The Bab and the Perspective of the Heart

meanings. But among these infinite meanings there is one meaning that is superior to all other meanings. Unveiling that supreme meaning is the highest form of interpretation. The key to understand that highest meaning is to go beyond the differences of words, sentences, paragraphs and chapters. Therefore, the highest meaning of the Qur’an is understood when in reading of the Qur’an we do not pay attention to the diversity of the letters and words and chapters of the text. Rather we see the entire Qur’an as one thing, namely its supreme truth, which is the pure revelation of God. In this way the main message and meaning of the Qur’an becomes affirmation of the ultimate truth of everything, namely the pure divine revelation. In this way the Qur’an is also the same as Gospel, Torah, Avesta, and all other sacred scriptures. Unlike the interpretation by the clerics of different religions who emphasize the differences and oppositions of various scriptures, the Bab sees in all scriptures their common truth which is the utter pure revelation of God, and that is the very truth of everything. Consequently for the Bab the highest meaning of the Qur’an or other scriptures is the unity of all beings, the sacred character of all, and the necessity of respecting and loving all human beings and all nature. This is the hidden secret of Islam, the Husayn, which was hidden in the realm of the heart. In order to better understand this perspective of the Bab I quote a statement of the Bab from his Commentary on the Surih of Kawthar. Kawthar is the fountain of plentitude, the water which is the source of all waters. In discussing this water, the Bab says: “Shouldst thou declare that the bed of this river is established of water, and the ark moving upon it is made out of water, and the mariner and those who enter the ark are fashioned out of its water, and the waves and all that lieth deep within are from the same substance of its water, thou verily wouldst have uttered the truth. For verily the inner essence of that crystal water referreth to naught but its outer manifestation; likewise, its outer manifestation revealeth naught but its inner essence. . . . Those who traverse the path of this river and quaff thereof behold in it naught but the pure and absolute revelation of the divine outpouring, which only referreth unto the Sovereign Source of Revelation Who hath shed upon them, and through them, the splendors of His Revelation. It is a river that by its very essence drowneth all the Names and Attributes.” ان ﻗﻠت انٌ ارض اﻟﻧﮭر ﻣن ﻣﺎﺋﮫ وانٌ اﻟﺳﻔﯾﻧﮫ ﻓوﻗﮫ ھﯽ ﻣن ﻣﺎﺋﮫ اﻟﻣﻼٌ وانٌ ح وﻣﺎ ﯾﺳﺗﻘرٌ ﻋﻠﯾﮭﺎ ﻓﮭو ﻣن ﻣﺎﺋﮫ وانٌ اﻻﻣواج وﻣﺎ ﯾﺳﻛن ﻓﯽ اﻟﻣﺎء ھو ﻣن ﻣﺎﺋﮫ ﻟﻘﻠت ﻛﻠﻣﺔ ﺣق ﻻنٌ ذﻟك ﻣﺎء ﻻ ﯾدلٌ ظﺎھره اﻻٌ ﺑﺑﺎطﻧﮫ ... ﻻ ﯾری اﻟﺳﺎﻟك ﻓﯾﮫ و اﻟﺷﺎرب ﻣﻧﮫ اﻻ ﺻرف ظﮭور ﺗﺟﻠٌ ﯽ اﻟﺑﺣت اﻟﺑﺄت اﻟٌ on a mountain of ice, an ocean of water. Of course water and fire are the opposites of each other. But the Bab is the unity of the opposites because he is the revelation of God, the word of God, who is the source of a civilization in which there are all things with all kinds of diversities and oppositions. But from the point of view of the Bab, the truth of fire and water is one common thing, namely the utter pure revelation of God. Therefore, one of the oppositions that he overcomes is the opposition between the material and spiritual worlds. Traditionally, the realm of nature is perceived as the opposite of the divine realm. Therefore, we can become spiritual only if we oppose the realm of nature. For the Bab, however, the truth of the material word is also spiritual. All beings are sacred, and all beings are

ﻟن ﯾدلٌ اﻻٌ ﻋن اﻟﻣﺗﺟﻠٌ ﯽ ﻟﮫ ﺑﮫ وھو ﻧﮭر ﺑذاﺗﮫ ﻣﻐرق اﻻﺳﻣﺎء واﻟﺻﻔﺎت 3. The perspective of the heart represents the unity of opposites. In his Commentary on the Surih of Joseph the Bab constantly talks of himself as the truth of all prophets of God, who is the point in the midmost of fire upon the ocean of water. He is the fire of the burning bush but this fire is

ذی