35. Part Two — 15
1Furthermore, the term "Seal of the Prophets," and the like, constitute "veils of glory," the removal of which is the most important matter for these worthless creatures. All are screened by these limited coverings and heavy veils of glory. Have they not heard the melody of the Divine Bird (Ali) saying, "I have married one thousand Fatimas, all of whom were the daughters of Mohammed the Son of Abdallah, the 'Seal of the Prophets'?"
2Consider how many mysteries are hidden in the tents of the Knowledge of God, and what jewels of His Wisdom are concealed in the treasuries of preservation, so that thou mayest be convinced that there hath been and will be neither beginning nor end to His creation. The Space of His Destiny is too vast to be limited by explanation or traversed by the bird of minds and His ordained decrees are beyond attainment by any comprehension. His creation hath been from the "Beginning before which there is no beginning," and no "End" hath overtaken it. The Manifestations of His Beauty will be until the interminable End; and no Beginning hath beheld Him.
3Consider this same explanation, and how truly it can be applied to all these Faces. Likewise understand the saying of the Eternal Beauty Hosein the son of Ali to Salman, the import of which is this: "I was with a thousand Adams; the interval between each and the next Adam was fifty thousand years, and to every one of these I declared the Walayat (succession) of my father (Ali)." Then he mentions certain particulars until he says, "I have fought one thousand battles in the path of God, the least and smallest of which was like the battle of Khaibar, in which my father strove and fought against the infidels." Thus understand from these two traditions the mysteries of "end," "return," and "creation without beginning or end."
4Briefly: O my beloved, the melody of the Divine world is sanctified above limitation by earthly hearing and minds. How can the ant of existence step into the court of the Adored One? Yet weak souls deny these abstruse explanations and reject similar traditions through lack of understanding. Yea, only the spiritually minded can understand this. Say this is an End to which there is no end in the creation, and a Beginning for which there is no beginning in the world of origin. So O concourse of the earth ye may behold the splendor of the End in the Manifestations of the Beginning.
5It is a great astonishment that these people adhere to the verses revealed in the Koran and to the traditions of the possessors of Assurance (Imams), only in instances which accord with their own wish and desire, entirely rejecting others which are contrary to their inclination. "Do ye, therefore, believe in part of the Book and reject other parts thereof (K. S. 2)?" How then could ye judge that of which ye are ignorant? For in the Perspicuous Book, the Lord of the creatures, after speaking of "The Seal" in His exalted saying, "Mohammed is but the Messenger of God and the Seal of the Prophets" (K. S. 3), hath promised His Own Meeting to all the people. The verses indicating the "Meeting" of that King of Eternity are recorded in the Book, and some have been already mentioned. The one God testifies that no greater and clearer point than "Meeting" hath been recorded in the Koran. May it be profitable unto those who attain to it in a day wherein most of the people turn away therefrom; even as ye witness!
6Nevertheless they have rejected the second matter (Meeting) on account of the first (Seal of Prophethood), although the subject of "Meeting" in the day of resurrection is clearly stated in the Book. Through clear evidences it hath been demonstrated and realized that by "resurrection" is meant the rise of His Manifestation in His Command. Likewise by "Meeting" is intended the Meeting of His Beauty in the Temple of His Manifestation. "For verily, Him the sight comprehendeth not, but He comprehendeth the sight" (K. S. 6). Notwithstanding all these confirmed facts and clear explanations, they have ignorantly clung to the statement of the "Seal," and are entirely veiled from the Originator of the "End and Beginning," in the day of His Meeting. "If God should punish men for their iniquity, He would not leave (upon) the earth any moving thing, but He giveth them respite until an appointed time" (K. S. 1 6). But apart from all these things; if this people had drunk a single drop from the clear fountain of " God doeth whatsoever He willeth, and ordereth whatsoever He desireth," they would not have advanced any such oppositions to the Point of Command.
7Command, word and action are in the grasp of His power. "Everything is made captive in the Grasp of His power, and verily this is easy and practicable unto Him." He is the doer of that which He desireth, and the accomplisher of that which He wisheth. "Whosoever says 'Why and for what reason/ loseth his faith." Should these servants become conscious of what they have committed, they shall perish and lead themselves with their own hands to the fire which is their dwelling and goal. Have they not heard the saying: "He shall not be questioned as to what He doeth" (K. S. 21)? In view of these explanations, how can one venture to occupy himself with vain sayings?
8Praise be to God! The ignorance and blindness of the servants have reached such a pitch and limit that they have followed their own knowledge and desire, rejecting the Knowledge and Desire of the True One, Exalted and Mighty is He!
9Now be just: if these servants believed firmly in similar brilliant words and holy references, and considered God to be the "doer of whatever He wisheth," they could not cling and hold fast to these vain sayings. Nay rather, with all their souls they would acknowledge and submit to that which He says. I swear by God that if the ordained decrees and destined wisdoms had not been already established, the earth would have destroyed all these servants; "but God will delay this until the appointed time of a known day."