Paragraph 238

Although the outward meaning of “Whom God causeth to err through a knowledge” is what hath been revealed, yet to Us it signifieth those divines of the age who have turned away from the Beauty of God, and who, clinging unto their own learning, as fashioned by their own fancies and desires, have denounced God’s divine Message and Revelation. “Say: It is a weighty Message, from which ye turn aside!” Likewise, He saith: “And when Our clear verses are recited to them, they say, ‘This is merely a man who would fain pervert you from your father’s worship.’ And they say, ‘This is none other than a forged falsehood.’”

We're still continuing on with the quote, "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.” The question, of course, is how does this current quote relate to that.

The generally accepted interpretation of the verse "Whom God causeth to err through a knowledge” is that God already knows who will reject the verses, and He therefore punishes them ahead of time by veiling their eyes and hearts. That doesn't quite seem reasonable, as it appears to take free-will out of the equation. In fact, it reminds us of paragraph 98 where He refutes the idea that the Christians didn't have the real Gospel. The very idea goes against the concept of justice. Similarly, this interpretation that God would punish people ahead of time doesn't make sense either. After all, one of the very first attributes of God mentioned in the Qur'an is the Compassionate. How would this demonstrate compassion?

Instead of this interpretation, Baha'u'llah offers a different one. It isn't an affirmation that God is responsible for people turning away. It is a recognition that there are those who turn away from the Manifestation because of their own learning.

This reminds us of Haji Mirza Karim Khan, that individual who Baha'u'llah talked about in paragraphs 203 - 210. Of him He quoted, “The most grievous of all veils is the veil of knowledge.”

Baha'u'llah isn't slamming knowledge here, though. He is condemning the idea that so many of us have that our knowledge is somehow final. This is the veil that has prevented people over and over throughout history from recognizing the new Manifestation. That is one of the reasons why He recounted all those stories of the other Manifestations at the very beginning of the Iqan. He is showing how this has been the problem in every age.

This is also how it relates to that quote, "those who believe not in the verses of God". When we read those verses, they show that this problem has occurred every single time. So if we are falling into the same pattern, have we really believed in them?

This also goes back to that first paragraph in Part Two, where He says the Manifestation has "undisputed sovereignty over all that is in heaven and on earth, though no man be found on earth to obey Him." They come with true knowledge, explaining what the older verses meant, but nobody obeys them because they're too busy obeying their own understanding and desires.  

Baha'u'llah isn't offering the uncle any more facts here. He isn't giving him anything new, in a sense. He is, instead, removing this veil. He is helping the uncle look at the world in a new way. He already knows the Word of God. He already knows the prophecies. What Baha'u'llah does, though, is help the uncle see them in a new light.

Once this happens, then the uncle will be ready to approach the Writings of the Bab without any veils preventing him from seeing them in their true light.

But we do have one more question. Baha'u'llah says that they "have denounced God’s divine Message and Revelation"? Are these two different things? We'd love to hear your thoughts on that.

Paragraph 237

Even as thou dost witness how the people of the Qur’án, like unto the people of old, have allowed the words “Seal of the Prophets” to veil their eyes. And yet, they themselves testify to this verse: “None knoweth the interpretation thereof but God and they that are well-grounded in knowledge.” And when He Who is well-grounded in all knowledge, He Who is the Mother, the Soul, the Secret, and the Essence thereof, revealeth that which is the least contrary to their desire, they bitterly oppose Him and shamelessly deny Him. These thou hast already heard and witnessed. Such deeds and words have been solely instigated by leaders of religion, they that worship no God but their own desire, who bear allegiance to naught but gold, who are wrapt in the densest veils of learning, and who, enmeshed by its obscurities, are lost in the wilds of error. Even as the Lord of being hath explicitly declared: “What thinkest thou? He who hath made a God of his passions, and whom God causeth to err through a knowledge, and whose ears and whose heart He hath sealed up, and over whose sight He hath cast a veil—who, after his rejection by God, shall guide such a one? Will ye not then be warned?”

We're still looking at the quote, "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.” How does this paragraph help advance the argument Baha'u'llah is laying out? How does it help advance the uncle in his understanding and recognition of his Nephew?

He begins by referring the uncle to the past again. Back in Part 1, He asked the uncle to "consider the past", and see how the same issues arose with every single Dispensation. And once again, the same arguments are being rolled out, arguments that the uncle himself asked. How could the Bab be the Promised One when the prophecies were not fulfilled the way the people expect?

He also reminds the uncle of the difficulty that people have had with the phrase, "Seal of the Prophets". Back in paragraph 172, when He first mentioned it, He explained it in terms of all the Manifestations being able to adopt all the various titles. He pointed out that it is a "sore test unto all mankind", but didn't really explain it beyond saying that it can apply to them all. He didn't push the issue, but allowed the uncle to come to an understanding of it that is broader than the general population. He let the uncle discover it for himself.

Here, though, He goes a bit further and says very plainly that it is a veil that has prevented recognition.

Rather than defend His point, He reminds the uncle that the words, by the Qur'an itself, are difficult to grasp. But then He does something very interesting.

In the previous paragraphs talking about this quote, the argument seemed to centre around theology, how the people interpreted the verses. Or it referred to how the people refused to believe that another Prophet could come. But here, in this paragraph, Baha'u'llah shifts the argument back to the moral. He says that they don't believe because of their desires. It moves from an intellectual problem back to a moral issue.

These issues have never been about theology, or interpretation of scripture. They have always been moral issues.

Another point that we find fascinating is the use of descriptors: the Mother, the Soul, the Secret, and the Essence.

Why these four? Why this order?

It would be so easy to skip over them, couched as they are in such a weighty section of the book. But nothing Baha'u'llah does is accidental.

The "Mother" is the source of life. She is the one who gives birth to the body. Perhaps He is alluding to the source, the Manifestation, that gives birth to our understanding.

The "soul" is the source of life that animates the body. It is that unknowable essence within us. Perhaps He is alluding to the fact that the Manifestation is not only the source of our knowledge, but its life, too.

The "secret" is hidden. It is not immediately obvious. When speaking of prophecy and interpretation, perhaps it is a reminder that the Manifestation is that secret hidden within the words.

And the fourth step is the "essence", that which is the very core, the inner reality. And is that not exactly what the Manifestation is?

Here the very source, life, inner reality, and essence of knowledge has appeared and explained the verses. And yet they don't believe Him.

Another point that stands out for us is the phrase "that which is the least contrary to their desire". These people already admit that not everyone can understand all the verses. But when the Manifestation offers a true interpretation, they reject it. Not because of a misunderstanding, but because they don't like it. It challenges their assumptions.

Actually, it's more than that. He doesn't say it is because of something "most contrary to their desires". It is the "least contrary to their desires". In other words, it is not the magnitude of the challenge, but the challenge itself.

And maybe that is why this is, in reality, a moral problem and not an intellectual one.

That would explain why, as He says in paragraph 233, "The understanding of His words and the comprehension of the utterances of the Birds of Heaven are in no wise dependent upon human learning."

Paragraph 236

After the denials and denunciations which they uttered, and unto which We have referred, they protested saying: “No independent Prophet, according to our Scriptures, should arise after Moses and Jesus to abolish the Law of divine Revelation. Nay, he that is to be made manifest must needs fulfill the Law.” Thereupon this verse, indicative of all the divine themes, and testifying to the truth that the flow of the grace of the All-Merciful can never cease, was revealed: “And Joseph came to you aforetime with clear tokens, but ye ceased not to doubt of the message with which He came to you, until, when He died, ye said, ‘God will by no means raise up a Messenger after Him.’ Thus God misleadeth him who is the transgressor, the doubter." Therefore, understand from this verse and know of a certainty that the people in every age, clinging to a verse of the Book, have uttered such vain and absurd sayings, contending that no Prophet should again be made manifest to the world. Even as the Christian divines who, holding fast to the verse of the Gospel to which We have already referred, have sought to explain that the law of the Gospel shall at no time be annulled, and that no independent Prophet shall again be made manifest, unless He confirmeth the law of the Gospel. Most of the people have become afflicted with the same spiritual disease.

Baha'u'llah is still continuing with His proofs from the Qur'an. Earlier we said that we saw nine quotes that He was using, with occasional references to support those nine. The case could easily be made that this paragraph is looking at a new quote, a tenth one in addition to the nine we offered. And sure, that can be made. No problem. But we prefer to look at it this other way, focusing our attention on the quotes that are cited at the very beginning of the paragraphs.

For that, we see all these paragraphs, from paragraph 234 all the way through paragraph 241, as explaining the quote, "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.”

They are all about how the people responded to Muhammad after reading or hearing His verses.

They began by calling him a poet, claiming that all He did was rearrange verses from the past. Now they're claiming that they can't be divinely revealed verses because God wouldn't send another Messenger.

You may note that He has already addressed this issue back in paragraph 147, where He quoted, "'The Hand of God,' say the Jews, 'is chained up.' Chained up be their own hands!" This, of course, is referring to the Jewish leaders denying Muhammad based on this exact same argument. He continues in paragraphs 172 and 173, where He talks about the "Seal of the Prophets", saying that the "mystery of this theme hath... been a sore test unto all mankind."

Here He offers the example of Joseph, and how the people denied Him until after He died. What's interesting about this is that he could have mentioned Moses, or Jesus, or even Muhammad, but He chose to reference Joseph here. Why? Possibly because the brothers benefited from Joseph numerous times, once when they sold Him into slavery, and again when He invited them into Egypt to escape the famine. But still, they didn't recognize Him until after He died.

Then they said that God would never raise up another. It is the same argument over and over again, and it all comes back to the idea that "we shall never meet Him". It is a claim of finality, even though all the Scriptures say that He shall return.

The natural question is why is Baha'u'llah addressing this theme yet again? How does it help the uncle advance in his understanding of the station of his Nephew?

The uncle is faced with a question that none of us shall ever face. He essentially asked, very reasonably, "How can my nephew be the Promised One?" And just as Muhammad's uncle was faced with the same question, this uncle had to contend with it, too. Just as Joseph's brothers were faced with the same question.

Baha'u'llah seems to be getting the uncle to raise the question from simple recognition to the more personal question, "Why do I find it difficult to believe?" That is a personal question, not just a theological one. By mentioning Joseph, Baha'u'llah seems to be reminding the uncle that Joseph was the brother of those who betrayed Him. It changes the question from one of evidence to something a little bit closer. He already loves the Bab. He made the journey all the way to Baghdad because of that love. But now he has to contend with the reality that his refusing to believe may be due to it being too close. Joseph was someone's brother. Jesus was someone's carpenter. Muhammad was someone's nephew. And so is the Bab.

The rest of us, though, have a similar variation. We all read in our sacred Texts that the Messenger we follow will return. Sure, we think. Sounds great. I wish I could be there when He does, but it won't be in my lifetime. How could it be?

Well, it has to be in someone's lifetime. So we must be open to the possibility that it is ours. As it says in Matthew 24:44, "Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

So many of us, if we were faced with that reality, would not believe it. We would be convinced that it must be either a hoax, or the person must be mad, just as they thought of Muhammad.

Aside from the various things Baha'u'llah has said here, we feel that this is just a social reality of the human condition.

But let's look at that last sentence again. He says "Most of the people have become afflicted with the same spiritual disease." Which spiritual disease is He referring to? At this point in the argument, Baha'u'llah seems to be pointing out that the issue is between anticipation and recognition. And that particular point is based on arrogance and pride, which we can easily see as a spiritual disease.

Paragraph 235

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

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

Spurious means that they are accusing Him of plagiarizing.

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

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

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

But there is so much more than that.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And that is worthy of consideration.

Paragraph 234

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

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

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

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

The question is how do these two relate?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Paragraph 233

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now, what does it all mean?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Paragraph 232

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Paragraph 231

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Likewise, He saith: “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?” If thou wilt grasp the implication of this verse, thou wilt recognize the truth that no manifestation greater than the Prophets of God hath ever been revealed, and no testimony mightier than the testimony of their revealed verses hath ever appeared upon the earth. Nay, this testimony no other testimony can ever excel, except that which the Lord thy God willeth.

Here we are at the third quote that Baha'u'llah is using from the Qur'an to help prove the Cause of the Bab. He has already shown us how Muhammad directs us to the Word of God when looking for proof, and how nobody else can write a Surih like it. In this third quote He points out to us that if we reject the verses of God, we have nothing left in which to believe.

In other words, in the previous quote He said that the verses of God were the highest form of writing possible. If you doubt it, try writing something similar. It's impossible.

And if we don't believe in these verses, what are we believing in? Something less worthy? That seems very silly.

Looking at this quote again, one thing we often find helpful is to see the quote in context. Oh, and if you do that, you may discover that different translations put this as verse 45:6, instead of 45:5 as cited in the Iqan. This just has to do with the different translations of the Qur'an.

If we look at the previous verse, we see that Muhammad is referring to the cyclical nature of day and night. This cyclical nature of reality has been an on-going theme throughout the Iqan, demonstrating for us over and over again how to recognize the new Manifestation. Citing this verse, as we have often seen in the Iqan, is a reminder of the previous verse and the context in which we find the quote.

It seems to be reminding us that we have just come through a period of darkness, an epic length night season, and are now back in the light with the new Revelation.

Following the quote Muhammad then refers to those who hear the Word of God and deny it, usually through arrogance, just as Baha'u'llah has mentioned throughout this book.

With this quote, Baha'u'llah is forcing us to make a choice. After reading the verses from the Bab, and recognizing that they are of a comparable quality to the Qur'an, are we going to deny them and find ourselves in the position of the verse after the one cited? Are we going to attempt to take refuge in our arrogance? Or will we acknowledge the superiority of the Writings?

But anything else we want to say is much better said in the next paragraph where Baha'u'llah talks about this very passage.

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O friend! It behooveth us not to waive the injunction of God, but rather acquiesce and submit to that which He hath ordained as His divine Testimony. This verse is too weighty and pregnant an utterance for this afflicted Soul to demonstrate and expound. God speaketh the truth and leadeth the way. He, verily, is supreme over all His people; He is the Mighty, the Beneficent.

As He moves on with His argument concerning the Station of the Bab, Baha'u'llah continues to look at various quotes from the Qur'an.

Before we get into this paragraph, we have to ask the question which verse is He referring to? "This verse is too weighty and pregnant an utterance..." Which verse? Presumably the one He has been talking about in the previous paragraph, "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." With that in mind, let's continue looking at the rest of this paragraph.

He begins this paragraph by, once again, reminding the uncle of the Bab of how Baha'u'llah perceives their relationship. He regards him as a friend. It is like the early believers in virtually every religion referring to each other as "brother". It is a reminder of the close camaraderie we should feel, and the fact that we are all working together to help move humanity forward. Over and over throughout this book, Baha'u'llah reminds us of this fact. Whether it is the Manifestation, the heroes or martyrs, or even a lowly writer of a blog, we all are part of this mighty torrent sweeping away the old and establishing the new. It is a form of mentoring.

Then He tells us that we are not to "waive this injunction of God". What does that mean? In the context of the quote which was just cited, it seems to mean that we have been told to write a Surih like one in the Qur'an, if we are in doubt. Muhammad did not say, "You might want to write a Surih like it", or "It would be a good idea if you considered writing a Surih..." No, He says do it. If you are in doubt, do it. Then you will see the impossibility of it. This is a command, an injunction, and we should not ignore it. And He isn't telling us to write a book, but just a Surih. And to be fair, some of the Surihs are just a few sentences, not even all that long. How hard can it be? Well, impossible.

He then goes on to say that this verse, this challenge to write something similar, is both "weighty" and "pregnant".

Again, we have to ask why. What is it about this quote that gives it such importance? It is the distinguishing feature of the Word of God.

Throughout religious history we can see how important it is, and how much people revered it. Whether it is the total reverence the Jewish people show when the Tanakh is brought out from the Tabernacle, or the way John refers to it in the beginning of the Gospel, we can begin to catch a glimpse of its significance.

And Baha'u'llah reminds us, over and over, that it is not the Manifestations that are the originators of this Word. It is God. God is the One that "speaketh the truth".

So when He says that this quote is "weighty", He might be referring to the importance of understanding that these verses are special. They are the way in which we learn about God's plan for today, no matter the age in which we live.

Then He says that this verse is also "pregnant". If so, to what is it giving birth?

Quite simply, it is the way in which we recognize the next Manifestation. There are many different ways in which people encounter the Manifestations, but the one that has the greatest effect upon their heart and soul is an encounter with their Word. It is the teachings that transform both the individual and the civilization. It is the sole proof of their reality after they have left this world. And, as Muhammad said, it is the sole criterion by which we can recognize the next Manifestation.

There is the beautiful reminder that it is not the Messenger, though, who speaks. It is God who is speaking. The Manifestation is the One who listens with an attentive ear, and conveys what God is saying to the rest of us, who are unable to hear with such acuity. God speaks, and He is leading us forward to a great destiny.

We may try to write similar verses, as commanded in the Qur'an, but we will fail, for "God is supreme over all" of us. Not only is He Mighty, but He is also Benficent, meaning that His Words produce great results, benefiting us all.

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In another passage He likewise saith: “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.” Behold, how lofty is the station, and how consummate the virtue, of these verses which He hath declared to be His surest testimony, His infallible proof, the evidence of His all-subduing power, and a revelation of the potency of His will. He, the divine King, hath proclaimed the undisputed supremacy of the verses of His Book over all things that testify to His truth. For compared with all other proofs and tokens, the divinely revealed verses shine as the sun, whilst all others are as stars. To the peoples of the world they are the abiding testimony, the incontrovertible proof, the shining light of the ideal King. Their excellence is unrivaled, their virtue nothing can surpass. They are the treasury of the divine pearls and the depository of the divine mysteries. They constitute the indissoluble Bond, the firm Cord, the ‘Urvatu’l-Vuthqá, the inextinguishable Light. Through them floweth the river of divine knowledge, and gloweth the fire of His ancient and consummate wisdom. This is the fire which, in one and the same moment, kindleth the flame of love in the breasts of the faithful, and induceth the chill of heedlessness in the heart of the enemy.

Here is the second quote from the Qur'an which Baha'u'llah uses to prove the Cause of the Bab: “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.” It is very reminiscent of the passage from the Tablet of Ahmad, "O people, if ye deny these verses, by what proof have ye believed in God? Produce it, O assemblage of false ones."

He began by showing that we should only use the Qur'an, or more accurately the verses of God, as the basis for our proof. Now He is pointing out that these verses really are beyond compare. He will talk about this quote for two paragraphs.

In essence, though, He is reminding the friends that nobody else can produce verses like what we find in the Holy Books. The very production of them is, itself, a miracle. And this is one of the reasons why we should not "regard the words and deeds of mortal men as a standard for the true understanding and recognition of God and His Prophets". The words of the Manifestations are their proof, not anything that we could say or do. These words are, in short, divinely revealed. And all of this prepares us for looking at the Writings of the Bab as His proof. Not His fulfillment of prophecy. Not reports of His miracles. His Writings. Everything else is secondary, as demonstrated by this quote from Muhammad.

Baha'u'llah goes on and says that these verses are "His surest testimony, His infallible proof, the evidence of His all-subduing power, and a revelation of the potency of His will". Why these in this order? We're not sure, but we think it all begins with His testimony, His account of the truth that needs to be revealed. This truth is the proof of His Mission, and the Mission itself. It is how the world will be transformed. And this transformation is, in fact, a literal demonstration of His power, and how nothing can resist it. In the end, they truly do show "the potency of His will".

Baha'u'llah compares the the divinely revealed verses to the sun, while all other writings are merely as stars. This is quite a powerful comparison, for we can all visualize the difference between them. The stars are just little twinkling points of light that stand out only because the night sky is so dark. Once the sun rises, though, they fade to nothingness. There is, however, another dimension to this metaphor, of course. Stars can be a source of guidance in the night for sailors, but they fail to guide us in the daylight. During the daytime, sailors look to the sun for guidance. While not discounting the importance of all the commentaries on the Qur'an for helping us find our way over the past thousand years, He gently reminds us that they are not a proof of the validity of the sacred Text. The light of the sun is its own testimony.

One question that has come up a few times is what is the 'Urvatu’l-Vuthqá? We know it translates to the "sure handle" or the "firm cord", and that it refers to the Faith of God, but what exactly is it?

'Urvatu'l-Vuthqá is an old Arabic term referring to the handle on a ceramic vessel. If you imagine an old vessel for getting water in a well, you can picture a handle on it, also made of ceramic. Kind of like the handle on a coffee mug. A cord would be tied through this handle, and it would then be used to lower the vessel into the well to get some water. If you know anything about ceramics, you understand that this handle is the weakest point of the piece. It is the part that is most likely to break.

Now, imagine you are a traveler in the desert. You come across a well, and now you have a choice. If you're thirsty, you will draw out some of the water and drink your fill. Of course, you might not be thirsty, but you probably need to refill your canteens. Either way, this ceramic vessel is very important. And if the handle breaks, you might be in a lot of trouble. In fact, it is no exaggeration to say that this handle is a matter of life and death. If it breaks, the chances of dying are quite high, for how else can you get the water you so desperately need?

But there is another aspect to it, namely the work involved. You don't just toss the vessel into the well. You have to carefully lower it and allow it to fill, presuming that there's water in the well. Then you need to haul it up. And just in case you've never done it, lifting a full pail of water out of a well is not easy. It's hard work. It requires determination and strength. And then, once we get it? We're delighted, even relieved. We can now safely continue on our journey.

The 'Urvatu’l-Vuthqá was a reference to the handle that would never break, and has come to be a symbol for the Faith of God. By using this term here, Baha'u'llah is reinforcing the concept of clinging to the Words in the Qur'an, and putting in the work of study, prayer, and faith, for anything else can fail us in our time of desperate need.

At this point we could talk about all the other metaphors He uses here. We could talk about the river, and how if a river stops flowing it becomes stagnant and a source of disease. We could go into detail about the fire, and how it has this duality of being a "flame of love" to some yet "induceth the chill of heedlessness" to others. We could mention how it reminds us of that line from the Tablet of Ahmad, "Be thou as a flame of fire to My enemies and a river of life eternal to My loved ones", or how all of this brings to mind the Tablet of the World. But honestly, there is so much here that we feel we should just move on and let you, dear Reader, find your own connections and inspiration from this dewdrop from the Ocean of Divine Revelation.

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It is incumbent upon us not to depart from God’s irresistible injunction and fixed decree, as revealed in the above-mentioned verse. We should acknowledge the holy and wondrous Scriptures, for failing to do this we have failed to acknowledge the truth of this blessed verse. For it is evident that whoso hath failed to acknowledge the truth of the Qur’án hath in reality failed to acknowledge the truth of the preceding Scriptures. This is but the manifest implication of the verse. Were We to expound its inner meanings and unfold its hidden mysteries, eternity would never suffice to exhaust their import, nor would the universe be capable of bearing them! God verily testifieth to the truth of Our saying!

This paragraph continues to look at the quote from the Qur'an, “Alif. Lám. Mím. No doubt is there about this Book: It is a guidance unto the God-fearing.” After this, He will continue to look at the other passages from the Qur'an we mentioned in the previous post.

Here, He begins by telling us, in no uncertain terms, that we should not "depart from God’s irresistible injunction and fixed decree". This may seem a bit odd when referring to this passage, but it makes sense when we consider His audience.

The uncle of the Bab told Baha'u'llah that he had concerns about the Bab's claims. He couldn't understand how the Bab fulfilled various prophecies and traditions. The entire book, the Kitab-i-Iqan, is essentially a response to this overarching concern. And this passage, this and the previous paragraph, are the beginning of His actual response to this question. Everything before this led up to and prepared us for this response.

So, which decree is He talking about? The one that says there is no doubt about the Qur'an, and "It is a guidance unto the God-fearing."

To begin, though, He says that it is an obligation, the very meaning of "incumbent", to not "depart from God’s irresistible injunction and fixed decree, as revealed in the above-mentioned verse." In other words, we are duty-bound to turn to the Qur'an, and only the Qur'an, when seeking guidance in these matters. The uncle, however, was looking at some of the traditions, the Hadith. So the very first point Baha'u'llah makes, with this quote, is that he should only be looking at the Qur'an.

He then goes on and says that this acknowledgement of the superiority of the Qur'an actually extends to the other sacred Scriptures when He says that failing to recognize "the truth of the Qur'an" means that we have failed to "acknowledge the truth of the preceding Scriptures." This is one of the reasons why He used the verses from the Gospel back in Part 1 to prove the Cause of Muhammad. To truly recognize one of the Scriptures means to recognize the validity of them all. This is a theme to which He will refer over and over again throughout His Ministry.

If we truly recognize the truth of the Gospels, they will lead us to an understanding of the Station and Mission of Muhammad. This was the major theme in Part 1. Similarly, if we truly recognize the truth of the Qur'an, it will lead us directly to a better understanding of the Station and Mission of the Bab. This is what He will proceed to demonstrate over the next few dozen paragraphs.

Anything other than the Qur'an, whether it is the various traditions that are held by the different Muslim groups, or the commentaries on the Qur'an, as wise as they may be, will lead us astray.

But all of this is only a single meaning of this verse. It is the most obvious one.

Like those passages from the Gospel, there are many more layers of meaning contained within it. These other layers of meaning, though, are not relevant to His point, and so He doesn't share them here. This is a lesson of teaching from which we all can learn.

One other interesting point comes to mind, and that is the use of the word "truth" in this paragraph. Truth, just for clarification, is that which conforms to reality. It is not just opinion, it is reality. Our understanding, though, is, of course, a mere attempt to grasp at it.

He first talks about the "truth of this blessed verse." He then expands that to "the truth of the Qur’án". From there He goes even further and refers to "the truth of the preceding Scriptures." From a single verse to the entire Book, to all the sacred Books, He covers the entirety of religion in the past. But then He propels us forward by then referring to "the truth of Our saying".

From the micro- to the macro-, from the past through the present and into the future, Baha'u'llah never fails to give us a vision far beyond what we ever imagined.

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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.

Paragraph 223

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".

Paragraph 219

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.