Say: This, verily, is the heaven in which the Mother Book is
treasured, could ye but comprehend it. He it is Who hath caused the Rock to
shout, and the Burning Bush to lift up its voice upon the Mount rising above
the Holy Land, and proclaim: ‘The Kingdom is God’s, the sovereign Lord of all,
the All-Powerful, the Loving!’ 
Although it is recognized that the contemporary men of
learning are highly qualified in philosophy, arts and crafts, yet were anyone
to observe with a discriminating eye he would readily comprehend that most of
this knowledge hath been acquired from the sages of the past, for it is they
who have laid the foundation of philosophy, reared its structure and reinforced
its pillars. Thus doth thy Lord, the Ancient of Days, inform thee. The sages
aforetime acquired their knowledge from the Prophets, inasmuch as the latter
were the Exponents of divine philosophy and the Revealers of heavenly
mysteries. Men quaffed the crystal, living waters of Their utterance, while
others satisfied themselves with the dregs. Everyone receiveth a portion
according to his measure. Verily He is the Equitable, the Wise.
When the eyes of the people of the East were captivated by
the arts and wonders of the West, they roved distraught in the wilderness of
material causes, oblivious of the One Who is the Causer of Causes, and the
Sustainer thereof, while such men as were the source and the wellspring of
Wisdom never denied the moving Impulse behind these causes, nor the Creator or
the Origin thereof. Thy Lord knoweth, yet most of the people know not.
Those who have rejected God and firmly cling to Nature as it
is in itself are, verily, bereft of knowledge and wisdom. They are truly of
them that are far astray. They have failed to attain the lofty summit and have
fallen short of the ultimate purpose; therefore their eyes were shut and their
thoughts differed, while the leaders among them have believed in God and in His
invincible sovereignty. Unto this beareth witness thy Lord, the Help in Peril,
the Self-Subsisting.
Say: Human utterance is an essence which aspireth to exert
its influence and needeth moderation. As to its influence, this is conditional
upon refinement which in turn is dependent upon hearts which are detached and
pure. As to its moderation, this hath to be combined with tact and wisdom as
prescribed in the Holy Scriptures and Tablets. Meditate upon that which hath streamed
forth from the heaven of the Will of thy Lord, He Who is the Source of all
grace, that thou mayest grasp the intended meaning which is enshrined in the
sacred depths of the Holy Writings.
Teach thou the Cause of God with an utterance which will
cause the bushes to be enkindled, and the call ‘Verily, there is no God but Me,
the Almighty, the Unconstrained’ to be raised therefrom.
O Bonds Slave of the World! Many a dawn hath the breeze of
My loving-kindness wafted over thee and found thee upon the bed of heedlessness
fast asleep. Bewailing then thy plight it returned whence it came.
The understanding of His words and the comprehension of the
utterances of the Birds of Heaven [Manifestations of God] are in no wise
dependent upon human learning. They depend solely upon purity of heart,
chastity of soul, and freedom of spirit.
QUESTION: Concerning the remembrance of God in the
Mashriqu’l-Adhkár “at the hour of dawn”.
O Maryam! The wrongs which I suffer have blotted out the
wrongs suffered by My First Name from the Tablet of creation. The clouds of
divine decree have at every moment rained down upon this manifest Beauty the
showers of tribulation. My banishment from My homeland was for the sake of none
but the Beloved; My exile was in no other path save that of His good-pleasure.
In the midst of heaven-sent trials I glowed bright as a candle, and in the face
of divinely ordained afflictions I stood as firm as a mountain. In manifesting
the outpourings of His grace I was even as a bounteous cloud, and in laying
hold on the foes of the peerless King I was even as a burning flame.
Not a single night in Mine earthly life did I find rest; not
a single day was I granted repose. At one time My severed head was sent as a
trophy from land to land; at another I was suspended in the air. At one time I
had for a boon companion him who dealt Me a fatal blow; at another I had for a
close associate him who profaned My remains. Every morn, as I arose from My
bed, a fresh affliction awaited Me; and every eve, as I repaired to the
solitude of My chamber, a sore trial was in store. In the succession of My woes
there was no reprieve, and in the onslaught of My sorrows there was no respite.
O people! Do ye flee from the mercy of God after it hath
pervaded all that is in the heavens and on the earth? Barter not away that
mercy wherewith God hath favoured you, nor withhold yourselves therefrom, for
they that turn away are indeed in grievous loss. The mercy of God is like unto
the verses that are sent down from one same heaven: The true believers quaff
therefrom the wine of everlasting life, while the ungodly drink a scalding
draught. And whensoever the verses of God are rehearsed unto them, the fire of
hatred is kindled in their breasts. Thus do they barter away the bounty that
God hath bestowed upon them and are reckoned among the heedless.
The Cause of God hath come down upon the clouds of
utterance, while they that have joined partners with Him are afflicted with a
sore torment. The hosts of Divine Revelation, bearing the banners of celestial
inspiration, have descended from the heaven of His Tablet in the name of God,
the Almighty, the Most Powerful, and the faithful rejoice in His victory and
dominion, while the deniers are filled with dismay.
We have decreed, O people, that the highest and last end of
all learning be the recognition of Him Who is the Object of all knowledge; and
yet behold how ye have allowed your learning to shut you out, as by a veil,
from Him Who is the Dayspring of this Light, through Whom every hidden thing
hath been revealed.
The world beyond is as different from this world as this
world is different from that of the child while still in the womb of its
mother.
The light which these souls [“Prophets and Messengers of
God”] radiate is responsible for the progress of the world and the advancement
of its peoples. They are like unto leaven which leaveneth the world of being,
and constitute the animating force through which the arts and wonders of the
world are made manifest. Through them the clouds rain their bounty upon men,
and the earth bringeth forth its fruits. All things must needs have a cause, a
motive power, an animating principle. These souls and symbols of detachment
have provided, and will continue to provide, the supreme moving impulse in the
world of being.
Say: He, verily, is the most perfect Balance established
amongst the nations, through Whom the measures of all things are made manifest
by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. He it is Who hath intoxicated
every understanding heart with the wine of His utterance, and Who hath torn
asunder the veils through the power of My Name that overshadoweth the worlds.
He, verily, hath ordained the Bayán to be a leaf of this Garden and adorned it
with the mention of this incomparable Remembrance. He hath admonished all men
not to withhold themselves from the Dayspring of ancient glory, nor to cling,
at the time of His manifestation, to such tales and traditions as are current
amongst them. Thus hath it been decreed in accordance with that which He hath
revealed, and unto this beareth witness He Who speaketh the truth. No God is
there beside Me, the Almighty, the Most Generous.
This is the eve of that Day from whose horizon the ancient
Morn hath dawned forth with the splendour of the light beaming from that
effulgent horizon. Say: This is the Day whereon God established the Covenant
concerning Him Who is the voice of Truth [Baha’u’llah] by sending forth the One
[The Báb] Who imparted unto humankind the glad-tidings of this Great
Announcement. This is the Day whereon the Most Great Sign appeared and
proclaimed this mighty Name, captivating thereby all created things with the
reviving breezes of the verses of God. Happy the one that hath recognized his
Lord and is numbered with them that have attained His presence.
The Prophets and Messengers of God have been sent down for
the sole purpose of guiding mankind to the straight Path of Truth. The purpose
underlying Their revelation hath been to educate all men, that they may, at the
hour of death, ascend, in the utmost purity and sanctity and with absolute
detachment, to the throne of the Most High.
The nature of the soul after death can never be described,
nor is it meet and permissible to reveal its whole character to the eyes of
men.