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
It is recorded in a tradition that of the entire concourse of the
Christians no more than seventy people embraced the Faith of the Apostle
of God. The blame falleth upon their doctors, for if these had believed,
they would have been followed by the mass of their countrymen. Behold,
then, that which hath come to pass! The learned men of Christendom are
held to be learned by virtue of their safeguarding the teaching of Christ,
and yet consider how they themselves have been the cause of men’s failure
to accept the Faith and attain unto salvation! Is it still thy wish to
follow in their footsteps? The followers of Jesus submitted to their
clerics to be saved on the Day of Resurrection, and as a result of this
obedience they eventually entered into the fire, and on the Day when the
Apostle of God appeared they shut themselves out from the recognition of
His exalted Person. Dost thou desire to follow such divines?
Nay, by God, be thou neither a divine without discernment nor a follower
without discernment, for both of these shall perish on the Day of
Resurrection. Rather it behooveth thee to be a discerning divine, or to
walk with insight in the way of God by obeying a true leader of religion.
In every nation thou beholdest unnumbered spiritual leaders who are bereft
of true discernment, and among every people thou dost encounter myriads of
adherents who are devoid of the same characteristic. Ponder for a while in
thy heart, have pity on thyself and turn not aside thine attention from
proofs and evidences. However, seek not proofs and evidences after thine
idle fancy; but rather base thy proofs upon what God hath appointed.
Moreover, know thou that neither being a man of learning nor being a
follower is in itself a source of glory. If thou art a man of learning,
thy knowledge becometh an honour, and if thou art a follower, thine
adherence unto leadership becometh an honour, only when these conform to
the good-pleasure of God. And beware lest thou regard as an idle fancy the
good-pleasure of God; it is the same as the good-pleasure of His
Messenger. Consider the followers of Jesus. They were eagerly seeking the
good-pleasure of God, yet none of them attained the good-pleasure of His
Apostle which is identical with God’s good-pleasure, except such as
embraced His Faith.
“Thy letter hath been perused. Were the truth of this ...”
Thy letter hath been perused. Were the truth of this Revelation to be
fully demonstrated with elaborate proofs, all the scrolls that exist in
the heaven and on the earth would be insufficient to contain them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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