Paragraph 227

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.