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Chapter 23
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Divine Unity as relates to the Independent Prophets and Dependent/Lesser Prophets.
1)
He is a true believer in Divine unity who, far from confusing duality
with oneness, refuseth to allow any notion of multiplicity to becloud
his conception of the singleness of God, who will regard the Divine
Being as One Who, by His very nature, transcendeth the limitations of
numbers.
The essence of belief in Divine unity consisteth in regarding Him Who
is the Manifestation of God and Him Who is the invisible, the
inaccessible, the unknowable Essence as one and the same. By this is
meant that whatever pertaineth to the former, all His acts and doings,
whatever He ordaineth or forbiddeth, should be considered, in all their
aspects, and under all circumstances, and without any reservation, as
identical with the Will of God Himself. This is the loftiest station to
which a true believer in the unity of God can ever hope to attain.
Blessed is the man that reacheth this station, and is of them that are
steadfast in their belief.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 166-167
I give praise to Thee, therefore, O my God, that Thou hast preserved them that have acknowledged Thy unity, and hast destroyed them that have joined partners
with Thee, and hast divided the one from the other through yet another
word that hath proceeded out of the mouth of Thy will, and flowed down
from the pen of Thy purpose. Thereby have Thy servants, who were
created through the word of Thy commandment, and were begotten by Thy
will, caviled at me, and so fiercely opposed me that they repudiated
Thee, and have rejected Thy signs, and have risen up against Thee.
Thy glory beareth me witness, O my Beloved! My pen is powerless to
describe what their hands have wrought against Him Who is the
Manifestation of Thy Cause, and the Day-Spring of Thy Revelation, and
the Dawning-Place of Thine inspiration. For all this I give praise to
Thee. I swear by Thy glory, O my God! My heart yearneth after the
things ordained by Thee in the heaven of Thy decree and the kingdom of
Thine appointment. For whatsoever befalleth me in Thy path is the
beloved of my soul and the goal of my desire. This, verily, is to be
ascribed to naught except Thy power and Thy might.
-- Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 308
2)
Divine Unity as relates Muhammad (the Independent Prophet) and Imam Ali, the first Dependent/Lesser Prophet in the era of Muhammad, and his Successor. This hadith is also where Imam Ali states, "Muhammad is our first, Muhammad our last, Muhammad our all", which Baha'u'llah cites in the Kitáb-i-Íqán when explaining the "station of pure abstraction and essential unity" of the Manifestations of God, which includes the Holy Imams. Baha'u'llah also cites them in the Gems of Divine Mysteries
('Hast thou not heard what hath been said aforetime: "Muhammad is our
first, Muhammad our last, Muhammad our all"? And elsewhere: "They all
proceed from the same Light"?'):
This is that which Salmán[2] and 'Abú Dharr[3] related of the
utterances of the Commander of the Faithful, 'Alí [Imam Ali] - Peace be upon Him!
'Alí said:
He whose acceptance of my guardianship is based on external reality
more than internal truth, he is that one "whose balance will be
light"[4] Those whose scale will be light, their souls will be in
perdition.[5] O Salmán! The faith of no believer will attain perfection
unless and until he recognizeth Me with luminousness. If he attaineth
unto this, then he hath truly attained faith; he is the one whose heart
is tested with true faith, whose breast is dilated in true Islám and
whose faith is based on discernment. He who is convicted of shortcoming
in this cognition - he will be a doubter, immersed in disbelief.
O Salmán! and O Jandáb![6] In truth, recognition of Me in luminousness
is the recognition of God,[7] and Recognition and knowledge of God is
indeed knowledge of Me; this is what is meant by sincere devotion.[8]
Mankind was not ordered by God to seek naught except to attain unto
this unity.[9] They were commanded to worship but One God.[10] And they
have been commanded no more than this: "To worship God, offering Him
sincere devotion, being true (in faith), to establish regular prayer;
and to practice regular charity; and that is the Religion Right and
Straight."[11]
"Worshipping God" is belief in Divine Unity. "Sincere devotion" and
"being true in Faith"[12] is confession of the Prophethood of the
Prophet. "Establishing Prayer" is my Guardianship and Friendship.[13]
He who pledges fealty and friendship unto Me hath truly established the
obligatory prayer. Yet, this matter is hard, exceedingly hard! "Regular
charity" in the above verse is confession to the Imámate. All this is
the true religion.[14]
The Holy Qur'án hath testified
that true Faith is recognition of divine unity and confession to both
the Prophet [recognition of Muhammad, the pre-existent Independent Prophet, the Manifestation of God] and the Imámate [recognition of the Holy Imams, the pre-existent Dependent/Lesser Prophets of Muhammad, the Manifestations of God]. He who attaineth unto both hath fulfilled
his faith. A true believer is the one who does not reject any matter
pertaining to Us, for God Himself hath dilated His Breast such that He
may accept all. He will not doubt or be mistrustful. He who cavileth
why and wherefore becometh a disbeliever. We are, verily, the Cause of
God![15]
O Salmán! O Jandáb![16] Verily, God hath made me His Trustee over His
creation and His Vicegerent on His earth, in His territories, and over
His servants. He hath given Me what no artist can depict and no man of
understanding can truly comprehend. If thou wert to know Me in this
fashion, thou shalt attain unto true belief.[17]
O Salmán! God, exalted be He saith: "Nay, seek God's help with patient
perseverance and prayer: it is indeed hard except to those who bring a
lowly spirit [those who are not spiritual]."[18] "Patient perseverance" is Muhammad and "Prayer" is
my Wilayat.[19] Thus, that is why God hath declared it is hard. He doth
not reveal the Two[20] are hard. In truth, My Guardianship is
perplexing only to those who bring a lowly spirit. These latter are
they who have sought discernment using the light of My guidance.
O Salmán! We are the Mystery of God[21] that shalt not remain hidden.
We are His light that shalt never be extinguished, His Grace that is
expected from none other save Him. Muhammad
is our first, Muhammad our last, Muhammad our all![22] Muhammad is our
first, Muhammad our last, Muhammad our all. He who recognizeth Us in
this regard hath, in truth, consummated his Faith.
O Salmán, and O Jandáb! Muhammad and I were the Light that was voicing
forth the divine eulogy before any other reality started to praise Him.
We were the cause of illumination unto all creation. This one Light was
divided by God into two portions, the Chosen "Mustafa"[23], and His
Vicegerent, "Murtada"[24], and vouchsafed unto creation. God, exalted
be His Glory, said to each half, "Be Muhammad!", "Be 'Alí!"[25] It is thus that the Prophet said: "I am from 'Alí and 'Alí is from Me. None can give forth My Trust but Myself and 'Alí."[26]
This refers to our unity in the worlds of Light and Spirit. Similar is
this divine utterance: "and If He dieth or is slain."[27] "Dieth"
refers to the passing away of the Prophet. "Slain" refers to the
martyrdom of the Successor[28], for the Two are one Entity, one
Signification and one Light. Their unity is in purpose and attributes.
They are different in Their corporeal entity and their Names. But in
the world of spirit, They are One Spirit. In Spirit, He said, "Thou art
the Spirit within My Limbs." In the world of bodies, He saith: "Thou
art of Me and I am of Thine. Thou shalt inherit after Me."
O Salmán! He that believeth in all truth as I have expounded it is
truly a believer whose heart hath been tested and proven. He that
doubteth and hesitateth, he hath reneged on the Faith, although
outwardly he sayeth that he believes in the Wiláyat.[63] I, and
the Guides of My Family, the Imáms, are the Hidden Mystery of God[64] and His Guardians.[65] Our Cause is One, Our Mystery is One and Our Unity is absolute.
If thou maketh distinctions, thou wilt be among the ones lost. We
appear and have Our Manifestation in every age as the All Merciful
willeth. All woe betide the One Who denieth Us! None shall gainsay
these except the one whose heart, eyes and hearing are sealed.
-- Imam Ali, The Sermon of Ma'rifat bin-Nurániyyat (Recognition with Luminousness). Translation by K. Fananapazir.
Full text available at: https://bahai-library.com/imam-ali_marifat_nuraniyyat
3:81. Behold! Allah took the Covenant of the Prophets, saying: "I give you a Book and Wisdom; then comes to you a Messenger [i.e. Imam Ali] confirming what is with you; do ye believe him and render him help." Allah said: "Do ye agree, and take this My Covenant as binding on you?" They said: "We agree." He said: "Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses [i.e. as the Holy Imams, Dependent/Lesser Prophets of Muhammad, Manifestations of God]."
3:82. If any turn back after this, they are perverted transgressors.
3:83. Do they seek for other than the Religion of Allah? While all
creatures in the heavens and on earth have, willing or unwilling, bowed
to His Will (accepted Islam), and to Him shall they all be brought back.
3:84. Say: "We believe in Allah, and in what has been revealed to us
and what was revealed to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob, and the
Tribes, and in (Books) given to Moses, Jesus, and the Prophets, from
their Lord; we make no distinction between one and another among them,
and to Allah do we bow our will (in Islam)."
3:85. If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to
Allah), never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter he will
be in the ranks of those who have lost (all spiritual good).
3:86. How shall Allah guide those who reject faith after they accepted it and bore witness that the Messenger was true and that clear signs had come unto them? But Allah guides not a people unjust.
-- The Qur'an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 3.
3)
Divine Unity as relates to the Holy Imams, "stars", Dependent/Lesser Prophets in the era of Muhammad:
If we ponder a while over the Qur'anic verses and proofs, and the
traditional accounts which have come down to us from those stars of the
heaven of Divine Unity, the Holy Imams, we shall be convinced of the
fact that if a soul is endowed with the attributes of true faith and
characterized with spiritual qualities he will become to all mankind an
emblem of the outstretched mercies of God. For the attributes of the
people of faith are justice and fair-mindedness; forbearance and
compassion and generosity; consideration for others; candor,
trustworthiness, and loyalty; love and loving-kindness; devotion and
determination and humanity. If therefore an individual is truly
righteous, he will avail himself of all those means which will attract
the hearts of men, and through the attributes of God he will draw them
to the straight path of faith and cause them to drink from the river of
everlasting life.
--Abdu'l-Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 55
4)
Divine Unity as relates to the Bab, the Independent Prophet:
In brief, I hold within My grasp whatsoever any man might wish of the
good of this world and of the next. Were I to remove the veil, all
would recognize Me as their Best Beloved [the Manifestation of God], and no one would deny Me. Let not this assertion astound Your Majesty; inasmuch as a true believer in the unity of God
who keepeth his eyes directed towards Him alone, will regard aught else
but Him as utter nothingness. I swear by God! I seek no earthly goods
from thee, be it as much as a mustard seed. Indeed, to possess anything
of this world or of the next would, in My estimation, be tantamount to
open blasphemy. For it ill beseemeth the believer in the unity of God
to turn his gaze to aught else, much less to hold it in his possession.
I know of a certainty that since I have God, the Ever-Living, the
Adored One, I am the possessor of all things, visible and invisible...
-- The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 15
5)
Divine Unity as relates to the Manifestations of God:
XXI. O Salman! The door of the knowledge of the Ancient Being hath ever
been, and will continue for ever to be, closed in the face of men. No
man's understanding shall ever gain access unto His holy court. As a
token of His mercy, however, and as a proof of His loving-kindness, He
hath manifested unto men the Day Stars of His divine guidance, the
Symbols of His divine unity, and hath ordained the knowledge of these
sanctified Beings to be identical with the knowledge of His own Self.
Whoso recognizeth them hath recognized God. Whoso hearkeneth to their
call, hath hearkened to the Voice of God, and whoso testifieth to the
truth of their Revelation, hath testified to the truth of God Himself.
Whoso turneth away from them, hath turned away from God, and whoso
disbelieveth in them, hath disbelieved in God. Every one of them is the
Way of God that connecteth this world with the realms above, and the
Standard of His Truth unto every one in the kingdoms of earth and
heaven. They are the Manifestations of God amidst men, the evidences of
His Truth, and the signs of His glory.
--Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 49
And now, with reference to His words: "And then shall all the tribes of
the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds
of heaven with power and great glory." These words signify that in
those days men will lament the loss of the Sun of the divine beauty, of the Moon of knowledge, and of the Stars of divine wisdom. Thereupon, they will behold the countenance of the promised One, the adored Beauty, descending from heaven and riding upon the clouds.
By this is meant that the divine Beauty will be made manifest from the
heaven of the will of God, and will appear in the form of the human
temple. The term "heaven" denoteth loftiness and exaltation, inasmuch
as it is the seat of the revelation of those Manifestations
of Holiness, the Day-springs of ancient glory. These ancient Beings,
though delivered from the womb of their mother, have in reality
descended from the heaven of the will of God. Though they be dwelling
on this earth, yet their true habitations are the retreats of glory in
the realms above. Whilst walking amongst mortals, they soar in the
heaven of the divine presence. Without feet they tread the path of the spirit, and without wings they rise unto the exalted heights of divine unity.
With every fleeting breath they cover the immensity of space, and at
every moment traverse the kingdoms of the visible and the invisible.
Upon their thrones is written: "Nothing whatsoever keepeth Him from
being occupied with any other thing;" and on their seats is inscribed:
"Verily, His ways differ every day."[1] They are sent forth through the
transcendent power of the Ancient of Days, and are raised up by the
exalted will of God, the most mighty King. This is what is meant by the
words: "coming in the clouds of heaven." [1 Qur'an 55:29.]
--Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 66
6)
Divine Unity as relates to the Sun (Independent Prophet) and the Moon (Dependent/Lesser Prophet):
Thy unity is inscrutable, O my God, to all except them that have
recognized Him Who is the Manifestation of Thy singleness and the
Day-Spring of Thy oneness. Whoso assigneth a rival unto Him hath
assigned a rival unto Thee, and whoso hath set up a peer for Him hath
set up a peer for Thyself. No, no, none can withstand Thee in the whole
of creation. Thou hast everlastingly been exalted far above all
comparison and likeness. Thy oneness hath been demonstrated by the
oneness of Him Who is the Dawning-Place of Thy Revelation. Whosoever
denieth this, hath denied Thy unity, and disputed with Thee about Thy
sovereignty, and contended with Thee in Thy realm, and repudiated Thy
commandments.
Assist Thou Thy servants, O my Lord, to recognize Thy unity
and to declare Thy oneness, that all may gather together around what
Thou didst desire in this Day whereon the sun of Thine essence [Baha'u'llah, the Independent Prophet] hath shone forth above the horizon of Thy will, and the moon of Thine own being [Abdu'l-Baha, the first Dependent/Lesser Prophet]
hath risen from the Day-Spring of Thy behest. Thou art He, O my Lord,
from Whose knowledge nothing whatsoever escapeth, and Whom no one can
frustrate. Thou doest Thy pleasure, by Thy sovereignty that
overshadoweth the worlds.
-- Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 57
Amongst the proofs demonstrating the truth of this Revelation is this, that in every age and Dispensation, whenever the invisible Essence was revealed in the person of His Manifestation, certain souls, obscure and detached from all worldly entanglements, would seek illumination from the Sun of Prophethood and Moon of divine guidance, and would attain unto the divine Presence.
For this reason, the divines of the age and those possessed of wealth,
would scorn and scoff at these people. Even as He hath revealed
concerning them that erred: "Then said the chiefs of His people who
believed not, 'We see in Thee but a man like ourselves; and we see not
any who have followed Thee except our meanest ones of hasty judgment,
nor see we any excellence in you above ourselves: nay, we deem you
liars.'"[1] They caviled at those holy Manifestations,
and protested saying: "None hath followed you except the abject amongst
us, those who are worthy of no attention." Their aim was to show that
no one amongst the learned, the wealthy, and the renowned believed in
them. By this and similar proofs they sought to demonstrate the falsity
of Him that speaketh naught but the truth.
[1 Qur'án 11:27.]
-- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 221
Praise be to Thee, O my God. I beseech Thee by Thy Name whereby the
oceans of Thy names have swelled in the realm of Thine attributes, so
that the sun of Thy decree might appear in the East above the horizon of Thy judgment; and whereby the moon
of Thy Plan hath striven to rise above the horizon of the realm of Thy
command, to gather these persons together, O my Beloved, under the
shade of the tree of Thy Oneness.
-- Baha'u'llah, Tablet of the Sacred Night - A provisional translation by J.Cole.
7)
Divine Unity as relates to the "temples of the Oneness of God":
1.12
O Pen of the Most High! Hearken unto the Call of Thy Lord, raised from
the Divine Lote-Tree in the holy and luminous Spot, that the sweet
accents of Thy Lord, the All-Merciful, may fill Thy soul with joy and
fervour, and that the breezes that waft from My name, the
Ever-Forgiving, may dispel Thy cares and sorrows. Raise up, then, from
this Temple [Baha'u'llah, the pre-existent Independent Prophet, the Manifestation of God], the temples of the Oneness of God [the pre-existent Dependent/Lesser Prophets of Baha'u'llah, the Manifestations of God, summoned to appear on earth by Him],
that they may tell out, in the kingdom of creation, the tidings of
their Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, and be of them that are
illumined by His light.
1.13
We, verily, have ordained this Temple [Baha'u'llah, the Independent Prophet]
to be the source of all existence in the new creation, that all may
know of a certainty My power to accomplish that which I have purposed
through My word "Be", and it is! Beneath the shadow of every letter [Dependent/Lesser Prophet of Baha'u'llah] of this Temple [Baha'u'llah, the Independent Prophet]
We shall raise up a people whose number none can reckon save God, the
Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Erelong shall God bring forth from
His Temple such souls as will remain unswayed by the insinuations of
the rebellious, and who will quaff at all times of the cup that is life
indeed. These, truly, are of the blissful.
1.14
These are servants [Dependent/Lesser Prophets of Baha'u'llah]
who abide beneath the shelter of the tender mercy of their Lord, and
who remain undeterred by those who seek to obstruct their path. Upon
their faces may be seen the brightness of the light of the
All-Merciful, and from their hearts may be heard the remembrance of
Mine all-glorious and inaccessible Name. Were they to unloose their
tongues to extol their Lord, the denizens of earth and heaven would
join in their anthems of praise -- yet how few are they who hear! And
were they to glorify their Lord, all created things would join in their
hymns of glory. Thus hath God exalted them above the rest of His creation, and yet the people remain unaware!
1.15
These are they who circle round the Cause of God even as the shadow
doth revolve around the sun. Open, then, your eyes, O people of the
Bayan, that haply ye may behold them! It is by virtue of their movement
that all things are set in motion, and by reason of their stillness all
things are brought to rest, would that ye might be assured thereof!
Through them the believers in the Divine Unity
have turned towards Him Who is the Object of the adoration of the
entire creation, and by them the hearts of the righteous have found
rest and composure, could ye but know it! Through them the earth hath been established, the clouds have rained down their bounty, and the bread of knowledge hath descended from the heaven of grace, could ye but perceive it!
-- Baha'u'llah, Surih of the Temple, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 8.
Say: Verily, the ocean of pre-existence [Abdu'l-Baha] hath branched forth from this most great Ocean [Baha'u'llah]. Blessed, therefore, is he who abides upon Its shores, and is of those who are established thereon. Verily, this most sacred temple of Abha [Glory]
-- the Branch of Holiness hath branched forth from the
Sadratu'l-Muntaha. Blessed is whosoever sought shelter beneath it and
is of those who rest therein...
Say: Verily a word hath gone forth in favor from the most great Tablet and God has adorned It with the mantle of Himself, and made it sovereign over all in the earth
and a sign of His grandeur and omnipotence among the creatures; in
order that through it, the people shall praise their Lord, the mighty,
the powerful, the wise; and that, through it, they shall glorify their
creator and sanctify the self of God which standeth within all things.
Verily, this is naught but a Revelation upon the part of the wise, the
ancient One!...
-- Baha'u'llah, The Tablet of the Branch - from Bahá'í World Faith, Pages: 204-207
8)
Divine Unity as relates to the "handmaidens", God's chosen ones:
Since Thou hast purposed, O my God, to cause all created things to enter into the tabernacle of Thy transcendent grace and favor, and to waft over the entire creation the fragrances of the raiment of Thy glorious unity,
and to look upon all things with the eyes of Thy bounty and Thy
oneness, I beseech Thee, therefore, by Thy love, which Thou hast made
to be the mainspring of the revelations of Thine eternal holiness, and
the flame that gloweth within the hearts of such of Thy creatures as
yearn towards Thee, to create, this very moment, for those of Thy
people who are wholly devoted to Thee, and for such of Thy loved ones
as love Thee, out of the essence of Thy bounty and Thy generosity, and
from the inmost spirit of Thy grace and Thy glory, Thy Paradise of
transcendent holiness, and to exalt it above everything except Thee,
and to sanctify it from aught else save Thyself. Create, moreover,
within it, O my God, out of the lights shed by Thy throne, handmaidens [pre-existent Dependent/Lesser Prophets of Baha'u'llah]
who will intone the melodies of Thy wondrous and most sweet invention,
that they may magnify Thy name with such words as have not been heard
by any of Thy creatures, be they the inmates of Thy heaven or the
dwellers of Thine earth, nor been comprehended by any of Thy people.
Unlock, then, the gates of this Paradise to the faces of Thy loved
ones, that haply they may enter them in Thy name, and by the power of
Thy sovereignty, that thereby the sovereign bounties vouchsafed by Thee
unto Thy chosen ones [Dependent/Lesser Prophets of Baha'u'llah]
and the transcendent gifts granted unto Thy trusted ones be perfected,
that they may extol Thy virtues with such melodies as none can either
intone or describe, and that none of Thy people may conceive the design
of appearing in the guise of any of Thy chosen ones,
or of emulating the example of Thy loved ones, and that none may fail
to discern between Thy friends and Thine enemies, or to distinguish
them that are devoted to Thee from such as stubbornly oppose Thee.
Potent art Thou to do what Thou willest, and powerful and supreme art
Thou over all things.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Prayers and Meditations, p. 326-32
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
Thereupon she [the Maid of Heaven, Baha'u'llah] summoned unto herself one maiden [one Dependent Prophet of Baha'u'llah] from her handmaidens,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
And commanded her: "Descend into space from the mansions of eternity,...
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
Thereupon the countenance of the favored damsel beamed above the
celestial chambers even as the light that shineth from the face of the
Youth above His mortal temple;
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
She then descended with such an adorning as to illumine the heavens and all that is therein.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Compilation, Bahá'í Prayers, Tablet of the Holy Mariner.
9)
Divine Unity as relates to the "beauties of divine mystery":
Praise be unto God Who hath made the Most Great Infallibility
the shield for the temple of His Cause in the realm of creation, and
hath assigned unto no one a share of this lofty and sublime station --
a station which is a vesture which the fingers of transcendent power
have woven for His august Self. It befitteth no one except Him Who is
seated upon the mighty throne of 'He doeth what He pleaseth'. Whoso
accepteth and recognizeth that which is written down at this moment by
the Pen of Glory is indeed reckoned in the Book of God, the Lord of the
beginning and the end, among the exponents of divine unity, they that
uphold the concept of the oneness of God.
When the stream of words reached this stage, the sweet savours of true
knowledge were shed abroad and the day-star of divine unity shone forth
above the horizon of His holy utterance. Blessed is he whom His Call
hath attracted to the summit of glory, who hath drawn nigh to the
ultimate Purpose, and who hath recognized through the shrill voice of
My Pen of Glory that which the Lord of this world and of the next hath
willed. Whoso faileth to quaff
the choice wine which We have unsealed through the potency of Our Name,
the All-Compelling, shall be unable to discern the splendours of the
light of divine unity or to grasp the essential purpose underlying the
Scriptures of God, the Lord of heaven and earth, the sovereign Ruler of
this world and of the world to come. Such a man shall be accounted
among the faithless in the Book of God, the All-Knowing, the
All-Informed.
O thou honoured enquirer! [1] We bear witness that thou didst firmly
adhere unto seemly patience during the days when the Pen was held back
from movement and the Tongue hesitated to set forth an explanation
regarding the wondrous sign, the Most Great Infallibility. Thou hast
asked this Wronged One to remove for thee its veils and coverings, to
elucidate its mystery and character, its state and position, its
excellence, sublimity and exaltation. By the life of God! Were We to
unveil the pearls of testimony which lie hid within the shells of the
ocean of knowledge and assurance or to let the beauties of divine
mystery [the pre-existent Dependent/Lesser Prophets of Baha'u'llah] which [who] are hidden within the chambers of utterance in the
Paradise of true understanding, step out of their habitation, then from
every direction violent commotion would arise among the leaders of
religion and thou wouldst witness the people of God held fast in the
teeth of such wolves as have denied God both in the beginning and in
the end. Therefore We restrained the Pen for a considerable lapse of
time in accordance with divine wisdom and for the sake of protecting
the faithful from those who have bartered away heavenly blessings for
disbelief and have chosen for their people the abode of perdition.
--Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 105
10)
Divine Unity as relates to "stars, [who] would adorn the firmament of divine guidance":
204. O phoenix of that immortal flame kindled in the sacred Tree!
Bahá'u'lláh -- may my life, my soul, my spirit be offered up as a
sacrifice unto His lowly servants -- hath, during His last days on
earth, given the most emphatic promise that, through the outpourings of
the grace of God and the aid and assistance vouchsafed from His Kingdom
on high, souls will arise and holy beings appear who, as stars [Dependent/Lesser Prophets of Baha'u'llah] would adorn the firmament of divine guidance; illumine the dayspring of loving-kindness and bounty; manifest the signs of the unity of God;
shine with the light of sanctity and purity; receive their full measure
of divine inspiration; raise high the sacred torch of faith; stand firm
as the rock and immoveable as the mountain; and grow to become
luminaries in the heavens of His Revelation, mighty channels of His
grace, means for the bestowal of God's bountiful care, heralds calling
forth the name of the One true God, and establishers of the world's
supreme foundation.
-- Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 250
... for 1000 years there shall arise no Sun [Independent Prophet]. All the appearances will be beneath the shadow of the Most Great Appearance [Baha'u'llah, the Independent Prophet]: they will be as stars [Dependent/Lesser Prophets of Baha'u'llah]
of guidance. All of them shall gather around this Fountain of Life; all
of them will become illumined with the rays of this Sun; all of them
will receive a share and a portion from this great Sea; all of them
will become vivified with this soul-imparting breeze;..
-- Compilations, Baha'i Scriptures, p. 283
11)
In the following passage, "souls who will adorn the world of being with a new raiment and a wondrous robe" is another reference to Dependent Prophets of Baha'u'llah and the new teachings they bring. "Moon" and "divine unity" are also terms applicable to the Dependent Prophets.
O Thou kind Lord! From the horizon of detachment Thou hast manifested souls that, even as the shining moon,
shed radiance upon the realm of heart and soul, rid themselves from the
attributes of the world of existence and hastened forth unto the
kingdom of immortality. With a drop from the ocean of Thy loving
kindness Thou didst oft-times moisten the gardens of their hearts until
they gained incomparable freshness and beauty. The holy fragrance of Thy divine unity was diffused far and wide, shedding its sweet savours over the entire world, causing the regions of the earth to be redolent with perfume.
Raise up then, O Spirit of Purity, souls who, like those sanctified
beings, will become free and pure, Will adorn the world of being with a
new raiment and a wondrous robe, will seek no one else but Thee, tread
no path except the path of Thy good-pleasure and will speak of naught
but the mysteries of Thy Cause.
-- Compilations, Fire and Light.
Raise up, I implore Thee, O my God, as helpers to this Revelation such as shall be counted worthy of Thy name and of Thy sovereignty, that they may remember me among Thy creatures, and hoist the ensigns of Thy victory in Thy land.
-- Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 155
12)
FIX your gaze upon wisdom in all things, for it is an unfailing
antidote. How often hath it turned a disbeliever into a believer or a
foe into a friend? Its observance is highly essential, inasmuch as this
theme hath been set forth in numerous Tablets revealed from the
empyrean of the Will of Him Who is the Manifestation of the light of
divine unity. Well is it with them that act accordingly.
Centre your attention unceasingly upon that which will cause the Word
of God to be exalted. In this Most Great Revelation goodly deeds and a
praiseworthy character are regarded as the hosts of God, likewise is
His blessed and holy Word. These hosts are the lodestone of the hearts
of men and the effective means for unlocking doors. Of all the weapons
in the world this is the keenest.
Beseech thou God to graciously assist all men to observe that which His
all-glorious Pen hath recorded in the sacred Books and Tablets.
THIS Wronged One doth mention him who hath set his face toward the
Incomparable One, the All-Knowing, him who beareth witness unto His
unity even as the All-Glorious Pen hath borne witness as it moveth
swiftly within the arena of utterance. Blessed is the soul that hath
recognized its Lord and woe betide him who hath grievously erred and
doubted.
Man is like unto a tree. If he be adorned with fruit, he hath been and
will ever be worthy of praise and commendation. Otherwise a fruitless
tree is but fit for fire. The fruits of the human tree are exquisite,
highly desired and dearly cherished. Among them are upright character,
virtuous deeds and a goodly utterance. The springtime for earthly trees
occurreth once every year, while the one for human trees appeareth in
the Days of God -- exalted be His glory. Were the trees of men's lives
to be adorned in this divine Springtime with the fruits that have been
mentioned, the effulgence of the light of Justice would, of a
certainty, illumine all the dwellers of the earth and everyone would
abide in tranquillity and contentment beneath the sheltering shadow of
Him Who is the Object of all mankind. The Water for these trees is the
living water of the sacred Words uttered by the Beloved of the world.
In one instant are such trees planted and in the next their branches
shall, through the outpourings of the showers of divine mercy, have
reached the skies. A dried-up tree, however, hath never been nor will
be worthy of any mention.
--Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 256
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