Bahá’í World/Volume 8/Excerpts from Bahá’í Sacred Writings
III
EXCERPTS FROM BAHÁ’Í SACRED WRITINGS
WORDS OF THE BÁB
SELECTIONS FROM
LE LIVRE DES SEPT PREUVES*
DE LA
MISSION DU BÁB
AU Nom de Dieu, le Seul Unique, le Seul Unique. Louanges à Dieu, car il n’y a pas d’autre Dieu que Lui, le Seul Unique, le Seul Unique. Toute splendeur vient de Dieu, sur le mèn youzher-Oullah et sur ses apôtres jusque dans l’éternité des éternités.
Et ensuite:
Nous avons examiné la lettre qui nous a été écrite: si l’on désire une explication détaillée des preuves établissant la vérité de cette Manifestation, celle-ci serait trop longue et les tablettes du monde de l’existence et des possibilités n’y pourraient suffire Mais, l’essence de ce discours et la perle de ce but sont qu’il n’y a jamais eu et qu’il n’y a pas de doute que Dieu Eternel a toujours été stable dans la Hauteur de sa Divinité, dans la sublimité de ses Purs Attributs, et qu’il restera toujours dans la Splendeur et l’immutabilité de Son Infinie Grandeur. Rien ne l’a connu comme Il doit être connu et les louanges que l’on en a faites sont restées audessous de Lui.
Il est Pur de tous noms, Libre de tous semblables. Tout Lui est connu et Sa Grandeur réside en ceci qu’Il reste inconnu à tout. Sa Création n’a jamais eu de commencement et n’aura jamais de fin car il y aurait eu alors ou il y aurait un arrêt nécessaire à Ses bienfaits. Toutes les fois qu’il s’est trouvé utile dans ce monde de Possibilités, Il a envoyé des Prophètes et fait descendre du Ciel des Livres de la Loi: Il le fera encore quand le besoin s’en fera sentir.
Si tu voyages dans l’Océan des Noms, sache que tout est connu de Dieu. Lui est trop élevé pour être connu de Sa création ou pour être décrit par Ses créatures. Tout ce que tu vois a été créé par Sa volonté. Et quelle preuve te faut-il donc de son Unité? Son existence en est la preuve la plus complète, et l’existence même des choses extérieures est la preuve la plus formelle qu’elles ont été créées par Lui. C’est là la preuve philosophique pour celui qui voyage sur la mer de la Vérité.
Si tu vogues sur l’Océan de la Création, sache que le premier Zikr, qui émane de la Primitive Volonté, est semblable au soleil que Dieu très Haut a créé suivant sa Puissance, dès le commencement pour lequel il n’y a pas de commencement, et, dans chaque manifestation, c’est ce Zikr qu’il a montré suivant sa propre décision. Sache donc que ce Zikr est comparable au Soleil que Dieu très Haut a créé suivant son pouvoir dès le commencement pour lequel il n’y a pas de commencement: dans chaque Manifestation, c’est ce Premier Zikr qu’il a montré suivant sa propre décision. Sache donc, qu’en ce sens, il est comme le Soleil. En effet, cet astre, s’il se lève jusqu’à la fin qui n’aura jamais de fin, ne sera ainsi qu’il l’a été dans le passé, qu’un seul et même soleil. Or, c’est également Lui qui a été manifesté dans tous les prophètes
————————
*Translated from the original Persian by A. L. M. Nicolas. Published in Paris—1902. J. Maisonneuve, Editeur.
Detail of the monument marking the resting place of Bahíyyih Khánum on Mt. Carmel, Haifa.
et c’est Lui qui parle dans tous leurs livres.
Il n’a pas eu de commencement parce que le
commencement remonte à Lui qui est le
Commencement, et il n’y aura pas de fin pour
Lui parce que la fin se résout en Lui qui est
la Fin. C’est Lui qui, dans cette nouvelle
révolution du monde vieux de 13000 ans, est
connu sous le nom de Nouqtè-i-Bèyân. A la
première évolution il était connu sous le nom
d’Adam, puis sous celui de Noë à l’époque de
ce prophète; il fut Abraham en son temps,
puis Jésus, puis Muḥammad Reçoul Allah.
Enfin il est Celui que Dieu doit manifester
après celui que Dieu doit manifester à son
époque. Voilà l’explication du secret contenu
dans la parole du Prophète de Dieu: «Les
Prophète, c’est moi». Oui, dans tous ne
brillait et ne brille qu’un seul et même soleil.
C’est encore là l’explication du Hadis relatif
à l’Imâm Mèhdi et dans lequel Imâm Dja’afèr
ous-Sadeq a dit:
«O Créature, si tu veux voir Adam et Chit (regarde moi) moi je suis
[Page 207]
Adam et Chit; si tu veux voir Noé et son fils Sam, moi je suis Noé et son fils Sam; si tu veux voir Abraham et Ismaël, moi je suis Abraham et Ismaël; si tu veux voir Moïse et Joseph, moi je suis Moïse et Joseph; si tu veux voir Jésus et Chemhoun, moi je suis Jésus et Chemhoun; si tu veux voir Muḥammad et l’Emir des Croyants, moi je suis Muḥammad et l’Emir des Croyants; si tu veux voir Hassan et Housseïn, moi je suis Hassan et Housseïn; si tu veux voir les douze imâms de la descendance de Housseïn, moi je suis les douze imâms de la descendance de Housseïn, sur lui soit le salut! Répondez à ma question! Et en vérité, je vous ai donné une nouvelle qui ne vous avait jamais été donnée jusqu’à présent . . . ,
et ainsi jusqu’à la fin du
Hadis. Or, il ne dit pas: «Je suis semblable
à eux»—(il dit, je suis eux-mêmes)—car
tout ce qui était en eux était en lui, et tout
ce qui est dans leurs livres est de lui.
L’essence de ce discours est ceci que Dieu, dans Sa sublime sagesse, a donné le Qur’án comme preuve de la Mission de Muḥammad. C’était là un cadeau tel qu’il n’en avait jamais été fait de pareil à aucune nation avant Muḥammad, tel, qu’un seul de ses versets est une preuve suffisante pour tous ceux qui sont sur la terre. L’impossibilité où tous se trouvent d’en faire descendre un seul du Ciel est une preuve de la Puissance de Dieu.
Depuis le jour de la descente du Qur’án jusqu’à celui de la manifestation du Nouqté-i-Bayân il s’est écoulé 1270 ans pendant lesquels les créatures ont été instruites dans cette même preuve et ce, afin qu’elles soient portées, dès qu’Il se manifesterait de nouveau, à se tourner vers le Soleil de la Vérité. Suivant leurs croyances à eux, le Livre surpasse tout ce qui pourrait être dit en dehors de cette preuve: or, ce qui surpasse suffit, en dehors de ce qui lui est inférieur. Répéter ce qui reste au dessous de ce fruit est sans aucune utilité pour le savant perspicace. Je ne te parle ainsi que dans le cas où je t’abandonnerai à ce que tu as appris d’autre part et où je dissimulerai avec toi dans l’argumentation: dans le cas contraire, tout ce que je te dis étant évident, c’est à toi à faire la preuve du contraire; mais tu ne peux penser un seul instant que le verset ne soit pas un miracle supérieur à ceux de tous les Prophètes: non, par Dieu, il les a surpassés et les surpassera toujours.
Dans ce Livre je te fais connaître sept preuves irréfutables dont chacune serait suffisante, par elle même, comme argument définitif aux yeux de tout homme équitable.
* * * *
Avec la religion que tu professes, tu ne peux trouver aucune échappatoire. En effet, suivant ce qui est écrit dans le Qur’án, tu dis: « Sauf Dieu, personne ne peut faire (descendre du ciel) des versets (tels) qu’on puisse dire qu’ils viennent de Dieu ». Si une créature en avait pu produire, elle en aurait certainement produit durant cette période de mille deux cent soixante et dix années. L’incapacité des créatures te paraît donc, dès maintenant, bien évidente. Alors, remarque combien est parfaite la bonté de Dieu pour tous ceux qui acceptent le Qur’án, car il a fermé, pour eux, les portes du doute. En effet, au moment même où ils voient des versets (ils les doivent accepter), car il ne peut leur venir à l’esprit qu’ils viennent d’un autre que Dieu. De plus, il est dit dans le Qur’án que personne ne peut créer même un hadis. Donc, un homme sincèrement pieux et croyant ne peut laisser entrer dans son cœur la pensée que les versets de mon Bayán viennent d’un autre que Dieu. Peut-être, la plume refuserait-elle son service à une telle œuvre, car enfin, elle est impossible à réaliser pour un musulman, combien plus encore, et je demande pardon à Dieu de cette supposition, pour un homme qui repousse l’islamlsme.
* * * *
Avec toi je ne discute qu’en m’appuyant sur le témoignage de la raison.
Si quelqu’un veut aujourd’hui embrasser la religion musulmane, le témoignage divin est-il complet pour lui, oui ou non? Si tu dis non, alors, après la mort, comment Dieu pourra-t-il châtier ce quelqu’un? pendant sa vie, comment pourra-t-on lui reprocher de n’être pas musulman? si tu dis oui, pourquoi oui? si c’est simplement parce que tu l’affirmes qu’il te croit, ce n’est vraiment pas là un argument; mais si tu dis: « oui, par le Qur’án » alors tu as raison et tu donnes un argument solide et irréfutable.
Veuille maintenant jeter un coup d’œil sur la manifestation du Bayán. Si l’un de ceux
qui croient au Qur’án voulait argumenter en sa faveur comme il le fait vis à vis de celui qui est contraire à la religion islamique, personne ne resterait dans l’opposition et tous trouveraient le salut au jour du jugement dernier. En effet, si un chrétien dit: «Moi je ne comprends rien au Qur’án, comment peut-il être pour moi un témoignage? » c’est là un raisonnement qui ne mérite pas un moment d’attention. Eh bien, c’est la là cas des adorateurs du Qur’án qui disent: nous ne comprenons pas l’éloquence des versets du Bayán, qui ne peuvent donc être un témoignage pour nous. A l’homme qui parle ainsi il n’y a qu’à répondre: « O ignorant, comment se fait-il que tu sois devenu un musulman? Tu n’as pas vu le Prophète, tu n’as pas vu les miracles: si c’est sans comprendre que tu l’es devenu, pourquoi l’es-tu devenu? L’es-tu devenu sur l’aveu que les maîtres de la science et de la connaissance t’ont fait de leur impuissance (à produire des versets) ou bien es-tu humble et soumis à cause des dispositions innées déposées en toi et qui t’ont fait entendre la parole de Dieu—ce qui est un des signes de l’amour de la science
* * * *
Suivant la croyance universelle, Dieu savait, sait, pouvait et peut tout. Aussi lorsque quelqu’un se présente disant venir de Sa part et en apporte un témoignage évident, si Dieu ne manifeste personne pour mettre à néant ses affirmations, c’est une preuve qu’il vient réellement de Lui et qu’il en est aimé. Par cela même que Dieu est consentant et que malgré Sa Toute Puissance Il n’a suscité aucun adversaire, Il démontre que le Prophète a été envoyé par Lui et qu’il Lui est agréable.
Voici ce que je te recommande en ce qui regarde le Bayán. Pour chaque manifestation, veuille bien rester, en ce qui la concerne, sur le terrain même des arguments de cette manifestation. Ne t’égare pas en dehors des routes des convenances et de la sincérité.
‘Par exemple, dans le cas de Muḥammad, Dieu a voulu prouver la véracité de sa mission par les versets. Si tu es un homme loyal, discute sur le terrain même qui sert d’appui à cette mission et non sur des questions qui te feraient entrer sur un autre terrain et que d’ailleurs Muḥammad ne t’a pas proposées: tu ne peux donc les discuter. Toutes ces odes que les arabes ont faites au début de la mission du Prophète, ont-elles porté des fruits? Leurs auteurs voulaient s’opposer par elles au Prophète! mais c’était à eux à produire non pas des odes, mais des versets semblables aux siens. Remarque que dans aucune manifestation il n’y a eu et il n’y aura d’autre moyen pour les hommes doués de science et d’intelligence, et cela d’ailleurs, en dernière analyse donne lieu aux remords, car le Témoignage de la manifestation demeure et tout ce qui lui est opposé passe, comme émanant de la créature et par suite frappé d’impuissance. Le Témoignage subsiste, et il ne reste rien de l’opposition.
Penses-tu que la prison prévale contre le Témoignage? Parmi les Prophétes, Joseph a été emprisonné, et parmi les successeurs, Mouça ibn Dja’afèr. Tous deux n’étaient-ils pas envoyés de Dieu? Rien de ce qui semble tendre à détruire le Témoignage ne peut être invoqué comme preuve (contre lui). Tu connais l’histoire et tu sais ce qui est arrivé à Zacharie et au Seyyèd des Seyyèds. Tous les deux n’étaient-ils pas prophètes. Je ne te dis d’ailleurs tout cela pour te faire bien réfléchir.
Quand tu dis: «En conscience je ne suis pas convaincu, sinon je serais devenu croyant» sache, qu’en conscience, ce que tu en dis est une pure erreur, car tu n’as aucune preuve sur la matière. Examine le peuple de David. Ce peuple fut élevé durant cinq cents années avec les règles des Psaumes, tant qu’enfin, il arriva à la perfection dans cette religion. Alors Jésus se manifesta. Quand il parut, quelquesuns des sectateurs du Psalmiste crurent en lui, les autres le repoussèrent. Eh, bien les deux camps croyaient en conscience avoir chacun raison et certes, ni l’un ni l’autre n’était poussé par l’intention de blasphémer le Seigneur. C’est exactement ce qui se passe pour toi. Tu n’as pas non plus le désir de t’élever contre Dieu, peut-être au contraire ne recherches-tu la certitude que pour acquérir la Foi. Imagine toi pour un instant que tu es du peuple de David: s’il avait pensé que Jésus fut réellement le Prophète prédit par les Psaumes, tous, sans exception, eussent cru à la vérité de sa mission et pas un seul ne fut resté dissident.
Prête-moi encore ton attention sur ce point: depuis le jour de la Manifestation de David jusqu’au début de celle d’aujourd’hui,
il s’est écoulé deux mille deux cent soixante et dix années. Or, il existe encore à notre époque, des gens dont la religion se base sur les Psaumes et qui s’imaginent être dans les voies de Dieu. Cette prétention de leur part n’a aucune valeur aux yeux des Chrétiens. Que peut-elle valoir aux regards de Dieu!
Si nous examinons le peuple de Moïse, nous constaterons le même phénomène. Pendant mille ans, ce peuple fut élevé dans la religion Mosaïque et y parvint enfin à la perfection. Alors eut lieu tout ce que Moïse leur avait promis au sujet de la manifestation de Jésus après David. Un petit nombre d’entre eux crut au Fils de Marie. Le reste, malgré ses efforts pour suivre les voies de Dieu et croire aux paroles de Moïse, ne put atteindre la certitude et il resta ainsi stationnaire, attendant encore le Messie. Quelle valeur cette façon d’agir a-t-elle aux yeux des Chrétiens? et combien moins encore en a-t-elle aux regards de Dieu!
* * * *
Il y a ici un secret que je te vais apprendre, car tu n’en as jamais entendu parler.
Examine les peuples de tous les Prophètes. L’origine de leurs œuvres est dans les paroles mêmes de leur Prophète; il s’en suit que ces œuvres sont faites pour lui. Or, comme le Prophète est le Miroir de Dieu, on n’y peut voir autre chose que Dieu; dès lors ces œuvres sont toutes pour Dieu et uniquement pour Lui.
Or, de même que l’origine et les œuvres de toute nation tirent leur cause première de son Prophète, de même convergent-elles vers le Prophète suivant. Ainsi, au jour de la manifestation de Muḥammad le monde était uniquement préoccupé de lui, mais tous ne comprirent pas qu’il était apparu, car sans cela ils ne se fussent pas séparés de leur ami.
* * * *
Sache que Dieu n’a pas rempli sa promesse tant que « la terre n’a pas été remplie d’injustices et d’iniquités.»
Tu l’as lu toi-même:
La terre sera pleine de justice et d’équité après avoir été pleine de violences et d’iniquités.
Il est encore écrit dans le hadis de Ibn ‘Abbás, dans le livre Ahvân: Le Prophète a dit:
« Le Mèhdi sera de ma descendance et remplira la surface de la terre de justice et d’équité comme elle avait été pleine de violences et d’iniquités.
* * * *
Parmi les hadis qui peuvent rassurer le cœur sont les paroles que l’Émir des Croyants —‘Alí—(le salut soit sur lui) prononce dans la khotbè tutundjiyèh.
Demande alors à voir apparaître Celui qui, du buisson ardent du Sinaï, parlait avec Moïse, et cet interlocuteur paraîtra.
Or il faut se souvenir que rien n’a été dit (par moi) que ceci: « En vérité c’est moi qui suis Dieu, il n’y a pas d’autre Dieu que moi ».
Dans cette même khotbè, dans un autre passage, il est dit:
En vérité, après ce temps, il viendra pour vous une voix et cette voix vous apprendra quelques unes des questions: alors toutes ces preuves deviendront claires à vos yeux.
Il est encore dit:
Alors à cette époque on conviera tous les hommes du globe vers ce qui est abrogé. Hélas! hélas! vous désirez, vous, la venue d’un grand bonheur et que la félicité tombe sur vous comme une pluie.
Dans la khotbè yooum qâdèr il est dit:
Bientôt Dieu enverra son aide contre ses ennemis afin qu’ils soient terrifiés! Dieu est pur et savant.
Dans un autre passage de cette khotbè yooum qâdèr il est dit:
Hâtez-vous vers la miséricorde de Votre Seigneur avant que l’on sonne la trompette. Hâtez-vous vers la porte dont l’apparence est la peine et le tourment, dont l’intérieur est la Bienveillance et la grâce.
* * * *
La plupart des confesseurs de la foi, dans cette manifestation, ont été des maîtres de l’intelligence et de l’entendement; de telle sorte que leur acte de foi est une preuve pour ceux qui n’ont pas cru. Il eut dù en être ainsi dans chaque manifestation, et la conversion d’hommes tels qu’eux eut dû être une preuve pour ceux qui sont restés incrédules. Tu sais, toi, quel est le premier confesseur de cette foi: tu sais que la majeure partie des docteurs chèïkhî, sèyyèdiyèh et d’autres sectes admiraient sa science et son talent. Quand il entra à Èsfahân, les gamins de la ville crièrent sur son passage: « Ah! ah!
un étudiant dépenaillé vient d’arriver! » Eh bien, cet homme, par ses preuves et ses arguments, convainquit un sèyyèd d’une science éprouvée: Muḥammad Bâgher! En vérité c’est là une des preuves de cette manifestation car, après la mort du sèyyèd, ce personnage alla voir la plupart des docteurs de l’islam et ne rencontra la vérité qu’auprès du maître de la vérité; ce fut alors qu’il parvint au destin qui lui avait été fixé. En vérité! les créatures du début et de la fin de cette manifestation l’envient et l’envieront jusqu’au jour du jugement. Et qui donc peut accuser ce maître de l’intelligence de faiblesse mentale et de légèreté?
Vois encore le nombre du nom de Dieu. Cet homme vivait tranquille et pur au point que personne, ami ou ennemi ne nie ses talents et sa sainteté; tous admirèrent sa grandeur dans les sciences et la hauteur à laquelle il sétait élevé dans la philosophie. Reporte-toi au commentaire de la sourat èl-Koousèr (Qur’án: S. 108) et aux autres traités qui ont été écrits pour lui et qui prouvent l’élévation du rang qu’il occupe près de Dieu!
Vois les autres, tous les autres dont il est inutile que je mentionne les noms dans cet écrit: ceux que j’ai nommés, c’est pour tranquilliser ton cœur, car enfin, comment donner comme preuve de la vérité d’une manifestation la foi de ceux qui y ont cru? ce serait vouloir démontrer l’existence du soleil par sa réflexion dans un miroir.
En vérité! si je produis tant de preuves c’est que, voulant le salut de tous, j’espère qu’un au moins comprendra.
J’en jure par les purs attributs de Dieu! il m’est pénible que quelqu’un me connaisse. Or, connaître la Vérité—le Báb—c’est connaêtre Dieu; l’aimer, c’est aimer Dieu. Or, connaissant les bornes qui limitent la créature, j’avais caché mon nom. Ce sont ces mëmes créatures qui ont dit de Muḥammad, qui n’a jamais eu et n’aura jamais son pareil: « C’est un fou! » prétendent-ils, «nous ne sommes pas de ceux qui ont ainsi parlé » que leurs actes démontrent le mensonge de leurs paroles. Ce que Dieu dit, c’est ce que dit son témoignage, et quand bien même l’universalité des êtres dirait une chose et le témoignage une autre, Dieu est garant que c’est lui qui dit vrai: sans cela aucune chose ne pourrait exister, et s’il en existait une, elle retournerait à lui come à son lieu d’origine.
Vois donc comme ces gens là sont vraiment pieux! Deux témoins honorables leur suffisent pour prouver une chose quelconque, et voilà que malgré tous ces confesseurs de la foi, ils hésitent à croire à cette manifestation! Si tu veux comprendre le sens de ce verset:
«Le témoignage le Dieu suffit »
dépouille-toi des biens extérieurs et pénètre dans l’intimité de ton être: des lors contentetoi de ce que dit celui que Dieu doit manifester, car ce qu’il dit, c’est lui qui le dit. Ne crois pas que ce soit là une preuve futile, car c’est cette preuve même qui est apportée par le Qur’án, c’est cette preuve que Dieu a manifestée pour la secte de Jésus, c’est toujours elle que Muḥammad a manifestée dans le Livre de Dieu. Et voilà que les hommes n’acceptent pas le témoignage de Dieu et n’agissent que suivant le témoignage de leur propre inspiration!
Ces preuves, je te les donne pour éclairer ta vue, car ceux dont les yeux sont clairvoyants et attachés à la philosophie divine, qu’ont-ils besoin de preuves?
Comme c’est aujourd’hui le jour du jugement dernier, il faut que se manifeste cette parole:
Tout périra, excepté la face de Dieu.
La face de Dieu, c’est le Bayán, car à son ombre les confesseurs de la vérité reposent paisiblement, et personne ne le comprend. Reporte-toi aux réponses que Shaykh Aḥmad et Siyyid Káẓim donnaient à ceux qui les interrogeaient, tu te convaincras alors que la manifestation de celui qui a été promis est celle même de cette vérité. En effet, dans le hadis de Komèïl, il est dit:
Dans la première année, ouvrir sans signal les rideaux de la grandeur; dans la deuxième, effacer les futilités de l’imagination et prouver ce qui est évident; dans la troisième, divulguer les secrets et les implanter victorieusement (dans le cœur des hommes); dans la quatriéme, être extasié en Dieu pour en prouver l’unité. Dans la cinquième, c’est le lever de la lumière de l’aurore de léternité ».
Tu la verras cette lumière si tu ne fuis pas ou si tu n’es pas troublé.
Examine les Do'a-i Sahar dans lesquelles S. A. Bâgher a dit:
O mon Dieu! je te demande ta lumière de la plus lumineuse de tes lumières, qui est resplendissante. O mon Dieu! je te demande ta lumière, ta lumière complète.
Ceci fait allusion, en premier lieu, au prophète de Dieu, en second lieu, à ‘Alí l’Émir des Croyants, et ainsi de suite jus-qu’au cinquième degré où il est parlé de la lumière et cette lumière est le seigneur des seigneurs, car la lumière est un degré. De même que le luminaire qui se brùle lui-même pour éclairer les autres est dépourvu d’égoïsme, de même tu verras, si tu vis et si Dieu le permet, les lumière de cette manifestation et tu les trouveras dépouvues d’égoïsme: elles se sacrifient elles-mêmes pour montrer l’unité de Dieu et faire exécuter ses conseils et ses ordres.
* * * *
Vois ce verset du Qur’án:
« Les infidèles ont-ils pensè qu’ils pourront prendre pour patrons ceux qui ne sont que nos serviteurs. Nous leur avons préparé la gébenne pour demeure ».
Ce verset est descendu pour ceux qui prenaient les prêtres chrétiens comme guides contre le Prophète de Dieu, et ce chêtiment même était leur enfer durant leur vie, car il n’y a pas eu et il n’y a pas de plus grande récompense pour celui qui fait des œuvres pies en ce monde que l’approbation de Dieu, et il n’y a pas de feu plus violent que d’être loin de Dieu en ce bas-monde.
Sache que cette menace de l’enfer est faite à ceux qui adorent d’autres que Dieu: adorer veut dire ici obéir. On n’obéit à Dieu en ce bas-monde qu’en obéissant à celui en qui l’on peut voir Dieu dans chaque manifestation. Comprends bien cela afin de ne pas avoir obéi à d’autres qu’à Dieu. Le jour où paraïtra celui que Dieu doit manifester, tu auras agi contre lui et par conséquent contre Dieu si tu continues à obéir à un des docteurs du Bayán. Si au contraire tu obéis à celui que Dieu doit manifester, tu auras adoré Dieu.
Dieu dit dans le Qur’án:
« En quel autre Livre croiront-ils ensuite?»
Le vrai sens de ce verset, dans sa signification intime est:
«A quoi croiront-ils après le Prophète de Dieu et ce qui est descendu pour lui. »
Sache bien que l’adoration d’un autre que Dieu ne peut suffire en rien, tandis que connaître Dieu suffit, à l’exception de toutes choses, et cela à la condition que l’homme suive avec piété la grande route dans laquelle il est entré jusqu’au moment où un autre ordre se manifestera venant de Dieu.
Quant à ce que tu demandes au sujet des fondements de la religion et de ses dogmes, sache que la base de la religion est la connaissance de Dieu: la connaissance parfaite et la connaissance de son unité. La parfaite connaissance de l’unité c’est de rejeter tous les attributs du terrain de sa Saintete, de l’Élévation de sa gloire et de sa Sublimité.
Sache que connaêtre Dieu n’est possible en ce monde que par la connaissance de celui en qui l’on contemple Dieu. Sache également qu’à la base de chaque manifestation se trouvent ces paroles:
« Il n’y a pas d’autre Dieu que Dieu. »
C’est après cette affirmation qu’apparaît la mention du nom du maître de la manifestation; il en a été ainsi pour Noé à l’époque de Noé, pour Ibráhím en son temps, pour Moïse et pour Jésus, chacun à son époque. Il en a été ainsi pour Muḥammad au moment où il apparut et il en sera ainsi ensuite jusqu’à la fin qui n’aura jamais de fin.
* * * *
Sache aussi que toutes les nations, dans leur langueé religieuse, emploient ces termes mêmes, mais restent cependant toutes à l’ombre de la Négation. La signification du mot Assentiment au moment où parut le prophète de Dieu était: Il n’y a pas d’autre Dieu que Dieu et Muḥammad est son prophète. Dans chaque manifestation de chaque envoyé céleste il en est ainsi, et cependant combien de fois n’as-tu pas répété ces paroles qui restaient obscures pour toi: Il n’y a pas d’autre Dieu que Dieu!
Tu as entendu dire que Dieu, au jour du jugement dernier établira d’un mot le compte des créatures: ce mot, c’est celui là même. De sorte que quand Dieu envoie un prophète, qui-conque l’agrée rentre sous l’ombre de l’assentiment, dès lors son compte est établi, il ira aux cieux; celui qui ne lui aura pas donné sa foi verra son compte s’établir à l’ombre de la négation et il ira aux enfers. Demande à tout instant refuge à Dieu, car le croyant est encore plus rare que le soufre rouge de la
pierre philosophale. Tous reconnaissent l’unité de celui qu’ils ignorent cependant! Par exemple, les sectateurs du Christ admettent l’unité de Dieu, alors que leur adoration de la divinité retourne en ce monde à celui qui s’est manifesté et qui est Dieu car il n’y a pas d’autre Dieu que le prophète de Dieu; en sorte que leur piété reste pour eux stérile. Donne donc ta plus scrupuleuse attention à la connaissance de l’unité, car c’est là le Sirâth dont tu as entendu parler, ce pont plus fin qu’un cheveu, plus tranchant qu’un rasoir.
N’ajoute pas foi à ceux qui disent avoir compris le Livre de Dieu, car j’ai eu beau les examiner je n’ai trouvé chez eux que des mots ou des trames doctrinales, sauf chez deux personnages. Ceux-ci ont paru jadis et ont élevé leurs paroles au milieu de l’islam de façon à ce que leurs actes dans la la connaissance de Dieu fussent d’accord avec elles. Chez les docteurs du Bayán on ne s’en tient pas aux mots.
Les docteurs chrétiens se sont vantés d’avoir compris les Évangiles. Or, le premier mot de ce livre a trait à la création de Muḥammad. Il y a 1270 ans que ce Prophète s’est manifesté et Dieu sait combien ces docteurs ont fait d’interprétations de leur texte sacré, sans parvenir même de loin au sens vrai qui est Muḥammad: s’ils avaient compris, ne fut-ce qu’un seul mot du Nouveau Testament, ils auraient cru au Prophète de Dieu. Tu vois bien qu’ils n’ont pas compris une syllabe de l’Évangile et qu’ils n’en ont expliqué les termes qu’inconsidérément et sans inspiration.
Reporte-toi a l’islamisme sunnite, tu verras qu’il en est de même pour lui. Que de commentaires n'ont-ils pas écrits du Qur’án sans comprendre que liessence même de la création du Qur’án est la descendance du Prophète.
Il en est ainsi encore pour les Shiites et leurs commentaires. S’ils avaient compris, ils n’eussent pas ignoré que dès le premier point du Qur’án le Livre sacré n’a pour but que l’attente de la manifestation du témoignage. Tu vois bien qu’ils n’ont compris rien autre chose que des mots vides de sens et d’inspiration.
Eh bien, alors, comprends donc, et ne sois pas comme eux en face de cette manifestation du Bayán. Tranche toute amitié avec d’autres qu’avec Dieu et suffis-toi en lui en dehors d’autres que lui. Répète souvent ce verset du Bayán:
« Dis: Dieu suffit à toutes choses en toutes choses, rien ne prévaut sur Dieu; rien, ni dans les cieux, ni sur la terre, ni dans ce qui est entre eux. Par son ordre, il créera ce qu’il voudra. C’est lui le Savant, le Tout-Puissant.»
Ne pense pas que cette parole: « Dieu suffit à toutes choses » soit une imagination. Sache que dans chaque manifestation, ta foi dans le Maître de cette manifestation te suffit pour et sur toutes choses de la terre, alors que rien de ce qui est en ce bas monde n’est supérieur à ta foi. Si tu ne crois pas, le Mèn Yazhèr-hou Oullah te comptera parmi ceux de la « négation », si tu crois, ta foi te suppléera toutes choses de la terre, même si tu ne possèdes rien. C’est là le sens de ce verset en ce qui concerne le Prophète, dans la manifestation précédente, puis pour la manifestation suivante, enfin pour celle du Mèn Yazhèr-hou Oullah, et ainsi de suite jusqu’à la fin qui n’aura pas de fin, depuis le commencement qui n’a pas eu de commencement. Sois attentif et dis:
« Gloire à Dieu, Maître des deux mondes, que notre Seigneur nous pardonne à tout instant, avant l’instant et après l’instant! »
WORDS OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH
1. CITED IN THE ADVENT OF DIVINE JUSTICE
O FRIENDS! Be not careless of the virtues with which ye have been endowed, neither be neglectful of your high destiny. . . . Ye are the stars of the heaven of understanding, the breeze that stirreth at the break of day, the soft-flowing waters upon which must depend the very life of all men, the letters inscribed upon His sacred scroll.”
“O people of Bahá. Ye are the breezes of
spring that are wafted over the world.
Through you We have adorned the world of
being with the ornament of the knowledge
[Page 213]
of the Most Merciful. Through you the
countenance of the world hath been wreathed
in smiles, and the brightness of His light
shone forth. Cling ye to the Cord of
steadfastness, in such wise that all
vain imaginings
may utterly vanish. Speed ye forth from the
horizon of power, in the name of your Lord,
the Unconstrained, and announce unto His
servants, with wisdom and eloquence,
the tidings of this Cause, whose
splendor hath been
shed upon the world of being. Beware lest
anything withhold you from observing the
things prescribed unto you by the Pen of
Glory, as it moved over His Tablet with
sovereign majesty and might. Great is
the blessedness of him that hath
hearkened to its
shrill voice, as it was raised, through the
power of truth, before all who are in heaven
and all who are on earth. . . . O people of
Bahá! The river that is Life indeed hath
flowed for your sakes. Quaff ye in My name,
despite them that have disbelieved in God,
the Lord of Revelation. We have made you
to be the hands of Our Cause. Render ye
victorious this Wronged One, Who hath
been sore-tried in the hands of the workers
of iniquity. He, verily, will aid every one
that aideth Him, and will remember every
one that remembereth Him. To this beareth
witness this Tablet that hath shed the
splendor of the loving-kindness of your
Lord, the All-Glorious, the All-Compelling.”
"Blessed are the people of Bahá! God beareth
Me witness! They are the solace of the eye
of creation. Through them the universes
have been adorned, and the Preserved
Tablet embellished. They are the ones
who have sailed
on the ark of complete independence, with
their faces set towards the Day-Spring of
Beauty. How great is their blessedness that
they have attained unto what their Lord, the
Omniscient, the All-Wise, hath willed.
Through their light the heavens have been
adorned, and the faces of those that have
drawn nigh unto Him made to shine.” “By
the sorrows which afflict the beauty of the
All-Glorious! Such is the station ordained
for the true believer that if to an extent
smaller than a needle’s eye the glory of that
station were to be unveiled to mankind,
every beholder would be consumed away in
his longing to attain it. For this reason it
hath been decreed that in this earthly life
the full measure of the glory of his own
station should remain concealed from the eyes
of such a believer.” “If the veil be lifted,
and the full glory of the station of those who
have turned wholly towards God, and in
their love for Him renounced the world, be
made manifest, the entire creation would be
dumbfounded.”
"Verily I say! No one hath apprehended
the root of this Cause. It is incumbent upon
every one, in this day, to perceive with the
eye of God, and to hearken with His ear.
Whoso beholdeth Me with an eye besides
Mine own will never be able to know Me.
None among the Manifestations of old,
except to a prescribed degree, hath ever
completely apprehended the nature of this
Revelation.” "I testify before God to
the greatness, the inconceivable
greatness of this Revelation. Again
and again have We, in most
of Our Tablets, borne witness to this truth,
that mankind may be roused from its
heedlessness.” “How great is the Cause, how
staggering the weight of its Message!” “In
this most mighty Revelation all the
Dispensations of the past have attained
their highest, their final consummation.”
“That which hath been made manifest in
this preeminent, this most exalted
Revelation, stands unparalleled in the
annals of the past, nor will future
ages witness its like.” “The purpose
underlying all creation is the revelation
of this most
sublime, this most holy Day, the Day known
as the Day of God, in His Books and
Scriptures—the Day which all the Prophets, and
the Chosen Ones, and the holy ones, have
wished to witness.” “The highest essence and
most perfect expression of whatsoever the
peoples of old have either said or written
hath, through this most potent Revelation,
been sent down from the heaven of the Will
of the All-Possessing, the Ever-Abiding
God.” "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.” “This is the Day whereon the Ocean
of God’s mercy hath been manifested into
men, the Day in which the Day Star of His
loving-kindness hath shed its radiance upon
them, the Day in which the clouds of His
bountiful favor have overshadowed the whole
of mankind.” “By the righteousness of Mine
[Page 214]
own Self! Great, immeasurably great is this
Cause! Mighty, inconceivably mighty is this
Day!” “Every Prophet hath announced the
coming of this Day, and every Messenger
hath groaned in His yearning for this
Revelation—a revelation which, no sooner had it
been revealed than all created things cried
out saying, ‘The earth is God’s, the Most
Exalted, the Most Great!’ ” “The Day of the
Promise is come, and He Who is the
Promised One loudly proclaimeth before
all who are in heaven and all who are on
earth, ‘Verily there is none other God
but He, the Help in Peril, the
Self-Subsisting!’ I swear by God! That which
had been enshrined from eternity in the
knowledge of God, the Knower of the
seen and unseen, is revealed. Happy is the
eye that seeth, and the face that
turneth towards, the Countenance of
God, the Lord of
all being.” “Great indeed is this Day! The
allusions made to it in all the sacred
Scriptures as the Day of God attest
its greatness.
The soul of every Prophet of God, of every
Divine Messenger, hath thirsted for this
wondrous Day. All the divers kindreds of the
earth have, likewise, yearned to attain it.”
“This Day a door is opened wider than both
heaven and earth. The eye of the mercy of
Him Who is the Desire of the worlds is
turned towards all men. An act, however
infinitesimal, is, when viewed in the mirror
of the knowledge of God, mightier than a
mountain. Every drop proffered in His path
is as the sea in that mirror. For this is the
Day which the one true God, glorified be
He, hath announced in all His Books unto
His Prophets and His Messengers.” “This is
a Revelation, under which, if a man shed for
its sake one drop of blood, myriads of oceans
will be his recompense.” “A fleeting moment,
in this Day, excelleth centuries of a
bygone age. . . . Neither sun nor moon hath
witnessed a day such as this Day.” “This is
the Day whereon the unseen world crieth out,
‘Great is thy blessedness, O earth, for thou
has been made the footstool of thy God, and
been chosen as the seat of His mighty
throne.’ ” “The world of being shineth, in
this Day, with the resplendency of this
Divine Revelation. All created things
extol its saving grace, and sing its
praises. The universe is wrapt in an
ecstasy of joy and gladness. The
Scriptures of past Dispensations
celebrate the great Jubilee that must needs
greet this most great Day of God. Well is
it with him that hath lived to see this Day,
and hath recognized its station.” “This Day
a different Sun hath arisen, and a different
Heaven hath been adorned with its stars and
its planets. The world is another world, and
the Cause another Cause.” “This is the Day
which past ages and centuries can never rival.
Know this, and be not of the ignorant.”
“This is the Day whereon human ears have
been privileged to hear what He Who
conversed with God (Moses) heard upon Sinai,
what He Who is the Friend of God (Muḥammad)
heard when lifted up towards Him,
what He Who is the Spirit of God (Jesus)
heard as He ascended unto Him, the Help in
Peril, the Self-Subsisting.” “This Day is
God’s Day, and this Cause His Cause. Happy
is he who hath renounced this world, and
clung to Him Who is the Day-Spring of
God’s Revelation.” “This is the King of
Days, the Day that hath seen the coming of
the Best Beloved, He Who through all
eternity hath been acclaimed the Desire of the
World.” “This is the Chief of all days and
the King thereof. Great is the blessedness of
him who hath attained, through the sweet
savor of these days, unto everlasting life,
and who, with the most great steadfastness,
hath arisen to aid the Cause of Him Who is the
King of Names. Such a man is as the eye to
the body of mankind.” “Peerless is this Day,
for it is as the eye to past ages and
centuries, and as a light unto the
darkness of the
times.” “This Day is different from other
days, and this Cause different from other
causes. Entreat ye the one true God that He
may deprive not the eyes of men from
beholding His signs, nor their ears
from hearkening unto the shrill voice
of the Pen of
Glory.” “These days are God’s days,
a moment of which ages and centuries can never
rival. An atom, in these days, is as the
sun, a drop as the ocean. One single breath
exhaled in the love of God and for His
service is
written down by the Pen of Glory as a
princely deed. Were the virtues of this Day
to be recounted, all would be thunderstruck,
except those whom thy Lord hath exempted.”
“By the righteousness of God!
These are the days in which God hath proved
[Page 215]
the hearts of the
entire company of His Messengers and
Prophets, and beyond them those
that stand guard over His sacred and
inviolable Sanctuary, the inmates of
the celestial
Pavilion and dwellers of the Tabernacle of
Glory.” "Should the greatness of this Day
be revealed in its fullness, every man would
forsake a myriad lives in his longing to
partake, though it be for one moment, of its
great glory—how much more this world and
its corruptible treasures!” “God the true
One is My Witness! This is the Day whereon
it is incumbent upon every one that seeth to
behold, and every ear that hearkeneth to
hear, and every heart that understandeth to
perceive, and every tongue that speaketh to
proclaim unto all who are in heaven and on
earth, this holy, this exalted, and
all-highest Name.” “Say, O men! This is
a matchless
Day. Matchless, must, likewise, be the
tongue that celebrateth the praise of
the Desire of all nations, and matchless
the deed that aspireth to be acceptable
in His sight.
The whole human race hath longed for this
Day, that perchance it may fulfill that which
well beseemeth its station and is worthy of its
destiny.”
“Through the movement of Our Pen of Glory We have, at the bidding of the Omnipotent Ordainer breathed a new life into every human frame, and instilled into every word a fresh potency. All created things proclaim the evidences of this world-wide regeneration.” "O people! I swear by the one true God! This is the Ocean out of which all Seas have proceeded, and with which every one of them will ultimately be united. From Him all the Suns have been generated, and unto Him they will all return. Through His potency the Trees of Divine Revelation have yielded their fruits, every one of which hath been sent down in the form of a Prophet, bearing a Message to God’s creatures in each of the worlds whose number God, alone, in His all-encompassing knowledge, can reckon. This He hath accomplished through the agency of but one Letter of His Word, revealed by His Pen—a Pen moved by His directing Finger—His Finger itself sustained by the power of God’s Truth.” “By the righteousness of the one true God! If one speck of a jewel be lost and buried beneath a mountain of stones, and lie hidden beyond the seven seas, the Hand of Omnipotence would assuredly reveal it in this Day, pure and cleansed from dross.” “Every single letter proceeding from Our mouth is endowed with such regenerative power as to enable it to bring into existence a new creation—a creation the magnitude of which is inscrutable to all save God. He verily hath knowledge of all things.” "It is in Our power, should We wish it, to enable a speck of floating dust to generate, in less than the twinkling of an eye, suns of infinite, of unimaginable splendor, to cause a dewdrop to develop into vast and numberless oceans, to infuse into every letter such a force as to empower it to unfold all the knowledge of past and future ages.” “We are possessed of such power as, if brought to light, will transmute the most deadly of poisons into a panacea of unfailing efficacy.”
“The days are approaching their end, and
yet the peoples of the earth are seen sunk in
grievous heedlessness, and lost in manifest
error.” "Great, great is the Cause! The hour
is approaching when the most great
convulsion will have appeared. I swear by Him
Who is the Truth! It shall cause separation
to afflict every one, even those who circle
around Me.” “Say; O concourse of the
heedless! I swear by God! The promised day is
come, the day when tormenting trials will
have surged above your heads, and beneath
your feet, saying: ‘Taste ye what your hands
have wrought!’ ” “The time for the
destruction of the world and its people
hath arrived.
He Who is the Pre-Existent is come, that He
may bestow everlasting life, and grant
eternal preservation, and confer that which is
conducive to true living.” "The day is
approaching when its (civilization’s)
flame will devour the cities, when the
Tongue of Grandeur will proclaim: ‘The
Kingdom is God’s,
the Almighty, the All-Praised!’ ” “O ye that
are bereft of understanding! A severe trial
pursueth you, and will suddenly overtake
you. Bestir yourselves, that haply it may
pass and inflict no harm upon you.” “O ye
peoples of the world! Know, verily, that an
unforeseen calamity is following you, and
that grievous retribution awaiteth you.
Think not the deeds ye have committed have
been blotted from My sight.” “O heedless
ones! Though the wonders of My mercy
[Page 216]
have encompassed all created things, both
visible and invisible, and though the
revelations of My grace and bounty have
permeated every atom of the universe, yet the
rod with which I can chastise the wicked is
grievous, and the fierceness of Mine anger
against them terrible.” "Grieve thou not
over those that have busied themselves with
the things of this world, and have forgotten
the remembrance of God, the Most Great.
By Him Who is the Eternal Truth! The day
is approaching when the wrathful anger of
the Almighty will have taken hold of them.
He, verily, is the Omnipotent, the
All-Subduing, the Most Powerful. He
shall cleanse
the earth from the defilement of their
corruption, and shall give it for an
heritage unto
such of His servants as are nigh unto Him.”
"Soon will the cry, ‘Yea, yea, here am I, here
am I’ be heard from every land. For there
hath never been, nor can there ever be, any
other refuge to fly to for any one.” “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.”
“In the beginning of every Revelation adversities have prevailed, which later on have been turned into great prosperity.” “Say: O people of God! Beware lest the powers of the earth alarm you, or the might of the nations weaken you, or the tumult of the people of discord deter you, or the exponents of earthly glory sadden you. Be ye as a mountain in the Cause of your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the Unconstrained.” "Say: Beware, O people of Bahá, lest the strong ones of the earth rob you of your strength, or they who rule the world fill you with fear. Put your trust in God, and commit your affairs to His keeping. He, verily, will, through the power of truth, render you victorious, and He, verily, is powerful to do what He willeth, and in His grasp are the reins of omnipotent might.” "I swear by My life! Nothing save that which profiteth them can befall My loved ones. To this testifieth the Pen of God, the Most Powerful, the All-Glorious, the Best Beloved.” “Let not the happenings of the world sadden you. I swear by God! The sea of joy yearneth to attain your presence, for every good thing hath been created for you, and will, according to the needs of the times, be revealed unto you.” “O my servants! Sorrow not if, in these days and on this earthly plane, things contrary to your wishes have been ordained and manifested by God, for days of blissful joy, of heavenly delight, are assuredly in store for you. Worlds, holy and spiritually glorious, will be unveiled to your eyes. You are destined by Him, in this world and hereafter, to partake of their benefits, to share in their joys, and to obtain a portion of their sustaining grace. To each and every one of them you will, no doubt, attain.”
“This is the day in which to speak. It is
incumbent upon the people of Bahá to strive,
with the utmost patience and forbearance,
to guide the peoples of the world to the Most
Great Horizon. Every body calleth aloud for
a soul. Heavenly souls must needs quicken,
with the breath of the Word of God, the
dead bodies with a fresh spirit. Within every
word a new spirit is hidden. Happy is the
man that attaineth thereunto, and hath
arisen to teach the Cause of Him Who is the
King of Eternity.” “Say: O servants! The
triumph of this Cause hath depended, and
will continue to depend, upon the appearance
of holy souls, upon the showing forth of
goodly deeds, and the revelation of words of
consummate wisdom.” "Center your energies
in the propagation of the Faith of God.
Whoso is worthy of so high a calling, let him
arise and promote it. Whoso is unable, it is
his duty to appoint him who will, in his
stead, proclaim this Revelation, whose
power hath caused the foundations of the
mightiest structures to quake, every
mountain to be
crushed into dust, and every soul to be
dumbfounded.” “Let your principal concern be
to rescue the fallen from the slough of
impending extinction, and to help him embrace
the ancient Faith of God. Your behavior
towards your neighbor should be such as to
manifest clearly the signs of the one true
God, for ye are the first among men to be
recreated by His Spirit, the first to adore and
bow the knee before Him, the first to circle
round His throne of glory.” "O ye beloved
of God! Repose not yourselves on your
couches, nay, bestir yourselves as soon as ye
[Page 217]
recognize your Lord, the Creator, and hear
of the things which have befallen Him, and
hasten to His assistance. Unloose your
tongues, and proclaim unceasingly His Cause.
This shall be better for you than all the
treasures of the past and of the future, if ye
be of them that comprehend this truth.”
"I swear by Him Who is the Truth! Erelong
will God adorn the beginning of the Book of
Existence with the mention of His loved ones
who have suffered tribulation in His path,
and journeyed through the countries in His
name and for His praise. Whoso hath
attained their presence will glory in
their meeting, and all that dwell in
every land will be
illumined by their memory.” “Vie ye with
each other in the service of God and of His
Cause. This is indeed what profiteth you in
this world, and in that which is to come.
Your Lord, the God of Mercy, is the
All-Informed, the All-Knowing. Grieve not at
the things ye witness in this day. The day
shall come whereon the tongues of the
nations will proclaim: ‘The earth is God’s, the
Almighty, the Single, the Incomparable, the
All-Knowing!’ ” “Blessed is the spot, and the
house, and the place, and the city, and the
heart, and the mountain, and the refuge,
and the cave, and the valley, and the land,
and the sea, and the island, and the meadow
where mention of God hath been made, and
His praise glorified.” “The movement itself
from place to place, when undertaken for the
sake of God, hath always exerted, and can
now exert, its influence in the world. In
the Books of old the station of them that
have voyaged far and near in order to guide
the servants of God hath been set forth and
written down.” “I swear by God! So great
are the things ordained for the steadfast that
were they, so much as the eye of a needle, to
be disclosed, all who are in heaven and on
earth would be dumbfounded, except such as
God, the Lord of all worlds, hath willed to
exempt.” “I swear by God! That which
hath been destined for him who aideth My
Cause excelleth the treasures of the earth.”
“Whoso openeth his lips in this day, and
maketh mention of the name of his Lord, the
hosts of Divine inspiration shall descend upon
him from the heaven of My name, the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise. On him shall also
descend the Concourse on high, each bearing
aloft a chalice of pure light. Thus hath it
been fore-ordained in the realm of God’s
Revelation, by the behest of Him Who is the
All-Glorious, the Most Powerful.” “By the
righteousness of Him Who, in this day,
crieth within the inmost heart of all created
things, ‘God, there is none other God besides
Me!’ If any man were to arise to defend, in
his writings, the Cause of God against its
assailants, such a man, however
inconsiderable his share, shall be so
honored in the
world to come that the Concourse on high
would envy his glory. No pen can depict
the loftiness of his station, neither can any
tongue describe its splendor.” “Please God
ye may all be strengthened to carry out that
which is the Will of God, and may be
graciously assisted to appreciate the
rank conferred upon such of His
loved ones as have
arisen to serve Him and magnify His name.
Upon them be the glory of God, the glory of
all that is in the heavens and all that is on
earth, and the glory of the inmates of the
most exalted Paradise, the heaven of
heavens.” “O people of Bahá! That there is
none to rival you is a sign of mercy. Quaff
ye of the Cup of Bounty the wine of
immortality, despite them that have repudiated
God, the Lord of names and Maker of the
heavens.”
"I swear by the one true God! This is the
day of those who have detached themselves
from all but Him, the day of those who have
recognized His unity, the day whereon God
createth, with the hands of His power, divine
beings and imperishable essences, every one of
whom will cast the world and all that is
therein behind him, and will wax so
steadfast in the Cause of God that
every wise and
understanding heart will marvel.” “There
lay concealed within the Holy Veil, and
prepared for the service of God, a company of
His chosen ones who shall be manifested unto
men, who shall aid His Cause, who shall be
afraid of no one, though the entire human
race rise up and war against them. These are
the ones who, before the gaze of the dwellers
on earth and the denizens of heaven, shall
arise and, shouting aloud, acclaim the name
of the Almighty, and summon the children
of men to the path of God, the All-Glorious,
the All-Praised.” "The day is approaching
when God will have, by an act of His Will,
[Page 218]
raised up a race of men the nature of which
is inscrutable to all save God, the
All-Powerful, the Self-Subsisting.”
“He will, ere long,
out of the Bosom of Power, draw forth the
Hands of Ascendancy and Might—Hands
who will arise to win victory for this Youth,
and who will purge mankind from the
defilement of the outcast and the
ungodly. These Hands will gird up their
loins to champion
the Faith of God, and will, in My name, the
self-subsistent, the mighty, subdue the
peoples and kindreds of the earth. They will
enter the cities, and will inspire with fear
the hearts of all their inhabitants. Such are
the evidences of the might of God; how fearful,
how vehement is His might!”
2. PRAYERS AND MEDITATIONS
O God, my God! I beg of Thee by the ocean of Thy healing, and by the splendors of the Day-Star of Thy grace, and by Thy Name through which Thou didst subdue Thy servants, and by the pervasive power of Thy most exalted Word and the potency of Thy most august Pen, and by Thy mercy that hath preceded the creation of all who are in heaven and on earth, to purge me with the waters of Thy bounty from every affliction and disorder, and from all weakness and feebleness.
Thou seest, O my Lord, Thy suppliant waiting at the door of Thy bounty, and him who hath set his hopes on Thee clinging to the cord of Thy generosity. Deny him not, I beseech Thee, the things he seeketh from the ocean of Thy grace and the Day-Star of Thy loving-kindness.
Powerful art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. There is none other God save Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.
————————
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I implore Thee, by Thy Most Great Name through Which Thou didst stir up Thy servants and build up Thy cities, and by Thy most excellent titles, and Thy most august attributes, to assist Thy people to turn in the direction of Thy manifold bounties, and set their faces towards the Tabernacle of Thy wisdom. Heal Thou the sicknesses that have assailed the souls on every side, and have deterred them from directing their gaze towards the Paradise that lieth in the shelter of Thy shadowing Name, which Thou didst ordain to be the King of all names unto all who are in heaven and all who are on earth. Potent art Thou to do as pleaseth Thee. In Thy hands is the empire of all names. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Wise.
I am but a poor creature, O my Lord; I have clung to the hem of Thy riches. I am sore sick; I have held fast the cord of Thy healing. Deliver me from the ills that have encircled me, and wash me thoroughly with the waters of Thy graciousness and mercy, and attire me with the raiment of wholesomeness, through Thy forgiveness and bounty. Fix, then, mine eyes upon Thee, and rid me of all attachment to aught else except Thyself. Aid me to do what Thou desirest, and to fulfill what Thou pleasest.
Thou art truly the Lord of this life and of the next. Thou art, in truth, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
————————
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I have set my face towards Thy Cause, believing in Thy oneness, acknowledging Thy unity, recognizing Thy sovereignty and the power of Thy might, and confessing the greatness of Thy majesty and glory. I ask Thee, by Thy name through which the heaven was cleft asunder, and the earth was rent in twain, and the mountains were crushed, not to withhold from me the breezes of Thy mercy which have been wafted in Thy days, nor to suffer me to be far removed from the shores of Thy nearness and bounty.
I am he who is sore athirst, O my Lord!
Give me to drink of the living waters of
Thy grace. I am but a poor creature; reveal
unto me the tokens of Thy riches. Doth it
beseem Thee to cast out of the door of Thy
grace and bounty such as have set their hopes
on Thee, and can it befit Thy sovereignty
to hinder them that yearn after Thee from
attaining the adored sanctuary of Thy
presence and from beholding Thy face? By Thy
glory! Such is not my belief in Thee, for I
[Page 219]
am persuaded that Thou art the God
of bounteousness, Whose
grace hath encompassed all things.
I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thy mercy that hath surpassed the entire creation, and Thy generosity that hath embraced all created things, to cause me to turn my face wholly towards Thee, and to seek Thy shelter, and to be steadfast in my love for Thee. Write down, then, for me what Thou didst ordain for them who love Thee. Powerful art Thou to do what Thou pleasest. No God is there beside Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.
Praised be God, the Lord of the worlds!
————————
Praise be unto Thee, O my God! Thou art He Who by a word of His mouth hath revolutionized the entire creation, and by a stroke of His pen hath divided Thy servants one from another. I bear witness, O my God, that through a word spoken by Thee in this Revelation all created things were made to expire, and through yet another word all such as Thou didst wish were, by Thy grace and bounty, endued with new life.
I render Thee thanks, therefore, and extol Thee, in the name of all them that are dear to Thee, for that Thou hast caused them to be born again, by reason of the living waters which have flowed down out of the mouth of Thy will. Since Thou didst quicken them by Thy bounteousness, O my God, make them steadfastly inclined, through Thy graciousness, towards Thy will; and since Thou didst suffer them to enter into the Tabernacle of Thy Cause, grant by Thy grace that they may not be kept back from Thee.
Unlock, then, to their hearts, O my God, the portals of Thy knowledge, that they may recognize Thee as One Who is far above the reach and ken of the understanding of Thy creatures, and immeasurably exalted above the strivings of Thy people to hint at Thy nature, and may not follow every clamorous imposter that presumeth to speak in Thy name. Enable them, moreover, O my Lord, to cleave so tenaciously to Thy Cause that they may remain unmoved by the perplexing suggestions of them who, prompted by their desires, utter what hath been forbidden unto them in Thy Tablets and Thy Scriptures.
Thou art well aware, O my Lord, that I hear the howling of the wolves which appear in Thy servants’ clothing. Keep safe, therefore, Thy loved ones from their mischief, and enable them to cling steadfastly to whatsoever hath been manifested by Thee in this Revelation, which no other Revelation within Thy knowledge hath excelled.
Do Thou destine for them, O my Lord, that which will profit them. Illumine, then, their eyes with the light of Thy knowledge, that they may see Thee visibly supreme over all things, and resplendent amidst Thy creatures, and victorious over all that are in Thy heaven and all that are on Thy earth. Powerful art Thou to do Thy pleasure. No God is there but Thee, the All-Glorious, Whose help is implored by all men.
Praised be Thou, Who art the Lord of all creation.
————————
Lauded be Thy name, O my God and the God of all things, my Glory and the Glory of all things, my Desire and the Desire of all things, my Strength and the Strength of all things, my King and the King of all things, my Possessor and the Possessor of all things, my Aim and the Aim of all things, my Mover and the Mover of all things! Suffer me not, I implore Thee, to be kept back from the ocean of Thy tender mercies, nor to be far removed from the shores of nearness to Thee.
Aught else except Thee, O my Lord, profiteth me not, and near access to any one save Thyself availeth me nothing. I entreat Thee by the plenteousness of Thy riches, whereby Thou didst dispense with all else except Thyself, to number me with such as have set their faces towards Thee, and arisen to serve Thee.
Forgive, then, O my Lord, Thy servants and Thy handmaidens. Thou, truly, art the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate.
————————
My God, my Well-Beloved! No place is
there for any one to flee to when once Thy
laws have been sent down, and no refuge can
be found by any soul after the revelation
of Thy commandments. Thou hast inspired
the Pen with the mysteries of Thine eternity,
and bidden it teach man that which he
knoweth not, and caused him to partake of
[Page 220]
the living waters of truth from the cup of
Thy Revelation and Thine inspiration.
No sooner, however, had the Pen traced upon the tablet one single letter of Thy hidden wisdom, than the voice of the lamentation of Thine ardent lovers was lifted up from all directions. Thereupon, there befell the just what hath caused the inmates of the tabernacle of Thy glory to weep and the dwellers of the cities of Thy revelation to groan.
Thou dost consider, O my God, how He Who is the Manifestation of Thy names is in these days threatened by the swords of Thine adversaries. In such a state He crieth out and summoneth all the inhabitants of Thine earth and the denizens of Thy heaven unto Thee.
Purify, O my God, the hearts of Thy creatures with the power of Thy sovereignty and might, that Thy words may sink deep into them. I know not what is in their hearts, O my God, nor can tell the thoughts they think of Thee. Methinks that they imagine that Thy purpose in calling them to Thine all-highest horizon is to heighten the glory of Thy majesty and power. For had they been satisfied that Thou summonest them to that which will recreate their hearts and immortalize their souls, they would never have fled from thy governance, nor deserted the shadow of the tree of Thy oneness. Clear away, then, the sight of Thy creatures, O my God, that they may recognize Him Who showeth forth the Godhead as One Who is sanctified from all that pertaineth unto them, and Who, wholly for Thy sake, is summoning them to the horizon of Thy unity, at a time when every moment of His life is beset with peril. Had His aim been the preservation of His own Self, He would never have left it at the mercy of Thy foes.
I swear by Thy glory! I have accepted to be tried by manifold adversities for no purpose except to regenerate all that are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth. Whoso hath loved Thee, can never feel attached to his own self, except for the purpose of furthering Thy Cause; and whoso hath recognized Thee can recognize naught else except Thee, and can turn to no one save Thee.
Enable Thy servants, O my God, to discover the things Thou didst desire for them in Thy Kingdom. Acquaint them, moreover, with what He Who is the Origin of Thy most excellent titles hath, in His love for Thee, been willing to bear for the sake of the regeneration of their souls, that they may haste to attain the River that is Life indeed, and turn their faces in the direction of Thy Name, the Most Merciful. Abandon them not to themselves, O my God! Draw them, by Thy bountiful favor, to the heaven of Thine inspiration. They are but paupers, and Thou art the All-Possessing, the ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate.
————————
Magnified be Thy name, O my God, for that Thou hast manifested the Day which is the King of Days, the Day which Thou didst announce unto Thy chosen Ones and Thy Prophets in Thy most excellent Tablets, the Day whereon Thou didst shed the splendor of the glory of all Thy names upon all created things. Great is his blessedness whosoever hath set himself towards Thee, and entered Thy presence, and caught the accents of Thy voice.
I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by the name of Him round whom circleth in adoration the kingdom of Thy names, that Thou wilt graciously assist them that are dear to Thee to glorify Thy word among Thy servants, and to shed abroad Thy praise amidst Thy creatures, so that the ecstasies of Thy revelation may fill the souls of all the dwellers of Thine earth.
Since Thou hast guided them, O my Lord, unto the living waters of Thy grace, grant, by Thy bounty, that they may not be kept back from Thee; and since Thou hast summoned them to the habitation of Thy throne, drive them not out from Thy presence, through Thy loving-kindness. Send down upon them what shall wholly detach them from aught else except Thee, and make them able to soar in the atmosphere of Thy nearness, in such wise that neither the ascendancy of the oppressor nor the suggestions of them that have disbelieved in Thy most august and most mighty Self shall be capable of keeping them back from Thee.
————————
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I
beseech Thee by Thy Name, the Restrainer,
[Page 221]
to withhold from us the maleficence of Thine
adversaries who have disbelieved in Thy
testimony, and caviled at Thy beauty.
Overpower by Thy Name, the All-Subduing, such
as have wronged Thy previous Manifestation
Who hath now appeared invested with Thy
title, the All-Glorious. Lay hold, by Thy
name, the Chastiser, on them that have
treated Thy Cause with scorn, have jested
at Thy most mighty utterances, and were
hindered from attaining this most exalted
station. Enable Thy loved ones, by Thy
Name, the Victorious, to prevail against
Thine enemies and the infidels among Thy
creatures. Rend asunder, by Thy Name, the
Cleaver, the veil that hideth the doings of
them that have besmirched Thine honor and
undermined Thy Faith among Thy people.
Bind, by Thy Name, the Restorer, the broken
hearts of them that love Thee, and graciously
bless them in their affairs. Teach them, by
Thy Name, the All-Knowing, the wonders
of Thy wisdom, that they may cleave
steadfastly to Thy Faith and walk in the ways of
Thy pleasure. Keep them safe, by Thy
Name, the Withholder, from the tyranny of
the oppressor and the wickedness of the
evildoers and the malice of the stirrers
of mischief. Shield them, by Thy Name,
the Preserver, within the stronghold of
Thy might and power, that haply they may
be protected
from the darts of doubt that are hurled by
such as have rebelled against Thee. Sanctify
for Thy servants, by Thy Name which Thou
hast blessed above all other names, which
Thou hast singled out for Thy favor, and by
which Thou didst reveal Thy beauty, these
days of which the Pen of Thy decree hath
distinctly written, and which, according to
Thy will and wisdom, have been preordained
in Thine irrevocable Tablet. Subject to Thy
rule, by Thy Name, the Conqueror, the
people of Thy realm, that all may turn
towards Thy face and forsake their all for
love of Thee and for the sake of Thy pleasure.
Abase Thou, O my Lord, Thine enemies, and lay hold on them with Thy power and might, and let them be stricken by the blast of Thy wrath. Make them taste, O my God, of Thine awful majesty and vengeance, for they have repudiated the truth of the One in Whom they had believed, Who came unto them with Thy signs and Thy clear tokens and the evidences of Thy power and the manifold revelations of Thy might. Gather, then, together Thy loved ones beneath the shadow of the Tree of Thy oneness, and of the Manifestation of the effulgent light of Thy unity.
Thou art, verily, the One Whose power is immense, Whose vengeance is terrible. No God is there beside Thee, the Almighty, the Most Powerful.
————————
Magnified be Thy name, O Lord my God, inasmuch as Thou hast inclined mine ear to Thy voice, and called me to Thyself, and opened mine eyes to gaze on Thy beauty, and illumined my heart with Thy knowledge, and sanctified my breast from the doubts of the infidels in Thy days. I am the one, O my God, who lay fast asleep on his couch, when lo, the messengers of Thy manifold mercies were sent down upon me by Thee, and the gentle winds of Thy loving-kindness blew over me, and roused me up, and caused me to set my face towards the sanctuary of Thy knowledge, and to fix mine eyes upon the splendors of the light of Thy face.
I am but a poor creature, O my Lord! Behold me clinging to the hem of Thy riches. I have fled from darkness and from waywardness unto the brightness of the light of Thy countenance. Were I—and to this Thy glory beareth me witness—to render thanksgiving unto Thee, through the whole continuance of Thy kingdom and the duration of the heaven of Thine omnipotence, I would still have failed to repay Thy manifold bestowals.
I implore Thee, O my Lord, by Thy name, the Ever-Abiding, and by Thy name which Thou didst ordain to be the most great Instrument binding Thee to Thy servants, to grant that I may flee for shelter to Thy door, and speak forth Thy praise. Write down, then, for me, in every world of Thine, that which will enable me to enter beneath Thy shadow and within the borders of Thy court.
Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Bountiful, the Most Exalted, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.
————————
All-praise be to Thee, O Lord, my God! I
know not how to sing Thy praise, how to
describe Thy glory, how to call upon Thy
[Page 222]
Name. If I call upon Thee by Thy Name,
the All-Possessing, I am compelled to
recognize that He Who holdeth in His hand the
immediate destinies of all created things is
but a vassal dependent upon Thee, and is the
creation of but a word proceeding from Thy
mouth. And if I proclaim Thee by the name
of Him Who is the All-Compelling, I readily
discover that He is but a suppliant fallen
upon the dust, awe-stricken by Thy dreadful
might, Thy sovereignty and power. And if I
attempt to describe Thee by glorifying the
oneness of Thy Being, I soon realize that
such a conception is but a notion which
mine own fancy hath woven, and that Thou
hast ever been immeasurably exalted above
the vain imaginations which the hearts of
men have devised.
The glory of Thy might beareth me witness! Whoso claimeth to have known Thee hath, by virtue of such a claim, testified to his own ignorance; and whoso believeth himself to have attained unto Thee, all the atoms of the earth would attest his powerlessness and proclaim his failure. Thou hast, however, by virtue of Thy mercy that hath surpassed the kingdoms of earth and heaven, deigned to accept from Thy servants the laud and honor they pay to Thine own exalted Self, and hast bidden them celebrate Thy glory, that the ensigns of Thy guidance may be unfurled in Thy cities and the tokens of Thy mercy be spread abroad among Thy nations, and that each and all may be enabled to attain unto that which Thou hast destined for them by Thy decree, and ordained unto them through Thine irrevocable will and purpose.
Having testified, therefore, unto mine own impotence and the impotence of Thy servants, I beseech Thee, by the brightness of the light of Thy beauty, not to refuse Thy creatures attainment to the shores of Thy most holy ocean. Draw them, then, O my God, through the Divine sweetness of Thy melodies, towards the throne of Thy glory and the seat of Thine eternal holiness. Thou art, verily, the Most Powerful, the Supreme Ruler, the Great Giver, the Most Exalted, the Ever-Desired.
Grant, then, O my God, that Thy servant who hath turned towards Thee, hath fixed his gaze upon Thee, and clung to the cord of Thy mercifulness and favor, may be enabled to partake of the living waters of Thy mercy and grace. Cause him, then, to ascend unto the heights to which he aspireth, and withhold him not from that which Thou dost possess. Thou art, verily, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Bountiful.
3. EXCERPTS FROM GLEANINGS FROM THE WRITINGS OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH
The world is in travail, and its agitation waxeth day by day. Its 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.
————————
Recall thou to mind My sorrows, My cares and anxieties, My woes and trials, the state of My captivity, the tears that I have shed, the bitterness of Mine anguish, and now My imprisonment in this far-off land. God, O Muṣṭafá, beareth Me witness. Couldst thou be told what hath befallen the Ancient Beauty, thou wouldst flee into the wilderness and weep with a great weeping. In thy grief, thou wouldst smite thyself on the head, and cry out as one stung by the sting of the adder. Be thou grateful to God, that We have refused to divulge unto thee the secrets of those unsearchable decrees that have been sent down unto Us from the heaven of the Will of thy Lord, the Most Powerful, the Almighty.
By the righteousness of God! Every
morning I arose from My bed, I discovered
the hosts of countless afflictions massed
behind My door; and every night when I lay
down, lo! My heart was torn with agony
at what it had suffered from the fiendish
cruelty of its foes. With every piece of bread
the Ancient Beauty breaketh is coupled the
assault of a fresh affliction, and with every
[Page 223]
drop He drinketh is mixed the bitterness of
the most woeful of trials. He is preceded in
every step He taketh by an army of unforeseen
calamities, while in His rear follow
legions of agonizing sorrows.
Such is My plight, wert thou to ponder it in thine heart. Let not, however, thy soul grieve over that which God hath rained down upon Us. Merge thy will in His pleasure, for We have, at no time, desired anything whatsoever except His Will, and have welcomed each one of His irrevocable decrees. Let thine heart be patient, and be thou not dismayed. Follow not in the way of them that are sorely agitated.
————————
O thou whose face is turned towards Me! As soon as thine eyes behold from afar My native city (Ṭihrán), stand thou and say: “I am come to thee out of the Prison, O Land of Ṭá, with tidings from God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. I announce unto thee, O mother of the world and fountain of light unto all its peoples, the tender mercies of thy Lord, and greet thee in the name of Him Who is the Eternal Truth, the Knower of things unseen. I testify that within thee He Who is the Hidden Name was revealed, and the Unseen Treasure uncovered. Through thee the secret of all things, be they of the past or of the future, hath been unfolded.
O Land of Ṭá! He Who is the Lord of Names remembereth thee in His glorious station. Thou wert the Day Spring of the Cause of God, the fountain of His Revelation, the manifestation of His Most Great Name—a Name that hath caused the hearts and souls of men to tremble. How vast the number of those men and women, those victims of tyranny, that have, within thy walls, laid down their lives in the path of God, and been buried beneath thy dust with such cruelty as to cause every honored servant of God to bemoan their plight.
————————
It is Our wish to remember the Abode of supreme blissfulness (Ṭihrán), the holy and shining city—the city wherein the fragrance of the Well-Beloved hath been shed, wherein His signs have been diffused, wherein the evidences of His glory have been revealed, wherein His standards have been raised, wherein His tabernacle hath been pitched, wherein each of His wise decrees hath been unfolded.
It is the city in which the sweet savors of reunion have breathed, and which have caused the sincere lovers of God to draw nigh unto Him, and to gain access to the Habitation of holiness and beauty. Happy is the Wayfarer that directeth his steps towards this city, that gaineth admittance into it, and quaffeth the wine of reunion, through the outpouring grace of his Lord, the Gracious, the All-Praised.
I am come to thee, O land of the heart’s desire, with tidings from God, and announce to thee His gracious favor and mercy, and greet and magnify thee in His name. He, in truth, is of immense bounteousness and goodness. Blessed be the man that turneth his face towards thee, that perceiveth from thee the fragrance of God’s Presence, the Lord of all worlds. His glory be on thee, and the brightness of His light envelop thee, inasmuch as God hath made thee a paradise unto His servants, and proclaimed thee to be the blest and sacred land of which He, Himself, hath made mention in the Books which His Prophets and Messengers have revealed.
Through thee, O land of resplendent glory, the ensign, “There is none other God but Him” hath been unfurled, and the standard, “Verily I am the Truth, the Knower of things unseen,” been hoisted. It behoveth every one that visiteth thee to glory in thee and in them that inhabit thee, that have branched from My Tree, who are the leaves thereof, who are the signs of My glory, who follow Me and are My lovers, and who, with the most mighty determination, have turned their faces in the direction of My glorious station.
————————
Call Thou to remembrance Thine arrival in the City (Constantinople), how the Ministers of the Sulṭán thought Thee to be unacquainted with their laws and regulations, and believed Thee to be one of the ignorant. Say: Yes, by My Lord! I am ignorant of all things except what God hath, through His bountiful favor, been pleased to teach Me. To this We assuredly testify, and unhesitatingly confess it.
[Page 224]
Say: If the laws and regulations to which
ye cleave be of your own making, We will,
in no wise, follow them. Thus have I been
instructed by Him Who is the All-Wise, the
All-Informed. Such hath been My way in
the past, and such will it remain in the
future, through the power of God and His
might. This, indeed, is the true and right
way. If they be ordained by God, bring
forth, then, your proofs, if ye be of them
that speak the truth. Say: We have written
down in a Book which leaveth not unrecorded
the work of any man, however insignificant,
all that they have imputed to
Thee, and all that they have done unto
Thee.
Say: It behoveth you, O Ministers of State, to keep the precepts of God, and to forsake your own laws and regulations, and to be of them who are guided aright. Better is this for you than all ye possess, did ye but know it. If ye transgress the commandment of God, not one jot or one tittle of all your works shall be acceptable in His sight. Ye shall, erelong, discover the consequences of that which ye shall have done in this vain life, and shall be repaid for them. This, verily, is the truth, the undoubted truth.
How great the number of those who, in bygone ages, have committed the things ye have committed, and who, though superior to you in rank, have, in the end, returned unto dust, and been consigned to their inevitable doom! Would that ye might ponder the Cause of God in your hearts! Ye shall follow in their wake, and shall be made to enter a habitation wherein none shall be found to befriend or help you. Ye shall, of a truth, be asked of your doings, shall be called to account for your failure in duty with regard to the Cause of God, and for having disdainfully rejected His loved ones who, with manifest sincerity, have come unto you.
It is ye who have taken counsel together regarding them, ye that have preferred to follow the promptings of your own desires, and forsaken the commandment of God, the Help in Peril, the Almighty.
Say: What! Cleave ye to your own devices, and cast behind your backs the precepts of God? Ye, indeed, have wronged your own selves and others. Would that ye could perceive it! Say: If your rules and principles be founded on justice, why is it, then, that ye follow those which accord with your corrupt inclinations and reject such as conflict with your desires? By what right claim ye, then, to judge fairly between men? Are your rules and principles such as to justify your persecution of Him Who, at your bidding, hath presented Himself before you, your rejection of Him, and your infliction on Him every day of grievous injury? Hath He ever, though it be for one short moment, disobeyed you? All the inhabitants of ‘Iráq, and beyond them every discerning observer, will bear witness to the truth of My words.
Be fair in your judgment, O ye Ministers of State! What is it that We have committed that could justify Our banishment? What is the offense that hath warranted Our expulsion? It is We Who have sought you, and yet, behold how ye refused to receive Us! By God! This is a sore injustice that ye have perpetrated—an injustice with which no earthly injustice can measure. To this the Almighty is Himself a witness. . . .
Know ye that the world and its vanities and its embellishments shall pass away. Nothing will endure except God’s Kingdom which pertaineth to none but Him, the Sovereign Lord of all, the Help in Peril, the All-Glorious, the Almighty. The days of your life shall roll away, and all the things with which ye are occupied and of which ye boast yourselves shall perish, and ye shall, most certainly, be summoned by a company of His angels to appear at the spot where the limbs of the entire creation shall be made to tremble, and the flesh of every oppressor to creep. Ye shall be asked of the things your hands have wrought in this, your vain life, and shall be repaid for your doings. This is the day that shall inevitably come upon you, the hour that none can put back. To this the Tongue of Him that speaketh the truth and is the knower of all things hath testified.
Fear God, ye inhabitants of the City
(Constantinople), and sow not the seeds of
dissension amongst men. Walk not in the
paths of the Evil One. Walk ye, during the
few remaining days of your life, in the
ways of the one true God. Your days shall
pass away as have the days of them who
[Page 225]
were before you. To dust shall ye return,
even as your fathers of old did return.
Know ye that I am afraid of none except God. In none but Him have I placed My trust; to none will I cleave but Him, and wish for naught except the thing He hath wished for Me. This, indeed, is My heart’s desire, did ye but know it. I have offered up My soul and My body as a sacrifice for God, the Lord of all worlds. Whoso hath known God shall know none but Him, and he that feareth God shall be afraid of no one except Him, though the powers of the whole earth rise up and be arrayed against him. I speak naught except at His bidding, and follow not, through the power of God and His might, except His truth. He, verily, shall recompense the truthful.
Narrate, O Servant, the things Thou didst behold at the time of Thine arrival in the City, that Thy testimony may endure amongst men, and serve as a warning unto them that believe. We found, upon Our arrival in the City, its governors and elders as children gathered about and disporting themselves with clay. We perceived no one sufficiently mature to acquire from Us the truths which God hath taught Us, nor ripe for Our wondrous words of wisdom. Our inner eye wept sore over them, and over their transgressions and their total disregard of the thing for which they were created. This is what We observed in that City, and which We have chosen to note down in Our Book, that it may serve as a warning unto them, and unto the rest of mankind.
Say: If ye be seekers after this life and the vanities thereof, ye should have sought them while ye were still enclosed in your mothers’ wombs, for at that time ye were continually approaching them, could ye but perceive it. Ye have, on the other hand, ever since ye were born and attained maturity, been all the while receding from the world and drawing closer to dust. Why, then, exhibit such greed in amassing the treasures of the earth, when your days are numbered and your chance is well-nigh lost? Will ye not, then, O heedless ones, shake off your slumber?
Incline your ears to the counsels which this Servant giveth you for the sake of God. He, verily, asketh no recompense from you and is resigned to what God hath ordained for Him, and is entirely submissive to God’s Will.
The days of your life are far spent, O people, and your end is fast approaching. Put away, therefore, the things ye have devised and to which ye cleave, and take firm hold on the precepts of God, that haply ye may attain that which He hath purposed for you, and be of them that pursue a right course. Delight not yourselves in the things of the world and its vain ornaments, neither set your hopes on them. Let your reliance be on the remembrance of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Great. He will, erelong, bring to naught all the things ye possess. Let Him be your fear, and forget not His covenant with you, and be not of them that are shut out as by a veil from Him.
Beware that ye swell not with pride before God, and disdainfully reject His loved ones. Defer ye humbly to the faithful, they that have believed in God and in His signs, whose hearts witness to His unity, whose tongues proclaim His oneness, and who speak not except by His leave. Thus do We exhort you with justice, and warn you with truth, lest perchance ye may be awakened.
Lay not on any soul a load which ye would not wish to be laid upon you, and desire not for any one the things ye would not desire for yourselves. This is My best counsel unto you, did ye but observe it.
Respect ye the divines and learned amongst you, they whose conduct accord with their professions, who transgress not the bounds which God hath fixed, whose judgments are in conformity with His behests as revealed in His Book. Know ye that they are the lamps of guidance unto them that are in the heavens and on the earth. They who disregard and neglect the divines and learned that live amongst them—these have truly changed the favor with which God hath favored them.
Say: Await ye till God will have changed
His favor unto you. Nothing whatsoever
escapeth Him. He knoweth the secrets both
of the heavens and of the earth. His
knowledge embraceth all things. Rejoice not in
what ye have done, or will do in the future,
nor delight in the tribulation with which ye
have afflicted Us, for ye are unable by such
[Page 226]
means as these to exalt your stations, were
ye to examine your works with acute
discernment. Neither will ye be capable
of detracting from the loftiness of
Our state. Nay,
God will add unto the recompense with
which He shall reward Us, for having
sustained with persevering patience
the tribulations We have suffered. He,
verily, shall
increase the reward of them that endure with
patience.
Know ye that trials and tribulations have, from time immemorial, been the lot of the chosen Ones of God and His beloved, and such of His servants as are detached from all else but Him, they whom neither merchandise nor traffic beguile from the remembrance of the Almighty, they that speak not till He hath spoken, and act according to His commandment. Such is God’s method carried into effect of old, and such will it remain in the future. Blessed are the steadfastly enduring, they that are patient under ills and hardships, who lament not over anything that befalleth them, and who tread the path of resignation. . . .
The day is approaching when God will have raised up a people who will call to remembrance Our days, who will tell the tale of Our trials, who will demand the restitution of Our rights from them that, without a tittle of evidence, have treated Us with manifest injustice. God, assuredly, dominateth the lives of them that wrong Us, and is well aware of their doings. He will, a most certainly, lay hold on them for their sins. He, verily, is the fiercest of avengers.
Thus have We recounted unto you the tales of the one true God, and sent down unto you the things He had preordained, that haply ye may ask forgiveness of Him, may return unto Him, may truly repent, may realize your misdeeds, may shake off your slumber, may be roused from your heedlessness, may atone for the things that have escaped you, and be of them that do good. Let him who will, acknowledge the truth of My words; and as to him that willeth not, let him turn aside. My sole duty is to remind you of your failure in duty towards the Cause of God, if perchance ye may be of them that heed My warning. Wherefore, hearken ye unto My speech, and return ye to God and repent, that He, through His grace, may have mercy upon you, may wash away your sins, and forgive your trespasses. The greatness of His Mercy surpasseth the fury of His wrath, and His grace encompasseth all who have been called into being and been clothed with the robe of life, be they of the past or of the future.
There hath appeared in this Revelation what hath never appeared before. As to the infidels that have witnessed what hath been manifested, they murmur and say: "Verily, this is a sorcerer who hath devised a lie against God.” They are indeed an outcast people.
Tell out to the nations, O Pen of the Ancient of Days, the things that have happened in ‘Iráq. Tell them of the messenger whom the congregation of the divines of that land had delegated to meet Us, who, when attaining Our presence, questioned Us concerning certain sciences, and whom We answered by virtue of the knowledge We inherently possess. Thy Lord is, verily, the Knower of things unseen. “We testify,” said he, “that the knowledge Thou dost possess is such as none can rival. Such a knowledge, however, is insufficient to vindicate the exalted station which the people ascribe to Thee. Produce, if Thou speakest the truth, what the combined forces of the peoples of the earth are powerless to produce.” Thus was it irrevocably decreed in the court of the presence of thy Lord, the All-Glorious, the Loving.
“Witness! What is it thou seest?” He was dumbfounded. And when he came to himself, he said: “I truly believe in God, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised.” “Go thou to the people, and tell them: ‘Ask whatsoever ye please. Powerful is He to do what He willeth. Nothing whatsoever, be it of the past or of the future, can frustrate His Will.’ Say: ‘O ye congregation of the divines! Choose any matter ye desire, and ask your Lord, the God of Mercy, to reveal it unto you. If He fulfil your wish, by virtue of His sovereignty, believe ye then in Him, and be not of those that reject His truth.’ ” “The dawn of understanding hath now broken,” said he, “and the testimony of the All-Merciful is fulfilled.” He arose and returned unto them that sent him, at the bidding of God, the All-Glorious, the Well-Beloved.
Days passed and he failed to come back to Us. Eventually, there came another messenger who informed Us that the people had given up what they originally had purposed. They are indeed a contemptible people. This is what happened in ‘Iráq, and to what I reveal I Myself am witness. This happening was noised abroad, yet none was found to comprehend its meaning. Thus did We ordain it. Would that ye knew this!
By My Self! Whoso hath in bygone ages asked Us to produce the signs of God, hath, no sooner We revealed them to him, repudiated God’s truth. The people, however, have, for the most part, remained heedless. They whose eyes are illumined with the light of understanding will perceive the sweet savors of the All-Merciful, and will embrace His truth. These are they who are truly sincere.
————————
O thou who are the fruit of My Tree and the leaf thereof! On thee be My glory and My mercy. Let not thine heart grieve over what hath befallen thee. Wert thou to scan the pages of the Book of Life, thou wouldst, most certainly, discover that which would dissipate thy sorrows and dissolve thine anguish.
Know thou, O fruit of My Tree, that the decrees of the Sovereign Ordainer, as related to fate and predestination, are of two kinds. Both are to be obeyed and accepted. The one is irrevocable, the other is as termed by men, impending. To the former all must unreservedly submit, inasmuch as it is fixed and settled. God, however, is able to alter or repeal it. As the harm that must result from such a change will be greater than if the decree had remained unaltered, all therefore, should willingly acquiesce in what God hath willed and confidently abide by the same.
The decree that is impending, however, is such that prayer and entreaty can succeed in averting it.
God grant that thou who art the fruit of My Tree, and they that are associated with thee, may be shielded from its evil consequences.
Say: O God, my God! Thou hast committed into mine hands a trust from Thee, and hast now according to the good-pleasure of Thy Will called it back to Thyself. It is not for me, who am a handmaid of Thine, to say, whence is this to me or wherefore hath it happened, inasmuch as Thou art glorified in all Thine acts, and art to be obeyed in Thy decree. Thine handmaid, O my Lord, hath set her hopes on Thy grace and bounty. Grant that she may obtain that which will draw her nigh unto Thee, and will profit her in every world of Thine. Thou art the Forgiving, the All-Bountiful. There is none other God but Thee, the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days.
Vouchsafe Thy blessings, O Lord, my God, unto them that have quaffed the wine of Thy love before the face of men, and, in spite of Thine enemies, have acknowledged Thy unity, testified to Thy oneness, and confessed their belief in that which hath made the limbs of the oppressors among Thy creatures to quake, and the flesh of the proud ones of the earth to tremble. I bear witness that Thy Sovereignty can never perish, nor Thy Will be altered. Ordain for them that have set their faces towards Thee, and for Thine handmaids that have held fast by Thy Cord, that which beseemeth the Ocean of Thy bounty and the Heaven of Thy grace.
Thou art He, O God, Who hath proclaimed Himself as the Lord of Wealth, and characterized all that serve Him as poor and needy. Even as Thou hast written: "O ye that believe! Ye are but paupers in need of God; but God is the All-Possessing, the All-Praised.” Having acknowledged my poverty, and recognized Thy wealth, suffer me not to be deprived of the glory of Thy riches. Thou art, verily, the Supreme Protector, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
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
[Page 228]
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.
————————
Be not dismayed, O peoples of the world, when the day star of My beauty is set, and the heaven of My tabernacle is concealed from your eyes. Arise to further My Cause, and to exalt My Word amongst men. We are with you at all times, and shall strengthen you through the power of truth. We are truly almighty. Whoso hath recognized Me, will arise and serve Me with such determination that the powers of earth and heaven shall be unable to defeat his purpose.
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 given you 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-Informed. Say: Can ye claim that what ye own is lasting 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 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.
————————
Let not your hearts be perturbed, O people, when the glory of My Presence is withdrawn, and the ocean of My utterance is stilled. In My presence amongst you there is a wisdom, and in My absence there is yet another, inscrutable to all but God, the Incomparable, the All-Knowing. Verily, We behold you from Our realm of glory, and shall aid whosoever will arise for the triumph of Our Cause with the hosts of the Concourse on high and a company of Our favored angels.
O peoples of the earth! God, the Eternal Truth, is My witness that streams of fresh and soft-flowing waters have gushed from the rocks, through the sweetness of the words uttered by your Lord, the Unconstrained; and still ye slumber. Cast away that which ye possess, and, on the wings of detachment, soar beyond all created things. Thus biddeth you the Lord of creation, the movement of Whose Pen hath revolutionized the soul of mankind.
Know ye from what heights your Lord,
[Page 229]
the All-Glorious is calling? Think ye that
ye have recognized the Pen wherewith your
Lord, the Lord of all names, commandeth
you? Nay, by My life! Did ye but know it,
ye would renounce the world, and would
hasten with your whole hearts to the presence
of the Well-Beloved. Your spirits would be
so transported by His Word as to throw into
commotion the Greater World—how much
more this small and petty one! Thus have the
showers of My bounty been poured down
from the heaven of My loving-kindness, as
a token of My grace; that ye may be of the
thankful. . . .
Beware lest the desires of the flesh and of a corrupt inclination provoke divisions among you. Be ye as the fingers of one hand, the members of one body. Thus counselleth you the Pen of Revelation, if ye be of them that believe.
Consider the mercy of God and His gifts. He enjoineth upon you that which shall profit you, though He Himself can well dispense with all creatures. Your evil doings can never harm Us, neither can your good works profit Us. We summon you wholly for the sake of God. To this every man of understanding and insight will testify.
————————
It is clear and evident that when the veils that conceal the realities of the manifestations of the Names and Attributes of God, nay of all created things visible or invisible, have been rent asunder, nothing except the Sign of God will remain—a sign which He, Himself, hath placed within these realities. This sign will endure as long as is the wish of the Lord thy God, the Lord of the heavens and of the earth. If such be the blessings conferred on all created things, how superior must be the destiny of the true believer, whose existence and life are to be regarded as the originating purpose of all creation. Just as the conception of faith hath existed from the beginning that hath no beginning, and will endure till the end that hath no end, in like manner will the true believer eternally live and endure. His spirit will everlastingly circle round the Will of God. He will last as long as God, Himself, will last. He is revealed through the Revelation of God, and is hidden at His bidding. It is evident that the loftiest mansions in the Realm of Immortality have been ordained as the habitation of them that have truly believed in God and in His signs. Death can never invade that holy seat. Thus have We entrusted thee with the signs of Thy Lord, that thou mayest persevere in thy love for Him, and be of them that comprehend this truth.
————————
Every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God is endowed with such potency as can instill new life into every human frame, if ye be of them that comprehend this truth. All the wondrous works ye behold in this world have been manifested through the operation of His supreme and most exalted Will, His wondrous and inflexible Purpose. Through the mere revelation of the word "Fashioner,” issuing forth from His lips and proclaiming His attribute to mankind, such power is released as can generate, through successive ages, all the manifold arts which the hands of man can produce. This, verily, is a certain truth. No sooner is this resplendent word uttered, than its animating energies, stirring within all created things, give birth to the means and instruments whereby such arts can be produced and perfected. All the wondrous achievements ye now witness are the direct consequences of the Revelation of this Name. In the days to come, ye will, verily, behold things of which ye have never heard before. Thus hath it been decreed in the Tablets of God, and none can comprehend it except they whose sight is sharp. In like manner, the moment the word expressing My attribute “The Omniscient” issueth forth from My mouth, every created thing will, according to its capacity and limitations, be invested with the power to unfold the knowledge of the most marvelous sciences, and will be empowered to manifest them in the course of time at the bidding of Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Knowing. Know thou of a certainty that the Revelation of every other Name is accompanied by a similar manifestation of Divine power. Every single letter proceeding out of the mouth of God is indeed a mother letter, and every word uttered by Him Who is the Well Spring of Divine Revelation is a mother word, and His Tablet a Mother Tablet. Well is it with them that apprehend this truth.
WORDS OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ
1. THE MANIFESTATIONS OF GOD
THE Manifestations of universal Prophethood who appeared independently are, for example, Abraham, Moses, Christ, Muḥammad, the Báb, and Bahá’u’lláh. But the others who are followers and promoters are like Solomon, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. For the independent Prophets are founders; they establish a new religion and make new creatures of men; they change the general morals, promote new customs and rules, renew the cycle and the Law. Their appearance is like the season of spring, which arrays all earthly beings in a new garment, and gives them a new life.
With regard to the second sort of Prophets who are followers, these also promote the Law of God, make known the Religion of God, and proclaim His word. Of themselves they have no power and might, except what they receive from the independent Prophets.
Question.—To which category do Buddha and Confucius belong?
Answer.—Buddha also established a new religion, and Confucius renewed morals and ancient virtues, but their institutions have been entirely destroyed. The beliefs and rites of the Buddhists and Confucianists have not continued in accordance with their fundamental teachings. The founder of Buddhism was a wonderful soul. He established the Oneness of God, but later the original principles of his doctrines gradually disappeared, and ignorant customs and ceremonials arose and increased, until they finally ended in the worship of statues and images.
Now, consider: Christ frequently repeated that the ten commandments in the Pentateuch were to be followed, and He insisted that they should be maintained. Among the ten commandments is one which says: ‘Do not worship any picture or image.’ At present in some of the Christian churches many pictures and images exist. It is therefore clear and evident that the Religion of God does not maintain its original principles among the people, but that it has gradually changed and altered until it has been entirely destroyed and annihilated. Because of this the manifestation is renewed, and a new religion established. But if religions did not change and alter, there would be no need of renewal.
In the beginning the tree was in all its beauty, and full of blossoms and fruits, but at last it became old and entirely fruitless, and it withered and decayed. This is why the True Gardener plants again an incomparable young tree of the same kind and species, which grows and develops day by day, and spreads a wide shadow in the divine garden, and yields admirable fruit. So it is with religions; through the passing of time they change from their original foundation, the truth of the Religion of God entirely departs, and the spirit of it does not stay; heresies appear, and it becomes a body without a soul. That is why it is renewed.
The meaning is that the Buddhists and Confucianists now worship images and statues. They are entirely heedless of the Oneness of God, and believe in imaginary gods like the ancient Greeks. But in the beginning it was not so; there were different principles and other ordinances.
Again, consider how much the principles of the religion of Christ have been forgotten, and how many heresies have appeared. For example, Christ forbade revenge and transgression; furthermore, He commanded benevolence and mercy in return for injury and evil. Now reflect: among the Christian nations themselves how many sanguinary wars have taken place, and how much oppression, cruelty, rapacity, and bloodthirstiness have occurred! Many of these wars were carried on by command of the Popes. It is then clear and evident that in the passage of time religions become entirely changed and altered. Therefore they are renewed.
2. EXPLANATION OF THE REBUKES ADDRESSED BY GOD TO THE PROPHETS
Question.—In the Holy Books there are
[Page 231]
some addresses of reproach and rebuke
directed to the Prophets. Who is
addressed, and for whom is the rebuke?
Answer.—All the divine discourses containing reproof, though apparently addressed to the Prophets, in reality are directed to the people, through a wisdom which is absolute mercy, in order that the people may not be discouraged and disheartened. They therefore appear to be addressed to the Prophets; but though outwardly for the Prophets, they are in truth for the people and not for the Prophets.
Moreover, the powerful and independent king represents his country: that which he says is the word of all, and every agreement that he makes, is the agreement of all, for the wishes and desires of all his subjects are included in his wishes and desires. In the same way, every Prophet is the expression of the whole of the people. So the promise and speech of God addressed to him is addressed to all. Generally the speech of reproach and rebuke is rather too severe for the people, and would be heart-breaking to them. So the Perfect Wisdom makes use of this form of address, as is clearly shown in the Bible itself, as, for example, when the children of Israel rebelled and said to Moses: ‘We cannot fight with the Amalekites, for they are powerful, mighty, and courageous.’ God then rebuked Moses and Aaron, though Moses was in complete obedience and not in rebellion. Surely such a great man, who is the mediator of the Divine Bounty and the deliverer of the Law, must necessarily obey the commands of God. These Holy Souls are like the leaves of a tree, which are put in motion by the blowing of the wind, and not by their own desire; for they are attracted by the breeze of the love of God, and their will is absolutely submissive. Their word is the word of God, their commandment is the commandment of God, their prohibition is the prohibition of God. They are like the glass globe which receives light from the lamp. Although the light appears to emanate from the glass, in reality it is shining from the lamp: in the same way for the Prophets of God, the centres of manifestation, their movement and repose come from divine inspiration, not from human passions. If it were not so, how could the Prophet be worthy of trust, and how could he be the Messenger of God, delivering the commands and the prohibitions of God? All the defects that are mentioned in the Holy Books with reference to the Manifestations, refer to questions of this kind.
Praise be to God that you have come here, and have met the servants of God! Have you perceived in them anything except the fragrance of, the pleasure of God? Indeed, no. You have seen with your own eyes that day and night they endeavour and strive, and that they have no aim except the exaltation of the word of God, the education of men, the improvement of the masses, spiritual progress, the promulgation of universal peace, goodwill to all mankind, and kindness towards all nations. Sacrificing themselves for the good of humanity, they are detached from material advantages, and labour to give virtues to mankind.
But let us return to our subject. For example, in the Old Testament it is said in the Book of Isaiah, chapter 48, verse 12: ‘Hearken unto Me, O Jacob and Israel, My called, I am He; I am the first, I also am the last.’ It is evident that it does not mean Jacob who was Israel, but the people of Israel. Also in the Book of Isaiah, chapter 43, verse 1, it is said: ‘But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine.’
Furthermore, in Numbers, chapter 20, verse 23: ‘And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying, Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against My word at the water of Meribah’; and in verse 13: ‘This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the Lord, and He was sanctified in them.’
Observe: the people of Israel rebelled, but apparently the reproach was for Moses and Aaron. As it is said in the Book of Deuteronomy, chapter 3, verse 26: ‘But the Lord was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the Lord said unto me, Let it suffice thee, speak no more unto Me of this matter.’
[Page 232]
Now this discourse and reproach really
refer to the children of Israel, who, for
having rebelled against the command of God,
were held captive a long time in the arid
desert, on the other side of Jordan, until the
time of Joshua—upon him be salutations.
This address and reproach appeared to be for
Moses and Aaron, but in reality they were
for the people of Israel.
In the same way in the Qur’án it is said to Muḥammad: ‘We have granted thee a manifest victory, so that God may forgive thee thy preceding and subsequent sin.’1 This address, although apparently directed to Muḥammad, was in reality for all the people. This mode of address, as before said, was used by the perfect wisdom of God, so that the hearts of the people might not be troubled, anxious, and tormented.
How often the Prophets of God and His universal Manifestations in their prayers confess their sins and faults! This is only to teach other men, to encourage and incite them to humility and meekness, and to induce them to confess their sins and faults. For these Holy Souls are pure from every sin, and sanctified from faults. In the Gospel it is said that a man came to Christ and called him ‘Good Master.’ Christ answered: ‘Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is God.’ This did not mean—God forbid!—that Christ was a sinner; but the intention was to teach submission, humility, meekness, and modesty to the man to whom he spoke. These Holy Beings are lights, and light does not unite itself with darkness. They are life, and life and death are not confounded; they are for guidance, and guidance and error cannot be together, they are the essence of obedience, and obedience cannot exist with rebellion.
To conclude, the addresses in the form of reproach which are in the Holy Books, though apparently directed to the Prophets, that is to say to the Manifestations of God, in reality are intended for the people. This will become evident and clear to you when you have diligently examined the Holy Books.
Salutations be upon you.
————————
1Qur’án, Sura 48.
3. EXPLANATION OF THE VERSE OF THE Kitáb-i-Aqdas, ‘THERE IS NO ASSOCIATE FOR THE DAWNING-PLACE OF COMMAND IN THE SUPREME SINLESSNESS’
It is said in the holy verse: ‘There is no associate for the Dawning-place of Command2 in the Supreme Sinlessness. In truth he is the Manifestor of “He does what He wishes” in the kingdom of creation. Verily God has reserved this station for Himself, and has not left to any one a share of this inviolable condition.’3
Know that sinlessness is of two kinds: essential sinlessness and acquired sinlessness. In like manner there is essential knowledge and acquired knowledge; and so it is with other names and attributes. Essential sinlessness is peculiar to the universal Manifestation, for it is his essential requirement, and an essential requirement cannot be separated from the thing itself. The rays are the essential necessity of the sun, and are inseparable from it. Knowledge is an essential necessity of God, and is inseparable from Him. Power is an essential necessity of God, and is inseparable from Him. If it could be separated from Him, He would not be God. If the rays could be separated from the sun, it would not be the sun. Therefore if one imagines separation of the Supreme Sinlessness from the universal Manifestation, he would not be the universal Manifestation, and he would lack the essential perfections.
But acquired sinlessness is not a natural necessity; on the contrary, it is a ray of the bounty of Sinlessness which shines from the Sun of Reality upon hearts, and grants a share and portion of itself to souls. Although these souls have not essential sinlessness, still they are under the protection of God: that is to say, God preserves them from sin. Thus many of the holy beings who were not dawning-points of the Supreme Sinlessness, were yet kept and preserved from sin under the shadow of the protection and guardianship of God; for they were the mediators of grace
————————
2The Manifestation of God.
3Kitáb-i-Aqdas: i.e. The Most Holy Book. The principal work of Bahá’u’lláh, which contains the greater part of the commandments. It is the basis of the principles of Bahá’ísm.
[Page 233]
between God and men. If God
did not protect them from error, their error
would cause believing souls to fall into
error, and thus the foundation of the
Religion of God
would be overturned, which would not be
fitting nor worthy of God.
To epitomise: essential sinlessness belongs especially to the universal Manifestations, and the acquired sinlessness is granted to every holy soul. For instance, the General House of Justice,1 if it be established under the necessary conditions—with members elected from all the people—that House of Justice will be under the protection and the guardianship of God. If that House of Justice shall decide unanimously, or by a majority, upon any question not mentioned in the Book,2 that decision and command will be guarded from mistake. Now the members of the House of Justice have not, individually, essential sinlessness; but the body of the House of Justice is under the protection of God: this is called conferred infallibility.
Briefly, it is said that the ‘Rising-place of Command’ is the manifestation of these words, ‘He does what He wishes’; this condition is peculiar to that Holy Being, and others have no share of this essential perfection. That is to say, that as the universal Manifestations certainly possess essential sinlessness, therefore whatever emanates from them is identical with the truth, and comformable to the reality. They are not under the shadow of the former laws. Whatever they say is the word of God, and whatever they perform is an upright action. No believer has any right to criticise; his condition must be one of absolute submission, for the Manifestation arises with perfect wisdom.
So that whatever the universal Manifestation says and does is absolute wisdom, and is in accordance with the reality. If some people do not understand the hidden secret of one of his commands and actions, they ought not to oppose it, for the universal Manifestation does what he wishes. How often it has occurred, when an act has been performed by a wise, perfect, intelligent man, that others incapable of comprehending its wisdom have objected to it, and been amazed that this wise man could say or do such a thing. This opposition comes from their ignorance, and the wisdom of the sage is pure and exempt from sin. In the same way, the skilled doctor in treating the patient ‘does what he wishes,’ and the patient has no right to object; whatever the doctor says and does is right; all ought to consider him the manifestation of these words, ‘He does what he wishes, and commands whatever he desires.’ It is certain that the doctor will use some medicine contrary to the ideas of other people; now opposition is not permitted to those who have not the advantage of science and the medical art. No, in the name of God! on the contrary, all ought to be submissive and to perform whatever the skilled doctor says. Therefore the clever doctor ‘does what he wishes,’ and the patients have no share in this right. The skill of the doctor must be first ascertained; but when the skill of the doctor is once established, ‘he does what he wishes.’
So also, when the head of the army is unrivalled in the art of war, in what he says and commands ‘he does what he wishes.’ When the captain of a ship is proficient in the art of navigation, in whatever he says and commands, ‘he does what he wishes’; and as the real educator is the Perfect Man, in whatever he says and commands, ‘he does what he wishes.’
In short, the meaning of ‘He does what He wishes’ is that if the Manifestation says something, or gives a command, or performs an action, and believers do not understand its wisdom, they still ought not to oppose it by a single thought, seeking to know why he spoke so, or why he did such a thing. The other souls who are under the shadow of the universal Manifestations, are submissive to the commandments of the Law of God, and are not to deviate as much as a hairsbreadth from it; they must conform their acts and words to the Law of God. If they do deviate from it, they will be held responsible and reproved in the presence of God. It is certain that they have no share in the permission ‘He does what He wishes,’ for this condition is peculiar to the universal Manifestations.
————————
1Baytu’l-‘Ad’l, i.e. the House of Justice, is an institution designed by Bahá’u’lláh for the administration of the future city. The General House of Justice will determine the laws of the nation, and the International House of Justice will act as a tribunal of arbitration.
2Kitáb-i-Aqdas.
[Page 234]
So Christ—may my spirit be sacrificed to
him!—was the manifestation of these words,
‘He does what He wishes,’ but the disciples
were not partakers of this condition; for as
they were under the shadow of Christ, they
could not deviate from his command and
will.
4. PERFECTIONS ARE WITHOUT LIMIT
Know that the conditions of existence are limited to the conditions of servitude, of prophethood, and of Deity, but the divine and the contingent perfections are unlimited. When you reflect deeply, you discover that also outwardly the perfections of existence are also unlimited, for you cannot find a being so perfect that you cannot imagine a superior one. For example, you cannot see a ruby in the mineral kingdom, a rose in the vegetable kingdom, or a nightingale in the animal kingdom, without imagining that there might be better specimens. As the divine bounties are endless, so human perfections are endless. If it were possible to reach a limit of perfection, then one of the realities of the beings might reach the condition of being independent of God, and the contingent might attain to the condition of the absolute. But for every being there is a point which it cannot overpass; that is to say, he who is in the condition of servitude, however far he may progress in gaining limitless perfections, will never reach the condition of Deity. It is the same with the other beings: a mineral, however far it may progress in the mineral kingdom, cannot gain the vegetable power; also in a flower, however far it may progress in the vegetable kingdom, no power of the senses will appear. So this silver mineral cannot gain hearing or sight; it can only improve in its own condition, and become a perfect mineral, but it cannot acquire the power of growth, or the power of sensation, or attain to life; it can only progress in its own condition.
For example, Peter cannot become Christ. All that he can do is, in the condition of servitude, to attain endless perfections; for every existing reality is capable of making progress. As the spirit of man after putting off this material form has an everlasting life, certainly any existing being is capable of making progress; therefore it is permitted to ask for advancement, forgiveness, mercy, beneficence, and blessings for a man after his death, because existence is capable of progression. That is why in the prayers of Bahá’u’lláh forgiveness and remission of sins are asked for those who have died. Moreover, as people in this world are in need of God, they will also need Him in the other world. The creatures are always in need, and God is absolutely independent, whether in this or in the world to come.
The wealth of the other world is nearness to God. Consequently it is certain that those who are near the Divine Court are allowed to intercede, and this intercession is approved by God. But intercession in the other world is not like intercession in this world: it is another thing, another reality, which cannot be expressed in words.
If a wealthy man at the time of his death bequeaths a gift to the poor and miserable, and gives a part of his wealth to be spent for them, perhaps this action may be the cause of his pardon and forgiveness, and of his progress in the Divine Kingdom.
Also a father and mother endure the greatest troubles and hardships for their children; and often when the children have reached the age of maturity, the parents pass on to the other world. Rarely does it happen that a father and mother in this world see the reward of the care and trouble they have undergone for their children. Therefore children, in return for this care and trouble, must show forth charity and beneficence, and must implore pardon and forgiveness for their parents. So you ought, in return for the love and kindness shown you by your father, to give to the poor for his sake, with greatest submission and humility implore pardon and remission of sins, and ask for the supreme mercy.
It is even possible that the condition of
those who have died in sin and unbelief may
become changed; that is to say, they may
become the object of pardon through the
bounty of God, not through His justice;
for bounty is giving without desert, and
justice is giving what is deserved. As we have
power to pray for these souls here, so
likewise we shall possess the same power in the
[Page 235]
other world, which is the Kingdom of God.
Are not all the people in that world the
creatures of God? Therefore in that world
also they can make progress. As here they
can receive light by their supplications, there
also they can plead for forgiveness, and receive
light through entreaties and supplications.
Thus as souls in this world, through
the help of the supplications, the entreaties,
and the prayers of the holy ones, can acquire
development, so is it the same after death.
Through their own prayers and supplications
they can also progress; more especially when
they are the object of the intercession of the
Holy Manifestations.
5. THE EVOLUTION OF MAN IN THE OTHER WORLD
Know that nothing which exists remains in a state of repose, that is to say, all things are in motion. Everything is either growing or declining, all things are either coming from non-existence into being or, going from existence into non-existence. So this flower, this hyacinth, during a certain period of time was coming from the world of non-existence into being, and now it is going from being into non-existence. This state of motion is said to be essential—that is, natural; it cannot be separated from beings because it is their essential requirement, as it is the essential requirement of fire to burn.
Thus it is established that this movement is necessary to existence, which is either growing or declining. Now, as the spirit continues to exist after death, it necessarily progresses or declines; and in the other world, to cease to progress is the same as to decline; but it never leaves its own condition, in which it continues to develop. For example, the reality of the spirit of Peter, however far it may progress, will not reach to the condition of the Reality of Christ; it progresses only in its own environment.
Look at this mineral: however far it may evolve, it only evolves in its own condition; you cannot bring the crystal to a state where it can attain to sight: this is impossible. So the moon which is in the heavens, however far it might evolve, could never become a luminous sun; but in its own condition it has apogee and perigee. However far the disciples might progress, they could never become Christ. It is true that coal could become a diamond, but both are in the mineral condition and their component elements are the same.
6. THE STATE OF MAN AND HIS PROGRESS AFTER DEATH
When we consider beings with the seeing eye, we observe that they are limited to three sorts: that is to say, as a whole, they are either mineral, vegetable, or animal; each of these three classes containing species. Man is the highest species because he is the possessor of the perfections of all the classes; that is, he has a body which grows and which feels. As well as having the perfections of the mineral, of the vegetable, and of the animal, he also possesses an especial excellence which the other beings are without; that is, the intellectual perfections. Therefore man is the most noble of beings.
Man is in the highest degree of materiality,
and at the beginning of spirituality; that
is to say, he is the end of imperfection and
the beginning of perfection. He is at the last
degree of darkness, and at the beginning of
light; that is why it has been said that the
condition of man is the end of the night and
the beginning of day, meaning that he is
the sum of all the degrees of imperfection,
and that he possesses the degrees of perfection.
He has the animal side as well as the
angelic side; and the aim of an educator is
to so train human souls, that their angelic
aspect may overcome their animal side. Then,
if the divine power in man which is his
essential perfection, overcomes the satanic
power, which is absolute imperfection, he
becomes the most excellent among the creatures;
but if the satanic power overcomes
the divine power, he becomes the lowest of
the creatures. That is why he is the end
of imperfection and the beginning of perfection.
Not in any other of the species in
the world of existence is there such a
difference, contrast, contradiction, and
opposition, as in the species of man. Thus
the reflection of the Divine Light was in
man, as in Christ, and see how loved and
[Page 236]
honoured he is! At the same time we see
man worshiping a stone, a clod of earth,
or a tree: how vile he is, in that his object
of worship should be the lowest existence—that
is a stone, or clay, without spirit; a
mountain, a forest, or a tree. What shame
is greater for man than to worship the
lowest existences? In the same way, knowledge
is a quality of man, and so is ignorance;
truthfulness is a quality of man, so
is falsehood; trustworthiness and treachery,
justice and injustice, are qualities of man,
and so forth. Briefly, all the perfections
and virtues, and all the vices, are qualities
of man.
Consider equally the differences between individual men. The Christ was in the form of man, and Caiaphas was in the form of man; Moses and Pharaoh, Abel and Cain, Bahá’u’lláh and Yaḥyá,1 were men.
Man is said to be the greatest representative of God, and he is the Book of Creation because all the mysteries of beings exist in him. If he comes under the shadow of the True Educator and is rightly trained, he becomes the essence of essences, the light of lights, the spirit of spirits; he becomes the centre of the divine appearances, the source of spiritual qualities, the rising-place of heavenly lights, and the receptacle of divine inspirations. If he is deprived of this education he becomes the manifestation of satanic qualities, the sum of animal vices, and the source of all dark conditions.
The reason of the mission of the Prophets is to educate men; so that this piece of coal may become a diamond, and this fruitless tree may be engrafted, and yield the sweetest, most delicious fruits. When man reaches the noblest state in the world of humanity, then he can make further progress in the conditions of perfection, but not in state; for such states are limited, but the divine perfections are endless.
Both before and after putting off this material form, there is progress in perfection, but not in state. So beings are consummated in perfect man. There is no other being higher than a perfect man. But man when he has reached this state can still make progress in perfections but not in state, because there is no state higher than that of a perfect man to which he can transfer himself. He only progresses in the state of humanity, for the human perfections are infinite. Thus, however learned a man may be, we can imagine one more learned.
Hence, as the perfections of humanity are endless, man can also make progress in perfections after leaving this world.
7. EXPLANATION OF A VERSE IN THE Kitáb-i-Aqdas
Question.—It is said in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas ‘He is of the people of error, though he shows forth all good actions.’ What is the meaning of this verse?
Answer.—This blessed verse means that the foundation of success and salvation is the knowledge of God, and the the results of the knowledge of God are the good actions which are the fruits of faith.
If man has not this knowledge, he will be separated from God, and when this separation exists, good actions have not complete effect. This verse does not mean that the souls separated from God are equal, whether they perform good or bad actions. It signifies only that the foundation is to know God, and the good actions result from this knowledge. Nevertheless, it is certain that between the good, the sinners and the wicked who are veiled from God, there is a difference. For the veiled one who has good principles and character, deserves the pardon of God; whilst he who is a sinner, and has bad qualities and character, is deprived of the bounties and blessings of God: herein lies the difference.
Therefore the blessed verse means that good actions alone, without the knowledge of God, cannot be the cause of eternal salvation, everlasting success, and prosperity, and entrance into the Kingdom of God.
8. THE EXISTENCE OF THE RATIONAL SOUL AFTER THE DEATH OF THE BODY
Question.—After the body is put aside and the spirit has obtained freedom, in what way will the rational soul exist? Let us suppose that the souls who are assisted by the
————————
1 Mírzá Yaḥyá Subhi Azal, half-brother of Bahá’u’lláh, and his irreconcilable enemy.
[Page 237]
bounty of the Holy Spirit attain to true
existence and eternal life: but what becomes
of the rational souls, that is to say, the
veiled spirits?1
Answer.—Some think that the body is the substance and exists by itself, and that the spirit is accidental, and depends upon the substance of the body, although, on the contrary, the rational soul is the substance, and the body depends upon it. If the accident, that is to say the body, be destroyed, the substance, the spirit remains.
Secondly, the rational soul, meaning the human spirit, does not descend into the body; that is to say, it does not enter it, for descent and entrance are characteristics of bodies, and the rational soul is exempt from this. The spirit never entered this body, so in quitting it, it will not be in need of an abiding-place: no, the spirit is connected with the body, as this light is with this mirror. When the mirror is clear and perfect, the light of the lamp will be apparent in it, and when the mirror becomes covered with dust or breaks the light will disappear.
The rational soul, that is to say the human spirit, has neither entered this body nor existed through it; so after the disintegration of the composition of the body, how should it be in need of a substance through which it may exist? On the contrary, the rational soul is the substance through which the body exists. The personality of the rational soul is from its beginning; it is not due to the instrumentality of the body, but the state and the personality of the rational soul may be strengthened in this world; it will make progress, and will attain to the degrees of perfection, or it will remain in the lowest abyss of ignorance, veiled and deprived from beholding the signs of God.
Question.—Through what means will the spirit of man, that is to say the rational soul, after departing from this mortal world, make progress?
Answer.—The progress of man’s spirit in the divine world, after the severance of its connection with the body of dust, is through the bounty and grace of the Lord alone, or through the intercession and the sincere prayers of other human souls, or through the charities and important good works which are performed in its name.
————————
1‘Veiled spirits’ here signify rational souls, souls not possessing the spirit of faith. Cf. ‘Soul, Spirit, and Mind,’ page 243.
THE IMMORTALITY OF CHILDREN
Question.—What is the condition of children who die before attaining the age of discretion, or before the appointed time of birth?
Answer.—These infants are under the shadow of the favour of God; and as they have not committed any sin, and are not soiled with the impurities of the world of nature, they are the centers of the manifestation of bounty, and the Eye of Compassion will be turned upon them.
9. ETERNAL LIFE AND ENTRANCE INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD
You question about eternal life, and the entrance into the Kingdom. The outer expression used for the Kingdom, is heaven: but this is a comparison and similitude, not a reality or fact, for the Kingdom is not a material place, it is sanctified from time and place. It is a spiritual world, a divine world, and the center of the Sovereignty of God; it is freed from body and that which is corporeal, and it is purified and sanctified from the imaginations of the human world. To be limited to place is a property of bodies and not of spirits. Place and time surround the body, not the mind and spirit. Observe that the body of man is confined to a small place: it covers only two spans of earth, but the spirit and mind of man travel to all countries and regions—even through the limitless space of the heavens—surround all that exists, and make discoveries in the exalted spheres and infinite distances. This is because the spirit has no place, it is placeless; and for the spirit, the earth and the heaven are as one, since it makes discoveries in both. But the body is limited to a place, and does not know that which is beyond it.
For life is of two kinds: that of the body,
and that of the spirit. The life of the body
is material life, but the life of the spirit,
expresses the existence of the Kingdom, which
consists in receiving the Spirit of God, and
becoming vivified by the breath of the Holy
Spirit. Although the material life has
existence, it is pure non-existence and
absolute
[Page 238]
death for the holy saints. So man exists, and
this stone also exists, but what a difference
between the existence of man and that of
the stone! Though the stone exists, in
relation to the existence of man it is
non-existent.
The meaning of eternal life is the gift of the Holy Spirit, as the flower receives the gift of the season, the air, and the breezes of spring. Consider: this flower had life in the beginning like the life of the mineral; but by the coming of the season of spring, of the bounty of the clouds of the springtime, and of the heat of the glowing sun, it attained to another life of the utmost freshness, delicacy, and fragrance. The first life of the flower, in comparison to the second life, is death.
The meaning is that the life of the Kingdom is the life of the spirit, the eternal life, and that it is purified from place, like the spirit of man which has no place. For if you examine the human body, you will not find a special spot or locality for the spirit, for it has never had a place; it is immaterial. It has a connection with the body, like that of the sun with this mirror. The sun is not within the mirror, but it has a connection with the mirror.
In the same way the world of the Kingdom is sanctified from everything that can be perceived by the eye or by the other senses—hearing, smell, taste, or touch. The mind which is in man, the existence of which is recognised—where is it in him? If you examine the body with the eye, the ear, or the other senses, you will not find it; nevertheless it exists. Therefore the mind has no place, but it is connected with the brain. The Kingdom is also like this. In the same way love has no place, but it is connected with the heart; so the Kingdom has no place, but is connected with man.
Entrance into the Kingdom is through the love of God, through detachment, through holiness and chastity, through truthfulness, purity, steadfastness, faithfulness, and the sacrifice of life.
These explanations show that man is immortal and lives eternally. For those who believe in God, who have love of God, and faith, life is excellent—that is, it is eternal; but to those souls who are veiled from God, although they have life, it is dark, and in comparison with the life of believers it is non-existent.
For example, the eye and the nail are living; but the life of the nail in relation to the life of the eye is non-existent. This stone and this man both exist; but the stone in relation to the existence of man is non-existent, it has no being; for when man dies, and his body is destroyed and annihilated, it becomes like stone and earth. Therefore it is clear that although the mineral exists, in relation to man it is non-existent.
In the same way, the souls who are veiled from God, although they exist in this world and in the world after death, are in comparison with the holy existence of the children of the Kingdom of God, non-existing and separated from God.
10. INDUSTRIAL JUSTICE
You have questioned me about strikes. This question is and will be for a long time the subject of great difficulties.
Strikes are due to two causes. One is the extreme sharpness and rapacity of the capitalists and manufacturers; the other, the excesses, the avidity and ill-will of the workmen and artisans.
But the principal cause of these difficulties lies in the laws of the present civilization; for they lead to a small number of individuals accumulating incomparable fortunes, beyond their needs, whilst the greater number remains destitute, stripped and in the greatest misery. This is contrary to justice, to humanity, to equity; it is the height of iniquity, the opposite to what causes Divine satisfaction.
This contrast is peculiar to the world of man: with other creatures, that is to say with nearly all animals, there is a kind of justice and equality. Thus in a shepherd’s flock of sheep, in a troop of deer in the country, among the birds of the prairie, of the plain, of the hill or of the orchard, almost every animal receives a just share based on equality. With them such a difference in the means of existence is not to be found: so they live in the most complete peace and joy.
It is quite otherwise with the human
species, which persists in the greatest error,
[Page 239]
and in absolute iniquity.
Consider an individual who has amassed
treasures by colonizing a country for
his profit: he has obtained
an incomparable fortune, and has secured
profits and incomes which flow like a river,
whilst a hundred thousand unfortunate
people, weak and powerless, are in need of a
mouthful of bread. There is neither equality
nor brotherhood. So you see that general
peace and joy are destroyed, the welfare of
humanity is partially annihilated, and that
collective life is fruitless. Indeed, fortune,
honors, commerce, industry are in the hands
of some industrials, whilst other people are
submitted to quite a series of difficulties and
to limitless troubles: they have neither
advantage nor profits, nor comforts, nor peace.
Then rules and laws should be established to regulate the excessive fortunes of certain private individuals, and limit the misery of millions of the poor masses; thus a certain moderation would be obtained. However, absolute equality is just as impossible, for absolute equality in fortunes, honors, commerce, agriculture, industry would end in a want of comfort, in discouragement, in disorganization of the means of existence, and in universal disappointment: the order of the community would be quite destroyed. Thus, there is a great wisdom in the fact that equality is not imposed by law: it is, therefore, preferable for moderation to do its work. The main point is, by means of laws and regulations to hinder the constitution of the excessive fortunes of certain individuals, and to protect the essential needs of the masses. For instance, the manufacturers and the industrials heap up a treasure each day, and the poor artisans do not gain their daily sustenance: that is the height of iniquity, and no just man can accept it. Therefore, laws and regulations should be established which would permit the workmen to receive from the factory owner their wages and a share in the fourth or fifth part of the profits, according to the wants of the factory; or in some other way the body of workmen and the manufacturers should share equitably the profits and advantages. Indeed, the direction and administration of affairs come from the owner of the factory, and the work and labor, from the body of the workmen. In other words, the workmen should receive wages which assure them an adequate support, and when they cease work, becoming feeble or helpless, they should receive from the owner of the factory a sufficient pension. The wages should be high enough to satisfy the workmen with the amount they receive, so that they may be able to put a little aside for days of want and helplessness.
When matters will be thus fixed, the owner of the factory will no longer put aside daily a treasure which he has absolutely no need of (without taking into consideration that if the fortune is disproportionate, the capitalist succumbs under a formidable burden, and gets into the greatest difficulties and troubles; the administration of an excessive fortune is very difficult, and exhausts man’s natural strength). And, the workmen and artisans will no longer be in the greatest misery and want, they will no longer be submitted to the worst privations at the end of their life.
It is, then, clear and evident that the repartition of excessive fortunes amongst a small number of individuals, while the masses are in misery, is an iniquity and an injustice. In the same way, absolute equality would be an obstacle to life, to welfare, to order and to the peace of humanity. In such a question a just medium is preferable. It lies in the capitalists being moderate in the acquisition of their profits, and in their having a consideration for the welfare of the poor and needy; that is to say, that the workmen and artisans receive a fixed and established daily wage, and have a share in the general profits of the factory.
It would be well, with regard to the social rights of manufacturers, workmen and artisans, that laws be established, giving moderate profits to manufacturers, and to workmen the necessary means of existence and security for the future. Thus, when they become feeble and cease working, get old and helpless, and die leaving children under age, these children will not be annihilated by excess of poverty. And it is from the income of the factory itself, to which they have a right, that they will derive a little of the means of existence.
In the same way, the workmen should no
longer rebel and revolt, nor demand beyond
[Page 240]
their rights; they should no longer go out
on strike, they should be obedient and
submissive, and not ask for impudent wages.
But the mutual rights of both associated
parties will be fixed and established
according to custom by just and impartial laws.
In case one of the two parties should
transgress, the courts of justice would have to
give judgment, and by an efficacious fine
put an end to the transgression; thus order
will be re-established, and the difficulties
settled. The interference of courts of
justice and of the Government in difficulties
pending between manufacturers and workmen
is legal, for the reason that current
affairs between workmen and manufacturers
cannot be compared with ordinary affairs
between private persons, which do not
concern the public, and with which the
government should not occupy itself. In reality,
although they appear to be matters between
private persons, these difficulties between
patrons and workmen produce a general
detriment; for commerce, industry,
agriculture and the general affairs of the country
are all intimately linked together. If one of
these suffers an abuse, the detriment affects
the mass. Thus the difficulties between
workmen and manufacturers become a cause
of general detriment.
The court of justice and the Government have therefore the right of interference. When a difficulty occurs between two individuals with reference to private rights, it is necessary for a third to settle the question; this is the part of the Government: then the question of strikes—which cause troubles in the country and are often connected with the excessive vexations of the workmen, as well as with the rapacity of the manufacturers—how could it remain neglected?
Good God! Is it possible that, seeing one of his fellow-creatures starving, destitute of everything, a man can rest and live comfortably in his luxurious mansion? He who meets another in the greatest misery, can he enjoy his fortune? That is why, in the Religion of God, it is prescribed and established that wealthy men each year give over a certain part of their fortune for the maintenance of the poor and unfortunate. That is the foundation of the Religion of God, and the most essential of the commandments.
As now man is not forced nor obliged by the Government, if by the natural tendency of his good heart, with the greatest spirituality, he goes to this expense for the poor, this will be a thing very much praised, approved and pleasing.
Such is the meaning of the good works in the Divine Books and Tablets.
11. THE UNITY OF RELIGION
The greatest bestowal of God in the world of humanity is religion; for assuredly the divine teachings of religion are above all other sources of instruction and development of man. Religion confers upon man eternal life and guides his footsteps in the world of morality. It opens the doors of unending happiness and bestows everlasting honor upon the human kingdom. It has been the basis of all civilization and progress in the history of mankind.
We will therefore investigate religion, seeking from an unprejudiced standpoint to discover whether it is the source of illumination, the cause of development and the animating impulse of all human advancement. . . .
How shall we determine whether religion has been the cause of human advancement or retrogression?
We will first consider the founders of the religions—the prophets—review the story of their lives, compare the conditions preceding their appearance with those subsequent to their departure, following historical records and irrefutable facts instead of relying upon traditionary statements which are open to both acceptance and denial.
Among the great prophets was His Holiness Abraham who, being an iconoclast and a herald of the oneness of God, was banished from His native land. He founded a family upon which the blessing of God descended; and it was owing to this religious basis and ordination that the Abrahamic house progressed and advanced. Through the divine benediction, noteworthy and luminous prophets issued from the lineage of His Holiness. There appeared Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, David and Solomon. . . .
There is another and more significant
[Page 241]
aspect to this religious impulse and impetus.
The children of Israel were in bondage and
captivity in the land of Egypt four hundred
years. They were in an extreme state of
degradation and slavery under the tyranny
and oppression of the Egyptians. While they
were in the condition of abject poverty, in
the lowest degree of abasement, ignorance
and servility, His Holiness Moses suddenly
appeared among them. Although He was
but a shepherd, such majesty, grandeur and
efficiency became manifest in Him through
the power of religion, that His influence
continues to this day. His prophethood was
established throughout the land and the law
of His Word became the foundation of the
laws of the nations. This unique personage,
single and alone, rescued the children of
Israel from bondage through the power of
religious training and discipline. He led
them to the Holy Land and founded there a
great civilization which has become
permanent and renowned and under which these
people attained the highest degree of honor
and glory. He freed them from bondage
and captivity. He imbued them with
qualities of progressiveness and capability. They
proved to be a civilizing people with instincts
toward education and scholastic attainment.
Their philosophy became renowned; their
industries were celebrated throughout the
nations. In all lines of advancement which
characterize a progressive people they
achieved distinction. In the splendor of the
reign of Solomon their sciences and arts
advanced to such a degree that even the Greek
philosophers journeyed to Jerusalem to sit at
the feet of the Hebrew sages and acquire the
basis of Israelitish law. . . .
When a movement fundamentally religious makes a weak nation strong, changes a nondescript tribal people into a mighty and powerful civilization, rescues them from captivity and elevates them to sovereignty, transforms their ignorance into knowledge and endows them with an impetus of advancement in all degrees of development (this is not theory, but historical fact) it becomes evident that religion is the cause of man’s attainment to honor and sublimity.
But when we speak of religion we mean the essential foundation or reality of religion, not the dogmas and blind imitations which have gradually encrusted it and which are the cause of the decline and effacement of a nation. These are inevitably destructive and a menace and hindrance to a nation’s life, even as it is recorded in the Torah and confirmed in history that when the Jews became fettered by empty forms and imitations the wrath of God became manifest. . . .
What then is the mission of the divine prophets? Their mission is the education and advancement of the world of humanity. They are the real teachers and educators, the universal instructors of mankind. If we wish to discover whether any one of these great souls or messengers was in reality a prophet of God we must investigate the facts surrounding His life and history; and the first point of our investigation will be the education He bestowed upon mankind. If He has been an educator, if He has really trained a nation or people, causing it to rise from the lowest depths of ignorance to the highest station of knowledge, then we are sure that He was a prophet. . . .
Furthermore we will establish the point that the foundations of the religions of God are one foundation. This foundation is not multiple for it is reality itself. Reality does not admit of multiplicity although each of the divine religions is separable into two divisions. One concerns the world of morality and the ethical training of human nature. It is directed to the advancement of the world of humanity in general; it reveals and inculcates the knowledge of God and makes possible the discovery of the verities of life. This is ideal and spiritual teaching, the essential quality of divine religion and subject to change or transformation. It is the one foundation of all the religions of God. Therefore the religions are essentially one and the same.
The second classification or division comprises social laws and regulations applicable to human conduct. This is not the essential spiritual quality of religion. It is subject to change and transformation according to the exigencies and requirements of time and place. . . .
Time changes conditions, and laws change
to suit conditions. We must remember that
these changing laws are not the essentials;
they are the accidentals of religion. The
[Page 242]
essential ordinances
established by a Manifestation of God are
spiritual; they concern
moralities, the ethical development of man
and faith in God. They are ideal and
necessarily permanent; expressions of the one
foundation and not amenable to change or
transformation. Therefore the fundamental
basis of the revealed religion of God is
immutable, unchanging throughout the
centuries, not subject to the varying conditions
of the human world.
Christ ratified and proclaimed the foundation of the law of Moses. Muḥammad and all the prophets have revoiced that same foundation of reality. Therefore the purposes and accomplishments of the divine messengers have been one and the same. . . .
At the time when the Israelites had been dispersed by the power of the Roman empire and the national life of the Hebrew people had been effaced by their conquerors—when the law of God had seemingly passed from them and the foundation of the religion of God was apparently destroyed—Jesus Christ appeared. When His Holiness arose among the Jews, the first thing He did was to proclaim the validity of the Manifestation of Moses. He declared that the Torah, the Old Testament was the Book of God and that all the prophets of Israel were valid and true. He extolled the mission of Moses and through His proclamation the name of Moses was spread throughout the world. Through Christianity the greatness of Moses became known among all nations. It is a fact that before the appearance of Christ, the name of Moses had not been heard in Persia. In India they had no knowledge of Judaism and it was only through the Christianizing of Europe that the teachings of the Old Testament became spread in that region. Throughout Europe there was not a copy of the Old Testament; but consider this carefully and judge it aright;—through the instrumentality of Christ, through the translation of the New Testament, the little volume of the gospel, the Old Testament, the Torah has been translated into six hundred languages and spread everywhere in the world. The names of the Hebrew prophets became household words among the nations, who believed that the children of Israel were verily the chosen people of God, a holy nation under the especial blessing and protection of God, and that therefore the prophets who had arisen in Israel were the day-springs of revelation and brilliant stars in the heaven of the will of God.
Therefore His Holiness Christ really promulgated Judaism for He was a Jew and not opposed to the Jews. He did not deny the prophethood of Moses; on the contrary He proclaimed and ratified it. He did not invalidate the Torah; He spread its teachings. That portion of the ordinances of Moses which concerned transactions and unimportant conditions underwent transformation but the essential teachings of Moses were revoiced and confirmed by Christ without change. He left nothing unfinished or incomplete. Likewise through the supreme efficacy and power of the Word of God He united most of the nations of the east and the west. . . .
From another horizon we see Muḥammad the prophet of Arabia appearing. You may not know that the first address of Muḥammad to His tribe was the statement “Verily Moses was a prophet of God and the Torah is a book of God. Verily, O ye people, ye must believe in the Torah, in Moses and the prophets. Ye must accept all the prophets of Israel as valid.” In the Qur’án, the Muḥammadan Bible, there are seven statements or repetitions of the Mosaic narrative, and in all the historic accounts Moses is praised.
Today the Christians are believers in
Moses, accept Him as a prophet of God and
praise Him most highly. The Muḥammadans
are likewise believers in Moses, accept the
validity of His prophethood, at the same time
believing in Christ. Could it be said that
the acceptance of Moses by the Christians
and Muḥammadans has been harmful and
detrimental to those people? On the contrary
it has been beneficial to them, proving
that they have been fair-minded and just.
What harm could result to the Jewish people,
then, if they in return should accept His
Holiness Christ and acknowledge the validity
of the prophethood of His Holiness Muḥammad?
By this acceptance and praiseworthy
attitude the enmity and hatred which have
afflicted mankind so many centuries would
be dispelled, fanaticism and bloodshed pass
[Page 243]
away and the world be blessed by unity and
agreement. Christians and Muḥammadans
believe and admit that Moses was the
Interlocutor of God. Why do you not say that
Christ was the Word of God? Why do you
not speak these few words that will do away
with all this difficulty? Then there will be
no hatred and fanaticism, no more warfare
and bloodshed in the Land of Promise. Then
there will be peace among you forever. . . .
Praise be to God! the medieval ages of darkness have passed away and this century of radiance has dawned,—this century wherein the reality of things is becoming evident,—wherein science is penetrating the mysteries of the universe, the oneness of the world of humanity is being established and service to mankind is the paramount motive of all existence. Shall we remain steeped in our fanaticisms and cling to our prejudices? Is it fitting that we should still be bound and restricted by ancient fables and superstitions of the past; be handicapped by superannuated beliefs and the ignorances of dark ages, waging religious wars, fighting and shedding blood, shunning and anathematizing each other? Is this becoming? Is it not better for us to be loving and considerate toward each other? Is it not preferable to enjoy fellowship and unity; join in anthems of praise to the most high God and extol all His prophets in the spirit of acceptance and true vision: Then indeed this world will become a paradise and the promised Day of God will dawn. . . .
The age has dawned when human fellowship will be come a reality.
The century has come when all religions shall be unified.
The dispensation is at hand when all nations shall enjoy the blessings of International peace.
The cycle has arrived when racial prejudice will be abandoned by tribes and peoples of the world. . . .
12. THE IMAGE OF GOD
According to the words of the Old Testament, God has said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” This indicates that man is of the image and likeness of God; that is to say, the perfections of God, the divine virtues are reflected or revealed in the human reality. Just as the light and effulgence of the sun when cast upon a polished mirror are reflected fully, gloriously, so likewise the qualities and attributes of divinity are radiated from the depths of a pure human heart. This is an evidence that man is the most noble of God’s creatures.
Each kingdom of creation is endowed with its necessary complement of attributes and powers. The mineral possesses inherent virtues of its own kingdom in the scale of existence. The vegetable possesses the qualities of the mineral plus a virtue augmentative or power of growth. The animal is endowed with the virtues of both the mineral and vegetable plane plus the power of the senses. The human kingdom is replete with the perfections of all the kingdoms below it, with the addition of powers peculiar to man alone. Man is therefore superior to all the creatures below him, the loftiest and most glorious being of creation. Man is the microcosm, and the infinite universe the macrocosm. The mysteries of the greater world or macrocosm are expressed or revealed in the lesser world, the microcosm. The tree, so to speak, is the greater world, and the seed in its relation to the tree is the lesser world. But the whole of the great tree is potentially latent and hidden in the little seed. When this seed is planted and cultivated, the tree is revealed. Likewise the greater world, the macrocosm, is latent and miniatured in the lesser world or microcosm of man. This constitutes the universality or perfection of virtues potential in mankind. Therefore it is said that man has been created in the image and likeness of God.
Let us now discover more specifically how
he is the image and likeness of God and
what is the standard or criterion by which
he can be measured and estimated. This
standard can be no other than the divine
virtues which are revealed in him. Therefore
every man imbued with divine qualities,
who reflects heavenly moralities and perfections,
who is the expression of ideal and
praiseworthy attributes, is verily in the
image and likeness of God. If a man possesses
wealth can we call him an image and
likeness of God? Or is human honor and
notoriety the criterion of divine nearness?
[Page 244]
Can we apply the test of racial color and say
that man of a certain hue—white, black,
brown, yellow, red—is the true image of his
creator? We must conclude that color is
not the standard and estimate of judgment
and that it is of no importance, for color is
accidental in nature. The spirit and intelligence
of man is the essential; and that is the
manifestation of divine virtues, the merciful
bestowals of God, the life eternal and baptism
through the Holy Spirit. Therefore be
it known that color or race is of no importance.
He who is the image and likeness of
God, who is the manifestation of the
bestowals of God, is acceptable at the
threshold of God whether his color be white,
black or brown, it matters not. Man is not
man simply because of bodily attributes.
The standard of divine measure and judgment
is his intelligence and spirit.
Therefore let this be the only criterion and estimate; for this is the image and likeness of God. A man’s heart may be pure and white though his outer skin be black; or his heart be dark and sinful though his racial color is white. The character and purity of the heart is of all importance. The heart illumined by the light of God is nearest and dearest to God; and in as much as God has endowed man with such favor that he is called the image of God, this is truly a supreme perfection of attainment, a divine station which is not to be sacrificed by the mere accident of color.