The Babi and Baha'i Religion — Page 63
THE B Ā B Ī AND BAH Ā ’ Ī RELIGION 63 ‘Al i Muhammad B a b prohibited smoking 79. But Bah a ’ull a h himself indulged in it 80. On the basis of this principle, the Bah a’i sharia makes no dis- tinction between articles of food and drink fit for human consumption and those not fit, as in the case of the Islamic Sharia. ‘Abdul Bah a ’ has fur- ther clarified this point: "Some Western friends requested a code for use by American Bah a ’ i s in the matter of articles of diet. ‘Abdul Bah a ’ replied that in the matter of material food he did not wish to interfere: they were free to eat what they liked. We interfere only in the case of spiritual food 81. 3. In the matter of dress, males are permitted to use silken garments 82. There are no restrictions in the matter of dress 83. In regard to growing a beard or shaving it, all restrictions have been removed 83. But in no case is man to shave off his head, since the hair on the head are a decoration 84. There is no permission for eating out of gold and silver plates, 79 Al-Ris a latul Tis‘a ‘Ashar iyy a , page 109. 80 Mak a t i b ‘Abdul Bah a ’, Volume 1, page 327. 81 Bad a ‘ul A th a r, Safar n a mah Abdul Bah a , Volume 1, page 23. 82 Aqdas 22. 83 Aqdas 344. 84 Aqdas 101.