The
Bab foretells the coming of Baha'u'llah (in 1863) -- nineteen years from
the
time of the Bab's declaration in 1844.
A SECOND TABLET ADDRESSED TO `HIM WHO WILL BE MADE MANIFEST'
May
the glances of Him Whom God shall make manifest illumine this letter at
the
primary
school.
He is the Most Glorious.
He
is God, no God is there but Him, the Almighty, the Best Beloved. All that
are
in the heavens and on the earth and whatever lieth between them are His.
Verily
He is the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
This
is a letter from God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, unto God,
the
Almighty, the Best Beloved, to affirm that the Bayán and such as
bear
allegiance
to it are but a present from me unto Thee and to express my
undoubting
faith that there is no God but Thee, that the kingdoms of Creation
and
Revelation are Thine, that no one can attain anything save by Thy power
and
that
He Whom Thou hast raised up is but Thy servant and Thy Testimony. I,
indeed,
beg to address Him Whom God shall make manifest, by Thy leave in these
words:
`Shouldst Thou dismiss the entire company of the followers of the Bayán
in
the Day of the Latter Resurrection by a mere sign of Thy finger even while
still
a suckling babe, Thou wouldst indeed be praised in Thy indication. And
though
no doubt is there about it, do Thou grant a respite of nineteen years as
a
token of Thy favour so that those who have embraced this Cause may be
graciously
rewarded by Thee. Thou art verily the Lord of grace abounding. Thou
dost
indeed suffice every created thing and causest it to be independent of
all
things,
while nothing in the heavens or on the earth or that which lieth
between
them can ever suffice Thee.'
Verily
Thou art the Self-Sufficient, the All-Knowing; Thou art indeed potent
over
all things.
--
The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 8
SAY,
ye will be unable to recognize the One True God or to discern clearly
the
words of divine guidance, inasmuch as ye seek and tread a path other
than
His. Whenever ye learn that a new Cause hath appeared, ye must seek
the
presence of its author and must delve into his writings that haply ye
may
not be debarred from attaining unto Him Whom God shall make manifest at
the
hour of His manifestation. Wert thou to walk in the way of truth as
handed
down by them that are endowed with the knowledge of the inmost
reality,
God, thy Lord, will surely redeem thee on the Day of Resurrection.
Verily
He is potent over all things.
--The
Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 144
AT
the time of the manifestation of Him Whom God shall make manifest
everyone
should be well trained in the teachings of the Bayan, so that none
of
the followers may outwardly cling to the Bayan and thus forfeit their
allegiance
unto Him. If anyone does so, the verdict of 'disbeliever in God'
shall
be passed upon him.
--The
Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 85
The
Elijah of the New Day appeared in Persia and made His declaration May 23,
1844,
at the time when the Millerites in America, having studied the prophecies
of
the Bible, expected the Son of Man to drop down from the clouds. Mirza
'Ali
Muhammad,
known among the Muslims as a young man of excellent character, but
following
the occupation of merchant, suddenly declared Himself to be the Imam
Mahdi
whose coming is foretold in their Holy Book, the Qur'an.
--
`Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets addressed to Louis Gregory.
Baha'u'llah refers back to station of the Bab (the Qaim, the Mahdi)
And
now, to resume Our argument concerning the question: Why is it that the
sovereignty
of the Qá'im, affirmed in the text of recorded traditions, and
handed
down by the shining stars of the Muhammadan Dispensation, hath not in
the
least been made manifest? Nay, the contrary hath come to pass. Have not
His
disciples
and companions been afflicted of men? Are they not still the victims
of
the fierce opposition of their enemies? Are they not today leading the
life
of
abased and impotent mortals? Yea, the sovereignty attributed to the Qá'im
and
spoken of in the scriptures, is a reality, the truth of which none can
doubt.
This sovereignty, however, is not the sovereignty which the minds of men
have
falsely imagined. Moreover, the Prophets of old, each and every one,
whenever
announcing to the people of their day the advent of the coming
Revelation,
have invariably and specifically referred to that sovereignty with
which
the promised Manifestation must needs be invested. This is attested by
the
records of the scriptures of the past. This sovereignty hath not been
solely
and exclusively attributed to the Qá'im. Nay rather, the attribute
of
sovereignty
and all other names and attributes of God have been and will ever
be
vouchsafed unto all the Manifestations of God, before and after Him,
inasmuch
as these Manifestations, as it hath already been explained, are the
Embodiments
of the attributes of God, the Invisible, and the Revealers of the
divine
mysteries.
Furthermore,
by sovereignty is meant the all-encompassing, all-pervading power
which
is inherently exercised by the Qá'im whether or not He appear to
the
world
clothed in the majesty of earthly dominion. This is solely dependent upon
the
will and pleasure of the Qá'im Himself. You will readily recognize
that the
terms
sovereignty, wealth, life, death, judgment and resurrection, spoken of
by
the
scriptures of old, are not what this generation hath conceived and vainly
imagined.
Nay, by sovereignty is meant that sovereignty which in every
dispensation
resideth within, and is exercised by, the person of the
Manifestation,
the Day-star of Truth. That sovereignty is the spiritual
ascendancy
which He exerciseth to the fullest degree over all that is in heaven
and
on earth, and which in due time revealeth itself to the world in direct
proportion
to its capacity and spiritual receptiveness, even as the sovereignty
of
Muhammad, the Messenger of God, is today apparent and manifest amongst
the
people.
You are well aware of what befell His Faith in the early days of His
dispensation.
What woeful sufferings did the hand of the infidel and erring,
the
divines of that age and their associates, inflict upon that spiritual
Essence,
that most pure and holy Being!
--
Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 106
No
understanding can grasp the nature of His Revelation, nor can any knowledge
comprehend
the full measure of His Faith All sayings are dependent upon His
sanction,
and all things stand in need of His Cause. All else save Him are
created
by His command, and move and have their being through His law. He is
the
Revealer of the divine mysteries, and the Expounder of the hidden and
ancient
wisdom. Thus it is related in the "Biháru'l-Anvar," the "Aválím,"
and
the
"Yanbú'" of Sádiq, son of Muhammad, that he spoke these words:
"Knowledge
is
twenty and seven letters. All that the Prophets have revealed are two
letters
thereof. No man thus far hath known more than these two letters. But
when
the Qá'im shall arise, He will cause the remaining twenty and five
letters
to
be made manifest." Consider; He hath declared Knowledge to consist of twenty
and
seven letters, and regarded all the Prophets, from Adam even unto the
"Seal,"
as Expounders of only two letters thereof and of having been sent down
with
these two letters. He also saith that the Qá'im will reveal all
the
remaining
twenty and five letters. Behold from this utterance how great and
lofty
is His station! His rank excelleth that of all the Prophets, and His
Revelation
transcendeth the comprehension and understanding of all their chosen
ones.
A Revelation, of which the Prophets of God, His saints and chosen ones,
have
either not been informed, or which, in pursuance of God's inscrutable
Decree,
they have not disclosed,--such a Revelation these mean and depraved
people
have sought to measure with their own deficient minds, their own
deficient
learning and understanding. Should it fail to conform to their
standards,
they straightway reject it. "Thinkest thou that the greater part of
them
hear or understand? They are even like unto the brutes! yea, they stray
even
further from the path!"
--
Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 244
