93 In these conversations, as the reader will have already observed,
'Abdu'l-Baha desires rather to indicate the meaning of certain
passages of the Scriptures than to quote the exact text.
94 Masi_kh_--i.e., the monster. In Arabic there is a play upon the words
Masih, the Messiah, and masi_kh_, the monster.
95 Cf. 1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Pet. 3:10.
96 Cf. "Pantheism," p. 290.
97 The Divine Manifestation.
98 John 17:5.
99 i.e., the Reality of Christ.
100 Abu'l-ba_sh_ar, i.e., the father of man, is one of the titles given
by the Muslims to Adam.
101 Cf. John 6:41, 50, 58.
102 Cf. Gen. 2:16-17.
103 Cf. Gen. 3:5.
104 Cf. Gen. 3:11-15,22
105 Baha'u'llah.
106 Baha'u'llah.
107 Cf. John 6:51.
108 Jews and Christians.
109 Matt. 8:22.
110 Matt. 22:14.
111 Matt. 22:14.
112 Cf. "The Causes of Differences in the Characters of Men," p. 212.
113 Cf. p. 110, n. 2.
114 Cf. John 1:19-21.
115 Cf. John 1:21.
116 i.e., the individuality.
117 Matt. 16:18.
118 It is well known that Peter's real name was Simon, but Christ called
him Cephas, which corresponds to the Greek word petras, which means
rock.
119 Cf. Matt. 16:14-18.
120 Cf. Qur'an 6:104.
121 From a hadi_th_.
122 Qur'an 59:2.
123 i.e., in the kingdom of man, where alone the Spirit manifests
immortality. Cf. "Five Aspects of Spirit," p. 143; "The State of Man
and His Progress after Death," p. 235, etc.
124 Cf. John 14:11; 17:21
125 John 1:1.
126 The Manifestation.
127 The Manifestation.
128 Cf. "Soul, Spirit and Mind," p. 208.
129 Cf. John 1:1.
130 Matt. 6:9; Luke 11:2.
131 John 1:1.
132 Cf. Exod. 20:4-5; Deut. 5:8-9.
133 Num. 20:23-24.
134 Cf. Qur'an 48:1-2.
135 Matt. 19:16, 17.
136 The Manifestation of God.
137 Kitab-i-Aqdas: i.e., The Most Holy Book. The principal work of
Baha'u'llah, which contains the greater part of the commandments. It
is the basis of the principles of the Baha'i Faith.
138 The House of Justice (Baytu'l-Adl) is an institution created by
Baha'u'llah. He refers to two levels of this institution: the Local
Houses of Justice, responsible for each town or village, and the
Universal House of Justice. 'Abdu'l-Baha, in His Will and Testament,
added an intermediate level, the Secondary Houses of Justice. It is
only on the Universal House of Justice that infallibility has been
conferred. At the present time, to stress their purely spiritual
functions, the Local and Secondary Houses of Justice are designated
Local and National Spiritual Assemblies.
139 Qur'an 23:14.
140 Man.
141 i.e., if we admit, for example, that man had formerly been a
quadruped, or had had a tail.
142 Cf. Gen. 1:26.
143 This subject, of emanation and manifestation, is more fully
explained in the following chapter.
144 Cf. "Real Preexistence," p. 280.
145 John 1:1.
146 John 1:1.
147 Cf. John 14:11; 17:21.
148 Baha'u'llah.
149 Cf. Gen. 9:25.
150 i.e., therefore people cannot be blamed for their character.
151 Cf. Rev. 22:13.
152 Cf. "The Difference between Man and the Animal," p. 185.
153 Cf. John 3:5.
154 John 1:13.
155 Qur'an 23:14.
156 One farsa_kh_ is equivalent to about four miles.
157 It is a Persian custom to reckon distance by time.
158 Mirza Yahya Subh-i-Azal, half-brother of Baha'u'llah, and His
irreconcilable enemy.
159 "Veiled spirits" here signify rational souls, souls not possessing
the spirit of faith. Cf. "Soul, Spirit and Mind," p. 208.
160 Rom. 9:21.
161 Cf. Matt. 5:39.
162 A Baha'i sitting with us at table.
163 Matt. 8:22.
164 The infernal tree mentioned in the Qur'an.
165 i.e., of the Circle of Existence.
166 Lit., bringing forth.
167 Lit., producing something new.
168 Cf. Qur'an 37:180.
169 Qur'an 59:2.
170 Baha'u'llah.
171 Lit., the unity of existence.
172 God.
173 i.e., an intellectual existence.
174 gods.
175 i.e., infinite continuation of causes and effects.
176 Cf. Ibn Abi Usaybia, Ueyuen al-anba fi tabaqat al-atibba (Cairo: 1882)
tom. i., pp. 76-77.