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Sources: Gems Of Divine MysteriesSuch is the text of the verses revealed in the past. By Him besides
Whom there is none other God, I have chosen to be brief, for were I to
recount all the words that have been sent down unto the Prophets of God
from the realm of His supernal glory and the kingdom of His sovereign
might, all the pages and tablets of the world would not suffice to exhaust
My theme. References similar to those mentioned, nay even more sublime and
exalted, have been made in all the Books and Scriptures of old. Should it
be My wish to recount all that hath been revealed in the past, I would
most certainly be able to do so by virtue of that which God hath bestowed
upon Me of the wonders of His knowledge and power. I have, however,
contented Myself with that which was mentioned, lest thou become wearied
in thy journey or feel inclined to turn back, or lest thou be overtaken by
sadness and sorrow and overcome with despondency, trouble and fatigue.
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110
For were they to reach the ultimate object of their quest for God and their attainment unto Him, they would have but reached that abode which hath been raised up within their own hearts. How then could they ever hope to ascend unto such realms as have... 110 We Have Permitted You To Read Such Sciences As Are Profitable Unto You Not Such As End In Idle Disputation #77
The Baha'i Writings enjoin the acquisition of knowledge and the study of the arts and sciences. Baha'is are admonished to respect people of learning and accomplishment, and are warned against the pursuit of studies that are productive only of futi... 111
Know, moreover, that should the cord of assistance binding this mighty Pivot to the dwellers of earth and heaven be severed, they would all assuredly perish. Great God! How can the lowly dust ever reach unto Him Who is the Lord of lords? Immeasurably... 111 He Who Held Converse With God #80
This is a traditional Jewish and Islamic title of Moses. Baha'u'llah states that with the coming of His Revelation human ears have been privileged to hear what He Who conversed with God heard upon Sinai. ... 112
Yea, the seeker reacheth a station wherein that which hath been ordained for him knoweth no bounds. The fire of love so blazeth in his heart that it seizeth the reins of constraint from his grasp. At every moment his love for his Lord increaseth and ... 112 Sinai #80
The mountain where the Law was revealed by God to Moses. ... 113
In these days, inasmuch as We have lifted not the veils that conceal the countenance of the Cause of God, nor disclosed unto men the fruits of these stations which We have been forbidden to describe, thou beholdest them drunk with heedlessness. Other... 113 The Spirit Of God #80
This is one of the titles used in the Islamic and Baha'i Writings to designate Jesus Christ. ... 114
From this station the wayfarer ascendeth unto a City that hath no name or description, and whereof one heareth neither sound nor mention. Therein flow the oceans of eternity, whilst this city itself revolveth round the seat of eternity. Therein the s... 114 Carmel Zion #80
Carmel, the Vineyard of God, is the mountain in the Holy Land where the Shrine of the Bab and the seat of the world administrative centre of the Faith are situated. Zion is a hill in Jerusalem, the traditional site of the tomb of King... 115
Know, moreover, that when We undertook to reveal these words and committed some of them to writing, it was Our intention to elucidate for thine eminence, in the sweet accents of the blessed and the well-favoured of God, all that We had previously men... 115 The Crimson Ark #84
The Crimson Ark refers to the Cause of Baha'u'llah. His followers are designated as the companions of the Crimson Ark, lauded by the Bab in the Qayyumu'l-Asma. ... 116
Yet, should thine eminence reflect upon these brief statements, thou wouldst assuredly acquire every knowledge, attain unto the Object of all learning, and exclaim: "Sufficient are these words unto all creation both visible and invisible!" ... 116 O Emperor Of Austria!
He Who is the Dayspring of God's Light dwelt in the prison of Akka at the time when thou didst set forth to visit the Aqsa Mosque. 85 Francis Joseph (Franz Josef, 1830-1916), Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary, made a pilgrimage to Jerusale... 117
Even so, should the fire of love burn within thy soul, thou wouldst ask: "Is there yet any more?" (67) And We say: "Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds!" ... 117 O King Of Berlin! #86
Kaiser William I (Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig, 1797-1888), the seventh king of Prussia, was acclaimed first Emperor of Germany in January 1871 at Versailles in France, following the victory of Germany over France in the Franco-Prussian War. ... 118 The One Whose Power Transcended Thy Power And Whose Station Excelled Thy Station #86
This is a reference to Napoleon III (1808-1873), the Emperor of the French, who was regarded by many historians as the most outstanding monarch of his day in the West. Baha'u'llah addressed two Tablets to Napoleon III, in the second of which He... 119 O People Of Constantinople! #89
The word here translated as Constantinople is, in the original, Ar-Rum or Rome. This term has generally been used in the Middle East to designate Constantinople and the Eastern Roman Empire, then the city of Byzantium and its empire, and later the... 11: O Son Of Being! Thou Art My Lamp And My Light Is In Thee
O SON OF BEING! Thou art My lamp and My light is in thee. Get thou from it thy radiance and seek none other than Me. For I have created thee rich and have bountifully shed My favor upon thee. ... 11: O Son Of Dust! Blind Thine Eyes That Thou Mayest Behold My
O SON OF DUST! Blind thine eyes, that thou mayest behold My beauty; stop thine ears, that thou mayest hearken unto the sweet melody of My voice; empty thyself of all learning, that thou mayest partake of My knowledge; and sanctify thyself from ric... 12
Such is the text of the verses revealed in the past. By Him besides Whom there is none other God, I have chosen to be brief, for were I to recount all the words that have been sent down unto the Prophets of God from the realm of His supernal glory an... 12 Hair Doth Not Invalidate Your Prayer
nor aught from which the spirit hath departed, such as bones and the like. Ye are free to wear the fur of the sable as ye would that of the beaver, the squirrel, and other animals 9 In some earlier religious Dispensations, the wearing of the ha... 120 O Spot That Art Situate On The Shores Of The Two Seas! #89
This is a reference to Constantinople, now called Istanbul. Located on the Bosphorus, a strait about 31 kilometres long which links the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, it is the largest city and seaport of Turkey. Constantinople was the capita... 121 O Banks Of The Rhine! #90
In one of His Tablets written before the First World War (1914-1918), 'Abdu'l-Baha explained that Baha'u'llah's reference to having seen the banks of the Rhine covered with gore related to the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), and that the... 122 O Land Of Ta #91
Ta is the initial letter of Tihran, the capital of Iran. Baha'u'llah has often chosen to represent certain place names by reference to their initial letter. According to the abjad system of reckoning, the numerical value of Ta is nine, wh... 124 O Land Of Kha! #94
A reference to the Iranian province of Khurasan and neighbouring areas, which include the city of Ishqabad (Ashkhabad). ... 125 Should Anyone Acquire One Hundred Mithqals Of Gold Nineteen Mithqals Thereof Are God's And To Be Rendered Unto Him #97
This verse establishes Huququ'llah, the Right of God, the offering of a fixed portion of the value of the believer's possessions. This offering was made to Baha'u'llah as the Manifestation of God and then, following His Ascension, to 'Abdu'l-Baha ... 126 Various Petitions Have Come Before Our Throne From The Believers
concerning laws from God... We have, in consequence, revealed this Holy Tablet and arrayed it with the mantle of His Law that haply the people may keep the commandments of their Lord. 98 For a number of years, Baha'u'llah states in one of His Tabl... 127 Crimson Spot #100
This is a reference to the prison-city of Akka. In the Baha'i Writings the word crimson is used in several allegorical and symbolic senses. (See also note 115.) ... 128 The Sadratu'l-muntaha #100
Literally the furthermost Lote-Tree, translated by Shoghi Effendi as the Tree beyond which there is no passing. This is used as a symbol in Islam, for example in the accounts of Muhammad's Night Journey, to mark the point in the heavens b... 129 The Mother Book #103
The term Mother Book is generally used to designate the central Book of a religious Dispensation. In the Qur'an and Islamic Hadith, the term is used to describe the Qur'an itself. In the Babi Dispensation, the Bayan is the Mother Book, an... 12: O Man Of Two Visions! Close One Eye And Open The Other Close One To
O MAN OF TWO VISIONS! Close one eye and open the other. Close one to the world and all that is therein, and open the other to the hallowed beauty of the Beloved. ... 12: O Son Of Being! With The Hands Of Power I Made Thee And With
O SON OF BEING! With the hands of power I made thee and with the fingers of strength I created thee; and within thee have I placed the essence of My light. Be thou content with it and seek naught else, for My work is perfect and My command is bind... 13
Be fair in thy judgement and reflect upon these exalted utterances. Inquire, then, of those who lay claim to knowledge without a proof or testimony from God, and who remain heedless of these days wherein the Orb of knowledge and wisdom hath dawned ab... 13 We Have Commanded You To Pray And Fast From The Beginning Of Maturity #10
Baha'u'llah defines the age of maturity with respect to religious duties as fifteen for both men and women (Q and A 20). For details of the period of fasting, see note 25. ... 130 Whoso Interpreteth What Hath Been Sent Down From The Heaven Of
Revelation, and altereth its evident meaning 105 In several of His Tablets, Baha'u'llah affirms the distinction between allegorical verses, which are susceptible to interpretation, and those verses that relate to such subjects as the laws and ordi... 131 Approach Not The Public Pools Of Persian Baths #106
Baha'u'llah prohibits the use of the pools found in the traditional public bath-houses of Persia. In these baths it was the custom for many people to wash themselves in the same pool and for the water to be changed at infrequent intervals. Consequ... 133 It Is Forbidden You To Wed Your Fathers' Wives #107
Marriage with one's stepmother is here explicitly prohibited. This prohibition also applies to marrying one's stepfather. Where Baha'u'llah has expressed a law between a man and a woman it applies mutatis mutandis as between a woman and a man unle... 134 The Subject Of Boys #107
The word translated here as boys has, in this context, in the Arabic original, the implication of paederasty. Shoghi Effendi has interpreted this reference as a prohibition on all homosexual relations. The Baha'i teachings on sexual m... 135 To None Is It Permitted To Mutter Sacred Verses Before The Public Gaze As He Walketh In The Street Or Marketplace #108
This is an allusion to the practice of certain clerics and religious leaders of earlier Dispensations who, out of hypocrisy and affectation, and in order to win the praise of their followers, would ostentatiously mutter prayers in public places as...