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Likewise, in this day, thou hast heard the people impute similar charges to this Revelation, saying: “He hath compiled these words from the words of old”; or “these words are spurious.” Vain and haughty are their sayings, low their estate and station!

We're still looking at the quotes from the Qur'an that Baha'u'llah uses to help prove the Cause of the Bab. This particular paragraph seems to refer back to the quotes in the previous one: “As for those who believe not in the verses of God, or that they shall ever meet Him, these of My mercy shall despair, and these doth a grievous chastisement await.” Also, “And they say, ‘Shall we then abandon our gods for a crazed poet?’”

Spurious means that they are accusing Him of plagiarizing.

So Baha'u'llah is pointing out that that the people of His day are making the same claims of the Bab that the people of old made of Muhammad, namely that all He is doing is rehashing old ideas.

Ok, that's the paragraph. Pretty straightforward. Now what?

Well, the question that has been growing on us for the last little while is why does Baha'u'llah put this here? How does it help the uncle move towards recognition of the Bab? The simple answer is that it reinforces the idea that these things continually repeat. After all, that was the main point back in the beginning when He told us to look at the Surih of Hud. It is the basic essence of the idea behind the Return.

But there is so much more than that.

Baha'u'llah is also helping him learn to distrust a particular type of argument. After all, it's the same one that was made against Muhammad, so why should it now be relevant against the Bab?

In addition to that, the accusation of it merely being a rehash of the old ideas? Well, of course it is, in the sense that it's familiar. Remember, all the Manifestations refer to the previous faiths. That's part of the nature of Progressive Revelation. They build upon each other. So familiarity should not be a source of confusion. It should help reinforce the validity.

This is part of what Baha'u'llah is helping the uncle see. 

But there is one other point that makes us wonder. Why does He include that last sentence? Why is He calling their words "vain and haughty"? Why is He accusing them of being of low estate and station? Couldn't He just say that they are wrong?

Vain and haughty, to start, means that these words are both unjustly and blatantly proud. What are they proud of? Their learning? The fact that they recognize these words from the past? Perhaps. But then they are missing the point of Progressive Revelation.

In addition to that, He then points out that the "estate and station" of those who make these claims are low. They see the words, but do not understand the essence of them, for they don't recognize them in their new form. They fail to see that the ideas are not only being explained, but elevated and revived for this new day.

Which is exactly what Baha'u'llah is doing here.

He is using the stories of old to help the uncle see his own faith in a new light. He is using the quotes from the Qur'an to help him break free of the shackles of tradition. In short, He is helping the uncle learn how to recognize his own Nephew.

All the quotes He has cited up to this point have essentially told the uncle to read the Writings of the Bab, and judge for himself whether or not they are from God. Here, He is warning the uncle that as he does this, he will likely see things that are familiar. And that he should be prepared for this, expect it, and not see it as a flaw, for it is exactly what has always been done in the past.

And that is worthy of consideration.

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And likewise, He saith: “As for those who believe not in the verses of God, or that they shall ever meet Him, these of My mercy shall despair, and these doth a grievous chastisement await.” Also, “And they say, ‘Shall we then abandon our gods for a crazed poet?’” The implication of this verse is manifest. Behold what they observed after the verses were revealed. They called Him a poet, scoffed at the verses of God, and exclaimed saying: “These words of his are but tales of the Ancients!” By this they meant that those words which were spoken by the peoples of old Muḥammad hath compiled and called them the Word of God.

Baha'u'llah now returns to the quotes from the Qur'an which He is using to encourage the uncle to look at the Writings of the Bab to verify His Cause.

He started by reminding the uncle that the Qur'an is the proof offered by Muhammad, and that there is nothing else like the Word of God. He then showed him what the response has often been to the Revelations. Now He is pointing out that the prophecies about the Return are real, and that he should not doubt it.

Now, in this paragraph there are technically two quotes. "As for those who believe not in the verses of God, or that they shall ever meet Him, these of My mercy shall despair, and these doth a grievous chastisement await.” As well as, “And they say, ‘Shall we then abandon our gods for a crazed poet?’”

The question is how do these two relate?

We're not really sure, but it seems that they are unable to imagine that they are actually meeting a Manifestation, and so they default to the idea that He must be crazy, instead.

But these quotes are not coming out the blue. They are part of His overall defense of the Cause of the Bab. The people of the past claimed that all Muhammad was doing was restating things that had been said previously. And while that is partly true, for all Revelations remind people of the truths of old, He also offered a lot more. The uncle, as a Muslim, would be fully aware of this.

However, this contention, that of only restating what had already been revealed before, was also hurled at the Bab. The only way to counter this argument is to actually read the Writings of the Bab for yourself and see how much more He revealed.

But there's another point that we found interesting. The quotes come from the Surah entitled The Spider, and they are found in the story of Lot.

Now, the people who are making these accusations of Muhammad taking stories from the past, and not looking at what He has revealed that is new, is also similar to Lot's story. Why was his wife turned to a pillar of salt? Because she was looking back. That's why she became bitter, which is the metaphor of salt.

Perhaps Baha'u'llah is alluding to the dangers of looking backwards. Way back in paragraph 3 He told us to "Consider the past", but has also given us stern warnings about the dangers of it. Remember, in paragraph 68 He warned, "this servant regardeth the consideration of such records a grave mistake and a grievous transgression". He doesn't want us to dwell on the past. As He so famously said, "Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in..."

In addition to all this, the last sentence stands out for us. The people claimed that Muhammad took some old verses and "called them the Word of God". Going back to the second quote that Baha'u'llah gave us in this section of the Iqan, "then produce a Surah like it...", He did. Muahammad wrote Surah's that are incomparable. And we should see if the Bab is doing the same.

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Such contention is utterly fallacious and inadmissible. It is actuated solely by arrogance and pride. Its motive is to lead the people astray from the Riḍván of divine good-pleasure and to tighten the reins of their authority over the people. And yet, in the sight of God, these common people are infinitely superior and exalted above their religious leaders who have turned away from the one true God. The understanding of His words and the comprehension of the utterances of the Birds of Heaven are in no wise dependent upon human learning. They depend solely upon purity of heart, chastity of soul, and freedom of spirit. This is evidenced by those who, today, though without a single letter of the accepted standards of learning, are occupying the loftiest seats of knowledge; and the garden of their hearts is adorned, through the showers of divine grace, with the roses of wisdom and the tulips of understanding. Well is it with the sincere in heart for their share of the light of a mighty Day!

Baha'u'llah is continuing to demonstrate the Station of the Bab through these quotes from the Qur'an. But here, like the previous paragraph, it is more commentary that the actual quotes.

To start, which "contention" is "utterly fallacious and inadmissible"? The one from the previous paragraph, "the idle contention of those who maintain that the Book and verses thereof can never be a testimony unto the common people". This is so ridiculous. As He points out Muhammad says that the Qur'an "is a guidance unto the God-fearing", not just the learned. To claim that it is only for the religious leaders denies what the Book itself says.

The reason these leaders say this, though, is because they don't want to give up their authority.

Again, this ability to understand the Word of God is not based on learning, but as He says here, "upon purity of heart, chastity of soul, and freedom of spirit".

We could go on at length about each of these attributes, but honestly, if you've been studying the Iqan this long, you've probably made good strides on each of these already.

As an additional reminder, this isn't just about the Qur'an. In the middle of this paragraph, Baha'u'llah says, "The understanding of His words..." Whose words? God's words. "...(A)nd the comprehension of the utterances of the Birds of Heaven..." Note that the Birds is plural. Who are the Birds of Heaven? Muhammad is one. And so is Jesus. And Moses. And Buddha. And Krishna. This is about all the revealed Words of God, not just one set.

Despite all the other wonderful aspects of this paragraph, what really stood out for us was the garden, and especially the "roses of wisdom and the tulips of understanding". Why are roses referring to wisdom, and tulips to understanding?

Come to think of it, what is the role of the bird here?

Well, let's get right back to the beginning: the garden itself. First, it is the garden of the heart. But to better understand this whole analogy, let's explore the role of these various things in an everyday garden of the backyard variety.

Ok, first, the garden is just outside the back door of your house. It's your quiet place of refuge when you want to get away for a little while.

The rains take care of watering it for you, and give it a freshness that is invigorating. Because of this light rain, the flowers are able to grow.

Oh, but flowers need light, too. Where is the light? It is the "light of a mighty Day", there at the end. So that's a good reminder that we have come out of the darkness of the night and have entered into a new day.

Now, on to the flowers. The roses and tulips.

It's an interesting choice here. Roses blossom in the summer, but tulips are one of the first flowers in the spring, heralding the end of winter. But even in the spring, there are still the rosebushes, those thorny branches leftover from the previous year.

But what about the birds? What is their role in the garden? Ah, that's also interesting. First, they return with the spring, just as in the saying "the first robin of the season". They sing their lovely song, giving an attractive quality to it before you even enter. They are also special pollinators, helping spread the seeds. And they even take care of a lot of the pests that can damage or kill the flowers.

Now, what does it all mean?

As we pointed out, this isn't actually a garden of the backyard variety. It is the garden of the heart. The rains are the "showers of divine grace", those bounties that are pouring out on all humanity through the Revelations of the various Faiths. The birds are the ones who are bringing that Revelation to the garden through their utterance, the Word of God.

It is through both of these that the flowers of wisdom and knowledge are able to grow. And they don't grow out in the wilderness, but in the heart of the believer. When we pay attention to the Word of God and strive to apply it in our lives, that wisdom grows in strength.

By choosing roses and tulips, two flowers that grow at different times, Baha'u'llah gives us a sense of timelessness to it.

But even if we look at the roses in the early spring, when they are still just those thorny branches, the wisdom that the early believers share is like thorns to the followers of the old faith. They are like that "flame of fire to my enemies", as He says in the Tablet of Ahmad, even as they are that "river of life eternal to My loved ones" in that same piece.

Understanding, especially the understanding of the mysteries of the old religion, come very early to the followers of the new Faith, just like the tulips arrive early in the season. Wisdom often comes later. Both are attractive, but there is something about wisdom that just draws us nearer.

There is a beauty to this description that truly makes us want to be there. It evokes a longing in our heart to be that garden, to have it grow within us. And He tells us how we can do that: sincerity.

The more sincere we are in our search, the stronger and more beautiful will be that garden.

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Heed not the idle contention of those who maintain that the Book and verses thereof can never be a testimony unto the common people, inasmuch as they neither grasp their meaning nor appreciate their value. And yet, the unfailing testimony of God to both the East and the West is none other than the Qur’án. Were it beyond the comprehension of men, how could it have been declared as a universal testimony unto all people? If their contention be true, none would therefore be required, nor would it be necessary for them to know God, inasmuch as the knowledge of the divine Being transcendeth the knowledge of His Book, and the common people would not possess the capacity to comprehend it.

This whole section, paragraphs 224 - 245, is all about demonstrating the Station of the Bab through these quotes from the Qur'an. This paragraph, and the next, deal with the previous quotes from that holy Book.

We found ourselves struggling to understand the basic meaning of this paragraph, but then we realized that it was actually quite simple. Some people, usually the religious leaders, say that the sacred Texts are too difficult for regular people to understand. They say that it requires the training and the scholarship to make sense of it all. Yet the Qur'an is supposed to be a testimony for everyone. How could this be if it can't be understood by all? Quite simply, it can't. And so Baha'u'llah tells us to just ignore anyone who makes such a claim.

But why is this mentioned here? What does it have to do with the previous four quotes?

1. Such are the verses of God: with truth do We recite them to thee. But in what revelation will they believe, if they reject God and His verses?
2. Woe to every lying sinner, who heareth the verses of God recited to him, and then, as though he heard them not, persisteth in proud disdain! Apprise him of a painful punishment.
3. And when he becometh acquainted with any of Our verses he turneth them to ridicule. There is a shameful punishment for them!
4. And when Our clear verses are recited to them, their only argument is to say, ‘Bring back our fathers, if ye speak the truth!

These quotes are all about the very natural reaction to someone making a claim of Prophethood. They show how people respond with ridicule and disdain, how their egos get way out of control. This has happened throughout history.

So why does He now talk about how the Word of God is for everybody?

Throughout the Iqan He has said that the Qur'an is a testimony for all. In fact, the very first quote He uses in His defense of the Bab, back in paragraph 224, states that the Qur'an is "a guidance unto the God-fearing". But if the common person cannot understand it, then that is just not true.

The Kitab-i-Iqan is all about helping the Uncle of the Bab recognize his Nephew's station. He is encouraging him throughout this book to use his own reasoning, with the Qur'an as the standard. Baha'u'llah is essentially telling the Uncle here that he has the capacity to recognize Truth. We all do.

And if anyone tries to tell him otherwise, Baha'u'llah tells him to just ignore them. I mean, we could argue with them, and tell them how ridiculous they are, but isn't that just more contention? Nah, it's best to just ignore them like the gadflies they are.

Of course, we have a lot of other questions about this, but they're all addressed in the next paragraph.

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In another passage He saith: “And when Our clear verses are recited to them, their only argument is to say, ‘Bring back our fathers, if ye speak the truth!’” Behold, what foolish evidences they sought from these Embodiments of an all-encompassing mercy! They scoffed at the verses, a single letter of which is greater than the creation of heavens and earth, and which quickeneth the dead of the valley of self and desire with the spirit of faith; and clamored saying: “Cause our fathers to speed out of their sepulchers.” Such was the perversity and pride of that people. Each one of these verses is unto all the peoples of the world an unfailing testimony and a glorious proof of His truth. Each of them verily sufficeth all mankind, wert thou to meditate upon the verses of God. In the above-mentioned verse itself pearls of mysteries lie hidden. Whatever be the ailment, the remedy it offereth can never fail.

This is the sixth of the quotes from the Qur'an that will bring us all the way through paragraph 245.

It started with the reminder that the Word of God is the only source of guidance, and the challenge to try and write anything like it. He then said that if you aren't willing to accept this as a proof, why would you settle for believing in something less worthy? He then reminded us of the dangers of pride, and touched on the notion that many people ridicule the Word of God when it is offered to them.

Here, with this quote, He goes a step further and shows how the demands for further proof were even more absurd.

It is interesting to note that the first quote, about there being no doubt about the Qur'an, is sort of on its own. It is quoted in a paragraph, followed by a paragraph of commentary.

The second quote, about trying to produce verses like it, is also on its own, quoted and then followed by another paragraph of commentary.

These last four, though, are all cited one after the other, before we get to two paragraphs of commentary. By looking at the paragraphs without the quotes as something of a break, or an interlude, we can tie these four together as a unit.

1. Such are the verses of God: with truth do We recite them to thee. But in what revelation will they believe, if they reject God and His verses?
2. Woe to every lying sinner, who heareth the verses of God recited to him, and then, as though he heard them not, persisteth in proud disdain! Apprise him of a painful punishment.
3. And when he becometh acquainted with any of Our verses he turneth them to ridicule. There is a shameful punishment for them!
4. And when Our clear verses are recited to them, their only argument is to say, ‘Bring back our fathers, if ye speak the truth!

Now they seem to highlight the fact that people reject the verses out of pride, and offer ridiculous excuses for doing so.

By looking at it in this manner, we found that it helped us get a better understanding of His argument. Step 1 is understanding that the Qur'an is amazing. Step 2 is knowing that just writing verses like these is a sign that it's from God. Step 3 deals with the response that it seems to evoke from the disbelievers. After that we have three more verses, each of which is quoted on its own with commentary following.

At this point, though, Baha'u'llah really seems to be focusing on the reaction to the Word of God. Why?

Back in paragraph 6 we read, "...the more closely you observe the denials... the firmer will be your faith..."

Out of nine quotes He uses from the Qur'an to help guide us to the recognition of the Bab, nearly half of them have to do with this singular theme, the denials.

We are reminded of the story from the trial of the Bab when He was in Tabriz. He was brought before the authorities and asked to account for His claims. When He was asked to prove His cause, to substantiate His authority, He proceeded to reveal Verses. But the only thing that the clergy could find fault with was a supposed infraction of grammar. The Bab calmly pointed out that this same alleged infraction was also found multiple times in the Qur'an, but still they claimed He was mistaken, and "obviously ignorant". They could not attack His statements, nor His teachings, so they had to resort to attacking His conjugation of a verb. How ridiculous.

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In yet another passage He saith: “And when he becometh acquainted with any of Our verses he turneth them to ridicule. There is a shameful punishment for them!” The people derisively observed saying: “Work thou another miracle, and give us another sign!” One would say: “Make now a part of the heaven to fall down upon us”; and another: “If this be the very truth from before Thee, rain down stones upon us from heaven.” Even as the people of Israel, in the time of Moses, bartered away the bread of heaven for the sordid things of the earth, these people, likewise, sought to exchange the divinely revealed verses for their foul, their vile, and idle desires. In like manner, thou beholdest in this day that although spiritual sustenance hath descended from the heaven of divine mercy, and been showered from the clouds of His loving-kindness, and although the seas of life, at the behest of the Lord of all being, are surging within the Riḍván of the heart, yet these people, ravenous as the dogs, have gathered around carrion, and contented themselves with the stagnant waters of a briny lake. Gracious God! how strange the way of this people! They clamor for guidance, although the standards of Him Who guideth all things are already hoisted. They cleave to the obscure intricacies of knowledge, when He, Who is the Object of all knowledge, shineth as the sun. They see the sun with their own eyes, and yet question that brilliant Orb as to the proof of its light. They behold the vernal showers descending upon them, and yet seek an evidence of that bounty. The proof of the sun is the light thereof, which shineth and envelopeth all things. The evidence of the shower is the bounty thereof, which reneweth and investeth the world with the mantle of life. Yea, the blind can perceive naught from the sun except its heat, and the arid soil hath no share of the showers of mercy. “Marvel not if in the Qur’án the unbeliever perceiveth naught but the trace of letters, for in the sun, the blind findeth naught but heat.”

This is the fifth quote from the Qur'an that Baha'u'llah uses in His defense of the Cause of the Bab. Examination of these quotes will carry us all the way through paragraph 245.

It started with the reminder that the Word of God is the only source of guidance, and the challenge to try and write anything like it. He then said that if you aren't willing to accept this as a proof, why would you settle for believing in something less worthy? He then reminded us of the dangers of pride.

Here He is pointing out a sadly common reaction to the verses that descend from Heaven: people ridicule them.

In His example, Muhammad is talking about some previous Manifestations, just as He did in the Surih of Hud. He gives five examples of these Manifestations being rejected. At this point in the Surih, they have all told the people to be just and fair, and they all have been denounced. The last of these has just offered them the verses of God, and told the people to be good people and treat others with compassion. Their response was to say, "Who do you think you are? You're just another person like us." And then they demanded Him to strike them down with stones from heaven.

Once again Baha'u'llah is calling to mind the countless times that Muhammad, in the Qur'an, referred to a continuity of Manifestations. He is reminding us of how they have all given the same message. And He is specifically pointing out that they were all ridiculed and denied.

All of this from that second quote from the Qur'an.

Instead of recognizing that the verses of God were good, they sought proof from some absurd miracle. This is where they believed that proof came from. This is what they thought of as godly.

Baha'u'llah then reminds the uncle of the story of Moses, and how they denied Him. They chased after their own desires, instead of searching for the truth.

He also shows how they asked for stones from heaven, when what we really desire is rain. Nobody wants a meteor to fall upon them. What we actually want is the spring rains that cause the seeds to sprout.

He contrasts these healthy rains, that good water, for the "stagnant waters of a briny lake". And the people are content with this? "Gracious God! how strange..."

In the second half of this paragraph, after that exasperated comment, He talks about guidance, knowledge, and proof. The people seek guidance, but the standard of guidance is already waving. They want knowledge, but the source of all knowledge is shining like the sun. And then they want proof of that very same sun, never recognizing that the light itself is the proof of the sun, just as the sprouting of the earth is the proof of the rain's bounty. They demand all sorts of proofs, never realizing that the real proof is right before their eyes.

Why? Well, the only people who who don't see the light of the sun are those who are blind.

But you'll notice that Baha'u'llah never asks why they turn away. He just notes that they do. When we ask why, we can come up with all sorts of reasons. The problem, though, is that it leads us to judging others. We can never really know their motives. But we can see their actions.

These people turned away. They ridiculed the Manifestations. They demanded unreasonable proofs. From these actions we can discern that they must be spiritually blind.

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In another passage He saith: “Woe to every lying sinner, who heareth the verses of God recited to him, and then, as though he heard them not, persisteth in proud disdain! Apprise him of a painful punishment.” The implications of this verse, alone, suffice all that is in heaven and on earth, were the people to ponder the verses of their Lord. For thou hearest how in this day the people disdainfully ignore the divinely revealed verses, as though they were the meanest of all things. And yet, nothing greater than these verses hath ever appeared, nor will ever be made manifest in the world! Say unto them: “O heedless people! Ye repeat what your fathers, in a bygone age, have said. Whatever fruits they have gathered from the tree of their faithlessness, the same shall ye gather also. Ere long shall ye be gathered unto your fathers, and with them shall ye dwell in hellish fire. An ill abode! the abode of the people of tyranny.”

We now move on to the fourth quote from the Qur'an that Baha'u'llah uses in His defense of the Cause of the Bab. Examination of these quotes will carry us all the way through paragraph 245.

He began with the reminder that the Qur'an is the only source of guidance recommended by Muhammad for discovering the Manifestation of God. He continued with the verse that challenges us to try and write even a single Surih that matches it in quality. Then He offered a verse that says if you aren't willing to accept these matchless verses, are you settling for believing in something less worthy? Here, He cites a verse that chastises those who hear the verses of God, but remain proud of their own meager accomplishments, ignoring the greatness of these verses.

This passage, though, has a number of caveats contained within it. First, the person has to have had the verses of God recited to them, or, we presume, reading them would also suffice. Then, after encountering them, they have to pretend that they didn't hear or read them. This would be a form of lying, obviously. And then, despite this encounter with these matchless verses, they would have to remain proud in their contempt of them.

In some ways it reminds us of those who see a beautiful work of art, but refuse to acknowledge the skill of the painter. Of course, this says nothing about the taste of the individual. We may not enjoy the paintings of Picasso, but we still acknowledge his mastery with the brush.

Here, someone would have to read the beautiful poetical words of Muhammad and dismiss them as unworthy. It doesn't say that they have to believe they are from God. That concept is nowhere in this verse. But to hold them in contempt? To regard them as beneath one's dignity? That is truly reprehensible, and shows an egotism of the highest sort.

When Baha'u'llah speaks of the implications of this verse, that is one of them. It implies an ego that is so out of control that it cannot even begin to acknowledge the beauty found within these verses. And that sort of egotism, that "proud disdain", very naturally leads to its own form of punishment. 

At that time there were many Muslims who were ridiculing the verses of the Bab, telling people that they were dangerous and not worth reading. In response to this, and in light of the quote from the Qur'an, Baha'u'llah gives us an answer for when we encounter this sort of behaviour. He literally tells us what to say.

But why would He tell us to remind the people of what their "fathers" said in the past? This goes back to the very beginning of the book when He tells us to "consider the past". He is encouraging us to remind the people that their objections are the exact same objections that were uttered against Muhammad. You are "repeating what your fathers, in a bygone age, have said."

If they condemn the people of the past for not even looking at the verses of Muhammad, they are making exactly the same error.

It is interesting to note, however, that the condemnation does not appear to be for not believing. It seems to be for not considering them, ignoring them. As He says, they "disdainfully ignore the divinely revealed verses". They are not even giving them reasonable consideration. Again, there is a sense of pride involved here. They seem to believe that the verses are beneath them, not even worthy of their attention.

When we come back to the question of faith, if your faith is so weak that it cannot be challenged, then that says a lot about you, more than the challenges. If these verses really were so base, so unworthy, then a study of them would merely be a minor waste of time. But if they are of God, then ignoring them would be a major error.

Muhammad encouraged His followers to study anything and everything that was beneficial to humanity. If you ignore something, how would you ever know if it was beneficial? This is, at the very least, the attention that should be paid to the Writings of the Bab. Then, if you find that it is worthy, a deeper study would be encouraged.

But here, the people that are being condemned are those who are not even willing to take that first step.