In the
Bábí and
Baháʼí Faiths the seven stages of the Arc of Ascent are described as follows: Will (Mashiyyat), Determination (Iradih), Destiny (Qadar), Decree (Qada), Permission (Idhn), Term (Ajal), and Book (Kitab). In
Some Answered Questions 'Abdu'l-Bahá states that "man is in the ultimate degree of materiality and the beginning of spirituality; that is, he is at the end of imperfection and the beginning of perfection. He is at the furthermost degree of darkness and the beginning of the light. That is why the station of man is said to be the end of night and the beginning of day." The
Báb explained that the
obligatory prayer symbolizes a spiritual journey from the realm of the body to the realm of the heart, which can be described as an arc of ascent, mirroring the arc of descent from God to creation.
The Seven Valleys of
Bahá'u'lláh is another example of the arc of ascent. It describes the valley of search, the valley of love, the valley of knowledge, the valley of unity, the valley of contentment, the valley of wonderment, and the valley of true poverty and absolute nothingness. 'Abdu'l-Bahá describes the following: The depraved soul, the self-accusing soul, the inspired soul, the assured soul, the contented soul, the accepted soul, the perfect soul, the soul of the Kingdom of God (malakút), the soul of the Dominion (jabarút) and the Divine Soul (lahút). ==See also==