The Secret of Divine Civilization

The treatise The secret of divine civilization was written by Abdul -Baha in 1875 and is an appeal to the ruling elite and the people of Persia.

Background

The Persian Shah Naser al -Din Shah decided in 1875 to direct the progress of his people, whose welfare and safety, and the prosperity of the country in the way. Abdul- Baha therefore consider it necessary to contribute to those high-minded efforts to write this treatise in Persian. In order to show that his only intention is to promote the general welfare, the original 1882 anonymous lithographed in Mumbai. The first English translation appeared in 1910 in London under the title "Mysterious Forces of Civilization". A second edition appeared in 1918 in Chicago. As an author, it is " an important Baha'i philosopher " is specified. In German, this was 1928-1930 under the title " The mysterious powers of culture" in the Baha'i magazine " Sun of Truth ". Marzieh Gail then translated the original newly into English that was published in 1957 under the title " The Secret of Divine Civilization" and Abdul- Baha called as authors. These more accurate version was " The Secret of Divine Culture " published in 1973 in German under the title.

Content

After an introduction by the Hand of the Cause Horace Holley in the work " The secret of divine culture " in which Abdul- Baha appeals initially begins to promote the civilization. He explains, among other things, the background of hostility to reform and discusses the conditions of parliamentarism. He also defines the hierarchy of society and explains the level and characteristics of the true educated man who is aware of his political commitment - not as a tiresome burden, but in deep love to value concepts, models and objectives and in pity for the suffering of mankind. However, he warns of a purely external civilization that never yield results, which are God's pleasure and the people make peace and welfare liability. He therefore recommends that culture is the basis of his opinion, religion and describes an example of the emergence and collapse of the culture of the Israelites, the emergence of Christian culture and the decline of Europe in the Middle Ages and Islam as the foundation of Western culture. Abdul- Baha quoted in the whole work numerous verses from the Koran to appeal to the conscience of the Islamic nation Persia.