In the Graden of thy heart plant naught, but the rose of love
Do not speak Evil, so no Evil is spoken about you* Hidden Words on the streets of Isfehan's کلمات مکنونه بر سَرِ فلكه اصلى اصفهان
In the Graden of thy heart plant naught, but the rose of loveDo not speak Evil, so no Evil is spoken about you
*بيانيه اعلام پشتيباني نويسندگان و روزنامه نگاران كردستان در رابطه با تحركات اخير جمهوري اسلامي عليه پيروان آيين بهاييت در ايران
بيت العدل الاعظم
نهادهاي فعال حقوق بشر ايران
نهادهاي ديدبان حقوق بشر در سراسر جهان
دبيركل محترم سازمان ملل متحد
با درودهاي فراوان
از رسانه هاي خبري جمهوري اسلامي و از منابع غير رسمي خبر مي رسد كه"نهاد رهبري" جمهوري اسلامي" با ابلاغ بخشنامه اي موهن به نيروهاي اطلاعاتي، امنيتي، نظامي و انتظامي خود در سراسر ايران، ضمن طرح كليشه هاي كهنه "فرقه ضاله خواندن آيين بهاييت در ايران" و "وابستگي آن به صهيونيسم جهاني" و "لزوم برخورد شديد
" با "اهل بها" در ايران و همچنين ابلاغيه "دادستان كل كشور" به "وزارت اطلاعات" جمهوري اسلامي در همين رابطه، عزم سركوبگر خود را براي طراحي و اجراي يك جنايت سازمان يافته عليه بشريت و پيروان آيين بهاييت در ايران، جزم نموده است.
اصولا "فرقه ضاله" خواندن هريك از گروه هاي آييني داراي پيروان خاص در جهان علاوه بر آنكه در صلاحيت هيچ انساني نيست اكنون ديگر چنان منسوخ و پيش پا افتاده شده است كه طرح هر موضوعي با اين عنوان، "اعصار تاريكي" و "قرون وسطا"، "عصر تفتيش عقايد"، "حاكميت فريبكاران آييني را برآيين" و "سوء استفاده از تاثير آيين بر انسان ها با سوء تفسير و سوء تعبير از مفاهيم بلند آييني توسط معدودي فريبكار در جامه حكومت و روحانيت" به ذهن متبادر مي سازد.
نخستين پرسش ما اين است كه چه كسي به اربابان خون و مرگ و جنايت، اجازه مي دهد هر گروه آييني، ملي، مذهبي، قومي و سياسي دگرانديش را اينگونه با عباراتي چون "فرقه ضاله"، "حزب شيطان"، "ايادي استكبار"، "وابسته"، "مزدور"، "جاسوس" و... متهم و هر آن، از پساب هاي ذهن متحجر و واپس مانده خود به دگرانديشي و دگرانديشان –هواخواهان آشتي و آزادي و دمكراسي و مبارزان عليه ايدئولوژي گرايي ناهنجاري مرده اي به نام جمهوري اسلامي- منتسب سازند.
بيگمان انديشه امروزين بشر با پذيرش تكثر و پلوراليزم در تمامي ابعاد آييني، ملي، مذهبي، زباني، سياسي، فرهنگي و اجتماعي و به طور كلي در همه حوزه ها تنها به مفهوم "انسان" و "انسانيت" ارزش مي گذارد و پس از اين اعتباربخشي، ساير مفاهيم مرتبط را به رسميت شناخته و خود را ملزم به رعايت و پاسداشت حقوق مادي و معنوي گروه هاي گوناگون آييني، ملي، مذهبي، زباني، فرهنگي و اجتماعي مي نمايد.
جهان امروز، دنياي مبارزه با هرگونه ستم آييني، ملي، مذهبي، زباني، فرهنگي و اجتماعي است و دگرانديشي را در كنار تكثرگرايي به عنوان اصلي بديهي و بنيادين پذيرفته و ضمن تعريف سازوكارهاي آن، تمامي مساعي نهادهاي حقوق بشري، فعالان حقوق بشر، نويسندگان، روشنفكران، روزنامه نگاران و حتي نظام هاي حكومتي را به سوي حرمت گذاردن به "ديگري" در عين اختلاف انديشه و سليقه سوق داده است.
ابلاغيه جديد "نهاد رهبري" و "دادستان كل كشور" به وزارت اطلاعات جمهوري اسلامي در لزوم برخورد با "آيين بهاييت" و اطلاق صفت بي مايه و تهي از استدلال "وابستگي به تشكيلات جهاني صهيونيسم"، بار ديگر نشان مي دهد كه نظام جمهوري اسلامي، ناتوان از طراحي توطئه در مقياس كلان و ميانه بين المللي و هراسان از تبعات بحران سازي در ميان مليت هاي ايران، براي سرپوش گذاردن بر بحران عنقريب در حال فروپاشي نظام، دگرباره و چندين باره، سياست"توهم توطئه" و"سركوب" را برگزيده و در اين ميان، پيروان "آيين بهاييت" را در ايران نشانه رفته است.
ما نويسندگان و روزنامه نگاران كردستان-به پيروي از رسالت انساني خود- ضمن آگاهانيدن مردم كردستان به ويژه و ساكنان ايران زمين به طور عام بر اين واقعيت كه "اماكن مقدسه و مركز جهاني بهاييان"، هشتاد سال پيش از تشكيل كشور اسراييل و در عصر امپراتوري عثماني در دو شهر "حيفا" و "عكا" تشكيل و از نظام آييني مستقل و منحصر به خود، برخوردار و پيشواي آيين بهاييت به فرمان حاكمان وقت ايران به آن سرزمين تبعيد شده اند و اساسا هيچگونه رابطه اي ميان صهيونيسم با صبغه سياسي و بهاييت با بنيادهاي آييني وجود ندارد، پشتيباني كامل خود را از "بهاييان كرد"، "بهاييان غير كرد ساكن كردستان"، "قريب به سيصد و پنجاه هزار پيرو آيين بهايي در ايران(بزرگترين اقليت مذهبي غير مسلمان ايران) و بيش از شش ميليون بهايي در سراسر جهان-كه ايشان را به عنوان دومين جمعيت آييني به لحاظ پراكندگي در گستره خاكي تبديل نموده است- ضمن محكوم نمودن تصميمات حكومت در حال فروپاشي جمهوري اسلامي مبني بر لزوم برخورد با "اهل بها" در ايران، آمادگي قلمي و قدمي خود را براي زدودن اين ننگ هزارباره اعلام، و از سازمان ها و نهادهاي حقوق بشري جهان، همچنين احزاب و گروه هاي سياسي كردستان و ساير مليت هاي ايران، صميمانه انتظار داريم با اعلام بيانيه هاي رسمي در محكوميت اين تفتيش عقايد، طرح سركوب "ياران صلح و آشتي"(اهل بها) و "هولوكاست نوين"، از هيچ اقدامي فروگذار ننمايند.
جمعي از نويسندگان و روزنامه نگاران كردستان
-صحت امضاها تاييد و به منظور رعايت اصول امنيتي در آرشيو محفوظ است
*Iran Press Watch: The Baha’is Documenting the Trials of the Baha’i Community in Iran
We are Ashamed!
Editor’s Note: The following is an open letter from a group of academics, writers, artists, journalists and Iranian activists throughout the world to the Baha’i community. This letter has been signed by a large number of the most prominent Iranian intellectuals.
We are ashamed!
A century and a half of oppression and silence is enough!
In the name of goodness and beauty, and in the name of humanity and liberty!
As Iranian human beings, we are ashamed for what has been perpetrated upon the Baha’is in the last century and a half in Iran.
We firmly believe that every Iranian, “without distinction of any kind, such as, race, color, sex, language, religion, politics or other opinions,” and also without regard to ethnic background, “social origin, property, birth or other status,” is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, from the very inception of the Baha’i Faith, the followers of this religion in Iran have been deprived of many provisions of human rights solely on account of their religious convictions.
According to historical documents and evidence, from the commencement of the Babi Movement followed by the appearance of the Baha’i Faith, thousands of our countrymen have been slain by the sword of bigotry and superstition only for their religious beliefs. Just in the first decades of its establishment, some twenty thousand of those who stood identified with this faith community were savagely killed throughout various regions of Iran.
We are ashamed that during that period, no voice of protest against these barbaric murders was registered;
We are ashamed that until today the voice of protest against this heinous crime has been infrequent and muted;
We are ashamed that in addition to the intense suppression of Baha’is during its formative decades, the last century also witnessed periodic episodes of persecution of this group of our countrymen, in which their homes and businesses were set on fire, and their lives, property and families were subjected to brutal persecution – but all the while, the intellectual community of Iran remained silent;
We are ashamed that during the last thirty years, the killing of Baha’is solely on the basis of their religious beliefs has gained legal status and over two-hundred Baha’is have been slain on this account;
We are ashamed that a group of intellectuals have justified coercion against the Baha’i community of Iran;
We are ashamed of our silence that after many decades of service to Iran, Baha’i retired persons have been deprived of their right to a pension;
We are ashamed of our silence that on the account of their fidelity to their religion and truthfulness in stating this conviction, thousands of Baha’i youth have been barred from education in universities and other institutions of higher learning in Iran;
We are ashamed that because of their parents’ religious beliefs, Baha’i children are subjected to denigration in schools and in public.
We are ashamed of our silence over this painful reality that in our nation, Baha’is are systematically oppressed and maligned, a number of them are incarcerated because of their religious convictions, their homes and places of business are attacked and destroyed, and periodically their burial places are desecrated;
We are ashamed of our silence when confronted with the long, dark and atrocious record that our laws and legal system have marginalized and deprived Baha’is of their rights, and the injustice and harassment of both official and unofficial organs of the government towards this group of our countrymen;
We are ashamed for all these transgressions and injustices, and we are ashamed for our silence over these deeds.
We, the undersigned, asked you, the Baha’is, to forgive us for the wrongs committed against the Baha’i community of Iran.
We will no longer be silent when injustice is visited upon you.
We stand by you in achieving all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of the Human Rights.
Let us join hands in replacing hatred and ignorance with love and tolerance.
1. Abdolalian Morteza, Journalist, CJFE Board of Directors - Canada, Oakville
2. Abghari Shahla, Professor, Life University – USA, Atlanta
3. Abghari Siavash, Professor, University of Georgia – USA, Atlanta
4. Ahmadi Ramin, Professor, Yale University – USA, Yale
5. Almasi Nasrin, Managing editor of Shahrvand- Canada, Toronto
6. Bagherpour Khosro, Poet /Journalist – Germany
7. Baradaran Monireh, Writer/Human rights activist - Germany
8. Beyzaie Niloofar, Play writer/Theatre Director – Germany, Frankfurt
9. Boroumand Ladan, Researcher, Boroumand Foundation - USA, Washington
10. Boroumand, Roya, Executive Director, Boroumand Foundation – USA, Washington
11. Choubine Bahram, Researcher/Writer – Germany, Köln
12. Daneshvar Hamid, Actor/Theatre Director – France, Paris
13. Darvishpour Mehrdad, Professor, Stockholm University - Sweden, Stockholm
14. Djalali Chimeh Mohammad (M.sahar), Poet - France, Paris
15. Djanati Atai Behi, Actor/ Writer/Theatre Director – France, Paris
16. Ebrahimi Hadi, Editor-in-chief of Shahrgon, Canada, Vancouver
17. Fani Yazdi Reza, Political analyst - USA
18. Farhoudi Vida, Poet/Translator- France, Paris
19. Forouhar Parastoo, Artist/Human rights activist – Germany, Frankfurt
20. Ghaemi Hadi Coordinator Int. Campaign for HR in Iran - USA
21. Ghahraman Saghi, Poet /Journalist – Canada, Toronto
22. Ghahraman, Sasan, Publisher/Writer/Journalist – Canada, Toronto
23. Javid Jahanshah, Publisher, Iranian [dot] com – Mexico, Chihuahua
24. Kakhsaz Naser, Political analyst – Germany, Bochum
25. Kalbasi Sheema, Poet – USA, Washington
26. Kassraei Farhang, Writer/Actor – Germany, Wiesbaden
27. Khorsandi Hadi, Satirist – Great Britain, London
28. Mahbaz Efat, Women rights activist /Journalist– England, London
29. Malakooty Sirus, Classical Guitar Player/ Composer/ Lecturer - England, London
30. Moshkin Ghalam Shahrokh, Actor/Dancer – France, Paris
31. Mossaed Jila, Poet/Writer - Sweden, Göteborg.
32. Mossallanejad Ezat, Writer/Human right Activist, CCVT – Canada, Toronto
33. Parsa Soheil, Theatre Director - Canada Toronto
34. Sahimi, Muhammad Professor, University of Southern California – USA, California
35. Shafigh Shahla, Writer/Researcher – France, Paris
36. Shemiranie Khosro, Journalist - Canada, Montreal
37. Sheyda Behrooz, Literary Critic/Theorist- Sweden, Stockholm
38. Taghipoor Masoomeh, Actor/Theatre Director - Sweden, Göteborg.
39. Tahavori Mohammad, Journalist, USA, MA Cambridge
40. Vahdati Soheila, Human Rights Activist – USA, California
41. Zahedi Mitra, Theatre Director – Germany, Berlin
42. Zerehi Hassan, Editor-in-chief of Shahrvand, Canada, Toronto
To join the signaturees please contact the following emails.
niloofarbeyzaie@gmx.at, shemiranie@yahoo.com
[Translation by Iran Press Watch]
* نامه سرگشاده گروهی از دانشگاهیان، نویسندگان، هنرمندان، روزنامه نگاران و فعالان ایرانی در سراسر جهان، به جامعه بهایی
ما شرمگینیم!
یک و نیم قرن سرکوب و سکوت کافیست!
به نام نیکی و زیبایی، به نام انسان و به نام آزادی
به عنوان انسان ایرانی، از آنچه طی یک و نیم قرن گذشته در ایران، در حق شما بهاییان روا شده است، ما شرمگینیم
ما بر این باوریم که هر ایرانی باید بتواند "بی هیچگونه تمایزی، بویژه از حیث نژاد، رنگ، جنسیت، زبان، دین، عقیده سیاسی یا هر عقیده دیگر،" و همچنین منشاء قومی یا "اجتماعی، ثروت، ولادت یا هر وضعیت دیگر از تمام حقوق و همه آزادی های ذکر شده" در منشور جهانی حقوق بشر بهره مند شود، اما بهاییان ایران از اولین روزهای ظهور آیین بهائیت، تا به امروزبه خاطر باورهای دینی خود از بسیاری از حقوق انسانی محروم بوده اند.
بنا به شواهد و مستندات تاریخی، ازابتدای شکل گیری آئین بابی و سپس بهائی در ایران، هزاران تن، تنها به دلیل این باورهای دینی خود، به تیغ تعصب و خرافه به قتل رسیده اند. تنها در نخستین دهه میلاد این آیین، نزدیک به بیست هزار تن از وابستگان آن در شهرهای مختلف ایران به قتل رسیدند.
ما شرمگینیم از اینکه در آن دوران صدایی در مخالفت با این کشتار بربرمنشانه ثبت نشده است و
ما شرمگینیم از اینکه تا به امروز نیز صداها در محکومیت این جنایت هولناک جسته و گریخته و نارسا بوده است.
ما شرمگینیم از اینکه علاوه بر سرکوب شدید نخستین دهه های حضور بهاییان، در صد سال گذشته نیز، این گروه از هموطنان ما مورد حمله های ادواری قرار گرفته، منازل و محل کار آنها به آتش کشیده و تخریب شده و به جان و مال و ناموس آنها تجاوز شده اما جامعه روشنفکری ایران در مقابل این فاجعه خاموش مانده است.
ما شرمگینیم از اینکه طی سی سال گذشته قتل بهاییان، تنها به جرم باورهای دینی شان شکل قانونی به خود گرفته و بیش از دویست بهایی به قتل رسیده اند و
ما شرمگینیم از اینکه گروهی از روشنفکران فشار علیه بهاییان را تئوریزه کرده اند.
ما شرمگینیم از سکوت خود در مقابل اینکه بسیاری از سالمندان بهایی پس از ده ها سال خدمت به ایران، از دریافت حقوق بازنشستگی محروم هستند.
ما شرمگینیم از خاموشی خود در مقابل اینکه هزاران جوان بهایی، به دلیل باورهای دینی خود و صداقت در بیان این اعتقادات، از امکان تحصیل در دانشگاه ها و مدارس آموزش عالی ایران محروم هستند.
ما شرمگینیم از سکوت خود در مقابل اینکه کودکان بهایی به دلیل باورهای دینی والدین خود، در مدارس و معابر مورد تحقیر قرار می گیرند.
ما شرمگینیم از خاموشی خود در مقابل این واقعیت دردناک که در میهن ما فشار و تحقیر علیه بهاییان به طور سیستماتیک اعمال می شود، تعدادی فقط به خاطر این باور دینی در زندان به سر می برند و خانه ها و محل کار آنها مورد حمله و تخریب قرارمی گیرد و گاه حتی آرامگاه های مردگان این گروه از هموطنان ما از تعرض به دور نمی ماند.
ما شرمگینیم از سکوت خود در برابر سیاهه طولانی، اندوه بار و دهشتناکِ حق کشی های نهادینه شده در قوانین کشور ما علیه بهاییان، و بی عدالتی ها و فشارهای دستگاه های رسمی و غیررسمی در مورد این گروه از هموطنان
ما شرمگینیم به دلیل اعمال جنایت ها و بی عدالتی ها و ما شرمگینیم به دلیل سکوت خود در برابر این اعمال.
ما امضا کنندگان این نوشته، از شما بهاییان، بویژه از قربانیان جنایت ها علیه بهاییان ایران، پوزش می خواهیم.
ما بیش از این دربرابر بی عدالتی در مورد شما سکوت نمی کنیم.
ما در راه رسیدن به حقوق انسانی تصریح شده در منشور جهانی حقوق بشر در کنار شما می ایستیم.
باشد تا عشق و آگاهی را جایگزین نفرت و جهل کنیم.
پانزده بهمن 1387 – سوم فوریه 2009
- ابراهیمی هادی – سردبیر شهرگان – کانادا، ونکور
- احمدی رامین – استاد دانشگاه و فعال حقوق بشر– آمریکا، یل
- الماسی نسرین – مدیر تحریریه شهروند - کانادا – تورنتو
- باقرپور خسرو – شاعر و روزنامه نگار – آلمان
- برادران منیره – نویسنده و فعال حقوق بشر – آلمان
- برومند رویا – مدیر اجرایی بنیاد برومند – آمریکا، واشنگتن
- برومند لادن – پژوهشگر، بنیاد برومند- آمریکا، واشنگتن
- بیضایی نیلوفر – نمایشنامه نویس وکارگردان تئاتر – آلمان، فرانکفورت
- پارسا سهیل – کارگردان تئاتر – کانادا، تورنتو
- تقی پور معصومه – بازیگر و کارگردان تئاتر – سوئد، گوته بورگ
- تهوری محمد – روزنامه نگار – آمریکا، ماساچوست
- جاوید جهانشاه – ناشر – ایرانیان دات کام – مکزیک
- جلالی چیمه محمد (م سحر) – شاعر – فرانسه، پاریس
- جنتی عطایی بهی - بازیگر، نویسنده و کارگردان تئاتر – فرانسه، پاریس
- چوبینه بهرام - نویسنده و پژوهشگر – آلمان، کلن
- خرسندی هادی – طنز پرداز – انگلستان، لندن
- دانشور حمید – بازیگر و کارگردان تئاتر – فرانسه، پاریس
- درویش پور مهرداد – استاد دانشگاه – سوئد، استکهلم
- زاهدی میترا – کارگردان تئاتر – آلمان، برلین
- زرهی حسن – سردبیر شهروند – کانادا، تورنتو
- سهیمی محمد – استاد دانشگاه – آمریکا، کالیفرنیا
- شفیق شهلا – نویسنده و پژوهشگر – فرانسه، پاریس
- شمیرانی خسرو – روزنامه نگار – کانادا، مونترال
- شیدا بهروز – منتقد و پژوهشگر ادبی - سوئد، استکهلم
- عبدالعلیان مرتضی – عضو هثئت مدیره سی.جی.اف.ای – کانادا، اکویل
- عبقری سیاوش – استاد دانشگاه – ایالات متحده، آتلانتا
- عبقری شهلا – استاد دانشگاه – ایالات متحده، آتلانتا
- فانی یزدی رضا – تحلیلگر سیاسی - آمریکا
- فرهودی ویدا – شاعر و مترجم – فرانسه، پاریس
- فروهر پرستو – هنرمند و فعال حقوق بشر – آلمان، فرانکفورت
- قائمی هادی – هماهنگ کننده کمپین بین اللملی حقوق بشر در ایران - آمریکا
- قهرمان ساسان – نویسنده و روزنامه نگار - کانادا، تورنتو
- قهرمان ساقی – شاعر و روزنامه نگار - کانادا، تورنتو
- کاخساز ناصر - پژوهشگر و تحلیلگر سیاسی – آلمان، بوخوم
- کسرایی فرهنگ – نویسنده و بازیگر تئاتر – آلمان، ویسبادن
- کلباسی شیما – شاعر – آمریکا، واشنگتن
- ماهباز عفت – فعال حقوق زن و روزنامه نگار – انگلیس، لندن
- مساعد ژیلا – شاعر و نویسنده – سوئد، گوتبورگ
- مشکین قلم شاهرخ – هنرپیشه و رقصنده – فرانسه، پاریس
- مصلی نژاد عزت – نویسنده و فعال حقوق بشر- کانون کانادایی قربانیان شکنجه – کانادا، تورنتو
- ملکوتی سیروس – نوازنده، آهنگساز و استاد گیتار کلاسیک – انگلستان، لندن
- وحدتی سهیلا – فعال حقوق بشر – آمریکا، کالیفرنیا
دانشگاهیان، نویسندگان، هنرمندان، روزنامه نگاران و تلاشگران ایرانی حقوق بشر که مایل هستند به جمع امضا کنندگان بپیوندند، می توانند با ای میل های زیر تماس بگیرید. ده روز پس از اولین انتشار، در روز سیزدهم فوریه 2009 این نامه با لیست کامل امضا کنندگان منتشر خواهد شد.
*The Seven Valleys
This etext is based on:
"The Seven Valleys and The Four Valleys" by Bahá'u'lláh
Translated by Marzieh Gail in consultation with Ali Quli Khan
Bahá'í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois 60091
Copyright 1945, 1952, (c) 1973, 1975, 1978 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States
All Rights Reserved
Third edition reprinted 1986
ISBN 0-87743-113-2
ISBN 0-87743-114-0
Availability of this etext in no way modifies the copyright status of the above publication.
This etext is freely available through anonymous internet file-sharing.
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1
In the Name of God, the Clement, the Merciful.
Praise be to God Who hath made being to come forth from nothingness; graven upon the tablet of man the secrets of preexistence; taught him from the mysteries of divine utterance that which he knew not; made him a Luminous Book unto those who believed and surrendered themselves; caused him to witness the creation of all things (Kullu Shay') in this black and ruinous age, and to speak forth from the apex of eternity with a wondrous voice in the Excellent Temple [1]: to the end that every man may testify, in himself, by himself, in the station of the Manifestation of his Lord, that verily there is no God save Him, and that every man may thereby win his way to the 2 summit of realities, until none shall contemplate anything whatsoever but that he shall see God therein.
[1 The Manifestation.]
And I praise and glorify the first sea which hath branched from the ocean of the Divine Essence, and the first morn which hath glowed from the Horizon of Oneness, and the first sun which hath risen in the Heaven of Eternity, and the first fire which was lit from the Lamp of Preexistence in the lantern of singleness: He who was Ahmad in the kingdom of the exalted ones, and Muhammad amongst the concourse of the near ones, and Mahmud [1] in the realm of the sincere ones. "...by whichsoever (name) ye will, invoke Him: He hath most excellent names" [2] in the hearts of those who know. And upon His household and companions be abundant and abiding and eternal peace!
[1 Muhammad, Ahmad and Mahmud are names and titles of the Prophet, derived from the verb "to praise," "to exalt.
[2 Qur'án 17:110.]
Further, we have harkened to what the nightingale of knowledge sang on the boughs of the tree of thy being, and learned what the dove of certitude cried on the branches of the bower of thy heart. Methinks I verily inhaled the pure fragrances of the garment of thy love, and " 3 attained thy very meeting from perusing thy letter. And since I noted thy mention of thy death in God, and thy life through Him, and thy love for the beloved of God and the Manifestations of His Names and the Dawning-Points of His Attributes -- I therefore reveal unto thee sacred and resplendent tokens from the planes of glory, to attract thee into the court of holiness and nearness and beauty, and draw thee to a station wherein thou shalt see nothing in creation save the Face of thy Beloved One, the Honored, and behold all created things only as in the day wherein none hath a mention.
Of this hath the nightingale of oneness sung in the garden of Ghawthiyyih.[1] He saith: "And there shall appear upon the tablet of thine heart a writing of the subtle mysteries of 'Fear God and God will give you knowledge'; [2] and the bird of thy soul shall recall the holy sanctuaries of preexistence and soar on the wings of longing in the heaven of 'walk the beaten paths of thy Lord', [3] and gather the fruits of communion in the gardens of 'Then feed on every kind of fruit.'" [3]
[1 Sermon by Ali.]
[2 Qur'án 2:282.]
[3 Qur'án 16:71.]
By My life, O friend, wert thou to taste of these fruits, from the green garden of these 4 blossoms which grow in the lands of knowledge, beside the orient lights of the Essence in the mirrors of names and attributes -- yearning would seize the reins of patience and reserve from out thy hand, and make thy soul to shake with the flashing light, and draw thee from the earthly homeland to the first, heavenly abode in the Center of Realities, and lift thee to a plane wherein thou wouldst soar in the air even as thou walkest upon the earth, and move over the water as thou runnest on the land. Wherefore, may it rejoice Me, and thee, and whosoever mounteth into the heaven of knowledge, and whose heart is refreshed by this, that the wind of certitude hath blown over the garden of his being, from the Sheba of the All-Merciful.
Peace be upon him who followeth the Right Path!
And further: The stages that mark the wayfarer's journey from the abode of dust to the heavenly homeland are said to be seven. Some have called these Seven Valleys, and others, Seven Cities. And they say that until the wayfarer taketh leave of self, and traverseth these stages, he shall never reach to the ocean of nearness and union, nor drink of the peerless wine. The first is 5 THE VALLEY OF SEARCH.
The steed of this Valley is patience; without patience the wayfarer on this journey will reach nowhere and attain no goal. Nor should he ever be downhearted; if he strive for a hundred thousand years and yet fail to behold the beauty of the Friend, he should not falter. For those who seek the Ka'bih [1] of "for Us" rejoice in the tidings: "In Our ways will We guide them." [2] In their search, they have stoutly girded up the loins of service, and seek at every moment to journey from the plane of heedlessness into the realm of being. No bond shall hold them back, and no counsel shall deter them.
[1 The holy Sanctuary at Mecca. Here the word means"goal."]
[2 Qur'án 29:69: "And whoso maketh efforts for Us, in Our ways will We guide them."]
It is incumbent on these servants that they cleanse the heart -- which is the wellspring of divine treasures -- from every marking, and that they turn away from imitation, which is following the traces of their forefathers and sires, and shut the door of friendliness and enmity upon all the people of the earth.
In this journey the seeker reacheth a stage wherein he seeth all created things wandering 6 distracted in search of the Friend. How many a Jacob will he see, hunting after his Joseph; he will behold many a lover, hasting to seek the Beloved, he will witness a world of desiring ones searching after the One Desired. At every moment he findeth a weighty matter, in every hour he becometh aware of a mystery; for he hath taken his heart away from both worlds, and set out for the Ka'bih [1] of the Beloved. At every step, aid from the Invisible Realm will attend him and the heat of his search will grow.
[1 The holy Sanctuary at Mecca. Here the word means"goal."]
One must judge of search by the standard of the Majnun of Love. [1] It is related that one day they came upon Majnun sifting the dust, and his tears flowing down. They said, "What doest thou?" He said, "I seek for Layli." They cried, "Alas for thee! Layli is of pure spirit, and thou seekest her in the dust!" He said, "I seek her everywhere; haply somewhere I shall find her."
[1 Literally, Majnun means "insane." This is the title of the celebrated lover of ancient Persian and Arabian lore, whose beloved was Layli, daughter of an Arabian prince. Symbolizing true human love bordering on the divine, the story has been made the theme of many a Persian romantic poem, particularly that of Nizami, written in 1188-1189 A.D.
Yea, although to the wise it be shameful to 7 seek the Lord of Lords in the dust, yet this betokeneth intense ardor in searching. "Whoso seeketh out a thing with zeal shall find it." [1]
[1 Arabian proverb.]
The true seeker hunteth naught but the object of his quest, and the lover hath no desire save union with his beloved. Nor shall the seeker reach his goal unless he sacrifice all things. That is, whatever he hath seen, and heard, and understood, all must he set at naught, that he may enter the realm of the spirit, which is the City of God. Labor is needed, if we are to seek Him; ardor is needed, if we are to drink of the honey of reunion with Him; and if we taste of this cup, we shall cast away the world.
On this journey the traveler abideth in every land and dwelleth in every region. In every face, he seeketh the beauty of the Friend; in every country he looketh for the Beloved. He joineth every company, and seeketh fellowship with every soul, that haply in some mind he may uncover the secret of the Friend, or in some face he may behold the beauty of the Loved One.
And if, by the help of God, he findeth on this journey a trace of the traceless Friend, and inhaleth the fragrance of the long-lost Joseph 8 from the heavenly messenger, [1] he shall straightway step into THE VALLEY OF LOVE and be dissolved in the fire of love. In this city the heaven of ecstasy is upraised and the world-illuming sun of yearning shineth, and the fire of love is ablaze; and when the fire of love is ablaze, it burneth to ashes the harvest of reason.
[1 Refer to the story of Joesph in the Qur'án and the Old Testament.]
Now is the traveler unaware of himself, and of aught besides himself. He seeth neither ignorance nor knowledge, neither doubt nor certitude; he knoweth not the morn of guidance from the night of error. He fleeth both from unbelief and faith, and deadly poison is a balm to him. Wherefore Attar [1] saith:
[1 Faridu'd-Din Attar (ca. 1150-1230 A.D.), the great Persian Sufi poet.]
For the infidel, error -- for the faithful, faith;
For Attar's heart, an atom of Thy pain.
The steed of this Valley is pain; and if there be no pain this journey will never end. In this station the lover hath no thought save the Beloved, and seeketh no refuge save the Friend. 9
At every moment he offereth a hundred lives in the path of the Loved One, at every step he throweth a thousand heads at the feet of the Beloved.
O My Brother! Until thou enter the Egypt of love, thou shalt never come to the Joseph of the Beauty of the Friend; and until, like Jacob, thou forsake thine outward eyes, thou shalt never open the eye of thine inward being; and until thou burn with the fire of love, thou shalt never commune with the Lover of Longing.
A lover feareth nothing and no harm can come nigh him: Thou seest him chill in the fire and dry in the sea.
A lover is he who is chill in hell fire;
A knower is he who is dry in the sea. [1]
[1 Persian mystic poem.]
Love accepteth no existence and wisheth no life: He seeth life in death, and in shame seeketh glory. To merit the madness of love, man must abound in sanity; to merit the bonds of the Friend, he must be full of spirit. Blessed the neck that is caught in His noose, happy the head that falleth on the dust in the pathway of His love. Wherefore, O friend, give up thy self that thou mayest find the Peerless One, pass by this mortal earth that thou mayest seek 10 a home in the nest of heaven. Be as naught, if thou wouldst kindle the fire of being and be fit for the pathway of love.
Love seizeth not upon a living soul,
The falcon preyeth not on a dead mouse. [1]
[1 Persian mystic poem. Cf. The Hidden Words, No. 7, Arabic.]
Love setteth a world aflame at every turn, and he wasteth every land where he carrieth his banner. Being hath no existence in his kingdom; the wise wield no command within his realm. The leviathan of love swalloweth the master of reason and destroyeth the lord of knowledge. He drinketh the seven seas, but his heart's thirst is still unquenched, and he saith, "Is there yet any more?" [1] He shunneth himself and draweth away from all on earth.
[1 Qur'án 50:29.]
Love's a stranger to earth and heaven too;
In him are lunacies seventy-and-two. [1]
[1 Jalalu'd-Din Rumi (1207-1273 A.D.); The Mathnavi. Jalalu'd-Din, called Mawlana ("our Master"), is the greatest of all Persian Sufi poets, and founder of the Mawlavi "whirling" dervish order.]
He hath bound a myriad victims in his fetters, wounded a myriad wise men with his arrow. Know that every redness in the world is from 11 his anger, and every paleness in men's cheeks is from his poison. He yieldeth no remedy but death, he walketh not save in the valley of the shadow; yet sweeter than honey is his venom on the lover's lips, and fairer his destruction in the seeker's eyes than a hundred thousand lives.
Wherefore must the veils of the satanic self be burned away at the fire of love, that the spirit may be purified and cleansed and thus may know the station of the Lord of the Worlds.
Kindle the fire of love and burn away all things,
Then set thy foot into the land of the lovers. [1]
[1 From an ode by Bahá'u'lláh.]
And if, confirmed by the Creator, the lover escapes from the claws of the eagle of love, he will enter THE VALLEY OF KNOWLEDGE and come out of doubt into certitude, and turn from the darkness of illusion to the guiding light of the fear of God. His inner eyes will open and he will privily converse with his Beloved; he will set ajar the gate of truth and piety, and shut the doors of vain imaginings. 12
He in this station is content with the decree of God, and seeth war as peace, and findeth in death the secrets of everlasting life. With inward and outward eyes he witnesseth the mysteries of resurrection in the realms of creation and the souls of men, and with a pure heart apprehendeth the divine wisdom in the endless Manifestations of God. In the ocean he findeth a drop, in a drop he beholdeth the secrets of the sea.
Split the atom's heart, and lo!
Within it thou wilt find a sun. [1]
[1 Persian mystic poem.]
The wayfarer in this Valley seeth in the fashionings of the True One nothing save clear providence, and at every moment saith: "No defect canst thou see in the creation of the God of Mercy: Repeat the gaze: Seest thou a single flaw?" [1] He beholdeth justice in injustice, and in justice, grace. In ignorance he findeth many a knowledge hidden, and in knowledge a myriad wisdoms manifest. He breaketh the cage of the body and the passions, and consorteth with the people of the immortal realm. He mounteth on the ladders of inner truth and hasteneth to the heaven of inner significance. He rideth in the ark of "we shall show them our signs in 13 the regions and in themselves," [2] and journeyeth over the sea of "until it become plain to them that (this Book) is the truth."[2] And if he meeteth with injustice he shall have patience, and if he cometh upon wrath he shall manifest love.
[1 Qur'án 67:3.]
[2 Qur'án 41:53.]
There was once a lover who had sighed for long years in separation from his beloved, and wasted in the fire of remoteness. From the rule of love, his heart was empty of patience, and his body weary of his spirit; he reckoned life without her as a mockery, and time consumed him away. How many a day he found no rest in longing for her; how many a night the pain of her kept him from sleep; his body was worn to a sigh, his heart's wound had turned him to a cry of sorrow. He had given a thousand lives for one taste of the cup of her presence, but it availed him not. The doctors knew no cure for him, and companions avoided his company; yea, physicians have no medicine for one sick of love, unless the favor of the beloved one deliver him.
At last, the tree of his longing yielded the fruit of despair, and the fire of his hope fell to ashes. Then one night he could live no more, and he went out of his house and made for the marketplace. On a sudden, a watchman followed 14 after him. He broke into a run, with the watchman following; then other watchmen came together, and barred every passage to the weary one. And the wretched one cried from his heart, and ran here and there, and moaned to himself: "Surely this watchman is Izra'il, my angel of death, following so fast upon me; or he is a tyrant of men, seeking to harm me." His feet carried him on, the one bleeding with the arrow of love, and his heart lamented. Then he came to a garden wall, and with untold pain he scaled it, for it proved very high; and forgetting his life, he threw himself down to the garden.
And there he beheld his beloved with a lamp in her hand, searching for a ring she had lost. When the heart-surrendered lover looked on his ravishing love, he drew a great breath and raised up his hands in prayer, crying: "O God! Give Thou glory to the watchman, and riches and long life. For the watchman was Gabriel, guiding this poor one; or he was Israfil, bringing life to this wretched one!"
Indeed, his words were true, for he had found many a secret justice in this seeming tyranny of the watchman, and seen how many a mercy lay hid behind the veil. Out of wrath, the guard had led him who was athirst in love's desert to the sea of his loved one, and 15 lit up the dark night of absence with the light of reunion. He had driven one who was afar, into the garden of nearness, had guided an ailing soul to the heart's physician.
Now if the lover could have looked ahead, he would have blessed the watchman at the start, and prayed on his behalf, and he would have seen that tyranny as justice; but since the end was veiled to him, he moaned and made his plaint in the beginning. Yet those who journey in the garden land of knowledge, because they see the end in the beginning, see peace in war and friendliness in anger.
Such is the state of the wayfarers in this Valley; but the people of the Valleys above this see the end and the beginning as one; nay, they see neither beginning nor end, and witness neither "first" nor "last." [1] Nay rather, the denizens of the undying city, who dwell in the green garden land, see not even "neither first nor last"; they fly from all that is first, and repulse all that is last. For these have passed over the worlds of names, and fled beyond the worlds of attributes as swift as lightning. Thus is it said: "Absolute Unity excludeth all attributes." [2] And they have made their dwelling-place in the shadow of the Essence.
[1 Qur'án 57:3.]
[2 Saying attributed to Ali.] 16
Wherefore, relevant to this, Khajih Abdu'llah [1] -- may God the Most High sanctify his beloved spirit -- hath made a subtle point and spoken an eloquent word as to the meaning of "Guide Thou us on the straight path," [2] which is: "Show us the right way, that is, honor us with the love of Thine Essence, that we may be freed from turning toward ourselves and toward all else save Thee, and may become wholly Thine, and know only Thee, and see only Thee, and think of none save Thee."
[1 Shaykh Abu Isma'il Abdu'llah Ansari of Hirat (1006-1088 A.D.) Sufi leader, descended from the Prophet's companion Abu Ayyub. Chiefly known for his Munajat (Supplications) and Ruba'iyyat (Quatrains)."Ansar" means the "Helpers" or companions of Muhammad in Medina.
[2 Qur'án 1:5.]
Nay, these even mount above this station, wherefore it is said:
Love is a veil betwixt the lover and the loved one;
More than this I am not permitted to tell. [1]
[1 Jalalu'd-Din Rumi (1207-1273 A.D.); The Mathnavi. Jalalu'd-Din, called Mawlana ("our Master"), is the greatest of all Persian Sufi poets, and founder of the Mawlavi "whirling" dervish order.
At this hour the morn of knowledge hath arisen and the lamps of wayfaring and wandering are quenched. [1]
[1 This refers to the mystic wandering and search for truth guided by "Lights" or Sufi leaders. Bahá'u'lláh here warns the mystics that the coming of the Divine Manifestation in His Day makes further search unnecessary, as it was said by Ali: "Quench the lamp when the sun hath risen" -- the sun referring to the Manifestation of God in the New Day. 17
Veiled from this was Moses
Though all strength and light;
Then thou who hast no wings at all,
Attempt not flight. [1]
[1 Jalalu'd-Din Rumi (1207-1273 A.D.); The Mathnavi. Jalalu'd-Din, called Mawlana ("our Master"), is the greatest of all Persian Sufi poets, and founder of the Mawlavi "whirling" dervish order.
If thou be a man of communion and prayer, soar up on the wings of assistance from Holy Souls, that thou mayest behold the mysteries of the Friend and attain to the lights of the Beloved, "Verily, we are from God and to Him shall we return." [1]
[1 Qur'án 2:151.]
After passing through the Valley of knowledge, which is the last plane of limitation, the wayfarer cometh to THE VALLEY OF UNITY and drinketh from the cup of the Absolute, and gazeth on the Manifestations of Oneness. In this station he pierceth the veils of plurality, fleeth from the worlds of the flesh, and ascendeth into the heaven of singleness. With the ear of God he heareth, with the eye of God he beholdeth the mysteries of divine creation. He steppeth into the sanctuary of the Friend, and 18 shareth as an intimate the pavilion of the Loved One. He stretcheth out the hand of truth from the sleeve of the Absolute; he revealeth the secrets of power. He seeth in himself neither name nor fame nor rank, but findeth his own praise in praising God. He beholdeth in his own name the name of God; to him, "all songs are from the King," [1] and every melody from Him. He sitteth on the throne of "Say, all is from God," [2] and taketh his rest on the carpet of "There is no power or might but in God." [3] He looketh on all things with the eye of oneness, and seeth the brilliant rays of the divine sun shining from the dawning-point of Essence alike on all created things, and the lights of singleness reflected over all creation.
[1 Jalalu'd-Din Rumi (1207-1273 A.D.); The Mathnavi. Jalalu'd-Din, called Mawlana ("our Master"), is the greatest of all Persian Sufi poets, and founder of the Mawlavi "whirling" dervish order.]
[2 Qur'án 4:80.]
[3 Qur'án 18:37.]
It is clear to thine Eminence that all the variations which the wayfarer in the stages of his journey beholdeth in the realms of being, proceed from his own vision. We shall give an example of this, that its meaning may become fully clear: Consider the visible sun; although it shineth with one radiance upon all things, and at the behest of the King of Manifestation bestoweth light on all creation, yet in each place it becometh manifest and sheddeth its 19 bounty according to the potentialities of that place. For instance, in a mirror it reflecteth its own disk and shape, and this is due to the sensitivity of the mirror; in a crystal it maketh fire to appear, and in other things it showeth only the effect of its shining, but not its full disk. And yet, through that effect, by the command of the Creator, it traineth each thing according to the quality of that thing, as thou observest.
In like manner, colors become visible in every object according to the nature of that object. For instance, in a yellow globe, the rays shine yellow; in a white the rays are white; and in a red, the red rays are manifest. Then these variations are from the object, not from the shining light. And if a place be shut away from the light, as by walls or a roof, it will be entirely bereft of the splendor of the light, nor will the sun shine thereon.
Thus it is that certain invalid souls have confined the lands of knowledge within the wall of self and passion, and clouded them with ignorance and blindness, and have been veiled from the light of the mystic sun and the mysteries of the Eternal Beloved; they have strayed afar from the jewelled wisdom of the lucid Faith of the Lord of Messengers, have been shut out of the sanctuary of the 20 All-Beauteous One, and banished from the Ka'bih [1] of splendor. Such is the worth of the people of this age!
[1 The holy Sanctuary at Mecca. Here the word means"goal."]
And if a nightingale [1] soar upward from the clay of self and dwell in the rose bower of the heart, and in Arabian melodies and sweet Iranian songs recount the mysteries of God -- a single word of which quickeneth to fresh, new life the bodies of the dead, and bestoweth the Holy Spirit upon the moldering bones of this existence -- thou wilt behold a thousand claws of envy, a myriad beaks of rancor hunting after Him and with all their power intent upon His death.
[1 This refers to Bahá'u'lláh's own Manifestation.]
Yea, to the beetle a sweet fragrance seemeth foul, and to the man sick of a rheum a pleasant perfume is as naught. Wherefore, it hath been said for the guidance of the ignorant:
Cleanse thou the rheum from out thine head
And breathe the breath of God instead. [1]
[1 Jalalu'd-Din Rumi (1207-1273 A.D.); The Mathnavi. Jalalu'd-Din, called Mawlana ("our Master"), is the greatest of all Persian Sufi poets, and founder of the Mawlavi "whirling" dervish order.]
In sum, the differences in objects have now been made plain. Thus when the wayfarer gazeth only upon the place of appearance -- that is, when he seeth only the many-colored globes -- he beholdeth yellow and red and white; hence it is that conflict hath prevailed among the 21 creatures, and a darksome dust from limited souls hath hid the world. And some do gaze upon the effulgence of the light; and some have drunk of the wine of oneness and these see nothing but the sun itself.
Thus, for that they move on these three differing planes, the understanding and the words of the wayfarers have differed; and hence the sign of conflict doth continually appear on earth. For some there are who dwell upon the plane of oneness and speak of that world, and some inhabit the realms of limitation, and some the grades of self, while others are completely veiled. Thus do the ignorant people of the day, who have no portion of the radiance of Divine Beauty, make certain claims, and in every age and cycle inflict on the people of the sea of oneness what they themselves deserve. "Should God punish men for their perverse doings, He would not leave on earth a moving thing! But to an appointed term doth He respite them...." [1]
[1 Qur'án 16:63.]
O My Brother! A pure heart is as a mirror; cleanse it with the burnish of love and severance from all save God, that the true sun may shine within it and the eternal morning dawn. Then wilt thou clearly see the meaning of "Neither doth My earth nor My heaven contain Me, 22 but the heart of My faithful servant containeth Me." [1] And thou wilt take up thy life in thine hand, and with infinite longing cast it before the new Beloved One.
[1 Hadith, i.e. action or utterance traditionally attributed to the Prophet Muhammad or to one of the holy Imams.]
Whensoever the light of Manifestation of the King of Oneness settleth upon the throne of the heart and soul, His shining becometh visible in every limb and member. At that time the mystery of the famed tradition gleameth out of the darkness: "A servant is drawn unto Me in prayer until I answer him; and when I have answered him, I become the ear wherewith he heareth...." For thus the Master of the house hath appeared within His home, and all the pillars of the dwelling are ashine with His light. And the action and effect of the light are from the Light-Giver; so it is that all move through Him and arise by His will. And this is that spring whereof the near ones drink, as it is said: "A fount whereof the near unto God shall drink...." [1]
[1 Qur'án 83:28.]
However, let none construe these utterances to be anthropomorphism, nor see in them the descent of the worlds of God into the grades of the creatures; nor should they lead thine Eminence to such assumptions. For God is, in 23 His Essence, holy above ascent and descent, entrance and exit; He hath through all eternity been free of the attributes of human creatures, and ever will remain so. No man hath ever known Him; no soul hath ever found the pathway to His Being. Every mystic knower hath wandered far astray in the valley of the knowledge of Him; every saint hath lost his way in seeking to comprehend His Essence. Sanctified is He above the understanding of the wise; exalted is He above the knowledge of the knowing! The way is barred and to seek it is impiety; His proof is His signs; His being is His evidence. [1]
[1 Sermon by Ali.]
Wherefore, the lovers of the face of the Beloved have said: "O Thou, the One Whose Essence alone showeth the way to His Essence, and Who is sanctified above any likeness to His creatures."[1] How can utter nothingness gallop its steed in the field of preexistence, or a fleeting shadow reach to the everlasting sun? The Friend [2] hath said, "But for Thee, we had not known Thee," and the Beloved [2] hath said, "nor attained Thy presence."
[1 Hadith, i.e. action or utterance traditionally attributed to the Prophet Muhammad or to one of the holy Imams.]
[2 The Prophet Muhammad.]
Yea, these mentionings that have been made of the grades of knowledge relate to the knowledge of the Manifestations of that Sun of Reality, which casteth Its light upon the Mirrors. 24 And the splendor of that light is in the hearts, yet it is hidden under the veilings of sense and the conditions of this earth, even as a candle within a lantern of iron, and only when the lantern is removed doth the light of the candle shine out.
In like manner, when thou strippest the wrappings of illusion from off thine heart, the lights of oneness will be made manifest.
Then it is clear that even for the rays there is neither entrance nor exit -- how much less for that Essence of Being and that longed-for Mystery. O My Brother, journey upon these planes in the spirit of search, not in blind imitation. A true wayfarer will not be kept back by the bludgeon of words nor debarred by the warning of allusions.
How shall a curtain part the lover and the loved one?
Not Alexander's wall can separate them! [1]
[1 Hafiz: Shamsu'd-Din Muhammad, of Shiraz, died ca. 1389 A.D. One of the greatest of Persian poets.]
Secrets are many, but strangers are myriad. Volumes will not suffice to hold the mystery of the Beloved One, nor can it be exhausted in these pages, although it be no more than a word, no more than a sign. "Knowledge is a 25 single point, but the ignorant have multiplied it." [1]
[1 Hadith, i.e. action or utterance traditionally attributed to the Prophet Muhammad or to one of the holy Imams.]
On this same basis, ponder likewise the differences among the worlds. Although the divine worlds be never ending, yet some refer to them as four: The world of time (zaman), which is the one that hath both a beginning and an end; the world of duration (dahr), which hath a beginning, but whose end is not revealed; the world of perpetuity (sarmad), whose beginning is not to be seen but which is known to have an end; and the world of eternity (azal), neither a beginning nor an end of which is visible. Although there are many differing statements as to these points, to recount them in detail would result in weariness. Thus, some have said that the world of perpetuity hath neither beginning nor end, and have named the world of eternity as the invisible, impregnable Empyrean. Others have called these the worlds of the Heavenly Court (Lahut), of the Empyrean Heaven (Jabarut), of the Kingdom of the Angels (Malakut), and of the mortal world (Nasut).
The journeys in the pathway of love are reckoned as four: From the creatures to the True One; from the True One to the creatures; from the creatures to the creatures; from the True One to the True One. 26
There is many an utterance of the mystic seers and doctors of former times which I have not mentioned here, since I mislike the copious citation from sayings of the past; for quotation from the words of others proveth acquired learning, not the divine bestowal. Even so much as We have quoted here is out of deference to the wont of men and after the manner of the friends. Further, such matters are beyond the scope of this epistle. Our unwillingness to recount their sayings is not from pride, rather is it a manifestation of wisdom and a demonstration of grace.
If Khidr did wreck the vessel on the sea,
Yet in this wrong there are a thousand rights. [1]
[1 Jalalu'd-Din Rumi (1207-1273 A.D.); The Mathnavi. Jalalu'd-Din, called Mawlana ("our Master"), is the greatest of all Persian Sufi poets, and founder of the Mawlavi "whirling" dervish order.]
Otherwise, this Servant regardeth Himself as utterly lost and as nothing, even beside one of the beloved of God, how much less in the presence of His holy ones. Exalted be My Lord, the Supreme! Moreover, our aim is to recount the stages of the wayfarer's journey, not to set forth the conflicting utterances of the mystics.
Although a brief example hath been given concerning the beginning and ending of the relative world, the world of attributes, yet a 27 second illustration is now added, that the full meaning may be manifest. For instance, let thine Eminence consider his own self; thou art first in relation to thy son, last in relation to thy father. In thine outward appearance, thou tellest of the appearance of power in the realms of divine creation; in thine inward being thou revealest the hidden mysteries which are the divine trust deposited within thee. And thus firstness and lastness, outwardness and inwardness are, in the sense referred to, true of thyself, that in these four states conferred upon thee thou shouldst comprehend the four divine states, and that the nightingale of thine heart on all the branches of the rosetree of existence, whether visible or concealed, should cry out: "He is the first and the last, the Seen and the Hidden...." [1]
[1 Qur'án 57:3.]
These statements are made in the sphere of that which is relative, because of the limitations of men. Otherwise, those personages who in a single step have passed over the world of the relative and the limited, and dwelt on the fair plane of the Absolute, and pitched their tent in the worlds of authority and command -- have burned away these relativities with a single spark, and blotted out these words with a drop 28 of dew. And they swim in the sea of the spirit, and soar in the holy air of light. Then what life have words, on such a plane, that "first" and "last" or other than these be seen or mentioned! In this realm, the first is the last itself, and the last is but the first.
In thy soul of love build thou a fire
And burn all thoughts and words entire. [1]
[1 Jalalu'd-Din Rumi (1207-1273 A.D.); The Mathnavi. Jalalu'd-Din, called Mawlana ("our Master"), is the greatest of all Persian Sufi poets, and founder of the Mawlavi "whirling" dervish order.]
O my friend, look upon thyself: Hadst thou not become a father nor begotten a son, neither wouldst thou have heard these sayings. Now forget them all, that thou mayest learn from the Master of Love in the schoolhouse of oneness, and return unto God, and forsake the inner land of unreality [1] for thy true station, and dwell within the shadow of the tree of knowledge.
[1 This refers to the Sufi idea of the inner plane, which compared to Revealed Truth is but unreal.]
O thou dear one! Impoverish thyself, that thou mayest enter the high court of riches; and humble thy body, that thou mayest drink from the river of glory, and attain to the full meaning of the poems whereof thou hadst asked.
Thus it hath been made clear that these stages depend on the vision of the wayfarer. In every city he will behold a world, in every Valley 29 reach a spring, in every meadow hear a song. But the falcon of the mystic heaven hath many a wondrous carol of the spirit in His breast, and the Persian bird keepeth in His soul many a sweet Arab melody; yet these are hidden, and hidden shall remain.
If I speak forth, many a mind will shatter,
And if I write, many a pen will break. [1], [2]
[1 Jalalu'd-Din Rumi (1207-1273 A.D.); The Mathnavi. Jalalu'd-Din, called Mawlana ("our Master"), is the greatest of all Persian Sufi poets, and founder of the Mawlavi "whirling" dervish order.]
[2 This refers to Bahá'u'lláh Himself, Who had not yet declared His mission.]
Peace be upon him who concludeth this exalted journey and followeth the True One by the lights of guidance.
And the wayfarer, after traversing the high planes of this supernal journey, entereth THE VALLEY OF CONTENTMENT.
In this Valley he feeleth the winds of divine contentment blowing from the plane of the spirit. He burneth away the veils of want, and with inward and outward eye, perceiveth within and without all things the day of: "God will compensate each one out of His abundance."[1] From sorrow he turneth to bliss, from anguish to joy. His grief and mourning yield to delight and rapture.
[1 Qur'án 4:129.] 30
Although to outward view, the wayfarers in this Valley may dwell upon the dust, yet inwardly they are throned in the heights of mystic meaning; they eat of the endless bounties of inner significances, and drink of the delicate wines of the spirit.
The tongue faileth in describing these three Valleys, and speech falleth short. The pen steppeth not into this region, the ink leaveth only a blot. In these planes, the nightingale of the heart hath other songs and secrets, which make the heart to stir and the soul to clamor, but this mystery of inner meaning may be whispered only from heart to heart, confided only from breast to breast.
Only heart to heart can speak the bliss of mystic knowers;
No messenger can tell it and no missive bear it. [1]
[1 Hafiz: Shamsu'd-Din Muhammad, of Shiraz, died ca. 1389 A.D. One of the greatest of Persian poets.]
I am silent from weakness on many a matter,
For my words could not reckon them and my speech would fall short. [1]
[1 Arabian poem.]
O friend, till thou enter the garden of such mysteries, thou shalt never set lip to the undying wine of this Valley. And shouldst thou 31 taste of it, thou wilt shield thine eyes from all things else, and drink of the wine of contentment; and thou wilt loose thyself from all things else, and bind thyself to Him, and throw thy life down in His path, and cast thy soul away. However, there is no other in this region that thou need forget: "There was God and there was naught beside Him." [1] For on this plane the traveler witnesseth the beauty of the Friend in everything. Even in fire, he seeth the face of the Beloved. He beholdeth in illusion the secret of reality, and readeth from the attributes the riddle of the Essence. For he hath burnt away the veils with his sighing, and unwrapped the shroudings with a single glance; with piercing sight he gazeth on the new creation; with lucid heart he graspeth subtle verities. This is sufficiently attested by: "And we have made thy sight sharp in this day." [2]
[1 Hadith, i.e. action or utterance traditionally attributed to the Prophet Muhammad or to one of the holy Imams.]
[2 From Qur'án 50:21.]
After journeying through the planes of pure contentment, the traveler cometh to THE VALLEY OF WONDERMENT and is tossed in the oceans of grandeur, and at every moment his wonder groweth. Now he seeth the shape of wealth as poverty itself, and the essence of freedom as sheer impotence. 32
Now is he struck dumb with the beauty of the All-Glorious; again is he wearied out with his own life. How many a mystic tree hath this whirlwind of wonderment snatched by the roots, how many a soul hath it exhausted. For in this Valley the traveler is flung into confusion, albeit, in the eye of him who hath attained, such marvels are esteemed and well beloved. At every moment he beholdeth a wondrous world, a new creation, and goeth from astonishment to astonishment, and is lost in awe at the works of the Lord of Oneness.
Indeed, O Brother, if we ponder each created thing, we shall witness a myriad perfect wisdoms and learn a myriad new and wondrous truths. One of the created phenomena is the dream. Behold how many secrets are deposited therein, how many wisdoms treasured up, how many worlds concealed. Observe, how thou art asleep in a dwelling, and its doors are barred; on a sudden thou findest thyself in a far-off city, which thou enterest without moving thy feet or wearying thy body; without using thine eyes, thou seest; without taxing thine ears, thou hearest; without a tongue, thou speakest. And perchance when ten years are gone, thou wilt witness in the outer world the very things thou hast dreamed tonight.
"The Seven Valleys and The Four Valleys" by Bahá'u'lláh
Translated by Marzieh Gail in consultation with Ali Quli Khan
Bahá'í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois 60091
Copyright 1945, 1952, (c) 1973, 1975, 1978 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States
All Rights Reserved
Third edition reprinted 1986
ISBN 0-87743-113-2
ISBN 0-87743-114-0
Availability of this etext in no way modifies the copyright status of the above publication.
This etext is freely available through anonymous internet file-sharing.
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1
In the Name of God, the Clement, the Merciful.
Praise be to God Who hath made being to come forth from nothingness; graven upon the tablet of man the secrets of preexistence; taught him from the mysteries of divine utterance that which he knew not; made him a Luminous Book unto those who believed and surrendered themselves; caused him to witness the creation of all things (Kullu Shay') in this black and ruinous age, and to speak forth from the apex of eternity with a wondrous voice in the Excellent Temple [1]: to the end that every man may testify, in himself, by himself, in the station of the Manifestation of his Lord, that verily there is no God save Him, and that every man may thereby win his way to the 2 summit of realities, until none shall contemplate anything whatsoever but that he shall see God therein.
[1 The Manifestation.]
And I praise and glorify the first sea which hath branched from the ocean of the Divine Essence, and the first morn which hath glowed from the Horizon of Oneness, and the first sun which hath risen in the Heaven of Eternity, and the first fire which was lit from the Lamp of Preexistence in the lantern of singleness: He who was Ahmad in the kingdom of the exalted ones, and Muhammad amongst the concourse of the near ones, and Mahmud [1] in the realm of the sincere ones. "...by whichsoever (name) ye will, invoke Him: He hath most excellent names" [2] in the hearts of those who know. And upon His household and companions be abundant and abiding and eternal peace!
[1 Muhammad, Ahmad and Mahmud are names and titles of the Prophet, derived from the verb "to praise," "to exalt.
[2 Qur'án 17:110.]
Further, we have harkened to what the nightingale of knowledge sang on the boughs of the tree of thy being, and learned what the dove of certitude cried on the branches of the bower of thy heart. Methinks I verily inhaled the pure fragrances of the garment of thy love, and " 3 attained thy very meeting from perusing thy letter. And since I noted thy mention of thy death in God, and thy life through Him, and thy love for the beloved of God and the Manifestations of His Names and the Dawning-Points of His Attributes -- I therefore reveal unto thee sacred and resplendent tokens from the planes of glory, to attract thee into the court of holiness and nearness and beauty, and draw thee to a station wherein thou shalt see nothing in creation save the Face of thy Beloved One, the Honored, and behold all created things only as in the day wherein none hath a mention.
Of this hath the nightingale of oneness sung in the garden of Ghawthiyyih.[1] He saith: "And there shall appear upon the tablet of thine heart a writing of the subtle mysteries of 'Fear God and God will give you knowledge'; [2] and the bird of thy soul shall recall the holy sanctuaries of preexistence and soar on the wings of longing in the heaven of 'walk the beaten paths of thy Lord', [3] and gather the fruits of communion in the gardens of 'Then feed on every kind of fruit.'" [3]
[1 Sermon by Ali.]
[2 Qur'án 2:282.]
[3 Qur'án 16:71.]
By My life, O friend, wert thou to taste of these fruits, from the green garden of these 4 blossoms which grow in the lands of knowledge, beside the orient lights of the Essence in the mirrors of names and attributes -- yearning would seize the reins of patience and reserve from out thy hand, and make thy soul to shake with the flashing light, and draw thee from the earthly homeland to the first, heavenly abode in the Center of Realities, and lift thee to a plane wherein thou wouldst soar in the air even as thou walkest upon the earth, and move over the water as thou runnest on the land. Wherefore, may it rejoice Me, and thee, and whosoever mounteth into the heaven of knowledge, and whose heart is refreshed by this, that the wind of certitude hath blown over the garden of his being, from the Sheba of the All-Merciful.
Peace be upon him who followeth the Right Path!
And further: The stages that mark the wayfarer's journey from the abode of dust to the heavenly homeland are said to be seven. Some have called these Seven Valleys, and others, Seven Cities. And they say that until the wayfarer taketh leave of self, and traverseth these stages, he shall never reach to the ocean of nearness and union, nor drink of the peerless wine. The first is 5 THE VALLEY OF SEARCH.
The steed of this Valley is patience; without patience the wayfarer on this journey will reach nowhere and attain no goal. Nor should he ever be downhearted; if he strive for a hundred thousand years and yet fail to behold the beauty of the Friend, he should not falter. For those who seek the Ka'bih [1] of "for Us" rejoice in the tidings: "In Our ways will We guide them." [2] In their search, they have stoutly girded up the loins of service, and seek at every moment to journey from the plane of heedlessness into the realm of being. No bond shall hold them back, and no counsel shall deter them.
[1 The holy Sanctuary at Mecca. Here the word means"goal."]
[2 Qur'án 29:69: "And whoso maketh efforts for Us, in Our ways will We guide them."]
It is incumbent on these servants that they cleanse the heart -- which is the wellspring of divine treasures -- from every marking, and that they turn away from imitation, which is following the traces of their forefathers and sires, and shut the door of friendliness and enmity upon all the people of the earth.
In this journey the seeker reacheth a stage wherein he seeth all created things wandering 6 distracted in search of the Friend. How many a Jacob will he see, hunting after his Joseph; he will behold many a lover, hasting to seek the Beloved, he will witness a world of desiring ones searching after the One Desired. At every moment he findeth a weighty matter, in every hour he becometh aware of a mystery; for he hath taken his heart away from both worlds, and set out for the Ka'bih [1] of the Beloved. At every step, aid from the Invisible Realm will attend him and the heat of his search will grow.
[1 The holy Sanctuary at Mecca. Here the word means"goal."]
One must judge of search by the standard of the Majnun of Love. [1] It is related that one day they came upon Majnun sifting the dust, and his tears flowing down. They said, "What doest thou?" He said, "I seek for Layli." They cried, "Alas for thee! Layli is of pure spirit, and thou seekest her in the dust!" He said, "I seek her everywhere; haply somewhere I shall find her."
[1 Literally, Majnun means "insane." This is the title of the celebrated lover of ancient Persian and Arabian lore, whose beloved was Layli, daughter of an Arabian prince. Symbolizing true human love bordering on the divine, the story has been made the theme of many a Persian romantic poem, particularly that of Nizami, written in 1188-1189 A.D.
Yea, although to the wise it be shameful to 7 seek the Lord of Lords in the dust, yet this betokeneth intense ardor in searching. "Whoso seeketh out a thing with zeal shall find it." [1]
[1 Arabian proverb.]
The true seeker hunteth naught but the object of his quest, and the lover hath no desire save union with his beloved. Nor shall the seeker reach his goal unless he sacrifice all things. That is, whatever he hath seen, and heard, and understood, all must he set at naught, that he may enter the realm of the spirit, which is the City of God. Labor is needed, if we are to seek Him; ardor is needed, if we are to drink of the honey of reunion with Him; and if we taste of this cup, we shall cast away the world.
On this journey the traveler abideth in every land and dwelleth in every region. In every face, he seeketh the beauty of the Friend; in every country he looketh for the Beloved. He joineth every company, and seeketh fellowship with every soul, that haply in some mind he may uncover the secret of the Friend, or in some face he may behold the beauty of the Loved One.
And if, by the help of God, he findeth on this journey a trace of the traceless Friend, and inhaleth the fragrance of the long-lost Joseph 8 from the heavenly messenger, [1] he shall straightway step into THE VALLEY OF LOVE and be dissolved in the fire of love. In this city the heaven of ecstasy is upraised and the world-illuming sun of yearning shineth, and the fire of love is ablaze; and when the fire of love is ablaze, it burneth to ashes the harvest of reason.
[1 Refer to the story of Joesph in the Qur'án and the Old Testament.]
Now is the traveler unaware of himself, and of aught besides himself. He seeth neither ignorance nor knowledge, neither doubt nor certitude; he knoweth not the morn of guidance from the night of error. He fleeth both from unbelief and faith, and deadly poison is a balm to him. Wherefore Attar [1] saith:
[1 Faridu'd-Din Attar (ca. 1150-1230 A.D.), the great Persian Sufi poet.]
For the infidel, error -- for the faithful, faith;
For Attar's heart, an atom of Thy pain.
The steed of this Valley is pain; and if there be no pain this journey will never end. In this station the lover hath no thought save the Beloved, and seeketh no refuge save the Friend. 9
At every moment he offereth a hundred lives in the path of the Loved One, at every step he throweth a thousand heads at the feet of the Beloved.
O My Brother! Until thou enter the Egypt of love, thou shalt never come to the Joseph of the Beauty of the Friend; and until, like Jacob, thou forsake thine outward eyes, thou shalt never open the eye of thine inward being; and until thou burn with the fire of love, thou shalt never commune with the Lover of Longing.
A lover feareth nothing and no harm can come nigh him: Thou seest him chill in the fire and dry in the sea.
A lover is he who is chill in hell fire;
A knower is he who is dry in the sea. [1]
[1 Persian mystic poem.]
Love accepteth no existence and wisheth no life: He seeth life in death, and in shame seeketh glory. To merit the madness of love, man must abound in sanity; to merit the bonds of the Friend, he must be full of spirit. Blessed the neck that is caught in His noose, happy the head that falleth on the dust in the pathway of His love. Wherefore, O friend, give up thy self that thou mayest find the Peerless One, pass by this mortal earth that thou mayest seek 10 a home in the nest of heaven. Be as naught, if thou wouldst kindle the fire of being and be fit for the pathway of love.
Love seizeth not upon a living soul,
The falcon preyeth not on a dead mouse. [1]
[1 Persian mystic poem. Cf. The Hidden Words, No. 7, Arabic.]
Love setteth a world aflame at every turn, and he wasteth every land where he carrieth his banner. Being hath no existence in his kingdom; the wise wield no command within his realm. The leviathan of love swalloweth the master of reason and destroyeth the lord of knowledge. He drinketh the seven seas, but his heart's thirst is still unquenched, and he saith, "Is there yet any more?" [1] He shunneth himself and draweth away from all on earth.
[1 Qur'án 50:29.]
Love's a stranger to earth and heaven too;
In him are lunacies seventy-and-two. [1]
[1 Jalalu'd-Din Rumi (1207-1273 A.D.); The Mathnavi. Jalalu'd-Din, called Mawlana ("our Master"), is the greatest of all Persian Sufi poets, and founder of the Mawlavi "whirling" dervish order.]
He hath bound a myriad victims in his fetters, wounded a myriad wise men with his arrow. Know that every redness in the world is from 11 his anger, and every paleness in men's cheeks is from his poison. He yieldeth no remedy but death, he walketh not save in the valley of the shadow; yet sweeter than honey is his venom on the lover's lips, and fairer his destruction in the seeker's eyes than a hundred thousand lives.
Wherefore must the veils of the satanic self be burned away at the fire of love, that the spirit may be purified and cleansed and thus may know the station of the Lord of the Worlds.
Kindle the fire of love and burn away all things,
Then set thy foot into the land of the lovers. [1]
[1 From an ode by Bahá'u'lláh.]
And if, confirmed by the Creator, the lover escapes from the claws of the eagle of love, he will enter THE VALLEY OF KNOWLEDGE and come out of doubt into certitude, and turn from the darkness of illusion to the guiding light of the fear of God. His inner eyes will open and he will privily converse with his Beloved; he will set ajar the gate of truth and piety, and shut the doors of vain imaginings. 12
He in this station is content with the decree of God, and seeth war as peace, and findeth in death the secrets of everlasting life. With inward and outward eyes he witnesseth the mysteries of resurrection in the realms of creation and the souls of men, and with a pure heart apprehendeth the divine wisdom in the endless Manifestations of God. In the ocean he findeth a drop, in a drop he beholdeth the secrets of the sea.
Split the atom's heart, and lo!
Within it thou wilt find a sun. [1]
[1 Persian mystic poem.]
The wayfarer in this Valley seeth in the fashionings of the True One nothing save clear providence, and at every moment saith: "No defect canst thou see in the creation of the God of Mercy: Repeat the gaze: Seest thou a single flaw?" [1] He beholdeth justice in injustice, and in justice, grace. In ignorance he findeth many a knowledge hidden, and in knowledge a myriad wisdoms manifest. He breaketh the cage of the body and the passions, and consorteth with the people of the immortal realm. He mounteth on the ladders of inner truth and hasteneth to the heaven of inner significance. He rideth in the ark of "we shall show them our signs in 13 the regions and in themselves," [2] and journeyeth over the sea of "until it become plain to them that (this Book) is the truth."[2] And if he meeteth with injustice he shall have patience, and if he cometh upon wrath he shall manifest love.
[1 Qur'án 67:3.]
[2 Qur'án 41:53.]
There was once a lover who had sighed for long years in separation from his beloved, and wasted in the fire of remoteness. From the rule of love, his heart was empty of patience, and his body weary of his spirit; he reckoned life without her as a mockery, and time consumed him away. How many a day he found no rest in longing for her; how many a night the pain of her kept him from sleep; his body was worn to a sigh, his heart's wound had turned him to a cry of sorrow. He had given a thousand lives for one taste of the cup of her presence, but it availed him not. The doctors knew no cure for him, and companions avoided his company; yea, physicians have no medicine for one sick of love, unless the favor of the beloved one deliver him.
At last, the tree of his longing yielded the fruit of despair, and the fire of his hope fell to ashes. Then one night he could live no more, and he went out of his house and made for the marketplace. On a sudden, a watchman followed 14 after him. He broke into a run, with the watchman following; then other watchmen came together, and barred every passage to the weary one. And the wretched one cried from his heart, and ran here and there, and moaned to himself: "Surely this watchman is Izra'il, my angel of death, following so fast upon me; or he is a tyrant of men, seeking to harm me." His feet carried him on, the one bleeding with the arrow of love, and his heart lamented. Then he came to a garden wall, and with untold pain he scaled it, for it proved very high; and forgetting his life, he threw himself down to the garden.
And there he beheld his beloved with a lamp in her hand, searching for a ring she had lost. When the heart-surrendered lover looked on his ravishing love, he drew a great breath and raised up his hands in prayer, crying: "O God! Give Thou glory to the watchman, and riches and long life. For the watchman was Gabriel, guiding this poor one; or he was Israfil, bringing life to this wretched one!"
Indeed, his words were true, for he had found many a secret justice in this seeming tyranny of the watchman, and seen how many a mercy lay hid behind the veil. Out of wrath, the guard had led him who was athirst in love's desert to the sea of his loved one, and 15 lit up the dark night of absence with the light of reunion. He had driven one who was afar, into the garden of nearness, had guided an ailing soul to the heart's physician.
Now if the lover could have looked ahead, he would have blessed the watchman at the start, and prayed on his behalf, and he would have seen that tyranny as justice; but since the end was veiled to him, he moaned and made his plaint in the beginning. Yet those who journey in the garden land of knowledge, because they see the end in the beginning, see peace in war and friendliness in anger.
Such is the state of the wayfarers in this Valley; but the people of the Valleys above this see the end and the beginning as one; nay, they see neither beginning nor end, and witness neither "first" nor "last." [1] Nay rather, the denizens of the undying city, who dwell in the green garden land, see not even "neither first nor last"; they fly from all that is first, and repulse all that is last. For these have passed over the worlds of names, and fled beyond the worlds of attributes as swift as lightning. Thus is it said: "Absolute Unity excludeth all attributes." [2] And they have made their dwelling-place in the shadow of the Essence.
[1 Qur'án 57:3.]
[2 Saying attributed to Ali.] 16
Wherefore, relevant to this, Khajih Abdu'llah [1] -- may God the Most High sanctify his beloved spirit -- hath made a subtle point and spoken an eloquent word as to the meaning of "Guide Thou us on the straight path," [2] which is: "Show us the right way, that is, honor us with the love of Thine Essence, that we may be freed from turning toward ourselves and toward all else save Thee, and may become wholly Thine, and know only Thee, and see only Thee, and think of none save Thee."
[1 Shaykh Abu Isma'il Abdu'llah Ansari of Hirat (1006-1088 A.D.) Sufi leader, descended from the Prophet's companion Abu Ayyub. Chiefly known for his Munajat (Supplications) and Ruba'iyyat (Quatrains)."Ansar" means the "Helpers" or companions of Muhammad in Medina.
[2 Qur'án 1:5.]
Nay, these even mount above this station, wherefore it is said:
Love is a veil betwixt the lover and the loved one;
More than this I am not permitted to tell. [1]
[1 Jalalu'd-Din Rumi (1207-1273 A.D.); The Mathnavi. Jalalu'd-Din, called Mawlana ("our Master"), is the greatest of all Persian Sufi poets, and founder of the Mawlavi "whirling" dervish order.
At this hour the morn of knowledge hath arisen and the lamps of wayfaring and wandering are quenched. [1]
[1 This refers to the mystic wandering and search for truth guided by "Lights" or Sufi leaders. Bahá'u'lláh here warns the mystics that the coming of the Divine Manifestation in His Day makes further search unnecessary, as it was said by Ali: "Quench the lamp when the sun hath risen" -- the sun referring to the Manifestation of God in the New Day. 17
Veiled from this was Moses
Though all strength and light;
Then thou who hast no wings at all,
Attempt not flight. [1]
[1 Jalalu'd-Din Rumi (1207-1273 A.D.); The Mathnavi. Jalalu'd-Din, called Mawlana ("our Master"), is the greatest of all Persian Sufi poets, and founder of the Mawlavi "whirling" dervish order.
If thou be a man of communion and prayer, soar up on the wings of assistance from Holy Souls, that thou mayest behold the mysteries of the Friend and attain to the lights of the Beloved, "Verily, we are from God and to Him shall we return." [1]
[1 Qur'án 2:151.]
After passing through the Valley of knowledge, which is the last plane of limitation, the wayfarer cometh to THE VALLEY OF UNITY and drinketh from the cup of the Absolute, and gazeth on the Manifestations of Oneness. In this station he pierceth the veils of plurality, fleeth from the worlds of the flesh, and ascendeth into the heaven of singleness. With the ear of God he heareth, with the eye of God he beholdeth the mysteries of divine creation. He steppeth into the sanctuary of the Friend, and 18 shareth as an intimate the pavilion of the Loved One. He stretcheth out the hand of truth from the sleeve of the Absolute; he revealeth the secrets of power. He seeth in himself neither name nor fame nor rank, but findeth his own praise in praising God. He beholdeth in his own name the name of God; to him, "all songs are from the King," [1] and every melody from Him. He sitteth on the throne of "Say, all is from God," [2] and taketh his rest on the carpet of "There is no power or might but in God." [3] He looketh on all things with the eye of oneness, and seeth the brilliant rays of the divine sun shining from the dawning-point of Essence alike on all created things, and the lights of singleness reflected over all creation.
[1 Jalalu'd-Din Rumi (1207-1273 A.D.); The Mathnavi. Jalalu'd-Din, called Mawlana ("our Master"), is the greatest of all Persian Sufi poets, and founder of the Mawlavi "whirling" dervish order.]
[2 Qur'án 4:80.]
[3 Qur'án 18:37.]
It is clear to thine Eminence that all the variations which the wayfarer in the stages of his journey beholdeth in the realms of being, proceed from his own vision. We shall give an example of this, that its meaning may become fully clear: Consider the visible sun; although it shineth with one radiance upon all things, and at the behest of the King of Manifestation bestoweth light on all creation, yet in each place it becometh manifest and sheddeth its 19 bounty according to the potentialities of that place. For instance, in a mirror it reflecteth its own disk and shape, and this is due to the sensitivity of the mirror; in a crystal it maketh fire to appear, and in other things it showeth only the effect of its shining, but not its full disk. And yet, through that effect, by the command of the Creator, it traineth each thing according to the quality of that thing, as thou observest.
In like manner, colors become visible in every object according to the nature of that object. For instance, in a yellow globe, the rays shine yellow; in a white the rays are white; and in a red, the red rays are manifest. Then these variations are from the object, not from the shining light. And if a place be shut away from the light, as by walls or a roof, it will be entirely bereft of the splendor of the light, nor will the sun shine thereon.
Thus it is that certain invalid souls have confined the lands of knowledge within the wall of self and passion, and clouded them with ignorance and blindness, and have been veiled from the light of the mystic sun and the mysteries of the Eternal Beloved; they have strayed afar from the jewelled wisdom of the lucid Faith of the Lord of Messengers, have been shut out of the sanctuary of the 20 All-Beauteous One, and banished from the Ka'bih [1] of splendor. Such is the worth of the people of this age!
[1 The holy Sanctuary at Mecca. Here the word means"goal."]
And if a nightingale [1] soar upward from the clay of self and dwell in the rose bower of the heart, and in Arabian melodies and sweet Iranian songs recount the mysteries of God -- a single word of which quickeneth to fresh, new life the bodies of the dead, and bestoweth the Holy Spirit upon the moldering bones of this existence -- thou wilt behold a thousand claws of envy, a myriad beaks of rancor hunting after Him and with all their power intent upon His death.
[1 This refers to Bahá'u'lláh's own Manifestation.]
Yea, to the beetle a sweet fragrance seemeth foul, and to the man sick of a rheum a pleasant perfume is as naught. Wherefore, it hath been said for the guidance of the ignorant:
Cleanse thou the rheum from out thine head
And breathe the breath of God instead. [1]
[1 Jalalu'd-Din Rumi (1207-1273 A.D.); The Mathnavi. Jalalu'd-Din, called Mawlana ("our Master"), is the greatest of all Persian Sufi poets, and founder of the Mawlavi "whirling" dervish order.]
In sum, the differences in objects have now been made plain. Thus when the wayfarer gazeth only upon the place of appearance -- that is, when he seeth only the many-colored globes -- he beholdeth yellow and red and white; hence it is that conflict hath prevailed among the 21 creatures, and a darksome dust from limited souls hath hid the world. And some do gaze upon the effulgence of the light; and some have drunk of the wine of oneness and these see nothing but the sun itself.
Thus, for that they move on these three differing planes, the understanding and the words of the wayfarers have differed; and hence the sign of conflict doth continually appear on earth. For some there are who dwell upon the plane of oneness and speak of that world, and some inhabit the realms of limitation, and some the grades of self, while others are completely veiled. Thus do the ignorant people of the day, who have no portion of the radiance of Divine Beauty, make certain claims, and in every age and cycle inflict on the people of the sea of oneness what they themselves deserve. "Should God punish men for their perverse doings, He would not leave on earth a moving thing! But to an appointed term doth He respite them...." [1]
[1 Qur'án 16:63.]
O My Brother! A pure heart is as a mirror; cleanse it with the burnish of love and severance from all save God, that the true sun may shine within it and the eternal morning dawn. Then wilt thou clearly see the meaning of "Neither doth My earth nor My heaven contain Me, 22 but the heart of My faithful servant containeth Me." [1] And thou wilt take up thy life in thine hand, and with infinite longing cast it before the new Beloved One.
[1 Hadith, i.e. action or utterance traditionally attributed to the Prophet Muhammad or to one of the holy Imams.]
Whensoever the light of Manifestation of the King of Oneness settleth upon the throne of the heart and soul, His shining becometh visible in every limb and member. At that time the mystery of the famed tradition gleameth out of the darkness: "A servant is drawn unto Me in prayer until I answer him; and when I have answered him, I become the ear wherewith he heareth...." For thus the Master of the house hath appeared within His home, and all the pillars of the dwelling are ashine with His light. And the action and effect of the light are from the Light-Giver; so it is that all move through Him and arise by His will. And this is that spring whereof the near ones drink, as it is said: "A fount whereof the near unto God shall drink...." [1]
[1 Qur'án 83:28.]
However, let none construe these utterances to be anthropomorphism, nor see in them the descent of the worlds of God into the grades of the creatures; nor should they lead thine Eminence to such assumptions. For God is, in 23 His Essence, holy above ascent and descent, entrance and exit; He hath through all eternity been free of the attributes of human creatures, and ever will remain so. No man hath ever known Him; no soul hath ever found the pathway to His Being. Every mystic knower hath wandered far astray in the valley of the knowledge of Him; every saint hath lost his way in seeking to comprehend His Essence. Sanctified is He above the understanding of the wise; exalted is He above the knowledge of the knowing! The way is barred and to seek it is impiety; His proof is His signs; His being is His evidence. [1]
[1 Sermon by Ali.]
Wherefore, the lovers of the face of the Beloved have said: "O Thou, the One Whose Essence alone showeth the way to His Essence, and Who is sanctified above any likeness to His creatures."[1] How can utter nothingness gallop its steed in the field of preexistence, or a fleeting shadow reach to the everlasting sun? The Friend [2] hath said, "But for Thee, we had not known Thee," and the Beloved [2] hath said, "nor attained Thy presence."
[1 Hadith, i.e. action or utterance traditionally attributed to the Prophet Muhammad or to one of the holy Imams.]
[2 The Prophet Muhammad.]
Yea, these mentionings that have been made of the grades of knowledge relate to the knowledge of the Manifestations of that Sun of Reality, which casteth Its light upon the Mirrors. 24 And the splendor of that light is in the hearts, yet it is hidden under the veilings of sense and the conditions of this earth, even as a candle within a lantern of iron, and only when the lantern is removed doth the light of the candle shine out.
In like manner, when thou strippest the wrappings of illusion from off thine heart, the lights of oneness will be made manifest.
Then it is clear that even for the rays there is neither entrance nor exit -- how much less for that Essence of Being and that longed-for Mystery. O My Brother, journey upon these planes in the spirit of search, not in blind imitation. A true wayfarer will not be kept back by the bludgeon of words nor debarred by the warning of allusions.
How shall a curtain part the lover and the loved one?
Not Alexander's wall can separate them! [1]
[1 Hafiz: Shamsu'd-Din Muhammad, of Shiraz, died ca. 1389 A.D. One of the greatest of Persian poets.]
Secrets are many, but strangers are myriad. Volumes will not suffice to hold the mystery of the Beloved One, nor can it be exhausted in these pages, although it be no more than a word, no more than a sign. "Knowledge is a 25 single point, but the ignorant have multiplied it." [1]
[1 Hadith, i.e. action or utterance traditionally attributed to the Prophet Muhammad or to one of the holy Imams.]
On this same basis, ponder likewise the differences among the worlds. Although the divine worlds be never ending, yet some refer to them as four: The world of time (zaman), which is the one that hath both a beginning and an end; the world of duration (dahr), which hath a beginning, but whose end is not revealed; the world of perpetuity (sarmad), whose beginning is not to be seen but which is known to have an end; and the world of eternity (azal), neither a beginning nor an end of which is visible. Although there are many differing statements as to these points, to recount them in detail would result in weariness. Thus, some have said that the world of perpetuity hath neither beginning nor end, and have named the world of eternity as the invisible, impregnable Empyrean. Others have called these the worlds of the Heavenly Court (Lahut), of the Empyrean Heaven (Jabarut), of the Kingdom of the Angels (Malakut), and of the mortal world (Nasut).
The journeys in the pathway of love are reckoned as four: From the creatures to the True One; from the True One to the creatures; from the creatures to the creatures; from the True One to the True One. 26
There is many an utterance of the mystic seers and doctors of former times which I have not mentioned here, since I mislike the copious citation from sayings of the past; for quotation from the words of others proveth acquired learning, not the divine bestowal. Even so much as We have quoted here is out of deference to the wont of men and after the manner of the friends. Further, such matters are beyond the scope of this epistle. Our unwillingness to recount their sayings is not from pride, rather is it a manifestation of wisdom and a demonstration of grace.
If Khidr did wreck the vessel on the sea,
Yet in this wrong there are a thousand rights. [1]
[1 Jalalu'd-Din Rumi (1207-1273 A.D.); The Mathnavi. Jalalu'd-Din, called Mawlana ("our Master"), is the greatest of all Persian Sufi poets, and founder of the Mawlavi "whirling" dervish order.]
Otherwise, this Servant regardeth Himself as utterly lost and as nothing, even beside one of the beloved of God, how much less in the presence of His holy ones. Exalted be My Lord, the Supreme! Moreover, our aim is to recount the stages of the wayfarer's journey, not to set forth the conflicting utterances of the mystics.
Although a brief example hath been given concerning the beginning and ending of the relative world, the world of attributes, yet a 27 second illustration is now added, that the full meaning may be manifest. For instance, let thine Eminence consider his own self; thou art first in relation to thy son, last in relation to thy father. In thine outward appearance, thou tellest of the appearance of power in the realms of divine creation; in thine inward being thou revealest the hidden mysteries which are the divine trust deposited within thee. And thus firstness and lastness, outwardness and inwardness are, in the sense referred to, true of thyself, that in these four states conferred upon thee thou shouldst comprehend the four divine states, and that the nightingale of thine heart on all the branches of the rosetree of existence, whether visible or concealed, should cry out: "He is the first and the last, the Seen and the Hidden...." [1]
[1 Qur'án 57:3.]
These statements are made in the sphere of that which is relative, because of the limitations of men. Otherwise, those personages who in a single step have passed over the world of the relative and the limited, and dwelt on the fair plane of the Absolute, and pitched their tent in the worlds of authority and command -- have burned away these relativities with a single spark, and blotted out these words with a drop 28 of dew. And they swim in the sea of the spirit, and soar in the holy air of light. Then what life have words, on such a plane, that "first" and "last" or other than these be seen or mentioned! In this realm, the first is the last itself, and the last is but the first.
In thy soul of love build thou a fire
And burn all thoughts and words entire. [1]
[1 Jalalu'd-Din Rumi (1207-1273 A.D.); The Mathnavi. Jalalu'd-Din, called Mawlana ("our Master"), is the greatest of all Persian Sufi poets, and founder of the Mawlavi "whirling" dervish order.]
O my friend, look upon thyself: Hadst thou not become a father nor begotten a son, neither wouldst thou have heard these sayings. Now forget them all, that thou mayest learn from the Master of Love in the schoolhouse of oneness, and return unto God, and forsake the inner land of unreality [1] for thy true station, and dwell within the shadow of the tree of knowledge.
[1 This refers to the Sufi idea of the inner plane, which compared to Revealed Truth is but unreal.]
O thou dear one! Impoverish thyself, that thou mayest enter the high court of riches; and humble thy body, that thou mayest drink from the river of glory, and attain to the full meaning of the poems whereof thou hadst asked.
Thus it hath been made clear that these stages depend on the vision of the wayfarer. In every city he will behold a world, in every Valley 29 reach a spring, in every meadow hear a song. But the falcon of the mystic heaven hath many a wondrous carol of the spirit in His breast, and the Persian bird keepeth in His soul many a sweet Arab melody; yet these are hidden, and hidden shall remain.
If I speak forth, many a mind will shatter,
And if I write, many a pen will break. [1], [2]
[1 Jalalu'd-Din Rumi (1207-1273 A.D.); The Mathnavi. Jalalu'd-Din, called Mawlana ("our Master"), is the greatest of all Persian Sufi poets, and founder of the Mawlavi "whirling" dervish order.]
[2 This refers to Bahá'u'lláh Himself, Who had not yet declared His mission.]
Peace be upon him who concludeth this exalted journey and followeth the True One by the lights of guidance.
And the wayfarer, after traversing the high planes of this supernal journey, entereth THE VALLEY OF CONTENTMENT.
In this Valley he feeleth the winds of divine contentment blowing from the plane of the spirit. He burneth away the veils of want, and with inward and outward eye, perceiveth within and without all things the day of: "God will compensate each one out of His abundance."[1] From sorrow he turneth to bliss, from anguish to joy. His grief and mourning yield to delight and rapture.
[1 Qur'án 4:129.] 30
Although to outward view, the wayfarers in this Valley may dwell upon the dust, yet inwardly they are throned in the heights of mystic meaning; they eat of the endless bounties of inner significances, and drink of the delicate wines of the spirit.
The tongue faileth in describing these three Valleys, and speech falleth short. The pen steppeth not into this region, the ink leaveth only a blot. In these planes, the nightingale of the heart hath other songs and secrets, which make the heart to stir and the soul to clamor, but this mystery of inner meaning may be whispered only from heart to heart, confided only from breast to breast.
Only heart to heart can speak the bliss of mystic knowers;
No messenger can tell it and no missive bear it. [1]
[1 Hafiz: Shamsu'd-Din Muhammad, of Shiraz, died ca. 1389 A.D. One of the greatest of Persian poets.]
I am silent from weakness on many a matter,
For my words could not reckon them and my speech would fall short. [1]
[1 Arabian poem.]
O friend, till thou enter the garden of such mysteries, thou shalt never set lip to the undying wine of this Valley. And shouldst thou 31 taste of it, thou wilt shield thine eyes from all things else, and drink of the wine of contentment; and thou wilt loose thyself from all things else, and bind thyself to Him, and throw thy life down in His path, and cast thy soul away. However, there is no other in this region that thou need forget: "There was God and there was naught beside Him." [1] For on this plane the traveler witnesseth the beauty of the Friend in everything. Even in fire, he seeth the face of the Beloved. He beholdeth in illusion the secret of reality, and readeth from the attributes the riddle of the Essence. For he hath burnt away the veils with his sighing, and unwrapped the shroudings with a single glance; with piercing sight he gazeth on the new creation; with lucid heart he graspeth subtle verities. This is sufficiently attested by: "And we have made thy sight sharp in this day." [2]
[1 Hadith, i.e. action or utterance traditionally attributed to the Prophet Muhammad or to one of the holy Imams.]
[2 From Qur'án 50:21.]
After journeying through the planes of pure contentment, the traveler cometh to THE VALLEY OF WONDERMENT and is tossed in the oceans of grandeur, and at every moment his wonder groweth. Now he seeth the shape of wealth as poverty itself, and the essence of freedom as sheer impotence. 32
Now is he struck dumb with the beauty of the All-Glorious; again is he wearied out with his own life. How many a mystic tree hath this whirlwind of wonderment snatched by the roots, how many a soul hath it exhausted. For in this Valley the traveler is flung into confusion, albeit, in the eye of him who hath attained, such marvels are esteemed and well beloved. At every moment he beholdeth a wondrous world, a new creation, and goeth from astonishment to astonishment, and is lost in awe at the works of the Lord of Oneness.
Indeed, O Brother, if we ponder each created thing, we shall witness a myriad perfect wisdoms and learn a myriad new and wondrous truths. One of the created phenomena is the dream. Behold how many secrets are deposited therein, how many wisdoms treasured up, how many worlds concealed. Observe, how thou art asleep in a dwelling, and its doors are barred; on a sudden thou findest thyself in a far-off city, which thou enterest without moving thy feet or wearying thy body; without using thine eyes, thou seest; without taxing thine ears, thou hearest; without a tongue, thou speakest. And perchance when ten years are gone, thou wilt witness in the outer world the very things thou hast dreamed tonight.
*کتاب اقدس
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*Islamic Teachings
"Shoghi Effendi hopes that your lectures will not only serve to deepen the knowledge of the believers in the doctrines and culture and culture of Islam, but will set their hearts afire with the love of everything that vitally pertains to Muhammad and His Faith."There is so much misunderstanding about Islam in the West in general that you have to dispel. Your task is rather difficult and requires a good deal of erudition. Your chief task is to acquaint the friends with the pure teaching of the Prophet as recorded in the Qur'án, and then to point out how these teachings have, throughout succeeding ages, influenced nay guided the course of human development. In other words you have to show the position and significance of Islam in the history of civilization.
"The Bahá'à view on that subject is that the Dispensation of Muhammad, like all other Divine Dispensations, has been fore-ordained, and that as such forms and integral part of the Divine Plan for the spiritual, moral and social, development of mankind, It is not an isolated religious phenomenon, but is closely and historically related to the Dispensation of Christ, and those of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh. It was intended by God to succeed Christianity, and it was therefore the duty of the Christians to accept it as firmly as they had adhered to the religion of Christ.
"You should also cautiously emphasize the truth that due to the historical order of its appearance, and also because of the obviously more advanced character of its teachings, Islam constitutes a fuller revelation of God's purpose for mankind. The so-called Christian civilization of which the Renaissance is one of the most striking manifestations is essentially Muslim in its origins and foundations. When medieval Europe was plunged in darkest barbarism, the Arabs regenerated and transformed by the spirit released by the religion of Muhammad were busily engaged in establishing a civilization the kind of which their contemporary Christians in Europe had never witnessed before. It was eventually through Arabs that civilization was introduced to the West. It was through them that the philosophy, science and culture which the old Greeks had developed found their way to Europe. The Arabs were the ablest translators, and linguists of their age, and it is thanks to them that the writings of such well-known thinkers as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle were made available to the Westerners. It is wholly unfair to attribute the efflorescence of European culture during the Renaissance period to the influence of Christianity. It was mainly the product of the forces released by the Muhammadan Dispensation.
"From the standpoint of institutionalism Islam far surpasses true Christianity as we know it in the Gospels. There are infinitely more laws and institutions in the Qur'án than in the Gospel. While the latter's emphasis is mainly, not to say wholly, on individual and personal conduct, the Qur'án stresses the importance of society. This social emphasis acquires added importance and significance in the Bahá'à Revelation. When carefully and impartially compared, the Qur'án marks a definite advancement on the Gospel, from the standpoint of spiritual and humanitarian progress.
"The truth is that Western historians have for many centuries distorted the facts to suit their religious and ancestral prejudices. The Bahá'Ãs should try to study history anew, and to base all their investigations first and foremost on the written Scriptures of Islam and Christianity."
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, April 27, 1936)
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