Selections From the Writings of the BábBab, ʻAli Muhammad Shirazi
Religion
Selections From the Writings of the Báb
Bab, ʻAli Muhammad Shirazi
Babism; Bahai Faith
The reason why privacy hath been enjoined in moments of devotion is this,
that thou mayest give thy best attention to the remembrance of God, that
thy heart may at all times be animated with His Spirit, and not be shut
out as by a veil from thy Best Beloved. Let not thy tongue pay lip service
in praise of God while thy heart be not attuned to the exalted Summit of
Glory, and the Focal Point of communion. Thus if haply thou dost live in
the Day of Resurrection, the mirror of thy heart will be set towards Him
Who is the Day-Star of Truth; and no sooner will His light shine forth
than the splendour thereof shall forthwith be reflected in thy heart. For
He is the Source of all goodness, and unto Him revert all things. But if
He appeareth while thou hast turned unto thyself in meditation, this shall
not profit thee, unless thou shalt mention His Name by words He hath
revealed. For in the forthcoming Revelation it is He Who is the
Remembrance of God, whereas the devotions which thou art offering at
present have been prescribed by the Point of the Bayán, while He Who will
shine resplendent in the Day of Resurrection is the Revelation of the
inner reality enshrined in the Point of the Bayán—a Revelation more
potent, immeasurably more potent, than the one which hath preceded it. IX,
4.
“It is seemly that the servant should, after each prayer, ...”
It is seemly that the servant should, after each prayer, supplicate God to
bestow mercy and forgiveness upon his parents. Thereupon God’s call will
be raised: ‘Thousand upon thousand of what thou hast asked for thy parents
shall be thy recompense!’ Blessed is he who remembereth his parents when
communing with God. There is, verily, no God but Him, the Mighty, the
Well-Beloved. VIII, 16.
“As this physical frame is the throne of the inner temple, ...”
As this physical frame is the throne of the inner temple, whatever occurs
to the former is felt by the latter. In reality that which takes delight
in joy or is saddened by pain is the inner temple of the body, not the
body itself. Since this physical body is the throne whereon the inner
temple is established, God hath ordained that the body be preserved to the
extent possible, so that nothing that causeth repugnance may be
experienced. The inner temple beholdeth its physical frame, which is its
throne. Thus, if the latter is accorded respect, it is as if the former is
the recipient. The converse is likewise true.
Therefore, it hath been ordained that the dead body should be treated with
the utmost honour and respect. V, 12.
“At the time of the appearance of Him Whom God shall ...”
At the time of the appearance of Him Whom God shall make manifest, wert
thou to perform thy deeds for the sake of the Point of the Bayán, they
would be regarded as performed for one other than God, inasmuch as on that
Day the Point of the Bayán is none other than Him Whom God shall make
manifest...
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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