e Day in which the Beauty of the All-Glorious
shone forth in the exalted person of 'Ali-Muhammad, the Bab. No sooner did
He reveal Himself, than all the people rose up against Him. By some He was
denounced as one that hath uttered slanders against God, the Almighty, the
Ancient of Days. Others regarded Him as a man smitten with madness, an
allegation which I, Myself, have heard from the lips of one of the
divines. Still others disputed His claim to be the Mouthpiece of God, and
stigmatized Him as one who had stolen and used as his the words of the
Almighty, who had perverted their meaning, and mingled them with his own.
The Eye of Grandeur weepeth sore for the things which their mouths have
uttered, while they continue to rejoice upon their seats.

"God," said He, "is My witness, O people! I am come to you with a
Revelation from the Lord, your God, the Lord of your fathers of old. Look
not, O people, at the things ye possess. Look rather at the things God
hath sent down unto you. This, surely, will be better for you than the
whole of creation, could ye but perceive it. Repeat the gaze, O people,
and consider the testimony of God and His proof which are in your
possession, and compare them unto the Revelation sent down unto you in
this Day, that the truth, the infallible truth, may be indubitably
manifested unto you. Follow not, O people, the steps of the Evil One;
follow ye the Faith of the All-Merciful, and be ye of them that truly
believe. What would it profit man, if he were to fail to recognize the
Revelation of God? Nothing whatever. To this Mine own Self, the
Omnipotent, the Omniscient, the All-Wise, will testify."

The more He exhorted them, the fiercer grew their enmity, till, at the
last, they put Him to death with shameful cruelty. The curse of God be
upon the oppressors!

A few believed in Him; few of Our servants are the thankful. These He
admonished, in all His Tablets--nay, in every passage of His wondrous
writings--not to give themselves up in the Day of the promised Revelation
to anything whatever, be it in the heaven or in the earth. "O people!"
said He, "I have revealed Myself for His Manifestation, and have caused My
Book, the Bayan, to descend upon you for no other purpose except to
establish the truth of His Cause. Fear ye God, and contend not with Him as
the people of the Qur'an have contended with Me. At whatever time ye hear
of Him, hasten ye towards Him, and cleave ye to whatsoever He may revea