"O Living Temple! Stretch forth Thy hand over all who are in heaven and on earth, and seize within the grasp of Thy Will the reins of command. We have, verily, placed in Thy right hand the empire of all things. Do as Thou willest, and fear not the ignorant. Reach out to the Tablet that hath dawned above the horizon of the pen of Thy Lord, and take hold of it with such strength that, through Thee, the hands of all who inhabit the earth may be enabled to lay fast hold upon it. This, in truth, is that which becometh Thee, if Thou be of those who understand. Through the upraising of Thy hand to the heaven of My grace, the hands of all created things shall be lifted up to their Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Gracious. Erelong shall We raise up, through the aid of Thy hand, other hands endued with power, with strength and might, and shall establish through them Our dominion over all that dwell in the realms of revelation and creation. Thus will the servants of God recognize the truth that there is none other God beside Me, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. With these hands, moreover, We shall both bestow and withhold, though none can understand this save those who see with the eye of the spirit."
Comments:
• It will be helpful if we took a minute and reminded ourselves about the Entity that speaks with the voice of God in this paragraph. It was explained with respect to Paragraph 1.17 that there is a very interesting explanation about this in volume 3 of Adib Taherzadeh’s Revelation of Baha’u’llah: “Throughout the Tablet, the Pen of the Most High addresses the Haykal (Temple) and reveals the glory and majesty with which it is invested. In answer to a question, Bahá'u'lláh has stated that the Haykal which is addressed in this Surih is the Person of Bahá'u'lláh, and so is the voice which addresses the Haykal. It is fascinating to know that the One Who speaks with the voice of God in this Tablet is identical with the One spoken to. (Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah v 3, p. 133). In other words, as we explored in relation to Paragraph 1.7, it is the Primal Will of God that is speaking to Baha’u’llah through Baha’u’llah!
• Paragraph 1.31 educates us about the power and authority of the Manifestation of God.:
o Their “hand” is “over all who are in heaven and on earth”;
o “the reins of command” is seize[d] within the grasp of .. [Their] Will”;
o “in .. [Their] right hand” is “placed … the empire of all things”; and
o They can “Do” as they “will”!
It’s amazing, isn’t it!
• We also notice that Baha’u’llah is being advised not to “fear … the ignorant”. Let’s explore this point a bit by first posing a question: who is defined as being “ignorant” and then why should the Manifestation of God be told not to fear him. Knowing the fact that all we could do, in the words of the Universal House of Justice, is to arrive at a “partial and imperfect understanding” (The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. 389), of the issues involved, let’s consult the Writings on these two points.
January 24, 2010
January 15, 2010
Paragraph 1.30
O Pen of Eternity! Grieve not at the things that have befallen Thee, for erelong shall God raise up a people who will see with their own eyes and will recall Thy tribulations. Withhold Thy pen from the mention of Thine enemies, and bestir it in the praise of the Eternal King. Renounce all created things, and quaff the sealed wine of My remembrance. Beware lest Thou become occupied with the mention of those from whom naught save the noisome savours of enmity can be perceived, those who are so enslaved by their lust for leadership that they would not hesitate to destroy themselves in their desire to emblazon their fame and perpetuate their names. God hath recorded such souls in the Preserved Tablet as mere worshippers of names. Recount then that which Thou hast purposed for this Temple, that its signs and tokens may be made manifest upon earth, and that the brightness of this Light may illumine the horizons of the world and cleanse the earth from the defilement of those who have disbelieved in God. Thus have We set down the verses of God and made plain the matter unto those who understand.
Comments:
• It is such a refreshing concept to view the Entity that is being progressively manifested to humanity through various Manifestations of God as the “Pen of Eternity”. It reinforces the ongoing process of the revelation of the Word of God as being eternal -- time without end.
• Baha’u’llah foresees a time when God would have raised up “a people who will see with their own eyes and will recall Thy tribulations.” To “see” with one’s “own eyes” and to “recall” the “tribulations” of the Manifestation of God are two very interesting points to reflect on.
• We know that the Baha’i Faith upholds the principle of independent investigation of truth and that one needs to go through this process to become a Baha’i. For example:
Comments:
• It is such a refreshing concept to view the Entity that is being progressively manifested to humanity through various Manifestations of God as the “Pen of Eternity”. It reinforces the ongoing process of the revelation of the Word of God as being eternal -- time without end.
• Baha’u’llah foresees a time when God would have raised up “a people who will see with their own eyes and will recall Thy tribulations.” To “see” with one’s “own eyes” and to “recall” the “tribulations” of the Manifestation of God are two very interesting points to reflect on.
• We know that the Baha’i Faith upholds the principle of independent investigation of truth and that one needs to go through this process to become a Baha’i. For example:
January 11, 2010
Paragraph 1.29
"By the One in Whose hand is My soul! We were dismayed by his deceitfulness -- nay, bewildered were all things visible and invisible. Nor did he find respite from what he harboured in his bosom until he had committed that which no pen dare describe, and by which he disgraced the dignity of My station and profaned the sanctity of God, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised. Were God to turn all the oceans of the earth into ink and all created things into pens, they would not suffice Me to exhaust the record of his wrongdoings. Thus do We recount that which befell Us, that haply ye may be of them that understand."
Comments:
• One of the qualities of Mirza Yahya that the Manifestation of God brings to our attention in this paragraph is “his deceitfulness”. The dictionary defines “deceit” as “the act of representing as true what is known to be false; a dishonest action or trick; fraud or lie”. Baha’u’llah reminds us that:
“This Day the deceitful of eye, and all that men's breasts conceal, are made known and laid bare before the throne of His Revelation. (Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 107).
Adib Taherzadeh indicates that Baha’u’llah in one of His Tablets “explains that through His attribute 'The Concealer' He has concealed the faults and shortcomings of many deceitful men, who, as a result, have thought that the Manifestation of God was ignorant of their evil deeds. These men did not realize that through the knowledge of God Bahá'u'lláh was fully aware of their wrong-doings, but the sin-covering eye of God had not disclosed their iniquities. Only when they were about to harm the Cause of God did He expel them from His presence and cast them out from among the 'people of Baha'.” (Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah v 2, p. 117)
Comments:
• One of the qualities of Mirza Yahya that the Manifestation of God brings to our attention in this paragraph is “his deceitfulness”. The dictionary defines “deceit” as “the act of representing as true what is known to be false; a dishonest action or trick; fraud or lie”. Baha’u’llah reminds us that:
“This Day the deceitful of eye, and all that men's breasts conceal, are made known and laid bare before the throne of His Revelation. (Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 107).
Adib Taherzadeh indicates that Baha’u’llah in one of His Tablets “explains that through His attribute 'The Concealer' He has concealed the faults and shortcomings of many deceitful men, who, as a result, have thought that the Manifestation of God was ignorant of their evil deeds. These men did not realize that through the knowledge of God Bahá'u'lláh was fully aware of their wrong-doings, but the sin-covering eye of God had not disclosed their iniquities. Only when they were about to harm the Cause of God did He expel them from His presence and cast them out from among the 'people of Baha'.” (Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah v 2, p. 117)
January 5, 2010
Paragraph 1.28
"By God, besides Whom is none other God! We withstood all these trials with forbearance, and enjoined upon God's servants to show forth patience and fortitude. Removing Ourself from their midst, We took up residence in another house, that perchance the flame of envy might be quenched in Our brother's breast, and that he might be guided aright. We neither opposed him, nor saw him again thereafter, but remained in Our home, placing Our hopes in the bounty of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. When, however, he realized that his deed had been exposed, he seized the pen of calumny and wrote unto the servants of God, attributing what he had himself committed unto Mine own peerless and wronged Beauty. His purpose was none other than to inspire mischief amongst God's servants, and to instil hatred into the hearts of those who had believed in God, the All-Glorious, the All-Loving."
Comments:
• In this paragraph Baha’u’llah further explains the circumstance following Yahya’s heinous attempt to kill the Manifestation of God and the resulting commotion that it caused when the news reached the community of the believers in Adrianople – even though Baha’u’llah had advised Salmani to keep the details of the incident to himself.
• One of the Attributes of God that Baha’u’llah brings to our attention in this paragraph is the virtue of “forbearance”. Typically we may not think of God as being forbearing. When we become familiar with the circumstances of Baha’u’llah’s life and the incredible degree of immaturity that some believers exhibited, we gain some insights about this divine virtue. A virtue that we need to embrace as part of our own process of growth and maturation, patience with our own selves, as well as with respect to our expectations of and attitudes towards our fellow believers.
• As was mentioned in the comments pertaining to Paragraph 1.27, Bahá'u'lláh formally declared to Mirza Yahya as the nominee of the Báb, His claim to be 'Him Whom God shall make manifest', as foretold by the Báb. This was done by first revealing, in His own handwriting, a Tablet, called the Suriy-i-Amr (Tablet of Command) and having it delivered to Mirza Yahya by His amanuensis, Mirza Aqa jan, who was instructed by Baha’u’llah to read it aloud to Mirza Yahya and demand a conclusive reply. Here is how the Guardian, Shoghi Effendi describes this event:
Comments:
• In this paragraph Baha’u’llah further explains the circumstance following Yahya’s heinous attempt to kill the Manifestation of God and the resulting commotion that it caused when the news reached the community of the believers in Adrianople – even though Baha’u’llah had advised Salmani to keep the details of the incident to himself.
• One of the Attributes of God that Baha’u’llah brings to our attention in this paragraph is the virtue of “forbearance”. Typically we may not think of God as being forbearing. When we become familiar with the circumstances of Baha’u’llah’s life and the incredible degree of immaturity that some believers exhibited, we gain some insights about this divine virtue. A virtue that we need to embrace as part of our own process of growth and maturation, patience with our own selves, as well as with respect to our expectations of and attitudes towards our fellow believers.
• As was mentioned in the comments pertaining to Paragraph 1.27, Bahá'u'lláh formally declared to Mirza Yahya as the nominee of the Báb, His claim to be 'Him Whom God shall make manifest', as foretold by the Báb. This was done by first revealing, in His own handwriting, a Tablet, called the Suriy-i-Amr (Tablet of Command) and having it delivered to Mirza Yahya by His amanuensis, Mirza Aqa jan, who was instructed by Baha’u’llah to read it aloud to Mirza Yahya and demand a conclusive reply. Here is how the Guardian, Shoghi Effendi describes this event:
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