V. HOW CAN WE DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE TRUE AND THE FALSE?

 1.  The Qur’an teaches that miracles are not signs whereby people should be led to believe. The revelation of a Holy Book by the Apostle of God is sufficient:

    “And they say, ‘Unless a sign be sent down to Him from His Lord …’ Say: Signs are in the power of God alone. I am only a plain spoken warner. Is it not enough for them that We have sent down to thee the Book to be recited to them? In this verily is a mercy and a warning to those who believe.” (Ankabut – 29:49-50)

 مُّبِي قُلۡ إِنَّمَا ٱلۡأَيَـٰتُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَإِنَّمَآ أَنَا۟ نَذِي وَقَالُواْ لَوۡلَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيۡهِ ءَايَـٰتٌ۬ مِّن رَّبِّ

لَرَحۡمَةً۬ وَذِڪۡرَىٰ لِقَوۡمٍ۬ يُؤۡمِنُونَ ٱلۡڪِتَـٰبَ يُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِمۡ‌ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٲلِكَ أَوَلَمۡ يَكۡفِهِمۡ أَنَّآ أَنزَلۡنَا عَلَيۡ

     This does not mean that the Manifestations of God are powerless to produce miracles. In fact, a study of the lives of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh will show the superhuman powers that they possessed. The proof of the mission of the Manifestation of God, however, should not be based on miracles. One proof, as stated above, is the revelation of a Book. The Báb and Bahá’u’lláh revealed their Writings in Arabic and Persian. The Holy Writings of Bahá’u’lláh have been assessed to cover 100 volumes, some of which have already been translated into English and other languages.

 

 2. Another proof found in the Qur’an to demonstrate the validity of a Divine Message is based on the idea that if it is truly from God, it will spread and will receive the response and allegiance of men:

    “And as to those who dispute with God (i.e. God’s religion), after pledges of obedience are given to Him, their disputings shall be condemned by their Lord, and wrath shall be on them, and theirs shall be a sore torment.” (Shura – 42:15)

 وَٱلَّذِينَ يُحَآجُّونَ فِى ٱللَّهِ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا

رَبِّہِمۡ وَعَلَيۡہِمۡ غَضَبٌ۬ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ۬ شَدِي ٱسۡتُجِيبَ لَهُ ۥ حُجَّتُهُمۡ دَاحِضَةٌ عِندَ

     The Bahá’í Faith has not only received a response from men, but no less than 20,000 of its devoted adherents have already given their lives as a testimony to its truth.

 

3. Another proof found in the Qur’an on the mission of the prophets is that the true Faith of God, like a good tree, yields good fruits, that the true Prophets and their followers receive divine blessings and are assisted by God, and that the false and evil prophet, like a bad tree, is uprooted and his lies and misleading teachings are made known to man. Here are the verses:

     “Seest thou not to what God likeneth a good Word? To a good tree: its root firmly fixed, and its branches in the Heaven: yielding its fruit in all seasons by the will of its Lord. God setteth forth these similitudes to men that haply they may reflect. And an evil word is like an evil tree, torn up from the face of the earth, and without strength to stand.” (Ibrahim – 14:29-31)

 ٱلسَّمَآءِ كَشَجَرَةٍ۬ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصۡلُهَا ثَابِتٌ۬ وَفَرۡعُهَا فِى أَلَمۡ تَرَ كَيۡفَ ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلاً۬ كَلِمَةً۬ طَيِّبَةً۬

لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَذَڪَّرُونَ بِإِذۡنِ رَبِّهَا‌ۗ وَيَضۡرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡأَمۡثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ تُؤۡتِىٓ أُڪُلَهَا كُلَّ حِينِۭ

ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مَا لَهَا مِن قَرَارٍ۬ خَبِيثَةٍ۬ كَشَجَرَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ ٱجۡتُثَّتۡ مِن فَوۡقِ وَمَثَلُ كَلِمَةٍ

     “Assuredly in this present life will we succour our Apostles and those who shall have believed.” (Mu’min – 40:54)

إِنَّا لَنَنصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ فِى

     “God hath written this decree: ‘I will surely prevail, and My Apostles also.’ Truly God is Strong, Mighty.” (Mujadilah – 58:21)

 ڪَتَبَ ٱللَّهُ لَأَغۡلِبَنَّ أَنَا۟ وَرُسُلِىٓ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَوِىٌّ عَزِي

     “Our word came of old to Our Servants, the Apostles, that they should surely be succoured, and that our armies should procure the victory for them.” (Saffat – 37:171-173)

 جُندَنَا لَهُمُ ٱلۡغَـٰلِبُونَ وَإِنَّ إِنَّہُمۡ لَهُمُ ٱلۡمَنصُورُونَ وَلَقَدۡ سَبَقَتۡ كَلِمَتُنَا لِعِبَادِنَا ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِي

     “Verily, falsehood is a thing that vanisheth.” (Bani Isra’il – 17:83)

 جَآءَ ٱلۡحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ ٱلۡبَـٰطِلُ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱلۡبَـٰطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقً۬

     “Nay, we will hurl the truth at falsehood, and it shall smite it, and lo! it shall vanish.” (Anbiya – 21:18)

 بَلۡ نَقۡذِفُ بِٱلۡحَقِّ عَلَى ٱلۡبَـٰطِلِ فَيَدۡمَغُهُ ۥ فَإِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقٌ۬

    In full conformity with the above principle, notwithstanding the almost life-long imprisonment of Bahá’u’lláh, and the martyrdom of the Báb and no less than 20,000 of its loyal followers, the Bahá’í Faith  has succeeded in diffusing its light throughout the five continents, and in 254 countries of the world, in translating and disseminating its literature in more than 200 languages, and to winning to its ever swelling ranks believers from all the religions and most of the races of mankind. Isn’t this an eloquent proof of the truth and validity of its divine mission?

 

4. Another proof found in the Qur’an to distinguish the true from the false is the fulfillment of prophecies found in former religious scriptures:

    “But they say, ‘If he come not to us with a sign from his Lord …’ But have not clear proofs for the Qur’an come to them, in what is in the Books of old?” (TaHa – 20:133)

 وَقَالُواْ لَوۡلَا يَأۡتِينَا بِـَٔايَةٍ۬ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦۤ‌ۚ أَوَلَمۡ تَأۡتِہِم بَيِّنَةُ مَا فِى ٱلصُّحُفِ ٱلۡأُولَىٰ

     As the purpose of these notes is merely to present briefly some of the proofs of the Bahá’í World Faith found in the Qur’an, it would not be within our present scope to consider here the scriptures of all past religions. It would be enough to state that a study of the literature of the Faith will show that it has the clearest and most convincing proofs based not only on the Qur’an, but also on the Old Testament for the Jews, the New Testament for the Christians, as well as the Holy Books of the Zoroastrians, the Buddhists,    and the Hindus.

 

5. The last proof that the Qur’an gives us to use as a criterion for truth and falsehood is this verse:

    “SAY: O Jews, if ye profess that ye rather than other men are the Friends of God, then wish for death, if ye are men of truth. But never on account of their previous handiwork will they wish for it, and God knoweth the wrongdoers. (Jumu’ah – 62:6)

 إِن كُنتُمۡ صَـٰدِقِي أَوۡلِيَآءُ لِلَّهِ مِن دُونِ ٱلنَّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُاْ ٱلۡمَوۡتَ قُلۡ يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ هَادُوٓاْ إِن زَعَمۡتُمۡ أَنَّكُمۡ

 بِٱلظَّـٰلِمِي بِمَا قَدَّمَتۡ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ‌ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمُۢ وَلَا يَتَمَنَّوۡنَهُ ۥۤ أَبَدَۢا

     Willingness on the part of followers to offer their lives is the criterion. A study of Bahá’í history will show how the 20,000 martyrs who died for the love of Bahá’u’lláh did so with utmost confidence, dedication, selflessness and spiritual joy.