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O my brother! A divine Mine only can yield the gems of divine knowledge, and the fragrance of the mystic Flower can be inhaled only in the ideal Garden, and the lilies of ancient wisdom can blossom nowhere except in the city of a stainless heart. “In a rich soil, its plants spring forth abundantly by permission of its Lord, and in that soil which is bad, they spring forth but scantily.”

A couple more paragraphs about the Qur'an, and the need for understanding it well, before leading us to the qualities of the true seeker. Then He will begin His defense of the Bab, starting with references from the Qur'an itself.

Note how He begins this paragraph with "O my brother!" Once again, Baha'u'llah is making this very personal. So much of what Baha'u'llah talks about is unity, and by warmly embracing the uncle as a brother, He is demonstrating an aspect of this unity. He is saying, in a very simple way, that they are part of one family. This is so consistent with His message, and it seems to be carried into every part of the Revelation. It shows a coherency between what His message is, and how He conveys it.

He then continues with "A divine Mine can only yield the gems of divine knowledge..." What a fascinating phrase. Think about it. If the Manifestation, or the Book they have given us, is the "Mine", what does that actually tell us?

It means that we have go in and explore it. The gems are not just there for the taking. They are not sitting on the surface, clear and evident for us to see. Going into a mine, searching for gemstones, is a dirty and uncomfortable thing. And it's not easy. Imagine walking into a dark tunnel, light strapped to your helmet, which you are wearing so you don't conk your head and knock yourself out. Then, in the midst of this dark tunnel, you have to find something the size of your fingernail on a wall of rock. Of course, when you find one, you probably find a few, after all, gems are usually found together in a seam. But then you have to exert all that energy to smash the rocks and release the raw gemstones.

Once you do that, congratulations, you have a rock.

Now you have to smash and chip and scrape away the matrix to expose the gem. Again, this is not an easy process. It takes time and skill, and a lot of energy. And then, once all that is finished? Congratulations, you still have a rock.

Now it's time to polish it. This is where it is necessary to know the different types of gemstones, for if you polish a diamond like an opal, you will never see the potential beauty of the sparkling diamond. However, if you try to polish an opal like a diamond, it will shatter.

And once it's polished? Now you have a prettier rock.

Time to make the setting.

You get the idea.

Having a mine, even a divine one, is just the beginning of a very long and labour intensive process. Of course, without the mine, you can't even begin the process, for it all starts with the mine.

The mystic Flower, though, is found in the garden. Oh, and not just any garden, but the ideal Garden. And while this particular flower is capitalized, it is certainly not the only flower found there, otherwise it would be a pretty poor garden.

In fact, we are reminded of a detail from paragraph 31 where He is referencing a number of aspects of trees, but then at the end mentions the myrtles, a little flower. Specifically, He talks about "the trees of divine unity, the fruits of His oneness, the leaves of detachment, the blossoms of knowledge and certitude, and the myrtles of wisdom and utterance". When we considered why this would be the case, it occurred to us that trees do not grow on their own. They are part of an ecosystem that includes the flowers growing by its base, on the floor of the forest.

Similarly, this mystic Flower, by growing in a garden, must have other flowers growing around it. This would be like the Manifestation being surrounded by all the Apostles, Saints, and sages. There is only one Manifestation, but there are many of the others.

We could go on and talk about Eden, and Paradise, and Ridvan, and all sorts of metaphors associated with all that, but don't want to go on too long with this.

There is another question, though. Why lilies?

As we saw with the myrtles back in paragraph 31, He does not name these things randomly. So, what is it about lilies that make them appropriate here?

Historically, the lily is associated with purity, rebirth, and divinity. It was said to have sprung from Hera's milk in Greek myth, and in Christian symbology refers to the Virgin Mary. Both of these revolve around the birth motif.

If we are looking at using the Qur'an to help us discover the truth of the Bab, then this reference to "ancient wisdom" giving birth to that which is new makes even more sense.

Finally, this quote from the Qur'an just reinforces all of what He has said and implied in these previous paragraphs.

If you want to learn divine knowledge, you have to go to the divine Mine, presumably the Book of God. If you want to inhale the fragrance of the mystic Flower, you have to go to the ideal Garden. And if you want the lilies of ancient wisdom to blossom in your heart, then it has to be stainless. In just a couple of paragraphs He will begin to explain how to help your heart become stainless.

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Ponder the blessed verse, so that the meaning of the words “There is neither a thing green nor sere but it is noted in the unerring Book” may be imprinted upon the tablet of thy heart. Notwithstanding, a multitude bear him allegiance. They have rejected the Moses of knowledge and justice, and clung to the Sámirí of ignorance. They have turned away their eyes from the Daystar of truth which shineth in the divine and everlasting heaven, and have utterly ignored its splendor.

 

Baha'u'llah continues to turn us towards the Qur'an, showing how profound it is by pointing out to us that He was able to find a direct reference to this "certain man, reputed for his learning and attainment". Of course, this will help us see how it directly references the Bab, too, just after He guides us towards understanding what it means to be a "true seeker". In other words, He seems to be saying, if we want to find truth, we can find it in the sacred Text. Everything "is noted in the unerring Book".

Once again He is asking us to ponder. This time it is a reminder to the uncle to deeply consider what he already knows about the Qur'an. It is the repository of truth. After all those reminders to stop regarding "the words and deeds of mortal men as a standard for the true understanding and recognition of God and His Prophets" He is guiding us back to the true standard.

We can put our trust in the Word of God. It is what He used in Part One with that quote from Jesus. It is what He has been using throughout this book. And it is what He will use in just a few more paragraphs to help us understand the truth of the Cause of the Bab. "Consider the past" is not just advice to reflect on those aspects of history we already know. It is a reminder that the past can also be our guide to the future.

When He refers to the "unerring Book", though, if we consider the synonymity of the Manifestations He has talked about for so many paragraphs, we can also think of the Books they have revealed as one. The "unerring Book" is not just the Qur'an. It is the "Book of God". It is the truth found in all revelations. We find the "unerring Book" also refers to the Gospels, the Tanakh, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad-Gita, the Buddhist texts, the Zend Avesta, and all the sacred books of the past.

Unfortunately, though, too many people put their trust in people, mortal souls like this "certain man". They ignore the obvious reality in the sacred text and look, instead, to those who are "(c)ontent with a transitory dominion", those "foolish leaders, who lead after their own whims and desire."

But who is "Samiri"? What is his story, that Baha'u'llah would reference him here?

He was one of the Israelites who followed Moses out of Egypt into the desert. In the Qur'an, he is the one who is accused of turning the Israelites away from Moses while He was up in the mountain getting the Ten Commandments. He is the one who is said, in Surih 20, to have made the golden calf. While Aaron, Moses' brother, was left in charge, Samiri is the one who usurped that station, claiming that Moses had forgotten about them. He went on and said that the calf was the god of Moses, as well as Israel. Through his ignorance, he grossly mislead them. For this, Samiri was banished from the community.

There are more aspects to this story, though. For starters, Samiri  took the gold from all the jewelry they carried with them as they fled Egypt. This is what he used to make the statue of the calf. And one may reasonably ask why they had this gold in the first place? What good is it in the desert? You can't eat it. It doesn't replace water. You can't even trade it for money to buy anything. There's nothing out there, so all it is is dead weight. It's a burden. Nothing more. Well, perhaps that's not quite true. It is a reminder of what they left behind. It's a sign that somewhere deep in their hearts, perhaps, they longed to be Egyptian, enjoying a life of ease, instead of the trials and torments they faced in the desert.

As we read this paragraph, we were thinking of how Baha'u'llah once again references people turning away, and thought that it might be because of the veils covering their eyes, preventing them from seeing the truth. But as we pondered this, we noticed that He says that they "turned away... from the Daystar... which shineth..." And as we placed ourselves in their position, we realized that we were turning away not because of a veil, but because we were blinded. When faced with a bright light, our natural inclination is to turn away from it simply because it hurts to look at it directly.

Then, when we used the word "natural", we were reminded of paragraph 28, in which Baha'u'llah says, "...in idle fancy they have found the door that leadeth unto earthly riches, whereas in the manifestation of the Revealer of knowledge they find naught but the call to self-sacrifice. They therefore naturally hold fast unto the former, and flee from the latter."

Perhaps this is the crux of the story, for us. Perhaps this is why Baha'u'llah refers to this "certain man" as Samiri.

Both are followers, the one of Shaykh Ahmad and Siyyid Kazim, the other of Moses. Both have already made a difficult choice. The former to step aside from the traditional teachings of other schools of Islamic thought. The other to walk away from that which was comfortable and familiar to him, the life he had in Egypt.

Then, faced with the reality of what their choice entails, they turn aside and choose an easier path.

Samiri could have continued to follow Moses in the desert, but let's face it, that's a difficult choice for one who lived his whole life in the comfort of Egypt's cities.

The "certain man", Karim Khan, could have gone on and followed the Bab, but consider the hardships that those who did faced. How many tens of thousands were eventually executed for their belief? To follow the Bab was, right from the beginning, to step on that path leading to martyrdom, and most of them knew it.

Samiri gathered all this gold to himself, while this "certain man" gathered followers and renown. Both did so, probably not because they were unaware of the Manifestation, but more likely because they knew the risks. "They therefore naturally hold fast unto the former, and flee from the latter."

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And as to this man’s attainments, his ignorance, understanding and belief, behold what the Book which embraceth all things hath revealed; “Verily, the tree of Zaqqúm shall be the food of the Athím.” And then follow certain verses, until He saith: “Taste this, for thou forsooth art the mighty Karím!” Consider how clearly and explicitly he hath been described in God’s incorruptible Book! This man, moreover, feigning humility, hath in his own book referred to himself as the “athím servant”: “Athím” in the Book of God, mighty among the common herd, “Karím” in name!

Now, with incredible elegance, Baha'u'llah begins His shift from this "certain man, reputed for his learning and attainment", who accounts "himself as one of the preeminent leaders of his people", and turns our attention back to the Qur'an.

This is significant in that He has just given us this negative example of one who has no interest in discovering the truth. He has shown us what happens when one is only concerned about their own ego and reputation. From here, though, He will soon outline the attributes of a true seeker, one who is desperate to discover the truth. From there, He will then use the Qur'an to begin His proof of the Bab's station and mission. By reminding us here of the power inherent in the Qur'an, He is preparing us to use sacred text as a guide for uncovering the truth, just as He did in Part One with that single quote from Jesus guiding us towards the recognition of Muhammad.

Baha'u'llah begins this paragraph with a bit of an outline about this man. He refers to his "attainments, his ignorance, understanding and belief". We have already seen his ignorance, claiming that all these various pseudo-sciences are necessary for understanding spiritual matters. This also touches on his understanding and belief. But what has this man done?

Haji Mirza Karim Khan was a Shaykhi, that school of thought which produced all of the Letters of the Living, those first to believe in the Bab. Karim Khan, however, did not embrace the Cause of the Bab. Instead, he decided to declare himself the leader of this school, even going so far as to claim to be the "fourth pillar of Islam" alongside God, Muhammad, and the Imams. This clearly demonstrates how his humility was, as Baha'u'llah says, merely feigned. However, after significant opposition from other clergymen, he quickly withdrew this claim, but that is how far his ego was out of control. After that, he wrote a number of books and treatises attacking the Bab and His followers.

The uncle, of course, would have been very aware of all this. But enough about this man. Let's look at the rest of this paragraph.

Notice how these quotes call to mind the entirety of Surih 44. That Surih begins with the story of Moses at a time when He been banished from Egypt, just as Baha'u'llah had recently been banished from Iran at the time of this writing. It goes on to show how the Egyptians came to nothing, and those who attacked the Jews lost everything. Their wealth and fame had all been lost. It continues on with the quote that Baha'u'llah cited, referencing how the sinners shall suffer. It then concludes with a mention of the rewards that are awaiting those who believe.

Over and over in this book, Baha'u'llah is referencing those passages in the Qur'an that contrast those who disbelieve from those who believe, those who persecute the believers and those who suffer for their belief. He is continually calling to mind the question of belief itself, and helping us ask which side of history we want to be on.

Throughout this volume, Baha'u'llah reminds us of the nature of "Return", and how not only does the Messenger return, but so do all the surrounding circumstances, including the various types of people, both the oppressors and the believers. He continually draws us back to sacred Text, both the Bible and Qur'an, reminding us of the profundity of these books, and how they can be our guide to the future.

Then there is the word "consider". Consider this book, the Qur'an. Think about it carefully before making your decision regarding the validity of the Station of the Bab.

Study this book, the Qur'an. Notice how it not only talks about the various circumstances attending the lives of the Messengers, it even calls out by name such perfidious individuals as Karim Khan.

It is with such reminders that Baha'u'llah winds down this section of the Iqan, getting us ready to see what the Qur'an has to say about the Bab, Himself.

Of course, before that, there is still the internal preparation we must do to be ready to engage in such a search.