They that judge
with fairness testify that since the early days of the
Cause this
Wronged One hath arisen, unveiled and resplendent, before the
faces of kings
and commoners, before the rulers and the divines, and hath,
in ringing
tones, summoned all men unto the straight Path. He hath had no
helper save
His Pen, nor any succourer other than Himself.
Those who are
ignorant or heedless of the motivating purpose of the Cause
of God have
rebelled against Him. Such men are the foreboders of evil, whom
God hath mentioned
in His Book and Tablets and against whose influence,
clamour and
deception He hath warned His people. Well is it with those who,
in the face
of the remembrance of the Lord of Eternity, regard the peoples
of the world
as utter nothingness, as a thing forgotten, and hold fast to
the
firm handle of God in such wise that neither
doubts nor insinuations,
nor swords,
nor cannon could hold them back or deprive them of His
presence. Blessed
are the steadfast; blessed are they that stand firm in
His Faith.
-- Bahá'u'lláh,
Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 123
O thou spiritual youth and merciful young man!
Consider the
grace of thy Master; how He hath directed thee to the fountain
of salvation,
until thou hast drunk from the salsabil (i.e., clear water of
life) of the
guidance of God, in this holy and rich garden.
Cling to this
firm
handle and make thy feet steady in this path,
so that
the bounties
of thy Supreme Lord may successively pour upon thee and make
thee a sign
of His mighty knowledge.
-- `Abdu'l-Bahá,
Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 256
"O Lord, I ask
of Thee by the Supreme Word, whereat whosoever is in the
earth and the
heaven feareth save him who taketh hold of the `Most
Firm
Handle,'
that Thou wilt not abandon Me amongst Thy creatures: lift Me up
unto Thee,
and make Me to enter in under the shadow of Thy mercy, and give
Me to drink
of the pure wine of Thy grace, that I may dwell under the
canopy of Thy
glory and the domes of Thy favors: verily Thou art powerful
unto that Thou
wishest, and verily Thou art the Protecting, the
Self-Sufficing.
-- `Abdu'l-Bahá,
A Traveler's Narrative, p. 76
2:256 Let there
be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from
Error: whoever
rejects evil and believes in God hath grasped the
most
trustworthy
hand- hold, that never breaks. And God heareth
and knoweth all
things.
2:257 God is
the Protector of those who have faith: from the depths of
darkness He
will lead them forth into light. Of those who reject faith the
patrons are
the evil ones: from light they will lead them forth into the
depths of darkness.
They will be companions of the fire, to dwell therein
(For ever).
-- Qur'an:
2 - AL-BAQARAH
31:21 When they
are told to follow the (Revelation) that God has sent down,
they say: "Nay,
we shall follow the ways that we found our fathers
(following).
"What! even if it is Satan beckoning them to the Penalty of
the (Blazing)
Fire?
31:22 Whoever
submits his whole self to God, and is a doer of good, has
grasped indeed
the
most trustworthy hand-hold: and with God rests
the End
and Decision
of (all) affairs.
31:23 But if
any reject Faith, let not his rejection grieve thee: to Us is
their return,
and We shall tell them the truth of their deeds: for God
knows well
all that is in (men's) hearts.
31:24 We grant
them their pleasure for a little while: in the end shall We
drive them
to a chastisement unrelenting.
-- Qur'an:
31 - LUQMAN.