# A Journey through the Seven Valleys

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-20 — 1 clipping.*

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Ghasem Bayat, A Journey through the Seven Valleys, bahai-library.com.
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> 
> A Journey through t he Seven Valley s
> 
> A Journey through the Seven Valleys1 of Bahá’u’lláh
> by Ghasem Bayat
> 
> Preamble
> n this brief journey through the Seven Valleys2 of Bahá’u’lláh, we will partake of its spiritual bounties, focus
> 
> I   on its principal message, tune our hearts to the teachings it enshrines, marvel at its masterful composition
> and form, and recognize some of the distinctive features of this book as compared with Islamic mystic writ-
> ings. This brief journey is at best an introduction to this Epistle, and is intended to encourage the readers to
> embark on an in-depth study of the Seven Valleys to receive the full measure of love and life it offers.
> 
> The Historical Background
> This Epistle of Bahá’u’lláh was revealed during the Baghdad period, circa 1862 C .E .. It was revealed in
> answer to questions raised by Shaykh Muhyi’d-Dín, 3 the judge of Khániqayn, a town located in Iraqi
> Kurdistan, northeast of Baghdad, and near the Iranian border.
> The words of the beloved Guardian in describing the significance of this Epistle and its relation to other
> Writings of Bahá’u’lláh provides us with a perspective on this book:
> To these two outstanding contributions to the world’s religious literature [the Kitáb-i-ˆqán and the Hidden
> Words], occupying respectively, positions of unsurpassed preeminence among the doctrinal and ethical
> Writings of the Author of the Bahá’í Dispensation, was added, during that same period, a treatise that may
> well be regarded as His greatest mystical composition, designated as the “Seven Valleys,” which He wrote
> in answer to the questions of Shaykh Muhyi’d-Dín, the Qádí of Khániqayn, in which He describes the
> seven stages which the soul of the seeker must needs traverse ere it can attain the object of its existence.4
> This Epistle was revealed in the language and the composition of the mystic Sufi Writings, and is part of a
> category of the mystical Writings of Bahá’u’lláh that includes Books such as the Four Valleys,5 the Hidden
> Words,6 and the Kitáb-i-ˆqán, 7 plus Tablets like the Essence (Gems) of Mysteries, 8 and the Mathnavíy-i-
> Mubárak (Blessed Ode).9 All of these Writings, with the exception of the Blessed Ode, were revealed during
> the Baghdad period, prior to the declaration of His ministry. The composition of the Blessed Ode probably
> started during His sojourn in Kurdistan but was completed in Adrianople.
> The Seven Valleys describes various stages in the mystic journey of a wayfarer, and identifies the conditions
> prerequisite to success in this spiritual quest. This Treatise is revealed in an eloquent language and is composed
> in a masterful style, with beauty and brevity. Some of its poems , traditions, words of wisdom and stories can
> be traced back to the mystic writings of ‘Attár, Rúmí, Ansárí, Saná’í, and others. At a first glance, therefore, it
> appears to be a mystical book in conformity with the Is lamic mystical literature of the past, encouraging the
> seekers to break away from the rigors of life and undertake a spiritual path. A deeper study of the language,
> themes, style and abundance of poems and stories that are used in this Epistle only serve to accentuate this first
> impression.
> In spite of this res emblance to the Islamic mystic writings, it stands apart from all in its purpose, its mean-
> ings, its message, and its claims. This article will show how virtually every story, every metaphor and every
> poem conveys distinctly different objectives and meanings from thos e intended by the mystics in their writ-
> ings. All these find their fulfilment in the Person of Bahá’u’lláh and His advent in this world. Examples will
> be offered to show how the use of mystic language and its metaphors have been used to proclaim this new
> Cause and its Truth through a medium commonly understood by mystics.
> Some of the distinctive features of this Epistle that form the subject matter of this article on the Seven
> Valleys are as follows :
> i.    The principal message of this Treatise is the glad-tidings of the coming of the Promised
> Manifestation of the Ancient Beauty amongst men. This message appears throughout this Epistle,
> 
> Lights of ‘Irfán
> 
> at times wrapped in metaphors and allusions, and at other times in abundantly clear language.
> ii.    This Treatise uses mystic language and its abundant metaphors to expound on the Truth brought
> by the new Cause about the reality of God’s Manifestations, the relationship of man to his Creator,
> and the purpose and the ultimate reach of man’s spiritual quest. The contrasts between these asser-
> tions and common Sufi beliefs are at times overwhelming.
> iii.   This Treatise also contains the seeds and the elements of many of the teachings of the Cause that
> were amplified in subsequent Writings of the Faith throughout Bahá’u’lláh’s ministry.
> 
> The Language and the Composition
> This Epistle is revealed in a masterful style, eloquent composition, extreme brevity, and in apparent con-
> formity to the traditions and language common amongst the mystic Sufis. Like many Islamic mystical writ-
> ings, the Seven Valleys describes the themes that relate to the wayfarer’s path, highlights issues that they need
> to consider at each stage, and provides advice on the titles and requirements of these stages.
> The celebrated thirteenth-century Persian mystic ‘Attár10 describes the eternal spiritual quest of man for the
> knowledge and companionship of the Lord in his book the Conference of the Birds (Mantiqu’t-Tayr).11 In this
> book, ‘Attár uses the metaphor of birds for humanity and the human soul. He relates how the birds assembled
> to learn about their King. Upon learning about Him they longed so much for His company that they embarked
> on a harsh and long journey to reach Him. At last, thirty tired and tried birds amongst them reached the pres-
> ence of their King, the Phoenix. The Phoenix is that mystical bird repeatedly reborn again from the ashes, in
> much the same way that God’s Manifestations grace the world of man with their frequent visits. The Persian
> name for this mythical Phoenix is Seymorgh, meaning “thirty (sey) birds (morgh).”
> In the Conference of the Birds ‘Attár recalls these seven stages of the journey of the birds as seven valleys ,
> and describes them as the Valleys of Search, Love, Knowledge, Contentment, Unity, Wonderment, and Poverty
> and Nothingness. It is noteworthy that there is a significant diversity of views amongs t the mystics about these
> stages, their numbers and descriptions. It is sufficient to state that ‘Attár himself describes the number of these
> stages in his “Book of Hardship” (Mosibat-Námeh) as five, each with different titles. 12 These stages are
> described still differently by Abú-Nas r Sarraj, are counted as ten by Shaykh ‘Abdu’lláh Ansárí, and later as one
> hundred in his other works.
> Any detailed discussion of these stages and their descriptions as related by the mystics falls outside the
> scope of this brief article. As intended in mystic writings, “valley” relates to the treacherous and dangerous
> path or station that a wayfarer has to traverse. Its names, descriptions and numbers are s ubject to the perspec-
> tive of the wayfarer, and are consequently often reported differently. It is unfortunate that throughout the years
> these superficial aspects of the spiritual journeys have received undue attention by the wayfarers and have
> actually become obstacles between them and the object of their quests.
> One of the objectives of the Seven Valleys has been to assist the seeker to search and find Bahá’u’lláh, as
> He has proclaimed Himself in ways that all eyes can see Him and all ears can hear His melody. Bahá’u’lláh
> refers to the futility of the ritualistic efforts of some that have caused these numerous obstacles in the wayfar-
> ers’ paths to Him with these words:
> Secrets are many, but strangers are myriad. Volumes will not suffice to hold the mystery of the Beloved
> One, nor can it be exhausted in these pages, although it be no more than a word, no more than a sign.
> “Knowledge is a single point, but the ignorant have multiplied it.” 13
> Bahá’u’lláh titles these stages of spiritual quest in the Seven Valleys as the Valleys of Search, Love,
> Knowledge, Unity, Contentment, Wonderment, and True Poverty and Abs olute Nothingness. With a minor
> change in order, these are the same valleys that ‘Attár discussed.
> A study of the Seven Valleys indicates that a wayfarer’s journey through these stages is intended to break
> him away from undue attachment to and obsession with this material world, and purify and prepare his mind
> and heart to perceive higher truths. The guidance given in the Seven Valleys is about knowing ones elf, one’s
> need of spiritual bestowals, contentment and submission unto the will of God, and the desire for God’s favour.
> It encourages perseverance in one’s search after the Beloved, purification of one’s eyes, ears and mind from
> 
> A Journey through t he Seven Valley s
> 
> whatever may be unacceptable in His sight, and the opening of one’s heart so that His love may enter.
> This journey is a physical and spiritual endeavour to build a wayfarer’s character and spirit in order to make
> him worthy of entering the presence of his Lord. At the same time, it is in line with the teachings of all great
> Faiths. The choice of ‘Attár’s titles for the stages in this spiritual endeavour is neither critical nor central to
> the main theme of this Epistle. The Seven Valleys does not intend to elevate any of the methods and des crip-
> tions of these stages over others, and it should not be our goal either. This point comes across clearly from the
> Words of Bahá’u’lláh when He states:
> The stages that mark the wayfarer’s journey from the abode of dust to the heavenly homeland are said to
> be seven. Some have called these Seven Valleys, and others, Seven Cities. 14
> As can be seen from this quote and from earlier quotes, Bahá’u’lláh places no special emphasis on the num-
> bering or titles of these paths.
> A seeker in the Sufi traditions was expected to spend a lifetime of effort and training under different spiri-
> tual guides to pass through thes e valleys. Bahá’u’lláh’s statement in the Seven Valleys instead places the
> emphasis on the Lord’s grace and the genuineness of the wayfarer’s search, and not on mere ritualistic efforts:
> These journeys have no visible ending in the world of time, but the severed wayfarer—if invisible confir-
> mation descend upon him and the Guardian of the Cause assist him—may cross these seven stages in seven
> steps, nay rather in seven breaths, nay rather in a single breath, if God will and desire it. And this is of “His
> grace on such of His servants as He pleaseth.” 15
> The objective is recognition of Bahá’u’lláh and obedience to His commandments in a single declaration of
> faith and submission, “Yes, My Lord.”
> Regarding the large number of metaphors and citations in this Treatise, Bahá’u’lláh explains that the men-
> tion of many of these references is in response to the wishes of the friends:
> There is many an utterance of the mystic seers and doctors of former times which I have not mentioned
> here, since I mislike the copious citation from sayings of the past; for quotation from the words of others
> proveth acquired learning, not the divine bestowal. Even so much as We have quoted here is out of defer-
> ence to the wont of men and after the manner of the friends.16
> While most of Bahá’u’lláh’s tablets are addressed to specific individuals or groups, these tablets are actual-
> ly intended for a much wider audience and a large section of mankind. For example, the Book of Certitude was
> ostensibly revealed in answer to the questions of a maternal uncle of the Báb, but there is no doubt that this
> book has served to enlighten, in addition to Muslims, a large number of Jewish and Christian believers by
> addressing their scriptural concerns as well. Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablets are written to many groups and sections of
> mankind, including Zoroastrians, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Bábís, Sufis, clergymen, kings, rulers, and the
> learned.
> In the Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, Bahá’u’lláh states that His intention in revealing Tablets to the clergy,
> doctors of jurisprudence, and Sufis had been to teach and educate each group of people according to their
> capacity and provide for the transformation of individuals, thereby bringing about the peace and tranquillity of
> all mankind:
> The purpose of the one true God, exalted be His glory, hath been to bring forth the Mystic Gems out of the
> mine of man. . . . That the divers communions of the earth, and the manifold systems of religious belief,
> should never be allowed to foster the feelings of animosity among men, is, in this Day, of the essence of
> the Faith of God and His Religion. . . . Exert yourselves that ye may attain this transcendent and most sub-
> lime station, the station that can insure the protection and security of all mankind. This goal excelleth every
> other goal, and this aspiration is the monarch of all aspirations. . . . At one time We spoke in the language
> of the lawgiver; at another in that of the truth-seeker and the mystic, and yet Our supreme purpose and
> highest wish hath always been to disclose the glory and sublimity of this station. 17
> This statement indicates that the purpose underlying Bahá’u’lláh’s mystical Writings has been the same as that
> of the entire body of His Writings. Bahá’u’lláh’s intention has not been to add to or modify any of the diverse
> and disparate Sufi movements.
> 
> Lights of ‘Irfán
> 
> Some of the distinctive features of the Seven Valleys from the Islamic mystic Writings are highlighted
> below.
> 
> Glad Tidings of the Appearance of God’s Manifestation amongst Humanity.
> The principal message of the Seven Valleys is that God’s Manifestation has appeared amongst humanity.
> This is the Good News awaited by the faithful for centuries and even millennia. This message is also for the
> mystics who would prepare themselves for their entire lives for just a glimpse of the Ancient Beauty.
> The Islamic mystic Writings provide spiritual guidance to seekers in their quest for communion with God.
> The words of Bahá’u’lláh, on the other hand, are the words of the Divine proclaiming His Manifestation in this
> world and calling the believers to His Presence. This Good News, which in the Seven Valleys is at times
> wrapped in allegories and symbolic terms and at other times in lucid terms, is unmistakably clear if taken as a
> whole.
> As the views of some Sufi extremists regarding their communion with God have become indistinguishable
> from Pantheism, Bahá’u’lláh makes it clear in this Treatise that union with God as des cribed by Sufi extrem-
> ists is unattainable. He redefines and restates the goal of the mystic quest as recognition of God’s Manifestation
> for the age and obedience to His laws, thus uniting the goals of the mystics and the faithful in their hopes and
> aspirations. This is a significant change for the mystics and will be discussed in greater detail.
> He emphatically states and clearly defines the limit of man’s spiritual reach:
> However, let none construe these utterances to be anthropomorphism, nor see in them the descent of the
> worlds of God into the grades of the creatures; nor should they lead thine Eminence to such assumptions.
> For God is, in His Essence, holy above ascent and descent, entrance and exit; He hath through all eternity
> been free of the attributes of human creatures, and ever will remain so. No man hath ever known Him; no
> soul hath ever found the pathway to His Being. Every mystic knower hath wandered far astray in the val-
> ley of the knowledge of Him; every saint hath lost his way in seeking to comprehend His Essence.
> Sanctified is He above the understanding of the wise; exalted is He above the knowledge of the knowing!
> The way is barred and to seek it is impiety. 18
> Thus, the object of the ancient quest and the ultimate spiritual reach of a wayfarer in this day is recognition
> of Bahá’u’lláh. The Seven Valleys contains the spiritual guidance that prepares man to meet and recognize the
> “Lord of the Age.” In a complementary Epistle, the Four Valleys, seekers at all stages of spiritual development
> are guided to one of the manifold attributes and stations of Bahá’u’lláh. These two Treatises are the Lord’s
> guidance to His subjects to recognize and follow Him, even though the formal declaration of His message was
> yet to come. These messages, some of which are highlighted here, are expressions of love and excitement, hope
> and fulfilment.
> In the opening chapter of the Seven Valleys, in response to a letter from the Shaykh, Bahá’u’lláh address es
> him in these words:
> And since I noted thy mention of thy death in God, and thy life through Him, and thy love for the beloved
> of God and the Manifestations of His Names and the Dawning-Points of His Attributes—I therefore reveal
> unto thee sacred and resplendent tokens from the planes of glory, to attract thee into the court of holiness
> and nearness and beauty, and draw thee to a station wherein thou shalt see nothing in creation save the Face
> of thy Beloved One, the Honored, and behold all created things only as in the day wherein none hath a
> m e n t i o n .1 9
> This is an invitation to the Shaykh to enter His presence and gaze on the face of the Beloved, the Honored.
> He is then promised that if he recognizes Him he will achieve his spiritual destiny in the “heavenly abode” in
> “the Center of realities,” which is the World of the Cause:
> By My life, O friend, wert thou to taste of these fruits, from the green garden of these blossoms which grow
> in the lands of knowledge, beside the orient lights of the Essence in the mirrors of names and attributes—
> yearning would seize the reins of patience and reserve from out thy hand, and make thy soul to shake with
> the flashing light, and draw thee from the earthly homeland to the first, heavenly abode in the Center of
> realities, and lift thee to a plane wherein thou wouldst soar in the air even as thou walkest upon the earth,
> 
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> 
> and move over the water as thou runnest on the land. 20
> The meanings of this statement and the station of Bahá’u’lláh are unmistakable, yet, to make it even clear-
> er, Bahá’u’lláh then refers to Himself as the “Shebá of the Merciful,” and to His message as “the wind (Sabá)
> of certitude” that brings faith and certainty.
> Wherefore, may it rejoice Me, and thee, and whosoever mounteth into the heaven of knowledge, and whose
> heart is refreshed by this, that the wind [Sabá] of certitude hath blown over the garden of his being, from
> the Sheba of the All-Merciful.21
> For the Shaykh and other mystics like him, the meaning and intention of these metaphors was abundantly
> clear. For Sufis, “Sabá” is an easterly breeze that carries the fragrance and message of the Beloved. The east
> is a metaphor for the world of light and heaven, while the wes t is symbolic of the darksome material world.
> Mythology has it that Shebá, i.e., Queen of Shebá, received a message of love and compliance from King
> Solomon. Shebá responded positively and, in doing so, became the king’s beloved. Consequently “Shebá” in
> Sufi literature stands for a metaphor of the pure souls who respond to the Lord’s commands and become the
> Manifestation of His names and attributes in the human realm.
> Therefore, it can be understood that the eastern breeze of certitude (the new Faith) has arrived from the
> Manifestation of the All Merciful (Bahá’u’lláh) from the heavenly abode in the Center of realities (World of
> Cause) to refresh the soul of this s eeker (the Shaykh).
> This paragraph ends with a remark often found in Islamic Writings: “Peace be upon him who followeth the
> Right Path.” As this expression is repeated five times throughout this Epistle it merits some additional com-
> ment.
> The “Right Path” is what every practicing Muslim prays for five times a day. This is a challenge for every
> Muslim who professes Islam to be the Right Path, yet prays fervently to be guided to it. Islamic traditions
> explain that the “Right Path” is a reference to the Person and the Cause of the Promised One of Islam. In this
> context, Bahá’u’lláh states that He is indeed the “Way of God” and His Truth.
> O Salmán! The door of the knowledge of the Ancient Being hath ever been, and will continue for ever to
> be, closed in the face of men. No man’s understanding shall ever gain access unto His holy court. As a
> token of His mercy, however, and as a proof of His loving-kindness, He hath manifested unto men the Day-
> Stars of His divine guidance, the Symbols of His divine unity, and hath ordained the knowledge of these
> sanctified Beings to be identical with the knowledge of His own Self. Whoso recognizeth them hath rec-
> ognized God. Whoso hearkeneth to their call, hath hearkened to the Voice of God, and whoso testifieth to
> the truth of their Revelation, hath testified to the truth of God Himself. Whoso turneth away from them,
> hath turned away from God, and whoso disbelieveth in them, hath disbelieved in God. Every one of them
> is the Way of God that connecteth this world with the realms above, and the Standard of His Truth unto
> every one in the kingdoms of earth and heaven. They are the Manifestations of God amidst men, the evi-
> dences of His Truth, and the signs of His glory. [ emphas is added] 22
> This is an example of Bahá’u’lláh’s reference to Himself as the Promised One of Islam, clear and lucid to
> those of pure heart and mind who have eyes to see and ears to hear, and yet concealed to those who do not wish
> to know.
> Bahá’u’lláh amplifies His intended meaning of this phrase from the words of a Muslim mystic, Khájih
> ‘Abdu’lláh Ansárí,23 when He states:
> Wherefore, relevant to this, Khájih ‘Abdu’lláh—may God the Most High sanctify his beloved spirit—hath
> made a subtle point and spoken an eloquent word as to the meaning of “Guide Thou us on the straight
> path,” which is: “Show us the right way, that is, honor us with the love of Thine Essence, that we may be
> freed from turning toward ourselves and toward all else save Thee, and may become wholly Thine, and
> know only Thee, and see only Thee, and think of none save Thee.” 24
> As all attributes and names of God relate to the M anifestation of the Lord, the love of the Lord that this mys-
> tic equates to the “Straight Path” also means the love of His Manifestation.
> It is interesting to note that “Guide Thou us on the straight path” is quite similar in meaning and purpose to
> 
> Lights of ‘Irfán
> 
> the words of Jesus Chris t in the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, Thy
> kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”25 These two statements are probably amongst the
> most often repeated and yet equally misunderstood statements by Christians and Muslims alike.
> In Sufi traditions, a seeker has to follow and learn the manners of search from a s piritual guide (Murshíd),
> and firs t reach a state of union and total submission unto him. He then needs to find the highest-ranking guide
> of his age (Qutb, literally, the “Pole,” signifying the station of this guide around whom all things revolve), and
> reach the same state of total submission and union with him. He will then be ready to contemplate union with
> the Lord. Bahá’u’lláh reminds this Shaykh that he needs a spiritual guide to undertake his search, and that He
> is that Guide who can lead him. To reiterate the significance of His assertion, He further reminds the Shaykh
> of an often related story of a journey in which “Moses the Law-giver” was asked to accompany Khidr to obtain
> wisdom. In mystic Writings Khidr was regarded as the wise and enlightened s oul who was enabled to find and
> quaff from the water of life and obtain eternal life.
> During their journey Khidr’s actions and motives were questioned by Moses three times after Khidr indi-
> cated that he did not wish to go any further with Him in view of Moses’ lack of confidence in him. Nevertheless
> he explained the just motives of his actions to Moses before parting from Him: (1) He had damaged and dis-
> abled the boat they were travelling in to protect it from being confiscated by the local ruler for military pur-
> poses; (2) He had killed a young man to avoid a pending spiritual disaster he was about to bring upon his fam-
> ily; (3) He had repaired the ruined wall of a garden that belonged to an orphan without asking for reward to
> avoid the discovery of the family treasure which had been buried under the wall by the now-deceased father,
> until his son becomes an adult.
> In this story, related in Rúmí’s Mathnaví26 and cited twice in the Seven Valleys by Bahá’u’lláh, the contrast
> is made between Mos es as the Law-giver and Khidr as the essence of wisdom. Despite His knowledge and
> powers, Moses was unable to gras p the wisdom of things and was in need of a guide. This mystic rendering of
> a portrait of a Manifestation of God is not in conformity with Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings on the station and unity
> of M anifestations of God. There could be many explanations for the symbolism of this story. One may regard
> Moses and Khidr as two aspects of the manifold stations of Moses. One as pect of Him is portraying the sig-
> nificance of the Law and the other reflecting the need for wisdom in all things. The story teaches the need for
> a combination of wisdom and the law.
> Bahá’u’lláh refers to this story in conformity to mystic traditions for a purpose:
> Veiled from this was Moses
> Though all strength and light;
> Then thou who hast no wings at all,
> Attempt not flight.
> If thou be a man of communion and prayer, soar up on the wings of assistance from Holy Souls, that thou
> mayest behold the mysteries of the Friend and attain to the lights of the Beloved, “Verily, we are from God
> and to Him shall we return.”27
> The essence of Bahá’u’lláh’s message in quoting Rúmí in this story is that the Shaykh, or indeed any seek-
> er, needs to follow Him regardless of his own knowledge and powers, just as Moses had to follow Khidr on
> His spiritual journey. So, Khidr is a metaphor for the Person of Bahá’u’lláh, and the mystics could not miss
> the implications of this statement. Furthermore, Bahá’u’lláh uses the words of Rúmí, “Then thou who hast no
> wings at all,/ Attempt not flight,” to inform the seeker gently that he is indeed in need of His guidance.
> The manner in which this mystic story has been related and used in the Seven Valleys is an example of the
> masterful use of an old story to convey a new message.
> Bahá’u’lláh refers to His person in this pass age as the “Holy Soul” and the “Friend” and “Beloved. ” It is
> noteworthy that, throughout the ages, the mystics have used the term “Beloved” as strictly referring to God.
> Bahá’u’lláh states that the true seeker needs His guidance to behold His mysteries and see His lights. In the
> Kitáb-i-ˆqán, among other titles, Bahá’u’lláh refers to Himself as the Source of all light:
> And now, We beseech the people of the Bayán, all the learned, the sages, the divines, and witnesses
> 
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> 
> amongst them, not to forget the wishes and admonitions revealed in their Book. Let them, at all times, fix
> their gaze upon the essentials of His Cause, lest when He, Who is the Quintessence of truth, the inmost
> reality of all things, the Source of all light [Núr al-anwár], is made manifest, they cling unto certain pas-
> sages of the Book, and inflict upon Him that which was inflicted in the Dispensation of the Qur’án.28
> The term núr al-anwár, “the Source of all light” (lit. “Light of lights”), has been the subject of much com-
> mentary by great thinkers and philosophers such as Suhrevardí, the founder of the philosophical school of
> Ishráq, “Illumination.” 29 He states that “Núr al-anwár” is the pinnacle of creation, the purpose of creation, the
> first creation, the first wis dom, the primal reason, the universal mind, and that all lights and minds are but its
> creation and owe their existence to it. These terms are interchangeably used by mystic philosophers and
> thinkers to refer to God’s Manifes tations. Bahá’u’lláh clearly chose to declare His station in the Book of
> Certitude and the Seven Valleys in terms that would have been unmistakably understood by those familiar with
> the philosophical schools of thought of the time. His us e of such titles as “Quintessence of truth,” the “inmost
> reality of all things,” and the “Source of all light” reflects His claim.
> Throughout this Treatise Bahá’u’lláh emphasizes that the seeker needs to open his inner eyes to see the
> Beloved, and lis ten attentively to His words. To succeed, he must leave aside his own preconceived ideas and
> abandon all prejudices. The stories in this Epistle serve to make these very points . A few examples of such sto-
> ries will clearly support this view and show how each story at the same time has been given a fresh purpose
> and meaning in the context of the message of His advent.
> The love-story of Majnún and Laylí is an old narrative of romance about the children of two Arab noble-
> men. In Persian literature, and es pecially in Persian mystic literature, this romance has evolved to symbolize a
> divine relationship. The most noteworthy example of this can be s een in the poetry of Nizámí Ganjaví, written
> around 1188 C.E . 30 In the Seven Valleys Bahá’u’lláh once again alludes to His station using this well-known
> story. He first relates the story as told by ‘Attár in the Conference of Birds. He tells how Majnún was found
> sifting through the dust in search of his beloved Layli. To the onlookers, who criticized him for “searching for
> a pure pearl in the dirt of the street,” he declares that he would seek her everywhere, that perchance he might
> find her. Then Bahá’u’lláh adds a short epilogue to this story that states:
> Yea, although to the wise it be shameful to seek the Lord of Lords [Rabu’l-Arbáb] in the dust, yet this beto-
> keneth intense ardor in searching. “Whoso seeketh out a thing with zeal shall find it. ”31
> This statement at first glance seems to be an affirmation of the positive effects of zeal and perseverance in
> achieving one’s goals. However, a closer look reveals that Bahá’u’lláh interprets the title “pure pearl” in the
> story to mean “Lord of Lords.” That is, Majnún really was searching for his Lord in the dust. Furthermore, the
> choice of “Lord of Lords ” [Rabu’l-Arbáb] is deliberate, for its abjad number is the numerical equivalent of His
> own name “Husayn-‘ Alí,” both adding up to 238. This may signal that if the seeker searches for the Lord of
> Lords with zeal, he will succeed in finding Him in the world of man.
> A true test of the faith of sincere believers throughout the ages has been their ability to perceive the
> Manifestations of the Lord in human flesh, in circumstances common to all. It is this tes t that distinguished
> Peter in the Dispensation of Christ and Mullá Husayn in the Dispensation of the Báb from others. The diffi-
> culty of the people of His age to recognize His station is clear from the way Christ answered John the Baptist
> when he asked Him if He was the Messiah:
> Jesus answered, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind recover their sight, the lame walk, the
> lepers are made clean, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, the poor are hearing the good news—and
> happy is the man who does not find me a stumbling block.” 32
> Like Christ, Bahá’u’lláh uses metaphors to overcome the handicap of people, asking them to open their
> inner eyes and ears to recognize Him. One example is that of His story of Jacob and his love and longing for
> his lost son Joseph, a well-known and often quoted narrative in the mystical literature.
> In this story Joseph, the twelfth son of Jacob, was so much loved by his father that his envious brothers ,
> wishing to dispose of him, threw him in a well and then s old him into slavery. Pretending that he had been
> killed by wild beasts, they then presented Jacob with his son’s bloodstained shirt. Jacob cried so much at the
> reported loss of his son that he lost his sight. In the meantime, Joseph was taken to Egypt by slave-traders and
> 
> Lights of ‘Irfán
> 
> sold into the house of a wealthy merchant. Years later, the lovesick lady of the house, to punish him for his
> honesty and chastity, accused him of ill behaviour, thereby sending him to prison.
> Over the course of seven years of imprisonment, Joseph demonstrated his ability to interpret fellow prison-
> ers’ dreams, including a high-ranking official temporarily fallen out of favour. This s kill was so amazing that
> it resulted in his being brought to the court of the Pharaoh to interpret his dream. Pharaoh had dreamt that seven
> lean cows devoured seven fattened cows and seven dried out wheat bushels destroyed seven green wheat
> bushels. J oseph interpreted this dream to be a warning that seven lean years will follow seven years of plenty.
> The Pharaoh appreciated this interpretation and put him in charge of collecting surplus wheat in preparation
> for the coming years of famine. So ended Joseph’s undeserved years of s uffering and the beginning of his pros-
> perity and authority
> In the meantime, due to famine in the land of Palestine, his brothers travelled to Egypt in search of food.
> Joseph recognized his brothers but did not introduce himself at first. After informing them of his identity, he
> sent his shirt with his brothers to Jacob to Palestine. Never having lost hope of seeing his son, Jacob, after
> inhaling the perfume-laden smell of his son’s shirt, regained his sight. Jacob subsequently travelled to Egypt
> once again to enjoy the pleasure of his son’s company.
> This moving story has been the subject of many poems and mystical narratives throughout the ages. It is
> noteworthy that the Báb chose to reveal a commentary on the Súrih of Joseph of the Qur’án on the first night
> of His declaration to Mullá Husayn. The beloved Guardian refers to this book too and its references to
> Bahá’u’lláh as the true Joseph in God Passes By in these words:
> A more significant light, however, is shed on this episode, marking the Declaration of the Mission of the
> Báb, by the perusal of that “first, greatest and mightiest” of all books in the Bábí Dispensation, the cele-
> brated commentary on the Súrih of Joseph, the first chapter of which, we are assured, proceeded, in its
> entirety, in the course of that night of nights from the pen of its divine Revealer. The description of this
> episode by Mullá Husayn, as well as the opening pages of that Book attest the magnitude and force of that
> weighty Declaration. A claim to be no less than the mouthpiece of God Himself, promised by the Prophets
> of bygone ages; the assertion that He was, at the same time, the Herald of One immeasurably greater than
> Himself. . . .
> Already in Shíráz, at the earliest stage of His ministry, He had revealed what Bahá’u’lláh has characterized
> as “the first, the greatest, and mightiest of all books” in the Bábí Dispensation, the celebrated commentary
> on the Súrah of Joseph, entitled the Qayyúmu’l-Asmá, whose fundamental purpose was to forecast what
> the true Joseph (Bahá’u’lláh) would, in a succeeding Dispensation, endure at the hands of one who was at
> once His arch-enemy and blood brother. This work, comprising above nine thousand three hundred vers-
> es, and divided into one hundred and eleven chapters, each chapter a commentary on one verse of the
> above-mentioned Súrah, opens with the Báb’s clarion-call and dire warnings addressed to the “concourse
> of kings and of the sons of kings ” ; forecasts the doom of Muhammad Sháh; commands his Grand Vizir,
> Hájí Mírzá Áqásí, to abdicate his authority; admonishes the entire Muslim ecclesiastical order; cautions
> more specifically the members of the Shí‘ih community; extols the virtues, and anticipates the coming, of
> Bahá’u’lláh, the “Remnant of God,” the “Most Great Master . . .” 33
> Bahá’u’lláh refers to this story in the Seven Valleys, the Four Valleys, and other of His works, pointing to
> Himself as that true Joseph, and that, like Jacob, seekers need to open their inner eyes to s ee Him. Some exam-
> ples on this theme are quoted here from the Seven Valleys:
> In this journey the seeker reacheth a stage wherein he seeth all created things wandering distracted in
> search of the Friend. How many a Jacob will he see, hunting after his Joseph; he will behold many a lover,
> hasting to seek the Beloved, he will witness a world of desiring ones searching after the One Desired. . . .
> And if, by the help of God, he findeth on this journey a trace of the traceless Friend, and inhaleth the fra-
> grance of the long-lost Joseph from the heavenly messenger, he shall straightway step into THE VALLEY
> OF LOVE and be dissolved in the fire of love. . . .
> O My Brother! Until thou enter the Egypt of love, thou shalt never come to the Joseph of the Beauty of the
> Friend; and until, like Jacob, thou forsake thine outward eyes, thou shalt never open the eye of thine inward
> 
> A Journey through t he Seven Valley s
> 
> being; and until thou burn with the fire of love, thou shalt never commune with the Lover of Longing. 34
> When taken together, thes e references show that the historical Joseph is only a metaphor, and furthermore,
> the true Joseph is the Friend, the traceless Friend, Joseph of the Beauty of the Friend, understood in mystical
> Writings to point to the Lord. The news of this long-lost Joseph and His advent was to come from a heavenly
> messenger, as it was the subject of many of the Báb’s Writings. As the beloved Guardian stated the fundamental
> purpose of Qayyúmu’l-Asmá was to “forecast what the true Joseph (Bahá’u’lláh) would, in a succeeding
> Dispensation, endure at the hands of one who was at once His arch-enemy and blood brother.” A brief exami-
> nation of the life of Bahá’u’lláh reveals many other similarities between Bahá’u’lláh and Joseph, including His
> exile and suffering, and His triumph in His earthly life. In the same way that Jacob longed for his long-lost son
> Joseph, a stream of believers sought Bahá’u’lláh’s company at all costs and under all conditions, a fulfilment
> of His words when describing the condition of the seekers in the Valley of Search:
> In this journey the seeker reacheth a stage wherein he seeth all created things wandering distracted in
> search of the Friend. How many a Jacob will he see, hunting after his Joseph; he will behold many a lover,
> hasting to seek the Beloved, he will witness a world of desiring ones searching after the One Desired. 35
> Jacob’s loss of his physical sight and his subsequent discovery of his lost Joseph are again used as a
> metaphor for directing the seekers to forsake their outward eyes. In this way, the physical persons of God’s
> Messengers do not become tests of their faith and obstacles for them.
> Sacred scriptures often contain a series of tests to measure the sincerity of believers’ faith. They test the will-
> ingness of the faithful to forsake wealth and comfort, and if necessary, life itself, in the path of Truth.
> Furthermore, the faithful should be prepared to endure all hardship and calamities in the path of his love with
> contentment and gratefulness. Examples of these can be found in the Jewish Scriptures, the New Testament,
> Qur’án, mystical literature, and Bahá’í scriptures. In the Seven Valleys this message is given repeatedly. In one
> instance Bahá’u’lláh uses a well-known story to remind the Shaykh and other seekers of the prerequisites of
> true love. He quotes only part of a long story from Rúmí about “a man in love,” who had lost his health and
> wealth in the path of his love to no avail:
> There was once a lover who had sighed for long years in separation from his beloved, and wasted in the
> fire of remoteness. From the rule of love, his heart was empty of patience, and his body weary of his spir-
> it.
> Shunned by all, his longing bore no fruit until:
> At last, the tree of his longing yielded the fruit of despair, and the fire of his hope fell to ashes. Then one
> night he could live no more, and he went out of his house and made for the marketplace. On a sudden, a
> watchman followed after him. He broke into a run, with the watchman following; then other watchmen
> came together, and barred every passage to the weary one.
> Agonized with displeasure at the watchmen and in despair he finds himself at a decision point about life itself:
> Then he came to a garden wall, and with untold pain he scaled it, for it proved very high; and forgetting
> his life, he threw himself down to the garden.
> Once he made that choice to give up his life he indeed found his life and love:
> And there he beheld his beloved with a lamp in her hand, searching for a ring she had lost. When the heart-
> surrendered lover looked on his ravishing love, he drew a great breath and raised up his hands in prayer .
> ..
> In this way, his intense displeasure with this seemingly cruel act of the watchmen was transformed into a
> deep appreciation of the Lord’s pleasure:
> Now if the lover could have looked ahead, he would have blessed the watchman at the start, and prayed on
> his behalf, and he would have seen that tyranny as justice; but since the end was veiled to him, he moaned
> and made his plaint in the beginning. Yet those who journey in the garden land of knowledge, because they
> see the end in the beginning, see peace in war and friendliness in anger. 36
> In this way, the Beloved of the world asks everyone to act in the same way. Once again this familiar story
> 
> Lights of ‘Irfán
> 
> only serves to highlight the intended message.
> Bahá’u’lláh often expresses His displeasure with people without inner eyes and ears, people who have made
> Him the target of their tyranny and envy. In such an address in the Seven Valleys He makes another reference
> to His station:
> Thus it is that certain invalid souls have confined the lands of knowledge within the wall of self and pas-
> sion, and clouded them with ignorance and blindness, and have been veiled from the light of the mystic
> sun and the mysteries of the Eternal Beloved; they have strayed afar from the jewelled wisdom of the lucid
> Faith of the Lord of Messengers, have been shut out of the sanctuary of the All-Beauteous One, and ban-
> ished from the Ka‘bih of splendor. Such is the worth of the people of this age!
> And if a nightingale soar upward from the clay of self and dwell in the rose bower of the heart, and in
> Arabian melodies and sweet Iranian songs recount the mysteries of God—a single word of which quick-
> eneth to fresh, new life the bodies of the dead, and bestoweth the Holy Spirit upon the moldering bones of
> this existence—thou wilt behold a thousand claws of envy, a myriad beaks of rancor hunting after Him and
> with all their power intent upon His death.37
> His proclamation that His word bestows new life to the dead and confers Holy Spirit upon this existence is
> a clear statement of His station.
> A still clearer mes sage comes when Bahá’u’lláh describes the special bounties of His day and that all should
> try to benefit from His presence while He is still with them:
> The cloud of the Loved One’s mercy raineth only on the garden of the spirit, and bestoweth this bounty
> only in the season of spring. The other seasons have no share in this greatest grace, and barren lands no
> portion of this favor. O Brother! Not every sea hath pearls; not every branch will flower, nor will the
> nightingale sing thereon. Then, ere the nightingale of the mystic paradise repair to the garden of God, and
> the rays of the heavenly morning return to the Sun of Truth—make thou an effort, that haply in this
> dustheap of the mortal world thou mayest catch a fragrance from the everlasting garden, and live forever
> in the shadow of the peoples of this city.38
> He calls His day the spiritual “season of spring,” and refers to Himself as the “nightingale of the mys tic par-
> adise,” and “the rays of the heavenly morning.” In His mercy for those who have still missed His claim, He
> makes yet another proclamation of His advent for those who have eyes to see:
> And when thou hast attained this highest station and come to this mightiest plane, then shalt thou gaze on
> the Beloved, and forget all else.
> The Beloved shineth on gate and wall.
> Without a veil, O men of vision.
> Now hast thou abandoned the drop of life and come to the sea of the Life-Bestower. This is the goal thou
> didst ask for; if it be God’s will, thou wilt gain it.39
> Once a seeker recognized this Manifestation of the Lord for this age he will enter the sea of the Life-
> Bestower and gaze at the face of the Beloved and forget all else. Then he will discover that the light of the
> Beloved Who has revealed Himself is the source of all lights.
> The poem that Bahá’u’lláh quotes here is a masterpiece of Persian poetry by Hatif of Isfahan40 and carries
> an incredible message parallels one of the principal messages of the Bahá’í dispensation: the concept of
> “Progressive Revelation.”
> In this poem, in a state of wonderment one night, Hatif finds his way to a Zoroastrian temple. There, he finds
> Zoroastrian believers engaged in ceremonies surrounding the Holy Fire. With all his being, he recognizes that
> there is only one God, and that all are but His s igns. Hatif then makes his way to a Christian church in which
> worshipers are engaged in their devotions. He challenges them in their belief in the Trinity. One of the devo-
> tees explains to him that the Trinity is only a reflection of the Ancient Beauty in three mirrors. He hears this
> from the chime of the church bell with his inner ears that there is no One but Him, and that all are but His
> signs. In that state of amazement and with a pure heart and open mind he enters a mystic temple in which he
> 
> A Journey through t he Seven Valley s
> 
> finds the lovers of the Beloved. He asks them for guidance and after quenching his thirst once again, he
> becomes conscious of a melodious chant coming from the heavenly quarters stating that there is no One but
> Him, and that all are but His signs. It is then that he discovers that
> The Beloved shineth on gate and wall
> Without a veil, O men of vision.
> Hatif then concludes that while the Beloved shineth like the sun it would be inappropriate to search for Him
> with a candle. Morning has broken while we are still in the night season. This brief reference to a single verse
> of this poem in the Seven Valleys speaks volumes about Bahá’u’lláh’s mess age.
> And finally Bahá’u’lláh makes the most obvious reference to His advent and His person using a poem from
> Rúmí:
> How strange that while the Beloved is visible as the sun, yet the heedless still hunt after tinsel and base
> metal. Yea, the intensity of His revelation hath covered Him, and the fullness of His shining forth hath hid-
> den Him.
> Even as the sun, bright hath He shined,
> But alas, He hath come to the town of the blind! 41
> To complete our discuss ion on this theme, we will offer one last reference in the Seven Valleys to the
> Qur’án. In the Valley of Wonderment Bahá’u’lláh makes the following statement:
> The pen groaneth and the ink sheddeth tears, and the river of the heart moveth in waves of blood. “Nothing
> can befall us but what God hath destined for us.” Peace be upon him who followeth the Right Path! 42
> In this passage Bahá’u’lláh reiterates His confidence that His fate is governed by the will of God and not by
> the machinations of His enemies. In evidence of His claim, He offers the Qur’ánic verse “Nothing can befall
> us but what God hath destined for us.”
> An examination of the context of this verse shows the appropriateness of this statement and the extraordi-
> nary message that exists below the surface. It refers to verse 51 in the Súrat’ at-Tauba (Repentance) in the
> Qur’án, which was revealed in Medina and, in particular, deals with the treachery and breaking of treaties by
> the infidels. 43 Muhammad foretells of their coming punishment and declares to them that the station of those
> who serve the Cause of God and participate in the Holy War is far above those who maintain their infidelity
> and yet repair the Mosque. He states that those who put their worldly interests above God’s will are in a loss.
> In vain, the infidels wish to extinguish the Light of God, but He will protect His Light. He warns the believ-
> ers that unless they serve the Cause of God, He will choose others to replace them. He then states that “noth-
> ing will happen to us except what God has decreed for us; He is our Protector; and on Him let the believers
> put their trust.”
> Bahá’u’lláh reminds those who have insight that just like the Prophet of Islam He is the target of attacks
> from friend and foe, alike, and that He will endure all in the pathway of His Lord. God will establish His Cause
> and protect His Light, that is Him, even if people oppose Him. If those around Him reject His call, He will
> raise up others to assist Him.
> As a befitting conclusion to this section and revealing a glimpse of Bahá’u’lláh’s station, below are some of
> the titles that appear in the Seven Valleys: Sheba of the All-Merciful, J oseph of the Beauty of the Friend, The
> Friend, Sun of Truth, Manifestation of the Sun of reality, the Beloved, the Eternal Beloved, the Beauty of the
> Beloved, the Nightingale of the Mystic Paradise, the Nightingale with Arabian M elodies and Sweet Iranian
> Songs, the Eternal Morning Dawn, the New Beloved One, the Light of Manifestation of the King of Oneness ,
> the Master of the House, the M aster of Love, the Tree of Knowledge, the Eternal City, the City of God, the
> Face of The Beloved One, the Divine Face, the Guardian of The Cause, the Sea of the Life-Bestower, the
> Falcon of the Mystic Heaven
> 
> Spiritual Truths in the Seven Valleys
> The Seven Valleys is a repository of a great deal of spiritual truths of this Cause. Although this book is
> revealed in the language and form of the mystic Writings, at times the truths it contains completely contradict
> 
> Lights of ‘Irfán
> 
> the common views of the Sufis. At other times it acts to resolve, clarify, modify and harmonize many of the
> complex and paradoxical elements of their beliefs. In the interest of brevity, however, only a few examples of
> these truths are highlighted in this article.
> 1. The Ultimate Goal of Man’s Spiritual Quest
> Over time, the Sufis came to believe that, if confirmed by the Lord’s grace, a seeker would eventually reach
> a state of union with the Lord. Termed “annihilation in God [faná’] and eternal life in Him [baqá’],” this union
> has been described variously by different mystics.
> Bahá’u’lláh rejects this view, stating that this goal is unattainable to humanity. He further clarifies that the
> ultimate goal of man’s reach in physical life is recognition of the Lord’s Manifestation for the age and service
> at His threshold:
> However, let none construe these utterances to be anthropomorphism, nor see in them the descent of the
> worlds of God into the grades of the creatures; nor should they lead thine Eminence to such assumptions.
> For God is, in His Essence, holy above ascent and descent, entrance and exit; He hath through all eternity
> been free of the attributes of human creatures, and ever will remain so. No man hath ever known Him; no
> soul hath ever found the pathway to His Being. Every mystic knower hath wandered far astray in the val-
> ley of the knowledge of Him; every saint hath lost his way in seeking to comprehend His Essence.
> Sanctified is He above the understanding of the wise; exalted is He above the knowledge of the knowing!
> The way is barred and to seek it is impiety; His proof is His signs; His being is His evidence. . . . Yea, these
> mentioning that have been made of the grades of knowledge relate to the knowledge of the Manifestations
> of that Sun of reality, which casteth Its light upon the Mirrors. . . . Then it is clear that even for the rays
> there is neither entrance nor exit—how much less for that Essence of Being and that longed-for Mystery.44
> Bahá’u’lláh offers the words of ‘Alí, the son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, as proof of His statement:
> “The way is barred and to seek it is impiety.” 45 The significance of this reference to Sufis stems from the fact
> that most Sufi groups regard ‘Alí as their spiritual figurehead.
> Bahá’u’lláh explains the meaning of the Unity of God, annihilation of self, perpetual union with God and
> the essence of faith and Certitude in another Tablet:
> He is indeed a true believer in the unity of God who, in this Day, will regard Him as One immeasurably
> exalted above all the comparisons and likenesses with which men have compared Him. He hath erred
> grievously who hath mistaken these comparisons and likenesses for God Himself. Consider the relation
> between the craftsman and his handiwork, between the painter and his painting. Can it ever be maintained
> that the work their hands have produced is the same as themselves?
> O Shaykh, O thou who hast surrendered thy will to God! By self-surrender and perpetual union with God
> is meant that men should merge their will wholly in the Will of God, and regard their desires as utter noth-
> ingness beside His Purpose. Whatsoever Creator commandeth His creatures to observe, the same must they
> diligently, and with the utmost joy and eagerness, arise and fulfil. They should in no wise allow their fancy
> to obscure their judgment, neither should they regard their own imaginings as the voice of the Eternal. . .
> . The station of absolute self-surrender transcendeth, and will ever remain exalted above, every other sta-
> tion. It behoveth thee to consecrate thyself to the Will of God. Whatsoever hath been revealed in His
> Tablets is but a reflection of His Will. So complete must be thy consecration, that every trace of worldly
> desire will be washed from thine heart. This is the meaning of true unity.
> Do thou beseech God to enable thee to remain steadfast in this path, and to aid thee to guide the peoples
> of the world to Him Who is the manifest and sovereign Ruler, Who hath revealed Himself in a distinct
> attire, Who giveth utterance to a Divine and specific Message. This is the essence of faith and certitude.46
> From these passages, it becomes clear that the mystic Beloved for the age is Bahá’u’lláh, and that the zenith
> of the spiritual reach of a seeker is recognition of Him and His Cause, and obedience to His commands.
> 2. God’s “Most Excellent Names”
> Bahá’u’lláh states repeatedly in the Seven Valleys and other tablets such as the Kitáb-i-ˆqán that man can-
> not attain to the knowledge of God except through the knowledge of the attributes of God’s Messengers. In
> 
> A Journey through t he Seven Valley s
> 
> fact, He states that a perfect understanding of God’s unity demands negation of any names and attributes to
> that Essence of Essences. He once more offers the words of ‘Alí, the son-in-law of the Prophet as evidence for
> His statement about the characters of those who have gone beyond the limitations of names and attributes and
> attained His recognition:
> For these have passed over the worlds of names, and fled beyond the worlds of attributes as swift as light-
> ning. Thus is it said: “Absolute Unity excludeth all attributes.”47
> ‘Alí’s complete statement is that religion begins with the Lord’s recognition, His recognition is only com-
> plete by obedience and faith in Him, and faith in Him is complete only with recognition of His Oneness. 48
> Recognition of His Oneness is complete with purity of Faith in Him, and completeness of Faith in Him
> demands negation of any names and attributes to Him, as no one and no attributes can befittingly describe Him.
> During the Islamic Dispensation, a series of names and attributes referred to as “Most Excellent Names”
> were thought to be God’s Names and Titles. This was based on a reference in the Qur’án in which all such
> names are attributed to Alláh and Rahmán (“Mercy”):
> Say: Call upon Alláh, or call upon Rahmán: By whatever name ye call Upon Him, (it is well): For to Him
> belong the Most Beautiful Names.49
> These “Most Excellent Names” have been related in the words of the Prophet (hadíth) and the Imáms with
> minor differences. Ja‘far as-Sádiq, the sixth Shí‘íh Imám, was reported to relate ninety-nine of these names .
> In a departure from this general belief and in complete conformity to ‘Alí’s statement (“. . . completeness of
> Faith in Him involves negation of any names and attributes to Him, as no one and no attributes can befitting-
> ly describe Him . . .”), Bahá’u’lláh uses part of the same Qur’ánic passage and explains that all these names
> and titles refer to God’s Messenger, Muhammad:
> He who was Ahmad in the kingdom of the exalted ones, and Muhammad amongst the concourse of the near
> ones, and Mahmúd in the realm of the sincere ones . . . “by whichsoever (name) ye will, invoke Him: He
> hath most excellent names” in the hearts of those who know. 50
> In other words, these titles and attributes belong to all of God’s Manifestations. In many tablets Bahá’u’lláh
> refers to His Own Advent with all of these “Excellent Names.” For example, in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá’u’lláh
> states:
> Verily, all created things were immersed in the sea of purification when, on that first day of Ridván, We
> shed upon the whole of creation the splendours of Our most excellent Names and Our most exalted
> Attributes. This, verily, is a token of My loving providence, which hath encompassed all the worlds. 51
> 3. Unity of Being
> The concept of “Unity of Being,” which at times, and for some Sufi extremists, borders on pantheism, is
> amongst the principal beliefs of many Sufis and other groups of mystics. For a detailed discussion of various
> aspects of this topic the reader is referred to other publications.52,53
> A short presentation of some of the main concepts about God that have been current amongst different
> groups would help a better understanding of the Bahá’í perspective on this subject:
> 1.    God of Immanence: This means an in-dwelling God. This implies an impersonal God that is part
> of the order of creation and a close relationship between Him and His creation.
> 2.    Transcendent God: This is a God that has caused the creation but remains as a definite and an indi-
> vidual entity, separate from His creation. Man is not part of God and God does not dwell in the
> world or in man. This is the God of prophetic religions .
> 3.    Pantheistic God: Pantheism involves belief in a God that is the totality of creation. God is the
> whole, and the world and man are parts of it. Man is a part of God or as most Sufis believe, man
> possesses some elements of God within him. As a consequence of this view mystics have come to
> believe that either man can reach God or man can actually become united with Him. The ecstasy
> and the joy that accompanies moments of prayers, meditation and contemplation have been offered
> by the mystics as evidence to their claim of becoming united with God.
> 
> Lights of ‘Irfán
> 
> 4.    God of Deism: This is the belief of those who accept that the universe has been created and is con-
> trolled by an intelligent force, and furthermore, identify this force with the God of religion.
> However they deny that this force is a personal God who hears man’s prayers and has any interest
> in man’s welfare.
> 5.    God of Theism: This is the belief of those who see God as the creator and separate from nature and
> yet dwells in every of its activities. This is much the same as a God that is both immanent and tran-
> scendent.
> The mystery of the joining of man with God has been described in various ways by mystics . Some have
> made it analogous to a drop of rain that has been separated from the sea and eventually flows back to the sea.
> The pantheistic view of God and creation is remarkably consistent with this analogy. Some have explained the
> creation as a mere mirage and unreal in the same way that waves disappear after the sea becomes calm. Waves
> are but reflections of creation, that in essence and substance, come from the sea and unto it return.
> This brings up the nature of the process of creation. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá provides us with an insight on this topic
> in Some Answered Questions:
> Know that proceeding is of two kinds: the proceeding and appearance through emanation, and the pro-
> ceeding and appearance through manifestation. The proceeding through emanation is like the coming forth
> of the action from the actor, of the writing from the writer. Now the writing emanates from the writer, and
> the discourse emanates from the speaker, and in the same way the human spirit emanates from God. It is
> not that it manifests God--that is to say, no part has been detached from the Divine Reality to enter the body
> of man.54
> The second kind of creation is through Manifestation, just as a tree grows from a seed. The flower manifests
> the seed, and in a sense, is not entirely different from the seed. This belief is at the core of the pantheistic view.
> Furthermore, the mystics have come to believe that the soul of man is the s piritual element in him, and that,
> prior to its association with man’s body, this soul existed in some form with God. It is a natural extension of
> the belief that we are part divine, that God dwells in us, and that our soul returns to Him. The Sufis’ interpre-
> tation of the scriptures that “one needs to know oneself to know God” comes from this premise.
> Some mystics have come to define the “Unity of Being” as the unity of God with His creation. Others have
> come to believe God is the only true exis tence, and that creation is as ephemeral as sea-waves or bubbles that
> form and disappear at the surface of water. In Mullá Sadra’s philosophy this subject appears as the “Unity of
> Being” and the “Diversity of Created Things.”55 Nevertheless he sees a common underlying unity in the diver-
> sity of the world of creation, jus t as light appears in different colors as it pass es through differently colored
> glasses. In the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, our return to our Lord is not like the return of drops to the sea but more
> like the return of birds to the Abhá Paradise.
> As opposed to the philosophically based “Unity of Being,” some Sufis have come to reach their goal through
> love and adoration. The founder of this school of thought is believed to be Ibn-Faridh. 56 This belief is called
> the “Unity of Witnesses, the Lover and the Beloved [Shuhúd].” Whatever these descriptions convey and under
> whatever definition this communion with the Lord falls, Bahá’u’lláh wishes to take the seeker to heights that
> go far beyond these terms and their meanings. In a reference to these views He states in the Seven Valleys that
> [i]n this Valley, the wayfarer leaveth behind him the stages of the “oneness of Being and Manifestation
> [Shuhúd]” and reacheth a oneness that is sanctified above these two stations. Ecstasy alone can encompass
> this theme, not utterance nor argument; and whosoever hath dwelt at this stage [Mahfel] of the journey, or
> caught a breath from this garden land, knoweth whereof We speak. 57
> In this statement, Bahá’u’lláh describes the station of the believers who were admitted to His banquet [Mahfel]
> and entered His garden.
> It is worthwhile to ponder the station of the Lord’s Manifestation for this age. Bahá’u’lláh testifies to His
> station in these words:
> God testifieth that there is none other God but Him and that He Who hath appeared is the Hidden Mystery,
> the Treasured Symbol, the Most Great Book for all peoples, and the Heaven of bounty for the whole world.
> He is the Most Mighty Sign amongst men and the Dayspring of the most august attributes in the realm of
> 
> A Journey through t he Seven Valley s
> 
> creation. Through Him hath appeared that which had been hidden from time immemorial and been veiled
> from the eyes of men. He is the One Whose Manifestation was announced by the heavenly Scriptures, in
> former times and more recently. Whoso acknowledgeth belief in Him and in His signs and testimonies hath
> in truth acknowledged that which the Tongue of Grandeur uttered ere the creation of earth and heaven and
> the revelation of the Kingdom of Names. Through Him the ocean of knowledge hath surged amidst
> mankind and the river of divine wisdom hath gushed out at the behest of God, the Lord of Days. Well is it
> with the man of discernment who hath recognized and perceived the Truth.58
> He is the promise of all ages, He is the Beloved of all, He is the object of adoration for all, He is the One sought
> by all and the union that man seeks is union with Him.
> 4. The Three Realms: Realms of God, His Messengers (the Cause) and Man
> It can be said that, with rare exceptions, the majority of Sufis as well as the faithful in Judaism, Christianity,
> and Islam believe in two realms, one the realm of God and the other in which men and other created things
> reside. The consequence of this belief has been a general confusion about the station and place of the Founders
> of great religions. In the early years of Islam, the Muslims placed Prophet Muhammad firmly on earth, the
> Christians, based on the Nicene Creed, raised Jesus Christ to the level of the realm of God, and some mystics
> and Sufis allowed man to reach God’s station.
> Bahá’u’lláh, however, teaches that there are three realms, the realm of God (the absolute and the Divine
> Essence), the world of man (the realm of all created things), and an intermediary kingdom, the realm of God’s
> Messengers (the world of Cause). In the opening passage of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the first two realms (the World
> of man and the world of Cause) are explicitly mentioned, and the third (the realm of God) implicitly stated:
> The first duty prescribed by God for His servants is the recognition of Him Who is the Dayspring of His
> Revelation and the Fountain of His laws, Who representeth the Godhead in both the Kingdom of His Cause
> and the world of creation.59
> Bahá’u’lláh presents in the Seven Valleys some of His manifold stations. His titles in this book, some of
> which were quoted earlier, attest to this. In the Four Valleys He refers to four of His stations, i.e. His Self,
> Wisdom, Love and Spirit. In the Súrat’ul-Haykal (Discourse of the Temple), He clarifies the relationship
> between His Person (Mírzá Húsayn-‘ Alí), His Divine Spirit (Most Great Spirit), and God, where the concept
> of the three realms are expounded. It is in this context that it would be possible to understand and relate to
> Trinity in the context of the Bahá’í Faith, i.e. the Father = God, the Son = Jesus and the Holy Spirit =
> Christ/Divine Spirit).
> In the early history of Islam, based on the Qur’án and Islamic traditions, the Muslims regarded the Prophet
> Muhammad as only another human being, the only difference being that He was the recipient of God’s
> Revelation. In time, however, some Muslim thinkers, and in particular the Sufis, started to focus on the spirit
> of the Prophet and relate it to the Word, Logos, First Created, Primal Will, Light of Muhammad, etc.
> Bahá’u’lláh refers to these titles of the Divine Spirit of the prophet in the Seven Valleys:
> And I praise and glorify the first sea which hath branched from the ocean of the Divine Essence, and the
> first morn which hath glowed from the Horizon of Oneness, and the first sun which hath risen in the
> Heaven of Eternity, and the first fire which was lit from the Lamp of Pre-existence in the lantern of sin-
> gleness: He who was Ahmad in the kingdom of the exalted ones, and Muhammad amongst the concourse
> of the near ones, and Mahmúd in the realm of the sincere ones. . . “by whichsoever (name) ye will, invoke
> Him: He hath most excellent names” in the hearts of those who know. 60
> These titles all refer to the Most Great Spirit that is the Divine Spirit to all Manifestations of God through-
> out the ages. So it can be seen that there is a consistency throughout the ages in referring to God’s vicegerents
> Divine Spirit.
> With belief in this intermediary realm confusion surrounding the meaning of the words of Manifestation of
> God regarding their stations clears.
> 5. The Relationship Between Religion, Mystic Path, and the Truth
> Some Sufi orders gradually came to believe that the purpose of religion, particularly religious laws and ordi-
> 
> Lights of ‘Irfán
> 
> nances, was to purify man’s heart and mind and prepare him for undertaking a true mystic path. The purpose
> of the mystic quest in turn was to guide man to the “Truth.” In doing s o, some Sufis saw religion as only a pre-
> liminary step in their quest. As a consequence, some Sufi orders came to believe that observance of the laws
> of religion was only binding on a wayfarer in the initial stages of his quest, and thereafter were not binding on
> him. This belief became the cause of a great deal of conflict and bloodshed amongst believers. It must be said,
> however, that many other Sufi orders never accepted this doctrine.
> In a radical departure from this belief and its implications, Bahá’u’lláh defines the essential and comple-
> mentary relationship between these stages of man’s spiritual maturation and enjoins the observance of all laws
> and ordinances at all times:
> In all these journeys the traveler must stray not the breadth of a hair from the “Law,” for this is indeed the
> secret of the “Path” and the fruit of the Tree of “Truth” ; and in all these stages he must cling to the robe
> of obedience to the commandments, and hold fast to the cord of shunning all forbidden things, that he may
> be nourished from the cup of the Law and informed of the mysteries of Truth.61
> Bahá’u’lláh states that the “Law” (religious ordinances) is the secret of the mystic “Path,” and the “Fruit”
> (result) of the Tree of “Truth.” Through this relationship, these three aspects of man’s spiritual journey are
> eternally linked. Bahá’u’lláh strengthens this in the opening chapter of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas where He makes
> man’s salvation conditional on both recognition of God’s Manifestation for each age and obedience to His
> Laws:
> It behoveth every one who reacheth this most sublime station, this summit of transcendent glory, to observe
> every ordinance of Him Who is the Desire of the world. These twin duties are inseparable. Neither is
> acceptable without the other. Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who is the Source of Divine inspiration.62
> This very theme and the need for observance of all of the Lord’s ordinances have been repeated throughout
> the Writings.
> True belief in God and recognition of Him cannot be complete save by acceptance of that which He hath
> revealed and by observance of whatsoever hath been decreed by Him and set down in the Book by the Pen
> of Glory. They that immerse themselves in the ocean of His utterances should at all times have the utmost
> regard for the divinely-revealed ordinances and prohibitions. Indeed His ordinances constitute the mighti-
> est stronghold for the protection of the world and the safeguarding of its peoples.63
> 6. Wealth, Poverty, Detachment and The Process of Living
> One of the features distinguishing the Bahá’í Writings, including the Seven Valleys, from the extremist mys-
> tical Writings is the meaning of common Sufi terms such as “poverty” and “detachment.” Among some of the
> early puritans and Sufis in Islam there appeared the belief that this world is but trans itory and worthless and
> that man’s salvation depends upon his complete break from it all. These believers found ample references from
> the Qur’án and other Islamic sources supporting their views:
> 47:36 The life of this world is but play and amusement: and if ye believe and guard against Evil, He will
> grant you your recompense, and will not ask you (to give up) your possessions. 64
> Or in another verse from the Qur’án:
> 29:64 What is the life of this world but amusement and play? but verily the Home in the Hereafter—that
> is life indeed, if they but knew.65
> The works of many notable Sufi writers abound with expressions about the uselessness of this world. Few
> passages from the writings of Khájih ‘ Abdulláh Ansárí on this subject would suffice:
> O my dear, why are you wondering about the conditions of this world and why do you expect your wealth
> to last? How one can explain this riddle of wealth that has been earned at great sufferings, and accumulat-
> ed at great hardship, and yet left behind with sorrows and disappointment? . . . This world is but a bridge
> on the path to the next. It is neither a place for peace nor a place for rest. It is all but the cause of hardship
> and calamities. This world is bent on causing you harm and mistreatment. Whoever found wealth therein
> is truly poor, and whoever found status he is amongst the wrongdoers. Every song that it sings says “The
> world is the prison of the believer and the heaven of the unbeliever,” and every speech that it makes states
> 
> A Journey through t he Seven Valley s
> 
> that “the world is but a place for error.” 66,67
> The true meanings of poverty, wealth, detachment and the purpose of life and prescriptions for living are
> abundantly explained in the Bahá’í Writings. Study of these Writings makes it quite clear that in this Faith
> “poverty” is not about being materially poor, and “detachment” is not about breaking away from life and peo-
> ple and committing oneself to endless rituals in remote temples. The Faith intends to bring about a spiritual
> and a material balance to one’s life, and take away the errors of obsession with a one-dimensional material
> existence. Otherwise a life of isolation from society, begging for one’s existence, wasting of one’s time and
> resources, being utterly useless to oneself and the society, and occupying oneself with endless hard rituals in
> the name of worship have all been abhorred in the Writings.
> The objectives of this Faith are to bring about prosperity and social justice for all, and a civilized and spir-
> itual human society. It is about peace and harmony and the establishment of an ever-advancing civilization in
> this world and preparation of man for a s piritual regeneration and s piritual progress in worlds to come. The
> Bahá’í teachings are all about building a more suitable world and society for the future generations.
> Some examples of these teachings include: compulsory education for all; learning of trades and professions;
> extending helping hands to all in need; building of orphanages and universal healthcare for all and all ages;
> elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty; enrichment of family life; equality for all; elimination of the
> need for wars and weapons of mass destruction; and world government
> Therefore some of the references to poverty in the Seven Valleys and the Hidden Words such as these quot-
> ed belowshould be understood in the wider context of the Writings as a whole:68,69
> O friend, the heart is the dwelling of eternal mysteries, make it not the home of fleeting fancies; waste not
> the treasure of thy precious life in employment with this swiftly passing world. Thou comest from the
> world of holiness—bind not thine heart to the earth; thou art a dweller in the court of nearness—choose
> not the homeland of the dust.
> O YE THAT PRIDE YOURSELVES ON MORTAL RICHES!
> Know ye in truth that wealth is a mighty barrier between the seeker and his desire, the lover and his
> beloved. The rich, but for a few, shall in no wise attain the court of His presence nor enter the city of con-
> tent and resignation. Well is it then with him, who, being rich, is not hindered by his riches from the eter-
> nal kingdom, nor deprived by them of imperishable dominion. By the Most Great Name! The splendor of
> such a wealthy man shall illuminate the dwellers of heaven even as the sun enlightens the people of the
> earth!
> 
> Teachings in the Seven Valleys
> The Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, irrespective of the time-period, language, and form of composition all have a
> common purpos e, and all contain elements of the Teachings of the Faith. As an example some of the Teachings
> that appear in the Seven Valleys and were elucidated in His subsequent Writings are outlined here:
> •     God is indescribable. All names and titles given to God relate to God’s Manifestations.
> •       The Manifes tations of God are all one.
> •       Obedience to God’s commandments and recognition of His Manifestations at each age are both
> necessary for man’s s alvation.
> •       Man is in need of God’s grace, bounty and spiritual guidance.
> •       The spiritual Worlds of God are innumerable.
> •       Man’s heart and soul becomes worthy of God’s grace when purified and cleansed from base des ires
> and excessive materialism. The guidance given in the Seven Valleys prepares man to receive God’s
> grace.
> •       The ultimate goal of man’s spiritual progress is recognition of God’s Manifestation for the age.
> •       Man is essentially a spiritual being with material needs. Hence his happiness depends on the extent
> of his spiritual growth.
> 
> Lights of ‘Irfán
> 
> •         Physical and spiritual truths are not absolute, but relative.
> •         Each man receives his portion of God’s grace and everyone is judged according to his or her own
> capacity.
> •         The prerequisite to success in one’s search after truth is the elimination of all forms of prejudices
> and blind imitation.
> •         Man must set his vision at the outcome of all things.
> 
> Notes
> 1) Th is paper was presented at Louhelen and Bosch Bahá’í Schoo ls in M ichigan and California during October and November 1999.
> 2) Bahá’u’lláh, S even Valleys, translated b y Marzieh Gail, in consultation with ‘Alí-Kulí Khán, Bahá’í Pub lis hing Trust, Wilmette,
> Ill., U.S., 19 91.
> 3) Shaykh Muh yi’d-Dín, the jud ge of Khániqayn in Iraq i Kurdis tan.
> 4) Shoghi Effendi, God Pas ses By, p. 140.
> 5) Bahá’u’lláh, Four Valleys, translated b y Marzieh Gail, in co nsultation with ‘Alí-Kulí Khán, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette,
> Ill., U.S., 19 91.
> 6) Bahá’u’lláh, Hidden Words, translated by Shoghi Effendi, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Ill, U.S., 1 931
> 7) Bahá’u’lláh, Kitáb-i-ˆqán, Bahá’í Pub lis hing Trust, United Kingdo m
> 8) Bahá’u’lláh, Th e Essence (Gems) o f Mysteries (Jawáhiru’l-Asrár). [This Ep istle is in Arabic with no approved trans lation yet.]
> 9) Bah á’u’lláh, Mathnavíy-i-Mubárak (Th e Blessed Ode). [This poem is in Pers ian and has the same style as that of Math navi o f
> Rúmi. There is no ap pro ved English trans lation of th is o de yet.]
> 10) Fáridu’d-Dín ‘Attár (ca. 1150– 1230 C. E.), one of th e greatest Persian Sufi poets.
> 11) ‘Attár, The Con ference of the Birds.
> 12) ‘Attár, Bo ok of Ha rd ship (Mosíbat-Námeh).
> 13) Bahá’u’lláh, The Seven Valleys, p. 2 4.
> 14) Ibid., p. 4.
> 15) Ibid., p. 40.
> 16) Ibid., p. 26.
> 17) Bahá’u’lláh, Epistle to Th e Son of the Wolf, pp. 1 3–15
> 18) Bahá’u’lláh, Seven Valleys, pp. 22-23.
> 19) Ibid., p. 3.
> 20) Ibid., pp. 3-4.
> 21) Ibid., p. 4.
> 22) Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Wr itings o f Bahá ’u’lláh, U.K. Bahá’í Publishing Tru st, XXI, p. 49.
> 23) Khájih ‘Abdu’lláh An sárí, (1006–1 088 C.E .), a well-known Sufi, principally remembered for his Supplications an d Quatrains.
> 24) Bahá’u’lláh, Seven Valleys, p. 16.
> 25) New Testament, Matthew 6:9–10
> 26) Jalálu ’d-Dín Rúmi (12 07–1273 C.E .), th e fou nder of the “Mawlavi Whirling” dervish order an d author o f the Mathn aví, one o f
> the most celebrated mystical works of all time. Bah á’u’lláh quotes Rúmí in many of His Writings.
> 27) References to the s tory of the jou rn ey of Moses and Khidr from Rúmí’s Mathnaví appear on page 17:
> Veiled from this was M oses
> Though all strength an d light;
> Then thou who hast no wings at all,
> Attempt not flight.
> an d on pag e 2 6:
> If Khidr did wreck the vessel on th e s ea,
> Yet in this wrong there are a tho usan d rights .
> 28) Bahá’u’lláh, Kitáb-i-ˆqán, p. 92.
> 
> A Journey through t he Seven Valley s
> 
> 29) Suhrev árdí, founder of th e philosophical sch ool of Ishráq.
> 30) Nezámí Ganjáví, Five [Stor ies], (Khamsih-ye Nez ám’í), written aroun d 1188–1189 C.E .
> 31) Bahá’u’lláh, Seven Valleys, pp. 6-7.
> 32) New Testament, Matthew 11:4-6.
> 33) Shoghi Effendi, God Pa sses By, pp . 6, 23.
> 34) Bahá’u’lláh, Seven Valleys, pp. 5-9 passim.
> 35) Ibid., pp. 5-6.
> 36) Ibid., pp. 13-14.
> 37) Ibid., p. 19–20
> 38) Ibid., p. 38
> 39) Ibid., pp. 38–39
> 40) Hatif of Isfahan
> 41) Bahá’u’lláh, Seven Valleys, p. 39.
> 42) Ibid., p. 35.
> 43) Súrat’at-Tauba (Repentance) from th e Qur’án 9:5.
> 44) Bahá’u’lláh, Seven Valleys, pp. 22–24.
> 45) ‘Alí-ibn-Abí-Tálib. Related by Ishráq Khávarí in Qamús-i-ˆqán, vol. 2, p . 741.
> 46) Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Wr itings o f Bahá ’u’lláh, pp. 33 6–338.
> 47) Bahá’u’lláh, Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys, p. 1 5.
> 48) ‘Alí-ibn-Abí-Tálib, A Collection of Sermons and Letters (Nahj’ul-Balaghat).
> 49) Qur’án, S.17 (Ban i-Is ra’il), 110.
> 50) Bahá’u’lláh, Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys, p. 2 .
> 51) Bahá’u’lláh, Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 47.
> 52) Evelyn Underh ill, Mys ticis m. The Nature and Development of Spiritu al Consciou sness, Oneworld Pub lications , U.K.
> 53) Glen A. Shook, Mys ticis m, Science and Revelation, George Ro nald, U.K.
> 54) ‘Abdu ’l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions , pp. 239–41.
> 55) Mullá Sad rá
> 56) Ibn-Faridh
> 57) Bahá’u’lláh, Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys, p. 3 9.
> 58) Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Ba há’u’lláh, Tajallíyát (Effulgences) p. 47.
> 59) Bahá’u’lláh, Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 19.
> 60) Bahá’u’lláh, Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys, p. 2 .
> 61) Ibid., pp. 39–40.
> 62) Bahá’u’lláh, Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 19
> 63) Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Ba há’u’lláh, Tajallíyát (Effulgences) p. 50.
> 64) Qur’án 47:36—MUHAMMAD
> 65) Qur’án 29:64—AL- ‘ANKABUT.
> 66) Khájih ‘Abdulláh Ans árí. Anwár-al-Tahqiq (Lights of Search ) in Persian, page 42. What is given here is a verb translation from
> Persian.
> 67) Bahá’u’lláh, Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys, p. 3 5.
> 68) Bahá’u’lláh, Hidden Words, p. 41.
> 
> Lights of ‘Irfán
>
> — *A Journey through the Seven Valleys (Used by permission of the curator)*