As a further testimony to the greatness of the Revelation
identified with Bahá'u'lláh may be cited the following extracts from a Tablet
addressed by 'Abdu'l-Bahá to an eminent Zoroastrian follower of the Faith:
"Thou hadst written that in the sacred books of the
followers of Zoroaster it is written that in the latter days, in three separate
Dispensations, the sun must needs be brought to a standstill. In the first
Dispensation, it is predicted, the sun will remain motionless for ten days; in
the second for twice that time; in the third for no less than one whole month.
The interpretation of this prophecy is this: the first Dispensation to which it
refers is the Muhammadan Dispensation during which the Sun of Truth stood still
for ten days. Each day is reckoned as one century. The Muhammadan Dispensation
must have, therefore, lasted no less than one thousand years, which is
precisely the period that has elapsed from the setting of the Star of the
Imamate to the advent of the Dispensation proclaimed by the Báb. The second
Dispensation referred to in this prophecy is the one inaugurated by the Báb
Himself, which began in the year 1260 A.H. and was brought to a close in the
year 1280 A.H. As to the third Dispensation -- the Revelation proclaimed by
Bahá'u'lláh -- inasmuch as the Sun of Truth when attaining that station shineth
in the plenitude of its meridian splendor its duration hath been fixed for a
period of one whole month, which is the maximum time taken by the sun to pass
through a sign of the Zodiac. From this thou canst imagine the magnitude of the
Bahá'í cycle -- a cycle that must extend over a period of at least five hundred
thousand years."
- Shoghi Effendi (‘The Dispensation of Baha’u’llah’,
included in ‘The World Order of Baha'u'llah’)
Concerning the passage in ‘The Dispensation of Baha’u’llah’
in which the Guardian quotes ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s interpretation of the prophecy
referring to the times when the sun would stand still in the heavens, he wishes
me to explain that the days referred to in this prophecy have to be reckoned
differently. In the Sacred Scriptures of various religions there are to be
found frequent references to days, but these have to be considered as
indicating different periods of time, as for instance in the Qur’an a day is
reckoned as one thousand years. The first ten days in the above mentioned
prophecy represent each a century, making thus a total of one thousand lunar
years. As to the twenty days referring to the Babi Dispensation, each of them
represents only one lunar year, the total of twenty years marking the duration
of the Revelation of the Bab. The thirty days in the last Dispensation should
not be reckoned numerically, but should be considered as symbolizing the
incomparable greatness of the Baha’i Revelation which, though not the final, is
none the less thus far the fullest revelation of God to man. From a physical
point of view, the thirty days represent the maximum time taken by the sun to
pass through a sign of the zodiac. They thus represent a culminating point in
the evolution of this star (i.e., the earth). So also from a spiritual
standpoint these thirty days should be viewed as indicating the highest, though
not the final, stage in the spiritual evolution of mankind.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter
dated 7 August 7, 1934 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to NSA of United
States and Canada; Baha’i News, no. 87, September 1934)
