"These are they who, in truth, were not enjoined to prostrate themselves before Adam.1 They have never turned away from the countenance of Thy Lord, and partake at every moment of the gifts and delights of holiness. Thus hath the Pen of the All-Merciful set forth the secrets of all things, be they of the past or of the future. Would that the world might understand! Erelong shall God make manifest this people upon the earth, and through them shall exalt His name, diffuse His signs, uphold His words, and proclaim His verses, in spite of those that have repudiated His truth, gainsaid His sovereignty, and cavilled at His signs."
Comments:
• It appears that Baha’u’llah further elaborate in this paragraph about those very special “people” that He mentioned earlier in Paragraph 1.23. Those “whose faces shine as brightly as the sun in its noontide splendour..” Those whose very “existence … hath remained concealed from the eyes of all ..” until now!
• One indication of these special people is that they were not “enjoyned” by God “to prostrate themselves before Adam.” From the Endnotes section of the book we understand that this is a reference to two passages in the Qur’an: [1] cf. Qur'án 2:30-34; 38:71-75. Using Rodwell’s translated version, here are the two sections cited:
Sura 2: the Cow 30-34:
When thy Lord said to the angels, "Verily, I am about to place one in my
stead on earth," they said, "Wilt thou place there one who will do ill therein and shed blood, when we celebrate thy praise and extol thy holiness?" God said, "Verily, I know what ye know not."
And he taught Adam the names of all things, and then set them before the
angels, and said, "Tell me the names of these, if ye are endued with wisdom."
2:30 They said, "Praise be to Thee! We have no knowledge but what Thou hast given us to know. Thou! Thou art the Knowing, the Wise.!
He said, "O Adam, inform them of their names." And when he had informed them of their names, He said, "Did I not say to you that I know the hidden things of the Heavens and of the Earth, and that I know what ye bring to light, and what ye hide?"
And when we said to the angels, "Bow down and worship Adam," then
worshipped they all, save Eblis. He refused and swelled with pride, and became one of the unbelievers.
Sura 38: Sad 71-75:
When thy Lord said to the angels, "I am about to make man of clay,
And when I have formed him and breathed my spirit into him, then
worshipping fall down before him."
And the angels prostrated themselves, all of them with one accord,
Save Eblis. He swelled with pride, and became an unbeliever.
• So those very special “people” that Baha’u’llah referred to in Paragraph 1.23, who “were not enjoined [by God] to prostrate themselves before Adam” must be angels of higher station, or some other angles that as Baha’u’llah said their very “existence … hath remained concealed from the eyes of all who, from everlasting, have been created through the Word of God.” Incredible!
• And here comes Baha’u’llah’s amazing promise: “Erelong shall God make manifest this people upon the earth, and through them shall exalt His name, diffuse His signs, uphold His words, and proclaim His verses, in spite of those that have repudiated His truth, gainsaid His sovereignty, and cavilled at His signs.”
