Paragraph 1.56

The very words and deeds of these men bear eloquent testimony to the truth of My words, if ye be of them that judge with fairness. Whosoever attributeth the verses of God to sorcery hath not believed in any of His Messengers, hath lived and laboured in vain, and is accounted of those who speak that of which they have no knowledge. Say: O servant! Fear God, thy Creator and thy Fashioner, and transgress not against Him, but judge with fairness and act with justice. Those whom the Lord hath endued with knowledge shall find, in the very objections raised by the unbelievers, conclusive proofs to invalidate their claims and vindicate the truth of this manifest Light. Say: Would ye repeat that which the unbelievers uttered when a Message came unto them from their Lord? Woe betide you, O assemblage of foolish ones, and blighted be your works!

Comments

• In this paragraph Baha’u’llah elaborates further concerning one of the accusations that those people who, as described in Paragraphs 1.54 and 1.55 “repudiated His Self”, rose up “against His Cause”, and claimed that His divine verses were “contrived” – charging that the verses of God revealed by Baha’u’llah were “sorcery”. Let’s explore this in light of the passages from the Writings and the literature of the Faith.

• In Paragraph 1.54 we read this statement from Baha’u’llah: “Whensoever We revealed Our clear verses unto such men, they rejected them, and whensoever they beheld that which the combined forces of the earth are powerless to produce, they pronounced it sorcery.” One understanding we gain from this quote is that the Manifestation of God did perform certain actions that “the combined forces of the earth are powerless to produce”. This must have been an incredible experience for those believers who were privileged to witness them! It also provided ammunition for those who chose not to believe in the divine powers of the Manifestation of God to denounce Him and attribute such incidents to “sorcery”.

• An example of “that which the combined forces of the earth are powerless to produce” was when Baha’u’llah revealed the Verses of God. We are very fortunate to have accounts left to posterity by some believers who were allowed to be present and witness the process of revelation. These accounts are very moving and awe inspiring! But to really “behold” and “experience” this process depends on the purity of heart, spiritual receptivity and capacity of those who Baha’u’llah allowed to be present. Here is one account by Haji Mirza Haydar-‘Ali, a very devoted believer: 

Paragraph 1.55

"What aileth this people that they speak of that which they understand not? They raise the same objections as did the followers of the Qur'án when their Lord came unto them with His Cause. They, verily, are a rejected people. They hindered others from appearing before Him Who is the Ancient Beauty, and from sharing the bread of His loved ones. "Approach them not," one was even heard to say, "for they cast a spell upon the people and lead them astray from the path of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting." By the righteousness of the one true God! He who is incapable of speaking in Our presence hath uttered such words as none among the former generations hath ever spoken, and hath committed such acts as none of the unbelievers of bygone ages hath ever committed."

Comments

• As we explored in the previous paragraph: Baha’u’llah made us aware of some of the indignities that He, as the Manifestation of God, was subjected to, by a group of people that He designates as “infidels”. These individuals, Baha’u’llah reminds us, were those who “repudiated His Self” and rose up “against His Cause”, and claimed that His divine verses were “contrived”.

• In this Paragraph, Baha’u’llah elaborates further on the words and influence exerted by such individuals. As we read and reflect on Baha’u’llah’s explanation, one may wonder how many people continue to act in this way and to what degree this will increase as the Cause of God continues to grow in future.

• The pitiful plight of such people becomes very obvious when we read Baha’u’llah’s remarks that: “they speak of that which they understand not”.

• These people, according to Baha’u’llah, provided two main obstacles:

• “They hindered others from appearing before Him Who is the Ancient Beauty [Baha’u’llah, the latest Manifestation of God], and
• from sharing the bread of His loved ones.”

Paragraph 1.54

"Among the infidels are those who have repudiated His Self and risen up against His Cause, and who claim that these divine verses are contrived. Such also were the objections of the deniers of old, who now implore deliverance from the Fire. Say: Woe betide you for the idle words that proceed from your mouths! If these verses be indeed contrived, then by what proof have ye believed in God? Produce it, if ye be men of understanding! Whensoever We revealed Our clear verses unto such men, they rejected them, and whensoever they beheld that which the combined forces of the earth are powerless to produce, they pronounced it sorcery."

Comments

(1) In this paragraph Baha’u’llah makes us aware of some of the indignities that He, as the Manifestation of God, was subjected to by a group of people whom He designates as “infidels”. Let us consult the Writings to get a feel for who such people are. The following passages are extracted from some of Baha’u’llah’s Tablets:

Paragraph 1.53

"Say: The Word of God can never be confounded with the words of His creatures. It is, in truth, the King of words, even as He is Himself the sovereign Lord of all, and His Cause transcendeth all that was and all that shall be. Enter, O people, the City of Certitude wherein the throne of your Lord, the All-Merciful, hath been established. Thus biddeth you the Pen of the All-Glorious, as a token of His unfailing grace. Haply ye may not make His Revelation a cause of dissension amongst you."

Comments

1. Baha’u’llah brings our attention to the unique station of the Word of God as the “King of words” on this plane of existence. It’s a very helpful point to keep in mind since nowadays we normally interact with a lot of “text”! This comparison will also help us to better prepare ourselves mentally (not physically) for our interaction with the Word of God. It directs us to have the proper attitude – in a way like the mindset one would have when going for an audience with a King or President of a country. Then, God willing, gradually we become more aware concerning the exalted station of the Word of God and its link with the Manifestation of God -- “the sovereign Lord of all”. This latter process, an aspect of our journey towards spiritual transformation, will in turn make us more receptive to allowing the Word of God to influence our process of growth on this plane of existence.

2. In order to help ourselves to gradually become both mentally and emotionally appreciative of the exalted station of the Word of God, and hence embrace its powerful spiritual influences to a greater degree, let’s reflect a bit on a few references from the Writings:

Paragraph: 1.52

"Say: O people! Fear ye God, and allow not your tongues to utter, in their deceitfulness, that which displeaseth Him. Stand abashed before the One Who, as ye well know, hath created you out of a drop of water. [cf. Qur’án 21:30; 24:45; 25:54] Say: We have created all that are in heaven and on earth in the nature made by God. Whosoever turneth unto this blessed Countenance shall manifest the potentialities of that inborn nature, and whosoever remaineth veiled therefrom shall be deprived of this invisible and all-encompassing grace. Verily, there is naught from which Our favour hath been withheld, inasmuch as We have dealt equitably in the fashioning of each and all, and by a word of Our mouth presented unto them the trust of Our love. They that have accepted it are indeed safe and secure, and are numbered among those who are immune from the terrors of this Day. Those, however, who have rejected it have, in truth, disbelieved in God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Thus do We distinguish between the people and pronounce judgement upon them. We, of a certainty, have the power to discern."

Comments

This paragraph contains a number of intriguing subjects that we need to explore together – albeit in our own partial and imperfect way! Let’s attempt to do some identification and grouping of the various gems embedded in this paragraph:

• To be fearful of God
• Warning to not let our “tongues to utter, in their deceitfulness, that which displeaseth” God.
• The vice of deceitfulness
• The fact that we are created “out of a drop of water” – reference from the Qur’an
• Everyone, that is, “all that are in heaven [other planets?] and on earth”, are created “in the nature made by God”
• By turning to the Manifestation of God a human being will allow the “potentialities” of his/her ‘inborn nature’ to be manifested to himself/herself and to humanity. This is a “grace” from God.
• Anyone who remains “veiled” from the Manifestation of God, when He appears, “shall be deprived of this invisible and all-encompassing grace” – the grace that would allow the “potentiality” of his/her “inborn nature” be manifested to himself/herself and to humanity.
• God’s favor is not withheld from anyone.
• God deals equitably in the fashioning of each human being.
• By a word of His mouth, God presents to all of us the “trust” of His “love” – His Message through His Manifestation?
• They that have accepted this “trust” of God’s “love” – His Message to us through His Manifestation -- “are indeed safe and secure, and are numbered among those who are immune from the terrors of this Day.”
• “Those, however, who have rejected it have, in truth, disbelieved in God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting”.
• This is how God would “distinguish between the people and pronounce judgement upon them. We, of a certainty, have the power to discern.”

• Let’s explore these points a little bit.

Paragraph 1.51

Say: We have revealed Our verses in nine different modes. Each one of them bespeaketh the sovereignty of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. A single one of them sufficeth for a proof unto all who are in the heavens and on the earth; yet the people, for the most part, persist in their heedlessness. Should it be Our wish, We would reveal them in countless other modes.

Comments

• It’s so remarkable that in this paragraph Baha’u’llah brings to our attention the fact that the “verses” of God could be “revealed” in a variety of “modes”. Ordinarily one wouldn’t even think of this attribute of Divine Revelation.

• Having gained this insight, we become further aware that each of these “modes” is indicative of, and points to, the “sovereignty of God”.

• In the ‘The Revelation of Baha'u'llah vol. 1’ by Adib Taherzadeh, we find the following useful information concerning these “nine different modes”:

In the Suriy-i-Haykal (Surih of the Temple) revealed in 'Akká, Bahá'u'lláh states that in this Dispensation the verses of God have been revealed in nine different styles or categories. A well-known Bahá'í scholar, Jinab-i-Fadil-i-Mazindarani, after careful study of the Writings, has enumerated these styles as follows:

  1. Tablets with the tone of command and authority.
  2. Those with the tone of servitude, meekness and supplication.
  3. Writings dealing with interpretation of the old Scriptures, religious beliefs and doctrines of the past.
  4. Writings in which laws and ordinances have been enjoined for this age and laws of the past abrogated.
  5. Mystical Writings.
  6. Tablets concerning matters of government and world order, and those addressed to the kings.
  7. Tablets dealing with subjects of learning and knowledge, divine philosophy, mysteries of creation, medicine, alchemy, etc.
  8. Tablets exhorting men to education, goodly character and divine virtues.
  9. Tablets dealing with social teachings. (Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah v 1, p. 42)

Paragraph 1.50

"Say: The Holy Spirit Itself hath been generated through the agency of a single letter revealed by this Most Great Spirit, if ye be of them that comprehend. And that innate and untaught nature in its essence is called into being by the verses of God, the Help in Peril, the All-Glorious, the Best-Beloved. Say: This nature prideth itself in its relation to Our transcendent Truth, whilst We, for Our part, glory neither in it nor in aught else, for all beside Myself hath been created through the potency of My word, could ye but understand."

Comments:

• In this powerful paragraph, the Manifestation of God brings our attention to the Entities of the “Holy Spirit” and the “Most Great Spirit”, Their interaction, and the relation between the “nature” of the Person in Whom the Most Great Spirit has appeared, the “verses of God”, and the Most Great Spirit Itself. Incredible subjects, way beyond us mortal “confined” beings to understand! In attempting to gain some insights (partial and imperfect, however) from this powerful paragraph, let’s first start by briefly reviewing the overall concept of “Holy Spirit” as it is referred to in the previous Dispensations, and then turn to the Baha’i Writings for updated illumination, and then explore references containing the Entity of the “Most Great Spirit”. This is indeed a very humbling undertaking! We’ll begin by examining the use of the phrase “Holy Spirit” in the New Testament and the Qur’an – the two latest Dispensations before the coming of the Bab and Baha’u’llah.

Paragraph 1.49

"O Temple of God! No sooner had the hosts of Divine Revelation been sent down by the Lord of all names and attributes bearing the banners of His signs, than the exponents of doubt and fancy were put to flight. They disbelieved in the clear tokens of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, and rose up against Him in enmity and opposition. Amongst them were those who claimed: "These are not clear verses from God, nor do they proceed from an innate and untaught nature." Thus do the unbelievers seek to remedy the sickness of their hearts, utterly heedless that they thus render themselves accursed of all who dwell in heaven and on earth."

Comments:

• To begin with, let’s make a humble attempt and try to identify some of the spiritual entries/concepts that this paragraph brings to our attention. We can then strive, in light of the Writings, to gain some inkling of insights about some of them:

   o “Temple of God”
   o “the hosts of Divine Revelation”
   o “the Lord of all names and attributes”
   o “banners of His signs”
   o “the exponents of doubt and fancy”
   o the interaction between the “the hosts of Divine Revelation” and “the exponents of doubt and fancy”
   o how those who “disbelieved in the clear tokens of God” are viewed as those who “rose up against” God
   o the unbelievers accused Baha’u’llah that His Writings "are not clear verses from God” and that “they proceed from an innate and untaught nature."
   o the concept of the “the sickness of …[the] hearts” of the “unbelievers”
   o how the unbelievers “seek to remedy” this “sickness of their hearts”, however “utterly heedless that they thus render themselves accursed of all who dwell in heaven and on earth.”
   o to be “accursed of all who dwell in heaven and on earth” – what does it mean?

Paragraph 1.48

"O Temple of the Cause! Grieve not if Thou findest none ready to receive Thy gifts. Thou wast created for My sake; occupy Thyself therefore with My praise amidst My servants. This is that which hath been ordained for Thee in the Preserved Tablet. Having found upon the earth many a soiled hand, We sanctified the hem of Thy garment from the profanity of their touch and placed it beyond the reach of the ungodly. Be patient in the Cause of Thy Lord, for erelong shall He raise up souls endowed with sanctified hearts and illumined eyes who shall flee from every quarter unto Thine all-encompassing and boundless grace."

Comments:

• The first thing we notice in this paragraph is the reference to the Manifestation of God, Baha’u’llah, as the “Temple of the Cause.” We have seen in previous paragraphs that Baha’u’llah was addressed a number of times as the “Living Temple” and in Paragraph 1.44 He was equated with the “Temple of God”. We will see in succeeding paragraphs other such powerful references to Baha’u’llah, such as:

o “O Temple of God”
o “O Temple of Holiness”
o “O Temple of My Cause”
o “O Temple of Divine Revelation”
o “O Temple of Divine mysteries”

Each one of these lofty references to the Manifestation of God will require some reflection on our part. For now, let’s explore the one used in this paragraph, namely the “Temple of the Cause”

Paragraph 1.47

"Say: In this day, the fertilizing winds of the grace of God have passed over all things. Every creature hath been endowed with all the potentialities it can carry. And yet the peoples of the world have denied this grace! Every tree hath been endowed with the choicest fruits, every ocean enriched with the most luminous gems. Man, himself, hath been invested with the gifts of understanding and knowledge. The whole creation hath been made the recipient of the revelation of the All-Merciful, and the earth the repository of things inscrutable to all except God, the Truth, the Knower of things unseen. The time is approaching when every created thing will have cast its burden. Glorified be God Who hath vouchsafed this grace that encompasseth all things, whether seen or unseen! Thus have We created the whole earth anew in this day, yet most of the people have failed to perceive it. Say: The grace of God can never be adequately understood; how much less can His own Self, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, be comprehended!"

Comments:

• In this amazing paragraph Baha’u’llah helps us better understand and appreciate God’s attribute of Grace that has encompassed His creation through His Manifestation – in this Day, through Baha’u’llah! As was explained in comments associated with some earlier paragraphs, this attribute is symbolically represented by the fourth letter of the Arabic word Haykal (Temple) -- referring to one of Baha’u’llah’s Tablets known as the Surih of Haykal.

• We notice that the metaphor “fertilizing winds” is used in this paragraph in connection with “the grace of God”. To “fertilize” is defined in the dictionary as, to make fertile, make fruitful or productive, to enrich.

• In the first line of this paragraph we further notice that the past tense of the verb “pass” is used in describing the “fertilizing winds” that have passed over “all things”.

• The effects that these “fertilizing winds” have had by passing “over all things”, Baha’u’llah tells us, are that:

Paragraph 1.46

"O Fourth Letter of this Temple, betokening the attribute of Grace! We have made thee the manifestation of grace betwixt earth and heaven. From thee have We generated all grace in the contingent world, and unto thee shall We cause it to return. And from thee shall We manifest it again, through a word of Our command. Potent am I to accomplish whatsoever I desire through My word "Be", and it is! Every grace that appeareth in the world of being hath originated from thee, and unto thee shall it return. This, verily, is what hath been ordained in a Tablet which We have preserved behind the veil of glory and concealed from mortal eyes. Well is it with them that deprive themselves not of this manifest and unfailing grace."

Comments:

• The last Arabic letter of the word Haykal (Temple) is Lám. As was mentioned in comments associated with Paragraph 1.37: The word Haykal (Temple) is composed in Arabic of the four letters Ha', Ya', Káf and Lám (HYKL). Its first letter is taken to symbolize the word Huviyyah (Essence of Divinity); its second letter the word Qadir (Almighty), of which Ya' is the third letter; its third letter the word Karim (All-Bountiful); and its fourth letter the word Fadl (Grace), of which Lám is the third letter.

• We recall that earlier in comments associated with Paragraph 1.17 it was indicated that according to Adib Taherzadeh in volume 3 (p. 133) of his book ‘The Revelation of Baha’u’llah’: “In answer to a question, Bahá'u'lláh has stated that the Haykal [Temple] which is addressed in this Surih is the Person of Bahá'u'lláh, and so is the voice which addresses the Haykal.”

• In Paragrpah 1.46 we become aware that the Entity that appears to us as the Manifestation of God is the source of “all grace in the contingent world”. Furthermore, we become aware that this same Entity will “cause” all grace to be “return(ed)" back to the Manifestation of God! And that “through a Word” of “command” Baha’u’llah (representing this Entity for our time) “shall manifest” this grace “again”. Difficult concepts to fully understand – unless we could find specific explanations by the Master or the beloved Guardian. For now, we could postulate some imperfect possibilities. Could one meaning of the appearance and the return of this entity of “grace” be the very soul of each human being that comes from God (through His Manifestation) and then returns back to Him? Could it be the process of progressive Revelation through which each Manifestation of God comes to earth as a sign of God’s grace and then retreats back to His “true habitation”? Could it be each official successor(s) of every Manifestation of God whom through His grace are created and sent to us for our guidance after His passing – like ‘Abdu’l-Baha?

Paragraph 1.45

"Beware lest ye speak of duality in regard to My Self, for all the atoms of the earth proclaim that there is none other God but Him, the One, the Single, the Mighty, the Loving. From the beginning that hath no beginning I have proclaimed, from the realm of eternity, that I am God, none other God is there save Me, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting; and unto the end that hath no end I shall proclaim, amidst the kingdom of names, that I am God, none other God is there beside Me, the All-Glorious, the Best-Beloved. Say: Lordship is My Name, whereof I have created manifestations in the world of being, while We Ourself remain sanctified above them, would ye but ponder this truth. And Godhead is My Name, whereof We have created exponents whose power shall encompass the people of the earth and make them true worshippers of God, could ye but recognize it. Thus should ye regard all Our Names, if ye be endued with insight."

Comments:

• In this paragraph, Baha’u’llah further educates us concerning Divinity and Its Manifestations in this physical world. Acknowledging the fact that, “the Essence of God”, as explained by ‘Abdu’l-Baha, “is incomprehensible to the human mind, for the finite understanding cannot be applied to this infinite Mystery”, and that since “God contains all, He [therefore] cannot be contained,” (‘Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 23) and furthermore, reminding ourselves that “That which contains is superior to that which is contained,” we find ourselves in need of receiving divine explanations by His Manifestation – such as this Paragraph—to get some insights into such very lofty themes.

• Another point that we need to be humbly cognizant of is the principle that “in Divinity there is no duality. All adjectives, nouns and pronouns in that court of sanctity are one; there is neither multiplicity nor division.” (‘Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 155)

• With these backgrounds, let’s explore Paragraph 1.45. But before we do that, let’s remind ourselves that, as was explained in the Comments portions associated with a number of previous Paragraphs (such as Paragraph 1.17), that the “the One Who speaks with the voice of God in this Tablet is identical with the One spoken to” -- both being Baha’u’llah. (Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah v 3, p. 133).

• We become aware in this Paragraph that we should guard ourselves against any tendency to imply the notion of “duality” with respect to the Entity of the Manifestation of God and Its relationship to God. To further explore and understand this very important point let’s turn to the Writings. Below are two references, from Baha’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l-Baha:

Paragraph 1.44

"Say: Naught is seen in My temple but the Temple of God, and in My beauty but His Beauty, and in My being but His Being, and in My self but His Self, and in My movement but His Movement, and in My acquiescence but His Acquiescence, and in My pen but His Pen, the Mighty, the All-Praised. There hath not been in My soul but the Truth, and in Myself naught could be seen but God."

Comments:

• Baha’u’llah makes very powerful pronouncements in this paragraph concerning His relation, as a Manifestation God, to God. This is in conformity with other pronouncements in His Writings concerning the incredible greatness of His Dispensation. For example:

"Great indeed is this Day! The allusions made to it in all the sacred Scriptures as the Day of God attest its greatness. The soul of every Prophet of God, of every Divine Messenger, hath thirsted for this wondrous Day. All the divers kindreds of the earth have, likewise, yearned to attain it." (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 11)

"In the Book of Isaiah it is written: "Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty." No man that meditateth upon this verse can fail to recognize the greatness of this Cause, or doubt the exalted character of this Day -- the Day of God Himself. This same verse is followed by these words: "And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that Day." (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 13)

"Say: This is the Day of God Himself; fear ye God and be not of them that have disbelieved in Him. Cast the idle tales behind your backs and behold My Revelation through Mine eyes. Unto this have ye been exhorted in heavenly Books and Scriptures, in the Scrolls and Tablets." (Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 241)

• We also need to balance our understanding (however “partial and imperfect”, it may be, in the words of the House of Justice) against other references from Baha’u’llah such as:

Paragraph 1.43

"Say: The measure of all created things hath been appointed in this concealed and manifest Temple, wherein lie enshrined the knowledge of the heavens and the earth, and of all things past and future. The finger of God's handiwork hath inscribed upon this Tablet that which the wisest and most learned of men are powerless to fathom, and hath created therein temples inscrutable to all save His own Self, could ye but apprehend this truth. Blessed be the one who readeth it, who pondereth its contents, and who is numbered with them that comprehend!"

Comments:

• Reflecting on our understanding that one of the references to “Temple” is with respect to the Manifestation of God, for example in Paragraph 1.17 where we read: “O Living Temple! Arise by the power of Thy Self in such wise that all created things will be moved to arise with Thee,” in this paragraph we become further educated by Baha’u’llah that:
   o The Manifestation of God is both “concealed and manifest”;
   o “The measure of all created things hath been appointed” in the Manifestation of God; and that
   o In the Manifestation of God “lie enshrined the knowledge of the heavens and the earth, and of all things past and future.”

• Furthermore, we are reminded in this paragraph, once again, by our Lord that the contents of this Tablet are far far beyond our limited ability to fully understand as human beings:
“The finger of God's handiwork hath inscribed upon this Tablet that which the wisest and most learned of men are powerless to fathom, and hath created therein temples inscrutable to all save His own Self…”
We need to humbly bow down (mentally, emotionally and of course, spiritually) with respect to this realization!

• It appears that a heart-felt acknowledgement of one’s powerlessness “to fathom” the “handiwork” that the “finger of God” has “inscribed upon this Tablet”, while he/she is reading and reflecting upon its contents, will attract His blessings and grace:
“Blessed be the one who readeth it, who pondereth its contents, and who is numbered with them that comprehend!”

• How much more to be thankful for!?

Paragraph 1.42

"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)

Paragraph 1.41

"Erelong shall God raise up, through Thee, those with hands of indomitable strength and arms of invincible might, who will come forth from behind the veils, will render the All-Merciful victorious amongst the peoples of the world, and will raise so mighty a cry as to cause all hearts to tremble with fear. Thus hath it been decreed in a Written Tablet. Such shall be the ascendancy which these souls will evince that consternation and dismay will seize all the dwellers of the earth."

Comments:

• As we attempt to gain an inkling of understanding with respect to these powerful pronouncements made by our Lord in this paragraph, we should remind ourselves that they follow the last two earlier paragraphs dealing with the “Third Letter” of the “Temple” of the Manifestation of God, which Baha’u’llah explains is synonoumous with the Creator’s attribute of “the All-Bountiful”.

• As noted in other paragraphs that we have reviewed, Baha’u’llah, through His grace, makes known to us the many entities associated with the operation of God’s Will on earth, through His Manifestations. As we try to reflect and ponder on His weighty Words – as an example in this paragraph -- let’s take a moment and remind ourselves that we are dealing with concepts so lofty, so powerful and containing that it’s almost impossible for us human beings (who are contained in them) to get a proper understanding of their scope and workings. In our attempts to strive to get some partial understanding, we need to search for any related interpretations, explanations, elucidations by the beloved Master and the Guardian, as well as any additional clarifications and explanations by the Universal House of Justice.

• Realizing our human limitations in understanding the physical realities that are all around as well as within us is very humbling – how much more we need to bow our heads concerning our inability to understand the very lofty and abstract spiritual realities that the Manifestation of God brings to our attention! To cite an example with respect to our physical limitations, let’s explore our ability to “see” light. We know scientifically that the “visible light” is a small portion of light waves. The light waves, themselves are a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum: – that broad range of electro-magnetic radiation wavelengths that travel in straight lines and are characterized by a wave motion. This spectrum contains cosmic rays, gamma rays, x-rays, light waves, radar waves, microwaves and radio and TV waves. The form of electromagnetic radiation that our eyes can detect is called ``visible'' or ``optical''. Visible light, being just one of many types of electro-magnetic radiation, occupies a very small range of the overall electromagnetic spectrum. Just immediately above and below our ‘visible’ range are the Ultraviolet and Infrared light waves that we can’t see with naked eyes. Other forms of electromagnetic radiation or light such as x-rays, gamma rays, cosmic rays – on the higher frequencies – and radar and radio/TV waves on the lower frequencies, are there too but once again our naked eyes can’t see them. So the phrase “I see”, logically and scientifically needs to be qualified and at times we need to remind ourselves that there are many physical entities right near us that we couldn’t see them.

Paragraph 1.40

"O Pen! Send down out of the clouds of Thy generosity that which shall enrich all created things, and withhold not Thy favours from the world of being. Thou, verily, art the All-Bountiful in the heaven of Thine eternity, and the Lord of infinite grace unto all who inhabit the kingdom of names. Look not upon the people and the things they possess; look rather upon the wonders of Thy gifts and favours. Gather then Thy servants beneath Thy shade that shadoweth all mankind. Stretch forth the hand of bounty over all creation, and the fingers of bestowal over all existence. This, verily, is that which beseemeth Thee, though the people understand it not. Whosoever turneth his face towards Thee doeth so by Thy grace, and as to him who turneth away, Thy Lord, in truth, is independent of all created things. Unto this bear witness His true and devoted servants."

Comments:

• From the comments associated with Paragraph 1.12 we understand that the House of Justice has explained that such references to the “Pen” in Baha’u’llah’s Writings are mainly with respect to Bahá'u'lláh Himself, “illustrating His function as Revealer of the Word of God.” With this background let’s attempt to highlight what Baha’u’llah, as the Manifestation of God, is being directed to do by God:

o To “Send down out of the clouds of Thy generosity that which shall enrich all created things”;
o To “withhold not Thy favours from the world of being;
o To “… not [look] upon the people and the things they possess;”, but to “look rather upon the wonders of Thy gifts and favours”;
o To “Gather then Thy servants beneath Thy shade that shadoweth all mankind”; and
o To “Stretch forth the hand of bounty over all creation, and the fingers of bestowal over all existence.”

• Each one of these points, we surmise, require further reflection and study so we become more spiritually aware of the incredible station of the Manifestation of God and the privilege of recognizing Him through our own volition and being willing to implement His Teachings in our lives.

Paragraph 1.39

"O Third Letter of this Temple, betokening My name, the All-Bountiful! We have made thee the dawning-place of Our bounty amidst Our creatures and the fountainhead of Our generosity amidst Our people. Powerful am I in My dominion. Nothing whatsoever of all that hath been created in the heavens or on the earth can escape My knowledge, and I am the True One, the Knower of things unseen."

Comments:

• As was explained in the comments associated with Paragraph 1.37, the third Arabic letter of the word Haykal (Temple) is the letter ‘Kaf’ which according to Baha’u’llah is representative of the attribute of ‘ the All-Bountiful’ with respect to the Manifestation of God.

• It is such a comforting thought to know that one of the names of the Manifestation of God is ‘the All-Bountiful’! Judging by the meaning of the word ‘bountiful’ in the dictionary as ‘giving freely and graciously; generous’, one becomes aware that when this quality is attributed to the Manifestation of God it takes on many meanings. We will explore these later in the context of the themes elaborated by Baha’u’llah in the next six Paragraphs of this powerful Tablet.

• The phrase the “dawning-place” normally reminds one of the daily cycles of the earth orbiting the sun resulting in sunrise and sunset. So, just like the physical sun that keeps our solar system together and is the very source of life on our planet, we should remind ourselves that, metaphorically speaking, the third Letter of the word Haykal (namely the letter ‘k’) is a spiritual Sun that the Manifestation of God has created as a symbol of His “bounty amidst … [His] creatures and the fountainhead of …[His] generosity] amidst .. [His] people.” Mind boggling, isn’t it!? It really makes us feel small and dependent!

Paragraph 1.38

"O Second Letter of this Temple, betokening My name, the Almighty! We have made thee the manifestation of Our sovereignty and the dayspring of Our Names. Potent am I to fulfil that which My tongue speaketh."

Comments:

• As was explained in the comments associated with Paragraph 1.37, the second Arabic letter of the word Haykal (Temple) is the letter Ya', symbolizing the word Qadir (Almighty), of which Ya' is the third letter.

• In this paragraph we become aware that the attribute of “Almighty” is one of the characteristics of the Primal Will of God, as manifested by Baha’u’llah. He refers to it as “the manifestation” of His “sovereignty” and the “dayspring” of His “Names.” So, once again, as a token of His abiding grace, Baha’u’llah is making us gently aware of the potentialities, qualities and attributes of the Entity called the Primal Will of God, an Entity that throughout the recorded and unrecorded history of man’s existence on this planet has presented Itself as Manifestations of God in our midst.

• The word ‘dayspring’ is defined in the dictionary as ‘dawn’ and the word ‘Almighty’ as ‘having unlimited power and all-powerful.’ So, our “partial and imperfect” understanding will lead us to postulate that just like our physical sun that when it rises at dawn it provides us with a smaller measure of its greater potency that we could experience at noon, similarly, we should perhaps view the attribute of “Almighty” with respect to the spiritual Sun. In other words, although “Almighty” is one of the “names” of the Manifestation of God and that it implies ‘having unlimited power, and the all-powerful’, it does not mean that it represents the full potency of the powers with which God has endowed His Primal Will with His “Names” and Their progressive appearances through His Manifestations.