river of everlasting life. For over a hundred years He admonished them to
hold fast unto the commandments of God and eschew that which is forbidden.
His admonitions, however, yielded no fruit, and His pleading proved of no
avail. Several times He retired and lived in seclusion. All this, although
that eternal Beauty was summoning the people to no other than the city of
God. Even as it is revealed: “And unto the tribe of Thámúd We sent their
brother Ṣáliḥ. ‘O my people,’ said He, ‘Worship God, ye have none other
God beside Him....’ They made reply: ‘O Ṣáliḥ, our hopes were fixed on
thee until now; forbiddest thou us to worship that which our fathers
worshipped? Truly we misdoubt that whereunto thou callest us as
suspicious.’”(7) All this proved fruitless, until at last there went up a
great cry, and all fell into utter perdition.

Later, the beauty of the countenance of the Friend of God(8) appeared from
behind the veil, and another standard of divine guidance was hoisted. He
invited the people of the earth to the light of righteousness. The more
passionately He exhorted them, the fiercer waxed the envy and waywardness
of the people, except those who wholly detached themselves from all save
God, and ascended on the wings of certainty to the station which God hath
exalted beyond the comprehension of men. It is well known what a host of
enemies besieged Him, until at last the fires of envy and rebellion were
kindled against Him. And after the episode of the fire came to pass, He,
the lamp of God amongst men, was, as recorded in all books and chronicles,
expelled from His city.

And when His day was ended, there came the turn of Moses. Armed with the
rod of celestial dominion, adorned with the white hand of divine
knowledge, and proceeding from the Párán of the love of God, and wielding
the serpent of power and everlasting majesty, He shone forth from the
Sinai of light upon the world. He summoned all the peoples and kindreds of