XIII. Promislite o prošlosti. Koliki su ljudi, visokog ili niskog…

1 Promislite o prošlosti. Koliki su ljudi, visokog ili niskog položaja, u svim razdobljima, s čežnjom iščekivali dolazak Božjih Objava u posvećenim osobama Njegovih Izabranika. Kako često su iščekivali Njegov dolazak, koliko često su molili da dahne lahor Božanske milosti, a da obećana Ljepota istupi iza koprene koja je skriva i objavi se čitavom svijetu. A kad god su se dveri milosti otvorile i oblaci božanskog izobilja izlili na čovječanstvo, a svjetlost Neviđenoga zasjala nad obzorjem nebeske moći, svi oni zanijekali su Njega, i okrenuli se od Njegovog lica – lica Boga Samoga… Consider the past. How many, both high and low, have, at all times, yearningly awaited the advent of the Manifestations of God in the sanctified persons of His chosen Ones. How often have they expected His coming, how frequently have they prayed that the breeze of Divine mercy might blow, and the promised Beauty step forth from behind the veil of concealment, and be made manifest to all the world. And whensoever the portals of grace did open, and the clouds of divine bounty did rain upon mankind, and the light of the Unseen did shine above the horizon of celestial might, they all denied Him, and turned away from His face—the face of God Himself.…
2 Razmislite, što li je moglo biti povodom takvih djela? Što li je moglo navesti na takvo ponašanje prema Objaviteljima ljepote Sveslavljenoga? Što god da je u prošlosti bilo uzrokom poricanja i oporbe onih ljudi, sada je dovelo do izopačenosti ljudi ovoga doba. Ustvrditi da je Svjedočanstvo Providnosti bilo nepotpuno, te da je zato izazvalo nijekanje ljudi, nije ništa doli otvoreno bogohuljenje. Koliko je daleko od milosti Svedobrostivoga i Njegove providnosti koja ljubi, te nježnih milosti Njegovih, izdvojiti jednu dušu između svih ljudi da bi vodila Njegova stvorenja, pa Mu, s jedne strane, uskratiti punu mjeru Svoga božanskoga svjedočanstva, a s druge, poslati strogu odmazdu na Svoj narod zato što su se odvratili od Njegova Izabranika! Nikako, mnogostruki su darovi Gospoda svih bića, kroz Objavitelje Njegove Božanske Biti, uvijek obuhvaćali zemlju i sve koji na njoj žive. Ni na trenutak Njegova milost nije bila uskraćena, niti su se bujice Njegove ljubazne dobrote prestale izlijevati na čovječanstvo. Takvo se ponašanje, dakle, može pripisati jedino sitnim dušama koje kroče dolinom bahatosti i gordosti, zalutale u divljinama udaljenosti, koje gaze putovima svojih ispraznih uobrazilja, i slijede naloge vođa vlastitih vjera. Glavna im je briga puko suprotstavljanje; jedina im je želja ne uvažiti istinu. Svakom promatraču koji razabire jasno je i očigledno da ti ljudi, da su bili očistili svoje oči, svoje uši i srca od bilo čega što su vidjeli, čuli, i osjetili, jamačno ne bi bili lišeni pogleda na ljepotu Božju, niti bi bili odlutali daleko od boravišta slave, u danima Svakoga od Objavitelja Sunca Istine. Međutim, budući da su odvagnuli svjedočanstvo Božje mjerom vlastita znanja, koje je tek ulomak iz učenja njihovih vjerskih vođa, i našli da se razlikuje od njihova ograničena razumijevanja, ustali su počiniti takva nedolična djela… Reflect, what could have been the motive for such deeds? What could have prompted such behavior towards the Revealers of the beauty of the All-Glorious? Whatever in days gone by hath been the cause of the denial and opposition of those people hath now led to the perversity of the people of this age. To maintain that the testimony of Providence was incomplete, that it hath therefore been the cause of the denial of the people, is but open blasphemy. How far from the grace of the All-Bountiful and from His loving providence and tender mercies it is to single out a soul from amongst all men for the guidance of His creatures, and, on one hand, to withhold from Him the full measure of His divine testimony, and, on the other, inflict severe retribution on His people for having turned away from His chosen One! Nay, the manifold bounties of the Lord of all beings have, at all times, through the Manifestations of His Divine Essence, encompassed the earth and all that dwell therein. Not for a moment hath His grace been withheld, nor have the showers of His loving-kindness ceased to rain upon mankind. Consequently, such behavior can be attributed to naught save the petty-mindedness of such souls as tread the valley of arrogance and pride, are lost in the wilds of remoteness, walk in the ways of their idle fancy, and follow the dictates of the leaders of their faith. Their chief concern is mere opposition; their sole desire is to ignore the truth. Unto every discerning observer it is evident and manifest that had these people in the days of each of the Manifestations of the Sun of Truth sanctified their eyes, their ears, and their hearts from whatever they had seen, heard, and felt, they surely would not have been deprived of beholding the beauty of God, nor strayed far from the habitations of glory. But having weighed the testimony of God by the standard of their own knowledge, gleaned from the teachings of the leaders of their faith, and found it at variance with their limited understanding, they arose to perpetrate such unseemly acts.…
3 Razmislite o Mojsiju! Naoružan štapom nebeske vlasti, urešen bijelom rukom Božanskoga znanja, dolazeći iz Parana ljubavi Božje, rukujući zmijom moći i, vječna veličanstva, odaslao je sa Sinaja svjetlost na svijet. Zazvao je sve narode i plemena na zemlji u kraljevstvo vječnosti, i pozvao ih da uživaju u plodu sa stabla vjernosti. Zacijelo ste svjesni žestoke oporbe faraona i njegovih ljudi, te kamenja jalove uobrazilje koje su ruke nevjernika bacale na to blagoslovljeno Stablo. Toliko da su faraon i njegovi ljudi na posljetku ustali i, uz krajnje napore, vodama neistine i poricanja pokušali ugasiti plamen toga svetog Stabla, zaboravljajući istinu, da nikakva zemaljska voda ne može ugasiti plamen Božanske mudrosti, niti smrtni udari vjetra mogu utrnuti svjetiljku vječne vlasti. Nikako, takva voda može samo pojačati oganj, a takvi vjetri mogu samo osigurati očuvanje svjetiljke, kad biste samo promotrili razboritim okom, i hodili putom Božje svete volje i zadovoljstva… Consider Moses! Armed with the rod of celestial dominion, adorned with the white hand of Divine knowledge, and proceeding from the Párán of the love of God, and wielding the serpent of power and everlasting majesty, He shone forth from the Sinai of light upon the world. He summoned all the peoples and kindreds of the earth to the kingdom of eternity, and invited them to partake of the fruit of the tree of faithfulness. Surely you are aware of the fierce opposition of Pharaoh and his people, and of the stones of idle fancy which the hands of infidels cast upon that blessed Tree. So much so that Pharaoh and his people finally arose and exerted their utmost endeavor to extinguish with the waters of falsehood and denial the fire of that sacred Tree, oblivious of the truth that no earthly water can quench the flames of Divine wisdom, nor mortal blasts extinguish the lamp of everlasting dominion. Nay, rather, such water cannot but intensify the burning of the flame, and such blasts cannot but ensure the preservation of the lamp, were ye to observe with the eye of discernment, and walk in the way of God’s holy will and pleasure.…
4 A kad su dani Mojsija bili okončani, i svjetlost Isusa, blistajući iz Osvita Duha, obuhvatila svijet, sav je narod Izraelov ustao prosvjedujući protiv Njega. Zažagorili su da Onaj Čiji je advent Biblija prorekla nužno mora promicati i ispuniti Mojsijeve zakone, a taj mlađahni Nazarenac, koji je polagao pravo na položaj božanskoga Mesije, ukinuo je zakon o razvodu i o sabatu – najznačajnije od svih Mojsijevih zakona. Nadalje, što je sa znacima Objavitelja koji će tek doći? Taj narod Izraelov još i dan-danas očekuje onog Objavitelja kojega je Biblija navijestila! Koliko se Objava Svetosti, koliko Objavitelja vječne svjetlosti pojavilo od Mojsijeva vremena, a Izrael, uvijen u velove sotonske uobrazilje i lažnih maštarija, ipak još uvijek očekuje da se pojavi idol njegove vlastite izrade sa onakvim znacima kakve je on zamislio! Tako ih je Bog dohvatio zbog njihovih grijeha, ugasio u njima duh vjere, i mučio ih plamenom najstrašnije vatre. A sve to samo zato što je Izrael odbio shvatiti značenje onih riječi koje su bile objavljene u Bibliji glede znakova Objave koja će doći. Budući da nikada nije uhvatio njihovo pravo značenje, a, po vanjštini sudeći, takvi se događaji nikada nisu dogodili, on je stoga ostao uskraćen u prepoznavanju ljepote Isusa i pogleda na Božje Lice. I još iščekuju Njegov dolazak! Od pamtivijeka sve do danas, svi narodi i plemena na zemlji pripijali su se uz takve nestvarne i nedolične misli, i tako su se lišili bistrih voda koje teku iz izvora čistoće i svetosti… And when the days of Moses were ended, and the light of Jesus, shining forth from the Dayspring of the Spirit, encompassed the world, all the people of Israel arose in protest against Him. They clamored that He Whose advent the Bible had foretold must needs promulgate and fulfill the laws of Moses, whereas this youthful Nazarene, who laid claim to the station of the divine Messiah, had annulled the laws of divorce and of the sabbath day—the most weighty of all the laws of Moses. Moreover, what of the signs of the Manifestation yet to come? These people of Israel are even unto the present day still expecting that Manifestation which the Bible hath foretold! How many Manifestations of Holiness, how many Revealers of the light everlasting, have appeared since the time of Moses, and yet Israel, wrapt in the densest veils of satanic fancy and false imaginings, is still expectant that the idol of her own handiwork will appear with such signs as she herself hath conceived! Thus hath God laid hold of them for their sins, hath extinguished in them the spirit of faith, and tormented them with the flames of the nethermost fire. And this for no other reason except that Israel refused to apprehend the meaning of such words as have been revealed in the Bible concerning the signs of the coming Revelation. As she never grasped their true significance, and, to outward seeming, such events never came to pass, she, therefore, remained deprived of recognizing the beauty of Jesus and of beholding the Face of God. And they still await His coming! From time immemorial even unto this day, all the kindreds and peoples of the earth have clung to such fanciful and unseemly thoughts, and thus have deprived themselves of the clear waters streaming from the springs of purity and holiness.…
5 Onima koji su obdareni razumijevanjem jasno je i očigledno da, kad je vatra ljubavi za Isusa progutala koprene židovskih ograničenja, a Njegova vlast bila objelodanjena i dijelom ostvarena, On, Objavitelj neviđene Ljepote, obraćajući se jednoga dana Svojim učenicima, govorio je o Svom odlasku, i uspaljujući u njihovim srcima vatru ostavljenosti, rekao im je: “Odlazim i opet ću vam doći.” A na drugom je mjestu rekao: “Ja odlazim a drugi će doći, Koji će vam reći sve što vam ja nisam rekao, i ispunit će sve što sam ja rekao.” Obje ove izreke imaju samo jedno značenje, kad biste se s Božanskim uvidom zamislili nad Objavama Jedinstva Božjega. To them that are endowed with understanding, it is clear and manifest that, when the fire of the love of Jesus consumed the veils of Jewish limitations, and His authority was made apparent and partially enforced, He, the Revealer of the unseen Beauty, addressing one day His disciples, referred unto His passing, and, kindling in their hearts the fire of bereavement, said unto them: “I go away and come again unto you.” And in another place He said: “I go and another will come, Who will tell you all that I have not told you, and will fulfill all that I have said.” Both these sayings have but one meaning, were ye to ponder upon the Manifestations of the Unity of God with Divine insight.
6 Svaki promatrač koji razabire priznat će da su u Dispenzaciji Kur’ana potvrđeni i Knjiga i Učenje Isusovo. Što se, pak, imena tiče, sâm je Muhamed izjavio: “Ja sam Isus.” Prepoznao je istinitost znakova, proročanstava i riječi Isusovih, i posvjedočio da su sve bile od Boga. U tom smislu, niti Isus kao osoba niti Njegovi spisi ne razlikuju se od Muhameda i Njegove svete Knjige, jer su obojica zastupali Stvar Božju, izricali Njegovu hvalu, i objavljivali Njegove zapovijedi. Tako je Sâm Isus izjavio: “Odlazim i opet ću vam doći.” Razmisli o suncu. Kad bi ono reklo “ja sam sunce od jučer”, govorilo bi istinu. A, kad bi, imajući na umu slijed vremena, ustvrdilo da je različito od onoga sunca, ipak bi govorilo istinu. Slično tome, kad bi se reklo da su svi dani samo jedan te isti, to je ispravno i istinito. A, kad bi se reklo, s obzirom na njihove pojedinačne nazive i oznake, da su različiti, opet je i to istina. Jer, premda su identični, ipak razlikujemo u svakomu posebnu oznaku, specifičan atribut, pojedinačan karakter. U skladu s tim pojmi različitost, raznovrsnost i jedinstvo odlika raznih Objavitelja svetosti, da bi mogao shvatiti što je Stvoritelj svih imena i pridjevaka nagovijestio o otajstvima različitosti i jedinstva, i otkriti odgovor na tvoje pitanje zašto Se vječna Ljepota u mnogobrojnim prigodama nazivala različitim imenima i naslovima… Every discerning observer will recognize that in the Dispensation of the Qur’án both the Book and the Cause of Jesus were confirmed. As to the matter of names, Muḥammad, Himself, declared: “I am Jesus.” He recognized the truth of the signs, prophecies, and words of Jesus, and testified that they were all of God. In this sense, neither the person of Jesus nor His writings hath differed from that of Muḥammad and of His holy Book, inasmuch as both have championed the Cause of God, uttered His praise, and revealed His commandments. Thus it is that Jesus, Himself, declared: “I go away and come again unto you.” Consider the sun. Were it to say now, “I am the sun of yesterday,” it would speak the truth. And should it, bearing the sequence of time in mind, claim to be other than that sun, it still would speak the truth. In like manner, if it be said that all the days are but one and the same, it is correct and true. And if it be said, with respect to their particular names and designations, that they differ, that again is true. For though they are the same, yet one doth recognize in each a separate designation, a specific attribute, a particular character. Conceive accordingly the distinction, variation, and unity characteristic of the various Manifestations of holiness, that thou mayest comprehend the allusions made by the Creator of all names and attributes to the mysteries of distinction and unity, and discover the answer to thy question as to why that everlasting Beauty should have, at sundry times, called Himself by different names and titles.…
7 Kad je Neviđena, Vječna, Božanska Bit prouzročila uzdizanje Danice Muhamedove nad obzorom znanja, među prigovorima koje su Mu uputili židovski duhovnici bio je i onaj da nakon Mojsija neće biti Proroka Božjih. Naravno, u Spisima se spominjala Duša Koja se ima objaviti i Koja će omogućiti napredak Vjere, i promicati interese Mojsijeva naroda, da bi Zakon Mojsijeve dispenzacije obuhvatio cijelu zemlju. Ovako je Kralj vječne slave govorio u Svojoj Knjizi o riječima koje su izrekli oni koji lutaju dolinom udaljenosti i zablude: ” “Ruka Božja”, kažu Židovi, “okovana je”. Okovane bile njihove vlastite ruke; a zbog onoga što su rekli bili su prokleti. Nikako, ispružene su obje ruke Njegove!” “Božja je ruka iznad njihovih ruku.” Premda su komentatori Kur’ana na različite načine iznijeli okolnosti pri objavljivanju ovoga stiha, ti bi trebao nastojati shvatiti njegovu svrhu. On kaže: kako je lažno ono što su židovi zamišljali! Kako može ruka Onoga Koji je uistinu Kralj, Koji je prouzročio da se objavi lik Mojsijev, i dodijelio mu odoru Proroštva – kako ruka Takvoga može biti okovana i sputana? Kako Ga mogu smatrati nemoćnim da podigne još jednoga Glasnika nakon Mojsija? Pogledaj besmislenost onoga što govore; koliko je ono skrenulo s puta znanja i razumijevanja! Promotri kako se, i na ovaj Dan, svi ovi ljudi bave takvim budalastim besmislicama. Više od tisuću godina izgovaraju taj stih, i nesvjesno izražavaju svoj prijekor Židovima, nimalo ne uviđajući da oni sami, otvoreno i zasebno izražavaju osjećaje i vjerovanje židovskoga naroda! Zacijelo si svjestan njihova dokona raspravljanja da je Svekoliko Otkrivenje završilo, da su dveri Božanske milosti zatvorene, da iz danica vječne svetosti neće više izaći nikakvo Sunce, da je Ocean vječnoga obilja zauvijek utišan, i da su se iz Hrama drevne slave Glasnici Božji prestali objavljivati. Tolika je mjera razumijevanja tih uskih, prezira vrijednih ljudi. Ti su ljudi zamislili da je zaustavljen dotok Božje sveobuhvatne milosti i obilnih naklonosti, kojih prestanak nikakav um ne može zamisliti. Sa svih strana ustali su i opasali se tiranijom, i uložili najveći napor ne bi li gorkim vodama svoje isprazne mašte ugasili plamen Božjega Gorućega Grma, zaboravljajući da će kugla moći, u svojem moćnom uporištu, zaštititi Svjetiljku Božju… When the Unseen, the Eternal, the Divine Essence, caused the Daystar of Muḥammad to rise above the horizon of knowledge, among the cavils which the Jewish divines raised against Him was that after Moses no Prophet should be sent of God. Yea, mention hath been made in the Scriptures of a Soul Who must needs be made manifest and Who will advance the Faith, and promote the interests of the people of Moses, so that the Law of the Mosaic Dispensation may encompass the whole earth. Thus hath the King of eternal glory referred in His Book to the words uttered by those wanderers in the vale of remoteness and error: “‘The hand of God,’ say the Jews, ‘is chained up.’ Chained up be their own hands; And for that which they have said, they were accursed. Nay, outstretched are both His hands!” “The hand of God is above their hands.” Although the commentators of the Qur’án have related in divers manners the circumstances attending the revelation of this verse, yet thou shouldst endeavor to apprehend the purpose thereof. He saith: How false is that which the Jews have imagined! How can the hand of Him Who is the King in truth, Who caused the countenance of Moses to be made manifest, and conferred upon Him the robe of Prophethood—how can the hand of such a One be chained and fettered? How can He be conceived as powerless to raise up yet another Messenger after Moses? Behold the absurdity of their saying; how far it hath strayed from the path of knowledge and understanding! Observe how in this Day also, all these people have occupied themselves with such foolish absurdities. For over a thousand years they have been reciting this verse, and unwittingly pronouncing their censure against the Jews, utterly unaware that they themselves, openly and privily, are voicing the sentiments and belief of the Jewish people! Thou art surely aware of their idle contention, that all Revelation is ended, that the portals of Divine mercy are closed, that from the daysprings of eternal holiness no Sun shall rise again, that the Ocean of everlasting bounty is forever stilled, and that out of the Tabernacle of ancient glory the Messengers of God have ceased to be made manifest. Such is the measure of the understanding of these small-minded, contemptible people. These people have imagined that the flow of God’s all-encompassing grace and plenteous mercies, the cessation of which no mind can contemplate, has been halted. From every side they have risen and girded up the loins of tyranny, and exerted the utmost endeavor to quench with the bitter waters of their vain fancy the flame of God’s Burning Bush, oblivious that the globe of power shall, within its own mighty stronghold, protect the Lamp of God.…
8 Pogledajte kako je vrhovnost Muhameda, Glasnika Božjega, danas vidljiva i jasna među ljudima. Dobro znaš što je snašlo Njegovu vjeru u ranim danima Njegove dispenzacije. Kakve su teške boli ruke nevjernika i zalutalih, duhovnika toga doba i njihovih suradnika, zadale toj duhovnoj Biti, najčistijem i najsvetijem Biću! Koliko mnoštvo trnja i bodlji su posuli po Njegovom putu! Očigledno je da je ta nesretna generacija, u svojoj opakoj i sotonskoj uobrazilji, svaku povredu toga besmrtnoga Bića smatrala načinom dosizanja trajne sreće; toliko da su priznati duhovnici toga doba, kao što su ‘Abdu’lláh-i-Ubayy, Abú ‘Amir pustinjak, Ka’b-ibn-i-Ashraf, te Nadr-ibn-i-Hárith, svi postupali prema Njemu kao prema varalici, i proglasili Ga luđakom i klevetnikom. Takve teške optužbe su iznijeli protiv Njega da prilikom njihova nabrajanja Bog zabranjuje tinti da poteče, Našem peru da se makne, ili stranici da ih podnese. Te zločeste klevete izazvale su ljude da ustanu i muče Ga. A koliko žestoke su te muke, ako su duhovnici toga doba njihovi glavni podstrekači, ako Ga prijavljuju svojim sljedbenicima, protjeruju Ga iz svoje sredine, i proglašavaju Ga nevjernikom! Nije li isto zadesilo ovoga Slugu, čemu su svi posvjedočili? Behold how the sovereignty of Muḥammad, the Messenger of God, is today apparent and manifest amongst the people. You are well aware of what befell His Faith in the early days of His Dispensation. What woeful sufferings did the hand of the infidel and erring, the divines of that age and their associates, inflict upon that spiritual Essence, that most pure and holy Being! How abundant the thorns and briars which they have strewn over His path! It is evident that that wretched generation, in their wicked and satanic fancy, regarded every injury to that immortal Being as a means to the attainment of an abiding felicity; inasmuch as the recognized divines of that age, such as ‘Abdu’lláh Ubayy, ‘Abú ‘Ámir, the hermit, Ka’b-ibn-i-Ashraf, and Naḍr-ibn-i-Ḥárith, all treated Him as an impostor, and pronounced Him a lunatic and a calumniator. Such sore accusations they brought against Him that in recounting them God forbiddeth the ink to flow, Our pen to move, or the page to bear them. These malicious imputations provoked the people to arise and torment Him. And how fierce that torment, if the divines of the age be its chief instigators, if they denounce Him to their followers, cast Him out from their midst, and declare Him a miscreant! Hath not the same befallen this Servant, and been witnessed by all?
9 Zbog tog je razloga Muhamed uzviknuo: “Nijedan Prorok Božji nije podnio patnju kakvu sam Ja podnio.” A u Kur’anu su zapisane sve klevete i prigovori izgovoreni protiv Njega, kao i sve patnje koje je On podnio. Proučite to, da biste možda mogli biti obaviješteni o onomu što je snašlo Njegovu Objavu. Toliko je gorka bila Njegova muka, da povremeno nitko nije razgovarao s Njim i Njegovim pratiocima. Tko god bi se s Njim družio, pao bi žrtvom nesmiljene okrutnosti Njegovih neprijatelja… For this reason did Muḥammad cry out: “No Prophet of God hath suffered such harm as I have suffered.” And in the Qur’án are recorded all the calumnies and reproaches uttered against Him, as well as all the afflictions which He suffered. Refer ye thereunto, that haply ye may be informed of that which hath befallen His Revelation. So grievous was His plight, that for a time all ceased to hold intercourse with Him and His companions. Whoever associated with Him fell a victim to the relentless cruelty of His enemies.…
10 Razmisli kako je danas silno drugačije! Pogledaj, koliko je mnogo vladara koji kleče pred Njegovim imenom! Koliko su brojni narodi i kraljevstva koji su potražili zaklon pod Njegovom sjenom, koji su saveznici Njegove vjere, i time se ponose! S govornice silaze danas riječi pohvale, koje, u potpunoj poniznosti, slave Njegovo blagoslovljeno ime; a s visina minareta odzvanja zov koji poziva družbu Njegovih ljudi da Ga veličaju. Čak i oni kraljevi na zemlji koji su odbili prihvatiti Njegovu vjeru i odložiti ruho nevjerovanja, ipak priznaju veličinu i nadmoćno veličanstvo te Danice ljubazne dobrote. Tolika je Njegova zemaljska vlast, čemu dokaze vidiš posvuda. Ta vlast mora biti objavljena i uspostavljena bilo za života svakog Objavitelja Božjega, ili nakon Njegova uzašašća u Njegov pravi stan u kraljevstvima gore… Consider, how great is the change today! Behold, how many are the Sovereigns who bow the knee before His name! How numerous the nations and kingdoms who have sought the shelter of His shadow, who bear allegiance to His Faith, and pride themselves therein! From the pulpit-top there ascendeth today the words of praise which, in utter lowliness, glorify His blessed name; and from the heights of minarets there resoundeth the call that summoneth the concourse of His people to adore Him. Even those Kings of the earth who have refused to embrace His Faith and to put off the garment of unbelief, nonetheless confess and acknowledge the greatness and overpowering majesty of that Daystar of loving-kindness. Such is His earthly sovereignty, the evidences of which thou dost on every side behold. This sovereignty must needs be revealed and established either in the lifetime of every Manifestation of God or after His ascension unto His true habitation in the realms above.…
11 Jasno je da promjene koje izazove svaka Dispenzacija predstavljaju tamne oblake koje se ispriječuju između oka čovjekova razumijevanja i Božanskog Sunca koje sja iz osvita Božanske Biti. Promisli kako su muškarci generacijama slijepo oponašali svoje očeve, i bili odgajani u skladu s načinima i običajima koji su ustanovljeni prema nalozima njihove Vjere. Kad bi ti muškarci, stoga, iznenada otkrili da je Čovjek Koji je živio među njima, Koji je, u svakom ljudskom ograničenju, bio njima ravan, ustao da ukine svako uspostavljeno načelo koje nalaže njihova Vjera – načela koja su njih stoljećima obuzdavala, a svakoga tko bi im se usprotivio i poricao ih smatrali su nevjernikom, bestidnikom i opakim – zacijelo bi bili zastrti i spriječeni spoznati Njegovu istinu. Te su stvari poput “oblaka” koji zaklanjaju oči onih čije unutarnje biće nije kušalo Salsabil odijeljenosti, niti pilo iz Kawthara znanja o Bogu. Takvi muškarci, kad se upoznaju s tim okolnostima, postanu toliko zastrti da, bez imalo sumnje nevjernikom proglase Objavitelja Božjega, i osude Ga na smrt. Zacijelo si čuo da su se takve stvari događale kroz vjekove, a i sada ih gledaš u ovom dobu. It is evident that the changes brought about in every Dispensation constitute the dark clouds that intervene between the eye of man’s understanding and the Divine Luminary which shineth forth from the dayspring of the Divine Essence. Consider how men for generations have been blindly imitating their fathers, and have been trained according to such ways and manners as have been laid down by the dictates of their Faith. Were these men, therefore, to discover suddenly that a Man, Who hath been living in their midst, Who, with respect to every human limitation hath been their equal, had risen to abolish every established principle imposed by their Faith—principles by which for centuries they have been disciplined, and every opposer and denier of which they have come to regard as infidel, profligate and wicked—they would of a certainty be veiled and hindered from acknowledging His truth. Such things are as “clouds” that veil the eyes of those whose inner being hath not tasted the Salsabíl of detachment, nor drunk from the Kawthar of the knowledge of God. Such men, when acquainted with those circumstances, become so veiled that, without the least question, they pronounce the Manifestation of God as infidel, and sentence Him to death. You must have heard of such things taking place all down the ages, and are now observing them in these days.
12 Moramo, stoga, uložiti krajnji napor da nas, zahvaljujući nevidljivoj pomoći Božjoj, ti mračni velovi, ti oblaci kušnji poslanih s Neba, ne spriječe da gledamo ljepotu Njegova sjajna Lika, te da Ga prepoznamo samo kroz Njega Samoga. It behooveth us, therefore, to make the utmost endeavor, that, by God’s invisible assistance, these dark veils, these clouds of Heaven-sent trials, may not hinder us from beholding the beauty of His shining Countenance, and that we may recognize Him only by His own Self.