Gems of Divine Mysteries
by Baha'u'llah
Edition 1, (June 23, 2005)
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CONTENTS
Baha'i Terms of Use
Introduction
Gems of Divine Mystery
[Frontispiece]
The first page of the Javahiru'l-Asrar, with an added note in
Baha'u'llah's own hand
Javahiru'l-Asrar
Baha'i World Centre
BAHA'I WORLD CENTRE COPYRIGHT (C)
2002 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
INTRODUCTION
The decade-long exile of Baha'u'llah in 'Iraq began under the harshest of
conditions and at the lowest ebb in the fortunes of the Babi Faith. It
witnessed, however, the gradual crystallization of those potent spiritual
forces which were to culminate in the declaration of His world-embracing
mission in 1863. In the course of these years, and from the city of
Ba_gh_dad, there radiated, Shoghi Effendi writes, "wave after wave, a
power, a radiance and a glory which insensibly reanimated a languishing
Faith, sorely-stricken, sinking into obscurity, threatened with oblivion.
From it were diffused, day and night, and with ever-increasing energy, the
first emanations of a Revelation which, in its scope, its copiousness, its
driving force and the volume and variety of its literature, was destined
to excel that of the Bab Himself."(1)
Among these early effusions of the Pen of Glory is a lengthy Arabic
epistle known as the Javahiru'l-Asrar, meaning literally the "gems" or
"essences" of mysteries. A number of themes it enunciates are also
elaborated in Persian--through different revelatory modes--in the Seven
Valleys and the Book of Certitude, those two immortal volumes which Shoghi
Effendi has characterized, respectively, as Baha'u'llah's greatest
mystical composition and His pre-eminent doctrinal work. Undoubtedly the
Gems of Divine Mysteries figures among those "Tablets revealed in the
Arabic tongue" which were referred to in the latter volume.(2)
One of the central themes of the book, Baha'u'llah indicates, is that of
"transformation", meaning here the return of the Promised One in a
different human guise. Indeed, in a prefatory note written above the
opening lines of the original manuscript, Baha'u'llah states:
This treatise was written in reply to a seeker who had asked how the
promised Mihdi could have become transformed into 'Ali-Muhammad (the Bab).
The opportunity provided by this question was seized to elaborate on a
number of subjects, all of which are of use and benefit both to them that
seek and to those who have attained, could ye perceive with the eye of
divine virtue.
The seeker alluded to in the above passage was Siyyid Yusuf-i-Sihdihi
Isfahani, who at the time was residing in Karbila. His questions were
presented to Baha'u'llah through an intermediary, and this Tablet was
revealed in response on the same day.
A number of other important themes are addressed in this work as well: the
cause of the rejection of the Prophets of the past; the danger of a
literal reading of scripture; the meaning of the signs and portents of the
Bible concerning the advent of the new Manifestation; the continuity of
divine revelation; intimations of Baha'u'llah's own approaching
declaration; the significance of such symbolic terms as "the Day of
Judgement", "the Resurrection", "attainment to the Divine Presence", and
"life and death"; and the stages of the spiritual quest through "the
Garden of Search", "the City of Love and Rapture", "the City of Divine
Unity", "the Garden of Wonderment", "the City of Absolute Nothingness",
"the City of Immortality", and "the City that hath no name or
description".
The publication of Gems of Divine Mysteries is one of the projects
undertaken in fulfilment of the Five Year Plan goal, announced in April
2001, of "enriching the translations into English from the Holy Texts".
The volume will further deepen the Western reader's appreciation of a
period infused with potentiality and described by Shoghi Effendi as "the
vernal years of Baha'u'llah's ministry", and assist the students of His
Revelation in gaining a more profound insight into its gradual unfoldment.
GEMS OF DIVINE MYSTERY
The essence of the divine mysteries in the journeys of ascent set
forth for those who long to draw nigh unto God, the Almighty, the
Ever-Forgiving--blessed be the righteous that quaff from these
crystal streams!
HE IS THE EXALTED, THE MOST HIGH!
1 O thou who treadest the path of justice and beholdest the countenance of
mercy! Thine epistle was received, thy question was noted, and the sweet
accents of thy soul were heard from the inmost chambers of thy heart.
Whereupon the clouds of the Divine Will were raised to rain upon thee the
outpourings of heavenly wisdom, to divest thee of all that thou hadst
acquired aforetime, to draw thee from the realms of contradiction unto the
retreats of oneness, and to lead thee to the sacred streams of His Law.
Perchance thou mayest quaff therefrom, repose therein, quench thy thirst,
refresh thy soul, and be numbered with those whom the light of God hath
guided aright in this day.
2 Encompassed as I am at this time by the dogs of the earth and the beasts
of every land, concealed as I remain in the hidden habitation of Mine
inner Being, forbidden as I may be from divulging that which God hath
bestowed upon Me of the wonders of His knowledge, the gems of His wisdom,
and the tokens of His power, yet am I loath to frustrate the hopes of one
who hath approached the sanctuary of grandeur, sought to enter within the
precincts of eternity, and aspired to soar in the immensity of this
creation at the dawning of the divine decree. I shall therefore relate
unto thee certain truths from among those which God hath vouchsafed unto
Me, this only to the extent that souls can bear and minds endure, lest the
malicious raise a clamour or the dissemblers hoist their banners. I
implore God to graciously aid Me in this, for unto such as beseech Him, He
is the All-Bounteous, and of those who show mercy, He is the Most
Merciful.
3 Know then that it behoveth thine eminence to ponder from the outset
these questions in thy heart: What hath prompted the divers peoples and
kindreds of the earth to reject the Apostles whom God hath sent unto them
in His might and power, whom He hath raised up to exalt His Cause and
ordained to be the Lamps of eternity within the Niche of His oneness? For
what reason have the people turned aside from them, disputed about them,
risen against and contended with them? On what grounds have they refused
to acknowledge their apostleship and authority, nay, denied their truth
and reviled their persons, even slaying or banishing them?
4 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.
5 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.(3)
6 Now that the discourse hath reached this exalted and intractable theme
and touched upon this sublime and impenetrable mystery, know that the
Christian and Jewish peoples have not grasped the intent of the words of
God and the promises He hath made to them in His Book, and have therefore
denied His Cause, turned aside from His Prophets, and rejected His proofs.
Had they but fixed their gaze upon the testimony of God itself, had they
refused to follow in the footsteps of the abject and foolish among their
leaders and divines, they would doubtless have attained to the repository
of guidance and the treasury of virtue, and quaffed from the crystal
waters of life eternal in the city of the All-Merciful, in the garden of
the All-Glorious, and within the inner reality of His paradise. But as
they have refused to see with the eyes wherewith God hath endowed them,
and desired things other than that which He in His mercy had desired for
them, they have strayed far from the retreats of nearness, have been
deprived of the living waters of reunion and the wellspring of His grace,
and have lain as dead within the shrouds of their own selves.
7 Through the power of God and His might, I shall now relate certain
passages revealed in the Books of old, and mention some of the signs
heralding the appearance of the Manifestations of God in the sanctified
persons of His chosen Ones, that thou mayest recognize the Dayspring of
this everlasting morn and behold this Fire that blazeth in the Tree which
is neither of the East nor of the West.(4) Perchance thine eyes may be
opened upon attaining the presence of thy Lord and thy heart partake of
the blessings concealed within these hidden treasuries. Render thanks then
unto God, Who hath singled thee out for this grace and Who hath numbered
thee with them that are assured of meeting their Lord.
8 This is the text of that which was revealed aforetime in the first
Gospel, according to Matthew, regarding the signs that must needs herald
the advent of the One Who shall come after Him. He saith: "And woe unto
them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days...",(5)
until the mystic Dove, singing in the midmost heart of eternity, and the
celestial Bird, warbling upon the Divine Lote-Tree, saith: "Immediately
after the oppression of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon
shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the
powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of
the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth
mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven
with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great
sound of a trumpet."(6)
9 In the second Gospel, according to Mark, the Dove of holiness speaketh
in such terms: "For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not
from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time,
neither shall be."(7) And it singeth later with the same melodies as
before, without change or alteration. God, verily, is a witness unto the
truth of My words.
10 And in the third Gospel, according to Luke, it is recorded: "There
shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars, and upon the
earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
and the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son
of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things
begin to come to pass, know that the kingdom of God hath drawn nigh."(8)
11 And in the fourth Gospel, according to John, it is recorded: "But when
the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the
Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
and ye also shall bear witness."(9) And elsewhere He saith: "But the
Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name,
he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance,
whatsoever I have said unto you." (10) And: "But now I go my way to him
that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? But because I
have said these things unto you..."(11) And yet again: "Nevertheless I
tell you the truth: It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go
not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will
send him unto you." (12) And: "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is
come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself;
but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you
things to come." (13)
12 Such is the text of the verses revealed in the past. By Him besides
Whom there is none other God, I have chosen to be brief, for were I to
recount all the words that have been sent down unto the Prophets of God
from the realm of His supernal glory and the kingdom of His sovereign
might, all the pages and tablets of the world would not suffice to exhaust
My theme. References similar to those mentioned, nay even more sublime and
exalted, have been made in all the Books and Scriptures of old. Should it
be My wish to recount all that hath been revealed in the past, I would
most certainly be able to do so by virtue of that which God hath bestowed
upon Me of the wonders of His knowledge and power. I have, however,
contented Myself with that which was mentioned, lest thou become wearied
in thy journey or feel inclined to turn back, or lest thou be overtaken by
sadness and sorrow and overcome with despondency, trouble and fatigue.
13 Be fair in thy judgement and reflect upon these exalted utterances.
Inquire, then, of those who lay claim to knowledge without a proof or
testimony from God, and who remain heedless of these days wherein the Orb
of knowledge and wisdom hath dawned above the horizon of Divinity,
rendering unto each his due and assigning unto all their rank and measure,
as to what they can say concerning these allusions. Verily, their meaning
hath bewildered the minds of men, and that which they conceal of the
consummate wisdom and latent knowledge of God even the most sanctified
souls have been powerless to uncover.
14 Should they say: "These words are indeed from God, and have no
interpretation other than their outward meaning", then what objection can
they raise against the unbelievers among the people of the Book? For when
the latter saw the aforementioned passages in their Scriptures and heard
the literal interpretations of their divines, they refused to recognize
God in those who are the Manifestations of His unity, the Exponents of His
singleness, and the Embodiments of His sanctity, and failed to believe in
them and submit to their authority. The reason was that they did not see
the sun darken, or the stars of heaven fall to the ground, or the angels
visibly descend upon the earth, and hence they contended with the Prophets
and Messengers of God. Nay, inasmuch as they found them at variance with
their own faith and creed, they hurled against them such accusations of
imposture, folly, waywardness, and misbelief as I am ashamed to recount.
Refer to the Qur'an, that thou mayest find mention of all this and be of
them that understand its meaning. Even to this day do these people await
the appearance of that which they have learned from their doctors and
imbibed from their divines. Thus do they say: "When shall these signs be
made manifest, that we may believe?" But if this be the case, how could ye
refute their arguments, invalidate their proofs, and challenge them
concerning their faith and their understanding of their Books and the
sayings of their leaders?
15 And should they reply: "The Books that are in the hands of this people,
which they call the Gospel and attribute to Jesus, the Son of Mary, have
not been revealed by God and proceed not from the Manifestations of His
Self", then this would imply a cessation in the abounding grace of Him Who
is the Source of all grace. If so, God's testimony to His servants would
have remained incomplete and His favour proven imperfect. His mercy would
not have shone resplendent, nor would His grace have overshadowed all. For
if at the ascension of Jesus His Book had likewise ascended unto heaven,
then how could God reprove and chastise the people on the Day of
Resurrection, as hath been written by the Imams of the Faith and affirmed
by its illustrious divines?
16 Ponder then in thine heart: Matters being such as thou dost witness,
and as We also witness, where canst thou flee, and with whom shalt thou
take refuge? Unto whom wilt thou turn thy gaze? In what land shalt thou
dwell and upon what seat shalt thou abide? In what path shalt thou tread
and at what hour wilt thou find repose? What shall become of thee in the
end? Where shalt thou secure the cord of thy faith and fasten the tie of
thine obedience? By Him Who revealeth Himself in His oneness and Whose own
Self beareth witness to His unity! Should there be ignited in thy heart
the burning brand of the love of God, thou wouldst seek neither rest nor
composure, neither laughter nor repose, but wouldst hasten to scale the
highest summits in the realms of divine nearness, sanctity, and beauty.
Thou wouldst lament as a soul bereaved and weep as a heart filled with
longing. Nor wouldst thou repair to thy home and abode unless God would
lay bare before thee His Cause.
17 O thou who hast soared to the realm of guidance and ascended to the
kingdom of virtue! Shouldst thou desire to apprehend these celestial
allusions, to witness the mysteries of divine knowledge, and to become
acquainted with His all-encompassing Word, then it behoveth thine eminence
to inquire into these and other questions pertaining to thine origin and
ultimate goal from those whom God hath made to be the Wellspring of His
knowledge, the Heaven of His wisdom, and the Ark of His mysteries. For
were it not for those effulgent Lights that shine above the horizon of His
Essence, the people would know not their left hand from their right, how
much less could they scale the heights of the inner realities or probe the
depths of their subtleties! We beseech God therefore to immerse us in
these surging seas, to grace us with the presence of these life-bearing
breezes, and to cause us to abide in these divine and lofty precincts.
Perchance we may divest ourselves of all that we have taken from each
other and strip ourselves of such borrowed garments as we have stolen from
our fellow men, that He may attire us instead with the robe of His mercy
and the raiment of His guidance, and admit us into the city of knowledge.
18 Whosoever entereth this city will comprehend every science before
probing into its mysteries and will acquire from the leaves of its trees a
knowledge and wisdom encompassing such mysteries of divine lordship as are
enshrined within the treasuries of creation. Glorified be God, its Creator
and Fashioner, above all that He hath brought forth and ordained therein!
By God, the Sovereign Protector, the Self-Subsisting, the Almighty! Were I
to unveil to thine eyes the gates of this city, which have been fashioned
by the right hand of might and power, thou wouldst behold that which none
before thee hath ever beheld, and wouldst witness that which no other soul
hath ever witnessed. Thou wouldst apprehend the most obscure signs and the
most abstruse allusions, and wouldst clearly behold the mysteries of the
beginning in the point of the end. All matters would be made easy unto
thee, fire would be turned into light, knowledge and blessings, and thou
wouldst abide in safety within the court of holiness.
19 Bereft, however, of the essence of the mysteries of His wisdom, which
We have imparted unto thee beneath the veils of these blessed and
soul-stirring words, thou wouldst fail to attain unto even a sprinkling of
the oceans of divine knowledge or the crystal streams of divine power, and
wouldst be recorded in the Mother Book, through the Pen of oneness and by
the Finger of God, amongst the ignorant. Nor wouldst thou be able to grasp
a single word of the Book or a single utterance of the Kindred of God(14)
concerning the mysteries of the beginning and the end.
20 O thou whom We have outwardly never met, yet whom We inwardly cherish
in Our heart! Be fair in thy judgement and present thyself before Him Who
seeth and knoweth thee, even if thou seest and knowest Him not: Can any
soul be found to elucidate these words with such convincing arguments,
clear testimonies, and unmistakable allusions as to appease the heart of
the seeker and relieve the soul of the listener? Nay, by the One in Whose
hand is My soul! Unto none is given to quaff even a dewdrop thereof unless
he entereth within this city, a city whose foundations rest upon mountains
of crimson-coloured ruby, whose walls are hewn of the chrysolite of divine
unity, whose gates are made of the diamonds of immortality, and whose
earth sheddeth the fragrance of divine bounty.
21 Having imparted unto thee, beneath countless veils of concealment,
certain hidden mysteries, We now return to Our elucidation of the Books of
old, that perchance thy feet may not slip and thou mayest receive with
complete certitude the portion which We shall bestow upon thee of the
billowing oceans of life in the realm of the names and attributes of God.
22 It is recorded in all the Books of the Gospel that He Who is the
Spirit(15) spoke in words of pure light unto His disciples, saying: "Know
that heaven and earth may pass away, but my words shall never pass
away."(16) As is clear and evident to thine eminence, these words
outwardly mean that the Books of the Gospel will remain in the hands of
people till the end of the world, that their laws shall not be abrogated,
that their testimony shall not be abolished, and that all that hath been
enjoined, prescribed, or ordained therein shall endure forever.
23 O My brother! Sanctify thy heart, illumine thy soul, and sharpen thy
sight, that thou mayest perceive the sweet accents of the Birds of Heaven
and the melodies of the Doves of Holiness warbling in the Kingdom of
eternity, and perchance apprehend the inner meaning of these utterances
and their hidden mysteries. For otherwise, wert thou to interpret these
words according to their outward meaning, thou couldst never prove the
truth of the Cause of Him Who came after Jesus, nor silence the opponents,
nor prevail over the contending disbelievers. For the Christian divines
use this verse to prove that the Gospel shall never be abrogated and that,
even if all the signs recorded in their Books were fulfilled and the
Promised One appeared, He would have no recourse but to rule the people
according to the ordinances of the Gospel. They contend that if He were to
manifest all the signs indicated in the Books, but decree aught besides
that which Jesus had decreed, they would neither acknowledge nor follow
Him, so clear and self-evident is this matter in their sight.
24 Thou canst indeed hear the learned and the foolish amongst the people
voice the same objections in this day, saying: "The sun hath not risen
from the West, nor hath the Crier cried out betwixt earth and heaven.
Water hath not inundated certain lands; the Dajjal(17) hath not appeared;
Sufyani(18) hath not arisen; nor hath the Temple been witnessed in the
sun." I heard, with Mine own ears, one of their divines proclaim: "Should
all these signs come to pass and the long-awaited Qa'im appear, and should
He ordain, with respect to even our secondary laws, aught beyond that
which hath been revealed in the Qur'an, we would assuredly charge Him with
imposture, put Him to death, and refuse forever to acknowledge Him", and
other statements such as these deniers make. And all this, when the Day of
Resurrection hath been ushered in, and the Trumpet hath been sounded, and
all the denizens of earth and heaven have been gathered together, and the
Balance hath been appointed, and the Bridge hath been laid, and the Verses
have been sent down, and the Sun hath shone forth, and the stars have been
blotted out, and the souls have been raised to life, and the breath of the
Spirit hath blown, and the angels have been arrayed in ranks, and Paradise
hath been brought nigh, and Hell made to blaze! These things have all come
to pass, and yet to this day not a single one of these people hath
recognized them! They all lie as dead within their own shrouds, save those
who have believed and repaired unto God, who rejoice in this day in His
celestial paradise, and who tread the path of His good-pleasure.
25 Veiled as they remain within their own selves, the generality of the
people have failed to perceive the sweet accents of holiness, inhale the
fragrance of mercy, or seek guidance, as bidden by God, from those who are
the custodians of the Scriptures. He proclaimeth, and His word, verily, is
the truth: "Ask ye, therefore, of them that have the custody of the
Scriptures, if ye know it not."(19) Nay rather, they have turned aside
from them and followed instead the Samiri(20) of their own idle fancies.
Thus have they strayed far from the mercy of their Lord and failed to
attain unto His Beauty in the day of His presence. For no sooner had He
come unto them with a sign and a testimony from God than the same people
who had eagerly awaited the day of His Revelation, who had called upon Him
in the daytime and in the night season, who had implored Him to gather
them together in His presence and to grant that they may lay down their
lives in His path, be led aright by His guidance and illumined by His
light--this very people condemned and reviled Him, and inflicted upon Him
such cruelties as transcend both My capacity to tell and thine ability to
hear them. My very pen crieth out at this moment and the ink weepeth sore
and groaneth. By God! Wert thou to hearken with thine inner ear, thou
wouldst in truth hear the lamentations of the denizens of heaven; and wert
thou to remove the veil from before thine eyes, thou wouldst behold the
Maids of Heaven overcome and the holy souls overwhelmed, beating upon
their faces and fallen upon the dust.
26 Alas, alas, for that which befell Him Who was the Manifestation of the
Self of God, and for that which He and His loved ones were made to suffer!
The people inflicted upon them what no soul hath ever inflicted upon
another, and what no infidel hath wrought against a believer or suffered
at his hand. Alas, alas! That immortal Being sat upon the darksome dust,
the Holy Spirit lamented in the retreats of glory, the pillars of the
Throne crumbled in the exalted dominion, the joy of the world was changed
into sorrow in the crimson land, and the voice of the Nightingale was
silenced in the golden realm. Woe betide them for what their hands have
wrought and for what they have committed!
27 Hearken then unto that which the Bird of Heaven uttered, in the
sweetest and most wondrous accents, and in the most perfect and exalted
melodies, concerning them--an utterance that shall fill them with remorse
from now unto "the day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the
worlds": "Although they had before prayed for victory over those who
believed not, yet when there came unto them He of Whom they had knowledge,
they disbelieved in Him. The curse of God on the infidels!"(21) Such
indeed are their condition and attainments in their vain and empty life.
Erelong shall they be cast into the fire of affliction and find none to
help or succour them.
28 Be not veiled by aught that hath been revealed in the Qur'an, or by
what thou hast learned from the works of those Suns of immaculacy and
Moons of majesty,(22) regarding the perversion of the Texts by the
fanatical or their alteration by their corruptors. By these statements
only certain specific and clearly indicated passages are intended. In
spite of My weakness and poverty, I would assuredly be able, should I so
desire, to expound these passages unto thine eminence. But this would
divert us from our purpose and lead us astray from the outstretched path.
It would immerse us in limited allusions and distract us from that which
is beloved in the court of the All-Praised.
29 O thou who art mentioned in this outspread roll and who, amidst the
gloomy darkness that now prevaileth, hast been illumined by the splendours
of the sacred Mount in the Sinai of divine Revelation! Cleanse thy heart
from every blasphemous whispering and evil allusion thou hast heard in the
past, that thou mayest inhale the sweet savours of eternity from the
Joseph of faithfulness, gain admittance into the celestial Egypt, and
perceive the fragrances of enlightenment from this resplendent and
luminous Tablet, a Tablet wherein the Pen hath inscribed the ancient
mysteries of the names of His Lord, the Exalted, the Most High. Perchance
thou mayest be recorded in the holy Tablets among them that are well
assured.
30 O thou who art standing before My Throne and yet remain unaware
thereof! Know thou that whoso seeketh to scale the summits of the divine
mysteries must needs strive to the utmost of his power and capacity for
his Faith, that the pathway of guidance may be made clear unto him. And
should he encounter One Who layeth claim to a Cause from God, and Who
holdeth from His Lord a testimony beyond the power of men to produce, he
must needs follow Him in all that He pleaseth to proclaim, command and
ordain, even were He to decree the sea to be land, or to pronounce earth
to be heaven, or that the former lieth above the latter or below it, or to
ordain any change or transformation, for He, verily, is aware of the
celestial mysteries, the unseen subtleties, and the ordinances of God.
31 Were the peoples of every nation to observe that which hath been
mentioned, the matter would be made simple unto them, and such words and
allusions would not withhold them from the Ocean of the names and
attributes of God. And had the people known this truth, they would not
have denied God's favours, nor would they have risen against, contended
with, and rejected His Prophets. Similar passages are also to be found in
the Qur'an, should the matter be carefully examined.
32 Know, moreover, that it is through such words that God proveth His
servants and sifteth them, separating the believer from the infidel, the
detached from the worldly, the pious from the profligate, the doer of good
from the worker of iniquity, and so forth. Thus hath the Dove of holiness
proclaimed: "Do men think when they say 'We believe' they shall be let
alone and not be put to proof?"(23)
33 It behoveth him who is a wayfarer in the path of God and a wanderer in
His way to detach himself from all who are in the heavens and on the
earth. He must renounce all save God, that perchance the portals of mercy
may be unlocked before his face and the breezes of providence may waft
over him. And when he hath inscribed upon his soul that which We have
vouchsafed unto him of the quintessence of inner meaning and explanation,
he will fathom all the secrets of these allusions, and God shall bestow
upon his heart a divine tranquillity and cause him to be of them that are
at peace with themselves. In like manner wilt thou comprehend the meaning
of all the ambiguous verses that have been sent down concerning the
question thou didst ask of this Servant Who abideth upon the seat of
abasement, Who walketh upon the earth as an exile with none to befriend,
comfort, aid, or assist Him, Who hath placed His whole trust in God, and
Who proclaimeth at all times: "Verily we are God's, and to Him shall we
return." (24)
34 Know thou that the passages that We have called "ambiguous" appear as
such only in the eyes of them that have failed to soar above the horizon
of guidance and to reach the heights of knowledge in the retreats of
grace. For otherwise, unto them that have recognized the Repositories of
divine Revelation and beheld through His inspiration the mysteries of
divine authority, all the verses of God are perspicuous and all His
allusions are clear. Such men discern the inner mysteries that have been
clothed in the garment of words as clearly as ye perceive the heat of the
sun or the wetness of water, nay even more distinctly. Immeasurably
exalted is God above our praise of His loved ones, and beyond their praise
of Him!
35 Now that We have reached this most excellent theme and attained such
lofty heights by virtue of that which hath flowed from this Pen through
the incomparable favours of God, the Exalted, the Most High, it is Our
wish to disclose unto thee certain stations in the wayfarer's journey
towards his Creator. Perchance all that thine eminence hath desired may be
revealed unto thee, that the proof may be made complete and the blessing
abundant.
36 Know thou of a truth that the seeker must, at the beginning of his
quest for God, enter the Garden of Search. In this journey it behoveth the
wayfarer to detach himself from all save God and to close his eyes to all
that is in the heavens and on the earth. There must not linger in his
heart either the hate or the love of any soul, to the extent that they
would hinder him from attaining the habitation of the celestial Beauty. He
must sanctify his soul from the veils of glory and refrain from boasting
of such worldly vanities, outward knowledge, or other gifts as God may
have bestowed upon him. He must search after the truth to the utmost of
his ability and exertion, that God may guide him in the paths of His
favour and the ways of His mercy. For He, verily, is the best of helpers
unto His servants. He saith, and He verily speaketh the truth: "Whoso
maketh efforts for Us, in Our ways shall We assuredly guide him." (25) And
furthermore: "Fear God and God will give you knowledge." (26)
37 In this journey the seeker becometh witness to a myriad changes and
transformations, confluences and divergences. He beholdeth the wonders of
Divinity in the mysteries of creation and discovereth the paths of
guidance and the ways of His Lord. Such is the station reached by them
that search after God, and such are the heights attained by those who
hasten unto Him.
38 When once the seeker hath ascended unto this station, he will enter the
City of Love and Rapture, whereupon the winds of love will blow and the
breezes of the spirit will waft. In this station the seeker is so overcome
by the ecstasies of yearning and the fragrances of longing that he
discerneth not his left from his right, nor doth he distinguish land from
sea or desert from mountain. At every moment he burneth with the fire of
longing and is consumed by the onslaught of separation in this world. He
speedeth through the Paran of love and traverseth the Horeb of rapture.
Now he laugheth, now he weepeth sore; now he reposeth in peace, now he
trembleth in fear. Nothing can alarm him, naught can thwart his purpose,
and no law can restrain him. He standeth ready to obey whatsoever His Lord
should please to decree as to his beginning and his end. With every breath
he layeth down his life and offereth up his soul. He bareth his breast to
meet the darts of the enemy and raiseth his head to greet the sword of
destiny; nay rather, he kisseth the hand of his would-be murderer and
surrendereth his all. He yieldeth up spirit, soul, and body in the path of
his Lord, and yet he doeth so by the leave of his Beloved and not of his
own whim and desire. Thou findest him chill in the fire and dry in the
sea, abiding in every land and treading every path. Whosoever toucheth him
in this state will perceive the heat of his love. He walketh the heights
of detachment and traverseth the vale of renunciation. His eyes are ever
expectant to witness the wonders of God's mercy and eager to behold the
splendours of His beauty. Blessed indeed are they that have attained unto
such a station, for this is the station of the ardent lovers and the
enraptured souls.
39 And when this stage of the journey is completed and the wayfarer hath
soared beyond this lofty station, he entereth the City of Divine Unity,
and the garden of oneness, and the court of detachment. In this plane the
seeker casteth away all signs, allusions, veils, and words, and beholdeth
all things with an eye illumined by the effulgent lights which God Himself
hath shed upon him. In his journey he seeth all differences return to a
single word and all allusions culminate in a single point. Unto this
beareth witness he who sailed upon the ark of fire and followed the inmost
path to the pinnacle of glory in the realm of immortality: "Knowledge is
one point, which the foolish have multiplied."(27) This is the station
that hath been alluded to in the tradition: "I am He, Himself, and He is
I, Myself, except that I am that I am, and He is that He is."(28)
40 In this station, were He Who is the Embodiment of the End to say:
"Verily, I am the Point of the Beginning", He would indeed be speaking the
truth. And were He to say: "I am other than Him", this would be equally
true. Likewise, were He to proclaim: "Verily, I am the Lord of heaven and
earth", or "the King of kings", or "the Lord of the realm above", or
Muhammad, or 'Ali, or their descendants, or aught else, He would indeed be
proclaiming the truth of God. He, verily, ruleth over all created things
and standeth supreme above all besides Him. Hast thou not heard what hath
been said aforetime: "Muhammad is our first, Muhammad our last, Muhammad
our all"? And elsewhere: "They all proceed from the same Light"?
41 In this station the truth of the unity of God and of the signs of His
sanctity is established. Thou shalt indeed see them all rising above the
bosom of God's might and embraced in the arms of His mercy; nor can any
distinction be made between His bosom and His arms. To speak of change or
transformation in this plane would be sheer blasphemy and utter impiety,
for this is the station wherein the light of divine unity shineth forth,
and the truth of His oneness is expressed, and the splendours of the
everlasting Morn are reflected in lofty and faithful mirrors. By God! Were
I to reveal the full measure of that which He hath ordained for this
station, the souls of men would depart from their bodies, the inner
realities of all things would be shaken in their foundations, they that
dwell within the realms of creation would be dumbfounded, and those who
move in the lands of allusion would fade into utter nothingness.
42 Hast thou not heard: "No change is there in God's creation"?(29) Hast
thou not read: "No change canst thou find in God's mode of dealing"?(30)
Hast thou not borne witness to the truth: "No difference wilt thou see in
the creation of the God of Mercy"? (31) Yea, by My Lord! They that dwell
within this Ocean, they that ride upon this Ark, witness no change in the
creation of God and behold no differences upon His earth. And if God's
creation be not prone to change and alteration, how then could they who
are the Manifestations of His own Being be subject to it? Immeasurably
exalted is God above all that we may conceive of the Revealers of His
Cause, and immensely glorified is He beyond all that they may mention in
His regard!
43
Great God! This sea had laid up lustrous pearls in store;
The wind hath raised a wave that casteth them ashore.
So put away thy robe and drown thyself therein,
And cease to boast of skill: it serveth thee no more!
44 If thou be of the inmates of this city within the ocean of divine
unity, thou wilt view all the Prophets and Messengers of God as one soul
and one body, as one light and one spirit, in such wise that the first
among them would be last and the last would be first. For they have all
arisen to proclaim His Cause and have established the laws of divine
wisdom. They are, one and all, the Manifestations of His Self, the
Repositories of His might, the Treasuries of His Revelation, the
Dawning-Places of His splendour, and the Daysprings of His light. Through
them are manifested the signs of sanctity in the realities of all things
and the tokens of oneness in the essences of all beings. Through them are
revealed the elements of glorification in the heavenly realities and the
exponents of praise in the eternal essences. From them hath all creation
proceeded and unto them shall return all that hath been mentioned. And
since in their inmost Beings they are the same Luminaries and the
self-same Mysteries, thou shouldst view their outward conditions in the
same light, that thou mayest recognize them all as one Being, nay, find
them united in their words, speech, and utterance.
45 Wert thou to consider in this station the last of them to be the first,
or conversely, thou wouldst indeed be speaking the truth, as hath been
ordained by Him Who is the Wellspring of Divinity and the Source of
Lordship: "Say: Call upon God or call upon the All-Merciful: by
whichsoever name ye will, invoke him, for He hath most excellent
names."(32) For they are all the Manifestations of the name of God, the
Dawning-Places of His attributes, the Repositories of His might, and the
Focal Points of His sovereignty, whilst God--magnified be His might and
glory--is in His Essence sanctified above all names and exalted beyond even
the loftiest attributes. Consider likewise the evidences of divine
omnipotence both in their Souls and in their human Temples, that thine
heart may be assured and that thou mayest be of them that speed through
the realms of His nearness.
46 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!"(33) Thus
hath He revealed these most excellent names and most exalted words in the
Manifestations of His Self and the Mirrors of His Being.
47 It is therefore established that all names and attributes return unto
these sublime and sanctified Luminaries. Indeed, all names are to be found
in their names, and all attributes can be seen in their attributes. Viewed
in this light, if thou wert to call them by all the names of God, this
would be true, as all these names are one and the same as their own Being.
Comprehend then the intent of these words, and guard it within the
tabernacle of thy heart, that thou mayest recognize the implications of
thine inquiry, fulfil them according to that which God hath ordained for
thee, and thus be numbered with those who have attained unto His purpose.
48 All that thou hast heard regarding Muhammad the son of Hasan(34)--may
the souls of all that are immersed in the oceans of the spirit be offered
up for His sake--is true beyond the shadow of a doubt, and we all verily
bear allegiance unto Him. But the Imams of the Faith have fixed His abode
in the city of Jabulqa,(35) which they have depicted in strange and
marvellous signs. To interpret this city according to the literal meaning
of the tradition would indeed prove impossible, nor can such a city ever
be found. Wert thou to search the uttermost corners of the earth, nay
probe its length and breadth for as long as God's eternity hath lasted and
His sovereignty will endure, thou wouldst never find a city such as they
have described, for the entirety of the earth could neither contain nor
encompass it. If thou wouldst lead Me unto this city, I could assuredly
lead thee unto this holy Being, Whom the people have conceived according
to what they possess and not to that which pertaineth unto Him! Since this
is not in thy power, thou hast no recourse but to interpret symbolically
the accounts and traditions that have been reported from these luminous
souls. And, as such an interpretation is needed for the traditions
pertaining to the aforementioned city, so too is it required for this holy
Being. When thou hast understood this interpretation, thou shalt no longer
stand in need of "transformation" or aught else.
49 Know then that, inasmuch as all the Prophets are but one and the same
soul, spirit, name, and attribute, thou must likewise see them all as
bearing the name Muhammad and as being the son of Hasan, as having
appeared from the Jabulqa of God's power and from the Jabulsa of His
mercy. For by Jabulqa is meant none other than the treasure-houses of
eternity in the all-highest heaven and the cities of the unseen in the
supernal realm. We bear witness that Muhammad, the son of Hasan, was
indeed in Jabulqa and appeared therefrom. Likewise, He Whom God shall make
manifest abideth in that city until such time as God will have established
Him upon the seat of His sovereignty. We, verily, acknowledge this truth
and bear allegiance unto each and every one of them. We have chosen here
to be brief in our elucidation of the meanings of Jabulqa, but if thou be
of them that truly believe, thou shalt indeed comprehend all the true
meanings of the mysteries enshrined within these Tablets.
50 But as to Him Who appeared in the year sixty, He standeth in need of
neither transformation nor interpretation, for His name was Muhammad, and
He was a descendent of the Imams of the Faith. Thus it can be truly said
of Him that He was the son of Hasan, as is undoubtedly clear and evident
unto thine eminence. Nay, He it is Who fashioned that name and created it
for Himself, were ye to observe with the eye of God.
51 It is Our wish at this juncture to digress from Our theme to recount
that which befell the Point of the Qur'an,(36) and to extol His
remembrance, that perchance thou mayest gain into all things an insight
born of Him Who is the Almighty, the Incomparable.
52 Consider and reflect upon His days, when God raised Him up to promote
His Cause and to stand as the representative of His own Self. Witness how
He was assailed, denied, and denounced by all; how, when He set foot in
the streets and marketplaces, the people derided Him, wagged their heads
at Him, and laughed Him to scorn; how at every moment they sought to slay
Him. Such were their doings that the earth in all its vastness was
straitened for Him, the Concourse on High bewailed His plight, the
foundations of existence were reduced to nothingness, and the eyes of the
well-favoured denizens of His Kingdom wept sore over Him. Indeed, so
grievous were the afflictions which the infidels and the wicked showered
upon Him that no faithful soul can bear to hear them.
53 If these wayward souls had indeed paused to reflect upon their conduct,
recognized the sweet melodies of that Mystic Dove singing upon the twigs
of this snow-white Tree, embraced that which God had revealed unto and
bestowed upon them, and discovered the fruits of the Tree of God upon its
branches, wherefore then did they reject and denounce Him? Had they not
lifted their heads to the heavens to implore His appearance? Had they not
besought God at every moment to honour them with His Beauty and sustain
them through His presence?