“O wayfarer in the path of the Beloved! Know thou that the
main purpose of this holy tradition is to make mention of the stages of God’s
concealment and manifestation within the Embodiments of Truth, They who are the
Dawning-places of His All-Glorious Being. For example, before the flame of the
undying Fire is lit and manifest, it existeth by itself within itself in the
hidden identity of the universal Manifestations, and
this is the stage of the “Hidden Treasure”. And when the blessed Tree is
kindled by itself within itself, and that Divine Fire burneth by its essence
within its essence, this is the stage of “I wished to be made known”. And when
it shineth forth from the Horizon of the universe with infinite Divine Names
and Attributes upon the contingent and placeless worlds, this constituteth the
emergence of a new and wondrous creation which correspondeth to the stage of
“Thus I called creation into being”. And when the sanctified souls rend asunder
the veils of all earthly attachments and worldly conditions, and hasten to the
stage of gazing on the beauty of the Divine Presence and are honoured by
recognizing the Manifestation and are able to witness the splendour of God’s
Most Great Sign in their hearts, then will the purpose of creation, which is
the knowledge of Him Who is the Eternal Truth, become manifest.” (‘Abdu’l-Baha,
quoted in the ‘Notes” section of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, prepared by the Research
Department of the Universal House of Justice)
