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to that which He Himself hath solemnly affirmed. It is the veil of idle

imaginations which, in the days of the Manifestations of the Unity of God

and the Day Springs of His everlasting glory, hath intervened, and will

continue to intervene, between them and the rest of mankind. For in those

days, He Who is the Eternal Truth manifesteth Himself in conformity with

that which He Himself hath purposed, and not according to the desires and

expectations of men. Even as He hath revealed: "So oft, then, as an

Apostle cometh to you with that which your souls desire not, do ye swell

with pride, and treat some as impostors, and slay others."



There can be no doubt whatever that had these Apostles appeared, in bygone

ages and cycles, in accordance with the vain imaginations which the hearts

of men had devised, no one would have repudiated the truth of these

sanctified Beings. Though such men have been, night and day, remembering

the one true God, and have been devoutly engaged in the exercise of their

devotions, yet they failed in the end to recognize, and partake of the

grace of, the Day Springs of the signs of God and the Manifestations of

His irrefutable evidences. To this the Scriptures bear witness. Thou hast,

no doubt, heard about it.



Consider the Dispensation of Jesus Christ. Behold, how all the learned men

of that generation, though eagerly anticipating the coming of the Promised

One, have nevertheless denied Him. Both Annas, the most learned among the

divines of His day, and Caiaphas, the high priest, denounced Him and

pronounced the sentence of His death.



In like manner, when Muhammad, the Prophet of God--may all men be a

sacrifice unto Him--appeared, the learned men of Mecca and Medina arose, in

the early days of His Revelation, against Him and rejected His Message,

while they who were destitute of all learning recognized and embraced His

Faith. Ponder a while. Consider how Balal, the Ethiopian, unlettered

though he was, ascended into the heaven of faith and certitude, whilst

'Abdu'llah Ubayy, a leader among the learned, maliciously strove to oppose

Him. Behold, how a mere shepherd was so carried away by the ecstasy of the

words of God that he was able to gain admittance into the habitation of

his Best-Beloved, and was united to Him Who is the Lord of Mankind, whilst

they who prided themselves on their knowledge and wisdom strayed far from

His path and remained deprived of His grace. For this reason He hath

written: "He that is exalted among you shall be abased, and he that is

abased shall be exalted." References to this theme are to be found in most

of the heavenly Books, as well as in the sayings of the Prophets and

Messengers of God.



Verily I say, such is the greatness of this Cause that the father flieth

from his son, and the son flieth from his father. Call ye to mind the

story of Noah and Canaan. God grant that, in these days of heavenly

delight, ye may not deprive yourselves of the sweet savors of the

All-Glorious God, and may partake, in this spiritual Springtime, of the

outpourings of His grace. Arise in the name of Him Who is the Object of

all knowledge, and, with absolute detachment from the learning of men,

lift up your voices and proclaim His Cause. I swear by the Day Star of

Divine Revelation! The very moment ye arise, ye will witness how a flood

of Divine knowledge will gush out of your hearts, and will behold the

wonders of His heavenly wisdom manifested in all their glory before you.

Were ye to taste of the sweetness of the sayings of the All-Merciful, ye

would unhesitatingly forsake your selves, and would lay down your lives

for the Well-Beloved.



Who can ever believe that this Servant of God hath at any time cherished

in His heart a desire for any earthly honor or benefit? The Cause

associated with His Name is far above the transitory things of this world.

Behold Him, an exile, a victim of tyranny, in this Most Great Prison. His

enemies have assailed Him on every side, and will continue to do so till

the end of His life. Whatever, therefore, He saith unto you is wholly for

the sake of God, that haply the peoples of the earth may cleanse their

hearts from the stain of evil desire, may rend its veil asunder, and

attain unto the knowledge of the one true God--the most exalted station to

which any man can aspire. Their belief or disbelief in My Cause can

neither profit nor harm Me. We summon them wholly for the sake of God. He,

verily, can afford to dispense with all creatures.