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Printed in 1996 by xerographic process on acid-free paperMIRZA-ABUL-FAZL‘ meester Porras Webeiasiteta)
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§ | HUJAJUL BEHEYYEH
(THE BEHAT PROOFS)

MIRZA-ABUL-FAZL

Or GULPAYGAN, PERSIA.

TRANSLATED BY

AET KULI KHAN.

 

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THE J. W. PRATT CO., PRINTERS
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CONTENTS.

(oC PAGE
Translator’s Preface : : 2 . : 5
Sketch of the Leaders of the Behai Religion 22
His Holiness the Great Bab : : : 26
His Holiness Beha-Ullah : : : : 45

His Holiness Abdul-Beha : : : : 109

Exordium ‘ : : : : : : 120
First Introduction. : : : : : 123
The Second Introduction ; : ‘ ; 141
The Third Introduction : . : 3 159
~ The Fourth Introduction : : 228

Fifth Introduction

Sea he eat endear eee BA eT ra ete eee es heTranslator’s Preface.

 
 
  
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
   
 

In the Name of our Lord the El-Beha!

Praise be unto Thee, O Thou God of the world
and Creator of nations! Exalted is Thy prai :
and sanctified is Thy name! O Lord! Enable us to
accomplish our work through Thy mercy, and
facilitate unto us our affairs!

Verily, Thou art the Bestower! There is no
God but Thee, the First and the Last!

 

As many thoughtful people of the United States
of America have expressed their desire to obtain
information concerning the Behai Religion, and
since there 1s no book to be found in Europe or
America, free from religious prejudice and fanati-
cism, furnishing full particulars upon this subject;
I have therefore determined to translate two of
the writings of the Honorable Mirza-Abul-Fazl
of Gulpaygan, Persia, which contain the required
information. By this means, I hope to be of
service to humanity ; for an exact statement of his-
torical facts, free from religious and racial bias, is
bound to be of great service to the world, inas-
much as it concerns the greatest religious move-
ment of the age.

Although the art of translation is one of the
difficult branches of literature and composition,
yet, trusting in the Divine Confirmation and
56 ean sAterc Preface.

strengthening of my weak efforts, I hope to bring
the substance of these two works to the notice
of the reader, in as close conformity with the
original sense as my knowledge of English and
the difficulty of the text permit.

The first work of the author, following this
preface, is my translation of a short sketch in
Persian, of the history and lives of the leaders of
this Religion. The second is a translation from
the Arabic, of an introductory work to a forth-
coming book, which he is writing in compliance
with the Command of our Master, Abdul-Beha-
Abbas. The subject of this later work will be
interpretation of the Holy Books of former re-
ligions, in order that the principal doctrines,
proofs and arguments of the Behais may be known
to the world.

These writings, I have translated in compliance
with the especial Command of our Lord Abdul-
Beha. One night, about fourteen months ago,
while I was in Haifa, and the author at Port Said,
Our Lord inquired from Ahmad Yazdi (who had
arrived from Port-Said), concerning the welfare of
Mirza-Abul-Fazl; to which he replied that Mirza
was well and engaged in writing his book. A num-
ber of American and Paris visitors, who had also
arrived from Port-Said, were present. Then our
Beloved Master turned to me, saying:—‘‘Khan:
you must translate this book into English. God
will confirm you therein.” I bowed to Him and

said it would be the greatest honor for me to
comply with His Command.Sa Bey ats ees Pests Lyre fo)

    
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
   
  
 
 
 
 
 
   

— In the following I will give a succinct account
fee of the life of the author:—

ee Mirza-Abul-Fazl was born in 1844, in Gulpay-
gan, a small Persian town, founded by Humay,
the daughter of Darius I. The family to which
his parents belong is one of the most distinguished
of that city, and, even to the present time, is well-
known for learning and knowledge. His father,
Mirza-Reza, was one of the most noted Shrite
doctors of religion in Persia; he died in 1871,
at the age of seventy.

In the prime of youth, Mirza-Abul-Fazl trav-
elled to Isfahan and Irak, with the object of
perfecting his studies. Even in his boyhood he
was noted for intelligence, sound memory, and
diligence in discovering subtle scientific points,
to such an extent, that these qualities seemed to
the people supernatural.

Last spring, in Paris, one of the Persian stu-
dents, named Nassr-Ullah-Khan, spoke of Haji-
Moliah-Hassan, a great scientific lecturer of
Isfahan, who had ween one of the pupils of Mirza-
Abul-Fazl. In the course of conversation, he said
that when, in 1866, the first edition of the Arabic
Dictionary, entitled “‘Firooz-Abadi,” one of the
most authoritative and well-known works, was
published in Tabriz, Persia, the students of the
College of Sadr of Isfahan brought a copy of it
to Mirza-Abul-Fazl for criticism. He, in one
evening, examined the whole contents of the book,
about 1,400 pages, and asserted that it contained
but two words with wrong accentuation. After

 

eee Se agit i at be Sa ba fa ee eee es eee8 Translator’s Preface.

a long and careful examination by the learned
scholars of Isfahan, it was found that this state-
ment, made by the author after a few hours’ in-
vestigation, was correct.

Before he was twenty-two years of age, Mirza-
Abul-Fazl had perfected himself in the branches
of Arabic learning, such as Grammar, Rhetoric,
Etymology and Composition; although Arabic is
a foreign language to Persians. In accordance
with the wishes of his father, he also acquired a
perfect knowledge of Mohammedan Theology and
Laws. At the same time, he studied Mathematics,
Algebra, Arithmetic, Geometry, and Astronomy
according to the Ptolemian system. He also mas-
tered the Aristotelian as well as the rational
Mohammedan philosophy.

In October, 1873, he left the town of Gulpay-
gan and went to Teheran, the capital of Persia,
where he took up his residence. <A short time
after his arrival, he was appointed the superintend-
ent and professor of one of the oldest first class
Arabic Universities of Teheran, named the “‘School
of Hakim-Hashem.” There, students of different
sciences gathered around him and attended his
lectures.

In 1875, he became acquainted with a merchant
named Aga-Abdul-Kerim of Isfahan, an adherent
of the Behai Religion. As this merchant found
Mirza-Abul-Fazl sagacious and free from preju-
dice, he invited him to join his religion. Although
Aga-Abdul-Kerim had no schooling, yet he pos-
sessed a shrewd, acute mind and an excellentMeer) Mbobiieieledititest toss ee wether tM eee bee tea
rho Sse Pete tr reba ht tone te Mra tM bt Seeker ayers Petes

  
   
  
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
   

Translator’s Preface. 9

se character. He arranged interviews for Miurza-
Abul-Fazl with learned Behai teachers, such as
His Holiness the great Nabil, entitled “The
Learned One of Ka-’een,”’ the late Haji Moham-
med-Ismail of Kashan, entitled “Zabih” (sacri-
ficed), Aga-Mirza-Heydar-Ali of Ardistan, aid
others. They continued the controversy and re-
ligious and scientific debate during eight months.
Finally, in September, 1876, after this ample dis-
cussion and tedious argument, Mirza-Abul-Fazl,
Anding himself unable to refute and resist the
proofs and demonstrations of the Behais, and
esteeming the evidences of this movement
stronger than the proofs of other religions, ac-
knowledged and embraced the truth of the Re-
ligion of Beha-Ullah, and became a convert to it.

Among the proofs and evidences which he fre-
quently related, are the following from his own
words :—

“The oppression, deposition and murder of
Sultan Abdul-Aziz of Turkey, which happened
approximately in May, 1876; as well as the full
particulars and details of the Turko-Russian war,
were explained to us in the early days of October,
1875, by Haji Mohammed Ismail Zabih, from the
prophecies of Beha-Ullah. In that meeting, Aga-
Abdul-Kerim of Isfahan, Aga-Mohammed-Hadi,
the book-binder, of Isfahan, and Aga-Mirza-
Ahmad, the bratder, of Isfahan, were present.
Haji Zabih read to us some Tablets, including
the Tablet of Samandar (the title of Aga-Sheikh-
Kazem, an old and prominent Behai teacher of10 Translator’s Preface.

Kazwin, still living in that city), which contained
a clear and explicit statement of these events.
Then I said to Aga-Abdul-Kerim of Isfahan :—‘If
the deposition of the Sultan and the Turko-
Russian war take place and come to pass, this
will be considered a great proof of the truth of
Beha-Ullah,—greater than the miracles performed
by former prophets.’ ”’

Most of the students of Teheran have also heard
the same subject spoken of by the author. For,

in those days, the spread of the Religion of Beha-.

Ullah had just begun, and the persecutions, blood-
shed and pillage inflicted upon the Behais were
sO great and violent, that no one dared mention
their names in Persia, much less to praise them.
But, as the author was considered a prominent
man of learning, and had a great following of
students, he spoke of these events in his lecture
rooms with astonishment. Moreover, at this
time, he had not yet become a Behai, nor could
he or anyone imagine that the Behais would over-
come him in controversy, and thus change his
religion.

Afterward, in 1876, when Mirza-Abul-Fazl ac-
knowledged the truth of this re"gion, and, on
account of the straightforwardness for which he
was noted, could not conceal his belief, he openly
propounded proofs and arguments of the truth of
Behaism, in his lectures to the students.

Consequently, enemies who were jealous of him,
always waiting to accomplish his downfall, availed
themselves of this opportunity to speak of him

 

spe seeiil stradsiads sted tt ayia tes eeh aCe nae kaa
hay V Pe Persea te atte hy ty te te tar te belt ie 2g staat Sele a seis Sent

    
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   

f | Translator’s Preface.

in the presence of the clergy and prominent states-
men of Teheran. The clergy denounced him, and,
in December of the same year, he was arrested
and put in chains by the command of Prince
Kamran-Mirza, entitled Nayeb-Essultana (Prince
Regent), the third son of the late Nasser-
Ed-Din Shah, who was then the governor of
Teheran, Guilan and Mazanderan. This imprison-
ment lasted about five months. As a result of
this imprisonment, he lost all the property which
he had inherited from his father. At the end of
five months, he and other Behais imprisoned with
him on account of their faith, were released, owing
to the efforts of the late Haji-Mirza-Hussien-
Khan, entitled Mushire-Dawla, who was then
Minister of War. Upon his release, the clergy
of Teheran tried their utmost to persuade him to
verbally acknowledge Mohammedanism, and not
to openly uphold the truth of the Behai Religion.
To this he would not agree, and patiently endured
the most violent persecutions and afflictions rather
than accede to the clergy and statesmen. After-
ward he gained his living by means of his pen, and
diligently labored in spreading the Behai Re-
ligion. Finally, in 1300 A. H. (1882 A. D.), came
a great historical calamity. Large numbers of
Behais were arrested in various Persian cities, for
now this religion had become very prevalent
throughout Persia and the Caucasus. A consid-
erable number of the nobility, comprising Mo-
hammedans, Jews, Zoroastrians, Nusseyrites, etc.,
had embraced it with the utmost sincerity, and

rb treed

 

eee osteale Pebamate bs ot boca bed oke bers 28 beet ie fe Pe to |12 Translator’s Preface.

even did not recant when in danger of their lives.
Consequently the fire of envy and hatred flamed
anew in the clergy and statesmen of Teheran, who
considered themselves defenders of the first-named
religion. They agreed with the Prince Kamran-
Mirza to persecute the Behais. So they falsely
accused and calumniated them before the Shah.
Also in Resht, Isfahan and Mazanderan, most of
the clergy and statesmen determined to eradicate
the Behais, and arrested a great number. Among
these was Mirza-Abul-Fazl, who was arrested in
Teheran, along with a multitude of the Behais of
prominence, merchants, traders, etc. He was
confined for about one month in the house of the
Prince, and several controversial meetings and
debates were held in the presence of the Prince,
concerning this Religion.

The opponents of the Behais, consisting prin-
cipally of members of the royal family, religious
doctors and statesmen, constantly accused them
of sedition and plots. Great efforts were made to
alienate the mind of the Shah from them and to
persuade him to decree their suppression and
slaughter. But as they could not be charged with
any violation of the laws of the Government, the
Shah became convinced of their innocence, and
would not consent to sentence them to death, but
commanded them to be put in chains in the royal
prison. Thus Mirza-Abul-Fazl and a number of
the stanch Behais were imprisoned in chains and
fetters for twenty-two months, subject to rigorous
distress and hardship. During most of this time,ta SSSR eH mboae WED
Hebibe de tase yin Peas te a1 re bold oe te Se ea tae sas pie eee

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  

Translator’s Preface. 13

nobody was allowed to see them. Twenty-four
of them were, for fourteen days, chained to two
long, heavy chains in a dark underground dun-
geon. Mirza-Abul-Fazl relates that for about six
months they received daily news of the plots and
intrigues of their enemies, and expected death at
any moment, having entirely resigned themselves
to the will of God.

After the lapse of twenty-two months, the false-
ness of the accusations of the enemy was proven
to the Shah, and he commanded that the prisoners
should be set free.

Released from this rigorous imprisonment,
Mirza-Abul-Fazl took up his residence in the vil-
lage of Gholo-hak, one of the well-known and de-
lightful summer resorts of Teheran, where he
remained about seven months, engaged in lectur-
ing and writing. Again the Prince found excuse
for his arrest, a third time. He was imprisoned
for six months in the royal building named Otake-
Nezam (the military department), whence he was
released February sth, 1886.

The purpose of this brief account of Mirza-Abul-
Fazl’s life and sufferings, is to inform the thought-
ful people of this country, concerning the strength
of the farth of the adherents of this religion. The
full details and circumstances of his experiences
are far beyond the limits of this short article.
Some of the learned men of Syria and Egypt have
written his biography.

For about thirty years, he has been travelling
in remote countries. He has journeyed north-

  

 

tere Sesy Satria ee cd a a Sk ee Pa ee i ee14 Translators’ Preface.

ward through Persia, Turkey, the Caucasus, Tar-
tary and Russia, as far as Moscow; eastward as
far as the confines of China and Kash-Kar; to
Syria and Egypt; and at the time of this writing,
is making a trip through Western Europe and
America. During his arduous travels, he has
everywhere secured a good name for himself and
his countrymen; has consorted with the men of
learning of different religions, nationalities and
schools; and has acquired a vast range of knowl-
edge which it would be impossible to attain with-
out undertaking extensive and toilsome journeys.

In 1303 A. H. (1886 A. D.), he received the
Tablet wntten by Beha-Ullah in 1300 A. H., in
which he is commanded to travel for the purpose
of teaching the Word of God; and during his dis-
tant journeys, undertaken in compliance with this
Command, many holy Tablets were revealed in
praise of his strength and fidelity to the Cause.

While travelling, he has written numerous
books, being considered a standard writer in an-
cient and modern Persian, as well as in Arabic.
The following statement was made by him in re-
gard to his wnitings:—

“In the early years of my conversion, I refused
to write books, supposing that in the days in which
the Supreme Pen was moving, its sound would be
heard in all regions. Therefore, I reasoned, it
would be a great presumption for a man to at-
tempt writing and composition. Finally in 1887,
when in Azerbeyjan, I was favored with the privi-

 

  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
  
 
 

 

ehreeer ©oe Translator’s Preface. 15
lege of meeting Wargha the Martyr,* and he
encouraged me to write and compose. He said—
“During the days when I was at the brilliant city
of Akka, and attained the honor of meeting the
Blessed Perfection, the Blessed Tongue repeated
the Command of the ‘First Point,’ which was that
the believers should each one write books demon-
strating the truth of ‘He whom God shall mani-
fest.’ I inquired if He deemed it advisable to
employ Mirza-Abul-Fazl in this service. Then He
said:—‘As the ‘First Point’ has commanded it,
such persons should employ themselves in writing
and propounding arguments.’

“(When I heard this statement from his holiness
Wargha the Martyr, I ventured to undertake writ-
ing. Other believers from all parts, were urging
me both verbally and by letters, to write books of
explanation and proofs. Therefore in 1888, when
I went to the city of Hamadan, one of the great
princes there, asked me to work out the date of
the Manifestation of the Command of God, from
the Koran. As in those days, the Cause of God
had penetrated among the Hebrews, and the Jew-
ish Behais were widely renowned, one of the
learned Jews of Teheran, by name Dr. Mirza-
Ayoob, had asked many questions from the Jew-
ish Behais of Hamadan, and they requested me to
write answers to them. Consequently I wrote
a brief treatise in reply to the request of the prince

@The acccunt of the Martyrdom of Miras-Ali-Mohammed the poet.
ore of ti:e stanch Behais, with Rouh-Allah his son, is given In the
‘History of thie Movement’’ which follows this preface. Wargha is
the title of this martyr, ineaning ‘nightingale’ oe ‘’dove.’’

erase

 

etyyet sett Dryness yee tees oi he rhs fe heen at ts16 Translator’s Preface.

and the Jewish Behais, which book was entitled
‘Shar’ he-Ayate-M owarrakhe’ (an account of the
texts, giving dates). I furnished therein, an
interpretation of those verses of the Heavenly
Books, in the Old and New Testament, the Koran,
the Zend Avesta of the Parsees, which contain in-
dications of the date of the Appearance of the
Cause of God. This treatise was written in Per-
sian, and many unrevised copies of it are circulated
in Hamad:n, etc. The learned Jews have trans-
lated into Hebrew that part of it which concerns
the Jewish religion, and have spread it throughout
Persia.”

“A revolt was stirred up against me in Hama-
dan, through the instigation of the Clergy.
I was arrested, confined for five days, and then
compelled to leave the city; which prevented me
from revising the book. However, in the year
1890, when in Samarkand (Turkistan), I revised
it, and manuscript copies were sent to different

“In those years, Ostad-Jawan-Mard, the lec-
turer of the Zoroastrian College of Yezd, wrote a
petition to the Holy Presence of Beha-Ullah, ask-
ing various questions. Among other things, he
asked concerning the genealogy of Beha-Ullah;
for the Parsees, according to the text of their
Heavenly Book, expect the Greatest Manifesta-
tron, the Promised Lord, to appear from Persia
and to be of Zoroastrian descent. In answer to
this question, Beha-Ullah wrote in a Tablet to
him, the following passage:—ey sataseteeetetriiti sito ss Pee h eee ae We bela te)
eee oh sets) ee ee ht ie te tel te bod be oe beet ee ee ee Bae

  

Translator’s Preface. 17

““*Abul-Fazl of Gulpaygan (upon him be My
Beha!) hath written upon this subject, from the
Heavenly Scriptures, things which are effective in
guiding capable, prepared souls.’

“In 1892, this book was sent by Aga-Mirza-
Abdul-Kerim of Ardebeel, from Askabad to the
Holy Presence of Abdul-Beha, in compliance with
His own command. It was approved in the fol-
lowing Tablet written by His own Blessed
Hand :-—

“*The treatise containing proofs, written by the
pen of that pure soul, was read and noted. We
opened our mouth to give thanks for the Favors
of the Threshold of Oneness, Who, through the
Confirmation of His Kingdom the El-Abha, hath
caused such souls to arise for the guidance of all
the religions of the world, so that no one among
the nations of the world can equal or resist their
speech, utterance and the strength of their
argument. We thank Him that He hath caused
thee to speak His praise, raised thee to explain
His argument, demonstrate His proofs and evi-
dences, and to deciare His Cause in the Kingdom
of His Creation! Were people to possess atten-
tive ears, sound minds, tranquil souls, and pure
hearts, this (thy) treatise would be sufficient for
them. Verily, I beseech God to make thee a sign
of Guidance, a standard of Righteousness, a lamp
of Knowledge, a dawning-place of Assurance, a
preparer of the Path, a guide to enable people to
make straight the road throughout the concourse
of existence, and a leader of the hosts of Life, ‘n

 

bie teat
rat eee18 Translator’s Preface.

the Kingdom of the visible world. Verily, He is
the confirmer of whomsoever He willeth! Verily,
He 1s powerful in all things! Upon thee be El-
Beha!’ *Abdul-Beha-Abbas.’ ”

In 1892, Mirza-Abul-Fazl wrote, in Samar-
kand, the book entitled “Fassl’ Ul-Khetab” (con-
clusive proof), in answer to questions asked by
Mirza-Heydar-Ah of Tabriz, one of the learned
men of Azerbeyjan. This book he wrote in the
style of the doctors of theology, and in the intro-
duction is given an account of the controversy in
Samarkand between himself and Dr. Marcard
Assadorian, a Protestant teacher, in a meeting held
by men of learning. In 1898, he wrote the book of
“Fl-Farayed” in Persian, in compliance with the
command of our Lord Abdul-Beha. In this work,
he answers the objections of Sheikh-Abdus-Salam,
entitled Sheikh-El-Islam (a Mohammedan pon-
tiff) of Tiflis. The same year, he wrote the book
of “Dorar-Ul-Beheyeh” (the brilliant Pearls), in
Arabic, in answer to Dr. Noor-Edin of India.

His other epistles and pamphlets, which are
scattered in all parts, are too numerous for men-
tion in this article.

Mirza-Abul-Fazl has a wonderful genius in ex-
plaining subtle philosophical points, which skill 1s
his specialty. He himself thinks that he has re-
ceived this gift as a fulfillment of the prayer which
the Blessed Perfection made for him in a Tablet
written to MHaji-Mohammed-Kazen of Isfahan.
It is as follows:—‘“‘I beg of God to enable Fazl

ee eeeTranslator’s Preface. 19

(Mirza-Abul-Fazl) to teach His Truth, and to
unveil that which is hidden and treasured in His
Knowledge, with wisdom and explanation. Verily
He is the Mighty, the Bestower!”

One of the theories originated by Mirza-Abul-
Fazl, is the “Proof of Stability,” in demonstrating
the Essence of the Self-existent One; as will be
noticed in this book, by discerning minds. This 1s
one of the greatest and clearest logical arguments
for proving the Divine validity of the religions
and demonstrating the Essence of the Al-
mighty. By a single rational proof, it demon-
strates both the existence of God and the truth of
the true Prophets. He first propounded this argu-
ment in the book of ‘‘Fassl-ul-Khetab,” in 1&2,
and for the second time, in the book of “EI-
Farayed,”’ in 1897.

He is the first one of the Behais who has demon-
strated by rational and logical arguments, that
miracles are not sufficient to prove the truth of the
Manifestations of God. He is the first one who
has clearly explained the purpose of what was
spoken by the Prophets, in the Holy Scriptures, as
to the “words being sealed,’”’ to be opened at the
“last days.”” For it ts said by Beha-Ullah in the
Holy Tablets :—“Verily, We have opened the seal
of the ‘sealed Wine.’”’ He is also the first to ex-
plain that the great religions of the world which
have changed and governed the conditions of
society, are seven in number; and that the “seven
heavens” is a term by which the Prophets have
symbolized the Divine Religions. Before Mirza-Translator’s Preface.

Abul-Fazl propounded his theory, the point was
not understood, for this number was not spoken
of in the Divine Books and Tablets, nor in his-
torical works; so historians had different views
upon the subject. Dr. C. Vandyke of America,
professor in the University of Beyrout, who has
compiled well-known works, has stated in his
“Geography,” that the principal religions are four
in number. Nufel George of Tripoli (Syria), who
is one of the noted men of learning, has counted
six in his historical work entitled ““Soussane-Suley-
man” (the “Lily of Soiomon’’). Likewise the
European writers have each stated a certain num-
ber which is not sustained by any argument.
Mirza-Abul-Fazl is the first one who demon-
strated by rational proofs, why the Pagan religions
are considered as polytheism, although they owe
their origin tothe Almighty, and acknowledge one
God. For if by worshipping images, people are to
be considered as polytheists, the Greek Church and
Roman Catholics must also be considered such,
while they are in reality, the “people of the book,”
and believers in Divine Unity and true Religion.
Mirza-Abul-Fazl has especially asked me to
translate the following from his own words, in
which he expresses his gratitude for the assistance
and help he has received from noble souls:—
“Although this book has been written in com-
pliance with the Command of our Lord Abdul-
Beha, who is the Centre of the Circle of Names,
the Light shining from the Horizon of Glory and
Grandeur, and whose Advent has been announcedTranslator’s Preface. 21

in the Books of Prophets and Chosen Ones (Upon
Him is Glory, Might and Praise!), yet, were it not
for the untiring efforts of the brilliant Pearl, the
verdant Leaf, the revered Miss B. (May God 1n-
crease her honor and excellence!), not one of the
pages of my compos.iions would have been writ-
ten during this arduous journey. For it 1s an evi-
dent fact to the learned, and notably to those who
are writers, that a man of advanced age, and weak
constitution, who, in less than one year, has trav-
elled from Egypt to Syna, thence to Europe and
America, hurrying from city to city, moving from
place to place, addressing meetings two or three
times a week, continually speaking to people of
different tastes, both ignorant and learned, preju-
diced and unprejudiced, would not be able to pro-
duce over two thousand pages upon philosophical
subjects,—containing explanations of the most in-
tricate and abstruse points, proofs, arguments, and
interpretations of Scriptural verses,—were it not
for the kind efforts and thoughtfulness of such an
excellent soul. She has taken much trouble and
labor for the wmter, in order that his works may
be published.

“Likewise I express my thanks and praise to the
revered lady Miss R. (Upon her be Beha-Ullah!).
She also has exercised the utmost effort 1n helping
the translation of this book, and has rendered
every possible help to the translator.”’

Verily, God is Powerful ix All Things!

The Servant of Abdul-Beha, ALT KULI KHAN.
April, 1go02. (Ish’te’a’l i br-Nnalanter).

re oeA short historical and biographical
sketch of the leaders of the Behai
Religion, written by the Honorable
Mirza-Abul-Fazl, in answer to the
request of one of the esteemed
Doctors of Chicago, December,
i901. |

In the name of our Lord the E1!-Beha!

It is known to men of learning, that down
to the present year, this new Movement, the light
of which has penetrated most of the eastern and
western countries; this religious belief upon which
depends the reformation of the World and the uni-
fication of Nations; according to the testimony of
the Holy Scriptures, has been founded and upheld
by three holy persons. As those who have at-
tempted to write of this Movement, particularly
the writers of newspapers and magazines, have
nixed up true and false statements, and have col-
ored historical facts with personal prejudices, it 1s
therefore impossible for readers and students to
rely upon and profit by their accounts. Even the
very sources of their records and the obvious con-
trast between them, bear testimony of their unre-
liability. It has therefore been deemed necessary
to depict in these pages, a true, substantial and
succinct account concerning the birth, fountain-

22Sie yevatees eve de beer ee SE eae eT eee abana ea ee

    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   

Sketch of the Leaders. 23

source and circumstances of these “Three Lights,”
which cannot be disputed or doubted. With re-
gard to misrepresentations made by prejudiced
people concerning certain facts, we leave the ex-
posure of these to the natural and inevitable laws
of development and progression; for time and cir-
cumstances do not permit the writer to enter into
details of proofs and arguments upon all these
points. God the Exalted will enable us to accom-
plish our undertaking.

We preface the subject by saying that religions
are distinguished and differentiated from each
other by three points. First, by the difference of
founders and institutors. For instance, the re-
ligions of Zoroaster, Moses, and Mohammed are
distinguished and named by three different names,
on account of their being founded by these three
different personages.

Second, by the difference of the inspired Books
of the religions. Thus, the Divine Book of the
Zoroastrians is the Zend-Avesta, that of the Jews
is the Old Testament, and that of the Moslems ts
the Koran.

Third, by the difference of laws, ordinances,
rites and customs. For instance, as the laws and
ordinances of the above religions are different from
each other, therefore they are accounted as three
religions. In other words, as the devotional acts,
rites and beliefs of Christianity are different from
those of the Confucianists ; and as those of the lat-
ter are different from those of the Brahamans,
therefore these are considered different religions

pete A Ta batt taht oe bees Sao oe tees ST tae aE Os Gd RE ta ee eee ee ne ee eee
Dbettbase soiree aise ca risa be Dome Bat oe Sect bee ek Dert 98 2 St ere24 Sketch of the Leaders.

and peoples; otherwise they would all be regarded
as one religion and one people.

According to this theory, the writer, in his for-
mer works, has shown that the number of the prin-
cipal religions of the world, which have effected
the organization and origin of independent na-
tions, and changed human society, is seven. He
has likewise interpreted the “seven heavens’
spoken of in Heavenly Books, to be these religions;
even though they have all emanated from one
Divine Source, all worship one God, and all seek
the same attainment of eternal life and salvation.
This introductory statement will show men of
learning and sagacity the difference between the
Behais and Babis, and will enable them to distin-
guish one from the other. For the founder of the
Babis was the Great Bab, the “First Point’; while
the founder of the Behais was the Blessed Perfec-
tion, the Greatest Name, Beha-Ullah. The book
of the Babis is the Beyan, which was revealed by
the Great Bab in the mountain of Maku; while
the principal book of the Behais is the ‘“Kitabel-
Akdas” and Tablets belonging to it, all of which
were revealed by Beha-Ullah, after declaring His
Mission, in Adrianople and Akka. Likewise, some
of the Ordinances of the Bab are rigid and rigor-
ous, in contrast with the benign ordinances of
Beha-Ullah, all of which are in conformity with the
praiseworthy civilization of the present day, suit-
able for the preservation of human society, and
adapted to the rights and interests of all the east-
ern and western nations of the world. But, as His

Peres SebSketch of the Leaders. 25

Holiness the Great Bab has announced in His
Books and Epistles, the good tidings of the Mani-
festation of Beha-Ullah, by the name “He whom
God shall manifest’’; as He has revealed that the
appearance of Beha-Ullah would be nine years
after His own advent; as He has fixed the date of
Beha’s declaration and the removal of His own
religion to be nineteen years subsequent to (the
Bab’s) Advent; as He has made His own ordi-
nances and laws dependent upon the will of Beha-
Ultlah—Who has the right to change or reform
them; and as He has used His best efforts and
endeavors upon all occasions, to deliver the Mes-
sage of Beha-Ullah;—therefore we people of Beha
recognize that Brilliant Flame to be the true pre-
cursor of the Blessed Perfection; know Him to be
the Forerunner who prepared the road before the
Divine Manifestation, and the first one to establish
this Law of God.

After this introduction, we now begin to treat
of the lives of each one of these three above-men-
tioned Lights; while begging God the Exalted
for His Confirmation and Assistance.His Holiness the Great Bab.

The Bab’s name was Mirza-Ali-Mohammed. He
was born from a distinguished family of the de-
scendants of Mohammed, in the first day of the
Arabic month Mohar’ram 1235 A. H. (Oct. 1819,
A. D.), in the city of Shiraz, the principal city of
Fars, situated in the south of Persia. His father’s
name was Seyd-Mohammed-Riza, a merchant of
woolen goods, in Fars. He died before his son
Mirza-Ali-Mohammed was weaned. Therefore his
only child was placed in care of a maternal uncle,
FHaji-Mirza-Seyd-Ali of Shiraz, a man noted for his
excellent sanctity, virtue and great piety, and who
exercised utmost care in His development and
training.

When the Bab reached the age of seven and
eight, He was engaged in reading Persian books,
under a tutor known as Sheikhi-Moallem, a
learned man. This instruction followed the ordi-
nary routine of education which the Persian mer-
chants receive. When He reached maturity, He
went into trade, in partnership with His maternal
uncle; and afterward, for business purposes, re-
sided at Bushire, situated upon the coast of the
Persian Gulf, with another uncle, Haji-Mirza-
Seyd-Mohammed.

From His earliest childhood, the Bab was char-
acterized with piety and virtue. He was exceed-
ingly handsome in appearance and of a grave and
26ate Wr btl seh hatte POUR, Ree
eid Se ee aaa hero te te bene te Me ates oe beer ie tree Tey

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   

His Holiness the Great Bab. 27

ae venerable deportment. Furthermore, it is the
oe unanimous testimony of both friends and enemies,
that He was unequalled in beauty, gravity and
politeness, and that He never failed to observe the
exact time of prayer, devotion and other religious
requirements. He was, in the excellence of His
attributes and good qualities, a complete model of
human perfection, a standard of refinement and
elegance. To prove this fact, it 1s sufficient to
observe that the Shi’ite historians, who, in fabri-
cating falsehood and calumnies, especially when
being supported by the Government and people,
write the most shameless and scurrilous state-
ments, have not been able to find any flaw in the
history of His life. Lacking other material for
criticism and abuse, these historians have asserted
that His extravagance and persistence in devo-
tions and discipline finally led to the confusion of
His mind, and ended in melancholy hallucination.

When He reached the age of twenty-four, the
Bab declared before some of the principal men ot
learning, who were distinguished for virtue and
devotion, that God the Exalted had elected Him
to the station of Babhood (doorship). He
claimed that He had been sent to warn people of
the approach of the “time of the end” and of the
coming of the Great Hour; to announce to them
the descent of the Spirit of God (Christ),
spoken of in the Heavenly Books. He read unto
them a book which God had revealed from His
mouth. Being cognizant of the fact that Fle had
not had any further preparation than the study of

re ee
ith

PS Ba Gat ok bce Pee ee ee oe ee ee28 His Holiness the Great Bab.

the elementary books taught to children in pre-
liminary schools, these men of learning were
amazed to find such an extraordinary knowledge
proceeding from Him, and the majority of them
believed in the truth of His claim, on account of
His great piety and integrity. These were His first
believers and became known later as “the Letters
of the Living.”” Each one of these “Letters of the
Living,” in compliance with the Bab’s command,
went to different parts of Persia and Turkey,
spreading the news of His advent, without men-
tioning who He was or where He had appeared.
In the meantime, the Bab set out for a journey to
Mecca and Arabia. In Mecca, He put forward His
claim to more than a hundred thousand Mussul-
mans assembled there at the time of the annual
pilgrimage. Therefore the news of His appear-
ance was universally announced, causing a great
commotion and disturbance in Persia and in Irak-
Arabi. By the title Bab, the Mussulmans under-
stood Him to be a representative of their prom-
ised Mahdi, whose coming had been foretold by
Mohammed; because the Bab gave people to un-
derstand in His discourses and other epistles,
that He was the precursor of another who would
appear after Him.

After performing the rites of pilgrimage, com-
pleting the visit to Mecca and Medina, and fulfill-
ing religiot:s acts of worship, He returned to His
native land, and arrived at Bushire.

As the news of the Bab’s appearance became
widely spread in Shiraz, through the letters for-Me Feehan ee tie dee eae, bas
Gna 5 te hy bt0e, 5 eaeht ioe ae tar ee boi bt oe Crees ates

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  

oe His Holiness the Great Bab. 29
warded by the pilgrims of that city from Mecca
and Medina, and as the number of His converts
increased daily through the fervent endeavors of
“the Letters of the Living,” the Shiite doc-
tors, who tien exercised great influence, arose
against Him, and persuaded Hussein-Khan, en-
titled Nizam’ Ud-Dawla, the Governor of Fars, a
fanatical, tyzannical ruler, exceedingly loyal and
obedient to them, to undertake the Bab’s suppres-
sion and subjugation. He first sent ten horsemen
to Bushire to conduct the Bab to Shiraz. They
met Him midway between Bushire and Shiraz and
escorted Him thither. When He arrived at Shiraz,
the Governor called a meeting, to which he 1in-
vited the prominent clergy of the city, and also
summoned the Bab to be present. The Bab de-
clared His mission openly before all the members
of the assembly. He claimed that the Lord of the
Universe had sent His Door (Bab), and had con-
firmed Him by causing verses to be revealed from
His pen and tongue; that by this manifest proof
and weighty miracle, His truth might be proven
to the people of the world, and they might be
directed to their destination. No sooner had the
Mohammedan clergy heard Him mention the word
“verses,” than they could hardly control their feel-
ings; inasmuch as the founder of their religion
had said in the Koran, that were all the men and
genii to unite together, or all the people of the
world co-operate, they would not be able to
produce even one chapter like the Koran. AI-
though the Bab had not studied the Arabic lan-30 Ffis Holiness the Great Bab.

guage and knew only Persian; and although He
wes neither a scholar nor scientist, yet He wrote
passages in Arabié, similar to the Koran, in an-
swer to their scientific and abstruse questions.
Most of them He wrote in their presence, without
pause or reflection, not even writing a rough copy
first, as is customary with men of learning and
literature. Naturally they were astonished at the
appearance of such wonders and were unable to
answer Him. Finally they were reduced to say
that whosoever, after Mohammed, lays claim to
any revelation of verses, is an infidel. Conse-
quently the chief among the Shiraz clergy gave
verdict that the Bab should be put to death, and
the Governor of Fars did not refrain from insult-
ing and striking Him and persecuting His follow-
ers. Surety having been furnished by His mater-
nal uncle, Haji-Mirza-Seyd-Ali, the Bab was sent
to his house, under strict injunction to hold inter-
course with no one. In obedience to this com-
mand of the Governor, the Bab secluded Himself
and did not admit visitors for some time. Not-
withstanding this, His followers continually in-
creased in number, and the news of His virtue and
dignity was disseminated throughout all parts of
Persia. Meanwhile some of the prominent clergy
and men of dignity in Persia, acknowledged His
truth, and endeavored to promulgate His cause.
Among these were Seyd-Yahya of Darab, the
eldest son of Seyd Jawad of Kerbela; and a great
number in Teheran, including Beha-Ullah.His Holiness the Great Bab. 31

Consequently, the clergy of Shiraz again rose in
uproar and hostility, accusing the followers of the
Bab of having made political claims, and instigat-
ing the Governor of Shiraz to murder Him. Then
the Governor ordered Abdul-Hamid-Khan, the
High Constable, to surround the house of the Bab
at midnight, with a number of men, and break
into the place. The Constable discovered nothing
indicating conspiracy in the Bab’s house; in
fact found nobody in it except the Bab
and one of- His’ followers named Seyd-
Kazim of Zenjan. However, he took the Bab to
his own house and imprisoned Him there. But at
this time, cholera was epidemic in Shiraz, which
compelled the Governor and the majority of the
chief citizens to flee from the city. Not having
discovered anything to fear in the Bab, they re-
leased Him upon condition that He should leave
Shiraz, lest His presence might stir up the clergy
of Fars to make further trouble.

Consequently, the Bab left the city for Isfahan,
accompanied by His above-mentioned disciple. In
Isfahan He resided in the house of the Imam-
Jom’a (a leading clergy), according to the order of
Menu-Che’hr-Khan of Georgia, a venerable Chris-
tian, who was then the Governor of Isfahan.

Having arrived in the house of Imam Joma,
He had remained there but thirty to forty days,
when the whole city was in a clamor. Maltitudes
of the prominent students and traders, as well as
the general public, visited Him every day, and
most of them were astonished at His piety, gravity32 His Holiness the Great Bab.

and excellence. They were led to confess the full-
ness of His knowledge and His spiritual power,
by the prompt way in which He answered the
questions importunately put to Him by men of
learning. Therefore the number of His adherents
grew in the city of Isfahan, which is the residence
of the prominent clergy and the center of learn-
ing in Persia.

One thing which greatly astonished the people,
was that Menu-Che’hr-Khan, the Christian Gover-
nor, who was-one of the great statesmen of Persia
and renowned for his discernment and intelligence,
openly acknowledged the truth of the Bab’s mis-
sion. Also Mirza-Seyd-Mohammed the Imam-
Jom’a, entitled “Sultan’ Ul-Ulema’” (the Sul-
tan of the Ulema), became devoted to Him. There-
fore the other Divines and doctors of Isfahan, who
were the most distinguished in Persia on account
of their power and influence, made a great uproar
against the Bab. The Governor, with the object of
exposing the weakness of the clergy and demon-
Strating the power and virtue of the Bab, gave or-
ders that all should hold a debate and discussion
with the Bab, in the presence of himself and the
Imam-Jom’a. He commanded that the discussion
should be faithfully reported by secretaries and the
report sent to the Shah at Teheran, in order that
the decision might be left in his hands.

As two of their erudite sages, Aka-Mohammed-
Mahdi of Calbass, and the eminent Platonist,
Mirza-Hassan of Noor, had once conferred with
the Bab, in the presence of the Governor, without: a His Holiness the Great Bab. 33

being able to discomfit Him, the Divines refused
this discussion and conference, giving as a pretext
that it would bring the Mohammedan Law into
contempt. At the same time, they unanimously
determined to put Him to death.

The Governor, seeing the unanimity of the
clergy, and fearing that their influence and author-
ity would cause the Bab’s murder, concealed Him
in his own quarters and gave currency to a report
that He had been sent to Teheran in compliance
with the Shah’s order ; thus for a time, allaying the
trouble stirred up by the clergy.

Meanwhile, Manu-Chehr-Khan died, and Gur-
guin-Khan, his nephew, who was the Vice-Gover-
nor of Isfahan, forwarded a petition to Haji-Mirza-
Akassi, the Prime Minister, informing him of the
death of the Governor, and of the Bab’s conceal-
ment in the quarters of the government; and ask-
ing for instructions regarding the latter. Moham-
med Shah, who was personally of a mystic tend-
ency and who entertained no real regard for the
clergy, had also heard from unbiased people, the
report of the Bab’s fame, and of His purity and
spiritual attraction, and was willing to see Him.
But the Prime Minister, who had been a tutor and
teacher of the Shah in his childhood, and for whom
the Shah entertained a devoted respect, fearing
lest the interview with the Bab might lessen the
Shah’s respect and esteem for himself, issued a
strict command to Gurguin-Khan to disguise the
Bab and send Him in charge of Nusseyri horse-
men to Teheran.34 His Holiness the Great Bab.

Accordingly Gurguin-Khan sent the Bab to
Teheran. As the city of Kashan is situated be
tween [sfahan and Teheran, the Bab was detained
three days there, during which many of the clergy
and merchants of the city believed in Him.

When he arrived at the last halting-place be-
fore Teheran, the Prime Minister gave a fresh or-
der that He should not be brought to Teheran, but
held in the village of Kalin, until the matter had
been brought before the Shah’s notice. The Bab
was detained there about twenty days, during
which he forwarded a letter to the Shah, asking
for an interview. The Prime Minister prevented
this, by pointing out that the Shah was upon the
eve of departure to Herat, to wage war with the
Afghans and that should the Bab arrive at Tehe-
ran, the clergy there would stir up a revolt in the
Same manner as the clergy of Isfahan had done.
He reasoned that it therefore would be advisable
to place him in the fortress of Maku, at the bor-
ders of Azerbeyjan, until the Shah should return
from the conquest of Herat, and look into the
matter at his leisure. As Mohammed-Shah was
not informed of the real motive of the Prime Min-
ister, he approved this view and wrote a respectful
letter with his own hand, to the following effect :—

“Since we are at the point of setting off for a
journey, you will now abide for a while in Maku.
On our return, we will meet you and the matter
will be decided.”

In this letter, he also requested the Bab to pray
in his behalf. The Bab was consequently sent to

 

    
   
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

here TobHis Holiness the Great Bab. 35

Azerbeyjan, escorted by Mohammed-Bey the
courier, who was a Nusseyrite. Some maintain
that the reason why the Prime Minister always
placed the Bab in the charge of Nusseyrite
mounted guards, was that the latter, not being
Mussulmans, and knowing nothing of the Koran,
the Traditions, or of the belief in the appearance
of the Mahdi and his signs, would not become His
converts. Notwithstanding all these precautions,
before they had reached the town of Gazwin, which
is about 54 miles from Teheran, Mohammed-
Bey had become one of the Bab’s fcllowers. At
the same time, He (the Bab) made many converts
in the cities of Gazwin, Abhar and Zinjan, through
which He passed on His way to Azerbeyjan. Thus
the fame of His appearance was spread in all the
provinces of Persia, and every meeting was fred
with argument and discussion upon this topic.
When the Bab reached Azerbeyjan, He stayed for
forty days in the city of Tabriz, but not one of the
clergy there conferred with Him. He was then sent
to Maku and put in the charge of Ali-Khan, who
was the Governor of those districts. Ali-Khan
showed Him respect on account of His being a de-
scendant of the Prophet and because of the piety,
devotion and gravity which were manifest in Him;
but in comphance with the order of the Govern-
ment, he rarely permitted people to converse with
Him. Meanwhile the Bab’s religion spread day by
day through all parts of Persia, and in every city
) the numbers of His converts were augmented.
a Therefore the clergy of Azerbeyjan, like those of

Pore rr!36 His Holiness the Great Bab
other cities, made a disturbance, and seriously re-
quested the local Government to punish and re-
strain the Bab and His followers, and remove Him
from Maku to a more remote place. The Govern-
ment in compliance, ordered Him to be removed
from Maku to Chih-rik, which is one of the distant
fortresses of Azerbeyjan, where He was in charge
of Yahya-Khan the Kurd, who exercised the
greatest care in guarding Him.

The Crown Prince of Persia, who was after-
wards entitled Nassir ’Ud-Din Shah, was, at that
time, the Governor of Azerbeyjan. In order to en-
quire into the matter and silence the clergy, he
summoned the Bab back to Tabriz. When He
reached Tabriz for the second time, the Crown
Prince called some of the prominent clergy to
meet the Bab in his presence. A compulsory and
unjust discussion and dispute took place. This
discussion is recorded by the historians of each
side, in a different way ; but from the account given
by the Bab’s opponents, although it 1s a very inac-
curate record, it may be easily discovered that the
purpose of the prominent clergy and learned re-
ligious doctors of Persia has not been to make a
thorough enquiry, but only to dispute in a con-
temptuous manner, and to deride and threaten
Him.

After much clamor and outcry, it was decided to
beat and chastise Him. But the Farrashes of the
Government refused to carry out this sentence.
Therefore Mirza-Ali-Askar the Sheikh ’UI-Islam
of Tabriz, who was one of the prominent SeydsHis Holiness the Great Bab. 37

and doctors, determined to execute this sentence,
so he brought Him into his own house, and applied
the rods with his own hands. After this, they sent
Him for the second time to the fortress of Chihnk ;
subjected Him to a rigorous incarceration and
strictly prohibited people from converse with Him.

In those days, the appearance of the Bab was
the chief topic discussed throughout Persia and
Irak-Arabi. Consequently, commotion and clamor
were continual, and flerce discussions would take
place between the Moslems and the Bab’s fol-
lowers. For the Moslem clergy do not deal
gently with one whom they consider to be alien to
their own religion, no matter who he may be; nor
do they converse with him in the spirit of courtesy,
respect and humanity. Even in the course of con-
troversy, their words very often are full of con-
tempt and derision, and are reinforced by curses
and execrations.

Finally the Persian clergy unanimously decided
to eradicate and suppress the Bab and His people.
Some of the governors in Persia, being tyrants,
ready to plunder and pillage the inhabitants,
availed themselves of this decision, and in some
parts of Persia, they began immediately to murder
and rob the Babis. They even did not refrain from
murdering children and women. The local gover-
nors and even some of the ministers of the State
assisted the enemies of the Babis with regular
soldiers, and the political heads joined with the
civil chiefs in destroying and suppressing these
people. When the late Mohammed Shah died in

Drees38 His Holiness the Great Bab.

1848 A. D., the Crown Prince Nassir ’Ud-Din
Shah ascended the Throne, September roth of the
same year. Mirza Taki-Khan of Farahan, entitled
Itabaki-A’zm (the greatest tutor), who was
a blood-thirsty and selfish man, attained the posi-
tion of Prime Minister; a function and title which
embodied the greatest dignity of the Government.

Meanwhile, war broke out in three different dis-
tricts of Persia, between the Mussulmans and
Babis. As the clergy had given the sentence to
murder and eradicate the Babis, and as some of
the local governors were seeking to confiscate
their lives and property, the Babis decided to de-
fend themselves, and waged a war of defense
against their oppressors in Neiriz (a district in
Fars), Zenjan (in Persian Irak), and in the Fort-
ress Sheikh-Tabarsi in the county of Mazanderan.
Although the Babi defenders were very few in
number, yet the “fighting continued a long time,
and the extraordinary valour of the Babis caused
their name to be a subject of great awe to the Mo-
hammedans. Therefore, Mirza-Taki-Khan, owing
to his lack of administrative capacity, concluded
that this revolt would be stopped by murdering
the Bab; so without seeking permission from
Nassir ’Ud-Din Shah or taking counsel with minis-
ters, he issued the order for His death, to Hamza-
Mirza, entitled Hishmat ’Ud-Dawla, the Shah’s

®In those days, the Babis fought In defending thetr lives, according
to the Laws of Mohammed, in which extremity, He has allowed re-
ligious war. At that time. Beha-Uilah had not declared Himself, and
the Book of Akdas, in which He has atrictly prohibited warfare, con-
Gict, strife, etc., was not revealed.

 

   
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
    
 

ed

here tetSY SOPs EDYe de PISS EI ES UNE A POSES RL RTC TA PORR ERP RIT WO RADA ra ea Oe oe ra Pee Pe Pad Pe ha ta oe od Be Sa ee Be
abet. el peae bist bt bene by Mn iia ee oe ber ie beta ee ge

   
 
  
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 

 

His Holiness the Great Bab. 39

 

uncle, who was at that time the ruler of Azer-
beyjan. The latter, however, refused to execute
the order, and excused himself by speaking of the
great virtue and real devotion which he had wit-
nessed in the Bab. He openly stated in a council
meeting, that he would prefer to resign his post
rather than take part in the Bab’s murder. He
also ironically said that he expected that the Per-
sian Government would commission him to make
war on one of the great empires, but he never ex-
pected to be commanded to execute one of the
descendants of the Prophet, who had not departed
from any of the legal obligatory ordinances of the
religion.

After this refusal on the part of the Governor,
the Prime Minister issued a second order to his
own brother, Mirza-Hassan-Khan, Commander-in-
Chief of the army of Azerbeyjan, directing him to
execute the Bab. The Bab was again conducted
to Tabriz, and on the 28th Sha’aban 1266 A. H.
(July, 1850 A. D.), they suspended Him with one
of His youthful followers, Aga-Mohammed-Ah,
who belonged to one of the noble families of Ta-
briz, against the wall of the old Barrack Square,
which is now occupied by traders and artisans. At
first, Sam-Khan the Armenian and an Armenian
regiment were in charge of this service. When they
fired their volleys, the bullets severed the ropes,
without injury to the Bab or to the youth. After
the smoke cleared away, they saw the young man
Standing, and the Bab talking with His amanuen-
sis, Aga-Seyd-Hussein, in a cell, close to the same4c His Holiness the Great Bab.

wall. They again suspended the Bab and His com-
panion from the same wall, and gave orders to fire.
Sam-Khan the Armenian, this time refused to fire,
from fright. Another regiment of Azerbeyjan un-
dertook the execution, and made the Bab and Aga-
Mohammed-Ali a target for their bullets. This
time their bodies were riddled, and both of them
died instantly. Then they removed their bodies
from the square to the edge of the moat outside
the city, and engaged a party of sentinels to watch
them.

It is a custom of the oriental nations, especially
ir. Persia, that when a person is executed by order
of the Government, his body is exposed for a cer-
tain time in sight of the public, so that the people
may be intimidated by the sight, and may avoid
wrong-doing.

On the second night, the Babis carried away the
Bab’s body, through the help of the Kalantar
(Mayor) of Tabriz. They bore it to a silk-tissue
factory belonging to one of the people of Azer-
beyjan, where they packed it in a case like a bale
of goods, and forwarded it to His Holiness Beha-
Ullah in Teheran.

Undoubtedly Mirza-Taki-Khan hoped that the
disturbance would be put down, and that this com-
munity would be utterly extinguished through the
execution of the Bab, whom he considered to be
the source of the power of this religion. He had
also quenched the fire of battle in a treacherous and
disgraceful way. For instance, in Mazanduan, al-
though the number of the Babis did not exceedStee ELE Pees Re PELs eee oe i ebebads be tpaceaht pe etna Sah be te beet Peat

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   

His Holiness the Great Bab. 41

three or four hundred, this small number defended
themselves over eleven months against twenty-five
thousand trained soldiers who were furnished with
artillery and perfect weapons. They even made
sorties against their enemies, many times overturn-
ing their camps and defeating them. Finally, when
the Persian Commander was unable to subdue the
Babis, he made a treaty with them, stipulating that
if they would surrender and cease fighting, he
would guarantee their protection and send each
one of them to his respective city. For this little
Babi army had collected from all parts of the coun-
try; brought together by faith in the Bab. Ac-
cordingly, the Commander and the Governor took
an oath to this effect, confirming it by vows plight-
ed upon the Koran. When the starving Babis
yielded (none of them having eaten any food for
several days), they were brought into a place where
food was prepared. Suddenly, by order of the Gov-
ernor and General, notwithstanding their oath, the
army surrounded and slew all of them with bullets
and swords. The affairs of Zenjan and Neyriz ter-
minated in a similar manner, and so the flames of
war were extinguished. But the Babi cause did
not die away, nor was the frre ignited by the pene-
tration of the Bab’s Word, quenched; and each
day the number of the Bab’s adherents increased.
Mirza-Taki-Khan was unable to check the move-
ment, and shortly afterward his tyrannical life
came to anend. For the statesmen ceased to sup-
port him because he sought to entirely monopo-
lize and dictate the affairs of the Government. The

 

Pre oe42 His Holiness the Great Bab.

young King having become cognizant of his se-
cret aims, and offended at the failure of his admin-
istrative policy, finally dismissed him from his
state positions, and exiled him to the village of
Feen, situated within three miles distance from
the city of Kashan. About the third or fourth
year of the Shah’s accession, he was put to death
in the bath at Feen, by the royal order.

The Bab wrote many books after He had de-
clared His mission, including a commentary upon
the Surat of Joseph in the Koran. This book He
entitled ‘Ah’san-Ul-Kassas” (the best of the
stories). At the request of the famous learned Aga-
Seyd Yahya of Darab, He also wrote, with the
most amazing rapidity, a commentary upon the
Surat of the Koran, called “Kawthar.” Likewise,
without meditation, He wrote, in Isfahan, a com-
mentary upon the Surat of Wal’Assr, at the re-
quest of the Sultan ’U] Ulema; and in answer to
the wish of Manu-Cheh’r-Khan, the Governor of
Isfahan, He produced a book proving “The Espe-
cial Mission.” In addition to these, He wrote a
great many treatises, discourses, prayers, and
answers to scientific problems, both in Arabic and
Persian, which He named “The Five Styles” and
the “Divine Revelation.”’ He silenced and dis-
comfited the Persian Divines by the swift manner
in which He wrote and spoke these words.
They flowed from Him without any reflection,
and He challenged His antagonists either to pro-
duce their hke or to acknowledge their truth.
The greatest book of the Bab is the Persian

 

   
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
    
   
   
 
 
 
   
 
  
   
    
  
 

Sarat Tes

 

heereege *ius eeeetybeatas tery ic sepuie tobi ht echt dk ite Misste bt the he Mr ot Lie Ba tee Mie aed

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    

His Holiness the Great Bab. 43

“Beyan,” written by Him in the mountain of Maku.
In it He recorded His new laws and ordinances.
This book treats of the qualifications of a Promised
One who should appear, of whom the Bab consid-
ered himself the Door, and whose name He has
given as “He whom God shall manifest,” stating
that He himself had arisen to announce His Ap-
pearance. Following the custom of the Prophets
and Divine Messengers, the Bab alluded to the
time of His Manifestation by allegories and sym-
bols. In arranging the books revealed from His
blessed pen, the Bab has stated in a special chap-
ter concerning the subject :—“Blessed is he who
will gaze upon the arrangement of Beha-Ullah, for,
verily, He sha" inevitably appear.”’

In the Beyan, He has changed all the laws and
rites, and instituted special ordinances for devo-
tional acts, ceremonies and usages. He changed
the lunar system formerly held by the Persians,
into the solar reckoning of the year, which He
divided into nineteen months of nineteen days, and
has named each one of the days of the year after
the names and attributes of God. He also gave
new namies to the days of the week. In writing
the name of any of His prominent adherents, in
His Epistles, He would make it conform with the
numerical value of one of the names of God and
would write it at the head of the letter. This he
did without meditation and in an astonishi1g man-
ner. For instance, the numerical equivalent of the
name Rab (Lord) ts 202, which corresponds with
Ali-Mohammed; the name Dayyan (65), with44 His Holiness the Great Bab.

Assad (the name of Mirza-Assadullah of Khoy) ;
the name Waheed, with Yahya (Aga-Seyd-Yahya
of Darab), etc. Therefore He called each one of
them Ism ’Ullah (the Name of God), and even
till the present day, this word has remained a title
of the companions of the Bab.His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

The next Light ts Beha-Ullah, son of Mirza-
Abbas, renowned as Mirza-Bozork of Noor. The
Nooris are one of the well-known families of
Mazanderan. During the reigns of Kadjar the
present Persian Dynasty, the members of this
family have usually occupied the highest positions
in the state, such as Prime Minister, Minister,
Secretary, and other civil and military dignities.
Even in the present day, most of them are in
the Government. Some have retired from their
positions, but their names are enrolled upon the
financial and military staff.

Beha-Ullah was born in Teheran, on the 2nd
day of the month Moharram 1233 A. H. (Nov.
1817 A. D.). When He reached the age of cight
and nine years, the marks of great distinction and
Sagacity were already manifest in Him. He was not
instructed nor taught by anybody. Apparently He
had acquired the elements of Persian reading and
writing from His father and other near kinsmen.
In His youth, His father, who was one of the min-
isters of the state, died, and the charge of His
brothers and sisters, who were all younger than
Himself, fell upon Him. He did not care to enter
any of the Government services, but provided sus-
tenance for the whole family through the manage-
ment of His inherited lands and properties. When
the Bab appeared in Shiraz, Beha-Ullah, who was
45

   
   
 
 
  
   
 
  
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
    

oe ee46 His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

about twenty-seven years of age, publicly accepted
His claim, and endeavored to the utmost to pro-
mote the word of the Bab both in Teheran and
Mazanderan, especially among the _ principal
clergy. He spent some time at Noor, the home of
the Noori family, furthering the advance of the
Religion, and while there, had remarkable discus-
sions with the religious doctors, so that the re-
nown of His knowledge and the power of His rea-
soning raised an excitement among the leading
men of those districts. By this, many were led to
embrace the Religion, while others were stirred to
jealousy and insolence.

After He had resided and travelled in the dif-
ferent districts of Mazanderan, He returned to
Teheran, where He continued to spread the prin-
ciples of the religion and spiritual teachings, sup-
porting and encouraging the Babis, until the
attempt against the life of Nasser Ud-Din Shah
happened. The substance of this event is as fol-
lows :—A young man of Tabriz, Mohammed Sadek
by name, who was a servant of one of the promi-
nent Babis, and devotedly attached to his master,
became depressed and bereft of reason on account
of the martyrdom of the latter. Having made up
his mind to blood-revenge, he divulged this secret
to one of his confidential friends whom he knew to
be one of the stanch believers in the Bab. These
two went to Teheran, concealing their inten-
tion from all their friends and even from the Babis.
As the Shah was out of the city, sojourning among
his country resorts at Shamiran, they directed; His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 47

their steps toward the village of Niavaran. On
Sunday, 15th August, 1852 ( 1268 A.H.), they were
in the vicinity of the village, near the Royal Palace,
with the intention of carrying out their plot. When
the Shah went out to ride, Mohammed Sadek ad-
vanced, and fired a pistol at him. The shot missed
its mark, as the horse bolted, and the Shah being
much agitated, fell off his horse and fainted. The
- attendants rushed forth, picked up the Shah, and
slew Mohammed Sadek on the spot. As he was
killed instantly, he could not be questioned as to
what led him to commit this abominable act, and
as to who had been his associate. But as he had
been a servant of one of the prominent Babis, that
community was unjustly accused of the deed, and
notwithstanding they knew nothing whatever of
this plot, they were arrested and fell victims to the
wrath of the revengeful Shah. Eighty of them
were seized in Teheran, and given up separately to
a different class of people to be executed. The
administrators deemed it advisable to have each
one of these victims murdered by one section of
the citizens, and thus sow hatred and enmity be-
tween the different classes of Shiites and the Babis.
By this means they sought to prevent the spread
of the Bab’s religion. Consequently they distrib-
uted the helpless Babis to various parties of people;
one to the book-keepers, one to the soldiers, one
to the learned doctors, one to the merchants, car-
penters, blacksmiths, drapers; even the shoema-
kers, cobblers, rice merchants, etc. Each one of
these classes slew its victim as they chose. Somea8 His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

were cut lengthwise alive; some blown from mor-
tars, and some chopped into pieces. The Kadjar
youths of Astrabad, in order to try the strength of
their arms, cut their unfortunate captives into
halves with their swords. Among them, one who
died in an incredibly horrible manner, was Suley-
man-Khan the son of Yaha-Khan of Tabriz, who
was a most devoted follower of the Bab. When the
order was issued for his execution, they first
stripped him, and made holes in his body with
knives. In these holes they placed hghted wax-
candles, put a halter through his nose and paraded
him around the markets of Teheran. When a can-
dle burned down to his flesh and was consumed,
they would put another one in its place. Bystand-
ers were watching the scene and following in great
crowds; while he was silent and patient, not
evincing the least trace of agitation; nor did he
groan or plead for mercy, which is the natural
tendency of man under such circumstances. Nay,
he expressed great joy and cheerfulness, with a
shining face, while singing and chanting verses of
yearning, so that the hard hearts of the bystanders
were affected with emotion, and all the inhabitants
of Teheran, both old and young, were astonished.
Finally, after this torture, they cut him in half
lengthwise, and hung the two parts upon either
side of the old city gate of Abdul-Azim. It is said
that when the matter waxed so frightful, the Imam
Joma (chief leader of prayer) of Teheran, conferred
with the Shah and blamed him for these outrages.
Some state that one of the foreign Ambassadors

Storer rs!reseed &

 

  

His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 49

warned the Shah that should another Babi victim
show forth such steadfastness at the time of his
execution, half of the people would embrace Bab-
ism, after which, checking the matter would be
extremely difficult. The Shah therefore prohib-
ited the taking of any action against the Babis
without investigation; but since that time, the jus-
tice awarded to these devoted people has been sim-
ilar to that given by the Council of the Inquisition
to the heretics in Rome. In fact, a man’s acknowl-
edgment of Babism, before the Government, was
considered as confessing the greatest crime, which
should be punished with death, no matter how high
a character or what qualifications of virtue and
sanctity he possessed. Very often the finding of
a Babi Book in a person’s possession, his convers-
ing or dealing with the Babis, or pleading for one
accused of Babism, would be considered as a crime
by the clergy. Many a time, if they found in the
pocket of an accused one a torn piece of paper
bearing the words “Allaho Abha’”’ (“God 1s glori-
ous”), or the name Beha or Bab, they needed no
further witness to prove his infidelity.

One of the men arrested and imprisoned was
the blessed person of Beha-Ullah. He was in the
village Afcha, one of the surrounding districts of
Teheran. When the report of the attempt upon
the Shah’s life came to Him, He, knowing that the
prominent Babis had no connection with the mat-
ter, rode forth with perfect composure to Niya-
varan. Immediately after His arrival, He was ar-
rested, imprisoned, and chained for about four5° His Holiness Beha-Ul]lah.

months in the gaol of Teheran. After a strict ex-
amination and enquiry, it was finally proven that
He had no connection whatever with the crimi-
nals, and that He knew nothing of the matter. The
Shah therefore ordered that He should depart to
Irak Arabi, and abide in the holy sanctuaries of
the Shiite _ Imams (Kerbela, Nejef and Baghdad),
which are places of exile for the men of distinc-
tion of Persia. Accordingly, in the year 1269
A. H. (1852 A. D.), he departed to Irak, escorted
by some of the delegates of the Persian Govern-
ment, and took up his residence at Baghdad.

The majority of the Babis and some others be-
lieve, that when it was proven that Beha-Ulah did
not know Mohammed Sadek, the Russian Ambas-
sador interceded for Him and effected His release.
They have even recorded that when Beha-Ullah
set off for Baghdad,accompanied by the horsemen
of the Government, the Russian Ambassador also
sent one of his attendants, to guard Him, lest the
Fersian delegates might seek to take His life on
the way. Thisdoes notseem to be a confirmed fact,
for the Russian Ambassador had only testified to
the purty of Beha-Ullah’s character, and had
never made any intercession or interierence in His
behalf. But unquestionably, the testimony of the
Russian Ambassador in praise of Beha-Ullah was
used by Mirza-Aga-Khan, the Prime Minister, asa
means to silence the Shah, and persuade him to
issue the order for the release of Beha-Ullah. The

real cause of His deliverance was that it was con-Pere

 

 

 

His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 5%

clusively proven to the Shah that Beha had no
share in the plot against him.

In these days, the Babis were in a very confused
and depressed condition. On one hand, the perse-
cutions inflicted by the clergy and statesmen, and,
on the other hand, the calumnies invented by peo-
ple against them, had made them so suspected and
hated by the people, that most persons refused to
have any communication with them; nay rather,
their suppression was considered a religious duty.
The deeds and actions of most of the Babis were
considered entirely contrary to the usual customs
of the public; while the bad management of some
of their ignorant chiefs caused many evil deeds to
be attributed to them. If a censurable action was
committed by one of the Babis, it would be equally
attributed to all of them, for they had no power to
defend themselves against the calumny, owing to
the violent persecutions of their enemies. Thus the
good were not distinguished from the bad. Since
the Bab had, in every book, announced the ap-
proach of the Great Manifestation, a number of
the Babis, among whom were Seyd-Ala in Irak,
Haji-Mirza-Musa (the chief custodian of the Holy
Shrine) in Kome, Haji-Molla Hashem of Nerag in
Kashan, and Mirza-Assadullah, entitled Day'van,
in Azerbeyjan, insolently put forward claims, and
each gained the allegiance of a certain number of
Babis, thus subdividing the community into differ-
ent sects. This division and difference of beliefs
also gave rise to unseemly acts, and increased the
accusations against the Babis, causing people to52 His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

hate them. The most prominent among these
claimants, was Mirza-Yahya, whom the Bab, in
His Tablets, addressed by the title Ismullah ’EL
Ezel (the name of God, Ezel). Although he
claimed to be the representative of the Bab, yet in
his writings, termed “epistles,” which were spread
among his followers, he put forward the most ex-
alted claims of divinity, and considered his own
words as Heavenly Revelation. Most of the Babis
believed in him and recognized him as their aim.
He frequently travelled in disguise and conceal-
ment; sometimes in the garb of dervishes, some-
times in the costume of traders or Arabs. Some
believe that the appointment of Mirza-Yahya as a
successor, had been decided between the Bab and
Beha-Ullah; because, in the beginning of Nasser’
Ud-Din-Shah’s reign, the object of Mirza-Taki-
Khan was to arrest the original source of this
movement, and stop the water at the fountain-
head. Therefore, after consulting together, they
made Ezel appear as the Bab’s successor, through
Mirza-~-Abdul-Karim of Kazwin, who was employed
to manage and forward the Epistles of the Bab.
In this manner they preserved the Center of the
Cause, Beha-Ullah, from the interference of Mirza-
Taki-Khan.

But according to the author’s belief, ic was the
appearance of different claimants from various
places which kept Him from being recognized as
the Center of this Community, and protected Him
from the interference of the Prime Minister; anda 53
that thus the source of this movement was con-
cealed.

To be brief; when Beha-Ullah arrived at Bagh-
dad, the center of the Irak province, He found the
Babis in a confused condition. They were a small
multitude, like sheep without a shepherd, dispir-
ited, divergent in thoughts and ideas. They had
no leader to bring them into unity of ideas, no rec-
ord of good deeds by which they might attract the
hearts of people,.no security or assured safety
which would cnable them to employ themselves in
earning their living, no organization or numbers
to silence their enemies, and no money or riches to
enable them to travel. There was no brilliant
leader among them, to light their way with a lamp
of guidance, through their gloomy conditions. No
rightly directed sympathizer had appeared to bring
back to the path of peace those wanderers who
were far from righteousness and salvation.

To sum up; they found in Beha-Ullah’s face
the Light of Guidance, and read the verses of De-
liverance from the book of His character; so
they severed themselves from all and joined
Him. He determined to elevate their charac-
ter, reform their deeds, and transform their weak-
ness into strength and uprightness, through His
beautiful speech and righteous example. In a
short time, as a result of His admirable tiaining,
their weakness changed into power, their tnhar-
mony into unison, their evil habits into good deeds
co. and their numbers also largely increased. At the
ea same time, their evil repute changed into good

 

ett54 His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

report, while the hatred and unsociability of out-
siders changed into friendship and affection tow-
ard them. The learned men of Baghdad opened
their mouths in praising Beha-Ullah, and the
leaders of that land were persuaded to converse
with the Babis. But these circumstances produced
hostility among some of the Babi chiefs, who put
forward claims of leadership, until their jealousy
far exceeded the enmity of the outsiders.

In order to quench this interior fire of dissen-
sion, Beha-Ullah decided to go into exile. With-
out having divulged His purpose to friends or
relations, He departed toward Kurdistan. He re-
mained for a short while in Suleymaniyyé, but for
the greatest part of the time lived in the moun-
tains of Sarkalu, in that district. This exile and
seclusion lasted nearly two years. Finally, after
great search, some of His principal companions
ascertained the place of His retirement. Hav-
ing reasoned that a continuance of His separation
from them would result in dispersion and disinte-
gration of their number and reduce their power to
weakness, they hastened to Him and succeeded in
gaining His consent to return with them. On His
arrival at Baghdad, the hearts which were restless
in His absence became tranquilized, and the pow-
er and penetration of His Word becamemore mani-
fest. From all parts of Persia and Arabia people
sought His Presence, and were benefited by the
conious shower of His Utterances. Then, return-
ing to their countries, they brought other souls toHis Holiness Beha-Ullah. 55

acknowledge Him, and greatly exerted themselves
to promote His Cause.

In a short time, the number of His followers was
greatly multiplied, and all hearts were filled with
respect for them, until their fame became widely
spoken by other nations, and the record of their
lives and circumstances was considered important
by writers and historians. Now the jealousy and
hostility of the clergy of Irak began to be aroused.
The cities of Kerbela, Nejef, Kazemeyeh, and
Samereh, the most famous in Irak, are the im-
portant centers of the Shi'ite sect. Here the tombs
of most of the twelve Imams, who are the leaders
and examples of the Shi'ites, are located. Each
year, vast numbers wend in pilgrimages to these
sanctuaries, from Persia, India, Yemen, and other
countries. Moreover, these cities are the head-
quarters of learning, centers whence the Persian
divines secure their certificates of religious law.
Therefore the prominent Shi'ite doctors reside at
Kerbela and Nejef; men ceiebrated for their in-
fluence and prominence in public esteem among
the Shi’ites in general, and respected by them in
all parts of the world.

When the doctors of Irak realized the effective-
ness of the word of the Babis, and especially the
influence of Beha-Ullah, they assembled together
under the leadership of Sheikh-Abdul-Hussein the
Mujtahid, and determined to suppress them. But
the most distinguished and respected divine,
Sheikh-Murtaza Ansari refused to ally himself
with their plan and withdrew from _ their56 His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

party.® Finally they appointed one of the doctors,
and sent him as an envoy to Beha-Ullah. When
this envoy returned from Baghdad, a manifest
emotion was visible in him, for his heart was filled
with respect and reverence toward Beha-Ullah
and His Cause.

Briefly, he renorted to the doctors that the truth
concerning Beha-Ullah and His community was
exactly contrary to what they had imagined or
believed; and that He was a veritable sea, bound-
less and overflowing with knowledge. He also
stated that Beha-Ullah was ready to confer at any
time with the divines and the public, in order to
elucidate and demonstrate the truth of His teach-
ing, furnishing them decisive proofs and solid
arguments. If the erudite doctors were not satis-
fied with mere scientific controversy, seeking
heavenly proofs and a Divine Sign, He was ready
to furnish, on this appointed occasion, whatever

the doctors should unanimously desire; and thus
to end the matter.

The doctors fied from His challenge, and
shunned this proof, for their purpose was not to
discover the reality of the fact, and distinguish
truth from falsehood, but to threaten and abase
the Babis, and thus prevent the propagation of
their religion. Through the report of this deputa-
tion, however, their aim was frustrated, and the
majority among them were disappointed. There
fore the reverend doctors occupied themselves in
hatching a new plot and sought the help of ad-

°& fuller eesount of this meeting its gtven later tm the beek.His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 57

ministrative officials. So they opened communica-
tion and correspondence with the Ambassador re-
siding at Constantinople and with the statesmen
at Teheran, until finally, at the request of the Per-
sian Government, an order was issued from the
Turkish Government, summoning Beha-Uilah to
Constantinople, and the Governor of Baghdad
forwarded the order to Beha-Ullah.

In compliance with this order, Beha-Ullah left
Baghdad on the evening of a day in April, 1862
A. D. (2nd of the month Zul-Ka’da, 1279 A. H..),
and remained for twelve days at the garden of
Najib Pasha, the former Governor of Irak. This
period of “twelve days” is regarded by the Behais
as the “Most Great Feast,’”’ and considered as the
days of the Manifestation of Beha-Ullah. It is
said that during these days, Beha-Ullah declared
His Mission before His notable followers, strictly
commanding and exhorting them to be patient,
self-restrained, steadfast, forbearing, striving to
beautify their characters and reform their mor-
als. He assured them that if they continued to
practise these virtues, they would be assisted by
the Divine Confirmation. After the lapse of the
twelve days, He departed for Constantinople via
Mosul, accompanied by some of His servants and
followers. Ezel, who had travelled in disguise
with a band of Bedouin Arabs, joined Him at
Mosul. From here they went on to Constanti-
nople via Samsoon, and resided at the quarters ap-
a ; pointed for them by the Turkish officials. After a
a | few days they were moved to another abode,

 

 

 

Bote58 His Holiness Beha-Ullah.
where they stayed four months. During His resi-
dence there, Beha-Ullah did not pay a visit to the
Minister of Foreign Affairs or the Prime Minister,
and asked no assistance or protection from the
civil and administrative chiefs. The Persian Am-
bassador utilized this to poison the minds of the
Turkish statesmen against Him, and make false
accusations. Shortly afterward, an order was is-
sued by the Turkish Government, that Beha-
Ullah and His followers should reside at Adrian-
ople, one of the Turkish cities most remote from
Persia. They remained itn Adrianople about five
years. ;

While in Adrianople, His mission obtained great
celebrity and His Message was widely spread. The
majority of the Babis acknowledged Him and be-
came known as Behais. Consequently the fire of
jealousy against Beha-Ullah flamed in the hearts
of the Shiites and the remaining Babis. The lead-
ing followers of Ezel agreed with the chief Shi'ites
to antagonize the Behais, and prejudiced the high
officials of Turkey against this community by all
kinds of plots and intrigues. Finally, one day, the
soldiers, acting under orders of the Porte, besieged
the house of Beha-Ullah, preventing everybody
from entrance or exit. It is said that the Behai
Household was without water for drinking and
other requirements three days. Some supposed
that an order had been issued from the Porte to
destroy all of them. As the inhabitants of Adrian-
ople, both Christians and Mussulmans, had wit-
nessed for five years the excellence, greatness and_ His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 59
compassion of Beha-Ullah, crowds of them gath-
ered around the house, weeping loudly. The
Christians, in whom the fire of sympathy had been
especially enkindled, wept more bitterly than the
rest. One of the confirmed facts is that during this
period, Beha-Ullah clearly foretold to Omar-Aga,
one of those who were commanded to banish Him,
the future events of the Ottoman Government,
such as the deposition of the late Sultan Abdul-
Aziz, and the subsequent revolt. He has clearly
named in numerous Tablets, the particulars of
these events, such as the Tablet of K. Z., addressed
to Sheikh Kazem Samandar of Kazwin.®

Then, in accordance with the command of Sultan-
Abdul-Aziz, an order was issued by the Ottoman
Prime Minister, banishing Beha-Ullah, His
Household and some of His followers and ser-
vants, to the city of Akka in Syria; a city well-
known in those days, for its evil climate, and a
place of exile for the suspects of the Government.

Accordingly they left Adrianople on the 20th of
Rabi ’Us-Sani 1285 A. H. (Aug. 1868 A. D.), and
arrived at Akka on the twelfth Jamadi-Ul-Ula
(Sept.) of the same year. The Behais believe that
this banishment fulfilled the Divine prophecies in
connection with the Holy Land. The glad tidings
given by the Israelitish Prophets concerning the
Manifestation of the Glorious Lord, was thereby
realized, and the time had come for the promised
emancipation of the children of Abraham from
their long degradation and violent shame.

 

 

°These Tablets were written in Adrtanople in 1863, about eight years
before the prophecies made in them were fulfilled.

eigsety: .

co es
ral cts60 His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

When Beha-Ullah and His followers arrived at
Akka, they first resided for about two years, at
the military barrack, which is a fortress built of
rocks. They afterward dwelt in houses situated
within the city.

The fortified city of Akka is so ancient, that the
“Crusades,”’ which lasted two hundred years, are
but modern events in connection with its history.
The stones scattered round about it are as the
dust of woeful calamities, which the hand of time
has strewed over the heads of unfortunate victims;
its turbid water like the blood of humanity poured
by Fate into the cup of the affliction of its inhabi-
tants.

In the year 1312 A. H. (1894 A. D.), when the
author resided in that district, he was accustomed
to walk for recreation in the plains of Akka, which,
in the spring time, are filled with flowers and myr-
tles. Looking upon them, the past rose up in
vivid retrospect. Inthe red anemones, he saw the
rosy-cheeked legions who had carpeted the earth
with their devoted bodies and drenched the soil
with their life-blood. In the yellow tulips, were
faces of youthful warriors grown sallow and sickly
in hardships and long marches over hot, burning
sands; while the pure, beautiful white flowers
were the lilies and jasmines of beloved and devoted
souls who had brightened the earth for a short
time by their evanescent beauty and purity. Medi-
tating in this way, he noticed a cave close by the
Talli-Fakhar (the potter’s hill), filled with mould-
ering bones of the slain which had been thrust intoSeay

   

His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 6r

such holes and left there as a warning to posterity.
As he looked at this grim object-lesson of the past,
he said, in pensive retrospection:—“O Abul-Fazl!
these relics which have remained as a memorial of
bygone peoples, are the best proof of the hardness
of the hearts and the evil thoughts of former gen-
erations.” ‘Even those who do not believe in Di-
vine Revelation and Laws, must testify to the su-
periority of Beha-Ullah, and to the advantage of
following His Religion; inasmuch as He has not
only forbidden warfare, but even prohibited His
followers from conflict, dispute and assault. He
has entirely abolished bloodshed from religion.
He has called the world one native-land, and all
the people thereof, leaves of one tree, so that the
fanaticism of the ignorant may be blotted from
memories, and the hostility resulting from differ-
ence of races may be removed from minds.
Henceforth the people may not use the Divine Re-
ligions which the Prophets have instituted for uni-
ty and harmony, as a means for destruction and
discord, and may not take the holy ordinances en-
acted for harmony and love, as pretexts for fight-
ing and bloodshed.”

Absorbed in this reflection, he suddenly realized
that the dust of jealousy has sown corrupt seeds of
discord even in this Divine Garden; and has plant-
ed the tares of dissension and disunion in the field
of the Behai union and harmony. Therefore he
became ashamed, disheartened and sorrowful, but
soon the verdure of hope grew up from the field of
desire; for he saw that the Most Great Spirit of$2 His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

God (Christ) has chanted this glorious Melody in
the texts of the Gospels; that at the harvest of the
world, the Divine reaper will gather the tares and
will burn them in the inextinguishable fire of
wrath, while the good grain he will gather into
barns. In other words, the discords created by
the “violators” (those who violated the Covenant
of Beha-Ullah, by disobeying the Center of the
Covenant Abdul-Beha) will be removed through
the power of the Firm Covenant of God, and the
darkness of disunion will be dispelled by the rise of
the lights of the Day-Spring of the Testament.
Thus the matter hath been decreed and de-
cided! Although the calamities and afflictions
suffered by the Blessed Perfection during His stay
in Akka, were beyond the endurance of man, yet,
through the providence of God and His assist-
ance, these torrents of disaster did not prevent
Him from reforming the character of His follow-
ers, and the assault of hardships and grievances
did not stop the spread of His Teachings. For
the tribulations of Beha-Ullah were not only con-
fined to the contradictions of the tyrannical
clergy, or the calumnies of fanatical Divines. Nor
were His sufferings caused only by the injustice of
statesmen and the covetousness of rulers, who ac-
counted oppression of strangers and showing hos-
tility towards those outside their faith, as a re-
ligious duty. It was a greater task to beautify
the character of His own people, than to defend
Himself against exterior enemies. Guarding His
followers from committing unseemly actions wasHis Holiness Beha-Ullah. 63

more difficult than enduring the persecutions of
the outsiders. For these people who had just em-
braced the Behai religion were formerly Babis,
and during the time of ‘“‘Fatrat”’ (interval between
two prophets or the time between the martyr-
dom of the Bab and the rise of Beha-Ullah) they
had frequently departed from the limit of modera-
tion, owing to the evil training of different leaders.
Thus they had grown to consider many censurable
actions as allowable and justifiable, such as dispos-
ing of men’s property and pillaging the defeated.
This latitude and laxity of principle likewise ex-
tended to the conflict and bloodshed permitted by
their former religion, Islam. The Babis gener-
ally were ignorant of the ordinances of the Bab,
and supposed them to be similar to the doctrines
of the Shi’ites, which they considered the source of
the Babi religion. This ignorance was due to the
fact that the Babis were strictly prohibited by the
Persian rulers from holding intercourse with or
visiting the Bab, while the latter was in prison.
Thus they had been deprived of the opportunity of
seeing Him and receiving instruction in His
laws and ordinances. Warfare and pillage were
absolutely violations of the fundamental basis of
the Religion of Beha-Ullah, which was established
for the express purpose of spreading universal
brotherhood and humanity. It was a supernatu-
ral deed to reform the character and morals of a
community, all the members of which were scat-
ce tered in different cities and countries. For when
a the Bab appeared, the Mohammedans in general,64

 

His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

particularly the Shi'ites of the “Church of the
Twelve,” were looking with all earnestness of soul
for the appearance of the promised Mahdi, whom
they supposed would be the promoter of their
laws. Although the prominent and learned among
the Shiite clergy of Persia joined the circle of
the Bab’s followers, yet His cause did not pene-
trate any other religion. Nor was it embraced by
the people of any other country, except Irak Ara-
bi, which can scarcely be considered foreign, on
account of the Shiite Imams situated there, and
of the considerable number of Shi'ites residing in
it! When Beha-Ullah appeared, however, it was
but a short time before His followers became
noted for their good deeds and just characters.
As a result of His training, they soon became suc-
cessful in promoting His Word, rendered spiritual
assistance to His cause, and were grounded in ad-
mirable religious beliefs. Day by day, His fol-
lowers increased in number and the power of His
Word became more and more manifest, so that in
a short space of time it was introduced into other
countries and penetrated other religions besides
Islam. Even the Jews, Zoroastrians, Nusseyrites
and other remote peoples who were considered
as being absolutely extinct and lifeless, attained,
by thousands, the honor of accepting His Cause.
For this they fell victims to the tyranny and per-
secutions of the Moslems and their own former
co-religionists; quafhng the cup of martyrdom
with joy, steadfastness, triumph and forbearance.
This was a matter of astonishment to sagacious

Peres SebHis Holiness Beha-Ulah. 65
men, for these people were many in number and
belonged to the rich classes; numbers of them
were merchants and traders, and thus could not be
supposed to have embraced Behaism in order to
gain riches or fame. For the followers of Beha-
Ullah did not possess any wealth, affluence or
material power which might induce people to join
them. Moreover, after embracing this religion,
they showed such steadfastness, that no fear of
losing their lives and property could shake their
faith, Therefore the Behais recognized this
firmness, forbearance and endurance of calamities
to be a proof of the truth of this religion, and as
the most manifest evidence and witness of the
power of the Word of Beha-Ullah.

After His arrival at Akka, Beha-Ullah avoided
holding intercourse with the general public, ex-
cept persons who were especially desirous of visit-
ing Him. This gave Him time for writing an-
swers to myriad questionings of people and also
prevented the enemy from inventing calumnies
and accusations against Him. He charged His
eldest son, mamed after His grandfather Mirza
Abbas, and who 1s also entitled the “Greatest
Branch of God,” to hold intercourse with the peo-
ple. For nine years after He moved from the
fortress, He did not go out of the house where
He resided; nor during this time did He go for a
recreation to the gardens outside the walls of
Akka. Later on, He sometimes went to a garden
belonging to Him, situated outside the city.
Finally He left Akka and lived in a building situ-

oe ee66 His Holiness Beha-Ullak.

ated near the village Behji, and belonging to one
of the wealthy men of that city. A few vears be
fore His departure, He visited Haifa, Mt. Carmel,
and also a convent built by the monks of the Car-
melite order, just above Elijah’s cave. In this
convent, He rested for more than an hour, and
while there one of His Holy Tablets was revealed
from His blessed pen. From that time on He
stayed each year for a period at Haifa, where the
Behaists of different sects, religions, and lands,
visited Him. There they partook of the table of
His generosity and became filled with the
pure water of the sea of His knowledge.
Finally, Beha-UlNah departed to the Everlasting
World and ascended to the Supreme Horizon, on
the 2nd day of the Arabic month, Zulka’da 1309
A. H. (May 28th, 1892). On the day of His
Departure, all the inhabitants of Haifa, Akka
and neighboring places, assembled together in the
presence of His eldest son,—the ‘Greatest
Branch of God,’—and interred His remains, with
extraordinary respect, close to the Mansion of
Behji, which is situated a short distance from
Akka.

The Books, Tablets, and Divine Revelations of
Beha-Ullah, contain treatises, written generally
in answer to questions asked by people, both
Behais and outsiders. For during His stay in
Irak, Adrianople and Akka, when His Name had
become renowned in the world, and the penetra-
tion of His Word attracted the attention of intelli-
gent minds, the Seekers after Truth, who wereeirreeay

 

  

His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 67

earnest in the search of knowledge and wisdom,
went to Him, asking intricate and abstruse ques-
tions. Those who were not able to visit Him on
account of the strict prohibition of rulers and
other obstacles, asked Him difficult questions
through correspondence. He answered them in-
stantly without delay or hesitation, although sub-
ject to rigorous calamities and afflictions. These
answers were forwarded after a copy of them had
been reserved. Chief among the questioners
were the Babis, who had believed in Him. They,
as already explained, had been prevented from re-
ceiving instructions from the Bab, on account of
the strict prohibition of the Government, and were
not informed of His laws. He also wrote certain
Tablets which He sent to the crowned heads and
to the chief religious doctors and divines. Thus,
in a short time, His books and epistles were
scattered like rose-petals throughout different
cities, and the teachings given therein were
poured forth like unto raindrops over all regions.
So the voice of His Manifestation reached the
West and East like a flash of lightning and His
Cause penetrated other countries and nations.
Some of the Tablets He wrote in Modern Persian,
while others written in answer to the learned and
leading Zoroastrians, are in pure Old Persian.
Some He has written in eloquent Arabic and
others in ordinary Arabic of to-day, so that they
may be comprehended by the common people. All
of them are in the most graceful and elegant style,
and although written without premeditation or re-68 His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

flection, are nevertheless in the most excellent
form of composition. Historians have stated the
number of these Tablets to be over one thousand,
but this computation and estimate is mere guess-
work and approximation, for though numerous
volumes of the Tablets of Beha-Ullah are already
published, a still larger quota has not yet been col-
lected and compiled. Not until all of them have
been collected, will their number be accurately
known. According to His own statements in the
Tablets themselves, Beha-Ullah said that the
Tablets revealed from Hits Pen, are equivalent to
all the Heavenly Books of the extant religions of
the world. This is one of the proofs and evidences
of the Truth of His Mission. The Epistles and
Treatises of Beha-Ullah contain four different
styles and classes of knowledge. Upon the un-
derstanding of these depends, as is believed by the
Behais, the knowledge of the Truth of all the
Divine Religions. Without this understanding
man cannot be thoroughly informed of the
benefits of religion, nor can ideal refinement and
civilization be realized. Some of them contain
laws and regulations whereby the rights and in-
terests of all the nations of the world can be per-
petuated, for these statutes are so enacted that
they meet the necessities of every land and
country and are acceptable to every man of intel-
ligence. In this universality they resemble the
laws of Nature, which secure the progress and
development of all peoples; and they will bring
about universal union and harmony. The most

 

Pre thHis Holiness Beha-Ullah. 69

important and best known among these is the
“Book of Akdas” and its supplementary Tablets,
revealed in answer to questions asked concerning
the texts of Akdas; also the Tablets of ‘Ishrakat,”
“Tarazat,” etc. To this class belong the Tablets
written upon the conduct of the ‘“‘ascetic”’ seekers
and strivers after truth. Such is the Book of the
“Seven Valleys,” written in answer to Sheikh
Abdul Rahman of Kerkoot, one of the prominent
Sufi Sheikhs of Irak Arabi. Although Beha-
Ullah has forbidden Sufiism, Monkhood and in-
activity, i.e., abandoning the practice of trade
and profession, yet, in these Tablets, He has ex-
plained the manner of real devotion. Some others
contain solutions of the intricate points of the
Heavenly Books of former peoples, which, before
His Manifestation, were sealed by the seal of the
Prophets; God having decreed that their opening
and interpretation should be effected at the Day
of the Lord’s Appearance. As the learned at-
tempted to interpret them before the appointed
time, they fell into error in apprehension of their
real purport, and thus misled people instead of
enlightening them! The Behais believe that this
very point caused the Jews to falsely deny our
Lord Jesus Christ, and the Zoroastrians to con-
sider all the Israelitish prophets as 1impostors.
The Behais also believe that former interpreta-
tions of the Book are but false imaginations of
man, and inversions of the Divine Word. To
this class of His writings belong the well-known
book of “Ighan” and the Book entitled “Jawahirzo His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

"ul As’rar” (“Gems of Mysteries”), revealed in
Baghdad at the request of one of the nobility of
Fars; in which He has opened the seals of the
former prophetic books. Some others contain
prayers and divine eulogies, which instruct men in
the mode of worship; supplications and com-
munes, which are means of communion between
the worshipper and the Adored One. The bene
fits imparted by such devotional acts are the illu-
mination and purification of man’s conscience, by
which the faculty of Divine Apprehension is
strengthened, the brutal qualities of man are re-
fined and the worshipper attains true realization
and certainty. Some others contain discourses
and exordiums in which He has explained the real
meaning of the Unity of the Divine Essence and
has demonstrated and elucidated the original pur-
pose of the mission of prophets, as well as the
Stations of the separation and union of those
dawning places of the Command of God. In
other words, in these Tablets, Beha-Ullah has
solved intricate theological questions in the clear-
est way, whereby He not only has demonstrated
the truth of the new Cause, but also the truth of
the founders of former religions. In this connec-
tion, M. Gabriel de Sassy, one of the noble Chris-
tians of Cairo, made the following statement in a
speech delivered by him before an assembly of
learned men in Paris, during the Exposition of
IQOI :-—

““When the Behais wish to make a convert to
their religion, they endeavor from the very first toat

 

His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 71

confirm him in his own religion, thus enabling him
to become cognizant of the principal proofs where-
by the Divine religions are demonstrated and to
distinguish a Prophet from an impostor. Conse-
quently, the Old Testament of the Behais consists
of all the Heavenly Books revealed through the
former Prophets, while their New Testament com-
prises the Tablets of Beha-Ullah, which in fact rec-
oncile these books and contain the interpretation
and explanation of them!”

The meaning of M. de Sassy’s statement is, that
what makes a people deny the Manifestation is
necessarily their ignorance of the real proofs and
arguments. Because of this ignorance the Jews
denied Christ; and the Zoroastrians and Hin-

doos rejected Moses, Christ, and other prophets.
To sum up; during the interval between the time

of His Holiness Beha-Ullah at Baghdad and His
Departure at Akka, four rivers of knowledge
flowed from His swift Pen, without which the re-
ligions of the world could not be developed and
refreshed, and the Tree of Union and harmony
would not have been planted in the Greatest Par-
adise. The writer believes that the four rivers
spoken of in the former Heavenly Books as flow-
ing out from the Divine Throne in the Garden of
Eden, signify these four styles. For the spiritu-
ally-minded realize that the Spirit of God can only
be manifested through the Holy Temple of Man,
and therefore, to them, the rivers flowing from this
great Throne to water all the regions of the
world, are none other than rivers of spiritual
knowledge.72 His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

During Beha-Ullah’s residence at Baghdad, it
was His custom to write the Tablets with His own
hand; but in Adrianople they were usually written
by the Pen of His Eldest Son, the “Greatest
Branch of God.” During the exile at Akka they
were dictated to different amanuenses, including
Mirza Aga Jan of Kashan (the servant of Beha-
Ullah), Mirza Mohammed Ali, Mirza Zia ’Ulah,
Mirza Badi ’Ullah (the children of His Holi-
ness Beha-Ullah) and Mirza Majd’ud-Din, his
son-in-law. ‘Fhese amanuenses wrote them in
His Presence from His dictation, and after col-
lating and revising them, copies thereof would be
forwarded to the questioners. As to the letters
and supplications sent to Him through Mirza Aga
Jan, the amanuensis of Beha-Ullah, to which
He wrote the answers, these were also dictated by
Beha-Ullah Himself. Even the texts written
upon the envelopes were worded by Beha-Ul-
lah, for Mirza Aga Jan was a man of a very
ordinary education, and uneducated people are
naturally unable to explain intricate scientific
subjects. The fact that all the Tablets forwarded
in answer to the questions asked through Mirza
Aga Jan were dictated to him by Beha-Ullah
Himself, became clearly evident during the later
days of Beha-Ullah, for Mirza Aga Jan acknowl-
edged this before an assembly of believers. More-
over, his writings after the Departure of the
Blessed Perfection, obviously and indisputably
proved that the former Tablets were not his word-
ing and compositions. “Things are known by
their opposites.”rel rrest

His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 73

As to the devotional ordinances instituted by
Beha-Ullah, these comprise prayer, fasting, and
the pilgrimage to the House of God, according to
details explained in the Book. These are duties
which are incumbent upon all, if circumstances
permit their performance. There are also, invo-
cations and prayers which the Behats chant in
their meetings as a blessing, or the pious recite in
private, while communing with God. Most of
these Tablets are already collected and compiled.
His ethical ordinances comprise laws command-
ing good qualities and excellent virtues, such as
sincerity, faith, devotion, love, integrity, chastity,
purity, trustworthiness and piety, and forbidding
people from evil conduct and abominable deeds,
such as lying, backbiting, slandering, murder,
theft, fornication, disputing and striving, even
with enemies, etc. He has, in numerous Tablets,
commanded His followers in the most graceful
and emphatic manner to possess those good char-
acteristics, without which the world of humanity
would be as a lifeless body; and has forbidden
what is unbecoming to the honor of humanity.
In the Book of Akdas which supersedes all former
books, and is a touch-stone of hearts and souls, He
savs: —‘‘Decorate yourselves with the garment of
deeds; whosoever attains God’s good pleasure by
deeds is of the people of Beha, and he will be
spoken of before the Throne. Assist ye the King
of Creation, first by deeds, then by wisdom and
utterances. Thus ye have been commanded in
most of the Tablets from the Presence of the74 His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

Clement One. Verily He is the Knower of that
which I say! Let no one denounce another, and
let no one slay another. This is that from which
we have forbidden you in the Book and which was
concealed beneath the awning of Might. Do you
kill him whom God hath quickened with a spirit
from Himself? Is not this a sin, which is great
before [Our] Throne?” He has expressed these
ordinances in the most forcible manner possible.
Not only has He forbidden murder, conflict, and
strife, but also slavery, self-exaltation and ail
that may cause grief and offence to men ; and
He has commanded meekness and humility.
It is revealed in the Book of Akdas as follows :—
“Ye are not allowed to buy male or female slaves.
No servant has the right to buy another servant, as
this is forbidden in the Tablet of God; thus hath
the matter been written through mercy with the
Pen of Equity. No one should glory over an-
other; all are servants unto Him, and show that
verily there is no God save Him.—Verily He is
wise in all things’! In another place in the
same Book He says:—“Decorate your heads with
the crown of trustfulness and faithfulness; your
hearts with the robe of piety, your tongues
with pure truthfulness, and your temples with
the mantles of courtesy. All of these are be-
fitting to man, were ye of those who perceive.”
He has commanded people to sincerely love every
nation, without exception, as their own brothers;
no matter to what religion and sect they may be-
long, and to consider it a most obligatory duty to

 

    
 
  
  
   
   
    
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
    
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 

 

oT hrores]His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 75

purify their hearts and souls from former rancour.
Therefore, He has commanded His friends to shun
every word which might cause the slightest dis-
cord; to avoid cursing, execration and all that
gives offence; to serve all people; to glory not in
loving our country, but rather in loving all the
world. In this connection, He has said in the
Book of Akdas:—“Consort ye with all the re-
ligions with joy and fragrance, so that they may
discover from you the odor of the Merciful. Be-
ware not to be overtaken by the bigotry of the
*Jaheliyyé among men.—AlIl come from God
and will return to Him. Verily, He is the origin
of the people and the goal of the creatures” !

In a Tablet revealed in 1299 A. H. (1882 A. D.),
in favor of Mirza Abul Fazl He says :—

“In this Day, a Sun hath risen from the horizon
of Divine Providence, and this exalted Word is
written upon its brow, ‘Verily we have created you
for love and faithfulness and not for hostility and
rancour.’’’ In the same Tablet He says:—“Ver-
ily, God, His Prophets, Messengers, Chosen Ones,
the Supreme Concourse, and the people of the
Exalted Paradise and the Lofty Kingdom, bless
those who arise to bring about affinity between
the hearts of His Servants and beloved. Vently,
He is the Compassionate and the Benevolent’’!
In a Tablet written in answer to the questions of
one of the prominent Zoroastrians, He says :—
“The Peerless Friend commands—Say, O friends,

°*This term was applited by Mohammed, in the Koran. to the Pagan
ifatl Arabs. Here it means fanatice among the nattons who have not be-
at lieved in the Cause of God.76 His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

the Pavilion of Unity is erected; do not gaze at
each other with the eyes of Strangers. Ye are all
the fruits of one tree and the leaves of one
branch.”” In the Book of Ah’d, which He wrote
during His later days and in which He clearly
appointed the “Center of the Covenant,” the Day
Spring of the Lights of the Testament, and com-
manded all the branches, twigs, relatives and peo-
ple of Beha to obey the Powerful “Branch” ex-
tended from the Excellent and Ancient Root,
He says:—‘Truly I say: Piety is the greatest
commander for assisting the Divine Cause, and
the hosts which are worthy of this commander
are pure, agreeable deeds and characters. Say,
O servants, do not make the means of order a
subject for disorder and do not make the reason
of union, an instrument for discord. It is hoped
that the people of Beha will observe the words,
‘Say—All are from the Presence of God.’ This ex-
alted word is like unto water for quenching the
fire of animosity and rancour hidden and depos-
ited within hearts and breasts. Different religions
will attain to the hght of real union through this
single word. Verily, He says the Truth and
guideth to the path. And He is the Powerful, the
Mighty, the Beautiful” !

To sum up; in His Tablets He has revealed
wonderful words regarding the beautifying and
perfecting of human characters and virtues which,
as brilliant pearls, adorn and decorate the crown
of the kings of the world, and from which people
inhale the fragrance of roses. They have proved

 

 

   
  
   
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
   
   
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
  

er eeeHis Holiness Beha-Ulah. 77

effective in training and reforming the character
of the Behais and in straightening the crooked-
ness of the Babis, so that, notwithstanding their
greatly increased numbers, they have become uni-
versally celebrated for good conduct, noted ev-
erywhere for excellent morals; and nothing con-
trary to humanity or against the laws of the gov-
ernments proceeds from them. In 1300 A. H.
(1882 A. D.), without any justification, the Be-
hais were arrested and imprisoned in Teheran and
other Persian cities and were pillaged and plun-
dered by the clergy and rulers. One evening in
the month Rabi’us-Sani of the same year, the
Prince Nayeb’us Saltana Kamran Mirza (then
Governor of Teheran and Mazanderan and the
Commander-in-Chief of the Persian Army) sum-
moned the author into His Presence. He dis-
cussed these matters for two hours with some of
the Behais. Among other things he said :—“If
the Persian Government sometimes interferes
with the Babis it is in the right and not to be
blamed; for the Shah and his statesmen have not
forgotten the former actions of this community,
nor are the battles they fought in Mazanderan,
Zanjan, and Neyriz effaced from memories.”
Then Mirza-Abul-Fazl said:—“Although some
unseemly actions which proceeded from the Babis
at the outset of the Cause can by no means be
denied, nor can they be excused in any way, yet
to arrest tie Behais for the sins committed by the
Babis is, in fact, the greatest error and oppression
upon the part of the Government. For punishing78

 

His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

an innocent one in lieu of the sinner is far from
equity and justice. These unfortunate ones who
are now subjected to the wrath and anger of the
great Prince, have no connection with the Babis,
nor are they of the same religion and creed; nor
have they ever seen any of those Babis who
fought against the Government. Should this fact
be unknown to others, it is well known to your
highness, the Governor of this province. You
have very often arrested and imprisoned adher-
ents of these two communities and know of the
contrasts between their beliefs and doctrines and
of the violent hatred and hostility which the Ezelis
show toward the Behais. Therefore, you must
realize that the division existing between the two
communities is caused by their difference of opin-
ions, conduct and beliefs. Had the Behais ap-
proved the conduct of the Babis and behaved ac-
cordingly, they would not have become subject to
their hostility and rancour. If you carefully read
tablets, books, and writings which have been
taken from the Behais by force and pillage, you
will observe that His Holiness Beha-Ullah has,
in all of them, commanded His people to bear al-
legiance to the Government, to show respect to
princes and rulers and to reverence men of learn-
ing. He has even forbidden them from smug-
gling their effects through custom-houses and
prohibited them from infringing upon the laws in
any way. Have vou ever seen similar ordinances
among the Babis or in their books? You also

know that the people of Beha regard His Com-His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 79

mands as Divine and they are more assiduous in
carrying them out than are other religions and
communities in obeying their laws. You should
appreciate these facts and be certain that nothing
contrary to the Shah and the Persian Govern-
ment will ever proceed from the Behais. While
you have the opportunity you can do that which
may grfeatly beneht your posterity, bring you
to enjoy everlasting distinction, and cause your
name to be well spoken of in the history of the
world.” Then, in order to make him thoroughly
cognizant of this point, Mirza-Abul-Fazl asked
him:—“O, Prince, how long have you been the
Governor of Teheran and neighboring localities?”
He replied :—“‘From ten to twelve years.”

“During this long period, while the Behais
were more in number in Teheran than in any
other city, have you ever heard any one complain
about them before the Government, for any other
reason than because of their religion and doc-
trine? In other words, have you ever heard a
Behai accused of drinking wine, rioting, wound-
ing anybody, murder, theft, gambling, refusing to
pay taxes, smuggling or conspiracy?” He an-
swered:—‘No.”” “Then how can you have more
obedient subjects than the Behais, and how is it
you do not appreciate this benefit? If any other
government possessed such subjects, every just
and unprejudiced ruler would greatly appreciate
them and would recognize the necessity of pro-
tecting them. Were the leading men of the Per-
sian Government to justly reflect upon these80 His Holiness Beha-Ullah.
points they would acknowledge the favor and
providence of the Blessed Perfection, and open
their mouth in His praise. Moreover, if those
leaders and statesmen who still consider the
Babis and Behais as one community and blame
the innocent for the sin of the guilty, were to
use sound judgment they will clearly see that
the very errors which you assert were com-
mitted by the Babis were due to the bad manage-
ment of both the civil and religious leaders. For
if different rulers in Persia had not, by the com-
mand of the ignorant clergy, prevented the Babis
from intercourse with the Bab and had not so
strictly repressed religious freedom, the Babis
would not have remained ignorant of the ordi-
mnances and brilliant character of the Bab, and
fought in self-defence, as required by their former
religion. How is it that the Behais, while their
number is now greatly multiplied and they are far
more persecuted by the Government than the for-
mer Babis, instead of defending themselves, do
not even complain of any injustice? Why is it
that their endurance and self-restraint is a matter
of amazement to strangers, and their good con-
duct universally approved by all nations? It is
because they are commanded to obey the Govern-
ment and to love the people of the world.
Through Beha-Ullah’s teachings the roses of
grace and compassion have grown up in the
grounds of their hearts, instead of the thorns of
enmity and hatred, and by Him the breeze of obe-
dience and peace has replaced whirlwinds of de-

 

 

oreHis Holiness Beha-Ullah. 81

fence and resistance. So the Behais have in-
creased and their tranquility, dignity and con-
stancy become renowned throughout all regions
and climes, while obedience to government, love
and brotherhood with all the different nations
have become their obligatory belief.”

To sum up; Mirza-Abul-Fazl submitted these
points to him with all sincerity and truthful-
ness, so that, if he had not been’ embit-
tered with fanaticism through the influence
of the clergy, he would have been able to
greatly benefit himself and the Persian Gov-
ernment, and would have made the royal fam-
ily an object of real allegiance to the people
of Beha. But, alas, the hearts of some of the
leading men of state were so filled and saturated
with ignorant bigotry that no miracle could
move them, much less the words of a man like
Abul-Fazl, who at that moment was a prisoner
in their hands, and his life dependent upon their
immediate verdict. But the author has since
learned, through numerous evidences, that al-
though at that time the Prince was prevented by
prejudice from realizing the truth of his words,
yet now, twenty years after that event, he is sure
of the fact that all this was said in sincerity,
loyalty and allegiance, and were it not for
fear of the extreme fanaticism of the clergy and
the people, he would acknowledge this to be
true. In the same year the author and twenty-
four other Behais were confined in the house of
this Prince, and during most of the days and

aes82 His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

nights held two hours’ intercourse with him. The
only praiseworthy quality witnessed in this Prince
was that he would converse with a prisoner with
the utmost quietness and composure, without feel-
ing offended or becoming irritated. In fact, he
exhibited a great power of control, so that he
could conceal hostility and rancour under the
cover of outward cheerfulness and calmness;
and disguise the most violent kind of hard-heart-
edness and asperity in the garb of compassion and
mercy. It was due to these characteristics that
the author and the other Behais, who were men
of learning, had the opportunity of talking with
him upon these subjects, and did not refrain from
giving him admonition and advice, as is the duty
of righteous souls. The purpose of this digres-
sion and deviation from our general subject of
the laws and_ ordinances, is to make men of
perception realize the result of the utterances
of the Blessed Perfection, and understand how
rapidly the Divine laws proved effective and
penetrative in reforming the characteristics of
the Behais. For it 1s not an easy matter that
a community of recent organization, composed
of different peoples and assemblages, scattered
in various lands, should be so trained and
supported by their leader that during the
forty years of His appearance among them
nothing contrary to the laws of governments
should proceed from them, and that none
should be accused of evil deeds or bad morals.
When a man of insight considers the heavenly

 

    
  
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
   
  
 
 
 
   
 
      
  
  
 
 

 

heererte. ©Pre eee

 

  

 

His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

laws and regulations of former Divine religions, he
will find them divided into three classes in rela-
tionship with their objects. The first class con-
tains ordinances which refer to the duty of a ser-
vant to thank, praise and supplicate his Creator,
so that his heart may be purified and his soul and
conscience sanctified. Thus the truth of all things
may be reflected in the pure and clear mirror of
this servant, and he may be led to the true realiza-
tion of a position of perfect obedience to the prin-
ciples of religious doctrines. Such ordinances
are communes, prayers, thanksgivings, praises
and other devotional acts which are the pillars of
every religion. For without these the love of
God and fear of Him, which are the solid founda-
tion of humanity, cannot be realized, nor can a
perfect faith upon which is based the penetration
of the Word, its prevalence, and the formation of
morals, be secured. “Adore Thy Lord, so that
real certainty may overtake Thee.” In the line
of such devotional acts, after enacting laws of
prayer, fasts, pilgrimage and alms-giving, which
He has explained in detail in His Tablets, the
Blessed Perfection has revealed great numbers of
invocations and communes. In all of these, He
has commanded the Worshippers to entreat God
to beautify their character and endow them with
excellent virtues. In order to awaken the intelli-
gent man, we will utilize the following illustration.
In performing the ablution of the hands before
prayer, He has commanded the people of Beha
to recite the following:—“Oh my God, strengthen54 His Holirsss Beha-Ullah.

Thou my hands to take hold of Thy Book, with
such steadfastness, that the hosts of the world will
fail to hinder it. Then protect them from dis-
posing of any thing not owned by them, verily
Thou art the Powerful the Mighty.”

In washing the face, to repeat the following :-—
“Oh my God, I have turned my face unto Thee:
iliumine it with the lights of Thy Face and keep
it from turning to any but Thee.” It must be
evident to men of perception who ponder over
this fact, that when the worshipper repeats these
points several times a day and begs of God their
realization in himself, he will become well-rooted
in the high qualities of steadfastness, power and
firmness in religion. Also that in abstaining from
disposing of the property of others, and in perfect
resignation unto God under all circumstances,
these qualities which are accounted as the highest
characteristics of man and effect the security of
human society will become manifest in him. The
second class comprises ordinances which, besides
the benefits they impart to society, refer to indi-
viduals. For they ordain the virtues of cleanli-
ness, purity, dignity, calmness, chastity, etc. God
the Almighty, in accordance with the noble and
excellent form and image of man the most
comely in the world of creation, has commanded
each soul to practice these virtues, in order that
they may be ingrafted and well rooted within him.
These excellent qualities are necessary for man,
whether he be alone or in society; whether
other men appreciate them in him or not; whetheroe ot eee

 

 

His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 85
they praise him for them or not, for, apart from
the benefits they impart to society, they are the
approved characteristics of true manhood. The
forcible way in which Beha-Ullah has stated the
necessity of these cleanly virtues to the people of
Beha, and the eloquent manner in which He has
demonstrated their properties and benefits, has
never before been equalled in the heavenly books
of other religions. Notwithstanding man’s difh-
culty in forsaking old habits and his natural slow-
ness in spiritual advancement, the reformation of
the character of the Behais was perfectly effected
in a very short space of time, and their good qual-
‘ties witnessed in the writings of outsiders. In re-
gard to cleanliness, notwithstanding the manifest
advancement of some of the refined nations, it 1s
evident that this praiseworthy quality is still im-
perfect among the masses. In the books of the
Moslems, Jews, Zoroastrians and Hindoos, al-
though the laws of cleanliness and ordinances
concerning clean and unclean things are minutely
recorded, yet there are very few of these people
who are really cleanly. But many who pretend
and affect cleanliness and purity, shunning those
outside their religion and abstaining from touch-
ing certain animals, appear in the most tmpure
clothing and bodies. Oftentimes they have carried
this artificial idea of cleanliness to the extremes
of insanity and melancholy. Stories and romances
illustrating this subject furnish extraordinary rec-
ords of a kind of acquired insanity which ts amaz-
ing to people of intelligence.36 His Holiness Beha-Ulah.

Although the American and European Chris-
tians, more particularly the inhabitants of Hol-
land, France, England and Germany, are far more
advanced than other nations in the cleanliness of
their persons, clothing, residences, roads and
Streets, yet they do not deem it necessary to
cleanse the soil of impurities, unless they cause
visible dirt. For in the New Testament no com-
mand 1s definitely given to avoid that which is
filthy and impure. Consequently, one who has a
conception of real cleanliness would not hesitate
to conclude that perfect cleanliness as a practice
is in its infancy, even among the most refined na-
tions of the world, awaiting the time when God
the Exalted, shall bring it to the highest pitch of
perfection. Now, in order to show forth the
abundant and perfect benefits of God in this great
dispensation, to protect people from the melan-
cholic imaginations of former nations and deliver
more than one-half of the population of the earth
from an acquired insanity, the Blessed Perfection
has pronounced all things clean. At the same
time He has emphatically commanded all to
avoid everything filthy and to cleanse dresses,
bodies and household furniture, etc., from every
pollution. He has revealed these ordinances in
the Book of Akdas and numerous Tablets, so that
real cleanliness and perfect purity, which are high
attributes of heavenly souls, may shine forth
throughout all regions, and reach the highest
zenith of perfection among all nations. Thus it
is revealed in the Book of Akdas:—“Cleanse

 

 

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His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 87
every impure thing with a water which will not
change by the ‘three’ (color, taste, smell);
beware not to use a water which is infected by
the air (stagnant) or by any other thing. Be
the essence of cleanliness among mankind. This
is that which your Master, the Mighty, the Wise,
has desired for you. Thus, God hath removed the
decree of uncleanliness from all things, and from
other nations, as a gift from God. Verily, He 1s
the Forgiving, the Beneficent. All things are
being submerged in the Sea of pureness. In the
first (Day) of Rizwan,* when We manifested Our-
self to all in the world with Our most Comely
Names and Our exalted Attributes, all things have
been submerged in the Sea of pureness. This is
through My Favor, which surrounds all the creat-
ures, so that they may consort with all religions,
and deliver the Cause of your Lord the Clement.
Verily, this 1s the Crown of all deeds, were ye of
those who know! And the great pureness was
commanded and cleansing from dust; how much
more from solid impurity and other things? Fear
God, and be of the pure ones! Whosoever has im-
purity upon his clothing, his prayer will not ascend
to God,andthe Heavenly Concourse will shun him.
Make use of rose-water, and also pure attar. This
is what has been pleasing to God from all eternity,
so that what is wished by your Lord, the Mighty,
the Wise, may be diffused from you.”’

In another place of the same book, He says :—

On the “Strat day of the Feast of Rizwan, the Blessed Perfection
pronounced all things pure.88 His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

““Beware lest heedlessness may prevent you from
what you have been commanded by the Mighty,
the Great! Immerse yourselves in pure water; a
water which has been used is not allowable. Be-
ware not to approach the reservoirs of the baths
in Persia. Whosoever goes near to them will in-
hale a foul smell even before entering therein. O
people, turn aside from them and be not of the
debased ones! Verily, it is like unto foul
matter, were ye of those who know! Likewise,
forsake the foul tanks (in the houses), and be of
those who are pure. Verily, we have desired to
see you the manifestations of Paradise on earth,
so that there may emanate from you that whereat
the hearts of the near ones shall rejoice. Whoso-
ever pours water upon himself and thus bathes
his body, it is sufficient, and he does not need to
be immersed therein. Verily, God hath desired to
make things easy for you, as a favor, so that you
may be of those who are thankful.”

It is necessary to explain these points, so that
the inhabitants of America and Europe, who,
owing to the universal spread of civilization
during the last century, enjoy all the benefits of
cleanliness, neatness, and protection from fatal
epidemic diseases resulting from uncleanliness,
may become cognizant of the disasters of the
Orient, and be informed of the reason why such
ordinances have been revealed. For except one
iS acquainted with the foulness of the waters of
the public baths of Persia, the putrid tanks of
their houses and mosques, the impurity of there ed

 

 

 
 
 
 
  
   
 
  
  
 
    
 
  
 
  
  
 
   
   
 
 
 
   

His Holiness Beha-UlIlah. 89

drinking water of the inhabitants of Bokhara and
other vast countries of Tartary; and understands
how cleanliness and neatness are neglected by
these two great nations, it is impossible to realize
the Bounty of God the Exalted, Who has revealed
such ordinances, or to thoroughly understand the
necessity of these laws. For it 1s customary with
the Persian people to have but one public bath for
every district which contains from one thousand
to fifteen hundred houses, and their means of
bathing and cleanliness is confined to this one
bath. It consists of two houses, built of stone,
brick and cement; one for disrobing, the other
containing the hot bath, for bathing and cleans-
ing their bodies. At one side of the latter, there
is a reservoir of hot water, about three metres in
length and breadth and one metre and a quarter
in depth. All the inhabitants immerse and wash
themselves in this hot reservoir, and there are
usually from five to ten men in it, some of them
sound in body, others afflicted with all sorts of
fatal diseases. When leaving the reservoir, they
seat themselves upon the floor, and by means of
hand sacks and black porous stones, they cleanse
their bodies. They are frequently shaved and dye
their hair in the same place. Then washing them-
selves with soap, they take a final plunge into the
Same reservoir, the water of which is the foulest
and most impure thing imaginable; and then leave
the bath. Such are the baths used by fifty mill-
tons of Shi'ites who inhabit Persia, Turkestan and
India. The reservoirs of Bokhara and Tartary,go His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

which contain the drinking water of the inhabit-
ants, are also used for bathing and cleansing, like
the Persian baths. In these countries a pond is
built at different places in every town and village
and surrounded with mulberry trees, etc. In
these ponds, the inhabitants perform their ablu-
tions and expectorate, while at the same time they
wash their feet and handkerchiefs therein. The
decaying leaves and fruits of the surrounding
trees also fall intothem. This same water is used
by the inhabitants, for drinking and cooking.
Very often the water in these tanks becomes
green, and worms are found in it, yet the inhabi-
tants believe it allowable to use, and it is called
“‘pure water’ by the law. Therefore most of the
inhabitants of Bokhara are afflicted with “Filana
medinensis,” and the people of Khookand with
goitre. When men of discernment ponder
over the facts here briefly indicated, they
will be able to realize the mercy of God in in-
stituting such ordinances for the preservation of a
community numbering over three hundred mill-
ions. For it is impossible to change by compul-
sion of kings or advice of wise men, certain rooted
practices of a people who believe these practices
to be commanded by their religion. These cus-
toms and habits can only be removed by new laws
instituted by manifestations of the Command of
God. For instance, the traditional customs of
the Jews, extracted from the Book of Meshna,
and which are not enacted in the original Buble,
could not be changed through the power of any

 

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weesFe perch

 

  

His Holiness Beha-Ullah. gt

mighty king or sagacious philosopher. This is
also the case with the corrupt practices of the
Hindoos and Magians. To sum up; a number of
moral ordinances which secure the perfecting of
human virtues have been revealed from the Su-
preme Pen, but to explain their benefits is beyond
the limits of a short treatise. The third class com-
prises laws and ordinances about matters which
refer to general interests and the preservation of
society. These ordain justice, equity, faithfulness,
truthfulness, trustworthiness, chastity, etc., with-
out which tranquility cannot be obtained and
society cannot be preserved. This class of ordi-
nances is vast in range, and the majority of the
regulations belong to it. Included among them
are laws concerning business transactions, admin-
istration of government enactments, the rights of
rulers and subjects, laws of marriage, heritage,
etc. For man has been created a social being and
his life and permanence depend upon co-operation
and society. Therefore, the institutors of divine
laws have assigned the greater part of them to
administrative affairs, and have considered the as-
sistance, advancement and development of the
people as the most important part of their mis-
sion. Moreover, the author believes that religion
is none other than an institution which secures
the preservation and advancement of society. As
human minds are discordant, and as it is usually
impossible for the possessors of sound minds to
agree upon that which will secure the protection
and development of peoples, therefore God the92 His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

Exalted, has assigned the enactment of such laws
to the Manifestations of His Own Command.
These Holy Souls, through their divine percep-
tion, enact rules and regulations by which the sup-
port and progress of society is accomplished and
advanced for about one thousand years. Then,
in accordance with the law of progression and de-
cline, which is one of the essential decrees of the
world of Nature, the same Divine spirit will be
manifested in another Manifestation Who renews
these laws ahd regulations. From the above
Statement it 1s now evident that religion includes
the preservation of these laws and rules, as well
as attaining the knowledge of the source
and fountain-head thereof. Therefore, the life
and sustained vitality of nations can only be as-
sured by appreciating this great gift. Mere faith
in religion, without observing its laws and ordi-
nances, can by no means secure our salvation and
emancipation. Even love for God, without com-
pliance with His laws and commandments, which
form the cornerstone of all religious ordinances,
will be considered as mere imagination and sheer
pride. From this it is also understood that any
nation which ignores and disobeys these holy
laws, refusing to acknowledge the Dawning-place
thereof, is a dead nation and will be finally extin-
guished and destroyed; even though it may have
preva:led over the dominions of the east and west,
and been honored by brilliant learning, glorious
influence and powerful armies. This is made
clear bv reflecting upon the rise and fall of theHis Holiness Beha-Ullah. 93

Pharaohs of Egypt, the Pagan Czsars of Rome,
the Keyanian kings of Persia, the Yemen princes
of ancient Arabia, and the kings and descendants
of Gengiz-Khan the Mongol. But whatever na-
tion acknowledges a Holy Manifestation and
obeys His Holy Law, will become a living nation,
and enjoy victory, permanence, influence, and
fame; even though it may seem, at the beginning,
weak, oppressed, and few in number. This point
was vividly illustrated in the Israelites at the Ap-
pearance of Mosés; in the Christians at the Ad-
vent of Christ; and in the Arabs at the Rise of
Mohammed.

The author submits that the Beauty of El-Abha
(Exalted is His Glory!) has enacted laws and reg-
ulations concerning every point or subject refer-
ring to the preservation of society and the per-
fecting of human virtues; greater laws than which
cannot be imagined by the possessors of intelli-
gence. They concern manners and conditions of
mutual intercourse, the founding of admiunistra-
tive organizations, the mutual rights of rulers and
subjects, the spread of knowledge, respect due to
philosophers and learned men, commands to re-
frain from rebellion against kings and _ princes,
obedience and reverence to parents, the laws of
marriage, and the mutual rights of the wife and
husband, laws of inheritance and other regula-
tions. It is only through such laws that the union
and harmony among nations of different religions
and tongues can be effected; for, in enacting laws
upon every subject, He has taken two points into94 His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

consideration. First, that obeying and carrying
them into practice may be possible for all peoples,
notwithstanding the difference of their countries.
Second, that they may not excite selfish preju-
dices and fanaticism. Through these laws, the
breezes of ideal mercy and compassion will blow
through hearts and souls, and the lights of real
humanity will shine forth from all breasts. Thus,
through the assistance of God, the spirit of dis-
union, discord and hostility which divides nations,
will be removed, and all the earth will be consid-
ered as one Paradise and one home. For instance,
as we have already stated, Beha-Ullah has not only
forbidden all evil acts in detail (such as murder,
backbiting, cursing, etc.), but He also has com-
manded that no one should open his mouth in self-
glorification, or interfere with the affairs of others;
because this would offend souls and grieve hearts,
and finally end in inharmony and discord.

In order to cause the spread of learning and en-
lightenment, He has made it incumbent to
educate children of both sexes, and to train
them in lofty morals. Should any one disre-
gard these commands, and neglect the train-
ing of his children, the Government shall educate
and train them in the schools, and assess the ex-
penses upon the father. Should the father be
poor, the Government must furnish the funds out
of the money given to God, according to the law
instituted in the Book; so that excellent morals
may be universally spread throughout the world,
and praiseworthy qualities may be firmly im-ep pce

eee ia)

His Holiness Beha-Ulah. 95

planted in the hearts of both sexes from their
childhood. He has so emphasized this command
to educate children, that no righteous man will
fail to realize the necessity of complying with it.
He has included the teachers of children in the list
of heirs, so that their care and fatherhood may be
ever appreciated by the world, and they may be
encouraged to educate their pupils. The substance
of what He has said in the book of Akdas upon this
subject is as follows :—‘“Whosoever educates one
of the children of the people who love God, it 1s as
though he has educated one of the branches of the
Blessed Divine Tree, and he is worthy of praise,
blessing and mercy of God.”” When one reflects
upon this point, he will find that as God has
strictly commanded the spread of enlightenment
and education, and as the power of the Word of
God will assist it, this law of educating children
will cause the removal of the darkness of tgno-
rance and barbarity from all regions of the world,
and the promise of God, “The earth shall be illu-
mined with the light of its Lord,” will be clearly
realized.

In connection with occupations and professions,
He has said that God the Almighty has, during
this great Manifestation, made 1t obligatory for
all to occupy themselves in professions which are
praiseworthy, such as trade, agriculture, handi-
craft, etc. He has also stated that gaining one’s
living through means which benefit society 1s
considered as worshipping God the Exalted. He
has re-enforced this command by enjoining upon96

 

His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

the people of Beha, abstinence from monkhood,
Sufism, and retirement, as well as from ascetic
discipline. He has commanded them to marry
and to be engaged in the spread of knowledge
which leads to the Prosperity and welfare of peo-
ples, and the restoration of the world. He has
clearly demonstrated to intelligent men, that
corruptions of Divine Religions, and the ap-
pearances of ruinous, discordant beliefs, divi-
sions, sects and heresies, have been invented
worships resulting from Sufi’ism and asceticism.
For when, like a paralysis, such practices afflicted
any religion or people, enthusiasm, fervour, high
understanding and perception were destroyed,
and lethargy, inactivity and seclusion established
instead. This finally led to heretical worships
and beliefs, and the corruption and destruction of
the religion. Indeed, if we consider the manner
of the rise of monkhood in Christianity and
Sufism in Islam, we readily understand that their
origin was the Platonic philosophy. The dread-
ful wars, fictitious beliefs and practices which
arose during the existence of Christianity and
Islam, dividing these two religions into numer-
ous sects and causing great national calami-
ties. were clearly the results of monkhood and
Sufism. We must then realize the great Favor
which God has shown to the Behais, and appre-
ciate the great benefits of this strict command for
all the peoples of the world. For during the last
centuries preceding the appearance of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the flourishing nation of Greece wasa eta

Oe a eee

 

  

His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 97

renowned for its abundance of knowledge and
wisdom, and its extensive glory and empire. The
Greek dominion prevailed in Syria, Egypt, Meso-
potamia and the coasts of the Red Sea, and a
great number of the learned men of this nation in-
habited these countries. This naturally caused
the spread of Greek learning among their inhabi-
tants. In those days the Greek philosophy was
divided into two main branches, each of which
contained great philosophers and men of learning.
First was the Platonic philosophy, which was
founded upon abstaining from physical luxuries
and perfecting spiritual virtues. That is, a seeker
of perfection and of the highest degree of ad-
vancement should forsake every material delight
and shun worldly occupations; he should dwell in
retirement and seclusion; should practice medi-
tation, reflection and mortification, such as
vigils, abstinence and perseverance in prayer and
recitations. By this his spirit may ascend to the
Supreme Kingdom, and, before his natural death,
he may dwell in Heaven by suffering this kind of
voluntary death. According to the terms and
teachings of this philosophy, he may thus be asso-
ciated and in close communion with the Divine
Essence, the Identity of God. Apparently this
kind of philosophy was transported to Greece
from the Brahman ascetics of India, and by them
injected into Greek Sabeanism. For during a
long period the learned men of India have been
renowned for this line of wisdom, and have been
engaged in severe discipline, seclusion and retire-
ment.(98 His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

The second branch was the Aristotelian philos-
ophy, which was based upon understanding the
reality of things by proving and examining causes
and reasons, and by resting upon rational argu-
ments and logical syllogisms. This theory
taught that men of learning, in order to become
true philosophers, should trust in clear and con-
clusive arguments, follow the reasons and causes
of beings and effects, and look into the origin of
things with the utmost freedom, in order that
they may attain the knowledge of real facts. Ac-
cording to the author’s belief, this branch of
learning was brought to the Greeks from the Per-
sians. For it is an indisputable fact to the ori-
ental historians, that when Alexander the Great
of Macedonia subdued the Keyan Dynasty and
conquered the Persian countries he commanded
their Zoroastrian religious books, which, according
to his belief, were contradictory to the Pagan Sa-
bean religion, to be burnt and destroyed ; but their
scientific books, which contained all sorts of learn-
ing, he ordered to be sent to Greece. Ebn-Kaldoon
of Maghreb, whom the European writers believe to
be one of the most reliable historians of the 14th
century, says in the 13th chapter of the 6th part
of the first book of his well-known history, after
speaking of the conquest of Sa’d-Ebn-Kakkas, the
Arab general, over Persia, the fall of the Sassanide
Dynasty, and the burning of the Persian books ac-
cording to the command of the Mohammedan
Khalif Omar, son of Khattab, as follows:—
“Verily, this learning reached Greece from Persia

terer ey i

His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 9S

when Alexander slew Darius, subdued the Keyan
Dynasty, and disposed of an indescribable quan-
tity of their books. When the land of Persia was
conquered (in the days of Omar), and consid-
erable numbers of books were found there, Sa’d-
Ebn-Abi-Wakkas wrote to Omar for instructions
to carry them to the Mussulmans. Omar
wrote him orders to throw them into the water;
for, he _ said, ‘if these books contain guid-
ance, God hath guided us to a greater guidance
(the Koran), and if they are misleading, God hath
protected us therefrom.’ Then these books were
thrown into the water and fire, and thus the Per-
sian learnings were destroyed and did not reach
us.”

When, according to historians, Christ appeared
330 years after Alexander, and His blessed Cause
subdued great nations through the Heavenly
Power, a considerable number of pure souls from
Greece, Rome, and Syria embraced His Religion.
In those days Greek Philosophy had a great re-
nown in Egypt and Syria. The famous schools of
Alexandria were the headquarters of students, and
the fame of the Platonists, Stoics, Academics, and
Eclectics was extended throughout east and
west. Consequently, when, in the 2d Century,
some of these philosophers, including Athenago-
ras, Pantaenus, Clemens and other great men,
were converted, they became the most famous
Christian philosophers. Among them was Am-
monius Saccas, the founder of the celebrated
School of Alexandria, who remained a Christian100 His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

up to his death. Also Justin, who, owing to his
abundant knowledge, purity of character and good
deeds, finally suffered martyrdom for the sake of
his Faith. As Platonism was believed by these
great philosophers to be the nearest to the purity
and chastity o; Christianity, they thought it con-
formable to the manner of Christian worship, and
introduced it into that Religion. They frequently
encouraged their pupils in private worship, to live
in seclusion and in deserts, and instructed them as
well as all the Christians, in the doctrines of Plato;
demonstrating the Essence of God, the state of the
soul after leaving the body, and in his teachings
concerning angels, etc. Thus Platonic philosophy
became gradually the accepted belief of Christian
people. <Asceticism and abstinence from worldly
occupations was deemed the most excellent act of
worship. As people do not usually practice moder-
ation in anything, but carry every habit and cus-
tom to excess, either through prejudice, love of
notoriety, or by inadvertence, this indulgence in
asceticism and self mortification finally waxed so
great that a considerable number in Europe, Asia,
and Africa, notably in Egypt and Syria, went into
the wilderness, and wandered in plains and deserts
like wild beasts, without any fixed dwelling-place.
Most of them lived upon herbs, shrubs, roots, and
the barks of trees. Finally, monkhood grew out of
this great spiritual wisdom,—the Platonic philoso-
phy,—and numerous classes of monks and her-
mits were founded. In the 4th Century these
monks were particularized by distinctive names.

 

SreeetyysHis Holiness Beha-Ullah.

Such were the Cenobites, who lived and ate to-
gether in the same house and worshipped in com-
pany ; the Eremites, who led a solitary life, dwel-
ling in hovels or cells; the Anchorites, called
Vagrants, who roamed about desert places with
no kind of shelter and made their living without
labor, by pretended miracles, theft and other 1m-
positions, not averse to any kind of corruption or
sin. During the 5th Century the chief among
these classes laid down certain regulations for
themselves, and became known by the name Au-
gustinians and Basilians. Likewise, century after
century, new names and branches of heretical be-
liefs were established, such as the Benedictines,
etc. In the 6th Century this order had such
great renown that, according to the record of
Moshein, whole armies of monks were enrolled
in it. The orders of Dominicans, Franciscans,
Capuchins, Carmelites and Mystics were also es-
tablished in the medizval centuries of Christian-
ity. Their deeds and customs are clearly recorded
in church histories. The Dominican monks led
the horrible Council of Inquisition in burning and
destroying hundreds of thousands of persons and
in confiscating and pillaging the property of one
million widows and orphans. These monks, in
hard-heartedness and atrocity, far surpassed Gen-
ghiz and Tamerlane, who left such evil records in
history. Later,the order of Jesuits, the records of
whose lives are medleys of light and dark-
ness, benefits and losses, was founded. The
Jesuits were an object of awe to the govern-102 His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

ment and people, whose thoughts were occupied in
preserving themselves against this numerous and
impertinent army of monks. The introduction of
Sufi’ism into Islam also resulted from the Platonic
philosophy. In the first and second centuries of
Mohammed, His religion was promulgated in
vast and extensive countries of Asia, Africa and
some parts of Europe. The tyrannical, usurping
Arab Khalifat then gained its importance and
prevalence. Abbaside Khalifs in the east and the
Omayad Khalifs in the west, as well as their sub-
ordinate kings and princes, exerted themselves to
the utmost in spreading learning and sciences and
in the increase of culture and the arts. The object
of this was both to Satisfy the people’s need of
knowledge and to protect their dominion from de-
clineand downfall. Especially Ma’moon-el-Rashid,
the most valiant, cultured and famous of the Kha-
lifs, assembled a meeting of men of learning at
Baghdad, and commanded them to translate into

Arabic the scientific books of the philosophers of ©

Greece, Persia and Chaldea. He indicated more
especially the Greek text-books upon nature, the-
ology, medicine, ethical philosophy, astronomy,
geometry, etc. Consequently, the Aristotelian and
Platonic systems were introduced into Islam in
like manner as into Christianity, and were taught
by the Mohammedan doctors under the names of
Illuminati and Peripatetic. This divided the re-
ligion into numerous sects. From the scientific
philosophy held by the followers of Aristotle,
which is based upon argument and demonstration,ro eater)

cree mas

ot eee

oo ee

 

His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 103

appeared the different sects of Mo’tazaleh, Karra-
meyeh, and Ash’arieh. From the ethical philoso-
phy of Plato, which taught seclusion and absti-
nence from worldly affairs and luxuries, appeared
the Sufis and INuminati. Also different sub-
classes and branches appeared from Sufi’ism,
such as Kadareyeh, Shazeleyeh, Naksh-bendeyeh,
Cheshteyeh, etc., among the Sunnites; and the Je-
lalis, Nemat ’Ullahis, Haydaris, Aveysis and others
among the Shiites. On one hand, the appearance

of these sects in Islam caused the fall and extinc-

tion of other useful sciences, such as physics, as-
tronomy, geometry and geography; and on the
other hand, they entailed wars and administrative
divisions. Thus were created heretical beliefs and
abominable practices. Men were led to seeking
help from Sufi Sheiks and leaders, giving rise to
spurious claims to Mahdihood. In short, Sufi’ism
brought the same calamities and evils into Islam,
which were caused by monkhood in Christianity.
Although monkhood occasioned civil wars and re-
ligious disasters in Christianity, yet a great many
of the learned monks left worthy memorials in the
Christian world, and different branches of sciences
and arts were indebted to their labors and
writings. Maltibran, the Frenchman, writes in
his Geography as follows :—

“The perfection of the science of Geography
and the removal of former mistakes, appeared
from the habit of the monks.” Thus this writer
has acknowledged their labors. Those who study
the general history of the world clearly realizeB04 His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

the great pains and efforts put forth by learned
monks in upholding and spreading Christianity, in
eradicating fictitious Pagan beliefs, and in writing
excellent scientific books. But from the 7th Cen-
tury A. H. onward, nothing appeared from the
dervishes and Sufis, except smoking hashish, inac-
tivity, mendicancy, indolence, seclusion, public and
private recitations, playing tambourines, ridicu-
lous dances, etc., instead of acts of worship.

To set forth the life and circumstances of each
one of these classes would need special volumes,
so that their historical result might be clearly real-
ized by men of discernment, and the minds of well-
informed people be awakened.

The above-mentioned points show the effects
which followed the appearance of monkhood and
Sufi’ism in the Divine Religions, and enable us to
realize the great Bounty of God the Exalted, who
has forbidden these corruptions during this Mani-
festation. For if the prohibition of invented wor-
ships and asceticism had been clearly revealed in
the Heavenly Books of former nations, people
would never have introduced such things into Di-
vine Religion, nor would they have practised se-
vere discipline or ascetic acts which were not com-
manded in the Divine Word.

One point that must not pass unnoticed by the
men of learning is, that what has been mentioned
concerning the abominable acts of the Christian
monks and Mohammedan Sufis, does not refer to
all of them. For there is no doubt that among
them have appeared a few in every century who

 

    
   
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 

eet

  

eeeee

 

 

 

His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 105

have been engaged in worship and devotion with
all sincerity of intention and purity of mind; men
who have occupied themselves ina God-like spirit
to educate youth and to beautify both their own
character and that of others. Therefore the Lord
Beha-Ullah has revealed passages in some of His
Tablets, the essence of which ts as follows :—

“Those devouts and disciplined ones who, sin-
cerely, for the sake of God, have practised separa-
tion (from the world) and devotion ; all their deeds
and devotional acts have attained the acceptance
of God the Exalted. But they must henceforth
leave cells of retreat for the open (ordinary
dwellings), and be occupied in that which will
profit people. Nor must they refrain from mar-
riage which causes procreation and multiplication
of the servants (of God).”

To sum up; during this Holy Manifestation,
clear laws and regulations have been instituted
concerning the deeds and actions of men, so that
the servants (of God) may act with clear percep-
tion under all circumstances, and that they may
not be tempted or deluded by the imaginations,
superstitions and theological vagaries of the 1gno-
rant doctors and divines. Beha-Ullah has com-
manded the people of Beha to refer to the Book
for the rules of action, devotion and conduct. But
there is a certain class of laws which must vary
according to the differences of times and circum-
stances. These laws, He has commanded, shall
be instituted by the Houses of Justice (established
in every country, city and government), according106 His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

to the necessities of the times. He has made obe-
dience to these laws obligatory, so that Religion
may not become a plaything of divines and
of those who seek leadership. To fully set
forth these points is far beyond the limits of this
short account, but, God willing, they will be ex-
plained in full particulars, at some future date.
No such effect as that produced by the Divine
Verses of this Great Manifestation, in attracting
the hearts and souls of men, has been witnessed in
any former Manifestation and past religion. For
the Word of God proved so effective in those who
believed in it, that they endured all sorts of calami-
ties, gave up their lives, and were bathed in their
own blood, without recanting or lamenting. To
reflect upon this will also make men realize how
much greater is this cause than that of former
Manifestations. For during the Manifestations of
Moses and Christ no one ever gave his life for the
sake of the Lord, while the Sun of Truth was
shining and the Manifestation of God lived among
men. But in this Manifestation people vied with
each other in offering their lives, and displayed
the utmost endurance and composure in the time
of persecution. They sacrificed themselves with
all cheerfulness and joy, in love for the “Beloved
of the creatures.”” For instance; in the earlier
years after Beha-Ullah’s declaration, they arrested
a youth of Zanjon, by name Mirza Nejef Ali, who
was a messenger of Beha-Ullah. He was on his
way from Kashan to Teheran, accompanied by a
dervish whom he supplied with food and travellingee ae oe Beers

pe er ee

His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 107

expenses. When they reached Teheran the der-
vish informed the Government that a Behai mes-
senger had arrived with mails. Accordingly he
was arrested, branded with red-hot 1rons for sev-
eral days and afflicted with all kinds of torture.
Finally, as he would neither deny his religion nor
recant, they beheaded him and dragged his corpse
along the ground to the place of the gallows. In
each year similar cases occurred, which served but
to attract the hearts of the people.

A very striking event which happened later was
the martyrdom of Wargha and his little son Mirza
Rouha’llah. It is a matter of amazement to men
of perception, when they reflect upon the great
self-restraint and endurance of these two holy
souls and the hard-heartedness of the wicked.
Wargha the Martyr was learned and a venerable
man, expert in medical science and well versed in
literature and composition. He wrote poetry in
Persian with the utmost elegance and beauty.
Wargha and his little son Mirza Rouha'llah were
arrested while on their way to Teheran, in the year
1896, for no other reason than being Behais, and
put in chains in the royal prison of Teheran. The
child, although only eleven or twelve years old,
had been educated and trained by his father and
was very intelligent. During the month of May
in the same year, Jaffar Kuli Khan, entitled
‘““‘Hajib-ed-Dawla,” the chief of the prison, without
the knowledge of the Government, went one day
to the jail with several executioners, and com-
manded them to bring Wargha before him. In108 His Holiness Beha-Ullah.

the presence of the little boy they forced the head
of that great man into the hole of a torturing ma-
chine, constructed of blocks of wood and thick
rods of iron; an apparatus in which they fasten the
feet of criminals in Persia. Then they cut his
' body into pieces with a poniard. After having in
this way executed Wargha, Jaffar Kuli Khan told
the little son to repudiate his father’s religion,
promising that he would then appoint him to a
high position with the sons of the Shah: otherwise
he would cause him to share the same fate which
his father had met before his eyes. Mirza Rou-
ha’llah, whose face shone with the light of joy and
happiness, expressing the spirit of steadfastness
and reverence, refused this proposal with the
greatest fervency and promptness, saying he
would by no means waver from the right path or
reject the Divine Religion for the sake of the tran-
sient life of this world and its fleeting honors.
Finally, they martyred the innocent child and con-
cealed both mutilated corpses in a private place.
Scarcely a year passes without similar dreadful
events occurring in Persia, and the blood of these
people is still shed for the sake of the Behai Re-
higion. Even in rgo1, three Behais were mar-
tyred in a shocking manner in Abargoo, situated
between Yezd and Isfahan.*

The names of these three, the full particulars of their martyrdom
and the Tablets revealed for them by the Master, were sent to me in
Peb., 1903, from Akka. By the Master's command I have translated
and will publish them in a separate pamphiet.—Translator.

 

    
  
   
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
   
  
    

eeine osSette

 

 

His Holiness Abdul-Beha.

As to the birth and life of our Lord Abdul-Beha
(Glorified is His Name) :-—He was born in Te-
heran, on the sth day of the month Jamadi-ul-
Aval, 1260 A. H. (May 23d, 1844); the same day
in which the First Point (Exalted is His Supreme
Name) had declared Himself. He was reared in
that city under the training of Beha-Ullah. The
author has heard from His own blessed lips, as
well as from many others, that He very often suf-
fered persecution and execrations, while yet a
child, from the fanatics of Teheran, during the dis-
asters which followed the Appearance of the Bab.
When Beha-Ullah was in chains in the Prison of
Teheran, Abdul-Beha visited Him. During the
time Beha-Ullah resided at Baghdad by com-
mand of the Persian Government, 1269 A. H.
(1852-1853), His Holiness the Master was in His
service and constantly in His Presence.

Although He had not studied in any school, yet,
from His youth, fountains of knowledge flowed
in His fuent explanations. The first trace which
emanated from His Holy Being in the world of
knowledge was the treatise He wrote in His early
youth at Baghdad. This was a commentary upon
the holy tradition :—“I was an invisible Treasury ;
as I loved to be known, therefore I created men to
know Me.” He wrote this commentary in answer

109"10 His Holiness Abdul-Beha

to the request of one of the Pashas. The author
Was present at a meeting, when some one asked
Haji-Seyd-Jawad Taba-Tabay of Kerbela_ con-
cerning the life of Beha-Ullah. The great Seyd
answered :—“That Hoiy Being must be a Shining
Light whose great Son hath written such a treatise
during his childhood.” By this the learned Seyd
meant that while it is impossible even for a scholar
to show forth such great knowledge, how much
more impossible would it be for a Person to write
such a treatise in his childhood without having
Studied. Therefore, such knowledge is heavenly
and not earthly; it is Divine wisdom, not human,
and it owes its origin to the Holy Spirit of God.
Thus, even in His childhood, the signs of grand-
eur and dignity were manifest from His brow and
He showed forth phenomenal intelligence and wis-
dom. His wonderful speech in explaining ab-
struse points, astonished men of intelligence, and
His marvellous eloquence everywhere attracted
hearts and souls. His acute judgment was a bril-
lant lamp in elucidating intricate obscurities and
His penetrative discernment in managing and de-
ciding different affairs, improved the condition of
young and old. He was the companion of Beha-
UNah, and the sharer of His afflictions during His
successive banishment from Baghdad to Constan-
tinople, thence to Adrianople, and finally to
Akka. All the people of Beha resorted to Him in
their difficulties and obeyed His decision.
More especially during the twenty-four years of
Beha-Ullah’s residence at Akka, the troubles ofHis Holiness Abdul-Beha. 15t

Abdul-Beha were so great that no one but Him-
self could have endured such calamities. The very
fact that Akka was a place of exile for Turkish
suspects and prisoners, meriting the name “Great
Prison,” given to it by the Supreme Pen, is a sufh-
cient testimony of the tribulations and vicissitudes
which Abdul-Beha has suffered. For, as we have
formerly remarked, Beha-Ullah, during His resi-
dence at Akka, would not, as a rule, converse with
any save the Behais, unless some one especially
asked permission to visit Him. His Holiness
Abdul-Beha, however, held intercourse with all the
men of different religions, aims, tastes, characters,
and degrees, and each one would submit to Him
his individual wishes. Consequently, different
classes and nationalities of Moslems, Christians,
Behais, Arabs and Turks, as well as Persians be-
longing to the governing and learned classes,—
ue likewise great merchants and people of the lower
a orders,—visited Him from early morning until
midnight. Some of them sought His presence for
the benefit of His spiritual explanation; others
for their personal affairs and requests. Any one
informed upon the manners of oriental govern-
ments, and thoroughly acquainted with the condi-
tions of the inhabitants of those countries, will re-
alize the great difficulties which surrounded that
Holy Being. He, under all circumstances, would
a receive the people with a cheerful face, and en-
deavor as far as possible to grant their wishes and
assist them. Even in the present day, His Holli-
ness is the resort of the people of that land, and all

oe ee11z His Holiness Abdn]-Beha.

refer their wishes and hopesto Him. Heisa phy-
sician to every invalid, a shelter to every exile, a
refuge to every seeker for help, and a dispeller of
sorrow to every grieved soul. As God knows and
witnesses, the author, during the ten months he
stayed as guest in His beneficent shelter, can tes-
tify that even those fettered in the jail and de-
prived of seeing the daylight, received His bene-
fits and favors; and exiles forsaken in the cells of
oblivion were visited by Him. These excellent
characteristics. were inborn in Him, and no one
can show forth such virtues through imita-
tion or pretence. Even the greatest men in
the world could not manifest their like. There is
an old proverb:—“Nothing manufactured is like
unto the natural.”

Abdul-Beha was named Mirza-Abbas after His
grandfather, but subsequent to their arrival at
Baghdad He was called “His Holiness the
Master.”” After the declaration of the “Blessed
Perfection,” He was given several lofty titles by
Him, such as “Sir ’UNah” (“Mystery of God’’),
“Gusn “Ullah ’EI-A’zam” (“Greatest Branch of
God’’). By these titles He was addressed ver-
bally and in writing by Beha-Ullah and all the be-
lievers.

In the earlier days of Beha-Ullah’s declaration,
the blessed Book of Akdas was revealed. This is
considered the greatest book of the Behais, and
contains all the Divine Laws and Ordinances.
The following irrefutable command was revealed
therein :-—eine:

reve ee fe

r
rer et BRS

OCP pcsie

 

  

His Holiness Abdul-Beha. K13

“When the sea of (My) meeting sinks, and the
book of the Origin is achieved to the end, turn ye
your faces to ‘He who is desired by God’; the
One who is extended from this Ancient Root.”
Likewise it is recorded in another part of the same
Book :—‘“‘When the Nightingale soareth from the
grove of Praise, and repaireth to the furthermost
concealed Destination, refer ye that which you un-
derstand not from the Book, to the Branch ex-
tended from this Firm Root.” Thus all the people
of Beha were informed of the One who will be the
‘‘Center of the Cause of God’ and their resource,
after the disappearance of the “Sun of Truth” and
the departure of the Beauty of Oneness. Thus
they have hope in and rely upon this Providence
shown forth by God the Exalted to them. They
recognize in Abdul-Beha the Expounder of the
Divine Book and the Solver of the intricate points
of the Heavenly Revelation; whose decision 1s
conclusive; through whose explanation every dis-
cord and divergence is removed, and the seekers
are brought to perfect realization, accord and af-
finity. They thank and praise God the Exalted,
and manifest the utmost joy and happiness at His
Appointing the Resort of the Cause of God. To
the people of Faith, the clear appointment of the
Center of the Cause, after the Departure of the
Manifestation, 1s considered the most important
point in religious matters, as it is the greatest
channel which connects the servants of God with
Holy and Divine Truth. For it is only through
His explanation and decision that all discord is114 His Holiness Abdul-Beha.

removed. Consequently the Behais appreciate
the determining of the “Appointed Center” as the
greatest of the Divine Providences, and account
His blessed Being as an impregnable fortress
which protects the Divine Religion from the
doubts of the sceptic and fanciful imaginations of
men. They were all sure and convinced that the
purpose of God the Exalted, in these two blessed
Verses, has been no other than His Holiness the
Lord Abdul-Beha; for, apart from the Divine
signs that were manifest in Him, Beha-Ullah
clearly and implicitly, verbally and in writing, di-
rected all of His servants to the blessed Person of
Abdul-Beha, and, under all circumstances, clearly
showed that He was far distinguished above
others, in order that all the servants should look
unto Him alone, and follow His Commands. But
notwithstanding all this, as Beha-Ullah foresaw,
that when His Beauty of Oneness was concealed
under the veils of disappearance, the people of
desire, through jealousy, would hold to ground-
less doubts and suspicions, and, disregarding the
prohibition to interpret the Book, would divert
the real meaning of the two verses above qucted,
away from the “‘Appointed Center.” He, there-
fore, prior to His Departure, revealed the blessed
Kitab-el-’A’hd (Book of the Covenant, the Will of
Beha-Ullah). This He wrote, and sealed it with
His own blessed Hand and Seal, in order that the
darkness of discord might not again obscure the
brilliant Horizon of the Cause of God, and the ca-
lamities and disasters which afflicted other re-

toeprorae Ee

ri
gf pre

ovearo

ess

Pee aeons

 

 

  

His Holiness Abdul-Beha. 115

ligions might not overtake this movement. In this
Book (His Covenant) He clearly indicated that
the purpose of the “Branch extended from the
Ancient Root,” revealed in the blessed Verse of
Akdas, was the Center of the Circle of Names, the
Exalted Branch of the Blessed Tree of Abha, His
Holiness Abdul-Beha. Then He, for the second
time, enjoined, through an unchangeable and irre-
futable command, all His “branches,” “twigs,”
“relatives” and the people of Beha without excep-
tion, to look unto that Dawning-place of Divine
Light, and to know Him as the Source and Origin
of the commands and prohibitions of the Heavenly
Religion. He desired, by this clear elucidation, to
counteract the imaginations of the ignorant, ex-
tinguish the world-consuming flame of the jeal-
ousy and hatred of people of error, and guard the
Divine Religion from divisions and sects which
are, according to the judgment of common sense
and the clear texts of the Holy Tablets of God, the
most deplorable for religion and humanity. By
this He sought to preserve the Divine Word from
human doubts, suspicions and artifices.

But alas! All these clear texts of God, com-
manding people to turn to the Day-spring of the
Light of the Covenant, did not check the evil
thoughts of the people of discord; and His re-
peated exhortations and advices did not soften
the hard hearts of the men of hostility, nor prevent
them from ruinous discords and divisions. For
when, in May, 1892 A. D. (2nd Zul-Ka’da, 1309
A. H.), Beha-Ollah ascended to His Most Holy116 His Holiness Abdul-Beha.

Station, and nine days after His Departure, the
Book of the Covenant of God was chanted in the
Holy Tomb in the Assembly of Believers, the gloom
of animosity and disappointment became instantly
manifest upon the faces of those who had ground-
less pride and desire for leadership, and who
sought to raise discord and contradiction. On
the other hand, cheerfulness and JOy were mani-
fest in the shining faces of those who had no de-
sire but that of seeking the Truth and telling the
Truth. Some were seated upon the right hand of
certainty, firmness and steadfastness in the solid
covenant of God, and some stood upon the left
hand of unhappiness, in their impossible desire
and erroneous thoughts. The former became dis-
tinguished for their firmness and inflexibility;
noted for the effectiveness of their word, their
good name and success in assisting the cause,
while the latter were distinguished by their insta-
bility, degradation and shame. From that day,
the thorn of violating the “Covenant of God” grew
in the Garden of the Behai community and the
signs of senseless hatred and hostility proceeded
from a limited number of persons who are known
as the “Nakezeen” (violators of the Covenant).
The one community of Beha-Ullah which was as
the breeze of Paradise and the fragrance of the
morn of Providence, free from the foul odors of
animosity and discord, became divided through
the evil intrigues of these few, and the Holy
Word which He had strictly forbidden to be
altered or transposed, became colored with theHis Holiness Abdul-Beha. 117

dark doubts and false interpretations of those hos-
tile men. They spread many false and insignifi-
cant pamphlets for the purpose of creating doubts
and sedition, and put forth all sorts of untrue accu-
sations and calumnies. They cursed and insulted
the visitors to the Holy Tomb of the Blessed Per-
fection, and made the Holy Threshold,—which is
the Point of prayer and supplication, the Sacred
House of commune and invocation,—as a place
for distressing and confusing hearts. Finally, it
was feared that some of the youthful believers
would no longer be able to endure the evil tongues
and cursing of the Nakezeen, and a disturbance
might arise which would be contrary to the tran-
quil disposition of the Behais and would desecrate
the Holy Tomb. Consequently His Holiness Ab-
dul-Beha asked the local Government to supply a
guard to accompany the Believers upon the days
of visiting the Holy Tomb, so that they might be
protected from unseemly disturbance and be able
to engage in prayer and devotion with composure.
Although these people who violated the Covenant
-eceived, during the life of Beha-Ullah and
after His Departure, every kindness and favor
from His Holiness Abdul-Beha, who con-
sidered their welfare and prosperity before His
own and that of the faithful believers, yet, on ac-
count of jealousy and selfishness, they violated
the cause of God. Thus came to pass that
which was prophesied by the Prophets,—especially
Christ,—concerning the people of the right hand
and the people of the left hand; and each will re-118 His Holiness Abdul-Beha

ceive the reward of his deeds according to the
justice of God. Two important points increased
the flame of the fire of jealousy in the hearts of
these Nakezeen, whose number does not exceed
thirty. One was that the Behais of all countries
refused to accept the seditious books and pam-
phiets forwarded to them by the Nakezeen. Ac-
cording to the command of Beha-Ullah, they
unanimously determined not to pay any attention
to these intrigues and temptations, but took shel-
ter, with the utmost union and harmony, under the
banner of the Center of the Covenant. Another
point was that during a short space of time the
cause of God became far more widely spread than
before, through the fluent pen and brilliant expla-
nations of Abdul-Beha; so the number of the Be
hais became enormously multiplied since the de-
parture of Beha-Ullah. The fame of the Dawn-
ing Place of the Light of the Covenant spread
throughout all regions, and His Holy Tablets be-
came scattered as rose-petals throughout all coun-
tries. His Great Name filled the world with
awe and the renown of His glorious deeds reached
all in the east and west. Therefore, the people
of hostility and violation availed themselves of po-
litical machinations, and disturbed the minds and
thoughts of fanatical men in those lands, until,
finally, in 1901, the great imprisonment was re-
newed and the life of Abdul-Beha became subject
to the same disasters which formerly befell Beha-
UNah. As this extraordinary happening (the vi-
olation by the Nakezeen) is one of the most aston-His Holiness Abdul-Beha. 119

ishing events which human prejudice has ever cre-
ated in the world, and the author has not now
sufficient time to give it in detail, he confines him-
self to this short account, while begging God to
enable him to write the full particulars at a future
time, and to bring it to the notice of the righteous.Exordium.

In the Name of God, The Clement, The Mer-
ciful! O ye just ones! Verily, I praise for you
our Lord the Behi-U]l-Abha, and offer the most
excellent homage and exaltation to His Beauty,
The Most Luminous, The Most Holy, The Ex-
alted, The Supreme; and I salute and glorify the
excellent Branch which is extended from the Ex-
alted Tree, the blessed “‘Sadrat,” planted in the
center of the ‘‘Paradise of perpetual abode’’; the
Lord of mankind and the Possessor of the hearts
of the prudent. The hearts of the righteous are
forever turned unto Him, and the heads of the
holy ones are humbled before Him, so long as the
sun 1s shining from heaven; to Him the Birds of
Sanctity are warbling hymns of glorification and
praise.

An illustrious Command hath issued from the
Holy Court, that I should compile for you a book
for the solution of the allegories of the Heavenly
Scriptures and interpretation of the intricacies in
the texts of the Divine and Holy Writings. To
discover their hidden facts, explain the meanings
of their symbols, open their seals, reveal their pur-
port, and unveil their treasures; so that the gems
of their mysteries may sparkle forth, and their
precious and peerless pearls may gleam; this,
then, shall be the motive of my humble endeavor,
Izorn Prreee

re bopy:

Exordium. 12

the measure of my privilege and the witness of my
obedience to the revered and authoritative Com-
mand emanating from the Court of Holiness.

By your life, O ye noble, just ones! This glo-
rious Command hath indeed moved and rejoiced
me. The receipt of this praiseworthy Mandate
hath fortified and encouraged me to arise in com-
pliance with the blessed and honorable Command,
and overcome the manifold difficulties which in-
tervene to prevent the fulfilment of this impor-
tant and serious work.

Verily, all the Heavenly Books, Writings and
Texts are songs sung by the Birds of Holiness, in
the praise of our Lord El-Abha; hymns warbled
by the Doves of Harmony, proclaiming the signs
of His Beloved Manifestation; verses and rhythms
uttered by the Tongues of Prophets, declaring the
tokens of the Hour of the greatest Resurrection ;
melodies chanted in the assemblies of the people
of Sanctity, clearly indicating the Day-Spring of
the Lights of His Covenant and Testament, The
Most Mighty, The Supreme. How excellent,
then, is the mentioning and explanation thereof!
How delightful is the interpretation and solution
thereof! How sweet is the recital and elucidation
thereof!

For this Day is no other than the end of the
ages; no other than the illumination of the hori-
zons of earth, both east and west, with the Lights
of the Forgiving Lord; no other than the chang-
ing of darkness into light, and of sorrow into joy
and gladness; whereby hearts are cheered, soulsaaa Exordium.

are tranquilized, eyes are consoled and breasts
are dilated. This is the Day of God.

Consequently we take the pen and commence
our treatise, relying, under all circumstances, upon
God the Exalted! We beseech His Lofty Thresh-
old to render easy unto us the accomplishment of
this glorious work, and vouchsafe the ability to
achieve it in perfect form, with speed.

Now we place before our beloved ones certain
Introductions which may help them to apprehend
the above-mentioned hidden and veiled meanings,
and understand the symbolic aims which have been
sealed, during generations, since olden times.Pe rere

scupes

First Introduction.
&

Explaining briefly ‘““The Day of God” and the
realization of the mighty ““Hour’” (“Day of Judg-
ment’).

O ye people of Beha and companions of the
Red Ark! Know—may God the Exalted assist ye
through a spirit sent from Him!—Verily, when ye
consider carefully the announcements in the Heav-
enly Books and perceive the glad-tidings in the
Holy, Divine Writings, ye will find they agree in
promising the coming of “the Day of God” and
foreshadowing the arrival of the “Hour” wherein
the Face of God will be manifested, the regions of
heavens and earths will be illuminated by His com-
ing, all former things will be changed by His rising,
and every sorrow effaced. The essence of all that
is recorded concerning these glad-tidings 1s this,
that when oppression and tyranny prevail through-
out the world; when distress and tribulations are
intensified among the nations; when divergences
of religions and creeds become grave and wide-
spread, and the heaven of worship of the Merciful
God is riven and overthrown; when the greed of
souls grows fierce to violate men and property ;
when terrors and adversities prevail; at that time
the Divine Herald will arise, the Holy Heavenly
Spirit will descend, announcing the coming of the
Manifestation of the promised Lord and proclaim-
ing the approach of the dawn of the Orb of His

123124 First Introduction.

Glorious Beauty. Then will the Path be made
plain, hearts brought nigh unto God, breasts
healed, griefs dispelled and tears wiped away.
Then will the glorious Lord arise and utter a Call
which shall shake the pillars of this lofty edifice.
He will cry out in a voice which shall fill the ex-
panse of the world and summon all the nations of
the earth, both east and west, to God, The
Mighty, The Glorious! Then will He institute
for them new laws, and trace out for them a
plain, direct path.

And after the setting of the Sun of His Beauty,
the breeze of His Presence being hushed, the
Glorious Branch extended from the Tree of His
Essence will arise; the dawning moon will shine
from the horizon of the Heaven of His Bounty,
diffusing the lights of His Religion, establishing
the Temple of His Worship, and sitting upon the
Throne of His Glory. His holy Word will pene-
trate all regions until the saying be fulfilled,
“The earth will be illuminated with the Light of
its Lord, in the Day of Judgment.”

With the rising of such Divine Souls and the
shining forth of such Heavenly Lights, the clouds
of fictitious beliefs will be dispersed and the pearls
of the Realities of Knowledge will become mani-
fest; religious divergences will be removed and
nations will be united in worshipping the Merciful
One. So the worship of Satan shall pass away.
In that Day, God will “make all things new.” Ev-
erywhere, affairs will change, until all parts of the
earth shall rejoice. Enlightenment, learning, arts

   
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
    

  

Thorne)peeree ia

Oe le Pes

BY eres

First Introduction. 125

and trades will become universal among mankind.
The remote ones of the world will be brought
nigh; nations and peoples will be harmonized; the
rancours and animosities hidden in breasts shall
be removed, and love, affection, attraction and
brotherhood become general throughout the
world. .Then souls will be cheered by the wafting
of the fragrances of joy, and hearts will rejoice at
the blowing of the Breezes of Gladness. The
Lord will destroy all vestiges of tyranny, oppres-
sion and rebellion, through His Power, and will
propagate evidences of Equity, Justice and Char-
ity.

He will judge between nations, render justice
between people, correct souls and unite hearts.
Then the time of spoiling will pass away, and the
days of warring cease; the swords will be made
into plough-shares, the spears into pruning-
hooks; no nation will raise sword against another,
and no “multitudes will wage wars together.”

To resume; the Fragrances of Resurrection
will stir and the Breezes of Life will blow; the
dead will be quickened, the darkness of former
things be dispelled, and the lights of ideal virtues
will shine; the emblems of true humanity will be
raised in all places, and the Lord of Heaven and
Earth will illumine all regions, both east and west.
These are some of the signs appointed as pertain-
ing to the Day of God, and decreed for the Age
of the Manifestation of God, which we have
brought to your notice. Were ye to consider
them with the eye of thoughtfulness and percep-126 First Introduction.

tion, ye would find them facts clearly recorded in
all the Books and Scriptures; written by the Pen
of God during the bygone centuries and ages.
Likewise, the clear judgment must consider the
necessity for the fulfilment of these promises and
the attainment of the world to its loftiest height.
As this, our world is created spherical as to form
and rotation, so likewise it is spherical in its physi-
cal revolutions, such as ascent and descent, ad-
vancement and recession, progress and decline,
until God may allow its destruction and destine its
extinction. This is what is interpreted by philoso-
phers of Divinity to be the arc of ascent and de-
scent of the circle of creation: and by the natural
philosophers to be the laws of development and
retrogression. As in this age our world is upon
the ladder of ascent, which fact is indisputably ac-
knowledged by the philosophers and scientists;
therefore it must needs ascend to its loftiest de-
grees of perfection, and attain its point of equilib-
rium. Far be it from the Divine Wisdom and
the Sublime Heavenly Power to permit the leaves
of the Book of the Universe to remain scattered,
the Epistle of Creation mutilated, the ground of
capacities fallow, and the trees of humanity fruit-
less! Mankind must of necessity reach the lofti-
est destination, the highest goal, the exalted
grade and supreme station.
The Guardians of the Divine Revelation
(Prophets) have interpreted this station to be “Re-
generation.”’rseee Te

oe oe

 

  

First Introduction. 137

Then, when ye, O people of Beha, carefully con-
sider the world, ye will perceive that all the na-
tions of the ancient world have been totally in-
crusted by false worships of paganism and Sa-
beanism; the darkness of imaginations and ficti-
tious ideas has prevailed in every region, and en-
tangling beliefs and evil customs accumulated in
every clime. Inasmuch as the above-mentioned
nations were ignorant of the meanings and orig-
inal purposes of the texts revealed in the Heav-
enly Books, such as ascent and descent, return
and restitution, heaven and earth, sun, moon and
stars, resurrection, death and life, and many sim-
ilar words which were upon the lips of the proph-
ets since the ancient days, and were uttered by
the Tongue of God from the foundation of the
world; and as they understood such words accord-
ing to their literal sense; therefore these nations
fell into the gulf of the fictitious beliefs of pagan-
ism. Among these pagan notions were transmi-
gration of souls, transformation of embodiments,
worship of stars, animals and trees, services of
genii, controlling spirits and other ruinous prac-
tices and pernicious beliefs,—which facts are evi-
dent to every informed historian, and to every
student and archzologist. As the gloom of
fictitious and superstitious beliefs prevailed in all
parts of the world; as the clouds of ruinous prac-
tices, the dusk of pernicious actions, densely en-
wrapped all regions, and veils of suspicion hung
upon every side; and as the earth was entirely
covered by darkness upon darkness, therefore the128 First Introduction.

prophets (peace be upon them!) have interpreted
that long duration as the “gloomy night,” and the
time of its disappearance as the “bright morning,”
“‘the day when it shineth.”’

The Great Lord Moses, the “‘Interlocutor,”’
was the first one who arose in that dark and
gloomy period, and announced to the Israelitish
people the coming termination of that long night.
He proclaimed the advent of the glorious “Day of
God.” He taught them the Unity of God; made
known to them the way of worshipping God; im-
planted in their hearts the expectation of the ar-
rival of the ““Day of God,” and explained to them
the signs, symbols, tokens and wonders thereof.

So also in the past days, that “Abraham” who
was entitled Zoroaster, appeared in Persian re-
gions and taught the Parsee nation the worship
of the merciful God, abolishing idolatry from
among them, announcing the coming of the
“Hour,” reminding them of the future Resurrec-
tion, explaining the signs and tokens thereof, and
unveiling the appointed time. Moreover, he
clearly stated to them that, verily, the sun of the
promised Beauty should dawn from the horizon
_of the east, and that the blessed Sadrat would
spring forth from a well-rooted tree of Persia.
But, as at that time the darkness was overcoming
the light, and the hours of gloomy night were still
far from the dawning-place of Manifestation, the
false imaginary beliefs and pernicious worship of
paganism again prevailed even among the He-
braic and Persian nations. Thus the worship ofBH. ist

Pr rer ens

 

 

 

  

First Introduction. 129

God was mingled with fire-worship, and the kings
of Judea and Ephraim associated with nations
rooted in paganism, such as the Egyptians, Phe-
nicians, Assyrians, Chaldeans and Greeks, because
the latter had assumed dominion over the lands
of Palestine and the inhabitants thereof. On this
account the Hebrews were compelled to live under
the laws of those governments, to obey their
kings, adore their demons and worship their 1dols.
Yet, among them, the Israelitish prophets, such
as David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Zechariah, and
others (peace be upon them!), were, during fifteen
hundred years, reminding the people of the com-
ing of the “Day of God,” and reviving hopes in
their hearts of the “Manifestation of God.” So
these prophets were, in their cycles, as beaming
stars which shone forth from the uttermost hori-
zon of heaven; as lamps enkindled and aflame in
the gloomy and obscure night.

In that way many generations passed, until the
glorious Saviour arose and the brilliant star
dawned from the horizon of Galilee. Then the
planet of the Son shone from among the posterity
of Abraham, the melodies of the Gospels pealed
forth and the descent of calamities upon the chil-
dren of Israel drew nigh. Our Lord Christ (upon
Him is Glory and Grandeur!) arose and cried with
loudest voice:—‘‘Repent ye, for the Kingdom of
God is at hand!’ ‘“‘Awaken and be mindful! The

Hour of the Coming of the Kingdom of God ap-
proacheth!”” “Blessed are the pure in heart, for
they shall see God!’ “Blessed are the peace-130

makers, for they shall be called the children of
God ?’’

Likewise, during His lifetime, He was con-
tinually reminding them of the approach of the
“promised Day,” renewing and establishing the
Signs of the Appearance of the Beauty of the
Adored One, which had been prophesied by the
prophets of Israel.

Christ declared that in “that Day” He will sit
upon the right hand of His (the Father’s) Throne;
will be authorized to make His commands effec-
tive; will be established upon the Seat of His
Glory, and become the shepherd of His sheep,
through His Permission. He (Exalted is He!)
heralded the approach of the Great Hour, the
Mighty Day of Resurrection, until He ascended
to the Supreme Friend. Then Apostles arose to
spread His Cause and promote His Word, until
now all the European regions are illuminated by
the lights of His Command, and are becoming
purihed from the filth of paganism.

Six centuries lapsed after the departure of
Christ, until the Beams of Dawn appeared from
Arabian horizons and the shining of Morning
Light was transmitted from the direction of
Hedjas. The greatest signs of the Hour appeared
and the mightiest Tokens of the Day of Judg-
ment became manifest. Mohammed arose, crying
out with the loudest call:—“The Sentence of God
will surely come (to be executed); wherefore do
not hasten it.’’ This voice was heard from
heaven :—‘‘The time of their accounts hath drawn

  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
   
 
    
 

 

ere br

rer arern. |ore or ee ee

Pisses Intvadaetiow! 233

nigh unto the people, while they are turning away
therefrom.”” He clearly stated that the gloomy
night had expired and the dawning of the Sun of
Truth from the Supreme Horizon was at hand.
Through the light of His word and the power of
His prophethood He illumined great nations and
multitudes, from the remotest parts of Africa to
the distant east; peoples who knew nothing con-
cerning Unity and had tasted no drop from the
fountain of Oneness; those who had denied the
Prophets and falsely accused the Chosen Ones.
The Word of Mohammed and His prophetic testi-
mony drove them out of the darkness of pagan-
ism-toward the Light of the Worship of God.
Thus they were turned from denial of Prophets
to belief in the line of holy messengers from Adam
to Jesus the Spirit of God. Mohammed an-
nounced to them the coming of the Day of God,
and made with them a covenant to expect the de-
scent of the Spirit (Christ) from the Heaven of
the command of God. But He also clearly stated
that the Precursor, who shall arise before His de-
scent, to prepare the way before His coming, will
come forth from His (Mohammed’s) posterity;
that through Him (Christ) God will fill the earth
with equity after it had been filled with injustice,
and illuminate all regions with justice after they
had been darkened by tyranny. Then He estab-
lished books of traditions and prophecies, and
filled pages with signs and tokens. The earth of
enlightenment rolled around its axis for 1260
years, until the Hour drew nigh and the appoint-132 First latroduction.

ed time arrived. Then the Star of Guidance
dawned, the Planet of Purity shone forth, the
Fountains of Knowledge gushed out in one of the
best lands of the Orient, and the Tree of Grace
was ignited in the city of Shiraz, the chief town of
the province of Fars. The Most Great Bab
(Gate) arose, preaching to the multitudes and peo-
ples, heralding again the expiration of the gloomy
night, foreshadowing and clearly declaring the
coming of the great and dreadful “Day of God.”
He raised this.call betwixt the heaven and earth :—
“Rejoice! Rejoice! The Morn of Guidance hath
indeed appeared, the gloomy night hath cleared
away, and the Dawning of the Beauty of God, El-
Abha is at hand. The spring-time of the Return
of the Realities of Regeneration hath come.” All
regions trembled with this most sweet call and
the Resurrection appeared through the supreme
Message. The storms of oppression blew and
the whirlwinds of rancour stirred in the breasts of
religious doctors. Then the brilliant Flame was
extinguished, the spiritual Fragrance ceased and
the Beauty of the Merciful One was martyred in
the city of Tabriz, the chief town of Azerbeyjan,
under the sentence of a satanic and impious one.
Calamities and afflictions appeared, animosity and
malice showed forth and the dark clouds of dis-
cord became violent; until the appointed time
came and the Signs of the arrival of the “Day of
God” were manifest in aff directions.

Then dawned the Sun of the Beauty of the
Promised One; then rose and beamed the Orb ofrte ee Te)

ee

First Introduction. 133

the Face of the Adored One. The Hour arrived,
the Resurrection came, the trumpet sounded and
the dawn of the Manifestation shone forth. Beha-
Ullah-El-Abha arose; the Beauty of the Supreme
God appeared and called out with a voice that
filled all regions, causing the “seven strata of the
earth” to tremble. Now the promised God hath
indeed come, the Beauty of the Adored One hath
appeared, the appointed Day of God hath dawned
and His irrefutable and glorious Command hath
arisen. The Lord hath descended in the shadow
of clouds; the earth is shining with the Light of
the Face of its Lord, the Bestower; the Bridge its
extended, the Book is appointed, the curtain ts
lifted and the veil is removed. Showers of Verses
have fallen, branches of Knowledge have put
forth leaves and become flourishing in all direc-
tions. The dead have arisen and the lifeless are
resurrected. The rivers of Knowledge and en-
lightenment have flowed from His Supreme Pen
and He hath broken the seal of the ““Sealed Wine”
with His Generous Fingers. He hath explained in
His Holy Tablets the realities of the Words of
the Prophets, and hath disclosed in His precious
Writings the meanings of the symbols of the
Elect, until all the seals of the Prophets have been
opened and the aims of the Messengers become
unveiled to the possessors of pure hearts. He
instituted new laws which are destined to unite all
nations and multitudes; issued a glorious Com-
mand which will bring together all religions and
creeds, enjoined His Saints to love all nations134 First ion.

and exhorted them to serve all the people of the
world. He enacted for them devotional ordi-
nances, such as fasting, prayer, pilgrimage, alms-
giving and other rites and ceremonies. He for-
bade crimes and sins, such as murder, adultery,
theft, backbiting, lying, calumny and other in-
iquities and offences. He commanded them to
submit to the laws of governments, urged them
to obey kings and princes and to respect those
who are good among the learned men and doc-
tors. He exhorted them to universally spread en-
lightenment, to educate their children of both
sexes and absolutely prohibited them from that
which may create oppression and hatred in the
world. He forbade them from cursing, execra-
tion, insult, strife, conflict and all that is calculated
to separate hearts or perturb souls. He even for-
bade them from carrying arms without the per-
mission of rulers, and from everything that may
cause confusion.

During His last days He wrote the Kitab-el-
Ah’d (The Book of the Covenant, Testament or
Will) with His blessed Fingers, in which He
clearly stated and appointed the “Center of the
Covenant,” directing peoples to the Orb of the
Universe. In this Book He again exhorted His
friends and followers to show forth good charac-
teristics and noble attributes, so that there may
appear pure and chaste souls among His believ-
ers; shining and beaming stars in the heaven of
His Cause.seeetehits

First Introduction. 135

Likewise, the torrent of His Verses and the
shower of His Graces abundantly poured down,
until the time of Disappearance drew nigh, and
the Sun of Truth was concealed in the veil of Ab-
sence. The Lord ascended to the Supreme Court
of His Might, and His blessed Identity was hid-
den in His Invisible, Furthermost Essence. This
calamitous event and lamentable disaster hap-
pened on the 2nd of the month Zi-Ka’da, 1309 A.
H., which corresponds to the 16th of May, 1892
A. D.

When the Sun of Guidance was set and the
rustle of the Sadrat-el-Muntaha hushed, then the
Orb of the Covenant dawned and the “Moon” of
the Testament appeared with the utmost bril-
liancy and effulgence. The glorious “Branch ex-
tended from the Ancient Root” arose to promote
the Word of the King of the Day of Judgment,
and now He is crying and heralding throughout
all regions :—“‘The Judgment of God hath come;
respond ye, respond ye unto the Call of God!
Hearken ye, hearken ye to the Melodies of God!
Inhale ve the Fragrances of God! Be illumined,
be illumined with the lights of the Face of Beha-
Ullah! The promises of the Prophets have al-
ready been fulfilled, the prophecies of the Messen-
gers realized; the Day of Judgment hath come,
and mankind hath stood before the Lord of the
creatures!”

After the breezes of the Testament had blown
and the Fragrances of the Covenant wafted, the
pure writings rapidly circulated and were sprea‘lr36 First Introduction.

 

throughout all regions; just as the petals of roses
are scattered in spring-time and light diffuses its
effulgence ; souls were revived and breasts dilated ;
“thousand thousands and ten thousand times ten
thousand ministered unto Him,” and all in the
fraves arose. Then the signs of violation ap-
peared in the faces of the people of discord, and
armies of retreat joined the ranks of the people of
Opposition. Souls were taken away and branches
were cut down; those of the right hand were di-
vided from those of the left hand; the dwellers in
hell-fire were distinguished from the abiders in the
Exalted Heaven, and the suspicious were separat-
ed from the people of Assurance. Blessed are
those who attain! Glad-tidings unto those who
are assured!

O people of Beha and faithful ones! Were ye
to consider, for a third time, the utterances of the
Prophets and the words of the Chosen Ones, ye
will find that not one of those who appeared be-
fore the Manifestation of Beha-Ullah has ever
claimed to be the Greatest Manifestation of God
who should come and pacify the World,—whose
Day is the Day of God unanimously agreed upon
by all nations and peoples.

The Prophets and messengers are all manifes-
tations of One Reality. This will be explained in
the treatise upon “Unity.”

The qualities which differentiate the prophets
and manifestations of God are their individual
characteristics and peculiarities. These distin-
guish them in their outward station and functionrec rreee:

Pen

ret

First Introduction. 137

of manifestation, but do not affect their inner sta-
tion of Reality and Oneness with the All-Source;
and pertain to the illumination manifest in them,
but not to the Essence whence that illumina-
tion proceeds and to which they all have the same
relationship. Forasmuch as the Essence 1s hidden
in its own Reality and incomprehensible in its own
innermost Identity, therefore, in order to under-
stand these matters, a seeker and striver after
truth must needs consider that which every
Prophet has explained in His Book concerning
His station, and understand the names and titles
which He has assigned to Himself.

As to Moses and the Israelitish prophets (peace
be upon them !), one fact is evident in their books
and prophecies. If we study the Old Testament
we find that after law, ordinances and some
prophecies concerning Tyre, Sidon, Egypt, etc.,
the only thing recorded therein is but one solid
and important message. It 1s this, that, verily the
Israelitish Kingdom will be utterly destroyed in
the Holy Land and the tribes will be scattered to
all parts of the earth, where they will taste the bit-
terness of lowliness and abasement, and undergo
great affliction and terrible calamities. The days
of their tribulations will be prolonged, as a conse-
quence of their sins and crimes, until the coming
of the Lord, when He will arise to save them from
such extreme degradation, free them from cap-
tivity, gather their scattered ones, restore to them
their former abodes, and plant them in their or-
iginal dwellings,—an abiding which will not be138 First Introduction.
followed by any dispersion or removal, and a
growth which will not undergo any extirpation or
distress.

The Book of every Prophet, without exception,
contains clear warnings regarding the long degra-
dation which will befall the Israelites; announces
to them the coming of the Day of the Glorious
Lord, and their deliverance from violent torture.
Naught is heard from the books of the Old Testa-
ment except the melodies of the Birds of Sanctity
for the Manifestation of the Beneficent Lord; the
cooings of the Doves of Peace concerning the
signs of that Great Day, and the deliverance of
the Children of Israel from painful affliction.
Therefore, it is not possible to consider the ap-
pearances of these Prophets to be the Manifesta-
tion of the Promised Lord, nor their days to be
the Day of the Glorious Lord.

As to Christ (Glory be to Him!), He did not
claim that His appearance was that of God; nay,
rather, He clearly stated Himself to be the Son
of God. Neither did He claim His day to be the
Day of God, but expressed Himself as a herald of
its coming and approach, as is shown by His
words :—*‘Repent ye, for the Kingdom of God is
at hand.” Nor did He announce to the Israelites
any honor and dominion, but rather warned them
against the approach of their long abasement and
violent desolation, as is clearly shown in the Gos-
pel of St. Matt. (ch. xx1il., 37-39):—“‘O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and
stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often

 

     
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
  
 
   

Teoreyreese ie

acapee

First Introduction. 139

would I have gathered thy children together, even
as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings,
and ye would not! Behold, your house is left
unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall
not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed
is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”

Whosoever studies and searches the texts of
the Gospels and the Epistles of the Apostles, will
find that they are all in perfect harmony with what
is recorded in the books of the I[sraelitish proph-
ets, regarding the coming of the Day of God, its
signs and events. Therefore, it is not possible to
interpret Christ’s appearance into the words of the
Israelitish prophets which announce the coming
of the Glorious Day of God, the illumining of the
earth with the lights of His Beautiful Face and
emancipation of the Children of Abraham from
their long degradation.

As to Mohammed, His title, “the Seal of the
Prophets,” clearly demonstrates that His appear-
ance was not the Manifestation of God, nor was
His day the Day of God. He commanded the
world of Islam to call out, five times a day, the
formula, “I testify that, verily, Mohammed is the
Messenger of God!’” Moreover, one-third of the
Koran consists of prophecies concerning the ap-
proach of the Day of God’s coming, and signs
foreshadowing the near arrival of the Cause of
God.

As to the Most Great Bab, the glorious Precur-
sor, the First Point, the Supreme Model (Glorified
is His Most Mighty Exalted Name!), this is a suf-140 First Introduction.

ficient fact, that He hath entitled Himself “the
Bab,” which refers to His being the Gate of the
Manifestation of God; and He hath foreshadowed
the coming of the Promised One in the name of
“He whom God shall manifest.” He has alluded
to, nay rather, clearly stated in the 3d chapter of
the sixth Unit of the Book of Beyan, that verily
His Holiness the Promised One will appear at the
term of 19 years after His own glorious Rise. In
the same book He says His advent was to make
the way straight before the Manifestation of God,
and to prepare the path for the coming of “He
whom God shall manifest.”’

Consequently, on account of the facts that we
have clearly explained, it is impossible to hold that
the prophecies of the Holy Scriptures and the Di-
vine Books are fulfilled in any other than Beha-
Ulah-El-Abha, and in His Supreme and Most
Holy Dawn. He (Exalted and Glorified is His
Name!) hath alone claimed that, verily His Ap-
pearance is the promised Manifestation of God,
His Face is the Face of God the Adored, and His
Day is the appointed Day of God.

Prudent is he who considers this Supreme
Truth and lofty Aim! Verily, unto God will be
the end of ail! He is the Lord of the Next World
and the present one!roar

Per eaeaee

 

ew

 

 

 

 

The Second Introduction.

Treating of the -neaning of Divine Unity, the
disagreement of the nations as to the way of un-
derstanding It and the manner of Its demonstra-
tion.

O ye people of Beha! May God illumine your
insight with the Lights shining from the Beha
of His Face! Know, verily the nations have
unanimously agreed in confessing the Oneness of
the Essence of God the Exalted; but learned doc-
tors have disagreed in understanding its meaning
and the explanation of its import.

Verily the Pagans acknowledge and believe in
the Oneness of God and in His Singleness, even as
the Jews, Christians and the people of Islam have
confessed.

If ye should question any Buddhist, Brahamanist,
or Sabean, concerning God the Exalted, he will,
without consideration or hesitation, answer, that
he believes in one God who is perfect in all His
attributes and free from every imperfection; and
that idols and images are no other than the visible
representations of that Holy Essence; dawning
places of that One Reality; channels through
which the Divine Bounties are gained ; or interme-
diaries for worshipping that Invisible Identity.

These idols and images, as is known to the doc-
tors of archzology, are none other than images
of men who arose in bygone days and instituted a

141142 The Second Introduction.

belief or performed glorious deeds among the an-
cient nations. Asa confirmatory evidence of this
Statement, see Mosheim’s “History of the
Church” (Book I., Cent. I., Part I, par. 9) :—
“The greater part of the gods of all nations were
ancient heroes, famous for their achievements and
their worthy deeds; such as kings, generals, and
founders of cities; and likewise females who were
highly distinguished for their deeds and discov-
eries, whom a grateful posterity had deified.”

It is clear, therefore, that the doctors, philoso-
phers, priests and jurists first placed these idols
and images in their temples and homes as memo-
tials of their ancestors and heroes, to continue
their remembrance, show their gratitude and do
honor to their persons, until finally, visiting and
paying homage to these images became a part of
their worship, and adoration of them became an
essential part of their religions. With the lapse
of time their superstitions brought astonishing
events and great performances, such as signs and
miracles, into their worship of these images, as is
witnessed by the usage of the common people in
every religion.

Briefly, the plurality of the gods of the idola-
ters does not contradict their acknowledgment
of the Oneness of God, even as the doctrine of
Trinity, held by Christians, is not contradictory to
their belief in the Unity and Singleness of God the
Most High. Verily all the Christian peoples are
of one accord in believing in the Oneness of the
Essence of God, notwithstanding their belief in

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The Second Introduction. 143

the plurality of the Trinity and the difference of
names and meanings therein.

It is evident from the Holy Scriptures that the
ancient Sabeans considered their spiritual men as
gods. To explain it more clearly; just as the
Christians regard their illuminated exponents as
“saints,” and Mussulmans reverence their great
spiritual men as “‘owleya” (holy ones), so likewise
the Sabeans considered their heroes as gods.
The purpose and meaning of the word “god” to
idolaters is therefore the same as that intended
by the word “saint” to the Christians, and as the
title “holy ones of God” to Islam. This fact 1s
proved by the verse of the Acts, ch. xxvin.:—*And
when Paul (in the island of Melita) had gathered
a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there
came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his
hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous
beast hang on his hand .. . ; but after they had
looked a great while, and saw no harm come to
him, they changed their minds and said that he
was a god.”’ By this they meant that he was one
of the “holy ones” of God, or one of the “saints,”
because they witnessed in him such an evident
wonder; even as would be the case among vil-
lagers and rustics of the present time. The same
meaning 1s alluded to in the Ist verse of Psalm
Ixxxit., thus:—‘“‘God standeth in the congregation
of the mighty ; he judgeth among the gods.”” This
means that God the Exalted will stand, judge and
rule in the congregation of the saints. This also
corresponds perfectly with that which is revealed144 The Secord Introduction.

in many other places in the Holy Scriptures; such
as in Jude, v. 14:—"Behold, the Lord cometh with
ten thousands of His saints.” It is also recorded
in Psalm Ixxxii, vs. 6, 7:—“‘I have said, Ye are
gods; and all of you are children of the Most
High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one
of the princes.”

All these verses clearly indicate that by “gods”
is meant “‘saints.’”” The interpretation thereof is
that verily God the Exalted wished that His Cho-
sen Ones should possess piety and sanctity ; there-
fore He elected them to be His holy ones; but
they fell into tests, because, like other princes,
they persisted in pernicious and ruinous ideas.
By the two blessed verses is meant the chiefs of
the Nakazeen (the violators of the Covenant) and
the leaders of the companions of the “left hand,”
who are plunged into the depths of error. They
claimed to be the sons of God, and that their Lord
has chosen them for Himself; but they have fallen,
in violation of the Covenant of God. Inthe same
Psalm, David (Peace be upon him!) has recorded
prophecies concerning the Manifestation of God
and referred to the signs of the Day of God; as is
proved by the last verse:—“Arise, O God, judge
the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.”

It is, therefore, clearly evident that among the
bygone peoples the word “god” signified “saints”
to the Christians, and “holy ones’’ to the Mos-
lems. This form was introduced into the verses
of the Holy Scriptures and used by the Israelitish
prophets in some passages to which we have al-

   
   
   
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 

 

 

feret ee.-——- =

  

The Second Introduction. 145

luded when quoting the verses of the Psalms; 1n-
asmuch as this was, in those days, one of the
prevalent words or usual terms adapted from idol-
aters and Sabeans. The words of God have al-
ways been revealed in accordance with the lan-
guage of people, so that the benefit thereof may
become universal; which fact is evident to the dis-
cerning and to such as have the knowledge of the
Book.

The Israelitish people, early in their cycle and
in the beginning of their rise, applied the word
“prophet” to their religious chiefs; because in
those times religious leaders were accustomed to
interpret dreams, and people relied upon them as
men who were inspired in visions. Those ancient
days were, as we have recorded in the former in-
troduction, as the dark and gloomy night, on ac-
count of the agglomeration of fictitious beliefs,
the gloom of pagan tenets, and natural trend to
barbarism ; for Sabeanism and Paganism were then
prevalent in all states and regions. It was as
though darkness prevailed in all parts of the earth,
except the Syrian countries, which were at that
time planting-ground for the tree of Prophethood,
and the dawning-place of the light of Unity and
Guidance. As darkness then dominated all parts
of the earth, the prophets therefore considered
those days as the “dark night” in the cycles of the
world, and symbolized them by the word “gloomy
night,” which term they applied to them in nu-
merous places in their writings. It was in accord
with such conditions that revelation and inspira-146 The Second Introduction.

tion came to them in “dreams,” and so explana-
tion of visions was considered important. They
even applied the word “dreamer” to a prophet, as
is clearly manifest in many passages in the Holy
Scriptures; and thus the word “‘prophet”” came
into common use and was applied to all who had
Significant dreams among the Israelitish nation.
From them, this term found its way among the
Arabs, and became of current usage in the religion
of Islam.

From the above-mentioned statements, it is
clearly evident that the term “god” to the idola-
ters, “prophet” to the Israelites, “saint”? to the
Christians, and “holy one” to the Mussulmans,
has been used and applied in the same sense of re-
ligious leaders, whom these creeds regarded as
the nearest of men to God the Exalted, and the
only ones who were considered as esteemed be-
fore Him. |

Since the nations unanimously agree upon the
Unity of God, and that the gods, prophets, saints
or holy ones,—according to the difference be-
tween languages, interpretations, and terminolo-
gies,—are none other than the means of attain-
ment to Spiritual Bounties from the One Reality
of God; it proves that these leaders were only
the Manifestations of power for the institution of
Divine Laws among mankind. Now let it be
known that verily different doctors in every creed
have explained the essential Unity of the Almighty
God in diverse ways, and have respectively dem-
onstrated it by logical, scriptural or inspirational

~A a oe_—~.

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The Second Introduction. 147

proofs. The philosophers and theorists of every
nation rely upon logical proofs and analogical
reasoning, in demonstrating the existence of the
Self-existent One, and in proving His Unity and
Oneness. But the theologians and divines rest
upon authoritative proofs, which, they maintain,
are derived from Heavenly Books. Thus, the Jew-
ish doctors rely upon the texts of the Old Testa-
ment, the theologians of Christianity trust in the
texts of the Gospels, and the Mussulman doctors
of theology hold to the words of the Koran. Such
is the case with all the religions and creeds. All
the extant religions clearly state in their Heavenly
Books the Oneness of God the Exalted, His Sin-
gleness, and that He is far above being associated
or classed with His creatures. All these logical
or scriptural proofs which the doctors of every
creed use in demonstrating the existence of God,
His Unity and Singleness,—provided we suppose
them to have any efficacy in proving their pur-
pose, and granted they can prove the truth of
their assertion,—cannot go beyond demonstrat-
ing the conception of an absolute and indefinite
God. In other words, these proofs and argu-
ments do not impart the knowledge of God, but
only impart the understanding of the existence of
God. Knowledge of the existence of God is other
than the knowledge of God,—the Glorified, the
Great. The difference between the knowledge of
God and the knowledge of the existence of God
is evident to the intelligent, and the great diverg-
ence between the custodians of these two knowl-148 The Second Introduction.

edges is clear to the men of perception. A man
who has the knowledge of the existence of God
and not that of God, resembles a man who knows
and believes in the existence of a precious stone
called ruby, but who does not know the ruby itself,
nor can he distinguish between it and other
stones. Such a man is frequently cheated; and
buys a base and worthless stone or colored glass
instead of ruby. But a man who has the knowl-
edge of God, is like one who knows the ruby with
real knowledge of its qualities, and distinguishes
between it and other stones with due discrimina-
tion. Such a man will not be deluded by the mis-
representations of the dishonest, nor deceived by
the sellers and tradesmen.

Hence many nations have been misled and
many peoples deceived, mistaking devils for
saints, worshipping idols and falsely denying the
Prophets. They never worshipped the devil ex-
cept in the name of God the Exalted. This is al-
luded to in St. Matt. (ch. xxiv.), and clearly ex-
pressed in the 2nd chap., Second Epistle of the
Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians.

As to the people of Beha, the companions of
the Red Ark, who have attained knowledge of the
realities of Oneness, from the traces of the Su-
preme Pen; who have taken the lesson of Unity
from the rustle of the Sadrat-ul-Muntaha, and
have studied the problems of Singleness in the
Chambers of the Schools of Paradise, through the
melodies of their Tord the Abha; they believe
that the Essence of God the Exalted 1s an 1m-

MS RNY TNT Pe IS Sayre

Sper ee hr ©rr ee

ME ies et

Pes ee

The Second Introduction. 149

pregnable, invisible One, a hidden treasury, abso-
lutely single in its Identity and Reality. There-
fore it is not possible to qualify It with any quali-
fications of ingress or egress, ascent or descent,
occupancy or possession, concealment or ex-
posure, absence or presence, rest or motion, ad-
vance or withdrawal, or with other similar quali-
ties and attributes, peculiarities or grades. These
are the characteristics and attributes of matter,
while the Essence of God is abstracted therefrom,
and is in Its Identity contrary to and far above
being qualified by its qualities or specified by its
descriptions. Neither can It be defined by any
definitions, referred to by any reference, nor deter-
mined by the application of any pronoun; because
names, attributes, peculiarities and praises befit
only a thing which can be perceived through and
apprehended by physical senses. It 1s beyond the
power of mind to apprehend a general subject ex-
cept by investigating particulars, studying the
qualities of individuals, and deducing from them
general forms and logical meanings. But an ab-
stract cannot be apprehended by any of the phys-
ical senses. Therefore it 1s utterly impossible for
the mind to assign to it any especial character, or
to particularize it by any name or definite at-
tribute. All that man may think of this state is
but imagination and has no connection whatever
with any definite truths or real conceptions.
Consequently it is recorded itn the writings of
certain Oriental saints, rebuking those who were
discussing the Divine Essence, thus: “All that yeISG The Second Introduction.

distinguish through your imagination, in its most
subtle meanings, is a creation like yourselves, and
returns to yourselves only.”

As it is proved that the way to the comprehen-
sion of the Essence is closed, and that it is im-
possible for us to reach its depth, therefore God
the Exalted has created a glorious person among
mankind for the manifestation of this holy Essence
and sole Reality. He has selected a precious Gem
among the pure gems of humanity, foe the show-
ing forth of Its light and traces, so that He may
be as a throne for His Essence, a horizon for the
rising of the lights of His Splendor, a manifester
of His hidden Reality, an emanator of His in-
visible Identity, a recipient of His Names and At-
tributes, a tongue to reveal His Revelation and In-
spiration, a channel for His Laws and Ordinances,
an elucidator of His Signs and Evidences, and a
deliverer of His Commands and Messages. By
Him, God manifests, in the first grade and primary
station, His Knowledge, Wisdom, Power, Domin-
ion, Grandeur, Unity, Will, Beauty, Glory, Grace,
Perfection, Mercy and Beneficence. He (the
Manifestation) is named by all the mighty Names
revealed in the Divine Books, and is the subject
of the prophetic melodies recorded in the Heavenly
Scriptures. He is the “Spirit of God sent down,”
the prevailing “‘Word,” the brilliant “Face of God,”
“His outstretched hand’; He is the eloquent
“Tongue of God,” “His discerning Eye’’; He is the
“Preserved Tablet,” the “Supreme Pen,” the
“Manifest Horizon,” the “Outlook of El-Abha’”;

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The Second Introduction. 1St

He is the “Great Throne,” “the Lofty Seat,’’ the
“Everlasting Paradise,” the “Sadrat-ul-Muntaha.”
“‘By whatever title He may be called, His are the
most comely names.”

Such an excellent Person, glorious Man, pre-
served Gem, and Greatest Name must needs exist
in every cycle, age and time,—as 1s asserted by
Prophets and Messengers,—in order to be the
Temple for the worship of God. He is the Chan-
nel of the Knowledge of God; so that the proofs of
God, His evidences and signs may not be void, the
Path of Unity and Oneness may not be concealed,
the breeze of Devotion and Sanctity may not be
hushed, the door of Faith and Assurance may not
be closed, and that mankind may not be finally lost
in barbarism.

A sound judgment also considers the truth of
this fact; that interruption of effects from an ab-
stract (the first Cause), is unreasonable, and that
it 1s utterly impossible for any action to issue
from an abstract, except through the instrumental-
ity of bodies (matter). This is evident to such as
are grounded in logical arguments, and are gifted
with brilliant sight in Divine and natural enlighten-
ments. The essential Oneness is not invalidated
by the plurality of its manifestations, nor is the
sun made manifold by the number of its dawning-
places. The spirit of anyone of mankind is not
multiplied nor altered by the change of his body,
that 1s, by the transformation of the substance of
his organism, from his earliest childhood and youth
until his decrepitude and decline. For the only152 The Second Introduction.

thing to rely upon in the realization of Identity and
the demonstration of Oneness, is the unity of the
Spirit, and not of the body. As already mentioned,
bodies are but instruments for the Essence.
Neither does the Essence of God the Exalted be-
come plural by manifesting Itself in plural mani-
festations. Believing in Oneness is to recognize
that Single Essence in numerous manifestations ;
and Faith in Unity is to seek light from the One
Sun of Truth through Its manifold day-springs.
Therefore, we find many passages in the Holy
Scriptures, in which the Manifestations of God are
considered as one person, in regard to the Oneness
of the Essence and the Divine Spirit, although
they are different and varying in names, forms,
places and times. Their laws and religions are,
therefore, considered as one law and one religion,
in respect to the Oneness of the Institutor and the
Founder of those laws, notwithstanding their dif-
ference in precepts, ordinances, rites and cere-
monies. The Spirit (Christ, Glory be upon Him!)
has declared John, the son of Zacharias (peace be
upon him!), to be Elias the Prophet, saying :—
‘And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for
to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”

Likewise, the same fact is recorded in St. Matt.,
ch. 11., and in numerous other passages in the
former Books. In reference to this point, the elect
and favored saint, Peter the Apostle has said in
his First Epistle (ch. 1., vs. 10, 11):—‘Of which
salvation the prophets have enquired and searched
diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should

 

   
    
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
   
  
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 

 

hearer he ©sasthta Sy

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The Second Introduction. 153

come unto you: Searching what, or what manner
of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them
did signify, when it testified beforehand the suffer-
ings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.”

Consider,—may God assist ye,—how it 1s clearly
stated that the Spirit speaking through the
prophets, was the same spirit in Christ (Glory and
Beha be upon Him!). This is the clearest proof
of the Unity of that excellent Reality, and of the
fact that He will not become pluralized by the
number of His Manifestations. This verse has no
reference to the false and ridiculous idea of trans-
migration and reincarnation, into which pitfall the
footsteps of a great number of simple people have
slipped, and in which notion multitudes among
the past and present nations persevere.

The Spirit of God is the One Abstract Identity
in every respect. In this It is contrary to human
spirits and human mental faculties, which are sep-
arate in individuality and identity. That which
returns of beings is their generic form and the
qualities and signs pertaining to it; not the in-
dividual form and that which is in connection with
it of characteristics and personal particularities.
By the return of the Holy Reality is meant the
return of the Essence which is One in every re-
spect, and the manifestation of the Identity which
is single in essence. It is the Exalted Reality and
the excellent Essence, the center of the circle of
Names, and the Spirit of God descended from
heaven, through the knowledge of which the reali-
ties of things are unfolded, and the secrets of hearts154 The Second Introduction.

disclosed in the world of Creation. The believers
in Divine Unity are thereby distinguished from
polytheists, the convinced from sceptical, the truth-
ful from the false, and the firm from the vacillating.
When such a holy Essence manifests itself in a
body, and this sun of Truth shining forth from a
dawning-place is denied, opposed, rejected, turned
aside from or disputed by an ignorant and heed-
less one, such a person may not be truly named
a believer in Unity, and his knowledge of the ex-
istence of the Essence will not benefit him. For
his belief has not transcended the limit of imagina-
tion, and his knowledge of the existence of a god
is Only an indefinite knowledge. By understand-
ing this abstruse subject, it will become evident
why the term, “believer in Unity,” is not true of
some nations and religions (e.g. Sabeans), although
they may believe in one God. Likewise, the dif-
ference between the knowledge of God and the
knowledge of the existence of God will become
manifest, as we have already explained. Verily,

the knowledge of each one of the aforesaid nations
terminates either in what is created by their own

superstitions about the Essence of God, even
though they are philosophers and doctors, or in
their knowledge of one of the former Day-springs
and Dawning-places, even though they are blind
and simple followers.

Therefore, according to our demonstration, it
is proved that such a degree of knowledge of the
state of Divine Unity is not sufficient, nor can one
rely upon this knowledge as complete; nor can one

 

 

 

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 

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The Second Introduction. 1S5

trust in it against being snared in the toils of
devil-worship. Likewise, the meaning of “Return”
will be clearly understood, whereat the minds
of nations are astonished, and whereby people are
tested. All former and present nations have been
and are awaiting the return of some certain person
or persons who have existed in bygone ages, ex-
pecting them to appear in the “latter days,” as a
fulfillment of their prophecies. The Jews believe
in the return of Elias the Prophet. Among the
Mohammedans, the Shi’ah sect trust in the return
of Hussein the son of Ali (the 3rd Imam), and
Mohammed the son of Hassan Askari (12th Imam).
The Christians as well as the Sunnite sect of [slam
believe that Christ will return at the end of the
days; which fact is known to such as are informed
upon the doctrines of religions.

By “Return,” is meant the return of the Mant-
festation of that Sacred Reality. “Resurrection”
is the rise of Its Appearance and Dawning-place
among mankind. By the “Hour” ts intended the
hour of Its dawn and rising, after Its disappear-
ance. But the “Return” and “Resurrection,” if
they are taken according to the meaning which
people believe and nations await, is an unintelli-
gible matter, inasmuch as it is contrary to the nat-
ural laws, and against the Divine Sentences :—
“Thou shalt not find any change in the sentence of
God,’ nor yill there be any change in the laws
whereupon God hath based His Creation.

Such glorious Manifestation and great Man 1s
known and distinguished from the rest of mankind156 The Second Introduction.

by the Attributes of God which proceed from Him,
and by the qualities and characteristics of God
which appear through Him. From Him shine
Knowledge and Wisdom, Glory and Majesty,
Power and Might, Sway and Dominion, and other
attributes of excellence and qualities of Perfection,
without His having acquired knowledge by study
in scientific schools. Nor have His Power, Domin-
ion, Grandeur and Sway been assisted by any ma-
terial kingdom or ruler, or by financial wealth
and affluence; or through any family connection
and support. This is the case with His other
qualifications, dispositions and conditions. Nay,
rather, all these endowments and attributes are
manifest in Him in His Identity, and are confirmed
through His Words and Verses. He is, in every
one of His attributes, a miracle to others. He
puts to silence and discomfits such as may arise
to resist and oppose Him. The most particular
and clear among His Attributes is the Mighty
Power which proceeds from Him in instituting
laws and religions, and in promoting and establish-
ing them throughout the world. Through these,
every possessor of authority and power who may
oppose or antagonize Him is abased. This is an
incomparable Power among nations, and is a glori-
ous dominion and kingdom which can never be
vanquished by any in the world. For though
kings have long wrestled with it, they were beaten;
and though doctors and prominent men withstood
it, they were discomfited. Because, love for an old
and familiar religion is firmly rooted in the hearts

 

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The Second Introduction. 157.

of all the people, and dying for its preservation,
and suffering ruin in opposing its removal, is a
well-known characteristic of all the nations.

When anyone appeared, claiming to be the
Prophet of God, bringing a glorious Book and de-
claring it to be the Book of God, two manifest
powers and evident energies proceeded from Him
and His Book. First, a Knowledge, whereby all
the sicknesses of nations were removed; because
it changed their infidelity into belief in unity, their
faithlessness into faith, their ignorance into wis-
dom, their discord into harmony, their hostility
into love, and their treachery into trustworthiness.
So also it transformed their other attributes, man-
ners and qualifications.

Second, a Power whereby the world was sub-
dued, notwithstanding all the people, including the
prophet’s own relatives and family, resisted it; just
as the Jews and others withstood the spread of
Christianity.

Consequently, there is no ground for doubt as to
the truth of His claim and the reality of His Word,
nor as to the necessity of obeying Him. Verily His
power and might are connected with the Holy
Omnipotence, are caused by the Invisible Power
proceeding from the Divine Essence, and have
descended from the Exalted and Heavenly Reality.
There is no doubt that a new religion is an out-
come and result which must needs have a cause
and reason. As all material causes, such as ac-
quired sciences, outward dominion and power,
financial riches and family influence have been lack-178 The Second Introduction.

ing, therefore no thoughtful person, not even the
philosophers who believe in reasons and effects,
would doubt that these powers are caused by the
Reason of reasons and the Cause of causes. That
is, they have proceeded from the Divine Essence,
the Heavenly Reality, and Supreme Identity,
which is interpreted to be the “Self-Existent One”
(Glorified is His Grandeur and Exalted is His Sta-
tion !)
This glorious Man, whom we have mentioned ;
and described,—while He is exalted and magnified
above being praised by any praises,—in His one-
ness expresses the Oneness of God; in His desire, |
the Desire of God; in His will, the Will of God ;
in all of His names and attributes, the Names and
Attributes of God. Knowing Him, therefore, is |
knowing God, obeying Him is obeying God, reject-
ing and falsely denying Him is, therefore, identical :
with rejecting and falsely denying God.
This is the real theory of Unity, the ideal and 5
confirmed knowledge of Oneness. All else is but
polytheism of the infidel, imagination of the super- |
stitious, gloomy thought of the so-called philoso-
phers, and erroneous ideas of religious usurpers.
Praise be to God, the Lord of the Creatures! a

 

 

rartrers.The Third Introduction.

Treating of the proofs and arguments which
prove the truth of the Divine Manifestations :—

O ye people of Beha, firm ones in the Covenant
of “Him around Whom all names revolve”! May
God quicken your hearts through the fountain of
His Gifts which are pouring from His Glorious
Reality! Know ye that one of the subjects upon
which all nations have agreed, is the fact that
there has ever been in the world the appearance
of a truth and a falsehood, the rise of a guide and
a misleader, the true claim and the false one, the
call of the Lord and that of a Satan. In other
words, many men have arisen in the past and per-
haps others will arise in the future, claiming to
have appeared by the permission of God and
arisen by the Command of God; men who were
true in their claim and right in their words. On
the other hand, many others have falsely and er-
roneously made the same claim.

There must be of necessity certain signs and
tokens in a Divine claimant and in every Manifes-
tation of Truth, which signs and tokens may con-
firm the truth of His claim. Likewise there must
be proofs, arguments and evidences to establish
the validity of His words, so that Truth may be
distinguished from falsehood, a guide from a mis-
leader, and the right path from the wrong; so
559160 The Third Introduction.

that the Lord may be differentiated from Satan,
and proofs may be made perfect to all in the Uni-
verse.

Then know (may God assist ye!), we have
Stated and proved in the previous introduction,
that verily the Manifestations of the Cause of God
are the Manifestations of One Reality and One
Essence, and that all of them are considered as
one man and one person. Their first is identical
with their last ; their former with their latter; they
are only distinguished from each other through
the Attributes of God which appear from them,
and the Essence of God which is manifest within
them. From this it follows that the way of
knowing them, the proof of their truth, the evi-
dence of the validity of their claim, and the argu-
ment for the demonstration of their Word, should
be also one. For these tokens, signs, proofs and
arguments are no other than the signs of the Di-
vine Attributes, which are manifest in them, and
are similar to the rays and lights gleaming from
the Sun of Truth. As the Sun is one, its light
must needs be one, and the rays which shine from
it must be also alike and similar. But of these
Manifestations, those who appear later or nearer
to the end, that is, nearer to the Great Resurrec-
tion and Glorious Hour, are of a greater brilliancy
and splendor, and their proofs and arguments are
clearer and stronger, on account of the law of
progression. This point may be clearly under-
stood by investigating the proofs of the reality of
religions which have appeared in former times.erat tes

ri
rile

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The Third Introduction. 161

These proofs and arguments, although they can-
not be confined within definite limits, as we have
already said, are, in reality, the signs of the Divine
Attributes which are manifest in the Manifesta-
tions of God, and are as lights which gleam from
the Sun of the Truth of His Essence. Yet the
proofs held by the adherents of religions and
laws, and which are produced in case of demon-
stration as being the clearest and most evident,
are four in number.

First, the Heavenly Revelation, that is, the
Divine Book. Second, the Logical Proof or Ar-
gument (called by Mohammedan Theologians the
“Proof of Stability”). Third, Signs and Mira-
cles. Fourth, Prophecies and Records (of pre-
vious Books).

In the following, we briefly treat of the reality
of these proofs and the manner in which they
demonstrate the Manifestation of the Command
of God; while trusting in God, the aim of the
pious and the Illuminator of Sight and Insight.

FIRST PROOF; THAT IS, THE HEAVEN-
LY REVELATION AND DIVINE UTTER-
ANCE:—This signifies the truths which are
revealed to the heart of the Manifestation
of the Command of God, through the medi-
ation of the Holy Spirit of God manifest with-
in Him; truths given forth from His tongue; -
knowledge cast in the mould of words, through
His Utterance and Explanation. This definition
proves that, verily, the Divine Words and scrip-
tural Verses are the first Bounty which pours162 The Third Introduction.

forth from the Merciful Reality, and are the high-
est and greatest Gift which is sent down and be-
stowed upon human beings. These Words and
Verses are like unto the dew and the heavenly
rains. They descend from the clouds of Holy
Temples (prophets), and the old world is clad with
the new garment of youth through their descent
and fall. They are the rays of the Sun of Truth
which dawn from Holy Day-Springs, dispelling
the darkness of ignorance and superstition. They
are the Breezes of the Spring-time of Manifesta-
tion, the Fragrances of the Morn of Resurrection,
throughout time and ages. By them the sweet
odor of Knowledge is diffused in the Universe,
and the Spirit of Life is breathed into laws and
religions. They are rivers flowing from the
fountains of Divine Wisdom into that ever fresh
and verdant spiritual Garden. By their pure, liv-
ings waters the filth of barbarism and coarseness
is abolished and the graces of civilization and en-
lightenment appear.

The Words of God have clear preference and
manifest grandeur above all other proofs and ar-
guments; inasmuch as they are everlasting signs,
and can easily be reached by every one. In this
respect they differ from works and miracles, which
are temporary and vanishing, and cannot be trans-
ferred to remote countries and distant lands. The
Words are the greatest proof of the Prophets, in-
asmuch as nothing in the world is more highly es-
teemed and valued than knowledge. The depos-
itory of knowledge is the Book, as 1s evident to

 

 

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The Third Introduction. 163

all men of understanding. It is through the
Words of God that the benefits of training and
education are realized, regulations are enacted,
and laws are instituted. These laws constitute
the basis upon which the refinement of peoples,
civilizations of nations, preservation of society,
and culture of the world, are founded.

Let us take for granted that Moses (Peace be
upon Him!) has, as is believed by the Jews, cloven
the sea, brought forth water from the rock,
changed his rod into a crawling serpent, and mani-
fested other great signs. Let us concede that
Christ (Glory be to Him!) has quickened the dead,
restored those born blind, and cured lunatics.
How can all these wonders be of any value when
compared with the Gospels and the Bible? Verily
these, even though they might be literally true,
were witnessed by a limited number of men,
whereas the lights of the Heavenly Books are
shining, their signs are radiating, their hymns and
verses are sung, their psalms and prophecies
chanted, throughout all lands and regions, during
cycles and ages. Every reader reads them, every
hearer hears them, every seeker finds them, and
every man of capacity is profited by them.
Through them insight is illumined, eyes are con-
soled, morals are reformed, souls are quickened,
and hearts and breasts are dilated.

The Words of God are not distinguished and
known from the words of man by their elo-
quence, fluency, composition, harmonious phrases,
nor by the grace of their allegories, as 1s164 The Third Introduction.

maintained by some people. Neither are they
supported by the testimony of ancient monuments
and relics, as is held by certain classes; nor by
beliefs which people have inherited from their an-
cestors and great men, and to which beliefs they
have submitted in blind imitation, considering
them indisputable truth, as is the case in all re-
ligions. As all such views would be ignored by the
majority of the people, and could not be demon-
strated to the world as being a perfect proof and
a satisfactory argument; therefore, accepting
them would be only through blind imitation and
taking the words of others, without any proof
upon which wise men could rely.

The people of Beha, who cling to the Hem of
“Him around Whom all names revolve,” distin-
guish the Words of God from the words of man,
through their perfect efficacy in the guidance of
souls, enlightenment of hearts, quickening of na-
tions, reformation of character, reorganization of
society, institution of wonderful, everlasting and
refining laws, overthrow of such proud people as
may resist them, and domination over whatever
tyrant nations may prevent or antagonize them.
The Behais name this quality the “creative and
dominating power,” which differentiates the Di-
vine Words from those invented by man.

For it is evident to every discerning and pru-
dent man, that, venly, the mission of Prophets,
the arising of Messengers, the institution of laws,
and the enactment of regulations, are only for the

guidance of souls and the removal of spiritual

 

 

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The Third Introduction. 165
sicknesses, just as medical science is for the heal-

ing of physical sicknesses and the preservation of

bodies. When a prophet appears with a Divine

Book, whereby souls are guided, hearts are quick-

ened, infidelity changed into belief in Unity, un-

certainty into faith, rebellion into obedience, 1g-

norance into knowledge and wisdom, hatred into

love and affinity, to such an extent that He founds

a living, independent and everlasting community,

and institutes a reforming and guiding law; then
there can be no doubt that such a book is the Book
of God: that the Revealer thereof is appointed by
the Command of God, and 1s assisted and fortified
by the Spirit of God. Because the guidance of
men is a function which belongs to a prophet
and is a confirmatory proof of His Prophet-
hood, even as the power of curing sickness and
establishing health is a quality pertaining to med-
ical science, and an evidence of the claim of the
physician. To this point the Words of our Lord
Christ have reference, in the 12th ch. St. Matt.,—
“The tree is known by his fruit.” For it is un-
reasonable to believe that peace and harmony
should proceed from the source of falsehood and
corruption, or that a tree of error and misleading
should bring forth the fruits of happiness and
guidance.

In Deuteronomy, ch. xviii., God, referring to the
appearance of Prophets and the rise of claimants,
both false and true, has clearly indicated that the
only rule by which to discriminate between them
is the efficacy of their words and the penetrating166 The Third Introduction.

power of their speech, in guiding souls and illumi-
nating hearts; in uplifting nations and refining
peoples (v. 21) :—‘‘And if thou Say in thine heart,
How shall we know the word which the Lord hath
not spoken?” (v. 22) ‘‘When a prophet speaketh in
the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor
come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord
hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it
presumptuously ; thou shalt not be afraid of him.”

Now consider (May God the Exalted assist
ye!) how He has appointed the correct standard
for the distinction between false and true to be
the inefficiency of the words of the false one.
Likewise note that He has not made eloquence,
miracles, or the testimony of antique monu-
ments, distinguishing proofs. The above-men-
tioned verses do not exclusively refer to prophe-
cies of future events, as some commentators Say,
because if they did, people might be excused for
their lack of faith before the fulfillment of the
prophecies, and thus the words of the Prophets
would not establish a Religion, nor could they be
demonstrated by any proofs or arguments. But
their effectiveness and power is the only distinc-
tion and singie standard; the clear sign by which
to distinguish the Words of the Glorious Lord
from the words of man. Even the first one who
has believed in a true Prophet and acknowledged
a real claim, would not have believed in nor sub-
mitted to His Station had he not realized in him-
self the manifest guidance and evident power in
that Prophet’s Words.

 

    
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 

  

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The Third Introduction 167

Consider the condition of the Hebrew nation
before the appearance of Moses (Peace be upon
Him!). Compare their state of baseness and hu-
mility, slavery and shame, to their condition after
the appearance of Moses and the Bible’s Revela-
tion. Their circumstances and manners were
vastly improved, and they produced kings, rulers,
and great prophets. Thus we are able to realize
some of the signs of the revelation of Divine
Words, and see how much they effected in bring-
ing nations from darkness to light, from death to
life, from barbarism to civilization and refinement.
Likewise the records of all nations and peoples
east and west, who have embraced the Heavenly
Religions, will show how the downpour of the
Shower of Revelation from the Clouds of the Di-
vine Providence has taken effect in them. That
which is revealed in the 55th ch. Isaiah as refer-
ence to this fact:—(v. 8.) “For my thoughts are
not your thoughts, neither are your ways my
ways, saith the Lord.” (v. 9.) “For as the heavens
are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher
than your ways, and my thoughts than your
thoughts.” (v. 10.) “For as the rain cometh down,
and the snow from heaven, and returneth not
thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it
bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the
sower, and bread to the eater:” (v. 11.) “So shall
my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it
shall not return unto me void, but it shall accom-
plish that which I please, and it shall prosper in
the thing whereto I sent it.” This suffices the168 The Third Introduction.

people of faith, and is enough to Satisfy the people
of Assurance. Time and circumstances do not
permit further enlargement. Therefore, we trust
in God the Lord, and rely upon Him, both in the
origin and end.

SECOND OR LOGICAL PROOF:—That
Mighty Divine Power and Heavenly Energy to
which we have alluded, and which has been ex-
plained in a brief way in former passages, 1s a
Power which institutes a new law and a new re-
ligion. This Power is not assisted by any mate-
rial or phenomenal kingdom or authority, nor by
any glory, majesty, family influence, financial
wealth or afuence. When we find such a resist-
less Power triumphing unassisted by any such in-
strumentality, we may conclude that undoubtedly
it Owes its origin to the Cause of causes and the
Reason of reasons, that is to the Divine Will, the
Supreme Pleasure, the Essential Invisible Power.
Otherwise, things would be the outcome of a con-
catenation of causes, which theory is held as false
and unreasonable by great philosophers and by
pillars of learning and wisdom.

The explanation of this argument in detail is,
that this great Power and manifest Potency, which
proceeds from the Institutor of a new Religion,
must, of necessity, have a rational cause and rea-
son. Philosophers seek reasons and inquire about
causes. Now a religion is necessarily an effect;
and the idea of a new religion being outside
causation 1s absurd, for every one would most de-
cidedly refuse to embrace it. But this penetrative

 

 

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The Third Introduction. 169
Power which founds a new religion resists the
efforts of all the people of the world, and subdues
and overcomes all nations; this action, therefore,
must needs have a cause; this remarkable phenom-
enon and manifest Power must have an origin and
motive.

If it be said that this Power which organizes new
religions and preserves them for long periods, is
reinforced by any family influence, we find that
this motive is absent in such cases, and thus cannot
be an origin and source for the appearance of this
strong Power. The lack of this influence in
Christianity is too evident a fact to leave any
ground for doubt ; inasmuch as the relatives of our
Lord Christ (Peace be upon Him!) were of the
Jews, who, after the lapse of so many centuries and
generations, are still denying His religion, and are
the strongest antagonists of His Name among the
nations.

As to the Religion of Moses, the Bible testifes,
—in spite of the obscurity of the old histories and
the discord of the historians as to the compiler of
the five books of Moses,—that the Israelites were
antagonistic to the mission of Moses, and disputed
most of His actions, until finally they were about
to stone Him for the manifold calamities and af-
flictions which they suffered through the oppres-
sions of the Pharaohs and the hostility of the
Egyptians. In such a case it is impossible that
this wonderful Power which causes the institution
of a new religion should be assisted by family
co-operation or produced by the help of kindred."Jo The Third Introduction.

The cause of this manifest hatred and opposi-
tion, this evident enmity and hostility to a new
religion, 1s clear to men of insight. Verily, the
disease which pervades and attacks all religions is
the idea held by their respective adherents that
their laws are unalterable and everlasting.

The Jews, Christians and Mussulmans regard
their respective law and religion as being ever-
lasting and permanent, never allowing any of its
ordinances to be changed. Great numbers among
them have given up their lives and properties, and
forsaken their families and children to preserve
their ordinances and texts. This is also the case
with the Sabeans and other Pagan peoples. Thus
everybody hates and dislikes to relinquish his he-
reditary religion and embrace a new faith. This
is the case with all people, no matter whether they
are related to the Prophet or are strangers, ene-
mies or friends, obscure or distinguished.

A man can rarely be found who is in himself
awakened to the fact that the institutor of a new
religion and the appearance of a Manifestation
is appointed by the Command of God; that such a
Manifestation declares Himself by the permission
of God, and fulfills the Will of God; that He enacts
laws and ordinances applicable to the occasion, cir-
cumstances, places and times, and not in conform-
ity with the various opinions, wishes and ideas of
peoples and nations, and the difference of their
beliefs and understandings.

From the above statements, we can understand
how false is the view Ebn-Kaldoon (a famous

 

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The Third Introduction. 171

Oriental historian) has sustained, that a religious
claim can never stand firm nor be accomplished
except by family influence. He supports his state-
ment by the following obscure tradition :—

‘‘God never raised a prophet except in the guar-
dianship of his relatives.”

This writer has imagined that the penetration of
the Divine Word and the maintenance of a pro-
phetic claim depend upon the influence of rela-
tives, and not upon any Heavenly Invisible Power.
From this tradition he has regarded the prophe-
cies concerning the appearance of Mahdi (the Pre-
cursor) as invalid, because of the dissolution of
the Hashemite lineage and the dispersion of the
Ali-ite race. This is contrary to the clear records
of the Heavenly Books, and contradictory to the
testimony of history.

It is sometimes said that this Power which insti-
tutes new laws has been aided by acquired learn-
ing and school! sciences; that is, that the founders
of Divine Religions have been instructed by prom-
inent learned men, and have thus mastered the va-
rious branches of learning, such as Philosophy,
Natural Sciences, Astronomy, Geometry, Arith-
metic, Geography, etc. On this account the
learned men are made humble before them, and
the minds of the philosophers are illumined
through their enlightenment, and so the common
and ignorant have followed and obeyed them.
But we find that even this has been wanting in
connection with the prophets. If this statement
cannot be realized in the case of Moses (Peace be172 The Third Introduction.

upon Him !), on account of the obscurity of ancient
history, which is beyond the reach of discovery and
research, yet it is very clear and explicit in regard
to the Manifestation of our Lord Christ. He was
never educated in the contemporary schools of
Greece and Egypt. He had not undertaken to
study their sciences and philosophies, nor is there
any book attributed to Him containing such learn-
ing. No record or history testifies that Christ was
numbered among the learned of His Age, or ac-
counted a philosopher or doctor. Moreover, there
is no likeness between the knowledge which hath
proceeded from the Holy Manifestations and the
acquired human sciences; inasmuch as the former
is spiritual, quickening spirits and souls, and heal-
ing the sicknesses of minds and hearts, while the
latter is material, and its use is for definite objects
and limited applications pertaining to matter. The
uses of Geometry, for instance, are applied to the
knowledge of surfaces, those of Arithmetic to
numbers, those of Medicine to the health of
bodies. So also with other sciences and learnings,
as 1s clear and evident.

It is certain that the Greek and Egyptian phil-
osophers and the Persian and Chaldean doctors,
who were, in those days, the sources of these sci-
ences, could not deliver themselves, their neigh-
bors and their colonists from the fetters of corrupt
beliefs, or purify them from the filth of shameful
practices. History shows the prevalence of such
customs as offering children in sacrifice before
idols, worshipping animals, trees and rivers; violat-

 

eeae oh at Bae

 

The Third Introduction. 173

ing chaste women in the cult of the goddess of
Beauty, drinking oxen’s urine and the ablution of
the face therewith (the two latter are ceremonies
called Bareshnum, held by the Zoroastrians) ;
burying girls alive, burning the living with the
dead, considering fire as sacred and forbidding the
arts and crafts connected with it; avoiding
strangers, prohibiting the touching of others with
wet hands, forbidding to eat with others, even
though they were of the same race, country and re-
ligion (Hindus), and many similar practices which
we refrain from mentioning here.

Moreover, philosophers and doctors have been,
in those days, defenders of such beliefs and shame-
ful practices; eager, even at the risk of their lives,
to preserve them from any change, transforma-
tion, removal or abolishment.

Consider (may God the Exslted illumine your
sight and insight!) the Arabian people and the dif-
ference in their condition before and after the ap-
pearance of Islam. By this comparison you may
perchance become cognizant of that which we
have alluded to, concerning the clear difference
between Divine Knowledge and philosophical sci-
ences, in connection with quickening humanity
and removing spiritual sicknesses. The Greek
and Egyptian philosophers, near neighbors of the
Arabs, notwithstanding their abundant learning,
vast enlightenment, the copious means and instru-
ments at their disposal and the assistance ren-
dered by governments in their behalf, were unable
to spread civilization among the Arabs, who were174 The Third Introduction.

all adherents of the same Sabean religion and fol-
lowers of the same form of idolatry. Certainly
this was easier of accomplishment than the recov-
ery from Spiritual sicknesses and the removal of
religious ailments. But the rise of a single illit-
erate man removed from their necks the fetters of
ignorance, untied the shackles of bordage from
their feet, awakened them from the unconscious-
ness of sleep and breathed into them a new Spirit
of Life. They were invigorated, developed, illu-
minated and enlightened, until they transmitted
the lights of Knowledge and civilization, and
spread the virtues of refinement and humanity, not
only in Arabian lands but also throughout the ex-
tensive countries of the East, abolishing those
ruinous beliefs and habits among the Zoroastrians
and Pagans.

OQ ye honorable men! After ye understand
this clear point and evident fact, ye could equally
comprehend that, venly, God the Exalted has as-
signed the institution of His Religion and the pro-
motion of His Word to the illiterate, and not to
philosophers or scholars. This He has done in
order that 1t may be more effective in removing all
doubts, that it may be beyond the reach of accusa-
tion, and to demonstrate the fact that this Sacred
Power has no connection with the studied sciences,
nor origin from any acquired learning.

George Sale, of England, the erudite writer of

the life of Mohammed and Islam, has neglected
this point and ignored this fact, as is evident from
the 33d page of his “Preliminary Discourse,” pre-eens

Pie rer ee

 

The Third Introduction. 175

ceding his translation of the Koran :—“(Moham-
med’s) followers instead of being ashamed of their
Master’s ignorance, glory in it, as an evident proof
of his divine mission, and scruple not to call him,
as he is indeed called in the Koran itself, ‘an illit-
erate prophet.’ ”’

This learned man has imagined that the ilit-
eracy of any of the prophets should be an object
of shame and dishonor to his followers, whereas
it is recorded in St. John’s Gospel, ch vii., that
Christ (Glory be to Him!) was also illiterate -—
(v. 15.) “And the Jews marvelled, saying, How
knoweth this man letters, having never learned ?”’
(v. 16.) “Jesus answered them, and said, My doc-
trine is not mine, but his that sent me.” This
statement clearly shows that His learning was
spiritual and inspired, therefore, not acquired and
studied.

How can this erudite historian excuse himself
upon this point, admitting, as he must, that Christ
(Glory be to Him!) left the Keys of Heaven in the
hands of an illiterate fisherman, and inspired the
heart of a common Jewish tax-gatherer with the
spirit of Apostleship and Guidance? Is not this a
declaration of the Power of God the Exalted, prov-
ing to all the people that He discomfits the armies
of tyrants and subdues the swords of Pharaohs
through a shepherd’s rod? Is it not clear that He
makes of the fisher a fisher of men and the over-
turner of the emperors’ thrones; that He ordains
an illiterate one, through His Supreme Kingdom,
to instruct Persian philosophers and the sons of176 The Third Introduction.
kings? Is not this a proof of God’s Grandeur;
making these ignorant ones the evidence of His
Manifestation and of His Will and Desire? Is
not their separation from acquired learning and
sciences a clearer proof of the Divine Omnipo-
tence? Is it not the most explicit argument of
immanent heavenly power: the best means for
suppressing the superstitions of the followers of
fancy and refuting the doubt of the suspicious
ones?

It is evident from the statements already made
that all the power and energy which proceeded
from the Apostle Paul, in promulgating the Di-
vine Word throughout the Pagan world, during
the early growth of Christianity, was imparted to
and made manifest in him by the Word of our
Lord Christ. His power came not from acquired
sciences or from the amplitude of his scholastic
learning, as is maintained by most of the Christian
people. The proof of this is that before his belief
in Christ, his knowledge and learning were the
same as the endowments of the other Jewish doc-
tors, such as in reading, writing, and recognition
of the ordinances of the Hebraic laws. Paul was
not accounted as a philosopher of that age, nor 1s
he said to have been educated in any of the
Athenian or Egyptian schools. We have no book
written by him upon philosophy, natural science,
astronomy, arithmetic, geometry, medicine or any
other branch of intelligence and learning. More-
over, he himself has repudiated the acquired phil-
osophy and Greek learning in several passages ofrir ae ae

eer ee tr

Bete

oe ee

 

  

The Third Introduction. n77

his epistles; as is recorded in the Epistle to the
Colossians, ch. ii., v. 8, thus:—"Beware lest any
man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit,
after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of
the world, and not after Christ.”

He has likewise recorded in his First Epistle to
the Corinthians, ch. i., vs. 22, 23:—“‘For the Jews
require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a
stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness.”
The Jews were constantly demanding signs and
miracles from the disciples of our Lord Christ,
while the Greeks were asking from them sciences
and wisdom, thus testing them through learning
and philosophy. But that upright saint and elo-
quent orator (St. Paul!) silenced and resisted them
through the power of Christ’s Kingdom; the
lights of which Kingdom had risen, and its power
appeared in the illiterate disciples, those perse-
cuted companions and penniless friends of Christ.
This may be the greatest proof of the Power of
God. It is written:—“But God hath chosen the
foolish things of the world to confound the wise;
and God hath chosen the weak things of the world
to confound the things which are mighty.” (I.
Cor., ch’ 1, v.27.)

Consequently, it is clearly proven that the dis-
ciples of Christ (Glory be to Him!) promoted His
Word and confirmed His religion through the
Divine Power which they had gained from Him,
and not through the learning and sciences with
which their enemies abounded, but of which they178 The Third Introduction.

themselves had none: as is evident to those who
study their lives and history.

If it be said that this Power, which founds a new
law and a new Religion, has been assisted by any
worldly kingdom or dominion, or by any financial
wealth or riches, it is also evident that these were
not possessed by the prophets and founders of
laws and religions. This plain fact does not
need any further argument, demonstration or
prolix discussion to hearts free from fanaticism.
How could the power and wealth of Moses (Peace
be upon Him!) and the Israelites be compared with
the wealth and influence of the Pharaohs? Could
the riches of the companions of our Lord Christ
be compared with the wealth and pomp o: the
emperors, or could the dominion of any prophet be
compared with the power of contemporary hostile
kings and tyrants? It has been charged against
Islam that it was promulgated and spread by the
swords of the Arab generals, just as the Persians,
Jews, Buddhists and Hindoos say that Christianity
was spread through the military power of em-
perors, and strengthened and established by the
sword of tyrant kings. But all this is a foolish
surmise and a fictitious statement. The truth is
that the Word of Islam was spread among the
Arabs even before the flight of Mohammed, just
as Christianity penetrated and was promulgated
before the conversion of Constantine the Great
and the assistance of the Czsars. Moreover, all
those armies, defenders and swords were founded,
established and organized through the effect oftees
1) ees

re rer ee

 

The Third Introduction. 179

the Word of God and the immense influence of
the Will of God. Were it not for the Divine
Books, these armies would have stood to assist
infidelity and these destructive swords would have
been drawn to promote idolatry, and not to further
and spread the Unity. This is evident to such as
are endowed with a brilliant insight and innate un-
derstanding. But God the Exalted, on account of
His boundless Mercy, abundant Grace, the ap-
pearance of His Power and the shining forth of
His Argument, has desired to entirely remove
such charge and doubt against this latter-day Glo-
rious Manifestation and Most Splendid and Ex-
alted Dawn. Therefore, He has strictly and abso-
lutely prohibited not only conflict and warfare, but
even that which might be aggravating to souls
and creative of hostility within hearts, such as re-
viling, execration, vainglory and pride; so that the
Power of the Divine Word may become manifest,
and that all doubts and suspicions may be allayed
during coming centuries and generations.

O ye believers! Now that you have understood
the reality of the “Proof of Stability” and the
meaning of the “Logical Argument,” know (may
God illumine your cheerful faces with the Beha of
His Luminous Countenance!) that the nations
have neglected this evident proof and denied this
manifest highway because of two things in which
they have been instructed by their doctors and
leaders since their childhood. These two ideas
have become to them as real facts, and so well-
rooted in their hearts as to be considered religious
necessities.180 The Third Xntroduction.

The first thing is each nation’s denial of the
other's religion. The Jews deny the truth of
Buddhism, the Buddhists that of the Jews; the
Mussulmans deny the truth of Brahamanism, the
Brahamans that of Islam; the Christians that of
the Zoroastrians, and the latter that of Chris-
tianity.

The second thing is their denial of the appear-
ance of new Manifestations and new Religions.
The Jews denied the truth of the appearance of
our Lord Christ (Glory be to Him!); the Chris-
tians denied the appearance of Mohammed; and
the Mussulmans denied that of the Manifesta-
tion of our Lord Beha-Ullah (Glorified is His
Grandeur!). The Jews considered Christianity
as indisputably false; their hearts hated it and
their souls were offended with it. Likewise
is the falsehood of Islam to the Christians,
and the falsehood of Buddhism, Brahamanism,
and Sabeanism to the Jews, Christians, and
Mussulmans. Moreover, their disgust and of-
fence were increased because of the shameful
calumnies and the abominable beliefs and deeds
which their respective religious doctors attributed
to each other. These slanders became well-rooted
in their minds in bygone days, owing to the want
of communication between different nations. The
lack of information of the one concerning the real
doctrine of the other resulted generally from their
religious books not being translated, and from the
difficulty in spreading scientific writings. This
condition was aggravated by the fact that the art

 

 

PE i fe aeThe Third Introduction. 183

of printing had not as yet been invented, and be-
cause of the weakness of some nations and their
fear of divulging their beliefs to their enemies.
Therefore, slanders and calumnies spread far
and wide, the circle of scandal increased, and hes
and false accusations became universal among na-
tions. In this way the Jewish doctors have slan-
dered our Lord Christ, and such calumnies have
prevented the Jews from believing in Him for
over 1800 years.

The Jews suffered great calamities, unbearable
afflictions and painful disasters during long cen-
turies; endured bitter hardships, violent musfor-
tunes, and all kinds of sorrows and woes, rather
than acknowledge His truth, believe in His Word,
or ponder even one hour over the proofs and ar-
guments of His Revelation. So, also, other re-
ligions, faiths, creeds and sects, did not refrain
from fabricating every disgraceful calumny against
whoever might contradict their religion, laws,
creed and doctrine. It is evident what a great
effect this had in the hearts of their followers and
adherents.

A potent influence against unity of belief was
the introduction of heretical and debased rites and
ceremonies into the old religions,—from which
none are free. For instance, we see idol and im-
age worship introduced into Buddhism and Brah-
amanism; fire worship into Zoroastrianism; the cel-
ebration of the anniversary of saints’ birthdays,
devouring serpents, and dancing into the Sunnite
sects; the dramatic representation of the life of152 The Third Introduction.

Imams and martyrs, and wounding their heads
with daggers, into the Shi’ah sects. All this
caused the people to doubt and give credit to these
detractions and accusations, for they considered
these debased rites as proofs and evidences of the
falsehood of other religions.

For instance, if it be said to a Christian or Mus-
sulman that Buddhism was originally inspired by
God, and that its founder was sent from God, he
would be astonished, bewildered, offended and
filled with hatred at the claim and statement. He
would say:—‘“‘How could idolatry be a Divine
Truth and how could the founder of such a religion
be considered a true prophet?” At the same time,
he would fail to understand the fact that the wor-
ship of idols and images was not a fundamental
truth of Buddhism, Brahamanism or even Sabean-
ism. He would see that these false ceremonies were
introduced into those religions just as the worship
of the pictures of the saints, adoration of the relics
of martyrs, and many other similar practices were
introduced into Christianity; although not one of
these ideas are revealed or alluded to in the Holy
Gospels.

From what we have already mentioned in de-
tail, two evident conditions are produced in all re-
ligions, which gave rise to two clear results.

THE FIRST RESULT—is the inability of
people to prove the truth of their religion and the
reality of their prophet by clear argument and
evident demonstration, whereby their respective
religions and prophets might be distinguished,
each from the other.

 

ote etePoe ae

The Third Introduction. 183

If the followers of any religion cling to the mira-
cles which they attribute to their prophet, and
which are recorded in their books, they will find
the same is the case with other religions. The
Jews have collected the miracles of Moses (Peace
be upon Him!) in their historical works; the Chris-
tians have written of the miracles of Christ (Glory
be to Him!); the Mussulmans have set forth the
miracles of Mohammed in their compilations ; like-
wise the Buddhists, Brahamans, and Zoroastri-
ans relate the miracles of their prophets in their
books.

In the “Debistan,” a work containing historical
records of religions and creeds, we find stories and
traditions concerning the Brahaman and Zoroas-
trian miracles, the like of which scarcely exist in
other religions and sects.

Yet, miracles and wonders are not a fundamental
testimony of the truth of the Manifestations of the
Command of God; nay, rather, their testimony 1s
of a secondary and auxiliary nature. They are sim-
ply confirmatory and non-essential proofs,—which
fact will be explained in its proper place, 1f it
please God.

If the adherents of any religion maintain that
they possess a book which they believe to be Di-
vine, they will find the same statement and claim
in other religions. Thus, the Jews believe in the
Bible, the Christians in the Gospels, the Moslems
in the Koran,—each regarding them as Heavenly
Books and inspired writings. Likewise, the Hin-
dus have held to the Vedas, the Zoroastrians to184 The Third Introduction.

the Zend-Avesta, and the Confucians to the book
of Confucius.

If they adhere to their precepts, ordinances, reg-
ulations and laws which appertain to spiritual de-
votions and development of man, they will find
them equally existing in other religions and
creeds. “Thou canst not find any difference in
the creation of the Merciful One.”

If they hold to the prophecies in earlier books
and ancient records,—as the Moslems hold to the
texts of the Gospels when proving the truth of
Mohammed, and as the Christians rest upon the
utterances of the Israelitish prophets in demon-
strating the truth of our Lord Christ,—it would
then be necessary to prove the validity of the
givers of the prophecies; inasmuch as an earnest
seeker would not be satisfied without being led
to a valid conclusion.

This will finally necessitate the acknowledgment
of the Divine and Great Power, the heavenly and
dominant Energy; the ultimate arrival at an inev-
itable conclusion, which we have termed the “Log-
ical Proof’ and decisive Argument. But the lead-
ers of religions, as we have already stated, do not
wish to admit this manifest proof or to walk in this
clear highway. This would prevent their denial
of the Manifestations of God, and entirely counter-
act their rejection of the Day-Springs of the Com-
mand of God. As this Divine Power is given to
each one of the Dawning-places of the Lights of
God, these religious leaders, should they acknowl-
edge it, would be compelled necessarily to ac-tt conse
BH ;

2 yeaa

antgee

  

The Third Introduction. 185
knowledge all of them. As they are not able to
prove the truth of their religion, and do not know
how to demonstrate the validity of their prophet,
they adhere to every falsehood and cling to every
abomination, satisfying their followers with ficti-
tious ideas, and deluding them with confused
dreams. Should they adhere to the above-men-
tioned clear truth and manifest argument, they
would avoid the need of such deplorable action.

THE SECOND RESULT—is the appearance
of great numbers who repudiate all the religions,
and so encourage the spread of blasphemous be-
liefs, such as denying the prophets and contradict-
ing Divine laws, notwithstanding their acknowl-
edgment of the existence of God. This is the case
with most of the material philosophers and belated
wanderers in the deserts of natural phenomena.
Such philosophers deny all the prophets and mes-
sengers and believe that the instituting of laws and
religions is the product of human intellect, instead
of being the outcome of the Divine, Invisible Will.
They, however, believe in the existence of a god
which is not beyond the limit of imagination.
This has already been described under the subject
of “Divine Unity,’’ and demonstrated in explaining
the meaning of Oneness.

Among them, some have gone so far as to deny
even the existence of the Essence of God the Ex-
alted, persevering in this opinion and contradict-
ing everything supernatural. Some others have
persisted so far in these false ideas and supersti-
tions that they have been driven into the wilder-186 The Third Introduction.

ness of obscure beliefs, have become heedless of
the victorious Power of God, deluded by the de-
ceitful flashing sophistries of human learning, im-
agining their own weak souls capable of instituting
laws, and their fickle and inefficient minds as able
to found religions. They have arisen and put for-
ward false claims, assuming great and lofty posi-
tions, such as prophethood or Divinity itself, and
instituting religious systems. This is demon-
Strated in history and evidenced by the present
conditions.

Moreover, the evil deeds of the spiritual chiefs
and doctors of laws, such as the Mussulman di-
vines, Christian bishops, Jewish priests, and other
religious leaders among the Zoroastrians, Bud-
dhists and Hindus, have greatly aided them in their
pride and encouraged them in maintaining such
evils as denying the Divine Essence, contradicting
heavenly laws, or putting forward false and dar-
ing claims. The ignorance of these leaders as to
the religious facts, their shameful deeds and evil
management in educating the people, and their ad-
herence to religious tricks and intrigues in satisfy-
ing men with fictitious beliefs, have led numbers
of people to doubt the origin of Divine Religion,
and have rendered them apt to incline toward the
beliefs of natural philosophers. Great congrega-
tions and parties have been multiplied and propa-
gated, notably during the last century, who deny
the prophets, scoff at all religions, ndicule every
spiritual calling and reject all the devotional acts
and religious ceremonies. Their evil end, great

 

 

   
 
 
 
  
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
    

ror erate]‘
rite Be

 

  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
   

The Third Introduction. 187
dismay and misfortune, are known to men of dis-
cernment, as is clearly spoken by Peter the Apos-
tle in His prophecies and epistles.

From what we have already explained and set
forth, it is evident that all these corruptions and
evils have resulted from the denial and ignorance
of such people concerning the Heavenly and Great
Power which God has made to be an evident char-
acteristic of His Prophets, a manifest sign of
His Chosen Ones, a clear standing light
for His Road and Pathway and an accurate
standard for recognizing the proof and argument
of His Truth. How often has God proven the
weakness of human strength and the feebleness
and impotence of the material and phenomenal
against this heavenly Power? The people of the
world have long resisted it, but were finally dis-
mayed; nations both of the East and West have
wrestled with it, but were overthrown. This
Power was opposed, in the appearance of Moses,
by the Pharaohs; in the Manifestation of Christ, by
the Jews and emperors, and in the rise of Moham-
med, by the Persian kings and Arabs. It has also
been opposed by false prophets, who have at-
tempted to found a religion without the permis-
sion of God; falsely and presumptuously laying
claim to prophethood, as is testified and recorded
in history. The histories of *Mazdak, in the days

°The story of Mazdak, In the days of King Kobad. the father of the

Great Anoshirwan, is given in the history of ‘‘Shah-Nameh” of FEtr—
dowsy, and aiso tn atl the Persian histories.188 The Third Introduction.

of King Kobad; of the Jew, ‘Sad Dawlah: of
“Argoon-Khan, the Mongol, in Persia; *Ala’adin
Fl Khaledge, in India; and the French Philos-
ophers during the Revolution of 1792, are ail
warnings and admonitions to the prudent and
to the people of the Book. These philoso-
phers, wise men, kings and statesmen attempted,
through their great ingenuity and the abundance
of their science and learning, to institute a religion
of simpler laws, regulations, doctrines and princi-
ples within the range of average capacities and
minds, suitable to all tastes and conformable to
the time and circumstances. Conditions proved
favorable to their desires, and the civil and military
leaders submitted to their opinions and plans.
But God frustrated their ideas, disappointed their
hopes, dispersed their congregations, and showed
the folly of their imaginations, until their histories
remain as warnings to the men of honor and as
admonitions to the people of discernment and per-
ception.

For what reason have the doctors of Darwinism
taken the resemblance of some human bones to
those of ourang-outangs as a decisive proof of the
fact that mankind has descended from the apes?
Why have they considered this evidence, notwith-

784d Dawiah, the Jew, was the Vizier of Argooun-Khan, the Mongo!,
im Pereia.

SArgoon-Khan was the son of Abaka- Khan, the son of Hulakoo—
Khan, the son of Tuluy. the son of Genghiz—_Khan, the Mongol.

Argoon-Khan reigned in Persia from 683 to 606 A. H. (1291 A. D.).
His life is recorded in the history written by Wassaaf, the contemporary
and hietorian of this Dynasty.

*Ala‘adin El Khaledge was the King of India at Deth!. in 698 A. H.
He was a great King of India during the latter part of the 18th Cen-
tury, and belonged to the Dynasty of Khaledge. Ful! particulars con-
cerning his attempt to found a new religion are given in the history
of Farisht@é, one of the greatest historical works of India.

 

ee oe eneche: 3 a'ee

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  

  

The Third Introduction. 189
standing its shallowness and invalidity, as being
a final certificate that man has gained his growth,
existence and heredity from the race of ourang-
outangs? They have regarded apes as their an-
cestors, but have not considered the Power which
alone has conquered the world and subdued na-
tions as being a proof of the fact that the Mani-
festers and Dawning-places of this Power have
been Divine men and heavenly personages. Could
the habit of smoking, evidenced by a single ourang-
outang, and its likeness in body to the form of
some of the African savages, prove its homoge-
neity with mankind? The apes differ widely from
savages in numerous things, such as intelligence,
the comprehension of general subjects, the
capacity of attaining perfection, etc. Shall all this
be esteemed and admitted as proof, while the sub-
jugation of Pharaohs, domination of kings and
tyrants by the rise of a single individual, without
assistance or encouragement by any ruler, author-
ity or learning, is not considered evidence that such
a man is assisted by an Invisible, Divine Power ?

Indeed, this is a strange philosophy,—an amaz-
ing wisdom and discernment! How true is the
warning of the great Apostle Paul :—‘‘Beware, lest
any man spoil you through philosophy and vain
deceit.”

From what we have described and explained, it
follows that the “‘Logical Proof’ is the greatest
and clearest argument as to the truth of the Mani-
festations of the Command of God. It also fol-
lows that the stability of the Word and the190 The Third Introduction.

continuance of a religion is the strongest proof
and firmest evidence as to the truth of a mission
and the founder of a Faith. For should we dis-
regard this clear proof and evident argument, as
is the case with every denier and opposer, the
philosophical-minded among people would be com-
pelled to accept unknown imaginations and ab-
surd and unintelligible theories, such as the chain
and concatenation of causes, or the absence of
cause and origin, as previously explained. The
religious-minded among them would then be neces-
sarily unable to prove the truth of their religion
and the validity of their faith.

This proof is named the proof of continuance
or stability, because the continuance of a religion
and the stability of the Word is an establishment
of its truth, made by God, and is a testimony of
its reality. It is absurd to think God incapable
of annulling falsehood and crushing the unreal.
He has not forgotten His promises to suppress
false claimants and destroy seducers. This is con-
firmed in books and writings, and preserved in the
prophecies uttered by saints and prophets.

THIRD PROOF—THE WORKING OF
WONDERS AND MIRACLES :—By these are
meant deeds which are beyond the normal
power of mankind to perform; wonders which
proceed from the Manifestations of the Cause
of God, as a favor or performed in accord-
ance with the demands of people. Among
these are causing stones to speak, trees to move,
quickening the dead, changing a rod into a serpent,Sit at oka

oe

 

  

The Third Introduction. 19t

and numerous other miracles which are said to
have been performed by the prophets and saints.
The ancient peoples regarded such events as Ayat
(Signs). The word Ayéh (Sign) means literally a
token, and is derived from the Semitic language,
out of which the Arabic, Hebrew, Syriac, Baby-
lonian, and some of the African languages have
originated.

Whenever a messenger of God announced his
mission, he would be asked to reveal the sign of
his prophethood, that is, the token of the truth
of his statement and the genuineness of his claim.
We find it recorded by St. Matt., ch. xii., vs. 38 to
40:—‘Then certain of the scribes and of the
Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see
a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto
them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh
after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to
it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as
Jonas was three days and three nights in the
whale’s belly; so shall the Son of Man be three
days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
Likewise, in (ch. xvi., vs. 1 to 5) the same Gospel :—
“The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and
tempting desired him that he would shew a sign
from heaven. He answered and said unto them,
When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather:
for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be
foul weather to-day : for the sky is red and lowering.
O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the
sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after192 The Third Introduction.

a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it,
but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left
them, and departed.”

The interpretation of these verses is, that a
number of the Jewish doctors temptingly asked our
Lord Jesus Christ (Glory be to Him!) to show
them a heavenly miracle and a Divine wonder, as
a sign of His Truth and a token of His Christhood;
so that they might believe in Him and confess His
Religion. He answered, that they, by their sagac-
ity, had reached such a degree of intelligence that
they could foretell fair weather and rain from the
aspect of the sky; that the husbandmen and vil-
lagers, when they saw the sky red at sundown,
would take it as a sign of fair weather, while a
“lowering red” at sunrise presaged rain.

He silenced them by saying, that they who could
discern the face of the sky and distinguish the times
of the change of weather should be able to know
the signs of the time of the coming of prophets,
and of the renewal of laws and religions; inasmuch
as they posed as doctors of religion, and were con-
sidered the heirs and guardians of the knowledge
of prophets and messengers. Christ meant that
the divergence of beliefs and sects, the variety of
thoughts and opinions, the indifference of people
toward Divine ordinances and regulations, and
their indulgence in low desires and bodily luxuries,
—all of which are described by prophets as the
“rending of the heavens,” the “shaking of the
pillars of the firmament,’—are the strongest
proofs of the approach of the Manifestation“wires
ey

 

  

The Third Introduction. 193

of God, and the clearest signs of the cominz
of the time of the renewal of the religion of God.
Thus He said :—*“A wicked and adulterous genera-
tion seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign
be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet
Jonas.”’ By this Christ has repeated the applica-
tion of the term “Sign” to miracle and wonder,
and has confirmed the truth that seeking after
miracles and temptingly demanding signs from the
Manifestations of the Command of God is a char-
acteristic of the wicked and adulterous, the reason
of which will be explained later on.

In the Koran, also, the word “Sign” is applied to
miracle or wonder, as is clearly shown in the verse
speaking of the deniers:—‘“‘Let him (Mohammed)
come unto us therefore with some sign, in like
manner as the former prophets were sent.’’ Also
(ch. T. H.):—‘(The unbelievers) say, Unless he
come unto us with a Sign from his Lord, (we will
not believe on him). MHath not a plain declaration
come unto them, of that which (is contained) in the
former volumes” (of Scripture), (by the revelation
of the Koran)? ,

That is to say, the deniers of his prophethood
argued :—“If Mohammed is a prophet sent by God,
why then does he not show unto us a Divine
miracle and a heavenly wonder, as a proof of the
truth of his mission and word?’ Then Moham-
med answered:—“Have I not brought you the
Koran, which is a clear explanation of the Bible,
the Gospels, and the writings of the Israelitish
prophets?”194 The Third Introduction.

As we have demonstrated in the course of the
first argument, the Book of God is the first sign
which indicates the truth of a prophetic word. It
is the greatest argument of a Divine nmnission, espe-
cially when this great sign and glorious miracle
fortifies itself by explaining that which has been
symbolically uttered in the old Divine volumes and
closed and sealed up in the former heavenly Scrip-
tures, such as prophecies of future events, mys-
teries of Resurrection and the renewal of Creation,
determination of their appointed times, the record
of their evidences and conditions, and even the
announcement of the Dawning-Place from which
these signs and mysteries will appear. Inasmuch
as philosophers and wise men were not able to
apprehend these points, solve these allegories or
break their seals before their realization and occur-
rence, how could this be done by one who had
never studied in a college nor read in any school?
Whence the power and wisdom of one who had
never been occupied in teaching or learning, nor
considered a student? Is not this the clearest evi-
dence that the Book was a heavenly sign, a spiritual
gift, and the greatest proof and argument that the
words and passages it contained had proceeded
from the Holy Reality and descended from the
pure Divine Essence?

During the middle ages of Islam the Moham-
medan doctors applied the word “‘miracle’’ to won-
ders which human beings are unable to perform,
and termed them supernatural. They divided
supernatural things into many kinds; for instance,

 

Greresnr. -vee PR

 

  

The Third Introduction. 195

when these wonders proceeded from a man and
coincided with his claim of prophethood, they called
them Mo’jaza (miracles). When performed by a
prophet before he claimed his mission, they were
designated Ir-hass (miracles previous to the mis-
sion). When these supernatural actions appeared
from saints and holy ones, they were named
Keramat (liberality); but when such appeared
from misleaders and impious ones, they were called
Seh’r (sorcery). These words and terms were cir-
culated in the language of writers°and doctors,
until finally, becoming literary words and secondary
facts, they were introduced into dictionaries. But
all of these terms,except the word “‘miracle,”’ which
has a clear relation with the intended meaning, are
weak terminologies and deficient deductions.
They have proceeded from ignorance of scientific
facts and theoretical analogies, as is known to such
as have sound discernment in etymological points;
especially the meanings of the words Keramat
(liberality) and Kharek1-Adat.*

Liberality is the antonym of avarice, and thus it
can be applied to the generosity and liberality
shown forth by the saints of God; for this is the
personal honor which they have gained through
their nearness to the Divine Threshold, and has no
relation to superstitions and inventions.

As to the term Khareki-Adat: this signifies the
changing of the natural habits and customs of

“Thies Hterally means ‘‘things which rend or change the habits of
men’’; but the Oriental doctors have misued this term and taken it to
Mean ‘‘supernatura!l.’°196 The Third Introduction.

men by a prophet; such as the changing of the
natural customs of the Hebrews in the rites of
their religion and ceremonies of their laws. As
one of the signs of the coming of the Manifesta-
tions of God is the changing of the rites and ordi-
nances of the former religion and laws,—as those
of the Jews were changed with the advent of Christ
(Glory be to Him!), and those of the Sabeans and
Parsees by Mohammed,—therefore, men of dis-
cernment have considered these changes as being
one of the greatest signs and clearest proofs of the
power of the Word of God and the appearance
of the Prophets of God. See ch. vit., v. 12, of the
Epistle to the Hebrews:—“For the priesthood be-
ing changed, there is made of necessity a change
also of the law.”’ That is, when the prophethood ts
renewed, there will be of necessity a renewal of
laws and a change of ordinances.

This 1s the real and reasonable meaning of the
word Khareki-Adat, instead of that which is 1m-
agined by the people of superstition and false ideas.
That which is not customary to people cannot
be regarded as natural and customary, in order
to justify the application of the term ‘“‘changing
the custom”’ (Khareki-Adat) to the performance of
the opposite. It cannot be assumed that “not
raising the dead” has been a natural habit of peo-
ple, to show that “quickening of the dead” might
be regarded as supernatural. Nor can it be said
that “not dividing the sea,” “‘not drying the river,”
or “not cleaving the moon” have been natural
habits of people, so that the performance of such

 

a a err ET

   
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
   

aerer ht, «The Third Introduction. 197

actions could be termed “supernatural.” But ob-
serving the Sabbath day has been one of the nat-
ural habits of the Jews which was rent by our
Lord Jesus Christ, and changed into the observ-
ance of Sunday. Divorce, sacrifice, polygamy,
and similar other rites, were also rent, changed
and reformed by Christ. Likewise, burying fe-
male children alive, showing homage to images,
praying before idols, fire-worshipping, and other
similar practices were confirmed habits of the
Arabs and Persians,—all of which habits were de-
stroyed by Mohammed, and changed into Moham-
medan laws. These are the supernatural things
which the prudent consider as the deeds of the
prophets and the characteristics of the heavenly
messengers, and not what has been invented by
the imaginations of the superstitious or forged by
the thoughts of the ignorant.

As to Seh’r (sorcery) ; its meaning, in ordinary
acceptance, is but a remnant of the imaginations
of former dark ages, the dense obscurity of which
was dispersed by the lights of the dawn of the Sun
of Truth, and its clouds cleared away by the blow-
ing of the Breezes of Knowledge and Wisdom.
The word “sorcery” spoken of in the holy books,
means Batil (falsehood); inasmuch as the antag-
onists of the prophets held to false things, and
considered the deeds of the prophets to be the
same. Therefore the words “sorcery” and “‘sor-
cerers” were applied to falsehood and the adher-
ents of vanities, in the words of the Elect. But
with the lapse of time and centuries they became198 ' The Third Introduction.

wrapped up in the webs of superstition, and thus
their real meanings became concealed, as is the
case with all the words revealed in the writings of
the Elect. This is a sufficient explanation to those
who are endowed with perception and insight.

O ye people of Beha! Now that you under-
stand the meanings of such words, know you (may
God illumine your insight, increase the purity of
your conscience, enlighten your hearts and minds
through His Manifest Light!) that the proofs and
arguments must needs be in connection with the
subject which is to be proven and demonstrated;
otherwise they cannot be accounted as proofs,
even though they might be very wonderful and
astonishing. For instance, if a certain person
claims to be a physician and seeks to prove the
validity of his claim by flying in the air, the truth
of his claim would not, of necessity, be proven,
even if he did so. Flight in the air is not a charac-
teristic endowment of a physician, and there is no
connection between the medical profession and
flight, even though soaring in the air 1s extremely
amazing. But healing sicknesses, removing dis-
eases, physical diagnosis and treatment are charac-
teristics of medical science and confirmatory evi-
dences of the truth of a physician’s claim. Again,
if a man claims to be an engineer, his proof cannot
be in quickening the dead. If he claims to be a
writer, his evidence is not in the fact that he causes
stones to speak; or if he claims to be an orator, his
proof is not in cleaving the sea asunder, etc. Such
performances cannot prove their respective state-

 

Seer.The Third Introduction. 199

ments, validate their claims, nor be considered as
proofs and arguments. There is no connection
whatever between these practices and claims; as 1S
clearly and decisively evident to such as reflect
upon the meaning of proof and argument.

It is said by the erudite Professor Cornelius
Vandyk, of America, in the 8th part of his book,
written in Arabic and entitled, ‘‘Naksh-Fil-Hajar”’
(“Engraving on Stone”), on “Logic” :—‘Man be-
ing subject to mistake as to logical matters, it 1s
good for him to avail himself of applied logic,
which may preserve him from mistake and direct
him to the real fact. So that he may not consider
as a cause, things which are not causes, nor as Con-
clusions things which are not conclusions; and
may not build on a corrupt foundation, nor regard
as arguments, things which are not arguments.
It is said by Imam-el-Gazali,—‘If a man say that
the number four is more than ten, and that he
demonstrates this by transforming a rod into a
serpent, even though I be astonished at the trick
of the performer, yet I will firmly stand by the fact
that four is less than ten, etc.’ This evinces that
in such a case, there would not be any relation
between the argument and the matter which is to
be proven; therefore it cannot be considered as
an argument.”

Since we understand this introduction, we now
can easily apprehend that there is neither connec-
tion nor relationship between having the faculty
of producing miracles and wonders and the claim
of prophethood. Verily, prophethood is no other200 The Third Introduction.

than the mission of a man on the part of God the
Exalted for the guidance of people, and this fact
has no connection whatever with cleaving seas
asunder, bringing water out of rocks, causing
stones and trees to speak, etc. These actions
have no connection with the meaning of prophet-
hood, which signifies mediatorship between the
creatures and their Creator, delivery of His ordi-
nances and messages, instructing them in His laws
and devotional acts. The prophet’s mission is
reformation of moral principles, development of
Spiritual graces, and beautifying characters.
Verily, demanding miracles from the prophets and
temptingly seeking signs from the Manifestations
of the Command of God, is like asking governors
and rulers to show forth deeds which are becom-
ing to kings and absolute sovereigns, in order to
prove the truth of their claims as rulers; so that
the subjects may deem it their duty to obey them.
In fact, their dignity can only be demonstrated by
the firmans of their kings, and corroborated by
the charters of their governments. For example,
a man may claim to be the ruler of Egypt on the
part of the Sultan. A party of the inhabitants of
the country deny him, and demand of him an
evidence of the truth of his authority. Naturally
he proves his position by the charter of his Sultan
and the firman of his Government. Should they
repudiate his firman, deny his charter and de-
mand that he show forth some of the actions per-
taining to the characteristics of the kings and sov-
ereigns, such as fitting out armies, conqueringree re

 

     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    

The Third Introduction.

countries, destroying fortresses, slaying and cap-
turing men, dismissing ministers and appointing
chiefs,—he certainly will not fulfill their demand,
nor grant their wishes, but will depend upon his
firman and prove his authority through the char-
ter of his King, even though he may possess the
power to perform the demands made upon him.
There are certain reasons and times for execu-
tions, imprisonments, appointments, discharges,
equipment of armies, and the conquest of coun-
tries. Rulers do not perform these things except
when expedient for the circumstances and de-
manded by the law. To this particular point the
following verse revealed in the Heavenly Books
refers :—‘‘And no apostle doth bring a sign, unless
by the permission of God.” This proves that the
mission of prophets and the sending of spiritual
messengers is similar to the appointment of rulers
and the sending of governors in the phenomenal
world, as is evident to the men of perception and
to such as are endowed with sight.

Since we now understand the lack of connection
between the claim of prophethood and the power
of doing things habitually impossible, and realize
the contrast between them, we can comprehend
the meaning of that which has been formerly men-
tioned, viz.,—that miracles and wonders are auxil-
iary and confirmatory evidences and not essential
and principal arguments. We see also that they
are as secondary supports to the truth of the man)-
festations of the Command of God, and not pni-
mary indications. This is the reason why thezoz—*)=—s(s [The Third Introduction.

prophets refused to produce such signs, rely upon
them, and adduce them as proofs, as is outlined
from the verses recorded in St. Matt., ch. xii, v. 39,
and ch. xvi., v. 4:—‘*‘A wicked and adulterous gen-
eration seeketh after a sign; and there shall no
sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet
Jonas.”’

Verily the Prophets, on account of their evident
proofs, their great powers, the effectiveness of
their words, and the prevalence of their ordinances,
are in no need -of producing proofs which show
no indication of the truth of their claim and the
validity of their mission. This of itself is a clear
and principal indication,—a manifest and evident
proof.

Moreover, temptingly demanding signs and
miracles from the Manifestations of God is identi-
cal with tempting the Lord Himself, which act 1s
prohibited by God the Exalted, in the Holy Bible.
He has warned us expressly against this:—“Thou
shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” As formerly
explained and proved, tempting the Essence of
God the Exalted is no other than tempting Its
Manifestations and Dawning-places; and testing
the prophets by seeking signs and miracles from
them, is the meaning of “tempting the Lord.”
This is identical with pride evinced towards God,
contradicting the Desire of God, antagonizing His
Will, and thwarting His Wisdom; all of which
lead to ruin and desolation, and entail destruc-
tion and perdition. It is also revealed in the
Heavenly Books :—‘“And we send not signs but for
intimidation.”

 

eneieee

 

   

The Third Introduction. 203

Thus Jesus Christ (Glory be to Him!) silenced
the Jewish tempter, who had set Him upon a pin-
nacle of the Temple of Solomon, and tempted Him
to cast Himself down from that lofty edifice, by
saying to Him:—“If thou be the Son of God ...
He shall give his angels charge concerning thee as
tt is written.” Christ answered him:—“It is writ-
ten again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy
God.” This signifies that testing Christ was iden-
tical with testing and tempting God, an act strictly
prohibited in the Book of God. This answer, not-
withstanding its brevity and conciseness, is full
of grace and strength, for besides being an argu-
ment forbidding the demanding of miracles from
the Manifestations of the Command of God, it also
silenced by showing that in citing the texts of the
Book against Christ the tempter had himself con-
tradicted its commandments and ordinances.

It is characteristic of the enemies of God to
hold to the literal form of the words of the Books
of God, in denying the Manifestations of His Com-
mand and Behest, while they neglect those texts
which clearly indicate the truth of their Manifesta-
tion, prove the reality of their Dawn, confirm their
word, and eloquently pronounce the validity of
their claim. Thus they fulfill this verse revealed
in the Book :—‘*Do you therefore believe in part
of the Book and reject other part thereof? But
whoso among you doth this, shall have no other
reward than shame in this life, and on the day of
Resurrection they shall be sent to a most grievous
punishment.”74 The Third Introduction.

The prophets’ refusal to work miracles is not
because of their being absurd and impracticable,
or that they ar’ impossible, as is imagined by some
so-called philosophers; for possibility and impossi-
bility are not of the essential qualities of things;
nay, rather, they are relative and comparative.
There are many facts which are accounted as pos-
sible for a certain species, while the same are im-
practicable for another. The actions which are
peculiar to mankind are possible to man, yet im-
possible to other species of animals, supernatural
to them and beyond their power. Likewise the
acts natural to animals are possible for them and
impracticable to the vegetable. Therefore mir-
acles seem impossible to mankind, yet are possible
to the Manifestations of the Command of God, be-
cause of the perfection of the Holy Spirit manifest
within them, and the comprehensiveness of the
Sacred Power which has descended upon them.
In truth, a Man in whom the Supreme Power is
manifest and from whom Divine Attributes pro-
ceed; who has singly subdued the world and
dominated nations; who has prophesied future
events in a particular as well as general sense, all
of which prophecies are fulfilled and have come to
pass, even after the lapse of ages and centuries ;—
nothing is beyond the capacity of a Man who has
done all these things through His perfect Spirit,
pervading Power, lofty essence and vast strength,
nor is He neglectful of any matter. Refusal to
show wonders and signs demanded 1s not on ac-
count of their inability to perform them, or be-eer eat

rere re

 

The Third Introduction. 205

cause they are impracticable; but it is because of
the fact that miracles and wonders are not things
which can prove the truth of their mission and the
validity of their claim. Nor are they a complete
and primary indication which could satisfy a dilt-
gent seeker and earnest investigator, as has been
already described in detail. For it is clear to an
intelligent enquirer that, should he confine him-
self to wonders and miracles in attempting to
prove the truth of the prophets, it would end in
a collision of proofs and a conflict between argu-
ments. Because such wonders and miracles are
not permanent and everlasting proofs, as are the
verses of the Book. To these proofs every one
may have access and recourse; may be directed to
the conclusion, and may demonstrate the cause by
the effect. Moreover, these wonders will neces-
sarily be handed down to others through tradi-
tions and records, especially throughout future
centuries and generations. If every nation gave
credit to that which was handed down to it con-
cerning its prophet, the founder of its faith, its re-
ligious leaders and saints, and the sepulchres of its
holy men,—there would be, in such case, a collision
of proofs and a conflict of arguments. Thus the
right path would be concealed, the finger-posts of
guidance destroyed, the highway of religion dark-
ened, and the lights of truth and assurance dis-
appear. Are not the Roman Catholics resting
upon the wonders and miracles which they nar-
rate of their former bishops and monks? Does
not the Greek Church rest upon those related of206 The Third Introduction.

their monks and bishops; the Sunnites upon the
wonderful acts and supernatural deeds attributed
to their doctors and holy ones; and the Shi’ah
upon those narrated of their Imams and leaders?
Such is the case with other religions and creeds.

O thou excellent reader! Strip thyself from thine
old garment of imitation, abstain from religious
fanaticism and racial egotism; ascend through the
power of perception to the summit of investiga-
tion, and place the adherents of all the religions,
peoples, creeds and sects, before thy view. Then
look with the gaze of a discerning man from that
lofty and exalted station. Thou wilt see different
peoples, various and contradictory nations, each
renouncing the other; while each possesses books
filled with wonders and miracles attributed to its
own prophets and saints. These books contain
the adulation of their chosen ones, and the won-
drous conditions and lives of their leaders; a mass
of reading which could not be completed in cycles;
and numerous lives would pass away before they
could be finished. So look upon them, consider
them, and answer by thy truth: if all these con-
tradictory miracles and various wonders be con-
sidered as a reliable proof and argument which
could be rested upon, how then could the true
among them be known from the false, the nght
from wrong, the guides from misleaders; and what
could distinguish between guidance and error, the
way of salvation and the way of perdition?

From what has been clearly explained in detail,
it is manifest that miracles and wonders are not

 

rerer heer.Pre ee oe

 

The Third Introduction. 207

proofs of a primary nature which could indepen-
dently indicate the truth of the claimant, nay,
rather, they are only secondary proofs and auxil-
iary demonstration as to the truth of the Manifes-
tations of the Command of God and the Dawn-
ing-places of the Religion of God. It 1s impossible to
deny the ability of the Manifestations of God to
perform miracles, in face of what has been ex-
plained concerning the inherence of their power,
to which fact their disciples and the contents of
their books and writings testify. Even granting
this, however, it 1s impossible to believe all the
miracles and wonders which are related of them.

One of the correct rules held by the divines and
theologians, in connection with this subject, 1s that
miracles traditionally related of a prophet or
founder of a Religion, and not contradictory to his
own words, are undoubtedly true. These can be
taken as a proof of his truth and a confirmatory
evidence of the validity of his claim. Such are the
miracles which have been witnessed by former
nations, and those which have been authenticated
‘1 the Manifestation of the Cause of God during
this sacred and manifest Century. But if there is
any contrast or discrepancy between the alleged
miracles and the Prophet’s Words, then the mir-
acles must be considered as allegorical narrations
which need to be explained, so that they may har-
monize with the usages of the Prophets of God
and agree with the Utterances of the Manifesta-
tions of the Command of God.208 The Third Introduction.

But the general rule, which is regarded as au-
thoritative by the learned and philosophers, is that
if the wonders and miracles related of the Prophets
are connected with the perfection of the Sacred
Spirit manifested in them and with Its power and
predominance, then such can be considered as real,
accurate facts, and secondary auxiliary proofs.
Otherwise, they will be accounted mere fabricated
traditions; falsities invented by pretended love
when it deviates from the true path.

What has already been mentioned is sufficient
for such as have a clear perception of the Divine
methods and of the natural laws after which the
world 1s made.

THE FOURTH PROOF :—tThis relates to
the prophecies revealed in the Heavenly Books,
concerning the appearance of a _ subsequent
manifestation, whom God will send to guide
nations, found laws of religion and renew them
at the appointed time. Such are the prophecies
given by Moses and the Israelitish prophets con-
cerning the Manifestation of Chnst (Glory be to
Him!); those given by Mohammed and the Imams
of his household regarding the Appearance of the
Mahdi (Precursor); and the utterances of all the
Prophets and founders of religions concerning the
coming of the Day of God, and the Manifestation
of the Spirit for promoting the Cause of God.

There is no extant religion whose founder has
not reserved a part of his book for prophecies
concerning one whom God would manifest subse-
quent to him; one who would renew religion and

racer eyThe Third Introduction. 209

its glory. All religions, likewise, contain prophe-
cies regarding the ‘“‘Final Salvation” by the “Great
Manifestation,” the Mighty “Resurrection,” and
the “Most Great Hour,” which former books have
likewise unanimously announced. This proof 1s
one of the clear arguments, manifest and reliable
evidences which demonstrate the truth of our Lord
the Exalted, the Supreme. It has been proved in
the previous introductions that the appearance of
the Manifestations of the Cause of God are really
the Manifestations of the Holy and Divine Reality,
Single in Essence, and that all the prophets are re-
spectively the Manifestations of that Single Re-
ality and One Essence. So no difference exists
among them, nor is there any variance in their
truths. During the past centuries and former
ages God the Exalted has entered into a covenant
with nations, through the tongues of His prophets
and messengers, concerning His next Manifesta-
tion. This Covenant has been recorded in the
prophets’ books and writings, so that mankind
might await the coming of the Day of His Mant-
festation, be prepared for the illumination of His
Light, lay hold of the handle of His religion, and
be enlightened with the lamp of His laws and reg-
ulations. For it is inconceivable that the people
of the world could ever be without need of the D1-
vine Manifestations; that the order of human so-
ciety could be founded upon anything but religious
principles, or that human-made laws could suffice
for the establishment of nations. That nations
are in need of laws and regulations whereby their210 The Third Introduction.

interests, properties, and lives may be preserved
and their prosperity and permanence secured, is a
clear fact, beyond need of any further explanation
or production of argument. Religion 1s no other
than a code of Divine regulations whereby society
is supported and attainment to everlasting felicity
is secured. To formulate such laws is far beyond
the highest intellect of man, and the genius of the
men of learning can never agree thereupon unless
reinforced by Divine Sources. This fact is wit-
nessed in the conditions of those former nations
which had ascended the ladder of learning and civ-
ilization.

Have not the philosophers, doctors of divinity
and chiefs among the great nations which as-
cended the summit of glory and excellence, such
as the Persians, Chaldeans, Egyptians, Greeks,
Turks and Indians, failed to produce such laws?
Notwithstanding their abundant learning and great
enlightenment, have laws been forthcoming upon
which all their opinions would agree, and which
would secure their happiness and permanence?
The laws they have created, invariably failed to
abolish savage and abominable customs, which
their descendants and posterity ridicule, even in
the present day.

Therefore, among these high nations, such prac-
tices have prevailed as offering children in sacrifice
before idols, worshipping images, interring female
children alive, violating chaste women in order to
gain the favor of the goddess of Beauty, praying
to fire, animals, rivers, trees; and numerous other

ane he etThe Third Introduction. 211

ruinous practices and vile deeds. These were con-
sidered by them as standard customs, the most ex-
cellent laws and modes of adoration.

But God the Exalted prevented and abolished
these, through the appearance of Divine Religions,
and illumined human minds by the light of the
Words of the Holy Manifestations. Similar ruin-
ous customs and fictitious beliefs are still being
discovered among all the present religions and ex-
tant nations, the removal and abolition of which
God the Almighty has ordained to be effected by
the appearance of the Powerful Lord and the final
great Salvation. This is evident to every one of
discernment and perception.

All that has been said indicates that verily the
appearance of Divine Religions has been the
greatest gift of Heaven for the preservation of so-
ciety and the most glorious Divine bestowal for
the accomplishment of human _ virtues. The
Prophet’s words concerning the Appearance of the
next Manifestation, prepare those endowed with
sound judgment for the acceptance of it, and
make ready the possessors of pure hearts for re-
sponse to it after its Appearance. Therefore,
prophecies concerning a Manifestation whom God
would cause to appear later for the quickening of
the spiritually dead and reformation of existing
laws, are considered as one of the greatest proofs
and arguments, and a powerful confirmatory evi-
dence of the truth of the Manifestations of God,

the Lord of the Creatures. But, understanding
these prophecies and apprehending their minuteThe Third Introduction.

points and realities, depends upon having sound
minds, pure hearts, sanctified breasts, and chaste
souls. This will become evident through the clear
and manifest proofs which will be explained later.

Consequently the prophecies are regarded as
secondary proofs in comparison with the Divine
Book and Logical Argument. They are but lit-
eral proofs. Literal proofs necessarily contain al-
legories and symbolism. As languages radically
change in the course of centuries and generations,
these prophecies can scarcely be understood with-
out interpretation after the lapse of one thousand
years. Therefore it is impossible to rely upon
their meanings without decisive analogies. So,
literal proofs are accounted by the philosophersand
rhetoricians as oral arguments, and not decisive
ones. Moreover, the Divine prophecies recorded
in the Holy Scriptures, as is clearly testified by
their very texts, are no other than symbolical
and sealed words, and the essential purpose
thereof is closed up and unknown. But the open-
ing of these seals and the elucidation of these al-
legories have been apportioned to the coming of
the time of the end, and to the advent of the great
Hour. In face of this fact, the prophecies can
only be regarded as auxiliary proofs, and not of
the primary logical arguments. God willing, this
subject will be considered in detail, in the course
of the future introductions, and sufficient explana-
tion will be given about it.

We will now consider some of the principal
points upon which depend the understanding of

GCrererer,The Third Introduction. 213

the texts of the Holy Scriptures, the solution of
the symbols and allegories, the breaking of their
seals and the opening of their treasuries. In this
we rely upon God, the Revealer of Verses, the
Manifester of proofs and evidences, the dispeller
of the darkness of former things from heaven and
earth.

First,—Verily, the Prophets and Manifestations
of God employed various metaphors in their writ-
ings, and embellished their graceful explanations
by all sorts of allegories and similes. Just as
they have been in spirit, the Manifestations of the
Names and Attributes of God and the Dawning-
places of His Identity and Essence, so also they
have been in bodily form, the manifestations of hu-
manity. Thus they were subject to all human
needs, such as food, drink, sleep, speech, social 1n-
tercourse, and liable to physical accidents and
other conditions. Indeed they were the most per-
fect of mankind in regard to these qualities, and
every human attribute has been manifest in them
in its highest condition and greatest glory. As
grace of explanation and eloquence of discourse
are considered highest human accomplishments,
inasmuch as they are the outcome of genius, lofty
taste and brilliant minds ;—so these qualities have
been manifest in the Messengers and Prophets
who were the most excellent of mankind and were
endowed with genius and brilliant intellects.
Their explanations have appeared in the form of
verses, and their words were revealed in songs.
They surpassed all the men of eloquence in grace214 - ‘The Third Introduction.

of style, and in the form of their explanations.
They used symbolical points and concealed subtle
meanings under the veils of allegories and allu-
sions. Therefore the people of error have esti-
mated these productions as fantastic trifles and
mere poetry; the result of insanity and hallucina-
tion. Thus the ignorant have gone so far as to
say :-—‘Shall we abandon our Gods for a distracted
poet?” (*Koran, ch. 37). All this is lack of knowl-
edge of the Words of God, and inability of the
spiritually dense to distinguish between the Heav-
enly Revelation and human thoughts. God is far
exalted above what the unjust assert, and holy
above the imagination of the ignorant!

Second,— All that has been revealed in the Holy
Books concerning the prophecies of the Day of
God, Resurrection, the Manifestation of the Lord,
the coming of the Hour, its signs, tokens, condi-
tions and events, is in the form of symbols and al-
legories, as explained above. Such are the “dark-
ening of the sun and moon,” the “falling of stars,’
the “rending of the heavens,” “their disappearance
and changing,” the “trembling of the pillars of the
earth,” the “renewal of the earth,” the “descend-
ing of the Lord in the clouds,” and similar other
signs spoken of in the Books, and evident to men
of perception.

These words must of necessity have reasonable
meanings outside their literal sense, as is clearly
stated in the Heavenly Scriptures, thus:—({Isaiah,

°This refers to the objectiong made by the Pagan Arabe to the writ—
ings of Mohammed.

 

reer et.The Third Introduction. | 215

ch. vi., vs. 9, 10)}-—“‘And he said, Go, and tell this
people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not;
and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the
heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy,
and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears, and understand with their
heart, and convert, and be healed.”’

God sealed the hearts of the Jews lest they un-
derstand the real meanings thereof, and shut their
eyes lest they see them. For God had ordained
the overthrow of their dominion and their degra-
dation. He decreed their dispersion and suppres-
sion, because of their injustice and evil deeds, and
their great sin in falsely denying our Lord Christ,
whose Manifestation they anxiously awaited. For
the only source of the felicity or misery of every
people and the origin of its honor or degradation,
is the way it understands the words of its proph-
ets during the Manifestation of the Promised One.
This One alone is the nation’s resource, and its
honor and continuity depend upon its belief in
Him. As the Jews did not understand the real
meanings of the signs given in their Book con-
cerning the Manifestation of the Promised One,
but expected their literal fulfillment, which they
did not see in the Manifestation of Christ, there-
fore they falsely denied and rejected Him. Thus
they brought about their own utter ruin, became
subject to humiliation and degradation, and have
been scattered in all countries and lands, even
unto the present day. Had they apprehended the
inner truths of these signs, they would have be-216 The Thirc Introduction.

lieved in our Lord Jesus Christ, and would have
thereby ascended the zenith of grandeur and glory.
This is clearly stated in the Book and is evident to
men of judgment.

Likewise it is revealed in the Book of Daniel,
ch. xi1., v. 4:——“‘But thou, O Daniel, shut up the
words, and seal the book, even to the time of the
end.” Also, v. 9:—‘‘And he said, Go thy way,
Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till
the time of the end.” These two verses clearly
indicate that the purpose of the texts of the Book
is not their literal, outward meaning which can be
understood by every man and apprehended by
every soul. Nay, rather, they have concealed
meanings which would be necessarily closed up
until the coming of the “‘end”’ and the Appearance
of the Sun of Truth.

Third,—The aforesaid great signs of the coming
of the Day of God, the tokens of the appearance of
the Manifestation of the Command of God and the
emblems of the Hour and Resurrection, have all
been revea.. . from the tongues of the prophets
in every one of the Heavenly Books. They appear
in the same style and in the same similes and alle-
gories, although in different languages.

Mohammed prophesied the coming of the Lord
in the clouds, with His Angels, in the following
words in the Koran :—

“Do they expect less than that God should come
down to them overshadowed with clouds, and the
Angels also? but the thing is decreed, and to God
shall all things return.The Third Introduction. 217

“The day whereon the Spirit and the Angels
shall stand in order, they shall not speak, except
he to whom the Merciful shall grant permission,
and who shall say that which ts right.”

God, addressing Mohammed, said :—‘‘And thy
Lord shall come, and the angels rank by rank.”’

Likewise, Mohammed said:—*On the day
whereon the heaven shall appear in a visible
smoke.”

He also spoke of the sun and moon, the falling
and scattering of stars, the cleaving of heaven, the
trembling of the pillars of earth, thus:—‘*When
the sun shall be folded up; and when the Stars shall
fall; and when the mountains shall be made to pass
away.” “When the heaven shall be cloven asun-
der, and when the stars shall be scattered.”’

“When the heaven shall be rent asunder, and
shall obey its Lord, and shall be capable (thereof) ;
and when the earth shall be stretched out.”

*““When the earth shall be shaken as by earth-
quake; and the earth shall cast forth her burdens.”

“O men, fear your Lord. Verily, the shock of
the (last) Hour will be a terrible thing. On the
day whereon ye shall see it, every woman who giv-
eth suck shall forget (the infant) which she suck-
leth, and every (female) that is with young shall
cast her burden; and thou shalt see men (seem-
ingly) drunk, yet they shall not be really drunk:
but the punishment of God will be severe.”

Speaking of the changing of heaven and earth,
and their renewal, he said:—‘‘But they make not
a due estimation of God: since the whole earth218 The Third Introduction.

(shall be but) his handful, on the day of Resurrec-
tion; and the heavens shall be rolled together in
his right hand. Praise be unto him! and far be
he exalted above what they associate with him!”

“The day (will come, when) the earth shall be
changed into another earth, and the heavens (into
other heavens); and men shall come forth before
God, the One, the Mighty!”

There are also many other verses which cannot
be quoted for lack of space.

The same signs are spoken of in the Gospels, as
revealed by God in St. Matt., ch. xxiv., v. 29:—“Im-
mediately after the tribulation of those days shall
the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give
her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven.....
This passage contains all the signs spoken of in the
Koran, concerning the descending of the Lord in
the clouds with angels, the darkening of the sun,
the shaking of the powers of heaven, and other
fearful events. Likewise, clear points are recorded
in the Second Epistle of St. Peter, ch. 111., concern-
ing the passing away of the heavens and earth, the
melting of the elements, and the coming of the
new heaven and earth with their light and efful-
gence. The 21st ch. of Revelation also contains
prophecies concerning the new heaven and new
earth, the passing away of former things, and
other signs and tokens. Similar texts are re-
vealed in the Old Testament, as follows:—

Deut., ch. xxviii., vs. 23, 24:—‘“And thy heaven
that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth
tha is under thee shall be iron. The Lord shallCh pees

 

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   

2

The Third Introduction. 219

make the rain of thy land power and dust: from
heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be
destroyed.”” Also in Isaiah, ch. Ixv., vs. 17-19:—
“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new
earth: and the former shall not be remembered,
nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice
for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I
create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my
people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more
heard in her, nor the voice of crying.” Likewise,
ch. Ixvi., v. 22:—‘‘For as the new heavens and the
new earth, which I will make, shall remain before
me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your
name remain.”

Concerning the clouds, gloom and desolation, it
is prophesied in Zephaniah, ch. 1., vs. 14, 15:
“The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and
hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the
Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.
That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and
distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day
of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and
thick darkness.’”’ And in Joel, ch. tit., v. 10:—“The
earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall
tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and
the stars shall withdraw their shining.”” And in
v. 31:—‘‘The sun shall be turned into darkness,
and the moon into blood, before the great and the
terrible day of the Lord come.”

Similar signs are also prophesied in the book of
Haggai, ch. ii., vs. 6, 7:—-“‘For thus saith the Lord220 The Third Introduction.

of hosts; yet once, it is a little while, and I will |
shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and
the dry land; And I will shake all nations, and the
desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this
house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.”

It will clearly and manifestly appear to those
who consider and reflect upon these passages, that
bv these verses all the prophets meant to explain
the same fact, and that all of them used these
words in an allegorical and symbolical manner
to illustrate the same subject; although these
prophets were of different languages and ap-
peared in different countries and times. The es-
sential cause of this fact is that the Revealer of all
the Books, the Sender of all the Prophets, and the
Appointer of all the Messengers, is the One God,
as explained in the treatise upon “Divine Unity.”
And as He has prophesied the coming of the One
Great Day of Resurrection, the signs and tokens
given thereof must be the same.

Fourth,—Venly, all the Holy Books contain
texts and clear statements to the effect that the
above-mentioned signs are closed up and sealed;
that the door of understanding them 1s barred
until the coming of the “end” and the Day of Res-
urrection; and that whosoever attempts to inter-
pret them before the coming of that great day, will
be in error. This fact is referred to in Isaiah, ch.
vi., vS. 10-12:—“‘Make the heart of this people fat,
and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest
they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears,
and understand with their heart, and convert, and

 

eter er.The Third Introduction. 221

be healed. Then said I, Lord, how long? And
he answered, Until the cities be wasted without in-
habitant, and the houses without man, and the land
be utterly desolate, And the Lord have removed
men far away, and there be a great forsaking in
the midst of the land.”

Likewise, Daniel, ch. xii., v. 4:—“But thou, O
Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even
to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro,
and knowledge shall be increased.” vs. 9, 10:
“And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words
are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried;
but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the
wicked shall understand; but the wise shall under-
stand.”’

All these verses clearly indicate and prove that
the real sense of the signs given concerning the
Day of God, the Appearance of the Lord, and the
coming of the end, was closed up and sealed, so
that no one could understand them until the com-
ing of the “end” and the advent of the “Hour.”
Even then, the wicked were not to understand
them, but only the righteous and just ones should
apprehend their real meanings.

In 1888 A. D. (1306 A. H.), when the writer
travelled from Teheran to Isfahan, and stopped a
few days in the city of Kashan, there was a meet-
ing held in the house of a Jewish merchant called
Lazarus, for the purpose of investigating and con-
sidering the arguments of the Manifestation and
the signs of the coming of the day of Resurrection.The Third Introduction.

For in those days the promulgation of the Word
and the spreading of this faith among the Jews
had just begun. The meeting was composed of
prominent Jewish rabbis and men of learning.
Three of their most celebrated doctors were pres-
ent. The oldest among them was named Morde-
cal, a man over seventy years of age, of fair com-
plexion, cheerful face, very learned in Hebrew,
and quick in scientific debate. When the proofs
of the Cause of God were discussed in full detail,
the weakness of Mordecai’s doubts were exposed
and no ground left for his objections and refuta-
tions. Nevertheless, he clung to the non-fulfill-
ment of the outward and literal sense of the signs
and tokens. Hesaid:—“That the appearance of the
Promised One must necessarily be preceded by the
darkening of the sun and moon, the falling of
stars, the dwelling together of the sheep and wolf,
the calf and the lion, the infant playing with ser-
pents and asps, and the scattering of the holy
people in all directions; whereas not one of these
signs had appeared, so that the truth of the
prophets’ promises in these texts had not been
realized.”” Then we answered him, saying :—“O
honorable man! Do you alone understand out-
ward meaning and literal sense from these
verses, or do all the Jews likewise interpret them
in the same way?” ‘Yes’; he replied, “all the
Jews, both in the East and West, Asiatics as
well as Europeans, understand these prophecies
in the same manner, and interpret them as I
do; therefore they do not give credit to theThe Third Introduction. 223

claims of Jesus and Mohammed, nor do they re-
gard them as being the true Prophets spoken of
by Moses. For none of these clear signs were
manifest in Jesus and Mohammed, nor did the pro-
phetic promises come to pass in their days.”” We
answered :-—“We have read in the book of Isaiah,
that God commanded him to seal the hearts of the
Israelites and shut their eyes, so that they may
not understand the meaning of the Holy Book.
He likewise commanded Daniel to seal the Book
and shut up its meanings. Is this true or not?”
He said:—“Yes, this is an indisputable fact which
cannot be doubted.” We then said:—"“As one
great prophet was commanded to seal your hearts
and shut your eyes, so that you might not under-
stand the Book; and as another great prophet
was commanded to seal the Book, shut up its
meanings and veil its purposes from all mankind,
—in such a case how can a discerning man rely
upon your comprehension and interpretation of
the Book, and put his trust in your explanations
and elucidations? For if your interpretations of
the Holy Books be regarded as reliable and your
understanding of the texts as true, then the seal-
ing of hearts and shutting up of the Book would
not be fulfilled.”” Mordecai was silenced and un-
able to answer, while the believers rejoiced.

The Holy Gospels also contain numerous verses
and evidences of the sealing of the texts, the difh-
culty of understanding them, and the intricacy of
their meanings. Even the disciples of Christ,
who were the chosen of God and His saints, fre-4 The Third Introduction.

quently did not understand the meanings of words,
and asked Christ to solve their mysteries. For
He mostly spoke to them in symbols and allego-
ries, and taught them through parables, as is said
by St. Matt., ch. xiii., vs. 34, 35:—“‘All these things
spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and
without a parable spake he not unto them: That
it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the
prophet, saying, I will utter things which have
been kept secret from the foundation of the
world.”

It is evident to intelligent minds that the com-
mands, exhortations, ordinances and regulations
revealed in the Holy Books, are not concealed mat-
ters and have not sealed meanings; therefore
Christ did not explain them in parables and sym-
bols, or cover them under the veils of allegories
and allusions. Verily, the prophets revealed com-
mands and ordinances in a clear manner, without
concealment and obscurity, so that the laws of
devotion and conduct may thereby be secured
among men, and human _ society sustained
throughout all centuries and cycles. But by the
“things which have been kept secret from the
foundation of the world,” is meant the mysteries
of the “day of Judgment” and “Resurrection,” the
“darkening of the sun and moon,” the “falling of
stars,” the “coming of the Lord in the Clouds,”
the “rising of the dead from the earth,” the illumi-
nation of the earth from the “east to the west”
with the light of the Lord of Lords, and other
great signs revealed in the Book; the purpose and

     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
  
   
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 

 

rR ar be fem ©

eesThe Third Introduction. 225

meaning of which have been ever obscure and
sealed to the students and seekers.

But our Lord Christ (Glory and Beha be upon
Him!) promised that these seals should be opened
and these prophecies understood at the time of the
Lord’s coming from Heaven, Who would then ex-
plain their reality. St. John, ch. xvi., vs. 12, 13:
—‘T have yet many things to say unto you, but ye
cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the
Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all
truth.”” Likewise, St. John, ch. vi., v. 27:—“La-
bor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that
meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which
the Son of man shall give unto you: for *it hath
God the Father sealed.”

It is clear to every one endowed with percep-
tion that the source of everlasting life is no other
than the Words of God; as is said by Christ in
answer to the tempter; St. Matt., ch. iv., v. 4:—
‘‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

As God the Almighty has sealed His Words,
which are the source of salvation and the origin of
life, it is therefore not possible for any one to un-
seal them, except Himself. Thus revelation has
been assigned to Prophets, and the interpretation
and unveiling of the Words given to the Exalted
Lord at the time of His coming from Heaven to
remove the covering from all things.

(ernie cropoua refers to the ‘‘meat’’ tn the Arabic Bible, from which
the author has quoted the verse. But the Engiish version refers it to
the ‘*‘Son of Man’’ and gives a masculine pronoun (‘‘him’’) instead of

"it.°° The rendering here is according to the Arabic text quoted by the
author.—Translator.aa6 The Third Introduction.

The verses of the Koran also clearly indicate
that the interpretation of the Words of God will
be effected at His coming and at its appointed and
determined time; Ch. Al-A’raf:—‘*And now we
have brought unto them a book: we have ex-
plained it with knowledge; a direction and mercy
unto people who shall believe. Do they wait for
any other than the interpretation thereof? On the
day whereon the interpretation thereof shall come,
they who had forgotten the same before, shall say,
‘Now the Messengers of our Lord came unto us
with truth’: shall we therefore have any interces-
sors, who will intercede for us? Or shall we be
sent back, that ve may do other works than what
we did? But now have they found themselves in
loss : and that which they impiously imagined
hath fled from them.” Likewise, in the Chapter
of “Jonas,” he said:—But they have charged that
with falsehood, the knowledge whereof they do
not comprehend, neither hath the interpretation
thereof come unto them.”

The prominent men among the tribe of Koraish
and the Arab chiefs disbelieved in the possibility of
the fulfillment of such signs. They said “Moham-
med deludes his followers, infatuates his compan-
ions, and gives them promises and hopes of things
which cannot be realized or even imagined to
occur.” Therefore the above-mentioned verse was
revealed, clearly indicating that they had mean-
ings and interpretations, which God will surely

manifest in an appointed day, when the Manifesta-.

tion of the Self-subsistent Lord will unveil theirThe Third Introduction. 327

truth and open their seals. By interpretation is
meant bringing to light the esoteric meanings ex-
pressed in symbolical words; which meanings re-
mained concealed and hidden during cycles and
generations, and were not understood even by the
loftiest minds, until the time when God permitted
the removal of their veils and the opening of their
seals. Then the doors of thein paradise opened,
the fragrances of their signs were diffused, and
filled all the regions of the world with their sweet
perfumes. Then the rose-petals of truth were
scattered upon their breezes, and the nostrils of
the mghteous were perfumed with their sweet
odor. Then the truths of the Holy Books be-
came manifest to the possessors of quickened
hearts and calm souls, which fact will appear from
the interpretation which will be given to the men
of brillant insight and sound minds.The Fourth Introduction.

Treats of Comparing the Four Proofs with the
Manifestations of the Command of God.

O ye righteous ones! Now that ye have under-
stood the reality of the four arguments, the qual-
ity of their evidence and indication of the truth of
the Manifestations of the Command of God,
know (may God illumine your beautiful faces with
His manifest and clear Light, and strengthen your
exalted words with the signs of prosperity and
success!) that, verily, these proofs and arguments
confirm the truth of the Manifestation of God in
this present time much more clearly and evidently
than they demonstrated the truth of the Manifes-
tations in bygone ages and past generations. As
heretofore we have discussed the substance of
these arguments, their limits, definition, and the
validity of their evidence in a general way, we now
speak of their specific relationship with each one
of the Manifestations of God, so that it may be
proven and become apparent that these arguments
are weighty and complete in this Most Great Man-
‘festation and glorious exalted Dawn. For these
arguments demonstrate the Manifestation of our
Lord Beha (Exalted is His Name ') more abun-
dantly than they prove the mission of the prophets
previous to Him. Therefore, whosoever denies
this great Manifestation and rejects His clear
proofs, cannot demonstrate the truth of any one of

228

 

ee

Geer ereThe Fourth Introduction. 229

the former religions; as will be conclusively shown
in the following demonstrations.

Consider (may God the Exalted assist you with
His Spirit!) the mission of His Holiness Moses
(Peace be upon Him !).

In view of the four proofs already described and
explained, let us ascertain by what argument the
Israelites can demonstrate the truth of His religion.

As to the Book, which we have regarded as
being the most complete proof and the greatest
argument: The only part of the Book which can be
attributed to Moses is the Taurat or Pentateuch
of the Old Testament. To be more critically ac-
curate, the only part of the Pentateuch which can
be directly attributed to Moses,—as, God willing,
will be explained,—is the Law of the Ten Com-
mandments, revealed in the 5th chapter of
Deut., and the Song and Blessings recorded in
Deut., chs. xxxii., xxxiii. The rest of the Penta-
teuch contains laws and ordinances written and en-
acted by Joshua the son of Nun, the successor of
Moses. This was added to the Taurat, as 1s evident
in the 25th and 26th verses of the 24th chapter of
the Book of Joshua. As to the histories and leg-
ends: these were written and compiled by Ezra the
priest, after the emigration from Babylon and the
return of the tribes to Palestine, subsequent to the
second restoration of Jerusalem under Artaxerxes
of Persia; which fact is manifest after a careful in-
vestigation of ancient history.

As to the Logical Proof, that is the heavenly
Power bestowed upon the Manifestations of the«30 The Fourth Introduction.

Command of God for the purpose of instituting
laws and reforming the morals of humanity; its
extent appears from the comparative effect which
their words make in the guidance of peoples, while
at the same time it is connected with the capacity
of men to accept this guidance. It is an evident
fact that the prophetic word, during the Manifesta-
tion of Moses, was effective only in guiding one
nation, that is, the Israelites, the former inhabit-
ants of Palestine; for during 1,500 years the
Word of Moses and the Israelitish prophets influ-
enced but this one nation. No result appeared
from it among other peoples and countries.

As to the prophecies: No book of the prophets

Enoch, Noah, and Abraham, who lived previous to
Moses, exists; nor is Moses’ name spoken of or
alluded to in the books of the founders of the
other religions, such as the Buddhists, Brahamans,
Zoroastrians, or Sabeans. Therefore, no proph-
ecy exists which can prove the Mosaic Religion.
There is but one passage from Enoch, the 7th
from Adam, whom some of the prominent histo-
rians have supposed to be “Edns,”’ spoken of in
the Arabic books. This passage is recorded in
the Epistle of St. Jude. It refers to and clearly
indicates the Manifestation of God, or that of the
Lord with “ten thousands of His Saints.” This
prophecy has no connection with the Manifesta-
tion of Moses, nor with any other prophetic Mis-
sion.

As to the Miracles: The only source from which
it could be proven that miracles have proceededSe

 

The Fourth Introduction. 231

from Moses, is the record of the Five Books, or
the testimony given by those who came after him,
such as our Lord Christ (Glory be upon Him))
and Mohammed. As the Jews have denied the
truth of these two Manifestations, there is nothing
more difficult for them than to prove the Miracles
of Moses to the Buddhists and Brahamans, as well
as to the other great nations. The only authority
for the miracles of Moses are the writings of one
man, Ezra the priest, and this is a very weak au-
thority; as is evident to the men of insight and
discernment.

Now, consider (may God the Exalted assist you
through the Power of His Kingdom!) the Cause
of our Lord Christ (Glory be to Him!), the proofs
and arguments which demonstrate the truth of
His Blessed Word and the validity of His Holy
Mission.

As to the Divine Book: The Holy Gospels
alone contain teachings which can be regarded as
the true Words of God; and these teachings do
not exceed the contents of a few pages. The rest
of the Gospels consist of the traditions and records
written and inscribed by His disciples or the dis-
ciples of His disciples, concerning His life and
circumstances. Moreover, His teachings are not
preserved in their original language, which was
the dialect of the people who inhabited the Synan
countries at that time; nor were they written in
His own days. But they were written and re-
corded after His Ascension to the Heaven of the
Nearness of God, at periods variously estimated by232 The Fourth Introduction.

the European historians as between forty and

seventy years subsequent to His birth. They ©

have been translated into Latin and Greek later.

As to the Miracles and Signs which have pro-
ceeded from Him: “The authority for these is the
four Gospels. They have been narrated therein
by four men; two were His apostles and the
other two disciples of their disciples. Moreover,
many of their texts contain certain allegories and
symbolisms which very often bear other than hit-
eral meanings. : Consider the 9th ch. of the Gos-
pel of St. John, where it 1s recorded that Christ
(Glory be upon Him!) restored the blind man, and
on account of this there was a division among
the Pharisees. It is also recorded in the 39th verse
of the said chapter :—‘‘And Jesus said, For judg-
ment I am come into this world, that they which
see not might see; and that they which see might
be made blind.”” This verse clearly shows that by
blindness He has meant ignorance and error, and
by sight, knowledge and guidance. This meaning
is explicitly proven by the next verses, thus:—
‘‘And some of the Pharisees which were with him
heard these words, and said unto him, Are we
blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind,
ye should have no sin; but now ye say, We see;
therefore your sin remaineth.”

Consequently, how can it be understood that
the sight given to the blind man, as recorded in
the first part of this chapter, was not of this kind ?
Especially is this true when we consider the cus-
toms of the Jewish writers in those olden times.

 

eerer er,The Fourth Introduction. 233

They made use of enigmas and allegories in their
books and writings, and concealed their meanings
under subtle and intricate symbols. It 1s said by
the learned historian, John Lawrence Mosheim,
of the University of Gottingen, in his “Ecclesias-
tical History,’”’ translated from the original Latin
by James Murdoch, of the U. S.; also translated
into Arabic by Henry H. Jessep, of U. 5., and pub-
lished in 1875 A. D. in Beyrouth (Syria); as fol-
lows :-— :

Part II., Ch. 3, Cent. 1, Par. 2:—“*Those who ex-
pounded the Scriptures, studied simplicity and
plainness. Yet it is not to be denied, that even in
this century, the perverse Jewish custom of ob-
scuring the plain language of Scripture, by forced
and frigid allegories, and of diverting words from
their natural and proper meaning in order to ex-
tort from them some recondite sense, found some
admirers and imitators among Christians. Be-
sides others, Barnabas, whose epistle is still ex-
tant, is proof of them.”

If one ponders over the detail of what we have
said upon the question of Miracles; studies our
arguments to the effect that God the Exalted has
refused to perform things in any other manner
than in accordance with natural laws; and reflects
upon what the distinguished and learned Mosheim
has recorded as to the Jewish custom of using ob-
scure and symbolic allegomes, there can be no
doubt that the records of giving sight to the blind
and quickening the dead, refer to mental insight
and spiritual life. For the same meanings are234 The Fourth Introduction.

applied to them in many places in the very texts
of the Heavenly Books and Prophetic Words.

As to the Logical Proof: That is the power of the
penetration of His Word and the sway of His Re-
ligion. This power in Christ so far surpassed the
penetrative power of the Word of Moses, that
there is no ground for a just investigator who does
not indulge in false arguments to doubt that it
was the Divine Word and of a Spiritual authority.
That His Holy Word proved effective in numerous
nations, and was conducive to the guidance of
great peoples, is a fact that can only be denied by
an arrogant and ignorant person or by a disput-
ing sophist. Yet centuries and generations
passed before it proved effective through the as-
sistance of the Roman Czsars. Then it poured
forth with a power the like of which had never
before appeared in any of the other Divine Re-
ligions. Consequently, many of the prominent
historians have even doubted the very existence
of Christ (Glory be upon Him!). There are al-
ways many who have the same tendency, for
nothing about Him and His Religion is recorded
in any of the histories written in the first and sec-
ond centuries after Him, by either Romans, Jews,
Persians, Indians, or Chinese. This is a clear
proof of the fact that His Cause had not played
any important role in the first two centuries, nor
had it been so widely spread as to be recorded by
the historians.

Mosheim has written in his “History of the
Church” (Part I., Ch. 2, Cent. 13, Pars. 2 and 3),

as follows :—The Fourth Introduction. 335

“The Latin writers of those times (thirteenth
cent.), often complain of public enemies of the
Christian religion, and even of mockers of the Su-
preme Being. Nor are these complaints entirely
vain and incredible. For men of discernment who
critically inspected the religion which the Roman
pontiffs and their servants and friends preached
and inculcated as being the only true religion
taught by Christ; and which they maintained by
fire and the sword, might easily be led to believe,
that Christianity was a fabrication invented and
propagated by the priests for their own advan-
tage; and especially was such a conclusion easy,
as there were none to teach them better. Be-
sides, the Aristotelian philosophy, which reigned
in all the schools of Europe and was regarded as
sound reason, led not a few to discard the doc-
trines commonly held and preached respecting di-
vine providence, the immortality of the Soul, the
Creation of the World, and other points, and thus
to become the promoters of irreligion.

“At the head of all the enemies of Christianity,
stood the emperor Frederic II., if credit 1s to be
given to the sovereign pontiff Gregory IX., who
in the year 1239, charged him before all the kings
and princes of Europe, with saying that the whole
world had been deceived by three barrators, (im-
postors), Jesus Christ, Moses, and Mohammed.
This heavy charge the emperor deemed it neces-
sary to refute, by a public profession of his re-
ligious faith. It rested on the testimony of some
German princes, and particularly of Henry Raspo,236 The Fourth Introduction.

landgrave of Thuringia, who said they had heard
Frederic utter such language. Perhaps some-
thing like this did fall from the lips of Frederic,
when in a violent passion, for he was not infre-
quently imprudent; and among the many learned
men that attended him, there were some from the
Aristotelian school who might have suggested to
him such impious thoughts. Hence a fabulous
story was handed down to posterity, respecting a
detestable book on the three impostors, which was
said to have been written either by the emperor
himself, or by Peter de Vincis, a native of Capua
and a man of great credit and influence, who was
the emperor’s prime minister.”

These statements of this historian who, far from
being accused of unorthodoxy, was firm and
staunch in Christianity, clearly indicate that the
antagonists of Christianity had not discovered any
mentioning of Christ’s name; otherwise they
would not have denied Him, but would have re-
futed the teachings given by the Roman pontiffs.
Indeed, many of the people of deception and false-
hood among those who did not recognize the
power of the Divine Word and its independence
from human intrigues, have introduced His Name
into the old historical works, so that they might
thereby withstand the opposers, and defend the
prophets and messengers. Yet this has been
more harmful to Christianity than profitable, as
they had intended it to be; for their intrigues and
machinations were divulged, thus increasing the
suspicions of the deniers. This is the case withThe Fourth Introduction. 237

the translation of the book of Josephus, the Jew,
made from the European languages into Arabic.
Into this translation they have introduced the
Name of Christ; at the same time suggesting to
some of the writers of scientific newspapers pub-
lished in Cairo, Egypt, to insert in them that the
book Josephus is not possessed by Jews. Thus
they intended to conceal their artifice and ruse.
All this, notwithstanding the fact that many manu-
script copies of Josephus are in possession of the
Jews, and that we have investigated and discussed
it in the city of Hamadan, Persia. Even in the
original copies on file in public libraries in Europe,
no reference is made to the name of Christ. Dr.
Keith, of England, has clearly explained this point,
in his work upon the testimonies given by the I[s-
raelitish prophets, demonstrating the Mission of
our Lord Jesus Christ (Glory be to Him!).
Therein he says that Josephus has done his utmost
to make no mention of the name of Christ in his
book. This book has been translated from the
English into Persian by the Abbots of the Church,
in the City of Ormuiah, Azerbeyjan, Persia, and
published in Edinburgh in 1846.

To resume. Those who are heedless of the
power of the Word of God, have artfully interpo-
lated the name of Christ into the old histories, sup-
posing this to be profitable to pure Christianity.
Yet by this, they have done Christianity a mischief
which no one denies except the ignorant; for the
exposure of their artifice caused numerous di-
visions and parties to appear among Christians,238 The Fourth Introduction.

who were thus led not only to deny this Divine
Religion, but the very existence of Christ (Peace
be upon Him!). The proof of the existence of
Christ, is in no need of such intrigues, or of the
testimony of historians. His blessed existence is
confirmed by two great evidences:—First, that
which the Manifestations of the Command of God
give of His existence and truth, which testimony
is no other than that of God, and is more effective
than anything in the world. Consider the evi-
dence given by Mohammed as to Christ being
the “Spirit of God.”” Mohammed’s word has to
such an extent convinced the world and satisfied
nations, that about three hundred millions of Mus-
sulmans testify that Jesus is the “Spirit of God,”
and that He is the “Word of God.”’ This witness,
given by Mohammed, they engrave in their hearts
and preserve it from generation to generation;
whereas, before the appearance of Mohammed,
they did not know Christ, nor did they acknowl-
edge His truth.

Verily, all the people of the world will be hum-
bled before the Name of our Lord Christ, and will
shortly testify that He is the exalted Word; inas-
much as our Lord the Abha (Glorified is His
Supreme Name!) has borne witness of Him. St.
John has recorded in his Gospel, in reference to
this point (ch. viii., v. 18), thus:—‘‘I am one that
bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent
me beareth witness of me.”

The witness borne by the Father is that which
is borne by the Lord Beha, because the idea thatThe Fourth Introduction. 239

testimony is given by the Essence in any way ex-
cept through Its Manifestations, 1s unreasonable,
as we have already explained and demonstrated in
the subject of Divine Unity.

Now that the testimony of two Manifestations
of God, relative to the existence of our Lord Christ,
has convinced half the population of the earth as
to the truth of His Word and the validity of His
Claim, of what importance can be the testimony
of a few historians, whether they acknowledge or
deny Him?

The second evidence is that an effect can be ad-
duced as the proof of a cause; and this is a rational
and visible evidence. There is no doubt that the
Christian Religion, which has changed the condi-
tions of the old world, is an effect, and every effect
must, of necessity, have a cause and origin. No
man or body of men has ever claimed to be the
originator of this religion, nor has its institution
ever been attributed to any one except Jesus Christ
(Glory be to Him!). Consequently, it is obvious
that He has been its only founder and sole up-
holder. When a wise man reflects upon the ongin
of this invincible Power which -has surpassed the
powers of the World; when he considers the super-
natural ken and judgment which have reformed the
defects of nations, healed the sicknesses of hearts,
and reconciled tribes of peoples, it would be un-
reasonable for him to think that this origin could
be veiled and obscure, or wrapped up in the cob-
webs of oblivion and negligence. If man permits
himself to doubt such a clear matter, how much240 The Fourth Introduction.

more would he be apt to dispute all subjects?
Such scepticism would confuse the order of so-
ciety, and would corroborate sophistical theories.

Having treated of these subjects which needed
explanation, we will now return to the point which
we were discussing, in connection with the proofs
whereby the truth of the Mission of Christ can be
demonstrated.

As to the prophecies revealed in the Holy Books,
contained in the Old Testament: when we observe
the essential Oneness existing among the Mani-
festations of the Command of God, which we have
demonstrated in speaking of the Divine Unity,
there is no doubt that most of these prophecies,
testified of and were fulfilled in the appearance of
our Lord Christ; which fact was confirmed by
those who appeared after Him. But when we con-
sider the individual characteristics of these holy
Manifestations; personal qualities which differen-
tiate and distinguish each one of them from the
other, there is no doubt that many prophecies were
not fulfilled in Christ’s first coming. This will be
explained in the commentaries upon the texts of
the Scriptures, with the assistance of God the Lord
of Lords.

A fact which must not pass unnoticed by the
possessors of insight, is that the commentators of
the Holy Books have unanimously endeavored to
interpret all the prophecies recorded in the Old
Testament and the writings of the Israelitish
prophets, into the Manifestation of our Lord
Christ. In this endeavor they have mainly exertedThe Fourth Introduction. 24!

themselves and spent their lives and property;
strenuously attempting to demonstrate to the
seekers, that the purpose of these prophecies ts
none other than showing forth the events of the
day of His Manifestation and Mission, and describ-
ing His sufferings and trials. Some have re-en-
forced this point by artifice, some by violence.
Others, finding themselves unable to convince
people by argument, have tried to coerce them by
the power of the sword and fire; a fact testified to
by the histories. of every country. Moreover, it
has been customary with most of the theologians
and commentators of the Holy Books, to satisfy the
people and prove their religious tenets by a method
of argument called ‘economical’; no matter
whether it agreed with truth and fact or not.
With them, the only purpose has been to overcome
antagonists, relying upon their customary principle,
—‘‘The end justifies the means.””’ Absolutism and
the lack of freedom which then prevailed among
nations, assisted them in fulfilling their aims and
rendering their beliefs prevalent. So arose false,
inverted, remote and insignificant interpretations
of the Holy Books. To this point, Mosheim refers
in his “‘History of the Church” (Part II., Cent. 3,
Ch. 3, Pars. 10, 11):—‘“‘But it must by no means pass
unnoticed, that the discussions instituted against
the opposers of Christianity in this age (3rd cent.),
departed far from the primitive simplicity, and the
correct method of controversy. For the Christian
doctors, who were in part educated in the schools
of rhetoricians and sophists, inconsiderately trans-2—2 The Fourth Introduction.

ferred the arts of these teachers to the Cause of
Christianity; and therefore considered it of no im-
portance, whether an antagonist were confounded
by these artifices, or by solid arguments. Thus
that mode of disputing, which the ancients called
economical, [It signifies to do a thing artfully and
dexterously, or with cunning and sagacity, as a
shrewd manager of a household controls those
under him—see footnote given by Murdock], and
which had victory rather than truth for its object,
was almost universally approved. And the Platon-
ists contributed to the currency of the practice, by
asserting that it was no sin for a person to employ
falsehood and fallacies for the support of truth,
when it was in danger of being borne down.”

“This vicious inclination to circumvent and con-
found an adversary, rather than confute him with
sound argument, produced also a multitude of
books falsely ‘bearing on their front the names of
certain distinguished men. For the greater part
of mankind, being influenced more by the author-
ity of names, than by arguments and Scripture
testimony, the writers conceived they must prefix
names of the greatest weight to their books, in
order to oppose successfully their adversaries.
Hence those canons which were falsely ascribed to
the apostles: ... .”

Of these canons, Murdock speaks in the foot-
note, thus:—“(The apostolic canons are eighty-five
ecclesiastical laws or rules, professedly enacted by
the Apostles, and collected and preserved by
Clemens Romanus. The matter of them is an-The Fourth Introduction. | 243

cient; for they describe the customs and institu-
tions of the Christians, particularly of the Greek
and Oriental churches, in the second and third
centuries. But the phraseology indicates a com-
piler being in the third century. See W. Beve-
ridge’s Notes on these Canons, and his ‘Codex
Canonum Eccles., Primitivae Vindicatus et Illus-
trat,’ London, 1678, 4to—Schl.).”

Likewise, Mosheim has recorded in the events of
the fourth century (Book II., Part I., Par. 23):—
“For it is manifest that the untiring zeal of the bish-
ops and other holy men, the pure and devout lives
which many of the Christians exhibited, the transla-
tions of the sacred Volume, and the excellence of
the Christian religion, were as efficient motives
with many persons, as the arguments from worldly
advantage and disadvantage were with some
others. As for miracles, I cheerfully unite with
those who look with contempt on the wonders
ascribed to Paul, Antony, and Martin. I also grant,
that many events were inconsiderably regarded as
miracles, which were according to the laws of na-
ture; not to mention likewise pious frauds.”

There are many similar statements in this book
and in other credible historical works, all of which
clearly indicate that the writers of the early cen-
turies, who are considered more brilliant and pure
than those of the later centuries, and whose works
became the foundation and ground-work upon
which the beliefs and writings of recent centunes
are based, cared more to triumph over and dis-
comfit their antagonists than to rely upon truth244 The Fourth Introduction.

and explain the real fact. They were more anxious
to satisfy the Jews and compel them to accept their
commentaries, than to convince the Pagans; for
the former were the root of the tree of Christianity,
and the source through which the Holy Scriptures
had been revealed. They did their utmost, and
availed themselves of every possible strategy and
means, in order to persuade that intelligent and
unfortunate people that the purpose of all the
prophecies given in the Holy Scriptures concerning
the coming of the ‘‘Lord,” referred to the Mani-
festation of Jesus Christ; and that all prophecy pre-
dicted the events of His days, and foreshadowed
His sufferings and afflictions. Yet their diligence
in interpretation and fabrication, and their zealous
attempts to demonstrate this fulfillment, far from
bringing the Jews nearer to Christ, withheld them
from believing in Him. For the Jews who read
the Book every day with perfect attention, consult-
ing and depending upon it in all their affairs, were
cognizant of the purport of the prophecies, and
knew the falsity of such economical (forcible) argu-
ment. They were eye witnesses to the fact that
the prophecies of the Holy Scriptures, especially
those which foreshadowed the end of their nation,
did not conform nor correspond to the Manifesta-
tion of our Lord Christ (Glory be to Him!), al-
though the Christian commentators insisted upon
their correspondence, by availing themselves of this
“economical” mode or argument, to maintain it.
Verily, the prophecies of these Holy Books,—for
the preservation of which the Jews shed theirree ee

 

  

The Fourth Introduction. 245

blood, sacrificed their property and children, and
upon which alone they rested their hopes,—pro-
claim with the clearest voice that after the decline
of the dominion of the Israelites; after their scatter-
ing and dispersion throughout all countries; their
suffering every calamity; their being cursed and
reviled by all nations; after their country being pos-
sessed by foreigners and trampled under the feet
of barbarous tribes; their cities and towns deserted
and ruined;—then the powerful Lord will appear,
His shining Beauty will dawn forth from the East,
and become manifest in the Holy Land. His voice
will be raised from the holy mountain; He will
assemble the scattered Israelites from the east,
west, north and south; He will gather them from
out all peoples. Then, according to these prophe-
cies, they will proceed from darkness toward light,
their sorrow will be changed into joy, their un-
belief into real faith, their rebellion into obedience,
their shame into honor, and their weakness into
power. They will become blessed after having
been execrated, victorious after having been sub-
dued; the glory of the Holy Land will be restored,
and distant nations will be blessed thereby. The
mouth of the Promised Lord will change its name
of the Holy Land, and the blessed and excellent
“Branch” will build His Temple. It will be named
“Desire” after its having been rejected; it will be
sought for after having been deserted. Its lost
honor will be eternally established and its peoples
will be firmly planted therein. All the prophesied
events will happen at their appointed time, which246 The Fourth Introduction.

is determined in the Book, and known to men of
discernment. Superstitions will not change them,
nor will the alterations of the transposers and the
doubts of the sceptical shake them. These pre-
dicted events were reversed at the appearance of
our Lord Jesus Christ. At that time, the Israelites
were established and tranquil in the Holy Land,
but after the Appearance of Chnist, they were scat-
tered by the conquest of Titus the Roman, who
destroyed Jerusalem and slew over one million of
the Jews, according to historical record. After-
ward, he sold the remnant of them to the nations,
as beasts of burden. Their humiliation and misery
still increased when Omar, the Mohammedan Kalif,
vanquished the city of Elias (Jerusalem), and made
a compact with Saphronius, Bishop of Jerusalem,
forbidding the Jews to inhabit Palestine. With
this decree and compact he destroyed their daily
sacrifice; the Holy Land fell into the hands of
foreigners and became the arena of murder and
field of conflict between the Arabs, Romans, Turks,
Crusaders and Mamelukes. The Jewish cities were
ruined, their buildings overthrown, their dwellings
desolated, their societies scattered; and during
these long generations, this forlorn people became
the plaything of storms of calamities, the subject
of whirlpools of afflictions, until the nineteenth
century. This was the century of the Dawn of the
Light of lights, the time of the rending of veils, and
the rise of the Sun of Knowledge in the brightness
of day. Then these ruinous storms and fatal con-
vulsions were partly hushed; the Holy Land at-

 

aeerer nr. =ee

 

   

The Fourth Introduction. 247

tained tranquility and quietude, and is still ad-
vancing therein, until that which was foreshad-
owed by the prophets in bygone centuries and
ages, shall be fulfilled in it.

The Holy Land was flourishing and was inhab-
ited by the Jews before Christ appeared; but after
His Manifestation, they became scattered, and
none of the prophecies of which we have spoken
were fulfilled at His advent. Thus, Chnst cannot
be accounted as the fulfillment of those prophecies.

The commentators have devised a way to close
this breach, and to bridge over this chasm, which
cannot be effected by any artifice. They have in-
terpreted the word “Israelite,” recorded in the
Holy Scriptures, to mean the “Christian Church,”
in order to demonstrate that the prophecies were
fulfilled with the appearance of Jesus Christ (Glory
be to Him)), and were realized in His Advent. Al-
though we agree with this interpretation in some
passages, yet most of the prophecies of the Holy
Scriptures clearly indicate that they refer to the
children of Israel, and not to the believers who
might join them through the Spirit of Faith. They
announce that the Israelites whom God had
stricken with curse and degradation, are to return
to blessing and restoration, as is plainly spoken of
by Paul the Apostle in his Epistle to the Romans,
ch. xi., vs. 25 to 27:—‘‘For I would not, brethren,
that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye
should be wise in your own conceits; that blind-
ness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness
of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall248 The Fourth Introduction.

be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of
Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodli-
ness from Jacob. For this is my Covenant unto
them, when I shall take away their sins.”

This text clearly shows that the Israelites will
be saved and their sins taken away after the Mani-
festation of Christ; at the end of the days, when
the Manifestation of the Lord will appear in Sion.
Therefore how could the commentators interpret
“children of Israel” as being the Christian Church?

In a similar way, they interpret the term “New
Testament” to be the “Holy Gospels.” The word
“New Testament” (or Covenant) is recorded in
Jeremiah, ch. xxx1., vs. 31 to 34, as follows :—‘“‘Be-
hold, the days come, said the Lord, that I will make
a new Covenant with the house of Israel, and with
the house of Judah. Not according to the Cove-
nant that I made with their fathers in the day that
I took them by the hand to bring them out of the
land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake,
although I was an husband unto them, saith the
Lord. But this shall be the covenant that I will
make with the house of Israel. After those days,
says the Lord, I will put my law in their inward
parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their
Lord, and they shall be my people. And they shall
teach no more every man his neighbour, and every
man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for they
shall all know me from the least of them unto the
greatest of them, saith the Lord. For [I will for-
give their iniquity, and I will remember their sin
no more.”

ereeer i.The Fourth Introduction. 249

Have the prophecies given in these verses been
fulfilled? Did the Lord forgive their iniquity and
sins? Were they ever without need of a teacher
or adviser to exhort and lead them to believe in
their Lord; so that the Holy Gospels might be-
come the ‘‘New Testament” (or Covenant)? Who-
soever reads these verses with earnest attention,
will duly realize that the prophecies in this chap-
ter refer to the Israelites themselves, and not to
those who have joined them by faith. For the
Israelites, termed in Scripture, “‘the back-sliding
daughters,’’are the children of Ephraim, the capital
of whose country was Samaria, and the children of
Judah, the capital of whose country was Jerusalem.

It is also reported in the Book of Jeremiah, ch.
XXXI., vS. 27, 28:—“Behold, the days come, saith
the Lord, that I will sow the house of Israel and the
house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the
seed of beast. And it shall come to pass, that like
as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to
break down, and to throw down, and to destroy,
and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build,
and to plant, saith the Lord.”” Does the sense of
these prophecies refer to the Christian Church?

Moreover, the prophesied restoration of the
Holy Land is an everlasting restoration which will
never be overthrown; a permanent holiness which
will never be effaced; for it is clearly stated at the
end of the chapter, that “It shall not be plucked
up, nor thrown down any more forever.” After
the ascension of our Lord Christ (Glory be upon
Him!), the Holy Land was destroyed twice; the250 The Fourth Introduction.

first time, by the command of Titus and Adrian.
Afterward, the Israelitish people were scattered,
and the desolation of the Holy Land and the dis-
persion of its people were completed by the con-
quest of Islam, at which time the daily sacrifice
was taken away, as we have formerly explained.
As these facts were evident to the Jews, the ex-
planations and interpretations made by the Chris-
tians, did not satisfy them. Nay rather, such
methods kept them farther from the truth. So
they denied Christ and refused to investigate and
enquire into His Cause. The delegates of the great
pontiffs during every century, attempted to com-
pel the Israelites to accept these interpretations,
and join the sacred Church. As they could not
satisfy them through the power of argument, they
laboured to convince them by the power of the
sword and rigid persecution.

Mosheim has recorded in his “History of the
Church, Part I., Cent. vi., Ch. +, Par. 3,015.
“But it should be added, that far more were (the
Jews) induced to make profession of Christianity,
by the rewards offered by the princes and by the
fear of punishment, than by the force of arguments.
In Gaul during the reign of Childeric, the Jews
were compelled to receive baptism: and the same
thing was done in Spain.”

Toresume. As on one hand, the Jews saw these
confusing interpretations, and on the other, false
arguments and rigid punishments, they doubted
not that these oppressions were taught by Christ.

So, bewildered and led astray in the desert of re-

eaenery

eerer er -The Fourth Introduction. 251

moteness and error, they clung to their own ideas,
until finally the warnings and prophecies of the
prophets became fulfilled in them. Although they
deserved punishment for their denial of Christ and
objection to the chastity of the Virgin Mary, by
which their adversity and shame before God were
increased; yet the greater part of their sin in re-
maining unbelievers, is due to the aforementioned
commentators, sophists and persecutors, who alien-
ated the Jews from the truth, and obscured the
path unto them. Had the commentators inter-
preted the verses according to their true purpose
and demonstrated the truth of the Word of our
Lord Christ in the right manner, they would have
made it easy for the Jews to embrace the Truth,
and would have brought them nearer to the high-
way of obedience. For there are proofs and verses
in the very texts of the Bible and in the prophetic
Books, which clearly explain the truth of our Lord
Christ; and had the commentators held to them,
they would have been in no need of false argument
and persecution. God willing, we will explain this
point in the course of our interpretations regarding
the subject. .

Now consider, O ye beloved ones, the Moham-
medan cause, and the proofs whereby its adherents
endeavor to prove the truth of Mohammed.

As to the Heavenly Book and Divine Revela-
tion: This they hold to be the Koran. Its texts were
written in the days of Mohammed, and collected
and arranged in the days of His khalifs by congre-
gations composed of His chief followers and saints.peer ray heey SORT ae hy SS LT ee STS

 

   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    

252 The Fourth Introduction.

The Moslems, notwithstanding their variance and
difference of sects and creeds, have universally
agreed upon one book, even without entertaining
any disagreement or difference as to one word or
letter in it. Yet it is but one volume, containing
thirty sections, the texts of which, they maintain,
were revealed gradually to Mohammed at different
times, during twenty-three years. Mohammed
was of the tribe of Koraish, a tribe noted for elo-
quence and speech among the Arabs. Even the
majority of the Mohammedan doctors have re-
garded the eloquent language and elegant style of
the Koran, as a perfect proof and decisive miracle.
But we have refuted this point in several books,
and have explained the reason why heavenly Reve-
lations are miraculous, showing the manner where-
by they are distinguished from the words of man;
in a way that should convince every one of discern-
ment and perception.

As to the penetration of His Word and the
propagation of His religion: this was not fully wit-
nessed, except among the Arabs, until the second
century of the Hejira, when it was introduced
among the Persians, the inhabitants of the Cauca-
sus, the Turks and Indians. The conquests of the
Islam princes, in the first century, reached east-
ward to Furgana (near China), and westward to
Sicily and Spain. The Islam princes, with a few
exceptions, it is said, did not compel any nation to
accept the religion, for they gave people the choice

between paying taxes or embracing the faith.The Fourth Introduction. 253

The success of the Mohammedan conquerors
was sufficient inducement for people to embrace
a religion far more advanced than their ancient
idolatry and fire-worship; especially when we add
to this, the attractive simplicity of life of the Mo-
hammedan devotees, who were numerous at that
time. Notwithstanding this, the inhabitants of the
Caspian countries and Trans-Euxine provinces, did
not accept Mohammedanism before the second and
third century of Hejira, as we have mentioned
above.

As to the miracles and wonders which it is said
were demanded from Mohammed by his adver-
saries, and which the Mohammedan doctors are
craftily attempting to prove in his behalf; these are
disproved by the clear texts of the Koran. There
are verses in this book which plainly indicate that
God the Exalted did not wish to show forth any
sign in the Islam Manifestation, except the Book;
for signs are warnings concerning destruction and
ruin. It is recorded in the Koran, in the “chapter
of the Israelites’ (“The Night Journey,” Sale’s
translation) :—‘‘Nothing hindered us from sending
(thee) with miracles, except that the former (na-
tions) have charged them with imposture. We
gave unto (the tribe of) Thamud (at their demand),
the she-camel visible (to their sight); yet they dealt
unjustly with her; and we send not (a prophet) with
miracles, but to strike terror.”

That is, God the Exalted has refused to send any
miracles in the Manifestation of Mohammed; for
the former nations, such as the Egyptian, Ad, and254 The Fourth Introduction.

Thamud, demanded miracles from the prophets,
then afterward charged them with imposture, and
denied them; therefore God destroyed them on ac-
count of their denial. God does not send signs or
miracles, except as a warning of destruction and
threatening of desolation. There are many other
similar verses in the Book, which we have spoken
of in detail in ‘“‘Fara-yed,” “‘Dorar-el-Baheyeh,” and
“Fassl-ul-Khatab” (books by the same author).

As to the miracles which are said to have pro-
ceeded from Mohammed even before being de-
manded: These have no authority except the tradi-
tions and records which are not reliable save to
those who wish to believe. And if we add to this,
the weakness of miracles in proving the truth of a
claimant to prophethood, as we have formerly ex-
plained, there would not remain anything worthy
of reliance or production, as an argument. But
there are prophecies concerning future events, re-
corded both in the Koran and in the authoritative
traditions attributed to Him, which cannot be dis-
regarded and rejected by any except a bigoted dis-
putant. In them, Mohammed has foretold the con-
ditions of His religion, and all that would happen
to it, including its advance and decline, prosperity
and adversity, weakness and power, subdivision,
desolation, etc.; everything in full details and par-
ticulars, until the lapse and termination of its
cycle.

Likewise, He foreshadowed the events which
would happen at the end of His cycle, concerning
the Manifestation of Mahdi (the Precursor), theThe Fourth Introduction. 255

descent of the “Spirit of God’”’ (Christ), the mse of
false prophets, the appearance of impostors, the
major Resurrection, the minor Resurrection, and
their signs and tokens. These, He has also prophe-
sied in full detail, including their dates and places;
things which no one can apprehend through hu-
man comprehension or foretell through political
forecasts. The like has never before been wit-
nessed in the texts of any holy Manifestation pre-
vious to Him. Yet these traditions being collected
during the second and third centuries of Hegira,
before which they had been preserved in memories,
and related by word of mouth, must needs contain
some blunders and inconsistencies, due to human
forgetfulness and mistakes. Moreover, the relat-
ing of prophetic traditions was regarded by the
Moslems in those days, as a high dignity and call-
ing, and was used as a means for the attainment
to worldly aims, by ambitious men. The tyrant
Khalifs who were constantly afraid of the pure
lineage of Ali and the household of Mohamméd,
bought the adherence of some of their immediate
companions and followers with gold. These faith-
less ones fabricated for them traditions in praise
of the enemies of the imams of Mohammed's
household, and sought by this artifice to turn away
the attention of people from the family of Ali, and
secure their own usurped dominion and khaltphat.
In this way, trading in traditions, and markets for
fabricating records were started, and thus truth and
falsehood became intermingled. Books of such
prophetic traditions were compiled, which the doc-256 The Fourth Introduction.

tors of religion accepted through fear, greed, and
desire; which finally ended in misleading the people
and casting them into the depths of degradation.
Yet the possessors of clear insight were not pre-
vented from recognizing the authentic traditions
and distinguishing them from those which are not
reliable. Verily, the words of the prophets and
messengers, and the depositories of their wisdom
and knowledge, are endowed with certain virtues
and qualities which are not concealed from those
capable of understanding them. By authentic tra-
ditions, we do not mean in the sense understood
by Mohammedan doctors, both Shr-ite and Sun-
nite. For the Sunnites regard as authentic a tra-
dition which agrees with their own creed and ts
related by one of their sect; disregarding every
other tradition, even though it may be from a relia-
ble and trustworthy source. Likewise, the Shi-ite
doctors give no credit to the traditions which are
not in accordance with their own doctrine. This
does not satisfy any seeker of truth, nor can it be
a means of distinguishing truth from falsehood, or
removing discord; for no community agrees
with the opinion of another. But to the followers
of Truth, by an authentic tradition is meant one
which conforms with the Book of God (“for it
contains the explanation of all things’), or which
agrees with a fact of real occurrence. Such are
the traditions containing prophecies which have
come to pass and are fulfilled.

To resume. The traditions predicting future
events were proofs whereby the Moslems couldThe Fourth Introduction. 257

demonstrate the truth of the founder of their re-
ligion; but they themselves corrupted them and
mixed with the truth they contained their own
fabrications, in order to gain the favor of the tyran-
nical Khalifat of the lineage of Abi-Sofyan, the
““Angel of the bottomless pit,’’ spoken of in the 9th
and 12th chapters of Revelation, and the “cursed
tree” alluded to in the Koran. These are inter-
preted to mean this khalifat.

As to the prophecies given in the Holy Bible and
in the Books of the other Israelitish prophets con-
cerning Mohammed ; these are as pure and limpid
drops of water falling from the fissures of the rocks
of involved enigmas, as we will, God permitting,
set forth in future statements.

The prophecies given in the New Testament,
concerning the appearance of Mohammed, are even
clearer and more manifest; especially in the 11th
and 12th chapters of Revelation. At the same
time they are all prefaces and signs of the Advent
of the “Day of God”; the arrival of the “Great
Hour,” and the Manifestation of the “Beauty of
God,” the “Behi-El-Abha.”’

O ye pious souls! Now that ye have understood
the manner of the propagation of the former re-
ligions and in what measure these four proofs can
be used by their adherents, know ye (may God pour
upon you a light from His Kingdom the El-Abha!),
that the aforementioned proofs demonstrate this
most holy and Supreme Manifestation, in a far
clearer and more perfect way than ts the case with
other religions. Therefore should any one of the258 The Fourth Introduction.

followers of the former prophets deny this one, it
would be absolutely impossible for him to prove the
truth of his own religion; to which fact we have
made reference in former demonstrations.

We must now speak of each one of the aforesaid
proofs in connection with this Most Great Mani-
festation, just as we have spoken of them in con-
nection with other religions,—so that the superior
significance of their application to Him, may be
clearly realized by every man of faith.

As to the Divine Book, namely, the Heavenly
Revelation. Verily, our Lori the ABHA, not-
withstanding that He was subject during the days
of His Manifestation, to all kinds of physical calam-
ities, afflictions, and great tribulations, which we
will not now enlarge upon; although He was not
a man of learning nor a student of any university ;
yet his Holy Tablets, both Persian and Arabic, are
spread throughout all regions, and it is no ex-
aggeration to say that they exceed in quantity the
Heavenly Books and Divine Writings possessed
by all the different nations of the earth. They em-
body the solutions of the intricacies of the pro-
phetic Books, interpretations of the Words of the
Chosen Ones, and contain answers to the abstruse
questions of the leading philosophers and doctors,
which knowledge was sealed and closed up by the

prophets of bygone cycles, so that the minds of the
wisest men of every century were unable to com-

prehend it.
His Holy Tablets contain laws, ordinances, regu-

lations and ethical teachings whereby the character

 

rere er.The Fourth Introduction. 259

of the most barbarous peoples are reformed, the
rights of all nations can be preserved, and upon
which all the world can agree.

They contain discourses upon the subtle mean-
ings of Divine Unity, the mode of the Manifesta-
tion of Prophets, the station and mission of the
Chosen Ones, and praises of the Glorious God.
They contain prayers, invocations, supplications,
communes, directions to be humble toward God
and submissive in His Presence; all of which call
forth compassion, soften the character, and create
that fear of God, that solid foundation, upon which
the Wisdom proceeding from the Spirit of Assur-
ance and firm faith, is based. To this, God has
made reference, thus:—‘“‘Adore thy Lord, that
positive Realization may come to thee.”

During His blessed Days, four rivers flowed
forth from His Supreme Pen and sweet Utterances,
containing such Divine and Exalted Knowledge,
such lofty, heavenly Wisdom, that hearts are quick-
ened, souls rejoiced, the dead are raised, and
breasts dilated. These are the same four rivers
flowing from the Throne of God in the exalted
Paradise; the fountains pouring out the Water of
Life from the Supreme Concourse, spoken of by
the Guardians of Revelation. Also it 1s said by God
through the tongue of Moses:—‘“‘My doctrine shall
drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew,
as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the
showers upon the grass.”

As to the excellent “Branch extended from the
Ancient Root,” the Light risen from the Heaven260 The Fourth Introduction.

of the Will of our Lord the Clement, the Merciful;
the pen of a fluent writer fails to describe His Holy
Tablets and Utterances or the nature of His mar-
vellous character and qualities. There are thou-
sands of His Tablets spread in all parts, as blos-
soms scattered from the trees in spring time.
Like fragrance wafted by the breeze of dawn, does
His fluent Pen diffuse life in all cities. When in
1894 A. D., the author travelled to the Holy Land,
and through the assistance of the Divine Favors,
attained unto the visit of His Holy Threshold, he
was amazed to behold in Him all virtues and per-
fections. These were witnessed during ten months
residence in the shelter of His nearness. Many a
time we were in His holy Presence, when multi-
tudes of prominent people were there, such as
judges, doctors, and great military and civil officials
of different nationality, religion, and language.
While He was in their midst, large packages of
letters from all parts and countries of the world
were brought to Him. Although encompassed
with insurmountable difficulties, He (Glorified 1s
His Name and Grandeur!) continued to answer
questions and requests made by those present,
while He wrote replies to each letter. These
Tablets and replies were written without medita-
tion, pause of pen, or preliminary rough-copy, and
without the help of ascribe. All regions are filled
with His Tablets and hearts are attracted through
their spread. He has caused the Voice of His Lord
the El-Abha, to reach the high heavens. Through
the words of His widespread epistles which exhaleThe Fourth Introduction. 261

the purest fragrances of His Utterances, souls are
uplifted; and from their verses, the fountains of
knowledge and wisdom flow onward.

As to the “‘First Point,’’ the Supreme Model, the
Precursor of the Beauty of our Lord, the Behi-UI-
Abha (Glorified is His Name!): He was born of
one of the noblest households and most holy fami-
lies, and engaged in trade with His maternal uncle,
who was an example of virtue and sanctity. When
twenty-five years old, through the permission of
His Lord the El-Abha, He declared His mission in
Mecca, amidst a great congregation, at which an-
nouncement, all quarters of the world trembled,
and the pillars of the earth quaked, Thence He
returned to the city of Bushire situated on the
coast of the Persian Gulf; His face shining and
gleaming as the moon in mid-heaven. On His ar-
rival thither, He remained in His uncle’s house;
then, after a few days, He left for Shiraz. On the
road, He was overtaken and captured by a squad
of cavalry sent by the Government. The days of
His mission lasted for almost seven years, all of
which He passed in banishment and imprisonment,
either in His own house or in the quarters of the
Government. Finally, He was exiled to Azerbeyjan,
Persia; and in Tabriz, the principal city of that
province, He suffered martyrdom and ascended to
the shelter of God. During these long afflictions,
He revealed volumes of verses, discourses, com-
munes, and scientific treatises, both in Persian and
Arabic, which astounded men of learning, and
silenced disputing doctors and philosophers. Heperi dreree seer ies) tee 24

 

   
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
   

262 The Fourth Introduction.

wrote His Holy Tablets without premeditation. He
challenged men of learning, openly demanding of
them to produce even one similar verse. Most of
them, He wrote in the presence of the king,
princes, and prominent men of learning and litera-
ture. At the same time, His blessed life was at
the mercy of His strongest antagonists, and sub-
ject to the word of the most unjust, hard-hearted,
ignorant religious doctors.

Yet they could not find any ground of objection
to His verses, except that they contained things
contrary to grammatical rules, which, they said,
destroyed their eloquence and fluency. He
silenced them by showing similar examples re-
vealed in the Koran. We have completely dis-
cussed this point in detail, in our book “Fara’-yed.”’

But all their argument served only to prove that
His exalted Word became effective and preva-
lent solely through the Power of God and His
Heavenly Will; and not through material and hu-
man means, such as scholastic learning and rhetori-
cal eloquence. By the Life of God, nothing baffles
or silences the sceptic, except the fact that in spite
of every difficulty, doubt and obstacle, the Word
of God prevails.

God the Almighty sent Mohammed with the
verses of the Koran, containing every beauty of
style; and it was said:—“Verlly, Mohammed de-
ludes people by the charm of his speech and by
adorning the words of his Koran.’ Then He sent
the “First Point’’ with the verses of The Beyan and
simplicity of explanation ; and it was said that theThe Fourth Introduction. 263

Bab’s words were vernacular and ungrammatical.
How can God the Almighty deal with these con-
tradictory opinions and inconsistent objections,
except to do “whatsoever He willeth and com-
mand whatsoever He desireth?” Thus He aban-
dons these sceptics to bewilder themselves in their
doubts and indulge in their objections. Concern-
ing the Tablets of our Lord the Master, Abdul-
Beha, the Glory of all in the Kingdom of Names;
notwithstanding their beauty of explanation and
the grace of their style, which is acknowledged by
every eloquent man and fluent writer, the most as-
tonishing objection was made by the center of Vi-
olation, the leader of the Nakazeen, who said :—
‘As his words contain no grammatical errors, they
do not resemble Divine Words.”” What was said
by our Lord Jesus Christ, is fulfilled in them
(Matt., ch. xi., vs. 16 to 19):—‘“But whereunto
shall I liken this generation? It is like unto chil-
dren sitting in the markets, and calling unto their
fellows, and saying, we have piped unto you, and
ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you,
and ye have not lamented. For John came
neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath
a devil. The son of man came eating and drink-
ing, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and
a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners.
But wisdom is justified of her children.” Let us
leave the deniers to wander in the abyss of imagi-
nation, and return to our subject.

As to the Logical Argument, that 1s the preva-
lence of His Word, and the promotion of Hispepe srk) weer rier

 

   
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
   

264 The Fourth (ntroduction.

Cause, without the assistance of any human
means, but only through the Divine Will and
heavenly evidences; this point 1s too clear to need
any further explanation and demonstration. Not-
withstanding that the progress of His Holy Word
was prevented by the power of tyranny with all
manners of prohibition, yet in less than one quar-
ter of a century, His Manifestation and Cause
penetrated all religions and peoples, affecting most
of the creeds and sects. By its power, numerous
souls among Moslems, Christians, Zoroastrians,
Nusseyrites and Jews have come to believe in His
teachings; their morals have been reformed, their
tastes purified, their learning expanded, their man-
ners beautified, and the Spirit of Faith and the
Breath of Assurance have filled their hearts. In
time of tribulation they have preferred to die
rather than abandon their faith, surrendering their
lives in the path of their Beloved with the utmost
delight. During afflictions their faces beamed
with the joy of sacrifice, and while in the clutches
of the enemy, they sang melodies of thanks and
glorification. It is very rare to find one of the
people of Beha who is not willing in heart to suffer
martyrdom for the sake of God; or one firm in the
“Covenant of Him around whom all Names re-
volve,” who is not rejoiced in Spirit to sacrifice
himself for promoting the Word of God. This is
a sign of the most complete realization and perfect ee
faith. This is a confirmatory and real testimony ae
of the Word of the Manifestation of the Cause of

God, the Lord of the Creatures.yt ALC ey!
ees
.

The Fourth Introduction. 265

The attitude of the Hebrew and Zoroastrian
peoples 1s most amazing; for as is known to the
men of understanding, enmity toward Christ and
Mohammed was from time of old, inborn in their
hearts, and their whole being was filled with
hatred for these two manifest lights, to such an
extent that none of the leaders of these two re-
ligions could convert even one Jew or Zoroas-
trian, except by force and compulsion. But the
people of Beha have converted thousands of them
through their clear arguments, whereby their souls
are illumined, their eyes are opened, their morals
reformed, their characters renewed, their hatred
changed into love, their discord into harmony,
their infidelity into faith, and their hostility into
obedience and loyalty. These converts have even
directed other peoples and religions, to the foun-
tain of truth, and thus the words of God are ful-
filled in them:—“And we were minded to be gra-
cious unto those who were weakened in the land,
and to make them leaders of religion and to make
them the heirs (of the Kingdom and the holy
Land).’’

Likewise, the words of Zechariah were fulfilled,
as written in ch. viil., v. 23:——“‘Thus saith the Lord
of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that
ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the
nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him
that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we
have heard that God is with you.”’

The words of Christ are also fulfilled in them
(Rev., ch. vit., v. 4):—‘‘And I heard the number of-66 The Fourth Introduction.

them which were sealed: And there were sealed
an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the
tribes of the Children of Israel.”

As to Miracles and Wonders: As the time of
this Manifestation ts recent, it is possible for every
seeker to investigate the sources of these wonders
and the character of their narrators. Thus the
truthful may be recognized amcng them, and
those whose words can be relied upon. There-
fore these acts and wonders are nearer to accept-
ance than the miracles of the former prophets, the
sources of which cannot be investigated, nor their
narrators examined. Almost all those who have
been in the presence of our Lord the El-Abha,
and whose good character and deeds testify to
their purity of heart; those whose words can be
trusted, have witnessed His manifest miracles and
clear signs. Even numbers of people who are
outside of His Religion, have given testimony of
His Miracles, which evidences we have written in
our book ‘‘Ferayed.” This fact is one of the
characteristics of this most luminous and glorious
Manifestation, the power by which it transcends
all former Manifestations. The author can tes-
tify, and God the Exalted bears witness to the
truth of the circumstances in connection with the
oppression of Abdul-Aziz, Sultan of Turkey, and
the events which followed it. The late Zabih
(Haji Mohammed Ismael, who suffered martyrdom
in Persia) informed the author of their full partic-
ulars, in 1293 A. H. (1876 A. D.), and read unto
him, the Tablet of Rais and the Tablet of K.Z.

ottereden

 

 
  
   
    
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   

The Fourth Introduction. 267
(an abbreviation of the name of Sheikh Kazem of
Kazwin, entitled Samandar, an old faithful Behat
merchant and prominent teacher still living in
Kazwin, Persia). Thus we possessed informa-
tion of them nearly seven months before their oc-
currence. At that time we were in our father’s
religion, and could not believe that the events
spoken of in those Tablets would come to pass.
Yet his honor Aga-Abdul-Karim, of Isfahan,
our teacher of the Truth, guaranteed it, and finally
they were completely fulfilled.

Still clearer are the prophecies he has made in
His Tablets concerning future events, which
prophecies he calls “‘evidences”; of the fulfillment
of which the world will be informed, and the
sleepers will be cognizant thereof, after their ap-
pearance.

Some of the events which occurred in the days
of our Lord the El-Abha (Glorified is His Name!),
deserve to be noticed by the men of perception.
Very often meetings were held by the men of
learning and by members of the Government, at
which prominent people discussed how to resist
the effectiveness of the Word of God, as revealed
in Our Lord; and demanded public miracles. Fi-
nally, they concluded to resort to violence and per-
secution, as is the established custom of tyrants.

One of these events occurred in 1882 A. D.
(1300 A. H.), when a number of Behais were ar-
rested without cause or reason, through the insti-
gation of doctors of religion. This oppression
was by the command of the prince Kamran- Mirza,268 The Fourth Introduction.

the third son of the late Nasser-eddin-Shah, then
entitled Nayeb-El-Saltaneh (Prince Regent), Gov-
ernor of Teheran. Some of the Behats were
arrested in the city of Rasht, the principal town of
Guilan, Persia, and others were taken in Isfahan
and Hamadan. This stirred all parts of Persia,
and persecutions prevailed throughout all cities.
The doctors of religion and the rulers availed
themselves of this opportunity to plunder the
property of the people of faith. By this, they
showed forth the hatred which they bore, as well
as their inability to resist the people of Beha with
proofs and arguments. Among those arrested
and imprisoned in Teheran was Mirza-Moham-
med-Reza of Mohammed-Abad (well-known as
Yazdi), a gray-bearded man of seventy, lion-
hearted and noted for steadfastness. He (may
the Mercy of God be upon him!) was a symbol of
piety, sanctity, truthfulness and steadfastness in
the Cause of God. Even the most violent of hts
enemies have confessed his virtues, and his brill-
iant character raised sympathy in the hardest
hearts of his persecutors.

In those days meetings for discussion with the
believers’ of Ged were. heldiein ithe house
of the above-mentioned prince. The  pur-
pose of these meetings was to silence and con-
fute the Behais, and not for inquiry or investiga-
tion. They used the most evil kinds of execra-
tion, which constitutes the only armor of an ig-
norant man when discomfited, and supplies a

sword to the debased and wicked. Their habit in

 

      
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
   
  
 
 
    

haeter er, =The Fourth Introduction. 269
controversy was to first uphold their own theolog-
ical doctrines, which assert that the Mahdi who
will arise in the Cause of God, shall not be per-
mitted to contradict any of their beliefs, or to
change any of their rites and customs. This im-
plies that they, and not God, send the Forerunner
of the Cause of God, and cause the “Spirit of God”
to descend. Thus they have ordained fixed laws
and regulations, and have traced a certain path for
God’s messenger before His appearance, without
allowing that any change or departure could be
made therefrom. And this is characteristic of
each religious sect, notwithstanding the diverg-
ence and difference between their beliefs, customs
and creeds. In such a case, how could the Mahdi
satisfy the different communities and peoples?
Must he comply with the wishes of the Sunnites,
who insist that He should conform to the law of
Hanafieh, or with the desires of the Shi-ites who
require him to follow the theory of the Imamat?
God is far exalted above what the unjust men say!

To be brief. While the believers put them to
silence in this arena, by arguments, texts of the
Koran and the traditions, they still clung to mira-
cles; temptingly demanding signs. These inso-
lent and ease-loving individuals did not even take
the pains to present themselves before the Mani-
festation of God, as did the former nations; but,
while remaining in their own home and country,
each one demanded whatever happened to be dic-
tated by his own imaginations, thoughts, views
and desires.270 The Fourth Introduction.

The believers answered them, that verily, mira-
cles are of no value in similar cases, nor do they
give the benefit of assurance and conviction to the
seeker; and that the only cause of the ruin of for-
mer nations was in demanding miracles from their
prophets, and tempting their messengers through
their groundless requests. They said, if you deem
it necessary, agree together in demanding a cer-
tain sign upon an appointed day; announce to the
people of Teheran what you have decided upon;
then ask it from the Day-spring of the lights of

 

God, the Behi-El Abha. He will show forth unto
you that great sign. For it is not reasonable that
the Manifestations of the Command of God should |
grant all the individual wishes and whims of the |
seekers of wonders. Even people who are not |
seeking after religion or the understanding of |
truth, would continually demand miracles for their |
own amusement and delight; and thus the assem- |
blies of the prophets and messengers, the abodes
of wisdom and guidance, would be changed into |
gatherings for amusement and jugglery. Thus it |
was said by God:—“‘If the truth had followed their
desires, verily, the heavens and the earth had been |
corrupted’; that is, the peoples and religions
would have been corrupted. Here the exalted
Lord hath interpreted the word ‘heaven’ to be
the heaven of religion, and “earth” to be the hearts
of the faithful. It is spoken of as the “earth of
Knowledge and Assurance” in the Book of

“Tghan.”or

 

  

The Fourth Introduction. 271

While the author was imprisoned in the house
of the prince Nayeb-Essaltanah (the late Shah's
third son, then Governor of Teheran), we were,
one day, summoned into his presence. When
seated before him, while a number of princes and
generals stood by, he addressed us, saying :-—

“OQ Abul-Fazl, verily, Mirza-Mohammed-Reza
says that we may demand by a telegram, any mir-
acle that we may decide upon, from Beha-Ullah,
and that He will undoubtedly manifest through
His Divine Power, the miracle we seek for, in re-
sponse to our request. He further says, that if
Beha-Ullah did not show forth the miracle we
ask,—which supposition is impossible,—then he
(Reza) would himself denounce Him in alli the

Moslem countries. By this statement he .has
shown his great belief and trust in the Founder of
His Faith.’ Then we answered :—‘Mirza-Mo-

hammed-Reza must needs be very certain of the
appearance of the miracle which he has so seri-
ously promised you without doubt or hesitation.
He is known by you to be very fearless, sincere and
steadfast in this Cause.” Then the Gover-
nor questioned us saying:—‘What is your
opinion as to whether we should demand
the miracle or abandon the idea?” We an-
swered:—“What is the cause of your hesi-
tation and the reason of your delay in demanding
a miracle and concluding the matter? We have
frequently heard you saying, that if Beha-Ullah
is the very Manifestation of the Lord, promised in
the Koran, why does He not show us a miracle?272 The Fourth Introduction.

Here are the people of Beha, ready to answer your
demand and enable you to attain your aim. Ver-
ily they have declared the proof unto you and
propounded the evidence for you, while you are
heedless of the evil result which might follow.
Should you not look into this matter with the eye
of a just investigator and not as a contentious op-
pressor? Then your name may be spoken of with
respect during future times, and that which befell
the former nations, may not happen unto you!
Know, O prince, verily suppression, prohibition,
imprisonment, murder, and similar persecutions
wi'l not prevent the propagation of this Cause.
People will not submit to kings in matters of re-
ligion, nor will they, for the sake of their nobles
and princes, turn away from the one whom they
have followed as the means of their salvation.
Nay, rather, were you to behold with a discerning
eye, you would find that hindrance and restriction
tend but to increase man’s search after the Truth
and his belief in it. The murder and imprison-
ment of believers but adds to the credit and re-
spect of the Cause, in the sight of men of percep-
tion. By the Life of God, man does not despise
that for which he has spent gold and property;
then how can he abandon that for which souls and
lives are sacrificed, and for the sake of which the
severest calamities and afflictions are accounted a
delight? Has not forty years’ experience been
sufficient to make known unto you these evident
facts? Therefore you should not forsake your
own judgment at the instigation of ignorant doc-

Geererer.The Fourth Introduction. 273

tors of religion, who are known to be the most
violent enemies of your government, and the most
bitter antagonists of your rule? You should con-
sider these things if your purpose is to protect the
people from being led astray in regard to religion,
although ‘you have not been sent as guardian
unto them.’ And if you intend to guard your gov-
ernment and preserve your dominion, by God, I do
not see any ground for fearing this movement.
The great Lord Beha-Ullah has commanded His
followers to love all nations, to have-respect for
philosophers and learned men, to forsake strife
with any sect and creed, to bear allegiance to
kings and princes, to obey the laws of the Govern-
ment, and not to interfere with political affairs.
By a prohibition which cannot be doubted,
changed or otherwise interpreted, He has strictly
forbidden conflict, quarrel, and all that may create
hatred and animosity in souls and hearts, such as
contention for glory and honor; so that nothing
contrary to humanity or to the preservation of
society may arise.”

“Consequently, you find the people of Beha en-
during every injustice and humiliation, every
abasement and persecution, without sigh, com-
plaint, or deviation from the highway of obedi-
ence and loyalty. But this is not from cowardice,
fear or baseness, for you have witnessed their
great fortitude, dumb endurance, and great pa-
tience under persecutions; you know well their
firmness of heart under the attack of enemies.
Nay, rather, all this ts in compliance with the Con-274 The Fourth Introduction.

mand of their Lord the El-Abha, and for the pur-
pose of attaining true human virtues, which are
the only means for the reformation of the world.”

“C) great prince, it is not an ordinary thing for
governments to find subjects who regard alle-
giance to the commands of their empire as relig-
ious duty; who practice obedience to the laws of
government as a Divine Commandment. If you
judge with fairness, you will acknowledge that this
is the greatest Bounty of God which has yet ap-
peared for the amelioration of the world; the high-
est heavenly Gift which has descended for the re-
moval of the rancour concealed in the hearts or
peoples.”

To be brief. We discoursed concerning the de-
mand for miracles and upon other subjects which
deserved consideration, giving him every possible
proof, and sincerely admonishing him. But he
was surrounded with hostile suggestions of the re-
ligious doctors and the plots of the ignorant, so
that nothing affected his opinion. So they assem-
bled together and consulted how to suppress and
eradicate the people of Beha, who, whether in joy
or sorrow, only wished them good in return and
who, in all circumstances, endeavored to lead them
to honor and felicity. But God frustrated their
evil plans and exertions, dispersed their meetings,
scattered their gatherings, and their histories and
records remain in the books and writings, as warn-
ings to men of discernment and perception.

More wonderful and important than that which

has already been mentioned, is the event which oc-The Fourth Introduction. 275

curred in Irak-Arabi, when the city of Baghdad
was illuminated by the lights of the “Orb of the
Universe.” The pith of this event 1s that when the
sun of the face of El-Beha shone forth from the
horizon of the “Abode of Peace” (Baghdad), and
His brilliant lights overcame the obscurity of the
dense clouds which prevailed in the Cause of the
“First Point,’ dispelling the darkness; then the
Cause of God scintillated with lights, the scattered
believers of God were brought together, and the
penetration and effectiveness of the Word of God
increased. This provoked the hatred and animos-
ity of the Shi'ite doctors, who have great influence
and are regarded of high importance in Irak, be-
cause the sanctuaries and tombs of the Imams are
situated there. To these shrines the pilgrims of
the Shi-ite ““Church of the twelve”’ travel from all
countries.

In those days, Sheik-Abdul-Hussein of Teheran,
the Mujtahid, resided at Irak. As he was feared
for his ingrained folly, pride, rashness, and prone-
ness to revolt, the Persian Government had re-
moved him thither, under the pretence of giving
him a special appointment at the holy Sanctuaries.
This appointment secured for him among the doc-
tors, a kind of leadership, and gave him an abso-
lute power and influence over people in general.
When this Sheik saw the prevalence of the light
of the Cause and Divine Word, he deliberately de-
termined to resist the Word of God by force, eradi-
cate the Behats, and to shed the blood of a consid-
erable number of them by exciting a revolt. He276 The Fourtn Introduction.

called a meeting of prominent Shi-ites, who dis-
cussed plans among themselves, and agreed to
summon in council in the city of Kazemi-yeh
(within 3 miles’ distance from Baghdad), a large
number of the doctors of Karbela and Najef, and
the leading Shi-ites who resided in these places.
The Persian Consul who then lived at Baghdad,
was in accord with them. They also invited the
great Divine Sheik-M ortaza-El-Ansari, a lofty per-
sonage, who was universally accepted by all the
Shi-ites both in the East and West for his knowl-
edge and piety. He was the chief among the Per-
sian doctors of religion (may God cause the
clouds of mercy and forgiveness to shower upon
him!). But these plotters invited him nominally to
a feast and concealed from him the real purpose of
this council; for he was quite free from revolution-
ary plans, and entirely given to acts of devotion
and to scientific lectures. He had rigorously ab-
stained from listening to any complaint or evil
word against the Babi community, believing that
this subject (Behaism) pertained to the fundamen-
tal facts of religion, in which God has not allowed
His servants to follow the opinion of others, or to
rest upon theological decisions. Nay, rather, he
reasoned, God has rebuked and rejected those who
follow the opinion of their fathers, leaders, kings
and divines, and has given a perfect freedom to
every individual to investigate these facts himself
with his own eyes, apprehending them through his
own effort and exertion. Thus God has promised
them guidance as a fruit of this exertion, and has

Perscre ores)

 

beret hr, «oe i

 

  

The Fourth Introduction. 277

clearly stated that they shall attain the Truth.
Far be it from Him to break His promise!

These doctors knew this to be his opinion in
theology, but they imagined that when he entered
into their assembly and saw their number and
unanimous agreement, he would also conform and
be in one accord with them.

The appointed day came; the doctors and prom-
inent men assembled together in the city of Kaze-
mi-yeh, and people gathered around them from
every quarter. Then arose the headstrong Sheik-
Abdul-Hussein who, in the course of an address,
divulged the purpose of their assembly, and laid
bare unto them his plan for suppressing the Babis.

When the late Sheik-Mortaza-El-Ansari heard
his speech and understood this object, he instantly
arose and went out from among them. No mat-
ter how they insisted upon his remaining, showed
the necessity of his presence, and tried to persuade
him to agree with them, he would not assent, but
persisted in leaving them. He did not even stop
in that city, but immediately departed to the City
of Najef, where the tomb of Ali 1s located, and
which was his headquarters for religious lectures.
When he left, the members of the assembly were
confused, and their plans changed, yet because of
their high rank and great number, they were not
diverted from putting their plans into practice.
By vote, they resolved to send a representative to
the holy presence of Beha-Ullah, inquiring about
His aim and the purpose of His Claim, as well as
His proofs and Arguments. This mission was278 The Fourth Introduction.

entrusted to one of the doctors named Mollah-

Hassan the Amoo, a prominent Persian divine, re-

siding at Irak, who was greatly trusted by Sheik-

Abdul-Hussein, and valued by him for his elo-

quence, judgment, constancy and firmness. When

this delegate arrived at Baghdad, he attained the

honor of entering into the presence of the Most

Holy Abha, through the intercession of one of the
Persian nobility who was there at that time. He

delivered the message of the doctors. Then the
Tongue of Grandeur engaged in discourse and ex-
planation, and the reins of Utterance were loos-
ened in the arena of proof and argument. Then
was demonstrated the truth of the mission of the
“First Point,” through explanations which
quicken souls and spirits, attract hearts and minds,
unveil the essential evidences and irrefutable
proofs, and entirely destroy and remove the susp!I-
cions of the sceptic. Finally, Mollah-Hassan was
requested to inform the doctors of what he had
seen and heard concerning the signs of his Lord
the El-Abha, and to ask them to present them-
selves before Him, so that He might make the
Truth as clear to them as the sun in mid-heaven,
and thus conclude the matter satisfactorily. When
the delegate found in the Power of His proofs
and the fullness of His explanation, that which
was beyond his expectation, he was so over-
whelmed with the waves of the sea of Beha-Ullah’s
Knowledge and Utterance, that he could not
avoid acknowledging His Grandeur and Might,
and submitting to the shining lights of His Argu-ee i

 

  

The Fourth Introduction. 279

ments. He bowed down in obedience, saying :—
“Truly, it is impossible to demonstrate the truth
of any other of the heavenly religions and Divine
Matters, with such clearness, elucidation, and
measure of proof and argument. The straight
Highway path appearei clear as the sun, and the
Morn of Truth hath risen as a bright dawn which
follows a dark night. Yet the condition of the
doctors and the criticism of the divines must be
evident to the Presence of El-Abha. If they are
not contented with scientific proofs and decisive
arguments, is there any way to show them Divine
miracles and heavenly Signs?”

By this, he meant to ask the Lord’s permission
to promise the doctors the appearance of a great
sign, which might silence the ignorant and cut
the ropes of the superstitious. The Lord of man-
kind gave him a direct answer, saying :—“Let the
assembly of doctors agree together to demand a
particular sign and a definite miracle from the holy
Presence of El-Abha, so that God the Exalted,
may manifest the required sign and miracle.
Thus no ground will be left for doubt and denial;
even as during former centuries, God hath dealt
with the rebellious nations of the past.”

When Mullah-Hassan the delegate heard this
clear promise from the Tongue of Grandeur, he
returned to Kazemeyehwith joy and gladness, sup-
posing that he could thereby satisfy those exorbi-
tant and unjust souls, and thus prevent the calami-
ties which might result from that ominous and vi-
olent revolutionary meeting. When he met the280 VThe Fourth Introduction.

doctors and informed them of the perfect proofs,
clear arguments and the promise finally given by
Beha-Ullah concerning the showing forth of a de-
cisive miracle, the violence of the insolent Sheik-
Abdul-Hussein increased. He was frenzied with
anger as he listened to the account of the promise
of a sign. For the Sheik, because of his excessive
pride, vanity, arrogance, and violent hostility
toward the “First Point” and His followers, could
not bear the sight of any of the Babis. How then
could he be supposed to agree to a scientific de-
bate and a demand for heavenly Signs? In truth,
he was more afraid of being discomfited in the
discussion and defeated in the field of controversy,
than of the appearance of a great Sign at which
heads would bow down, and whereby the lhght of
the Sun of the Divine Word might become mani-
fest throughout all regions. These are general
characteristics inherent in the doctors of every re-
ligion, because their natures are cramped by the
dryness of their theological faculty, and their
thoughts confined to the narrow circle of scholas-
tic learning. This inevitably results in melancholic
excitement and desire for securing their religious
leadership.

Finally, the opinions of that body of doctors dif-
fered; their plans were frustrated and their assem-
bly scattered. When the Sheik found his meeting
and council abortive, and that the only resuit was
jll-success and failure, the flame of his enmity in-
creased, and the tempest of his hostility became
violent. He resolved to resort to political ma-

   

orerereyThe Fourth Introduction. 281

chines, in combination with those high Persian
dignitaries and officials whose only occupation
was the murder of the pious, pillage of the poor,
and dispersion of the Persian subjects throughout
all countries and regions. So the Sheik, excited
and embittered by his disappointment, began to
correspond with these princes and communicate
with such as he knew to be antagonistic to the
people of Beha. Thus arose wicked plans and
cunning religious stratagems which were intended
to spread dissension. But God the Exalted dis-
closed their schemings, ruined their efforts, de-
feated their hopes, quenched the fire of their re-
volts, and cut off their root. Naught remains but
their histories which express the folly of their
dreams, their lack of understanding, and the inefh-
ciency of their deeds. These monuments of wick-
edness remain as a subject for meditation and a
warning to such as are willing to be admonished.

A fact more evident and important than all the
great events spoken of, and one which demon-
strates the perfectness of the proofs of our Lord
the Abha, is the “Epistle to the King,’ revealed in
the Kitabel-Hykl, from the Pen of the Merciful,
to the Shah of Persia. This Tablet was sent to him
in 1869 A. D. (1286 A. H.), when he was in the
neighborhood of Teheran. The bearer was a
youth named Badi, who astonished the world by
the power of his faith, his great devotion, con-
stancy, and wonderful endurance in suffering the
bitterest kind of death, with all joy, and steadfast-
ness. The hard-hearted executioners, for three282 The Fourth Introduction.

successive days, branded him all over the body
with red-hot irons, until his flesh was severed from
his bones, and every limb was out of joint. Yet
he did not grieve or show the least evidence of
flinching, nor during the continuance of this
frightful ordeal, did he display the shghtest symp-
tom of distress or plead for mercy.

So he breathed his last; his marvellous life
ended, and his strong, heroic soul ascended to the
courts of the Exalted Friend; to the Outlook of
El-Abha, wheré with brilliant and cheerful face,
the lights of his glorification beam forth as the sun
in mid-day.

In that excellent Epistle, Beha-Ullah gave full
explanations, and expounded proofs concerning
the truth of His Mission, as far as an epistle could
contain; and these He expressed with the utmost
grace of speech and elegance of style. He ex-
plained how the morals of the Babis were changed,
and how their deeds and disposition had been re-
formed through His appearance among them in
Baghdad; how they were thus enabled to pa-
tiently endure the bitter afflictions and violent ca-
lamities which were unceasingly pouring upon
them through the fanaticism of the clergy and the
caprice of rulers; how during that long period,
they had committed no act which might disturb
the Government or trouble the thoughts of states-
men. Inthis explicit Tablet, He demonstrated to
them, by clear arguments and decisive statements,
that the purpose of the mission of a Manifestation
of the Cause of God is not to seek after dominion

 

Gaerer er. «The Fourth Introduction. 283
or attain lofty temporal power. This 1s the fa-
vorite argument of accusation against the Behais
by the ignorant Shi-ites. He proved that political
dominion has been conferred by God upon kings
and rulers, and that no Behai is allowed to infringe
upon their regulations, contradict their opinions,
interfere with their political management, or stir
up sedition in their empire. He also clearly ex-
plained that the appearance of the Manifestation
of God was in connection with religious affairs and
spiritual matters, for the purpose of reforming
morals, sanctifying souls, beautifying actions, and
illuminating hearts. This was the mission for
which they were promised in the Heavenly Books;
and that function has no relation with political
matters.

To resume. This Epistle contained things re-
vealed by His Supreme Pen, whereby the Persian
statesmen could attain everlasting glory, had they
been endowed with sagacity and discernment.
Soon will their posterity lament over their neglhi-
gence!

At the end of the Epistle, the Lord El-Abha
asked the Shah to arrange that the Persian doctors
should meet Him in the Shah’s presence, in order
to discuss the proofs of the truth of this Cause; that
they might ask an explanation of all that lies hid-
den in their minds and hearts; so that the Truth
might be distinguished from falsehood, and the
pathway of Guidance from that of error. Then He
placed the final decision in the Shah’s hands. By

this, His purpose was not to seek help or assist-284 The Fourth Introduction.

ance from the Shah, but to publicly show forth the
Truth, and make clear its distinction from false-
hood, as a proof and accomplishment of His Mis-
sion. For God the Almighty, is alone sufficient
to assist His Manifestation and help His Messen-
ger. Verily, He is independent from all the world,
and in His hand are the hosts of heaven and earth!
Were the just to judge with fairness, they would
acknowledge that in bygone ages, no similar event
has ever occurred in the Appearance of the Mani-
festations of God, nor has the like of it been wit-
nessed in past centuries. For the sake of brevity,
we will not treat of the events and results which
followed the “‘Epistle to the King,” all of which are
matters of history. We now return to our discus-
sion upon religious arguments, whereby the truth
of the Manifestation of El-Abha can be demon-
strated.

As to the prophecies, that is the predictions re-
vealed in the Holy Scriptures: Know ye (may
God illumine your faces, brighten your hearts,
strengthen your limbs, and dilate your breasts!)
that it was ordained in the Knowledge of God and
His Great Wisdom to accomplish the amelioration
of the conditions of the world and the unification
of nations. Know ye, likewise, that former condi-
tions should be changed; the ages darkened by
clouds of division and discord should be ended
through the Manifestation of His Glorious Face
and the Advent of His Great Day. Therefore He
prophesied to all countries and regions the Hour
of His Coming, and made the Covenant of His Ap-The Fourth Introduction. 285
pearance with all creeds and communities, through
the tongues of the prophets. For there 1s no
founder or institutor of a religion who has not
made the acceptance of the Faith inseparable from
belief in the “latter day,” and who has not strictly
commanded his adherents to await the “final salva-
tion’”’ of that great and important time. No cycle
has passed without the appearance of a Heavenly
Man, firmly proclaiming and loudly heralding the
advent of the “Great Hour,” the inevitable coming
of the great day of Resurrection, the rising of the
Supreme Lord and the Manifestation of the Beauty
of God, the Behi-El-Abha. Thus the glad tidings
of that Manifestation have reached the high heav-
ens, have spread throughout all regions, and filled
all prophetic writings and books. Consequently,
we find the adherents of every one of the seven
extant religions of the earth, awaiting the coming
of the great “hour,” and believing firmly in the
advent of the great ‘‘Resurrection.”” We find also
that in the Book which they recognize to be a
divine and heavenly Revelation, all the signs,
tokens, events and occurrences of that Day are
recorded in full particulars. These particulars
specify the country and place where its ‘ights shall
rise, the time of its realization and the date of its
appearance. This fact is clear tou those who study
these Books, look into their prophecies and con-
sider the principal purposes of the references made
therein. By the Life of God, were the possessors
of mature minds to look into the pages of the Holy
Scriptures, they would find nothing but a collection286 The Fourth Introduction.

of songs uttered by the tongues of the prophets in
glorification of their Lord the El-Abha; melodies
sung by the birds of Holiness announcing His
coming and Appearance in the great Day of Res-
urrection. To this we have called attention in our
former treatises, and will speak of them in our
future interpretations, God willing.The Fifth Introduction.

Treating of the Causes which Led People to Deny
the Manifestations of God in the Days of their
Appearance.

O ye people of Beha, who have taken hold of a
“Strong Handle which shall not be broken,” as
ye have been promised by our Lord the El-Abha!
Now that ye understand the proofs and arguments
which demonstrate the truth of the Manifestations
of the Command of God in general, and especially
are illumined by the perfect proof of this holy
Cause, know ye (may God illumine your inward
sight, cause you to devote your wishes and hopes
to the service of all the world, and irradiate your
hearts and minds with the light of pure love for
humanity!), that although the Manifestations of
God were endowed with clear evidences and argu-
ments; although they manifested great power and
were distinguished from ordinary people in their
character and deeds, yet we find that people denied
them in the days of their appearance, and even
their own kindred and race contradicted them.
These people sacrificed their property in order to
antagonize the Manifestations; endured afflictions
and calamities in contradicting them; fabricated lies
and calumnies to injure them; strove to make the
hearts of people hate them; and availed themselves
of every artifice to raise the wrath of the 1gnorant
against them. All this opposition, contradiction
287Perko rarer Seer te or ar ero

  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 

288 The Fifth Introduction.

and obstinacy resulted from the doubts which had
imbued their minds, obscured their insight, blinded
their hearts and darkened theirreason. Thus they
supposed themselves right in this prejudice and
opposition, without investigating or discussing the
matter. It never occurred to them that they might
be mistaken and led astray. Nay, rather, they were
convinced that their views were sound, and so
firmly did they trust in the correctness of their
opinions when falsely denying the Messenger of

God, that they prayed God, saying:—“O God, if
this be the truth from Thee, rain down stones upon
us from Heaven.” For it is unreasonable to think
that a sane man would endanger his safety and be
hostile to himself by falsely denying a prophet, if
he was convinced of the authenticity of that
prophet’s claim and the validity of His mission.
This would be foolishly seeking his own destruc-
tion. How much more unreasonable then, would
it be to believe that a great people could have
acted thus during long periods. All this was there-
fore a result of the doubts which possessed their
minds and prevented their eyes from seeing. The
clearest proof of the effect of these doubts ts that
the Hebrew nation has continued for a period ex-
ceeding 1800 years, to preserve its own beliefs and
falsely deny our Lord Jesus Christ. During this
long period, the Jews have endured, both in the
East and West, the most violent persecutions, such
as death, execration, humiliation and degradation,
without forsaking their false beliefs, or allying
themselves with the Christian Church, exceptThe Fifth Introduction. 289

through force, compulsion or other base means.
During this time, not a day has passed without
their stretching forth hands of supplication toward
God the Exalted, begging Him with sighs and
tears for the Manifestation of the Messiah, and be-
seeching the approach of the day of His advent.
Is not this caused by their clinging to the doubts
which were firmly imbedded in their hearts and
minds? Unquestionably this is the effect of these
doubts upon their beliefs and tendencies.

Know, O ye just ones! These above-mentioned
doubts, which have darkened the regions of the
earth with their dust, and the gloomy darkness of
which has obscured the sight of nations, are not
the same in every individual. Verily, a shrewd
mind finds every contradictor possessing his own
peculiar doubt or objection; an invention and fabri-
cation of his imagination, whereby he rejects the
Manifestation of the Command of God. Even
great philosophers and writers of the present day
have not refrained from opposing this Manifesta-
tion of God, on account of sins formerly committed
by others against humanity; and by considering the
wars and dissensions among different sects in for-
mer centuries, as decisive arguments against the
Behais.* Such intelligent men may be likened to
those who would propose to persecute and murder
all children born in their days, simply because a

°An article appeared in the newspaper ‘The Caucasuae’’ of Tiff_is
(Rusela) 1893, in which its author gave a transiation of the Tablet of
**Iehrekeat’’ revealed by Beha-Ullah, and praised the teachings of Beha—
fem; but warned peoplo agminst it. Because, he said, every religtous
movement had ended in stri‘e and bloodshed: then citing Lutheranism
and other examples.290 The Fifth Introduction.

great number of children who were formerly born,
became murderers, thieves and brigands when they
grew up. Or like unto those who would sanction
the closing of schools and barring the way of edu-
cation, because a great many students became
heretics and innovators, after they advanced in
knowledge and study. Truly, how evil and abor-
tive is this philosophy, in its theory and conclusion!

It may be said that doubts are as numerous as

the deniers, for they cannot be confined to a regu-
lar order. Verily, every contradictor when hear-
ing the call of one who invites people unto God,
endeavors to refute Him by clinging to a certain
imaginary and individual suspicion or doubt, which
has no connection with the real proof and argu-
ment. For the real proof and argument is the
authoritative standard by which to distinguish be-
tween truth and falsehood, and to recognize a
prophet. It is not that he should conform with
the discordant desires and contradictory inclina-
tions of individuals. Yet doubts may be, accord-
ing to their nature, classified into four great divi-
sions, each of which may be regarded by a man of
wisdom and perception, as being a universal pesti-
lence for the destruction of communities and peo-
ples. Doubt is a prevalent sickness, attacking all
religions and creeds.

The First Division comprises the doubts which
come to a man because of his ignorance of the real
proof and argument. For a real proof leads a
seeker and investigator toward his aim, and is like
unto a road by which a traveller reaches his destina-

rereteci

 

rarer er, -The Fifth Introduction. 291

tion. Soa mistaken proof prevents a man appre-
hending the real fact, and is a wrong road which
leads a traveller astray. Thus the science of logic
and syllogism was founded, and rules for formulat-
ing correct conclusions were laid down, in order
to protect men of perception as much as possible,
from falling into error in reasoning. By this they
are prevented from building upon false founda-
tions, and taking as proofs, things which are not
proofs, or as conclusions, things which are not con-
clusions. |

We have previously pointed out that the Egyp-
tians and Syrians who denied Moses; that the Jews
and Romans who refused to acknowledge the truth
of our Lord Christ (Glory be to Him!), were not
influenced by personal enmity or selfish prejudices.
That is to say, they did not recognize the truth of
Christ and Moses, and at the same time deny them.
These nations were not so foolish and distracted
as to deliberately deny these Manifestations, and
thereby expose themselves and their families to the
anger and wrath of God. Nay, they rejected and
opposed Christ and Moses on account of their con-
viction of the falsehood of their Mission and Word.
This was a result of illogical reasoning, which pre-
vented them from arriving at a sound conclusion,
as we have mentioned above. For they took as
proofs things which were not proofs, and accepted
as arguments things which were not arguments.
Thus they drew wrong conclusions. The door of
mistaken proofs through which nations have en-
tered into denial of the Day-springs of the Lights292 The Fifth Introduction.

of God, is very wide. We find that every nation,
nay, rather, every individual has invented a particu-
lar doubt, through which the Manifestations of
God have been denied. For instance, one rejects
Moses because of His war and pillage; another re-
jects Mohammed on account of His marriage and
polygamy, and because, like Moses, He has taken
part in warfare and battles. The Hindoos and
Brahamans reject Moses, Jesus and Mohammed,
because they allowed people to eat meat; esteem-
ing slaughtering and eating animals as one of the
most pernicious habits, and contrary to the prin-
ciple and character of humanity. They believe
that this habit hardens the heart, darkens the mind
and conscience, leads men to commit abominable
acts and become like the beasts themselves.

One reason the Jews gave for rejecting Christ,
was His being a native of Galilee and Samaria; an-
other was His eating and drinking. Their denial
also resulted from the fact that some regarded such
things as abstinence from war, celibacy, vegetarian-
ism, a prophet’s birthplace, and his eating and
drinking, as proofs for distinguishing between the
truth or falsehood of a Manifestation. These
things could not be an indication of the validity of
4 mission inasmuch as there is no connection be-
tween the premises and conclusion.

What chiefly led nations into error, was their
persistence in demanding miracles and asking in-
tricate philosophical questions, in order to test the
holy Manifestations and distinguish them from im-
postors. These two points have, since the founda-The Fifth Introduction. 293

tion of the world, been stretched as a snare before
the intelligent men of learning, and laid as a pitfall
into which great philosophers and wise men have
plunged. For they consider it a necessity that the
Manifestations of God should be able to do and
know all things. They have imagined the demand-
ing of wonders, and solving of abstruse questions
to be the best means of knowing false prophets
from true ones. Those who have considered them-
selves wise, deemed it proper to demand from one
claiming a Divine Mission, absurd and impracti-
cable inventions of their individual thoughts and
imaginations, such as soaring in the air, causing
trees to speak, drying up seas, changing day into
night, transforming a rod into a serpent, quicken-
ing the dead, causing rocks to sing, mountains to
dance, and other absurdities contrary to the laws
of Nature. Even the most learned among them
believed it right to test the prophets by abstruse
philosophical points, which they thought con-
cerned real facts. Such was the question they
asked Christ concerning the meaning of resurrec-
tion (Matt. 22.). Similarly they questioned Mo-
hammed about the “‘two-horned,”’ the ‘“‘crescent,”’
and the “Spirit”? (see the Koran); and asked the
Bab concerning the rapidity or slowness of the
revolution of the heavens. But these tempters
never reflected whether the solving ot such ques-
tions could have any connection with or could be
proof of the validity of their missions. Had they
pondered over this point, they would have been
awakened to the fact that there is not the least294 The Fifth Introduction.

connection between such questions and the mis-
sion of a Prophet, nor could these things be a
proof or argument of the truth of His Claim. Had
they done so they would not have fallen into the
deep pit of tempting the Lord, which action 1s pro-
hibited in the Bible:—‘“‘Thou shalt not tempt the
Lord thy God.”

As to the miracles: We have already pointed
out when explaining the proofs and arguments,
that these do not bear any primary indication of
the truth of a prophetic claim. Likewise we have
shown by clear and decisive argument, that there
is no relation or connection between prophethood
and the power of producing impossibilities.
Therefore miracles are to be considered as second-
ary and auxiliary proofs, and not primary and real
proofs.

To ask scientific questions as a test for distin-
guishing between the truth and falsehood of a
Manifestation of God, is even more foolish than
demanding miracles; for the purpose of philosophy
and science is only to lead man toward the truth
of things, and to the knowledge of causes, reasons
and effects. It is an indisputable fact to the pos-
sessors of brilliant minds, that the unknown ts con-
stantly more than the known, and the latter, in
comparison with the former, is as a drop compared
to a vast sea. As it is said:—‘“‘Man is not accounted
as learned except when he knows his own igno-
rance.” Therefore, who can claim to know the
realities and causes of all things, that he should
presume to be able to test the knowledge of the

 

 

eee

Peber bre ©The Fifth Introduction. 295

Manifestations of the All-Knowing God? Verily,
the Prophets and the Manifestations of God are
sent to make people of one accord, guide them
to that which leads to their happiness and continu-
ance, and cause them to relinquish that which may
conduce to their ruin and destruction. These
heavenly messengers are not sent as astronomers,
mathematicians, philosophers, naturalists or histo-
cians. Should the prophets wish to dispute the
philosophical views, historical opinions, and scien-
tific theories of people, this would be contrary to
their real mission, which is the guidance and unifi-
cation of mankind. By this the meetings for re-
ligion and guidance would be changed into gather-
ings for scientific debate. Have not the theories
of the Greek philosophers, ancient Chaldeans, the
Arabs and Modern Persians proven false upon cer-
tain points, which they considered as indisputable
facts? Such ideas as the limited dimensions of the
Universe, the simplicity of the four elements, and
similar ideas, which we do not treat of in this place,
have been disproved and dismissed by modern
science. Should the Prophets desire to dispute
these points which were thought to be undeniable
truths, would it not end in strife and wrangling?
Would not the people use this as an excuse to deny
and contradict them? Would not this make their
mission abortive and useless? Mosheim has stated
in his “Church History,” that in the 8th Century,
Boniface, the delegate of the Germans, persecuted
the priest Virgilius, in Bavaria, for maintaining
that the earth was spherical, and that, consequent-ivbange cat train Par hbash tits peur meta i eres shea yard eanuney cn ere scstenrarcliroris aches thltred <tr orey lie uet ivertslrptis erect eer a4

      
  
 
  
   
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   

290 The Fifth Introduction.

ly, the other side of it was inhabited by people and
illuminated by the sun and moon. Boniface looked
upon this as a gross heresy. So he accused the man
before the Pope, who actually excommunicated
him as a heretic. Likewise, the story of the impris-
onment of Galileo, the Italian, by command of the
Pope, is known to all. When, in the 17th century,
Galileo arose, affirmed the correctness of the
Copernican theory, maintained that the sun is the
center of our system, and that the earth revolves
around it, his opinion was rejected by everybody.
He was immediately arrested under the terrible In-
quisition, imprisoned, and in danger of being burnt
alive. During almost 18 centuries, philosophers
and scholars, as well as the public, had held the
Ptolemian System of Astronomy. This theory
which prevailed from the time of Ptolemy, who
lectured in the College of Alexandria, about 130
years before Christ, and which continued down to
the mse of Galileo, asserted that the earth was the
center of the Universe, and that the sun and the
other planets revolved around it.

The discussions* between Khosrow Perviz (a
Persian King contemporary with Mohammed, and
the son of Anoshirwan) and his favorite, Sapor, the
philosopher,—which discussion is contained in the
“five books” of Nezami Ganjawy, one of the great
poets and philosophers of the 6th century of Islam,
—concerned the Copernican and Ptolemian sys-
tems.

 

In this discugzsion, Khoerow held to the Copernican system, while
the favorite upheld the Ptolemian, thus refuting the King. Hence, even
in thoee days, some existed who doubted the Ptolemian and held to the
Copernican system.The Fifth Introduction. 297

The people believed the Ptolemian theory to be
a proven fact confirmed by the evidence of sciences;
and any one who denied this, would be contradicted
and considered insane. Even the “First Point”
has not deemed it advisable to write anything upon
this subject beyond the following statement con-
tained in the “Holy Beyan” :—

“Verily, astronomical facts are not as the doctors
of our time have supposed them to be.”’ For, at
the time of the revelation of “the Beyan,” the
Copernican system was unknown to the Persians,
and the theories of European men of learning had
not been introduced into Persia.

From this explanation, it is clearly shown that
we are not justified in relying upon scientific ques-
tions for proving the Divine Manifestations. For
it is an indisputable fact that the world is in a state
of progression, and progression means the ad-
vancement of learning and inventions, the increase
of discovery, and expansion of the circle of knowl-
edge. Therefore, during the progress of the world,
many mistakes and errors of human opinion have
been laid bare. Just as the mistaken theories of
the ancient philosophers are brought to light, so
also the errors of present philosophers will appear
in their due time; in order that the meaning of
progress may be realized, and the truth of origin
and creation may become manifest. The vanity
of the proofs demanded in former days from the
Prophets, will appear, and the meaning of the fol-
lowing saying of Mohammed will be shown:—
“‘We Prophets were sent to talk to the people ac-
cording to the measure of their minds.”’298 The Fifth Introduction.

Verily, the Prophets, as already mentioned, not-
withstanding their all-pervading Spirit, and their
knowledge of that which was and will be, were
sent and appointed for the spiritual guidance of
people, and to bring them into accord. So they
did not consider the people’s learning and acquired
knowledge, of importance, and left discoveries and
inventions to their proper course of advancement
in science and civilization.

It is now clearly proven that tempting the Man-
ifestations of God by requiring signs and miracles,
or asking them scientific questions, is the greatest
pit into which nations have fallen. The fatal dan-
ger of their reliance upon false proofs and mis-
taken reasoning is therefore convincingly shown.

To this point, Paul the Apostle refers in the first
Epistle to the Corinthians, ch. i., vs. 22, 23:—
“For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seck
after wisdom (philosophy): but we preach Christ
crucified; unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and
unto the Greek foolishness.” Also: Coloss., ch. it.,
y. 8:—“‘Beware lest any man spoil you through
philosophy and vain deceit.”

When the Cause of Christ, after His Ascension
to the Supreme Concourse, was spread by His
disciples, the Jews considered themselves the heirs
of the Prophets and the custodians of their writ-
ings and well-known miracles. They supposed
that the best way by which to know the truth of
Christ’s Mission, was to test His disciples by the
texts of Moses, Joshua, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and
other Israelitish prophets. On the other hand,

Zeca lesiee ene where cere tba

 

reer]hit ares

 

  

The Fifth Introduction. 299

the Greeks regarded themselves as being the heirs
of great philosophers, the possessors of kyowledge
and learning, the discoverers of inventions and sct-
ences. They imagined that the best means for
understanding the truth of Chnist’s Mission was
to test the upholders thereof, by scientific ques-
tions and philosophical theories which had been
laid down by their great philosophers and leaders,
such as Plato, Aristotle, Pythagoras, Hippoc-
rates, Socrates, and others, in whom they gloried
and the fame of whose knowledge and wisdom is
spread forever throughout the world. But that
elect Apostle Paul sounded a warning, that what
the Jews and Greeks demanded were as stumbling-
blocks, foolishness and error. Paul taught that
the greatest power and proof lay in the Divine
Word received from the blessed Beauty of Christ,
the truth of which was testified to by his stead-
fastness in enduring afflictions, and by the sacrifice
of His pure Life for the salvation of the world.

Consider (may God assist you through the Spirit
of intelligence!) how the Jews have suffered tribu-
lations for 19 centuries. They will never be awak-
ened and restored to their glory and honor except
by acknowledging the truth of Christ under the
banner of the covenant of our Lord El-Abha, and
turning unto the Day-Spring of the Lights of His
Testament.

As to the Greek philosophers, the falsity of their
systems, and their errors in science and theology,
have been shown since the 17th century, by the in-
tellectual investigations of American and Euro-300 The Fifth Introduction.

pean men of learning. The roth verse of the
above-mentioned chapter refers to this fact: “I will
destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the prudence
of the prudent will I reject.”

If with shrewd intelligences we look into the
history of religions, we find that the old Pagan
philosophy of Greece was the chief thing which de-
teriorated both Chnistianity and Islam. The Pla-
tonic philosophy created monkhood in Christian-
ity and resulted in the corrupt practices of Sufism
in Islam. This philosophy gave rise to certain
classes of monks who afflicted Europe with great
disasters during many centuries. The Aristote-
lian philosophy resulted in agnostic beliefs, which,
during every century, armed thousands of men in
combat against the Divine Religions, and denial
of every heavenly law.

There are also many other calamities which we
have not mentioned; all of them proceeding from
mistaking the way, and from wrong methods of
reasoning.

Verily, God is the Protector of all things!

The Second Division is that which refers to the
subject of ‘‘Return.” The adherents of every one
of the extant religions believe in and expect the
return of a definite person or persons, for the
spread of their religion and the continuance of
their law. Thus the Christians are awaiting the
return of our Lord Christ (Glory be to Him!}),
faithfully believing that He will, without doubt,
descend from heaven. The Jews expect the ap-
pearance of Elias the Prophet, before the Manifes-The Fifth Introduction. 301

tation of the Promised Lord and His rise in the
appointed day. Likewise, among the Moslem na-
tions, the Sunnites believe in the descent of Jesus
Christ subsequent to the appearance of the Mahdi
(Precursor); and the Shi-ites, followers of “the
Church of the twelve,” hold primarily the return
of the Mahdi. This Mahdi they believe to be
Mohammed, the son of Hassan-El-Askani, who dis-
appeared in the year 260 A. H., and who was the
twelfth of the Imams of Mohammed’s household.
Secondly, they believe that after the appearance of
the Mahdi, the martyred Hussein, son of Ali the
third Imam, will return. This return they speak
of as the “Husseynite Manifestation.” As to the
Zoroastrians; they await the return of the famous
Persian King of the dynasty of Keyan, erroneously
interpreted by some of the European historians to
be Cyrus. He, they believe, will return during the
days of the promised Manifestation whom they
look for at the “end of the time,” and who will
come from Persia to raise the dead and unify re-
ligions. They also await the return of certain
others, whose names, and the manner of their
coming we do not mention, for lack of space. This
expectation of a return is found generally in all
the other religions and creeds, as is known to
every student of religious systems. This brief ac-
count shows that the “Return” of their Prophets
is one of the important subjects in which the fol-
lowers of religions are entangled, and by reason of
which they have falsely denied and turned away
from the Manifestations of the Command of God,
during all ages.302 The Fifth Introduction.

In the 8th century of Islam, the well-known
historian, Ebn-Kaldoon Magreli arose and denied
that the Mahdi would appear. This he set forth
in his great work, and some of the possessors of
weak minds and darkened consciences followed
his opinior, so that through them there was ful-
filled that which was prophesied by the Imams in
the following tradition :—

“Verily, the Mahdi shall rise at the time of dis-
appointment and despair.” That is, when heed-
less souls have given up hope of his appearance,
and deny the prophecies in connection with his
rise, and have despaired of the coming of the one
who is to save them from the day of calamities and
afflictions, He will appear.

Similarly, a large number among the Christians
denied the return of Christ in the flesh, and trans-
posed the clear prophecies given concerning His
Coming and Manifestation. They interpreted
them to mean the prevalence of His religion and
of His followers: which interpretation by no means
conforms with the said prophecies. Thus what
was said by the elect Apostle Peter, was fulfilled
in them (II. Epistle, ch. 11., vs. 1, 2:—‘But there
were false prophets also among the people, even
as there shall be false teachers among you, who
privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even de-
nying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon
themselves swift destruction. And many shall fol-
low their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the

way of truth shall be evil spoken of’; and so on
till the end of the chapter. But we ask the men ofThe Fifth Introduction. 3°03

perception to reflect upon and look deeply into
the contents of this chapter. Verily, that elect
Apostle has foreshadowed with clearest explana-
tion and most eloquent style, all similar events
which occurred in Christianity during the last few
centuries. These prophecies he uttered in detail,
and this very fact proves a pure and sacred spirit
in him; comprehension and cognizance of future

events in their full particulars.

When a people hold as an established fact that,
in spite of spiritual prophecies, Christ shall not
come from heaven; and when this idea becomes a
general and approved belief, they will of necessity
deny Him in His Manifestation, and speak evil of
His way. Thus there will be fulfilled in them that
which was said by the great Apostle:—“Even
denying the Lord that bought them ‘
by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil
spoken of.’ This was fully realized in this most
brilliant age of El-Abba, and the truth of this
prophecy is now perfectly evident.

Likewise, it is said in the same Epistle (ch. 111., v.
34):—“Knowing this first, that there shall come
in the last days scoffers, walking after their own
lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His
coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things
continue as they were from the beginning of crea-
tion”: so on till the end of the chapter. This pas-
sage is a proof of the above-mentioned fact; that
a great number would deny the coming of our
Lord Christ (Glory be to Him!). Therefore it is

not surprising that many people deny His coming304 The Fifth Introduction.

and misinterpret prophecies which clearly point to
His Advent. This whole chapter also contains
jewels of lofty and hidden meanings; which, God
willing, we will clearly interpret in the proper
piace.

What is necessary to be noticed ts, that just as
the false argument of those who deny the coming
of Christ in the flesh, caused doubts in beclouded
hearts, on the other hand it created an equal
amount of knowledge and faith in pure hearts, and
steadfastness in chaste souls. For there 1s no
stronger and clearer argument to prove the au-
thenticity of the source of these prophecies, and
their essential purport,—which is the descent of
the Spirit of God (Christ) in the body of man,—
than their fulfillment after the lapse of centuries
and cycles. The prophecies of that elect apostle
were made at a time in which the Christians had
not yet any congregation or society to render
them worthy of description by the writers and his-
torians. Yet as they concerned events which
have occurred and are fulfilled after the lapse of
nineteen centuries, we have absolute and strongest
proof that they were heavenly prophecies and pre-
dictions inspired by Divine Power.

The Third Division pertains to the signs and
tokens revealed in the Heavenly Books. We
have already mentioned that all the prophets or
founders of religions have, without exception, as-
signed a part of their Books to explaining the
coming of the Day of God, and announcing the
appearance of the Face of God. Likewise theyThe Fifth Introduction. 305

have mentioned certain signs and tokens concern-
ing this great Manifestation, and have described
certain events and occurrences about the day of
Its appearance. Some of their announcements have
been couched in symbols and allegories, and some
are explicitly stated, according to the language of
every age and cycle. Such symbolical signs
are the “darkening of the sun and moon,” “rend-
ing of the heavens,” “falling of stars,”’ “renewal of
heaven and earth,” “rise of the dead,” “‘the pass-
ing away of former things,” and other similar
events. These shall be set forth in detail, in the
course of our treatises, in order that the students
of the Holy Books will understand, and the ad-
herents of laws and religions may discuss them.
Such signs undoubtedly need to be accepted, but
the doctors of every religion, in understanding and
apprehending their meanings, have relied upon
their own conceptions. Thus they have inter-
preted and described them in their books, accord-
ing to their exoteric literal sense. They have also
taught them to the people in their lectures, and
inculcated them in their schools and congrega-
tions until these literal meanings have seemed
incontrovertible facts and indisputable points nec-
essary to religious beliefs. These ideas have be-
come still more firmly rooted in hearts and mem-
ories, because they have been handed down as a
heritage for long periods. Whenever a Divine
Sun dawned forth from the Heaven of the Com-
mand of God, and the spirit of the Invisible World

shone forth from any of the Holy Dawning-places,

9?306 The Fifth Introduction.

He was denied by nations and contradicted by
peoples, because the aforesaid prophecies were
not fulfilled according to the ideas of the people
and the signs did not appear as they expected
them. In other words, not one of the great
prophets ever appeared, and not one of the holy
souls ever arose to found a religion by the Com-
mand of God, except these very signs and tokens
were the first things through which the nations de-
nied Him. For instance, what first caused the
Jews to deny Christ was, that they held that there
are certain signs and tokens, confirmed and clearly
written in the Book concerning the coming of the
Messiah, which were not then realized; and that
the non-fulfillment thereof necessarily disproved
the truth of Christ’s claim. When Jesus appeared,
they said:—"‘Where is the darkness of the sun’’?
‘‘Where is the changing of the moon into blood’?
‘“‘Where is the falling of stars’? “When did the
wolf dwell with the lamb, and the lion eat straw
as an ox’’? “When did the child put his hand in
the adder’s hole, as is clearly spoken of by Isaiah” ?
‘‘Where is the changing of the heaven into brass,
the earth into iron, and the rain into dust, as was
prophesied by Moses”? ‘Where is the ‘new Cove-
nant that the Lord will make with all the Israelit-
ish tribes’; ‘assembling of them together from the
north, south, east and west, after their scattering
and division’ ; ‘honoring them after their degrada-
tion and fall’; ‘planting them after their extirpa-
tion’’”’? “Where is the ‘gathering which shall
never be dispersed,’ the ‘honor which shall never

 

harerer sr ©

or ere]The Fifth Introduction. 307

change,’ and the ‘planting which shall never be up-
rooted’? “Where did the Lord ‘restore Zion’; a
restoration and building ‘which shall never be de-
stroyed,’ as was prophesied by Jeremiah”? “Did
all these events occur during the manifestation of
Jesus, or has God deceived His servants by saying
such things’? “Be this far from the Might of His
Glory and the exaltation of His Beneficence and
Bounty”! “Therefore all these prophecies must
needs come to pass and these promises be fulfilled,
even though many centuries and ages might first
elapse’’!
In like manner did the Christian repudiate the
founder of Islam; the Moslems deny the “First
Point,” and the people of Beyan contradict the
Beauty of El-Abha. The most astonishing fact to
be noticed, is that each one of the above-men-
tioned peoples followed the example of the other,
and walked in the highway of the same error.
Nor did any one of them reflect upon the purify-
ing and cleansing tests, the hard trials and afflic-
tions which befell the adherents of former religions.
Had they done so, they might have avoided the
precipice, refrained from what destroyed other
nations, and been rightly directed toward their
Lord. This explanation proves that the expecta-
tion of the fulfillment of these signs, is one of the
greatest tests which has prevented bygone nations
from responding to the Divine Messenger, during
all centuries and cycles.
The Fourth Division concerns the idea that
ordinances are perpetual, and that religions can-308 The Fifth Introduction.

not be changed. There are none of the adher-
ents of any of the extant religions and sects who do
not believe that all of their laws, regulations, cus-
toms and ceremonies are everlasting, and that it 1s
not allowable to change any of their rules and
ordinances. For instance, we find the believers
in the Greek Church regard theirs to be the per-
manent religion and sole law announced by Christ
to the people of the world. The Catholics con-
sider their own sect similarly permanent and un-
changeable. So likewise the Protestants and
other smaller sects, such as Nestorians, etc.,
maintain their own way to be the truth. Among
the Mohammedans, the Sunnites and Haneefites
believe that when Christ shall descend from
heaven, He will j:'dge according to the laws
of Haneefa. Yet the Shiites, Malekis, and
Hambalis protest against this monopoly of the
Haneefites, and each one of these sects claims that
when Christ descends, He will judge people ac-
cording to their respective doctrines. The Shi-
"tes of the ““Church of the twelve,” go far beyond
the followers of other sects and creeds, in this
claim. They regard themselves as the nearest to
the Mahdi (Precursor), and to the Christ; conse-
quently their expectation of the appearance is
greater than that of others. The divines of this
sect never allow any of their laws and customs to
be changed. They persistently refuse to alter any
of their regulations or ceremonies, such as repre-
sentations of the lives of the martyrs, the wound-
ing of their heads, and beating upon their breasts,

Pr ier er yrecenns errThe Fifth Introduction. 3°9

which rites they perform in their gatherings and
meeting-places. They hold that the Mahdi, who
will arise after the Command of God, and the
Spirit of God (Christ), when He descends from
Heaven, must both of necessity follow their opin-
ions and regulations in regard to religion. This
is the case with all other creeds and sects branched
from the Buddhist, Brahaman, Sabean and Zoro-
astrian religions; likewise many others which we
do not mention in this brief account. Each one
believes his own sect to be the way of salvation,
the announcement and promulgation of which is
incumbent upon the One who appears through the
Command of God. As this ts the case with sects
and their doctrines and ordinances, notwithstand-
ing their unimportance in comparison with the be-
hefs and laws of religious systems, we need not be
astonished to find that the Jews preserve their be-
liefs, or that Christians, Moslems, Zoroastrians,
Buddhists, Brahamans and Sabeans hold to the
principles of their religions, and consider their
original laws obligatory and permanent necessities.
When we find a people considering it a most im-
portant necessity to maintain and preserve its sec-
ondary and dogmatic tenets, we need not wonder
to see it sacrificing everything pertaining to this
life and the life to come, in order to sustain its prin-
cipal religious beliefs. Therefore we can realize
from this point of view, the greatness of the Di-
vine Power given to the Manifestations of the
Command of God; who have changed former re-
ligions and separated nations from their beliefs.310 The Fifth Introduction.

This we have previously explained. But those
who were heedless of this manifest Power and
erred from tke right Path, became bewildered in
the gloomy darkness, were dispersed in the des-
erts of imaginations and underwent great calami-
ties. The purpose of this was that they might
perchance be directed to the Dawning-place of this
Power and to the Day-Spring of its lights. God in
His mercy intended that they might through suf-
fering, be blest by its inspiration, illumined by its
radiance, and enkindled by its fire; that they might
ultimately find guidance, spirituality and fragrance
in the Garden of delight, and return to the Shelter
of the Mercy of their Lord, the Clement, the Mer-
ciful.

Consequently, it is proven that belief in the un-
changeableness of laws and religions is one of the
great calamities which has descended upon bygone
nations, and the most disastrous influence which
led to their ruin and destruction. Even if they
found it easy to relinquish their belief regarding
the subject of “Return,” or other signs, yet they
would never sanction changing their religious or-
dinances, or altering any of their laws.

 

(In the succeeding edition the author intends to
continue the Proof and Elucidation of the Beha:

Religion, from this point).

 

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