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Chapter 41
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The Manifestations of God -- Independent Prophets and Dependent/Lesser Prophets.
1)
The following passage on the
"station of pure abstraction and essential unity" of the Manifestations
of God includes Muhammad, Adam, Noah, Moses and Jesus, who are
Independent Prophets; and Ali [Imam Ali] and the Imams, who were
Dependent Prophets of Muhammad.
These Manifestations of God have each a twofold station. One is the
station of pure abstraction and essential unity. In this respect, if
thou callest them all by one name, and dost ascribe to them the same
attribute, thou hast not erred from the truth. Even as He hath
revealed: "No distinction do We make between any of His Messengers!"[1]
For they one and all summon the people of the earth to acknowledge the
Unity of God, and herald unto them the Kawthar of an infinite grace and
bounty. They are all invested with the robe of Prophethood, and
honoured with the mantle of glory. Thus hath Muhammad, the Point of the
Qur'án, revealed: "I am all the Prophets." Likewise, He saith: "I am
the first Adam, Noah, Moses, and Jesus." Similar statements have been
made by Ali [Imam Ali]. Sayings such as this, which indicate the essential unity
of those Exponents of Oneness, have also emanated from the Channels of
God's immortal utterance, and the Treasuries of the gems of divine
knowledge, and have been recorded in the scriptures. These Countenances
are the recipients of the Divine Command, and the day-springs of His
Revelation. This Revelation is exalted above the veils of plurality and
the exigencies of number. Thus He saith: "Our Cause is but one."[2]
Inasmuch as the Cause is one and the same, the Exponents thereof also
must needs be one and the same. Likewise, the Imams of the Muhammadan
Faith, those lamps of certitude, have said: "Muhammad is our first,
Muhammad our last, Muhammad our all."
[1 Qur'án 2:285.]
[2 Qur'án 54:50.]
-- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 152
I shall restate here My theme, that perchance this may assist thee in
recognizing thy Creator. Know thou that God - exalted and glorified be
He - doth in no wise manifest His inmost Essence and Reality. From time
immemorial He hath been veiled in the eternity of His Essence and
concealed in the infinitude of His own Being. And when He purposed to
manifest His beauty in the kingdom of names and to reveal His glory in
the realm of attributes, He brought forth His Prophets from the invisible plane to the visible, that His name "the Manifest" might be distinguished from "the Hidden" and
His name "the Last" might be discerned from "the First", and that there
may be fulfilled the words: "He is the First and the Last; the
Seen and the Hidden; and He knoweth all things!" Thus hath He revealed
these most excellent names and most exalted words in the Manifestations of His Self and the Mirrors of His Being.
-- Baha'u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 33
2)
His chosen Ones (the Independent Prophets and the Dependent/Lesser Prophets) are Manifestations of God, are the Face of God. For example, Muhammad and the Holy Imams are named God's Chosen Ones in the writings of Baha'u'llah.
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.
-- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 4
3)
In the following passage, Imam
Ali, the first Dependent Prophet in the era of Muhammad states, "In truth My recognition in luminousness is the recognition of
God", as he is a Manifestation of God. He also states, "Muhammad is our first, Muhammad our last, Muhammad our all" which Baha'u'llah cites in the Kitab-i-Iqan (passage #1 above) when explaining the "station of pure abstraction and essential unity" of the Manifestations
of God, which includes the Holy Imams.
He whose acceptance of my guardianship is based on external reality
more than internal truth, he is that one "whose balance will be Light"
[Qur'an 7:9] Those whose scale will be light, will be their souls in
perdition [Qur'an 23:103 and 101:8]. Salman! The faith of no believer
will attain perfection unless and until he recognizes me with
luminousness. If he attains this then he has truly attained faith whose
heart is tested with true faith and whose chest is dilated in true
Islam whose faith is based on discernment. He who is convicted of
shortcoming in this cognition he will be a doubter immersed in
disbelief.
O Salman! And O Jandab [Abu Dharr]! In truth My recognition in luminousness is the recognition of God
[Ma'rifat Allah] and Recognition and knowledge of God is indeed my
knowledge and this is what is meant by sincere devotion/pure religion
[ad-Deen al Khaalis, Qur'an 39:3]...
Salman! We are the Mystery of God [Sirru'llah] that shall not remain
hidden. We are His light that shall never be extinguished, His Grace
that is not to be expected from any one but Him. Muhammad is our first, Muhammad our last, Muhammad our all.
Muhammad is our first, Muhammad
our last, Muhammad our all. He who recognises us in this regard has
consummated the Faith in truth.
-- Imam Ali, Sermon of Ma'rifat bin-Nuraaniyyat (Recognition with Luminousness) -- translation by K. Fananapazir.
4)
In the following passage, Imam
Ali, it states, "We are the Face of God", as the Holy Imams are Manifestations
of God. Following it are some related passages.
The Commander of the Faithful (Imam Ali) hath said: "I am He Who can
neither be named, nor described." And likewise He hath said: "Outwardly
I am an Imam; inwardly I am the Unseen, the Unknowable [the Manifestation of God]."
Abu-Ja'far-i-Tusi hath said: "I said to Abi Abdi'llah: 'You are the Way
mentioned in the Book of God, and you are the Impost, and you are the
Pilgrimage.' He replied: 'O man! We are the Way mentioned in the Book
of God, -- exalted and glorified be He -- and We are the Impost, and We
are the Fast, and We are the Pilgrimage, and We are the Sacred Month,
and We are the Sacred City, and We are the Kaaba of God, and We are the
Qiblih of God, and We are the Face of God.'"
-- Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 112
The epitome of the discourse is that the Reality of Christ was a clear
mirror, and the Sun of Reality -- that is to say, the Essence of
Oneness, with its infinite perfections and attributes -- became visible
in the mirror. The meaning is not that the Sun, which is the Essence of
the Divinity, became divided and multiplied -- for the Sun is one --
but it appeared in the mirror. This is why Christ said, "The Father is
in the Son," meaning that the Sun is visible and manifest in this
mirror.
-- Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 114
I am the Christ who heals the blind and the lepers, who creates the
birds and disperses the storm-clouds. I am he and he is I. Indeed,
Christ is the establisher of the truth, he is the king of this world
and of the hereafter. Jesus the Son of Mary is from me and I am from
him. He is the supreme Word of God [Independent Prophet].
-- Imam Ali (Ja’far ibn Mansur al-Yaman, Kitab al-Kashf). Translator unknown.
Know then that when Muhammad, the Point of the Qur'án and the Light of
the All-Glorious, came with perspicuous verses and luminous proofs
manifested in such signs as are beyond the power of all existence to
produce, He bade all men follow this lofty and outstretched Path in
accordance with the precepts that He had brought from God. Whoso
acknowledged Him, recognized the signs of God in His inmost Being, and
saw in His beauty the changeless beauty of God, the decree of
"resurrection", "ingathering", "life", and "paradise" was passed upon
him. For he who had believed in God and in the Manifestation of His
beauty was raised from the grave of heedlessness, gathered together in
the sacred ground of the heart, quickened to the life of faith and
certitude, and admitted into the paradise of the divine presence. What
paradise can be loftier than this, what ingathering mightier, and what
resurrection greater? Indeed, should a soul be acquainted with these
mysteries, he would grasp that which none other hath fathomed.
-- Baha'u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 43
5)
In the following passage, David,
a Dependent/Lesser Prophet in the era of Moses, is named as one of
the Manifestations of God. Jesus is also named as a Manifestation of God
(an Independent Prophet).
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.
--Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 51
6)
The Imamate (the Holy Imams) are the Proof of God (i.e. Manifestations of God, Dependent/Lesser Prophets of Muhammad).
No doubt is there that obedience is unacceptable except through
obedience to the Proof of God. Had that not been so, then the deeds of
them that showed enmity towards the People of the House [the Family of Muhammad, the Holy Imams]
would have been mentioned before God, whereas in this day, all decree
that none should worship them, nor have their deeds borne any fruit. In
this way, the non- Shi'is today act in accordance with the decrees of
the Qur'án, whereas, since they have turned aside from the Imamate
(vilayat), these deeds are worthless in the sight of God.
-- The Bab, The Persian Bayan
7)
The following passage about the
suffering and martyrdom of different Prophets when viewed from the
"station of pure abstraction and essential unity" of the Manifestations
of God (explained in passage #1 above), indicates Imam Husayn was a Manifestation of God (the third
Dependent Prophet in the era of Muhammad), the one who was
martyred in Karbila.
XXXIX. Praise be to Thee, O Lord My God, for the wondrous revelations
of Thy inscrutable decree and the manifold woes and trials Thou hast
destined for Myself. At one time Thou didst deliver Me into the hands
of Nimrod [Abraham]; at another Thou hast allowed Pharaoh's rod to persecute Me [Moses]..... Again I was crucified for having unveiled to men's eyes the hidden gems of Thy glorious unity [Jesus],
for having revealed to them the wondrous signs of Thy sovereign and
everlasting power. How bitter the humiliations heaped upon Me, in a
subsequent age, on the plain of Kárbilá! [Imam Husayn]
How lonely did I feel amidst Thy people! To what a state of
helplessness I was reduced in that land! Unsatisfied with such
indignities, My persecutors decapitated Me, and, carrying aloft My head
from land to land paraded it before the gaze of the unbelieving
multitude, and deposited it on the seats of the perverse and faithless.
In a later age, I was suspended, and My breast was made a target to the
darts of the malicious cruelty of My foes. My limbs were riddled with
bullets, and My body was torn asunder [The Bab].
Finally, behold how, in this Day, My treacherous enemies have leagued
themselves against Me, and are continually plotting to instill the
venom of hate and malice into the souls of Thy servants [Baha'u'llah].
With all their might they are scheming to accomplish their purpose..
Grievous as is My plight, O God, My Well-Beloved, I render thanks unto
Thee, and My Spirit is grateful for whatsoever hath befallen me in the
path of Thy good-pleasure. I am well pleased with that which Thou didst
ordain for Me, and welcome, however calamitous, the pains and sorrows I
am made to suffer.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 88-90
8)
In the following passage, imamat
(the Holy Imams) are named as Manifestations of God.
At this time the breeze of God is wafted and the spirit of God hath
surrounded. The pen is withheld from motion and the tongue hath ceased
utterance. Briefly: In this station the declaration of divinity and the
like have appeared from them, while in the station of messengership
they have declared prophethood. Likewise in every station they have
made a declaration expedient thereto and have attributed all these to
themselves; (declarations) concerning the world of command, the world
of creation, the worlds of divinity, and the worlds of phenomena.
Therefore whatever they may say and claim, including divinity, deity,
prophethood, messengership, successorship, imamat or servitude is true
and without doubt. Consequently these proven statements should be
reflected upon, that no one may be overtaken in the sayings of the
Manifestations of the Invisible and Dawning-places of Holiness.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Bahá'í scriptures, p. 48
9)
All Prophets (i.e. both
Independent Prophets and Dependent/Lesser Prophets) are Manifestations of God,
and are seated on the same throne. In the next passage, Bahá'u'lláh
(the Ancient Beauty) states that he rules on the throne of David, as
both Baha'u'llah and David are Manifestations of God. Further below it says, "he [Jesus] will be seated on the throne of David", as both Jesus and David are Manifestations of God.
It is clear and evident to thee that all the Prophets are the Temples
of the Cause of God, Who have appeared clothed in divers attire. If
thou wilt observe with discriminating eyes, thou wilt behold them all
abiding in the same tabernacle, soaring in the same heaven, seated upon
the same throne, uttering the same speech, and proclaiming the same
Faith. Such is the unity of those Essences of being, those Luminaries
of infinite and immeasurable splendour. Wherefore, should one of these
Manifestations of Holiness proclaim saying: "I am the return of all the
Prophets," He verily speaketh the truth. In like manner, in every
subsequent Revelation, the return of the former Revelation is a fact,
the truth of which is firmly established. Inasmuch as the return of the
Prophets of God, as attested by verses and traditions, hath been
conclusively demonstrated, the return of their chosen ones also is
therefore definitely proven. This return is too manifest in itself to
require any evidence or proof.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 153
The Most Great Law is come, and the Ancient Beauty ruleth upon the throne of David. Thus hath My Pen spoken that which the histories of
bygone ages have related.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Proclamation of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 89
It was prophesised -- he [Jesus] will be seated on the throne of David;
behold this man has not so much as a mat whereon to sit... The Jews
were blind to reality. The real Christ came from the city of light in
the eternal realms Christ is a king. His shepherd's staff, that is, his
tongue, was a sword dividing the true from the false. The throne of David is not a material throne but an eternal kingdom.
Christ re-established this kingdom; it has been forgotten. Christ
conquered the east and the west. This means a spiritual victory, not a
material one.
-- Abdu'l-Baha, Divine Philosophy, p. 35
The centers of progress for each age are the manifestations of God as seen in his prophets.
In whatever country or at whatever time they appear, they are the focus
of the creational day - for as the sun in the material heaven develops
the material beings, so do these spiritual suns develop the world of
minds and souls.
-- Abdu'l-Baha, Divine Philosophy, p. 58
10)
In the passage below, Imam Ali,
the first Dependent Prophet of Muhammad, is named a Temple,
and is the first of the angels referred to in Qur'án 2:210: "Will they
wait until Allah comes to them in canopies of clouds, with angels (in
His train)." "angels (in His train)" refers to the Holy Imams who appeared in succession after Muhammad, as his successors. "Allah comes to them" is also a reference to the fact that the Holy Imams are Manifestations of God (Dependent Prophets of Muhammad, one of the two classes of Prophets). Those
who rejected Imam Ali ("He came down in the clouds of Revelation in the
Temple of 'Ali"), a Manifestation of God, brought their own perdition.
Say I swear by God! They to whom you attribute knowledge and have
accepted them as your divines they are in the sight of God the worst of
men nay the quintessence of evil flees from them. Thus has the matter
been inscribed in the scrolls of God's knowledge. We testify that they
have not drunk from the fountains of knowledge and they have not
attained unto a word of Wisdom and have not become aware of the
mysteries of Revelation and have been racing in the land of their
selfish desires. Nothing of rejection and denial against a prophet or a
successor of a prophet has come to pass except after their permission.
Thus has always been their injunction carried out on the Countenances
of holiness.
Say to them: O ignorant ones! Did We not reveal in the past: "A Day
that God shall come in the canopies of clouds."[4] How is it that when
He came down in the clouds of Revelation in the Temple of 'Ali [Imam
Ali], you turned away and rejected Him and waxed haughty and brought
about your own perdition?[5] Was it not also revealed in your Book:
" the Day when Thy Lord comes or certain of the signs of Thy Lord."[6]
And when He did come with evident signs wherefore did ye turn away from
those signs and veiled yourselves with the veils of self?..
[4] Qur'án 2:210.
-- Baha'u'llah, Surih-i-Sabr (Lawh-i-Ayyúb), Surih of Patience or Tablet of Job -- (translation by K. Fananapazir)
2:208. O ye who believe! enter into Islam whole-heartedly; and follow
not the footsteps of the Evil One; for he is to you an avowed enemy.
2:209. If ye backslide after the clear (signs) have come to you, then know that Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise.
2:210. Will they wait until Allah comes to them in canopies of clouds,
with angels (in His train) and the question is (thus) settled? But to
Allah do all questions go back (for decision).
2:211. Ask the Children of Israel how many Clear (Signs) We have sent
them. But if anyone, after Allah's favor has come to him, substitutes
(something else), Allah is strict in punishment.
2:212. The life of this world is alluring to those who reject faith,
and they scoff at those who believe. But the righteous will be above
them on the Day of Resurrection; for Allah bestows His abundance
without measures on whom He will.
-- The Qur'an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 2.
The Holy Qur'án hath testified
that true Faith is recognition of divine unity and confession to both
the Prophet [recognition of Muhammad, the pre-existent Independent Prophet, the Manifestation of God] and the Imámate [recognition of the Holy Imams, the pre-existent Dependent/Lesser Prophets of Muhammad, the Manifestations of God]. He who attaineth unto both hath fulfilled
his faith. A true believer is the one who does not reject any matter
pertaining to Us, for God Himself hath dilated His Breast such that He
may accept all. He will not doubt or be mistrustful. He who cavileth
why and wherefore becometh a disbeliever. We are, verily, the Cause of
God![15]
-- Imam Ali, The Sermon of Ma'rifat bin-Nurániyyat (Recognition with Luminousness). Translation by K. Fananapazir.
11)
In the following passage,
Bahá'u'lláh is named as one of the Manifestations (Independent
Prophets) that "possess some perfections which make the other
Manifestations dependent upon Them" -- that is, Bahá'u'lláh has
Dependent/Lesser Prophets who are also Manifestations of God -- the same way
Muhammad had Dependent/Lesser Prophets (the Holy Imams) who were also
Manifestations of God.
Know that the attributes of perfection, the splendor of the divine
bounties, and the lights of inspiration are visible and evident in all
the Holy Manifestations; but the glorious Word of God, Christ, and the
Greatest Name, Bahá'u'lláh, are manifestations and evidences which are
beyond imagination, for They possess all the perfections of the former
Manifestations; and more than that, They possess some perfections which
make the other Manifestations dependent upon Them. So all the Prophets
of Israel were centers of inspiration; Christ also was a receiver of
inspiration, but what a difference between the inspiration of the Word
of God and the revelations of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Elijah!
-- `Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 149-150
12)
In the following passage, húrís
(Brides) of inner meaning, is a symbolic reference to the Dependent
Prophets of Baha'u'llah (more details in section #8 of Chapter 3). The Dependent Prophets of Baha'u'llah are
also referred to as "countenances which are hid within the chambers of
chastity" and "manifestations of Thy Divine holiness" in the next
passage, as they are Manifestations of God.
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 [Brides] 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."
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?
-- Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 70
Lauded be Thy name, O Thou Who art the Goal of my desire! I swear by
Thy glory! How great is my wish to attain unto a detachment so complete
that were there to appear before me those countenances which are hid
within the chambers of chastity, and the beauty of which Thou didst
veil from the eyes of the entire creation, and whose faces Thou didst
sanctify from the sight of all beings, and were they to unveil
themselves in all the glory of the splendors of Thine incomparable
beauty, I would refuse to look upon them, and would behold them solely
for the purpose of discerning the mysteries of Thy handiwork, which
have perplexed the minds of such as have drawn nigh unto Thee, and awed
the souls of all them that have recognized Thee. I would, by Thy power
and Thy might, soar to such heights that nothing whatsoever would have
the power to keep me back from the manifold evidences of Thy
transcendent dominion, nor would any earthly scheme shut me out from
the manifestations of Thy Divine holiness.
-- Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 338
13)
The Bab (the Qá'im), an Independent Prophet, is named as a Manifestation of God. Also, it is stated, "the attribute of sovereignty and
all other names and attributes of God have been and will ever be
vouchsafed unto all the Manifestations of God".
And now, to resume Our argument concerning the question: Why is it that
the sovereignty of the Qá'im, affirmed in the text of recorded
traditions, and handed down by the shining stars of the Muhammadan
Dispensation [the Holy Imams], hath not in the least been made manifest? Nay, the
contrary hath come to pass. Have not His disciples and companions been
afflicted of men? Are they not still the victims of the fierce
opposition of their enemies? Are they not today leading the life of
abased and impotent mortals? Yea, the sovereignty attributed to the
Qá'im and spoken of in the scriptures, is a reality, the truth of which
none can doubt. This sovereignty, however, is not the sovereignty which
the minds of men have falsely imagined. Moreover, the Prophets of old,
each and every one, whenever announcing to the people of their day the
advent of the coming Revelation, have invariably and specifically
referred to that sovereignty with which the promised Manifestation must
needs be invested. This is attested by the records of the scriptures of
the past. This sovereignty hath not been solely and exclusively
attributed to the Qá'im. Nay rather, the attribute of sovereignty and
all other names and attributes of God have been and will ever be
vouchsafed unto all the Manifestations of God, before and after Him,
inasmuch as these Manifestations, as it hath already been explained,
are the Embodiments of the attributes of God, the Invisible, and the
Revealers of the divine mysteries.
-- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 105
14)
In the following passage from the Hidden Words, "My servant", is the Dependent Prophet of
Baha'u'llah, who is also the Face of God (like Baha'u'llah). The
statement "his face is My face" is true when the Manifestations of God
are viewed from the "station of pure abstraction and essential unity"; similar in inner meaning to how the Holy Imams said, "Muhammad is our first, Muhammad our
last, Muhammad our all", which is cited by Baha'u'llah in passage #1 above when explaining the station. "Be then abashed before Me" -- recognise the sovereignty of the Dependent Prophet (who is the Face of God) -- recognise the sovereignty of God. In the passage further below, Imam Ali fortells the coming of the Qá'im (the Bab), and says, "Then shall I show My Face amongst men, and it shall be as luminous as the face of the moon amid the other stars", also identifying himself as the Bab, which is true when the Manifestations of God
are viewed from the "station of pure abstraction and essential unity". The same theme is expressed by Imam Sadiq (the sixth Imam) in the subsequent passage.
30. O SON OF MAN!
Deny not My servant should he ask anything from thee, for his face is My face; be then abashed before Me.
-- Baha'u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words
Take heed lest ye hesitate in recognizing this resplendent Beauty when
once He hath appeared in the plenitude of His sovereign might and
majesty. He, verily, is the True One, and all else besides Him is as
naught before a single one of His servants, and paleth into nothingness
when brought face to face with the revelation of His splendours.
Hasten, then, to attain the living waters of His grace, and be not of
the negligent. As to him who hesitateth, though it be for less than a
moment, God shall verily bring his works to naught and return him to
the seat of wrath; wretched indeed is the abode of them that tarry!
-- Baha'u'llah, Surih of the Temple, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 54
I shall soon depart from amongst you, but be watchful and aware; be on
your guard against the tests and tribulations caused by the 'Ummayyds
and their worldly powers. And after they shall pass away, the kingdom
will revert to the 'Abbasids[11] who will bring both sorrow and
happiness to mankind. And they shall build a city called Baghdád, which
shall be between the Tigris and the Euphrates. Woe betide men in those
latter days, for amongst them will rise the oppressors among My people,
who shall build palaces for themselves and courts and tabernacles. For
they shall seek supremacy through intrigue and impiety. Two score and
two kings shall rule among the children of the 'Abbasids, after whose
reign shall come to pass the Most Great Tribulation on the surface of
the earth. Then shall the True Qá'im rise up once more. Then shall I
show My Face amongst men, and it shall be as luminous as the face of the moon amid the other stars.
-- Imam Ali, Khutbat'ul-Iftikhár (The Sermon of Glorification). Translation by K. Fananapazir.
Full text available at: https://bahai-library.com/imam-ali_khutbat_iftikhar
"Whoso wishes to behold Adam and Seth, behold I am Adam and Seth; whoso
wishes to behold Noah and his son Shem, behold I am Noah and Shem;
whoso wishes to behold Abraham and Ishmael, behold I am Abraham and
Ishmael; whoso wishes to behold Moses and Joshua, behold I am Moses and
Joshua; whoso wishes to behold Jesus and Simon, behold I am Jesus and
Simon."
-- Hadith from Imám Ja'far Al-Sádiq relating to the Twelfth Imám,
quoted in al-Ahsá'í, "Risála fi `l-'Isma wa `l-raj'a," in Jawámi', vol.
1, part 1, p. 85; also quoted idem, Sharh al-ziyára, vol. 3, p. 92, and
the Báb, Dalá'il, pp. 3-4.
15)
In the following passage, "Moon"
(a symbolic term used to refer to a Dependent/Lesser Prophet), is
named a Manifestation of God. In the era of Muhammad, the Holy Imams were Moons.
Amongst the proofs demonstrating the truth of this Revelation is this, that in every age and Dispensation, whenever the invisible Essence was revealed in the person of His Manifestation, certain souls, obscure and detached from all worldly entanglements, would seek illumination from the Sun of Prophethood and Moon of divine guidance, and would attain unto the divine Presence.
For this reason, the divines of the age and those possessed of wealth,
would scorn and scoff at these people. Even as He hath revealed
concerning them that erred: "Then said the chiefs of His people who
believed not, 'We see in Thee but a man like ourselves; and we see not
any who have followed Thee except our meanest ones of hasty judgment,
nor see we any excellence in you above ourselves: nay, we deem you
liars.'"[1] They caviled at those holy Manifestations,
and protested saying: "None hath followed you except the abject amongst
us, those who are worthy of no attention." Their aim was to show that
no one amongst the learned, the wealthy, and the renowned believed in
them. By this and similar proofs they sought to demonstrate the falsity
of Him that speaketh naught but the truth.
[1 Qur'án 11:27.]
-- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 221
Assist Thou Thy servants, O my Lord, to recognize Thy unity and to declare Thy oneness, that all may gather together around what Thou didst desire in this Day whereon the sun of Thine essence [Baha'u'llah] hath shone forth above the horizon of Thy will, and the moon of Thine own being
[Abdu'l-Baha] hath risen from the Day-Spring of Thy behest. Thou art He, O my Lord,
from Whose knowledge nothing whatsoever escapeth, and Whom no one can
frustrate. Thou doest Thy pleasure, by Thy sovereignty that
overshadoweth the worlds.
-- Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 57
Say: Verily, the ocean of pre-existence [Abdu'l-Baha] hath branched forth from this
most great Ocean [Baha'u'llah]. Blessed, therefore, is he who abides upon Its shores,
and is of those who are established thereon. Verily, this most sacred temple of Abha -- the Branch of Holiness hath branched forth from the
Sadratu'l-Muntaha. Blessed is whosoever sought shelter beneath it and
is of those who rest therein.
Say: Verily, the branch of command hath sprung forth from this root
which God hath firmly planted in the ground of the will, the limb of
which has been elevated to a station which encompasses all existence.
Therefore, exalted be He for this creation, the lofty, the blessed, the
inaccessible, the mighty!
O ye people! Draw nigh unto It, and taste the fruits of its knowledge
and wisdom on the part of the mighty, the knowing One. Whosoever will
not taste thereof shall be deprived of the bounty, even though he hath
partaken of all that is in the earth -- were ye of those who know.
Say: Verily a word hath gone forth in favor from the most great Tablet
and God has adorned It with the mantle of Himself, and made it
sovereign over all in the earth and a sign of His grandeur and
omnipotence among the creatures; in order that through it, the people
shall praise their Lord, the mighty, the powerful, the wise; and that,
through it, they shall glorify their creator and sanctify the self of
God which standeth within all things. Verily, this is naught but a
Revelation upon the part of the wise, the ancient One!
Say: O people, praise ye God, for its Manifestation, for verily it is
the most great favor upon you and the most perfect blessing upon you;
and through Him every moldering bone is quickened Whosoever turns to
Him hath surely turned unto God, and who soever turneth away from Him
hath turned away from My beauty denied My proof and is of those who
transgress. Verily, He is the remembrance of God amongst you and His
trust within you, and His manifestation unto you and His appearance
among the servants who are nigh. Thus have I been commanded to convey
to you the message of God, your Creator; and I have delivered to you
that of which I was commanded. Whereupon, thereunto testifieth God,
then His angels, then His messengers, and then His holy servants.
-- Baha'u'llah, The Tablet of the Branch - from BWF
16)
The Surih of the Temple, an important tablet revealed by Baha'u'llah, is another
place where Baha'u'llah refers to His Dependent Prophets, in
addition to other important themes. "Temples" is one of many terms/titles Baha'u'llah applies to Prophets (both Independent Prophets
and Dependent Prophets), who are Manifestations of God (like the Holy Imams); as reflected in the words, "temples of the Oneness of God" in the passage below. "Raise up, then, from this Temple," refers to Baha'u'llah, the Independent Prophet. "the temples of the Oneness of God" refers to the pre-existent Dependent Prophets of Baha'u'llah summoned to appear on earth by him.
1.12
O Pen of the Most High! Hearken unto the Call of Thy Lord, raised from
the Divine Lote-Tree in the holy and luminous Spot, that the sweet
accents of Thy Lord, the All-Merciful, may fill Thy soul with joy and
fervour, and that the breezes that waft from My name, the
Ever-Forgiving, may dispel Thy cares and sorrows. Raise up, then, from
this Temple [Baha'u'llah, the Independent Prophet], the temples of the Oneness of God [the Dependent Prophets of Baha'u'llah],
that they may tell out, in the kingdom of creation, the tidings of
their Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, and be of them that are
illumined by His light.
1.13
We, verily, have ordained this Temple [Baha'u'llah, the Independent Prophet] to be the source of all existence
in the new creation, that all may know of a certainty My power to
accomplish that which I have purposed through My word "Be", and it is!
Beneath the shadow of every letter [Dependent Prophet] of this Temple [Baha'u'llah, the Independent Prophet]
We shall raise up a people whose number none can reckon save God, the
Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Erelong shall God bring forth from
His Temple such souls as will remain unswayed by the insinuations of
the rebellious, and who will quaff at all times of the cup that is life
indeed. These, truly, are of the blissful.
1.14
These are servants
who abide beneath the shelter of the tender mercy of their Lord, and
who remain undeterred by those who seek to obstruct their path. Upon
their faces may be seen the brightness of the light of the
All-Merciful, and from their hearts may be heard the remembrance of
Mine all-glorious and inaccessible Name. Were they to unloose their
tongues to extol their Lord, the denizens of earth and heaven would
join in their anthems of praise -- yet how few are they who hear! And
were they to glorify their Lord, all created things would join in their
hymns of glory. Thus hath God exalted them above the rest of His creation, and yet the people remain unaware!
1.15
These are they who circle round the Cause of God even as the shadow
doth revolve around the sun. Open, then, your eyes, O people of the
Bayan, that haply ye may behold them! It is by virtue of their movement
that all things are set in motion, and by reason of their stillness all
things are brought to rest, would that ye might be assured thereof! Through
them the believers in the Divine Unity have turned towards Him Who is
the Object of the adoration of the entire creation, and by them the
hearts of the righteous have found rest and composure, could ye but
know it! Through them the earth hath been established, the
clouds have rained down their bounty, and the bread of knowledge hath
descended from the heaven of grace, could ye but perceive it!
1.16
These souls are the protectors of the Cause of God on earth, who shall
preserve its beauty from the obscuring dust of idle fancies and vain
imaginings.
-- Baha'u'llah, Surih of the Temple, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 8.
17)
Letter
is a symbolic term used to refer to a Dependent Prophet, while Word
refers to the Independent Prophet. In the next two passages from the Surih of the Temple, "O Second Letter" and "O Living Temple!" are symbolic terms used to refer two Dependent Prophets of Baha'u'llah, who are Manifestations of God.
1.38
O Second Letter of this Temple [the Word, Baha'u'llah, the Independent Prophet], betokening My name, the Almighty! We
have made thee the manifestation of Our sovereignty and the dayspring
of Our Names. Potent am I to fulfil that which My tongue speaketh.
-- Baha'u'llah, Surih of the Temple, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 21
1.81
O Living [the pre-existent Dependent Prophet when on the earthly plane] Temple!
We, verily, have made Thee a mirror unto the kingdom of names, that
Thou mayest be, amidst all mankind, a sign of My sovereignty, a herald
unto My presence, a summoner unto My beauty, and a guide unto My straight and perspicuous Path.
We have exalted Thy Name among Our servants as a bounty from Our
presence. I, verily, am the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days. We
have, moreover, adorned Thee with the ornament of Our own Self, and
have imparted unto Thee Our Word, that Thou mayest ordain in this
contingent world whatsoever Thou willest and accomplish whatsoever Thou
pleasest. We have destined for Thee all the good of the heavens and of
the earth, and decreed that none may attain unto a portion thereof
unless he entereth beneath Thy shadow, as bidden by Thy Lord, the
All-Knowing, the All-Informed. We have conferred upon Thee the Staff of
authority and the Writ of judgement, that Thou mayest test the wisdom
of every command. We have caused the oceans of inner meaning and explanation to surge from Thy heart in remembrance of Thy Lord, the God of mercy,
that Thou mayest render thanks and praise unto Him and be of those who
are truly thankful. We have singled Thee out from amongst all Our
creatures, and have appointed Thee as the Manifestation of Our own Self unto all who are in the heavens and on the earth.
-- Baha'u'llah, Surih of the Temple, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 43.
18)
Commentary by Abdu'l-Baha on reproach apparently directed at the Prophets/Manifestations.
Observe: the people of Israel rebelled, but apparently the reproach was
for Moses and Aaron. As it is said in the Book of Deuteronomy, chapter
3, verse 26: "But the Lord was wroth with Me for your sakes, and would
not hear Me: and the Lord said unto Me, Let it suffice Thee; speak no
more unto Me of this matter."
Now this discourse and reproach really refer to the children of Israel,
who, for having rebelled against the command of God, were held captive
a long time in the Arid desert, on the other side of Jordan, until the
time of Joshua -- upon him be salutations. This address and reproach
appeared to be for Moses and Aaron, but in reality they were for the
people of Israel.
In the same way in the Qur'án it is said to Muhammad: "We have granted
Thee a manifest victory, so that God may forgive Thee Thy preceding and
subsequent sin."[1] This address, although apparently directed to
Muhammad, was in reality for all the people. This mode
of address, as before said, was used by the perfect wisdom of God, so
that the hearts of the people might not be troubled, anxious and
tormented.
[1 Cf. Qur'án 48:1-2.]
How often the Prophets of God and His supreme Manifestations in Their
prayers confess Their sins and faults! This is only to teach other men,
to encourage and incite them to humility and meekness, and to induce
them to confess their sins and faults. For these Holy Souls are pure
from every sin and sanctified from faults. In the Gospel it is said
that a man came to Christ and called Him "Good Master." Christ
answered, "Why callest thou Me good? there is none good but One, that
is, God."[1] This did not mean -- God forbid! -- that Christ was a
sinner; but the intention was to teach submission, humility, meekness
and modesty to the man to whom He spoke. These Holy Beings are lights,
and light does not unite itself with darkness. They are life, and life
and death are not confounded. They are for guidance, and guidance and
error cannot be together. They are the essence of obedience, and
obedience cannot exist with rebellion.
[1 Matt. 19:16, 17.]
To conclude, the addresses in the form of reproach which are in the
Holy Books, though apparently directed to the Prophets -- that is to
say, to the Manifestations of God -- in reality are intended for the
people. This will become evident and clear to you when you have
diligently examined the Holy Books.
-- Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 169
19)
It has been decreed by God that none may be compared to or likened to the Manifestations of God, who are the Face of God on earth. Following are more references about them.
19.1)
The Person of the Manifestation hath ever been the representative and
mouthpiece of God. He, in truth, is the Day Spring of God's most
excellent Titles, and the Dawning-Place of His exalted Attributes. If
any be set up by His side as peers, if they be regarded as identical
with His Person, how can it, then, be maintained that the Divine Being
is One and Incomparable, that His Essence is indivisible and peerless?
Meditate on that which We have, through the power of truth, revealed
unto thee, and be thou of them that comprehend its meaning.
-- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 69
19.2)
Thy unity is inscrutable, O my God, to all except them that have
recognized Him Who is the Manifestation of Thy singleness and the
Day-Spring of Thy oneness. Whoso assigneth a rival unto Him hath
assigned a rival unto Thee, and whoso hath set up a peer for Him hath
set up a peer for Thyself. No, no, none can withstand Thee in the whole
of creation. Thou hast everlastingly been exalted far above all
comparison and likeness. Thy oneness hath been demonstrated by the
oneness of Him Who is the Dawning-Place of Thy Revelation. Whosoever
denieth this, hath denied Thy unity, and disputed with Thee about Thy
sovereignty, and contended with Thee in Thy realm, and repudiated Thy
commandments.
Assist Thou Thy servants, O my Lord, to recognize Thy unity and to
declare Thy oneness, that all may gather together around what Thou
didst desire in this Day whereon the sun of Thine essence hath shone forth above the horizon of Thy will, and the moon
of Thine own being hath risen from the Day-Spring of Thy behest. Thou
art He, O my Lord, from Whose knowledge nothing whatsoever escapeth,
and Whom no one can frustrate. Thou doest Thy pleasure, by Thy
sovereignty that overshadoweth the worlds.
-- Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 57
19.3)
And of all men, the most accomplished, the most distinguished and the
most excellent are the Manifestations of the Sun of Truth. Nay, all
else besides these Manifestations, live by the operation of their Will,
and move and have their being through the outpourings of their grace.
"But for Thee, I would have not created the heavens." Nay, all in their
holy presence fade into utter nothingness, and are a thing forgotten.
Human tongue can never befittingly sing their praise, and human speech
can never unfold their mystery. These Tabernacles of holiness, these
primal Mirrors which reflect the light of unfading glory, are but
expressions of Him Who is the Invisible of the Invisibles. By the
revelation of these gems of divine virtue all the names and attributes
of God, such as knowledge and power, sovereignty and dominion, mercy
and wisdom, glory, bounty and grace, are made manifest.
These attributes of God are not and have never been vouchsafed
specially unto certain Prophets, and withheld from others. Nay, all the
Prophets of God, His well-favoured, His holy, and
chosen Messengers, are, without exception, the bearers of His
names, and the embodiments of His attributes. They only differ in the
intensity of their revelation, and the comparative potency of their
light. Even as He hath revealed: "Some of the Apostles We have caused
to excel the others."[1] It hath therefore become manifest and evident
that within the tabernacles of these Prophets and chosen Ones of God
the light of His infinite names and exalted attributes hath been
reflected, even though the light of some of these attributes may or may
not be outwardly revealed from these luminous Temples to the eyes of
men. That a certain attribute of God hath not been outwardly manifested
by these Essences of Detachment doth in no wise imply that they Who are
the Daysprings of God's attributes and the Treasuries of His holy names
did not actually possess it. Therefore, these illuminated Souls, these
beauteous Countenances have, each and every one of them, been endowed
with all the attributes of God, such as sovereignty, dominion, and the
like, even though to outward seeming they be shorn of all earthly
majesty. To every discerning eye this is evident and manifest; it
requireth neither proof nor evidence.
[1 Qur'án 2:253.]
-- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 102
19.4)
Every one who is endowed with a clear insight will behold that They
(the Manifestations) were created before the creation of heaven and
earth, and that this has ever been the Throne of the Merciful, and will
forever be as it was; that there is no relation, connection, similarity
or reference between that Throne and all else save it, and that all
things testify with their inmost tongue; "Verily, these (bodies) are
the Thrones of the Merciful One." They have no like in creation, nor
any equal in the world of emanation. From their elements all have
appeared in such wise that thou wilt find that, verily, from their Fire
fire hath appeared in the universe and hath spoken in the Blessed
Branch of Unity, in the lofty Sinai of Moses the Interlocutor, and that
from their Waters thou findest every soul living and immortal. So,
likewise, after this manner, consider its other elements; but with
manifest certainty. This was the mention of the place whereon He was
established. How much above this, then, will be the station of His
Chair, and that upon which He stands? (The Prophets.) All that which We
have revealed and mentioned unto thee in this Tablet is according to
the language of the people of creation; otherwise, by the One in the
grasp of Whose Power are all things, verily, We have utterances
concerning this station such as are not befitting to mention in these
days, during which the people have differed, and have cast the Lord of
Lords behind them, and have made an idol by the hands of lust, and have
circled around it and become of those who are attached to it.
-- Baha'u'llah, Lawh-i-Zuhúr, Tablet of the Manifestation - Provisional translation by an unknown author.
XLIX. Know verily that whenever this Youth turneth His eyes towards His
own self, he findeth it the most insignificant of all creation. When He
contemplates, however, the bright effulgences He hath been empowered to
manifest, lo, that self is transfigured before Him into a sovereign
Potency permeating the essence of all things visible and invisible.
Glory be to Him Who, through the power of truth, hath sent down the
Manifestation of His own Self and entrusted Him with His message unto
all mankind.
-- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 102
Likewise, do not think that the manifestation of the Eternal Truth is
limited to causing outward knowledge to appear or altering some
well-established laws among the people. Rather, at the time of
revelation all things become bearers of divine emanations and infinite
capabilities, and in accordance with the exigencies of the time and
earthly circumstances, these become manifest.
-- Baha'u'llah, Tablet of Son - Provisional translation by an Juan Cole.
19.5)
The door of the knowledge of the Ancient of Days being thus
closed in the face of all beings, the Source of infinite grace,
according to His saying: "His grace hath transcended all things; My
grace hath encompassed them all" hath caused those luminous Gems of
Holiness to appear out of the realm of the spirit, in the noble form of
the human temple, and be made manifest unto all men, that they may
impart unto the world the mysteries of the unchangeable Being, and tell
of the subtleties of His imperishable Essence. These sanctified
Mirrors, these Day-springs of ancient glory are one and all the
Exponents on earth of Him Who is the central Orb of the universe, its
Essence and ultimate Purpose. From Him proceed their knowledge and
power; from Him is derived their sovereignty. The beauty of their
countenance
is but a reflection of His image, and their revelation a
sign of His deathless glory. They are the Treasuries of divine
knowledge, and the Repositories of celestial wisdom. Through them is
transmitted a grace that is infinite, and by them is revealed
the light that can never fade. Even as He hath said: "There is no
distinction whatsoever between Thee and them; except that they are Thy
servants, and are created of Thee." This is the significance of the
tradition: "I am He, Himself, and He is I, myself."
-- Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 99
19.6)
XXI. O Salmán! The door of the knowledge of the Ancient Being hath ever
been, and will continue for ever to be, closed in the face of men. No
man's understanding shall ever gain access unto His holy court. As a
token of His mercy, however, and as a proof of His loving-kindness, He
hath manifested unto men the Day Stars of His divine guidance, the
Symbols of His divine unity, and hath ordained the knowledge of these
sanctified Beings to be identical with the knowledge of His own Self.
Whoso recognizeth them hath recognized God. Whoso hearkeneth to their
call, hath hearkened to the Voice of God, and whoso testifieth to the
truth of their Revelation, hath testified to the truth of God Himself.
Whoso turneth away from them, hath turned away from God, and whoso
disbelieveth in them, hath disbelieved in God. Every one of them is the
Way of God that connecteth this world with the realms above, and the
Standard of His Truth unto every one in the kingdoms of earth and
heaven. They are the Manifestations of God amidst men, the evidences of His Truth, and the signs of His glory.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 49
19.7)
From the foregoing passages and allusions it hath been made indubitably
clear that in the kingdoms of earth and heaven there must needs be
manifested a Being, an Essence Who shall act as a Manifestation and
Vehicle for the transmission of the grace of the Divinity Itself, the
Sovereign Lord of all. Through the Teachings of this Day Star of Truth
every man will advance and develop until he attaineth the station at
which he can manifest all the potential forces with which his inmost
true self hath been endowed. It is for this very purpose that in every
age and dispensation the Prophets of God and His chosen Ones have
appeared amongst men, and have evinced such power as is born of God and
such might as only the Eternal can reveal.
-- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 66
19.8)
Unto me, too, hath been vouchsafed the Path, the Balance, the Banner,
and the Kawthar. I am the one who shall face the children of Adam on
the Day of Judgement and shall bring them to account and shall direct
them to their habitations. And verily, I am the punishment of fire
meted unto the damned. These are the bounties of God unto me. And
should anyone deny that I shall return after the Return[3], or deny
that I shall come back after the Raj'at[4], or should anyone reject the
truth that I shall appear again, even as I have done from the beginning
that hath no beginning or even unto the end that hath no end, he,
verily, hath denied the truth of all of Us. And verily I say unto you,
he who denies any one of Us, hath denied God.
-- Imam Ali, Sermon of Glorification. Translation by K. Fananapazir.
Full text available at: https://bahai-library.com/imam-ali_khutbat_iftikhar
Be thou assured in thyself that verily, he who turns away from this Beauty hath also turned away from the Messengers of the past and showeth pride towards God from all eternity to all eternity.
-- Baha'u'llah, Baha'i Prayers, Tablet of Ahmad p. 210
19.9)
Say: Fear ye God, then observe equity in your judgement of this Great
Announcement before which, as soon as it shone forth, every momentous
announcement bowed low in adoration. Say: O concourse of the foolish!
If ye reject Him, by what evidence can ye prove your allegiance to the
former Messengers of God or vindicate your belief in that which He hath
sent down from His mighty and exalted Kingdom? What benefit do your
possessions bestow upon you? What protection can your treasures afford
you? None, I swear by the Spirit of God that pervadeth all that are in
the heavens and on the earth. Cast away that which ye have put together
with the hands of idle fancy and vain imaginings and take fast hold of
the Book of God which hath been sent down by virtue of His
all-compelling and inviolable authority.
-- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 248
19.10)
The Prophets of God should be regarded as physicians whose task is to
foster the well-being of the world and its peoples, that, through the
spirit of oneness, they may heal the sickness of a divided humanity. To
none is given the right to question their words or disparage their
conduct, for they are the only ones who can claim to have understood
the patient and to have correctly diagnosed its ailments. No man,
however acute his perception, can ever hope to reach the heights which
the wisdom and understanding of the Divine Physician have attained.
Little wonder, then, if the treatment prescribed by the physician in
this day should not be found to be identical with that which he
prescribed before. How could it be otherwise when the ills affecting
the sufferer necessitate at every stage of his sickness a special
remedy? In like manner, every time the Prophets of God have illumined
the world with the resplendent radiance of the Day Star of Divine
knowledge, they have invariably summoned its peoples to embrace the
light of God through such means as best befitted the exigencies of the
age in which they appeared. They were thus able to scatter the darkness
of ignorance, and to shed upon the world the glory of their own
knowledge. It is towards the inmost essence of these Prophets,
therefore, that the eye of every man of discernment must be directed,
inasmuch as their one and only purpose hath always been to guide the
erring, and give peace to the afflicted.... These are not days of
prosperity and triumph. The whole of mankind is in the grip of manifold
ills. Strive, therefore, to save its life through the wholesome
medicine which the almighty hand of the unerring Physician hath
prepared.
-- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 80
19.11)
Within the treasury of Our Wisdom there lieth unrevealed a knowledge,
one word of which, if we chose to divulge it to mankind, would cause
every human being to recognize the Manifestation of God and to
acknowledge His omniscience, would enable every one to discover the
secrets of all the sciences, and to attain so high a station as to find
himself wholly independent of all past and future learning. Other
knowledges We do as well possess, not a single letter of which We can
disclose, nor do We find humanity able to hear even the barest
reference to their meaning. Thus have We informed you of the knowledge
of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Were We to find worthy vessels,
We would deposit within them the treasures of hidden meanings and
impart unto them a knowledge, one letter of which would encompass all
created things.
1.67
O Inmost Heart of this Temple [the Maid of Heaven, Baha'u'llah, the Independent Prophet]! We have made thee the dawning-place of Our knowledge and the dayspring
of Our wisdom unto all who are in heaven and on earth. From thee have
We caused all sciences to appear, and unto thee shall We cause them to
return. And from thee shall We bring them forth a second time. Such,
indeed, is Our promise, and potent are We to effect Our purpose.
Erelong shall We bring into being through thee exponents of new and
wondrous sciences, of potent and effective crafts, and shall make
manifest through them that which the heart of none of Our servants hath
yet conceived. Thus do We bestow upon whom We will whatsoever We
desire, and thus do We withdraw from whom We will what We had once
bestowed. Even so do We ordain whatsoever We please through Our behest.
-- Baha'u'llah, Surih of the Temple, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 35
19.12)
1.85
Say: O ye manifestations [believers] of My Names! Should ye offer up all that ye
possess, nay your very lives, in the path of God, and invoke Him to the
number of the grains of sand, the drops of rain, and the waves of the
sea, and yet oppose the Manifestation of His Cause at the time of His
appearance, your works shall in no wise be mentioned before God. Should
ye, however, neglect all righteous works and yet choose to believe in
Him in these days, God perchance will put away your sins. He, verily,
is the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful. Thus doth the Lord inform you
of His purpose, that haply ye may not wax proud before the One through
Whom whatsoever hath been revealed from all eternity hath been
confirmed. Happy is he who approacheth this Most Sublime Vision, and
woe to them that turn aside!
1.86
How numerous those who expend all their wealth in the path of God, and
whom We find, at the hour of His Revelation, to be of the rebellious
and the froward! How many those who keep the fast in the daytime, only
to protest against the One by Whose very command the ordinance of the
fast was first established! Such men are, in truth, of the ignorant.
And how many those who subsist on the coarsest bread, who take for
their only seat the grass of the field, and who undergo every manner of
hardship, merely to maintain their superiority in the eyes of men! Thus
do We expose their deeds, that this may serve as a warning unto others.
These are the ones who subject themselves to all manner of austerities
before the gaze of others in the hope of perpetuating their names,
whilst in reality no mention shall remain of them save in the curses
and imprecations of the dwellers of earth and heaven.
-- Baha'u'llah, Surih of the Temple, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 45
19.13)
1.92
Say: O people! We have commanded you in Our Tablets to strive, at the
time of the promised Revelation, to sanctify your souls from all names,
and to purify them from all that hath been created in the heavens or on
the earth, that therein may appear the splendours of the Sun of Truth
which shineth forth above the horizon of the Will of your Lord, the
Almighty, the Most Great. We have, moreover, commanded you to cleanse
your hearts from every trace of the love or hate of the peoples of the
world, lest aught should divert you from one course or impel you
towards another. This, verily, is among the weightiest counsels I have
vouchsafed unto you in the perspicuous Book, for whoso attacheth
himself to either of these shall be prevented from attaining a proper
understanding of Our Cause. To this beareth witness every just and
discerning soul.
-- Baha'u'llah, Surih of the Temple, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 49
19.14)
O thou who hast set foot in the wilderness of knowledge and taken abode
within the ark of wisdom! Not until thou hast grasped the mysteries
concealed in that which We shall relate unto thee canst thou hope to
attain to the stations of faith and certitude in the Cause of God and
in those who are the Manifestations of His Cause, the Daysprings of His
Command, the Treasuries of His revelation, and the Repositories of His
knowledge. Shouldst thou fail in this, thou wouldst be numbered with
them that have not striven for the Cause of God, nor inhaled the
fragrance of faith from the raiment of certitude, nor scaled the
heights of the divine unity, nor yet recognized the stations of divine
singleness within the Embodiments of praise and the Essences of
sanctity.
Strive then, O My brother, to apprehend this matter, that the veils may
be lifted from the face of thy heart and that thou mayest be reckoned
among them whom God hath graced with such penetrating vision as to
behold the most subtle realities of His dominion, to fathom the
mysteries of His kingdom, to perceive the signs of His transcendent
Essence in this mortal world, and to attain a station wherein one seeth
no distinction amongst His creatures and findeth no flaw in the
creation of the heavens and the earth.
-- Baha'u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 5
19.15)
Behold, how, notwithstanding these and similar traditions, they idly
contend that the laws formerly revealed, must in no wise be altered.
And yet, is not the object of every Revelation to effect a
transformation in the whole character of mankind, a transformation that
shall manifest itself both outwardly and inwardly, that shall affect
both its inner life and external conditions? For if the character of
mankind be not changed, the futility of God's universal Manifestations
would be apparent. In the "Avalim," an authoritative and well-known
book, it is recorded: "A Youth from Bani-Hashim shall be made manifest,
Who will reveal a new Book and promulgate a new law;" then follow these
words: "Most of His enemies will be the divines." In another passage,
it is related of Sadiq, son of Muhammad, that he spoke the following:
"There shall appear a Youth from Bani-Hashim, Who will bid the people
plight fealty unto Him. His Book will be a new Book, unto which He
shall summon the people to pledge their faith.
-- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 240
19.16)
NO created thing shall ever attain its paradise unless it appeareth in
its highest prescribed degree of perfection. For instance, this crystal
representeth the paradise of the stone whereof its substance is
composed. Likewise there are various stages in the paradise for the
crystal itself... So long as it was stone it was worthless, but if it
attaineth the excellence of ruby -- a potentiality which is latent in
it -- how much a carat will it be worth? Consider likewise every
created thing.
Man's highest station, however, is attained through faith in God in
every Dispensation and by acceptance of what hath been revealed by Him,
and not through learning; inasmuch as in every nation there are learned
men who are versed in divers sciences. Nor is it attainable through
wealth; for it is similarly evident that among the various classes in
every nation there are those possessed of riches. Likewise are other
transitory things.
True knowledge, therefore, is the knowledge of God, and this is none
other than the recognition of His Manifestation in each Dispensation.
Nor is there any wealth save in poverty in all save God and sanctity
from aught else but Him -- a state that can be realized only when
demonstrated towards Him Who is the Dayspring of His Revelation. This
doth not mean, however, that one ought not to yield praise unto former
Revelations. On no account is this acceptable, inasmuch as it behooveth
man, upon reaching the age of nineteen, to render thanksgiving for the
day of his conception as an embryo. For had the embryo not existed, how
could he have reached his present state? Likewise had the religion
taught by Adam not existed, this Faith would not have attained its
present stage. Thus consider thou the development of God's Faith until
the end that hath no end. V, 4.
-- The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 88
O people of the Bayan! Do not commit what the people of the Qur'án have
committed, in rendering worthless the fruits of your might. If you are
believers in the Bayan, at the time of the appearance of his verses
say: 'God is our Lord, with whom we associate no-one.
This is what God promised us of the manifestation of His own self. We
call upon none beside Him.' Obey him in whatever you do, for then you
shall have manifested the fruit of the Bayan. If you do not do so, you
shall be unworthy of mention before God.
-- The Bab, The Persian Bayan
19.17)
The other station is the station of distinction, and pertaineth to the world of creation, and to the limitations thereof.
In this respect, each Manifestation of God hath a distinct
individuality, a definitely prescribed mission, a predestined
revelation, and specially designated limitations. Each one of them is
known by a different name, is characterized by a special attribute,
fulfils a definite mission, and is entrusted with a particular
Revelation. Even as He saith: "Some of the Apostles We have caused to
excel the others. To some God hath spoken, some He hath raised and
exalted. And to Jesus, Son of Mary, We gave manifest signs, and We
strengthened Him with the Holy Spirit."
It is because of this difference in their station and mission that the
words and utterances flowing from these Well Springs of Divine
knowledge appear to diverge and differ. Otherwise, in the eyes of them
that are initiated into the mysteries of Divine wisdom, all their
utterances are, in reality, but the expressions of one Truth. As most
of the people have failed to appreciate those stations to which We have
referred, they, therefore, feel perplexed and dismayed at the varying
utterances pronounced by Manifestations that are essentially one and
the same.
It hath ever been evident that all these divergencies of utterance are
attributable to differences of station. Thus, viewed from the
standpoint of their oneness and sublime detachment, the attributes of
Godhead, Divinity, Supreme Singleness, and Inmost Essence, have been,
and are applicable to those Essences of Being, inasmuch as they all
abide on the throne of Divine Revelation, and are established upon the
seat of Divine Concealment. Through their appearance the Revelation of
God is made manifest, and by their countenance the Beauty of God is
revealed. Thus it is that the accents of God Himself have been heard
uttered by these Manifestations of the Divine Being.
Viewed in the light of their second station -- the station of
distinction, differentiation, temporal limitations, characteristics and
standards -- they manifest absolute servitude, utter destitution, and
complete self-effacement. Even as He saith: "I am the servant of God. I
am but a man like you."...
-- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 52
19.18)
XXIX. The purpose of God in creating man hath been, and will ever be,
to enable him to know his Creator and to attain His Presence. To this
most excellent aim, this supreme objective, all the heavenly Books and
the divinely-revealed and weighty Scriptures unequivocally bear
witness. Whoso hath recognized the Day Spring of Divine guidance and
entered His holy court hath drawn nigh unto God and attained His
Presence, a Presence which is the real Paradise, and of which the
loftiest mansions of heaven are but a symbol. Such a man hath attained
the knowledge of the station of Him Who is "at the distance of two
bows," Who standeth beyond the Sadratu'l-Muntaha. Whoso hath failed to
recognize Him will have condemned himself to the misery of remoteness,
a remoteness which is naught but utter nothingness and the essence of
the nethermost fire. Such will be his fate, though to outward seeming
he may occupy the earth's loftiest seats and be established upon its
most exalted throne.
He Who is the Day Spring of Truth is, no doubt, fully capable of
rescuing from such remoteness wayward souls and of causing them to draw
nigh unto His court and attain His Presence. "If God had pleased He had
surely made all men one people." His purpose, however, is to enable the
pure in spirit and the detached in heart to ascend, by virtue of their
own innate powers, unto the shores of the Most Great Ocean, that
thereby they who seek the Beauty of the All-Glorious may be
distinguished and separated from the wayward and perverse. Thus hath it
been ordained by the all-glorious and resplendent Pen....
That the Manifestations of Divine justice, the Day Springs of heavenly
grace, have when they appeared amongst men always been destitute of all
earthly dominion and shorn of the means of worldly ascendancy, should
be attributed to this same principle of separation and distinction
which animateth the Divine Purpose. Were the Eternal Essence to
manifest all that is latent within Him, were He to shine in the
plentitude of His glory, none would be found to question His power or
repudiate His truth. Nay, all created things would be so dazzled and
thunderstruck by the evidences of His light as to be reduced to utter
nothingness. How, then, can the godly be differentiated under such
circumstances from the froward?
-- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 70
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