basiti; Moradi; Akhoondali (2014). Twelve Principles: A Comprehensive Investigation on the Baha'i Teachings (PDF) (1st ed.). Tehran, Iran: Bahar Afshan Publications. ISBN 978-600-6640-15-0.