Chapter C61
---------------
The Proof of God -- the Manifestations of God (Independent Prophets and Dependent/Lesser Prophets).
1)
Baha'u'llah is the Proof of God (the Manifestation of God -- the Independent Prophet).
[1] O thou glorious enquirer who art set aglow through the Fire of the
Friend! [2] Be thou assured that from the very first day that God aided
Me through faith in Him and confirmation in His Cause, it was not my
desire to respond to the enquiries of any among the servants. [3] But
since I found in thy heart a fire from the Proof of God and a brand from the Light of the Manifestation of His Self,
the ocean of My affection hath surged and it is My wish to reply to
thee through the power and might of God. [4] My munificence overfloweth
with the sprinklings of servitude in the Land of the Theophany, in
order that the breezes of Light might attract thee unto the summit of
exhilaration, and cause thee to attain that station which God hath
decreed for thee in these days in which the winds of sorrow have
encompassed Me on all sides. [5] This on account of that which the
hands of the people have committed for they have calumniated me without
proof or written testimony.[6] O Lord! Cast patience upon Me and make
Me to be victorious over the seditious people.
-- Baha'u'llah, Lawh-i-Kullu-Ta'am, The Tablet of All Food - Provisional translation by Stephen Lambden.
2)
Baha'u'llah is the Proof of God (the Manifestation of God -- the Independent Prophet).
And amongst them are those who say, "Verily he denieth God,"
notwithstanding that all my limbs testify that there is no God but Him,
and that those whom he quickened with the truth and sent for [men's]
guidance are the manifestations of His Most Comely Names, the day
springs of His Supreme Attributes, and the recipients of His revelation
in the realm of creation; by whom the Proof of God
unto all beside Himself is made perfect, the sign of renunciation
becomes apparent; and by whom every soul taketh a course towards the
Lord of the Throne. We bear witness that there is no God but Him;
everlastingly he was, and there was nothing beside Him; everlastingly
He will be, even as He hath been. Exalted is the Merciful One above
this, that the hearts of the people of wisdom should ascend unto the
comprehension of His Nature, or that the understanding of such as
inhabit the worlds should rise to the knowledge of His Essence. Holy is
He above the knowledge of all save Himself, and exempt is he from the
comprehension of what is beside Him: verily in Eternity of Eternities
was He independent of the worlds.
-- Baha'u'llah, Lawh-i-Sultan. Provisional translation by Guardian-Browne.
3)
The Holy Imams are the Proof of God (Manifestations of God -- Dependent/Lesser Prophets).
No doubt is there that obedience is unacceptable except through obedience to the Proof of God.
Had that not been so, then the deeds of them that showed enmity towards
the People of the House [the Family of Muhammad, the Holy Imams] would have been mentioned before God, whereas
in this day, all decree that none should worship them, nor have their
deeds borne any fruit. In this way, the non- Shi'is today act in
accordance with the decrees of the Qur'án, whereas, since they have
turned aside from the Imamate (vilayat), these deeds are worthless in the sight of God.
-- The Bab, The Persian Bayan
Before
the creation of the world, from His own light, Allah derived a light
called light of Nubuwwa (prophethood) or exoteric and from that derived
another light called Walaya (Imamah) or esoteric. Allah said "Here is a
Light from my Light, its trunk is the prophecy and its branch is the
Imamate; prophecy belongs to Muhammad, my servant and messenger and
Imamate belongs to Ali, my proof and my friend. Without them, I would
have created none of my creation..." The very names of prophecy and
Imamate are derived from the names of Allah.[16]
-- From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imamate_in_Twelver_doctrine
4)
Imam Husayn, the third Dependent/Lesser Prophet in the era of Muhammad is the Proof of God.
O denizens of the city of names and O countenances residing in the
chambers of the all-highest paradise! O companions of faithfulness in
the kingdom of eternity! Change ye your glad white and red garments
unto black clothes of mourning, for the supreme calamity and the
greatest loss hath come to pass, because of which, the Messenger of God
hath wailed and lamented and the heart of Fátimih hath melted.
Thereupon, the dwellers of the Abhá Tabernacle and those sailing upon
the Crimson Ark, seated upon seats of love and loyalty, wept with a
great weeping.
Ah! Ah! How I lament My sorrows caused by an injustice that hath set
afire the realities of all beings; how I grieve over that which hath
befallen the Sovereign of the Visible and Invisible at the hands of
those who have violated God's Covenant and Testament and have denied
His proof, repudiated His grace and disputed with His signs!
-- Baha'u'llah, Tablet of Visitation for Imám Husayn (a provisional translation by K. Fananapazir).
Full text available at: https://bahai-library.com/bahaullah_fananapazir_visitation_husayn
5)
Abdu'l-Baha, the Branch,
is the Proof of God. In the next passages, Imam Ali states he is "the
Mystery of God" and Baha'u'llah referred to Abdu'l-Baha as "the Mystery of God", among many parallels between Imam Ali and Abdu'l-Baha.
Say: O people, praise ye God, for its Manifestation [i.e. Abdu'l-Baha], for verily it is
the most great favor upon you and the most perfect blessing upon you;
and through Him every moldering bone is quickened. Whosoever turns to
Him hath surely turned unto God, and whosoever turneth away from Him
hath turned away from My beauty, denied My proof and is of those who
transgress. Verily, He is the remembrance of God amongst you and His
trust within you, and His manifestation unto you and His appearance
among the servants who are nigh. Thus have I been commanded to convey
to you the message of God, your Creator; and I have delivered to you
that of which I was commande His messengers, and then His holy servants.
-- Baha'u'llah, Tablet of the Branch, Bahá'í World Faith (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1966 [third printing])
The Holy Qur'án hath testified
that true Faith is recognition of divine unity and confession to both
the Prophet and the Imámate. 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]
O Salmán! O Jandáb![16] Verily, God hath made me His Trustee over His
creation and His Vicegerent on His earth, in His territories, and over
His servants. He hath given Me what no artist can depict and no man of
understanding can truly comprehend. If thou wert to know Me in this
fashion, thou shalt attain unto true belief.[17]
O Salmán! God, exalted be He saith: "Nay, seek God's help with patient
perseverance and prayer: it is indeed hard except to those who bring a
lowly spirit."[18] "Patient perseverance" is Muhammad and "Prayer" is
my Wilayat.[19] Thus, that is why God hath declared it is hard. He doth
not reveal the Two[20] are hard. In truth, My Guardianship is
perplexing only to those who bring a lowly spirit. These latter are
they who have sought discernment using the light of My guidance.
O Salmán! We are the Mystery of God[21] that shalt not remain hidden.
We are His light that shalt never be extinguished, His Grace that is
expected from none other save Him. Muhammad
is our first, Muhammad our last, Muhammad our all![22] Muhammad is our
first, Muhammad our last, Muhammad our all. He who recognizeth Us in
this regard hath, in truth, consummated his Faith.
O Salmán, and O Jandáb! Muhammad and I were the Light that was voicing
forth the divine eulogy before any other reality started to praise Him.
We were the cause of illumination unto all creation. This one Light was
divided by God into two portions, the Chosen "Mustafa"[23], and His
Vicegerent, "Murtada"[24], and vouchsafed unto creation. God, exalted
be His Glory, said to each half, "Be Muhammad!", "Be 'Alí!"[25] It is thus that the Prophet said: "I am from 'Alí and 'Alí is from Me. None can give forth My Trust but Myself and 'Alí."[26]
This refers to our unity in the worlds of Light and Spirit. Similar is
this divine utterance: "and If He dieth or is slain."[27] "Dieth"
refers to the passing away of the Prophet. "Slain" refers to the
martyrdom of the Successor[28], for the Two are one Entity, one
Signification and one Light. Their unity is in purpose and attributes.
They are different in Their corporeal entity and their Names. But in
the world of spirit, They are One Spirit. In Spirit, He said, "Thou art
the Spirit within My Limbs." In the world of bodies, He saith: "Thou
art of Me and I am of Thine. Thou shalt inherit after Me."
-- Imam Ali, The Sermon of Ma'rifat bin-Nurániyyat (Recognition with Luminousness). Translation by K. Fananapazir.
Full text available at: https://bahai-library.com/imam-ali_marifat_nuraniyyat
He [Abdu'l-Baha] alone had been accorded the privilege of being called "the Master,"
an honor from which His Father had strictly excluded all His other
sons. Upon Him that loving and unerring Father had chosen to confer the
unique title of "Sirru'llah" (the Mystery of God),
...
-- Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 241
Back to Table of Contents.