he divinely-revealed verses
shine as the sun, whilst all others are as stars. To the peoples of the
world they are the abiding testimony, the incontrovertible proof, the
shining light of the ideal King. Their excellence is unrivalled, their
virtue nothing can surpass. They are the treasury of the divine pearls and
the depository of the divine mysteries. They constitute the indissoluble
Bond, the firm Cord, the Urvatu'l-Vuthqa, the inextinguishable Light.
Through them floweth the river of divine knowledge, and gloweth the fire
of His ancient and consummate wisdom. This is the fire which, in one and
the same moment, kindleth the flame of love in the breasts of the
faithful, and induceth the chill of heedlessness in the heart of the
enemy.

O friend! It behooveth us not to waive the injunction of God, but rather
acquiesce and submit to that which He hath ordained as His divine
Testimony. This verse is too weighty and pregnant an utterance for this
afflicted soul to demonstrate and expound. God speaketh the truth and
leadeth the way. He, verily, is supreme over all His people; He is the
Mighty, the Beneficent.

Likewise, He saith: "Such are the verses of God: with truth do We recite
them to Thee. But in what revelation will they believe, if they reject God
and His verses?"(156) If thou wilt grasp the implication of this verse,
thou wilt recognize the truth that no manifestation greater than the
Prophets of God hath ever been revealed, and no testimony mightier than
the testimony of their revealed verses hath ever appeared upon the earth.
Nay, this testimony no other testimony can ever excel, except that which
the Lord thy God willeth.

In another passage He saith: "Woe to every lying sinner, who heareth the
verses of God recited to him, and then, as though he heard them not,
persisteth in proud disdain! Apprise him of a painful punishment."(157)
The implications of this verse, alone, suffice all that is in heaven and
on earth, were the people to ponder the verses of their Lord. For thou
hearest how in this day the people disdainfully ignore the
divinely-revealed verses, as though they were the meanest of all things.
And yet, nothing greater than these verses hath ever appeared, nor will
ever be made manifest in the world! Say unto them: "O heedless people! Ye
repeat what your fathers, in a bygone age, have said. Whatever fruits they
have gathered from the tree of their faithlessness, the same shall ye
gather also. Ere lo