From: hakim@bigq.enet.dec.com (Kamran Hakim)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc
Subject: The Station of The Bab (Re: A Refutation of Baha'i view....) 6/10
Date: 28 Jan 93 18:11:39 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation


Continuation from part 5:

Now let us examine why does The Bab refer to Himself and Issa-ibn-i Maryam
in the references quoted in part 5 as God! Perhaps the following lines will 
offer you a fresh perspective on this issue based on the sayings of Prophet 
Muhammad and the Imams:

"Verily He Who is the Day-star of Truth and Revealer of the Supreme Being
holdeth, for all time, undisputed sovereignty over all that is in heaven 
and on earth, though no man be found on earth to obey Him. He verily is 
independent of all earthly dominion, though He be utterly destitute. Thus 
We reveal unto thee the mysteries of the Cause of God, and bestow upon 
thee the gems of divine wisdom, that haply thou mayest soar on the wings 
of renunciation to those heights that are veiled from the eyes of men. 
[A verse of the Book of Bayan. KH]

The significance and essential purpose underlying these words is to reveal 
and demonstrate unto the pure in heart and the sanctified in spirit that 
they Who are the Luminaries of truth and the Mirrors reflecting the light 
of divine Unity [i.e. The Messengers of God. KH], in whatever age and cycle 
they are sent down from their invisible habitations of ancient glory unto 
this world, to educate the souls of men and endue with grace all created 
things, are invariably endowed with an all-compelling power, and invested 
with invincible sovereignty. For these  hidden Gems, these concealed and 
invisible Treasures, in themselves manifest and vindicate the reality of 
these holy words: "Verily God doeth whatsoever He willeth, and ordaineth 
whatsoever He pleaseth." [Note: This is a reference to the verse appearing 
in several places in the Qur'an such as; Su'rih Imran, and Su'rih Hadj. KH]

To every discerning and illumined heart it is evident that God, the unknow-
able Essence, the divine Being, is immensely exalted beyond every human 
attribute, such as corporeal existence, ascent and descent, egress and 
regress. Far be it from His glory that human tongue should adequately 
recount His praise, or that human heart comprehend His fathomless mystery. 
He is and hath ever been veiled in the ancient eternity of His Essence, 
and will remain in His Reality everlastingly hidden from the sight of men. 
"No vision taketh in Him, but He taketh in all vision; He is the Subtile, 
the All-Perceiving." [Qur'an 6:103] No tie of direct intercourse can 
possibly bind Him to His creatures. He standeth exalted beyond and above 
all separation and union, all proximity and remoteness. No sign can 
indicate His presence or His absence; inasmuch as by a word of His command 
all that are in haven and on earth have come to exist, and by His wish,
which is the Primal Will itself, all have stepped out of utter nothingness 
into the realm of being, the world of the visible. 

Gracious God! How could there be conceived any existing relationship or 
possible connection between His Word and they that are created of it? The 
verse: "God would have you beware of Himself" [Qur'an 3:28] unmistakably 
beareth witness to the reality of Our argument, and the words: "God was 
alone; there was else besides Him" [This is a saying, which has been 
attributed to Imam Ali and his Sons. This saying, and several variations 
of it have been reported in several books. One such a reference can be 
found in the book of Kaffee, compiled by Allamih Kulaini. KH] are a sure 
testimony of its truth. All the Prophets of God and their chosen Ones, all 
the divines, the sages, and the wise of every generation, unanimously 
recognize their inability to attain unto the comprehension of that
Quintessence of all truth, and confess their incapacity to grasp Him, 
Who is the inmost Reality of all things. 

The door of the knowledge of the Ancient of Days [i.e. A Biblical term 
denoting God. KH] being thus closed in the face of all beings, the Source 
of infinite grace, according to His saying "His grace hath transcended all 
things; My grace hath encompassed them all" [This is a saying of Baha'u'llah
Himself. Here He is using a variation of the Qur'anic verse in Su'rih A'araf.
KH] hath caused those luminous Gems of Holiness [i.e. The Messengers of God.
KH] to appear out of the realm of the spirit, in the nobel form of the human 
temple, and be made manifest unto all men, that they may impart unto the 
world the mysteries of the unchangeable Being [i.e. God. KH], and tell of 
the subtleties of His imperishable Essence [Messengers are God are therefore
INTERMEDIARIES between God, the Creator, and man His "jewel of creation".
To be intermediaries they must of necessity have a DUAL STATION: 1- human 
station and 2- divine station. KH]. These sanctified Mirrors, these Day-
springs of ancient glory [i.e. The Messengers of God. KH] are one and all 
the Exponents on earth of Him Who is the central orb of the universe, its 
Essence and ultimate Purpose [i.e. God. KH]. From Him proceeds their 
knowledge and power; from Him is derived their sovereignty. The beauty of 
their countenance is but a reflection of His image, and their revelation a 
sign of His [i.e. God's. KH] deathless glory. They are the Treasuries of 
divine knowledge, and the Repositories of celestial wisdom. Through them is
transmitted a grace that is infinite, and by them is revealed the light that
can never fade. Even as He hath said: "There is no distinction whatsoever
between Thee [i.e. Muhammad. KH] and them; [i.e. The people to whom Muhammad 
was sent. In this part of the verse, the human aspect of Prophet Muhammad, 
as well all other Messengers of God, is portrayed. An aspect which is no 
different than that of other people. KH] except that they are Thy servants, 
and are created of Thee [In this part of the verse, the eternal/divine 
aspect of Prophet Muhammad, as well all other Messengers of God, is conveyed. 
The station of being the Messenger of God among mankind. A station which 
places the Person of the Messenger in the position of creatorship in 
comparison to other people who are His creation. KH]." [This is a part of 
a prayer from Imam Hasan, the 2nd Imam of Shi'ahs. This prayer can be found 
in vol. 20 of Bihar'ul-Anvar of Majlesi. KH] This is the significance of 
the tradition: "I am He, Himself, and He is I, myself." [Hadith-i Qudsi, 
of Prophet Muhammad. KH] 

The traditions and sayings that bear direct reference to Our theme are 
diverse and manifold; We have refrained from quoting them for the sake of 
brevity. Nay, whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth is
a direct evidence of the revelation within it of the attributes and names 
of God, inasmuch as within every atom are enshrined the signs that bear 
eloquent testimony to the revelation of that most great Light [Note: Here 
Baha'u'llah is examining the term "revelation" from a more universal 
perspective, rather than its more particular form, namely, revelation of 
God through the Messengers. KH]. Methinks, but for the potency of that 
revelation, no being could ever exist. How resplendent the luminaries of 
knowledge that  shine in an atom, and how vast the ocean of wisdom that 
surge within a drop! To a supreme degree is this true of man, who, among 
all created things, hath been invested with the robe of such gifts, and 
hath been singled out for the glory of such distinction. For in him are 
potentially revealed all the attributes and names of God to a degree 
that no other created being hath excelled or surpassed [Note: Baha'u'llah
identifies this as the distinguishing factor between a human being and other
existing beings and living creatures. KH]. All these names and attributes 
are applicable to him. Even as He hath said: "Man is My mystery, and I am 
his mystery." [i.e. "Hadith-i-Qudsi" from Prophet Muhammad. KH] Manifold 
are the verses that have been repeatedly revealed in all the heavenly Books 
and the holy Scriptures, expressive of this most subtle and lofty theme. 
Even as He hath revealed: "We will surely show them Our signs in the world 
and within themselves." [Qur'an 41:53] Again He saith: "And also in your 
own selves: will ye not then behold the sign of God?" [Qur'an 51:21] And 
yet again He revealeth: "And be ye not like those who forget God, and whom 
He hath therefore caused to forget their own selves." [Qur'an 59:19] In 
this connection, He Who is the eternal King-may the soul of all that dwell 
within the mystic Tabernacle be a sacrifice unto Him- hath spoken: "He hath
known God who hath known himself." [i.e. This is a Hadith Imam Ali. KH] 

I swear by God, O esteemed and honoured friend! Should thou ponder these 
words in thine heart, thou wilt of a certainty find the doors of divine 
wisdom and infinite knowledge flung open before thy face.

From that which hath been said it becometh evident that all things, in 
their inmost reality, testify to the revelation of the names and attributes 
of God within them. Each according to its capacity, indicateth, and is 
expressive of, the knowledge of God. So potent and universal in this 
revelation, that it hath encompassed all things, visible and invisible. 
Thus hath He revealed: "Hath aught else save Thee a power of revelation 
which is not  possessed by Thee, that it could have manifested Thee? Blind 
is the eye which doth not perceive Thee." [This is a part of a prayer by 
Imam Husayn. KH] Likewise hath the eternal King spoken: "No thing have I 
perceived, except that I perceived God within it, God before it, or God 
after it." [i.e. Tradition, A saying of Imam Ali. KH] Also in the tradition 
of Kumayl it is written: "Behold, a light hath shone forth out of the Morn 
of eternity, and lo! its waves have penetrated the inmost reality of all 
men." [i.e. This is a saying of Imam Ali. KH] Man, the noblest and most 
perfect of all created things, excelleth them all in the intensity of 
this revelation, and is fuller expression of its glory [i.e. The revelation 
of God's names and attributes within man. KH]. And of all men, the most 
accomplished, the most distinguished and the most excellent are the 
Manifestations of the Sun of Truth [i.e. Messengers of God. KH]. Nay, all 
else besides these Manifestations, live by the operation of their Will 
[i.e. The Will of the Messengers of God. KH], and move and have their being 
through the outpourings of their grace. "But for Thee, I would have not 
created the heavens." [i.e. A tradition from Prophet Muhammad. KH] Nay, 
all in their holy presence fade into utter nothingness, and are a thing 
forgotten. Human  tongue can never befittingly sing their praise, and
human speech can never unfold their mystery. These Tabernacles of holiness,
these primal Mirrors [i.e. The Messengers of God, thus, the new terminology
Manifestations of God. KH] which reflect the light of unfading glory, are 
but expressions of Him Who is the Invisible of the Invisibles [i.e. God. 
KH] By the revelation of these gems of divine virtue all the names and 
attributes of God, such as knowledge and power, sovereignty and dominion, 
mercy and wisdom, glory, bounty and grace are made manifest. 

These attributes of God are not and have never been vouchsafed specially 
unto certain Prophets, and withheld from others. Nay, all the Prophets of 
God, His well-favoured, His holy, and chosen Messengers, are, without 
exception, the bearers of His names, and the embodiments of His attributes. 
They only differ in the intensity of their revelation, and the comparative 
potency of their light. Even as He hath revealed: "Some of the Apostles We 
have caused to excel the others." [Qur'an 2:253] It hath therefore become 
manifest and evident that within the tabernacles of these Prophets and 
chosen Ones of God the light of His infinite names and exalted attributes 
hath been reflected, even though the light of some of these attributes may 
or may not be outwardly revealed [i.e. during their lifetime. KH] from these 
luminous Temples to the eyes of men. That a certain attribute of God hath 
not been outwardly manifested by these Essences of Detachment doth in no 
wise imply that they Who are the Daysprings of God's attributes and the 
Treasuries of His holy names did not actually possess it. Therefore, these 
illuminated Souls, these beauteous Countenances have, each and every one 
of them, been endowed with all the attributes of God, such as sovereignty, 
dominion, and the like, even though to outward seeming they be shorn of all 
earthly majesty. To every discerning eye this is evident and manifest; it 
requireth neither proof nor evidence. 

Yea, inasmuch as the peoples of the world have failed to seek from the 
luminous and crystal Springs of divine knowledge [i.e. The Manifestations 
of God when present among mankind. KH] the inner meanings of God's holy 
words, they therefore have languished, stricken and sore athirst, in the 
vale of idle fancy and waywardness. They have strayed far from the fresh 
and thirst-subduing waters, and gathered round the salt that burneth 
bitterly [Note: Here Baha'u'llah is referring to the widely contradictory 
interpretation offered by the theologians and the religious leaders about
the dual nature of the Manifestations of God, thus, the confusion among
the believers. KH]. Concerning them, the Dove of Eternity hath spoken:
"And if they see the path of righteousness, they will not take it  for 
their path; but if they see the path of error, for their path will they 
take it. This, because they treated Our signs as lies, and were heedless 
of them." [Qur'an 7:145] 

To this testifieth that which hath been witnessed in this wondrous and 
exalted Dispensation [Note: Baha'u'llah is referring to humanity's refusal 
to receive the knowledge of God from its most recent source -His own 
revelation ushered by that of The Bab-, and people's blind preference to 
follow their theologians. KH]. Myriads of holy verses have descended from 
the heaven of might and grace [i.e. Referring to the revelations of The 
Bab and that of His Own. KH], yet, no one hath turned thereunto, nor ceased 
to cling to those words of men, not one letter of which they that have 
spoken them comprehend. For this reason the people have doubted incontestable 
truths, such as these, and caused themselves to be deprived of the Ridvan 
[i.e. Paradise. KH] of divine knowledge, and the eternal meads of celestial 
wisdom." 
				Baha'u'llah, "Ketab'ul Iqan", pp. 97-106

						Part 6 of 10
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc