Paragraph 137

But the purpose of these verses is not what they have imagined. Nay, the terms “ascendancy,” “power,” and “authority” imply a totally different station and meaning. For instance, consider the pervading power of those drops of the blood of Husayn which besprinkled the earth. What ascendancy and influence hath the dust itself, through the sacredness and potency of that blood, exercised over the bodies and souls of men! So much so, that he who sought deliverance from his ills, was healed by touching the dust of that holy ground, and whosoever, wishing to protect his property, treasured with absolute faith and understanding, a little of that holy earth within his house, safeguarded all his possessions. These are the outward manifestations of its potency. And were We to recount its hidden virtues they would assuredly say: “He verily hath considered the dust to be the Lord of Lords, and hath utterly forsaken the Faith of God.”

This is the third of six paragraphs talking about the Imam Husayn, and as you can see, Baha'u'llah is directing our attention to the fact that the verses cited are not what we believe they are. They do not mean what the generality of the people believe they mean. If they did, if they were to be taken literally, then they do not accord with known and recognized historical events. So either these quotes don't mean what we generally think they do, or they don't fit in with what we know of history. As we can't change history, it's easier to admit that we just don't quite understand these things correctly.

Here we begin to see with greater clarity one of the reasons He spent so much time looking at that marvelous quote from Jesus in Matthew 24. The methodology that He used in the majority of Part 1 is now being used here to better understand these references to the Imam Husayn, whom the uncle of the Bab reveres. As they were not literal at the time, it is easy to suppose that they may not be literal today, either.

You see, again, Baha'u'llah is taking the uncle from where he is, a devout Muslim who greatly admires the Imam Husayn, and helping him understand how his accurate understanding of the station of Husayn can be applied to the Bab. And make no mistake, this is not mere platitude. Baha'u'llah truly loves and admires the Imam Husayn.

He Highly praises the Imam and even goes so far as to remind the uncle just how spiritually powerful this individual is. Even the mere dust that covers the ground where he shed his blood is a potent remedy and protection.

But this leads us to a second point. It seems to us that Baha'u'llah is not actually saying anything magical here. While it is worth remembering that the Faith is, as all religions are, fundamentally mystical at its core, it also accords with science.

Here we find it just as interesting to read what He is not saying as what He is.

He does not say that we can take this dust and make instant cure-alls with it. He does not say that we can sell it as a home security system. He very carefully says that "he who sought deliverance... was healed..." He points out that those who wished to protect their property used this holy dust with "absolute faith and understanding".

In every religion we find examples of people being healed when they came in contact with the hem of the Manifestation's clothing, or other similar things we might call miracles. But in every case the onus seems to be on the faith of the individual. Baha'u'llah, here, calls this an "outward manifestation" of the potency of this blood, physically linking it to the actual blood that was spilled. But then He talks about the hidden virtues it has. This is what has caught our attention.

It made us go back and re-read the references here in this paragraph, and now we wonder if He could also be alluding to the Imam Husayn's blood, as in his blood-line. Could this be a reference to his heritage, being a descendant of Muhammad's family? Could it also be an allusion to the Bab, Himself, Who is his own descendant?