15
Sources: Gems Of Divine MysteriesAnd should they reply: "The Books that are in the hands of this people,
which they call the Gospel and attribute to Jesus, the Son of Mary, have
not been revealed by God and proceed not from the Manifestations of His
Self", then this would imply a cessation in the abounding grace of Him Who
is the Source of all grace. If so, God's testimony to His servants would
have remained incomplete and His favour proven imperfect. His mercy would
not have shone resplendent, nor would His grace have overshadowed all. For
if at the ascension of Jesus His Book had likewise ascended unto heaven,
then how could God reprove and chastise the people on the Day of
Resurrection, as hath been written by the Imams of the Faith and affirmed
by its illustrious divines?
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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... 143 These Tablets Are Embellished With The Seal Of Him
Who causeth the dawn to appear, Who lifteth up His voice between the heavens and the earth. 117 Baha'u'llah repeatedly affirms the absolute integrity of His Writings as the Word of God. Some of His Tablets also bear the mark of one of His seal... 144 It Is Inadmissible That Man Who Hath Been Endowed With Reason Should Consume That Which Stealeth It Away #119
There are many references in the Baha'i Writings which prohibit the use of wine and other intoxicating drinks and which describe the deleterious effect of such intoxicants on the individual. In one of His Tablets, Baha'u'llah states: Bewa... 145 Turn Your Faces Toward Him Whom God Hath Purposed Who Hath Branched From This Ancient Root #121
Baha'u'llah here alludes to 'Abdu'l-Baha as His Successor and calls upon the believers to turn towards Him. In the Book of the Covenant, His Will and Testament, Baha'u'llah discloses the intention of this verse. He states: The object of this sacre... 146 In The Bayan It Had Been Forbidden You To Ask Us Questions #126
The Bab forbade His followers to ask questions of Him Whom God will make manifest (Baha'u'llah), unless their questions were submitted in writing and pertained to subjects worthy of His lofty station. See Selections from the Writings of the Bab. ... 147 The Number Of Months In A Year Appointed In The Book Of God Is Nineteen #127
The Baha'i year, in accordance with the Badi calendar, consists of nineteen months of nineteen days each, with the addition of certain intercalary days (four in an ordinary year and five in a leap year) between the eighteenth and nineteenth months... 148 The First Hath Been Adorned With This Name Which Overshadoweth The Whole Of Creation #127
In the Persian Bayan, the Bab bestowed the name Baha on the first month of the year (see note 139). ... 149 The Lord Hath Decreed That The Dead Should Be Interred In Coffins #128
In the Bayan, the Bab prescribed that the deceased should be interred in a coffin made of crystal or polished stone. Shoghi Effendi, in a letter written on his behalf, explained that the significance of this provision was to show respect for the h... 14: O Friends! Abandon Not The Everlasting Beauty For A Beauty
O FRIENDS! Abandon not the everlasting beauty for a beauty that must die, and set not your affections on this mortal world of dust. ... 14: O Son Of Man! Thou Art My Dominion And My Dominion Perisheth
O SON OF MAN! Thou art My dominion and My dominion perisheth not; wherefore fearest thou thy perishing? Thou art My light and My light shall never be extinguished; why dost thou dread extinction? Thou art My glory and My glory fadeth not; thou art... 15
And should they reply: "The Books that are in the hands of this people, which they call the Gospel and attribute to Jesus, the Son of Mary, have not been revealed by God and proceed not from the Manifestations of His Self", then this would imply a ce... 15 God Hath Granted You Leave To Prostrate Yourselves On Any Surface That Is Clean
for We have removed in this regard the limitation that had been laid down in the Book 10 The requirements of prayer in previous Dispensations have often included prostration. In the Arabic Bayan the Bab called upon the believers to lay their f... 150 The Point Of The Bayan #129
The Point of the Bayan is one of the titles by which the Bab referred to Himself. ... 151 The Deceased Should Be Enfolded In Five Sheets Of Silk Or Cotton #130
In the Bayan, the Bab specified that the body of the deceased should be wrapped in five sheets of silk or cotton. Baha'u'llah confirmed this provision and added the stipulation that for those whose means are limited a single sheet of either fabric... 152 It Is Forbidden You To Transport The Body Of The Deceased A Greater Distance Than One Hour's Journey From The City #130
The intention of this command is to limit the duration of the journey to one hour's time, irrespective of the means of transport that are chosen to carry the body to the burial site. Baha'u'llah affirms that the sooner the burial takes place, the ... 153 God Hath Removed The Restrictions On Travel That Had Been Imposed In
the Bayan. 131 The Bab decreed certain restrictions on travel which were to remain in force until the advent of the Promised One of the Bayan, at which time the believers were instructed to set out, even if on foot, to meet Him, since the attainm... 154 Raise Up And Exalt The Two Houses In The Twin Hallowed Spots
and the other sites wherein the throne of your Lord ... hath been established. 133 Baha'u'llah identifies the two Houses as His House in Baghdad, designated by Him as the Most Great House, and the House of the Bab in Shiraz, both of which have... 155 Take Heed Lest Ye Be Prevented By Aught That Hath Been Recorded In The Book From Hearkening Unto This The Living Book #134
The Book is the record of the revealed Word of the Manifestations of God. The Living Book is a reference to the Person of the Manifestation. These words contain an allusion to a statement of the Bab in the Persian Bayan about the Living Book, wh... 156 Tribute To This Revelation From The Pen Of Him Who Was My Herald #135
The tribute that Baha'u'llah quotes in this passage is from the Arabic Bayan. ... 157 The Qiblih Is Indeed He Whom God Will Make Manifest; Whenever He Moveth It Moveth Until He Shall Come To Rest #137
For a discussion of this verse see notes 7 and 8. 158. It is unlawful to enter into marriage save with a believer in the Bayan. Should only one party to a marriage embrace this Cause, his or her possessions will become unlawful to the o... 159 The Point Of The Bayan #140
One of the titles of the Bab. ... 15: O Son Of Spirit! The Time Cometh When The Nightingale Of Holiness
O SON OF SPIRIT! The time cometh, when the nightingale of holiness will no longer unfold the inner mysteries and ye will all be bereft of the celestial melody and of the voice from on high. ... 15: O Son Of Utterance! Turn Thy Face Unto Mine And Renounce All Save
O SON OF UTTERANCE! Turn thy face unto Mine and renounce all save Me; for My sovereignty endureth and My dominion perisheth not. If thou seekest another than Me, yea, if thou searchest the universe for evermore, thy quest will be in vain. ... 16
Ponder then in thine heart: Matters being such as thou dost witness, and as We also witness, where canst thou flee, and with whom shalt thou take refuge? Unto whom wilt thou turn thy gaze? In what land shalt thou dwell and upon what seat shalt thou a... 16 Let Him That Findeth No Water For Ablution
repeat five times the words In the Name of God, the Most Pure, the Most Pure, and then proceed to his devotions. 10 Ablutions are to be performed by the believer in preparation for the offering of obligatory prayer. They consist of washing the ... 160 Verily There Is None Other God Besides Me #143
The Baha'i Writings contain many passages that elucidate the nature of the Manifestation and His relationship to God. Baha'u'llah underlines the unique and transcendent nature of the Godhead. He explains that since there can be no tie of direct in... 161 Payment Of Zakat #146
Zakat is referred to in the Qur'an as a regular charity binding upon Muslims. In due course the concept evolved into a form of alms-tax which imposed the obligation to give a fixed portion of certain categories of income, beyond specified... 162 It Is Unlawful To Beg And It Is Forbidden To Give To Him Who Beggeth #147
In a Tablet 'Abdu'l-Baha expounds the meaning of this verse. He states that mendicancy is forbidden and that giving charity to people who take up begging as their profession is also prohibited. He further points out in that same Tablet: The object...