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Holy Kitab I Aqdas
Texts 1-19
Texts 20-38
Texts 39-57
Texts 58-76
Texts 77-95
Texts 96-114
Texts 115-133
Texts 134-152
Texts 153-171
Texts 172-190
Holy Kitab I Iqan
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Section 5
Section 6
Section 7
Section 8
Section 9
Section 10
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Section 5
Section 6
Section 7
Section 8
Section 9
Prayers & Meditations by Bahaullah
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Section 5
Section 6
Section 7
Section 8
Section 9
Section 10
Section 11
Section 12
Section 13
Section 14
Section 15
Section 16
Section 17
Section 18
Section 19
Section 20
Section 21
Section 22
Section 23
Friendly sites
Hagia Sophia
Solitaire
Tetris
Space Invaders
Q-bert
Moon Patrol
Bubble Bobble
Lady Bug
Bomb Jack
Ghosts n Goblins
Burger time
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Holy Kitab I
Iqan:
Section 1 |
IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD, THE
EXALTED, THE MOST HIGH.
No man shall attain the shores of the ocean of true
understanding except he be detached from all that is in heaven
and on earth. Sanctify your souls, O ye peoples of the world,
that haply ye may attain that station which God hath destined
for you and enter thus the tabernacle which, according to the
dispensations of Providence, hath been raised in the firmament
of the Bayan.
THE essence of these words is this: they that tread the path of
faith, they that thirst for the wine of certitude, must cleanse
themselves of all that is earthly-their ears from idle talk,
their minds from vain imaginings, their hearts from worldly
affections, their eyes from that which perisheth.
They should put their trust in God, and, holding fast unto Him,
follow in His way. Then will they be made worthy of the
effulgent glories of the sun of divine knowledge and
understanding, and become the recipients of a grace that is
infinite and unseen, inasmuch as man can never hope to attain
unto the knowledge of the All-Glorious, can never quaff from the
stream of divine knowledge and wisdom, can never enter the abode
of immortality, nor partake of the cup of divine nearness and
favour, unless and until he ceases to regard the words and deeds
of mortal men as a standard for the true understanding and
recognition of God and His Prophets.
Consider the past. How many, both high and low, have, at all
times, yearningly awaited the advent of the Manifestations of
God in the sanctified persons of His chosen Ones. How often have
they expected His coming, how frequently have they prayed that
the breeze of divine mercy might blow, and the promised Beauty
step forth from behind the veil of concealment, and be made
manifest to all the world. And whensoever the portals of grace
did open, and the clouds of divine bounty did rain upon mankind,
and the light of the Unseen did shine above the horizon of
celestial might, they all denied Him, and turned away from His
face-the face of God Himself. Refer ye, to verify this truth, to
that which hath been recorded in every sacred Book.
Ponder for a moment, and reflect upon that which hath been the
cause of such denial on the part of those who have searched with
such earnestness and longing. Their attack hath been more fierce
than tongue or pen can describe. Not one single Manifestation of
Holiness hath appeared but He was afflicted by the denials, the
repudiation, and the vehement opposition of the people around
Him. Thus it hath been revealed: "O the misery of men! No
Messenger cometh unto them but they laugh Him to scorn."[Qur'an
36:30.] Again He saith: "Each nation hath plotted darkly against
their Messenger to lay violent hold on Him, and disputed with
vain words to invalidate the truth."[Qur'an 40:5.]
In like manner, those words that have streamed forth from the
source of power and descended from the heaven of glory are
innumerable and beyond the ordinary comprehension of man. To
them that are possessed of true understanding and insight the
Surah of Hud surely sufficeth. Ponder a while those holy words
in your heart, and, with utter detachment, strive to grasp their
meaning.
Examine the wondrous behaviour of the Prophets,
and recall the defamations and denials uttered by the children
of negation and falsehood, perchance you may cause the bird of
the human heart to wing its flight away from the abodes of
heedlessness and doubt unto the nest of faith and certainty, and
drink deep from the pure waters of ancient wisdom, and partake
of the fruit of the tree of divine knowledge. Such is the share
of the pure in heart of the bread that hath descended from the
realms of eternity and holiness.
Should you acquaint yourself with the indignities heaped upon
the Prophets of God, and apprehend the true causes of the
objections voiced by their oppressors, you will surely
appreciate the significance of their position. Moreover, the
more closely you observe the denials of those who have opposed
the Manifestations of the divine attributes, the firmer will be
your faith in the Cause of God.
Accordingly, a brief mention will be made in this Tablet of
divers accounts relative to the Prophets of God, that they may
demonstrate the truth that throughout all ages and centuries the
Manifestations of power and glory have been subjected to such
heinous cruelties that no pen dare describe them. Perchance this
may enable a few to cease to be perturbed by the clamour and
protestations of the divines and the foolish of this age, and
cause them to strengthen their confidence and certainty.
Among the Prophets was Noah. For nine hundred and fifty years He
prayerfully exhorted His people and summoned them to the haven
of security and peace. None, however, heeded His call. Each day
they inflicted on His blessed person such pain and suffering
that no one believed He could survive. How frequently they
denied Him, how malevolently they hinted their suspicion against
Him! Thus it hath been revealed: "And as often as a company of
His people passed by Him, they derided Him. To them He said:
'Though ye scoff at us now, we will scoff at you hereafter even
as ye scoff at us. In the end ye shall know.'"[Qur'an 11:38.]
Long afterward, He several times promised victory to His
companions and fixed the hour thereof. But when the hour struck,
the divine promise was not fulfilled. This caused a few among
the small number of His followers to turn away from Him, and to
this testify the records of the best-known books.
These you must certainly have perused; if not, undoubtedly
you will. Finally, as stated in books and traditions, there
remained with Him only forty or seventy-two of His followers. At
last from the depth of His being He cried aloud: "Lord! Leave
not upon the land a single dweller from among the
unbelievers."[Qur'an 71:26.]
And now, consider and reflect a moment upon the waywardness of
this people. What could have been the reason for such denial and
avoidance on their part? What could have induced them to refuse
to put off the garment of denial, and to adorn themselves with
the robe of acceptance? Moreover, what could have caused the
nonfulfilment of the divine promise which led the seekers to
reject that which they had accepted? Meditate profoundly, that
the secret of things unseen may be revealed unto you, that you
may inhale the sweetness of a spiritual and imperishable
fragrance, and that you may acknowledge the truth that from time
immemorial even unto eternity the Almighty hath tried, and will
continue to try, His servants, so that light may be
distinguished from darkness, truth from falsehood, right from
wrong, guidance from error, happiness from misery, and roses
from thorns.
Even as He hath revealed: "Do men think when they say 'We
believe' they shall be let alone and not be put to
proof?"[Qur'an 29:2.]
And after Noah the light of the countenance of Hud shone forth
above the horizon of creation. For well-nigh seven hundred
years, according to the sayings of men, He exhorted the people
to turn their faces and draw nearer unto the Ridvan of the
divine presence. What showers of afflictions rained upon Him,
until at last His adjurations bore the fruit of increased
rebelliousness, and His assiduous endeavours resulted in the
wilful blindness of His people. "And their unbelief shall only
increase for the unbelievers their own perdition."[Qur'an
35:39.]
And after Him there appeared from the Ridvan of the Eternal, the
Invisible, the holy person of Salih, Who again summoned the
people to the river of everlasting life. For over a hundred
years He admonished them to hold fast unto the commandments of
God and eschew that which is forbidden.
His admonitions, however, yielded no fruit, and His pleading
proved of no avail. Several times He retired and lived in
seclusion. All this, although that eternal Beauty was summoning
the people to no other than the city of God. Even as it is
revealed: "And unto the tribe of Thamud We sent their brother
Salih. 'O my people,' said He, 'Worship God, ye have none other
God beside Him....' They made reply: 'O Salih, our hopes were
fixed on thee until now; forbiddest thou us to worship that
which our fathers worshipped? Truly we misdoubt that whereunto
thou callest us as suspicious.'"[Qur'an 11:61, 62.] All this
proved fruitless, until at last there went up a great cry, and
all fell into utter perdition.
Later, the beauty of the countenance of the Friend of God
[Abraham.] appeared from behind the veil, and another standard
of divine guidance was hoisted. He invited the people of the
earth to the light of righteousness. The more passionately He
exhorted them, the fiercer waxed the envy and waywardness of the
people, except those who wholly detached themselves from all
save God, and ascended on the wings of certainty to the station
which God hath exalted beyond the comprehension of men. It is
well known what a host of enemies besieged Him, until at last
the fires of envy and rebellion were kindled against Him.
And after the episode of the fire came to pass, He, the lamp of
God amongst men, was, as recorded in all books and chronicles,
expelled from His city.
And when His day was ended, there came the turn of Moses. Armed
with the rod of celestial dominion, adorned with the white hand
of divine knowledge, and proceeding from the Paran of the love
of God, and wielding the serpent of power and everlasting
majesty, He shone forth from the Sinai of light upon the world.
He summoned all the peoples and kindreds of the earth to the
kingdom of eternity, and invited them to partake of the fruit of
the tree of faithfulness. Surely you are aware of the fierce
opposition of Pharaoh and his people, and of the stones of idle
fancy which the hands of infidels cast upon that blessed Tree.
So much so that Pharaoh and his people finally arose and exerted
their utmost endeavor to extinguish with the waters of falsehood
and denial the fire of that sacred Tree, oblivious of the truth
that no earthly water can quench the flame of divine wisdom, nor
mortal blasts extinguish the lamp of everlasting dominion. Nay,
rather, such water cannot but intensify the burning of the
flame, and such blasts cannot but ensure the preservation of the
lamp, were ye to observe with the eye of discernment, and walk
in the way of God's holy will and pleasure. How well hath a
believer of the kindred of Pharaoh, whose story is recounted by
the All-Glorious in His Book revealed unto His beloved One,
observed: "And a man of the family of Pharaoh who was a believer
and concealed his faith said: 'Will ye slay a man because he
saith my Lord is God, when He hath already come to you with
signs from your Lord? If he be a liar, on him will be his lie,
but if he be a man of truth, part of what he threateneth will
fall upon you. In truth God guideth not him who is a
transgressor, a liar.'"[Qur'an 40:28.] Finally, so great was
their iniquity that this self-same believer was put to a
shameful death. "The curse of God be upon the people of
tyranny." [Qur'an 11:21.]
And now, ponder upon these things. What could have caused such
contention and conflict? Why is it that the advent of every true
Manifestation of God hath been accompanied by such strife and
tumult, by such tyranny and upheaval? This notwithstanding the
fact that all the Prophets of God, whenever made manifest unto
the peoples of the world, have invariably foretold the coming of
yet another Prophet after them, and have established such signs
as would herald the advent of the future Dispensation. To this
the records of all sacred books bear witness. Why then is it
that despite the expectation of men in their quest of the
Manifestations of Holiness, and in spite of the signs recorded
in the sacred books, such acts of violence, of oppression and
cruelty, should have been perpetrated in every age and cycle
against all the Prophets and chosen Ones of God? Even as He hath
revealed:
"As oft as an Apostle cometh unto you with that which your souls
desire not, ye swell with pride, accusing some of being
impostors and slaying others." [Qur'an 2:87.]
Reflect, what could have been the motive for such deeds? What
could have prompted such behaviour towards the Revealers of the
beauty of the All-Glorious? Whatever in days gone by hath been
the cause of the denial and opposition of those people hath now
led to the perversity of the people of this age. To maintain
that the testimony of Providence was incomplete, that it hath
therefore been the cause of the denial of the people, is but
open blasphemy. How far from the grace of the All-Bountiful and
from His loving providence and tender mercies it is to single
out a soul from amongst all men for the guidance of His
creatures, and, on one hand, to withhold from Him the full
measure of His divine testimony, and, on the other, inflict
severe retribution on His people for having turned away from His
chosen One! Nay, the manifold bounties of the Lord of all beings
have, at all times, through the Manifestations of His divine
Essence, encompassed the earth and all that dwell therein. Not
for a moment hath His grace been withheld, nor have the showers
of His loving-kindness ceased to rain upon mankind.
Consequently, such behaviour can be attributed to naught save
the petty-mindedness of such souls as tread the valley of
arrogance and pride, are lost in the wilds of remoteness, walk
in the ways of their idle fancy, and follow the dictates of the
leaders of their faith. Their chief concern is mere opposition;
their sole desire is to ignore the truth. Unto every discerning
observer it is evident and manifest that had these people in the
days of each of the Manifestations of the Sun of Truth
sanctified their eyes, their ears, and their hearts from
whatever they had seen, heard, and felt, they surely would not
have been deprived of beholding the beauty of God, nor strayed
far from the habitations of glory. But having weighed the
testimony of God by the standard of their own knowledge, gleaned
from the teachings of the leaders of their faith, and found it
at variance with their limited understanding, they arose to
perpetrate such unseemly acts.
Leaders of religion, in every age, have hindered their people
from attaining the shores of eternal salvation, inasmuch as they
held the reins of authority in their mighty grasp. Some for the
lust of leadership, others through want of knowledge and
understanding, have been the cause of the deprivation of the
people. By their sanction and authority, every Prophet of God
hath drunk from the chalice of sacrifice, and winged His flight
unto the heights of glory. What unspeakable cruelties they that
have occupied the seats of authority and learning have inflicted
upon the true Monarchs of the world, those Gems of divine
virtue! Content with a transitory dominion, they have deprived
themselves of an everlasting sovereignty. Thus, their eyes
beheld not the light of the countenance of the Well-Beloved, nor
did their ears hearken unto the sweet melodies of the Bird of
Desire. For this reason, in all sacred books mention hath been
made of the divines of every age. Thus He saith: "O people of
the Book! Why disbelieve the signs of God to which ye yourselves
have been witnesses?" [Qur'an 3:70.] And also He saith: "O
people of the Book! Why clothe ye the truth with falsehood? Why
wittingly hide the truth?" [Qur'an 3:71.] Again, He saith: "Say,
O people of the Book! Why repel believers from the way of
God?"[Qur'an 3:99.] It is evident that by the "people of the
Book," who have repelled their fellow-men from the straight path
of God, is meant none other than the divines of that age, whose
names and character have been revealed in the sacred books, and
alluded to in the verses and traditions recorded therein, were
you to observe with the eye of God.
With fixed and steady gaze, born of the unerring eye of God,
scan for a while the horizon of divine knowledge, and
contemplate those words of perfection which the Eternal hath
revealed, that haply the mysteries of divine wisdom, hidden ere
now beneath the veil of glory and treasured within the
tabernacle of His grace, may be made manifest unto you. The
denials and protestations of these leaders of religion have, in
the main, been due to their lack of knowledge and understanding.
Those words uttered by the Revealers of the beauty of the one
true God, setting forth the signs that should herald the advent
of the Manifestation to come, they never understood nor
fathomed. Hence they raised the standard of revolt, and stirred
up mischief and sedition. It is obvious and manifest that the
true meaning of the utterances of the Birds of Eternity is
revealed to none except those that manifest the Eternal Being,
and the melodies of the Nightingale of Holiness can reach no ear
save that of the denizens of the everlasting realm. The Copt of
tyranny can never partake of the cup touched by the lips of the
Sept of justice, and the Pharaoh of unbelief can never hope to
recognize the hand of the Moses of truth. Even as He saith:
"None knoweth the meaning thereof except God and them that are
well-grounded in knowledge."[Qur'an 3:7.] And yet, they have
sought the interpretation of the Book from those that are wrapt
in veils, and have refused to seek enlightenment from the
fountain-head of knowledge.
And when the days of Moses were ended, and the light of Jesus,
shining forth from the dayspring of the Spirit, encompassed the
world, all the people of Israel arose in protest against Him.
They clamoured that He Whose advent the Bible had foretold must
needs promulgate and fulfil the laws of Moses, whereas this
youthful Nazarene, who laid claim to the station of the divine
Messiah, had annulled the law of divorce and of the sabbath
day-the most weighty of all the laws of Moses. Moreover, what of
the signs of the Manifestation yet to come? These people of
Israel are even unto the present day still expecting that
Manifestation which the Bible hath foretold! How many
Manifestations of Holiness, how many Revealers of the light
everlasting, have appeared since the time of Moses, and yet
Israel, wrapt in the densest veils of satanic fancy and false
imaginings, is still expectant that the idol of her own
handiwork will appear with such signs as she herself hath
conceived!
Thus hath God laid hold of them for their sins, hath
extinguished in them the spirit of faith, and tormented them
with the flames of the nethermost fire. And this for no other
reason except that Israel refused to apprehend the meaning of
such words as have been revealed in the Bible concerning the
signs of the coming Revelation. As she never grasped their true
significance, and, to outward seeming, such events never came to
pass, she, therefore, remained deprived of recognizing the
beauty of Jesus and of beholding the face of God. And they still
await His coming! From time immemorial even unto this day, all
the kindreds and peoples of the earth have clung to such
fanciful and unseemly thoughts, and thus have deprived
themselves of the clear waters streaming from the springs of
purity and holiness.
In unfolding these mysteries, We have, in Our former Tablets
which were addressed to a friend in the melodious language of
Hijaz, cited a few of the verses revealed unto the Prophets of
old.
And now, responding to your request, We again shall cite, in
these pages, those same verses, uttered this time in the
wondrous accents of Iraq, that haply the sore athirst in the
wilds of remoteness may attain unto the ocean of the divine
presence, and they that languish in the wastes of separation be
led unto the home of eternal reunion. Thus the mists of error
may be dispelled, and the all-resplendent light of divine
guidance dawn forth above the horizon of human hearts. In God We
put Our trust, and to Him We cry for help, that haply there may
flow from this pen that which shall quicken the souls of men,
that they may all arise from their beds of heedlessness and
hearken unto the rustling of the leaves of Paradise, from the
tree which the hand of divine power hath, by the permission of
God, planted in the Ridvan of the All-Glorious.
To them that are endowed with understanding, it is clear and
manifest that when the fire of the love of Jesus consumed the
veils of Jewish limitations, and His authority was made apparent
and partially enforced, He the Revealer of the unseen Beauty,
addressing one day His disciples, referred unto His passing,
and, kindling in their hearts the fire of bereavement, said unto
them: "I go away and come again unto you." And in another place
He said: "I go and another will come Who will tell you all that
I have not told you, and will fulfil all that I have said." Both
these sayings have but one meaning, were you to ponder upon the
Manifestations of the Unity of God with divine insight.
Every discerning observer will recognize that in the
Dispensation of the Qur'an both the Book and the Cause of Jesus
were confirmed. As to the matter of names, Muhammad, Himself,
declared: "I am Jesus." He recognized the truth of the signs,
prophecies, and words of Jesus, and testified that they were all
of God. In this sense, neither the person of Jesus nor His
writings hath differed from that of Muhammad and of His holy
Book, inasmuch as both have championed the Cause of God, uttered
His praise, and revealed His commandments.
Thus it is that Jesus, Himself, declared: "I go away and come
again unto you."
Consider the sun. Were it to say now, "I am the sun of
yesterday," it would speak the truth. And should it, bearing the
sequence of time in mind, claim to be other than that sun, it
still would speak the truth. In like manner, if it be said that
all the days are but one and the same, it is correct and true.
And if it be said, with respect to their particular names and
designations, that they differ, that again is true. For though
they are the same, yet one doth recognize in each a separate
designation, a specific attribute, a particular character.
Conceive accordingly the distinction, variation, and unity
characteristic of the various Manifestations of holiness, that
thou mayest comprehend the allusions made by the creator of all
names and attributes to the mysteries of distinction and unity,
and discover the answer to thy question as to why that
everlasting Beauty should have, at sundry times, called Himself
by different names and titles.
Afterwards, the companions and disciples of Jesus asked Him
concerning those signs that must needs signalize the return of
His manifestation. When, they asked, shall these things be?
Several times they questioned that peerless Beauty, and, every
time He made reply, He set forth a special sign that should
herald the advent of the promised Dispensation. To this testify
the records of the four Gospels.
This wronged One will cite but one of these instances, thus
conferring upon mankind, for the sake of God, such bounties as
are yet concealed within the treasury of the hidden and sacred
Tree, that haply mortal men may not remain deprived of their
share of the immortal fruit, and attain to a dewdrop of the
waters of everlasting life which, from Baghdad, the "Abode of
Peace," are being vouchsafed unto all mankind. We ask for
neither meed nor reward. "We nourish your souls for the sake of
God; we seek from you neither recompense nor thanks."[Qur'an
76:9.] This is the food that conferreth everlasting life upon
the pure in heart and the illumined in spirit. This is the bread
of which it is said: "Lord, send down upon us Thy bread from
heaven."[Qur'an 5:117.] This bread shall never be withheld from
them that deserve it, nor can it ever be exhausted.
It groweth everlastingly from the tree of grace; it descendeth
at all seasons from the heavens of justice and mercy. Even as He
saith: "Seest thou not to what God likeneth a good word? To a
good tree; its root firmly fixed, and its branches reaching unto
heaven: yielding its fruit in all seasons." [Qur'an 14:24.]
O the pity! that man should deprive himself of this goodly gift,
this imperishable bounty, this everlasting life. It behooveth
him to prize this food that cometh from heaven, that perchance,
through the wondrous favours of the Sun of Truth, the dead may
be brought to life, and withered souls be quickened by the
infinite Spirit. Make haste, O my brother, that while there is
yet time our lips may taste of the immortal draught, for the
breeze of life, now blowing from the city of the Well-Beloved,
cannot last, and the streaming river of holy utterance must
needs be stilled, and the portals of the Ridvan cannot for ever
remain open. The day will surely come when the Nightingale of
Paradise will have winged its flight away from its earthly abode
unto its heavenly nest. Then will its melody be heard no more,
and the beauty of the rose cease to shine. Seize the time,
therefore, ere the glory of the divine springtime hath spent
itself, and the Bird of Eternity ceased to warble its melody,
that thy inner hearing may not be deprived of hearkening unto
its call. This is My counsel unto thee and unto the beloved of
God. Whosoever wisheth, let him turn thereunto; whosoever
wisheth, let him turn away. God, verily, is independent of him
and of that which he may see and witness.
These are the melodies, sung by Jesus, Son of Mary, in accents
of majestic power in the Ridvan of the Gospel, revealing those
signs that must needs herald the advent of the Manifestation
after Him.
In the first Gospel according to Matthew it is recorded: And
when they asked Jesus concerning the signs of His coming, He
said unto them: "Immediately after the oppression [Matthew
24:29-31.] of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon
shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven,
and the powers of the earth shall be shaken: and then [Matthew
24:29-31.] (The Greek word used (Thlipsis) has two meanings:
pressure [Matthew 24:29-31.] and oppression) shall appear the
sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes
of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in
the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall
send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet." [Matthew
24:29-31.] Rendered into the Persian tongue, [The passage is
quoted by Baha'u'llah in Arabic and interpreted in Persian.] the
purport of these words is as follows: When the oppression and
afflictions that are to befall mankind will have come to pass,
then shall the sun be withheld from shining, the moon from
giving light, the stars of heaven shall fall upon the earth, and
the pillars of the earth shall quake. At that time, the signs of
the Son of man shall appear in heaven, that is, the promised
Beauty and Substance of life shall, when these signs have
appeared, step forth out of the realm of the invisible into the
visible world. And He saith: at that time, all the peoples and
kindreds that dwell on earth shall bewail and lament, and they
shall see that divine Beauty coming from heaven, riding upon the
clouds with power, grandeur, and magnificence, sending His
angels with a great sound of a trumpet.
Similarly, in the three other Gospels, according to Luke, Mark,
and John, the same statements are recorded. As We have referred
at length to these in Our Tablets revealed in the Arabic tongue,
We have made no mention of them in these pages, and have
confined Ourselves to but one reference.
Inasmuch as the Christian divines have failed to apprehend the
meaning of these words, and did not recognize their object and
purpose, and have clung to the literal interpretation of the
words of Jesus, they therefore became deprived of the streaming
grace of the Muhammadan Revelation and its showering bounties.
The ignorant among the Christian community, following the
example of the leaders of their faith, were likewise prevented
from beholding the beauty of the King of glory, inasmuch as
those signs which were to accompany the dawn of the sun of the
Muhammadan Dispensation did not actually come to pass. Thus,
ages have passed and centuries rolled away, and that most pure
Spirit hath repaired unto the retreats of its ancient
sovereignty. Once more hath the eternal Spirit breathed into the
mystic trumpet, and caused the dead to speed out of their
sepulchres of heedlessness and error unto the realm of guidance
and grace. And yet, that expectant community still crieth out:
When shall these things be? When shall the promised One, the
object of our expectation, be made manifest, that we may arise
for the triumph of His Cause, that we may sacrifice our
substance for His sake, that we may offer up our lives in His
path? In like manner, have such false imaginings caused other
communities to stray from the Kawthar of the infinite mercy of
Providence, and to be busied with their own idle thoughts.
Beside this passage, there is yet another verse in the Gospel
wherein He saith: "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but My
words shall not pass away." [Luke 21:33.] Thus it is that the
adherents of Jesus maintained that the law of the Gospel shall
never be annulled, and that whensoever the promised Beauty is
made manifest and all the signs are revealed, He must needs
re-affirm and establish the law proclaimed in the Gospel, so
that there may remain in the world no faith but His faith. This
is their fundamental belief. And their conviction is such that
were a person to be made manifest with all the promised signs
and to promulgate that which is contrary to the letter of the
law of the Gospel, they must assuredly renounce him, refuse to
submit to his law, declare him an infidel, and laugh him to
scorn. This is proved by that which came to pass when the sun of
the Muhammadan Revelation was revealed. Had they sought with a
humble mind from the Manifestations of God in every Dispensation
the true meaning of these words revealed in the sacred
books-words the misapprehension of which hath caused men to be
deprived of the recognition of the Sadratu'l-Muntaha, the
ultimate Purpose-they surely would have been guided to the light
of the Sun of Truth, and would have discovered the mysteries of
divine knowledge and wisdom. |
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