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In the beginning of His Book He saith: “Alif. Lám. Mím. No doubt is there about this Book: It is a guidance unto the God-fearing.” In the disconnected letters of the Qur’án the mysteries of the divine Essence are enshrined, and within their shells the pearls of His Unity are treasured. For lack of space We do not dwell upon them at this moment. Outwardly they signify Muḥammad Himself, Whom God addresseth saying: “O Muḥammad, there is no doubt nor uncertainty about this Book which hath been sent down from the heaven of divine Unity. In it is guidance unto them that fear God.” Consider, how He hath appointed and decreed this selfsame Book, the Qur’án, as a guidance unto all that are in heaven and on earth. He, the divine Being, and unknowable Essence, hath, Himself, testified that this Book is, beyond all doubt and uncertainty, the guide of all mankind until the Day of Resurrection. And now, We ask, is it fair for this people to view with doubt and misgiving this most weighty Testimony, the divine origin of which God hath proclaimed, and which He hath pronounced to be the embodiment of truth? Is it fair for them to turn away from the thing which He hath appointed as the supreme Instrument of guidance for attainment unto the loftiest summits of knowledge, and to seek aught else but that Book? How can they allow men’s absurd and foolish sayings to sow the seeds of distrust in their minds? How can they any longer idly contend that a certain person hath spoken this or that way, or that a certain thing did not come to pass? Had there been anything conceivable besides the Book of God which could prove a more potent instrument and a surer guide to mankind, would He have failed to reveal it in that verse?

Now we are beginning to look at the actual proofs of the Bab's mission as gleaned from Qur'an. Baha'u'llah will use 9 different quotes to prove His case. This is just the first. Of course, He will intersperse commentary between the quotes, but in the end, He is looking at 9 quotes overall. This will take us all the way to paragraph 245. From there, He will look at the transformation of His followers, and then at the life and example of the Bab Himself, before reluctantly considering some of the traditions, and concluding this volume.

The first quote Baha'u'llah consider is: “Alif. Lám. Mím. No doubt is there about this Book: It is a guidance unto the God-fearing.”

Why does He select this one?

Put simply, He shows us that Muhammad Himself said the Qur'an is "a guidance unto all that are in heaven and on earth... beyond all doubt and uncertainty, the guide of all mankind until the Day of Resurrection." Nothing else is. To look to anything else for proof is ridiculous. And while some of the traditions may conform to the Qur'an, they are merely secondary in importance. In general, though, these various traditions are just confusing.

As Muhammad said, "No doubt is there about this Book". There are, however, a lot of questions about which traditions are authentic. People argue over whether one of another is authentic or not. But no Muslim would ever consider the Qur'an to be anything other than valid.

Worse, though, is that many place the words and sayings of various clergy at near the same level as the Qur'an. As Baha'u'llah says here, they "allow men’s absurd and foolish sayings to sow the seeds of distrust in their minds." And this, of course, brings us right back to the very beginning of this book, where He tells us to "be detached from all that is in heaven and on earth", and that we should cease "to regard the words and deeds of mortal men as a standard for the true understanding and recognition of God and His Prophets."

The only standard set forth by Muhammad is the Qur'an itself. Not the traditions. Not the sayings of the clergy. Nothing else except the Word of God, that City of God that we attained when we fulfilled our quest as a true seeker.

The following lines are the various quotes from the Qur'an that Baha'u'llah will use in His defense of the Bab. He cites other verses, too, but they are more in support of His argument, and not really used in the argument itself. Note, of course, the flow of them, as notice how they all direct us back to the Writings themself.

• Alif. Lám. Mím. No doubt is there about this Book: It is a guidance unto the God-fearing.
• And if ye be in doubt as to that which We have sent down to Our Servant, then produce a Súrah like it, and summon your witnesses, beside God, if ye are men of truth.
• 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?
• 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.
• And when he becometh acquainted with any of Our verses he turneth them to ridicule. There is a shameful punishment for them!
• And when Our clear verses are recited to them, their only argument is to say, ‘Bring back our fathers, if ye speak the truth!
• 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.”
• Say, O people of the Book! do ye not disavow us only because we believe in God and in what He hath sent down to us, and in what He hath sent down aforetime, and because most of you are doers of ill?
• And had We sent down unto Thee a Book written on parchment, and they had touched it with their hands, the infidels would surely have said ‘This is naught but palpable sorcery.’

By continually referring to Muhammad's own comments about the Qur'an, and the power of those verses, Baha'u'llah seems to be challenging us to look to the verses of the Bab and see if they hold up.

"Produce a Súrah like it"? The Bab said He did, so check it out for yourself.

"...in what revelation will they believe, if they reject God and His verses?" Read the Bab's verses, and see what you think.

Over and over He indirectly directs our attention to the Bab's writings, subtly encouraging us to read them for ourselves. Of course, while doing this, He also debunks a lot of the criticisms that people had against the Bab, showing that Muhammad also faced those same criticisms.

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With unswerving vision, with pure heart, and sanctified spirit, consider attentively what God hath established as the testimony of guidance for His people in His Book, which is recognized as authentic by both the high and lowly. To this testimony we both, as well as all the peoples of the world, must cling, that through its light we may know and distinguish between truth and falsehood, guidance and error. Inasmuch as Muḥammad hath confined His testimonies to His Book and to His Family, and whereas the latter hath passed away, there remaineth His Book only as His one testimony amongst the people.

This paragraph completes the introduction to this section of the Iqan, in which Baha'u'llah begins His actual argument concerning the Bab and His mission. As we have said a few times now, the first of these major themes in His argument looks at a dozen different passages from the Qur'an, taking us all the way to paragraph 245, before continuing with the other two arguments, namely the transformation of His followers and His own life.

Before launching us on this marvelous journey of exploration, Baha'u'llah gives us yet another piece of advice on what it is we are to do. After all the reminders throughout this volume, the final piece of guidance is to use our "unswerving vision", our "pure heart", and our "sanctified spirit" to consider the truth. While these tools obviously are bestowed upon us by God, we have the very important duty of ensuring that these tools are in the best condition possible. Remember, this whole book began with the admonition to "Sanctify (our) souls". Now that we have been told just how it is that we can do that, it is time to put these tools to their intended use.

But how? What is it that we are to do with these tools? We are to "consider attentively" what has been given to us in the Qur'an.

In this paragraph, we are told to meticulously review what has been told to us in the Qur'an. Why the Qur'an? Because it is recognized as the "established... testimony of guidance" from Muhammad to His followers. Nobody disputes this. He also left His family as an additional testimony, but they've passed away, so it is only to the Qur'an we can look with any degree of confidence. And that is just what we will do over the next couple dozen paragraphs.

For now, though, let's look at this one again.

When He qualifies a phrase with an adverb, it is worth noting it, and asking ourselves why the qualification. Here we are not to merely consider the Qur'an, we are to consider it attentively. We are not just to read it, but to really pay attention as we do so. After all, this isn't just for the "learned", or those who are influential in the world. It is for everybody. Not only do the "high" in society recognize the validity of the Qur'an, the "lowly" do, too. Everyone has the capacity to recognize the light of God, to distinguish truth from falsehood, and to understand the difference between good guidance and that which is leading us to error. It is a universal capacity, part of what it means to be human. The greatest limitation is, quite simply, how well we have maintained those tools we have been given by our Creator.

Even if we are not pure in heart at this moment, and who of us is, we can always purify it. If our soul is not quite sanctified, and who could possibly claim such a thing, we can always better sanctify it. 

Then, once we have done our job of taking care of all this, as so beautifully outlined in the previous section describing the true seeker, then we can turn our attention to the Qur'an. Every Muslim, whether or not they accept the validity of His family, that basic distinguishing difference between the Shiites and the Sunnis, accepts the Qur'an. It is the central and major feature of Islam, and by reminding us to turn to the Qur'an, and the Qur'an alone, Baha'u'llah is helping us find that commonality uniting all Muslims.

It is worth noting that this other "testimony", His family, is not universally accepted by Muslims, and if we were to try and use the statements of the Imams to prove the validity of the Bab and His Cause, then only a fraction of the Muslims would be able to accept it.

The other aspect is that of the traditions, the Hadith. Most of the questions of the uncle were based on this. But by recognizing that Muhammad did not consider these as part of His testimony, to use them as a consideration for proof would not be appropriate. And as Baha'u'llah said just a few paragraphs ago, these traditions "grievously differ, and their obscurities are manifold." The Qur'an, though, does not differ between groups, nor does He consider it obscure. He spent the vast majority of Part One teaching us how to read sacred text, so by now, anything we may have felt was obscure has already been explained.

With all of this in mind, we are now ready to take the next step and begin looking at specific quotes from the Book of God, and see how they lead us to this Most Great Revelation.

Parargaph 222

Muḥammad, Himself, as the end of His mission drew nigh, spoke these words: “Verily, I leave amongst you My twin weighty testimonies: The Book of God and My Family.” Although many traditions had been revealed by that Source of Prophethood and Mine of divine Guidance, yet He mentioned only that Book, thereby appointing it as the mightiest instrument and surest testimony for the seekers; a guide for the people until the Day of Resurrection.

This paragraph, and the next, will complete the introduction to this section of the Iqan, in which Baha'u'llah looks at various proofs from the Qur'an regarding the Bab and His mission. He will look at more than a dozen different passages in support of His argument, taking us all the way to paragraph 245.

It is interesting to note that the majority of the questions posed by the uncle revolved around the traditions, and a literal interpretation of them. This was the basis of the majority of his confusion. Part One, of course, dealt with the basics of that, helping the uncle see how to read sacred text and gain meaningful understanding from it. The entirety of the explanation of the quote from Jesus related to this issue.

Here, Baha'u'llah is pointing out that Muhammad, Himself, specifically told His followers where to look for guidance in the future: His Family and the Qur'an. Nothing else is mentioned. Nothing else can be held to that high standard.

Even then, we still need to be cautious to not "regard the words and deeds of mortal men as a standard for the true understanding and recognition of God and His Prophets." It seems as if the traditions might fall into that category, especially with the myriad interpretations of them. After all, as we just read, "the traditions themselves grievously differ".

And so Baha'u'llah directs the attention of the uncle back to those two infallible sources of guidance, as offered by Muhammad.

Aside from this basic understanding of the text itself, there are two other things that stand out to us: "the Source of Prophethood", and "the Mine of divine Guidance". A "source" generally refers to a spring, from which we get fresh water. A mine, of course, is where we get gems. Both of these, of course, refer to Muhammad.

In terms of the former, it says that all the Prophets of God arose from Muhammad, for he is their Source. But since they all share that first station of "pure abstraction and essential unity", they all arise from each other. We cannot make any distinction between any of them, except that they all partake of that second station, "that of distinction" due to where and when they arose. Jesus, for example, said that if we had known Moses, we would have known Him. This all relates to the concept of how they are all essentially one and the same. To truly recognize one is to recognize them all. They are, each and all, the Source of Prophethood.

As to the second point, that of Muhammad being the Mine of divine Guidance, that speaks to our duty to explore His words and seek out those gems of divine wisdom.

So, first, recognize all the Manifestations, and then seek out those gems of divine wisdom in their Writings.

It's interesting how all these little details throughout the Iqan continually lead us back to these essential ideas.

Finally, there is that reference to "instrument". Of course, we know that in this context it means a tool or an implement, but it reminded us of music. Following that train of thought, it occurred to us that we can think of this as part of the "divine melody" composed by God. All the various musicians would be playing with the same score, in harmony with one another. The conductor could be seen as the Manifestation, while all the various instruments are the followers, the sacred book, and anything else to do with the faith at any given moment. And what would the "mightiest instrument" be? Whichever one is playing the solo at the time.

That's just another fun example of where our minds go when we're reading this incredible book.

Paragraph 221

All the things that people required in connection with the Revelation of Muḥammad and His laws were to be found revealed and manifest in that Riḍván of resplendent glory. That Book constitutes an abiding testimony to its people after Muḥammad, inasmuch as its decrees are indisputable, and its promise unfailing. All have been enjoined to follow the precepts of that Book until “the year sixty” — the year of the advent of God’s wondrous Manifestation. That Book is the Book which unfailingly leadeth the seeker unto the Riḍván of the divine Presence, and causeth him that hath forsaken his country and is treading the seeker’s path to enter the Tabernacle of everlasting reunion. Its guidance can never err, its testimony no other testimony can excel. All other traditions, all other books and records, are bereft of such distinction, inasmuch as both the traditions and they that have spoken them are confirmed and proven solely by the text of that Book. Moreover, the traditions themselves grievously differ, and their obscurities are manifold.

This section of proofs from the Qur'an of the Bab's mission will take us all the way to paragraph 245. Baha'u'llah will offer us more than a dozen different passages from that sacred Book here, along with explanations. After this, He will look at the lives of His followers, and then the example of the Bab Himself. Then, rather reluctantly, He will look at some traditions, too, before He offers His final thoughts and concludes this amazing volume.

One question that we asked ourselves when discussing this paragraph was why the use of the word "Ridvan"? And this has more to do with the translation than anything else. Why did Shoghi Effendi, that infallible translator of the Writings into English, leave the Arabic word there? Why didn't he translate it to the English "Paradise"? That would have made perfect sense, fit in with the rest of the paragraph, and would have been an accurate translation of the word itself.

To better understand this, we went all the way back to the very first paragraph, where he knowingly left another Arabic word in the original: "...the firmament of the Bayan." Translating that word to its literal English equivalent, "utterance", also would have made perfect sense, but then we would have lost the reference and connection to the Bab and His holy Book.

Here, by leaving it as Ridvan in both instances, we understand that Baha'u'llah has connected the Qur'an, that City of God as mentioned a few paragraphs earlier, to His own upcoming declaration. The Qur'an is that "Ridvan of resplendent glory" that leads us to His own Revelation and the "Ridvan of the divine Presence". It not only leads those of us who came later to Muhammad, it also leads us unfailingly to the Bab, as Baha'u'llah will demonstrate in the next few paragraphs. And it will also lead us to Baha'u'llah when He reveals His own station in the Ridvan Garden.

This paragraph, for us, is another incredible example of the unity exemplified in this book. He began this whole journey for us by reminding us of the similarities between the stories of all the Manifestations, showing that they all follow the same path. When discussing the prophecy of Jesus leading us to Muhammad, He demonstrated how it actually is a blue print to recognition of all Messengers. He began Part Two by explaining the nature of the Manifestations, culminating in that description of their two stations. And then, when talking about the nature of the true seeker, showed us that the City of God which we are all seeking is the holy Book of each and every Revelation. Now, as He gets ready to use that infallible guide to prove the Cause of the Bab, He is also hinting at His own declaration just a few years later.

At every step He continually reminds us that these Manifestations of the Divine Spirit are, one and all, demonstrating that station of "pure abstraction and essential unity", applying the proof of any of them to all of them. As He says in Gleanings, "God, the Creator, saith: There is no distinction whatsoever among the Bearers of My Message."

Another point we noticed was the use of the word "Tabernacle". It doesn't come up often in this book, only a dozen times or so, but always in a fascinating way. There's the "tabernacle of His grace" and the "tabernacle of life". It is referred to as inviolable and mystic. He says that all the Manifestations of God "are abiding in the same tabernacle". He also refers to the "tabernacle of the knowledge of God" and "the tabernacle of divine knowledge". Finally, here, it is referred to as the "Tabernacle of everlasting reunion". But way back in paragraph 1, it was "raised in the firmament of the Bayan".

This Tabernacle, the holy tent which is the House of God, which moves throughout the desert, may change locations, but it is always the same tent. And here, it is raised in the City of God, the sacred Book revealed in each Dispensation. While it would be so easy to read this paragraph as only referring to the Qur'an, Baha'u'llah has just gone to some length to remind us that all the sacred Books are the Book of God. It is to this Book, all these sacred Books, that we must refer. Nothing else can or should be used as a standard. Or as He says was back in paragraph 2, we should never "regard the words and deeds of mortal men as a standard for the true understanding and recognition of God and His Prophets."

This, of course, leads us to very last sentence, in which He cautions us against using the traditions as a guide. Why? Probably because most of the uncle's questions arose from Hadith, those traditions in Islam relating to Muhammad.

With consummate skill and grace, Baha'u'llah is guiding the uncle back to the Qur'an as the only standard by which to judge the next Manifestation, and He will use this standard all the way to the end of this section.

Paragraph 220

For instance, the Qur’án was an impregnable stronghold unto the people of Muḥammad. In His days, whosoever entered therein was shielded from the devilish assaults, the menacing darts, the soul-devouring doubts, and blasphemous whisperings of the enemy. Upon him was also bestowed a portion of the everlasting and goodly fruits—the fruits of wisdom from the divine Tree. To him was given to drink the incorruptible waters of the river of knowledge and to taste the wine of the mysteries of divine Unity.

We now find ourselves at an entirely new section of the Iqan. Now that Baha'u'llah has taught us how to read sacred Text in Part One, explained the nature and station of the Manifestations of God, as well as gone into great detail about their two stations, and now that He has outlined for us our role as a true seeker, He is ready to dive into His proofs of the Bab and His mission. He will offer us four types of proof: proofs from the Qur'an, proofs from His followers, proof from His own life, and then, albeit reluctantly, proofs from the traditions of the uncle's faith. The first one, looking at the proofs from the Qur'an, will be unfolded over the next 26 paragraphs.

When describing the nature and station of the true seeker, at the very end of those seven paragraphs He explained to us that what it is we are seeking, that City of God, is, in truth, the Word of God for our day. Just as it was the Pentateuch in the days of Moses, and the Gospel in the time of Jesus, and the Qur'an for those companions of Muhammad, it is now the Bayan in the days of the Bab when this book was written. Of course, following that, it is the word of Baha'u'llah, for we have moved on to a new Day yet again. The important thing here is to recognize the Day in which we are living and to seek out God's guidance specific to our own time.

In this particular paragraph, this moment of transition to the proofs He has been so patiently waiting to use, He is fully stressing the importance of Muhammad and the Qur'an. He is giving great importance to how it protected the people of His day.

In fact, it is worth remembering that He has just fully vindicated all the Books of the past. They are all, as He said, that City of God which we can fully explore once we enter. Attainment unto that City is not the end of our journey. Once we arrive within it, we then need to search it. We need to explore "every blade of grass", "every rosebush", "Its wondrous tulips", "every leaf", and go searching "within every chamber".

As we do so, we should be conscious of the fact that this City will protect us, just as any good city will do. Just as the Tanakh and the Gospel were the impregnable strongholds for the Jewish and Christian peoples, the Qur'an is the same for the Muslims. Each and all of them, as well as all the other sacred books, fulfill the same function, and should be treated with the same regard.

It is interesting to note, as we often do in our explorations of this text, that He begins with the protective qualities of the Word of God. It protects us from "assaults", which tend to be of a more physical nature, close in proximity, as well as the "darts", which tend to be hurled from a greater distance. While the former are fairly easy to try and sidestep, the latter are more dangerous in that we may not see them coming, nor know from which direction they arose. But as Baha'u'llah usually does, He continues with His crescendo. More dangerous than the physical attacks, both near and distant, are the "doubts" and "blasphemous whisperings". And this is where the Word of God really helps us the most. By turning back to the Writings, looking at what the good Book actually says, we will be able to avoid the doubts and whisperings that lead so many astray.

Beyond that, though, even beyond our physical and mental safety, we are also being given both food and drink, which are necessary for sustaining us. The fruits, interestingly, bring us in mind of the book of Genesis, with the Garden of Eden and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. From there we move on the water and wine, which, of course, remind us of Jesus. At every step Baha'u'llah continually reminds us of the great spiritual path upon which we, humanity, have been walking. Not content with only looking at the Qur'an, He constantly brings us back to the other books of God, affirming them as good sources of knowledge, worthy of the title "City of God".

When we read these books, we acquire a taste of the simple "waters" of "knowledge" contained within them. But when we dive deep within them and explore with both our heart and soul, then we can imbibe of the far more complex "wine" and recognize those "mysteries of divine unity".

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Wherefore, O my friend, it behooveth us to exert the highest endeavor to attain unto that City, and, by the grace of God and His loving-kindness, rend asunder the “veils of glory”; so that, with inflexible steadfastness, we may sacrifice our drooping souls in the path of the New Beloved. We should with tearful eyes, fervently and repeatedly, implore Him to grant us the favor of that grace. That City is none other than the Word of God revealed in every age and dispensation. In the days of Moses it was the Pentateuch; in the days of Jesus the Gospel; in the days of Muḥammad the Messenger of God the Qur’án; in this day the Bayán; and in the dispensation of Him Whom God will make manifest His own Book—the Book unto which all the Books of former Dispensations must needs be referred, the Book which standeth amongst them all transcendent and supreme. In these Cities spiritual sustenance is bountifully provided, and incorruptible delights have been ordained. The food they bestow is the bread of heaven, and the Spirit they impart is God’s imperishable blessing. Upon detached souls they bestow the gift of Unity, enrich the destitute, and offer the cup of knowledge unto them who wander in the wilderness of ignorance. All the guidance, the blessings, the learning, the understanding, the faith, and certitude, conferred upon all that is in heaven and on earth, are hidden and treasured within these Cities.

He we are at the seventh paragraph describing the nature and station of the true seeker. Our inner being, our outer actions, the object of our quest, along with a glimpse of what we will see and experience when we attain that goal, as well as our total attachment to it: He has described it all. Now He removes the veil and says, in plain terms, that this goal is the Word of God for today.

Back in paragraph 102, at the very beginning of Part Two, Baha'u'llah said, "Thus We reveal unto thee the mysteries of the Cause of God..." It is also like Jesus said in John 16:25, when He told us "a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly" about all these things. That time, it seems, has come.

All these mysterious allusions, all these metaphors and analogies? They are all leading us to the recognition of the new Manifestation in His Day.

All those beautiful promises of those miraculous things we will see? They are all found in the Word of God. And that great transformation we will undergo? It happens when we recognize the new Message whenever it appears.

We could simplify this by saying that He is talking about Progressive Revelation, but it is so much more than that. It is another affirmation of the absolute unity, the complete oneness, of all the religions, their Founders, and their Books.

Note how He is showing how every single one of these Books of God is the firm and irrefutable guide. He is showing us that they all contain this guidance, and they all can be used to help us find the way. They, each and all, give us the "bread of heaven". They all "impart... God's imperishable blessing". Everything we are searching for is found in all of them.

"Beware," Baha'u'llah says elsewhere, "O believers in the Unity of God, lest ye be tempted to make any distinction between any of the Manifestations of His Cause, or to discriminate against the signs that have accompanied and proclaimed their Revelation."

When speaking of these various books here, He refers to them all as "the City of God" in the singular, and then later refers to them as "these Cities", in the plural. It is exactly the same as how He refers to the two stations of the Manifestations, that of essential unity and that of differentiation. That virtue He has mentioned since the beginning, detachment, is what allows us to recognize that they are all the same City, just moving through time. Without detachment, we will see them all as separate cities, but if we are detached, we will recognize them all as the same.

All of the attributes described of this City in paragraph 217 are actually found in all of these Cities. The Word of God is the Word of God, no matter when and where it occurs. It is very similar, if not identical, to His description of the Manifestations in paragraph 110 where He says that they all "are, without exception, the bearers of His names, and the embodiments of His attributes."

This is the last paragraph in which He focuses on the true seeker. He has now revealed to us that what we are seeking is, in fact, the new Word of God for today. This is important because He will now use the Qur'an, the Word of God from Muhammad, to offer His first proof of the Cause of the Bab.

From there He will continue and talk about the actions of his followers, and then the proofs from the life of the Bab Himself.

Everything up to this point has been in preparation for this great proof, His argument in defense of the Cause of the Bab.

And all of these seven paragraphs relating to the true seeker and their goal? It has all been a reminder that what we are seeking is the new Manifestation whenever and wherever they may appear, which, for the uncle to whom this was written, was truly "nearer than his life vein".

Paragraph 218

They that valiantly labor in quest of God will, when once they have renounced all else but Him, be so attached and wedded to that City that a moment’s separation from it would to them be unthinkable. They will hearken unto infallible proofs from the Hyacinth of that assembly, and receive the surest testimonies from the beauty of its Rose and the melody of its Nightingale. Once in about a thousand years shall this City be renewed and readorned.

He began this section on the true seeker by describing our internal state, and then our actions. He reminded us of the object of our quest and gave us a glimpse of where are going. He spoke about what we will discover when we get there, this "City of Certitude", and the miracles we will encounter within it. Now He is ready to speak of our attachment to it, once we've attained.

This paragraph, short though it is, contains numerous references to other aspects of the Writings.

We'll start with the idea that we are labouring valiantly. We're not just doing a bit of work. We're struggling, striving with great determination and showing tremendous courage. Just a couple of paragraphs ago, He spoke of our search with phrases such as "earnest striving... longing desire... passionate devotion... fervid love... rapture, and ecstasy". It implies a phenomenal effort, and great dedication.

But all of this is predicated on "detachment from all else save Him". From the very beginning of the book He has continually reminded us of this, beginning with that oft-mentioned phrase from paragraph 1, that we need to "be detached from all that is in heaven and on earth".

If we succeed in this detachment, then we will be unable to even think about leaving that "City". With the benefit of having read the next paragraph already, we know that this City is the eternal religion of God, and the use of the word "wedded" here reminds us of the importance of interfaith. Baha'u'llah says that we are to "consort with the followers of all religions". Consort, of course, means more than just hanging out with. As a verb, it means to habitually be with, typically with the disapproval of others. As a noun, a consort is a spouse, literally wedded to. By reminding us of this in this manner, He is also referring to the Eternal Covenant found in all religions.

The nature metaphors here are also rich.

In the previous paragraph we encountered various things we will see in this city, from the blades of grass to the nightingales that sing their melody on every rosebush. We encountered the tulips and the "sweet savors" of this city.

In this paragraph Baha'u'llah adds in the hyacinth and the rose. And just to be clear, the previous paragraph referred to the nightingales that were on the rose. Here it's the roses, upon which sit those birds. Same image, different focus.

Grass speaks to the widespread nature of these "mysteries of inscrutable wisdom", and the melodies imply that you are aware of it from beyond the line of sight.

The tulips are indicative that it is spring, for those flowers are the herald of the season to come, the promise of something great.

As for those "sweet savors of holiness", it is a scent that is "pleasing unto the Lord" and speaks to the devotion of those that reside in, or even just visit, that City. It lets us know that this is a holy city.

The Burning Bush and the Messianic Spirit bring to mind both Moses and Jesus, foreshadowing the revelation that this all refers to "the Word of God revealed in every age and dispensation", as mentioned in the next paragraph. We don't often jump ahead in our study, but here we feel we have no choice.

Hyacinths are a metaphor for wisdom, while roses are often used to refer to the spiritual realms.

It ends with the simple statement that this City is "renewed and readorned" on a regular basis, namely every thousand years or so.

As this City is being likened to the Word of God, what does it mean that it is "renewed and readorned"?

Imagine a house. Over time it needs to undergo a bit of a renovation. Perhaps the walls need to be re-painted, or the windows redone. The bricks certainly need to be tuck-pointed on a regular basis, or they will begin to fall out. And it's the same thing with the furniture. That, too, needs to be fixed up on a regular basis. Even in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, He says that we "have been enjoined to renew the furnishings of your homes after the passing of each nineteen years."

We are not told that we have to move, or that we should buy a new house. No. We are told to fix up the old one. Keep it clean. He is "desirous of refinement", which is a form of beauty.

This City of God is the same City throughout history. It does not move. It is not torn down. It is just "renewed and readorned".

In terms of religion, this implies that the laws will be changed to reflect the needs of the day. It suggests that there will be change, but it will be a change that is beneficial to those that live there.

It is a succinct description of what 'Abdu'l-Baha later said:

Note thou carefully that in this world of being, all things must ever be made new. Look at the material world about thee, see how it hath now been renewed. The thoughts have changed, the ways of life have been revised, the sciences and arts show a new vigor, discoveries and inventions are new, perceptions are new. How then could such a vital power as religion—the guarantor of mankind’s great advances, the very means of attaining everlasting life, the fosterer of infinite excellence, the light of both worlds—not be made new? This would be incompatible with the grace and loving-kindness of the Lord.