Chapter 60
---------------
Conflicting writings calling for the rejection of one who reveals the signs of God. Last updated: July 5th, 2024.
In passage 1 (in a similar vein to the conflict mentioned in Chapter 50), Shoghi Effendi cites the following words in a manner that conflicts with Baha'u'llah's Holy Texts, in a manner that's highly misleading: ' "Should a man
appear," is yet another conclusive statement, "ere the lapse of a full
thousand years -- each year consisting of twelve months according to
the Qur'án, and of nineteen months of nineteen days each, according to
the Bayan -- and if such a man reveal to your eyes all the signs of
God, unhesitatingly reject him!" '. Specifically, the words, "if such a man reveal to your eyes all the signs of
God, unhesitatingly reject him!", contradict the many references to the pre-existent Dependent/Lesser Prophets of Bahá'u'lláh, who, as foretold by Baha'u'llah and affirmed by Abdu'l-Baha, will appear in this dispensation, and whom true believers are to recognise and follow, in keeping with Divine Unity. Is it possible for one who is a fraud to "reveal to your eyes all the signs of
God"? In passage 2, "a company of His chosen ones" is one reference to the Dependent/Lesser Prophets of Baha'u'llah, who will "Go forth with the Tablet of God and His signs, and rejoin them that
have believed in Me, and announce unto them tidings of Our most holy
Paradise." In the Kitab-i-Iqan, the Holy Imams, who have the same station, are also named God's chosen Ones. In passage 3, "those countenances which are hid
within the chambers of chastity" and "the manifestations of Thy Divine holiness" is another reference to the Dependent/Lesser Prophets of Baha'u'llah, who reveal the signs of God. Passage 4 is another reference to a Dependent/Lesser Prophet of Baha'u'llah who is referred to as, "a sign of My sovereignty, a herald
unto My presence, a summoner unto My beauty, and a guide unto My straight and perspicuous Path" and also as "the Manifestation of Our own Self unto all who are in the heavens and on the earth".
In passage 5 from the Hidden Words, "My servant", is a reference to the Dependent Prophet of
Baha'u'llah, who is also the Face of God (like Baha'u'llah). The words, "his face is My face", are true when the Manifestations of God
are viewed from the "station of pure abstraction and essential unity"; similar in inner meaning to how the Holy Imams said, "Muhammad is our first, Muhammad our
last, Muhammad our all", which is cited by Baha'u'llah in the
Kitab-i-Iqan when explaining the station. Similarly, passage 6 by Baha'u'llah is one of many references to the Holy Imams in the Quran, whom he refers to in the following terms, "the Day when Thy Lord comes or certain of the signs of Thy Lord." In passage 7 from the writings of Abdu'l-Baha, the
"luminous and sparkling stars" that "derived their grace and brilliance
from the bounties of the Abha Realm" is another reference to the Dependent/Lesser Prophets of
Baha'u'llah, who receive their revelation from Baha'u'llah, the
Independent Prophet. As indicated by Baha'u'llah in the first part of passage 1, Baha'is are to reject one who "layeth claim to a Revelation direct from God," (that is, claims to be an Independent Prophet, who starts a new dispensation), as distinct from Dependent/Lesser Prophets (one of the two classes of Prophets) who receive their Revelation from Baha'u'llah, the Independent Prophet, and "who shall aid His Cause". A search of the Ocean Baha'i Library and Baha'i Writings Online did not find any writings of Baha'u''llah with the words, "Should a man
appear," or "if such a man reveal to your eyes all the signs of
God, unhesitatingly reject him!"... In this context, it's worth noting, in passage 8, Abdu'l-Baha
states, "Any narrative that is not
authenticated by a Text should not be trusted". In passage 9, Baha'u'llah alludes to the perversion of the divine teachings...
1)
"Whoso layeth claim to a Revelation direct from God,"
is the express warning uttered in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, "ere the
expiration of a full thousand years, such a man is assuredly a lying
imposter. We pray God that He may graciously assist him to retract and
repudiate such claim. Should he repent, God will no doubt forgive him.
If, however, he persists in his error, God will assuredly send down one
who will deal mercilessly with him. Terrible indeed is God in
punishing!" "Whosoever," He adds as a further emphasis, "interpreteth
this verse otherwise than its obvious meaning is deprived of the Spirit
of God and of His mercy which encompasseth all created things." "Should
a man appear," is yet another conclusive statement, "ere the lapse of a
full thousand years -- each year consisting of twelve months according
to the Qur'án, and of nineteen months of nineteen days each, according
to the Bayan -- and if such a man reveal to your eyes all the signs of
God, unhesitatingly reject him!"
-- Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 132.
2)
In passage 2 below, "a company of His chosen ones" is one reference to the Dependent/Lesser Prophets of Baha'u'llah, who will "Go forth with the Tablet of God and His signs, and rejoin them that
have believed in Me, and announce unto them tidings of Our most holy
Paradise." In the Kitab-i-Iqan, the Holy Imams, who have the same station, are also named God's chosen Ones.
There lay concealed within the Holy Veil, and prepared for the service
of God, a company of His chosen ones who shall be manifested unto men,
who shall aid His Cause, who shall be afraid of no one, though the
entire human race rise up and war against them. These are the ones who,
before the gaze of the dwellers on earth and the denizens of heaven,
shall arise and, shouting aloud, acclaim the name of the Almighty, and
summon the children of men to the path of God, the All-Glorious, the
All-Praised. Walk thou in their way, and let no one dismay thee. Be of
them whom the tumult of the world, however much it may agitate them in
the path of their Creator, can never sadden, whose purpose the blame of
the blamer will never defeat.
Go forth with the Tablet of God and His signs, and rejoin them that
have believed in Me, and announce unto them tidings of Our most holy
Paradise. Warn, then, those that have joined partners with Him. Say: I
am come to you, O people, from the Throne of glory, and bear you an
announcement from God, the Most Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Most
Great. In mine hand I carry the testimony of God, your Lord and the
Lord of your sires of old. Weigh it with the just Balance that ye
possess, the Balance of the testimony of the Prophets and Messengers of
God. If ye find it to be established in truth, if ye believe it to be
of God, beware, then, lest ye cavil at it, and render your works vain,
and be numbered with the infidels. It is indeed the sign of God that
hath been sent down through the power of truth, through which the
validity of His Cause hath been demonstrated unto His creatures, and
the ensigns of purity lifted up betwixt earth and heaven.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 280.
3)
In passage 3 below, "the manifestations of Thy Divine holiness" is another reference to the Dependent/Lesser Prophets of Baha'u'llah, who reveal the signs of God.
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 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.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Prayers and Meditations, p. 337.
4)
Passage 4 below is another reference to a Dependent/Lesser Prophet of Baha'u'llah who is referred to as, "a sign of My sovereignty, a herald
unto My presence, a summoner unto My beauty, and a guide unto My straight and perspicuous Path" and also as "the Manifestation of Our own Self unto all who are in the heavens and on the earth".
1.81
O Living [the pre-existent Dependent Prophet when on the earthly plane] Temple!
We, verily, have made Thee a mirror unto the kingdom of names, that
Thou mayest be, amidst all mankind, a sign of My sovereignty, a herald
unto My presence, a summoner unto My beauty, and a guide unto My straight and perspicuous Path.
We have exalted Thy Name among Our servants as a bounty from Our
presence. I, verily, am the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days. We
have, moreover, adorned Thee with the ornament of Our own Self, and
have imparted unto Thee Our Word, that Thou mayest ordain in this
contingent world whatsoever Thou willest and accomplish whatsoever Thou
pleasest. We have destined for Thee all the good of the heavens and of
the earth, and decreed that none may attain unto a portion thereof
unless he entereth beneath Thy shadow, as bidden by Thy Lord, the
All-Knowing, the All-Informed. We have conferred upon Thee the Staff of
authority and the Writ of judgement, that Thou mayest test the wisdom
of every command. We have caused the oceans of inner meaning and explanation to surge from Thy heart in remembrance of Thy Lord, the God of mercy,
that Thou mayest render thanks and praise unto Him and be of those who
are truly thankful. We have singled Thee out from amongst all Our
creatures, and have appointed Thee as the Manifestation of Our own Self unto all who are in the heavens and on the earth.
-- Baha'u'llah, Surih of the Temple, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 43.
5)
In passage 5 from the Hidden Words, "My servant", is a reference to the Dependent Prophet of
Baha'u'llah, who is also the Face of God (like Baha'u'llah). The words, "his face is My face", are true when the Manifestations of God
are viewed from the "station of pure abstraction and essential unity"; similar in inner meaning to how the Holy Imams said, "Muhammad is our first, Muhammad our
last, Muhammad our all", which is cited by Baha'u'llah in the
Kitab-i-Iqan when explaining the station.
30. O SON OF MAN!
Deny not My servant should he ask anything from thee, for his face is My face; be then abashed before Me.
-- Baha'u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words
6)
Passage 6 below, by Baha'u'llah, is one of many references to the Holy Imams in the Quran, who are referred to in the following terms, "the Day when Thy Lord comes or certain of the signs of Thy Lord."
Say I swear by God! They to whom you attribute knowledge and have
accepted them as your divines they are in the sight of God the worst of
men nay the quintessence of evil flees from them. Thus has the matter
been inscribed in the scrolls of God's knowledge. We testify that they
have not drunk from the fountains of knowledge and they have not
attained unto a word of Wisdom and have not become aware of the
mysteries of Revelation and have been racing in the land of their
selfish desires. Nothing of rejection and denial against a prophet or a
successor of a prophet has come to pass except after their permission.
Thus has always been their injunction carried out on the Countenances
of holiness.
Say to them: O ignorant ones! Did We not reveal in the past: "A Day
that God shall come in the canopies of clouds."[4] How is it that when
He came down in the clouds of Revelation in the Temple of 'Ali [Imam
Ali], you turned away and rejected Him and waxed haughty and brought
about your own perdition?[5] Was it not also revealed in your Book:
"the Day when Thy Lord comes or certain of the signs of Thy Lord."[6]
And when He did come with evident signs wherefore did ye turn away from
those signs and veiled yourselves with the veils of self?..
[4] Qur'án 2:210.
[5] Qur'án 25:18 and 48:12.
[6] Qur'an 6:158.
-- Baha'u'llah, Surih-i-Sabr (Lawh-i-Ayyúb), Surih of Patience or Tablet of Job. Translation by K. Fananapazir.
2:208. O ye who believe! enter into Islam whole-heartedly; and follow
not the footsteps of the Evil One; for he is to you an avowed enemy.
2:209. If ye backslide after the clear (signs) have come to you, then know that Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise.
2:210. Will they wait until Allah comes to them in canopies of clouds,
with angels (in His train) and the question is (thus) settled? But to
Allah do all questions go back (for decision).
2:211. Ask the Children of Israel how many Clear (Signs) We have sent
them. But if anyone, after Allah's favor has come to him, substitutes
(something else), Allah is strict in punishment.
2:212. The life of this world is alluring to those who reject faith,
and they scoff at those who believe. But the righteous will be above
them on the Day of Resurrection; for Allah bestows His abundance
without measures on whom He will.
-- The Qur'an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 2.
The Holy Qur'án hath testified that true Faith is recognition of divine unity and confession to both the Prophet [recognition of Muhammad, the Independent Prophet, the Manifestation of God] and the Imámate [recognition of the Holy Imams, the Dependent/Lesser Prophets of Muhammad, the Manifestations of God, the signs of God].
He who attaineth unto both hath fulfilled his faith. A true believer is
the one who does not reject any matter pertaining to Us, for God
Himself hath dilated His Breast such that He may accept all. He will
not doubt or be mistrustful. He who cavileth why and wherefore becometh
a disbeliever. We are, verily, the Cause of God![15]
-- Imam Ali, The Sermon of Ma'rifat bin-Nurániyyat (Recognition with Luminousness). Translation by K. Fananapazir.
7)
19. Praise be to Him through Whose splendours the earth and the heavens
are aglow, through Whose fragrant breathings the gardens of holiness
that adorn the hearts of the chosen are trembling for joy, to Him Who
hath shed His light and brightened the face of the firmament. Verily
there appeared luminous and sparkling stars, glittering, shining out,
and casting forth their rays upon the supreme horizon. They derived
their grace and brilliance from the bounties of the Abha Realm, then,
stars of guidance [Dependent Prophets], they poured down their lights upon this earth.
Praise be to Him Who hath fashioned this new era, this age of majesty,
even as an unfolding pageant where the realities of all things can be
exposed to view. Now are clouds of bounty raining down and the gifts of
the loving Lord are clearly manifest; for both the seen and the unseen
worlds have been illumined, and the Promised One [Abdu'l-Baha, the first Dependent Prophet] hath come to earth and
the beauty of the Adored One hath shone forth.
-- Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 38.
The Blessed Beauty, in unmistakable language, hath made this promise in
His Book: 'We behold you from Our realm of glory, and shall aid
whosoever will arise for the triumph of Our Cause with the hosts of the
Concourse on high and a company of Our favoured angels.'[1]
[1 Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, LXXII ]
God be thanked, that promised aid [Abdu'l-Baha, the first Dependent Prophet] hath been vouchsafed, as is plain for all to see, and it shineth forth as clear as the sun in the heavens.
-- Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 270.
.. for 1000 years there shall arise no Sun [Independent Prophet]. All the appearances will be beneath the shadow of the Most Great Appearance [Baha'u'llah, the Independent Prophet]: they will be as stars of guidance [Dependent Prophets]. All of them shall gather around this Fountain of Life; all of them will become illumined with the rays of this Sun;
all of them will receive a share and a portion from this great Sea; all
of them will become vivified with this soul-imparting breeze;..
-- Compilations, Baha'i Scriptures, p. 283.
8)
1431. Any Narrative not Authenticated by a Text should not be Trusted
"Thou has written
concerning the pilgrims and pilgrims' note. Any narrative that is not
authenticated by a Text should not be trusted. Narratives, even if
true, cause confusion. For the people of Baha, the Text, and only the
Text, is authentic."
('Abdu'l-Bahá: from a previously untranslated tablet)
-- Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 437
9)
1.98
Say: O people! I admonish you wholly for the sake of God, and seek no
reward from you. For My recompense shall be with God, He Who hath
brought Me into being, raised Me up by the power of truth, and made Me
the Source of His remembrance amidst His creatures. Hasten to behold
this divine and glorious Vision, the Spot wherein God hath established
His Seat. Follow not that which the Evil One whispereth in your hearts,
for he, verily, doth prompt you to walk after your lusts and covetous
desires, and hindereth you from treading the straight Path which this
all-embracing and all-compelling Cause hath opened.
1.99
Say: The Evil One hath appeared in such wise as the eye of creation
hath never beheld. He Who is the Beauty of the All-Merciful hath
likewise been made manifest with an adorning the like of which hath
never been witnessed in the past. The Call of the All-Merciful hath
been raised, and behind it the call of Satan. Well is it with them who
hearken unto the Voice of God, and turn their faces towards His throne
to behold a most holy and blessed Vision. For whoso cherisheth in his
heart the love of anyone beside Me, be it to the extent of a grain of
mustard seed, shall be unable to gain admittance into My Kingdom. To
this beareth witness that which adorneth the preamble of the Book of
Existence, could ye but perceive it. Say: This is the Day whereon God's
most great favour hath been made manifest. The voice of all who are in
the heavens above and on the earth below proclaimeth My Name, and
singeth forth My praises, could ye but hear it!
1.100
O Temple of Divine Revelation! Sound the trumpet in My Name! O Temple of Divine mysteries! Raise the clarion call of Thy Lord, the Unconditioned, the Unconstrained! O Maid of Heaven! Step forth from the chambers of paradise and announce
unto the people of the world: By the righteousness of God! He Who is
the Best-Beloved of the worlds -- He Who hath ever been the Desire of
every perceiving heart, the Object of the adoration of all that are in
heaven and on earth, and the Cynosure of the former and the latter generations -- is now come!
1.101
Take heed lest ye hesitate in recognizing this resplendent Beauty when
once He hath appeared in the plenitude of His sovereign might and
majesty. He, verily, is the True One, and all else besides Him is as
naught before a single one of His servants [Dependent Prophets of Baha'u'llah], and paleth into nothingness when brought face to face with the revelation of His splendours. Hasten, then, to attain the living waters of His grace,
and be not of the negligent. As to him who hesitateth, though it be for
less than a moment, God shall verily bring his works to naught and
return him to the seat of wrath; wretched indeed is the abode of them
that tarry!
-- Baha'u'llah, Surih of the Temple, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 53
10)
But he whose words
conflict with that which hath been sent down in My Holy Tablets is not
of Me. Beware lest ye follow any impious pretender. These Tablets are
embellished with the seal of Him Who causeth the dawn to appear, Who
lifteth up His voice between the heavens and the earth. Lay hold on
this Sure Handle and on the Cord of My mighty and unassailable Cause.
-- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 61
He, however, who denied God in His Truth, who turned his back upon Him
and rebelled, who disbelieved and made mischief, the verdict of
"impiety", "blasphemy", "death", and "fire" was passed upon him.
-- Baha'u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 44
2:174. Those who conceal Allah's revelations in the Book, and purchase
for them a miserable profit, they swallow into themselves naught but
fire; Allah will not address them on the Day of Resurrection, nor
purify them; grievous will be their penalty.
-- The Qur'an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 2.
22:49. Say: "O men! I am (sent) to you only to give a clear warning:
22:50. "Those who believe and work righteousness, for them is forgiveness and a sustenance most generous.
22:51. "But those who strive against Our Signs, to frustrate them, they will be Companions of the Fire."
22:52. Never did We send a Messenger or a Prophet before thee, but,
when he framed a desire, Satan threw some (vanity) into his desire: but
Allah will cancel anything (vain) that Satan throws in, and Allah will
confirm (and establish) His Signs: for Allah is full of knowledge and
wisdom:
22:53. That He may make the suggestions thrown in by Satan, but a trial
for those in whose hearts is a disease and who are hardened of heart: verily the wrongdoers are in a schism far (from the Truth):
-- The Qur'an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 22.
Back to Table of Contents.