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Chapter 14
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God's Chosen Ones -- Independent Prophets and Dependent/Lesser Prophets.
1)
Muhammad, the Independent
Prophet, is "the most distinguished of God's chosen Ones" and the "King
of the Chosen Ones"; reflecting the fact that there are two classes of
God's Chosen Ones, which are the two classes of Prophets
(Independent
Prophets and Dependent/Lesser Prophets). In the era of Muhammad, the
Holy Imams are also God's Chosen Ones; who succeeded Muhammad for a
period of over two centuries (references on them further below).
We made reply: "Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets, and the most
distinguished of God's chosen Ones, hath likened the Dispensation of
the Qur'án unto heaven, by reason of its loftiness, its paramount
influence, its majesty, and the fact that it comprehendeth all
religions. And as the sun and moon constitute the brightest and most
prominent luminaries in the heavens, similarly in the heaven of the
religion of God two shining orbs have been ordained -- fasting and
prayer. 'Islam is heaven; fasting is its sun, prayer, its moon.'"
-- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 39
Consider the dispensation of Him Who is the Seal of the Prophets and
the King of the Chosen Ones -- may the souls of all mankind be offered
up for His sake! After the Daystar of Truth dawned above the horizon of
hijaz, how great were the cruelties which the exponents of error
inflicted upon that incomparable Manifestation of the All-Glorious!
Such was their heedlessness that they regarded every injury inflicted
upon that sacred Being as ranking among the greatest of all acts, and
constituting a means of attainment unto God, the Most High. For in the
early years of His mission the divines of that age, both Christian and
Jewish, turned away from that Daystar of the heaven of glory, whereupon
all people, high and low alike, bestirred themselves to extinguish the
light of that Luminary of the horizon of inner meanings.
-- Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 123
2)
The Arabian Youth (the Bab), an
Independent Prophet, and God's Chosen One.
O peoples of the earth! Give ear unto God's holy Voice proclaimed by
this Arabian Youth Whom the Almighty hath graciously chosen for His Own
Self. He is indeed none other than the True One, Whom God hath
entrusted with this Mission from the midst of the Burning Bush. O
Qurratu'l-`Ayn! Unravel what Thou pleasest from the secrets of the
All-Glorious, for the ocean is surging high at the behest of the
incomparable Lord. Chapter XXIV.
-- The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 50
3)
Jesus, an Independent
Prophet, is one of "God's chosen Ones".
It is also recorded in the Gospel according to St. Luke, that on a
certain day Jesus passed by a Jew who was sick of the palsy, and lay
upon a couch. When the Jew saw Him, he recognized Him, and cried out
for His help. Jesus said unto him: "Arise from thy bed; thy sins are
forgiven thee." Certain of the Jews, standing by, protested
saying: "Who can forgive sins, but God alone?" And immediately He
perceived their thoughts, Jesus answering said unto them: "Whether is
it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, arise, and take up thy bed,
and walk; or to say, thy sins are forgiven thee? that ye may know that
the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins."[1] This is the
real sovereignty, and such is the power of God's chosen Ones! All these
things which We have repeatedly mentioned, and the details which We
have cited from divers sources, have no other purpose but to enable
thee to grasp the meaning of the allusions in the utterances of the
chosen Ones of God, lest certain of these utterances cause thy feet to
falter and thy heart to be dismayed.
[1 Cf. Luke 5:18-26.]
-- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 133
4)
Imam Ali (the first Dependent
Prophet in the era of Muhammad) -- is one of God's chosen ones. Also,
included are a few writings relating to the successorship of the
Holy Imams, after the ascension of Muhammad.
In like manner, two of the people of Kufih went to Ali, the Commander
of the Faithful. One owned a house and wished to sell it; the other was
to be the purchaser. They had agreed that this transaction should be
effected and the contract be written with the knowledge of Ali. He, the
exponent of the law of God, addressing the scribe, said: "Write thou:
'A dead man hath bought from another dead man a house. That house is
bounded by four limits. One extendeth toward the tomb, the other to the
vault of the grave, the third to the Sirat, the fourth to either
Paradise or hell.'" Reflect, had these two souls been quickened by the
trumpet-call of Ali, had they risen from the grave of error by the
power of his love, the judgment of death would certainly not have been
pronounced against them.
In every age and century, the purpose of the Prophets of God and their
chosen ones hath been no other but to affirm the spiritual significance
of the terms "life," "resurrection," and "judgment." If one will ponder
but for a while this utterance of Ali in his heart, one will surely
discover all mysteries hidden in the terms "grave," "tomb," "sirat,"
"paradise" and "hell."
--Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 119
Know then that "life" hath a twofold meaning. The first pertaineth to
the appearance of man in an elemental body, and is as manifest to thine
eminence and to others as the midday sun. This life cometh to an end
with physical death, which is a God-ordained and inescapable reality.
That life, however, which is mentioned in the Books of the Prophets and
the Chosen Ones of God is the life of knowledge; that is to say, the
servant's recognition of the sign of the splendours wherewith He Who is
the Source of all splendour hath Himself invested him, and his
certitude of attaining unto the presence of God through the
Manifestations of His Cause. This is that blessed and everlasting life
that perisheth not: whosoever is quickened thereby shall never die, but
will endure as long as His Lord and Creator will endure.
-- Baha'u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 48
In response to thy request the Pen of Glory hath graciously described
the stations and grades of the Most Great Infallibility. The purpose is
that all should know of a certainty that the Seal of the Prophets [1]
-- may the souls of all else but Him be offered up for His sake -- is
without likeness, peer or partner in His Own station. The Holy Ones [2]
-- may the blessings of God be upon them -- were created through the
potency of His Word, and after Him they were the most learned and the
most distinguished among the people and abide in the utmost station of
servitude. The divine Essence, sanctified from every comparison and
likeness, is established in the Prophet [Independent Prophet], and God's inmost Reality,
exalted above any peer or partner, is manifest in Him. This is the
station of true unity and of veritable singleness. The followers of the
previous Dispensation grievously failed to acquire an adequate
understanding of this station. The Primal Point [3] -- may the life of
all else but Him be offered up for His sake -- saith: 'If the Seal of
the Prophets had not uttered the word "Successorship", such a station
would not have been created.'
[1 Muhammad.]
[2 The Imams.]
[3 The Báb.]
The people aforetime joined partners with God [rejected the the Holy Imams], though they professed
belief in His unity; and although they were the most ignorant amongst
men, they considered themselves the most accomplished. But, as a token
of divine retribution upon those heedless ones, their erroneous beliefs
and pursuits have, in this Day of Judgement, been made clear and
evident to every man of discernment and understanding.
-- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 123
Reflect, what could have been the motive for such deeds? What could
have prompted such behavior towards the Revealers of the beauty of the
All-Glorious [for example, rejection of Imam Ali, the first Dependent Prophet in the era of Muhammad]?
Whatever in days gone by hath been the cause of the denial and
opposition of those people hath now led to the perversity of the people
of this age. To maintain that the testimony of Providence was
incomplete, that it hath therefore been the cause of the denial of the
people, is but open blasphemy.
How far from the grace of the All-Bountiful and from His loving
providence and tender mercies it is to single out a soul from amongst
all men for the guidance of His creatures, and, on one hand, to
withhold from Him the full measure of His divine testimony, and, on the
other, inflict severe retribution on His people for having turned away
from His chosen One!
-- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 17
5)
Imam Husayn (the third Dependent
Prophet in the era of Muhammad) is one of the chosen Ones of God. "Fain
would they put out God's light with their mouths: But God hath willed
to perfect His light, albeit the infidels abhor it." [Quran 9:32]
refers to those who rejected the Holy Imams in the era of Muhammad;
cited in "Introduction to Shi'i Islam" by Moojan Momen, p. 151-153.
Were the verse "And verily Our host shall conquer" to be literally
interpreted, it is evident that it would in no wise be applicable to
the chosen Ones of God and His hosts, inasmuch as Husayn, whose heroism
was manifest as the sun, crushed and subjugated, quaffed at last the
cup of martyrdom in Karbila, the land of Taff. Similarly, the sacred
verse "Fain would they put out God's light with their mouths: But God
hath willed to perfect His light, albeit the infidels abhor it." Were
it to be literally interpreted it would never correspond with the
truth. For in every age the light of God hath, to outward seeming, been
quenched by the peoples of the earth, and the Lamps of God extinguished
by them. How then could the ascendancy of the sovereignty of these
Lamps be explained? What could the potency of God's will to "perfect
His light" signify? As hath already been witnessed, so great was the
enmity of the infidels, that none of these divine Luminaries ever found
a place for shelter, or tasted of the cup of tranquillity. So heavily
were they oppressed, that the least of men inflicted upon these
Essences of being whatsoever he listed. These sufferings have been
observed and measured by the people. How, therefore, can such people be
capable of understanding and expounding these words of God, these
verses of everlasting glory?
--Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 126
6)
The Manifestations of God -- His chosen Ones:
Consider the past. How many, both high and low, have, at all times,
yearningly awaited the advent of the Manifestations of God in the
sanctified persons of His chosen Ones. How often have they expected His
coming, how frequently have they prayed that the breeze of divine mercy
might blow, and the promised Beauty step forth from behind the veil of
concealment, and be made manifest to all the world. And whensoever the
portals of grace did open, and the clouds of divine bounty did rain
upon mankind, and the light of the Unseen did shine above the horizon
of celestial might, they all denied Him, and turned away from His face
-- the face of God Himself. Refer ye, to verify this truth, to that
which hath been recorded in every sacred Book.
-- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 4
7)
The concept of the Return of the
Prophets and Chosen Ones, who are "seated upon the same throne [of
Prophethood, of the sovereignity of God]":
It is clear and evident to thee that all the Prophets are the Temples
of the Cause of God, Who have appeared clothed in divers attire. If
thou wilt observe with discriminating eyes, thou wilt behold them all
abiding in the same tabernacle, soaring in the same heaven, seated upon
the same throne, uttering the same speech, and proclaiming the same
Faith. Such is the unity of those Essences of being, those Luminaries
of infinite and immeasurable splendour. Wherefore, should one of these
Manifestations of Holiness proclaim saying: "I am the return of all the
Prophets," He verily speaketh the truth. In like manner, in every
subsequent Revelation, the return of the former Revelation is a fact,
the truth of which is firmly established. Inasmuch as the return of the
Prophets of God, as attested by verses and traditions, hath been
conclusively demonstrated, the return of their chosen ones also is
therefore definitely proven. This return is too manifest in itself to
require any evidence or proof.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 153
8)
The "Chosen Ones" -- the Holy Imams (Dependent Prophets of Muhammad), who foretold the coming of the Bab (the Qá'im).
O Hádí! The blind fanaticism of former times hath withheld the hapless
creatures from the Straight Path. Meditate on the Shí'ih sect. For
twelve hundred years they have cried "O Qá'im!", until in the end all
pronounced the sentence of His death, and caused Him to suffer
martyrdom, notwithstanding their belief in, and their acceptance and
acknowledgment of, the True One--exalted be His glory--and of the Seal
of the Prophets, and of the Chosen Ones. It is now necessary to reflect
a while, that haply that which hath come between the True One and His
creatures may be discovered, and the deeds which have been the cause of
protest and denial be made known.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 163
9)
In passage below from Gleanings CXXIX:
"There lay concealed within the Holy Veil" -- refers to the realm of pre-existence of the Dependent Prophets, similar to the pre-existence of the Holy Imams.
"His chosen ones" -- the Dependent Prophets of Baha'u'llah.
"Warn, then, those that have joined partners with Him" -- warn
those who reject the Dependent Prophet as the Face of God (similar, for
example, to those who rejected Imam Ali as the Face of God in the era
of Muhammad).
"I am come from the Throne of glory" -- reference to her/his station as a Dependent Prophet of Baha'u'llah.
"And bear you an announcement from God" -- the declaration of the Dependent Prophet.
"Weigh it with the just Balance that ye possess, the Balance of the testimony of the Prophets and Messengers of God" -- judge their testimony with same standards you use for Prophets and Messengers of God, as they are.
There lay concealed within the Holy Veil, and prepared for the service
of God, a company of His chosen ones who shall be manifested unto men,
who shall aid His Cause, who shall be afraid of no one, though the
entire human race rise up and war against them. These are the ones who,
before the gaze of the dwellers on earth and the denizens of heaven,
shall arise and, shouting aloud, acclaim the name of the Almighty, and
summon the children of men to the path of God, the All-Glorious, the
All-Praised. Walk thou in their way, and let no one dismay thee. Be of
them whom the tumult of the world, however much it may agitate them in
the path of their Creator, can never sadden, whose purpose the blame of
the blamer will never defeat.
Go forth with the Tablet of God and His signs, and rejoin them that
have believed in Me, and announce unto them tidings of Our most holy
Paradise. Warn, then, those that have joined partners with Him. Say: I
am come to you, O people, from the Throne of glory, and bear you an
announcement from God, the Most Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Most
Great. In mine hand I carry the testimony of God, your Lord and the
Lord of your sires of old. Weigh it with the just Balance that ye
possess, the Balance of the testimony of the Prophets and Messengers of
God. If ye find it to be established in truth, if ye believe it to be
of God, beware, then, lest ye cavil at it, and render your works vain,
and be numbered with the infidels. It is indeed the sign of God that
hath been sent down through the power of truth, through which the
validity of His Cause hath been demonstrated unto His creatures, and
the ensigns of purity lifted up betwixt earth and heaven.
-- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, CXXIX, p. 280
10)
In the following passage from Prayers and Meditations CLXXXIV, "handmaidens" is a symbolic
term referring to the Dependent Prophets of Baha'u'llah, who assist the "Bride",
Baha'u'llah (the Independent Prophet), referred to in the last passage of the Hidden Words. Later
in the passage, the handmaidens are also referred to as "Thy chosen ones", affirming they are Dependent Prophets. In the passage further
below from the Tablet of the Holy Mariner, Baha'u'llah (the Maid of
Heaven), summons a pre-existent handmaiden (a Dependent/Lesser Prophet) to
appear on earth from the mansions of eternity.
Since Thou hast purposed, O my God, to cause all created things to
enter into the tabernacle of Thy transcendent grace and favor, and to
waft over the entire creation the fragrances of the raiment of Thy
glorious unity, and to look upon all things with the eyes of Thy bounty
and Thy oneness, I beseech Thee, therefore, by Thy love, which Thou
hast made to be the mainspring of the revelations of Thine eternal
holiness, and the flame that gloweth within the hearts of such of Thy
creatures as yearn towards Thee, to create, this very moment, for those
of Thy people who are wholly devoted to Thee, and for such of Thy loved
ones as love Thee, out of the essence of Thy bounty and Thy generosity,
and from the inmost spirit of Thy grace and Thy glory, Thy Paradise of
transcendent holiness, and to exalt it above everything except Thee,
and to sanctify it from aught else save Thyself. Create, moreover,
within it, O my God, out of the lights shed by Thy throne, handmaidens
who will intone the melodies of Thy wondrous and most sweet invention,
that they may magnify Thy name with such words as have not been heard
by any of Thy creatures, be they the inmates of Thy heaven or the
dwellers of Thine earth, nor been comprehended by any of Thy people.
Unlock, then, the gates of this Paradise to the faces of Thy loved
ones, that haply they may enter them in Thy name, and by the power of
Thy sovereignty, that thereby the sovereign bounties vouchsafed by Thee
unto Thy chosen ones and the transcendent gifts granted unto Thy
trusted ones be perfected, that they may extol Thy virtues with such
melodies as none can either intone or describe, and that none of Thy
people may conceive the design of appearing in the guise of any of Thy
chosen ones, or of emulating the example of Thy loved ones, and that
none may fail to discern between Thy friends and Thine enemies, or to
distinguish them that are devoted to Thee from such as stubbornly
oppose Thee. Potent art Thou to do what Thou willest, and powerful and
supreme art Thou over all things.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Prayers and Meditations, p. 326-327
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious! Thereupon she [the Maid of Heaven, Baha'u'llah, the Independent Prophet] summoned unto herself one maiden from her handmaidens,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious! And commanded her: "Descend into space from the mansions of eternity,
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Tablet of the Holy Mariner.
11)
In passage below, "My chosen servants" are God's Chosen Ones, the
Dependent Prophets of Baha'u'llah, who are also the "Sure
Handle [Firm Handle]" and the "Cord of God", like the Holy Imams in the era of Muhammad.
Assist ye, O My people, My chosen
servants who have arisen to make mention of Me among My creatures and
to exalt My Word throughout My realm. These, truly, are the stars of the heaven of My loving providence
and the lamps of My guidance unto all mankind. But he whose words
conflict with that which hath been sent down in My Holy Tablets is not
of Me. Beware lest ye follow any impious pretender. These Tablets are
embellished with the seal of Him Who causeth the dawn to appear, Who
lifteth up His voice between the heavens and the earth. Lay hold on
this Sure Handle and on the Cord of My mighty and unassailable Cause.
-- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 61
12)
"Thy chosen ones" -- the Dependent Prophets of Baha'u'llah.
Magnified be Thy Name, O Lord of all beings and Desire of all created
things! I beseech Thee, by the Word which hath caused the Burning Bush
to lift up its Voice and the Rock to cry out, whereby the well-favoured
have hastened to attain the court of Thy presence and the pure in heart
the dayspring of the light of Thy countenance, and by the sighing of
Thy true lovers in their separation from Thy chosen ones and by the
lamentation of them that long to behold Thy face before the dawning
splendour of the light of Thy Revelation, to graciously enable Thy
servants to recognize what Thou hast ordained for them by Thy bounty
and Thy grace. Prescribe for them then through Thy Pen of Glory that
which will direct their steps to the ocean of Thy generosity and will
lead them unto the living waters of Thy heavenly reunion.
-- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 177
13)
Some references on the Chosen Ones of God:
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."[1]
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 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.
[1 Qur'án 2:253.]
-- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 103
From that which hath been mentioned, it is clear that not every
intellect can be the criterion of truth. The truly wise are, in the
first place, the Chosen Ones of God, magnified be His glory -- they
Whom He hath singled out to be the Treasuries of His knowledge, the
Repositories of His Revelation, the Daysprings of His authority and the
Dawning-places of His wisdom, they Whom He hath made His
representatives on earth and through Whom He revealeth that which He
hath purposed. Whoso turneth unto them hath turned unto God, and whoso
turneth away shall not be remembered in the presence of God, the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
-- Baha'u'llah, Tabernacle of Unity
From the foregoing passages and allusions it hath been made indubitably
clear that in the kingdoms of earth and heaven there must needs be
manifested a Being, an Essence Who shall act as a Manifestation and
Vehicle for the transmission of the grace of the Divinity Itself, the
Sovereign Lord of all. Through the Teachings of this Day Star of Truth
every man will advance and develop until he attaineth the station at
which he can manifest all the potential forces with which his inmost
true self hath been endowed. It is for this very purpose that in every
age and dispensation the Prophets of God and His chosen Ones have
appeared amongst men, and have evinced such power as is born of God and
such might as only the Eternal can reveal.
--Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 67
Such revelation is confined to His Prophets and chosen Ones, inasmuch
as none mightier than they hath come to exist in the world of being.
This truth all recognize, and bear witness thereto. These Prophets and
chosen Ones of God are the recipients and revealers of all the
unchangeable attributes and names of God. They are the mirrors that
truly and faithfully reflect the light of God. Whatsoever is applicable
to them is in reality applicable to God, Himself, Who is both the
Visible and the Invisible. The knowledge of Him, Who is the Origin of
all things, and attainment unto Him, are impossible save through
knowledge of, and attainment unto, these luminous Beings who proceed
from the Sun of Truth. By attaining, therefore, to the presence of
these holy Luminaries, the "Presence of God" Himself is attained. From
their knowledge, the knowledge of God is revealed, and from the light
of their countenance, the splendour of the Face of God is made manifest.
-- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 141
O concourse of divines! When My verses were sent down, and My clear
tokens were revealed, We found you behind the veils. This, verily, is a
strange thing. Ye glory in My Name, yet ye recognized Me not at the
time your Lord, the All-Merciful, appeared amongst you with proof and
testimony. We have rent the veils asunder. Beware lest ye shut out the
people by yet another veil. Pluck asunder the chains of vain
imaginings, in the name of the Lord of all men, and be not of the
deceitful. Should ye turn unto God and embrace His Cause, spread not
disorder within it, and measure not the Book of God with your selfish
desires. This, verily, is the counsel of God aforetime and hereafter,
and to this God's witnesses and chosen ones, yea, each and every one of
Us, do solemnly attest.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 79
And further He saith: "Out of his mouth goeth a two-edged sword." Know
thou that since the sword is an instrument that divideth and cleaveth
asunder, and since there proceedeth from the mouth of the Prophets and
the Chosen Ones of God
that which separateth the believer from the infidel and the lover from
the beloved, this term hath been so employed, and apart from this
dividing and separating no other meaning is intended. Thus, when He Who
is the Primal Point and the eternal Sun desireth, by the leave of God,
to gather together all creation, to raise them up from the graves of
their own selves, and to divide them one from another, He shall
pronounce but one verse from Him, and this verse will distinguish truth
from error from this day unto the Day of Resurrection.
-- Baha'u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 56
Verily, the One True God beareth Me witness that in this Day I am the
true mystic Fane of God, and the Essence of all good. He who doeth good
unto Me, it is as if he doeth good unto God, His angels and the entire
company of His loved ones. He who doeth evil unto Me, it is as if he
doeth evil unto God and His chosen ones. Nay, too exalted is the
station of God and of His loved ones for any person's good or evil deed
to reach their holy threshold. Whatever reacheth Me is ordained to
reach Me; and that which hath come unto Me, to him who giveth will it
revert. By the One in Whose hand is My soul, he hath cast no one but
himself into prison. For assuredly whatsoever God hath decreed for Me
shall come to pass and naught else save that which God hath ordained
for us shall ever touch us. Woe betide him from whose hands floweth
evil, and blessed the man from whose hands floweth good. Unto no one do
I take My plaint save to God; for He is the best of judges. Every state
of adversity or bliss is from Him alone, and He is the All-Powerful,
the Almighty.
-- The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 15
O people of the earth! Whoso obeyeth the Remembrance of God and His
Book hath in truth obeyed God and His chosen ones and he will, in the
life to come, be reckoned in the presence of God among the inmates of
the Paradise of His good-pleasure.
-- The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 43
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