The Kitab-i-Aqdas Part 5

165 O concourse of divines! When My verses were sent down, and My clear tokens were revealed, We found you behind the veils. This, verily, is a strange thing. Ye glory in My Name, yet ye recognized Me not at the time your Lord, the All-Merciful, appeared amongst you with proof and testimony. We have rent the veils asunder. Beware lest ye shut out the people by yet another veil. Pluck asunder the chains of vain imaginings, in the name of the Lord of all men, and be not of the deceitful. Should ye turn unto G.o.d and embrace His Cause, spread not disorder within it, and measure not the Book of G.o.d with your selfish desires. This, verily, is the counsel of G.o.d aforetime and hereafter, and to this G.o.d's witnesses and chosen ones, yea, each and every one of Us, do solemnly attest.

166 Call ye to mind the s_h_ayk_h_ whose name was Mu?ammad-?asan, who ranked among the most learned divines of his day. When the True One was made manifest, this s_h_ayk_h_, along with others of his calling, rejected Him, while a sifter of wheat and barley accepted Him and turned unto the Lord. Though he was occupied both night and day in setting down what he conceived to be the laws and ordinances of G.o.d, yet when He Who is the Unconstrained appeared, not one letter thereof availed him, or he would not have turned away from a Countenance that hath illumined the faces of the well-favoured of the Lord. Had ye believed in G.o.d when He revealed Himself, the people would not have turned aside from Him, nor would the things ye witness today have befallen Us. Fear G.o.d, and be not of the heedless.

167 Beware lest any name debar you from Him Who is the Possessor of all names, or any word shut you out from this Remembrance of G.o.d, this Source of Wisdom amongst you. Turn unto G.o.d and seek His protection, O concourse of divines, and make not of yourselves a veil between Me and My creatures.

Thus doth your Lord admonish you, and command you to be just, lest your works should come to naught and ye yourselves be oblivious of your plight.

Shall he who denieth this Cause be able to vindicate the truth of any cause throughout creation? Nay, by Him Who is the Fashioner of the universe! Yet the people are wrapped in a palpable veil. Say: Through this Cause the day-star of testimony hath dawned, and the luminary of proof hath shed its radiance upon all that dwell on earth. Fear G.o.d, O men of insight, and be not of those who disbelieve in Me. Take heed lest the word "Prophet" withhold you from this Most Great Announcement, or any reference to "Vicegerency" debar you from the sovereignty of Him Who is the Vicegerent of G.o.d, which overshadoweth all the worlds. Every name hath been created by His Word, and every cause is dependent on His irresistible, His mighty and wondrous Cause. Say: This is the Day of G.o.d, the Day on which naught shall be mentioned save His own Self, the omnipotent Protector of all worlds. This is the Cause that hath made all your superst.i.tions and idols to tremble.

168 We, verily, see amongst you him who taketh hold of the Book of G.o.d and citeth from it proofs and arguments wherewith to repudiate his Lord, even as the followers of every other Faith sought reasons in their Holy Books for refuting Him Who is the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Say: G.o.d, the True One, is My witness that neither the Scriptures of the world, nor all the books and writings in existence, shall, in this Day, avail you aught without this, the Living Book, Who proclaimeth in the midmost heart of creation: "Verily, there is none other G.o.d but Me, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise."

169 O concourse of divines! Beware lest ye be the cause of strife in the land, even as ye were the cause of the repudiation of the Faith in its early days. Gather the people around this Word that hath made the pebbles to cry out: "The Kingdom is G.o.d's, the Dawning-place of all signs!" Thus doth your Lord admonish you, as a bounty on His part; He, of a truth, is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.

170 Call ye to mind Karim, and how, when We summoned him unto G.o.d, he waxed disdainful, prompted by his own desires; yet We had sent him that which was a solace to the eye of proof in the world of being and the fulfilment of G.o.d's testimony to all the denizens of earth and heaven. As a token of the grace of Him Who is the All-Possessing, the Most High, We bade him embrace the Truth. But he turned away until, as an act of justice from G.o.d, angels of wrath laid hold upon him. Unto this We truly were a witness.

171 Tear the veils asunder in such wise that the inmates of the Kingdom will hear them being rent. This is the command of G.o.d, in days gone by and for those to come. Blessed the man that observeth that whereunto he was bidden, and woe betide the negligent.

172 We, of a certainty, have had no purpose in this earthly realm save to make G.o.d manifest and to reveal His sovereignty; sufficient unto Me is G.o.d for a witness. We, of a certainty, have had no intent in the celestial Kingdom but to exalt His Cause and glorify His praise; sufficient unto Me is G.o.d for a protector. We, of a certainty, have had no desire in the Dominion on high except to extol G.o.d and what hath been sent down by Him; sufficient unto Me is G.o.d for a helper.

173 Happy are ye, O ye the learned ones in Baha. By the Lord! Ye are the billows of the Most Mighty Ocean, the stars of the firmament of Glory, the standards of triumph waving betwixt earth and heaven. Ye are the manifestations of steadfastness amidst men and the daysprings of Divine Utterance to all that dwell on earth. Well is it with him that turneth unto you, and woe betide the froward. This day, it behoveth whoso hath quaffed the Mystic Wine of everlasting life from the Hands of the loving-kindness of the Lord his G.o.d, the Merciful, to pulsate even as the throbbing artery in the body of mankind, that through him may be quickened the world and every crumbling bone.

174 O people of the world! When the Mystic Dove will have winged its flight from its Sanctuary of Praise and sought its far-off goal, its hidden habitation, refer ye whatsoever ye understand not in the Book to Him Who hath branched from this mighty Stock.

175 O Pen of the Most High! Move Thou upon the Tablet at the bidding of Thy Lord, the Creator of the Heavens, and tell of the time when He Who is the Dayspring of Divine Unity purposed to direct His steps towards the School of Transcendent Oneness; haply the pure in heart may gain thereby a glimpse, be it as small as a needle's eye, of the mysteries of Thy Lord, the Almighty, the Omniscient, that lie concealed behind the veils. Say: We, indeed, set foot within the School of inner meaning and explanation when all created things were unaware. We saw the words sent down by Him Who is the All-Merciful, and We accepted the verses of G.o.d, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, which He(11) presented unto Us, and hearkened unto that which He had solemnly affirmed in the Tablet. This we a.s.suredly did behold. And We a.s.sented to His wish through Our behest, for truly We are potent to command.

176 O people of the Bayan! We, verily, set foot within the School of G.o.d when ye lay slumbering; and We perused the Tablet while ye were fast asleep. By the one true G.o.d! We read the Tablet ere it was revealed, while ye were unaware, and We had perfect knowledge of the Book when ye were yet unborn. These words are to your measure, not to G.o.d's. To this testifieth that which is enshrined within His knowledge, if ye be of them that comprehend; and to this the tongue of the Almighty doth bear witness, if ye be of those who understand. I swear by G.o.d, were We to lift the veil, ye would be dumbfounded.

177 Take heed that ye dispute not idly concerning the Almighty and His Cause, for lo! He hath appeared amongst you invested with a Revelation so great as to encompa.s.s all things, whether of the past or of the future.

Were We to address Our theme by speaking in the language of the inmates of the Kingdom, We would say: "In truth, G.o.d created that School ere He created heaven and earth, and We entered it before the letters B and E were joined and knit together." Such is the language of Our servants in Our Kingdom; consider what the tongue of the dwellers of Our exalted Dominion would utter, for We have taught them Our knowledge and have revealed to them whatever had lain hidden in G.o.d's wisdom. Imagine then what the Tongue of Might and Grandeur would utter in His All-Glorious Abode!

178 This is not a Cause which may be made a plaything for your idle fancies, nor is it a field for the foolish and faint of heart. By G.o.d, this is the arena of insight and detachment, of vision and upliftment, where none may spur on their chargers save the valiant hors.e.m.e.n of the Merciful, who have severed all attachment to the world of being. These, truly, are they that render G.o.d victorious on earth, and are the dawning-places of His sovereign might amidst mankind.

179 Beware lest aught that hath been revealed in the Bayan should keep you from your Lord, the Most Compa.s.sionate. G.o.d is My witness that the Bayan was sent down for no other purpose than to celebrate My praise, did ye but know! In it the pure in heart will find only the fragrance of My love, only My Name that overshadoweth all that seeth and is seen. Say: Turn ye, O people, unto that which hath proceeded from My Most Exalted Pen. Should ye inhale therefrom the fragrance of G.o.d, set not yourselves against Him, nor deny yourselves a portion of His gracious favour and His manifold bestowals. Thus doth your Lord admonish you; He, verily, is the Counsellor, the Omniscient.

180 Whatsoever ye understand not in the Bayan, ask it of G.o.d, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers. Should He so desire, He will expound for you that which is revealed therein, and disclose to you the pearls of Divine knowledge and wisdom that lie concealed within the ocean of its words. He, verily, is supreme over all names; no G.o.d is there but Him, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

181 The world's equilibrium hath been upset through the vibrating influence of this most great, this new World Order. Mankind's ordered life hath been revolutionized through the agency of this unique, this wondrous System-the like of which mortal eyes have never witnessed.

182 Immerse yourselves in the ocean of My words, that ye may unravel its secrets, and discover all the pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its depths.

Take heed that ye do not vacillate in your determination to embrace the truth of this Cause-a Cause through which the potentialities of the might of G.o.d have been revealed, and His sovereignty established. With faces beaming with joy, hasten ye unto Him. This is the changeless Faith of G.o.d, eternal in the past, eternal in the future. Let him that seeketh, attain it; and as to him that hath refused to seek it-verily, G.o.d is Self-Sufficient, above any need of His creatures.

183 Say: This is the infallible Balance which the Hand of G.o.d is holding, in which all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth are weighed, and their fate determined, if ye be of them that believe and recognize this truth. Say: This is the Most Great Testimony, by which the validity of every proof throughout the ages hath been established, would that ye might be a.s.sured thereof. Say: Through it the poor have been enriched, the learned enlightened, and the seekers enabled to ascend unto the presence of G.o.d. Beware lest ye make it a cause of dissension amongst you. Be ye as firmly settled as the immovable mountain in the Cause of your Lord, the Mighty, the Loving.

184 Say: O source of perversion! Abandon thy wilful blindness, and speak forth the truth amidst the people. I swear by G.o.d that I have wept for thee to see thee following thy selfish pa.s.sions and renouncing Him Who fashioned thee and brought thee into being. Call to mind the tender mercy of thy Lord, and remember how We nurtured thee by day and by night for service to the Cause. Fear G.o.d, and be thou of the truly repentant.

Granted that the people were confused about thy station, is it conceivable that thou thyself art similarly confused? Tremble before thy Lord and recall the days when thou didst stand before Our throne, and didst write down the verses that We dictated unto thee-verses sent down by G.o.d, the Omnipotent Protector, the Lord of might and power. Beware lest the fire of thy presumptuousness debar thee from attaining to G.o.d's Holy Court. Turn unto Him, and fear not because of thy deeds. He, in truth, forgiveth whomsoever He desireth as a bounty on His part; no G.o.d is there but Him, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Bounteous. We admonish thee solely for the sake of G.o.d. Shouldst thou accept this counsel, thou wilt have acted to thine own behoof; and shouldst thou reject it, thy Lord, verily, can well dispense with thee, and with all those who, in manifest delusion, have followed thee. Behold! G.o.d hath laid hold on him who led thee astray.

Return unto G.o.d, humble, submissive and lowly; verily, He will put away from thee thy sins, for thy Lord, of a certainty, is the Forgiving, the Mighty, the All-Merciful.

185 This is the Counsel of G.o.d; would that thou mightest heed it! This is the Bounty of G.o.d; would that thou mightest receive it! This is the Utterance of G.o.d; if only thou wouldst apprehend it! This is the Treasure of G.o.d; if only thou couldst understand!

186 This is a Book which hath become the Lamp of the Eternal unto the world, and His straight, undeviating Path amidst the peoples of the earth.

Say: This is the Dayspring of Divine knowledge, if ye be of them that understand, and the Dawning-place of G.o.d's commandments, if ye be of those who comprehend.

187 Burden not an animal with more than it can bear. We, truly, have prohibited such treatment through a most binding interdiction in the Book.

Be ye the embodiments of justice and fairness amidst all creation.

188 Should anyone unintentionally take another's life, it is inc.u.mbent upon him to render to the family of the deceased an indemnity of one hundred mit_h_qals of gold. Observe ye that which hath been enjoined upon you in this Tablet, and be not of those who overstep its limits.

189 O members of parliaments throughout the world! Select ye a single language for the use of all on earth, and adopt ye likewise a common script. G.o.d, verily, maketh plain for you that which shall profit you and enable you to be independent of others. He, of a truth, is the Most Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. This will be the cause of unity, could ye but comprehend it, and the greatest instrument for promoting harmony and civilization, would that ye might understand! We have appointed two signs for the coming of age of the human race: the first, which is the most firm foundation, We have set down in other of Our Tablets, while the second hath been revealed in this wondrous Book.

190 It hath been forbidden you to smoke opium. We, truly, have prohibited this practice through a most binding interdiction in the Book. Should anyone partake thereof, a.s.suredly he is not of Me. Fear G.o.d, O ye endued with understanding!

SOME TEXTS REVEALED BY BAHa'U'LLaH SUPPLEMENTARY TO THE KITaB-I-AQDAS

"A number of Tablets revealed by Baha'u'llah after the..."

A number of Tablets revealed by Baha'u'llah after the Kitab-i-Aqdas contain pa.s.sages supplementary to the provisions of the Most Holy Book.

The most noteworthy of these have been published in Tablets of Baha'u'llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas. Included in this section is an extract from the Tablet of Is_h_raqat. The text of the three Obligatory Prayers referred to in Questions and Answers and the Prayer for the Dead mentioned in the Text are, likewise, reprinted here.

The Tablet of Is_h_raqat

The Eighth Is_h_raq

This pa.s.sage, now written by the Pen of Glory, is accounted as part of the Most Holy Book: The men of G.o.d's House of Justice have been charged with the affairs of the people. They, in truth, are the Trustees of G.o.d among His servants and the daysprings of authority in His countries.

O people of G.o.d! That which traineth the world is Justice, for it is upheld by two pillars, reward and punishment. These two pillars are the sources of life to the world. Inasmuch as for each day there is a new problem and for every problem an expedient solution, such affairs should be referred to the House of Justice that the members thereof may act according to the needs and requirements of the time. They that, for the sake of G.o.d, arise to serve His Cause, are the recipients of divine inspiration from the unseen Kingdom. It is inc.u.mbent upon all to be obedient unto them. All matters of State should be referred to the House of Justice, but acts of worship must be observed according to that which G.o.d hath revealed in His Book.

O people of Baha! Ye are the dawning-places of the love of G.o.d and the daysprings of His loving-kindness. Defile not your tongues with the cursing and reviling of any soul, and guard your eyes against that which is not seemly. Set forth that which ye possess. If it be favourably received, your end is attained; if not, to protest is vain. Leave that soul to himself and turn unto the Lord, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Be not the cause of grief, much less of discord and strife. The hope is cherished that ye may obtain true education in the shelter of the tree of His tender mercies and act in accordance with that which G.o.d desireth. Ye are all the leaves of one tree and the drops of one ocean.

_(Tablets of Baha'u'llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas)_

Long Obligatory Prayer

To Be Recited Once In Twenty-four Hours

_Whoso wisheth to recite this prayer, let him stand up and turn unto G.o.d, and, as he standeth in his place, let him gaze to the right and to the left, as if awaiting the mercy of his Lord, the Most Merciful, the Compa.s.sionate. Then let him say:_