Do not add or take away from the word of God.

 

256. Do not add or take away from the word of God: In the writings of God we are warned not to add or take away from the word of God. This teaching is found in Old Testament in Deuteronomy and in the New Testament in Revelations. This is also a teaching found in the Bahá’í Faith as well as the other religions of God. We are all warned not to tamper with the word of God.  Judaism: Deuteronomy 4:2 “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of The LORD your God which I command you.” Deuteronomy 12:32 “What thing-so-ever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.” Proverbs 30:6 “Add thou not unto His words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.”  Christianity: Revelations 22:18 “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:” Revelations 22:19 “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

And, as I said, this is also a teaching is also found in the Bahá’í Faith: Baha’i Faith: “To no one is given the right to interpret His words, to add even a dot, or to take one away.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Adib Taherzadeh, The Covenant of Baha’u’llah, p. 101)

To no one is given the right to tamper with the word of God, or to change the meaning. The word of God is sacred and should be treated as such. In the bible and the Bahá’í Faith we are warned not to change the word in order to safe guard the sacred texts for the benefit of all mankind, so future generations will be able to study the writings with confidence in the validity of the scriptures. Baha’i Faith: “We must never take one sentence in the Teachings and isolate it from the rest…” for our own benefit or interpretation, while ignoring what the rest of the teachings do in fact teach and say.

(Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 403)

BAHA’I FAITH: “Beware lest anyone falsely interpret these words, and like unto them that have broken the Covenant, after the Day of the Ascension (of, His Holiness, Bahá’u’lláh) advanced a pretext, raise the standard of revolt, wax stubborn, and open wide the door of false interpretation. To none is given the right to put forth his own opinion or express his particular convictions. All must seek guidance, and turn unto The Center of The Cause and the House of Justice. And he that turneth unto whatsoever else is indeed in grievous error.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’i World Faith – Abdu’l-Baha Section)

 BABI RELIGION: “Put into his hands a new Book, pure and holy, that this Book may be free from all doubt and uncertainty, and that no one may be able to alter or destroy it.”

The Bab: (Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, p. 249)

We are also warned not to change the words of the manifestations of God least we incur God’s wrath, and there be dire consequences for our actions, in the other religions of God as well. This teaching is a true universal teaching found in all the other religions of God:

 ISLAM: 115. “The Word of thy Lord doth find its fulfillment in truth and in justice: none can change His Words: for He is the one who heareth and knoweth all.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah   6)

Islam: 162. “But the transgressors among them changed the word from that which had been given them; so We sent on them a plague from heaven, for that they repeatedly transgressed.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah   7)

Islam: 27. “And recite (and teach) what has been revealed to thee of the Book of thy Lord: none can change His Words, and none wilt thou find as a refuge other than Him.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah  18)

Islam: “The religion of pure Islamic Faith, to worship none but Allah (God), The pure Allah’s Islamic nature with which He (Allah) has created mankind. Let There be no change in Allah’s religion.”

(Hadith, Bukhari Vol 6, Book 60, # 298)

“Whoever intentionally ascribes something to me falsely, he will surely take his place in the (Hell) Fire.”

(Hadith, Bukhari Vol 8, Book 73, Number 217)

 ZOROASTRIANISM: 7. “And whoever, O Spitama Zarathushtra! while under toning the part(s) of the Ahuna-vairya (or this piece the Ahuna-vairya), takes ought therefrom, whether the half, or the third, or the fourth, or the fifth, I who am Ahura Mazda (God) will draw his soul off from the better world; yea, so far off will I withdraw it as the earth is large and wide; [and this earth is as long as it is broad].”

(Zoroaster, The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 19)

 Zoroastrianism: 2. “Also we worship the three principal (chapters) uttered (in the Yasna) without addition or omission; and we worship the three principal ones without addition or omission; we worship the three commencing ones entire without addition or omission. And we worship the entirety of the three principal ones without addition or omission; and their metrical lines, their words, and their word structure [and their recital, memorizing, chanting, and their steadfast offering].”

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Visperad 13)

 HINDUISM: 43. “But in consequence of the omission of the sacred rites, and of their not consulting Brahmanas, the following tribes of Kshatriyas have gradually sunk in this world to the condition of Sudras.” In other words the Kshatriyas have omitted parts of the Hindu religion and because of this they have fallen from Brahma’s (God‘s) good graces.

(Hindu, Laws of Manu chapter 10)

 BUDDHISM: 17. “One should guard against hastiness in word, One should be restrained in word. Giving up verbal misconduct, One should be of good verbal conduct.” Another way of looking at this, one should be restrained in teaching the words of Buddha in a way that is demeaning or altering the true meaning of the words of the Buddha.

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 3 (tr. J. Richards))

 SABEANISM: “And it was revealed to me (?) and to all of them in this book, and they acted upon this reliable baser acting according to this (its) light and removing nothing from this writing of great revelation that was given to Adam the first man and to his descendants (and to) all who bear witness unto this light and illumination until worlds’ end. Naught shall pass away from the Word of the great Father of Glory, praised be his name!” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapter 75)

Sabeanism: “For we have not changed that which thou hast commanded us.” “If thou readest, read as it is written.” “Any person who writeth the Book of Gadana and removeth any of the injunctions assigned and written therein, Thou wilt place in clouds of darkness. And anyone who writeth a book of rejection, or removeth any of the injunctions written therein so that they are broken, shall be cursed with a great curse.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 24, 70 and 74)