From: 19-Nov-1992 1613 <hakim@bigq.enet.dec.com>
Subject: The Book of Certitude (part 8)
Organization: Sun Microsystems of Canada, Inc.
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 21:13:32 GMT


It is unquestionable that in every succeeding Revelation the "sun" and 
"moon" of the teachings, laws, commandments, and prohibitions which have 
been established in the preceding Dispensation, and which have overshadowed 
the people of that age, become darkened, that is, are exhausted, and cease 
to exert their influence. Consider now, had the people of the Gospel [i.e. 
Christians. KH] recognized the meaning of the symbolic terms "sun" and 
"moon," had they sought, unlike the froward and perverse, enlightenment 
from Him Who is the Revealer of divine knowledge [Here Baha'u'llah is 
alluding to Prophet Muhammad. KH], they would have surely comprehended the 
purpose of these terms, and would not have become afflicted and oppressed 
by the darkness of their selfish desires. Yea, but since they have failed 
to acquire true knowledge from its very Source, they have perished in the 
perilous vale of waywardness and misbelief. They still have not awakened 
to perceive that all the signs foretold have been made manifest, that the 
promised Sun hath risen above the horizon of divine Revelation, and that 
the "sun" and "moon" of the teachings, the laws, and learning of a former 
Dispensation have darkened and set.

And now, with fixed gaze and steady wings enter thou the way of certitude 
and truth. "Say: It is God; then leave them to entertain themselves with 
their cavilings." [Qur'an 6:91] Thus, wilt thou be  accounted of those 
companions of whom He saith: "They that say `Our Lord is God,' and continue 
steadfast in His way, upon them, verily, shall the angels descend." [Qur'an 
41:30] Then shalt thou witness all these mysteries with thine own eyes.

O my brother! Take thou the step of the spirit, so that, swift as the 
twinkling of an eye, thou mayest flash through the wilds of remoteness and 
bereavement, attain the Ridva'n [i.e. Paradise. KH] of everlasting reunion, 
and in one breath commune with the heavenly Spirits. For with human feet 
thou canst never hope to traverse these immeasurable distances, nor attain 
thy goal. Peace be upon him whom the light of truth guideth unto all truth, 
and who, in the name of God, standeth in the path of His Cause, upon the 
shore of true understanding. 

This is the meaning of the sacred verse: "But nay! I swear by the Lord of 
the Easts and the Wests," [Qur'an 70:40] inasmuch as the "Suns" referred 
to have each their own particular rising and setting place. And as the 
commentators of the Qur'an have failed to grasp the symbolic meaning of 
these "Suns," they therefore were at pains to interpret the above-quoted 
verse. Some of them maintained that owing to the fact that the sun each 
day rises from a different point, the terms "easts" and "wests" have been 
mentioned in the plural. Others have written that by this verse the four 
seasons of the year are intended, inasmuch as the dawning and setting 
points of the sun vary with the change of the seasons. Such is the depth 
of their understanding! None the less, they persist in imputing error and 
folly to those Gems of knowledge, those irreproachable and purest Symbols 
of wisdom [i.e. Both terms denote Manifestations of God. KH].

In like manner, strive thou to comprehend from these lucid, these powerful,
conclusive, and unequivocal statements the meaning of the "cleaving of the
heaven" -one of the signs that must needs herald the coming of the last 
Hour, the Day of Resurrection [i.e. According to the Muslim Scripture. KH]. 
As He hath said: "When the heaven shall be cloven asunder." [Qur'an 82:1] 
By "heaven" is meant the heaven of divine Revelation, which is elevated 
with every Manifestation, and rent asunder with every subsequent one. By 
"cloven asunder" is meant that the former Dispensation is superseded and 
annulled. I swear by God! That this heaven being cloven asunder is, to the 
discerning, an act mightier than the cleaving of the skies [i.e. In a 
physical sense as expected by the Muslims to happen at the Day of Judgment.
KH]! Ponder a while. That a divine Revelation which for years hath been 
securely established; beneath whose shadow all who have embraced it have 
been reared and nurtured; by the light of whose law generations of men have 
been disciplined; the excellency of whose word men have heard recounted by 
their fathers; in such wise that human eye hath beheld naught but the 
pervading influence of its grace, and mortal ear hath heard naught but the 
resounding majesty of its command-what act is mightier than that such a 
Revelation should by the power of God, be "cloven asunder" and be abolished 
at the appearance of one soul [i.e The new Manifestation of God for that 
age. KH]? Reflect, is this a mightier act than that which these abject and 
foolish men have imagined the "cleaving of the heaven" to mean? 

Moreover, consider the hardships and the bitterness of the lives of those 
Revealers of the divine Beauty [i.e. The Manifestation of God. KH]. Reflect, 
how single-handed and alone they faced the world and all its peoples, and
promulgated the Law of God! No matter how severe the persecutions inflicted
upon those holy, those precious, and tender Souls, they still remained, in 
the plenitude of their power, patient, and, despite their ascendancy, they 
suffered and endured. 

In like manner, endeavour to comprehend the meaning of the "changing of the
earth." Know thou, that upon whatever hearts the bountiful showers of mercy,
raining from the "heaven" of divine Revelation, have fallen, the earth of
those hearts hath verily been changed into the earth of divine knowledge and
wisdom. What myrtles of unity hath the soil of their hearts produced! What
blossoms of true knowledge and wisdom hath their illumined bosoms yielded!
Were the earth of their hearts to remain unchanged, how could such souls who
have  not been taught one letter, have seen no teacher, and entered no school
[i.e. An individual like Simon the fisherman, the apostle of Jesus. KH], 
utter such words and display such knowledge as none can apprehend? Methinks
they have been moulded from the clay of infinite knowledge, and kneaded with
the water of divine wisdom. Therefore, hath it been said: "Knowledge is a 
light which God casteth into the heart of whomsoever He willeth." [Sunnah. 
KH] It is this kind of knowledge which is and hath ever been praiseworthy, 
and not the limited knowledge that hath sprung forth from veiled and obscured 
minds [i.e. Baha'u'llah is referring to the traditional knowledge resulting
from human interpretation and re-interpretation of those interpretations
of the original knowledge conveyed by Manifestations of God. KH]. This 
limited knowledge they even stealthily borrow one from the other, and vainly 
pride themselves therein! 

Would that the hearts of men could be cleansed from these man-made limitations
and obscure thoughts imposed upon them! haply they may be illumined by the
light of the Sun of true knowledge, and comprehend the mysteries of divine
wisdom. Consider now, were the parched and barren soil of these hearts to 
remain unchanged, how could they become the recipients of the revelation of 
the mysteries of God, and the Revealers of the divine Essence? Thus hath 
He said: "On the day when the earth shall be changed into another earth." 
[Qur'an 14:48]

The breeze of the bounty of the King of creation hath caused even the physical
earth to be changed, were ye to ponder in your hearts the mysteries of divine
Revelation.

And now comprehend the meaning of this verse: "The whole earth shall on 
the Resurrection Day be but His handful, and in His right hand shall the 
heaven be folded together. Praise be to Him! and high be He uplifted above 
the partners they join with him!" [Qur'an 39:67] And now, be fair in thy 
judgment. Were this verse to have the meaning which men suppose it to have
[i.e. The literal meaning. KH], of what profit, one may ask, could it be to
man? Moreover, it is evident and manifest that no such hand as could be seen 
by human eye could accomplish such deeds, or could possibly be ascribed to 
the exalted Essence of the one true God. Nay, to acknowledge such a thing 
is sheer blasphemy, an utter perversion of the truth. And should it be 
supposed that by this verse are meant the Manifestations of God, Who will 
be called upon, on the Day of Judgment, to perform such deeds, this too 
seemeth far from the truth, and is surely of no profit. On the contrary, by 
the term "earth" is meant the earth of understanding and knowledge, and by 
"heavens" the heaven of divine Revelation. Reflect thou, how, in one hand, 
He [Baha'u'llah is referring to The Bab. KH] hath, by His mighty grasp, 
turned the earth of knowledge and understanding, previously unfolded, into 
a mere handful, and, on the other, spread out a new and highly exalted earth 
in the hearts of men, thus causing the freshest and loveliest blossoms, and 
the mightiest and loftiest trees spring forth from the illumined bosom of 
man. 

In like manner, reflect how the elevated heavens of the Dispensations of 
the past have, in the right hand of power, been folded together, how the 
heavens of divine Revelation have been raised by the command of God, and 
been adorned by the sun, the moon, and stars of His wondrous commandments. 
Such are the mysteries of the Word of God, which have been unveiled and 
made manifest, that haply thou mayest apprehend the morning light of divine 
guidance, mayest quench, by the power of reliance and renunciation, the 
lamp of idle fancy, of vain imaginings, of hesitation, and doubt, and 
mayest kindle, in the inmost chamber of thine heart, the new-born light 
of divine knowledge and certitude.

			Baha'u'llah, The Book of Certitude (p. 41-49)
	
						To be continued

Note: I have included certain comments and informations, however inadequate,
inside [brackets. KH] for further clarification.

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