Individual Prohibitions
English Arabic Farsi

Striking or Wounding a Person

Bahá’u’lláh
Partial translation
oceanoflights.org/027-for-striking-or-wounding-a-person-en/

Striking or Wounding a Person

“The penalties for wounding or striking a person depend upon the severity of the injury; for each degree the Lord of Judgment hath prescribed a certain indemnity. He is, in truth, the Ordainer, the Mighty, the Most Exalted. We shall, if it be Our Will, set forth these payments in their just degrees—this is a promise on Our part, and He, verily, is the Keeper of His pledge, the Knower of all things.” 1

“… Let none contend with another…Fear God, and lift not the hand of injustice and oppression to destroy what He hath Himself raised up; nay…” 2

“Ye have been forbidden in the Book of God to engage in contention and conflict, to strike another, or to commit similar acts whereby hearts and souls may be saddened. A fine of nineteen mithqáls of gold had formerly been prescribed by Him Who is the Lord of all mankind for anyone who was the cause of sadness to another; in this Dispensation, however, He hath absolved you thereof and exhorteth you to show forth righteousness and piety. Such is the commandment which He hath enjoined upon you in this resplendent Tablet…” 3

“Incline your hearts to the counsels given by the Most Exulted Pen and be ware lest your hands or tongues cause harm unto anyone among mankind” 4

“The penalties for wounding or striking a person depend upon the severity of the injury; for each degree the Lord of Judgment hath prescribed a certain indemnity.
While Bahá’u’lláh specified that the extent of the penalty depends upon “the severity of the injury,” there is no record of His having set out the details of the size of the indemnity with regard to each degree of offense. The responsibility to determine these devolves upon the Universal House of Justice.” 5

"Bahá'u'lláh states that the determination of the degree of penalty, in accordance with the seriousness of the offence, rests with the House of Justice (Q and A 49). The punishments for theft are intended for a future condition of society, when they will be supplemented and applied by the Universal House of Justice." 6


Babi Dispensation

The Bab strictly forbade saddening, striking or contenting with anyone. Multiple levels of punishments were prescribed. See Arabic Bayan, Wahid VII, Chapter XVIII & Wahid X, Chapter VI & Wahid IX, Chapter XVI


Islamic Dispensation

“And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend.” 7


Christian Dispensation

"Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you." 8



Footnotes

  1. Baha’u’llah, The Most Holy Book, para 56 ↩

  2. Baha’u’llah, The Most Holy Book, para 73 ↩

  3. Baha’u’llah, The Most Holy Book, para 148 ↩

  4. Baha’u’llah, Lawh-i-Dunya ↩

  5. Notes to the Kitab-i-Aqdas no. 81 ↩

  6. Notes to the Kitab-i-Aqdas no. 70 ↩

  7. The Holy Qur’an, Fussilat 41: 34 ↩

  8. Luke 6:27-28 ↩

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