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 Bayán shall constitute God’s unerring balance till the Day of
Resurrection which is the Day of Him Whom God will make manifest. Whoso
acteth in conformity with that which is revealed therein will abide in
Paradise, under the shadow of His affirmation and reckoned among the most
sublime Letters in the presence of God; while whoso deviateth, were it
even so much as the tip of a grain of barley, will be consigned to the
fire and will be assembled neath the shadow of negation. This truth hath
likewise been laid bare in the Qur’án where in numerous instances God hath
set down that whoever should pass judgement contrary to the bounds fixed
by Him, would be deemed an infidel...
In these days how few are those who abide by the standard laid down in the
Qur’án. Nay, nowhere are they to be found, except such as God hath willed.
Should there be, however, such a person, his righteous deeds would prove
of no avail unto him, if he hath failed to follow the standard revealed in
the Bayán; even as the pious deeds of the Christian monks profited them
not, inasmuch as at the time of the manifestation of the Apostle of
God—may the blessings of God rest upon Him—they contented themselves with
the standard set forth in the Gospel.
Had the divine standard laid down in the Qur’án been truly observed,
adverse judgements would not have been pronounced against Him Who is the
Tree of divine Truth. As it hath been revealed: ‘Almost might the heavens
be rent and the earth be cleft asunder and the mountains fall down in
fragments.’(65) And yet how much harder than these mountains their hearts
must be to have remained unmoved! Indeed no paradise is more glorious in
the sight of God than attainment unto His good-pleasure. II, 6.
“The One true God may be compared unto the sun and ...”
The One true God may be compared unto the sun and the believer unto a
mirror. No sooner is the mirror placed before the sun than it reflects its
light. The unbeliever may be likened unto a stone. No matter how long it
is exposed to the sunshine, it cannot reflect the sun. Thus the former
layeth down his life as a sacrifice, while the latter doeth against God
what he committeth. Indeed, if God willeth, He is potent to turn the stone
into a mirror, but the person himself remaineth reconciled to his state.
Had he wished to become a crystal, God would have made him to assume
crystal form. For on that Day whatever cause prompteth the believer to
believe in Him, the same will also be available to the unbeliever. But
when the latter suffereth himself to be wrapt in veils, the same cause
shutteth him out as by a veil. Thus, as is clearly evident today, those
who have set their faces toward God, the True One, have believed in Him
because of the Bayán, while such as are veiled have been deprived because
of it. VI, 4.
“I swear by the most holy Essence of God—exalted and ...”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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