The essence and the fundamentals of philosophy have emanated
from the Prophets. That the people differ concerning the inner meanings and
mysteries thereof is to be attributed to the divergence of their views and
minds. 
QUESTION: Should a person wish to fast at a time other than
in the month of ‘Alá, is this permissible or not; and if he hath vowed or
pledged himself to such a fast, is this valid and acceptable?
O Shaykh! Peruse that which Isaiah hath spoken in His Book.
He saith: “Get thee up into the high mountain, O Zion, that bringest good
tidings; lift up Thy Voice with strength, O Jerusalem, that bringest good
tidings. Lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah: ‘Behold your
God! Behold the Lord God will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for
Him.’” This Day all the signs have appeared. A Great City hath descended from
heaven, and Zion trembleth and exulteth with joy at the Revelation of God, for
it hath heard the Voice of God on every side. This Day Jerusalem hath attained
unto a new Evangel…
And likewise, He saith: “As for those who believe not in the
verses of God, or that they shall ever meet Him, these of My mercy shall
despair, and these doth a grievous chastisement await.” [Qur’án 29:23]
Carmel, in the Book of God, hath been designated as the Hill
of God, and His Vineyard. It is here that, by the grace of the Lord of
Revelation, the Tabernacle of Glory hath been raised. Happy are they that
attain thereunto; happy they that set their faces towards it. And likewise He saith:
“Our God will come, and He will not be silent.”
O Shaykh! Enter thou My presence, that thou mayest behold
what the eye of the universe hath never beheld, and hear that which the ear of
the whole creation hath never heard, that haply thou mayest free thyself from
the mire of vague fancies, and set thy face towards the Most Sublime Station,
wherein this Wronged One calleth aloud: “The Kingdom is God’s, the Almighty,
the All-Praised!”
We have not entered any school, nor read any of your
dissertations. Incline your ears to the words of this unlettered One, wherewith
He summoneth you unto God, the Ever-Abiding. Better is this for you than all
the treasures of the earth, could ye but comprehend it.
QUESTION: Concerning the sacred verse: “Recite ye the verses
of God every morn and eventide.”
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.