Selections From the Writings of the Bab Part 12

Know thou that in the Bayan purification is regarded as the most acceptable means for attaining nearness unto G.o.d and as the most meritorious of all deeds. Thus purge thou thine ear that thou mayest hear no mention besides G.o.d, and purge thine eye that it behold naught except G.o.d, and thy conscience that it perceive naught other than G.o.d, and thy tongue that it proclaim nothing but G.o.d, and thy hand to write naught but the words of G.o.d, and thy knowledge that it comprehend naught except G.o.d, and thy heart that it entertain no wish save G.o.d, and in like manner purge all thine acts and thy pursuits that thou mayest be nurtured in the paradise of pure love, and perchance mayest attain the presence of Him Whom G.o.d shall make manifest, adorned with a purity which He highly cherisheth, and be sanctified from whosoever hath turned away from Him and doth not support Him. Thus shalt thou manifest a purity that shall profit thee.

Know thou that every ear which hearkeneth unto His Words with true faith shall be immune from the fire. Thus the believer, through his recognition of Him will appreciate the transcendent character of His heavenly Words, will whole-heartedly choose Him over others, and will refuse to incline his affections towards those who disbelieve in Him. Whatever one gaineth in the life to come is but the fruit of this faith. Indeed any man whose eye gazeth upon His Words with true faith well deserveth Paradise; and one whose conscience beareth witness unto His Words with true faith shall abide in Paradise and attain the presence of G.o.d; and one whose tongue giveth utterance to His Words with true faith shall have his abode in Paradise, wherein he will be seized with ecstasy in praise and glorification of G.o.d, the Ever-Abiding, Whose revelations of glory never end and the reviving breaths of Whose holiness never fail. Every hand which setteth down His Words with true faith shall be filled by G.o.d, both in this world and in the next, with things that are highly prized; and every breast which committeth His Words to memory, G.o.d shall cause, if it were that of a believer, to be filled with His love; and every heart which cherisheth the love of His Words and manifesteth in itself the signs of true faith when His Name is mentioned, and exemplifieth the words, 'their hearts are thrilled with awe at the mention of G.o.d',(64) that heart will become the object of the glances of divine favour and on the Day of Resurrection will be highly praised by G.o.d. IX, 10.

"If at the time of the appearance of Him Whom G.o.d will ..."

If at the time of the appearance of Him Whom G.o.d will make manifest all 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d-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 a.s.sert 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d; no G.o.d 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 wors.h.i.+p anyone but G.o.d, 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d, to help your own selves and to believe in the Verses revealed by Me...' III, 13.

"The Bayan shall const.i.tute G.o.d's unerring balance till the ..."

The Bayan shall const.i.tute G.o.d's unerring balance till the Day of Resurrection which is the Day of Him Whom G.o.d 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 G.o.d; 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 a.s.sembled neath the shadow of negation. This truth hath likewise been laid bare in the Qur'an where in numerous instances G.o.d hath set down that whoever should pa.s.s 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d-may the blessings of G.o.d 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 p.r.o.nounced 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 G.o.d than attainment unto His good-pleasure. II, 6.

"The One true G.o.d may be compared unto the sun and ..."

The One true G.o.d 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 suns.h.i.+ne, it cannot reflect the sun. Thus the former layeth down his life as a sacrifice, while the latter doeth against G.o.d what he committeth. Indeed, if G.o.d 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, G.o.d would have made him to a.s.sume 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 G.o.d, 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 G.o.d-exalted and ..."

I Swear by the most holy Essence of G.o.d-exalted and glorified be He-that in the Day of the appearance of Him Whom G.o.d shall make manifest a thousand perusals of the Bayan cannot equal the perusal of a single verse to be revealed by Him Whom G.o.d shall make manifest.

Ponder a while and observe that everything in Islam hath its ultimate and eventual beginning in the Book of G.o.d. Consider likewise the Day of the Revelation of Him Whom G.o.d 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d, they would still be p.r.o.nounced 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 G.o.d 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 a.s.semble together, they would be unable to produce a single verse like unto the ones which G.o.d 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 G.o.d, 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 G.o.d'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 G.o.d. 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 circ.u.mambulation, 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 G.o.d Himself, inasmuch as the Revelation of G.o.d 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 Mu?ammad, the Apostle of G.o.d. These, including the Mu?ammadan 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 G.o.d will make manifest.

And this Faith-the Faith of Him Whom G.o.d 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d hath no reality. In the estimation of G.o.d 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d'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 G.o.d-may the blessings of G.o.d 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 Mu?ammad, rewarding by His Word everyone who was a believer in Jesus, and punis.h.i.+ng 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 G.o.d, as is divinely foretold in the Qur'an; the beginning of which was when two hours and eleven minutes had pa.s.sed 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 Mu?ammad. 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 G.o.d shall make manifest. For today the Bayan is in the stage of seed; at the beginning of the manifestation of Him Whom G.o.d 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 Mu?ammad-may the blessings of G.o.d rest upon Him-is exactly like unto the Revelation of the Apostle of G.o.d Himself [Mu?ammad]. He appeareth not, save for the purpose of gathering the fruits of Islam from the Qur'anic verses which He [Mu?ammad]

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 relations.h.i.+p 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 G.o.d. For on that Day all men will be brought before G.o.d 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 G.o.d, 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 G.o.d can never be compared ..."

The evidence set forth by G.o.d 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d. For if one from whose life only twenty-four years have pa.s.sed, and who is devoid of those sciences wherein all are learned, now reciteth verses after such fas.h.i.+on 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 G.o.d and of the oneness of His Being, in a manner which doctors and philosophers confess surpa.s.seth 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 G.o.d is too mighty and glorious for anyone to comprehend through aught but itself; rather by it all else is understood. II, 1.