71 Pantheism, a Súfí doctrine derived from the formula: “Only God exists; He is in all things, and all things are in Him.” 72 This refers to the three stages of Súfí life: 1. Sharí’at, or Religious Laws; 2. Taríqat, or the Path on which the mystic wayfarer journeys in search of the True One; this stage also includes anchoretism. 3. Haqíqat, or the Truth which, to the Súfí, is the goal of the journey through all three stages. Here Bahá’u’lláh teaches that, contrary to the belief of certain Súfís who in their search for the Truth consider themselves above all law, obedience to the Laws of Religion is essential. 73 Maqám-i-Mahmúd. Qur’án 17:81. 74 Qur’án 2:84. 75 Persian mystic poem. 76 “Peace.” This word is used in concluding a thesis. 77 Arabian poem. 78 The five letters comprising this word in Persian are: G, N, J, SH, K, that is, Gáf, Nún, Jím, Shín, Káf. 79 This and the foregoing quotations are from the teachings of Islám. 80 This is a reference in the traditional Persian style to Bahá’u’lláh Himself. 81 Mathnaví of Rúmí. 82 Sa’dí, Muslihu’d-Dín of Shíráz (ca. 1184–1291), famed author of the Gulistán and other poetical works. 83 Persian proverb describing a man who gives up easily. As used here one connotation is that the Shaykh might have considered his station as a mystic leader compromised by the fact of his being taught the new truth by Bahá’u’lláh. 84 Qur’án 41:30. 85 Qur’án 11:114; 42:14. 86 Sa’dí. 87 Ibid. 88 Senna, capital of Persian Kurdistán. 89 This preamble to The Four Valleys is written in the finest Persian epistolary style. The rules of classical letter writing in Persian require quotations from literary works, and assertions of abiding love for the one addressed, who is chided for having neglected the writer. 90 Hadíth. 91 The Mathnaví. Here Rúmí tells a story of four evil birds which, when put to death, changed into four birds of goodness. The allegory refers to subduing evil qualities and replacing them with good. 92 Qur’án 89:27–30. 93 Qur’án 89:27–30. 94 Qur’án 41:53. 95 Qur’án 17:15. 96 Famed writers on grammar and rhetoric. 97 The Mathnaví. 98 Qur’án 59:19. 99 An attribute of God and one of the titles of Muḥammad. 100 Maqám-i-Mahmúd—Praiseworthy Station—is the rank of Prophets endowed with constancy. 101 Qur’án 18:16. This is a reference to the station of complete faith. The companions of the Cave are identified with early Christian martyrs. 102 Qur’án 24:37. 103 Qur’án 2:282. 104 Hadíth. 105 Qur’án 37:59. 106 Qur’án 2:151. 107 That attribute of God which draws all creatures to Him. 108 The Mathnaví. 109 Qur’án 21:27. 110 Sa’dí.