24. Part Two — 4

1This is the meaning of the well-known tradition, "The wolf and the ewe will feed and drink in the same place." Consider the lack of knowledge of these ignorant ones, like the former nations, still awaiting the time when these creatures will meet at the same table. This is the condition of people! It seems they have never drunk from the cup of Justice nor stepped into the path of Equity. Furthermore, what benefit would the fulfilment of this matter produce in the world? Excellent is that which hath been revealed concerning them: "They have hearts by which they understand not and they have eyes by which they see not" (K. S. 7).

2Consider how the account of the people was settled by this one verse revealed from the Heaven of Will; for whosoever acknowledged and advanced, his good deeds outweighed his evil deeds and all his transgressions were forgiven and overlooked. Therefore it is true of Him that "He is swift in bringing to account." Thus God transforms evil deeds into good deeds, were ye of those who look steadily into horizons of Knowledge and into souls of Wisdom. Likewise whosoever partook of the cup of Love attained eternal, immortal, and faith-founded life from the ocean of everlasting Bounties and from the cloud of perpetual Mercy; while whosoever did not accept was afflicted with everlasting death. By "life" and "death" recorded in the Books, is meant life through faith and death through unbelief. It is owing to lack of comprehension of this meaning, that in every Manifestation the generality of people refused to believe, were not directed to the Sun of Guidance, and did not follow the Eternal Beauty.

3When the Mohammedic Lamp was lighted in the Ahmadic recess, He adjudged the people as to resurrection, revival, life and death. Therefore standards of opposition were raised and doors of derision were opened; just as the faithful Spirit (Holy Ghost) hath recorded from the tongue of the infidels: "If thou say, Ye are surely raised after being dead; the unbelievers will say, This is nothing but manifest sorcery" (K. S. II). Also, " If thou dost wonder (at the infidels denying the resurrection), surely astonishing is their saying, 'After ("Iza," lit. "if" or "when") we have been dust, are we a new creation'"(K. S. 13)? The translation of this is: If thou dost wonder, etc., how astonishing are the words of the infidels and deniers who say: "We were dust?" and then, by way of derision: "Are we the resurrected ones? "

4Therefore, in another place, rebuking them, He says: "Is our power exhausted by the first creation? Yea; they are in perplexity because of a new creation" (K. S. 50). The import of this is: Are we powerless and exhausted by our first creation? Nay, these infidels are in doubt and perplexity because of a new creation.

5As the commentators and people of literal interpretation did not comprehend the meaning of the Divine words and were veiled from the intrinsic purport, they sought to demonstrate through grammatical rules, asserting that when "iza" (lit. "if" or "when") precedes the past tense, it conveys a future meaning. Afterward they were confused by texts in which the word " iza " is not revealed; as it is said: "And the trumpet is sounded; this is the day which hath been promised; every one hath come and with him a driver and a witness" (K. S. 50). The outward meaning of this is: It is sounded in the trumpet and this is the promised day which seemed very remote; every one hath come for account and with him is a driver and a witness. In similar instances they have either taken the word "iza" as implied or sought to prove that as the resurrection day is of sure occurrence, it hath therefore been rendered (in this verse) in the past tense, as if it had already taken place. Consider how ignorant andundiscerning they are! They do not comprehend the Mohammedic trumpet-sound of which He so clearly spoke and have deprived themselves of the benefit of this Divine Voice; awaiting the trumpetsound of Israfil who is but one of His servants; although the existence of Israfil and others like unto him became known through the utterance of His Holiness. Say, do ye exchange Him who is good unto you? Then ye did evil in that ye changed this falsely. Therefore evil is your exchanging without truth and ye are an evil people who are in loss.

6Nay rather; by "trumpet" is meant the Mohammedic trumpet which was blown to all the contingent beings; and "resurrection" was the rise of His Holiness in the Command of God. All the heedless who were dead in the graves of bodies, He clothed with the new mantle of faith and quickened through a new and wonderful life. Therefore when that Beauty of Oneness desired to reveal a sign of the mysteries of resurrection, revival, paradise and fire, Gabriel brought the revelation of this verse: "And they will wag their heads at thee, saying When (shall) this (be)? Answer, peradventure it is nigh" (K. S. 17). That is, before long, these wanderers in the valley of error shall wag their heads in derision and say: When shall these things appear? Say thou in answer—Peradventure they are nigh. The import of this single verse is sufficient for the people, were they to consider it with acute vision.