If it were possible that in every city a few of the awakened
ones, when opportunity offered, could hold a meeting, and therein habitually
present the proofs and arguments of God, this would do much to expand the
consciousness of men; provided, however, that the discourse be kept to this one
theme. 
O thou spiritual clarion! The voice of the physical clarion may travel the distance of
three miles, but the harmony of the spiritual Clarion reacheth to the East and
the West. The effect of that is only in the bodies; but the effect of this is
in the spirits. The first proclaimeth the time of prayer; the second announceth
the appearance of the Most Great Resurrection. That hath no conscious knowledge
of its own voice; while this is exhilarated and rejoiced by its own melody.
O ye lovers of God! The world is even as a human being who
is diseased and impotent, whose eyes can see no longer, whose ears have gone
deaf, all of whose powers are corroded and used up. Wherefore must the friends
of God be competent physicians who, following the holy Teachings, will nurse
this patient back to health. Perhaps, God willing, the world will mend, and
become permanently whole, and its exhausted faculties will be restored, and its
person will take on such vigour, freshness and verdancy that it will shine out
with comeliness and grace.
O ye lovers of God! Make firm your steps; fulfil your pledge
to one another; go forth in harmony to scatter abroad the sweet savours of
God’s love, and to establish His Teachings, until ye breathe a soul into the
dead body of this world, and bring true healing in the physical and spiritual
realms to everyone who aileth.
O my spiritual loved ones! At a time when an ocean of trials
and tribulations was surging up and flinging its waves to the heavens, when
multitudes were assailing us and the tyrannical were inflicting upon us
crushing wrongs—at such a time a band of individuals, intent on defaming us,
allied themselves with our unkind brother, brought out a treatise that was
filled with slanderous charges, and levelled accusations and calumnies against
us.
There is no greater result than bonds of service in the
divine Kingdom and attainment to the good pleasure of the Lord. Therefore, I
desire that your hearts may be directed to the Kingdom of God, that your
intentions may be pure and sincere, your purposes turned toward altruistic
accomplishment unmindful of your own welfare; nay, rather, may all your
intentions center in the welfare of humanity, and may you seek to sacrifice
yourselves in the pathway of devotion to mankind. Even as Jesus Christ
forfeited His life, may you, likewise, offer yourselves in the threshold of
sacrifice for the betterment of the world; and just as Bahá’u’lláh suffered
severe ordeals and calamities nearly fifty years for you, may you be willing to
undergo difficulties and withstand catastrophes for humanity in general. May
you bear these trials and tests most willingly and joyously, for every night is
followed by a day, and every day has a night. Every spring has an autumn, and
every autumn has its spring.
This is the age of woman. She should receive the same
education as her brother and enjoy the same privilege; for all souls are equal
before God. Sex, in its relation to the exigencies of the physical plane, has
no connection with the Spirit. In this age of spiritual awakening, the world has
entered upon the path of progress into the arena of development, where the
power of the spirit surpasses that of the body. Soon the spirit will have
dominion over the world of humanity.
In the year one thousand two hundred and sixty [A.H.], when
He [the Báb] was in His twenty-fifth year, certain signs became apparent in His
conduct, behavior, manners, and demeanor whereby it became evident in Shíráz
that He had some conflict in His mind and some other flight beneath His wing.
He began to speak and to declare the rank of Báb-hood. [1] Now what He intended
by the term Báb [Gate] was this, that He was the channel of grace from some
great Person still behind the veil of glory, Who was the possessor of countless
and boundless perfections, by Whose will He moved, and to the bond of Whose
love He clung. And in the first book which He wrote in explanation of the Súrih
of Joseph, [2] He addressed Himself in all passages to that Person unseen from
Whom He received help and grace, sought for aid in the arrangement of His
preliminaries, and craved the sacrifice of life in the way of His love.
His Holiness, the Exalted One (the Báb), is the
Manifestation of the Unity and Oneness of God and the Forerunner of the Ancient
Beauty. His Holiness the Abhá Beauty (may my life be a sacrifice for His
steadfast friends) is the Supreme Manifestation of God and the Dayspring of His
Most Divine Essence.
As for the Báb — may my soul be His sacrifice!—it was at a
young age, that is, in the twenty-fifth year of His blessed life, that He arose
to proclaim His Cause. Among the Shí‘ihs it is universally acknowledged that He
never studied in any school, nor acquired learning from any teacher. To this
the people of Shíráz, each and all, bear witness. Nevertheless, He suddenly
appeared before the people, endowed with consummate knowledge, and though but a
merchant, confounded all the divines of Persia.
Regarding the birth of this servant, which also happened on
that day, [23 May 1844] this a proof of the favors and bounties of God toward
this servant. However, this Blessed Day must be known as the Day of the
Declaration of His Highness the Supreme (the Báb) and the beginning of the
effulgence of the Sun of Reality. You must on this account be engaged in rejoicing,
happiness and gladness. This is the truth! Beware! Beware! that you avoid that
which is mentioned; otherwise, it will cause the utmost grief to the heart of
Abdul-Baha.
And I say unto you that no calumny is able to prevail
against the Light of God; it can only result in causing it to be more
universally recognized. If a cause were of no significance, who would take the
trouble to work against it!
O thou who art longing to witness the lights from the Beauty
Abha!
Music is an important means to the education and development
of humanity, but the only true way is through the Teachings of God. Music is
like this glass, which is perfectly pure and polished. It is precisely like
this pure chalice before us, and the Teachings of God, the utterances of God,
are like the water. When the glass or chalice is absolutely pure and clear, and
the water is perfectly fresh and limpid, then it will confer Life; wherefore,
the Teachings of God, whether they be in the form of anthems or communes or
prayers, when they are melodiously sung, are most impressive. It was for this
reason that His Holiness David sang the psalms in the Holy of Holies at
Jerusalem with sweet melodies. In this Cause the art of music is of paramount
importance. The Blessed Perfection, when He first came to the barracks (Acca)
repeated this statement: "If among the immediate followers there had been
those who could have played some musical instrument, i.e., flute or harp, or
could have sung, it would have charmed every one." In short, musical
melodies form an important role in the associations, or outward and inward
characteristics, or qualities of man, for it is the inspirer or motive power of
both the material and spiritual susceptibilities. What a motive power it is in
all feelings of love! When man is attached to the Love of God, music has a
great effect upon him.
The purpose of the appearance of the holy Manifestations
hath ever been the establishment of fellowship and love in the world of
humanity. The friends should therefore lay down their lives in this arena that
they may exhilarate the people of the world with the wine of love for one
another and may gladden the hearts of the whole human race. The more they strive for harmony, the greater their progress; the more they exert effort to achieve unity, the more they will witness the tokens of divine
assistance....
Root out the sources of dissension and raise up the foundations of harmony. Cling tenaciously to the hem of the love of God and cleanse
your hearts of any trace of estrangement or conflict. Thus may the light of
divine bestowal shine resplendent, and ye become the recipients of the effulgent glory of the Sun of Truth. Let each one of you become the servant of the
other; let each sacrifice himself for the sake of the other.
The object of God’s teaching to man is that man may know
himself in order to comprehend the greatness of God. The Word of God is for
agreement and concord… We do not consider anyone a stranger, for it is said by
Bahá’u’lláh ‘Ye are all the rays of one sun; the fruits of one tree; and the
leaves of one branch.’ We desire the true brotherhood of humanity. This shall
be so, and it has already begun. Praise to be God, the Helper, the Pardoner!
The body of the world can be compared to that of a man, and
the Prophets and Messengers of God to able physicians. A human being does not
remain always in the same condition: Different ailments occur and each calls
for a specific remedy. Thus an able physician does not treat all ailments in
the same manner but varies the treatments and remedies in accordance with the
requirements of these various ailments and conditions.
O thou maid-servant of God! It is incumbent upon thee to
turn thyself wholly to the kingdom of God, to sever thyself from aught else but
Him, to be filled by the love of God, to put on the garment of sanctity and
continence, which is free from worldliness, to [become] transfigured in the
mantle of the gifts of the kingdom of God and to be a great sign among the
maid-servants of God; that the Supreme Concourse may send out through thee a
fragrance by which hearts may be cheered and spirits rested.
Know thou that the Kingdom is the real world, and this
nether place is only its shadow stretching out. A shadow hath no life of its
own; its existence is only a fantasy, and nothing more; it is but images
reflected in water, and seeming as pictures to the eye.
Regard the former times. Had the calumnies of Pharaoh any
effect? He affirmed that Moses was a murderer, that he had slain a man and
deserved to be executed! He also declared that Moses and Aaron were fomenters
of discord, that they tried to destroy the religion of Egypt and therefore must
be put to death. These words of Pharaoh were vainly spoken. The light of Moses
shone. The radiance of the Law of God has encircled the world!
If an opponent object, saying: The nations, peoples, tribes
and sects of the world have different ethics, morals, conducts, tastes and
temperaments and their thoughts and opinions vary, how then can real unity
become realized or absolute accord among humanity be established? We will say
that difference (or disagreement) is of two kinds: One sort is the cause of
annihilation and that is like the disagreement of warring nations and fighting
tribes who destroy one another, ruin homes and cause comfort and peace to
depart, exhibiting ferocity and blood thirstiness. The other difference (or
disagreement) is an expression of variety that is itself perfection, and the
means of manifesting the graces of the All-Glorious.
Whosoever entereth the Kingdom of God is under the
protection of Bahá’u’lláh. The changes and chances of the material world,
whether good or bad, are like the waves of the sea, which pass away and are no
more. They are not worthy of attention.… The denizens of the Kingdom derive
their joy from the bounties of God and set their hopes on His infinite grace.
They exult in the outpourings of divine bounty and are gladdened by the favours
of the Lord of Hosts. In the fire of tribulations they remain fresh and
verdant, and in the tempest of trials and afflictions tranquil and at peace,
for they rest their backs against a mighty mountain and take refuge in a ship
wrought of steel.
As preordained by the Fountain-head of Creation, the temple
of the world hath been fashioned after the image and likeness of the human
body. In fact each mirroreth forth the image of the other, wert thou but to
observe with discerning eyes. By this is meant that even as the human body in
this world, which is outwardly composed of different limbs and organs, is in
reality a closely integrated, coherent entity, similarly the structure of the
physical world is like unto a single being whose limbs and members are
inseparably linked together.
…in the latter days the Shí‘ihs of Persia had forgotten the
truth of the religion of God and had become entirely devoid and deprived of the
morals of the spiritually minded. They
were cleaving to empty husks and remained entirely heedless of the pith and
substance. They had nothing to show but
outward observances, such as prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, almsgiving, and the
commemoration of the blessed Imáms. The
people of true knowledge would therefore call them “Qishrí” (superficial), for
amongst them the inner truths and meanings were absent, spiritual perceptions
were non-existent, and heavenly morals had become but an idle matter.
…from the very beginning of the Revelation of the Báb, the
believers were humble and lowly before Bahá’u’lláh, looked to Him for guidance,
and were drawn to Him with a heartfelt attraction. But at Badasht the greatness and majesty of
Bahá’u’lláh were manifested to a further degree. There, a number of believers developed a
particular devotion and became wholly attracted to Him. Whoever met Him and heard His words would be
transformed and enthralled, and could do naught but surrender his will and
become aflame with the fire of the love of God.
It is incumbent upon you to ponder in your hearts and
meditate upon His words, and humbly to call upon Him, and to put away self in
His heavenly Cause. These are the things that will make of you signs of
guidance unto all mankind, and brilliant stars shining down from the
all-highest horizon, and towering trees in the Abhá Paradise.
O musician of God!... The songsters of fellowship that abide
in the gardens of holiness must pour forth such a triumphant burst of songs in
this age that the birds in the fields may wing their flight in a transport of
delight; and in this divine festival, this heavenly banquet, they should play
the lute and the harp, and the viol and the lyre in such wise that the people
of east and west may be filled with exceeding joy and gladness, and be carried
away with exultation and happiness. Now it behoveth thee to raise the melody of
that heavenly lyre and to perform music on that celestial lute, thus causing
Barbud [1] to return to life and Rudaki [2] to be solaced and Farabi [3] to
become restless and Ibn-i-Sina [4] to be guided to the Sinai of God. Upon thee
be salutation and praise.
In truth, the wisdom of this perspicuous and most mighty
ordinance is that no one should draw breath without a will. Observe how, in the
absence of a will, the inheritance in its entirety is divided up, distributed
and dispersed contrary to the wishes of the deceased; what difficulties and
disagreements are thus engendered! The will, however, is the settler of every
dispute, and the cause of ease for all, for in it the testator disposeth of his
property in whatsoever manner he desireth. How agreeable it is for the estate
in its entirety to be disposed of in accordance with the testator's will and
pleasure! Observe ye how many people during their lifetime are fearful about
what will happen when they pass away. Now, with this divine commandment -- the
obligation and religious duty of drawing up a will before one's passing -- all
these difficulties are resolved.
…when ye behold the order and regularity of countries,
cities, and villages, the attractive adornment, the delicacy of the blessings,
the suitability of implements, the ease of transportation and traveling, the
extension of knowledge of the facts of the world of nature, the great
inventions and gigantic undertakings and the fine and artistic discoveries, ye
shall say that civilization is the cause of happiness and the development of
the human world.
…the advancement of civilization, material perfections and
human virtues will bear no fruit or result unless joined to the spiritual
perfections; merciful qualities and sound morals, and the happiness of the
human world, which is the original goal, will not be attained. For although
through the advancement of civilization and the adornment and refinement of the
material world, happiness is realized, and the sight of hopes fulfilled in
perfect beauty wins the heart, yet, concomitantly, great dangers, severe
ordeals and awful catastrophes are involved.