On the issue of the influence of the Islamic tradition on the teachings of Baha’u’llah

Abstract

The article analyzes the influence of the Islamic tradition (doctrinal, cultural) on the religious community of the Bahá’ís, which borned in the Qajar Iran and was formed on the territory of the Ottoman Empire (Iraq, Palestine) in the second half of the XIX century. In the methodological aspect, the article is based on a civilizational approach that emphasizes the researcher’s attention to the sociocultural aspects of the stated problem. The following results were obtained during the study. First of all, the doctrinal influence of the Islamic (in particular, Shiite and Sufi) traditions on the doctrine of Bahá’u’lláh, which manifested itself in his works such as «Kitab-i-Igan» («The Book of Certitude») and «Haft Wadi» («The Seven Valleys»). In addition, the article traces the influence of the traditions of Islamic calligraphy on the work of Mishkin-Kalam (one of the closest adepts of Bahá’u’lláh). The main conclusion of the article is that the influence of Islam on the teachings and culture of the early Bahá’í community was quite significant.