Annotations to the Íqán |
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| The following annotations should in no wise be considered as conclusive or comprehensive. Obviously no one is in a position to compose an authoritative commentary on the revealed Books of God. Rather, these notes, related as they are in one way or another to points and themes in the text of the ĺqán, are intended to help stimulate the reader in considering the various truths set forth and encourage the student to seek out from the vast ocean of the Bahá'í writings such verses and passages as will throw further light on the subjects at hand. | ||
| Several verses quoted by Bahá'u'lláh in the ĺqán are not identified in the text. Most of these are from the reported sayings or hadíth of the Prophet Muhammad and His legitimate successors, the twelve Imáms. Of those attributed to Muhammad there are two classifications: those that are said to be from Himself, and those that are the Voice of God. The latter are known as Hadíth-i-Qudsí (Holy Traditions) and are so indicated in the annotations. As will be seen, some of the material cited is from Bahá'u'lláh Himself and is set off by quotation marks either because it is a quote from elsewhere or it is a passage in Arabic. The identifications provided are, for the most part, on the authority of Ishráq Khávarí's four-volume encyclopedic Persian study, the Qámús-i-ĺqán. | ||
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Part One
The Book of Certitude is divided into two parts. Each is headed by a brief paragraph which sets out its general theme. Part One centres on the importance of detachment in attaining to true understanding of God and His Prophet; an account of the cruelties suffered by the divine Messengers; the consequences of people blindly following religious leaders and not searching out truth for themselves; the exalted station of the Manifestation of God; the method of God in trying His servants to distinguish the sincere from the false; and the relativity of religious truth, as well as the continuity of divine Revelation.
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1. Invocation the Exalted, the Most High (Arabic: 'Alíyyu'l-A'lá) ¶0 Names of God often associated with the Báb Himself as in the 'battle cry' animating the heroes and heroines of the Ten Year Spiritual Crusade (1953-63): 'Yá-Bahá'u'l-Abhá, Yá Alíyyu'l-A'lá.' 60 |
60. Shoghi Effendi, Messages to the Bahá'í World, p. 153. See also Íqán, ¶256. | |
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2. No man shall attain ¶1 This opening paragraph, like the one that heads Part Two of the Íqán, was revealed by Bahá'u'lláh in Arabic. Both are followed by extensive elucidations in Persian. |
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3. true understanding ¶1 Man's attainment of this understanding is one of the essential animating purposes of creation. Such divine knowledge, such comprehension, wisdom and recognition, as emphasized in the ĺqán, is not dependent upon acquired human learning. Rather, true understanding is in the nature of light from the sun of divine knowledge which, shining from the Prophets of God, is reflected in the heart of man, endowing it with the recognition of truth and inspiring it with the comprehension of spiritual realities. As it is said: 'Knowledge is a light which God casteth into the heart of whomsoever He willeth.' 61 Note the spiritual prerequisites, in this case, detachment and sanctity of soul, which are necessary for a true comprehension of Divine Revelation. The requirement of virtue in connection with the attainment of knowledge and insight is a recurring truth of the ĺqán. It is clear that people differ in regard to the degree of true understanding which they have attained. 'Abdu'l-Bahá in a Tablet comments on the relative character of this understanding and establishes that no matter how high the soaring ones fly in the utmost degrees of knowledge and comprehension, no matter how near the worshippers of the one true God ascend towards the summits of certitude, they are but reading letters from the book of their own selves, reaching only to the brilliant unseen signs that are enshrined in the reality of their own beings, and circling round the centre of their own entities. He further emphasizes that the degrees which are beyond their realms of understanding shall never be perceived nor understood by them. 62 |
61. Bahá'u'lláh, Íqán, ¶48. 62. See Íqán, ¶28, ¶48, ¶233, etc. Notes 12, 78
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4. detached from all that is in heaven and on earth ¶1 Desire for either earthly rewards or heavenly treasures constitutes an improper motive for seeking God's good-pleasure. '...if thy gaze should be on paradise, and thou shouldst worship Him while cherishing such a hope, thou wouldst make God's creation a partner with Him, notwithstanding the fact that paradise is desired by men.' 63 |
63. The Báb, Selections, pp. 77-8. | |
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5. Bayán ¶1 Literally, 'utterance', 'explanation'. Term used in reference to the whole of the Báb's Revelation as stated in the Persian Bayán: 'The substance of this chapter is this, that all the writings of the Point [i.e. the Báb] are named Beyán.' 64 Bahá'u'lláh Himself confirms this in the following passage addressed to the Báb: Should any one consider Thy Books which Thou didst name the Bayán, and ponder in his heart what hath been revealed therein, he would discover that each of these Books announceth my Revelation, and declareth my Name, and testifieth to my Self, and proclaimeth my Cause, and my Praise, and my Rising, and the radiance of my Glory. 65Also the specific title of two important works of the Báb: the above-mentioned Persian Bayán and the Arabic Bayán. See note 339 on the Persian Bayán below. |
64. Cited in E. G. Browne's notes to the first English edition of The Episode of the Báb, p. 344. 65. Bahá'u'lláh, Prayers and Meditations, pp. 285-6. Notes 209, 268, 403 |
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6. they that tread the path of faith ¶2 Such wayfarers in the path of faith are defined in Islamic mysticism as those who have freed themselves from vain imaginations, have subdued the animal side of their nature, have set foot on the way of faith, and by the aid of God, after passing the seven valleys or cities, as explained by Bahá'u'lláh in the Seven Valleys, attain the object of their quest. |
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7. certitude ¶2 The human soul's realization of certitude is an important theme found not only in the Íqán but throughout Bahá'u'lláh's writings. For example: 'Blessed are they who, on the wings of certitude, have flown in the heavens which the Pen of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, hath spread.' 66 'He it is Who hath unveiled to your eyes the treasures of His knowledge, and caused you to ascend unto the heaven of certitude--the certitude of His resistless, His irrefutable, and most exalted Faith.' 67 It was He Himself Who chose to identify His principal doctrinal work with the theme of certitude. |
66. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, p. 242. 67. ibid. p. 105. Notes 206, 334 |
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8. a standard ¶2 The principle of reference to the revealed Word of God as the balance in determining the truth of things is most powerfully stated by Bahá'u'lláh in His Most Holy Book: Weigh not the Book of God with such standards and sciences as are current amongst you, for the Book itself is the unerring Balance established amongst men. In this most perfect Balance whatsoever the peoples and kindreds of the earth possess must be weighed, while the measure of its weight should be tested according to its own standard, did ye but know it. 68 |
68. Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Aqdas, ¶99.
Note 46 |
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9. Manifestations of God ¶3 Bahá'í term meaning the Messengers of God, such as Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh. ...in the kingdoms of earth and heaven there must needs be manifested a Being, an Essence Who shall act as a Manifestation and Vehicle for the transmission of the grace of the Divinity Itself, the Sovereign Lord of all. Through the Teachings of this Day Star of Truth every man will advance and develop until he attaineth the station at which he can manifest all the potential forces with which his inmost true self hath been endowed. 69 |
69. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, pp. 67-8. 70. ibid. p. 70. See also Íqán ¶31, ¶74, ¶109. Note 50 |
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10. the face of God ¶3 With regard to His own Revelation Bahá'u'lláh proclaims: 'This is the Day whereon naught can be seen except the splendours of the Light that shineth from the face of Thy Lord, the Gracious, the Most Bountiful.' 71 'He Who, from everlasting, had concealed His Face from the sight of creation is now come.' 72 'O ye leaders of religion! Who is the man amongst you that can rival Me in vision or insight? Where is he to be found that dareth to claim to be My equal in utterance or wisdom? No, by My Lord, the All-Merciful! All on the earth shall pass away; and this is the face of your Lord, the Almighty, the Well-Beloved.' 73 |
71. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, p. 29. 72. ibid. p. 31. 73. ibid. pp. 198-9. |
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11. 'No Messenger...laugh Him to scorn.' ¶4 Reference is also made to the scorning of Prophets in the Bible: 'And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.' 74 'A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.' 75 |
74. Luke 4:24. 75. Matt. 13:57. |
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12. possessed of true understanding ¶5 See note 3 on the same subject above. |
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13. Súrih of Húd ¶5 The eleventh chapter of the Qur'án, 123 verses in length, which recounts the successive calls of God's Prophets and Messengers and the dire consequences befalling those peoples who rejected them. See note 23 on Húd below. |
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14. negation ¶5 Bahá'u'lláh confirms in one of His meditations with reference to humankind that 'the letters of negation, no matter how far they may be removed from the holy fragrances of Thy knowledge, and however forgetful they may become of the wondrous splendours of the dawning light of Thy beauty, which are shed from the heaven of Thy majesty, must needs exist in Thy realm, so that the words which affirm Thee may thereby be exalted'. 76 The words and deeds of the Prophets, as set out in this part of the Íqán, have been the essential factors effecting this distinction between negation and affirmation. Those who conform to the Book of God, as explained by the Báb, 'will abide in Paradise, under the shadow of His affirmation and reckoned among the most sublime Letters in the presence of God; 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 assembled neath the shadow of negation'. 77 With regard to the operation of this principle in His own Day, Bahá'u'lláh affirms: If all who are in heaven and on earth be invested in this day with the powers and attributes destined for the Letters of the Bayán, whose station is ten thousand times more glorious than that of the Letters of the Qur'anic Dispensation, and if they one and all should, swift as the twinkling of an eye, hesitate to recognize My Revelation, they shall be accounted, in the sight of God, of those that have gone astray, and regarded as 'Letters of Negation.' 78 |
76. Bahá'u'lláh, Prayers and Meditations, p. 325. 77. The Báb, Selections, p. 102. 78. Bahá'u'lláh, quoted in Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 98. |
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15. bird of the human heart ¶5 'Wings have I bestowed upon thee, that thou mayest fly to the realms of mystic holiness and not the regions of satanic fancy.' 79 The Bahá'í writings are replete with examples likening the soul of man to a bird. If, we are told, a bird is always soaring higher, its progress will be continual, but if it relaxes in its efforts it will necessarily descend to the earth. 80 |
79. Bahá'u'lláh, Hidden Words, Persian no. 79. | |
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16. bread ¶5 Here we have the inner meaning of manna from heaven as found in past scriptures: That which is preeminent above all other gifts, is incorruptible in nature, and pertaineth to God Himself, is the gift of Divine Revelation. Every bounty conferred by the Creator upon man, be it material or spiritual, is subservient unto this. It is, in its essence, and will ever so remain, the Bread which cometh down from Heaven...He hath, indeed, partaken of this highest gift of God who hath recognized His Manifestation in this Day. 81 |
81. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, p. 195. 82. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets, vol. 3, p. 677. See also Íqán, ¶22, ¶92, ¶219, ¶230. Notes 66, 190, 342 |
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17. indignities heaped upon the Prophets ¶6
Thou hast known how grievously the Prophets of God, His Messengers and Chosen Ones, have been afflicted. Meditate a while on the motive and reason which have been responsible for such a persecution. At no time, in no Dispensation, have the Prophets of God escaped the blasphemy of their enemies, the cruelty of their oppressors, the denunciation of the learned of their age, who appeared in the guise of uprightness and piety. Day and night they passed through such agonies as none can ever measure, except the knowledge of the one true God, exalted be His glory. 83Note from this paragraph of the ĺqán that close observation of the history of the opposition inflicted on the Prophets will strengthen one's faith. |
83. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, pp. 57-8. 84. ibid. p. 76. |
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18. Noah ¶7 Bahá'u'lláh here begins brief accounts of the ministries of a number of Prophets starting with Noah. For additional accounts of Noah see Qur'án 4:163, 7:59, 10:71, 11:25, 23:23-30, 26:105-20; also 37:75, 71:1-28, etc. and the biblical story in Genesis 5-9. 'The Ark and the Flood we believe are symbolical.' 85 |
85. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 28 October 1949, in Lights of Guidance, p. 508. See also Íqán, ¶161-2. | 77 |
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19. nine hundred and fifty years ¶7
The Guardian advises, that the period of 950 years referred to in the Íqán, as the time Noah exhorted the people--refers to the period of His Ministry. The term year does not refer to a period of time such as our year--it was entirely different; and thus does not extend over any such period as our present term year would imply. 86The Bible makes no reference to Noah until He is said to be five hundred years old and when He begets three sons; see Genesis 5:32. |
86. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 3 March 1957. 87. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual, 26 January 1939. Note 24 |
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20. such pain and suffering ¶7 According to a tradition attributed to the Imám Sádiq, Noah was several times so badly beaten by the infidels that His ears would gush with blood and He would for a time lose consciousness. Noah's followers would beg Him to ask God to punish the unbelievers but Noah would instead pray for them. |
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21. the divine promise was not fulfilled ¶7 The non-fulfilment of a prophetic announcement owing to a change in the divine purpose (Arabic, badá) is an accepted theological principle in Islám and is confirmed in the Bahá'í writings. With regard to the specific promise mentioned here and recorded in 'the best-known books', this refers to accounts in renowned Muslim traditions attributed to the sixth Imám, Ja'far-i-Sádiq, which relate how God told Noah to inform His followers that after eating dates they should plant the seeds and that once these grew to fruition, divine punishment would descend on their enemies. When the fresh fruits appeared, Noah was asked about the promised punishment; He said that God now wanted them to plant the seeds of this new fruit, and when they bore dates, then the punishment would come. As stated in the ĺqán, this 'caused a few among the small number of His followers to turn away from Him'. The test according to the traditions was later repeated twice again with the same result. Finally God's command came to build the Ark which would protect all those who had persevered through the tests from the flood which would overtake the non-believers. In the Persian Bayán the Báb explains that the non-fulfilment of a divine promise is another expression of God's power to do whatsoever He wills. No one can oppose this because His decree is just. Non-fulfilment when it concerns creation is related to weakness and limitation on the part of the creatures. But when it is attributed to God, it is evidence of His might and power. |
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22. forty or seventy-two of His followers ¶7 The point is the fewness of Noah's followers after the trials described. Bahá'u'lláh here cites two different figures from the recorded traditions without giving a judgement as to which is the more accurate.
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23. Húd ¶9 First of the five Prophets of God mentioned in the Qur'an as having been sent to the peoples of Arabia, which extended across the whole of the Arabian peninsula to the Sinai; the others are Sálih, Abraham, Shu'ayb and Muhammad. Húd came to the people of 'Ád; see Qur'án 7:65; 11:50-60; 26:123-40. Ád is known as the grandson of Aram, who was the grandson of Noah. Húd is possibly Eber of the Bible; see Genesis 10:24. |
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24. For well-nigh seven hundred years ¶9 See note 19 on nine hundred and fifty years above. |
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25. Ridván ¶9 Ridván means Paradise and is also the name of the custodian of Paradise in Islamic traditions. |
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26. Sálih ¶10 The second of the five Prophets to the Arabs, in this case to the Thamúd tribe; some commentators identify Him with the Salah of Genesis 10:24. He is mentioned extensively in the Qur'án. According to Muslim traditions, Sálih began His prophetic mission when He was 16, and lived for 120 years. When Sálih was asked for a sign by the people who opposed Him, God sent them a She-Camel. 88 'Abdu'l-Bahá explained that the She-Camel mentioned in relation to Salih's mission is a symbol of Sálih Himself and the camel's offspring His blessed Faith. 89 In this sense Bahá'u'lláh addresses one of His enemies saying, that because of him 'the She-Camel was hamstrung' 90 and again, 'The heedless ones have hamstrung Thy white She-Camel, and caused Thy Crimson Ark to founder.' 91 In yet another passage He states: 'Consider the she-camel. Though but a beast, yet hath the All-Merciful exalted her to so high a station that the tongues of the earth made mention of her and celebrated her praise.' 92 The old cemetery in 'Akká surrounds Salih's traditionally-accepted resting-place. It was in the shadow of His modest shrine that both Mírzá Mihdí, the son of Bahá'u'lláh, and Navváb, Mírzá Mihdí's mother and Bahá'u'lláh's wife, were originally interred. Their remains have since been transferred to the Monument Gardens on Mount Carmel under the direction of Shoghi Effendi. |
88. Qur'án 7:73, 17:59. 89. See Tablet cited in Qámús-i-Íqán II, p. 1804, under Sálih. 90. Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 83. 91. ibid. p. 130. 92. ibid. p. 103. |
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27. city of God ¶10 See note 336 below on a thousand years. |
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28. Thamúd ¶10 The Thamúd tribe, or group of tribes, lived in northern Arabia, principally in al-Hijr, up to the southern border of Syria. They inhabited dwellings cut in the sides of mountains (Qur'án 7:74). Thamúdí inscriptions are found all over Arabia and indicate a unity of language and religion which suggests that once the tribe's authority extended further, especially in northern and central Arabia. |
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29. Friend of God ¶11 Here a title of Abraham, the Father of the Faithful, Founder of the Jewish nation and an ancestor of Bahá'u'lláh, who is of His descent through Abraham's wife, Katurah. See 'Abdu'l-Bahá's account of Abraham in Some Answered Questions, chapter 4. See also numerous references in the Bible and the Qur'an. See also ĺqán, ¶67. |
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30. episode of the fire ¶11 'Behold how the people, as a result of the verdict pronounced by the divines of His age, have cast Abraham, the Friend of God, into fire...' 93 It states in the Qur'án: 'They said, Burn him, and avenge your gods; if ye do this it will be well. And when Abraham was cast into the burning pile, we said, O fire, be thou cold, and a preservation unto Abraham.' 94 The traditions relate that 'by Nimrod's order, a large space was enclosed at Eritha and filled with a vast quantity of wood, which being set on fire burned so fiercely that none dared venture near it: then they bound Abraham, and put him into an engine, shot him into the midst of the fire; from which he was preserved by the angel Gabriel who was sent to his assistance; the fire burning only the cords with which he was bound.' 95 He was delivered by divine intervention. 96 |
93. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, pp. 56-7. 94. Qur'án 21:68, 21:69 Sale's version; see also 29:24, 37:97-8. 95. Al-Beidawi, etc. cited by Sale, p. 321. 96. See Qur'án 21:68, 21:69, 21:70; 29:24; 37:97-8. Note 142 |
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31. expelled from His city ¶11 Shoghi Effendi characterizes 'the banishment of Abraham from Ur of the Chaldees to the Promised Land--a banishment which, in the multitudinous benefits it conferred upon so many divers peoples, faiths and nations, constitutes the nearest historical approach to the incalculable blessings destined to be vouchsafed, in this day, and in future ages, to the whole human race, in direct consequence of the exile suffered by Him Whose Cause is the flower and fruit of all previous Revelations'. 97 The Old Testament refers to Ur of Chaldees as Abraham's native city 98 located in the region of Sumeria/ Mesopotamia, His banishment from there beginning, according to biblical and historical accounts, circa 1950 BC.
'Abdu'l-Bahá, after enumerating in His 'Some Answered Questions' the far-reaching consequences of Abraham's banishment, significantly affirms that 'since the exile of Abraham from Ur to Aleppo in Syria produced this result, we must consider what will be the effect of the exile of Bahá'u'lláh in His several removes...' 99 |
97. Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 107. 98. Gen. 11:28, 15:7. 99. Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 107. Some Answered Questions, p. 13 |
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32. Moses ¶12 He Who conversed with God and laid down the Ten Commandments: He Who delivered the Israelites from their exile in Pharaoh's Egypt and led them to the promised land of Israel. See Íqán ¶57-58; also 'Abdu'l-Bahá's account in Some Answered Questions, chapter 5. See also numerous references in the Old Testament and the Qur'án. |
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33. rod...white hand...serpent ¶12 Terms used figuratively evoking the signs which Moses produced before Pharaoh and his court. 'So he threw his rod, then lo! it was a serpent manifest, and he drew forth his hand out of his bosom; and behold, it appeared white unto the spectators.' 100 'White and splendid,' recounts an Islamic tradition, 'surpassing the brightness of the sun.' For the biblical version see Exodus 4:1-7. Bahá'u'lláh, with regard to Himself, later revealed: 'This is Mine hand which God hath turned white for all the worlds to behold. This is My staff; were We to cast it down, it would, of a truth, swallow up all created things.' 101 |
100. Qur'án 7:107-8; see also 27:12. 101. Bahá'u'lláh, quoted in Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 169. Note 53 |
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34. Párán ¶12 A wilderness and a mountain between modern-day Israel and the Sinai peninsula, as in Genesis 21:21, Deuteronomy 33:2 and Habakkuk 3:3. 'References in the Bible to "Mt. Párán" and "Paraclete" refer to Muhammad's Revelation.' 102 |
102. Shoghi Effendi, Letters to Australia and New Zealand, p. 41. | |
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35. Sinai ¶12 Mount Sinai, the principal site of Divine Revelation in Jewish history where Moses received the Ten Commandments. Usually identified as Jabal Músá, a massive granite pinnacle situated in the centre of the Sinai peninsula. |
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36. Pharaoh ¶12 Title of the ancient rulers of Egypt, the first dynasties of which are recorded circa 3100 BC. The Rameses dynasty encompassed the 14th and 13th centuries BC, the period of Moses. The Pharaohs were persecutors of Moses and His people. See also Íqán ¶16, ¶57, ¶68, ¶92. Concerning the fierce opposition of Pharaoh see Exodus chapters 5 and 14. 'Abdu'l-Bahá affirms that ...the kingdom, wealth and power of Pharaoh and his people, which were the causes of the life of the nation, became, through their opposition, denial and pride, the cause of death, destruction, dispersion, degradation and poverty. 103 |
103. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 50. | 83
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37. that blessed Tree...that sacred Tree ¶12 Moses Himself, i.e. the Manifestation of God symbolized as a Tree. See note 64 on hidden and sacred tree below, and note 77 on Sadratu'l-Muntahá below. |
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38. No earthly water...nor mortal blasts ¶12 Bahá'u'lláh further elaborates this theme in one of His prayers: I recognize, O Thou Who art my heart's Desire, that were fire to be touched by water it would instantly be extinguished, whereas the Fire which Thou didst kindle can never go out, though all the seas of the earth be poured upon it. Should water at any time touch it, the hands of Thy power would, as decreed in Thy Tablets, transmute that water into a fuel that would feed its flame.As detachment is one of the requirements of the pathway of certitude, this image is also found in one of Bahá'u'lláh's prayers for detachment: Earth can never cloud its splendour, nor water quench its flame. All the peoples of the world are powerless to resist its force. 105 |
104. Bahá'u'lláh, Prayers and Meditations, p. 150. 105. ibid. p. 76. |
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39. a believer of the kindred of Pharaoh ¶12 Said by some traditions to have been the son of Pharaoh's uncle. Several Qur'anic commentators assume that this believer was the same person who warned Moses to flee after the latter had slain an Egyptian. See Qur'án 28:19 and following note. |
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40. a shameful death ¶12 Accounts in traditions attributed to the Imáms state that Pharaoh's people cut this believer into pieces. The divine protection vouchsafed to him as mentioned in the Qur'án is understood to mean that God kept him firm in the face of martyrdom. |
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41. all the Prophets...foretold the coming of yet another Prophet ¶13 'Abdu'l-Bahá elaborates on this truth: ...it is a basic principle of the Law of God that in every Prophetic Mission, He entereth into a Covenant with all believers--a Covenant that endureth until the end of that Mission, until the promised day when the Personage stipulated at the outset of the Mission is made manifest. 106 |
106. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections, p. 207. | |
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42. the motive for such deeds ¶14 In a similar vein, Bahá'u'lláh writes: Thou hast known how grievously the Prophets of God, His Messengers and Chosen Ones, have been afflicted. Meditate a while on the motive and reason which have been responsible for such a persecution. At no time, in no Dispensation, have the Prophets of God escaped the blasphemy of their enemies, the cruelty of their oppressors, the denunciation of the learned of their age, who appeared in the guise of uprightness and piety. Day and night they passed through such agonies as none can ever measure, except the knowledge of the one true God, exalted be His glory. 107 |
107. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, pp. 57-8. | |
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43. To maintain that the testimony of Providence was incomplete ¶14 With regard to man's possibility of recognizing the verses of God which are revealed by every Prophet of God, Bahá'u'lláh explains that God has endowed every soul with 'the capacity' to recognize such signs. 'How could He, otherwise,' He adds, 'have fulfilled His testimony unto men, if ye be of them that ponder His Cause in their hearts. He will never deal unjustly with any one, neither will He task a soul beyond its power. He, verily, is the Compassionate, the All-Merciful.' 108 |
108. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, pp. 105-6. | 85
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44. bounties...have, at all times...encompassed the earth ¶14 Bahá'u'lláh asks in one of His Tablets: What outpouring flood can compare with the stream of His all-embracing grace, and what blessing can excel the evidences of so great and pervasive a mercy? There can be no doubt whatever that if for one moment the tide of His mercy and grace were to be withheld from the world, it would completely perish. For this reason, from the beginning that hath no beginning the portals of Divine mercy have been flung open to the face of all created things, and the clouds of Truth will continue to the end that hath no end to rain on the soil of human capacity, reality and personality their favours and bounties. Such hath been God's method continued from everlasting to everlasting. 109 |
109. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, pp. 68-9. | |
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45. Sun of Truth ¶14 See ĺqán, ¶31. |
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47. Leaders of religion, in every age, have hindered their people ¶15 Bahá'u'lláh expatiates on this theme in numerous Tablets. In one, the Madínatu't-Tawhid (City of Unity) which, like the ĺqán was revealed in Baghdád during the same period, we read: Consider the former generations. Witness how every time the Day Star of Divine bounty hath shed the light of His Revelation upon the world, the people of His Day have arisen against Him, and repudiated His truth. They who were regarded as the leaders of men have invariably striven to hinder their followers from turning unto Him Who is the Ocean of God's limitless bounty.Then Bahá'u'lláh recapitulates in brief the afflictions of the past Prophets of God: Behold how the people, as a result of the verdict pronounced by the divines of His age, have cast Abraham, the Friend of God, into fire; how Moses, He Who held converse with the Almighty, was denounced as liar and slanderer. Reflect how Jesus, the Spirit of God, was, notwithstanding His extreme meekness and perfect tender-heartedness, treated by His enemies. So fierce was the opposition which He, the Essence of Being and Lord of the visible and invisible, had to face, that He had nowhere to lay His head. He wandered continually from place to place, deprived of a permanent abode. Ponder that which befell Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets, may the life of all else be a sacrifice unto Him. How severe the afflictions which the leaders of the Jewish people and of the idol-worshippers caused to rain upon Him, Who is the sovereign Lord of all, in consequence of His proclamation of the unity of God and of the truth of His Message! 110 |
110. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, pp. 56-7.
[CLUI: Tablet of Madínatu't-Tawhíd]
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48. people of the Book ¶15 Leaders of previous religions, namely the Jews and the Christians who opposed Muhammad. The Qur'án condemns them for not accepting its truth and for trying to mislead the Muslims. It further chides them for opposing each other while each possessed a Revelation from God, in the Torah and the Evangel. The leaders reject and vilify one another 'though they both recite the Book'. 111 Clearly, Muhammad upheld the oneness and continuity of scripture. The 'people of the Book' in a broader sense has been used by the Muslims to refer to followers in general of previous Revelations. Muhammad Himself provided for the rights of Jews and Christians in Islamic society, allowing them places of worship and freedom to practise their faith. See also ĺqán, ¶242. |
111. Qur'án 2:113.
Note 351 |
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49. eye of God ¶16 The possibility of man seeing with the eye of God is affirmed in a number of passages in Bahá'u'lláh's writings, for example: Open Thou, O my Lord, mine eyes and the eyes of all them that have sought Thee, that we may recognize Thee with Thine own eyes. 112'Abdu'l-Bahá in a Tablet explains this arresting image: As to your question about the meaning of the Arabic Hidden Words: 'Couldst thou but see with Mine eye', when man reacheth the station of selflessness, and his love of self is entirely wiped out, his existence becometh like unto non-existence, and a ray from God's presence sheddeth its light upon him. Then he can see with the eye of God, and can hear with His ear. This is like iron in the fire. The qualities of the iron, its coldness, darkness and hardness are concealed, and it manifests heat, luminosity and fluidity, which are the qualities of the fire. 115 |
112. Bahá'u'lláh, Prayers and Meditations, p. 80. 113. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, p. 272. 114. Bahá'u'lláh, Hidden Words, Arabic no. 44. 115. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablet in the International Bahá'í Archives, Bahá'í World Centre. Bahá'u'lláh, Hidden Words, Arabic no. 57. |
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50. Birds of Eternity ¶16 The Manifestations of God. See also Íqán, ¶161, ¶190, ¶233, ¶283 and note 9 on Manifestations of God above. Note in this passage the clearly stated principle that the Manifestations alone reveal the true meanings of the utterances of God. This reaffirms the biblical truth that scriptures are not open to 'private interpretation'. 116 |
116. II Peter 1:20. | |
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51. Copt of tyranny ¶16 The term 'copt' refers to Pharaoh or the Egyptians, the Copts. |
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52. Sept of justice ¶16 The term 'sept' is related to Moses or the Israelites; a sept is a division of a nation or a tribe. |
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53. hand of the Moses of truth ¶16 See note 33 on the white hand above. |
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54. '...them that are well-grounded in knowledge' ¶16 A passage from the writings of the Báb explains this phrase in the following manner: Behold the learned who are honoured by virtue of their ability to understand the Holy Writings, and God hath exalted them to such a degree that in referring to them He saith: 'None knoweth the meaning thereof except God and them that are well-grounded in knowledge.' 117See also ĺqán, ¶237. |
117. The Báb, Selections, p. 118. | |
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55. Jesus...protest against Him ¶17 'Abdu'l-Bahá has summarized the objections of Israel and offers an explanation of the misunderstood prophecies: When Christ appeared, twenty centuries ago, although the Jews were eagerly awaiting His Coming, and prayed every day, with tears, saying: 'O God, hasten the Revelation of the Messiah', yet when the Sun of Truth dawned, they denied Him and rose against Him with the greatest enmity, and eventually crucified that divine Spirit, the Word of God, and named Him Beelzebub, the evil one, as is recorded in the Gospel. The reason for this was that they said: 'The Revelation of Christ, according to the clear text of the Torah, will be attested by certain signs, and so long as these signs have not appeared, whoso layeth claim to be a Messiah is an impostor. Among these signs is this, that the Messiah should come from an unknown place, yet we all know this man's house in Nazareth, and can any good thing come out of Nazareth? The second sign is that He shall rule with a rod of iron, that is, He must act with the sword, but this Messiah has not even a wooden staff. Another of the conditions and signs is this: He must sit upon the throne of David and establish David's sovereignty. Now, far from being enthroned, this man has not even a mat to sit on. Another of the conditions is this: the promulgation of all the laws of the Torah; yet this man has abrogated these laws, and has even broken the sabbath day, although it is the clear text of the Torah that whosoever layeth claim to prophethood and revealeth miracles and breaketh the sabbath day, must be put to death. Another of the signs is this, that in His reign justice will be so advanced that righteousness and well-doing will extend from the human even to the animal world--the snake and the mouse will share one hole, and the eagle and the partridge one nest, the lion and the gazelle shall dwell in one pasture, and the wolf and the kid shall drink from one fountain. Yet now, injustice and tyranny have waxed so great in His time that they have crucified Him! Another of the conditions is this, that in the days of the Messiah the Jews will prosper and triumph over all the peoples of the world, but now they are living in the utmost abasement and servitude in the empire of the Romans. Then how can this be the Messiah promised in the Torah?' |
118. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections, pp. 44-6. | 89
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56. Bible ¶17 Here meaning the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament. |
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57. spirit of faith ¶17 'Abdu'l-Bahá states: The fourth degree of spirit is the heavenly spirit; it is the spirit of faith and the bounty of God; it comes from the breath of the Holy Spirit, and by the divine power it becomes the cause of eternal life. It is the power which makes the earthly man heavenly, and the imperfect man perfect. 119 |
119. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 144. | |
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58. Our former Tablets ¶18 Such as the earlier Arabic Javáhiru'l-Asrár (Gems of Mystery) which the Universal House of Justice has described thus: In this mighty epistle, within the space of about one hundred pages, Bahá'u'lláh refers to the grievous tribulation and adversities that He suffered at the hand of the infidels; deplored the perversity of the followers of past religions; elucidates the meaning of the signs and prophecies concerning the advent of the new Manifestation, including the meaning of the passage in the Bible where it says: 'Heaven and earth shall pass away but My word shall not pass away'; affirms the continuity of divine revelation; unfolds the significance of such symbolic terms as 'the Day of Judgement', 'the Balance', 'the Way', 'the resurrection of the dead' and 'the identity of the Promised Qá'im and the place from which He is expected to appear'; asserts the inevitability of heaven-sent trials and describes the inner meaning of such terms as 'life and death', 'attainment to the presence of God', 'the valley of bewilderment', the 'station of self-surrender', and 'the character and qualities of those who have attained His Court'. 120Adib Taherzadeh notes: The importance of this Tablet becomes apparent when we note that its themes are similar to those of the Kitáb-i-ĺqán. Although less in compass, its subjects are those which Bahá'u'lláh has more fully elaborated in that book. For example, He enumerates in this Tablet a number of causes which have prevented the followers of all religions from recognizing the next Manifestation of God; stipulates some of the qualities which the seeker must possess in order to find the truth; affirms that God is unknowable in His Essence; asserts the unity of all His Messengers; explains the meaning of such terms as the Day of Judgement, resurrection, life, death and similar terminologies mentioned in the Holy Books of the past; interprets certain prophecies from the Old and New Testaments, and elucidates passages from the Qur'an and traditions of Islám which anticipate the coming of the Qá'im and the advent of the Day of God, identified by Bahá'u'lláh with the appearance of 'Him Whom God shall make manifest'. 121 |
120. From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, 18 March 1974. 121. Taherzadeh, Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vol. 1, p. 152. See Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 141 and Íqán, ¶24. Note 72 |
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59. language of Hijáz...accents of Iraq ¶18 By the language of Hijáz is understood Arabic; 'the accents of 'Iráq' refers here to Persian as indicated by the shift in language at this point in the text. The Mesopotamian region of 'Iraq was at the time populated by a majority of Persian Shí'ís because of the highly significant Shí'í holy places located there. See note 151 on Hijáz below. |
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60. Dispensation of the Qur'án ¶20 This dispensation began with the Ministry of the Qur'an's Author, Muhammad (circa 612 AD), and ended with the Declaration of the Báb in 1844. The Sun of Truth, after the advent of Muhammad, no longer shone from the Christian horizon. Islám was, from then until the Báb's advent, the Path of Truth. 122The Muslim calendar dates from 622 AD, ten years after Muhammad's advent at the time of the Hijra. See comment on Hijra under Bathá unto Yathrib at note 109 below. |
122. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 23 June 1948, in Shoghi Effendi, Unfolding Destiny, p. 451.
Note 75 |
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61. Muhammad ¶20 Prophet of God, revealer of the Qur'an, founder of Islám. Born August 570 AD, declared His mission 613 AD, died 632 AD. Bahá'u'lláh refers to Him as God's 'Well-Beloved One' 123 |
123. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, p. 221. See 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, chapter 7. | |
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62. mysteries of distinction and unity ¶20 The explanation of these mysteries is a major theme of the ĺqán; concerning 'distinction' see especially ¶191-2, and for 'unity' ¶161-2. |
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63. answer to thy question ¶20 This question is not among the ones in the original letter of the uncle of the Báb. Bahá'u'lláh evidently addresses Himself to points raised in the conversations held before Hájí Mírzá Siyyid Muhammad composed his letter. |
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64. hidden and sacred Tree ¶22 'Verily He is the Tree of Life that bringeth forth the fruits of God...' 124 See also note 77 on Sadratu'l-Muntahá below and note 123 on tree that belongeth neither to the East nor to the West below. |
124. Bahá'u'lláh, in Bahá'í Prayers (US), p. 211.
Note 37 |
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65. Baghdád, the 'Abode of Peace' (Dár al-Salám) ¶22 Of Baghdád Shoghi Effendi writes: ...described in Islamic traditions as 'Zahru'l-Kúfih', designated for centuries as the 'Abode of Peace', and immortalized by Bahá'u'lláh as the 'City of God'...To that city the Qur'an had alluded as the 'Abode of Peace' to which God Himself 'calleth'. To it, in that same Book, further allusion had been made in the verse 'For them is a Dwelling of Peace with their Lord...on the Day whereon God shall gather them all together'. From it radiated, wave after wave, a power, a radiance and a glory which insensibly reanimated a languishing Faith, sorely-stricken, sinking into obscurity, threatened with oblivion. From it were diffused, day and night, and with ever-increasing energy, the first emanations of a Revelation which, in its scope, its copiousness, its driving force and the volume and variety of its literature, was destined to excel that of the Báb Himself. Above its horizon burst forth the rays of the Sun of Truth, Whose rising glory had for ten long years been overshadowed by the inky clouds of a consuming hatred, an ineradicable jealousy, an unrelenting malice. In it the Tabernacle of the promised 'Lord of Hosts' was first erected, and the foundations of the long-awaited Kingdom of the 'Father' unassailably established. Out of it went forth the earliest tidings of the Message of Salvation which, as prophesied by Daniel, was to mark, after the lapse of 'a thousand two hundred and ninety days' (1290 AH), the end of 'the abomination that maketh desolate'. Within its walls the 'Most Great House of God', His 'Footstool' and the 'Throne of His Glory', 'the Cynosure of an adoring world', the 'Lamp of Salvation between earth and heaven', the 'Sign of His remembrance to all who are in heaven and on earth', enshrining the 'Jewel whose glory hath irradiated all creation', the 'Standard' of His Kingdom, the 'Shrine round which will circle the concourse of the faithful' was irrevocably founded and permanently consecrated. 125'The Abode of Peace' was first adopted as a name for Baghdád by the Caliph al-Mansúr when he rebuilt the ancient city in 762 AD. See also Íqán, ¶188. |
125. Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, pp. 109-10. See also Qur'án 6:127, 10:26.
Notes 126, 308
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66. bread from heaven ¶22 See note 16 on bread above. Rodwell, in his translation of the Qur'án, translated this metaphor as 'table' rather than 'bread', which tends to distance it from its religious tradition. |
Notes 190, 342 |
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67. Nightingale of Paradise will have winged its flight ¶23 The nightingale is often used to symbolize the Manifestation of God in the Bahá'í writings. Those few days when the divine Messenger is present on earth among men and revealing the divine verses are very precious and incomparable. Thus Bahá'u'lláh asserts: O Son of Spirit! The time cometh, when the nightingale of holiness will no longer unfold the inner mysteries and ye will all be bereft of the celestial melody and of the voice from on high. 126 |
126. Bahá'u'lláh, Hidden Words, Persian no. 15. 127. Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets, p. 189. |
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68. Whosoever wisheth, let him turn thereunto ¶23 This recalls the passage from Bahá'u'lláh's Tablet of Ahmad: 'Whosoever desireth, let him turn aside from this counsel and whosoever desireth let him choose the path to his Lord.' 128 Man is always at liberty to exercise his free will or choice in such matters. |
128. Bahá'u'lláh, in Bahá'í Prayers (US), p. 212. | |
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70. signs that must needs herald the advent ¶24
Now as regards the signs that would herald the advent of the new Manifestation. The Guardian wishes you to read over very carefully Bahá'u'lláh's explanation as recorded in the ĺqán. There it is made clear that what is meant by the appearance of the Son of God after the calamitous events preceding His coming is the revelation of His full glory and its recognition and acceptance by the peoples of the world, and not his physical appearance. For Bahá'u'lláh, Whose advent marks the return of the Son in the Glory of the Father, has already appeared, and fulfilment, however, would mark the beginning of the recognition of His full station by the peoples of the world. Then and only then will His appearance be made completely manifest. 129 |
129. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 29 November 1937, in Lights of Guidance, p. 492. | |
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71. in the three other Gospels ¶24 See Luke 21:25-8, Mark 13:24-7 and John 16:20. |
Luke 21:27 |
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73. Christian divines ¶25
It seems both strange and pitiful that the Church and clergy should always, in every age, be the most bitter opponents of the very Truth they are continually admonishing their followers to be prepared to receive! They have become so violently attached to the form that the substance itself eludes them! |
130. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 7 February 1945, in Lights of Guidance, p. 419. | 96
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74. following the example of the leaders of their faith ¶25
It is recorded in a tradition that of the entire concourse of the Christians no more than seventy people embraced the Faith of the Apostle of God. The blame falleth upon their doctors, for if these had believed, they would have been followed by the mass of their countrymen. Behold, then, that which hath come to pass! The learned men of Christendom are held to be learned by virtue of their safeguarding the teaching of Christ, and yet consider how they themselves have been the cause of men's failure to accept the Faith and attain unto salvation! 131 |
131. The Báb, Selections, p. 123. | |
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75. Muhammadan Dispensation ¶25 See note 60 on Dispensation of the Qur'an above. |
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76. Kawthar ¶25 Literally, 'abundance'; traditionally, a river in Paradise whence all other rivers derive their source. Often in the writings of Bahá'u'lláh this term has been translated as a 'heavenly river' or a 'living fountain' and similar phrases. For example, in the Long Obligatory Prayer, 'Make my prayer, O my Lord, a fountain [Kawthar] of living waters whereby I may live as long as Thy sovereignty endureth'. 132 According to a tradition of the prophet's, this river, wherein his Lord promised him abundant good, is sweeter than honey, whiter than milk, cooler than snow, and smoother than cream; its banks are of chrysolites, and the vessels to drink thereout of silver; and those who drink of it shall never thirst. 133See also ĺqán, ¶65, ¶81, ¶118, ¶129, ¶161, ¶239, ¶249. |
132. Bahá'u'lláh, Prayers and Meditations, p. 318. 133. Footnote from Sale's translation of The Koran, p. 502. Notes 136, 174, 243, 255, 285, 349, 365
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77. Sadratu'l-Muntahá ¶26 The Divine Lote Tree; the 'tree beyond which there is no passing', a title of Bahá'u'lláh cited by Shoghi Effendi in God Passes By, p. 94. Bahá'u'lláh states in a Tablet, 'The Holy Tree [Sadrat] is, in a sense, the Manifestation of the one True God, exalted be He.' See the explanation in context in Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 137. |
Notes 37, 64 |
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78. essential and highest purpose in creation ¶28 The motive behind creation is said to centre on man's attainment to the bounties of divine unity and understanding. The true principle of divine unity as defined by Bahá'u'lláh corrects the erroneous beliefs of some of the Muslim mystics of the past who viewed themselves at times as an embodiment of the divine Essence itself. 'He is a true believer in Divine unity', Bahá'u'lláh asserts, who, far from confusing duality with oneness, refuseth to allow any notion of multiplicity to becloud his conception of the singleness of God, who will regard the Divine Being as One Who, by His very nature, transcendeth the limitations of numbers. 134And again, revealing another aspect of such divine unity, He states: The essence of belief in Divine unity consisteth in regarding Him Who is the Manifestation of God and Him Who is the invisible, the inaccessible, the unknowable Essence as one and the same. By this is meant that whatever pertaineth to the former, all His acts and doings, whatever He ordaineth or forbiddeth, should be considered, in all their aspects, and under all circumstances, and without any reservation, as identical with the Will of God Himself. This is the loftiest station to which a true believer in the unity of God can ever hope to attain. 135This point is further reinforced in one of the meditations of Bahá'u'lláh: Thy unity is inscrutable, O my God, to all except them that have recognized Him Who is the Manifestation of Thy singleness and the Day-Spring of Thy oneness. 136With regard to divine understanding, see note 3 on true understanding above. |
134. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, pp. 166-7. 135. ibid. p. 167. 136. Bahá'u'lláh, Prayers and Meditations, p. 57. |
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79. an empty name...a dead letter ¶28 Muhammad Himself has prophesied such a condition: A day shall be witnessed by My people whereon there will have remained of Islám naught but a name, and of the Qur'an naught but a mere appearance. The doctors of that age shall be the most evil the world hath ever seen. Mischief hath proceeded from them, and on them it will recoil. 137 |
137. Quoted in Shoghi Effendi, Promised Day is Come, p. 99. | |
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80. 'Urvatu'l-Vuthqá ¶28 Translated as the 'Sure Handle', the 'Firm Cord', it is in its broadest sense an allusion to the Cause of God. 'Abdu'l-Bahá states: Know thou that the 'Sure Handle' mentioned from the foundation of the world in the Books, the Tablets and the Scriptures of old is naught else but the Covenant and the Testament. 138See Qur'an 2:257, in which Muhammad states, 'Whoever shall deny Tághút [the Idol] and believe in God--he will have taken hold on a strong handle that shall not be broken...' In one of His prayers Bahá'u'lláh invokes God to 'write us down with such of Thy servants as have repudiated the Idol (Mírzá Yahyá), and firmly believed in Thee'. 139 See also Qur'án 31:21 and Íqán, ¶37, ¶226. |
138. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, quoted in Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 238. 139. Bahá'u'lláh, Prayers and Meditations, p. 132. Notes 91, 346 |
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81. want of capacity ¶30 How well this description of the lack of capacity to acquire spiritual knowledge fits, for the most part, the condition of humankind during the century since the Call of Bahá'u'lláh was first raised. | ||
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82. These Suns of Truth ¶31 This key passage and the subsequent paragraph eloquently set forth the fundamental role and exalted station of the universal Manifestations of God. |
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83. Through Him all things live, move ¶31
...all else besides these Manifestations, live by the operation of their Will, and move and have their being through the outpourings of their grace. 140See also ĺqán, ¶226. |
140. Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán, ¶109. | |
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84. confined at times to specific designations ¶32
These attributes of God are not and have never been vouchsafed specially unto certain Prophets, and withheld from others. 141 |
141. Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán, ¶110. | |
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85. Prophets of God ¶32 Used here to refer to those 'endowed with constancy'. See note 350 below. |
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86. immaculate Souls ¶33 Reference to the twelve Imáms of Shí'í Islám, the 'lawful Successors' of Muhammad. 142 The Bahá'í teachings uphold the validity of the Imamate, 'that divinely-appointed institution of whose most distinguished member the Báb Himself was a lineal descendant, and which continued for a period of no less than two hundred and sixty years to be the chosen recipient of the guidance of the Almighty and the repository of one of the two most precious legacies of Islám.' 143 Concerning the Imáms, Bahá'u'lláh Himself affirms, 'They, verily, are the manifestations of the power of God, and the sources of His authority, and the repositories of His knowledge, and the daysprings of His commandments.' 144 Regarding the two legacies see ĺqán, ¶222. |
142. Shoghi Effendi, Promised Day is Come, p. 108. 143. Shoghi Effendi, World Order, p. 102. 144. Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 90. Notes 93, 181, 250, [343] |
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87. Prayer of Nudbih ¶33 Famous prayer in Shí'í books which gives an account of the lives of all the Imáms and extols particularly the qualities of the Hidden Imám. Sometimes mistakenly attributed to the Imám 'Alí whose death, however, is described in it. Nudbih means 'lamentation'; in Arabic, the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem is called the Wall of Nudbih. See also Íqán, ¶269. |
Note 380 |
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88. 'Whither are gone the resplendent Suns?' ¶33 Words of the Imám Mihdí, in the Prayer of Nudbih. |
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89. Whosoever among the divines ¶34 While in the Íqán Bahá'u'lláh condemns the blindness and perversity of the divines, yet He extols the rank of those who are truly learned and who recognize the truth and light of succeeding Manifestations: Great is the blessedness of that divine that hath not allowed knowledge to become a veil between him and the One Who is the Object of all knowledge, and who, when the Self-Subsisting appeared, hath turned with a beaming face towards Him. He, in truth, is numbered with the learned. The inmates of Paradise seek the blessing of his breath, and his lamp sheddeth its radiance over all who are in heaven and on earth. He, verily, is numbered with the inheritors of the Prophets. He that beholdeth him hath, verily, beheld the True One, and he that turneth towards him hath, verily, turned towards God, the Almighty, the All-Wise. 145 |
145. Bahá'u'lláh, quoted in Shoghi Effendi, Promised Day is Come, p. 111. | 101
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90. no doubt familiar with the interpretation ¶36 The interpretation of this verse current among the Shí'ís and based on Islamic tradition, namely from the Imám Ridá, identifies the 'sun' and the 'moon' as referring to the first two Caliphs, Abú Bakr and 'Umar. |
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91. 'Urvatu'l-Vuthqá ¶37 See note 80 above. |
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92. laws of prayer and fasting ¶38 The term translated as 'prayer' in this and the following passages refers to that category of prayer which is obligatory in character rather than supplications in general. With reference to these two laws, Shoghi Effendi states: As regards fasting, it constitutes, together with the obligatory prayers, the two pillars that sustain the revealed Law of God. They act as stimulants to the soul, strengthen, revive and purify it, and thus insure its steady development. 146 |
146. Shoghi Effendi, Directives of the Guardian, p. 27. | |
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93. lights that have emanated from the Day-Star of Truth ¶38 Reference to the Imáms; see note 86 on immaculate Souls above. |
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94. the law of prayer ¶39 'Abdu'l-Bahá elucidates the importance of the station appointed for this law when with regard to the Bahá'í obligatory prayers He comments: Through such prayer man holdeth communion with God, seeketh to draw near unto Him, converseth with the true Beloved of one's heart, and attaineth spiritual stations. 147Shoghi Effendi states that 'the obligatory prayers are by their very nature of greater effectiveness and are endowed with a greater power than the non-obligatory ones, and as such are essential.' 148 |
147. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, in Compilation of Compilations, vol. 2, p. 232. 148. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 4 January 1936, in Compilation of Compilations, vol. 2, p. 238. |
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96. One day, a well-known divine came ¶40 This passage gives a first-hand account by Bahá'u'lláh Himself of His method of teaching and of the use of wisdom in conveying God's Word. See also ĺqán, ¶186. |
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97. Seal of the Prophets ¶40 A title of Muhammad. 149 In one sense it refers to His being the 'Seal' or the last of the Prophets (Nabiyyín) to announce the coming of the Day of God--the Day of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh. As Bahá'u'lláh explains: This Day, however, is unique, and is to be distinguished from those that have preceded it. The designation 'Seal of the Prophets' fully revealeth its high station. The Prophetic Cycle hath, verily, ended. The Eternal Truth is now come. 150With the appearance of the Báb, the Prophetic Cycle which began with Adam drew to a close. See additional references, Íqán, ¶172, ¶181, ¶196, ¶237. |
149. Qur'án 33:40. 150. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, p. 60. |
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99. camphor fountain ¶41 'If the interpretation of "camphor" become known, the true intention will be evident.' 151 No further elucidation has been found in available Bahá'í writings. In the East, camphor is traditionally recognized as a powerful medicinal substance and mainly employed to subdue excessive carnal passion. |
151. Bahá'u'lláh, Seven Valleys, p. 37. | 103
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100. would have surely comprehended the purpose of these terms ¶42 Bahá'u'lláh clarifies that their purpose is 'to test and prove the peoples of the world'. 152 |
152. Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán, ¶53. | |
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101. the step of the spirit ¶44 Compare with this similar passage: O Son of Love! Thou art but one step away from the glorious heights above and from the celestial tree of love. Take thou one pace and with the next advance into the immortal realm and enter the pavilion of eternity. Give ear then to that which hath been revealed by the pen of glory. 153 |
153. Bahá'u'lláh, Hidden Words, Persian no. 7. | |
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102. swift as the twinkling of an eye ¶44 'Be swift in the path of holiness, and enter the heaven of communion with Me.' 154 Also, This most great, this fathomless and surging Ocean is near, astonishingly near, unto you. Behold it is closer to you than your life-vein! Swift as the twinkling of an eye ye can, if ye but wish it, reach and partake of this imperishable favour, this God-given grace, this incorruptible gift, this most potent and unspeakably glorious bounty. 155 |
154. Bahá'u'lláh, Hidden Words, Persian no. 8. 155. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, p. 326. |
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103. in one breath ¶44
These journeys have no visible ending in the world of time, but the severed wayfarer--if invisible confirmation descend upon him and the Guardian of the Cause assist him--may cross these seven stages in seven steps, nay rather in seven breaths, nay rather in a single breath, if God will and desire it. 156 |
156. Bahá'u'lláh, Seven Valleys, pp. 40-1. | 104
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104. 'cleaving of the heaven' ¶46 Cf. Isaiah 64:1, 'Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens...' |
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105. infinite knowledge...limited knowledge ¶48 This reference to two kinds of knowledge is further developed in a subsequent passage in which the two are described as divine and satanic. See ĺqán, ¶76, ¶201. |
Notes 162, 315-16, 318 |
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106. 'Knowledge is a light...' ¶48 Muhammad. Consider in reference to the seeker in the Four Valleys: This station conferreth the true standard of knowledge, and freeth man from tests. In this realm, to search after knowledge is irrelevant, for He hath said concerning the guidance of travellers on this plane, 'Fear God, and God will instruct thee.' And again: 'Knowledge is a light which God casteth into the heart of whomsoever He willeth.'This tradition is also cited in Íqán, ¶201. |
157. Bahá'u'lláh, Four Valleys, in Seven Valleys, pp. 53-4. Notes 105, 162, 165, 315-16, 318, 420 |
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107. physical earth to be changed ¶50 Consider in this connection Bahá'u'lláh's declaration: Were ye to be fair in your judgement, ye would readily recognize how the realities of all created things are inebriated with the joy of this new and wondrous Revelation, how all the atoms of the earth have been illuminated through the brightness of its glory. 158 |
158. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, p. 324. | |
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108. Qiblih ¶54 'Point of Adoration'; direction towards which the faithful turn in prayer. In Islám the Qiblih was changed from Jerusalem to Mecca. The original Qiblih mentioned in this paragraph was the house of worship, the Holy of Holies, built by the Israelites in Jerusalem and which became the centre of Jewish worship. The faithful used to turn towards it when offering their prayers. It remained the direction of prayer from the days after Moses and during the time of Christ, until it was altered by Muhammad at the command of God. The Báb again changed the Qiblih by appointing 'Him Whom God shall make manifest' as the point of adoration. This point of prayer was to move with Him, in other words, with Bahá'u'lláh, until His passing, and then be fixed at His resting-place, His holy Shrine. Bahá'u'lláh confirmed this law in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the Most Holy Book, and after His Ascension, the Qiblih of the Bahá'í world became fixed at Bahjí. |
Note 114 [CLUI: Qiblih] |
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109. Bathá unto Yathrib ¶54 A reference to Muhammad's Hijra (Emigration) from Mecca to Medina in AD 622, in the fifty-third year of His life. 'Abdu'l-Bahá states that: 'The departure of Muhammad, the Beloved of God, from the city of His birth was the cause of the exaltation of God's Holy Word...' 159 The meaning of hijra is less geographical transference than separation and severance from family and kin. Bathá is the central quarter and lowest part of Mecca which lies in a hollow close around the Ka'bih--Islám's most sacred shrine. It was inhabited by the ten main clans of the Quraysh, the aristocracy of the oldest families. Shortly after Muhammad reached Yathrib, its name was changed to the 'City of the Prophet', al- Madínah an-Nabí. This was later abbreviated to al-Madínah or Medina in English usage. See note 197 on Mecca and Medina below. |
159. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections, p. 281.
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110. Rik'at ¶54 Prostration; more generally, it refers to one complete Muslim devotional unit, which includes standing upright, bowing, prostrating and sitting. The whole forms a basic element of Muslim obligatory prayer. |
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111. Gabriel ¶54 Archangel; considered in Islám as the mediator of revelation to Muhammad and the personification of the Divine Spirit to Him. It was while in the Cave of Hira, outside the holy city of Mecca, that Muhammad first heard the voice of Gabriel, which bade Him 'Cry in the name of Thy Lord.' 160 See also Íqán, ¶92, ¶123, ¶174. According to the Bahá'í teachings, Gabriel, the 'Dove' and the 'Maid of Heaven' are symbols of the divine Reality of the Manifestation Himself. 'Abdu'l-Bahá states clearly that the independent Prophets receive the bounty of divinity without any 'intermediary'. 161 |
160. Qur'án 96:1. Cf. Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, pp. 93, 101. 161. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 164. Note 240 |
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112. Ka'bih ¶54 Literally, 'cube'. The cube-like building in the centre of the sacred Mosque at Mecca, which contains the Black Stone. It was founded by Abraham and remains the most holy shrine of Islám. |
Note 169 |
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113. David ¶55 Messenger of God, son of Jesse and second King of Israel; revealer of the Psalms. He rather than Saul was founder of the Jewish monarchy. 162 |
162. For references to an earlier David, see Shoghi Effendi, Dawn of a New Day, pp. 86-7, 93-4. | |
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114. a particular purpose ¶55 As stated here, all the face of the earth is the same in the sight of God with the exception of those places singled out by the Manifestations of God. Physically, these sites, these temples and holy houses, both during and after their relationship to God's Messengers, are the same. Shoghi Effendi, in a letter written on his behalf, has stated in a similar connection with regard to the physical remains of the Manifestations: The atoms of the Prophets are just atoms, like all others, but the association of this great spiritual power with them leaves in the place they are laid to rest a spiritual atmosphere, if one can use this expression. They are, no doubt, endowed with a tremendous spiritual influence and far-reaching power. But the physical character of their atoms are not different from other people's, any more than their bodies and physical functions are different. 163 |
163. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 28 October 1949, in Directives of the Guardian, p. 43.
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115. prison-cage of self and desire ¶56 See Hidden Words, Persian, no. 38. |
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117. 'Imrán (Amran) ¶57 His descendants include Moses and Aaron and they constitute a subdivision of the priestly Levites; not literally the father of Moses. |
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118. To this testifieth the record of the sacred Book ¶57 See Exodus 2:12. |
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119. Midian ¶57 A district on the eastern side of the Gulf of Aqaba extending north to the mountains east of the Dead Sea and west into the Sinai peninsula, occupied by the descendants of Midian, son of Abraham and Keturah. See Qur'an 7:83 and Genesis 25:2. |
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120. Shoeb (Shu'ayb) ¶57 The Messenger of God sent to the Arab people of Midian. See Qur'án 7:85-93; 11:84-95. For His relationship to Moses, who became His son-in- law, see Qur'án 28:22-8. Identified in the Old Testament with Jethro, the priest of Midian (Exodus 3:1) or with Reuel (Exodus 2:18). |
Qur'án 7:88 Qur'án 11:85 |
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121. holy vale ¶57 Of Towa, the place of Moses' revelation. Referred to frequently by Bahá'u'lláh, 164 most dramatically in the description of the activity taking place in this Day in that spot to be found in Bahá'u'lláh's Tablet to Czar Alexander II: He Who is the Father is come, and the Son (Jesus Christ), in the holy vale, crieth out: 'Here am I, here am I, O Lord, my God!', whilst Sinai circleth round the House, and the Burning Bush calleth aloud: 'The All-Bounteous is come mounted upon the clouds! Blessed is he that draweth nigh unto Him, and woe betide them that are far away.' 165 |
164. See, for example, Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 117. 165. ibid. p. 57. |
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122. King of glory ¶57 Eventually, one of the titles of Bahá'u'lláh Himself. 166 |
166. See Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 95. | |
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123. Tree that belongeth neither to the East nor to the West ¶57 The image of the Tree of Divine Revelation is derived from the Qur'anic passage: God is the light of heaven and earth: the similitude of His light is a niche in a wall, wherein a lamp is placed, and the lamp enclosed in a case of glass; the glass appears as if it were a shining star. It is lighted with the oil of a Blessed Tree, an olive neither of the East, nor of the West; it wanteth little but that the oil thereof would give light, although no fire touched it. This is the light added unto light. God will direct unto His light whom He pleaseth. 167Shoghi Effendi elaborates on this theme, stating: Then, and only then, will the vast, the majestic process, set in motion at the dawn of the Adamic cycle, attain its consummation--a process which commenced six thousand years ago, with the planting, in the soil of the divine will, of the tree of divine revelation, and which has already passed through certain stages and must needs pass through still others ere it attains its final consummation. The first part of this process was the slow and steady growth of this tree of divine revelation, successively putting forth its branches, shoots and offshoots, and revealing its leaves, buds and blossoms, as a direct consequence of the light and warmth imparted to it by a series of progressive dispensations associated with Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad and other Prophets, and of the vernal showers of blood shed by countless martyrs in their path. The second part of this process was the fruition of this tree, 'that belongeth neither to the East nor to the West', when the Báb appeared as the perfect fruit and declared His mission in the Year Sixty in the city of Shíráz. 168 |
167. Quoted in 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of the Divine Plan, p. 62. 168. Shoghi Effendi, Messages to the Bahá'í World, pp. 153-4. See the full passage for a description of another eight parts of the process. Note 64 |
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124. from the valley of self and desire...attain...heavenly delight ¶57 Consider in light of the opening comments of the Seven Valleys: The stages that mark the wayfarer's journey from the abode of dust to the heavenly homeland are said to be seven...And they say that until the wayfarer taketh leave of self, and traverseth these stages, he shall never reach to the ocean of nearness and union, nor drink of the peerless wine. 169 |
169. Bahá'u'lláh, Seven Valleys, p. 4. | |
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125. Salsabíl ¶57 The name of 'a heavenly river' or 'wellspring' in Paradise; it implies easy, sweet, soft-flowing waters. See Qur'an 76:18. |
Note 173 |
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126. the peaceful city ¶57 'Dáru'l-Salám' See note 65 on Baghdád, the 'Abode of Peace'. |
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127. Mary ¶59 The Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ. The characterization of the Mother of Jesus throughout this passage has been singled out as one of the major themes of the Íqán by Shoghi Effendi when, in summarizing the text, he states that the ĺqán 'upholds the purity and innocence of the Virgin Mary'. 170 Refer to Section 3 above [in printed book]. Compare Promised Day is Come, where Mary is described as 'that veiled and immortal, that most beauteous, countenance'. 171 See Íqán, ¶24, ¶88, ¶141, ¶144, ¶191. See also note 295 on Fátimih below. |
170. Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 139. 171. Shoghi Effendi, Promised Day is Come, p. 109. Note 69 |
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128. a Babe Whose father was unknown ¶59
With regard to your question concerning the Virgin Birth of Jesus; on this point, as on several others, the Bahá'í teachings are in full agreement with the doctrines of the Catholic Church. In the Kitáb-i-Íqán (Book of Certitude) page 56, and in a few other Tablets still unpublished, Bahá'u'lláh confirms, however indirectly, the Catholic conception of the Virgin Birth. Also 'Abdu'l-Bahá in 'Some Answered Questions', Chap. 12, page 62, explicitly states that Christ found existence through the spirit of God which statement necessarily implies, when reviewed in the light of the text, that Jesus was not the son of Joseph. 172 |
172. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 14 October 1935, in Shoghi Effendi, Directives of the Guardian, p. 40. 173. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 31 December 1937, in Lights of Guidance, p. 489. 174. Shoghi Effendi, High Endeavors, p. 70. 175. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 1 October 1936, in Lights of Guidance, p. 490. 176. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 27 February 1938, in Lights of Guidance, p. 489. 177. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 23 December 1948, in the International Bahá'í Archives. |
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129. return unto her home ¶59 In other words, to Nazareth. |
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130. O sister of Aaron ¶59 Reference to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Aaron, the brother of Moses and his senior by three years, was a Levite descended from 'Imrán (Amran). The priestly class of Judaism are his descendants. Mary was of this class, hence she is addressed in the Qur'an 19:28, 'O sister of Aaron'. She is said to have been devoted to Temple service between the ages of three and twelve years. The term 'sister' is used here in a broad sense to denote Mary's lineal relationship to Aaron. |
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131. How grievous the charges ¶63 Bahá'u'lláh Himself elaborates on these charges: No sooner did He reveal Himself, than all the people rose up against Him. By some He was denounced as one that hath uttered slanders against God, the Almighty, the Ancient of Days. Others regarded Him as a man smitten with madness, an allegation which I, Myself, have heard from the lips of one of the divines. Still others disputed His claim to be the Mouthpiece of God, and stigmatized Him as one who had stolen and used as his the words of the Almighty, who had perverted their meaning, and mingled them with his own. The Eye of Grandeur weepeth sore for the things which their mouths have uttered, while they continue to rejoice upon their seats. 178 |
178. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, pp. 145-6. | |
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132. How severe the persecutions ¶63 Shoghi Effendi summarizes the calamities meted out to the Báb: Sudden arrest and confinement in the very first year of His short and spectacular career; public affront deliberately inflicted in the presence of the ecclesiastical dignitaries of Shíráz; strict and prolonged incarceration in the bleak fastnesses of the mountains of Ádhirbáyján; a contemptuous disregard and a cowardly jealousy evinced respectively by the Chief Magistrate of the realm and the foremost minister of his government; the carefully staged and farcical interrogatory sustained in the presence of the heir to the Throne and the distinguished divines of Tabríz; the shameful infliction of the bastinado in the prayer house, and at the hands of the Shaykhu'l-Islám of that city; and finally suspension in the barrack-square of Tabriz and the discharge of a volley of above seven hundred bullets at His youthful breast under the eyes of a callous multitude of about ten thousand people, culminating in the ignominious exposure of His mangled remains on the edge of the moat without the city gate--these were the progressive stages in the tumultuous and tragic ministry of One Whose age inaugurated the consummation of all ages, and Whose Revelation fulfilled the promise of all Revelations. 179 |
179. Shoghi Effendi, Promised Day is Come, p. 8. | 113
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133. the sweet savours of God were being wafted ¶64 This and the following paragraph clearly foreshadow the impending Declaration of Bahá'u'lláh's Own prophetic mission. His soul laden with the divine riches accumulating since the intimation of that mission, first communicated to Him in 1852 in the darkness of the underground dungeon of the Síyáh-Chál of Tihrán, here pours forth some of the mysteries of its hidden experience. The reader is permitted a glimpse of the inner workings of the latent splendours of His mighty revelation, a revelation, which as characterized by Shoghi Effendi, is 'hailed as the promise and crowning glory of past ages and centuries, as the consummation of all the Dispensations within the Adamic Cycle, inaugurating an era of at least a thousand years' duration, and a cycle destined to last no less than five thousand centuries, signalizing the end of the Prophetic Era and the beginning of the Era of Fulfilment, unsurpassed alike in the duration of its Author's ministry and the fecundity and splendour of His mission...' 180 |
180. Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 100. | 114
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134. Sheba of the Eternal ¶64 This allusion--coming as it does in the middle of a passage very suggestive of Bahá'u'lláh's inherent but not yet fully disclosed divinity--would seem to correspond to that inner dimension of the Manifestation of God, that Divine effulgence from God's Essence, which constitutes His eternal nature. |
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135. the holy Spirit itself is envious! ¶64 In a similar mode Bahá'u'lláh elsewhere proclaims: 'The Holy Spirit Itself hath been generated through the agency of a single letter revealed by this Most Great Spirit, if ye be of them that comprehend.' 181 In the light of other explanations this may be understood as a reference to the greater magnitude of the one same Light which shines from Bahá'u'lláh and which He was commissioned by God to reveal. The term 'Holy Spirit' is often identified with Christ's Revelation and the 'Most Great Spirit' with that of Bahá'u'lláh. The distinction drawn here conforms to the principle of progressive revelation. |
181. Bahá'u'lláh, quoted in Shoghi Effendi, World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 109. | |
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137. Leviathan ¶65 An aquatic animal (real or imaginary) of enormous size. Figuratively, one of vast and formidable power. |
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138. Phoenix ¶65 'The Phoenix of the realms above crieth out from the immortal Branch: "The glory of all greatness belongeth to God, the Incomparable, the All-Compelling!" ' 182 The Oxford English Dictionary defines the phoenix as 'A mythical bird, of gorgeous plumage, fabled to be the only one of its kind, and to live five or six hundred years in the Arabian desert, after which it burnt itself to ashes on a funeral pile of aromatic twigs ignited by the sun and fanned by its own wings, but only to emerge from its ashes with renewed youth, to live through another cycle of years.' Used figuratively for a person of unique excellence and beauty. |
182. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, pp. 35-6. | |
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139. guard it with the globe of understanding ¶65 Compare with Shoghi Effendi's statement that 'the greatest of all protections is knowledge' 183 and his note that 'it is better to have one Bahá'í who understands the Teachings and is wholeheartedly convinced of their truth, than a number of Bahá'ís, who are not well aware of the Cause, and deep-rooted in the Covenant.' 184 |
183. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, in Shoghi Effendi, Light of Divine Guidance, vol. 1, pp. 134-5. 184. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 22 January 1955, in Compilation of Compilations, vol. 2, p. 319. |
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140. a star will appear ¶66 '...the Teachings bear no reference to the names of the stars which are supposed to have preceded Moses, Christ and other Divine Prophets.' 185 |
185. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 26 January 1939. | |
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141. true and exalted Morn ¶66 Bahá'u'lláh states: O My servants! There shineth nothing else in Mine heart except the unfading light of the Morn of Divine guidance, and out of My mouth proceedeth naught but the essence of truth, which the Lord your God hath revealed. 186Further consider the following Hidden Word and its interpretation by 'Abdu'l-Bahá: O My Friends! Have ye forgotten that true and radiant morn, when in those hallowed and blessed surroundings ye were all gathered in My presence beneath the shade of the tree of life, which is planted in the all-glorious paradise? Awe-struck ye listened as I gave utterance to these three most holy words: O friends! Prefer not your will to Mine, never desire that which I have not desired for you, and approach Me not with lifeless hearts, defiled with worldly desires and cravings. Would ye but sanctify your souls, ye would at this present hour recall that place and those surroundings, and the truth of My utterance should be made evident unto all of you. 187 |
186. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, p. 328. 187. Bahá'u'lláh, Hidden Words, Persian no. 19. 188. Taherzadeh, Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vol. 1, pp. 80-1. |
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142. Nimrod dreamed a dream ¶67 Ancient king of Babylon; identified as the persecutor of Abraham in Islamic traditions. See Qur'án 2:260; 21:70. See note 30 on episode of the fire above. In Bible dictionaries Nimrod (Powerful) son of Cush, son of Ham, son of Noah (Genesis 10:8-9), is described as a brave man, a hunter, a champion, governor of the world and the builder of Babylon. Babylon for some time was called the land of Nimrod. Islamic traditions state that because he was nourished by a tigress at the order of God, he became known as Nimrod, as Nimrod means tigress in Arabic. The account of Nimrod and Abraham, and the throwing of the latter into the fire, have all been related by Majlisí in the fifth volume of the Biháru'l-Anvár. See note 391 below. Accounts of Nimrod's dream have been related in various books, including Qisasu'l-Anbíyá of Abú-Isháq Níshábúrí which states: Nimrod was told by the priests that in the coming two or three years a child will be separated from his mother and your sovereignty will be demolished by him. Nimrod ordered to kill every child who became separated from his mother. This order was carried out for three years.It has been related that Nimrod had a terrible dream. He asked the wise men its interpretation. In interpreting it, one of them announced to him the advent of Abraham. Some of the ancient accounts are contradictory in reporting this dream; one of them says that Nimrod's personal astrologer, Azar, dreamed the dream of his coming destruction. Majlisí relates in volume 14 of the Bihár from Káfí, that the Imám Sádiq has stated that this Azar was Abraham's father and was the private astrologer of Nimrod. One night Azar understood from the arrangement of the stars that a boy would appear in that land who would destroy Nimrod and his followers. In the morning he informed Nimrod about this matter and said to him that very soon the seed of this boy will be fixed in the womb of his mother. Nimrod was astonished and asked whether the boy was already in the womb of the mother. Azar answered that it was not yet, and that Nimrod could order that men not cohabit with their women. And so it was that no woman was allowed to be with husband. But Azar himself slept with his wife and they themselves conceived Abraham. Azar, from the position of the stars, knew that they would burn his son but he did not know that God would save him. |
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143. He Who held converse with God ¶68
Bahá'u'lláh is not the intermediary between other Manifestations and God. Each has His own relation to the Primal Source. But in the sense that Bahá'u'lláh is the greatest Manifestation to yet appear, the One who consummates the Revelation of Moses, He was the One Moses conversed with in the Burning Bush. In other words, Bahá'u'lláh identifies the glory of the God-Head on that occasion with Himself. No distinction can be made amongst the Prophets in the sense that They all proceed from one Source, and are of one essence. But Their stations and functions in this world are different. 189 |
189. Shoghi Effendi, Unfolding Destiny, p. 448. | |
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144. Magi ¶69 Members of the ancient Persian priestly caste of the Zoroastrian Faith; the 'wise men' who brought offerings to the infant Jesus. |
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145. Herod ¶69 King of Judaea, known as Herod I, the Great; ordered the slaughter of infant boys around the time of the birth of Christ. Consider and call thou to mind the days whereon the Spirit of God (Jesus Christ) appeared, and Herod gave judgement against Him. God, however, aided Him with the hosts of the unseen, and protected Him with truth, and sent Him down unto another land, according to His promise. He, verily, ordaineth what He pleaseth. 190Not to be confused with his son, Herod Antipas, who was responsible for beheading John the Baptist. |
190. Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 58. | |
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146. the city which was the seat of the Kingdom of Herod ¶69 Jerusalem. |
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147. Yahyá ¶70 Yahyá is Arabic for John and here refers to John the Baptist, son of Zachariah. |
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148. Zachariah ¶70 Father of John the Baptist; of priestly descent from Aaron. |
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149. John the Baptist ¶70 Divinely-appointed forerunner of Jesus Christ. Of priestly descent, his mother was cousin of the Virgin Mary. He baptized Jesus and was beheaded by Herod Antipas. 191 They that have turned aside from Me have spoken even as the followers of John (the Baptist) spoke. For they, too, protested against Him Who was the Spirit (Jesus) saying: 'The dispensation of John hath not yet ended; wherefore hast thou come?' 192 |
191. See further references in World Order magazine, vol. 9, nos. 2 and 4; vol. 10, nos. 1 and 2, 'Interchange'. 192. Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 157. 193. Kitáb-i-Badí', p. 159, quoted in World Order, vol. 9, no. 2, P. 4. 194. Bahá'u'lláh, Asráru'l-Athár, vol. 4, p. 233, quoted in World Order, vol. 10, no. 2, p. 11. |
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150. Rúz-bih ¶71 A Persian of Zoroastrian parents who embraced Christianity and who, after being told of the Prophet's coming by the four heralds of Muhammad, journeyed to Arabia, attained His presence, and recognized Him. After his conversion he became known as Salmán, the Persian. |
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151. Hijáz ¶71 A region in southwestern Arabia considered the holy land of the Muslims. The sacred cities of Mecca and Medina and many other places connected with the history of Muhammad are found there. The 'language of Hijáz', mentioned in the writings, is Arabic. |
Note 59 |
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152. appearance of its star ¶72 In 1843, just prior to the Declaration of the Báb, a great comet suddenly appeared in the heavens: The Comet of 1843 is regarded as perhaps the most marvellous of the present age, having been observed in the daytime even before it was visible at night--passing very near the sun, exhibiting an enormous length of tail; and arousing interest in the public mind as universal and deep as it was unprecedented. 195 |
195. Our First Century, cited in Sears, Thief in the Night, p. 194. See further details on stars and comets of the period on pp. 195-9; also Sears, Release the Sun, pp. 217-19. | |
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153. twin resplendent lights ¶72 Bahá'u'lláh later in His Ministry assigned this same designation 'Núrayn-i-Nayyiraya' to two famous brothers, Mírzá Muhammad Hasan and Mírzá Muhammad Husayn, respectively surnamed the King of Martyrs and the Beloved of Martyrs, who in 1879 were killed in Isfáhán. |
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154. Ahmad (Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsá'í) ¶72 The first of the 'twin resplendent lights' who heralded the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh; founder of the Shaykhí movement; author of numerous religious writings. Died in 1826; buried in Medina. The followers of Shaykh-i-Ahsá'í (Shaykh Ahmad) have, by the aid of God, apprehended that which was veiled from the comprehension of others, and of which they remained deprived. 196 |
196. Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 120. See also Nabil, Dawn-Breakers, chapter 1.
[CLUI: Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsá'í] |
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155. Kázim (Siyyid Kázim-i-Rashtí) ¶72 The second of the 'twin resplendent lights' who heralded the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh. He was the chief disciple of Shaykh Ahmad and his successor. He died at Karbilá on 31 December 1843. |
[CLUI: Siyyid Kázim-i-Rashtí] |
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156. descended from the heaven of the will of God ¶74
The Prophets, unlike us, are pre-existent. The soul of Christ existed in the spiritual world before His birth in this world. We cannot imagine what that world is like, so words are inadequate to picture His state of being. 197 |
197. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 9 October 1947, in Shoghi Effendi, High Endeavors, p. 71.
Note 211 |
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157. true habitations ¶74
They imagine that Christ was excluded from His heaven in the days when He walked the earth, that He fell from the heights of His sublimity, and afterwards mounted to those upper reaches of the sky, to the heaven which doth not exist at all, for it is but space. 198 |
198. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections, p. 168. | |
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158. 'Nothing whatsoever keepeth Him...' ¶74 An Arabic verse of Bahá'u'lláh Himself. |
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159. heaven ¶75 Bahá'u'lláh cites here the names of distinct heavens, indicating that each has a special meaning. While not revealing the intention of these heavens, each is related to terms that to some extent are defined by other passages in the Bahá'í writings. An examination of these terms helps us to understand something of their meaning in the context of this passage. |
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160. 'heaven' hath been applied to many and divers things ¶75 For one of these diverse applications consider the use of the term 'heaven' in the following passage from Bahá'u'lláh: If the whole earth were to be converted into silver and gold, no man who can be said to have truly ascended into the heaven of faith and certitude would deign to regard it, much less to seize and keep it. 199And again, He it is Who hath unveiled to your eyes the treasures of His knowledge, and caused you to ascend unto the heaven of certitude--the certitude of His resistless, His irrefutable, and most exalted Faith. 200 |
199. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, p. 298. 200. ibid. p. 105. |
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161. 'The names come down from heaven' ¶75 A Persian proverb. |
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162. Knowledge ¶76 This passage clearly extols that knowledge which is divine in origin and condemns that which arises from the self of man. Human learning can act as a terrible veil blinding the soul to its purpose in life and its ultimate destiny. Useful knowledge acquired in conformity with the bidding of the Prophets of God is, however, most praiseworthy. As Bahá'u'lláh indicates: Arts, crafts and sciences uplift the world of being, and are conducive to its exaltation. Knowledge is as wings to man's life, and a ladder for his ascent. Its acquisition is incumbent upon everyone...In truth, knowledge is a veritable treasure for man, and a source of glory, of bounty, of joy, of exaltation, of cheer and gladness unto him. Happy the man that cleaveth unto it, and woe betide the heedless. 201While Bahá'u'lláh extols the study of sciences and arts, He directs man to 'such sciences as are useful and would redound to the progress and advancement of the people'. 202 The point to bear in mind with regard to the acquisition of knowledge and education is that it must not be allowed to become a barrier between oneself and God. 'Abdu'l-Bahá emphasizes this truth as follows: Although to acquire the sciences and arts is the greatest glory of mankind, this is so only on condition that man's river flow into the mighty sea, and draw from God's ancient source His inspiration. When this cometh to pass, then every teacher is as a shoreless ocean, every pupil a prodigal fountain of knowledge. If, then, the pursuit of knowledge lead to the beauty of Him Who is the Object of all Knowledge, how excellent that goal; but if not, a mere drop will perhaps shut a man off from flooding grace, for with learning cometh arrogance and pride, and it bringeth on error and indifference to God. |
201. Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, pp. 26-7. 202. Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets, p. 26. 203. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections, p. 110. Notes 105, 106, 165, 315-16, 318, 420 |
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163. Satanic ¶76 This term is used occasionally in the Bahá'í writings, most frequently in the Íqán. Satan refers not to an ultimate evil being but to the animal nature in the human being that is to be overcome. See Some Answered Questions, pp. 235-6 for 'Abdu'l-Bahá's description of the conflict between the 'divine power in man' and 'satanic power'. |
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| 164. 'Fear ye God; God will teach you.' ¶76 | ||
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165. 'Knowledge is the most grievous veil...' ¶76 A traditional Súfí saying. |
Notes 105, 106, 162, 315-16, 318, 420 |
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166. 'Cling unto the robe...' ¶76 From a poem of Ibn Fáriz of Egypt (1198 AD). |
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167. 'He that treadeth the snow-white Path...' ¶77 Abu'l-Ghadir Muhiy-i-Dín Gílání, in the Bisharitu'l-Khayrát. |
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168. the garb of pilgrimage ¶78 The seeker on his quest for the inner meaning of the Word of God must 'don the garb of pilgrimage'. In Islám, the believers are called upon once in their lifetime to make a pilgrimage to Mecca and circle round the Ka'bih in the centre of the Holy Mosque, the Qiblih of the Muslim world. It is prescribed that the pilgrims replace their traditional dress with a very simple set of two pieces of unsewn white cloth. Thus the symbols of social, political and familial distinction are transcended and all approach their goal concentrating on those inner qualities of submission and humility which should characterize the pilgrimage. Similarly, in approaching the inner meaning of the divine verses, we are called upon to discard the trappings of worldly position, of acquired learning and the like. |
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170. subject to poverty and afflictions ¶80
...we must remember that the Prophets of God Themselves were not immune from these things which men suffer. They knew sorrow, illness and pain too. They rose above these things through Their spirits, and that is what we must try and do too, when afflicted. The troubles of this world pass, and what we have left is what we have made of our souls; so it is to this we must look--to becoming more spiritual, drawing nearer to God, no matter what our human minds and bodies go through. 204 |
204. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 5 August 1949, in Living the Life, p. 20. | |
| 171. 'But for Thee...' ¶80 | 125
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172. Consider how men for generations have been blindly imitating their fathers ¶81 'Abdu'l-Bahá describes blind imitation as the cause of prejudice: ...the root cause of prejudice is blind imitation of the past--imitation in religion, racial attitudes, in national bias, in politics. So long as this aping of the past persisteth, just so long will the foundations of the social order be blown to the four winds, just so long will humanity be continually exposed to direst peril. 205 |
205. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections, p. 247. | |
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173. Salsabíl ¶81 The name of a fountain or river in Paradise. See note 125 above. |
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175. recognize Him only by His own Self ¶82
The first and foremost testimony establishing His truth is His own Self. Next to this testimony is His Revelation. For whoso faileth to recognize either the one or the other He hath established the words He hath revealed as proof of His reality and truth. 206 |
206. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, p. 105. 207. ibid. p. 49. |
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176. sovereignty manifest in every land ¶85
How vast is the tabernacle of the Cause of God! It hath overshadowed all the peoples and kindreds of the earth, and will, ere long, gather together the whole of mankind beneath its shelter. 208 |
208. Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets, p. 84. | |
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177. angels ¶86
The meaning of 'angels' is the confirmations of God and His celestial powers. Likewise angels are blessed beings who have severed all ties with this nether world, have been released from the chains of self and the desires of the flesh, and anchored their hearts to the heavenly realms of the Lord. These are of the Kingdom, heavenly; these are of God, spiritual; these are revealers of God's abounding grace; these are dawning-points of His spiritual bestowals. 209In another Tablet 'Abdu'l-Bahá addresses Mírzá Mihdí Akhaván-i-Safá with an explanation of the Qur'anic verse referring to angels with two, three or four wings. The Master explains that by wings is meant the power of divine confirmation and assistance through which man is able to ascend to the zenith of true understanding and soar to the very heart of Paradise with a rapidity that no one can conceive. By angels is meant those holy realities which are aware of the grace of their Lord, sanctified from all deficiencies and evil tendencies, purified from defect, and have attained all goodly gifts. These are they who speak not till He hath spoken, and who act in accordance with the command of God. 211 |
209. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections, p. 81. 210. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 21 February 1942. 211. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, cited in Má’idiy-i-Ásamání. |
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178. Cherubim ¶86 Angelic beings, held traditionally by Christians to be of the second order of a ninefold celestial hierarchy and gifted with knowledge and wisdom. See also note 245 on Seraph of God below. |
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179. Sádiq ¶86 The sixth of the holy Imáms of Islám. Known also as Abú-Abdi'lláh. 212 |
212. For other references see Íqán ¶142, ¶270, ¶272, ¶275, ¶281, ¶283.
Note 382 |
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180. philosopher's stone ¶86 The supreme object of alchemy; a substance supposed to have the power to transmute baser metals into gold or silver. Symbolically used to refer to anything extremely rare. |
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181. Letters of Unity ¶89 Traditional reference to the twelve Shí'í Imáms. See note 86 on immaculate Souls above. |
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| 182. 'Verily Our Word is abstruse...' ¶89 | ||
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184. Qá'im ¶90 The Promised One of Shí'í Islám whose coming is fulfilled in the appearance of the Báb. Literally, 'He Who Ariseth' from the family of Muhammad. 'The Báb is the return of the 12th Imám only in a spiritual sense, just as Bahá'u'lláh is the return of the Spirit of Christ.' 213 |
213. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual, 26 January 1939.
Note 233 |
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185. Books...corrupted ¶91
The explanation which Bahá'u'lláh gives of the meaning of the corruption or modification (tahríf) of the text has particular significance for those of Islamic background. For as a result of the misinterpretation of certain Qur'anic verses, the Muslims have gradually come to the belief that the existing texts of the Old and New Testaments are without value and have been corrupted beyond recognition. This point of view is forcefully countered by Bahá'u'lláh, who sets down the true meaning of a few instances where modification of the verses has been mentioned. In the story of Ibn-i-Súríyá He explains the historical context for the Qur'anic verse 4:45, 'They pervert the text of the Word of God.' By 'by corruption of the text', He then states, 'is meant...the interpretation of God's holy Book in accordance with their idle imaginings and vain desires.' It does not mean the actual words of Revelation have been effaced. This is not to deny, however, questions related to attribution and authenticity of various biblical books and passages in modern scholarship. A further point made is that the divines and followers of these previous holy books would never have wittingly mutilated their own time-honoured scriptures. Whoso interpreteth what hath been sent down from the heaven of Revelation, and altereth its evident meaning, he, verily, is of them that have perverted the Sublime Word of God, and is of the lost ones in the Lucid Book. 214 | 214. Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Aqdas, ¶105. | 128
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186. 'Modification by the exalted beings' and 'alteration by the disdainful' ¶92 Words attributed to the Imáms. |
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187. Ibn-i-Súríyá ¶92 The rabbi chosen by the people of Khaybar at Muhammad's request to cite a point of Jewish law. |
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188. Khaybar ¶92 Name of a famous oasis and of its principal settlement almost a hundred miles north of Medina. It was heavily populated with wealthy Jewish farmers and merchants. See note 298 on Battle of Khaybar below. |
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189. by God Who clove the sea for you ¶92
And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 215 |
215. Exodus 14:21. | |
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190. caused manna to descend upon you ¶92
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God. And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round the host. And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was, And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat. 216See also note 16 and note 66 regarding bread. |
216. Exodus 16:11-15. | 129
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191. the cloud to overshadow you ¶92
And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the Lord...And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. 217 |
217. Exodus 19:9, 16. 218. Exodus 40:33-8. |
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192. Who delivered you from Pharaoh ¶92
And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the Lord their God. 219See Exodus for the entire account of the deliverance of the Israelites. |
219. Exodus 29:45-6. | |
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193. exalted you above all human beings ¶92 Reference to the Jews as the chosen people of God as in Exodus: And the Lord said...Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. 220 |
220. Exodus 3:7, 10. | |
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194. Nebuchadnezzar ¶92 King of Babylon who in 599 BC captured Jerusalem. In 588 he destroyed the holy city and removed most of the inhabitants to Chaldaea. |
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195. Amalekites ¶92 Expelled in early times from Babylonia, they spread through Arabia to Palestine, Syria and Egypt. They were bitter opponents of Israel and suffered a crushing defeat from Saul. |
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196. Pentateuch ¶92 The Greek name given to the first five books of the Old Testament which are commonly ascribed to Moses and known also as the Torah. |
Note 337
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197. Mecca and Medina ¶93 Two sacred cities in the Arabian province of Hijáz, the Holy Land of the Muslims. Mecca was the birthplace of Muhammad and is the site of Islám's most sacred shrine, the Ka'bih. Medina is the settlement that gave refuge to the Prophet and became His burial-place; to a Muslim it is second in sanctity only to Mecca. See also Bathá unto Yathrib at note 109 above. |
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198. verses of the Pentateuch, that referred to His Manifestation ¶93 Note, for example, the following passage on the coming of the Manifestations: And he said, The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them. 221 |
221. Deuteronomy 33:2. | |
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199. '...and then, after they had understood it, distorted it, and knew that they did so.' ¶94 Compare this with 'Abdu'l-Bahá's comment about Covenant-breakers: These do not doubt the validity of the Covenant but selfish motives have dragged them to this condition. It is not that they do not know what they do--they are perfectly aware and still they exhibit opposition. 222 |
222. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections, pp. 215-16. | |
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200. untutored holy Men ¶97 Consider Bahá'u'lláh's description of this lack of education: We ask thee to reflect upon that which hath been revealed, and to be fair and just in thy speech, that perchance the splendours of the day-star or truthfulness and sincerity may shine forth...This Wronged One hath frequented no school, neither hath He attended the controversies of the learned. By My life! Not of Mine own volition have I revealed Myself, but God, of His own choosing, hath manifested Me. 223 |
223. Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 11. 224. ibid. p. 129. |
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201. Jesus had disappeared...and ascended ¶98
Verily the heaven into which the Messiah rose up was not this unending sky, rather was His heaven the Kingdom of His beneficent Lord. Even as He Himself hath said, 'I came down from heaven', and again, 'The Son of Man is in heaven.' Hence it is clear that His heaven is beyond all directional points; it encircleth all existence, and is raised up for those who worship God. Beg and implore thy Lord to lift thee up into that heaven, and give thee to eat of its food, in this age of majesty and might. 225 |
225. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections, pp. 167-8. | 132
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202. fourth heaven ¶98
As to the ascent of Christ to the 'fourth heaven' as revealed in the glorious Book of ĺqán, he [the Guardian] stated that the 'fourth heaven' is a term used and a belief held by the early astronomers. The followers of the Shí'ih sect likewise held this belief. As the Kitáb-i-Íqán was revealed for the guidance of that sect, this term was used in conformity with the concepts of its followers. 226In the ancient scheme of the seven heavens or spheres, the sun was located in the fourth heaven. See also Íqán, ¶144. |
226. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 23 February 1945, translated from the Persian.
Note 267 |
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203. Morn is breaking ¶99 Allusion to Bahá'u'lláh's own Revelation. |
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204. 'Verily, we are God's...and unto Him we do return.' ¶99 Qur'an 2:156. See also ĺqán, ¶279. |
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205. eye of thine heart ¶99 Throughout the Bahá'í writings reference is made to two ways of seeing, to the 'inner and outer eyes'. This inner vision, or inspired insight, associated with 'the eye of thine heart', must be cleansed of earthly things and directed towards that true knowledge shining from the Word of God, the light of the True One. Consider the following well-known admonition:
O Man of Two Visions! Close one eye and open the other. Close one to the world and all that is therein, and open the other to the hallowed beauty of the Beloved. 227 |
227. Bahá'u'lláh, Hidden Words, Persian no. 12.
Note 49 |
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206. O affectionate seeker! ¶100 This paragraph sets out three distinct degrees of divine recognition characterized as 'the holy realm of the spirit' in which the soul, beholding naught but God, is free from need for lesser testimonies; 'the sacred domain of truth' where the knowledge of all things depends on His recognition; and finally 'the land of testimony' where the seeker contents himself with the proof of the Book. In a sense, these three perspectives may be said to parallel the three stages of certitude alluded to by Bahá'u'lláh. See note 334 on the stations of absolute certitude below. |
Note 7 |
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| 207. 'God was alone...' ¶100 |
Note 220 |
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209. people of the Bayán ¶101 The followers of the Báb, known also as Bábís. Bahá'u'lláh later exhorted and admonished the followers of the Báb in numerous passages. To cite but one instance: O people of the Bayán! We have chosen you out of the world to know and recognize Our Self. We have caused you to draw nigh unto the right side of Paradise--the Spot out of which the undying Fire crieth in manifold accents: 'There is none other God besides Me, the All-Powerful, the Most High!' Take heed lest ye allow yourselves to be shut out as by a veil from this Day Star that shineth above the day-spring of the Will of your Lord, the All-Merciful, and whose light hath encompassed both the small and the great. Purge your sight, that ye may perceive its glory with your own eyes, and depend not on the sight of any one except your self, for God hath never burdened any soul beyond its power. Thus hath it been sent down unto the Prophets and Messengers of old, and been recorded in all the Scriptures. 228Eventually the majority of the Bábís recognized Bahá'u'lláh as the Promised One announced by the Báb. For Bayán see note 5 above and note 339 below. |
228. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, pp. 106-7. | 134
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210. the King of divine might ¶101
Shoghi Effendi cites this sentence in his exposition of the inconceivable greatness of Bahá'u'lláh's Revelation in God Passes By, pp. 98-9 and states clearly that Bahá'u'lláh is alluding here to Himself. In the light of this clarification re-read the titles in the preceding lines: 'He, Who is the Quintessence of truth, the inmost Reality of all things, the Source of all light.'
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Part Two
[The Book of Certitude is divided into two parts...] The second part of the text centres on the sovereignty of the Manifestations of God and their mysterious two-fold nature. It also unravels the inner meaning of numerous abstruse scriptural terms and, finally, demonstrates the validity of the Mission of the Báb and His Revelation.
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211. sent down from their invisible habitations ¶103 'The Prophets, unlike us, are pre-existent. The soul of Christ existed in the spiritual world before His birth in this world. We cannot imagine what that world is like, so words are inadequate to picture His state of being.' 229 |
229. Shoghi Effendi, High Endeavors, p. 71.
Note 156 |
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212. this world ¶103 This realm of creation is one of three worlds of existence described in the Bahá'í writings: the World of God, which is infinite, limitless and perfect; the world of the Kingdom of Command, which is the Holy Reality of the Manifestations of God, the Primal Will; and the world of existence or servitude, which includes the many worlds of creation both visible and invisible. See Some Answered Questions, p. 295. These three conditions of existence are represented in the Bahá'í ringstone symbol by the three parallel lines. |
Note 218, 286 |
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213. educate the souls of men and endue with grace ¶103 Bahá'u'lláh, likewise, states: God's purpose in sending His Prophets unto men is twofold. The first is to liberate the children of men from the darkness of ignorance, and guide them to the light of true understanding. The second is to ensure the peace and tranquillity of mankind, and provide all the means by which they can be established. 230 |
230. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, pp. 79-80. | |
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214. 'Verily God doeth...' ¶103 See also Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, pp. 206, 209, 284, 295; Íqán ¶155, ¶182, ¶184; Proclamation of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 13; Kitáb-i-Aqdas, ¶7, ¶47, ¶157. The phrase itself is a composite of two Qur'anic verses, 14:27 and 5:2. |
The Kitáb-i-Aqdas ¶47; The Kitáb-i-Íqán, ¶271; Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 1; |
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215. Far be it from His glory that human tongue...recount His praise ¶104
Every praise which any tongue or pen can recount, every imagination which any heart can devise, is debarred from the station which Thy most exalted Pen hath ordained, how much more must it fall short of the heights which Thou hast Thyself immensely exalted above the conception and the description of any creature. For the attempt of the evanescent to conceive the signs of the Uncreated is as the stirring of the drop before the tumult of Thy billowing oceans. 231 |
231. Bahá'u'lláh, Prayers and Meditations, p. 194. 232. ibid. p. 283. |
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216. everlastingly hidden ¶104 'From time immemorial He hath been veiled in the ineffable sanctity of His exalted Self, and will everlastingly continue to be wrapt in the impenetrable mystery of His unknowable Essence.' 233 |
233. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, p. 63. | |
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217. No tie of direct intercourse ¶104
He is, and hath from everlasting been, one and alone, without peer or equal, eternal in the past, eternal in the future, detached from all things, ever-abiding, unchangeable, and self-subsisting. He hath assigned no associate unto Himself in His Kingdom, no counsellor to counsel Him, none to compare unto Him, none to rival His glory. 234 |
234. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, p. 192 and entire section XCIV. | |
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218. Primal Will ¶104 This theme is found in numerous passages of the Bahá'í writings. One instance is the following extract from the writings of the Báb: ...know thou that the First Remembrance, which is the Primal Will of God, may be likened unto the sun. God hath created Him through the potency of His might, and He hath, from the beginning that hath no beginning, caused Him to be manifested in every Dispensation through the compelling power of His behest, and God will, to the end that knoweth no end, continue to manifest Him according to the good- pleasure of His invincible Purpose...It is this Primal Will which appeareth resplendent in every Prophet and speaketh forth in every revealed Book... |
235. The Báb, Selections, p. 126.
Note 212, 286 [CLUI: Primal Will] |
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219. God would have you beware of Himself ¶105 Beyond the obvious meaning of this verse, the term 'Himself' has been understood by some scholars to refer to the Manifestation of God. This seems to conform to Bahá'u'lláh's use of the expression 'Self of God' at times to refer to Himself and the other Prophets. This, however, should be viewed in the light of the explanation given in the following paragraph of the text itself, especially the closing lines. |
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220. 'God was alone...' ¶105 A tradition attributed to Imám 'Alí and others. In the face of God, all else is obliterated and as nothing. |
Note 207 |
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221. their inability ¶105
All the Embodiments of His Names wander in the wilderness of search, athirst and eager to discover His Essence, and all the Manifestations of His Attributes implore Him, from the Sinai of Holiness, to unravel His mystery...Ten thousand Prophets, each a Moses, are thunderstruck upon the Sinai of their search at His forbidding voice, 'Thou shalt never behold Me!'; whilst a myriad Messengers, each as great as Jesus, stand dismayed upon their heavenly thrones by the interdiction, 'Mine Essence thou shalt never apprehend!' 236 |
236. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, pp. 61-2. | 138
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222. 'His grace hath transcended all things...' ¶106 The first half of this verse is by Bahá'u'lláh; the second half is Qur'anic in origin. |
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223. Exponents on earth of Him Who is the central Orb of the universe ¶106
We find God only through the Intermediary of His Prophet. We see the Perfection of God in His Prophets. Time and space are physical things; God, the Creator, is not a 'place' as we conceive of place in physical terms. God is the Infinite Essence, the Creator. We cannot picture Him or His state, but if we did, we would be His equals, not His creatures. God is never flesh, but mirrored in the attributes of His Prophets we see His Divine characteristics and perfections. 237 |
237. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, in High Endeavors, p. 70. | |
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224. 'There is no distinction...' ¶106 Tradition attributed to the Imám Mihdí, the twelfth Imám. |
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225. 'I am He, Himself...' ¶106 Hadith-i-Qudsí of Muhammad. Compare with the following alternative rendering: 'Manifold are Our relationships with God. At one time, We are He Himself, and He is We Ourself. At another He is that He is, and We are that We are.' 238 |
238. Cited in Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 43. | 139
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227. the eternal King ¶107 Reference to the Imam 'Alí, who is the author of the tradition which immediately follows. |
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228. 'He hath known God who hath known himself' ¶107 Bahá'u'lláh has elaborated on the meaning of this tradition, attributed to the Imám 'Alí, in a Tablet addressed to Mírzá Hádíy-i-Qazvíní, one of the Letters of the Living. In this Tablet He reveals that this saying has unique and wondrous meanings in all of the worlds of God in accordance with the exigencies of each world. No one who has failed to attain these worlds can grasp such meanings. If all the oceans were converted to ink and all the pens on earth set to writing it would not suffice to mention all these meanings. He then offers a dewdrop from this infinite ocean for the guidance of seekers. A significant portion of the explanation which follows constitutes section LXXXIII, pp. 164-6 of Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, which begins: 'Consider the rational faculty...' See also ibid. p. 326. |
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229. 'Hath aught else save Thee a power...' ¶109 Imám Husayn, in the Prayer of the Day of 'Arafah. |
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230. eternal King ¶109 Reference to the Imam 'Alí. |
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231. 'No thing have I perceived...' ¶109 Words of Imám 'Alí. |
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232. tradition of Kumayl ¶109 By this tradition is meant one of the traditions which Kumayl Ibn Ziyád Nakha'í has related on the authority of the Imám 'Alí; quoted in the Bihár (see note 391 below). Kumayl was a devoted apostle of 'Alí who attained the crown of martyrdom through his love for him. |
Note 293 |
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233. Qá'im ¶113 The Promised One of the Shí'ís. See note 184 above. |
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234. sovereignty of the Qá'im ¶113
Bahá'u'lláh, Who Himself was an active figure in those days and was regarded one of the leading exponents of the Faith of the Báb, states clearly His views in the ĺqán that His conception of the sovereignty of the Promised Qá'im was purely a spiritual one, and not a material or political one... 239 |
239. Shoghi Effendi, Unfolding Destiny, pp. 425-6. | |
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235. 'Abdu'lláh-i-Ubayy ¶114 Opponent of Muhammad; a pagan divine who was chief of the hypocrites. The Muslim commentators relate that he was a tall man of a very graceful presence and of a ready and eloquent tongue. He used to frequent the Prophet's assembly, attended by several like himself. These men were greatly admired by Muhammad, who was taken with their handsome appearance and listened to their discourse with pleasure. 'Abdu'lláh-i-Ubayy was said to have kept six slave girls for prostitution; one of them complained to Muhammad and in response Qur'án 24:33 was revealed: 'Force not your female slaves into sin, in order that ye may gain the casual fruitions of this world, if they wish to preserve their modesty.' He promised help to the Jewish Baní Nadír if they stayed in Medina and fought the Prophet following their violation of the covenant they made with Him. He drew off 300 men from battle by predicting their certain death in the expedition of Tabúr. In his last sickness (he died in the ninth year of the Hijra), his son came and asked Muhammad to beg pardon of God for his father, which the Prophet did. 'Abdu'lláh-i-Ubayy then asked to see Muhammad and to be buried in His shirt. Verses of the Qur'an indicate, however, that in general the hypocrites will not be forgiven. See Súrih 63. |
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236. Abú-'Ámir, the hermit ¶114 Known as ar-Ráhib, the Hermit, because of earlier ascetic practices. A Medinian renegade who strongly opposed Muhammad. After being put to flight in the battle of Hunayn, he fled to Syria in hopes of raising an army with help from the Byzantine emperor but died there, in Kinnisrín. He was to have dedicated a hypocrites' mosque at Qubá', in the immediate vicinity of Medina, the construction of which he is said to have inspired. See Qur'án 9:107. |
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237. Ka'b-Ibn-i-Ashraf ¶114 Medinian half-Jewish priest, poet and inveterate enemy of Muhammad. After the Prophet suffered a temporary defeat, he broke agreements with Him and went to Mecca with 40 horsemen. There he conspired with Muhammad's arch-enemy Abú Sufyán in an alliance to bring about the Prophet's death. As a consequence he was slain and the Prophet ordered his followers, the Baní Nadír, to leave Medina. See Qur'an 59:2. |
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238. Nadr-Ibn-i-Hárith ¶114 One of 'nine persons who made mischief in the land'. 240 Also referred to at 33:6; because, it is said, he brought from Persia the romance of Rustam and Isfandiyar and recited it in the assemblies of the Quraysh. Reported to have challenged God thus: 'O God, if what Muhammad preaches be the truth from Thee, rain down upon us a shower of stones, or send some dreadful judgement to punish us.' See Qur'an 70:1. |
240. Qur'án 27:48. | |
| 239. 'No Prophet of God hath suffered...' ¶115 | 142
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240. Gabriel ¶116 The angel-mediator of revelation to Muhammad. See note 111 above. |
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241. one single verse ¶118 The identification of the well-known verse referred to is not clearly given. Consider, nevertheless, how a Qur'anic verse such as 'Verily, I am the Messenger of God unto you all' (7:18) uttered by Muhammad would produce the results mentioned. Acceptance or denial of the truth of this one verse would suffice. |
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242. the Satan of self ¶118 'Abdu'l-Bahá, when asked, 'What is Satan?' replied, 'The insistent self.' 241 In the Bahá'í teachings Satan is not viewed as an independent force but rather as the natural inclinations of man's lower nature, his animal nature. This lower nature, symbolized as Satan, is the ego inclined to evil which is a part of each human soul. It is not an outside personality: God has never created an evil spirit; all such ideas and nomenclature are symbols expressing the mere human or earthly nature of man. It is an essential condition of the soil of earth that thorns, weeds and fruitless trees may grow from it. Relatively speaking, this is evil; it is simply the lower state and baser product of nature. 242 |
241. Cited in Bahá'í World, vol. 13, p. 1187. 242. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation, p. 295. |
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| 243. Kawthar ¶118 | ||
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245. Seraph of God ¶122 Here, literally, Isráfíl, the angel of the Judgement Day who, according to Islám, calls the dead to rise to new life. As by the will of God the power of composition exists, so, also by will of God the power of decomposition exists. |
243. Attributed to 'Abdu'l-Bahá, in Goodall and Cooper, Daily Lessons Received at 'Akká, pp. 43-4.
Note 178 |
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246. by 'resurrection' is meant ¶123
...Concerning the meaning of 'Resurrection': although this term is often used by Bahá'u'lláh in His Writings, as in the passage quoted in your letter, its meaning is figurative. The tomb mentioned is also allegorical, i.e. the tomb of unbelief. The Day of Resurrection, according to Bahá'í interpretation, is the Judgement Day, the Day when unbelievers will be called upon to give account of their actions, and whether the world has prevented them from acknowledging the new Revelation. 244 |
244. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to a National Spiritual Assembly, 2 July 1939, in Shoghi Effendi, Dawn of a New Day, p. 79. | |
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247. 'paradise' and 'hell' ¶123 The symbolic meaning of these terms revolves around the acceptance and denial of the Manifestation of God. Bahá'u'lláh reveals: They say: 'Where is Paradise, and where is Hell?' Say: 'The one is reunion with Me; the other thine own self, O thou who dost associate a partner with God and doubtest.' 245In this regard the Báb wrote: There is no paradise, in the estimation of the believers in the Divine Unity, more exalted than to obey God's commandments, and there is no fire in the eyes of those who have known God and His signs, fiercer than to transgress His laws and to oppress another soul, even to the extent of a mustard seed. 246 |
245. Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 132. 246. The Báb, Selections, p. 79. 247. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, in a Tablet quoted in Goodall and Cooper, Daily Lessons Received at 'Akká, p. 81. |
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248. born of the Spirit ¶125
I render Thee thanks, therefore, and extol Thee, in the name of all them that are dear to Thee, for that Thou hast caused them to be born again, by reason of the living waters which have flowed down out of the mouth of Thy will. 248 |
248. Bahá'u'lláh, Prayers and Meditations, p. 42. | |
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249. Kúfih ¶127 An erstwhile city on the west bank of the Euphrates, south of Karbilá, where the Imám 'Alí established the seat of his Imamate. Most of its early inhabitants were unfaithful to the Imáms. It was an important Muslim seat of learning which later disappeared entirely. |
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250. 'Alí, the Commander of the Faithful ¶127 The illustrious first Imám and rightful successor of Muhammad. He was a cousin of the Prophet and husband of His daughter Fátimih. He was killed at Kúfih by Ibn-i-Muljam in 661 AD. See note 86 on immaculate Souls above. |
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251. Sirát ¶127 'The Bridge' which Muslim tradition holds will be extended over Hell on the Last Days over which men will have to cross to attain Paradise. Take ye good heed that ye may all, under the leadership of Him Who is the Source of Divine Guidance, be enabled to direct your 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 God, may not, all at once and unrealized by thyself, be turned to acts not acceptable in the sight of God. 249 |
249. The Báb, Selections, p. 96. | |
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252. true believer liveth ¶128 Bahá'u'lláh has explained the meaning of this saying of Muhammad in a Tablet revealed after the Íqán, affirming that its truth is manifest as the sun. After stating that the existence and life of the true believer are to be regarded as 'the originating purpose of all creation', He explains that 'the true believer' will 'eternally live and endure. His spirit will everlastingly circle round the Will of God. He will last as long as God, Himself, will last.' 250 |
250. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, pp. 140-1. | 145
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253. Hamzih ¶129 'Abdu'l-Muttalib, 'Prince of Martyrs', Muhammad's uncle. Slain at the battle of Uhud by Wahshí; the infidels abused his dead body by removing the bowels and cutting off his nose and ears. When Muhammad saw it, He swore to retaliate but God revealed verses to Him to abstain and voided thus His oath. See Súrih 16. Muhammad later forgave Wahshí. |
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254. Abú-Jahl ¶129 Muslim epithet meaning 'Father of Ignorance'; refers to 'Amr Ibn Hishám, entitled Abú'l-Hakim, 'Father of Wisdom'. One of the prominent Meccans who opposed Muhammad; slain in the battle of Badr; condemned to 'eternal damnation'. He once threatened that if he caught Muhammad in the act of adoration, he would set his foot on His neck; but when he came upon Him in that posture, he suddenly turned back as in a fright, and, being asked what was the matter, said there was a ditch of fire between himself and Muhammad and he had seen a vision of terrible troops come to defend Him. 251 |
251. al-Baydáwí. | |
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256. the potency of one word ¶131 Bahá'u'lláh, in a prayer, elaborates on the power of a single word: I testify that if Thy servants were to turn towards Thee with the eyes Thou didst create in them and with the ears wherewith Thou didst endow them, they would all be carried away by a single word sent down from the right hand of the throne of Thy majesty. That word alone would suffice to brighten their faces, and to assure their hearts, and to cause their souls to soar up to the atmosphere of Thy great glory, and to ascend into the heaven of Thy sovereignty. 252See also ĺqán, ¶101. |
252. Bahá'u'lláh, Prayers and Meditations, pp. 190-1. 253. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, in Bahá'í World Faith, pp. 364-5. |
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257. 'He is the Dominant, above all things.' ¶134 Bahá'u'lláh's own words. |
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258. Husayn ¶135 The third Imám; son of 'Alí and Fátimih; the 'Prince of Martyrs', tragically slain at Karbilá. See note 262 below for details. Husayn's exalted position and Bahá'u'lláh's identifying Himself with his return are explained: Imám Husayn has, as attested by the ĺqán, been endowed with special grace and power among the Imáms, hence the mystical reference to Bahá'u'lláh as the return of Imám Husayn, meaning the Revelation in Bahá'u'lláh of those attributes with which Imám Husayn had been specifically endowed. 254See also ĺqán, ¶138, ¶139, ¶179, ¶251. |
254. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 30 July 1941, in Lights of Guidance, p. 496. 255. Cited from the Súriy-i-Damm in Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, pp. 88-90, and in Shoghi Effendi, World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, pp. 118-19. 256. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 8 February 1949), in Lights of Guidance, p. 498. |
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259. 'There was none to equal or to match him...' ¶135 Bahá'u'lláh's own words. |
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260. Karbilá ¶136 Site of the martyrdom and shrine of the Imám Husayn and consequently a holy city for the Shí'ís; located some 88 kilometres (55 miles) southwest of Baghdád on the Euphrates River. |
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261. land of Taff ¶136 Another name for Karbilá and its surrounding plain. |
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262. circumstances that have attended the martyrdom of Husayn ¶138 Husayn, the third Imám, died in an historic episode which has had tremendous repercussions on the Shí'ís through the centuries. He and a band of his family and supporters, numbering 72 according to the accounts, were surrounded by an immense force representing the Umayyad Caliph, Yazíd. This host of thousands of men intercepted Husayn near Karbilá as he travelled north on his way to asylum in Kúfa in 680 AD. The Umayyads were demanding his pledge of allegiance in denial of his right of succession as the head of Islám: The fighting appears to have been of a sporadic nature consisting of single combat and brief forays. The steady fire maintained by the Umayyad archers on Husayn's camp took its own toll. One by one Husayn's supporters fell and then the members of his family until only he and his half-brother 'Abbás, the standard-bearer on that day, were left of the fighting men. 'Abbas was killed trying to obtain water for the thirsty women and children and the army converged on the lone figure of Husayn. |
257. Momen, Introduction to Shi'i Islam, pp. 30-1.
Note 258 |
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263. the mysteries of Husayn's martyrdom ¶140 At a later stage in His ministry Bahá'u'lláh revealed a lengthy and detailed Tablet of Visitation for the Imám Husayn in which He refers to His martyrdom as the most great calamity and as a grievous affliction. Through Husayn's martyrdom the soul of the Chaste One (Fátimih) was melted and the Apostle (Muhammad) lamented, the inmates of the supreme paradise cried out and the realities of existence were consumed. Bahá'u'lláh refers to Husayn as the Prince and King of Martyrs, the Pride and Beloved of Martyrs. Through him the light of detachment shone forth in the world and the near ones were adorned with the ornament of piety. If it were not for Husayn the injunction of the 'B' and the 'E' would not have been manifested, the choice Wine would not have been unsealed, the Bird of divine testimony would not have sung forth, and the Tongue of Grandeur would not have spoken amongst the followers of divers beliefs. By him, Bahá'u'lláh states, the mystery of true knowledge became manifest in every land and the light of certitude shone forth from the heaven of testimony. Through him the doors of divine grace were unlocked to the world. For nine pages Bahá'u'lláh continues to extol the wonders and effects of Husayn and his great sacrifice. 258 |
258. Majmú'iy-i-Alváh, pp. 202-11. | 149
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264. Pilate ¶144 A pagan Roman procurator of Judaea at the time of Christ's crucifixion, 26-36 AD, who issued His death-sentence. 259 'Surviving records of Pilate's governorship, and especially those from Jewish sources, picture him as greedy and bloodthirsty. Josephus, for example, implies that his career in Judaea was splashed with gore from beginning to end.' 260 '...in the year 36, after quieting an outburst in Samaria with unnecessary ruthlessness, he was sent by the legate of Syria, the ranking official in the near East, to Rome to defend his misdeeds. Of his end nothing is known.' 261 A fourth century tradition states that in 39 AD, at the order of the Emperor Caligula, Pilate killed himself. |
259. John 19:1-16. 260. Dartmouth Bible, p. 973. 261. ibid. p. 848. |
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265. Caiaphas ¶144 Joseph Caiaphas, the 'leading divine of that age', having been appointed to the Jewish high priesthood not earlier than 18 AD by Roman authority. Powerful and unscrupulous, he was suspected by most Jews of collusion with his Roman masters. He presided at the court which condemned Jesus Christ. As Bahá'u'lláh later revealed: ...call thou to mind the one who sentenced Jesus to death. He was the most learned of his age in his own country, whilst he who was only a fisherman believed in Him. Take good heed and be of them that observe the warning. 262See John 18:14. |
262. Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets, p. 10. | 150
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266. 'Didst thou not claim to be the Divine Messiah?' ¶144 See Matthew 26:62-5. |
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267. fourth heaven ¶144 See note 202 above. |
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268. Point of the Bayán ¶146 Reference to the Báb, the Revealer of the Bayán. Bahá'u'lláh subsequently affirmed with regard to Himself: 'He around Whom the Point of the Bayán (Báb) hath revolved is come.' 263 For Bayán see note 5 above and note 339 below. |
263. Quoted in Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 98.
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269. contention, that all Revelation is ended ¶148 Bahá'u'lláh states in the Súriy-i-Sabr: God hath sent down His Messengers to succeed to Moses and Jesus, and He will continue to do so till 'the end that hath no end'; so that His grace may, from the heaven of Divine bounty, be continually vouchsafed to mankind. 264The Bahá'í teachings thus clearly affirm the coming of future Manifestations of God and repudiate any claim to finality for the Messages of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh. Indeed, the categorical rejection by the followers of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh of the claim to finality which any religious system inaugurated by the Prophets of the past may advance is as clear and emphatic as their own refusal to claim that same finality for the Revelation with which they stand identified. 'To believe that all revelation is ended, that the portals of Divine mercy are closed, that from the daysprings of eternal holiness no sun shall rise again, that the ocean of everlasting bounty is forever stilled, and that out of the tabernacle of ancient glory the Messengers of God have ceased to be made manifest' must constitute in the eyes of every follower of the Faith a grave, an inexcusable departure from one of its most cherished and fundamental principles. 265Note how Shoghi Effendi has reinforced his argument in this passage by citing the very words of the Íqán being commented on here. |
264. Shoghi Effendi, World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 116. 265. ibid. pp. 115-16. |
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270. Presence of God ¶148
In all the Divine Books the promise of the Divine Presence hath been explicitly recorded. By this Presence is meant the Presence of Him Who is the Dayspring of the signs, and the Dawning-Place of the clear tokens, and the Manifestation of the Excellent Names, and the Source of the attributes, of the true God, exalted be His glory. God in His Essence and in His own Self hath ever been unseen, inaccessible, and unknowable. By Presence, therefore, is meant the Presence of the One Who is His Viceregent amongst men. He, moreover, hath never had, nor hath He, any peer or likeness. For were He to have any peer or likeness, how could it then be demonstrated that His being is exalted above, and His essence sanctified from, all comparison and likeness? Briefly, there hath been revealed in the Kitáb-i-Íqán (Book of Certitude) concerning the Presence and Revelation of God that which will suffice the fair-minded. 266 |
266. Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, pp.118-19.
Note 274 |
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271. Universal Revelation ¶149 For notes on this and the other two stages of Divine Revelation, see section 7 [in printed book], 'The Three Stages of Divine Revelation'. Consider also the following explanation of Bahá'u'lláh with regard to the general or universal Revelation which exists in all things: Know thou that every created thing is a sign of the revelation of God. Each, according to its capacity, is, and will ever remain, a token of the Almighty. Inasmuch as He, the sovereign Lord of all, hath willed to reveal His sovereignty in the kingdom of names and attributes, each and every created thing hath, through the act of the Divine Will, been made a sign of His glory. So pervasive and general is this revelation that nothing whatsoever in the whole universe can be discovered that doth not reflect His splendour. Under such conditions every consideration of proximity and remoteness is obliterated...Were the Hand of Divine power to divest of this high endowment all created things, the entire universe would become desolate and void. 267 |
267. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, p. 184. | 152
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272. Most Holy Outpouring...Holy Outpouring ¶150 These terms are mentioned in the works of a number of Muslim Súfí writers such as Ibn'ul-'Arabí, Rúmí and Jámí. The 'Most Holy Outpouring' is said to refer to the manifestation of God unto Himself. In this state every attribute of God is the same as God Himself. He is the essence of love, of knowledge, etc. He is Himself love. The 'Holy Outpouring' refers here to the effulgences of God witnessed in the Manifestations of God. |
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274. 'Presence of God' ¶151 See Bahá'u'lláh's Tablet of Visitation: '...he who hath attained unto Thy presence hath attained unto the presence of God.' 268 |
268. Bahá'u'lláh, Prayers and Meditations, p. 311.
Note 270 |
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275. 'When the Qá'im riseth...' ¶152 Tradition attributed to the Imám Sádiq. |
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276. 'The abased amongst you, He shall exalt...' ¶155 Tradition of the Imam 'Alí, in the Nahju'l-Baláhghí. Bahá'u'lláh, in one of His Tablets, cites an example of this spiritual phenomenon from the history of Islám. He states that when Muhammad appeared, ...the learned men of Mecca and Medina arose, in the early days of His Revelation, against Him and rejected His Message, while they who were destitute of all learning recognized and embraced His Faith. Ponder a while. Consider how Balál, the Ethiopian, unlettered though he was, ascended into the heaven of faith and certitude, whilst 'Abdu'lláh Ubayy, a leader among the learned, maliciously strove to oppose Him. Behold, how a mere shepherd was so carried away by the ecstasy of the words of God that he was able to gain admittance into the habitation of his Best-Beloved, and was united to Him Who is the Lord of Mankind, whilst they who prided themselves on their knowledge and wisdom strayed far from His path and remained deprived of His grace. For this reason He hath written: 'He that is exalted among you shall be abased, and he that is abased shall be exalted.' References to this theme are to be found in most of the heavenly Books, as well as in the sayings of the Prophets and Messengers of God. 269Bahá'u'lláh refers to Balál, mentioned above, with regard to his mispronunciation of the Arabic letter 'shin', asserting, 'The acts of his honour, Balál, the Ethiopian, were so acceptable in the sight of God that the "sín" of his stuttering tongue excelled the "shin" pronounced by all the world.' 270 |
269. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, pp. 83-4. 270. Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 76. |
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277. 'To seek evidence...' ¶155 Saying of the 'ulamá. |
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278. Behold this flamelike-Youth...in the land ¶155 Clear reference to Bahá'u'lláh and His prophetic mission. |
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279. 'Iraq ¶155 Part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire in 1862 when the ĺqán was revealed. Now an independent Arab nation with its capital at Baghdád. |
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280. a sacrifice which fire out of heaven shall devour ¶157 This was considered by the Jews to be one of the signs which all of the Prophets were to produce. Through prayer these Messengers could call down fire from on high to consume the sacrifice. The same then was demanded of Muhammad. 'Abdu'l-Bahá is said to have unfolded the spiritual significance of such burnt offerings, interpreting the altar as the heart, the ewes and lambs as man's lower passions and desires, and the fire from heaven as the fire of the love of God which consumes the offering and thus cleanses the heart. |
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281. Abel and Cain ¶157 The occasion of Abel and Cain making the sacrificial offering is related according to Muslim tradition thus: Each of them was born with a twin sister. When they were grown up, Adam, following God's direction, ordered Cain to marry Abel's twin sister and Abel to marry Cain's. This Cain refused to do because his own sister was the more comely. Adam then commanded them to make their offerings to God, thereby referring the dispute to His determination. Cain's offering was a sheaf of the very worst of his corn; Abel's a fat lamb, of the best of his flock. God declared His acceptance of Abel's sacrifice in a visible manner, by causing fire to descend from heaven and consume it, leaving Cain's offering untouched. Abel was the stronger of the two and could easily have prevailed against his brother, but he let Cain slay him for he would not stretch forth his hand against him. 271 |
271. See Qur'án 5:27-31 and Genesis, chapter 4. | |
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282. 'He of Whom they had knowledge' ¶159
Various Traditions cited in At-Tabarí's 'Jámi'u'l-Bayán' support this understanding, as, for instance, the following from Mujáhid: '[The Jews] would implore the assistance of [the expected] Muhammad, saying that He would appear; "yet when there came unto them that of which they had knowledge", and he was not of them [the Jews], "they disbelieved in Him" '; or the following, from Sa'id Ibn Jubayr: ' "Yet when there came to them that of which they had knowledge, they disbelieved in Him"; those intended are the Jews: they recognized Muhammad as a Prophet, yet disbelieved in Him.' 272 |
272. Memorandum of the Research Department at the Bahá'í World Centre, 20 November 1996. | 155
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283. return ¶160 For a further explanation by Bahá'u'lláh of the meanings of 'return' see Súriy-i-Vafá, in Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, pp. 183-7. |
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284. regarded as one soul and the same person ¶161
The Prophets 'regarded as One and the same person' include the Lesser Prophets as well, and not merely Those Who bring a 'Book'. The station is different, but they are Prophets and Their nature thus different from that of ours. 273See also ĺqán, ¶19, ¶192-3. |
273. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 8 February 1949, in Lights of Guidance, p. 498. | |
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286. 'I am all the Prophets.' ¶161 Consider the following passage from a Tablet of Bahá'u'lláh in a similar light: O Jews! If ye be intent on crucifying once again Jesus, the Spirit of God, put Me to death, for He hath once more, in My person, been made manifest unto you. Deal with Me as ye wish, for I have vowed to lay down My life in the path of God. I will fear no one, though the powers of earth and heaven be leagued against Me. Followers of the Gospel! If ye cherish the desire to slay Muhammad, the Apostle of God, seize Me and put an end to My life, for I am He, and My Self is His Self. Do unto Me as ye like, for the deepest longing of Mine heart is to attain the presence of My Best-Beloved in His Kingdom of Glory. Such is the Divine decree, if ye know it. Followers of Muhammad! If it be your wish to riddle with your shafts the breast of Him Who hath caused His Book the Bayán to be sent down unto you, lay hands on Me and persecute Me, for I am His Well-Beloved, the revelation of His own Self, though My name be not His name. 274Consider also the passage from the Báb quoted in the note 218 on Primal Will above, which cites this same tradition in its explanation. |
274. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, p. 101.
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287. statements... made by 'Alí ¶161 These are recorded in the books of Muslim traditions and closely parallel the statement of Muhammad, 'I am the first Adam...' See also ĺqán, ¶178-9 for related sayings of 'Alí. |
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288. 'Muhammad is our first...' ¶161 Tradition attributed to the Imam 'Alí in the Bihár (see note 391 below). |
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289. Divine Elixir ¶164
I beg of Thee, O my God, by Thy most exalted Word which Thou hast ordained as the Divine Elixir unto all who are in Thy realm, the Elixir through whose potency the crude metal of human life hath been transmuted into purest gold... 275 |
275. Bahá'u'lláh, Prayers and Meditations, p. 54. 276. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, p. 183. |
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290. copper...to the state of gold ¶165 Bahá'u'lláh further elaborates this point in a later Tablet: Consider the doubts which they who have joined partners with God have instilled into the hearts of the people of this land. 'Is it ever possible', they ask, 'for copper to be transmuted into gold?' Say, Yes, by my Lord, it is possible. Its secret, however, lieth hidden in Our Knowledge. We will reveal it unto whom We will. Whoso doubteth Our power, let him ask the Lord his God, that He may disclose unto him the secret, and assure him of its truth. That copper can be turned into gold is in itself sufficient proof that gold can, in like manner, be transmuted into copper, if they be of them that can apprehend this truth. Every mineral can be made to acquire the density, form, and substance of each and every other mineral. The knowledge thereof is with Us in the Hidden Book. 277Shoghi Effendi also explains: Considering that a century ago, nobody knew the nature of matter, and couldn't split any kind of atom, it should not surprise the scientist that 'Abdu'l-Bahá states that copper can be transmuted into gold. |
277. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, pp. 197-8. 278. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 14 March 1955, in Lights of Guidance, p. 478. |
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291. Point of the Bayán...likened the Manifestations ¶171 In the Persian Bayán the Báb elaborates on the present theme: It is clear and evident that the object of all preceding Dispensations hath been to pave the way for the advent of Muhammad, the Apostle of God. These, including the Muhammadan Dispensation, have had, in their turn, as their objective the Revelation proclaimed by the Qá'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 God will make manifest. And this Faith--the Faith of Him Whom God 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. 279 |
279. The Báb, Selections, pp. 105-6. | |
| 292. 'God was alone...' ¶174 | ||
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293. 'veils of glory' ¶175 The term 'veils of glory' (Arabic, subuhát jalál) attributed here to the Imám 'Alí, is from the tradition of Kumayl (see note 232 above). In the course of the Imám's answer to the question 'What is Truth?' he makes this reference to the 'veils of glory'. In general this term refers to those obstacles or veils which prevent people from recognizing the truth of the Manifestations of God. In the Íqán Bahá'u'lláh mentions several types of veils such as the 'Seal of the Prophets'. Such veils have occurred in previous Dispensations as well. The Jewish people expected the promised Messiah to be seated upon the throne of David and their literal interpretation of this reference prevented them from recognizing Jesus Christ. |
Note 324
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294. that bird of Heaven ¶178 The Imám 'Alí. |
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295. Fátimih ¶178 Daughter of Muhammad and entitled 'the Chaste One'. She was consort of 'Alí and the mother of Hasan and Husayn, the second and third Imáms. She is comparable in rank to such immortal heroines as Sarah, Ásíyih, the Virgin Mary, Táhirih and Bahíyyíh Khánum. 280 |
280. See Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 347.
Note 127 |
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| 296. 'A thousand Fátimihs I have espoused...' ¶178 | ||
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297. 'Abdu'lláh ¶178 Father of Muhammad, born circa 545 AD. He belonged to the Baní Háshim, the noblest clan of the Quraysh tribe, direct descendants of Abraham. He died when he was but 25 years old while on an expedition to Syria, shortly before the Prophet's birth. Muhammad is reported to have said: 'I am the son of two who were offered in sacrifice' meaning his great ancestor Ishmael and His own father 'Abdu'lláh. For 'Abdu'l-Muttalib had made a vow that if God would permit him to find and open the well of Zemzem and should give him ten sons, he would sacrifice one of them. Accordingly, when he had obtained his desire in both respects, he cast lots on his sons. When the lot fell on Abdu'lláh, 'Abdu'l-Muttalib redeemed him by offering a hundred camels. 281 |
281. Al Beidawi, Jallaloddin, Al Zamakh. | |
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298. battle of Khaybar ¶179 In the latter part of His ministry, following His truce with the Meccans, Muhammad still faced implacable hostility from the northern settlement of Khaybar. Despite the superior advantage of the Jewish leaders, some 20,000 strong, Muhammad overcame the several fortified areas of the oasis with a force numbering only 1,400. Many of the Jews surrendered on the Prophet's conditions which allowed them to continue to work the lands if they would pay Him a yearly rent of half of their produce. See also note 188 on Khaybar above. |
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299. my father ¶179 In other words 'Alí, whose prowess and courage during the battle of Khaybar are greatly extolled in the traditional accounts. |
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300. attainment unto the presence of His Beauty ¶182
Regarding your question--This reference in the ĺqán refers to the Meeting with Bahá'u'lláh. It will not be applicable again until another Manifestation of God appears, in at least 1,000 years from Bahá'u'lláh. 282The question posed concerned the above reference and asked whether such an 'attainment' finished with Bahá'u'lláh's Ascension, thereby depriving men of such a bounty forevermore. See also Íqán, ¶148-51. |
282. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 13 December 1948. | |
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301. But apart from all these things... ¶182 The powerful passage which begins with these words may be said to foreshadow Bahá'u'lláh's later enunciation in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas of the 'doctrine of the "Most Great Infallibility" of the Manifestation of God' which asserts that such infallibility is 'the inherent and exclusive right of the Prophet'. 283 |
283. Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 214. See also Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets, Ishráqát, pp. 108-10; and 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 171. | |
| 302. 'God doeth whatsoever He willeth...' ¶182 | ||
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303. 'All things lie imprisoned...' ¶182 This hadith has been cited in a number of Bahá'u'lláh's Tablets. In one of the them He identifies the source as the Commander of the Faith, the Imám 'Alí. |
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| 304. 'Whoso sayeth "why" or "wherefore" ' ¶182 | ||
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305. 'He shall not be asked of His doings' ¶182 Compare with: Blessed is the man that hath acknowledged his belief in God and in His signs, and recognized that 'He shall not be asked of His doings'. Such a recognition hath been made by God the ornament of every belief and its very foundation. Upon it must depend the acceptance of every goodly deed. Fasten your eyes upon it, that haply the whisperings of the rebellious may not cause you to slip. 284 |
284. Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Aqdas, ¶161. Also at Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, pp. 86-7. | |
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306. 'He will, however, respite them...' ¶184 Cf. Qur'án 56:50. |
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307. judged by their countenance ¶187
All faces are dark except the face which is a mirror of the light of the love of divinity. This light is not accidental--it is eternal. It is not temporal but real. When the heart hath become clear and pure then the face will become illuminated, because the face is the mirror of the heart. 285 |
285. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets, vol. 2, p. 244. 286. Attributed to 'Abdu'l-Bahá, in Star of the West, vol. 8, no. 11, p. 143. |
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| 308. Abode of Peace ¶188 | ||
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309. 'That all sorts of men...' ¶189 Cf. Qur'án 2:60, 7:160. |
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| 310. 'I am the servant of God.['] [']I am but a man like you.' ¶194 | ||
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311. I am God! ¶196 Compare with: Divinity, whenever I mention it, indicateth My complete and absolute self-effacement. This is the station in which I have no control over mine own weal or woe nor over my life nor over my resurrection. 287 |
287. Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 41. 288. Bahá'u'lláh, quoted in Shoghi Effendi, World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 113. 289. ibid. p. 114. |
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312. breeze of God ¶197 Consider how Bahá'u'lláh repeatedly punctuates the ĺqán with these powerful expressions of the greatness of His own dawning Revelation. Concerning the divine breezes, He later revealed: No breeze can compare with the breezes of Divine Revelation, whilst the Word which is uttered by God shineth and flasheth as the sun amidst the books of men. Happy the man that hath discovered it, and recognized it, and said: 'Praised be Thou, Who art the Desire of the world, and thanks be to Thee, O Well-Beloved of the hearts of such as are devoted to Thee!' 290 |
290. Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 42-3. | |
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313. Guardianship ¶198 The question was asked, Is there any reference to 'Abdu'l-Bahá or to the institution of the Guardianship in the following quotation: '...Thus it is that whatsoever be their utterance, whether it pertain to the realm of Divinity, Lordship, Prophethood, Messengership, Guardianship, Apostleship or Servitude, all is true, beyond a shadow of a doubt'...Also, are there any Manifestations to whom the titles of Servitude have been particularly applied? The response of the Guardian was: The passage you have quoted from the 'Íqán' refers to the Prophets only, and not to the Guardianship. All Divine Manifestations have a station of servitude; and the latter does not apply to one or some of them to the exclusion of the rest. 291 |
291. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 2 November 1938. | 163
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314. Trustees of the depositories of Knowledge ¶199 'We cannot be sure to whom Bahá'u'lláh refers as the "trustees" of knowledge.' 292 |
292. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 19 April 1947, in Lights of Guidance, p. 475. | |
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315. 'Knowledge is one point...' ¶201 Maxim attributed to Imám 'Alí. |
Notes 105, 106, 162, 165, 316, 318, 420 |
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| 316. 'Knowledge is a light...' ¶201 |
Notes 105, 106, 162, 165, 315, 318, 420 |
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317. a certain man ¶203 Hájí Mírzá Karím Khán, one of the self-proclaimed Shaykhí leaders after Siyyid Kázim; author of numerous works including a vicious attack on the Bábí Faith written at the request of Násiri'd-Dín Sháh (see God Passes By, p. 91). Also see note 405 under a one-eyed man below. |
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318. 'Knowledge is all that is knowable...' ¶203 Tradition attributed to the Imám Sádiq. |
Notes 105, 106, 162, 165, 315-16, 420 |
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319. Mi'ráj ¶203 'Ascent'; used with reference to Muhammad's celestial vision or 'night-journey' through the seven heavens. See Qur'an 17:1. |
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| 320. 'But for Thee, I would not have created the spheres.' ¶203 | ||
| 321. 'Flingest thou thy calumnies...' ¶204 | ||
| 322. 'All human attainment...' ¶204 | ||
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323. 'The most grievous of all veils...' ¶205 Traditional Súfí saying. Although translated differently here, this is the same verse found in ¶76. |
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324. 'veils of glory' ¶205 See note 293 above. |
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325. alchemy ¶208 While condemning alchemy in its popularized form, Bahá'u'lláh Himself, in a number of Tablets on the subject, later undertook to explain its inner meanings. Note His own reference to such a possibility five lines below the reference to alchemy. |
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326. We still bear the scar of chains ¶208 Bahá'u'lláh was imprisoned in the Síyáh-Chál of Tihrán for four months in 1852. During this period while His neck was 'weighed down by a mighty chain', He received the intimation of His prophetic Mission. Scars from the 'galling' weight of the two chains, called Qará Guhar and Salásil, remained with Him the rest of His days. See God Passes By, p. 101. |
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327. Karim ¶209 Honourable; here an ironic reference to Hájí Mírzá Karím Khan. |
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328. Sámirí ¶210 A magician who tempted the Israelites to the worship of the Golden Calf (Qur'án 20:90). After this violation he became an outcast wanderer. |
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329. no remnant of either love or hate ¶213
We must never take one sentence in the Teachings and isolate it from the rest: it does not mean we must not love, but we must reach a spiritual plane where God comes first and great human passions are unable to turn us away from Him. All the time we see people who either through the force of hate or the passionate attachment they have to another person, sacrifice principle or bar themselves from the Path of God...We must love God, and in this state a general love for all men becomes possible. We cannot love each human being for himself, but our feeling towards humanity should be motivated by our love for the Father who created all men. 293 |
293. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 4 October 1950, Shoghi Effendi, Unfolding Destiny, pp. 457-8. | |
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330. detach himself from the world of dust ¶213 'Abdu'l-Bahá explains the prerequisites of a detached soul, saying, 'that he should not seek out anything whatever for his own self in this swiftly-passing life, but that he should cut the self away, that is, he should yield up the self and all its concerns on the field of martyrdom, at the time of the coming of the Lord'. 294 |
294. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections, p. 207. | |
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331. treasure the companionship ¶214 Compare with: O Friend! In the garden of thy heart plant naught but the rose of love, and from the nightingale of affection and desire loosen not thy hold. Treasure the companionship of the righteous and eschew all fellowship with the ungodly. 295 |
295. Bahá'u'lláh, Hidden Words, Persian no. 3. | |
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332. avoid fellowship with evil doers ¶214 This admonition also appears in the Hidden Words. As to the meaning of this subject, Shoghi Effendi advised in a letter written on his behalf: 'In the passage "eschew all fellowship with the ungodly", Bahá'u'lláh means that we should shun the company of those who disbelieve in God and are wayward. The word "ungodly" is a reference to such perverse people.' 296 |
296. Shoghi Effendi, Dawn of a New Day, p. 200.
Bahá'u'lláh, Hidden Words, Persian no. 3. |
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333. confer such new life ¶216 As exalted as this new life may be, such a station should be viewed in relation to the limitations imposed upon the human spirit and its essential dependence on the Manifestations of God. The following extract defines an important difference in this regard: As regards to the passage No. 13 of the Arabic Hidden Words: that which Bahá'u'lláh declares we can find abiding within us is the power of the Divine Spirit, the reflection of the light of His Revelation. This reflection of the Divine Spirit, however, can in no way be compared to the Revelation which God discloses to His Prophets and Messengers. The similarity in the terminology should not confuse this distinction which is most fundamental. 297 |
297. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to two believers, 7 December 1935, in Lights of Guidance, p. 482. | |
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334. stations of absolute certitude ¶216 These stations or degrees of certitude are known traditionally in Islám as three: the certitude of knowing (e.g. to know or hear about fire), the certitude of seeing (to see fire) and the light of certitude (to experience burning). |
Notes 7, 206 |
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335. Hyacinth...Rose...Nightingale ¶218 Probably allusions to the Manifestation of God. |
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336. a thousand years ¶218 '...as to the meaning of the passage in the "Íqán" in which Bahá'u'lláh refers to the renewal of the "City of God" once in about a thousand years: this, as the word about implies, is simply an approximate date, and should not therefore be taken literally.' 298 Concerning your question relative to the duration of the Bahá'í Dispensation. There is no contradiction between Bahá'u'lláh's statement in the ĺqán about the renewal of the City of God once every thousand years, and that of the Guardian in the Dispensation to the effect that the Bahá'í cycle will extend over a period of at least 500,000 years. The apparent contradiction is due to the confusion of the terms cycle and dispensation. For while the Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh will last for at least one thousand years, His Cycle will extend still farther, to at least 500,000 years. |
298. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 29 October 1938, in Shoghi Effendi, Dawn of a New Day, p. 202. 299. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, August 1936, in Shoghi Effendi, Directives of the Guardian, pp. 7-8. Note 27 |
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337. Pentateuch ¶219 See note 196 above. |
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338. Gospel ¶219 Jesus Christ's ministry and teachings as recorded in the first four books of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. |
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339. Bayán ¶219...that monumental repository of the laws and precepts of the new Dispensation and the treasury enshrining most of the Báb's references and tributes to, as well as His warning regarding, 'Him Whom God will make manifest'...Peerless among the doctrinal works of the Founder of the Bábí Dispensation...this Book, of about eight thousand verses, occupying a pivotal position in Bábí literature, should be regarded primarily as a eulogy of the Promised One rather than a code of laws and ordinances designed to be a permanent guide to future generations. 300 |
300. Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, pp. 24-5.
Notes 5, 209, 268, 403 |
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340. Him Whom God will make manifest ¶219 The principal title used by the Báb to formally designate Bahá'u'lláh. The Báb also alluded to Bahá'u'lláh as the 'Abhá Horizon' and specifically recorded His title 'Bahá'u'lláh' in a passage of the Persian Bayán wherein He eulogizes His 'Order'. See God Passes By, pp. 97-8. |
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341. His own Book ¶219 The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá'u'lláh's Most Holy Book, 'that priceless treasury enshrining for all time the brightest emanations of the mind of Bahá'u'lláh, the Charter of His World Order, the chief repository of His laws, the Harbinger of His Covenant, the Pivotal Work containing some of His noblest exhortations, weightiest pronouncements, and portentous prophecies'. 301 The Kitáb-i-Aqdas was revealed about 1873, a decade after the Íqán. This present allusion to the Aqdas is mentioned by Shoghi Effendi in God Passes By, pp. 215-16. |
301. Shoghi Effendi, Promised Day is Come, p. 25. | |
| 342. bread of heaven ¶219 | ||
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343. My Family ¶222 Shoghi Effendi defines the institution of the Imamate, the twelve lawful Successors of Muhammad, as 'the repository of one of the two most precious legacies of Islám'. 302 |
302. Shoghi Effendi, World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 102.
[Note 86] |
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344. Alif. Lám. Mím. ¶224 These and other disconnected letters appear at the head of 29 Súrihs of the Qur'an. Bahá'u'lláh revealed a commentary on their meanings. See Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vol. 1, pp. 125-6. |
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345. divinely-revealed verses ¶226 With regard to His own verses, Bahá'u'lláh further states in the Lawh-i-Dunyá (Tablet of the World), Through each and every one of the verses which the Pen of the Most High hath revealed, the doors of love and unity have been unlocked and flung open to the face of men...Every verse which this Pen hath revealed is a bright and shining portal that discloseth the glories of a saintly and pious life, of pure and stainless deeds. 303Consider how amply these affirmations are demonstrated by the contents of the Íqán itself. |
303. Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets, pp. 87, 89. | 169
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346. 'Urvatu'l-Vuthqá ¶226 See note 80 above. |
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| 347. 'Marvel not if in the Qur'án...' ¶230 | ||
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348. Joseph ¶236 An inspired Messenger of God in the Qur'án; son of Jacob. See also Íqán ¶282. In a passage of the Súriy-i-Damm, Bahá'u'lláh identifies Himself spiritually with Joseph. See Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 89. |
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349. Kawthar ¶239 See note 76 above. |
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350. Prophets 'endowed with constancy' ¶240 The term 'endowed with constancy' in regard to the Manifestations of God signifies that a Book was revealed to them. This is explained in ¶245 of the text. See also Shoghi Effendi, World Order, pp. 111 and 124. |
Note 85 |
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351. people of the Book ¶242 See note 48 above. |
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352. Mullá Husayn ¶248
...the first Letter of the Living, surnamed the Bábu'l-Báb (the Gate of the Gate); designated as the 'Primal Mirror'; on whom eulogies, prayers and visiting Tablets of a number equivalent to thrice the volume of the Qur'an had been lavished by the pen of the Báb; referred to in these eulogies as 'beloved of My Heart'; the dust of whose grave, that same Pen had declared, was so potent as to cheer the sorrowful and heal the sick; whom 'the creatures, raised in the beginning and in the end' of the Bábí Dispensation, envy, and will continue to envy till the 'Day of Judgement'... 304See also numerous references in The Dawn-Breakers. |
304. Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 50.
[CLUI: Mullá Husayn] |
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353. Siyyid Yahyá (Siyyid Yahyáy-i-Dárábí) ¶248 Surnamed Vahíd, a distinguished Muslim divine who after three successive interviews with the Báb recognized Him and arose to champion His Cause. He was eventually martyred at Nayríz on 29 June 1850, just ten days before the execution of the Báb. See Dawn-Breakers, p. 173, and 'The commotion [in Shíráz after the return of the Báb from His pilgrimage] had assumed such proportions...Nayríz upheaval.' 305 |
305. Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, pp. 11-12; see also pp. 42-4, 50.
[CLUI: Siyyid Yahyá] |
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354. Mullá Muhammad 'Alíy-i-Zanjání ¶248
Another famous advocate of the Cause of the Báb, even fiercer in zeal than Vahíd, and almost as eminent in rank, was Mullá Muhammad-'Alíy-i-Zanjání, surnamed Hujjat. An Akhbárí, a vehement controversialist, of a bold and independent temper of mind, impatient of restraint, a man who had dared condemn the whole ecclesiastical hierarchy...he had more than once, through his superior talents and fervid eloquence, publicly confounded his orthodox Shí'ah adversaries. Such a person could not remain indifferent to a Cause that was producing so grave a cleavage among his countrymen. The disciple he sent to Shíráz to investigate the matter fell immediately under the spell of the Báb. The perusal of but a page of the Qayyúmu'l-Asmá', brought by that messenger to Hujjat, sufficed to effect such a transformation within him that he declared, before the assembled 'ulamás of his native city, that should the Author of that work pronounce day to be night and the sun to be a shadow he would unhesitatingly uphold his verdict. 306Martyred together with 1,800 fellow-disciples in the upheaval at Zanján in 1850. See The Dawn-Breakers, chapter 24. |
306. Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 12. See also pp. 44 and 50.
[CLUI: Mullá Muhammad 'Alíy-i-Zanjání] |
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355. Mullá 'Alíy-i-Bastámí ¶248
...energetic and audacious...one of the Letters of the Living, 'the first to leave the House of God (Shíráz) and the first to suffer for His sake'...excommunicated, chained, disgraced, imprisoned, and, in all probability, done to death. 307See also Dawn-Breakers, p. 89. |
307. Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 10.
[CLUI: Mullá 'Alíy-i-Bastamí] |
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356. Mullá Sa'íd-i-Bárfurúshí ¶248 According to Nabil's Narrative he was one of those who fought at Shaykh Tabarsí. |
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357. Mullá Yúsuf-i-Ardibílí ¶248 One of the 18 Letters of the Living. See Dawn-Breakers, pp. 187, 367, 399. |
[CLUI: Mullá Yúsúf-i-Ardibílí] |
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358. Mullá Mihdíy-i-Khu'í ¶248 One of the 18 Letters of the Living; martyred at Shaykh Tabarsí. |
[CLUI: Mullá Mihdíy-i-Khú'í Mullá Mahmúd-i-Khú'í ] |
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359. Siyyid Husayn-i-Turshízí ¶248 One of the Seven Martyrs of Tihrán, a former mujtahid. See Dawn-Breakers, pp. 455-6. |
[CLUI: Siyyid Husayn-i-Turshízí] |
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| 360. Mullá Mihdíy-i-Kandí ¶248 |
[CLUI: Mullá Mihdíy-i-Kandí] |
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361. Mullá Báqir ¶248 Another of the Letters of the Living. He was from Tabríz. See Dawn-Breakers, pp. 368, 505. |
[CLUI: Mullá Báqir-i-Tabrízí] |
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362. Mullá 'Abdu'l-Kháliq-i-Yazdí ¶248 A Shaykhí divine and author of numerous works, mentioned in Nabil's Narrative. |
[CLUI: Mullá 'Abdu'l-Kháliq-i-Yazdí] |
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363. Mullá 'Alíy-i-Baraqání ¶248 A paternal uncle of Táhirih; a prominent Shaykhí divine renowned for his zealous devotions. |
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| 364. 'Guarded Tablet' ¶248 | ||
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365. Kawthar ¶249 See note 76 above. |
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| 366. 'O Son of Man! Many a day...' ¶254 | ||
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367. the light of beauty ¶254 Compare this passage with the following words of Bahá'u'lláh: 'the revelations of Thy matchless Beauty have at all times been imprinted upon the realities of all beings, visible and invisible'. 308 |
308. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, p. 63. | |
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368. Mustagháth ¶256 'He Who is invoked'; the numerical value of which has been assigned by the Báb as the limit of the time fixed for the advent of the promised Manifestation, i.e. Bahá'u'lláh. During the Báb's confinement in the fortress of Chihríq...the Lawh-i-Hurúfát (Tablet of the Letters) was revealed, in honour of Dayyán--a Tablet which, however misconstrued at first as an exposition of the science of divination, was later recognized to have unravelled, on the one hand, the mystery of the Mustagháth, and to have abstrusely alluded, on the other, to the nineteen years which must needs elapse between the Declaration of the Báb and that of Bahá'u'lláh. 309See also Nabíl's statement concerning Bahá'u'lláh's explanation of the mystery of the Mustagháth, which was revealed in answer to a request made of Him while He was in 'Akká: Bahá'u'lláh adduced from the statements of the Báb irrefutable evidence proving that the appearance of the Man-Yuzhiruhu'lláh [He Whom God will make manifest] must needs occur no less than nineteen years after the Declaration of the Báb. The mystery of the Mustagháth had long baffled the most searching minds among the people of the Bayán and had proved an unsurmountable obstacle to their recognition of the promised One. The Báb had Himself in that Tablet unravelled that mystery; no one, however, was able to understand the explanation which He had given. It was left to Bahá'u'lláh to unveil it to the eyes of all men. 310 |
309. Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 27. 310. Nabil, Dawn-Breakers, pp. 304-5. Note 404 |
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| 369. 'Such is the bounty of God...' ¶256 | ||
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370. Qayyúmu'l-Asmá' ¶258 The Báb's Commentary on the Súrih of Joseph from the Qur'án. See God Passes By, p. 23, for an outline of this Book's contents. Shoghi Effendi states that its 'fundamental purpose was to forecast what the true Joseph (Bahá'u'lláh) would, in a succeeding Dispensation, endure at the hands of one who was at once His arch-enemy and blood brother'. The work comprises 'above nine thousand three hundred verses' and is 'divided into one hundred and eleven chapters, each chapter a commentary on one verse of the above-mentioned súrih'. 311 |
311. Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 23. | |
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371. His own martyrdom ¶258 The Báb was publicly martyred in Tabriz on 9 July 1850 (28 Sha'bán 1266 AH) 'during the thirty-first year of His age and the seventh of His ministry'. 312 In the Kitáb-i-Panj-Sha'n, one of His last works, He had alluded to the fact that the sixth Naw-Rúz after the declaration of His mission would be the last He was destined to celebrate on earth. 313 |
312. Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 54. 313. ibid. p. 51. Note 376 |
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372. Remnant of God Baqíyyatu'lláh ¶258 Title applied both to the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh; here an allusion to Bahá'u'lláh. This quotation is from chapter 58 of the Qayyúmu'l-Asmá'; for context see Selections from the Writings of the Báb, p. 59. |
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373. 'God is powerless...' ¶260 Cf. Qur'án 5:64. |
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374. 'Two verses have made Me old' ¶261 Traditional saying of Muhammad with reference to two Qur'anic verses: 'Be thou steadfast as thou hast been bidden' (11:112) and 'For this cause summon thou them, and be steadfast as thou hast been bidden' (42:15). |
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375. Sadrih of the Ridván of God ¶262 A reference to the youthful Báb, characterized as the 'Sadrih' or 'Tree', a symbol often used in relation to the Manifestation of God. |
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376. Finally, He surrendered His soul ¶262 'The more He exhorted them, the fiercer grew their enmity, till, at the last, they put Him to death with shameful cruelty. The curse of God be upon the oppressors!' 314 The Báb, the Prophet-Herald of the Bahá'í Faith, was executed by military firing squad at the barracks square of Tabríz in the northwest province of present-day Iran on 9 July 1850. For an account of the mysterious circumstances of that tragic event see Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, pp. 52-4. |
314. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, p. 146.
Note 371 |
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377. that eternal Beauty revealed Himself ¶263 Shoghi Effendi has elaborated on the Bahá'í belief concerning the station of the Báb and its twofold reality as follows: That the Báb, the inaugurator of the Bábí Dispensation, is fully entitled to rank as one of the self-sufficient Manifestations of God, that He has been invested with sovereign power and authority, and exercises all the rights and prerogatives of independent Prophethood, is yet another fundamental verity which the Message of Bahá'u'lláh insistently proclaims and which its followers must uncompromisingly uphold. That He is not to be regarded merely as an inspired Precursor of the Bahá'í Revelation, that in His person, as He Himself bears witness in the Persian Bayán, the object of all the Prophets gone before Him has been fulfilled, is a truth which I feel it my duty to demonstrate and emphasize...There can be no doubt that the claim to the twofold station ordained for the Báb by the Almighty, a claim which He Himself has so boldly advanced, which Bahá'u'lláh has repeatedly affirmed, and to which the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá has finally given the sanction of its testimony, constitutes the most distinctive feature of the Bahá'í Dispensation. 315 |
315. Shoghi Effendi, World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 123. | 175
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378. 'And when the Standard of Truth...' ¶267 Tradition attributed to the Imám Sádiq, cited in the Bihár (see note 391 below). |
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380. Prayer of Nudbih ¶269 See note 87 above. |
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381. 'Where is He Who is preserved...' ¶269 Imám Mihdí, the twelfth Imám, in the Prayer of Nudbih. |
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382. Abú-'Abdi'lláh ¶269 Designation of the sixth Imám, Ja'far-i-Sádiq (the Veridical); great-grandson of the Imám Husayn. Died 765 AD, poisoned and martyred by the Abbasid Caliph, Mansúr. |
Notes 179, 401 |
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383. Mihdí ¶269 The Guided One, i.e. the 'Hidden Imám', the promised Deliverer of Shí'í Islám. See further explanation concerning the Mihdí (or Mahdí) in 'Regarding Shí'í Islám' in chapter 2 of this study guide [in printed book]. |
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384. 'He will perform...' ¶269 A tradition from Abú-'Abdi'lláh, that is, Imám Sádiq. |
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385. 'Aválim ¶270 Short for Aválim'ul-Ulúm va'l-Ma'árif, a compilation of Shí'í traditions, consisting of 100 volumes, collected by Shaykh 'Abdu'lláh Ibn Núru'lláh Bahrayní, one of the distinguished students of Majlisí (see note 391 on Biháru'l-Anvár below); also known as Jám'í al-Ulúm va'l-Ma'árif. |
Note 392 |
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386. Baní-Háshim ¶270 The clan of the Quraysh tribe from which Muhammad appeared and the Báb was a descendant. |
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387. a new Book ¶270 Shoghi Effendi identifies this as the Persian Bayán, stating that it fulfils 'the Muhammadan prophecy that "a Youth from Baní-Háshim...will reveal a new Book and promulgate a new Law" '. 316 |
316. Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 25. | |
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388. Háshimite Light ¶270 Allusion to the Báb's descent from Muhammad and the Baní-Háshim clan. |
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389. Arba'ín ¶271 Another collection of traditions. |
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390. 'Out of Baní-Háshim...' ¶271 Tradition of the Imám Sádiq. |
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391. Biháru'l-Anvár ¶272 Literally, 'Seas of Lights'; an important collection of Shí'í traditions compiled in some 14 volumes by Muhammad Báqiru'l-Majlisí at the close of the 16th century AD. |
Notes 142, 232, 288, 378, 385, 416
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392. 'Aválim ¶272 See note 385 above. |
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393. Yanbú' ¶272 Collection of sacred traditions related to the Imáms, compiled by Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Junayd Abú-'Alí al-Khatib, known as Iskáfí (died 381 AH/991 AD). Iskáf was once a village in Mesopotamia. Iskáfí was buried in Rayy. |
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394. 'Knowledge is twenty and seven letters' ¶272 Hadith of the Imám Sádiq. Regarding the passage beginning with the words: 'Knowledge consists of twenty-seven letters': this should not be interpreted literally. It only indicates the relative greatness and superiority of the new Revelation. 317 |
317. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 10 July 1939, in Lights of Guidance, p. 483. 318. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 16 January 1939. |
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395. Káfí ¶273 Short for the Usul al-Káfí, the most celebrated and reliable Shí'í collection of hadíth. It consists of three parts and includes 16,199 traditions related to the Imáms. Compiled by Muhammad Ibn Ya'qúb Kulayní (died 328 AH/939 AD). |
Note 399 |
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396. Jábir ¶273 Jábir Ibn-i-Hayyán, pupil of the Imám Sádiq who compiled a book of the Imám's sayings. The importance of his tradition cited here is again emphasized in God Passes By, p. 80. |
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397. Job ¶273 Prophet who dwelt in the land of Uz. See accounts of His life and sufferings in the Book of Job in the Old Testament, and in the Qur'án 21:83-4; 38:41-4. |
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398. Daylamites ¶273 Here a reference to a group of Persian slaves serving as soldiers under their leader Daylam (hence Daylamites). The Persians, including the Daylamites, suffered heavy losses in an early battle with the Muslims at Al-Qádisíya, 15 AH/636 AD. |
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399. Rawdiy-i-Káfí ¶274 Title of the third part of the Usul al-Káfí (see note 395 above). |
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400. Mu'ávíyih ¶274 Son of Vahháb; cited in the line of transmission of this traditional saying of the sixth Imám. |
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401. Abú-'Abdi'lláh ¶274 The Imám Sádiq. See note 382 above. |
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402. "Knowest thou Zawrá?' " ¶274 Hadíth of Imám Sádiq. |
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| 403. Bayán ¶276 | ||
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404. Mustagháth ¶276 See note 368 above. |
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405. a one-eyed man ¶276 Not authoritatively identified, but some students presume this to be a reference to 'the inordinately ambitious and hypocritical Hájí Mírzá Karim Khán, who at the special request of the Sháh had in a treatise viciously attacked the new Faith and its doctrines'. 319 Siyyid Kázim, when the former was one of his disciples, confidentially prophesied his future enmity to the Báb, stigmatizing him as 'the antichrist of the promised Revelation'. He was both one-eyed and sparsely bearded. After the Declaration of the Báb, he claimed the leadership of the Shaykhís. See ĺqán, ¶203 and Dawn-Breakers, pp. 39-40. |
319. Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 91.
Note 317
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406. one who is reputed ¶276 Matches the position and subsequent actions of Mírzá Yahyá. |
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407. In these days...in the future ¶277 Shoghi Effendi refers to this passage as describing 'the virulence of the jealousy which, at that time, was beginning to bare its venomous fangs'. 320 |
320. Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 118. | 179
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408. We betook ourselves to the wilderness ¶278 See description of Bahá'u'lláh's withdrawal to the mountains of Sulaymáníyyih in God Passes By, pp. 112, 120-6 and Balyuzi, Bahá'u'lláh, King of Glory, pp. 113-22. |
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409. Amidst them all...unto Us. ¶279 This passage was added in Bahá'u'lláh's own hand to the original manuscript written out by 'Abdu'l-Bahá. See section 2 of this study [in printed book]. |
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410. Primal Point ¶279 One of the principal titles of the Báb. He Himself proclaims: 'I am the Primal Point from which have been generated all created things.' 321 |
321. The Báb, Selections, p. 12.
Note 268 |
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411. 'Sufficient Witness is God unto Us.' ¶279 Qur'án 4:79, 166; 10:29; 13:43. |
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412. 'There is no power nor strength but in God alone.' ¶279 Source undetermined. |
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413. 'We are God's, and to Him shall we return.' ¶279 Qur'án 2:156. See ĺqán ¶99. |
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414. Mufaddal ¶281 A contemporary of the Imám Sádiq who transmitted traditions. |
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415. 'In the year sixty...' ¶281 Tradition of the Imám Sádiq. |
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416. Bihár ¶282 Short for Biháru'l-Anvár. See note 391 above. |
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| 417. 'In our Qá'im...' ¶282 | ||
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418. 'God indeed shall make whom He will to hearken...' ¶282 Cf. Qur'án 35:22. |
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419. 'God verily will test them and sift them.' ¶283 Tradition from the Imám Sádiq. |
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| 420. 'Every knowledge hath seventy meanings...' ¶283 |
Notes 105, 106, 162, 165, 315-16, 318 |
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| 421. 'We speak one word...' ¶283 | ||
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422. none... yearning for the Truth ¶285 Bahá'u'lláh, in a later work, confirms: The generality of mankind is still immature. Had it acquired sufficient capacity We would have bestowed upon it so great a measure of Our knowledge that all who dwell on earth and in heaven would have found themselves, by virtue of the grace streaming from Our pen, completely independent of all knowledge save the knowledge of God, and would have been securely established upon the throne of abiding tranquillity. 322 |
322. Bahá'u'lláh, quoted in Shoghi Effendi, World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 104. | |
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423. the ' Bá' ' and the ' Há' ' ¶288 Meaning Bahá'u'lláh by use of the first two letters of His Name. See Taherzadeh, Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vol. 1, p. 83, for a discussion. |