Chapter 51
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Sole
inclusion of Arabic and Persian words in translations makes them somewhat
deficient, and can defeat the purpose of translation. Last updated: May 24th, 2024.
1)
In the passage below from the Kitab-i-Iqan, the use of "húrís" (untranslated noun) instead of "Brides" creates unnecessary ambiguity. The "húrís of inner meaning" is a reference to Dependent/Lesser Prophets of Baha'u'llah using symbolic language, also referred to as the "Brides of inner meaning" later in the Kitab-i-Iqan (next passage). They are also referred to as "countenances which [who] are hid
within the chambers of chastity", and the
"manifestations of Thy Divine holiness" in the subsequent passage (from Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah).
We have digressed from the purpose of Our argument, although whatsoever
is mentioned serveth only to confirm Our purpose. By God! however great
Our desire to be brief, yet We feel We cannot restrain Our pen.
Notwithstanding all that We have mentioned, how innumerable are the
pearls which have remained unpierced in the shell of Our heart! How
many the húrís of inner meaning that are as yet
concealed within the chambers of divine wisdom! None hath yet
approached them;--húrís, "whom no man nor spirit hath touched before."
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. 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?
-- Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 70
By God! This Bird of Heaven [Baha'u'llah, the Independent Prophet], now dwelling upon the dust, can, besides
these melodies, utter a myriad songs, and is able, apart from these
utterances, to unfold innumerable mysteries. Every single note of its
unpronounced utterances is immeasurably exalted above all that hath
already been revealed, and immensely glorified beyond that which hath
streamed from this Pen. Let the future disclose the hour when the
Brides of inner meaning will, as decreed by the Will of God, hasten forth, unveiled,
out of their mystic mansions, and manifest themselves in the ancient
realm of being. Nothing whatsoever is possible without His permission;
no power can endure save through His power, and there is none other God
but He. His is the world of creation, and His the Cause of God. All
proclaim His Revelation, and all unfold the mysteries of His Spirit.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 175
Lauded be Thy name, O Thou Who art the Goal of my desire! I swear by
Thy glory! How great is my wish to attain unto a detachment so complete
that were there to appear before me those countenances which [who] are hid
within the chambers of chastity, and the beauty of which Thou didst
veil from the eyes of the entire creation, and whose faces Thou didst
sanctify from the sight of all beings, and were they to unveil
themselves in all the glory of the splendors of Thine incomparable
beauty, I would refuse to look upon them, and would behold them solely
for the purpose of discerning the mysteries of Thy handiwork, which
have perplexed the minds of such as have drawn nigh unto Thee, and awed
the souls of all them that have recognized Thee. I would, by Thy power
and Thy might, soar to such heights that nothing whatsoever would have
the power to keep me back from the manifold evidences of Thy
transcendent dominion, nor would any earthly scheme shut me out from
the manifestations of Thy Divine holiness.
-- Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 338
2)
Enter, O people, beneath the shelter of the Word! Then drink therefrom
the choice wine of inner significances and utterances; for therein is
hidden the kawther of the glorious One and it hath appeared from the
horizon of the Will of your Lord, the merciful, with wonderful lights.
Say: Verily, the ocean of pre-existence [Abdu'l-Baha] hath branched forth from this
most great Ocean. Blessed, therefore, is he who abides upon Its shores,
and is of those who are established thereon. Verily, this most sacred
temple of Abha -- the Branch of Holiness hath branched forth from the
Sadratu'l-Muntaha. Blessed is whosoever sought shelter beneath it and
is of those who rest therein.
-- Baha'u'llah, The Tablet of the Branch - from Bahá'í World Faith, Pages: 204-207
3)
59. 'Abdu'l-Bahá hath long cherished the desire that a Mashriqu'l-Adhkar
be upraised in that region. Praised be God, thanks to the strenuous
efforts of the friends, in recent days the joyful news of this hath
been announced. This service is highly acceptable at the Threshold of
God, for the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar inspiriteth the lovers of God and delighteth their hearts, and causeth them to become steadfast and firm.
This is a matter of the utmost significance. If the erection of the
House of Worship in a public place would arouse the hostility of
evil-doers, then the meeting must, in every locality, be held in some
hidden place. Even in every hamlet, a place must be set aside as the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, and even though it be underground.
Now, praised be God, ye have succeeded in this. Engage ye in the
remembrance of God at dawn; rise ye up to praise and glorify Him.
Blessed are ye, and joy be yours, O ye the righteous, for having
established the Dawning-Point of the Praises of God. Verily I ask of
the Lord that He make you standards of salvation and banners of
redemption, rippling high over the valleys and hills.
60. Although to outward seeming the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar
is a material structure, yet it hath a spiritual effect. It forgeth
bonds of unity from heart to heart; it is a collective centre for men's
souls. Every city in which, during the days of the Manifestation, a
temple was raised up, hath created security and constancy and peace,
for such buildings were given over to the perpetual glorification of
God, and only in the remembrance of God can the heart find rest.
Gracious God! The edifice of the House of Worship hath a powerful
influence on every phase of life. Experience hath, in the east, clearly
shown this to be a fact. Even if, in some small village, a house was
designated as the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, it produced a marked effect; how much greater would be the impact of one especially raised up.
-- Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 94
As I have already intimated in the course of my conversations with
visiting pilgrims, so vast and significant an enterprise as the
construction of the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkar
of the West should be supported, not by the munificence of a few but by
the joint contributions of the entire mass of the convinced followers
of the Faith. It cannot be denied that the emanations of spiritual
power and inspiration destined to radiate from the central Edifice of
the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar
will to a very large extent depend upon the range and variety of the
contributing believers, as well as upon the nature and degree of
self-abnegation which their unsolicited offerings will entail.
-- Shoghi Effendi, Baha'i Administration, p. 181
53. Build ye houses of worship throughout the lands # 31
The Bahá'í House of Worship is dedicated to the praise of God. The House of Worship forms the central edifice of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar
(the Dawning-place of the Praise of God), a complex which, as it
unfolds in the future, will comprise in addition to the House of
Worship a number of dependencies dedicated to social, humanitarian,
educational, and scientific pursuits. 'Abdu'l-Bahá describes the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar
as "one of the most vital institutions in the world", and Shoghi
Effendi indicates that it exemplifies in tangible form the integration
of "Bahá'í worship and service". Anticipating the future development of
this institution, Shoghi Effendi envisages that the House of Worship
and its dependencies "shall afford relief to the suffering, sustenance
to the poor, shelter to the wayfarer, solace to the bereaved, and
education to the ignorant". In the future, Bahá'í Houses of Worship
will be constructed in every town and village.
-- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 190
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