215 It behoveth the benevolence of the Sovereign, however, to examine all matters with the eye of justice and mercy, and not to content himself with the baseless claims of certain individuals. We beseech G.o.d to graciously a.s.sist the King to fulfil that which He pleaseth, and, verily, that which He desireth should be the desire of all the worlds.

216 Later this Servant was summoned to Constantinople, whither We arrived accompanied by a poor band of exiles. At no time thereafter did We seek to meet with anyone, as We had no request to make and no aim in view but to demonstrate unto all that this Servant had no mischief in mind and had never a.s.sociated with the sowers of sedition. By Him Who hath caused the tongues of all beings to speak forth His praise! While certain considerations rendered it difficult to make application to any quarter, such steps were perforce taken to protect certain souls. My Lord, verily, knoweth what is in Me, and He beareth witness unto the truth of what I say.

217 A just king is the shadow of G.o.d on earth. All should seek shelter under the shadow of his justice, and rest in the shade of his favour. This is not a matter which is either specific or limited in its scope, that it might be restricted to one or another person, inasmuch as the shadow telleth of the One Who casteth it. G.o.d, glorified be His remembrance, hath called Himself the Lord of the worlds, for He hath nurtured and still nurtureth everyone. Glorified be, then, His grace that hath preceded all created things, and His mercy that hath surpa.s.sed the worlds.

218 It is clear and evident that, whether this Cause be seen as right or wrong by the people, those who are a.s.sociated with its name have accepted and embraced it as true, and have forsaken their all in their eagerness to partake of the things of G.o.d. That they should evince such renunciation in the path of the love of the All-Merciful is in itself a faithful witness and an eloquent testimony to the truth of their convictions. Hath it ever been witnessed that a man of sound judgement should sacrifice his life without cause or reason? And if it be suggested that this people have taken leave of their senses, this too is highly improbable, inasmuch as such behaviour hath not been confined to merely a soul or two-nay, a vast mult.i.tude of every cla.s.s have drunk their fill of the living waters of divine knowledge, and, intoxicated, have hastened with heart and soul to the field of sacrifice in the way of the Beloved.

219 If these souls, who have renounced all else but G.o.d for His sake and offered up their life and substance in His path, are to be accounted as false, then by what proof and testimony can the truth of what others a.s.sert be established in thy presence? The late ?aji Siyyid Mu?ammad(30)-may G.o.d exalt his station and immerse him in the ocean of His forgiveness and mercy!-was one of the most learned divines of his age, and one of the most devout and pious men of his time. So highly was he regarded that his praise was on every tongue, and his righteousness and piety were universally acknowledged. Yet, when hostilities broke out with Russia,(31) he who himself had p.r.o.nounced the decree of holy war, and who with blazoned standard had left his native land to rally to the support of his faith, abandoned, after the inconvenience of a brief encounter, all the good that he had purposed, and returned whence he had come. Would that the veil might be lifted, and that which hath ere now remained hidden from the eyes of men be made manifest!

220 For more than twenty years this people have, day and night, been subjected to the fury of the Sovereign's wrath, and have been scattered by the tempestuous gales of his displeasure, each to a different land. How many the children who have been left fatherless, and how many the fathers who have lost their sons! How many the mothers who have dared not, out of fear and dread, to mourn their slaughtered offspring! How numerous those who, at eventide, were possessed of utmost wealth and affluence, and who, when morning came, had fallen into utter abas.e.m.e.nt and dest.i.tution! No land is there whose soil hath not been tinged with their blood, nor reach of heaven unto which their sighs have not ascended. Throughout the years the darts of affliction have unceasingly rained down from the clouds of G.o.d's decree, yet despite all these calamities and tribulations, the flame of divine love hath so blazed in their hearts that even should their bodies be torn asunder they would not forsake their love of Him Who is the Best-Beloved of the worlds, but would welcome with heart and soul whatever might befall them in the path of G.o.d.

221 O King! The breezes of the grace of the All-Merciful have transformed these servants and attracted them unto His Holy Court. "The witness of a true lover is upon his sleeve." Nevertheless, some of the outwardly learned have troubled the luminous heart of the King of the Age concerning these souls who revolve round the Tabernacle of the All-Merciful and who seek to attain the Sanctuary of true knowledge. Would that the world-adorning wish of His Majesty might decree that this Servant be brought face to face with the divines of the age, and produce proofs and testimonies in the presence of His Majesty the Shah! This Servant is ready, and taketh hope in G.o.d, that such a gathering may be convened in order that the truth of the matter may be made clear and manifest before His Majesty the Shah. It is then for thee to command, and I stand ready before the throne of thy sovereignty. Decide, then, for Me or against Me.

222 The All-Merciful saith in the Qur'an, His abiding testimony unto all the peoples of the world: "Wish ye then for death, if ye be men of truth."(32) Behold how He hath declared the yearning for death to be the touchstone of sincerity! And, in the luminous mirror of thy judgement, it is doubtless clear and evident which people have chosen, in this day, to lay down their lives in the path of the Beloved of the worlds. Indeed, were the books supporting the beliefs of this people to be written with the blood spilled in the path of G.o.d-exalted be His glory!-then countless volumes would have already appeared amongst men for all to see.

223 How, We fain would ask, is it possible to impugn this people whose deeds are in conformity with their words, and to give credence instead to those who have refused to relinquish one jot of their worldly authority in the path of Him Who is the Unconstrained? Some of the divines who have declared this Servant an infidel have at no time met with Me. Never having seen Me, or become acquainted with My purpose, they have nevertheless spoken as they pleased and acted as they desired. Yet every claim requireth a proof, not mere words and displays of outward piety.

224 In this connection the text of several pa.s.sages from the Hidden Book of Fa?imih-the blessings of G.o.d be upon her!-which are relevant to the present theme will be cited in the Persian tongue, that certain matters which have ere now been hidden may be revealed before thy presence. The people addressed in the aforementioned Book, which is today known as the Hidden Words, are those who, though outwardly known for learning and piety, are inwardly the slaves of self and pa.s.sion.

225 He saith: O ye that are foolish, yet have a name to be wise! Wherefore do ye wear the guise of the shepherd, when inwardly ye have become wolves, intent upon My flock? Ye are even as the star, which riseth ere the dawn, and which, though it seem radiant and luminous, leadeth the wayfarers of My city astray into the paths of perdition.

226 And likewise He saith: O ye seeming fair yet inwardly foul! Ye are like clear but bitter water, which to outward seeming is crystal pure but of which, when tested by the Divine a.s.sayer, not a drop is accepted. Yea, the sunbeam falls alike upon the dust and the mirror, yet differ they in reflection even as doth the star from the earth: nay, immeasurable is the difference!

227 And also He saith: O essence of desire! At many a dawn have I turned from the realms of the Placeless unto thine abode, and found thee on the bed of ease busied with others than Myself. Thereupon, even as the flash of the spirit, I returned to the realms of celestial glory, and breathed it not in My retreats above unto the hosts of holiness.

228 And again He saith: O bondslave of the world! Many a dawn hath the breeze of My loving-kindness wafted over thee and found thee upon the bed of heedlessness fast asleep. Bewailing then thy plight it returned whence it came.(33)

229 Therefore, in the exercise of the royal justice, it is not sufficient to give ear to the claimant alone. G.o.d saith in the Qur'an, the unerring Balance that distinguisheth truth from falsehood: "O ye who believe! If a wicked man come to you with news, clear it up at once, lest through ignorance ye harm others, and afterward repent of what ye have done."(34) The holy Traditions, moreover, contain the admonition: "Believe not the tale-bearer." Certain of the divines, who have never seen Us, have misconceived the nature of Our Cause. Those, however, who have met Us will testify that this Servant hath not spoken save in accordance with that which G.o.d hath commanded in the Book, and that He hath called attention to the following blessed verse-exalted be His Word: "Do ye not disavow us merely because we believe in G.o.d, and in what He hath sent down unto us, and in what He had sent down aforetime?"(35)

230 O King of the age! The eyes of these refugees are turned towards and fixed upon the mercy of the Most Merciful. No doubt is there whatever that these tribulations will be followed by the outpourings of a supreme mercy, and these dire adversities will be succeeded by an overflowing prosperity.

We fain would hope, however, that His Majesty the Shah will himself examine these matters and bring hope to the hearts. That which We have submitted to thy Majesty is indeed for thine highest good. And G.o.d, verily, is a sufficient witness unto Me.

231 Glorified art Thou, O Lord My G.o.d! I bear witness that the heart of the King is in truth between the fingers of Thy might. If it be Thy wish, do Thou incline it, O My G.o.d, in the direction of charity and mercy. Thou, verily, art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Most Bountiful. No G.o.d is there besides Thee, the All-Glorious, the One Whose help is sought by all.

232 Concerning the prerequisites of the learned, He saith: "Whoso among the learned guardeth his self, defendeth his faith, opposeth his desires, and obeyeth his Lord's command, it is inc.u.mbent upon the generality of the people to pattern themselves after him...."(36) Should the King of the Age reflect upon this utterance which hath streamed from the tongue of Him Who is the Dayspring of the Revelation of the All-Merciful, he would perceive that those who have been adorned with the attributes enumerated in this holy Tradition are scarcer than the philosopher's stone; wherefore not every man that layeth claim to knowledge deserveth to be believed.

233 Again concerning the divines of the Latter Days, He saith: "The religious doctors of that age shall be the most wicked of the divines beneath the shadow of heaven. Out of them hath mischief proceeded, and unto them it shall return." And again He saith: "When the Standard of Truth is made manifest, the people of both the East and the West curse it."(37) Should anyone dispute these Traditions, this Servant will undertake to establish their validity, since the details of their transmission have been omitted here for the sake of brevity.

234 Those doctors who have indeed drunk of the cup of renunciation have never interfered with this Servant. Thus, for example, Shaykh Murta?a(38)-may G.o.d exalt his station and cause him to repose beneath the canopy of His grace!-showed forth kindness during Our sojourn in 'Iraq, and never spoke of this Cause otherwise than as G.o.d hath given leave. We beseech G.o.d to graciously a.s.sist all to do His will and pleasure.

235 Now, however, all have lost sight of every other consideration, and are bent upon the persecution of this people. Thus, if it be inquired of certain persons who, by the grace of their Lord, repose beneath the shadow of thy royal mercy and enjoy countless favours, "What service have ye rendered in return for these royal favours? Have ye through wise policy annexed a further territory to the realm? Have ye applied yourselves to aught that would secure the welfare of the people, the prosperity of the kingdom, and the lasting glory of the state?", they will have no other reply than to designate, justly or falsely, a group of people before thy royal presence as Babis, and forthwith to engage in ma.s.sacre and pillage.

In Tabriz, for instance, and in the Egyptian town of Man?uriyyih, a number of this people were ransomed and large sums were seized, yet no account of these matters was ever made in the court of thy presence.

236 The reason for which all these things have come to pa.s.s is that their persecutors, finding these unfortunate ones without protection, have forgone more weighty matters and occupied themselves instead with hara.s.sing this afflicted people. Numerous confessions and divers creeds abide peacefully beneath the shadow of thy sovereignty. Let this people be also numbered with them. Nay, those who serve the King should be animated by such lofty aims and sublime intentions as to continually strive to bring all religions beneath the shelter of his shadow, and to rule over them with perfect justice.

237 To enforce the laws of G.o.d is naught but justice, and is the source of universal content. Nay more, the divine statutes have always been, and will ever remain, the cause and instrument of the preservation of mankind, as witnessed by His exalted words: "In punishment will ye find life, O men of insight!"(39) It would, however, ill beseem the justice of thy Majesty that for the trespa.s.s of a single soul a whole group of people should be subjected to the scourge of thy wrath. The one true G.o.d-glorified be His Name!-hath said: "None shall bear the burden of another."(40) It is clear and evident that in every community there have been, and will ever be, the learned and the ignorant, the wise and the heedless, the profligate and the pious. That a wise and reflecting soul should commit a heinous deed is most improbable, inasmuch as such a person either seeketh after this world or hath forsaken it: if he be of the latter, he would a.s.suredly have no regard for aught else besides G.o.d, and moreover the fear of G.o.d would deter him from unlawful and reprehensible actions; and if he be of the former, he would just as a.s.suredly avoid such deeds as would alienate and alarm the people, and act in such a manner as to earn their confidence and trust. It is therefore evident that reprehensible actions have always emanated, and will ever emanate, from ignorant and foolish souls. We implore G.o.d to guard His servants from turning to anyone save Him, and to draw them nigh unto His presence. His might, in truth, is equal to all things.

238 Praise be unto Thee, O Lord My G.o.d! Thou hearest the voice of My lamentation, and beholdest My condition, My distress and affliction! Thou knowest all that is in Me. If the call I have raised be wholly for Thy sake, then draw thereby the hearts of Thy creatures towards the heaven of Thy knowledge, and the heart of the Sovereign towards the right hand of the throne of Thy name, the All-Merciful. Supply him then, O My G.o.d, with a portion of that goodly sustenance which hath descended from the heaven of Thy generosity and the clouds of Thy mercy, that he may forsake his all and turn unto the court of Thy favour. Aid him, O My G.o.d, to a.s.sist Thy Cause and to exalt Thy Word amidst Thy creatures. Strengthen him, then, with the hosts of the seen and the unseen, that he may subdue every city in Thy Name, and hold sway, through Thy sovereignty and might, over all that dwell on earth, O Thou in Whose hand is the kingdom of creation!

Thou, verily, art the Supreme Ordainer in both the beginning and the end.

No G.o.d is there but Thee, the Most Powerful, the All-Glorious, the All-Wise.

239 So grossly hath Our Cause been misrepresented before thy royal presence that, if some unseemly act be committed by but one of this people, it is portrayed as being prompted by their beliefs. By Him besides Whom there is none other G.o.d! This Servant hath refused even to sanction the commission of reproved actions, how much less those which have been explicitly prohibited in the Book of G.o.d.

240 G.o.d hath forbidden unto men the drinking of wine, and this prohibition hath been revealed and recorded in His Book. In spite of this, and of the fact that the learned doctors of the age-may G.o.d increase their numbers!-have all prohibited the people from such a wretched act, there still remain some who commit it. The punishment which this act entaileth, however, applieth only to its heedless perpetrators, whilst those n.o.ble manifestations of supreme sanct.i.ty remain exalted above and exempt from all blame. Yea, the whole creation, both seen and unseen, beareth witness unto their holiness.

241 Yea, these servants regard the one true G.o.d as He Who "doeth as He willeth"(41) and "ordaineth as He pleaseth".(42) Thus they view not as impossible the continued appearance in the contingent world of the Manifestations of His Unity. Should anyone hold otherwise, how would he be different from those who believe the hand of G.o.d to be "chained up"?(43) And if the one true G.o.d-glorified be His mention!-be indeed regarded as unconstrained, then whatever Cause that Ancient King may please to manifest from the wellspring of His Command must be embraced by all. No refuge is there for anyone and no haven to hasten unto save G.o.d; no protection is there for any soul and no shelter to seek except in Him.

242 The essential requirement for whoso advanceth a claim is to support his a.s.sertions with clear proofs and testimonies. Beyond this, the rejection of the people, whether learned or ignorant, hath never been, nor shall it ever be, of any consequence. The Prophets of G.o.d, those Pearls of the ocean of Divine Unity and the Repositories of Divine Revelation, have ever been the object of men's repudiation and denial. Even as He saith: "Each nation hath plotted darkly against their Messenger to lay violent hold on Him, and disputed with vain words to invalidate the truth."(44) And again: "No Messenger cometh unto them but they laugh Him to scorn."(45)

243 Consider the dispensation of Him Who is the Seal of the Prophets and the King of the Chosen Ones-may the souls of all mankind be offered up for His sake! After the Daystar of Truth dawned above the horizon of ?ijaz, how great were the cruelties which the exponents of error inflicted upon that incomparable Manifestation of the All-Glorious! Such was their heedlessness that they regarded every injury inflicted upon that sacred Being as ranking among the greatest of all acts, and const.i.tuting a means of attainment unto G.o.d, the Most High. For in the early years of His mission the divines of that age, both Christian and Jewish, turned away from that Daystar of the heaven of glory, whereupon all people, high and low alike, bestirred themselves to extinguish the light of that Luminary of the horizon of inner meanings. The names of all these divines have been mentioned in the books of old; among them are Wahb Ibn-i-Rahib, Ka'b Ibn-i-Ashraf, 'Abdu'llah-i-Ubayy, and others of their like.

244 Finally, matters came to such a pa.s.s that these men took counsel together and conspired to shed His pure blood, even as G.o.d-glorified be His mention!-saith: "And remember when the disbelievers schemed against Thee, that they might lay hold upon Thee, or slay Thee, or cast Thee out; and so they schemed, and G.o.d schemed, and G.o.d, verily, is the best of schemers."(46) Again He saith: "But if their opposition be grievous to Thee-if Thou canst, seek out an opening into the earth or a ladder into heaven and bring to them a sign; yet if G.o.d wished, He could gather them unto true guidance; be Thou not, then, of the ignorant."(47) By G.o.d! The hearts of His favoured ones are consumed at the purport of these two blessed verses. Such established and undisputed facts have been forgotten, and no one hath paused to reflect, in days past or in this day, upon the things that have prompted men to turn away from the Revealers of the light of G.o.d at the time of their manifestation.

245 Likewise, before the appearance of the Seal of the Prophets, consider Jesus, the Son of Mary. When that Manifestation of the All-Merciful revealed Himself, all the divines charged that Quintessence of faith with impiety and rebellion. Eventually, with the sanction of Annas, the most learned of the divines of His day, and Caiaphas, the high priest, His blessed person was made to suffer that which the pen is ashamed to mention and powerless to describe. The wide world in all its vastness could no longer contain Him, until at last G.o.d raised Him up unto heaven.

246 Were a detailed account of all the Prophets to be given here, We fear that it might lead to weariness. The doctors of the Torah in particular a.s.sert that no independent Prophet will come after Moses with a new Law.

They maintain that a Scion of the House of David shall be made manifest Who will promulgate the Law of the Torah, and help establish and enforce its commandments throughout the East and the West.

247 The followers of the Gospel, likewise, hold as impossible that the Bearer of a new Revelation should again shine forth from the dayspring of the Will of G.o.d after Jesus, Son of Mary-peace be upon Him! In support of this contention, they adduce the following verse from the Gospel: "Heaven and earth shall pa.s.s away, but the words of the Son of Man shall never pa.s.s away."(48) They maintain that neither the teachings nor the commandments of Jesus-peace be upon Him!-may ever be altered.

248 At one point in the Gospel, He saith: "I go away, and come again."(49) Again in the Gospel of John, He hath foretold the advent of a Comforter who shall come after Him.(50) In the Gospel of Luke, moreover, a number of signs and portents have been mentioned. Certain divines of that Faith, however, have interpreted these utterances after their own fancy, and have thus failed to grasp their true significance.

249 O would that thou wouldst permit Me, O Shah, to send unto thee that which would cheer the eyes, and tranquillize the souls, and persuade every fair-minded person that with Him is the knowledge of the Book. Certain persons, incapable of answering the objections raised by their opponents, claim that the Torah and the Gospel have been corrupted, whereas in reality the references to such corruption pertain only to specific cases.(51) But for the repudiation of the foolish and the connivance of the divines, I would have uttered a discourse that would have thrilled and carried away the hearts unto a realm from the murmur of whose winds can be heard: "No G.o.d is there but He!" For the present, however, since the season is not ripe, the tongue of My utterance hath been stilled and the wine of exposition sealed up until such time as G.o.d, through the power of His might, shall please to unseal it. He, verily, is the Almighty, the Most Powerful.

250 Praise be unto Thee, O Lord My G.o.d! I ask Thee by Thy Name, through which Thou hast subdued all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth, to protect the lamp of Thy Cause within the globe of Thine omnipotence and Thy bountiful favour, lest it be exposed to the blasts of denial from those who remain heedless of the mysteries of Thy name, the Unconstrained. Increase, then, by the oil of Thy wisdom, the radiance of its light. Thou, verily, hast power over all the dwellers of Thine earth and of Thy heaven.

251 I implore Thee, O My Lord, by that most exalted Word which hath struck terror into the hearts of all who are in the heavens and on the earth, save only those who have taken fast hold of Thy Sure Handle, not to abandon Me amidst Thy creatures. Lift Me up, then, unto Thyself, cause Me to enter beneath the shadow of Thy mercy, and give Me to drink of the pure wine of Thy providence, that I may dwell within the tabernacle of Thy majesty and beneath the canopy of Thy favour. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou, verily, art the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

252 O King! The lamps of equity have been extinguished, and the fire of tyranny hath so blazed on every side that My people have been led as captives from Zawra'(52) to Mosul, known as ?adba'. This is not the first outrage that hath been suffered in the path of G.o.d. It behoveth every soul to consider and call to mind that which befell the kindred of the Prophet when the people took them captive and brought them unto Damascus, known as Fay?a'. Amongst them was the prince of them that worship G.o.d, the mainstay of such as have drawn nigh unto Him, and the sanctuary of those who long for His presence-may the life of all else be a sacrifice unto him!(53)

253 They were asked: "Are ye of the party of the Seceders?"(54) He replied: "Nay, by the Lord Almighty. We are but servants who have believed in G.o.d and in His verses. Through us the countenance of faith hath beamed with joy. Through us the sign of the All-Merciful hath shone forth. At the mention of our names the desert of Ba??a(55) hath overflowed with water and the darkness separating earth and heaven hath been dispelled."

254 "Have ye forbidden", they were asked, "that which G.o.d hath made lawful, or allowed that which He hath forbidden?" "We were the first to follow the divine commandments", he answered. "We are the root and origin of His Cause, the beginning of all good and its end. We are the sign of the Ancient of Days and the source of His remembrance amongst the nations."

255 They were asked: "Have ye forsaken the Qur'an?" "In our House", he replied, "did the All-Merciful reveal it. We are the breezes of the All-Glorious amidst His creation. We are the streams that have branched out from the Most Great Ocean, through which G.o.d hath revived the earth, and through which He shall revive it again after it hath died. Through us His signs have been diffused, His proofs revealed, and His tokens disclosed. With us is the knowledge of His hidden meanings and His untold mysteries."

256 "For what crime have ye been punished?" they were asked. "For our love of G.o.d", he made reply, "and for our detachment from aught else save Him."

257 We have not related his exact words-peace be upon him!-but rather have We imparted a sprinkling from that ocean of life eternal that lieth enshrined within them, that those who hearken thereunto may be quickened and made aware of what hath befallen the trusted ones of G.o.d at the hands of a lost and wayward generation. We see the people in this day censuring the oppressors of bygone ages, whilst they themselves commit yet greater wrongs and know it not!

258 G.o.d beareth Me witness that My purpose hath not been to foment sedition, but to purify His servants from whatsoever hath prevented them from drawing nigh unto Him, the Lord of the Day of Reckoning. I was asleep upon My couch, when lo, the breezes of My Lord, the All-Merciful, pa.s.sed over Me, awoke Me from My slumber, and bade Me lift up My voice betwixt earth and heaven. This thing is not from Me, but from G.o.d. Unto this testify the dwellers of His Dominion and of His Kingdom, and the inhabitants of the cities of His unfading glory. By Him Who is the Truth!

I fear no tribulation in His path, nor any affliction in My love for Him and in the way of His good pleasure. Verily G.o.d hath made adversity as a morning dew upon His green pasture, and a wick for His lamp which lighteth earth and heaven.

259 Shall a man's wealth endure forever, or protect him from the One Who shall, erelong, seize him by his forelock? Gazing upon those who sleep beneath the gravestones, embosomed in the dust, could one ever distinguish the sovereign's crumbling skull from the subject's mouldering bones? Nay, by Him Who is the King of kings! Could one discern the lord from the va.s.sal, or those that enjoyed wealth and riches from those who possessed neither shoes nor mat? By G.o.d! Every distinction hath been erased, save only for those who upheld the right and who ruled with justice.

260 Whither are gone the learned men, the divines and potentates of old?

What hath become of their discriminating views, their shrewd perceptions, their subtle insights and sage p.r.o.nouncements? Where are their hidden coffers, their flaunted ornaments, their gilded couches, their rugs and cushions strewn about? Gone forever is their generation! All have perished, and, by G.o.d's decree, naught remaineth of them but scattered dust. Exhausted is the wealth they gathered, dispersed the stores they h.o.a.rded, dissipated the treasures they concealed. Naught can now be seen but their deserted haunts, their roofless dwellings, their uprooted tree-trunks, and their faded splendour. No man of insight will let wealth distract his gaze from his ultimate objective, and no man of understanding will allow riches to withhold him from turning unto Him Who is the All-Possessing, the Most High.