1912,
USA
Today, the most important affair is firmness in The
Covenant, because firmness in The Covenant wards off differences.
In former cycles no distinct Covenant was made in writing by
the Supreme Pen; no distinct personage was appointed to be the Standard differentiating
falsehood from truth, so that whatever he said was to stand as truth and that
which he repudiated was to be known as falsehood. At most, His Holiness Jests
Christ gave only an intimation, a symbol, and that was but an indication of the
solidity of Peter's faith. When he mentioned his faith, His Holiness said,
'thou art Peter’ - which means rock - 'and upon this rock will I build my
church.' This was a sanction of Peter's faith; it was not indicative of his
(Peter) being the expounder of the Book, but was a confirmation of Peter's
faith.
But in this Dispensation of the Blessed Beauty (Baha’u’llah)
among its distinctions is that He did not leave people in perplexity. He
entered into a Covenant and Testament with the people. He appointed a Center of
the Covenant. He wrote with His own pen and revealed it in the Kitab-i-Aqdas,
the Book of Laws, and Kitab-i-Ahd, the Book of the Covenant, appointing him
(‘Abdu’l-Baha) the Expounder of the Book. You must ask him (‘Abdu’l-Baha)
regarding the meanings of the texts of the verses. Whatsoever he says is
correct.
Outside of this, in numerous Tablets He (Baha’u’llah) has
explicitly recorded it, with clear, sufficient, valid and forceful statements.
In the Tablet of the Branch He explicitly states: “Whatsoever the Branch says
is right, or correct; and every person must obey the Branch with his life, with
his heart, with his tongue. Without his will, not a word shall anyone utter.”
This is an explicit text of the Blessed Beauty. So there is no excuse left for anybody.
No soul shall, of himself, speak anything. [The words must be according to what
has proceeded from the Mouth of the Will of God and is recorded in Tablets.]
Whatsoever his (‘Abdu'l-Baha's) tongue utters, whatsoever his pen records, that
is correct; according to the explicit text of Baha’u’llah in the Tablet of the
Branch.
His Holiness Abraham covenanted in regard to Moses. His
Holiness Moses was the Promised One of Abraham, and He, Moses, covenanted in
regard to His Holiness Christ, saying that Christ was the Promised One. His
Holiness Christ covenanted in regard to His Holiness 'The Paraclete' which
means His Holiness Mohammed. His Holiness Mohammed covenanted in regard to the
Báb, whom He called, 'My Promised One' His Holiness the Báb, in all His Books,
in all His Epistles, explicitly covenanted in regard to the Blessed Beauty,
Baha’u’llah, that Baha’u’llah was the Promised One of His Holiness the Báb. His
Holiness Baha’u’llah covenanted, not that I (‘Abdu'l-Baha) am the Promised One,
but that Abdu’l-Baha is tie Expounder of the Book and the Center of His
Covenant and that the Promised One of Baha’u’llah will appear after one
thousand or thousands of years. This is the Covenant which Baha’u’llah made. If
a person shall deviate, he is not acceptable at the Threshold of Baha’u’llah.
In case of differences, Abdu'l-Baha must be consulted. They must revolve around
his good pleasure. After ‘Abdu'l-Baha, whenever the Universal House of Justice
is organized it will ward off differences.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Star of the West, vol. 5, no. 15,
December 12, 1914)
