up at the mention of His Name and fervently implored His advent night and
day, and if they dreamt of Him they gloried in their dreams; yet now that
He hath revealed Himself, invested with the mightiest testimony, whereby
their own religion is vindicated, and despite the incalculable number of
people who yearningly anticipate His coming, they are resting comfortably
in their homes, after having hearkened to His verses; while He at this
moment is confined in the mountain of Maku, lonely and forsaken.
Take good heed of yourselves, O people of the Bayan, lest ye perform such
deeds as to weep sore for His sake night and day, to stand up at the
mention of His Name, yet on this Day of fruition--a Day whereon ye should
not only arise at His Name, but seek a path unto Him Who personifies that
Name--ye shut yourselves out from Him as by as veil. VI, 15.
"At the time of the manifestation of Him Whom God ..."
At the time of the manifestation of Him Whom God shall make manifest
everyone should be well trained in the teachings of the Bayan, so that
none of the followers may outwardly cling to the Bayan and thus forfeit
their allegiance unto Him. If anyone does so, the verdict of 'disbeliever
in God' shall be passed upon him.
I swear by the holy Essence of God, were all in the Bayan to unite in
helping Him Whom God shall make manifest in the days of His Revelation,
not a single soul, nay, not a created thing would remain on earth that
would not gain admittance into Paradise. Take good heed of yourselves, for
the sum total of the religion of God is but to help Him, rather than to
observe, in the time of His appearance, such deeds as are prescribed in
the Bayan. Should anyone, however, ere He manifesteth Himself, transgress
the ordinances, were it to the extent of a grain of barley, he would have
trangressed His command.
Seek ye refuge in God from whatsoever might lead you astray from the
Source of His Revelation and hold fast unto His Cord, for whoso holdeth
fast unto His allegiance, he hath attained and will attain salvation in
all the worlds.
'Such is the bounty of God; to whom He will, He giveth it, and God is the
Lord of grace abounding.'(61) V, 5.
"Ye perform your works for God from the beginning of ..."
Ye perform your works for God from the beginning of your lives till the
end thereof, yet not a single act is for the sake of Him Who is the
Manifestation of God, to Whom every good deed reverteth. Had ye acted in
such manner, ye would not have suffered so grievously on the Day of
Resurrection.
Behold how great is the Cause, and yet how the people are wrapt in veils.
I swear by the sanctified Essence of God that every true praise and deed
offered unto God is naught but praise and deed offered unto Him Whom God
shall make manifest.
Deceive not your own selves that you are being virtuous for the sake of
God when you are not. For should ye truly do your works for God, ye would
be performing them for Him Whom God shall make manifest and would be
magnifying His Name. The dwellers of this mountain who are bereft of true
understanding unceasingly utter the words, 'No God is there but God'; but
what benefit doth it yield them? Ponder awhile that ye may not be shut out
as by a veil from Him Who is the Dayspring of Revelation. VIII, 19.
"God hath, at all times and under all conditions, been ..."
God hath, at all times and under all conditions, been wholly independent
of His creatures. He hath cherished and will ever cherish the desire that
all men may attain His gardens of Paradise with utmost love, that no one
should sadden another, not even for a moment, and that all should dwell
within His cradle of protection and security until the Day of Resurrection
which marketh the dayspring of the Revelation of Him Whom God will make
manifest.
The Lord of the universe hath never raised up a prophet nor hath He sent
down a Book unless He hath established His covenant with all men, calling
for their acceptance of the next Revelation and of the next Book; inasmuch
as the outpourings of His bounty are ceaseless and without limit. VI, 16.
"How veiled are ye, O My creatures, ... who, without ..."
How veiled are ye, O My creatures,(62) ... who, without any right, have
consigned Him unto a mountain [Maku], not one of whose inhabitants is
worthy of mention... With Him, which is with Me, there is no one except
him who is one of the Letters of the Living of My Book. In His presence,
which is My Presence, there is not at night even a lighted lamp! And yet,
in places [of worship] which in varying degrees reach out unto Him,
unnumbered lamps are shining! All that is on earth hath been created for
Him, and all partake with delight of His benefits, and yet they are so
veiled from Him as to refuse Him even a lamp!
In this Day therefore I bear witness unto My creatures, for the witness of
no one other than Myself hath been or shall ever be worthy of mention in
My presence. I affirm that no Paradise is more sublime for My creatures
than to stand before My face and to believe in My holy Words, while no
fire hath been or will be fiercer for them than to be veiled from the
Manifestation of My exalted Self and to disbelieve in My Words.
Ye may contend: 'How doth He speak on our behalf?' Have ye not perused the
unseemly words ye uttered in the past, as reflected in the text of My
Book, and still ye feel not ashamed? Ye have now seen the truth of My Book
conclusively established and today every one of you doth profess belief in
Me through that Book. The day is not far distant when ye shall readily
realize that your glory lieth in your belief in these holy verses. Today,
however, when only belief in this Faith truly profiteth you, ye have
debarred yourselves therefrom by reason of the things which are
disadvantageous unto you and will inflict harm upon you, whereas He Who is
the Manifestation of My Self hath been and shall ever remain immune from
any harm whatever, and any loss that hath appeared or will appear shall
eventually revert unto yourselves. II, 1.
"How vast the number of people who are well versed in ..."
How vast the number of people who are well versed in every science, yet it
is their adherence to the holy Word of God which will determine their
faith, inasmuch as the fruit of every science is none other than the
knowledge of divine precepts and submission unto His good-pleasure. II, 1.
"No created thing shall ever attain its paradise unless it ..."
No created thing shall ever attain its paradise unless it appeareth in its
highest prescribed degree of perfection. For instance, this crystal
representeth the paradise of the stone whereof its substance is composed.
Likewise there are various stages in the paradise for the crystal
itself... So long as it was stone it was worthless, but if it attaineth
the excellence of ruby--a potentiality which is latent in it--how much a
carat will it be worth? Consider likewise every created thing.
Man's highest station, however, is attained through faith in God in every
Dispensation and by acceptance of what hath been revealed by Him, and not
through learning; inasmuch as in every nation there are learned men who
are versed in divers sciences. Nor is it attainable through wealth; for it
is similarly evident that among the various classes in every nation there
are those possessed of riches. Likewise are other transitory things.
True knowledge, therefore, is the knowledge of God, and this is none other
than the recognition of His Manifestation in each Dispensation. Nor is
there any wealth save in poverty in all save God and sanctity from aught
else but Him--a state that can be realized only when demonstrated towards
Him Who is the Dayspring of His Revelation. This doth not mean, however,
that one ought not to yield praise unto former Revelations. On no account
is this acceptable, inasmuch as it behooveth man, upon reaching the age of
nineteen, to render thanksgiving for the day of his conception as an
embryo. For had the embryo not existed, how could he have reached his
present state? Likewise had the religion taught by Adam not existed, this
Faith would not have attained its present stage. Thus consider thou the
development of God's Faith until the end that hath no end. V, 4.
"Twelve hundred and seventy years have elapsed since ..."
Twelve hundred and seventy years have elapsed since the declaration of
Muhammad, and each year unnumbered people have circumambulated the House
of God [Mecca]. In the concluding year of this period He Who is Himself
the Founder of the House went on pilgrimage. Great God! There was a vast
concourse of pilgrims from every sect. Yet not one recognized Him, though
He recognized every one of them--souls tightly held in the grasp of His
former commandment. The only person who recognized Him and performed
pilgrimage with Him is the one round whom revolve eight Vahids,(63) in
whom God hath gloried before the Concourse on high by virtue of his
absolute detachment and for his being wholly devoted to the Will of God.
This doth not mean that he was made the object of a special favour, nay,
this is a favour which God hath vouchsafed unto all men, yet they have
suffered themselves to be veiled from it. The Commentary on the Surih of
Joseph had, in the first year of this Revelation, been widely distributed.
Nevertheless, when the people realized that fellow supporters were not
forthcoming they hesitated to accept it; while it never occurred to them
that the very Qur'an whereunto unnumbered souls bear fealty today, was
revealed in the midmost heart of the Arab world, yet to outward seeming
for no less than seven years no one acknowledged its truth except the
Commander of the Faithful [Imam 'Ali]--may the peace of God rest upon
him--who, in response to the conclusive proofs advanced by God's supreme
Testimony, recognized the Truth and did not fix his eyes on others. Thus
on the Day of Resurrection God will ask everyone of his understanding and
not of his following in the footsteps of others. How often a person,
having inclined his ears to the holy verses, would bow down in humility
and would embrace the Truth, while his leader would not do so. Thus every
individual must bear his own responsibility, rather than someone else
bearing it for him. At the time of the appearance of Him Whom God will
make manifest the most distinguished among the learned and the lowliest of
men shall both be judged alike. How often the most insignificant of men
have acknowledged the truth, while the most learned have remained wrapt in
veils. Thus in every Dispensation a number of souls enter the fire by
reason of their following in the footsteps of others. IV, 18.
"Better is it for a person to write down but one of His ..."
Better is it for a person to write down but one of His verses than to
transcribe the whole of the Bayan and all the books which have been
written in the Dispensation of the Bayan. For everything shall be set
aside except His Writings, which will endure until the following
Revelation. And should anyone inscribe with true faith but one letter of
that Revelation, his recompense would be greater than for inscribing all
the heavenly Writings of the past and all that has been written during
previous Dispensations. Likewise continue thou to ascend through one
Revelation after another, knowing that thy progress in the Knowledge of
God shall never come to an end, even as it can have no beginning. VII, 13.
"O People of the Bayan! Be on your guard; for on the ..."
O People of the Bayan! Be on your guard; for on the Day of Resurrection no
one shall find a place to flee to. He will shine forth suddenly, and will
pronounce judgement as He pleaseth. If it be His wish He will cause the
abased to be exalted, and the exalted to be abased, even as He did in the
Bayan, couldst thou but understand. And no one but Him is equal unto this.
Whatever He ordaineth will be fulfilled, and nothing will remain
unfulfilled. VII, 9.
"Since all men have issued forth from the shadow of the ..."
Since all men have issued forth from the shadow of the signs of His
Divinity and Lordship, they always tend to take a path, lofty and high.
And because they are bereft of a discerning eye to recognize their
Beloved, they fall short of their duty to manifest meekness and humility
towards Him. Nevertheless, from the beginning of their lives till the end
thereof, in conformity with the laws established in the previous religion,
they worship God, piously adore Him, bow themselves before His divine
Reality and show submissiveness toward His exalted Essence. At the hour of
His manifestation, however, they all turn their gaze toward their own
selves and are thus shut out from Him, inasmuch as they fancifully regard
Him as one like unto themselves. Far from the glory of God is such a
comparison. Indeed that august Being resembleth the physical sun, His
verses are like its rays, and all believers, should they truly believe in
Him, are as mirrors wherein the sun is reflected. Their light is thus a
mere reflection. VII, 15.
"O People of the Bayan! If ye believe in Him Whom God ..."
O People of the Bayan! If ye believe in Him Whom God shall make manifest,
to your own behoof do ye believe. He hath been and ever will remain
independent of all men. For instance, were ye to place unnumbered mirrors
before the sun, they would all reflect the sun and produce impressions
thereof, whereas the sun is in itself wholly independent of the existence
of the mirrors and of the suns which they reproduce. Such are the bounds
of the contingent beings in their relation to the manifestation of the
Eternal Being...
In this day no less than seventy thousand people make pilgrimage every
year to the holy House of God in compliance with the bidding of the
Apostle of God; while He Himself Who ordained this ordinance took refuge
for seven years in the mountains of Mecca. And this notwithstanding that
the One Who enjoined this commandment is far greater than the commandment
itself. Hence all this people who at this time go on pilgrimage do not do
so with true understanding, otherwise in this Day of His Return which is
mightier than His former Dispensation, they would have followed His
commandment. But now behold what hath happened. People who profess belief
in His former religion, who in the daytime and in the night season bow
down in worship in His Name, have assigned Him to a dwelling place in a
mountain, while each one of them would regard attaining recognition of Him
as an honour. VII, 15.
"The reason why privacy hath been enjoined in moments ..."
The reason why privacy hath been enjoined in moments of devotion is this,
that thou mayest give thy best attention to the remembrance of God, that
thy heart may at all times be animated with His Spirit, and not be shut
out as by a veil from thy Best Beloved. Let not thy tongue pay lip service
in praise of God while thy heart be not attuned to the exalted Summit of
Glory, and the Focal Point of communion. Thus if haply thou dost live in
the Day of Resurrection, the mirror of thy heart will be set towards Him
Who is the Day-Star of Truth; and no sooner will His light shine forth
than the splendour thereof shall forthwith be reflected in thy heart. For
He is the Source of all goodness, and unto Him revert all things. But if
He appeareth while thou hast turned unto thyself in meditation, this shall
not profit thee, unless thou shalt mention His Name by words He hath
revealed. For in the forthcoming Revelation it is He Who is the
Remembrance of God, whereas the devotions which thou art offering at
present have been prescribed by the Point of the Bayan, while He Who will
shine resplendent in the Day of Resurrection is the Revelation of the
inner reality enshrined in the Point of the Bayan--a Revelation more
potent, immeasurably more potent, than the one which hath preceded it. IX,
4.
"It is seemly that the servant should, after each prayer, ..."
It is seemly that the servant should, after each prayer, supplicate God to
bestow mercy and forgiveness upon his parents. Thereupon God's call will
be raised: 'Thousand upon thousand of what thou hast asked for thy parents
shall be thy recompense!' Blessed is he who remembereth his parents when
communing with God. There is, verily, no God but Him, the Mighty, the
Well-Beloved. VIII, 16.
"As this physical frame is the throne of the inner temple, ..."
As this physical frame is the throne of the inner temple, whatever occurs
to the former is felt by the latter. In reality that which takes delight
in joy or is saddened by pain is the inner temple of the body, not the
body itself. Since this physical body is the throne whereon the inner
temple is established, God hath ordained that the body be preserved to the
extent possible, so that nothing that causeth repugnance may be
experienced. The inner temple beholdeth its physical frame, which is its
throne. Thus, if the latter is accorded respect, it is as if the former is
the recipient. The converse is likewise true.
Therefore, it hath been ordained that the dead body should be treated with
the utmost honour and respect. V, 12.
"At the time of the appearance of Him Whom God shall ..."
At the time of the appearance of Him Whom God shall make manifest, wert
thou to perform thy deeds for the sake of the Point of the Bayan, they
would be regarded as performed for one other than God, inasmuch as on that
Day the Point of the Bayan is none other than Him Whom God shall make
manifest...
It is for this reason that at the beginning of every Dispensation a vast
multitude, who fondly imagine that their deeds are for God, become drowned
and ungodly, and perceive this not, except such as He guideth at His
behest.
It is better for a man to guide a soul than to possess all that lies
between East and West. Likewise better is guidance for him who is guided
than all the things that exist on earth, for by reason of this guidance he
will, after his death, gain admittance into Paradise, whereas by reason of
the things of the world below, he will, after his death, receive his
deserts. Hence God desireth that all men should be guided aright through
the potency of the Words of Him Whom God shall make manifest. However,
such as are conceited will not suffer themselves to be guided. They will
be debarred from the Truth, some by reason of their learning, others on
account of their glory and power, and still others due to reasons of their
own, none of which shall be of any avail at the hour of death.
Take thou good heed that ye may all, under the leadership of Him Who is
the Source of Divine Guidance, be enabled to direct thy steps aright upon
the Bridge, which is sharper than the sword and finer than a hair, so that
perchance the things which from the beginning of thy life till the end
thou hast performed for the love of God, may not, all at once and
unrealized by thyself, be turned to acts not acceptable in the sight of
God. Verily God guideth whom He will into the path of absolute certitude.
VII, 2.
"Everyone is eagerly awaiting His appearance, yet since ..."
Everyone is eagerly awaiting His appearance, yet since their inner eyes
are not directed towards Him sorrow must needs befall Him. In the case of
the Apostle of God--may the blessings of God rest upon Him--before the
revelation of the Qur'an everyone bore witness to His piety and noble
virtues. Behold Him then after the revelation of the Qur'an. What
outrageous insults were levelled against Him, as indeed the pen is ashamed
to recount. Likewise behold the Point of the Bayan. His behaviour prior to
the declaration of His mission is clearly evident unto those who knew Him.
Now, following His manifestation, although He hath, up to the present,
revealed no less than five hundred thousand verses on different subjects,
behold what calumnies are uttered, so unseemly that the pen is stricken
with shame at the mention of them. But if all men were to observe the
ordinances of God no sadness would befall that heavenly Tree. VI, 11.
"The acts of Him Whom God shall make manifest are like ..."
The acts of Him Whom God shall make manifest are like unto the sun, while
the works of men, provided they conform to the good-pleasure of God,
resemble the stars or the moon... Thus, should the followers of the Bayan
observe the precepts of Him Whom God shall make manifest at the time of
His appearance, and regard themselves and their own works as stars exposed
to the light of the sun, then they will have gathered the fruits of their
existence; otherwise the title of 'starship' will not apply to them.
Rather it will apply to such as truly believe in Him, to those who pale
into insignificance in the day-time and gleam forth with light in the
night season.
Such indeed is the fruit of this precept, should anyone observe it on the
Day of Resurrection. This is the essence of all learning and of all
righteous deeds, should anyone but attain unto it. Had the peoples of the
world fixed their gaze upon this principle, no Exponent of divine
Revelation would ever have, at the inception of any Dispensation, regarded
them as things of naught. However, the fact is that during the night
season everyone perceiveth the light which he himself, according to his
own capacity, giveth out, oblivious that at the break of day this light
shall fade away and be reduced to utter nothingness before the dazzling
splendour of the sun.
The light of the people of the world is their knowledge and utterance;
while the splendours shed from the glorious acts of Him Whom God shall
make manifest are His Words, through whose potency He rolleth up the whole
world of existence, sets it under His Own authority by relating it unto
Himself, then as the Mouthpiece of God, the Source of His divine
light--exalted and glorified be He--proclaimeth: 'Verily, verily, I am God,
no God is there but Me; in truth all others except Me are My creatures.
Say, O My creatures! Me alone, therefore, should ye fear'. VIII, 1.
"Know thou that in the Bayan purification is regarded as ..."
Know thou that in the Bayan purification is regarded as the most
acceptable means for attaining nearness unto God and as the most
meritorious of all deeds. Thus purge thou thine ear that thou mayest hear
no mention besides God, and purge thine eye that it behold naught except
God, and thy conscience that it perceive naught other than God, and thy
tongue that it proclaim nothing but God, and thy hand to write naught but
the words of God, and thy knowledge that it comprehend naught except God,
and thy heart that it entertain no wish save God, and in like manner purge
all thine acts and thy pursuits that thou mayest be nurtured in the
paradise of pure love, and perchance mayest attain the presence of Him
Whom God shall make manifest, adorned with a purity which He highly
cherisheth, and be sanctified from whosoever hath turned away from Him and
doth not support Him. Thus shalt thou manifest a purity that shall profit
thee.
Know thou that every ear which hearkeneth unto His Words with true faith
shall be immune from the fire. Thus the believer, through his recognition
of Him will appreciate the transcendent character of His heavenly Words,
will whole-heartedly choose Him over others, and will refuse to incline
his affections towards those who disbelieve in Him. Whatever one gaineth
in the life to come is but the fruit of this faith. Indeed any man whose
eye gazeth upon His Words with true faith well deserveth Paradise; and one
whose conscience beareth witness unto His Words with true faith shall
abide in Paradise and attain the presence of God; and one whose tongue
giveth utterance to His Words with true faith shall have his abode in
Paradise, wherein he will be seized with ecstasy in praise and
glorification of God, the Ever-Abiding, Whose revelations of glory never
end and the reviving breaths of Whose holiness never fail. Every hand
which setteth down His Words with true faith shall be filled by God, both
in this world and in the next, with things that are highly prized; and
every breast which committeth His Words to memory, God shall cause, if it
were that of a believer, to be filled with His love; and every heart which
cherisheth the love of His Words and manifesteth in itself the signs of
true faith when His Name is mentioned, and exemplifieth the words, 'their
hearts are thrilled with awe at the mention of God',(64) that heart will
become the object of the glances of divine favour and on the Day of
Resurrection will be highly praised by God. IX, 10.
"If at the time of the appearance of Him Whom God will ..."