From: hakim@bigq.enet.dec.com
Newsgroups: soc.religion.bahai
Subject: The Claims of The Bab (was Refutation of Baha'i....) (Part 06/10)
Date: 4 Dec 92 14:33:55 GMT
Article-I.D.: ogicse.47211
Organization: -

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 [author: Baha'u'llah --rdt] 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
unknowable 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 noble 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 (IMHO) 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