"Beware lest ye shed the blood of anyone. Unsheathe the sword of your tongue from the scabbard of utterance, for therewith ye can conquer the citadels of men's hearts. We have abolished the law to wage holy war against each other. God's mercy, hath, verily, encompassed all created things, if ye do but understand. Aid ye your Lord, the God of Mercy, with the sword of understanding. Keener indeed is it, and more finely tempered, than the sword of utterance, were ye but to reflect upon the words of your Lord. Thus have the hosts of Divine Revelation been sent down by God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, and thus have the armies of divine inspiration been made manifest from the Source of command, as bidden by God, the All-Glorious, the Best-Beloved."
Comments:
• As can be seen in this paragraph, Baha’u’llah abolishes the law of “holy war”. He explains in another passage that “In former religions such ordinances as holy war, destruction of books, the ban on association and companionship with other peoples or on reading certain books had been laid down and affirmed according to the exigencies of the time …” (Tablets of Baha’u’llah, p. 28). However, He indicates that in “this Most Great Revelation”, “this momentous Announcement”, where “God's mercy hath, verily, encompassed all created things”, and His “manifold bestowals and favours … have overshadowed all men ..” this “law of holy war hath been blotted out from the Book.” (Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 21)
• Reminding ourselves about the first line of Paragraph 1.39, namely “O Third Letter of this Temple, betokening My name, the All-Bountiful!”, we see how in the quote below God’s attribute of “bounty”, manifested through His Manifestation, appears to have been instrumental in the abolishment of this law in this Dispensation”
“O people of the earth! The first Glad-Tidings which the Mother Book hath, in this Most Great Revelation, imparted unto all the peoples of the world is that the law of holy war hath been blotted out from the Book. Glorified be the All-Merciful, the Lord of grace abounding, through Whom the door of heavenly bounty hath been flung open in the face of all that are in heaven and on earth.” (Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 21)
• Helping us better understand the background and context with respect to such previous ordinances and practices, the Guardian explains that:
We should also bear in mind that the distinguishing character of the Bahá'í Revelation does not solely consist in the completeness and unquestionable validity of the Dispensation which the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá have established. Its excellence lies also in the fact that those elements which in past Dispensations have, without the least authority from their Founders, been a source of corruption and of incalculable harm to the Faith of God, have been strictly excluded by the clear text of Bahá'u'lláh's writings. Those unwarranted practices, in connection with the sacrament of baptism, of communion, of confession of sins, of asceticism, of priestly domination, of elaborate ceremonials, of holy war and of polygamy, have one and all been rigidly suppressed by the Pen of Bahá'u'lláh; whilst the rigidity and rigor of certain observances, such as fasting, which are necessary to the devotional life of the individual, have been considerably abated. (Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 22)
• Elaborating further on related themes the Universal House of Justice has explained that:
Bahá'u'lláh confirms an injunction contained in the Bayan which makes it unlawful to carry arms, unless it is necessary to do so. With regard to circumstances under which the bearing of arms might be "essential" for an individual, Abdu'l-Bahá gives permission to a believer for self-protection in a dangerous environment. Shoghi Effendi in a letter written on his behalf has also indicated that, in an emergency, when there is no legal force at hand to appeal to, a Bahá'í is justified in defending his life. There are a number of other situations in which weapons are needed and can be legitimately used; for instance, in countries where people hunt for their food and clothing, and in such sports as archery, marksmanship, and fencing. On the societal level, the principle of collective security enunciated by Bahá'u'lláh (see Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, CXVII) and elaborated by Shoghi Effendi (see the Guardian's letters in The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh) does not presuppose the abolition of the use of force, but prescribes "a system in which Force is made the servant of Justice", and which provides for the existence of an international peace-keeping force that "will safeguard the organic unity of the whole commonwealth". In the Tablet of Bisharat, Bahá'u'lláh expresses the hope that "weapons of war throughout the world may be converted into instruments of reconstruction and that strife and conflict may be removed from the midst of men". In another Tablet Bahá'u'lláh stresses the importance of fellowship with the followers of all religions; He also states that "the law of holy war hath been blotted out from the Book". (Universal House of Justice, Notes section of Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 240)
• Baha’u’llah brings our attention to a fascinating comparison between the attributes of “understanding” and “utterance” – both represented by the metaphor of “sword”. He points out that the “sword of understanding” is “keener” and “more finely tempered” than the “sword of utterance.” Let’s explore these attributes a little bit in light of the Writings.
• The word “understanding” is defined in the dictionary as: The power to understand, the act of comprehending, the power or ability to think, learn, judge, the mental quality, act, or state of a person who understands; comprehension, knowledge, discernment, sympathetic awareness. Let’s put our learning hats on and see what other complimentary meanings we will find in the Writings:
o Understanding is “a great gift of God” by which one can “see with the eyes of the spirit, hear with spiritual ears and also comprehend with a Divinely enlightened heart” (Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 94)
o We need to pray to God that He may grant us “spiritual understanding” so that we “may be endued with the gift of the spirit.” (Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 116)
o Understanding is the “First and foremost” of God’s “favors vouchsafed by Him unto mankind”. God’s “purpose in conferring such a gift is none other except to enable His creature to know and recognize the one true God”. (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 194)
o “This gift giveth man the power to discern the truth in all things, leadeth him to that which is right, and helpeth him to discover the secrets of creation.” (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 194)
o As a result of Baha’u’llah’s Declaration, all of us have been “invested” by God “with the gifts of understanding and knowledge.” (Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 25)
o “The maturity of the gift of understanding is made manifest through consultation.” (Bahá'u'lláh, in Consultation: A Compilation, p. 3)
o The vastness of the attribute of understanding is metaphorically represented in the Writings as “the heaven of understanding”. (Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 59)
o The Manifestation of God is “the Best-Beloved of every understanding heart”. (Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 104)
o “true understanding” is compared to and “ocean” in the Writings. (Baha'u'llah, the Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 6; Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 166)
o In order to “attain the shores of the ocean of true understanding” one must “be detached from all that is in heaven and on earth” and “Sanctify” his/her soul. (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 3)
o One needs to develop a “thirst for understanding” if he/she wants to “partake” of the soft flowing waters of “divine wisdom”. (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 63)
o God’s Name has “adorned” “the heaven of understanding” (Baha’u’llah, compilations, Baha'i Prayers, p. 172)
o Baha’u’llah explains that “the first bestowal of the Almighty is the Word” and that the “receiver and acceptor of It is the understanding.” (Baha'i Scriptures, p. 130)
o Understanding, together with knowledge, is referred to as the “sun”, it’s “rays”, the Manifestation of God hopes, will illumine the world of being so that we may all “attain to the good pleasure of the Beloved and drink from the ocean of divine recognition.”(Baha’u’llah, Baha'i Scriptures, p. 130 )
• We should also heed this advise from Baha’u’llah when we try to understand such concepts in His Writings:
“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.” (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 210)
• With respect to human utterance we find it defined in the dictionary as: the act of uttering, or expressing by voice; the power or style of speaking; and that which is uttered; esp., a word or words uttered, whether written or spoken. Once again, let’s look at some of the phrases in the Writings containing this word to get a richer understanding of it:
o Baha’u’llah instructs us to open “the city of the human heart with the key” of our “utterance” (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 304)
o We are reminded by Baha’u’llah that when teaching the Cause of God we should strive to refine our utterance to such a degree that it “will cause the bushes to be enkindled ..” (Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 143)
o Baha’u’llah defines the factors influencing the “Human utterance” as: “Say: Human utterance is an essence which aspireth to exert its influence and needeth moderation. As to its influence, this is conditional upon refinement which in turn is dependent upon hearts which are detached and pure. As to its moderation, this hath to be combined with tact and wisdom as prescribed in the Holy Scriptures and Tablets. Meditate upon that which hath streamed forth from the heaven of the Will of thy Lord, He Who is the Source of all grace, that thou mayest grasp the intended meaning which is enshrined in the sacred depths of the Holy Writings.” (Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 143)
