NO man shall attain the shores of the ocean of true understanding except he be detached from all that is in heaven and on earth.  Sanctify your souls, O ye peoples of the world, that haply ye may attain that station which God hath destined for you and enter thus the tabernacle which, according to the dispensations of Providence, hath been raised in the firmament of the Bayán.

     THE essence of these words is this: they that tread the path of faith, they that thirst for the wine of certitude, must cleanse themselves of all that is earthly — their ears from idle talk, their minds from vain imaginings, their hearts from worldly affections, their eyes from that which perisheth.  They should put their trust in God, and, holding fast unto Him, follow in His way.  Then will they be made worthy of the effulgent glories of the sun of divine knowledge and understanding, and become the recipients of a grace that is infinite and unseen, inasmuch as man can never hope to attain unto the knowledge of the All-Glorious, can never quaff from the stream of divine knowledge

and wisdom, can never enter the abode of immortality, nor partake of the cup of divine nearness and favour, unless and until he ceases to regard the words and deeds of mortal men as a standard for the true understanding and recognition of God and His Prophets.

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

     Ponder for a moment, and reflect upon that which hath been the cause of such denial on the

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

     In like manner, those words that have streamed forth from the source of power and descended from the heaven of glory are innumerable and beyond the ordinary comprehension of man.  To them that are possessed of true understanding and insight the Súrah of Húd surely sufficeth.  Ponder a while those holy words in your heart, and, with utter detachment, strive to grasp their meaning.  Examine the wondrous behaviour of the Prophets, and recall the defamations and denials uttered by

x 1 Qur'án 36:30. 2 Qur'án 40:5. x

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.'"¹  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

x 1 Qur'án 11:38. x

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."¹

     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

x 1 Qur'án  71:26. x

they say `We believe' they shall be let alone and not be put to proof?"¹

     And after Noah the light of the countenance of Húd shone forth above the horizon of creation.  For well-nigh seven hundred years, according to the sayings of men, He exhorted the people to turn their faces and draw nearer unto the Ridván of the divine presence.  What showers of afflictions rained upon Him, until at last His adjurations bore the fruit of increased rebelliousness, and His assiduous endeavours resulted in the wilful blindness of His people.  "And their unbelief shall only increase for the unbelievers their own perdition."²

     And after Him there appeared from the Ridván of the Eternal, the Invisible, the holy person of Sálih, 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

x 1 Qur'án 29:2. 2 Qur'án 35:39. x

the people to no other than the city of God.  Even as it is revealed: "And unto the tribe of Thamúd We sent their brother Sálih.  `O my people,' said He, `Worship God, ye have none other God beside Him....'  They made reply: `O Sálih, 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.'"¹  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 God² 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.

x 1 Qur'án 11:61, 62. 2 Abraham. x

And after the episode of the fire came to pass, He, the lamp of God amongst men, was, as recorded in all books and chronicles, expelled from His city.

     And when His day was ended, there came the turn of Moses.  Armed with the rod of celestial dominion, adorned with the white hand of divine knowledge, and proceeding from the Párán of the love of God, and wielding the serpent of power and everlasting majesty, He shone forth from the Sinai of light upon the world.  He summoned all the peoples and kindreds of the earth to the kingdom of eternity, and invited them to partake of the fruit of the tree of faithfulness.  Surely you are aware of the fierce opposition of Pharaoh and his people, and of the stones of idle fancy which the hands of infidels cast upon that blessed Tree.  So much so that Pharaoh and his people finally arose and exerted their utmost endeavor to extinguish with the waters of falsehood and denial the fire of that sacred Tree, oblivious of the truth that no earthly water can quench the flame of divine wisdom, nor mortal blasts extinguish the lamp of everlasting dominion.  Nay, rather, such water cannot but intensify the burning of the flame, and such

blasts cannot but ensure the preservation of the lamp, were ye to observe with the eye of discernment, and walk in the way of God's holy will and pleasure.  How well hath a believer of the kindred of Pharaoh, whose story is recounted by the All-Glorious in His Book revealed unto His beloved One, observed: "And a man of the family of Pharaoh who was a believer and concealed his faith said: `Will ye slay a man because he saith my Lord is God, when He hath already come to you with signs from your Lord?  If he be a liar, on him will be his lie, but if he be a man of truth, part of what he threateneth will fall upon you.  In truth God guideth not him who is a transgressor, a liar.'"¹  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."²

     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,

x 1 Qur'án 40:28. 2 Qur'án 11:21. x

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."¹

     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

x 1 Qur'án 2:87. x

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?"¹  And also He saith: "O people of the Book!  Why clothe ye the truth with falsehood?  Why wittingly hide the truth?"²  Again, He saith: "Say, O people of the Book!  Why repel believers from the way of God?"³  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

x 1 Qur'án 3:70. 2 Qur'án 3:71. 3 Qur'án 3:99. x

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."¹  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

x 1 Qur'án 3:7. x

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 Hijáz, cited a few of the verses revealed unto the Prophets of old.  And now, responding to your request, We again shall cite, in these pages, those same verses, uttered this time in the wondrous accents of 'Iráq, that haply the sore athirst in the wilds of remoteness may attain unto the ocean of the divine presence, and they that languish in the wastes of separation be led unto the home of eternal reunion.  Thus the mists of error may be dispelled, and the all-resplendent light of divine guidance dawn forth above the horizon of human hearts.  In God We put Our trust, and to Him We cry for help, that haply there may flow from this pen that which shall

quicken the souls of men, that they may all arise from their beds of heedlessness and hearken unto the rustling of the leaves of Paradise, from the tree which the hand of divine power hath, by the permission of God, planted in the Ridván of the All-Glorious.

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

     Every discerning observer will recognize that in the Dispensation of the Qur'án both the Book and the Cause of Jesus were confirmed.  As to the matter of names, 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 Baghdád, the "Abode of Peace," are being vouchsafed unto all mankind.  We ask for neither meed nor reward.  "We nourish your souls for the sake of God; we seek from you neither recompense nor thanks."¹  This is the food that conferreth everlasting

x 1 Qur'án 76:9. x

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."¹  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."²

     O the pity! that man should deprive himself of this goodly gift, this imperishable bounty, this everlasting life.  It behooveth him to prize this food that cometh from heaven, that perchance, through the wondrous favours of the Sun of Truth, the dead may be brought to life, and withered souls be quickened by the infinite Spirit.  Make haste, O my brother, that while there is yet time our lips may taste of the immortal draught, for the breeze of life, now blowing from the city of the Well-Beloved, cannot last, and the streaming river of holy utterance must needs be stilled, and the portals of the Ridván cannot for ever remain open.  The day

x 1 Qur'án 5:117. 2 Qur'án 14:24. x

will surely come when the Nightingale of Paradise will have winged its flight away from its earthly abode unto its heavenly nest.  Then will its melody be heard no more, and the beauty of the rose cease to shine.  Seize the time, therefore, ere the glory of the divine springtime hath spent itself, and the Bird of Eternity ceased to warble its melody, that thy inner hearing may not be deprived of hearkening unto its call.  This is My counsel unto thee and unto the beloved of God.  Whosoever wisheth, let him turn thereunto; whosoever wisheth, let him turn away.  God, verily, is independent of him and of that which he may see and witness.

     These are the melodies, sung by Jesus, Son of Mary, in accents of majestic power in the Ridván of the Gospel, revealing those signs that must needs herald the advent of the Manifestation after Him.  In the first Gospel according to Matthew it is recorded: And when they asked Jesus concerning the signs of His coming, He said unto them: "Immediately after the oppression¹ of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the earth shall be shaken: and then

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

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."¹  Rendered into the Persian tongue,² 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

x 1 Matthew 24:29-31. 2 The passage is quoted by Bahá'u'lláh in Arabic and interpreted in Persian. x

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 Kawtharof 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."¹  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,

x 1 Luke 21:33. x

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-Muntahá, the ultimate Purpose — they surely would have been guided to the light of the Sun of Truth, and would have discovered the mysteries of divine knowledge and wisdom.

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

     As to the words — "Immediately after the oppression of those days" — they refer to the time when men shall become oppressed and afflicted, the time when the lingering traces of the Sun of Truth and the fruit of the Tree of knowledge and wisdom will have vanished from the midst of men, when the reins of mankind will have fallen into the grasp of the foolish and ignorant, when the portals of divine unity and understanding — the essential and highest purpose in creation — will have been closed, when certain knowledge will have given way to idle fancy, and corruption will have usurped the station of righteousness.  Such a condition as this is witnessed in this day when the reins of every community have fallen into the grasp of foolish leaders, who lead after their own whims and desire.  On their tongue the mention of God hath become an empty name; in their midst His holy Word a dead letter.  Such is the sway of their desires, that the lamp of conscience and reason hath been quenched in their hearts, and this although the fingers of divine power have unlocked the portals of the knowledge of God, and the light of divine knowledge and heavenly grace hath illumined and inspired the essence of all created things, in such wise that in each and every thing a door of knowledge

hath been opened, and within every atom traces of the sun hath been made manifest.  And yet, in spite of all these manifold revelations of divine knowledge, which have encompassed the world, they still vainly imagine the door of knowledge to be closed, and the showers of mercy to be stilled.  Clinging unto idle fancy, they have strayed far from the 'Urvatu'l-Vuthqá of divine knowledge.  Their hearts seem not to be inclined to knowledge and the door thereof, neither think they of its manifestations, inasmuch as in idle fancy they have found the door that leadeth unto earthly riches, whereas in the manifestation of the Revealer of knowledge they find naught but the call to self-sacrifice.  They therefore naturally hold fast unto the former, and flee from the latter.  Though they recognize in their hearts the Law of God to be one and the same, yet from every direction they issue a new command, and in every season proclaim a fresh decree.  No two are found to agree on one and the same law, for they seek no God but their own desire, and tread no path but the path of error.  In leadership they have recognized the ultimate object of their endeavour, and account pride and haughtiness as the highest attainments of their heart's desire.  They have placed their sordid machinations

above the divine decree, have renounced resignation unto the will of God, busied themselves with selfish calculation, and walked in the way of the hypocrite.  With all their power and strength they strive to secure themselves in their petty pursuits, fearful lest the least discredit undermine their authority or blemish the display of their magnificence.  Were the eye to be anointed and illumined with the collyrium of the knowledge of God, it would surely discover that a number of voracious beasts have gathered and preyed upon the carrion of the souls of men.

     What "oppression" is greater than that which hath been recounted?  What "oppression" is more grievous than that a soul seeking the truth, and wishing to attain unto the knowledge of God, should know not where to go for it and from whom to seek it?  For opinions have sorely differed, and the ways unto the attainment of God have multiplied.  This "oppression" is the essential feature of every Revelation.  Unless it cometh to pass, the Sun of Truth will not be made manifest.  For the break of the morn of divine guidance must needs follow the darkness of the night of error.  For this reason, in all chronicles and traditions reference hath been

made unto these things, namely that iniquity shall cover the surface of the earth and darkness shall envelop mankind.  As the traditions referred to are well known, and as the purpose of this servant is to be brief, He will refrain from quoting the text of these traditions.

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

be of them that have quaffed the cup of divine knowledge and understanding.

     And now, concerning His words — "The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give light, and the stars shall fall from heaven."  By the terms "sun" and "moon," mentioned in the writings of the Prophets of God, is not meant solely the sun and moon of the visible universe.  Nay rather, manifold are the meanings they have intended for these terms.  In every instance they have attached to them a particular significance.  Thus, by the "sun" in one sense is meant those Suns of Truth Who rise from the dayspring of ancient glory, and fill the world with a liberal effusion of grace from on high.  These Suns of Truth are the universal Manifestations of God in the worlds of His attributes and names, even as the visible sun that assisteth, as decreed by God, the true One, the Adored, in the development of all earthly things, such as the trees, the fruits, and colours thereof, the minerals of the earth, and all that may be witnessed in the world of creation, so do the divine Luminaries, by their loving care and educative influence, cause the trees of divine unity, the fruits of His oneness, the leaves of detachment, the blossoms of knowledge and certitude, and the myrtles of

wisdom and utterance, to exist and be made manifest.  Thus it is that through the rise of these Luminaries of God the world is made new, the waters of everlasting life stream forth, the billows of loving-kindness surge, the clouds of grace are gathered, and the breeze of bounty bloweth upon all created things.  It is the warmth that these Luminaries of God generate, and the undying fires they kindle, which cause the light of the love of God to burn fiercely in the heart of humanity.  It is through the abundant grace of these Symbols of Detachment that the Spirit of life everlasting is breathed into the bodies of the dead.  Assuredly the visible sun is but a sign of the splendour of that Day-star of Truth, that Sun Which can never have a peer, a likeness, or rival.  Through Him all things live, move, and have their being.  Through His grace they are made manifest, and unto Him they all return.  From Him all things have sprung, and unto the treasuries of His revelation they all have repaired.  From Him all created things did proceed, and to the depositories of His law they did revert.

     That these divine Luminaries seem to be confined at times to specific designations and attributes,

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

     The term "suns" hath many a time been applied in the writings of the "immaculate Souls" unto the Prophets of God, those luminous Emblems of Detachment.  Among those writings are the following words recorded in the "Prayer of Nudbih":¹ "Whither are gone the resplendent Suns?  Whereunto have departed those shining Moons and

x 1 "Lamentation" attributed to the Twelfth Imám. x

sparkling Stars?"  Thus, it hath become evident that the terms "sun," "moon," and "stars" primarily signify the Prophets of God, the saints, and their companions, those Luminaries, the light of Whose knowledge hath shed illumination upon the worlds of the visible and the invisible.

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

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

     That the term "sun" hath been applied to the leaders of religion is due to their lofty position, their fame, and renown.  Such are the universally recognized divines of every age, who speak with authority, and whose fame is securely established.  If they be in the likeness of the Sun of Truth, they will surely be accounted as the most exalted of all luminaries; otherwise, they are to be recognized as the focal centres of hellish fire.  Even as He saith: "Verily, the sun and the moon are both condemned to the torment of infernal fire."¹  You are no doubt familiar with the interpretation of the term "sun" and "moon" mentioned in this verse; no need therefore to refer unto it.  And whosoever is of the element of this "sun" and "moon", that is, followeth the example of these leaders in setting his face

x 1 Qur'án 55:5. x

towards falsehood and in turning away from the truth he undoubtedly cometh out of infernal gloom and returneth thereunto.

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

     In another sense, by the terms `sun', `moon', and `stars' are meant such laws and teachings as have been established and proclaimed in every Dispensation, such as the laws of prayer and fasting.  These have, according to the law of the Qur'án, been regarded, when the beauty of the Prophet Muhammad had passed beyond the veil, as the most fundamental and binding laws of His dispensation.  To this testify the texts of the traditions and chronicles, which, on account of their being widely

known, need not be referred to here.  Nay rather, in every Dispensation the law concerning prayer hath been emphasized and universally enforced.  To this testify the recorded traditions ascribed to the lights that have emanated from the Day-star of Truth, the essence of the Prophet Muhammad.

     The traditions established the fact that in all dispensations the law of prayer hath constituted a fundamental element of the Revelation of all the Prophets of God — a law the form and the manner of which hath been adapted to the varying requirements of every age.  Inasmuch as every subsequent Revelation hath abolished the manners, habits, and teachings that have been clearly, specifically, and firmly established by the former Dispensation, these have accordingly been symbolically expressed in terms of `sun' and `moon'.  "That He might prove you, which of you excel in deeds."¹

     Moreover, in the traditions the terms "sun" and "moon" have been applied to prayer and fasting, even as it is said: "Fasting is illumination, prayer is light."  One day, a well-known divine came to

x 1 Qur'án 67:2. x

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

     This is the purpose underlying the symbolic words of the Manifestations of God.  Consequently, the application of the terms "sun" and "moon" to the things already mentioned hath been demonstrated and justified by the text of the sacred verses and the recorded traditions.  Hence, it is clear and manifest that by the words "the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven" is intended the waywardness of the divines, and the annulment of laws firmly established by divine Revelation, all of which, in symbolic language, have been foreshadowed by the Manifestation of God.  None except the righteous shall partake of this cup, none but the godly can share therein.  "The righteous shall drink of a cup tempered at the camphor fountain."¹

     It is unquestionable that in every succeeding Revelation the "sun" and "moon" of the teachings, laws, commandments, and prohibitions which have been established in the preceding Dispensation, and which have overshadowed the people of that age, become darkened, that is, are exhausted, and cease to exert their influence.  Consider now,

x 1 Qur'án76:5. x

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

     And now, with fixed gaze and steady wings enter thou the way of certitude and truth.  "Say: It is God; then leave them to entertain themselves with their cavilings."¹  Thus, wilt thou be accounted of those companions of whom He saith: "They that say `Our Lord is God,' and continue steadfast in His way, upon them, verily, shall the

x 1 Qur'án 6:91. x

angels descend."¹  Then shalt thou witness all these mysteries with thine own eyes.

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

     This is the meaning of the sacred verse: "But nay! I swear by the Lord of the Easts and the Wests,"² inasmuch as the "Suns" referred to have each their own particular rising and setting place.  And as the commentators of the Qur'án have failed to grasp the symbolic meaning of these "Suns," they therefore were at pains to interpret the above-quoted verse.  Some of them maintained that owing to the fact that the sun each day rises from a different

x 1 Qur'án 41:30. 2 Qur'án 70:40. x

point, the terms "easts" and "wests" have been mentioned in the plural.  Others have written that by this verse the four seasons of the year are intended, inasmuch as the dawning and setting points of the sun vary with the change of the seasons.  Such is the depth of their understanding!  None the less, they persist in imputing error and folly to those Gems of knowledge, those irreproachable and purest Symbols of wisdom.

     In like manner, strive thou to comprehend from these lucid, these powerful, conclusive, and unequivocal statements the meaning of the "cleaving of the heaven" — one of the signs that must needs herald the coming of the last Hour, the Day of Resurrection.  As He hath said: "When the heaven shall be cloven asunder."¹  By "heaven" is meant the heaven of divine Revelation, which is elevated with every Manifestation, and rent asunder with every subsequent one.  By "cloven asunder" is meant that the former Dispensation is superseded and annulled.  I swear by God!  That this heaven being cloven asunder is, to the discerning, an act mightier than the cleaving of the skies!  Ponder a while.  That a divine Revelation which for years

x 1 Qur'án82:1. x

hath been securely established; beneath whose shadow all who have embraced it have been reared and nurtured; by the light of whose law generations of men have been disciplined; the excellency of whose word men have heard recounted by their fathers; in such wise that human eye hath beheld naught but the pervading influence of its grace, and mortal ear hath heard naught but the resounding majesty of its command — what act is mightier than that such a Revelation should, by the power of God, be "cloven asunder" and be abolished at the appearance of one soul?  Reflect, is this a mightier act than that which these abject and foolish men have imagined the "cleaving of the heaven" to mean?

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

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

     Would that the hearts of men could be cleansed from these man-made limitations and obscure thoughts imposed upon them! haply they may be illumined by the light of the Sun of true knowledge, and comprehend the mysteries of divine wisdom.  Consider now, were the parched and barren soil of these hearts to remain unchanged, how could they ever become the Recipients of the revelation of the mysteries of God, and the Revealers of the divine Essence?  Thus hath He said: "On the day when the earth shall be changed into another earth."¹

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

     And now, comprehend the meaning of this verse: "The whole earth shall on the Resurrection Day be but His handful, and in His right hand shall the heavens be folded together.  Praise be to Him! and high be He uplifted above the partners they join with him!"²  And now, be fair in thy judgment.  Were this verse to have the meaning which men suppose it to have, of what profit, one

x 1 Qur'án 14:48. 2 Qur'án 39:67. x

may ask, could it be to man?  Moreover, it is evident and manifest that no such hand as could be seen by human eye could accomplish such deeds, or could possibly be ascribed to the exalted Essence of the one true God.  Nay, to acknowledge such a thing is naught but sheer blasphemy, an utter perversion of the truth.  And should it be supposed that by this verse are meant the Manifestations of God, Who will be called upon, on the Day of Judgment, to perform such deeds, this too seemeth far from the truth, and is surely of no profit.  On the contrary, by the term "earth" is meant the earth of understanding and knowledge, and by "heavens" the heavens of divine Revelation.  Reflect thou, how, in one hand, He hath, by His mighty grasp, turned the earth of knowledge and understanding, previously unfolded, into a mere handful, and, on the other, spread out a new and highly exalted earth in the hearts of men, thus causing the freshest and loveliest blossoms, and the mightiest and loftiest trees to spring forth from the illumined bosom of man.

     In like manner, reflect how the elevated heavens of the Dispensations of the past have, in the right hand of power, been folded together, how the

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

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

     And likewise, reflect upon the revealed verse concerning the "Qiblih."¹  When Muhammad,

x 1 The direction toward which the face must be turned when praying. x

the Sun of Prophethood, had fled from the dayspring of Bathá¹ unto Yathrib,² He continued to turn His face, while praying, unto Jerusalem, the holy city, until the time when the Jews began to utter unseemly words against Him — words which if mentioned would ill befit these pages and would weary the reader.  Muhammad strongly resented these words.  Whilst, wrapt in meditation and wonder, He was gazing toward heaven, He heard the kindly Voice of Gabriel, saying: "We behold Thee from above, turning Thy face to heaven; but We will have Thee turn to a Qiblih which shall please Thee."³  On a subsequent day, when the Prophet, together with His companions, was offering the noontide prayer, and had already performed two of the prescribed Rik'ats,⁴ the Voice of Gabriel was heard again: "Turn Thou Thy face towards the sacred Mosque."^5,6  In the midst of that same prayer, Muhammad suddenly turned His face away from Jerusalem and faced the Ka'bih.  Whereupon, a profound dismay seized suddenly the companions of the Prophet.  Their faith was

x 1 Mecca. 2 Medina. 3 Qur'án 2:144. 4 Prostrations. 5 At Mecca. 6 Qur'án 2:149. x

shaken severely.  So great was their alarm, that many of them, discontinuing their prayer, apostatized their faith.  Verily, God caused not this turmoil but to test and prove His servants.  Otherwise, He, the ideal King, could easily have left the Qiblih unchanged, and could have caused Jerusalem to remain the Point of Adoration unto His Dispensation, thereby withholding not from that holy city the distinction of acceptance which had been conferred upon it.

     None of the many Prophets sent down, since Moses was made manifest, as Messengers of the Word of God, such as David, Jesus, and others among the more exalted Manifestations who have appeared during the intervening period between the Revelations of Moses and Muhammad, ever altered the law of the Qiblih.  These Messengers of the Lord of creation have, one and all, directed their peoples to turn unto the same direction.  In the eyes of God, the ideal King, all the places of the earth are one and the same, excepting that place which, in the days of His Manifestations, He doth appoint for a particular purpose.  Even as He hath revealed: "The East and West are God's: therefore whichever way ye turn, there is the face

of God."¹  Notwithstanding the truth of these facts, why should the Qiblih have been changed, thus casting such dismay amongst the people, causing the companions of the Prophet to waver, and throwing so great a confusion into their midst?  Yea, such things as throw consternation into the hearts of all men come to pass only that each soul may be tested by the touchstone of God, that the true may be known and distinguished from the false.  Thus hath He revealed after the breach amongst the people: "We did not appoint that which Thou wouldst have to be the Qiblih, but that We might know him who followeth the Apostle from him who turneth on his heels."²  "Affrighted asses fleeing from a lion."³

     Were you to ponder, but for a while, these utterances in your heart, you would surely find the portals of understanding unlocked before your face, and would behold all knowledge and the mysteries thereof unveiled before your eyes.  Such things take place only that the souls of men may develop and be delivered from the prison-cage of self and desire.  Otherwise, that ideal King hath, throughout

x 1 Qur'án 2:115. 2 Qur'án2:143. 3 Qur'án 74:50. x

eternity, been in His Essence independent of the comprehension of all beings, and will continue, for ever, in His own Being to be exalted above the adoration of every soul.  A single breeze of His affluence doth suffice to adorn all mankind with the robe of wealth; and one drop out of the ocean of His bountiful grace is enough to confer upon all beings the glory of everlasting life.  But inasmuch as the divine Purpose hath decreed that the true should be known from the false, and the sun from the shadow, He hath, therefore, in every season sent down upon mankind the showers of tests from His realm of glory.

     Were men to meditate upon the lives of the Prophets of old, so easily would they come to know and understand the ways of these Prophets that they would cease to be veiled by such deeds and words as are contrary to their own worldly desires, and thus consume every intervening veil with the fire burning in the Bush of divine knowledge, and abide secure upon the throne of peace and certitude.  For instance, consider Moses, son of 'Imrán, one of the exalted Prophets and Author of a divinely-revealed Book.  Whilst passing, one day, through the market, in His early days, ere His

ministry was proclaimed, He saw two men engaged in fighting.  One of them asked the help of Moses against his opponent.  Whereupon, Moses intervened and slew him.  To this testifieth the record of the sacred Book.  Should the details be cited, they will lengthen and interrupt the course of the argument.  The report of this incident spread throughout the city, and Moses was full of fear, as is witnessed by the text of the Book.  And when the warning: "O Moses! of a truth, the chiefs take counsel to slay Thee"¹ reached His ears, He went forth from the city, and sojourned in Midian in the service of Shoeb.  While returning, Moses entered the holy vale, situate in the wilderness of Sinai, and there beheld the vision of the King of glory from the  "Tree that belongeth neither to the East nor to the West."²  There He heard the soul-stirring Voice of the Spirit speaking from out of the kindled Fire, bidding Him to shed upon Pharaonic souls the light of divine guidance; so that, liberating them from the shadows of the valley of self and desire, He might enable them to attain the meads of heavenly delight, and delivering them, through the Salsabíl of renunciation, from the bewilderment of remoteness, cause them to enter

x 1 Qur'án 28:20. 2 Qur'án 24:35. x

the peaceful city of the divine presence.  When Moses came unto Pharaoh and delivered unto him, as bidden by God, the divine Message, Pharaoh spoke insultingly saying: "Art thou not he that committed murder, and became an infidel?"  Thus recounted the Lord of majesty as having been said by Pharaoh unto Moses: "What a deed is that which Thou hast done!  Thou art one of the ungrateful.  He said: `I did it indeed, and I was one of those who erred.  And I fled from you when I feared you, but My Lord hath given Me wisdom, and hath made Me one of His Apostles.'"¹

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

x 1 Qur'án 26:19. x

so that manslaughter should not be attributed unto Him, causing bewilderment and aversion among the people?

     Likewise, reflect upon the state and condition of Mary.  So deep was the perplexity of that most beauteous countenance, so grievous her case, that she bitterly regretted she had ever been born.  To this beareth witness the text of the sacred verse wherein it is mentioned that after Mary had given birth to Jesus, she bemoaned her plight and cried out: "O would that I had died ere this, and been a thing forgotten, forgotten quite!"¹  I swear by God!  Such lamenting consumeth the heart and shaketh the being.  Such consternation of soul, such despondency, could have been caused by no other than the censure of the enemy and the cavilings of the infidel and perverse.  Reflect, what answer could Mary have given to the people around her?  How could she claim that a Babe Whose father was unknown had been conceived of the Holy Ghost?  Therefore did Mary, that veiled and immortal Countenance, take up her Child and return unto her home.  No sooner had the eyes of the people fallen upon her than they raised their voice

x 1 Qur'án 19:22. x

saying: "O sister of Aaron!  Thy father was not a man of wickedness, nor unchaste thy mother."¹

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

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

x 1 Qur'án 19:28. x

would surely perceive that the words revealed from the heaven of the will of God are at one with, and the same as, the deeds that have emanated from the Kingdom of divine power.

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

     If the eye of justice be opened, it will readily recognize, in the light of that which hath been mentioned, that He, Who is the Cause and ultimate Purpose of all these things, is made manifest in this

day.  Though similar events have not occurred in this Dispensation, yet the people still cling to such vain imaginings as are cherished by the reprobate.  How grievous the charges brought against Him!  How severe the persecutions inflicted upon Him — charges and persecutions the like of which men have neither seen nor heard!

     Great God!  When the stream of utterance reached this stage, We beheld, and lo! the sweet savours of God were being wafted from the dayspring of Revelation, and the morning breeze was blowing out of the Sheba of the Eternal.  Its tidings rejoiced anew the heart, and imparted immeasurable gladness to the soul.  It made all things new, and brought unnumbered and inestimable gifts from the unknowable Friend.  The robe of human praise can never hope to match Its noble stature, and Its shining figure the mantle of utterance can never fit.  Without word It unfoldeth the inner mysteries, and without speech It revealeth the secrets of the divine sayings.  It teacheth lamentation and moaning to the nightingales warbling upon the bough of remoteness and bereavement, instructeth them in the art of love's ways, and showeth them the secret of heart-surrender.  To the

flowers of the Ridván of heavenly reunion It revealeth the endearments of the impassioned lover, and unveileth the charm of the fair.  Upon the anemones of the garden of love It bestoweth the mysteries of truth, and within the breasts of lovers It entrusteth the symbols of the innermost subtleties.  At this hour, so liberal is the outpouring of Its grace that the holy Spirit itself is envious!  It hath imparted to the drop the waves of the sea, and endowed the mote with the splendour of the sun.  So great are the overflowings of Its bounty that the foulest beetle hath sought the perfume of the musk, and the bat the light of the sun.  It hath quickened the dead with the breath of life, and caused them to speed out of the sepulchres of their mortal bodies.  It hath established the ignorant upon the seats of learning, and elevated the oppressor to the throne of justice.

     The universe is pregnant with these manifold bounties, awaiting the hour when the effects of Its unseen gifts will be made manifest in this world, when the languishing and sore athirst will attain the living Kawtharof their Well-Beloved, and the erring wanderer, lost in the wilds of remoteness and nothingness, will enter the tabernacle of life,

and attain reunion with his heart's desire.  In the soil of whose heart will these holy seeds germinate?  From the garden of whose soul will the blossoms of the invisible realities spring forth?  Verily, I say, so fierce is the blaze of the Bush of love, burning in the Sinai of the heart, that the streaming waters of holy utterance can never quench its flame.  Oceans can never allay this Leviathan's burning thirst, and this Phoenix of the undying fire can abide nowhere save in the glow of the countenance of the Well-Beloved.  Therefore, O brother! kindle with the oil of wisdom the lamp of the spirit within the innermost chamber of thy heart, and guard it with the globe of understanding, that the breath of the infidel may extinguish not its flame nor dim its brightness.  Thus have We illuminated the heavens of utterance with the splendours of the Sun of divine wisdom and understanding, that thy heart may find peace, that thou mayest be of those who, on the wings of certitude, have soared unto the heaven of the love of their Lord, the All-Merciful.

     And now, concerning His words: "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven."  By these words it is meant that when the sun of

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

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

who announced throughout the land the coming of Abraham.

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

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

     These Magi said: "Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east and are come to worship Him!"¹  When they had searched, they found out that in Bethlehem, in the land of Judea, the Child had been born.  This was the sign that was manifested in the visible heaven.  As to the sign in the invisible heaven — the heaven of divine knowledge and understanding — it was Yahyá, son of Zachariah, who gave unto the people the tidings of the Manifestation of Jesus.  Even as He hath revealed: "God announceth Yahyá to thee, who shall bear witness unto the Word from God, and a great one and chaste."²  By the term  "Word" is meant Jesus, Whose coming Yahyá foretold.  Moreover, in the heavenly Scriptures it is written: "John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and

x 1 Matthew 2:2. 2 Qur'án 3:39. x

saying, Repent ye: for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand."¹  By John is meant Yahyá.

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

     And now concerning this wondrous and most exalted Cause.  Know thou verily that many an astronomer hath announced the appearance of its star in the visible heaven.  Likewise, there appeared on earth Ahmad and Kázím,² those twin resplendent lights — may God sanctify their resting-place!

x 1 Matthew 3:1-2. 2 Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsá'í and Siyyid Kázim-i-Rashtí. x

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

     And now, with reference to His words: "And then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."  These words signify that in those days men will lament the loss of the Sun of the divine beauty, of the Moon of knowledge, and of the Stars of divine wisdom.  Thereupon, they will behold the countenance of the promised One, the adored Beauty, descending from heaven and riding upon the clouds.  By this is meant that the divine Beauty will be made manifest from the heaven of the will of God,

and will appear in the form of the human temple.  The term  "heaven" denoteth loftiness and exaltation, inasmuch as it is the seat of the revelation of those Manifestations of Holiness, the Day-springs of ancient glory.  These ancient Beings, though delivered from the womb of their mother, have in reality descended from the heaven of the will of God.  Though they be dwelling on this earth, yet their true habitations are the retreats of glory in the realms above.  Whilst walking amongst mortals, they soar in the heaven of the divine presence.  Without feet they tread the path of the spirit, and without wings they rise unto the exalted heights of divine unity.  With every fleeting breath they cover the immensity of space, and at every moment traverse the kingdoms of the visible and the invisible.  Upon their thrones is written: "Nothing whatsoever keepeth Him from being occupied with any other thing;" and on their seats is inscribed: "Verily, His ways differ every day."¹  They are sent forth through the transcendent power of the Ancient of Days, and are raised up by the exalted will of God, the most mighty King.  This is what is meant by the words: "coming in the clouds of heaven."

x 1 Qur'án 55:29. x

     In the utterances of the divine Luminaries the term "heaven" hath been applied to many and divers things; such as the "heaven of Command," the "heaven of Will," the "heaven of the divine Purpose," the "heaven of divine Knowledge," the "heaven of Certitude," the "heaven of Utterance," the "heaven of Revelation," the "heaven of Concealment," and the like.  In every instance, He hath given the term "heaven" a special meaning, the significance of which is revealed to none save those that have been initiated into the divine mysteries, and have drunk from the chalice of immortal life.  For example, He saith: "The heaven hath sustenance for you, and it containeth that which you are promised;"¹  whereas it is the earth that yieldeth such sustenance.  Likewise, it hath been said: "The names come down from heaven;" whereas they proceed out of the mouth of men.  Wert thou to cleanse the mirror of thy heart from the dust of malice, thou wouldst apprehend the meaning of the symbolic terms revealed by the all-embracing Word of God made manifest in every Dispensation, and wouldst discover the mysteries of divine knowledge.  Not, however, until thou consumest with the flame of utter detachment those veils of

x 1 Qur'án 51:22. x

idle learning, that are current amongst men, canst thou behold the resplendent morn of true knowledge.

     Know verily that Knowledge is of two kinds: Divine and Satanic.  The one welleth out from the fountain of divine inspiration; the other is but a reflection of vain and obscure thoughts.  The source of the former is God Himself; the motive-force of the latter the whisperings of selfish desire.  The one is guided by the principle: "Fear ye God; God will teach you;"¹ the other is but a confirmation of the truth: "Knowledge is the most grievous veil between man and his Creator."  The former bringeth forth the fruit of patience, of longing desire, of true understanding, and love; whilst the latter can yield naught but arrogance, vainglory and conceit. From the sayings of those Masters of holy utterance, Who have expounded the meaning of true knowledge, the odour of these dark teachings, which have obscured the world, can in no wise be detected.  The tree of such teachings can yield no result except iniquity and rebellion, and beareth no fruit but hatred and envy.  Its fruit is deadly poison; its shadow a consuming fire.  How well hath it been said: "Cling unto the robe of the Desire of

x 1 Qur'án 2:282. x

thy heart, and put thou away all shame; bid the worldlywise be gone, however great their name."

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

     We have digressed from the purpose of Our argument, although whatsoever is mentioned serveth only to confirm Our purpose.  By God! however great Our desire to be brief, yet We feel We cannot restrain Our pen.  Notwithstanding all that We have mentioned, how innumerable are the pearls which have remained unpierced in the shell of Our heart!  How many the húrís of inner meaning that are as yet concealed within the chambers of divine wisdom!  None hath yet approached

them; — húrís, "whom no man nor spirit hath touched before."¹  Notwithstanding all that hath been said, it seemeth as if not one letter of Our purpose hath been uttered, nor a single sign divulged concerning Our object.  When will a faithful seeker be found who will don the garb of pilgrimage, attain the Ka'bih of the heart's desire, and, without ear or tongue, discover the mysteries of divine utterance?

     By these luminous, these conclusive, and lucid statements, the meaning of "heaven" in the aforementioned verse hath thus been made clear and evident.  And now regarding His words, that the Son of man shall "come in the clouds of heaven."  By the term "clouds" is meant those things that are contrary to the ways and desires of men.  Even as He hath revealed in the verse already quoted: "As oft as an Apostle cometh unto you with that which your souls desire not, ye swell with pride, accusing some of being impostors and slaying others."²  These "clouds" signify, in one sense, the annulment of laws, the abrogation of former Dispensations, the repeal of rituals and customs current

x 1 Qur'án 55:56. 2 Qur'án 2:87. x

amongst men, the exalting of the illiterate faithful above the learned opposers of the Faith.  In another sense, they mean the appearance of that immortal Beauty in the image of mortal man, with such human limitations as eating and drinking, poverty and riches, glory and abasement, sleeping and waking, and such other things as cast doubt in the minds of men, and cause them to turn away.  All such veils are symbolically referred to as "clouds."

     These are the "clouds" that cause the heavens of the knowledge and understanding of all that dwell on earth to be cloven asunder.  Even as He hath revealed: "On that day shall the heaven be cloven by the clouds."¹  Even as the clouds prevent the eyes of men from beholding the sun, so do these things hinder the souls of men from recognizing the light of the divine Luminary.  To this beareth witness that which hath proceeded out of the mouth of the unbelievers as revealed in the sacred Book: "And they have said: `What manner of apostle is this?  He eateth food, and walketh the streets.  Unless an angel be sent down and take part in His warnings, we will not believe.'"² Other

x 1 Qur'án 25:25. 2 Qur'án 25:7. x

Prophets, similarly, have been subject to poverty and afflictions, to hunger, and to the ills and chances of this world.  As these holy Persons were subject to such needs and wants, the people were, consequently, lost in the wilds of misgivings and doubts, and were afflicted with bewilderment and perplexity.  How, they wondered, could such a person be sent down from God, assert His ascendancy over all the peoples and kindreds of the earth, and claim Himself to be the goal of all creation, — even as He hath said: "But for Thee, I would not have created all that are in heaven and on earth," — and yet be subject to such trivial things?  You must undoubtedly have been informed of the tribulations, the poverty, the ills, and the degradation that have befallen every Prophet of God and His companions.  You must have heard how the heads of their followers were sent as presents unto different cities, how grievously they were hindered from that whereunto they were commanded.  Each and every one of them fell a prey to the hands of the enemies of His Cause, and had to suffer whatsoever they decreed.

     It is evident that the changes brought about in every Dispensation constitute the dark clouds that

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

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

     Gracious God!  Notwithstanding the warning which, in marvelously symbolic language and subtle allusions, hath been uttered in days past, and which was intended to awaken the peoples of the world and to prevent them from being deprived of their share of the billowing ocean of God's grace, yet such things as have already been witnessed have come to pass!  Reference to these things hath also been made in the Qur'án, as witnessed by this verse: "What can such expect but that God should come down to them overshadowed with clouds?"¹

x 1 Qur'án 2:210. x

     A number of the divines, who hold firmly to the letter of the Word of God, have come to regard this verse as one of the signs of that expected resurrection which is born of their idle fancy.  This, notwithstanding the fact that similar references have been made in most of the heavenly Books, and have been recorded in all the passages connected with the signs of the coming Manifestation.

     Likewise, He saith: "On the day when the heaven shall give out a palpable smoke, which shall enshroud mankind: this will be an afflictive torment."¹  The All-Glorious hath decreed these very things, that are contrary to the desires of wicked men, to be the touchstone and standard whereby He proveth His servants, that the just may be known from the wicked, and the faithful distinguished from the infidel.  The symbolic term "smoke" denotes grave dissensions, the abrogation and demolition of recognized standards, and the utter destruction of their narrow-minded exponents.  What smoke more dense and overpowering than the one which hath now enshrouded all the peoples of the world, which hath become a torment

x 1 Qur'án 44:10. x

unto them, and from which they hopelessly fail to deliver themselves, however much they strive?  So fierce is this fire of self burning within them, that at every moment they seem to be afflicted with fresh torments.  The more they are told that this wondrous Cause of God, this Revelation from the Most High, hath been made manifest to all mankind, and is waxing greater and stronger every day, the fiercer groweth the blaze of the fire in their hearts.  The more they observe the indomitable strength, the sublime renunciation, the unwavering constancy of God's holy companions, who, by the aid of God, are growing nobler and more glorious every day, the deeper the dismay which ravageth their souls.  In these days, praise be to God, the power of His Word hath obtained such ascendancy over men, that they dare breathe no word.  Were they to encounter one of the companions of God who, if he could, would, freely and joyously, offer up ten thousand lives as a sacrifice for his Beloved, so great would be their fear, that they forthwith would profess their faith in Him, whilst privily they would vilify and execrate His name!  Even as He hath revealed: "And when they meet you, they say, `We believe'; but when they are apart, they bite their fingers' ends at you, out of wrath.  Say:

`Die in your wrath!'  God truly knoweth the very recesses of your breasts."¹

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

     And now, concerning His words: "And He shall send His angels...."  By "angels" is meant those who, reinforced by the power of the spirit, have

x 1 Qur'án 3:119. x

consumed, with the fire of the love of God, all human traits and limitations, and have clothed themselves with the attributes of the most exalted Beings and of the Cherubim.  That holy man, Sadíq,¹ in his eulogy of the Cherubim, saith: "There stand a company of our fellow-Shí'ihs behind the Throne." Divers and manifold are the interpretations of the words "behind the Throne."  In one sense, they indicate that no true Shí'ihs exist.  Even as he hath said in another passage: "A true believer is likened unto the philosopher's stone."  Addressing subsequently his listener, he saith: "Hast thou ever seen the philosopher's stone?"  Reflect, how this symbolic language, more eloquent than any speech, however direct, testifieth to the non-existence of a true believer.  Such is the testimony of Sádiq.  And now consider, how unfair and numerous are those who, although they themselves have failed to inhale the fragrance of belief, have condemned as infidels those by whose word belief itself is recognized and established.

     And now, inasmuch as these holy beings have sanctified themselves from every human limitation, have become endowed with the attributes of the

x 1 The sixth Imám of the Shí'ihs. x

spiritual, and have been adorned with the noble traits of the blessed, they therefore have been designated as "angels."  Such is the meaning of these verses, every word of which hath been expounded by the aid of the most lucid texts, the most convincing arguments, and the best established evidences.

    As the adherents of Jesus have never understood the hidden meaning of these words, and as the signs which they and the leaders of their Faith have expected have failed to appear, they therefore refused to acknowledge, even until now, the truth of those Manifestations of Holiness that have since the days of Jesus been made manifest.  They have thus deprived themselves of the outpourings of God's holy grace, and of the wonders of His divine utterance.  Such is their low estate in this, the Day of Resurrection!  They have even failed to perceive that were the signs of the Manifestation of God in every age to appear in the visible realm in accordance with the text of established traditions, none could possibly deny or turn away, nor would the blessed be distinguished from the miserable, and the transgressor from the God-fearing.  Judge fairly: Were the prophecies recorded in the

Gospel to be literally fulfilled; were Jesus, Son of Mary, accompanied by angels, to descend from the visible heaven upon the clouds; who would dare to disbelieve, who would dare to reject the truth, and wax disdainful?  Nay, such consternation would immediately seize all the dwellers of the earth that no soul would feel able to utter a word, much less to reject or accept the truth.  It was owing to their misunderstanding of these truths that many a Christian divine hath objected to Muhammad, and voiced his protest in such words: "If Thou art in truth the promised Prophet, why then art Thou not accompanied by those angels our sacred Books foretold, and which must needs descend with the promised Beauty to assist Him in His Revelation and act as warners unto His people?"  Even as the All-Glorious hath recorded their statement: "Why hath not an angel been sent down to him, so that he should have been a warner with Him?"¹

     Such objections and differences have persisted in every age and century.  The people have always busied themselves with such specious discourses, vainly protesting: "Wherefore hath not this or that sign appeared?"  Such ills befell them only because

x 1 Qur'án 25:7. x

they have clung to the ways of the divines of the age in which they lived, and blindly imitated them in accepting or denying these Essences of Detachment, these holy and divine Beings.  These leaders, owing to their immersion in selfish desires, and their pursuit of transitory and sordid things, have regarded these divine Luminaries as being opposed to the standards of their knowledge and understanding, and the opponents of their ways and judgments.  As they have literally interpreted the Word of God, and the sayings and traditions of the Letters of Unity, and expounded them according to their own deficient understanding, they have therefore deprived themselves and all their people of the bountiful showers of the grace and mercies of God.  And yet they bear witness to this well-known tradition: "Verily Our Word is abstruse, bewilderingly abstruse."  In another instance, it is said: "Our Cause is sorely trying, highly perplexing; none can bear it except a favorite of heaven, or an inspired Prophet, or he whose faith God hath tested."  These leaders of religion admit that none of these three specified conditions is applicable to them.  The first two conditions are manifestly beyond their reach; as to the third, it is evident that at no time have they been proof against

those tests that have been sent by God, and that when the divine Touchstone appeared, they have shown themselves to be naught but dross.

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

    Were they to be questioned concerning those signs that must needs herald the revelation and rise of the sun of the Muhammadan Dispensation, to which We have already referred, none of which

have been literally fulfilled, and were it to be said to them: "Wherefore have ye rejected the claims advanced by Christians and the peoples of other faiths and regard them as infidels," knowing not what answer to give, they will reply: "These Books have been corrupted and are not, and never have been, of God."  Reflect: the words of the verses themselves eloquently testify to the truth that they are of God.  A similar verse hath been also revealed in the Qur'án, were ye of them that comprehend.  Verily I say, throughout all this period they have utterly failed to comprehend what is meant by corrupting the text.

     Yea, in the writings and utterances of the Mirrors reflecting the sun of the Muhammadan Dispensation mention hath been made of "Modification by the exalted beings" and "alteration by the disdainful."  Such passages, however, refer only to particular cases.  Among them is the story of Ibn-i-Súríyá.  When the people of Khaybar asked the focal center of the Muhammadan Revelation concerning the penalty of adultery committed between a married man and a married woman, Muhammad answered and said: "The law of God is death by stoning."  Whereupon they protested saying:

"No such law hath been revealed in the Pentateuch." Muhammad answered and said: "Whom do ye regard among your rabbis as being a recognized authority and having a sure knowledge of the truth?"  They agreed upon Ibn-i-Súríyá.  Thereupon Muhammad summoned him and said: "I adjure thee by God Who clove the sea for you, caused manna to descend upon you, and the cloud to overshadow you, Who delivered you from Pharaoh and his people, and exalted you above all human beings, to tell us what Moses hath decreed concerning adultery between a married man and a married woman."  He made reply: "O Muhammad! death by stoning is the law." Muhammad observed: "Why is it then that this law is annulled and hath ceased to operate among the Jews?"  He answered and said: "When Nebuchadnezzar delivered Jerusalem to the flames, and put the Jews to death, only a few survived.  The divines of that age, considering the extremely limited number of the Jews, and the multitude of the Amalekites, took counsel together, and came to the conclusion that were they to enforce the law of the Pentateuch, every survivor who hath been delivered from the hand of Nebuchadnezzar would have to be put to death according to the verdict of the Book.  Owing

to such considerations, they totally repealed the penalty of death."  Meanwhile Gabriel inspired Muhammad's illumined heart with these words:  "They pervert the text of the Word of God."¹

     This is one of the instances that have been referred to.  Verily by  "perverting" the text is not meant that which these foolish and abject souls have fancied, even as some maintain that Jewish and Christian divines have effaced from the Book such verses as extol and magnify the countenance of Muhammad, and instead thereof have inserted the contrary.  How utterly vain and false are these words!  Can a man who believeth in a book, and deemeth it to be inspired by God, mutilate it?  Moreover, the Pentateuch had been spread over the surface of the earth, and was not confined to Mecca and Medina, so that they could privily corrupt and pervert its text.  Nay, rather, by corruption of the text is meant that in which all Muslim divines are engaged today, that is the interpretation of God's holy Book in accordance with their idle imaginings and vain desires.  And as the Jews, in the time of Muhammad, interpreted those verses of the Pentateuch, that referred to His Manifestation,

x 1 Qur'án 4:45. x

after their own fancy, and refused to be satisfied with His holy utterance, the charge of "perverting" the text was therefore pronounced against them.  Likewise, it is clear, how in this day, the people of the Qur'án have perverted the text of God's holy Book, concerning the signs of the expected Manifestation, and interpreted it according to their inclination and desires.

     In yet another instance, He saith: "A part of them heard the Word of God, and then, after they had understood it, distorted it, and knew that they did so."¹  This verse, too, doth indicate that the meaning of the Word of God hath been perverted, not that the actual words have been effaced.  To the truth of this testify they that are sound of mind.

     Again in another instance, He saith: "Woe unto those who, with their own hands, transcribe the Book corruptly, and then say: `This is from God,' that they may sell it for some mean price."²  This verse was revealed with reference to the divines and leaders of the Jewish Faith.  These divines, in order to please the rich, acquire worldly emoluments, and give vent to their envy and misbelief,

x 1 Qur'án 2:75. 2 Qur'án 2:79. x

wrote a number of treatises, refuting the claims of Muhammad, supporting their arguments with such evidences as it would be improper to mention, and claimed that these arguments were derived from the text of the Pentateuch.

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

     Our purpose in relating these things is to warn you that were they to maintain that those verses wherein the signs referred to in the Gospel are mentioned have been perverted, were they to reject them, and cling instead to other verses and traditions, you should know that their words were utter falsehood and sheer calumny.  Yea "corruption" of the text, in the sense We have referred to, hath been actually effected in particular instances.  A few of these We have mentioned, that it may become manifest to every discerning observer that unto a few untutored holy Men hath been given the mastery of human learning, so that the malevolent

opposer may cease to contend that a certain verse doth indicate "corruption" of the text, and insinuate that We, through lack of knowledge, have made mention of such things.  Moreover, most of the verses that indicate "corruption" of the text have been revealed with reference to the Jewish people, were ye to explore the isles of Qur'ánic Revelation.

     We have also heard a number of the foolish of the earth assert that the genuine text of the heavenly Gospel doth not exist amongst the Christians, that it hath ascended unto heaven.  How grievously they have erred!  How oblivious of the fact that such a statement imputeth the gravest injustice and tyranny to a gracious and loving Providence!  How could God, when once the Day-star of the beauty of Jesus had disappeared from the sight of His people, and ascended unto the fourth heaven, cause His holy Book, His most great testimony amongst His creatures, to disappear also?  What would be left to that people to cling to from the setting of the day-star of Jesus until the rise of the sun of the Muhammadan Dispensation?  What law could be their stay and guide?  How could such people be made the victims of the avenging wrath of God,

the omnipotent Avenger?  How could they be afflicted with the scourge of chastisement by the heavenly King?  Above all, how could the flow of the grace of the All-Bountiful be stayed?  How could the ocean of His tender mercies be stilled?  We take refuge with God, from that which His creatures have fancied about Him!  Exalted is He above their comprehension!

     Dear friend!  Now when the light of God's everlasting Morn is breaking; when the radiance of His holy words: "God is the light of the heavens and of the earth"¹ is shedding illumination upon all mankind; when the inviolability of His tabernacle is being proclaimed by His sacred utterance: "God hath willed to perfect His light;"² and the Hand of omnipotence, bearing His testimony: "In His grasp He holdeth the kingdom of all things," is being outstretched unto all the peoples and kindreds of the earth; it behooveth us to gird up the loins of endeavour, that haply, by the grace and bounty of God, we may enter the celestial City: "Verily, we are God's," and abide within the exalted habitation: "And unto Him we do return."

x 1 Qur'án 24:35. 2 Qur'án 9:33. x

     It is incumbent upon thee, by the permission of God, to cleanse the eye of thine heart from the things of the world, that thou mayest realize the infinitude of divine knowledge, and mayest behold Truth so clearly that thou wilt need no proof to demonstrate His reality, nor any evidence to bear witness unto His testimony.

     O affectionate seeker!  Shouldst thou soar in the holy realm of the spirit, thou wouldst recognize God manifest and exalted above all things, in such wise that thine eyes would behold none else but Him.  "God was alone; there was none else besides Him."  So lofty is this station that no testimony can bear it witness, neither evidence do justice to its truth.  Wert thou to explore the sacred domain of truth, thou wilt find that all things are known only by the light of His recognition, that He hath ever been, and will continue for ever to be, known through Himself.  And if thou dwellest in the land of testimony, content thyself with that which He, Himself, hath revealed: "Is it not enough for them that We have sent down unto Thee the Book?"¹  This is the testimony which He, Himself, hath ordained; greater proof than this

x 1 Qur'án 29:51 x

there is none, nor ever will be: "This proof is His Word; His own Self, the testimony of His truth."

     And now, We beseech the people of the Bayán, all the learned, the sages, the divines, and witnesses amongst them, not to forget the wishes and admonitions revealed in their Book.  Let them, at all times, fix their gaze upon the essentials of His Cause, lest when He, Who is the Quintessence of truth, the inmost Reality of all things, the Source of all light, is made manifest, they cling unto certain passages of the Book, and inflict upon Him that which was inflicted in the Dispensation of the Qur'án.  For, verily, powerful is He, the King of divine might, to extinguish with one letter of His wondrous words, the breath of life in the whole of the Bayán and the people thereof, and with one letter bestow upon them a new and everlasting life, and cause them to arise and speed out of the sepulchres of their vain and selfish desires.  Take heed, and be watchful; and remember that all things have their consummation in belief in Him, in attainment unto His day, and in the realization of His divine presence.  "There is no piety in turning your faces toward the east or toward the west,

but he is pious who believeth in God and the Last Day."¹  Give ear, O people of the Bayán, unto the truth whereunto We have admonished you, that haply ye may seek the shelter of the shadow extended, in the Day of God, upon all mankind.

x 1 Qur'án 2:176. x

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