Intuition and inward perception

Know thou, verily, insight (i.e., mental perception) sees that which sight (i.e., physical) seeth not, and apprehends that which the eye perceives not. Inasmuch as the sight sees the mirage as water, and the images pictured in a mirror as reality and genuine; and it sees the earth as stationary, and the great stars as small. But the insight corrects the mistake of the Sight, and apprehends the reality; and it sees that the mirage is not water, that the images pictured in mirrors are naught else save reflections, that the earth is moving and the distant stars are great.

The fourth criterion I have named is inspiration through which it is claimed the reality of knowledge is attainable. What is inspiration? It is the influx of the human heart. But what are satanic promptings which afflict mankind? They are the influx of the heart also. How shall we differentiate between them? The question arises: How shall we know whether we are following inspiration from God or satanic promptings of the human soul?

The inspiration of God is a revelation to the heart: but temptations of the devil are also addressed to the heart. If to the hearts of men is revealed a command,- " Do ye thus and thus,"- how are we to know whether this is a revelation from God, or a temptation from Satan?

Praise thou God that at last, through the divine teachings, thou hast obtained both sight and insight to the highest degree, and hast become firmly rooted in certitude and faith.

As to the difficulty concerning the blessed verse "that my heart may be at rest," it is clear and evident that faith consists in acceptance, and assurance is the attainment of the reality of manifestation, so that the heart, which is a heavenly mirror, may be illumined by the lights of the Sun of Truth.

Then will the manifold favors and outpouring grace of the holy and everlasting Spirit confer such new life upon the seeker that he will find himself endowed with a new eye, a new ear, a new heart, and a new mind. He will contemplate the manifest signs of the universe, and will penetrate the hidden mysteries of the soul. Gazing with the eye of God, he will perceive within every atom a door that leadeth him to the stations of absolute certitude. He will discover in all things the mysteries of divine Revelation and the evidences of an everlasting manifestation.

But, I swear by God, none heareth and no soul perceiveth, for this divine flute needeth a plectrum of the essence of spirit, and this eternal harp requireth the melody of light - not these remote souls who have never tasted the wine of nearness nor drunk the water of reunion from the matchless fountain.

These people, who are called 'Followers of the inner light', attain to a superlative degree of power, and are entirely freed from blind dogmas and imitations. Men rely on the statements of these people: by themselves -- within themselves -- they solve all mysteries.

You have intuition. You must follow it always, because when you follow it, it increases and becomes more clear. Only a few have this gift. It is like the tinkling of bells, a sixth sense, like the voice of God speaking. The more one follows intuition, the more it increases.

Sometimes the human heart is inspired. One feels, is conscious of. For example, in the morning, a physician comes and prescribes medicine for the patient. Perhaps the patient feels a desire for it. Supposing, for instance, that the medicine a doctor sees fit might be lemonade or citric acid. The need of the patient, before the physician comes, would demand that selfsame thing.

The traditional measure is likewise not a basis for certainty and assurance, for tradition's meanings can only be derived through reason, and when reason is weak in perception, dull in proof, prone to error and abundant in mistakes, how then can its derivations and perceptions be relied upon? As for the inspired measure, it too is not free from error and oversight, for inspiration, as defined by the people, refers to heart-felt impressions, and thoughts can be from satanic whispers. When such a state occurs in any heart, how can one know whether it is divine inspiration or satanic whispers?

As for the fourth balance, it is the balance of inspiration [mizanu'l-'ilham]. Verily, inspiration indicateth certain inclinations of the heart. And the whisperings of Satan are also inclinations which arrive successively upon the heart by the agency of the soul. If there occureth to the heart a certain idea or question, how is it to be known whether it is an inspiration of the All-Merciful or a whispering of Satan?

We forbade the people from following delusion that they might recognize the manifest Sovereign and that which proceedeth from Him.

To illustrate: There are four kinds of lights: 1 - The outward (or phenomenal) light, which makes things manifest or visible, but which does not discover them. 2 - The light of the eye, or the Eye-sight. This makes things manifest and also discovers them, but it does not comprehend them. 3 - The light of the Intellect (or reason). this light makes things manifest, discovers them, comprehends them, but things pre-exist it, (i.e., its existence is posterior to the creation of things). 4 - The Light of God. It is the revealer of things (i.e., by it things are made manifest), the discoverer of things, the comprehender of things, and it precedes the creation of all things and follows the existence of all things, as it is said, 'God is the Light of the Heaven and Earth' (Quran).

… But the light of Intuition (or Inner Perception) is a light which comprehends the realities and the core of things.

The woman's intuition is more correct; she is more receptive and her intelligence is quicker. The day is coming when woman will claim her superiority to man.

This is one of the verities that lie enshrined in My Revelation—a verity which I have revealed in all the heavenly Books, which I have caused the Tongue of Grandeur to utter, and the Pen of Power to inscribe. Ponder awhile thereon, that with both your inner and outer eye, ye may perceive the subtleties of Divine wisdom and discover the gems of heavenly knowledge which, in clear and weighty language, I have revealed in this exalted and incorruptible Tablet, and that ye may not stray far from the All-Highest Throne, from the Tree beyond which there is no passing, from the Habitation of everlasting might and glory.

With regard to your question as to the value of intuition as a source of guidance for the individual: implicit faith in our intuitive powers is unwise, but through daily prayer and sustained effort one can discover, though not always fully, God's will intuitively. Under no circumstances, however, can a person be absolutely certain that he is recognizing God's Will, through the exercise of his intuition. It often happens that the latter results in completely misrepresenting the truth, and thus becomes a source of error rather than of guidance.

Supplied quotation · catalogue passage not verified

Your desire to follow the Will of God in all things in your life is highly praiseworthy and will, indeed, as you have experienced, bring spiritual confirmations. However, the House of Justice stresses that the avenue by which one receives guidance is not confined to inspiration, which can, in fact, be highly misleading.

Supplied quotation · catalogue passage not verified

The question of Guidance is a very subtle one. We cannot be positive that an impulse or a dream is guidance. We can seek, through earnest prayer and longing, sincerely to do God's will, His guidance. We can try, as you say, to emulate the Master and at all times live up to the teachings, but we cannot be sure that doing these things we are still making no mistakes and are perfectly guided. These things help us not to make so many mistakes and to receive more directly the guidance God seeks to give us.

Supplied quotation · catalogue passage not verified

...it is very difficult to distinguish between true visions which are true spiritual experiences of the soul and imaginations which have no reality in spiritual truths. True visions, however, can be granted to those who are spiritually pure and receptive, and are not therefore confined to the Prophets alone.

Supplied quotation · catalogue passage not verified

Sentence boundary needs source review; the supplied wording is retained.

...when the heart of the 'knower' becomes strengthened and mounts a step higher, the object of the 'witnessing' becomes visible to the internal, spiritual eye (basirah), though as yet no vision occurs to his physical eye. As the 'knower' goes up to the next degree, the object becomes visible to both his physical eye and his spiritual eye. And if he still goes up and reaches finally the ultimate and highest stage, the one who 'witnesses' and the object 'witnessed' become completely unified. At this stage it is no longer the human heart that 'witnesses' its object; but it is the Absolute itself 'witnessing' itself in itself. And this is the stage of the 'saint' (waliy).

Supplied quotation · catalogue passage not verified

Sentence boundary needs source review; the supplied wording is retained.

With ears that are sanctified from vain-glory and worldly desires hearken unto the counsels which I, in My merciful kindness, have revealed unto you, and with your inner and outer eyes contemplate the evidences of My marvelous Revelation.

Supplied quotation · catalogue passage not verified

This most great, this fathomless and surging Ocean is near, astonishingly near, unto you. Behold it is closer to you than your life-vein! [cf.

Supplied quotation · catalogue passage not verified

Sentence boundary needs source review; the supplied wording is retained.