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Chapter 67
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The Straight Path [to God] -- the Independent Prophets and the Dependent/Lesser Prophets.
1)
Bahá'u'lláh, the Independent Prophet, is the Straight Path.
We have revealed Ourself unto men, have unveiled the Cause, guided all
mankind towards God's Straight Path, promulgated the laws and have
enjoined upon everyone that which shall truly profit them both in this
world and in the next; yet they have pronounced judgement to shed My
blood, whereat the Maid of Heaven hath wept sore, Sinai hath lamented
and the Faithful Spirit was made to sigh with grief.
In these days the people have debarred themselves from the effusions of
divine grace by following in the footsteps of every ignorant one that
hath gone astray. They have cast the Ocean of divine knowledge behind
their backs and fixed their eyes upon such foolish men as claim to be
well versed in learning without being supported by any evidence from
God, the Lord of mankind.
-- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 251
This is a Book which hath become the Lamp of the Eternal unto the
world, and His straight, undeviating Path amidst the peoples of the
earth. Say: This is the Dayspring of Divine knowledge, if ye be of them
that understand, and the Dawning-place of God's commandments, if ye be
of those who comprehend.
-- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 87
The third Taraz concerneth good character. A good character is, verily,
the best mantle for men from God. With it He adorneth the temples of
His loved ones. By My life! The light of a good character surpasseth
the light of the sun and the radiance thereof. Whoso attaineth unto it
is accounted as a jewel among men. The glory and the upliftment of the
world must needs depend upon it. A goodly character is a means whereby
men are guided to the Straight Path and are led to the Great
Announcement. Well is it with him who is adorned with the saintly
attributes and character of the Concourse on High.
It beseemeth you to fix your gaze under all conditions upon justice and
fairness. In The Hidden Words this exalted utterance hath been revealed
from Our Most August Pen:
'O Son of Spirit! The best beloved of all things in My sight is
Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it
not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see with thine
own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine
own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbour. Ponder
this in thy heart; how it behoveth thee to be. Verily justice is My
gift to thee and the sign of My loving-kindness. Set it then before
thine eyes.'
They that are just and fair-minded in their judgement occupy a sublime
station and hold an exalted rank. The light of piety and uprightness
shineth resplendent from these souls. We earnestly hope that the
peoples and countries of the world may not be deprived of the
splendours of these two luminaries.
-- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 36
God hath committed into your hands the reins of the government of the
people, that ye may rule with justice over them, safeguard the rights
of the down-trodden, and punish the wrong-doers. If ye neglect the duty
prescribed unto you by God in His Book, your names shall be numbered
with those of the unjust in His sight. Grievous, indeed, will be your
error. Cleave ye to that which your imaginations have devised, and cast
behind your backs the commandments of God, the Most Exalted, the
Inaccessible, the All-Compelling, the Almighty? Cast away the things ye
possess, and cling to that which God hath bidden you observe. Seek ye
His grace, for he that seeketh it treadeth His straight Path....
-- Baha'u'llah, The Proclamation of Baha'u'llah, p. 11
2)
Muhammad, the Independent Prophet, is the Straight Path.
PERUSED ye not the Qur'án? Read it, that haply ye may find the Truth,
for this Book is verily the Straight Path. This is the Way of God unto
all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth. If ye have
been careless of the Qur'án, the Bayan cannot be regarded to be remote
from you. Behold it open before your eyes. Read ye its verses, lest
perchance ye desist from committing that which will cause the
Messengers of God to mourn and lament.
Speed out of your sepulchres. How long will ye sleep? The second blast
hath been blown on the trumpet. On whom are ye gazing? This is your
Lord, the God of Mercy. Witness how ye gainsay His signs!
-- Baha'u'llah, The Proclamation of Baha'u'llah, p. 97)
3)
The Straight Path [way] -- a reference to the Holy Imams, Dependent Prophets of
Muhammad, who succeeded Him.
Cited in "Introduction to Shi'i Islam" by
Moojan Momen, p. 151-153.
1:6. Show us the straight way.
1:7. The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, Those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray.
-- The Qur'an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 1
6:153 Verily, this is My way, leading straight: follow it: follow not
(other) paths: they will scatter you about from His (great) path: thus
doth He command you. that ye may be righteous.
-- Qur'an: 6 - AL-AN`AM.
15:41 (God) said: "This (way of My sincere servants) is indeed a way that leads straight to Me.
-- Qur'an: 15 - AL-HIJR.
16:76 God sets forth (another) Parable of two men: one of them dumb,
with no power of any sort; a wearisome burden is he to his master;
whichever way be directs him, he brings no good: is such a man equal
with one who commands Justice, and is on a Straight Way?
-- Qur'an: 16 - AN-NAHL.
20:135 Say: "Each one (of us) is waiting: wait ye, therefore, and soon
shall ye know who it is that is on the straight and even way, and who
it is that has received Guidance."
-- Qur'an: 20 - TA HA.
25:27 The Day that the wrong-doer will bite at his hands, he will say,
"Oh! would that I had taken a (straight) path with the Apostle!
-- Qur'an: 25 - AL-FURQAN.
29:69 And those who strive in Our (cause),- We will certainly guide
them to our Paths: For verily God is with those who do right.
-- Qur'an: 29 - AL-`ANKABUT.
31:15 "But if they strive to make thee join in worship with Me things
of which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not; yet bear them company
in this life with justice (and consideration), and follow the way of
those who turn to me (in love): in the end the return of you all is to
Me, and I will tell you the truth (and meaning) of all that ye did."
-- Qur'an: 31 - LUQMAN.
43:42 Or We shall show thee that (accomplished) which We have promised them: for verily We shall prevail over them.
43:43 So hold thou fast to the Revelation sent down to thee; verily thou art on a Straight Way.
-- Qur'an: 43 - AZ-ZUKHRUF.
The Commander of the Faithful (Imám `Alí) hath said: "I am He Who can
neither be named, nor described." And likewise He hath said: "Outwardly
I am an Imám; inwardly I am the Unseen, the Unknowable."
Abú-Ja'far-i-Túsí hath said: "I said to Ábí `Abdi'lláh: `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.'"
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 112
4)
The Surih of the Temple, an important tablet revealed by
Baha'u'llah, is another place where Baha'u'llah refers to His many
Dependent Prophets ("temples of the Oneness of God") in separate
paragraphs, in addition to other important themes covered. Below is one
such reference to a Dependent Prophet of Baha'u'llah. "O Living
Temple!" refers to the pre-existent Dependent Prophet when on this
earthly plane. "Temple" is one of the many titles Baha'u'llah uses to
refer to Prophets. The following is said of the Dependent Prophet, "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." As indicated by the words, "We have, moreover,
adorned Thee with the ornament of Our own Self" the Dependent Prophet
is a Chosen One of God, chosen to manifest the attributes of God on
earth. As indicated by the words, "and have appointed Thee as the
Manifestation of Our own Self", the Dependent Prophet is a
Manifestation of God (like the Holy Imams).
1.81
O Living 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. 38
5)
The revelation of Baha'u'llah, the Independent Prophet,
and His many Dependent Prophets: "the straight Path which this
all-embracing and all-compelling Cause hath opened."
1.98
Say: O people! I admonish you wholly for the sake of God, and seek no
reward from you. For My recompense shall be with God, He Who hath
brought Me into being, raised Me up by the power of truth, and made Me
the Source of His remembrance amidst His creatures. Hasten to behold
this divine and glorious Vision, the Spot wherein God hath established
His Seat. Follow not that which the Evil One whispereth in your hearts,
for he, verily, doth prompt you to walk after your lusts and covetous
desires, and hindereth you from treading the straight Path which this
all-embracing and all-compelling Cause hath opened.
1.99
Say: The Evil One hath appeared in such wise as the eye of creation
hath never beheld. He Who is the Beauty of the All-Merciful hath
likewise been made manifest with an adorning the like of which hath
never been witnessed in the past. The Call of the All-Merciful hath
been raised, and behind it the call of Satan. Well is it with them who
hearken unto the Voice of God, and turn their faces towards His throne
to behold a most holy and blessed Vision. For whoso cherisheth in his
heart the love of anyone beside Me, be it to the extent of a grain of
mustard seed, shall be unable to gain admittance into My Kingdom. To
this beareth witness that which adorneth the preamble of the Book of
Existence, could ye but perceive it. Say: This is the Day whereon God's
most great favour hath been made manifest. The voice of all who are in
the heavens above and on the earth below proclaimeth My Name, and
singeth forth My praises, could ye but hear it!
O Temple of Divine Revelation! Sound the trumpet in My Name! O Temple
of Divine mysteries! Raise the clarion call of Thy Lord, the
Unconditioned, the Unconstrained! O Maid of Heaven! Step forth from the
chambers of paradise and announce unto the people of the world: By the
righteousness of God! He Who is the Best-Beloved of the worlds -- He
Who hath ever been the Desire of every perceiving heart, the Object of
the adoration of all that are in heaven and on earth, and the Cynosure
of the former and the latter generations -- is now come!
1.101
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. 53
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