BB00214: Fi Bayani’l-I’tiqad

Concerning the exposition of the unaltered steadfastness of his belief in the ordinances of the Faith.

In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate

Praise be to God Who guides whom He wishes and leads astray whom He wishes, and unto Him do all created things return. And blessings be upon Muhammad, the Messenger of God, and upon his appointed ones whom God has made the Imams of religion and pillars of the people of certitude, and concerning whose authority God has revealed in the Qur’an where He says:

“honored servants who speak not until He has spoken, and who act by His command.”

And peace be upon those who follow them in all matters and believe in them. And verily punishment is prepared for those who turn away from them after having believed in them.

And furthermore, when I heard that some people had presented certain words before His Exalted Presence which necessitate that I should mention them in this book, I began by recording these statements lest anyone should think of me other than what is true. And after his knowledge of what I have herein recorded in this book, let his judgment be manifest before God and before those possessed of knowledge among His creation.

And now, there is no doubt that religion has not changed nor will it be altered, and my belief regarding the laws of religion is that which I now write in this book. God suffices as witness, and those who possess justice in His presence.

I bear witness that there is none other God but God, alone, without peer or partner—even as His own Self hath testified of His own Self that He is the One, Who from everlasting was, with no thing existing beside Him, and Who shall ever remain—He abiding even as He hath ever abode. No thing hath been associated with Him in any condition; and He is sanctified above likeness, exalted beyond resemblance. No description there is save His own Essence, and no name save His own Being….

…As for those who describe Him by the attributes of their own selves, and those who remember Him by the names of His Essence—these are but returned unto themselves. He is too exalted to be known by His creatures, or to be described by His servants. Nay rather, He created names and attributes that all beings might worship Him through them, and might sanctify Him above them—for they are created attributes and originated names, brought into being by God to cleanse hearts and imaginations. And even as He is in the majesty of His identity and the glory of His self-subsistence, none shall know Him save He, Himself. Exalted is He above what they ascribe!

And I bear witness unto Muhammad—the Messenger of God, may the blessings of God rest upon Him—that God chose Him from the inmost heart of pre-existence unto the station of adornment, and made Him the locus of His own decree in proclamation and in judgment, even as it hath been revealed:

“Vision perceiveth Him not, but He perceiveth all vision; and He is the Subtle, the All-Aware.”

And I bear witness unto the successors of Muhammad and unto Fatimih—may the blessings of God rest upon them all—according to that which God hath testified for them in the knowledge of the unseen: that they are the pillars of Divine Unity, the Manifestations of sanctity, the signs of singleness, and the evidences of praise. They are honored servants: they precede Him not in speech, and they act by His command.

And I bear witness that whoso believeth concerning them aught beyond pure servitude unto God, exalted be He, or equateth the excellence of any one of them with the Messenger of God, hath indeed trodden the path of error and is of the unjust.

And I bear witness that I am a servant who hath believed in God and in His signs, and hath followed the ordinance of the Qur’an; and that my desire, in every matter, is none other than the most perfect and pure judgment of God. As to those who slander me, alleging that I have followed their idle fancies, they have confounded me with themselves—and I am wholly clear of them, by my Lord. I have indeed spoken unto the people of that knowledge wherewith God hath graciously favored me. Whoso giveth thanks, giveth thanks for his own soul; and whoso denieth, verily God is Self-Sufficient, independent of all the worlds.

And since certain among the people imagine concerning that knowledge otherwise than what God hath purposed in the Book, I will set down a sprinkling from its stations, and a proof for the people of that supposition, that the truth may be distinguished from falsehood, and that all may thereby become of the thankful.

God hath graciously favored me, in the station of knowledge, with fourfold aspects.

Among them is the aspect of knowledge [ʿilm] itself—whereunto beareth witness that which I have set forth in the exposition on specific prophethood. And whoso desireth the measure of eloquence in that station, let him test the learned—whosoever is a Muslim skilled in that art—until it become plain unto him what it is that they claim.

And among them is the station of prayers [munajat], which, by the grace of God, floweth forth from me and from my pen: within six hours there issued a thousand verses of prayer—verses that testify to the recognition of the stations of Divine Unity, whose reality none can apprehend save him who hath rent asunder the veils of majesty without allusion. This, verily, is sufficient for him that possesseth heart and understanding.

Even as Jami’ al-Bihar—may God have mercy upon him—hath mentioned, that the Sahīfih of Sajjad sufficeth, in eloquence, for him who desireth to comprehend the stations of the people of infallibility—may the blessings of God be upon them—and to affirm that which God hath ordained for them; for he saith that most of the learned have declared it to be the “Psalms of the House of Muhammad”—may the blessings of God rest upon him. And this, in truth, is a matter difficult and weighty. I myself, even until now, have written many books; yet I know not that, should another attempt—by the reality of his innate nature—to compose even a single supplication, he would be able. In this is sufficient proof of the favor granted me from God; and God sufficeth as Trustee.

And among them is the station of sermons [khutab], wherein there flow from my pen lofty words, such that they who are not acquainted with the reality of the Cause imagine them to be among the orations of the masters of eloquence. Whoso desireth to apprehend the truth of a sermon—its outward form and its inward meaning—let him refer to the learned; for thereby shall the difficulty of the matter be unveiled: who it is that speaketh by true innate disposition, and who it is that cannot produce an oration save through pondering and contrivance. Unto God do the ordinances return, at the beginning and at the end.

And among these stations is that of the masters of eloquence, in the lofty utterances—utterances such that, were all mankind to gather together to produce the like of a single saying thereof, they would neither be able nor empowered to do so, even though the whole were helpers one of another. Of this station there hath appeared that which was disclosed unto the gracious Presence—may God prolong his shadow; and when he beholdeth the reality of utterance, let him consider the Kitabu’l-ʿAdl, for thereby is the measure of utterance discerned in all the degrees of exposition.

It behoveth not one such as I to call witnesses from among those who have affirmed the truth of those words; for he who attaineth unto a station through a trace of my very being—how can he be capable of knowing its reality? Yet for those who are perplexed, though not of the people of equity, I mention four books, each of which was revealed by One possessed of mastery in a distinct science—books that some among the people are powerless to refute.

And beyond these manifestations, apart from knowledge received from men, were but one to judge with true fairness, he would testify that each of those stations removeth contradiction and disagreement from among the learned, and leadeth all back unto a single judgment.

And after all have come to know these stations, should any among the learned desire to engage me in mubahalih, for the vindication of the Truth and the annulment of falsehood, according to that which hath been revealed in the traditions concerning the Suns of Grandeur and Majesty, I, verily, would welcome it—for I love the manifestation of certitude in the religion of God. God sufficeth as Witness.

Whoso among the learned is able to bring forth a discourse to invalidate that bounty, upon him lieth the obligation either to produce it by innate endowment and power, or to confess his incapacity and acknowledge the favor of his Lord. And whoso hath perceived and yet hath not come forward with the proof of the Prophets, nor stood in the station of mubahalih, upon him resteth God’s judgment. After these allusions, no one hath any proof against me. Whoso willeth, let him accept; and whoso willeth, let him turn away.

I have completed the mention of the bounty, lest any should say concerning me that I have followed idle desire. And let one convey the ordinance thereof, by permission of the Exalted Presence, unto the learned. God sufficeth as Witness.