Part 13 (1/2)
”Praise be to G.o.d that He hath enabled us to become ...”
Praise be to G.o.d that He hath enabled us to become cognizant of Him Whom G.o.d 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 G.o.d. 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d, 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 s.p.a.cious 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 a.s.sured of the manifestation of Mu?ammad, the Apostle of G.o.d, 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 a.s.sured that this is that same Promised Mihdi [One Who is guided] whom the Apostle of G.o.d foretold, not one of the believers in the Qur'an would turn aside from the sayings of the Apostle of G.o.d. So likewise in the Revelation of Him Whom G.o.d shall make manifest, behold the same thing; for should all be a.s.sured that He is that same 'He Whom G.o.d shall make manifest' whom the Point of the Bayan hath foretold, not one would turn aside. IX, 3.
”In the Name of G.o.d, the Most Exalted, the Most Holy. ...”
In the Name of G.o.d, 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 a.s.sociation with His creatures. He hath fas.h.i.+oned the entire creation in such wise that all beings may, by virtue of their innate powers, bear witness before G.o.d 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 Lords.h.i.+p. 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, s.h.i.+ning 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 ident.i.ty, 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 sanct.i.ty, 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 G.o.d' 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 G.o.d 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 a.s.serted His transcendent power through the advent of Mu?ammad, 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 G.o.d shall make manifest will s.h.i.+ne 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d. 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 G.o.d can never be attained save through the knowledge of Him Who is the Dayspring of divine Reality.
”Gracious G.o.d! Within the domains of Islam there are ...”
Gracious G.o.d! Within the domains of Islam there are at present seven powerful sovereigns ruling the world. None of them hath been informed of His [the Bab's] Manifestation, and if informed, none hath believed in Him.
Who knoweth, they may leave this world below full of desire, and without having realized that the thing for which they were waiting had come to pa.s.s. This is what happened to the monarchs that held fast unto the Gospel. They awaited the coming of the Prophet of G.o.d [Mu?ammad], and when He did appear, they failed to recognize Him. Behold how great are the sums which these sovereigns expend without even the slightest thought of appointing an official charged with the task of acquainting them in their own realms with the Manifestation of G.o.d! They would thereby have fulfilled the purpose for which they have been created. All their desires have been and are still fixed upon leaving behind them traces of their names.