The Book of the Epistle to the Son of the Wolf CHAPTER ONE 20 страница
Thus have the showers of My bounty been poured down from the heaven of My loving-kindness, as a token of My grace, that ye may be of the thankful. 246. The penalties for wounding or striking a person depend upon the severity of the injury; for each degree the Lord of Judgement hath prescribed a certain indemnity. He is, in truth, the Ordainer, the Mighty, the Most Exalted. 247. We shall, if it be Our Will, set forth these payments in their just degrees -- this is a promise on Our part, and He, verily, is the Keeper of His pledge, the Knower of all things. 248. Verily, it is enjoined upon you to offer a feast, once in every month, though only water be served; for God hath purposed to bind hearts together, albeit through both earthly and heavenly means. 249. Beware lest the desires of the flesh and of a corrupt inclination provoke divisions among you. 250. Be ye as the fingers of one hand, the parts of one body. The Book of the Most Holy CHAPTER EIGHT Division 251-285 THE MOST HOLY 251. Thus counselleth you the Pen of Revelation, if ye be of them that believe. 252. Consider the mercy of God and His gifts. 253. He enjoineth upon you that which shall profit you, though He Himself can well dispense with all creatures. 254. Your evil doings can never harm Us, neither can your good works profit Us. 255. We summon you wholly for the sake of God. 256. To this every man of understanding and insight will testify. 257. If ye should hunt with beasts or birds of prey, invoke ye the Name of God when ye send them to pursue their quarry; 258. for then whatever they catch shall be lawful unto you, even should ye find it to have died. He, verily, is the Omniscient, the All-Informed. 259. Take heed, however, that ye hunt not to excess. 260. Tread ye the path of justice and equity in all things. 261. Thus biddeth you He Who is the Dawning-place of Revelation, would that ye might comprehend. 262. God hath bidden you to show forth kindliness towards My kindred, yet He hath granted them no right to the property of others. He, verily, is self-sufficient, above any need of His creatures. 263. Should anyone intentionally destroy a house by fire, him also shall ye burn; should anyone deliberately take another's life, him also shall ye put to death. 264. Take ye hold of the precepts of God with all your strength and power, and abandon the ways of the ignorant. 265. Should ye condemn the arsonist and the murderer to life imprisonment, it would be permissible according to the provisions of the Book. He, verily, hath power to ordain whatsoever He pleaseth. 266. God hath prescribed matrimony unto you. 267. Beware that ye take not unto yourselves more wives than two. 268. Whoso contenteth himself with a single partner from among the maidservants of God, both he and she shall live in tranquillity. 269. And he who would take into his service a maid may do so with propriety. 270. Such is the ordinance which, in truth and justice, hath been recorded by the Pen of Revelation. 271. Enter into wedlock, O people, that ye may bring forth one who will make mention of Me amid My servants. 272. This is My bidding unto you; hold fast to it as an assistance to yourselves. 273. O people of the world! Follow not the promptings of the self, for it summoneth insistently to wickedness and lust; 274. follow, rather, Him Who is the Possessor of all created things, Who biddeth you to show forth piety, and manifest the fear of God. He, verily, is independent of all His creatures. 275. Take heed not to stir up mischief in the land after it hath been set in order. 276. Whoso acteth in this way is not of Us, and We are quit of him. 277. Such is the command which hath, through the power of truth, been made manifest from the heaven of Revelation. 278. It hath been laid down in the Bayán that marriage is dependent upon the consent of both parties. 279. Desiring to establish love, unity and harmony amidst Our servants, We have conditioned it, once the couple's wish is known, upon the permission of their parents, lest enmity and rancour should arise amongst them. 279. And in this We have yet other purposes. 280. Thus hath Our commandment been ordained. 281. No marriage may be contracted without payment of a dowry, which hath been fixed for city-dwellers at nineteen mithqáls of pure gold, and for village-dwellers at the same amount in silver. 282. Whoso wisheth to increase this sum, it is forbidden him to exceed the limit of ninety-five mithqáls. 283. Thus hath the command been writ in majesty and power. 284. If he content himself, however, with a payment of the lowest level, it shall be better for him according to the Book. 285. God, verily, enricheth whomsoever He willeth through both heavenly and earthly means, and He, in truth, hath power over all things. The Book of the Most Holy CHAPTER NINE Division 286-310 THE MOST HOLY 286. It hath been decreed by God that, should any one of His servants intend to travel, he must fix for his wife a time when he will return home. 287. If he return by the promised time, he will have obeyed the bidding of his Lord and shall be numbered by the Pen of His behest among the righteous; 288. otherwise, if there be good reason for delay, he must inform his wife and make the utmost endeavour to return to her. 289. Should neither of these eventualities occur, it behoveth her to wait for a period of nine months, after which there is no impediment to her taking another husband; but should she wait longer, God, verily, loveth those women and men who show forth patience. 290. Obey ye My commandments, and follow not the ungodly, they who have been reckoned as sinners in God's Holy Tablet. 291. If, during the period of her waiting, word should reach her from her husband, she should choose the course that is praiseworthy. 292. He, of a truth, desireth that His servants and His handmaids should be at peace with one another; take heed lest ye do aught that may provoke intransigence amongst you. 293. Thus hath the decree been fixed and the promise come to pass. 294. If, however, news should reach her of her husband's death or murder, and be confirmed by general report, or by the testimony of two just witnesses, it behoveth her to remain single; then, upon completion of the fixed number of months, she is free to adopt the course of her choosing. 295. Such is the bidding of Him Who is mighty and powerful in His command. 296. Should resentment or antipathy arise between husband and wife, he is not to divorce her but to bide in patience throughout the course of one whole year, that perchance the fragrance of affection may be renewed between them. 297. If, upon the completion of this period, their love hath not returned, it is permissible for divorce to take place. 298. God's wisdom, verily, hath encompassed all things. 299. The Lord hath prohibited, in a Tablet inscribed by the Pen of His command, the practice to which ye formerly had recourse when thrice ye had divorced a woman. 300. This He hath done as a favour on His part, that ye may be accounted among the thankful. 301. He who hath divorced his wife may choose, upon the passing of each month, to remarry her when there is mutual affection and consent, so long as she hath not taken another husband. 302. Should she have wed again, then, by this other union, the separation is confirmed and the matter is concluded, unless, clearly her circumstances change. 303. Thus hath the decree been inscribed with majesty in this glorious Tablet by Him Who is the Dawning-place of Beauty. 304. If the wife accompany her husband on a journey, and differences arise between them on the way, he is required to provide her with her expenses for one whole year, and either to return her whence she came or to entrust her, together with the necessaries for her journey, to a dependable person who is to escort her home. 305. Thy Lord, verily, ordaineth as He pleaseth, by virtue of a sovereignty that overshadoweth the peoples of the earth. 306. Should a woman be divorced in consequence of a proven act of infidelity, she shall receive no maintenance during her period of waiting. 307. Thus hath the day-star of Our commandment shone forth resplendent from the firmament of justice. 308. Truly, the Lord loveth union and harmony and abhorreth separation and divorce. 309. Live ye one with another, O people, in radiance and joy. 310. By My life! All that are on earth shall pass away, while good deeds alone shall endure; to the truth of My words God doth Himself bear witness. The Book of the Most Holy CHAPTER TEN Division 311-350 THE MOST HOLY 311. Compose your differences, O My servants; then heed ye the admonition of Our Pen of Glory and follow not the arrogant and wayward. 312. Take heed lest the world beguile you as it beguiled the people who went before you! 313. Observe ye the statutes and precepts of your Lord, and walk ye in this Way which hath been laid out before you in righteousness and truth. 314. They who eschew iniquity and error, who adhere to virtue, are, in the sight of God, among the choicest of His creatures; 315. their names are extolled by the Concourse of the realms above, and by those who dwell in this Tabernacle which hath been raised in the name of God. 316. It is forbidden you to trade in slaves, be they men or women. 317. It is not for him who is himself a servant to buy another of God's servants, and this hath been prohibited in His Holy Tablet. 318. Thus, by His mercy, hath the commandment been recorded by the Pen of justice. 319. Let no man exalt himself above another; 320. all are mere bondslaves before the Lord, and all exemplify the truth that there is none other God but Him. He, verily, is the All-Wise, Whose wisdom encompasseth all things. 321. Adorn yourselves with the raiment of goodly deeds. 322. He whose deeds attain unto God's good pleasure is assuredly of the people of Bahá and is remembered before His throne. 323. Assist ye the Lord of all creation with works of righteousness, and also through wisdom and utterance. 324. Thus, indeed, have ye been commanded in most of the Tablets by Him Who is the All-Merciful. He, truly, is cognizant of what I say. 325. Let none contend with another, and let no soul slay another; this, verily, is that which was forbidden you in a Book that hath lain concealed within the Tabernacle of glory. 326. What! Would ye kill him whom God hath quickened, whom He hath endowed with spirit through a breath from Him? 327. Grievous then would be your trespass before His throne! 328. Fear God, and lift not the hand of injustice and oppression to destroy what He hath Himself raised up; 329. nay, walk ye in the way of God, the True [Lord]. 330. No sooner did the hosts of true knowledge appear, bearing the standards of Divine utterance, than the tribes of the religions were put to flight, save only those who willed to drink from the stream of everlasting life in a Paradise created by the breath of the All-Glorious. 331. God hath decreed, in token of His mercy unto His creatures, that semen is not unclean. 332. Yield thanks unto Him with joy and radiance, and follow not such as are remote from the Dawning-place of His nearness. 333. Arise ye, under all conditions, to render service to the Cause, for God will assuredly assist you through the power of His sovereignty that overshadoweth the worlds. 334. Cleave ye unto the cord of refinement with such tenacity as to allow no trace of dirt to be seen upon your garments. 335. Such is the injunction of One Who is sanctified above all refinement. 336. Whoso falleth short of this standard with good reason shall incur no blame. God, verily, is the Forgiving, the Merciful. 337. Wash ye every soiled thing with water that hath undergone no alteration in any one of the three respects; 338. take heed not to use water that hath been altered through exposure to the air or to some other agent. 339. Be ye the very essence of cleanliness amongst mankind. 340. This, truly, is what your Lord, the Incomparable, the All-Wise, desireth for you. 341. God hath, likewise, as a bounty from His presence, abolished the concept of "uncleanness", whereby divers things and peoples have been held to be impure. He, of a certainty, is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous. 342. Verily, all created things were immersed in the sea of purification when, on that first day of Ridván, We shed upon the whole of creation the splendours of Our most excellent Names and Our most exalted Attributes. 343. This, verily, is a token of My loving providence, which hath encompassed all the worlds. 344. Consort ye then with the followers of all religions, and proclaim ye the Cause of your Lord, the Most Compassionate; this is the very crown of deeds, if ye be of them who understand. 345. God hath commaned you to observe the utmost cleanliness, to the extent of washing what is soiled with dust, let alone with hardened dirt and similar defilement. 346. Fear Him, and be of those who are pure. 347. Should the garb of anyone be visibly sullied, his prayers shall not ascend to God, and the celestial Concourse will turn away from him. 348. Make use of rose-water, and of pure perfume; this, indeed, is that which God hath loved from the beginning that hath no beginning, in order that there may be diffused from you what your Lord, the Incomparable, the All-Wise, desireth. 349. God hath relieved you of the ordinance laid down in the Bayán concerning the destruction of books. 350. We have permitted you to read such sciences as are profitable unto you, not such as end in idle disputation; better is this for you, if ye be of them that comprehend. The Book of the Most Holy CHAPTER ELEVEN Division 351-380 THE MOST HOLY 351. O kings of the earth! He Who is the sovereign Lord of all is come. 352. The Kingdom is God's, the omnipotent Protector, the Self-Subsisting. 353. Worship none but God, and, with radiant hearts, lift up your faces unto your Lord, the Lord of all names. 354. This is a Revelation to which whatever ye possess can never be compared, could ye but know it. 355. We see you rejoicing in that which ye have amassed for others and shutting out yourselves from the worlds which naught except My guarded Tablet can reckon. 356. The treasures ye have laid up have drawn you far away from your ultimate objective. 357. This ill beseemeth you, could ye but understand it. 358. Wash from your hearts all earthly defilements, and hasten to enter the Kingdom of your Lord, the Creator of earth and heaven, Who caused the world to tremble and all its peoples to wail, except them that have renounced all things and clung to that which the Hidden Tablet hath ordained. 359. This is the Day in which He Who held converse with God hath attained the light of the Ancient of Days, and quaffed the pure waters of reunion from this Cup that hath caused the seas to swell. 360. Say: By the one true God! Sinai is circling round the Dayspring of Revelation, while from the heights of the Kingdom the Voice of the Spirit of God is heard proclaiming: 361. "Bestir yourselves, ye proud ones of the earth, and hasten ye unto Him." 362. Carmel hath, in this Day, hastened in longing adoration to attain His court, whilst from the heart of Zion there cometh the cry: 363. "The promise is fulfilled. That which had been announced in the holy Writ of God, the Most Exalted, the Almighty, the Best-Beloved, is made manifest." 364. O kings of the earth! The Most Great Law hath been revealed in this Spot, this scene of transcendent splendour. 365. Every hidden thing hath been brought to light by virtue of the Will of the Supreme Ordainer, He Who hath ushered in the Last Hour, through Whom the Moon hath been cleft, and every irrevocable decree expounded. 366. Ye are mere subjects, O kings of the earth! He Who is the King of Kings hath appeared, arrayed in His most wondrous glory, and is summoning you unto Himself, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. 367. Take heed lest pride deter you from recognizing the Source of Revelation, lest the things of this world shut you out as by a veil from Him Who is the Creator of heaven. 368. Arise, and serve Him Who is the Desire of all nations, Who hath created you through a word from Him, and ordained you to be, for all time, the emblems of His sovereignty. 369. By the righteousness of God! It is not Our wish to lay hands on your kingdoms. 370. Our mission is to seize and possess the hearts of men. 371. Upon them the eyes of Bahá are fastened. 372. To this testifieth the Kingdom of Names, could ye but comprehend it. 373. Whoso followeth his Lord will renounce the world and all that is therein; how much greater, then, must be the detachment of Him Who holdeth so august a station! 374. Forsake your palaces, and haste ye to gain admittance into His Kingdom. 375. This, indeed, will profit you both in this world and in the next. To this testifieth the Lord of the realm on high, did ye but know it. 376. How great the blessedness that awaiteth the king who will arise to aid My Cause in My kingdom, who will detach himself from all else but Me! 377. Such a king is numbered with the companions of the Crimson Ark -- the Ark which God hath prepared for the people of Bahá. 378. All must glorify his name, must reverence his station, and aid him to unlock the cities with the keys of My Name, the omnipotent Protector of all that inhabit the visible and invisible kingdoms. 379. Such a king is the very eye of mankind, the luminous ornament on the brow of creation, the fountainhead of blessings unto the whole world. 380. Offer up, O people of Bahá, your substance, nay your very lives, for his assistance. The Book of the Most Holy CHAPTER TWELVE Division 381-410 THE MOST HOLY 381. O Emperor of Austria! He Who is the Dayspring of God's Light dwelt in the prison of 'Akká at the time when thou didst set forth to visit the Aqsá Mosque. 382. Thou passed Him by, and inquired not about Him by Whom every house is exalted and every lofty gate unlocked. 383. We, verily, made it a place whereunto the world should turn, that they might remember Me, and yet thou hast rejected Him Who is the Object of this remembrance, when He appeared with the Kingdom of God, thy Lord and the Lord of the worlds. 384. We have been with thee at all times, and found thee clinging unto the Branch and heedless of the Root. 385. Thy Lord, verily, is a witness unto what I say.
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