concealment, and be made manifest to all the world. And whensoever the
portals of grace did open, and the clouds of divine bounty did rain upon
mankind, and the light of the Unseen did shine above the horizon of
celestial might, they all denied Him, and turned away from His face—the
face of God Himself. Refer ye, to verify this truth, to that which hath
been recorded in every sacred Book.

Ponder for a moment, and reflect upon that which hath been the cause of
such denial on the part of those who have searched with such earnestness
and longing. Their attack hath been more fierce than tongue or pen can
describe. Not one single Manifestation of Holiness hath appeared but He
was afflicted by the denials, the repudiation, and the vehement opposition
of the people around Him. Thus it hath been revealed: “O the misery of
men! No Messenger cometh unto them but they laugh Him to scorn.”(1) Again
He saith: “Each nation hath plotted darkly against their Messenger to lay
violent hold on Him, and disputed with vain words to invalidate the
truth.”(2)

In like manner, those words that have streamed forth from the source of
power and descended from the heaven of glory are innumerable and beyond
the ordinary comprehension of man. To them that are possessed of true
understanding and insight the Súrah of Húd surely sufficeth. Ponder a
while those holy words in your heart, and, with utter detachment, strive
to grasp their meaning. Examine the wondrous behaviour of the Prophets,
and recall the defamations and denials uttered by the children of negation
and falsehood, perchance you may cause the bird of the human heart to wing
its flight away from the abodes of heedlessness and doubt unto the nest of
faith and certainty, and drink deep from the pure waters of ancient
wisdom, and partake of the fruit of the tree of divine knowledge. Such is
the share of the pure in heart of the bread that hath descended from the