2. Hud, Salih, Abraham, Moses, all invited the people to the path of God and
were scorned by the greater number. 9-12
C. The testimony of Providence has always been complete; it would be
inconsistent were God to single out one being to guide all creatures and
withhold all proof from the message given, and then to punish people for
failure to accept it. 13-14
II. The reasons for failure to recognize and accept a Prophet are many. 14-
89
A. The people have tested the proofs sent by God by the standards of
earthly leaders and have rejected what they could not understand. 14-15
1. The leaders of religion have been actuated by a desire for leadership
or by lack of knowledge; they have been content with temporal power. 15
2. They have never comprehended the signs of the advent of the
Manifestation. 17-20
3. They have sought guidance from tradition rather than from the pure
source of knowledge. 17
B. The mystery of the distinction between, and at the same time the unity
among, the Prophets is not understood. 21-22
C. Symbolic language is a hindrance to the people.
1. Jesus' account of the signs heralding the new Revelation was taken
literally instead of figuratively. 24-42
a. Because these signs did not occur literally the followers of Jesus
maintain that His Dispensation will never end and that a return of Jesus
means that His law will be reaffirmed, not changed. 27
b. The "oppression" of those days refers to spiritual affliction which is the
essential feature of every Revelation. 29-31
c. The "sun" "moon" and "stars" refer primarily to the Prophets, the saints
and their companions. 33-36
d. These terms also apply to religious leaders, whose light fades in the
coming of a new Revelation. 36-37
e. They may also mean the laws and teachings of each Dispensation. 38-41
f. The " sign of the son of man in heaven" refers both to an actual star in the
physical heavens, preceding the appearance of a Prophet, and to a human being
who foretells the Revelation to come. 61-66
g. The "coming in the clouds of heaven" refers to the fact that these Divine
Beings at one and the same time dwell on earth and live in the eternal world
of the spirit; are born like all men and yet descend to earth at the will of God.
66-67
h. "Clouds" refer to things contrary to the desires of the people, that
accordingly act as veils to their comprehension.
(1) One type of "cloud" is the annulment of laws, abrogation of previous
Dispensations, repeal of rituals and customs, and the exalting of the illiterate
faithful over the learned opponents. 71-72
(2) The other type of "cloud" is the appearance of the Divine Manifestation
in the likeness of ordinary men, with human needs and physical limitations.
72-75
i. "Angels" refer to those who have risen above earthly traits and become
purely spiritual in devotion to God. 78-80
2. The symbolism in the Qur'an has also been misunderstood. 43, 46-48, 71,
75-78
a. The use of "sun", "east", "west", "heaven" has not been correctly
interpreted. 43-44
b. The "cleaving of heaven" means the annulling of a former Dispensation.
44
c. The "changing of the earth" means the changing of men's hearts. 46-47
d. "Earth" refers to human knowledge and "heaven" to Divine Revelation. 47-
48
e. "Smoke" enshrouding mankind means dissension and the destruction of
standards. 76-77
c. The ways of the manifestation are contrary to the ways of ordinary men.
57
E. Earthly knowledge obscures the understanding of men. 57
F. People interpret the Holy Books according to their own imagination and
desires. 84-91
III. In this age the story of past Revelations is being repeated.
A. Whatever has caused denial in the past has now led the people again
to be perverse. 13
B. The waters of everlasting life are being bestowed upon mankind from
Baghdad. 22
C. Once more has the Divine Spirit caused the spiritually dead to arise. 26
D. Again the people persecute the Prophet who has appeared. 58-59
E. Again in this most exalted Cause a visible star appeared in warning in
the heavens, and Ahmad and Kasim on earth to teach the people. 65
F. It behooves us to see to it that the clouds of the trials sent by God do
not blind us to the message of His Prophet. 75
G. The divines who would admit that the signs preceding the Manifestation
of Muhammad were not to be taken literally nevertheless declare in
connection with the new Revelation that the traditions regarding the Qa'im
have not been fulfilled. 83
IV. The people of the Bayan should take warning not to forget the wishes
and admonitions of their Holy Book, lest they in turn inflict upon a new
Manifestation what was inflicted upon the former. 92-93
Part Two
I. The Manifestations reveal an all-compelling power. 97-139
A. God is exalted beyond every human attribute and is everlastingly
hidden. 98
B. He therefore sends His Manifestations, with power and authority, to
teach mankind. 99-100
C. All things testify of God; man more fully, the Manifestation most
completely. 101-103
D. All Prophets are equally the embodiment of all the attributes of God and
only differ in the comparative intensity of their revelation. 104
E. True sovereignty belongs to the Manifestations of God. 106-135
1. This sovereignty is not of the nature that men imagine. 106
2. The Prophets have always in foretelling a new Manifestation spoken of
the sovereignty which he would possess. 106
3. Sovereignty in this sense is the spiritual ascendancy of the
Manifestation over all that is in heaven and earth. 107
4. This sovereignty becomes evident in the world in due time in proportion
to the spiritual receptivity of the world. 107-108
a. Muhammad suffered severe persecution in the early days of His
Dispensation. 108-110, 116
b. Eventually the authority if Muhammad has been confessed by numerous
peoples. 110
c. The early sovereignty of a Prophet may be established either before or
after His ascension. 111
5. The Word of the Prophet acts both to separate the believer from the
infidel and to unite believers. 111-112
6. He who turns to the Prophet is forgiven and enters spiritual life and he
who turns away suffers spiritual death. This explains the significance of
resurrection, judgment, paradise and hell 113-123
7. The sovereignty of the Creative Word of the Manifestation is
immeasurably superior to that of kings. 123-124
8. The sovereignty of the Manifestation cannot refer to the outer evidence
of earthly power, because this is not true even of God, in the sense that His
enemies have always appeared to exercise power; nevertheless in the midst of
persecution and apparent lack of earthly success, the prophets are all-
powerful. 125-134
9. The followers of Muhammad have in this day made the same objections
to the sovereignty of the Qa'im that the Jews and Christians uttered against
Muhammad. 135
II. The greatest of blessings is to attain to the presence of the
Manifestation in the Day of Resurrection. 139-147
A. Attainment to the presence of God means attainment to the presence
of His Manifestation. 139-142, 170
1. Approach to the essence of God is impossible. 141
2. The Prophets mirror forth the attributes of God. 142
3. Knowledge of God is impossible except through knowledge of His
Prophets. 142
B. Attainment to the presence of the Manifestation (and hence to God) is
possible only in the Day of Resurrection. 143
C. This Day is so important that one virtuous deed done now equals all the
acts of virtue performed for centuries. 144
D. The learned who fail to recognize the manifestation in the Day of
Resurrection are truly ignorant, while the illiterate who do so are endowed
with spiritual wisdom. 145-147
III. In each Dispensation occurs a return of the qualities exhibited in
earlier Dispensations. 148-161
A. Muhammad accused His opponents of having murdered Abel and other
Prophets of the past.
B. Muhammad spoke of Himself as identical with the Prophets people had
formerly known. 150
C. The Manifestations are all sent from God and all deliver the same Cause;
hence each may be regarded as the return of the previous Prophets. 152-154
D. Those who follow or oppose the Prophets are likewise repeating the
former actions of the followers and opponents of earlier Manifestations. 155-
160
IV. All the manifestations are at the same time the first and the last, the
beginning and the seal. 161-175
A. Abraham declared, "I am all the Prophets. " Since He was the first,
he was also the last. 162
B. The terms "first" and "last" are applicable both to God and His
Manifestations. 163
C. It has been stated repeatedly by the Prophets themselves but has always
been misunderstood by the leaders of religion. 164-169
D. The people have accepted the verses of the Holy Scriptures that agree
with their opinions and interests and rejected those that are opposed; hence
they have been unable to understand the verses referring to the Manifestation.
169-175
V. The Manifestations of God have each a twofold station. 152-154, 176-
181
A. One is the station of essential unity. 152, 176
1. In this station each can be called by the name of all the others and
each has the attributes of all. 152
2. All call the people to acknowledge the oneness of God. 152-153
3. All exemplify the same speech and the same Faith. 153-154
4. In this station the attributes of Godhead, Divinity, Supreme Singleness
and Inmost Essence are applicable to the Manifestations. 177
5. They reveal the beauty of God and utter His commands. 177-178
6. They can, from this station, declare themselves to be God. 178
B. The second station is that of distinction as to individuality, mission and
predestined Revelation. 176
1. In this station the Prophets show absolute servitude to God. 178-
180
2. They can, from this station, declare themselves to be the Messengers of
God. 181
C. Apparent contradictions in statements of the Prophets arise from the
difference in Their specific mission. 177
VI. The seeker after Divine Knowledge must turn to the Prophets and to the
illumined in heart. 182-191
A. No one should interpret the Holy Books according to his own
understanding, nor reject their truth if contrary to his own inclination. 182
B. The religious authorities have always called the Prophet ignorant if His
answers have not agreed with their standard and that people have followed
the ignorance of the theologians instead of the wisdom of the Heavenly
Messenger. 182-191
C. Only a really spiritual leader can give a spiritual interpretation.
191
VII. The requirements for one who seeks the knowledge of God are as
follows. 192-195
A. He must cleanse his heart of acquired knowledge. 192
B. He must sanctify his soul from all that pertains to the earth and from
all attachments. 192-193
C. He must cleanse his heart of love, lest it incline him to error, and of
hate, lest it repel him from the truth. 192
D. He must beware of the fire of the tongue and remember that backbiting
kills the soul. 193
E. He should be content with little and free from inordinate desires. 193
F. He should avoid worldly people and associate with the worldly-minded.
194
G. He should commune with God at dawn each day. 194
H. He should help those in distress and be kind to animals and to his
fellow-man. 194
I. He should be willing to die for God and not be turned away from truth by
the disapproval of men. 194
J. He should keep promises and not wish for others what he does not wish
for himself. 194
K. He should avoid the company of sinners but should pray for them and not
despise them. 194
VIII. The seeker thus endowed (cleansed of all impeding attachments) will
be transformed. 196-199
B. He will have a new eye, a new ear, a new heart, a new mind; will
perceive in every atom the mysteries of God unfolded. 196
C. He will perceive all the signs of God and be attracted by the appearance
of God's favors, regardless of distance. 197
D. He will discriminate between truth and falsehood. 197
E. In the City of Certitude he will find spiritual wealth and eternal life and
will comprehend all mysteries. 197-199
IX. By "the City of Certitude" is meant the Word of God, which is the
greatest proof of the Manifestation. 199-211
A. This City is renewed about every thousand years. 199
B. In the Dispensation of "Him Whom God will make manifest" the City is
His Book, which is supreme among all previous scriptures. 199-200
C. These Cities give unity, guidance, learning, understanding, faith and
certitude to those who seek. 200
D. Muhammad appointed His Book as the mightiest guide until the Day of
Resurrection. 200-202
1. Since God has declared that this Book, the Qur'an, is guidance to all
beings, it is not fair for people to seek other standards of knowledge. 203
2. He who fails to acknowledge the truth of the Qur'an has also failed to
accept the previous Scriptures. 204
3. The excellence of the Qur'an is unsurpassed and its verses convey God's
wisdom. 205
4. Those who do not accept the verses of God are warned by Muhammad of
punishment. 206-212
E. Understanding of the Word of God depends not on human learning but on
purity of heart and soul. 210-211
F. Those in this day who are ignorant of acquired learning but understand
the words of the Manifestation are blessed with real wisdom and
understanding. 211
X. Every Dispensation has believed its Prophet to be the final Manifestation.
135-137, 212-221
A. The Jews believed that no messenger would follow Moses. 135-137
B. Muhammad pointed out that the people had in the past disbelieved in the
Prophet until His death and would then declare that there would be no
Messenger after Him. 212
C. The Christians also believed the Gospel would never be annulled. 213
D. The leaders of religion are veiled and do not see this inconsistency.
214-215
E. In this day the Revealer of the Holy Book has again been persecuted and
rejected by the divines. 215-221
XI. There are, however, many proofs of the truth of the New Revelation.
221-257
A. One of the proofs of this New Revelation is the character of the
early followers. 221-229
1. Among the early believers were about four hundred men of
distinction, wisdom and influence. 222-224
2. They sacrificed their lives in testifying to the truth of their belief, and
their testimony should be accepted because their deeds agree with their
words. 224-226
3. They have by martyrdom born witness to the verse "Wish for death, if ye
are men of truth. " 227
4. Very few of them, however, have occupied posts of authority, for very
rarely does material influence coincide with spiritual insight. 228-229
B. The Bab has prepared the way for a following Dispensation by warning
His followers not to turn away from the succeeding Manifestation. 229
C. He has revealed His Cause with constancy and fearlessness in spite of
the fact that it was contrary to the desires of the people in general. 230-231
D. He declares in His writings that He yearns for martyrdom in the path of
God. 231-232
E. His detachment from the world is so complete as to be impossible save
for a Prophet. 232
F. His steadfastness is a proof of His Message. 233-234
G. The ascendancy that He achieved, unaided, is another proof. 234-236
H. The repudiation and execration of the people are the mightiest proof of
the truth of the Prophet. 236
1. "And when the Standard of Truth is made manifest, the people of
both the East and the West curse it" because they oppose the annulment of
rules and customs to which they have become habituated. 238
2. Muhammadans, Jews and Christians will not heed the verses of the Holy
Books that point to a new Revelation. 239-240
3. The people do not recognize the signs of the new Revelation that have
already been fulfilled.
a. Muhammadan writings refer to the fact that there will come One
who will transform religion and demolish what had been previously
established. 240
b. Several passages in Muslim writings refer to the coming of a Youth from
Bani-Hashim (the family of Muhammad) with a new and divine Book. 241-242
c. Sadiq, the son of Muhammad, declared the Revelation of the Qa'im would
excel all others, but the result of such a marvel is to arouse opposition. 244-
245
d. Other traditions foretell the character of the Qa'im and the martyrdom
of His followers just as this took place, a prophecy that implies the changing
of religious laws, since without change there would not be opposition. 245-
247, 253, 254
4. This situation will be repeated when the Lord of the Age appears at the
time of Mustaghath. 248
a. It is foreseen that persecutors will again rise, along with believers.
248
b. It is known that unbelievable malice, hate and envy will appear when the
new Message is revealed. 249
(1) Bahá'u'lláh states that people are leagued against Him. 249
(2) In spite of love, forebearance, humility and charity, He has suffered
from enenies and even more from those that professed to be friends. 250
c. During the two years that have elapsed since Bahá'u'lláh's return from
His voluntary retirement His enemies have ceaselessly tried to bring about
His death. 250-252
I. The Holy Manifestations speak a twofold language. 253-257
1. The outward language has an unconcealed and evident meaning, to
guide the people. 253-255
2. The inner language is veiled and concealed, a divine standard to test the
servants; it is not to be taken literally and is understood only by those who
have turned to God. 255
a. The people should seek enlightenment on traditions not yet literally
fulfilled from those who are the recognized Expounders of these utterances.
256
b. Instead of so doing, however, mankind fails to seek the guidance of the
Divine Manifestation, and the people will be forgotten by God, if they reject
His signs. 256-257
