Paragraph 194

Viewed in the light of their second station—the station of distinction, differentiation, temporal limitations, characteristics and standards—they manifest absolute servitude, utter destitution and complete self-effacement. Even as He saith: “I am the servant of God. I am but a man like you.”

We are now at the fourth paragraph of twenty-two describing the two stations that the Manifestations occupy. Here Baha'u'llah has really begun describing that second station. He has already cautioned us that we can become "perplexed and dismayed" if we focus too closely on this station without keeping firmly in mind the first station, that of absolute unity.

Here He has outlined five aspects of this second station for our consideration, namely those of "distinction, differentiation, temporal limitations, characteristics and standards". What exactly are those? How are we to understand them, especially in light of that first station?

Let's take a look at them one at a time, and see what we can discover.

First, there is "distinction". This word has a number of definitions. It can mean "a difference or contrast between similar things", such as in the phrase "a distinct advantage". It can also mean something that stands out from the rest, as in "a man of distinction".

As we saw in Part 1, in those early paragraphs where He talks about the earlier Manifestations, they all stood out from the people of their day. They were, one and all, people of distinction.

But there is also the contrast between them. While they all manifest that absolute servitude, the personality of Jesus as described in the Gospels is quite different from that of Moses or Muhammad as described in the Tanakh or the Qur'an. So we can see that if we expect them all to have the same personality, we might be either disappointed or confused.

Second, there is "differentiation". This is usually defined as "the act of showing or finding difference between things that are compared". But it can also be defined as "the development from the one to the many, the simple to the complex". Again, the Manifestations of that divine Spirit do both.

If we look at that second definition first (yeah, we know it's out of order, but bear with us), and compare it to the different faiths chronologically, we can see that development in action. Moses, in a sense, talked about a family, the descendants of Jacob. Jesus expanded this to city-states, which is why we see so many books of the New Testament named after places. Muhammad broadened His appeal to what we would now refer to as nations. And Baha'u'llah is working towards uniting the whole planet. As time moves on, the circle of unity grows, ever wider, ever more complex.

If we look at that first definition, we see that the Manifestations also show the differences between things, like the spirituality of people. They "differentiate" one thing from another, such as the living and the dead. They separate the "sheep" from the "goats", "truth" from "falsehood", and so forth.

But let's look at another example, namely prayer. For the Jewish people, a pious person would face Jerusalem, the Wailing Wall, when they pray. And the prayers they say would be those prescribed by the priests, or their particular rabbi. For a Muslim, the pious individual would face Mecca, the Kabba, and they would recite the prayers from the Qur'an. From an outside perspective, we can see that what really matters is their state of heart.

If we focus on the material aspect, like where someone faces, then we can get confused when the rules change. Baha’u’llah mentions this back in paragraphs 54 and 55 as one of the examples of the tests that people face when the new religion is founded. As a reminder, “The most acceptable prayer”, says the Bab, “is the one offered with the utmost spirituality and radiance.”

The third aspect is that of "temporal limitations". This means the limitations that were imposed upon them by the times in which they lived.

For example. no earlier Messenger could have talked about the oneness of humanity because we didn't really know all of humanity yet.

We also didn't know how, as a human race, to purify water until just prior to the advent of Muhammad. It was safer to drink alcohol than most sources of water. Once we understood this process, though, Muhammad told us to no longer drink alcohol, presumably because it was now safer to drink the water. The damage done to us from the alcohol no longer outweighed the damage done to us from the water.

Another example is that of dietary restrictions. For desert dwellers, eating pork made no sense. It was too dangerous. For a crowded population living on grassland surrounded by mountains, forbidding beef made sense, for otherwise the population would starve just to be able to feed all the cows.

We often hear people discounting things because, as they say, "It's not mentioned in the Bible." But that is usually just because the idea hadn't taken root yet in the minds of the people, such as various rights, or it just hadn't been invented yet, such as computers or other modern technology. When Jesus famously said, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now", He was pointing out this temporal limitation.

The fourth aspect is that of "characteristics". We often think of these as those traits that distinguish one individual from another, or those attributes and qualities that make up their character. They are how we identify people.

When looking at the various Manifestations, we can get confused by these, expecting the "return" to be the same as what we saw before, but we know this is not the case. For example, Moses was a Hebrew born in Egypt raised in the House of Pharaoh. Jesus was a Hebrew born in Palestine during the Roman occupation, and worked as a carpenter. Muhammad was an Arab born to the Banu Hashim clan of the Quraysh tribe in Mecca, and He was a merchant working with caravans. They each had their own characteristics, and if we expect the new Manifestation to be exactly like the previous one, that can be very confusing for us.

Finally, there are the "standards" by which they lived. This also changed from time to time, and from place to place. But they all demonstrated the amazing ability to show how to follow the laws of the previous Manifestation before changing them. They followed the standard set by the previous Messenger, instead of the standard of the day.

In the time of the Bab it had become a standard practice to learn to recite the Qur'an in Arabic, even if you didn't speak the language. They felt that it somehow connected them more closely to the divine. The Bab, however, recognized the importance of understanding the words and, as a young child, insisted on knowing what the meaning of the words were before reciting them. He later fulfilled the obligation of Pilgrimage by going on the Hajj.

This is quite different from what Jesus did, demonstrating how to truly fulfill the law of Moses.

Each in their own time showed their profound understanding of the importance of obedience to the Law of God, and were held up as an example to others around them.

We find that if we focus on any of these aspects without considering their first station, that of essential unity, then we can think of them as very different from one another. When we see, instead, how they each stood out in their time and helped bring humanity forward, then we can see all these differences as part of the natural order imposed on us all by time and the ever-advancing nature of civilization.

Paragraph 193

It hath ever been evident that all these divergences of utterance are attributable to differences of station. Thus, viewed from the standpoint of their oneness and sublime detachment, the attributes of Godhead, Divinity, Supreme Singleness, and Inmost Essence, have been and are applicable to those Essences of being, inasmuch as they all abide on the throne of divine Revelation, and are established upon the seat of divine Concealment. Through their appearance the Revelation of God is made manifest, and by their countenance the Beauty of God is revealed. Thus it is that the accents of God Himself have been heard uttered by these Manifestations of the divine Being.

As Baha'u'llah has now moved on to describe the second station occupied by the Manifestations of God, we would expect Him to talk about it. But it looks as if He has gone back to the first. It seems perplexing.

What He has actually done, though, is introduce the second station, and then reinforce the first to ensure we don't get confused. Remember, He has just told us that we may ""feel perplexed and dismayed" by focusing too much on that second station.

So, He begins this paragraph by referring to the "divergences of utterance (which) are attributable to differences of station". Which station? Presumably that second station, that of distinction, as described in paragraph 191.

Just in case we are not sure what this would look like, let's look at an example.

Remember way back in the Tanakh when Moses said "an eye for an eye"? And then in the Gospel Jesus changed that to "if a man strikes you on the right cheek, offer him your left"? These sure seem different. One seeks justice, while the other commands forgiveness, of a sort.

How can we reconcile these?

Simple, we think.

Imagine if Moses taught us to turn the other cheek. What would have happened? The Jews would still be in Egypt. Moses' mission, getting the Jews out of Egypt, would never have happened.

Now what about if Jesus taught "an eye for an eye"? What would have happened then? Realistically, the Roman legions would have wiped out the early Christians.

You see, the circumstances were very different, and like a good physician, the prescription needed to change in order to help humanity move forward.

But looking at this can be confusing. It can seem as if Moses and Jesus shared different messages, and so Baha'u'llah immediately reminds us of the absolute unity of the Messengers. He does not want us to "feel perplexed and dismayed at the varying utterances pronounced by Manifestations that are essentially one and the same".

When viewed in this light, we can see that both these teachings, an eye for an eye and turning the other cheek, lead us forward. The first takes us from the vengeance of killing someone for hurting us to a more equitable retribution. The second leads us forward to a more forgiving stance. Two steps on the same path.

He then describes their absolute unity again, in slightly different terms. As usual, there seems to be a path in His description.

Looking at it a bit more closely, we notice that "Godhead" comes from the word "God-hood", meaning divine in nature. It is an apt word to describe the Manifestations of God.

Given that, we can look at the four attributes in the second sentence and pair them up with the four phrases found later in the paragraph, giving us:

1. Godhead - throne of divine Revelation
2. Divinity - seat of divine Concealment
3. Supreme Singleness - Revelation of God is made manifest
4. Inmost Essence - Beauty of God is revealed

The Manifestation, or Godhead, is the one who brings the Revelation to humanity. They allow us to get an idea of divinity, which is supremely concealed from our sight, as said so well back in paragraph 104. "He is and hath ever been veiled in the ancient eternity of His Essence, and will remain in His Reality everlastingly hidden from the sight of men."

This brings us forward to Baha'u'llah's message found throughout His revelation,  that first station of the Manifestations which He has been explaining to us since paragraph 161, namely that station of absolute and essential unity, through which we can now understand the progressive nature of the Revelation of God.

This allows us to better understand the difference between the Manifestations and that inmost Essence of the Divine, which is so far beyond us that we cannot even begin to truly comprehend it, and further appreciate the Beauty of God and what He has accomplished throughout the breadth of religious history.

Paragraph 192

It is because of this difference in their station and mission that the words and utterances flowing from these Wellsprings of divine knowledge appear to diverge and differ. Otherwise, in the eyes of them that are initiated into the mysteries of divine wisdom, all their utterances are in reality but the expressions of one Truth. As most of the people have failed to appreciate those stations to which We have referred, they therefore feel perplexed and dismayed at the varying utterances pronounced by Manifestations that are essentially one and the same.

Wow. Twenty-two paragraphs on this theme, the two stations of the Manifestations, and it's going to be a bit tricky, we feel, to keep this in mind, but we'll do our best.

He begins by talking about "this difference", but which difference is He referring to? The "difference in their station and mission" as described in the previous paragraph, in which each One "fulfills a definite Mission". Because these Missions differ, and the circumstances of the day were different, it can seem as if the message is different, too. And note that He says they "appear to diverge and differ", not that they do. They only appear to.

So what does this mean? Can we think of an example? Fortunately, we don't have to. Baha'u'llah already did, way back in paragraphs 54 and 55. Remember that story of Muhammad when He changed the Point of Adoration from Jerusalem to Mecca? This is a simple example of how He changed where we face when praying. A lot of people were thrown off by this. But, you see, the important thing is the prayer, not the direction. While it may appear to be different, the law of prayer is still the same basic law.

Another example is found in raising a child. You don't tell the hyperactive child to be more assertive. You tell them to calm down. And you don't tell the child who is always being bullied to calm down. You tell them to be more assertive.

Although the message appears to be different, in reality they are the same. Both of these messages help the child move towards a more moderate attitude.

Similarly, the Messages of the Manifestations may appear to differ, yet they "are in reality but the expressions of one Truth".

But let's not think this is easy. After all, imagine you went to the doctor with a headache, and they prescribed some aspirin. Later on, you have a stomachache and remember that the aspirin helped your pain earlier, but you need a new prescription. Since the first doctor has moved away, you end up seeing someone new. The problem, though, is that this new doctor prescribes something different. Why, you may wonder. Your last doctor prescribed that aspirin and it worked. Why should you take this new medicine? Well, this time, since your ailment is different, the aspirin would just make you more ill. Having been trained, your doctor knows this, but you might not. It would be so easy to become confused, and question the new doctor.

This is similar to what Baha'u'llah is saying.

If we do not understand the station of the doctor, we may not trust the second one. This is why we might become "perplexed and dismayed". But if we understand their station, their training, and perhaps even the fact that our illness is now different, then we would follow the new prescription without question.

Another phrase that stands out for us in this paragraph is the phrase "initiated into the mysteries". While we often think  of the word "initiate", in this context, to mean being brought into a group that understands some obscure knowledge, it also has the implication of beginning an endeavour. Here, the obscure knowledge might just be these two stations Baha'u'llah has unveiled to our eyes, and we really are only beginning to understand it. As we come to a better understanding of these two stations, our understanding of the similarity of their messages will also grow. All this brings us back to paragraph 75, where He said, "Wert thou to cleanse the mirror of thy heart from the dust of malice, thou wouldst... discover the mysteries of divine knowledge."

The next question is how can we appreciate those stations to which He has referred? Here, we might want to look at the definition of "appreciate", which means "to understand fully, to recognize the full worth of". We often think of it in terms of being grateful, but that is the result of recognizing the full worth of something. 

With that in mind, we can understand His statement reading more like, "most of the people have not fully recognized those two stations of the Messengers". This is why so many of us are "perplexed and dismayed". We try to apply a good remedy to the wrong illness. But the more that we understand that second station, that of distinction, especially in light of their essential unity, the more we will recognize the value of those commands that appear to differ. They are solely due to the time in which they were revealed, and the social illnesses they are trying to heal.

As Baha'u'llah says, "The All-Knowing Physician hath His finger on the pulse of mankind. He perceiveth the disease, and prescribeth, in His unerring wisdom, the remedy.

Paragraph 191

We have already in the foregoing pages assigned two stations unto each of the Luminaries arising from the Daysprings of eternal holiness. One of these stations, the station of essential unity, We have already explained. “No distinction do We make between any of them.” The other is the station of distinction, and pertaineth to the world of creation and to the limitations thereof. In this respect, each Manifestation of God hath a distinct individuality, a definitely prescribed mission, a predestined Revelation, and specially designated limitations. Each one of them is known by a different name, is characterized by a special attribute, fulfills a definite Mission, and is entrusted with a particular Revelation. Even as He saith: “Some of the Apostles We have caused to excel the others. To some God hath spoken, some He hath raised and exalted. And to Jesus, Son of Mary, We gave manifest signs, and We strengthened Him with the Holy Spirit.”

Now that He has finished His explanation of that first of two stations that the Manifestations hold, that of "essential unity", He is ready to move on to the second, "the station of distinction". But he doesn't just move on to it and leave the other behind. Most of us, if discussing these two stations of the Manifestations of God would discuss one and then the other.

He has fully explained the one station, that of essential unity, and is now ready to discuss the second, that of distinction, but recognizes that it is very easy to forget about the former and become confused. So over the next number of paragraphs He will discuss both of them together. This is another example of His mercy to us, making sure that we don't get lost. But it is also an example of His view of unity. He doesn't even separate the ideas. He discusses one, and then He discusses both together.

Baha'u'llah will discuss these two themes for the next series of paragraphs up to 212. Now again, many commentators have divided this book into very different sections, and that's ok. There is no wrong way to do it. We are opting to include all these paragraphs from 191 through 212 in one section for the reason of method. Remember, our concern is about understanding the methods and arguments Baha'u'llah uses in this book to help the uncle of the Bab move from being a sincere seeker to a confirmed believer. The arguments, in many ways, are fairly straightforward, so our primary concern is the methods He uses. We will discuss this more at length as we get further into it.

But we just want to point out one other thing before we move on. As we were making our outline, we had recognized that He discussed the first station at length and we presumed He would talk about the second. But as we read ahead, that just didn't seem to be the case. It was like when we presumed that the whole of Part Two was about sovereignty, mainly because so many notable scholars said so. In both cases we felt that something wasn't quite right. We had to go back to the detachment He values so highly in Part One. We had to remember not to take "the words... of mortal men as a standard for the true understanding...", including our own. We had to look at this with our own eyes and "meditate profoundly" before coming to this realization. In university, and so many other areas of life, we go from one theme to another, treating them separately. Baha'u'llah is showing us a new way of looking at things, and this is but another example.

For now, though, let's focus on this one paragraph.

The first thing we note is that these two quotes from the Qur'an essentially outline the entire purpose of the next twenty-two paragraphs. “No distinction do We make between any of them.” “Some of the Apostles We have caused to excel the others..."

We have often noticed that He is very particular in His choice of quotes, so we can just presume that these two are here specifically to give us a heads up for where He is going. After all, they are the ones He has chosen to begin this whole section with. "No distinction..." "Some... We have caused to excel the others..."

They are apparently contradictory. No distinction, but some excel the others? Yes. Exactly. These two appear to contradict each other, but He is going to spend over twenty paragraphs showing how they work in tandem. He has already carefully given us a vision of this first concept, that of "no distinction", and is now going to show us how these two ideas work together. And remember, He already knows that if He talks about them separately we are likely to get even more confused. So He talks about them together.

This is so important to keep in mind as we move forward. This is why we are bringing it up again and again here. As we read ahead to figure out where He was going, it became more and more apparent that we needed to keep these two quotes firmly in mind, regularly referring back to them as we read ahead. This was what allowed us to begin to understand His methodology. Two quotes that both refer to the same thing, but from very different angles. No distinction, yet still different.

We know this is not easy, although it may seem like it is to us, given how we are writing about it. But it's not easy. We had to read this over and over, and still got confused about where He was going. However, by highlighting these two quotes, we found something of a guidepost.  They kept us on the right track and allowed us to get a glimmer of His vision. So if you, dear Reader, have trouble following what we are saying, or where He is going, we encourage you to read ahead. And if you do, we would also encourage you to read to paragraph 202, as it seems that He goes on a bit of a tangent after that, even though it is still related to this theme.

Another thing we noticed in this paragraph is the strange path He seems to take in the middle of it. He says, in one sentence, that each Manifestation has:

1. a distinct individuality

2. a definitely prescribed mission

3. a predestined Revelation, and

4. specially designated limitations

In the following sentence He says that they each have:

A. a different name

B. a special attribute

C. a definite Mission, and

D. a particular Revelation

As we have done much earlier in our study of this book, we find that we can link these two lists. We can say that 1 is a, 2 is b, 3 is c, and 4 is d. But as we do so, we find that it is not quite so. Well, it is, but it only seems as if they're not quite lined up. We would expect "mission" to line up with "Mission" and "Revelation" to line up with "Revelation". But they don't. They're one off. Syncopated, if you will.

Why?

For us, it feels as if we are marching forward with His ideas, and then stumble. When you are walking forward and stumble, there are a few things you can do. First, you can stop and get your footing again. Or second, you can fall. But the third option is to allow your momentum to carry you forward and take a few faltering steps as you regain your rhythm. It is that third option that we feel here.

It seems to us that the whole notion of seeing these two quotes as describing the same thing, the oneness of the Manifestations while still acknowledging their differences, is so difficult for so many of us that even here He is recognizing that feeling of discomfort. In fact, He even seems to be encouraging it. That, to us, is how difficult a concept we think this entire section is.

While we could spend a long time talking about how these two lists really do line up, and the truths we can get from it, we will refrain from doing so. Instead, we will encourage you to meditate upon it. Or as He said so often earlier in this volume, "ponder", "reflect", "consider". "Meditate profoundly".

As we move forward in this whole section, we feel that the fog we may be seeing right now will begin to lift, just as it does when the sun begins to rise.

Paragraph 190

By God! This Bird of Heaven, now dwelling upon the dust, can, besides these melodies, utter a myriad songs, and is able, apart from these utterances, to unfold innumerable mysteries. Every single note of its unpronounced utterances is immeasurably exalted above all that hath already been revealed, and immensely glorified beyond that which hath streamed from this Pen. Let the future disclose the hour when the Brides of inner meaning will, as decreed by the Will of God, hasten forth, unveiled, out of their mystic mansions, and manifest themselves in the ancient realm of being. Nothing whatsoever is possible without His permission; no power can endure save through His power, and there is none other God but He. His is the world of creation, and His the Cause of God. All proclaim His Revelation, and all unfold the mysteries of His Spirit.

Paragraph 30 of 30 on that first of two stations that the Manifestations of God exhibit, the station of "pure abstraction and essential unity". You will note that the vast majority of the book is dedicated to this theme. There are, of course, the thirty paragraphs in this section out the nearly 300 paragraphs in the book. But then there are all those sections in Part One. In paragraphs 6 through 20, He recounts the beginnings of the stories of some of the Messengers of God, showing how they were all persecuted in their time. Then, in paragraphs 24 through 99, He shows how a single passage from the book of Matthew, recounting a prophecy from Jesus, applies not only to Muhammad, but to all the Manifestations, including the Bab. By recognizing this recurring pattern, we are in a far better position to be able to recognize Baha'u'llah. Of course, once we get to Part Two, He further reinforces this theme, explicitly talking about it here, but still referencing it throughout the first 60 paragraphs.

While many have said that the main theme in Part Two is the natural sovereignty of the Messengers of God, we have come to feel that this is not quite accurate. Sure, it is true, and He shows us how the different Messengers can be seen like the different kings that sit on the same throne. When speaking of the King, they can all be seen as the same. They are one and all the King. But each individual king lives in his own time, and has their own peculiar challenges due to the day in which they live. As king, they all share that essential unity.

But then, at the end of paragraph 102, where we first focused on the concept of Part Two being about "sovereignty", He states He is revealing these "mysteries" so that we may "soar on the wings of renunciation to those heights that are veiled from the eyes of men."

As we finish this section on the "essential unity" of the Manifestations of God, are we not beginning to get a glimpse of the magnificence of God? Do we not wonder at the breadth of His love for us? When we see that the Messenger we love is the same as the Messenger loved by our neighbour, do we not begin to get a sense of the complexity of this creation, the intricacy and inter-relatedness of the entire world? Are we not struck with awe at the marvelous understanding of history that is being laid bare before our very eyes? When we renounce our own sense of pride, the belief that our religion is right and everyone else's faith is somehow wrong, when we are detached from the idea of the finality of our own faith, then we can start on that path that leads us to those "heights that are veiled" from us.

We can go into great detail about all the hints to His own upcoming declaration within this paragraph, and compare the many references to the "Bird of Heaven" in this book, not to mention the rest of His Writings. We can begin to look at the "melodies" and "songs", every "single note" within these "unpronounced utterances". We can even write at length about the unveiled Brides and their mansions.

Instead, though, we want to look at that last sentence. "All proclaim His Revelation, and all unfold the mysteries of His Spirit."

This brings us right back to paragraph 107. "How resplendent the luminaries of knowledge that shine in an atom, and how vast the oceans of wisdom that surge within a drop! To a supreme degree is this true of man..." And from paragraph 109, "...of all men, the most accomplished, the most distinguished and the most excellent are the Manifestations of the Sun of Truth."

As we re-read this current paragraph together, we were both struck by how this passage reads like a prayer. This was when we realized how holistic the Writings are. It is almost impossible to separate them into differing categories. And that fits in so well with this whole section. Everything about it is in relation to the oneness of the Manifestations, and so it just makes sense that we would find a similar unity within the writings. Similarly, from those previous paragraphs we get a sense that the world itself also mirrors this unity and oneness. Everything proclaims His Revelation to a greater or lesser degree. Everything, to its own capacity, unfolds the "mysteries of His Spirit".

We are so used to seeing things as separate from everything else, but Baha'u'llah continually shows us the continuity of all creation, from the simplest atom to the Manifestations themselves.

And while there are many other things that can be said about this paragraph, especially in relation to other transitional paragraphs in this book, such as 22, 64, 65, 78, and 99, just to name a few and make our point, we would like to focus on a pattern that we see here. As you may have noticed, this sort of pattern recognition is not something we have talked about for a while, but we want to make sure that we don't forget about this tool for understanding.

Let's take a closer look at those last three sentences: Nothing whatsoever is possible without His permission; no power can endure save through His power, and there is none other God but He. His is the world of creation, and His the Cause of God. All proclaim His Revelation, and all unfold the mysteries of His Spirit.

Focusing on that first one, we notice that it can be divided into three points, and these three points each allude to a different Manifestation of God.

It begins with "Nothing whatsoever is possible without His permission". Now, while it may be a bit of a stretch, this reminds us of the story of Moses, who asked to go to the Promised Land, but was told "no" by God. Permission was not granted.

It continues with "no power can endure save through His power". When we look at that concept of enduring, we think of Jesus and His resurrection. It is only through the power of God that He was able to "endure".

That last part is "there is none other God but He", which, quite naturally, puts us in mind of Muhammad.

In this one sentence, He seems to move us from Moses to Jesus to Muhammad.

From there, He goes on in a separate sentence with "His is the world of Creation", which we feel is an allusion to the Bab, the Primal Point of all creation, and "His is the Cause of God", which brings to our mind Baha'u'llah.

He then concludes with "All proclaim His Revelation, and all unfold the mysteries of His Spirit." To us, this speaks of the universality of religion and where we are heading in the future.

Paragraph 189

We have variously and repeatedly set forth the meaning of every theme, that perchance every soul, whether high or low, may obtain, according to his measure and capacity, his share and portion thereof. Should he be unable to comprehend a certain argument, he may, thus, by referring unto another, attain his purpose. “That all sorts of men may know where to quench their thirst.”

Here we are at paragraph 29 of 30 dedicated that the singular theme, the station of "pure abstraction and essential unity", the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God. While it would be easy to take this paragraph and the next one and break them out as an interlude between this and the next section, we have opted to leave them here, in this section. 

There is the question, of course, of what He is referring to here. He has "variously and repeatedly set forth the meaning of every theme"? Well, yes.

If we survey what He has written up to this point in His life, we will see that He has done just that. The Hidden Words, The Seven Valleys, The Four Valleys, and Gems of Divine Mysteries, to name a few, were all written before this book. If we read them carefully, we will see that The Seven Valleys and Gems of Divine Mysteries both deal with the same themes as the Kitab-i-Iqan. They just do it in different ways. While the Kitab-i-Iqan is far more cognitive in its approach, even with all the references to the necessity of a pure heart, the Seven Valleys is far more mystical in its language. Both, though, deal with the same issues. Gems of Divine Mysteries lies somewhere in between these two. 

As to the Four Valleys, it looks at the different ways in which people learn about God, so that book can be seen as a guide to understand which of the others will be most effective in guiding the seeker to truth.

And the Hidden Words? Well, Baha'u'llah says it best. It is, in His words, "the inner essence" of that which had been "revealed unto the Prophets of old" and "clothed... in the garment of brevity".

No matter our learning style, no matter our personal preferences for the way we look at the world, Baha'u'llah has a book that will answer our questions.

If the Kitab-i-Iqan is too intellectual for us, with too many references to the Qur'an, we can always look at Gems of Divine Mysteries as another way to understand this particular theme. If the Seven Valleys is too mystical for our liking, if the numerous metaphors just don't click with our way of learning, no problem. We can always read either of the other two. And if we prefer small sound bites that we can mull over during the day, perhaps the Hidden Words will be more to our liking.

If we are sincere in our search, we can find answers to all our questions in any of these volumes. The key, though, is to be sincere. As He repeatedly says in this book, and many others, it is the heart that is of primary importance in understanding His teachings.

It is also important to note that the search is always in relation to the individual. It is not, nor should be, related to anyone else's search. We can never judge another in what they have been able to find. All we can do is look at their actions, or their countenance. If they have not found what we might have discovered, they probably found another pearl in that divine ocean.

This is brought to the fore when He talks about each individual's "measure and capacity". In another famous passage, He says, "The portion of some might lie in the palm of a man’s hand, the portion of others might fill a cup, and of others even a gallon-measure." But even one who has the capacity of a gallon-measure is still not as valuable if that gallon is empty, as compared to the one who only has the capacity of "the palm of a man's hand", but whose hand is full.

In the end, though, what matters is that we know where we can "quench (our) thirst".

Paragraph 188

We seal Our theme with that which was formerly revealed unto Muḥammad that the seal thereof may shed the fragrance of that holy musk which leadeth men unto the Riḍván of unfading splendor. He said, and His Word is the truth: “And God calleth to the Abode of Peace; and He guideth whom He will into the right way.” “For them is an Abode of Peace with their Lord! and He shall be their Protector because of their works.” This He hath revealed that His grace may encompass the world. Praise be to God, the Lord of all being!

We are at paragraph 28 out of the thirty paragraphs that look at the station of "pure abstraction and essential unity", the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God. Just a few paragraphs away from finishing this section.

It is worth pointing out that the word "seal" is used here as an ending, as in sealing an envelope. It is like He is capping off this theme, the theme of the essential unity of the Messengers. And to do that, He is using two statements from Muhammad, both referring to the "Abode of Peace". Why? So that the "beautiful fragrance" from those phrases might lead us to "the Ridvan of unfading splendor".

What is the "Abode of Peace"? It refers to Baghdad. But it is also a possible reference to Jerusalem, which literally means "City of Peace". In yet another sense, it can also refer to the Manifestation Himself. The very name of Noah means "peace".

We can also cast our eyes forward and see that Ridvan is a reference to the garden in Baghdad in which Baha'u'llah will declare His mission. Using the garden reference, we can cast our eyes back again to the Garden of Eden, which is where we first knew peace.

Back and forth, this phrase carries us through religious history.

And the references to God, our Lord? We know that this always refers to the Messenger, the closest that we can come to God. In every Dispensation it is the Messenger who has called us to peace, and who has guided us in the right way. Throughout this whole section, and the vast majority of Part Two, we have seen over and over how we can actually be in the presence of the Messenger, and that their very presence is an "Abode of Peace". The Messenger protects us, yes, but why? Because of our works, our actions.

The phrase "Abode of Peace", you may recall, also occurred in paragraph 22. There He refers to "the immortal fruit" and "the waters of everlasting life which", He says, "are being vouchsafed unto all mankind" from Baghdad, "the Abode of Peace".

In both cases this reference occurs just after He has talked about a number of Manifestations.  First, in paragraph 22, it comes right after He has shown what the beginning of their "story arcs" have in common. Now, with paragraph 188, He is again referencing the "Abode of Peace", Baghdad, after He has talked in depth about their essential unity. In both cases, He helps us recognize their commonalities, which leads us to the recognition of the Bab, but then continues beyond His present day to His own future declaration.

This is another example of His methodology in leading the uncle of the Bab towards recognition. Baha'u'llah, throughout this book, is very systematic. For example, when talking about the similarities between the various Messengers, He gives us a number of examples, chronological in order, which allows us to more easily follow His reasoning. Then, as He approaches the Bab, He alludes to Himself through His presence in Baghdad. He carries us on this grand historical journey, grounding our own beliefs more firmly in the truth, and then allows us to take the last step towards the recognition of His own station.

Now, looking back at this paragraph again, He has shared all of this so that the "holy musk" may be shed from these words of Muhammad. What does that mean?

We think it means by recognizing the importance of Baghdad, we will be led to the Garden of Ridvan, and Baha'u'llah's own impending declaration.

Here we find it is worth recalling the importance of a fragrance, or a perfume, and musk in particular.

Historically, perfume has been used for a number of reasons. It is used to make the environment more pleasant, such as when they burn incense in a church. On a more individual level, it is used to attract others to the one wearing it. But from modern science we also know that our sense of smell can evoke powerful memories and emotions. In a way, this is what Baha'u'llah is doing in this whole section. He is calling to mind our powerful memories of the religion we love. He is stirring our emotions, helping us remember the joy we feel through these stories. And don't forget, our choice of perfume is also very personal, just as our connection to the divine is personal, too.

But why musk? Why that scent that historically was very rare and expensive? Symbolically, musk represented purity, excellence, and a connection to the divine. Muhammad said that we would be like "pure musk" when we got to heaven.

In perfumery musk is often used because it is a fixative. It enhances the other scents in the blend and allows them to last a lot longer, ensuring the scent remains powerful.

So let's look at this analogy once again.

This reference to the "Abode of Peace" can draw our attention to Baha'u'llah, who is living there at that moment. In a very short time He will enter the Ridvan Garden and declare His mission. In this book, though, He is reframing our understanding of the past, putting it into a more coherent whole. He is helping us understand why we are followers of the religion we follow, enhancing our understanding and love of the Messengers we already revere. And all the while, He is drawing us forward in history to the Bab, and also Himself. He is leading us, step by step, to that "Ridvan of unfading splendor".

"Praise be to God, the Lord of all being!"