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Chapter 55
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Resurrection attained through recognition of the Prophets (both Independent Prophets and Dependent/Lesser Prophets).
1)
Resurrection attained through recognition of Christ, the Independent Prophet.
Such things have come to pass in the days of every Manifestation of
God. Even as Jesus said: "Ye must be born again."[1] Again He saith:
"Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into
the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that
which is born of the Spirit is spirit."[2] The purport of these words
is that whosoever in every dispensation is born of the Spirit and is
quickened by the breath of the Manifestation of Holiness, he verily is
of those that have attained unto "life" and "resurrection" and have
entered into the "paradise" of the love of God. And whosoever is not of
them, is condemned to "death" and "deprivation," to the "fire" of
unbelief, and to the "wrath" of God. In all the scriptures, the books
and chronicles, the sentence of death, of fire, of blindness, of want
of understanding and hearing, hath been pronounced against those whose
lips have tasted not the ethereal cup of true knowledge, and whose
hearts have been deprived of the grace of the holy Spirit in their day.
Even as it hath been previously recorded: "Hearts have they with which
they understand not."[3]
[1 John 3:7].
[2 John 3:5-6]
[3 Qur'án 7:178].
-- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 117
2)
Resurrection attained through recognition of Imam Ali, the first Dependent/Lesser Prophet in the era of Muhammad.
In like manner, two of the people of Kufih went to Ali [Imam 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
3)
Resurrection attained through recognition of Muhammad, the Independent Prophet.
Know then that when Muhammad, the Point of the Qur'án and the Light of
the All-Glorious, came with perspicuous verses and luminous proofs
manifested in such signs as are beyond the power of all existence to
produce, He bade all men follow this lofty and outstretched Path in
accordance with the precepts that He had brought from God. Whoso
acknowledged Him, recognized the signs of God in His inmost Being, and
saw in His beauty the changeless beauty of God, the decree of
"resurrection", "ingathering", "life", and "paradise" was passed upon
him. For he who had believed in God and in the Manifestation of His
beauty was raised from the grave of heedlessness, gathered together in
the sacred ground of the heart, quickened to the life of faith and
certitude, and admitted into the paradise of the divine presence. What
paradise can be loftier than this, what ingathering mightier, and what
resurrection greater? Indeed, should a soul be acquainted with these
mysteries, he would grasp that which none other hath fathomed.
-- Baha'u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 39)
4)
Resurrection attained through recognition of the Manifestation of God (the Face of God).
And were they to say that by "divine Presence" is meant the "Secondary
Revelation of God," interpreted as the "Holy Outpouring," this is
admittedly applicable to the world of creation, that is, in the
realm of the primal and original manifestation of God. 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.
Through the manifold attributes of these Essences of Detachment, Who
are both the first and the last, the seen and the hidden, it is made
evident that He Who is the Sun of Truth is "the First and the Last, the
Seen, and the Hidden."[1] Likewise the other lofty names and exalted
attributes of God. Therefore, whosoever, and in whatever Dispensation,
hath recognized and attained unto the presence of these glorious, these
resplendent and most excellent Luminaries, hath verily attained unto
the "Presence of God" Himself, and entered the city of eternal and
immortal life. Attainment unto such presence is possible only in the
Day of Resurrection, which is the Day of the rise of God Himself
through His all-embracing Revelation.
[1 Qur'án 57:3.]
This is the meaning of the "Day of Resurrection," spoken of in all the
scriptures, and announced unto all people. Reflect, can a more
precious, a mightier, and more glorious day than this be conceived, so
that man should willingly forego its grace, and deprive himself of its
bounties, which like unto vernal showers are raining from the heaven of
mercy upon all mankind? Having thus conclusively demonstrated that no
day is greater than this Day, and no revelation more glorious than this
Revelation, and having set forth all these weighty and infallible
proofs which no understanding mind can question, and no man of learning
overlook, how can man possibly, through the idle contention of the
people of doubt and fancy, deprive himself of such a bountiful grace?
Have they not heard the well-known tradition: "When the Qá'im riseth,
that day is the Day of Resurrection?" In like manner, the Imams, those
unquenchable lights of divine guidance, have interpreted the verse:
"What can such expect but that God should come down to them
overshadowed with clouds,"[1] -- a sign which they have unquestionably
regarded as one of the features of the Day of Resurrection -- as
referring to Qá'im and His manifestation.
[1 Qur'án 2:210.]
Strive, therefore, O my brother, to grasp the meaning of
"Resurrection," and cleanse thine ears from the idle sayings of these
rejected people. Shouldst thou step into the realm of complete
detachment, thou wilt readily testify that no day is mightier than this
Day, and that no resurrection more awful than this Resurrection can
ever be conceived. One righteous work performed in this Day, equalleth
all the virtuous acts which for myriads of centuries men have practised
-- nay, We ask forgiveness of God for such a comparison! For verily the
reward which such a deed deserveth is immensely beyond and above the
estimate of men. Inasmuch as these undiscerning and wretched souls have
failed to apprehend the true meaning of "Resurrection" and of the
"attainment unto the divine Presence," they therefore have remained
utterly deprived of the grace thereof. Although the sole and
fundamental purpose of all learning, and the toil and labour thereof,
is attainment unto, and the recognition of, this station, yet they are
all immersed in the pursuit of their material studies. They deny
themselves every moment of leisure, and utterly ignore Him, Who is the
Essence of all learning, and the one Object of their quest! Methinks,
their lips have never touched the cup of divine Knowledge, nor do they
seem to have attained even a dewdrop of the showers of heavenly grace.
-- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 141
5)
Resurrection attained through recognition of the Bab, the Independent Prophet.
THE Day of Resurrection is a day on which the sun riseth and setteth
like unto any other day. How oft hath the Day of Resurrection dawned,
and the people of the land where it occurred did not learn of the
event. Had they heard, they would not have believed, and thus they were
not told!
When the Apostle of God [Muhammad] appeared, He did not announce unto
the unbelievers that the Resurrection had come, for they could not bear
the news. That Day is indeed an infinitely mighty Day, for in it the
Divine Tree proclaimeth from eternity unto eternity, 'Verily, I am God.
No God is there but Me'. Yet those who are veiled believe that He is one like unto them, and they refuse even to
call Him a believer, although such a title in the realm of His heavenly
Kingdom is conferred everlastingly upon the most insignificant follower
of His previous Dispensation. Thus, had the people in the days of the
Apostle of God regarded Him at least as a believer of their time how
would they have debarred Him, for seven years while He was in the
mountain, from access to His Holy House [Ka'bah]? Likewise in this
Dispensation of the Point of the Bayan, if the people had not refused
to concede the name believer unto Him, how could they have incarcerated
Him on this mountain, without realizing that the quintessence of belief
oweth its existence to a word from Him? Their hearts are deprived of
the power of true insight, and thus they cannot see, while those
endowed with the eyes of the spirit circle like moths round the Light
of Truth until they are consumed. It is for this reason that the Day of
Resurrection is said to be the greatest of all days, yet it is like
unto any other day. VIII, 9.
-- The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 78
And from the moment when the Tree of the Bayán appeared until it
disappeareth is the Resurrection of the Apostle of God, as is divinely
foretold in the Qur'án; the beginning of which was when two hours and
eleven minutes had passed on the eve of the fifth of Jamádiyu'l-Avval,
1260 A.H., which is the year 1270 of the Declaration of the Mission of
Muhammad. This was the beginning of the Day of Resurrection of the
Qur'án, and until the disappearance of the Tree of divine Reality is
the Resurrection of the Qur'án. The stage of perfection of everything
is reached when its resurrection occurreth. The perfection of the
religion of Islám was consummated at the beginning of this Revelation;
and from the rise of this Revelation until its setting, the fruits of
the Tree of Islám, whatever they are, will become apparent. The
Resurrection of the Bayán will occur atthe time of the appearance of
Him Whom God shall make manifest.
-- The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 107-108
6)
Resurrection attained through
recognition of the Baha'u'llah, the Independent Prophet, who was
imprisoned in Akka, and recognition of the Dependent/Lesser Prophets of
Baha'u'llah (referred to as "the black-eyed damsels").
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 Salvan (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."
-- Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 179
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