Bahá’í World/Volume 13/Excerpts from the Bahá’í Sacred Writings

←Previous

The Bahá’í World Volume 13

Next→

[Page 21]

II

EXCERPTS FROM THE Bahá’í SACRED WRITINGS

1.

WORDS OF Bahá’u’lláh

From THE KITA’B—I—I’QA’N

THESE are the melodies, sung by Jesus, Son of Mary, in accents of majestic power in the Riḍván of the Gospel, revealing those signs that must needs herald the advent of the Manifestation after Him. In the first Gospel according to Matthew it is recorded: And when they asked Jesus concerning the signs of His coming, He said unto them: “Immediately after the oppression1 of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the earth shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angel with a great sound of a trumpet.”2 Rendered into the Persian tongue,3 the purport of these words is as follows: When the oppression and afflictions that are to befall mankind will have come to pass, then shall the sun be withheld from shining, the moon from giving light, the stars of heaven shall fall upon the earth, and the pillars of the earth shall quake. At that time, the signs of the Son of man shall appear in heaven, that is, the promised Beauty and Substance of life shall, when these signs have appeared, step forth out of the realm of the invisible into the visible world. And He saith: at that time, all the peoples and kindreds that dwell on earth shall bewail and lament, and they shall see that divine Beauty coming from heaven, riding upon the clouds with power,

1The Greek word used (Thlipsis) has two meanings: pressure and oppression

l AIuIIhL-w XXlV 29-3l.

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

2]

grandeur, and magnificence, sending His angels with a great sound of a trumpet. Similarly, in the three other Gospels, according to Luke, Mark, and John, the same. statements are recorded. . . .

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

Besides this passage, there is yet another

[Page 22]22 THEBAHA’T WORLD

verse in the Gospel wherein He saith: “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but My words shall not pass away."4 Thus it is that the adherents of Jesus maintained that the law of the Gospel shall never be annulled, and that whensoever the promised Beauty is made manifest and all the signs are revealed, He must needs re—affirm and establish the law proclaimed in the Gospel, so that there may remain in the world no faith but His faith. This is their fundamental belief. And their conviction is such that were a person to be made manifest with all the promised signs and to promulgate that which is contrary to the letter of the law of the Gospel, they must assuredly renounce him, refuse to submit to his law, declare him an infidel, and laugh him to scorn. This is proved by that which came to pass when the sun of the Muhammadan Revelation was revealed. Had they sought with a humble mind from the Manifestations of God in every Dispensation the true meaning of these words revealed in the sacred bookswords the misapprehension of which hath caused men to be deprived of the recognition of the Sadratu’l-Muntaha, the ultimate Purpose—they surely would have been guided to the light of the Sun of Truth, and would have discovered the mysteries of divine knowledge and wisdom.

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

As to the words—“Immediately after the oppression of those days"—they refer to the time when men shall become oppressed and afflicted, the time when the lingering traces of the Sun of Truth and the fruit of the Tree of knowledge and wisdom will have vanished from the midst of men, when the reins of mankind will have fallen into the grasp of the foolish and ignorant, when the portals of divine unity and understanding—the essential

4 Luke XXI 33

and highest purpose in creation——will have been closed, when certain knowledge will have given way to idle fancy, and corruption will have usurped the station of righteousness. Such a condition as this is witnessed in this day when the reins of every community have fallen into the grasp of foolish leaders, who lead after their own whims and desire. On their tongue the mention of God hath become an empty name; in their midst His holy Word a dead letter. Such is the sway of their desires, that the lamp of conscience and reason hath been quenched in their hearts, and this although the fingers of divine power have unlocked the portals of the knowledge of God, and the light of divine knowledge and heavenly grace hath illumined and inspired the essence of all created things, in such wise that in each and every thing a door of knowledge hath been opened, and within every atom traces of the sun hath been made manifest. And yet, in spite of all these manifold revelations of divine knowledge, which have encompassed the world, they still vainly imagine the door of knowledge to be closed, and the showers of mercy to be stilled. Clinging unto idle fancy, they have strayed far from the ‘Urvatu’l-Vuthqa of divine knowledge. Their hearts seem not to be inclined to knowledge and the door thereof, neither think they of its manifestations, inasmuch as in idle fancy they have found the door that leadeth unto earthly riches, whereas in the manifestation of the Revealer of knowledge they find naught but the call to self-sacrifice.They therefore naturally hold fast unto the former, and flee from the latter. Though they recognize in their hearts the Law of God to be one and the same, yet from every direction they issue a new command, and in every season proclaim a fresh decree. No two are found to agree on one and the same law, for they seek no God but their own desire, and tread no path but the path of error. In leadership they have recognized the ultimate object of their endeavor, and account pride and haughtiness as the highest attainments of their hearts’ desire. They have placed their sordid machinations above the divine decree, have renounced resignation unto the will of God, busied themselves with selfish calculation, and walked in the way of the hypocrite. With all their power and strength they strive to secure themselves in their petty pursuits, fearful

[Page 23]Bahá’í SACRED WRITINGS

Aerial view of the Báb’s Shrine on Mt. Carmel, Haifa, Israel. The square building with a dome is the Shrine; oblong building in centre is the International Archives.

23

[Page 24]24 THE Bahá’í WORLD

lest the least discredit undermine their authority or blemish the display of their magnificence. Were the eye to be anointed and illumined with the collyrium of the knowledge of God, it would surely discover that a number of voracious beasts have gathered and preyed upon the carrion of the souls of men.

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

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

And now, concerning His words—“The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall

not give light, and the stars shall fall from heaven.” By the terms “sun” and “moon”, mentioned in the writings of the Prophets of God, is not meant solely the sun and moon of the visible universe. Nay rather, manifold are the meanings they have intended for these terms. In every instance they have attached to them a particular significance. Thus, by the “sun” in one sense is meant those Suns of Truth Who rise from the dayspring of ancient glory, and fill the world with a liberal efi‘usion of grace from on high. These Suns of Truth are the universal Manifestations of God in the worlds of His attributes and names, even as the visible sun that assisteth, as decreed by God, the true One, the Adored, in the development of all earthly things, such as the trees, the fruits, and colours thereof, the minerals of the earth, and all that may be witnessed in the world of creation, so do the divine Luminaries, by their loving care and educative influence, cause the trees of divine unity, the fruits of His oneness, the leaves of detachment, the blossoms of knowledge and certitude, and the myrtles of wisdom and utterance, to exist and be made manifest. Thus it is that through the rise of these Luminaries of God the world is made new, the waters of everlasting life stream forth, the billows of loving-kindness surge, the clouds of grace are gathered, and the breeze of bounty bloweth upon all created things. It is the warmth that these Luminaries of God generate, and the undying fires they kindle, which cause the light of the love of God to burn fiercely in the heart of humanity. It is through the abundant grace of these Symbols of Detachment that the Spirit of life everlasting is breathed into the bodies of the dead. Assuredly the visible sun is but a sign of the splendour of that Day-star of Truth, that Sun Which can never have a peer, a likeness, 0r rival. Through Him all things live, move, and have their being. Through His grace they are made manifest, and unto Him they all return. From Him all things have sprung, and unto the treasuries of His revelation they all have repaired. From Him all created things did proceed, and to the depositories of His law they did revert.

. . . . Even as Jesus said: “Ye must be born again.”5 Again He saith: “Except a man be

5 John III 7

[Page 25]BAHA’l SACRED WRITINGS 25

born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”6 The purport of these words is that whosoever in every dispensation is born of the Spirit and is quickened by the breath of the Manifestation of Holiness, he verily is of those that have attained unto “life” and “resurrection” and have entered into the “paradise” of the love of God. And whosoever is not of them, is condemned to “death” and “deprivation,” to the “fire” of unbelief, and to the “wrath” of God. In all the scriptures, the books and chronicles, the sentence of death, of fire, of blindness, of want of understanding and hearing, hath been pronounced against those whose lips have tasted not the ethereal cup of true knowledge, and whose hearts have been deprived of the grace of the holy Spirit in their day.

In every age and century, the purpose of the Prophets of God and their chosen ones hath been no other but to affirm the spiritual

u ‘6

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

From GLEANINGS FROM THE WRITINGS 0F BAH/f'U’LLA’H

CX

The Great Being saith: O ye children of men! 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—afflicted world the

6 Jahn III 5-6

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 afflicteth the human race is daily increasing. The signs of impending convulsions and chaos can now be discerned, inasmuch as the prevailing order appeareth

[Page 26]26 THE BAHA’IWORLD

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.

CXII

Behold the disturbances which, for many a long year, have \afflicted the earth, and the perturbation that hath seized its peoples. It hath either been ravaged by war, or tormented by sudden and unforeseen calamities. Though the world is encompassed with misery and distress, yet no man hath paused to reflect what the cause or source of that may be. Whenever the True Counsellor uttered a word in admonishment, 10, they all denounced Him as a mover of mischief and rejected His claim. How bewildering, how confusing is such behavior! No two men can be found who ‘ may be said to be outwardly and inwardly united. The evidences of discord and malice are apparent everywhere, though all were made for harmony and union. The Great Being saith: O well-beloved ones! The tabernacle of unity hath been raised; regard ye not one another as strangers. Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. We cherish the hope that the light of justice may shine upon the world and sanctify it from tyranny.

CLXIII

Whoso cleaveth to justice, can, under no circumstances, transgress the limits of moderation. He discerneth the truth in all things, through the guidance of Him Who is the All-Seeing. The civilization, so often vaunted by the learned exponents of arts and sciences, will, if allowed to overleap the bounds of moderation, bring great evil upon men. Thus warneth you He Who is the All-Knowing. If carried to excess, civilization will prove as prolific a source of evil as it had been of goodness when kept within the restraints of moderation. Meditate on this, O people, and be not of them that wander distraught in the wilderness of error. The day is approaching when its flame will devour the Cities, when the Tongue of Grandeur will proclaim: “The Kingdom is God’s, the Almighty, the AllPraised!”

LXI

The world is in travail, and its agitation waxeth day by day. lts face is turned towards waywardness and unbelief. Such shall be its plight, that to disclose it now would not be meet and seemly. Its perversity will long continue. And when the appointed hour is come, there shall suddenly appear that which shall cause the limbs of mankind to quake. Then, and only then, will the Divine Standard be unfurled, and the Nightingale of Paradise warble its melody.

LXXI

The peoples of the world are fast asleep. Were they to wake from their slumber, they would hasten with eagerness unto God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. They would cast away everything they possess, be it all the treasures of the earth, that their Lord may remember them to the extent of addressing to them but one word. Such is the instruction givenlyou by Him Who holdeth the knowledge of things hidden, in a Tablet which the eye of creation hath not seen, and which is revealed to none except His own Self, the omnipotent protector of all worlds. So bewildered are they in the drunkenness of their evil desires, that they are powerless to recognize the Lord of all being, Whose voice calleth aloud from every direction: “There is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the All-Wise.”

Say: Rejoice not in the things ye possess; tonight they are yours, tomorrow others will possess them. Thus warneth you He Who is the All-Knowing, the All-lnformed. Say: Can ye claim that what ye own is lastng or secure? Nay! By Myself, the All-Merciful. The days of your life flee away as a breath of wind, and all your pomp and glory shall be folded up as were the pomp and glory of those gone before you. Reflect, O people! What hath become of your bygone days, your lost centuries? Happy the days that have been consecrated to the remembrance of God, and blessed the hours which have been spent in praise of Him Who is the All-Wise. By My life! Neither the pomp of the mighty, nor the wealth of the rich, nor even the ascendancy of the ungodly will endure. All will perish, at a word from Him. He, verily. is the All-Powerful, the All-Compelling, the Almighty. What advantage is there in the earthly things which men possess? That which shall profit

[Page 27]Bahá’í SACRED WRITINGS 27

THIS CIRCLE OF CYPRESS TREES EXISTED IN THE DAYS OF Bahá’u’lláh

It was here that He indicated to His son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, that He should buy this land and bring the remains of the Báb from Persia and bury them in the spot where the Shrine now stands.

The same trees, with the white roof of the Báb’s Shrine showing on their left and the new garden made by Shoghi Effendi in the first years of his Guardianship.

[Page 28]28 THE BAHA’I WORLD

them, they have utterly neglected. Erelong, they will awake from their slumber, and find themselves unable to obtain that which hath escaped them in the days of their Lord, the Almighty, the All-Praised. Did they but know it, they would renounce their all, that their names may be mentioned before His throne. They, verily, are accounted among the dead.

LXX

The world’s equilibrium hath been upset through the vibrating influence of this most great, this new World Order. Mankind’s ordered life hath been revolutionized through the agency of this unique, this wondrous System—the like of which mortal eyes have never witnessed.

Immerse yourselves in the ocean of My words, that ye may unravel its secrets, and discover all the pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its depths. Take heed that ye do not vacillate in your determination to embrace the truth of this Cause—a Cause through which the potentialities of the might of God have been revealed, and His sovereignty established. With faces beaming with joy, hasten ye unto Him. This is the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future. Let him that seeketh, attain it; and as to him that hath refused to seek it—verily, God is Self-Sufficient, above any need of His creatures.

Say: This is the infallible Balance which the Hand of God is holding, in which all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth are weighed, and their fate determined, if ye be of them that believe and recognize this truth. Say: Through it the poor have been enriched, the learned enlightened, and the seekers enabled to ascend unto the presence of God. Beware, lest ye make it a cause of dissension amongst you. Be ye as firmly settled as the immovable mountain in the Cause of your Lord, the Mighty, the Loving.

CLV

They whom God hath endued with insight will readily recognize that the precepts laid down by God constitute the highest means for the maintenance of order in the world and the security of its peoples. . . .

O ye peoples of the world! Know assuredly that My commandments are the lamps of

My loving providence among My servants, and the keys of My mercy for My creatures. Thus hath it been sent down from the heaven of the Will of your Lord, the Lord of Revelation. Were any man to taste the sweetness of the words which the lips of the All-Merciful have willed to utter, he would, though the treasures of the earth be in his possession, renounce them one and all, that he might vindicate the truth of even one of His commandments, shining above the day spring of His bountiful care and loving-kindness. . . .

Think not that We have revealed unto you a mere code of laws. Nay, rather, We have unsealed the choice Wine with the fingers of might and power. To this beareth witness that which the Pen of Revelation hath revealed. Meditate upon this, 0 men of insight! . . .

CI

The purpose underlying the revelation of every heavenly Book, nay, of every divinelyrevealed verse, is to endue all men with righteousness and understanding, so that peace and tranquillity may be firmly established amongst them. Whatsoever instilleth assurance into the hearts of men, whatsoever exalteth their station or promoteth their contentment, is acceptable in the sight of God. How lofty is the station which man, if he but choose to fulfill his high destiny, can attain! To what depths of degradation he can sink, depths which the meanest of creatures have never reached! Seize, O friends, the chance which this Day offereth you, and deprive not yourselves of the liberal effusions of His grace. I beseech God that He may graciously enable every one of you to adorn himself, in this blessed Day, with the ornament of pure and holy deeds. He, verily, doeth whatsoever He willeth.

IV

This is the Day in which God’s most excellent favors have been poured out upon men, the Day in which His most mighty grace hath been infused into all created things. It is incumbent upon all the peoples of the world to reconcile their differences, and, with perfect unity and peace, abide beneath the shadow of the Tree of His care and lovingkindness. It behoveth them to cleave to whatsoever will, in this Day, be conducive

[Page 29]BAHA’TSACRED WRITINGS 29

to the exaltation of their stations, and to the promotion of their best interests. Happy are those whom the all-glorious Pen was moved to remember, and blessed are those men whose names, by virtue of Our inscrutable decree, We have preferred to conceal.

Beseech ye the one true God to grant that all men may be graciously assisted to fulfill that which is acceptable in Our sight. Soon will the present-day order be rolled up, and a new one spread out in its stead. Verily, thy Lord speaketh the truth, and is the Knower of things unseen.

V

This is the Day whereon the Ocean of God’s mercy hath been manifested unto men, the Day in which the Day-star of His lovingkindness hath shed its radiance upon them, the Day in which the clouds of His bountiful favor have overshadowed the whole of mankind. Now is the time to cheer and refresh the down-cast through the invigorating breeze of love and fellowship, and the living waters of friendliness and charity.

They who are the beloved of God, in whatever place they gather and whomsoever they may meet, must evince, in their attitude towards God, and in the manner of their celebration of His praise and glory, such humility and submissiveness that every atom of the dust beneath their feet may attest the depth of their devotion. The conversation carried by these holy souls should be informed with such power that these same atoms of dust will be thrilled by its influence. They should conduct themselves in such manner that the earth upon which they tread may never be allowed to address them such words as these: “I am to be preferred above you. For

witness, how patient I am in bearing the burden which the husbandman layeth upon me. I am the instrument that continually imparteth unto all beings the blessings with which He Who is the Source of all grace hath entrusted me. Notwithstanding the honor conferred upon me, and the unnumbered evidences of my wealth—a wealth that supplieth the needs of all creation—behold the measure of my humility, witness with what absolute submissiveness I allow myself to be trodden beneath the feet of men. . . .”

Show forbearance and benevolence and love to one another. Should any one among you be incapable of grasping a certain truth, or be striving to comprehend it, show forth, when conversing with him, a spirit of extreme kindliness and good-will. Help him to see and recognize the truth, without esteeming yourself to be, in the least, superior to him, or to be possessed of greater endowments,

The whole duty of man in this Day is to attain that share of the flood of grace which God poureth forth for him. Let none, therefore, consider the largeness or smallness of the receptacle. The portion of some might lie in the palm of a man’s hand, the portion of others might fill a cup, and of others even a gallon-measure.

Every eye, in this Day, should seek what will best promote the Cause of God. He, Who is the Eternal Truth, beareth Me witness! Nothing whatever can, in this Day, inflict a greater harm upon this Cause than dissension and strife, contention, estrangement and apathy, among the loved ones of God. Flee them, through the power of God and His sovereign aid, and strive ye to knit together the hearts of men, in His Name, the Unifier, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

From EPISTLE TO THE SON OF THE WOLF

Know thou that he is truly learned who hath acknowledged My Revelation, and drunk from the Ocean of My knowledge, and soared in the atmosphere of My love, and cast away all else besides Me, and taken firm hold on that which hath been sent down from the Kingdom of My wondrous utterance. He, verily, is even as an eye unto mankind, and as the spirit of life unto the body of all

creation. Glorified be the All-Merciful Who hath enlightened him, and caused him to arise and serve His great and mighty Cause. Verily, such a man is blessed by the Concourse on high, and by them who dwell within the Tabernacle of Grandeur, who have quaffed My sealed Wine in My Name, the Omnipotent, the All-Powerful....

“O ye friends of God in His cities and His

[Page 30]30 THE BAHA’iWORLD

loved ones in His lands! This Wronged One enjoineth on you honesty and piety. Blessed the city that shineth by their light. Through them man is exalted, and the door of security is unlocked before the face of all creation. Happy the man that cleaveth fast unto them, and recognizeth their virtue, and woe betide him that denieth their station.”

And in another connection these words were revealed: “We enjoin the servants of God and His handmaidens to be pure and to fear God, that they may shake off the slumber of their corrupt desires, and turn toward God, the Maker of the heavens and of the earth. Thus have We commanded the faithful when the Day-Star of the world shone forth from the horizon of ‘Iráq. My imprisonment doeth Me no harm, neither the tribulations I suffer, nor the things that have befallen Me at the hands of My oppressors. That which harmeth Me is the conduct of those who, though they bear My name, yet commit that which maketh My heart and My pen to lament. They that spread disorder in the land, and lay hands on the property of others, and enter a house without leave of its owner. We, verily, are clear of them, unless they repent and return unto God, the EverForgiving, the Most Merciful.”

And in another connection: “O peoples of the earth! Haste ye to do the pleasure of God, and war ye valiantly, as it behooveth you to war, for the sake of proclaiming His resistless and immovable Cause. We have decreed that war shall be waged in the path of God with the armies of wisdom and utterance, and of a goodly character and praiseworthy deeds. Thus hath it been decided by Him Who is the All-Powerful, the A1mighty. There is no glory for him that committeth disorder on the earth after it hath been made so good. Fear God, 0 people, and be not of them that act unjustly.”

And again in another connection: “Revile ye not one another. We, verily, have come to unite and weld together all that dwell on earth. Unto this beareth witness what the ocean of Mine utterance hath revealed amongst men, and yet most of the people have gone astray. If anyone revile you, or trouble touch you, in the path of God, be patient, and put your trust in Him Who heareth, Who seeth. He, in truth, witnesseth, and perceiveth, and doeth what He pleaseth,

through the power of His sovereignty. He, verily, is the Lord of strength, and of might. In the Book of God, the Mighty, the Great, ye have been forbidden to engage in contention and conflict. Lay fast hold on whatever will profit you, and profit the peoples of the world. Thus commandeth you the King of Eternity, Who is manifest in His Most Great Name. He, verily, is the Ordainer, the All-Wise.”

And yet again in another connection: “Beware lest ye shed the blood of any one. Unsheathe the sword of your tongue from the scabbard of utterance, for therewith ye can conquer the citadels of men‘s hearts. We have abolished the law to wage holy war against each other. God’s mercy hath, verily, encompassed all created things, if ye do but understand.”

And yet again in another connection: “0 people! Spread not disorder in the land, and shed not the blood of any one, and consume not the substance of others wrongfully, neither follow every accursed prattler.”

And still again in another connection: “The Sun of Divine Utterance can never set, neither can its radiance be extinguished. These sublime words have, in this day, been heard. from the Lote—Tree beyond which there is no passing: ‘I belong to him that loveth Me, that holdeth fast My commandments, and casteth away the things forbidden him in My Book.’”

And still again in another connection: “This is the day to make mention of God, to celebrate His praise, and to serve Him; deprive not yourselves thereof. Ye are the letters of the words, and the words of the Book. Ye are the saplings which the hand of Lovingkindness hath planted in the soil of mercy, and which the showers of bounty have made to flourish. He hath protected you from the mighty winds of misbelief, and the tempestuous gales of impiety, and nurtured you with the hands of His loving providence. Now is the time for you to put forth your leaves, and yield your fruit. The fruits of the tree of man have ever been and are goodly deeds and a praiseworthy character. Withhold not these fruits from the heedless. If they be accepted, your end is attained, and the purpose of life achieved. If not, leave them in their pastime of vain disputes. Strive, 0 people of God, that haply the hearts of the

[Page 31]Bahá’í SACRED WRITINGS

SHOGHI EFFENDI’S TRANSFORMATION OF MOUNT CARMEL

In 1909 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá completed the Shrine of the Báb shown as a low white building

in the top picture. The appearance of the mountain was very much the same when

He passed away in 1921. During the early years of his ministry Shoghi Effendi built

the first terraces in front of the Shrine and by 1953 he had completed its superstructure as well as eight terraces shown in the lower picture.

31

[Page 32]32 THE BAHA’I WORLD

divers kindreds of the earth may, through the waters of your forbearance and lovingkindness, be cleansed and sanctified from animosity and hatred, and be made worthy and befitting recipients of the splendors of the Sun of Truth.”

In the fourth IfIráq (splendor) of the Iflraqét (Tablet of Splendors) We have mentioned: “Every cause needeth a helper. In this Revelation the hosts which can render it victorious are the hosts of praiseworthy deeds and upright character. The leader and commander of these hosts hath ever been the fear of God, a fear that encompasseth all things, and reigneth over all things.”

In the third Tajalli (effulgence) of the Book of Tajalliyét (Book of Et‘fulgences) We have mentioned: “Arts, crafts and sciences uplift the world of being, and are conducive to its exaltation. Knowledge is as wings to man’s life, and a ladder for his ascent. Its acquisition is incumbent upon everyone. The knowledge of such sciences, however, should be acquired as can profit the peoples of the earth, and not those which begin with words and end with words. Great indeed is the claim of scientists and craftsmen on the peoples of the world. Unto this beareth witness the Mother Book in this conspicuous station.”

In truth, knowledge is a veritable treasure for man, and a source of glory, of bounty, of joy, of exaltation, of cheer and gladness unto him. Happy the man that cleaveth unto it, and woe betide the heedless.

It is incumbent upon thee to summon the people, under all conditions, to whatever will cause them to show forth spiritual characteristics and goodly deeds, so that all may become aware of that which is the cause of human upliftment, and may, with the utmost endeavor, direct themselves towards the most sublime Station and the Pinnacle of Glory. The fear of God hath ever been the prime factor in the education of His creatures. Well is it with them that have attained thereunto!

The first word which the Abhá Pen hath revealed and inscribed on the first leaf of Paradise is this: “Verily I say: The fear of God hath ever been a sure defence and a safe stronghold for all the peoples of the world. It is the chief cause of the protection of mankind, and the supreme instrument for ts preservation. Indeed, there existeth in man

a faculty which deterreth him from, and guardeth him against, whatever is unworthy and unseemly, and which is known as his sense of shame. This, however, is confined to but a few; all have not possessed, and do not possess, it. It is incumbent upon the kings and the spiritual leaders of the world to lay fast hold on religion, inasmuch as through it the fear of God is instilled in all else but Him.”

The second word We have recorded on the second leaf of Paradise is the following: “The Pen of the Divine Expounder exhorteth, at this moment, the manifestations of authority and the sources of power, namely the kings and rulers of the earth—may God assist them—and enjoineth them to uphold the cause of religion, and to cleave unto it. Religion is, verily, the chief instrument for the establishment of order in the world, and of tranquillity amongst its peoples. The weakening of the pillars of religion hath strengthened the foolish, and emboldened them, and made them more arrogant. Verily I say: The greater the decline of religion, the more grievous the waywardness of the ungodly. This cannot but lead in the end to chaos and confusion. Hear Me, 0 men of insight, and be warned, ye who are endued with discernment!”

It.is Our hope that thou wilt hear with attentive ears the things We have mentioned unto thee, that perchance thou mayest turn men away from the things they possess to the things that God possesseth. We entreat God to deliver the light of equity and the sun of justice from the thick clouds of waywardness, and cause them to shine forth upon men. No light can compare with the light of justice. The establishment of order in the world and the tranquillity of the nations depend upon it.

In the Book of Utterance these exalted words have been written down and recorded: “Say, O friends! Strive that haply the tribulations suffered by this Wronged One and by you, in the path of God, may not prove to have been in vain. Cling ye to the hem of virtue, and hold fast to the cord of trustworthiness and piety. Concern yourselves with the things that benefit mankind, and not with your corrupt and selfish desires. O ye followers of this Wronged One! Ye are the shepherds of mankind; liberate ye your flocks from the

[Page 33]Bahá’í SACRED WRITINGS 33

wolves of evil passions and desires, and adorn them with the ornament of the fear of God. This is the firm commandment which hath, at this moment, flowed out from the Pen of Him Who is the Ancient of Days. By the righteousness of God! The sword of a virtuous character and upright conduct is sharper than blades of steel. The voice of the true Faith calleth aloud, at this moment, and saith: O people! Verily, the Day is come, and My Lord hath made Me to shine forth with a light whose splendor hath eclipsed the suns of utterance. Fear ye the Merciful, and be not of them that have gone astray.”

The third word we have recorded on the third leaf of Paradise is this: “0 son of man! If thine eyes be turned towards mercy, forsake the things that profit thee, and cleave unto that which will profit mankind. And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose thou for thy neighbor that which thou choosest for thyself. Humility exalteth man to the heaven of glory and power, whilst pride abaseth him to the depths of wretchedness and degradation. Great is the Day, and mighty the Call! In one of Our Tablets We have revealed these exalted words: ‘Were the world of the spirit to be wholly converted into the sense of hearing, it could then claim to be worthy to hearken unto the Voice that calleth from the Supreme Horizon; for otherwise, these ears that are defiled with lying tales have never been, nor are they now, fit to hear it.’ Well is it with them that hearken; and woe betide the wayward.”

We pray God—exalted be His gloryfland cherish the hope that He may graciously assist the manifestations of affluence and power and the daysprings of sovereignty

and glory, the kings of the earth—may God aid them through His strengthening grace—to establish the Lesser Peace. This, indeed, is the greatest means for insuring the tranquillity of the nations. It is incumbent upon the Sovereigns of the world—may God assist them—unitedly to hold fast unto this Peace, which is the chief instrument for the protection of all mankind. It is Our hope that they will arise to achieve what will be conducive to the well-being ofman. It is their duty to convene an all-inclusive assembly, which either they themselves or their ministers will attend, and to enforce whatever measures are required to establish unity and concord amongst men. They must put away the weapons of war, and turn to the instruments of universal reconstruction. Should one king rise up against another, all the other kings must arise to deter him. Arms and armaments will, then, be no more needed beyond that which is necessary to insure the internal security of their respective countries. If they attain unto this all-surpassing blessing, the people of each nation will pursue, with tranquillity and contentment, their own occupations, and the groanings and lamentations of most men would be silenced. We beseech God to aid them to do His will and pleasure. He, verily, is the Lord of the throne on high and of earth below, and the Lord of this world and of the world to come. It would be preferable and more fitting that the highly-honored kings themselves should attend such an assembly, and proclaim their edicts. Any king who will arise and carry out this task, he, verily will, in the sight of God, become the cynosure of all kings. Happy is he, and great is his blessedness!

[Page 34]2. WORDS OF THE BAB

Compiled by BEATRICE ASHTON

SHOGHI EFFENDI, the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, has mentioned in GodPasses 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 Nabil 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 Mah-Kfi, that up to that time His writings, embracing highly diversified subjects, had amounted to more than five hundred thousand verses. ‘The verses which have mined 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 knowet/z!’ 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 to 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

1601! Pamex By. Pp. 22—23.

THE QA YYUMU’L-A SMA”

The Qayytimu’l—Asmd’ (Commentary on the Qur’án St’irih of Joseph) was revealed in Arabic, in Shíráz. The first chapter was revealed “in its entirety” in the presence of Mullá Ḥusayn on “that memorable night” when the Báb declared His Mission, May 23, 1844. It was characterized by Bahá’u’lláh in His Kita'b-i—iqa’n as “the first, the greatest and mightiest of all books” in the Babi Dispensation.2

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 arch-enemy and blood brother. This work, comprising

1ibid.. p. 23.

34

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 warnings addressed to the ‘concourse of kings and Of the sons of kings’; forecasts the doom of Muhammad flab; commands his Grand Vazir, Haji Mirza Áqásí, to abdicate his authority; admonishes the entire Muslim ecclesiastical order; cautions more specifically the members of the fli‘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 Babi’ Revelation, unveils

[Page 35]Bahá’í SACRED WRITINGS 35

SHOGHI EFFENDI’S TRANSFORMATION OF MOUNT CARMEL Twice the solid rock was cut back to enlarge the Báb’s Shrine. Above: Excavation in 1948 to make place for the new superstructure.

Below: Path shows curve of mountainside already cut away to allow three more rooms to be added after ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s passing. Note lighter stone of new rooms on right.

[Page 36]36 THE Bahá’í WORLD

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 Goa"; threatens the whole Islamic world with ‘the Most Great Fire’ were they to turn aside from the newly-revealed Law; foreshadows the Author’s martyrdom; eulogizes the high station ordained for the people of Bahá, the ‘Companions Of the crimsotz-colored ruby Ark”; prophesies the fading out and utter obliteration of some of the greatest luminaries in the firmament of the Babi Dispensation; and even predicts ‘afi‘lictive torment,’ in both the ‘Day of Our Return’ and in ‘the world whiclz is to come,’ for the usurpers Of the Imamate, who ‘waged war against Husayn (Imam 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 Bayan; 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 Bahá’u’lláh, as the first fruits of a 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 K_hén [the governor of the province of Fars] and precipitated the initial outbreak of persecution in Shíráz; 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 Sha_vl;}_1 Tabarsi and the heroes of Nayriz and Zanjan.”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 Qayyu'mu’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

3 ibid.. DD. 23—24. 4 Dan‘n-Breakers, D. 76. notes 3 and 4; p. 81. note 2.

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 of glory and through the power of truth,are the “Remembronce 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 on eye, the truth of Our Cause.’ ”5

In this commentary on the Sfirih 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 . . . 0 Thou Remnant of God! I have sacrificed myself wholly for Thee; 1 have accepted curses for Thy sake, and have yearned for naught but martyrdom in the path of Thy love. Sufi‘icient 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 M ystery, that they who have recognized the radiance of the Sinaic Splendor may faint away and die as they catch a lightning glimpse of the fierce and crimson Light that envelops Thy Revelation.’ ”6

“‘As to those who deny Him Who is the Sublime Gate of God,’ the Báb, for His part,

5 World Order of Bahd‘u‘lláh. by Shoghi Effendi. p. 126. l5ibid.. p. 101.

[Page 37]Bahá’í SACRED WRITINGS 37

has affirmed in the Qayyiimu’l-Asma”, ‘for them We have prepared, as justly decreed by God, a sore torment. And He, God, is the Alighty, 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 musk—scented breaths which I have nursed in the midmost heart of My throne.’ ”7

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 T urkey 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 tfye 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 fléh: “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 Sha'/t! If thou showest enmity unto Him Who is His Remembrance, God will, on the

7 The Promised Day Is Come, by Shoghi Effendi, D. 2‘ 8 ibid.. D. 27.

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 fla’h, the Sacred Land (Ṭihrán) from such as have repudiated the Book, ere the day whereon the Remembrance of God cometh, terribly and ofa sudden, with His potent Cause, by the leave of God, the Most High. Goa’, 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 hast been merelfully 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, O Sha'h, for ‘every soul shall taste of death,’ and this, in very truth, hath been written down as a decree of God."°

To the fli‘ih clericals “who, as Bahá’u’lláh declared, had they not intervened, Persia would have been subdued by the power of God in hardly more than two years” the Bab addressed the following words: “0 concourse of divines! Fear Goa’ 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. Turn 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 oecupied.”10

“O concourse of Ljhi‘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 MotherBook.” “O people of the Qur’án/ 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 clate-stone.”10

“And finally, in that same Commentary, this startling prophecy is recorded: ‘Erelong We will, in very truth, torment such as waged

9 ibid.. D. 43. ‘0 ibid.. D. 88.

[Page 38]38 THE Bahá’í WORLD

war against Husayn (Imam Husayn), in the Land of the Euphrates, with the most afi‘lictive torment, and the most dire and exemplary punishment.’ ‘Erelong,’ He also, referring to that same people, in that same Book, has

written, ‘will God wreak His vengeance upon them, at the time Ofour Return, and He hath, in very truth, prepared for them, in the world to come, a severe torment.” ”‘1

Tibfi 89.

THE SAHI'FIY-I-BA YNU’L-HARAMA YN

The “Epistle between the Two Shrines” was “revealed between Mecca and Medina, in answer to questions posed by Mirza Muhit-i-Kirmani,” a flayfli 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 Hijaz “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 Passe: By, D. 24; Dawn-Brcakcrs. pp. 136—137, 140.

Kirmani, one of the most outstanding exponents of the flaykhi school, who at times went so far as to assert his independence of the leadership of that school assumed after the death of Siyyid Kazim by Hájí Muhammad Karim Qan, a redoubtable enemy of the Babi Faith. The second was the invitation, in the form of an Epistle, conveyed by Quddi'is, 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. D. 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 Quddi’is, 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.”14 “Seven years later, when in the course of a conversation with a certain Haji Niyaz—iBaghdadi, this same Sherif was informed of the circumstances attending the mission and martyrdom of the Prophet of Shíráz, he listened attentively to the description of those events and expressed his indignation at the tragic fate that had overtaken Him.”15

‘4 Dawn-Breakcrs, D. 138. 15 Gm! Pass” By. D. 9.

KITA’BU’R-RUH

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

15 God Passes By. D. 24.

period before His banishment to the fortress prison of Mah-Kl'i.

KHASA’VL-I—SAB‘IH

The flasd’il—i—Sab‘i/z (meaning literally “The Seven Qualifications”) “enjoined the alteration of the formula of the aghan” (the

Muslim call to prayer). This was a treatise in which the Báb had “set forth the essential requirements for those who had attained

[Page 39]Bahá’í SACRED WRITINGS

TERRACE IN FRONT OF THE BAB’S SHRINE, MOUNT CARMEL, HAIFA

Above: The appearance of the gardens and southwest corner of the Báb’s Shrine in 1924. Below: Transformation on completion of superstructure thirty years later.

[Page 40]40 THE BAHA’iWORLD

to the knowledge of the new Revelation and had recognized its claim.” A copy was entrusted by the Báb to Quddt’ts when he departed from Bfiflihr to Shíráz. Quddfis, soon after arriving in mm, gave it to Mulla Sádiq-i—Qurasani, and “stressed the necessity of putting into effect 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 Bath in the Lhasd’il—i—Sab‘ih to alter the sacrosanct formula of the again, sounded it in its amended form before a scandalized congregation in Sh1’raz, and was instantly arrested, reviled, stripped of his garments, and scourged with a thousand lashes.”17

1" ibid.. DD. 24,10—11; Dawn-Breakerx. pp. 143—144.

RISA’LI Y-I—FUR 021—24 DLi Y YIH

Written originally in Arabic, this work of

the Báb was “rendered into Persian by Mulla Muhammad-Taqiy-i-Harati” while the

Bab was staying at the residence of the Imém-Jum‘ih in Iṣfahán.18

“3 God Passes By, p. 24; Dawn-Breakers. p, 208.

COMMENTAR Y ON THE SURIH 0F KA WIflAR

The Commentary on the St'irih of Kawmar (Qur’án, 108) was revealed by the Báb during the third interview held with Him by Siyyid Yaḥyáy—i—Darabi, surnamed Vahid, sent by Muhammad flab “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 mm. “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 Kawmar, comprising no less than two thousand verses, so overpowered the delegate of

the Shah that he, contenting himself witha 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 martyrdom 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 Kita'bi-iqa’n “that unique and peerless figure of his age.” He was “a man ofimmense 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 Bab testified in His Dald’il-i-Sab‘ih (“Seven F‘roofs”).1919 Gad Panes By. DD. 11—12. 24, 50.

COMMENTARY ON THE SURIH 0F VA’L-‘ASR

The Commentary on the St’irih of Va’l-‘Asr (Qur‘an, 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’I—‘Ulama, the Imam-Jum‘ih, one of the principal ecclesiastical dignitaries of the realm, in accordance with the instructions of the governor of the city, Manumihr gain, 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 request of the Imam-Jum‘ih. The Bath, “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 flayk_h Ahmad-i-Ahsa’i had stressed, and which Bahá’u’lláh refers to in the Kittib-i [Page 41]BAHA’l SACRED WRITINGS 41

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.”20

2" ibid.. pp. 14, 24; Dawn-Breakcrs, p. 201.

DISSERTATION ON THE SPECIFIC MISSION OF MUHAMMAD

Written at the request of Mantic'_hihr I_(_han, 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 Imam-Jum‘ih. “Before a brilliant assemblage 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 coming of the Qa’im and the return of the Imam Husayn—an exposition that prompted Manfic_h_ihr K_hén 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

21 God Passe: By. pp. 14—15; Dawn-Brealmrs. pp. 202—204.

As Shoghi Effendi points out, “The great bulk of the writings emanating from the Bab’s prolific mind was, however, reserved for the» period of His confinement in Mah-Kt'l and Qihriq. To this period must probably belong the unnumbered Epistles which, as attested by no less an authority than Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb specifically addressed 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 Mah—Kfi that He, according to the testimony of flayfl Hasan-iZunt'lzi, 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’áncommentaries whose fate, alas, is unknown, and one of which, at least the Author Himself affirmed, surpassed in some respects a book as deservedly famous as the Qayyfimu’lAsma’.”22

22 God Passes By, D. 24.

THE PERSIAN BA YA’N

“Within the walls of that same fortress [Mah—Kt'i] 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 mam‘fest’—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 Vahid, comprising only ten chapters; not to be confounded with the smaller and less weighty Arabic Bayan, revealed during the same period; fulfilling the Muhammadan prophecy that ‘a Youth from Bani-Hashim . .. 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 Babi 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

[Page 42]42 THEBAHA’IWORLD

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 ‘clemolish whatever hath been before Him, even as the Apostle of God demolished the ways of those that preceded Him.’

t . 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 Bab chose to intersperse His Book of Laws, the Persian Bayan, with unnumbered passages, some designedly obscure, mostly indubitably clear and conclusive, in which He fixes the date of the promised Revelation, extols 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 Kitáb—i—Baa’i‘, has stated, ‘lmth not fallen short of His duty to exhort the people of the Baya'n 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 Balzd’u’lla’h, and

23 ibid.. DD. 24—25. 28.

rendereth thanks unto his Lord. For He will assuredly be made manifest. God hath indeed irrevocably ordained it in the Baya'n.’ ”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 l 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 H im, nor can any reference to Him in 1Wy Book, the Baya'n, do justice to His Cause.”25 “The Baya'n and whosoever is therein revolve round the saying of ‘Him Whom God shall make manifest,’ even as the Ahf (the Gospel) and whosoever was therein revolved round the saying of Muhammad, the Apostle 01" 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 mamfest’ its ultimate perfection will become apparent . . . The Baya’n and such as are believers therein yearn more ardently after Him than the yearning of any [over after his beloved . .. The Baya'n 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 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.

2‘ ibid.. p. 25. 25 World Order of Baltd‘u‘lláh. by Shoghi Effendi. p. 100. 25 ibid.. pp. 100—101.

[Page 43]Bahá’í SACRED WRITINGS

SHOGHI EFFENDI’S TRANSFORMATION OF MOUNT CARMEL

Above: Looking down towards the Báb’s Shrine, only the small gardens immediately surrounding it had been completed by 1936. Below: Twenty years later, the superstructure of the Shrine completed, new International Archives Building erected, and a vast area of barren mountain converted to gardens have made this one of the most attractive beauty spots of the eastern Mediterranean.

43

[Page 44]44 THE BAHA’iWORLD

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 Bayan,’ 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 Baya'n; if not, thou art unworthy of mention before God.’

“‘O people of the Bayanl’ He, in that same Book, thus warns the entire company of His followers, ‘act not as the people of the Qur’án have acted, for if ye do so, the fruits of your night will come to naught.’ ‘Suffer not the Baya’n,’ 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

27ibid.. D. 1174 23 God Passes By. D. 29.

to God: ‘Bear Thou witness that, through this Book, I have eovenanted with all created things concerning the mission of Him Whom Thou shalt make manifest, ere the covenant concerning My own mission had been established. SlifiCleMt 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 Him unto a mountain (Méh-KI'J), not one of whose inhabitants 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 of 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, unnumbered 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!’ ”30

29 ibid.. p. 30. 3° The Promised Day Is C amt. p 7.

THE ARABIC BA MN

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

confinement in Ma’lh—KL'L31 31 God Passes By. D. 25.

TABLETS T0 MUHAMMAD stiA’H

The first Tablet of the Báb to Muhammad §Lié1h was written following the Commentary on the Slirih 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 t0 Muhammad mm 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—Kt’i when He wrote the most detailed and illuminating of His Tablets to Muhammad flab. Prefaced by a laudatory reference to the unity of God, to His Apostles and to the twelve Imz'tms; 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 fléh’s administration, particularly of the ‘wicked and accursed’ Husayn _K_hén; 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-Sulta’n, the Tablet addressed, under similar circumstances, from the prison fortress of ‘Akká by Bahá’u’lláh to Nésiri’d-Din Sháh, and constituting His 32 um, p. 24.

[Page 45]Bahá’í 'SACRED WRITINGS

lengthiest epistle to any single sovereign.”33

The Báb was confined in the fortress of Méh-Kt’i for nine months, about July, 1847, to April, 1848.34 From this mountain fortress He thus addressed Muhammad Shah:

“1 am the Primal Point from which have been generated all created things. I am the Cozmtenance 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 o'ut of which others have been formed. He hath conferred upon Me that which the worldly-wise 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) 1 despatched a messenger and a book unto thee, that thou mightest act towards the Cause oinm Who is the Testimony 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 so treated, he, verily, would never in his life be happy. Nay—I, verily, acquaint thee with

33 ibid.. D. 26. 34ibid.. pp. 17—19.

DALA"1L-I-SA B‘IH

“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 Mah-Kt'l. “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

45

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 the next, that thou mightest attain My good‘ pleasure, through thine obedience unto the True One Wert than 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.”35

“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 l I swear by the Most Great Lord! Wert than 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 suffered, nor any transgressor endured what I have endured .’ ”36

35 The Premixed Day I: Come. pp 43—44. 35 ibid., pp. 6—7.

(SEVEN PROOFS)“

Muhammad’s mission, He contends, would have been followed by the mass of their co-religionists.”3i8

“‘Gracious 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

37 For the translation into the French, by A. L. M. Z‘Vicolas of excerpts from this Tablet, sec The Bahá’í World, Vol. VIII. D. 205.

33 God Passes By, D. 26.

[Page 46]46 THE BAHA’I WORLD

realized that the thing for which they were waiting had come to pass. 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 so vereigns expend without even the slightest thought of appointing an official charged with the task of acquainting them in their own realms with the Manifestation 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: ‘T he 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’sfailure to accept the Faith and attain unto salvation.’”’39

39 The Promised Day Is Come. D. 17.

LA WH-I-HUR UFA’T (TABLET OF THE LETTERS)

“During the Báb’s confinement in the fortress of Qihriq, where He spent almost the whole of the two remaining years of His life, the Lawh-i—Hurzifzit (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 unraveiled, on the one hand, the mystery of the Mustaghém, and to have abstrusely alluded, on the other, to the nineteen years which must needs elapse between the Declaration of the Báb and that of Bahá’u’lláh . . .

“To this period of incarceration in the fortresses of Méh-KL’: and Qfihriq—a period of unsurpassed fecundity, yet bitter in its humiliations and ever—deepening sorrowsbelong almost all the written references, whether in the form of warnings, appeals 0r 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 0wn."40

This Tablet was revealed for “a prominent official of high literary ability later surnamed Dayyan by the Ba’tb,”41 on whom “He conferred the title of ‘the third Letter to believe in Him Whom God shall make manifest.’ ”42

According to Nabil, “The mystery of the Mustagham [literally, “He Who is invoked”]

had long baflied 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

Bahá’u’lláh, in His Epittle to the Son of the Wolf, cites a passage from the Tablet of the Báb t0 Dayyan, prefacing it with these words:

“Dayya'n, 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 sufler so cruel a martyrdom that the Concourse on high wept (Ind lamented. He it is whom He (the Báb) had taught the hidden and preserved knowledge and entrusted him therewith, through His words: ‘0 than who art named Dayytin! 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

• O God Passer By. D. 27.

‘H The Dawn-Breukcn‘, D. 303.

43 (“01! Pass“ By. D. 28.

• 5 The Dawn-Breakers. DD. 304—305.

[Page 47]BAHA’I SACRED WRITINGS 47

excellence. God, verily, hath deigned 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 H is testimony.’ ”44

4‘ op. Cit” D. 175.

DENUNCIA TOR Y TA BLET T0 HA’Ji ‘ MI’RZA’ A’QA’SI'

“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 Mézindarén and Nayriz—that He revealed, soon after His return from Tabríz, His denunciatory Tablet to Haji Mirzá. Áqásí. 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 Vazir of Muhammad man]. This Tablet was given the name of the Qutbiy-i-Qahriyyih (literally, “Sermon of Wrath”).46

45 God Passes By. D. 27. 46 The Dawn-Breakers. D4 323.

KITA'B-I-PA NJ—S_I{A‘N

“In the Kitdb-i-Panj—fla‘n, one of His last works, He had alluded to the fact that the sixth Naw-Rúz after the declaration of His mission would be the last He was destined to celebrate on earth."47 “. . . t0 ‘Azim He divulged, in the Kitáb-i—Panj-gha‘n, the name, and announced the approaching advent, of Him Who was to consummate 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!” ’ ”48

47God Passes By. D. 51.

43 ibid., pp. 23. 29. Mullá Shaykh ‘Ali, surnamed 'Azlm (literally. “great") by the Bábfwasione of the “outstanding figures among the ecclesiastical leaders of Khurasén" (Dawn Breakers, D. 125).

Ornamental peacocks in the Bahá’í Gardens.

[Page 48]48

THE BAHA’I WORLD

Ornamentation in the Bahá’í Gardens.

[Page 49]3.

WORDS OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA

From TALK GIVEN IN PHILADELPHIA

JUNE 9, 1912

FROM the time of the creation of Adam to this day there have been two pathways in the world of humanity; one the natural or materialistic, the other the religious or spiritual. The pathway of nature is the pathway of the animal realm. The animal acts in accordance with the requirements of nature, follows its own instincts and desires. Whatever its impulses and proclivities may be it has the liberty to gratify them; yet it is a captive of nature. It cannot deviate in the least degree from the road nature has established. It is utterly minus spiritual susceptibilities, ignorant of divine religion and without knowledge of the Kingdom of God. The animal possesses no power of ideation or conscious intelligence; it is a captive of the senses and deprived of that which lies beyond them. It is subject to what the eye sees, the ear hears, the nostrils sense, the taste detects and touch reveals. These sensations are acceptable and sufficient for the animal. But that which is beyond the range of the senses, that realm of phenomena through which the conscious pathway to the Kingdom of God leads, the world of spiritual susceptibilities and divine religion—of these the animal is completely unaware, for in its highest station it is a captive of nature.

One of the strangest things witnessed is that the materialists of today are proud of their natural instincts and bondage. They state that nothing is entitled to belief and acceptance except that which is sensible or tangible. By their own statements they are captives of nature, unconscious of the spiritual world, uninformed of the divine kingdom and unaware of heavenly bestowals. If this be a virtue the animal has attained it to a superlative degree, for the animal is absolutely ignorant of the realm of spirit and out of touch with the inner world of conscious realization. The animal would agree with the

49

materialist in denying the existence of that which transcends the senses. If we admit that being limited to the plane of the senses is a virtue, the animal is indeed more virtuous than man, for it is entirely bereft of that which lies beyond, absolutely oblivious of the Kingdom of God and its traces, whereas God has deposited within the human creature an illimitable power by which he can rule the world of nature.

Consider how all other phenomenal existence and beings are captives of nature. The sun, that colossal center of our solar system, the giant stars and planets, the towering mountains, the earth itself and its kingdoms of life lower than the human — all are captives of nature except man. No other created thing can deviate in the slightest degree from obedience to natural law. The sun in its glory and greatness millions of miles away is held prisoner in its orbit of universal revolution, captive of universal natural control. Man is the ruler of nature. According to natural law and limitation he should remain upon the earth, but behold how he violates this command and soars above the mountains in aeroplanes. He sails in ships upon the surface of the ocean and dives into its depths in submarines. Man makes nature his servant; harnesses the mighty energy of electricity for instance and imprisons it in a small lamp for his uses and conveniences. He speaks from the East to the West through a wire. He is able to store and preserve his voice in a phonograph. Though he is a dweller upon earth he penetrates the mysteries of starry worlds inconceivably distant. He discovers latent realities within the bosom of the earth, uncovers treasures, penetrates secrets and mysteries of the phenomenal world and brings to light that which according to nature’s jealous laws should remain hidden, unknown and unfathomable. Through

[Page 50]50 THE Bahá’í

an ideal inner power man brings these realities forth from the invisible plane to the visible. This is contrary to nature’s law.

It is evident therefore that man is ruler over nature‘s sphere and province. Nature is inert, man is progressive. Nature has no consciousness, man is endowed with it. Nature is without volition and acts perforce whereas man possesses a mighty will. Nature is incapable of discovering mysteries or realities whereas man is especially fitted to do so. Nature is not in touch with the realm of God, man is attuned to its evidences. Nature is uninformed of God, man is conscious of Him. Man acquires divine virtues, nature is denied them. Man can voluntarily discontinue vices, nature has no power to modify the influence of its instincts. Altogether it is evident that man is more noble and superior; that in him there is an ideal power surpassing nature. He has consciousness, volition. memory, intelligent power, divine attributes and virtues of which nature is completely deprived, bereft and minus; therefore man is higher and nobler by reason of the ideal and heavenly force latent and manifest in him.

How strange then it seems that man, notwithstanding his endowment with this ideal power, will descend to a level beneath him and declare himself no greater than that which is manifestly inferior to his real station. God has created such a conscious spirit within him that he is the most wonderful of all contingent beings. In ignoring these virtues he descends to the material plane, considers matter the ruler of existence and denies that which lies beyond. Is this virtue? In its fullest sense this is animalistic, for the animal realizes nothing more. In fact from this standpoint the animal is the greater philosopher because it is completely ignorant of the Kingdom of God, possesses no spiritual susceptibilities and is uninformed of the heavenly world. In brief, this is a view of the pathway of nature.

The second pathway is that of religion, the road of the divine Kingdom. It involves the acquisition of praiseworthy attributes, heavenly illumination and righteous actions in the world of humanity. This pathway is conducive to the progress and uplift of the world. It is the source of human enlightenment, training and ethical improvement; the

WORLD

magnet which attracts the love of God because of the knowledge of God it bestows. This is the road of the holy Manifestations of God for they are in reality the foundation of the divine religion of oneness. There is no change or transformation in this pathway. It is the cause of human betterment, the acquisition of heavenly virtues and the illumination of mankind.

Alas! that humanity is completely submerged in imitations and unrealities notwithstanding the truth of divine religion has ever remained the same. Superstitions have obscured the fundamental reality. the world is darkened and the light of religion is not apparent. This darkness is conducive to differences and dissensions; rites and dogmas are many and various; therefore discord has arisen among the religious systems whereas religion is for the unification of mankind. True religion is the source of love and agreement amongst men, the cause of the development of praiseworthy qualities; but the people are holding to the counterfeit and imitation, negligent of the reality which unifies; so they are bereft and deprived of the radiance of religion. They follow superstitions inherited from their fathers and ancestors. To such an extent has this prevailed that they have taken away the heavenly light of divine truth and sit in the darkness of imitations and imaginations. That which was meant to be conducive to life has become the cause of death; that which should have been an evidence of knowledge is now a proof of ignorance; that which was a factor in the sublimity of human nature has proved to be its degradation. Therefore the realm of the religionist has gradually narrowed and darkened and the sphere of the materialist has widened and advanced; for the religionist has held to imitation and counterfeit, neglecting and discarding holiness and the sacred reality of religion. When the sun sets it is the time for bats to fly. They come forth because they are creatures of the night. When the lights of religion become darkened the materialists appear. They are the bats of night. The decline of religion is their time of activity; they seek the shadows when the world is darkened and clouds have spread over it.

His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh has risen from the eastern horizon. Like the glory of the sun He has come into the world. He has

[Page 51]Bahá’í SACRED WRITINGS

51

Reinterment of the‘remains of the father of Bahá’u’lláh, September 4, 1959, ‘Iráq. Hand of the Cause Tarézu’lláh Samandari is shown third from the left.

GRAVE OF THE INFANT SON OF THE BAB The transfer of his remains to a befitting resting place in fiiréz was effected in 1955.

[Page 52]52 THE BAHA’TWORLD

reflected the reality of divine religion, dis pelled the darkness of imitations, laid the

foundation of new teachings and resuscitated the world. . .

TALK GIVEN IN NEW YORK JUNE 8, 1912

The body-politic today is greatly in need of a physician. It is similar to a human body afflicted with severe ailments. A doctor diagnoses the case and prescribes treatment. He does not prescribe, however, until he has made the diagnosis. The disease which afflicts the body—politic is lack of love and absence of altruism. In the hearts of men no real love is found and the condition is such that unless their susceptibilities are quickened by some power so that unity, love and accord may develop within them, there can be no healing, no agreement among mankind. Love and unity are the needs of the body-politic today. Without these there can be no progress or prosperity attained. Therefore the friends of God must adhere to the power which will create this love and unity in the hearts of the sons of men. Science cannot cure the illness of the body-politic. Science cannot create amity and fellowship in human hearts. Neither can patriotism nor racial allegiance

effect a remedy. It must be accomplished solely through the divine bounties and spiritual bestowals which have descended from God in this day for that purpose. This is an exigency of the times and the divine remedy has been provided. The spiritual teachings of the religion of God can alone create this love, unity and accord in human hearts.

Therefore hold to these heavenly agencies which God has provided, so that through the love of God this soul bond may be established, this heart attachment realized and the light of the reality of unity be reflected from you throughout the universe. If we do not hold fast to these divine agencies and means, no result will be possible. Let us pray to God that he will exhilarate our spirits so we may behold the descent of His bounties, illumine our eyes to witness His great guidance and attune our ears to enjoy the celestial melodies Of the heavenly Word. This is our greatest hope. This is our ultimate purpose.

From TALK GIVEN IN BOSTUN, MASS. MAY 25, 1912

In the estimation of historians this radiant century is equivalent to one hundred centuries of the past. If comparison be made with the sum total of all former human achievements it will be found that the discoveries, scientific advancement and material civilization of this present century have equaled, yea far exceeded the progress and outcome of one hundred former centuries. The production of books and compilations of literature alone bear witness that the output of the human mind in this century has been greater and more enlightening than all the past centuries together. It is evident therefore that this century is of paramount importance. Reflect upon the miracles of accomplishment which have already characterized it, the discoveries in every realm of human research, inventions, scientific knowledge, ethical reforms and

regulations established for the welfare of humanity, mysteries of nature explored, invisible forces brought into visibility and subjection, a veritable wonder-world of new phenomena and conditions heretofore unknown to man now open to his uses and further investigation. The East and West can communicate instantly. A human being can soar in the skies or speed in submarine depths. The power of steam has linked the continents. Trains cross the deserts and pierce the barriers of mountains; ships find unerring pathways upon the trackless oceans. Day by day discoveries are increasing. What a wonderful century this is! It is an age of universal re-formation. Laws and statutes of governments, civil and federal, are in process of change and transformation. Sciences and arts are being moulded anew. Thoughts

[Page 53]BAHA’l SACRED WRITINGS 53

are metamorphosed. The foundations of human society are changing and strengthening. Today sciences of the past are useless. The ptolemaic system of astronomy, numberless other systems and theories of scientific and philosophical explanation are discarded, known to be false and worthless. Ethical precedents and principles cannot be applied to the needs of the modern world. Thoughts and theories of past ages are fruitless now. Thrones and governments are crumbling and falling. All conditions and requisites of the past unfitted and inadequate for the present time, are undergoing radical reform.

[t is evident therefore that counterfeit and spurious religious teaching, antiquated forms of belief and ancestral imitations which are at variance with the foundations of divine reality must also pass away and be re-formed. They must be abandoned and new conditions be recognized. The morals of humanity must undergo change. New remedy and solution for human problems must be adopted. Human intellects themselves must change and be subject to the universal reformation. Just as the thoughts and hypotheses of past ages are fruitless today, likewise dogmas and codes of human invention are obsolete and barren of product in religion. Nay, it is true that they are the cause of enmity and conducive to strife in the world of humanity; war and bloodshed proceed from them and the oneness of mankind finds no recognition in their observance. Therefore it is our duty in this radiant century to investigate the essentials of divine religion, seek the realities underlying the oneness of the world of humanity and discover the source of fellowship and agreement which will unite mankind in the heavenly bond of love. This unity is the

radiance of eternity, the divine spirituality, the efl‘ulgence of God and the bounty of the Kingdom. We must investigate the divine source of these heavenly bestowals and adhere unto them steadfastly. For if we remain fettered and restricted by human inventions and dogmas, day by day the world of mankind will be degraded, day by day warfare and strife will increase and satanic forces converge toward the destruction of the human race.

If love and agreement are manifest in a single family, that family will advance, become illumined and spiritual; but if enmity and hatred exist within it destruction and dispersion are inevitable. This is likewise true of a city. If those who dwell within it manifest a spirit of accord and fellowship it will progress steadily and human conditions become brighten whereas through enmity and strife it will be degraded and its inhabitants scattered. In the same way the people of a nation develop and advance toward civilization and enlightenment through love and accord, and are disintegrated by war and strife. Finally, this is true of humanity itself in the aggregate. When love is realized and the ideal spiritual bonds unite the hearts of men, the whole human race will be uplifted, the world will continually grow more spiritual and radiant and the happiness and tranquillity of mankind be immeasurably increased. Warfare and strife will be uprooted, disagreement and dissension pass away and universal peace unite the nations and peoples of the world. All mankind will dwell together as one family, blend as the waves of one sea, shine as stars of one firmament and appear as fruits of the same tree. This is the happiness and felicity of humankind.

From SOME ANSWERED QUESTIONS, Chap. 111

...Now reflect that it is education that brings the East and the West under the authority of man; it is education that produces wonderful industries; it is education that spreads glorious sciences and arts; it is education that makes manifest new discoveries and laws. If there were no educator, there would be no such things as comforts, civilization, facilities, or humanity. If a man be left

alone in a wilderness where he sees none of his own kind, he will undoubtedly become a mere brute; it is then clear that an educator is needed.

But education is of three kinds: material, human, and spiritual. Material education is concerned with the progress and development of the body, through gaining its sustenance, its material comfort and ease. This education is common to animals and man.

[Page 54]54 THE BAHA’I WORLD

Human education signifies civilization and progress: that is to say, government, administration, charitable works, trades, arts and handicrafts, sciences, great inventions and discoveries of physical laws, which are the activities essential to man as distinguished from the animal.

Divine education is that of the Kingdom of God: It consists in acquiring divine perfections, and this is true education; for in this estate man becomes the center of divine appearance, the manifestation of the words,“Let us make man in our image and after our likeness.” This is the supreme goal of the world of humanity.

Now we need an educator who will be at the same time a material, human, and spiritual educator, and whose authority will be effective in all conditions. So if any one should say, “I possess perfect comprehension and intelligence, and I have no need of such an educator,” he would be denying that which is clear and evident, as though a child should say, “I have no need of education; I will act according to my reason and intelligence, and so I shall attain the perfections of existence”; or as though the blind should say, “I am in no need of sight, because many other blind people exist without difficulty.”

Then it is plain and evident that man needs an educator, and this educator must be unquestionably and indubitably perfect in all respects, and distinguished above all men. For otherwise he cannot be their educator. More particularly because he must be at the same time their material and human as well as their spiritual educator; that is to say, he will teach men to organize and carry out physical matters, and to regulate the form of society with regard to the establishing of help and assistance in life, so that material affairs may be organized and regulated for any circumstances that may occur. In the same way he will establish human education; that is to say, he must educate intelligence and thought in such a way that they may attain complete development, so that knowledge and science may increase, and the reality of things, the mysteries of beings, and the properties of existence may be discovered; that day by day instructions, inventions, and laws may be improved; and from things perceptible to the senses conclusions as to intellectual things may be deduced.

He must also impart spiritual education; so that intelligence and comprehension may penetrate the metaphysical world. and may receive benefit from the sanctifying breeze of the Holy Spirit, and may enter into relationship with the Supreme Concourse. He must so educate the human reality that it may become the center of the divine appearance, to such a degree that the attributes and the names of God shall be resplendent in the mirror of the reality of man, and the holy verse, “We will make man in Our image and likeness,” shall become true.

It is clear that human power is not able to fill such a great office, and that the reason alone could not undertake the responsibility of so great a mission. How can one solitary person without help and without support lay the foundations of such a noble construction ? He must depend on the help of the spiritual and divine power to be able to undertake this mission. One Holy Soul gives life to the world of humanity, changes the aspect of the terrestrial globe, causes intelligence to progress, vivifies souls, lays the foundation of a new existence, establishes the basis of a marvelous creation, organizes the world, brings nations and religions under the shadow of one standard, delivers man from the world of imperfections and vices, and inspires him with the desire and need of natural and acquired perfections. Certainly nothing short of a divine power could accomplish so great a work. We ought to consider this with justice, for this is the office of justice.

A Cause which all the governments and peoples of the world, with all their powers and armies, cannot promulgate and spread, one Holy Soul can promote without help or support! Can this be done by human power? No, in the name of God! For example, Christ, alone and solitary, upraised the standard of spiritual peace and righteousness, a work which all the victorious governments with all their hosts were unable to accomplish. Consider what was the fate of so many and diverse empires and peoples: the Roman Empire, France, Germany, Russia, England, etc.; all were gathered together under the same tent; that is to say, the appearance of Christ brought about a union among these diverse nations: some of whom, under the influence of Christianity, became so united that they sacrificed their lives and property

[Page 55]BAHA’lSACRED WRITINGS 55

for one another. After the time of Constantine, who was the protagonist of Christianity, divisions broke out among them. The point I wish to make is that Christ sustained a cause that all the kings of the earth could not establish! He united the various religions and modified ancient customs. Consider what great divergences existed between Romans, Greeks, Syrians, Egyptians, Phoenicians, Israelites, and other peoples of Europe. Christ removed these divergences, and became the cause of love between these communities. Although after some time empires destroyed this union, the' work of Christ was accomplished.

Therefore, the universal educator must be at the same time not only a material, but also a human and spiritual educator, and he must possess a supernatural power so that he may hold the position of a divine teacher. If he does not show forth such a holy power, he will not be able to educate, for if he be imperfect, how can he give a perfect education ?

If he be ignorant, how can he make others wise? If he be unjust, how can he make others just? If he be earthly, how can he make others heavenly?

Now we must consider justly: Did these Divine Manifestations who have appeared possess all these qualifications or not? If they had not these qualifications and these perfections, they were not real educators.

Therefore it must be our task to prove to the thoughtful, by reasonable arguments, the prophethood of Moses, of Christ, and of the other Divine Manifestations. And the proofs and evidences which we give must not be based on traditional but on rational arguments.

It has now been proved by rational arguments that the world of existence is in the utmost need of an educator, and that its education must be effected by a divine power. There is no doubt that this holy power is due to inspiration, and that the world must be educated through this power which is above human power.

From TALK GIVEN 1N BOSTON, MASS. MAY 24, 1912

Religion is the outer expression of the divine reality. Therefore it must be living, vitalized, moving and progressive. If it be without motion and non-progressive it is without the divine life; it is dead. The divine institutes are continuously active and evolutionary; therefore the revelation of them must be progressive and continuous. All things are subject to re-formation. This is a century of life and renewal. Sciences and arts, industry and invention have been reformed. Law and ethics have been reconstituted, reorganized. The world of thought has been regenerated. Sciences of former ages and philosophies of the past are useless today. Present exigencies demand new methods of solution; world problems are without precedent. Old ideas and modes of thought are fast becoming obsolete. Ancient laws and archaic ethical systems will not meet the requirements of modern conditions, for this is clearly the century of a new life, the century of the revelation of the reality and therefore the greatest of all centuries. Consider how the scientific developments of

fifty years have surpassed and eclipsed the knowledge and achievements of all the former ages combined. Would the announcements and theories of ancient astronomers explain our present knowledge of the sun-worlds and planetary systems? Would the mask of obscurity which beclouded mediaeval centuries meet the demand for clear-eyed vision and understanding which characterizes the world today? Will the despotism of former governments answer the call for freedom which has risen from the heart of humanity in this cycle of illumination? It is evident that no vital results are now forthcoming from the customs, institutions and standpoints of the past. In view of this, shall blind imitations of ancestral forms and theological interpretations continue to guide and control the religious life and spiritual development of humanity today? Shall man gifted with the powerofreasonunthinkinglyfollowandadhere to dogma, creeds and hereditary beliefs which will not bear the analysis of reason in this century of etTulgent reality? Unquestionably

[Page 56]56 THE BAHA’IWORLD

this will not satisfy men of science, for when they find premise or conclusion contrary to present standards of proof and without real foundation, they reject that which has been formerly accepted as standard and correct and move forward from new foundations.

The divine prophets have revealed and founded religion. They have laid down certain laws and heavenly principles for the guidance of mankind. They have taught and promulgated the knowledge of God, established praiseworthy ethical ideals and inculcated the highest standards of virtue in the human world. Gradually these heavenly teachings and foundations of reality have been beclouded by human interpretations and dogmatic imitations of ancestral beliefs. The essential realities which the prophets labored so hard to establish in human hearts and minds while undergoing ordeals and suffering tortures of persecution, have now well nigh vanished. Some of these heavenly messengers have been killed, some imprisoned; all of them despised and rejected while proclaiming the reality of divinity. Soon after their departure from this world, the essential truth of their teachings was lost sight of and dogmatic imitations adhered to.

Inasmuch as human interpretations and blind imitations differ widely, religious strife and disagreement have arisen among mankind, the light of true religion has been extinguished and the unity of the world of humanity destroyed. The prophets of God voiced the spirit of unity and agreement. They have been the founders of divine reality. Therefore if the nations of the world forsake imitations and investigate the reality underlying the revealed Word of God they will agree and become reconciled. For reality is one and not multiple.

The nations and religions are steeped in blind and bigoted imitations. A man is a Jew because his father was a Jew. The Muhammadan follows implicitly the footsteps of his ancestors in belief and observance. The Buddhist is true to his heredity as a Buddhist. That is to say they profess religious belief blindly and without investigation, making unity and agreement impossible. It is evident therefore that this condition will not be remedied without a re-formation in the world of religion. In other words the fundamental reality of the divine religions must be renewed, reformed, revoiced to mankind.

From the seed of reality, religion has grown into a tree which has put forth leaves and branches, blossoms and fruit. After a time this tree has fallen into a condition of decay. The leaves and blossoms have withered and perished; the tree has become stricken and fruitless. It is not reasonable that man should hold to the old tree, claiming that its life forces are undiminished, its fruit unequalled, its existence eternal. The seed of reality must be sown again in human hearts in order that a new tree may grow therefrom and new divine fruits refresh the world. By this means the nations and peoples now divergent in religion will be brought into unity, imitations will be forsaken and a universal brotherhood in the reality itself will be established. Warfare and strife will cease among mankind; all will be reconciled as servants of God. For all are sheltered beneath the tree of His providence and mercy. God is kind to all; He is the giver of bounty to all alike, even as His Holiness Jesus Christ has declared that God “sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust”; that is to say, the mercy of God is universal. All humanity is under the protection of His love and favor, and unto all He has pointed the way of guidance and progress.

Progress is of two kinds, material and spiritual. The former is attained through observation of the surrounding existence and constitutes the foundation of civilization. Spiritual progress is through the breaths of the Holy Spirit and is the awakening of the conscious soul of man to perceive the reality of divinity. Material progress insures the happiness of the human world. Spiritual progress insures the happiness and eternal continuance of the soul. The prophets of God have founded the laws of divine civilization. They have been the root and fundamental source of all knowledge. They have established the principles of human brotherhood or fraternity which is of various kinds, such as the fraternity of family, of race, of nation and of ethical motives. These forms of fraternity, these bonds of brotherhood are merely temporal and transient in association. They do not insure harmony and are usually productive of disagreement. They do not prevent warfare and strife; on the contrary they are selfish, restricted and fruitful causes of enmity and hatred among mankind. The spiritual brotherhood which is enkindled and

[Page 57]Bahá’í SACRED WRITINGS 57

established through the breaths Of the Holy Spirit unites nations and removes the cause of warfare and strife. It transforms mankind into one great family and establishes the foundations of the oneness of humanity. It promulgates the spirit of international agreement and insures universal peace. Therefore we must investigate the foundation reality of this heavenly fraternity. We must forsake all imitations and promote the reality of the divine teachings. In accordance with these principles and actions and by the assistance of the Holy Spirit, both material and spiritual happiness shall become realized. Until all nations and peoples become united

by the bonds of the Holy Spirit in this real fraternity, until national and international prejudices are effaced in the reality of this spiritual brotherhood, true progress, prosperity and lasting happiness will not be attained by man. This is the century of new and universal nationhood. Sciences have advanced, industries have progressed, politics have been reformed, liberty has been proclaimed, justice is awakening. This is the century of motion, divine stimulus and accomplishment; the century of human solidarity and altruistic service; the century of universal peace and the reality of the divine Kingdom.

[Page 58]

The last photograph of Shoghi Effendi taken a few months before he passed away.