30. Part Two — 10

1But if they say the purpose is the " Special Splendor," the state interpreted by some of the Sufis as the "Most Holy Outpouring;" if it is in the Essence Itself, it hath been eternally in the Divine Knowledge. Supposing this hypothesis to be admitted; in this sense "Meeting" cannot become true of any one, because this state is realized in the Innermost of the Essence, unto which none can ever attain! "The way is barred, and seeking after it is forbidden." The minds of the Near Ones cannot soar to this station, how much less can the intellects of the limited and veiled ones! If they say it is the "Secondary Splendor," which is interpreted as the "Holy Outpouring," this is unquestionably in the world of creation, that is, in the world of primal manifestation and original emanation. This station is assigned only to His Prophets and Holy Ones, because no greater and mightier than they have appeared in the realm of existence; and all confess and acknowledge this fact. These are the sources and manifestors of all the eternal Attributes and Divine Names, and these are the Mirrors which fully express. All that refers to them is in reality referred to His Highness, the "Manifest and Invisible One." Knowledge of the Origin and attainment thereto can only be achieved by knowing and attaining to these Beings who shine forth from the Sun of Truth. Consequently, by meeting these Holy Lights, the "Meeting of God" is attained; through their Knowledge the Knowledge of God, and by their Faces the Face of God. From the fact that these abstracted Essences are the first, the last, the manifest, and the hidden, it is proved of that Sun of Truth, that He is verily "the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden" (K. S. 57), and likewise the other exalted Names and lofty Attributes. Therefore whosoever is favored by these shining and glorious Lights and hath attained to these luminous and radiant Suns during every Manifestation hath attained the "Meeting of God," and entered the city of eternal and immortal life. This " Meeting " can not be realized by any except in the Resurrection Day, which is the rise of the Self of God in His Universal Manifestation.

2This is the meaning of that "resurrection" recorded and stated in all Books, and which Day hath been announced to all. Consider, is there any day to be imagined greater, mightier and more excellent than this Day, that man should turn away from it and deprive himself of its bounties, which are pouring like the spring cloud from the presence of the Merciful? After it hath been proved with complete evidence that no day is greater than this Day, and no matter is mightier than this matter; and after all these sound and solid proofs which no one who is wise and sagacious can deny or avoid, how can man deprive himself of such great bounty through words of the doubting and visionary? Have they not heard the well-known tradition, " When the Gha'im shall rise, the resurrection shall rise "? The rightly guided Imams the inextinguishable Lights have similarly interpreted the verse, " Do (the infidels) expect less than that God shall come down to them, overshadowed with clouds" (K. S. 2) an event which they unquestionably know shall happen in the resurrection to mean His Holiness Gha'im and His appearance.

3O my brother, understand then the meaning of resurrection and purify thine ears from the sayings of these rejected people. Shouldst thou step a little way into the worlds of Severance, thou wilt testify that no day greater than this Day and no resurrection mightier than this Resurrection can be imagined, and that one deed in this Day is equivalent to deeds performed during a hundred thousand years nay, I ask pardon of God for this limitation, because deeds done in this Day are sanctified beyond any limited reward. As these worthless creatures have not understood the meaning of "Resurrection" and the "Meeting of God," they are therefore completely veiled from the bounty thereof. Although the purpose of learning and its anxieties is the attainment and knowledge of this station, yet they are all occupied with outward learnings and desist not from them even for a moment; closing their eyes to the essence of Knowledge and the knowable. It seems as if they have not drunk one drop from the ocean of Divine Knowledge nor attained a sprinkling of the cloud of the Merciful Bounty.

4Consider, if one does not partake of the bounty of Meeting or the Knowledge of the Manifestations of God, how can he be truly called learned, although he may have studied a thousand years, and possess all the limited and outward sciences. It is plainly evident that he cannot be said to possess Knowledge. But if one hath not seen a single letter of learning, and hath attained to this mighty honor, he is undoubtedly accounted one of the Divine men of learning, for he hath reached the furthermost point of Knowledge and its highest degree.