A watch cannot understand its maker, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá once told a questioner, and the human mind cannot grasp the Essence of God; left to itself it builds a conception that may be false, and the one test of it is whether it makes us kind. Bahá’u’lláh teaches that the door of knowing the Ancient Being is closed to every mind, and that God in His mercy raises up in each age a pure and stainless Soul as mirror of His attributes, channel of His grace, and the Way joining this world to the realms above. No one reaches the sun, yet anyone can turn to a mirror filled with its light; to know these luminous Beings is to know God. John’s account of the Word made flesh, declaring the unseen God, speaks to the same longing in its own language [1]. The road leads on to the Holy Spirit that joins mirror to Sun, the Primal Will from which the Word proceeds, and the presence of God met in the presence of His Manifestation.
Q. Is it right to address prayer to a Manifestation of God?
A. It is as difficult for the human mind to understand the Essence of God as for the watch to understand its maker, but through the Manifestations it becomes easier to understand His Spirit and therefore to draw near it. Otherwise, we must form for ourselves a mental conception of God, which may be a false one. The only test of its truth lies in the influence this conception has upon our lives; if it makes us kind and loving in our relations with our fellow-men, we may know it is a true one. In other words, it must produce in our hearts a love of God, which must be transmuted into love for man.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to Aline Shane-Devin spoken on 1907-Oct-14 -- ABU2607)
02
The purpose of God in creating man hath been, and will ever be, to enable him to know his Creator and to attain His Presence. To this most excellent aim, this supreme objective, all the heavenly Books and the divinely revealed and weighty Scriptures unequivocally bear witness. Whoso hath recognized the Dayspring of Divine guidance and entered His holy court hath drawn nigh unto God and attained His Presence, a Presence which is the real Paradise, and of which the loftiest mansions of heaven are but a symbol.
These Essences of Detachment, these resplendent Realities are the channels of God's all-pervasive grace. Led by the light of unfailing guidance, and invested with supreme sovereignty, They are commissioned to use the inspiration of Their words, the effusions of Their infallible grace and the sanctifying breeze of Their Revelation for the cleansing of every longing heart and receptive spirit from the dross and dust of earthly cares and limitations. Then, and only then, will the Trust of God, latent in the reality of man, emerge, as resplendent as the rising Orb of Divine Revelation, from behind the veil of concealment, and implant the ensign of its revealed glory upon the summits of men's hearts.
(Bahá’u’lláh, to Sarih Khanum sister of Baha'u'llah -- BH00690)
04
The door of the knowledge of the Ancient of Days being thus closed in the face of all beings, the Source of infinite grace, according to His saying: "His grace hath transcended all things; My grace hath encompassed them all" hath caused those luminous Gems of Holiness to appear out of the realm of the spirit, in the noble form of the human temple, and be made manifest unto all men, that they may impart unto the world the mysteries of the unchangeable Being, and tell of the subtleties of His imperishable Essence. These sanctified Mirrors, these Daysprings of ancient glory are one and all the Exponents on earth of Him Who is the central Orb of the universe, its Essence and ultimate Purpose. From Him proceed their knowledge and power; from Him is derived their sovereignty. The beauty of their countenance is but a reflection of His image, and their revelation a sign of His deathless glory.
(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)
05
O Salman! The door of the knowledge of the Ancient Being hath ever been, and will continue forever to be, closed in the face of men. No man’s understanding shall ever gain access unto His holy court. As a token of His mercy, however, and as a proof of His loving-kindness, He hath manifested unto men the Daystars of His divine guidance, the Symbols of His divine unity, and hath ordained the knowledge of these sanctified Beings to be identical with the knowledge of His own Self. Whoso recognizeth them hath recognized God. … Every one of them is the Way of God that connecteth this world with the realms above, and the Standard of His Truth unto every one in the kingdoms of earth and heaven.
(Bahá’u’lláh, Lawh-i-Salman I, to Shaykh Salman Hindijani -- BH00066)
06
Is it possible for man to reach the sun? It is clearly impossible and unattainable. But reaching the mirrors is possible. The wise person does not strive to reach the sun, but rather observes the luminous effulgences of the sun in mirrors and becomes connected to them.
Now, all created things tell of this light, partake of its rays and receive their portion thereof, but the full splendour of the perfections, bounties and attributes of the Divinity shines forth from the reality of the Perfect Man, that is, that unique Individual Who is the universal Manifestation of God. For the other beings have each received only a portion of that light, but the universal Manifestation of God is the mirror held before this Sun, and the latter manifests itself therein with all its perfections, attributes, signs and effects.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Chapter 59, Man's Comprehension of God, 1904 ca. -- AB00395)
08
But in this age of splendours, this era of God, the pre-eminent Personage, the luminous Orb, the chosen Individual will shine out with such perfections and such power as ultimately to dazzle the minds of every community and group. And since such a Personage is superior to all others in spiritual perfections and heavenly attainments, and is indeed the focal centre of divine blessings and the pivot of the circle of light, He will encompass all others, and there is no doubt whatsoever that He will shine out with such power as to gather every soul into His sheltering shade.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1906 ca., to Arthur Cuthbert -- AB00131)
09
As to the Holy Manifestations of God, They are the focal points where the signs, tokens and perfections of that sacred, pre-existent Reality appear in all their splendour.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1921-May-01, to Mr A A Dan Zidgiz -- AB00103)
10
We, of a certainty, have had no purpose in this earthly realm save to make God manifest and to reveal His sovereignty; sufficient unto Me is God for a witness. We, of a certainty, have had no intent in the celestial Kingdom but to exalt His Cause and glorify His praise; sufficient unto Me is God for a protector. We, of a certainty, have had no desire in the Dominion on high except to extol God and what hath been sent down by Him; sufficient unto Me is God for a helper.
(Bahá’u’lláh, Kitab-i-Aqdas (The Most Holy Book), 1290-05-15 [1873-Jul-11] -- BH00001)
11
Attainment unto the Divine Presence can be realized solely by attaining His presence. Through His potency everything that hath, from time immemorial, been veiled and hidden, is now revealed.
(Bahá’u’lláh, Tajalliyat (Effulgences), 1306 ? [1888-1889], to Ustad Ali Akbar Banna Yazdi -- BH00668)
12
And when He purposed to manifest His beauty in the kingdom of names and to reveal His glory in the realm of attributes, He brought forth His Prophets from the invisible plane to the visible, that His name "the Manifest" might be distinguished from "the Hidden" and His name "the Last" might be discerned from "the First", and that there may be fulfilled the words: "He is the First and the Last; the Seen and the Hidden; and He knoweth all things!" Thus hath He revealed these most excellent names and most exalted words in the Manifestations of His Self and the Mirrors of His Being.
(Bahá’u’lláh, Javahiru'l-Asrar (Gems of Divine Mysteries), to Haji Siyyid Muhammad Mujtahid Isfahani -- BH00012)
13
Whoso hath known Him hath known God, and whoso hath turned away from Him hath turned away from God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1293-05 [1876-May], to Sadra -- BH02346)
14
And there is no doubt that Thou, O my God, in Thine Essence, canst never be seen or comprehended, but rather Thou hast made meeting with the Manifestation of Thy Self to be meeting with Thee, and for this purpose hast Thou created all things, for every Manifestation of Thine aforetime was intended for Thy Manifestation to come, since what Thou didst intend in that Manifestation was for the Day of Him Whom Thou shalt make manifest like unto that Manifestation on the Day of Resurrection through Thy signs.
(The Báb, Li-'Aliyyi'l-A'la, unknown (Chihriq?), to Ali (Uncle of the Bab ?) -- BB00052)
15
And since the recognition of the Ancient Invisible Essence has been impossible, and God the Exalted has not commanded it for any - since its possibility in the contingent realm is impossible - He has enjoined upon all things, from the beginning that has no beginning to the end that has no end, to know the Sun of Truth which is the Mirror of His Essence and the Primal Will which is the Throne of His Manifestation.
(The Báb, Panj Sha'n (Book of the Five Modes), 1266-04 ca. [1850-Feb] -- BB00005)
16
Say, He Whom God shall make manifest is indeed the Primal Veil of God. Above this Veil ye can find nothing other than God, while beneath it ye can discern all things emanating from God. He is the Unseen, the Inaccessible, the Most Exalted, the Best Beloved.
… Say: The likeness of all things is as a shadow before His primal Will. Do ye not see? Say: Light hath no existence before the sun riseth. Even so, ye existed not before God made manifest the Sun of Truth in your religion.
(The Báb, Kitab-i-Asma' (Book of Names), 1264 (late) or early 1265 [1848-1849] -- BB00003)
17
The truth of this matter is that the contingent hath ever been contingent, unable to know its Lord, and the Eternal shall never descend to be known in Its Essence. He hath brought forth, through the outpouring of His power and the sovereignty of His creative Will, a sign in the realities of souls and horizons that they might be guided thereby to His knowledge and know Him through it. It is a temporal sign indicating God, the All-Glorious, insofar as is possible within its essence, though none knoweth Him as befitteth Him save Himself, and none describeth Him save He.
(The Báb, Tafsir-i-Hadith-i-Kuntu Kanz (Commentary on the Hidden Treasure) -- BB00090)
18
We can understand these symbolic teachings better when we remember another saying of Christ: "The Father is in me and I am in you". Now it is clear that the physical body of Christ was not in the apostles; nay rather they received from him the heavenly Bestowals. The Sun shining upon the mirror, its disk, heat and rays are reflected therein so the reflection of the sun in the mirror can truthfully claim, "I am the sun".
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to a visitor, spoken at Baltimore Hotel on 1913-May-12 -- ABU1606)
19
Thus the reality of Christ, Who is the Word of God, undoubtedly precedes all created things in essence, in attributes and in distinction. Before appearing in human form, the Word of God was in a state of utmost sanctity and glory, abiding in perfect beauty and splendour in the height of its majesty. When, through the wisdom of the Most High, that Word shed its light from the pinnacle of glory upon the corporeal world, it was assaulted through the flesh.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Chapter 28, The Pre-existence of Christ, 1904 ca. -- AB01528)
20
Then know, O thou who walkest in the path of God and gazest upon the beauty of God, that by "the junction of the two seas" is meant the sea of Prophethood and the sea of Divinity - that is, to reach the station wherein one attaineth unto the sea of Lordship which surgeth within itself, and every wave thereof proclaimeth that there is none other God but Him, Who created creation from nothing by His command "Be! and it is," and brought the contingent world into being from naught by His word, and He is the Mighty, the Beloved.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tafsir-i-Ayat-i-az Suriy-i-Kahf (Commentary on the Surih of the Cave) -- AB00009)
21
Adam is the cause of man's material life, but the reality of Christ, that is, the Word of God, is the cause of his spiritual life. It is a life-giving spirit, meaning that all the imperfections imposed by the material life of man are, through the instruction and guidance of that Essence of detachment, transmuted into human perfections. Therefore, Christ was a life-giving spirit and the cause of the spiritual life of all mankind.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Chapter 29, Sin and Atonement, 1904 ca. -- AB00096)
22
The independent Prophets are each the Author of a divine religion and the Founder of a new Dispensation. … These Prophets acquire the outpouring grace of the divine Reality without an intermediary. Their radiance is an essential radiance, like that of the sun which is luminous in and of itself and whose luminosity is an essential requirement rather than being acquired from another star: they are like the sun and not the moon. These Daysprings of the morn of Divine Unity are the fountainheads of divine grace and the mirrors of the Essence of Reality.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Chapter 43, The Two Kinds of Prophets, 1904 ca. -- AB00347)
23
So we can say there must be a Mediator between God and Man, and this is none other than the Holy Spirit, which brings the created earth into relation with the 'Unthinkable One', the Divine Reality.
The Divine Reality may be likened to the sun and the Holy Spirit to the rays of the sun. As the rays of the sun bring the light and warmth of the sun to the earth, giving life to all created beings, so do the 'Manifestations' bring the power of the Holy Spirit from the Divine Sun of Reality to give light and life to the souls of men.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken on 1911-Oct-31 in Paris -- ABU0773)
24
As there must be an intermediary to transmit to earth the life-giving power of the sun, so there must be an intermediary to bring God to man, and this is found through the ever-present efficacy of the Holy Spirit.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken ca. Oct. 1911 -- ABU0904)
25
As the essence of Divinity transcends the comprehension of man, therefore God brings forth certain Manifestations of the divine Reality upon Whom He bestows heavenly effulgences in order that They may be intermediaries between humanity and Himself.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Public address given at All Saints Unitarian Church on 1912-Apr-26 -- ABU0196)
26
Christ was a divine mercy which shone upon all mankind, the medium for the descent of the bounty of God, and the bounty of God is transcendent, unrestricted, universal.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Public address given at the Universalist Church on 1912-Apr-21 -- ABU0118)
27
There are those that are by means of images, manifestations, mirrors, proofs and trusted guidance, for, if not through the intervention of an intermediary, the Ultimate Objective is not reached.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, to Siyyid Sadiq (Tihran) -- AB08501)
28
47 Indeed, the references that have been made to the degrees of mystic knowledge pertain to the knowledge of the effulgences of that Sun of Truth as it becometh reflected in various mirrors. And the effulgence of that light is present within the hearts, yet it is hidden beneath the veils of selfish desires and earthly attachments, even as a candle within a lantern of iron, and only when the cover is lifted doth the light of the candle shine out.
(Bahá’u’lláh, Haft Vadi (The Seven Valleys), to Shaykh Muhiyid-Din Judge of Khaniqayn et al -- BH00047)
29
Therefore, we are compelled to turn to the Dawning-Place of His Light, the Center of His Manifestation, the Rising-Point of His Signs, and the Source of His Words. Whatever praise, attributes, most beautiful names, and most exalted characteristics we mention, all return to this Described One. We have no recourse but to turn in all matters toward that known Center, the Promised Manifestation, and the Witnessed Dawning-Place.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1906-Jul-07, to Nasir son of Mullabashi -- AB00319)
30
O thou maid-servant of God! No one hath any way to the Reality of Deity except through the Instrumentality of the Manifestation. To suppose so is a theory and not a fact.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1906 ca., to Aseyeh Wellesca Dyar -- AB01722)
31
It is evident and manifest that what can be conceived by the mind of man is limited and of course, the all-compassing Divinity is greater than that which is limited. The Sacred Reality can never be imagined. People envision an illusion, consider it god, and worship it. However, the Sacred Reality is above all imaginings and sanctified beyond all thoughts, and the only path [to Him] is by way of the Manifestations. Beyond Them is naught but mere invention.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to the friends spoken around Dec. 1907 -- ABU0398)
32
Therefore, all these names and attributes belong to the Manifestation of God.
In order to understand an object, we must become greater than that object and then give to it a name and define it with clear definitions; now when we come to God and its essence we can never know anything about It. We come in touch with that divine ineffable "Somewhat" only when we stand before the Manifestation.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken at Rue St. Didier 30 in Paris, 1913-Jan-28 -- ABU1392)
33
He then went on to demonstrate that such worship was the worship of a figment of the imagination and had no reality; we must worship God through something tangible and real to us, hence the role of the Manifestations.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to Sutherland Maxwell in 1909 -- ABU3640)
34
Where the ever-widening circle of man's knowledge meets the spiritual world a Manifestation of God is sent to mirror forth His splendour.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken in Sep. 1911 in London -- ABU3094)
35
Furthermore, many say, 'We have no need of divine Manifestations; we ourselves have direct communication with God.' They do not know that the divine Manifestations are the bright rays of the Sun of Truth and a means of educating the realities of man.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to the Baha'is, spoken at Krug home on 1912-Nov-26 -- ABU1992)
36
Many who wrote or visited 'Abdu'l-Baha would ask this question: God being omnipresent, why would it not be enough to concentrate on His presence in the natural world, rather than to believe in a man, a Prophet, claiming to be the intermediary between man and God? As, for example, Jesus claimed, when He said, "I am the way... no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to an American spoken in 1900, relayed by Ali-Kuli Khan -- ABU1594)
The available source contains an omission or incomplete wording; sentence boundaries need review.
37
Each religion teaches that a mediator is necessary between man and the Creator-one who receives the full light of the divine splendor and radiates it over the human world, as the earth's atmosphere receives and diffuses the warmth of the rays of the sun. This mediator between God and humanity has different designations, though he always brings the same spiritual commands. In one era he is called Abraham, in another time Moses, again he is called Buddha, another time Jesus, and yet another time Muhammad. They have all turned to the divine reality for their strength.
Man's guardian is God, but to assist man, God provides for him a Prophet. All nations and people are anxiously waiting an appearance of a Prophet. They wish Him to come, but when He does so, they do not recognize Him.
He sent to every city a Messenger from His presence to bring them glad tidings of God's good-pleasure and draw them nigh unto the seat of security, the holy and exalted sanctuary.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1290 [1873] or earlier, to Ahmad Quli -- BH01079)
40
When the path was blocked and the quest proved futile, out of pure grace and as a manifestation of His greatest favor to humanity, He sent forth Books and Messengers that they might guide all creation to the highest horizon. These are the Manifestations of His Cause, the Dawning-places of His revelation, the Day-springs of His inspiration, and the Recipients of divine knowledge.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1299 ? [1881-1882], to Aqa Ghulam-Husayn -- BH01175)
41
He is indeed the One through Whom every Prophet was raised up, every Messenger was sent forth, and every irrevocable decree was revealed.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1290 [1873] or earlier, to Mulla Ali in Sad -- BH02048)
42
And if ye desire to attain unto the presence of God, then look ye unto Him Whom God shall make manifest, for ye shall find no path unto the Essence of God save the path unto Him Whom God shall make manifest, whereby ye shall find your path unto God, your Lord.
(The Báb, Ayati allati Nuzzilat fi Yaumi'l-'Arafa, 1265-09-12 [1849-Aug-1] -- BB00234)
43
In every Manifestation shall Our Self be made known unto all things to the extent that they turn to know Us; these are they who truly know, who verily know God, their Lord; these are the Names of 'Ali by which they infer the knowledge of God, their Lord. Then shall I make My creation to know Me by the Manifestation of Mine own Self: whoso knoweth Him is the first of My creation.
Can anyone comprehend or behold the Eternal Essence? Say: Glory be to God! None can comprehend or behold Him, but whoso beholdeth the manifestation of His Self Who speaketh from His presence, verily beholdeth the meeting with his Lord.
(The Báb, Kitabu'l-Bashir, to Shaykh Bashir -- BB00087)
45
The Person of the Manifestation hath ever been the representative and mouthpiece of God. He, in truth, is the Dayspring of God’s most excellent Titles, and the Dawning-Place of His exalted Attributes.
(Bahá’u’lláh, to Baha'is of Nayriz et al -- BH01652)
46
For the recognition of His Self is the recognition of God, His commandments are God's commandments, His utterance is God's utterance, and His word is the Word of God. Whoso turneth away from Him hath turned away from God, and whoso turneth unto Him hath turned unto God. No one's knowledge and deeds are accepted save through His love and good-pleasure, His command and will.
(Bahá’u’lláh, Lawh-i-Jawhar-i-Hamd I, 1294 ? [1876-1877] -- BH00316)
47
Were one to observe with illumined vision, all the movements of the Truth - whether standing or sitting, walking or resting, speaking or silent - would be seen as distinguished and sanctified above the deeds of all who are in the heavens and the earth.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1290 [1873] or earlier, to Siyyid Ibrahim -- BH01820)
48
But for Him none would have attained to the knowledge of God or comprehended the loftiness of His unity and the sublimity of His singleness.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1293-05 [1876-May], to Susan -- BH09889)
49
He Who is everlastingly hidden from the eyes of men can never be known except through His Manifestation, and His Manifestation can adduce no greater proof of the truth of His Mission than the proof of His own Person.
(Bahá’u’lláh, ca. 1289-1290?, to Haji Muhammad Ibrahim Afnan (Muballigh) -- BH03835)
50
He, verily, is God's balance among His servants and His path amongst His creation.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1306 ? [1888-1889], to Mirza Siyyid Muhammad Intizamus-Saltanih -- BH04752)
51
Since the way to know His Essence is barred and proof is prevented from reaching the threshold of His door, He sent to His servants the Dawning Places of His revelation, the Daysprings of His verses, and the Manifestations of His Self, making them His path among His creation and His balance among His creatures, until the paths culminated in the Most Great Path and the balance in the Most True Balance, through which prophethood and messengership were sealed.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1302-01-11 [1884-Oct-31], to Haji Muhammad Ismayn Yazdi -- BH01040)
52
And the good-pleasure of God is manifested through the Manifestation of His Cause, for He in His Essence hath never been and shall never be seen.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1291-03 [1874-Apr], to Ali -- BH03201)
53
And He has sent unto you one of His servants with an authority that was manifest in truth, to call you unto Him and draw you nigh unto the court of exalted glory.
He hath sent forth the Messengers and made them to be guides unto His creation and lamps of knowledge among His creatures.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1303-11 [1886-Jul], to Aqa Mirza Mumin -- BH07697)
55
These are the divine lamps amidst His servants and the manifestations of the lights of the Throne unto all who dwell in His lands. To cling unto them is to cling unto God, the All-Glorious, and to hold fast unto them is to hold fast unto Him. These are the suns in the heavens of knowledge and understanding, and these are the guides to the path and the dawning-places of proof and evidence. Whoso hath known them hath known God, and whoso hath obeyed them hath obeyed God, and whoso hath turned away from them hath turned away from God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
The wondrous praise, glorification, magnification and splendor rest upon the Mirrors of His names and attributes and the Manifestations of His power among all created things - those Essences Who, through the subtle favors of grace, guided those lost in the wilderness of ignorance to the fountainhead of knowledge and wisdom, and led those bewildered in the desert wastes of remoteness to the goal of nearness through the gems of wisdom and utterance.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1307 ? [1889-1890], to Ali Akbar -- BH00894)
57
Say: O people! This is the servant of God Who summoneth you unto God and guideth you to the paths of guidance, and imparteth unto you mysteries that were forbidden to the peoples of the world, and causeth the breezes of life to waft upon you, and sendeth forth the fragrant breaths of the All-Merciful from the City which God hath sanctified beyond all knowledge and which hath been veiled from the eyes of the mystics.
Man - in order to know God - must turn his face to one centre and that is the Manifestation of the Omnipotent Will, whose heart is like unto pure mirror, whereon shines the Sun of Reality.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to some Arab Muslims, spoken on 1915-Mar-15 -- ABU1086)
59
Consequently there are channels between God and man. These channels are the Holy Divine Manifestations.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to Mon. Richard, spoken at Baltimore Hotel on 1913-May-10 -- ABU0549)
60
Thus there is need for a connection and mediation so that its grace may be vouchsafed and Its Light may be received.
"Therefore the Objective Point of all is the Manifestation of God. And whosoever directs his attention in prayer to that Focal Point has directed his attention, verily, to God.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to Juliet Thompson et al, spoken on 1909-Jul-10 -- ABU1052)
62
Abdul-Baha said:
"If we wish to pray we must have some object upon which to concentrate. If we turn to God we must direct our hearts to a certain center. If man worships God otherwise than through his Manifestation he must first form a conception of God and that conception is created by his own mind.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to Percy Woodcock in 1909 -- ABU1729)
The available source contains an omission or incomplete wording; sentence boundaries need review.
63
When I pray I turn my thoughts and face to the Blessed Perfection.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to Kinney, Beede, Thompson party, spoken on 1909-Jul-10 -- ABU3598)
64
When the path was cut off and proof failed and the guide lost the way on this path, Thou didst create a luminous being and a merciful reality and made it the sign of perfection, comprehensive of all attributes, and the word of majesty, gathering together the established realities in the highest degrees. It wholly reflects the identity of Thy essence and the conditions of Thy being.
Thou seest all Thy creation and hearest those who call upon Thee on this most exalted night, each according to their own essence and how Thou hast manifested Thyself unto them. They turn toward Thee and worship Thee, yet exalted is Thy Being above accepting praise from one who knoweth not the Manifestation of Thy Countenance, or answering the prayer of one who is not assured of the Image of Thy Presence, for none can ascend unto Thee save through Him.
(The Báb, Du'ayi Laylatu aula min Shahri'llah, 1265-09-01 [1849-Jul-21] -- BB00109)
66
But O my God and Beloved of my heart, since Thou hast clipped the wings of understanding from soaring in the atmosphere of Thy holy oneness and hast prevented the hearts of those endued with certitude from ascending to the heaven of Thy mighty identity, Thou hast ordained for Thy servants to turn unto the Daysprings of Thy Cause in the temples of Thy name, and hast made their turning unto them as turning unto Thee, and their gaze upon their beauty as gazing upon Thy beauty.
Having barred the way that leadeth unto Thee, Thou hast, by virtue of Thine authority and through the potency of Thy will, called into being Them Who are the Manifestations of Thy Self, and hast entrusted Them with Thy message unto Thy people, and caused Them to become the Daysprings of Thine inspiration, the Exponents of Thy Revelation, the Treasuries of Thy Knowledge and the Repositories of Thy Faith, that all men may, through Them, turn their faces towards Thee, and may draw nigh unto the kingdom of Thy Revelation and the heaven of Thy grace.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1290 [1873] or earlier, to Ali Effendi -- BH02006)
68
This is the countenance of God, if you would turn to it. This is the Temple of the Cause, if you would accept it. This is the horizon of Revelation, if you would behold it. This is verily the Dawning-Place of inspiration, if you would perceive it.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1290-05-15 [1873-Jul-11], to friends of God -- BH01000)
69
O Lord! I beseech Thee by Thyself and by Thy Prophets and Thy Messengers through whom Thy commandments and Thy laws were manifested, and by Him through Whom Thou didst raise the standard of unity among Thy servants and the banner of remembrance and praise amidst Thy creation, to aid me in that which Thou lovest and art pleased with.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1306 ? [1888-1889], to Hamshirih Mirza -- BH08384)
70
Whoso turneth unto Him hath turned unto God from all eternity, and whoso turneth away - nothing shall be accepted from him, though he bring all that is in earth and heaven.
(Bahá’u’lláh, ca. 1289-1290?, to Mulla Mihdi Rukn -- BH09956)
71
Whoso holdeth fast unto Him hath surely held fast unto the cord of My loving-kindness and clung to the hem of My generosity.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1291-03 [1874-Apr], to Aqa Husayn who has Suffered -- BH10353)
72
Praise be to God Who sent down the Proof to His servants, made manifest to them the Way, and caused them to know the Dawning-Place of His Cause, the Rising-Point of His verses, the Source of His laws, and the Recipient of His knowledge - He Who stood before all faces and spoke that which draweth the servants nigh unto the court of His glory and the horizon of His Cause.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1304-10 [1887-Jun], to Haji Muhammad Rida -- BH04947)
73
O Hasan! Bear thou witness within thyself that He is God, the Mighty, the Wise, and that He Whom He hath sent under the name of 'Ali is His proof unto His creatures, His evidence unto His creation, and His link between the heavens and the earth.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1290 [1873] or earlier, to Hasan -- BH08058)
74
He indicated the three stations saying: "The Messenger of God said: 'None knew God except I and Ali, and none knew me except God and Ali, and none knew Ali except God and I.'"
(The Báb, Tafsir-i-Hadith-i-Nahnu Wajhu'llah, 1261 [1845]? -- BB00344)
75
When He created contingent beings by His Command - and the contingent is unable to reach or ascend unto Him, and the Truth, glorified be He, is too glorious and great to be known by anyone, for knowledge is contingent upon conjunction, which is an attribute of contingency, while He, the Truth, is far more exalted and mighty than this - divine wisdom necessitated that He describe Himself to contingent beings, though His description is His origination from nothing.
(The Báb, Tafsir-i-Hadith-i-Ma'rifati Nafs, 1261 [1844-1845] -- BB00098)
76
Those who fear their Lord regarding the Gate, secretly and openly in truth -- verily We have ordained for them by God's leave in the Hereafter forgiveness in truth and a great reward.
(The Báb, Qayyumu'l-Asma' (Commentary on the Surah of Joseph), 1260-05 [1844-May] -- BB00002)
77
He is the One through Whom mysteries were revealed, trees did speak, rivers did flow, and oceans did surge.
Further quotations · supplied wording and references
78
While praying it would be better to turn one's thoughts to the Manifestation as He continues, in the other world, to be our means of contact with the Almighty. We can, however, pray directly to God Himself.
DND.067, LG#1488, COC#1764 (27 Apr. 1937 on behalf of Shoghi Effendi)
Supplied quotation · catalogue passage not verified
79
We cannot know God directly, but only through His Prophets. We can pray to Him, realizing that through His Prophets we know Him, or we can address our prayer in thought to Baha'u'llah, not as God, but as the Door to our knowing God.
HE.071, LG#1490, LG#1699 (on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, date unnknown)
Supplied quotation · catalogue passage not verified
80
We find God through the Intermediary of His Prophet. We see the Perfection of God in His Prophets. Time and space are physical things, God the Creator is not in a 'place' as we conceive of place in physical terms. God is the Infinite Essence, the Creator. We cannot picture Him or His state, but if we did, we would be His equals, not His creatures. God is never flesh, but mirrored in the attributes of His Prophets, we see His Divine characteristics and perfections.
LG#1699, HE.070 (9 Oct. 1947 on behalf of Shoghi Effendi)
Supplied quotation · catalogue passage not verified
81
The Prophets of God are the Mediators of God. All the Prophets and Messengers have come from One Holy Spirit and bear the Message of God, fitted to the age in which they appear. The One Light is in them and they are One with each other. But the Eternal does not become phenomenal; neither can the phenomenal become Eternal.
The only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.
John 1:18
Supplied quotation · catalogue passage not verified
83
We will have experience of God's spirit through His Prophets in the next world, but God is too great for us to know without this intermediary. The Prophets know God, but how is more than our human minds can grasp. We believe we may attain in the next world to seeing the Prophets. There is certainly a future life. Heaven and hell are conditions within our inner beings.
LG#1767, HE.049-050 (14 Nov. 1947 on behalf of Shoghi Effendi)
Supplied quotation · catalogue passage not verified
84
...the dissolution of the tabernacle wherein the soul of the Manifestation of God had chosen temporarily to abide signalized its release from the restrictions which an earthly life had, of necessity, imposed upon it. Its influence no longer circumscribed by any physical limitations, its radiance no longer beclouded by its human temple, that soul could henceforth energize the whole world to a degree unapproached at any stage in the course of its existence on this planet.
GPB.244
Supplied quotation · catalogue passage not verified
Sentence boundary needs source review; the supplied wording is retained.
85
The prophets, however, maintained the existence of three worlds: the world of God, the world of the Will or the Word, and the world of created things. The Prophets, therefore, maintained that a knowledge of God is impossible.... There is, therefore, only one way to God and that is through the realization of His Manifestation or Prophet in that age. Christ called the world of the Prophets the Word in the verse of "the Word became flesh" while 'Abdu'l-Baha calls it the Will. Anyhow it is only through these that we can know God. These manifest the divine attributes and therefore by knowing them we can know God.
LG#1724, LG#1725 (29 Nov. 1929 on behalf of Shoghi Effendi)
Supplied quotation · catalogue passage not verified
Sentence boundary needs source review; the supplied wording is retained.
86
It is clear that the prophets and Manifestations of the Cause of God were sent to guide the nations, to improve their characters, and to bring the people nearer to their Source and ultimate Goal. They were not sent as historians, astronomers, philosophers, or natural scientists. Their position in the world of creation is like that of the heart in the body: it has a universal position with a general effect.
(Mirza Abu'l-Fadl, Miracles and Metaphors, p. 9)
Supplied quotation · catalogue passage not verified