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-Suriya. When the people of _Kh_aybar 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-Suriya. 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they totally repealed the penalty of death."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."(64)
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, 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'an 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."(65) 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."(66) 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, 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'anic 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"(67) 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;"(68) 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." 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?"(69) This is the testimony which He, Himself, hath ordained;
greater proof than this 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 Bayan, 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'an. 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 Bayan
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."(70) Give
ear, O people of the Bayan, 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.
END OF PART ONE
PART TWO
_Verily He Who is the Day-star of Truth and Revealer of the
Supreme Being holdeth, for all time, undisputed sovereignty over
all that is in heaven and on earth, though no man be found on
earth to obey Him. He verily is independent of all earthly
dominion, though He be utterly destitute. Thus We reveal unto thee
the mysteries of the Cause of God, and bestow upon thee the gems
of divine wisdom, that haply thou mayest soar on the wings of
renunciation to those heights that are veiled from the eyes of
men._
The significance and essential purpose underlying these words is to reveal
and demonstrate unto the pure in heart and the sanctified in spirit that
they Who are the Luminaries of truth and the Mirrors reflecting the light
of divine Unity, in whatever age and cycle they are sent down from their
invisible habitations of ancient glory unto this world, to educate the
souls of men and endue with grace all created things, are invariably
endowed with an all-compelling power, and invested with invincible
sovereignty. For these hidden Gems, these concealed and invisible
Treasures, in themselves manifest and vindicate the reality of these holy
words: "Verily God doeth whatsoever He willeth, and ordaineth whatsoever
He pleaseth."
To every discerning and illumined heart it is evident that God, the
unknowable Essence, the divine Being, is immensely exalted beyond every
human attribute, such as corporeal existence, ascent and descent, egress
and regress. Far be it from His glory that human tongue should adequately
recount His praise, or that human heart comprehend His fathomless mystery.
He is and hath ever been veiled in the ancient eternity of His Essence,
and will remain in His Reality everlastingly hidden from the sight of men.
"No vision taketh in Him, but He taketh in all vision; He is the Subtile,
the All-Perceiving."(71) No tie of direct intercourse can possibly bind
Him to His creatures. He standeth exalted beyond and above all separation
and union, all proximity and remoteness. No sign can indicate His presence
or His absence; inasmuch as by a word of His command all that are in
heaven and on earth have come to exist, and by His wish, which is the
Primal Will itself, all have stepped out of utter nothingness into the
realm of being, the world of the visible.
Gracious God! How could there be conceived any existing relationship or
possible connection between His Word and they that are created of it? The
verse: "God would have you beware of Himself"(72) unmistakably beareth
witness to the reality of Our argument, and the words: "God was alone;
there was none else besides Him" are a sure testimony of its truth. All
the Prophets of God and their chosen Ones, all the divines, the sages, and
the wise of every generation, unanimously recognize their inability to
attain unto the comprehension of that Quintessence of all truth, and
confess their incapacity to grasp Him, Who is the inmost Reality of all
things.
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."
The traditions and sayings that bear direct reference to Our theme are
divers and manifold; We have refrained from quoting them for the sake of
brevity. Nay, whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth is a
direct evidence of the revelation within it of the attributes and names of
God, inasmuch as within every atom are enshrined the signs that bear
eloquent testimony to the revelation of that most great Light. Methinks,
but for the potency of that revelation, no being could ever exist. How
resplendent the luminaries of knowledge that shine in an atom, and how
vast the oceans of wisdom that surge within a drop! To a supreme degree is
this true of man, who, among all created things, hath been invested with
the robe of such gifts, and hath been singled out for the glory of such
distinction. For in him are potentially revealed all the attributes and
names of God to a degree that no other created being hath excelled or
surpassed. All these names and attributes are applicable to him. Even as
He hath said: "Man is My mystery, and I am his mystery." Manifold are the
verses that have been repeatedly revealed in all the heavenly Books and
the holy Scriptures, expressive of this most subtle and lofty theme. Even
as He hath revealed: "We will surely show them Our signs in the world and
within themselves."(73) Again He saith: "And also in your own selves: will
ye not then behold the signs of God?"(74) And yet again He revealeth: "And
be ye not like those who forget God, and whom He hath therefore caused to
forget their own selves."(75) In this connection, He Who is the eternal
King--may the souls of all that dwell within the mystic Tabernacle be a
sacrifice unto Him--hath spoken: "He hath known God who hath known
himself."
I swear by God, O esteemed and honoured friend! Shouldst thou ponder these
words in thine heart, thou wilt of a certainty find the doors of divine
wisdom and infinite knowledge flung open before thy face.
From that which hath been said it becometh evident that all things, in
their inmost reality, testify to the revelation of the names and
attributes of God within them. Each according to its capacity, indicateth,
and is expressive of, the knowledge of God. So potent and universal is
this revelation, that it hath encompassed all things, visible and
invisible. Thus hath He revealed: "Hath aught else save Thee a power of
revelation which is not possessed by Thee, that it could have manifested
Thee? Blind is the eye which doth not perceive Thee." Likewise, hath the
eternal King spoken: "No thing have I perceived, except that I perceived
God within it, God before it, or God after it." Also in the tradition of
Kumayl it is written: "Behold, a light hath shone forth out of the Morn of
eternity, and lo! its waves have penetrated the inmost reality of all
men." Man, the noblest and most perfect of all created things, excelleth
them all in the intensity of this revelation, and is a fuller expression
of its glory. 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."(76) 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.
Yea, inasmuch as the peoples of the world have failed to seek from the
luminous and crystal Springs of divine knowledge the inner meaning of
God's holy words, they therefore have languished, stricken and sore
athirst, in the vale of idle fancy and waywardness. They have strayed far
from the fresh and thirst-subduing waters, and gathered round the salt
that burneth bitterly. Concerning them, the Dove of Eternity hath spoken:
"And if they see the path of righteousness, they will not take it for
their path; but if they see the path of error, for their path will they
take it. This, because they treated Our signs as lies, and were heedless
of them."(77)
To this testifieth that which hath been witnessed in this wondrous and
exalted Dispensation. Myriads of holy verses have descended from the
heaven of might and grace, yet no one hath turned thereunto, nor ceased to
cling to those words of men, not one letter of which they that have spoken
them comprehend. For this reason the people have doubted incontestable
truths, such as these, and caused themselves to be deprived of the Ridvan
of divine knowledge, and the eternal meads of celestial wisdom.
And now, to resume Our argument concerning the question: Why is it that
the sovereignty of the Qa'im, affirmed in the text of recorded traditions,
and handed down by the shining stars of the Muhammadan Dispensation, 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 Qa'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 Qa'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.
Furthermore, by sovereignty is meant the all-encompassing, all-pervading
power which is inherently exercised by the Qa'im whether or not He appear
to the world clothed in the majesty of earthly dominion. This is solely
dependent upon the will and pleasure of the Qa'im Himself. You will
readily recognize that the terms sovereignty, wealth, life, death,
judgment and resurrection, spoken of by the scriptures of old, are not
what this generation hath conceived and vainly imagined. Nay, by
sovereignty is meant that sovereignty which in every dispensation resideth
within, and is exercised by, the person of the Manifestation, the Day-star
of Truth. That sovereignty is the spiritual ascendancy which He exerciseth
to the fullest degree over all that is in heaven and on earth, and which
in due time revealeth itself to the world in direct proportion to its
capacity and spiritual receptiveness, even as the sovereignty of Muhammad,
the Messenger of God, is today apparent and manifest amongst the people.
You are well aware of what befell His Faith in the early days of His
dispensation. What woeful sufferings did the hand of the infidel and
erring, the divines of that age and their associates, inflict upon that
spiritual Essence, that most pure and holy Being! How abundant the thorns
and briars which they have strewn over His path! It is evident that
wretched generation, in their wicked and satanic fancy, regarded every
injury to that immortal Being as a means to the attainment of an abiding
felicity; inasmuch as the recognized divines of that age, such as
'Abdu'llah-i-Ubayy, Abu-'Amir, the hermit, Ka'b-Ibn-i-Ashraf, and
Nadr-Ibn-i-Harith, all treated Him as an impostor, and pronounced Him a
lunatic and a calumniator. Such sore accusations they brought against Him
that in recounting them God forbiddeth the ink to flow, Our pen to move,
or the page to bear them. These malicious imputations provoked the people
to arise and torment Him. And how fierce that torment if the divines of
the age be its chief instigators, if they denounce Him to their followers,
cast Him out from their midst, and declare Him a miscreant! Hath not the
same befallen this Servant, and been witnessed by all?