The Book of the Epistle to the Son of the Wolf CHAPTER ONE 5 страница
489. “O Rúz-bih! when thou hast taken up my body and buried it, go to Hijáz for there the Daystar of Muhammad will arise. 490. Happy art thou, for thou shalt behold His face!” The Book of Certitude CHAPTER SIXTEEN Divisions 491-515 1ST CERTITUDE 491. And now concerning this wondrous and most exalted Cause. 492. Know thou verily that many an astronomer hath announced the appearance of its star in the visible heaven. 493. Likewise, there appeared on earth Ahmad and Kázim, those twin resplendent lights —may God sanctify their resting-place! 494. From all that We have stated it hath become clear and manifest that before the revelation of each of the Mirrors reflecting the divine Essence, the signs heralding their advent must be revealed in the visible heaven as well as in the invisible, wherein is the seat of the sun of knowledge, of the moon of wisdom, and of the stars of understanding and utterance. 495. The sign of the invisible heaven must be revealed in the person of that perfect man who, before each Manifestation appeareth, educateth, and prepareth the souls of men for the advent of the divine Luminary, the Light of the unity of God amongst men. 496. And now, with reference to His words: “And then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” 497. These words signify that in those days men will lament the loss of the Sun of the divine beauty, of the Moon of knowledge, and of the Stars of divine wisdom. 498. Thereupon, they will behold the countenance of the promised One, the adored Beauty, descending from heaven and riding upon the clouds. 499.. By this is meant that the divine Beauty will be made manifest from the heaven of the will of God, and will appear in the form of the human temple. 500. The term “heaven” denoteth loftiness and exaltation, inasmuch as it is the seat of the revelation of those Manifestations of Holiness, the Daysprings of ancient glory. 501. These ancient Beings, though delivered from the womb of their mother, have in reality descended from the heaven of the will of God. 502. Though they be dwelling on this earth, yet their true habitations are the retreats of glory in the realms above. 503. Whilst walking amongst mortals, they soar in the heaven of the divine presence. 504. Without feet they tread the path of the spirit, and without wings they rise unto the exalted heights of divine unity. 505. With every fleeting breath they cover the immensity of space, and at every moment traverse the kingdoms of the visible and the invisible. 506. Upon their thrones is written: “Nothing whatsoever keepeth Him from being occupied with any other thing”; and on their seats is inscribed: “Verily, His ways differ every day.” 507. They are sent forth through the transcendent power of the Ancient of Days, and are raised up by the exalted will of God, the most mighty King. 508. This is what is meant by the words: “coming in the clouds of heaven.” 509. In the utterances of the divine Luminaries the term “heaven” hath been applied to many and divers things; 510. such as the “heaven of Command,” the “heaven of Will,” the “heaven of the divine Purpose,” the “heaven of divine Knowledge,” the “heaven of Certitude,” the “heaven of Utterance,” the “heaven of Revelation,” the “heaven of Concealment,” and the like. 511. In every instance, He hath given the term “heaven” a special meaning, the significance of which is revealed to none save those that have been initiated into the divine mysteries, and have drunk from the chalice of immortal life. 512. For example, He saith: “The heaven hath sustenance for you, and it containeth that which you are promised”; whereas it is the earth that yieldeth such sustenance. 513. Likewise, it hath been said: “The names come down from heaven”; whereas they proceed out of the mouth of men. 514. Wert thou to cleanse the mirror of thy heart from the dust of malice, thou wouldst apprehend the meaning of the symbolic terms revealed by the all-embracing Word of God made manifest in every Dispensation, and wouldst discover the mysteries of divine knowledge. 515. Not, however, until thou consumest with the flame of utter detachment those veils of idle learning that are current amongst men, canst thou behold the resplendent morn of true knowledge. The Book of Certitude CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Divisions 516-550 1ST CERTITUDE 516. Know verily that Knowledge is of two kinds: Divine and Satanic. 517. The one welleth out from the fountain of divine inspiration; the other is but a reflection of vain and obscure thoughts. 518. The source of the former is God Himself; the motive-force of the latter the whisperings of selfish desire. 519. The one is guided by the principle: “Fear ye God; God will teach you”; 520. the other is but a confirmation of the truth: “Knowledge is the most grievous veil between man and his Creator.” 521. The former bringeth forth the fruit of patience, of longing desire, of true understanding, and love; whilst the latter can yield naught but arrogance, vainglory and conceit. 522. From the sayings of those Masters of holy utterance, Who have expounded the meaning of true knowledge, the odor of these dark teachings, which have obscured the world, can in no wise be detected. 523. The tree of such teachings can yield no result except iniquity and rebellion, and beareth no fruit but hatred and envy. 524. Its fruit is deadly poison; its shadow a consuming fire. 525. How well hath it been said: “Cling unto the robe of the Desire of thy heart, and put thou away all shame; bid the worldly wise be gone, however great their name.” 526. The heart must needs therefore be cleansed from the idle sayings of men, and sanctified from every earthly affection, so that it may discover the hidden meaning of divine inspiration, and become the treasury of the mysteries of divine knowledge. 527. Thus hath it been said: “He that treadeth the snow-white Path, and followeth in the footsteps of the Crimson Pillar, shall never attain unto his abode unless his hands are empty of those worldly things cherished by men.” 528. This is the prime requisite of whosoever treadeth this path. 529. Ponder thereon, that, with eyes unveiled, thou mayest perceive the truth of these words. 530. We have digressed from the purpose of Our argument, although whatsoever is mentioned serveth only to confirm Our purpose. 531. By God! however great Our desire to be brief, yet We feel We cannot restrain Our pen. 532. Notwithstanding all that We have mentioned, how innumerable are the pearls which have remained unpierced in the shell of Our heart! 533. How many the húrís of inner meaning that are as yet concealed within the chambers of divine wisdom! 534. None hath yet approached them; —húrís, “whom no man nor spirit hath touched before.” 535. Notwithstanding all that hath been said, it seemeth as if not one letter of Our purpose hath been uttered, nor a single sign divulged concerning Our object. 536. When will a faithful seeker be found who will don the garb of pilgrimage, attain the Ka‘bih of the heart’s desire, and, without ear or tongue, discover the mysteries of divine utterance? 537. By these luminous, these conclusive, and lucid statements, the meaning of “heaven” in the aforementioned verse hath thus been made clear and evident. 538. And now regarding His words, that the Son of man shall “come in the clouds of heaven.” 539. By the term “clouds” is meant those things that are contrary to the ways and desires of men. 540. Even as He hath revealed in the verse already quoted: 541. “As oft as an Apostle cometh unto you with that which your souls desire not, ye swell with pride, accusing some of being impostors and slaying others.” 542. These “clouds” signify, in one sense, the annulment of laws, the abrogation of former Dispensations, the repeal of rituals and customs current amongst men, the exalting of the illiterate faithful above the learned opposers of the Faith. 543. In another sense, they mean the appearance of that immortal Beauty in the image of mortal man, with such human limitations as eating and drinking, poverty and riches, glory and abasement, sleeping and waking, and such other things as cast doubt in the minds of men, and cause them to turn away. 544. All such veils are symbolically referred to as “clouds.” 545. These are the “clouds” that cause the heavens of the knowledge and understanding of all that dwell on earth to be cloven asunder. 546. Even as He hath revealed: “On that day shall the heaven be cloven by the clouds.” 547. Even as the clouds prevent the eyes of men from beholding the sun, so do these things hinder the souls of men from recognizing the light of the divine Luminary. 548. To this beareth witness that which hath proceeded out of the mouth of the unbelievers as revealed in the sacred Book: 549. “And they have said: ‘What manner of apostle is this? He eateth food, and walketh the streets. 550. Unless an angel be sent down and take part in His warnings, we will not believe.’” The Book of Certitude CHAPTER EIGHTEEN Divisions 551-580 1ST CERTITUDE 551. Other Prophets, similarly, have been subject to poverty and afflictions, to hunger, and to the ills and chances of this world. 552. As these holy Persons were subject to such needs and wants, the people were, consequently, lost in the wilds of misgivings and doubts, and were afflicted with bewilderment and perplexity. 553. How, they wondered, could such a person be sent down from God, assert His ascendancy over all the peoples and kindreds of the earth, and claim Himself to be the goal of all creation —even as He hath said: 554. “But for Thee, I would not have created all that are in heaven and on earth”— and yet be subject to such trivial things? 555. You must undoubtedly have been informed of the tribulations, the poverty, the ills, and the degradation that have befallen every Prophet of God and His companions. 556. You must have heard how the heads of their followers were sent as presents unto different cities, how grievously they were hindered from that whereunto they were commanded. 557. Each and every one of them fell a prey to the hands of the enemies of His Cause, and had to suffer whatsoever they decreed. 558. It is evident that the changes brought about in every Dispensation constitute the dark clouds that intervene between the eye of man’s understanding and the divine Luminary which shineth forth from the dayspring of the divine Essence. 559. Consider how men for generations have been blindly imitating their fathers, and have been trained according to such ways and manners as have been laid down by the dictates of their Faith. 560. Were these men, therefore, to discover suddenly that a Man, Who hath been living in their midst, Who, with respect to every human limitation, hath been their equal, 561. had risen to abolish every established principle imposed by their Faith —principles by which for centuries they have been disciplined, and every opposer and denier of which they have come to regard as infidel, profligate and wicked— 562. they would of a certainty be veiled and hindered from acknowledging His truth. 563. Such things are as “clouds” that veil the eyes of those whose inner being hath not tasted the Salsabíl of detachment, nor drunk from the Kawthar of the knowledge of God. 564. Such men, when acquainted with these circumstances, become so veiled that without the least question, they pronounce the Manifestation of God an infidel, and sentence Him to death. 565. You must have heard of such things taking place all down the ages, and are now observing them in these days. 566. It behooveth us, therefore, to make the utmost endeavor, that, by God’s invisible assistance, these dark veils, these clouds of Heaven-sent trials, may not hinder us from beholding the beauty of His shining Visage, and that we may recognize Him only by His own being. 567. And should we ask for a testimony of His truth, we should content ourselves with one, and only one, that thereby we may attain unto Him Who is the Fountainhead of infinite grace, and in Whose presence all the world’s abundance fadeth into nothingness, that we may cease to cavil at Him every day and to cleave unto our own idle fancy. 568. Gracious God! Notwithstanding the warning which, in marvelously symbolic language and subtle allusions, hath been uttered in days past, and which was intended to awaken the peoples of the world and to prevent them from being deprived of their share of the billowing ocean of God’s grace, 569. yet such things as have already been witnessed have come to pass! 570. Reference to these things hath also been made in the Qur’án, as witnessed by this verse: 571. “What can such expect but that God should come down to them overshadowed with clouds?” 572. A number of the divines, who hold firmly to the letter of the Word of God, have come to regard this verse as one of the signs of that expected resurrection which is born of their idle fancy. 573. This, notwithstanding the fact that similar references have been made in most of the heavenly Books, and have been recorded in all the passages connected with the signs of the coming Manifestation. 574. Likewise, He saith: “On the day when the heaven shall give out a palpable smoke, which shall enshroud mankind: this will be an afflictive torment.” 575. The All-Glorious hath decreed these very things that are contrary to the desires of wicked men to be the touchstone and standard whereby He proveth His servants, that the just may be known from the wicked, and the faithful distinguished from the infidel. 576. The symbolic term “smoke” denotes grave dissensions, the abrogation and demolition of recognized standards, and the utter destruction of their narrow-minded exponents. 577. What smoke more dense and overpowering than the one which hath now enshrouded all the peoples of the world, which hath become a torment unto them, and from which they hopelessly fail to deliver themselves, however much they strive? 578. So fierce is this fire of self burning within them, that at every moment they seem to be afflicted with fresh torments. 579. The more they are told that this wondrous Cause of God, this Revelation from the Most High, hath been made manifest to all mankind, and is waxing greater and stronger every day, the fiercer groweth the blaze of the fire in their hearts. 580. The more they observe the indomitable strength, the sublime renunciation, the unwavering constancy of God’s holy companions, who, by the aid of God, are growing nobler and more glorious every day, the deeper the dismay which ravageth their souls. The Book of Certitude CHAPTER NINETEEN Divisions 581-615 1ST CERTITUDE 581. In these days, praise be to God, the power of His Word hath obtained such ascendancy over men, that they dare breathe no word. 582. Were they to encounter one of the companions of God who, if he could, would, freely and joyously, offer up 10,000 lives as a sacrifice for his Beloved, so great would be their fear, that they forthwith would profess their faith in Him, whilst privily they would vilify and execrate His name! 583. Even as He hath revealed: “And when they meet you, they say, ‘We believe’; but when they are apart, they bite their fingers’ ends at you, out of wrath. 584. Say: ‘Die in your wrath!’ God truly knoweth the very recesses of your breasts.” 585. Ere long, thine eyes will behold the standards of divine power unfurled throughout all regions, and the signs of His triumphant might and sovereignty manifest in every land. 586. As most of the divines have failed to apprehend the meaning of these verses, and have not grasped the significance of the Day of Resurrection, they therefore have foolishly interpreted these verses according to their idle and faulty conception. 587. The one true God is My witness! 588. Little perception is required to enable them to gather from the symbolic language of these two verses all that We have purposed to propound, and thus to attain, through the grace of the All-Merciful, the resplendent morn of certitude. 589. Such are the strains of celestial melody which the immortal Bird of Heaven, warbling upon the Sadrih of Bahá, poureth out upon thee, that, by the permission of God, thou mayest tread the path of divine knowledge and wisdom. 590. And now, concerning His words: “And He shall send His angels.… 591. ” By “angels” is meant those who, reinforced by the power of the spirit, have consumed, with the fire of the love of God, all human traits and limitations, and have clothed themselves with the attributes of the most exalted Beings and of the Cherubim. 592. That holy man, Sádiq, in his eulogy of the Cherubim, saith: 593. “There stand a company of our fellow Shí‘ihs behind the Throne.” 594. Divers and manifold are the interpretations of the words “behind the Throne.” 595. In one sense, they indicate that no true Shí‘ihs exist. 596. Even as he hath said in another passage: 597. “A true believer is likened unto the philosopher’s stone.” 598. Addressing subsequently his listener, he saith: 599. “Hast thou ever seen the philosopher’s stone?” 600. Reflect, how this symbolic language, more eloquent than any speech, however direct, testifieth to the nonexistence of a true believer. 601. Such is the testimony of Sádiq. 602. And now consider, how unfair and numerous are those who, although they themselves have failed to inhale the fragrance of belief, have condemned as infidels those by whose word belief itself is recognized and established. 603. And now, inasmuch as these holy beings have sanctified themselves from every human limitation, have become endowed with the attributes of the spiritual, and have been adorned with the noble traits of the blessed, they therefore have been designated as “angels.” 604. Such is the meaning of these verses, every word of which hath been expounded by the aid of the most lucid texts, the most convincing arguments, and the best established evidences. 605. As the adherents of Jesus have never understood the hidden meaning of these words, and as the signs which they and the leaders of their Faith have expected have failed to appear, they therefore refused to acknowledge, even until now, the truth of those Manifestations of Holiness that have since the days of Jesus been made manifest. 606. They have thus deprived themselves of the outpourings of God’s holy grace, and of the wonders of His divine utterance. 607. Such is their low estate in this, the Day of Resurrection! 608. They have even failed to perceive that were the signs of the Manifestation of God in every age to appear in the visible realm in accordance with the text of established traditions, none could possibly deny or turn away, nor would the blessed be distinguished from the miserable, and the transgressor from the God-fearing. 609. Judge fairly: Were the prophecies recorded in the Gospel to be literally fulfilled; were Jesus, Son of Mary, accompanied by angels, to descend from the visible heaven upon the clouds;
Дата добавления: 2019-02-13; просмотров: 165; Мы поможем в написании вашей работы! |
Мы поможем в написании ваших работ!