the dwellers of the earth were to bear witness unto a thing whereunto He
beareth witness differently, His testimony would be like unto the sun,
while theirs would be even as a false image produced in a mirror which is
not facing the sun. For had it been otherwise their testimony would have
proved a faithful reflection of His testimony.
I swear by the most sacred Essence of God that but one line of the Words
uttered by Him is more sublime than the words uttered by all that dwell on
earth. Nay, I beg forgiveness for making this comparison. How could the
reflections of the sun in the mirror compare with the wondrous rays of the
sun in the visible heaven? The station of one is that of nothingness,
while the station of the other, by the righteousness of God--hallowed and
magnified be His Name--is that of the Reality of things....
If in the Day of His manifestation a king were to make mention of his own
sovereignty, this would be like unto a mirror challenging the sun, saying:
'The light is in me'. It would be likewise, if a man of learning in His
Day were to claim to be an exponent of knowledge, or if he who is
possessed of riches were to display his affluence, or if a man wielding
power were to assert his own authority, or if one invested with grandeur
were to show forth his glory. Nay, such men would become the object of the
derision of their peers, and how would they be judged by Him Who is the
Sun of Truth! III, 12.
"It is not permissible to ask questions from Him Whom ..."
It is not permissible to ask questions from Him Whom God will make
manifest, except that which well beseemeth Him. For His station is that of
the Essence of divine Revelation... Whatever evidence of bounty is
witnessed in the world, is but an image of His bounty; and every thing
owes its existence to His Being... The Bayan is, from beginning to end,
the repository of all of His attributes, and the treasury of both His fire
and His light. Should anyone desire to ask questions, he is allowed to do
so only in writing, that he may derive ample understanding from His
written reply and that it may serve as a sign from his Beloved. However,
let no one ask aught that may prove unworthy of His lofty station. For
instance, were a person to inquire the price of straw from a merchant of
rubies, how ignorant would he be and how unacceptable. Similarly
unacceptable would be the questions of the highest-ranking people of the
world in His presence, except such words as He Himself would utter about
Himself in the Day of His manifestation.
Methinks I visualize those who would, prompted by their own deluded
conceptions, write to Him and ask Him questions about that which hath been
revealed in the Bayan, and He would answer them with words not of His Own,
but divinely inspired, saying: 'Verily, verily, I am God; no God is there
but Me. I have called into being all the created things, I have raised up
divine Messengers in the past and have sent down Books unto Them. Take
heed not to worship anyone but God, He Who is My Lord and your Lord. This
indeed is the undoubted truth. However, alike shall it be to Me; if ye
believe in Me, ye will provide good for your own souls, and if ye believe
not in Me, nor in that which God hath revealed unto Me, ye will suffer
yourselves to be shut out as by a veil. For verily I have been independent
of you heretofore, and shall remain independent hereafter. Therefore it
behooveth you, O creatures of God, to help your own selves and to believe
in the Verses revealed by Me...' III, 13.
"The Bayan shall constitute God's unerring balance till the ..."
The Bayan shall constitute God's unerring balance till the Day of
Resurrection which is the Day of Him Whom God will make manifest. Whoso
acteth in conformity with that which is revealed therein will abide in
Paradise, under the shadow of His affirmation and reckoned among the most
sublime Letters in the presence of God; while whoso deviateth, were it
even so much as the tip of a grain of barley, will be consigned to the
fire and will be assembled neath the shadow of negation. This truth hath
likewise been laid bare in the Qur'an where in numerous instances God hath
set down that whoever should pass judgement contrary to the bounds fixed
by Him, would be deemed an infidel...
In these days how few are those who abide by the standard laid down in the
Qur'an. Nay, nowhere are they to be found, except such as God hath willed.
Should there be, however, such a person, his righteous deeds would prove
of no avail unto him, if he hath failed to follow the standard revealed in
the Bayan; even as the pious deeds of the Christian monks profited them
not, inasmuch as at the time of the manifestation of the Apostle of
God--may the blessings of God rest upon Him--they contented themselves with
the standard set forth in the Gospel.
Had the divine standard laid down in the Qur'an been truly observed,
adverse judgements would not have been pronounced against Him Who is the
Tree of divine Truth. As it hath been revealed: 'Almost might the heavens
be rent and the earth be cleft asunder and the mountains fall down in
fragments.'(65) And yet how much harder than these mountains their hearts
must be to have remained unmoved! Indeed no paradise is more glorious in
the sight of God than attainment unto His good-pleasure. II, 6.
"The One true God may be compared unto the sun and ..."
The One true God may be compared unto the sun and the believer unto a
mirror. No sooner is the mirror placed before the sun than it reflects its
light. The unbeliever may be likened unto a stone. No matter how long it
is exposed to the sunshine, it cannot reflect the sun. Thus the former
layeth down his life as a sacrifice, while the latter doeth against God
what he committeth. Indeed, if God willeth, He is potent to turn the stone
into a mirror, but the person himself remaineth reconciled to his state.
Had he wished to become a crystal, God would have made him to assume
crystal form. For on that Day whatever cause prompteth the believer to
believe in Him, the same will also be available to the unbeliever. But
when the latter suffereth himself to be wrapt in veils, the same cause
shutteth him out as by a veil. Thus, as is clearly evident today, those
who have set their faces toward God, the True One, have believed in Him
because of the Bayan, while such as are veiled have been deprived because
of it. VI, 4.
"I swear by the most holy Essence of God--exalted and ..."
I Swear by the most holy Essence of God--exalted and glorified be He--that
in the Day of the appearance of Him Whom God shall make manifest a
thousand perusals of the Bayan cannot equal the perusal of a single verse
to be revealed by Him Whom God shall make manifest.
Ponder a while and observe that everything in Islam hath its ultimate and
eventual beginning in the Book of God. Consider likewise the Day of the
Revelation of Him Whom God shall make manifest, He in Whose grasp lieth
the source of proofs, and let not erroneous considerations shut thee out
from Him, for He is immeasurably exalted above them, inasmuch as every
proof proceedeth from the Book of God which is itself the supreme
testimony, as all men are powerless to produce its like. Should myriads of
men of learning, versed in logic, in the science of grammar, in law, in
jurisprudence and the like, turn away from the Book of God, they would
still be pronounced unbelievers. Thus the fruit is within the supreme
testimony itself, not in the things derived therefrom. And know thou of a
certainty that every letter revealed in the Bayan is solely intended to
evoke submission unto Him Whom God shall make manifest, for it is He Who
hath revealed the Bayan prior to His Own manifestation. V, 8.
"In this Revelation the Lord of the universe hath deigned ..."
In this Revelation the Lord of the universe hath deigned to bestow His
mighty utterances and resplendent signs upon the Point of the Bayan, and
hath ordained them as His matchless testimony for all created things. Were
all the people that dwell on earth to assemble together, they would be
unable to produce a single verse like unto the ones which God hath caused
to stream forth from the tongue of the Point of the Bayan. Indeed, if any
living creature were to pause to meditate he would undoubtedly realize
that these verses are not the work of man, but are solely to be ascribed
unto God, the One, the Peerless, Who causeth them to flow forth from the
tongue of whomsoever He willeth, and hath not revealed nor will He reveal
them save through the Focal Point of God's Primal Will. He it is, through
Whose dispensations divine Messengers are raised up and heavenly Books are
sent down. Had human beings been able to accomplish this deed surely
someone would have brought forth at least one verse during the period of
twelve hundred and seventy years which hath elapsed since the revelation
of the Qur'an until that of the Bayan. However, all men have proved
themselves impotent and have utterly failed to do so, although they
endeavoured, with their vehement might, to quench the flame of the Word of
God. II, 1.
"Thou beholdest how vast is the number of people who ..."
Thou beholdest how vast is the number of people who go to Mecca each year
on pilgrimage and engage in circumambulation, while He, through the
potency of Whose Word the Ka'bah [the sanctuary in Mecca] hath become the
object of adoration, is forsaken in this mountain. He is none other but
the Apostle of God Himself, inasmuch as the Revelation of God may be
likened to the sun. No matter how innumerable its risings, there is but
one sun, and upon it depends the life of all things. It is clear and
evident that the object of all preceding Dispensations hath been to pave
the way for the advent of Muhammad, the Apostle of God. These, including
the Muhammadan Dispensation, have had, in their turn, as their objective
the Revelation proclaimed by the Qa'im. The purpose underlying this
Revelation, as well as those that preceded it, has, in like manner, been
to announce the advent of the Faith of Him Whom God will make manifest.
And this Faith--the Faith of Him Whom God will make manifest--in its turn,
together with all the Revelations gone before it, have as their object the
Manifestation destined to succeed it. And the latter, no less than all the
Revelations preceding it, prepare the way for the Revelation which is yet
to follow. The process of the rise and setting of the Sun of Truth will
thus indefinitely continue--a process that hath had no beginning and will
have no end.
Well is it with him who in every Dispensation recognizeth the Purpose of
God for that Dispensation, and is not deprived therefrom by turning his
gaze towards the things of the past. IV, 12.
"The substance of this chapter is this, that what is intended ..."
The substance of this chapter is this, that what is intended by the Day of
Resurrection is the Day of the appearance of the Tree of divine Reality,
but it is not seen that any one of the followers of _Sh_i'ih Islam hath
understood the meaning of the Day of Resurrection; rather have they
fancifully imagined a thing which with God hath no reality. In the
estimation of God and according to the usage of such as are initiated into
divine mysteries, what is meant by the Day of Resurrection is this, that
from the time of the appearance of Him Who is the Tree of divine Reality,
at whatever period and under whatever name, until the moment of His
disappearance, is the Day of Resurrection.
For example, from the inception of the mission of Jesus--may peace be upon
Him--till the day of His ascension was the Resurrection of Moses. For
during that period the Revelation of God shone forth through the
appearance of that divine Reality, Who rewarded by His Word everyone who
believed in Moses, and punished by His Word everyone who did not believe;
inasmuch as God's Testimony for that Day was that which He had solemnly
affirmed in the Gospel. And from the inception of the Revelation of the
Apostle of God--may the blessings of God be upon Him--till the day of His
ascension was the Resurrection of Jesus--peace be upon Him--wherein the Tree
of divine Reality appeared in the person of Muhammad, rewarding by His
Word everyone who was a believer in Jesus, and punishing by His Word
everyone who was not a believer in Him. And from the moment when the Tree
of the Bayan appeared until it disappeareth is the Resurrection of the
Apostle of God, as is divinely foretold in the Qur'an; the beginning of
which was when two hours and eleven minutes had passed on the eve of the
fifth of Jamadiyu'l-Avval, 1260 A.H.,(66) which is the year 1270 of the
Declaration of the Mission of Muhammad. This was the beginning of the Day
of Resurrection of the Qur'an, and until the disappearance of the Tree of
divine Reality is the Resurrection of the Qur'an. The stage of perfection
of everything is reached when its resurrection occurreth. The perfection
of the religion of Islam was consummated at the beginning of this
Revelation; and from the rise of this Revelation until its setting, the
fruits of the Tree of Islam, whatever they are, will become apparent. The
Resurrection of the Bayan will occur at the time of the appearance of Him
Whom God shall make manifest. For today the Bayan is in the stage of seed;
at the beginning of the manifestation of Him Whom God shall make manifest
its ultimate perfection will become apparent. He is made manifest in order
to gather the fruits of the trees He hath planted; even as the Revelation
of the Qa'im [He Who ariseth], a descendant of Muhammad--may the blessings
of God rest upon Him--is exactly like unto the Revelation of the Apostle of
God Himself [Muhammad]. He appeareth not, save for the purpose of
gathering the fruits of Islam from the Qur'anic verses which He [Muhammad]
hath sown in the hearts of men. The fruits of Islam cannot be gathered
except through allegiance unto Him [the Qa'im] and by believing in Him. At
the present time, however, only adverse effects have resulted; for
although He hath appeared in the midmost heart of Islam, and all people
profess it by reason of their relationship to Him [the Qa'im], yet
unjustly have they consigned Him to the Mountain of Maku, and this
notwithstanding that in the Qur'an the advent of the Day of Resurrection
hath been promised unto all by God. For on that Day all men will be
brought before God and will attain His Presence; which meaneth appearance
before Him Who is the Tree of divine Reality and attainment unto His
presence; inasmuch as it is not possible to appear before the Most Holy
Essence of God, nor is it conceivable to seek reunion with Him. That which
is feasible in the matter of appearance before Him and of meeting Him is
attainment unto the Primal Tree. II, 7.
"The evidence set forth by God can never be compared ..."
The evidence set forth by God can never be compared with the evidences
produced by any one of the peoples and kindreds of the earth; and beyond a
shadow of doubt no evidence is set forth by God save through the One Who
is appointed as His supreme Testimony. Moreover, the proof of revealed
verses doth, alone and of itself, conclusively demonstrate the utter
impotence of all created things on earth, for this is a proof which hath
proceeded from God and shall endure until the Day of Resurrection.
And if anyone should reflect on the appearance of this Tree, he will
undoubtedly testify to the loftiness of the Cause of God. For if one from
whose life only twenty-four years have passed, and who is devoid of those
sciences wherein all are learned, now reciteth verses after such fashion
without thought or hesitation, writes a thousand verses of prayer in the
course of five hours without pause of the pen, and produceth commentaries
and learned treatises on such lofty themes as the true understanding of
God and of the oneness of His Being, in a manner which doctors and
philosophers confess surpasseth their power of understanding, then there
is no doubt that all that hath been manifested is divinely inspired.
Notwithstanding their life-long diligent study, what pains do these
divines take when writing a single line in Arabic! Yet after such efforts
the result is but words which are unworthy of mention. All these things
are for a proof unto the people; otherwise the religion of God is too
mighty and glorious for anyone to comprehend through aught but itself;
rather by it all else is understood. II, 1.
"Praise be to God that He hath enabled us to become ..."
Praise be to God that He hath enabled us to become cognizant of Him Whom
God shall make manifest in the Day of Resurrection, so that we may derive
benefit from the fruit of our existence and be not deprived of attaining
the presence of God. For indeed this is the object of our creation and the
sole purpose underlying every virtuous deed we may perform. Such is the
bounty which God hath conferred upon us; verily He is the All-Bountiful,
the Gracious. Know thou, that thou wilt succeed in doing so if thou
believest with undoubting faith. However, since thou canst not attain the
state of undoubting faith, due to the intervening veils of thy selfish
desires, therefore thou wilt tarry in the fire, though realizing it not.
On the Day of His manifestation, unless thou truly believest in Him,
naught can save thee from the fire, even if thou dost perform every
righteous deed. If thou embracest the Truth, everything good and seemly
shall be set down for thee in the Book of God, and by virtue of this thou
wilt rejoice in the all-highest Paradise until the following Resurrection.
Consider with due attention, for the path is very strait, even while it is
more spacious than the heavens and the earth and what is between them. For
instance, if all those who were expecting the fulfilment of the promise of
Jesus had been assured of the manifestation of Muhammad, the Apostle of
God, not one would have turned aside from the sayings of Jesus. So
likewise in the Revelation of the Point of the Bayan, if all should be
assured that this is that same Promised Mihdi [One Who is guided] whom the
Apostle of God foretold, not one of the believers in the Qur'an would turn
aside from the sayings of the Apostle of God. So likewise in the
Revelation of Him Whom God shall make manifest, behold the same thing; for
should all be assured that He is that same 'He Whom God shall make
manifest' whom the Point of the Bayan hath foretold, not one would turn
aside. IX, 3.
"In the Name of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Holy. ..."
In the Name of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Holy. All praise and glory
befitteth the sacred and glorious court of the sovereign Lord, Who from
everlasting hath dwelt, and unto everlasting will continue to dwell within
the mystery of His Own divine Essence, Who from time immemorial hath
abided and will forever continue to abide within His transcendent
eternity, exalted above the reach and ken of all created beings. The sign
of His matchless Revelation as created by Him and imprinted upon the
realities of all beings, is none other but their powerlessness to know
Him. The light He hath shed upon all things is none but the splendour of
His Own Self. He Himself hath at all times been immeasurably exalted above
any association with His creatures. He hath fashioned the entire creation
in such wise that all beings may, by virtue of their innate powers, bear
witness before God on the Day of Resurrection that He hath no peer or
equal and is sanctified from any likeness, similitude or comparison. He
hath been and will ever be one and incomparable in the transcendent glory
of His divine being and He hath ever been indescribably mighty in the
sublimity of His sovereign Lordship. No one hath ever been able
befittingly to recognize Him nor will any man succeed at any time in
comprehending Him as is truly meet and seemly, for any reality to which
the term 'being' is applicable hath been created by the sovereign Will of
the Almighty, Who hath shed upon it the radiance of His Own Self, shining
forth from His most august station. He hath moreover deposited within the
realities of all created things the emblem of His recognition, that
everyone may know of a certainty that He is the Beginning and the End, the
Manifest and the Hidden, the Maker and the Sustainer, the Omnipotent and
the All-Knowing, the One Who heareth and perceiveth all things, He Who is
invincible in His power and standeth supreme in His Own identity, He Who
quickeneth and causeth to die, the All-Powerful, the Inaccessible, the
Most Exalted, the Most High. Every revelation of His divine Essence
betokens the sublimity of His glory, the loftiness of His sanctity, the
inaccessible height of His oneness and the exaltation of His majesty and
power. His beginning hath had no beginning other than His Own firstness
and His end knoweth no end save His Own lastness. I, 1.
"The revelation of the Divine Reality hath everlastingly ..."
The revelation of the Divine Reality hath everlastingly been identical
with its concealment and its concealment identical with its revelation.
That which is intended by 'Revelation of God' is the Tree of divine Truth
that betokeneth none but Him, and it is this divine Tree that hath raised
and will raise up Messengers, and hath revealed and will ever reveal
Scriptures. From eternity unto eternity this Tree of divine Truth hath
served and will ever serve as the throne of the revelation and concealment
of God among His creatures, and in every age is made manifest through
whomsoever He pleaseth. At the time of the revelation of the Qur'an He
asserted His transcendent power through the advent of Muhammad, and on the
occasion of the revelation of the Bayan He demonstrated His sovereign
might through the appearance of the Point of the Bayan, and when He Whom
God shall make manifest will shine forth, it will be through Him that He
will vindicate the truth of His Faith, as He pleaseth, with whatsoever He
pleaseth and for whatsoever He pleaseth. He is with all things, yet
nothing is with Him. He is not within a thing nor above it nor beside it.
Any reference to His being established upon the throne implieth that the
Exponent of His Revelation is established upon the seat of transcendent
authority...
He hath everlastingly existed and will everlastingly continue to exist. He
hath been and will ever remain inscrutable unto all men, inasmuch as all
else besides Him have been and shall ever be created through the potency
of His command. He is exalted above every mention or praise and is
sanctified beyond every word of commendation or every comparison. No
created thing comprehendeth Him, while He in truth comprehendeth all
things. Even when it is said 'no created thing comprehendeth Him', this
refers to the Mirror of His Revelation, that is Him Whom God shall make
manifest. Indeed too high and exalted is He for anyone to allude unto Him.
II, 8.
4: EXCERPTS FROM DALA'IL-I-SAB'IH (THE SEVEN PROOFS)
"Thou hast asked concerning the fundamentals ..."
Thou hast asked concerning the fundamentals of religion and its
ordinances: Know thou that first and foremost in religion is the knowledge
of God. This attaineth its consummation in the recognition of His divine
unity, which in turn reacheth its fulfilment in acclaiming that His
hallowed and exalted Sanctuary, the Seat of His transcendent majesty, is
sanctified from all attributes. And know thou that in this world of being
the knowledge of God can never be attained save through the knowledge of
Him Who is the Dayspring of divine Reality.
"Gracious God! Within the domains of Islam there are ..."