Part 11 (2/2)

”At the time of the appearance of Him Whom G.o.d shall ...”

At the time of the appearance of Him Whom G.o.d 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 G.o.d, inasmuch as on that Day the Point of the Bayan is none other than Him Whom G.o.d shall make manifest...

It is for this reason that at the beginning of every Dispensation a vast mult.i.tude, who fondly imagine that their deeds are for G.o.d, become drowned and unG.o.dly, 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 G.o.d desireth that all men should be guided aright through the potency of the Words of Him Whom G.o.d 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 leaders.h.i.+p 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 G.o.d, may not, all at once and unrealized by thyself, be turned to acts not acceptable in the sight of G.o.d. Verily G.o.d guideth whom He will into the path of absolute cert.i.tude.

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 G.o.d-may the blessings of G.o.d rest upon Him-before the revelation of the Qur'an everyone bore witness to His piety and n.o.ble 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 G.o.d no sadness would befall that heavenly Tree. VI, 11.

”The acts of Him Whom G.o.d shall make manifest are like ...”

The acts of Him Whom G.o.d shall make manifest are like unto the sun, while the works of men, provided they conform to the good-pleasure of G.o.d, resemble the stars or the moon... Thus, should the followers of the Bayan observe the precepts of Him Whom G.o.d 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 t.i.tle of 'stars.h.i.+p' 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d, the Source of His divine light-exalted and glorified be He-proclaimeth: 'Verily, verily, I am G.o.d, no G.o.d 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 ...”

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