57 The Kissing Of Hands Hath Been Forbidden In The Book #34
Categories: NOTESSources: The Kitab-i-aqdas
In a number of earlier religious Dispensations and in certain cultures the
kissing of the hand of a religious figure or of a prominent person was
expected as a mark of reverence and deference to such persons and as a
token of submission to their authority. Baha'u'llah prohibits the kissing
of hands and, in His Tablets, He also condemns such practices as
prostrating oneself before another person and other forms of behaviour
that abase one individual in relation to another. (See note 58.)
More
-
53 Build Ye Houses Of Worship Throughout The Lands #31
The Baha'i House of Worship is dedicated to the praise of God. The House of Worship forms the central edifice of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar (the Dawning-place of the Praise of God), a complex which, as it unfolds in the future, will comprise in additio... 53: O Son Of Being! If Poverty Overtake Thee Be Not Sad; For In
O SON OF BEING! If poverty overtake thee, be not sad; for in time the Lord of wealth shall visit thee. Fear not abasement, for glory shall one day rest on thee. ... 53: O Ye That Pride Yourselves On Mortal Riches!
O YE THAT PRIDE YOURSELVES ON MORTAL RICHES! Know ye in truth that wealth is a mighty barrier between the seeker and his desire, the lover and his beloved. The rich, but for a few, shall in no wise attain the court of His presence nor enter the ci... 54
But as they failed to recognize the accents of God and the divine mysteries and holy allusions enshrined in that which flowed from the tongue of Muhammad, and as they neglected to examine the matter in their own hearts, and followed instead those pri... 54 The Lord Hath Ordained That Those Of You Who Are Able Shall Make Pilgrimage To The Sacred House #32
Two sacred Houses are covered by this ordinance, the House of the Bab in Shiraz and the House of Baha'u'llah in Baghdad. Baha'u'llah has specified that pilgrimage to either of these two Houses fulfils the requirement of this passage (Q and A 25, 2... 54: O Son Of Being! If Thine Heart Be Set Upon This Eternal
imperishable... O SON OF BEING! If thine heart be set upon this eternal, imperishable dominion, and this ancient, everlasting life, forsake this mortal and fleeting sovereignty. ... 54: O Ye Rich Ones On Earth! The Poor In Your Midst Are My Trust; Guard Ye
O YE RICH ONES ON EARTH! The poor in your midst are My trust; guard ye My trust, and be not intent only on your own ease. ... 55
Had these souls but clung steadfastly to the Handle of God manifested in the Person of Muhammad, had they turned wholly unto God and cast aside all that they had learned from their divines, He would assuredly have guided them through His grace and ac... 55 And From This He Hath Exempted Women As A Mercy On His Part #32
In the Bayan, the Bab enjoined the ordinance of pilgrimage once in a lifetime upon those of His followers who were financially able to undertake the journey. He stated that the obligation was not binding on women in order to spare them the rigours... 55: O Son Of Being! Busy Not Thyself With This World For With Fire We
O SON OF BEING! Busy not thyself with this world, for with fire We test the gold, and with gold We test Our servants. ... 55: O Son Of Passion! Cleanse Thyself From The Defilement Of Riches
O SON OF PASSION! Cleanse thyself from the defilement of riches and in perfect peace advance into the realm of poverty; that from the well-spring of detachment thou mayest quaff the wine of immortal life. ... 56
Now that this evanescent One hath reached this exalted point in the exposition of the inner mysteries, the reason for the denial of these uncouth souls will be described briefly, that it may serve as a testimony unto them that are endued with underst... 56 To Engage In Some Occupation #33
It is obligatory for men and women to engage in a trade or profession. Baha'u'llah exalts engagement in such work to the rank of worship of God. The spiritual and practical significance of this law, and the mutual responsibility of the individual ... 56: O My Son! The Company Of The Ungodly Increaseth Sorrow
O MY SON! The company of the ungodly increaseth sorrow, whilst fellowship with the righteous cleanseth the rust from off the heart. He that seeketh to commune with God, let him betake himself to the companionship of His loved ones; and he that des... 56: O Son Of Man! Thou Dost Wish For Gold And I Desire Thy Freedom
O SON OF MAN! Thou dost wish for gold and I desire thy freedom from it. Thou thinkest thyself rich in its possession, and I recognize thy wealth in thy sanctity therefrom. By My life! This is My knowledge, and that is thy fancy; how can My way acc... 57
Know then that when Muhammad, the Point of the Qur'an and the Light of the All-Glorious, came with perspicuous verses and luminous proofs manifested in such signs as are beyond the power of all existence to produce, He bade all men follow this lofty ... 57 The Kissing Of Hands Hath Been Forbidden In The Book #34
In a number of earlier religious Dispensations and in certain cultures the kissing of the hand of a religious figure or of a prominent person was expected as a mark of reverence and deference to such persons and as a token of submission to their a... 57: O Son Of Dust! Beware! Walk Not With The Ungodly And Seek
O SON OF DUST! Beware! Walk not with the ungodly and seek not fellowship with him, for such companionship turneth the radiance of the heart into infernal fire. ... 57: O Son Of Man! Bestow My Wealth Upon My Poor That In Heaven
O SON OF MAN! Bestow My wealth upon My poor, that in heaven thou mayest draw from stores of unfading splendor and treasures of imperishable glory. But by My life! To offer up thy soul is a more glorious thing couldst thou but see with Mine eye. ... 58
Know then that the paradise that appeareth in the day of God surpasseth every other paradise and excelleth the realities of Heaven. For when God--blessed and glorified is He--sealed the station of prophethood in the person of Him Who was His Friend, ... 58 To None Is It Permitted To Seek Absolution From Another Soul #34
Baha'u'llah prohibits confession to, and seeking absolution of one's sins from, a human being. Instead one should beg forgiveness from God. In the Tablet of Bisharat, He states that such confession before people results in one's humiliation and ab... 58: O Son Of Man! The Temple Of Being Is My Throne; Cleanse It Of
O SON OF MAN! The temple of being is My throne; cleanse it of all things, that there I may be established and there I may abide. ... 58: O Son Of My Handmaid! Wouldst Thou Seek The Grace Of The Holy Spirit
O SON OF MY HANDMAID! Wouldst thou seek the grace of the Holy Spirit, enter into fellowship with the righteous, for he hath drunk the cup of eternal life at the hands of the immortal Cup-bearer and even as the true morn doth quicken and illumine t... 59
Were I to recount all the verses that have been revealed in connection with this exalted theme, it would weary the reader and divert Us from Our purpose. The following verse shall therefore suffice Us; may thine eyes be solaced therewith, and mayest ... 59 Amongst The People Is He Who Seateth Himself Amid The Sandals
by the door whilst coveting in his heart the seat of honour. 36 Traditionally in the East it has been the practice to remove sandals and shoes before entering a gathering. The part of a room farthest from the entrance is regarded as the head of ... 59: O Heedless Ones! Think Not The Secrets Of Hearts Are Hidden Nay
O HEEDLESS ONES! Think not the secrets of hearts are hidden, nay, know ye of a certainty that in clear characters they are engraved and are openly manifest in the holy Presence. ... 59: O Son Of Being! Thy Heart Is My Home; Sanctify It For My Descent
O SON OF BEING! Thy heart is My home; sanctify it for My descent. Thy spirit is My place of revelation; cleanse it for My manifestation. ... 5: O Son Of Being! Love Me That I May Love Thee If Thou Lovest Me
O SON OF BEING! Love Me, that I may love thee. If thou lovest Me not, My love can in no wise reach thee. Know this, O servant. ... 5: O Son Of Dust! Verily I Say Unto Thee: Of All Men The Most Negligent
O SON OF DUST! Verily I say unto thee: Of all men the most negligent is he that disputeth idly and seeketh to advance himself over his brother. Say, O brethren! Let deeds, not words, be your adorning. ... 6
Now that the discourse hath reached this exalted and intractable theme and touched upon this sublime and impenetrable mystery, know that the Christian and Jewish peoples have not grasped the intent of the words of God and the promises He hath made to... 6 We Have Relieved You Of A Greater Number #6
The requirements for obligatory prayer called for in the Babi and Islamic Dispensations were more demanding than those for the performance of the Obligatory Prayer consisting of nine rak'ahs that was prescribed in the Kitab-i-Aqdas (see note 4). ... 60
Ponder then, O My friend, the words "firm faith" that have been mentioned in this verse. It saith that the heavens and the earth, the throne, the sun and the moon, all have been created to the end that His servants may have unswerving faith in His pr...