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Sources: Gems Of Divine MysteriesThis is the text of that which was revealed aforetime in the first
Gospel, according to Matthew, regarding the signs that must needs herald
the advent of the One Who shall come after Him. He saith: "And woe unto
them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days...",(5)
until the mystic Dove, singing in the midmost heart of eternity, and the
celestial Bird, warbling upon the Divine Lote-Tree, saith: "Immediately
after the oppression of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon
shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the
powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of
the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth
mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven
with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great
sound of a trumpet."(6)
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I shall now briefly explain the true meaning of this utterance, that thou mayest discover its hidden mysteries and be of them that perceive. Examine then and judge aright that which We shall reveal unto thee, that haply thou mayest be accounted in th... 74 Adopt Ye Such Usages As Are Most In Keeping With Refinement #46
This is the first of several passages referring to the importance of refinement and cleanliness. The original Arabic word latafah, rendered here as refinement, has a wide range of meanings with both spiritual and physical implications, such as ele... 74: O Children Of Vainglory! For A Fleeting Sovereignty Ye Have Abandoned My
O CHILDREN OF VAINGLORY! For a fleeting sovereignty ye have abandoned My imperishable dominion, and have adorned yourselves with the gay livery of the world and made of it your boast. By My beauty! All will I gather beneath the one-colored coverin... 75
Know then that He who uttered these words in the realms of glory meant to describe the attributes of the One Who is to come in such veiled and enigmatic terms as to elude the understanding of the people of error. Now, when He saith: "His eyes were as... 75 He Who Is The Dawning-place Of God's Cause Hath No Partner In The Most Great Infallibility #47
In the Tablet of Ishraqat, Baha'u'llah affirms that the Most Great Infallibility is confined to the Manifestations of God. Chapter 45 in Some Answered Questions is devoted to an explanation by 'Abdu'l-Baha of this verse of the Aqdas. In this cha... 75: O Children Of Negligence! Set Not Your Affections On Mortal Sovereignty
O CHILDREN OF NEGLIGENCE! Set not your affections on mortal sovereignty and rejoice not therein. Ye are even as the unwary bird that with full confidence warbleth upon the bough; till of a sudden the fowler Death throws it upon the dust, and the m... 76
As to the words "brass-like were His feet", by this is meant His constancy upon hearing the call of God that commandeth Him: "Be thou steadfast as thou hast been bidden."(52) He shall so persevere in the Cause of God, and evince such firmness in the ... 76 Unto Every Father Hath Been Enjoined The Instruction Of His Son And Daughter In The Art Of Reading And Writing #48
'Abdu'l-Baha, in His Tablets, not only calls attention to the responsibility of parents to educate all their children, but He also clearly specifies that the training and culture of daughters is more necessary than that of sons, for girls will one... 76: O Son Of My Handmaid! Guidance Hath Ever Been Given By Words And Now
O SON OF MY HANDMAID! Guidance hath ever been given by words, and now it is given by deeds. Every one must show forth deeds that are pure and holy, for words are the property of all alike, whereas such deeds as these belong only to Our loved ones.... 77
And further He saith: "Out of his mouth goeth a two-edged sword." Know thou that since the sword is an instrument that divideth and cleaveth asunder, and since there proceedeth from the mouth of the Prophets and the Chosen Ones of God that which sepa... 77 God Hath Imposed A Fine On Every Adulterer And Adulteress To Be Paid To The House Of Justice #49
Although the term translated here as adultery refers, in its broadest sense, to unlawful sexual intercourse between either married or unmarried individuals (see note 36 for a definition of the term), 'Abdu'l-Baha has specified that the punishment ... 77: O Son Of Justice! In The Night-season The Beauty Of The Immortal
O SON OF JUSTICE! In the night-season the beauty of the immortal Being hath repaired from the emerald height of fidelity unto the Sadratu'l-Muntaha, and wept with such a weeping that the concourse on high and the dwellers of the realms above waile... 78
Wert thou to behold all things with the eye of discernment, thou wouldst indeed see that this divine sword doth cleave asunder generations. Would that ye could understand it! All this is by virtue of the word of separation that is manifested on the D... 78 Nine Mithqals Of Gold To Be Doubled If They Should Repeat The Offence #49
A mithqal is a unit of weight. The weight of the traditional mithqal used in the Middle East is equivalent to 24 nakhuds. However, the mithqal used by the Baha'is consists of 19 nakhuds, in accordance with the specification of the Bayan (Q and A 2... 78: O Son Of My Handmaid! Quaff From The Tongue Of The Merciful The Stream
O SON OF MY HANDMAID! Quaff from the tongue of the merciful the stream of divine mystery, and behold from the dayspring of divine utterance the unveiled splendor of the daystar of wisdom. Sow the seeds of My divine wisdom in the pure soil of the h... 79
Yea, inasmuch as these people have failed to acquire true knowledge from its source and wellspring, and from the ocean of fresh and soft-flowing waters that stream, by the leave of God, through hearts that are pure and stainless, they have been veile... 79 We Have Made It Lawful For You To Listen To Music And Singing #51
'Abdu'l-Baha has written that Among certain nations of the East, music was considered reprehensible. Though the Qur'an contains no specific guidance on the subject, some Muslims consider listening to music as unlawful, while others tolerate music ... 79: O Son Of Desire! How Long Wilt Thou Soar In The Realms Of Desire?
O SON OF DESIRE! How long wilt thou soar in the realms of desire? Wings have I bestowed upon thee, that thou mayest fly to the realms of mystic holiness and not the regions of satanic fancy. The comb, too, have I given thee that thou mayest dress ... 7: O Son Of Love! Thou Art But One Step Away From The Glorious
O SON OF LOVE! Thou art but one step away from the glorious heights above and from the celestial tree of love. Take thou one pace and with the next advance into the immortal realm and enter the pavilion of eternity. Give ear then to that which hat... 7: O Son Of Man! If Thou Lovest Me Turn Away From Thyself; And If
O SON OF MAN! If thou lovest Me, turn away from thyself; and if thou seekest My pleasure, regard not thine own; that thou mayest die in Me and I may eternally live in thee. ... 8
This is the text of that which was revealed aforetime in the first Gospel, according to Matthew, regarding the signs that must needs herald the advent of the One Who shall come after Him. He saith: "And woe unto them that are with child, and to them ... 8 And When The Sun Of Truth And Utterance Shall Set
turn your faces towards the Spot that We have ordained for you 6 Baha'u'llah ordains His resting-place as the Qiblih after His passing. The Most Holy Tomb is at Bahji, Akka. 'Abdu'l-Baha describes that Spot as the luminous Shrine, the place a... 80
We render thanks unto God for that which He hath bestowed upon us of His grace. He it is Who hath caused us to be assured of the truth of His Faith--a Faith which the combined forces of earth and heaven are powerless to resist. He it is Who hath enab... 80 O Ye Men Of Justice! #52
It has been elucidated in the writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi that, while the membership of the Universal House of Justice is confined to men, both women and men are eligible for election to Secondary and Local Houses of Justi... 80: O My Servants! Ye Are The Trees Of My Garden; Ye Must Give Forth
O MY SERVANTS! Ye are the trees of My garden; ye must give forth goodly and wondrous fruits, that ye yourselves and others may profit therefrom. Thus it is incumbent on every one to engage in crafts and professions, for therein lies the secret of ... 81
But hear, O My brother, My plaint against them that claim to be associated with God and with the Manifestations of His knowledge, and yet follow their corrupt inclinations, consume the substance of their neighbour, are given to wine, commit murder, d... 81 The Penalties For Wounding Or Striking A Person Depend Upon The
severity of the injury; for each degree the Lord of Judgement hath prescribed a certain indemnity. 56 While Baha'u'llah specified that the extent of the penalty depends upon the severity of the injury, there is no record of His having set out the... 81: O My Servant! The Basest Of Men Are They That Yield No Fruit
O MY SERVANT! The basest of men are they that yield no fruit on earth. Such men are verily counted as among the dead, nay better are the dead in the sight of God than those idle and worthless souls. ... 82
These people, however, have turned aside from all this and placed instead their affections upon that which accordeth with their own corrupt inclinations. Thus do they roam in the wilderness of arrogance and pride. I bear witness at this moment that G... 82 Verily It Is Enjoined Upon You To Offer A Feast Once In Every Month #57
This injunction has become the basis for the holding of monthly Baha'i festivities and as such constitutes the ordination of the Nineteen Day Feast. In the Arabic Bayan the Bab called upon His followers to gather together once every nineteen days ... 82: O My Servant! The Best Of Men Are They That Earn A Livelihood
O MY SERVANT! The best of men are they that earn a livelihood by their calling and spend upon themselves and upon their kindred for the love of God, the Lord of all worlds. The mystic and wondrous Bride, hidden ere this beneath the veiling of utte... 83
Quaff then, O My brother, from the living waters that We have caused to flow in the oceans of these words. Methinks the seas of grandeur are surging within them, and the gems of divine virtue are shining within and upon them. Divest then thyself of t... 83 If Ye Should Hunt With Beasts Or Birds Of Prey
invoke ye the Name of God when ye send them to pursue their quarry; for then whatever they catch shall be lawful unto you, even should ye find it to have died. 60 By this law, Baha'u'llah greatly simplifies practices and religious regulations o... 84
Know thou, moreover, that in this most hallowed and resplendent city thou shalt find the wayfarer to be lowly before all men and humble before all things. For naught doth he behold save that he perceiveth God therein. He beholdeth the effulgent glori... 84 Hunt Not To Excess #60
While hunting is not forbidden by Baha'u'llah, He warns against excessive hunting. The Universal House of Justice will, in due course, have to consider what constitutes an excess in hunting. ... 85
Know, however, that the seeker, at the outset of his journey, witnesseth change and transformation, as hath already been mentioned. This is undoubtedly the truth, as hath been revealed concerning those days: "On the day when the earth shall be change... 85 He Hath Granted Them No Right To The Property Of Others #61
The injunction to show kindness to Baha'u'llah's kindred does not give them a share in the property of others. This is in contrast to Shi'ih Muslim practice, in which lineal descendants of Muhammad are entitled to receive a share of a certain tax.... 86
In this station, all changing and varying realities are manifest before thee. Whosoever denieth this truth hath verily turned aside from the Cause of God, rebelled against His rule, and gainsaid His sovereignty. For it is indeed within the power of H... 86 Should Anyone Intentionally Destroy A House By Fire
him also shall ye burn; should anyone deliberately take another's life, him also shall ye put to death. 62 The law of Baha'u'llah prescribes the death penalty for murder and arson, with the alternative of life imprisonment (see note 87). In ... 87
O My brother! In this stage, which marketh the beginning of the journey, thou shalt behold divers stations and differing signs, even as was mentioned in connection with the City of Search. All these hold true in their respective planes. It behoveth t...