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Chapter 40
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Maid(s)
of Heaven, Maidens, Brides, Handmaidens, Beauties, Black-eyed Damsels
-- feminine symbolic terms used to refer to Independent Prophets and Dependent/Lesser Prophets in the Day of God.
1)
The Maid of Heaven, Bahá'u'lláh, the Independent Prophet:
O ye beloved of God! O ye children of His Kingdom! Verily, verily the
new heaven and the new earth are come. The holy City, new Jerusalem,
hath come down from on high in the form of a maid of heaven, veiled,
beauteous, and unique, and prepared for reunion with her lovers on
earth. The angelic company of the celestial Concourse have joined in a
call that hath rung throughout the universe, all loudly and mightily
acclaiming: "Hail, O City of God! Abide Thou, and make Thy habitation
with the pure, virtuous and holy servants of Thine; for they are Thy
people, and Thou art their Lord."
-- Compilation, Bahá'í World Faith, p. 350
We have revealed Ourself unto men, have unveiled the Cause, guided all
mankind towards God's Straight Path, promulgated the laws and have
enjoined upon everyone that which shall truly profit them both in this
world and in the next; yet they have pronounced judgement to shed My
blood, whereat the Maid of Heaven hath wept sore, Sinai hath lamented
and the Faithful Spirit was made to sigh with grief.
In these days the people have debarred themselves from the effusions of
divine grace by following in the footsteps of every ignorant one that
hath gone astray. They have cast the Ocean of divine knowledge behind
their backs and fixed their eyes upon such foolish men as claim to be
well versed in learning without being supported by any evidence from
God, the Lord of mankind.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 251
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious! Whereupon the maid of heaven [Bahá'u'lláh, the Independent Prophet] looked out from her exalted chamber,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious! And with her brow signed to the Celestial Concourse,
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious! Flooding with the light of her countenance the heaven and the earth,...
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Tablet of the Holy Mariner.
While engulfed in tribulations I heard a most wondrous, a most sweet
voice, calling above My head. Turning My face, I beheld a Maiden -- the
embodiment of the remembrance of the name of My Lord -- suspended in
the air before Me. So rejoiced was she in her very soul that her
countenance shone with the ornament of the good pleasure of God, and
her cheeks glowed with the brightness of the All-Merciful. Betwixt
earth and heaven she was raising a call which captivated the hearts and
minds of men. She was imparting to both My inward and outer being
tidings which rejoiced My soul, and the souls of God's honoured
servants.
1.7
Pointing with her finger unto My head, she addressed all who are in
heaven and all who are on earth, saying: By God! This is the
Best-Beloved of the worlds, and yet ye comprehend not. This is the
Beauty of God amongst you, and the power of His sovereignty within you,
could ye but understand. This is the Mystery of God and His Treasure,
the Cause of God and His glory unto all who are in the kingdoms of
Revelation and of creation, if ye be of them that perceive. This is He
Whose Presence is the ardent desire of the denizens of the Realm of
eternity, and of them that dwell within the Tabernacle of glory, and
yet from His Beauty do ye turn aside.
1.8
O people of the Bayan!
If ye aid Him not, God will assuredly assist Him with the powers of
earth and heaven, and sustain Him with the hosts of the unseen through
His command "Be", and it is! The day is approaching when God will have,
by an act of His Will, raised up a race of men the nature of which is
inscrutable to all save God, the All-Powerful, the Self-Subsisting. He
shall purify them from the defilement of idle fancies and corrupt
desires, shall lift them up to the heights of holiness, and shall cause
them to manifest the signs of His sovereignty and might upon earth. Thus hath it been ordained by God, the All-Glorious, the All-Loving.
-- Baha'u'llah, Surih of the Temple, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 5
2)
The mystic and wondrous Bride, Bahá'u'lláh, the Independent Prophet:
The mystic and wondrous Bride, hidden ere this beneath the veiling of
utterance, hath now, by the grace of God and His divine favor, been
made manifest even as the resplendent light shed by the beauty of the
Beloved. I bear witness, O friends! that the favor is complete, the
argument fulfilled, the proof manifest and the evidence established.
Let it now be seen what your endeavors in the path of detachment will
reveal. In this wise hath the divine favor been fully vouchsafed unto
you and unto them that are in heaven and on earth. All praise to God,
the Lord of all Worlds.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 51
3)
"I have summoned the Maids of Heaven to emerge
from behind the veil of concealment" -- Bahá'u'lláh has called on His
pre-existent Dependent Prophets to appear on earth. "and have
clothed them with these words of Mine
-- words of consummate power and wisdom" -- and they receive their
revelation from Him, the Independent Prophet (explained further by
Abdu'l-Baha when describing the two classes of Prophets).
Those who "violate not the Covenant of God" are the ones who recognise the Dependent Prophets, who are the Face of God (like
the Holy Imams in the era of Muhammad). The Dependent Prophets have the
same title, "Maid of Heaven", as Baha'u'llah, the Independent Prophet,
consistent with them all being the Face of God (Manifestations of
God).
Wherefore, O My servants, defile not your wings with the clay of
waywardness and vain desires, and suffer them not to be stained with
the dust of envy and hate, that ye may not be hindered from soaring in
the heavens of My divine knowledge.
O My servants! Through the might of God and His power, and out of the
treasury of His knowledge and wisdom, I have brought forth and revealed
unto you the pearls that lay concealed in the depths of His everlasting
ocean. I have summoned the Maids of Heaven to emerge from behind
the veil of concealment, and have clothed them with these words of Mine
-- words of consummate power and wisdom. I have, moreover, with the
hand of divine power, unsealed the choice wine of My Revelation, and
have wafted its holy, its hidden, and musk-laden fragrance upon all
created things. Who else but yourselves is to be blamed if ye choose to
remain unendowed with so great an outpouring of God's transcendent and
all-encompassing grace, with so bright a revelation of His resplendent
mercy?...
O My servants! There shineth nothing else in Mine heart except the
unfading light of the Morn of Divine guidance, and out of My mouth
proceedeth naught but the essence of truth, which the Lord your God
hath revealed. Follow not, therefore, your earthly desires, and violate
not the Covenant of God, nor break your pledge to Him. With firm
determination, with the whole affection of your heart, and with the
full force of your words, turn ye unto Him, and walk not in the ways of
the foolish. The world is but a show, vain and empty, a mere nothing,
bearing the semblance of reality. Set not your affections upon it.
Break not the bond that uniteth you with your Creator, and be not of
those that have erred and strayed from His ways.
-- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 328
4)
In the following passage, "Handmaidens" is a symbolic term used to refer to the Dependent Prophets, who assist the "Bride",
Baha'u'llah, mentioned in passage #2 above from the Hidden Words. Later
in the passage, the handmaidens are also referred to as "Thy chosen
ones", affirming they are 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 (i.e. a Dependent 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] 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
5)
The Maid of Heaven, a Dependent Prophet of Baha'u'llah, summoned to appear on earth:
Say: Step out of Thy holy chamber, O Maid of Heaven, inmate of the
Exalted Paradise! Drape thyself in whatever manner pleaseth Thee in the
silken Vesture of Immortality, and put on, in the name of the
All-Glorious, the broidered Robe of Light. Hear, then, the sweet, the
wondrous accent of the Voice that cometh from the Throne of Thy Lord,
the Inaccessible, the Most High. Unveil Thy face, and manifest the
beauty of the black-eyed Damsel, and suffer not the servants of God to
be deprived of the light of Thy shining countenance. Grieve not if Thou
hearest the sighs of the dwellers of the earth, or the voice of the
lamentation of the denizens of heaven. Leave them to perish on the dust
of extinction. Let them be reduced to nothingness, inasmuch as the
flame of hatred hath been kindled within their breasts. Intone, then,
before the face of the peoples of earth and heaven, and in a most
melodious voice, the anthem of praise, for a remembrance of Him Who is
the King of the names and attributes of God. Thus have We decreed Thy
destiny. Well able are We to achieve Our purpose.
Beware that Thou divest not Thyself, Thou Who art the Essence of
Purity, of Thy robe of effulgent glory. Nay, enrich Thyself
increasingly, in the kingdom of creation, with the incorruptible
vestures of Thy God, that the beauteous image of the Almighty may be
reflected through Thee in all created things and the grace of Thy Lord
be infused in the plenitude of its power into the entire creation.
If Thou smellest from any one the smell of the love of Thy Lord, offer
up Thyself for him, for We have created Thee to this end, and have
covenanted with Thee, from time immemorial, and in the presence of the
congregation of Our well-favored ones, for this very purpose. Be not
impatient if the blind in heart hurl down the shafts of their idle
fancies upon Thee. Leave them to themselves, for they follow the
promptings of the evil ones.
Cry out before the gaze of the dwellers of heaven and of earth: I am
the Maid of Heaven, the Offspring begotten by the Spirit of Baha. My
habitation is the Mansion of His Name, the All-Glorious.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 282
6)
The "raven locks" of the Maid of Heaven (the Prophet).
79. O SON OF DESIRE!
How long wilt thou soar in the realms of desire? Wings have I bestowed
upon thee, that thou mayest fly to the realms of mystic holiness and
not the regions of satanic fancy. The comb, too, have I given thee that
thou mayest dress My raven locks, and not lacerate My throat.
-- Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words
7)
The Maid of Heaven, the Bab, an Independent Prophet:
O PEOPLE of the earth! By the righteousness of the One true God, I am the Maid of Heaven
begotten by the Spirit of Baha, abiding within the Mansion hewn out of
a mass of ruby, tender and vibrant; and in this mighty Paradise naught
have I ever witnessed save that which proclaimeth the Remembrance of
God by extolling the virtues of this Arabian Youth.
Verily there is none other God but your Lord, the All-Merciful. Magnify
ye, then, His station, for behold, He is poised in the midmost heart of
the All-Highest Paradise as the embodiment of the praise of God in the
Tabernacle wherein His glorification is intoned.
-- The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 54
8)
Brides of inner meaning, Dependent Prophets of Baha'u'llah, who will continue His revelation; the same way the Holy Imams continued the revelation of Muhammad.
By God! This Bird of Heaven, now dwelling upon the dust, can, besides
these melodies, utter a myriad songs, and is able, apart from these
utterances, to unfold innumerable mysteries. Every single note of its
unpronounced utterances is immeasurably exalted above all that hath
already been revealed, and immensely glorified beyond that which hath
streamed from this Pen. Let the future disclose the hour when the
Brides of inner meaning will, as decreed by the Will of God, hasten forth, unveiled,
out of their mystic mansions, and manifest themselves in the ancient
realm of being. Nothing whatsoever is possible without His permission;
no power can endure save through His power, and there is none other God
but He. His is the world of creation, and His the Cause of God. All
proclaim His Revelation, and all unfold the mysteries of His Spirit.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 175
9)
húrís [Brides/Maidens] of inner
meaning, Dependent Prophets of Baha'u'llah; also referred to as
"countenances which are hid within the chambers of chastity" and
"manifestations of Thy Divine holiness" in next passage:
We have digressed from the purpose of Our argument, although whatsoever
is mentioned serveth only to confirm Our purpose. By God! however great
Our desire to be brief, yet We feel We cannot restrain Our pen.
Notwithstanding all that We have mentioned, how innumerable are the
pearls which have remained unpierced in the shell of Our heart! How
many the húrís [Brides/Maidens] of inner meaning that are as yet
concealed within the chambers of divine wisdom! None hath yet
approached them;--húrís, "whom no man nor spirit hath touched before."
Notwithstanding all that hath been said, it seemeth as if not one
letter of Our purpose hath been uttered, nor a single sign divulged
concerning Our object. When will a faithful seeker be found who will
don the garb of pilgrimage, attain the Ka'bih of the heart's desire,
and, without ear or tongue, discover the mysteries of divine utterance?
-- Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 70
Lauded be Thy name, O Thou Who art the Goal of my desire! I swear by
Thy glory! How great is my wish to attain unto a detachment so complete
that were there to appear before me those countenances which are hid
within the chambers of chastity, and the beauty of which Thou didst
veil from the eyes of the entire creation, and whose faces Thou didst
sanctify from the sight of all beings, and were they to unveil
themselves in all the glory of the splendors of Thine incomparable
beauty, I would refuse to look upon them, and would behold them solely
for the purpose of discerning the mysteries of Thy handiwork, which
have perplexed the minds of such as have drawn nigh unto Thee, and awed
the souls of all them that have recognized Thee. I would, by Thy power
and Thy might, soar to such heights that nothing whatsoever would have
the power to keep me back from the manifold evidences of Thy
transcendent dominion, nor would any earthly scheme shut me out from
the manifestations of Thy Divine holiness.
-- Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 338
10)
The Surih of the Temple, an important tablet revealed by Baha'u'llah, is another
place where Baha'u'llah refers to His many Dependent/Lesser Prophets ("temples
of the Oneness of God") in separate paragraphs, in addition to other
important themes covered. In it are also references to the "Maid of inner
meanings" and "Maid of Heaven".. "His servants" are the
Dependent/Lesser Prophets of Baha'u'llah, the same way the Holy Imams
were servants of Muhammad; and else besides them are as naught,
described in more detail in the subsequent passage from the Kitab-i-Iqan about
the Manifestations of God.
1.22
O Maid of inner meanings! Step out of the chamber of utterance by the
leave of God, the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Reveal, then,
thyself adorned with the raiment of the celestial Realm, and proffer
with thy ruby fingers the wine of the heavenly Dominion, that haply the
denizens of this world may perceive the light that shone forth from the
Kingdom of God when the Daystar of eternity appeared above the horizon
of glory. Perchance they may arise before the dwellers of earth and
heaven to extol and magnify this Youth Who hath established Himself in
the midmost heart of Paradise upon the throne of His name, the
All-Sufficing Helper -- He from Whose countenance shineth the
brightness of the All-Merciful, from Whose gaze appear the glances of
the All-Glorious, and in Whose ways are revealed the tokens and
evidences of God, the omnipotent Protector, the Almighty, the
All-Loving....
1.100
O Temple of Divine Revelation! Sound the trumpet in My Name! O Temple
of Divine mysteries! Raise the clarion call of Thy Lord, the
Unconditioned, the Unconstrained! O Maid of Heaven! Step forth from the
chambers of paradise and announce unto the people of the world: By the
righteousness of God! He Who is the Best-Beloved of the worlds -- He
Who hath ever been the Desire of every perceiving heart, the Object of
the adoration of all that are in heaven and on earth, and the Cynosure
of the former and the latter generations -- is now come!
1.101
Take heed lest ye hesitate in recognizing this resplendent Beauty when
once He hath appeared in the plenitude of His sovereign might and
majesty. He, verily, is the True One, and all else besides Him is as
naught before a single one of His servants, and paleth into nothingness
when brought face to face with the revelation of His splendours.
Hasten, then, to attain the living waters of His grace, and be not of
the negligent. As to him who hesitateth, though it be for less than a
moment, God shall verily bring his works to naught and return him to
the seat of wrath; wretched indeed is the abode of them that tarry!
-- Baha'u'llah, Suri of the Temple, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 53
And of all men, the most accomplished, the most distinguished and the
most excellent are the Manifestations of the Sun of Truth. Nay, all
else besides these Manifestations, live by the operation of their Will,
and move and have their being through the outpourings of their grace.
"But for Thee, I would have not created the heavens." 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 which reflect the light of unfading glory, are but
expressions of Him Who is the Invisible of the Invisibles. 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."[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. 102
11)
"one of the Beauties of the Most
Sublime Paradise", one of the Dependent Prophets of Baha'u'llah. "I
will recompense whosoever will cleave unto Me, and recognize My rank
and station" -- reference to true believers who recognise the station of the
Dependent Prophet.
"We will now mention unto thee Trustworthiness and the station thereof
in the estimation of God, thy Lord, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. One
day of days We repaired unto Our Green Island. Upon Our arrival, We
beheld its streams flowing, and its trees luxuriant, and the sunlight
playing in their midst. Turning Our face to the right, We beheld what
the pen is powerless to describe; nor can it set forth that which the
eye of the Lord of Mankind witnessed in that most sanctified, that most
sublime, that blest, and most exalted Spot. Turning, then, to the left
We gazed on one of the Beauties of the Most Sublime Paradise, standing
on a pillar of light, and calling aloud saying: `O inmates of earth and
heaven! Behold ye My beauty, and My radiance, and My revelation, and My
effulgence. By God, the True One! I am Trustworthiness and the
revelation thereof, and the beauty thereof. I will recompense whosoever
will cleave unto Me, and recognize My rank and station, and hold fast
unto My hem. I am the most great ornament of the people of Bahá, and the vesture of
glory unto all who are in the kingdom of creation. I am the supreme
instrument for the prosperity of the world, and the horizon of
assurance unto all beings.' Thus have We sent down for thee that which
will draw men nigh unto the Lord of creation."
This Wronged One hath, at all times, summoned the peoples of the world
unto that which will exalt them, and draw them nigh unto God. From the
Most Sublime Horizon there hath shone forth that which leaveth no room
unto any one for vacillation, repudiation or denial. The wayward,
however, have failed to profit therefrom; nay, it shall only increase
their loss.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 136-137
12)
"Beauties of divine mystery",
"birds abiding within the domains of My Kingdom", "doves dwelling in
the rose-garden of My wisdom" are references to Dependent Prophets of
Bahá'u'lláh.
O thou honoured enquirer! We bear witness that thou didst firmly adhere
unto seemly patience during the days when the Pen was held back from
movement and the Tongue hesitated to set forth an explanation regarding
the wondrous sign, the Most Great Infallibility. Thou hast asked this
Wronged One to remove for thee its veils and coverings, to elucidate
its mystery and character, its state and position, its excellence,
sublimity and exaltation. By the life of God! Were We to unveil the
pearls of testimony which lie hid within the shells of the ocean of
knowledge and assurance or to let the beauties of divine mystery which
are hidden within the chambers of utterance in the Paradise of true
understanding, step out of their habitation, then from every direction
violent commotion would arise among the leaders of religion and thou
wouldst witness the people of God held fast in the teeth of such wolves
as have denied God both in the beginning and in the end. Therefore We
restrained the Pen for a considerable lapse of time in accordance with
divine wisdom and for the sake of protecting the faithful from those
who have bartered away heavenly blessings for disbelief and have chosen
for their people the abode of perdition.
O thou seeker who art gifted with keen insight. I swear by Him Who
attracted the Concourse on High through the potency of His most sublime
Word! Verily, the birds abiding within the domains of My Kingdom and
the doves dwelling in the rose-garden of My wisdom utter such melodies
and warblings as are inscrutable to all but God, the Lord of the
kingdoms of earth and heaven; and were these melodies to be revealed
even to an extent smaller than a needle's eye, the people of tyranny
would utter such calumnies as none among former generations hath ever
uttered, and would commit such deeds as no one in past ages and
centuries hath ever committed. They have rejected the bounty of God and
His proofs and have repudiated the testimony of God and His signs. They
have gone astray and have caused the people to go astray, yet perceive
it not. They worship vain imaginings but know it not. They have taken
idle fancies for their lords and have neglected God, yet understand
not. They have abandoned the most great Ocean and are hastening towards
the pool, but comprehend not. They follow their own idle fancies while
turning aside from God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 106-107
13)
77. O SON OF JUSTICE!
In the night-season the beauty of the immortal Being hath repaired from
the emerald height of fidelity unto the Sadratu'l-Muntaha, and wept
with such a weeping that the concourse on high and the dwellers of the
realms above wailed at His lamenting. Whereupon there was asked, Why
the wailing and weeping? He made reply: As bidden I waited expectant
upon the hill of faithfulness, yet inhaled not from them that dwell on
earth the fragrance of fidelity. Then summoned to return I beheld, and
lo! certain doves of holiness were sore tried within the claws of the
dogs of earth. Thereupon the Maid of heaven hastened forth unveiled and
resplendent from Her mystic mansion, and asked of their names, and all
were told but one. And when urged, the first letter thereof was
uttered, whereupon the dwellers of the celestial chambers rushed forth
out of their habitation of glory. And whilst the second letter was
pronounced they fell down, one and all, upon the dust. At that moment a
voice was heard from the inmost shrine: "Thus far and no farther."
Verily We bear witness to that which they have done and now are doing.
-- Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words)
32. Persian No. 77
This great name is the Greatest Name. The Blessed Beauty is intended.
What we have today are the meanings of two of the letters of the
Greatest Name. They are: B and H.
('Abdu'l-Bahá, from a Tablet – translated from the Persian)
14)
The "black-eyed damsels",
Dependent Prophets of Bahá'u'lláh, are the "Resurrection", the same way
Imam Ali, the first Dependent Prophet in the era of Muhammad, was the
"Resurrection". In the next passage from Gleanings CXXIX, the Maid of Heaven (mentioned in passage #5 above) is the
black-eyed Damsel.
The Apostle of God--may the blessings of God and His salutations be
upon Him--is reported to have said: "Blessed the man that hath visited
Akká, and blessed he that hath visited the visitor of Akká. Blessed the
one that hath drunk from the Spring of the Cow and washed in its
waters, for the black-eyed damsels quaff the camphor in Paradise, which
hath come from the Spring of the Cow, and from the Spring of Salván
(Siloam), and the Well of Zamzam. Well is it with him that hath drunk
from these springs, and washed in their waters, for God hath forbidden
the fire of hell to touch him and his body on the Day of Resurrection."
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 179-180
Say: Step out of Thy holy chamber, O Maid of Heaven, inmate of the
Exalted Paradise! Drape thyself in whatever manner pleaseth Thee in the
silken Vesture of Immortality, and put on, in the name of the
All-Glorious, the broidered Robe of Light. Hear, then, the sweet, the
wondrous accent of the Voice that cometh from the Throne of Thy Lord,
the Inaccessible, the Most High. Unveil Thy face, and manifest the
beauty of the black-eyed Damsel, and suffer not the servants of God to
be deprived of the light of Thy shining countenance. Grieve not if Thou
hearest the sighs of the dwellers of the earth, or the voice of the
lamentation of the denizens of heaven. Leave them to perish on the dust
of extinction. Let them be reduced to nothingness, inasmuch as the
flame of hatred hath been kindled within their breasts. Intone, then,
before the face of the peoples of earth and heaven, and in a most
melodious voice, the anthem of praise, for a remembrance of Him Who is
the King of the names and
attributes of God. Thus have We decreed Thy destiny. Well able are We to achieve Our purpose.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 282-283
---------------------------------------------------------------
From provisional translations.
15)
The "temples of pre-existence"
and "chaste maidens of beauty bearing flagons brimming with the water
of life" are the pre-existent Dependent Prophets of Baha'u'llah (the sun).
The sun has risen over the sacred horizon, and the concourse on high
has been illumined by its radiance. The scent of musk has diffused from
the knolls of sanctity, perfuming the temples of pre-existence. Happy
is he who adorns himself with these fragrances! The luminary of the
Cause has risen in the midst of the sky, and has taken the form of a
full moon, brilliant in its whiteness. Concourse of the near ones, seek
to be illumined by its splendor! Say: The throne has been established
behind the pavilion of majesty, and about it circle chaste maidens of
beauty bearing flagons brimming with the water of life. Blessed is the
person who attains to sprinkled droplets thereof. Say: The Maiden of
Eternity has uncovered Beauty itself with a gut-wrenching gaze. Blessed
is the one who is struck by her glance! Say: The voice of God has been
heard from the sanctuary of eternity, and the hearts of the mystic
knowers have been enthralled by its melodies.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Surah of the Companions (a provisional translation by Juan Cole).
16)
He came down from the pavillions of beauty and stood like the Sun at the zenith of heaven, peerless and unique in His beauty.
Rejoice! This is the Deathless Youth, come bearing great joy.
Thus He stood in the midst of heaven, shining like the noonday Sun at
the axis of beauty, His Name mighty! Thereupon a herald proclaimed:
"Rejoice! This is the Beauty of the Unseen, come with a mighty spirit."
A clamor then arose from the hearts of the maids of heaven in their
chambers, "Blessed be God, the best of Creators!" Thereupon the dove
sang out,
Rejoice! for the eyes of the privy angels have seen none like unto this Deathless Youth."
The gates of Paradise were flung wide yet again, opened with the key of a mighty Name.
Rejoice! This is the Deathless Youth, come with a mighty Name.
The Maid of Beauty came forth, dawning like the sun, plain upon the horizon of the morn.
Rejoice! This is the Maid of Glory, come with a mighty beauty.
A brocade she wore, dazzling the minds of the privy angels.
Rejoice! this is the Deathless Maid, come with a mighty grace.
She descended from the chambers of eternity, then She sang such a song as to enchant the hearts of the sincere.
Rejoice! This is the Deathless Beauty, come with a mighty secret.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Tablet of the Deathless Youth (a provisional translation by J. Cole).
17)
He is the Beloved One
[1] The Maid of Eternity came from the Exalted Paradise;
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, O Glad Tidings! ...
[8] This sweet Davidic voice, from the Divine Lote-Tree--with the
Messianic Spirit she came; Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, O Glad
Tidings! ...
[12] With the joyful tidings of reunion this Divine Maiden came from a branch of the Tree of Blessedness;
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, O Glad Tidings! ...
[16] This Eternal Countenance, she came with snow-white hand from the Divine command;
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, O Glad Tidings!
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Lawh-i Halih, Halih, Halih, Ya Bisharat (a provisional translation by Juan Cole).
18)
Say: the time of union has been fulfilled, and by virtue of the decree
that of absence has begun through this parting, you who are filled with
yearning;
Tears have flowed from the eyes of the immortals in the concourse on
high because of this farewell, you who are filled with yearning;
The breezes of joy that blew from the paradise of splendor have been
stilled by this departure, you who are filled with yearning.
By God, the faces of the celestial maidens in their chambers have paled
at the prospect of this absence, you who are filled with yearning;
The houris rouge their cheeks blood red, for they have heard about this leave-taking, you who are filled with yearning;
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Nightingale of Separation (a provisional translation by J. Cole).
19)
In the name of God, the most holy, the most exalted.
Praise be to Thee, O God, My God. I make mention of Thee at this time,
when the sun of Thy Godhead hath risen from the horizon of the splendid
divinity of Thy oneness, the lights of Thy lordship have flashed forth
from the dawning of the ineffable encounter with the eternal kingdom of
Thy self-sufficiency, and the darkness of this world hath been
illumined by the radiance of the faithful realm of Thy cause -- in such
wise that the garden of paradise came into being above the essence of
Thy glorious selfhood. Therein were planted the trees of Thy
quintessence, which put forth the fruits of Thine essence, and therein
wafted the breezes of Thy spirit and the breaths of Thy sanctity.
Therein were foreordained the gems of Thy bounties and the substance of
Thy munificence; and therein were uncovered the treasures of Thy
knowledge and mystery. Over its terraces flow the streams of Thy
glorious life, the canals of Thy radiant eternality, and the springs of
the wine of Thine inaccessibility. When Thou didst desire, O my God, to
manifest it, Thou didst raise it up to the throne of grandeur and
greatness, embellish it with the rays of might and power, render it
effulgent by Thine essence, and didst make to shine upon it the sun of
oneness from the pre-eternal lights of Thy features. Thou didst light
for it the wick of eternity in the lamp of pre-existence. Now, Thy most
exalted decree hath come to the kingdom of command by Thy signature, so
that a visage might appear therefrom, that the brilliance of Thy beauty
might be manifest to all who dwell on earth, and that the glory of Thy
countenance might be seen by all who are in the realm of Thy cause.
There arose the houri [maiden], Who had dwelt in pre-eternity in the
pavilions of holiness, protection, and glorification and in the
canopies of sinlessness, greatness and splendor. Upon Her creamy brow
the most high pen hath written in crimson ink, "Praise be to God! This
is a houri [maiden] upon Whom none have gazed save God, the exalted,
the most high. God hath purified the hem of Her purity from the
knowledge of the concourse of names in the realm of eternity, and Her
face from the view of all who are in the kingdom of creation. When She
arose with the ornament of God from Her palace, She looked with one
glance toward the sky. The people of the heavens swooned at the rays of
Her visage and at the wafting of Her perfume. Then She looked with
another glance toward the earth, and it was illumined by the lights of
Her beauty and the loveliness of Her splendor. ... Then the firmament
was illumined by the radiance of its light, contingent beings were made
resplendent by its appearance and effulgence, and by its rays infinite
numbers of suns dawned forth, as though they trekked through heavens
that were without beginning or end. I became bewildered at the pen of
God's handiwork, and at what it had inscribed upon Her temple. It was
as though She had appeared with a body of light in the forms of the
spirit, as though She moved upon the earth of essence in the substance
of manifestation. I noticed that the houris [maidens] had poked their
heads out of their rooms [chambers] and were suspended in the air above
Her. They grew perplexed at Her appearance and Her beauty, and were
entranced by the raptures of Her song. Praise be to Her creator,
fashioner, and maker--to the one Who made Her manifest.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Tablet of the Maiden (a provisional translation by Juan Cole)
20)
He is the Mighty.
This is the Garden of Paradise, wherein hath been raised the melody of
God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Wherein have been established
the maidens of eternity whom none hath touched save God, the Mighty,
the Holy. Wherein the Nightingale of Eternity hath warbled upon the
branches of the Lote-tree beyond which there is no passing, with a
melody that hath filled with astonishment the minds of all men. Wherein
is that which bringeth the poor ones nigh unto the shores of the ocean
of wealth and guideth mankind unto the word of God. This, verily, is a
manifest truth.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, The Tablet of the Bell (a provisional translation by Denis MacEoin.)
21)
HE IS THE ALMIGHTY LORD!
Lo, this is the garden of Paradise wherein is raised the Voice of God,
the Dominant, the Strong; Here do the immaculate Maids of Heaven dwell,
they whom no eye hath seen save only God's, the Sanctified, the
Well-Beloved; Herein the eternal nightingale singeth on the bough of
the sacred Lote-Tree a song that bedazzaleth the minds, and herein are
the needy led to the haven of wealth, and all men guided to the Word of
God; verily this is a manifest truth.
(Here is the song that the nightingale singeth;)
IN THY NAME THAT IS GOD,
Thou art verily God!
O sacred Monk, ring out the bells, for the day of God hath come, and
the Beauty of the All-Glorious is established on the holy, shining
throne.
Glory to Thee, O God, O Thou who art God,
O
Thou who alone art
God!
O prophet of wisdom, Hud, beat thou upon thy drum, in the name of the
Lord, the Precious, the Bountiful, for the Temple of Holiness is seated
upon His high, unapproachable throne.
Glory to Thee, O God, O Thou who art God,
O Thou who alone art
God!
O Thou beauty of eternity, pluck with the fingers of the spirit at the
strings of Thy lute that is wondrous and Holy, for the Heavenly Beauty
hath come in His garment of glimmering silk.
Glory to Thee, O God, O Thou who art God,
O Thou who alone art
God!
O angel of light, sound thou thy trumpet to herald this appearance, for
the letter HA hath mounted above the letter of pre-existent might.
Glory to Thee, O God, O Thou who art God,
O Thou who alone art
God!
O Nightingale of Praise, sing out upon thy boughs within this garden
and land, the well-beloved Name, for the beauty of the red rose hath
shone from the impenetrable veils.
Glory to Thee, O God, O Thou who art God,
O Thou who alone art
God!
O Thou Dove of Paradise, sing upon the boughs in this wondrous day, when the Lord hath cast His rays upon all creatures.
Glory to Thee, O God, O Thou who art God,
O Thou who alone art
God!
O Thou Bird of Eternity, soar into this firmament, for the bird of
faithfulness hath winged his flight to the presence of the merciful
Lord.
Glory to Thee, O God, O Thou who art God,
O Thou who alone art God!....
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Tablet of the Feast of Ridvan (a provisional translation by Ali-Kuli Khan and Marzieh Gail.)
22)
The Beauty of holiness hath risen from behind the veil.
And this is a wondrous thing!
And the spirits have fainted away from the flames of attraction.
And this is a wondrous matter!
They have recovered consciousness and flown unto the pavilion of
holiness on the Throne of Domes. And this is a wondrous mystery.
Say: the Maid of Eternity hath removed the veil from her face.
Exalted be the new and wondrous Beauty!...
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Tablet of the Wondrous (a provisional translation by Denis MacEoin)
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