Paragraph 1.11

In this Day the Concourse on high beholdeth you in your evil doings and shunneth your company, and yet ye perceive it not. They ask of one another: "What words do these fools utter, and in what valley are they wont to graze? Do they deny that whereunto their very souls testify, and shut their eyes to that which they plainly behold?" I swear by God, O people! They that inhabit the Cities of the Names of God are bewildered at your actions, while ye roam, aimless and unconscious, in a parched and barren land.

Comments:

From Paragraph 1.9 we understand that the recipients of this paragraph are the “people of the Bayan” – those Babis who didn’t acknowledge Baha’u’llah as the Promised One of the Bab after His public proclamation.

Some of the insights that one could gain from this paragraph are:

• The spiritual fact that “the Concourse on high” are aware of all the “evil doings” done by people against the Cause of God and that They would “shun” the company of such people.

• We may ask what is (or Who are) the “Concourse on high” and what is It’s significance? One reference to the meaning of the “Concourse on High” is found in the book called the Covenant of Baha’u’llah by Adib Taherzadeh. It is defined as “the gathering of the Prophets and God's holy and chosen souls.” This must be a very powerful Gathering in the next world!

• Another fascinating point in this paragraph is Baha’u’llah’s reference to those who “inhabit the Cities of the Names of God.” What are those “Cities” in the next world and who lives in them? Just like Baha’i months, it looks like those Cities are named after “the Names of God”! Fascinating!

Paragraph 1.10

"I swear by Him Who hath fashioned Me from the light of His own Beauty! None have I ever seen that surpasseth you in heedlessness or exceedeth you in ignorance. Ye seek to prove your faith in God through such holy Tablets as ye possess, yet when the verses of God were revealed and His Lamp was lighted, ye disbelieved in Him Whose very Pen hath fixed the destinies of all things in the Preserved Tablet. Ye recite the sacred verses and yet repudiate Him Who is their Source and Revealer. Thus hath God blinded your eyes in requital for your deeds, would ye but understand. Day and night ye transcribe the verses of God, and yet ye remain shut out, as by a veil, from Him Who hath revealed them."


Comments:
· We are told in the Writings that it’s almost impossible for us human beings, to really understand the reality of the Manifestations of God – They belong to the Kingdom of Revelation, and we to the Kingdom of Creation. We saw earlier in paragraph 1.7 that one of the references to the Manifestations of God is that They are “the Mystery of God”. So, how can we ever truly understand Their essence or It’s relation to God? We could ponder over the explanations provided by Baha’u’llah Himself in His Writings as well as the subsequent interpretations and explanations of the beloved Master and the Guardian to get a glimpse of Their awe-inspiring Station!

Paragraph 1.9

"O people of the Bayan! Would ye deny Him Whose presence is the very object of your creation, while ye rejoice idly upon your couches? Would ye laugh to scorn and contend with Him, a single hair of Whose head excelleth, in the sight of God, all that are in the heavens and all that are on the earth? O people of the Bayan! Produce, then, that which ye possess, that I may know by what proof ye believed aforetime in the Manifestations of His Cause, and by what reason ye now wax so disdainful!"


Comments:
· A reminder of how our attitude should be towards the Manifestations of God since They are:
   · “the very object” of our creation;
   · “in the sight of God” so exalted, compared to us mortal beings, that, for example, Their “single hair … excelleth … all that are in the heavens and all that are on the earth.”

· The “presence” of Baha’u’llah in the midst of the Babis understandably created a major spiritual test for each one of them to search their own souls with genuine humility so they could see with their inner eyes the Signs of God manifested in Him.

· Another interesting point in this paragraph is that the Manifestation of God poses a challenge, as a sign of His mercy, to those Babis that didn’t recognize Him. He asks them to “Produce” a document that would show by “what proof” they “believed” in the previous Manifestations of God and by “what proof” they now refuse His claims. This shows the spiritual principle that the proofs concerning the validity of a Manifestation of God remain the same every time These precious Beings appear in our midst. Our recognition of Them and the Message They bring depends, among other factors, on our “purity of heart, chastity of soul, and freedom of spirit.” (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 211)

Paragraph 1.8

"O people of the Bayan! If ye aid Him not, God will assuredly assist Him with the powers of earth and heaven, and sustain Him with the hosts of the unseen through His command "Be", and it is! The day is approaching when God will have, by an act of His Will, raised up a race of men the nature of which is inscrutable to all save God, the All-Powerful, the Self-Subsisting. He shall purify them from the defilement of idle fancies and corrupt desires, shall lift them up to the heights of holiness, and shall cause them to manifest the signs of His sovereignty and might upon earth. Thus hath it been ordained by God, the All-Glorious, the All-Loving."


Comments:

· As we know, the “people of Bayan” is a reference to the followers of the Bab. It’s very sad that most of Baha’u’llah’s sufferings were caused by those followers of the Bab, albeit a very small group, that didn’t recognize Him as the Promised One of the Bab and did their best to discredit and harm Him. For example this reference from the beloved Master:

“…the people of Bayan who broke the Covenant of His Holiness, the Báb, and from six directions shot arrows of reproach and calumny at Thy Blessed Body.” (‘Abdu’l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith, p. 433)

· This paragraph also reminds us that the Manifestation of God has the full support of God and that God will “assist Him with the powers of earth and heaven, and sustain Him with the hosts of the unseen …” We may wonder, isn’t this obvious, since after all He is trying to do God’s Will. Maybe part of the wisdom of us being reminded of this point is to have absolute faith and confidence in the ability of the Manifestation of God to “assist” and “sustain” us when we are in need, since He has the full support of God.

· The reference to the “the powers of earth and heaven” is also one that would require some reflection. How many times have we watched a documentary show about various powers of nature and felt astonished at their magnitude. Or, have seen pictures of “heaven” taken by Hubble telescope and amazed at the sheer size and extent of various galaxies. Or, just becoming aware of the tremendous explosions that constantly take place within our own sun allowing it to be a source of life and order for our entire solar system. Now, with that feeling of awe and amazement in the background, let’s read again Baha’u’llah’s assurance that “God will assuredly assist Him with the powers of earth and heaven”!

· Another reminder in this paragraph is Baha’u’llah’s assurance concerning the assistance from “the hosts of the unseen”. Again, a reminder to us that those folks on the other side do come to our assistance and do sustain us in our efforts when we are doing God’s work. We often forget though to thank them!

· There is an amazing reference in this paragraph to a time when God will raise up a “race of men the nature of which is inscrutable to all save God..” This race of men will be purified by God “from the defilement of idle fancies and corrupt desires” and that God will “lift them up to the heights of holiness..”. Baha’u’llah further assures us that God will then “cause” this “race of men” to manifest the signs of His sovereignty and might upon earth.” What an amazing promise! It says so much about the potentialities latent in Baha’u’llah’s Dispensation. Baha’u’llah mentioned this in about 1868. Do you think this has already been fulfilled with the appointments of the Hands of the Cause and the election of the Universal House of Justice?

Paragraph 1.7

"Pointing with her finger unto My head, she addressed all who are in heaven and all who are on earth, saying: By God! This is the Best-Beloved of the worlds, and yet ye comprehend not. This is the Beauty of God amongst you, and the power of His sovereignty within you, could ye but understand. This is the Mystery of God and His Treasure, the Cause of God and His glory unto all who are in the kingdoms of Revelation and of creation, if ye be of them that perceive. This is He Whose Presence is the ardent desire of the denizens of the Realm of eternity, and of them that dwell within the Tabernacle of glory, and yet from His Beauty do ye turn aside."


Comments:
Let’s repeat the incredible pronouncements that the Maid of Heaven (representing the Most Great Spirit) makes concerning Baha’u’llah:
   · “the Best-Beloved of the worlds”;
   · “the Beauty of God amongst” us;
   · “the power of His[God’s] sovereignty within” us;
   · “the Mystery of God and His[God’s] Treasure;
   · “the Cause of God and His[God’s] glory unto all who are in the kingdoms of Revelation and of creation”;
   · “He Whose Presence is the ardent desire of the denizens of the Realm of eternity..”;
   · “He Whose Presence is the ardent desire of … them that dwell within the Tabernacle of glory…”

These are awe-inspiring references!

As we know the Bab explains that all Manifestations of God are representations of one Entity -- the Primal Will of God. The attributes of the Primal Will that these Manifestations of God were allowed by God to gradually and progressively reveal to mankind, however, were in accordance to our evolving capacity. Baha’u’llah’s mission was to bring the attributes of “Glory” and “Splendor” to our midst – in both this life and the life after!

Here is the reference from the Bab about the Primal Will of God:

“If, however, thou art sailing upon the sea of creation, know thou that the First Remembrance, which is the Primal Will of God, may be likened unto the sun. God hath created Him through the potency of His might, and He hath, from the beginning that hath no beginning, caused Him to be manifested in every Dispensation through the compelling power of His behest, and God will, to the end that knoweth no end, continue to manifest Him according to the good-pleasure of His invincible Purpose.
And know thou that He indeed resembleth the sun. Were the risings of the sun to continue till the end that hath no end, yet there hath not been nor ever will be more than one sun; and were its settings to endure for evermore, still there hath not been nor ever will be more than one sun. It is this Primal Will which appeareth resplendent in every Prophet and speaketh forth in every revealed Book. It knoweth no beginning, inasmuch as the First deriveth its firstness from It; and knoweth no end, for the Last oweth its lastness unto It.
In the time of the First Manifestation the Primal Will appeared in Adam; in the day of Noah It became known in Noah; in the day of Abraham in Him; and so in the day of Moses; the day of Jesus; the day of Muhammad, the Apostle of God; the day of the 'Point of the Bayan'; the day of Him Whom God shall make manifest; and the day of the One Who will appear after Him Whom God shall make manifest. Hence the inner meaning of the words uttered by the Apostle of God, 'I am all the Prophets', inasmuch as what shineth resplendent in each one of Them hath been and will ever remain the one and the same sun.”
(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 125)

Baha’u’llah also explains that the capacity of humanity has now reached a level that the Manifestation of God could directly convey the directives of the Primal Will of God to us. Those who received the inestimable grace of being allowed to be in the presence of Baha’u’llah while He was revealing the Word of God have left us amazing testimonies regarding the overwhelming power and majesty that they witnessed. In previous Dispensations, for example Judaism, this process was symbolized by the “Burning Bush” speaking to Moses and then Moses telling the followers what the Burning Bush (a representation of the Primal Will of God) had told Him. Now, it is as if Moses (reincarnated in Baha’u’llah) is conveying the Words of the Burning Bush directly to mankind!

Another insight that we can gain from this paragraph is the fact that the Reality that manifests Itself in the Manifestations of God, namely, the Primal Will of God, is also known as “the Cause of God.” For example the following statement from Baha’u’llah addressed to an individual who caused tremendous suffering to many Baha’is:

"Thine act hath consumed the hearts of the Concourse on high, and those of such as have circled round the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds."
(Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 80)

Questions:
· Who are the “the denizens of the Realm of eternity”?
· Who are “them that dwell within the Tabernacle of glory…”
· Now that we know the Manifestations of God are His “Mystery” and “Treasure”, can we moral beings ever fully understand Their Reality?

Paragraph 1.6

"While engulfed in tribulations I heard a most wondrous, a most sweet voice, calling above My head. Turning My face, I beheld a Maiden -- the embodiment of the remembrance of the name of My Lord -- suspended in the air before Me. So rejoiced was she in her very soul that her countenance shone with the ornament of the good pleasure of God, and her cheeks glowed with the brightness of the All-Merciful. Betwixt earth and heaven she was raising a call which captivated the hearts and minds of men. She was imparting to both My inward and outer being tidings which rejoiced My soul, and the souls of God's honoured servants."


Comments:
The Guardian explains in God Passes By that in some other Tablets the reference to “Maiden” is a representation of the “Most Great Spirit” in Baha’u’llah’s Dispensation and that It was represented as the “Sacred Fire, the Burning Bush, the Dove and the Angel Gabriel” in “the Zoroastrian, the Mosaic, the Christian, and Muhammadan Dispensations.”

It’s very heartwarming how Baha’u’llah familiarizes us with the intimate level of communication that took place between the Manifestation of God and the Most Great Spirit which in this paragraph is referred to as “the embodiment of the remembrance of the name of My Lord.” Baha’u’llah also lets us know that this communication with the Most Great Spirit had a powerful effect on His “inward and outer” being and that it “rejoiced” His soul. He helps us understand that such interactions with the Most Great Spirit by the Manifestations of God have effects also on other holy beings, namely the “souls of God’s honoured servants.”

Also fascinating is the fact that the “call” that this Most Great Spirit raised has “captivated the hearts and minds” of all people – whether or not we are cognizant of that influence.

Paragraph 1.5

"Blessed is He Who hath caused to rain down upon His Servant from the clouds of enmity, and at the hands of the people of denial, the shafts of tribulation and trial; and yet seeth Our heart filled with gratitude. Blessed is He Who hath laid upon the shoulders of His Servant the burden of the heavens and of the earth -- a burden for which We yield Him every praise, though none may grasp this save them that are endued with understanding. Glorified is He Who hath surrendered the embodiment of His Beauty to the clutches of the envious and the wicked -- a fate unto which We are fully resigned, though none may perceive this save those who are endued with insight. Glorified is He Who hath left Husayn to make His dwelling amidst the hosts of His enemies, and exposed His body with every breath to the spears of hatred and anger; yet do We yield Him thanks for all that He hath destined to befall His Servant Who repaireth unto Him in His affliction and grief."


Comments:
This paragraph makes one reflect about the extreme difficulties that Baha’u’llah and His companions experienced from the established religious clerics. Baha’u’llah compares these difficulties to:
   · “rain” coming down from the “clouds of enmity”; and
   · “shafts of tribulation and trial” from the “hands of the people of denial.”

Notwithstanding all that, Baha’u’llah, in His Station of Servitude, expresses gratitude to God for causing these things to happen. This is rather hard to understand – why would God “cause” these things to happen? Maybe it goes back to the concept of free will and the fact that God allows this entity of free will on the part of man to play its part – maybe this is one explanation of God “causing” these things to happen?

Another insight we get from this paragraph is Baha’u’llah’s acknowledgement that God has placed on the shoulders of His Manifestation “the burden of heaven and the earth”, a burden that Baha’u’llah praises God for it. We could surmise from this that we as His followers also need to accept and welcome more opportunities to shoulder responsibility for assisting Him with the affairs of His Cause and the promotion of His Teachings.

To view the Manifestation of God as the “embodiment of His [God’s] Beauty” is an attractive concept! And yet we become reminded that this “Beauty” “surrendered” and “resigned” Itself to the “clutches of the envious and the wicked”, lived among the “hosts of His enemies” and with “every breadth” allowed His body to be exposed to “the spears of hatred and anger.” How sad! How very sad! We need to be cognizant of these things and welcome more our interactions with the very rich history of our Faith so that we will have a better feel for Baha’u’llah’s sufferings. After all, in the Tablet of Ahmad, Baha’u’llah Himself reminds us to “remember My Days during thy days”! There must be a wisdom in this, don’t you think?!

Paragraph 1.4

“Blessed is He Who, in a well-guarded Tablet, hath prescribed a fixed measure unto all things. Blessed is He Who hath revealed unto His Servant that which shall illumine the hearts and minds of men. Blessed is He Who hath sent down upon His Servant such tribulations as have melted the hearts of them that dwell within the Tabernacle of eternity and the souls of those who have drawn nigh unto their Lord. Blessed is He Who hath showered upon His Servant, from the clouds of His decree, the darts of affliction, and Who beholdeth Me enduring them with patience and fortitude. Blessed is He Who hath ordained for His Servant that which He hath destined for no other soul. He, verily, is the One, the Incomparable, the Self-Subsisting.”


Comments:
· The concept that there is in existence a “well-guarded” Tablet and the fact that God/His Manifestation has, in this Tablet, “prescribed a fixed measure unto all things”, puts things in an interesting perspective, doesn’t it. We become aware of our own limitations and how our inner capacity is really controlled by God/His Manifestation.

· We also become aware that, the Manifestation of God, in His State of Servitude to God, has received a Revelation which will “illumine the hearts and minds of men.” Notice the word “shall” in the above paragraph. It gives assurance to what Baha’u’llah’s Revelation is capable of doing to our “hearts and mind” – whether one allows oneself to be the recipient of Its influence is another factor.

· In the above paragraph we become further aware of the extent and gravity of the “tribulations” and the “darts of affliction” that had been “sent down” and “showered” upon Baha’u’llah “from the clouds of His [God’s] decree.” The impact of these extreme sufferings, Baha’u’llah confirms, was so severe that they had “melted the hearts of them that dwell within the Tabernacle of eternity and the souls of those who have drawn nigh unto their Lord.” And yet, Baha’u’llah doesn’t complain about these. Instead He praises God for allowing these to happen and acknowledges the fact that He endured them with “patience and fortitude”. Is there a lesson for us, His followers, in this?

· And lastly, we become aware of the unique station of Baha’u’llah in His State of Servitude to God when we read what God has “ordained” and “destined” for Him what He “hath destined for no other soul.”

Paragraph 1.3

“Blessed is He Who doeth as He willeth by a word of His command. He, verily, is the True One, the Knower of things unseen. Blessed is He Who inspireth whomsoever He willeth with whatsoever He desireth, through His irresistible and inscrutable command. Blessed is He Who aideth whomsoever He desireth with the hosts of the unseen. His might is, in truth, equal to His purpose, and He, verily, is the All-Glorious, the Self-Subsisting. Blessed is He Who exalteth whomsoever He willeth by the power of His sovereign might, and confirmeth whomsoever He chooseth in accordance with His good pleasure; well is it with them that understand!”


Comments:
It’s very interesting that Baha’u’llah ends this paragraph by saying “well is it with them that understand!” Let’s summarize what our finite minds could partially understand from this paragraph concerning the realm of God and His Manifestation:

   · “He … doeth as He willeth by a word of His command”;
   · “He .. is .. the Knower of things unseen”;
   · “He … inspireth whomsoever He willeth with whatsoever He desireth..”;
   · “ He .. aideth whomsoever He desireth with the hosts of the unseen”;
   · “He exalteth whomsoever He willeth by the power of His sovereign might”;
   · “He … confirmeth whomsoever He chooseth in accordance with His good pleasure.”

These potent announcements have a powerful impact on us mortal beings. They demand humility and submission towards God and His Manifestation. By acknowledging that the Manifestation of God is “the True One”, we become more inclined to weigh all our thoughts, feelings and aspirations in harmony with that Reality that the Manifestation of God brings to our attention.

Paragraph 1.2

“Glorified is He Who sendeth down His verses to those who comprehend. Glorified is He Who speaketh forth from the Kingdom of His Revelation, and Who remaineth unknown to all save His honoured servants. Glorified is He Who quickeneth whomsoever He willeth by virtue of His word "Be", and it is! Glorified is He Who causeth whomsoever He willeth to ascend unto the heaven of grace, and sendeth down therefrom whatsoever He desireth according to a prescribed measure.”

Comments:

There are a number of very interesting points in this paragraph to explore:

· Who is “He” “Who sendeth down His verses to those who comprehend”? Our first inclination might be that it’s God. Could it be instead His Manifestation? To some of us it may not matter whether it’s God or His Manifestation, but a closer interaction with the Writings may inspire us to delve a bit deeper.

· The fact that Baha’u’llah says that the divine verses are “sent to those who comprehend” is a reminder to us on many levels. We need to remind ourselves that this comprehension could take place at different spiritual, intuitive, and mental levels. At times, it is also time-dependent – what we didn’t understand for example some ten years ago, becomes easier to understand now because of our own on-going maturation process. We also need to be sensitive about the ability of our seekers to comprehend the divine verses/concepts, when we try to teach them the Faith.


· Baha’u’llah’s reference to the “Kingdom of His [God’s] Revelation” merits some reflection – where is this Kingdom and who has access to it? Assuming that the “He” “Who speaketh forth from the Kingdom of His Revelation” is a reference to the Manifestation of God, it leads us to realize that He remains “unknown to all save His honoured servants.” Then the question becomes who would these “honoured servants” be and how can one become one of them? This must be an aspect of our spiritual transformation.

· Notice Baha’u’llah’s reference to the process of quickening. Here we are being educated that it is really God/His Manifestation that does the job of quickening our contacts – hopefully we won’t become an impediment in this process.

· The reference to the “heaven of grace” is very awe-inspiring! Grace is such a comforting word! It’s synonymous with mercy, beauty, favor, a period of time granted beyond the date set for the performance of an act, the unmerited love and favor, and a special virtue, gift, or help given to a person by God. It’s amazing that in this passage Baha’u’llah confirms the existence of a “heaven of grace” and that God would cause “whomsoever He willeth” to “ascend” to this heaven and to send down from this heaven “whatsoever He desireth according to a prescribed measure.” One reference to this heaven is made by Baha’u’llah in a protection prayer in which He teaches a servant to supplicate God and ask Him to “Send down, then, upon me, out of the heaven of Thy mercy, a blessing from Thy side …” What a nice thought to reflect on: To receive “a blessing” from that vast heaven of God’s mercy!

Paragraph 1.1

“Glorified is He Who hath revealed His verses to those who understand. Glorified is He Who sendeth down His verses to those who perceive. Glorified is He Who guideth whomsoever He pleaseth unto His path. Say: I, verily, am the Path of God unto all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth; well is it with them that hasten thereunto!”


Comments:

This paragraph reminds us of some fundamental spiritual principles:

• It’s God/His Manifestation Who “sendeth” “His verses” – the Word of God – to “those” who can “perceive” – to see and apprehend spiritually, intuitively, mentally.
• It’s God/His Manifestation Who “guideth” to “His path” those whom He is pleased to guide.
• Manifestation of God is truly the “Path of God” for all of us who are “on earth” – that includes all of us – and all “who are in the heavens”!

So, with reference to this paragraph, we should pray to God to “guide” us to those that He wants us to teach – who at times might be different than the ones we may have in mind!

Question:


What do you think is intended by the word “heavens” in the above paragraph? Is it a reference to all the celestial planets in the universe or is it a reference to the next world?

The opening verses ...

Let’s read and ponder on the opening verses of the Surih of Temple:

"This is the Surih of the Temple which God hath ordained to be the Mirror of His Names between the heavens and the earth, and the Sign of His Remembrance amidst the peoples of the world."


Comments:

The Reality that is represented for our age through Baha’u’llah is compared to a human “Temple”. This “Temple” is like a “Mirror” that reflects God’s “Names” “between the heavens and the earth”. This “Temple” is also “the Sign of His (God’s) Remembrance amidst the peoples of the world." What a beautiful way to remind ourselves of these points with respect to the Reality which manifests Itself in the form of all the Manifestations of God!

Question:
What does the phrase “His [God’s] Names” mean? Are they the same as His attributes?

Introductory Notes

Let’s get an overall understanding of the first Tablet, namely the Suriy-i-Haykal, or the Surih of the Temple. The word Súrah, is Arabic. It means chapter. It is used for chapters of the Qur'an. Baha’u’llah also employed this term for many of His Arabic Writings, especially those written in the style of the Qur'an.

In the introductory section of the book “The Summons of the Lord of Hosts”, the Universal House of Justice explains that this Tablet is “one of Bahá'u'lláh's most challenging works.” They further indicate that this Tablet “ .. was originally revealed during His banishment to Adrianople and later recast after His arrival in 'Akká.” In the version included in “The Summons of the Lord of Hosts” they explain that Baha’u’llah “ .. incorporated His messages addressed to individual potentates -- Pope Pius IX, Napoleon III, Czar Alexander II, Queen Victoria, and Násiri'd-Dín Sháh.”

Baha'u'llah's Surih of the Temple

The book called The Summons of the Lord of Hosts contains many authorized English translations of some powerful Tablets revealed by Baha’u’llah. They are:

Suriy-i-Haykal / Surih of the Temple
Pope Pius IX
Napoleon III
Czar Alexander II
Queen Victoria
Násiri'd-Dín Sháh / Lawh-i-Sultán
Suriy-i-Ra'is
Lawh-i-Ra'ís
Lawh-i-Fu'ád
Suriy-i-Mulúk / Surih of the Kings

All of these Tablets were sent to the kings and rulers of the world at the time of Baha’u’llah – some individually and some collectively. All were revealed during Baha’u’llah’s five years in Adrianople which ended in 1868 with His further banishment to the fortress town of ‘Akka.

We are going to explore these Tablets together, one at a time, hoping that in that process our hearts and minds become more enchanted by the beauty, richness, and depth of their contents, inspiring us to higher levels of certitude.