And now, consider this other tradition, and observe how all these things
have been foretold. In “Arbá’in” it is recorded: “Out of Baní-Háshim there
shall come forth a Youth Who shall reveal new laws. He shall summon the
people unto Him, but none will heed His call. Most of His enemies will be
the divines. His bidding they will not obey, but will protest saying:
‘This is contrary to that which hath been handed down unto us by the Imáms
of the Faith.’” In this day, all are repeating these very same words,
utterly unaware that He is established upon the throne of “He doeth
whatsoever He willeth,” and abideth upon the seat of “He ordaineth
whatsoever He pleaseth.”
No understanding can grasp the nature of His Revelation, nor can any
knowledge comprehend the full measure of His Faith. All sayings are
dependent upon His sanction, and all things stand in need of His Cause.
All else save Him are created by His command, and move and have their
being through His law. He is the Revealer of the divine mysteries, and the
Expounder of the hidden and ancient wisdom. Thus it is related in the
“Biháru’l-Anvar,” the “Aválím,” and the “Yanbú’” of Ṣádiq, son of
Muḥammad, that he spoke these words: “Knowledge is twenty and seven
letters. All that the Prophets have revealed are two letters thereof. No
man thus far hath known more than these two letters. But when the Qá’im
shall arise, He will cause the remaining twenty and five letters to be
made manifest.” Consider; He hath declared Knowledge to consist of twenty
and seven letters, and regarded all the Prophets, from Adam even unto the
“Seal,” as Expounders of only two letters thereof and of having been sent
down with these two letters. He also saith that the Qá’im will reveal all
the remaining twenty and five letters. Behold from this utterance how
great and lofty is His station! His rank excelleth that of all the
Prophets, and His Revelation transcendeth the comprehension and
understanding of all their chosen ones. A Revelation, of which the
Prophets of God, His saints and chosen ones, have either not been
informed, or which, in pursuance of God’s inscrutable Decree, they have
not disclosed,—such a Revelation these mean and depraved people have
sought to measure with their own deficient minds, their own deficient
learning and understanding. Should it fail to conform to their standards,
they straightway reject it. “Thinkest thou that the greater part of them
hear or understand? They are even like unto the brutes! yea, they stray
even further from the path!”(182)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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