Consider the past. How many, both
high and low, have, at all times,
yearningly awaited the advent of
the Manifestations of God in the sanctified
persons of His
chosen Ones. How often have they expected His coming, how
frequently have they prayed that
the breeze of divine mercy might blow, and
the promised Beauty step forth from
behind the veil of concealment, and be
made manifest to all the world. And
whensoever the portals of grace did
open, and the clouds of divine bounty
did rain upon mankind, and the light
of the Unseen did shine above the
horizon of celestial might, they all
denied Him, and turned away from
His face--the face of God Himself. Refer
ye, to verify this truth, to that
which hath been recorded in every sacred
Book.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, The
Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 4
We made reply:
"Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets, and the most distinguished
of God's
chosen Ones, hath likened the Dispensation
of the Qur'án unto heaven,
by reason of
its loftiness, its paramount influence, its majesty, and the fact
that it comprehendeth
all religions. And as the sun and moon constitute the
brightest and
most prominent luminaries in the heavens, similarly in the heaven
of the religion
of God two shining orbs have been ordained--fasting and prayer.
`Islám
is heaven; fasting is its sun, prayer, its moon.'"
-- Bahá'u'lláh,
The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 40
From the foregoing passages and allusions
it hath been made indubitably
clear that in the kingdoms of earth
and heaven there must needs be
manifested a Being, an Essence Who
shall act as a Manifestation and Vehicle
for the transmission of the grace
of the Divinity Itself, the Sovereign
Lord of all. Through the Teachings
of this Day Star of Truth every man will
advance and develop until he attaineth
the station at which he can manifest
all the potential forces with which
his inmost true self hath been endowed.
It is for this very purpose that
in every age and dispensation the Prophets
of God and
His chosen Ones have appeared amongst men, and have evinced such
power as is born of God and such
might as only the Eternal can reveal.
--Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the
Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 67
These attributes of God are not and
have never been vouchsafed specially unto
certain Prophets, and withheld from
others. Nay, all the Prophets of God, His
well-favoured, His
holy, and chosen Messengers, are, without exception, the
bearers of His names, and the embodiments
of His attributes. They only differ
in the intensity of their revelation,
and the comparative potency of their
light. Even as He hath revealed:
"Some of the Apostles We have caused to excel
the others." It hath therefore become
manifest and evident that within the
tabernacles of these Prophets and
chosen Ones of God the light of His infinite
names and exalted attributes hath
been reflected, even though the light of some
of these attributes may or may not
be outwardly revealed from these luminous
Temples to the eyes of men. That
a certain attribute of God hath not been
outwardly manifested by these Essences
of Detachment doth in no wise imply that
they Who are the Daysprings of God's
attributes and the Treasuries of His holy
names did not actually possess it.
Therefore, these illuminated Souls, these
beauteous Countenances have, each
and every one of them, been endowed with all
the attributes of God, such as sovereignty,
dominion, and the like, even though
to outward seeming they be shorn
of all earthly majesty. To every discerning
eye this is evident and manifest;
it requireth neither proof nor evidence.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, The
Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 103
The "Chosen ones" -- the Imams.
O Hádí! The blind fanaticism
of former times hath withheld the hapless
creatures from the Straight Path.
Meditate on the Shí'ih sect. For twelve
hundred years they have cried "O
Qá'im!", until in the end all pronounced
the sentence of His death, and caused
Him to suffer martyrdom,
notwithstanding their belief in,
and their acceptance and acknowledgment
of, the True One--exalted be His
glory--and of the Seal of the Prophets,
and of the Chosen
Ones. It is now necessary to reflect a while, that haply
that which hath come between the
True One and His creatures may be
discovered, and the deeds which have
been the cause of protest and denial
be made known.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle
to the Son of the Wolf, p. 163
Imam Ali -- One of God's chosen ones.
In like manner, two of the people
of Kufih went to Ali, the Commander of
the Faithful. One owned a house and
wished to sell it; the other was to be
the purchaser. They had agreed that
this transaction should be effected and
the contract be written with the
knowledge of Ali. He, the exponent of the
law of God, addressing the scribe,
said: "Write thou: 'A dead man hath
bought from another dead man a house.
That house is bounded by four limits.
One extendeth toward the tomb, the
other to the vault of the grave, the
third to the Sirat, the fourth to
either Paradise or hell.'" Reflect, had
these two souls been quickened by
the trumpet-call of Ali, had they risen
from the grave of error by the power
of his love, the judgment of death
would certainly not have been pronounced
against them.
In every age and century, the purpose
of the Prophets of God and their
chosen ones
hath been no other but to affirm the spiritual significance of
the terms "life," "resurrection,"
and "judgment." If one will ponder but
for a while this utterance of Ali
in his heart, one will surely discover
all mysteries hidden in the terms
"grave," "tomb," "sirat," "paradise" and
"hell."
--Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan,
p. 119
Imam Husayn -- One of God's chosen ones.
Were the verse "And verily Our host
shall conquer" to be literally
interpreted, it is evident that it
would in no wise be applicable to the
chosen Ones
of God and His hosts, inasmuch as Husayn, whose heroism was
manifest as the sun, crushed and
subjugated, quaffed at last the cup of
martyrdom in Karbila, the land of
Taff. Similarly, the sacred verse "Fain
would they put out God's light with
their mouths: But God hath willed to
perfect His light, albeit the infidels
abhor it." Were it to be literally
interpreted it would never correspond
with the truth. For in every age the
light of God hath, to outward seeming,
been quenched by the peoples of the
earth, and the Lamps of God extinguished
by them. How then could the
ascendancy of the sovereignty of
these Lamps be explained? What could the
potency of God's will to "perfect
His light" signify? As hath already been
witnessed, so great was the enmity
of the infidels, that none of these
divine Luminaries ever found a place
for shelter, or tasted of the cup of
tranquillity. So heavily were they
oppressed, that the least of men
inflicted upon these Essences of
being whatsoever he listed. These
sufferings have been observed and
measured by the people. How, therefore,
can such people be capable of understanding
and expounding these words of
God, these verses of everlasting
glory?
--Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan,
p. 126
The concept of the Return of the Prophets and chosen ones.
It is clear and evident to thee that
all the Prophets are the Temples of the
Cause of God, Who have appeared clothed
in divers attire. If thou wilt observe
with discriminating eyes, thou wilt
behold them all abiding in the same
tabernacle, soaring in the same heaven,
seated upon the same throne, uttering
the same speech, and proclaiming
the same Faith. Such is the unity of those
Essences of being, those Luminaries
of infinite and immeasurable splendour.
Wherefore, should one of these Manifestations
of Holiness proclaim saying: "I
am the return
of all the Prophets," He verily speaketh the truth. In like
manner, in every subsequent Revelation,
the return of the former Revelation is
a fact, the truth of which is firmly
established. Inasmuch as the return of the
Prophets of
God, as attested by verses and traditions, hath been conclusively
demonstrated, the return
of their chosen ones also is therefore definitely
proven. This return is too manifest
in itself to require any evidence or proof.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, The
Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 153
Baha'u'llah -- the Return of Imam Husayn.
IX. O Husayn! Consider the eagerness
with which certain peoples and nations
have anticipated the return of Imám-Husayn,
whose coming, after the
appearance of the Qá'im, hath
been prophesied, in days past, by the chosen
ones
of God, exalted be His glory. These holy ones have, moreover, announced
that when He Who is the Day Spring
of the manifold grace of God manifesteth
Himself, all the Prophets and Messengers,
including the Qá'im, will gather
together beneath the shadow of the
sacred Standard which the Promised One
will raise. That hour is now come.
The world is illumined with the effulgent
glory of His countenance. And yet,
behold how far its peoples have strayed
from His path! None have believed
in Him except them who, through the power
of the Lord of Names, have shattered
the idols of their vain imaginings and
corrupt desires and entered the city
of certitude. The seal of the choice
Wine of His Revelation hath, in this
Day and in His Name, the Self-Sufficing,
been broken. Its grace is being poured
out upon men. Fill thy cup, and drink
in, in His Name, the Most Holy, the
All-Praised.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings
from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 12
Divinity and Unity of the Manifestations and Chosen ones.
Were any of the all-embracing Manifestations
of God to declare: "I am God!"
He verily speaketh the truth, and
no doubt attacheth thereto. For it hath
been repeatedly demonstrated that
through their Revelation, their
attributes and names, the Revelation
of God, His name and His attributes,
are made manifest in the world. Thus,
He hath revealed: "Those shafts were
God's, not Thine!"[1] And also He
saith: "In truth, they who plighted
fealty unto thee, really plighted
that fealty unto God."[2] And were any of
them to voice the utterance: "I am
the Messenger of God," He also speaketh
the truth, the indubitable truth.
Even as He saith: "Muhammad is not the
father of any man among you, but
He is the Messenger of God."[3] Viewed in
this light, they are all but Messengers
of that ideal King, that
unchangeable Essence. And were they
all to proclaim: "I am the Seal of the
Prophets," they verily utter but
the truth, beyond the faintest shadow of
doubt. For they are all but one person,
one soul, one spirit, one being,
one revelation. They are all the
manifestation of the "Beginning" and the
"End," the "First" and the "Last,"
the "Seen" and "Hidden" -- all of which
pertain to Him Who is the innermost
Spirit of Spirits and eternal Essence
of Essences. And were they to say:
"We are the servants of God," this also
is a manifest and indisputable fact.
For they have been made manifest in
the uttermost state of servitude,
a servitude the like of which no man can
possibly attain. Thus in moments
in which these Essences of being were
deeply immersed beneath the oceans
of ancient and everlasting holiness, or
when they soared to the loftiest
summits of divine mysteries, they claimed
their utterance to be the Voice of
divinity, the Call of God Himself. Were
the eye of discernment to be opened,
it would recognize that in this very
state, they have considered themselves
utterly effaced and non-existent in
the face of Him Who is the All-Pervading,
the Incorruptible. Methinks, they
have regarded themselves as utter
nothingness, and deemed their mention in
that Court an act of blasphemy. For
the slightest whispering of self,
within such a Court, is an evidence
of self-assertion and independent
existence. In the eyes of them that
have attained unto that Court, such a
suggestion is itself a grievous transgression.
How much more grievous would
it be, were aught else to be mentioned
in that Presence, were man's heart,
his tongue, his mind, or his soul,
to be busied with anyone but the
Well-Beloved, were his eyes to behold
any countenance other than His
beauty, were his ear to be inclined
to any melody but His voice, and were
his feet to tread any way but His
way. [1 Qur'an 8:17.] [2 Qur'an 48:10.]
[3 Qur'an 33:40 ]--Baha'u'llah, The
Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 178
These Manifestations of God have each
a twofold station. One is the station
of pure abstraction and essential
unity. In this respect, if thou callest
them all by one name, and dost ascribe
to them the same attributes, thou
hast not erred from the truth. Even
as He hath revealed: "No distinction do
We make between any of His Messengers."
For they, one and all, summon the
people of the earth to acknowledge
the unity of God, and herald unto them
the Kawthar of an infinite grace
and bounty. They are all invested with the
robe of prophethood, and are honored
with the mantle of glory. Thus hath
Muhammad, the Point of the Qur'án,
revealed: "I am all the Prophets."
Likewise, He saith: "I am the first
Adam, Noah, Moses, and Jesus." Similar
statements have been made by Imám
`Alí. Sayings such as these, which
indicate the essential unity of those
Exponents of Oneness, have also
emanated from the Channels of God's
immortal utterance, and the Treasuries
of the gems of Divine knowledge,
and have been recorded in the Scriptures.
These Countenances are the recipients
of the Divine Command, and the Day
Springs of His Revelation. This Revelation
is exalted above the veils of
plurality and the exigencies of number.
Thus He saith: "Our Cause is but
One." Inasmuch as the Cause is one
and the same, the Exponents thereof also
must needs be one and the same. Likewise,
the Imáms of the Muhammadan Faith,
those lamps of certitude, have said:
"Muhammad is our first, Muhammad is our
last, Muhammad our all."
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings
from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 51
And were they to say that by "divine
Presence" is meant the "Secondary
Revelation of God," interpreted as
the "Holy Outpouring," this is admittedly
applicable to the world of creation,
that is, in the realm of the primal and
original manifestation of God.
Such revelation is confined to His Prophets
and
chosen Ones, inasmuch as none mightier than
they hath come to exist
in the world
of being. This truth all recognize, and bear witness thereto. These
Prophets and chosen Ones of God are
the recipients and revealers of all the
unchangeable attributes and names
of God. They are the mirrors that truly
and faithfully reflect the light
of God. Whatsoever is applicable to them is in
reality applicable to God, Himself,
Who is both the Visible and the Invisible.
The knowledge of Him, Who is the
Origin of all things, and attainment unto
Him, are impossible save through
knowledge of, and attainment unto, these
luminous Beings who proceed from
the Sun of Truth. By attaining, therefore,
to the presence of these holy Luminaries,
the "Presence of God" Himself is
attained. From their knowledge, the
knowledge of God is revealed, and from
the light of their countenance, the
splendour of the Face of God is made
manifest. Through the manifold attributes
of these Essences of Detachment,
Who are both the first and the last,
the seen and the hidden, it is made evident
that He Who is the Sun of Truth is
"the First and the Last, the Seen, and the
Hidden." Likewise the other
lofty names and exalted attributes of God.
Therefore, whosoever, and in whatever
Dispensation, hath recognized and
attained unto the presence of these
glorious, these resplendent and most
excellent Luminaries, hath verily
attained unto the "Presence of God" Himself,
and entered the city of eternal and
immortal life. Attainment unto such presence
is possible only in the Day of Resurrection,
which is the Day of the rise of God
Himself through His all-embracing
Revelation.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, The
Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 141-143
Glorified art
Thou, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by Thy
Chosen Ones, and
by the Bearers
of Thy Trust, and by Him Whom Thou hast ordained to be the
Seal of Thy
Prophets and of Thy Messengers, to let Thy remembrance be my
companion,
and Thy love my aim, and Thy face my goal, and Thy name my lamp,
and Thy wish
my desire, and Thy pleasure my delight.
-- Compilation,
Baha'i Prayers, p. 72
O followers of the Bayán! Fear
ye the All-Merciful. This is the One Who
hath been glorified by Muhammad,
the Apostle of God, and before Him by the
Spirit and yet before Him by the
One Who discoursed with God. This is the
Point of the
Bayán calling aloud before the Throne, saying: `By the
righteousness of God, ye have been
created to glorify this Most Great
Announcement, this Perfect Way which
lay
hid within the souls of the
Prophets, which
was treasured in the hearts of the chosen ones of God and
was written down by the glorious
Pen of your Lord, the Possessor of Names.'
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets
of Baha'u'llah, p. 103
"The purpose underlying all creation
is the revelation of this most sublime,
this most holy Day, the Day known
as the Day of God, in His Books and
Scriptures--the Day which all the
Prophets, and the Chosen Ones, and the holy
ones, have wished to witness." "The
highest essence and most perfect expression
of whatsoever the peoples of old
have either said or written hath, through this
most potent Revelation, been sent
down from the heaven of the Will of the
All-Possessing, the Ever-Abiding
God."...
-- Bahá'u'lláh, The
Advent of Divine Justice, p. 77-79
O followers of the Bayán! Fear
ye the All-Merciful. This is the One Who hath
been glorified by Muhammad, the Apostle
of God, and before Him by the
Spirit and yet before Him by the
One Who discoursed with God. This is the
Point of the Bayán calling
aloud before the Throne, saying: `By the righteousness
of God, ye have been created to glorify
this Most Great Announcement, this
Perfect Way which lay hid within
the souls of the Prophets, which was treasured
in the hearts
of the chosen ones of God and was written down by the
glorious Pen of your Lord, the Possessor
of Names.'
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets
of Baha'u'llah, p. 103
Thou hast known how grievously the
Prophets of God, His Messengers and Chosen
Ones,
have been afflicted. Meditate a while on the motive and reason which
have been responsible for such a
persecution. At no time, in no Dispensation,
have the Prophets of God escaped
the blasphemy of their enemies, the cruelty
of their oppressors, the denunciation
of the learned of their age, who
appeared in the guise of uprightness
and piety. Day and night they passed
through such agonies as none can
ever measure, except the knowledge of the
one true God, exalted be His glory.
Consider this wronged One. Though
the clearest proofs attest the truth of His
Cause; though the prophecies He,
in an unmistakable language, hath made have
been fulfilled; though, in spite
of His not being accounted among the learned,
His being unschooled and inexperienced
in the disputations current among the
divines, He hath rained upon men
the showers of His manifold and
Divinely-inspired knowledge; yet,
behold how this generation hath rejected
His authority, and rebelled against
Him!
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings
from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 57
O concourse of divines! When My verses
were sent down, and My clear tokens
were revealed, We found you behind
the veils. This, verily, is a strange
thing. Ye glory in My Name, yet ye
recognized Me not at the time your Lord,
the All-Merciful, appeared amongst
you with proof and testimony. We have
rent the veils asunder. Beware lest
ye shut out the people by yet another
veil. Pluck asunder the chains of
vain imaginings, in the name of the Lord
of all men, and be not of the deceitful.
Should ye turn unto God and embrace
His Cause, spread not disorder within
it, and measure not the Book of God
with your selfish desires. This,
verily, is the counsel of God aforetime and
hereafter, and to this God's witnesses
and chosen ones, yea, each and every
one of Us, do solemnly attest.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, The
Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 79
The sovereigns of the earth have been
and are the manifestations of the
power, the grandeur and the majesty
of God. This Wronged One hath at no
time dealt deceitfully with anyone.
Every one is well aware of this, and
beareth witness unto it. Regard for
the rank of sovereigns is divinely
ordained, as is clearly attested
by the words of the Prophets of God and
His chosen
ones. He Who is the Spirit (Jesus) -- may peace be upon Him --
was asked: "O Spirit of God! Is it
lawful to give tribute to Caesar or
not?" And He made reply: "Yea, render
to Caesar the things that are
Caesar's and to God the things that
are God's." He forbade it not. These
two sayings are, in the estimation
of men of insight, one and the same, for
if that which belonged to Caesar
had not come from God, He would have
forbidden it. And likewise in the
sacred verse: "Obey God and obey the
Apostle, and those among you invested
with authority." By "those invested
with authority" is meant primarily
and more especially the Imams -- the
blessings of God rest upon them!
They, verily, are the manifestations of
the power of God, and the sources
of His authority, and the repositories of
His knowledge, and the daysprings
of His commandments.
--Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son
of the Wolf, p. 89