Good morning. My, my, a lot of you woke up. It's a pleasure to be here with you as we collectively explore the rich theme of this conference I need to see. House lights? That would be better. Thank you. So we're here to explore together this rich theme, transforming habits of thought. I had a very good teaching moment in the elevator yesterday about this theme. So it's good. We should continue to use it. It's an important theme because it's central to the question of social transformation. For in so many ways, our minds are involved in constructing the world we find ourselves in. Our perceptions and the concepts we hold determine the social reality we see and create. The very patterns of our thought, our suppositions, frameworks of understanding, and the questions we are moved to ask or not ask influence how we interact with and shape this reality. So our conceptions of who we are as human beings, the interactions and discourses that inform our thinking, and our experiences in applying ideas and ideals all serve to define the parameters of social existence. In this respect, Baha'u'llah provides clear direction as to where our thoughts and the actions flowing from these thoughts should be focused. Do not busy yourselves in your own concerns. Let your thoughts be fixed upon that which will rehabilitate the fortunes of mankind and sanctify the hearts and souls of men. It is this challenging mandate of the Baha'i teachings that I wish to examine with you this morning, particularly how a spiritual understanding of human identity and purpose gives rise to social processes and policies essential for humanity's collective progress. As we now look at human society, its characteristics of complexity and interconnectedness and immediacy are unprecedented. As the sheer intensity and velocity of change challenges our assumptions about the nature and structure of the reality we find ourselves in, we're confronted with a set of vital questions. These include, what is the source of our identity? Where precisely should our attachments and loyalties lie? If our identity or identity so impel us, how and with whom should we come together? What is the nature of the bonds that bring us together? And how does such self understanding give rise to the formation of individual and societal goals? Some easy questions that we're going to take a look at. A principal idea that I want to explore with you is that the organization and direction of human affairs is inextricably connected to the future evolution of our identity. For it is from our identity that intention, action, and social development flow. Identity determines how we see ourselves and conceive our position in the world, how others see us or classify us, and how we choose to engage with those around us. Knowing who we are, the sociologist Philip Selznick observes, helps us to appreciate the reach as well as the limits of our attachments. Such attachments play a central role in shaping our authentic selves and in determining our attitudes toward those within and outside the circle of our social relationships. Acting on the commitments implied by these attachments serves to amplify the powers of individuals in affecting societal well-being. So notions of personal and collective identity can exert considerable influence over the norms and practices of a rapidly integrating global community. As we have many associational linkages, identity comes in a variety of forms. At times we identify ourselves by our family, ethnicity, nationality, religion, mother tongue, race, gender, class, culture, or profession. At other times our locale, the enterprises and institutions we work for, our loyalty to sports teams, affinity for certain types of music and cuisine, attachment to particular causes, and educational affiliations provide definitional aspects to who we are. Now by virtue of the high school and the university I went to, I am both an angel and a beaver. I love locks and bagels which has something to do with my last name, but perhaps most importantly for those of you who know me, one of my primary identities is my allegiance to my professional football team that has orange and blue as its colors. I took my daughter last weekend to one of the scrimmages and I said this is our tribe. And interestingly it is in the realm of sports where you see actually the entire cross section of a population, across race, ethnicity, age that comes together, rarely in any other setting in our society does this occur. So obviously there are other allegiances which would probably give you a better notion of who I am and perhaps being of a high would tell you more about what motivates me and grounds me. So the sources of identification which animate and inspire us are immensely diverse. In short there are multiple demands of loyalty placed upon us and consequently our identities as Nobo Laureate Amartya Sen has noted are inescapably plural. But which identity or identities are most important? Can divergent identities be reconciled and do these identities enhance or limit our understanding of and engagement with the world? Each of us on a daily basis both consciously and unconsciously draws upon, expresses, and mediates between our multiple senses of identity. And as our sphere of social interaction expands we tend to subsume portions of how we define ourselves and seek to integrate into a wider domain of human experience. This often requires us to scrutinize and even resist particular interpretations of allegiance that may have a claim on us. We therefore tend to prioritize which identities matter most to us. As the theorist, Iris Mary Ann Young stresses, individuals are agents. We constitute our own identities. Each person's identity is unique. A person's identity is not some sum of her gender, racial, class, and national affinities. She is only her identity, which she herself has made by the way that she deals with and acts in relation to others. The matrix of our associations surely influences how we understand and interpret the world but cannot fully account for how we think, act, or what values we hold. That a particular identity represents a wellspring of meaning to an individual, need not diminish the significance of other attachments, or eclipse our moral intuition, or our use of reason. Affirming affinity with a specific group as a component of one's personal identity should not limit how one views one's place in society or the possibilities of how one might live. While it is undoubtedly simplistic to reduce human identity to specific contextual categories, such as nationality or culture, such categories do provide a strong narrative contribution to an individual's sense of being. Social, cultural, and other narratives directly impact who we are. They provide context and structure for our lives, allowing us to link what we wish to become to a wider human inheritance, thereby providing a basis for meaningful collective life. Various identities serve as vehicles of unity, bringing coherence and direction to the disparate experiences of individuals. But modernity has transformed identity in such a way that we must view ourselves as being not only in a condition of dependence, or independence, but also interdependence. Our connections to others now transcend traditional bounds of culture, nation, and community. The unprecedented nature of these connections is radically reshaping human organization and the scale and impact of human exchange. Globalization, though, has been with us a long time. The movement of peoples, goods, and ideas is an inherent feature of human history and development. Virtually every culture is linked to others by a myriad of ties. Folks were all mixed up, were all together. There is nothing that is separate. Clearly, the perceptions that human beings have of each other matter. In a world convulsed by contention and conflict, conceptions of identity that feed the forces of prejudice and mistrust must be closely examined. Assertions that certain populations can be neatly partitioned into oppositional categories of affiliation deserve particular scrutiny. A tenable global ethics the philosopher Kwame Apia observes has to temper our respect for difference with the respect for the freedom of actual human beings to make their own choices. Existing mores, practices, and institutions can inform, validate, and even ennoble the human condition, but cannot or should not foreclose new moral or social directions for individuals and communities. Indeed, collective learning and adjustment are defining characteristics of social evolution. Because our perceptions and experiences change, our understanding of reality necessarily undergoes change, so too, then, do our identities change. The prevalent stance that identity is solely about difference is untenable. Perceiving identity through the relativistic lens of separation or cultural preservation ignores compelling evidence of our common humanity, and can only aggravate the forces of discord now so pervasive in the world. The only alternative to this path of fragmentation and disunity is to nurture affective relationships across lines of ethnicity, creed, territory, and color. Relationships that can serve as the basis of a new social framework of universal solidarity and mutual respect. A one-dimensional understanding of human beings must be rejected. As Amartya Sen underscores, the hope of harmony in the contemporary world lies to a great extent in a clearer understanding of the pluralities of human identity, and in the appreciation that they cut across each other and work against a sharp separation along one single hardened line of impenetrable division. The resolution of the problems now engulfing the planet demands a more expansive sense of human identity. As articulated by Baha'u'llah more than a century ago, the earth is but one country and mankind its citizens. The crucial need of the present hour, then, is to determine the conceptual and practical steps that will lay the foundations of an equitable and harmonious global order. Effectively addressing the crises now disrupting human affairs will require new models of social transformation that recognize the deep interrelationship between the material, ethical, and transcendent dimensions of life. It is evident that such models can emerge only from a fundamental change in consciousness about who we are, how we regard others who enter our ambit no matter how near or distant, and how we collectively design the structures and processes of social life, whether local or global. From a Baha'i perspective, a universal identity is a vital precursor to action that is universal in its effects. To the emergence of a world community, the consciousness of world citizenship, the founding of a world civilization and culture in the words of Shoghi Effendi. In emphasizing our global identity, Baha'u'llah presents a conception of life that insists upon a redefinition of all human relationships. Between individuals, between human society and the natural world, between the individual and the community, and between individual citizens and their governing institutions. In the Baha'i view, social origin, position, or rank are of no account in the sight of God. As Baha'u'llah avares, man's glory lieth in his knowledge, his upright conduct, his praiseworthy character, his wisdom, and not his nationality or rank. The watchword of the Baha'i community is unity in diversity. More than creating a culture of tolerance, the notion of unity in diversity entails vanquishing corrosive divisions along lines of race, class, gender, nationality, and belief, and erecting a dynamic and cooperative social ethos that reflects the oneness of human nature. From this vantage point, our multiple senses of identity are not in tension with our common humanity, but are facets of that common humanity. The ideology of difference, so ubiquitous in contemporary discourse, militates against the possibility of social progress. It provides no basis whereby communities defined by specific backgrounds, customs, or creeds can bridge their divergent perspectives and resolve social tensions. The value of variety and difference cannot be minimized, but neither can the necessity for coexistence, order, and mutual effort. To foster a global identity, to affirm that we are members of one human family, is a deceptively simple, but powerful idea. While traditional loyalties and identities must be appreciated, they are inadequate for addressing the predicament of modernity. And consequently, as Shoghi Effendi indicates, a higher loyalty, one that speaks to the common destiny of all the Earth's inhabitants, is necessary. In this sense, self-determination, whether at the personal or group level, must now be understood as participation in the construction of a broader collectivity. Participation of this kind, by a diverse array of cultures and peoples, offers the promise of enriching the entire fabric of civilized life. An inherent aspect of such a universal identity is recognition of the spiritual reality that animates our inner selves. To be sure, a global identity grounded in awareness of our common humanists marks a great step forward from where humanity has been. But a strictly secular or material formulation of global identity is unlikely to provide a sufficient motivational basis for overcoming historic prejudices and engendering universal moral action. Establishing a global milieu of peace, prosperity, and justice is in the final analysis a matter of the heart. It involves a change in basic attitudes and values that can only come from recognizing the normative and spiritual nature of the challenges before us. This is especially so, because if you travel around the world, what do you find? You find that the majority of human beings do not view themselves simply as material beings, concerned with material needs and circumstances, but rather view themselves as beings endowed with spiritual sensibility and an innate dignity. The recognition then of our common spiritual nature is what ultimately informs personal and shared social meaning and informs our social arrangements. It provides the basis for empathetic relationships and cooperation as well as principled action. For in kindled souls, spiritually inspired behavior flows not from externally imposed duties and rights, but from the spontaneous love that each member of the community has for one another. From perceiving that we are all sheltered under the same divine reality comes both humility and the means for true social cohesion. So our different senses of identity consequently become fully realized through the development of our spiritual identity. Each of these senses of identity provide a means for achieving our basic existential purpose. The discovery and refinement of the spiritual capacities latent within us. Through the concrete expression of such capacities, compassion, trustworthiness, fairness, courage, forbearance, and willingness to sacrifice for the common wheel, we define a path of spiritual growth. This is the path of transcendence, a way of being and doing in which individual identity is tied to something greater than the self. It may be obvious, but sometimes it needs to be said. Human beings are social beings. The self cannot evolve outside of human relationships. Indeed, the self develops principally through endeavors that are participatory in nature. Virtues such as generosity, loyalty, mercy, and civility cannot be manifested in isolation from others. The Baha'i teachings affirm that the principal agent of moral choice is the autonomous person, but this autonomy is exercised within a broader social context, as well as an all-encompassing spiritual reality that informs the nature of that social context. The Baha'i teachings thus offer a social conception of human identity, in which the inner aspirations of the self are aligned with the goals of a just and creative polity. So in this way, the Baha'i community is able to balance individual prerogative and individual development with the needs of the whole, thus reconciling the right with the good. Realizing a common understanding of human purpose and action, especially in a complex world of pluralistic identities and rapidly shifting cultural and moral boundaries, depends on the recognition and expression of a spiritual conception of life. For the emergence of progressive modes of living requires both an internal and external reordering, a reordering of human preferences, priorities, and modes of social organization. By redefining identity in terms of the totality of human experience, the Baha'i teachings anticipate the moral reconstruction of all human practices. When an evolving global society draws upon the spiritual mainspring of human identity and purpose, truly constructive avenues of social change can be pursued. Among the results of the manifestation of spiritual forces, Abdul Baha'i confirms, will be that the human world will adapt itself to a new social form, and human equality will be universally established. It is still regrettably the case that the identity of certain individuals and groups result from a shared experience of oppression, from being the victims of systematic discrimination or injustice. In addressing this dimension of human identity, Baha'u'llah speaks forcefully and repeatedly about the rights and dignity of all human beings, and the indispensability of creating mechanisms of social justice. But he also explains that spiritual oppression is the most serious of all. What oppression is more grievous than that a soul seeking the truth should not know where to go for it, and from whom to seek it. From this standpoint, it is in the displacement of a transcendent understanding of life by an ascendant materialism that we find the source of disaffection, enemy, and uncertainty that so pervades modern existence. All forms of oppression ultimately find their genesis in the denial of our essential spiritual identity. As Baha'u'llah earnestly counsels us, deny not my servant should he ask anything from thee, for his face is my face. Be then abashed before me. Clearly, our search for self-definition and recognition is intimately tied up with the struggle for social justice. Establishing patterns of reciprocal recognition, of genuine respect and concern for the other, is an expression of our true identity as spiritual actors. Social integration and harmony is critically dependent on such mutual recognition. As the theorist Axel Hanef suggests, only to the degree to which we actively care about the development of the potentialities of others can our shared goals be realized. And this requires cultivation of what Hanef terms communicative freedom, or what we might describe as participatory equality. The opportunity for all members of society to meaningfully interact and contribute to public discourse, and thereby to the building of a definite vision of the common good. So in a very real sense, the formation and evolution of our identities occurs through dialogue and association with others. Human life, the philosopher Charles Taylor notes, has a fundamentally dialogical character. It is through interchange that individuals and the communities they compose are able to give definition to their identities and their long-term goals. Human beings are creating, learning, communicating beings. And therefore, participatory mechanisms that allow this communicative nature to be fully expressed must characterize all institutional practices and social arrangements. And this is where the Abdu'l-Baha'i Revelation really comes into play. Constructive dialogue or what Baha'u'llah describes as consultation is at the very heart of social order. He indicates that consultation is the bestower of understanding, and that in all things it is necessary to consult. For no welfare and no well-being can be attained except through consultation. Abdu'l-Baha'i states, the principle of consultation is the one of the most fundamental elements of the divine edifice. Even in their ordinary affairs, the individual members of society should consult. But he adds, true consultation is spiritual conference in the attitude and atmosphere of love. If individuals and communities are to become the principal actors in promoting their physical, spiritual, and social well-being, they must develop the capacity to consult and act in a harmonious manner. Further, advancing towards conditions of greater justice must involve a process of collective reasoning that assesses the actual states of persons and communities, especially their ability to realize opportunities for choice and action. Consultation, therefore, and this is critically important, can lead to the creation of new social meanings and innovative social forms that reflect what is reasonable and fair for communities to achieve. But any such process of collective deliberation and decision-making the Baha'i writings insist must be devoid of adversarial posturing, as well as being dispassionate and fully participatory in spirit. It is through discourse, which is inclusive and unifying, that the religious impulse finds expression in the modern age. Obviously, there can never be an absolutely objective or static understanding of what constitutes concepts such as social equity, human security, power, the common good, democracy, or community. There is an evolutionary aspect to social development, a dynamic process of learning, dialogue, and praxis in which social challenges and solutions are constantly redefined and reassessed. There are always multiple understandings of particular social questions, and these diverse perspectives each typically contain some measure of validity. By building a broader framework of analysis that encompasses not only material and technical variables, but the normative and spiritual dimensions of various social issues, new insights can emerge that enrich dialogues previously locked into narrow conceptual boundaries. A unifying sense of identity can obviously play an important role in facilitating and sustaining such a consultative path. In many ways, the struggle to understand our identity is tied up with the question of meaning in modern life. Increasingly, calls are being made for rooting, meaning, and identity in community, but when the community itself is religiously, morally, and culturally pluralistic in character, it is challenging for diverse voices to find common ground. It is here where the behind concepts of unity and diversity and non-adversarial dialogue and decision-making can offer a potent alternative vision of social advancement. Engaging in a cooperative search for truth will no doubt lead to the discovery and implementation of shared perspectives and values. Such open moral dialogue within and among diverse communities can lead to a process of action, reflection, and refinement resulting in genuine social learning and progress. And perhaps one of the best examples we have of this is the evolving international human rights discourse as a significant instance of cross-cultural moral exchange. Meaning emerges from an independent search for truth and a chosen freedom grounded in social experience and social participation. A participation that leads to the enlargement of the self. What is significant about participation is that it creates new identities and new solidarities. In Baha'i communities around the globe, patterns of fellowship, knowledge building, and collaboration among diverse peoples are giving rise to a new human culture. Baha'is have found that encouraging new modalities of association, participation, and dialogue is key to promoting social development and effective local governance that is democratic in spirit and method. Hence Baha'u'llah's statement that fellowship and sincere association are conducive to the maintenance of order in the world and to the regeneration of nations. But let's get back to the general and current reality which is somewhat depressing. As we are all painfully aware, social discourse around the world is all too often characterized by disunity, contention, manipulation, and power seeking. So how then can the arena of human interchange known as the public sphere be reconceived and reconstructed? The notion of the public sphere is a complex concept in social theory. For our purposes, it can be understood as the many social spaces of discourse and deliberation where the diverse voices of society identify mutual interests, reach common judgments, and influence action in light of those judgments. It can be described more simply as the realm of social life in which public opinion is formed. In this sense, the public sphere is where society attempts to articulate ideas and goals related to the common good. The public sphere gives expression to the values and aspirations of individuals and families, the private sphere, and thereby affects the assumptions and policies of public institutions. Not surprisingly, many thinkers have assailed the patterns of social exclusion and inequality and dominant public spheres which have accentuated social divisions and led to the fragmentation of public dialogue. Other thinkers contend that the discourse in the public sphere is impoverished and indeed distorted by the avoidance and exclusion of religious and spiritual perspectives. The constrained vocabulary and categories of secular discourse fail to adequately convey the full implications of our normative convictions, premises, and commitments. Drawing upon the insights and resources of religious belief systems can admittedly complicate public dialogue, but can also serve to vitalize in deep and public deliberation. Any plausible vision of social betterment must give reference to those universal spiritual postulates that animate and guide human initiative. To ignore the very self-understanding that individuals and communities have regarding their essential identity and purpose is untenable and non-empirical. It severely limits the horizons of human flourishing available to us. We need a critical theory of society, but not one in which the interpretive schema is primarily materialistic and character. So public discourse must seek to be more open to alternative possibilities of framing social challenges and more morally engaged, even with the likely outcome of disagreement, because it is only in this way that social understanding can evolve. Truly productive or conscientious discursive engagement depends on fidelity to what actually grounds human belief in action. Ultimately, it is only through reconceiving identity, reflecting about our obligations to the multiple communities to which we are bound that substantive and creative social directions will unfold. In short, if we reflect about our obligations to the many communities to which we find ourselves embedded in, if we reflect about our obligations to our family, to our inner selves, and ultimately to God, this gives further definition to who we are and what our aim should be. What is important about this is that the recognition and exercise of such duties provides the very framework for actualizing human rights. Bahá'u'lláh speaks of both rights and duties, but there's a complementary relationship between the two. So to not reconceive identity in this way, to not think about our fundamental obligations to others and ultimately to God, is to fail to draw upon the very roots of human motivation that can ensure transformation of individual and collective behavior. This observation is underscored, for example, by some very interesting work, recent work, exploring how moral revolutions, such as the end of Atlantic slavery and the abandonment of Chinese footbinding, came about because of changed public perceptions about notions of human dignity and honor. For Bahá'u'lláh, it is a recognition of our identity as noble human agents that equities and distortions in the public sphere will eventually be overcome. With belief in the fundamental oneness of human relationships, Bahá'u'lláh's work to transcend the tendency of fragmented discourses in which some groups seek ascendancy over others. And instead, Bahá'u'lláh strives to expand the consciousness and capacity of communities to address their complex needs and aspirations. In this approach, the idea of power in the public sphere is radically reconceptualized from being a means of achieving advantage or domination to being an instrument of conciliation, service, truth, and unity. Bahá'u'lláh's seek to be agents of social transformation. The issue at stake is the type of transformation needed and how to bring it about. They're all sorts of transformation that are possible. But for Bahá'u'lláh's, both means and ends are important. The goal of a just and unified society cannot be attained through unjust and divisive means. We reject everything associated with the prevailing culture of abysserialism and base material motivation, but this does not imply that the Bahá'u'lláh community is disengaged from vital matters of the day. The grassroots or core activities now being pursued by Bahá'u'lláh's in all parts of the world are inherently vehicles of personal and communal change that inevitably lead to meaningful social endeavor and participation in public discourse. In many places, they already have. Social action is the fruit of spiritual awakening and knowledge generation. Implicit in any type of social action is a process of understanding and defining issues, roles, values and relationships. A process that is a key aspect of the new culture that is taking root in the Bahá'u'lláh community. In particular, our framing of issues, whether internal or external, is grounded in spiritual perception and spiritual principle. We are seeing that the empowerment of individuals and groups flows from spiritual awareness, expressed in tangible forms of service. In short, we are building patterns of social learning and fellowship in which meaning, understanding and action are conjoined. We are building community in a variety of ways and at different levels. Participation in the prevalent discourses of society is an area in which individuals, groups and institutions of the faith work within their respective spheres of influence to affect positive change in prevailing patterns of thought, communication and practice. In a letter to a National Spiritual Assembly, the Universal House of Justice explains that what is important is for Bahá'u'lláhs to be present in the many social spaces in which thinking and policies evolve on any one of a number of issues, on governance, the environment, climate change, the equality of men and women, human rights to mention a few, so that they can, as occasions permit, offer generously, unconditionally and without most humility, the teachings of the faith and their experience in applying them as a contribution to the betterment of society. The Bahá'u'lláh contributions to public discourse are as much about the mode of interactions that we have with others as about the ideas we share. While Bahá'u'lláhs are confident in bringing insights from Bahá'u'lláh's teachings to the public sphere and in sharing our modest experience, and this is very important, our experience is modest, in applying these teachings to the challenges of daily life, we also recognize that what we directly learn from the revelation is complemented by what we learn from the broader effects of the revelation, from the advances in knowledge across all areas of human undertaking. And so our participation in the discourses of society can be viewed as a process of mutual learning with partners, one that entails a posture of collaboration, sincerity, humility, openness, and flexibility. Our goal is not to present answers or persuade others to accept a Bahá'u'lláh position, but rather to enrich the conceptual terrain associated with a given discourse. Previous experience all around the world, from the local to the international level, has shown that the most effective Bahá'u'lláh contributions to major discourses have entailed reconciling various viewpoints, raising questions that stimulate new avenues of inquiry, and offering ways of creatively reframing issues. Every public discourse has a potential policy dimension. In a broad sense, public policy is about the nexus between individual interest and the public interest. It is about collective intention, purpose, and effort, about societies and communities developing strategies for realizing common ideals and goals, defining and addressing problems, managing key social relationships, and formulating structures and processes that channel individual capacity and harness collective resources. Public policy is by its very nature a subject of considerable interest of Bahá'u'lláhs, but also a realm of activity where Bahá'u'lláh institutions and individual Bahá'u'lláhs have carefully modulated the extent of their involvement. And this is for good reason. Public policy of whatever form is often suffused with political calculation, factionalism, or partisan political ideology. And this is something obviously that Bahá'u'lláhs avoid because of the clearly enunciated principle of non-participation in political matters. A principle that safeguards the integrity and unity of the Bahá'u'lláh community. But folks, things are changing. The House of Justice indicates that involvement in social discourse and action will at times require the Bahá'u'lláhs that Bahá'u'lláhs become associated with the development of public policy. In this regard, the term policy, like the term politics, has a broad meaning. While refraining from discussions of policies pertaining to political relations between nations or partisan political affairs within a country, Bahá'u'lláhs will no doubt contribute to the formulation and implementation of policies that address certain social concerns. It can be said that Bahá'u'lláhs engage in discourse on public affairs at the level of principle. But depending on circumstance, this can be a delicate balancing act, and consequently requires institutional guidance to sort out challenges associated with particular policy dialogues. Any social issue can be viewed through a partisan lens or perspective. Even basic terminology, as we're seeing now in American society, previously understood in neutral ways, can suddenly take on specific partisan meanings, and this likely would be terminology that Bahá'u'lláhs would not use in certain contexts. It is important, then, to recognize the evolutionary nature of the principle of non-involvement and political affairs. There has been a gradual shift in the nature and intensity of the interactions between Bahá'u'lláh institutions, particularly national spirit assemblies and governments. The situation of the Bahá'u'lláhs in Iran obviously has been one major catalyst in bringing about this shift. As the Bahá'u'lláh community expands and as its principles and methods for addressing the many ills of today's world receives wider attention, it will no doubt be called upon to help develop solutions to different challenges. It's direct engagement with government decision makers, non-governmental organizations, and leaders of thought from the cluster level to the international level will only intensify. The House of Justice alludes to the evolving conditions facing the Bahá'u'lláh community. With the passage of time, practices in the political realm will definitely undergo the profound changes anticipated in the Bahá'u'lláh writings. As a consequence, what we understand now of the policy of non-involvement in politics will also undergo a change. Policy is intimately bound up with politics and we should be comfortable with that.  Policy analysis and policymaking can be understood as the systematic expression of political will and exchange. Policy is all about ideas and how ideas are explored, debated, and actualized in political communities. As one policy scholar has observed, what communities decide about when they make policy is meaning, not matter. The development of shared meanings about social reality simultaneously provides the conceptual and volitional basis for collective action. The manner in which issues are defined and possible solutions assessed is socially and politically constructed. Policymaking then can be understood as an ongoing process of dialogue in which categories of thought and action are assessed from diverse perspectives and in light of concrete experience. In this constant process of interchange, underlying disagreements about common ideals and goals are reformulated or resolved, hopefully. So if public policy is defined as a process which involves the assessment, the evaluation, and ultimately the adjustment of conditions affecting the general welfare of society, then there is no conflict with the Bahá'í teachings. The central objective of any public policy is to bring about systemic transformation. And in many cases, this means behavioral transformation, including changing the nature of relationships between various social actors, the way society treats its most vulnerable members, the way it uses natural or financial resources, the underlying assumptions it makes concerning the value of various avenues of human endeavor, or the manner in which society plans to meet the needs of future generations. So we have a basic convergence, as both the Bahá'í revelation and public policy are concerned with social transformation. As Bahá'u'lláh says, every matter related to state affairs which he raised for discussion falls under the shadow of one of the words sent down from the heaven of his glorious and exalted utterance. Clearly a spirit of inquiry and knowledge generation must guide the Bahá'í community's efforts to contribute to policy discourse. Promoting a process of inquiry and learning among relevant policy actors can lead to more comprehensive understandings of social problems, while simultaneously building bridges of cooperation among these actors. And in limited ways, this has certainly been the experience of the Bahá'í international community and various national assemblies in relation to certain discourses. Policy questions inevitably involve ambiguities or uncertainties which can only be addressed by expanding or altering existing viewpoints. Collaborative efforts to generate new knowledge can work to change dispositions or viewpoints and point to possible policy solutions. In any given social or political context, it is necessary to understand the various frames of reference that inform and shape the different perspectives of key policy actors. At the most basic level, policy decision-makers draw on particular views of human nature or human identity, appropriate social relationships, how problems are caused and should be solved, what problems fall into the private or public domains, what constitutes social betterment or what types of social improvement are even possible in light of human nature and when cooperative or government action is required. Ideology, values, religious worldviews, social history, various social and physical indicators, ostensible empirical information from other societies all contribute to the interpretive lenses through which potential policy paths are formulated, decided and evaluated. So as Baha'is we need to be systematic whether we're in our cluster or whether we're working at a regional or national, international level, we need to be systematic in mapping out how particular policy issues are understood and framed across the entire spectrum of policy stakeholders, whether civil society or industry, government, academia or the general public. Once efforts are taken in this direction, it becomes possible to discern how Baha'i principles and concepts can help define the essential issues underlying major policy questions and how we might begin to identify practical measures in light of those principles. So I want to give you a couple of examples. The very language that sometimes is used in policy discourse can severely limit policy framing and programmatic action. The very nature of the collective discussion or discourse that occurs is improperly framed and so leads to solutions which really are not adequate. So let's take the problem of corruption. In the main, the policy challenge of addressing corruption in public life has been reduced to procedural improvements and efforts at promoting public transparency concerning the use of funds for social projects. But an educational component addressing the question of moral leadership or moral development is rarely mentioned in corruption policy discourse. A Baha'i approach to corruption would no doubt be very different. Baha'is would not even describe the issue or goal, probably as anti-corruption policy, but rather as fostering moral development as a precursor to moral governance. The emphasis would not be on procedural and regulatory approaches, but on how to awaken the moral consciousness of individuals and how to harness the voluntary and cooperative forces of communities. And this actually was in a statement that the Baha'i National Community gave at corruption conference a few years ago. Another example is the concepts of capacity building and participation which are used in international development recourse with the great regularity. But these notions of capacity building and participation reflect very narrow and materialistic notions of individual and collective empowerment. In the various statements that have been put out by the Baha'i International Community over the years, the issue of terminology has been addressed in some ways by attempting to offer a more expansive understanding of poverty as encompassing social, ethical, and spiritual resources, as well as material resources. And even defining the overall objective of development policy as an honorable, comprehensive prosperity rather than poverty alleviation. As we all know, the sometimes contentious nature of policymaking often yields less than optimal solutions and precludes innovation. Baha'u'llah's exhortation to follow the path of moderation is particularly relevant. Solutions to problems should be truly balanced, equitable, proportionate. This is what moderation means. Moderation though does not mean compromise. It does not mean sacrificing basic principles in order to achieve consensus. Consensus is very important, but we shouldn't compromise what we basically believe in. Often what happens in the policy dialogue and in the policy domain is that we arrive at second best solutions which are inadequate. So it's quite important that mutuality of purpose among policy stakeholders and an exceptional standard of fairness and a commitment to moderation in its true meaning is the goal. Finally, a major contribution that Baha'u'llah's can make in the policy arena is to demonstrate how the complementary systems of science and religion, what we will term as knowledge systems, can together raise the capacity of individuals and communities to advance well-being. The set of capacities necessary for building up the social, cultural, economic, technical and moral fabric of society depends upon both the resources of mind and spirit. By themselves, rational or scientific methodologies will not tell us which concepts or norms best advance a specific social objective or competence. For this reason, the knowledge we bring to bear in our discourses must be multi-dimensional, encompassing not only techniques, methodologies, concepts, theories and models, but also values, ideals, qualities, attributes, intuition and spiritual perception. Drawing on both science and religion allows us to satisfy these diverse knowledge requirements and to identify new moral standards and avenues of learning and addressing emerging contexts of social dilemma. It also helps us avoid reductionistic approaches and to see how various social problems are interrelated. This is not about religiosity of any particular kind, but rather understanding how rational and spiritual capacities can substantively interact in fashioning our social world. It is about accessing sources of knowledge that provide insight into the primary motivational forces of human experience and how those forces can be mobilized to advance the processes of civilization. Our premise that religion is a system of knowledge is certainly challenging, but moves public discussions about religion away from vague notions of spirituality, misplaced conceptions of salvation or dogmatic doctrine and instead brings focus to how the powers of the human spirit in conjunction with the methods of science can be channeled in original and productive ways. Conceiving religion in this manner can serve to underscore the validity of spiritual perspectives and aspirations in shaping the social order. And our experience actually for the past 10 years with the science, religion and development discourse promoted by the Institute for Studies and Global Prosperity has shown precisely this, we're able to have a very rich and deep conversation about religion when it's framed in this way. So coming to an end, it's very clear that reconstructing the public sphere is no easy task. Achieving a unity that liberates, that is creative, that is characterized by its embrace and harmonization of diversity is the work of generations. Ultimately, of course, it is the power of example. And specifically, the development of concrete models of unity and equity that will extend the bounds of intersubjective affirmation regarding the relevance of a spiritual conception of life. If we're doing the things that we hope to be doing and creating examples of unity on the ground, then people will notice. For those who doubt or reject that an objective spiritual dimension informs our social reality, we can only offer these words of exhortation from a prisoner. Should one fail to attain unto the recognition of him who is the eternal truth, let him at least conduct himself with reason and justice. The Baha'i concept of an adhering human diversity leading to higher forms of unity suggests that we can and must move beyond a liberal construction of pluralism that is unable to provide an overarching vision of human development. But rather than engaging in a quixotic quest to overcome the many evils at work in society or right the countless wrongs afflicting a desperate age, Baha'is are devoting their energy to building the world anew. As we have seen, recognizing the essential spiritual character of our identity is a defining feature of this project. Further at this moment in our social evolution, the appropriate locus for action is the globe in its entirety where all members of the human family are joined together in a common enterprise of promoting justice and social integration. Baha'u'llah provides us with a potent new moral grammar that allows us to appreciate and nurture human diversity while expanding our horizons beyond the parochial to a solidarity encompassing the boundaries of the planet itself. He offers a vision of a comprehensive good that recognizes and values the particular while promoting an integrating framework of global learning and cooperation. His summons to unity articulates an entirely new ethics and way of life, one that flows from a spiritual understanding of human history, purpose, and development. This spiritually based conception of life goes beyond notions of mutual advantage and prudence associated with the idea of the social contract. While the principle of self-interested rational exchange implied by the social contract indisputably represents an advance over coercion as a basis for social existence, there surely exists a step beyond rational exchange. Baha'u'llah instead offers a covenant of universal fellowship, a spiritually empowered ethic of deep and abiding commitment as the basis of collective life. As a result of this covenant of oneness, in the deprivation and suffering of others, we see ourselves. Such a frame of reference opens the door to critical reflection and true social renewal. In the words of Abdul Baha'u'llah, let all be set free from the multiple identities that were born of passion and desire and in the oneness of their love for God, find a new way of life.


Dedicated to the strength of the nation, proudly we hail a United States Army and United States Air Force presentation. And now here is our producer, the well-known Hollywood showman, C.P. McGregor. Thank you, thank you, and greetings from Hollywood, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to our Theatre of Stars. Where top-most motion picture personalities join us in plays we know you'll enjoy. Our star is that well-known and highly popular actor, Preston Foster, and the title of our bright comedy from Buffalo. In our story, Preston Foster portrays the patient father of a teenage girl with a hero worship complex. He unfolds an elaborate plan to end all complexes. Fate deals a hand and a plan of its own just to make things more confusing. We'll have the curtain for act one of our comedy from Buffalo in just a moment. But first, here is our announcer, Wendell Niles, with a message of importance. Young man, here is your opportunity for an interesting job with a great future. Your opportunity to qualify for aviation cadet training with the U.S. Air Force. If you are between the ages of 20 and 26 and one half, with at least two years of college or the ability to pass an equivalent examination, make an appointment now for an interview. See if you can become an officer and a pilot in the U.S. Air Force. Get details today at the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force Recruiting Station, and all once again our producer. It's curtain time and here's act one of from Buffalo starring Preston Foster as Bob Livingston. He is in the living room of an American home just after dinner. It's quite a bit like many other American homes. The same nearly paid for furniture, the same fireplace, the same husband with the same evening paper. He's engrossed in the sports page and doesn't even bother to glance up as his slightly irritated wife strides in fiercely from the kitchen. I'll dry the dishes for you now, dear. I'd rather you didn't. Why not? Because I've already done the darn things. You should have called me, Carol. You know I always like to help. Oh, I know. Sit down, dear.  Thanks. You're much too kind to me. Well, you needn't glare at me so. I'm not hurting anything. Oh, I'm not worried about the furniture.  Look, don't go getting sore at me just because I didn't get out of the kitchen in time to help with those broken down dishes. If it'll make any happier, I'll go out there now and do them all over for you. Don't talk nonsense. We could avoid all this hassle every night if you only do what I told you. You mean that silly idea of getting paper plates and then erasing them? I didn't say anything about erasing them. I still think paper plates would be a simple answer to- It's ridiculous. Oh, Carol. Oh, well, you shouldn't have to worry about housework anyway. If anyone ought to help at all, it should be your daughter. I believe she's your daughter, too. How nice of you to share the blame. Somehow it's hard to picture that kid with an apron on, isn't it? She'd be a lot more at home on the range where seldom is heard a discouraging word. Oh, now, now, please, don't get it. Well, it worked up about that again. After all, Sue's just going through a phase. That's all. A phase yet. I admit she spends too much of her time in her room, but it's nothing to worry about. She's just a nice, normal schoolgirl. With a nice, normal crush on Daniel Boone. Really, dear? I wish you wouldn't play so much stress on Sue's fixation. It's only temporary. Temporary. That's what they all said when the Moustache Cup sale started falling off back in the 90s. Sue will get over this. After all, she's just a nice, impressionable kid. Oh, sure, sure, sure. But why does she have to go get impressed with Daniel Boone? I'm sure I don't know, dear. It's just one of those things. Well, I don't like any part of it. She even goes around trying to dress like the guy. Take that fine episode when she cut all those fringes and her good gabardine slacks just so they'd look like buckskin. She only did that once. You bet you're darn right she only did it once. After the talking to I gave her, she knew what sight of her head was battered on. Oh, you were great, all right. Hey, wait a minute. Just whose side are you on, anyway, Mrs. Livingston? Yours, dear, of course. Sometimes I wonder. Anyway, why can't she pick out some nice, normal sort of dream man? Most kids her age go for people like Frank Sinatra, Harold Flynn, or Preston Foster. Who? Preston Foster. Who's he? The motion picture actor. Oh. But no, she has to go chase some far-going old pioneer scout for her idol. Well, what's so terrible about that? I'll tell you what's so terrible. Well, the guy probably, probably smelled from Buffalo. Buffalo do. You can say that again, sister. I don't like that evil glint in your eye. You're up to something. Right. Give that woman $20 silver dollars. Yes, Mrs. L, I finally decided to take steps. What kind of steps? Now, it might interest you to know that I've already started the wheels in motion to end this phobia of our daughters. Oh, no, no, no, not that. Now, please, I've no more harebrained schemes, huh? Harebrained, huh?  This is one plan that's like money in a bank. Can't miss. Oh, I only wish I was sure of that. You can be. Now, where is Sue now? She's in her room studying. Studying? Studying what? History, maybe? Say, about the era of Daniel Boone? Oh, don't look so sly. You remind me of a part-time Humphrey Bogart. Well, don't worry about her anymore. Better have her last fling. Tonight, we'll put an end to that baloney once and for all. Now, wait a minute. Now, just what is this all about, huh? Oh, just a little harebrained scheme I cooked up. You see, I've gotten plenty fed up with this fixation the kids adopted and I figured it wasn't any good for her or for us. Get to the point. Don't rush me. Anyway, I got to thinking it over and finally I figured out a way to beat the game. What's the solution? Well, you've heard me mention Johnny McCartney. Many times. Okay. Johnny's a swell act, you see. So I talked to him about Sue and he agreed to put on a costume just like Daniel Boone wore and drop in unexpectedly tonight. What?  Not any more so than usual. You just keep the shirt on, will you? I know what I'm doing, you bet. Oh, I'll take that bet. Now, don't interrupt. Just listen. Now, Johnny can... The phone, dear. I hear it, I hear it. Livingston residence? Who? Oh, Mrs. Lowry. Just fine, thank you. I suppose you want to talk to my wife, so I'll... Huh? Oh, sure, sure. Welcome over some Saturday night and open a keg of nails or something. Now, my wife's hovering over me, so I'll just turn you over to her. Carol, for crying out loud, take this darn phone. Good night, Mrs. Lowry. Thanks, dear. Hello, Mrs. Lowry, how are you tonight? How are you tonight? Stop that. What? Oh, I would just say something to Bob. He's such a tease. That's right. Oh, oh, we really must get together soon. After all, you're very close to us. So close as anybody knows. Yes, we did plan to drop in on you last week, as a matter of fact, but what with all the work to be done around the house, you know... Oh, what? Oh, you've been gardening? Oh, yes, it's just wonderful. And the way things grow at this time of year. I'll say, only last week.  What's that? You'll have to speak louder, dear. I've got a little competition here. Oh, oh, I see. Oh, that sounds fine. I'd love to hear more about it. Sometimes I wish Donna Michi's never invented that dog. Oh, look, dear, I think someone's at our door. I'll have to cut this short. But why don't you come over sometime and tell me all about it in detail? Yes, that's right. Good. Yeah. Yes. And now good. Oh, really? Well, how nice. Well, good. Oh, no fooling. Well, good. Good. What's that goo goo stuff? Baby talk? Goodbye. Oh, she's a wonderful woman, but she certainly does like to talk. What does she want? Oh, she had a pamphlet on child guidance. Pamphlets be darned. But getting back to you, Mr. Livingston, I'm still not sold on that fly-by-night scheme you're going to pull on our daughter. Look, please don't worry about it. Johnny can do that Western dialogue better than Boone himself could. So what? What are you trying to prove anyway? That people are human. Oh, it's got to be mighty tough to do. I know, I know. But you've got to fight fire with water. We've tried arguing with the kid about this stuff and got nowhere fast. But tonight we'll reason with her on her own childish level. Johnny will pop in and announce to her that he's good old Daniel Boone. I never heard of anything so crazy in all my life. Crazy, huh? Well, they laughed at Fulton too when he invented the fairy. He invented steam. All right, steam. I tell you, this can't miss. Anybody on cloud eight like our little Susie will believe anything she wants to. Oh, why do these things have to happen to me? Quiet, quiet. So when Johnny, or rather, I should say, Mr. Boone explains in his own picturesque backwood speech, just why our little girl should get herself another dream man, she'll fall right in line. See? No. Look, you just trusted me, will you? It's a lead pipe sense. Johnny and I went over to the public library this afternoon and dug up some pictures of Danny Boy to use as our makeup guide. I don't like it. I just don't think that this is going to... Believe me, this is going to be a whole lot better than having our kid run around the neighborhood making a darn fool of herself, playing cowboys and Indians and Roy Rogers. Oh, I only hope you know what you're doing. That's all. I do. Now listen, Carol. I told Johnny to be here by seven sharp, see? That's exactly one minute of now. Oh, call Sue now, will you? For the best effect, she really ought to be on the spot when he arrives. Now, really, I don't think...  But, Bob, I... Oh, well, all right. Oh, Sue. Yes, Mom? Will you please come down here, Mama? Okay, Mom. Are you absolutely sure this is going to work out all right? Sure, I'm sure. What do you think? I'm not sure. Don't worry, will you? I never saw anybody. Here she comes. Hey, Mom, did you want me for something real important? You see, I promised Joe and Paby and I'd go next door for a tiny little while. Nope, nope, nope. Can't tonight. But why not, Daddy? Why not? I go next door loads of times. I know, but, well, tonight's sort of something special, you see, your Mommy and I... No, no, not your Mommy, dear. Just your Daddy. That's a nice gal. Okay, Sue, just me. I planned a little surprise for you. Golly, Ned, what is the surprise, Daddy? What is it, huh? Guess, dear. Okay, now let me see. I'll bet it's a swell hunting knife. No, no, it's not a hunting knife. Is it a genuine hand-plated leather lariat? Keep guessing, keep guessing. Okay, uh, I know. It's a fire by friction set. No, it isn't a fire by friction set, Sue, but you're getting warm. Oh, gee, this is keen. Let me guess some more, huh, Daddy? Show by all means. I know. It's a black-and-white pindalpony. Not with those at their present price. Okay. Golly, I just can't imagine what... It's him. Oh. Danny, well, you'll see. Now, don't go away, nobody, and don't get nervous, anyone. Everything's going to be just that... Come in. Evening, folks. Thank you for my story from Butler. A starring Preston Foster to bring you an important message from our government. Ladies and gentlemen, our army and our Air Force are critically short of physicians and dentists. Over 2,000 volunteers from these two professions are urgently needed today to safeguard and care for the health of the men and women who, as members of the United States Army and United States Air Force, are serving you and me at home and overseas. Young physicians and dentists, particularly those who did not serve in the armed services during World War II, have been asked by their government to act now to volunteer for duty at once. If you are one of these young physicians or dentists, please write or wire either the Surgeon General of the United States Army or the Air Surgeon of the United States Air Force at once and volunteer your services. If you know one of these young physicians or dentists, please call his attention to this urgent message. Thank you. Our curtain rises on Act II of From Buffalo, starring Preston Foster as Bob Livingston. Bob and his wife, Carol, are faced with a rather unusual situation. Their teenage daughter, Sue, has adopted Daniel Boone for her idol, much to the discompensure of Bob. It prays on his mind to such an extent that he finally coaxes a friend to put on a costume, all out Daniel Boone and try to talk the girl out of her strange phobia. Now, the make-believe Boone has just entered the Livingston house. Evening, good evening. Evening, Mr. Boone. Daniel Boone. Yes, sir. Oh, brother. Boone's what they call me. And daddy, Mr. Boone. Ah, glad to know you. Same here, Mr. Boone. Thank you. May I take your Coonskin cap? No, ma'am, no, ma'am. Thank you, just the same. Well, have a chair, a nice hard seat and everything. No, thanks, no thanks. I can't stay with just a minute. Mr. Boone, please. Just call me Daniel. That's better. Love us an all, but... I'm too honored to stay put-belonged. Would you mind telling us one thing, Mr. Boone? We... Hold it, hold it there. Oh, this goes any further. Let's put the stop to this Mr. Boone business right now. But I told the little gal there, it goes for all of you. Okay, Danny Boy. That's more like it, sir. Yes, sir.  Oh, yes, yes. I can see how that'd be. Did somebody say something funny? Oh, Mr....  Sometimes he's sort of well corny. Susie. I think I know what you mean, daughter. Susie, remember your manners. You really mustn't stare at our guests like that. It's embarrassing. Don't bother me, nun. I'm sorry, Daniel. Is that so unnatural? I must admit, you do look unusually remarkable. Remarkable, nothing. Well, that's a terrific makeup.  Bob. Yes, dear. Daniel, we don't want to pry into your private affairs or anything like that, of course. But tell us, how come you happen to honor us with this visit tonight? Question, son. And deserves a fair answer. Sure, I'll tell you why I'm here. It's because of this year, little girl. Me? Yep. Oh, I've been planning this move for a long time now. And finally, I figured it was just about right for me to step in and clear up a few odds and ends once and for all.  Is that what you mean, Daniel? I'll get to it, son. I'll get to it. Sorry. Sorry. Yeah. You should be. Now, Sue, girl, I guess I was what some folks might call an old, well, a colorful character, I guess. You certainly are. Was. You mean were. Don't make no difference how you say it. And it's easy to see how maybe some young people might sort of set me up on a pedestal. I'll say. Especially boys. But whether they're boys or girls, they shouldn't. They shouldn't. No, sir, Lisa, they shouldn't. You see, I was just another fellow doing his work. If any dangers happen to come along, well, that was all part of it, see? I guess so. A lot of other folks face dangers in other ways than mine. And they were bigger men than me, too. Oh, but I don't think. Oh, not in size, maybe. But bigger just the same. There was one fellow in particular. I remember a letter he wrote me. I tore it out of a book. I got a tear. Some bless. Like, yeah, here she is. Yes, son. My eyes ain't so good no more. You read it out loud. Oh, but I read it. Look, I really don't. Oh, all right. Gentlemen, we are facing a time of peril so grave in our history, that there is now only the choice of serving the country a little longer or having tomorrow no country to serve. Under the favor of Almighty, that time is not distant when we choose between war or peace. In the words of Tom Payne, these are times that try men's souls. Tyranny is not easily conquered. Yet we have this consolation with us at the heart of the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. It is dearness alone that gives everything its value. It would be strange, indeed, if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated. It's signed by George Washington. Give it back to me, son. Thank you. Then there was another man, Abe Lincoln. And if you want to come right on up to date, general Eisenhower. Now, Sue, if you want a real hero, you pick somebody like that. Put an old codgy like me clean out of your mind. But, but, Daniel, I just couldn't. Now, see here, gal, you just listened to your parents, will you? Oh, but, gee, I... Forget all about old Donald Boone, will you? Come on now, promise. If you say so. I say so. Well, I reckon I just about from where I'm welcome here, gathering away like that. Oh, not at all, not at all. Perfectly welcome. In kind, best be mosey long. Well, then I'll show you to the door. What for? I ain't blind, you know. Oh, well, it's no bother. It's right this way. Goodbye, Daniel. Goodbye. Thanks for dropping in. Nice going, Johnny. Nice going. You're strange when you are. Well, so are you. Well, so long, everybody. Sue's asleep now. She is good. Well, that was sure. Might have found he'd just worked now. Wasn't it, Mrs. Hill? Yes, it was. And, Bob, you can stop talking like Daniel Boone. He's gone, you know. Well, it's kind of catchy that homespun stuff.  Stop gloating for heaven's sakes. The law of averages gives you at least one hit out of a dozen tries, you know. You can't get me mad tonight, sugar. No, sir, admit this was one great scheme. Come on, now. Well, frankly, I'm surprised at the way Sue absorbed the whole business. You bet. I can't take all I could, I did. Oh, who can that be at this hour? It's probably Danny Boy again. Don't be silly. Come in. Mrs. Lowry. Good evening, folks. I'm so sorry to drop in on you like this. Oh, it's perfectly all right, dear. I just had to let you know what I was talking about on the phone before. I won't stay a moment, but here's a pamphlet that explains everything. Oh, let me see it. Child guidance and the dangers of parental interference. Oh, sounds very interesting. Look, Mrs. Lowry, I just interfered in my child's life tonight, and it worked out swell. I beg your pardon? Oh, don't pay any attention to Bob. He's such a joker. I'll be happy to read this over, Miss Lowry. Thanks for dropping by. Yes, well, good night anyway. Good night. Why didn't you let me tell her how I straighten that kid out? Silly pamphlets aren't the way to bring up kids. Practical knowledge. That's what does it? Well, it did seem... You got a hand at old Johnny McCartney, too. He sure did a swell job. He even surprised me the way he followed through. You know, somehow, I sort of pictured him as a younger man. Well, he is a younger man. It's just that his makeup was so perfect. Well, he's only a year older than I am. Well, you're not exactly in the Margaret O'Vine class, you know. Quiet, please. It wasn't all the skies that made him so convincing, either. A couple of times there, I forgot he was just acting out a part. Especially near the end when he... Especially near the end when he... The phone, dear. I hear it. It's probably for you, anyhow. One of your stale club members. Will you answer it, please? Yes, my darling. Livingston Residence? Oh, you know, that's funny. We were just... we were just discussed. Huh? What's that? Who is it? Oh, no, no, no, no. Not you. I was just telling Carol to keep quiet, yeah. Oh, uh-huh. Well, all I gotta say is you're a pal to the fine job. Huh? Wait a minute. Say that. Say that again, will ya? I see. Okay. Okay, so long. Well, who was it? Johnny McCartney. Oh? A cop picked him up in his Daniel Boone costume on his way over here. Johnny just called to apologize for not getting over. Oh, but the man he sent was simply perfect. That's just it. Johnny didn't send anybody. He didn't? Then who was that man? I don't know.  The curtain falls in the final act of From Buffalo. Our star, Preston Foster, will return from her curtain call after this timely message from Wendell Niles. This is important. This is urgent. Over 2,000 young physicians and dentists are needed as volunteers at once for service in the United States Army or United States Air Force. These physicians and dentists are required to safeguard the health of the men and women who are serving our country in the armed services. If you are a physician or a dentist, you are needed now. Write or wire the Surgeon General of the United States Army or the Air Surgeon of the United States Air Force at once, volunteering for active duty. Let me repeat that. Write or wire the Surgeon General of the United States Army or the Air Surgeon of the United States Air Force today or see your local U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force Recruiting Station. Now back at the microphone, our star, Preston Foster, and our producer. Preston, you've got me at a loss. How come, C.P.? Well, you have too many activities to pin any one thing down for an interview. How about your latest pictures? And I mentioned both. Sure, why not? We've got Jesse James. That was with Barbara Britton. And the other one in Technicolor is the Big Cat. This one is an Eagle Lion production. With Lon McAllister and Peggy M. Garner, I saw them both and they were very good. You know, I was going to talk to you about that 500-acre ranch of yours, but I've changed my mind since I heard about that sensational act of you and your wife, Sheila, put on at the Orpheum in San Francisco. Well, thanks, C.P., but don't forget my guitar. It's in the act, too. Sheila tells me as soon as I learn how to play the chords, I can go into politics. Or hire yourself out to play square dances. With your knowledge of folk songs, you could be a big hit around Hollywood. Oh, that's what I'm afraid of, but you can believe it or not, we did our first square dancing just the other night. Have they roped you in yet, C.P.? No, I guess I'm the only one around here that doesn't go in for square dancing. But we've got some real experts who are old-timers at it. Well, it's certainly a lot of fun. We went to this party and everybody had on costumes. I got real enthused. I was doing the calls. Oh, they got you off the dance floor. Say, I wondered why all of a sudden I was elected caller. I didn't last very long at that job either, the neighbors, you know. You got a little loud, huh? Well, I'm not exactly a blushing violet, you know. Then they asked me to play my guitar. That should have been safe, and you just happened to have it alone. You know how it is. Sure. Anyway, we had a lot of fun, and Sheila and I are both very enthusiastic. Press, here's something for your enthusiasm. A couple of square dance albums called Music and Instructions. Next time you'll be an expert. Well, thank you. Thanks very much, CP, and I can sure stand a little expert instruction.  Next week, Press, and ladies and gentlemen, we have another comedy in store for you. A bright romance comedy starring popular Edmund O'Brien in a play titled Take a Letter, Miss Devlin. In our story, O'Brien becomes a confidential consultant of the big boss of a department store for which he is general manager. Rival department stores buy in business and expansion, and Eddie's boss has a stratagem for a building coop in a new location which he tells Eddie about in confidence. There's a secretary who tries to save Eddie for herself and from himself, and a charmer who tries to charm his secret for herself. So all around, Eddie becomes quite a man with the ladies. Well, she'll be listening, and thanks again for those albums. Thanks very much. So long, CP. Goodbye, Press. You should have joined us next week, ladies and gentlemen, and we bring you Edmund O'Brien and Take a Letter, Miss Devlin. Till then, thanks for listening, and cheerio from Hollywood. It arranges for the appearance of all stars in this program. The script was by Bill Danche with music under the direction of Eddie Dunstetter. This program is transcribed in Hollywood for release at this time. Wendell Niles speaking.


فشرف بالاشتغالي بالعلم ولا تبغي به ما عشت يا دا دا دا لا وياله من شراف عظيمي هل يجب عليك فتحوشه كل مرحبية هل يجب عليك فتحوشه؟ هل يجب عليك فتحوشه؟ هل يقول؟ هل يجب عليك فتحوشه؟ بعض الناس يجب عليك فتحوشه وما يعتقدون؟ يعني هو لديك Ooh هل يجب عليك فتحوشه؟ هل يجب عليك فتحوشه؟ هذا هو Why It's Important when you read a book أنت تحاول الناس على التواصل إبنو جنير أطبري تعتقد أنه إذا كانت ثلاثة إدواجالين التي تساعدتهم هناك ثلاثة أجل من المشاكل والأجل من المشاكل من المكان أنه يوجد إجماع هل نحن نحن نحن؟ وإن أضع العلمة إجماع عندما لا يوجد فرصة خلاص هناك إجماع so me to translate the Ijma'a that Nujadid is using here as an unanimous agreement is weak are we all together but there is some scholars who basically believe that there is an Ijma'a in this issue are we all together that if a person is praying that their Aura is the Aura of the Salah is unanimously agreed upon the Aura of the Salah is unanimously agreed upon but what we say is that the Ijma'a what has happened is what is known as خرق الإجماع the Ijma'a has been passed passed means that the Ijma'a should not have any opposition and we do have an opposition there are two people who are really about to oppose it the first one is أبو باكر إبن عبد الرحمن إبن حارث إبن حشان he's on one side he's on the other side he's on one side you believed no that's not the correct Aura and إمامو أحمد رحمه الله تعالى he called that he's transmitted from him so this إجماع that إبن جرير أبطابري is transmitting first of all that's not his usage of the term إجماع anyways that one إبن جرير still will use the word إجماع if there's two people who oppose him he doesn't believe that's a khila it's an إجماع now are we all together but إبن عبد البر believed إجماع now everybody's on the same page everybody agreed so it is the claim of إبن إجماع on the side of who إبن عبد البر correct that's not correct because there are two people who broke the إجماع anyways what we could say though is that the جمهور العلم the majority overwhelming majority of scholars those who believe that نقابي is wajib and those who believe it's not wajib they tend to agree on what is meant by the عورة of the prayer so now you did it again let's go to his statement he says وإنما قلنا ذلك أول الأقوال في ذلك بتقويلي he said رحمه الله we say that this is the strongest and most accurate view because all scholars are unanimously in agreement that every woman who needs to pray and any man who needs to pray must cover the عورة in his or her prayer and we all together and we're not talking about a woman man here right now specifically the جمهور العلم and he said that the agreement amongst them is what a woman وأن المرأة أن تكشف وجهاها وكفيها في صلاةها a woman may reveal her face and the lower part of her hands وأن عليها أن تستور ما عدى ذلك من بدانها and she must cover all the rest of her body what is not part of عورة is not forbidden to reveal وأن عليها أن تستور ما عدى ذلك من بدانها so he is saying if we all agree he is trying to the reason why I believe إلا ما ظهر منها is referring to the hands and the face the reason why I believe that is because we all agree that عورة what does it mean in صلاة when you say oh the woman showing her عورة in the صلاة it means that she's what her hair showing but you and I both wouldn't say that her face is عورة in the صلاة and we wouldn't say it's عورة in her her hands are عورة in the صلاة and you read me and then إبن جرير طابري he brings a to support this he says إلا ما روية except that which has been narrated إبن جرير it says إلا ما روية روية is صيغة الطبريض it has been narrated he is not mentioning it and this in the science of حليت is when you use for a حليت which is weak إذا إذا وض روية قيلة ذكيرة if it's narrated المبنول المشهول that the subject is hidden it means what weakness ولذلك الشخل باري even he pointed that out كالنبن جرير يشيرو بقولي it's like if you're جرير is pointing out with a statement روية إلا طبعي في الحليت that the حليت is weak و هو حليب ذلك فإنه بهذا النافد غير صحيح صحيح and he said he's right to do that because in this wording the حليت is what it's not صحيح بل هو عند مونكة in this wording the حليت is مونكة are you with me in this wording the حليت is what مونكة الشيخ ناصر goes to we strengthen the حليت from other are we all together are we all together what's this حليت this حليت is so شيخ ناصر tries to authenticate it if this حليت goes in for شيخ الباني and it happens that it turns out to be authentic then of course the woman's her face and her hands are all over her but if this حليت is weak and it's not صحيح then شيخ ناصر still doesn't have a strong evidence are you all together brothers and sisters pay attention here what is this حليت so before we go into this narration I'll have to go in this is the حليت is pertaining to that our mother عائشة رضي الله تعالى عنها she was with first of all before I go into this I have to mention something I have to mention a point which is when we strengthen a شيخ ناصر رحمة الله is an Imam in what is an Imam in an Imam in حليت he's an Imam in حليت that that being the case when we strengthen an opinion or we weaken a narration in which شيخ ناصر authenticated it doesn't mean in any way four more that we're belittling شيخ الباني and it doesn't mean that we're putting him down rather the علامة before they used to strengthen narrations or they used to strengthen opinions over another opinion and that it did not in any way four more shape did not entail that it was degrading for that individual and it never meant that this person is putting this person down سفيان ابن العيينة one time as an Imam أبن عيب الأصبهاني narrated in his حليت الأولياء وطبقات الأصفياء that ابن عيينة one day a hadith was told to him سفيان ابن العيينة narrated a hadith one day when he narrated the hadith سفيان ابن العيينة somebody told him and they said to him your brother ماليك بل ألس he opposes you on this hadith in other words he sees the weakness of this hadith then he responded by saying to him أتقرنني بماليك أتقرنني بماليك are you comparing ماليك are you comparing me to what are you bringing me together with ماليك إبن العيينة ما ألو ماليك me and Imam ماليك are like كما قال جليل as the poet once said جليل وابن اللبون إذا ما لز في قرر لم يستطع صولة البزل القلاعيس the poet is وابن اللبون when the camel is two when the camel is so every level is the بعيل which is صغير the camel which is small that hasn't finished two years yet and it's going to start it's two years and the line of poetry and the word قلاعيس is جمع قناس and it means the camel which is strong excessively strong and big it basically means if you take a very strong camel and you tie it with a camel that hasn't reached the age of three you tie them together how's the working going to be for the one that's two years old when he's tied with a strong camel it's going to collapse it's going to fall if you try to connect them together the rope you get it and you connect them to both of them if one that's strong he's going to take big steps and he's going to move fast so that's only two years and hasn't even finished the third year what's going to happen it's going to fall, it's going to trip it's going to be dragged by the other one so this is what بعيل is saying I'm the one that's two years and what ملك is the one the strong camel if you tie me to him I'm going to keep falling I'm going to keep falling so the Arabs they use this line of poetry they say but he still didn't agree with him he didn't say that he didn't say that he believes that بعيل is an Imam same as يحيب المعين يحيب المعين رضي الله رحمه الله تعالى he said يحيب المعين was an Imam you guys know يحيب المعين يحيب المعين يحيب المعين is an Imam who reached the level of hadith that the people would wish that يحيب يفرز them if يحيب يفرز you that means anyone's going to take knowledge of you if يحيب يفرز you you are finished, you're torn apart that's it, your life is crumbled you're going to go into a hole you're going to hide, no one's going to see you you can't teach, no one can talk if يحيب يفرز you he reached a point where people would go to يحيب المعين and they would shake his hand and they would go back to their people and they would shake my hand يحيب يفرز his palm for me and he shook my hand so يحيب رحمه he said I never faced a person face to face I never faced a person face to face بأمر يكرهه a matter which he dislikes from me ولكن أبيه له خطاه but I clarified his mistake for him فيما بينه و بينه between me and him فإن قابل يدارك if he accepts it from me وإلا ترك to accept and if not then I leave him I walk away from him if he does a mistake I clarify it of course يحيب المعين is talking about a mistake that he does privately or a mistake that he knows of him if the mistake is public يحيب would correct him publicly the ambulance that he would correct him publicly is as follows if you saw it publicly يحيب would correct him publicly and people used to shiba when يحيب would come into the gathering يحيب he entered the gathering of نوعي المبنة حماد الخزاعي الشيخ المخالي he came to Egypt when he came to Egypt يحيب المعين he entered نوعي المبنة حماد الخزاعي he started to read Harith so he came to read the book he started to read the book that he authored so he said he said so نوعي المبنة حماد الخزاعي that Abdullah Ibn Mubarak told us that he narrated from Ibn A'oun and that he mentioned Harith so I said I said I said this is not from Ibn Mubarak فقضيب نوعي المبنة حماد الخزاعي and he said to him تروضو عليك and you are treating me and then يحيب he said yes I want to beautify your face for you فأبا يرجع نوعي المبنة حماد الخزاعي he said يحيب I'm not going to come back for my stupid then when يحيب saw him that he doesn't want to come back he said قلت to said to him I said to him لا والله ما سمعت هذا عن Ibn Mubarak I said to him والله I have no hands from Ibn Mubarak too ولا he said ما سمعت هذا من Ibn Mubarak he said I'm telling you this نوعي المحماد الخزاعي والله you didn't hear this from Ibn Mubarak ولا سمعت I swear by Allah قطر not swear by فا غضبا نوعي المحماد even more angry because now he is saying you haven't heard it from him as well فا غضبا وغضبا all of his students and those who are around him were frustrated with يحيب Ibn Mubarak then he stood up نوعي المحماد الخزاعي he went into his room he checked his height before he moved it to his book he started to read it and whilst he had the paper in his hand وهي بيديد he came out and then he said أين اللذين يزعمونه where are those where are those who claim أن يحيب المعيل ليس بأبيل المؤمنين في الحديد where are those who claim يحيب المعيل is not Amir المؤمنين he brought the paper out he said where are those who claim أن يحيب المعيل is not Amir المؤمنين في الحديد where are you guys and then he said نعم نعم غالي الطو I got it wrong وإنما روا هاليل أحليد غي لبن مبارك هاليل مبارك you are right I got it wrong the one who narrated this is not Ibn Mubarak and no did Ibn Mubarak narrate from Ibn Aounin so that's how the Salaf were that's how the that's how the Salaf were رحمه الله رحمة واسعة they would differ but if they differed they still wouldn't leave each other they still wouldn't belittle each other because the khilaf between them was a mosaic in which we're each tihalia Younes Ibn Abdul-A'ala I never saw anyone a mousmata I debated with him one time I debated with him I debated with him ولكي ياني ولكي ياني ولكي ياني ولكي ياني ولكي ياني ولكي ياني هل أنت still be brothers حتى أننا لم نقل مع each other في أي أشياء أذر الوايات أن أباب وشافعي ويولي سبلا عبدالعالى صدفي بسألة was a fiquid related issue ريشين يشعون ذلك فما نقول أن حتى أننا نفعل بشلناصم على أثناء حالي نحن نتعامل بشكل مهار بشكل مهار وانه يفهم ويعمل بشكل مهار وانه يشعب بشكل مهار كيف حتى أن نهم ذلك يكتمني من البعاني بشكل مهار but كالرسست هم خطيب البغيديو يوما في هذه الكتاب و يخبر بوضحة أوهام جبع والتفرق و يقف على ما لكتابنا هذا ضمنناه يلحق السيئة الظنبنا و يراءنا عمان للطعلي على من تقدمنا تقدمنا الخطيب البقداني يسن لأي شخص يأتي و يشاهد بك this book of his which is بوضحة أوهام الجمع والتفريق و يتحدث about the narrations and the scholars who did a mistake لأي شخص يشاهد بك and they will assume and speculate that we are trying to throw bad assumption regarding the scholars of Hadith that we are thinking bad of them و يراء اللي we think أننا عماننا للطعلي that we intended to slander these scholars and to put their status down و إدهار العيبي and that we were trying to bring their mistakes out in the open لكبرياء لكبارائش و نخيدة و علماء سلافيلة that we were only intending to bring the mistakes of the great noble scholars of Hadith and the self of our time how would that be the case when we're using them as a form of authentication how are we trying to belittle them and slander them when we're using the same scholar in others other rulings of Hadith we're using them they are our stepping stone و بشو عائل ضيائهم تبصرنا and the ray of light that came out of them is what we use as a light we're trying to shine with and we see everything through their light and the path which they set is what we have traded on and we've distinguished matters from one another and then he mentioned the famous poetry that أبو عمر بالعلى أسل ما نحن في من مضى how are we like to those who came before us إلا كبقل في أصول نخل طوال we are like a buckle buckle is like you know those funguses they are very small and little how are they compared to big long palm trees so when أبو عمر بالعلى he said ما نحن في من مضى we are like nothing according to those who came before us إلا كبقل we are like a buckle like funguses those little ones في أصول نخل طوال in the surroundings of long palm trees long trees that's how we are you know أبو عمر بالعلى he was an Imam in the language Imam in the Hadith Imam in the recitation أبو عمر بالعلى he was an Imam in all of them and he still sees himself as a what كبقل في أصول نخل طوال so we say that about ourselves that we are nothing in the eyes of شر ناصر and his knowledge and his efforts but we still believe that no one is infallible and no one is free from mistakes and shortcomings the Hadith that الشيخ الباري رحمه الله used is the Hadith that the gist of the Hadith is that أسباب بالتأبيب أخر was wearing a clothing that was not very good and then she was wearing clothes were tight and that were revealing her أورا so the prophet عليه الصلاة والسلام he stood up and he walked away from the gathering when she came in أسماء بالتأبيب أخر is his sister عائشة عائشة then went to the prophet and she spoke to him and then the prophet said it is not befitting for a woman to dress in that way the only thing that is permitted for her to show is her two hands and her and her face in another when does he mention that the prophet spoke to أسماء herself directly and he said to her oh أسماء there is nothing permissible to show from a woman except her two hands and her what and her face this Hadith الشيخ الباري authenticated it I want to summarize for you guys this Hadith is narrated through three Hadith it's just three this is the summary of the Hadith it's just three the first one is حليث قتادة إبنو دعامة السلوسي that's one the second one is حليث إبنو لهيئة the third one is حليث إبنو دوريج that's the three Hadith are you all together this Hadith of أسماء if this Hadith was authentic then there would be no dispute or argument regarding when the woman's face and her hands could show the first Hadith is what حليث قتادة إبنو دعامة السلوسي very good this Hadith has been weakened because the first one قتادة و دعامة السلوسي is weakened because why حليث إبنو دوريج he said that he narrated from عائشة who narrated from the prophet so حليث إبنو دوريج حليث إبنو دوريج he attributes this Hadith to عائشة and then عائشة to the prophet and حليث إبنو دوريج لم يلقي عائشة he never met عائشة حليث إبنو دوريج so what does this become when it was called it's weak but what is it called حليث إبنو دوريج if a Tabi'a attributes something to the prophet what is it called it's a mursal it's a Hadith mursal if a Tabi'a attributes something to the prophet what does it become it's a mursal it's a Hadith called mursal so this Hadith is graded in mursal and in the Hadith of قتادة الباني just mentioned it here right now وهو عندي مونقا الباني said it's munkar to this one قتادة one الباني even agrees with us it's munkar are we all together when now left with the Hadith of إبنو لهي'a the Hadith of who إبنو لهي'a عبد الله إبنو لهي'a good عبد الله إبنو لهي'a as a senate is عبد الله إبنو لهي'a عن عياض إبنو عبد الله فهري عن إبراهيم بلو عوبيد بلرفاعة الأوصاري عن أبيه إصفاد رفاعة الأوصاري عن السماء بنتعبيس عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم عبد الله إبنو لهي'a عن عياض إبنو عبد الله الفهري عن إبراهيم بلو عوبيد رفاعة الأنصاري، عن عبيد ابن رفاعة الأنصاري، عن أسماء بنت عميسي، عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم هذا حديث يسوء بسبب عبد الله ابن اللهي أعى عبد الله ابن اللهي أعى هو ماذا؟ هو بعيف في هذه الحديث يتفاكب في كونسان عبد الله أعى أعى إذا لم يكن أكثر من أي من these 3 عبد اللهيه his life is rejected who are they عبد اللهي بل مبارك نمو one سكر is عبد اللهي بل ووهبن سكر one is عبد اللهي بل ووهبن and the third one is عبد اللهي بل يزيد المقرئ عبد اللهي بل يزيد المقرئ so he didn't know it from any of those شيخ العلباني with his hard work and his efforts he came with the opinion that also there's a fourth person that if you narrate from his ahadith are taken who are they who is the fourth person he said the fourth person is who قوتيبة والسعيد قوتيبة والسعيد if you narrate from عبد اللهي بل وهبن his ahadith are taken شيخ العلباني prove that as well are we all together so عبد اللهي بل وهبن his ahadith are not taken unless he narrates from who any of those three عبد اللهيه his when i'm calling شيخ العلباني قوتيبة والسعيد is it from any of those three and is so is it from any of those four so it's not that's one problem that's one problem the second problem is what's the second problem the second problem is that عبد اللهي بل اللهيه is alone in narrating this حديث he's alone in narrating this alone in what way there is the only person who narrated from who he narrated from who did he narrate from in this حديث حديث who did he narrate from yeah who did he narrate from عياد بن عبد اللهي right he's the only person who narrated from عياد بن عبد اللهي this narration where are all the other students of عياد بن عبد اللهي are we all together so they we don't take him unless he narrates it from one of the three عبد اللهي and secondly is we're definitely not going to take it if he's alone on it so that's why it's not accepted that narration is what it's not why is عبد اللهي بن اللهي عادلت with that like that أحمد بن صالح المصري as he's narrated in the كتاب المعرفة والتاريخ by الامام الفسوي الامام الفسوي ورحمه الله كتاب كل المعرفة والتاريخ he mentioned that he said he was a good writer his books were good and he used to write everything for those narrations in his books and when he would want to narrate he would go to that book and he would what he would narrate from that book was a good writer he used to write his narrations he used to narrate them and so what happened to him فكتب عنهم قومين يعقلون الحديث والآخرون then what happened was he started to write from people who know hadith and others who were not precise in حديث another view it held that عبد اللهي عبد اللهي I was always a good writer and the matter is not as أحمد بن صالح المصري he mentioned that he was a good writer but the problem with him was what the problem with him is that his house and everything inside got bent and all of the papers all of his books got bent so he no longer can narrate from his books so he tried to narrate from his memory he tried to do that so he started to mix up so the scholars after thorough research they realized that when he narrates from any of those three عبد اللهي when he narrates from any of those three عبد اللهي is before the what it is the before the حراق الكتوري before his books were bent are we all together ولي ذلك عبد اللهي ابن مهدي always used to say ما أعتبد بشيء سمعته من حديث ابن اللهي عبد اللهي ابن أبن مهديس say I will never ever rely on a حديث which I heard of ابن اللهي عبد اللهي except the narrations of عبد اللهي مهدرك of his I would what was the third narration we're now going to go into the narration of ابن جريج and there's another reason why that حديث is weak but we're just trying we don't want to go too much details we'll just stick with with that one reason now we're going to go into the حديث of ابن جريج the حديث of ابن جريج you guys know who ابن جريج is right عبد المريك ابن عبد العزيس ابن جريج المكي he narrated directly from who he narrated directly from who عائشة are you all together ابن جريج between him and عائشة are two people what is it called when the حديث two people are disconnected so this حديث is weak what's missing from it two people who are the two people that are missing from it other narrations have mentioned they are ما عمل ابن راشد عن قتادة من زيادة and the narration sorry what did i say عن قتادة ابن قتادة قتادة من دعمة العزيس right are we all together those are two people that are missing are we all together and the narration of قتادة brings us back to the first one that we spoke about which was what it has a زيادة which was مونقر the زيادة that was مونقر it's rejected and it's not accepted will stop then in شاء الله تعالى anyone who wants to look more into this narration is a kitab written by ابن معايد طارق عوض الله ابن معايد طارق عوض الله he wrote a kitab called النقد البناء لحديث اسماء في كشف الوجه والكفيل للنساء and he refutes شيخ ناصل under authentication of this حديث he used to in the beginning he mentioned in the book i used to agree with شيخ الباني on this issue i was with him are you with me and he says that it became clear that the حديث is نقص صحيح and he says in the book that he wrote it he wrote it while الباني was alive he started it and before he could finish the book شيخ ناصل died so at the beginning of the book he sends his salutations and his love towards شيخ ناصل رحمه الله and he mentions the virtue that شيخ الباني has on people of حديث إن شاء الله تعالى as i said we're going to conclude there anything which i have said that was wrong or incorrect is from me and شيطان الله these messages are free from it سبحانك الله وبحمدك أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله استغفروك وأتوب إليه