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Title: The Kitáb-i-Íqán

Author: Bahá’u’lláh

Release Date: November 2, 2005 [Ebook #16983]

Language: English

Character set encoding: UTF-8


***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE KITÁB-I-ÍQÁN***





The Kitáb-i-Íqán


by Bahá’u’lláh




Edition 1, (November 2, 2005)





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                                 CONTENTS


Baha’i Terms of Use
PART ONE
PART TWO






PART ONE


IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD, THE EXALTED, THE MOST HIGH.


    _No man shall attain the shores of the ocean of true understanding
    except he be detached from all that is in heaven and on earth.
    Sanctify your souls, O ye peoples of the world, that haply ye may
    attain that station which God hath destined for you and enter thus
    the tabernacle which, according to the dispensations of
    Providence, hath been raised in the firmament of the Bayán._


The essence of these words is this: they that tread the path of faith,
they that thirst for the wine of certitude, must cleanse themselves of all
that is earthly—their ears from idle talk, their minds from vain
imaginings, their hearts from worldly affections, their eyes from that
which perisheth. They should put their trust in God, and, holding fast
unto Him, follow in His way. Then will they be made worthy of the
effulgent glories of the sun of divine knowledge and understanding, and
become the recipients of a grace that is infinite and unseen, inasmuch as
man can never hope to attain unto the knowledge of the All-Glorious, can
never quaff from the stream of divine knowledge and wisdom, can never
enter the abode of immortality, nor partake of the cup of divine nearness
and favour, unless and until he ceases to regard the words and deeds of
mortal men as a standard for the true understanding and recognition of God
and His Prophets.

Consider the past. How many, both high and low, have, at all times,
yearningly awaited the advent of the Manifestations of God in the
sanctified persons of His chosen Ones. How often have they expected His
coming, how frequently have they prayed that the breeze of divine mercy
might blow, and the promised Beauty step forth from behind the veil of
concealment, and be made manifest to all the world. And whensoever the
portals of grace did open, and the clouds of divine bounty did rain upon
mankind, and the light of the Unseen did shine above the horizon of
celestial might, they all denied Him, and turned away from His face—the
face of God Himself. Refer ye, to verify this truth, to that which hath
been recorded in every sacred Book.

Ponder for a moment, and reflect upon that which hath been the cause of
such denial on the part of those who have searched with such earnestness
and longing. Their attack hath been more fierce than tongue or pen can
describe. Not one single Manifestation of Holiness hath appeared but He
was afflicted by the denials, the repudiation, and the vehement opposition
of the people around Him. Thus it hath been revealed: “O the misery of
men! No Messenger cometh unto them but they laugh Him to scorn.”(1) Again
He saith: “Each nation hath plotted darkly against their Messenger to lay
violent hold on Him, and disputed with vain words to invalidate the
truth.”(2)

In like manner, those words that have streamed forth from the source of
power and descended from the heaven of glory are innumerable and beyond
the ordinary comprehension of man. To them that are possessed of true
understanding and insight the Súrah of Húd surely sufficeth. Ponder a
while those holy words in your heart, and, with utter detachment, strive
to grasp their meaning. Examine the wondrous behaviour of the Prophets,
and recall the defamations and denials uttered by the children of negation
and falsehood, perchance you may cause the bird of the human heart to wing
its flight away from the abodes of heedlessness and doubt unto the nest of
faith and certainty, and drink deep from the pure waters of ancient
wisdom, and partake of the fruit of the tree of divine knowledge. Such is
the share of the pure in heart of the bread that hath descended from the
realms of eternity and holiness.

Should you acquaint yourself with the indignities heaped upon the Prophets
of God, and apprehend the true causes of the objections voiced by their
oppressors, you will surely appreciate the significance of their position.
Moreover, the more closely you observe the denials of those who have
opposed the Manifestations of the divine attributes, the firmer will be
your faith in the Cause of God. Accordingly, a brief mention will be made
in this Tablet of divers accounts relative to the Prophets of God, that
they may demonstrate the truth that throughout all ages and centuries the
Manifestations of power and glory have been subjected to such heinous
cruelties that no pen dare describe them. Perchance this may enable a few
to cease to be perturbed by the clamour and protestations of the divines
and the foolish of this age, and cause them to strengthen their confidence
and certainty.

Among the Prophets was Noah. For nine hundred and fifty years He
prayerfully exhorted His people and summoned them to the haven of security
and peace. None, however, heeded His call. Each day they inflicted on His
blessed person such pain and suffering that no one believed He could
survive. How frequently they denied Him, how malevolently they hinted
their suspicion against Him! Thus it hath been revealed: “And as often as
a company of His people passed by Him, they derided Him. To them He said:
‘Though ye scoff at us now, we will scoff at you hereafter even as ye
scoff at us. In the end ye shall know.’”(3) Long afterward, He several
times promised victory to His companions and fixed the hour thereof. But
when the hour struck, the divine promise was not fulfilled. This caused a
few among the small number of His followers to turn away from Him, and to
this testify the records of the best-known books. These you must certainly
have perused; if not, undoubtedly you will. Finally, as stated in books
and traditions, there remained with Him only forty or seventy-two of His
followers. At last from the depth of His being He cried aloud: “Lord!
Leave not upon the land a single dweller from among the unbelievers.”(4)

And now, consider and reflect a moment upon the waywardness of this
people. What could have been the reason for such denial and avoidance on
their part? What could have induced them to refuse to put off the garment
of denial, and to adorn themselves with the robe of acceptance? Moreover,
what could have caused the nonfulfilment of the divine promise which led
the seekers to reject that which they had accepted? Meditate profoundly,
that the secret of things unseen may be revealed unto you, that you may
inhale the sweetness of a spiritual and imperishable fragrance, and that
you may acknowledge the truth that from time immemorial even unto eternity
the Almighty hath tried, and will continue to try, His servants, so that
light may be distinguished from darkness, truth from falsehood, right from
wrong, guidance from error, happiness from misery, and roses from thorns.
Even as He hath revealed: “Do men think when they say ‘We believe’ they
shall be let alone and not be put to proof?”(5)

And after Noah the light of the countenance of Húd shone forth above the
horizon of creation. For well-nigh seven hundred years, according to the
sayings of men, He exhorted the people to turn their faces and draw nearer
unto the Ridván of the divine presence. What showers of afflictions rained
upon Him, until at last His adjurations bore the fruit of increased
rebelliousness, and His assiduous endeavours resulted in the wilful
blindness of His people. “And their unbelief shall only increase for the
unbelievers their own perdition.”(6)

And after Him there appeared from the Ridván of the Eternal, the
Invisible, the holy person of Ṣáliḥ, Who again summoned the people to the
river of everlasting life. For over a hundred years He admonished them to
hold fast unto the commandments of God and eschew that which is forbidden.
His admonitions, however, yielded no fruit, and His pleading proved of no
avail. Several times He retired and lived in seclusion. All this, although
that eternal Beauty was summoning the people to no other than the city of
God. Even as it is revealed: “And unto the tribe of Thámúd We sent their
brother Ṣáliḥ. ‘O my people,’ said He, ‘Worship God, ye have none other
God beside Him....’ They made reply: ‘O Ṣáliḥ, our hopes were fixed on
thee until now; forbiddest thou us to worship that which our fathers
worshipped? Truly we misdoubt that whereunto thou callest us as
suspicious.’”(7) All this proved fruitless, until at last there went up a
great cry, and all fell into utter perdition.

Later, the beauty of the countenance of the Friend of God(8) appeared from
behind the veil, and another standard of divine guidance was hoisted. He
invited the people of the earth to the light of righteousness. The more
passionately He exhorted them, the fiercer waxed the envy and waywardness
of the people, except those who wholly detached themselves from all save
God, and ascended on the wings of certainty to the station which God hath
exalted beyond the comprehension of men. It is well known what a host of
enemies besieged Him, until at last the fires of envy and rebellion were
kindled against Him. And after the episode of the fire came to pass, He,
the lamp of God amongst men, was, as recorded in all books and chronicles,
expelled from His city.

And when His day was ended, there came the turn of Moses. Armed with the
rod of celestial dominion, adorned with the white hand of divine
knowledge, and proceeding from the Párán of the love of God, and wielding
the serpent of power and everlasting majesty, He shone forth from the
Sinai of light upon the world. He summoned all the peoples and kindreds of
the earth to the kingdom of eternity, and invited them to partake of the
fruit of the tree of faithfulness. Surely you are aware of the fierce
opposition of Pharaoh and his people, and of the stones of idle fancy
which the hands of infidels cast upon that blessed Tree. So much so that
Pharaoh and his people finally arose and exerted their utmost endeavor to
extinguish with the waters of falsehood and denial the fire of that sacred
Tree, oblivious of the truth that no earthly water can quench the flame of
divine wisdom, nor mortal blasts extinguish the lamp of everlasting
dominion. Nay, rather, such water cannot but intensify the burning of the
flame, and such blasts cannot but ensure the preservation of the lamp,
were ye to observe with the eye of discernment, and walk in the way of
God’s holy will and pleasure. How well hath a believer of the kindred of
Pharaoh, whose story is recounted by the All-Glorious in His Book revealed
unto His beloved One, observed: “And a man of the family of Pharaoh who
was a believer and concealed his faith said: ‘Will ye slay a man because
he saith my Lord is God, when He hath already come to you with signs from
your Lord? If he be a liar, on him will be his lie, but if he be a man of
truth, part of what he threateneth will fall upon you. In truth God
guideth not him who is a transgressor, a liar.’”(9) Finally, so great was
their iniquity that this self-same believer was put to a shameful death.
“The curse of God be upon the people of tyranny.”(10)

And now, ponder upon these things. What could have caused such contention
and conflict? Why is it that the advent of every true Manifestation of God
hath been accompanied by such strife and tumult, by such tyranny and
upheaval? This notwithstanding the fact that all the Prophets of God,
whenever made manifest unto the peoples of the world, have invariably
foretold the coming of yet another Prophet after them, and have
established such signs as would herald the advent of the future
Dispensation. To this the records of all sacred books bear witness. Why
then is it that despite the expectation of men in their quest of the
Manifestations of Holiness, and in spite of the signs recorded in the
sacred books, such acts of violence, of oppression and cruelty, should
have been perpetrated in every age and cycle against all the Prophets and
chosen Ones of God? Even as He hath revealed: “As oft as an Apostle cometh
unto you with that which your souls desire not, ye swell with pride,
accusing some of being impostors and slaying others.”(11)

Reflect, what could have been the motive for such deeds? What could have
prompted such behaviour towards the Revealers of the beauty of the
All-Glorious? Whatever in days gone by hath been the cause of the denial
and opposition of those people hath now led to the perversity of the
people of this age. To maintain that the testimony of Providence was
incomplete, that it hath therefore been the cause of the denial of the
people, is but open blasphemy. How far from the grace of the All-Bountiful
and from His loving providence and tender mercies it is to single out a
soul from amongst all men for the guidance of His creatures, and, on one
hand, to withhold from Him the full measure of His divine testimony, and,
on the other, inflict severe retribution on His people for having turned
away from His chosen One! Nay, the manifold bounties of the Lord of all
beings have, at all times, through the Manifestations of His divine
Essence, encompassed the earth and all that dwell therein. Not for a
moment hath His grace been withheld, nor have the showers of His
loving-kindness ceased to rain upon mankind. Consequently, such behaviour
can be attributed to naught save the petty-mindedness of such souls as
tread the valley of arrogance and pride, are lost in the wilds of
remoteness, walk in the ways of their idle fancy, and follow the dictates
of the leaders of their faith. Their chief concern is mere opposition;
their sole desire is to ignore the truth. Unto every discerning observer
it is evident and manifest that had these people in the days of each of
the Manifestations of the Sun of Truth sanctified their eyes, their ears,
and their hearts from whatever they had seen, heard, and felt, they surely
would not have been deprived of beholding the beauty of God, nor strayed
far from the habitations of glory. But having weighed the testimony of God
by the standard of their own knowledge, gleaned from the teachings of the
leaders of their faith, and found it at variance with their limited
understanding, they arose to perpetrate such unseemly acts.

Leaders of religion, in every age, have hindered their people from
attaining the shores of eternal salvation, inasmuch as they held the reins
of authority in their mighty grasp. Some for the lust of leadership,
others through want of knowledge and understanding, have been the cause of
the deprivation of the people. By their sanction and authority, every
Prophet of God hath drunk from the chalice of sacrifice, and winged His
flight unto the heights of glory. What unspeakable cruelties they that
have occupied the seats of authority and learning have inflicted upon the
true Monarchs of the world, those Gems of divine virtue! Content with a
transitory dominion, they have deprived themselves of an everlasting
sovereignty. Thus, their eyes beheld not the light of the countenance of
the Well-Beloved, nor did their ears hearken unto the sweet melodies of
the Bird of Desire. For this reason, in all sacred books mention hath been
made of the divines of every age. Thus He saith: “O people of the Book!
Why disbelieve the signs of God to which ye yourselves have been
witnesses?”(12) And also He saith: “O people of the Book! Why clothe ye
the truth with falsehood? Why wittingly hide the truth?”(13) Again, He
saith: “Say, O people of the Book! Why repel believers from the way of
God?”(14) It is evident that by the “people of the Book,” who have
repelled their fellow-men from the straight path of God, is meant none
other than the divines of that age, whose names and character have been
revealed in the sacred books, and alluded to in the verses and traditions
recorded therein, were you to observe with the eye of God.

With fixed and steady gaze, born of the unerring eye of God, scan for a
while the horizon of divine knowledge, and contemplate those words of
perfection which the Eternal hath revealed, that haply the mysteries of
divine wisdom, hidden ere now beneath the veil of glory and treasured
within the tabernacle of His grace, may be made manifest unto you. The
denials and protestations of these leaders of religion have, in the main,
been due to their lack of knowledge and understanding. Those words uttered
by the Revealers of the beauty of the one true God, setting forth the
signs that should herald the advent of the Manifestation to come, they
never understood nor fathomed. Hence they raised the standard of revolt,
and stirred up mischief and sedition. It is obvious and manifest that the
true meaning of the utterances of the Birds of Eternity is revealed to
none except those that manifest the Eternal Being, and the melodies of the
Nightingale of Holiness can reach no ear save that of the denizens of the
everlasting realm. The Copt of tyranny can never partake of the cup
touched by the lips of the Sept of justice, and the Pharaoh of unbelief
can never hope to recognize the hand of the Moses of truth. Even as He
saith: “None knoweth the meaning thereof except God and them that are
well-grounded in knowledge.”(15) And yet, they have sought the
interpretation of the Book from those that are wrapt in veils, and have
refused to seek enlightenment from the fountain-head of knowledge.

And when the days of Moses were ended, and the light of Jesus, shining
forth from the dayspring of the Spirit, encompassed the world, all the
people of Israel arose in protest against Him. They clamoured that He
Whose advent the Bible had foretold must needs promulgate and fulfil the
laws of Moses, whereas this youthful Nazarene, who laid claim to the
station of the divine Messiah, had annulled the law of divorce and of the
sabbath day—the most weighty of all the laws of Moses. Moreover, what of
the signs of the Manifestation yet to come? These people of Israel are
even unto the present day still expecting that Manifestation which the
Bible hath foretold! How many Manifestations of Holiness, how many
Revealers of the light everlasting, have appeared since the time of Moses,
and yet Israel, wrapt in the densest veils of satanic fancy and false
imaginings, is still expectant that the idol of her own handiwork will
appear with such signs as she herself hath conceived! Thus hath God laid
hold of them for their sins, hath extinguished in them the spirit of
faith, and tormented them with the flames of the nethermost fire. And this
for no other reason except that Israel refused to apprehend the meaning of
such words as have been revealed in the Bible concerning the signs of the
coming Revelation. As she never grasped their true significance, and, to
outward seeming, such events never came to pass, she, therefore, remained
deprived of recognizing the beauty of Jesus and of beholding the face of
God. And they still await His coming! From time immemorial even unto this
day, all the kindreds and peoples of the earth have clung to such fanciful
and unseemly thoughts, and thus have deprived themselves of the clear
waters streaming from the springs of purity and holiness.

In unfolding these mysteries, We have, in Our former Tablets which were
addressed to a friend in the melodious language of Ḥijáz, cited a few of
the verses revealed unto the Prophets of old. And now, responding to your
request, We again shall cite, in these pages, those same verses, uttered
this time in the wondrous accents of ‘Iráq, that haply the sore athirst in
the wilds of remoteness may attain unto the ocean of the divine presence,
and they that languish in the wastes of separation be led unto the home of
eternal reunion. Thus the mists of error may be dispelled, and the
all-resplendent light of divine guidance dawn forth above the horizon of
human hearts. In God We put Our trust, and to Him We cry for help, that
haply there may flow from this pen that which shall quicken the souls of
men, that they may all arise from their beds of heedlessness and hearken
unto the rustling of the leaves of Paradise, from the tree which the hand
of divine power hath, by the permission of God, planted in the Ridván of
the All-Glorious.

To them that are endowed with understanding, it is clear and manifest that
when the fire of the love of Jesus consumed the veils of Jewish
limitations, and His authority was made apparent and partially enforced,
He the Revealer of the unseen Beauty, addressing one day His disciples,
referred unto His passing, and, kindling in their hearts the fire of
bereavement, said unto them: “I go away and come again unto you.” And in
another place He said: “I go and another will come Who will tell you all
that I have not told you, and will fulfil all that I have said.” Both
these sayings have but one meaning, were you to ponder upon the
Manifestations of the Unity of God with divine insight.

Every discerning observer will recognize that in the Dispensation of the
Qur’án both the Book and the Cause of Jesus were confirmed. As to the
matter of names, Muḥammad, Himself, declared: “I am Jesus.” He recognized
the truth of the signs, prophecies, and words of Jesus, and testified that
they were all of God. In this sense, neither the person of Jesus nor His
writings hath differed from that of Muḥammad and of His holy Book,
inasmuch as both have championed the Cause of God, uttered His praise, and
revealed His commandments. Thus it is that Jesus, Himself, declared: “I go
away and come again unto you.” Consider the sun. Were it to say now, “I am
the sun of yesterday,” it would speak the truth. And should it, bearing
the sequence of time in mind, claim to be other than that sun, it still
would speak the truth. In like manner, if it be said that all the days are
but one and the same, it is correct and true. And if it be said, with
respect to their particular names and designations, that they differ, that
again is true. For though they are the same, yet one doth recognize in
each a separate designation, a specific attribute, a particular character.
Conceive accordingly the distinction, variation, and unity characteristic
of the various Manifestations of holiness, that thou mayest comprehend the
allusions made by the creator of all names and attributes to the mysteries
of distinction and unity, and discover the answer to thy question as to
why that everlasting Beauty should have, at sundry times, called Himself
by different names and titles.

Afterwards, the companions and disciples of Jesus asked Him concerning
those signs that must needs signalize the return of His manifestation.
When, they asked, shall these things be? Several times they questioned
that peerless Beauty, and, every time He made reply, He set forth a
special sign that should herald the advent of the promised Dispensation.
To this testify the records of the four Gospels.

This wronged One will cite but one of these instances, thus conferring
upon mankind, for the sake of God, such bounties as are yet concealed
within the treasury of the hidden and sacred Tree, that haply mortal men
may not remain deprived of their share of the immortal fruit, and attain
to a dewdrop of the waters of everlasting life which, from Baghdád, the
“Abode of Peace,” are being vouchsafed unto all mankind. We ask for
neither meed nor reward. “We nourish your souls for the sake of God; we
seek from you neither recompense nor thanks.”(16) This is the food that
conferreth everlasting life upon the pure in heart and the illumined in
spirit. This is the bread of which it is said: “Lord, send down upon us
Thy bread from heaven.”(17) This bread shall never be withheld from them
that deserve it, nor can it ever be exhausted. It groweth everlastingly
from the tree of grace; it descendeth at all seasons from the heavens of
justice and mercy. Even as He saith: “Seest thou not to what God likeneth
a good word? To a good tree; its root firmly fixed, and its branches
reaching unto heaven: yielding its fruit in all seasons.”(18)

O the pity! that man should deprive himself of this goodly gift, this
imperishable bounty, this everlasting life. It behooveth him to prize this
food that cometh from heaven, that perchance, through the wondrous favours
of the Sun of Truth, the dead may be brought to life, and withered souls
be quickened by the infinite Spirit. Make haste, O my brother, that while
there is yet time our lips may taste of the immortal draught, for the
breeze of life, now blowing from the city of the Well-Beloved, cannot
last, and the streaming river of holy utterance must needs be stilled, and
the portals of the Ridván cannot for ever remain open. The day will surely
come when the Nightingale of Paradise will have winged its flight away
from its earthly abode unto its heavenly nest. Then will its melody be
heard no more, and the beauty of the rose cease to shine. Seize the time,
therefore, ere the glory of the divine springtime hath spent itself, and
the Bird of Eternity ceased to warble its melody, that thy inner hearing
may not be deprived of hearkening unto its call. This is My counsel unto
thee and unto the beloved of God. Whosoever wisheth, let him turn
thereunto; whosoever wisheth, let him turn away. God, verily, is
independent of him and of that which he may see and witness.

These are the melodies, sung by Jesus, Son of Mary, in accents of majestic
power in the Ridván of the Gospel, revealing those signs that must needs
herald the advent of the Manifestation after Him. In the first Gospel
according to Matthew it is recorded: And when they asked Jesus concerning
the signs of His coming, He said unto them: “Immediately after the
oppression(19) of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall
not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers
of the earth shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of
man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they
shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and
great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a
trumpet.”(20) Rendered into the Persian tongue,(21) the purport of these
words is as follows: When the oppression and afflictions that are to
befall mankind will have come to pass, then shall the sun be withheld from
shining, the moon from giving light, the stars of heaven shall fall upon
the earth, and the pillars of the earth shall quake. At that time, the
signs of the Son of man shall appear in heaven, that is, the promised
Beauty and Substance of life shall, when these signs have appeared, step
forth out of the realm of the invisible into the visible world. And He
saith: at that time, all the peoples and kindreds that dwell on earth
shall bewail and lament, and they shall see that divine Beauty coming from
heaven, riding upon the clouds with power, grandeur, and magnificence,
sending His angels with a great sound of a trumpet. Similarly, in the
three other Gospels, according to Luke, Mark, and John, the same
statements are recorded. As We have referred at length to these in Our
Tablets revealed in the Arabic tongue, We have made no mention of them in
these pages, and have confined Ourselves to but one reference.

Inasmuch as the Christian divines have failed to apprehend the meaning of
these words, and did not recognize their object and purpose, and have
clung to the literal interpretation of the words of Jesus, they therefore
became deprived of the streaming grace of the Muḥammadan Revelation and
its showering bounties. The ignorant among the Christian community,
following the example of the leaders of their faith, were likewise
prevented from beholding the beauty of the King of glory, inasmuch as
those signs which were to accompany the dawn of the sun of the Muḥammadan
Dispensation did not actually come to pass. Thus, ages have passed and
centuries rolled away, and that most pure Spirit hath repaired unto the
retreats of its ancient sovereignty. Once more hath the eternal Spirit
breathed into the mystic trumpet, and caused the dead to speed out of
their sepulchres of heedlessness and error unto the realm of guidance and
grace. And yet, that expectant community still crieth out: When shall
these things be? When shall the promised One, the object of our
expectation, be made manifest, that we may arise for the triumph of His
Cause, that we may sacrifice our substance for His sake, that we may offer
up our lives in His path? In like manner, have such false imaginings
caused other communities to stray from the Kawthar of the infinite mercy
of Providence, and to be busied with their own idle thoughts.

Beside this passage, there is yet another verse in the Gospel wherein He
saith: “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but My words shall not pass
away.”(22) Thus it is that the adherents of Jesus maintained that the law
of the Gospel shall never be annulled, and that whensoever the promised
Beauty is made manifest and all the signs are revealed, He must needs
re-affirm and establish the law proclaimed in the Gospel, so that there
may remain in the world no faith but His faith. This is their fundamental
belief. And their conviction is such that were a person to be made
manifest with all the promised signs and to promulgate that which is
contrary to the letter of the law of the Gospel, they must assuredly
renounce him, refuse to submit to his law, declare him an infidel, and
laugh him to scorn. This is proved by that which came to pass when the sun
of the Muḥammadan Revelation was revealed. Had they sought with a humble
mind from the Manifestations of God in every Dispensation the true meaning
of these words revealed in the sacred books—words the misapprehension of
which hath caused men to be deprived of the recognition of the
Sadratu’l-Muntahá, the ultimate Purpose—they surely would have been guided
to the light of the Sun of Truth, and would have discovered the mysteries
of divine knowledge and wisdom.

This servant will now share with thee a dewdrop out of the fathomless
ocean of the truths treasured in these holy words, that haply discerning
hearts may comprehend all the allusions and the implications of the
utterances of the Manifestations of Holiness, so that the overpowering
majesty of the Word of God may not prevent them from attaining unto the
ocean of His names and attributes, nor deprive them of recognizing the
Lamp of God which is the seat of the revelation of His glorified Essence.

As to the words—“Immediately after the oppression of those days”—they
refer to the time when men shall become oppressed and afflicted, the time
when the lingering traces of the Sun of Truth and the fruit of the Tree of
knowledge and wisdom will have vanished from the midst of men, when the
reins of mankind will have fallen into the grasp of the foolish and
ignorant, when the portals of divine unity and understanding—the essential
and highest purpose in creation—will have been closed, when certain
knowledge will have given way to idle fancy, and corruption will have
usurped the station of righteousness. Such a condition as this is
witnessed in this day when the reins of every community have fallen into
the grasp of foolish leaders, who lead after their own whims and desire.
On their tongue the mention of God hath become an empty name; in their
midst His holy Word a dead letter. Such is the sway of their desires, that
the lamp of conscience and reason hath been quenched in their hearts, and
this although the fingers of divine power have unlocked the portals of the
knowledge of God, and the light of divine knowledge and heavenly grace
hath illumined and inspired the essence of all created things, in such
wise that in each and every thing a door of knowledge hath been opened,
and within every atom traces of the sun hath been made manifest. And yet,
in spite of all these manifold revelations of divine knowledge, which have
encompassed the world, they still vainly imagine the door of knowledge to
be closed, and the showers of mercy to be stilled. Clinging unto idle
fancy, they have strayed far from the Urvatu’l-Vuthqá of divine knowledge.
Their hearts seem not to be inclined to knowledge and the door thereof,
neither think they of its manifestations, inasmuch as in idle fancy they
have found the door that leadeth unto earthly riches, whereas in the
manifestation of the Revealer of knowledge they find naught but the call
to self-sacrifice. They therefore naturally hold fast unto the former, and
flee from the latter. Though they recognize in their hearts the Law of God
to be one and the same, yet from every direction they issue a new command,
and in every season proclaim a fresh decree. No two are found to agree on
one and the same law, for they seek no God but their own desire, and tread
no path but the path of error. In leadership they have recognized the
ultimate object of their endeavour, and account pride and haughtiness as
the highest attainments of their heart’s desire. They have placed their
sordid machinations above the divine decree, have renounced resignation
unto the will of God, busied themselves with selfish calculation, and
walked in the way of the hypocrite. With all their power and strength they
strive to secure themselves in their petty pursuits, fearful lest the
least discredit undermine their authority or blemish the display of their
magnificence. Were the eye to be anointed and illumined with the collyrium
of the knowledge of God, it would surely discover that a number of
voracious beasts have gathered and preyed upon the carrion of the souls of
men.

What “oppression” is greater than that which hath been recounted? What
“oppression” is more grievous than that a soul seeking the truth, and
wishing to attain unto the knowledge of God, should know not where to go
for it and from whom to seek it? For opinions have sorely differed, and
the ways unto the attainment of God have multiplied. This “oppression” is
the essential feature of every Revelation. Unless it cometh to pass, the
Sun of Truth will not be made manifest. For the break of the morn of
divine guidance must needs follow the darkness of the night of error. For
this reason, in all chronicles and traditions reference hath been made
unto these things, namely that iniquity shall cover the surface of the
earth and darkness shall envelop mankind. As the traditions referred to
are well known, and as the purpose of this servant is to be brief, He will
refrain from quoting the text of these traditions.

Were this “oppression” (which literally meaneth pressure) to be
interpreted that the earth is to become contracted, or were men’s idle
fancy to conceive similar calamities to befall mankind, it is clear and
manifest that no such happenings can ever come to pass. They will
assuredly protest that this pre-requisite of divine revelation hath not
been made manifest. Such hath been and still is their contention. Whereas,
by “oppression” is meant the want of capacity to acquire spiritual
knowledge and apprehend the Word of God. By it is meant that when the
Day-star of Truth hath set, and the mirrors that reflect His light have
departed, mankind will become afflicted with “oppression” and hardship,
knowing not whither to turn for guidance. Thus We instruct thee in the
interpretation of the traditions, and reveal unto thee the mysteries of
divine wisdom, that haply thou mayest comprehend the meaning thereof, and
be of them that have quaffed the cup of divine knowledge and
understanding.

And now, concerning His words—“The sun shall be darkened, and the moon
shall not give light, and the stars shall fall from heaven.” By the terms
“sun” and “moon,” mentioned in the writings of the Prophets of God, is not
meant solely the sun and moon of the visible universe. Nay rather,
manifold are the meanings they have intended for these terms. In every
instance they have attached to them a particular significance. Thus, by
the “sun” in one sense is meant those Suns of Truth Who rise from the
dayspring of ancient glory, and fill the world with a liberal effusion of
grace from on high. These Suns of Truth are the universal Manifestations
of God in the worlds of His attributes and names. Even as the visible sun
that assisteth, as decreed by God, the true One, the Adored, in the
development of all earthly things, such as the trees, the fruits, and
colours thereof, the minerals of the earth, and all that may be witnessed
in the world of creation, so do the divine Luminaries, by their loving
care and educative influence, cause the trees of divine unity, the fruits
of His oneness, the leaves of detachment, the blossoms of knowledge and
certitude, and the myrtles of wisdom and utterance, to exist and be made
manifest. Thus it is that through the rise of these Luminaries of God the
world is made new, the waters of everlasting life stream forth, the
billows of loving-kindness surge, the clouds of grace are gathered, and
the breeze of bounty bloweth upon all created things. It is the warmth
that these Luminaries of God generate, and the undying fires they kindle,
which cause the light of the love of God to burn fiercely in the heart of
humanity. It is through the abundant grace of these Symbols of Detachment
that the Spirit of life everlasting is breathed into the bodies of the
dead. Assuredly the visible sun is but a sign of the splendour of that
Day-star of Truth, that Sun Which can never have a peer, a likeness, or
rival. Through Him all things live, move, and have their being. Through
His grace they are made manifest, and unto Him they all return. From Him
all things have sprung, and unto the treasuries of His revelation they all
have repaired. From Him all created things did proceed, and to the
depositories of His law they did revert.

That these divine Luminaries seem to be confined at times to specific
designations and attributes, as you have observed and are now observing,
is due solely to the imperfect and limited comprehension of certain minds.
Otherwise, they have been at all times, and will through eternity continue
to be, exalted above every praising name, and sanctified from every
descriptive attribute. The quintessence of every name can hope for no
access unto their court of holiness, and the highest and purest of all
attributes can never approach their kingdom of glory. Immeasurably high
are the Prophets of God exalted above the comprehension of men, who can
never know them except by their own Selves. Far be it from His glory that
His chosen Ones should be magnified by any other than their own persons.
Glorified are they above the praise of men; exalted are they above human
understanding!

The term “suns” hath many a time been applied in the writings of the
“immaculate Souls” unto the Prophets of God, those luminous Emblems of
Detachment. Among those writings are the following words recorded in the
“Prayer of Nudbih”:(23) “Whither are gone the resplendent Suns? Whereunto
have departed those shining Moons and sparkling Stars?” Thus, it hath
become evident that the terms “sun,” “moon,” and “stars” primarily signify
the Prophets of God, the saints, and their companions, those Luminaries,
the light of Whose knowledge hath shed illumination upon the worlds of the
visible and the invisible.

In another sense, by these terms is intended the divines of the former
Dispensation, who live in the days of the subsequent Revelations, and who
hold the reins of religion in their grasp. If these divines be illumined
by the light of the latter Revelation they will be acceptable unto God,
and will shine with a light everlasting. Otherwise, they will be declared
as darkened, even though to outward seeming they be leaders of men,
inasmuch as belief and unbelief, guidance and error, felicity and misery,
light and darkness, are all dependent upon the sanction of Him Who is the
Day-star of Truth. Whosoever among the divines of every age receiveth, in
the Day of Reckoning, the testimony of faith from the Source of true
knowledge, he verily becometh the recipient of learning, of divine favour,
and of the light of true understanding. Otherwise, he is branded as guilty
of folly, denial, blasphemy, and oppression.

It is evident and manifest unto every discerning observer that even as the
light of the star fadeth before the effulgent splendour of the sun, so
doth the luminary of earthly knowledge, of wisdom, and understanding
vanish into nothingness when brought face to face with the resplendent
glories of the Sun of Truth, the Day-star of divine enlightenment.

That the term “sun” hath been applied to the leaders of religion is due to
their lofty position, their fame, and renown. Such are the universally
recognized divines of every age, who speak with authority, and whose fame
is securely established. If they be in the likeness of the Sun of Truth,
they will surely be accounted as the most exalted of all luminaries;
otherwise, they are to be recognized as the focal centres of hellish fire.
Even as He saith: “Verily, the sun and the moon are both condemned to the
torment of infernal fire.”(24) You are no doubt familiar with the
interpretation of the term “sun” and “moon” mentioned in this verse; no
need therefore to refer unto it. And whosoever is of the element of this
“sun” and “moon”, that is, followeth the example of these leaders in
setting his face towards falsehood and in turning away from the truth he
undoubtedly cometh out of infernal gloom and returneth thereunto.

And now, O seeker, it behooveth us firmly to cling unto the
Urvatu’l-Vuthqá, that perchance we may leave behind the darksome night of
error, and embrace the dawning light of divine guidance. Shall we not flee
from the face of denial, and seek the sheltering shadow of certitude?
Shall we not free ourselves from the horror of satanic gloom, and hasten
towards the rising light of the heavenly Beauty? In such wise, we bestow
upon you the fruit of the Tree of divine knowledge, that ye may gladly and
joyously abide in the Ridván of divine wisdom.

In another sense, by the terms ‘sun’, ‘moon’, and ‘stars’ are meant such
laws and teachings as have been established and proclaimed in every
Dispensation, such as the laws of prayer and fasting. These have,
according to the law of the Qur’án, been regarded, when the beauty of the
Prophet Muḥammad had passed beyond the veil, as the most fundamental and
binding laws of His dispensation. To this testify the texts of the
traditions and chronicles, which, on account of their being widely known,
need not be referred to here. Nay rather, in every Dispensation the law
concerning prayer hath been emphasized and universally enforced. To this
testify the recorded traditions ascribed to the lights that have emanated
from the Day-star of Truth, the essence of the Prophet Muḥammad.

The traditions established the fact that in all Dispensations the law of
prayer hath constituted a fundamental element of the Revelation of all the
Prophets of God—a law the form and the manner of which hath been adapted
to the varying requirements of every age. Inasmuch as every subsequent
Revelation hath abolished the manners, habits, and teachings that have
been clearly, specifically, and firmly established by the former
Dispensation, these have accordingly been symbolically expressed in terms
of ‘sun’ and ‘moon’. “That He might prove you, which of you excel in
deeds.”(25)

Moreover, in the traditions the terms “sun” and “moon” have been applied
to prayer and fasting, even as it is said: “Fasting is illumination,
prayer is light.” One day, a well-known divine came to visit Us. While We
were conversing with him, he referred to the above-quoted tradition. He
said: “Inasmuch as fasting causeth the heat of the body to increase, it
hath therefore been likened unto the light of the sun; and as the prayer
of the night-season refresheth man, it hath been compared unto the
radiance of the moon.” Thereupon We realized that that poor man had not
been favoured with a single drop of the ocean of true understanding, and
had strayed far from the burning Bush of divine wisdom. We then politely
observed to him saying: “The interpretation your honour hath given to this
tradition is the one current amongst the people. Could it not be
interpreted differently?” He asked Us: “What could it be?” We made reply:
“Muḥammad, the Seal of the Prophets, and the most distinguished of God’s
chosen Ones, hath likened the Dispensation of the Qur’án unto heaven, by
reason of its loftiness, its paramount influence, its majesty, and the
fact that it comprehendeth all religions. And as the sun and moon
constitute the brightest and most prominent luminaries in the heavens,
similarly in the heaven of the religion of God two shining orbs have been
ordained—fasting and prayer. ‘Islám is heaven; fasting is its sun, prayer,
its moon.’”

This is the purpose underlying the symbolic words of the Manifestations of
God. Consequently, the application of the terms “sun” and “moon” to the
things already mentioned hath been demonstrated and justified by the text
of the sacred verses and the recorded traditions. Hence, it is clear and
manifest that by the words “the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall
not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven” is intended the
waywardness of the divines, and the annulment of laws firmly established
by divine Revelation, all of which, in symbolic language, have been
foreshadowed by the Manifestation of God. None except the righteous shall
partake of this cup, none but the godly can share therein. “The righteous
shall drink of a cup tempered at the camphor fountain.”(26)

It is unquestionable that in every succeeding Revelation the “sun” and
“moon” of the teachings, laws, commandments, and prohibitions which have
been established in the preceding Dispensation, and which have
overshadowed the people of that age, become darkened, that is, are
exhausted, and cease to exert their influence. Consider now, had the
people of the Gospel recognized the meaning of the symbolic terms “sun”
and “moon,” had they sought, unlike the froward and perverse,
enlightenment from Him Who is the Revealer of divine knowledge, they would
have surely comprehended the purpose of these terms, and would not have
become afflicted and oppressed by the darkness of their selfish desires.
Yea, but since they have failed to acquire true knowledge from its very
Source, they have perished in the perilous vale of waywardness and
misbelief. They still have not awakened to perceive that all the signs
foretold have been made manifest, that the promised Sun hath risen above
the horizon of divine Revelation, and that the “sun” and “moon” of the
teachings, the laws, and learning of a former Dispensation have darkened
and set.

And now, with fixed gaze and steady wings enter thou the way of certitude
and truth. “Say: It is God; then leave them to entertain themselves with
their cavilings.”(27) Thus, wilt thou be accounted of those companions of
whom He saith: “They that say ‘Our Lord is God,’ and continue steadfast in
His way, upon them, verily, shall the angels descend.”(28) Then shalt thou
witness all these mysteries with thine own eyes.

O my brother! Take thou the step of the spirit, so that, swift as the
twinkling of an eye, thou mayest flash through the wilds of remoteness and
bereavement, attain the Ridván of everlasting reunion, and in one breath
commune with the heavenly Spirits. For with human feet thou canst never
hope to traverse these immeasurable distances, nor attain thy goal. Peace
be upon him whom the light of truth guideth unto all truth, and who, in
the name of God, standeth in the path of His Cause, upon the shore of true
understanding.

This is the meaning of the sacred verse: “But nay! I swear by the Lord of
the Easts and the Wests,”(29) inasmuch as the “Suns” referred to have each
their own particular rising and setting place. And as the commentators of
the Qur’án have failed to grasp the symbolic meaning of these “Suns,” they
therefore were at pains to interpret the above-quoted verse. Some of them
maintained that owing to the fact that the sun each day rises from a
different point, the terms “easts” and “wests” have been mentioned in the
plural. Others have written that by this verse the four seasons of the
year are intended, inasmuch as the dawning and setting points of the sun
vary with the change of the seasons. Such is the depth of their
understanding! None the less, they persist in imputing error and folly to
those Gems of knowledge, those irreproachable and purest Symbols of
wisdom.

In like manner, strive thou to comprehend from these lucid, these
powerful, conclusive, and unequivocal statements the meaning of the
“cleaving of the heaven”—one of the signs that must needs herald the
coming of the last Hour, the Day of Resurrection. As He hath said: “When
the heaven shall be cloven asunder.”(30) By “heaven” is meant the heaven
of divine Revelation, which is elevated with every Manifestation, and rent
asunder with every subsequent one. By “cloven asunder” is meant that the
former Dispensation is superseded and annulled. I swear by God! That this
heaven being cloven asunder is, to the discerning, an act mightier than
the cleaving of the skies! Ponder a while. That a divine Revelation which
for years hath been securely established; beneath whose shadow all who
have embraced it have been reared and nurtured; by the light of whose law
generations of men have been disciplined; the excellency of whose word men
have heard recounted by their fathers; in such wise that human eye hath
beheld naught but the pervading influence of its grace, and mortal ear
hath heard naught but the resounding majesty of its command—what act is
mightier than that such a Revelation should, by the power of God, be
“cloven asunder” and be abolished at the appearance of one soul? Reflect,
is this a mightier act than that which these abject and foolish men have
imagined the “cleaving of the heaven” to mean?

Moreover, consider the hardships and the bitterness of the lives of those
Revealers of the divine Beauty. Reflect, how single-handed and alone they
faced the world and all its peoples, and promulgated the Law of God! No
matter how severe the persecutions inflicted upon those holy, those
precious, and tender Souls, they still remained, in the plenitude of their
power, patient, and, despite their ascendancy, they suffered and endured.

In like manner, endeavour to comprehend the meaning of the “changing of
the earth.” Know thou, that upon whatever hearts the bountiful showers of
mercy, raining from the “heaven” of divine Revelation, have fallen, the
earth of those hearts hath verily been changed into the earth of divine
knowledge and wisdom. What myrtles of unity hath the soil of their hearts
produced! What blossoms of true knowledge and wisdom hath their illumined
bosoms yielded! Were the earth of their hearts to remain unchanged, how
could such souls who have not been taught one letter, have seen no
teacher, and entered no school, utter such words and display such
knowledge as none can apprehend? Methinks they have been moulded from the
clay of infinite knowledge, and kneaded with the water of divine wisdom.
Therefore, hath it been said: “Knowledge is a light which God casteth into
the heart of whomsoever He willeth.” It is this kind of knowledge which is
and hath ever been praiseworthy, and not the limited knowledge that hath
sprung forth from veiled and obscured minds. This limited knowledge they
even stealthily borrow one from the other, and vainly pride themselves
therein!

Would that the hearts of men could be cleansed from these man-made
limitations and obscure thoughts imposed upon them! haply they may be
illumined by the light of the Sun of true knowledge, and comprehend the
mysteries of divine wisdom. Consider now, were the parched and barren soil
of these hearts to remain unchanged, how could they ever become the
Recipients of the revelation of the mysteries of God, and the Revealers of
the divine Essence? Thus hath He said: “On the day when the earth shall be
changed into another earth.”(31)

The breeze of the bounty of the King of creation hath caused even the
physical earth to be changed, were ye to ponder in your hearts the
mysteries of divine Revelation.

And now, comprehend the meaning of this verse: “The whole earth shall on
the Resurrection Day be but His handful, and in His right hand shall the
heavens be folded together. Praise be to Him! and high be He uplifted
above the partners they join with him!”(32) And now, be fair in thy
judgment. Were this verse to have the meaning which men suppose it to
have, of what profit, one may ask, could it be to man? Moreover, it is
evident and manifest that no such hand as could be seen by human eye could
accomplish such deeds, or could possibly be ascribed to the exalted
Essence of the one true God. Nay, to acknowledge such a thing is naught
but sheer blasphemy, an utter perversion of the truth. And should it be
supposed that by this verse are meant the Manifestations of God, Who will
be called upon, on the Day of Judgment, to perform such deeds, this too
seemeth far from the truth, and is surely of no profit. On the contrary,
by the term “earth” is meant the earth of understanding and knowledge, and
by “heavens” the heavens of divine Revelation. Reflect thou, how, in one
hand, He hath, by His mighty grasp, turned the earth of knowledge and
understanding, previously unfolded, into a mere handful, and, on the
other, spread out a new and highly exalted earth in the hearts of men,
thus causing the freshest and loveliest blossoms, and the mightiest and
loftiest trees to spring forth from the illumined bosom of man.

In like manner, reflect how the elevated heavens of the Dispensations of
the past have, in the right hand of power, been folded together, how the
heavens of divine Revelation have been raised by the command of God, and
been adorned by the sun, the moon, and stars of His wondrous commandments.
Such are the mysteries of the Word of God, which have been unveiled and
made manifest, that haply thou mayest apprehend the morning light of
divine guidance, mayest quench, by the power of reliance and renunciation,
the lamp of idle fancy, of vain imaginings, of hesitation, and doubt, and
mayest kindle, in the inmost chamber of thine heart, the new-born light of
divine knowledge and certitude.

Know verily that the purpose underlying all these symbolic terms and
abstruse allusions, which emanate from the Revealers of God’s holy Cause,
hath been to test and prove the peoples of the world; that thereby the
earth of the pure and illuminated hearts may be known from the perishable
and barren soil. From time immemorial such hath been the way of God amidst
His creatures, and to this testify the records of the sacred books.

And likewise, reflect upon the revealed verse concerning the “Qiblih.”(33)
When Muḥammad, the Sun of Prophethood, had fled from the dayspring of
Bathá(34) unto Yathrib,(35) He continued to turn His face, while praying,
unto Jerusalem, the holy city, until the time when the Jews began to utter
unseemly words against Him—words which if mentioned would ill befit these
pages and would weary the reader. Muḥammad strongly resented these words.
Whilst, wrapt in meditation and wonder, He was gazing toward heaven, He
heard the kindly Voice of Gabriel, saying: “We behold Thee from above,
turning Thy face to heaven; but We will have Thee turn to a Qiblih which
shall please Thee.”(36) On a subsequent day, when the Prophet, together
with His companions, was offering the noontide prayer, and had already
performed two of the prescribed Rik’áts,(37) the Voice of Gabriel was
heard again: “Turn Thou Thy face towards the sacred Mosque.”(38) ,(39) In
the midst of that same prayer, Muḥammad suddenly turned His face away from
Jerusalem and faced the Ka’bih. Whereupon, a profound dismay seized
suddenly the companions of the Prophet. Their faith was shaken severely.
So great was their alarm, that many of them, discontinuing their prayer,
apostatized their faith. Verily, God caused not this turmoil but to test
and prove His servants. Otherwise, He, the ideal King, could easily have
left the Qiblih unchanged, and could have caused Jerusalem to remain the
Point of Adoration unto His Dispensation, thereby withholding not from
that holy city the distinction of acceptance which had been conferred upon
it.

None of the many Prophets sent down, since Moses was made manifest, as
Messengers of the Word of God, such as David, Jesus, and others among the
more exalted Manifestations who have appeared during the intervening
period between the Revelations of Moses and Muḥammad, ever altered the law
of the Qiblih. These Messengers of the Lord of creation have, one and all,
directed their peoples to turn unto the same direction. In the eyes of
God, the ideal King, all the places of the earth are one and the same,
excepting that place which, in the days of His Manifestations, He doth
appoint for a particular purpose. Even as He hath revealed: “The East and
West are God’s: therefore whichever way ye turn, there is the face of
God.”(40) Notwithstanding the truth of these facts, why should the Qiblih
have been changed, thus casting such dismay amongst the people, causing
the companions of the Prophet to waver, and throwing so great a confusion
into their midst? Yea, such things as throw consternation into the hearts
of all men come to pass only that each soul may be tested by the
touchstone of God, that the true may be known and distinguished from the
false. Thus hath He revealed after the breach amongst the people: “We did
not appoint that which Thou wouldst have to be the Qiblih, but that We
might know him who followeth the Apostle from him who turneth on his
heels.”(41) “Affrighted asses fleeing from a lion.”(42)

Were you to ponder, but for a while, these utterances in your heart, you
would surely find the portals of understanding unlocked before your face,
and would behold all knowledge and the mysteries thereof unveiled before
your eyes. Such things take place only that the souls of men may develop
and be delivered from the prison-cage of self and desire. Otherwise, that
ideal King hath, throughout eternity, been in His Essence independent of
the comprehension of all beings, and will continue, for ever, in His own
Being to be exalted above the adoration of every soul. A single breeze of
His affluence doth suffice to adorn all mankind with the robe of wealth;
and one drop out of the ocean of His bountiful grace is enough to confer
upon all beings the glory of everlasting life. But inasmuch as the divine
Purpose hath decreed that the true should be known from the false, and the
sun from the shadow, He hath, therefore, in every season sent down upon
mankind the showers of tests from His realm of glory.

Were men to meditate upon the lives of the Prophets of old, so easily
would they come to know and understand the ways of these Prophets that
they would cease to be veiled by such deeds and words as are contrary to
their own worldly desires, and thus consume every intervening veil with
the fire burning in the Bush of divine knowledge, and abide secure upon
the throne of peace and certitude. For instance, consider Moses, son of
‘Imrán, one of the exalted Prophets and Author of a divinely-revealed
Book. Whilst passing, one day, through the market, in His early days, ere
His ministry was proclaimed, He saw two men engaged in fighting. One of
them asked the help of Moses against his opponent. Whereupon, Moses
intervened and slew him. To this testifieth the record of the sacred Book.
Should the details be cited, they will lengthen and interrupt the course
of the argument. The report of this incident spread throughout the city,
and Moses was full of fear, as is witnessed by the text of the Book. And
when the warning: “O Moses! of a truth, the chiefs take counsel to slay
Thee”(43) reached His ears, He went forth from the city, and sojourned in
Midian in the service of Shoeb. While returning, Moses entered the holy
vale, situate in the wilderness of Sinai, and there beheld the vision of
the King of glory from the “Tree that belongeth neither to the East nor to
the West.”(44) There He heard the soul-stirring Voice of the Spirit
speaking from out of the kindled Fire, bidding Him to shed upon Pharaonic
souls the light of divine guidance; so that, liberating them from the
shadows of the valley of self and desire, He might enable them to attain
the meads of heavenly delight, and delivering them, through the Salsabíl
of renunciation, from the bewilderment of remoteness, cause them to enter
the peaceful city of the divine presence. When Moses came unto Pharaoh and
delivered unto him, as bidden by God, the divine Message, Pharaoh spoke
insultingly saying: “Art thou not he that committed murder, and became an
infidel?” Thus recounted the Lord of majesty as having been said by
Pharaoh unto Moses: “What a deed is that which Thou hast done! Thou art
one of the ungrateful. He said: ‘I did it indeed, and I was one of those
who erred. And I fled from you when I feared you, but My Lord hath given
Me wisdom, and hath made Me one of His Apostles.’”(45)

And now ponder in thy heart the commotion which God stirreth up. Reflect
upon the strange and manifold trials with which He doth test His servants.
Consider how He hath suddenly chosen from among His servants, and
entrusted with the exalted mission of divine guidance Him Who was known as
guilty of homicide, Who, Himself, had acknowledged His cruelty, and Who
for well-nigh thirty years had, in the eyes of the world, been reared in
the home of Pharaoh and been nourished at his table. Was not God, the
omnipotent King, able to withhold the hand of Moses from murder, so that
manslaughter should not be attributed unto Him, causing bewilderment and
aversion among the people?

Likewise, reflect upon the state and condition of Mary. So deep was the
perplexity of that most beauteous countenance, so grievous her case, that
she bitterly regretted she had ever been born. To this beareth witness the
text of the sacred verse wherein it is mentioned that after Mary had given
birth to Jesus, she bemoaned her plight and cried out: “O would that I had
died ere this, and been a thing forgotten, forgotten quite!”(46) I swear
by God! Such lamenting consumeth the heart and shaketh the being. Such
consternation of soul, such despondency, could have been caused by no
other than the censure of the enemy and the cavilings of the infidel and
perverse. Reflect, what answer could Mary have given to the people around
her? How could she claim that a Babe Whose father was unknown had been
conceived of the Holy Ghost? Therefore did Mary, that veiled and immortal
Countenance, take up her Child and return unto her home. No sooner had the
eyes of the people fallen upon her than they raised their voice saying: “O
sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a man of wickedness, nor unchaste thy
mother.”(47)

And now, meditate upon this most great convulsion, this grievous test.
Notwithstanding all these things, God conferred upon that essence of the
Spirit, Who was known amongst the people as fatherless, the glory of
Prophethood, and made Him His testimony unto all that are in heaven and on
earth.

Behold how contrary are the ways of the Manifestations of God, as ordained
by the King of creation, to the ways and desires of men! As thou comest to
comprehend the essence of these divine mysteries, thou wilt grasp the
purpose of God, the divine Charmer, the Best-Beloved. Thou wilt regard the
words and the deeds of that almighty Sovereign as one and the same; in
such wise that whatsoever thou dost behold in His deeds, the same wilt
thou find in His sayings, and whatsoever thou dost read in His sayings,
that wilt thou recognize in His deeds. Thus it is that outwardly such
deeds and words are the fire of vengeance unto the wicked, and inwardly
the waters of mercy unto the righteous. Were the eye of the heart to open,
it would surely perceive that the words revealed from the heaven of the
will of God are at one with, and the same as, the deeds that have emanated
from the Kingdom of divine power.

And now, take heed, O brother! If such things be revealed in this
Dispensation, and such incidents come to pass, at the present time, what
would the people do? I swear by Him Who is the true Educator of mankind
and the Revealer of the Word of God that the people would instantly and
unquestionably pronounce Him an infidel and would sentence Him to death.
How far are they from hearkening unto the voice that declareth: Lo! a
Jesus hath appeared out of the breath of the Holy Ghost, and a Moses
summoned to a divinely-appointed task! Were a myriad voices to be raised,
no ear would listen if We said that upon a fatherless Child hath been
conferred the mission of Prophethood, or that a murderer hath brought from
the flame of the burning Bush the message of “Verily, verily, I am God!”

If the eye of justice be opened, it will readily recognize, in the light
of that which hath been mentioned, that He, Who is the Cause and ultimate
Purpose of all these things, is made manifest in this day. Though similar
events have not occurred in this Dispensation, yet the people still cling
to such vain imaginings as are cherished by the reprobate. How grievous
the charges brought against Him! How severe the persecutions inflicted
upon Him—charges and persecutions the like of which men have neither seen
nor heard!

Great God! When the stream of utterance reached this stage, We beheld, and
lo! the sweet savours of God were being wafted from the dayspring of
Revelation, and the morning breeze was blowing out of the Sheba of the
Eternal. Its tidings rejoiced anew the heart, and imparted immeasurable
gladness to the soul. It made all things new, and brought unnumbered and
inestimable gifts from the unknowable Friend. The robe of human praise can
never hope to match Its noble stature, and Its shining figure the mantle
of utterance can never fit. Without word It unfoldeth the inner mysteries,
and without speech It revealeth the secrets of the divine sayings. It
teacheth lamentation and moaning to the nightingales warbling upon the
bough of remoteness and bereavement, instructeth them in the art of love’s
ways, and showeth them the secret of heart-surrender. To the flowers of
the Ridván of heavenly reunion It revealeth the endearments of the
impassioned lover, and unveileth the charm of the fair. Upon the anemones
of the garden of love It bestoweth the mysteries of truth, and within the
breasts of lovers It entrusteth the symbols of the innermost subtleties.
At this hour, so liberal is the outpouring of Its grace that the holy
Spirit itself is envious! It hath imparted to the drop the waves of the
sea, and endowed the mote with the splendour of the sun. So great are the
overflowings of Its bounty that the foulest beetle hath sought the perfume
of the musk, and the bat the light of the sun. It hath quickened the dead
with the breath of life, and caused them to speed out of the sepulchres of
their mortal bodies. It hath established the ignorant upon the seats of
learning, and elevated the oppressor to the throne of justice.

The universe is pregnant with these manifold bounties, awaiting the hour
when the effects of Its unseen gifts will be made manifest in this world,
when the languishing and sore athirst will attain the living Kawthar of
their Well-Beloved, and the erring wanderer, lost in the wilds of
remoteness and nothingness, will enter the tabernacle of life, and attain
reunion with his heart’s desire. In the soil of whose heart will these
holy seeds germinate? From the garden of whose soul will the blossoms of
the invisible realities spring forth? Verily, I say, so fierce is the
blaze of the Bush of love, burning in the Sinai of the heart, that the
streaming waters of holy utterance can never quench its flame. Oceans can
never allay this Leviathan’s burning thirst, and this Phoenix of the
undying fire can abide nowhere save in the glow of the countenance of the
Well-Beloved. Therefore, O brother! kindle with the oil of wisdom the lamp
of the spirit within the innermost chamber of thy heart, and guard it with
the globe of understanding, that the breath of the infidel may extinguish
not its flame nor dim its brightness. Thus have We illuminated the heavens
of utterance with the splendours of the Sun of divine wisdom and
understanding, that thy heart may find peace, that thou mayest be of those
who, on the wings of certitude, have soared unto the heaven of the love of
their Lord, the All-Merciful.

And now, concerning His words: “And then shall appear the sign of the Son
of man in heaven.” By these words it is meant that when the sun of the
heavenly teachings hath been eclipsed, the stars of the
divinely-established laws have fallen, and the moon of true knowledge—the
educator of mankind—hath been obscured; when the standards of guidance and
felicity have been reversed, and the morn of truth and righteousness hath
sunk in night, then shall the sign of the Son of man appear in heaven. By
“heaven” is meant the visible heaven, inasmuch as when the hour draweth
nigh on which the Day-star of the heaven of justice shall be made
manifest, and the Ark of divine guidance shall sail upon the sea of glory,
a star will appear in the heaven, heralding unto its people the advent of
that most great light. In like manner, in the invisible heaven a star
shall be made manifest who, unto the peoples of the earth, shall act as a
harbinger of the break of that true and exalted Morn. These twofold signs,
in the visible and the invisible heaven, have announced the Revelation of
each of the Prophets of God, as is commonly believed.

Among the Prophets was Abraham, the Friend of God. Ere He manifested
Himself, Nimrod dreamed a dream. Thereupon, he summoned the soothsayers,
who informed him of the rise of a star in the heaven. Likewise, there
appeared a herald who announced throughout the land the coming of Abraham.

After Him came Moses, He Who held converse with God. The soothsayers of
His time warned Pharaoh in these terms: “A star hath risen in the heaven,
and lo! it foreshadoweth the conception of a Child Who holdeth your fate
and the fate of your people in His hand.” In like manner, there appeared a
sage who, in the darkness of the night, brought tidings of joy unto the
people of Israel, imparting consolation to their souls, and assurance to
their hearts. To this testify the records of the sacred books. Were the
details to be mentioned, this epistle would swell into a book. Moreover,
it is not Our wish to relate the stories of the days that are past. God is
Our witness that what We even now mention is due solely to Our tender
affection for thee, that haply the poor of the earth may attain the shores
of the sea of wealth, the ignorant be led unto the ocean of divine
knowledge, and they that thirst for understanding partake of the Salsabíl
of divine wisdom. Otherwise, this servant regardeth the consideration of
such records a grave mistake and a grievous transgression.

In like manner, when the hour of the Revelation of Jesus drew nigh, a few
of the Magi, aware that the star of Jesus had appeared in heaven, sought
and followed it, till they came unto the city which was the seat of the
Kingdom of Herod. The sway of his sovereignty in those days embraced the
whole of that land.

These Magi said: “Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have
seen His star in the east and are come to worship Him!”(48) When they had
searched, they found out that in Bethlehem, in the land of Judea, the
Child had been born. This was the sign that was manifested in the visible
heaven. As to the sign in the invisible heaven—the heaven of divine
knowledge and understanding—it was Yaḥyá, son of Zachariah, who gave unto
the people the tidings of the Manifestation of Jesus. Even as He hath
revealed: “God announceth Yaḥyá to thee, who shall bear witness unto the
Word from God, and a great one and chaste.”(49) By the term “Word” is
meant Jesus, Whose coming Yaḥyá foretold. Moreover, in the heavenly
Scriptures it is written: “John the Baptist was preaching in the
wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent ye: for the Kingdom of heaven is
at hand.”(50) By John is meant Yaḥyá.

Likewise, ere the beauty of Muḥammad was unveiled, the signs of the
visible heaven were made manifest. As to the signs of the invisible
heaven, there appeared four men who successively announced unto the people
the joyful tidings of the rise of that divine Luminary. Rúz-bih, later
named Salmán, was honoured by being in their service. As the end of one of
these approached, he would send Rúz-bih unto the other, until the fourth
who, feeling his death to be nigh, addressed Rúz-bih saying: “O Rúz-bih!
when thou hast taken up my body and buried it, go to Ḥijáz for there the
Day-star of Muḥammad will arise. Happy art thou, for thou shalt behold His
face!”

And now concerning this wondrous and most exalted Cause. Know thou verily
that many an astronomer hath announced the appearance of its star in the
visible heaven. Likewise, there appeared on earth Aḥmad and Kázim,(51)
those twin resplendent lights—may God sanctify their resting-place!

From all that We have stated it hath become clear and manifest that before
the revelation of each of the Mirrors reflecting the divine Essence, the
signs heralding their advent must needs be revealed in the visible heaven
as well as in the invisible, wherein is the seat of the sun of knowledge,
of the moon of wisdom, and of the stars of understanding and utterance.
The sign of the invisible heaven must needs be revealed in the person of
that perfect man who, before each Manifestation appeareth, educateth, and
prepareth the souls of men for the advent of the divine Luminary, the
Light of the unity of God amongst men.

And now, with reference to His words: “And then shall all the tribes of
the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of
heaven with power and great glory.” These words signify that in those days
men will lament the loss of the Sun of the divine beauty, of the Moon of
knowledge, and of the Stars of divine wisdom. Thereupon, they will behold
the countenance of the promised One, the adored Beauty, descending from
heaven and riding upon the clouds. By this is meant that the divine Beauty
will be made manifest from the heaven of the will of God, and will appear
in the form of the human temple. The term “heaven” denoteth loftiness and
exaltation, inasmuch as it is the seat of the revelation of those
Manifestations of Holiness, the Day-springs of ancient glory. These
ancient Beings, though delivered from the womb of their mother, have in
reality descended from the heaven of the will of God. Though they be
dwelling on this earth, yet their true habitations are the retreats of
glory in the realms above. Whilst walking amongst mortals, they soar in
the heaven of the divine presence. Without feet they tread the path of the
spirit, and without wings they rise unto the exalted heights of divine
unity. With every fleeting breath they cover the immensity of space, and
at every moment traverse the kingdoms of the visible and the invisible.
Upon their thrones is written: “Nothing whatsoever keepeth Him from being
occupied with any other thing;” and on their seats is inscribed: “Verily,
His ways differ every day.”(52) They are sent forth through the
transcendent power of the Ancient of Days, and are raised up by the
exalted will of God, the most mighty King. This is what is meant by the
words: “coming in the clouds of heaven.”

In the utterances of the divine Luminaries the term “heaven” hath been
applied to many and divers things; such as the “heaven of Command,” the
“heaven of Will,” the “heaven of the divine Purpose,” the “heaven of
divine Knowledge,” the “heaven of Certitude,” the “heaven of Utterance,”
the “heaven of Revelation,” the “heaven of Concealment,” and the like. In
every instance, He hath given the term “heaven” a special meaning, the
significance of which is revealed to none save those that have been
initiated into the divine mysteries, and have drunk from the chalice of
immortal life. For example, He saith: “The heaven hath sustenance for you,
and it containeth that which you are promised;”(53) whereas it is the
earth that yieldeth such sustenance. Likewise, it hath been said: “The
names come down from heaven;” whereas they proceed out of the mouth of
men. Wert thou to cleanse the mirror of thy heart from the dust of malice,
thou wouldst apprehend the meaning of the symbolic terms revealed by the
all-embracing Word of God made manifest in every Dispensation, and wouldst
discover the mysteries of divine knowledge. Not, however, until thou
consumest with the flame of utter detachment those veils of idle learning,
that are current amongst men, canst thou behold the resplendent morn of
true knowledge.

Know verily that Knowledge is of two kinds: Divine and Satanic. The one
welleth out from the fountain of divine inspiration; the other is but a
reflection of vain and obscure thoughts. The source of the former is God
Himself; the motive-force of the latter the whisperings of selfish desire.
The one is guided by the principle: “Fear ye God; God will teach you;”(54)
the other is but a confirmation of the truth: “Knowledge is the most
grievous veil between man and his Creator.” The former bringeth forth the
fruit of patience, of longing desire, of true understanding, and love;
whilst the latter can yield naught but arrogance, vainglory and conceit.
From the sayings of those Masters of holy utterance, Who have expounded
the meaning of true knowledge, the odour of these dark teachings, which
have obscured the world, can in no wise be detected. The tree of such
teachings can yield no result except iniquity and rebellion, and beareth
no fruit but hatred and envy. Its fruit is deadly poison; its shadow a
consuming fire. How well hath it been said: “Cling unto the robe of the
Desire of thy heart, and put thou away all shame; bid the worldlywise be
gone, however great their name.”

The heart must needs therefore be cleansed from the idle sayings of men,
and sanctified from every earthly affection, so that it may discover the
hidden meaning of divine inspiration, and become the treasury of the
mysteries of divine knowledge. Thus hath it been said: “He that treadeth
the snow-white Path, and followeth in the footsteps of the Crimson Pillar,
shall never attain unto his abode unless his hands are empty of those
worldly things cherished by men.” This is the prime requisite of whosoever
treadeth this path. Ponder thereon, that, with eyes unveiled, thou mayest
perceive the truth of these words.

We have digressed from the purpose of Our argument, although whatsoever is
mentioned serveth only to confirm Our purpose. By God! however great Our
desire to be brief, yet We feel We cannot restrain Our pen.
Notwithstanding all that We have mentioned, how innumerable are the pearls
which have remained unpierced in the shell of Our heart! How many the
húrís of inner meaning that are as yet concealed within the chambers of
divine wisdom! None hath yet approached them;—húrís, “whom no man nor
spirit hath touched before.”(55) Notwithstanding all that hath been said,
it seemeth as if not one letter of Our purpose hath been uttered, nor a
single sign divulged concerning Our object. When will a faithful seeker be
found who will don the garb of pilgrimage, attain the Ka’bih of the
heart’s desire, and, without ear or tongue, discover the mysteries of
divine utterance?

By these luminous, these conclusive, and lucid statements, the meaning of
“heaven” in the aforementioned verse hath thus been made clear and
evident. And now regarding His words, that the Son of man shall “come in
the clouds of heaven.” By the term “clouds” is meant those things that are
contrary to the ways and desires of men. Even as He hath revealed in the
verse already quoted: “As oft as an Apostle cometh unto you with that
which your souls desire not, ye swell with pride, accusing some of being
impostors and slaying others.”(56) These “clouds” signify, in one sense,
the annulment of laws, the abrogation of former Dispensations, the repeal
of rituals and customs current amongst men, the exalting of the illiterate
faithful above the learned opposers of the Faith. In another sense, they
mean the appearance of that immortal Beauty in the image of mortal man,
with such human limitations as eating and drinking, poverty and riches,
glory and abasement, sleeping and waking, and such other things as cast
doubt in the minds of men, and cause them to turn away. All such veils are
symbolically referred to as “clouds.”

These are the “clouds” that cause the heavens of the knowledge and
understanding of all that dwell on earth to be cloven asunder. Even as He
hath revealed: “On that day shall the heaven be cloven by the clouds.”(57)
Even as the clouds prevent the eyes of men from beholding the sun, so do
these things hinder the souls of men from recognizing the light of the
divine Luminary. To this beareth witness that which hath proceeded out of
the mouth of the unbelievers as revealed in the sacred Book: “And they
have said: ‘What manner of apostle is this? He eateth food, and walketh
the streets. Unless an angel be sent down and take part in His warnings,
we will not believe.’”(58) Other Prophets, similarly, have been subject to
poverty and afflictions, to hunger, and to the ills and chances of this
world. As these holy Persons were subject to such needs and wants, the
people were, consequently, lost in the wilds of misgivings and doubts, and
were afflicted with bewilderment and perplexity. How, they wondered, could
such a person be sent down from God, assert His ascendancy over all the
peoples and kindreds of the earth, and claim Himself to be the goal of all
creation,—even as He hath said: “But for Thee, I would not have created
all that are in heaven and on earth,”—and yet be subject to such trivial
things? You must undoubtedly have been informed of the tribulations, the
poverty, the ills, and the degradation that have befallen every Prophet of
God and His companions. You must have heard how the heads of their
followers were sent as presents unto different cities, how grievously they
were hindered from that whereunto they were commanded. Each and every one
of them fell a prey to the hands of the enemies of His Cause, and had to
suffer whatsoever they decreed.

It is evident that the changes brought about in every Dispensation
constitute the dark clouds that intervene between the eye of man’s
understanding and the divine Luminary which shineth forth from the
dayspring of the divine Essence. Consider how men for generations have
been blindly imitating their fathers, and have been trained according to
such ways and manners as have been laid down by the dictates of their
Faith. Were these men, therefore, to discover suddenly that a Man, Who
hath been living in their midst, Who, with respect to every human
limitation, hath been their equal, had risen to abolish every established
principle imposed by their Faith—principles by which for centuries they
have been disciplined, and every opposer and denier of which they have
come to regard as infidel, profligate and wicked,—they would of a
certainty be veiled and hindered from acknowledging His truth. Such things
are as “clouds” that veil the eyes of those whose inner being hath not
tasted the Salsabíl of detachment, nor drunk from the Kawthar of the
knowledge of God. Such men, when acquainted with these circumstances,
become so veiled that without the least question, they pronounce the
Manifestation of God an infidel, and sentence Him to death. You must have
heard of such things taking place all down the ages, and are now observing
them in these days.

It behooveth us, therefore, to make the utmost endeavour, that, by God’s
invisible assistance, these dark veils, these clouds of Heaven-sent
trials, may not hinder us from beholding the beauty of His shining
Countenance, and that we may recognize Him only by His own Self. And
should we ask for a testimony of His truth, we should content ourselves
with one, and only one; that thereby we may attain unto Him Who is the
Fountain-head of infinite grace, and in Whose presence all the world’s
abundance fadeth into nothingness, that we may cease to cavil at Him every
day and to cleave unto our own idle fancy.

Gracious God! Notwithstanding the warning which, in marvelously symbolic
language and subtle allusions, hath been uttered in days past, and which
was intended to awaken the peoples of the world and to prevent them from
being deprived of their share of the billowing ocean of God’s grace, yet
such things as have already been witnessed have come to pass! Reference to
these things hath also been made in the Qur’án, as witnessed by this
verse: “What can such expect but that God should come down to them
overshadowed with clouds?”(59) A number of the divines, who hold firmly to
the letter of the Word of God, have come to regard this verse as one of
the signs of that expected resurrection which is born of their idle fancy.
This, notwithstanding the fact that similar references have been made in
most of the heavenly Books, and have been recorded in all the passages
connected with the signs of the coming Manifestation.

Likewise, He saith: “On the day when the heaven shall give out a palpable
smoke, which shall enshroud mankind: this will be an afflictive
torment.”(60) The All-Glorious hath decreed these very things, that are
contrary to the desires of wicked men, to be the touchstone and standard
whereby He proveth His servants, that the just may be known from the
wicked, and the faithful distinguished from the infidel. The symbolic term
“smoke” denotes grave dissensions, the abrogation and demolition of
recognized standards, and the utter destruction of their narrow-minded
exponents. What smoke more dense and overpowering than the one which hath
now enshrouded all the peoples of the world, which hath become a torment
unto them, and from which they hopelessly fail to deliver themselves,
however much they strive? So fierce is this fire of self burning within
them, that at every moment they seem to be afflicted with fresh torments.
The more they are told that this wondrous Cause of God, this Revelation
from the Most High, hath been made manifest to all mankind, and is waxing
greater and stronger every day, the fiercer groweth the blaze of the fire
in their hearts. The more they observe the indomitable strength, the
sublime renunciation, the unwavering constancy of God’s holy companions,
who, by the aid of God, are growing nobler and more glorious every day,
the deeper the dismay which ravageth their souls. In these days, praise be
to God, the power of His Word hath obtained such ascendancy over men, that
they dare breathe no word. Were they to encounter one of the companions of
God who, if he could, would, freely and joyously, offer up ten thousand
lives as a sacrifice for his Beloved, so great would be their fear, that
they forthwith would profess their faith in Him, whilst privily they would
vilify and execrate His name! Even as He hath revealed: “And when they
meet you, they say, ‘We believe’; but when they are apart, they bite their
fingers’ ends at you, out of wrath. Say: ‘Die in your wrath!’ God truly
knoweth the very recesses of your breasts.”(61)

Ere long, thine eyes will behold the standards of divine power unfurled
throughout all regions, and the signs of His triumphant might and
sovereignty manifest in every land. As most of the divines have failed to
apprehend the meaning of these verses, and have not grasped the
significance of the Day of Resurrection, they therefore have foolishly
interpreted these verses according to their idle and faulty conception.
The one true God is My witness! Little perception is required to enable
them to gather from the symbolic language of these two verses all that We
have purposed to propound, and thus to attain, through the grace of the
All-Merciful, the resplendent morn of certitude. Such are the strains of
celestial melody which the immortal Bird of Heaven, warbling upon the
Sadrih of Bahá, poureth out upon thee, that, by the permission of God,
thou mayest tread the path of divine knowledge and wisdom.

And now, concerning His words: “And He shall send His angels....” By
“angels” is meant those who, reinforced by the power of the spirit, have
consumed, with the fire of the love of God, all human traits and
limitations, and have clothed themselves with the attributes of the most
exalted Beings and of the Cherubim. That holy man, Ṣádiq,(62) in his
eulogy of the Cherubim, saith: “There stand a company of our
fellow-_Sh_í’ihs behind the Throne.” Divers and manifold are the
interpretations of the words “behind the Throne.” In one sense, they
indicate that no true _Sh_í’ihs exist. Even as he hath said in another
passage: “A true believer is likened unto the philosopher’s stone.”
Addressing subsequently his listener, he saith: “Hast thou ever seen the
philosopher’s stone?” Reflect, how this symbolic language, more eloquent
than any speech, however direct, testifieth to the non-existence of a true
believer. Such is the testimony of Ṣádiq. And now consider, how unfair and
numerous are those who, although they themselves have failed to inhale the
fragrance of belief, have condemned as infidels those by whose word belief
itself is recognized and established.

And now, inasmuch as these holy beings have sanctified themselves from
every human limitation, have become endowed with the attributes of the
spiritual, and have been adorned with the noble traits of the blessed,
they therefore have been designated as “angels.” Such is the meaning of
these verses, every word of which hath been expounded by the aid of the
most lucid texts, the most convincing arguments, and the best established
evidences.

As the adherents of Jesus have never understood the hidden meaning of
these words, and as the signs which they and the leaders of their Faith
have expected have failed to appear, they therefore refused to
acknowledge, even until now, the truth of those Manifestations of Holiness
that have since the days of Jesus been made manifest. They have thus
deprived themselves of the outpourings of God’s holy grace, and of the
wonders of His divine utterance. Such is their low estate in this, the Day
of Resurrection! They have even failed to perceive that were the signs of
the Manifestation of God in every age to appear in the visible realm in
accordance with the text of established traditions, none could possibly
deny or turn away, nor would the blessed be distinguished from the
miserable, and the transgressor from the God-fearing. Judge fairly: Were
the prophecies recorded in the Gospel to be literally fulfilled; were
Jesus, Son of Mary, accompanied by angels, to descend from the visible
heaven upon the clouds; who would dare to disbelieve, who would dare to
reject the truth, and wax disdainful? Nay, such consternation would
immediately seize all the dwellers of the earth that no soul would feel
able to utter a word, much less to reject or accept the truth. It was
owing to their misunderstanding of these truths that many a Christian
divine hath objected to Muḥammad, and voiced his protest in such words:
“If Thou art in truth the promised Prophet, why then art Thou not
accompanied by those angels our sacred Books foretold, and which must
needs descend with the promised Beauty to assist Him in His Revelation and
act as warners unto His people?” Even as the All-Glorious hath recorded
their statement: “Why hath not an angel been sent down to him, so that he
should have been a warner with Him?”(63)

Such objections and differences have persisted in every age and century.
The people have always busied themselves with such specious discourses,
vainly protesting: “Wherefore hath not this or that sign appeared?” Such
ills befell them only because they have clung to the ways of the divines
of the age in which they lived, and blindly imitated them in accepting or
denying these Essences of Detachment, these holy and divine Beings. These
leaders, owing to their immersion in selfish desires, and their pursuit of
transitory and sordid things, have regarded these divine Luminaries as
being opposed to the standards of their knowledge and understanding, and
the opponents of their ways and judgments. As they have literally
interpreted the Word of God, and the sayings and traditions of the Letters
of Unity, and expounded them according to their own deficient
understanding, they have therefore deprived themselves and all their
people of the bountiful showers of the grace and mercies of God. And yet
they bear witness to this well-known tradition: “Verily Our Word is
abstruse, bewilderingly abstruse.” In another instance, it is said: “Our
Cause is sorely trying, highly perplexing; none can bear it except a
favorite of heaven, or an inspired Prophet, or he whose faith God hath
tested.” These leaders of religion admit that none of these three
specified conditions is applicable to them. The first two conditions are
manifestly beyond their reach; as to the third, it is evident that at no
time have they been proof against those tests that have been sent by God,
and that when the divine Touchstone appeared, they have shown themselves
to be naught but dross.

Great God! Notwithstanding their acceptance of the truth of this
tradition, these divines who are still doubtful of, and dispute about, the
theological obscurities of their faith, yet claim to be the exponents of
the subtleties of the law of God, and the expounders of the essential
mysteries of His holy Word. They confidently assert that such traditions
as indicate the advent of the expected Qá’im have not yet been fulfilled,
whilst they themselves have failed to inhale the fragrance of the meaning
of these traditions, and are still oblivious of the fact that all the
signs foretold have come to pass, that the way of God’s holy Cause hath
been revealed, and the concourse of the faithful, swift as lightning, are,
even now, passing upon that way, whilst these foolish divines wait
expecting to witness the signs foretold. Say, O ye foolish ones! Wait ye
even as those before you are waiting!

Were they to be questioned concerning those signs that must needs herald
the revelation and rise of the sun of the Muḥammadan Dispensation, to
which We have already referred, none of which have been literally
fulfilled, and were it to be said to them: “Wherefore have ye rejected the
claims advanced by Christians and the peoples of other faiths and regard
them as infidels,” knowing not what answer to give, they will reply:
“These Books have been corrupted and are not, and never have been, of
God.” Reflect: the words of the verses themselves eloquently testify to
the truth that they are of God. A similar verse hath been also revealed in
the Qur’án, were ye of them that comprehend. Verily I say, throughout all
this period they have utterly failed to comprehend what is meant by
corrupting the text.

Yea, in the writings and utterances of the Mirrors reflecting the sun of
the Muḥammadan Dispensation mention hath been made of “Modification by the
exalted beings” and “alteration by the disdainful.” Such passages,
however, refer only to particular cases. Among them is the story of
Ibn-i-Suríyá. When the people of _Kh_aybar asked the focal center of the
Muḥammadan Revelation concerning the penalty of adultery committed between
a married man and a married woman, Muḥammad answered and said: “The law of
God is death by stoning.” Whereupon they protested saying: “No such law
hath been revealed in the Pentateuch.” Muḥammad answered and said: “Whom
do ye regard among your rabbis as being a recognized authority and having
a sure knowledge of the truth?” They agreed upon Ibn-i-Suríyá. Thereupon
Muḥammad summoned him and said: “I adjure thee by God Who clove the sea
for you, caused manna to descend upon you, and the cloud to overshadow
you, Who delivered you from Pharaoh and his people, and exalted you above
all human beings, to tell us what Moses hath decreed concerning adultery
between a married man and a married woman.” He made reply: “O Muḥammad!
death by stoning is the law.” Muḥammad observed: “Why is it then that this
law is annulled and hath ceased to operate among the Jews?” He answered
and said: “When Nebuchadnezzar delivered Jerusalem to the flames, and put
the Jews to death, only a few survived. The divines of that age,
considering the extremely limited number of the Jews, and the multitude of
the Amalekites, took counsel together, and came to the conclusion that
were they to enforce the law of the Pentateuch, every survivor who hath
been delivered from the hand of Nebuchadnezzar would have to be put to
death according to the verdict of the Book. Owing to such considerations,
they totally repealed the penalty of death.” Meanwhile Gabriel inspired
Muḥammad’s illumined heart with these words: “They pervert the text of the
Word of God.”(64)

This is one of the instances that have been referred to. Verily by
“perverting” the text is not meant that which these foolish and abject
souls have fancied, even as some maintain that Jewish and Christian
divines have effaced from the Book such verses as extol and magnify the
countenance of Muḥammad, and instead thereof have inserted the contrary.
How utterly vain and false are these words! Can a man who believeth in a
book, and deemeth it to be inspired by God, mutilate it? Moreover, the
Pentateuch had been spread over the surface of the earth, and was not
confined to Mecca and Medina, so that they could privily corrupt and
pervert its text. Nay, rather, by corruption of the text is meant that in
which all Muslim divines are engaged today, that is the interpretation of
God’s holy Book in accordance with their idle imaginings and vain desires.
And as the Jews, in the time of Muḥammad, interpreted those verses of the
Pentateuch, that referred to His Manifestation, after their own fancy, and
refused to be satisfied with His holy utterance, the charge of
“perverting” the text was therefore pronounced against them. Likewise, it
is clear, how in this day, the people of the Qur’án have perverted the
text of God’s holy Book, concerning the signs of the expected
Manifestation, and interpreted it according to their inclination and
desires.

In yet another instance, He saith: “A part of them heard the Word of God,
and then, after they had understood it, distorted it, and knew that they
did so.”(65) This verse, too, doth indicate that the meaning of the Word
of God hath been perverted, not that the actual words have been effaced.
To the truth of this testify they that are sound of mind.

Again in another instance, He saith: “Woe unto those who, with their own
hands, transcribe the Book corruptly, and then say: ‘This is from God,’
that they may sell it for some mean price.”(66) This verse was revealed
with reference to the divines and leaders of the Jewish Faith. These
divines, in order to please the rich, acquire worldly emoluments, and give
vent to their envy and misbelief, wrote a number of treatises, refuting
the claims of Muḥammad, supporting their arguments with such evidences as
it would be improper to mention, and claimed that these arguments were
derived from the text of the Pentateuch.

The same may be witnessed today. Consider how abundant are the
denunciations written by the foolish divines of this age against this most
wondrous Cause! How vain their imaginings that these calumnies are in
conformity with the verses of God’s sacred Book, and in consonance with
the utterances of men of discernment!

Our purpose in relating these things is to warn you that were they to
maintain that those verses wherein the signs referred to in the Gospel are
mentioned have been perverted, were they to reject them, and cling instead
to other verses and traditions, you should know that their words were
utter falsehood and sheer calumny. Yea “corruption” of the text, in the
sense We have referred to, hath been actually effected in particular
instances. A few of these We have mentioned, that it may become manifest
to every discerning observer that unto a few untutored holy Men hath been
given the mastery of human learning, so that the malevolent opposer may
cease to contend that a certain verse doth indicate “corruption” of the
text, and insinuate that We, through lack of knowledge, have made mention
of such things. Moreover, most of the verses that indicate “corruption” of
the text have been revealed with reference to the Jewish people, were ye
to explore the isles of Qur’ánic Revelation.

We have also heard a number of the foolish of the earth assert that the
genuine text of the heavenly Gospel doth not exist amongst the Christians,
that it hath ascended unto heaven. How grievously they have erred! How
oblivious of the fact that such a statement imputeth the gravest injustice
and tyranny to a gracious and loving Providence! How could God, when once
the Day-star of the beauty of Jesus had disappeared from the sight of His
people, and ascended unto the fourth heaven, cause His holy Book, His most
great testimony amongst His creatures, to disappear also? What would be
left to that people to cling to from the setting of the day-star of Jesus
until the rise of the sun of the Muḥammadan Dispensation? What law could
be their stay and guide? How could such people be made the victims of the
avenging wrath of God, the omnipotent Avenger? How could they be afflicted
with the scourge of chastisement by the heavenly King? Above all, how
could the flow of the grace of the All-Bountiful be stayed? How could the
ocean of His tender mercies be stilled? We take refuge with God, from that
which His creatures have fancied about Him! Exalted is He above their
comprehension!

Dear friend! Now when the light of God’s everlasting Morn is breaking;
when the radiance of His holy words: “God is the light of the heavens and
of the earth”(67) is shedding illumination upon all mankind; when the
inviolability of His tabernacle is being proclaimed by His sacred
utterance: “God hath willed to perfect His light;”(68) and the Hand of
omnipotence, bearing His testimony: “In His grasp He holdeth the kingdom
of all things,” is being outstretched unto all the peoples and kindreds of
the earth; it behooveth us to gird up the loins of endeavour, that haply,
by the grace and bounty of God, we may enter the celestial City: “Verily,
we are God’s,” and abide within the exalted habitation: “And unto Him we
do return.” It is incumbent upon thee, by the permission of God, to
cleanse the eye of thine heart from the things of the world, that thou
mayest realize the infinitude of divine knowledge, and mayest behold Truth
so clearly that thou wilt need no proof to demonstrate His reality, nor
any evidence to bear witness unto His testimony.

O affectionate seeker! Shouldst thou soar in the holy realm of the spirit,
thou wouldst recognize God manifest and exalted above all things, in such
wise that thine eyes would behold none else but Him. “God was alone; there
was none else besides Him.” So lofty is this station that no testimony can
bear it witness, neither evidence do justice to its truth. Wert thou to
explore the sacred domain of truth, thou wilt find that all things are
known only by the light of His recognition, that He hath ever been, and
will continue for ever to be, known through Himself. And if thou dwellest
in the land of testimony, content thyself with that which He, Himself,
hath revealed: “Is it not enough for them that We have sent down unto Thee
the Book?”(69) This is the testimony which He, Himself, hath ordained;
greater proof than this there is none, nor ever will be: “This proof is
His Word; His own Self, the testimony of His truth.”

And now, We beseech the people of the Bayán, all the learned, the sages,
the divines, and witnesses amongst them, not to forget the wishes and
admonitions revealed in their Book. Let them, at all times, fix their gaze
upon the essentials of His Cause, lest when He, Who is the Quintessence of
truth, the inmost Reality of all things, the Source of all light, is made
manifest, they cling unto certain passages of the Book, and inflict upon
Him that which was inflicted in the Dispensation of the Qur’án. For,
verily, powerful is He, the King of divine might, to extinguish with one
letter of His wondrous words, the breath of life in the whole of the Bayán
and the people thereof, and with one letter bestow upon them a new and
everlasting life, and cause them to arise and speed out of the sepulchres
of their vain and selfish desires. Take heed, and be watchful; and
remember that all things have their consummation in belief in Him, in
attainment unto His day, and in the realization of His divine presence.
“There is no piety in turning your faces toward the east or toward the
west, but he is pious who believeth in God and the Last Day.”(70) Give
ear, O people of the Bayán, unto the truth whereunto We have admonished
you, that haply ye may seek the shelter of the shadow extended, in the Day
of God, upon all mankind.

END OF PART ONE





PART TWO


    _Verily He Who is the Day-star of Truth and Revealer of the
    Supreme Being holdeth, for all time, undisputed sovereignty over
    all that is in heaven and on earth, though no man be found on
    earth to obey Him. He verily is independent of all earthly
    dominion, though He be utterly destitute. Thus We reveal unto thee
    the mysteries of the Cause of God, and bestow upon thee the gems
    of divine wisdom, that haply thou mayest soar on the wings of
    renunciation to those heights that are veiled from the eyes of
    men._


The significance and essential purpose underlying these words is to reveal
and demonstrate unto the pure in heart and the sanctified in spirit that
they Who are the Luminaries of truth and the Mirrors reflecting the light
of divine Unity, in whatever age and cycle they are sent down from their
invisible habitations of ancient glory unto this world, to educate the
souls of men and endue with grace all created things, are invariably
endowed with an all-compelling power, and invested with invincible
sovereignty. For these hidden Gems, these concealed and invisible
Treasures, in themselves manifest and vindicate the reality of these holy
words: “Verily God doeth whatsoever He willeth, and ordaineth whatsoever
He pleaseth.”

To every discerning and illumined heart it is evident that God, the
unknowable Essence, the divine Being, is immensely exalted beyond every
human attribute, such as corporeal existence, ascent and descent, egress
and regress. Far be it from His glory that human tongue should adequately
recount His praise, or that human heart comprehend His fathomless mystery.
He is and hath ever been veiled in the ancient eternity of His Essence,
and will remain in His Reality everlastingly hidden from the sight of men.
“No vision taketh in Him, but He taketh in all vision; He is the Subtile,
the All-Perceiving.”(71) No tie of direct intercourse can possibly bind
Him to His creatures. He standeth exalted beyond and above all separation
and union, all proximity and remoteness. No sign can indicate His presence
or His absence; inasmuch as by a word of His command all that are in
heaven and on earth have come to exist, and by His wish, which is the
Primal Will itself, all have stepped out of utter nothingness into the
realm of being, the world of the visible.

Gracious God! How could there be conceived any existing relationship or
possible connection between His Word and they that are created of it? The
verse: “God would have you beware of Himself”(72) unmistakably beareth
witness to the reality of Our argument, and the words: “God was alone;
there was none else besides Him” are a sure testimony of its truth. All
the Prophets of God and their chosen Ones, all the divines, the sages, and
the wise of every generation, unanimously recognize their inability to
attain unto the comprehension of that Quintessence of all truth, and
confess their incapacity to grasp Him, Who is the inmost Reality of all
things.

The door of the knowledge of the Ancient of Days being thus closed in the
face of all beings, the Source of infinite grace, according to His saying:
“His grace hath transcended all things; My grace hath encompassed them
all” hath caused those luminous Gems of Holiness to appear out of the
realm of the spirit, in the noble form of the human temple, and be made
manifest unto all men, that they may impart unto the world the mysteries
of the unchangeable Being, and tell of the subtleties of His imperishable
Essence. These sanctified Mirrors, these Day-springs of ancient glory are
one and all the Exponents on earth of Him Who is the central Orb of the
universe, its Essence and ultimate Purpose. From Him proceed their
knowledge and power; from Him is derived their sovereignty. The beauty of
their countenance is but a reflection of His image, and their revelation a
sign of His deathless glory. They are the Treasuries of divine knowledge,
and the Repositories of celestial wisdom. Through them is transmitted a
grace that is infinite, and by them is revealed the light that can never
fade. Even as He hath said: “There is no distinction whatsoever between
Thee and them; except that they are Thy servants, and are created of
Thee.” This is the significance of the tradition: “I am He, Himself, and
He is I, myself.”

The traditions and sayings that bear direct reference to Our theme are
divers and manifold; We have refrained from quoting them for the sake of
brevity. Nay, whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth is a
direct evidence of the revelation within it of the attributes and names of
God, inasmuch as within every atom are enshrined the signs that bear
eloquent testimony to the revelation of that most great Light. Methinks,
but for the potency of that revelation, no being could ever exist. How
resplendent the luminaries of knowledge that shine in an atom, and how
vast the oceans of wisdom that surge within a drop! To a supreme degree is
this true of man, who, among all created things, hath been invested with
the robe of such gifts, and hath been singled out for the glory of such
distinction. For in him are potentially revealed all the attributes and
names of God to a degree that no other created being hath excelled or
surpassed. All these names and attributes are applicable to him. Even as
He hath said: “Man is My mystery, and I am his mystery.” Manifold are the
verses that have been repeatedly revealed in all the heavenly Books and
the holy Scriptures, expressive of this most subtle and lofty theme. Even
as He hath revealed: “We will surely show them Our signs in the world and
within themselves.”(73) Again He saith: “And also in your own selves: will
ye not then behold the signs of God?”(74) And yet again He revealeth: “And
be ye not like those who forget God, and whom He hath therefore caused to
forget their own selves.”(75) In this connection, He Who is the eternal
King—may the souls of all that dwell within the mystic Tabernacle be a
sacrifice unto Him—hath spoken: “He hath known God who hath known
himself.”

I swear by God, O esteemed and honoured friend! Shouldst thou ponder these
words in thine heart, thou wilt of a certainty find the doors of divine
wisdom and infinite knowledge flung open before thy face.

From that which hath been said it becometh evident that all things, in
their inmost reality, testify to the revelation of the names and
attributes of God within them. Each according to its capacity, indicateth,
and is expressive of, the knowledge of God. So potent and universal is
this revelation, that it hath encompassed all things, visible and
invisible. Thus hath He revealed: “Hath aught else save Thee a power of
revelation which is not possessed by Thee, that it could have manifested
Thee? Blind is the eye which doth not perceive Thee.” Likewise, hath the
eternal King spoken: “No thing have I perceived, except that I perceived
God within it, God before it, or God after it.” Also in the tradition of
Kumayl it is written: “Behold, a light hath shone forth out of the Morn of
eternity, and lo! its waves have penetrated the inmost reality of all
men.” Man, the noblest and most perfect of all created things, excelleth
them all in the intensity of this revelation, and is a fuller expression
of its glory. And of all men, the most accomplished, the most
distinguished and the most excellent are the Manifestations of the Sun of
Truth. Nay, all else besides these Manifestations, live by the operation
of their Will, and move and have their being through the outpourings of
their grace. “But for Thee, I would have not created the heavens.” Nay,
all in their holy presence fade into utter nothingness, and are a thing
forgotten. Human tongue can never befittingly sing their praise, and human
speech can never unfold their mystery. These Tabernacles of holiness,
these primal Mirrors which reflect the light of unfading glory, are but
expressions of Him Who is the Invisible of the Invisibles. By the
revelation of these gems of divine virtue all the names and attributes of
God, such as knowledge and power, sovereignty and dominion, mercy and
wisdom, glory, bounty and grace, are made manifest.

These attributes of God are not and have never been vouchsafed specially
unto certain Prophets, and withheld from others. Nay, all the Prophets of
God, His well-favoured, His holy, and chosen Messengers, are, without
exception, the bearers of His names, and the embodiments of His
attributes. They only differ in the intensity of their revelation, and the
comparative potency of their light. Even as He hath revealed: “Some of the
Apostles We have caused to excel the others.”(76) It hath therefore become
manifest and evident that within the tabernacles of these Prophets and
chosen Ones of God the light of His infinite names and exalted attributes
hath been reflected, even though the light of some of these attributes may
or may not be outwardly revealed from these luminous Temples to the eyes
of men. That a certain attribute of God hath not been outwardly manifested
by these Essences of Detachment doth in no wise imply that they Who are
the Daysprings of God’s attributes and the Treasuries of His holy names
did not actually possess it. Therefore, these illuminated Souls, these
beauteous Countenances have, each and every one of them, been endowed with
all the attributes of God, such as sovereignty, dominion, and the like,
even though to outward seeming they be shorn of all earthly majesty. To
every discerning eye this is evident and manifest; it requireth neither
proof nor evidence.

Yea, inasmuch as the peoples of the world have failed to seek from the
luminous and crystal Springs of divine knowledge the inner meaning of
God’s holy words, they therefore have languished, stricken and sore
athirst, in the vale of idle fancy and waywardness. They have strayed far
from the fresh and thirst-subduing waters, and gathered round the salt
that burneth bitterly. Concerning them, the Dove of Eternity hath spoken:
“And if they see the path of righteousness, they will not take it for
their path; but if they see the path of error, for their path will they
take it. This, because they treated Our signs as lies, and were heedless
of them.”(77)

To this testifieth that which hath been witnessed in this wondrous and
exalted Dispensation. Myriads of holy verses have descended from the
heaven of might and grace, yet no one hath turned thereunto, nor ceased to
cling to those words of men, not one letter of which they that have spoken
them comprehend. For this reason the people have doubted incontestable
truths, such as these, and caused themselves to be deprived of the Ridván
of divine knowledge, and the eternal meads of celestial wisdom.

And now, to resume Our argument concerning the question: Why is it that
the sovereignty of the Qá’im, affirmed in the text of recorded traditions,
and handed down by the shining stars of the Muḥammadan Dispensation, hath
not in the least been made manifest? Nay, the contrary hath come to pass.
Have not His disciples and companions been afflicted of men? Are they not
still the victims of the fierce opposition of their enemies? Are they not
today leading the life of abased and impotent mortals? Yea, the
sovereignty attributed to the Qá’im and spoken of in the scriptures, is a
reality, the truth of which none can doubt. This sovereignty, however, is
not the sovereignty which the minds of men have falsely imagined.
Moreover, the Prophets of old, each and every one, whenever announcing to
the people of their day the advent of the coming Revelation, have
invariably and specifically referred to that sovereignty with which the
promised Manifestation must needs be invested. This is attested by the
records of the scriptures of the past. This sovereignty hath not been
solely and exclusively attributed to the Qá’im. Nay rather, the attribute
of sovereignty and all other names and attributes of God have been and
will ever be vouchsafed unto all the Manifestations of God, before and
after Him, inasmuch as these Manifestations, as it hath already been
explained, are the Embodiments of the attributes of God, the Invisible,
and the Revealers of the divine mysteries.

Furthermore, by sovereignty is meant the all-encompassing, all-pervading
power which is inherently exercised by the Qá’im whether or not He appear
to the world clothed in the majesty of earthly dominion. This is solely
dependent upon the will and pleasure of the Qá’im Himself. You will
readily recognize that the terms sovereignty, wealth, life, death,
judgment and resurrection, spoken of by the scriptures of old, are not
what this generation hath conceived and vainly imagined. Nay, by
sovereignty is meant that sovereignty which in every dispensation resideth
within, and is exercised by, the person of the Manifestation, the Day-star
of Truth. That sovereignty is the spiritual ascendancy which He exerciseth
to the fullest degree over all that is in heaven and on earth, and which
in due time revealeth itself to the world in direct proportion to its
capacity and spiritual receptiveness, even as the sovereignty of Muḥammad,
the Messenger of God, is today apparent and manifest amongst the people.
You are well aware of what befell His Faith in the early days of His
dispensation. What woeful sufferings did the hand of the infidel and
erring, the divines of that age and their associates, inflict upon that
spiritual Essence, that most pure and holy Being! How abundant the thorns
and briars which they have strewn over His path! It is evident that
wretched generation, in their wicked and satanic fancy, regarded every
injury to that immortal Being as a means to the attainment of an abiding
felicity; inasmuch as the recognized divines of that age, such as
‘Abdu’lláh-i-Ubayy, Abú-‘Amír, the hermit, Ka’b-Ibn-i-Ashraf, and
Nadr-Ibn-i-Hárith, all treated Him as an impostor, and pronounced Him a
lunatic and a calumniator. Such sore accusations they brought against Him
that in recounting them God forbiddeth the ink to flow, Our pen to move,
or the page to bear them. These malicious imputations provoked the people
to arise and torment Him. And how fierce that torment if the divines of
the age be its chief instigators, if they denounce Him to their followers,
cast Him out from their midst, and declare Him a miscreant! Hath not the
same befallen this Servant, and been witnessed by all?

For this reason did Muḥammad cry out: “No Prophet of God hath suffered
such harm as I have suffered.” And in the Qur’án are recorded all the
calumnies and reproaches uttered against Him, as well as all the
afflictions which He suffered. Refer ye thereunto, that haply ye may be
informed of that which hath befallen His Revelation. So grievous was His
plight, that for a time all ceased to hold intercourse with Him and His
companions. Whoever associated with Him fell a victim to the relentless
cruelty of His enemies.

We shall cite in this connection only one verse of that Book. Shouldst
thou observe it with a discerning eye, thou wilt, all the remaining days
of thy life, lament and bewail the injury of Muḥammad, that wronged and
oppressed Messenger of God. That verse was revealed at a time when
Muḥammad languished weary and sorrowful beneath the weight of the
opposition of the people, and of their unceasing torture. In the midst of
His agony, the Voice of Gabriel, calling from the Sadratu’l-Muntahá, was
heard saying: “But if their opposition be grievous to Thee—if Thou canst,
seek out an opening into the earth or a ladder into heaven.”(78) The
implication of this utterance is that His case had no remedy, that they
would not withhold their hands from Him unless He should hide Himself
beneath the depths of the earth, or take His flight unto heaven.

Consider, how great is the change today! Behold, how many are the
Sovereigns who bow the knee before His name! How numerous the nations and
kingdoms who have sought the shelter of His shadow, who bear allegiance to
His Faith, and pride themselves therein! From the pulpit-top there
ascendeth today the words of praise which, in utter lowliness, glorify His
blessed name; and from the heights of minarets there resoundeth the call
that summoneth the concourse of His people to adore Him. Even those Kings
of the earth who have refused to embrace His Faith and to put off the
garment of unbelief, none the less confess and acknowledge the greatness
and overpowering majesty of that Day-star of loving kindness. Such is His
earthly sovereignty, the evidences of which thou dost on every side
behold. This sovereignty must needs be revealed and established either in
the lifetime of every Manifestation of God or after His ascension unto His
true habitation in the realms above. What thou dost witness today is but a
confirmation of this truth. That spiritual ascendency, however, which is
primarily intended, resideth within, and revolveth around Them from
eternity even unto eternity. It can never for a moment be divorced from
Them. Its dominion hath encompassed all that is in heaven and on earth.

The following is an evidence of the sovereignty exercised by Muḥammad, the
Day-star of Truth. Hast thou not heard how with one single verse He hath
sundered light from darkness, the righteous from the ungodly, and the
believing from the infidel? All the signs and allusions concerning the Day
of Judgment, which thou hast heard, such as the raising of the dead, the
Day of Reckoning, the Last Judgment, and others have been made manifest
through the revelation of that verse. These revealed words were a blessing
to the righteous who on hearing them exclaimed: “O God our Lord, we have
heard, and obeyed.” They were a curse to the people of iniquity who, on
hearing them affirmed: “We have heard and rebelled.” Those words, sharp as
the sword of God, have separated the faithful from the infidel, and
severed father from son. Thou hast surely witnessed how they that have
confessed their faith in Him and they that rejected Him have warred
against each other, and sought one another’s property. How many fathers
have turned away from their sons; how many lovers have shunned their
beloved! So mercilessly trenchant was this wondrous sword of God that it
cleft asunder every relationship! On the other hand, consider the welding
power of His Word. Observe, how those in whose midst the Satan of self had
for years sown the seeds of malice and hate became so fused and blended
through their allegiance to this wondrous and transcendent Revelation that
it seemed as if they had sprung from the same loins. Such is the binding
force of the Word of God, which uniteth the hearts of them that have
renounced all else but Him, who have believed in His signs, and quaffed
from the Hand of glory the Kawthar of God’s holy grace. Furthermore, how
numerous are those peoples of divers beliefs, of conflicting creeds, and
opposing temperaments, who, through the reviving fragrance of the Divine
springtime, breathing from the Ridván of God, have been arrayed with the
new robe of divine Unity, and have drunk from the cup of His singleness!

This is the significance of the well-known words: “The wolf and the lamb
shall feed together.”(79) Behold the ignorance and folly of those who,
like the nations of old, are still expecting to witness the time when
these beasts will feed together in one pasture! Such is their low estate.
Methinks, never have their lips touched the cup of understanding, neither
have their feet trodden the path of justice. Besides, of what profit would
it be to the world were such a thing to take place? How well hath He
spoken concerning them: “Hearts have they, with which they understand not,
and eyes have they with which they see not!”(80)

Consider how with this one verse which hath descended from the heaven of
the Will of God, the world and all that is therein have been brought to a
reckoning with Him. Whosoever acknowledged His truth and turned unto Him,
his good works outweighed his misdeeds, and all his sins were remitted and
forgiven. Thereby is the truth of these words concerning Him made
manifest: “Swift is He in reckoning.” Thus God turneth iniquity into
righteousness, were ye to explore the realms of divine knowledge, and
fathom the mysteries of His wisdom. In like manner, whosoever partook of
the cup of love, obtained his portion of the ocean of eternal grace and of
the showers of everlasting mercy, and entered into the life of faith—the
heavenly and everlasting life. But he that turned away from that cup was
condemned to eternal death. By the terms “life” and “death,” spoken of in
the scriptures, is intended the life of faith and the death of unbelief.
The generality of the people, owing to their failure to grasp the meaning
of these words, rejected and despised the person of the Manifestation,
deprived themselves of the light of His divine guidance, and refused to
follow the example of that immortal Beauty.

When the light of Qur’ánic Revelation was kindled within the chamber of
Muḥammad’s holy heart, He passed upon the people the verdict of the Last
Day, the verdict of resurrection, of judgment, of life, and of death.
Thereupon the standards of revolt were hoisted, and the doors of derision
opened. Thus hath He, the Spirit of God, recorded, as spoken by the
infidels: “And if thou shouldst say, ‘After death ye shall surely be
raised again,’ the infidels will certainly exclaim, ‘This is nothing but
manifest sorcery.’”(81) Again He speaketh: “If ever thou dost marvel,
marvellous surely is their saying, ‘What! When we have become dust, shall
we be restored in a new creation?’”(82) Thus, in another passage, He
wrathfully exclaimeth: “Are We wearied out with the first creation? Yet
are they in doubt with regard to a new creation!”(83)

As the commentators of the Qur’án and they that follow the letter thereof
misapprehended the inner meaning of the words of God and failed to grasp
their essential purpose, they sought to demonstrate that, according to the
rules of grammar, whenever the term “idhá” (meaning “if” or “when”)
precedeth the past tense, it invariably hath reference to the future.
Later, they were sore perplexed in attempting to explain those verses of
the Book wherein that term did not actually occur. Even as He hath
revealed: “And there was a blast on the trumpet,—lo! it is the threatened
Day! And every soul is summoned to a reckoning,—with him an impeller and a
witness.”(84) In explaining this and similar verses, they have in some
cases argued that the term “idhá” is implied. In other instances, they
have idly contended that whereas the Day of Judgment is inevitable, it
hath therefore been referred to as an event not of the future but of the
past. How vain their sophistry! How grievous their blindness! They refuse
to recognize the trumpet-blast which so explicitly in this text was
sounded through the revelation of Muḥammad. They deprive themselves of the
regenerating Spirit of God that breathed into it, and foolishly expect to
hear the trumpet-sound of the Seraph of God who is but one of His
servants! Hath not the Seraph himself, the angel of the Judgment Day, and
his like been ordained by Muḥammad’s own utterance? Say: What! Will ye
give that which is for your good in exchange for that which is evil?
Wretched is that which ye have falsely exchanged! Surely ye are a people,
evil, in grievous loss.

Nay, by “trumpet” is meant the trumpet-call of Muḥammad’s Revelation,
which was sounded in the heart of the universe, and by “resurrection” is
meant His own rise to proclaim the Cause of God. He bade the erring and
wayward arise and speed out of the sepulchres of their bodies, arrayed
them with the beauteous robe of faith, and quickened them with the breath
of a new and wondrous life. Thus at the hour when Muḥammad, that divine
Beauty, purposed to unveil one of the mysteries hidden in the symbolic
terms “resurrection,” “judgment,” “paradise,” and “hell,” Gabriel, the
Voice of Inspiration, was heard saying: “Erelong will they wag their heads
at Thee, and say, ‘When shall this be?’ Say: ‘Perchance it is nigh.’”(85)
The implications of this verse alone suffice the peoples of the world,
were they to ponder it in their hearts.

Gracious God! How far have that people strayed from the way of God!
Although the Day of Resurrection was ushered in through the Revelation of
Muḥammad, although His light and tokens had encompassed the earth and all
that is therein, yet that people derided Him, gave themselves up to those
idols which the divines of that age, in their vain and idle fancy, had
conceived, and deprived themselves of the light of heavenly grace and of
the showers of divine mercy. Yea, the abject beetle can never scent the
fragrance of holiness, and the bat of darkness can never face the
splendour of the sun.

Such things have come to pass in the days of every Manifestation of God.
Even as Jesus said: “Ye must be born again.”(86) Again He saith: “Except a
man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom
of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born
of the Spirit is spirit.”(87) The purport of these words is that whosoever
in every dispensation is born of the Spirit and is quickened by the breath
of the Manifestation of Holiness, he verily is of those that have attained
unto “life” and “resurrection” and have entered into the “paradise” of the
love of God. And whosoever is not of them, is condemned to “death” and
“deprivation,” to the “fire” of unbelief, and to the “wrath” of God. In
all the scriptures, the books and chronicles, the sentence of death, of
fire, of blindness, of want of understanding and hearing, hath been
pronounced against those whose lips have tasted not the ethereal cup of
true knowledge, and whose hearts have been deprived of the grace of the
holy Spirit in their day. Even as it hath been previously recorded:
“Hearts have they with which they understand not.”(88)

In another passage of the Gospel it is written: “And it came to pass that
on a certain day the father of one of the disciples of Jesus had died.”
That disciple reporting the death of his father unto Jesus, asked for
leave to go and bury him. Whereupon, Jesus, that Essence of Detachment,
answered and said: “Let the dead bury their dead.”(89)

In like manner, two of the people of Kúfih went to ‘Alí, the Commander of
the Faithful. One owned a house and wished to sell it; the other was to be
the purchaser. They had agreed that this transaction should be effected
and the contract be written with the knowledge of ‘Alí. He, the exponent
of the law of God, addressing the scribe, said: “Write thou: ‘A dead man
hath bought from another dead man a house. That house is bounded by four
limits. One extendeth toward the tomb, the other to the vault of the
grave, the third to the Ṣiraṭ, the fourth to either Paradise or hell.’”
Reflect, had these two souls been quickened by the trumpet-call of ‘Alí,
had they risen from the grave of error by the power of his love, the
judgment of death would certainly not have been pronounced against them.

In every age and century, the purpose of the Prophets of God and their
chosen ones hath been no other but to affirm the spiritual significance of
the terms “life,” “resurrection,” and “judgment.” If one will ponder but
for a while this utterance of ‘Alí in his heart, one will surely discover
all mysteries hidden in the terms “grave,” “tomb,” “ṣiraṭ,” “paradise” and
“hell.” But oh! how strange and pitiful! Behold, all the people are
imprisoned within the tomb of self, and lie buried beneath the nethermost
depths of worldly desire! Wert thou to attain to but a dewdrop of the
crystal waters of divine knowledge, thou wouldst readily realize that true
life is not the life of the flesh but the life of the spirit. For the life
of the flesh is common to both men and animals, whereas the life of the
spirit is possessed only by the pure in heart who have quaffed from the
ocean of faith and partaken of the fruit of certitude. This life knoweth
no death, and this existence is crowned by immortality. Even as it hath
been said: “He who is a true believer liveth both in this world and in the
world to come.”

If by “life” be meant this earthly life, it is evident that death must
needs overtake it.

Similarly, the records of all the scriptures bear witness to this lofty
truth and this most exalted word. Moreover, this verse of the Qur’án,
revealed concerning Ḥamzih, the “Prince of Martyrs,”(90) and Abú-Jahl, is
a luminous evidence and sure testimony of the truth of Our saying: “Shall
the dead, whom We have quickened, and for whom We have ordained a light
whereby he may walk among men, be like him, whose likeness is in the
darkness, whence he will not come forth?”(91) This verse descended from
the heaven of the Primal Will at a time when Ḥamzih had already been
invested with the sacred mantle of faith, and Abú-Jahl had waxed
relentless in his opposition and unbelief. From the Wellspring of
omnipotence and the Source of eternal holiness, there came the judgment
that conferred everlasting life upon Ḥamzih, and condemned Abú-Jahl to
eternal damnation. This was the signal that caused the fires of unbelief
to glow with the hottest flame in the heart of the infidels, and provoked
them openly to repudiate His truth. They loudly clamoured: “When did
Ḥamzih die? When was he risen? At what hour was such a life conferred upon
him?” As they understood not the significance of these noble sayings, nor
sought enlightenment from the recognized expounders of the Faith, that
these might confer a sprinkling of the Kawthar of divine knowledge upon
them, therefore such fires of mischief were kindled amongst men.

Thou dost witness today how, notwithstanding the radiant splendour of the
Sun of divine knowledge, all the people, whether high or low, have clung
to the ways of those abject manifestations of the Prince of Darkness. They
continually appeal to them for aid in unraveling the intricacies of their
Faith, and, owing to lack of knowledge, they make such replies as can in
no wise damage their fame and fortune. It is evident that these souls,
vile and miserable as the beetle itself, have had no portion of the
musk-laden breeze of eternity, and have never entered the Ridván of
heavenly delight. How, therefore, can they impart unto others the
imperishable fragrance of holiness? Such is their way, and such will it
remain for ever. Only those will attain to the knowledge of the Word of
God that have turned unto Him, and repudiated the manifestations of Satan.
Thus God hath reaffirmed the law of the day of His Revelation, and
inscribed it with the pen of power upon the mystic Tablet hidden beneath
the veil of celestial glory. Wert thou to heed these words, wert thou to
ponder their outward and inner meaning in thy heart, thou wouldst seize
the significance of all the abstruse problems which, in this day, have
become insuperable barriers between men and the knowledge of the Day of
Judgment. Then wilt thou have no more questions to perplex thee. We fain
would hope that, God willing, thou wilt not return, deprived and still
athirst, from the shores of the ocean of divine mercy, nor come back
destitute from the imperishable Sanctuary of thy heart’s desire. Let it
now be seen what thy search and endeavours will achieve.

To resume: Our purpose in setting forth these truths hath been to
demonstrate the sovereignty of Him Who is the King of kings. Be fair: Is
this sovereignty which, through the utterance of one Word, hath manifested
such pervading influence, ascendancy, and awful majesty, is this
sovereignty superior, or is the worldly dominion of these kings of the
earth who, despite their solicitude for their subjects and their help of
the poor, are assured only of an outward and fleeting allegiance, while in
the hearts of men they inspire neither affection nor respect? Hath not
that sovereignty, through the potency of one word, subdued, quickened, and
revitalized the whole world? What! Can the lowly dust compare with Him Who
is the Lord of Lords? What tongue dare utter the immensity of difference
that lieth between them? Nay, all comparison falleth short in attaining
the hallowed sanctuary of His sovereignty. Were man to reflect, he would
surely perceive that even the servant of His threshold ruleth over all
created things! This hath already been witnessed, and will in future be
made manifest.

This is but one of the meanings of the spiritual sovereignty which We have
set forth in accordance with the capacity and receptiveness of the people.
For He, the Mover of all beings, that glorified Countenance, is the source
of such potencies as neither this wronged One can reveal, nor this
unworthy people comprehend. Immensely exalted is He above men’s praise of
His sovereignty; glorified is He beyond that which they attribute unto
Him!

And now, ponder this in thine heart: Were sovereignty to mean earthly
sovereignty and worldly dominion, were it to imply the subjection and
external allegiance of all the peoples and kindreds of the earth—whereby
His loved ones should be exalted and be made to live in peace, and His
enemies be abased and tormented—such form of sovereignty would not be true
of God Himself, the Source of all dominion, Whose majesty and power all
things testify. For, dost thou not witness how the generality of mankind
is under the sway of His enemies? Have they not all turned away from the
path of His good-pleasure? Have they not done that which He hath
forbidden, and left undone, nay repudiated and opposed, those things which
He hath commanded? Have not His friends ever been the victims of the
tyranny of His foes? All these things are more obvious than even the
splendour of the noon-tide sun.

Know, therefore, O questioning seeker, that earthly sovereignty is of no
worth, nor will it ever be, in the eyes of God and His chosen Ones.
Moreover, if ascendency and dominion be interpreted to mean earthly
supremacy and temporal power, how impossible will it be for thee to
explain these verses: “And verily Our host shall conquer.”(92) “Fain would
they put out God’s light with their mouths: But God hath willed to perfect
His light, albeit the infidels abhor it.”(93) “He is the Dominant, above
all things.” Similarly, most of the Qur’án testifieth to this truth.

Were the idle contention of these foolish and despicable souls to be true,
they would have none other alternative than to reject all these holy
utterances and heavenly allusions. For no warrior could be found on earth
more excellent and nearer to God than Ḥusayn, son of ‘Alí, so peerless and
incomparable was he. “There was none to equal or to match him in the
world.” Yet, thou must have heard what befell him. “God’s malison on the
head of the people of tyranny!”(94)

Were the verse “And verily Our host shall conquer” to be literally
interpreted, it is evident that it would in no wise be applicable to the
chosen Ones of God and His hosts, inasmuch as Ḥusayn, whose heroism was
manifest as the sun, crushed and subjugated, quaffed at last the cup of
martyrdom in Karbilá, the land of Táff. Similarly, the sacred verse “Fain
would they put out God’s light with their mouths: But God hath willed to
perfect His light, albeit the infidels abhor it.” Were it to be literally
interpreted it would never correspond with the truth. For in every age the
light of God hath, to outward seeming, been quenched by the peoples of the
earth, and the Lamps of God extinguished by them. How then could the
ascendancy of the sovereignty of these Lamps be explained? What could the
potency of God’s will to “perfect His light” signify? As hath already been
witnessed, so great was the enmity of the infidels, that none of these
divine Luminaries ever found a place for shelter, or tasted of the cup of
tranquillity. So heavily were they oppressed, that the least of men
inflicted upon these Essences of being whatsoever he listed. These
sufferings have been observed and measured by the people. How, therefore,
can such people be capable of understanding and expounding these words of
God, these verses of everlasting glory?

But the purpose of these verses is not what they have imagined. Nay, the
terms “ascendancy,” “power,” and “authority” imply a totally different
station and meaning. For instance, consider the pervading power of those
drops of the blood of Ḥusayn which besprinkled the earth. What ascendancy
and influence hath the dust itself, through the sacredness and potency of
that blood, exercised over the bodies and souls of men! So much so, that
he who sought deliverance from his ills, was healed by touching the dust
of that holy ground, and whosoever, wishing to protect his property,
treasured with absolute faith and understanding, a little of that holy
earth within his house, safeguarded all his possessions. These are the
outward manifestations of its potency. And were We to recount its hidden
virtues they would assuredly say: “He verily hath considered the dust to
be the Lord of Lords, and hath utterly forsaken the Faith of God.”

Furthermore, call to mind the shameful circumstances that have attended
the martyrdom of Ḥusayn. Reflect upon his loneliness, how, to outer
seeming, none could be found to aid him, none to take up his body and bury
it. And yet, behold how numerous, in this day, are those who from the
uttermost corners of the earth don the garb of pilgrimage, seeking the
site of his martyrdom, that there they may lay their heads upon the
threshold of his shrine! Such is the ascendancy and power of God! Such is
the glory of His dominion and majesty!

Think not that because these things have come to pass after Ḥusayn’s
martyrdom, therefore all this glory hath been of no profit unto him. For
that holy soul is immortal, liveth the life of God, and abideth within the
retreats of celestial glory upon the Sadrih of heavenly reunion. These
Essences of being are the shining Exemplars of sacrifice. They have
offered, and will continue to offer up their lives, their substance, their
souls, their spirit, their all, in the path of the Well-Beloved. By them,
no station, however exalted, could be more dearly cherished. For lovers
have no desire but the good-pleasure of their Beloved, and have no aim
except reunion with Him.

Should We wish to impart unto thee a glimmer of the mysteries of Ḥusayn’s
martyrdom, and reveal unto thee the fruits thereof, these pages could
never suffice, nor exhaust their meaning. Our hope is that, God willing,
the breeze of mercy may blow, and the divine Springtime clothe the tree of
being with the robe of a new life; so that we may discover the mysteries
of divine Wisdom, and, through His providence, be made independent of the
knowledge of all things. We have, as yet, descried none but a handful of
souls, destitute of all renown, who have attained unto this station. Let
the future disclose what the Judgment of God will ordain, and the
Tabernacle of His decree reveal. In such wise We recount unto thee the
wonders of the Cause of God, and pour out into thine ears the strains of
heavenly melody, that haply thou mayest attain unto the station of true
knowledge, and partake of the fruit thereof. Therefore, know thou of a
certainty that these Luminaries of heavenly majesty, though their dwelling
be in the dust, yet their true habitation is the seat of glory in the
realms above. Though bereft of all earthly possessions, yet they soar in
the realms of immeasurable riches. And whilst sore tried in the grip of
the enemy, they are seated on the right hand of power and celestial
dominion. Amidst the darkness of their abasement there shineth upon them
the light of unfading glory, and upon their helplessness are showered the
tokens of an invincible sovereignty.

Thus Jesus, Son of Mary, whilst seated one day and speaking in the strain
of the Holy Spirit, uttered words such as these: “O people! My food is the
grass of the field, wherewith I satisfy my hunger. My bed is the dust, my
lamp in the night the light of the moon, and my steed my own feet. Behold,
who on earth is richer than I?” By the righteousness of God! Thousands of
treasures circle round this poverty, and a myriad kingdoms of glory yearn
for such abasement! Shouldst thou attain to a drop of the ocean of the
inner meaning of these words, thou wouldst surely forsake the world and
all that is therein, and, as the Phoenix wouldst consume thyself in the
flames of the undying Fire.

In like manner, it is related that on a certain day, one of the companions
of Ṣádiq complained of his poverty before him. Whereupon, Ṣádiq, that
immortal beauty, made reply: “Verily thou art rich, and hast drunk the
draught of wealth.” That poverty-stricken soul was perplexed at the words
uttered by that luminous countenance, and said: “Where are my riches, I
who stand in need of a single coin?” Ṣádiq thereupon observed: “Dost thou
not possess our love?” He replied: “Yea, I possess it, O thou scion of the
Prophet of God!” And Ṣádiq asked him saying: “Exchangest thou this love
for one thousand dinars?” He answered: “Nay, never will I exchange it,
though the world and all that is therein be given me!” Then Ṣádiq
remarked: “How can he who possesses such a treasure be called poor?”

This poverty and these riches, this abasement and glory, this dominion,
power, and the like, upon which the eyes and hearts of these vain and
foolish souls are set,—all these things fade into utter nothingness in
that Court! Even as He hath said: “O men! Ye are but paupers in need of
God; but God is the Rich, the Self-Sufficing.”(95) By ‘riches’ therefore
is meant independence of all else but God, and by ‘poverty’ the lack of
things that are of God.

Similarly, call thou to mind the day when the Jews, who had surrounded
Jesus, Son of Mary, were pressing Him to confess His claim of being the
Messiah and Prophet of God, so that they might declare Him an infidel and
sentence Him to death. Then, they led Him away, He Who was the Day-star of
the heaven of divine Revelation, unto Pilate and Caiaphas, who was the
leading divine of that age. The chief priests were all assembled in the
palace, also a multitude of people who had gathered to witness His
sufferings, to deride and injure Him. Though they repeatedly questioned
Him, hoping that He would confess His claim, yet Jesus held His peace and
spake not. Finally, an accursed of God arose and, approaching Jesus,
adjured Him saying: “Didst thou not claim to be the Divine Messiah? Didst
thou not say, ‘I am the King of Kings, My word is the Word of God, and I
am the breaker of the Sabbath day?’” Thereupon Jesus lifted up His head
and said: “Beholdest thou not the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of
power and might?” These were His words, and yet consider how to outward
seeming He was devoid of all power except that inner power which was of
God and which had encompassed all that is in heaven and on earth. How can
I relate all that befell Him after He spoke these words? How shall I
describe their heinous behaviour towards Him? They at last heaped on His
blessed Person such woes that He took His flight unto the fourth Heaven.

It is also recorded in the Gospel according to St. Luke, that on a certain
day Jesus passed by a Jew who was sick of the palsy, and lay upon a couch.
When the Jew saw Him, he recognized Him, and cried out for His help. Jesus
said unto him: “Arise from thy bed; thy sins are forgiven thee.” Certain
of the Jews, standing by, protested saying: “Who can forgive sins, but God
alone?” And immediately He perceived their thoughts, Jesus answering said
unto them: “Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, arise,
and take up thy bed, and walk; or to say, thy sins are forgiven thee? that
ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins.”(96)
This is the real sovereignty, and such is the power of God’s chosen Ones!
All these things which We have repeatedly mentioned, and the details which
We have cited from divers sources, have no other purpose but to enable
thee to grasp the meaning of the allusions in the utterances of the chosen
Ones of God, lest certain of these utterances cause thy feet to falter and
thy heart to be dismayed.

Thus with steadfast steps we may tread the Path of certitude, that
perchance the breeze that bloweth from the meads of the good-pleasure of
God may waft upon us the sweet savours of divine acceptance, and cause us,
vanishing mortals that we are, to attain unto the Kingdom of everlasting
glory. Then wilt thou comprehend the inner meaning of sovereignty and the
like, spoken of in the traditions and scriptures. Furthermore, it is
already evident and known unto thee that those things to which the Jews
and the Christians have clung, and the cavilings which they heaped upon
the Beauty of Muḥammad, the same have in this day been upheld by the
people of the Qur’án, and been witnessed in their denunciations of the
“Point of the Bayán”—may the souls of all that dwell within the kingdom of
divine Revelations be a sacrifice unto Him! Behold their folly: they utter
the self-same words, uttered by the Jews of old, and know it not! How well
and true are His words concerning them: “Leave them to entertain
themselves with their cavilings!”(97) “As Thou livest, O Muḥammad! they
are seized by the frenzy of their vain fancies.”(98)

When the Unseen, the Eternal, the divine Essence, caused the Day-star of
Muḥammad to rise above the horizon of knowledge, among the cavils which
the Jewish divines raised against Him was that after Moses no Prophet
should be sent of God. Yea, mention hath been made in the scriptures of a
Soul Who must needs be made manifest and Who will advance the Faith, and
promote the interests of the people, of Moses, so that the Law of the
Mosaic Dispensation may encompass the whole earth. Thus hath the King of
eternal glory referred in His Book to the words uttered by those wanderers
in the vale of remoteness and error: “‘The hand of God,’ say the Jews, ‘is
chained up.’ Chained up be their own hands! And for that which they have
said, they were accursed. Nay, outstretched are both His hands!”(99) “The
hand of God is above their hands.”(100)

Although the commentators of the Qur’án have related in divers manners the
circumstances attending the revelation of this verse, yet thou shouldst
endeavour to apprehend the purpose thereof. He saith: How false is that
which the Jews have imagined! How can the hand of Him Who is the King in
truth, Who caused the countenance of Moses to be made manifest, and
conferred upon Him the robe of Prophethood—how can the hand of such a One
be chained and fettered? How can He be conceived as powerless to raise up
yet another Messenger after Moses? Behold the absurdity of their saying;
how far it hath strayed from the path of knowledge and understanding!
Observe how in this day also, all these people have occupied themselves
with such foolish absurdities. For over a thousand years they have been
reciting this verse, and unwittingly pronouncing their censure against the
Jews, utterly unaware that they themselves, openly and privily, are
voicing the sentiments and belief of the Jewish people! Thou art surely
aware of their idle contention, that all Revelation is ended, that the
portals of Divine mercy are closed, that from the day-springs of eternal
holiness no sun shall rise again, that the Ocean of everlasting bounty is
forever stilled, and that out of the Tabernacle of ancient glory the
Messengers of God have ceased to be made manifest. Such is the measure of
the understanding of these small-minded, contemptible people. These people
have imagined that the flow of God’s all-encompassing grace and plenteous
mercies, the cessation of which no mind can contemplate, has been halted.
From every side they have risen and girded up the loins of tyranny, and
exerted the utmost endeavour to quench with the bitter waters of their
vain fancy the flame of God’s burning Bush, oblivious that the globe of
power shall within its own mighty stronghold protect the Lamp of God. The
utter destitution into which this people have fallen doth surely suffice
them, inasmuch as they have been deprived of the recognition of the
essential Purpose and the knowledge of the Mystery and Substance of the
Cause of God. For the highest and most excelling grace bestowed upon men
is the grace of “attaining unto the Presence of God” and of His
recognition, which has been promised unto all people. This is the utmost
degree of grace vouchsafed unto man by the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of
Days, and the fulness of His absolute bounty upon His creatures. Of this
grace and bounty none of this people hath partaken, neither have they been
honoured with this most exalted distinction. How numerous are those
revealed verses which explicitly bear witness unto this most weighty truth
and exalted Theme! And yet they have rejected it, and, after their own
desire, misconstrued its meaning. Even as He hath revealed: “As for those
who believe not in the signs of God, or that they shall ever meet Him,
these of My mercy shall despair, and for them doth a grievous chastisement
await.”(101) Also He saith: “They who bear in mind that they shall attain
unto the Presence of their Lord, and that unto Him shall they
return.”(102) Also in another instance He saith: “They who held it as
certain that they must meet God, said, ‘How oft, by God’s will, hath a
small host vanquished a numerous host!’”(103) In yet another instance He
revealeth: “Let him then who hopeth to attain the presence of his Lord
work a righteous work.”(104) And also He saith: “He ordereth all things.
He maketh His signs clear, that ye may have firm faith in attaining the
presence of your Lord.”(105)

This people have repudiated all these verses, that unmistakably testify to
the reality of “attainment unto the Divine Presence.” No theme hath been
more emphatically asserted in the holy scriptures. Notwithstanding, they
have deprived themselves of this lofty and most exalted rank, this supreme
and glorious station. Some have contended that by “attainment unto the
Divine Presence” is meant the “Revelation” of God in the Day of
Resurrection. Should they assert that the “Revelation” of God signifieth a
“Universal Revelation,” it is clear and evident that such revelation
already existeth in all things. The truth of this We have already
established, inasmuch as We have demonstrated that all things are the
recipients and revealers of the splendours of that ideal King, and that
the signs of the revelation of that Sun, the Source of all splendour,
exist and are manifest in the mirrors of beings. Nay, were man to gaze
with the eye of divine and spiritual discernment, he will readily
recognize that nothing whatsoever can exist without the revelation of the
splendour of God, the ideal King. Consider how all created things
eloquently testify to the revelation of that inner Light within them.
Behold how within all things the portals of the Ridván of God are opened,
that seekers may attain the cities of understanding and wisdom, and enter
the gardens of knowledge and power. Within every garden they will behold
the mystic bride of inner meaning enshrined within the chambers of
utterance in the utmost grace and fullest adornment. Most of the verses of
the Qur’án indicate, and bear witness to, this spiritual theme. The verse:
“Neither is there aught which doth not celebrate His praise”(106) is
eloquent testimony thereto; and “We noted all things and wrote them
down,”(107) a faithful witness thereof. Now, if by “attainment unto the
Presence of God” is meant attainment unto the knowledge of such
revelation, it is evident that all men have already attained unto the
presence of the unchangeable Countenance of that peerless King. Why, then,
restrict such revelation to the Day of Resurrection?

And were they to maintain that by “divine Presence” is meant the “Specific
Revelation of God,” expressed by certain Súfís as the “Most Holy
Outpouring,” if this be in the Essence Itself, it is evident that it hath
been eternally in the divine Knowledge. Assuming the truth of this
hypothesis, “attainment unto the divine Presence” is in this sense
obviously possible to no one, inasmuch as this revelation is confined to
the innermost Essence, unto which no man can attain. “The way is barred,
and all seeking rejected.” The minds of the favourites of heaven, however
high they soar, can never attain this station, how much less the
understanding of obscured and limited minds.

And were they to say that by “divine Presence” is meant the “Secondary
Revelation of God,” interpreted as the “Holy Outpouring,” this is
admittedly applicable to the world of creation, that is, in the realm of
the primal and original manifestation of God. Such revelation is confined
to His Prophets and chosen Ones, inasmuch as none mightier than they hath
come to exist in the world of being. This truth all recognize, and bear
witness thereto. These Prophets and chosen Ones of God are the recipients
and revealers of all the unchangeable attributes and names of God. They
are the mirrors that truly and faithfully reflect the light of God.
Whatsoever is applicable to them is in reality applicable to God, Himself,
Who is both the Visible and the Invisible. The knowledge of Him, Who is
the Origin of all things, and attainment unto Him, are impossible save
through knowledge of, and attainment unto, these luminous Beings who
proceed from the Sun of Truth. By attaining, therefore, to the presence of
these holy Luminaries, the “Presence of God” Himself is attained. From
their knowledge, the knowledge of God is revealed, and from the light of
their countenance, the splendour of the Face of God is made manifest.
Through the manifold attributes of these Essences of Detachment, Who are
both the first and the last, the seen and the hidden, it is made evident
that He Who is the Sun of Truth is “the First and the Last, the Seen, and
the Hidden.”(108) Likewise the other lofty names and exalted attributes of
God. Therefore, whosoever, and in whatever Dispensation, hath recognized
and attained unto the presence of these glorious, these resplendent and
most excellent Luminaries, hath verily attained unto the “Presence of God”
Himself, and entered the city of eternal and immortal life. Attainment
unto such presence is possible only in the Day of Resurrection, which is
the Day of the rise of God Himself through His all-embracing Revelation.

This is the meaning of the “Day of Resurrection,” spoken of in all the
scriptures, and announced unto all people. Reflect, can a more precious, a
mightier, and more glorious day than this be conceived, so that man should
willingly forego its grace, and deprive himself of its bounties, which
like unto vernal showers are raining from the heaven of mercy upon all
mankind? Having thus conclusively demonstrated that no day is greater than
this Day, and no revelation more glorious than this Revelation, and having
set forth all these weighty and infallible proofs which no understanding
mind can question, and no man of learning overlook, how can man possibly,
through the idle contention of the people of doubt and fancy, deprive
himself of such a bountiful grace? Have they not heard the well-known
tradition: “When the Qá’im riseth, that day is the Day of Resurrection?”
In like manner, the Imáms, those unquenchable lights of divine guidance,
have interpreted the verse: “What can such expect but that God should come
down to them overshadowed with clouds,”(109)—a sign which they have
unquestionably regarded as one of the features of the Day of
Resurrection—as referring to Qá’im and His manifestation.

Strive, therefore, O my brother, to grasp the meaning of “Resurrection,”
and cleanse thine ears from the idle sayings of these rejected people.
Shouldst thou step into the realm of complete detachment, thou wilt
readily testify that no day is mightier than this Day, and that no
resurrection more awful than this Resurrection can ever be conceived. One
righteous work performed in this Day, equalleth all the virtuous acts
which for myriads of centuries men have practised—nay, We ask forgiveness
of God for such a comparison! For verily the reward which such a deed
deserveth is immensely beyond and above the estimate of men. Inasmuch as
these undiscerning and wretched souls have failed to apprehend the true
meaning of “Resurrection” and of the “attainment unto the divine
Presence,” they therefore have remained utterly deprived of the grace
thereof. Although the sole and fundamental purpose of all learning, and
the toil and labour thereof, is attainment unto, and the recognition of,
this station, yet they are all immersed in the pursuit of their material
studies. They deny themselves every moment of leisure, and utterly ignore
Him, Who is the Essence of all learning, and the one Object of their
quest! Methinks, their lips have never touched the cup of divine
Knowledge, nor do they seem to have attained even a dewdrop of the showers
of heavenly grace.

Consider, how can he that faileth in the day of God’s Revelation to attain
unto the grace of the “Divine Presence” and to recognize His
Manifestation, be justly called learned, though he may have spent aeons in
the pursuit of knowledge, and acquired all the limited and material
learning of men? It is surely evident that he can in no wise be regarded
as possessed of true knowledge. Whereas, the most unlettered of all men,
if he be honoured with this supreme distinction, he verily is accounted as
one of those divinely-learned men whose knowledge is of God; for such a
man hath attained the acme of knowledge, and hath reached the furthermost
summit of learning.

This station is also one of the signs of the Day of Revelation; even as it
is said: “The abased amongst you, He shall exalt; and they that are
exalted, He shall abase.” And likewise, He hath revealed in the Qur’án:
“And We desire to show favour to those who were brought low in the land,
and to make them spiritual leaders among men, and to make of them Our
heirs.”(110) It hath been witnessed in this day how many of the divines,
owing to their rejection of the Truth, have fallen into, and abide within,
the uttermost depths of ignorance, and whose names have been effaced from
the scroll of the glorious and learned. And how many of the ignorant who,
by reason of their acceptance of the Faith, have soared aloft and attained
the high summit of knowledge, and whose names have been inscribed by the
Pen of Power upon the Tablet of divine Knowledge. Thus, “What He pleaseth
will God abrogate or confirm: for with Him is the Source of
Revelation.”(111) Therefore, it hath been said: “To seek evidence, when
the Proof hath been established is but an unseemly act, and to be busied
with the pursuit of knowledge when the Object of all learning hath been
attained is truly blameworthy.” Say O people of the earth! Behold this
flamelike Youth that speedeth across the limitless profound of the Spirit,
heralding unto you the tidings: “Lo: the Lamp of God is shining,” and
summoning you to heed His Cause which, though hidden beneath the veils of
ancient splendour, shineth in the land of ‘Iráq above the day-spring of
eternal holiness.

O my friend, were the bird of thy mind to explore the heavens of the
Revelation of the Qur’án, were it to contemplate the realm of divine
knowledge unfolded therein, thou wouldst assuredly find unnumbered doors
of knowledge set open before thee. Thou wouldst certainly recognize that
all these things which have in this day hindered this people from
attaining the shores of the ocean of eternal grace, the same things in the
Muḥammadan Dispensation prevented the people of that age from recognizing
that divine Luminary, and from testifying to His truth. Thou wilt also
apprehend the mysteries of “return” and “revelation,” and wilt securely
abide within the loftiest chambers of certitude and assurance.

And it came to pass that on a certain day a number of the opponents of
that peerless Beauty, those that had strayed far from God’s imperishable
Sanctuary, scornfully spoke these words unto Muḥammad: “Verily, God hath
entered into a covenant with us that we are not to credit an apostle until
he present us a sacrifice which fire out of heaven shall devour.”(112) The
purport of this verse is that God hath covenanted with them that they
should not believe in any messenger unless he work the miracle of Abel and
Cain, that is, offer a sacrifice, and the fire from heaven consume it;
even as they had heard it recounted in the story of Abel, which story is
recorded in the scriptures. To this, Muḥammad, answering, said: “Already
have Apostles before me come to you with sure testimonies, and with that
of which ye speak. Wherefore slew ye them? Tell me, if ye are men of
truth.”(113) And now, be fair; How could those people living in the days
of Muḥammad have existed, thousands of years before, in the age of Adam or
other Prophets? Why should Muḥammad, that Essence of truthfulness, have
charged the people of His day with the murder of Abel or other Prophets?
Thou hast none other alternative except to regard Muḥammad as an impostor
or a fool—which God forbid!—or to maintain that those people of wickedness
were the self-same people who in every age opposed and caviled at the
Prophets and Messengers of God, till they finally caused them all to
suffer martyrdom.

Ponder this in thine heart, that the sweet gales of divine knowledge,
blowing from the meads of mercy, may waft upon thee the fragrance of the
Beloved’s utterance, and cause thy soul to attain the Ridván of
understanding. As the wayward of every age have failed to fathom the
deeper import of these weighty and pregnant utterances, and imagined the
answer of the Prophets of God to be irrelevant to the questions they asked
them, they therefore have attributed ignorance and folly to those Essences
of knowledge and understanding.

Likewise, Muḥammad, in another verse, uttereth His protest against the
people of that age. He saith: “Although they had before prayed for victory
over those who believed not, yet when there came unto them, He of Whom
they had knowledge, they disbelieved in Him. The curse of God on the
infidels!”(114) Reflect how this verse also implieth that the people
living in the days of Muḥammad were the same people who in the days of the
Prophets of old contended and fought in order to promote the Faith, and
teach the Cause, of God. And yet, how could the generations living at the
time of Jesus and Moses, and those who lived in the days of Muḥammad, be
regarded as being actually one and the same people? Moreover, those whom
they had formerly known were Moses, the Revealer of the Pentateuch, and
Jesus, the Author of the Gospel. Notwithstanding, why did Muḥammad say:
“When He of Whom they had knowledge came unto them”—that is Jesus or
Moses—“they disbelieved in Him?” Was not Muḥammad to outward seeming
called by a different name? Did He not come forth out of a different city?
Did He not speak a different language, and reveal a different Law? How
then can the truth of this verse be established, and its meaning be made
clear?

Strive therefore to comprehend the meaning of “return” which hath been so
explicitly revealed in the Qur’án itself, and which none hath as yet
understood. What sayest thou? If thou sayest that Muḥammad was the
“return” of the Prophets of old, as is witnessed by this verse, His
Companions must likewise be the “return” of the bygone Companions, even as
the “return” of the former people is clearly attested by the text of the
above-mentioned verses. And if thou deniest this, thou hast surely
repudiated the truth of the Qur’án, the surest testimony of God unto men.
In like manner, endeavour to grasp the significance of “return,”
“revelation,” and “resurrection,” as witnessed in the days of the
Manifestations of the divine Essence, that thou mayest behold with thine
own eyes the “return” of the holy souls into sanctified and illumined
bodies, and mayest wash away the dust of ignorance, and cleanse the
darkened self with the waters of mercy flowing from the Source of divine
Knowledge; that perchance thou mayest, through the power of God and the
light of divine guidance, distinguish the Morn of everlasting splendour
from the darksome night of error.

Furthermore, it is evident to thee that the Bearers of the trust of God
are made manifest unto the peoples of the earth as the Exponents of a new
Cause and the Bearers of a new Message. Inasmuch as these Birds of the
Celestial Throne are all sent down from the heaven of the Will of God, and
as they all arise to proclaim His irresistible Faith, they therefore are
regarded as one soul and the same person. For they all drink from the one
Cup of the love of God, and all partake of the fruit of the same Tree of
Oneness. These Manifestations of God have each a twofold station. One is
the station of pure abstraction and essential unity. In this respect, if
thou callest them all by one name, and dost ascribe to them the same
attribute, thou hast not erred from the truth. Even as He hath revealed:
“No distinction do We make between any of His Messengers!”(115) For they
one and all summon the people of the earth to acknowledge the Unity of
God, and herald unto them the Kawthar of an infinite grace and bounty.
They are all invested with the robe of Prophethood, and honoured with the
mantle of glory. Thus hath Muḥammad, the Point of the Qur’án, revealed: “I
am all the Prophets.” Likewise, He saith: “I am the first Adam, Noah,
Moses, and Jesus.” Similar statements have been made by ‘Alí. Sayings such
as this, which indicate the essential unity of those Exponents of Oneness,
have also emanated from the Channels of God’s immortal utterance, and the
Treasuries of the gems of divine knowledge, and have been recorded in the
scriptures. These Countenances are the recipients of the Divine Command,
and the day-springs of His Revelation. This Revelation is exalted above
the veils of plurality and the exigencies of number. Thus He saith: “Our
Cause is but one.”(116) Inasmuch as the Cause is one and the same, the
Exponents thereof also must needs be one and the same. Likewise, the Imáms
of the Muḥammadan Faith, those lamps of certitude, have said: “Muḥammad is
our first, Muḥammad our last, Muḥammad our all.”

It is clear and evident to thee that all the Prophets are the Temples of
the Cause of God, Who have appeared clothed in divers attire. If thou wilt
observe with discriminating eyes, thou wilt behold them all abiding in the
same tabernacle, soaring in the same heaven, seated upon the same throne,
uttering the same speech, and proclaiming the same Faith. Such is the
unity of those Essences of being, those Luminaries of infinite and
immeasurable splendour. Wherefore, should one of these Manifestations of
Holiness proclaim saying: “I am the return of all the Prophets,” He verily
speaketh the truth. In like manner, in every subsequent Revelation, the
return of the former Revelation is a fact, the truth of which is firmly
established. Inasmuch as the return of the Prophets of God, as attested by
verses and traditions, hath been conclusively demonstrated, the return of
their chosen ones also is therefore definitely proven. This return is too
manifest in itself to require any evidence or proof. For instance,
consider that among the Prophets was Noah. When He was invested with the
robe of Prophethood, and was moved by the Spirit of God to arise and
proclaim His Cause, whoever believed in Him and acknowledged His Faith,
was endowed with the grace of a new life. Of him it could be truly said
that he was reborn and revived, inasmuch as previous to his belief in God
and his acceptance of His Manifestation, he had set his affections on the
things of the world, such as attachment to earthly goods, to wife,
children, food, drink, and the like, so much so that in the day-time and
in the night season his one concern had been to amass riches and procure
for himself the means of enjoyment and pleasure. Aside from these things,
before his partaking of the reviving waters of faith, he had been so
wedded to the traditions of his forefathers, and so passionately devoted
to the observance of their customs and laws, that he would have preferred
to suffer death rather than violate one letter of those superstitious
forms and manners current amongst his people. Even as the people have
cried: “Verily we found our fathers with a faith, and verily, in their
footsteps we follow.”(117)

These same people, though wrapt in all these veils of limitation, and
despite the restraint of such observances, as soon as they drank the
immortal draught of faith, from the cup of certitude, at the hand of the
Manifestation of the All-Glorious, were so transformed that they would
renounce for His sake their kindred, their substance, their lives, their
beliefs, yea, all else save God! So overpowering was their yearning for
God, so uplifting their transports of ecstatic delight, that the world and
all that is therein faded before their eyes into nothingness. Have not
this people exemplified the mysteries of “rebirth” and “return”? Hath it
not been witnessed that these same people, ere they were endued with the
new and wondrous grace of God, sought through innumerable devices, to
ensure the protection of their lives against destruction? Would not a
thorn fill them with terror, and the sight of a fox put them to flight?
But once having been honoured with God’s supreme distinction, and having
been vouchsafed His bountiful grace, they would, if they were able, have
freely offered up ten thousand lives in His path! Nay, their blessed
souls, contemptuous of the cage of their bodies, would yearn for
deliverance. A single warrior of that host would face and fight a
multitude! And yet, how could they, but for the transformation wrought in
their lives, be capable of manifesting such deeds which are contrary to
the ways of men and incompatible with their worldly desires?

It is evident that nothing short of this mystic transformation could cause
such spirit and behaviour, so utterly unlike their previous habits and
manners, to be made manifest in the world of being. For their agitation
was turned into peace, their doubt into certitude, their timidity into
courage. Such is the potency of the Divine Elixir, which, swift as the
twinkling of an eye, transmuteth the souls of men!

For instance, consider the substance of copper. Were it to be protected in
its own mine from becoming solidified, it would, within the space of
seventy years, attain to the state of gold. There are some, however, who
maintain that copper itself is gold, which by becoming solidified is in a
diseased condition, and hath not therefore reached its own state.

Be that as it may, the real elixir will, in one instant, cause the
substance of copper to attain the state of gold, and will traverse the
seventy-year stages in a single moment. Could this gold be called copper?
Could it be claimed that it hath not attained the state of gold, whilst
the touch-stone is at hand to assay it and distinguish it from copper?

Likewise, these souls, through the potency of the Divine Elixir, traverse,
in the twinkling of an eye, the world of dust and advance into the realm
of holiness; and with one step cover the earth of limitations and reach
the domain of the Placeless. It behooveth thee to exert thine utmost to
attain unto this Elixir which, in one fleeting breath, causeth the west of
ignorance to reach the east of knowledge, illuminates the darkness of
night with the resplendence of the morn, guideth the wanderer in the
wilderness of doubt to the well-spring of the Divine Presence and Fount of
certitude, and conferreth upon mortal souls the honour of acceptance into
the Ridván of immortality. Now, could this gold be thought to be copper,
these people could likewise be thought to be the same as before they were
endowed with faith.

O brother, behold how the inner mysteries of “rebirth,” of “return,” and
of “resurrection” have each, through these all-sufficing, these
unanswerable, and conclusive utterances, been unveiled and unravelled
before thine eyes. God grant that through His gracious and invisible
assistance, thou mayest divest thy body and soul of the old garment, and
array thyself with the new and imperishable attire.

Therefore, those who in every subsequent Dispensation preceded the rest of
mankind in embracing the Faith of God, who quaffed the clear waters of
knowledge at the hand of the divine Beauty, and attained the loftiest
summits of faith and certitude, these can be regarded, in name, in
reality, in deeds, in words, and in rank, as the “return” of those who in
a former Dispensation had achieved similar distinctions. For whatsoever
the people of a former Dispensation have manifested, the same hath been
shown by the people of this latter generation. Consider the rose: whether
it blossometh in the East or in the West, it is none the less a rose. For
what mattereth in this respect is not the outward shape and form of the
rose, but rather the smell and fragrance which it doth impart.

Purge thy sight, therefore, from all earthly limitations, that thou mayest
behold them all as the bearers of one Name, the exponents of one Cause,
the manifestations of one Self, and the revealers of one Truth, and that
thou mayest apprehend the mystic “return” of the Words of God as unfolded
by these utterances. Reflect for a while upon the behaviour of the
companions of the Muḥammadan Dispensation. Consider how, through the
reviving breath of Muḥammad, they were cleansed from the defilements of
earthly vanities, were delivered from selfish desires, and were detached
from all else but Him. Behold how they preceded all the peoples of the
earth in attaining unto His holy Presence—the Presence of God Himself—how
they renounced the world and all that is therein, and sacrificed freely
and joyously their lives at the feet of that Manifestation of the
All-Glorious. And now, observe the “return” of the self-same
determination, the self-same constancy and renunciation, manifested by the
companions of the Point of the Bayán.(118) Thou hast witnessed how these
companions have, through the wonders of the grace of the Lord of Lords,
hoisted the standards of sublime renunciation upon the inaccessible
heights of glory. These Lights have proceeded from but one Source, and
these fruits are the fruits of one Tree. Thou canst discern neither
difference nor distinction among them. All this is by the grace of God! On
whom He will, He bestoweth His grace. Please God, that we avoid the land
of denial, and advance into the ocean of acceptance, so that we may
perceive, with an eye purged from all conflicting elements, the worlds of
unity and diversity, of variation and oneness, of limitation and
detachment, and wing our flight unto the highest and innermost sanctuary
of the inner meaning of the Word of God.

From these statements therefore it hath been made evident and manifest
that should a Soul in the “End that knoweth no end” be made manifest, and
arise to proclaim and uphold a Cause which in “the Beginning that hath no
beginning” another Soul had proclaimed and upheld, it can be truly
declared of Him Who is the Last and of Him Who was the First that they are
one and the same, inasmuch as both are the Exponents of one and the same
Cause. For this reason, hath the Point of the Bayán—may the life of all
else but Him be His sacrifice!—likened the Manifestations of God unto the
sun which, though it rise from the “Beginning that hath no beginning”
until the “End that knoweth no end,” is none the less the same sun. Now,
wert thou to say, that this sun is the former sun, thou speakest the
truth; and if thou sayest that this sun is the “return” of that sun, thou
also speakest the truth. Likewise, from this statement it is made evident
that the term “last” is applicable to the “first,” and the term “first”
applicable to the “last;” inasmuch as both the “first” and the “last” have
risen to proclaim one and the same Faith.

Notwithstanding the obviousness of this theme, in the eyes of those that
have quaffed the wine of knowledge and certitude, yet how many are those
who, through failure to understand its meaning, have allowed the term
“Seal of the Prophets” to obscure their understanding, and deprive them of
the grace of all His manifold bounties! Hath not Muḥammad, Himself,
declared: “I am all the Prophets?” Hath He not said as We have already
mentioned: “I am Adam, Noah, Moses, and Jesus?” Why should Muḥammad, that
immortal Beauty, Who hath said: “I am the first Adam” be incapable of
saying also: “I am the last Adam”? For even as He regarded Himself to be
the “First of the Prophets”—that is Adam—in like manner, the “Seal of the
Prophets” is also applicable unto that Divine Beauty. It is admittedly
obvious that being the “First of the Prophets,” He likewise is their
“Seal.”

The mystery of this theme hath, in this Dispensation, been a sore test
unto all mankind. Behold, how many are those who, clinging unto these
words, have disbelieved Him Who is their true Revealer. What, We ask,
could this people presume the terms “first” and “last”—when referring to
God—glorified be His Name!—to mean? If they maintain that these terms bear
reference to this material universe, how could it be possible, when the
visible order of things is still manifestly existing? Nay, in this
instance, by “first” is meant no other than the “last” and by “last” no
other than the “first.”

Even as in the “Beginning that hath no beginnings” the term “last” is
truly applicable unto Him who is the Educator of the visible and of the
invisible, in like manner, are the terms “first” and “last” applicable
unto His Manifestations. They are at the same time the Exponents of both
the “first” and the “last.” Whilst established upon the seat of the
“first,” they occupy the throne of the “last.” Were a discerning eye to be
found, it will readily perceive that the exponents of the “first” and the
“last,” of the “manifest” and the “hidden,” of the “beginning” and the
“seal” are none other than these holy Beings, these Essences of
Detachment, these divine Souls. And wert thou to soar in the holy realm of
“God was alone, there was none else besides Him,” thou wilt find in that
Court all these names utterly non-existent and completely forgotten. Then
will thine eyes no longer be obscured by these veils, these terms, and
allusions. How ethereal and lofty is this station, unto which even
Gabriel, unshepherded, can never attain, and the Bird of Heaven,
unassisted, can never reach!

And, now, strive thou to comprehend the meaning of this saying of ‘Alí,
the Commander of the Faithful: “Piercing the veils of glory, unaided.”
Among these “veils of glory” are the divines and doctors living in the
days of the Manifestation of God, who, because of their want of
discernment and their love and eagerness for leadership, have failed to
submit to the Cause of God, nay, have even refused to incline their ears
unto the divine Melody. “They have thrust their fingers into their
ears.”(119) And the people also, utterly ignoring God and taking them for
their masters, have placed themselves unreservedly under the authority of
these pompous and hypocritical leaders, for they have no sight, no
hearing, no heart, of their own to distinguish truth from falsehood.

Notwithstanding the divinely-inspired admonitions of all the Prophets, the
Saints, and Chosen ones of God, enjoining the people to see with their own
eyes and hear with their own ears, they have disdainfully rejected their
counsels and have blindly followed, and will continue to follow, the
leaders of their Faith. Should a poor and obscure person, destitute of the
attire of men of learning, address them saying: “Follow ye, O people! the
Messengers of God,”(120) they would, greatly surprised at such a
statement, reply: “What! Meanest thou that all these divines, all these
exponents of learning, with all their authority, their pomp and pageantry,
have erred, and failed to distinguish truth from falsehood? Dost thou, and
people like thyself, pretend to have comprehended that which they have not
understood?” If numbers and excellence of apparel be regarded as the
criterions of learning and truth, the peoples of a bygone age, whom those
of today have never surpassed in numbers, magnificence and power, should
certainly be accounted a superior and worthier people.

It is clear and evident that whenever the Manifestations of Holiness were
revealed, the divines of their day have hindered the people from attaining
unto the way of truth. To this testify the records of all the scriptures
and heavenly books. Not one Prophet of God was made manifest Who did not
fall a victim to the relentless hate, to the denunciation, denial, and
execration of the clerics of His day! Woe unto them for the iniquities
their hands have formerly wrought! Woe unto them for that which they are
now doing! What veils of glory more grievous than these embodiments of
error! By the righteousness of God! to pierce such veils is the mightiest
of all acts, and to rend them asunder the most meritorious of all deeds!
May God assist us and assist you, O concourse of the Spirit! that
perchance ye may in the time of His Manifestation be graciously aided to
perform such deeds, and may in His days attain unto the Presence of God.

Furthermore, among the “veils of glory” are such terms as the “Seal of the
Prophets” and the like, the removal of which is a supreme achievement in
the sight of these base-born and erring souls. All, by reason of these
mysterious sayings, these grievous “veils of glory,” have been hindered
from beholding the light of truth. Have they not heard the melody of that
bird of Heaven,(121) uttering this mystery: “A thousand Fátimihs I have
espoused, all of whom were the daughters of Muḥammad, Son of ‘Abdu’lláh,
the ‘Seal of the Prophets?’” Behold, how many are the mysteries that lie
as yet unravelled within the tabernacle of the knowledge of God, and how
numerous the gems of His wisdom that are still concealed in His inviolable
treasuries! Shouldest thou ponder this in thine heart, thou wouldst
realize that His handiwork knoweth neither beginning nor end. The domain
of His decree is too vast for the tongue of mortals to describe, or for
the bird of the human mind to traverse; and the dispensations of His
providence are too mysterious for the mind of man to comprehend. His
creation no end hath overtaken, and it hath ever existed from the
“Beginning that hath no beginning”; and the Manifestations of His Beauty
no beginning hath beheld, and they will continue to the “End that knoweth
no end.” Ponder this utterance in thine heart, and reflect how it is
applicable unto all these holy Souls.

Likewise, strive thou to comprehend the meaning of the melody of that
eternal beauty, Ḥusayn, son of ‘Alí, who, addressing Salmán, spoke words
such as these: “I was with a thousand Adams, the interval between each and
the next Adam was fifty thousand years, and to each one of these I
declared the Successorship conferred upon my father.” He then recounteth
certain details, until he saith: “I have fought one thousand battles in
the path of God, the least and most insignificant of which was like the
battle of _Kh_aybar, in which battle my father fought and contended
against the infidels.” Endeavour now to apprehend from these two
traditions the mysteries of “end,” “return,” and “creation without
beginning or end.”

O my beloved! Immeasurably exalted is the celestial Melody above the
strivings of human ear to hear or mind to grasp its mystery! How can the
helpless ant step into the court of the All-Glorious? And yet, feeble
souls, through lack of understanding, reject these abstruse utterances,
and question the truth of such traditions. Nay, none can comprehend them
save those that are possessed of an understanding heart. Say, He is that
End for Whom no end in all the universe can be imagined, and for Whom no
beginning in the world of creation can be conceived. Behold, O concourse
of the earth, the splendours of the End, revealed in the Manifestations of
the Beginning!

How strange! These people with one hand cling to those verses of the
Qur’án and those traditions of the people of certitude which they have
found to accord with their inclinations and interests, and with the other
reject those which are contrary to their selfish desires. “Believe ye then
part of the Book, and deny part?”(122) How could ye judge that which ye
understand not? Even as the Lord of being hath in His unerring Book, after
speaking of the “Seal” in His exalted utterance: “Muḥammad is the Apostle
of God and the Seal of the Prophets,”(123) hath revealed unto all people
the promise of “attainment unto the divine Presence.” To this attainment
to the presence of the immortal King testify the verses of the Book, some
of which We have already mentioned. The one true God is My witness!
Nothing more exalted or more explicit than “attainment unto the divine
Presence” hath been revealed in the Qur’án. Well is it with him that hath
attained thereunto, in the day wherein most of the people, even as ye
witness, have turned away therefrom.

And yet, through the mystery of the former verse, they have turned away
from the grace promised by the latter, despite the fact that “attainment
unto the divine Presence” in the “Day of Resurrection” is explicitly
stated in the Book. It hath been demonstrated and definitely established,
through clear evidences, that by “Resurrection” is meant the rise of the
Manifestation of God to proclaim His Cause, and by “attainment unto the
divine Presence” is meant attainment unto the presence of His Beauty in
the person of His Manifestation. For verily, “No vision taketh in Him, but
He taketh in all vision.”(124) Notwithstanding all these indubitable facts
and lucid statements, they have foolishly clung to the term “seal,” and
remained utterly deprived of the recognition of Him Who is the Revealer of
both the Seal and the Beginning, in the day of His presence. “If God
should chastise men for their perverse doings, He would not leave upon the
earth a moving thing! But to an appointed time doth He respite them.”(125)
But apart from all these things, had this people attained unto a drop of
the crystal streams flowing from the words: “God doeth whatsoever He
willeth, and ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth,” they would not have raised
any unseemly cavils, such as these, against the focal Center of His
Revelation. The Cause of God, all deeds and words, are held within the
grasp of His power. “All things lie imprisoned within the hollow of His
mighty Hand; all things are easy and possible unto Him.” He accomplisheth
whatsoever He willeth, and doeth all that He desireth. “Whoso sayeth ‘why’
or ‘wherefore’ hath spoken blasphemy!” Were these people to shake off the
slumber of negligence and realize that which their hands have wrought,
they would surely perish, and would of their own accord cast themselves
into fire—their end and real abode. Have they not heard that which He hath
revealed: “He shall not be asked of His doings?”(126) In the light of
these utterances, how can man be so bold as to question Him, and busy
himself with idle sayings?

Gracious God! So great is the folly and perversity of the people, that
they have turned their face toward their own thoughts and desires, and
have turned their back upon the knowledge and will of God—hallowed and
glorified be His name!

Be fair: Were these people to acknowledge the truth of these luminous
words and holy allusions, and recognize God as “Him that doeth whatsoever
He pleaseth,” how could they continue to cleave unto these glaring
absurdities? Nay, with all their soul, they would accept and submit to
whatsoever He saith. I swear by God! But for the divine Decree, and the
inscrutable dispensations of Providence, the earth itself would have
utterly destroyed all this people! “He will, however, respite them until
the appointed time of a known day.”

Twelve hundred and eighty years have passed since the dawn of the
Muḥammadan Dispensation, and with every break of day, these blind and
ignoble people have recited their Qur’án, and yet have failed to grasp one
letter of that Book! Again and again they read those verses which clearly
testify to the reality of these holy themes, and bear witness to the truth
of the Manifestations of eternal Glory, and still apprehend not their
purpose. They have even failed to realize, all this time, that, in every
age, the reading of the scriptures and holy books is for no other purpose
except to enable the reader to apprehend their meaning and unravel their
innermost mysteries. Otherwise reading, without understanding, is of no
abiding profit unto man.

And it came to pass that on a certain day a needy man came to visit this
Soul, craving for the ocean of His knowledge. While conversing with him,
mention was made concerning the signs of the Day of Judgment,
Resurrection, Revival, and Reckoning. He urged Us to explain how, in this
wondrous Dispensation, the peoples of the world were brought to a
reckoning, when none were made aware of it. Thereupon, We imparted unto
him, according to the measure of his capacity and understanding, certain
truths of Science and ancient Wisdom. We then asked him saying: “Hast thou
not read the Qur’án, and art thou not aware of this blessed verse: ‘On
that day shall neither man nor spirit be asked of his Sin?’(127) Dost thou
not realize that by ‘asking’ is not meant asking by tongue or speech, even
as the verse itself doth indicate and prove? For afterward it is said: ‘By
their countenance shall the sinners be known, and they shall be seized by
their forelocks and their feet.’”(128)

Thus the peoples of the world are judged by their countenance. By it,
their misbelief, their faith, and their iniquity are all made manifest.
Even as it is evident in this day how the people of error are, by their
countenance, known and distinguished from the followers of divine
Guidance. Were these people, wholly for the sake of God and with no desire
but His good-pleasure, to ponder the verses of the Book in their heart,
they would of a certainty find whatsoever they seek. In its verses would
they find revealed and manifest all the things, be they great or small,
that have come to pass in this Dispensation. They would even recognize in
them references unto the departure of the Manifestations of the names and
attributes of God from out their native land; to the opposition and
disdainful arrogance of government and people; and to the dwelling and
establishment of the Universal Manifestation in an appointed and specially
designated land. No man, however, can comprehend this except he who is
possessed of an understanding heart.

We seal Our theme with that which was formerly revealed unto Muḥammad that
the seal thereof may shed the fragrance of that holy musk which leadeth
men unto the Ridván of unfading splendour. He said, and His Word is the
truth: “And God calleth to the Abode of Peace;(129) and He guideth whom He
will into the right way.”(130) “For them is an Abode of Peace with their
Lord! and He shall be their Protector because of their works.”(131) This
He hath revealed that His grace may encompass the world. Praise be to God,
the Lord of all being!

We have variously and repeatedly set forth the meaning of every theme,
that perchance every soul, whether high or low, may obtain, according to
his measure and capacity, his share and portion thereof. Should he be
unable to comprehend a certain argument, he may, thus, by referring unto
another, attain his purpose. “That all sorts of men may know where to
quench their thirst.”

By God! This Bird of Heaven, now dwelling upon the dust, can, besides
these melodies, utter a myriad songs, and is able, apart from these
utterances, to unfold innumerable mysteries. Every single note of its
unpronounced utterances is immeasurably exalted above all that hath
already been revealed, and immensely glorified beyond that which hath
streamed from this Pen. Let the future disclose the hour when the Brides
of inner meaning will, as decreed by the Will of God, hasten forth,
unveiled, out of their mystic mansions, and manifest themselves in the
ancient realm of being. Nothing whatsoever is possible without His
permission; no power can endure save through His power, and there is none
other God but He. His is the world of creation, and His the Cause of God.
All proclaim His Revelation, and all unfold the mysteries of His Spirit.

We have already in the foregoing pages assigned two stations unto each of
the Luminaries arising from the Daysprings of eternal holiness. One of
these stations, the station of essential unity, We have already explained.
“No distinction do We make between any of them.”(132) The other is the
station of distinction, and pertaineth to the world of creation and to the
limitations thereof. In this respect, each Manifestation of God hath a
distinct individuality, a definitely prescribed mission, a predestined
Revelation, and specially designated limitations. Each one of them is
known by a different name, is characterized by a special attribute,
fulfils a definite Mission, and is entrusted with a particular Revelation.
Even as He saith: “Some of the Apostles We have caused to excel the
others. To some God hath spoken, some He hath raised and exalted. And to
Jesus, Son of Mary, We gave manifest signs, and We strengthened Him with
the Holy Spirit.”(133)

It is because of this difference in their station and mission that the
words and utterances flowing from these Well-springs of divine knowledge
appear to diverge and differ. Otherwise, in the eyes of them that are
initiated into the mysteries of divine wisdom, all their utterances are in
reality but the expressions of one Truth. As most of the people have
failed to appreciate those stations to which We have referred, they
therefore feel perplexed and dismayed at the varying utterances pronounced
by Manifestations that are essentially one and the same.

It hath ever been evident that all these divergences of utterance are
attributable to differences of station. Thus, viewed from the standpoint
of their oneness and sublime detachment, the attributes of Godhead,
Divinity, Supreme Singleness, and Inmost Essence, have been and are
applicable to those Essences of being, inasmuch as they all abide on the
throne of divine Revelation, and are established upon the seat of divine
Concealment. Through their appearance the Revelation of God is made
manifest, and by their countenance the Beauty of God is revealed. Thus it
is that the accents of God Himself have been heard uttered by these
Manifestations of the divine Being.

Viewed in the light of their second station—the station of distinction,
differentiation, temporal limitations, characteristics and standards,—they
manifest absolute servitude, utter destitution and complete
self-effacement. Even as He saith: “I am the servant of God.(134) I am but
a man like you.”(135)

From these incontrovertible and fully demonstrated statements strive thou
to apprehend the meaning of the questions thou hast asked, that thou
mayest become steadfast in the Faith of God, and not be dismayed by the
divergences in the utterances of His Prophets and Chosen Ones.

Were any of the all-embracing Manifestations of God to declare: “I am
God!” He verily speaketh the truth, and no doubt attacheth thereto. For it
hath been repeatedly demonstrated that through their Revelation, their
attributes and names, the Revelation of God, His name and His attributes,
are made manifest in the world. Thus, He hath revealed: “Those shafts were
God’s, not Thine!”(136) And also He saith: “In truth, they who plighted
fealty unto thee, really plighted that fealty unto God.”(137) And were any
of them to voice the utterance: “I am the Messenger of God,” He also
speaketh the truth, the indubitable truth. Even as He saith: “Muḥammad is
not the father of any man among you, but He is the Messenger of God.”(138)
Viewed in this light, they are all but Messengers of that ideal King, that
unchangeable Essence. And were they all to proclaim: “I am the Seal of the
Prophets,” they verily utter but the truth, beyond the faintest shadow of
doubt. For they are all but one person, one soul, one spirit, one being,
one revelation. They are all the manifestation of the “Beginning” and the
“End,” the “First” and the “Last,” the “Seen” and “Hidden”—all of which
pertain to Him Who is the innermost Spirit of Spirits and eternal Essence
of Essences. And were they to say: “We are the servants of God,” this also
is a manifest and indisputable fact. For they have been made manifest in
the uttermost state of servitude, a servitude the like of which no man can
possibly attain. Thus in moments in which these Essences of being were
deeply immersed beneath the oceans of ancient and everlasting holiness, or
when they soared to the loftiest summits of divine mysteries, they claimed
their utterance to be the Voice of divinity, the Call of God Himself. Were
the eye of discernment to be opened, it would recognize that in this very
state, they have considered themselves utterly effaced and non-existent in
the face of Him Who is the All-Pervading, the Incorruptible. Methinks,
they have regarded themselves as utter nothingness, and deemed their
mention in that Court an act of blasphemy. For the slightest whispering of
self, within such a Court, is an evidence of self-assertion and
independent existence. In the eyes of them that have attained unto that
Court, such a suggestion is itself a grievous transgression. How much more
grievous would it be, were aught else to be mentioned in that Presence,
were man’s heart, his tongue, his mind, or his soul, to be busied with
anyone but the Well-Beloved, were his eyes to behold any countenance other
than His beauty, were his ear to be inclined to any melody but His voice,
and were his feet to tread any way but His way.

In this day the breeze of God is wafted, and His Spirit hath pervaded all
things. Such is the outpouring of His grace that the pen is stilled and
the tongue is speechless.

By virtue of this station, they have claimed for themselves the Voice of
Divinity and the like, whilst by virtue of their station of Messengership,
they have declared themselves the Messengers of God. In every instance
they have voiced an utterance that would conform to the requirements of
the occasion, and have ascribed all these declarations to Themselves,
declarations ranging from the realm of divine Revelation to the realm of
creation, and from the domain of Divinity even unto the domain of earthly
existence. Thus it is that whatsoever be their utterance, whether it
pertain to the realm of Divinity, Lordship, Prophethood, Messengership,
Guardianship, Apostleship or Servitude, all is true, beyond the shadow of
a doubt. Therefore, these sayings which We have quoted in support of Our
argument must be attentively considered, that the divergent utterances of
the Manifestations of the Unseen and Daysprings of Holiness may cease to
agitate the soul and perplex the mind.

Those words uttered by the Luminaries of Truth must needs be pondered, and
should their significance be not grasped, enlightenment should be sought
from the Trustees of the depositories of Knowledge, that these may expound
their meaning, and unravel their mystery. For it behooveth no man to
interpret the holy words according to his own imperfect understanding,
nor, having found them to be contrary to his inclination and desires, to
reject and repudiate their truth. For such, today, is the manner of the
divines and doctors of the age, who occupy the seats of knowledge and
learning, and who have named ignorance knowledge, and called oppression
justice. Were these to ask the Light of Truth concerning those images
which their idle fancy hath carved, and were they to find His answer
inconsistent with their own conceptions and their own understanding of the
Book, they would assuredly denounce Him Who is the Mine and Wellhead of
all Knowledge as the very negation of understanding. Such things have
happened in every age.

For instance, when Muḥammad, the Lord of being, was questioned concerning
the new moons, He, as bidden by God, made reply: “They are periods
appointed unto men.”(139) Thereupon, they that heard Him denounced Him as
an ignorant man.

Likewise, in the verse concerning the “Spirit,” He saith: “And they will
ask Thee of the Spirit. Say, ‘the Spirit proceedeth at My Lord’s
command.’”(140) As soon as Muḥammad’s answer was given, they all
clamorously protested, saying: “Lo! an ignorant man who knoweth not what
the Spirit is, calleth Himself the Revealer of divine Knowledge!” And now
behold the divines of the age who, because of their being honoured by His
name, and finding that their fathers have acknowledged His Revelation,
have blindly submitted to His truth. Observe, were this people today to
receive such answers in reply to such questionings, they would
unhesitatingly reject and denounce them—nay, they would again utter the
self-same cavils, even as they have uttered them in this day. All this,
notwithstanding the fact that these Essences of being are immensely
exalted above such fanciful images, and are immeasurably glorified beyond
all these vain sayings and above the comprehension of every understanding
heart. Their so-called learning, when compared with that Knowledge, is
utter falsehood, and all their understanding naught but blatant error.
Nay, whatsoever proceedeth from these Mines of divine Wisdom and these
Treasuries of eternal knowledge is truth, and naught else but the truth.
The saying: “Knowledge is one point, which the foolish have multiplied” is
a proof of Our argument, and the tradition: “Knowledge is a light which
God sheddeth into the heart of whomsoever He willeth” a confirmation of
Our statement.

Inasmuch as they have not apprehended the meaning of Knowledge, and have
called by that name those images fashioned by their own fancy and which
have sprung from the embodiments of ignorance, they therefore have
inflicted upon the Source of Knowledge that which thou hast heard and
witnessed.

For instance, a certain man,(141) reputed for his learning and
attainments, and accounting himself as one of the pre-eminent leaders of
his people, hath in his book denounced and vilified all the exponents of
true learning. This is made abundantly clear by his explicit statements as
well as by his allusions throughout his book. As We had frequently heard
about him, We purposed to read some of his works. Although We never felt
disposed to peruse other peoples’ writings, yet as some had questioned Us
concerning him, We felt it necessary to refer to his books, in order that
We might answer Our questioners with knowledge and understanding. His
works, in the Arabic tongue, were, however, not available, until one day a
certain man informed Us that one of his compositions, entitled
Irshadu’l-‘Avám,(142) could be found in this city. From this title We
perceived the odour of conceit and vainglory, inasmuch as he hath imagined
himself a learned man and regarded the rest of the people ignorant. His
worth was in fact made known by the very title he had chosen for his book.
It became evident that its author was following the path of self and
desire, and was lost in the wilderness of ignorance and folly. Methinks,
he had forgotten the well-known tradition which sayeth: “Knowledge is all
that is knowable; and might and power, all creation.” Notwithstanding, We
sent for the book, and kept it with Us a few days. It was probably
referred to twice. The second time, We accidentally came upon the story of
the “Mi’ráj”(143) of Muḥammad, of Whom was spoken: “But for Thee, I would
not have created the spheres.” We noticed that he had enumerated some
twenty or more sciences, the knowledge of which he considered to be
essential for the comprehension of the mystery of the “Mi’ráj”. We
gathered from his statements that unless a man be deeply versed in them
all, he can never attain to a proper understanding of this transcendent
and exalted theme. Among the specified sciences were the science of
metaphysical abstractions, of alchemy, and natural magic. Such vain and
discarded learnings, this man hath regarded as the pre-requisites of the
understanding of the sacred and abiding mysteries of divine Knowledge.

Gracious God! Such is the measure of his understanding. And yet, behold
what cavils and calumnies he hath heaped upon those Embodiments of God’s
infinite knowledge! How well and true is the saying: “Flingest thou thy
calumnies unto the face of Them Whom the one true God hath made the
Trustees of the treasures of His seventh sphere?” Not one understanding
heart or mind, not one among the wise and learned, hath taken notice of
these preposterous statements. And yet, how clear and evident it is to
every discerning heart that this so-called learning is and hath ever been,
rejected by Him Who is the one true God. How can the knowledge of these
sciences, which are so contemptible in the eyes of the truly learned, be
regarded as essential to the apprehension of the mysteries of the
“Mi’ráj,” whilst the Lord of the “Mi’ráj” Himself was never burdened with
a single letter of these limited and obscure learnings, and never defiled
His radiant heart with any of these fanciful illusions? How truly hath he
said: “All human attainment moveth upon a lame ass, whilst Truth, riding
upon the wind, darteth across space.” By the righteousness of God! Whoso
desireth to fathom the mystery of this “Mi’ráj,” and craveth a drop from
this ocean, if the mirror of his heart be already obscured by the dust of
these learnings, he must needs cleanse and purify it ere the light of this
mystery can be reflected therein.

In this day, they that are submerged beneath the ocean of ancient
Knowledge, and dwell within the ark of divine wisdom, forbid the people
such idle pursuits. Their shining breasts are, praise be to God,
sanctified from every trace of such learning, and are exalted above such
grievous veils. We have consumed this densest of all veils, with the fire
of the love of the Beloved—the veil referred to in the saying: “The most
grievous of all veils is the veil of knowledge.” Upon its ashes, We have
reared the tabernacle of divine knowledge. We have, praise be to God,
burned the “veils of glory” with the fire of the beauty of the
Best-Beloved. We have driven from the human heart all else but Him Who is
the Desire of the world, and glory therein. We cleave to no knowledge but
His Knowledge, and set our hearts on naught save the effulgent glories of
His light.

We were surprised exceedingly when We observed that his one purpose was to
make the people realize that all these learnings were possessed by him.
And yet, I swear by God that not one breath, blowing from the meads of
divine knowledge, hath ever been wafted upon his soul, nor hath he ever
unravelled a single mystery of ancient wisdom. Nay, were the meaning of
Knowledge ever to be expounded unto him, dismay would fill his heart, and
his whole being would shake to its foundation. Notwithstanding his base
and senseless statements, behold to what heights of extravagance his
claims have reached!

Gracious God! How great is Our amazement at the way the people have
gathered around him, and have borne allegiance to his person! Content with
transient dust, these people have turned their face unto it, and cast
behind their backs Him Who is the Lord of Lords. Satisfied with the
croaking of the crow and enamoured with the visage of the raven, they have
renounced the melody of the nightingale and the charm of the rose. What
unspeakable fallacies the perusal of this pretentious book hath revealed!
They are too unworthy for any pen to describe, and too base for one
moment’s attention. Should a touchstone be found, however, it would
instantly distinguish truth from falsehood, light from darkness, and sun
from shadow.

Among the sciences which this pretender hath professed is that of alchemy.
We cherish the hope that either a king or a man of preeminent power may
call upon him to translate this science from the realm of fancy to the
domain of fact and from the plane of mere pretension to that of actual
achievement. Would that this unlearned and humble Servant, who never laid
any pretension to such things, nor even regarded them as the criterion of
true knowledge, might undertake the same task, that thereby the truth
might be known and distinguished from falsehood. But of what avail! All
this generation could offer Us were wounds from its darts, and the only
cup it proffered to Our lips was the cup of its venom. On our neck We
still bear the scar of chains, and upon Our body are imprinted the
evidences of an unyielding cruelty.

And as to this man’s attainments, his ignorance, understanding and belief,
behold what the Book which embraceth all things hath revealed; “Verily,
the tree of Zaqqúm(144) shall be the food of the Áthím.”(145) And then
follow certain verses, until He saith: “Taste this, for thou forsooth art
the mighty Karím!”(146) Consider how clearly and explicitly he hath been
described in God’s incorruptible Book! This man, moreover, feigning
humility, hath in his own book referred to himself as the “áthim servant”:
“Áthím” in the Book of God, mighty among the common herd, “Karím” in name!

Ponder the blessed verse, so that the meaning of the words: “There is
neither a thing green nor sere but it is noted in the unerring Book,”(147)
may be imprinted upon the tablet of thy heart. Notwithstanding, a
multitude bear him allegiance. They have rejected the Moses of knowledge
and justice, and clung to the Samírí(148) of ignorance. They have turned
away their eyes from the Day-star of truth which shineth in the divine and
everlasting heaven, and have utterly ignored its splendour.

O my brother! A divine Mine only can yield the gems of divine knowledge,
and the fragrance of the mystic Flower can be inhaled only in the ideal
Garden, and the lilies of ancient wisdom can blossom nowhere except in the
city of a stainless heart. “In a rich soil, its plants spring forth
abundantly by permission of its Lord, and in that soil which is bad, they
spring forth but scantily.”(149)

Inasmuch as it hath been clearly shown that only those who are initiated
into the divine mysteries can comprehend the melodies uttered by the Bird
of Heaven, it is therefore incumbent upon every one to seek enlightenment
from the illumined in heart and from the Treasuries of divine mysteries
regarding the intricacies of God’s Faith and the abstruse allusions in the
utterances of the Day-springs of Holiness. Thus will these mysteries be
unravelled, not by the aid of acquired learning, but solely through the
assistance of God and the outpourings of His grace. “Ask ye, therefore, of
them that have the custody of the Scriptures, if ye know it not.”(150)

But, O my brother, when a true seeker determineth to take the step of
search in the path leading to the knowledge of the Ancient of Days, he
must, before all else, cleanse and purify his heart, which is the seat of
the revelation of the inner mysteries of God, from the obscuring dust of
all acquired knowledge, and the allusions of the embodiments of satanic
fancy. He must purge his breast, which is the sanctuary of the abiding
love of the Beloved, of every defilement, and sanctify his soul from all
that pertaineth to water and clay, from all shadowy and ephemeral
attachments. He must so cleanse his heart that no remnant of either love
or hate may linger therein, lest that love blindly incline him to error,
or that hate repel him away from the truth. Even as thou dost witness in
this day how most of the people, because of such love and hate, are bereft
of the immortal Face, have strayed far from the Embodiments of the divine
mysteries, and, shepherdless, are roaming through the wilderness of
oblivion and error. That seeker must at all times put his trust in God,
must renounce the peoples of the earth, detach himself from the world of
dust, and cleave unto Him Who is the Lord of Lords. He must never seek to
exalt himself above any one, must wash away from the tablet of his heart
every trace of pride and vainglory, must cling unto patience and
resignation, observe silence, and refrain from idle talk. For the tongue
is a smouldering fire, and excess of speech a deadly poison. Material fire
consumeth the body, whereas the fire of the tongue devoureth both heart
and soul. The force of the former lasteth but for a time, whilst the
effects of the latter endure a century.

That seeker should also regard backbiting as grievous error, and keep
himself aloof from its dominion, inasmuch as backbiting quencheth the
light of the heart, and extinguisheth the life of the soul. He should be
content with little, and be freed from all inordinate desire. He should
treasure the companionship of those that have renounced the world, and
regard avoidance of boastful and worldly people a precious benefit. At the
dawn of every day he should commune with God, and with all his soul
persevere in the quest of his Beloved. He should consume every wayward
thought with the flame of His loving mention, and, with the swiftness of
lightning, pass by all else save Him. He should succour the dispossessed,
and never withhold his favour from the destitute. He should show kindness
to animals, how much more unto his fellow-man, to him who is endowed with
the power of utterance. He should not hesitate to offer up his life for
his Beloved, nor allow the censure of the people to turn him away from the
Truth. He should not wish for others that which he doth not wish for
himself, nor promise that which he doth not fulfil. With all his heart
should the seeker avoid fellowship with evil doers, and pray for the
remission of their sins. He should forgive the sinful, and never despise
his low estate, for none knoweth what his own end shall be. How often hath
a sinner, at the hour of death, attained to the essence of faith, and,
quaffing the immortal draught, hath taken his flight unto the celestial
Concourse. And how often hath a devout believer, at the hour of his soul’s
ascension, been so changed as to fall into the nethermost fire. Our
purpose in revealing these convincing and weighty utterances is to impress
upon the seeker that he should regard all else beside God as transient,
and count all things save Him, Who is the Object of all adoration, as
utter nothingness.

These are among the attributes of the exalted, and constitute the
hall-mark of the spiritually-minded. They have already been mentioned in
connection with the requirements of the wayfarers that tread the Path of
Positive Knowledge. When the detached wayfarer and sincere seeker hath
fulfilled these essential conditions, then and only then can he be called
a true seeker. Whensoever he hath fulfilled the conditions implied in the
verse: “Whoso maketh efforts for Us,”(151) he shall enjoy the blessing
conferred by the words: “In Our ways shall We assuredly guide him.”(152)

Only when the lamp of search, of earnest striving, of longing desire, of
passionate devotion, of fervid love, of rapture, and ecstasy, is kindled
within the seeker’s heart, and the breeze of His loving-kindness is wafted
upon his soul, will the darkness of error be dispelled, the mists of
doubts and misgivings be dissipated, and the lights of knowledge and
certitude envelop his being. At that hour will the mystic Herald, bearing
the joyful tidings of the Spirit, shine forth from the City of God
resplendent as the morn, and, through the trumpet-blast of knowledge, will
awaken the heart, the soul, and the spirit from the slumber of negligence.
Then will the manifold favours and outpouring grace of the holy and
everlasting Spirit confer such new life upon the seeker that he will find
himself endowed with a new eye, a new ear, a new heart, and a new mind. He
will contemplate the manifest signs of the universe, and will penetrate
the hidden mysteries of the soul. Gazing with the eye of God, he will
perceive within every atom a door that leadeth him to the stations of
absolute certitude. He will discover in all things the mysteries of divine
Revelation and the evidences of an everlasting manifestation.

I swear by God! Were he that treadeth the path of guidance and seeketh to
scale the heights of righteousness to attain unto this glorious and
supreme station, he would inhale at a distance of a thousand leagues the
fragrance of God, and would perceive the resplendent morn of a divine
Guidance rising above the dayspring of all things. Each and every thing,
however small, would be to him a revelation, leading him to his Beloved,
the Object of his quest. So great shall be the discernment of this seeker
that he will discriminate between truth and falsehood even as he doth
distinguish the sun from shadow. If in the uttermost corners of the East
the sweet savours of God be wafted, he will assuredly recognize and inhale
their fragrance, even though he be dwelling in the uttermost ends of the
West. He will likewise clearly distinguish all the signs of God—His
wondrous utterances, His great works, and mighty deeds—from the doings,
words and ways of men, even as the jeweller who knoweth the gem from the
stone, or the man who distinguisheth the spring from autumn and heat from
cold. When the channel of the human soul is cleansed of all worldly and
impeding attachments, it will unfailingly perceive the breath of the
Beloved across immeasurable distances, and will, led by its perfume,
attain and enter the City of Certitude. Therein he will discern the
wonders of His ancient wisdom, and will perceive all the hidden teachings
from the rustling leaves of the Tree—which flourisheth in that City. With
both his inner and his outer ear he will hear from its dust the hymns of
glory and praise ascending unto the Lord of Lords, and with his inner eye
will he discover the mysteries of “return” and “revival.” How unspeakably
glorious are the signs, the tokens, the revelations, and splendours which
He Who is the King of names and attributes hath destined for that City!
The attainment of this City quencheth thirst without water, and kindleth
the love of God without fire. Within every blade of grass are enshrined
the mysteries of an inscrutable wisdom, and upon every rose-bush a myriad
nightingales pour out, in blissful rapture, their melody. Its wondrous
tulips unfold the mystery of the undying Fire in the Burning Bush, and its
sweet savours of holiness breathe the perfume of the Messianic Spirit. It
bestoweth wealth without gold, and conferreth immortality without death.
In every leaf ineffable delights are treasured, and within every chamber
unnumbered mysteries lie hidden.

They that valiantly labour in quest of God’s will, when once they have
renounced all else but Him, will be so attached and wedded to that City
that a moment’s separation from it would to them be unthinkable. They will
hearken unto infallible proofs from the Hyacinth of that assembly, and
receive the surest testimonies from the beauty of its Rose and the melody
of its Nightingale. Once in about a thousand years shall this City be
renewed and re-adorned.

Wherefore, O my friend, it behooveth Us to exert the highest endeavour to
attain unto that City, and, by the grace of God and His loving-kindness,
rend asunder the “veils of glory”; so that, with inflexible steadfastness,
we may sacrifice our drooping souls in the path of the New Beloved. We
should with tearful eyes, fervently and repeatedly, implore Him to grant
us the favour of that grace. That city is none other than the Word of God
revealed in every age and dispensation. In the days of Moses it was the
Pentateuch; in the days of Jesus the Gospel; in the days of Muḥammad the
Messenger of God the Qur’án; in this day the Bayán; and in the
dispensation of Him Whom God will make manifest His own Book—the Book unto
which all the Books of former Dispensations must needs be referred, the
Book which standeth amongst them all transcendent and supreme. In these
cities spiritual sustenance is bountifully provided, and incorruptible
delights have been ordained. The food they bestow is the bread of heaven,
and the Spirit they impart is God’s imperishable blessing. Upon detached
souls they bestow the gift of Unity, enrich the destitute, and offer the
cup of knowledge unto them who wander in the wilderness of ignorance. All
the guidance, the blessings, the learning, the understanding, the faith,
and certitude, conferred upon all that is in heaven and on earth, are
hidden and treasured within these Cities.

For instance, the Qur’án was an impregnable stronghold unto the people of
Muḥammad. In His days, whosoever entered therein, was shielded from the
devilish assaults, the menacing darts, the soul-devouring doubts, and
blasphemous whisperings of the enemy. Upon him was also bestowed a portion
of the everlasting and goodly fruits—the fruits of wisdom, from the divine
Tree. To him was given to drink the incorruptible waters of the river of
knowledge, and to taste the wine of the mysteries of divine Unity.

All the things that people required in connection with the Revelation of
Muḥammad and His laws were to be found revealed and manifest in that
Ridván of resplendent glory. That Book constitutes an abiding testimony to
its people after Muḥammad, inasmuch as its decrees are indisputable, and
its promise unfailing. All have been enjoined to follow the precepts of
that Book until “the year sixty”(153)—the year of the advent of God’s
wondrous Manifestation. That Book is the Book which unfailingly leadeth
the seeker unto the Ridván of the divine Presence, and causeth him that
hath forsaken his country and is treading the seeker’s path to enter the
Tabernacle of everlasting reunion. Its guidance can never err, its
testimony no other testimony can excel. All other traditions, all other
books and records, are bereft of such distinction, inasmuch as both the
traditions and they that have spoken them are confirmed and proven solely
by the text of that Book. Moreover, the traditions themselves grievously
differ, and their obscurities are manifold.

Muḥammad, Himself, as the end of His mission drew nigh, spoke these words:
“Verily, I leave amongst you My twin weighty testimonies: The Book of God
and My Family.” Although many traditions had been revealed by that Source
of Prophethood and Mine of divine Guidance, yet He mentioned only that
Book, thereby appointing it as the mightiest instrument and surest
testimony for the seekers; a guide for the people until the Day of
Resurrection.

With unswerving vision, with pure heart, and sanctified spirit, consider
attentively what God hath established as the testimony of guidance for His
people in His Book, which is recognized as authentic by both the high and
lowly. To this testimony we both, as well as all the peoples of the world,
must cling, that through its light we may know and distinguish between
truth and falsehood, guidance and error. Inasmuch as Muḥammad hath
confined His testimonies to His Book and to His Family, and whereas the
latter hath passed away, there remaineth His Book only as His one
testimony amongst the people.

In the beginning of His Book He saith: “Alif. Lám. Mím. No doubt is there
about this Book: It is a guidance unto the God-fearing.”(154) In the
disconnected letters of the Qur’án the mysteries of the divine Essence are
enshrined, and within their shells the pearls of His Unity are treasured.
For lack of space We do not dwell upon them at this moment. Outwardly they
signify Muḥammad Himself, Whom God addresseth saying: “O Muḥammad, there
is no doubt nor uncertainty about this Book which hath been sent down from
the heaven of divine Unity. In it is guidance unto them that fear God.”
Consider, how He hath appointed and decreed this self-same Book, the
Qur’án, as a guidance unto all that are in heaven and on earth. He, the
divine Being, and unknowable Essence, hath, Himself, testified that this
Book is, beyond all doubt and uncertainty, the guide of all mankind until
the Day of Resurrection. And now, We ask, is it fair for this people to
view with doubt and misgiving this most weighty Testimony, the divine
origin of which God hath proclaimed, and pronounced it to be the
embodiment of truth? Is it fair for them to turn away from the thing which
He hath appointed as the supreme Instrument of guidance for attainment
unto the loftiest summits of knowledge, and to seek aught else but that
Book? How can they allow men’s absurd and foolish sayings to sow the seeds
of distrust in their minds? How can they any longer idly contend that a
certain person hath spoken this or that way, or that a certain thing did
not come to pass? Had there been anything conceivable besides the Book of
God which could prove a more potent instrument and a surer guide to
mankind, would He have failed to reveal it in that verse?

It is incumbent upon us not to depart from God’s irresistible injunction
and fixed decree, as revealed in the above-mentioned verse. We should
acknowledge the holy and wondrous Scriptures, for failing to do this we
have failed to acknowledge the truth of this blessed verse. For it is
evident that whoso hath failed to acknowledge the truth of the Qur’án hath
in reality failed to acknowledge the truth of the preceding Scriptures.
This is but the manifest implication of the verse. Were We to expound its
inner meanings and unfold its hidden mysteries, eternity would never
suffice to exhaust their import, nor would the universe be capable of
hearing them! God verily testifieth to the truth of Our saying!

In another passage He likewise saith: “And if ye be in doubt as to that
which We have sent down to Our Servant, then produce a Súrah like it, and
summon your witnesses, beside God, if ye are men of truth.”(155) Behold,
how lofty is the station, and how consummate the virtue, of these verses
which He hath declared to be His surest testimony, His infallible proof,
the evidence of His all-subduing power, and a revelation of the potency of
His will. He, the divine King, hath proclaimed the undisputed supremacy of
the verses of His Book over all things that testify to His truth. For
compared with all other proofs and tokens, the divinely-revealed verses
shine as the sun, whilst all others are as stars. To the peoples of the
world they are the abiding testimony, the incontrovertible proof, the
shining light of the ideal King. Their excellence is unrivalled, their
virtue nothing can surpass. They are the treasury of the divine pearls and
the depository of the divine mysteries. They constitute the indissoluble
Bond, the firm Cord, the Urvatu’l-Vuthqá, the inextinguishable Light.
Through them floweth the river of divine knowledge, and gloweth the fire
of His ancient and consummate wisdom. This is the fire which, in one and
the same moment, kindleth the flame of love in the breasts of the
faithful, and induceth the chill of heedlessness in the heart of the
enemy.

O friend! It behooveth us not to waive the injunction of God, but rather
acquiesce and submit to that which He hath ordained as His divine
Testimony. This verse is too weighty and pregnant an utterance for this
afflicted soul to demonstrate and expound. God speaketh the truth and
leadeth the way. He, verily, is supreme over all His people; He is the
Mighty, the Beneficent.

Likewise, He saith: “Such are the verses of God: with truth do We recite
them to Thee. But in what revelation will they believe, if they reject God
and His verses?”(156) If thou wilt grasp the implication of this verse,
thou wilt recognize the truth that no manifestation greater than the
Prophets of God hath ever been revealed, and no testimony mightier than
the testimony of their revealed verses hath ever appeared upon the earth.
Nay, this testimony no other testimony can ever excel, except that which
the Lord thy God willeth.

In another passage He saith: “Woe to every lying sinner, who heareth the
verses of God recited to him, and then, as though he heard them not,
persisteth in proud disdain! Apprise him of a painful punishment.”(157)
The implications of this verse, alone, suffice all that is in heaven and
on earth, were the people to ponder the verses of their Lord. For thou
hearest how in this day the people disdainfully ignore the
divinely-revealed verses, as though they were the meanest of all things.
And yet, nothing greater than these verses hath ever appeared, nor will
ever be made manifest in the world! Say unto them: “O heedless people! Ye
repeat what your fathers, in a bygone age, have said. Whatever fruits they
have gathered from the tree of their faithlessness, the same shall ye
gather also. Ere long shall ye be gathered unto your fathers, and with
them shall ye dwell in hellish fire. An ill abode! the abode of the people
of tyranny.”

In yet another passage He saith: “And when he becometh acquainted with any
of Our verses he turneth them to ridicule. There is a shameful punishment
for them!”(158) The people derisively observed saying: “Work thou another
miracle, and give us another sign!” One would say: “Make now a part of the
heaven to fall down upon us”;(159) and another: “If this be the very truth
from before Thee, rain down stones upon us from heaven.”(160) Even as the
people of Israel, in the time of Moses, bartered away the bread of heaven
for the sordid things of the earth, these people, likewise, sought to
exchange the divinely-revealed verses for their foul, their vile, and idle
desires. In like manner, thou beholdest in this day that although
spiritual sustenance hath descended from the heaven of divine mercy, and
been showered from the clouds of His loving kindness, and although the
seas of life, at the behest of the Lord of all being, are surging within
the Ridván of the heart, yet these people, ravenous as the dogs, have
gathered around carrion, and contented themselves with the stagnant waters
of a briny lake. Gracious God! how strange the way of this people! They
clamour for guidance, although the standards of Him Who guideth all things
are already hoisted. They cleave to the obscure intricacies of knowledge,
when He, Who is the Object of all knowledge, shineth as the sun. They see
the sun with their own eyes, and yet question that brilliant Orb as to the
proof of its light. They behold the vernal showers descending upon them,
and yet seek an evidence of that bounty. The proof of the sun is the light
thereof, which shineth and envelopeth all things. The evidence of the
shower is the bounty thereof, which reneweth and investeth the world with
the mantle of life. Yea, the blind can perceive naught from the sun except
its heat, and the arid soil hath no share of the showers of mercy. “Marvel
not if in the Qur’án the unbeliever perceiveth naught but the trace of
letters, for in the sun, the blind findeth naught but heat.”

In another passage He saith: “And when Our clear verses are recited to
them, their only argument is to say, ‘Bring back our fathers, if ye speak
the truth!’”(161) Behold, what foolish evidences they sought from these
Embodiments of an all-encompassing mercy! They scoffed at the verses, a
single letter of which is greater than the creation of heavens and earth,
and which quickeneth the dead of the valley of self and desire with the
spirit of faith; and clamoured saying: “Cause our fathers to speed out of
their sepulchres.” Such was the perversity and pride of that people. Each
one of these verses is unto all the peoples of the world an unfailing
testimony and a glorious proof of His truth. Each of them verily sufficeth
all mankind, wert thou to meditate upon the verses of God. In the
above-mentioned verse itself pearls of mysteries lie hidden. Whatever be
the ailment, the remedy it offereth can never fail.

Heed not the idle contention of those who maintain that the Book and
verses thereof can never be a testimony unto the common people, inasmuch
as they neither grasp their meaning nor appreciate their value. And yet,
the unfailing testimony of God to both the East and the West is none other
than the Qur’án. Were it beyond the comprehension of men, how could it
have been declared as a universal testimony unto all people? If their
contention be true, none would therefore be required, nor would it be
necessary for them to know God, inasmuch as the knowledge of the divine
Being transcendeth the knowledge of His Book, and the common people would
not possess the capacity to comprehend it.

Such contention is utterly fallacious and inadmissible. It is actuated
solely by arrogance and pride. Its motive is to lead the people astray
from the Ridván of divine good-pleasure and to tighten the reins of their
authority over the people. And yet, in the sight of God, these common
people are infinitely superior and exalted above their religious leaders
who have turned away from the one true God. The understanding of His words
and the comprehension of the utterances of the Birds of Heaven are in no
wise dependent upon human learning. They depend solely upon purity of
heart, chastity of soul, and freedom of spirit. This is evidenced by those
who, today, though without a single letter of the accepted standards of
learning, are occupying the loftiest seats of knowledge; and the garden of
their hearts is adorned, through the showers of divine grace, with the
roses of wisdom and the tulips of understanding. Well is it with the
sincere in heart for their share of the light of a mighty Day!

And likewise, He saith: “As for those who believe not in the verses of
God, or that they shall ever meet Him, these of My mercy shall despair,
and these doth a grievous chastisement await.”(162) Also, “And they say,
‘Shall we then abandon our gods for a crazed poet?’”(163) The implication
of this verse is manifest. Behold what they observed after the verses were
revealed. They called Him a poet, scoffed at the verses of God, and
exclaimed saying: “These words of his are but tales of the Ancients!” By
this they meant that those words which were spoken by the peoples of old
Muḥammad hath compiled and called them the Word of God.

Likewise, in this day, thou hast heard the people impute similar charges
to this Revelation, saying: “He hath compiled these words from the words
of old;” or “these words are spurious.” Vain and haughty are their
sayings, low their estate and station!

After the denials and denunciations which they uttered, and unto which We
have referred, they protested saying: “No independent Prophet, according
to our Scriptures, should arise after Moses and Jesus to abolish the Law
of divine Revelation. Nay, he that is to be made manifest must needs
fulfil the Law.” Thereupon this verse, indicative of all the divine
themes, and testifying to the truth that the flow of the grace of the
All-Merciful can never cease, was revealed: “And Joseph came to you
aforetime with clear tokens, but ye ceased not to doubt of the message
with which He came to you, until, when He died, ye said, ‘God will by no
means raise up a Messenger after Him.’ Thus God misleadeth him who is the
transgressor the doubter.”(164) Therefore, understand from this verse and
know of a certainty that the people in every age, clinging to a verse of
the Book, have uttered such vain and absurd sayings, contending that no
Prophet should again be made manifest to the world. Even as the Christian
divines who, holding fast to the verse of the Gospel to which We have
already referred, have sought to explain that the law of the Gospel shall
at no time be annulled, and that no independent Prophet shall again be
made manifest, unless He confirmeth the law of the Gospel. Most of the
people have become afflicted with the same spiritual disease.

Even as thou dost witness how the people of the Qur’án, like unto the
people of old, have allowed the words “Seal of the Prophets” to veil their
eyes. And yet, they themselves testify to this verse: “None knoweth the
interpretation thereof but God and they that are well-grounded in
knowledge.”(165) And when He Who is well-grounded in all knowledge, He Who
is the Mother, the Soul, the Secret, and the Essence thereof, revealeth
that which is the least contrary to their desire, they bitterly oppose Him
and shamelessly deny Him. These thou hast already heard and witnessed.
Such deeds and words have been solely instigated by leaders of religion,
they that worship no God but their own desire, who bear allegiance to
naught but gold, who are wrapt in the densest veils of learning, and who,
enmeshed by its obscurities, are lost in the wilds of error. Even as the
Lord of being hath explicitly declared: “What thinkest thou? He who hath
made a God of his passions, and whom God causeth to err through a
knowledge, and whose ears and whose heart He hath sealed up, and over
whose sight He hath cast a veil—who, after his rejection by God, shall
guide such a one? Will ye not then be warned?”(166)

Although the outward meaning of “Whom God causeth to err through a
knowledge” is what hath been revealed, yet to Us it signifieth those
divines of the age who have turned away from the Beauty of God, and who,
clinging unto their own learning, as fashioned by their own fancies and
desires, have denounced God’s divine Message and Revelation. “Say: it is a
weighty Message, from which ye turn aside!”(167) Likewise, He saith: “And
when Our clear verses are recited to them, they say, ‘This is merely a man
who would fain pervert you from your father’s worship.’ And they say,
‘This is none other than a forged falsehood.’”(168)

Give ear unto God’s holy Voice, and heed thou His sweet and immortal
melody. Behold how He hath solemnly warned them that have repudiated the
verses of God, and hath disowned them that have denied His holy words.
Consider how far the people have strayed from the Kawthar of the divine
Presence, and how grievous hath been the faithlessness and arrogance of
the spiritually destitute in the face of that sanctified Beauty. Although
that Essence of lovingkindness and bounty caused those evanescent beings
to step into the realm of immortality, and guided those destitute souls to
the sacred river of wealth, yet some denounced Him as “a calumniator of
God, the Lord of all creatures,” others accused Him of being “the one that
withholdeth the people from the path of faith and true belief,” and still
others declared Him to be “a lunatic” and the like.

In like manner, thou observest in this day with what vile imputations they
have assailed that Gem of Immortality, and what unspeakable transgressions
they have heaped upon Him Who is the Source of purity. Although God hath
throughout His Book and in His holy and immortal Tablet warned them that
deny and repudiate the revealed verses, and hath announced His grace unto
them that accept them, yet behold the unnumbered cavils they raised
against those verses which have been sent down from the new heaven of
God’s eternal holiness! This, notwithstanding the fact that no eye hath
beheld so great an outpouring of bounty, nor hath any ear heard of such a
revelation of lovingkindness. Such bounty and revelation have been made
manifest, that the revealed verses seemed as vernal showers raining from
the clouds of the mercy of the All-Bountiful. The Prophets “endowed with
constancy,” whose loftiness and glory shine as the sun, were each honoured
with a Book which all have seen, and the verses of which have been duly
ascertained. Whereas the verses which have rained from this Cloud of
divine mercy have been so abundant that none hath yet been able to
estimate their number. A score of volumes are now available. How many
still remain beyond our reach! How many have been plundered and have
fallen into the hands of the enemy, the fate of which none knoweth.

O brother, we should open our eyes, meditate upon His Word, and seek the
sheltering shadow of the Manifestations of God, that perchance we may be
warned by the unmistakable counsels of the Book, and give heed to the
admonitions recorded in the holy Tablets; that we may not cavil at the
Revealer of the verses, that we may resign ourselves wholly to His Cause,
and embrace wholeheartedly His law, that haply we may enter the court of
His mercy, and dwell upon the shore of His grace. He, verily, is merciful,
and forgiving towards His servants.

And likewise, He saith: “Say, O people of the Book! do ye not disavow us
only because we believe in God and in what He hath sent down to us, and in
what He hath sent down aforetime, and because most of you are doers of
ill?”(169) How explicitly doth this verse reveal Our purpose, and how
clearly doth it demonstrate the truth of the testimony of the verses of
God! This verse was revealed at a time when Islám was assailed by the
infidels, and its followers were accused of misbelief, when the Companions
of Muḥammad were denounced as repudiators of God and as followers of a
lying sorcerer. In its early days, when Islám was still to outward seeming
devoid of authority and power, the friends of the Prophet, who had turned
their face toward God, wherever they went, were harassed, persecuted,
stoned and vilified. At such a time this blessed verse was sent down from
the heaven of divine Revelation. It revealed an irrefutable evidence, and
brought the light of an unfailing guidance. It instructed the companions
of Muḥammad to declare the following unto the infidels and idolators: “Ye
oppress and persecute us, and yet, what else have we done except that we
have believed in God and in the verses sent down unto us through the
tongue of Muḥammad, and in those which descended upon the Prophets of
old?” By this is meant that their only guilt was to have recognized that
the new and wondrous verses of God, which had descended upon Muḥammad, as
well as those which had been revealed unto the Prophets of old, were all
of God, and to have acknowledged and embraced their truth. This is the
testimony which the divine King hath taught His servants.

In view of this, is it fair for this people to repudiate these
newly-revealed verses which have encompassed both the East and the West,
and to regard themselves as the upholders of true belief? Should they not
rather believe in Him Who hath revealed these verses? Considering the
testimony which He Himself hath established, how could He fail to account
as true believers them that have testified to its truth? Far be it from
Him that He should turn away from the gates of His mercy them that have
turned unto and embraced the truth of the divine verses, or that He should
threaten those that have clung to His sure testimony! He verily
establisheth the truth through His verses, and confirmeth His Revelation
by His words. He verily is the Powerful, the Help in peril, the Almighty.

And likewise, He saith: “And had We sent down unto Thee a Book written on
parchment, and they had touched it with their hands, the infidels would
surely have said ‘This is naught but palpable sorcery.’”(170) Most of the
verses of the Qur’án are indicative of this theme. We have, for the sake
of brevity, mentioned only these verses. Consider, hath anything else
besides the verses been established in the whole Book, as a standard for
the recognition of the Manifestations of His Beauty, that the people might
cling to, and reject the Manifestations of God? On the contrary, in every
instance, He hath threatened with fire those that repudiate and scoff at
the verses, as already shown.

Therefore, should a person arise and bring forth a myriad verses,
discourses, epistles, and prayers, none of which have been acquired
through learning, what conceivable excuse could justify those that reject
them, and deprive themselves of the potency of their grace? What answer
could they give when once their soul hath ascended and departed from its
gloomy temple? Could they seek to justify themselves by saying: “We have
clung to a certain tradition, and not having beheld the literal fulfilment
thereof, we have therefore raised such cavils against the Embodiments of
divine Revelation, and kept remote from the law of God?” Hast thou not
heard that among the reasons why certain Prophets have been designated as
Prophets “endowed with constancy” was the revelation of a Book unto them?
And yet, how could this people be justified in rejecting the Revealer and
Author of so many volumes of verses, and follow the sayings of him who
hath foolishly sown the seeds of doubt in the hearts of men, and who,
Satan-like, hath risen to lead the people into the paths of perdition and
error? How could they allow such things to deprive them of the light of
the Sun of divine bounty? Aside from these things, if these people shun
and reject such a divine Soul, such holy Breath, to whom, We wonder, could
they cling, to whose face besides His Face could they turn? Yea—“All have
a quarter of the Heavens to which they turn.”(171) We have shown thee
these two ways; walk thou the way thou choosest. This verily is the truth,
and after truth there remaineth naught but error.

Amongst the proofs demonstrating the truth of this Revelation is this,
that in every age and Dispensation, whenever the invisible Essence was
revealed in the person of His Manifestation, certain souls, obscure and
detached from all worldly entanglements, would seek illumination from the
Sun of Prophethood and Moon of divine guidance, and would attain unto the
divine Presence. For this reason, the divines of the age and those
possessed of wealth, would scorn and scoff at these people. Even as He
hath revealed concerning them that erred: “Then said the chiefs of His
people who believed not, ‘We see in Thee but a man like ourselves; and we
see not any who have followed Thee except our meanest ones of hasty
judgment, nor see we any excellence in you above ourselves: nay, we deem
you liars.’”(172) They caviled at those holy Manifestations, and protested
saying: “None hath followed you except the abject amongst us, those who
are worthy of no attention.” Their aim was to show that no one amongst the
learned, the wealthy, and the renowned believed in them. By this and
similar proofs they sought to demonstrate the falsity of Him that speaketh
naught but the truth.

In this most resplendent Dispensation, however, this most mighty
Sovereignty, a number of illumined divines, of men of consummate learning,
of doctors of mature wisdom, have attained unto His Court, drunk the cup
of His divine Presence, and been invested with the honour of His most
excellent favour. They have renounced, for the sake of the Beloved, the
world and all that is therein. We will mention the names of some of them,
that perchance it may strengthen the faint-hearted, and encourage the
timorous.

Among them was Mullá Ḥusayn, who became the recipient of the effulgent
glory of the Sun of divine Revelation. But for him, God would not have
been established upon the seat of His mercy, nor ascended the throne of
eternal glory. Among them also was Siyyid Yaḥyá, that unique and peerless
figure of his age,

Mullá Muḥammad ‘Alíy-i-Zanjání

Mullá ‘Alíy-i-Bastamí

Mullá Sa’íd-i-Barfurú_Sh_í

Mullá Ni’matu’lláh-i-Mázindarání

Mullá Yúsúf-i-Ardibílí

Mullá Mihdíy-i-_Kh_ú’í

Siyyid Ḥusayn-i-Tur_Sh_ízí

Mullá Mihdíy-i-Kandí

Mullá Báqir

Mullá ‘Abdu’l-_Kh_áliq-i-Yazdí

Mullá ‘Alíy-i-Baraqání

and others, well nigh four hundred in number, whose names are all
inscribed upon the “Guarded Tablet” of God.

All these were guided by the light of that Sun of divine Revelation,
confessed and acknowledged His truth. Such was their faith, that most of
them renounced their substance and kindred, and cleaved to the
good-pleasure of the All-Glorious. They laid down their lives for their
Well-Beloved, and surrendered their all in His path. Their breasts were
made targets for the darts of the enemy, and their heads adorned the
spears of the infidel. No land remained which did not drink the blood of
these embodiments of detachment, and no sword that did not bruise their
necks. Their deeds, alone, testify to the truth of their words. Doth not
the testimony of these holy souls, who have so gloriously risen to offer
up their lives for their Beloved that the whole world marvelled at the
manner of their sacrifice, suffice the people of this day? Is it not
sufficient witness against the faithlessness of those who for a trifle
betrayed their faith, who bartered away immortality for that which
perisheth, who gave up the Kawthar of the divine Presence for salty
springs, and whose one aim in life is to usurp the property of others?
Even as thou dost witness how all of them have busied themselves with the
vanities of the world, and have strayed far from Him Who is the Lord, the
Most High.

Be fair: Is the testimony of those acceptable and worthy of attention
whose deeds agree with their words, whose outward behaviour conforms with
their inner life? The mind is bewildered at their deeds, and the soul
marvelleth at their fortitude and bodily endurance. Or is the testimony of
these faithless souls who breathe naught but the breath of selfish desire,
and who lie imprisoned in the cage of their idle fancies, acceptable? Like
the bats of darkness, they lift not their heads from their couch except to
pursue the transient things of the world, and find no rest by night except
as they labour to advance the aims of their sordid life. Immersed in their
selfish schemes, they are oblivious of the divine Decree. In the day-time
they strive with all their soul after worldly benefits, and in the
night-season their sole occupation is to gratify their carnal desires. By
what law or standard could men be justified in cleaving to the denials of
such petty-minded souls, and in ignoring the faith of them that have
renounced, for the sake of the good-pleasure of God, their life, and
substance, their fame and renown, their reputation and honour?

Were not the happenings of the life of the “Prince of Martyrs”(173)
regarded as the greatest of all events, as the supreme evidence of his
truth? Did not the people of old declare those happenings to be
unprecedented? Did they not maintain that no manifestation of truth hath
ever evinced such constancy, such conspicuous glory? And yet, that episode
of his life, commencing as it did in the morning, was brought to a close
by the middle of the same day, whereas, these holy lights have, for
eighteen years, heroically endured the showers of afflictions which, from
every side, have rained upon them. With what love, what devotion, what
exultation and holy rapture, they sacrificed their lives in the path of
the All-Glorious! To the truth of this all witness. And yet, how can they
belittle this Revelation? Hath any age witnessed such momentous
happenings? If these companions be not the true strivers after God, who
else could be called by this name? Have these companions been seekers
after power or glory? Have they ever yearned for riches? Have they
cherished any desire except the good-pleasure of God? If these companions,
with all their marvellous testimonies and wondrous works, be false, who
then is worthy to claim for himself the truth? I swear by God! Their very
deeds are a sufficient testimony, and an irrefutable proof unto all the
peoples of the earth, were men to ponder in their hearts the mysteries of
divine Revelation. “And they who act unjustly shall soon know what lot
awaiteth them!”(174)

Furthermore, the sign of truth and falsehood is designated and appointed
in the Book. By this divinely-appointed touchstone, the claims and
pretensions of all men must needs be assayed, so that the truthful may be
known and distinguished from the imposter. This touchstone is no other
than this verse: “Wish for death, if ye are men of truth.”(175) Consider
these martyrs of unquestionable sincerity, to whose truthfulness
testifieth the explicit text of the Book, and all of whom, as thou hast
witnessed, have sacrificed their life, their substance, their wives, their
children, their all, and ascended unto the loftiest chambers of Paradise.
Is it fair to reject the testimony of these detached and exalted beings to
the truth of this pre-eminent and glorious Revelation and to regard as
acceptable the denunciations which have been uttered against this
resplendent Light by this faithless people, who for gold have forsaken
their faith, and who for the sake of leadership have repudiated Him Who is
the First Leader of all mankind? This, although their character is now
revealed unto all people who have recognized them as those who will in no
wise relinquish one jot or one tittle of their temporal authority for the
sake of God’s holy Faith, how much less their life, their substance, and
the like.

Behold how the divine Touchstone hath, according to the explicit text of
the Book, separated and distinguished the true from the false.
Notwithstanding, they are still oblivious of this truth, and in the sleep
of heedlessness, are pursuing the vanities of the world, and are occupied
with thoughts of vain and earthly leadership.

“O Son of Man! Many a day hath passed over thee whilst thou hast busied
thyself with thy fancies and idle imaginings. How long art thou to slumber
on thy bed? Lift up thine head from slumber, for the Sun hath risen to the
zenith; haply it may shine upon thee with the light of beauty.”

Let it be known, however, that none of these doctors and divines to whom
we have referred was invested with the rank and dignity of leadership. For
well-known and influential leaders of religion, who occupy the seats of
authority and exercise the functions of leadership, can in no wise bear
allegiance to the Revealer of truth, except whomsoever thy Lord willeth.
But for a few, such things have never come to pass. “And few of My
servants are the thankful.”(176) Even as in this Dispensation, not one
amongst the renowned divines, in the grasp of whose authority were held
the reins of the people, hath embraced the Faith. Nay, they have striven
against it with such animosity and determination that no ear hath heard
and no eye hath seen the like.

The Báb, the Lord, the most exalted—may the life of all be a sacrifice
unto Him,—hath specifically revealed an Epistle unto the divines of every
city, wherein He hath fully set forth the character of the denial and
repudiation of each of them. “Wherefore, take ye good heed ye who are men
of insight!”(177) By His references to their opposition He intended to
invalidate the objections which the people of the Bayán might raise in the
day of the manifestation of “Mustagháth,”(178) the day of the Latter
Resurrection, claiming that, whereas in the Dispensation of the Bayán a
number of divines have embraced the Faith, in this latter Revelation none
of these hath recognized His claim. His purpose was to warn the people
lest, God forbid, they cling to such foolish thoughts and deprive
themselves of the divine Beauty. Yea, these divines to whom We have
referred, were mostly unrenowned, and, by the grace of God they were all
purged of earthly vanities and free from the trappings of leadership.
“Such is the bounty of God; to whom He will He giveth it.”

Another proof and evidence of the truth of this Revelation, which amongst
all other proofs shineth as the sun, is the constancy of the eternal
Beauty in proclaiming the Faith of God. Though young and tender of age,
and though the Cause He revealed was contrary to the desire of all the
peoples of earth, both high and low, rich and poor, exalted and abased,
king and subject, yet He arose and steadfastly proclaimed it. All have
known and heard this. He was afraid of no one; He was regardless of
consequences. Could such a thing be made manifest except through the power
of a divine Revelation, and the potency of God’s invincible Will? By the
righteousness of God! Were any one to entertain so great a Revelation in
his heart, the thought of such a declaration would alone confound him!
Were the hearts of all men to be crowded into his heart, he would still
hesitate to venture upon so awful an enterprise. He could achieve it only
by the permission of God, only if the channel of his heart were to be
linked with the Source of divine grace, and his soul be assured of the
unfailing sustenance of the Almighty. To what, We wonder, do they ascribe
so great a daring? Do they accuse Him of folly as they accused the
Prophets of old? Or do they maintain that His motive was none other than
leadership and the acquisition of earthly riches?

Gracious God! In His Book, which He hath entitled “Qayyúmu’l-Asmá,”—the
first, the greatest and mightiest of all books—He prophesied His own
martyrdom. In it is this passage: “O thou Remnant of God! I have
sacrificed myself wholly for Thee; I have accepted curses for Thy sake;
and have yearned for naught but martyrdom in the path of Thy love.
Sufficient Witness unto me is God, the Exalted, the Protector, the Ancient
of Days!”

Likewise, in His interpretation of the letter “Há,” He craved martyrdom,
saying: “Methinks I heard a Voice calling in my inmost being: ‘Do thou
sacrifice the thing which Thou lovest most in the path of God, even as
Ḥusayn, peace be upon him, hath offered up his life for My sake.’ And were
I not regardful of this inevitable mystery, by Him, Who hath my being
between His hands even if all the kings of the earth were to be leagued
together they would be powerless to take from me a single letter, how much
less can these servants who are worthy of no attention, and who verily are
of the outcast... That all may know the degree of My patience, My
resignation, and self-sacrifice in the path of God.”

Could the Revealer of such utterance be regarded as walking any way but
the way of God, and as having yearned for aught else except His
good-pleasure? In this very verse there lieth concealed a breath of
detachment, which if it were to be breathed full upon the world, all
beings would renounce their lives, and sacrifice their souls. Reflect upon
the villainous behaviour of this generation, and witness their astounding
ingratitude. Observe how they have closed their eyes to all this glory,
and are abjectly pursuing those foul carcasses from whose bellies
ascendeth the cry of the swallowed substance of the faithful. And yet,
what unseemly calumnies they have hurled against those Daysprings of
Holiness? Thus do We recount unto thee that which the hands of the
infidels have wrought, they who, in the Day of Resurrection, have turned
their face away from the divine Presence, whom God hath tormented with the
fire of their own misbelief, and for whom He hath prepared in the world to
come a chastisement which shall devour both their bodies and souls. For
these have said: “God is powerless, and His hand of mercy is fettered.”

Steadfastness in the Faith is a sure testimony, and a glorious evidence of
the truth. Even as the “Seal of the Prophets” hath said: “Two verses have
made Me old.” Both these verses are indicative of constancy in the Cause
of God. Even as He saith: “Be thou steadfast as thou hast been
bidden.”(179)

And now consider how this Sadrih of the Ridván of God hath, in the prime
of youth, risen to proclaim the Cause of God. Behold what steadfastness
that Beauty of God hath revealed. The whole world rose to hinder Him, yet
it utterly failed. The more severe the persecution they inflicted on that
Sadrih of Blessedness, the more His fervour increased, and the brighter
burned the flame of His love. All this is evident, and none disputeth its
truth. Finally, He surrendered His soul, and winged His flight unto the
realms above.

And among the evidences of the truth of His manifestation were the
ascendancy, the transcendent power, and supremacy which He, the Revealer
of being and Manifestation of the Adored, hath, unaided and alone,
revealed throughout the world. No sooner had that eternal Beauty revealed
Himself in _Sh_íráz, in the year sixty, and rent asunder the veil of
concealment, than the signs of the ascendancy, the might, the sovereignty,
and power, emanating from that Essence of Essences and Sea of Seas, were
manifest in every land. So much so, that from every city there appeared
the signs, the evidences, the tokens, the testimonies of that divine
Luminary. How many were those pure and kindly hearts which faithfully
reflected the light of that eternal Sun, and how manifold the emanations
of knowledge from that Ocean of divine wisdom which encompassed all
beings! In every city, all the divines and dignitaries rose to hinder and
repress them, and girded up the loins of malice, of envy, and tyranny for
their suppression. How great the number of those holy souls, those
essences of justice, who, accused of tyranny, were put to death! And how
many embodiments of purity, who showed forth naught but true knowledge and
stainless deeds, suffered an agonizing death! Notwithstanding all this,
each of these holy beings, up to his last moment, breathed the Name of
God, and soared in the realm of submission and resignation. Such was the
potency and transmuting influence which He exercised over them, that they
ceased to cherish any desire but His will, and wedded their soul to His
remembrance.

Reflect: Who in this world is able to manifest such transcendent power,
such pervading influence? All these stainless hearts and sanctified souls
have, with absolute resignation, responded to the summons of His decree.
Instead of complaining, they rendered thanks unto God, and amidst the
darkness of their anguish they revealed naught but radiant acquiescence to
His will. It is evident how relentless was the hate, and how bitter the
malice and enmity entertained by all the peoples of the earth towards
these companions. The persecution and pain they inflicted on these holy
and spiritual beings were regarded by them as means unto salvation,
prosperity, and everlasting success. Hath the world, since the days of
Adam, witnessed such tumult, such violent commotion? Notwithstanding all
the torture they suffered, and manifold the afflictions they endured, they
became the object of universal opprobrium and execration. Methinks
patience was revealed only by virtue of their fortitude, and faithfulness
itself was begotten only by their deeds.

Do thou ponder these momentous happenings in thy heart, so that thou
mayest apprehend the greatness of this Revelation, and perceive its
stupendous glory. Then shall the spirit of faith, through the grace of the
Merciful, be breathed into thy being, and thou shalt be established and
abide upon the seat of certitude. The one God is My witness! Wert thou to
ponder a while, thou wilt recognize that, apart from all these established
truths and above-mentioned evidences, the repudiation, cursing, and
execration, pronounced by the people of the earth, are in themselves the
mightiest proof and the surest testimony of the truth of these heroes of
the field of resignation and detachment. Whenever thou dost meditate upon
the cavils uttered by all the people, be they divines, learned or
ignorant, the firmer and the more steadfast wilt thou grow in the Faith.
For whatsoever hath come to pass, hath been prophesied by them who are the
Mines of divine knowledge, and Recipients of God’s eternal law.

Although We did not intend to make mention of the traditions of a bygone
age, yet, because of Our love for thee, We will cite a few which are
applicable to Our argument. We do not feel their necessity, however,
inasmuch as the things We have already mentioned suffice the world and all
that is therein. In fact, all the Scriptures and the mysteries thereof are
condensed into this brief account. So much so, that were a person to
ponder it a while in his heart, he would discover from all that hath been
said the mysteries of the Words of God, and would apprehend the meaning of
whatever hath been manifested by that ideal King. As the people differ in
their understanding and station, We will accordingly make mention of a few
traditions, that these may impart constancy to the wavering soul, and
tranquillity to the troubled mind. Thereby, will the testimony of God unto
the people, both high and low, be complete and perfect.

Among them is the tradition, “And when the Standard of Truth is made
manifest, the people of both the East and the West curse it.” The wine of
renunciation must needs be quaffed, the lofty heights of detachment must
needs be attained, and the meditation referred to in the words “One hour’s
reflection is preferable to seventy years of pious worship” must needs be
observed, so that the secret of the wretched behaviour of the people might
be discovered, those people who, despite the love and yearning for truth
which they profess, curse the followers of Truth when once He hath been
made manifest. To this truth the above-mentioned tradition beareth
witness. It is evident that the reason for such behaviour is none other
than the annulment of those rules, customs, habits, and ceremonials to
which they have been subjected. Otherwise, were the Beauty of the Merciful
to comply with those same rules and customs, which are current amongst the
people, and were He to sanction their observances, such conflict and
mischief would in no wise be made manifest in the world. This exalted
tradition is attested and substantiated by these words which He hath
revealed: “The day when the Summoner shall summon to a stern
business.”(180)

The divine call of the celestial Herald from beyond the Veil of Glory,
summoning mankind to renounce utterly all the things to which they cleave,
is repugnant to their desire; and this is the cause of the bitter trials
and violent commotions which have occurred. Consider the way of the
people. They ignore these well-founded traditions, all of which have been
fulfilled, and cling unto those of doubtful validity, and ask why these
have not been fulfilled. And yet, those things which to them were
inconceivable have been made manifest. The signs and tokens of the Truth
shine even as the midday sun, and yet the people are wandering, aimlessly
and perplexedly, in the wilderness of ignorance and folly. Notwithstanding
all the verses of the Qur’án, and the recognized traditions, which are all
indicative of a new Faith, a new Law, and a new Revelation, this
generation still waiteth in expectation of beholding the promised One who
should uphold the Law of the Muḥammadan Dispensation. The Jews and the
Christians in like manner uphold the same contention.

Among the utterances that foreshadow a new Law and a new Revelation are
the passages in the “Prayer of Nudbih”: “Where is He Who is preserved to
renew the ordinances and laws? Where is He Who hath the authority to
transform the Faith and the followers thereof?” He hath, likewise,
revealed in the Zíyárat:(181) “Peace be upon the Truth made new.”
Abú-‘Abdi’lláh, questioned concerning the character of the Mihdí, answered
saying: “He will perform that which Muḥammad, the Messenger of God, hath
performed, and will demolish whatever hath been before Him even as the
Messenger of God hath demolished the ways of those that preceded Him.”

Behold, how, notwithstanding these and similar traditions, they idly
contend that the laws formerly revealed, must in no wise be altered. And
yet, is not the object of every Revelation to effect a transformation in
the whole character of mankind, a transformation that shall manifest
itself both outwardly and inwardly, that shall affect both its inner life
and external conditions? For if the character of mankind be not changed,
the futility of God’s universal Manifestations would be apparent. In the
“Aválím,” an authoritative and well-known book, it is recorded: “A Youth
from Baní-Háshim shall be made manifest, Who will reveal a new Book and
promulgate a new law;” then follow these words: “Most of His enemies will
be the divines.” In another passage, it is related of Ṣádiq, son of
Muḥammad, that he spoke the following: “There shall appear a Youth from
Baní-Háshim, Who will bid the people plight fealty unto Him. His Book will
be a new Book, unto which He shall summon the people to pledge their
faith. Stern is His Revelation unto the Arab. If ye hear about Him, hasten
unto Him.” How well have they followed the directions of the Imáms of the
Faith and Lamps of certitude! Although it is clearly stated: “Were ye to
hear that a Youth from Baní-Háshim hath appeared, summoning the people
unto a new and Divine Book, and to new and Divine laws, hasten unto Him,”
yet have they all declared that Lord of being an infidel, and pronounced
Him a heretic. They hastened not unto that Háshimite Light, that divine
Manifestation, except with drawn swords, and hearts filled with malice.
Moreover, observe how explicitly the enmity of the divines hath been
mentioned in the books. Notwithstanding all these evident and significant
traditions, all these unmistakable and undisputed allusions, the people
have rejected the immaculate Essence of knowledge and of holy utterance,
and have turned unto the exponents of rebellion and error. Despite these
recorded traditions and revealed utterances, they speak only that which is
prompted by their own selfish desires. And should the Essence of Truth
reveal that which is contrary to their inclinations and desires, they will
straightway denounce Him as an infidel, and will protest saying: “This is
contrary to the sayings of the Imáms of the Faith and of the resplendent
lights. No such thing hath been provided by our inviolable Law.” Even so
in this day such worthless statements have been and are being made by
these poor mortals.

And now, consider this other tradition, and observe how all these things
have been foretold. In “Arbá’in” it is recorded: “Out of Baní-Háshim there
shall come forth a Youth Who shall reveal new laws. He shall summon the
people unto Him, but none will heed His call. Most of His enemies will be
the divines. His bidding they will not obey, but will protest saying:
‘This is contrary to that which hath been handed down unto us by the Imáms
of the Faith.’” In this day, all are repeating these very same words,
utterly unaware that He is established upon the throne of “He doeth
whatsoever He willeth,” and abideth upon the seat of “He ordaineth
whatsoever He pleaseth.”

No understanding can grasp the nature of His Revelation, nor can any
knowledge comprehend the full measure of His Faith. All sayings are
dependent upon His sanction, and all things stand in need of His Cause.
All else save Him are created by His command, and move and have their
being through His law. He is the Revealer of the divine mysteries, and the
Expounder of the hidden and ancient wisdom. Thus it is related in the
“Biháru’l-Anvar,” the “Aválím,” and the “Yanbú’” of Ṣádiq, son of
Muḥammad, that he spoke these words: “Knowledge is twenty and seven
letters. All that the Prophets have revealed are two letters thereof. No
man thus far hath known more than these two letters. But when the Qá’im
shall arise, He will cause the remaining twenty and five letters to be
made manifest.” Consider; He hath declared Knowledge to consist of twenty
and seven letters, and regarded all the Prophets, from Adam even unto the
“Seal,” as Expounders of only two letters thereof and of having been sent
down with these two letters. He also saith that the Qá’im will reveal all
the remaining twenty and five letters. Behold from this utterance how
great and lofty is His station! His rank excelleth that of all the
Prophets, and His Revelation transcendeth the comprehension and
understanding of all their chosen ones. A Revelation, of which the
Prophets of God, His saints and chosen ones, have either not been
informed, or which, in pursuance of God’s inscrutable Decree, they have
not disclosed,—such a Revelation these mean and depraved people have
sought to measure with their own deficient minds, their own deficient
learning and understanding. Should it fail to conform to their standards,
they straightway reject it. “Thinkest thou that the greater part of them
hear or understand? They are even like unto the brutes! yea, they stray
even further from the path!”(182)

How, We wonder, do they explain the aforementioned tradition, a tradition
which, in unmistakable terms, foreshadoweth the revelation of things
inscrutable, and the occurrence of new and wondrous events in His day?
Such marvellous happenings kindle so great a strife amongst the people,
that all the divines and doctors sentence Him and His companions to death,
and all the peoples of the earth arise to oppose Him. Even as it hath been
recorded in the “Káfí,” in the tradition of Jabír, in the “Tablet of
Fátimih,” concerning the character of the Qá’im: “He shall manifest the
perfection of Moses, the splendour of Jesus, and the patience of Job. His
chosen ones shall be abased in His day. Their heads shall be offered as
presents even as the heads of the Turks and the Daylamites. They shall be
slain and burnt. Fear shall seize them; dismay and alarm shall strike
terror into their hearts. The earth shall be dyed with their blood. Their
womenfolk shall bewail and lament. These indeed are my friends!” Consider,
not a single letter of this tradition hath remained unfulfilled. In most
of the places their blessed blood hath been shed; in every city they have
been made captives, have been paraded throughout the provinces, and some
have been burnt with fire. And yet no one hath paused to reflect that if
the promised Qá’im should reveal the law and ordinances of a former
Dispensation, why then should such traditions have been recorded, and why
should there arise such a degree of strife and conflict that the people
should regard the slaying of these companions as an obligation imposed
upon them, and deem the persecution of these holy souls as a means of
attaining unto the highest favour?

Moreover, observe how these things that have come to pass, and the acts
which have been perpetrated, have all been mentioned in former traditions.
Even as it hath been recorded in the “Rawdíy-i-Káfí,” concerning “Zawrá.”
In the “Rawdíy-i-Káfí” it is related of Mu’áviyih, son of Vahháb, that
Abú-‘Abdi’lláh hath spoken: “Knowest thou Zawrá?” I said: “May my life be
a sacrifice unto thee! They say it is Baghdád.” “Nay,” he answered. And
then added: “Hast thou entered the city of Rayy?”,(183) to which I made
reply: “Yea, I have entered it.” Whereupon, He enquired: “Didst thou visit
the cattle-market?” “Yea,” I answered. He said: “Hast thou seen the black
mountain on the right hand side of the road? The same is Zawrá. There
shall eighty men, of the children of certain ones, be slain, all of whom
are worthy to be called caliphs.” “Who will slay them?” I asked. He made
reply: “The children of Persia!”

Such is the condition and fate of His companions which in former days hath
been foretold. And now observe how, according to this tradition, Zawrá is
no other but the land of Rayy. In that place His companions have been with
great suffering put to death, and all these holy beings have suffered
martyrdom at the hand of the Persians, as recorded in the tradition. This
thou hast heard, and unto it all testify. Wherefore, then, do not these
grovelling, worm-like men pause to meditate upon these traditions, all of
which are manifest as the sun in its noon-tide glory? For what reason do
they refuse to embrace the Truth, and allow certain traditions, the
significance of which they have failed to grasp, to withhold them from the
recognition of the Revelation of God and His Beauty, and to cause them to
dwell in the infernal abyss? Such things are to be attributed to naught
but the faithlessness of the divines and doctors of the age. Of these,
Ṣádiq, son of Muḥammad, hath said: “The religious doctors of that age
shall be the most wicked of the divines beneath the shadow of heaven. Out
of them hath mischief proceeded, and unto them it shall return.”

We entreat the learned men of the Bayán not to follow in such ways, not to
inflict, at the time of Mustagháth, upon Him Who is the divine Essence,
the heavenly Light, the absolute Eternity, the Beginning and the End of
the Manifestations of the Invisible, that which hath been inflicted in
this day. We beg them not to depend upon their intellect, their
comprehension and learning, nor to contend with the Revealer of celestial
and infinite knowledge. And yet, notwithstanding all these admonitions, We
perceive that a one-eyed man, who himself is the chief of the people, is
arising with the utmost malevolence against Us. We foresee that in every
city people will arise to suppress the Blessed Beauty, that the companions
of that Lord of being and ultimate Desire of all men will flee from the
face of the oppressor and seek refuge from him in the wilderness, whilst
others will resign themselves and, with absolute detachment, will
sacrifice their lives in His path. Methinks We can discern one who is
reputed for such devoutness and piety that men deem it an obligation to
obey him, and to whose command they consider it necessary to submit, who
will arise to assail the very root of the divine Tree, and endeavour to
the uttermost of his power to resist and oppose Him. Such is the way of
the people!

We fain would hope that the people of the Bayán will be enlightened, will
soar in the realm of the spirit and abide therein, will discern the Truth,
and recognize with the eye of insight dissembling falsehood. In these
days, however, such odours of jealousy are diffused, that—I swear by the
Educator of all beings, visible and invisible—from the beginning of the
foundation of the world—though it hath no beginning—until the present day,
such malice, envy, and hate have in no wise appeared, nor will they ever
be witnessed in the future. For a number of people who have never inhaled
the fragrance of justice, have raised the standard of sedition, and have
leagued themselves against Us. On every side We witness the menace of
their spears, and in all directions We recognize the shafts of their
arrows. This, although We have never gloried in any thing, nor did We seek
preference over any soul. To everyone We have been a most kindly
companion, a most forbearing and affectionate friend. In the company of
the poor We have sought their fellowship, and amidst the exalted and
learned We have been submissive and resigned. I swear by God, the one true
God! grievous as have been the woes and sufferings which the hand of the
enemy and the people of the Book inflicted upon Us, yet all these fade
into utter nothingness when compared with that which hath befallen Us at
the hand of those who profess to be Our friends.

What more shall We say? The universe, were it to gaze with the eye of
justice, would be incapable of bearing the weight of this utterance! In
the early days of Our arrival in this land, when We discerned the signs of
impending events, We decided, ere they happened, to retire. We betook
Ourselves to the wilderness, and there, separated and alone, led for two
years a life of complete solitude. From Our eyes there rained tears of
anguish, and in Our bleeding heart there surged an ocean of agonizing
pain. Many a night We had no food for sustenance, and many a day Our body
found no rest. By Him Who hath My being between His hands! notwithstanding
these showers of afflictions and unceasing calamities, Our soul was wrapt
in blissful joy, and Our whole being evinced an ineffable gladness. For in
Our solitude We were unaware of the harm or benefit, the health or
ailment, of any soul. Alone, We communed with Our spirit, oblivious of the
world and all that is therein. We knew not, however, that the mesh of
divine destiny exceedeth the vastest of mortal conceptions, and the dart
of His decree transcendeth the boldest of human designs. None can escape
the snares He setteth, and no soul can find release except through
submission to His will. By the righteousness of God! Our withdrawal
contemplated no return, and Our separation hoped for no reunion. The one
object of Our retirement was to avoid becoming a subject of discord among
the faithful, a source of disturbance unto Our companions, the means of
injury to any soul, or the cause of sorrow to any heart. Beyond these, We
cherished no other intention, and apart from them, We had no end in view.
And yet, each person schemed after his own desire, and pursued his own
idle fancy, until the hour when, from the Mystic Source, there came the
summons bidding Us return whence We came. Surrendering Our will to His, We
submitted to His injunction.

What pen can recount the things We beheld upon Our return! Two years have
elapsed during which Our enemies have ceaselessly and assiduously
contrived to exterminate Us, whereunto all witness. Nevertheless, none
amongst the faithful hath risen to render Us any assistance, nor did any
one feel inclined to help in Our deliverance. Nay, instead of assisting
Us, what showers of continuous sorrows, their words and deeds have caused
to rain upon Our soul! Amidst them all, We stand, life in hand, wholly
resigned to His will; that perchance, through God’s loving kindness and
His grace, this revealed and manifest Letter may lay down His life as a
sacrifice in the path of the Primal Point, the most exalted Word. By Him
at Whose bidding the Spirit hath spoken, but for this yearning of Our
soul, We would not, for one moment, have tarried any longer in this city.
“Sufficient Witness is God unto Us.” We conclude Our argument with the
words: “There is no power nor strength but in God alone.” “We are God’s,
and to Him shall we return.”

They that have hearts to understand, they that have quaffed the Wine of
love, who have not for one moment gratified their selfish desires, will
behold, resplendent as the sun in its noon-tide glory, those tokens,
testimonies, and evidences that attest the truth of this wondrous
Revelation, this transcendent and divine Faith. Reflect, how the people
have rejected the Beauty of God, and have clung unto their covetous
desires. Notwithstanding all these consummate verses, these unmistakable
allusions, which have been revealed in the “Most weighty Revelation,” the
Trust of God amongst men, and despite these evident traditions, each more
manifest than the most explicit utterance, the people have ignored and
repudiated their truth, and have held fast to the letter of certain
traditions which, according to their understanding, they have found
inconsistent with their expectations, and the meaning of which they have
failed to grasp. They have thus shattered every hope, and deprived
themselves of the pure wine of the All-Glorious, and the clear and
incorruptible waters of the immortal Beauty.

Consider, that even the year in which that Quintessence of Light is to be
made manifest hath been specifically recorded in the traditions, yet they
still remain unmindful, nor do they for one moment cease to pursue their
selfish desires. According to the tradition, Mufaddál asked Ṣádiq saying:
“What of the sign of His manifestation, O my master?” He made reply: “In
the year sixty, His Cause shall be made manifest, and His Name shall be
proclaimed.”

How strange! Notwithstanding these explicit and manifest references these
people have shunned the Truth. For instance, mention of the sorrows, the
imprisonment and afflictions inflicted upon that Essence of divine virtue
hath been made in the former traditions. In the “Bihár” it is recorded:
“In our Qá’im there shall be four signs from four Prophets, Moses, Jesus,
Joseph, and Muḥammad. The sign from Moses, is fear and expectation; from
Jesus, that which was spoken of Him; from Joseph, imprisonment and
dissimulation; from Muḥammad, the revelation of a Book similar to the
Qur’án.” Notwithstanding such a conclusive tradition, which in such
unmistakable language hath foreshadowed the happenings of the present day,
none hath been found to heed its prophecy, and methinks none will do so in
the future, except him whom thy Lord willeth. “God indeed shall make whom
He will to hearken, but We shall not make those who are in their graves to
hearken.”

It is evident unto thee that the Birds of Heaven and Doves of Eternity
speak a twofold language. One language, the outward language, is devoid of
allusions, is unconcealed and unveiled; that it may be a guiding lamp and
a beaconing light whereby wayfarers may attain the heights of holiness,
and seekers may advance into the realm of eternal reunion. Such are the
unveiled traditions and the evident verses already mentioned. The other
language is veiled and concealed, so that whatever lieth hidden in the
heart of the malevolent may be made manifest and their innermost being be
disclosed. Thus hath Ṣádiq, son of Muḥammad, spoken: “God verily will test
them and sift them.” This is the divine standard, this is the Touchstone
of God, wherewith He proveth His servants. None apprehendeth the meaning
of these utterances except them whose hearts are assured, whose souls have
found favour with God, and whose minds are detached from all else but Him.
In such utterances, the literal meaning, as generally understood by the
people, is not what hath been intended. Thus it is recorded: “Every
knowledge hath seventy meanings, of which one only is known amongst the
people. And when the Qá’im shall arise, He shall reveal unto men all that
which remaineth.” He also saith: “We speak one word, and by it we intend
one and seventy meanings; each one of these meanings we can explain.”

These things We mention only that the people may not be dismayed because
of certain traditions and utterances, which have not yet been literally
fulfilled, that they may rather attribute their perplexity to their own
lack of understanding, and not to the non-fulfilment of the promises in
the traditions, inasmuch as the meaning intended by the Imáms of the Faith
is not known by this people, as evidenced by the traditions themselves.
The people, therefore, must not allow such utterances to deprive them of
the divine bounties, but should rather seek enlightenment from them who
are the recognized Expounders thereof, so that the hidden mysteries may be
unravelled, and be made manifest unto them.

We perceive none, however, amongst the people of the earth who, sincerely
yearning for the Truth, seeketh the guidance of the divine Manifestations
concerning the abstruse matters of his Faith. All are dwellers in the land
of oblivion, and all are followers of the people of wickedness and
rebellion. God will verily do unto them that which they themselves are
doing, and will forget them even as they have ignored His Presence in His
day. Such is His decree unto those that have denied Him, and such will it
be unto them that have rejected His signs.

We conclude Our argument with His words—exalted is He—“And whoso shall
withdraw from the remembrance of the Merciful, We will chain a Satan unto
him, and he shall be his fast companion.”(184) “And whoso turneth away
from My remembrance, truly his shall be a life of misery.”(185)

Thus hath it been revealed aforetime, were ye to comprehend.

Revealed by the “Bá’” and the “Há.”(186)

Peace be upon him that inclineth his ear unto the melody of the Mystic
Bird calling from the Sadratu’l-Muntahá!

Glorified be our Lord, the Most High!

END






FOOTNOTES


    1 Qur’án 36:30.

    2 Qur’án 40:5.

    3 Qur’án 11:38.

    4 Qur’án 71:26.

    5 Qur’án 29:2.

    6 Qur’án 35:39.

    7 Qur’án 11:61, 62.

    8 Abraham.

    9 Qur’án 40:28.

   10 Qur’án 11:21.

   11 Qur’án 2:87.

   12 Qur’án 3:70.

   13 Qur’án 3:71.

   14 Qur’án 3:99.

   15 Qur’án 3:7.

   16 Qur’án 76:9.

   17 Qur’án 5:117.

   18 Qur’án 14:24.

   19 The Greek word used (Thlipsis) has two meanings: pressure and
      oppression.

   20 Matthew 24:29–31.

   21 The passage is quoted by Bahá’u’lláh in Arabic and interpreted in
      Persian.

   22 Luke 21:33.

   23 “Lamentation” attributed to the Twelfth Imám.

   24 Qur’án 55:5.

   25 Qur’án 67:2.

   26 Qur’án 76:5.

   27 Qur’án 6:91.

   28 Qur’án 41:30.

   29 Qur’án 70:40.

   30 Qur’án 82:1.

   31 Qur’án 14:48.

   32 Qur’án 39:67.

   33 The direction toward which the face must be turned when praying.

   34 Mecca.

   35 Medina.

   36 Qur’án 2:144.

   37 Prostrations.

   38 At Mecca.

   39 Qur’án 2:149.

   40 Qur’án 2:115.

   41 Qur’án 2:143.

   42 Qur’án 74:50.

   43 Qur’án 28:20.

   44 Qur’án 24:35.

   45 Qur’án 26:19.

   46 Qur’án 19:22.

   47 Qur’án 19:28.

   48 Matthew 2:2.

   49 Qur’án 3:39.

   50 Matthew 3:1–2.

   51 Shay_ah_ Aḥmad-i-Ahsá’í and Siyyid Kázim-i-Rashtí.

   52 Qur’án 55:29.

   53 Qur’án 51:22.

   54 Qur’án 2:282.

   55 Qur’án 55:56.

   56 Qur’án 2:87.

   57 Qur’án 25:25.

   58 Qur’án 25:7.

   59 Qur’án 2:210

   60 Qur’án 44:10.

   61 Qur’án 3:119.

   62 The sixth Imám of the _Sh_í’ihs.

   63 Qur’án 25:7.

   64 Qur’án 4:45.

   65 Qur’án 2:75.

   66 Qur’án 2:79.

   67 Qur’án 24:35.

   68 Qur’án 9:33.

   69 Qur’án 29:51

   70 Qur’án 2:176.

   71 Qur’án 6:103.

   72 Qur’án 3:28.

   73 Qur’án 41:53.

   74 Qur’án 51:21.

   75 Qur’án 59:19.

   76 Qur’án 2:253.

   77 Qur’án 7:145.

   78 Qur’án 6:35.

   79 Isaiah 65:25.

   80 Qur’án 7:178.

   81 Qur’án 11:7.

   82 Qur’án 13:5.

   83 Qur’án 50:15.

   84 Qur’án 50:20.

   85 Qur’án 17:51.

   86 John 3:7.

   87 John 3:5–6.

   88 Qur’án 7:178.

   89 Luke 9:60.

   90 Title of the uncle of Muḥammad.

   91 Qur’án 6:122.

   92 Qur’án 37:173.

   93 Qur’án 9:33.

   94 Qur’án 11:18.

   95 Qur’án 35:15.

   96 Cf. Luke 5:18–26.

   97 Qur’án 6:91.

   98 Qur’án 15:72.

   99 Qur’án 5:64.

  100 Qur’án 48:10.

  101 Qur’án 29:23.

  102 Qur’án 2:46.

  103 Qur’án 2:249.

  104 Qur’án 18:111.

  105 Qur’án 13:2.

  106 Qur’án 17:44.

  107 Qur’án 78:29.

  108 Qur’án 57:3.

  109 Qur’án 2:210.

  110 Qur’án 28:5.

  111 Qur’án 13:41.

  112 Qur’án 3:183.

  113 Qur’án 3:182.

  114 Qur’án 2:89.

  115 Qur’án 2:285.

  116 Qur’án 54:50.

  117 Qur’án 43:22.

  118 The Báb.

  119 Qur’án 2:19.

  120 Qur’án 36:20.

  121 Imám ‘Alí.

  122 Qur’án 2:85.

  123 Qur’án 33:40.

  124 Qur’án 6:103.

  125 Qur’án 16:61.

  126 Qur’án 21:23.

  127 Qur’án 55:39.

  128 Qur’án 55:41.

  129 Baghdád.

  130 Qur’án 10:25.

  131 Qur’án 6:127.

  132 Qur’án 2:136.

  133 Qur’án 2:253.

  134 Qur’án 19:31.

  135 Qur’án 18:110.

  136 Qur’án 8:17.

  137 Qur’án 48:10.

  138 Qur’án 33:40.

  139 Qur’án 2:189.

  140 Qur’án 17:85.

  141 Ḥájí Mírzá Karím _Kh_án.

  142 “Guidance unto the ignorant.”

  143 Ascent.

  144 Infernal tree.

  145 Sinner or sinful. Qur’án 44:43–44.

  146 Honourable—Qur’án 44:49.

  147 Qur’án 6:59.

  148 A magician contemporary with Moses.

  149 Qur’án 7:57.

  150 Qur’án 16:43.

  151 Qur’án 29:69.

  152 Ibid.

  153 The year 1260 A.H., the year of the Báb’s Declaration.

  154 Qur’án 2:1.

  155 Qur’án 2:23.

  156 Qur’án 45:5.

  157 Qur’án 45:6.

  158 Qur’án 45:8.

  159 Qur’án 26:187.

  160 Qur’án 8:32.

  161 Qur’án 45:24.

  162 Qur’án 29:23.

  163 Qur’án 37:36.

  164 Qur’án 40:34.

  165 Qur’án 3:7.

  166 Qur’án 45:22.

  167 Qur’án 38:67.

  168 Qur’án 34:43.

  169 Qur’án 5:62.

  170 Qur’án 6:7.

  171 Qur’án 2:148.

  172 Qur’án 11:27.

  173 Imám Ḥusayn.

  174 Qur’án 26:227.

  175 Qur’án 2:94, Qur’án 62:6.

  176 Qur’án 34:13.

  177 Qur’án 59:2.

  178 He Who is invoked.

  179 Qur’án 11:113.

  180 Qur’án 54:6.

  181 Visiting Tablet revealed by ‘Alí.

  182 Qur’án 25:44.

  183 Ancient city near which Ṭihrán is built.

  184 Qur’án 43:36.

  185 Qur’án 20:124.

  186 B and H meaning Bahá.





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