The Wilmette Institute’s course Introduction to Shaykhism, first offered in December 2014, with lead faculty Peter Terry, drew twenty-two learners. Several of their final projects are amazing. In our March eNewsletter we highlighted a PowerPoint deepening given by Arkansas learner John Cotton (“Shaykhism Course Prompts Deepening”). That was only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. This month we share with you three additional projects from learners in California, Minnesota, and West Virginia.—The Editor
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Nancy Harper, from Auburn, California, and Karen English, from Roseville, California, collaborated on a PowerPoint presentation called “An Introduction to Shaykhism.” Nancy had little to say about the presentation (other than that six, including a blind Christian attended and that they broke the Fast after the presentation): “The presentation was well received. It was originally planned to be shared by myself and Karen English, but the evening before she had a problem with her computer and was unable to come. We will make another presentation at her home” soon. What Nancy and Karen prepared deserves comment.—The Editors
The final project that Nancy Harper and Karen English submitted consists of three parts: a sixty-one slide PowerPoint presentation, professionally prepared and highlighted with charts, maps, and photographs; a selected bibliography; and a six-page document called “Vocabulary/Terminology” beginning with Al-Ahsa (the region of Bahrain where Shaykh Ahmad was born) to Twelver Shiism and Ulama. All three parts of the presentation can be found on the Wilmette Institute’s public website (http://wilmetteinstitute.org), click on “Learners in Action,” then on “Learner Projects.”
The PowerPoint presentation begins with a series of questions, which the succeeding slides with text, maps, charts, and photographs answer:
Who were Shaykh Ahmad and Siyyid Kázim?
Where did they live and teach?
What time period and culture did they live in?
What were their beliefs?
What were their new teachings?
Who were their followers?
What does Shia Islam believe?
How does all of this fit in the Bábí and Bahá’í beliefs on progressive revelation?
How does this help us explain the Faith better to others, especially Muslims?
While you are waiting for Introduction to Shaykhism course to be repeated, you may want to print out Nancy’s and Karen’s PowerPoint to study and enhance you understanding of the Prehistory of the Bábí and Bahá’í eras.
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Edward Grych, from Princeton, West Virginia, a first-time learner in the Wilmette Institute course Introduction to Shaykhism, chose, as his final project, to prepare a fifty-minute presentation for his wife, Diane. Now he plans to refine the presentation and take it on the road, offering it to “nearby” Bahá’ís who live fifty miles away. Here is Edward’s enthusiastic description of the experience, ending with how much the course deepened his understanding of the beginnings of the Bahá’í Faith.
I presented ‘An Introduction to Shaykhism’ to my wife, Diane, on Friday evening, March 6. It consisted of a fifty-minute, PowerPoint presentation (free software courtesy of OpenOffice.org). I also used a 43″ x 29″ National Geographic world map to show important locations relating to Shaykh Ahmad, Siyyid Kázim, and the Báb.“The slides mainly provided highlights of the material. Details were added when required. I tried to avoid getting too deep in the ‘weeds.’
“Diane got a lot out of the presentation. I didn’t catch her with glazed eyes or nodding off even once. She had just finished reading God Passes By and was beginning Martha Roots book Tahirih. So, she was primed for this information.
“Trying to condense the seven-week course into roughly an hour’s worth of material proved daunting. I found myself asking more questions than I had before. I intend to refine this presentation and offer it to nearby communities (fifty miles away being the closest ‘nearby’).
“This course gave me a new perspective on the beginnings of the Bahá’í Faith as well as enlarging my knowledge of Shia Islam. Hopefully, many more seekers after knowledge will opt for this experience.”
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James Muehlbach, from Faribault, Minnesota, another learner in the Wilmette Institute Course Introduction to Shaykhism, made a presentation in Rochester, Minnesota, and now has plans for expanding the course for a break-out session at the Green Lake Conference, in Green Lake, Wisconsin.
“I did a presentation on Shaykhism in Rochester, Minnesota, that was attended by five people. I started out with an historical overview of the Imams, the Gates, the concentrations of the Arab Shia, the development of the Atabat and the Saffavid period in Persia before getting into the life of Shaykh Ahmad. When I got to the point of Siyyid Kázim joining Shaykh Ahmad in Yazd I introduced the Shaykhi doctrines. Resuming the narrative of the life of Shaykh Ahmad, I discussed the charges of heresies and the Baraghani family. In talking about Siyyid Kázim, I discussed Shaykhi doctrine specifically relating to the coming Qá’im and the Letters of the Living recognizing the Báb.
“The presentation was well received by the group. One of those attending mentioned a desire to start reading The Dawn-Breakers as soon as he returned home.
“There was no PowerPoint, but I am considering creating one, further developing the presentation, and offering it for a summer-school class or perhaps a breakout session at the Green Lake Conference.”