Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, pp.111 -118 1. The time fore-ordained unto the peoples and kindreds of the earth is now come. The promises of God as recorded in the holy Scriptures have all been fulfilled. Out of Zion hath gone forth the Law of God and Jerusalem and the hills and land thereof are filled with the glory of His Revelation. Happy is the man that pondereth in his heart that which hath been revealed in the Books of God the Help in Peril the Self-Subsisting. Meditate upon this O ye beloved of God and let your ears be attentive unto His Word so that ye may by His grace and mercy drink your fill from the crystal waters of constancy and become as steadfast and immovable as the mountain in His Cause. Verily I say, this is the Day in which mankind can behold the Face, and hear the Voice, of the Promised One. The Call of God hath been raised, and the light of His countenance hath been lifted up upon men. It behoveth every man to blot out the trace of every idle word from the tablet of his heart, and to gaze, with an open and unbiased mind, on the signs of His Revelation, the proofs of His Mission, and the tokens of His glory. Great indeed is this Day! The allusions made to it in all the sacred Scriptures as the Day of God attest its greatness. The soul of every Prophet of God, of every Divine Messenger, hath thirsted for this wondrous Day. All the divers kindreds of the earth have, likewise, yearned to attain it. No sooner, however, had the Day Star of His Revelation manifested itself in the heaven of God’s Will, than all, except those whom the Almighty was pleased to guide, were found dumbfounded and heedless. 2. O thou that hast remembered Me! The most grievous veil hath shut out the peoples of the earth from His glory, and hindered them from hearkening to His call. God grant that the light of unity may envelop the whole earth, and that the seal, ‘the Kingdom is God’s’, may be stamped upon the brow of all its peoples. O ye children of men! The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men. Suffer it not to become a source of dissension and discord of hate and enmity. This is the straight Path the fixed and immovable foundation. Whatsoever is raised on this foundation the changes and chances of the world can never impair its strength nor will the revolution of countless centuries undermine its structure. Our hope is that the world’s religious leaders and the rulers thereof will unitedly arise for the reformation of this age and the rehabilitation of its fortunes. Let them after meditating on its needs take counsel together and through anxious and full deliberation administer to a diseased and sorely-afflicted world the remedy it requires…. It is incumbent upon them who are in authority to exercise moderation in all things. Whatsoever passeth beyond the limits of moderation will cease to exert a beneficial influence. Consider for instance such things as liberty, civilization and the like. However much men of understanding may favourably regard them they will if carried to excess exercise a pernicious influence upon men…. Please God the peoples of the world may be led as the result of the high endeavours exerted by their rulers and the wise and learned amongst men to recognize their best interests. 3. How long will humanity persist in its waywardness? How long will injustice continue? How long is chaos and confusion to reign amongst men? How long will discord agitate the face of society? The winds of despair are alas blowing from every direction and the strife that divideth and afflicteth the human race is daily increasing. The signs of impending convulsions and chaos can now be discerned inasmuch as the prevailing order appeareth to be lamentably defective. I beseech God exalted be His glory that He may graciously awaken the peoples of the earth may grant that the end of their conduct may be profitable unto them and aid them to accomplish that which beseemeth their station. O contending peoples and kindreds of the earth! Set your faces towards unity and let the radiance of its light shine upon you. Gather ye together and for the sake of God resolve to root out whatever is the source of contention amongst you. Then will the effulgence of the world’s great Luminary envelop the whole earth and its inhabitants become the citizens of one city and the occupants of one and the same throne. This wronged One hath ever since the early days of His life cherished none other desire but this and will continue to entertain no wish except this wish. There can be no doubt whatever that the peoples of the world of whatever race or religion derive their inspiration from one heavenly Source and are the subjects of one God. The difference between the ordinances under which they abide should be attributed to the varying requirements and exigencies of the age in which they were revealed. All of them except a few which are the outcome of human perversity were ordained of God and are a reflection of His Will and Purpose. Arise and armed with the power of faith shatter to pieces the gods of your vain imaginings the sowers of dissension amongst you. Cleave unto that which draweth you together and uniteth you. This verily is the most exalted Word which the Mother Book hath sent down and revealed unto you. To this beareth witness the Tongue of Grandeur from His habitation of glory. 4. The Great Being wishing to reveal the prerequisites of the peace and tranquillity of the world and the advancement of its peoples hath written: The time must come when the imperative necessity for the holding of a vast an all-embracing assemblage of men will be universally realized. The rulers and kings of the earth must needs attend it and participating in its deliberations must consider such ways and means as will lay the foundations of the world’s Great Peace amongst men. Such a peace demandeth that the Great Powers should resolve for the sake of the tranquillity of the peoples of the earth to be fully reconciled among themselves. Should any king take up arms against another all should unitedly arise and prevent him. If this be done the nations of the world will no longer require any armaments except for the purpose of preserving the security of their realms and of maintaining internal order within their territories. This will ensure the peace and composure of every people government and nation. We fain would hope that the kings and rulers of the earth the mirrors of the gracious and almighty name of God may attain unto this station and shield mankind from the onslaught of tyranny…. The day is approaching when all the peoples of the world will have adopted one universal language and one common script. When this is achieved to whatsoever city a man may journey it shall be as if he were entering his own home. These things are obligatory and absolutely essential. It is incumbent upon every man of insight and understanding to strive to translate that which hath been written into reality and action…. That one indeed is a man who today dedicateth himself to the service of the entire human race. The Great Being saith: Blessed and happy is he that ariseth to promote the best interests of the peoples and kindreds of the earth. In another passage He hath proclaimed: It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country but rather for him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens. 5. The All-Knowing Physician hath His finger on the pulse of mankind. He perceiveth the disease, and prescribeth, in His unerring wisdom, the remedy. Every age hath its own problem, and every soul its particular aspiration. The remedy the world needeth in its present-day afflictions can never be the same as that which a subsequent age may require. Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and centre your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements. We can well perceive how the whole human race is encompassed with great, with incalculable afflictions. We see it languishing on its bed of sickness, sore-tried and disillusioned. They that are intoxicated by self-conceit have interposed themselves between it and the Divine and infallible Physician. Witness how they have entangled all men, themselves included, in the mesh of their devices. They can neither discover the cause of the disease, nor have they any knowledge of the remedy. They have conceived the straight to be crooked, and have imagined their friend an enemy. Incline your ears to the sweet melody of this Prisoner. Arise, and lift up your voices, that haply they that are fast asleep may be awakened. Say: O ye who are as dead! The Hand of Divine bounty proffereth unto you the Water of Life. Hasten and drink your fill. Whoso hath been re-born in this Day, shall never die; whoso remaineth dead, shall never live. 6. O peoples of the earth! God, the Eternal Truth, is My witness that streams of fresh and soft-flowing waters have gushed from the rocks, through the sweetness of the words uttered by your Lord, the Unconstrained; and still ye slumber. Cast away that which ye possess, and, on the wings of detachment, soar beyond all created things. Thus biddeth you the Lord of creation, the movement of Whose Pen hath revolutionized the soul of mankind. Know ye from what heights your Lord, the All-Glorious is calling? Think ye that ye have recognized the Pen wherewith your Lord, the Lord of all names, commandeth you? Nay, by My life! Did ye but know it, ye would renounce the world, and would hasten with your whole hearts to the presence of the Well-Beloved. Your spirits would be so transported by His Word as to throw into commotion the Greater World—how much more this small and petty one! Thus have the showers of My bounty been poured down from the heaven of My loving-kindness, as a token of My grace; that ye may be of the thankful…. Beware lest the desires of the flesh and of a corrupt inclination provoke divisions among you. Be ye as the fingers of one hand, the members of one body. Thus counselleth you the Pen of Revelation, if ye be of them that believe. Consider the mercy of God and His gifts. He enjoineth upon you that which shall profit you, though He Himself can well dispense with all creatures. Your evil doings can never harm Us, neither can your good works profit Us. We summon you wholly for the sake of God. To this every man of understanding and insight will testify. (N.B. Numbers have been assigned only for the convenience of reading.)
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 03:21:14 +0000