25. Part Two — 5

1Praise be to God! How far from the paths of Truth were these people! Although the "resurrection" was realized in the rise of His Holiness, and the lights and tokens thereof had pervaded the whole earth, yet they derided and held to views based upon the false and vain imaginations of the divines of the age, heedless of the sun of Supreme Providence and the showers of Divine Mercy. Yea; the beetle is deprived of the holy fragrances of eternity and the bat flees from the splendor of the world-illuminating sun. The same fact is witnessed in every age during the appearance of the Manifestations of the True One; as Jesus said: "Ye must be born again." In another place He hath said: "Except a man be born of water and spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God; that which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of spirit is spirit" (John iii. 6).

2The interpretation of this is, whosoever is not quickened by the water of Divine Knowledge and by the Holy Spirit of Jesus is not fitted to enter the Supreme Kingdom; for whatsoever proceeds from and is born of flesh is flesh, and whatsoever is born of the Spirit, that is the breath of Jesus, the same is Spirit. The essence of the meaning is that those servants who are born of and quickened by the Spirit and breath of the appearances- of holiness in every Manifestation, to them can be attributed life, resurrection, and entrance into the Paradise of Divine Love; while to others is ascribed death, heedlessness, and entrance into the fire of unbelief and Divine wrath. In all the books, tablets and scriptures, death, fire, lack of sight, hearing, and understanding is attributed to those who have not drunk of the pure cups of Knowledge and whose hearts have not attained to the bounty of the Holy Spirit of the time; as it hath been previously mentioned: "They have hearts by which they understand not," etc.

3In another place in the Gospel it is said: One day, the father of one of the disciples of Jesus died. He spoke of it to His Holiness, begging permission to go perform the burial and return. That Essence of Severance said: "Let the dead bury their dead." Similarly two people of Cufa went to His Holiness the Commander (of the Faithful Ali). One owned a house and wished to sell it; the other was the purchaser. They had decided that this transaction should take place and its agreement be written under the advice of His Holiness. That exponent of the Divine Command ordered the scribe to write: "A dead man hath bought from a dead man, a house bounded by four limits; one extending toward the grave, one toward the tomb, one toward the sirat (bridge), and one either toward paradise or toward hell."

4If these two souls had been quickened by Ali's trumpet of life and raised from the grave of heedlessness through love of His Holiness, "death" would certainly not have been applied to them. In no age and cycle hath the purpose of the Prophets and Holy Ones been other than the real life, real resurrection and real revival. By reflection upon this statement of His Holiness, what hath been intended by "grave," "tomb," "sirat," "paradise" and "hell" will be disclosed, but alas, all the people are veiled within the tomb of self and buried in the grave of passion. To resume; were ye to taste a little of the clear water of Divine Knowledge, ye would know that the real life is the life of heart and not the life of body; for both animals and men share in the life of body. But this Life is assigned to possessors of brilliant souls who drink from the ocean of faith and partake of the fruit of assurance. This Life is not followed by death nor this immortality by mortality; as it is said: "A true believer is alive both in this world and the world to come." If by "Life" be meant the outward life of body, it is evident that death overtakes it. There are likewise other statements recorded in all the books, which indicate this exalted fact and lofty word. Also the blessed verse revealed concerning Hamza "ref Title of the uncle of Mohammed. /ref Lord of the Martyrs," and "Abu-Jahl," is a clear evidence and manifest proof as it is said: "Or, he who hath been dead and whom we have restored unto life and unto whom we have ordained a light whereby he may walk among men, (be) as he whose similitude is in darkness and who is not out of it" (K. S. 6)?

5This verse was revealed from the Heaven of Will at the time Hamza was clad in the holy robe of faith and Abu-Jahl was rooted and fixed in unbelief and denial. So "life after death" was applied to Hamza from the source of Mighty Divinity and the abode of the Most Great Supremacy; but the contrary was applied to Abu-Jahl. For this reason the fire of unbelief flamed in the hearts of the infidels and the winds of contradiction arose. They cried out: "When did Hamza die; when was he quickened and when was this life imparted to him?" As they did not comprehend these blessed explanations nor appeal to the people of Ziker in order that these might confer a sprinkling of the Kawther of Significances upon them, therefore such corruptions raged throughout the world.