Interpretation: discovery without division

And whatsoever of the divine verses they fail to comprehend, let them inquire of Him Who is their Source and Origin. The purpose of these words is that no discord may arise among the loved ones of God concerning the meaning of His words. Let them know that all divine utterances proceed from one Source and return unto Him. Beware lest ye find differences therein. Though outwardly revealed differently, in their inner reality they all return to and end in the same Word and the same Point. … Likewise, each of the divine letters and words is a treasury of innate knowledge, and none hath discovered what is treasured therein save God.

But Baha'u'llah has shut the door to such differences. By His appointing the Expounder of the Holy Word, by setting up the Institution of the House of Justice, which is the legislative body elected by the people, and by enjoining non-interference in matters of belief and conscience, Baha'u'llah has barred the way that would lead to disruption in the Faith. He has even warned that if two persons disagreed with each other so as to create alienation, then both of them would be wrong and unjustified.

As soon as they begin to differ, both are wrong. So here, in this Movement, no one can say, My interpretation is correct.' As soon as two parties begin to differ, both are wrong. And then there is a Point to refer to, and he has appointed a Center, so that any difference which may arise may be referred to him, and that Center is the interpreter of the Book. After Him, there will be the House of Justice, and when that House of Justice is formed of the sanctified, perfect souls, and sagacious souls, that House of Justice will be the last resort. Whatever they decide will be correct.

When we read the Book of God, the faculty of comprehension by which we form conclusions is reason. Reason is mind. If we are not endowed with perfect reason, how can we comprehend the meanings of the Word of God? Therefore, human reason, as already pointed out, is by its very nature finite and faulty in conclusions. It cannot surround the Reality Itself, the Infinite Word. Inasmuch as the source of traditions and interpretations is human reason, and human reason is faulty, how can we depend upon its findings for real knowledge?

O 'Ali! Consider what they said concerning the Qa'im for twelve hundred years, and most of those who related and narrated traditions were among the divines. Nevertheless, not a single word thereof was adorned with the ornament of truth, as became evident on the Day of His manifestation.

This conception of the sufficiency of the Book without an interpreter traceth its origin to 'Umar, who said "Sufficient unto us is the Book of God", and who claimed that one stood in need of naught else--that is to say, no interpreter. Thus did he lay the enduring foundations of contention and conflict, of enmity, fragmentation and division, among the friends and companions of the Prophet. These words became the basis of all the iniquities, rebellions and transgressions, nay, of all the bloodshed that was to ensue.

Now "The Book of God suffices us" has been changed to "God has made all independent" and "return to the writings," meaning do not submit to the Interpreter, do not ask questions, do not act according to His good-pleasure, do not walk according to His guidance, and recognition is not necessary - be your own interpreter. And in this way the intent is to become free from the Covenant and Testament.

The explicit text, the clear and manifest, the designated verses are present, yet the people of vain imaginings pursue the propagation of doubts, saying "Let us gather and exercise independent judgment in the Book of God, and make whatever we conceive in our imagination the foundation of the Faith of God." Vain indeed is that which they do!

O herald of the Covenant! Your letters, like abundant cups, bore the wine of divine ecstasy and the fragrance of the celestial garden, for they showed signs of attraction and evidenced hearts aflame with the fire of the love of God. All were perused, their contents understood, and their purpose comprehended. Some have been answered, and now the response to other matters is being written.

Concerning the diverse beliefs about this servant which you had mentioned: Today, the obligation of all the friends of God in the divine court is to set aside, forget, and consider as things forgotten whatever beliefs they have heard, seen, or understood, and to accept only that which is explicitly and clearly stated by this servant. They must entirely close the doors to interpretation, allusion, and explanation, so that the mighty fortress of the Cause of God may remain protected and preserved from the interference of the unfaithful and the manipulations of innovators, that the doubtful may find no breach and seek no pretext, that beliefs may not become diverse and opinions may not multiply.

If today this mighty foundation is not made firm and solid, thereafter a hundred thousand breaches will appear in the divine edifice, and the foundation of God's Law will be utterly demolished. The Sun of Truth will be hidden, the shining moon will be concealed, the manifest standard will be overthrown, and the hearts of the believers will be drowned in blood. The Divine Lote-Tree will be uprooted, and the axe will fall upon the garden of the Most Glorious Paradise. A hundred thousand trees will be felled in an instant, and a hundred measures of fruit will be scattered and strewn in a moment. The lights of guidance will vanish, and pitch darkness will prevail. The sign of mercy will be abrogated, and the people of wrath will be transformed.

Therefore, in this day the doors of contention must be barred and the causes of strife prevented, and this is not possible unless all follow the Interpreter and obey the appointed Centre of the Covenant. That is, they must cleave unto his explicit utterance and hold fast unto his clear testimony in such wise that their tongues may relate only the words spoken by his tongue and their pens recount only that which he hath uttered. They must not speak a single letter more or less than he hath, nor add a word of interpretation, exegesis, or explanation, that all may be gathered beneath the shadow of the word of Divine unity and assembled under the banner of the oneness of God. This matter is the most important of matters and this foundation the greatest of all foundations. If two souls contend with one another, both are wrong, for there is no fault or defect greater than discord. Perceptions differ; should the understanding of individuals be made the authority on matters, the Frequented Fane [Q52:4] would, in a moment, be laid waste, the Verse of Light [Q24:35] would be annulled, and darkest night would descend. Wherefore, O ye loved ones of God and spiritual friends, listen with heart and soul, content yourselves with the explicit statement of this servant, and transgress it not, even to the extent of a single letter.

This is the firm and established conviction, the plain and manifest truth of the beliefs of this servant and of the denizens of the Most Exalted Kingdom: that the Blessed Beauty is the Sun of Truth shining forth from the horizon of reality, and that the Primal Point is likewise the Sun of Truth dawning from that same horizon of reality.

That is to say: that Light of Truth and Lamp of Divine Unity shineth and gleameth within this glass of mercy and this niche of oneness: "God is the Light of the heavens and of the earth. The likeness of His light is as a niche wherein is a lamp; the lamp is in a glass; the glass as it were a shining star, lit from a blessed tree, an olive neither of the East nor of the West, whose oil would well-nigh shine forth though no fire touched it: light upon light." And that Light of Truth, at one and the same time and in one and the same age, was shining in this glass of singleness and was also manifest, resplendent, and clear in this niche of oneness. Yet the niche deriveth its light from the glass; for the Light of Truth shineth in the glass of mercy, and from that glowing glass it is poured forth upon the niche even as a lamp. Thus is the station of the Herald established by this proof: this niche is the Sun of the horizons, and this glass the supreme luminary of the dawn; this niche is the lamp of the world above, and this glass the star of the Concourse on high. Hence it is that, notwithstanding Their existence in one and the same time and age, and Their apparent plurality, yet in truth They were one Reality and one Being, the very essence of unity and the purest reality of singleness. When thou lookest upon the light, thou beholdest one light shining in both the glass and the niche; but when thou lookest upon the identity, thou perceivest plurality, and seest the glass and the niche.

Likewise, this glass of the All-Merciful and this manifest reality is so refined, luminous, transparent and merciful that it has become so perfectly reflected in the light of truth that a single reality is realized and pure unity is revealed. Its oil would well-nigh shine forth even though no fire touched it. The glass became fine and the wine became clear, and they reflected each other until the matter became alike - as if there were wine without a cup, or a cup without wine. The luminosity of the lamp and the delicacy of the glass have joined together, becoming light upon light.

This is why He says: "Beware lest ye mention in Me two signs" - that is, the sign of divinity and the sign of humanity. All below these two Suns of Truth are His servants and all act by His command. Although His Holiness the Quddus - may my spirit be a sacrifice unto Him - was an essence that entirely reflected that Sun of Truth, was a rising light and a dawning star, was the essence of sanctity and the quintessence of purity, and though hundreds of thousands of "Verily I am God" issued from his pure mouth, nevertheless he was an essence that spoke of naught but God, his Lord, and was a wondrous Manifestation and a faithful servant.

As for the station of this servant, it is that of pure, absolute, true, steadfast, evident servitude, without interpretation, explanation, allusion or elaboration - meaning a slave with a ring in his ear and a servant with a burden on his shoulder, the dust of the Threshold and its watchman and doorkeeper. Whatever description and praise exists in all divine tablets and scriptures regarding this servant, through pure bounty, means solely this word: 'Abdu'l-Baha. Any interpretation or explanation that adds a single letter beyond this word - I am innocent of it, and I take God, His Prophets, His Messengers, His trustees, His chosen ones, His pure ones, and His loved ones as witness to this. I am the interpreter of His verses - this is my statement, and beyond truth there is naught but vain imaginings.

Now it appeareth that some of the friends hold particular views and interpret the explicit emphases differently, whereas that which floweth from this pen is the decisive Text of God. There can be no delay whatsoever in its execution, and this is one of the fundamental conditions of firmness in the Covenant. The friends of God must consult on matters that are unknown, but for matters issued from the Pen of the Covenant consultation is unnecessary - that is the Divine decree, for it is the explicit Text.

Were this not the case, every one would have given an interpretation according to his own inclination and considered his interpretation preferable to the interpretation of others - this would naturally lead to great differences. If someone interprets one verse of the Verses of God, and his interpretation is not approved by Abdul-Baha, it is not authoritative.

… But if a soul on reading one of the blessed verses utters an explanation which does not harm the Cause, do not oppose him; for his talk is based upon explanation (eludication) and not on interpretation.

'Abdul-Baha is the interpreter of the aims, intents, and purposes of the Words of the Blessed Perfection (Baha'u'llah) and is the interpreter of his own written words, and none can say that this or that is the intention conveyed therein, save 'Abdul-Baha. The spirit of unity exists in the Divine Words, and one who interprets them in such wise as to create a division and discord is indeed one who errs.

I have come to these parts and I find out that certain people have attributed to me certain statements of which I am innocent. Anybody who has an opinion and desires to circulate it will attribute it to me. Anyone quoting me must have authority written either with my own hand, or tablets signed with my seal. Otherwise, those statements do not belong to me. Every instruction, every teaching that I desire to spread, I will write with my own hand. You must know this generally. Never accept statements without my writing which is signed and sealed - any statement.

Now deduction is the right of the body of the House of Justice, and the deductions and conclusions of individual learned men have no authority, unless they are endorsed by the House of Justice. The difference is precisely this, that from the conclusions and endorsement of the House of Justice, whose members are elected by and known to the universal Baha'i community, no dissension will arise; whereas the conclusions of individual divines would definitely lead to differences, and result in schism, division, and dispersion.

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The early translations are far from being accurate, no matter who the translator may be. Shoghi Effendi firmly believes that only Tablets with the Master's signature and in the original tongue should be recognised. Any translations or copies of them fail from having real authority.

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Thou has written concerning the pilgrims and pilgrims' note. Any narrative that is not authenticated by a Text should not be trusted. Narratives, even if true, cause confusion. For the people of Baha, the Text, and only the Text, is authentic.

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According to the Teachings of Baha'u'llah no authority can be attached to a mere hearsay, no matter through whom it may come. The Tablets that bear the seal or signature of Baha'u'llah and the Master are the only parts of the literature that have any authority and that constitute the basis of our belief. All other forms of literature may bear points of interest but they cannot be considered as authentic.

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This being a basic principle of the Faith we should not confuse Tablets that were actually revealed and mere talks attributed to the founders of the Cause. The first have absolute binding authority while the latter can in no way claim our obedience. … Those talks of the Master that were reviewed by Him corrected or in some other form considered authentic by Himself, such as the 'Some Answered Questions', these could be considered as Tablets and therefore be given the necessary binding power. All other talks such as are included in Ahmad's diary or the diary of pilgrims, do not fall under this category and could be considered only as interesting material to be taken for what they are worth.

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The instructions of the Master and the Guardian make it very clear that Pilgrims' notes are hearsay and cannot claim the authority and binding power of the Sacred Text....Moreover, the fact that the pilgrim writing of his experience is a reliable or well-known believer, or that the reported statement seems to be repeated in the notes of several pilgrims, does not in itself confer authority upon the pilgrim's note in question.

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Shoghi Effendi has often said that the notes of the pilgrims should be for their own personal use and bear absolutely no authority. What he desires to convey to the friends at large he will always say in his general letters.

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Regarding the notes taken by pilgrims at Haifa. The Guardian has stated that he is unwilling to sign the notes of any pilgrim, in order that the literature consulted by the believers shall not be unduly extended... This means that the notes of pilgrims do not carry the authority resident in the Guardian's letters written over his own signature. On the other hand each pilgrim brings back information and suggestions of a most precious character, and it is the privilege of all the friends to share in the spiritual results of these visits.

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With reference to the Haifa notes collected by dear Mrs. Maxwell; these have exactly the same status as all other pilgrims' notes, and as such there should be no objection to their circulation among the believers.... Though not strictly official, and in some instances inaccurate and misleading, these notes, as experience has shown, can be of tremendous help, guidance and inspiration to many individual believers...

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The interpretations of 'Abdu'l-Baha and the Guardian are divinely-guided statements of what the Word of God means and as such these interpretations are binding on the friends. However, the existence of authoritative interpretations in no way precludes the individual from engaging in his own study of the teachings and thereby arriving at his own interpretation or understanding. Indeed, Baha'u'llah invites the believers to "immerse" themselves in the "ocean" of His "words", that they "may unravel its secrets, and discover all the pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its depths.

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There is also an important distinction made in the Faith between authoritative interpretation, as described above, and the interpretation which every believer is fully entitled to voice. Believers are free, indeed are encouraged, to study the Writings for themselves and to express their understanding of them. Such personal interpretations can be most illuminating, but all Baha'is, including the one expressing the view, however learned he may be, should realize that it is only a personal view and can never be upheld as a standard for others to accept, nor should disputes ever be permitted to arise over differences in such opinions.

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If you study the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha and of the Guardian, you will see how tremendously they differ from the interpretations of the Rabbis and the Church. They are not a progressive fossilization of the Revelation, they are for the most part expositions which throw a clear light upon passages which may have been considered obscure, they point up the intimate interrelationship between various teachings, they expound the implications of scriptural allusions, and they educate the Baha'is in the tremendous significances of the Words of Baha'u'llah. Rather than in any way supplanting the Words of the Manifestation, they lead us back to them time and again.

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