Bahá’í World/Volume 12/Excerpts from the Bahá’í Sacred Writings

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FROM THE BAHA’I’ SACRED WRITINGS

EXCERPTS

l .

WORDS OF BAHA’U’LLAH

From PRAYERS AND MEDITATIONS BY BAHA’U’LLAH

ALL praise, O my God, be to Thee Who art the Source of all glory and majesty, of greatness and honor, of sovereignty and dominion, of loftiness and grace, of awe and power. Whomsoever Thou willest Thou causest to draw nigh unto the Most Great Ocean, and on whomsoever Thou desirest Thou conferrest the honor of recognizing Thy Most Ancient Name. Of all Who are in heaven and on earth, none can withstand the operation of Thy sovereign Will. From all eternity Thou didst rule the entire creation, and Thou wilt continue for evermore to exercise Thy dominion over all created things. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the A11Powerful, the All-Wise.

Illumine, O Lord, the faces of Thy servants, that they may behold Thee; and cleanse their hearts that they may turn unto the court of Thy heavenly favors, and recognize Him Who is the Manifestation of Thy Self and the Day-Spring of Thine Essence. Verily, Thou art the Lord of all worlds. There is no God but Thee, the Unconstrained, the All—Subduing. (p. 94)

Lauded be Thy name, 0 Lord my God! I testify that Thou wast a hidden Treasure wrapped within Thine immemorial Being and an impenetrable Mystery enshrined in Thine own Essence. Wishing to reveal Thyself, Thou didst call into being the Greater and the Lesser Worlds, and didst choose Man above all Thy creatures, and didst make Him a sign of both of these worlds, 0 Thou Who art our Lord, the Most Compassionate!

Thou didst raise Him up to occupy Thy throne before all the people of Thy creation. Thou didst enable Him to unravel Thy mysteries, and to shine with the lights of Thine

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inspiration and Thy Revelation, and to manifest Thy names and Thine attributes. Through Him Thou didst adorn the preamble of the book of Thy creation, O Thou Who art the Ruler of the universe Thou hast fashioned!

I bear witness that in His person solidity and fluidity have been joined and combined. Through His immovable constancy in Thy Cause, and His unwavering adherence to whatsoever Thou, in the plenitude of the light of Thy glory, didst unveil to His eyes, throughout the domains of Thy Revelation and creation, the souls of Thy servants were stirred up in their longing for Thy Kingdom, and the dwellers of Thy realms rushed forth to enter into Thy heavenly dominion. Through the restlessness He evinced in Thy path, the feet of all them that are devoted to Thee were steeled and confirmed to manifest Thy Cause amidst Thy creatures, and to demonstrate Thy sovereignty throughout Thy realm.

How great, O my God, is this Thy most excellent handiwork, and how consummate Thy creation, which hath caused every understanding heart and mind to marvel! And when the set time was fulfilled, and what had been preordained came to pass, Thou didst unloose His tongue to praise Thee, and to lay bare Thy mysteries before all Thy creation, O Thou Who art the Possessor of all names, and the Fashioner of earth and heaven! Through Him all created things were made to glorify Thee, and to celebrate Thy praise, and every soul was directed towards the kingdom of Thy revelation and Thy sovereignty.

At one time, Thou didst raise Him up, 0 my God, and didst attire Him with the ornament of the name of Him Who conversed with Thee (Moses), and didst through Him

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uncover all that Thy will had decreed and Thine irrevocable purpose ordained. At another time, Thou didst adorn Him with the name of Him Who was Thy Spirit (Jesus), and didst send Him down out of the heaven of Thy will, for the edification of Thy people, infusing thereby the spirit of life into the hearts of the sincere among Thy servants and the faithful among Thy creatures. Again, Thou didst reveal Him, decked forth by the name of Him Who was Thy Friend (Muhammad), and caused Him to shine brightly above the horizon of Hijéz, as a token of Thy power and an evidence of Thy might. Through Him Thou didst send unto Thy servants what enabled them to scale the heights of Thy unity, and to yearn over the wonders of Thy manifold knowledge and wisdom.

I testify, O Thou Who art the Lord of the whole creation, and the Desire of whosoever hath sought Thee, that, amidst Thy creatures, they resemble the sun which no matter how often it riseth and setteth is still the one and the same sun. Whoso maketh any distinction between any of them hath truly failed to attain the ultimate purpose, and to reach the highest goal, and hath been deprived of the mysteries of unity and of the lights of sanctity and oneness. I testify, moreover, that Thou hast decreed that none on the face of the earth should equal them, and none of Thy creatures be able to be compared with any of them, in order that Thine own singleness and peerlessness might be recognized and established.

Glorified, immeasurably glorified be Thy name, O my God! How can I ever befittingly mention Thee or sufficiently praise Thee, that Thou hast manifested Him by the power of Thy might, and caused Him to shine above the horizon of Thy will, and made Him the Day—Spring of Thy signs, and the Dawning—Place of the revelation of Thy names and Thine attributes? How bewilderingly mysterious, moreover, O my God, is His nature and all that Thou hast infused into Him, through Thy strength and by the power of Thy might! At one time He appeareth as the water which is Life indeed, sent down out of the heaven of Thy grace, and poured forth from the clouds of Thy mercy, that Thy creatures may be endued with new life, and live as long as Thine own Kingdom endureth. Every drop of that water would suffice to quicken the dead, and to set their faces in the direction of Thy fa vors and Thy gifts, and to rid them of all attachment to aught else except Thee. At another time He revealeth Himself as the Fire which Thou didst kindle in the tree of Thy unity, whose heat melted the hearts of Thine ardent lovers when He Who is the Day-Star of the world shone forth above the horizon of ‘Iráq. I testify, O my God, that through Him the veils of human fancy were burnt up, and the hearts of men were set towards the scene of Thy most resplendent glory.

I implore Thee, O Thou Who art the Supreme Ordainer, not to sufler me to be deprived of the breezes which are wafted in Thy days, the days whereon the sweet smell of the raiment of Thy mercy hath been shed abroad. Neither do Thou keep me back from Thy most great Ocean, every drop of which crieth out and saith: ‘Great is the blessedness that awaiteth him who hath been awakened from his sleep by the breath of God which, from the source of His mercy, hath blown over all such of His creatures as have set themselves towards Him!’

Thou seest, O my Lord, how Thy servants are held captive by their own selves and desires. Redeem them from their bondage, O my God, by the power of Thy sovereignty and might, that they may turn towards Thee when He Who is the Revealer of Thy names and attributes is manifested unto men.

Cast upon this poor and desolate creature, O my Lord, the glance of Thy wealth, and flood his heart with the beams of Thy knowledge, that he may apprehend the verities of the unseen world, and discover the mysteries of Thy heavenly realm, and perceive the signs and tokens of Thy kingdom, and behold the manifold revelations of this earthly life all set forth before the face of Him Who is the Revealer of Thine own Self. Direct, then, his eyes, O my God, towards the horizon of Thy loving-kindness, and make steadfast his heart in its attachment to Thee, and unloose his tongue to praise Thee, and make him able to hold fast the cord of Thy love, and to cling to the hem of Thy bounteousness, and to proclaim Thy name amidst Thy creatures, and to recount Thy virtues throughout Thy realm, in such wise that no obstacle will deter him from turning to Thy name, the All—Bountiful, and no veil shut him out from Thee, in Whose hand is the dominion of utterance and the kingdom of all names and attributes!

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Octagon of the Shrine seen from the mountainside and showing one iron railing in place. March, 1952.

Scaffolding around the drum and dome of the Báb’s Shrine; the ribs, tiles and lantern of the dome are still to be added. June, 1953.

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Hold Thou the hand of this seeker who hath set his face towards Thee, O my Lord, and draw him out of the depths of his vain imaginations, that the light of certainty may shine brightly above the horizon of his heart in the days whereon the sun of the knowledge of Thy creatures hath been darkened through the shining of the Day-Star of Thy glory; the days whereon the moon of the world’s wisdom hath been eclipsed through the appearance of Thy hidden knowledge, and the manifestation of Thy well-guarded secret, and the revelation of Thine enshrined mystery; the days whereon the stars of men’s doings have fallen through the rising of the orb of Thy unity and the shedding of the radiance of Thy transcendent oneness.

I beg of Thee, O my God, by Thy most exalted Word which Thou hast ordained as the Divine Elixir unto all who are in Thy realm, the Elixir through whose potency the crude metal of human life hath been transmuted into purest gold, O Thou in Whose hands are both the Visible and invisible kingdoms, to ordain that my choice be conformed to Thy choice and my wish to Thy wish, that I may be entirely content with that which Thou didst desire, and be wholly satisfied with what Thou didst destine for me by Thy bounteousness and favor. Potent art Thou to do as Thou willest. Thou, in very truth, art the All-Glorious, the All-Wise.

Happy is the man who hath recognized Thee, and discovered the sweetness of Thy fragrance, and set himself towards Thy kingdom, and tasted Of the things that have been perfected therein by Thy grace and favor. Great is the blessedness of him who hath acknowledged Thy most excellent majesty, and whom the veils that have shut out the nations from Thee have not hindered from directing his eyes towards Thee, O Thou Who art the King of eternity and the Quickener of every moldering bone! Blessed, also, is he that hath inhaled Thy sweet savers, and been carried away by

From GLEANINGS FROM THE

THE DAY OF FULFILLMENT

The time fore—ordained unto the peoples and kindreds of the earth is now come. The promises of God, as recorded in the holy

THE BAHA’I WORLD

Thine utterances in Thy days. Blessed, moreover, be the man that hath turned unto Thee, and woe betide him that hath turned

his back upon Thee. Praised be Thou, the Lord of the worlds! (p. 48)

Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! Thou seest and knowest that I have called upon Thy servants to turn nowhere except in the direction of Thy bestowals, and have hidden them observe naught save the things Thou didst prescribe in Thy Perspicuous Book, the Book which hath been sent down according to Thine inscrutable decree and irrevocable purpose.

I can utter no word, O my God, unless I be permitted by Thee, and can move in no direction until I obtain Thy sanction. It is Thou, O my God, Who hast called me into being through the power of Thy might, and hast endued me with Thy grace to manifest Thy Cause. Wherefore I have been subjected to such adversities that my tongue hath been hindered from extolling Thee and from magnifying Thy glory.

All praise be to Thee, O my God, for the things Thou didst ordain for me through Thy decree and by the power of Thy sovereignty. I beseech Thee that Thou wilt fortify both myself and them that love me in our love for Thee, and wilt keep us firm in Thy Cause. I swear by Thy might! O my God! Thy servant’s shame is to be shut out as by a veil from Thee, and his glory is to know Thee. Armed with the power of Thy name nothing can ever hurt me, and with Thy love in my heart all the world’s afflictions can in no wise alarm me.

Send down, therefore, O my Lord, upon me and upon my loved ones that which will protect us from the mischief of those that have repudiated Thy truth and disbelieved in Thy signs.

Thou art, verily, the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful. (p. 207)

WRITINGS 0F BAHA’U’LLAH

Scriptures, have all been fulfilled. Out of Zion hath gone forth the Law of God, and Jerusalem, and the hills and land thereof, are filled with the glory of His Revelation. Happy is the man that pondereth in his

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heart that which hath been revealed in the Books of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Meditate upon this, O ye beloved of God, and let your ears be attentive unto His Word, so that ye may, by His grace and mercy, drink your fill from the crystal waters of constancy, and become as steadfast and immovable as the mountain in His Cause.

In the Book of Isaiah it is written: “Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty.” No man that meditateth upon this verse can fail to recognize the greatness of this Cause, or doubt the exalted character of this Day—the Day of God himself. This same verse is followed by these words: “And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that Day.” This is the Day which the Pen Of the Most High hath glorified in all the holy Scriptures. There is no verse in them that doth not declare the glory of His holy Name, and no Book that doth not testify unto the loftiness of this most exalted theme. Were We to make mention of all that hath been revealed in these heavenly Books and holy Scriptures concerning this Revelation, this Tablet would assume impossible dimensions. It is incumbent, in this Day, upon every man to place his whole trust in the manifold bounties of God, and arise to disseminate, with the utmost wisdom, the verities of His Cause. Then, and only then, will the whole earth be enveloped with the morning light of His Revelation. (p. 12)

Verily I say, this is the Day in which mankind can behold the Face, and hear the Voice, of the Promised One. The Call of God hath been raised, and the light of His countenance hath been lifted up upon men. It behoveth every man to blot out the trace of every idle word from the tablet of his heart, and to gaze, with an open and unbiased mind, on the signs of His Revelation, the proofs of His Mission, and the tokens of His glory.

Great indeed is this Day! The allusions made to it in all the sacred Scriptures as the Day of God attest its greatness. The soul of every Prophet of God, of every Divine Messenger, hath thirsted for this wondrous Day. All the divers kindreds of the earth have, likewise, yearned to attain it. No sooner, however, had the Day Star of His Revelation manifested itself in the heaven of God’s Will, than all, except those

whom the Almighty was pleased to guide, were found dumbfounded and heedless.

O thou that hast remembered Me! The most grievous veil hath shut out the peoples of the earth from His glory, and hindered them from hearkening to His call. God grant that the light of unity may envelop the whole earth, and that the seal, “the Kingdom is God’s,” may be stamped upon the brow of all its peoples. (p. 10)

By the righteousness of God! These are the days in which God hath proved the hearts of the entire company of His Messengers and Prophets, and beyond them those that stand guard over His sacred and inviolable Sanctuary, the inmates of the celestial Pavilion and dwellers of the Tabernacle of Glory. How severe, therefore, the test to which they who join partners with God must needs be subjected! (p. 1])

Beware, 0 believers in the Unity of God, lest ye be tempted to make any distinction between any of the Manifestations of His Cause, or to discriminate against the signs that have accompanied and proclaimed their Revelation. This indeed is the true meaning of Divine Unity, if ye be of them that apprehend and believe this truth. Be ye assured, moreover, that the works and acts of each and every one of these Manifestations of God, may whatever pertaineth unto them, and whatsoever they may manifest in the future, are all ordained by God, and are a reflection of His Will and Purpose. Whoso maketh the slightest possible difference between their persons, their words, their messages, their acts and manners, hath indeed disbelieved in God, hath repudiated His signs, and betrayed the Cause of His Messengers. (p. 59)

It is evident that every age in Which a Manifestation of God hath lived is divinely ordained, and may, in a sense, be characterized as God’s appointed Day. This Day, however, is unique, and is to be distinguished from those that have preceded it. The designation “Seal of the Prophets” fully revealeth its high station. The Prophetic Cycle hath, verily, ended. The Eternal Truth is now come. He hath lifted up the Ensign of Power, and is now shedding upon the world the unclouded splendor of His Revelation. (p. 60)

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Contemplate with thine inward eye the chain of successive Revelations that hath linked the Manifestation of Adam with that of the Báb. I testify before God that each one of these Manifestations hath been sent down through the operation of the Divine Will and Purpose, that each hath been the bearer of a specific Message, that each hath been entrusted With a divinely-revealed Book and been commissioned to unravel the mysteries of a mighty Tablet. The measure of the Revelation with which every one of them hath been identified had been definitely fore-ordained. This, verily, is a token of Our favor unto them, if ye be of those that comprehend this truth. . . . And when this process of progressive Revelation culminated in the stage at which His peerless, His most sacred, and exalted Countenance was to be unveiled to men’s eyes, He chose to hide His own Self behind a thousand veils, lest profane and mortal eyes discover His glory. This He did at a time when the signs and tokens of a divinely-appointed Revelation were being showered upon Him —signs and tokens which none can reckon except the Lord, your God, the Lord of all worlds. And when the set time of concealment was fulfilled, We sent forth, whilst still wrapt within a myriad veils, an infinitesimal glimmer of the effulgent Glory enveloping the Face of the Youth, and lo, the entire company of the dwellers of the Realms above were seized with violent commotion and the favored of God fell down in adoration before Him. He hath, verily, manifested a glory such as none in the whole creation hath witnessed, inasmuch as He hath arisen to proclaim in person His Cause unto all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth. (p. 74)

O Husayn! Consider the eagerness with which certain peoples and nations have anticipated the return of Imém-Husayn, whose coming, after the appearance of the Qa’im, hath been prophesied, in days past, by the chosen ones of God, exalted be His glory. These holy ones have, moreover, announced that when He Who is the Day Spring of the manifold grace of God manifesteth Himself, all the Prophets and Messengers, including the Qá’im, will gather together beneath the shadow of the sacred Standard which the Promised One will raise. That hour is now come. The world is illumined with the effulgent glory of His

countenance. And yet, behold how far its peoples have strayed from His path! None have believed in Him except them who, through the power of the Lord of Names, have shattered the idols of their vain imaginings and corrupt desires and entered the city of certitude. The seal of the choice Wine of His Revelation bath, in this Day and in His Name, the Self—Suflicing, been broken. Its grace is being poured out upon men. Fill thy cup, and drink it in His Name, the Most Holy, the All-Praised. (p. 12)

Say: O ye that have strayed and lost your way! The Divine Messenger, Who speaketh naught but the truth, hath announced unto you the coming of the Best-Beloved. Behold, He is now come. Wherefore are ye downcast and dejected? Why remain despondent when the Pure and Hidden One hath appeared unveiled amongst you? He Who is both the Beginning and the End, He Who is both Stillness and Motion, is now manifest before your eyes. Behold how, in this Day, the Beginning is reflected in the End, how out of Stillness Motion hath been engendered. This motion hath been generated by the potent energies which the words of the Almighty have released throughout the entire creation. Whoso hath been quickened by its vitalizing power, will find himself impelled to attain the court of the Beloved; and whoso hath deprived himself therefrom, will sink into irretrievable despondency. He is truly wise whom the world and all that is therein have not deterred from recognizing the light of this Day, who will not allow men’s idle talk to cause him to swerve from the way of righteousness. He is indeed as one dead who, at the wondrous dawn of this Revelation, hath failed to be quickened by its soul—stirring breeze. He is indeed a captive who hath not recognized the Supreme Redeemer, but hath suffered his soul to be bound, distressed and helpless, in the fetters of his desires.

0 My servants! Whoso hath tasted of this Fountain hath attained unto everlasting Life, and whoso hath refused to drink therefrom is even as the dead. Say: O ye workers of iniquity! Covetousness hath hindered you from giving a hearing ear unto the sweet voice of Him Who is the All-Sufficing. Wash it away from your hearts, that His Divine secret may be made known unto you. Behold Him manifest and resplendent as the sun in all its glory.

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first golden tiles laid on the dome of the Báb’s Shrine. Beneath the tile on the right a piece of plaster from the prison room occupied by the Báb in Mah-Kfi was imbedded by the Guardian on the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of the Mission of Bahá’u’lláh.

Say: O ye that are bereft of understanding! A severe trial pursueth you, and will suddenly overtake you. Bestir yourselves, that haply it may pass and inflict no harm upon you. Acknowledge the exalted character of the name of the Lord, your God, Who hath come unto you in the greatness of His glory. He, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All—Possessing, the Supreme Protector.

(p. 168)

Tablet to Carmel

All glory be to this Day, the Day in which the fragrances of mercy have been wafted over all created things, a Day so blest that past ages and centuries can never hope to rival it, a Day in which the countenance of the Ancient of Days hath turned towards His holy seat. Thereupon the voices of all created things, and beyond them those of the Concourse on high, were heard calling aloud: “Haste thee, O Carmel, for 10, the light of the countenance of God, the Ruler of the Kingdom of Names and Fashioner of the heavens, hath been lifted upon thee.”

Seized with transports of joy, and raising high her voice, she thus exclaimed: “May my life be a sacrifice to Thee, inasmuch as Thou hast fixed Thy gaze upon me, hast bestowed upon me Thy bounty, and hast directed towards me Thy steps. Separation from Thee, O Thou Source of everlasting life, hath well nigh consumed me, and my remoteness from Thy presence hath burned away my soul. A11 praise be to Thee for having enabled me to hearken to Thy call, for having honored me with Thy footsteps, and for having quickened my soul through the vitalizing fragrance of Thy Day and the thrilling voice of Thy Pen, a voice Thou didst ordain as Thy trumpet-call amidst Thy people. And when the hour at which Thy resistless Faith was to be made manifest did strike, Thou didst breathe a breath of Thy spirit into Thy Pen, and lo, the entire creation shook to its very foundations, unveiling to mankind such mysteries as lay hidden within the treasuries of Him Who is the Possessor of all created things.”

No sooner had her voice reached that most exalted Spot than We made reply:

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“Render thanks unto Thy Lord, 0 Carmel. The fire of thy separation from Me was fast consuming thee, when the ocean of My presence surged before thy face, cheering thine eyes and those of all creation, and filling with delight all things visible and invisible. Rejoice, for God hath in this Day established upon thee His throne, hath made thee the dawning-place of His signs and the day spring of the evidences of His Revelation. Well is it with him that circleth around thee, that proclaimeth the revelation of thy glory, and recounteth that which the bounty of the Lord thy God hath showered upon thee. Seize thou the Chalice of Immortality in the name of thy Lord, the All-Glorious, and give thanks unto Him, inasmuch as He, in token of His mercy unto thee, hath turned thy sorrow into gladness, and transmuted thy grief into blissful joy. He, verily, Ioveth the spot which hath been made the seat of His throne, which His footsteps have trodden, which hath been honored by His presence, from which He raised His call, and upon which He shed His tears.

“Call out to Zion, O Carmel, and announce the joyful tidings: He that was hidden from mortal eyes is come! His allconquering sovereignty is manifest; His allencompassing splendor is revealed. Beware lest thou hesitate or halt. Hasten forth and circumambulate the City of God that hath descended from heaven, the celestial Kaaba round which have circled in adoration the favored of God, the pure in heart, and the company of the most exalted angels. Oh, how I long to announce unto every spot on the surface of the earth, and to carry to each one of its cities, the glad-tidings of this Revelation——a Revelation to which the heart of Sinai hath been attracted, and in whose name the Burning Bush is calling: ‘Unto God, the Lord of Lords, belong the kingdoms of earth and heaven.’ Verily this is the Day in which both land and sea rejoice at this announcement, the Day for which have been laid up those things which God, through a bounty beyond the ken of mortal mind or heart, hath destined for revelation. Ere long will God sail His Ark upon thee, and will manifest the people of Bahá who have been mentioned in the Book of Names.”

Sanctified be the Lord of all mankind, at the mention of Whose name all the atoms of the earth have been made to vibrate, and the Tongue Of Grandeur hath been moved

to disclose that which had been wrapt in His knowledge and lay concealed within the treasury of His might. He, verily, through the potency of His name, the Mighty, the All-Powerful, the Most High, is the ruler of all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. (p. 14)

Bestir yourselves, O people, in anticipation of the days of Divine justice, for the promised hour is now come. Beware lest ye fail to apprehend its import and be accounted among the erring. (p. 17)

THE STATION 0F MATURE MAN

All-praise to the unity of God, and allhonor to Him, the sovereign Lord, the incomparable and all-glorious Ruler of the universe, Who, out of utter nothingness, hath created the reality of all things, Who, from naught, hath brought into being the most refined and subtle elements of His creation, and Who, rescuing His creatures from the abasement of remoteness and the perils of ultimate extinction, hath received them into His kingdom of incorruptible glory. Nothing short of His all—encompassing grace, His all-pervading mercy, could have possibly achieved it. How could it, otherwise, have been possible for sheer nothingness to have acquired by itself the worthiness and capacity to emerge from its state of non-existence into the realm of being?

Having created the world and all that liveth and moveth therein, He, through the direct operation of His unconstrained and sovereign Will, chose to confer upon man the unique distinction and capacity to know Him and to love Him—a capacity that must needs be regarded as the generating impulse and the primary purpose underlying the whole of creation. . . . Upon the inmost reality of each and every created thing He hath shed the light of one of His names, and made it a recipient of the glory of one of His attributes. Upon the reality of man, however, He hath focused the radiance of all of His names and attributes, and made it a mirror of His own Self. Alone of all created things man hath been singled out for so great a favor, so enduring a bounty.

These energies with which the Day Star of Divine bounty and Source of heavenly guidance hath endowed the reality of man lie, however, latent within him, even as the

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flame is hidden within the candle and the rays of light are potentially present in the lamp. The radiance of these energies may be obscured by worldly desires even as the light of the sun can be concealed beneath the dust and dross which cover the mirror. Neither the candle nor the lamp can be lighted through their own unaided efforts, nor can it ever be possible for the mirror to free itself from its dross. It is clear and evident that until a fire is kindled the lamp will never be ignited, and unless the dross is blotted out from the face of the mirror it can never represent the image of the sun nor reflect its light and glory.

And since there can be no tie of direct intercourse to bind the one true God with His creation, and no resemblance whatever can exist between the transient and the Eternal, the contingent and the Absolute, He hath ordained that in every age and dispensation a pure and stainless Soul be made manifest in the kingdoms of earth and heaven. Unto this subtle, this mysterious and ethereal Being He hath assigned a twofold nature; the physical, pertaining to the world of matter, and the spiritual, which is born of the substance of God Himself. He hath, moreover, conferred upon Him a double station. The first station, which is related to His innermost reality, representeth Him as One Whose voice is the voice of God Himself. To this testifieth the tradition: “Manifold and mysterious is My relationship with God. I am He, Himself, and He is I, Myself, except that I am that I am, and He is that He is.” And in like manner, the words: “Arise, O Muhammad, for 10, the Lover and the Beloved are joined together and made one in Thee.” He similarly saith: “There is no distinction whatsoever between Thee and Them, except that They are Thy Servants.” The second station is the human station, exemplified by the following verses: “I am but a man like you.” “Say, praise be to my Lord! Am I more than a man, an apostle?” These Essences of Detachment, these resplendent Realities are the channels of God’s all-pervasive grace. Led by the light of unfailing guidance, and invested with supreme sovereignty, they are commissioned to use the inspiration of their words, the effusions of their infallible grace and the sanctifying breeze of their Revelation for the cleansing of every longing heart and receptive spirit from the dross and dust of earthly cares and limitations. Then, and

only then, will the Trust of God, latent in the reality of man, emerge, as resplendent as the rising Orb of Divine Revelation, from behind the veil of concealment, and implant the ensign of its revealed glory upon the summits of men’s hearts.

From the foregoing passages and allusions it hath been made indubitably clear that in the kingdoms of earth and heaven there must needs be manifested a Being, an Essence Who shall act as a Manifestation and Vehicle for the transmission of the grace of the Divinity Itself, the Sovereign Lord of all. Through the Teachings of this Day Star of Truth every man will advance and develop until he attaineth the station at which he can manifest all the potential forces with which his inmost true self hath been endowed. It is for this very purpose that in every age and dispensation the Prophets of God and His chosen Ones have appeared amongst men, and have evinced such power as is born of God and such might as only the Eternal can reveal.

Can one of sane mind ever seriously imagine that, in view of certain words the meaning of which he cannot comprehend, the portal of God’s infinite guidance can ever be closed in the face of men? Can he ever conceive for these Divine Luminaries, these resplendent Lights either a beginning or an end? What outpouring flood can compare with the stream of His all-embracing grace, and what blessing can excel the evidences of so great and pervasive a mercy? There can be no doubt whatever that if for one moment the tide of His mercy and grace were to be withheld from the world, it would completely perish. For this reason, from the beginning that hath no beginning the portals of Divine mercy have been flung open to the face of all created things, and the clouds of Truth will continue to the end that hath no end to rain on the soil of human capacity, reality and personality their favors and bounties. Such hath been God’s method continued from everlasting to everlasting. (p. 64)

The purpose of God in creating man hath been, and will ever be, to enable him to know his Creator and to attain His Presence. To this most excellent aim, this supreme objective, all the heavenly Books and the divinely-revealed and weighty Scriptures unequivocally bear witness. Whoso hath recognized the Day Spring of Divine

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Raising the bell of the lantern of the dome of the Báb’s Shrine.

guidance and entered His holy court hath drawn nigh unto God and attained His Presence, a Presence which is the real Paradise, and of which the loftiest mansions of heaven are but a symbol. Such a man hath attained the knowledge of the station of Him Who is “at the distance of two bows,” Who standeth beyond the Sadratu’lMuntahé. Whoso hath failed to recognize Him will have condemned himself to the misery of remoteness, a remoteness which is naught but utter nothingness and the essence of the nethermost fire. Such will be his fate, though to outward seeming he may occupy the earth’s loftiest seats and be established upon its most exalted throne. He Who is the Day Spring of Truth is, no doubt, fully capable of rescuing from such remoteness wayward souls and of causing them to draw nigh unto His court and attain His Presence. “If God had pleased He had surely made all men one people.” His purpose, however, is to enable the pure in spirit and the detached in heart to ascend, by virtue of their own innate powers, unto the shores of the Most Great Ocean, that thereby they who seek the Beauty of the AllGlorious may be distinguished and separated from the wayward and perverse. Thus

hath it been ordained by the all-glorious and resplendent Pen. . .

That the Manifestations of Divine justice, the Day Springs of heavenly grace, have when they appeared amongst men always been destitute of all earthly dominion and shorn of the means of worldly ascendancy, should be attributed to this same principle of separation and distinction which animateth the Divine Purpose. Were the Eternal Essence to manifest all that is latent within Him, were He to shine in the plenitude of His glory, none would be found to question His power or repudiate His truth. Nay, all created things would be so dazzled and thunderstruck by the evidences of His light as to be reduced to utter nothingness. How, then, can the godly be differentiated under such circumstances from the froward?

This principle hath operated in each of the previous Dispensations and been abundantly demonstrated. . . . It is for this reason that, in every age, when a new Manifestation hath appeared and a fresh revelation of God’s transcendent power was vouchsafed unto men, they that misbelieved in Him, deluded by the appearance of the peerless and everlasting Beauty in the garb of mortal men, have failed to recognize Him.

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The crown of the dome.

They have erred from His path and eschewed His company—the company of Him Who is the Symbol of nearness to God. They have even arisen to decimate the ranks of the faithful and to exterminate such as believed in Him.

Behold how in this Dispensation the worthless and foolish have fondly imagined that by such instruments as massacre, plunder and banishment they can extinguish the Lamp which the Hand of Divine power hath lit, or eclipse the Day Star of everlasting splendor. How utterly unaware they seem to be of the truth that such adversity is the oil that feedeth the flame of this Lamp! Such is God’s transforming power. He changeth whatsoever He willeth; He verily hath power over all things. . . .

Consider at all times the sovereignty exercised by the Ideal King, and behold the evidences of His power and paramount influence. Sanctify your ears from the idle talk of them that are the symbols of denial and the exponents of violence and anger. The hour is approaching when ye will witness the power of the one true God triumph ing over all created things and the signs of His sovereignty encompassing all creation. On that day ye will discover how all else besides Him will have been forgotten and come to be regarded as utter nothingness.

It should, however, be borne in mind that God and His Manifestation can, under no circumstances, be dissociated from the loftiness and sublimity which They inherently possess. Nay, loftiness and sublimity are themselves the creations of His Word, if ye choose to see with My sight not with yours. (p. 70)

. . . God’s purpose in sending His Prophets unto men is twofold. The first is to liberate the children of men from the darkness of ignorance, and guide them to the light of true understanding. The second is to ensure the peace and tranquillity of mankind, and provide all the means by which they can be established.

The Prophets of God should be regarded as physicians whose task is to foster the well-being of the world and its peoples, that, through the spirit of oneness, they may heal

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the sickness of a divided humanity. To none is given the right to question their words or disparage their conduct, for they are the only ones who can claim to have understood the patient and to have correctly diagnosed its ailments. No man, however acute his perception, can ever hope to reach the heights which the wisdom and understanding of the Divine Physician have attained. Little wonder, then, if the treatment prescribed by the physician in this day should not be found to be identical with that which he prescribed before. How could it be otherwise when the ills affecting the sufferer necessitate at every stage of his sickness a special remedy? In like manner, every time the Prophets of God have illumined the world with the resplendent radiance of the Day Star of Divine knowledge, they have invariably summoned its peoples to embrace the light of God through such means as best befitted the exigencies of the age in which they appeared. They were thus able to scatter the darkness of ignorance, and to shed upon the world the glory of their own knowledge. It is towards the inmost essence of these Prophets, therefore, that the eye of every man of discernment must be directed, inasmuch as their one and only purpose hath always been to guide the erring, and give peace to the afl‘licted. These are not days of prosperity and triumph. The whole of mankind is in the grip of manifold ills. Strive, therefore, to save its life through the wholesome medicine which the almighty hand of the unerring Physician hath prepared.

And now concerning thy question regarding the nature of religion. Know thou that they who are truly wise have likened the world unto the human temple. As the body of man needeth a garment to clothe it, so the body of mankind must needs be adorned with the mantle of justice and wisdom. Its robe is the Revelation vouchsafed unto it by God. Whenever this robe hath fulfilled its purpose, the Almighty will assuredly renew it. For every age requireth a fresh measure of the light of God. Every Divine Revelation hath been sent down in a manner that befitted the circumstances of the age in which it hath appeared.

As to thy question regarding the sayings of the leaders of past religions. Every wise and praiseworthy man will no doubt eschew such vain and profitless talk. The incomparable Creator hath created all men from one

same substance, and hath exalted their reality above the rest of His creatures. Success or failure, gain or loss, must, therefore, depend upon man’s own exertions. The more he striveth, the greater will be his progress. We fain would hope that the vernal showers of the bounty of God may cause the flowers of true understanding to spring from the soil of men’s hearts, and may wash them from all earthly defilements. (p. 77)

THE PURPOSE OF RELIGION

The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men. Suffer it not to become a source of dissension and discord, of hate and enmity. This is the straight Path, the fixed and immovable foundation. Whatsoever is raised on this foundation, the changes and chances of the world can never impair its strength, nor will the revolution of countless centuries undermine its structure. Our hope is that the world’s religious leaders and the rulers thereof will unitedly arise for the reformation of this age and the rehabilitation of its fortunes. Let them, after meditating on its needs, take counsel together and, through anxious and full deliberation, administer to a diseased and sorely-afl‘licted world the remedy it requires. . . . It is incumbent upon them who are in authority to exercise moderation in all things. Whatsoever passeth beyond the limits of moderation will cease to exert a beneficial influence. Consider for instance such things as liberty, civilization and the like. However much men of understanding may favorably regard them, they will, if carried to excess, exercise a pernicious influence upon men. . . . Please God, the peoples of the world may be led, as the result of the high endeavors exerted by their rulers and the wise and learned amongst men, to recognize their best interests. How long will humanity persist in its waywardness? How long Will injustice continue? How long is chaos and confusion to reign amongst men? How long will discord agitate the face of society? The winds of despair are, alas, blowing from every direction, and the strife that divideth and afl‘licteth the human race is daily increasing. The signs of impending convulsions and chaos can now be discerned, inasmuch as the prevailing order ap [Page 83]BAHA’I SACRED WRITINGS 83

peareth to be lamentably defective. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, that He may graciously awaken the peoples of the earth, may grant that the end of their conduct may be profitable unto them, and aid them to accomplish that which beseemeth their station. (p. 215)

O contending peoples and kindreds of the earth! Set your faces towards unity, and let the radiance of its light shine upon you. Gather ye together, and for the sake of God resolve to root out whatever is the source of contention amongst you. Then will the effulgence of the world’s great Luminary envelop the whole earth, and its inhabitants become the citizens of one city, and the occupants of one and the same throne. This wronged One hath, ever since the early days of His life, cherished none other desire but this, and will continue to entertain no wish

except this wish. There can be no doubt whatever that the peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly Source, and are the subjects of one God. The difierence between the ordinances under which they abide should be attributed to the varying requirements and exigencies of the age in which they were revealed. All of them, except a few which are the outcome of human perversity, were ordained of God, and are a reflection of His Will and Purpose. Arise and, armed with the power of faith, shatter to pieces the gods of your vain imaginings, the sowers of dissension amongst you. Cleave unto that which draweth you together and uniteth you. This, verily, is the most exalted Word which the Mother Book hath sent down and revealed unto you. To this beareth witness the Tongue of Grandeur from His habitation of glory. (p. 217)

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The completed lantern on the dome of the Shrine of the Báb.

[Page 85]2. WORDS OF THE BAB

Compiled by BEATRICE ASHTON

SHOGHI EFFENDI, the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, has mentioned in God Passes By, his history of the first hundred years of the Faith, certain Writings of the Báb, in particular, which came to be well known and had, a profound effect on the scholars and officials of Persia, not only during the six years of the Báb’s ministry (1844-1850) but in succeeding years as well.

In order that “the people of the West” may become better acquainted with some of these Writings of the Báb, excerpts from them are presented here, chronologically, as they have been identified and made available in translations by Shoghi Effendi, together with historical information concerning them given by the Guardian in his books and by Nabfl in his narrative, The Dawn-Breakers.

Concerning the Writings of the Báb Shoghi Effendi states:

“Alike in the magnitude of the writings emanating from His pen, and in the diversity of the subjects treated in those writings, His Revelation stands wholly unparalleled in the annals of any previous religion. He

Himself affirms, while confined in Méh-Kt’i, that up to that time His writings, embracing highly diversified subjects, had amounted to more than five hundred thousand verses. ‘The verses which have rained from this Cloud of Divine mercy,’ is Bahá’u’lláh’s testimony in the Kitdb-i-Iqa’n, ‘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!’ No less arresting is the variety of themes presented by these voluminous writings, such as prayers, homilies, orations, Tablets of visitation, scientific treatises, doctrinal dissertations, exhortations, commentaries on the Qur’án and on various traditions, epistles t0 the highest religious and ecclesiastical dignitaries of the realm, and laws and ordinances for the consolidation of His Faith and the direction of its activities.”1

1 God Passes By, pp. 22-23.

THE QA YYUMU’L-ASM/f’

The Qayytimu’l-Asmci’ (Commentary on the Qur’án Sfirih of Joseph) was revealed in Arabic, in Shiréz. The first chapter was revealed “in its entirety” in the presence of Mullá Husayn on “that memorable night” when the Báb declared His Mission, May 23, 1844. It was characterized by Bahá’u’lláh in His Kitáb-i—iqa’n as “the first, the greatest and mightiest of all books” in the Bábi Dispensation?

Its “fundamental purpose was to forecast what the true Joseph (Bahá’u’lláh) would, in a succeeding Dispensation, endure at the hands of one who was at once His archenemy and blood brother. This work, comprising above nine thousand three hundred verses, and divided into one hundred and eleven chapters, each chapter a commentary on one verse of the above-mentioned sfirih, opens with the Báb’s clarion-call and dire

2 112.21., p. 23.

85

warnings addressed to the ‘concourse of kings and of the sons of kings," forecasts the doom of Muhammad Shéh; commands his Grand Vizir, Haji Mirza’. Áqásí, to abdicate his authority; admonishes the entire Muslim ecclesiastical order; cautions more specifically the members of the Shi’ah community; extols the virtues, and anticipates the coming, of Bahá’u’lláh, the ‘Remnant of God,‘ the ‘Most Great Master',’ and proclaims, in unequivocal language, the independence and universality of the Bábi Revelation, unveils its import, and affirms the inevitable triumph of its Author. It, moreover, directs the ‘people of the West’ to ‘issue forth from your cities and aid the Cause of God," warns the peoples of the earth of the ‘terrible, the most grievous vengeance of God," threatens the whole Islamic world with ‘the Most Great F ire’ were they to turn aside from the newly-revealed Law; foreshadows the Author’s martyrdom; eulogizes the high station

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ordained for the people of Bahá, the ‘Companions of the crimson-colored ruby Ark;’ prophesies the fading out and utter obliteration of some of the greatest luminaries in the firmament of the Bábi Dispensation; and even predicts ‘afi‘lictive torment,’ in both the ‘Day of Our Return’ and in ‘the world which is to come,’ for the usurpers of the Imamate, who ‘waged war against Husayn (Imém Husayn) in the Land of the Euphrates.’

“It was this Book which the Bábis universally regarded, during almost the entire ministry of the Báb, as the Qur’án of the people of the Bayén; whose first and most challenging chapter was revealed in the presence of Mullá Husayn, on the night of its Author’s Declaration; some of whose pages were borne, by that same disciple, to Baht?u’lláh, as the first fruits of :1 Revelation which instantly won His enthusiastic allegiance; whose entire text was translated into Persian by the brilliant and gifted Táhirih; whose passages inflamed the hostility of Husayn Ighén [the governor of the province of Fairs] and precipitated the initial outbreak of persecution in Shiréz; a single page of which had captured the imagination and entranced the soul of Hujjat; and whose contents had set afire the intrepid defenders of the Fort Of Shaylg1 Tabarsi and the heroes of Nayriz and Zanjza’m.”3 In this book, moreover, the Báb refers to His wife and to His little son.4

“‘I am the Mystic Fane,’ the Báb thus proclaims His station in the Qayyiimu’lAsmd’, ‘which the Hand of Omnipotence hath reared. I am the Lamp which the Finger of God hath lit within its niche and caused to shine with deathless splendor. I am the Flame of that supernal Light that glowed upon Sinai in the gladsome Spot, and lay concealed in the midst of the Burning Bush.’

“ ‘0 Qurratu’l—‘Ayn!’ He, addressing Himself in that same commentary, exclaims, ‘I recognize in Thee none other except the "Great Announcement”—the Announcement voiced by the Concourse on high. By this name, I bear witness, they that circle the Throne of Glory have ever known Thee.’

“With each and every Prophet, Whom We have sent down in the past,’ He further adds, ‘We have established a separate Covenant concerning the “Remembrance of God” and His Day. Manifest, in the realm

31bid., pp. 23-24. 4 Dawn-Breakers, p. 76, notes 3 and 4; p. 81, note 2.

of glory and through the power of truth, are the “Remembrance of God” and His Day before the eyes of the angels that circle His mercy—seat.’ ‘Should it be Our wish,’ He again affirms, ‘it is in Our power to compel, through the agency of but one letter of Our Revelation, the world and all that is therein to recognize, in less than the twinkling of an eye, the truth of Our Cause.’ ”5

In this commentary on the Sl’lrih of Joseph “we read the following references to Bahá’u’lláh: ‘Out of utter nothingness, 0 great and omnipotent Master, Thou hast, through the celestial potency of Thy might, brought me forth and raised me up to proclaim this Revelation. I have made none other but Thee my trust; I have clung to no will but Thy will . . . 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.’ ‘And when the appointed hour hath struck,’ He again addresses Bahá’u’lláh in that same commentary, ‘do Thou, by the leave of God, the AllWise, reveal from the heights of the Most Lofty and Mystic Mount a faint, an infinitesimal glimmer of Thy impenetrable Mystery, that they who have recognized the radiance of the Sinaic Splendor may faint away and die as they catch a lightening glimpse of the fierce and crimon Light that envelop: Thy Revelation.’ ”6

“ ‘As to those who deny Him Who is the Sublime Gate of God,’ the Báb, for His part, has affirmed in the Qayytimu’l—Asmá’, ‘for them We have prepared, as justly decreed by God, a sore torment. And He, God, is the Mighty, the Wise.’ And further, ‘O peoples of the earth! I swear by your Lord! Ye shall act as former generations have acted. Warn ye, then, yourselves of the terrible, the most grievous vengeance of God. For God is, verily, potent over all things.’ And again: ’By My glory! I will make the infidels to taste, with the hands of My power, retributions unknown of any one except Me, and will waft over the faithful those muskscented breaths which I have nursed in the midmost heart of My throne.’ ”7

5 World Order of Bahti'u’lláh, by Shoghi Effendi, p. 126. 61bid., p. 101.

7The Promised Day Is Come, by Shoghi Effendi, p. 2.

[Page 87]BAHA’I SACRED WRITINGS 87

m Q21 M&ffi ,

The Báb was imprisoned while in Tabríz 1848 in this now crumbling prison room of the old brick Ark.

The Báb’s remains lie in state in His Holy Sepulcher on Mt. Carmel, 1953.

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In this same commentary the Báb “has issued this stirring call to the kings and princes of the earth:

“ ‘O concourse of kings and of the sons of kings! Lay aside, one and all, your dominion which belongeth unto God . . . Vain indeed is your dominion, for God hath set aside earthly possessions for such as have denied Him . . . O concourse of kings! Deliver with truth and in all haste the verses sent down by Us to the peoples of Turkey and of India, and beyond them, with power and with truth, to lands in both the East and the West . . . By God! If ye do well, to your own behoof will ye do well; and if ye deny God and His signs, We, in very truth, having God, can well dispense with all creatures and all earthly dominion.’

“And again: ‘Fear ye God, O concourse of kings, lest ye remain afar from Him Who is His Remembrance (the Báb), after the Truth hath come unto you with a Book and signs from God, as spoken through the wondrous tongue of Him Who is His Remembrance. Seek ye grace from God, for God hath ordained for you, after ye have believed in Him, a Garden the vastness of which is as the vastness of the whole of Paradise.’ ”8

Addressing Muhammad Shéh: ”0 King of Islam! Aid thou, with the truth, after having aided the Book, Him Who is Our Most Great Remembrance, for God hath, in very truth, destined for thee, and for such as circle round thee, on the Day of Judgment, a responsible position in His Path. I swear by God, 0 .511th If thou showest enmity unto Him Who is His Remembrance, God will, on the Day of Resurrection, condemn thee, before the kings, unto hell-fire, and thou shalt not, in very truth, find on that Day any helper except God, the Exalted. Purge thou, 0 Sha’h, the Sacred Land (Ṭihrán) from such as have repudiated the Book, ere the day whereon the Remembrance of God cometh, terribly and of a sudden, with His potent Cause, by the leave of God, the Most High. God, verily, hath prescribed to thee to submit unto Him Who is His Remembrance, and unto His Cause, and to subdue, with the truth and by His leave, the countries, for in this world thou

8mm, [3. 27.

hast been mercifully invested with sovereignty, and will, in the next, dwell, nigh unto the Seat of Holiness, with the inmates of the Paradise of His good—pleasure. Let not thy sovereignty deceive thee, 0 Sháh, for ‘every soul shall taste of death,’ and this, in very truth, hath been written down as a decree of God.”9

To the shi’ih clericals “who, as Baht?u’lláh declared, had they not intervened, Persia would have been subdued by the power of God in hardly more than two years” the Báb addressed the following words: ”O concourse of divines/ Fear God from this day onwards in the views ye advance, for He Who is Our Remembrance in your midst, and Who cometh from Us, is, in very truth, the Judge and Witness. T urn away from that which ye lay hold of, and which the Book of God, the True One, hath not sanctioned, for on the Day of Resurrection ye shall, upon the Bridge, be, in very truth, held answerable for the position ye occupied.”10

“O concourse of siii’ihs! Fear ye God, and Our Cause, which concerneth Him Who is the Most Great Remembrance of God. For great is its fire, as decreed in the Mother-Book." “O people of the Qur’dn! Ye are as nothing unless ye submit unto the Remembrance of God and unto this Book. If ye follow the Cause of God, We will forgive you your sins, and if ye turn aside from Our command, We will, in truth, condemn your souls in Our Book, unto the Most Great Fire. We, verily, do not deal unjustly with men, even to the extent of a speck on a date—stone."1°

“And finally, in that same Commentary, this startling prophecy is recorded: ‘Erelong We will, in very truth, torment such as waged war against Husayn (Imém Husayn), in the Land of the Euphrates, with the most afi‘iictive torment, and the most dire and exemplary punishment.’ ‘EreIong,’ He also, referring to that same people, in that same Book, has written, ‘will God wreak His vengeance upon them, at the time of Our Return, and He hath, in very truth, prepared for them, in the world to come, a severe torment.’ "‘1

9 112121., p. 43. 10 Ibid., p. 88. 11 Ibid., p. 89.

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THE SAHIFIY-I—BA YNU’L-HARAMA YN

The “Epistle between the Two Shrines” was “revealed between Mecca and Medina, in answer to questions posed by Mirzá Muhit-i-Kinnani,” a s_liaylgli leader, who had presented many questions to the Báb while in Mecca. This Epistle was revealed in January, 1845.12

Shoghi Effendi states that the visit of the Bab to Hijéz “was marked by two episodes of particular importance. The first was the declaration of His mission and His open challenge to the haughty Mirzá Muhit—i 12 God Passes By, p. 24; Dawn-Breakers, pp. 136137, 140.

Kirméni, one of the most outstanding exponents of the Shaykhi school, who at times went so far as to assert his independence of the leadership of that school assumed after the death of Siyyid Káẓim by Hájí Muhammad Karim Khan, a redoubtable enemy of the Bábi Faith. The second was the invitation, in the form of an Epistle, conveyed by Quddfis, to the Sherif Of Mecca, in which the custodian of the House of God was called upon to embrace the truth of the new Revelation.”13

13 God Passes By, p. 9.

EPISTLE TO THE SHERIF 0F MECCA

“No sooner had the Báb performed the last of the Observances in connection with His pilgrimage to Mecca than He addressed an epistle to the Sherif of that holy city, wherein He set forth, in clear and unmistakable terms, the distinguishing features of His mission, and called upon him to arise and embrace His Cause. This epistle, together with selections from His other writings, He delivered to Quddfis, and instructed him to present them to the Sherif. The latter, however, too absorbed in his own material pursuits to incline his ear to the words

which had been addressed to him by the Bab, failed to respond to the call of the Divine Message?” “Seven years later, when in the course of a conversation with a certain Hájí Niyéz-i—Baglidédi, this same Sherif was informed of the circumstances attending the mission and martyrdom of the Prophet of Shiréz, he listened attentively to the description of those events and expressed his indignation at the tragic fate that had overtaken Him.”15

14 Dawn-Breakers, p. 138. 15 God Passes By, p. 9.

KITAB U’R-R UH

This work of the Báb, “comprising seven hundred stirihs,”16 was also revealed in the

16 God Passes By, 1). 24.

period before His banishment to the fortress prison of Méh—Kfi.

IflAS/I’IL-I—SAB‘IH

The K_hasci’il—i—Sab‘ih (meaning literally “The Seven Qualifications”) “enjoined the alteration of the formula of the atfllan” (the Muslim call to prayer). This was a treatise in which the Báb had “set forth the essential requirements for those who had attained to the knowledge of the new Revelation and had recognized its claim.” A copy was entrusted by the Báb to Quddfis when he departed from Bfishihr to Shiraz. Quddfis, soon after arriving in Shíráz, gave it to Mulla Sádiq-i-K_huraséni, and “stressed the

necessity of putting into efiect immediately all its provisions.” Mulla Sádiq, “among the first believers who identified themselves with the Message proclaimed by the Báb,” “impelled by the injunction of the Báb in the K_hasa”il-i-Sab‘ih to alter the sacrosanct formula of the acflian, sounded it in its amended form before a scandalized congregation in Shíráz, and was instantly arrested, reviled, stripped of his garments, and scourged with a thousand lashes."17 TM]??- 24, 10-11; Dawn-Breakers, pp. 143-144.

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RISALIY-I-FURU‘—I—‘ADLiYYIH

Written originally in Arabic, this work of the Báb was “rendered into Persian by Mullá Muhammad-Taqiy-i—Haréti" while

the Báb was staying at the residence of the Imam-Jum‘ih in Iṣfahán.18 18 God Passes By, p. 24; Dawn-Breakers, p. 208.

COMMENTARY ON THE SURIH 0F KAWIl-IAR

The Commentary on the Sfirih of Kawtilar (Qur’án, 108) was revealed by the Báb during the third interview held with Him by Siyyid Yaḥyáy—i-Dérabi, surnamed Vahid, sent by Muhammad Shéh “to investigate and report to him the true situation” concerning the Báb’s claims. Vahid was “one of the most erudite, eloquent and influential” of the subjects of the Shéh. “Broad-minded, highly imaginative, zealous by nature, intimately associated with the court, he, in the course of three interviews, was completely won over by the arguments and personality of the Báb. . . . During the third interview the circumstances attending the revelation of the Báb’s commentary on the sfirih of Kawtliar, comprising no less than two thousand verses, so overpowered the delegate of

the Shéh that he, contenting himself with a mere written report to the Court Chamberlain, arose forthwith to dedicate his entire life and resources to the service of a Faith that was to requite him with the crown of maltyrdom during the Nayriz upheaval.” The one in whose soul this commentary of the Báb’s “effected such a transformation” was designated by Bahá’u’lláh in His Kitdbi—qun “that unique and peerless figure of his age.” He was “a man of immense erudition and the most pre-eminent figure to enlist under the banner of the new Faith.” To his “talents and saintliness” and “high attainments in the realm of science and philosophy” the Báb testified in His Dald’il-i—Sab‘ih (“Seven Proofs”).19

m—God—Passes By, pp. 11-12, 24, 50.

COMMENTARY ON THE SURIH 0F VA’L-‘ASR

The Commentary on' the Sl’irih of Va’l‘Asr (Qur’án, 103) was revealed by the Báb during the first forty days of His sojourn in Iṣfahán when he was “the guest of Mirzá. Siyyid Muhammad, the Sultanu’l-Ulamé, the Imém-Jum‘ih, one of the principal ecclesiastical dignitaries of the realm, in accordance with the instructions of the governor of the city, Manficiiihr Khan, the Mu‘tamidu’d-Dawlih, who had received from the Báb a letter requesting him to appoint the place where He should dwell.”

This well-known commentary was revealed “one night, after supper” at the re quest of the Imém-Jum‘ih. The Báb, “writing with astonishing rapidity . . . in a few hours, had devoted to the exposition of the significance of only the first letter of that sfirih a letter which Shaylgl Ahmad-iAhsé’i had stressed, and which Bahá’u’lláh refers to in the Kitáb—i—Aqdas—verses that equalled in number a third of the Qur’án, a feat that called forth such an outburst of reverent astonishment from those who witnessed it that they arose and kissed the hem of His robe.”2°

201bid., pp. 14, 24; Dawn-Breakers, p. 201.

DISSERTATION ON THE SPECIFIC MISSION OF MUHAMMAD

Written at the request of Manficixihr K_hén, the governor of Iṣfahán, “a Georgian by origin and a Christian by birth,” the Dissertation on the Specific Mission of Muhammad was revealed also in the house of the Imém—Jum‘ih. “Before a brilliant assembly of the most accomplished divines” the Mu‘tamid “requested the Báb to expound

and demonstrate the truth of Muhammad’s specific mission. To this request, which those present had felt compelled to decline, the Báb readily responded. In less than two hours, and in the space of fifty pages, He had not only revealed a minute, a vigorous and original dissertation on this noble theme, but had also linked it with both the

[Page 91]BAHA’I SACRED WRITINGS 91

coming of the Qá’im and the return of the Imam Husayn—an exposition that prompted Manficiiihr Iglén to declare before that gathering his faith in the Prophet of Islam, as well as his recognition of the supernatural gifts with which the Author of so convincing a treatise was endowed.”21

As Shoghi Effendi points out, “The great bulk of the writings emanating from the Báb’s prolific mind was, however, reserved for the period of His confinement in Mah—Kfi and Qlihriq. To this period must probably belong the unnumbered Epistles which, as attested by no less an authority than Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb specifically ad 21God Passes By, pp. 14-15; Dawn-Breakers, pp. 202-204.

dressed to the divines of every city in Persia, as well as to those residing in Najaf and Karbila, wherein He set forth in detail the errors committed by each one of them. It was during His incarceration in the fortress of Méh-Kfi that He, according to the testimony of Shaykh Hasan-i-Zum’izi, who transcribed during those nine months the verses dictated by the Báb to His amanuensis, revealed no less than nine commentaries on the whole of the Qur’án—commentaries whose fate, alas, is unknown, and one of which, at least the Author Himself has affirmed, surpassed in some respects a book as deservedly famous as the Qayyfimu’lAsmá’.”22

22 God Passes By, p. 24.

THE PERSIAN BA YAN

“Within the walls of that same fortress [Méh-Kfi] the Bayan (exposition)—that monumental repository of the laws and precepts of the new Dispensation and the treasury enshrining most of the Báb’s references and tributes to, as well as His warning regarding, ‘Him Whom God will make manifest’———was revealed.

“Peerless among the doctrinal works of the Founder of the Babi Dispensation; consisting of nine Véhids (Unities) of nineteen chapters each, except the last Véhid, comprising only ten chapters; not to be confounded with the smaller and less weighty Arabic Bayén, revealed during the same period; fulfilling the Muhammadan prophecy that ‘a Youth from Bani-Háshim . . . will reveal a new Book and promulgate a new Law;’ wholly safeguarded from the interpolation and corruption which has been the fate of so many of the Báb’s lesser works, this Book, of about eight thousand verses, occupying a pivotal position in Bábi literature, should be regarded primarily as a eulogy of the Promised One rather than a code of laws and ordinances designed to be a permanent guide to future generations. This Book at once abrogated the laws and ceremonials enjoined by the Qur’án regarding prayer, fasting, marriage, divorce and inheritance, and upheld, in its integrity, the belief in the prophetic mission of Muhammad, even as the Prophet of Islam before Him had annulled the ordinances of the Gospel and yet recognized the Divine origin of the Faith of Jesus Christ. It moreover

interpreted in a masterly fashion the meaning of certain terms frequently occurring in the sacred Books of previous Dispensations, such as Paradise, Hell, Death, Resurrection, the Return, the Balance, the Hour, the Last Judgment, and the like. Designedly severe in the rules and regulations it imposed, revolutionizing in the principles it instilled, calculated to awaken from their age-long torpor the clergy and the people, and to administer a sudden and fatal blow to obsolete and corrupt institutions, it proclaimed, through its drastic provisions, the advent of the anticipated Day, the Day when ‘the Summoner shall summon to a stern business,’ when He Will ‘demolish whatever hath been before Him, even as the Apostle of God demolished the ways of those that preceded Him.’

“. . . Unlike the Prophets gone before Him, Whose Covenants were shrouded in mystery, unlike Bahá’u’lláh, Whose clearly defined Covenant was incorporated in a specially written Testament, and designated by Him as ‘the Book of My Covenant,’ the B231) chose to intersperse His Book of Laws, the Persian Bayén, with unnumbered passages, some designedly obscure, mostly indubitably clear and conclusive, in which He fixes the date of the promised Revelation, cxtols its virtues, asserts its pre-eminent character, assigns to it unlimited powers and prerogatives, and tears down every barrier that might be an obstacle to its recognition. ‘He, verily,’ Bahá’u’lláh, referring to the Bab in His Kitdb-i—Badi‘, has stated, ‘hath

[Page 92]92 THE BAHA’I WORLD

not fallen short of His duty to exhort the people of the Baytin and to deliver unto them His Message. In no age or dispensation hath any Manifestation made mention, in such detail and in such explicit language, of the Manifestation destined to succeed Him.’ ”23

“. . . in the third Véhid of this Book there occurs a passage which, alike in its explicit reference to the name of the Promised One, and in its anticipation of the Order which, in a later age, was to be identified with His Revelation, deserves to rank as one of the most significant statements recorded in any of the Báb’s writings. ‘Well is it with him,’ is His prophetic announcement, ‘who fixeth his gaze upon the Order of Bahti'u’llah, and rendereth thanks unto his Lord. For He will assuredly be made manifest. God hath indeed irrevocably ordained it in the Bayán.’ "24

“The germ that holds within itself the potentialities of the Revelation that is to come is endowed with a potency superior to the combined forces of all those who follow me.” “Of all the tributes I have paid to Him Who is to come after Me, the greatest is this, My written confession, that no words of Mine can adequately describe Him, nor can any reference to Him in My Book, the Baya’n, do justice to His Cause.”25 “The Baytin and whosoever is therein revolve round the saying of ‘Him Whom God shall make manifest,’ even as the Alif (the Gospel) and whosoever was therein revolved round the saying of Muhammad, the A postle of God.” “A thousand perusals of the Baya’n cannot equal the perusal of a single verse to be revealed by ‘Him Whom God shall make manifest.’ . . . Today the Baya’n is in the stage of seed; at the beginning of the manifestation of ‘Him Whom God shall make manifest’ its ultimate perfection will become apparent . . . The Bayan and such as are believers therein yearn more ardently after Him than the yearning of any lover after his beloved . . . The Baytin deriveth all its glory from ‘Him Whom God shall make manifest.’ All blessing be upon him who believeth in Him and woe betide him that rejecteth His truth.”26

“It is clear and evident that the object of

23 ma, pp. 2425, 28.

24 11:121., p. 25.

25 World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, by Shoghi Effendi, p. 100.

26112111., pp. 100-101.

all preceding Dispensations hath been to pave the way for the advent of Muhammad, the Apostle of God. These, including the Muhammadan Dispensation, have had, in their turn, as their objective the Revelation proclaimed by the Qd’im. The purpose underlying this Revelation, as well as those that preceded it, has, in like manner, been to announce the advent of the Faith of Him Whom God will make manifest. And this Faith—the Faith of Him Whom God will make manifest—in its turn, together with all the Revelations gone before it, have as their object the Manifestation destined to succeed it. And the latter, no less than all the Revelations preceding it, prepare the way for the Revelation which is yet to follow. The process of the rise and setting of the Sun of Truth will thus indefinitely continue—a process that hath had no beginning and will have no end.”27

“ ‘The Baytin,’ the Báb in that book, referring to the Promised One, affirms, ‘is, from beginning to end, the repository of all of His attributes, and the treasury of both His fire and His light.’ ‘If thou attainest unto His Revelation,’ He, in another connection declares, ‘and obeyest Him, thou wilt have revealed the fruit of the Baytin; if not, thou art unworthy of mention before God.’

“ ‘O people of the Baya’n!’ He, in that same Book, thus warns the entire company of His followers, ‘act not as the people of the Qur’a’n have acted, for if ye do so, the fruits of your night will come to naught.’ ‘Sufi‘er not the Bayan,’ is His emphatic injunction, ‘and all that hath been revealed therein to withhold you from that Essence of Being and Lord of the visible and invisible.’ ”28

“And finally is this, His moving invocation to God: ‘Bear Thou witness that, through this Book, I have covenanted with all created things concerning the mission of Him Whom Thou shalt make manifest, ere the covenant concerning My own mission had been established. Sufficient witness art Thou and they that have believed in Thy signs.’ "29

“‘How veiled are ye, 0 My creatures,’ He, speaking with the voice of God, has revealed in the Bayén, ‘ . who, without any right, have consigned H im unto a mountain (Mékt’l), not one of whose inhabitants

27 Ibid., p. 117. 28 God Passes By, 1). 29. 29 Ibid., p. 30.

[Page 93]BAHA’I SACRED WRITINGS 93

is worthy of mention. . . . With Him, which is with Me, there is no one except him who is one of the Letters of the Living 01‘ My Book. In His presence, which is My Presence, there is not at night even a lighted lamp! And yet, in places (of worship) which in varying degrees reach out unto Him, un numbered lamps are shining! All that is on earth hath been created for Him, and all partake with delight of His benefits, and yet they are so veiled from Him as to refuse Him even a lamp!’ ”3"

30 The Promised Day Is Come, p. 7.

THE ARABIC BA YAN

The “smaller and less weighty Arabic Bayén” was also revealed during the Báb’s

confinement in Méth-KL’I.31 31 God Passes By, p. 25.

TABLETS T0 MUHAMMAD S_HAH

The first Tablet of the Báb to Muhammad Shéh was written following the Commentary on the Si’irih of Joseph, and the second Tablet some two years later, after the Báb’s Dissertation on the Specific Mission of Muhammad, revealed in Isféhén. In the second Tablet to Muhammad Shéh the Báb wrote “craving an audience in which to set forth the truths of the new Revelation, and dissipate his doubts.”32

“The Báb was still in Méh-Kfi when He wrote the most detailed and illuminating of His Tablets to Muhammad Shéh. Prefaced by a laudatory reference to the unity of God, to His Apostles and to the twelve Iméms; unequivocal in its assertion of the divinity of its Author and of the supernatural powers with which His Revelation had been invested; precise in the verses and traditions it cites in confirmation of so audacious a claim; severe in its condemnation of some of the officials and representatives of the Shéh’s administration, particularly of the ‘wicked and accursed’ Husayn Igién; moving in its description of the humiliation and hardships to which its writer had been subjected, this historic document resembles, in many of its features, the Lawh-i-Sultdn, the Tablet addressed, under similar circumstances, from the prison fortress Of ‘Akká by Bahá’u’lláh to Nésiri’dDin Shéh, and constituting His lengthiest epistle to any single sovereign?”

The Báb was confined in the fortress of Méh-Ki’l for nine months, about July, 1847, to April, 1848.3‘1 From this mountain fortress He thus addressed Muhammad $_héh:

“I am the Primal Point from which have

32 Ibid., p. 24. as me, p. 25. 34 Ibid., pp. 17-19.

been generated all created things. I am the Countenance of God Whose splendor can never be obscured, the Light of God Whose radiance can never fade . . . All the keys of heaven God hath chosen to place on My right hand, and all the keys of hell on My left . . . I am one of the sustaining pillars of the Primal Word of God. Whosoever hath recognized Me, hath known all that is true and right, and hath attained all that is good and seemly . . . The substance wherewith God hath created Me is not the clay out of which others have been formed. He hath conferred upon Me that which the worldlywise can never comprehend, nor the faithful discover . . .

“By My life! But for the obligation to acknowledge the Cause of Him Who is the Testimony of God . . . I would not have announced this unto thee . . . In that same year (year 60) I despatched a messenger and a book unto thee, that thou mightest act towards the Cause of H im Who is the T estimony of God as befitteth the station of thy sovereignty . . .

”I swear by the truth of God! Were he who hath been willing to treat Me in such a manner to know who it is whom he hath s0 treated, he, verily, would never in his life be happy. Nay—I, verily, acquaint thee with the truth of the matter—it is as if he hath imprisoned all the Prophets, and all the men of truth, and all the chosen ones . . . Woe betide him from whose hands floweth evil, and blessed the man from whose hands floweth good . . .

“I swear by God! I seek no earthly goods from thee, be it as much as a mustard seed . . . I swear by the truth of God! Wert thou to know that which I know, thou wouldst forego the sovereignty of the world and Of

[Page 94]

View of the Shrine of the Báb, in the heart of Carmel.

(The unbuilt areas surrounding the Shrine, extending to the top of the Mountain, are Bahá’í properties.)

[Page 95]

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[Page 96]96 THE BAHA’I WORLD

the next, that thou mightest attain My goodpleasure, through thine obedience unto the True One . . . Wert thou to refuse, the Lord of the world would raise up one who will exalt His Cause, and the Command of God will, verily, be carried into effect?”

“I swear by God! Shouldst thou know the things which in the space of these four years have befallen Me at the hands of thy people and thine army, thou wouldst hold thy breath from fear of God . . . Alas, alas, for the things which have touched Me! I

35 The Promised Day Is Come, pp. 43-44.

swear by the Most Great Lord! Wert thou to be told in what place I dwell, the first person to have mercy on Me would be thyself. In the heart of a mountain is a fortress (Méh-KL’I) . . . the inmates of which are confined to two guards and four dogs. Picture, then, My plight . . . In this mountain I have remained alone, and have come to such a pass that none of those gone before Me have suffered what I have sttflered, nor any transgressor endured what I have endured.”"‘”

3‘5 Ibid., pp. 6-7.

DALA’IL-I—SAB‘IH (SEVEN PROOFS)37

“The most important of the polemical works of the Báb,” the Dald’il—i-Sab‘ih was also revealed during the Báb’s confinement in Méh-KI’J. “Remarkably lucid, admirable in its precision, original in conception, unanswerable in its argument, this work, apart from the many and divers proofs of His mission which it adduces, is noteworthy for the blame it assigns to the ‘seven powerful sovereigns ruling the world' in His day, as well as for the manner in which it stresses the responsibilities, and censures the conduct, of the Christian divines of a former age who, had they recognized the truth of Muhammad’s mission, He contends, would have been followed by the mass of their co-religionists.”38

“‘Graciotls God.” writes the Báb with reference to the ‘seven powerful sovereigns ruling the world‘ in His day, ‘None of them hath been informed of His (the Báb’s) Manifestation, and if informed, none hath believed in Him. Who knoweth they may leave this world below full of desire, and without having realized that the thing for which they were waiting had come to pass.

37 For the translation into the French, by A. L. M. Nicolas, of excerpts from this Tablet, see The Bahá’í

World, Vol. VIII. p. 205. 38 God Passe: By, p. 26.

This is what happened to the monarchs that held fast unto the Gospel. They awaited the coming of the Prophet of God (Muhammad), and when He did appear, they failed to recognize Him. Behold how great are the sums which these sovereigns expend without even the slightest thought of appointing an official charged with the task of acquainting them in their own realms with the Alanifestation of God! They would thereby have fulfilled the purpose for which they have been created. All their desires have been and are still fixed upon leaving behind them traces of their names.’

“The Báb, moreover, in that same treatise, censuring the failure of the Christian divines to acknowledge the truth of Muhammad’s mission, makes this illuminating statement: ‘The blame falleth upon their doctors, for if these had believed, they would have been followed by the mass of their countrymen. Behold, then, that which hath come to pass! The learned men of Christendom are held to be learned by virtue of their safeguarding the teaching of Christ, and yet consider how they themselves have been the cause of men’s failure to accept the Faith and attain unto salvation!’ ”39

39 The Promised Day I: Come, p. 17.

LAWH—I—HURU’FAT (TABLET OF THE LETTERS)

“During the Báb’s confinement in the fortress of thhriq, where He spent almost the whole of the two remaining years of His life, the Lawlz-i-Huru’fa’t (Tablet of the Letters) was revealed, in honor of Dayyén—a Tablet which, 'however misconstrued at first

as an exposition of the science of divination, was later recognized to have unraveled, on the one hand, the mystery of the Mustaghét_h, and to have abstrusely alluded, on the Ether, to the nineteen years which must needs elapse between the Declaration of the Báb and that of Baha’u’llah . . .

[Page 97]BAHA’I SACRED WRITINGS 97

“To this period of incarceration in the fortresses of Méh-Kfi and QiihrIq—a period of unsurpassed fecundity, yet bitter in its humiliations and ever-deepening sorrows —belong almost all the written references, whether in the form of warnings, appeals or exhortations, which the Báb, in anticipation of the approaching hour of His supreme affliction, felt it necessary to make to the Author of a Revelation that was soon to supersede His own.”4U

This Tablet was revealed for ‘a prominent official of high literary ability later surnamed Dayyén by the Báb,“1 on whom “He conferred the title of ‘the third Letter to believe in Him Whom God shall make manifest.’ ”*2

According to Nabil, “The mystery of the MustaghaLh [literally, “He Who is invoked”] had 103g baffled the most searching minds among the people of the Bayén and had proved an insurmountable obstacle to their recognition of the promised One. The Báb had Himself in that Tablet unraveled that mystery; no one, however, was able to understand the explanation which He had given. It was left to Bahá’u’lláh to unveil it to the eyes of all men.”43

s

406011 Passes By, p. 27.

41 The Dawn-Breakers, p. 303.

43 God Passes By, p. 28.

43 The Dawn-Breakers, pp. 304-305.

Bahá’u’lláh, in His Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, cites a passage from the Tablet of the Báb to Dayyan, prefacing it with these words:

“Dayydn, who, according to the words of Him Who is the Point . . . is the repository of the trust of the one true God . . . and the treasury of the pearls of His knowledge, was made by them to suffer so cruel a martyrdom that the Concourse on high wept and lamented. He it is whom He (the Báb) had taught the hidden and preserved knowledge and entrusted him therewith, through His words:

”‘O thou who art named Dayya’n! This is a hidden and preserved Knowledge. We have entrusted it unto thee, and brought it to thee, as a mark of honor from God, inasmuch as the eye of thine heart is pure. Thou wilt appreciate its value, and wilt cherish its excellence. God, verily, hath (leigned to bestow upon the Point of the Baya’n a hidden and preserved Knowledge, the like of which God hath not sent down prior to this Revelation. More precious is it than any other knowledge in the estimation of God—glorified be He! He, verily, hath made it His testimony, even as He hath made the verses to be His testimony.’ ”4“

44 Up. cit, p. 175.

DENUNCIATORY TABLET T0 H/Hl MlRZA AQASI

“It was during these years—years darkened throughout by the rigors of the Báb’s captivity, by the severe indignities inflicted upon Him, and by the news of the disasters that overtook the heroes of Mazindarén and Nayriz—that He revealed, soon after His return from Tabríz, His denunciatory Tablet to Hájí Mirzá Aqasi. Couched in bold and moving language, unsparing in its condem nation, this epistle was forwarded to the intrepid Hujjat who, as corroborated by Bahá’u’lláh, delivered it to that wicked minister”45 [Grand Vizir of Muhammad Shéh]. This Tablet was given the name of the Igiutbiy-i-Qahriyyih (literally, “Sermon of Wrath”).‘6

450011 Passes By, p. 27. 4G The Dawn-Breakers, p. 323.

KIT/fB-l—PANJ—SflA‘N

“In the Kitcib-i-Panj-Sjm‘n, one of His last works, He had alluded to the fact that the sixth Naw-Rt’iz after the declaration of His mission would be the last He was destined to celebrate on earth.”17 “. . . to ‘Azim He divulged, in the Kitáb-i-PanjSha‘n, the name, and announced the approaching advent, of Him Who was to con 67 God Passes By, p. 51.

summate His own Revelation . . . ‘Wait thou,’ is His statement to ‘Azim, ‘until nine will have elapsed from the time of the Baya’n. Then exclaim: “Blessed, therefore, be God, the most excellent Of Makers!” ’ ”“8

481bid., pp. 27, 28. Mullz’i 81121le ‘Ali, surnamed ‘Azim (literally, “great") by the Báb, was one of the “outstanding figures among the ecclesiastical leaders of Ighurésan” (Dawn-Breakers, p. 125).

[Page 98]3. WORDS OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA From SOME ANSWERED QUESTIONS*

TRADITIONAL PROOFS EXEMPLIFIED FROM THE BOOK OF DANIEL

THE state in which one should be seriously to search for the truth is the condition of the thirsty burning soul desiring the water of life, of the fish struggling to reach the sea, of the sufferer seeking for the true doctor to obtain the divine cure, of the lost caravan endeavoring to find the right road, of the lost and wandering ship striving to reach the shore of salvation.

Also, the seeker must be endowed with certain qualities. First of all he must be just, and severed from all else save God; his heart must be entirely turned to the supreme horizon; he must be free from the bondage of vices and passions, for all these are obstacles; furthermore, he must be able to endure all hardships; he must be absolutely pure and sanctified, and free from the love or the hatred of the inhabitants of the world. Why? because the fact of his love for any person or thing might prevent him from recognizing the truth in another, and in the same way, hatred for anything might be a hindrance in discerning truth. This is the condition of seeking; and the seeker must have these qualities and attributes. Until he reaches this condition, it is not possible for him to attain to the Sun of Reality.

Let us now return to our subject.

All the peoples of the world are awaiting two Manifestations, who must be contemporaneous; all wait for the fulfillment of this promise. In the Bible the Jews have the promise of the Lord of Hosts and the Messiah; in the Gospel the return of Christ and Elijah is promised.

In the religion of Muhammad there is the promise of the Mihdi and the Messiah, and it is the same with the Zoroastrian and the other religions, but if we relate these matters in detail it would take too long. The essential fact is that all are promised two Mani

• Chapters X, XII through XIV. Some Answered

Questions was first published in 1908.

98

festations, who will come, one following on the other. It has been prophesied that in the time of these two Manifestations the earth will be transformed, the world of existence will be renewed, and beings will be clothed in new garments. Justice and charity will encompass the world, enmity and hatred will disappear, all causes of division among peoples, races, and nations will vanish, and the cause of union, harmony, and concord will appear. The negligent will awake, the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dumb will speak, the sick will be cured, the dead will arise. War will give place to peace, enmity will be conquered by love; the causes of dispute and wrangling will be entirely removed, and true felicity will be attained. The world will become the mirror of the Heavenly Kingdom, humanity will be the Throne of Divinity. A11 nations will become one, all religions will be unified, all individual men will become of one family and of one kindred. All the regions of the earth will become one, the superstitions caused by races, countries, individuals, languages, and politics will disappear; and all men will attain to life eternal, under the shadow of the Lord of Hosts.

Now we must prove from the Holy Books that these two Manifestations have come, and we must divine the meaning of the words of the Prophets; for we wish for proofs drawn from the Holy Books. . . .

To conclude: in the Book of Daniel,1 from the rebuilding of Jerusalem to the martyrdom of Christ, seventy weeks are appointed; for by the martyrdom of Christ the sacrifice is accomplished and the altar destroyed. This is a prophecy of the manifestation of Christ. These seventy weeks begin with the restoration and the rebuilding of Jerusalem, concerning which four edicts were issued by three kings.

The first was issued by Cyrus in the year 536 B.C.; this is recorded in the first chapter of the Book of Ezra. The second edict, with

1 Daniel 9:24.

[Page 99]

View of one of the paths in the gardens surrounding the Resting Place of the Greatest Holy Leaf. Haifa, Israel.

[Page 100]100

reference to the rebuilding of Jerusalem, is that of Darius of Persia in the year 519 B.C.; this is recorded in the sixth chapter of Ezra. The third is that of Artaxerxes in the seventh year of his reign, that is in 457 B.C.; this is recorded in the seventh chapter of Ezra. The fourth is that of Artaxerxes in the year 444 B.c.; this is recorded in the second chapter of Nehemiah.

But Daniel refers especially to the third edict which was issued in the year 457 B.C. Seventy weeks make four hundred and ninety days. Each day, according to the text of the Holy Book, is a year. For in the Bible it is said: “The day of the Lord is one year.”2 Therefore four hundred and ninety days are four hundred and ninety years. The third edict of Artaxerxes was issued four hundred and fifty-seven years before the birth of Christ, and Christ when he was martyred and ascended was thirty-three years of age. When you add thirty-three to four hundred and fifty—seven, the result is four hundred and ninety, which is the time announced by Daniel for the manifestation of Christ.

But in the twenty-fifth verse of the ninth chapter of the Book of Daniel this is expressed in another manner, as seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; and apparently this differs from the first saying. Many have remained perplexed at these differences, trying to reconcile these two statements. How can seventy weeks be right in one place, and sixty-two weeks and seven weeks in another? These two sayings do not accord.

But Daniel mentions two dates. One of these dates begins with the command of Artaxerxes to Ezra to rebuild Jerusalem; this is the seventy weeks which came to an end with the ascension of Christ, when by his martyrdom the sacrifice and oblation ceased.

The second period, which is found in the twenty-sixth verse, means that after the termination of the rebuilding of Jerusalem until the ascension of Christ, there will be sixty-two weeks; the seven weeks are the duration of the rebuilding of Jerusalem, which took fony-nine years: when you add these seven weeks to the sixty-two weeks, it makes sixty-nine weeks, and in the last week (69-70) the ascension of Christ took place. These seventy weeks are thus completed, and there is no contradiction.

2Cf. Numbers 14:34.

THE BAHA’I WORLD

Now that the manifestation of Christ has been proved by the prophecies of Daniel, let us prove the manifestations of Bahá’u’lláh and of the Báb. Up to the present we have only mentioned logical proofs; now we shall speak of traditional proofs.

In the eighth chapter of the Book of Daniel, verse thirteen, it is said: “Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?" Then he answered (v. 14): “Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed”; (v. 17) “But he said unto me

. at the time of the end shall be the vision.” That is to say, how long will this misfortune, this ruin, this abasement and degradation last? meaning, when will be the dawn of the Manifestation? Then he answered, “Two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” Briefly, the purport of this passage is that he appoints two thousand three

- hundred years, for in the text of the Bible

each day is a year. Then from the date of the issuing of the edict of Artaxerxes to rebuild Jerusalem until the day of the birth of Christ there are 456 years, and from the birth of Christ until the day of the manifestation of the Báb there are 1844 years. When you add 456 years to this number it makes 2300 years. That is to say, the fulfillment of the vision of Daniel took place in the year 1844 A.D., and this is the year of the Báb’s manifestation according to the actual text of the Book of Daniel. Consider how clearly he determines the year of manifestation; there could be no clearer prophecy for a manifestation than this.

In Matthew, chapter 24 verse 3, Christ Clearly says that what Daniel meant by this prophecy was the date of the manifestation, and this is the verse: “As he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” One of the explanations He gave them in reply was this (v. 15): “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoso readeth let him understand).” In this answer He referred them to the eighth chapter of the Book of Daniel,

[Page 101]BAHA’I SACRED WRITINGS

saying that every one who reads it will understand that it is this time that is spoken of. Consider how clearly the manifestation of the Báb is spoken of in the Old Testament and in the Gospel.

To conclude, let us now explain the date of the manifestation of Bahá’u’lláh from the Bible. The date of Bahá’u’lláh is calculated according to lunar years from the mission and the Hijirah of Muhammad; for in the religion of Muhammad the lunar year is in use, as also it is the lunar year which is employed concerning all commands of worship.

In Daniel, chapter 12 verse 6, it is said: “And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times and a half; and that when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.”

As I have already explained the signification of one day, it is not necessary to explain it further; but we will say briefly that each day of the Father counts as a year, and in each year there are twelve months. Thus three years and a half make forty-two months, and forty—two months are twelve hundred and sixty days. The Báb, the precursor of Bahá’u’lláh, appeared in the year 1260 from the Hijirah of Muhammad, by the reckoning of Islam.

Afterwards, in verse 11, it is said: “And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolation be set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five-and—thirty days!"

The beginning of this lunar reckoning is from the day of the proclamation of the prophethood of Muhammad in the country of Hijéz; and that was three years after his mission; because in the beginning the prophethood of Muhammad was kept secret, and no one knew it save @adijih and Ibn Naufal.3 After three years it was announced. And Bahá’u’lláh in the year 1290 from the

3 Waraqat-Ibn-Naufal. Ighadijih’s cousin.

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proclamation of the mission of Muhammad caused his manifestation to be known.4

COMMENTARY ON THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER 0F ISAIAH

In Isaiah, chapter 11 verses 1 to 10, it is saidz—“And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the 0X. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”

This rod out of the stem of Jesse might be correctly applied to Christ, for Joseph was of the descendents of Jesse the father of David; but as Christ found existence through the Spirit of God, he called himself the Son of God. If he had not done so, this description would refer to him. Besides this, the events which he indicated as coming to pass in the days of that rod, if interpreted symbolically, were in part fulfilled in the

4The year 1290 from the proclamation of the mission of Muhammad, was the year 1280 of the Hijirah, 01' 1863—1864 of our era. It was at this epoch (April 1864) that Bahá’u’lláh on leaving Bag_hdad for Constantinople, declared to those who surrounded Him that He was the Manifestation announced by the Báb.

It is this declaration which the Bahá’ís celebrate by the Feast of Riḍván, this name being that of the garden at the entrance of the city of Baghdad, where Bahá’u’lláh stayed during twelve days, aid where He made the declaration.

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day of Christ, but not all; and if not interpreted, then decidedly none of these signs happened. For example, the leopard and the lamb, the lion and the calf, the child and the asp, are metaphors and symbols for various nations, peoples, antagonistic sects, and hostile races, who are as opposite and inimical as the wolf and lamb. We say that by the breath of the spirit of Christ they found concord and harmony, they were vivified, and they associated together.

But “they shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” These conditions did not prevail in the time of the manifestation of Christ; for until today various and antagonistic nations exist in the world, very few acknowledge the God of Israel, and the greater number are without the knowledge of God. In the same way, universal peace did not come into existence in the time of Christ; that is to say, between the antagonistic and hostile nations there was neither peace nor concord, disputes and disagreements did not cease, and reconciliation and sincerity did not appear. So, even at this day, amongst the Christian sects and nations themselves, enmity, hatred, and the most violent hostility are met with.

But these verses apply word for word to Bahá’u’lláh: likewise in this marvellous cycle the earth will be transformed, and the world of humanity arrayed in tranquillity and beauty. Disputes, quarrels, and murders will be replaced by peace, truth, and concord; among the nations, peoples, races, and countries, love and amity will appear. C0operation and union will be established, and finally war will be entirely suppressed. When the laws of the Most Holy Book are enforced, contentions and disputes will find a final sentence of absolute justice before a general tribunal5 of the nations and kingdoms, and the difficulties that appear will be solved. The five continents of the world will form but one, the numerous nations will become one, the surface of the earth will become one land, and mankind will be a single community. The relations between the countries, the mingling, union, and friendship of the peoples and communities, will reach to such a degree that the human race will be

5The universal Baytu’l-‘Adl, a sort of tribunal of international arbitration, instituted by Baha’u’llah in the Kitdb-i—Aqdas, the Most Holy Book.

THE BAHA’I WORLD

like one family and kindred. The light of heavenly love will shine, and the darkness of enmity and hatred will be dispelled from the world. Universal peace will raise its tent in the center of the earth, and the Blessed Tree of Life will grow and spread to such an extent that it will overshadow the East and the West. Strong and weak, rich and poor, antagonistic sects and hostile nations~which are like the wolf and the lamb, the leopard and kid, the lion and the calf—will act towards each other with the most complete love, friendship, justice, and equity. The world will be filled with science, with the knowledge of the reality of the mysteries of beings, and with the knowledge of God.

Now consider, in this great century which is the cycle of Bahá’u’lláh, what progress science and knowledge have made, how many secrets of existence have been discovered, how many great inventions have been brought to light, and are day by day multiplying in number. Before long, material science and learning, as well as the knowledge of God, will make such progress, and will show forth such wonders, that the beholders will be amazed. Then the mystery of this verse in Isaiah. “For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord,” will be completely evident.

Reflect also that in the short time since Bahá’u’lláh has appeared, people from all countries, nations, and races have entered under the shadow of this Cause. Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, Buddhists, Hindus, and Persians all associate together with the greatest friendship and love, as if indeed these people had been related and connected together, they and theirs, for a thousand years; for they are like father and child, mother and daughter, sister and brother. This is one of the meanings of the companionship of the wolf and the lamb, the leopard and the kid, and the lion and the calf.

One of the great events which is to occur in the day of the manifestation of that incomparable Branch, is the hoisting of the Standard of God among all nations; meaning that all the nations and tribes will come under the shadow of this Divine Banner, which is no other than the Lordly Branch itself, and will become a single nation. The antagonism of faiths and religions, the hostility of races and peoples, and the national differences, will be eradicated from amongst them. All will become one religion, one faith, one race, and one single people, and

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will dwell in one native land, which is the terrestrial globe. Universal peace and concord will be realized between all the nations, and that incomparable Branch will gather together all Israel: signifying that in this cycle Israel will be gathered in the Holy Land, and that the Jewish people who are scattered to the East and West, South and North, will be assembled together.

Now see: these events did not take place in the Christian cycle, for the nations did not come under the One Standard which is the Divine Branch. But in this cycle of the Lord of Hosts all the nations and peoples will enter under the shadow of this Flag. In the same way, Israel, scattered all over the world, was not reassembled in the Holy Land in the Christian cycle; but in the beginning of the cycle of Bahá’u’lláh this divine promise, as is clearly stated in all the Books of the Prophets, has begun to be manifest. You can see that from all the parts of the world tribes of Jews are coming to the Holy Land; they live in villages and lands which they make their own, and day by day they are increasing to such an extent, that all Palestine will become their home.

COMMENTARY ON THE TWELFTH CHAPTER OF THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN

We have before explained that what is most frequently meant by the Holy City, the Jerusalem of God, which is mentioned in the Holy Book, is the Law of God. It is compared sometimes to a bride, and sometimes to Jerusalem, and again to the new heaven and earth. So in chapter 21, verses 1, 2, and 3 of the Revelation of St. John, it is said: “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them and be their God."

Notice how clear and evident it is that the first heaven and earth signify the former Law. For it is said that the first heaven and earth have passed away and there is no more sea: that is to say, that the earth is the place

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of judgment, and on this earth of judgment there is no sea; meaning that the teachings and the Law of God will entirely spread over the earth, and all men will enter the Cause of God, and the earth will be completely inhabited by believers; therefore there will be no more sea, for the dwellingplace and abode of man is the dry land. In other words, at that epoch the field of that Law will become the pleasure-ground of man. Such earth is solid, the feet do not slip upon it.

The Law of God is also described as the Holy City, the New Jerusalem. It is evident that the New Jerusalem which descends from heaven is not a city of stone, mortar, bricks, earth, and wood. It is the Law of God which descends from heaven and is called new; for it is clear that the Jerusalem which is of stone and earth does not descend from heaven, and that it is not renewed; but that which is renewed is the Law of God.

The Law of God is also compared to an adorned bride who appears with most beautiful ornaments, as it has been said in chapter 21 of the Revelation of St. John: “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” And in chapter 12 verse 1 it is said: “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars”: this woman is that bride, the Law of God that descended upon Muhammad. The sun with which she was clothed, and the moon which was under her feet, are the two nations which are under the shadow of that Law, the Persian and Turkish kingdoms; for the emblem of Persia is the sun, and that of Turkey is the crescent moon: thus the sun and moon are the emblems of two kingdoms Which are under the power of the Law of God. Afterwards it is said: “upon her head is a crown of twelve stars”—these twelve stars are the twelve Imams who were the promoters of the Law of Muhammad, and the educators of the people, shining like stars in the heaven of guidance.

Then it is said in the second verse: “and she being with child cried,” meaning that this Law fell into the greatest difficulties, and endured great troubles and afl’lictions until a perfect offspring was produced, that is, the coming Manifestation, the Promised One, who is the perfect offspring, and who

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was reared in the bosom of this Law which is as its mother. The child who is referred to is the Báb, the First Point, who was in truth born from the Law of Muhammad. That is to say, the Holy Reality, who is the child and outcome of the Law of God, his mother, and who is promised by that religion, finds a reality in the kingdom of that Law; but because of the despotism of the dragon the child was carried up to God. After twelve hundred and sixty days the dragon was destroyed, and the child of the Law of God, the Promised One, became manifest.

Verses 3 and 4. “And there appeared another wonder in heaven, and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth.” These signs are an allusion to the dynasty of the Umayyads who dominated the Muhammadan religion. Seven heads and seven crowns mean seven countries and dominions over which the Bani-Umayyih had power: they were the Roman dominion around Damascus, and the Persian, Arabian, and Egyptian dominions, together with the dominion of Africa, that is to say Tunis, Morocco, and Algeria, the dominion of Andalusia which is now Spain, and the dominion of Turkestan and Transoxania. The BaniUmayyih had power over these countries. The ten horns mean the names of the Umayyad rulers: that is, without repetition, there were ten names of rulers, meaning ten names of commanders and chiefs—the first is AbL’l Sufian and the last Marwan—but several of them bear the same name. So there are two Mu’awia, three Yazid, two Walid, and two Marwan; but if the names were counted without repetition there would be ten. The Bani-Umayyih, of whom the first was Abl’l Sufian, Amir of Mecca and chief of the dynasty of the Umayyads, and the last was Marwan, destroyed the third part of the holy and saintly people of the lineage of Muhammad who were like the stars of heaven.

Verse 4. “And the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour the child as soon as it was born." As we have before explained, this woman is the Law of God. The dragon was standing near the woman to devour her child, and this child was the promised Manifestation, the offspring of the Law of Mu THE BAHA’I WORLD

hammad. The Bani—Umayyih were always waiting to get possession of the Promised One who was to come from the line of Muhammad, to destroy and annihilate him; for they much feared the appearance of the promised Manifestation, and they sought to kill any of Muhammad’s descendents who might be highly esteemed.

Verse 5. “And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron.” This great son is the promised Manifestation who was born of the Law of God and reared in the bosom of the divine teachings. The iron rod is a symbol of power and might—it is not a sword—and means that with divine power and might he will shepherd all the nations of the earth. This son is the Báb.

Verse 5. “And her child was caught up unto God, and to His throne.” This is a prophecy of the Báb, who ascended to the heavenly realm, to the Throne of God, and to the center of His Kingdom. Consider how all this corresponds to what happened.

Verse 6. “And the woman fled into the wilderness,” that is to say, the Law of God fled to the wilderness, meaning the vast desert of Hijaz, and the Arabian Peninsula.

Verse 6. “Where she had a place prepared of God." The Arabian Peninsula became the abode and dwelling-place, and the center of the Law of God.

Verse 6. “That they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.” In the terminology of the Holy Book these twelve hundred and sixty days mean the twelve hundred and sixty years that the Law of God was set up in the wilderness of Arabia, the great desert: from it the Promised One has come. After twelve hundred and sixty years that Law will have no more influence, for the fruit of that tree will have appeared, and the result will have been produced.

Consider how the prophecies correspond to one another. In the Apocalypse, the appearance of the Promised One is appointed after forty-two months, and Daniel expresses it as three times and a half, which is also forty—two months; which are twelve hundred and sixty days. In another passage of John’s Revelation it is clearly spoken of as twelve hundred and sixty days, and in the Holy Book it is said that each day signifies one year. Nothing could be more clear than this agreement of the prophecies with one another. The Báb appeared in the year 1260

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of the Hijirah of Muhammad, which is the beginning of the universal era-reekoning of all Islam. There are no clearer proofs than this in the Holy Books for any Manifestation. For him who is just, the agreement of the times indicated by the tongues of the Great Ones is the most conclusive proof. There is no Other possible explanation of these prophecies. Blessed are the just souls who seek the truth. But failing justice, the people attack, dispute, and openly deny the evidence; like the Pharisees who, at the manifestation of Christ, denied with the greatest obstinacy the explanations of Christ and of his disciples. They obscured Christ’s Cause before the ignorant people, saying, “These prophecies are not of Jesus, but of the Promised One who shall come later, according to the conditions mentioned in the Bible.” Some of these conditions were that he must have a kingdom, be seated on the throne of David, enforce the Law of the Bible, and manifest such justice that the wolf and the lamb shall gather at the same spring.

And thus they prevented the people from knowing Christ.

Note.—In these last conversations ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wishes to reconcile in a new interpretation the apocalyptic prophecies of the Jews, the Christians, and the Muslims, rather than to show their supernatural character.

SPIRITUAL PROOFS

In this material world time has cycles; places change through alternating seasons, and for souls there are progress, retrogression, and education.

Sometime it is the season of spring, at another time it is the season of autumn, and again it is the season of summer or the season of winter.

In the spring there are the clouds which send down the precious rain, the muskscented breezes and life-giving zephyrs; the air is perfectly temperate, the rain falls, the sun shines, the fecundating wind wafts the clouds, the world is renewed, and the breath of life appears in plants, in animals, and in men. Earthly beings pass from one condition to another. All things are clothed in new garments, and the black earth is covered with herbage; mountains and plains are adorned with verdure, trees bear leaves and blossoms, gardens bring forth flowers and fragrant herbs. The world becomes another

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world, and it attains to a life-giving spirit. The earth was a lifeless body; it finds a new spirit, and produces endless beauty, grace, and freshness. Thus the spring is the cause of new life, and infuses a new spirit.

Afterwards comes the summer, when the heat increases, and growth and development attain their greatest power. The energy of life in the vegetable kingdom reaches to the degree of perfection, the fruit appears, and the time of harvest ripens; a seed has become a sheaf, and the food is stored for winter. Afterwards comes tumultuous au4 tumn when unwholesome and sterile winds blow, it is the season of sickness, when all things are withered, and the balmy air is vitiated. The breezes of spring are changed to autumn winds, the fertile green trees have become withered and bare, flowers and fragrant herbs fade away, the beautiful garden becomes a dust—heap. Following this comes the season of winter, with cold and tempests. It snows, rains, hails, storms, thunders and lightens, freezes and congeals; all plants die, and animals languish and are wretched.

When this state is reached, again a new life-giving spring returns, and the cycle is renewed. The season of spring With its hosts of freshness and beauty, spreads its tent on the plains and mountains with great pomp and magnificence. A second time the form of the creatures is renewed, and the creation of beings begins afresh; bodies grow and develop, the plains and wildernesses become green and fertile, trees bring forth blossoms, and the spring of last year returns in the utmost fullness and glory. Such is, and such ought to be, the cycle and succession of existence: such is the cycle and revolution of the material world.

It is the same with the spiritual cycles of the Prophets. That is to say, the day of the appearance of the Holy Manifestations is the spiritual springtime, it is the divine splendor, it is the heavenly bounty, the breeze of life, the rising of the Sun of Reality. Spirits are quickened, hearts are refreshed and invigorated, souls become good, existence is set in motion, human realities are gladdened, and grow and develop in good qualities and perfections. Universal progress takes place, and there are resurrection and lamentation; for it is the day of judgment, the time of turmoil and distress, at the same time that it is the season of joy, of happiness, and of absolute attraction.

Afterwards the life-giving spring ends in

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fruitful summer. The word of God is exalted, the Law of God is promulgated; all things reach perfection. The heavenly table is spread, the holy breezes perfume the East and the West, the teachings of God conquer the world, men become educated, praiseworthy results are produced, universal progress appears in the world of humanity, and the divine bounties surround all things. The Sun of Reality rises from the horizon of the Kingdom with the greatest power and heat. When it reaches the meridian it will begin to decline and descend, and the spiritual summer will be followed by autumn, when growth and development are arrested. Breezes change into blighting winds, and the unwholesome season dissipates the beauty and freshness of the gardens, plains, and bowers. That is to say, attraction and goodwill do not remain, divine qualities are changed, the radiance of hearts is dimmed, the spirituality of souls is altered, virtues are replaced by vices, and holiness and purity disappear. Only the name of the Religion of God remains, and the exoteric forms of the divine teachings. The foundations of the Religion of God are destroyed and annihilated, and nothing but forms and customs exist. Divisions appear, firmness is changed into instability, and spirits become dead; hearts languish, souls become inert, and winter arrives; that is to say, the coldness of ignorance envelops the world and the darkness of human error prevails. After this come indifference, disobedience, inconsiderateness, indolence, baseness, animal instincts, and the coldness and insensibility of stones. It is like the season of winter when the terrestrial globe, deprived of the effect of the heat of the sun, becomes desolate and dreary. When the world of intelligence and thought has reached to this state, there remain only continual death and perpetual nonexistence.

When the season of winter has had its effect, again the spiritual springtime returns and a new cycle appears. Spiritual breezes blow, the luminous dawn gleams, the divine clouds give rain, the rays of the Sun of Reality shine forth, the contingent world attains unto a new life, and is clad in a wonderful garment. All the signs and the gifts of the past springtime reappear, with perhaps even greater splendor in this new season.

The spiritual cycles of the Sun of Reality are like the cycles of the material sun; they are always revolving and being renewed. The Sun of Reality, like the material sun,

THE BAHA’I WORLD

has numerous rising and dawning places: one day it rises from the zodiacal sign of Cancer, another day from the sign of Libra or Aquarius, another time it is from the sign of Aries that it diffuses its rays. But the sun is one sun and one reality; the people of knowledge are lovers of the sun, and are not fascinated by the places of its rising and dawning. The people of perception are the seekers of the Truth, and not of the places of its appearance, nor of its dawning points; therefore they will adore the Sun from whatever point in the zodiac it may appear, and they will seek the Reality in every Sanctified Soul who manifests it. Such people always attain to the truth, and are not veiled from the Sun of the Divine World. So, the lover of the sun and the seeker of the light will always turn towards the sun, whether it shines from the sign of Aries or gives its bounty from the sign of Cancer, or radiates from Gemini; but the ignorant and uninstructed are lovers of the signs of the zodiac, and enamored and fascinated by the risingplaces, and not by the sun. When it was in the sign of Cancer they turned towards it, though afterwards the sun changed to the sign of Libra; as they were lovers of the sign, they turned towards it and attached themselves to it, and were deprived of the influences of the sun merely because it had changed its place. For example, once the Sun of Reality poured forth its rays from the sign of Abraham, and then it dawned from the sign of Moses and illuminated the horizon; afterwards it rose with the greatest power and brilliancy from the sign of Christ: those who were the seekers of Reality, worshiped that Reality wherever they saw it, but those who were attached to Abraham were deprived of its influences, when it shone upon Sinai and illuminated the reality of Moses. Those who held fast to Moses when the Sun of Reality shone from Christ with the utmost radiance and lordly splendor, were also veiled; and so forth.

Therefore man must be the seeker after the Reality; and he will find that Reality in each of the Sanctified Souls. He must be fascinated and enraptured, and attracted to the divine bounty; he must be like the butterfly who is the lover of the light from whatever lamp it may shine, and like the nightingale who is the lover of the rose in whatever garden it may grow.

If the sun were to rise in the West, it would still be the sun; one must not with [Page 107]BAHA’I SACRED WRITINGS

draw from it on account of its rising-place, nor consider the West to be always the place of sunset. In the same way, one must look for the heavenly bounties, and seek for the Divine Aurora. In every place where it appears, one must become its distracted lover. Consider that if the Jews had not kept turning to the horizon of Moses, and had only

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regarded the Sun of Reality, without any doubt they would have recognized the Sun in the dawning—place of the reality of Christ, in the greatest divine splendor. But, alas! a thousand times alas! attaching themselves to the outward words of Moses, they were deprived of the divine bounties and the lordly splendors!

[Page 108]HANDS OF THE CAUSE OF GOD

Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih IKhánum appointed by Shoghi Effendi a Hand of the Cause of God, March 26, 1952.

[Page 109]William Sutherland Maxwell, appointed Charles Mason Remey, appointed by Shoghi Effendi a Hand of the Cause of by Shoghi Effendi a Hand of the Cause of God from the Holy Land, December 24, 1951. God from the Holy Land, December 24, 1951.

Mrs. Amelia E. Collins, appointed Leroy C. Ioas, appointed by Shoghi Effendi by Shoghi Effendi a Hand of the Cause of a Hand of the Cause of God from God from the Holy Land, December 24, 1951. the United States, December 24, 1951.

[Page 110]

Valiyu’lláh Varqé, appointed Ugo R. Giachery, appointed by Shoghi Effendi by Shoghi Effendi a Hand of the Cause a Hand of the Cause of God from the of God from the Cradle of the Faith (Persia), European Continent, December 24, 1951. December 24, 1951.

George Townshend, appointed by Shoghi Horace Holley, appointed by Shoghi Effendi Effendi a Hand of the Cause of God from the a Hand of the Cause of God from the European Continent, December 24, 1951. United States, December 24, 1951.

[Page 111]

i

Tarézu’llah Samandari, appointed Mfisé Banéni, appointed by Shoghi Effendi

by Shoghi Effendi a Hand of the Cause of God a Hand of the Cause of God from the Cradle of the Faith (Persia), from Africa, February 29, 1952.

December 24, 1951.

oucu, mom ‘Ali-Akbar FurL’ltan, appointed by Shoghi Siegfried Schopflocher, appointed by Shoghi

Effendi a Hand of the Cause of God from the Effendi a Hand of the Cause of God from the Cradle of the Faith, December 24, 1951. Dominion of Canada. February 29, 1952.

[Page 112]

Upper left:

Hermann Grossmann, appointed by Shoghi Effendi a Hand of the Cause of God from the European Continent, December 24, 1951.

Upper right:

Mrs. Dorothy Baker, appointed by Shoghi Effendi a Hand of the Cause of God from the United States, December 24, 1951.

Left:

Mrs. Clara Dunn,

appointed by Shoghi Effendi

a Hand of the Cause of God

from Australia, February 29, 1952.

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Upper left:

Mrs. Corinne True, appointed by Shoghi Effendi a Hand of the Cause of God from the United States, February 29, 1952.

U p per righ t:

D__hikru’lláh K_hédern,

appointed by Shoghi Effendi

a Hand of the Cause of God

from the Cradle of the Faith (Persia), February 29, 1952.

Righ 1‘:

Paul E. Haney,

appointed by Shoghi Effendi a Hand of the Cause of God from the United States, March 19, 1954.

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U pper left:

Adelbert Mfihlschlegel,

appointed by Shoghi Effendi

a Hand of the Cause of God

from Germany, February 29, 1952.

Upper right:

fiu’é’u’lláh ‘Alzi’i,

appointed by Shoghi Effendi a Hand of the Cause of God

from theCradle of the Faith (Persia), February 29, 1952.

Left:

Jalél Qézeh,

appointed by Shoghi Effendi

a Hand of the Cause of God from Persia, December 7, 1953.