The Four Valleys

The Four Valleys (Persian چهار وادی Chahar Vadi ) is a short - Sufi mystical work of Baha'u'llah, the founder of Bahaitums, which he wrote in Baghdad shortly after his return from Kurdistan in 1856. It is addressed to Sheikh Abu'r -Rahman Talabani of Kirkuk, the head of the Kurdish Qadiriyyah Sufis with whom he was in Sulaymaniyah in contact. It describes four valleys that can reach a mystic in his relationship to God. Each corresponds to a particular aspect of the Divine:

The fourth valley, so the aim of the trip is the " summit of consciousness " and the " mystery of divine guidance ." Furthermore, in the work of many other topics are covered in short, the focus is on interpretations of verses from the Koran, Hadith and classics of Sufism and of exhortation for the people to acquire education and virtues.

Baha'u'llah's style in this work exudes an authority that exceeds even that of a Sufi master, what Baha'is see as a sign of the divine mission of Bahá'u'lláh, even though it was not until 1863 announced this publicly. The book is characterized by typical sufistisches vocabulary, which can make it, for someone with no prior knowledge in this area, difficult to understand.

Often the Four Valleys are published together with the seven valleys in an anthology. However, the works are content with no direct connection - apart from the fact that they are from the same author, have emerged in the same era and treat Sufi themes.