Guest Author - Lisa Schaffer-Harris

Baha’u’llah did not specifically address this topic in his writings, and because Baha’is believe that he is the promised one of all the ages, one might interpret that to mean that he is the reincarnation of Christ or one of the other previous Manifestations of God. This is not the case. Abdul Baha specifically addresses this issue in the compilation of talks called, “Some Answered Questions.” Abdul Baha explained that what is meant by the “return is not return of the essence, but that of the qualities; it is not the return of the Manifestation, but that of the perfections.”

Additionally, Abdul Baha explained why the concept of reincarnation, as it exists in Eastern philosophies, is inaccurate. He used analogies of the natural world. Abdul Baha stated that everything is evolving and changing, and that uniqueness exists in all living things. For example, when the leaves on the trees die and fall off in autumn, and then when the leaves return in the spring, they are not the same exact leaves. They may be green and have the same attributes; however, they are not exactly the same as the leaves that were on the tree in the previous season. In this way, repetition of the species exists, but the complete replication of one representation of that species is impossible.

Shoghi Effendi also addresses this topic in an excerpt in “Lights of Guidance”: “Spiritually we must develop here what we will require for the life after death...It is not necessary for us to come back and be born into another body in order to advance spiritually and to grow closer to God.”

As Baha’is we need to be mindful that we must respect other people’s beliefs, even if we don’t agree or understand them. Abdul Baha prefaced his commentary on this subject by saying, “The object of what we are about to say is to explain the reality-not to deride the beliefs of other people; it is only to explain the facts; that is all. We do not oppose anyone’s ideas, nor do we approve of criticism.”