Lawh-i-Hikmat (Tablet
of Wisdom)
*
This Tablet was addressed to Áqá Muhammad, a distinguished believer from the town of Qá’in, who was surnamed Nabíl-i-Akbar (see Memorials of the Faithful, Chapter 1: “Nabil-i-Akbar”). Another
distinguished believer of Qá’in, Mullá
Muhammad-‘Alí, was known as Nabíl-i-Qá’iní (see Memorials of the Faithful, Chapter 17: “Nabil of Qa'in”).
In the abjad notation the name “Muhammad” has the same numerical value as “Nabíl.”
*
This is an Epistle which the All-Merciful hath sent
down from the Kingdom of Utterance. It is truly a breath of life unto those who
dwell in the realm of creation. Glorified be the Lord of all worlds! In this
Epistle mention is made of him who magnifieth
the Name of God, his Lord, and who is named Nabíl in
a weighty Tablet.
O Muhammad! Hearken unto
the Voice proceeding out of the Realm of Glory, calling aloud from the
celestial Tree which hath risen above the land of Za‘farán1:
Verily, no God is there but Me, the Omniscient, the Wise. Be thou as the
breezes of the All-Merciful for the trees of the realm of existence and foster
their growth through the potency of the Name of thy Lord, the Just, the
All-Informed. We desire to acquaint thee with that which will serve as a
reminder unto the people, that they may put away the things current amongst
them and set their faces towards God, the Lord of the sincere.
We exhort mankind in
these days when the countenance of Justice is soiled with dust, when the flames
of unbelief are burning high and the robe of wisdom rent asunder, when
tranquility and faithfulness have ebbed away and trials and tribulations have
waxed severe, when covenants are broken and ties are severed, when no man knoweth
how to discern light and darkness or to distinguish guidance from error.
O peoples of the world!
Forsake all evil, hold fast that which is good. Strive to be shining examples
unto all mankind, and true reminders of the virtues of God amidst men. He that riseth
to serve My Cause should manifest My wisdom, and bend
every effort to banish ignorance from the earth. Be united in counsel, be one
in thought. Let each morn be better than its eve and each morrow richer than
its yesterday. Man’s merit lieth in service and virtue and not in the pageantry
of wealth and riches. Take heed that your words be purged from idle fancies and
worldly desires and your deeds be cleansed from craftiness and suspicion.
Dissipate not the wealth of your precious lives in the pursuit of evil and
corrupt affection, nor let your endeavors be spent in promoting your personal
interest. Be generous in your days of plenty, and be
patient in the hour of loss. Adversity is followed by success and rejoicings
follow woe. Guard against idleness and sloth, and cling unto that which profiteth mankind, whether young or old, whether high or
low. Beware lest ye sow tares of dissension among men or plant thorns of doubt
in pure and radiant hearts.
O ye beloved of the
Lord! Commit not that which defileth
the limpid stream of love or destroyeth the sweet
fragrance of friendship. By the righteousness of the Lord! Ye were created to
show love one to another and not perversity and rancor. Take pride not in love
for yourselves but in love for your fellow-creatures. Glory not in love for
your country, but in love for all mankind. Let your eye be chaste, your hand
faithful, your tongue truthful and your heart enlightened. Abase not the
station of the learned in Bahá and belittle not the
rank of such rulers as administer justice amidst you. Set your reliance on the
army of justice, put on the armor of wisdom, let your adorning be forgiveness
and mercy and that which cheereth the hearts of the
well-favored of God.
By My life! Thy
grievances have plunged Me into sorrow. Regard not the children of the world
and all their doings but fix thy gaze upon God and His never-ending dominion.
Verily, He calleth to thy remembrance that which is the source of delight for
all mankind. Drink thou the life-giving water of blissful joy from the chalice
of utterance proffered by the Fountainhead of divine Revelation—He Who hath
made mention of thee in this mighty stronghold. Endeavor to the utmost of thy
powers to establish the word of truth with eloquence and wisdom and to dispel
falsehood from the face of the earth. Thus
directeth thee the Dayspring of divine knowledge from
this luminous horizon.
O thou who speakest
in My name! Consider the people and the things they have wrought in My days. We
revealed unto one of the rulers that which overpowereth
all the dwellers of the earth, and requested him to bring Us face to face with
the learned men of this age, that We might set forth for him the testimony of
God, His proofs, His glory and His majesty; and naught did We intend thereby
but the highest good. However, he committed that which hath caused the inmates
of the cities of justice and equity to lament. Thus
hath judgment been given between Me and him. Verily thy Lord is the Ordainer, the All-Informed. In such circumstances as thou seest, how can the Celestial Bird soar into the atmosphere
of divine mysteries when its wings have been battered with the stones of idle
fancy and bitter hatred, and it is cast into a prison built of unyielding
stone? By the righteousness of God! The people have perpetrated a grievous
injustice.
As regards thine
assertions about the beginning of creation, this is a matter on which
conceptions vary by reason of the divergences in men’s thoughts and opinions.
Wert thou to assert that it hath ever existed and shall continue to exist, it
would be true; or wert thou to affirm the same concept as is mentioned in the
sacred Scriptures, no doubt would there be about it, for it hath been revealed
by God, the Lord of the worlds. Indeed
He was a hidden treasure. This is a station that can never be described nor
even alluded to. And in the station of “I did wish to make Myself known,” God
was, and His creation had ever existed beneath His shelter from the beginning
that hath no beginning, apart from its being preceded by a Firstness which
cannot be regarded as firstness and originated by a Cause inscrutable even unto
all men of learning.
That which hath been in
existence had existed before, but not in the form thou seest
today. The world of existence came into being through the heat generated from
the interaction between the active force and that which is its recipient. These
two are the same, yet they are different. Thus doth
the Great Announcement inform thee about this glorious structure. Such as
communicate the generating influence and such as receive its impact are indeed
created through the irresistible Word of God which is
the Cause of the entire creation, while all else besides His Word are but the
creatures and the effects thereof. Verily thy Lord is the Expounder, the
All-Wise.
Know thou, moreover,
that the Word of God—exalted be His glory—is higher and far superior to that which
the senses can perceive, for it is sanctified from any property or substance.
It transcendeth
the limitations of known elements and is exalted above all the essential and
recognized substances. It became manifest without any syllable or sound and is
none but the Command of God which pervadeth all
created things. It hath never been withheld from the world of being. It is
God’s all-pervasive grace, from which all grace doth emanate. It is an entity
far removed above all that hath been and shall be.
Every thing
must needs have an origin and every building a builder. Verily, the Word of God
is the Cause which hath preceded the contingent world—a world which is adorned
with the splendors of the Ancient of Days, yet is
being renewed and regenerated at all times. Immeasurably exalted is the God of
Wisdom Who hath raised this sublime structure.
Look at the world and
ponder a while upon it. It unveileth
the book of its own self before thine eyes and revealeth
that which the Pen of thy Lord, the Fashioner, the All-Informed, hath inscribed
therein. It will acquaint thee with that which is within it and upon it and
will give thee such clear explanations as to make thee independent of every
eloquent expounder.
Say: Nature in its
essence is the embodiment of My Name, the Maker, the Creator. Its
manifestations are diversified by varying causes, and in this diversity
there are signs for men of discernment. Nature is God’s Will and is its
expression in and through the contingent world. It is a dispensation of
Providence ordained by the Ordainer, the All-Wise.
Were anyone to affirm that it is the Will of God as manifested in the world of
being, no one should question this assertion. It is endowed with a power whose
reality men of learning fail to grasp. Indeed a man of
insight can perceive naught therein save the effulgent splendor of Our Name,
the Creator. Say: This is an existence which knoweth
no decay, and Nature itself is lost in bewilderment before its revelations, its
compelling evidences and its effulgent glory which have encompassed the
universe.
It ill beseemeth
thee to turn thy gaze unto former or more recent times. Make thou mention of
this Day and magnify that which hath appeared therein. It will in truth suffice
all mankind. Indeed expositions and discourses in
explanation of such things cause the spirits to be chilled. It behooveth thee to speak forth in such wise as to set the
hearts of true believers ablaze and cause their bodies to soar.
Whoso firmly believeth
today in the rebirth of man and is fully conscious that God, the Most Exalted, wieldeth
supreme ascendancy and absolute authority over this new creation, verily such a
man is reckoned with them that are endued with insight in this most great
Revelation. Unto this beareth witness every
discerning believer.
Walk thou high above the
world of being through the power of the Most
Great Name, that thou mayest
become aware of the immemorial mysteries and be acquainted with that wherewith
no one is acquainted. Verily, thy Lord is the Helper, the All-Knowing, the
All-Informed. Be thou as a throbbing artery, pulsating in the body of the
entire creation, that through the heat generated by this motion there may
appear that which will quicken the hearts of those who hesitate.
At the time when We were
hidden behind countless veils of light
thou didst commune with Me and didst witness the luminaries of the heaven of My
wisdom and the billows of the ocean of Mine utterance. Verily thy Lord is the
Truthful, the Faithful. Great indeed is the blessedness of him who hath
attained the liberal effusions of this ocean in the days of his Lord, the Most
Bountiful, the All-Wise.
During Our sojourn in ‘Iráq
when We were at the house of one named Majíd, We set forth clearly for thee the mysteries of creation and
the origin, the culmination and the cause thereof. However
since Our departure We have limited Ourself to this
affirmation: “Verily, no God is there but Me, the Ever-Forgiving, the
Bountiful.”
Teach thou the Cause of
God with an utterance which will cause the bushes to be enkindled, and the call
“Verily, there is no God but Me, the Almighty, the Unconstrained” to be raised
therefrom. Say: Human utterance is an essence which aspireth
to exert its influence and needeth moderation. As to
its influence, this is conditional upon refinement which in turn is dependent
upon hearts which are detached and pure. As to its moderation, this hath to be
combined with tact and wisdom as prescribed in the Holy Scriptures and Tablets.
Meditate upon that which hath streamed forth from the heaven of the Will of thy
Lord, He Who is the Source of all grace, that thou mayest grasp the intended
meaning which is enshrined in the sacred depths of the Holy Writings.
Those who have rejected
God and firmly cling to Nature as it is in
itself are, verily, bereft of
knowledge and wisdom. They are truly of them that are far astray. They have
failed to attain the lofty summit and have fallen short of the ultimate
purpose; therefore their eyes were shut and their
thoughts differed, while the leaders among them have believed in God and in His
invincible sovereignty. Unto this beareth witness thy
Lord, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
Now We have, for the
sake of God, the Lord of Names, set Ourself
the task of mentioning in this Tablet some accounts of the sages,2
that the eyes of the people may be opened thereby and that they may become
fully assured that He is in truth the Maker, the Omnipotent, the Creator, the
Originator, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Although it is
recognized that the contemporary men of learning are highly qualified in
philosophy, arts and crafts, yet were anyone to observe with a discriminating
eye he would readily comprehend that most of this knowledge hath been acquired
from the sages of the past, for it is they who have laid the foundation of
philosophy, reared its structure and reinforced its pillars. Thus
doth thy Lord, the Ancient of Days, inform thee. The sages aforetime acquired
their knowledge from the Prophets, inasmuch as the latter were the Exponents of
divine philosophy and the Revealers of heavenly mysteries. Men quaffed the
crystal, living waters of Their utterance, while others satisfied themselves
with the dregs. Everyone receiveth a portion
according to his measure. Verily He is the Equitable, the Wise.
Empedocles, who
distinguished himself in philosophy, was a contemporary of David, while
Pythagoras lived in the days of Solomon, son of David, and acquired Wisdom from
the treasury of prophethood. It is he who claimed to have heard the whispering
sound of the heavens and to have attained the station of the angels. In truth
thy Lord will clearly set forth all things, if He pleaseth.
Verily, He is the Wise, the All-Pervading.
The essence and the
fundamentals of philosophy have emanated from the Prophets. That the people
differ concerning the inner meanings and mysteries thereof is to be attributed
to the divergence of their views and minds. We would fain recount to thee the
following: One of the Prophets once was communicating to his people that with
which the Omnipotent Lord had inspired Him. Truly, thy Lord is the Inspirer,
the Gracious, the Exalted. When the fountain of wisdom and eloquence gushed
forth from the wellspring of His utterance and the wine of divine knowledge
inebriated those who had sought His threshold, He exclaimed: “Lo! All are
filled with the Spirit.” From among the people there was he who held fast unto
this statement and, actuated by his own fancies, conceived the idea that the
spirit literally penetrateth
or entereth into the body, and through lengthy
expositions he advanced proofs to vindicate this concept; and groups of people
followed in his footsteps. To mention their names at this point, or to give
thee a detailed account thereof, would lead to prolixity, and would depart from
the main theme. Verily, thy Lord is the All-Wise, the All-Knowing. There was
also he who partook of the choice wine whose seal had been removed by the Key
of the Tongue of Him Who is the Revealer of the Verses of thy Lord, the
Gracious, the Most Generous.
Consider Hippocrates,
the physician. He was one of the eminent philosophers who believed in God and
acknowledged His sovereignty. After him came Socrates who was indeed wise,
accomplished and righteous. He practiced self-denial, repressed his appetites
for selfish desires and turned away from material pleasures. He withdrew to the
mountains where he dwelt in a cave. He dissuaded men from worshipping idols and
taught them the way of God, the Lord of Mercy, until the ignorant rose up against
him. They arrested him and put him to death in prison. Thus
relateth to thee this swift-moving Pen. What a
penetrating vision into philosophy this eminent man had! He is the most distinguished
of all philosophers and was highly versed in wisdom. We testify that he is one
of the heroes in this field and an outstanding champion dedicated unto it. He
had a profound knowledge of such sciences as were current amongst men as well
as of those which were veiled from their minds. Methinks he drank one draught
when the Most Great Ocean overflowed with gleaming and
life-giving waters. He it is who perceived a unique, a tempered, and a
pervasive nature in things, bearing the closest likeness to the human spirit,
and he discovered this nature to be distinct from the substance of things in
their refined form. He hath a special pronouncement on this weighty theme. Wert
thou to ask from the worldly wise of this generation about this exposition,
thou wouldst witness their incapacity to grasp it. Verily, thy Lord speaketh the truth but most people comprehend not.
After Socrates came the
divine Plato who was a pupil of the former and occupied the chair of philosophy
as his successor. He acknowledged his belief in God and in His signs
which pervade all that hath been and shall be. Then came Aristotle, the
well-known man of knowledge. He it is who discovered the power of gaseous
matter. These men who stand out as leaders of the people and are preeminent
among them, one and all acknowledged their belief in the immortal Being Who holdeth in His grasp the reins of all sciences.
I will also mention for
thee the invocation voiced by Balínús
who was familiar with the theories put forward by the Father of Philosophy regarding
the mysteries of creation as given in his chrysolite tablets, that everyone may
be fully assured of the things We have elucidated for thee in this manifest
Tablet, which, if pressed with the hand of fairness and knowledge, will yield
the spirit of life for the quickening of all created things. Great is the
blessedness of him who swimmeth in this ocean and celebrateth the praise of his Lord, the Gracious, the
Best-Beloved. Indeed the breezes of divine revelation
are diffused from the verses of thy Lord in such wise that no one can dispute
its truth, except those who are bereft of hearing, of vision, of understanding
and of every human faculty. Verily thy Lord beareth
witness unto this, yet the people understand not.
This man hath said: “I
am Balínús,
the wise one, the performer of wonders, the producer of talismans.” He
surpassed everyone else in the diffusion of arts and sciences and soared unto
the loftiest heights of humility and supplication. Give ear unto that which he
hath said, entreating the All-Possessing, the Most Exalted: “I stand in the
presence of my Lord, extolling His gifts and bounties and praising Him with
that wherewith He praiseth His Own Self, that I may
become a source of blessing and guidance unto such men as acknowledge my
words.” And further he saith: “O Lord! Thou art God and no God is there but
Thee. Thou art the Creator and no creator is there except Thee. Assist me by
Thy grace and strengthen me. My heart is seized with alarm, my limbs tremble, I
have lost my reason and my mind hath failed me. Bestow upon me strength and
enable my tongue to speak forth with wisdom.” And still further he saith: “Thou
art in truth the Knowing, the Wise, the Powerful, the Compassionate.” It was
this man of wisdom who became informed of the mysteries of creation and
discerned the subtleties which lie enshrined in the Hermetic writings.3
We have no wish to
mention anything further
but We shall utter that which the Spirit hath instilled into My heart. In truth
there is no God but Him, the Knowing, the Mighty, the Help in Peril, the Most
Excellent, the All-Praised. By My life! In this Day the celestial Tree is loath
to proclaim aught else to the world but this affirmation: “Verily, there is
none other God but Me, the Peerless, the All-Informed.”
Had it not been for the
love I cherish for thee,
I would not have uttered a single word of what hath been mentioned. Appreciate
the value of this station and preserve it as thou wouldst thine eye and be of them
that are truly thankful.
Thou knowest
full well that We perused not the books which men possess and We acquired not
the learning current amongst them, and yet whenever We desire to quote the
sayings of the learned and of the wise,4
presently there will appear before the face of thy Lord in the form of a tablet
all that which hath appeared in the world and is revealed in the Holy Books and
Scriptures. Thus do We set down in writing that which
the eye perceiveth. Verily His knowledge encompasseth the earth and the heavens.
This is a Tablet wherein
the Pen of the Unseen hath inscribed the knowledge of all that hath been and
shall be—a knowledge that none other but My wondrous Tongue can interpret. Indeed
My heart as it is in itself hath been purged by God from the concepts of the
learned and is sanctified from the utterances of the wise. In truth naught doth
it mirror forth but the revelations of God. Unto this beareth witness the Tongue of Grandeur in this perspicuous
Book.
For every land We have
prescribed a portion, for every occasion an allotted share, for every
pronouncement an appointed time and for every situation an apt remark. Consider
Greece. We made it a Seat of Wisdom for a prolonged period. However, when the
appointed hour struck, its throne was subverted, its tongue ceased to speak,
its light grew dim and its banner was hauled down. Thus
do We bestow and withdraw. Verily thy Lord is He Who giveth and divesteth, the Mighty, the Powerful.
In every land We have
set up a luminary of knowledge, and when the time foreordained is at hand, it
will shine resplendent above its horizon, as decreed by God, the All-Knowing,
the All-Wise. If it be Our Will
We are fully capable of describing for thee whatever existeth
in every land or hath come to pass therein. Indeed the
knowledge of thy Lord pervadeth the heavens and the
earth.
Know thou, moreover,
that the people aforetime have produced things which the contemporary men of
knowledge have been unable to produce. We recall unto thee Múrtus
who was one of the learned. He invented an apparatus which transmitted sound
over a distance of sixty miles. Others besides him
have also discovered things which no one in this age hath beheld. Verily thy
Lord revealeth in every epoch whatsoever He pleaseth as a token of wisdom on His part. He is in truth
the supreme Ordainer, the All-Wise.
Say: The beginning of
Wisdom and the origin thereof is to acknowledge whatsoever God hath clearly set
forth, for through its potency the foundation of statesmanship, which is a
shield for the preservation of the body of mankind, hath been firmly
established. Ponder a while that ye may perceive what My most exalted Pen hath
proclaimed in this wondrous Tablet. Say, every matter related to state affairs
which ye raise for discussion falls under the shadow of one of the words sent
down from the heaven of His glorious and exalted utterance. Thus
have We recounted unto thee that which will exhilarate thy heart, will bring
solace to thine eyes and will enable thee to arise for the promotion of His
Cause amidst all peoples.
O My Nabíl!
Let nothing grieve thee, rather rejoice with exceeding gladness inasmuch as I
have mentioned thy name, have turned My heart and My face towards thee and have
conversed with thee through this irrefutable and weighty exposition. Ponder in
thy heart upon the tribulations I have sustained, the imprisonment and the
captivity I have endured, the sufferings that have befallen Me and the
accusations that the people have leveled against Me. Behold, they are truly
wrapped in a grievous veil.
When the discourse
reached this stage, the dawn of divine mysteries appeared
and the light of utterance was quenched. May His glory rest upon the people of
wisdom as bidden by One Who is the Almighty, the All-Praised.
O Lord! Unto Thee have I
turned my face, detached from all save Thee and holding fast to the hem of the
robe of Thy manifold blessings. Unloose my tongue therefore to proclaim that
which will captivate the minds of men and will rejoice their souls and spirits.
Strengthen me then in Thy Cause in such wise that I may not be hindered by the
ascendancy of the oppressors among Thy creatures nor withheld by the onslaught
of the disbelievers amidst those who dwell in Thy realm. Make me as a lamp
shining throughout Thy lands that those in whose hearts the light of Thy
knowledge gloweth
and the yearning for Thy love lingereth may be guided
by its radiance.
Verily, potent art Thou
to do whatsoever Thou willest,
and in Thy grasp Thou holdest the kingdom of
creation. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Wise.
• • •