Exert thyself, O _Sh_ay_kh_, and arise to serve this Cause. The Sealed
Wine is disclosed in this day before the faces of men. Seize it in the
name of thy Lord, and quaff thy fill in remembrance of Him Who is the
Mighty, the Incomparable. Night and day hath this Wronged One been
occupied in that which would unite the hearts, and edify the souls of men.
The events that have happened in Persia during the early years have truly
saddened the well-favored and sincere ones. Each year witnessed a fresh
massacre, pillage, plunder, and shedding of blood. At one time there
appeared in Zanján that which caused the greatest consternation; at
another in Nayríz, and at yet another in Tabarsí, and finally there
occurred the episode of the Land of Tá (Ṭihrán). From that time onwards
this Wronged One, assisted by the One True God—exalted be His
glory—acquainted this oppressed people with the things which beseemed
them. All have sanctified themselves from the things which they and others
possess, and have clung unto, and fixed their eyes upon that which
pertaineth unto God.
It is now incumbent upon His Majesty the _Sh_áh—may God, exalted be He,
protect him—to deal with this people with loving-kindness and mercy. This
Wronged One pledgeth Himself, before the Divine Kaaba, that, apart from
truthfulness and trustworthiness, this people will show forth nothing that
can in any way conflict with the world-adorning views of His Majesty.
Every nation must have a high regard for the position of its sovereign,
must be submissive unto him, must carry out his behests, and hold fast his
authority. The sovereigns of the earth have been and are the
manifestations of the power, the grandeur and the majesty of God. This
Wronged One hath at no time dealt deceitfully with anyone. Every one is
well aware of this, and beareth witness unto it. Regard for the rank of
sovereigns is divinely ordained, as is clearly attested by the words of
the Prophets of God and His chosen ones. He Who is the Spirit (Jesus)—may
peace be upon Him—was asked: "O Spirit of God! Is it lawful to give
tribute to Caesar or not?" And He made reply: "Yea, render to Caesar the
things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s." He forbade
it not. These two sayings are, in the estimation of men of insight, one
and the same, for if that which belonged to Caesar had not come from God,
He would have forbidden it. And likewise in the sacred verse: "Obey God
and obey the Apostle, and those among you invested with authority." By
"those invested with authority" is meant primarily and more especially the
Imáms—the blessings of God rest upon them! They, verily, are the
manifestations of the power of God, and the sources of His authority, and
the repositories of His knowledge, and the daysprings of His commandments.
Secondarily these words refer unto the kings and rulers—those through the
brightness of whose justice the horizons of the world are resplendent and
luminous.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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