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XXII: The Bearers of the Trust of God are made manifest
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The Bearers of the Trust of God are made manifest unto the peoples of the earth as the Exponents
of a new Cause and the Revealers of a new
Message. Inasmuch as these Birds of the celestial
Throne are all sent down from the heaven of the Will
of God, and as they all arise to proclaim His irresistible
Faith, they, therefore, are regarded as one soul
and the same person. For they all drink from the one
Cup of the love of God, and all partake of the fruit
of the same Tree of Oneness. |
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These Manifestations of God have each a twofold
station. One is the station of pure abstraction and
essential unity. In this respect, if thou callest them
all by one name, and dost ascribe to them the same
attributes, thou hast not erred from the truth. Even
as He hath revealed: "No distinction do We make between
any of His Messengers." For they, one and all,
summon the people of the earth to acknowledge the
unity of God, and herald unto them the Kawthar of
an infinite grace and bounty. They are all invested
with the robe of prophethood, and are honored
with the mantle of glory. Thus hath Muhammad,
the Point of the Qur'án, revealed: "I am all the
Prophets." Likewise, He saith: "I am the first Adam,
Noah, Moses, and Jesus." Similar statements have
been made by Imám `Alí. Sayings such as these,
which indicate the essential unity of those Exponents
of Oneness, have also emanated from the Channels
of God's immortal utterance, and the Treasuries of
the gems of Divine knowledge, and have been recorded
in the Scriptures. These Countenances are the
recipients of the Divine Command, and the Day
Springs of His Revelation. This Revelation is exalted
above the veils of plurality and the exigencies of
number. Thus He saith: "Our Cause is but One."
Inasmuch as the Cause is one and the same, the Exponents
thereof also must needs be one and the same.
Likewise, the Imáms of the Muhammadan Faith,
those lamps of certitude, have said: "Muhammad is
our first, Muhammad is our last, Muhammad our all."
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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 splendor! 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.... |
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The other station is the station of distinction, and
pertaineth to the world of creation, and to the limitations
thereof. In this respect, each Manifestation of
God hath a distinct individuality, a definitely prescribed
mission, a predestined revelation, and specially
designated limitations. Each one of them is known
by a different name, is characterized by a special
attribute, fulfils a definite mission, and is entrusted
with a particular Revelation. Even as He saith:
"Some of the Apostles We have caused to excel the
others. To some God hath spoken, some He hath
raised and exalted. And to Jesus, Son of Mary, We
gave manifest signs, and We strengthened Him with
the Holy Spirit."
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It is because of this difference in their station and
mission that the words and utterances flowing from
these Well Springs of Divine knowledge appear to
diverge and differ. Otherwise, in the eyes of them
that are initiated into the mysteries of Divine wisdom,
all their utterances are, in reality, but the
expressions of one Truth. As most of the people have
failed to appreciate those stations to which We have
referred, they, therefore, feel perplexed and dismayed
at the varying utterances pronounced by Manifestations
that are essentially one and the same. |
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It hath ever been evident that all these divergencies
of utterance are attributable to differences of station.
Thus, viewed from the standpoint of their oneness
and sublime detachment, the attributes of Godhead,
Divinity, Supreme Singleness, and Inmost Essence,
have been, and are applicable to those Essences of
Being, inasmuch as they all abide on the throne of
Divine Revelation, and are established upon the seat
of Divine Concealment. Through their appearance
the Revelation of God is made manifest, and by their
countenance the Beauty of God is revealed. Thus it
is that the accents of God Himself have been heard
uttered by these Manifestations of the Divine Being. |
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Viewed in the light of their second station ñ the
station of distinction, differentiation, temporal limitations,
characteristics and standards ñ they manifest
absolute servitude, utter destitution, and complete
self-effacement. Even as He saith: "I am the servant
of God. I am but a man like you."... |
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Were any of the all-embracing Manifestations of
God to declare: "I am God," He, verily, speaketh the
truth, and no doubt attacheth thereto. For it hath
been repeatedly demonstrated that through their
Revelation, their attributes and names, the Revelation
of God, His names and His attributes, are made
manifest in the world. Thus, He hath revealed:
"Those shafts were God's, not Thine." And also He
saith: "In truth, they who plighted fealty unto Thee,
really plighted that fealty unto God." And were any
of them to voice the utterance, "I am the Messenger
of God," He, also, speaketh the truth, the indubitable
truth. Even as He saith: "Muhammad is not the
father of any man among you, but He is the Messenger
of God." Viewed in this light, they are all but
Messengers of that ideal King, that unchangeable
Essence. And were they all to proclaim, "I am the
Seal of the Prophets," they, verily, utter but the
truth, beyond the faintest shadow of doubt. For they
are all but one person, one soul, one spirit, one being,
one revelation. They are all the manifestation of the
"Beginning" and the "End," the "First" and the
"Last," the "Seen" and the "Hidden" ñ all of which pertain
to Him Who is the Innermost Spirit of Spirits
and Eternal Essence of Essences. And were they to
say, "We are the Servants of God," this also is a
manifest and indisputable fact. For they have been
made manifest in the uttermost state of servitude, a
servitude the like of which no man can possibly
attain. Thus in moments in which these Essences of
Being were deep immersed beneath the oceans of
ancient and everlasting holiness, or when they soared
to the loftiest summits of Divine mysteries, they
claimed their utterances to be the Voice of Divinity,
the Call of God Himself. |
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Were the eye of discernment to be opened, it
would recognize that in this very state, they have
considered themselves utterly effaced and non-existent
in the face of Him Who is the All-Pervading,
the Incorruptible. Methinks, they have regarded
themselves as utter nothingness, and deemed their
mention in that Court an act of blasphemy. For the
slightest whispering of self within such a Court is
an evidence of self-assertion and independent existence.
In the eyes of them that have attained unto that
Court, such a suggestion is itself a grievous transgression.
How much more grievous would it be, were
aught else to be mentioned in that Presence, were
man's heart, his tongue, his mind, or his soul, to be
busied with any one but the Well-Beloved, were his
eyes to behold any countenance other than His
beauty, were his ear to be inclined to any melody but
His Voice, and were his feet to tread any way but
His way.... |
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By virtue of this station they have claimed for
themselves the Voice of Divinity and the like, whilst
by virtue of their station of Messengership, they have
declared themselves the Messengers of God. In every
instance they have voiced an utterance that would
conform to the requirements of the occasion, and
have ascribed all these declarations to Themselves,
declarations ranging from the realm of Divine Revelation
to the realm of creation, and from the domain
of Divinity even unto the domain of earthly
existence. Thus it is that whatsoever be their utterance,
whether it pertain to the realm of Divinity,
Lordship, Prophethood, Messengership, Guardianship,
Apostleship, or Servitude, all is true, beyond the
shadow of a doubt. Therefore these sayings which We
have quoted in support of Our argument must be
attentively considered, that the divergent utterances
of the Manifestations of the Unseen and Day Springs
of Holiness may cease to agitate the soul and perplex
the mind. |
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