Chapter C55
---------------
Mystic Doves -- Independent Prophets and Dependent/Lesser Prophets.
1)
Muhammad, the Independent Prophet, the Mystic Dove.
If these wayward souls had indeed paused to reflect upon their conduct, recognized the sweet melodies of that Mystic Dove
singing upon the twigs of this snow-white Tree, embraced that which God
had revealed unto and bestowed upon them, and discovered the fruits of
the Tree of God upon its branches, wherefore then did they reject and
denounce Him? Had they not lifted their heads to the heavens to implore
His appearance? Had they not besought God at every moment to honour
them with His Beauty and sustain them through His presence?
But as they failed to recognize the accents of God and the divine
mysteries and holy allusions enshrined in that which flowed from the
tongue of Muhammad, and as they neglected to examine the matter in
their own hearts, and followed instead those priests of error who have
hindered the progress of the people in past dispensations and who will
continue to do so in future cycles, they were thus veiled from the
divine purpose, failed to quaff from the celestial streams, and
deprived themselves of the presence of God, the Manifestation of His
Essence, and the Dayspring of His eternity. Thus did they wander in the
paths of delusion and the ways of heedlessness, and return to their
abode in that fire which feedeth on their own souls. These, verily, are
numbered with the infidels whose names have been inscribed by the Pen
of God in His holy Book. Nor have they ever found, or will ever find, a
friend or helper.
-- Baha'u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 38
2)
Baha'u'llah, the Independent Prophet, the Dove of Eternity.
1.122
Give ear unto that which the Dove of Eternity
warbleth upon the twigs of the Divine Lote-Tree: O peoples of the
earth! We sent forth him who was named John to baptize you with water,
that your bodies might be cleansed for the appearance of the Messiah.
He, in turn, purified you with the fire of love and the water of the
spirit in anticipation of these Days whereon the All-Merciful hath
purposed to cleanse you with the water of life at the hands of His
loving providence. This is the Father foretold by Isaiah, and the
Comforter concerning Whom the Spirit had covenanted with you. Open your
eyes, O concourse of bishops, that ye may behold your Lord seated upon
the Throne of might and glory.
1.123
Say: O peoples of all faiths! Walk not in the ways of them that
followed the Pharisees and thus veiled themselves from the Spirit. They
truly have strayed and are in error. The Ancient Beauty is come in His
Most Great Name, and He wisheth to admit all mankind into His most holy
Kingdom. The pure in heart behold the Kingdom of God manifest before
His Face. Make haste thereunto and follow not the infidel and the
ungodly. Should your eye be opposed thereto, pluck it out.10 Thus hath
it been decreed by the Pen of the Ancient of Days, as bidden by Him Who
is the Lord of the entire creation. He, verily, hath come again that ye
might be redeemed, O peoples of the earth. Will ye slay Him Who
desireth to grant you eternal life? Fear God, O ye who are endued with
insight.
-- Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 63
"O King! Wert thou to incline thine ears unto the shrill voice of the Pen of Glory and the cooing of the Dove of Eternity,
which on the branches of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no
passing, uttereth praises to God, the Maker of all Names and the
Creator of earth and heaven, thou wouldst attain unto a station from
which thou wouldst behold in the world of being naught save the
effulgence of the Adored One, and wouldst regard thy sovereignty as the
most contemptible of thy possessions, abandoning it to whosoever might
desire it, and setting thy face toward the Horizon aglow with the light
of His countenance. Neither wouldst thou ever be willing to bear the
burden of dominion save for the purpose of helping thy Lord, the
Exalted, the Most High. Then would the Concourse on high bless thee. O
how excellent is this most sublime station, couldst thou ascend
thereunto through the power of a sovereignty recognized as derived from
the Name of God!"
-- Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 40
3)
Baha'u'llah, the Independent Prophet, the Dove of Heaven.
13. O MY CHILDREN!
I fear lest, bereft of the melody of the dove of heaven, ye will sink back to the shades of utter loss, and, never having gazed upon the beauty of the rose, return to water and clay.
-- Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words
4)
The "beauties of divine mystery"
and "doves dwelling in the rose-garden of My wisdom", symbolic
references to Dependent Prophets of Bahá'u'lláh.
O thou honoured enquirer! We bear witness that thou didst firmly adhere
unto seemly patience during the days when the Pen was held back from
movement and the Tongue hesitated to set forth an explanation regarding
the wondrous sign, the Most Great Infallibility.
Thou hast asked this Wronged One to remove for thee its veils and
coverings, to elucidate its mystery and character, its state and
position, its excellence, sublimity and exaltation. By the life of God!
Were We to unveil the pearls of testimony which lie hid within the shells of the ocean of knowledge and assurance or to let the beauties of divine mystery which are hidden within the chambers of utterance in the Paradise of true understanding, step out
of their habitation, then from every direction violent commotion would
arise among the leaders of religion and thou wouldst witness the people
of God held fast in the teeth of such wolves as have denied God both in
the beginning and in the end. Therefore We restrained the Pen for a
considerable lapse of time in accordance with divine wisdom and for the
sake of protecting the faithful from those who have bartered away
heavenly blessings for disbelief and have chosen for their people the
abode of perdition.
O thou seeker who art gifted with keen insight. I swear by Him Who
attracted the Concourse on High through the potency of His most sublime
Word! Verily, the birds abiding within the domains of My Kingdom and
the doves dwelling in the rose-garden of My wisdom utter such melodies and warblings as are inscrutable to all but God,
the Lord of the kingdoms of earth and heaven; and were these melodies
to be revealed even to an extent smaller than a needle's eye, the
people of tyranny would utter such calumnies as none among former
generations hath ever uttered, and would commit such deeds as no one in
past ages and centuries hath ever committed. They have rejected the
bounty of God and His proofs and have repudiated the testimony of God
and His signs. They have gone astray and have caused the people to go
astray, yet perceive it not. They worship vain imaginings but know it
not. They have taken idle fancies for their lords and have neglected
God, yet understand not. They have abandoned the most great Ocean and
are hastening towards the pool, but comprehend not. They follow their
own idle fancies while turning aside from God, the Help in Peril, the
Self-Subsisting.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 106-107
5)
Abdu'l-Baha, the Branch, the Dove of Holiness.
O thou fragrant rose blooming in the Garden of Guidance!
Thank thou God for that He hath removed from off thine eye the
covering, made thee to see the signs of the Kingdom of thy Lord, the
Supreme, filled for thee the cup of bounty and gave thee to drink the
pure wine of fidelity which He hath promised to the sincere in the holy
Books and Tablets.
O thou my dear! The cup of knowledge is overflowing; blessed are they
who partake in draughts! The fountain of life is issuing forth; blessed
are they who drink! The doors of the Kingdom are opened; O what good
news to those who advance! The garden of paradise is drawn near; O what
a pleasure to those who enter! The dove of holiness
is cooing; O what a happiness to those who hear! The gates of Heaven
are open; blessed are they who see! The hosts of angels are standing in
battle order; what a joy to those who gain the victory! The trumpet of life is sounding; how good it is to those who are awake!
As to thee: Realize the bounty of thy Lord as it is, and thank thou thy
Lord and praise Him for that He hath directed thee to the right path.
-- Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v3, p. 620
Know then that "life" hath a twofold meaning. The first pertaineth to
the appearance of man in an elemental body, and is as manifest to thine
eminence and to others as the midday sun. This life cometh to an end
with physical death, which is a God-ordained and inescapable reality.
That life, however, which is mentioned in the Books of the Prophets and
the Chosen Ones of God is the life of knowledge; that is to say, the
servant's recognition of the sign of the splendours wherewith He Who is
the Source of all splendour hath Himself invested him, and his
certitude of attaining unto the presence of God through the
Manifestations of His Cause. This is that blessed and everlasting life
that perisheth not: whosoever is quickened thereby shall never die, but
will endure as long as His Lord and Creator will endure.
-- Baha'u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 48
6)
Baha'u'llah, the Independent Prophet, the Dove of Thy sublime oneness.
I beseech Thee, by Thy Most Great Name, to open the eyes of Thy
servants, that they may behold Thee shining above the horizon of Thy
majesty and glory, and that they may not be hindered by the croaking of
the raven from hearkening to the voice of the Dove of Thy sublime oneness, nor be prevented by the corrupt waters from partaking of the pure wine of Thy bounty and the everlasting streams of Thy gifts.
Gather them, then, together around this Divine Law, the covenant of
which Thou hast established with all Thy Prophets and Thy Messengers,
and Whose ordinances Thou hast written down in Thy Tablets and Thy
Scriptures. Raise them up, moreover, to such heights as will enable
them to perceive Thy Call.
Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou art, verily, the Inaccessible, the All-Glorious.
-- Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 105
Back to Table of Contents.