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For instance, when Muḥammad, the Lord of being, was questioned concerning the new moons, He, as bidden by God, made reply: “They are periods appointed unto men.” Thereupon, they that heard Him denounced Him as an ignorant man.

We're already at paragraph ten of the twenty-two that look at those two stations that the Manifestations of God occupy. For right now Baha'u'llah is looking at the theme of rejecting the truth based on one's own desires. These next three paragraphs will look at a few examples of people asking questions of Muhammad.

When we look at the passage cited, we can see that Muhammad answers the question in terms of how it relates to Fasting. And while we could easily go into a long post about the spiritual meaning of the response, and the truths contained within it, we feel this is actually a distraction from the important point Baha'u'llah is making.

Questions are very important in life, but more important is how we ask them.

We may recall the "well-known divine", mentionedback in paragraph 40, who came to visit Baha'u'llah. This man offered a fairly silly interpretation of a quote, and Baha'u'llah gently said that while that was the common understanding, couldn't it be understood differently? This man, rather than scoff at Baha'u'llah's "ignorance", sincerely asked what this other interpretation could be. That showed a sincerity and humility that could not be denied, and he was rewarded with a far better understanding of a spiritual truth.

The story of Muhammad that Baha'u'llah is referencing is in contrast to this. These people asked the Prophet some question about astronomy, which they presumably knew. He did not give them the answer they wanted to hear, so they denounced Him. A thousand years later we can read this and say, "We know the type of people that ask these sorts of questions." They are not looking for information, they are looking for confirmation. The question from these astronomers is not about a sincere search for the truth. It is about confirming one's own belief. It is a form of boosting one's own ego, and showing pride in their position by belittling anyone who has a different opinion.

And most importantly, because they were expecting a specific answer that was in conformity with their own ideas, and Muhammad gave them an answer referring to a spiritual truth about the Fast, they denied Him. They did not even consider what He said, but just flat out called Him ignorant.

Over and over in the various religions we see this exact scenario playing out. People expect a specific response, and then turn around and deny the Messenger because they answer the question in a different way.

In relation to the current section about the two stations the Messengers occupy, it shows on the one hand how they all face this type of challenge, another form of their absolute oneness. On the other hand, they each are challenged in their own way, unique to the times in which they live.