Paragraph 187

Thus the peoples of the world are judged by their countenance. By it, their misbelief, their faith, and their iniquity are all made manifest. Even as it is evident in this day how the people of error are, by their countenance, known and distinguished from the followers of divine Guidance. Were these people, wholly for the sake of God and with no desire but His good-pleasure, to ponder the verses of the Book in their heart, they would of a certainty find whatsoever they seek. In its verses would they find revealed and manifest all the things, be they great or small, that have come to pass in this Dispensation. They would even recognize in them references unto the departure of the Manifestations of the names and attributes of God from out their native land; to the opposition and disdainful arrogance of government and people; and to the dwelling and establishment of the Universal Manifestation in an appointed and specially designated land. No man, however, can comprehend this except he who is possessed of an understanding heart.

 

We are at paragraph 27 out of the thirty paragraphs that look at the station of "pure abstraction and essential unity", the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God. It is really amazing how much He has touched on in these paragraphs. And while it may not seem like these various points are related to the topic of "pure abstraction and essential unity", when we pause and consider each point, we will readily discover that they are all part of this more general theme.

He begins this paragraph with a point that is not brought up in other places in this book, at least not as often. That is the concept of people being judged by their countenance.

This is truly fascinating.

What is meant by it? How is it that people can be judged by their countenance?

To start, He points out three different types of people and their countenances. Those that show "misbelief", or believe something that is incorrect. A simple mistake. Those that show "faith", or a trust in God and His Messenger. And those that show "iniquity", or immoral deeds. One is wrong, one is correct, and one is deliberate in its bad action.

The difference between these three is shown in our countenance, our facial expression. But more than that,the word itself is rooted in the old word meaning our behaviour. It has the additional meaning of support, as in countenancing a situation.

But let's take it as meaning our expression. What happens if we do that?

If we consider the photos of the race unity movement in the US in the 1950s and 1960s, we may notice something unusual. Those that were protesting integration, those that were fighting to maintain the social inequality by denying the Black people their right to partake fully in society, are filled with an intense anger. They look almost demonic in their expressions.

However, if we look at the photos of the same time period of those who were standing up for equality, for the recognition of the Black people as equal citizens, we notice something very different. They did not appear to be angry. The vast majority show a grim, but hopeful, determination.

Those that put their trust in their particular dogma, whether it is a belief in racial superiority or political supremacy, tend to resemble, in our opinion, medieval demons when their belief is questioned or challenged.

But those that put their trust in the Word of God, who understand that the world is moving towards this greater unity, who look past their own wants and desires and instead look to the well-being of the human family? They tend to look more peaceful in these pictures. They are the ones who more resolutely put their foot forward one difficult step at a time, trusting that their efforts will bear fruit.

Throughout the earlier paragraphs in this book, Baha'u'llah has regularly referred to the countenances of the various Manifestations, and their nearest followers. He has referred to the "countenance of Hud", "the countenance of the Friend of God", "Mary, that veiled and immortal Countenance", and on and on. He speaks at length about how we "will behold the countenance of the promised One". Here, though, He begins to talk about the countenance of the regular folk like us.

In the Tanakh, the Old Testament, there is a reference to the oiling of the face in times of celebration. This had the effect of making the face glow, as if in the divine Presence. It also had the effect of highlighting every movement of the face, exposing our feelings. In effect, it laid bare the soul. Today, however, we powder the skin. We put on a mask that hides both our blemishes and our emotions. Baha'u'llah seems to be saying, here, that we cannot hide our emotions, that our emotions, our very soul, is exposed for all to see.

In other areas, Baha'u'llah likens the heart to a mirror, reflecting the light of God. Perhaps what He is saying is that our heart and face, just like the oiled faces of old, will show to those that look what we are truly feeling.

Babies, when confronted with something unusual, will automatically look into the face of their parents. This is a natural reaction. They are looking for reassurance, for even at so young an age, we have learned that we can read the face of our parents. This is something we still have, even though we don't often think about it. We look into a lover's eyes to verify their sincerity. We look into the eyes of someone who is a possible threat to see how serious of a threat they really are. We are searching their countenance using all the skills we developed when we were just a baby. And you know what? It still works. We can read their intentions, if we only look. "All the faces are dark", writes 'Abdu'l-Baha, "except the face which is the mirror of the light of the love of divinity... When the heart hath become clear and pure then the face will become illuminated, because the face is the mirror of the heart."

Baha'u'llah then finishes with two more interesting points. The first begins in the middle when He is describing the things that occur in many Revelations. If we consider the point of the Manifestation being kicked out of their home land, and the general opposition they face, we can see that He is also describing His circumstances at the time this book was written.

The second point is the reference to the "understanding heart". We could go on and on about it. We could cite the first Hidden Word which talks about a "pure, kindly, and radiant heart", or even that beautiful line from a few paragraphs earlier, "reading, without understanding, is of no abiding profit", but this would make this post go on for way too long. Instead, just reference the heart in this book, and you will begin to see how important this is. And if the eyes are the mirror of the soul, the face, as the Master say, is the mirror of the heart.

Paragraph 186

And it came to pass that on a certain day a needy man came to visit this Soul, craving for the ocean of His knowledge. While conversing with him, mention was made concerning the signs of the Day of Judgment, Resurrection, Revival, and Reckoning. He urged Us to explain how, in this wondrous Dispensation, the peoples of the world were brought to a reckoning, when none were made aware of it. Thereupon, We imparted unto him, according to the measure of his capacity and understanding, certain truths of Science and ancient Wisdom. We then asked him saying: “Hast thou not read the Qur'an, and art thou not aware of this blessed verse: ‘On that day shall neither man nor spirit be asked of his sin’? Dost thou not realize that by ‘asking’ is not meant asking by tongue or speech, even as the verse itself doth indicate and prove? For afterward it is said: ‘By their countenance shall the sinners be known, and they shall be seized by their forelocks and their feet.’”

 

Paragraph 26 out of thirty paragraphs that look at the station of "pure abstraction and essential unity", the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God.

This paragraph reads like a story, mainly because it is. Baha'u'llah is recounting another teaching experience in which He was asked some of the same questions He has been asked by the uncle of the Bab. As He tells it, He points out a few interesting details. First, this man "urged" Baha'u'llah for explanations. Then Baha'u'llah responds "to the measure of his capacity and understanding", not overwhelming this individual with too much information. He then gently rebukes him, asking if he is aware of a particular verse in the Qur'an that is relevant to his question. As usual, our main question is what we can learn from this example.

While we could talk about a number of things, such as the use of the word "ocean" and how it brings us right back to paragraph 1 with the "shores of the ocean of true understanding", or perhaps the significance of the order of "the Day of Judgment, Resurrection, Revival, and Reckoning", we want to really focus on the dynamic between the two of them. As our main concern is what we can learn about the methods Baha'u'llah uses in helping the uncle move from being a sincere seeker to a confirmed believer, this seems most appropriate to us.

The first thing we notice is that this appears to have been a pleasant conversation, likely over tea or something, and then "mention was made" of a topic which Baha'u'llah seized upon for the education of this soul.

It is obvious from the context that this man already recognized something of the wisdom and knowledge of Baha'u'llah, for why else would he "urge" Him to "explain" these things?

This is the first point that jumps out to us. The conversation is not forced. Baha'u'llah is not hijacking the conversation to His own purpose. It is flowing naturally, and responds to the needs of the other person.

The next point is that He responds to this man's question with a some "truths of Science and ancient Wisdom". We don't know what truths He shared, but it feels as if He has answered this man's questions already.

It is only after this that He adds something of a postscript. He "then asked him" about this verse from the Qur'an. Why? Was His previous response not enough? Or was it not from sacred Text, and He is now quoting the Word of God to make up for that? Who knows?

Regardless, why this particular quote?

Instead of going into a possible explanation of this quote, for Baha'u'llah will go into it more in the next paragraph, let's take a glance at the context of this quote.

First, Baha'u'llah appears to be doing the same thing He has done with this book. He is beginning with things this man already believes, or so we surmise. Just as this book began with a recounting of the Messengers the uncle already recognized, Baha'u'llah is beginning His response to this man with "certain truths" he likely already recognizes.

But then He seems to take a bit of turn by quoting this verse from the Qur'an.

Surih 55, from which this verse comes, is filled with the question, "Which of God's favours will you deny?" Over and over this question is repeated throughout the Surih.

So why does Baha'u'llah cite this verse? The entire Surih seems to do the same thing that Baha'u'llah is doing. It begins with things the reader already knows and agrees with, and then guides them forward to a new and better understanding.

While we do not know how traditional Islamic theology interprets this verse, we presume it is in the literal sense. We guess that He is correcting it by offering a spiritual understanding of this verse, and citing the next verse in support of this.

By first speaking about scientific truths this man already understands, and ancient wisdoms he likely already agrees with, Baha'u'llah is gently moving him forward by reminding him of a relevant verse that is obviously spiritual in its application, as evidenced by the verse that comes right after it.

This paves the way for a spiritual understanding of "the Day of Judgment, Resurrection, Revival, and Reckoning".

Anything else we can offer on this is really talked about more in the next paragraph.

Paragraph 185

Twelve hundred and eighty years have passed since the dawn of the Muḥammadan Dispensation, and with every break of day, these blind and ignoble people have recited their Qur’án, and yet have failed to grasp one letter of that Book! Again and again they read those verses which clearly testify to the reality of these holy themes, and bear witness to the truth of the Manifestations of eternal Glory, and still apprehend not their purpose. They have even failed to realize, all this time, that, in every age, the reading of the scriptures and holy books is for no other purpose except to enable the reader to apprehend their meaning and unravel their innermost mysteries. Otherwise reading, without understanding, is of no abiding profit unto man.

We are now at paragraph 25 out of thirty paragraphs that look at the station of "pure abstraction and essential unity", the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God. It is interesting to remember this with each succeeding paragraph, and try to understand how it all relates to this singular theme. How does this one, this paragraph, relate to the theme?

Let's start at that first sentence. He refers to these people as "blind and ignoble". He has already covered "blind" in many paragraphs throughout this book, often referring to the phrase about having eyes but not seeing.

What about "ignoble"? This is interesting, as we find this famous passage from the Hidden Words, written around the same time as this book: "Noble have I created thee, yet thou hast abased thyself."

Here we are told that we are inherently noble, created that way. But, He points out, we have abased ourselves. God didn't abase us. We did. How?

Throughout these recent paragraphs He has regularly talked about those people that have not grasped the underlying purpose of religion. He talked about how they have fallen prey to those "divines and doctors... who, because of their want of discernment and their love and eagerness for leadership, have failed to submit to the Cause of God". He says that these people, who have fallen prey to such misguided leaders, "have placed themselves unreservedly under the authority of these pompous and hypocritical leaders". He then accuses these same people of having "no sight, no hearing, no heart, of their own to distinguish truth from falsehood". He further said these people "cling to those verses... and... traditions... which they have found to accord with their inclinations and interests, and... reject those which are contrary to their selfish desires."

They have truly abased themselves. They have allowed others, as mentioned in the previous few paragraphs, to dictate how they are to see the world. It is a willful blindness, a purposeful denial of seeing the world for ourselves. This is not noble, for they are abdicating that God-given right of free will.

He goes on, in this same paragraph, to say that "they have failed to grasp one letter" of their holy scriptures.

What does this mean? It probably does not mean that they are illiterate, for they read the Writings every morning. But He uses the word "grasp", which means to fully comprehend. So what is it that they do not fully comprehend?

We like to look at Christianity as our example. Everything in the message of Jesus, for example, is all about love. If we were to interpret anything in the Bible that leads us to something other than love, we have misunderstood it. It really is that simple.

Similarly, everything in the Baha'i Writings is all about unity. If we interpret anything in the Writings for ourselves that does not lead us to unity, then we are guaranteed that we have missed the essential point.

This is why this section is so important in this book. It is why we feel He spends so much time on this theme, for it is the essential theme of the entire Faith.

Every Faith has its own essential message, and it seems that the Messengers come to remind us of this. We, as humanity, often veer off from that essential message and it is the next Messenger that calls us back. And then, like any good teacher, after correcting our mistakes, they show us the next steps we need to take.

This seems to be the recurring pattern.

Perhaps that is why, at the end of this passage, He reminds us that "reading, without understanding, is of no abiding profit unto man".

"Abiding" is another interesting word, especially in this context. As an adjective, it means long lasting or enduring. If we get just a surface understanding, it might change our behaviour for a short time, but it sure won't be enduring.

As we dive deeper into the ocean of these Writings, we will find more and more mysteries, as we have found time and again. Whether it is the development of the metaphors or the movement of the nouns, there are layers upon layers of meaning in the Writings.

It also reminds us of one of our favourite quotes from Mark Twain. He said, "The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read."

Similarly, the one who only glances at the Writings without taking the time to dive into them does not have any significant advantage over the one who does not read them. It is like having a gold mine, in which you know there are treasures to be found, but not taking the time to find them.

Going right back to the beginning of this book, He has told us that this is about getting to the "shores of the Ocean of true understanding". Then He told us to "Consider the past...", "Ponder... and reflect..." He asks us to acquaint ourselves with the stories of the Messengers and their sufferings. He tells us to meditate and consider over and over again. He wants us to work for it, for there is no other way to have it truly impact our life.

For centuries, the followers of different religions were told to recite the sacred verses in languages they didn't understand. Whether it was Catholics reciting the Bible in Latin, or Muslims reading in Arabic, to the ones reading they were no more than senseless syllables. Sacred, yes, but with no inherent meaning beyond their sacredness.

There is a great story of the Bab from when He was a child. He had gone to school and was told to recite the opening words of the Qur'an. The words were in Arabic, but He only spoke Persian. And so He refused. He said that He would not recite them unless He was told what they meant. His teacher pretended to not know, and the Bab, six years-old or so at the time, said that He knew and would explain them, if the teacher wanted. The teacher, likely amused, said yes. The Bab then went on to explain them in a way that truly impressed the teacher, so much so that years later he still recalled this event.

For us, this is a great example of not being willing to read something without understanding it.

Paragraph 184

Be fair: Were these people to acknowledge the truth of these luminous words and holy allusions, and recognize God as “Him that doeth whatsoever He pleaseth,” how could they continue to cleave unto these glaring absurdities? Nay, with all their soul, they would accept and submit to whatsoever He saith. I swear by God! But for the divine Decree, and the inscrutable dispensations of Providence, the earth itself would have utterly destroyed all this people! “He will, however, respite them until the appointed time of a known day.”

Paragraph 24 out of thirty paragraphs that look at the station of "pure abstraction and essential unity", the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God.

What does He mean by "Be fair"? Simply, it means to consider everything in the situation so that we can make a good judgement.

If we take a look at the idea that people believe in their sacred teachings, and especially understand that God does as He wants, then they would never be able to reconcile this absurd behaviour. Which behaviour? Accepting some of the verses but denying others.

So why, then, do they continue to "cleave unto these glaring absurdities"? He has given us a lot of reasons. Ignorance. Blindly following the leaders of their faith. Attachment to their own desires. Sometimes it's those "veils of glory" He mentioned way earlier in the book. But in the end, all these reasons are absurd.

In fact, not only are they absurd, they are "glaring absurdities". They are totally obvious to anyone who looks with the eye of fairness. Beyond that, Baha'u'llah said earlier, in paragraph 6, "the more closely you observe the denials of those who have opposed the Manifestations of the divine attributes, the firmer will be your faith in the Cause of God". By taking the time to focus our attention on these "glaring absurdities", on the obvious hypocrisy of those that follow a religion in this manner, He seems to be helping us strengthen our faith.

In Part One, He was very forgiving with some of these excuses, recognizing that some people deny the new Messenger because they are attached to their old Book. In paragraph 27, He said that He was sharing some of these teachings with the hope that "the overpowering majesty of the Word of God may not prevent them... nor deprive them..." from recognizing the new Manifestation.

Now, though, He is being a bit harsher.

He's already assured the friends that if they made an honest mistake, they can still move forward. A good heart will always win out in the end.

If they've denied because of selfish reasons, only accepting what "they have found to accord with their inclinations and interests", He reminds them that this is not acceptable. Well, neither are, but in this case, He pulls out the big guns: "...the earth itself would have utterly destroyed all this people". It reminds us of that Hidden Word in which He says, "ye walk on My earth complacent and self-satisfied, heedless that My earth is weary of you and everything within it shunneth you."

But what about the "inscrutable dispensations of Providence"? What exactly does that mean? Inscrutable means that we can't understand it. Dispensations are exemptions from a rule, even temporary. So it seems that the people who are behaving in this way have been given a reprieve by God from immediate justice.

How do we know it's temporary? By the next sentence in which He says that God will "respite them until the appointed time of a known day."

One question though, that bears looking at is how does this fit into the theme of the "pure abstraction and absolute unity" of the Messengers? And that, dear Friends, is what Baha'u'llah will respond to in the next paragraph.

Paragraph 183

Gracious God! So great is the folly and perversity of the people, that they have turned their face toward their own thoughts and desires, and have turned their back upon the knowledge and will of God—hallowed and glorified be His name!

 

Paragraph 23 of the thirty paragraphs that look at the station of "pure abstraction and essential unity", the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God.

And here He goes again. "Gracious God!" You can just hear the exasperation. But, as He points out, God truly is gracious.

So let's go back a second. Why is this here? Why does He feel the need to point out this attribute of God here?

As usual, we're not really sure, but it follows a series of paragraphs in which He is describing how the people have taken some verses, like the "Seal of the Prophets", and rejected others, even though they have no basis for picking and choosing from sacred Text. They do this, He says, because the former verses "accord with their inclinations and interests" and the latter "are contrary to their selfish desires". Over and over, throughout history, we have done this. When Moses came down with the Ten Commandments, He found the people reverting to their previous idolic behaviour.

Here, Baha'u'llah is seeing it again.

But what exactly is He seeing?

Well, He says, that the people have great "folly and perversity". Not just a little. A great amount.

What is folly? What is perversity? Why does he choose these particular terms?

Folly, quite simply, is a lack of good sense, foolishness. Perversity, on the other hand, is a deliberate desire to behave in an unreasonable or unacceptable way.

To understand why He is using these terms, let's look at what He is describing. We can easily picture a person standing there. Their face is turned towards "their own thoughts and desires", which means their back is turned away from "the knowledge and will of God". These are not the same things. We want one thing, God wants another. As He says so poetically in the Persian Hidden Words, "How long wilt thou soar in the realms of desire? Wings have I bestowed upon thee, that thou mayest fly to the realms of mystic holiness and not the regions of satanic fancy." Or more simply, "Prefer not your will to Mine, never desire that which I have not desired for you..."

Why on earth would we ever turn away from what God desires for us? That is utter foolishness. This is true folly. But to do it deliberately? It's one thing to accidentally turn aside from something, but to do it on purpose? That is the epitome of perversity, according to the definition of the word.

Fortunately, God is gracious.

One last question, though. Why does He finish this paragraph off with "hallowed and glorified be His name"?

We are reminded of the inescapable and absolute sovereignty of the Manifestation through this phrase. The King's messengers often begin, "In the name of the King", letting us know for whom they are speaking, and under whose authority. Same with the Messengers of God, those divine Manifestations.

It puts us in mind of the beginning of the prayer from Jesus. "Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name." We're also reminded that this very book begins with the intonation, "In the Name of our Lord, the Exalted, the Most High". Part Two begins, you may recall, "Verily He Who is the Daystar of Truth and Revealer of the Supreme Being holdeth, for all time, undisputed sovereignty over all that is in heaven and on earth, though no man be found on earth to obey Him." Now we feel we have a far deeper understanding of how this applies to our reality.

Paragraph 182

And yet, through the mystery of the former verse, they have turned away from the grace promised by the latter, despite the fact that “attainment unto the divine Presence” in the “Day of Resurrection” is explicitly stated in the Book. It hath been demonstrated and definitely established, through clear evidences, that by “Resurrection” is meant the rise of the Manifestation of God to proclaim His Cause, and by “attainment unto the divine Presence” is meant attainment unto the presence of His Beauty in the person of His Manifestation. For verily, “No vision taketh in Him, but He taketh in all vision.” Notwithstanding all these indubitable facts and lucid statements, they have foolishly clung to the term “seal,” and remained utterly deprived of the recognition of Him Who is the Revealer of both the Seal and the Beginning, in the day of His presence. “If God should chastise men for their perverse doings, He would not leave upon the earth a moving thing! But to an appointed time doth He respite them.” But apart from all these things, had this people attained unto a drop of the crystal streams flowing from the words: “God doeth whatsoever He willeth, and ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth,” they would not have raised any unseemly cavils, such as these, against the focal Center of His Revelation. The Cause of God, all deeds and words, are held within the grasp of His power. “All things lie imprisoned within the hollow of His mighty Hand; all things are easy and possible unto Him.” He accomplisheth whatsoever He willeth, and doeth all that He desireth. “Whoso sayeth ‘why’ or ‘wherefore’ hath spoken blasphemy!” Were these people to shake off the slumber of negligence and realize that which their hands have wrought, they would surely perish, and would of their own accord cast themselves into fire—their end and real abode. Have they not heard that which He hath revealed: “He shall not be asked of His doings”? In the light of these utterances, how can man be so bold as to question Him, and busy himself with idle sayings?

 

Paragraph 22 of the thirty paragraphs that look at the station of "pure abstraction and essential unity", the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God. You probably notice by now that we are repeating at the beginning of each article where we are. We find that this constant reminder really helps us keep track of where Baha'u'llah is in His argument.

Baha'u'llah does this, too, in a sense. He regularly reminds the uncle of what He has previously said, showing the major plot points, if you will, so that the uncle does not get lost in his journey toward certitude.

If we are to try and follow His methods in teaching the Faith to others, this is surely a great lesson for us.

To summarize the paragraph, He begins by referencing the quotes He just used. The "former verse"? The one referring to "the Seal of the Prophets", and the mystery contained therein. The "latter" verse? "Attainment unto the divine Presence". He then reminds us, through the uncle, that He's already given us an explanation of "Resurrection", and how this "divine Presence" refers to meeting the Manifestation of God, mainly because God is just way too big, too grand, too whatever. But, of course, people cling to what they know, and He refers to them as foolish for not going further. But just in case we want to judge them harshly for this, He reminds us we've made foolish mistakes, too. So don't go climbing on any high horse.

There is a question, though, for us. This "attainment unto the divine Presence"? What exactly does that mean? Of course it means the actual physical presence, we know that. He told us so many times. But does that mean that grumpy, old uncle Joe who happened to pass Him on the street received this incredible "grace"? We don't think so. Seeing Him was likely not enough. We think it is conditional upon recognition. How often have we dreamed of living in the time of the Manifestation we follow? How often have we heard people claim that of course they would recognize Him? The truth is if we were honest with ourselves, we likely would not have recognized Him in His lifetime. That is a bounty accorded very few. But if we were to be granted that bounty, then can we even begin to imagine being in His presence? Can we even begin to imagine the awe and wonder we might feel? How many of us spontaneously fell to our knees on Pilgrimage, either at His Shrine or before His photograph? How much more would we react in His actual presence?

Ok, that aside, He now gets to the heart of this matter: "God doeth whatsoever He willeth, and ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth". We first see this back at the very beginning of Part 2, and only now, nearly 80 paragraphs later, does He expound on it. We've seen hints of it previously, starting at the very beginning of the book when we are told to be "detached from all that is in heaven and on earth", and put our "trust in God, and, holding fast unto Him, follow in His way."

Remember when suggested to go back to the beginning of this book and re-read it looking for indications of the essential oneness and absolute unity of the Messengers? You can do the same with this quote and you will discover that it reads very differently when you begin looking for those signs that He does what He wants.

But let's be honest. This is what people don't seem to understand. They want God to do what they want, rather than following what He wants. If they understood this, they would not have raised their voices in protest.

It is important to note, though, in the statement about “Whoso sayeth ‘why’ or ‘wherefore’ hath spoken blasphemy!”, the "why" is asked in protest, as in "Why did you do that? It's not what I want." This is not the same as asking "why" to gain a better understanding. The former is childish and treats God as subservient, while the latter is asking in a state of search. Even in so great a book as the Kitab-i-Aqdas, He says we are "free to ask what you need to ask, but not such idle questions as those on which the men of former times were wont to dwell."

Finally, at least for this paragraph, we have one last point to consider. You have likely noticed how often Baha'u'llah tells us to ponder, meditate, or consider. You probably are aware of how many times He gives us seemingly rhetorical questions to think about. As long as we are going back to the beginning of the book to look for these different trends, such as the essential unity or how He does what He wants, try answering every one of the questions with that latter concept.

"What could have been the reason", He asks in paragraph 8, "for such denial and avoidance on their part?" Because God does what He wants, and we generally don't like that.

"What could have induced them", He continues, "to refuse to put off the garment of denial, and to adorn themselves with the robe of acceptance?" Because God does what He wants, and we generally don't like that.

This quote, this concept, seems to be the answer to almost all of the questions He has asked.

In addition, this quote, "God doeth whatsoever He willeth, and ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth,” has been referred to as the greatest challenge in any dispensation.

Paragraph 181

How strange! These people with one hand cling to those verses of the Qur’án and those traditions of the people of certitude which they have found to accord with their inclinations and interests, and with the other reject those which are contrary to their selfish desires. “Believe ye then part of the Book, and deny part?” How could ye judge that which ye understand not? Even as the Lord of being hath in His unerring Book, after speaking of the “Seal” in His exalted utterance: “Muḥammad is the Apostle of God and the Seal of the Prophets,” hath revealed unto all people the promise of “attainment unto the divine Presence.” To this attainment to the presence of the immortal King testify the verses of the Book, some of which We have already mentioned. The one true God is My witness! Nothing more exalted or more explicit than “attainment unto the divine Presence” hath been revealed in the Qur’án. Well is it with him that hath attained thereunto, in the day wherein most of the people, even as ye witness, have turned away therefrom.

Paragraph 21 of the thirty paragraphs that look at the station of "pure abstraction and essential unity", the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God. The length of this section should give some clue as to its importance. And if you want a fun little exercise, go back to the very beginning, paragraph 1, and try re-reading the first dozen or so paragraphs specifically looking for references to this theme, the absolute unity of the Messengers.

In this paragraph, He begins with the phrase, "How strange". It's an unusual phrase, strange, in fact. It's used a total of five times in this book, but why does He use it here? Well, He's noticing an oddity in the behaviour of the people. Let's see if we can find what that oddity is.

To start, He refers to "these people". Which people? Well, if we go back to paragraph 172, we find reference to those who "have allowed the term 'Seal of the Prophets' to obscure their understanding". In paragraph 173, they are found "clinging unto these words", yet have "disbelieved Him Who is their true Revealer". In paragraph 175, they are found to be "utterly ignoring God" and taking the "pompous and hypocritical leaders" for their masters. They are the ones who, in paragraph 177, have been "hindered" from "attaining unto the way of truth". By paragraph 180, after having shared some of the traditions, Baha'u'llah reminds us that the "celestial Melody" is "above the strivings of human ear to hear or mind to grasp its mystery". And so, these people reject the teachings they cannot understand, claiming they must be false.

Now, isn't that strange? Why would we dismiss something we don't understand? Instead, if the Book and the teachings have been found to be good, wouldn't we just strive to expand our understanding? If we believe a book is sent down by our Creator for our benefit, why would we ever imagine that some of the verses in it must be false?

There have been many times in our study of this book that we have come across a phrase or a sentence that we just couldn't make heads or tails of. It was beyond us. Did we think that it must not be accurate? Of course not. Instead, we sat down and examined it even more closely. We pushed ourselves until it began to make sense in the overall context of the book. And every single time, it greatly enhanced our understanding of this volume, not to mention the Faith itself.

So, yes, it truly is strange that a group of people would claim they follow a book that they know is beyond them, and yet when they come across verses that don't line up with their current beliefs and desires, figure the book must be wrong.

The strange part, though, is not the rejection, but the claim. There are countless people who reject sacred text but for the most part, they do not claim to be believers.

For us, it goes back to the fundamental question of what it means to be a follower.

Quite simply, it means that you follow whatever you are a follower of. You are obedient to it. But this should not be done blindly. It should be done after careful investigation. For example, when one of us became a Baha'i, it was after 5 years of investigation. Throughout that search, there were many things we disagreed with, but after a few years of experience, Baha'u'llah was always proven correct. Eventually the day came when we read something else that was seemingly contentious, and said, "That can't be right. Oh, wait. It's Baha'u'llah. He must be right." That was when we realized we were now a follower. We had become convinced of His superior vision, and even His station. This meant that in the future, whenever we ran across anything we either didn't understand or disagreed with, we presumed Baha'u'llah was correct, and endeavoured to understand His perspective.

What's even more strange, though, is that they put their own selfish desires above the Word of God. They cling to those passages that reinforce what they want, and deny those that would force them to change their behaviour. But isn't that part of the purpose of religion? To get us to change? To improve? If we are to just keep doing whatever it is we are currently doing, why would we need the religion?

Once we have recognized the supremacy of the Book and the Messenger, why would we deny anything they say or write? It is not a buffet, where we get to pick and choose whatever we prefer. It's the complete deal.

Another point that stands out for us is the use of the word "King". It reminds us that all these paragraphs that are dealing with the oneness of the Manifestations fall under the heading of "sovereignty', this overarching theme in part two. So let's take a quick look at that, too.

The concept of "Kingship" is a station that is occupied by an individual at a particular given time. Once that person passes away, another steps into that same position. They have the exact same position, the same authority, the same powers, as all the other Kings. The position is what is important. And, of course, each King will act as is necessary for the needs of their age. Some of the laws they pass today, and some of the actions they take, may appear contradictory to the laws or actions of a previous King, but presuming their wisdom they are all acting in the best interests of their kingdom.

In this section, these thirty paragraphs, Baha'u'llah is emphasizing this aspect of the station of the Manifestations, and will go into more detail about it in the next few.

Paragraph 180

O my beloved! Immeasurably exalted is the celestial Melody above the strivings of human ear to hear or mind to grasp its mystery! How can the helpless ant step into the court of the All-Glorious? And yet, feeble souls, through lack of understanding, reject these abstruse utterances, and question the truth of such traditions. Nay, none can comprehend them save those that are possessed of an understanding heart. Say, He is that End for Whom no end in all the universe can be imagined, and for Whom no beginning in the world of creation can be conceived. Behold, O concourse of the earth, the splendors of the End, revealed in the Manifestations of the Beginning!

On to paragraph 20 of the thirty paragraphs focusing on "pure abstraction and essential unity", the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God. We're getting there, slowly but surely.

"O my beloved!" What a beautiful opening to this paragraph. What a tender way to touch our heart, allowing His words to sink just that little bit deeper.

But what words, what concept is it that He is trying to get us to understand on an even deeper level?

We think it is that "celestial Melody" which has been mentioned numerous times in this book. Now, it's interesting to note that in the previous paragraph, the melody that is intoned by Husayn is not capitalized. It is in the lower case. But here it is capitalized. Perhaps that's because the melody sung by the Manifestation is that capital M Melody, while the "cover version" sung by those lovers is just that, a cover version, to use a modern analogy.

What is this melody? What is it trying to say? We think it is the absolute oneness of the Messengers of God. Remember, this whole section is all about that theme. In fact, one could argue that this whole book, if not the Revelation of Baha'u'llah itself, is all about this exalted theme.

Let's step back a second, though. He also says that it is beyond our ability to "grasp its mystery". Really? It's beyond our ability to understand that the Messengers are all one?

Well, yes.

Think about it for a moment. How can it be that Baha'u'llah is, I mean really is, the same as Muhammad, and Adam, and Moses, and Jesus, and Buddha, and all the other Manifestations of the divine Spirit? Again, think about it. How can they really be one and the same? This is quite the mystery. We might say, on a poetical or metaphorical level, that they are like each other. But Baha'u'llah seems to be going quite a bit further. He seems to say that yes, they really are absolutely identical. "Pure abstraction and essential unity."

How can we, puny mortals that we are, even begin to hope to comprehend this incredible reality?

It's true, He says. Yet, there are those who deny it, those "feeble souls". Why are they called "feeble"? We are not sure, but they are definitely not showing the strength of character to confront the difficulties in their faith. Instead, they just outright deny the statements, claim they are not authentic. Remember, these traditions He just cited, from Ali and Husayn, are not in the Qur'an. They are Hadith. Traditions that have been passed down through the ages. Since these "feeble souls" don't understand them, rather than struggle to come to an understanding they just say that they're not true traditions. They reject the validity of them.

But there are those who do accept them, who do comprehend them to a degree. What distinguishes them from the former? Their heart.

Imagine, for a moment, you grew up as a fundamentalist Christian. And yes, we can use any religion, but we're just choosing one at random. You have been taught the Jesus is the one and only. Now you are being asked to think of Muhammad as a Manifestation, too. It would be very easy to give a blanket denial and say no way. But it takes a special kind of openness, a rare kind of heart, to accept that how you feel about Jesus is how the Muslim feels about Muhammad, and give that respect, too. This is not a condition of the mind. It is a condition of the heart.

Once we accept that others feel about their Messenger as we do about ours, it is a short distance to recognition and love. It is no longer a major leap of faith, but instead becomes a simple step of love.

But what about that last line? "Behold, O concourse of the earth, the splendors of the End, revealed in the Manifestations of the Beginning!" How are we to understand this? Well, there are a number of ways. After all, we're talking about sacred text, so there are numerous levels on which we can understand this.

Given the mystical nature of this question, it may be a good idea to look to His most mystical work, The Seven Valleys. In the Realm of Knowledge, the third valley which is called "Realm" in this new translation, He talks about the lover who is chased by the night watchmen. At first he curses them for the torment he is feeling, but when he climbs over the wall to escape them, finds the lover he has been seeking. Then, after this, he lavishes his praise on these same watchmen, for they were the ones who led him to his goal. Baha'u'llah then says that if he, the lover, had seen the end in the beginning, he would have praised these watchmen all along. But then He mentions that this is the last "station of limitation" before we enter the Valley of Unity.

Perhaps that's where we are here in the Iqan.

By seeing the Messengers as separate, we limit them. We place limits upon creation.

But when we understand their absolute unity, their essential oneness, we begin to recognize that they truly are unique.

Remember, back at the beginning of Part Two Baha'u'llah spoke of how They are at the pinnacle of creation, that central focal point between God and man. In His hierarchy of creation, the Manifestations were clearly at the top, which is one of the reasons why we obey them.

When we understand this, then we cannot imagine a world, a universe, existing without a Messenger of God. We begin to see why they are referred to as having neither beginning nor end. And we begin to get a glimpse of the beauty and majesty of even Adam, who suffered His loss of reputation for having eaten of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, so that we could begin to walk on this millennials-long path to get to this point in history and be shown this truth, and hear this divine Melody.

And remember, one of the attributes of a melody is that it is beautiful to listen to. What could be more beautiful than seeing the love you feel for your Manifestation in all people.

Paragraph 179

Likewise, strive thou to comprehend the meaning of the melody of that eternal beauty, Ḥusayn, son of ‘Alí, who, addressing Salmán, spoke words such as these: “I was with a thousand Adams, the interval between each and the next Adam was fifty thousand years, and to each one of these I declared the Successorship conferred upon my father.” He then recounteth certain details, until he saith: “I have fought one thousand battles in the path of God, the least and most insignificant of which was like the battle of Khaybar, in which battle my father fought and contended against the infidels.” Endeavor now to apprehend from these two traditions the mysteries of “end,” “return,” and “creation without beginning or end.”

Here we are at paragraph 19 of these thirty paragraphs focusing on "pure abstraction and essential unity", the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God.

The first thing that we noticed here is the word "likewise" at the beginning. What is He likening it to? The quote in the previous paragraph, “A thousand Fáṭimihs I have espoused, all of whom were the daughters of Muḥammad, Son of ‘Abdu’lláh, the ‘Seal of the Prophets’”.

You will recall that he, Ali, is not saying that he married a thousand women, all of whom were Muhammad's daughter. No. He is talking about the recurrence of themes that are all under the general category of the "Return".

Similar to his marriage to Fátimih, Ali is saying that all the Messengers had successors, like him. Each and every one of Them also faced these incredible battles. Over and over the similarities between all the Manifestations is evident. This is His overarching theme throughout this book, the absolute oneness of the Messengers.

What really stands out to us in this paragraph, though, are the words "strive" and "endeavor". There is an importance to the effort we make, a value to the striving. While we can never truly understand the full vastness of all of this, we can come to a better and better understanding. As we mentioned so many times in our study of the first paragraphs of this book, the time we take to pray and meditate and make a concentrated effort to study these concepts, the better we will make sense of it all.

So often in religion, we are taught things as if they are in a fixed and firm chronological order. We are taught there is a beginning and an ending, from Genesis to Revelation, with nothing before or after that. But when we read our sacred texts, we see that this is not the case. We see many references to the "beginning that hath no beginning" or the "end that hath no end". We see continual thoughts about the concept of eternity, as well as the explicit statements about a "Return".

How are we to make sense of all this, given the current concepts that are taught?

Well, this goes back to the statements at the beginning of the book, and the idea found throughout all religious texts. We need to see the world through our own eyes, and not through the eyes of others. We need to listen to the voice of the divine with our own ears, not the ears of others.

It's also worth noting that even though we aren't from this culture, the one that these traditions come from, we still have the capacity to understand them. Of course, there's probably a lot more to them than we are aware of, but isn't that always true when dealing with religious ideas?

Through these two traditions, the one about a thousand Adams, and the one about the battle, He is asking us to strive to "apprehend... the mysteries of 'end,' 'return,' and 'creation without beginning or end.'”

The best parallel we can think of is the calendar. The Gregorian year ends on 31 December, and the next one begins the following day. In fact, it begins at the very moment the previous one ends. But is it the end of time? Of course not. The end of December means the "return" of January. Time, outside the imposed boundaries of the calendar system we happen to use, has no beginning and no end. It is continual.

Unlike this post. We could easily continue, but feel this is enough for now.

Paragraph 178

Furthermore, among the “veils of glory” are such terms as the “Seal of the Prophets” and the like, the removal of which is a supreme achievement in the sight of these baseborn and erring souls. All, by reason of these mysterious sayings, these grievous “veils of glory,” have been hindered from beholding the light of truth. Have they not heard the melody of that bird of Heaven, uttering this mystery: “A thousand Fáṭimihs I have espoused, all of whom were the daughters of Muḥammad, Son of ‘Abdu’lláh, the ‘Seal of the Prophets’”? Behold, how many are the mysteries that lie as yet unraveled within the tabernacle of the knowledge of God, and how numerous the gems of His wisdom that are still concealed in His inviolable treasuries! Shouldest thou ponder this in thine heart, thou wouldst realize that His handiwork knoweth neither beginning nor end. The domain of His decree is too vast for the tongue of mortals to describe, or for the bird of the human mind to traverse; and the dispensations of His providence are too mysterious for the mind of man to comprehend. His creation no end hath overtaken, and it hath ever existed from the “Beginning that hath no beginning”; and the Manifestations of His Beauty no beginning hath beheld, and they will continue to the “End that knoweth no end.” Ponder this utterance in thine heart, and reflect how it is applicable unto all these holy Souls.

Moving right along, we find ourselves at paragraph 18 of these thirty paragraphs focusing on "pure abstraction and essential unity", the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God.

The use of the word "Furthermore" indicates to us that He is now introducing another understanding of what He's just been discussing, so let's see what it is.

He's still talking about these "veils of glory", but now He's moved on from them referring to the mis-guided clerics, and is now showing how this phrase can also refer to such statements as "Seal of the Prophets".

But let's be clear here. While He cites this one phrase, the "Seal of the Prophets", He is actually referring to any phrase like it. In Christianity, for example, many have been veiled by the sentence, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." Different words, same veil.

While Baha'u'llah clarifies the former phrase, the Universal House of Justice explained the latter in the book One Common Faith. "If one is not to see in this assertion merely a dogmatic challenge", they write, "to other stages of the one ongoing process of Divine guidance, it is obviously the expression of the central truth of revealed religion: that access to the unknowable Reality that creates and sustains existence is possible only through awakening to the illumination shed from that Realm."

That second sentence in this parargaph, though, took us a while to understand what He was saying, just on a basic level, so let's unpack it, as they say. To refresh our memory, it reads, "All, by reason of these mysterious sayings, these grievous 'veils of glory,' have been hindered from beholding the light of truth." The basic essence of the sentence is "all have been hindered".  Why have they been hindered? Because of "these mysterious sayings", which Baha'u'llah then says are "these grievous 'veils of glory'".

He then gives us another "mysterious saying", namely that quote from Imam Ali about Fatimih. He's married a thousand Fatimih's? And all of them were Muhammad's daughter? Obviously not, for Muhammad did not have a thousand daughters. But it does speak to the theme that Baha'u'llah is addressing here, the Return. It points to the return of the themes, such as the circumstances surrounding the Revelation and the followers, which has been His message for a number of paragraphs now.

If we ever think we understand all there is to know in any of the religions, we just need to remember that there are always more and more mysteries.

He concludes this paragraph by saying that if we were to "ponder this utterance", we would see how it is "applicable unto all these holy Souls". Which utterance is He referring to here? We think it's actually "the beginning that hath no beginning" and "the end that knoweth no end". This would go along with the theme of the Return, as well as the quote from Imam Ali. It's a mystery, for sure, and at the heart of His argument explaining the station of "pure abstraction and essential unity".

We should also note that when He asks us to ponder this, it is in our heart that we ponder it, not our mind. In many ways our mind can be another veil. But when we contemplate these things in our heart, detached from all that is in heaven and on earth, then we can see the beauty of these ideas more clearly.

Paragraph 177

It is clear and evident that whenever the Manifestations of Holiness were revealed, the divines of their day have hindered the people from attaining unto the way of truth. To this testify the records of all the scriptures and heavenly books. Not one Prophet of God was made manifest Who did not fall a victim to the relentless hate, to the denunciation, denial, and execration of the clerics of His day! Woe unto them for the iniquities their hands have formerly wrought! Woe unto them for that which they are now doing! What veils of glory more grievous than these embodiments of error! By the righteousness of God! to pierce such veils is the mightiest of all acts, and to rend them asunder the most meritorious of all deeds! May God assist us and assist you, O concourse of the Spirit! that perchance ye may in the time of His Manifestation be graciously aided to perform such deeds, and may in His days attain unto the Presence of God.

We are now at paragraph 17 of these thirty paragraphs focusing on the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God, namely that of "pure abstraction and essential unity".

And just so we don't forget, this also comes under the larger heading of understanding what is meant by "Return", in the sense of the return of the Messenger of God. He began this particular section by talking about seeing them all as absolutely identical, and what any one of them said about themselves can also refer to them each and all.

He then went on to talk about how many people deny them merely because they don't want to change from the faith of their ancestors. There were some, though, who did and they were truly transformed, as incredibly transformed as copper would be if it suddenly became gold. In every age we can find stories of people who were changed like this, and in this sense we can begin to see a bit of what is meant by "return".

After touching on this subject, He reminded us that just as any of them can claim to be like any of the previous Messengers, they can just as easily and just as truthfully claim to be the last. For in the realm of the Messengers, there is no difference between any of them.

This, however, confuses many lay people. Some blindly follow their religious leaders, and others are blinded by the pomp of the learned and upper classes. They will refuse to accept anything from anyone who does not shine in their eyes, regardless of the sensibility and wisdom these people may teach.

Now, here, in this paragraph, He turns His attention back to the religious leaders. He reminds us that all the Messengers have suffered at the hands of these misguided leaders, and that these same clergy suffered and will suffer for having done so. He points out that teaching people, despite the veils put up by these leaders, is one of the greatest acts we can perform. Then He concludes this paragraph with a prayerful request for aid and assistance.

But let's take a closer look at this paragraph.

The first half is nothing short of a reminder to "Consider the past". We are all familiar with the trend, but so few are willing to admit that it might happen in their lifetime, or that they might not recognize His return. But let's face it, the clerics can be a grievous veil. After all, if we are religious, and love our faith, then we probably also revere our religious leaders, whether or not they are worthy of it. We probably confuse the position for the person. After all, the position of a religious leader is a noble station and worthy of admiration. But unfortunately that position is sometimes filled by someone who is not worthy to be there. The position itself can be like a veil, making them seem glorious, all the while hiding their flaws. It's kind of like a warthog with a wedding veil. Some may be fooled into thinking the animal a beautiful bride.

But then Baha'u'llah offers us some encouragement. He tells us that it is a mighty act to just pierce that veil.

Let's think about that, though. Piercing the veil? Isn't that like poking a hole in it? Allowing us to see a tiny bit of what's underneath? Sure.

And maybe that's why He continues with that "most meritorious of all deeds": completely rending that veil. Ripping it to shreds. Seizing it and tearing it to pieces so that there is nothing left. Fully exposing what is underneath that veil for all to see.

This is His prayer.

"May God assist us", Baha'u'llah Himself, and us, the readers, who He seems to be referring to as the "concourse of the Spirit", to be able to do this in the time of the next Messenger, which is, of course, His own Dispensation.

Paragraph 176

Notwithstanding the divinely inspired admonitions of all the Prophets, the Saints, and Chosen ones of God, enjoining the people to see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears, they have disdainfully rejected their counsels and have blindly followed, and will continue to follow, the leaders of their Faith. Should a poor and obscure person, destitute of the attire of men of learning, address them saying: “Follow ye, O people! the Messengers of God," they would, greatly surprised at such a statement, reply: “What! Meanest thou that all these divines, all these exponents of learning, with all their authority, their pomp and pageantry, have erred, and failed to distinguish truth from falsehood? Dost thou, and people like thyself, pretend to have comprehended that which they have not understood?” If numbers and excellence of apparel be regarded as the criterions of learning and truth, the peoples of a bygone age, whom those of today have never surpassed in numbers, magnificence and power, should certainly be accounted a superior and worthier people.

 

We're still looking at the concept of the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God, that of "pure abstraction and essential unity". And this is the sixteenth of thirty paragraphs dedicated to this lofty theme.

As we read over this paragraph, the phrases about seeing with our own eyes and hearing with our own ears really struck us. Why, we wondered, does Baha'u'llah repeat this here? What is He trying to show us?

As we discussed it, we were also reminded of the second Hidden Word in Arabic, which says, "...The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor. Ponder this in thy heart; how it behooveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee and the sign of My loving-kindness..."

What is He saying here? And how does it relate to our recognition of the Manifestation in their own lifetime?

We already know that the religious leaders He is condemning have their own agenda. They are not concerned about Truth, but more concerned about maintaining and expanding their own power. Anything that threatens that power is immediately condemned by them. Naturally, if someone comes along and claims that these leaders are not being obedient to the laws of their own faith, these petty leaders will lash out and attack them.

If we blindly follow these leaders, then we, too, will follow through on those attacks.

But now, look at concept of justice and being fair to others. If we ignore what others say, and look at the actual lives of these Messengers, what do we think? In part one of this book, Baha'u'llah gave us the tools to make a fair comparison and see their unity. If we look back at paragraph 6, He tells us to look at "the indignities heaped upon the Prophets of God", and points out "the more closely you observe the denials... the firmer will be your faith..." He then goes on for another dozen or so paragraphs comparing the lives of some of the Messengers, showing us how they all follow the same arc. Through all of this, He is exhorting us to look at their lives. He is also pointing out to us the problem with taking the word of others regarding these issues

And most importantly, if approach these issues with fairness and justice, ignoring the prejudices of our day, then we will recognize the truth of these divine Messengers.

But if we allow ourselves to be swayed by what others say or think, then we probably will not recognize them in their lifetime.

All of this is to say that it is through our purity of heart, by solely seeking the truth and not the acclamation of our peers nor power within our society, that we will be able to recognize. Anything else will merely get in the way.

After all this, He also points to the issue of the one who may introduce us to these ideas. What if they are poor? What if they are not a recognized authority on religion?

So what?

If what they say is true, or makes sense, why wouldn't we acknowledge it?

How often did the early Babis or Baha'is remind the people of their day that Muhammad told them to be kind to the stranger? How often did they remind them that their own Prophet encouraged them to listen to others and consider what they said? Even if we disagree with someone else, we are still to show them all courtesy. But over and over, these people were being encouraged to attack or even kill those that said anything different from what was the norm of the day.

"Be kind. Show mercy. Treat others with compassion." How, in the name of justice, could anyone find fault with these ideas?

In truth, they couldn't. Instead, they tried to find fault with the one delivering that message. They would point to the messenger's lack of authority, or the state of their clothing. They would point to the fewness of followers of this new way.

They would say, "See? This person wears a big hat. He has golden robes. He must know what he's talking about."

We can, of course, see the shallowness of that argument. After all, Jesus wore simple clothing, and was not a member of the Sanhedrin. Does that mean that He was not telling the truth? Of course not.

All of this is but another of those "veils of glory" obscuring the Messenger from our eyes. We need to be detached, as He says back in paragraph one, "from all that is in heaven and on earth" if we want to have a chance to recognize the Manifestation of God.

Paragraph 175

And, now, strive thou to comprehend the meaning of this saying of ‘Alí, the Commander of the Faithful: “Piercing the veils of glory, unaided.” Among these “veils of glory” are the divines and doctors living in the days of the Manifestation of God, who, because of their want of discernment and their love and eagerness for leadership, have failed to submit to the Cause of God, nay, have even refused to incline their ears unto the divine Melody. “They have thrust their fingers into their ears.” And the people also, utterly ignoring God and taking them for their masters, have placed themselves unreservedly under the authority of these pompous and hypocritical leaders, for they have no sight, no hearing, no heart, of their own to distinguish truth from falsehood.

Paragraph fifteen of thirty paragraphs looking at the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God, that of "pure abstraction and essential unity". Whew. We're halfway there.

Now, it may seem that this paragraph is familiar. The theme certainly is. We encountered it over and over again in Part 1.

Looking at this paragraph, it seems useful to put it into simple language, ensuring that we understand the very basic message Baha'u'llah is giving here. First, those that are considered "learned" in the time of the Messenger can be seen as veils blocking our vision of the Manifestation. This goes back to many passages in part one, such as paragraph 15. There are too many examples for us to go into here, but simply looking back at part one will amply demonstrate this. The question, though, is why they are like veils in this instance. The answer is, as He states here, "want of discernment and their love and eagerness for leadership". It is because of these two qualities that they have strayed from the guidance given to them in their own scriptures. They have placed leadership above what is being taught to them. Second, though, the people have fallen prey to their sway. These people believe these leaders and follow, without question, what they say. They are seemingly enamoured by the pomp these leaders show, and utterly ignore the hypocrisy.

Understanding this is the basis for the paragraphs to come. All the troubles, all the tribulations, all the trials these great Teachers face is due to the fact that these leaders love the thought of leadership beyond the truth found within their own Writings. And this, too, is one of the reasons that the Messengers need to come. Their love of leadership has led these foolish leaders astray, and the effect of the Writings has been diminished. Society has fallen to pieces. Injustice runs rampant. All the signs He talked about in part one are the result of this. Therefore the next Messenger needs to come and put things right again.

Of course, this is not to condemn all religious leaders. He is not doing that. He is specifically condemning those who have ignored what is in their Scriptures because of their love of leadership. There are others who, as stated back in part one, are merely ignorant. But here it is a very specific condemnation against those who have both this "want of discernment" combined with this love of leadership.

Now, the next question is why does Baha'u'llah bring this up here? What is His methodology in helping bring the uncle closer to recognition?

Earlier on He offered some condemnation of some of the religious leaders, but not so much that it would repel a good Muslim. He drew on what was obvious to any student of religion, and pointed out that there were some today who also loved leadership more than truth. However, He is much further in His argument. The uncle is already far more aware of the similarities between the days of Muhammad and his own day. Baha'u'llah can be much more direct without fear of driving the uncle away. Slowly He builds His argument, allowing the uncle the time to come to agreement. He is so careful to not put any ideas or concepts between the uncle and the truth.

All of this leads us to a strange question. What is the difference between these "veils" and the "clouds" He talked about earlier?

The "clouds", as described in paragraphs 79 - 82, are those things about the Messenger that prevent us from recognizing them and their glory. For example, He cites the fact that they walk and talk just like us, while changing the laws such as altering where we face when praying. They are the things that get us to ask, "Who does he think he is?" They are also things that everyone knows and witnesses.

The "veils", though, cover our own eyes. A desire for leadership, for example, does not get us to question the Messenger specifically. They get us to question anything contrary to our own thoughts. Our love of the pomp that the religious leaders show do not make us question whether or not Baha'u'llah is who He says He is. It has nothing to do with Him. Instead, this pomp distracts us individually from what is important. It is a veil over us, and not the Messenger.

The clouds are there for everyone. The veils are specific to the individual. Everyone knew that Moses stuttered, and the Jesus was regarded as fatherless. Even their followers recognized these truths. They were just not distracted by it.

The veils are specific. Not everyone loves the pomp, but those that do will be prevented from recognizing. For others, the veil might be their own love of leadership. For some, the veil might be the fact that they love their leaders and believe them with absolute certainty.

In these paragraphs, Baha'u'llah is no longer dealing with abstract generalities. He is talking about very specific things that apply to actual people and showing how their misplaced priorities get in the way of them recognizing the next Messenger.

All of this shows how those that turn away have placed something else besides the Messenger at the centre of their heart.

For some, if they have to choose between obedience to their own teachings or doing things that will give more power in a leadership position, they will choose the latter.

For others, if they have to choose between what they read in their own Writings and following the leader of their particular religion, they will choose the leader.

Here, Baha'u'llah is beginning to remind us that the Messenger is the absolute Sovereign. Nothing should be more important than what they say.

All of this is in part two of this incredible book, and the main theme of part two is this sovereignty. So you see how this all ties together? You see how it all flows?

And more importantly, you see where this is all leading?

As we come to recognize the absolute unity of the Messengers, we will see these same themes over and over in their stories. We will recognize the problems of the past in the problems of the present. We can clearly see how the people in the days of Muhammad put obedience to their leaders over obedience to Jesus or Muhammad. And by applying this same keenness of sight to today, we can see the same issues again.