HE WHO KNOWETH HIS BEING HATH KNOWN HIS LORD GOD 4 страница
"My heart is at peace, O God of whosoever is in earth and heaven.
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And Thou hast caused me to behold the kingdom of Thy Command and the dominion of Thy Might; and I bear witness that at Thy Manifestation the hearts of those who advance are at peace!"
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Had the Interlocutor (Moses) attained it, He would surely say:
"Praise be to Thee for that Thou hast shown Me Thy Beauty and hast made Me of those who commune with Thee."
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Reflect upon the people and their condition and that which cometh forth from their mouths and what their hands have wrought in this blessed, holy and wonderful Day.
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Verily, they who did not obey the Command but turned to Satan are of those who are cursed by all things and they are of the people of fire.
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He who heareth My voice will not be affect whatever by the voice of the people of the world; and he in whom the voice of aught that is beside Me taketh effect,
verily, he did not hear My voice; he is indeed deprived of My Kingdom and the empires of My greatness and might and is of those who lose.
81.
Grieve not because of that which hath befallen thee.
Verily thou hast forborne for the sake of My love what the majority of the servants have never borne; and thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the Informed.
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And He hath accompanied thee in the courts of law and heard that which hath flowed from the water of thy pen in commemoration of thy Lord, the Merciful.
Verily, this is naught but a manifest grace.
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And God shall raise up one among the kings who shall succor His saints, for He compasseth all things.
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And He shall put into the hearts of men the love of His saints and this is a decree on the part of the Mighty, the Beautiful.
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We ask God to make, through thy cry, the breasts of all the servants dilated with joy and to make thee the standard of guidance throughout the empire, and by thee to render the weak victorious.
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Thou shalt pay no attention to the grunts of the grunters, but leave them to thy Lord, the Pardoner, the Generous.
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Relate to My beloved the stories of the Servant, of that which Thou hast learned and heard; then deliver to them what We have delivered to thee; verily, thy God will strengthen thee at all times, and He is thy guard.
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The Supreme Assembly shall magnify thee and the family of God and His household, the leaves who go around the Tree, shall praise thee and remember thee with a marvellous remembrance.
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89.
O Pen of Revelation!
Remind him whose letter hath come before the Face in this somber night and who travelled over the country until he arrived and entered the city for the purpose of seeking refuge under the protection of the mercy of his Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful,
-- in which city he spent the night, awaiting the grace of his Lord; and in the morning, by the command of God, he left the city, on which occasion the servant became sad;
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and God is a witness to all that I say, saying:
"Blessed thou art for that by reason of which thou hast received the wine of revelation from the hand of the Merciful in such wise as made thee deny thine own comfort, and because thou art of those who hasten to the region of Paradise, the day-spring of the signs of thy Lord, the Precious, the Peerless."
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What a victory it is to him who hath drunk the wine of knowledge from the Countenance of his Lord, and who drinketh again the pure sweetness of this wine!
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By God, through this wine will the unitarians soar to the heaven of greatness and glory, and imagination will be altered to reality.
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Grieve not because of that which hath befallen thee.
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Rely upon God, the Mighty, the Learned, the Wise;
and let the corners of the house be founded upon the Books of Revelation;
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then mention thy Lord and He will make you dispense with all the people of the world.
Verily, He chooseth whom He willeth and He is indeed the Beloved of the devout.
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By God, the Supreme Assembly seeth you and pointeth to you;
thus the grace of your Lord hath encompassed you.
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O would that the people knew that whereof they are neglectful in the Day of God, the Mighty, the Extolled!
98.
Give thanks unto God, inasmuch as He hath strengthened thee with the knowledge of Himself and caused thee to enter into His protection on a Day whereon the unbelievers encompassed the people of God and His saints and drove them forth from their houses with evident tyranny.
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And they desired to bring about a separation between us on the shore of the sea; and verily thy Lord is aware of that which is in the breasts of the unbelievers.
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100.
Say:
Though ye cut off our limbs, the love of God will not depart from our hearts!
Verily, we were created for sacrifice; therefore we glory over the worms.
The Tablet of Unity (Law˙-i Itti˙ád)—A Provisional Translation
by Moojan Momen
The Tablet of Unity is a tablet of Bahá’u’lláh dealing with the subject of unity and describing various types of unity that may be attained.
It is usually considered that this tablet belongs to the ‘Akká period.1 The tablet is stated to have been addressed to Sayyid Asadu’lláh of Rasht, the fourth of five brothers known as Sádát-i Khams. If this attribution is correct, and it seems to be well supported in that it is given in several sources,2 this would place the tablet firmly in the ‘Akká period since the five brothers were only converted by ‘Alí Ashraf Láhíjání, known as ‘Andalíb, in Rasht in about 1296 (c. 1879).3
At first, it may appear confusing that there are several addresses to the “people of the Bayán” where one would expect, in a tablet of the ‘Akká period, the “people of Bahá” to be addressed. It must be remembered, however, that Sayyid Asadu’lláh of Rasht was particularly affected by Azali activities in Qazvin. Samandar has described in his narrative how, shortly after his conversion, Sayyid Asadu’lláh moved to Qazvin. Here, the Azalís discovered that he was a Bahá’í and attempted to shake his faith. One of them sent his son to be a servant in Sayyid Asadu’lláh’s house and thus obtained an entrance to the house. They then began to speak to Sayyid Asadu’lláh until they had caused severe doubts to arise in his mind. Samandar became aware of the situation and asked to be present on an occasion when the Azalís were at Sayyid Asadu’lláh’s house. Samandar then proceeded to answer them point by point from the text of the Bayán. As a consequence, Sayyid Asadu'lláh’s faith was restored.4
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The five brothers were merchants and had obtained Russian protection. When Sayyid Asadu’lláh returned to Rasht, he was able, together with one of his brothers, to negotiate a contract with the hold-er of the Imperial concession for the surfaced road between Anzali and Tehran for the provision of trav-eller’s services along the route—rest-houses, food, accommodation, etc. As a result of this he became very rich.5
In this tablet, Bahá’u’lláh deals with six types of unity. The word used for type is “rutbah” in some places and “maqám” in others.
A. Unity of Religion. Bahá’u’lláh says that when the believers are united, this leads to the victory of the cause of God. Furthermore, he asserts that if all of the people in a country are united in religion, the government of that country need interfere very little in the social affairs of that country.
B. Unity of Words. Bahá’u’lláh appears to require that the Bahá’ís be united in their public position. In other words, the message is that they should be one in the message that they give. He states that what is said should be with wisdom and gives the example that he also uses in the Law˙-i Maqßúd of giving milk to babes. But ultimately, Bahá’u’lláh asserts that in this dispensation, it is deeds rather than words that will bring triumph to the Cause of God
C. Unity of Ritual Acts. Although it is tempting and possible to translate this as oneness of deeds or actions, it would appear, from the examples that he gives, that Bahá’u’lláh has the specific meaning of ritual acts in mind when he writes of itti˙ád-i a‘mál. He states that in Islam, different ways of doing the rituals, such as the obligatory prayer, have led to differences arising among the believers and ultimately to disunity.
D. Unity of Rank or Station. By this Bahá’u’lláh means that the Bahá’ís should regard themselves as all equal in rank. He states that it is the fact that some have regarded themselves superior to others that has led to the weakening and downfall of other religions. In particular, he condemns the religious leaders.
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E. Unity of Wealth, and
F. Unity of Souls. Bahá’u’lláh considers these two unities together. He says that the mere sharing of what one has is not sufficient, one should prefer others over oneself. This is the way towards that unity of souls, which is the ultimate aim. A situation which Bahá’u’lláh characterises as being one where “all should gather around and cling to the Love of God and the Word of God.”
Issues Raised
A number of important issues are raised by this tablet, issues that are foundational to the Bahá’í Faith. It is of interest to see the way that the themes initiated by Bahá’u’lláh in this tablet were later developed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi.
1. Unity as a value. The first issue raised is the question of the value assigned to unity. One of the dis-tinctive features of the Bahá’í religion is the fact that a higher value is placed on unity than on other val-ues and principles that have had great importance in religious and secular history. When one is wanting to make decisions and seeking guidance in the scriptures of a religion, either as an individual or as a community, one frequently finds oneself in a situation where one value leads one to contemplate one course of action, while a different value leads one to propose a different course of action. In such situ-ations, it is necessary to set one’s values in a hierarchy.
In this tablet, Bahá’u’lláh gives an evaluation of unity as a higher value than the freedom to speak one’s mind and put forth one’s view. This latter freedom is accorded the very highest position in the hierar-chy of values of the Western liberal Tradition. Thus in this tablet Bahá’u’lláh sets himself decisively apart from that Tradition. There are passages in the authoritative Bahá’í texts that assert the right of the indi-vidual to express his or her views, passages summarised by Shoghi Effendi thus:
Let us also remember that at the very root of the Cause lies the principle of the undoubted right of the individual to self-expression, his freedom to declare his conscience and set forth his views. (Shoghi Effendi, Bahá’í Administration, pp. 63–4)
In this tablet, however, Bahá’u’lláh appears to be saying that this right of the individual is a secondary right and should be subservient to the higher principle of the need to maintain unity in the communi-ty. In other words that one is free to express one’s view as long as it is in a situation and under circum-stances where the exercise of that right does not threaten the unity of the community. Otherwise one must exercise prudence (hikmat).6
We see this clearly set forth in this tablet but also in other tablets of Bahá’u’lláh. It is followed up by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá when he speaks of the fact that “If they agree upon a subject, even though it be wrong, it is better than to disagree and be in the right, for this difference will produce the demolition of the divine foundation.” (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahá’í World Faith, pp. 411–412). From this principle in the writings of Bahá’u’lláh, from this idea of the need for unity in speech, we can also discern the roots of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s ruling that all Bahá’í writings should be subject to review as a temporary measure—this being again a matter of ensuring unity of speech in the community.
2. Station, Rank and Leadership of the Community. The second issue that is raised in this tablet is that of station and rank. In this tablet, perhaps more clearly than any other tablet, Bahá’u’lláh emphasises two interrelated teachings that are very distinctive to his religion. The first is the prohibition on any reli-gious professionals in the Bahá’í Faith. The second is absence of any ranking or stations in the Bahá’í community. In this tablet Bahá’u’lláh emphasises that every Bahá’í is to be regarded as being of equal rank to every other Bahá’í. More importantly, Bahá’u’lláh urges the individual Bahá’í not to consider himself or herself superior in any way to fellow-believers. No one should consider themselves to be “more learned, more favoured, more accomplished, more righteous or more exalted” than any other Bahá’í.
An extension of this teaching of the equality of rank of every Bahá’í is the prohibition that Bahá’u’lláh makes more clearly in other writings on any form of priesthood, monasticism, or other forms of reli-gious leadership. Rank and station inevitably lead to pride and arrogance, and this pride blinds one to the truth. Hence it is that the ulama of Iran have persecuted the followers of the religion of God. Shoghi
Effendi develops this theme when he writes that those who are elected to administer the affairs of the Bahá’í community should:
They should never be led to suppose that they are the central ornaments of the body of the Cause, intrinsically superior to others in capacity or merit, and sole promoters of its teachings and principles. They should approach their task with extreme humility, and endeavour by their open-mindedness, their high sense of justice and duty, their candour, their modesty, their entire devotion to the welfare and interests of the friends, the Cause, and humanity, to win not only the confidence and the genuine support and respect of those whom they should serve, but also their esteem and real affection. (Shoghi Effendi, Bahá’í Administration, p. 64)
3. The Covenant. The third issue that is touched upon tangentially in this tablet is that of the Covenant. Although the tablet does not refer directly to the issue of the Covenant, we can see how Bahá’u’lláh’s concern for unity would raise the question of what was to be the focal point of unity and loyalty in the new religion. Christianity was based around intellectual loyalty to theological and doctri-nal formulations, which were summarised in creeds. Islam was based around a more practical loyalty focussed on a way of life formulated around the Sharí‘ah. What was to be the basis of the unity of Bahá’u’lláh’s religion?
There is also the matter of the third type of unity that Bahá’u’lláh mentions—unity of ritual acts. If such a unity is to be achieved and yet the Bahá’í community is not to have the equivalent of priests or mujtahids that can rule on such matters, then the question of religious authority needs to be settled.
These questions were answered by Bahá’u’lláh through the establishment of the Covenant appointing ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the focal point towards which all Bahá’ís should turn. Bahá’u’lláh saw this as the way of achieving the last unity that he described in this tablet—the unity of souls.
Text used: Ad`iyyah Óa¶rat-i Ma˙búb (original edition: Faraju’lláh al-Kurdí, Egypt, 76 B.E./1920; reprint Germany 1980), pp. 388–406. Text also to be found in Mihrábkhání, Khándán Sádát-i Khams, pp. 89–93 (calligraphy of Amanu’llah Muqin).
Notes
1-5?
6) This matter is expounded on at greater length is several other tablets, including the Law˙-i Óikmat, see Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 143
7) This tablet was addressed to Sayyid Asadu’lláh of Rasht, the fourth of five brothers known as Sádát-i Khams.
8) There are two ways of reading this sentence. One way would be to read this sentence as saying that, if the majority of a nation became Bahá’ís, then the Bahá’í teachings can be implemented by the government. The second way to read the sen-tence leads to the idea that once the people were following the path lain down by God, they would be able to steer their own path and would need little control and guidance from the center. If this second reading is correct, it was taken fur-ther by Shoghi Effendi when he laid down the principle that the Bahá’í community should, as far as possible operate in a decentralized manner. This principle has been put into effect by the Universal House of Justice as it has gradually devolved responsibility for the creation and execution of expansion plans from the international level to the national level and increasingly to the local level.
9) Qur’án 59:9 is identical except the last word is mufli˙ún (successful) in the Qur’án and fá’izún (those who have attained) in this text.
10) It is possible that the text here is corrupt since the usual expression is a gnat (dhabb) rather than a lizard (¶abb) in com-parison to an eagle.
11)
The Tablet of Unity CHAPTER ONE
Divisions 1-35
[Tablet of Union]
UNION
1.
He is God!
Exalted be He in Wisdom and Exposition!
2.
A letter has been received by this Wronged One from one of the Sayyids 7 who have turned towards God, have listened and responded to their Lord, the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful.
3.
All of them have been remembered in the presence of this Resplendent Beauty and I ask God to confirm them all in that which will cause them to be remembered for ever.
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