A Better World – A Universal Auxiliary Language
By Admin on May 2, 2010 in A Better World, Tacoma Baha'i
Courtesy of Médiathèque baha’ie at www.bahai-biblio.org.
Bahá’u’lláh, in His tablet, Bishárát (Glad-Tidings), says this:
The third Glad-Tidings concerneth the study of divers languages. This decree hath formerly streamed forth from the Pen of the Most High: It behoveth the sovereigns of the world — may God assist them — or the ministers of the earth to take counsel together and to adopt one of the existing languages or a new one to be taught to children in schools throughout the world, and likewise one script. Thus the whole earth will come to be regarded as one country. Well is it with him who hearkeneth unto His Call and observeth that whereunto he is bidden by God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.
This counsel is revealed in several of His Writings. He entirely leaves the choice up to others. Adib Taherzadeh, in The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, Volume 4, refers to this, and then says this about another of His Writings:
It is interesting to note that in the Tablet of Bisharat Bahá’u’lláh enjoins upon the governments of the world to adopt the international language. These two statements, which seem to be contradictory, may be regarded as two different stages in bringing about a world auxiliary language. The first stage will be the adoption of a universal language by the governments, while the second will have to wait until such time that the Universal House of Justice has emerged as the supreme institution of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh and its authority is recognized. It is only then that it can possibly reconsider the choice of the language so as to either retain the one chosen by the governments or alter it altogether.
In one of His Tablets revealed in ‘Akká, Bahá’u’lláh emphasizes the importance of adopting the auxiliary international language ordained in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. He states that its implementation will provide a means for safeguarding the unity of the human race and will facilitate intercourse and understanding among the peoples of the world. In this Tablet Bahá’u’lláh praises the Arabic language for its expressiveness and eloquence, and remarks that no other language can match its vast possibilities. He further states that God would be pleased if all the peoples of the world were to speak the Arabic language. But He does not require humanity necessarily to adopt it as the international language; rather He leaves the choice to the appropriate institutions.
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