The essence of these words is this: they that tread the path
of faith, they that thirst for the wine of certitude, must cleanse themselves
of all that is earthly -- their ears from idle talk, their minds from vain
imaginings, their hearts from worldly affections, their eyes from that which
perisheth. They should put their trust in God, and, holding fast unto Him,
follow in His way. Then will they be made worthy of the effulgent glories of
the sun of divine knowledge and understanding, and become the recipients of a
grace that is infinite and unseen, inasmuch as man can never hope to attain
unto the knowledge of the All-Glorious, can never quaff from the stream of
divine knowledge and wisdom, can never enter the abode of immortality, nor
partake of the cup of divine nearness and favour, unless and until he ceases to
regard the words and deeds of mortal men as a standard for the true
understanding and recognition of God and His Prophets.
(Baha'u'llah, ‘The
Kitab-i-Iqan’)
