Brief compilation on Supreme Manifestations -- Independent Prophets.
1)
We made reply: "Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets, and the most
distinguished of God's chosen Ones, hath likened the Dispensation of
the Qur'án unto heaven, by reason of its loftiness, its paramount
influence, its majesty, and the fact that it comprehendeth all
religions. And as the sun and moon constitute the brightest and most
prominent luminaries in the heavens, similarly in the heaven of the
religion of God two shining orbs have been ordained -- fasting and
prayer. 'Islam is heaven; fasting is its sun, prayer, its moon.'"
-- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 39
Consider the dispensation of Him Who is the Seal of the Prophets and
the King of the Chosen Ones -- may the souls of all mankind be offered
up for His sake! After the Daystar of Truth dawned above the horizon of
hijaz, how great were the cruelties which the exponents of error
inflicted upon that incomparable Manifestation of the All-Glorious!
Such was their heedlessness that they regarded every injury inflicted
upon that sacred Being as ranking among the greatest of all acts, and
constituting a means of attainment unto God, the Most High. For in the
early years of His mission the divines of that age, both Christian and
Jewish, turned away from that Daystar of the heaven of glory, whereupon
all people, high and low alike, bestirred themselves to extinguish the
light of that Luminary of the horizon of inner meanings.
-- Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 123
In response to thy request the Pen of Glory hath graciously described
the stations and grades of the Most Great Infallibility. The purpose is
that all should know of a certainty that the Seal of the Prophets [Muhammad]--may
the souls of all else but Him be offered up for His sake--is without
likeness, peer or partner in His Own station. The Holy Ones [The Holy Imams]--may
the blessings of God be upon them--were created through the potency of
His Word, and after Him they were the most learned and the most
distinguished among the people and abide in the utmost station of
servitude. The divine Essence, sanctified from every comparison and
likeness, is established in the Prophet [Independent Prophet], and God's inmost Reality,
exalted above any peer or partner, is manifest in Him. This is the
station of true unity and of véritable singleness. The followers of the previous Dispensation [Islam] grievously failed to acquire an adequate understanding of this station. The Primal Point [The Bab]
--may the life of all else but Him be offered up for His sake--saith:
`If the Seal of the Prophets had not uttered the word "Successorship",
such a station would not have been created.'
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 123
2)
Briefly, it is said that
the "Dayspring of Revelation" is the manifestation of these words, "He
doeth whatsoever He willeth"; this condition is peculiar to that Holy
Being, and others have no share of this essential perfection. That is
to say, that as the supreme Manifestations certainly possess essential infallibility,
therefore whatever emanates from Them is identical with the truth, and
conformable to reality. They are not under the shadow of the former
laws. Whatever They say is the word of God, and whatever They perform
is an upright action. No believer has any right to criticize; his
condition must be one of absolute submission, for the Manifestation
arises with perfect wisdom -- so that whatever the supreme
Manifestation says and does is absolute wisdom, and is in accordance
with reality...
In short, the meaning of "He doeth whatsoever He willeth" is that if
the Manifestation says something, or gives a command, or performs an
action, and believers do not understand its wisdom, they still ought
not to oppose it by a single thought, seeking to know why He spoke so,
or why He did such a thing. The
other souls who are under the shadow of the supreme Manifestations are
submissive to the commandments of the Law of God, and are not to
deviate as much as a hairsbreadth from it; they must conform
their acts and words to the Law of God. If they do deviate from it,
they will be held responsible and reproved in the presence of God. It
is certain that they have no share in the permission "He doeth
whatsoever He willeth," for this condition is peculiar to the supreme
Manifestations.
So Christ -- may my spirit be sacrificed to Him! -- was the
manifestation of these words, "He doeth whatsoever He willeth," but the
disciples were not partakers of this condition; for as they were under
the shadow of Christ, they could not deviate from His command and will.
-- Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 173
3)
Since the Sanctified Realities, the supreme Manifestations of God,
surround the essence and qualities of the creatures, transcend and
contain existing realities and understand all things, therefore, Their
knowledge is divine knowledge, and not acquired -- that is to say, it
is a holy bounty; it is a divine revelation.
We will mention an example expressly for the purpose of comprehending
this subject. The most noble being on the earth is man. He embraces the
animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms -- that is to say, these
conditions are contained in him to such an extent that he is the
possessor of these conditions and states; he is aware of their
mysteries and of the secrets of their existence. This is simply an
example and not an analogy. Briefly, the supreme Manifestations of God
are aware of the reality of the mysteries of beings. Therefore, They
establish laws which are suitable and adapted to the state of the world
of man, for religion is the essential connection which proceeds from
the realities of things. The Manifestation -- that is, the Holy
Lawgiver -- unless He is aware of the realities of beings, will not
comprehend the essential connection which proceeds from the realities
of things, and He will certainly not be able to establish a religion
conformable to the facts and suited to the conditions. The Prophets of
God, the supreme Manifestations, are like skilled physicians, and the
contingent world is like the body of man: the divine laws are the
remedy and treatment. Consequently, the doctor must be aware of, and
know, all the members and parts, as well as the constitution and state
of the patient, so that he can prescribe a medicine which will be
beneficial against the violent poison of the disease. In reality the
doctor deduces from the disease itself the treatment which is suited to
the patient, for he diagnoses the malady, and afterward prescribes the
remedy for the illness. Until the malady be discovered, how can the
remedy and treatment be prescribed? The doctor then must have a
thorough knowledge of the constitution, members, organs and state of
the patient, and be acquainted with all diseases and all remedies, in
order to prescribe a fitting medicine.
-- Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 157
4)
How often the Prophets of God and His supreme Manifestations
in Their prayers confess Their sins and faults! This is only to teach
other men, to encourage and incite them to humility and meekness, and
to induce them to confess their sins and faults. For these Holy Souls
are pure from every sin and sanctified from faults. In the Gospel it is
said that a man came to Christ and called Him "Good Master." Christ
answered, "Why callest thou Me good? there is none good but One, that
is, God."[1] This did not mean -- God forbid! -- that Christ was a
sinner; but the intention was to teach submission, humility, meekness
and modesty to the man to whom He spoke. These Holy Beings are lights,
and light does not unite itself with darkness. They are life, and life
and death are not confounded. They are for guidance, and guidance and
error cannot be together. They are the essence of obedience, and
obedience cannot exist with rebellion.
[1 Matt. 19:16, 17.]
-- Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 169