55
Sources: Gems Of Divine MysteriesHad 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 acquainted them with the sacred truths
that are enshrined within His imperishable utterances. For far be it from
His greatness and His glory that He should turn away a seeker at His door,
cast aside from His Threshold one who hath set his hopes on Him, reject
one who hath sought the shelter of His shade, deprive one who hath held
fast to the hem of His mercy, or condemn to remoteness the poor one who
hath found the river of His riches. But as these people failed to turn
wholly unto God, and to hold fast to the hem of His all-pervading mercy at
the appearance of the Daystar of Truth, they passed out from under the
shadow of guidance and entered the city of error. Thus did they become
corrupt and corrupt the people. Thus did they err and lead the people into
error. And thus were they recorded among the oppressors in the books of
heaven.
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Strive then, O My brother, to apprehend this matter, that the veils may be lifted from the face of thy heart and that thou mayest be reckoned among them whom God hath graced with such penetrating vision as to behold the most subtle realities of His d... 5 At Noon And In The Morning And The Evening #6
Regarding the definition of the words morning, noon and evening, at which times the currently binding medium Obligatory Prayer is to be recited, Baha'u'llah has stated that these coincide with sunrise, noon and sunset (Q and A 83). He specifies th... 50
But as to Him Who appeared in the year sixty, He standeth in need of neither transformation nor interpretation, for His name was Muhammad, and He was a descendent of the Imams of the Faith. Thus it can be truly said of Him that He was the son of Hasa... 50 The Number Of Baha #30
The abjad numerical equivalent of Baha is nine. The Universal House of Justice and the National and Local Spiritual Assemblies currently have nine members each, the minimum number prescribed by Baha'u'llah. ... 50: O Quintessence Of Passion! Put Away All Covetousness And Seekcontentment;
O QUINTESSENCE OF PASSION! Put away all covetousness and seek contentment; for the covetous hath ever been deprived, and the contented hath ever been loved and praised. ... 50: O Son Of Man! If Adversity Befall Thee Not In My Path How
O SON OF MAN! If adversity befall thee not in My path, how canst thou walk in the ways of them that are content with My pleasure? If trials afflict thee not in thy longing to meet Me, how wilt thou attain the light in thy love for My beauty? ... 51
It is Our wish at this juncture to digress from Our theme to recount that which befell the Point of the Qur'an,(36) and to extol His remembrance, that perchance thou mayest gain into all things an insight born of Him Who is the Almighty, the Incompar... 51 It Behoveth Them To Be The Trusted Ones Of The Merciful Among Men #30
The general powers and duties of the Universal House of Justice, the National Spiritual Assemblies and the Local Spiritual Assemblies and the qualifications for membership are set forth in the Writings of Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha, in the lette... 51: O Son Of Man! My Calamity Is My Providence Outwardly It Is
O SON OF MAN! My calamity is My providence, outwardly it is fire and vengeance, but inwardly it is light and mercy. Hasten thereunto that thou mayest become an eternal light and an immortal spirit. This is My command unto thee, do thou observe it.... 51: O Son Of My Handmaid! Be Not Troubled In Poverty Nor Confident In
O SON OF MY HANDMAID! Be not troubled in poverty nor confident in riches, for poverty is followed by riches, and riches are followed by poverty. Yet to be poor in all save God is a wondrous gift, belittle not the value thereof, for in the end it w... 52
Consider and reflect upon His days, when God raised Him up to promote His Cause and to stand as the representative of His own Self. Witness how He was assailed, denied, and denounced by all; how, when He set foot in the streets and marketplaces, the ... 52 Take Counsel Together #30
Baha'u'llah has established consultation as one of the fundamental principles of His Faith and has exhorted the believers to take counsel together in all matters. He describes consultation as the lamp of guidance which leadeth the way and... 52: O Children Of Negligence And Passion!
O CHILDREN OF NEGLIGENCE AND PASSION! Ye have suffered My enemy to enter My house and have cast out My friend, for ye have enshrined the love of another than Me in your hearts. Give ear to the sayings of the Friend and turn towards His paradise. W... 52: O Son Of Man! Should Prosperity Befall Thee Rejoice Not And
O SON OF MAN! Should prosperity befall thee, rejoice not, and should abasement come upon thee, grieve not, for both shall pass away and be no more. ... 53
If these wayward souls had indeed paused to reflect upon their conduct, recognized the sweet melodies of that Mystic Dove singing upon the twigs of this snow-white Tree, embraced that which God had revealed unto and bestowed upon them, and discovered... 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. ...