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O my friend, were the bird of thy mind to explore the heavens of the Revelation of the Qur’án, were it to contemplate the realm of divine knowledge unfolded therein, thou wouldst assuredly find unnumbered doors of knowledge set open before thee. Thou wouldst certainly recognize that all these things which have in this day hindered this people from attaining the shores of the ocean of eternal grace, the same things in the Muḥammadan Dispensation prevented the people of that age from recognizing that divine Luminary, and from testifying to His truth. Thou wilt also apprehend the mysteries of “return” and “revelation,” and wilt securely abide within the loftiest chambers of certitude and assurance.

You may recall that this entire book is to help answer the questions of the uncle of the Bab. It also can help us become better teachers of the Cause when we understand both the methods and arguments used by Baha'u'llah to do this. Now is a good time to look at another one of those methods.

Baha'u'llah begins this paragraph by addressing the uncle as "O my friend". He is not talking down to the uncle, from the perspective of "I know, and you do not". Instead He addresses him as a loved friend. This is indicative of great love and respect, treating him as an equal, a fellow-believer. In some ways it is as if they are exploring these questions together.

How often do we do this when we are asked questions about the Faith? Of course, that is not a question we will answer here, but just leave for us all to ponder, especially ourselves, the writers of this little blog. Either way, it is a good thing to do, for who knows what we will learn when we answer questions from this approach. It is demonstrative of an open mind, that sign of detachment so necessary in the first part of the book.

The very next thing He does is refer to "the bird of thy mind". Such beautiful imagery, filled with poetry. "Exploring the heavens of the Revelation of the Qur'an", "securely abide within the loftiest chambers of certitude and assurance".

Here we are reminded of a bird that was living the backyard, a blue jay. The bird made its nest of twigs, not leaves, very high in the tree. It was a strong nest, one that would not be blown away by the strong winds. It was high enough, at the very edges of the branches, that it did not have to worry about squirrels or cats, for they could never climb out that far. They were also sure to build the nest over soft ground, not rocky and hard ground or over concrete. The nest was placed so that if an egg should happen to fall, there was a chance it would not break. Once it was built in a safe and secure location, then the birds were ready to create the eggs. Another interesting aspect is that once the nest was built, no other birds would build a nest in the same tree. It was reserved for those birds alone who built the nest.

We see this as a beautiful analogy for our faith. We need to build it securely, safe from predators. And once we do, then we can begin to think about the propagation of the Faith, teaching others. Also, when our personal faith is built on a solid foundation, nobody will try to intrude upon it. We may welcome them to ask questions and join us in our search for greater truths, but the tree of our faith is for us alone.

Continuing with the nature analogies, Baha'u'llah also mentions the "ocean of eternal grace", bringing us right back to the very beginning of this book and the "shores of the ocean of true understanding". Over and over He brings us back to this beginning, reminding us of the paramount importance of detachment.

This ties in so beautifully to the reminder that those things that prevented people from recognizing in the past are those same things that prevent them from recognizing today. In fact, it is this very similarity, these same arguments, that are yet another of the signs of the Return. Over and over, we see the same signs again and again, if we but look.

And another of those signs is what we call the "great reversal", the high being brought low and the low being raised up. We see this in the Bible, the Qur'an, and again here.

We were thinking of referring to Shaykh Salman, the barber, and how when he was in the presence of Baha'u'llah he could recite such beautiful poetry, but when he was not around the Manifestation, his poetry was only mediocre. Instead, though, we want to mention Mubarak, the Bab's Ethiopian servant who was there to welcome Mulla Husayn at the door on the night of the Declaration of the Bab.

Here is a lowly servant, who, to all outward seeming, was amongst the lowest of the low, but his heart was pure, and he had an undying love and devotion for the Bab. The Bab said that when they rejected Him and His Message, Muhammad Shah and his prime minister Haji Mirza Aqasi descended to the lowest abyss. While Mubarak, who was considered a lowly house servant, ascended to the heaven of glory for "having done good in the realm of faith". This is another example of the unexpected signs of the Return.

Finally, we once again notice the use of quotes in this book. When reading all sorts of commentaries and books studying various sacred writings, we find that people love to throw in all sorts of quotes, as many as they can, touching on a theme. If the word "youth" is mentioned, for example, they will often grab every use of the word that they can, filling pages and pages with all sorts of citations, whether or not they have anything to do with the theme.

Baha'u'llah doesn't do that. First, He is primarily citing the Qur'an, as that is the book revered by the uncle. He doesn't quote the Bab, for example, but instead quotes the book that was given to us to teach us about His coming. And when Baha'u'llah does quote from the Qur'an, He does so precisely, and purposefully. The quote is never just the single line, but always used to explore the topic at hand with the context of the quote itself. They are always done very precisely. Not a single quote is used that can be omitted. To leave any out would diminish the power of the argument, and leave out a crucial understanding to the whole point.

Instead of using a shotgun effect, He uses the quotes with a laser-like accuracy.

This is another thing we can learn from Him in this book. When we quote the Writings with precision, we avoid the risk of overwhelming the listener with too much information.

Paragraph 155

This station is also one of the signs of the Day of Revelation; even as it is said: “The abased amongst you, He shall exalt; and they that are exalted, He shall abase.” And likewise, He hath revealed in the Qur’án: “And We desire to show favor to those who were brought low in the land, and to make them spiritual leaders among men, and to make of them Our heirs.” It hath been witnessed in this day how many of the divines, owing to their rejection of the Truth, have fallen into, and abide within, the uttermost depths of ignorance, and whose names have been effaced from the scroll of the glorious and learned. And how many of the ignorant who, by reason of their acceptance of the Faith, have soared aloft and attained the high summit of knowledge, and whose names have been inscribed by the Pen of Power upon the Tablet of divine Knowledge. Thus, “What He pleaseth will God abrogate or confirm: for with Him is the Source of Revelation.” Therefore, it hath been said: “To seek evidence, when the Proof hath been established is but an unseemly act, and to be busied with the pursuit of knowledge when the Object of all learning hath been attained is truly blameworthy.” Say: O people of the earth! Behold this flamelike Youth that speedeth across the limitless profound of the Spirit, heralding unto you the tidings: “Lo: the Lamp of God is shining,” and summoning you to heed His Cause which, though hidden beneath the veils of ancient splendor, shineth in the land of ‘Iráq above the dayspring of eternal holiness.

 

When we read this paragraph, there were so many things that came to mind. We wanted to ask, initially, which station is being referred to in in the first phrase, and then go on and cite the examples that came to mind with the rest of the paragraph. We wanted to talk about the fishermen that Jesus called forth to become saints. We wanted to mention the Sifter of Wheat who responded so swiftly to the call of Mulla Husayn.

But honestly, this all paled in comparison to a point that came up in our discussion, which was just how many people we knew who seemed to be afraid of diving into this book. They say that it is too difficult for them, that they aren't educated enough, or that the language is too lofty.

Honestly, all of this is, as Samuel says, "Hogwash."

To start, the station referred to comes from the previous sentence: "the most unlettered of all men... is accounted as one of those divinely learned men whose knowledge is of God".

Baha'u'llah wrote for all people, the educated and the un-, the high and the low. He wrote for all of us.

When He says that the abased shall be exalted, that the ignorant shall attain the summit of knowledge, this is part of what He means.

When you have study groups, the light of consultation brings forth truths that you would never find on your own. Their insights become your insights. Your understanding adds to theirs. There is no longer a single person in the community that leads others to truth. It is about community.

The two of us, Samuel and Mead, who are writing this blog, embarked on this study because we were friends. And it is through the study of this book over so many years that our friendship has grown and blossomed. This is what the Word of God does. It brings us together and helps elevate us, both our hearts and our minds.

The next part of the paragraph says "To seek evidence, when the Proof hath been established" is just downright silly. Ok, so we paraphrased a bit there, but you get the point. What does that mean, though? To us it means that once we are convinced of Baha'u'llah's station then to seek further proofs is pointless.

We are reminded of the story of Haji Muhammad-Tahir-i-Malmiri. He was in the presence of Baha'u'llah when he thought about a particular verse from the Qur'an. He said to himself, "If Baha'u'llah really is who he says he is, then let him cite this verse." As soon as he thought that, Baha'u'llah quoted that verse.

Haji Muhammad-Tahir-i-Malmiri was stunned. But then he had another thought. "What if that was just a coincidence?" At which point Baha'u'llah turned to him and said, "Was that not enough?"

When the proof has been given, move on. Accept it, and act on it.

"Lo: the Lamp of God is shining." Baha'u'llah is calling us to recognize, in this book, the Bab. And here He is also hinting at His own station, as He is the one "shining in the land of Iraq", at the time of His writing.