The Book of the Epistle to the Son of the Wolf CHAPTER THIRTY NINE
Divisions 1186-1210
EPISTLE TO THE SON OF THE WOLF
1186.
And likewise He saith:
“And when Moses had fulfilled the term, and was journeying with His family,
He perceived a fire on the mountain side.
1187.
He said to His family:
‘Wait ye, for I perceive a fire, haply I may bring you tidings from it, or a brand from the fire to warm you.’
1188.
And when He came up to it, a Voice cried to Him out of the Bush
from the right side of the Vale in the sacred Spot:
‘O Moses,
I truly am God, the Lord of the worlds!’”
1189.
In all the Divine Books the promise of the Divine Presence hath been explicitly recorded.
1190.
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.
1191.
God in His Essence and in His own Self hath ever been unseen, inaccessible, and unknowable.
1192.
By Presence, therefore, is meant the Presence of the One Who is His Vicegerent amongst men.
1193.
He, moreover, hath never had, nor hath He, any peer or likeness.
1194.
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?
1195.
Briefly, there hath been revealed in the Book of Certitude
concerning the Presence and Revelation of God that which will suffice the fair-minded.
1196.
We beseech Him—exalted be He—to aid every one to become the essence of truthfulness,
and to draw nigh unto Him.
He, verily, is the Lord of strength and power.
1197.
No God is there but Him,
the All-Hearing, the Lord of Utterance, the Almighty, the All-Praised.
1198.
O thou who art reputed for thy learning!
Bid men to do that which is praiseworthy, and be not of such as tarry.
1199.
Observe thou with a keen eye.
1200.
The Sun of Truth shineth resplendently, at the bidding of the Lord of the kingdom of utterance,
and the King of the heaven of knowledge, above the horizon of the prison-city of ‘Akká.
1201.
Repudiation hath not veiled it,
and 10,000 hosts arrayed against it were powerless to withhold it from shining.
1202.
Thou canst excuse thyself no longer.
1203.
Either thou must recognize it,
or—God forbid—arise and deny all the Prophets!
1204.
Reflect, O Sheik, upon the Shí‘ih sect.
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1205.
How many the edifices which they reared with the hands of idle fancies and vain imaginings,
and how numerous the cities which they built!
1206.
At length those vain imaginings were converted into bullets
and aimed at Him Who is the Prince of the world.
1207.
Not one single soul among the leaders of that sect acknowledged Him in the Day of His Revelation!
1208.
Whenever His blessed name was mentioned, all would say:
“May God hasten the joy His coming will bring!”
1209.
On the day of the Revelation of that Sun of Truth,
however, all, as hath been observed, have exclaimed, saying:
“May God hasten His chastisement!”
1210.
He Who was the Essence of being and Lord of the seen and unseen they suspended,
and committed what made the Tablet to weep, and the Pen to groan,
and the cries of the sincere to break forth, and the tears of the favored ones to flow.
The Book of the Epistle to the Son of the Wolf CHAPTER FORTY
Divisions 1211-1245
EPISTLE TO THE SON OF THE WOLF
1211.
Meditate, O Sheik, and be fair in what thou sayest.
1212.
The followers of Sheik-i-Ahsá’í (Sheik Ahmad) have, by the aid of God, apprehended that which was veiled from the comprehension of others, and of which they remained deprived.
1213.
Briefly, in every age and century differences have arisen in the days of the manifestation of the Daysprings of Revelation, and the Dawning-Places of inspiration, and the Repositories of Divine knowledge, differences which have been caused and provoked by lying and impious souls.
1214.
To elaborate on this is not [neccessary].
Thou art thyself better acquainted and more familiar with
the idle fancies of the superstitious and the vain imaginings of the doubters.
1215.
In this day, this Wronged One requesteth thee
and the other divines who have drunk of the cup of the knowledge of God,
and are illumined by the shining words of the Daystar of Justice,
to appoint some person, without informing any one,
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1216.
and despatch him to these regions,
and enable him to remain a while in the island of Cyprus, and associate with Mírzá Yahyá,
perchance he may become aware of the fundamentals of this Faith
and of the source of the Divine laws and commandments.
1217.
Wert thou to ponder a while, thou wouldst bear witness unto the wisdom, and the power, and the sovereignty of God, exalted be His glory.
1218.
The few who were unaware of this Cause, and had not met Us,
have spoken in such a manner that all things, and those souls who are well assured, pleased,
and pleasing unto God, have testified unto the imposture of these heedless ones.
1219.
Wert thou now to exert thyself, the truth of this Cause would be made apparent unto mankind,
and the people would be delivered from this grievous and oppressive darkness.
1220.
Who else but Bahá can speak forth before the face of men,
and who else but He can have the power to pronounce that which He was bidden by God,
the Lord of Hosts?
1221.
This heedless one hath now clung to the practice of Rawdih-khání
(traditional lamentation for the Imám Husayn).
He—I swear by God—is in evident error.
1222.
For it is the belief of this people that during the Revelation of the Qá’im, the Imáms
—may the peace of God be upon them—have arisen from their sepulchres.
1223.
This verily is the truth, and no doubt is there about it.
1224.
We beseech God to bestow upon the superstitious
a portion of the living waters of certitude
which are streaming from the wellspring of the Most Sublime Pen,
that all may attain unto that which becometh these days.
1225.
O Sheik!
While hemmed in by tribulations this Wronged One is occupied in setting down these words.
1226.
On every side the flame of oppression and tyranny can be discerned.
1227.
On the one hand, tidings have reached Us that Our loved ones have been arrested in the land of Tá (Tihrán)
1226.
and this notwithstanding that the sun, and the moon, and the land,
and the sea all testify that this people are adorned with the adornment of fidelity,
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and have clung and will cling to naught
except that which can ensure the exaltation of the government,
and the maintenance of order within the nation, and the tranquillity of the people.
1227.
O Sheik!
We have time and again stated
that for a number of years We have extended Our aid unto His Majesty the Sháh.
1228.
For years no untoward incident hath occurred in Persia.
1229.
The reins of the stirrers of sedition among various sects were held firmly in the grasp of power.
1230.
None hath transgressed his limits.
1231.
By God! This people have never been, nor are they now, inclined to mischief.
1232.
Their hearts are illumined with the light of the fear of God,
and adorned with the adornment of His love.
1233.
Their concern hath ever been and now is for the betterment of the world.
1234.
Their purpose is to obliterate differences, and quench the flame of hatred and enmity,
so that the whole earth may come to be viewed as one country.
1235.
On the other hand, the officials of the Persian Embassy in the Great City (Constantinople) are energetically and assiduously seeking to exterminate these wronged ones.
1236.
They desire one thing, and God desireth another.
1237.
Consider now what hath befallen the trusted ones of God in every land.
1238.
At one time they have been accused of theft and larceny;
at another they have been calumniated in a manner without parallel in this world.
1239.
Answer thou fairly.
What could be the results and consequences, in foreign countries, of the accusation of theft brought by the Persian Embassy against its own subjects?
1240.
If this Wronged One was ashamed, it was not because of the humiliation it brought this servant, but rather because of the shame of its becoming known to the Ambassadors of foreign countries how incompetent and lacking in understanding are several eminent officials of the Persian Embassy.
1241.
“Flingest thou thy calumnies into the face of Them Whom the one true God hath made the Trustees of the treasures of His seventh sphere?”
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1242.
Briefly, instead of seeking, as they should, through Him Who occupieth this sublime station, to attain unto the most exalted ranks, and to obtain His advice, they have exerted themselves and are striving their utmost to put out His light.
1243.
However, according to what hath been reported, His Excellency the Ambassador Mu’ínu’l-Mulk, Mírzá Muhsin Khán—may God assist him—was, at that time, absent from Constantinople.
1244.
Such things have happened because it was believed that His Majesty the Sháh of Persia
—may the All-Merciful assist him—
was angry with them that have attained and revolve round the Sanctuary of Wisdom.
1245.
God well knoweth and testifieth that this Wronged One hath, at all times, been cleaving fast unto whatever would be conducive to the glory of both the government and the people.
God, verily, is sufficient Witness.
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