13
Sources: Gems Of Divine MysteriesBe 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 above the horizon of Divinity,
rendering unto each his due and assigning unto all their rank and measure,
as to what they can say concerning these allusions. Verily, their meaning
hath bewildered the minds of men, and that which they conceal of the
consummate wisdom and latent knowledge of God even the most sanctified
souls have been powerless to uncover.
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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... 136 Unto Everyone Hath Been Enjoined The Writing Of A Will #109
According to the Teachings of Baha'u'llah, the individual has a duty to write a will and testament, and is free to dispose of his estate in whatever manner he chooses (see note 38). Baha'u'llah affirms that in drawing up his will a person hath f... 137 The Most Great Name #109
As explained in note 33, the Greatest Name of God can take various forms, all based on the word Baha. The Baha'is in the East have implemented this injunction of the Aqdas by heading their wills with such phrases as O Thou Glory of the Al... 138 All Feasts Have Attained Their Consummation In The Two Most Great
Festivals and in the two other Festivals that fall on the twin days 110 This passage establishes four great festivals of the Baha'i year. The two designated by Baha'u'llah as the two Most Great Festivals are, first, the Festival of Ridvan, whic... 139 The First Day Of The Month Of Baha #111
In the Baha'i calendar the first month of the year and the first day of each month are given the name Baha. The day of Baha of the month of Baha is thus the Baha'i New Year, Naw-Ruz, which was ordained by the Bab as a festival and is here confirme... 13: O My Children! I Fear Lest Bereft Of The Melody Of The Dove Of
O MY CHILDREN! I fear lest, bereft of the melody of the dove of heaven, ye will sink back to the shades of utter loss, and, never having gazed upon the beauty of the rose, return to water and clay. ... 13: O Son Of Spirit! I Created Thee Rich Why Dost Thou Bring Thyself
O SON OF SPIRIT! I created thee rich, why dost thou bring thyself down to poverty? Noble I made thee, wherewith dost thou abase thyself? Out of the essence of knowledge I gave thee being, why seekest thou enlightenment from anyone beside Me? Out o... 14
Should they say: "These words are indeed from God, and have no interpretation other than their outward meaning", then what objection can they raise against the unbelievers among the people of the Book? For when the latter saw the aforementioned passa... 14 He Hath Exempted From This Those Who Are Weak From Illness Or Age #10
The exemption of those who are weak due to illness or advanced age from offering the Obligatory Prayers and from fasting is explained in Questions and Answers. Baha'u'llah indicates that in time of ill-health it is not permissible to observe these... 140 The Most Great Festival Is Indeed The King Of Festivals #112
A reference to the Ridvan Festival (see notes 107 and 138). 141. God had formerly laid upon each one of the believers the duty of offering before Our throne priceless gifts from among his possessions. Now ... We have absolved them of this ... 142 The Hour Of Dawn #115
With reference to attending dawn prayers in the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, the Baha'i House of Worship, Baha'u'llah has explained that, although the actual time specified in the Book of God is the hour of dawn, it is acceptable at any time from t...