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BAHÁ’U’LLÁH
BAHÁ’U’LLÁH

1 Bahá’u’lláh17 se pojavio u vrijeme kad je Perzijsko carstvo potonulo u duboku tamu i neznanje i gubilo se u slijepom fanatizmu. Bahá’u’lláh17 appeared at a time when the Persian Empire was immersed in profound obscurantism and ignorance and lost in the blindest fanaticism.
2 U europskim udžbenicima povijesti zacijelo ste čitali detaljna izvješća o moralu, običajima i idejama Perzijanaca tijekom posljednjih stoljeća. Beskorisno ih je ponavljati. Ukratko, reći ćemo da je Perzija pala tako nisko da su svi strani putnici žalili što je ta zemlja, koja je u ranijim vremenima bila tako slavna i visoko civilizirana, sada bila toliko propala, uništena i nemirna, a njezino stanovništvo izgubilo svoje dostojanstvo. In the European histories, no doubt, you have read detailed accounts of the morals, customs and ideas of the Persians during the last centuries. It is useless to repeat them. Briefly, we will say that Persia had fallen so low that to all foreign travelers it was a matter of regret that this country, which in former times had been so glorious and highly civilized, had now become so decayed, ruined and upset, and that its population had lost its dignity.
3 U to se vrijeme pojavio Bahá’u’lláh. Njegov otac bio je jedan od vezira i nije pripadao ulemi. Kako je poznato svim ljudima u Perziji, nikada nije pohađao nikakvu školu niti se družio s ulemom ili učenim ljudima. Rani dio svog života proveo je u najvećoj sreći. Njegovi prijatelji i poznanici bili su Perzijanci najvišeg položaja, ali nisu bili učeni ljudi. It was at this time that Bahá’u’lláh appeared. His father was one of the viziers, not one of the ‘ulamá. As all the people of Persia know, He had never studied in any school, nor had He associated with the ‘ulamá or the men of learning. The early part of His life was passed in the greatest happiness. His companions and associates were Persians of the highest rank, but not learned men.
4 Čim se Báb objavio, Bahá’u’lláh je rekao: “Ovaj je veliki Čovjek Gospodar pravednih i vjera u Njega naložena je svima”. I ustao je da pomogne Bábu pružajući mnoge dokaze i pozitivna svjedočenja o Njegovoj istini usprkos činjenici da je ulema državne religije primorala perzijsku vladu da Mu se usprotivi i pruži otpor, te donijela dodatne odluke o masakru, pljačkanju, proganjanju i izgonu Njegovih sljedbenika. U svim pokrajinama počeli su ubijati, paliti i pljačkati obraćenike, pa čak nasrtati na žene i djecu. Bez obzira na to Bahá’u’lláh je ustao objavljivati Bábovu riječ s najvećom nepokolebljivošću i energijom. Niti za trenutak nije se skrivao; otvoreno se miješao sa Svojim neprijateljima. Bio je obuzet iznošenjem dokaza i svjedočenja i bio je priznat kao Glasnik Riječi Božje. Tijekom mnogih promjena i događaja podnio je najveće nedaće i u svakom se trenutku izlagao opasnosti da bude mučenički pogubljen. As soon as the Báb became manifested, Bahá’u’lláh said, “This great Man is the Lord of the righteous, and faith in Him is incumbent upon all.” And He arose to assist the Báb and gave many proofs and positive evidences of His truth, in spite of the fact that the ‘ulamá of the state religion had constrained the Persian government to oppose and resist Him and had further issued decrees ordering the massacre, pillage, persecution and expulsion of His followers. In all the provinces they began to kill, to burn, to pillage the converts and even to assault the women and children. Regardless of this, Bahá’u’lláh arose to proclaim the word of the Báb with the greatest firmness and energy. Not for one moment was He in concealment; He mixed openly with His enemies. He was occupied in showing forth evidences and proofs and was recognized as the Herald of the Word of God. In many changes and chances He endured the greatest misfortunes, and at every moment He ran the risk of being martyred.
5 Bačen je u okove i zatvoren u podzemnu tamnicu. Njegovo bogato vlasništvo i nasljedstvo opljačkani su i konfiscirani. Četiri je puta bio prognan iz zemlje u zemlju i počinak pronašao tek u “Najvećoj tamnici”18. He was put into chains and confined in an underground prison. His vast property and inheritance were pillaged and confiscated. He was exiled four times from land to land and found rest only in the “Greatest Prison.”18
6 Unatoč svemu tome On nikada niti za jedan trenutak nije prekinuo Svoje objavljivanje veličine Stvari Božje. Pokazivao je takvu vrlinu, znanje i savršenstvo da je postao čudo svim ljudima Perzije. Toliko da su u Teheranu, Bagdadu, Konstantinopolu, Rumeliji, pa čak i u Akki, svi učeni ljudi ili znanstvenici koji bi se našli u Njegovoj nazočnosti, bilo kao prijatelji ili neprijatelji, uvijek uspijevali dobiti zadovoljavajući i najuvjerljiviji odgovor na svako izneseno pitanje. Svi su često tvrdili da je On bio jedan i jedinstven u svim savršenostima. In spite of all this He never ceased for one instant His proclamation of the greatness of the Cause of God. He manifested such virtue, knowledge and perfections that He became a wonder to all the people of Persia. So much so that in Ṭihrán, Baghdád, Constantinople, Rumelia, and even in Akká, every one of the learned and scientific men who entered His presence, whether friend or enemy, never failed to receive the most sufficient and convincing answer to whatever question was propounded. All frequently acknowledged that He was alone and unique in all perfections.
7 Često se događalo da su se u Bagdadu određeni pripadnici muhamedanske uleme, židovski rabini i kršćani sastajali s nekim europskim učenjacima u blagoslovljenu zajedniš- tvu: svaki bi predložio neko pitanje i, premda bijahu na različitim kulturnim razinama, svaki je od njih čuo zadovoljavajući i uvjerljiv odgovor i povukao bi se zadovoljan. Čak je i perzijska ulema koja je bila u Karbili i Najafu odabrala mudra čovjeka kojeg su poslali k Njemu u misiju; ime mu je bilo Mullá Hasan ‘Amú. On je došao u Svetu Nazočnost i predložio određen broj pitanja u ime uleme na koja je Bahá’u’lláh odgovorio. Potom je Hasan ‘Amú rekao: “Ulema prepoznaje bez oklijevanja i priznaje znanje i vrlinu Bahá’u’lláha i jednoglasno je uvjerena da mu u sveukupnoj učenosti nema premca; također je očevidno da nikad nije učio ili stekao to znanje; no, ipak, ulema kaže: ‘Nismo s tim zadovoljni; ne priznajemo realnost njegove misije na temelju njegove mudrosti i pravičnosti. Stoga tražimo od Njega da nam pokaže čudo da bi udovoljio i uspokojio naša srca’”. It often happened that in Baghdád certain Muḥammadan ‘ulamá, Jewish rabbis and Christians met together with some European scholars, in a blessed reunion: each one had some question to propose, and although they were possessed of varying degrees of culture, they each heard a sufficient and convincing reply, and retired satisfied. Even the Persian ‘ulamá who were at Karbilá and Najaf chose a wise man whom they sent on a mission to Him; his name was Mullá Ḥasan ‘Amú. He came into the Holy Presence, and proposed a number of questions on behalf of the ‘ulamá, to which Bahá’u’lláh replied. Then Ḥasan ‘Amú said, “The ‘ulamá recognize without hesitation and confess the knowledge and virtue of Bahá’u’lláh, and they are unanimously convinced that in all learning he has no peer or equal; and it is also evident that he has never studied or acquired this learning; but still the ‘ulamá say, ‘We are not contented with this; we do not acknowledge the reality of his mission by virtue of his wisdom and righteousness. Therefore, we ask him to show us a miracle in order to satisfy and tranquilize our hearts.’”
8 Bahá’u’lláh je odgovorio: “Premda nemate nikakvo pravo da to tražite jer Bog smije kušati svoja stvorenja, a ona ne bi trebala kušati Boga – ipak vam dopuštam i prihvaćam taj zahtjev. Međutim, Stvar Božja nije kazališna predstava koja se prikazuje svakog sata i od koje se svakog dana može očekivati nova zabava. Kad bi bilo tako Stvar Božja bila bi samo dječja igra. Bahá’u’lláh replied, “Although you have no right to ask this, for God should test His creatures, and they should not test God, still I allow and accept this request. But the Cause of God is not a theatrical display that is presented every hour, of which some new diversion may be asked for every day. If it were thus, the Cause of God would become mere child’s play.
9 “Članovi uleme moraju se, stoga, okupiti, složno odabrati jedno čudo i napisati da po izvršenju toga čuda više neće sumnjati u Mene, te da će svi potvrditi i priznati istinu Moje Stvari. Neka taj papir zapečate i donesu Meni. To mora biti prihvaćeno mjerilo: izvrši li se čudo, za njih više neće biti nikakve sumnje; a ako se ne izvrši Mi ćemo biti osuđeni za prijevaru”. Učen čovjek Hasan ‘Amú digao se i odgovorio: “Nema se više što reći”; potom je poljubio koljeno Blažene Ljepote – premda nije bio vjernik i otišao. Sakupio je ulemu i prenio im svetu poruku. Oni su se posavjetovali i rekli: “Taj je čovjek čarobnjak; možda će izvesti kakvu čaroliju, pa mi onda više nećemo moći ništa reći”. Djelujući u skladu s takvim uvjerenjem nisu se usudili dalje razmišljati o tome19. “The ‘ulamás must, therefore, assemble, and, with one accord, choose one miracle, and write that, after the performance of this miracle they will no longer entertain doubts about Me, and that all will acknowledge and confess the truth of My Cause. Let them seal this paper, and bring it to Me. This must be the accepted criterion: if the miracle is performed, no doubt will remain for them; and if not, We shall be convicted of imposture.” The learned man, Ḥasan ‘Amú, rose and replied, “There is no more to be said”; he then kissed the knee of the Blessed One although he was not a believer, and went. He gathered the ‘ulamá and gave them the sacred message. They consulted together and said, “This man is an enchanter; perhaps he will perform an enchantment, and then we shall have nothing more to say.” Acting on this belief, they did not dare to push the matter further.19
10 Taj čovjek, Hasan `Amú, mnogo je puta na sastancima spomenuo ovu činjenicu. Nakon što je napustio Karbilu i otišao u Kirmánsháh i Teheran, svuda je o njoj detaljno pripovijedao, naglašavajući strah i uzmak uleme. This man, Ḥasan ‘Amú, mentioned this fact at many meetings. After leaving Karbilá he went to Kirmansháh and Ṭihrán and spread a detailed account of it everywhere, laying emphasis on the fear and the withdrawal of the ‘ulamá.
11 Ukratko, svi Njegovi protivnici na Istoku priznavali su Njegovu veličinu, otmjenost, znanje i vrlinu; i premda su bili Njegovi neprijatelji, uvijek su o Njemu govorili kao o “glasovitom Bahá’u’lláhu”. Briefly, all His adversaries in the Orient acknowledged His greatness, grandeur, knowledge and virtue; and though they were His enemies, they always spoke of Him as “the renowned Bahá’u’lláh.”
12 U vrijeme kad se ovo veliko Svjetlo iznenada pojavilo na obzorju Perzije, svi su se ljudi, ministri, ulema i pripadnici ostalih klasa digli protiv Njega, progoneći Ga s najvećom mržnjom i obznanjujući da “taj čovjek želi ukinuti i uništiti religiju, zakon, naciju i carstvo”. Isto je rečeno i za Krista. No, Bahá’u’lláh se sam i bez podrške odupro svima njima, a da nikada nije pokazao ni najmanju slabost. Napokon su rekli: “Sve dok je taj čovjek u Perziji – neće biti mira i spokoja; moramo ga prognati da bi se Perzija mogla vratiti u stanje mira”. At the time when this great Light suddenly arose upon the horizon of Persia, all the people, the ministers, the ‘ulamá and men of other classes rose against Him, pursuing Him with the greatest animosity, and proclaiming “that this man wishes to suppress and destroy the religion, the law, the nation and the empire.” The same was said of Christ. But Bahá’u’lláh alone and without support resisted them all, without ever showing the least weakness. At last they said, “As long as this man is in Persia, there will be no peace and tranquillity; we must banish him, so that Persia may return to a state of quietude.”
13 Nastavili su se protiv Njega služiti nasiljem ne bi li ga primorali da zatraži dopuštenje da napusti Perziju, misleći da će se na taj način Njegova istina ugasiti; međutim, rezultat je bio posve oprečan. Stvar je postajala sve veličajnija, a plamen sve jači. Najprije se proširila samo Perzijom, no izgon Bahá’u’lláha izazvao je širenje Stvari i u drugim zemljama. Poslije su njegovi neprijatelji rekli: “Iráq i-’Arab20 nije dovoljno daleko od Perzije; moramo ga poslati u udaljenije kraljevstvo”. Zato je perzijska vlada odlučila poslati Bahá’u’lláha iz Iraka u Konstantinopol. Taj je događaj opet pokazao da Stvar nije niti najmanje oslabljena. Također su rekli: “Konstantinopol je mjesto prolaska i privremeno boravište za razne rase i narode; među njima su i mnogi Perzijanci”. Iz tog su ga razloga Perzijanci protjerali dalje u Rumeliju; no, tamo se plamen još pojačao i Stvar se još više uzvisila. Napokon su Perzijanci rekli: “Niti jedno od tih mjesta nije dovoljno sigurno od njegova utjecaja; moramo ga poslati na mjesto na kojem će biti bespomoćan i gdje će njegova obitelj i sljedbenici biti podvrgnuti najužasnijim nedaćama”. Tako su izabrali tamnicu Akke (‘Akká), koja je bila namijenjena isključivo ubojicama, lopovima i drumskim pljačkašima, i doista Ga svrstali među takve ljude. Ali Božja se moć objavila: Njegova se riječ širila, a veličina Bahá’u’lláha postala je očita, jer je iz te tamnice i u tako ponižavajućim okolnostima On natjerao Perziju da Ga progoni iz zemlje u zemlju. Pobijedio je sve Svoje neprijatelje i dokazao im da se ne mogu oduprijeti Stvari. Njegova su sveta učenja prodrla u sve regije i Njegova je Stvar uspostavljena. They proceeded to use violence toward Him to oblige Him to ask for permission to leave Persia, thinking that by this means the light of His truth would be extinguished, but the result was quite the contrary. The Cause became magnified, and its flame more intense. At first it spread throughout Persia only, but the exile of Bahá’u’lláh caused the diffusion of the Cause throughout other countries. Afterward His enemies said, “‘Iráq-i-‘Arab20 is not far enough from Persia; we must send him to a more distant kingdom.” This is why the Persian government determined to send Bahá’u’lláh from ‘Iráq to Constantinople. Again the event proved that the Cause was not in the least weakened. Once more they said, “Constantinople is a place of passage and of sojourn for various races and peoples; among them are many Persians.” For this reason the Persians had Him further exiled to Rumelia; but, when there, the flame became more powerful, and the Cause more exalted. At last the Persians said, “Not one of these places is safe from his influence; we must send him to some place where he will be reduced to powerlessness, and where his family and followers will have to submit to the direst afflictions.” So they chose the prison of Akká, which is reserved especially for murderers, thieves and highway robbers, and in truth they classed Him with such people. But the power of God became manifested: His word was promulgated, and the greatness of Bahá’u’lláh then became evident, for it was from this prison and under such humiliating circumstances that He caused Persia to advance from one state into another state. He overcame all His enemies and proved to them that they could not resist the Cause. His holy teachings penetrated all regions, and His Cause was established.
14 Uistinu, u svim dijelovima Perzije Njegovi su se neprijatelji digli protiv Njega s najvećom mržnjom, zatvarajući, ubijajući i bičujući Njegove obraćenike, te paleći i rušeći do temelja tisuće kuća, na svaki se način trudeći istrijebiti i skršiti Stvar. Unatoč svega toga, ona se uzdigla iz tamnice za ubojice, drumske razbojnike i lopove. Njegova su se učenja širila inozemstvom, a Njegove su opomene utjecale na mnoge koji su bili najviše ispunjeni mržnjom, te su od njih načinile odlučne vjernike. Čak se i sama perzijska vlada probudila i zažalila zbog onoga do čega je došlo pogreškom uleme. Indeed, in all parts of Persia His enemies arose against Him with the greatest hatred, imprisoning, killing and beating His converts, and burning and razing to the ground thousands of dwellings, striving by every means to exterminate and crush the Cause. In spite of all this, from the prison of murderers, highway robbers and thieves, it became exalted. His teachings were spread abroad, and His exhortations affected many of those who had been the most full of hatred, and made them firm believers. Even the Persian government itself became awakened and regretted that which had arisen through the fault of the ‘ulamá.
15 Kad je Bahá’u’lláh došao u tu tamnicu u Svetoj zemlji, mudri su ljudi shvatili da su se dobre vijesti o kojima je prije dvije ili tri tisuće godina Bog govorio kroz jezike Proroka ponovno ostvarile i da je Bog održao Svoje Obećanje; naime, nekim je Prorocima otkrio i prenio dobre vijesti da bi se “Gospod nad vojskama trebao objaviti u Svetoj zemlji”. Sva ta obećanja ispunila su se, a teško je zamisliti da bi Bahá’u’lláh morao napustiti Perziju i podići Svoj šator u Svetoj zemlji da Ga neprijatelji nisu izgnali. Namjera je Njegovih neprijatelja bila da Njegovim zatočeništvom potpuno unište i satru blagoslovljenu Stvar, no ta je tamnica zapravo bila od najveće pomoći postavši sredstvo njezina razvitka. Božanska slava Bahá’u’lláha stigla je na istok i na zapad i zrake Sunca Istine obasjale su cijeli svijet. Hvaljen bio Bog! Premda je bio zatočenik, Njegov je šator podignut na Gori Karmel i On se kretao unaokolo s najvećom veličanstvenošću. Svaka osoba, prijatelj ili stranac koji je došao u Njegovu nazočnost običavao bi govoriti: “To je princ, a ne zarobljenik”. When Bahá’u’lláh came to this prison in the Holy Land, the wise men realized that the glad tidings which God gave through the tongue of the Prophets two or three thousand years before were again manifested, and that God was faithful to His promise; for to some of the Prophets He had revealed and given the good news that “the Lord of Hosts should be manifested in the Holy Land.” All these promises were fulfilled; and it is difficult to understand how Bahá’u’lláh could have been obliged to leave Persia, and to pitch His tent in this Holy Land, but for the persecution of His enemies, His banishment and exile. His enemies intended that His imprisonment should completely destroy and annihilate the blessed Cause, but this prison was in reality of the greatest assistance and became the means of its development. The divine renown of Bahá’u’lláh reached the East and the West, and the rays of the Sun of Truth illuminated all the world. Praise be to God! though He was a prisoner, His tent was raised on Mount Carmel, and He moved abroad with the greatest majesty. Every person, friend or stranger, who came into His presence used to say, “This is a prince, not a captive.”
16 Došavši u tamnicu21 uputio je Napoleonu22 poslanicu koju je odaslao po francuskom veleposlaniku. Njena je bit bila sljedeća: “Upitajte što je Naš zločin i zašto Smo zatvoreni u ovoj tamnici i ovom podzemlju”. Napoleon nije odgovorio. Potom je odaslana druga poslanica koja je objavljena u Súriyi-Haykal23. Njen je sažetak sljedeći: “Oh, Napoleone, budući da nisi poslušao Moju izjavu niti na nju odgovorio, tvoje će ti kraljevstvo uskoro biti oduzeto a ti ćeš biti potpuno uništen”. Poslanica je upućena Napoleonu poštom, o čemu se, kao što je poznato svim Njegovim suputnicima u izgnanstvu pobrinuo Cesar Ketaphakou24. Tekst ovog upozorenja stigao je u sve krajeve Perzije1, a ta se poslanica nalazila u toj knjizi. To se dogodilo 1869., a kako je taj Súriy-i-Haykal kružio po Perziji i Indiji i bio u rukama svih vjernika, oni su čekali da vide što će se dogoditi. Nedugo potom, godine 1870. izbio je rat između Njemačke i Francuske; i premda tada nitko nije očekivao pobjedu Njemačke, Napoleon je bio poražen i obeščašćen; predao se svojim neprijateljima i njegova se slava prometnula u duboko poniženje. Upon His arrival in prison21 He addressed an epistle to Napoleon,22 which He sent through the French ambassador. The gist of it was, “Ask what is Our crime, and why We are confined in this prison and this dungeon.” Napoleon made no reply. Then a second epistle was issued, which is contained in the Súriy-i-Haykal.23 The epitome of it is: “Oh Napoleon, as thou hast not listened to My proclamation, and as thou hast not answered it, thy dominion will before long be taken away from thee, and thou wilt be utterly destroyed.” This epistle was sent to Napoleon by post, through the care of Cesar Ketaphakou,24 as was known to all the companions of His exile. The text of this warning reached the whole of Persia, for it was at that time that the Kitáb-i-Haykal was spread in Persia, and this epistle was among the contents of this book. This happened in A.D. 1869, and as this Súriy-i-Haykal was circulated in Persia and India and was in the hands of all believers, they were waiting to see what would come to pass. Not long after, in A.D. 1870, the war between Germany and France broke out; and though no one at that time expected the victory of Germany, Napoleon was defeated and dishonored; he surrendered to his enemies, and his glory was changed into deep abasement.
17 Ploče25 su upućene i drugim kraljevima, a među njima bilo je i pismo Njegovoj Visosti Násiri-d-Dín Šahu. U toj poslanici Bahá’u’lláh je rekao: “Pozovite Me, okupite ulemu i pitajte o dokazima i argumentima, da se saznaju istina i laž”. Njegova Visost Násiri-d-Dín Šah poslao je blagoslovljenu poslanicu ulemi i predložio im da poduzmu tu misiju, ali se oni nisu usudili. Zatim je zatražio da sedam od najslavnijih među njima napišu odgovor na taj izazov. Nakon nekog vremena vratili su blagoslovljeno pismo govoreći: “Ovaj je čovjek protivnik religije i neprijatelj Šaha”. Njegovo veličanstvo Šah Perzije bio je jako uznemiren i rekao: “Ovo je pitanje dokaza i argumenata i istine i laži; kakve to veze ima s neprijateljstvom prema vladi? Jao, koliko smo poštovali ovu ulemu koja čak ne može odgovoriti niti na ovu poslanicu”. Tablets25 were also sent to other kings, and among them was the letter to H. M. Náṣiri’d-Dín Sháh. In that epistle Bahá’u’lláh said, “Have Me summoned, gather the ‘ulamá, and ask for proofs and arguments, so that the truth and falsehood may become known.” H. M. Náṣiri’d-Dín Sháh sent the blessed epistle to the ‘ulamá and proposed to them that they should undertake this mission, but they dared not do so. Then he asked seven of the most celebrated among them to write an answer to the challenge. After some time they returned the blessed letter, saying, “This man is the opposer of religion and the enemy of the Sháh.” His majesty the Sháh of Persia was much vexed, and said, “This is a question for proofs and arguments, and of truth or falsehood: what has it to do with enmity to the government? Alas! how much we respected these ‘ulamá, who cannot even reply to this epistle.”
18 Ukratko, sve što je zabilježeno u Pločama kraljevima ispunilo se: ako od 1870. usporedimo događaje koji su se zbili, otkrit ćemo da se sve zbilo upravo onako kako je predskazano; ostaje još samo nekoliko događaja koji će se kasnije obznaniti. Briefly, all that was recorded in the Tablets to the Kings is being fulfilled: if from the year A.D. 1870 we compare the events that have occurred, we will find everything that has happened has appeared as predicted; only a few remain which will afterward become manifested.
19 Tako su i inozemni narodi i pripadnici ostalih sekti koji nisu bili vjernici Bahá’u’lláhu pripisivali mnogo čudesnih stvari. Neki su vjerovali da je On svetac26, a neki su čak pisali i rasprave o njemu. Jedan od njih, Siyyid Dávúdí, veliki sunitski učenjak iz Bagdada, napisao je kratku raspravu u kojoj je prepričao određena natprirodna djela Bahá’u’lláha. Čak i sada, u svim dijelovima Istoka, postoje neki ljudi koji, iako ne vjeruju u Njegovu objavu, vjeruju da je On svetac i pripovijedaju o čudima koja Mu se pripisuju. So also foreign peoples, and other sects who were not believers, attributed many wonderful things to Bahá’u’lláh. Some believed that He was a saint,26 and some even wrote treatises about Him. One of them, Siyyid Dávúdí, a Sunnite savant of Baghdád, wrote a short treatise in which he related certain supernatural acts of Bahá’u’lláh. Even now, in all parts of the East, there are some people who, though they do not believe in His manifestation, nevertheless believe Him to be a saint and relate miracles attributed to Him.
20 Da rezimiramo: i Njegovi protivnici i Njegovi sljedbenici kao i svi oni koji su primljeni na Svetom mjestu, priznali su i posvjedočili o veličini Bahá’u’lláha. Premda nisu vjerovali u Njega ipak su priznali Njegovu uzvišenost, i čim su stupili na Sveto mjesto prisustvo Bahá’u’lláha ostavilo je na većinu njih takav dojam da nisu mogli prozboriti ni riječi. Koliko se puta dogodilo da je jedan od Njegovih najogorčenijih neprijatelja u sebi odlučio: “Reći ću takve i takve stvari kad dođem u Njegovu nazočnost i raspravljat ću i tako se prepirati s Njim”; no, kad bi ušao u Svetu Nazočnost postao bi zapanjen i smeten i ostao bez riječi. To sum up, both His antagonists and His partisans, as well as all those who were received in the sacred spot, acknowledged and bore witness to the greatness of Bahá’u’lláh. Though they did not believe in Him, still they acknowledged His grandeur, and as soon as they entered the sacred spot, the presence of Bahá’u’lláh produced such an effect on most of them that they could not utter a word. How many times it happened that one of His most bitter enemies would resolve within himself, “I will say such and such things when I reach His presence, and I will dispute and argue thus with Him,” but when he entered the Holy Presence, he would become amazed and confounded, and remain speechless.
21 Bahá’u’lláh nikada nije učio arapski; nikada nije imao tutora ili učitelja niti je pohađao školu. Unatoč tome, rječitost i elegancija Njegovih blagoslovljenih izlaganja na arapskom, kao i Njegovi arapski spisi, izazivali su zapanjenost i zaprepaštenje kod najuglednijih arapskih znanstvenika i svi su priznavali i izjavljivali da je On bio neusporediv i jedinstven. Bahá’u’lláh had never studied Arabic; He had not had a tutor or teacher, nor had He entered a school. Nevertheless, the eloquence and elegance of His blessed expositions in Arabic, as well as His Arabic writings, caused astonishment and stupefaction to the most accomplished Arabic scholars, and all recognized and declared that He was incomparable and unequaled.
22 Pregledamo li pažljivo tekst Tore vidjet ćemo da Božanski Objavitelj nikada onima koji su Ga porekli nije rekao: “Ma kakvo čudo vi željeli, pripravan sam ga izvršiti i pokorit ću se bilo kakvoj kušnji koju predložite”. No u Poslanici Šahu, Bahá’u’lláh je jasno rekao: “Okupite ulemu i pozovite Me da bi se mogli iznijeti dokazi i svjedočenja.”27 If we carefully examine the text of the Torah, we see that the Divine Manifestation never said to those who denied Him, “Whatever miracle you desire, I am ready to perform, and I will submit to whatever test you propose.” But in the Epistle to the Sháh, Bahá’u’lláh said clearly, “Gather the ‘ulamá, and summon Me, that the evidences and proofs may be established.”27
23 Pedeset se godina Bahá’u’lláh suočavao sa Svojim neprijateljima poput planine: svi su Ga željeli satrti i tražili su Njegovo uništenje. Tisuću su puta planirali raspeti i uništiti Ga, te je tijekom tih pedeset godina On bio u neprekidnoj opasnosti. For fifty years Bahá’u’lláh faced His enemies like a mountain: all wished to annihilate Him and sought His destruction. A thousand times they planned to crucify and destroy Him, and during these fifty years He was in constant danger.
24 Danas je Perzija u takvom stanju dekadencije i rasula da svi razboriti ljudi, bili oni Perzijanci ili stranci koji shvaćaju pravo stanje stvari, priznaju da njen napredak i obnova ovise o širenju učenja i razvoju načela te velike Osobe. In this day Persia is in such a state of decadence and ruin that all intelligent men, whether Persians or foreigners, who realize the true state of affairs, recognize that its progress, its civilization and its reconstruction depend upon the promulgation of the teachings and the development of the principles of this great Personage.
25 Krist, u Svoje blaženo doba, doista je poučio samo jedanaest ljudi: najveći među njima, Petar, bez obzira na to, kad je stavljen na kušnju triput je porekao Krista. Usprkos tome, Kristova Stvar kasnije je prožela cijeli svijet. U današnje vrijeme Bahá’u’lláh je odgojio tisuće duša koje su pod prijetnjom mača do najvišeg neba kliknule: “Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá”28; i u ognju kušnji njihova su lica postala sjajna poput zlata. Zamislite što će se tek desiti u budućnosti. Christ, in His blessed day, in reality only educated eleven men: the greatest of them was Peter, who, nevertheless, when he was tested, thrice denied Christ. In spite of this, the Cause of Christ subsequently permeated the world. At the present day Bahá’u’lláh has educated thousands of souls who, while under the menace of the sword, raised to the highest heaven the cry of “Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá”;28 and in the fire of tests, their faces became illuminated like gold. Then reflect what will take place in the future.
26 Napokon, moramo biti pravedni i priznati kakav je Odgajatelj bilo to Slavno Biće, kakve je čudesne znakove objavio i kakvoj je moći i snazi pomogao da se u svijetu ostvari. Finally, we must be just and acknowledge what an Educator this Glorious Being was, what marvelous signs were manifested by Him, and what power and might have been realized in the world through Him.