From the beginning of His childhood Bahá’u’lláh was
possessed of such astonishing qualities, signs, and utterances as to amaze
every soul. All the dignitaries of Persia would say: “This youth is wrought of
a rare substance”, and everyone, even the enemies and the envious, bore witness
to His knowledge, grace, wisdom, understanding, intelligence, and perception.
Among other things, it was acknowledged by all that He had neither entered a
school nor received a religious education. Nonetheless, His knowledge and
perfections were well recognized. The learned men of Persia would submit to Him
the difficult questions that perplexed their minds, and He would resolve them.
To this day, and in spite of their hostility, the dignitaries of Persia bear
witness to this matter.
In sum, no one, whether in Persia or even throughout the
East, denies Bahá’u’lláh’s knowledge, perfection, greatness, and ability. At
most they claim that this Man subverted the foundations of the Law of God, that
by means of His shrewdness, intelligence, knowledge, wisdom, eloquence, and
sagacity He led astray a vast multitude, and that He thus undermined the
perspicuous religion of God. But they do not deny His greatness.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk, included in ‘Additional Tablets, Extracts and Talks’, prepared by
the Baha’i World Center; Online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World
Center)
