,the ,secret of ,divine ,civilization by #8,abdu'l-,bah ,edition #a1 7,september #bjjf7 ,,baha',i ,,terms ,,of ,,use ,you have permission to freely make and use copies of the text and any other information 7,content7 available on this ,site including printing1 emailing1 posting1 distributing1 copying1 downloading1 uploading1 transmitting1 displaying the ,content in whole or in part subject to the following3 #a4 ,our copyright notice and the source reference must be attached to the ,content2 #b4 ,the ,content may not be modified or altered in any way except to change the font or appearance2 #c4 ,the ,content must be used solely for a non-commercial purpose4 ,although this blanket permission to reproduce the ,content is given freely such that no special permission is required1 the ,bah' ,international ,community retains full copyright protection for all ,content included at this ,site under all applicable national and international laws4 ,for permission to publish1 transmit1 display or otherwise use the ,content for any commercial purpose1 please contact us 7http3_/_/reference4bahai4org_/en_/conta ct4html74 ,,contents ,baha'i ,terms of ,use ,pages #a-bj ,pages #ba-dj ,pages #da-fj ,pages #fa-hj ,pages #ha-ajj ,pages #aja-aaf ,,pages #a-bj ,in the ,name of ,god the ,clement1 the ,merciful ,praise and thanksgiving be unto ,providence that out of all the realities in existence ,he has chosen the reality of man and has honored it with intellect and wisdom1 the two most luminous lights in either world4 ,through the agency of this great endowment1 ,he has in every epoch cast on the mirror of creation new and wonderful configurations4 ,if we look objectively upon the world of being1 it will become apparent that from age to age1 the temple of existence has continually been embellished with a fresh grace1 and distinguished with an ever-varying splendor1 deriving from wisdom and the power of thought4 ,this supreme emblem of ,god stands first in the order of creation and first in rank1 taking precedence over all created things4 ,witness to it is the ,holy ,tradition1 8,before all else1 ,god created the mind40 ,from the dawn of creation1 it was made to be revealed in the temple of man4 ,sanctified is the ,lord1 ,who with the dazzling rays of this strange1 heavenly power has made our world of darkness the envy of the worlds of light3 8,and the earth shall shine with the light of her ,lord407#a7 ,holy and exalted is ,he1 ,who has caused the nature of man to be the dayspring of this boundless grace3 8,the ,god of mercy hath taught the ,qur'n1 hath created man1 hath taught him articulate speech407#b7 ,o ye that have minds to know6 ,raise up your suppliant hands to the heaven of the one ,god1 and humble yourselves and be lowly before ,him1 and thank ,him for this supreme endowment1 and implore ,him to succor us until1 in this present age1 godlike impulses may radiate from the conscience of mankind1 and this divinely kindled fire which has been entrusted to the human heart may never die away4 ,consider carefully3 all these highly varied phenomena1 these concepts1 this knowledge1 these technical procedures and philosophical systems1 these sciences1 arts1 industries and inventions--all are emanations of the human mind4 ,whatever people has ventured deeper into this shoreless sea1 has come to excel the rest4 ,the happiness and pride of a nation consist in this1 that it should shine out like the sun in the high heaven of knowledge4 8,shall they who have knowledge and they who have it not1 be treated alike807#c7 ,and the honor and distinction of the individual consist in this1 that he among all the world's multitudes should become a source of social good4 ,is any larger bounty conceivable than this1 that an individual1 looking within himself1 should find that by the confirming grace of ,god he has become the cause of peace and well-being1 of happiness and advantage to his fellow men8 ,no1 by the one true ,god1 there is no greater bliss1 no more complete delight4 ,how long shall we drift on the wings of passion and vain desire2 how long shall we spend our days like barbarians in the depths of ignorance and abomination8 ,god has given us eyes1 that we may look about us at the world1 and lay hold of whatsoever will further civilization and the arts of living4 ,he has given us ears1 that we may hear and profit by the wisdom of scholars and philosophers and arise to promote and practice it4 ,senses and faculties have been bestowed upon us1 to be devoted to the service of the general good2 so that we1 distinguished above all other forms of life for perceptiveness and reason1 should labor at all times and along all lines1 whether the occasion be great or small1 ordinary or extraordinary1 until all mankind are safely gathered into the impregnable stronghold of knowledge4 ,we should continually be establishing new bases for human happiness and creating and promoting new instrumentalities toward this end4 ,how excellent1 how honorable is man if he arises to fulfil his responsibilities2 how wretched and contemptible1 if he shuts his eyes to the welfare of society and wastes his precious life in pursuing his own selfish interests and personal advantages4 ,supreme happiness is man's1 and he beholds the signs of ,god in the world and in the human soul1 if he urges on the steed of high endeavor in the arena of civilization and justice4 8,we will surely show them ,our signs in the world and within themselves407#d7 ,and this is man's uttermost wretchedness3 that he should live inert1 apathetic1 dull1 involved only with his own base appetites4 ,when he is thus1 he has his being in the deepest ignorance and savagery1 sinking lower than the brute beasts4 8,they are like the brutes3 ,yea1 they go more astray444 ,for the vilest beasts in ,god's sight1 are the deaf1 the dumb1 who understand not407#e7 ,we must now highly resolve to arise and lay hold of all those instrumentalities that promote the peace and well-being and happiness1 the knowledge1 culture and industry1 the dignity1 value and station1 of the entire human race4 ,thus1 through the restoring waters of pure intention and unselfish effort1 the earth of human potentialities will blossom with its own latent excellence and flower into praiseworthy qualities1 and bear and flourish until it comes to rival that rosegarden of knowledge which belonged to our forefathers4 ,then will this holy land of ,persia become in every sense the focal center of human perfections1 reflecting as if in a mirror the full panoply of world civilization4 ,all praise and honor be to the ,dayspring of ,divine wisdom1 the ,dawning ,point of ,revelation 7,muammad71 and to the holy line of ,his descendants1 since1 by the widespread rays of ,his consummate wisdom1 ,his universal knowledge1 those savage denizens of ,yathrib 7,medina7 and ,bath 7,mecca71 miraculously1 and in so brief a time1 were drawn out of the depths of their ignorance1 rose up to the pinnacles of learning1 and became centers of arts and sciences and human perfections1 and stars of felicity and true civilization1 shining across the horizons of the world4 ,his ,majesty the ,shh has1 at the present time1 #ahge resolved to bring about the advancement of the ,persian people1 their welfare and security and the prosperity of their country4 ,he has spontaneously extended assistance to his subjects1 displaying energy and fair-mindedness1 hoping that by the light of justice he might make rn the envy of ,east and ,west1 and set that fine fervor which characterized the first great epochs of ,persia to flowing again through the veins of her people4 ,as is clear to the discerning1 the writer has for this reason felt it necessary to put down1 for the sake of ,god alone and as a tribute to this high endeavor1 a brief statement on certain urgent questions4 ,to demonstrate that ,his one purpose is to promote the general welfare1 ,he has withheld ,his name47#f7 ,since ,he believes that guidance toward righteousness is in itself a righteous act1 ,he offers these few words of counsel to ,his country's sons1 words spoken for ,god's sake alone and in the spirit of a faithful friend4 ,our ,lord1 ,who knows all things1 bears witness that this ,servant seeks nothing but what is right and good2 for ,he1 a wanderer in the desert of ,god's love1 has come into a realm where the hand of denial or assent1 of praise or blame1 can touch ,him not4 8,we nourish your souls for the sake of ,god2 ,we seek from you neither recompense nor thanks407#g7 8,the hand is veiled1 yet the pen writes as bidden2 ,the horse leaps forward1 yet the rider's hidden40 ,o people of ,persia6 ,look into those blossoming pages that tell of another day1 a time long past4 ,read them and wonder2 see the great sight4 rn in that day was as the heart of the world2 she was the bright torch flaming in the assemblage of mankind4 ,her power and glory shone out like the morning above the world's horizons1 and the splendor of her learning cast its rays over ,east and ,west4 ,word of the widespread empire of those who wore her crown reached even to the dwellers in the arctic circle1 and the fame of the awesome presence of her ,king of ,kings humbled the rulers of ,greece and ,rome4 ,the greatest of the world's philosophers marveled at the wisdom of her government1 and her political system became the model for all the kings of the four continents then known4 ,she was distinguished among all peoples for the scope of her dominion1 she was honored by all for her praiseworthy culture and civilization4 ,she was as the pivot of the world1 she was the source and center of sciences and arts1 the wellspring of great inventions and discoveries1 the rich mine of human virtues and perfections4 ,the intellect1 the wisdom of the individual members of this excellent nation dazzled the minds of other peoples1 the brilliance and perceptive genius that characterized all this noble race aroused the envy of the whole world4 ,aside from that which is a matter of record in ,persian histories1 it is stated in the ,old ,testament--established today1 among all ,european peoples1 as a sacred and canonical ,text--that in the time of ,cyrus1 called in ,iranian works ,bahman son of ,ifandyr1 the three hundred and sixty divisions of the ,persian ,empire extended from the inner confines of ,india and ,china to the farthermost reaches of ,yemen and ,ethiopia47#h7 ,the ,greek accounts1 as well1 relate how this proud sovereign came against them with an innumerable host1 and left their own till then victorious dominion level with the dust4 ,he made the pillars of all the governments to quake2 according to that authoritative ,arab work1 the history of ,abu'l-,fid1 he took over the entire known world4 ,it is likewise recorded in this same text and elsewhere1 that ,firaydn1 a king of the ,pshddyn ,dynasty--who was indeed1 for his inherent perfections1 his powers of judgment1 the scope of his knowledge1 and his long series of continual victories1 unique among all the rulers who preceded and followed him--divided the whole known world among his three sons4 ,as attested by the annals of the world's most illustrious peoples1 the first government to be established on earth1 the foremost empire to be organized among the nations1 was ,persia's throne and diadem4 ,o people of ,persia6 ,awake from your drunken sleep6 ,rise up from your lethargy6 ,be fair in your judgment3 will the dictates of honor permit this holy land1 once the wellspring of world civilization1 the source of glory and joy for all mankind1 the envy of ,east and ,west1 to remain an object of pity1 deplored by all nations8 ,she was once the noblest of peoples3 will you let contemporary history register for the ages her now degenerate state8 ,will you complacently accept her present wretchedness1 when she was once the land of all mankind's desire8 ,must she now1 for this contemptible sloth1 this failure to struggle1 this utter ignorance1 be accounted the most backward of nations8 ,were not the people of ,persia1 in days long gone1 the head and front of intellect and wisdom8 ,did they not1 by ,god's grace1 shine out like the daystar from the horizons of ,divine knowledge8 ,how is it that we are satisfied today with this miserable condition1 are engrossed in our licentious passions1 have blinded ourselves to supreme happiness1 to that which is pleasing in ,god's sight1 and have all become absorbed in our selfish concerns and the search for ignoble1 personal advantage8 ,this fairest of lands was once a lamp1 streaming with the rays of ,divine knowledge1 of science and art1 of nobility and high achievement1 of wisdom and valor4 ,today1 because of the idleness and lethargy of her people1 their torpor1 their undisciplined way of life1 their lack of pride1 lack of ambition--her bright fortune has been totally eclipsed1 her light has turned to darkness4 8,the seven heavens and the seven earths weep over the mighty when he is brought low40 ,it should not be imagined that the people of ,persia are inherently deficient in intelligence1 or that for essential perceptiveness and understanding1 inborn sagacity1 intuition and wisdom1 or innate capacity1 they are inferior to others4 ,god forbid6 ,on the contrary1 they have always excelled all other peoples in endowments conferred by birth4 ,persia herself1 moreover1 from the standpoint of her temperate climate and natural beauties1 her geographical advantages and her rich soil1 is blessed to a supreme degree4 ,what she urgently requires1 however1 is deep reflection1 resolute action1 training1 inspiration and encouragement4 ,her people must make a massive effort1 and their pride must be aroused4 ,today throughout the five continents of the globe it is ,europe and most sections of ,america that are renowned for law and order1 government and commerce1 art and industry1 science1 philosophy and education4 ,yet in ancient times these were the most savage of the world's peoples1 the most ignorant and brutish4 ,they were even stigmatized as barbarians--that is1 utterly rude and uncivilized4 ,further1 from the fifth century after ,christ until the fifteenth1 that period defined as the ,middle ,ages1 such terrible struggles and fierce upheavals1 such ruthless encounters and horrifying acts1 were the rule among the peoples of ,europe1 that the ,europeans rightly describe those ten centuries as the ,dark ,ages4 ,the basis of ,europe's progress and civilization was actually laid in the fifteenth century of the ,christian era1 and from that time on1 all her present evident culture has been1 under the stimulus of great minds and as a result of the expansion of the frontiers of knowledge and the exertion of energetic and ambitious efforts1 in the process of development4 ,today by the grace of ,god and the spiritual influence of ,his universal ,manifestation1 the fair-minded ruler of rn has gathered his people into the shelter of justice1 and the sincerity of the imperial purpose has shown itself in kingly acts4 ,hoping that his reign will rival the glorious past1 he has sought to establish equity and righteousness and to foster education and the processes of civilization throughout this noble land1 and to translate from potentiality into actuality whatever will insure its progress4 ,not until now had we seen a monarch1 holding in his capable hands the reins of affairs1 and on whose high resolve the welfare of all his subjects depends1 exerting as it would befit him1 like a benevolent father1 his efforts toward the training and cultivation of his people1 seeking to insure their well-being and peace of mind1 and exhibiting due concern for their interests2 this ,servant and those like ,him have therefore remained silent4 ,now1 however1 it is clear to the discerning that the ,shh has of his own accord determined to establish a just government and to secure the progress of all his subjects4 ,his honorable intention has consequently evoked this present statement4 ,it is indeed strange that instead of offering thanks for this bounty1 which truly derives from the grace of ,almighty ,god1 by arising as one in gratitude and enthusiasm and praying that these noble purposes will daily multiply1 some1 on the contrary1 whose reason has been corrupted by personal motives and the clarity of whose perception has been clouded by self-interest and conceit2 whose energies are devoted to the service of their passions1 whose sense of pride is perverted to the love of leadership1 have raised the standard of opposition and waxed loud in their complaints4 ,up to now1 they blamed the ,shh for not1 on his own initiative1 working for his people's welfare and seeking to bring about their peace and well-being4 ,now that he has inaugurated this great design they have changed their tune4 ,some say that these are newfangled methods and foreign isms1 quite unrelated to the present needs and the time-honored customs of ,persia4 ,others have rallied the helpless masses1 who know nothing of religion or its laws and basic principles and therefore have no power of discrimination--and tell them that these modern methods are the practices of heathen peoples1 and are contrary to the venerated canons of true faith1 and they add the saying1 8,he who imitates a people is one of them40 ,one group insists that such reforms should go forward with great deliberation1 step by step1 haste being inadmissible4 ,another maintains that only such measures should be adopted as the ,persians themselves devise1 that they themselves should reform their political administration and their educational system and the state of their culture and that there is no need to borrow improvements from other nations4 ,every faction1 in short1 follows its own particular illusion4 ,o people of ,persia6 ,how long will you wander8 ,how long must your confusion last8 ,how long will it go on1 this conflict of opinions1 this useless antagonism1 this ignorance1 this refusal to think8 ,others are alert1 and we sleep our dreamless sleep4 ,other nations are making every effort to improve their condition2 we are trapped in our desires and self-indulgences1 and at every step we stumble into a new snare4 ,god is ,our witness that ,we have no ulterior motive in developing this theme4 ,we seek neither to curry favor with any one nor to attract any one to ,ourselves nor to derive any material benefit therefrom4 ,we speak only as one earnestly desiring the good pleasure of ,god1 for ,we have turned ,our gaze away from the world and its peoples and have sought refuge in the sheltering care of the ,lord4 8,no pay do ,i ask of you for this444 ,my reward is of ,god alone407#i7 ,those who maintain that these modern concepts apply only to other countries and are irrelevant in rn1 that they do not satisfy her requirements or suit her way of life1 disregard the fact that other nations were once as we are now4 ,did not these new systems and procedures1 these progressive enterprises1 contribute to the advancement of those countries8 ,were the people of ,europe harmed by the adoption of such measures8 ,or did they rather by these means reach the highest degree of material development8 ,is it not true that for centuries1 the people of ,persia have lived as we see them living today1 carrying out the pattern of the past8 ,have any discernible benefits resulted1 has any progress been made8 ,if these things had not been tested by experience1 some in whose minds the light of native intelligence is clouded1 might idly question them4 ,on the contrary1 however1 every aspect of these prerequisites to progress have in other countries been time and again put to the test1 and their benefits demonstrated so plainly that even the dullest mind can grasp them4 ,let us consider this justly and without bias3 let us ask ourselves which one of these basic principles and sound1 well-established procedures would fail to satisfy our present needs1 or would be incompatible with ,persia's best political interests or injurious to the general welfare of her people4 ,would the extension of education1 the development of useful arts and sciences1 the promotion of industry and technology1 be harmful things8 ,for such endeavor lifts the individual within the mass and raises him out of the depths of ignorance to the highest reaches of knowledge and human excellence4 ,would the setting up of just legislation1 in accord with the ,divine laws which guarantee the happiness of society and protect the rights of all mankind and are an impregnable proof against assault--would such laws1 insuring the integrity of the members of society and their equality before the law1 inhibit their prosperity and success8 ,or if by using one's perceptive faculties1 one can draw analogies from present circumstances and the conclusions arrived at by collective experience1 and can envisage as coming realities situations now only potential1 would it be unreasonable to take such present measures as would guarantee our future security8 ,would it seem shortsighted1 improvident and unsound1 would it constitute a deviation from what is right and proper1 if we were to strengthen our relationships with neighboring countries1 enter into binding treaties with the great powers1 foster friendly connections with well-disposed governments1 look to the expansion of trade with the nations of ,east and ,west1 develop our natural resources and increase the wealth of our people8 ,would it spell perdition for our subjects if the provincial and district governors were relieved of their present absolute authority1 whereby they function exactly as they please1 and were instead limited to equity and truth1 and if their sentences involving capital punishment1 imprisonment and the like were contingent on confirmation by the ,shh and by higher courts in the capital1 who would first duly investigate the case and determine the nature and seriousness of the crime1 and then hand down a just decision subject to the issuance of a decree by the sovereign8 ,if bribery and corruption1 known today by the pleasant names of gifts and favors1 were forever excluded1 would this threaten the foundations of justice8 ,would it be an evidence of unsound thinking to deliver the soldiery1 who are a living sacrifice to the state and the people and brave death at every turn1 from their present extreme misery and indigence1 and to make adequate arrangements for their sustenance1 clothing and housing1 and exert every effort to instruct their officers in military science1 and supply them with the most advanced types of firearms and other weapons8 ,should anyone object that the above-mentioned reforms have never yet been fully effected1 he should consider the matter impartially and know that these deficiencies have resulted from the total absence of a unified public opinion1 and the lack of zeal and resolve and devotion in the country's leaders4 ,it is obvious that not until the people are educated1 not until public opinion is rightly focused1 not until government officials1 even minor ones1 are free from even the least remnant of corruption1 can the country be properly administered4 ,not until discipline1 order and good government reach the degree where an individual1 even if he should put forth his utmost efforts to do so1 would still find himself unable to deviate by so much as a hair's breadth from righteousness1 can the desired reforms be regarded as fully established4 ,furthermore1 any agency whatever1 though it be the instrument of mankind's greatest good1 is capable of misuse4 ,its proper use or abuse depends on the varying degrees of enlightenment1 capacity1 faith1 honesty1 devotion and highmindedness of the leaders of public opinion4 ,the ,shh has certainly done his part1 and the execution of the proposed beneficial measures is now in the hands of persons functioning in assemblies of consultation4 ,if these individuals prove to be pure and high-minded1 if they remain free from the taint of corruption1 the confirmations of ,god will make them a never-failing source of bounty to mankind4 ,he will cause to issue from their lips and their pens what will bless the people1 so that every corner of this noble country of rn will be illumined with their justice and integrity and the rays of that light will encompass the whole earth4 8,neither will this be difficult with ,god407#aj7 ,otherwise it is clear that the results will prove unacceptable4 ,for it has been directly witnessed in certain foreign countries that following on the establishment of parliaments those bodies actually distressed and confused the people and their well-meant reforms produced maleficent results4 ,while the setting up of parliaments1 the organizing of assemblies of consultation1 constitutes the very foundation and bedrock of government1 there are several essential requirements which these institutions must fulfill4 ,first1 the elected members must be righteous1 ,god-fearing1 high-minded1 incorruptible4 ,second1 they must be fully cognizant1 in every particular1 of the laws of ,god1 informed as to the highest principles of law1 versed in the rules which govern the management of internal affairs and the conduct of foreign relations1 skilled in the useful arts of civilization1 and content with their lawful emoluments4 ,let it not be imagined that members of this type would be impossible to find4 ,through the grace of ,god and ,his chosen ones1 and the high endeavors of the devoted and the consecrated1 every difficulty can be easily resolved1 every problem however complex will prove simpler than blinking an eye4 ,if1 however1 the members of these consultative assemblies are inferior1 ignorant1 uninformed of the laws of government and administration1 unwise1 of low aim1 indifferent1 idle1 self-seeking1 no benefit will accrue from the organizing of such bodies4 ,where1 in the past1 if a poor man wanted his rights he had only to offer a gift to one individual1 now he would either have to renounce all hope of justice or else satisfy the entire membership4 ,close investigation will show that the primary cause of oppression and injustice1 of unrighteousness1 irregularity and disorder1 is the people's lack of religious faith and the fact that they are uneducated4 ,when1 for example1 the people are genuinely religious and are literate and well-schooled1 and a difficulty presents itself1 they can apply to the local authorities2 if they do not meet with justice and secure their rights and if they see that the conduct of the local government is incompatible with the ,divine good pleasure and the king's justice1 they can then take their case to higher courts and describe the deviation of the local administration from the spiritual law4 ,those courts can then send for the local records of the case and in this way justice will be done4 ,at present1 however1 because of their inadequate schooling1 most of the population lack even the vocabulary to explain what they want4 ,as to those persons who1 here and there1 are considered leaders of the people3 because this is only the beginning of the new administrative process1 they are not yet sufficiently advanced in their education to have experienced the delights of dispensing justice or to have tasted the exhilaration of promoting righteousness or to have drunk from the springs of a clear conscience and a sincere intent4 ,they have not properly understood that man's supreme honor and real happiness lie in self-respect1 in high resolves and noble purposes1 in integrity and moral quality1 in immaculacy of mind4 ,they have1 rather1 imagined that their greatness consists in the accumulation1 by whatever means may offer1 of worldly goods4 ,a man should pause and reflect and be just3 his ,lord1 out of measureless grace1 has made him a human being and honored him with the words3 8,verily1 ,we created man in the goodliest of forms07#aa7--;and caused ,his mercy which rises out of the dawn of oneness to shine down upon him1 until he became the wellspring of the words of ,god and the place where the mysteries of heaven alighted1 and on the morning of creation he was covered with the rays of the qualities of perfection and the graces of holiness4 ,how can he stain this immaculate garment with the filth of selfish desires1 or exchange this everlasting honor for infamy8 8,dost thou think thyself only a puny form1 when the universe is folded up within thee807#ab7 ,were it not our purpose to be brief and to develop our primary subject1 we would here set down a summary of themes from the ,divine world1 as to the reality of man and his high station and the surpassing value and worth of the human race4 ,let this be1 for another time4 ,the highest station1 the supreme sphere1 the noblest1 most sublime position in creation1 whether visible or invisible1 whether alpha or omega1 is that of the ,prophets of ,god1 notwithstanding the fact that for the most part they have to outward seeming been possessed of nothing but their own poverty4 ,in the same way1 ineffable glory is set apart for the ,holy ,ones and those who are nearest to the ,threshold of ,god1 although such as these have never for a moment concerned themselves with material gain4 ,then comes the station of those just kings whose fame as protectors of the people and dispensers of ,divine justice has filled the world1 whose name as powerful champions of the people's rights has echoed through creation4 ,these give no thought to amassing enormous fortunes for themselves2 they believe1 rather1 that their own wealth lies in enriching their subjects4 ,to them1 if every individual citizen has affluence and ease1 the royal coffers are full4 ,they take no pride in gold and silver1 but rather in their enlightenment and their determination to achieve the universal good4 ,next in rank are those eminent and honorable ministers of state and representatives1 who place the will of ,god above their own1 and whose administrative skill and wisdom in the conduct of their office raises the science ,,pages #ba-dj of government to new heights of perfection4 ,they shine in the learned world like lamps of knowledge2 their thinking1 their attitudes and their acts demonstrate their patriotism and their concern for the country's advancement4 ,content with a modest stipend1 they consecrate their days and nights to the execution of important duties and the devising of methods to insure the progress of the people4 ,through the effectiveness of their wise counsel1 the soundness of their judgment1 they have ever caused their government to become an example to be followed by all the governments of the world4 ,they have made their capital city a focal center of great world undertakings1 they have won distinction1 attaining a supreme degree of personal eminence1 and reaching the loftiest heights of repute and character4 ,again1 there are those famed and accomplished men of learning1 possessed of praiseworthy qualities and vast erudition1 who lay hold on the strong handle of the fear of ,god and keep to the ways of salvation4 ,in the mirror of their minds the forms of transcendent realities are reflected1 and the lamp of their inner vision derives its light from the sun of universal knowledge4 ,they are busy by night and by day with meticulous research into such sciences as are profitable to mankind1 and they devote themselves to the training of students of capacity4 ,it is certain that to their discerning taste1 the proffered treasures of kings would not compare with a single drop of the waters of knowledge1 and mountains of gold and silver could not outweigh the successful solution of a difficult problem4 ,to them1 the delights that lie outside their work are only toys for children1 and the cumbersome load of unnecessary possessions is only good for the ignorant and base4 ,content1 like the birds1 they give thanks for a handful of seeds1 and the song of their wisdom dazzles the minds of the world's most wise4 ,again1 there are sagacious leaders among the people and influential personalities throughout the country1 who constitute the pillars of state4 ,their rank and station and success depend on their being the well-wishers of the people and in their seeking out such means as will improve the nation and will increase the wealth and comfort of the citizens4 ,observe the case when an individual is an eminent person in his country1 zealous1 wise1 pure-hearted1 known for his innate capacity1 intelligence1 natural perspicacity--and is also an important member of the state3 what1 for such an individual1 can be regarded as honor1 abiding happiness1 rank and station1 whether in the here or the hereafter8 ,is it a diligent attention to truth and righteousness1 is it dedication and resolve and devotion to the good pleasure of ,god1 is it the desire to attract the favorable consideration of the ruler and to merit the approval of the people8 ,or would it1 rather1 consist in this1 that for the sake of indulging in feasts and dissipations by night he should undermine his country and break the hearts of his people by day1 causing his ,god to reject him1 and his sovereign to cast him out and his people to defame him and hold him in deserved contempt8 ,by ,god1 the mouldering bones in the graveyard are better than such as these6 ,of what value are they1 who have never tasted the heavenly food of truly human qualities1 and never drunk of the crystalline waters of those bounties which belong to the realm of man8 ,it is unquestionable that the object in establishing parliaments is to bring about justice and righteousness1 but everything hinges on the efforts of the elected representatives4 ,if their intention is sincere1 desirable results and unforeseen improvements will be forthcoming2 if not1 it is certain that the whole thing will be meaningless1 the country will come to a standstill and public affairs will continuously deteriorate4 8,i see a thousand builders unequal to one subverter2 what then of the one builder who is followed by a thousand subverters80 ,the purpose of the foregoing statements is to demonstrate at least this1 that the happiness and greatness1 the rank and station1 the pleasure and peace1 of an individual have never consisted in his personal wealth1 but rather in his excellent character1 his high resolve1 the breadth of his learning1 and his ability to solve difficult problems4 ,how well has it been said3 8,on my back is a garment which1 were it sold for a penny1 that penny would be worth far more2 yet within the garment is a soul which1 if you weighed it against all the souls in the world1 would prove greater and nobler40 ,in the present writer's view it would be preferable if the election of nonpermanent members of consultative assemblies in sovereign states should be dependent on the will and choice of the people4 ,for elected representatives will on this account be somewhat inclined to exercise justice1 lest their reputation suffer and they fall into disfavor with the public4 ,it should not be imagined that the writer's earlier remarks constitute a denunciation of wealth or a commendation of poverty4 ,wealth is praiseworthy in the highest degree1 if it is acquired by an individual's own efforts and the grace of ,god1 in commerce1 agriculture1 art and industry1 and if it be expended for philanthropic purposes4 ,above all1 if a judicious and resourceful individual should initiate measures which would universally enrich the masses of the people1 there could be no undertaking greater than this1 and it would rank in the sight of ,god as the supreme achievement1 for such a benefactor would supply the needs and insure the comfort and well-being of a great multitude4 ,wealth is most commendable1 provided the entire population is wealthy4 ,if1 however1 a few have inordinate riches while the rest are impoverished1 and no fruit or benefit accrues from that wealth1 then it is only a liability to its possessor4 ,if1 on the other hand1 it is expended for the promotion of knowledge1 the founding of elementary and other schools1 the encouragement of art and industry1 the training of orphans and the poor--in brief1 if it is dedicated to the welfare of society--its possessor will stand out before ,god and man as the most excellent of all who live on earth and will be accounted as one of the people of paradise4 ,as to those who maintain that the inauguration of reforms and the setting up of powerful institutions would in reality be at variance with the good pleasure of ,god and would contravene the laws of the ,divine ,law-,giver and run counter to basic religious principles and to the ways of the ,prophet--let them consider how this could be the case4 ,would such reforms contravene the religious law because they would be acquired from foreigners and would therefore cause us to be as they are1 since 8,he who imitates a people is one of them08 ,in the first place these matters relate to the temporal and material apparatus of civilization1 the implements of science1 the adjuncts of progress in the professions and the arts1 and the orderly conduct of government4 ,they have nothing whatever to do with the problems of the spirit and the complex realities of religious doctrine4 ,if it be objected that even where material affairs are concerned foreign importations are inadmissible1 such an argument would only establish the ignorance and absurdity of its proponents4 ,have they forgotten the celebrated hadth 7,holy ,tradition73 8,seek after knowledge1 even unto ,china08 ,it is certain that the people of ,china were1 in the sight of ,god1 among the most rejected of men1 because they worshiped idols and were unmindful of the omniscient ,lord4 ,the ,europeans are at least 8,peoples of the ,book10 and believers in ,god and specifically referred to in the sacred verse1 8,thou shalt certainly find those to be nearest in affection to the believers1 who say1 #8,we are ,christians4'07#ac7 ,it is therefore quite permissible and indeed more appropriate to acquire knowledge from ,christian countries4 ,how could seeking after knowledge among the heathen be acceptable to ,god1 and seeking it among the ,people of the ,book be repugnant to ,him8 ,furthermore1 in the ,battle of the ,confederates1 ,ab ,sfyn enlisted the aid of the ,ban ,kinnih1 the ,ban ,qahtn and the ,jewish ,ban ,qurayzih and rose up with all the tribes of the ,quraysh to put out the ,divine ,light that flamed in the lamp of ,yathrib 7,medina74 ,in those days the great winds of trials and tribulations were blowing from every direction1 as it is written3 8,do men think when they say #8,we believe' they shall be let alone and not be put to proof807#ad7 ,the believers were few and the enemy attacking in force1 seeking to blot out the new-risen ,sun of ,truth with the dust of oppression and tyranny4 ,then ,salmn 7the ,persian7 came into the presence of the ,prophet--the ,dawning-,point of revelation1 the ,focus of the endless splendors of grace--and he said that in ,persia to protect themselves from an encroaching host they would dig a moat or trench about their lands1 and that this had proved a highly efficient safeguard against surprise attacks4 ,did that ,wellspring of universal wisdom1 that ,mine of divine knowledge say in reply that this was a custom current among idolatrous1 fire-worshiping ,magians and could therefore hardly be adopted by monotheists8 ,or did ,he rather immediately direct ,his followers to set about digging a trench8 ,he even1 in ,his ,own blessed person1 took hold of the tools and went to work beside them4 ,it is moreover a matter of record in the books of the various ,islamic schools and the writings of leading divines and historians1 that after the ,light of the ,world had risen over ijz1 flooding all mankind with ,its brilliance1 and creating through the revelation of a new divine ,law1 new principles and institutions1 a fundamental change throughout the world--holy laws were revealed which in some cases conformed to the practices of the ,days of ,ignorance47#ae7 ,among these1 ,muammad respected the months of religious truce17#af7 retained the prohibition of swine's flesh1 continued the use of the lunar calendar and the names of the months and so on4 ,there is a considerable number of such laws specifically enumerated in the texts3 8,the people of the ,days of ,ignorance engaged in many practices which the ,law of ,islm later confirmed4 ,they would not take in marriage both a mother and her daughter1 and the most shameful of acts in their view was to marry two sisters4 ,they would stigmatize a man marrying the wife of his father1 derisively calling him his father's competitor4 ,it was their custom to go on pilgrimage to the ,house at ,mecca1 where they would perform the ceremonies of visitation1 putting on the pilgrim's dress1 practicing the circumambulation1 running between the hills1 pausing at all the stopping-places1 and casting the stones4 ,it was1 furthermore1 their wont to intercalate one month in every three-year period1 to perform ablutions after intercourse1 to rinse out the mouth and snuff up water through the nostrils1 to part the hair1 use the tooth-stick1 pare the nails and pluck the armpits4 ,they would1 likewise1 cut off the right hand of a thief40 ,can one1 ,god forbid1 assume that because some of the divine laws resemble the practices of the ,days of ,ignorance1 the customs of a people abhorred by all nations1 it follows that there is a defect in these laws8 ,or can one1 ,god forbid1 imagine that the ,omnipotent ,lord was moved to comply with the opinions of the heathen8 ,the divine wisdom takes many forms4 ,would it have been impossible for ,muammad to reveal a ,law which bore no resemblance whatever to any practice current in the ,days of ,ignorance8 ,rather1 the purpose of ,his consummate wisdom was to free the people from the chains of fanaticism which had bound them hand and foot1 and to forestall those very objections which today confuse the mind and trouble the conscience of the simple and helpless4 ,some1 who are not sufficiently informed as to the meaning of the divine ,texts and the contents of traditional and written history1 will aver that these customs of the ,days of ,ignorance were laws which had come down from ,his ,holiness ,abraham and had been retained by the idolaters4 ,in this connection they will cite the ,qur'nic verse3 8,follow the religion of ,abraham1 the sound in faith407#ag7 ,nevertheless it is a fact attested by the writings of all the ,islamic schools that the months of truce1 the lunar calendar1 and the cutting off of the right hand as punishment for theft1 formed no part of ,abraham's ,law4 ,in any case1 the ,pentateuch is extant and available today1 and contains the laws of ,abraham4 ,let them refer to it4 ,they will then1 of course1 insist that the ,torah has been tampered with1 and in proof will quote the ,qur'nic verse3 8,they pervert the text of the ,word of ,god407#ah7 ,it is1 however1 known where such distortion has occurred1 and is a matter of record in critical texts and commentaries47#ai7 ,were ,we to develop the subject beyond this brief reference1 ,we would have to abandon ,our present purpose4 ,according to some accounts1 mankind has been directed to borrow various good qualities and ways from wild animals1 and to learn a lesson from these4 ,since it is permissible to imitate virtues of dumb animals1 it is certainly far more so to borrow material sciences and techniques from foreign peoples1 who at least belong to the human race and are distinguished by judgment and the power of speech4 ,and if it be contended that such praiseworthy qualities are inborn in animals1 by what proof can they claim that these essential principles of civilization1 this knowledge and these sciences current among other peoples1 are not inborn8 ,is there any ,creator save ,god8 ,say3 ,praised be ,god6 ,the most learned and accomplished divines1 the most distinguished scholars1 have diligently studied those branches of knowledge the root and origin of which were the ,greek philosophers such as ,aristotle and the rest1 and have regarded the acquisition from the ,greek texts of sciences such as medicine1 and branches of mathematics including algebra7#bj7 and arithmetic1 as a most valuable achievement4 ,every one of the eminent divines both studies and teaches the science of logic1 although they consider its founder to have been a ,sabean4 ,most of them have insisted that if a scholar has thoroughly mastered a variety of sciences but is not well grounded in logic1 his opinions1 deductions and conclusions cannot safely be relied upon4 ,it has now been clearly and irrefutably shown that the importation from foreign countries of the principles and procedures of civilization1 and the acquisition from them of sciences and techniques-- in brief1 of whatsoever will contribute to the general good--is entirely permissible4 ,this has been done to focus public attention on a matter of such universal advantage1 so that the people may arise with all their energies to further it1 until1 ,god helping them1 this ,sacred ,land may within a brief period become the first of nations4 ,o you who are wise6 ,consider this carefully3 can an ordinary gun compare with a ,martini-,henry rifle or a ,krupp gun8 ,if anyone should maintain that our old-time firearms are good enough for us and that it is useless to import weapons which have been invented abroad would even a child listen to him8 ,or should anyone say3 8,we have always transported merchandise from one country to another on the backs of animals4 ,why do we need steam engines8 ,why should we try to ape other peoples80 could any intelligent person tolerate such a statement8 ,no1 by the one ,god6 ,unless he should1 because of some hidden design or animosity1 refuse to accept the obvious4 ,foreign nations1 in spite of their having achieved the greatest expertness in science1 industry and the arts1 do not hesitate to borrow ideas from one another4 ,how can ,persia1 a country in the direst need1 be allowed to lag behind1 neglected1 abandoned8 ,those eminent divines and men of learning who walk the straight pathway and are versed in the secrets of divine wisdom and informed of the inner realities of the sacred ,books2 who wear in their hearts the jewel of the fear of ,god1 and whose luminous faces shine with the lights of salvation--these are alert to the present need and they understand the requirements of modern times1 and certainly devote all their energies toward encouraging the advancement of learning and civilization4 8,are they equal1 those who know1 and those who do not know8444 ,or is the darkness equal with the light807#ba7 ,the spiritually learned are lamps of guidance among the nations1 and stars of good fortune shining from the horizons of humankind4 ,they are fountains of life for such as lie in the death of ignorance and unawareness1 and clear springs of perfections for those who thirst and wander in the wasteland of their defects and errors4 ,they are the dawning places of the emblems of ,divine ,unity and initiates in the mysteries of the glorious ,qur'n4 ,they are skilled physicians for the ailing body of the world1 they are the sure antidote to the poison that has corrupted human society4 ,it is they who are the strong citadel guarding humanity1 and the impregnable sanctuary for the sorely distressed1 the anxious and tormented1 victims of ignorance4 8,knowledge is a light which ,god casteth into the heart of whomsoever ,he willeth40 ,for every thing1 however1 ,god has created a sign and symbol1 and established standards and tests by which it may be known4 ,the spiritually learned must be characterized by both inward and outward perfections2 they must possess a good character1 an enlightened nature1 a pure intent1 as well as intellectual power1 brilliance and discernment1 intuition1 discretion and foresight1 temperance1 reverence1 and a heartfelt fear of ,god4 ,for an unlit candle1 however great in diameter and tall1 is no better than a barren palm tree or a pile of dead wood4 ,the flower-faced may sulk or play the flirt1 ,the cruel fair may bridle and coquet2 ,but coyness in the ugly is ill-met1 ,and pain in a blind eye's a double hurt407#bb7 ,an authoritative ,tradition states3 8,as for him who is one of the learned37#bc7 he must guard himself1 defend his faith1 oppose his passions and obey the commandments of his ,lord4 ,it is then the duty of the people to pattern themselves after him40 ,since these illustrious and holy words embody all the conditions of learning1 a brief commentary on their meaning is appropriate4 ,whoever is lacking in these divine qualifications and does not demonstrate these inescapable requirements in his own life1 should not be referred to as learned and is not worthy to serve as a model for the believers4 ,the first of these requirements is to guard one's own self4 ,it is obvious that this does not refer to protecting oneself from calamities and material tests1 for the ,prophets and saints were1 each and every one1 subjected to the bitterest afflictions that the world has to offer1 and were targets for all the cruelties and aggressions of mankind4 ,they sacrificed their lives for the welfare of the people1 and with all their hearts they hastened to the place of their martyrdom2 and with their inward and outward perfections they arrayed humanity in new garments of excellent qualities1 both acquired and inborn4 ,the primary meaning of this guarding of oneself is to acquire the attributes of spiritual and material perfection4 ,the first attribute of perfection is learning and the cultural attainments of the mind1 and this eminent station is achieved when the individual combines in himself a thorough knowledge of those complex and transcendental realities pertaining to ,god1 of the fundamental truths of ,qur'nic political and religious law1 of the contents of the sacred ,scriptures of other faiths1 and of those regulations and procedures which would contribute to the progress and civilization of this distinguished country4 ,he should in addition be informed as to the laws and principles1 the customs1 conditions and manners1 and the material and moral virtues characterizing the statecraft of other nations1 and should be well versed in all the useful branches of learning of the day1 and study the historical records of bygone governments and peoples4 ,for if a learned individual has no knowledge of the sacred ,scriptures and the entire field of divine and natural science1 of religious jurisprudence and the arts of government and the varied learning of the time and the great events of history1 he might prove unequal to an emergency1 and this is inconsistent with the necessary qualification of comprehensive knowledge4 ,if for example a spiritually learned ,muslim is conducting a debate with a ,christian and he knows nothing of the glorious melodies of the ,gospel1 he will1 no matter how much he imparts of the ,qur'n and its truths1 be unable to convince the ,christian1 and his words will fall on deaf ears4 ,should1 however1 the ,christian observe that the ,muslim is better versed in the fundamentals of ,christianity than the ,christian priests themselves1 and understands the purport of the ,scriptures even better than they1 he will gladly accept the ,muslim's arguments1 and he would indeed have no other recourse4 ,when the ,chief of the ,exile7#bd7 came into the presence of that ,luminary of divine wisdom1 of salvation and certitude1 the ,imm ,ri--had the ,imm1 that mine of knowledge1 failed in the course of their interview to base his arguments on authority appropriate and familiar to the ,exilarch1 the latter would never have acknowledged the greatness of ,his ,holiness4 ,the state is1 moreover1 based upon two potent forces1 the legislative and the executive4 ,the focal center of the executive power is the government1 while that of the legislative is the learned--and if this latter great support and pillar should prove defective1 how is it conceivable that the state should stand8 ,in view of the fact that at the present time such fully developed and comprehensively learned individuals are hard to come by1 and the government and people are in dire need of order and direction1 it is essential to establish a body of scholars the various groups of whose membership would each be expert in one of the aforementioned branches of knowledge4 ,this body should with the greatest energy and vigor deliberate as to all present and future requirements1 and bring about equilibrium and order4 ,up to now the religious law has not been given a decisive role in our courts1 because each of the #8ulam has been handing down decrees as he saw fit1 based on his arbitrary interpretation and personal opinion4 ,for example1 two men will go to law1 and one of the #8ulam will find for the plaintiff and another for the defendant4 ,it may even happen that in one and the same case two conflicting decisions will be handed down by the same mujtahid1 on the grounds that he was inspired first in one direction and then in the other4 ,there can be no doubt that this state of affairs has confused every important issue and must jeopardize the very foundations of society4 ,for neither the plaintiff nor the defendant ever loses hope of eventual success1 and each in turn will waste his life in the attempt to secure a later verdict which would reverse the previous one4 ,their entire time is thus given over to litigation1 with the result that their life instead of being devoted to beneficial undertakings and necessary personal affairs1 is completely involved with the dispute4 ,indeed1 these two litigants might just as well be dead1 for they can serve their government and community not a particle4 ,if1 however1 a definite and final verdict were forthcoming1 the duly convicted party would perforce give up all hope of reopening the case1 and would then be relieved on that score and would go back to looking after his own concerns and those of others4 ,since the primary means for securing the peace and tranquillity of the people1 and the most effective agency for the advancement of high and low alike1 is this all-important matter1 it is incumbent on those learned members of the great consultative assembly who are thoroughly versed in the ,divine law to evolve a single1 direct and definite procedure for the settlement of litigations4 ,this instrument should then be published throughout the country by order of the king1 and its provisions should be strictly adhered to4 ,this all-important question requires the most urgent attention4 ,the second attribute of perfection is justice and impartiality4 ,this means to have no regard for one's own personal benefits and selfish advantages1 and to carry out the laws of ,god without the slightest concern for anything else4 ,it means to see one's self as only one of the servants of ,god1 the ,all-,possessing1 and except for aspiring to spiritual distinction1 never attempting to be singled out from the others4 ,it means to consider the welfare of the community as one's own4 ,it means1 in brief1 to regard humanity as a single individual1 and one's own self as a member of that corporeal form1 and to know of a certainty that if pain or injury afflicts any member of that body1 it must inevitably result in suffering for all the rest4 ,the third requirement of perfection is to arise with complete sincerity and purity of purpose to educate the masses3 to exert the utmost effort to instruct them in the various branches of learning and useful sciences1 to encourage the development of modern progress1 to widen the scope of commerce1 industry and the arts1 to further such measures as will increase the people's wealth4 ,for the mass of the population is uninformed as to these vital agencies which would constitute an immediate remedy for society's chronic ills4 ,it is essential that scholars and the spiritually learned should undertake in all sincerity and purity of intent and for the sake of ,god alone1 to counsel and exhort the masses and clarify their vision with that collyrium which is knowledge4 ,for today the people out of the depths of their superstition1 imagine that any individual who believes in ,god and ,his signs1 and in the ,prophets and ,divine ,revelations and laws1 and is a devout and ,god-fearing person1 must of necessity remain idle and spend his days in sloth1 so as to be considered in the sight of ,god as one who has forsaken the world and its vanities1 set his heart on the life to come1 and isolated himself from human beings in order to draw nearer to ,god4 ,since this theme will be developed elsewhere in the present text1 ,we shall leave it for the moment4 ,other attributes of perfection are to fear ,god1 to love ,god by loving ,his servants1 to exercise mildness and forbearance and calm1 to be sincere1 amenable1 clement and compassionate2 to have resolution and courage1 trustworthiness and energy1 to strive and struggle1 to be generous1 loyal1 without malice1 to have zeal and a sense of honor1 to be high-minded and magnanimous1 and to have regard for the rights of others4 ,whoever is lacking in these excellent human qualities is defective4 ,if ,we were to explain the inner meanings of each one of these attributes1 8the poem would take up seventy maunds7#be7 of paper40 ,,pages #da-fj ,the second of these spiritual standards which apply to the possessor of knowledge is that he should be the defender of his faith4 ,it is obvious that these holy words do not refer exclusively to searching out the implications of the ,law1 observing the forms of worship1 avoiding greater and lesser sins1 practicing the religious ordinances1 and by all these methods1 protecting the ,faith4 ,they mean rather that the whole population should be protected in every way2 that every effort should be exerted to adopt a combination of all possible measures to raise up the ,word of ,god1 increase the number of believers1 promote the ,faith of ,god and exalt it and make it victorious over other religions4 ,if1 indeed1 the ,muslim religious authorities had persevered along these lines as they ought to have done1 by now every nation on earth would have been gathered into the shelter of the unity of ,god and the bright fire of 8that ,he may make it victorious over every other religion07#bf7 would have flamed out like the sun in the midmost heart of the world4 ,fifteen centuries after ,christ1 ,luther1 who was originally one of the twelve members of a ,catholic religious body at the center of the ,papal government and later on initiated the ,protestant religious belief1 opposed the ,pope on certain points of doctrine such as the prohibition of monastic marriage1 the revering and bowing down before images of the ,apostles and ,christian leaders of the past1 and various other religious practices and ceremonies which were accretional to the ordinances of the ,gospel4 ,although at that period the power of the ,pope was so great and he was regarded with such awe that the kings of ,europe shook and trembled before him1 and he held control of all ,europe's major concerns in the grasp of his might--nevertheless because ,luther's position as regards the freedom of religious leaders to marry1 the abstention from worshiping and making prostrations before images and representations hung in the churches1 and the abrogation of ceremonials which had been added on to the ,gospel1 was demonstrably correct1 and because the proper means were adopted for the promulgation of his views3 within these last four hundred and some years the majority of the population of ,america1 four-fifths of ,germany and ,england and a large percentage of ,austrians1 in sum about one hundred and twenty-five million people drawn from other ,christian denominations1 have entered the ,protestant ,church4 ,the leaders of this religion are still making every effort to promote it1 and today on the ,east ,coast of ,africa1 ostensibly to emancipate the ,sudanese and various ,negro peoples1 they have established schools and colleges and are training and civilizing completely savage ,african tribes1 while their true and primary purpose is to convert some of the ,muslim ,negro tribes to ,protestantism4 ,every community is toiling for the advancement of its people1 and we 7i4e41 ,muslims7 sleep on6 ,although it was not clear what purpose impelled this man or where he was tending1 see how the zealous efforts of ,protestant leaders have spread his doctrines far and wide4 ,now if the illustrious people of the one true ,god1 the recipients of ,his confirmations1 the objects of ,his ,divine assistance1 should put forth all their strength1 and with complete dedication1 relying upon ,god and turning aside from all else but ,him1 should adopt procedures for spreading the ,faith and should bend all their efforts to this end1 it is certain that ,his ,divine light would envelop the whole earth4 ,a few1 who are unaware of the reality below the surface of events1 who cannot feel the pulse of the world under their fingers1 who do not know what a massive dose of truth must be administered to heal this chronic old disease of falsehood1 believe that the ,faith can only be spread by the sword1 and bolster their opinion with the ,tradition1 8,i am a ,prophet by the sword40 ,if1 however1 they would carefully examine this question1 they would see that in this day and age the sword is not a suitable means for promulgating the ,faith1 for it would only fill peoples' hearts with revulsion and terror4 ,according to the ,divine ,law of ,muammad1 it is not permissible to compel the ,people of the ,book to acknowledge and accept the ,faith4 ,while it is a sacred obligation devolving on every conscientious believer in the unity of ,god to guide mankind to the truth1 the ,traditions 8,i am a ,prophet by the sword0 and 8,i am commanded to threaten the lives of the people until they say1 #8,there is none other ,god but ,god'0 referred to the idolaters of the ,days of ,ignorance1 who in their blindness and bestiality had sunk below the level of human beings4 ,a faith born of sword thrusts could hardly be relied upon1 and would for any trifling cause revert to error and unbelief4 ,after the ascension of ,muammad1 and ,his passing to 8the seat of truth1 in the presence of the potent ,king107#bg7 the tribes around ,medina apostatized from their ,faith1 turning back to the idolatry of pagan times4 ,remember when the holy breaths of the ,spirit of ,god 7,jesus7 were shedding their sweetness over ,palestine and ,galilee1 over the shores of ,jordan and the regions around ,jerusalem1 and the wondrous melodies of the ,gospel were sounding in the ears of the spiritually illumined1 all the peoples of ,asia and ,europe1 of ,africa and ,america1 of ,oceania1 which comprises the islands and archipelagoes of the ,pacific and ,indian ,oceans1 were fire-worshipers and pagans1 ignorant of the ,divine ,voice that spoke out on the ,day of the ,covenant47#bh7 ,alone the ,jews believed in the divinity and oneness of ,god4 ,following the declaration of ,jesus1 the pure and reviving breath of ,his mouth conferred eternal life on the inhabitants of those regions for a period of three years1 and through ,divine ,revelation the ,law of ,christ1 at that time the vital remedy for the ailing body of the world1 was established4 ,in the days of ,jesus only a few individuals turned their faces toward ,god2 in fact only the twelve disciples and a few women truly became believers1 and one of the disciples1 ,judas ,iscariot apostatized from his ,faith1 leaving eleven4 ,after the ascension of ,jesus to the ,realm of ,glory1 these few souls stood up with their spiritual qualities and with deeds that were pure and holy1 and they arose by the power of ,god and the life-giving breaths of the ,messiah to save all the peoples of the earth4 ,then all the idolatrous nations as well as the ,jews rose up in their might to kill the ,divine fire that had been lit in the lamp of ,jerusalem4 8,fain would they put out ,god's light with their mouths3 but ,god hath willed to perfect ,his light1 albeit the infidels abhor it407#bi7 ,under the fiercest tortures1 they did every one of these holy souls to death2 with butchers' cleavers1 they chopped the pure and undefiled bodies of some of them to pieces and burned them in furnaces1 and they stretched some of the followers on the rack and then buried them alive4 ,in spite of this agonizing requital1 the ,christians continued to teach the ,cause of ,god1 and they never drew a sword from its scabbard or even so much as grazed a cheek4 ,then in the end the ,faith of ,christ encompassed the whole earth1 so that in ,europe and ,america no traces of other religions were left1 and today in ,asia and ,africa and ,oceania1 large masses of people are living within the sanctuary of the ,four ,gospels4 ,it has now by the above irrefutable proofs been fully established that the ,faith of ,god must be propagated through human perfections1 through qualities that are excellent and pleasing1 and spiritual behavior4 ,if a soul of his own accord advances toward ,god he will be accepted at the ,threshold of ,oneness1 for such a one is free of personal considerations1 of greed and selfish interests1 and he has taken refuge within the sheltering protection of his ,lord4 ,he will become known among men as trustworthy and truthful1 temperate and scrupulous1 high-minded and loyal1 incorruptible and ,god-fearing4 ,in this way the primary purpose in revealing the ,divine ,law--which is to bring about happiness in the after life and civilization and the refinement of character in this--will be realized4 ,as for the sword1 it will only produce a man who is outwardly a believer1 and inwardly a traitor and apostate4 ,we shall here relate a story that will serve as an example to all4 ,the ,arabian chronicles tell how1 at a time prior to the advent of ,muammad1 ,nu'mn son of ,mundhr the ,lakhmite --an ,arab king in the ,days of ,ignorance1 whose seat of government was the city of ,hrih--had one day returned so often to his wine-cup that his mind clouded over and his reason deserted him4 ,in this drunken and insensible condition he gave orders that his two boon companions1 his close and much-loved friends1 ,khlid son of ,mudallil and #8,amr son of ,mas'd-,kaldih1 should be put to death4 ,when he wakened after his carousal1 he inquired for the two friends and was given the grievous news4 ,he was sick at heart1 and because of his intense love and longing for them1 he built two splendid monuments over their two graves and he named these the ,smeared-,with-,blood4 ,then he set apart two days out of the year1 in memory of the two companions1 and he called one of them the ,day of ,evil and one the ,day of ,grace4 ,every year on these two appointed days he would issue forth with pomp and circumstance and sit between the monuments4 ,if1 on the ,day of ,evil1 his eye fell on any soul1 that person would be put to death2 but on the ,day of ,grace1 whoever passed would be overwhelmed with gifts and benefits4 ,such was his rule1 sealed with a mighty oath and always rigidly observed4 ,one day the king mounted his horse1 that was called ,mamd1 and rode out into the plains to hunt4 ,suddenly in the distance he caught sight of a wild donkey4 ,nu'mn urged on his horse to overtake it1 and galloped away at such speed that he was cut off from his retinue4 ,as night approached1 the king was hopelessly lost4 ,then he made out a tent1 far off in the desert1 and he turned his horse and headed toward it4 ,when he reached the entrance of the tent he asked1 8,will you receive a guest80 ,the owner 7who was ,hanzal1 son of bi-,ghafry-i-,t'7 replied1 8,yea40 ,he came forward and helped ,nu'mn to dismount4 ,then he went to his wife and told her1 8,there are clear signs of greatness in the bearing of this person4 ,do your best to show him hospitality1 and make ready a feast40 ,his wife said1 8,we have a ewe4 ,sacrifice it4 ,and ,i have saved a little flour against such a day40 ,hanzal first milked the ewe and carried a bowl of milk to ,nu'mn1 and then he slaughtered her and prepared a meal2 and what with his friendliness and loving-kindness1 ,nu'mn spent that night in peace and comfort4 ,when dawn came1 ,nu'mn made ready to leave1 and he said to ,hanzal3 8,you have shown me the utmost generosity1 receiving and feasting me4 ,i am ,nu'mn1 son of ,mundhr1 and ,i shall eagerly await your arrival at my court40 ,time passed1 and famine fell on the land of ,tayy4 ,hanzal was in dire need and for this reason he sought out the king4 ,by a strange coincidence he arrived on the ,day of ,evil4 ,nu'mn was greatly troubled in spirit4 ,he began to reproach his friend1 saying1 8,why did you come to your friend on this day of all days8 ,for this is the ,day of ,evil1 that is1 the ,day of ,wrath and the ,day of ,distress4 ,this day1 should my eyes alight on ,qbs1 my only son1 he should not escape with his life4 ,now ask me whatever favor you will40 ,hanzal said3 8,i knew nothing of your ,day of ,evil4 ,as for the gifts of this life1 they are meant for the living1 and since ,i at this hour must drink of death1 what can all the world's storehouses avail me now80 ,nu'mn said1 8,there is no help for this40 ,hanzal told him3 8,respite me1 then1 that ,i may go back to my wife and make my testament4 ,next year ,i shall return1 on the ,day of ,evil40 ,nu'mn then asked for a guarantor1 so that1 if ,hanzal should break his word1 this guarantor would be put to death instead4 ,hanzal1 helpless and bewildered1 looked about him4 ,then his gaze fell on one of ,nu'mn's retinue1 ,shark1 son of #8,amr1 son of ,qays of ,shaybn1 and to him he recited these lines3 8,o my partner1 ,o son of #8,amr6 ,is there any escape from death8 ,o brother of every afflicted one6 ,o brother of him who is brotherless6 ,o brother of ,nu'mn1 in thee today is a surety for the ,shaykh4 ,where is ,shaybn the noble--may the ,all-,merciful favor him60 ,but ,shark only answered1 8,o my brother1 a man cannot gamble with his life40 ,at this the victim could not tell where to turn4 ,then a man named ,qard1 son of ,adj the ,kalbite stood up and offered himself as a surety1 agreeing that1 should he fail on the next ,day of ,wrath to deliver up the victim1 the king might do with him1 ,qard1 as he wished4 ,nu'mn then bestowed five hundred camels on ,hanzal1 and sent him home4 ,in the following year on the ,day of ,evil1 as soon as the true dawn broke in the sky1 ,nu'mn as was his custom set out with pomp and pageantry and made for the two mausoleums called the ,smeared-,with-,blood4 ,he brought ,qard along1 to wreak his kingly wrath upon him4 ,the pillars of the state then loosed their tongues and begged for mercy1 imploring the king to respite ,qard until sundown1 for they hoped that ,hanzal might yet return2 but the king's purpose was to spare the life of ,hanzal1 and to requite his hospitality by putting ,qard to death in his place4 ,as the sun began to set1 they stripped off the garments of ,qard1 and made ready to sever his head4 ,at that moment a rider appeared in the distance1 galloping at top speed4 ,nu'mn said to the swordsman1 8,why delayest thou80 ,the ministers said1 8,perchance it is ,hanzal who comes40 ,and when the rider drew near1 they saw it was none other4 ,nu'mn was sorely displeased4 ,he said1 8,thou fool6 ,thou didst slip away once from the clutching fingers of death2 must thou provoke him now a second time80 ,and ,hanzal answered1 8,sweet in my mouth and pleasant on my tongue is the poison of death1 at the thought of redeeming my pledge40 ,nu'mn asked1 8,what could be the reason for this trustworthiness1 this regard for thine obligation and this concern for thine oath80 ,and ,hanzal answered1 8,it is my faith in the one ,god and in the ,books that have come down from heaven40 ,nu'mn asked1 8,what ,faith dost thou profess80 ,and ,hanzal said1 8,it was the holy breaths of ,jesus that brought me to life4 ,i follow the straight pathway of ,christ1 the ,spirit of ,god40 ,nu'mn said1 8,let me inhale these sweet aromas of the ,spirit40 ,so it was that ,hanzal drew out the white hand of guidance from the bosom of the love of ,god17#cj7 and illumined the sight and the insight of the beholders with the ,gospel light4 ,after he had in bell-like accents recited some of the divine verses out of the ,evangel1 ,nu'mn and all his ministers sickened of their idols and their idol-worship and were confirmed in the ,faith of ,god4 ,and they said1 8,alas1 a thousand times alas1 that up to now we were careless of this infinite mercy and veiled away therefrom1 and were bereft of this rain from the clouds of the grace of ,god40 ,then straightway the king tore down the two monuments called the ,smeared-,with-,blood1 and he repented of his tyranny and established justice in the land4 ,observe how one individual1 and he a man of the desert1 to outward seeming unknown and of no station--because he showed forth one of the qualities of the pure in heart1 was able to deliver this proud sovereign and a great company of others from the dark night of unbelief and guide them into the morning of salvation2 to save them from the perdition of idolatry and bring them to the shores of the oneness of ,god1 and to put an end to practices of the sort which blight a whole society and reduce the peoples to barbarism4 ,one must think deeply over this1 and grasp its meaning4 ,my heart aches1 for ,i note with intense regret that the attention of the people is nowhere directed toward that which is worthy of this day and time4 ,the ,sun of ,truth has risen above the world but we are ensnared in the dark of our imaginings4 ,the waters of the ,most ,great ,sea are surging all around us1 while we are parched and weak with thirst4 ,the divine bread is coming down from heaven1 and yet we grope and stumble in a famine-stricken land4 8,between the weeping and the telling1 ,i spin out my days40 ,one of the principal reasons why people of other religions have shunned and failed to become converted to the ,faith of ,god is fanaticism and unreasoning religious zeal4 ,see for example the divine words that were addressed to ,muammad1 the ,ark of ,salvation1 the ,luminous ,countenance and ,lord of ,men1 bidding ,him to be gentle with the people and long-suffering3 8,debate with them in the kindliest manner407#ca7 ,that ,blessed ,tree ,whose light was 8neither of the ,east nor of the ,west07#cb7 and ,who cast over all the peoples of the earth the sheltering shade of a measureless grace1 showed forth infinite kindness and forbearance in ,his dealings with every one4 ,in these words1 likewise1 were ,moses and ,aaron commanded to challenge ,pharaoh1 ,lord of the ,stakes37#cc7 8,speak ye to him with gentle speech407#cd7 ,although the noble conduct of the ,prophets and ,holy ,ones of ,god is widely known1 and it is indeed1 until the coming of the ,hour17#ce7 in every aspect of life an excellent pattern for all mankind to follow1 nevertheless some have remained neglectful of and separated from these qualities of extraordinary sympathy and loving-kindness1 and have been prevented from attaining to the inner significances of the ,holy ,books4 ,not only do they scrupulously shun the adherents of religions other than their own1 they do not even permit themselves to show them common courtesy4 ,if one is not allowed to associate with another1 how can one guide him out of the dark and empty night of denial1 of 8there-is-no-,god10 into the bright morning of belief1 and the affirmation1 8but ,god407#cf7 ,and how can one urge him on and encourage him to rise up out of the abyss of perdition and ignorance and climb the heights of salvation and knowledge8 ,consider justly3 had not ,hanzal treated ,nu'mn with true friendship1 showing him kindness and hospitality1 could he have brought the ,king and a great number of other idolaters to acknowledge the unity of ,god8 ,to keep aloof from people1 to shun them1 to be harsh with them1 will make them shrink away1 while affection and consideration1 mildness and forbearance will attract their hearts toward ,god4 ,if a true believer when meeting an individual from a foreign country should express revulsion1 and should speak the horrible words forbidding association with foreigners and referring to them as 8unclean10 the stranger would be grieved and offended to such a point that he would never accept the ,faith1 even if he should see1 taking place before his very eyes1 the miracle of the splitting of the moon4 ,the results of shunning him would be this1 that if there had been in his heart some faint inclination toward ,god1 he would repent of it1 and would flee away from the sea of faith into the wastes of oblivion and unbelief4 ,and upon returning home to his own country he would publish in the press statements to the effect that such and such a nation was utterly lacking in the qualifications of a civilized people4 ,if we ponder a while over the ,qur'nic verses and proofs1 and the traditional accounts which have come down to us from those stars of the heaven of ,divine ,unity1 the ,holy ,imms1 we shall be convinced of the fact that if a soul is endowed with the attributes of true faith and characterized with spiritual qualities he will become to all mankind an emblem of the outstretched mercies of ,god4 ,for the attributes of the people of faith are justice and fair-mindedness2 forbearance and compassion and generosity2 consideration for others2 candor1 trustworthiness1 and loyalty2 love and loving-kindness2 devotion and determination and humanity4 ,if therefore an individual is truly righteous1 he will avail himself of all those means which will attract the hearts of men1 and through the attributes of ,god he will draw them to the straight path of faith and cause them to drink from the river of everlasting life4 ,today we have closed our eyes to every righteous act and have sacrificed the abiding happiness of society to our own transitory profit4 ,we regard fanaticism and zealotry as redounding to our credit and honor1 and not content with this1 we denounce one another and plot each other's ruin1 and whenever we wish to put on a show of wisdom and learning1 of virtue and godliness1 we set about mocking and reviling this one and that4 8,the ideas of such a one10 we say1 8are wide of the mark1 and so-and-so's behavior leaves much to be desired4 ,the religious observances of ,zayd are few and far between1 and #8,amr is not firm in his faith4 ,so-and-so's opinions smack of ,europe4 ,fundamentally1 ,blank thinks of nothing but his own name and fame4 ,last night when the congregation stood up to pray1 the row was out of line1 and it is not permissible to follow a different leader4 ,no rich man has died this month1 and nothing has been offered to charity in memory of the ,prophet4 ,the edifice of religion has crumbled1 the foundations of faiths have been blown to the winds4 ,the carpet of belief has been rolled up1 the tokens of certitude blotted out2 the whole world has fallen into error2 when it comes to repelling tyranny all are soft and remiss4 ,days and months have passed away1 and these villages and estates still belong to the same owners as they did last year4 ,in this town there used to be seventy different governments functioning in good order1 but the number has steadily decreased2 there are only twenty-five left now1 as a memento4 ,it used to be that two hundred contradictory judgments were handed down by the same muft in any one day1 now we hardly get fifty4 ,in those days there were crowds of people who were all brainsick with litigation1 and now they rest in peace2 today the plaintiff would be defeated and the defendant victorious1 tomorrow the plaintiff won the case and the defendant lost it--but now this excellent practice has been abandoned too4 ,what is this heathenish religion1 this idolatrous kind of error6 ,alas for the ,law1 alas for the ,faith1 alas for all these calamities6 ,o ,brothers in the ,faith6 ,this is surely the end of the world6 ,the ,judgment is coming60 ,with words such as these they assault the minds of the helpless masses and disturb the hearts of the already bewildered poor1 who know nothing of the true state of affairs and the real basis for all such talk1 and remain completely unaware of the fact that a thousand selfish purposes are concealed behind the supposedly religious eloquence of certain individuals4 ,they imagine that speakers of this type are motivated by virtuous zeal1 when the truth is that such individuals keep up a great hue and cry because they see their own personal ruin in the welfare of the masses1 and believe that if the people's eyes are opened1 their own light will go out4 ,only the keenest insight will detect the fact that if the hearts of these individuals were really impelled by righteousness and the fear of ,god1 the fragrance of it would1 like musk1 be spreading everywhere4 ,nothing in the world can ever be supported by words alone4 ,but these ill-omened owls have done a wrong1 ,and learned to sing as the white falcon sings4 ,and what of ,sheba's message that the lapwing brings ,if the bittern learn to sing the lapwing's song87#cg7 ,the spiritually learned1 those who have derived infinite significance and wisdom from the ,book of ,divine ,revelation1 and whose illumined hearts draw inspiration from the unseen world of ,god1 certainly exert their efforts to bring about the supremacy of the true followers of ,god1 in all respects and above all peoples1 and they toil and struggle to make use of every agency that will conduce to progress4 ,if any man neglects these high purposes he can never prove acceptable in the sight of ,god2 he stands out with all his shortcomings and claims perfection1 and destitute1 pretends to wealth4 ,one sluggish1 blind and surly's a poor thing1 8,a lump of flesh1 without a foot or wing40 ,how far is he who apes and makes a show ,from the illumined1 who doth truly know4 ,one but an echo1 though it's clear and sharp1 ,and one1 the ,psalmist ,david with his harp4 ,knowledge1 purity1 devotion1 discipline1 independence1 have nothing to do with outer appearance and dress4 ,once in the course of ,my travels ,i heard an eminent personage make the following excellent remark1 the wit and charm of which remain in memory3 8,not every cleric's turban is a proof of continence and knowledge2 not every layman's hat a sign of ignorance and immorality4 ,how many a hat has proudly raised the banner of knowledge1 how many a turban pulled down the ,law of ,god60 ,the third element of the utterance under discussion is1 8opposes his passions40 ,how wonderful are the implications of this deceptively easy1 all-inclusive phrase4 ,this is the very foundation of every laudable human quality2 indeed1 these few words embody the light of the world1 the impregnable basis of all the spiritual attributes of human beings4 ,this is the balance wheel of all behavior1 the means of keeping all man's good qualities in equilibrium4 ,for desire is a flame that has reduced to ashes uncounted lifetime harvests of the learned1 a devouring fire that even the vast sea of their accumulated knowledge could never quench4 ,how often has it happened that an individual who was graced with every attribute of humanity and wore the jewel of true understanding1 nevertheless followed after his passions until his excellent qualities passed beyond moderation and he was forced into excess4 ,his pure intentions changed to evil ones1 his attributes were no longer put to uses worthy of them1 and the power of his desires turned him aside from righteousness and its rewards into ways that were dangerous and dark4 ,a good character is in the sight of ,god and ,his chosen ones and the possessors of insight1 the most excellent and praiseworthy of all things1 but always on condition that its center of emanation should be reason and knowledge and its base should be true moderation4 ,were the implications of this subject to be developed as they deserve the work would grow too long and our main theme would be lost to view4 ,all the peoples of ,europe1 notwithstanding their vaunted civilization1 sink and drown in this terrifying sea of passion and desire1 and this is why all the phenomena of their culture come to nothing4 ,let no one wonder at this statement or deplore it4 ,the primary purpose1 the basic objective1 in laying down powerful laws and setting up great principles and institutions dealing with every aspect of civilization1 is human happiness2 and human happiness consists only in drawing closer to the ,threshold of ,almighty ,god1 and in securing the peace and well-being of every individual member1 high and low alike1 of the human race2 and the supreme agencies for accomplishing these two objectives are the excellent qualities with which humanity has been endowed4 ,a superficial culture1 unsupported by a cultivated morality1 is as 8a confused medley of dreams107#ch7 and ,,pages #fa-hj external lustre without inner perfection is 8like a vapor in the desert which the thirsty dreameth to be water407#ci7 ,for results which would win the good pleasure of ,god and secure the peace and well-being of man1 could never be fully achieved in a merely external civilization4 ,the peoples of ,europe have not advanced to the higher planes of moral civilization1 as their opinions and behavior clearly demonstrate4 ,notice1 for example1 how the supreme desire of ,european governments and peoples today is to conquer and crush one another1 and how1 while harboring the greatest secret repulsion1 they spend their time exchanging expressions of neighborly affection1 friendship and harmony4 ,there is the well-known case of the ruler who is fostering peace and tranquillity and at the same time devoting more energy than the warmongers to the accumulation of weapons and the building up of a larger army1 on the grounds that peace and harmony can only be brought about by force4 ,peace is the pretext1 and night and day they are all straining every nerve to pile up more weapons of war1 and to pay for this their wretched people must sacrifice most of whatever they are able to earn by their sweat and toil4 ,how many thousands have given up their work in useful industries and are laboring day and night to produce new and deadlier weapons which would spill out the blood of the race more copiously than before4 ,each day they invent a new bomb or explosive and then the governments must abandon their obsolete arms and begin producing the new1 since the old weapons cannot hold their own against the new4 ,for example at this writing1 in the year #abib ,a4,h47#dj7 they have invented a new rifle in ,germany and a bronze cannon in ,austria1 which have greater firepower than the ,martini-,henry rifle and the ,krupp cannon1 are more rapid in their effects and more efficient in annihilating humankind4 ,the staggering cost of it all must be borne by the hapless masses4 ,be just3 can this nominal civilization1 unsupported by a genuine civilization of character1 bring about the peace and well-being of the people or win the good pleasure of ,god8 ,does it not1 rather1 connote the destruction of man's estate and pull down the pillars of happiness and peace8 ,at the time of the ,franco-,prussian ,war1 in the year #ahgj of the ,christian era1 it was reported that #fjj1jjj men died1 broken and beaten1 on the field of battle4 ,how many a home was torn out by the roots2 how many a city1 flourishing the night before1 was toppled down by sunrise4 ,how many a child was orphaned and abandoned1 how many an old father and mother had to see their sons1 the young fruit of their lives1 twisting and dying in dust and blood4 ,how many women were widowed1 left without a helper or protector4 ,and then there were the libraries and magnificent buildings of ,france that went up in flames1 and the military hospital1 packed with sick and wounded men1 that was set on fire and burned to the ground4 ,and there followed the terrible events of the ,commune1 the savage acts1 the ruin and horror when opposing factions fought and killed one another in the streets of ,paris4 ,there were the hatreds and hostilities between ,catholic religious leaders and the ,german government4 ,there was the civil strife and uproar1 the bloodshed and havoc brought on between the partisans of the ,republic and the ,carlists in ,spain4 ,only too many such instances are available to demonstrate the fact that ,europe is morally uncivilized4 ,since the writer has no wish to cast aspersions on anyone ,he has confined ,himself to these few examples4 ,it is clear that no perceptive and well-informed mind can countenance such events4 ,is it right and proper that peoples among whom1 diametrically opposed to the most desirable human behavior1 such horrors take place1 should dare lay claim to a real and adequate civilization8 ,especially when out of all this no results can be hoped for except the winning of a transient victory2 and since this outcome never endures1 it is1 to the wise1 not worth the effort4 ,time and again down the centuries1 the ,german state has subdued the ,french2 over and over1 the kingdom of ,france has governed ,german land4 ,is it permissible that in our day #fjj1jjj helpless creatures should be offered up as a sacrifice to such nominal and temporary uses and results8 ,no1 by the ,lord ,god6 ,even a child can see the evil of it4 ,yet the pursuit of passion and desire will wrap the eyes in a thousand veils that rise out of the heart to blind the sight and the insight as well4 ,desire and self come in the door ,and blot out virtue1 bright before1 ,and a hundred veils will rise ,from the heart1 to blind the eyes4 ,true civilization will unfurl its banner in the midmost heart of the world whenever a certain number of its distinguished and high-minded sovereigns--the shining exemplars of devotion and determination--shall1 for the good and happiness of all mankind1 arise1 with firm resolve and clear vision1 to establish the ,cause of ,universal ,peace4 ,they must make the ,cause of ,peace the object of general consultation1 and seek by every means in their power to establish a ,union of the nations of the world4 ,they must conclude a binding treaty and establish a covenant1 the provisions of which shall be sound1 inviolable and definite4 ,they must proclaim it to all the world and obtain for it the sanction of all the human race4 ,this supreme and noble undertaking--the real source of the peace and well-being of all the world--should be regarded as sacred by all that dwell on earth4 ,all the forces of humanity must be mobilized to ensure the stability and permanence of this ,most ,great ,covenant4 ,in this all-embracing ,pact the limits and frontiers of each and every nation should be clearly fixed1 the principles underlying the relations of governments towards one another definitely laid down1 and all international agreements and obligations ascertained4 ,in like manner1 the size of the armaments of every government should be strictly limited1 for if the preparations for war and the military forces of any nation should be allowed to increase1 they will arouse the suspicion of others4 ,the fundamental principle underlying this solemn ,pact should be so fixed that if any government later violate any one of its provisions1 all the governments on earth should arise to reduce it to utter submission1 nay the human race as a whole should resolve1 with every power at its disposal1 to destroy that government4 ,should this greatest of all remedies be applied to the sick body of the world1 it will assuredly recover from its ills and will remain eternally safe and secure47#da7 ,observe that if such a happy situation be forthcoming1 no government would need continually to pile up the weapons of war1 nor feel itself obliged to produce ever new military weapons with which to conquer the human race4 ,a small force for the purposes of internal security1 the correction of criminal and disorderly elements and the prevention of local disturbances1 would be required--no more4 ,in this way the entire population would1 first of all1 be relieved of the crushing burden of expenditure currently imposed for military purposes1 and secondly1 great numbers of people would cease to devote their time to the continual devising of new weapons of destruction--those testimonials of greed and bloodthirstiness1 so inconsistent with the gift of life--and would instead bend their efforts to the production of whatever will foster human existence and peace and well-being1 and would become the cause of universal development and prosperity4 ,then every nation on earth will reign in honor1 and every people will be cradled in tranquillity and content4 ,a few1 unaware of the power latent in human endeavor1 consider this matter as highly impracticable1 nay even beyond the scope of man's utmost efforts4 ,such is not the case1 however4 ,on the contrary1 thanks to the unfailing grace of ,god1 the loving-kindness of ,his favored ones1 the unrivaled endeavors of wise and capable souls1 and the thoughts and ideas of the peerless leaders of this age1 nothing whatsoever can be regarded as unattainable4 ,endeavor1 ceaseless endeavor1 is required4 ,nothing short of an indomitable determination can possibly achieve it4 ,many a cause which past ages have regarded as purely visionary1 yet in this day has become most easy and practicable4 ,why should this most great and lofty ,cause--the daystar of the firmament of true civilization and the cause of the glory1 the advancement1 the well-being and the success of all humanity--be regarded as impossible of achievement8 ,surely the day will come when its beauteous light shall shed illumination upon the assemblage of man4 ,the apparatus of conflict will1 as preparations go on at their present rate1 reach the point where war will become something intolerable to mankind4 ,it is clear from what has already been said that man's glory and greatness do not consist in his being avid for blood and sharp of claw1 in tearing down cities and spreading havoc1 in butchering armed forces and civilians4 ,what would mean a bright future for him would be his reputation for justice1 his kindness to the entire population whether high or low1 his building up countries and cities1 villages and districts1 his making life easy1 peaceful and happy for his fellow beings1 his laying down fundamental principles for progress1 his raising the standards and increasing the wealth of the entire population4 ,consider how throughout history many a king has sat on his throne as a conqueror4 ,among them were ,hulag ,khn and ,tamerlane1 who took over the vast continent of ,asia1 and ,alexander of ,macedon and ,napoleon ,i1 who stretched their arrogant fists over three of the earth's five continents4 ,and what was gained by all their mighty victories8 ,was any country made to flourish1 did any happiness result1 did any throne stand8 ,or was it rather that those reigning houses lost their power8 ,except that ,asia went up in the flame of many battles and fell away to ashes1 ,changz's ,hulag1 the warlord1 gathered no fruit from all his conquests4 ,and ,tamerlane1 out of all his triumphs1 reaped only the peoples blown to the winds1 and universal ruin4 ,and ,alexander had nothing to show for his vast victories1 except that his son toppled from the throne and ,philip and ,ptolemy took over the dominions he once had ruled4 ,and what did the first ,napoleon gain from subjugating the kings of ,europe1 except the destruction of flourishing countries1 the downfall of their inhabitants1 the spreading of terror and anguish across ,europe and1 at the end of his days1 his own captivity8 ,so much for the conquerors and the monuments they leave behind them4 ,contrast with this the praiseworthy qualities and the greatness and nobility of ,anshrvn the ,generous and the ,just47#db7 ,that fair-minded monarch came to power at a time when the once solidly established throne of ,persia was about to crumble away4 ,with his ,divine gift of intellect1 he laid the foundations of justice1 uprooting oppression and tyranny and gathering the scattered peoples of ,persia under the wings of his dominion4 ,thanks to the restoring influence of his continual care1 ,persia that had lain withered and desolate was quickened into life and rapidly changed into the fairest of all flourishing nations4 ,he rebuilt and reinforced the disorganized powers of the state1 and the renown of his righteousness and justice echoed across the seven climes17#dc7 until the peoples rose up out of their degradation and misery to the heights of felicity and honor4 ,although he was a ,magian1 ,muammad1 that ,center of creation and ,sun of prophethood1 said of him3 8,i was born in the time of a just king10 and rejoiced at having come into the world during his reign4 ,did this illustrious personage achieve his exalted station by virtue of his admirable qualities or rather by reaching out to conquer the earth and spill the blood of its peoples8 ,observe that he attained to such a distinguished rank in the heart of the world that his greatness still rings out through all the impermanence of time1 and he won eternal life4 ,should ,we comment on the continuing life of the great1 this brief essay would be unduly prolonged1 and since it is by no means certain that public opinion in ,persia will be materially affected by its perusal1 ,we shall abridge the work1 and go on to other matters which come within the purview of the public mind4 ,if1 however1 it develops that this abridgement produces favorable results1 ,we shall1 ,god willing1 write a number of books dealing at length and usefully with fundamental principles of the ,divine wisdom in its relation to the phenomenal world4 ,no power on earth can prevail against the armies of justice1 and every citadel must fall before them2 for men willingly go down under the triumphant strokes of this decisive blade1 and desolate places bloom and flourish under the tramplings of this host4 ,there are two mighty banners which1 when they cast their shadow across the crown of any king1 will cause the influence of his government quickly and easily to penetrate the whole earth1 even as if it were the light of the sun3 the first of these two banners is wisdom2 the second is justice4 ,against these two most potent forces1 the iron hills cannot prevail1 and ,alexander's wall will break before them4 ,it is clear that life in this fast-fading world is as fleeting and inconstant as the morning wind1 and this being so1 how fortunate are the great who leave a good name behind them1 and the memory of a lifetime spent in the pathway of the good pleasure of ,god4 ,it is all one1 if it be a throne ,or the bare ground under the open sky1 ,where the pure soul lays him ,down to die47#dd7 ,a conquest can be a praiseworthy thing1 and there are times when war becomes the powerful basis of peace1 and ruin the very means of reconstruction4 ,if1 for example1 a high-minded sovereign marshals his troops to block the onset of the insurgent and the aggressor1 or again1 if he takes the field and distinguishes himself in a struggle to unify a divided state and people1 if1 in brief1 he is waging war for a righteous purpose1 then this seeming wrath is mercy itself1 and this apparent tyranny the very substance of justice and this warfare the cornerstone of peace4 ,today1 the task befitting great rulers is to establish universal peace1 for in this lies the freedom of all peoples4 ,the fourth phrase of the aforementioned ,utterance which points out the way of salvation is3 8obedient to the commandments of his ,lord40 ,it is certain that man's highest distinction is to be lowly before and obedient to his ,god2 that his greatest glory1 his most exalted rank and honor1 depend on his close observance of the ,divine commands and prohibitions4 ,religion is the light of the world1 and the progress1 achievement1 and happiness of man result from obedience to the laws set down in the holy ,books4 ,briefly1 it is demonstrable that in this life1 both outwardly and inwardly the mightiest of structures1 the most solidly established1 the most enduring1 standing guard over the world1 assuring both the spiritual and the material perfections of mankind1 and protecting the happiness and the civilization of society--is religion4 ,it is true that there are foolish individuals who have never properly examined the fundamentals of the ,divine religions1 who have taken as their criterion the behavior of a few religious hypocrites and measured all religious persons by that yardstick1 and have on this account concluded that religions are an obstacle to progress1 a divisive factor and a cause of malevolence and enmity among peoples4 ,they have not even observed this much1 that the principles of the ,divine religions can hardly be evaluated by the acts of those who only claim to follow them4 ,for every excellent thing1 peerless though it may be1 can still be diverted to the wrong ends4 ,a lighted lamp in the hands of an ignorant child or of the blind will not dispel the surrounding darkness nor light up the house--it will set both the bearer and the house on fire4 ,can we1 in such an instance1 blame the lamp8 ,no1 by the ,lord ,god6 ,to the seeing1 a lamp is a guide and will show him his path2 but it is a disaster to the blind4 ,among those who have repudiated religious faith was the ,frenchman1 ,voltaire1 who wrote a great number of books attacking the religions1 works which are no better than children's playthings4 ,this individual1 taking as his criterion the omissions and commissions of the ,pope1 the head of the ,roman ,catholic religion1 and the intrigues and quarrels of the spiritual leaders of ,christendom1 opened his mouth and caviled at the ,spirit of ,god 7,jesus74 ,in the unsoundness of his reasoning1 he failed to grasp the true significance of the sacred ,scriptures1 took exception to certain portions of the revealed ,texts and dwelt on the difficulties involved4 8,and ,we send down of the ,qur'n that which is a healing and a mercy to the faithful3 ,but it shall only add to the ruin of the wicked407#de7 ,the ,sage of ,ghazn7#df7 told the mystic story ,to his veiled hearers1 in an allegory3 ,if those who err see naught in the ,qur'n ,but only words1 it's not to wonder on2 ,of all the sun's fire1 lighting up the sky ,only the warmth can reach a blind man's eye47#dg7 8,many will ,he mislead by such parables and many guide3 but none will ,he mislead thereby except the wicked44407#dh7 ,it is certain that the greatest of instrumentalities for achieving the advancement and the glory of man1 the supreme agency for the enlightenment and the redemption of the world1 is love and fellowship and unity among all the members of the human race4 ,nothing can be effected in the world1 not even conceivably1 without unity and agreement1 and the perfect means for engendering fellowship and union is true religion4 8,hadst ,thou spent all the riches of the earth1 ,thou couldst not have united their hearts2 but ,god hath united them44407#di7 ,with the advent of the ,prophets of ,god1 their power of creating a real union1 one which is both external and of the heart1 draws together malevolent peoples who have been thirsting for one another's blood1 into the one shelter of the ,word of ,god4 ,then a hundred thousand souls become as one soul1 and unnumbered individuals emerge as one body4 ,once they were as the waves of the sea ,that the wind made many out of one4 ,then ,god shed down on them ,his sun1 ,and ,his sun but one can never be4 ,souls of dogs and wolves go separately1 ,but the soul of the lions of ,god is one47#ej7 ,the events that transpired at the advent of the ,prophets of the past1 and ,their ways and works and circumstances1 are not adequately set down in authoritative histories1 and are referred to only in condensed form in the verses of the ,qur'n1 the ,holy ,traditions and the ,torah4 ,since1 however1 all events from the days of ,moses until the present time are contained in the mighty ,qur'n1 the authoritative ,traditions1 the ,torah and other reliable sources1 ,we shall content ,ourself with brief references here1 the purpose being to determine conclusively whether religion is the very basis and root-principle of culture and civilization1 or whether as ,voltaire and his like suppose1 it defeats all social progress1 well-being and peace4 ,to preclude once and for all objections on the part of any of the world's peoples1 ,we shall conduct ,our discussion conformably to those authoritative accounts which all nations are agreed upon4 ,at a time when the ,israelites had multiplied in ,egypt and were spread throughout the whole country1 the ,coptic ,pharaohs of ,egypt determined to strengthen and favor their own ,coptic peoples and to degrade and dishonor the children of ,israel1 whom they regarded as foreigners4 ,over a long period1 the ,israelites1 divided and scattered1 were captive in the hands of the tyrannical ,copts1 and were scorned and despised by all1 so that the meanest of the ,copts would freely persecute and lord it over the noblest of the ,israelites4 ,the enslavement1 wretchedness and helplessness of the ,hebrews reached such a pitch that they were never1 day or night1 secure in their own persons nor able to provide any defense for their wives and families against the tyranny of their ,pharaohic captors4 ,then their food was the fragments of their own broken hearts1 and their drink a river of tears4 ,they continued on in this anguish until suddenly ,moses1 the ,all-,beauteous1 beheld the ,divine ,light streaming out of the blessed ,vale1 the place that was holy ground1 and heard the quickening voice of ,god as it spoke from the flame of that ,tree 8neither of the ,east nor of the ,west107#ea7 and ,he stood up in the full panoply of ,his universal prophethood4 ,in the midst of the ,israelites1 ,he blazed out like a lamp of ,divine guidance1 and by the light of salvation ,he led that lost people out of the shadows of ignorance into knowledge and perfection4 ,he gathered ,israel's scattered tribes into the shelter of the unifying and universal ,word of ,god1 and over the heights of union ,he raised up the banner of harmony1 so that within a brief interval those benighted souls became spiritually educated1 and they who had been strangers to the truth1 rallied to the cause of the oneness of ,god1 and were delivered out of their wretchedness1 their indigence1 their incomprehension and captivity and achieved a supreme degree of happiness and honor4 ,they emigrated from ,egypt1 set out for ,israel's original homeland1 and came to ,canaan and ,philistia4 ,they first conquered the shores of the ,river ,jordan1 and ,jericho1 and settled in that area1 and ultimately all the neighboring regions1 such as ,phoenicia1 ,edom and ,ammon1 came under their sway4 ,in ,joshua's time there were thirty-one governments in the hands of the ,israelites1 and in every noble human attribute--learning1 stability1 determination1 courage1 honor1 generosity--this people came to surpass all the nations of the earth4 ,when in those days an ,israelite would enter a gathering1 he was immediately singled out for his many virtues1 and even foreign peoples wishing to praise a man would say that he was like an ,israelite4 ,it is furthermore a matter of record in numerous historical works that the philosophers of ,greece such as ,pythagoras1 acquired the major part of their philosophy1 both divine and material1 from the disciples of ,solomon4 ,and ,socrates after having eagerly journeyed to meet with some of ,israel's most illustrious scholars and divines1 on his return to ,greece established the concept of the oneness of ,god and the continuing life of the human soul after it has put off its elemental dust4 ,ultimately1 the ignorant among the ,greeks denounced this man who had fathomed the inmost mysteries of wisdom1 and rose up to take his life2 and then the populace forced the hand of their ruler1 and in council assembled they caused ,socrates to drink from the poisoned cup4 ,after the ,israelites had advanced along every level of civilization1 and had achieved success in the highest possible degree1 they began little by little to forget the root-principles of the ,mosaic ,law and ,faith1 to busy themselves with rites and ceremonials and to show forth unbecoming conduct4 ,in the days of ,rehoboam1 the son of ,solomon1 terrible dissension broke out among them2 one of their number1 ,jeroboam1 plotted to get the throne1 and it was he who introduced the worship of idols4 ,the strife between ,rehoboam and ,jeroboam led to centuries of warfare between their descendants1 with the result that the tribes of ,israel were scattered and disrupted4 ,in brief1 it was because they forgot the meaning of the ,law of ,god that they became involved in ignorant fanaticism and blameworthy practices such as insurgence and sedition4 ,their divines1 having concluded that all those essential qualifications of humankind set forth in the ,holy ,book were by then a dead letter1 began to think only of furthering their own selfish interests1 and afflicted the people by allowing them to sink into the lowest depths of heedlessness and ignorance4 ,and the fruit of their wrong doing was this1 that the old-time glory which had endured so long now changed to degradation1 and the rulers of ,persia1 of ,greece1 and of ,rome1 took them over4 ,the banners of their sovereignty were reversed2 the ignorance1 foolishness1 abasement and self-love of their religious leaders and their scholars were brought to light in the coming of ,nebuchadnezzar1 ,king of ,babylon1 who destroyed them4 ,after a general massacre1 and the sacking and razing of their houses and even the uprooting of their trees1 he took captive whatever remnants his sword had spared and carried them off to ,babylon4 ,seventy years later the descendants of these captives were released and went back to ,jerusalem4 ,then ,hezekiah and ,ezra reestablished in their midst the fundamental principles of the ,holy ,book1 and day by day the ,israelites advanced1 and the morning-brightness of their earlier ages dawned again4 ,in a short time1 however1 great dissensions as to belief and conduct broke out anew1 and again the one concern of the ,jewish doctors became the promotion of their own selfish purposes1 and the reforms that had obtained in ,ezra's time were changed to perversity and corruption4 ,the situation worsened to such a degree that time and again1 the armies of the republic of ,rome and of its rulers conquered ,israelite territory4 ,finally the warlike ,titus1 commander of the ,roman forces1 trampled the ,jewish homeland into dust1 putting every man to the sword1 taking the women and children captive1 flattening their houses1 tearing out their trees1 burning their books1 looting their treasures1 and reducing ,jerusalem and the ,temple to an ash heap4 ,after this supreme calamity1 the star of ,israel's dominion sank away to nothing1 and to this day1 the remnant of that vanished nation has been scattered to the four winds4 8,humiliation and misery were stamped upon them407#eb7 ,these two most great afflictions1 brought on by ,nebuchadnezzar and ,titus1 are referred to in the glorious ,qur'n3 8,and ,we solemnly declared to the children of ,israel in the ,book1 #8,twice surely will ye commit evil in the earth1 and with great loftiness of pride will ye surely be uplifted4' ,and when the menace for the first of the two came to be executed1 ,we sent against you ,our servants endowed with terrible prowess2 and they searched the inmost part of your abodes1 and the menace was accomplished444 ,and when the punishment threatened for your latter transgression came to be inflicted1 then ,we sent an enemy to sadden your faces1 and to enter the ,temple as they entered it at first1 and to destroy with utter destruction that which they had conquered407#ec7 ,our purpose is to show how true religion promotes the civilization and honor1 the prosperity and prestige1 the learning and advancement of a people once abject1 enslaved and ignorant1 and how1 when it falls into the hands of religious leaders who are foolish and fanatical1 it is diverted to the wrong ends1 until this greatest of splendors turns into blackest night4 ,when for the second time the unmistakable signs of ,israel's disintegration1 abasement1 subjection and annihilation had become apparent1 then the sweet and holy breathings of the ,spirit of ,god 7,jesus7 were shed across ,jordan and the land of ,galilee2 the cloud of ,divine pity overspread those skies1 and rained down the copious waters of the spirit1 and after those swelling showers that came from the most great ,sea1 the ,holy ,land put forth its perfume and blossomed with the knowledge of ,god4 ,then the solemn ,gospel song rose up till it rang in the ears of those who dwell in the chambers of heaven1 and at the touch of ,jesus' breath the unmindful dead that lay in the graves of their ignorance lifted up their heads to receive eternal life4 ,for the space of three years1 that ,luminary of perfections walked about the fields of ,palestine and in the neighborhood of ,jerusalem1 leading all men into the dawn ,,pages #ha-ajj of redemption1 teaching them how to acquire spiritual qualities and attributes well-pleasing to ,god4 ,had the people of ,israel believed in that beauteous ,countenance1 they would have girded themselves to serve and obey ,him heart and soul1 and through the quickening fragrance of ,his ,spirit they would have regained their lost vitality and gone on to new victories4 ,alas1 of what avail was it2 they turned away and opposed ,him4 ,they rose up and tormented that ,source of ,divine knowledge1 that ,point where the ,revelation had come down--all except for a handful who1 turning their faces toward ,god1 were cleansed of the stain of this world and found their way to the heights of the placeless ,realm4 ,they inflicted every agony on that ,wellspring of grace until it became impossible for ,him to live in the towns1 and still ,he lifted up the flag of salvation and solidly established the fundamentals of human righteousness1 that essential basis of true civilization4 ,in the fifth chapter of ,matthew beginning with the thirty-seventh verse ,he counsels3 8,resist not evil and injury with its like2 but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek1 turn to him the other also40 ,and further1 from the forty-third verse3 8,ye have heard that it hath been said1 #8,thou shalt love thy neighbor1 and thou shalt not vex thine enemy with enmity4'7#ed7 ,but ,i say unto you1 love your enemies1 bless them that curse you1 do good to them that hate you1 and pray for them which despitefully use you1 and persecute you2 that ye may be the children of your ,father which is in heaven3 for ,he maketh ,his sun to rise on the evil and on the good1 and sendeth down the rain of ,his mercy on the just and on the unjust4 ,for if ye love them which love you1 what reward have ye8 ,do not even the publicans the same80 ,many were the counsels of this kind that were uttered by that ,dayspring of ,divine wisdom1 and souls who have become characterized with such attributes of holiness are the distilled essence of creation and the sources of true civilization4 ,jesus1 then1 founded the sacred ,law on a basis of moral character and complete spirituality1 and for those who believed in ,him ,he delineated a special way of life which constitutes the highest type of action on earth4 ,and while those emblems of redemption were to outward seeming abandoned to the malevolence and persecution of their tormentors1 in reality they had been delivered out of the hopeless darkness which encompassed the ,jews and they shone forth in everlasting glory at the dawn of that new day4 ,that mighty ,jewish nation toppled and crumbled away1 but those few souls who sought shelter beneath the ,messianic ,tree transformed all human life4 ,at that time the peoples of the world were utterly ignorant1 fanatical and idolatrous4 ,only a small group of ,jews professed belief in the oneness of ,god and they were wretched outcasts4 ,these holy ,christian souls now stood up to promulgate a ,cause which was diametrically opposed and repugnant to the beliefs of the entire human race4 ,the kings of four out of the world's five continents inexorably resolved to wipe out the followers of ,christ1 and nevertheless in the end most of them set about promoting the ,faith of ,god with their whole hearts2 all the nations of ,europe1 many of the peoples of ,asia and ,africa1 and some of the inhabitants of the islands of the ,pacific1 were gathered into the shelter of the oneness of ,god4 ,consider whether there exists anywhere in creation a principle mightier in every sense than religion1 or whether any conceivable power is more pervasive than the various ,divine ,faiths1 or whether any agency can bring about real love and fellowship and union among all peoples as can belief in an almighty and all-knowing ,god1 or whether except for the laws of ,god there has been any evidence of an instrumentality for educating all mankind in every phase of righteousness4 ,those qualities which the philosophers attained when they had reached the very heights of their wisdom1 those noble human attributes which characterized them at the peak of their perfection1 would be exemplified by the believers as soon as they accepted the ,faith4 ,observe how those souls who drank the living waters of redemption at the gracious hands of ,jesus1 the ,spirit of ,god1 and came into the sheltering shade of the ,gospel1 attained to such a high plane of moral conduct that ,galen1 the celebrated physician1 although not himself a ,christian1 in his summary of ,plato's ,republic extolled their actions4 ,a literal translation of his words is as follows3 8,the generality of mankind are unable to grasp a sequence of logical arguments4 ,for this reason they stand in need of symbols and parables telling of rewards and punishments in the next world4 ,a confirmatory evidence of this is that today we observe a people called ,christians1 who believe devoutly in rewards and punishments in a future state4 ,this group show forth excellent actions1 similar to the actions of an individual who is a true philosopher4 ,for example1 we all see with our own eyes that they have no fear of death1 and their passion for justice and fair-dealing is so great that they should be considered true philosophers407#ee7 ,the station of a philosopher1 in that age and in the mind of ,galen1 was superior to any other station in the world4 ,consider then how the enlightening and spiritualizing power of divine religions impels the believers to such heights of perfection that a philosopher like ,galen1 not himself a ,christian1 offers such testimony4 ,one demonstration of the excellent character of the ,christians in those days was their dedication to charity and good works1 and the fact that they founded hospitals and philanthropic institutions4 ,for example1 the first person to establish public clinics throughout the ,roman ,empire where the poor1 the injured and the helpless received medical care1 was the ,emperor ,constantine4 ,this great king was the first ,roman ruler to champion the ,cause of ,christ4 ,he spared no efforts1 dedicating his life to the promotion of the principles of the ,gospel1 and he solidly established the ,roman government1 which in reality had been nothing but a system of unrelieved oppression1 on moderation and justice4 ,his blessed name shines out across the dawn of history like the morning star1 and his rank and fame among the world's noblest and most highly civilized is still on the tongues of ,christians of all denominations4 ,what a firm foundation of excellent character was laid down in those days1 thanks to the training of holy souls who arose to promote the teachings of the ,gospel4 ,how many primary schools1 colleges1 hospitals1 were established1 and institutions where fatherless and indigent children received their education4 ,how many were the individuals who sacrificed their own personal advantages and 8out of desire to please the ,lord07#ef7 devoted the days of their lives to teaching the masses4 ,when1 however1 the time approached for the effulgent beauty of ,muammad to dawn upon the world1 the control of ,christian affairs passed into the hands of ignorant priests4 ,those heavenly breezes1 soft-flowing from the regions of ,divine grace1 died away1 and the laws of the great ,evangel1 the rock-foundation on which the civilization of the world was based1 turned barren of results1 this out of misuse and because of the conduct of persons who1 seemingly fair1 were yet inwardly foul4 ,the noted historians of ,europe1 in describing the conditions1 manners1 politics1 learning and culture1 in all their aspects1 of early1 medieval and modern times1 unanimously record that during the ten centuries constituting the ,middle ,ages1 from the beginning of the sixth century of the ,christian era till the close of the fifteenth1 ,europe was in every respect and to an extreme degree1 barbaric and dark4 ,the principal cause of this was that the monks1 referred to by ,european peoples as spiritual and religious leaders1 had given up the abiding glory that comes from obedience to the sacred commandments and heavenly teachings of the ,gospel1 and had joined forces with the presumptuous and tyrannical rulers of the temporal governments of those times4 ,they had turned their eyes away from everlasting glory1 and were devoting all their efforts to the furtherance of their mutual worldly interests and passing and perishable advantages4 ,ultimately things reached a point where the masses were hopeless prisoners in the hands of these two groups1 and all this brought down in ruins the whole structure of the religion1 culture1 welfare and civilization of the peoples of ,europe4 ,when the unworthy acts and thoughts and the discreditable purposes of the leaders had stilled the sweet savors of the ,spirit of ,god 7,jesus7 and they ceased to stream across the world1 and the darkness of ignorance and bigotry and of actions that were displeasing to ,god1 encompassed the earth1 then the dawn of hope shone out and the ,divine spring drew on2 a cloud of mercy overspread the world1 and out of the regions of grace the fecund winds began to blow4 ,in the sign of ,muammad1 the ,sun of ,truth rose over ,yathrib 7,medina7 and the ijz and cast across the universe the lights of eternal glory4 ,then the earth of human potentialities was transformed1 and the words 8,the earth shall shine with the light of her ,lord107#eg7 were fulfilled4 ,the old world turned new again1 and its dead body rose into abundant life4 ,then tyranny and ignorance were overthrown1 and towering palaces of knowledge and justice were reared in their place4 ,a sea of enlightenment thundered1 and science cast down its rays4 ,the savage peoples of the ijz1 before that ,flame of supreme ,prophethood was lit in the lamp of ,mecca1 were the most brutish and benighted of all the peoples of the earth4 ,in all the histories1 their depraved and vicious practices1 their ferocity and their constant feuds1 are a matter of record4 ,in those days the civilized peoples of the world did not even consider the ,arab tribes of ,mecca and ,medina as human beings4 ,and yet1 after the ,light of the ,world rose over them1 they were--because of the education bestowed on them by that ,mine of perfections1 that ,focal ,center of ,revelation1 and the blessings vouchsafed by the ,divine ,law--within a brief interval gathered into the shelter of the principle of ,divine oneness4 ,this brutish people then attained such a high degree of human perfection and civilization that all their contemporaries marveled at them4 ,those very peoples who had always mocked the ,arabs and held them up to ridicule as a breed devoid of judgment1 now eagerly sought them out1 visiting their countries to acquire enlightenment and culture1 technical skills1 statecraft1 arts and sciences4 ,observe the influence on material situations of that training which is inculcated by the true ,educator4 ,here were tribes so benighted and untamed that during the period of the ,jhilyyih they would bury their seven-year-old daughters alive--an act which even an animal1 let alone a human being1 would hate and shrink from but which they in their extreme degradation considered the ultimate expression of honor and devotion to principle--and this darkened people1 thanks to the manifest teachings of that great ,personage1 advanced to such a degree that after they conquered ,egypt1 ,syria and its capital ,damascus1 ,chaldea1 ,mesopotamia and rn1 they came to administer single-handedly whatever matters were of major importance in four main regions of the globe4 ,the ,arabs then excelled all the peoples of the world in science and the arts1 in industry and invention1 in philosophy1 government and moral character4 ,and truly1 the rise of this brutish and despicable element1 in such a short interval1 to the supreme heights of human perfection1 is the greatest demonstration of the rightfulness of the ,lord ,muammad's ,prophethood4 ,in the early ages of ,islm the peoples of ,europe acquired the sciences and arts of civilization from ,islm as practiced by the inhabitants of ,andalusia4 ,a careful and thorough investigation of the historical record will establish the fact that the major part of the civilization of ,europe is derived from ,islm2 for all the writings of ,muslim scholars and divines and philosophers were gradually collected in ,europe and were with the most painstaking care weighed and debated at academic gatherings and in the centers of learning1 after which their valued contents would be put to use4 ,today1 numerous copies of the works of ,muslim scholars which are not to be found in ,islamic countries1 are available in the libraries of ,europe4 ,furthermore1 the laws and principles current in all ,european countries are derived to a considerable degree and indeed virtually in their entirety from the works on jurisprudence and the legal decision of ,muslim theologians4 ,were it not for the fear of unduly lengthening the present text1 ,we would cite these borrowings one by one4 ,the beginnings of ,european civilization date from the seventh century of the ,muslim era4 ,the particulars were these3 toward the end of the fifth century of the hegira1 the ,pope or ,head of ,christendom set up a great hue and cry over the fact that places sacred to the ,christians1 such as ,jerusalem1 ,bethlehem and ,nazareth1 had fallen under ,muslim rule1 and he stirred up the kings and the commoners of ,europe to undertake what he considered a holy war4 ,his impassioned outcry waxed so loud that all the countries of ,europe responded1 and crusading kings at the head of innumerable hosts passed over the ,sea of ,marmara and made their way to the continent of ,asia4 ,in those days the ,ftimid caliphs ruled over ,egypt and some countries of the ,west1 and most of the time the kings of ,syria1 that is the ,saljqs1 were subject to them as well4 ,briefly1 the kings of the ,west with their unnumbered armies fell upon ,syria and ,egypt1 and there was continuous warfare between the ,syrian rulers and those of ,europe for a period of two hundred and three years4 ,reinforcements were always coming in from ,europe1 and time and time again the ,western rulers stormed and took over every castle in ,syria1 and as often1 the kings of ,islm delivered them out of their hands4 ,finally ,saladin1 in the year #fic ,a4,h41 drove the ,european kings and their armies out of ,egypt and off the ,syrian coast4 ,hopelessly beaten1 they went back to ,europe4 ,in the course of these wars of the ,crusades1 millions of human beings perished4 ,to sum up1 from #dij ,a4,h4 until #fic1 kings1 commanders and other ,european leaders continually came and went between ,egypt1 ,syria and the ,west1 and when in the end they all returned home1 they introduced into ,europe whatever they had observed over two hundred and odd years in ,muslim countries as to government1 social development and learning1 colleges1 schools and the refinements of living4 ,the civilization of ,europe dates from that time4 ,o people of ,persia6 ,how long will your torpor and lethargy last8 ,you were once the lords of the whole earth2 the world was at your beck and call4 ,how is it that your glory has lapsed and you have fallen from favor now1 and crept away into some corner of oblivion8 ,you were the fountainhead of learning1 the unfailing spring of light for all the earth1 how is it that you are withered now1 and quenched1 and faint of heart8 ,you who once lit the world1 how is it that you lurk1 inert1 bemused1 in darkness now8 ,open your mind's eye1 see your great and present need4 ,rise up and struggle1 seek education1 seek enlightenment4 ,is it meet that a foreign people should receive from your own forbears its culture and its knowledge1 and that you1 their blood1 their rightful heirs1 should go without8 ,how does it seem1 when your neighbors are at work by day and night with their whole hearts1 providing for their advancement1 their honor and prosperity1 that you1 in your ignorant fanaticism1 are busy only with your quarrels and antipathies1 your indulgences and appetites and empty dreams8 ,is it commendable that you should waste and fritter away in apathy the brilliance that is your birthright1 your native competence1 your inborn understanding8 ,again1 ,we have digressed from ,our theme4 ,those ,european intellectuals who are well-informed as to the facts of ,europe's past1 and are characterized by truthfulness and a sense of justice1 unanimously acknowledge that in every particular the basic elements of their civilization are derived from ,islm4 ,for example ,draper17#eh7 the well-known ,french authority1 a writer whose accuracy1 ability and learning are attested by all ,european scholars1 in one of his best-known works1 ,the ,intellectual ,development of ,europe1 has written a detailed account in this connection1 that is1 with reference to the derivation by the peoples of ,europe of the fundamentals of civilization and the bases of progress and well-being from ,islm4 ,his account is exhaustive1 and a translation here would unduly lengthen out the present work and would indeed be irrelevant to ,our purpose4 ,if further details are desired the reader may refer to that text4 ,in essence1 the author shows how the totality of ,europe's civilization--its laws1 principles1 institutions1 its sciences1 philosophies1 varied learning1 its civilized manners and customs1 its literature1 art and industry1 its organization1 its discipline1 its behavior1 its commendable character traits1 and even many of the words current in the ,french language1 derives from the ,arabs4 ,one by one1 he investigates each of these elements in detail1 even giving the period when each was brought over from ,islm4 ,he describes as well the arrival of the ,arabs in the ,west1 in what is now ,spain1 and how in a short time they established a well-developed civilization there1 and to what a high degree of excellence their administrative system and scholarship attained1 and how solidly founded and well regulated were their schools and colleges1 where sciences and philosophy1 arts and crafts1 were taught2 what a high level of leadership they achieved in the arts of civilization and how many were the children of ,europe's leading families who were sent to attend the schools of ,cordova and ,granada1 ,seville and ,toledo to acquire the sciences and arts of civilized life4 ,he even records that a ,european named ,gerbert came to the ,west and enrolled at the ,university of ,cordova in ,arab territory1 studied arts and sciences there1 and after his return to ,europe achieved such prominence that ultimately he was elevated to the leadership of the ,catholic ,church and became the ,pope4 ,the purpose of these references is to establish the fact that the religions of ,god are the true source of the spiritual and material perfections of man1 and the fountainhead for all mankind of enlightenment and beneficial knowledge4 ,if one observes the matter justly it will be found that all the laws of politics are contained in these few and holy words3 8,and they enjoin what is just1 and forbid what is unjust1 and speed on in good works4 ,these are of the righteous407#ei7 ,and again3 8that there may be among you a people who invite to the good1 and enjoin the just1 and forbid the wrong4 ,these are they with whom it shall be well407#fj7 ,and further3 8,verily1 ,god enjoineth justice and the doing of good 444 and ,he forbiddeth wickedness and oppression4 ,he warneth you that haply ye may be mindful407#fa7 ,and yet again1 of the civilizing of human behavior3 8,make due allowances2 and enjoin what is just1 and withdraw from the ignorant407#fb7 ,and likewise3 8444who master their anger1 and forgive others6 ,god loveth the doers of good407#fc7 ,and again3 8,there is no righteousness in turning your faces toward the ,east or the ,west1 but he is righteous who believeth in ,god1 and the last day1 and the angels1 and the ,scriptures1 and the ,prophets2 who for the love of ,god disburseth his wealth to his kindred1 and to orphans1 and the needy and the wayfarer1 and those who ask1 and for ransom2 who observeth prayer1 and payeth the legal alms1 and who is of those who perform their covenant when they have covenanted1 and are patient under ills and hardships1 and in time of trouble3 these are they who are just1 and these are they who fear the ,lord407#fd7 ,and yet further3 8,they prefer them before themselves1 though poverty be their own lot407#fe7 ,see how these few sacred verses encompass the highest levels and innermost meanings of civilization and embody all the excellencies of human character4 ,by the ,lord ,god1 and there is no ,god but ,he1 even the minutest details of civilized life derive from the grace of the ,prophets of ,god4 ,what thing of value to mankind has ever come into being which was not first set forth either directly or by implication in the ,holy ,scriptures8 ,alas1 of what avail is it4 ,when the weapons are in cowards' hands1 no man's life and property are safe1 and thieves only grow the stronger4 ,when1 in the same way1 a far-from-perfect priesthood acquire control of affairs1 they come down like a massive curtain between the people and the light of ,faith4 ,sincerity is the foundation-stone of faith4 ,that is1 a religious individual must disregard his personal desires and seek in whatever way he can wholeheartedly to serve the public interest2 and it is impossible for a human being to turn aside from his own selfish advantages and sacrifice his own good for the good of the community except through true religious faith4 ,for self-love is kneaded into the very clay of man1 and it is not possible that1 without any hope of a substantial reward1 he should neglect his own present material good4 ,that individual1 however1 who puts his faith in ,god and believes in the words of ,god--because he is promised and certain of a plentiful reward in the next life1 and because worldly benefits as compared to the abiding joy and glory of future planes of existence are nothing to him--will for the sake of ,god abandon his own peace and profit and will freely consecrate his heart and soul to the common good4 8,a man1 too1 there is who selleth his very self out of desire to please ,god407#ff7 ,there are some who imagine that an innate sense of human dignity will prevent man from committing evil actions and insure his spiritual and material perfection4 ,that is1 that an individual who is characterized with natural intelligence1 high resolve1 and a driving zeal1 will1 without any consideration for the severe punishments consequent on evil acts1 or for the great rewards of righteousness1 instinctively refrain from inflicting harm on his fellow men and will hunger and thirst to do good4 ,and yet1 if we ponder the lessons of history it will become evident that this very sense of honor and dignity is itself one of the bounties deriving from the instructions of the ,prophets of ,god4 ,we also observe in infants the signs of aggression and lawlessness1 and that if a child is deprived of a teacher's instructions his undesirable qualities increase from one moment to the next4 ,it is therefore clear that the emergence of this natural sense of human dignity and honor is the result of education4 ,secondly1 even if we grant for the sake of the argument that instinctive intelligence and an innate moral quality would prevent wrongdoing1 it is obvious that individuals so characterized are as rare as the philosopher's stone4 ,an assumption of this sort cannot be validated by mere words1 it must be supported by the facts4 ,let us see what power in creation impels the masses toward righteous aims and deeds6 ,aside from this1 if that rare individual who does exemplify such a faculty should also become an embodiment of the fear of ,god1 it is certain that his strivings toward righteousness would be strongly reinforced4 ,universal benefits derive from the grace of the ,divine religions1 for they lead their true followers to sincerity of intent1 to high purpose1 to purity and spotless honor1 to surpassing kindness and compassion1 to the keeping of their covenants when they have covenanted1 to concern for the rights of others1 to liberality1 to justice in every aspect of life1 to humanity and philanthropy1 to valor and to unflagging efforts in the service of mankind4 ,it is religion1 to sum up1 which produces all human virtues1 and it is these virtues which are the bright candles of civilization4 ,if a man is not characterized by these excellent qualities1 it is certain that he has never attained to so much as a drop out of the fathomless river of the waters of life that flows through the teachings of the ,holy ,books1 nor caught the faintest breath of the fragrant breezes that blow from the gardens of ,god2 for nothing on earth can be demonstrated by words alone1 and every level of existence is known by its signs and symbols1 and every degree in man's development has its identifying mark4 ,the purpose of these statements is to make it abundantly clear that the ,divine religions1 the holy precepts1 the heavenly teachings1 are the unassailable basis of human happiness1 and that the peoples of the world can hope for no real relief or deliverance without this one great remedy4 ,this panacea must1 however1 be administered by a wise and skilled physician1 for in the hands of an incompetent all the cures that the ,lord of men has ever created to heal men's ills could produce no health1 and would on the contrary only destroy the helpless and burden the hearts of the already afflicted4 ,that ,source of ,divine wisdom1 that ,manifestation of ,universal ,prophethood 7,muammad71 encouraging mankind to acquire sciences and arts and similar advantages has commanded them to seek these even in the furthermost reaches of ,china2 yet the incompetent and caviling doctors forbid this1 offering as their justification the saying1 8,he who imitates a people is one of them40 ,they have not even grasped what is meant by the 8imitation0 referred to1 nor do they know that the ,divine religions enjoin upon and encourage all the faithful to adopt such principles as will conduce to continuous improvements1 and to acquire from other peoples sciences and arts4 ,whoever expresses himself to the contrary has never drunk of the nectar of knowledge and is astray in his own ignorance1 groping after the mirage of his desires4 ,judge this aright3 which one of these modern developments1 whether in themselves or in their application1 is contrary to the ,divine commandments8 ,if they mean the establishment of parliaments1 these are enjoined by the very text of the holy verse3 8and whose affairs are guided by mutual counsel407#fg7 ,and again1 addressing the ,dayspring of all knowledge1 the ,source of perfection 7,muammad71 in spite of ,his being in possession of universal wisdom1 the words are3 8and consult them in the affair407#fh7 ,in view of this how can the question of mutual consultation be in conflict with the religious ,law8 ,the great advantages of consultation can be established by logical arguments as well4 ,can they say that it would be contrary to the laws of ,god to make a death sentence conditional on the most careful investigations1 on the sanction of numerous bodies1 on legal proof and the royal order8 ,can they claim that what went on under the previous government was in conformity with the ,qur'n8 ,for example1 in the days when j ,mrz ,aqs was ,prime ,minister1 it was heard from many sources that the governor of ,gulpaygn seized thirteen defenseless bailiffs of that region1 all of them of holy lineage1 all of them guiltless1 and without a trial1 and without obtaining any higher sanction1 beheaded them in a single hour4 ,,pages #aja-aaf ,at one time the population of ,persia exceeded fifty millions4 ,this has been dissipated partly through civil wars1 but predominantly because of the lack of an adequate system of government and the despotism and unbridled authority of provincial and local governors4 ,with the passage of time1 not one-fifth of the population has survived1 for the governors would select any victim they cared to1 however innocent1 and vent their wrath on him and destroy him4 ,or1 for a whim1 they would make a pet out of some proven mass murderer4 ,not a soul could speak out1 because the governor was in absolute control4 ,can we say that these things were in conformity with justice or with the laws of ,god8 ,can we maintain that it is contrary to the fundamentals of the ,faith to encourage the acquisition of useful arts and of general knowledge1 to inform oneself as to the truths of such physical sciences as are beneficial to man1 and to widen the scope of industry and increase the products of commerce and multiply the nation's avenues of wealth8 ,would it conflict with the worship of ,god to establish law and order in the cities and organize the rural districts1 to repair the roads and build railroads and facilitate transportation and travel and thus increase the people's well-being8 ,would it be inconsistent with the ,divine commands and prohibitions if we were to work the abandoned mines which are the greatest source of the nation's wealth1 and to build factories1 from which come the entire people's comfort1 security and affluence8 ,or to stimulate the creation of new industries and to promote improvements in our domestic products8 ,by the ,all-,glorious6 ,i am astonished to find what a veil has fallen across their eyes1 and how it blinds them even to such obvious necessities as these4 ,and there is no doubt whatever that when conclusive arguments and proofs of this sort are advanced1 they will answer1 out of a thousand hidden spites and prejudices3 8,on the ,day of ,judgment1 when men stand before their ,lord1 they will not be questioned as to their education and the degree of their culture--rather will they be examined as to their good deeds40 ,let us grant this and assume that man will not be asked as to his culture and education2 even so1 on that great ,day of ,reckoning1 will not the leaders be called to account8 ,will it not be said to them3 8,o chiefs and leaders6 ,why did ye cause this mighty nation to fall from the heights of its former glory1 to pass from its place at the heart and center of the civilized world8 ,ye were well able to take hold of such measures as would lead to the high honor of this people4 ,this ye failed to do1 and ye even went on to deprive them of the common benefits enjoyed by all4 ,did not this people once shine out like stars in an auspicious heaven8 ,how have ye dared to quench their light in darkness6 ,ye could have lit the lamp of temporal and eternal glory for them2 why did ye fail to strive for this with all your hearts8 ,and when by ,god's grace a flaming ,light flared up1 why did ye fail to shelter it in the glass of your valor1 from the winds that beat against it8 ,why did ye rise up in all your might to put it out80 8,and every man's fate have ,we fastened about his neck3 and on the ,day of ,resurrection will ,we bring it forth to him a book which shall be proffered to him wide open407#fi7 ,again1 is there any deed in the world that would be nobler than service to the common good8 ,is there any greater blessing conceivable for a man1 than that he should become the cause of the education1 the development1 the prosperity and honor of his fellow-creatures8 ,no1 by the ,lord ,god6 ,the highest righteousness of all is for blessed souls to take hold of the hands of the helpless and deliver them out of their ignorance and abasement and poverty1 and with pure motives1 and only for the sake of ,god1 to arise and energetically devote themselves to the service of the masses1 forgetting their own worldly advantage and working only to serve the general good4 8,they prefer them before themselves1 though poverty be their own lot407#gj7 8,the best of men are those who serve the people2 the worst of men are those who harm the people40 ,glory be to ,god6 ,what an extraordinary situation now obtains1 when no one1 hearing a claim advanced1 asks himself what the speaker's real motive might be1 and what selfish purpose he might not have hidden behind the mask of words4 ,you find1 for example1 that an individual seeking to further his own petty and personal concerns1 will block the advancement of an entire people4 ,to turn his own water mill1 he will let the farms and fields of all the others parch and wither4 ,to maintain his own leadership1 he will everlastingly direct the masses toward that prejudice and fanaticism which subvert the very base of civilization4 ,such a man1 at the same moment that he is perpetrating actions which are anathema in the sight of ,god and detested by all the ,prophets and ,holy ,ones1 if he sees a person who has just finished eating wash his hands with soap--an article the inventor of which was #8,abdu'llh ,bun1 a ,muslim--will1 because this unfortunate does not instead wipe his hands up and down the front of his robe and on his beard1 set up a hue and cry to the effect that the religious law has been overthrown1 and the manners and customs of heathen nations are being introduced into ours4 ,utterly disregarding the evil of his own ways1 he considers the very cause of cleanliness and refinement as wicked and foolish4 ,o ,people of ,persia6 ,open your eyes6 ,pay heed6 ,release yourselves from this blind following of the bigots1 this senseless imitation which is the principal reason why men fall away into paths of ignorance and degradation4 ,see the true state of things4 ,rise up2 seize hold of such means as will bring you life and happiness and greatness and glory among all the nations of the world4 ,the winds of the true springtide are passing over you2 adorn yourselves with blossoms like trees in the scented garden4 ,spring clouds are streaming2 then turn you fresh and verdant like the sweet eternal fields4 ,the dawn star is shining1 set your feet on the true path4 ,the sea of might is swelling1 hasten to the shores of high resolve and fortune4 ,the pure water of life is welling up1 why wear away your days in a desert of thirst8 ,aim high1 choose noble ends2 how long this lethargy1 how long this negligence6 ,despair1 both here and hereafter1 is all you will gain from self-indulgence2 abomination and misery are all you will harvest from fanaticism1 from believing the foolish and the mindless4 ,the confirmations of ,god are supporting you1 the succor of ,god is at hand3 why do you not cry out and exult with all your heart1 and strive with all your soul6 ,among those matters which require thorough revision and reform is the method of studying the various branches of knowledge and the organization of the academic curriculum4 ,from lack of organization1 education has become haphazard and confused4 ,trifling subjects which should not call for elaboration receive undue attention1 to such an extent that students1 over long periods of time1 waste their minds and their energies on material that is pure supposition1 in no way susceptible of proof1 such study consisting in going deep into statements and concepts which careful examination would establish as not even unlikely1 but rather as unalloyed superstition1 and representing the investigation of useless conceits and the chasing of absurdities4 ,there can be no doubt that to concern oneself with such illusions1 to examine into and lengthily debate such idle propositions1 is nothing but a waste of time and a marring of the days of one's life4 ,not only this1 but it also prevents the individual from undertaking the study of those arts and sciences of which society stands in dire need4 ,the individual should1 prior to engaging in the study of any subject1 ask himself what its uses are and what fruit and result will derive from it4 ,if it is a useful branch of knowledge1 that is1 if society will gain important benefits from it1 then he should certainly pursue it with all his heart4 ,if not1 if it consists in empty1 profitless debates and in a vain concatenation of imaginings that lead to no result except acrimony1 why devote one's life to such useless hairsplittings and disputes4 ,because this matter requires further elucidation and a thorough hearing1 so that it can be fully established that some of the subjects which today are neglected are extremely valuable1 while the nation has no need whatever of various other1 superfluous studies1 the point will1 ,god willing1 be developed in a second volume4 ,our hope is that a reading of this first volume will produce fundamental changes in the thinking and the behavior of society1 for ,we have undertaken the work with a sincere intent and purely for the sake of ,god4 ,although in this world individuals who are able to distinguish between sincere intentions and false words are as rare as the philosopher's stone1 yet ,we fix ,our hopes on the measureless bounties of the ,lord4 ,to resume3 ,as for that group who maintains that in effecting these necessary reforms we must proceed with deliberation1 exercise patience and gain the objectives one at a time1 just what do they mean by this8 ,if by deliberation they are referring to that circumspection which the science of government requires1 their thought is timely and appropriate4 ,it is certain that momentous undertakings cannot be brought to a successful conclusion in haste2 that in such cases haste would only make waste4 ,the world of politics is like the world of man2 he is seed at first1 and then passes by degrees to the condition of embryo and foetus1 acquiring a bone structure1 being clothed with flesh1 taking on his own special form1 until at last he reaches the plane where he can befittingly fulfill the words3 8the most excellent of ,makers407#ga7 ,just as this is a requirement of creation and is based on the universal ,wisdom1 the political world in the same way cannot instantaneously evolve from the nadir of defectiveness to the zenith of rightness and perfection4 ,rather1 qualified individuals must strive by day and by night1 using all those means which will conduce to progress1 until the government and the people develop along every line from day to day and even from moment to moment4 ,when1 through the ,divine bestowals1 three things appear on earth1 this world of dust will come alive1 and stand forth wondrously adorned and full of grace4 ,these are first1 the fruitful winds of spring2 second1 the welling plenty of spring clouds2 and third1 the heat of the bright sun4 ,when1 out of the endless bounty of ,god1 these three have been vouchsafed1 then slowly1 by ,his leave1 dry trees and branches turn fresh and green again1 and array themselves with many kinds of blossoms and fruits4 ,it is the same when the pure intentions and the justice of the ruler1 the wisdom and consummate skill and statecraft of the governing authorities1 and the determination and unstinted efforts of the people1 are all combined2 then day by day the effects of the advancement1 of the far-reaching reforms1 of the pride and prosperity of government and people alike1 will become clearly manifest4 ,if1 however1 by delay and postponement they mean this1 that in each generation only one minute section of the necessary reforms should be attended to1 this is nothing but lethargy and inertia1 and no results would be forthcoming from such a procedure1 except the endless repetition of idle words4 ,if haste is harmful1 inertness and indolence are a thousand times worse4 ,a middle course is best1 as it is written3 8,it is incumbent upon you to do good between the two evils10 this referring to the mean between the two extremes4 8,and let not thy hand be tied up to thy neck2 nor yet open it with all openness 444 but between these follow a middle way407#gb7 ,the primary1 the most urgent requirement is the promotion of education4 ,it is inconceivable that any nation should achieve prosperity and success unless this paramount1 this fundamental concern is carried forward4 ,the principal reason for the decline and fall of peoples is ignorance4 ,today the mass of the people are uninformed even as to ordinary affairs1 how much less do they grasp the core of the important problems and complex needs of the time4 ,it is therefore urgent that beneficial articles and books be written1 clearly and definitely establishing what the present-day requirements of the people are1 and what will conduce to the happiness and advancement of society4 ,these should be published and spread throughout the nation1 so that at least the leaders among the people should become1 to some degree1 awakened1 and arise to exert themselves along those lines which will lead to their abiding honor4 ,the publication of high thoughts is the dynamic power in the arteries of life2 it is the very soul of the world4 ,thoughts are a boundless sea1 and the effects and varying conditions of existence are as the separate forms and individual limits of the waves2 not until the sea boils up will the waves rise and scatter their pearls of knowledge on the shore of life4 ,thou1 ,brother1 art thy thought alone1 ,the rest is only thew and bone47#gc7 ,public opinion must be directed toward whatever is worthy of this day1 and this is impossible except through the use of adequate arguments and the adducing of clear1 comprehensive and conclusive proofs4 ,for the helpless masses know nothing of the world1 and while there is no doubt that they seek and long for their own happiness1 yet ignorance like a heavy veil shuts them away from it4 ,observe to what a degree the lack of education will weaken and degrade a people4 ,today #ahge from the standpoint of population the greatest nation in the world is ,china1 which has something over four hundred million inhabitants4 ,on this account1 its government should be the most distinguished on earth1 its people the most acclaimed4 ,and yet on the contrary1 because of its lack of education in cultural and material civilization1 it is the feeblest and the most helpless of all weak nations4 ,not long ago1 a small contingent of ,english and ,french troops went to war with ,china and defeated that country so decisively that they took over its capital ,peking4 ,had the ,chinese government and people been abreast of the advanced sciences of the day1 had they been skilled in the arts of civilization1 then if all the nations on earth had marched against them the attack would still have failed1 and the attackers would have returned defeated whence they had come4 ,stranger even than this episode is the fact that the government of ,japan was in the beginning subject to and under the protection of ,china1 and that now for some years1 ,japan has opened its eyes and adopted the techniques of contemporary progress and civilization1 promoting sciences and industries of use to the public1 and striving to the utmost of their power and competence until public opinion was focused on reform4 ,this government has currently advanced to such a point that1 although its population is only one-sixth1 or even one-tenth1 that of ,china1 it has recently challenged the latter government1 and ,china has finally been forced to come to terms4 ,observe carefully how education and the arts of civilization bring honor1 prosperity1 independence and freedom to a government and its people4 ,it is1 furthermore1 a vital necessity to establish schools throughout ,persia1 even in the smallest country towns and villages1 and to encourage the people in every possible way to have their children learn to read and write4 ,if necessary1 education should even be made compulsory4 ,until the nerves and arteries of the nation stir into life1 every measure that is attempted will prove vain2 for the people are as the human body1 and determination and the will to struggle are as the soul1 and a soulless body does not move4 ,this dynamic power is present to a superlative degree in the very nature of the ,persian people1 and the spread of education will release it4 ,as to that element who believe that it is neither necessary nor appropriate to borrow the principles of civilization1 the fundamentals of progress toward high levels of social happiness in the material world1 the laws which effect thorough reforms1 the methods which extend the scope of culture--and that it is far more suitable that ,persia and the ,persians reflect over the situation and then create their own techniques of progress4 ,it is certain that if the vigorous intelligence and superior skill of the nation's great1 and the energy and resolve of the most eminent men at the imperial court1 and the determined efforts of those who have knowledge and capacity1 and are well versed in the great laws of political life1 should all be combined1 and all should exert every effort and examine and reflect over every detail as well as on the main currents of affairs1 there is every likelihood that because of the effective plans they would evolve1 some situations would be thoroughly reformed4 ,in the majority of cases1 however1 they would still be obliged to borrow2 because1 throughout the many-centuried past1 hundreds of thousands of persons have devoted their entire lives to putting these things to the test until they were able to bring about these substantial developments4 ,if all that is to be ignored and an effort is made to re-create those agencies in our own country and in our own way1 and thus effect the hoped-for advancement1 many generations would pass by and still the goal would not be reached4 ,observe for instance that in other countries they persevered over a long period until finally they discovered the power of steam and by means of it were enabled easily to perform the heavy tasks which were once beyond human strength4 ,how many centuries it would take if we were to abandon the use of this power and instead strain every nerve to invent a substitute4 ,it is therefore preferable to keep on with the use of steam and at the same time continuously to examine into the possibility of there being a far greater force available4 ,one should regard the other technological advances1 sciences1 arts and political formulae of proven usefulness in the same light--i4e41 those procedures which1 down the ages1 have time and again been put to the test and whose many uses and advantages have demonstrably resulted in the glory and greatness of the state1 and the well-being and progress of the people4 ,should all these be abandoned1 for no valid reason1 and other methods of reform be attempted1 by the time such reforms might eventuate1 and their advantages might be put to proof1 many years would go by1 and many lives4 ,meanwhile1 8we are still at the first bend in the road407#gd7 ,the superiority of the present in relation to the past consists in this1 that the present can take over and adopt as a model many things which have been tried and tested and the great benefits of which have been demonstrated in the past1 and that it can make its own new discoveries and by these augment its valuable inheritance4 ,it is clear1 then1 that the accomplishment and experience of the past are known and available to the present1 while the discoveries peculiar to the present were unknown to the past4 ,this presupposes that the later generation is made up of persons of ability2 otherwise1 how many a later generation has lacked even so much as a drop out of the boundless ocean of knowledge that was its forbears'4 ,reflect a little3 let us suppose that1 through the power of ,god1 certain individuals are placed on earth2 these obviously stand in need of many things1 to provide for their human dignity1 their happiness and ease4 ,now is it more practicable for them to acquire these things from their contemporaries1 or should they1 in each successive generation1 borrow nothing1 but instead independently create one or another of the instrumentalities which are necessary to human existence8 ,should some maintain that those laws1 principles and fundamentals of progress on the highest levels of a fully developed society1 which are current in other countries1 are not suited to the condition and the traditional needs of ,persia's people1 and that on this account it is necessary that within rn1 the nations' planners should exert their utmost efforts to bring about reforms appropriate to ,persia--let them first explain what harm could come from such foreign importations4 ,if the country were built up1 the roads repaired1 the lot of the helpless improved by various means1 the poor rehabilitated1 the masses set on the path to progress1 the avenues of public wealth increased1 the scope of education widened1 the government properly organized1 and the free exercise of the individual's rights1 and the security of his person and property1 his dignity and good name1 assured--would all this be at odds with the character of the ,persian people8 ,whatever is in conflict with these measures has already been proved injurious1 in every country1 and does not concern one locality more than another4 ,these superstitions result in their entirety from lack of wisdom and understanding1 and insufficient observation and analysis4 ,indeed1 the majority of the reactionaries and the procrastinators are only concealing their own selfish interests under a barrage of idle words1 and confusing the minds of the helpless masses with public statements which bear no relation to their well-concealed objectives4 ,o people of ,persia6 ,the heart is a divine trust2 cleanse it from the stain of self-love1 adorn it with the coronal of pure intent1 until the sacred honor1 the abiding greatness of this illustrious nation may shine out like the true morning in an auspicious heaven4 ,this handful of days on earth will slip away like shadows and be over4 ,strive then that ,god may shed ,his grace upon you1 that you may leave a favorable remembrance in the hearts and on the lips of those to come4 8,and grant that ,i be spoken of with honor by posterity407#ge7 ,happy the soul that shall forget his own good1 and like the chosen ones of ,god1 vie with his fellows in service to the good of all2 until1 strengthened by the blessings and perpetual confirmations of ,god1 he shall be empowered to raise this mighty nation up to its ancient pinnacles of glory1 and restore this withered land to sweet new life1 and as a spiritual springtime1 array those trees which are the lives of men with the fresh leaves1 the blossoms and fruits of consecrated joy4 ,,footnotes #a ,qur'n #ci3fi4 #b ,qur'n #ee3a-c4 #c ,qur'n #ci3ab4 #d ,qur'n #da3ec4 #e ,qur'n #g3agh2 #h3bb4 #f ,the original ,persian text written in #ahge carried no author's name1 and the first ,english translation published in #aiaj under the title ,the ,mysterious ,forces of ,civilization states only 8,written in ,persian by an ,eminent ,bahai ,philosopher40 #g ,qur'n #gf3i4 #h #b ,chronicles #cf3bb-bc2 ,ezra #a3b2 ,esther #a3a2 #h3i2 ,isaiah #de3a1 #ad2 #di3ab4 #i ,qur'n #f3ij2 #aa3ca4 #aj ,qur'n #ad3bc2 #ce3ah4 #aa ,qur'n #ie3d4 #ab ,the ,imm #8,al4 #ac ,qur'n #e3he4 #ad ,qur'n #bi3b4 #ae ,jhilyyih3 the period of paganism in ,arabia1 prior to the advent of ,muammad4 #af ,the pagan ,arabs observed one separate and three consecutive months of truce1 during which period pilgrimages were made to ,mecca1 and fairs1 poetry contests and similar events took place4 #ag ,qur'n #af3abd4 #ah ,qur'n #d3de2 #e3af4 #ai ,cf4 ,bah'u'llh1 ,the ,kitb-i-qn1 p4 #hf4 #bj 8,if by the word algebra we mean that branch of mathematics by which we learn how to solve the equation x#bex#ad1 written in this way1 the science begins in the #agth century4 ,if we allow the equation to be written with other and less convenient symbols1 it may be considered as beginning at least as early as the #crd century4 ,if we permit it to be stated in words and solved1 for simple cases of positive roots1 by the aid of geometric figures1 the science was known to ,euclid and others of the ,alexandrian school as early as #cjj ,b4,c4 ,if we permit of more or less scientific guessing in achieving a solution1 algebra may be said to have been known nearly #bjjj years ,b4,c41 and it had probably attracted the attention of the intellectual class much earlier444 ,the name #8algebra' is quite fortuitous4 ,when ,mohammed ibn ,ms al-,khowarizm 444 wrote in ,baghdad 7c4 #hbe7 he gave to one of his works the name ,al-jebr w'al-muqbalah4 ,the title is sometimes translated as #8restoration and equation1' but the meaning was not clear even to the later ,arab writers40 ,encyclopedia ,britannica1 #aieb1 s4v4 ,algebra4 #ba ,qur'n #ci3ab2 #ac3ag4 #bb ,rm1 ,the ,mathnav1 ,i1 #aijf-aijg4 #bc #8,ulam1 from the ,arabic alima1 to know1 may be translated learned men1 scientists1 religious authorities4 #bd ,the ,resh ,galuta1 a prince or ruler of the exiles in ,babylon1 to whom ,jews1 wherever they were1 paid tribute4 #be ,a measure of weight1 in ihrn equivalent to six and two-thirds pounds4 #bf ,qur'n #i3cc2 #dh3bh2 #fa3i4 #bg ,qur'n #ed3ee4 #bh ,qur'n #g3aga3 ,yawm-i-,alast1 the ,day when ,god1 addressing ,adam's posterity-to-be1 said to them1 8,am ,i not your ,lord80 7a-lastu bi ,rabbikum7 and they replied3 8,yea1 we bear witness40 #bi ,qur'n #i3cc4 #cj ,cf4 ,qur'n #bg3ab1 referring to ,moses3 8,put now thy hand into thy bosom3 it shall come forth white 444 one of nine signs to ,pharaoh and his people44440 ,also ,qur'n #g3aje2 #bj3bc2 #bf3cb2 #cb4 ,also ,exodus #d3f4 ,see too ,edward ,fitzgerald's ,the ,rubaiyat of ,omar ,khayyam3 ,now the ,new ,year reviving old ,desires1 ,the thoughtful ,soul to ,solitude retires1 ,where the ,white ,hand of ,moses on the ,bough ,puts out1 and ,jesus from the ,ground suspires4 ,the metaphors here refer to white blossoms and the perfumes of spring4 #ca ,qur'n #af3abf4 #cb ,qur'n #bd3ce4 #cc ,dhu'l-,awtd is variously rendered by translators of the ,qur'n as ,the ,impaler1 ,the ,contriver of the ,stakes1 ,the ,lord of a ,strong ,dominion1 ,the ,one ,surrounded by ,ministers1 etc4 ,awtd means pegs or tent stakes4 ,see ,qur'n #ch3aa and #hi3i4 #cd ,qur'n #bj3df4 #ce ,qur'n #cc3fc3 8,men will ask ,thee of #8the ,hour4' ,say3 ,the knowledge of it is with ,god alone40 ,cf4 also #bb3a1 8the earthquake of the ,hour10 etc4 ,see also ,matthew #bd3cf1 #db1 etc4 ,to ,bah's1 this refers to the ,advent of the ,bb and ,bah'u'llh4 #cf ,cf4 the ,islamic confession of faith1 sometimes called the two testimonies3 8,i testify that there is no ,god but ,god and ,muammad is the ,prophet of ,god40 #cg ,cf4 ,qur'n #bg3bj ff4 #ch ,qur'n #ab3dd2 #ba3e4 #ci ,qur'n #bd3ci4 #dj #ahge ,a4,d4 #da ,the foregoing paragraph1 together with the later paragraph beginning 8,a few1 unaware of the power latent in human endeavor10 was translated by ,shoghi ,effendi1 ,guardian of the ,bah' ,faith4 ,cf4 ,the ,world ,order of ,bah'u'llh1 pp4 #cg-ch4 #db ,ssnyn king who reigned #eca-egh ,a4,d4 #dc i4e41 the whole world4 #dd ,sa'd1 ,the ,gulistn1 ,on the ,conduct of ,kings4 #de ,qur'n #ag3hd4 #df ,the poet ,san'4 #dg ,rm1 ,the ,mathnav1 ,,iii1 #dbbi-dbca4 #dh ,qur'n #b3bd4 #di ,qur'n #h3fd4 #ej ,see ,rm1 ,the ,mathnav1 ,,ii1 #ahe and #ahi4 ,also the ,hadth3 8,god created the creatures in darkness1 then ,he sprinkled some of ,his ,light upon them4 ,those whom some of that ,light reached took the right way1 while those whom it missed wandered from the straight road40 ,cf4 ,r4 ,a4 ,nicholson's 8,the ,mathnaw of ,jallu'ddn ,rm0 in the ,e4 ,j4 ,w4 ,gibb ,memorial ,series4 #ea ,qur'n #bd3ce4 #eb ,qur'n #b3eh4 #ec ,qur'n #ag3d ff4 #ed ,the ,king ,james ,bible reads3 8,ye have heard that it hath been said1 ,thou shalt love thy neighbour1 and hate thine enemy40 ,scholars object to this reading because it is contrary to the known ,law as set forth in ,leviticus #ai3ah1 ,exodus #bc3d-e1 ,proverbs #be3ba1 the ,talmud1 etc4 #ee ,cf4 #8,abdu'l-,bah1 ,some ,answered ,questions1 ch4 ,,lxxxiv1 and ,promulgation of ,universal ,peace1 p4 #che4 ,see also ,galen on ,jews and ,christians by ,richard ,walzer1 ,oxford ,university ,press1 #aidi1 p4 #ae4 ,the author states that ,galen's summary here referred to is lost1 being preserved only in ,arabic quotations4 #ef ,from ,qur'n #d3aad2 #b3bjg1 etc #eg ,qur'n #ci3fi4 #eh ,the ,persian text transliterates this author's name as 8,draybr0 and titles his work ,the ,progress of ,peoples4 ,the reference is apparently to ,john ,william ,draper1 #ahaa-ahhb1 celebrated chemist and widely-translated historian4 ,detailed material on ,muslim contributions to the ,west1 and on ,gerbert 7,pope ,sylvester ,,ii7 appears in the second volume of the work cited4 ,of some of ,europe's systematically unacknowledged obligations to ,islm the author writes3 8,injustice founded on religious rancour and national conceit cannot be perpetuated for ever40 7,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #db1 ,rev4 ed47 ,the ,dictionary of ,american ,biography states that ,draper's father was a ,roman ,catholic who assumed the name ,john ,christopher ,draper when disowned by his family for becoming a ,methodist1 and that his real name is unknown4 ,the translator is indebted to ,mr4 ,paul ,north ,rice1 ,chief of the ,new ,york ,public ,library's ,reference ,department1 for the information that available data on ,draper's family history and nationality are in conflict2 ,the ,drapers in ,america by ,thomas ,waln-,morgan 7#ahib7 states that ,draper's father was born in ,london1 while ,albert ,e4 ,henschel in 8,centenary of ,john ,william ,draper0 7,new ,york ,university 8,colonnade10 ,june1 #aiaa7 has the following3 8,if there be among us any who trace their lineage to the sunny fields of ,italy1 they may feel a just pride in ,john ,william ,draper1 for his father1 ,john ,c4 ,draper1 was an ,italian by birth4440 ,the translator's thanks are also due to ,madame ,laura ,dreyfus-,barney for investigations in connection with this passage at the ,library of ,congress and the ,bibliothque ,nationale4 #ei ,qur'n #c3aaj4 #fj ,qur'n #c3ajj4 #fa ,qur'n #af3ib4 #fb ,qur'n #g3aih4 #fc ,qur'n #c3abh4 #fd ,qur'n #b3agb4 #fe ,qur'n #ei3i4 #ff ,qur'n #b3bjc4 #fg ,qur'n #db3cf4 #fh ,qur'n #c3aec4 #fi ,qur'n #ag3ad4 #gj ,qur'n #ei3i4 #ga ,qur'n #bc3ad3 8,blessed therefore be ,god1 the most excellent of ,makers40 #gb ,qur'n #ag3ca2 #aaj4 #gc ,rm1 ,the ,mathnav1 ,,ii #b3bgg4 ,the next line is3 ,a garden close1 if that thought be a rose1 ,but if it be a thorn1 then only fit to burn4 #gd ,from the lines3 8,attr has passed through the seven cities of love1 and we are still at the first bend in the road40 #ge ,qur'n #bf3hd4