| Kitáb-i-Íqán | 72 |
amongst men, the exalting of the illiterate faithful
above the learned opposers of the Faith. In another
sense, they mean the appearance of that immortal
Beauty in the image of mortal man, with such human
limitations as eating and drinking, poverty
and riches, glory and abasement, sleeping and waking,
and such other things as cast doubt in the
minds of men, and cause them to turn away. All
such veils are symbolically referred to as "clouds."
These are the "clouds" that cause the heavens of
the knowledge and understanding of all that dwell
on earth to be cloven asunder. Even as He hath revealed:
"On that day shall the heaven be cloven
by the clouds." (1) Even as the clouds prevent the
eyes of men from beholding the sun, so do these
things hinder the souls of men from recognizing
the light of the divine Luminary. To this beareth
witness that which hath proceeded out of the
mouth of the unbelievers as revealed in the sacred
Book: "And they have said: `What manner of
apostle is this? He eateth food, and walketh the
streets. Unless an angel be sent down and take part
in His warnings, we will not believe.'" (2) Other
