Though young and tender of age, and though the Cause He
revealed was contrary to the desire of all the peoples of the earth, both high
and low, rich and poor, exalted and abased, king and subject, yet He arose and
steadfastly proclaimed it. All have known and heard this. He feared no one; He
was reckless of consequences. Could such a thing be made manifest except
through the power of a Divine Revelation, and the potency of God’s invincible
Will? By the righteousness of God! Were anyone to entertain so great a
Revelation in his heart, the thought of such a declaration would alone confound
him! Were the hearts of all men to be crowded into his heart, he would still
hesitate to venture upon so awful an enterprise. He could achieve it only by
the permission of God, only if the channel of his heart were to be linked with
the Source of Divine grace, and his soul be assured of the unfailing sustenance
of the Almighty. To what, We wonder, do they ascribe so great a daring? Do they
accuse Him of madness as they accused the Prophets of old? Or do they maintain
that His motive was none other than leadership and the acquisition of earthly
riches?
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Kitab-i-Iqan’, quoted by Shoghi Effendi in the
Introduction to the Dawn-Breakers)
