A Study of Baha’u’llah’s
Kitab-i-Iqan, The Book of Certitude
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One of the most enjoyable activates in our Baha'i lives is
to study the sacred Word together. This is done in a more formal, systematic and
long term format as part of the Study Circles which are the distance education
component of the Training Institute. No other form of Baha'i study can replace
the effectiveness of these Study Circles on a large scale.
Additionally to this, some communities from time to time organize for a
deepening class on one theme or another, or choose to read a Baha'i book together.
A third method of study is to use the medium of electronic mail. Participants
in this form of class can either study individually or in small discussion
groups. The appropriate material for the study, such as the sacred Text itself,
historical circumstances of its revelation, and any commentary on its meaning
and significance as well as questions and answers are all exchanged by regular
emails among the participants. Of course since the vast majority of the friends
in Southern Africa do not have access to email, this form of Baha'i studies can
never replace the above two forms. However for a small portion of the community
(that is those of us who are reading this posting/email) it may prove to be a
convenient and stimulating way of studying the sacred Writings.
Towards this end, please feel free to join the following class:
A Study Course on Baha'u'llah's Kitab-i-Iqan, The Book of Certitude,
This class will begin on August 15th and it will end on December 31st 2002.
This is roughly the duration of one semester at a College or University. There
are no minimum requirements for the course, but it will require at least 2-3
hours of study per week. A regular 30 minute reading in the evenings will keep
us up to date. Because the course is done in your own time you may pace
yourself. There will be a brief mid-term break to help those who may fall
behind, to catch up. There are no examinations, but there will be plenty of
opportunities for you to either ask your questions, or to respond to questions
by other students. We will have access to very good supplementary materials for
the course. The level of the course is intended to be engaging but not too
difficult. Anyone with basic interest in the study of Baha'i sacred writings
will be able to cope and for those who wish to devote more study time there
will be guided activities at more advanced levels. Both new and veteran Baha'is
will benefit from the study. As with all Baha'i classes everyone can be
simultaneously a student and a teacher.
This is the first online course in South Africa, and based on what we learn
from it, the Association for Baha'i Studies will, no doubt, offer other courses
in future.
If this idea sounds interesting to you, please send an email to farzin.aghdasi@attbi.com
to register. The registration deadline is August 10th.