Knowing God: the unseen and the encounter with revelation

Say: The Unseen cannot be known except through this Visible One.

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.

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.

The knowledge of the reality of the Divinity is in no wise possible, but the knowledge of the Manifestations of God is the knowledge of God, for the bounties, splendours and attributes of God are manifest in them. Thus, whoso attains to the knowledge of the Manifestations of God attains to the knowledge of God, and whoso remains heedless of them remains bereft of that knowledge.

And since there can be no tie of direct intercourse to bind the one true God with His creation, and no resemblance whatever can exist between the transient and the Eternal, the contingent and the Absolute, He hath ordained that in every age and dispensation a pure and stainless Soul be made manifest in the kingdoms of earth and heaven.

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.

Thus all that the human reality knows, discovers and understands of the names, attributes and perfections of God refers to these holy Manifestations and leads nowhere else: "The way is cut off, and all seeking rejected."

The entire world hath been created specifically for the recognition of the Ancient King, and there is no doubt that His recognition cannot be attained except through recognition of the Manifestation of His signs and the Dawning-Place of His evidences, inasmuch as the Ancient Being hath ever been and will forever continue to be sanctified, in His state of absolute transcendence and loftiest exaltation, from manifestation and appearance, from ascent and descent.

But the primary purpose of knowing the self in this station is to know the Self of God in every age and dispensation, for the Ancient Being and the Ocean of Truth hath ever been sanctified above the knowledge of all else. Therefore the knowledge of all knowers returneth unto the knowledge of the Manifestations of His Cause, and they are the Self of God amongst His servants, His Manifestation amidst His creation, and His Sign among His creatures. Whoso knoweth them hath known God, whoso acknowledgeth them hath acknowledged God, and whoso confesseth their truth hath confessed the signs of God, the All-Subduing, the Self-Subsisting.

These words have streamed from the pen of this Wronged One in one of His Tablets: "The purpose of the one true God, exalted be His glory, hath been to bring forth the Mystic Gems out of the mine of man -- they Who are the Dawning-Places of His Cause and the Repositories of the pearls of His knowledge; for, God Himself, glorified be He, is the Unseen, the One concealed and hidden from the eyes of men.

Were it not for Him, no one would have known God and none would have become aware of Him. All the knowledge of those who know, the understanding of the sincere ones, the remembrances of those near unto God, and the descriptions of those who describe, return unto this station. 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.

None shall attain to His recognition save through His Dawning-Place of signs and Manifestation of evidences.

Therefore, for souls there is no recourse except to the Holy Realities. They must turn to the Holy Manifestations of God, else they are worshippers of imagination, for the Divine Reality cannot enter human conception and whatever man conceiveth is mere imagination.

Beyond this, there is no way for anyone to know Him, exalted be He. Thus have We revealed aforetime and now, if thou be of them that know.

They who worship names instead of Me, these are indeed idolaters in the sight of thy Lord, the Almighty, the Powerful. Say: Do ye take names as lords for yourselves besides God and forsake the Most Excellent of Creators?

He is the Most High, the Most Exalted, the Most Supreme!

We remind those who drink from the Salsabil of love and traverse the desert of affection of words that will guide pure hearts to the ocean of oneness, draw assured souls to the eternal paradise, lead the figuratively poor to true wealth, bestow the crown of everlasting glory upon the spiritually abased, and shower divine knowledge and holy wisdom upon all created things, were the people to turn to the wondrous rays of Beauty.

It is clear and evident to every person of insight that the purpose of the creation of beings has been and ever shall be the knowledge of God. It is manifest and certain that this knowledge cannot be perfected through imagination, nor completed through conjecture and words, for in the realm of words all differing sects are partners. As may be observed, all the dwellers of earth, one and all, consider themselves creatures and recipients of sustenance, and deem themselves to be dwelling beneath the shadow of God's names and attributes. Thus in every nation and religion there exist certain names which they consider to be channels of divine grace and means of divine mercy.

In this regard, therefore, all who dwell on earth are alike and similar, differing only in the names they use, just as the tongues of all the earth's inhabitants differ, and likewise the names of their chosen ones and saints differ. In such circumstances, the people of truth must needs have a conclusive proof and an established evidence and station, that they may be distinguished from all created things and not be content with that to which people cling. For all today walk according to their own desires while attributing these to God, exalted be His mention. All are immersed in error while calling it guidance.

Thus did the Supreme and Most Exalted Sovereign establish for Himself a touchstone and criterion, that it might become known which soul has attained to the knowledge of God and which has remained deprived. The day when this divine touchstone appears is known as the Day of Distinction, for on that day the truthful are distinguished from the false, and the lover from the deceitful. This touchstone is the manifestation of the divine meaning in a new temple and novel attire. Thus, whosoever acknowledges and submits to that absolute meaning in this new and glorious attire is truthful in his cause; otherwise he was and shall remain a worshipper of words and fancies. For the purpose of mention and words has been the knowledge of God, and one who has not recognized the Source in His manifestation - what value or effect could the derivative possibly have?

The acts of God are in themselves proof of His truth, as has been and is observed - what mighty matters and great tribulations have occurred and continue to occur, such that no one had or has the capacity to bear even a drop thereof, yet He alone has borne them all. No testimony has been or is more conclusive than these matters. Furthermore, beyond these stations, the Truth is distinguished from all the world and its peoples by His every movement and stillness, such that any eye that is cleansed of the dust of jealousy will, upon mere encounter and observation, recognize Him, and every heart that is sanctified from the veils will instantly attain unto His knowledge, distinguish truth from aught else save Him, and discern the difference between them.

Today all the mystics who have claimed and still claim to possess mystical knowledge have contented themselves with the knowledge of an imaginary Invisible One, and with a mere word have they satisfied themselves in lieu of the spiritual realms. They have not yet grasped this truth: that every invisible must have a visible manifestation, and every word must possess a meaning. A word bereft of meaning can never yield fruit, and an imaginary invisible can never bestow wealth. Therefore the people of truth who hold fast unto the Truth must recognize the Beloved in His new attire, and hasten with heart and soul to His love, that they may be set ablaze with the fire of His love and return to the Source of His presence, which is the goal of immortal hearts and the dawning-place of the resplendent Sun.

This is the revelation of the Bayan in the heaven of utterance. Therefore, O friends, hearken unto the call of your true Friend, and occupy not yourselves with the things of this world and whatsoever is therein. Deprive not yourselves of attaining the presence of the Beauty of your Beloved, Who desireth for you naught save everlasting dominion and an eternal kingdom. He hath never desired aught for Himself, and hath had no purpose except the manifestation of justice and the attainment of His loved ones to the eternal, holy gathering-places. God sufficeth as a witness, and those who possess the knowledge of the Book.

Now some effort is needed, that the Friend be not seen as a stranger, and the rose be not considered as a thorn. The fragrance of the rose is sufficient witness for it, and the very being of the Friend is adequate proof. I hope, God willing, that a soul from among the people of truth in that land may arise with divine love and gather all the people of that land on the shore of the ocean of oneness, that all the people of that region may become as one soul, and the coldness of remoteness and separation may be wholly transformed and eliminated by the warmth of nearness and union. All this is from the grace of God, the Most Exalted, the Most High. And peace be upon him who followeth guidance.

Should anyone today engage in the worship of all who are in the heavens and on earth, and acknowledge in his heart the Manifestations of justice, and perform with his limbs every good deed, it shall profit him not so much as a grain of mustard seed unless he enters beneath the shadow of the Divine Countenance, becomes assured of God's grace and mercy, and arises to serve God and assist His Cause to the extent of his ability.

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.

… The knowledge of Him, Who is the Origin of all things, and attainment unto Him, are impossible save through knowledge of, and attainment unto, these luminous Beings who proceed from the Sun of Truth. By attaining, therefore, to the presence of these holy Luminaries, the "Presence of God" Himself is attained.

… Those words uttered by the Luminaries of Truth must needs be pondered, and should their significance be not grasped, enlightenment should be sought from the Trustees of the depositories of Knowledge, that these may expound their meaning, and unravel their mystery. For it behooveth no man to interpret the holy words according to his own imperfect understanding, nor, having found them to be contrary to his inclination and desires, to reject and repudiate their truth.

Behold thy Lord's Cause with thine own eyes, then know it through thine own self and thy spirit, for the recognition of others cannot serve as proof for thee, nor can the rejection of all else stand as evidence against thee.

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.

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. He has accepted from all things their recognition of Him as their recognition of Himself, their love for Him as their love for Himself, their pleasure in Him as their pleasure in Himself, their meeting with Him as their meeting with Himself, and their obedience to Him as their obedience to Himself.

Unto this pointeth the saying of the Family of God: "Whoso knoweth you hath known God." And the saying of the Imam, peace be upon Him: "We are the Most Beautiful Names of God; none knoweth God save through our knowledge. Through us is God known, and through us is God worshipped. Were it not for us, God would not be known; were it not for us, God would not be worshipped."

What has been mentioned in the station of the spirit of supplication is the essence of the matter, though he has erred in drawing conclusions. The truth in that most exalted station and greatest prospect is the manifestation of Him Who has no name, no description, no exposition and no attribute. The essences are cut off from His court, and material realities are withheld from addressing Him; for this is the station of the Letter of the Self-Revelation of the Essence, in the epiphany of sheer Ipseity and the precinct of unconditioned subsistence.

And the knowledge of the King of everlasting days can in no wise be attained save by recognizing Him Who is the Bearer of the Most Great Name. He is, in truth, the Speaker on Sinai Who is now seated upon the throne of Revelation. He is the Hidden Mystery and the Treasured Symbol. All the former and latter Books of God are adorned with His praise and extol His glory. Through Him the standard of knowledge hath been planted in the world and the ensign of the oneness of God hath been unfurled amidst all peoples. Attainment unto the Divine Presence can be realized solely by attaining His presence.

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.

We have no recourse but to turn in all matters toward that known Center, the Promised Manifestation, and the Witnessed Dawning-Place. Otherwise, we would worship an imaginary reality conceived in minds, a rejected creation, a mere fancy rather than conscious awareness in the human world - and this would be worse than idol worship, for idols at least have existence in the world of being.

As to that Divine Reality which is conceived in minds and thoughts - it is naught but illusion and fancy, for the Universal Divine Reality, sanctified above all attributes and descriptions, enters not into the realm of mind and thought such that man might conceive it.

Exalted, immeasurably exalted, art Thou above the strivings of mortal man to unravel Thy mystery, to describe Thy glory, or to even hint at the nature of Thine Essence. For whatever such strivings may accomplish, they can never hope to transcend the limitations imposed upon Thy creatures, inasmuch as these efforts are actuated by Thy decree, and are begotten of Thine invention. The loftiest sentiments which the holiest of saints can express in praise of Thee, and the deepest wisdom which the most learned of men can utter in their attempts to comprehend Thy nature, all revolve around that Center Which is wholly subjected to Thy sovereignty, Which adoreth Thy Beauty, and is propelled through the movement of Thy Pen.

Know thou that just as thou art convinced that there is no end to His words, be likewise convinced that their meanings also have no end - but this is known only to their Interpreter and the treasurers of their mysteries.

The source of all learning ('ulum) is the knowledge (irfan) of God, exalted be His Glory, and this cannot be attained save through the knowledge of His Divine Manifestation.

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Now all people worship an imagination, for they have created a God in the realm of imagination and him they worship. If you ask a soul, when he is praying, who art thou worshiping? He will say, God. Which God? The God of my conception. When, in truth, what he imagines is not God. Hence, all people are worshippers of imaginations and ideals. Consequently, there is no pathway or escape for man except the Holy Manifestations, for, as we said the Essence of Divinity is pure, is holy and cannot be brought into the world of ideas.

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Since the dominions of the hearts and souls of men are completely unable to grasp the nature of the peerless Essence, it behoveth us to give praise to His First Creation, to His First Remembrance, His First Light, His First Advent, His First Revelation, His First Knowledge, His First Utterance, His First Manifestation, His First Dawning Place, His First Dayspring and His First Repository.

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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. … These manifest the divine attributes and therefore by knowing them we can know God. The mystic path that the traveller should follow is therefore to the Prophet.

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People like Emerson were undoubtedly inspired by God, for many of the thoughts that quicken us in this day were uttered and stimulated by them. Only gradually will we come to appreciate their work and place them in the growing world of ours. The tendency of these writers, however, is rather to diminish, rather than to enhance the position of the Prophet in civilization. These bid us come into communion with God by looking within us. They tell us that the Prophets were humans and that we can become like Them if we only strive. This renders religion, the religion of the few, the religion of only those who have experiences.

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Generally speaking, we know that the soul of man can only approach the Creator through the Manifestation of God, and that we turn to God through His latest Manifestation, but we cannot state that this is the only way that an individual can contact God, for God's mercy is infinite.

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