The believer in Pharaoh’s household kept his faith hidden and still spoke up when Moses was to be killed, and Bahá’u’lláh calls his concealment greater than open acknowledgment, because of the wisdom in it [1]. That scene sets the terms. After the martyrdom of Badí‘ and of others, commands of wisdom and even of non-confession went out so that sacred lives might be preserved; the Báb counselled a prisoner to practise concealment; the Imams taught that patience and discretion were qualities their people had lost. Beside all this stands the Wronged One’s declaration that He is incapable of dissimulation and has revealed whatever He wished. None of these counsels is a universal licence to deceive or a demand for reckless exposure; each belongs to a speaker, a recipient and a danger. And the line is drawn sharply elsewhere: to deny one’s faith in order to evade a law of God is not protection but evasion. Courage and wisdom have to work together here, and the inquiry leads naturally to confidence and courage in teaching, and to honesty, truthfulness and trustworthiness as the ground on which any discretion must rest.
And as the believer from among Pharaoh's people who concealed his faith said: "Will ye slay a man because he saith, my Lord is God?"
This concealment is greater than open acknowledgment, for therein lies infinite wisdom.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1903 ca., to Muhammad Ali Darbandi -- AB09642)
02
After the martyrdom of His Holiness Badi' - upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God - who appeared and shone forth from the horizon of power, the command of wisdom [hikmat] was revealed, such that most Tablets were adorned with this command. And after the martyrdom of His Holiness 'Ali from the land of Mim - upon him be all the most glorious Beauty - the command of non-confession ['adam-i-iqrar] was issued. … The oppression of the oppressors and the heedlessness of the heedless have reached such a state that the Supreme Pen spoke the words of one of the former Letters: "Dissimulation is my religion" et cetera. The purpose was to preserve sacred souls.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1303-07-23 [1886-Apr-27], to Ismun-Nabil et al -- BH00037)
03
This year all have been commanded to practice concealment lest clamor be raised among the people.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1302-02-11 [1884-Nov-30], to Mirza Ali Muhammad Yazdi (Varqa) et al -- BH00051)
04
In accordance with the revealed wisdom, We have forbidden all to acknowledge and confess this Cause before the faces of men. All must hold fast to what was said before: "Dissimulation is My religion and the religion of My forebears."
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1301-12 [1884-Sep], to Ustad Ali Akbar Banna Yazdi -- BH05984)
05
Observe the word of dissimulation while thou art imprisoned, and grieve not for what hath passed from thee in the path of thy Lord.
(The Báb, Letter to Mulla Husayn I (from Medina), 1261-01-10 ca. (Medina) [1845-Jan-19], to Mulla Husayn -- BB00287)
06
And he, peace be upon him, said: "Guard your religion and conceal it through dissimulation, for there is no faith for one who has no dissimulation."
And he, peace be upon him, said: "People were commanded two qualities which they have lost, thereby becoming as nothing: patience and concealment."
O God! Thou knowest the ruling of dissimulation in the days of concealment, as mentioned by Thy proof speaking with justice, Muhammad ibn 'Ali, peace be upon them both, who said - and his word is truth - that "these teachings of yours cause men's hearts to recoil; who accepts them, give him more, and who denies them, leave him be. There must needs be a trial wherein close companions will fall away, until he who splits a hair in two will fall, until none remain save us and our followers."
(The Báb, Reply to Mulla Ja'far-i-Shubbar, 1261-09 [1845-Sep], to Mulla Ja'far-i-Shubbar -- BB00157)
08
In that letter mention was made of teaching them. In this matter wisdom is required. Drink thou the sealed wine in the name of the Self-Subsisting in the innermost mystery. Well is it with thee and pleasant it is to thee. In all circumstances We counsel you to wisdom. "Concealment is better than revelation." The people were not and are not worthy. Not every soul was or is worthy of this most pure Kawthar.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1305 ? [1887-1888], to Hasan Khurasani -- BH04701)
09
In the "Bihar" it is recorded: "In our Qa'im there shall be four signs from four Prophets, Moses, Jesus, Joseph, and Muhammad. The sign from Moses is fear and expectation; from Jesus, that which was spoken of Him; from Joseph, imprisonment and dissimulation; from Muhammad, the revelation of a Book similar to the Qur'an."
(Bahá’u’lláh, Kitab-i-Iqan (The Book of Certitude), 1278 ca. [1861-1862], to Haji Mirza Siyyid Muhammad, great uncle of the Bab (Khal-i-Akbar) -- BH00002)
10
By the righteousness of God! This Wronged One is not capable of dissimulation. He, verily, hath revealed that which He desired; He, truly, is the Lord of strength, the Unrestrained.
(Bahá’u’lláh, Lawh-i-Ibn-i-Dhi'b (Epistle to the Son of the Wolf), 1308 ? [1891], to Muhammad Taqi Isfahani (son of the Wolf) -- BH00005)
Further quotations · supplied wording and references
11
To deny that one is a Baha'i while one still believes in Baha'u'llah is not withdrawal, it is dissimulation of one's faith, and Baha'i laws does not countenance the dissimulation of a believer's faith for the purpose of breaking the law.
LG#204 (15 May 1967 from the Universal House of Justice)
Supplied quotation · catalogue passage not verified