Let none, however, mistake or unwittingly misrepresent the purpose of
Baha'u'llah. Severe as has been His condemnation pronounced against those
sovereigns who persecuted Him, and however strict the censure expressed
collectively against those who failed signally in their clear duty to
investigate the truth of His Faith and to restrain the hand of the
wrongdoer, His teachings embody no principle that can, in any way, be
construed as a repudiation, or even a disparagement, however veiled, of
the institution of kingship. The catastrophic fall, and the extinction of
the dynasties and empires of those monarchs whose disastrous end He
particularly prophesied, and the declining fortunes of the sovereigns of
His Own generation, whom He generally reproved--both constituting a passing
phase of the evolution of the Faith--should, in no wise, be confounded with
the future position of that institution. Indeed if we delve into the
writings of the Author of the Baha'i Faith, we cannot fail to discover
unnumbered passages in which, in terms that none can misrepresent, the
principle of kingship is eulogized, the rank and conduct of just and
fair-minded kings is extolled, the rise of monarchs, ruling with justice
and even professing His Faith, is envisaged, and the solemn duty to arise
and ensure the triumph of Baha'i sovereigns is inculcated. To conclude
from the above quoted words, addressed by Baha'u'llah to the monarchs of
the earth, to infer from the recital of the woeful disasters that have
overtaken so many of them, that His followers either advocate or
anticipate the definite extinction of the institution of kingship, would
indeed be tantamount to a distortion of His teaching.
I can do no better than quote some of Baha'u'llah's Own testimonies,
leaving the reader to shape his own judgment as to the falsity of such a
deduction. In His "Epistle to the Son of the Wolf" He indicates the true
source of kingship: "Regard for the rank of sovereigns is divinely
ordained, as is clearly attested by the words of the Prophets of God and
His chosen ones. He Who is the Spirit [Jesus]--may peace be upon Him--was
asked: 'O Spirit of God! Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?'
And He made reply: 'Yea, render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's,
and to God the things that are God's.' He forbade it not. These two
sayings are, in the estimation of men of insight, one and the same, for if
that which belonged to Caesar had not come from God He would have
forbidden it. And likewise in the sacred verse: 'Obey God and obey the
Apostle, and those among you invested with authority.' By 'those invested
with authority' is meant primarily and more specially the Imams--the
blessings of God rest upon them. They verily are the manifestations of the
power of God and the sources of His authority, and the repositories of His
knowledge, and the daysprings of His commandments. Secondarily these words
refer unto the kings and rulers--those through the brightness of whose
justice the horizons of the world are resplendent and luminous."
And again: "In the Epistle to the Romans Saint Paul hath written: 'Let
every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of
God; the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever, therefore,
resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God.' And further: 'For he
is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth
evil.' He saith that the appearance of the kings, and their majesty and
power, are of God."
And again: "A just king enjoyeth nearer access unto God than anyone. Unto
this testifieth He Who speaketh in His Most Great Prison."
Likewise in the Bi_sh_arat (Glad-Tidings) Baha'u'llah asserts that "the
majesty of kingship is one of the signs of God." "We do not wish," He
adds, "that the countries of the world should be deprived thereof."
In the Kitab-i-Aqdas He sets forth His purpose, and eulogizes the king who
will profess His Faith: "By the Righteousness of God! It is not Our wish
to lay hands on your kingdoms. Our mission is to seize and possess the
hearts of men. Upon them the eyes of Baha are fastened. To this testifieth
the Kingdom of Names, could ye but comprehend it. Whoso followeth his
Lord, will renounce the world and all that is therein; how much greater,
then, must be the detachment of Him Who holdeth so august a station!" "How
great the blessedness that awaiteth the king who will arise to aid My
Cause in My Kingdom, who will detach himself from all else but Me! Such a
king is numbered with the Companions of the Crimson Ark--the Ark which God
hath prepared for the people of Baha. All must glorify his name, must
reverence his station, and aid him to unlock the cities with the keys of
My Name, the Omnipotent Protector of all that inhabit the visible and
invisible kingdoms. Such a king is the very eye of mankind, the luminous
ornament on the brow of creation, the fountainhead of blessings unto the
whole world. Offer up, O people of Baha, your substance, nay your very
lives, for his assistance."
In the Lawh-i-Sultan Baha'u'llah further reveals the significance of
kingship: "A just king is the shadow of God on earth. All should seek
shelter under the shadow of his justice, and rest in the shade of his
favor. This is not a matter which is either specific or limited in its
scope, that it might be restricted to one or another person, inasmuch as
the shadow telleth of the One Who casteth it. God, glorified be His
remembrance, hath called Himself the Lord of the worlds, for He hath
nurtured and still nurtureth everyone. Glorified be, then, His grace that
hath preceded all created things, and His mercy that hath surpassed the
worlds."
In one of His Tablets Baha'u'llah has also written: "The one true God,
exalted be His glory, hath bestowed the government of the earth upon the
kings. To none is given the right to act in any manner that would run
counter to the considered views of them who are in authority. That which
He hath reserved for Himself are the cities of men's hearts; and of these
the loved ones of Him Who is the Sovereign Truth are, in this Day, as the
keys."
In the following passage He expresses this wish: "We cherish the hope that
one of the kings of the earth will, for the sake of God, arise for the
triumph of this wronged, this oppressed people. Such a king will be
eternally extolled and glorified. God hath prescribed unto this people the
duty of aiding whosoever will aid them, of serving his best interests, and
of demonstrating to him their abiding loyalty."
In the Lawh-i-Ra'is He actually and categorically prophesies the rise of
such a king: "Erelong will God raise up from among the kings one who will
aid His loved ones. He, verily, encompasseth all things. He will instill
in the hearts the love of His loved ones. This, indeed, is irrevocably
decreed by One Who is the Almighty, the Beneficent." In the
Ridvanu'l-'Adl, wherein the virtue of justice is exalted, He makes a
parallel prediction: "Erelong will God make manifest on earth kings who
will recline on the couches of justice, and will rule amongst men even as
they rule their own selves. They, indeed, are among the choicest of My
creatures in the entire creation."
In the Kitab-i-Aqdas He visualizes in these words the elevation to the
throne of His native city, "the Mother of the World" and "the Dayspring of
Light," of a king who will be adorned with the twin ornaments of justice
and of devotion to His Faith: "Let nothing grieve thee, O Land of Ta, for
God hath chosen thee to be the source of the joy of all mankind. He shall,
if it be His will, bless thy throne with one who will rule with justice,
who will gather together the flock of God which the wolves have scattered.
Such a ruler will, with joy and gladness, turn his face towards and extend
his favors unto, the people of Baha. He indeed is accounted in the sight
of God as a jewel among men. Upon him rest forever the glory of God, and
the glory of all that dwell in the kingdom of His Revelation."